Chapter 194
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 194
“Cast of ‘Let’s Sing Together?’ Please gather up!”
I left the waiting room with Kang Yeon-hu and headed toward the set.
“Yeon-hu and Ho-yun’s team, please stand over here!”
Kang Yeon-hu was quick-witted and good at reading the room. He was even a bit sly in his pursuit of survival and his dreams, but in crucial moments, he was often surprisingly naive and soft-hearted.
Just like when he told me about Jeong Da-jun’s situation back during Shining Star.
“I have no intention of catering to you, Seo Ho-yun. So don’t try anything funny.”
“Ahaha.”
Even now, after exchanging just a few words, it was clear that he—having been half-forced into this nonsense program amidst a shower of criticism—believed that staying quiet and not standing out was the best way to get through it.
I just let out a small smirk.
Some might call his attitude boring, and others might say he was being overshadowed.
But honestly, I thought he was being wise.
I suppose this was the kind of experience one gained from surviving in a major agency. There’s a reason people say that if you stay still, you’ll at least finish in the middle.
‘But if I do that, I won’t be able to look Chae Jeong-woo in the eye.’
It would also hurt my pride as a former PD.
The variety show itself didn’t have particularly complex rules. The pairings were already decided, and it wasn’t a survival show. It was simply a music festival where famous comedians served as MCs and several idols formed pairs to perform.
Since it was a special project, the broadcast period was short. The music festival performance itself was unlikely to fail.
However—
“It’s been a while. Oh, hello, Kang Yeon-hu.”
“Oh! Hello.”
These two must be having a massive headache.
The main vocal of Mars, who had shot to fame on a variety show after Shining Star Season 1. And the maknae of Lia Purple, who had been through the wringer due to a scandal with F.O.B member Yun Hee-eon.
They were paired together.
The two, who were already waiting on set, greeted Kang Yeon-hu and me. Looking at their faces, they seemed awkward, cautious, and clearly distressed by the current situation.
Even after filming began, the Mars vocal and the Lia Purple maknae were busy trying to maintain their facial expressions.
“Oh my goodness~~!! Gu Chan and Yeon-ri, you two look so good together!”
“Just seeing them in the same frame feels like a romance movie! Are you two going to end up catching feelings for real? Haha!”
A pair of incompetent agencies had decided to manufacture a romance between two people who had zero connection just to create buzz.
‘Are they insane?’
Who would watch such a boring variety show? Using idols is meant to draw in fans, but if you tie them up in a forced romance, who’s going to watch? They’ll just get cursed out.
And who is the PD who just blindly approved this and took the bait?
I was extremely dissatisfied with this mess.
“Kyah… We, the two of us, the stage… haha.”
“I’m so, soooo… looking forward to it.”
“Ah, ahaha…”
“Ha… haha…”
It wasn't my imagination that their laughter sounded more like sighs.
Kang Yeon-hu wore a soulless smile, clearly wanting nothing to do with that romantic circus.
“Cut!! Good, good!”
“Alright, let’s move locations and film the next scene!”
Wait, a "scene"?
I was starting to get confused about whether this was a reality show set or a drama set. Eventually, we all got into our respective vans and moved to the next location.
And then, the second anomaly appeared.
〔 Yeon-ri (Lia Purple): Oppa, is the food good?
Gu Chan (Mars): Yes, it tastes even better today. Because I’m in a good mood.
Yeon-ri (Lia Purple): How did we end up as partners like this? I’m so happy.
Gu Chan (Mars): Yeon-ri sunbae, we’ve been running into each other so often lately, I’m starting to think it’s fate.
Yeon-ri (Lia Purple): (Laughs as if slightly embarrassed) Oppa! You’re making me blush. Just call me Yeon-ri like you usually do. 〕
This program had an incredibly detailed script. Moreover, it was incredibly outdated.
To think that people working in this industry in the 21st century couldn't even grasp the needs of their primary audience.
