Chapter 187
You Must Do This
“Yeah, it’s called ‘Afternoon Cafe,‘ hosted by S Company... Have you heard of it?”
Yu Yeon-seo received a report from Cha Yun-ho every morning. It was a document that detailed everything from analysis of current trends in the broadcasting world—including dramas and variety shows, not just film—to what was flopping, recent public opinion online, and even minor rumors circulating in the entertainment industry.
“I know it. Didn’t it have a good run until season one?”
In its early days, ‘Afternoon Cafe’ had quickly built a viewership by featuring not only celebrities but also citizen heroes and people from lesser-known professions, covering a wide range of topics.
But the problem started when the PD changed and it relaunched for what was essentially season two. It failed to generate the same buzz as the first season, its ratings steadily declined, and the report mentioned there was even talk of cancellation.
“So, why bring it up?”
“It looks like they were filming nearby. The writer there recognized me and pleaded, asking if you could make a surprise appearance, pretending to just be passing by...”
Lee Tae-gyeom scratched the back of his head, looking troubled.
He never intended to accept the request in the first place, but frankly, he had been trying to flee after being intimidated by Im Seung-hyeon’s deep frown.
(Is this the famous secretary? Perfect. Could you two please mention it to Yeon-seo?)
(Well, you see... you know how it is. Even if we pass on the message, it depends on whether our actor is in the mood...)
(But wouldn’t he listen to you two, since you’ve worked with him for so long? Ah, please, just mention it once.)
(We really have to get going...)
(Manager, no! Sir! Please save our show!)
But Writer Ryu from ‘Afternoon Cafe’ had persistently followed them, begging them to just ask him once.
No exaggeration, she had followed them right up to here, only retreating with lingering reluctance when he promised he would at least mention it. Even then, she didn’t forget to shove her business card into Lee Tae-gyeom’s pocket.
“She just asked me to tell you. If you’re not up for it, we’ll just go home.”
“Hah...”
He’d sent him out to check for anyone suspicious, but he never imagined he’d come back with an unexpected schedule. Seeing Yu Yeon-seo’s unenthusiastic expression, Lee Tae-gyeom quickly waved his hands and spoke.
“There was no one around for you to worry about, okay? Seung-hyeon was with me, he saw it too.”
“Young Master, you must do this.”
“Huh? Seung-hyeon, what are you talking about all of a sudden?”
Didn’t he hate the idea? Lee Tae-gyeom looked up at Im Seung-hyeon in surprise. But Im Seung-hyeon was staring at Yu Yeon-seo with a grimly determined expression.
What’s this? It’s not often he gets this worked up... I should at least hear him out.
“Why?”
“Someone claiming to be your look-alike is appearing on the show today.”
That persistent guy CEO Han mentioned? But why would Im Seung-hyeon be indignant about that? Im Seung-hyeon showed genuine concern for his health and for catching Lee Hui-seo’s killer, but he never overstepped when it came to his work.
At the Young Master’s expression demanding a reason, Im Seung-hyeon cleared his throat softly.
“You know that my younger sister is your fan, right?”
“I do. I remember giving her a script...”
The memory was quite vivid. He had been grateful for her dedication—her willingness to support him even if it meant using the loophole of supporting the drama itself rather than him directly. He’d given her the script as a small test, to see if she would abuse her position as a fan club administrator for personal gain, but Im Hye-ju had received it and distributed it fairly through a vote.
Furthermore, she had apparently never tried to use her connection—her brother being the personal secretary of her favorite actor—to get special treatment. She would only call with slightly excessive worry, asking how he was now after the news broke that he had collapsed...
“Well... because of that person claiming to be your look-alike, she’s been complaining to me. A lot.”
Remembering his sister’s harsh words, Im Seung-hyeon’s face crumpled into a frown.
Aha, I think I get the picture. Im Seung-hyeon was quite close with his sister. Judging by his expression, his sister must have been very upset about it.
‘Do the fans hate it?’
I don’t really care...
The hair artist styling his hair chimed into the conversation.
“Oh, the look-alike? You mean that MyTuber? What was his name... Lee Yoon-seo?”
“You know him too, Manager?”
