Plus10
Hearing Yeon-woo's choice, Team Leader Jeong Hyeok and the rest of the staff smiled as if they had expected nothing less.
"To be honest, we figured you'd pick number four."
"Excuse me?"
"Number four wasn't even on the original list. The CEO came in before you arrived and added it himself. He said you'd definitely go for it."
"CEO Kim Ju-seong?"
Yeon-woo pictured the middle-aged gentleman with his neatly pomaded hair and immaculate suit. So even a legendary figure in this industry operated on a different wavelength. Out of countless programs, he had zeroed in on the one Yeon-woo would actually want.
Watching him, Team Leader Jeong Hyeok continued.
"We're optimistic about the impact, too. Turning down the flagship variety shows of major networks to appear on a YouTube channel where you meet fans face-to-face should only help your public image."
Yeon-woo nodded in agreement. Image cultivation hadn't been his reason for choosing it, of course — but if the decision produced a secondary benefit on top of everything else, that was two birds with one stone.
The variety-show matter was settled in favor of YouTube, and the meeting moved on to the next agenda item.
"In that case, we'll reschedule the Leehan Tech advertisement for Patriots and Veterans Month that we discussed last time to the week after the YouTube shoot."
"Is the storyboard ready?"
At Yeon-woo's question, Team Leader Jeong handed over a folder of storyboard pages.
"Looks pretty solid to me. I expected a straightforward image campaign — just you in a military uniform or something similar — but there's an actual narrative. Take a look for yourself."
Yeon-woo accepted the storyboard and began studying it carefully. After a moment, he tilted his head slightly.
Hmm? Is this the planner's deliberate intent… or did they put it together without realizing?
A single through-line ran beneath every scene transition. Solemnity is solemnity, but each beat has a slightly different grain to it. This would be interesting not just as a commercial, but from a purely acting standpoint. He ran a mental rehearsal of how he would play each moment, then broke into a grin.
This is going to be fun.
Vibe Studio.
A social-media-based media brand that had been riding a solid winning streak lately, running several original YouTube channels.
"Yes, yes! Thank you! Thank you so much!"
From one corner of the office, Team Leader Lee Min-gyu kept bowing his head into the phone, pouring out gratitude, before finally hanging up.
"B-Boss…"
"What is it, Min-gyu? What's going on?"
The half-dozen employees in the office, including the CEO, had been working on their own tasks — but the way Team Leader Lee was conducting that call had every ear in the room pricked.
"Well, it's about the casting for Find the Fan."
"Yeah? What about Find the Fan? Did we land Exiz?"
"No. Bigger than that."
The staff exchanged puzzled looks. Exiz was the hottest boy group around right now — what could possibly be bigger than booking one of their members?
Team Leader Lee took a breath, milking the pause, then opened his mouth.
"Actor Ryu Yeon-woo has agreed to appear."
Silence crashed over the office for a beat — then near-screams erupted from every direction.
"Whaaaat?!"
"…Ryu Yeon-woo?"
"Team Leader Lee. Is that for real?!"
The CEO shot up from his chair. Casting always went through meetings and shortlists, but a corporate YouTube channel's name recognition was nowhere near a broadcast network's, so rejections were routine. He hadn't even known they'd sent a request to Ryu Yeon-woo. Idols popping by to promote an album or a concert had become fairly common lately — but that Ryu Yeon-woo?
The CEO's mouth stretched ear to ear even as a dazed, faintly terrified feeling settled in. This is a mega-star who turns down love calls from terrestrial networks. One tiny controversy and our channel is finished. I'm personally reviewing and approving every single subtitle.
Not long after, a post went up on Ryu Yeon-woo's fan café, Woo's.
Write down a small wish you've been hoping for lately. Selected members will receive a prepared gift via random draw.
Following guidance from the YouTube team, café manager YeonuPassingBy had posted the notice. Members of the fan café assumed it was a straightforward giveaway and began dropping their little everyday wishes in the comments.
From those comments, the YouTube team filtered out wishes that Ryu Yeon-woo himself could reasonably grant.
"Team Leader. We've got consent from the selected fan. I'm about to call her company and arrange filming cooperation."
"Which company was it again?"
"Plus10 Entertainment, apparently."
Team Leader Lee of Vibe Studio's YouTube unit cocked his head.
"Hmm? Who do they even have over there?"
"Not sure. They had a decent roster up until the year before last, but almost nobody now. Looks like they're prepping a rookie girl group, but beyond that there's barely any activity."
"Then they'll jump at the chance to piggyback on Ryu Yeon-woo for some free publicity. They'll green-light it without a fuss."
Team Leader Lee's prediction was spot-on.
The wish's owner was YeonwooBabyUjuju — and the CEO of the company she worked for, Plus10 Entertainment, was Byeon Hak-gyu. With his foothold in the industry shrinking by the day, he snapped up the YouTube team's proposal the moment it landed.
"So Actor Ryu Yeon-woo is going to work a day shift at our company as a temp employee? Aigoo, of course — no reason not to. Filming is absolutely fine. Yes, yes."
"We've simply told Ms. Gong Min-jeong that it's an interview about Ryu Yeon-woo's fans. We'd appreciate it if you kept to that story as well, sir."
"Yes, understood. You said the shoot is Friday?"
"That's correct, sir."
Byeon Hak-gyu hung up with a grin so wide it threatened to split his face.
"Heh heh heh. Guess the universe doesn't want me dead after all. That Ryu Yeon-woo kid's been too high-and-mighty to even touch network variety lately. First YouTube appearance means guaranteed views, and the promo value will be massive. Perfect chance to sneak the debut kids into the frame."
