(intro theme music playing)
ALL CHARACTERS, INCIDENTS, ORGANIZATIONS, AND SETTINGS IN THIS DRAMA ARE FICTITIOUS
(keyboards clacking)
YOONJO: So I think we're supposed to get about 50 people.
You think the server can handle it?
IT STAFF (scoffs): 50 people is nothing.
-Are you sure? -Yeah.
YOONJO: What will we do if it crashes?
IT STAFF: That's not gonna happen, okay?
It'll be fine, and I'll be keeping a close eye on it.
YOONJO: Okay.
JAEMIN: A date?
Yeah, he asked her out on a date.
(sucks teeth) I guess that's American style.
You know?
"Do you wanna go out with me?" That's it.
(laughs)
(somber music playing)
Is that all?
How did Yoonjo respond to that?
CHULJUN: Dunno. I didn't hear that part.
(music stops)
Do you have something you wanna say to me?
-What? -You've been staring at me all day today.
(wistful comical music playing)
Uh, really?
Oh! No, no. I wasn't staring.
I-I… I didn't mean to.
I would never do that. That's…
(clears throat)
YOONJO: Maybe I'm mistaken,
but it kinda looks like you are into me.
Into…
(scoffs) Into you?
That's… I…
No, I'm not. I'm not into you.
I'm not.
I'm just teasing you.
Everyone seemed so tense,
so I just wanted to lighten the mood a little.
Didn't expect you to get so defensive, hm?
I'm disappointed.
(scoffs)
Yeah, that was mean. What's wrong with her?
I guess Mr. Ryu has unrealistically high standards.
YEONSUNG: Just ignore him.
He's just mad. You're way too good for him, Yoonjo.
(mutters) Oh…
IT STAFF: We're on in five minutes.
(clears throat)
(suspenseful music playing)
We're on in five seconds.
SEUP PD, SEYONG THE UNANSWERED… SEUP WRITER1, SEUP WRITER2, SEYONG-TF
(IT staff clears throat)
(excited exclaims)
TOTAL WASTE OF TIME-4TH YEAR
(upbeat music playing)
Um, "Total Waste of Time." Good morning.
TOTAL WASTE OF TIME: Oh. Um, can you hear me?
Yes, we can hear you.
TOTAL WASTE OF TIME: So, this meeting is all about Seyong, correct?
Yes, that's correct.
SEYONG EMPLOYEE-3RD YEAR READY TO RESIGN-5TH YEAR
FEMALE VOICE 2: Hello. Can you hear me?
MALE VOICE 1: Testing, one, two. Is my microphone on?
(electronic trilling)
FEMALE VOICE 2: Yes. Well, we can hear you.
-MALE VOICE 1: Oh, good morning. -TOTAL WASTE OF TIME: Good morning.
MALE VOICE 1: This is audio only, right?
-TOTAL WASTE OF TIME: Yeah, I think. -FEMALE VOICE 2: Yeah, no cameras.
MALE VOICE 1: Yeah, that's what I thought.
FEMALE VOICE 3: So, are we getting started or…
-Sorry, could we mute everyone, please? -MALE VOICE 2: …company policies?
FEMALE VOICE 3: Oh, no, this is supposed to be anonymous.
MALE VOICE 2: Okay, so…
Good morning, everyone. I'm sorry for muting you all,
but it's hard to hear what you're saying when everyone's talking at the same time.
If you all could start by writing your nicknames in the chat,
we'll start unmuting you.
TOTAL WASTE OF TIME-4TH YEAR
UNMUTE REQUEST
IT STAFF: Okay, she's unmuted.
TOTAL WASTE OF TIME: One, two. Can you hear me now?
In my opinion,
Seyong's biggest problem is its performance evaluation.
The team leaders unilaterally grade every member,
but it's not clear how they base their decisions.
READY TO RESIGN-5TH YEAR LOVE SEYONG-2ND YEAR
EVERYONE GET OUT OF MY FACE-7TH YEAR
MALE EMPLOYEE: They always give an S to the person up for promotion,
but everyone else gets an A, B, or C, and because of Seyong's structure,
the one who's been here the shortest gets Cs.
What's the point of the evaluation if it's not based on merit?
-So for me, that needs to be fixed. -(beeping)
All right. Next, let's hear from "Everyone, Get Out of My Face".
I don't mind showing my face.
Is that okay?
AWESOME… SHE'S SHOWING HER FACE?
AMAZING
When I returned from my maternity leave, I was reassigned.
Reassigned for a much less prominent role.
And as such, all of my previous work experience became irrelevant.
Seyong is now forcing me to resign.
SHE'S SO COOL, SHE'S STRAIGHTFORWARD, GOOD
YOONJO: Well, "Everyone Get Out of My Face", thank you.
-Next up, we'll hear from "Hi Guy". -Jaemin.
-This is more than 50. -What? Really?
HI GUY: Oh, uh, oh.
-IT STAFF: Wasn't your target number 100? -HI GUY: So, I got a C on my eval.
-Yeah. Yeah, it was. -HI GUY: I think it's hypocritical
given how much work I do compare to the team leaders.
But why are there so many people on the server?
HI GUY: They chit-chat and shop online while we do all the work.
-Um, the chat's getting kinda crazy. -HI GUY (sighs): It's just so unfair.
So, what do we do?
