Chapter 90
Chapter 90
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 90
Chapter Title: Episode 30 New Corner (3)
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Kang Han-do's new corner, Driving License Academy, had wrapped up its first stage performance.
"Good work, everyone."
Kang Han-do comforted Oh Min-tae and Hwang Yeon-ji, praising their hard efforts.
Hwang Yeon-ji's eyes welled up with tears.
"Yeon-ji, what's wrong?"
"I just... feel a bit regretful."
"Regretful about what?"
She had put on a solid show. Even better than during rehearsals, at least in Kang Han-do's eyes.
But Hwang Yeon-ji couldn't satisfy herself.
"I could have done even better..."
Kang Han-do offered her some advice.
"There are no perfect stages in this world. Just ones that come close. It's inevitable that something feels a little off. The fact that you're aware of it is already commendable. That regret, that lingering disappointment— it'll be the driving force that pushes you toward even better performances. So don't get too down about it. Turn those feelings into momentum to move forward."
"Sunbae-nim...!"
Hwang Yeon-ji finally burst into tears.
Kang Han-do gave her a light hug and patted her back.
Amid the heartfelt atmosphere, Oh Min-tae whispered to Kang Han-do.
‘Don't let Ye-hee find out.’
‘Shut your mouth.’
* * *
Pobokjeoldo conducts a post-performance survey with the audience, asking which corners they enjoyed most and their satisfaction levels.
It wasn't always like this. The system was introduced three months after Kang Han-do joined Pobokjeoldo.
It was the perfect chance to gauge reactions to new corners.
Results don't come out right away. The writers compile them the next day and notify each team leader.
Even though it was his day off, Kang Han-do headed to their usual café with the Driving License Academy team.
Before diving into the main discussion, he decided to share the survey results they'd been eagerly awaiting.
"I got a call from Writer Kim this morning. Our Driving License Academy team's ranking is in..."
Oh Min-tae and Hwang Yeon-ji perked up, hanging on his every word.
The audience votes for the corners they found funniest, creating rankings that serve as valuable data.
Kang Han-do grinned.
"We're in 2nd place!"
"No way, really?! Awesome!"
"How can this be?! This isn't a dream, right? Right?"
Hwang Yeon-ji pinched her cheeks and thighs. The pain was sharp enough to wake her from any dream.
But it wasn't a dream.
This was reality.
Kang Han-do continued.
"1st place goes to Dandelion Academy. Well, you probably saw that coming."
"We can't beat Dandelion Academy. It's Pobokjeoldo's flagship corner."
Dandelion Academy was the longest-running corner among the countless ones that had passed through Pobokjeoldo.
It was also slotted last in the lineup.
Just looking at the order showed how much share Dandelion Academy held in Pobokjeoldo.
They couldn't topple the highlight of Pobokjeoldo just yet.
It was an honorable defeat.
Hitting 2nd place was impressive enough. That's what Oh Min-tae and Hwang Yeon-ji thought.
But Kang Han-do saw it differently.
"Someday, we'll surpass Dandelion Academy. Don't get complacent."
"Isn't that too greedy?"
"Greed is what gets you great results. Don't set your goals low. Low goals mean low limits."
Kang Han-do didn't want to cap his own abilities or growth.
Even if it seemed impossible, he believed in himself.
Hwang Yeon-ji was inspired by his confident attitude.
"You're so cool, sunbae. I think I'm falling for you, Kang sunbae."
"Don't actually do that."
"Yeah, give it up, Yeon-ji. Han-do already has a girlf— Urk!"
Kang Han-do kicked Oh Min-tae in the shin from across the table. Agonizing pain shot through him, and Oh Min-tae could only scream instead of speak.
"Don't say useless things. And don't rest on the survey results. Let's start with our own feedback on the first stage."
They hadn't gathered today just to hear the results from Kang Han-do.
It was for reviewing and reflecting on the performance.
"Both you, Min-tae, and you, Yeon-ji— being your first stage, your intonation got a bit off in the middle. Remember those points we practiced where we wanted the audience to laugh? You can raise your voice more there. But you got nervous and messed up the timing. Especially you, Yeon-ji."
"I'm sorry, sunbae."
"No need to apologize. We'll fill in the gaps going forward. But like I said yesterday, never forget that regret and disappointment from the first stage. Forget it, and you'll repeat the same mistakes. Like you, Oh Min-tae."
The spotlight suddenly turned on Oh Min-tae.
"Hey, I did fine."
"Fine? You were worse than Yeon-ji. I've been telling you since HSL: you overact when you get into the vibe. Sure, your style can work sometimes. But don't overheat. There's a saying: excess is as bad as shortage."
Both struggled with pacing.
Oh Min-tae rushed too far ahead, while Hwang Yeon-ji lagged behind.
"From now on, focus on timing control in practice. Got it?"
"Yes, sunbae-nim!"
