Chapter 193: Variety Shows Are Easy (2)
Chapter 193: Variety Shows Are Easy (2)
"So the shoot is in Hakone?"
Seo-yeon looked to be in high spirits.
Her first time in Japan.
Her first time overseas!
It was obvious she was more excited than ever.
Uh, Seo-yeon. You’ve already been abroad.
Of course, Manager Park Eun-ha didn't want to rain on her parade.
But had she forgotten Desert Island Survival?
Or did she just not count Papua New Guinea as "overseas"?
Then again, perhaps it was her first time in terms of it being a "trip." This was effectively the first time she was going somewhere not just to film, but to have some fun as well.
"It looks like we're staying a night at a place provided by the production team," Narumi Sora muttered while checking the schedule.
Manager Park replied with a slightly subtle expression.
Seo-yeon didn't seem to notice, but Sora caught it immediately. After all, when you've spent enough time scraping by at the bottom, your ability to read the room becomes top-tier.
Something’s up!
Sora knew Japanese variety shows very well!
She was Japanese, after all!
In the past, Korea often used the more extreme Japanese variety plots, but recently, they tended not to follow them as much. Japan, however, had preserved those old variety show tropes almost exactly as they were.
They were a bit extreme.
Actually, maybe more than "a bit."
It doesn't look like a late-night show, so it probably won't be that wild.
If it were a late-night show, things could get quite intense and the content rating would be high. They’d even have to worry about filming in the hot springs. But seeing the manager's reaction, it didn't seem to be that extreme.
Just as Sora suspected, Manager Park Eun-ha knew there was a shoot planned at the designated ryokan.
"Pardon? A hidden camera prank?"
「Yes! What do you think?」
Park Eun-ha hesitated for a moment at the enthusiastic voice coming through the phone.
In truth, hidden camera pranks in Japanese variety shows were quite large in scale, and many Korean celebrities had fallen victim to them. Not just actors like Seo-yeon, but even world-famous idols had gone through these programs. The advantage was that it required no special preparation.
"So it's like a teaser to be shown before the main broadcast?"
「We'll likely give it a special time slot and air it then.」
At PD Nanjo Katsuo’s words, Manager Park agreed. Since it was Seo-yeon's first overseas shoot, she didn't want to be difficult by refusing too many things.
The only thing weighing on her mind was that she couldn't tell Seo-yeon because it was a hidden camera prank.
Judging by how she played those horror games...
To be honest, she was worried. Not about Seo-yeon, but about other... complicated factors.
"Ah, but I have one request..."
Since you never knew what might happen, Park Eun-ha gave Nanjo Katsuo a stern warning.
After hearing her out, PD Nanjo Katsuo’s expression turned a bit strange.
"Whoa! Did she turn us down?"
When a colleague saw Nanjo’s face and asked, Nanjo shook his head.
Of course not. In fact, she had given permission quite readily.
However...
"Uh, she told me to be careful about using people as much as possible."
"People?"
"Yes. She didn't give me details, but she said to use props or mechanical devices instead..."
It was a strange thing to say. It was a horror prank; not using people was practically impossible.
"She said if we have to use people, we should keep a certain distance."
There was a reason Park Eun-ha had spoken so ambiguously. If she said Seo-yeon’s hands might fly out instinctively, it might give people a violent impression or create a prejudice against her. So, she had no choice but to beat around the bush.
"Ah, maybe it's for image management."
"Ah~ right. Didn't she say she's never felt fear before?"
Oh, is that her concept? Nanjo thought.
There were stars as numerous as the stars in the sky who took on strange, "4D" eccentric concepts. In reality, Seo-yeon had asserted to Nanjo that she had "never felt fear in real life."
Nanjo hadn't thought much of it at first, but hearing it from the manager made it feel like nothing but a concept.
"Hmm, but..."
"That just makes me want to do it more~."
"Right?"
Regardless, at a certain hot spring ryokan in Hakone where Seo-yeon was headed, various preparations began in earnest—all with the single-minded goal of properly terrifying the actress from Korea.
*
"..."
Seo-yeon looked around her surroundings in silence. She had been like this since getting into the van at the airport.
In any case, Seo-yeon was really, incredibly looking forward to this trip to Japan.
"Um, this is your first Japanese variety show. Aren't you nervous?"
Sora asked tentatively, seeing Seo-yeon like that. Sora was actually feeling quite pressured by the situation, being alone with Seo-yeon. Honestly, she had thought there would be other celebrities. She hadn't realized it would be just the two of them, excluding the manager.
Of course, Seo-yeon didn't mind at all.
We're going to film 'Meia' together soon anyway, so I should take this chance to get close.
Besides, Narumi Sora was simply the person nearby who spoke the best Japanese. Jo Seo-hee was also good, but unfortunately, she had work and couldn't make it. So, Seo-yeon intended to become friends with Narumi Sora during this trip.
At this rate, maybe I really can make a hundred friends?
She even had thoughts like that. Lately, Seo-yeon’s confidence was soaring.
Am I not a total social butterfly?
She was on the verge of fully adapting to society—something she hadn't managed in her past life. Seo-yeon’s confidence was at an all-time high.
"It's fine. All the variety shows I've done so far have had great reactions."
Sora grew even more anxious at Seo-yeon’s confidence-filled words.
"Have you ever watched Japanese variety shows?"
"Huh? Um, not really..."
She had watched plenty of Japanese anime. But she didn't think she had ever watched a Japanese movie or drama. So, naturally, she had never seen a variety show.
I wonder if she can even speak Japanese?
Sora was seriously curious. From the looks of it, Seo-yeon was very excited about the trip, but it was hard to guess why. She didn't seem to watch Japanese media, and she didn't seem to know any celebrities.