Thank you so much. Next up is "Seyong Staying Strong".
SEYONG STAYING STRONG-10…
SEYONG STAYING STRONG: Mic test, mic test.
(clears throat)
Isn't it true that Seyong still pays you all well?
I think you're all upset over stupid, insignificant issues.
If you think you got it bad here, then work somewhere else.
Work anywhere else,
and you'll see, you had it good here. So stop complaining.
(whispers) Go on.
(sneaky music playing)
What?
WE HAVE A SPY HERE HE SOUNDS FAMILIAR…
WHAT'S HE ON ABOUT SOUNDS LIKE A CORPORATE PLANT
They're calling me a "corporate plant"?
HE DEFINITELY GOT PAID TO SAY IT WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU
I ROOT FOR HIM THIS GUY'S UNBELIEVABLE
I THINK I KNOW WHO HE IS! MAENG CHULJUN OF PR TEAM 2
(gasps)
-SUNTAE (yells): Hey! -CHULJUN: Phew!
You're still unmuted.
-It crashed. Great. -(flustered exclaim)
Now, it's gonna look even more suspicious now that we've left so suddenly.
(whimpers)
Nice.
FEMALE VOICE 4: Also, can we please stop with the group stretches?
If we wanna work out, we'll do it on our own time.
It's a waste of time and really gets in the way at our work.
YOONJO: All right, thank you. Next up is "I Wanna Go Home".
I WANNA GO HOME: Well, I knew before I started working here
that Seyong holds team dinners,
but we have them way too often.
If we cut down on them,
we'd actually have more time to do our jobs.
I mean, for me, I need that time so I can work toward a promotion.
(sighs)
They're changing their nicknames!
(uplifting music playing)
(chuckles)
They're writing their responses after their names.
EVERYONE GET OUT OF MY FACE: How about a two-year maternity leave?
I WANNA GO HOME: Let's please have one team dinner per quarter.
FEMALE VOICE 5: More bonus, please. Also increase the benefits.
MALE VOICE 3: Flextime, work-from-home, and shorter work hours.
MALE VOICE 4: I wish we had welfare for family members.
MALE VOICE 5: Can we have some support for personal development?
FEMALE VOICE 6: Can we have a break room for women?
Great. I just wanna say that we appreciate all your responses.
Now, next up is…
Three hundred!
What?
(gasps)
YOONJO: What?
Something's wrong.
No. What just… What happened?
Did the server crash?
Yeah.
(sighs) Too much traffic.
One server can't handle that much.
We were supposed to get 50.
We couldn't keep this up for 20 minutes.
(sighs) Yeah, I'm aware of that.
-What do we do? -Great.
-Well, do you have a way to fix this? -Just give me a minute.
The server just, uh…
The server just crashed.
Game over.
THIS MEETING HAS BEEN ENDED BY HOST
I guess it's for the best.
I mean, I don't understand what this was supposed to be. A protest rally?
That woman was on the CS team?
Yeah.
Someone else showed his face.
They seemed to believe the company exists to serve their needs.
I'd rather they leave than complain.
-Same goes for you. -Uh, no, I won't…
(door shuts)
Ugh… Well, that sucks.
They ended it.
THIS MEETING HAS BEEN ENDED BY HOST
(Yeonsung sighs)
And we were just getting started too.
There are people who still wanna join.
They're asking why they can't get in.
Well, that completely failed.
You can't fix the server?
No, there's no way.
And we shouldn't try this again.
Unless we have less people, the server won't be able to handle it.
Is there no way to get it to work?
Honestly…
No.
(sighs)
Well, at least we've got a lot more participants than we initially expected.
So it wasn't all for nothing.
This is all our fault. We were unprepared for something like this.
We weren't super thorough when we ran server maintenance.
This must make us look so unprofessional.
We made a big deal out of this,
but we couldn't get it to run properly.
This might be worse than not holding this conference at all.
Do you really have to be so pessimistic?
The situation calls for it.
All right. Well, see you guys later.
Uh, you're leaving?
I thought we should grab drinks.
I decided to quit drinking for a while.
Why?
Have you been drinking too much?
I have plans, too.
You should've told us sooner if you wanted to get drinks.
I'm gonna relax on my Saturday.
(sighs)
Hey, man. Should I write an apology?
Analyze what happened here.
Why apologize when you're not at fault?
Analyze what?
I know exactly what the issue is.
These computers suck.
(sighs)
-(sighs) -(door opens)
(door closes)
And you?
Mm…
You free?
How about Han River?
Eun can bring mats for us to sit on.
Cool!
(bold music playing)
(grunting)
(cheering) Nice shot!
MAN: Great shot.
Wow. (chuckles)
BYUNGMAN: Let's talk about Suhwan Jeong.
I heard, instead of talking to you first, he went over your head
and went straight to the vice-president.
When it comes to Celltics,
I'd imagine he knows why you made the decision you did.
He should know you have faith in him,
and yet, he ignored you and went straight to the vice-president,
proposing a solution as if he didn't cause a problem in the first place!
What he said was basically Ms. Yijung Goo's idea.
And still, all this time you've been trying to get him
promoted to CSO.
I mean, talk about ungrateful.
Am I right? He's been a real disappointment.
He's younger than I am, yet he never treats me with the respect that I deserve.
That punk, he thinks he's better than everyone else.
Exactly. Yeah.