Yeon-woo had first learned about CEO Byeon Hak-gyu through Jeong Su-yeon. Subsequent investigation had confirmed the man had connections to Baeksol, and Yeon-woo had been keeping a quiet eye on him for some time — but to Byeon Hak-gyu, Ryu Yeon-woo was nothing more than a young, red-hot celebrity of the moment.
Meanwhile, receiving progress reports throughout the planning, Yeon-woo had found the concept entertaining — joining a fan's company as a one-day new hire and granting her wish as a surprise — and given his approval. The moment he heard the fan worked at Plus10 Entertainment, though, he urgently summoned Han Hae-un.
A silver SUV rolled into the park entrance with its headlights on — the same park where they had met before. Han Hae-un parked in a corner of the lot and got out.
"Team Leader. Finally finished it."
He drew something from his coat. Yeon-woo accepted the USB-shaped device with a nod.
"Good work. You ran a full performance check?"
"Yes. Cross-verified. No issues."
The instant Yeon-woo heard the YouTube shoot would take place inside Plus10 Entertainment's building, he had issued Hae-un an urgent order for a hacking tool he had used extensively in his previous life.
"Of all places, Plus10 Entertainment. I only agreed to the YouTube variety appearance as fan service."
The plan was to upload a hacking program onto Plus10's office server that would intercept and copy every transmission to and from Byeon Hak-gyu's computer.
Hae-un nodded and spoke again.
"The key is figuring out how Plus10's server is configured. If we can't do it from an employee terminal, we'll have to upload it directly from the CEO's office or the server room."
"That's why you're coming with me."
It would be their first joint operation since beginning their new lives. Looking back at the real operations of his previous life, this barely qualified as one — but still.
Han Hae-un's past-life self, Baek Yu-hyeon, had been a top-tier information security agent even within the NIS, so there was no risk of leaving traces or creating future complications. Direct infiltration would still be required, though — and this YouTube shoot was a golden opportunity for outsiders to walk in without raising suspicion.
"I'll brief the YouTube team in advance. You go in as a cameraman from LN Entertainment shooting making-of footage."
"Understood."
To the YouTube team, he would be an LN Entertainment liaison. To LN Entertainment, a YouTube crew member. And to Plus10, he was an outsider either way — it made no difference.
While Yeon-woo drew every eye, Hae-un would operate as the third man, moving freely through enemy territory.
Time passed, and the day of the YouTube shoot arrived.
Gong Min-jeong — the Woo's member behind the handle YeonwooBabyUjuju — had been tense since morning, staring at the cameras mounted on her desk and ceiling. She had hesitated at first when told they were filming a YouTube documentary about the daily lives of Ryu Yeon-woo's fans. But for some reason, her usual garbage of a company — the toxic, old-school Plus10 — had actively encouraged the shoot, and so here she was, filming almost by accident.
"Am I doing this right? Hello, I'm YeonwooBaby… U-Ujuju. First thing after clocking in, I check today's task list."
Saying her own username out loud made her face burn scarlet. I should've picked something normal!
Just then, Manager Kim came downstairs and addressed her.
"Min-jeong. A new hire is starting today."
"Sorry? A new hire?"
It was the first she'd heard of it. Her head tilted sideways.
"So make sure you rewrite the debut team's schedule report with the new hire and submit it to the CEO in person."
"What? The debut team schedule report was already submitted. It's fully approved."
"Look, just do what you're told."
Manager Kim waved a dismissive hand and walked off. Gong Min-jeong watched him go with a sour expression.
"What kind of nonsense is this all of a sudden? We haven't even posted a job listing recently — what new hire? And why rewrite the debut schedule?"
She caught herself mid-mutter, glanced at the self-cam sitting on her desk, and clamped her mouth shut. They'll edit all that out, right?
She was still fretting over nothing when the planning office door opened and a young man in clean black slacks and a dress shirt walked in with a leather backpack slung over one shoulder. A cap and a mask covered his face completely.
"Hello! I'm the new hire starting today."
The planning office only had four people. The manager had just left, and one colleague was in the restroom, leaving only Gong Min-jeong and one other person. Having just learned a new hire was coming, she stood up.
"Hello. I'm Gong Min-jeong. I'll show you around."
Whatever else, the thought of finally having a junior under her — after being the team's youngest — was genuinely welcome. It's 9:40… is he late on his very first day? And why is he wrapped up in a mask and a hat like that?
She tilted her head, studying the young man in front of her.
"Are you sick, by the way? Why the mask…"
Come to think of it, he had introduced himself simply as the new hire on the way in — she didn't even know his name.
Then the young man pulled off the mask and the cap and broke into a bright smile.
"Hello, sunbae-nim! I'm Ryu Yeon-woo, your one-day new hire."
Gong Min-jeong's brain short-circuited.
"Ah…?"
She stared blankly at the surreal situation until the YouTube team's cameraman filed in behind him, and reality rebooted. Her logged-out consciousness needed a moment to boot back up, though, and she stuttered through the process. Then her eyes went wide. She clapped a hand over her mouth and stumbled backward.
"Uh… whaaaat?!"
Watching his adorable fan's reaction, Yeon-woo grinned.
"You are YeonwooBabyUjuju-sunbae, correct?"
"Ack! Th-that—! Please don't say the username out loud. No, wait, that's not even the issue— ah! What do I do? What is happening right now?"
And behind them, Han Hae-un held a camera, pretending to film Yeon-woo while quietly mapping the building's layout and the blind spots of every security camera.