Variety Show Appearance (2)
Variety Show Appearance (2)
084
After the Olympics—no, even before the Olympics ended—people calling themselves broadcast writers started contacting me, and after returning home, I was worried my phone might explode from all the calls coming from everywhere.
During the Olympics, they let it slide since I had to attend the awards and closing ceremonies, but after returning home, their "I'll cast you no matter what you say" bulldozer mindset, regardless of what excuse I gave, was terrifying.
I don't know where they got my number, but people from various broadcasting stations—from "what-cha-ma-call-its" to writers, PDs, and department heads—kept calling me at all hours.
It wasn't that I wasn't interested in appearing on TV, but I was busy preparing for transfers, so I tried to brush them off... but unexpectedly, I wasn't busy.
Just me.
"An agency isn't just about arranging contracts and reviewing paperwork. The most important thing is finding a team that suits the player. You have to consider everything comprehensively: the team's tendencies, the board's tendencies, the coach's tactical philosophy and preferred style, the squad composition and internal politics/power struggles, the training facilities, the level of coaching staff and medical team, whether the city the club is located in suits the player, the living environment, the expected performance for the next season, and the player's role within that..."
"...No matter how good an agency is, that's impossible. Where on earth does an agency like that exist?"
"Famous agencies are all like this. That's why connections are important. You get information through club officials to gather intel that isn't visible from the outside—like the club's problems, internal factions, squad conflicts, the relationship between the coach and players, and the relationship with the board—and choosing the right team for the player is the most important role in the transfer market. Do you think agencies exist for nothing?"
"......."
Oh Ha-rin, who had become completely dumbfounded, kept her mouth shut, and a triumphant Yoon Da-ye fired back.
"In the first place, if an agency only reviewed contracts, took care of the player's convenience, handled taxes and tax-related work, and that was all, they'd be total crooks. You're the head of an agency, and you don't even know this?"
"Hmph. Anyone can talk a good game. If you're so confident, why don't you do it?"
"Are you crazy? If I, someone with no practical experience, stepped in, there's no way it would end well. This isn't a game. A kid's life is on the line."
"That's exactly why I'm stepping in. You want to leave his life in someone else's hands? I don't. In the first place, why do I need to know every single detail? The person in the highest position doesn't need to know every task individually. What a superior needs to do is build a proper team, filter the advice from the staff, and make the right decisions."
...They fight well.
I thought I'd be incredibly busy once the transfer market opened, but I was free.
Just me.
Oh Ha-rin and Yoon Da-ye, who had been bickering, were putting their heads together with 3-4 guys who were supposedly experts, raising their voices, and I just watched them talk all day, except for when they asked for my opinion occasionally.
"Min-jun."
"Yeah?"
"For now, until we filter out the teams that are just poking around, are for marketing purposes, or are useless to visit, you'll be bored, so do you want to go on a variety show? Why, you wanted to go on a variety show, didn't you?"
Seeing me just sitting there blankly, Yoon Da-ye suggested a variety show appearance, looking like she felt sorry for me.
"Really? Can I go?"
"I was considering variety show appearances too. Since your popularity is at its peak right now, appearing on 1 or 2 suitable variety shows isn't a bad choice because it can imprint you on the public."
"Then what about the transfer? We have to pick a team."
"We have to do that after we filter them out first. Or what, do you want to participate right now? Look at these offers from the Middle East or South America."
"...I'll just go on the variety show."
That's how I chose 'Knowing Bros'.
For one, the writers (noona) showed such fan-filled efforts to cast me, and although it wouldn't be burden...some if I were alone, anyway, since other players were coming too.
"Whoa~ Hong Min-jun, long time no see? You look unrecognizable all dressed up."
"I haven't even had makeup done yet? This is my bare face."
"......."
With Oh Pyo-sik sunbae, who had recovered from his injury,
"Hey, Hong Min-jun! Do you really have something going on with my sister?"
It was Yoon-hyeok sunbae.
"Ah~ Sunbae, what are you saying as soon as we meet?"
"No, I'm telling you, my sister is weird. She never cared about men in her life, but now she has your photo as her phone background, and she doesn't care about my transfers but knows everything about your transfer rumors. You're on a world tour with these transfer rumors, and she's reciting the linked clubs like she's reading a list!"
"Sunbae. I'm Hong Min-jun."
"So?"
"With my face, women would want to see it every day, even if it's just as a phone background. Ha~ this handsomeness. Agreed? Yeah, agreed."
"...I really want to beat the shit out of this bastard for the first time in a while."
Both of them were players who had gained quite a bit of popularity through this Olympics, even if not as much as me.
Oh Pyo-sik sunbae, who had been active as a senior national team player even before being selected for the Olympic team, was already a player familiar to the public. He made a solid impression with a great performance as the team's second-highest scorer, following me in this Olympics.
Yoon-hyeok sunbae also became an overnight star, playing a key role in the team, appearing in every major scene with his handsome, warm visuals, even if not as much as me—if it weren't for me, Yoon-hyeok sunbae probably would have received the most spotlight.
'Hmm. Looking at it this way, they're all second-tier guys who lost out to me.'
I felt good.
"It's good to see you after a while. Today, just trust this hyung, little brothers. Just~ watch. When you run out of lines and your mind goes blank? Then give me a signal. I'll jump right in."
Oh Pyo-sik sunbae, who was bluffing like this,
"H-h-hello! I, uh, came from 'Won Silver Medal', no, I'm Oh Pyo-sik from 'Won Silver Medal', no, ugh!"
"......."