If someone like him were to be CSO, he'd be like a bull in a china shop,
completely wrecking everything in his path.
Hmm.
Okay, then.
What you're saying is, you should be CSO?
What?
Oh, of course not.
What do you mean, sir?
Oh… Oh! You thought I was schmoozing! (laughs awkwardly)
(chuckles)
Well, I guess we'll see how things go.
Yeah, yeah. Of course, sir. Absolutely.
(chuckles)
Can you move?
Oh, yeah. (laughs)
This looks like a really nice shot, Mr. Kim. Yeah.
(laughs)
-Yep, see you soon. -Oh, wow.
(hanging-up bleep)
-Eun's about to get here. -Oh, cool.
Thank you.
-Cheers. -(chuckles)
YOONJO: Mm.
(refreshed exhales)
JAEMIN: This is nice.
Hmm.
Hey, you know what?
London and Paris both have rivers that run through them,
but they're less than 1,000 feet wide.
But the Han River…
is about two-thirds of a mile.
It's not often that you have a city built on such a big river.
So… is that a good thing?
Hm?
Is a big river good or bad?
It's good.
I think I prefer smaller rivers.
They're cozier and more intimate. (chuckles)
That being said, I think Ms. Goo prefers big rivers.
If I'm not mistaken, she's the woman you like.
(gentle music playing)
(chuckles)
Have you ever had someone in your life that you looked up to?
Like a role model?
Someone you admire and look to for advice.
I don't think I have.
I think I have one.
When I first started in PR,
I really didn't know a whole lot about the field in general,
so I did some research.
And there was one person I saw who caught my eye.
She started her career as a reporter and became a publicist for a web portal.
She moved on to work as a publicist for a presidential campaign
and finally went on to become a consultant for ESG.
You know who it is.
I understand how you're feeling right now.
I felt the same way when I found out who you like.
(chuckles)
It is what it is, and I know that.
I can't compete with her.
I hope it works out for you, too. I really do.
EUN (shouts): Jo! Min!
(shouts) Over here!
Hey, this is Donghoon Seo.
What are you up to today?
YOONJO (on phone): Oh, uh, nothing in particular.
Well, if you're free, you wanna do something?
(chill background music playing)
-Uh… -DONGHOON: Come on.
You said you're not doing anything.
We work hard all week. Weekend's short. We shouldn't waste it doing nothing.
(chuckles) Oh?
Then how am I supposed to spend it?
DONGHOON: How about we meet up first,
-and you'll see what I mean. -EUN: Thanks, Yoonjo.
I know the perfect way to spend a Saturday.
Hm, all right. I'm looking forward to it.
(delightful music playing)
Great. I'll text you the address.
In an hour or so.
Bye.
Hey, uh… I think I'm gonna head out.
Ugh, I closed my bar for this.
Sorry.
Was that Seo?
Uh, did Mr. Maeng hear us at that restaurant?
Mm-hm.
He's gonna tell everyone at work.
Oh, I knew we shouldn't have gone somewhere so close to the office.
What? A date?
You two went on a date?
Goodbye, guys.
What's happening right now?
You're rejected, and she's dating?
Well, she doesn't know I got rejected.
Why is that?
Why should I bother?
I'm not gonna have her console me for getting hurt.
I can't do that to her right now.
Ugh.
That's a good point.
Cheers. (chuckles)
(electric guitar music playing)
(beating slows down)
(beating picks up)
All right, all right, all right.
HEEYOUNG: Huh?
That's enough of that.
(sighs) Wait, wait, wait. Why?
It's been 30 minutes. I'm tired.
But I still have 30 more minutes.
Look, you've been banging on these drums for long enough.
That's why I told you to go and wait somewhere else,
but you insisted on staying here!
Because I didn't think it would be that obnoxious.
Hey, this is what all beginners sound like.
Time to go.
All right, I'll go.
(playful music playing)
Just how many hobbies do you have, huh?
Do you even have time for work?
Wow, I just…
(sighs) I don't get you.
(exasperated sigh)
What's her deal complaining about my hobbies like that?
And she's the one who wanted to get together in the first place!
HEEYOUNG: So you let her go just like that?
After she went to see you?
Mm-hm. I did. (giggles)
HEEYOUNG: You could've at least bought her lunch or something.
I was being cautious.
She already hates me enough as is,
you know?
What's her name?
Yoojin Ahn.
-I already told you that. -Yoojin. Right.
Isn't she one of the reasons why you came back here?
Because you wanted to mend your past and make things right between you two?
The biggest reason.
Ugh…
I really hate thinking about it.
Must be hard, yeah.
(refreshed exhale)
Let me tell you something.
(clicks tongue) If I were you,
I would just be honest with her, you know.
I mean, if she really hated you that much, then…
she wouldn't have bothered coming to see you.
You think so?
Yeah, you need to be honest with her. Tell her how you feel.
Say something like, "I don't know what I should do."
"What do you think?"
"Because I really want things to work out between us."
Something like that.
What if I say everything you just said to me,
and it doesn't work? What do I do then?
You give her some space. What else can you do?
-Hey, you may be her mother, but… -(laughs cynically)
…if she tells you to keep your distance, then you should listen to her.
I mean… (sighs)
I'm her mom, but all I know about her is her mobile phone number.
What kind of mother knows nothing about her child?
(sighs)
If that's the case, why not visit your ex-husband?
