PD Kim Bok-hyeon's Dizzying Moment
PD Kim Bok-hyeon felt a momentary dizziness. He knew all too well how newly minted star celebrities like Lee Tae-gyu typically blew through their sudden windfalls.
Usually on cars or watches.
The so-called FLEX. In other words, splashing cash to flaunt their newfound status. That was the norm, especially for young actors who weren't even married yet.
Or else paying off old debts.
Clearing away the accumulated pain from years of obscurity, like scrubbing off stubborn grime. That was the other common path.
Typically, it boiled down to one or the other.
But...
······LA ribs, 20kg?
He swallowed hard. Sensing the unnatural vibe from the blank stare directed his way, PD Kim Bok-hyeon opened his mouth.
"Is there, uh, some personal memory tied to LA ribs?"
"Personal memory?"
"Like a food you regretted not being able to eat as a kid, or something with a special story behind it."
"No, just 'cause it's delicious."
"·········."
"Ah, thinking about it makes me wanna eat some more. LA ribs."
PD Kim Bok-hyeon, who had no clue what "taste" meant to Lee Tae-gyu, was naturally thrown for a loop.
But he was a seasoned variety PD. He quickly clocked what was going on.
······Ah, playing it like this?
A 4D concept━━it happened all the time. Agencies aiming for a mysterious aura would swerve hard into eccentricity to craft an image.
Yeah, it's been a while since the last big 4D wave hit.
PD Kim Bok-hyeon knew the score. Most actors peddling that "4D" image in the press━━unless they were actually on something━━were products of deliberate agency image-shaping.
There was the actress who claimed kneading meju was her hobby, only for the variety team to dig up receipts in her trash for meju balls hanging from her ceiling.
Or the actor who bragged about weird eats like mint choco pizza, cola rice, and pineapple doenjang stew, caught muttering "Can't stomach this shit, fuck" in the bathroom mid-interview, mic picking it all up.
············Hmm.
That was the delusion PD Kim Bok-hyeon fell into.
Of course.
Tae-gyu was dead serious.
For someone with zero real experience savoring food, LA ribs━━the only other thrill besides Dokkaebi Fire━━had become a kind of soul food before he knew it.
Of course.
Oblivious to any of that, PD Kim Bok-hyeon kept probing with light jabs.
"······LA ribs are delicious, haha. Outside of food expenses, has your spending changed at all? Like buying a car or watch, or splurging on stuff you couldn't afford before?"
"Not... really?"
He smirked inwardly. He could bet on it. A celebrity whose spending habits didn't shift from obscurity to stardom? No such rare breed existed in this industry.
Especially at that prime, hot-blooded age. Sneaking off for private dates or whatever without the agency's knowledge? Everyone needed their own ride for that━━common sense.
"The company provides cars for all schedules. Thanks to our skilled manager handling the wheel, I can focus on work comfortably every time."
"Er······what about personal trips, or if you need to go on a date?"
"Hm. Not really interested yet."
"Then for role interviews and such."
"Yes. Manager usually drives whenever possible."
"I see."
He nodded along moderately.
Then, in a flash.
'Lately for undercover stuff, I went alone 'cause the detective insisted, but otherwise-'━━faint mutterings like that reached his ears, making PD Kim Bok-hyeon and the head writer snap their eyes wide and elbow each other.
Thud.
They exchanged glances.
'·········This concept's way too on-the-nose, right?'
'·········Nah, that's what makes it gold.'
It was starting to show.
The cheap ploy by this actor and his agency to set up a "I only know acting~" weirdo image.
Not bad at all.
'·········Yeah, this is the kind of guest we need.'
'·········Gonna be fun stripping him bare, even down to his bare face.'
PD and head writer toed each other under the table, thrilled at nailing a guest with solid drop potential for the public.
Tap.
Today wasn't for ripping into him anyway. It was recon day: gauge the guest's vibe, plan angles for the real shoot, and blueprint the image to burn into viewers' minds.
The real stripping━━with ex-profiler, psychologist, hypnotist on deck to peel away the facade━━wasn't far off.
"·········Speaking of which, Actor Lee Tae-gyu, you're already famous for interviewing every role in person, right?"
PD Kim Bok-hyeon and the head writer resolved to keep filming pre-interview footage for the experts.
Tae-gyu held his blank expression.
PD Kim Bok-hyeon started buttering him up.
"Honestly, I'm blown away. Makes me think acting ain't for just anyone."
"You're too kind."
"No, for real."
Truth was, for brutal shows like Your Heart Speaks, loosening guests up in pre-interviews was essential. The old feint-and-strike.
Insurance against last-minute flakes: We'll go easy till the real thing, no worries.
Of course, once taping hit, the gagman MC famous for roasting would shred them based on every word's truth value.
"All your roles so far have been so unique and intense, right?"
The viewer thrill from that. Viewer ratings climbing as payoff for massaging this sacrificial lamb on the altar of broadcasting━━that's why PD Kim Bok-hyeon fed the sweet talk.
"In the drama Monster City, a gambler; in the short film Sai-bi Church Maknae Son, a cult elder━━you even hit up real casinos and prisons for research?"
"That's right."
"Man, that's impressive. Not every actor hustles like you for interviews. I think that's why you blew up so fast."
Aimed at Tae-gyu, still stiff-faced like he was tense.
"Oh yeah, your Jeong Jong Yi Bang-gwa in Hoshi-jeol was killer too."
