Chapter 138: A Successful Fan
Chapter 138: A Successful Fan
“Ah, whatever. I don’t care anymore. Seal released! If I’m going to get scolded anyway, I’ll just do everything I want.”
Princess Shoopy completely changed her expression.
Then she suddenly looked straight into my eyes and spoke, lowering her voice.
“A princess? You don’t even look like a princess.”
“…?”
The studio froze instantly.
The audience looked confused, as if wondering what this sudden remark was about.
Even the veteran host James Norton widened his eyes and opened his mouth in shock.
But I understood.
That line.
It was dialogue exchanged between Han Jusin and Alicia Yoon when they first met in the cafeteria in Doctor Princess.
Of course, because Shoopy’s acting was rather awkward, it was hard to recognize the original feeling of the scene.
But there was no way I would forget lines I had memorized.
So I played along.
Since she had taken the role of Han Jusin, I would take Alicia Yoon’s part.
“What does looking like a princess even mean?”
“Shouldn’t you look like Elsa to be called a princess?”
The corner of Princess Shoopy’s mouth twitched, and she burst into laughter.
“Pff—! Ah, I can’t do this anymore.”
Outside the camera’s angle, a middle-aged woman who appeared to be her aide covered her forehead and lowered her head deeply.
“I tried acting out lines from my favorite scene. How was it? Did I sound like Han Jusin?”
Hmm.
Honestly speaking—she should probably avoid acting.
She pushed through with confidence and enthusiasm, but it was acting that even polite flattery couldn’t call good.
But it actually worked out well.
The mood had become slightly serious after the song, and this instantly lifted the atmosphere back into something cheerful.
“That was a perfect role reversal.”
When I responded with a smile, Norton smoothly picked up the baton.
“Wow, we even got to see the princess acting today. We’re really being spoiled thanks to Ryu. By the way, Ryu—your singing is far too good to waste. Have you ever considered officially releasing an album?”
I smiled and gave a vague reply.
“Well… if a good opportunity comes along, I might.”
I was thinking about the OST I had recorded recently.
If I openly spoiled it here, it would ruin the anticipation.
So I simply dropped a hint—just enough to spark curiosity.
But then Princess Shoopy suddenly cut in.
“That good opportunity—I could make it happen.”
“…!”
An unexpected proposal.
It connected like that?
“Really?”
“Of course! I actually graduated from the Royal College of Music, so I’ve composed music before. And I’m quite skilled at playing the piano and cello.”
…So the “best composer and performer” she mentioned was herself.
Her overflowing confidence made me laugh.
Before I knew it, the atmosphere had become relaxed enough for jokes to be exchanged freely.
Norton looked happy.
The audience looked happy.
The princess looked happy.
Which meant today’s talk show recording had been quite a success.
“Thank you for your hard work!”
The long recording finally ended.
After the audience left, and while the staff were cleaning up the set, Princess Shoopy approached me.
Her face was flushed with excitement, as if she had truly enjoyed the shoot.
“Today’s recording was so fun! I’m really glad I decided to come on the show!”
“Thanks to you, I was able to relax and enjoy myself too.”
“What I said earlier during filming was just a joke, but if you ever need anything, let me know. I could really arrange the world’s best composer and performers to make a song for you!”
Then she added with a mischievous smile,
“Oh, don’t misunderstand. This is purely a fan’s devotion. If you want to become a successful fan, you have to go this far.”
She even knew the word seongdeok (a fan who successfully meets or befriends their idol).
She really was a genuine K-content fan.
Well, it wasn’t a bad thing for me.
After all, it meant gaining such a valuable connection.
But…
Is there any way to contact her?
Her aide was watching from the side, so asking for her number seemed impossible.
Bzzz—
Suddenly, the phone in my pocket vibrated briefly.
When I pulled it out, it was an Instagram notification.
“I followed you on Instagram.”
She waved her phone and smiled brightly.
Meanwhile, Seoul.
Flash Entertainment CEO’s office.
CEO Hwang Cheoljun looked out the window with a satisfied smile.
“That’s refreshing.”
The invisible battle with Big Blue Entertainment had more or less concluded.
Big Blue’s CEO Jang Jaemun had ultimately decided to step down from his position and take responsibility for everything.
