Chapter 403
Chapter 403
The set of the network variety show, Only the Winner Gets Chicken.
‘Ugh, idols again.’
The fixed cast members weren't particularly thrilled when they received the guest lineup in advance.
The program was a typical family-oriented weekend variety show where guests were invited to participate in physical games and talk segments. It was low-pressure for the performers.
Moreover, because the show was successfully exported overseas, it had become a popular stop for all sorts of promotional appearances.
‘Well, at least this week’s kids have some name value.’
They were from a major agency and had a song that was currently dominating the charts. At this level, it wasn't a case of the agency begging for a spot; they were actually worth casting.
The real surprise, however, was the "special guest" announced in a sudden follow-up notice.
‘Whoa, no way.’
The ballerino, Seon A-hyun!
He had suddenly returned to the country, perhaps to film a commercial during the off-season, and the production team had somehow managed to snag him.
Normally, he was the type of figure who could carry an entire solo special without it feeling awkward, but due to the tight schedule and planning issues, he was set to appear as a special guest.
‘Should I try to make a connection?’
After accepting the greetings from the members of Wishes, who had come to the waiting room like the rookies they were, one of the veteran cast members stood up.
“Hyung?”
“Hey, follow me.”
Since there was no way Seon A-hyun would come to greet them first, the veteran intended to go and introduce himself.
‘If I’m lucky, I might get a story out of this to use somewhere...’
However, when they arrived at Seon A-hyun’s waiting room...
It was empty.
“...??”
A staff member whispered to them.
“Um... I heard he went to see them.”
“Who?”
“Wishes. The Wishes members.”
He went to the rookies' waiting room instead of the MCs'? Even if their momentum was unusual, they were still brand-new rookies...
“Apparently, he appeared as a mentor on the survival show they were on.”
“Ah.”
That made sense.
‘So they have a bit of a history.’
Of course, that didn't mean the veteran expected the filming to go smoothly.
Athletes and artists of similar ages with similar selling points?
‘It’s a nerve war. A total power struggle.’
The cast member nodded to himself.
He figured he’d probably have to witness another situation where everyone smiled while the cameras were rolling, only for the atmosphere to turn to shit the moment they stopped.
Sure enough, a while after filming began and the special guest made his entrance, everyone was busy sizing each other up.
It was time to use the existing guests to hype up the special guest!
“You’re so, so handsome! Truly~”
“A-hyun, you look like a total idol!”
“Looking at you like this... Wow, you look like you’re in the same group!”
They were typical hype-up comments, but they were also true. Even the writers were swooning at the sight of three classically handsome men standing side-by-side.
‘The female fans are going to love this.’
The cast members watched the predictable scene with indifference while keeping their mouths busy with reactions.
To any observer, it looked like the special guest was benefiting at the expense of the existing guests.
Surprisingly, however, the rookies accepted the situation smoothly and cheerfully, without any awkward or fake nuances.
They even stepped aside to give Seon A-hyun the center spot between them.
“If you stand like this... Ta-da! You’re the center.”
“Hahaha!”
‘Oh?’
They had quite a bit of backbone for rookies. Furthermore, as filming progressed, the veterans noticed something else.
These guys were incredibly lucky—they had an endless supply of episodes and stories to use for the talk segments and content.
“Hyung, don’t you know? The story about escaping a collapsing building using nothing but a newspaper! Apparently, he heard that method from his members. It’s so unique.”
“Jae-hyun, you’re pretty good with a rope~ Are you planning to enlist right after Cha Yu-jin?”
“Wait! Rae-bin, can you do impressions?”
Every time they played a game, every single member was mentioned in turn, to the point where even the MC was nodding along in recognition.
On top of that, the members themselves had distinct characters and anecdotes, allowing the conversation to flow naturally around them.
Only then did the fixed cast member sharply sense it.
‘These guys... the stage has been set for them incredibly well.’
He got the distinct feeling that they wouldn't be a one-hit wonder that just got lucky with one song.
This was the first group since T-Holic where every member had individual brand recognition. And on top of that, they had a massive hit song.
This group, which had emerged exquisitely during T-Holic’s few months of hiatus, gave off a certain scent.
The scent of massive success.
‘Hmph.’
Looking at them that way, the guys appearing today seemed even more impressive.
First of all, they didn't hold back and worked hard; they had plenty of guts and great variety sense.
‘And they seem to get along well.’
