Translator: RaidenTL

Chapter 401: A Third Party's Perspective

Off the Story was the variety show I appeared on after In My Office.

Up until the previous season, the program had focused on content where the cast engaged in specific activities while talking. However, it had recently undergone a major overhaul, transitioning into a simple talk show. Since it literally involved just sitting and talking, I figured it wouldn't be too difficult and decided to appear.

What kind of person was my co-guest, the actor Woo Yun-jae?

To be honest... he was someone I never imagined I’d be doing a broadcast with.

The reason? He’s shy. Extremely so!

Some might wonder if he’s similar to Park Ju-woo, but the two are fundamentally different. Ju-woo isn't shy around people; he’s wary of unfamiliar changes.

In fact, even in the early days when I first joined as a trainee, Ju-woo communicated with me quite well—aside from being intimidated by my face, that is.

Unless he has to greet a crowd all at once or perform on an unfamiliar stage, simply saying hello to someone new doesn't affect Ju-woo much.

On the other hand, with Mr. Woo Yun-jae, it was impossible to even lock eyes unless the cameras were rolling. Especially in the beginning, we couldn't even exchange "hello" and "goodbye." He would stay in his car until the very moment filming started, and as soon as it ended, he would vanish as if he’d never been there.

At first, I wondered if I made him uncomfortable, but that ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠wasn't it.

When someone dislikes you, it shows immediately in their demeanor. But Mr. Woo Yun-jae...

'You... worked hard.'

'Ah, yes!'

...He was simply very shy. It was around Episode 5 when he first greeted me, and even then, he did it while looking at the ground.

I figured that approaching him aggressively would only make him more uncomfortable, so from then on, I just greeted him from a respectful distance. I didn't even breathe a word of small talk.

He only spoke to me occasionally regarding the script, so we really only talked about acting.

Naturally, Woo Yun-jae’s variety show appearances could be counted on one hand. In videos from ten years ago, during his rookie days, he looked like a baby rabbit shivering in the wind on a balcony.

And that Woo Yun-jae was doing a show with me? It was shocking.

I felt he was trying to look out for me when he sent the cabbage juice, but I didn't realize he’d make a resolution of this magnitude.

I was pondering what to say if asked about behind-the-scenes stories when a car arrived in the parking lot. Woo Yun-jae stepped out of the driver's seat.

"Hello, Senior."

I lowered my decibel level to about half of my usual energetic greeting. Woo Yun-jae hesitated for a moment before giving me a deep, polite nod.

While waiting for the signal to head inside, he was the first to speak.

"...You've lost a lot of weight."

"I'm managing it since I'm preparing for a comeback. Does it show?"

"Yes."

"Really? I was worried, so that's a relief."

I brought the topic to a close so he could stop talking and rest whenever he wanted. However, he didn't cut the conversation short.

"You should take care of your health while doing it..."

A warm bit of consideration came back my way.

The MC was a great person, too. I had a feeling this was going to be an enjoyable shoot.

Once the signal was given to enter, Woo Yun-jae and I headed down the stairs to the basement. Opening the closed iron door revealed a sophisticated bar.

"Let's welcome today's guests, Woo Yun-jae and Kim I-wol!"

The MC gave a bright, energetic introduction. We entered to the applause of the production staff.

Wait, if the location is a bar...

Do I have to drink? Alcohol is the enemy of gastric ulcers.

I felt a cold sweat running down my back. I was smiling on the outside, but crying on the inside.

"First, as the one who invited you, I should serve my guests something to drink."

The MC reached under the bar and pulled out a long bottle. I recognized the label immediately.

"Huh?"

"I-wol, you know this drink, right?"

Why was the wine I had distributed on the set of Exclusive Report here?

It’s not a hard wine to find, but of all the drinks, how...

Surprised, I looked to my side and saw Woo Yun-jae smiling.

"I heard our I-wol gave this to the cast and crew of Exclusive Report. You said it's a non-alcoholic drink?"

"That's right. I didn't expect to see it here."

"The setting is just for show; we aren't a program that promotes drinking. It's non-alcoholic! I'm stating that once again."

The MC emphasized his point by pointing to the 'Alcohol-free' part of the label with his palm.

"Actually, we asked Yun-jae in advance. We asked what kind of drink he’d like to have while we chat, and he mentioned this wine."

"It was delicious."

"Oh? You've already tried it, Yun-jae?"

"Yes. While watching our drama..."

Apparently, while Division Chief Go and Cheon Yun-seong were having their wine party in the drama, Woo Yun-jae was enjoying the same wine at home.

That's a poetic way to monitor one's work. I just watched it in bed with my earphones in.

"Since we're talking about Exclusive Report, it's the talk of the town lately. Did you two expect this kind of popularity?"

"I didn't expect it to be... this much."

"The script was so good that I thought it ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠would definitely get attention, but I didn't expect it to be such a hot topic from the very first episode."