Of course, he would probably install a puppet president and continue pulling the strings behind the scenes.
But at least he had lost his official authority.
Just removing Jang Jaemun—the thorn that had been stuck in his throat—felt like relief from ten years of indigestion.
Now that he finally had some breathing room, it was time to resolve a task he had been putting off.
I should show my gratitude to Ryu Sunho.
The question was how to show sincerity and reward him.
He had thought about it repeatedly, but no convincing answer had come.
Money? Luxury goods? A car?
He would probably dislike receiving expensive gifts directly.
After all, they had already given him the luxury apartment in Jamsil he was currently living in as part of the contract renewal conditions.
If they gave him more expensive gifts on top of that?
It would look too blatantly like pressure to renew his contract.
That would only raise his guard.
Unless the recipient were some foolish amateur who thought money solved everything.
Ryu Sunho was not that kind of person.
“How can I give something that won’t burden him? Something that makes the recipient happy but difficult to refuse…”
Then something suddenly came to mind.
The affection he had sensed whenever Ryu Sunho spoke about his hometown and his parents.
“…Right. That’s it.”
CEO Hwang slapped his knee.
The more he thought about it, the more appropriate it seemed.
Because it wasn’t direct, the sense of rejection Sunho might feel would be minimal.
But the fact that his parents were being taken care of would create a far deeper emotional sense of gratitude than any gift.
And from an outside perspective, the optics were perfect.
Rather than a company CEO gifting a celebrity extravagant luxury goods, wouldn’t it look far more human and heartwarming if he supported the celebrity’s parents back in their hometown?
Even if news articles appeared, the image would only improve.
CEO Hwang raised the corner of his mouth and immediately summoned the head of the finance department.
“Hey—look into the agricultural equipment dealership that sells the most expensive, top-of-the-line models.”
Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk-do.
In the middle of a sun-blazed field, Madam Jeon Suyun and Old Man Ryu Seungdeok were plowing the land.
Unlike Madam Jeon Suyun, who worked relentlessly, Old Man Ryu Seungdeok looked utterly unwilling, grumbling constantly.
“Ugh, if I ever forget Hangul now, all I have to do is look in the mirror.”
“What are you talking about?”
“From farming all day, my back’s bent into the shape of the letter giyeok. One glance in the mirror and I’ll remember Hunminjeongeum right away.”
“….”
Madam Jeon Suyun seemed too tired to even get angry.
Instead, the sound of her plowing became sharper.
“How long are we going to keep farming like this? Can’t we take it easy now?”
“We’ll do it until we die of old age. What are you saying? The land can’t be left idle.”
“The land probably wants a vacation too. We’re the ones tormenting it. If we go to hell, the earth fairies will punish us.”
“That’s fine. I’ll win.”
“…You probably would.”
Old Man Ryu Seungdeok seemed determined to contribute only with his mouth.
He kept rambling without pause.
“But if Sunho finds out we’re working this hard, he won’t like it… The kid’s making good money now. Won’t he raise a fuss telling us to just live comfortably…?”
“Are you saying we should rely on Sunho? Why should we spend the money he worked so hard to earn!”
Madam Jeon Suyun glared at her husband.
Old Man Ryu Seungdeok shrank and lowered his head.
“I’m not saying we should spend it… I’m just saying we should take it easier…”
“Stop talking nonsense and get back to work.”
“Ugh… how are we supposed to finish plowing all this…”
He sighed deeply while staring at the endless furrows of the field.
Then—
from the distance came the thunderous sound of an engine approaching.
Dudududududu—
A massive green machine gleamed brilliantly.
A brand-new tractor.
“Huh? I-isn’t that one of those autonomous tractors? I’ve only seen them on the news.”
Old Man Ryu Seungdeok’s eyes widened.
“Who drives something that fancy? Nobody in our village is rich enough to buy that.”
Did the village head win the lottery?
Madam Jeon Suyun also stared in awe at the imposing high-tech tractor.
Strangely enough, though, the tractor kept moving closer to their field.
“W-what?”
“Why’s it coming into our field?”
The tractor stopped squarely on their land.
Just as they were about to protest, a black sedan followed behind it.
A middle-aged man in a neat suit stepped out from the back seat.
His refined appearance looked completely out of place in the dusty farmland.
“Who is that…?”