Of course, the writers, who had been through many variety shows, probably didn't want to write it this way either. And to be fair, there were plenty of variety shows that had succeeded by sprinkling in some romance. In the past, that included idols too.
However, as the influence of idols grew, the broadcasting world became more conscious of fans and gradually phased such things out.
“Is! The! Food! Good!?”
While everyone was waiting for the cameras to be set up after arriving at the restaurant, the Lia Purple maknae looked busy, muttering her lines and trying her best not to look like an emotionless robot.
“Is~ the food~ good~?!”
“……”
What a disaster.
I’d felt it when we were preparing for the year-end collaboration stage, but Lia Purple’s agency really didn't know how to do their jobs. How could they throw Lia Purple into a situation like this after they’d suffered so much from a scandal?
“Starting filming!!”
“Yes!!”
At the staff member's voice, the Lia Purple maknae’s eyes darted around anxiously before she walked toward the designated window seat. I also pulled out a chair opposite her and recalled the script.
〔 S#3 High-end Italian Restaurant
(After greeting their music festival partners, Yeon-hu, Ho-yun, Yeon-ri, and Gu Chan eat together.)
Gu Chan (Mars): I didn't expect us to gather like this. It’s so good to see everyone.
Yeon-hu (High Five): I know. Opportunities like this are rare.
Ho-yun (The Dawn): (Playfully) I’m nervous being here with my sunbaes.
Everyone: Hahaha! (Laughter)
(Please proceed naturally.) 〕
Suppressing the urge to click my tongue, I watched the Lia Purple maknae, who was just twirling cream pasta noodles with her fork.
The Mars vocal, who had more variety experience and was holding his mental state together, started the conversation first.
“I didn't expect this. Good to see you all.”
“I know, opportunities like this are rare.”
According to the script, the next line was mine, but—
“……”
“……”
“……”
“……”
I shoved a huge mouthful of ragu lasagna into my mouth.
‘Hey, why aren't you doing it?’
The Mars vocal sent me a signal, but I ignored it.
The Lia Purple maknae, who had been hanging her head so low her nose was almost in her plate, flinched and looked up, glancing at me. If I didn't say my line, it was her turn.
“O… Ugh.”
“……”
“Ughhh…”
As the Lia Purple maknae’s body began to tremble and her mouth hung open, the Mars vocal’s eyes shook violently.
〔 Yeon-ri (Lia Purple): Oppa, is the food good? 〕
“O—ppa—is—the—food—good.”
She butchered the line.
The Lia Purple maknae’s wooden acting was on par with Kim Seong-hyeon’s. At this point, I couldn't tell if she was actually bad at it or doing it on purpose.
〔 Gu Chan (Mars): Yes, it tastes even better today. Because I’m in a good mood. 〕
“Today!! The mood tastes good!!”
“……”
Flustered by the Lia Purple maknae, the Mars vocal mixed up the beginning and end of his line.
Fortunately, the PD continued filming, seemingly willing to overlook that much. The Mars vocal knew he had to escape this situation to survive, but he looked like he couldn't think of a way out.
“Ahaha, I agree. The atmosphere is so nice that the food tastes even better.”
Since it wasn't his problem, Kang Yeon-hu enjoyed his meal while filling the dead air.
〔 Yeon-ri (Lia Purple): How did we end up as partners like this? I’m so happy. 〕
“How—did—we—end—up—as—part… part, part, Jajangmyeon!!”
“……”
“Ugh…”
Finally, her skin crawling, the Lia Purple maknae clenched her fists. After several NGs, the staff began frantically signaling that they would just edit it together, half out of resignation and half out of pity.
“Well, sure. If the pasta noodles were a bit thicker and blacker, they’d be Jajangmyeon…”
The Mars vocal threw out whatever came to mind, just wanting to get it over with. Then, the dejected Lia Purple maknae closed her eyes tight and forced herself to continue.
