Chapter 6
Chapter 6
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: Team Play (2)
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The Republic of Korea's top diva, Choi Ye-hee, who always shone brightly on stage.
Even in her youth, her beauty was something to behold.
For Kang Han-do, who had once harbored rational feelings of admiration for her unbeknownst to others, simply meeting the young Choi Ye-hee in person was enough to make his heart race.
‘Should I start frequenting that PC bang more often?’
He wasn’t into games, but now he felt a strong urge to do all his computer work there.
And it was all thanks to Choi Ye-hee.
But if she didn’t call, showing up at the PC bang repeatedly would only make her uncomfortable.
‘I gave her my number, at least. Wonder if it’ll work out.’
Since he was from the future, he couldn’t outright tell her about the events she’d face later to prevent them.
No one would believe such a hesitant explanation anyway.
Even Kang Han-do wouldn’t believe it if their positions were reversed.
Still, knowing the future so clearly, he couldn’t just stand by and watch her suffer.
She was a woman he’d truly loved once—pretending not to know now would break his heart.
If she showed even a little trust and willingness to contact him, he’d help her as much as he could.
After all, advice from someone she’d gotten somewhat acquainted with would stick better than from a total stranger.
‘I’ve done everything I can. The rest is up to Ye-hee-ssi.’
If she rejected his approach, there was nothing more he could do.
He’d fulfilled his duty to the best of his ability.
Now, all he could do was wait for the outcome.
‘That said, I might be a bit late.’
The unexpected meeting with Ye-hee had made him late for the 7 p.m. meeting.
He hurried, but ended up about ten minutes behind schedule.
“This guy. You’re always so strict about keeping appointments, and now you show up late without a word.”
“Sorry. Something came up.”
“Whatever. But what’s that in your hand?”
“Reference material.”
“Reference for what?”
“Comedy trends that were popular two or three years ago from now. I compiled them to brainstorm some good ideas.”
“……”
Oh Min-tae stared at Kang Han-do with a bewildered look.
Normally, Kang Han-do wasn’t this thorough.
What could he say? Han-do had a bulldozer-like stubbornness, charging ahead without much planning—almost recklessly.
But now, things were different. Over the past few days, Han-do seemed much more mature.
And for good reason: his body was that of 23-year-old Kang Han-do, but his mind was 44-year-old Kang Han-do.
One who had tasted life’s bitters, no less.
“You okay up there?”
“Why my head?”
“Just... wondering if you got in an accident or something. How does a person change overnight like that?”
“It’s a good change, isn’t it?”
People don’t change overnight easily.
Habits built over 23 years, personal style, innate thought patterns—none of that shifts in just a few days.
It was practically impossible, yet Kang Han-do had made the impossible possible.
Strictly speaking, it wasn’t him who changed, but the unforeseen incident and Sheridel that did it.
“Cut the weird talk. Let’s grab some food first, then hit a café.”
“Huh? Oh, sure.”
Oh Min-tae briefly wondered if they should head to a psychiatrist before a restaurant or café, but soon followed Han-do’s lead toward Daehangno to settle dinner.
* * *
Nearly midnight.
“……”
Oh Min-tae clamped his mouth shut, one thought dominating his mind.
He wanted to run!
He wanted to bolt from the spot right now and flee home.
They’d been brainstorming ideas for hours already.
Normally, Kang Han-do would wrap up a meeting after an hour or two and suggest drinks, but tonight was different.
“This material fits slapstick style, so it’s probably too much for us. We need to focus on verbal comedy, not physical gags.”
“Yeah, you’re right……”
“Physical stuff or body-structure-based gags are a no-go for us anyway. Other contestants will outdo us there. We need a different strategy.”
“How do you know what the other contestants are like?”
“Gut feeling.”
“……”
A lie, of course. Kang Han-do had already experienced the public recruitment exam. He knew exactly what kinds of contestants showed up.
Slapstick comedy was first popularized by America’s Sennett.
Charlie Chaplin developed its filmic form, ushering in its golden age.
To deliver visually stimulating gags, following slapstick was ideal.
But that wasn’t what Han-do wanted.
“Basically, we need to go with ‘situational comedy sketches.’ That gives us our concept hook... and it branches into three main paths.”
“Three paths? Like what?”
“Parody, satire, and original. In English: parody, satire, original.”
“No, no—skip the English. Which one are we doing?”
Oh Min-tae gulped down a strong Americano to shake off his drowsiness.
Han-do answered crisply, as if he’d been waiting.
“We’re doing all three.”
“Pfft! Cough, cough!”
The Americano refluxed through the straw, triggering harsh coughs.
Wiping his mouth with nearby tissue, Oh Min-tae gaped in disbelief.
“You serious? All three?”
“Yeah.”
“Come on, that’s impossible. The exam doesn’t give us extra time just because we’re a team... We get the same slot as everyone else. Prepping three sketches instead of one feels like overreaching.”
“We’re not performing all three—just prepare them and pick one on the spot to show the judges.”
“Then why prep three? Wouldn’t one be more efficient?”
It made no sense, no matter how he thought about it.
Why not just pick one? Especially with only about two weeks left.
But Kang Han-do’s resolve didn’t waver.
“We prep all three, no question. I’ll handle the scripts and all that, so you just keep practicing your diction. Don’t let any slurring drag us down.”
“Sigh……”
Yep. Lately, Han-do was off.
Oh Min-tae sensed it strongly, but what could he do? Han-do’s confidence meant he had something up his sleeve.
Oh Min-tae had no ideas or strategies of his own anyway.
In the end, he decided to bet on Kang Han-do.
* * *
Inside a large arcade near Daehangno.
In one of the dozens of coin karaoke booths, a woman suddenly belted out songs with unusual passion.
Her powerful voice carried even outside the booth.
Loud, yes—but her skill was impressive too.
Gamers at the joysticks wondered if a pro singer was warming up.
Her talent was top-tier.
The arcade’s diva, as everyone wondered.
The booth door opened, revealing the voice’s owner.
“……!”
“Whoa……”
Sighs erupted from customers inside, especially the guys.
The woman who’d just filled the air with sweet melodies—Choi Ye-hee—had them all mesmerized the moment they saw her.
Pretty and a great singer.
She stole souls with her voice, yet Ye-hee calmly exited the arcade.
She’d been singing for two straight hours.
Usually, she didn’t go that long—max an hour, typically thirty minutes.
But tonight, she craved more.
“……”
As she walked out, she pulled a small coupon from her pocket.
It looked like a standard PC bang coupon for game money. What irked her wasn’t the coupon itself, but the phone number scrawled on the back—Han-do’s.
She’d added it to her contacts just in case. Even if she lost the coupon, the number was safe.
Still, she lacked the courage to call.
“What should I do……”
Few knew of Choi Ye-hee’s singing talent. She’d hidden it deliberately.
Even her parents wouldn’t suspect.
From childhood, she’d poured herself into studies to meet their expectations.
Now, she was a law student at a top Seoul university.
The model student destined to pass the bar and become a judge or prosecutor. That was Choi Ye-hee’s future.
But that was her parents’ plan. She had her own dream.
To become a singer.
“……”
Staring at the coupon with Han-do’s number for a while, Choi Ye-hee nodded firmly, as if resolved.
‘Yeah. I’ll call.’
She wasn’t pinning big hopes on him.
Just knowing someone recognized her dream felt novel and joyful.
She could ask later how he’d figured it out.
