Chapter 59: Cable Variety Show (2)
Chapter 59: Cable Variety Show (2)
Choi Gwang-soo, a variety show PD for the online gaming station GMN, momentarily doubted his ears when he received a call that morning.
It was only natural, considering the variety show he was currently in charge of was practically on the verge of cancellation.
It had been a long time since they’d had a guest, and lately, the show had been limping along with just the fixed cast members.
That was supposed to be the situation.
"Excuse me? A guest for our show?"
For a second, he thought he had misheard.
Well, sure. They could have a guest.
But the problem was who that guest was.
Ju Seo-yeon.
The actress who had recently become the talk of the town on the variety show Looking at the Past and Memories.
On top of that, there were rumors that her play in Daehak-ro was sold out every day, and that she had even turned down a contract with RY Entertainment.
She was a "hot potato" in the industry.
Given her current level of buzz, she was a celebrity who had absolutely no reason to appear on a minor cable variety show like this.
"But I don't even know what that actress looks like."
Just then, Hwang Jun-ho, a cast member of Play Until the King who was meeting Choi Gwang-soo privately, spoke up while tearing into a piece of galbi.
PD Choi Gwang-soo let out a hollow laugh at his words.
They were practically best friends after working together on one program for ten years, but he still found Jun-ho’s ignorance baffling.
"Wow. Did you go into mountain seclusion or something? For, like, ten years?"
"Ten years is a bit much."
"I’m telling you, Ju Seo-yeon has been a hot topic since ten years ago. Don't you know Taesumdal?"
"I've heard of it. I just didn't watch it. I was a senior in high school back then, so I couldn't watch dramas."
Right, well, being a high school senior is a valid excuse.
Wait, no.
If he was a senior then, he wouldn't have been able to appear on Play Until the King in the first place.
"I clearly remember you being over twenty back then, Jun-ho. What are you talking about?"
"Aigo, look at that memory of yours."
Still, it was somewhat understandable that he didn't know the actress Ju Seo-yeon.
She might have appeared in some commercials, but the only thing most people remembered her for was Taesumdal.
That was, until her recent appearance on Looking at the Past and Memories caused a massive stir.
Park Jung-woo’s reaction and her dramatic entrance were so impactful that cable channels were still airing reruns of it every day.
Since then, Looking at the Past and Memories had changed its format to ensure they always had at least one guest, and surprisingly, their ratings were reportedly on the rise.
She had literally saved a variety show.
"We could end up like that too."
"Uh... what? Ah, you're right."
Hwang Jun-ho, now sucking the marrow out of a galbi bone, grew curious.
Just who was this person that this man was explaining with such fervor, practically spitting as he spoke?
"Show me a picture. Let me see her face."
"You really weren't joking about not knowing. Here, look."
"Let's see..."
It was a recent photo of Ju Seo-yeon on PD Choi Gwang-soo’s phone screen.
It showed her at Yeonhwa High School, beautifully made up as Princess Yeonhwa.
The moment he saw her, the galbi bone tumbled from Hwang Jun-ho’s mouth.
"A high schooler?"
"Yes."
"Wow. There aren't many actresses I look at and think are pretty just from a photo, but she’s no joke."
"Right?"
"I see why she’s popular."
"Exactly, exactly."
"So why is she coming on our show?"
"I don't know that either."
The two men locked eyes.
Based on her looks alone, she seemed as far removed from gaming as heaven is from earth.
The ultimate "insider."
That was the vibe.
Wasn't that usually the case with the "celebrity aura" that actors possessed?
"Well, I guess we'll find out when we meet her."
"There's no reason to refuse when she’s the one volunteering to come."
"You can't seem to wipe that grin off your face all of a sudden."
"Ahem."
Well, who wouldn't be happy about a beautiful actress visiting?
Regardless, PD Choi Gwang-soo stared intently at Seo-yeon’s photo once more.
I hope she isn't going to make some ridiculous demand.
They didn't have any money.
