Chapter 25
Chapter 25
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: Episode 9. First Broadcast (1)
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Inside the True Journal office.
Ko Jeong-do, who had been yawning endlessly at his desk, heard a nagging voice from one of his subordinate reporters near his ear.
“President, lunch break hasn’t even started yet. You can’t be dozing off already.”
Ko Jeong-do gave a wry smile at the sharp remark from his female junior reporter.
“I wasn’t dozing. I was just closing my eyes for a moment of meditation.”
“You’re meditating in this noisy environment with everyone pounding away at their keyboards? Your concentration must be impressive.”
“I’ve always been good at focusing, haven’t I?”
“Then how about putting that focus to use and doing an interview for us?”
“An interview?”
“Yes. We had a junior scheduled to go, but I think we need to send them to Gunsan for a bit. If you could help out just this once, it’d really lighten our load.”
“Hmm...”
True Journal didn’t have a large number of reporters on staff.
As a small media outlet to begin with, it didn’t require a big team.
“What’s the interview about?”
“You’ll do it?”
“Tell me first.”
“It’s simple. You know about HSL, one of the programs on BLT, right?”
Ko Jeong-do, who kept up-to-date on the entertainment scene, couldn’t possibly not know.
Even if he didn’t have time to monitor every episode, he already had the basics down: what the show was about and who appeared on it.
“Of course.”
“They’re starting recordings for Season 2, and there’s a new corner called 4 PM News Table. I figured we’d interview the three main cast members.”
“Have they approved it? These days, you can’t just barge into a broadcasting station without PD or writer permission and beg for an interview—they won’t bite.”
“Of course I got permission. I just got the okay from their writer.”
“Then no problem. Who’s in it?”
“The newbie who passed the 16th public recruitment comedian exam, Kang Han-do, and Oh Min-tae.”
“The newbie won’t have much meat on the story.”
“The third one’s the jackpot. Jeon Yu-hyeon... You know him, right?”
“...”
The moment Jeon Yu-hyeon’s name came up, Ko Jeong-do’s brow furrowed.
Jeon Yu-hyeon, a famous comedian who had been racing toward the peak of popularity. But he suddenly announced his departure from all programs due to panic disorder and vanished from the media.
After a two-year hiatus.
He had finally finished preparing to face the public once more.
“You know as well as I do, President. The newbies are whatever, but an interview with Jeon Yu-hyeon is rare. This would be his first interview since declaring his broadcast comeback. It’s a chance to scoop something big.”
Ko Jeong-do clamped his mouth shut at his female junior reporter’s words.
She was right.
Jeon Yu-hyeon hadn’t had direct contact with any media.
His approval for this interview request surely reflected his own intentions.
Yoo Tae-hwan PD and Lee Yeon-shin Writer wouldn’t push him into an interview for promo without his say-so, using him for noise marketing.
At least, from what Ko Jeong-do knew, they were trustworthy.
They must have gotten Jeon Yu-hyeon’s consent.
And in the end, he had accepted the interview.
From Jeon Yu-hyeon’s perspective, he probably had something to say, which was why he agreed.
“BLT, right?”
“Yes.”
“Got it. I’ll head out now.”
Ko Jeong-do hurriedly prepared to step outside.
* * *
First recording shoot.
Oh Min-tae, seated in the studio, glanced around.
Dozens of cameras.
The gazes of countless people watching him were more than enough to make him tense.
“I should’ve popped a Qingx or something before coming.”
“I’ve got one right here. Want it?”
Jeon Yu-hyeon, who had been organizing props for his own use during the shoot, handed over some medicine.
“Thanks, sunbaenim!”
“It’s your first shoot, so you’re bound to be nervous. Don’t let it psych you out too much.”
“Yes, sir!”
“Need one, Han-do? I’ve got an extra.”
As far as Jeon Yu-hyeon knew, this was Kang Han-do’s first broadcast recording too.
Even so, Kang Han-do politely declined.
“I’m good.”
“Not nervous at all?”
“Haha, it’s not that. A bit of tension can actually be a good lubricant.”
“A bit of tension...”
For a newbie, it was seasoned talk.
His demeanor was markedly calmer than Oh Min-tae’s—worlds apart, even.
Sure, Min-tae was overly tense, but even accounting for that, Kang Han-do came off as... what? From Jeon Yu-hyeon’s view, he looked like a veteran with at least five years in broadcasting.
‘Who the hell is this guy?’
He’d wondered every time they met, but Kang Han-do often seemed to harbor some unknowable secret.
This time was no different.
Meanwhile, Yoo Tae-hwan PD raised his voice to the cast.
“Everyone ready?”
“Yes!”
“Ready whenever.”
With the okay from the cast, Yoo Tae-hwan PD kicked off the recording.
Kang Han-do picked up his lines seamlessly, as if he’d been waiting.
“Hello, viewers. I’m Kang Han-do, the anchor for 4 PM News Table.”
Originally, the anchor, expert, and co-host characters each had stage names.
But that was just for auditions. For 4 PM News Table, they decided to use the newbies’ real names to promote them to the public.
