Magazine preorders are different from concert tickets.
No matter how popular the celebrity is, it’s almost unheard of for them to sell out in re seconds.
[〈The Great Garland〉 burns hot in Taiwan, pictorial news has everyone lining up with cries of “Preorder!”]
[K-dramas break through the Korean content ban into a new market... will they spark “national popularity” in Taiwan too?]
“But now it is different!”
Watching the prepared articles pour out in waves, the Taiwan Ruel editor-in-chief bead.
Not only locally in Taiwan, but even in Korea, attention was now fixed on the unprecedented popularity of 〈The Great Garland〉.
“Then... naturally, next cos the on-site sale.”
If the preorder was this popular, the perfect conditions had now been created for even people who had never cared about magazines—
true “ordinary people”—
to grow curious enough to try buying one.
“We’ll have them lining up in front of bookstores.”
Impact.
The Taiwan Ruel editor-in-chief had always said that no matter how much the era allowed everything to happen online, when it ca to felt impact, offline still held an overwhelming advantage.
Rapidly refreshing to buy sothing online,
versus standing in a long, endless line to buy it in person.
There was no need to compare which image hit harder.
“But who was the first to sell out?”
* * *
Jegal Rok stared at the screen.
[“As expected of Ji Haebeom”... Asia’s top star! Global popularity proven again in Taiwan Ruel preorders]
[Ji Haebeom dominates Taiwan with 〈The Great Garland〉 trailer buzz alone, Ruel pictorial resold at inflated prices in bittersweet chaos]
Just as expected.
Beating the male actor with the most followers in Korea right now was close to impossible.
‘The resellers swarm too.’
Even if it was just a 10,000-won magazine, once Ji Haebeom’s face was on it—and supply was scarce—the price instantly multiplied.
There was no realistic way for Han Yeoreum, whose strength was broad public appeal, to beat the macros and resellers targeting Ji Haebeom.
‘I knew it would be like this.’
And it wasn’t just Ji Haebeom.
The rapidly rising Shin Seojin, and of course Myeong Jeha, were also commanding high resale prices.
The fact that Han Yeoreum, competing on pure public appeal while resellers swept away inventory, sold out only monts behind them was already an outstanding result.
‘But....’
Jegal Rok looked at Han Yeoreum’s cover with the sa unwavering gaze as always.
Because—
‘The final winner is this side.’
JC ENM was an indomitable company that had never once lost when it ca to generating buzz.
Han Yeoreum had enough pull to shove even Ji Haebeom out of the headlines.
Jegal Rok had faith in that.
* * *
‘Ah. Are these lunatics ssing with ?!’
Aetami grabbed her head with both hands and let out a deep sigh over her desk.
“Sumr, what’s wrong?”
“Is waiting for lunch that hard? I’ll give you a chocolate bar.”
As always, her coworkers assud this was just one of her weird late-morning performances before lunch.
But inwardly, Aetami was swallowing tears.
‘How did I fail this...?’
In all her years as a drama fangirl, this was her first ti getting utterly obliterated in a preorder.
The speed had been so absurd it belonged more in a top-tier idol concert ticket war.
‘Yeoreum!’
She wanted to cry.
Especially now, when anticipation for Yeoreum’s solo cover had already reached the heavens.
‘Like that ans I can’t get it...?’
Aetami exhaled an angry sigh inwardly.
‘Yeah right. I’ll just hire an on-site proxy buyer.’
The range of actor rch was usually incredibly limited.
At best, a magazine with a pictorial.
If luck struck, maybe an agency photobook or a calendar.
A Blu-ray if the drama did well enough.
Or unofficial fan group orders.
‘There’s barely anything to begin with!’
Rembering the tearful poverty of her past fangirl life, Aetami thought of Yeoreum again.
‘But my dutiful daughter gave us rch from the very start.’
Thinking of the 〈ParCheHi〉 Blu-ray and all its special inclusions ward one side of her heart.
The 〈The Great Garland〉 pop-up had been the sa.
Grip toks, postcards, paperweights, bookmarks—
a flood of rch unlike anything she had ever known before.
‘Back then, even this would’ve been enough.’
But not anymore.
Now it felt like she wouldn’t calm down unless she collected every single piece of Yeoreum-related rch.
Aetami checked the Taiwan Ruel on-site sales schedule once again.
‘If they checked the preorder numbers, they’ll definitely release even more stock on-site....’
She thought it wouldn’t be difficult.
Until then.
* * *
At the sa ti, IP 85.152 was sitting in front of her monitor in exactly the sa posture as Aetami.
“...”
She said nothing.
A cultured woman who had devoured every catalog and art book imaginable, she had recently decided to broaden her horizons by reading sothing more mainstream—popular magazines from Taiwan, where the market was vibrant and fast-moving.
Because art could only be deeply understood when appreciated from multiple angles, and because it was closely tied to life—
“Whew....”
Anyway, it wasn’t because she was a fan.
This was purely an intellectual exercise to improve her refinent.
And it had ended in catastrophic failure.
But °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° IP 85.152 did not crumble easily.
“On-site sales... proxy buying is always possible. This is nothing.”
Losing her composure over the failed purchase of such a trivial mainstream magazine—
that was the sort of thing Han Yeoreum’s fans would experience.
Therefore, IP 85.152 remained calm.
There were many books in the world beyond this simple popular magazine.
“But when is the 〈Youth Disqualified!〉 script book coming out?”
Her right leg trembled violently as she waited for the script book of a drama that hadn’t even finished airing yet.
First, she marked the Taiwan Ruel in-person sale date on her calendar, estimated overseas shipping ti, and starred the week she thought it might arrive.
And that day never ca.
Even proxy buying failed.
Even paying extra was impossible.
“You fucking—!”
On the day of the Taiwan Ruel on-site sale, an elegant curse burst from the lips of the refined IP 85.152.
—This is Eslite Spectrum Xin. Since early this morning, a long line has already ford outside the store.
The day of the Ruel on-site sale was—
—The popularity of the Korean drama 〈The Great Garland〉 is truly intense. Even before the departnt store opened, the waiting line was already remarkably long.
—right after Episode 4 of 〈The Great Garland〉 had aired.
* * *
On the first broadcast day of 〈The Great Garland〉 in Taiwan, the internet erupted.
—This is the worst and most shocking first eting between leads I’ve ever seen in my life
—I’m curious how Koreans reacted XDDD
—I already got spoiled and know everything, but even knowing it, my heart still drops... and by the way, the most beautiful short-haired actor is definitely Yeoreum. Please know that Taiwan will support you forever! Thank you for loving this place, Yeoreum
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