Chapter 163
Chapter 163
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 163
Chapter Title: Fame's Double Edge
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The role of a PD in a program is incredibly important.
They can revive a failing show.
Or, conversely, they can completely ruin a hit program.
The new PD Park who joined You Quiz was a perfect example.
"Yoo Jae-suk and Jo Se-ho are waiting for you."
"Got it? I'll head over right now."
Opinions on the newly appointed PD Park were overwhelmingly positive.
He'd taken an already successful program and made it soar even higher.
Everyone—from the variety department to the viewers—praised PD Park without reservation.
As PD Park walked into the meeting room, the staff whispered among themselves.
"Wow... PD Park is seriously legendary, right? How does he jump straight to the majors like that?"
"He pulled off what no one else could. But how'd he even book them?"
"Word is, it wasn't a booking—one of the guests is family to Hunter Yong-un."
"Hunter Yong-un's family? Like, actual family?"
"That's the rumor."
"Not just a gold spoon, but a diamond spoon. Hunter Yong-un's family... I want in on that. From the episode, it must be that handsome hunter guy, right?"
"Has to be. Explains all the screen time."
"So jealous..."
PD Park opened the meeting room door, the corner of his mouth curling into a smirk at the whispers, and stepped inside.
Stepping into the meeting room, Yoo Jae-suk and Jo Se-ho greeted PD Park with a heavier atmosphere than usual.
"You call a sudden meeting... What's going on?"
PD Park, brighter than usual, greeted Yoo Jae-suk and Jo Se-ho.
"You're here?"
Yoo Jae-suk typically used casual speech with PDs he was close to, but since he'd never worked with PD Park before, he spoke politely.
PD Park smiled and teased him lightly.
"Jae-suk hyung, feel free to drop the honorifics. Talk to me casually, like you did with Hwang sunbae."
The mention of the previous PD, called Hwang sunbae, brought a bitter smile to Yoo Jae-suk's face.
"I'll figure that out in time. But did you catch the latest episode?"
"Yes, I gave the final sign-off for broadcast myself. Why? Something wrong...?"
"Why'd you add that narration at the start?"
PD Park leaned back against his chair with a laugh.
"Ah, that's what this is about?"
Yoo Jae-suk and Jo Se-ho's expressions darkened at PD Park's nonchalant demeanor, as if it were no big deal.
"The guests were special, so I tried a fresh directing approach. Reviews were great, ratings too. If the chance comes up again, I'll do it more. You hate it?"
"Narration as directing is fine if the ratings hold. What I'm saying is, why phrase it that way at the beginning? This could blow up big later."
"Why? Doesn't seem like an issue to me. I never claimed I booked them."
Yoo Jae-suk frowned ever so slightly.
He'd offered advice, but it seemed PD Park wasn't hearing a word.
Jo Se-ho glanced back and forth between them, his face a mix of confusion and unease at PD Park's brazen confidence.
"I truly love this show You Quiz. I want to keep meeting the viewers for as long as possible."
"I know. Korea's top national MC, aren't you?"
PD Park even gave a thumbs-up.
Yoo Jae-suk's briefly relaxed expression darkened once more.
"Please take good care of us. I'll head out first. That was the point of coming."
Yoo Jae-suk rose from his seat.
Jo Se-ho knew it the instant he stood.
Yoo Jae-suk had given up.
In the broadcasting world, hardly anyone got the cold shoulder from Yoo Jae-suk.
Especially not a PD on the same show.
But he'd given up.
"Yes, see you next week."
"Yeah, fighting."
As Yoo Jae-suk headed out, Jo Se-ho hurried after him.
Out in the hallway, Yoo Jae-suk gave the surrounding staff a quick nod of greeting before boarding the elevator.
"What a shame."
Yoo Jae-suk shook his head with a bitter look.
"I'd heard the rumors, but I didn't expect a PD this unwilling to listen."
Yoo Jae-suk let out a deep sigh at Jo Se-ho's words.
"He won't hear it now. One success, and he thinks it's the formula."
"Going sensational worked this time, but the backlash could be brutal... We good like this?"
Yoo Jae-suk, head bowed, placed a hand on Jo Se-ho's shoulder.
"It'll work itself out somehow."
Pat pat.
After patting his shoulder, Yoo Jae-suk walked to the elevator doors.
They were in the underground parking lot where his car was parked.
"Head in. Good work today."
"No, no. Sunbae! Rest well."
Jo Se-ho bowed a full 90 degrees.
Yoo Jae-suk burst into laughter at the sight, gave a light wave, and headed to his car in the lot.
"Sigh."
Once Yoo Jae-suk was gone, Jo Se-ho let out a heavy sigh and closed the elevator doors.
The You Quiz episode featuring Yong-un racked up massive views even on replays and reruns.
It meant tons of people were dying to know more about Yong-un.
"Total smash hit, as expected."
PD Park's smile wouldn't fade as he checked the view counts.
"I'm like a genius. Views, ratings, cozy ties with the director and Iron Army Guild. Impressive, right? Anyone my age or experience pulling off success like this?"
"Classic PD Park. Knew the old PD was done for!"
"This is just the beginning, kid. Iron Army Guild loved the image boost—said if a big scandal hits later, they'll do an exclusive broadcast with me."
"For real?"
The staffer sucking up beside him looked genuinely shocked.
Everything else might be fluff, but Iron Army Guild offering exclusive rights? That was legit startling.
This was the Gate era—the Hunters' era.
Internet articles and newspapers brimmed with Hunter stories; interest was off the charts.
Hunter shows proliferated, and news on the so-called Big Five guilds drew massive attention as prime content.
And now, one of those Big Five—Iron Army Guild—was handing him exclusive access.