I mean, unless you're on such bad terms that you wanna stab each other
with a knife the second you lay eyes on each other.
(chuckles)
-Yoonjo! -What?
Yoonjo. You know Yoonjo Park,
the assistant manager on PR Team 3, right?
How do you know about her?
She used to work for me at PR Joa.
-(laughs) -Listen.
I want you to take good care of her.
She's an amazing young woman, and I care a lot about her,
and I want the best for her at Seyong.
It really is a small world, huh?
It's not just small. It's really small!
We're practically bean sprouts in a medium-sized glass jar.
(laughs)
-YIJUNG: Now I want beans. -Hm?
Some demand-side platforms use
both first-party data and third-party data in their interface,
while others use either first or third-party data.
With this in mind, it's important to consider your interface…
You've been running publicist study sessions?
How long have you been doing this?
I'll tell you in a couple of minutes, if you don't mind.
I'm actually gonna be presenting next.
-So… -Oh.
JUYEON: And now…
PROGRAMMATIC ADS IN THE "METAVERSE"
Hi. Following Ms. Juyeon Kim's presentation,
I'll be discussing programmatic advertising in what we like to call
the metaverse. So…
Using what Ms. Kim has discussed with us, DSPs, DMPs, and SSPs,
here's how advertising is expected to look in the metaverse…
YOONJO: That's what you called to invite me to?
Is this how you spend every Saturday?
DONGHOON: I thought you'd get something out of it. Did you?
Yeah, I did.
I think you know me a little too well.
(laughs)
What did you think about the session?
Hmm…
I think it's really great
that you use your personal time to learn things
and get better at your job.
It can be really hard to make a living.
The industry is changing,
and you won't keep up if you don't change with it.
Yeah, I get that.
Everything's changing so quickly, it makes my head spin.
Wait, would you like to join?
-Huh, seriously? -Mm-hm.
I don't know about that.
I don't know if I'm there yet.
You're not there yet?
I always appreciate how much you try to encourage me.
But I'm not ready.
I'm not, but I might change my mind.
(soft music playing)
There's a part of me that wants to.
I mean, if I do join, I'll get to learn a lot about advertising
and meet a lot of people.
Right now, I want to focus on my job at Seyong.
If I try to juggle both and struggle with one of them even a little,
I might just ruin everything.
I know the things I'm not capable of.
Okay, I get it.
-Sorry, I didn't mean to pressure you. -(chuckles)
Just let me know when you think you're ready,
and I'll help you with starting out.
(music fades)
You're a good person, Mr. Seo,
and that's why I feel obligated to tell you this.
Right now, I don't feel the same way that you do.
I like you as a friend,
but I don't share your romantic feelings.
And I…
I asked you out in order to help me forget someone else.
I know that sounds selfish, but that's what I needed for myself.
If you're disappointed in me,
and if you don't want to see me anymore, I completely understand…
I'm just really glad…
that you said that you're not ready for us yet,
like with the study sessions.
And if you want some space,
I'll give it to you.
(music fades)
(upbeat pop song playing)
(traffic lights trilling)
JAEMIN: Hey, guys.
Did you see those posts on the company intranet
and on Blahbla about our meeting?
SEUNGHEE: About the server crash, right?
They're saying they're not surprised.
JAEMIN: I'm not talking about that.
There are a lot of people who are asking for us to do another one.
YEONSUNG: I saw some posts asking for surveys.
SEUNGHEE: Well, the crash actually attracted a lot of attention.
YEONSUNG: Why isn't Yoonjo saying anything? SEUP was her idea.
I'm sure she'd be happy to hear the news.
(song ends)
YOONJO: Do we have to do this?
There's no other way?
Yes, we have to do it. It's called negative marketing.
"Negative marketing"?
As I'm sure you're aware,
protein powder is a really popular ingredient in food right now.
Like protein bars and protein bread.
But how do you know you can trust their ingredients?
How do we know?
The MFDS should be approving what ingredients they can use.
-Jihyo, please. -JIHYO: Listen to me.
We're seeing popular athletes and influences on YouTube
mentioning this stuff online,
and they're deleting negative comments.
(sighs)
It's all in the proposal, if you'd actually read it.
Do you understand what's going on?
Yes, but that's not the point.
If we convince people to boycott the selling of protein powder,
a lot of small businesses will be feeling the effects.
Why do you care?
Why do you care if a couple of bakeries lose money?
Oh!
This is about that protein bread place, isn't it?
You're worried your former client will go out of business.
Is that it?
(sighs)
You have to forget about that.
You still act like you work at a tiny PR firm,
but we don't operate that way.
Negative marketing is putting it lightly. This is just…
(tense music playing)
(sighs)
Does Ms. Ji know about this?
(scoffs) Yeah! Yeah, of course, she does.
I already made her aware of all of this.
I have a meeting with the subcontractor.
And you're telling me she's okay with doing this?
I wouldn't be doing it if she wasn't, would I?
Oh, the subcontractor's here.
(chuckles) Someone you know well.
(tense music continues)
JIHYO: Ms. Lee! Over here.
WOMAN: Ah!
Oh! Whoa, whoa, whoa…
(chuckles)
-It's so nice to see you. -Hi.
Siljang.
Uh…
PR EJOA CEO LEE SILJANG
SILJANG: I just opened a small agency.
