Chapter 102
Chapter 102
Is This Really Fun?
After a short wait, the recording for ‘Life Bar’ began. The set, designed to look like a stylish tavern, featured a table and grill in the center, the kind you’d see at a barbecue restaurant.
“Today, we have some truly legendary guests who were very difficult to book.”
“I almost screamed when I saw our guests in the waiting room.”
“Right? Me too.”
The main MC, Han Tae-hyung, announced Kim Ji-sung’s maternity leave and started his opening remarks. Today’s co-host, Park Ju-hyeon, chimed in.
“The emperor of the music industry, who recently released his fifth full-length album and is dominating the music charts, Mr. Choi Jun-yeong!”
“And the icon of our generation! Actor, Mr. Yu Yeon-seo!”
After the MC’s opening, Choi Jun-yeong and Yu Yeon-seo stood in the center.
“You’re both incredibly famous, but please, introduce yourselves. Shall we start with you, Jun-young?”
“Yes, hello.”
Choi Jun-yeong had to explain what song he’d made his comeback with, describe the album’s concept, and even fulfill Park Ju-hyeon’s request to sing a verse before he could finish his introduction.
“I’m Yu Yeon-seo.”
In contrast, Yu Yeon-seo simply bowed his head and gave a brief introduction.
“Wow, look at that confidence. No other explanation needed. Just that ‘everyone knows who I am by my name alone’ kind of cool.”
“He needs no introduction, right? Just as you’d expect from a celebrity who draws so much attention in Korea.”
The two MCs had different hosting styles. While Han Tae-hyung had a knack for pleasantly lifting people’s spirits with his smooth tone, Park Ju-hyeon had a strangely sarcastic way of speaking.
So this is why everyone dislikes him, Yu Yeon-seo thought as he sat down in the center.
“Ah, was inviting Park Ju-hyeon a mistake?”
“Still, with only three people, there’d be too much dead air. And it would be a burden for Tae-hyung to host alone.”
“To think Park Ju-hyeon was the only one available...”
The writers, whispering amongst themselves, glanced behind them. Lee Tae-gyeom and Im Seung-hyeon were watching the filming with their arms crossed, their expressions frighteningly stern. Lee Tae-gyeom didn’t look particularly threatening, but Im Seung-hyeon seemed ready to shut down the entire shoot if anything went wrong.
“Wow, their stares could burn a hole through him.”
“Park Ju-hyeon is well-versed in the rumors, so he’ll know to control himself... right?”
“I hope so. Surely he wouldn’t run his mouth with Yu Yeon-seo as the guest, right? We warned him to be so careful before the shoot.”
The writers whispered. The news of Entertainment Jump‘s sudden closure had quietly spread throughout the industry, and now, two years later, the rumors had grown legs. They claimed that messing with Yu Yeon-seo could bankrupt a decent-sized company, or that a producer who had been rude to him before had been fired. All sorts of wild tales were circulating.
“So, how did the two of you end up on our show together? I heard that Jun-young brought Yeon-seo along... Are you two close?”
“Ah, of course we are. Think of all the time we spent working together on that island.”
“We should probably hear Yeon-seo’s opinion on that, shouldn’t we?”
At Park Ju-hyeon’s words, Choi Jun-yeong leaned back comfortably against his chair, as if to say, Why ask something so obvious? Seeing this, Yu Yeon-seo raised one corner of his mouth and replied.
“We’re not that close.”
“Hey.”
Choi Jun-yeong, flustered, grabbed his shoulder. Even that gesture looked friendly, and Park Ju-hyeon watched them with a look of surprise.
“Wow, is this really your first talk show? You’ve got a knack for variety.”
“It’s comfortable with you as the MC, Han Tae-hyung. People told me I absolutely had to appear on this show.”
“Is that so?”
The main MC, Han Tae-hyung, laughed heartily at Yu Yeon-seo’s compliment.
“Jun-young, you self-produced all the tracks on this new album again, and you always have that ‘trust and listen’ modifier attached to your name, don’t you? How does that feel? Is it not burdensome?”
Han Tae-hyung focused on Choi Jun-yeong first. Since there were only two guests, there was plenty of time to focus on each of them. They talked about what Choi Jun-yeong had been up to lately and how he had conceptualized his album.
“Yeon-seo... it might be a bit strange to say this having just met you, but you’re incredibly handsome. You’re well aware of how good-looking you are, right?”
“I know.”
When Yu Yeon-seo replied with a relaxed smile, Han Tae-hyung clapped and laughed. Cheers could be heard from the production crew as well.
“Hey, what’s this? The reaction is so different from when I answer.”
“That’s because you, Jun-young...”
“Isn’t this lookism a bit much?”
