Chapter 1
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: I Am the Maknae Writer
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Maknae!"
"Hey! Maknae!"
"Where's the maknae! Maknaaaaae!"
"Someone go call the maknae!"
Maknaaaaaaaa-!
Am I hallucinating?
That voice echoes everywhere, no matter where I am. It's enough to give me neurosis.
Whether I'm resting, using the bathroom, or trying to sleep.
That sound always seems to come from somewhere, and it really wears me down.
I'm 26 years old.
Not exactly a kid, but they still treat me like the maknae.
"Maknaaaaaaaa!"
"Yes! Coming!"
Still, I have to answer the call.
That's my job, after all.
I'm Choi Min-seong.
The Variety Show Maknae Writer.
****
These days, the way programs are produced at broadcasting stations has changed.
They outsource production to external companies, which then deliver the finished programs.
As a result, PDs and writers frequently switch to working at these production companies.
In fact, Star PDs and writers even start their own production companies.
Orem Pictures, where I work, is one of those.
Led by a Star PD and a Star Writer, they create content and earn revenue through broadcasting stations or MeTube.
"I'm dying here. Haah."
Orem Pictures had quite a few pretty women.
In fact, there were three seniors so stunning they could pass for celebrities.
Just looking at them made me feel like joining the company was the right choice.
Friendly female celebrities even dropped by sometimes, giving the place an eye-opening vibe.
I discovered it's true what they say: some faces just make you smile.
I used to enjoy work with those thoughts in mind.
But a month in, that feeling was gone.
The work was too grueling and tough.
Exhausting and draining.
Fatigue piled up, and so did the stress.
On-time departure was a pipe dream, and overtime was the norm.
I'd be lucky to eat properly; mostly it was kimbap or packed lunches.
My eyes feasted, but my body suffered.
No wonder I was wiped out.
Rest?
"Hoo."
This—sitting on the toilet in the bathroom—was my only break.
Sometimes, the empty emergency stairs became my escape.
Creeeak—
"Hey, Min-seong. You in there by any chance?"
A senior writer's voice.
This is the men's room.
Now she's hunting me down at all hours.
"Yes, Senior. I'm here."
"Good. Go PD is looking for you, so hurry over."
"Got it!"
"Carry your phone with you. You'll really get it from the PD otherwise."
"Sorry!"
At least if I shout back, maybe no nagging.
I hastily got up and left the bathroom.
Thud thud thud—
I sprinted full speed to the meeting room where Go PD was.
I flung the door open.
Whoosh—
Dozens of sheets flew at me from above.
"Hey!!!"
A rough roar followed.
Flutter flutter—
The papers that had filled the air rained down before me.
"……."
"Choi Min-seong, you punk! Think my words are a joke? I told you to prepare a hundred sheets!"
I looked at the fallen papers.
Printed photos of celebrities for a character quiz segment.
"And I said new people! You think these are new? They look like recycled trash! Huh?!"
"PD, calm down."
"Hey! If you can talk, make an excuse! Don't just stand there like an idiot! Is your head full of garbage? That's why you picked this crap as 'new'! Huh?!"
"……."
"Hah. Pathetic punk. I doubt my own eyes seeing you work here. Can't do one simple thing, yet you have the nerve to take a paycheck? Go sweep the streets and pick up trash instead!"
The man yelling with veins bulging, his collar wide open.
Go Nan-young PD.
One of the top ten Star PDs in Korea.
He had several hit variety shows under his belt, so stations lined up to give him projects.
But as his name implied, working with him was a trial.
I'd heard junior PDs and writers subtly avoided him.
There might be a positive side to learning properly under him.
'Not for me.'
I doubted I'd learn anything real under that kind of person.
The Go Nan-young I'd dealt with for a month wasn't a good guy at all.
Case in point right now.
Spouting trash talk like it was nothing.
In a meeting room, with everyone watching and listening.
"Sorry. I'll prepare them again right away."
But as the maknae writer and a contract employee, I had no power to fight back.
Falling out with a Star PD could make things rough in this industry.
"Kang Writer! Why work with a guy like that? Why?!"
"He's the maknae. It happens."