We manage comments, reviews, and influencers online.
I had no idea. Why didn't you tell me?
How did Jihyo know about this?
Uh, well…
She had to find a sub-subcontractor to cover up her tracks for this project.
So while looking for an agency, she saw my name and called.
Boy, am I glad she did! (chuckles)
-Siljang. -Yeah, I know. I know.
That bakery was PR Joa's client.
Well, now they belong to Ms. Heeyoung at Earth Comm.
She can't know about this.
She'll know Seyong is behind this, but she won't know that you're involved.
It's my job to make sure she doesn't.
(sighs) You know this is wrong.
Please, Yoonjo.
Will you cut me some slack?
Just turn a blind eye, okay?
I need this money to pay my twins' nanny.
(sighs)
Yoonjo, I know. I know how you feel.
But I have to do this.
I mean, this is Seyong.
If I do a good job, they might hire me again.
I have to survive, no matter what.
Let me do this, okay?
I know you're Jihyo's boss,
and that if you don't approve, this deal may not go through.
But that can't happen.
Please, Yoonjo. Just do this for me, you know?
Hey.
Uh, does anyone know the largest event in the biopharma-healthcare industry?
The J.P. Morgan Conference.
Right? Yeah.
They hold it every year in San Francisco.
Two people from PR get sent there every year.
One team leader and one junior.
Mr. Song, are you gonna go this year?
(chuckles) It's like a paid vacation.
It's just a work event, you moron.
Yeah, of course. I know that.
Well,
from our team, we selected…
Drum roll.
-(imitating drumroll) -(exciting music playing)
Seunghee Lee.
Oh?
Me? Are you serious?
Oh. Mr. Song, I pledge my loyalty!
(scoffs) What is this, the army?
(both laugh)
She's funny.
(grumbles)
(gasps)
(whispers) Seunghee, A.
(suspenseful music)
JAEMIN: What do you mean?
You went after your promotion.
-Oh, that's true. -CHULJUN: Yeah.
I went there after mine, too.
So that means Seunghee, A,
also will get promoted.
(exclaims excitedly)
CHULJUN: And the crowd goes wild!
(chuckles)
(Seunghee exclaims)
So, Ms. Lee.
Congrats in advance!
(giggling)
CHULJUN: ♪ You're getting promoted, you're getting promoted ♪
♪ You're getting promoted ♪
-And you… -SUNTAE: Hey!
Is this a party, or work?
Work, sir.
SUNTAE: Then stop fooling around.
DUE DATE
(music ends)
(phone buzzes)
YOONJO: Can we meet at the stairs?
(Jaemin grunts)
Do we always have to meet here?
Apparently.
So, let's find a new place.
It's stuffy in here without any windows.
Why don't you find it? You've been here longer than I have.
What's going on?
(sighs)
Oh, did your date fall flat?
What?
The protein powder. You're handling that on your team, right?
Did you read the proposal?
Mm-hm.
Has this happened before?
This so-called negative marketing.
At least they tried to cover it up now.
In the past, they didn't bother.
That's how they do things. It's a rusty old system.
(sighs) Seyong has a long way to go.
Hey.
I don't need the leader of R&I right now.
What do I do?
Should I give the bakery a heads-up about this?
Like, "You're gonna get a lot of bad reviews coming your way,
so be prepared."
"And just so you know, Seyong is the one behind it", that work?
But I work here now, so I'm not supposed to say anything.
But what's even worse, I'm overseeing this.
Then ask to be taken off the project. Tell them you're uncomfortable.
That's still irresponsible.
I can't bail on my own.
What do you want to do, then?
(sighs) I don't know.
This whole thing's so frustrating.
Now, Siljang's involved.
(sighs)
Huh?
When did you, uh…
I meant that, uh…
I just didn't mean, uh…
Well, we don't have a choice then.
You can't go if you're having a baby, Seunghee.
It's not possible.
Oh, right.
Yeah. Okay, okay. (sighs)
But isn't it too soon for…
Oh, no, I mean…
Well, you're married, and it's good to have kids straight away, you know.
(sighs)
But you're not even 30… (awkward chuckle)
Wow, you just… You really rushed it, didn't you?
Sorry, I…
I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say all that…
You know, they say people aren't having kids anymore,
so it's a good thing you're doing. (chuckles)
You seem to care about Korea's future.
Very good, huh?
I'm really sorry.
Well, maybe next time, I can go with you.
Right, right, next time. Yeah.
Next year?
Uh…
Are you…
taking a long maternity leave?
Well, uh…
I haven't really decided that yet.
Of course, you have to see how things go, of course.
Of course.
Well, are we done here?
-Yes. -Yeah. Okay.
(sighs)
(mutters) Right.
Oh, um, uh, congrats.
(chuckles) Take care, all right?
Thanks.
Sorry, I didn't mean to slam the door like that.
(chuckles) Right.
(chuckles awkwardly)
(door shuts lightly)
(sighs)
JAEMIN: You're staying here?
I might punch Jihyo if I see her right now. I need to relax.
(sighs) I'd rather stay here all day.
Me too.
INBOX
Oh, he replied.
THIS IS THE 'GOOD HEALTH GOOD BODY' USER
WHO POSTED THE REVIEW OF SEYONG'S PROTEIN POWDER
Hey, uh, sorry.
I have to do something.
Okay.