Not just Kang Han-do and Oh Min-tae—Jeon Yu-hyeon would use his own name too.
On the other hand, Yoo Tae-hwan PD, watching Kang Han-do deliver lines flawlessly, let out exclamations of admiration.
‘Not a single mistake, handling it like a real anchor. That Kang Han-do guy really isn’t ordinary.’
The more he watched, the more amazing abilities Kang Han-do revealed.
Jeon Yu-hyeon and Yoo Tae-hwan alike found their interest in this talented newbie surging sharper by the day.
* * *
Ko Jeong-do arrived at the lobby and waved to the security guard waiting nearby.
“Hey, Jeong! I’m here.”
“Whoa, is that you!”
The guard approached Ko Jeong-do at the turnstile, feigning delight.
“What brings you here, Reporter Ko?”
“Just here for some coverage.”
“One moment, please.”
The guard hurried to the reception desk, had a quick word with the female staffer, and returned with a temporary pass.
Ko Jeong-do, taking it, opened with an apologetic tone.
“Sorry to make you go through the hassle for me.”
“Haha, no trouble. So, where are you covering today?”
“4 PM News Table. New corner on HSL. You heard of it?”
“With dozens of programs shooting at BLT, I can’t know them all. New corner, huh? Interview, I bet.”
“They say even a dog from the schoolyard recites poetry after three years. You’re a pro at this now.”
“Too adapted for my own good.”
After some light chit-chat with the guard, he passed through the lobby toward the BLT studio set.
As one of the three major broadcasters, he came and went often.
Familiar enough with the guards, even.
“Let’s see... HSL was this way, right?”
He’d only briefly visited the studio during HSL’s first episode shoot, so memory was fuzzy.
Still, tracing faint recollections, he finally reached the HSL recording site.
Before opening the studio door, he straightened his clothes one last time.
He eased the door open carefully, and the first thing to hit his ears was a young man’s voice he’d never heard before.
“There’s been a lot of criticism lately about lax management of our country’s tangible cultural assets. What are your thoughts on that?”
“Uh... well... I think it’s because of the pigeons.”
“Pigeons?”
“They say pigeon poop corrodes buildings and all that! We need to catch those damn pigeon bastards and turn ’em all into chicken!”
“Wait, we’re talking about cultural artifacts stored inside museums. Why bring up pigeons?”
“Then the pigeons must’ve snuck in and done a poop terror attack. Ahem!”
“...Thanks for that shit-smelling opinion. Moving on.”
Ko Jeong-do, successfully entering the studio, eyed Kang Han-do and Oh Min-tae handling the main roles.
One screamed newbie, but the other felt more veteran with every line.
‘Heard there were two newbies. Did I hear wrong?’
Even so, the anchor, Kang Han-do, was a total stranger to Ko Jeong-do.
Kang Han-do showed crisp delivery.
There’s one way to tell if someone’s adapted to TV: eye line management.
When exchanging lines, Kang Han-do locked eyes with his partner. When reading solo or leading, he hit the camera perfectly.
Newbies tense up before all those lenses. Not Kang Han-do—no sign of it. Flawless eye work, no NG cuts, smooth as silk through his parts.
The shoot rolled on for a while before Yoo Tae-hwan gave the okay.
“Great, everyone worked hard!”
“Thanks for your hard work!”
At Yoo Tae-hwan’s words, Han-do and Min-tae jumped up, bowing repeatedly to staff and Jeon Yu-hyeon.
Ko Jeong-do seized the moment to approach Yoo Tae-hwan first.
“Hello, PD Yoo Tae-hwan. Long time.”
“Hm? What brings you here, Reporter Ko?”
“What else? Covering a story.”
“No one else coming?”
“The juniors pushed me into it.”
“I see...”
“I’m president in name only—same as any reporter. Haha.”
Both veterans of broadcasting, they knew each other well.
Yoo Tae-hwan hadn’t expected Ko Jeong-do, now a media exec, to show up for the interview himself.
“By the way, that anchor kid over there. He really a newbie?”
“Yes, for sure.”
“Didn’t look it.”
“Even you think so, Reporter Ko.”
Yoo Tae-hwan nodded deeply in agreement.
His first impression recording with Han-do? Pure shock.
The newbie’s pro-level hosting had left him speechless.
“Anyway, can we do the interview now?”
“Oh, sure. Let me know when you’re done. Long time no see—should grab a drink.”
“You’re done for the day, maybe. I’m still going strong. Drinks later.”
“Hahaha. Fair enough.”
Brushing off regret, Ko Jeong-do approached the three comedians.
Jeon Yu-hyeon reacted first at the sight.
“Reporter Ko!”
“Long time, Yu-hyeon. How’ve you been?”
“Well...”
A hint of awkwardness crossed Jeon Yu-hyeon’s face.
First face-to-face since his comeback—natural.
But Ko Jeong-do reassured him.
“Don’t sweat it. Happens in life. Broadcasting’s stressful. I get it.”
“Thanks, Reporter Ko.”
Having someone understand felt good.