“You have a handsome voice, Jun-young.”
The concept for today’s ‘Life Bar’ script was to tease Choi Jun-yeong from the start. He faithfully played his part, pretending to be wronged.
“Alright, Jun-young is busy promoting his new album... Yeon-seo, what have you been up to lately?”
“I’ve been resting well at home.”
“I did some research beforehand, and it seems there are a lot of fans looking for you.”
For an actor, haven’t I been pretty active? He’d been consistently appearing in the media for two years without any long breaks, so perhaps the fans felt a sense of thirst if he disappeared even for a short while. He simply smiled for now. In any case, it was a good feeling to know that so many people were looking for him.
“Well... I recently visited Su-ho on his set, and seeing that made me want to start thinking about my next project.”
“Ah, I have something to say about that.”
“What is it?”
Park Ju-hyeon grinned. Was it his imagination, or was there a hint of malice in that smile? It could be that he was prejudiced because of how Lee Tae-gyeom and Im Seung-hyeon had acted before the shoot. You only know a person after you’ve dealt with them.
However, after hearing what came next, Yu Yeon-seo felt it wasn’t prejudice but a sharp intuition at work.
“I just found this out myself, but Shin Ye-won said something in an interview with a certain magazine.”
“Did she?”
“She said that because your face was so handsome when you visited the set, she made a lot of mistakes that day.”
“Is that so? I only stopped by to see Su-ho briefly before leaving.”
“Oh, come on, really? You didn’t even say hello? You didn’t exchange numbers?”
His tone was also strangely sarcastic; there was a reason so many people avoided him.
‘Look at this guy.’
Why was he needlessly bringing up an actress, giving reporters fodder for sensational headlines? Weren’t they supposed to avoid topics like this?
When Yu Yeon-seo deliberately frowned and glanced at the camera, the director frantically crossed his arms to make an ‘X’ and looked desperately at Han Tae-hyung. It was clear that Park Ju-hyeon had asked an unapproved question without consulting the production team.
“Oh, for God’s sake... Who brought him in? Was it Writer Lee?”
“Writer Park.”
“Hah...”
Yu Yeon-seo’s variety sense wasn’t bad, either. The director thought it would have been perfectly fine to proceed with just the three of them, without Park Ju-hyeon.
Of course, scenes like this could just be edited out before the broadcast. But if they ruined Yu Yeon-seo’s mood, it was all over.
Yu Yeon-seo guaranteed ratings even on his own. They needed to leave a good impression now if they wanted to book him again in the future. That possibility was being destroyed by Park Ju-hyeon every time he opened his mouth.
“So you’re slowly looking into your next project... Do you have any other plans? A lot of people are curious about what you’ve been up to.”
Seeing the sign, Han Tae-hyung immediately changed the subject. It was a very natural transition, just as you’d expect from the man called the “Nation’s MC.”
“I’m thinking of trying something different this time.”
“Something different? Could we hear what it is?”
I’m scheduled to be appointed as an executive at my mother’s company soon. He couldn’t say that, so he just smiled.
“What kind of work do you think would suit me?”
“Wow, I didn’t expect a question back... How about a variety show? As it happens, Kim Ji-sung, who usually sits next to me, will be taking a few weeks off for maternity leave...”
“Me, as a co-host?”
“Why not? You’re doing great right now. This is your third time on a variety show, isn’t it?”
“I haven’t been on many.”
“So, you’re not seriously considering it?”
Han Tae-hyung was boosting Yu Yeon-seo up. It wasn’t flattery, but a clear intention to make the guest feel comfortable. He could see why so many fans wanted him to appear on ‘Life Bar’.
“Come on, being a host is different from being a guest, isn’t it?”
The only problem was the day’s co-host, Park Ju-hyeon, who was ruining the mood. He had recently set the internet ablaze with a slip of the tongue and was already anxious about his dwindling job opportunities. Coincidentally, the original co-host Kim Ji-sung was scheduled to be on maternity leave for a few weeks, and Park Ju-hyeon was eyeing that empty spot.
‘Surely Yu Yeon-seo has enough broadcast experience... He wouldn’t openly show his dislike for variety shows, would he?’
Of course, it was fine if he did. If he could create a controversial scene and generate buzz, the ratings and publicity were guaranteed. If that happened, Park Ju-hyeon thought, the temporary MC position would be his.
“How about releasing an album? You’re a good singer.”
“That’s right. I saw you sing, Yeon-seo. On that, uh, other variety program.”
As if noticing Park Ju-hyeon’s obvious attempt to check him, Han Tae-hyung and Choi Jun-yeong exchanged words and changed the subject again.
“Actually, Jun-hyung did say he’d give me a song as a condition for coming on this show with him.”