To lighten the mood, a joke tossed in.
"Did you interview for that role too? That fierce glare on screen━━damn, made me think you grilled a tiger or something, haha."
"Yes."
"Pardon?"
"Wild tiger."
"······?"
"Ah."
"······??"
"Thanks for noticing."
The response made PD Kim Bok-hyeon and the head writer glance at each other.
"Couldn't see one up close, of course. Company said booking a wild tiger was tough···"
His follow-up felt overkill even for a concept. The two shared a thought.
"But I didn't give up. With help from my DK Entertainment manager, I accessed the 24/7 cam site for ○○ Wildlife Park and interviewed a real wild tiger······"
This guy······ what the hell is he even saying······
After the pre-interview wrapped.
Click.
Lee Tae-gyu stepped out of the small conference room and nodded to Jang Team Leader, who'd stuck close by.
"·········Team Leader."
"How'd it go? Pre-interview okay?"
"Yeah."
"They didn't hit you with any weird questions?"
"Not really."
"If anything feels off, lemme know. Variety folks ain't all trustworthy."
"Got it, thanks."
Really, it wasn't bad.
No, almost refreshing, even.
Tae-gyu was human too. Sometimes the weight of his solitary burdens━━ones others couldn't grasp━━got heavy.
·········Maybe I should've spilled about the Dokkaebi Fire too.
No.
That'd just get him labeled nuts for sure.
·········Still, it was good.
Kim Bok-hyeon PD, was it? Just creating that safe space to open up proved he was a solid PD.
For Tae-gyu, who sometimes itched to vent his innards, this variety gig planted an odd spark of anticipation.
Yeah.
Sometimes he just wanted to play crazy and dump it all out.
These faint emotions that felt dim compared to normals, this Dokkaebi Fire power he'd gained, the haphazard path that landed him here━━Tae-gyu sometimes craved understanding for it all.
Whining won't change shit, though.
Jang Team Leader patted his shoulder, pointing at the floor with a finger as he spoke.
"Let's go. Car's waiting downstairs."
"Okay."
"Oh, shooting schedules dropped."
"Both?"
"Yeah, texting 'em over later. Things'll get tight soon, so start loosening up."
Tae-gyu's eyes sparkled at that.
Yeah.
Finally, back in the game.
At last·········!
Two films, one variety. The on-set buzz he'd missed like a dream tugged a faint smile onto Tae-gyu's lips.
Thump!
With the unique thrill of a returning actor.
Whoosh!
And full prep for it.
Meanwhile.
The other side, who'd been eyeing Tae-gyu for ages, was ready too.
In a study shrouded in pitch black.
━━━Thud!
A finger hit the laptop's Enter key, and a film director slumped from his chair like deflated tension.
"Phew."
Breathing out like a punctured balloon, the man was Jeon Yong-il.
Yes.
Blood enemy of Yoon Chang-ho and Korea's noir film director, he savored the exact same exhaustion the writers felt.
"·········Finally."
He'd poured everything in.
From the moment the rough draft leaked, he'd obsessed over snagging Tae-gyu with this script.
This was a masterpiece.
A killer scenario set to ignite a new wave in Korean noir━━self-praise as he grinned in satisfaction.
[ Send ]
Just as he clicked send.
···Click!
Around the same time.
···Click!
···Click!
···Click!
···Click!
···Click!
···Click!
···Click!
Including Jeon Yong-il's, eight scripts blasted into DK Entertainment's email.
In other words.
[ Stranger Tastes ]
Eight polished scripts from Korea's top directors, all gunning solely for Lee Tae-gyu.
And so.
A DK Entertainment Planning Team 3 staffer, peacefully pulling an all-nighter, thought:
"············What the hell is this."
Why not just make a dedicated Lee Tae-gyu team at this point?
Late night.
An hour ago, a middle-aged man inspecting his suits for a rare TV stint now tilted his glass on the sofa.
"·········"
Yeah.
Truth be told, he'd underestimated it a bit.
Variety, after all. Retirement plan was coasting through gigs leveraging his career for an easy Act 2.
But the fresh footage changed his mind.
"Well, not just that one thing······"
Mumbling excuses as he swirled the glass.
Truth was, he was curious too. They say actors' extreme immersion blurs their own fact from fiction.
So, truth or lie in their words? He'd wanted to test it for ages.
Yes.
He was a former lie detection expert.
Also a profiler, proven in police HQ and regional task forces.
Precisely.
His specialty: analyzing polygraphs from lie detectors. Pulse···breathing···sweat···blood pressure···precise reads to gauge the subject's state.
Hm.
These days, he just knew at a glance.
Even from afar. Expression, eyebrow twitches, facial muscle flinches, pupil position, neck-face angle, voice tremors━━he could tell truth from lie just by watching.
A honed instinct.
Years on the job turned experience into instant insight across a screen.
In that light.
Having looped the pre-interview footage from SBC's PD Kim Bok-hyeon 24 times already, he clenched his fist.
Grip.
His role in Your Heart Speaks: watch celebs' pre-interviews, craft questions to expose truths, corner liars with psych traps till they spill.
His forte.
- Wild tiger······
Starting the 25th playback of Lee Tae-gyu's clip, the feeling from earlier hit again.
- Can't share exact spot or time, but for gang busts too······
Been a while.
- Actually, undercover's my specialty······
━━━Gulp!
Met my match.