The reason I endured working with a guy like Go Nan-young PD was that all the senior writers were good people.
A woman casually brushing back her orange long hair.
Kang Seo-yoon Writer.
'As expected…….'
Our team's Queen Writer, a Star Writer who rivaled Go Nan-young PD.
And she was protecting me.
She wasn't usually the caring type.
But she was a good senior who defended fellow writer juniors from PD scoldings.
Plus, she was one of the three pretty women I'd acknowledged here.
Even as I bent to pick up papers, her legs peeking from under her skirt gleamed.
More precisely, the smooth line from her toned thighs was stunning.
Even sitting, her explosive sexiness was overwhelming.
Am I crazy?
Staring at her lower half while getting chewed out.
But I couldn't help it.
She was that gorgeous.
Slightly small eyes with a sharp vibe, but perfect features made her a beauty by any standard.
From what I knew, male celebrities hit on Kang Writer too.
When I was recommended here and came for the interview.
She was the one who made me determined to get hired.
She shattered the stereotype that female writers were plain.
"Treating him like a maknae all the time makes him act up! Scold him properly when he messes up! If you don't train punks like him right, they'll become total nuisances later. You know that!"
His words were harsh.
"Has any writer under me ever become a nuisance?"
Kang Seo-yoon Writer crossed her legs and shot back at Go Nan-young PD.
'Cool.'
Her confidence exuded a charisma that drew people in.
"Well, no, but……."
"I'll raise my junior just fine. So please don't interfere."
"Hah…… Fine, whatever."
What an odd sight.
Even that viper-like Go Nan-young PD couldn't talk back to Kang Seo-yoon Writer.
I knew exactly why.
"Hey! What are you doing! You said you'd prepare it right away! Get out! Did I cut your ankles? Want me to make you crawl?!"
"Min-seong, hurry and redo it."
"Yes!"
I quickly gathered the papers and left the meeting room.
To Go Nan-young PD, Kang Seo-yoon Writer was an inseparable partner.
He knew he shone because of her.
The two were engaged.
About to get married.
I still couldn't fathom why someone as captivating as Kang Seo-yoon got tangled with a mad dog like Go Nan-young.
****
"Min-seong. You okay?"
"Yeah, Senior. I'm fine."
The saying that pretty women have good personalities too is the ultimate truth.
The woman who followed me out of the meeting room, fleeing like I was.
Han Yu-ra Writer.
My college senior and direct senior here.
"Go PD goes too far. He could at least say it nicely."
Her water-colored blonde hair suited her perfectly.
Her slightly parted bangs revealing her forehead matched her soft vibe, giving a gentle feel.
Like a free pass to a meeting-the-parents vibe.
Her refined, neat look was plenty to stir men's hearts.
"Don't worry about me."
"I feel bad, that's why. I only asked for fifty sheets."
"He must've been in a bad mood. What can you do."
"Sorry. Didn't mean for you to get yelled at because of me."
"Really, I'm fine, Senior."
"Move aside. Let me help."
My eyes shifted involuntarily.
Her back view as she helped sort papers was just too perfect.
'…….'
Even after that near-insulting tirade, gazing at Han Yu-ra's figure eased my anger.
If Kang Seo-yoon's thighs and legs were art,
Han Yu-ra's hips were exceptional.
Just a white blouse and jeans, yet she radiated sexiness thanks to those hips.
"For new people, how about trending chefs or sports stars?"
"That works, but popular anime characters would be good too."
"Good idea. Let's add those."
Having a pretty woman nearby really boosts efficiency.
Body exhausted, but eyes feasting.
No wonder my whole body aches after work.
Feels like working on stimulants.
'Nice scent too.'
Just standing next to Han Yu-ra made my heart race.
She'd been called a goddess since college.
Pure, elegant, and kinder than anyone—super popular.
Not just guys; girls fell for her charm too.
I always thought she was pretty, so working together now felt pretty happy.
But no ulterior motives.
She's someone else's woman, after all.
'Jealous. So jealous.'
A total one-track fanboy like me could never aim for her.
The world is cruel.
Why are all the pretty, charming women taken?