“Of course. I’m a fan of yours, Yeon-seo. But he’s famous even among non-fans.”
“Hm, is that so?”
Seeing that Yu Yeon-seo seemed uninterested, the hair manager clenched her fist as if it were her own personal battle.
“Ugh, he’s so annoying. He doesn’t even look like you, so why do shows keep inviting him on?”
“Who are you talking about? Oh, that guy?”
“He is a bit strange... Have you seen him on TV? He looks even weirder than on MyTube.”
“These days, it’s easy to edit your own camera footage. You can’t do that on a broadcast, so his true face was revealed.”
“He got a little attention for being your look-alike, and now I hear he’s planning to launch a fashion brand?”
“Wow, really?”
The staff members who had been eavesdropping nearby almost all gathered around. It was easy to win people’s favor. He had only made eye contact and smiled a few times.
‘Anyway, why is everyone like this?’
They were all genuinely worked up about this Lee Yoon-seo person. Moreover, the stories of Lee Yoon-seo’s misdeeds pouring from their mouths were quite detailed and persistent. He must have been using my name a lot. No wonder CEO Han called him persistent...
“Your sister must have been a fan for a long time, huh?”
“She’s on the fan cafe staff and is some kind of fansite master? She does things like that, but I don’t know the details.”
“Is she perhaps ‘Yeon-seo, Found a Nation’?”
At the words of an employee from the advertiser’s side who was listening from behind, Yu Yeon-seo almost spat out the water he was drinking.
“What? What did you say?”
“It makes sense that you wouldn’t know... Fans tend to use nicknames like that.”
As if I wouldn’t know. Ever since entering this body, I was the one who had dived deep into the internet to understand what people of this era did and to grasp the public opinion about me.
‘Yeon-seo, Found a Nation’ was one of the more polite nicknames among them. What had caught his attention were the gem-like posts of gushing praise left by ‘Yeon-seo, Found a Nation’.
-Why does no one get that our Yeon-seo’s main job is simply existing, and he’s a master at it? The corners of his eyes turn up slightly, but they aren’t sharp, and his eyes are so deep they pull you in. His jaw looks slender from the front, but from the side, the angle below his ear is so sophisticated, giving him a surprising edge. His low, gentle voice isn’t overbearing but has a charm that can hypnotize anyone. Anyway, it’s not my fault. Yu Yeon-seo is just too damn perfect. People criticize him for not being good at his ‘main job,‘ but Yu Yeon-seo is a born actor and celebrity just by existing.
-After seeing Yu Yeon-seo in all black with his hair half-up, I’m putting on the silver bracelets myself and heading to prison. No questions. I don’t know why his very existence turns me into a total pervert, but I’ll hold back because writing down all my feelings here would be dangerous.
-Yu Yeon-seo was spotted in Gangnam? Why didn’t they send out an emergency alert? Shouldn’t something like that warrant a national alert? What is the emergency response team doing? When a man with a face of national importance is walking brazenly down the street, wouldn’t everyone who passes by be blinded and end up in the ER? Ah, I should have been there to roll out a red carpet for our Yeon-seo and receive the stigmata in my eyes ㅠㅠㅠ
Im Hye-ju resembled Im Seung-hyeon, so her first impression was quite calm. Could such a shy and gentle-looking person really have written those things?
“I’m not too sure about that either...”
In fact, he had unintentionally seen his sister’s phone screen once. ‘Yeon-seo, Found a Nation’ was Im Hye-ju’s second account.
Im Seung-hyeon took a step back. He hadn’t expected the situation to get this heated, but in any case, it was a good thing for him.
No matter how much someone claims to be a look-alike, they can’t beat the original. He also hoped Yu Yeon-seo would make a brief appearance and completely humble the look-alike, putting him in his place. That way, he wouldn’t have to be pestered by his sister either...
“Your secretary is looking at you so earnestly. How about you go on the show once?”
“Don’t we still have more to shoot?”
“We only have the last scene left. And since you’re so good, Yeon-seo, we’re already ahead of schedule.”
Is that so... I was planning to go home after this schedule, receive the remaining memories, and rest... He first searched for Lee Yoon-seo on a portal site.
