Chapter 137: Actually, This Is a Little Difficult
Chapter 137: Actually, This Is a Little Difficult
“…What? Why is his pronunciation so precise and elegant…?”
The English flowing from Ryu Sunho’s mouth was nothing like the clumsy English they had expected. The endings of his words were crisp, his intonation restrained—perfect Received Pronunciation, the accent associated with the British upper class.
For a moment, a stunned silence fell over the studio.
Then—
“Oh my god!”
Host James Norton shouted and slapped his knee.
“Did you all hear that? That guy sounded more British than I do! My rustic Irish accent suddenly feels downright vulgar!”
His exaggerated commotion turned the studio into a sea of laughter.
Audience members glanced at each other and murmured.
“What was that pronunciation? Has he lived here before?”
“That was completely posh.”
“And his voice tone is amazing!”
Even the interpreter waiting in the staff area slowly lowered their microphone with a blank expression.
Their role had just vanished.
Backstage, the PD stared at the monitor and muttered,
“…Send the interpreter home.”
“Excuse me?”
“There’s clearly no need for translation. Don’t distract the viewers’ attention. Pay them and send them off.”
“…Yes!”
The studio was still buzzing with whispers.
Noticing the audience’s surprised reactions, Norton leaned forward and asked,
“But seriously—how are you so good at English? Where did you learn it? Did you secretly attend Oxford or something?”
Ryu Sunho slowly revealed a relaxed smile.
He had expected this question.
After all, he was on a talk show—he couldn’t just shrug it off like he had done yesterday.
So he had prepared an answer in advance.
Back when he worked at an advertising company, he had never been stumped by sudden questions from demanding clients.
Answer in a way that appeals to something British people take pride in.
And blend in my professional background naturally so it won’t feel forced.
“I really love British culture. Especially Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. I adore that work. I’ve read the novel countless times and watched the film dozens of times.”
While speaking, he carefully observed the reactions around him.
Everyone’s faces had brightened.
After all, what British person would dislike hearing that someone loved one of their classics?
“When I read it as a book, I didn’t realize it—but when I watched the film, I became fascinated by that unique elegance in the speech and accent. So I studied it repeatedly and practiced imitating it until it became natural for me.”
The audience practically melted.
Host James Norton’s energy visibly rose as well, clearly satisfied with the answer.
“Oh my! You absolutely qualify as an honorary Brit! Don’t you all agree?”
Waaaaah!
Applause erupted.
Any lingering caution toward a foreign guest vanished completely.
James Norton’s body subtly turned toward Ryu Sunho, his torso leaning in.
Psychologically, it was a nonverbal sign that he had completely opened up to him.
After that, the conversation flowed easily.
While talking about future activities, Ryu Sunho casually slipped in a mention of Mueon:ga.
“This time it’s quite a challenging work because I have to carry the entire story using only my eyes and gestures—without dialogue.”
“Oh? No dialogue? Then we won’t hear that wonderful voice of yours?”
“Instead, you’ll hear a lot of my breathing. Very rough breathing.”
“Hahaha! That might be even better!”
Norton dramatically fanned himself with his shirt collar.
And just like that, the recording of Part 1 ended successfully.
“We’ll take a 30-minute break before starting Part 2!”
With the PD’s announcement, the studio lights dimmed briefly.
A short rest period.
Apparently Princess Shoopy would appear in Part 2.
Perhaps because of that, the production staff were moving around busily, checking the set again.
The PD caught Sunho’s eye.
He raised his thumb toward him.
Was that a signal that things were going well?
Then he subtly gestured backward with his fingers.
Sunho nodded.
It must mean he was anticipating that prearranged moment.
Don’t worry.
Sunho intended to deliver exactly what they expected.
Still—even though it was almost time to stand by again, Princess Shoopy had not appeared.
Since she had specifically requested to appear as a guest with him, he had assumed they might at least greet each other briefly in the waiting room.
But there had been no sign of that.
Perhaps she’s simply not someone easy to meet casually.
Royal protocol was famously strict.
It might be unavoidable.
In fact, it might even be better this way.
Meeting for the first time on broadcast would produce a more natural reaction than an awkward greeting beforehand.
“Standby!”
Sunho returned to the stage.
Part 2 of the recording resumed.
After exchanging a few lines of conversation with Norton, the host timed his cue and addressed the camera.
“Now, we have a very special guest waiting to make tonight even more extraordinary.”
Sunho knew who it was.
But the audience clearly had no idea.
“Please welcome—beloved not only by Britain but by the entire world—Princess Shoopy!”
The studio exploded with cheers.
“What?”
“Princess Shoopy is appearing here…?”
“Wow! That’s insane!”
The audience gasped in surprise.
Sunho also stood and clapped, acting appropriately startled.
Princess Shoopy walked out slowly.
Instead of a glamorous dress, she wore a stylish tweed jacket paired with jeans.
Yet even in such casual clothing, she radiated unmistakable elegance.
She’s not even an actor, yet she has an aura.
Did all members of the royal family possess that kind of presence?
Or was she exceptional?
“Princess Shoopy really is different…”
“She’s even more beautiful in person…”
Judging from the audience’s whispers, it seemed to be the latter.
Princess Shoopy waved gracefully to the audience and sat down.
“Nice to meet you, Ryu.”
After exchanging a light greeting, she and Norton began batting the conversation back and forth like a ping-pong ball.
Then suddenly she rested her chin on her hand and said,
“I feel like I’m talking to my grandfather right now.”