“Oh, that’s great. But Jun-young, surely you’re not just going to give him one song?”
Choi Jun-yeong, who had been gulping down water, spoke as if he’d made up his mind.
“If he wants, I’ll produce the entire album for him. If he wants it.”
“Ooh. Are we about to see him conquer the charts right after you, Jun-young?”
“I’d love that. Actors have fan meetings and things, right? Su-ho had one a few days ago... Anyway, it would be perfect to sing at a fan meeting.”
“And you, Jun-young, would collect the royalties?”
“Hey, Tae-hyung... you know it.”
Choi Jun-yeong grinned, and Han Tae-hyung laughed, lightly patting his shoulder.
“What do you think, Yeon-seo?”
“I’ll think about it seriously.”
Yu Yeon-seo laughed along. With the stage set so perfectly, he thought it wouldn’t be a bad idea to give it a try.
Then Park Ju-hyeon, who had been chiming in from the side, opened his mouth again.
“But really, Yeon-seo is so handsome. Right?”
What is he going to say this time... It was a compliment, but it felt unsettling. Han Tae-hyung’s eyes trembled slightly.
“All the other celebrities who’ve seen you in person have unanimously picked you as the most handsome male celebrity, haven’t they?”
“It’s understandable. I find my head turning this way too. I just want to keep looking.”
“Plus, they call you the celebrity of celebrities these days, right? How about it? You must get hit on by a lot of female celebrities, right? Have you had your number asked for a lot?”
“Ah, why are you talking about that? This isn’t the 90s.”
It must have been an unscripted question, because the director shot up and waved his hands frantically. A sense of urgency was plain on his face.
‘Why? This is the kind of talk that raises ratings. Han Tae-hyung’s lost his touch.’
His attempt to create drama was commendable, but the show’s nature was far from sensationalist to begin with.
“...”
Yu Yeon-seo didn’t answer, simply staring intently at Park Ju-hyeon with a smile on his lips. The atmosphere was one he couldn’t easily handle, and Park Ju-hyeon lowered his gaze, avoiding eye contact.
‘What’s with that look in his eyes...’
His pride wounded for no reason, he changed targets and turned his arrow on Choi Jun-yeong.
“Jun-young, you got any news?”
“Hey, when did I become just ‘Jun-young’? I’m not a rookie anymore.”
Despite the rather rude question, Choi Jun-yeong replied with a smile. As a singer and actor, he was good at controlling his expression, but he didn’t feel the same way inside.
“The royalties must be treating you well these days, huh?”
“I earn more than you do.”
“What about that person from the dating rumors? Any good news?”
Han Tae-hyung was aghast and waved his hands dismissively. Choi Jun-yeong said it was fine and just laughed it off.
‘Still, having the attention on me is uncomfortable, but also a relief.’
In truth, Choi Jun-yeong had been quite tense about Park Ju-hyeon’s appearance. During his rookie days, he had gotten caught up in Park Ju-hyeon’s persistent questioning and had a hard time for a while.
If Park Ju-hyeon had relentlessly targeted Yu Yeon-seo, it would have been awkward for him to face Yeon-seo later. After all, he was the one who suggested they appear together, and he wouldn’t have felt at ease if Yeon-seo was only subjected to strange questions.
“Hah...”
While Choi Jun-yeong was laughing it off, Yu Yeon-seo let out a deep sigh, leaned back comfortably, and crossed his arms. He had his legs crossed, a posture that could look arrogant at first glance.
“Is ‘Life Bar’ always this kind of show? This is boring.”
The set went cold at his remark. Park Ju-hyeon, who had shut his mouth in bewilderment, finally realized his mistake and tried to salvage the situation. He was the type to speak without thinking and regret it later.
“Uh... Yeon-seo, you probably don’t know because you haven’t been on many variety shows, but everyone asks these kinds of questions. We can just edit it out.”
“This isn’t about variety shows. It’s a matter of basic character.”
Contrary to his low, suppressed tone, he wore a smile on his lips. That made him look even more menacing.
“Prying into other people’s love lives and attacking them with it, things no one is even curious about... I guess you find that fun, Park Ju-hyeon.”
“Uh... I didn’t intend to attack anyone.”
“So you think dating rumors are a positive thing for a singer with a large fanbase? Is talking about who asked for whose number really that fun? Seriously?”
“...”
“Is this something to say on a broadcast? Save this stuff for your private life. No, honestly, even in private, you know it’s rude to the person being talked about, right?”
No matter if they edited it out later, this had crossed a line. As Yu Yeon-seo stared down Park Ju-hyeon, his eyes glinting sharply, the director hurriedly shouted.
“Let’s take a short break from filming!”