JAEMIN: Bye.
-(door opens) -See ya.
JIHYO: You just don't want to see me succeed. Is that it?
No, I…
JIHYO: Don't say anything to Ms. Ji, okay?
I don't want you to get involved in this.
-Jihyo… -This is my very first project.
I'm going to handle this.
(pensive music playing)
JAEMIN: Jaemin Ryu. Nice to meet you.
(upbeat background music playing)
It's not just me, you know.
I mean, a couple of my friends bought this stuff at the gym we go to.
After we drink it, we all got this rash.
Do you mind if I look at the packaging?
"GOOD HEALTH GOOD BODY" USER: They say it's healthier.
I guess it does taste different from other shakes,
but in a bad way.
Also,
are you actually from Seyong?
I've called you guys, like, seven times,
and I got told the product was fine.
Who is it you spoke with?
I called the company, and they transferred me to a man.
Someone in charge. Some guy.
-Was his name Maeng? -That's it!
And what's it called again? The place where they test this stuff.
Uh, the MFDS?
Yeah, that's the place.
He sent me test results to disprove me.
That's why I got pissed off and started posting about it online.
ATTORNEY AHN EUNSEOK
I talked with your secretary. She said you were still here.
(scoffs)
I should fire her.
Well, that seems a bit extreme.
I don't need a secretary who can't tell the difference
between what I want and what I don't.
I guess you won't need her help with your campaign anyway.
I overheard.
You've been nominated, right?
You've also been preparing for the candidate selection.
(Eunseok chuckles)
Are you here to talk about politics?
Or do you have a favor to ask?
(sighs)
Do you always treat your guests like this?
Just cut to the chase.
(pensive music playing)
It's Yoojin.
I wanna talk to you about her.
What about her?
Is she not returning your calls?
Doesn't wanna talk to you?
(chuckles) Looks like I hit the bull's-eye.
-Are you happy about that? -(Eunseok chuckles)
Yeah. Very happy, actually.
Well, I'm sorry.
I have nothing to say to you.
I'm certainly not going to talk about Yoojin with you.
(sighs)
Yes, of course. Why did I even bother trying?
(sighs)
YIJUNG: Don't wear that tie in front of the electoral college.
You look like an old man desperately trying to look young.
(scoffs)
SEYONG
AUTOMATED FEMALE VOICE: Now arriving at Hapjeong Station.
-(gasps) -Hapjeong Station.
(frantic music playing)
(Yijung sighs)
Our CEO just has a good sense of humor.
It was just a joke, okay?
-JAEMIN: Hi, Jaemin Ryu... -That's all that it was.
I mean, for the Chief Editor to call me, that…
Are you on a break?
That-- Okay, yep.
Hi?
I don't think it meant anything.
Fine, I'll call… I'll call you back.
Wait, why aren't Maeng or Hugil here? Where are they?
They went out drinking last night with the reporters who wrote about us.
Really? You two, why didn't you go?
Oh.
You?
Uh, I had something to do.
(phone buzzing)
This is driving me crazy. Oh, my God.
-(phone buzzes) -(sighs)
Hi, Mr. Kim.
IS SHE CRAZY? SHE SERIOUSLY CALLED A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE A MESS?
SHE MUST HAVE POSTED IT FOR A REASON OTHERWISE IT WOULDN'T MAKE SENSE
(scoffs)
YIJUNG: Ms. Lim.
Yeah, what?
She's the candidate for the opposition party.
You called her a mess?
#SHE'S A MESS #STOP EATING UP EVERYTHING
TV NEWSCASTER: We are live with Reporter Minji Kim
-at the People's Party headquarters. -JIHYEON (sighs): This is good.
KANG: As the leader of the People's Party, I would like to apologize
-over such unrest. -Oh, wait, take my picture.
WOMAN: What? Oh.
-The ethics and emergency committees… -Come on.
-Wait, I got it! -…will carry out a thorough...
-...investigation to determine… -WOMAN: Don't move. Pose. Right there.
-(shutter clicks) -WOMAN: Smile.
PARTY LEADER: To achieve justice…
(shutter clicks)
-Look at this one. -Let me see.
REPORTER MINJI: Party Leader Kang...
-Oh, okay. -…has made an official apology…
#EATING OUT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A WHILE #PORK RIND BRINGS BACK MEMORIES
#MICHELIM RESTAURANT #SOJU IS THE BEST
#SHE'S A MESS #STOP EATING UP EVERYTHING
(Jihyeon scoffs)
I was saying I looked like a mess, not her.
Ms. Lim.
Why is everyone making such a big deal about one post?
It's just a funny caption, you know.
Am I not allowed to make jokes?
I thought we lived in a free country.
Ms. Lim, regardless of what country we're in, I'd be saying the same thing.
Show your support for the candidate you like,
rather than insulting the one you don't like.
You know it's rude, and it makes us look bad.
And we live in Korea.
People are sensitive about political leanings here.
Your social media posts may seem personal to you.
but they also reflect Seyong's image.
Supporters of the opposition party are talking about boycotting Seyong's brands
because you insulted their candidate.
If you're not going to change your ways,
then I think you should delete your account.
We can't take a risk like that.
(scoffs)
You guys are being so uptight.
(grunts)
It was just one post. You understand that, right?
If this starts to affect our stocks, it'll undermine your authority.
And what do you think the VP will do?