“…?”
“Oh, it’s a compliment! Your pronunciation is extremely good. My grandfather was a ‘real prince’ when he was young too. Though he’s a bit stubborn these days.”
Her playful smile made the audience laugh.
She really is suited for broadcasting.
She showed no sign of nervousness despite the cameras.
If anything, she looked more relaxed than Sunho.
She spoke openly about her tastes and thoughts without being bound by royal formality.
Yet her honesty never crossed the line into rudeness.
It was easy to see why the British public loved her.
About thirty minutes passed.
Norton looked at Sunho and raised an eyebrow.
A signal that he was about to set up the situation.
Okay.
Sunho nodded subtly.
Norton smoothly turned the conversation toward Princess Shoopy.
“Princess, you recently said on social media that you’ve become obsessed with Korean dramas. Do you usually enjoy Korean culture?”
“That’s right! I’ve completely fallen into K-content lately. Right now I’m staying up all night watching Doctor Princess, but before that I was obsessed with a Korean K-pop animation.”
Her eyes sparkled as she continued.
“The songs in it are absolutely my style. I listen to them every day. Especially the song ‘Freedom.’ That’s my life song!”
Norton truly showed the composure of a veteran.
He had skillfully guided the conversation exactly where he wanted it.
He immediately turned to Sunho.
“Speaking of which, I hear Ryu sings quite well. You come from the homeland of K-pop, and honestly you look more like the protagonist than the protagonist of that animation. What do you say, Ryu? Would you like to surpass the original—for the princess?”
“Well… it’s sudden, but shall I give it a try?”
Of course, that reaction was an act.
Sunho himself had requested this setup in advance from the production team.
After all, with a British princess appearing on the show, attention would inevitably shift toward her.
But I didn’t come all the way here just to sit quietly as decoration.
He intended to show every weapon he had and create a buzz.
However, he also couldn’t appear desperate to steal the spotlight while sitting beside a princess.
That would easily provoke public criticism.
So he had framed the moment as something “for the princess,” giving it a proper justification while still showcasing his charm.
How did he know which song she liked?
Research.
When he worked in advertising, analyzing a client was the absolute foundation.
A good advertisement identified what the client wanted and built creativity from there.
Thorough research was essential.
The same principle applied here.
Sunho had carefully combed through Princess Shoopy’s social media and interviews to learn what she liked and what music she enjoyed.
She seems to enjoy expressing her tastes openly, so the information was easy to find.
He stood up and walked toward the grand piano installed at the side of the studio.
Thanks to his Physical Acting stat, the sensitivity in his fingertips was exceptional.
Practicing a simple piano accompaniment had been relatively easy.
He had already practiced so many times that the positions of the keys were practically engraved in his fingers.
Still, he lightly pressed the keys as if improvising.
♬♩♪—
A sweet piano melody filled the studio.
Instantly, the entire room fell silent.
Sunho steadied his breathing and began to sing.
“Freedom—
Tonight, I’ll be free.”
The moment the first line left his mouth, gasps erupted from the audience.
A voice both soft and powerful.
Combined with flawless British pronunciation, the clarity of the lyrics doubled.
I wonder what expressions everyone is making.
But if I look at the audience now, it might look too pretentious.
So he focused only on the piano and the song.
“I’m reaching for freedom,
Even if the end is far from view—”
“Woo!”
Now even Norton was reacting along with the rhythm.
Perhaps exaggerating for comedic effect.
Sunho almost lost focus for a moment, but he pushed through, imagining it as a background extra’s reaction in a drama.
“Take my hand and follow me
Out of the endless night—”
The high note in the highlight section.
Singing while playing piano was harder than expected because of breath control.
But thanks to relentless practice, he executed it cleanly without wavering.
“Wow!”
“That’s insane!”
“Is that really live?”
“Those high notes are as clean as a professional singer!”
“He really surpassed the original… Ryu’s version might actually be better!”
The audience’s response was electric.
Music’s emotional power transcended any location.
Sunho maintained his breath and emotion until the final lyric.
He lifted his hands from the keys.
Yet the studio remained silent, still holding the lingering resonance.
About ten seconds passed.
Then—
Clap clap clap clap clap—
One person’s applause broke the silence, and thunderous applause swept across the studio.
Some people even stood up.
“Bravo, Ryu!”
“Amazing!”
“That was perfect!”
Norton finally calmed the crowd with a gesture.
“Wow! Ryu! Is there anything you can’t do? You sing and play piano like that?”
Then he turned to Princess Shoopy with a smile.
“That seemed like the perfect song for the princess. What did you think?”
It was a question expecting a simple comment.
Something like It was wonderful or Very moving.
But Princess Shoopy did not respond immediately.
She stared blankly ahead for a moment.
Then slowly turned her gaze toward Sunho.
The relaxed composure she had shown earlier was gone.
Her eyes trembled slightly.
“…Actually, this is a little difficult.”
“…?!”
A completely unexpected answer.
The studio buzzed with confusion.
Even Norton looked startled, but quickly recovered his professional smile.
“Oh dear—did you perhaps not like the performance?”
Princess Shoopy shook her head stiffly.
“No. Quite the opposite.”
Then she bit her lip slightly and covered her face with both hands.
“I was specifically told by my family elders to behave properly and not cause any trouble today… but if you do something like that, it keeps trying to break the seal!”
Her voice sounded almost aggrieved.
“I’m dying trying to stop the corners of my mouth from lifting like an idiot right now!”