Whenever there was a break, the younger one would keep talking and laughing, and the older one would respond naturally. There was no hint of looking down on each other or doing it just for show.
‘They aren't full of themselves.’
While inwardly nodding and wondering how to build a rapport with them, the veteran felt a similar gaze from somewhere else.
Glancing over... he saw Seon A-hyun.
He was quietly watching the rookies.
“...?”
Huh?
It seemed like Seon A-hyun, just like him, was looking their way every time there was a break...?
The gaze vanished quickly, but the entertainer’s intuition kicked in.
‘What’s this?’
Could it be that he wanted to get closer to them?
Normally, rookies would jump at the chance to talk to someone that famous, but the two rookies were being extremely cautious and didn't approach Seon A-hyun first.
The cast member had a hunch as to why.
He had heard the rumors about Seon A-hyun, after all.
‘Man, they really have no tact.’
I guess they’re going to owe me one.
Clicking his tongue with a sense of satisfaction, he seized the moment during a data card change to quickly approach the rookies.
Specifically, when the one who was at least a year older was left alone.
“Oh... how is it? Is filming going okay?”
“We’re working hard thanks to your consideration. Thank you.”
He set the mood by making small talk with the polite young man.
Then, he casually brought up Seon A-hyun...
And went straight for the heart of the matter!
“That guy over there is a bit cold, isn't he?”
“...?”
The rookie, Ryu Gun-woo’s eyes widened slightly before returning to normal.
The veteran inwardly chuckled, thinking the way he tried to react politely while acting puzzled was quite fresh and rookie-like.
“People who do art tend to be like that. I guess it’s even worse because he’s so handsome. It’s a different vibe from entertainers like us.”
It was true.
In the broadcasting industry, Seon A-hyun was known through word of mouth for "drawing a line."
He was polite, but that was it. Some even said he acted as if he lived in a different world.
‘There are even guys who sneer, saying he’s acting like he’s dedicated his whole life to the noble art of ballet.’
It was an attitude that young kids could easily find cold or offensive. The cast member understood that much.
Of course, the person listening to this was thinking:
‘What the hell is this guy talking about?’
Ryu Gun-woo barely managed to respond.
“...Um. He seemed kind, though.”
“Sure. But you get the feeling that he doesn't want to be any friendlier than that... right?”
“.......”
“But actually, I think he wants to be friends with you guys. He kept looking over at... uh, Wishes.”
“Ah...”
Ryu Gun-woo trailed off for a moment. The entertainer intended to continue his advice with a knowing smile, but...
“Hello.”
“Oh, hey.”
The member who was a year younger, Shin Jae-hyun, returned and spoke to the entertainer.
“No, I just came over to ask if there was anything uncomfortable about the filming.”
“As expected. I heard that you always take care of rookies at every year-end awards ceremony, sunbae-nim...”
“Ah, hmph, you knew about that?”
“Of course. It’s a very famous story.”
There was no entertainer on this set whose details Shin Jae-hyun hadn't mastered.
While he handled the entertainer—who was instantly pulled into Jae-hyun’s pace—and sent him away, Ryu Gun-woo thought:
‘Seon A-hyun, the guy who cuts people off based on their status...?’
There couldn't be a more bizarre proposition.
‘What on earth happened?’
Ryu Gun-woo almost turned to look at Seon A-hyun for a moment but stopped himself.
There was no need to do that.
“Do you want to use it?”
At Shin Jae-hyun’s question after sending the entertainer away, Ryu Gun-woo let out a breath.
“No.”
There was no time for useless sentimentality, and his target was right in front of him.
‘Just keep moving forward.’
So, he continued filming without wavering.
What followed the break was a blatant segment to promote the special guest.
A corner where they learned simple ballet moves.
Of course, the existing guests were also given a chance to promote themselves at the end of the segment.
“We’ve tried ballet, so should we try a challenge with an idol dance too?”
“Ooh~!”
Following the script, Shin Jae-hyun and Ryu Gun-woo stepped forward.
“You just have to dance like this. Moving your shoulders like this.”
“Oho!”
As Shin Jae-hyun demonstrated the choreography, which had been intentionally made kitschy with hand movements, the cast members joined in for some physical comedy.
And then, they casually threw a suggestion.
“Ah~ maybe A-hyun too?”
Suggesting the special guest join in.
However, what surprised the cast members was that Seon A-hyun, whom they expected to hesitate, stepped out immediately.
