Chapter 64
Chapter 64
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 064
Chapter Title: Midnight Stroll (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Crazy... How far has this rumor even spread?"
[Who knows? One thing's for sure—it's spread thick among the ghosts in this building.]
"This is driving me nuts."
It had already been a week since he started hosting the radio show.
They say a good start is half the battle. Kang Yeonwoo's radio hosting debut had kicked off successfully, and in that short time, he'd gotten even smoother and more adept at it.
-Our Yeonwoo... what can't he do...? He's handsome, great at acting, good personality, and now he's even nailing hosting and consultations...?
ㄴI want to leave my mark as a stain on our Yeonwoo's perfect life...
ㄴDo you think our Yeonwoo would even want that from you, upstairs?
ㄴCan't I dream a little?
ㄴNope~ Go home~
-But seriously, that consultation corner is legit mystical. My friend sent in a query, and it was spot-on like a fortune teller. She was agonizing over whether to study abroad or not, and Yeonwoo hit it with, 'If the situation lines up, a good experience isn't a bad thing. No need to overthink it. You'll meet good people overseas too.' Gave me chills;;;; Turns out her boyfriend was the biggest hang-up on going abroad. But she didn't mention him at all in the letter;;
ㄴOur Yeonwoo... handsome, great actor, solid personality, aces hosting and consultations, and now his intuition is straight-up sixth sense level... Nothing lacking...
ㄴYeah, gotta stain his perfect life to balance it out.
ㄴYou still here, upstairs?ㅡㅡ?
Especially the newly revamped consultation corner, as the writer had hoped, was drawing massive attention.
"Yeonwoo-ssi. Seen this? Our program's clips are already blowing up as popular posts! Yesterday it even trended on search rankings. Snagged a screenshot right away!"
Yeonwoo's consultation segments had even been edited and spread across communities as humorous "mystical radio DJ" memes.
Thanks to that, even though it was a late-night radio show, listener numbers were climbing steadily. The writer and PD were thrilled about it.
Of course, it was good for Yeonwoo too.
'Up to that point, it was great, but...'
Influence.
An essential element of Multi-Lifespan Auto-Harvest.
Raising his profile made that influence even stronger.
The more famous he got, the more Lifespan he could harvest.
But.
'Why the hell did it have to get famous among ghosts too?'
[Tsk tsk. There are always a lot of desperate lingering ones among the dead. Think of it as doing good deeds.]
"...You know I hate playing shaman, right?"
[You're doing good, harvesting Lifespan, lifting limits, getting views, earning stars! How great is that?]
"......"
Expecting a proper answer from this guy was his mistake.
To sum it up simply: Ghosts flock to places talking about them.
Ever heard that one?
'Believe it or not.'
When you discuss heavy yin topics, the vibes around shift. Creates prime ghost-haunting conditions, you know?
Like getting chills mid-summer ghost story.
Or that eerie feeling during a horror flick.
Everyone's had one of those experiences.
'If you're dead, just quietly go to the afterlife. Attention whores, all of them.'
More precisely, they get drawn to the yin energy, but whatever.
"Should've ignored that one letter if I knew it'd be like this."
[Too late. It's done.]
"Sigh... Why'd an ancestral spirit have to show up, of all things."
He remembered it: a listener agonizing over studying abroad.
School admission secured, visa no issue, finances sorted—yet still torn between staying in Korea or going.
'Dreams matter, but uprooting your life is a big deal.'
Short-term: a few years. Long-term: over a decade abroad.
Yeonwoo had been about to advise along those lines when...
[That's not it!]
A face suddenly shoved right in his.
-...?
[She's not saying it right! She's got something nasty clinging to her!]
It was an elderly woman in neat hanbok, hair neatly parted and pinned.
She looked so out of place in a broadcasting station that Yeonwoo blinked in confusion. She urgently jabbed the monitor with a finger.
[That's my granddaughter, granddaughter! She's got the fate to make it big if she heads out, but some no-good thing keeps tying her ankle down!]
So, she was the letter-writer's ancestral spirit.
Like a guardian angel watching over her descendant's path.
[You can see it all, so say the right words!]
A household deity like her could sense Yeonwoo's power.
-But if they're into each other, can't they just stay together?
A song was playing, so he muted the mic and spoke. The grandma shook her head.
[If they truly loved each other, I'd know. That's just lingering attachment, attachment.]
Long-term relationship, she said. Passion faded to inertia.
Didn't want her descendant stuck in a rut like that—the ancestral spirit ranted.
That was days ago.
"Why a general-level spirit I can't just peel off, of all things."
What was infuriating was how that incident had spread as juicy gossip.
To whom? The ghosts.
And now, things were like this.
[Admirable effort, right? One even showed up in dreams begging you to read her letter on your show.]
"Then why not just tell her directly in the dream?"
[Duh, you know direct interference from the dead is tough. That's why they're coming indirectly to you.]