He froze from the start and was shaking terribly.
Trusting this hyung, my ass.
"Hahahaha! Why is he shaking so much! Isn't Pyo-sik shaking too much?"
"Cut, cut! You guys go back out and come back in."
Following Ho-dong's hearty laughter, Su-geun quickly organized the situation.
Truly the skills of an experienced assistant instructor.
We came out of the classroom set door and changed the order.
"The writers (noona) said I should stand in the middle. Is that okay?"
"...Yeah."
A dejected Oh Pyo-sik sunbae agreed, and filming resumed.
Drrrk!
I opened the door and stepped into the classroom set.
"Hello. I'm Hong Min-jun, a transfer student from 'Won Silver Medal'. Nice to meet you all."
What's so hard about this that he was shaking so much?
As I finished my lines calmly, the Ah-hyung members, who had been ready to make a fuss from the moment I entered, raised their voices in unison.
"Waaaaah!! Who is this!! It's the members of the national soccer team shining with an Olympic silver medal!!"
"Whoa~ The production team put in some effort this time?"
"Wow!! I know Hong Min-jun!!"
I didn't know when watching on TV, but their tension is incredibly high.
We had greeted each other before filming and even had a short rehearsal, yet they reacted as if they were seeing us for the first time—it's truly amazing. Is this what a veteran entertainer is?
After Ho-dong, Su-geun, and even Hee-chul welcomed us noisily, Yoon-hyeok sunbae and Pyo-sik sunbae's introductions followed.
"But I'm seeing Min-jun for the first time today, and he's exactly the same as on TV! Isn't he basically an actor? An actor. Whoa~ he's incredibly handsome."
Ho-dong, who had his hat perched crookedly on his head, delivered his pre-prepared lines,
"Whoa! I just discovered something huge! Ho-dong's face looks like it's twice the size of Min-jun's face?"
Hee-chul suddenly interrupted and ad-libbed.
Unlike us, who were flustered by the line not in the script, the Ah-hyung members naturally continued the tiki-taka.
"Aigoo! Don't lie! It's not twice, twice!"
"Hey! Hey! Why are you fighting over this? Go and compare, then you'll know."
"Oh! This is good! Then let's compare Ho-dong and Min-jun's face sizes."
Jang-hoon and Kyung-hoon picked up on Ho-dong's banter, and suddenly we were facing each other.
...It's, it's big, alright.
"Ughak, ughakhakhak! Wow, I'm genuinely shocked right now. Wow... I'm looking at him up close, and he's really a sculpture, a sculpture."
Hee-chul was making a fuss behind Ho-dong, who was delivering lines until the moment we faced each other.
"Wow! Waaah!! It's really twice, no, three times the size!?"
"Aish! Don't lie! It's not three times!!"
"Wait, wait. Hee-chul, stand next to Min-jun."
The moment Ho-dong and Hee-chul's tension was about to drop, Su-geun intervened exquisitely.
"With me? Ah~ this, if Min-jun stands next to me, it's a humiliation shot~"
Hee-chul, who quickly took the baton, approached with his nose in the air and put his arm around my shoulder, then,
"...Wait. I really don't think I can do this one."
He said and quickly backed away.
"Ah~ what is it. Stand there quickly."
"Ah. Seriously, this won't work."
Hee-chul put his arm around my shoulder hesitantly at the members' clamor.
Hmm... the height is almost the same.
"Hey! This two-shot is a humiliation shot for Hee-chul!? Standing side-by-side, Min-jun really stands out!"
"Ah~ I really acknowledge this. I just saw Min-jun up close, right? Wow... his skin is no joke. Not a single blemish. Not lying at all, I've seen many female celebrities, but I've never seen anyone with better skin than Min-jun. It's porcelain, it's porcelain."
"Ayy~ I can tell that even from here."
"No, hyung! I'm telling you, this is real! You'll know if you see him up close! It's porcelain, totally!"
I just chuckled at Hee-chul and Jang-hoon's banter.
Is this Charm 95? Past me, who dumped everything into Charm, I highly praise you.
"Come to think of it, Min-jun is causing a stir on SNS."
"Me? Why?"
Su-geun brought up the pre-prepared lines as if organizing the situation.
It's simple since all I have to do is make a puzzled expression like in the rehearsal.
"The 4 Olympic goddesses all said on Insta that Min-jun is handsome this time."
"Ah~ I saw that too! Min-jun took 1st place in the handsome guy survey among female athletes participating in the Olympics!!"
"Wow~ Is that true? That's amazing~"
"America's national little sister Elena posted so many photos of Min-jun on her SNS that it's causing a stir. Did you know, Min-jun?"
I have to act puzzled, but the corners of my mouth keep twitching.
"No, I didn't know. I don't do SNS."
"Why? You don't do anything?"
I nodded at Kyung-hoon's prepared question.
"Yeah. I don't find SNS fun. It's also annoying. So I don't do it at all."
"That's why Olympic female athletes even did interviews. Saying it's a shame Min-jun doesn't have an SNS account."
My hype-up was mostly over, and it moved on to Oh Pyo-sik sunbae's turn.
But... unlike me, who had a friendly atmosphere, Oh Pyo-sik sunbae's part, which was frozen stiff... well, even I think it's cut-worthy.
Actually, whether it's people or broadcasting, you can't always maintain high tension.
There are moments when it sinks even after talking excitedly as if the set would collapse, and it just so happened that the tension that had risen during my turn might have perfectly dropped during Pyo-sik sunbae's turn.
...But it's just so boring.
Sayonara, Pyo-sik sunbae.