Chapter 138
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 138
Chapter Title: Working Man?!
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A noisy barbecue restaurant.
The members of Working Man watched Seojun, a look of wonder on their faces as he munched on his meat.
“So all those signs of someone being there... that was all you, Seojun?”
“Yes! The second mission was to get a part of my body captured on all eight members' cameras.”
“Did you succeed?”
“Of course he did! That's why we didn't get any hints! If we'd just gotten one hint, we would've known it was Seojun right away!”
Everyone was buzzing with excitement at having dinner with the superstar.
“Am I the first comedian to have a meal with Seojun?”
“Ah, I want to show off the picture I took with Seojun! I want to post it on social media!”
“You can't! We haven't even made a promotion plan yet!”
PD Jeon Minjae, who was at the table right next to them, shot up from his seat. Park Youngjin placed a piece of meat in front of Seojun and said.
“Why do you even need a separate promotion plan? Just, uh, announce that our Seojun is appearing. That's all the promotion you need.”
“But it's Seojun's first variety show appearance. Even if it's not on the level of Whale Studios, I want to do something cool!”
At PD Jeon Minjae's words, the noisy restaurant instantly fell solemn. The mention of Whale Studios brought to mind the advertisements that had plastered the entire world. Perhaps because they were all variety show entertainers and staff, the mood shifted in an instant.
Seojun smiled and chewed his meat thoroughly.
“Whale Studios... that was incredible...”
“PD Jeon. Do you have the money?”
“No... I don't.”
“Then just do it the normal way. If you start talking about Whale Studios and all that, it'll just invite unnecessary comparisons.”
“...I guess I'll have to.”
After finishing the dinner, which also served as a team meal, the Working Man members and production crew took a group photo with Seojun.
Wondering when they would ever get another chance to take a picture with Lee Seojun, the staff members jostled to get into the camera's view. This was something they could brag about for the rest of their lives.
“Goodbye!”
“Take care, Seojun!”
“Come on the show again!”
As Seojun's car drove away, PD Jeon and the writers laid down the law to the staff and members, who were gleefully looking at the group photo.
“Until the broadcast! No leaks! No social media! Family, acquaintances, friends! Absolutely forbidden! If you're the type to spill everything when you drink, don't drink!”
“PD Jeon, when is it airing?”
“That's right. Don't we still have unaired footage?”
“Today's filming will air next week. Please just hold on until then.”
“That soon? What about the editing? Won't that take a long time?”
At the members' questions, PD Jeon and the production team gave a faint smile.
“We'll have to pull an all-nighter.”
Just thinking about the work ahead made their minds go blank.
* * *
While SBC was keeping its lips tightly sealed and dancing with joy over Seojun's variety show appearance, Seojun was giving interviews with KBC and MBS.
[Actor Lee Seojun Delivers His Acceptance Speech Through KBC!]
[Lee Seojun, “Thank you for all your support! I won an award!”]
[MBS, Actor Lee Seojun Interview, Ratings Hit!]
-Ugh. It's been two weeks, but the feeling is still there!
-Seeing the Oscar trophy up close was amazing.
=Same here. Nobody dared to touch it.
=What if it breaks?
-But... SBC has nothing... again. Are SBC and Cocoa Entertainment on bad terms?
=Probably not? No one's on bad terms with Cocoa Entertainment.
=This. Lee Seojun's uncle is the CEO, and he and Seojun are super close lol. If a network was on bad terms with Cocoa, Lee Seojun would probably never appear on that channel for the rest of his life.
=Then why isn't he appearing on SBC?
=Dunno.
-He did the award shows in January and February and even the broadcast interviews, so he's probably going to rest for the rest of the year... What a shame.
=There's still more to see. [Article Link]
=Aaaaaah!
[Assemble 2, Worldwide Simultaneous Release in Early April!]
[All Heroes Gather to Save Redbone!]
[Assemble 2's Post-Credits Scene: A Trick or the Real Deal?]
[Bel Natra and Shadowman's Meeting! But No Jin Natra!]
[Will Jin Natra's Past Be Revealed in Assemble 2?!]
[When is the Highly Anticipated Shadowman 3 Coming?!]
-It's releasing! It's finally releasing!!
-I've been waiting! For real! I'm already planning to watch it multiple times!!
-I'm curious about Redbone, but I'm dying to know about Jin Natra's past.
-And Shadowman too. I have a rough idea of what it's about...
-From an omniscient viewer's perspective, lol.
-The post-credits scene! The post-credits scene! If they pull another Assemble 3 stunt this time, I'm going to blow up Marine Company!
=I agree! I want in.
-It's so great seeing Seojun constantly since last fall, lol. He'll be in the post-credits scene this time, right?
While people were buzzing about the news of Assemble 2's release, the weekend arrived. On Sunday at 6 PM, SBC's Sunday variety show [Working Man?!] ended. Soon, the preview for the next week's episode aired.
White text appeared on a pitch-black screen.