As if he had been waiting.
“Like this...?”
“Yes.”
And he pulled it off instinctively.
“...!”
It wasn't just that he could move his body similarly; it had that specific feel of someone who had undergone repetitive training.
Shin Jae-hyun narrowed his eyes.
‘Is it still there?’
Of course, that look passed in an instant, and the cast members were full of admiration.
“You’re good~! You really could have been an idol!”
“Right? What do you two think?”
‘Did you expect me to say he couldn't?’
Ryu Gun-woo thought it was a redundant question, but he nodded and went along with the flow.
“I think so too.”
“I knew it! A-hyun, have you ever thought about officially challenging yourself with idol dancing?”
Seon A-hyun seemed to hesitate for a moment, but the look vanished instantly.
“I’m very grateful for the compliment... but I am a ballerino, after all.”
“Ah~ so firm.”
“That’s what you call artisan spirit!”
Seon A-hyun simply nodded with a smile. So, Ryu Gun-woo asked reflexively.
“You must really love ballet. Are you always focused only on that?”
“.......”
Seon A-hyun lowered his gaze slightly and spoke calmly.
“Because it’s my everything. I’ve never thought about anything else.”
“.......”
Park Moon-dae accepted that answer.
‘I guess those weird rumors started because of that single-minded way of talking.’
Watching this, the entertainer shrugged, thinking his advice had worked.
‘This is how you build connections. Phew.’
And then, the filming moved into the final, main segment.
*
I suppressed a sigh.
‘It’s almost over.’
By now, I could do these kinds of variety shows with my eyes closed and still make it look like I was putting in effort. Besides, the final main segment was even easier.
—It’s time for... the Treasure Hunt!
You know the drill—hiding mines and treasures in an abandoned building, and if you find the treasures but end up with more than a certain number of mines, you lose.
It felt like every program I went on did this.
‘I’ve done this so much I could do it without a brain.’
Of course, I couldn't actually do that.
I shook the three or four gift boxes I held in my hands in front of the camera.
“Excuse me, are these all really treasures? Statistically, I feel like they might all be mines...”
“We don’t know either~~!”
“...Right.”
Yeah, I know they’re treasures. I calculated all your movement paths.
Having established an alibi by intentionally asking the cameraman, I moved on to my next action, pretending to be anxious.
It would be funny if I traded them away, got "blown up," and then acted frustrated later when I found out they were all treasures.
‘Should I find the MC?’
I was heading down the stairs to find someone who would react well to a trade scene.
“...Gun-woo?”
“...!”
I saw someone coming up the stairs.
It was Seon A-hyun, who had been running around.
He was holding a single dark brown box in his hand.
‘...Hmm.’
...It wouldn't be bad to let him win. He’s the special guest... he’s older, and he’s someone who brings prestige to the country.
I ran over and held out the gift boxes I had.
“You’re just in time. Hyung, do you want to trade these? I feel like the one you found has good energy...”
“Pardon?”
[Ding-dong!]
[10 minutes left until the end! 10 minutes remaining~!]
The timing for building the atmosphere was perfect.
I shook the gifts as if I were in a hurry.
“Um... how about a 2-for-1 trade? I’ll give you two.”
“.......”
“If you just give me that one...”
Seon A-hyun suddenly went silent.
‘What?’
Doesn't he realize we’re filming?
Just as I was looking at him, puzzled by the dropping tension...
He opened his mouth again.
“To, to me...”
“...?”
“You gave it to me.”
He gripped his box so hard it started to crumple, and he whispered softly.
“The golden ball.”
“...!”
“Right before the bell rang... I received it.”
What?
The guy who had been speaking as if he were in a trance fell silent. But then, he suddenly snapped his head up.
“...Ah, I’m sorry! Something just came to mind... I said that without thinking.”
“.......”
“If you need to trade, I’m grateful that you’re offering so many... but let’s just do a one-for-one trade.”
[Hyung. Just now...?!]
I noticed even without being called.
The "golden ball" Seon A-hyun just mentioned.
‘That’s what I gave him during Idol Inc.’
The treasure hunt segment where we had to find balls containing keywords for a personal broadcast.
Just like now... a random draw where you couldn't know the contents.
The time I traded my ball for his bronze ball, which contained "frozen food."
And obviously, the ballerino Seon A-hyun here shouldn't have any such memory.
[But he just said it!]
Yeah.
So, what exactly is going on here?