A Man Who Knows Romance
The first planning meeting for the shoot went much more smoothly than I'd expected. Sure, I nearly blew up when they said it was a perfect match for me midway through, but anyway, it wrapped up without a hitch.
"Alright, that concludes today's meeting. Areum, you did great today—thanks for all your hard work."
Kim Manho stood up with a satisfied smile, and Kim Seokho, the newbie manager, and Yu Minji the PD followed suit.
"Thanks for your hard work!"
"It's been a while since we had such a smooth meeting. Heh."
Really? Meetings with President Kim Manho always felt like this to me. Not that I had any complaints. Oh, right—I should mention meeting that DIY FAMILY crew too...
"President, this is a bit off-topic, but should I tell you if I've gotten friendly with other YouTubers?"
"Personal friendships are pretty much private, so you don't have to mention them. But we'd appreciate knowing, of course."
I see. Even for broadcasters, personal connections feel like private matters, huh? Still, better to say it outright.
I told President Kim Manho about running into that big-time YouTuber family at the Ganghwa campsite. He nodded along at first, but his eyes widened at the "4 million" figure. Even with all the mega-YouTubers popping up these days, 4 million subscribers isn't something you just stumble into.
"A domestic YouTuber with 4 million subs who's not that well-known here... Got it. I'll keep that in mind."
"Yeah. They said they'd get in touch later, but who knows."
I gave him the channel name, and we all left the meeting room together. On the way down to the lobby, Yu PD spoke up.
"Choosing Actor O Seokgyun was a great call. Like I said earlier, he's a really good guy despite his looks."
"Is he? I've only seen him in videos and stuff, so I was a little worried he might be intimidating."
"Not at all. He might even click really well with you, Areum."
...That "clicking well" better not mean what I think it does. I started feeling uneasy seeing Yu PD's meaningful smile.
As we walked down the hallway, I mulled it over. Hmm... But is it really okay? That scary face and camping. It's 100% my choice, my pick, but I couldn't shake the anxiety. Personality aside, you can't fool the eyes... Spending a night in the mountains with a rough-looking middle-aged guy. Perfect tabloid fodder for some third-rate gossip rag, right? Even with the crew tagging along, the worry lingered.
I was lost in those thoughts when I spotted a guy at the cafeteria at the end of the hall, ordering coffee. Broad shoulders, solid build. And that glimpse of his profile...
"...Huh? Isn't that Actor O Seokgyun over there?"
Before my companions could answer, the guy grabbed his coffee, turned around, and spotted Yu Minji PD right next to me. He broke into a bright smile that didn't match his fierce face at all and approached us first.
O Seokgyun. It was him, the actor.
"Oh, Yu PD! Long time no see. How've you been?"
"Actor! What brings you here?"
Yu PD beamed back happily, chatting with him.
"Had a variety show meeting, so I stopped by. Just finished and was grabbing a coffee... What about you, Yu PD?"
"Hehe, I transferred over here. So nice running into you~"
They caught up like old colleagues. I stood there awkwardly, sneaking peeks at O Seokgyun's face.
What the...? He's smiling, but why does it look so threatening? It's not scary exactly... more villainous.
Then President Kim Manho, who was smiling warmly beside me, stepped forward.
"Hello, Actor O Seokgyun. I'm Kim Manho, CEO of Next Creators MCN under Next."
"Ah! Nice to meet you! I'm actor O Seokgyun."
They exchanged business cards so smoothly. But... 'Damn, why does it look like they're swapping bundles of cash?'
Standing next to O Seokgyun, even the usually kind-looking President Kim Manho started seeming like a villain.
"Actor, you got a moment after this?"
"Pardon? Oh, yeah, plenty of time."
"Great. Mind hearing a proposal?"
...What? Just talk like it's no big deal, like always. Why make it sound so shady?
In the end, we headed back to the meeting room. O Seokgyun, dragged along cluelessly, sat down with a puzzled look. President Kim Manho whipped out his laptop like he'd been waiting and pulled up a finished planning doc on the screen.
'...The planning doc's already done?'
Don't they usually make those after you decide to go ahead? Have I been out of the corporate world too long? Isn't it propose first... get the OK... then "We'll send the planning doc"?
"Actor, we're planning new content—a healing web variety show. Interested in joining?"