Still, there was no harm in having a conversation.
With that thought, PD Choi Gwang-soo sent his reply.
*
While that conversation was taking place at Play Until the King...
Seo-yeon was participating in a stage greeting as the play Close Your Eyes came to a successful close.
In theater, people usually avoid the opening night, but many prefer the final performance.
The reason was that the final performance—commonly called the "mak-gong"—usually came with various perks.
There were ad-libs during the play, stage greetings, and the actors would share their closing thoughts.
People who were serious about theater would often watch the final show even if they had already seen the play once before.
"I really hit the jackpot thanks to actress Ju Seo-yeon this time. Wow, this is honestly the first time I've had a sold-out run while doing theater. I'll work hard so I can stand on a stage like this again in the future!"
The actor who had played multiple roles in Close Your Eyes shouted loudly and bowed deeply.
Next to speak was Shim Cheong-seok, who played the role of Bae Seong-hak.
"To be honest, I was worried at first if we could pull it off, but it was truly the best stage."
As he spoke, he briefly glanced at Seo-yeon.
"To the point where I'd love to act with her again next time."
At his words, Seo-yeon made a subtle, slightly grimacing face.
"It might not be on a stage next time, but I look forward to it."
Following Shim Cheong-seok’s surprisingly standard stage greeting, it was finally Seo-yeon’s turn.
The atmosphere had been normal until now, but as soon as Seo-yeon stepped forward, the mood shifted.
Cheers erupted from the audience.
Though she wasn't the lead, the person who had garnered the most attention in this play was undoubtedly Ju Seo-yeon in the role of Hong Jeong-hee.
"...Thank you. I was able to give a good performance because all of you were here."
Seo-yeon said, giving a polite bow.
The audience waited in silence for her to continue.
But Seo-yeon just stood there awkwardly.
She looked like she was wondering, Do I need to say more?
"Ah, Seo-yeon. Didn't you say you have a project lined up next?"
"Pardon?"
It was Shim Cheong-seok who spoke up quickly after seeing her reaction.
Having worked with her for a while, he had realized that her behavior meant, 'I've said everything I have to say.'
Though he spoke with a smile, Shim Cheong-seok’s sharp eyes were fixed on her.
Only then did Seo-yeon realize her greeting might have been too short and hurriedly added more.
"Ah, yes. I think I'll be able to greet you all through a movie next. We're aiming for a release at the end of this year."
The mention of a movie drew cheers from the audience.
They briefly discussed what kind of role it was and what the movie was about.
It was all thanks to Shim Cheong-seok, who had unintentionally become the MC.
"Oh! And I've also decided to appear on a variety show soon."
"A variety show? Already?"
Shim Cheong-seok was inwardly surprised.
He knew she had gained popularity through the play, but to have a variety show appearance confirmed already...
Is this what they call 'buzz'?
Shim Cheong-seok marveled to himself.
His own mindset had changed quite a bit while doing this play.
Before, he was satisfied with just being able to act on a small stage, but now it was different.
Seeing Seo-yeon made him want to play in a bigger pond.
He wanted to show his acting to more people.
"What variety show is it?"
He assumed it would be a show suitable for an actress, likely something to promote her movie given her recent fame.
Just as the audience was whispering the names of several famous variety shows...
"Play Until the King."
"?"
A completely unexpected show name came out of her mouth.
The fact that the cheering theater suddenly went dead silent was definitely not an illusion.
And.
The next day at school.
"What on earth did you say during the stage greeting?"
Lee Ji-yeon asked, showing her a phone screen.
[The Buzzworthy Princess Yeonhwa to Appear on 'Play Until the King'??]
[Why Did She Join 'Play Until the King' Right Before Its Cancellation?]
There weren't many, but the articles were prominently displayed on the Naver main page.
Seeing them, Seo-yeon felt wronged.
She just thought it would be good to do a little promotion.
Other actors do this much, too.
And what was so bad about Play Until the King?
