Chapter 11
Chapter 11
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: Episode 4. 16th Public Recruitment Comedian Exam (2)
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Jo Woo-kim PD's surprise question.
But Kang Han-do didn't panic.
"It's to handle situations flexibly depending on the circumstances."
"Flexible handling, huh."
Oh Min-tae couldn't quite grasp what situations Kang Han-do was referring to or what exactly he planned to handle. Only Kang Han-do knew.
However.
Jo Woo-kim nodded as if he had some idea why Han-do had prepared three options. He didn't mention it further.
"Anyway, go ahead and prepare well. I'm really looking forward to it."
"Yes!"
"Thank you!"
He stepped out first, leaving them to practice without any pressure.
Meanwhile.
Watching Jo Woo-kim's retreating figure with a meaningful gaze, Kang Han-do couldn't help but feel a complex mix of emotions.
Jo Woo-kim PD was someone he'd worked with for a long time once.
Whenever Kang Han-do struggled through his nameless days, feeling tormented and exhausted, it was Jo Woo-kim PD who would pat him on the back with a hearty, "It's okay, you rascal!" and buy him drinks time and again.
That's why Kang Han-do had always held deep gratitude toward him.
But in the end, after fifteen years of obscurity, he couldn't escape that fate and met an unintended end due to an accident.
'This time, no matter what... I'll repay that kindness!'
It was another reason piled on why he had to succeed.
* * *
Inside the Pobokjeoldo Theater.
A staff member wearing a name tag guided the applicants.
"Come on, no running—head inside and take your seats!"
"Doesn't matter what your name tag number is; just sit anywhere!"
Following the staff's instructions, the roughly 700 applicants began finding their seats.
Since there was no waiting room outside the station big enough to hold them all during the auditions, they had no choice but to place them in the audience seats like this.
Sitting in the audience came with one advantage—or rather, it wasn't exactly an advantage.
They could watch the other applicants' gags.
"Han-do, how about those seats?"
"Not bad."
Kang Han-do settled into the spot chosen by Oh Min-tae.
Meanwhile, the front row, designated for the judges, wasn't just filled with PDs from gag shows. Famous comedians had also joined as judges. They sat there, exuding their presence just by existing.
"Wow, seeing all these people I only know from TV right in front of me...!"
"Think I'd get yelled at if I went up for an autograph?"
Whispers of excitement rippled through the applicants here and there.
To the aspiring comedians, these active pros felt like untouchable gods.
They wanted to stand on the same stage as them!
Clutching that wish, the No. 1 applicant slowly made his way onstage to begin the auditions.
* * *
"No. 1 applicant, Yoo Do-min! Nice to meet you!"
A slender man bowed deeply at a perfect 90-degree angle.
Leading the pack were PDs like Jo Woo-kim, who oversaw Pobokjeoldo, along with PDs from various gag and variety shows, and senior public recruitment comedians from BLT seated in the front row.
Ten judges in total.
Among them, one man particularly caught Han-do's eye.
"Oh Shin-hoon..."
The man raising his star power as the national MC on variety shows. That was Oh Shin-hoon.
Not just at BLT, but across major networks, this heavyweight superstar—who'd won at least three Entertainment Awards—had shown up as a guest judge for BLT's public recruitment comedian exam.
That fact alone ratcheted up the tension for the other comedians.
A senior star and massive celebrity.
Debuting fifteen years ago, Oh Shin-hoon loomed large, and now they had to showcase their talent before him.
For Yoo Do-min, suddenly slotted as No. 1, it was impossible not to be nervous.
"What will you be showing us, Yoo Do-min?"
No Min-gu PD, who handled Emergency Dispatch! Gag Rescue Team, tossed out a casual question.
At the query, Yoo Do-min—who'd been trembling faintly from nerves—mustered his courage and spoke.
"I-I'm prepared with voice impressions!"
"Voice impressions, huh..."
A perfectly standard talent show bit.
The judges exchanged knowing glances, as if they'd seen that coming.
