The Unexpected Tension of an Unfamiliar Stage
And there was one more thing Yoon Min-seok had given him.
While washing his hands and staring into the mirror, Deok-su’s heart suddenly began to pound.
……Am I really going on a variety show? With Yoon Min-seok, of all people?
It felt as if something were pressing hard against his chest.
This was the first time he had properly experienced tension since becoming Kim Deok-su.
Since his makeup was already done, Deok-su couldn’t even wash his face and had to return to the waiting room.
“Oppa, what’s wrong?”
Lee Hui-yeong asked, her face full of concern at his changed complexion.
Deok-su told her he was fine, but his face was far too pale for the words to be convincing.
Lee Hui-yeong handed him the calming pills she had prepared in advance.
“To think I actually have to take something like this……”
“When you can’t act, you drink and still perform. This is nothing compared to that.”
Lee Hui-yeong worked hard to calm him down.
She had always been diligent, yet she also felt a pang of guilt toward Deok-su.
Originally, a team leader or director-level manager should have been assigned to give him proper care……
After all, she was still just a rookie road manager who hadn’t even graduated from driving duties.
Deok-su, who had been taking deep breaths, smiled faintly as he looked at her.
“……Thank you. I feel a little better now.”
“You barely seemed nervous at the drama filming site. That’s why I thought you had a heart of steel……”
“So are you disappointed?”
Lee Hui-yeong waved her hands in surprise.
“N-no, of course not!”
“I’m joking. Just joking. Whew. There are so many cameras that I got nervous. I can’t even imagine how I’ll look on screen.”
“I heard that variety shows have so many cameras you don’t need to worry about angles. Oppa looks good from any angle anyway. Doesn’t he……? There isn’t really a better angle……”
Lee Hui-yeong looked ready to dash off to the filming crew at any second.
Deok-su stopped her, and in doing so managed to shed some of his tension.
Before long the hair team director arrived and began working on Deok-su’s hair.
Using the ever-popular two-block style and enhancing his natural slight curls, the director created a natural yet dandy look.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
While Deok-su gazed at the mirror with satisfaction, Lee Hui-yeong tilted her head.
“……As expected. I really need to secure a dedicated hair director soon. The constant changes mean they can’t fully bring out Oppa’s charm.”
“That won’t be easy. The top directors are selective about which celebrities they take. Using Signature’s name for this doesn’t feel right.”
“I agree. Still, I’ll try to make some calls. Leave this part to me.”
When Deok-su nodded, a knock sounded at the door.
It was the assistant director coming to fetch him.
“Senior, recording is about to begin.”
Following the assistant director, Deok-su headed for the studio.
The studio felt similar to a set.
What was different were the numerous cameras filming the studio itself, along with the gathered writers and production staff.
“Is he coming in now? Oh. There he is.”
Yoon Min-seok delivered his line, and the real filming began.
True to his reputation as the god of MCs, he quickly pulled broadcast-worthy comments from the supporting MCs and immediately turned his attention to the guests.
“……All right, let’s welcome them! Morning drama special! Mom idols and the one and only male guest!”
Led by Cha Ji-yeon, Deok-su and the other guests walked to the center of the studio.
Yoon Min-seok guided the supporting MCs and helped ease the nervous guests.
“Today we have four people responsible for morning entertainment. Starting from the left, please greet us, ma’am.”
“Hello. I’m actress Cha Ji-yeon.”
“I’m actor Im Jeong-hae.”
After Cha Ji-yeon, Im Jeong-hae, and Yoo Seon-hwa, it was finally Deok-su’s turn.
The national MC had laid down a comfortable path, yet it didn’t feel comfortable at all to Deok-su.
“Um…… Where should I look?”
With so many cameras pointed at him, everything he had prepared in his head vanished in an instant.
All the imagined scenarios were useless.
As the guests sent him subtle side-eyes, Yoon Min-seok gently guided him in a soft tone.
“L’Vyu seems quite nervous since this is his first appearance.”
“……Yes. It’s my first time seeing this many cameras……”
“There’s no need to overthink it. Just laugh and talk. The staff will take care of shaping it into a show. Right, Director?”
Laughter briefly erupted on set.
A few cameras captured the production team, who looked flustered but gave okay signs.
“We’ll hear more about nervous L’Vyu later. First, let’s meet our queen of the morning, Cha Ji-yeon. Hello.”
“Hello. Is this my third time?”
While Yoon Min-seok conversed with Cha Ji-yeon, Deok-su struggled to pull his scattered mind back together.
Everyone had said studio filming was easy, but to Deok-su it was the complete opposite.
Fortunately or unfortunately, Yoon Min-seok and the other MCs barely asked him any questions and focused the talk around the remaining three guests.
The guests chattered away as if they had motors in their mouths, and Yoon Min-seok skillfully received their stories while considering broadcast standards and tone.