(sighs) Okay.
Have some self-control.
(sighs) Please.
Get this taken care of. Thank you.
Yes.
(sighs)
So what do we do?
We make it a coincidental mishap.
We'll write articles explaining that there was no meaning behind it.
YOONJO: Ms. Goo.
Do you know what restaurant she was at, by any chance?
I think our article should include the name of the restaurant,
saying that it is a barbecue place regularly visited by business leaders.
Fine, let's do that.
YOONJO: Punch this up,
and add a few lines to really stress how irrelevant this incident was.
I looked at some photos of the place.
How can I make this place sound sophisticated?
If the reporters get aggressive with their questions,
just double down and convince them it was a mistake with no political agenda.
No, sir. I am not aware of her political leanings, but...
-REPORTER: Hey, there. -(laughs)
-How are you? -The coffee smells great.
-You're the barista, right? -REPORTER: Uh, yeah.
Oh, is that a new suit, buddy?
-No, it's old. You just never noticed it. -All right, fine.
-Hi, it's really nice to meet you. -How are you?
Here.
-I'm Hugil Kim from Seyong's PR Team 2. -Oh, thanks.
Ah! (laughs)
Okay, here's what I'd like you to do.
We're stuck and we need you. Can you make a positive article...
-Oh, oh! Nice to see you! -MR. GOO: Hi.
Hi! (chuckles)
Mr. Goo, how are you?
Listen, what's going on with Ms. Lim?
Please, will you let this one slide? I'll give you a better story next time.
Four, three, two, one. Action!
Hello, everyone.
Welcome to our...
ALL THREE (in unison): Show, Show, Show!
We'll be joined by a few special guests very shortly.
But first, tell us who you are.
How's it goin'? My name's Pureun. I'm from Pureun's Diary, yeah!
Welcome. We have another camera over here,
-so let's say hello to them as well. -Hello, everyone.
FEMALE HOST: Grab the bean powder. Coat both sides…
-Yeah, that's the key element. -Yeah, wow.
Sir, is this how we're supposed to eat it?
-Can you be quiet, please? -Yeah.
FEMALE HOST: This looks amazing!
MALE HOST, PUREUN: Mmm!
So good!
PUREUN: Wow. It tastes different.
-SEUNGHEE: Oh. Now I wanna try this place. -YOONJO: Me too.
-Oh, that looks so good. -How did you get them to do this?
Oh, I'm friends with the producer.
Looks like it's getting a high view count.
FEMALE HOST (on video): Ma'am! Can I order some extra to go?
JAEMIN: This place might get popular because of us.
-SEUNGHEE: Wow. -YOONJO: It was already popular.
-Now it's… -Oh, how did it go?
-What's up? -Look at this.
THE PORK RIND RESTAURANT EVEN SEYONG'S CEO LOVES
Oh, it looks good. They did a good job.
-Yoonjo did a good job. -Hey! Nice one, Yoonjo.
This looks great.
-SEUNGHEE: Good job. -I asked them to use this picture.
-Yeah, really great work. -He did a great job.
-Great work. -It's nothing compared to you.
Oh, Ms. Goo?
Well done, you did a good job putting out that fire so quickly.
As far as I can remember,
the PR team have never worked so quickly at squashing a problem.
Is that okay?
Can I help you?
(sighs)
I was just thinking that we could've avoided the whole thing
if we just had a CSO.
Ms. Lim needs someone with good strategic ideas by her side.
I'm looking forward to your R&I project.
(foreboding music builds)
(music fades)
(straining)
(deep sigh)
I feel sober now. (sighs)
He's out again?
(sucks teeth)
He's gotta be made out of steel or something.
How is he out drinking again?
Hey.
Have you received any complaints about that protein powder?
And did you send anyone the test results?
I didn't.
No?
CHULJUN: Nope.
Excuse me, does Seunghee Lee have a desk here?
Right there.
-MAN: Thank you. -Thanks, goodbye.
(sing-songy) Ooh, ooh, ooh.
Ooh, is today her birthday? (chuckles)
Hey, Chuljun, that's not for you.
SEUNGHEE, CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR PREGNANCY! WE'RE GOING TO BE AUNTS, RIGHT?
(Chuljun gasps)
Seunghee's pregnant.
What?
Her friends sent these flowers as a pregnancy gift.
-Really? -Mm-hm!
Oh, Seunghee! You're…
Don't say anything. Not even "congratulations".
(keyboard clacking)
Why not?
Let's just focus on getting the employees' survey ready
so we can think of some new ideas and...
(sighs)
(irritated sigh)
I can't go to San Francisco.
The event is right around my due date.
And I... won't get promoted now.
I mean, who'd promote someone right as they're about to go on maternity leave?
(sniffles)
So, let's...
just…
have our meeting, okay?
Yeah, okay.
(sniffles)
(sighs)
This survey needs both objectivity and relativity in equal measures.
It needs to grasp the current situation
and get to the heart of what our fellow employees want.
Multiple-choice questions may not be enough.
We need to address the relationship between employees and their superiors.
It could be between your team and other teams,
seeing how they compare…
Let's focus on the employees' relationship
with leaders. Teams don't interact...
PROTEIN BREAD TASTES LIKE CRAP I DON'T KNOW WHY PEOPLE EAT IT…
(sinister music playing)
Wait, let's change that.
