Chapter 209
Chapter 209
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 209
Chapter Title: Surprise Livestream
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CEO Do Bong-seok, who had gleefully teased me, sat down next to me with a satisfied expression.
"...What's this? Did you come just to tease me?"
"Well, that's part of it. If you have time, I came to ask if you'd like to do a personal broadcast after a while."
I snapped the script shut.
A personal broadcast...
Thinking about it, I'd forgotten the promise to occasionally connect with fans through broadcasts.
Yeah, a promise is a promise.
It's Thursday, so Yu-na would come home late anyway.
And I had plenty of time.
Maybe I should just do a broadcast before I go.
"If you're busy, no worries."
"...No, let's do it today."
"Got it. I'll call you when preparations are done. Just wait here for now."
With that, the CEO stood up. Then, he gently placed the magazine he was holding on my lap.
"I'll leave this here."
"Ah, CEO. Just take it with you."
"If you change your mind after reading it, just let me know."
"Ah, I said no!"
"Hahaha!"
He laughed heartily, clearly amused by my reaction, and headed out.
The small studio inside the agency.
Thanks to the staff's perfect preparations, I just had to sit down as soon as I arrived.
"Broadcast starts in 10 minutes."
I nodded at the staff member's words and carefully checked my reflection on the screen.
No makeup at all.
Yet my face was glowing.
This wasn't an exaggeration.
"One minute to go! Jun-seo, get ready with a greeting for the viewers."
"Got it."
Soon, the personal live broadcast began.
I turned my head, cleared my throat lightly, then waved at the camcorder on the monitor.
"Everyone? Hello. Lots of you showed up even on a weekday afternoon?"
After a light greeting, comments flooded the chat window like a storm.
-I was doing overdue cleaning when the notification popped up. Rushed here. No Yu-na in today's live?
-Waaah! He's finally here!
-Jun-seo oppa! Looking handsome today too!
-He appeared! He appeared! Finally!
-You're late! Aren't you doing lives too rarely?
-Looking forward to your next project!!
-Your face looks much slimmer now. I preferred how it was before...
350 viewers, 4,687...
65,325...
I'd only given a simple greeting.
Yet the live viewer count had already surpassed 100,000.
What? Why is it climbing so fast?
As the staff adjusted the broadcast settings, the flood of chats slowed a bit.
[Set it so one person can chat roughly once every 10 minutes. It should be slower now.]
The chats slowed as written on the staff's sketchbook.
Now it was at a level where I could read and respond to viewers' chats? Well, still fast— if I was even a little slow, I couldn't read them all before they got buried.
"Everyone? The reason I turned on this live broadcast so suddenly is to connect with you all."
I shrugged as I spoke, and the chat exploded with laughing emojis.
-LOLOLOL Lie.
-Every time he opens his mouth, it's a lie. LOL.
-You said you'd do streams often. LOL.
-This is a lie too? LOLOLOL.
-Yu-na definitely said it. Dad always lies! That was a lie too??
-We won't fall for it.
-Is there anyone who would?
-Admit it. Admit it. LOLOLOLOL.
-Whatever!! What's the real reason? Get to the point.
-If you have ads, just do them quick.
I'd really turned on the broadcast to connect with fans... but no one... absolutely no one believed me.
"Haa."
I let out a quiet sigh and looked at the screen before speaking.
"Since it seems like there's no topic for connecting, I'll bring one up first. So, what would be a good topic..."
That was when I noticed it.
Beyond the glass window behind the monitor, a staff member holding a pure white sketchbook.
I eyed the sketchbook carefully.
[Jun-seo! Talk about last week's episode of 'Daddy, I Love You!']
Hmm, last week...
'Was it the one related to my birthday?'
That definitely had episodes fans would be really curious about.
I nodded and smiled lightly at the camcorder again.
"Everyone, did you see last week's episode of 'Daddy, I Love You!'?"
As soon as I asked, chats poured in at a frightening speed.
-Yes! Watched it!
-The episode where they prepare Dad's birthday party was so fun!
-Appa. Daddy!
-LOLOLOL. Mentioning last week brings it up. Yu-na's gift.
-LOLOLOLOLOLOL.
-That episode was really fun.
-The one where only Yu-na was serious?
"Ahaha... Looks like everyone watched it."
Right then—
Bzzzzt!
My pocket phone rang loudly, vibrating against my body.
"Hang on, everyone."
I started to turn it off but hesitated.
'The number on the screen.'
It was from the acting academy.
Why at this hour...
Did something happen?
Feeling uneasy for no reason, I answered the call even during the live.
-Dad! Dad! It's Yu-na! Yu-na!
Yu-na's voice hit my ear.
I frowned and pulled the phone away briefly. Apparently, the voice carried over to the viewers too.
Chats searching for Yu-na in real time.
The reaction was explosive.
-Dad! Dad! Yu-na just called you, why aren't you reading it!
"Huh? What do you mean?"
One hour earlier.
After finishing all classes at school, Yu-na arrived at the acting academy with Ha-yul.
Ding!
Pushing open the large door energetically, a girl greeted them warmly.
"Hey, kids. Hi!"
"Hello! Unnie!"
"Hi. What were you up to, unnie?"