“……Recently he gained attention as an annoying third-generation chaebol, right? With realistic gapjil that sent viewers’ hearts soaring and crashing, and pathetic acting that also contributed to their satisfaction. L’Vyu!”
“Ooooh!”
Both MCs and guests clapped, cheering him on.
But to Deok-su, whose tension had reached its peak, none of the words registered.
Only the sound of his own heartbeat grew louder.
“Deok-su, are you all right?”
Im Jeong-hae, seated beside him, asked carefully, but Deok-su couldn’t respond.
I…… I don’t know……
It was completely different from drama filming.
The script that only had an outline, cameras whose angles were unknown, a PD whose thoughts couldn’t be read……
His head grew more tangled, and his mouth refused to open.
It wasn’t that he hadn’t prepared, yet the reality he faced was far from easy.
Sensing something was off, Yoon Min-seok signaled the PD.
“We’ll cut for a moment. One, two……”
During the short break, Deok-su, whose mind had gone blank, ran straight back to the waiting room.
Deok-su oppa, do you have variety show phobia? No. For now……
Freezing the moment multiple camera lights turned on was similar to the so-called variety show phobia.
The burden of needing to be funny and create broadcast material was clearly weighing heavily on him.
The Kim Deok-su Lee Hui-yeong knew was not an insider type.
Realizing he was pushing himself for image rehabilitation, she felt a surge of pity.
While she comforted him, a knock sounded.
“Y-Yoon Min-seok sunbae?”
“Manager, may I borrow Deok-su for a moment? Shall we step outside?”
Deok-su followed Yoon Min-seok as if drawn by an invisible force.
They arrived at a small rooftop park.
Yoon Min-seok stretched and said, “If you want to smoke, go ahead.”
“I’m fine. I don’t smoke.”
“Really? Neither do I. You’re taking good care of yourself.”
Yoon Min-seok sat down beside him.
“You’re really nervous, huh?”
“I’m sorry. This time I was supposed to do it properly……”
“Has it been eight months since you woke up?”
At the sudden question Deok-su’s eyes widened.
Yoon Min-seok knew almost exactly.
He placed a hand on Deok-su’s shoulder.
“You worked hard to improve your image, didn’t you?”
“That’s…… yes.”
“They say the harder you try to force variety, the more it breaks. Of course you have to work hard, but…… How should I explain this……”
“You mean…… to be comfortable?”
“Something like that. Everyone’s a little different, but…… Just take it as reference.”
The words of the national MC rang powerfully in Deok-su’s head.
They aligned perfectly with what Kim Hyeok-jung had repeatedly emphasized during practice.
“I heard the preliminary interview lasted four or five hours. Do it comfortably, like you did then.”
Yoon Min-seok told him to come down once he had organized his thoughts and left first.
Deok-su stared blankly at the sky.
Comfortably.
After Deok-su returned, recording resumed.
Yoon Min-seok, now using his broadcast tone, continued hosting smoothly.
“……There was a video that recently became a hot topic. It’s called the doenjang clip.”
The MC Ju Hae-jin beside Yoon Min-seok pulled out a paper panel.
On it was a captured moment of an irritated Im Jeong-hae smearing doenjang across Deok-su’s face.
“Pfft……”
“Hehe……”
Though the cast had watched the clip dozens of times, they couldn’t contain their laughter.
Not a single frame was missed, even the part where the doenjang dripped from Deok-su’s face to the floor.
Naturally, all eyes turned to Deok-su.
“L’Vyu, your friend visited the filming set that day, right?”
“Ah, you mean Gang-hyeok?”
Everyone knew that the Gang-hyeok Deok-su mentioned was Signature’s Ryu Gang-hyeok.
Supporting MC Ju Hae-jin asked in a slightly exaggerated voice.
“This might be rude, but I heard your relationship with the Signature members isn’t good……”
“It is rude.”
“Ah, I’m sorry.”
Yoon Min-seok tried to jokingly cut off the question, but Deok-su answered without hesitation.
“The members and fans had every right to hate me. I caused trouble every time Signature was about to rise. I respect the members who still reached the top despite that, and I’m sorry. I also take this chance to apologize to the fans.”
“So you’re repaying them through good works.”
Yoon Min-seok shot Ju Hae-jin a warning look at the dangerous remark.
But Deok-su calmly continued as if it were a good thing.
“It’s good for me when the works succeed. If I want to ask for forgiveness, I believe it should be done differently. I don’t know the exact method yet, but I will definitely offer a sincere apology to the fans.”
“If you have any methods in mind, what kind……”
“That’s rude.”
Ju Hae-jin tried to press further, but Yoon Min-seok blocked it at the root.
He already had a clear picture of what would and wouldn’t make it to air.
Perhaps because Deok-su’s mouth had finally loosened.
That day the recording continued for quite a long time.
With his tongue untied, Deok-su poured out episode after episode as if possessed, and actively joined the three actresses’ chatter, enriching the entire studio.