Erase that last bit. It almost sounds like you're joking.
But still keep it aggressive and critical, okay?
How about you, Jaehyuk? How are you doing?
-Good. -SILJANG: Okay. Make it sound like
-this really happened to you. -JAEHYUK: Yeah.
And don't mention the positive effects of protein.
JAEHYUK: Oh, sorry about that.
-SILJANG: Make it more personal. -JAEHYUK: Okay.
SILJANG: Maybe add, "The more you take,
-the worse you get." -JAEHYUK: Okay, sure.
SILJANG: Hmm, that's good.
IT DOES NOTHING BUT MAKES YOU FAT…
JUST EAT EGGS AND CHICKEN BREASTS YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT'S IN IT
AND IT DOESN'T EVEN CONTAIN 20 GRAMS OF PROTEIN
HOW DO YOU TRUST THE HIGH-PROTEIN PRODUCTS YOU SEE EVERYWHERE?
THEY'RE JUST TRICKING YOU
(music fades)
LENNY: Hey, everyone.
Lenny here.
Today, we're actually not working out.
Instead, we're going to be trying out a popular trend. Protein bread diets.
Ta-da!
All right, people have been promoting protein-based products
as a way to lose weight, but does it work?
These are the products we're going to try.
It says on the package, it's made with imported protein,
but there's no way we can know for sure
that they're using the ingredients that they say they are, so...
So we've analyzed the ingredients.
As it turns out, they did not meet the MFSD's criteria for healthy food.
So that means this protein bread is basically junk food?
This doesn't have any protein. This is a waste of money!
DONGHOON: What are the comments saying about all this?
AN (sighs): When the videos are made by people this angry,
you can imagine how the comments look.
Okay, looks like we're gonna need a distraction to divert attention
-away from this. -Yeah, I agree.
We need to get a handle on this fast,
-I think. -DONGHOON: Yeah.
Guys, I want you to find out how this got started and how it's spreading.
Heeyoung, I think you should start by talking with other agencies...
(sighs)
Um, is something wrong with your cup noodles?
I guess I should've ordered proper food.
Why hasn't Ms. Kim shown up yet?
(sighs) She's supposed to meet with me.
I'm here... on her behalf.
Well, you should've told me.
You wouldn't have come if you knew, though.
We haven't been seeing each other.
We didn't hang out.
Uh, I have a lot going on.
On your mind?
Ah.
This is about the protein bread that you made popular.
They've been going through it lately.
It almost seems like sabotage to me.
All high-protein products are getting slammed online.
That's why Heeyoung couldn't be here. It's an emergency.
-An emergency? -Yeah.
She's talking with some other agencies to brainstorm a solution.
How are things over at the bakery?
Uh...
To be honest, they're not doing so well.
They're a small business, after all.
-One of the bakers is being hospitalized. -(gasps)
I imagine he's been dealing with a lot of stress as of late.
I'll order us some food.
It's our fault.
We did it.
Seyong got someone to write bad reviews.
(sighs)
What do we do?
(door opens)
(door slams)
(menacing music playing)
(music fades)
(sighs)
(tense music)
(sighs deeply)
(tense music continues)
HUGIL: Song told me to do it.
Those test results?
I got them from him.
Is something wrong?
(sighs)
(phone rings)
PR MANAGER MAENG CHULJUN
Ah, Chuljun. What's up?
Where are you? Why aren't you here?
I took the day off. What's going on?
CHULJUN: Oh, man. You don't know, do you?
You know, the customer page on our website.
Someone dropped a serious bomb.
The guy said he wants to reveal Seyong's abuse of power.
Then he said if his business failed,
and his partner's in the hospital,
it's all because of Yoonjo Park.
(sighs)
ANG'S BREAD BAKER: I'm exposing Seyong for bullying
and abuse of power.
I'm a baker who makes protein bread at a bakery called Ang's Bread.
We worked hard to come up with the recipes.
Healthy ingredients, taste, protein content...
We refuse to compromise on any of them.
We started getting customers and we were promoted online
by a PR agency that recognized our value.
The viral marketing on social media seemed effective
at drawing in customers for a while.
But two weeks ago, our sales began to plummet.
The decrease in sales has led to financial difficulties.
And my friend is currently being hospitalized
-because of the stress we've been under. -BAKER: Hey, wake up.
CONGLOMERATE "SEYONG"
That's when I learned
that the blind attacks made against us on social media
were orchestrated by the PR team at the conglomerate, Seyong.
And Yoonjo Park, the one who pulled this despicable act,
is the very same person who recognized our value,
and suggested promoting ourselves online.
My whole body was shaking. I was in shock.
I felt so betrayed.
SUHWAN: We can't ignore this anymore, sir.
First the CEO's viral post, and now this.
Seyong's image is getting worse and worse.
The CCO's supposed to prevent things like this,
but we only started having these problems after CCO was hired.
I understand that you want to give Ms. Lim some more time to settle in.
But Mr. Jung, I think it's time for you to step in.
What do you suggest I do then?
You need to fire Ms. Goo.
ANG'S BREAD BAKER: Seyong monopolizes the market
through an abuse of power.
This is true?
(suspenseful music playing)
I'm asking you if this is true, Ms. Yoonjo Park.
(suspenseful music builds)
Yes.
(suspenseful music swells)
(music fades)
(outro theme song playing)