"Healing web variety? Like those shows where you go somewhere and eat good food?"
"Haha, half right. But our theme is 'camping.'"
"Ca... camping..!"
O Seokgyun's face lit up at the word, but... his expression... kept overlapping with weird scenes. Right now, it looked like a trusted comrade stabbing him in the back. Why?
But unlike his rough features, his eyes sparkled with pure, childlike longing.
"R-Really...? We can do actual camping? Pitch tents, build fires... the real deal?"
His intense gaze made me lean back involuntarily. Whoa, signal first, dude.
"Yes, exactly. A healing camping show with a camping expert."
"And that expert is...?"
Guess it's my turn. I cleared my throat and greeted him.
"Ahem. Hello. I'm Han Areum, running the camping channel 'Camping, Always Steady.'"
"Ah. Y-You're... Sorry. I thought you were a fellow celeb co-starring. Actor O Seokgyun."
It could've come off rude, but his polite apology earned him points. He didn't seem biased about a female camping expert either. Just a mix-up from my looks.
As we shook hands and I went to sit...
O Seokgyun suddenly bowed 90 degrees to me.
"Please take care of me!!!"
The sudden gesture left me and the team stunned, staring at him.
"Ever since I discovered camping, it's been my dream. But whenever I plan a trip, my schedule explodes, and when I finally have time, I lose the nerve and just daydream about it... Thank you for this opportunity. I need to talk to my agency, but I'm 99% in!"
A middle-aged man's raw sincerity and passion rang out. But... 'Damn, why does that gratitude look like a desperate subordinate begging for mercy one last time?'
Moving past the touching confession, his fierce face was still hard to get used to. Guess the movies and dramas weren't exaggerating.
"Any specific camping style or spot you have in mind?"
O Seokgyun pondered seriously before answering.
"I know it'll be tough with filming... but really, somewhere with no one else. No car horns or loud chatter—just the crackle of firewood. That quiet camping."
"Burying bodies or...?"
"Pardon? Did you say something?"
"Ah? N-No, nothing...!"
Damn, my inner thought slipped out. Yu PD was desperately stifling a laugh beside me—she must've heard. And across, President Kim Manho's lip twitched too.
A quiet spot with firewood crackling, huh?
"Quiet, with firewood sounds..."
"It's my ultimate fantasy... Grilling meat by the bonfire, sipping whiskey, strumming an acoustic guitar for a mellow vibe. Like something out of a movie."
"......!"
My eyes lit up. Finally, someone who gets the roots! This guy's got taste!
I got excited without realizing. "Exactly! Real camping is healing quietly in nature—that's the essence! Trendy aesthetic camping is fine, but nothing beats pitching a tent in the mountains, staring at the bonfire, and grilling meat!"
O Seokgyun nodded vigorously. "Right! That's it! That's my dream camping!"
"Add an old pop song on acoustic guitar! Perfect camping right there!"
"Ooh! Just thinking about it gets my heart racing!"
We bonded perfectly over "rooted camping." President Kim Manho and Yu PD watched warmly, while Manager Kim Seokho just looked baffled.
"Looking forward to working with you."
"I'll bug my agency till they say yes."
We shook hands one last time. The meeting ended on a high note.
Back home, I plopped down at my computer right away to plan the camping trip with O Seokgyun.
'A quiet spot with no people... Gangwon mountains sound perfect. Regular campgrounds won't match his romantic vibe...'
Maybe get permission for backcountry forest camping... Or book a remote site on a weekday.
Then it hit me—a certain campground.
'The one where I first met Im Nana... Super secluded.'
Private sites, stream nearby. Perfect.
I was deep in planning when I felt a little wiggle at my feet. Looking down, Maximus was rubbing against my leg, begging for attention.
"Aww, my Maximus. Bored, huh?"
I scooped him up from the chair. His soft fur and warm body felt great.
Petting him, a practical issue dawned on me.
'Wait... What about Maximus for future camping trips?'
Hand him off to Im Nana? But bugging her every time feels bad—she's got her own schedule. Pet hotels? Mostly just cramped cages despite the name. Couldn't relax.
Especially not leaving my baby Maximus alone in a strange place.
Nana it is. Please, Nana-mong! Help me out—I've got camping this weekend too!