That's why lottery number dreams are rare.
Unless grudge-warped, the deceased can't easily meddle with the living.
Handing over jackpot numbers would burn massive power or require insane merit.
"I'm listening to the living's stories, not the dead's."
[Why not? You harvest Lifespan, it's a win. Accumulate merit—good begets good.]
Fair point.
Every time he read a letter and subtly passed on a message.
-Ding!
[Successfully harvested Lifespan.]
[Harvested Lifespan: 34 days]
-Ding!
[Successfully harvested Lifespan...]
-Ding!
[Successfully harvested...]
His Lifespan counter was racking up nicely.
Plus, these were desperate, powerful spirits with overflowing regrets—decent hauls each time.
Four or five letters netted three or four months' worth.
'So I endure. Endure.'
Even with Multi-Lifespan Auto-Harvest, more Lifespan was always better!
It was piling up fast, but who knew when he'd fill that negative balance...
[Anyway, win-win for you and the ghosts—don't be so down! Writer's happy, you're more famous. Right?]
The plump sparrow winked cutely, fluttering its wings.
A sigh escaped, but yeah, he was right.
Sure, his "mystical pinpoint consultations" were heating up portals and communities...
Listener influx from video clips boosted influence, upping auto-harvest yields...
'I'm not a ghost hotline, damn it!'
Sadly, Yeonwoo's inner scream reached no one.
***
In an era flooded with TV and video media, a radio show—let alone a late-night one—blowing up like this was wildly unusual.
The PD and writer were squealing in delight, and word was upper management was showering praise with fat bonuses.
"Of course. Whose show is it?"
Kwon Sung-hyun said it smoothly, with a firm undertone.
"I knew it'd do well. If it didn't, that'd be the real shocker."
"Actually, it caught me off guard..."
"Yeonwoo-ssi, you're great at everything, but you lack faith in yourself."
Not true. Kwon Sung-hyun was the blindly faithful one.
How could anyone believe in him more than he believed in himself?
"Not too tough? Flipping day-night schedule must be exhausting."
"I'm good. Just a month anyway. Got the stamina."
"You look a bit thinner..."
"......?"
No change, but Kwon Sung-hyun's sharp eyes saw something.
"Today's pre-recording, right?"
"Yes."
"Plenty of time still."
"Yes......"
Midnight Stroll aired live, but one day a week was pre-recorded due to the late slot.
Today was that day—they had to head out early to record.
He'd woken up a bit early for it.
'How'd he know the pre-record date and that I had time?'
Yeonwoo's eyes flicked up.
[Oh, so fluffy. Our actor's hair is silky too.]
To Kwon Sung-hyun's head.
"...You."
The culprit preened innocently, sorting feathers.
"Don't blame Dongja-ssi too much. I asked him."
"Yes?"
"Jerry said you weren't eating right during music work."
Fun as composing was, he sometimes skipped meals.
'And you snitched...'
Enemies everywhere.
"True, but..."
"So I have to look after you to rest easy."
The table was laden with a feast.
......What's all this?"
Every dish screamed "health tonic!"
Steaming samgyetang with milky broth. Abalone soup packed with ginkgo, chestnuts, jujubes—power surging just looking. Honey-glazed roots that screamed wild ginseng. Glossy seasoned eel. Plus sinseonro, pine mushroom beef, mystery plates galore.
"This...... Do I have to eat all this?"
Couldn't even count the dishes.
'Eat all that, I'd need ten laps around the field tonight...'
For some reason, Hansel and Gretel came to mind.
Felt like he'd have to hand over a chicken bone after samgyetang.
"This is too much."
"An actor's body is his asset, Yeonwoo-ssi."
Kwon Sung-hyun spouting actor wisdom for once.
"Yeah, but..."
"No stamina, you can't survive grueling shoots."
"Still, this much?"
"No, Yeonwoo-ssi."
Firm tone. Strict gaze.
"That last shoot was a drama, pre-produced—super leisurely. Films? Common to pull all-nighters on 1-night 2-day schedules. Overseas? Time crunches mean frequent iron mansions. Perfectionist directors reshoot endlessly—final stretches, no time for catnaps."
"Even a star like you?"
"Once cranking starts, actor Kwon Sung-hyun vanishes—only the role remains. And issues aren't always my fault."
"Then?"
"It's not solo. Co-stars mess up, location issues, gear fails. Yeah, I NG too. Nobody's perfect."
Said the perfect human.
"No effort beats external sabotage. That's when stamina's key."
"Wait, not strong will—stamina?"
Expected mental fortitude; back to basics.
"Yes. Stamina. Healthy body, healthy mind—you know the saying?"
"Yes......"
"Tired body tires the mind. No energy left after holding up the flesh—mind weakens. Basics first: stamina. So..."
Kwon Sung-hyun eyed the table sternly.
"From now on, eat on time. I'll make sure."