“How did we end up as partners?!”
However, this time, the Mars vocal’s mouth stayed shut.
Just as he was thinking that responding to the line would lead to a real disaster—
“I know, right?”
The response to Gu Chan’s line came from someone else’s mouth.
Mine.
“Huh?”
Kang Yeon-hu, who had been dipping bread into pasta sauce, snapped his head toward me.
I calmly scanned the three of them as they stared at me blankly.
“We’ve been running into each other so often lately, I’m starting to think it’s fate.”
I had stolen someone else’s scripted line.
“...Pardon??”
I shifted my gaze away from the Lia Purple maknae, whose pupils were shaking as she wondered if I was talking to her, and gave Kang Yeon-hu a bright smile.
“With our Yeon-hu sunbae.”
“...!”
Not in a million years would I ever say such a thing to a female idol.
“Hmm?”
Caught off guard by the sudden attack, Kang Yeon-hu’s brow furrowed ever so slightly before he quickly regained his composure and gave a smooth smile.
“With me, Ho-yun?”
“Yes.”
“Now that you mention it, we did run into each other often, including on the previous program.”
= Stop this nonsense before I bring up Shining Star and start a fandom war.
‘Wow, he’s prickly.’
Unfortunately for Kang Yeon-hu, who wanted to end it there, the staff were waving their arms for us to continue, clearly finding this interesting.
Glancing at them, Kang Yeon-hu bit his lip slightly before continuing as instructed.
“To think I’d end up with Seo Ho-yun. I was disappointed we couldn't talk much back then because we were so busy.”
“Oh, come on. we talked plenty.”
Mostly conversations where we were wary of each other.
Kang Yeon-hu looked at me with eyes that asked if I was crazy.
“...Excuse me?”
Instead of answering, I nonchalantly poked a salad with my fork and put it in my mouth. I was waiting for his reaction.
“Did we really talk that much? Haha.”
= Are you doing this to screw with me right now?
“Quite a bit? Sunbae, you know me well.”
= Play along, you brat.
Feeling the crisp texture of the salad, I locked eyes with WH Entertainment’s greaaat senior, Kang Yeon-hu, who was starting to lose control of his facial expression.
“And I know exactly what you’re like, sunbae.”
The corner of Kang Yeon-hu’s mouth twitched.
He had witnessed firsthand how I’d been nice to Jeong Won-ha before stabbing him in the back. He’d even seen me drop the "public hearing" line on Seong Ji-won while pretending not to remember him. There was no way he didn't know my true nature.
A "Seo Ho-yun = Dangerous Person" alarm was likely blaring in his head right now. That’s why he was bristling like a wary cat.
“Since when did my hoobae know me so well?”
His face was smiling, but his words were sharp daggers. He was delivering a warning in a gentle tone for the cameras, telling me not to say anything weird.
Since WH Entertainment was investing in this program, they wouldn't broadcast anything that would be a problem for Kang Yeon-hu. He was acting this way on purpose so it would be edited out.
As expected, this guy was no pushover.
“Hoobae?”
But I wasn't a pushover either.
“...Then?”
Honestly, I hadn't liked this project from the start. I didn't like the fact that there was a script, and it was even worse that it was covered in setups that made the cast uncomfortable.
〔 Yeon-ri (Lia Purple): (Laughs as if slightly embarrassed) Oppa! You’re making me blush. Just call me Yeon-ri like you usually do. 〕
If one of my juniors had brought me a proposal for a variety show with lines like this, I would have burned the planning document right in front of them.
But.
‘I’ll make it interesting for you.’
So just follow my lead.
“Hyung, you’re hurting my feelings.”
I had a plan.
I lowered my gaze and smiled as if slightly embarrassed.
“Just call me Ho-yun like you usually do.”
Clang!!
At those words, the original owner of the line, the Lia Purple maknae, dropped her fork on the floor.