Chapter 91
Chapter 91
The teaser for Get Close First began by showing a montage of past guests.
After showcasing a star-studded lineup of celebrities, it introduced the new guest who would serve as the climax of that atmosphere.
[This guest is...]
[VTIC!]
Behind the captions, clips of VTIC’s numerous records and activities flashed by. Then, one member was shown in a close-up. It was a famous scene of him giving an acceptance speech at an international awards ceremony.
[VTIC’s Leader]
[Cheong-ryeo]
[Who is the person he wants to get close to?]
Immediately after, a new screen appeared.
[A day in July 202X]
[Cheong-ryeo: Hello. I’m VTIC’s Cheong-ryeo.]
It was footage from a pre-production meeting, showing Cheong-ryeo in casual clothes.
[Q: What is your criteria for choosing someone you want to get close to?]
[Cheong-ryeo: I suppose… a fellow singer? (Laughs)]
[Cheong-ryeo: To be honest, I’ve been so focused on my activities that I’ve rarely had the chance to meet other singers.]
A small caption reading ‘The Sorrow of a Workaholic’ appeared and vanished.
[Q: If you had to pick just one person?]
[Cheong-ryeo: That’s difficult. (Laughs)]
[Cheong-ryeo: Actually, there is someone I’ve been keeping an eye on lately.]
[Cheong-ryeo: I think they’re quite similar to me.]
Cheong-ryeo’s next words were censored with a ‘beep.’
Since his mouth was also blurred, no clues could be gathered from that moment.
However, in the next instant, almost everyone could guess who Cheong-ryeo had pointed out.
This was because a blurry, zoomed-in clip of the ‘Just Me’ stage from Idol Inc. was broadcast.
Since the news had already leaked through articles anyway, they were clearly intent on giving an overt hint.
[Who is the ‘similar fellow singer’ Cheong-ryeo pointed out?]
[Find out on next week’s Get Close First!]
The comment section was already overrun with spoilers.
The top comments generally followed this tone.
If you sorted by the latest or checked social media, you could find different opinions, but regardless, the general public’s expectations were quite high.
Male idols with mainstream popularity were rare, and even among them, these two—who had never appeared on a solo variety show—were appearing on a major network program.
Since it was even one side’s first time on a major network variety show, the fans were absolutely ecstatic.
There were certainly lingering traces of conflict from when their promotion periods with VTIC overlapped, as well as grumbling from individual fans within TeSTAR.
However, they couldn’t change the tide. Even the individual fans of other TeSTAR members wanted someone to break into major network variety shows first.
The toxic solo fans felt the same way.
After these negative opinions circulated beneath the surface, they quietly settled down.
Overall, this was the prevailing sentiment in entertainment communities.
And the subject of all this excitement was currently entering the filming set, filled with nothing but distrust.
‘This bastard is suspicious.’
He suddenly pointed out Park Moon-dae as a variety show guest without any prior consultation?
He even sent me those snarky texts, yet didn’t say a single word about this show. It meant he never had any intention of giving me a heads-up personally.
‘He’s definitely trying to screw with me.’
However, the company would never turn down a casting call for a major network variety show—especially a Friday night show with high ratings—where a specific member was requested.
Thanks to that, I was currently approaching the filming location after greeting the staff.
“…….”
A massive wooden structure appeared before my eyes.
‘This brings back bad memories.’
Of all things, it had to be wood. I suppressed a sigh and knocked on the door.
“Is anyone inside?”
Thump, thump, thump.
As I knocked on the door quite firmly, it soon creaked open slightly.
“It must be cold out there, please come in quickly.”
“…Thank you.”
Because of this shitty setting meant to evoke a midwinter vibe, I was nearly dying of heat exhaustion from wearing a padded jacket in the middle of summer.
‘Since they said the person inviting gets to choose the setting, this bastard must have picked it.’
Is he fine with it because he’s been indoors from the start?
I swallowed the curses rising to my throat and stepped inside the building.
The interior… looked like a typical mountain cabin. It wasn’t quite a pension; it had the distinct feel of a temporary shelter where hikers might stay briefly.
‘…Is it time for my lines?’
I muttered as I set my luggage down in a corner.
“I was surprised by the sudden blizzard, but I’m glad there was a cabin.”
“I see. I also checked the weather and came inside quickly.”
That’s right. The current basic setting was ‘on the verge of being stranded in a snowy mountain cabin.’
The reason for this absurd setting was obvious.
It was the show’s gimmick.
Get Close First was a program that cast a celebrity and let them spend time with another celebrity they chose.
However, since healing content like this was so common, they added a reasonably fresh element.
Extreme situations.
The two people were always placed in a default setting where they were isolated to ensure their physical safety in some kind of extreme scenario.
Of course, they didn’t do it for real; it was a sort of skit. It hovered somewhere between comedy and immersion.
For reference, the scenario that became a massive hit during the pilot was an apartment during a zombie apocalypse.
I heard Young-rin had chosen an actor from Malang Dalkom and appeared together; it looked quite interesting when I checked a few clips.
‘The problem is that I’m the one appearing now.’
