Chapter 191
Chapter 191
To be honest, when this reality program was first planned, it was a simple travel and healing concept.
Add to that the General Manager’s obsession with the US and the inclusion of segments reacting to American culture, and the structure became incredibly predictable.
‘Only a few fans will watch it, and that’ll be it.’
I could already see the results.
How long could a show maintain public interest when it just featured successful idols healing one after another?
Because of this, the reality show production crew was quite listless. They seemed like the type who only found joy in creating provocative scenes by tormenting the cast.
That actually made them easier to bait.
—Wouldn't it be more interesting if the program had some ups and downs? Like us earning our own travel expenses…
—Right??
They took the bait immediately.
The General Manager was already preoccupied with the upcoming junior group, so he passed the revised plan without much trouble.
And, as expected, the reality production crew began to restructure the "earn your own money to play" concept in the most provocative way possible.
…Though, I didn't expect them to stab us in the back with a debt claim right on the first day of filming.
"Ah~ we spent so much that day, it was really hard to recover."
"You are right. I learned the importance of responsible spending…"
"What did we eat back then? Lobster?"
"Lobster and king crab! It was so delicious!"
"Yeah, it was tasty, but still…"
At Cha Yu-jin’s bright remark, several of the guys got distant looks in their eyes. It was understandable.
‘Those production bastards, they intentionally pushed us toward the expensive courses.’
—No, no~ you guys can really go anywhere!
They said things like that.
The consensus among the members was that the nuance sounded like, "Playing to your heart's content on the first day will motivate you to work hard so you can play again."
So, on the first day, we watched dolphins in Cape May, a resort town in New Jersey, ate lobster, and stayed at a luxury resort.
And this was the amount billed.
"But I didn't expect them to charge us a flat $4,000."
"Exactly."
That’s about 4.5 million won.
If we hadn't argued and pleaded that "we would have had to stay in a lodging even if we weren't playing," and managed to get it down to $1,800, we’d still be buried in debt.
It was a shocking start, but looking back, it was definitely entertaining.
It wasn't like we actually lacked the money; it was just a betrayal and shock within the context of a variety show, so it wasn't particularly sadistic.
‘The staff were all bursting into laughter….’
I remember Bae Se-jin looking at them with a face full of betrayal.
Anyway, after working like dogs for three days, we paid off all that debt and even saved $800 for the theme park tomorrow.
It was a greater achievement than expected.
‘…Earning money was so addictive that I got too immersed.’
When actual cash was changing hands and landing in my own, it felt different.
We did take another break in the middle, but since we just ran around the beach eating snacks to keep it as cheap as possible, it probably won't have much impact.
‘So, there needs to be some stimulation this time to make it easy to edit.’
"Alright, let's spend it wisely and according to plan tomorrow."
"F-Fighting!"
"TeSTAR was great today too~"
As expected, the theme park tomorrow seemed like a good opportunity. I should make them spend all the savings and fall back into debt.
The entrance fees for the amusement park and safari alone would blow $450, so the remaining $350… spending 50,000 won per person would happen in the blink of an eye.
‘Easy.’
For this, I only needed to target Cha Yu-jin.
I untied my apron and hung it next to the sink.
In any case, I just hope the program turns out fun.
*
TeSTAR’s reality show was released in a format where two episodes were dropped every week.
However, only those who signed up for a paid membership could watch the sequel immediately; general users had to wait three more days.
It was a preview structure that clearly showed their determination to grab both money and buzz.
And that determination worked well.
[TeSTAR’s chaotic Working Holiday reality show released today lol]
The reaction to Episode 1—where TeSTAR was scammed by the production crew right from the airport and ended up starting part-time jobs for interest-free, collateral-free loan repayment—was incredibly hot.
The ratio of paid membership sign-ups increased noticeably.
Furthermore, there was one more of Park Moon-dae’s schemes mixed in here.
That nuance began to show from the scene where TeSTAR finally realized the existence of the debt.
[We’ve rented a small~ very cozy little shop! You just need to make a profit there!]
[Kim Rae-bin: Gasp.]
[Ryu Cheong-woo: I-Is the category fixed? What kind of shop is it?]
[There’s no such thing, but if the cost of materials exceeds $100, it’ll be added to your debt!]
[Keun Se-jin: No way.]
Then a brazen caption appeared:
[You can sell a~nything you want! ^^]
But immediately after, Park Moon-dae, who had been listening to the production crew calmly without any expression, said this:
[Park Moon-dae: Then let's sell hotteok.]
[????]
[Seon A-hyun: H-Hotteok?]
[Keun Se-jin: Moon-dae, do you want to eat hotteok?]
[Park Moon-dae: No, I think it’ll be competitive because it’s not a common menu item. The cost is low, and it tastes good. I think we just need to be good at attracting customers… and I think everyone will be good at that.]
His tone was full of conviction. Sounds of "Oh" and "That’s not bad" began to break out here and there.
The idols, who had become accustomed to being stabbed in the back so many times since before their debut, quickly accepted the situation and began to carve out a survival route on their own.
The weakness of the show—that it might become boring or frustrating if TeSTAR was just unilaterally dragged around by the production crew—vanished instantly.
Instead, the production crew began to panic.
[Keun Se-jin: But is there a place to buy the ingredients?]
[Seon A-hyun: Wouldn't there be a Korean mart nearby…? I think I heard… that many Koreans live in New Jersey!]
[Park Moon-dae: Yeah. And I’m good at making hotteok.]
[Keun Se-jin: Oh~ Confidence!]
[Cha Yu-jin: I’m in!]
[Ryu Cheong-woo: Sounds good. Ah, it would go well with chocolate or ice cream on top.]
With even Bae Se-jin nodding with a tense face, the agreement was reached in an instant.