Oblivious to whether he was rattling the PDs and comedians serving as judges, Yoo Do-min launched into his impressions with confidence.
"Ahem! Ahh... This is Shin No-cheol. It's~ such a pleasure to meet all of you! Eh, these days, kids are saying~..."
"......"
"......"
The judges listened to Yoo Do-min's impressions in complete silence.
However.
Not a single one laughed.
They simply kept their ears open to hear him out.
From the back, watching it all unfold, Oh Min-tae was breaking into a cold sweat even though it wasn't his turn.
"They won't even laugh. That's cold."
"They have to be. These people have seen pros perform on gag stages for years. They're not gonna crack up at amateurs."
"Makes me even less motivated hearing that..."
Kang Han-do was right.
These judges, seasoned from working with professionals and having weathered every storm in the comedy world—were they going to laugh easily at an amateur's antics?
Fat chance.
It was no easy feat.
It wasn't just the two of them; no other applicant could view Yoo Do-min's predicament as someone else's problem.
Because that scene could be theirs any moment.
Yoo Do-min layered in some guitar mimicking alongside his voice impressions.
But a harsh verdict came down on him.
"That's enough."
Jo Woo-kim PD cut his performance short with those words.
Yoo Do-min stared at the judges in stunned silence. Jo Woo-kim PD nodded lightly and jotted something down.
Then, looking at Yoo Do-min, he said.
"Yes, that's it. You can step down."
"Already?"
"Yes."
"But I was still in the middle..."
"No. That's plenty."
"......"
It might seem a bit cruel.
But he couldn't very well throw a tantrum demanding, "Please watch more of my stage!"
That would probably dock him points.
Yoo Do-min descended from the stage, a lingering bitterness and regret weighing him down, as if he hadn't been able to show his true self. There was even a hint of sorrow in his retreating figure.
But the judges had no desire to see more.
"Next, No. 2 applicant."
"Y-Yes!!"
After No. 1's stage blew by like a storm, No. 2 climbed onstage, unable to hide his own tension.
The time it had taken for No. 1 applicant Yoo Do-min to face the judges...
Hadn't even been a full minute.
* * *
The public recruitment auditions continued onward.
Kang Han-do, who hadn't even stepped away to the bathroom, kept his eyes glued to the stage when a staff member's voice reached his ear.
"We'll take a break now for lunch. Grab your meals and be back here by 1 PM."
"Got it."
Applicants who'd already performed headed home.
Of those remaining until lunchtime, about 500 were left.
The morning had seen over 200 applicants finish their stages entirely.
"Feels like they're moving at lightning speed."
Oh Min-tae stretched as they stepped out of the Pobokjeoldo studio for a moment.
Spot on.
Starting with No. 1 Yoo Do-min, the others' stages ended just as quickly.
"They're busy people too. They don't want to drag this exam out over days if they can help it."
Kang Han-do understood, slipping in the comment casually.
He knew the broadcasting industry inside and out.
Plus, judging by Jo Woo-kim PD's expression, they'd likely be pulling all-nighters for editing work in the days ahead.
He couldn't brazenly demand more detailed scrutiny of his talent by prioritizing personal circumstances with people like that.
Because they were the ones doing the picking.
And there was an even bigger reason he couldn't make such a direct request.
"It might look like they're rushing on the surface, but these are the top experts who've reached the peak in this industry. No one surpasses their eye for talent."
"So even if they give you short time, they're evaluating everything that matters?"
"Something like that."
"Well, then there's nothing to say..."
The public recruitment comedian exam wasn't something to be taken lightly.
Because this process selected the talents who would shine across BLT's upcoming gag and variety programs.
It directly tied to the programs' success or failure.
Fail to pick the right people, and the shows could flop.
The judges were likely approaching the evaluations with that mindset.
"Forget the others—we're the priority. Keep that front and center in your head."
"I know."
Kang Han-do didn't need to spell it out; Oh Min-tae got it too.
They had to worry about themselves first, more than anyone else.
Especially when a shot at debuting as an entertainer hung in the balance—no need to emphasize that.