And with an idol who sold 1.8 million copies in the first week and whose thoughts I can’t fathom.
‘Let’s just not give him any openings.’
My goal was to treat him like a senior with a nasty temper, finish the shoot safely, and get out.
“It’s rare to go hiking in this weather, so it’s amazing we met like this. Ah, would you like some coffee?”
Cheong-ryeo smiled and lifted a thermos. In his other hand, he held a worn, tacky coffee mug, as if it were something he’d found in the cabin.
“Thank you.”
I took the coffee mug Cheong-ryeo handed me with both hands. Americano was steaming inside.
Boiling hot Americano while wearing long sleeves in this heat…
“…….”
I merely pretended to take a sip and set it down.
Fortunately, the air conditioning was blasting inside, so it was becoming bearable even in winter clothes.
‘It was my turn to make a suggestion here.’
I opened my mouth.
“Since I’ve been treated to coffee, would you like me to prepare dinner if it’s alright? I brought plenty of emergency rations.”
“That sounds great. Hmm… the blizzard is still fierce. It looks like we’ll have to wait a long time, so we should eat well.”
“Yes.”
As I pretended to peek through the window blocked by green partitions, I wondered what on earth I was doing.
‘…What do you mean, what am I doing?’
I’m doing a job I’m getting paid for. Let’s not think useless thoughts.
I approached the bag I’d tossed in the corner and pulled out the emergency rations.
I didn’t pack them myself; the production crew had prepared them in advance…
A certain brand caught my eye.
[Easy Boneless Chicken Feet over Rice]
“…….”
Let’s pull out something else. Chicken feet are… overdoing it now.
“Thanks to you, I ate well.”
“Don’t mention it.”
Dinner time passed with us just doing a light skit about why we ended up hiking.
“I’ll handle the cleanup.”
“…No! We should do this together.”
Are you trying to get me canceled by making a junior sit idle?
As I was cleaning up the leftover plastic and containers, a loud roar echoed from outside.
K-boom!!
They actually put in the sound effects. Honestly, I was startled.
“…!!”
“Was that thunder?”
Cheong-ryeo frowned and went to the cabin door, trying to open it slightly.
But the door wouldn’t budge.
“…It seems that sound earlier was a landslide. It looks like snow has piled up outside.”
“I’ll report it to the police first.”
I picked up an old feature phone. Then, I acted like ‘someone who reported it to the police but was told they couldn’t come today because the snow was too deep.’
“Oh dear. Then let’s try to hold out in this cabin for today.”
“Yes. I’m in your hands.”
“I’m in yours as well.”
With this, the basic setting I was briefed on was over.
From now on, I just had to keep one or two character traits for the skit in mind and develop the situation freely… or so the production crew had explained beforehand.
So, I did some funny acting, like looking for a heater and checking the windows, before sitting back down in the living room.
“The heater isn’t working well. We don’t know what might happen, so we should stay awake tonight.”
It was the production crew’s way of telling us to chat all night for the broadcast footage.
‘…What should I do?’
Based on the program’s structure, it seemed like the timing to start a sincere conversation that one could have ‘because we’re strangers.’
‘Would it be more suitable for the footage if I started by asking for advice as a junior?’
As I was contemplating, I cautiously broke the ice.
“By the way, how did you end up going hiking today?”
“I wanted to clear my head, but today was the only time I had, so it ended up like this. Haha. Um, actually, I’m a singer.”
“Pardon?”
As if feeling shy, Cheong-ryeo cleared his throat and continued.
“I’m in an idol group called VTIC. I’m not sure if you’ve heard of us.”
Look at this deceitful acting.
I gave a reaction like, ‘Of course I’ve heard of you, I’m a fan,’ and then brought up my own story.
“I… also debuted recently.”
“Really? So you’re a junior. What a coincidence.”
“Indeed.”
It was a situational setup that didn’t have a shred of realism.
I thought we were finally moving into a serious conversation, but Cheong-ryeo, who was rubbing his chin, suddenly brought up something unexpected.
“Hmm… since we happen to be in the same profession and we can’t sleep… a certain story comes to mind.”
“Pardon?”
“Would you like to hear it?”
Is there anyone who would say no here?
“Yes. I’m all ears.”
“Haha, it’s not really a story that requires such attention… just some small talk.”
Cheong-ryeo lightly tapped the wooden floor.
“Do you know any idol ghost stories? I heard one recently.”
“……A ghost story? An idol ghost story?”
“Yes.”
…I don’t know if he’s just greedy for variety show segments, but I’ll play along for now.
“What is it about?”
“Well, it goes like this……”
Cheong-ryeo gave a thin smile.
“There was an idol, and one day he opened his eyes to find he had returned to the past.”
“…….”
“The idol was surprised, but he worked hard, thinking that this time he would become a successful idol without any controversies… but what do you know? He kept dying in accidents and returning to the past again!”
“…….”
“So, they say the idol trapped in the past eventually became a ghost. He wanders around recording studios, and when an idol who seems like they’ll be successful is recording, he joins in. Saying, ‘I could have done it too…’”
Cheong-ryeo crossed his arms.
“What do you think?”