Should I ask? If she can speak Japanese?
No, if she were good at it, she wouldn't have brought Sora along in the first place. Still, just in case...
"...By the way, do you know how to address other people in Japan?"
Sora started with a basic question. Words for "this" or "that," or things to say when buying items. Seo-yeon answered most of them reasonably well. Though her tone was strangely like a gyaru high schooler.
"Kisama."
"No, no! You absolutely must not say that!"
"Really?"
Everyone in anime says it like that, though.
Seo-yeon nodded for now. After finishing her conversation with Sora, she looked out the window of the moving car, taking in the Japanese scenery.
It feels just like what I saw in anime.
With that thought, they arrived at the hot spring inn in Hakone where today's filming would take place. Because of the distance and the fact that it was winter, the sun had set early, and the sky was already pitch black.
"Welcome."
Upon arriving at the inn, an old woman greeted Seo-yeon and her party. She was expressionless, with a strangely haggard complexion. Sora felt goosebumps break out at the woman's eerie appearance.
This... this is definitely it!
Wasn't this a hidden camera prank? They said they were filming at this ryokan today, so it was practically a given. More than anything, for a place where they were supposed to be filming, not a single Japanese staff member was in sight. This was almost certain.
But should she say something? Sora looked at Seo-yeon with that thought in mind.
"Are we staying here tonight?"
"That is correct. I will show you inside."
"Okay."
Seo-yeon just replied politely. She didn't react at all to the old woman's eerie appearance. If anything, her manager Park Eun-ha and Narumi Sora had much stronger reactions.
"...Doesn't she look strangely scary?"
"You shouldn't say that. Think of how hard it must be to live with a face like that."
Wait, isn't that even meaner? Narumi Sora thought, but Seo-yeon’s face was perfectly calm. However, after saying that, she seemed to realize something.
"Come to think of it, she speaks Korean well too. I guess Korean tourists come here often."
Seo-yeon looked up at the inn from the entrance. It was a three-story building. It was quite large and built of wood, giving it a strangely old and creepy feeling. Or rather, it felt like it was supposed to give that feeling. The old lady was a bit peculiar, but that didn't matter.
Hmm.
Now that she thought about it, it did feel a bit spooky.
Did they pick this place on purpose?
She hadn't thought much of the old lady. Just that her complexion looked a bit poor. But since everyone around her was reacting like that, Seo-yeon found herself easily influenced. Seo-yeon’s ability to project emotions also made her susceptible to receiving them.
No, but it's different if it's reality.
In a game, she couldn't do anything but scream, but reality was different! With that confidence, Seo-yeon stepped inside the inn.
*
"Here is your meal."
Unlike the weathered exterior, the interior was quite nice. The food was also excellent. Was it called kaiseki? Seo-yeon was highly satisfied with the food that came out like a course meal.
"There are a few things I must ask you to be careful of."
As they were enjoying the delicious food, the innkeeper spoke.
"Please do not be alarmed if there is a sudden power outage after ten o'clock tonight."
"Also, even if you hear some noise from the room at the end of the hallway, you must not go out into the hall."
"If you wish to use the hot spring, please do so in the morning. Please refrain from using it after ten o'clock tonight."
"If you do happen to go out into the hallway, please go immediately to the room at the very opposite end."
Nom, nom, nom. Seo-yeon tilted her head while eating. She didn't quite understand what the innkeeper was saying as she spoke without pause. The woman knew Korean, but she wasn't fluent, which made things a bit confusing. However, her slurred speech was strangely eerie, leaving Park Eun-ha and Sora looking pale.
I guess an old inn has a lot of problems.
Seo-yeon just thought that. Since she didn't play many horror games or enjoy horror movies, she didn't pick up on the thick scent of dread in those words.
But then when do we film? Tomorrow?
She was more curious about that. But since there were no staff around, she just figured that was how it was.
"We should be careful about moving around at night. It looks like we're the only ones in this inn."
Terrified by the innkeeper's words, Sora spoke to Seo-yeon.
"Huh? There are plenty of people in the inn besides us."
Seo-yeon said, glancing around. She could sense quite a few presences.
Are they ninjas?
Their locations were quite ambiguous, which was strange. Of course, at Seo-yeon’s reaction...
What? That's even scarier.
What is she seeing? Narumi Sora couldn't help but be terrified.
Anyway, by the time they had finished their meal and finished washing up in the indoor shower...
"Seo-yeon."
Park Eun-ha called her. Seo-yeon, who had been rolling around playing with the game console she brought, looked up at Park Eun-ha’s voice.
"Want to go to the hot spring?"
"The hot spring?"
Seo-yeon tilted her head at Park Eun-ha’s suggestion.
"Didn't she say we shouldn't go earlier?"
"It's not ten o'clock yet."
"That's true. Let's go."
Seo-yeon stood up coolly.
Wait, just like that? Park Eun-ha smiled awkwardly at Seo-yeon’s reaction and sighed inwardly. This was all for the broadcast.
"Sora, you come too."
Park Eun-ha gave her a look. Sora, who was about to put on a face mask, looked miserable at her words.
It’s finally happening.
But she couldn't let it show. Sora nodded and had no choice but to follow quietly.
"But which way is the hot spring?"
"I heard it's in the center of the third floor."
"The hot spring is on the third floor?"
"Maybe because it's an artificial one?"
Is that so? Seo-yeon didn't think too deeply about it. With those thoughts, they stepped out into the hallway, which was at least still brightly lit.
"It's nothing special."
It was just as she said that and they reached the middle of the hallway.
Every single light in the corridor went out.