[A superstar's trophy has disappeared.]
[Eight detectives have begun to move to find the superstar's trophy. Eight detectives, and a culprit hidden among them!]
[Will the detectives be able to find the trophy and return it to the superstar?!]
The text vanished, and the eight members of Working Man were shown gathered in the lobby of the Galaxy Center. They seemed to have heard the explanation from the production team, as they were snickering.
“The youngest PD will probably dress up and come out again.”
“Can't you give us a gold badge instead of a trophy? I hear the price of gold is up these days.”
And a moment later, the screams of the Working Man members were heard. The screen filled with their genuinely shocked expressions, which were transmitted raw to the viewers.
“Is the production team out of their minds!?”
“No, for real?”
“What are they going to do if it breaks while they're hiding it!? Are they crazy!?”
The preview for the next episode of [Working Man?!] ended with the genuinely terrified voices of the members.
-Why? What is it? Why are they so shocked?
-?? They seem genuinely surprised. Is it a horror special?
=In this weather?
=Well, it could be.
-Ah... A superstar and a trophy at this time of year...
=...No way.
=For real?
[SBC's Sunday Variety 'Working Man?!' Teases Actor Lee Seojun's Appearance?]
[The Missing Superstar's Trophy! Could it be... the Oscar!?]
[Actor Lee Seojun's First Variety Show Appearance?]
-But when did they film it? Is he really coming on the show?
=No idea. It's all speculative articles.
As speculative articles poured in, SBC aired commercials for [Working Man?!] at every opportunity. With no denial from Cocoa Entertainment and an increasing number of [Working Man?!] ads, people grew more certain. Then, another ad that started airing on Friday sealed the deal.
[Hello. This is Lee Seojun. It's a pleasure to meet you, detectives.]
That short promotional video, with the addition of a brightly smiling Lee Seojun, turned the internet upside down.
[Actor Lee Seojun to Appear on Working Man?! It's Real!]
[This Sunday at 6 PM, Lee Seojun on SBC's Working Man?!]
[I'll watch it live no matter what!]
[Eight Detectives, Find the Oscar Trophy!]
-Aaaah! I can't believe I'll see Seojun on a variety show!
-An Oscar trophy! I can't believe I'll see an Oscar trophy on Working Man!
=lol It's kinda funny lol A trophy appearing on a variety show lol
-Gotta watch it live! Gotta watch it live!
-This Sunday... I have... I have plans...
=Just watch the replay?
=Nah, canceled my plans as soon as I saw the ad lol
-But what role is Lee Seojun playing? The culprit?
=Seojun lost the trophy, no way he's the culprit.
=Isn't he a detective?
=Didn't they say there were eight detectives?
=Isn't it one of the members is the culprit, so 7 members + Seojun = 8 detectives?
=Maybe?
-I wish Sunday would come faster! Just skip Saturday and Sunday afternoon!
=...You say the most terrifying things so casually.
* * *
On Sunday evening, before [Working Man?!] began, the commercials aired.
Believing that many people would be watching the live broadcast for 'Lee Seojun's first variety show,' the competition to buy a few dozen seconds of ad time was fiercer than ever.
Among them were companies that had seen great success with their ads during KBC's 'Naeuiwon,' as well as companies that had narrowly lost out.
The tremendous response left even SBC, which had anticipated it to some extent, with their jaws on the floor. At the rumored ad costs, the SBC employees gulped.
'This is just a one-time thing for us, but...'
Just thinking about the ad revenue KBC's Naeuiwon must have earned over its several-week run, it seemed the answer was in dramas.
-The ads... there are so many ads.
-But I waited. I wanted to watch from the very beginning!
=This. I usually change the channel during ads, but I was too scared to miss the start.
-Oh! It's starting!
This episode of Working Man started differently than usual.
It began by showing a staff member in a black hat carrying a square box into the building's entrance, followed by shots of the crew preparing for filming in the lobby.
Viewers tilted their heads as they watched the staff move back and forth, setting everything up one by one.
-What's this? A broadcasting accident?
-So this is how they prepare. It's interesting.
-Maybe they didn't have enough footage, so they're using this to fill time?
=Could be lol
-Not enough footage when Lee Seojun is on? They could just air footage of him filming and it would be fun!
And soon, the Working Man members appeared one by one.
“A superstar? The youngest PD will probably dress up and come out again.”
“Can't you give us a gold badge instead of a trophy? I hear the price of gold is up these days.”
“The culprit is obviously this guy, right? I got you! The culprit!”
Viewers burst out laughing at the Working Man members, who were unaware of Lee Seojun's appearance during the recording. The staff member in the black hat picked up a remote and turned on the television.
[Hello. This is Lee Seojun.]
The real superstar, the Hollywood star, Lee Seojun, was sitting there, smiling like sunshine. Viewers cheered at his appearance.
Seojun on a variety show had a different feel from his dramas and movies. This was 'Lee Seojun,' not acting. He seemed to fit his age, yet he exuded the aura of a superstar.
