Chapter 25
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: In My Heart, Han Chaewon Has Always Been an Idol
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“Doesn't it feel like it'll turn out better than expected?”
Right after the pre-shoot meeting wrapped up.
The four production staff members lingering in the conference room that Yumin and Chaewon had just left wore confident smirks on their faces.
“Chaewon always kills it on variety shows, so I wasn't worried about her.”
“Yeah. Yumin's got this subtle charm that's surprisingly fun. He's got such a unique vibe.”
Jo Yoona, the PD, nodded as she gave her positive assessment, and Yang Jaehoon, the writer, gestured in agreement.
The two junior PDs sitting across from them nodded along enthusiastically.
“Maybe it's because they're friends, but they have so many similarities. Their honesty, their confidence...”
“Shamelessness. But it's not off-putting at all—it's super charming. Guess you need the visuals to back it up.”
“Exactly. Normally, no one could hold a candle to Chaewon's looks, but Yumin's just as handsome.”
Jo Yoona caught the shy smile on Junior PD Park Siyun's face and pointed at her with a laugh.
“What? Siyun, you crushing on Yumin?”
“N-No, it's not like that. But he is really good-looking...”
“You don't even need to wave it off like that? So cute.”
“Ever's selfcams usually hit around three million views, right?”
The conversation naturally shifted to business, and all four focused immediately.
Yang Jaehoon had brought it up, and the other junior PD, Heo Yunjae, answered.
“Yes. They get about three hundred thousand in the first week, and by the end of the month, they average five hundred thousand.”
“Yunjae, so what do you think this one will pull?”
Heo Yunjae couldn't hide his fluster at his senior PD's question.
He might not have a solid answer, but he wasn't about to look clueless, so he ventured a guess.
“Ever's vlogs usually hit two hundred thousand, selfcams five hundred thousand, but this vlog hit ten million in a week, so...”
“So?”
“At least three hundred thousand, right, sunbaenim?”
“Oho, three hundred thousand?”
It was an ambiguous tone—neither affirming nor denying.
With one corner of his mouth quirked up in a cryptic expression, Heo Yunjae mirrored the uncertainty.
This time, Yang Jaehoon turned to the other junior PD, Park Siyun.
“What about you, Siyun?”
“Hmm... Even for a debut, we could expect six hundred thousand, right? We're editing it just like the existing vlogs, but with the added planning, it'll be even more structured and fun.”
“Oho. Six hundred thousand.”
“...Did I overshoot?”
“Nah? I like the confidence. Doesn't mean Yunjae's lacking any—he had solid reasoning too.”
“Exactly. The key is that our juniors know this content could easily rack up millions if we nail it.”
Jo Yoona smiled languidly as she eyed the two juniors.
She quickly skimmed the interview notes she'd jotted down earlier on her laptop and continued.
“As you saw in the meeting just now, filming them just talking is already sitcom gold and pure content. Fans want exactly that raw feel, so we need to preserve it as much as possible.”
“Since it's going on Ever's YouTube, Chaewon should take the bigger share, but considering Yumin's unexpected popularity, we should maximize shots of them together.”
“To weave in how they've been friends for fifteen years, we need to keep creating environments that jog their memories, just like we planned.”
“Like we said from the start, editing should stay as true to the footage as possible. Forcing the funny bits to be funnier might kill their chemistry and vibe.”
As Jo Yoona tapped away on her keyboard to log the notes, Yang Jaehoon propped his chin and neatly outlined the direction.
Twenty-five years of combined experience.
Even with just a few exchanges, the two rookies watching could feel the seasoned expertise, their eyes sparkling.
“We'll do our absolute best beside you sunbaenim...!!”
“Someday we'll be veterans like you two, right?!”
“Anyone who survives this industry ends up like this.”
“Yeah. Try pulling an all-nighter in the edit bay once.”
The veterans couldn't fathom why the juniors were suddenly so fired up.
“Let's dive into the main interview now.”
At this rate, they'd bicker endlessly.
Jo Yoona PD sensed the crisis and swiftly cut in to interrupt them.
Fortunately, the two snapped to attention, flashing awkward smiles at the camera...
But it felt less like they were mindful of the shoot and more like they were embarrassed someone had witnessed their spat.
“For our first question—something pretty fundamental—do you two remember your very first meeting?”
“...First. The earliest memory.”
“Hmm...”
Yumin rested his chin between his clasped hands, thumbs and index fingers forming a gap, while Chaewon pursed her lips and gazed at the ceiling.
Then, as if on cue, they turned to face each other at the exact same moment...
“Was it first grade?”
“Probably first grade.”
Thankfully, they both recalled the same time.
“I first saw her at the entrance ceremony and thought, 'Whoa, she's tiny,'” Chaewon said.
For some reason, she puffed up proudly, scanning Yumin up and down.
Yumin ignored her and continued without missing a beat.
“This kid from another class came rampaging into ours... Yeah. I remember thinking she was so noisy—that's probably my first memory.”
“...What? What did you just say?”
“You had so much spunk. Slipped out.”
