Caught Already?
If the drama world had its grandmaster in PD Kang Wonseong, then the variety world had its own: PD Lee Janghyun.
Planning was only part of what he brought to the table. His truly overwhelming gift was something else entirely — the power to seize a talent still sleeping inside a person and force it into full bloom. In other words, he could double someone's charm. Triple it. Sometimes more than that.
Most of the variety stars born from his hands had been made that way, and the industry respected him for it. Admired him, even.
And now he had chosen Jiwoo as his next subject.
"Are you sure about this? She's a rookie who just finished shooting her first drama..."
"Rookie or not, the drama she's in right now..."
"Ghost Singer?"
"That's right. The aftershock from Ghost Singer is no joke. I've been too swamped with other work to watch it myself, but you all know what I'm talking about."
Lee Janghyun was juggling a new variety show still in development and an idol whose drinking scandal had sent him into freefall — cancellation talk was already circulating. Handling both at once left him no time to sit down with a trendy drama. Even the scraps of leftover time were better spent sleeping, or checking the OTT market, than watching broadcast television.
"Then check it now. Put the drama on."
At PD Lee Janghyun's word, the writer beside him tapped at a tablet and played a highlight reel she had saved just in case.
Total runtime: twenty minutes. From episode one, when Jiwoo's character Kang Sora first appeared, through episode four, when her time ran out and she returned to the afterlife.
Around the room, people sniffled through the farewell, tears and runny noses all around.
"It's good. No question. A sad family's love — a protagonist too young at the time of the death to remember her eldest sister, and a little sister the ghost can't bear to leave behind. Writer Kim's signature sensibility is all over it. And yet... I can still see room for her to grow."
The writers tilted their heads at the sudden remark. Where had that come from?
"Which part made you say that?"
"Please share it with us too."
Even a guest appearance — never mind a regular slot — required thorough research on the guest. Lately their schedules had been so packed that finding people had been left to the assistant PDs, and that had blown up into a disaster. Everyone in the room wanted to learn PD Lee Janghyun's legendary instinct.
But that instinct was not something you could simply copy.
"I just... get that feeling."
Raw. Unfiltered. The kind of thing an ordinary person could never imitate.
"Enough. Get in touch with that actress. Now."
It was a gift reserved for the geniuses heaven itself had sent down.
The next day.
I spent another school day alone. My desk partner Kim Woojin and his best friend Choi Wooseok talked to me often enough that I never quite felt lonely. Still. I wanted to get a little closer to the other kids too.
I shot up from my seat.
"You heading out?"
I left Kim Woojin's voice behind me.
"Hey, guys? I wanted to ask you something..."
"Ah, I—I'm sorry. I'm kind of busy right now."
Busy, she said, walking off with the friend beside her.
"I... h-homework! I have homework!"
Homework, she claimed — over a notebook that was still completely blank.
"It's just... a little much, you know?"
And one who simply said no, straight to my face.
Every last one of them was putting distance between themselves and me. My goal was to make new friends at school. Today's results... zero.
"That's why your shoulders are sagging like that?"
"What's wrong with my shoulders."
Time passed. After school, I waited for Kang Ho-yeon at the front gate with Choi Wooseok. Kim Woojin had been with us until a moment ago, but he'd hurried off, saying his academy schedule was tight.
Then my phone buzzed. A text from Kang Ho-yeon.
I read it and sank straight into thought.
Now what?
Even if Kang Ho-yeon rushed, it would take a full hour at the very least. I looked at Choi Wooseok without a word.
"What? Something wrong?"
"If you want to call it a problem... yeah. Here."
I showed him the message. He gave a small nod and turned.
"Where are you going?"
"Where else? The clubroom. You joined and you've never even shown up once."
"Ah..."
I had forgotten. Between commercials and drama shoots, the fact that I had joined the VTuber club had completely slipped my mind. I checked the time. Not enough for a long session, but plenty for club activities. I moved fast.
"What are you doing? Come on."
"Is this the same girl who looked dead on her feet a second ago?"
Choi Wooseok snorted a laugh at the sudden burst of energy.
We arrived at the 2nd Science Lab. I opened the door to the VTuber club.
Members huddled together in a space far too large for their numbers. On the giant TV mounted to the wall, a popular VTuber's stream was playing.
"Huh? Jiwoo? Come on in."
The club president, Yuhan, greeted me.
"Hello. But..."
One... two... three, four... and five? There was one more person than last time. Yuhan caught my gaze.
"Ah... you wouldn't know yet. Let me introduce you. The tyrant of our VTuber club. Also known, self-proclaimed, as the Queen. Ugly... GYAAAH!!"
"Quit the nonsense and introduce me properly."
A senior girl's iron fist dropped onto Yuhan's head for the playful jab.
"Ghhk... I was just kidding. Can't even take a joke... how are you supposed to be a VTuber like that..."