The man walked forward briskly and bowed politely.
“Hello, Father and Mother. I am Hwang Cheoljun, CEO of Flash Entertainment, Sunho’s agency.”
Madam Jeon Suyun and Old Man Ryu Seungdeok’s eyes widened.
The news that Ryu Sunho would appear on the UK’s flagship talk show The Great Norton Show had already attracted considerable attention in Korea.
Especially for YouTubers who specialized in national-pride content, it was irresistible material.
From the day Ryu Sunho departed for the UK, they had been lurking around foreign news outlets and social media like hyenas, hunting for updates.
Then—
“Oh?”
One such YouTuber’s radar picked up an interesting video.
It was a London return vlog uploaded by a British travel YouTuber duo.
[Jake & Paul’s Return Trip from London! But the Airport Was Paralyzed?]
It seemed like a normal travel video.
But hidden in the middle was a gold mine.
It contained footage of the real-time reaction when Ryu Sunho arrived at Heathrow Airport.
Hundreds of British fans were cheering and shouting,
“Chusin! Chusin!”
The YouTuber running the national-pride channel immediately seized the opportunity.
He clipped the footage, added subtitles, overlaid dramatic background music, and uploaded a new video.
[Ryu Sunho Turns Britain Upside Down – 100% Real Local Reactions]
The views skyrocketed.
And the video quickly spread across Korean online communities.
—What the hell is this lol
—What’s “Chusin”?
└They’re calling Han Jusin. It’s the character Ryu Sunho played in Doctor Princess.
└Ahh
└Seeing British people shout a Korean name like that feels weirdly emotional lol
—This is legitimate national pride content;; my chest feels majestic
└Jumooooooo!!
—Ryu Sunho’s face really works worldwide lol
└If I go to the UK I should pretend I’m not Korean
└Yeah that might help the nation’s prestige
└You too, you bastard!
—But seriously his proportions are insane; he stands out even among Westerners
—Honestly Doctor Princess is fun but I didn’t think it’d be this popular in the UK lol
└Right lol I guess the Han Jusin character really landed
While people were still immersed in the airport footage, another piece of news surfaced and poured fuel on the fire.
[Ryu Sunho’s Overseas Connections Update]
(A screenshot showing mutual Instagram follows with Evan Harris)
—Wait what? Why is Evan Harris there?
—Is that a fake account?
└Nope. I checked the profile. It’s the real one. 8 million followers.
—Holy crap lol when did they become friends? Did they meet in the UK?
└Looks like it if they followed each other suddenly
└Top stars recognize each other lol
└But Evan Harris is kind of on a different level though… he’s a Hollywood top star
└Whether you think so or not, Evan clearly recognized Ryu Sunho’s value
└LOL instant haters destroyed
But the real finishing blow came later.
It was revealed that Ryu Sunho and Princess Shoopy of the British royal family were also mutual followers.
[Ryu Sunho Mutually Following a British Princess ㄷㄷㄷ]
For people unfamiliar with who Princess Shoopy was, helpful explanations were added.
Instagram followers: 10 million
The British Gen-Z generation’s aspirational icon
Fifth in line to the throne
As those dazzling credentials were listed, people’s reactions were pure shock.
—Holy crap lol she’s a real princess?
—“I filmed a drama and ended up befriending an actual princess” story lol
—Evan Harris was already amazing but a royal princess is on another level lol
—I heard she’s never followed any celebrities or politicians before? Ryu Sunho is the first follow
└This is real national prestige;;
└Ryu Sunho isn’t a celebrity anymore, he’s a civilian diplomat now lol change his passport color to red
—Did Ryu Sunho save a country in his past life?
└Don’t know about his past life but he did save people in this one lol
└LOL true, then it’s valid
—Seriously what the hell did he do on that talk show…?
The internet was on the verge of exploding with curiosity and anticipation.
Just what had he done in Britain—
to return with mutual follows from a Hollywood star and even a royal princess?
As a result, Korean netizens waited desperately for the broadcast of The Great Norton Show featuring Ryu Sunho.
And a few days later, as Ryu Sunho arrived back in Korea, the episode of The Great Norton Show aired in Britain.
The video was quickly translated and spread across Korea.
—Holy crap lol Ryu Sunho completely charmed everyone in the UK
!