At Ha-yul's question, she bent her knees to match the kids' eye level.
With a fresh smile, she naturally petted their heads.
"I had a simple lunch and was resting. Did you eat lunch deliciously at school?"
"Yeah! Today was spaghetti and meat, so yummy!"
"Mine was really meh... Was that yummy? The meat was tough, and the spaghetti was so-so."
"Huh? I thought it was really good?"
At their opposing responses, she straightened up and shrugged lightly.
"First, don't forget to stamp your attendance. Like always, no spacing out."
"Yeah."
"Ah... Stamping's annoying."
"There's flyers next to the attendance sheet? Grab one each. Today it's just breathing and vocal exercises."
"Yes, got it! Unnie!"
"Haa... It's basically free time."
Ha-yul's shoulders slumped.
Breathing and vocal exercises were just...
No fun at all.
Inhale through the nose, send it slowly down to the lower abdomen, hold for a few seconds, then exhale through the mouth.
That was all for diaphragmatic breathing practice, and...
Changing voice tones while practicing various lines.
'Should I just tempt Yu-na to skip academy and go play somewhere today...?'
She was lost in that thought when suddenly the girl shivered.
"Unnie, cold?"
"Did you catch a cold? Then just go to the hospital and rest today..."
"No. Wait a sec..."
She fumbled out her phone and widened her eyes in surprise.
Just for a moment.
She tapped the phone she'd just pulled out and quickly composed herself.
"Yu-na, your dad. Seems like he's doing a broadcast? Announcement went up."
"Really?"
"Yeah. In one hour. We have time too—wanna watch together?"
"Hehehe. Yeah! Let's!"
"If teacher catches us... How about the deepest practice room?"
"Ha-yul. Practice later. Let's watch Dad's broadcast together."
"Huh? Uh, yeah. Let's."
"Alright, let's go, kids."
And so she moved to the deepest practice room with the kids.
Scattered paper scraps everywhere.
Walls dirty with all sorts of doodles.
This practice room was popular with students since the teacher's eyes didn't reach it.
'Good thing no one's here.'
Click!
As soon as she closed the practice room door, she turned on the large monitor.
Then, familiarly, she connected her phone to the monitor and brought up Lee Jun-seo's broadcast channel.
Drag—!
Just as all preparations were done.
Yu-na and Ha-yul dragged chairs over and sat side by side in front of the large monitor.
"Hehehe. Gonna be fun. Right, Ha-yul? You think so too?"
"...Yeah."
"Unnie! When does it start?"
"See that on the screen? When the numbers count down to all zeros, it starts."
"Oh, got it."
"Unnie will grab some snacks and drinks, so stay put nicely."
"I'll have chocolate milk, unnie!"
"Me too. No snacks."
"Hehe. Got it. Be right back."
***
Soon.
Lee Jun-seo's live broadcast had just started.
The actor Lee Jun-seo on screen waved with a charming smile.
-Everyone? Hello. Lots of you showed up even on a weekday afternoon?
"Yes! Yu-na's watching too! Dad!"
At Yu-na's quirky greeting to the monitor screen, she let out a chuckle.
"Yu-na? He won't hear you from here."
Whoosh! Yu-na whipped her head around.
"Then how do I let Dad know Yu-na's watching?"
"Call him... Or maybe chat that Yu-na's watching?"
"Hmm... Chat?"
She carefully brought over her phone connected to the monitor. She tapped the chat window and handed it to Yu-na.
"Press here like this, then hit the consonants and vowels in order. That'll post the chat."
"Oh. Yu-na will try."
"Wanna give it a go?"
"Hehehe. Yeah!"
Yu-na took the phone and laboriously tapped the unfamiliar keyboard.
How much time passed.
Having completed a short sentence, Yu-na proudly handed the phone back.
"All done. What now?"
"...Huh?"
What Yu-na had written was none other than 'Appa. Dad!'
How did she expect him to know from just that? She'd need to write that it's Yu-na for him to realize...
She hit send and checked the reaction. As expected, with chats pouring in, it got buried instantly.
"...Yu-na, wanna just call?"
"Yeah, let's call. Then, will Yu-na appear on the broadcast too?"
"Yeah. Know Dad's number? Wanna call from unnie's phone?"
"Dad's number is 010..."
Right then.
Ha-yul covered Yu-na's mouth.
Narrowing her brows fully, she gripped Yu-na's cute lips and glared.
"You can't give out ajusshi's number that easily to others."
"Mmph? Whyyy?"
"Ajusshi is a famous actor, right? If his number spreads to others and keeps spreading... Yeah. Simply put, ajusshi could get tired."
Finishing her words, Ha-yul carefully released her hand. Then, Yu-na's brows slowly furrowed.
"Hmm... I see."
"Let's safely call ajusshi from the academy phone here. That should be fine."
"Yeah. Let's go quick."
Click! Scamper!
Left alone in the practice room, she let out a hollow laugh. Ha-yul, whom she'd always thought was sharp, had just shown near-perfect behavior.
"...I was narrow-minded for a sec."
It wouldn't look like she was trying to get Lee Jun-seo actor's number from Yu-na, right?
'I really wasn't...'
She let out a small sigh.