"Eh? I-wol, you really didn't expect it?"

"I really didn't!"

The MC, whom I had gone to see a fortune teller with, teased me. If I had known it would be this big, I’d be running around as a drama investor by now.

After chatting about the drama for a while, the topic returned to the wine.

"Is there a reason you gave red wine as a gift?"

"The biggest reason was that it's a drink Cheon Yun-seong enjoys frequently. And since some people might not be able to drink, I chose one without alcohol."

"The people who received it must have been so happy."

"So many people posted proof shots. I even got messages saying they enjoyed it. It was a small gesture compared to what I received on set. Senior Yun-jae even sent me a separate gift after filming ended."

"Really? What did Yun-jae send you?"

"To match the day the final episode featuring Cheon Yun-seong and Division Chief Go aired, he sent cabbage juice..."

"Cabbage juice?"

"Six boxes of it."

"He sent six boxes of cabbage juice?"

The MC looked at Woo Yun-jae with a shocked expression. Woo Yun-jae’s ears turned bright red.

"There's... a reason for that..."

"Yes, yes, please tell us. I'm so curious about the reason."

"It's a bit long... is it okay if I tell the whole story?"

"Oh, of course."

Woo Yun-jae rubbed the back of his neck and began to speak.

"Actually, I-wol is a really kind person. He takes such good care of people on set. I... I'm very shy, so I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠don't have many close actor friends, but I-wol always looked out for me from the same consistent distance. That's when I thought, 'He's being so considerate of me, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠he's a warm person'..."

"Ha Seo-myeong said something similar. That he's the busiest and most talkative person on set."

"That's true. But with me, there was a perfect distance. At first, I thought he was uncomfortable because I, as his senior, wasn't taking good care of him, and I felt bad about that. But it turned out he was waiting for me at a level where I wouldn't feel pressured. I was both grateful and embarrassed..."

"And that's why the cabbage juice?"

"When I received the wine, I knew I had to return the favor. I racked my brain trying to figure out what young people like these days..."

"You even racked your brain?"

"Because, well, there's a generation gap...!"

I thought, Is it really that big? but age-wise, there was a sixteen-year difference. Unintentionally, I had ended up giving my senior a massive headache. If he had known my inner self was in its thirties, he wouldn't have worried so much. It's a shame.

"I went home wondering what to send, and when I opened the shopping bag, there was a cheese gift set inside along with the wine."

"A cheese platter?"

"Yes. A size perfect for a home party... So I thought, 'Did he give this to me so I could eat it with the wine?' but when I checked social media, the snacks paired with the wine were different in every proof shot."

"Don't tell me... you matched them to individual tastes?"

"It was written on your profile, Senior. And I overheard the preferences of the others while passing by."

"Seeing that... I started worrying even more."

"I get it. He put so much thought into it, you couldn't just give him anything! I know that feeling."

Woo Yun-jae nodded vigorously at the MC's empathy. I had no idea he had been worrying about those details.

"I agonized over what to give for a long time, and then I heard his stomach hadn't been good lately, so..."

"So you thought, 'I should give him cabbage juice.'"

"Yes, because health is the most important thing."

"He even said the cabbage was personally harvested by you, Senior."

"Personally?"

"My family farms, so I harvested them... and I watched them extract the juice. In case they mixed in water."

I couldn't find the words to respond to the story of the cabbage juice gift filled with such sincerity. I felt an affection I hadn't even imagined.

"That's no ordinary level of devotion. How many cabbages do you have to pick to get six boxes of juice?"

"A lot... but since he has members, I wanted to give enough for everyone."

"Ah, to match the number of Spark members?"

"It wouldn't be right to only give it to one person."

Spark would have happily shared even a single box of cabbage juice. That's just the atmosphere of our group. But the fact that he went out of his way to provide for everyone was undeniably something to be grateful for.

"Senior Yun-jae, as soon as he saw me upstairs earlier, he was very concerned about my health. Saying I'd lost weight."

"Right, I-wol has lost weight."

"Even when snacks are brought into the waiting room, I-wol doesn't eat a single thing. Usually, when you do emotionally taxing acting, you feel like your blood sugar is dropping and you have to eat something... but his willpower is really strong, seeing it from the side."

Woo Yun-jae said, patting my thigh with his palm.

"For me, just doing the acting is overwhelming."

"..."

"On the other hand, I-wol is multi-talented. He's good at acting, and I hear a lot of praise for his idol work. He's a good person, too."

I wanted to hide from the embarrassment. But Woo Yun-jae steadily continued.

"Because he's this kind of person, I think that's why Go Su-gyeom was so devoted to the Young Master... I've thought that since the day of the script reading."

If this were Spark's self-produced content, that comment would have been marked as the 'most replayed part.' It was a quote the viewers would never forget.

At the very least, I think I will remember the Division Chief's high praise for a very long time.