Ryu Cheong-woo answered the production crew brightly.
[Ryu Cheong-woo: Okay. We’ll sell hotteok.]
[PD: O-Oh, really? Is there nothing else you’d like to consider? There are plenty of things that aren't food~]
[Cha Yu-jin: No!]
Along with the member’s cheerful refusal, a cut-scene of the PD looking at the sky was inserted.
[Expecting TeSTAR’s numerous trials and errors,]
[We prepared many mini-games.]
[But in the end, we couldn't use a single one and sent them back to Korea….]
Cheerful country music played hilariously over a shot of the blue sky.
[☆ Decision to open TeSTAR’s Hotteok Shop ☆]
[(Took 5 minutes)]
And so, the structure was that TeSTAR began selling hotteok in a corner of an American beach.
It was a choice that captured the three elements of public appeal: money, food, and national pride.
[That employee is cute!]
[Hotteok? It’s crispy and very delicious.]
Short clips of foreigners who didn't know TeSTAR praising the hotteok and the members selling it through various ups and downs were inserted as a preview.
It wasn't surprising that people couldn't resist paying for the membership for this familiar variety show flavor.
Comments from people filled with anticipation poured in.
Fortunately, that anticipation was not betrayed.
In the following Episode 2, TeSTAR began operating the shop, boasting impressive teamwork.
And through Episode 3, which showed them taking time a few days later to visit the beach, the reality show progressed at a pleasant and fast tempo.
[What kind of club are you guys? University students? High schoolers?]
[Something like that! We dance and sing~]
The scene where Cha Yu-jin gave a half-serious answer with a grin perfectly captured the flavor of the so-called "hidden power meta."
The reactions didn't cool down for Episodes 2 and 3, which faithfully filled the expected scenes.
As their variety-show personas were discovered, the images of some members also became somewhat softer.
And finally, the emotional moment of surpassing $1,000 in sales and going to the theme park.
The scene where TeSTAR, who had resolved to spend only their savings, crumbled, brought about bursts of laughter through the editing.
The trigger, as Park Moon-dae had intended, was Park Moon-dae himself.
[Park Moon-dae: That’s cute.]
[Keun Se-jin: Whoa~ Moon-dae, if we buy something like that, our budget is finished!]
[Park Moon-dae: …Right. Sorry.]
In the souvenir shop, Park Moon-dae had reacted a bit sullenly to Keun Se-jin’s comedic skit.
After an edit showing countless exclamation marks appearing behind Keun Se-jin, Cha Yu-jin jumped in.
[Cha Yu-jin: Buy it! Let's buy it!]
[Kim Rae-bin: Huh??]
[Seon A-hyun: Right, I think it’ll be okay…!]
[Cha Yu-jin: We can work again! We can earn more!]
[Bae Se-jin: T-That’s true, but.]
Ryu Cheong-woo happened to be away at the moment.
The moment the eldest, Bae Se-jin, became flustered by Cha Yu-jin’s aggressive insistence, Cha Yu-jin also pretended to be pitiful on purpose.
[Cha Yu-jin: Let's enjoy today! We work so hard……]
[Bae Se-jin: …Then, just this once.]
[Cha Yu-jin: Yeah!]
And so, with the justification of "let's just buy it this once," TeSTAR went on a shopping spree in the souvenir shop.
A cheerful caption from the production crew appeared.
[Of course, it didn't end with 'just this once' ♡]
Indeed.
As if proving that the first time is the hardest, TeSTAR began to buy all sorts of souvenirs and snacks following a similar pattern.
And eventually, they even began to reach for the production crew’s financing.
[This much~ you guys can earn this much in just three hours of work!]
[Seon A-hyun: That’s true, but…….]
[Cha Yu-jin: Exactly!]
[Bae Se-jin: (Confused)]
[There’s no interest, so what does it matter! Everyone, it’s your first trip to America!]
As a result of falling for this trick:
[Today’s settlement… Wow! Minus $1,012!]
[!!!!]
It ended like this.
[You guys will have to work really hard~]
Episode 4 ended with the sight of TeSTAR’s backs as they returned to their lodging with dazed faces, clutching armfuls of dolls, cushions, and hats.
Coincidentally, the week this chronicle of TeSTAR’s theme park extravagance ended was the same week as the Golden Disc Awards.
It meant it was the week TeSTAR was returning to the country.
Reality show viewers were already looking forward to that day.
It was because they were ready to laugh at even the slightest hint of a connection.
However, it wasn't just their fans who were waiting for TeSTAR’s domestic schedule.
*
"Whew."
The evening of the day TeSTAR arrived.
This rookie idol, sitting in the lobby for company personnel, had been waiting quite a while to meet TeSTAR.
‘…They said they’d stop by the company today.’
It was news delivered by their own manager, who had also worked as TeSTAR’s manager, so it was reliable information.
The idol clasped his hands together and thought calmly.
‘Get it together. I have to speak well today.’
Just then, the automatic doors toward the parking lot opened.
"……!"
Appearing behind them were… several tall men wearing hats and masks.
It was TeSTAR.
‘They’re here…!’
The rookie idol jumped up and ran toward them.
"Hello, sunbaenims!"
The rookie from the same company as TeSTAR, a contestant who had debuted in 2nd place in Season 4 of Idol Inc., bowed deeply to them.
"Huh? Ah, yes. Hello."
"Ah, nice to meet you."
"Yes! I’m very sorry, but if it’s not too much trouble, could I speak with you for just a moment…!"
"……."
He was extremely polite and desperate.
His attitude was no different from a new employee addressing a superior.
"Uh……."
Amidst TeSTAR members exchanging slightly flustered glances, Park Moon-dae was slightly impressed.
‘Oh.’
He got a feeling.
A feeling that this guy was about to spill some tea about the General Manager.