"For life! I'll follow you, PD Park!"
In broadcasting terms, that was as good as made it.
Unlike the usual bootlicking, this was sincere.
Can't be the snake's head? Fine, be the dragon's tail.
"Hey, kid, craving coffee."
"On it right away!"
PD Park grinned wide at the staffer bolting out.
"Opportunities aren't handed down from heaven—they're made by me."
He sank back into his chair, propped both feet on the desk, and closed his eyes with a dreamy smile.
Crack.
"Huh?"
Thud.
In that instant, the chair's back snapped, sending PD Park crashing to the floor.
"Ow..."
He punched the wrecked chair.
"Bought it yesterday, my ass—not Chinese crap? New and it breaks? Damn it..."
PD Park stormed out, face twisted in irritation.
After the You Quiz episode aired, Iron Army Guild ended up far busier than the predicted rush at Armand Shopping Mall.
Especially Jun-su, the guild's youngest A-Rank Hunter—and the fastest to reach it—who was barely scraping by on 2-3 hours of sleep a day.
"Can I catch a nap?"
After a grueling 20-hour ad shoot, Jun-su climbed into the car with bleary eyes.
The guild member in the passenger seat—Iron Army Guild staffer who'd shadowed him like a bodyguard during You Quiz—shook his head.
"No time for sleep. Straight to the movie set."
"Movie? Can't I snooze on the way?"
"Schedule's sliced razor-thin; crew beat us there. Say hi."
Only then did Jun-su notice someone else in the car.
"Ah... Hello."
"Yes, but we need to do makeup and hair styling—no sleeping, I'm afraid."
"Okay.... Please do."
The car door shut.
True to form as staff from the film company, they were pros.
Even in the speeding car, they flawlessly applied intricate makeup and styled his hair on Jun-su.
Gazing out at the blurring scenery and the darkening sky, Jun-su muttered to himself.
"Team leader."
The guild member up front replied curtly, without turning.
"What."
"Is all this really okay?"
The response was blunt, no movement.
But something about Jun-su's question felt off, so the guild member twisted around to look.
"Cut the weird talk and get your makeup done."
"I'm busy, raking in cash, living the celebrity dream—it feels great. So why this gnawing guilt?"
"Shut it. Keep yapping, and you might get cut from Iron Army Guild."
Jun-su clamped his mouth shut at the team leader's hard line.
Streetlights flickered on one by one against the rushing nightscape.
As if shoving back the darkness churning in Jun-su's frantic heart, their glow lit up the shadowed streets.
Guiding the way ahead, just like that.
"Haa..."
Jun-su sighed deeply and closed his eyes, drifting into quiet sleep.
The next morning.
Korea's mass media ignited once more.
Headlines dominated morning portals:
Article readers hunted down the ad and instantly felt the sheer power of the Yong-un effect.
This wasn't a megacorp spot—it was from a mid-tier company.
Yet, with zero promo, just dropped raw, Armand Shopping Mall's ad was shattering view records.
"Man, having a star sibling pays off big."
Director Bang Mi-kyung, co-running the company with Sena, let out a soft gasp of admiration.
It had blown past a million views in a single day, and post-article surge pushed it over five million already.
The ad's impact spoke for itself—nay, it was shattering peaks.
"But who's this pair?"
Mi-kyung asked Sena, who was smiling.
"Who?"
"The two models flanking Hunter Yong-un. Comments on them are insane too."
Standing on either side of Yong-un—who stood center as outfits cycled—were the Venom Witch and the Dancer, their clothes shifting in sync.
Sena's lips curved into a sly grin.
"Yong-un's underlings. Pretty, huh?"
"Pretty? That's underselling it. How to put it... They've got this pull, like magnets. Check the comments."
Of course, most comments were about Yong-un, but mentions of the Venom Witch and Dancer were surprisingly plentiful.
In an ad viewers came for thanks to Hunter Yong-un, four out of every ten comments name-dropped the models—that showed just how captivating their beauty was.
The comment section was on fire.
Sena scrolled through slowly before closing her laptop.
"Glad we locked them into exclusive model contracts."
She tossed it out casually.
"What?"
A smile crept across Director Mi-kyung's face.
"Exclusive contracts with those two? For real?"
"They're gorgeous, aren't they? In this looks-obsessed world, pretty faces rule supreme. Found raw gems—can't just hand 'em off."
"Sena boss as always! Nailed it. Absolutely nailed it."
Sena wore a faint smile as the phones rang out across headquarters.
Not just a few times louder than usual—dozens of times.
She nodded at the cacophony.
This should've kicked off two days ago.
But meddling edits threw off expectations, so the harvest fell short.
'Actually... thanks for that?'
Sena let out a soft chuckle.
She was grateful for You Quiz's editing choices.
If not for that, Yong-un wouldn't have stepped up so directly.
Better this way.
They said crisis breeds opportunity.
With Yong-un as their jet engine—better than You Quiz wings—it was time to soar.
"Get ready, unni."
Sena pulled out her phone abruptly.
Mi-kyung, browsing comments on her own, blinked in confusion.
"Huh?"
"Time to climb higher and lock it in. Satisfied with the bubble? Beef up the staff numbers."
Sena fiddled with her phone and dialed someone.
Mi-kyung, about to ask, caught the contact name and beamed.
[Sponsor? Nah. Jet Engine Yong-un.]
Those two words—Yong-un—sprang her into action.
Mi-kyung shot up and bolted out, shouting,
"Prep a meeting! I'm coming in now!"
The president's office, now just Sena.
"~ Little bro~ You been good? Pfft, 'changed'? Nonsense, bro~ Anyway, how 'bout hopping on another show with your unni this time?"