Toward the end, when Cha Ji-yeon complained that it was running long, the PD tried to soothe her, but……
“……Thank you, sunbae.”
“Good work, L’Vyu.”
“Thanks to you, sunbae, I finished safely. But……”
When Yoon Min-seok tilted his head, Deok-su spoke carefully.
“May I ask why you showed me such kindness? As far as I remember, this seems like our first meeting……”
“Because of my wife.”
Yoon Min-seok shrugged.
“She’s been quite depressed while raising our child lately. But she’s gotten much better recently. When I asked why, she said watching the drama with you relieved her stress…… Especially, she found the scenes where you get beaten by Teacher Im really funny.”
“Ah……”
“Well, see you next time.”
Yu Ji-hyun’s heart was complicated.
It was a moment when he once again realized the immense power of drama’s influence.
The entertainers that entertainment reporters loved most were, without question, L’Vyu.
He caused accidents at the drop of a hat and never cared about others’ opinions, so there was always plenty to write about.
But the recent Kim Deok-su was a little different.
“……Why is this guy acting like this lately? Reporter Jeong, you were tailing him, right? Didn’t you get anything?”
“Nothing. Home, company, home, filming set, home, company…… His movements are strange too.”
Despite the editor’s scolding, Reporter Jeong answered without shrinking.
He had stuck close to Kim Deok-su for an entire month, yet not a single story had emerged.
The man had changed too much…… He couldn’t get used to it.
“Maybe he got a boyfriend? There were rumors that Kim Deok-su is gay……”
“Come on, what gay? He just has no interest in women.”
“……This is driving me crazy. What about the female manager who’s always with him? Does she look like she could generate some gossip?”
“If it’s just for a story……”
The editor pondered but eventually shook his head.
Writing a speculative piece based on rumors would only bring backlash like last time.
During the previous L’Vyu real-estate incident, the JMT female president had made a huge fuss with lawsuits, nearly shaking the company to its foundations.
“……To think we’re running such a trivial article on the great Kim Deok-su.”
Reporter Jeong captured a photo from SNS, added a few lines, and turned it into an article.
Since he had taken money from JMT’s deputy team leader, he had no choice but to deliver.
“……Sigh. Trying to turn Kim Deok-su’s activities into variety content is just boring.”
Reporter Yang, watching Do Together beside him, grumbled as well.
As the broadcast ended, the articles were completed.
The articles quickly began shaping public opinion.
The reactions were clearly different from before.
If positive and negative comments had once been evenly matched, the hate comments had now noticeably decreased.
The power of public broadcasting was indeed immense.
“……You didn’t have variety show phobia or anything?”
“I almost did……”
It had been a dizzying moment.
It was also the moment Lee Hui-yeong felt both her limits and a sense of helplessness.
The helplessness of being unable to do anything while her artist struggled was as unpleasant as the time she had been rejected by her first love.
Team Leader Ha Yeong-hyeon, upon hearing what happened at the broadcasting station, let out a small groan.
“……Yoon Min-seok is a capable man. Following him well is also a skill. The reactions here look good too.”
While analyzing public opinion with Deputy Team Leader Ha Yeong-hyeon, Lee Hui-yeong tried to absorb every detail.
“……The reactions have definitely improved. Still, it’s absolutely not time to relax yet. Don’t get swayed by every little thing.”
“Yes, Deputy Team Leader. The public’s whims are worse than reeds, right?”
“Correct. You’ve learned well. Let’s head down now.”
“Yes!”
The two women laughed as they left the office.
As usual, while drinking a beverage in the lounge, Deputy Team Leader Ha Yeong-hyeon unconsciously stroked her swollen belly.
“The baby must have grown a lot.”
“Ah, yes. I’m in my seventh month now……”
“You’re taking maternity leave, right?”
Deputy Team Leader Ha Yeong-hyeon smiled bitterly.
It was called maternity leave, but whether she could return was uncertain.
Industry trends changed rapidly, and JMT’s welfare for working mothers was far from generous. The same was true for other companies.
“……Can’t be helped. Hui-yeong, don’t get married. If you want to keep working hard.”
Lee Hui-yeong couldn’t say a word.
No matter what anyone said, Deputy Team Leader Ha Yeong-hyeon was the ace of Signature’s management team.
To think even the ace of such a large company carried these worries……
Ha Yeong-hyeon smiled again as if nothing had happened.
“Only two weeks left. Ask me as much as you can until then.”
“Yes, thank you.”
Carrying a touch of bitterness, Lee Hui-yeong headed down to the training room where Deok-su was.
In front of Deok-su, who sat on the floor, lay two scripts.
“……Not easy to choose suddenly, is it?”
Deok-su shrugged.
That morning, two scripts had arrived for him.
One was a supporting role in NBS’s morning drama Flower Path Only, and the other was the delinquent youth character in the independent film Let’s Go to Your House.