Chapter 182
Chapter 182
Translator: Penny
Chapter 182
On the first day of filming, which would become Episode 1, there were only cameras present. Everyone went about their usual routines. The footage from My Idol Observation Camera must have been quite shocking.
"Are we going to get ratings of 0.01%? Even the fans will find it boring and stop watching," Seo Yehyeon lamented, admitting to himself that he hadn't done much besides the fact.
"But it'll be different with my narration," Ryu Jaehee countered.
"Unless your narration is carrying the whole show, how much difference can it really make?"
"The main writer was so impressed with the gems I wrote that they used them almost verbatim in the narration, with hardly any revisions!"
Ryu Jaehee flashed a confident V-sign and grinned, urging them to trust him.
If Kim Dobin had written the narration, I would have been quite worried, but since it was Ryu Jaehee, I wasn't particularly concerned.
On the second day of filming, we gathered at a traditional Korean house instead of our usual accommodations.
This was a pre-recorded Chuseok special, scheduled to air during the Chuseok holiday.
True to its subtitle, "Five Brothers Under One Roof," the Chuseok special followed the concept of five brothers who had been living apart for years reuniting under one roof for the first time in a long time.
As this was a sitcom-style spin-off completely different from the human documentary Five Brothers Under One Roof, we had planned out the Chuseok version's setting in advance.
To make things more interesting, we added a twist: each member (except the one being targeted) would write down a setting that would suit the others, and the target member would then have to act out a character that combined all those settings without exception—a truly devilish condition.
Dressed in hanbok, we stood side-by-side to film our Chuseok greetings. The moment had finally arrived to reveal the character settings the members had written for each other. These would likely be released as behind-the-scenes footage after the sitcom concluded.
"If there are conflicting settings, just choose the one you like best," the director announced.
First up was Seo Yehyeon's Chuseok-themed "Eldest Member" setting:
The sole success story in our family, burdened with the responsibility of supporting the rest of us. (His catchphrase should be threatening to cut off the money supply.)
A celebrity who made it on looks alone—this Hyung's visuals are so strong, he could revive even a flop idol group. I can't bring myself to write a "failed" setting for him.
Street-cast, he spectacularly bombed his acting debut due to terrible acting skills. Just when he thought he was doomed, he made a comeback as a model.
With a face like that, how could he not get street-cast? Celebrity.
No one could bring themselves to write that Seo Yehyeon's face was a "failure," so he unanimously earned the title of "Successful Entertainer."
Seo Yehyeon beamed as he received the costume prepared by the production team, perfectly matching today's concept.
"Next up is our second Hyung! Let's reveal Hajun Hyung's character setting!"
The second Hyung, who stayed home alone, guarding the house and waiting for his brothers who had left for distant lands to return someday. (Somehow, this role just suits Hajun Hyung...)
A legend who started with minor roles thanks to his acting skills and eventually broke into Hollywood.
The Gambler
Successful Top Actor
"Now we have conflicting settings," Ryu Jaehee pointed out, tapping the first setting and then the second and fourth. "If he's a successful top actor who's made it to Hollywood, he can't be home alone guarding the house."
"What setting will Hajun Hyung choose? Drumroll, please!"
"I'll go with the second Hyung, the one guarding the house alone. Even though it's just a setting, Hollywood feels a bit embarrassing. Plus, it would shatter Yehyeon Hyung's image as the sole successful eldest brother."
I was shocked. Gyeon Hajun was abandoning my setting for Kim Dobin's. As I stared at him with my mouth agape, he patted my shoulder apologetically.
"So, combining everything, it's the second Hyung, a skilled gambler guarding the house alone, waiting for his brothers who were sent away to return someday."
"Please collect your costumes."
Two sets of outfits were laid out before the production team: one for the actor version and another for the house-guarding version.
"Oh, this robe looks pretty cool!"
Gyeon Hajun let out a gasp of admiration as he received his costume. Seo Yehyeon's outfit also looked meticulously prepared, which only heightened my anticipation for my own.
"Hey, who wrote Tazza? Why is Tazza even in this?"
"Hyung, don't you know? Hajun Hyung's kind of face is exactly the type that quietly smiles and sweeps up all the money at the New Year's Go-Stop games, you know?" Ryu Jaehee shook his head, claiming it was based on personal experience.
"Third Hyung, we're revealing Eden Hyung's character setting!"
The white paper screen was ripped away with a satisfying tear, revealing the character setting I was supposed to play today:
Ran away from home to pursue music
Complete bum - Of course, this doesn't reflect Hyung's real image at all. We know you work hard for Reve, so this is just a way for you to relax a bit, even if it's just in the sitcom.
[Hipster? No, that sounds too derogatory. A rapper with no successful albums.]
[The third son, a prodigal son, who had a massive fight with his parents over pursuing music, ran away from home, cut off all contact, and then suddenly reappeared after ten years, casually greeting them with, "Yo, how's it been?" (Special trait: achieved absolutely nothing).]
So, combining all of this...
"No, why is Yehyeon Hyung portrayed as a successful celebrity while I'm stuck with the prodigal son trope—running away to pursue music, only to return after ten years as a jobless bum with no hit albums?!"
As I jumped up and down, tearing at my hair, the production team handed me my costume. I stared at the outfit with a heavy heart. They'd clearly gone overboard trying to stay true to the concept.
Even though I love wearing sports jerseys, there's no way I'd be happy wearing a matching blue-collar tracksuit from head to toe. And...