"Tsk!"
"F-fine... I'll introduce her. She's a second-year like us. Lim Hyun-kyung."
"Hey there, Pretty. We meet again."
Lim Hyun-kyung waved with a smile.
"Hyun-kyung, you know Jiwoo?"
"Well... we..."
She strode over, gave Choi Wooseok a light shove, and slung an arm around my shoulders.
"We were both mixed up in the same incident. Pretty close, you could say. Right?"
"That's... not wrong, but if you put it that way, won't people get the wrong idea?"
Incident. All that had happened was Hyun-kyung helping out when I jumped in to save a kid from being bullied.
"Let them. That's how I got to meet my Pretty, after all."
Lim Hyun-kyung cupped my cheeks in both hands.
Ah... I had walked right into a handful. I had no idea why this girl called me Pretty, or why she acted so familiar.
"That look on your face. You have no idea why I'm like this, do you?"
"Well..."
I gave a tiny nod, cheeks still held.
"How did you know?"
"It's written all over your face. I get why you'd be curious, though. Simple version?"
Her finger came to rest on my nose.
"Because Pretty is pretty? Prettier than anyone I've ever seen."
"That's the reason?"
"If I had to give another one...."
Hyun-kyung thought it over with genuine seriousness, then offered an answer.
"Because you're kind."
When had she even seen enough of me to call me kind? Was she mixing me up with someone else?
"I'm not that kin—"
"No. You are. I heard it from Unnie."
"Unnie...?"
Lately there were more than one or two people I could call Unnie. I didn't even have a guess.
"Someone you know too, Jiwoo."
"Someone I know..."
"Lee Boram. You've heard of her, right?"
"...Huh? How do you know Boram-unnie?"
Lim Hyun-kyung smiled a mischievous smile.
"How else? She's my cousin. I know her plenty well. Every time we meet she just will not stop bragging about you... Oh!"
She let go of my cheeks, pulled out her phone, and opened the camera.
"I want to show off to Unnie. Mind if I take a picture?"
"A picture? Sure."
As long as it wasn't identity theft or something, a photo was fine.
"Okay, one, two..."
On her cue I threw up a light peace sign, and we snapped the shot.
"Perfect! I'm definitely bragging with this. Thanks, Pretty."
"That... 'Pretty' thing. Could you maybe..."
Even if I had gotten used to being a girl, being called Pretty to my face was still a little embarrassing.
"Got it. Pretty. Better go study, huh? Or wait — does Pretty even need to study?"
"Excuse me? Why wouldn't I need to study?"
"Well..."
Hyun-kyung leaned in and whispered, too quiet for anyone else to hear.
Time remaining until the VTuber idol debut.
Just seventy-five days.
And the Red Medicine had leaked before we had even begun.
A few hours later. Broadcasting station KBD.
The door to the KBD Variety Department Director's office flew open. It was PD Lee Janghyun.
"PD-nim... what brings you here at this hour?"
The Variety Director's shoulders twitched at the unannounced visit. In rank and authority he stood far above Lee Janghyun — but in the face of the power the man actually wielded, you did not get careless. Fire him or demote him because you didn't like him, and he would walk straight to a competitor and take his revenge. Everyone knew that script by heart.
The Director kept his composure as best he could.
"About the drinking incident, there's only so much I can—"
"Director."
PD Lee Janghyun cut him off and stepped closer. A faint madness flickered in his eyes. The Director swallowed dryly and tried to guess what was coming.
He's not about to quit... is he?
Lately KBD variety had been dead last, every single time. PD Lee Janghyun was the only reason they were still scraping within a hair of second place. The moment he left, the gap with second would blow open beyond any hope of catching up. Then the pressure from above would come crashing down, and even the Director's own seat would be at risk.
That, at least, had to be stopped.
"Is there something you need? A favor?"
"A favor... yes. I do have a request."
"Alright... what is it? As long as you're not quitting, I can probably..."
PD Lee Janghyun, for his part, looked like he had no idea why anyone would be scared.
"Why would I quit? Nowhere else pays this well. Here's what I need."
He set a tablet on the desk. On the screen, a paused NewTube video.
(30-Minute Instant) Analyzing Kang Sora's Behavioral Patterns in Ghost Singer!
An analysis of Kang Sora's acting. He pointed at the woman on the screen.
"I want to put this kid on as a guest. Fair warning, though... I'm planning to go a little hard. I don't think her agency will play along easily, so I'd like to borrow the Director's influence."
"Ah... that kind of request. Fine by me. That's all?"
"And... about the next variety show... tsk..."
PD Lee Janghyun stroked his chin.
"What? Why the dramatic pause?"
"Well... I'm going to need a lot of money."
"Money? What exactly are you trying to do?"
"For starters... I'm thinking of shooting a chase sequence overseas."
"...What?"
A ch-chase sequence?