It was fun.
Even if it had been about seven years since she last watched it.
"Anyway, you definitely drew some aggro. The online communities are buzzing more than the news articles."
"Really?"
"Well, I guess this is better than no interest at all."
Just as Ji-yeon said, people were definitely talking in various online communities.
A quick skim showed comments like:
How did Seo-yeon feel after seeing those?
I should learn boxing.
She felt like hitting each of them exactly once if she ever met them.
Asking if I know how to play games.
Of course she was confident in her gaming.
After all, hadn't the Million TS Army proven it?
It was common sense that you become good at games once you have a TS Body.
If you don't know, memorize it.
So, Seo-yeon didn't have a single doubt that she would be the same.
Truly.
*
A few days later.
The day of the Play Until the King shoot.
The cast members, who usually prepared for the broadcast with the same faces and the same postures, were inwardly excited.
How long had it been since they’d had a guest?
On top of that, after seeing Seo-yeon’s face in photos, the male cast members felt light as air.
There were two female cast members as well, and they also seemed to be looking forward to it.
I should sit a bit away from her.
Her face is so small. I need to avoid being right next to her.
Play Until the King didn't really have what you’d call a proper set.
In the past, they had often filmed at PD Choi Gwang-soo’s or Hwang Jun-ho’s house.
But for the first time in years, they were filming at GMN.
"I heard people are really looking forward to this after seeing Looking at the Past and Memories."
"Still, compared to a major network..."
Even though Looking at the Past and Memories had ratings around 3 to 5 percent, it was incomparable to a cable variety show.
Well, whatever the case, it was a good thing for the cast.
It was better to film in a comfortable environment.
As they were getting ready in the nice, newly prepared studio at GMN...
"She’s here."
"Really? She’s coming in now? Is the camera rolling?"
"The camera’s been rolling since ten minutes ago."
Ah, right.
Hwang Jun-ho nodded at the words of his fellow cast member, Gong Tae-gyun.
"Ahem. Alright, today we have one guest! As you’ve all heard..."
After some half-hearted "Wow, really?" reactions...
Hwang Jun-ho, receiving a signal from PD Choi Gwang-soo, shouted loudly.
"Today’s guest! Princess Yeonhwa, returning after ten years! It’s Miss Ju Seo-yeon!"
At Jun-ho’s words, the eyes of the six cast members simultaneously snapped toward the entrance of the set.
Since they were all celebrities, they had seen many actors, but actors and idols always felt fresh every time you saw them.
And then, stepping onto the set...
Seo-yeon appeared with light, graceful steps.
"Wait, a school uniform?"
It was a well-known fact that Seo-yeon was a current high school student.
But they never imagined she would show up to the shoot wearing her school uniform.
"Hello."
She gave a polite bow.
As she bowed, reminiscent of her days as the young Princess Yeonhwa...
"Ah! Yes! Hello!!"
The other cast members all jumped to their feet and bowed back in unison.
Seo-yeon, who hadn't intended for this kind of reaction, couldn't help but feel flustered.
"Um... why the school uniform?"
Hwang Jun-ho asked, wondering if she had come straight from school. Seo-yeon blinked her large eyes and smiled.
"It’s a sponsorship."
"I-I see."
Ah, the uniform was sponsored?
Since she was a current high schooler and the main viewership of gaming broadcasts was young, it seemed a school uniform brand had jumped at the chance to sponsor her.
Wait, but don't school uniform brands usually avoid gaming shows because of their image?
The question crossed his mind, but it wasn't something Hwang Jun-ho needed to worry about.
But man...
Hwang Jun-ho swallowed hard.
He had seen many actresses, but Seo-yeon’s beauty was exceptionally striking.
To the point where one might unintentionally daze out while looking at her.
In fact, the other cast members were currently staring at her with their mouths hanging open.
...Is this going to be okay?
Weren't the cameras rolling right now?
Amidst those thoughts...
The filming of Play Until the King officially began.