"Yeah, got it. With results like these, let's go all out!"
The 2nd place finish ignited their motivation.
* * *
After the idea meeting, Kang Han-do periodically consulted Jo Woo-gim PD.
Whenever Kang Han-do hit a snag, Jo Woo-gim PD jumped in to help resolve it together.
He had no choice.
Driving License Academy's early buzz was too promising.
Unintentionally, Kang Han-do's new corner was emerging as the top contender to boost Pobokjeoldo's next ratings surge.
That anticipation showed in the airtime.
On the day Driving License Academy aired for the first time,
It went out almost unedited, full version.
Kang Han-do was thrilled the moment he saw it.
‘PD Jo really looked out for us.’
Driving License Academy keywords were already dominating real-time search trends online.
Kang Han-do topped the list.
Articles about him masterminding the concept had boosted his fame even more.
‘If the audience felt that joy in those moments, I'm satisfied.’
It meant Korea's average happiness index had ticked up.
Right after Pobokjeoldo ended, Hwang Yeon-ji called.
-Sorry to call so late, sunbae-nim.
"Everything okay?"
-No. I just had to thank you. Thanks to you, my name hit real-time search. Everyone recognizes me now. I finally feel like a real comedian. It's all because of you. Thank you so much, sunbae-nim.
"It's the result of your hard work, not just me. But with the good response, let's nail the second stage together."
-Yes, sunbae-nim!
A junior's joy was a senior's joy.
Bringing Hwang Yeon-ji on board had paid off.
‘Tonight, I can sleep like a log.’
The first night free from anxiety over the new corner flopping.
* * *
Kang Han-do visited the broadcasting station.
His original goal: meet Jo Woo-gim PD.
But he ran into familiar faces along the way.
"Hello, sunbae-nims!"
"Hey? It's Han-do!"
"Long time no see."
Kim Sang-heon and Lee Yo-su, back from their honeymoons, bumped into Kang Han-do.
They'd been swamped with newlywed life. During their break, they'd been brainstorming ideas for their next project.
Today, they were at the station to pitch them to Jo Woo-gim PD.
That's when they ran into Kang Han-do.
Kim Sang-heon shook hands warmly with Kang Han-do.
"While we were away, you became Pobokjeoldo's star with your new corner? Classic Han-do."
"Hahaha, star? We've barely shot two episodes."
"Your second stage killed it too. Getting better each time. You're the team leader, right?"
"Yes."
"Too bad. I wanted to snag you for our corner. But you're blowing up—hard to poach now."
"Sorry for succeeding too much, sunbae-nim."
Kang Han-do and Kim Sang-heon burst out laughing.
As the two finished their joking exchange,
Lee Yo-su spoke up to Kang Han-do.
"Looking for PD Jo? He's probably still in the meeting room. He was just brainstorming with us. Better grab him before he heads elsewhere."
"Got it. Thanks, sunbae-nim."
"No problem. Oh, and thanks for the fridge gift. Using it great. When you get married, we'll hook you up with some wedding stuff too."
"Looking forward to it."
After a quick goodbye, Kang Han-do hurried to the meeting room where Jo Woo-gim PD was.
Opening the door, Jo Woo-gim PD sighed deeply.
"You guys plotting to torment me? One meeting ends, and the next guy's already here."
"Maybe your outfit's just lucky today, PD Jo-nim."
"Lucky outfit means more torture for me. Fine. What's the material this time?"
Kang Han-do had come to get feedback on three episodes' worth and run them by Jo Woo-gim PD.
On the latter, Jo Woo-gim PD summed it up briefly.
"You're doing plenty well. You've passed the stage where I need to micromanage. Keep it up. But I do need to review the scripts. Can't have sensitive topics slipping in."
Touching on major social issues could spell disaster. Even with Kang Han-do's clean image, one scandal could tank him.
Jo Woo-gim PD didn't want to lose a talent like Kang Han-do so soon.
"Right, isn't this week the last shoot for Chef Kim's Kitchen?"
"You know it."
"Na PD's my proud junior."
"First time hearing that."
"Of course. It's my one-sided claim. Na PD probably has no idea."
Kang Han-do chuckled.
As Jo Woo-gim PD said, it was the final shoot.
Na PD had planned Chef Kim's Kitchen for 12 episodes from the start. No extensions. If more, it'd be a revamped Season 2.
"Got anything lined up after Chef Kim's Kitchen?"
"No. Focusing on Pobokjeoldo for now. The corner's gaining momentum. Gotta ride this popularity tailwind straight ahead."
"True captain. Hoist the sails while the wind's blowing."
As Pobokjeoldo's lead PD, Jo Woo-gim PD welcomed Kang Han-do's resolve.
Since Kang Han-do was committed, Jo Woo-gim PD pledged support.
"I'll personally push your corner for the foreseeable future."
"Thank you, PD Jo-nim."
A smile bloomed on Kang Han-do's face.