“Instead of this, let’s get back to filming quickly!”
“I don’t know how the timing could be this perfect. You should go, just for a change of pace. Fans have been saying there’s no new content lately, so they’re rewatching your old dramas...”
“Honestly, I hope you put that guy in his place, Yeon-seo. He’s been using your name so much that it’s getting on my nerves.”
With everyone reacting like this, there was no reason not to. It felt rather nice that they were all getting angry as if it were their own problem. And as a form of employee welfare, he should probably help Im Seung-hyeon escape his sister’s complaints.
“I didn’t realize you were all so interested in me.”
“Of course!”
“We’re all your fans, Yeon-seo.”
It wasn’t just lip service. Earlier, when Yu Yeon-seo had walked onto the commercial set, they had to hold their breath. They knew he was handsome, of course, but the very aura surrounding him was different. He possessed a charm that could turn even a non-fan into a fan upon meeting him in person.
They could guarantee it: the person claiming to be his look-alike wouldn’t hold a candle to Yu Yeon-seo.
Yu Yeon-seo turned his head to Lee Tae-gyeom.
“......Where did you say it was?”
At that, everyone clapped and cheered.
Lee Yoon-seo, confidently mimicking the outfit Yu Yeon-seo had worn at the airport, proceeded with the filming of ‘Afternoon Cafe’.
“Ah, so you’re saying it’s burdensome to receive attention for being Yu Yeon-seo’s look-alike?”
“Yes, I wasn’t thinking anything of it, but people around me kept saying I resemble him and asking if I wouldn’t consider becoming a celebrity...”
‘Wasn’t thinking anything of it,‘ my ass. How many shows have you been on using Yu Yeon-seo’s name... is what she wanted to say, but the MC was a professional and moved on to the next question without a change in her expression.
“Isn’t it a good thing to be told you resemble him?”
“Ah, but it’s actually quite stressful for me...”
Watching the filming, PD Park of ‘Afternoon Cafe’ clicked his tongue and shook his head.
“I think we chose the wrong guest for this segment.”
“Right?”
“He just claims to be a look-alike, but he’s not funny, has no personal talents, he can’t do anything... Look how awkward Hyo-in is. It’s not easy to make her like that. This is my fault.”
The MC, Choi Hyo-in, was a so-called “announcer-turned-entertainer,” a veteran host. Even someone like her was struggling to fill airtime, trying her best to package someone who didn’t even look the part but insisted he did.
“P-PD-nim. I-I’ve landed something huge.”
“What?”
“Y-Yu Yeon-seo.”
Writer Ryu, who had mentioned running into Yu Yeon-seo’s manager outside, silently showed him her screen.
(Lee Tae-gyeom) Hello, Writer Ryu. This is Lee Tae-gyeom, Yu Yeon-seo’s manager. I’m sending a message because I figured you’d be in the middle of filming.
(Lee Tae-gyeom) I mentioned it to him since you pleaded so much... and our actor has gladly agreed. Where should we go?
PD Park clenched his fist and cheered silently.
“Let’s keep this between us for now. We’ll do it as a real surprise. Hyo-in’s expression will be something to see. Didn’t she say she was a fan of Yu Yeon-seo too?”
“That’s right. He’s her phone wallpaper.”
“And since we happen to have the person claiming to be his look-alike here... a scene where we put them together and have Yu Yeon-seo completely crush him would be great.”
From the beginning, PD Park’s intention in bringing on Lee Yoon-seo, who was currently taking a lot of flak from the public, was to revive the dying show’s buzz.
He would probably get some hate from Yu Yeon-seo’s notoriously passionate fans, but what if the real one showed up? The fans who turned on the show to curse him out would end up cheering.
“But if we compare them so openly, will Lee Yoon-seo be okay? What should we do?”
“Judging by his behavior, he’s the epitome of shamelessness. He’ll probably love it.”
Besides, the real one appearing to crush the fake.
What better story was there for television?
PD Park was already drooling at the prospect.
“Writer Ryu, go out and guide them in.”
“Yes.”
“Good work.”
With a flushed face, Writer Ryu went outside.