"My music can't possibly fail!"
I zipped the tracksuit jacket all the way up to my neck, furrowing my brow as deeply as possible. Seo Yehyeon, who was adjusting his coat while wearing sunglasses, muttered sourly, "So the problem isn't looking like a total bum, but the setup itself?"
I could tolerate looking like a total bum. But I couldn't accept the idea that my music had failed.
"Since we'll never fail in the future, isn't it good to experience failure at least once, even if it's just like this?" Gyeon Hajun said, trying to calm me down as I still struggled to accept the setup.
"Wait, Dobin Hyung. You wrote that 'after 10 years' thing, right? But if Eden Hyung returned after 10 years, doesn't that mean he ran away when he was twelve?"
"Some people become rich at twelve, while others run away from home at twelve."
The Maknae Line, who had been giggling, immediately gave their honest opinions after seeing me, who had only changed into Baek's unemployed look for the top half of my body.
"Wow, you really look like a genuine bum. Like you'd stand in an alleyway and shake people down for cigarette money."
"No, it actually suits him strangely well. There's this weird synergy with his face, like... hmm..."
"What's that supposed to mean, you little punk? Are you calling me a bum?"
"No, not exactly a bum. More like... a delinquent type? But you know yourself, Hyung. Your image has never exactly screamed 'responsible citizen.'"
Next up, Kim Dobin tore off the paper covering his character sheet, his face brimming with anticipation.
[Entered a temple after failing the exam five times]
[A perennial student who panics at the mere mention of the word "exam"]
[Hyung, you just look like a perennial student! ㅋㅋ]
[A repeat student]
As Kim Dobin read through his character sheet, the anticipation on his face gradually faded. His eyebrows drooping into a sad, inverted V shape, he asked, "Why am I always the perennial student? Did you guys plan this with Jaehee beforehand?"
It seemed everyone was on the same wavelength again.
"You just have that vibe of someone who can't pass an exam on the first try and keeps studying."
"If you were unemployed, it would overlap with Eden's character. So we figured a repeat student would be a good compromise."
"Dobin, you just seem like you'd fit in well with Buddhism, you know?"
"My whole family is Catholic, though?" Kim Dobin retorted, his expression sour as he accepted the "Study Hard" T-shirt and gym shorts from Seo Yehyeon.
"Wait a minute! Doesn't this conflict with the 설정? How can a 재수생 (first-year retaker) and a 오수생 (fifth-year retaker) be together?"
"Then just make him a fifth-year retaker. Fifth-year retakers are the long-term retakers, right?"
Thus, Kim Dobin's attempt to reinvent himself as a first-year retaker was thwarted.
Finally, the 설정 for the youngest member, Ryu Jaehee, was revealed:
A younger sibling who returned almost a different person after a long absence.
A younger sibling who had grown so much that I couldn't recognize him at first glance.
The sole new-generation youngest member among the old-fashioned 형s (constantly proposing new-generation solutions amidst 형s who stubbornly cling to outdated methods).
National Intelligence Service
"We got three of the expected concepts, but there's one completely unexpected one in the mix right now. What's the deal with the National Intelligence Service?"
"What? Doesn't the National Intelligence Service suit you perfectly? If you hadn't become an idol, you could have joined the NIS and become an agent."
"Mastermind, Mastermind."
Hearing Kim Dobin's words reminded me of someone who used "Mastermind" as their nickname.
Mastermind Yeonho? What nonsense. A guy who just throws wild punches while smirking mysteriously is far less like a true mastermind than someone who plots with a bright smile.
Ryu Jaehee was given a suit to match the National Intelligence Service concept. Minors in suits, adults in tracksuits—what a joke.
After changing into the provided outfits, we began scrutinizing the character setting lists to identify their authors.
"Even if I don't know about the others, I can definitely tell which ones Kim Dobin wrote. Aside from the settings that seem straight out of some media, he's got these elaborate explanations in parentheses."
"That's just a typical otaku thing," Ryu Jaehee snickered.
Kim Dobin retorted with a flustered expression, "You don't even appreciate my noble intentions to help you develop your characters!"
"Yeah, yeah. Thanks to you, I've become a prodigal son who's returned empty-handed."
Finally, the real filming began.
Gyeon Hajun was the first to enter the house, and we were to follow one by one in order.
I was even scheduled to go last.
The members, dressed in a chaotic mix of outfits, were chatting in the living room when I entered. They immediately jumped to their feet.
A less-than-warm welcome followed.
"Good heavens! The third brother who ran away ten years ago to pursue music has returned as the neighborhood bum!"
"Hyung, what have you been doing all this time? Not even a single album! I searched for your name on MuCloud, and not a single song came up!"
"The third Hyung, who used to be so trendy, is now wearing clothes I wouldn't take even if they were free!"
"Eden, what on earth have you been doing for the past ten years?"
Why does it hurt so much, even though I know it's all just part of the act?
📝 Translator’s Note:
You may notice that certain lines or phrases in this novel appear both in their original Korean (or Hanja) form and in English translation.
This is intentional — these phrases are classical idioms, divine titles, or poetic expressions that carry layered meanings.
To preserve their original tone and authenticity, the raw text has been kept for reference, while the English interpretation is provided right before or after it. This helps convey both the literal and cultural nuance of the original work.
but if you guys dont want tha raw for future chapters or my future other novels u can just text me on discord and say so discord name Mr.Penny