“Since when did 'rampaging' and 'spunk' become the same thing?”
“PD-nim gets stressed when we fight. Look, she's making that face like she regrets starting this.”
“Ah, no? I-I'm not making any face!”
Was it that obvious?
Jo Yoona hurriedly smiled to mask her expression.
She'd only just broken up their last spat, and here they were bickering again—she knew something was off.
But she was missing one key point...
“This is precious footage. I've done enough variety to know—this is definitely going in.”
“We're filming a documentary here?”
“...PD-nim, sorry, but can we cut for a sec?”
“Time is money—we can't. Let's move to the next question.”
To them, this wasn't fighting; it was just daily life.
“...So, can we hear your first impressions of each other?”
Just ten minutes into the shoot, Jo Yoona already looked drained, but they pressed on.
“Quiet, good at studying, super prickly no matter what I said.”
“What does 'prickly' even mean?”
“Well... You know. You seemed cheap.”
“...You thought I was picky and stingy?”
“Honestly, back then, your social skills were zero. No matter what I said, your reactions were so lukewarm I couldn't tell if you were responding at all.”
Chaewon nodded emphatically, eyes wide with disbelief as Yumin pointed at himself.
Before it could escalate again, Jo Yoona quickly turned the same question on Yumin...
“...Honestly, I don't remember my first impression at all.”
He gave a sheepish grin, utterly unapologetic.
His brutally honest answer made her bite her lip.
“I figured you'd say that.”
Chaewon, on the other hand, smiled as if she'd called it, shrugging nonchalantly.
“I'll tell you exactly what it was. You must've thought, 'What an annoying kid.'”
“Oh. Yeah, that sounds right. First impression nailed.”
“Ugh. Nailed it, and it still feels kinda crappy?”
Yumin snapped his fingers with a grin, and Chaewon quirked one side of her mouth in annoyed amusement.
The content's core concept was to show how these two maintained a fifteen-year friendship across past, present, and future.
Sensing they were veering into sitcom territory instead, Jo Yoona pulled out a card she'd saved for later.
“Yumin-ssi, a question for you: Do you remember when Chaewon first told you she wanted to be an idol?”
“...Honestly, that's fuzzy for me too. Kang Yumin, you remember when that was?”
“...Uh, yeah, I think so? Hang on...”
Yumin drifted into thought with a faint smile.
All eyes in the room turned to him, and before ten seconds had passed, he spoke up again.
“Probably the playground. Third grade elementary. I remember Chaewon blurting out she was gonna be an idol while we were playing.”
Yumin nodded repeatedly, his words coming out low and deliberate, syllable by syllable.
His expression had turned markedly serious compared to moments ago.
“Truth is, back then or even now, I don't have any 'spark' myself. But Chaewon was always bursting with it from a young age. Watching her sing and dance anywhere, anytime—I secretly thought she was amazing.”
“...Really?”
“For an introverted, timid guy like me, just speaking up confidently in front of people is impressive enough. But you added singing and dancing. Every lunch break at the assembly hall, I'd think, 'Whoa, there's someone like that?'”
Yumin smiled, lost in the memory.
Chaewon gazed at him in surprise and continued.
“What? Back in the day, I'd ask if you'd seen me dance, and you'd be like, 'I was reading,' or 'I was sleeping,' pretending you didn't know or hadn't seen.”
“...Did I?”
“You rascal. You were my fan even back then. How's my number one fan gonna be so shy?”
Chaewon gave his shoulder a light nudge, and Yumin cleared his throat awkwardly.
“So when Chaewon said she was gonna be an idol, it didn't faze me. Just, 'Oh, okay...? Yeah, that fits you.' Nothing big. I didn't grasp how huge debuting as an idol was back then, so...”
Yumin glanced sideways at Chaewon.
He stared at her intently for a few seconds, then nodded faintly with a soft chuckle.
“What hasn't changed from then till now is that her being an idol feels completely natural and obvious to me. In my heart, Han Chaewon has always been an idol.”
“...”
“...Ah, crap. This is variety TV.”
“Wh-What? You literally just called it a docu yourself.”
Unable to hide his embarrassment, Yumin ducked his head, while Chaewon fiddled with her nose bridge, her lips twitching.
Childhood friends share so much unspoken understanding, but at the end of the day, they're still just people.
Some things only become clear when said aloud. And precisely because they're childhood friends, some truths stay buried even longer.
This is it.
Jo Yoona locked onto the perfect direction in her mind. She glanced at Yang Jaehoon, who wore a satisfied look as he jotted something down.
They'd felt the same thing.
Just tighten up the narrative a bit more.
Jo Yoona gave a mental thumbs-up and pulled out the item she'd prepared.
“We'll wrap the first interview here. Now, we're giving you a mission.”
“A mission in a docu?”
“See? Told you it's variety.”
The two reacted similarly.
Jo Yoona shrugged and retrieved the prepared materials from an envelope behind her.
Yumin stood to take it, and...
“...Where did you even get this?”
Yumin and Chaewon stared wide-eyed in shock.