[I heard that my trophy, which I sent to Korea yesterday, has disappeared. It's the first Oscar trophy I've ever received, so I really want to find it. That's why I've decided to ask for your help, detectives. Please work together to find my trophy!]
The client on the screen, superstar Lee Seojun, spoke with a seemingly melancholic expression. His realistic acting made everyone swoon.
-Lee Seojun! Seojun!!
-A screen within a screen... Surely this isn't all, right?
=If it is... I'm blowing up... SBC...
The staff member in the black hat came out holding the box containing the trophy.
-Ooh, the Oscar trophy!
-It's so shiny! But is that the real one?
-That staff member in the black hat keeps showing up a lot, doesn't he? They don't usually show them turning the screen on and off. And he's the one who brought out the trophy...
=I agree. That's weird...?
“...Wait a minute. PD Jeon. The production team made that trophy, right?”
At Park Youngjin's question, the other Working Man members laughed and waved their hands dismissively.
“Unfortunately...”
“Unfortunately?”
“It's real!”
It's real! It's real, real, real... The PD's voice echoed as the Working Man members screamed.
“Is the production team out of their minds!?”
“No, it's a real Oscar trophy!?”
“What are they going to do if it breaks while they're hiding it!? Are they crazy!?”
“We're going to put in a lot of cushioning right now. Besides, this isn't a game where you run with it; it's a treasure hunt. As long as you're careful when hiding and finding it, it'll be fine.”
Despite the PD's words, the Working Man members continued to cry out.
-? Is this okay?
-Right. What if the trophy breaks?
-But since they're airing it, the trophy must be fine.
=This. If they aired a broken trophy, SBC would be blown up. I'd do it myself.
=Yeah, they wouldn't be that thoughtless!
=Ah, I see.
The rules were simple.
After the first game, the culprit would be given time to hide the trophy. From the second game onward, if the members won a game, they would receive a hint about the trophy's location.
After each game, a certain amount of time was given, during which the culprit had to hide the trophy, avoiding places discovered by the detectives, while the detectives had to search for hints about the trophy and the culprit.
Guided by the staff member in the black hat, the eight Working Man members entered their offices.
With the black-hatted staff member appearing unusually often, a few viewers started paying closer attention to him.
Normally, such a shot would have been edited out. But just as the staff member in the black hat passed by, the screen became unusually clear. At that moment, a few sharp-eyed fans, who were watching *Working Man?!* just to see Lee Seojun, noticed something.
-...Huh?
At the truly unexpected appearance of the star, they were left speechless.
Meanwhile, Park Youngjin's horrified face appeared on screen. In his office was a gleaming Oscar trophy. It was, without a doubt, the same one he had seen earlier.
[Park Youngjin has acquired the real Oscar trophy!]
-Park Youngjin's the one!
-lol he's genuinely shocked lol
-I'd be shocked too lol how are you supposed to hide that lol
“Me? Really!? It's really me!?”
“Then please hide the trophy somewhere in the building.”
“What did I do to deserve this? These cursed hands! These cursed hands!! Is the production team insane?! How could you bring the real trophy?! What if I drop this and it breaks?”
Unable to bring himself to touch the gleaming Oscar trophy, Park Youngjin wailed.
-Huh?
“If I put it up there... it'll fall, right? Ugh. There's nowhere to hide it...”
Choi Sohee muttered, looking at the top of a bookshelf.
-This one?
“I've never seen an Oscar trophy, so I don't know how sturdy it is. Is it... it's not waterproof, right?”
A member, who was looking at the garden fountain through the office window, carefully hugged their bag.
-lol what is this lol
“This is the trophy of the first and youngest Korean to win!! This should be in a museum! Not on a variety show like this! What if this really breaks! You can't even cover this with the production budget! Do you want to go bankrupt!? SBC?!”
-Wait lol they're all the culprit lol
-They're all hugging their bags so preciously lol
*Working Man?!* once again showed the eight members' offices. Inside the eight offices were eight Oscar trophies. Upon seeing the trophies, the members collapsed to the floor, their legs giving out, and the viewers roared with laughter.
Jeonghun, the youngest member, couldn't even touch the trophy and even shed a few tears.
“...Did you get insurance for this? I'm serious, I'm not responsible if it breaks...”
-Insurance lol are you planning to break it? lol
=But Jeonghun has broken quite a few sets on Working Man so far...
=Right. The production team was begging him to be gentle lol
=Good thing they're fake lol
-All fake, I get it lol
-SBC is safe! Safe! Everyone, please lower your weapons!
The frustrated Working Man members participated earnestly in the games to get ample time to hide their trophies.
The screen, which had been showing Park Youngjin, the winner of the first game, carefully hugging the bag as he left his office, split into a 3x3 grid of nine screens.
All but the center screen showed the dejected backs of the eight Working Man members.
The center screen gradually enlarged, and a caption appeared.
[Has anyone seen actor Lee Seojun?]