Chapter 117
Chapter 117
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 117
Chapter Title: A Time for Rest (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Honestly, the intention was pretty obvious.
This year was the launch of Neosoft's 'Clear Zone'.
It was immediately clear that President Park Yeong-jun was trying to brand himself for it.
There was one reason for my certainty.
'It was the same in my past life.'
It wasn't just him.
The directors under Neosoft's direct management were the same.
In my past life, President Park Yeong-jun was someone who favored the strategy of branding the person in charge when promoting a game.
In fact, there was one director who became famous that way whom I also remembered.
'Director Jin Won-gu.'
He was a legend in many ways.
The incident where he shouted 'Se-X!' at a press conference, the time he did a mukbang on a live stream when public opinion soured due to balancing failures, and to top it all off, spoiling the final boss's identity during a director's pre-release playthrough.
The public's assessment of him was crystal clear.
[Isn't that guy a complete psycho?]
He was.
To be precise, President Park Yeong-jun had elevated his shamelessness into a persona.
Wasn't that a skill in its own right?
In the online game market that demanded infinite competition, you had to give him credit for actually succeeding with a strategy that built a fanbase for the director outside the game, thereby extending the game's lifespan.
Anyway, this was an extension of that same story.
'A variety show... it's worth a shot.'
Now, with the awards ceremony over, in 2017, Development Team 1 entered a short break.
Although there was another game in the planning stages, considering how the team members were worn out from the pre-launch crunch, they needed a rest.
Also, this year was the official release year for Demon's Relic.
With an external promotional opportunity arising in such a situation, wasn't this a great chance to boost the recognition of Studio Rewind itself?
"I'll do it."
Just as President Park Yeong-jun had said, there had never been a time, even in my past life, when the domestic media portrayed the game industry so positively.
It was an undeniable fact that a considerable amount of pride in having created this situation was involved.
Well, even putting that aside, it was still true.
For me, it was a no-lose proposition.
President Park Yeong-jun's face brightened.
"Really?"
"You arranged this for me, didn't you, sir?"
"Ah, you!"
"Yes, let's just coordinate the schedule."
I leaned back as he shot up from his seat as if to hug me.
This guy, sometimes he really has no sense of personal space.
* * *
The recording was in two weeks.
They were timing the broadcast for the holiday week...
The variety show I was appearing on was a variety talk show that invited stars from various fields.
Explaining why 'variety' was in the name of a talk show would require a lot of extra details, so let's skip that.
If I were to explain things like how they'd suddenly start a mini-game and hand out penalties while sitting and talking, the story would get too long, wouldn't it?
To put it simply, that's what it was.
"P-President...! I'm a good daughter, right...?"
Jo A-yun ended up coming along as well.
The broadcast station must have found Jo A-yun cute at the awards ceremony, because they requested she appear as well, if her schedule permitted.
Jo A-yun had gladly accepted, saying she would make her mom proud by showing her relatives she was on TV during the holidays.
"You're amazing, A-yun. A model daughter."
"Mhm...!"
Jo A-yun shivered in her hanbok.
I was the same; President Park Yeong-jun and the celebrities were all in hanboks too.
It was at that moment.
"Today's guests are~!"
The show's MC dragged out the end of his sentence in a tone unique to television broadcasts.
Soon, it was my turn.
"The rising stars of the game industry who are taking Korea by storm! Director Cheon Yeon-ho and Sound Director Jo A-yun of Studio Rewind! And President Park Yeong-jun of Neosoft! Please welcome them!"
"Woooooow!!!"
As the exaggerated reactions of the show's regular cast members erupted, I stepped onto the set.
I faced the celebrities in front of countless cameras and staff.
I felt an unfamiliar sensation.
In truth, how often does one get to see a celebrity in person in their lifetime?
And how often would one appear on a broadcast from a studio set?
Another awkward thing was...
'They've decorated it like an arcade.'
While it was a characteristic of this show to change the set design according to the invited guests, wasn't it a bit too strange for it to be an arcade?
After all this time, to actually see public opinion defending games felt so awkward.
"It's a pleasure to be here. I'm Director Cheon Yeon-ho."
"Wow! The rumors of you being handsome were true...!"
"I'm flattered."
Seeing how easily the compliments flowed, I thought, 'broadcast personalities are really different.'
Following me, President Park Yeong-jun and Jo A-yun introduced themselves.
The flow of the show was as natural as running water.
In truth, it was thanks to the MC and the regular panelists who skillfully guided the atmosphere.
"Director Cheon Yeon-ho, you have quite a spectacular career. You won an award with just your second game, didn't you?"
A clip of my teary-eyed, smiling face from that day appeared on the screen.
My face flushed hot.
The panelists started to chuckle.
"You must have been very moved. It's understandable, really."
"Haha..."
"That was the start of your road to success. President Park Yeong-jun, what are your thoughts?"
"You could call him the golden boy of the industry. What you said about him being a 21st-century IT success story is right. Studio Rewind actually started as a university club."
"That's too much..."
"You're being quite modest, aren't you?"
The general atmosphere was one of praise.
President Park Yeong-jun seemed to have adopted a generous and magnanimous persona, showing little of his usual eccentric-old-man self.
The only time it peeked through was when he talked about games.
"I knew 'Divorce Saga' would do well. All of you..."
"Uh-oh, President. That's a dangerous thing to say. Does your wife watch this show?"
"...Honey, I love you?"
"Hahaha!"
It was going smoothly.
I only had to be careful about one thing.
"Next up, A-yun!"
"Yeees...!"
The time bomb that was Jo A-yun.
'A-yun, you have to watch what you say...!'
My role was to act as the brakes, to keep Jo A-yun from suddenly going off the rails.
Of course, any extreme remarks would be edited out, but I couldn't let my guard down.
Just looking at Jo A-yun's expression confirmed it.
The considerate atmosphere, the focus on her, the respectful gazes of the celebrities—her shoulders were puffed up more than ever.
This kid was way too excited.
Every moment was tense, like walking on a knife's edge.
"Alright, here's a question. You became a GOTY-winning sound director at a very young age. What made you start working so early?"