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“…Is Seo Hoyun really a devil? Wow, this is such an unexpected surprise.”
“Ahahaha! It’s summer, after all~.”
Everyone was excited, their eyes sparkling. I covered my mouth with my hand and narrowed my eyes.
“I’m really, really looking forward to it.”
“He’s really, really crazy….”
“Thanks for the compliment~.”
I stood up in a good mood, as the additional proposal was accepted without much opposition.
As I left the meeting room, my manager looked at me disgustedly.
“Hoyun, you… will be punished someday for this.”
“Should I buy a lottery ticket? What if I get struck by lightning?”
“If you get struck by lightning, you’ll die, Hoyun… But isn’t it better to tell them now?”
“It’s more fun if it’s a surprise.”
I won’t mention that this was some kind of revenge for the last surprise.
I think Kang Ichae noticed.
Even if he went wild, he was still in the palm of my hand.
My manager hesitated.
“Still….”
“Ah, manager. I’ll do that.”
“Huh?”
“I’ll go for the Please Take the Camera audition.”
“What?!!”
My manager’s eyes widened. Thanks to that, the recent worries about the “Seo Hoyun Rural Healing Program Incident” were completely erased from his mind, and he immediately rejoiced and made a fuss.
“Why?! Why did you suddenly change your mind?”
“The script was interesting.”
I spat out nonsense as I brushed my hair back. There was no way I’d go just because the script was interesting. Even if the script was interesting, I wouldn’t have considered attending the audition if I didn’t know anything about acting. But…
I have something to check.
No matter how much I thought about it, that character Lee Jeonghun bothered me. Seeing how the system window only shuts up in times like these, my suspicions grew deeper.
How on earth did he use my life…?
If I go to the audition and meet the writer, Kim Sukhui, I will have a chance to find out more after speaking with them. But I’ll have to approach the person I don’t know slowly and cautiously.
“Well, I’ll at least check out the first audition. The CEO and my manager have been so concerned, so I should try it, right?”
“…Wow, I’m a bit touched.”
“Why?”
“You’ve thought about us and didn’t just assume that we’d do whatever you wanted as if you were the most selfish person in the world…!”
“…”
“I thought you didn’t listen to the members and acted like a dictator, always doing whatever you wanted…!”
“…Yes.”
My manager wiped his tears away with a handkerchief. I answered briefly, feeling slightly annoyed, and then walked away.
“I can see it, I can see…! The face of the future great actor Seo Hoyun…!!”
“…”
“You really have the look of an idol, but strangely also that of an actor. Really, truly!”
“Manager, enough now~.”
“…Sorry~.”
After the content filming was done, I headed straight to the audition venue. My manager chuckled as I sorted out the schedule and tasks in my head.
“You don’t really have to worry about the audition. This is just between you and me… but the lead role for that drama has already been secured. It’s our company.”
“What?”
“If things go well, the CEO might even put in a good word for you with the drama’s production team during your audition!”
That’s what people call nepotism: Inserting supporting actors next to successful leading actors.
It was one of the things that a drama’s production teams hated the most.
Hmm….
I didn’t really want to go that far. No, in the first place, there wasn’t a star in this agency that had that much influence to swing around….
Wait a minute.
Who in our company?
I asked after recalling the thought.
“…Who is it?”
“Ahaha! You know that person too~.”
A wave of uneasiness brushed past my chest. The moment that unexpected name came up, my face distorted in shock.
***
“Hello~.”
“Hello!”
We (excluding me) were filled with excitement as we headed to the countryside farm. Unfortunately, it rained all morning, so our huge van moved slowly on the narrow dirt road, causing us to arrive later than expected.
When we arrived at the filming location, the rain stopped as if it had been waiting for us, and the sky cleared up beautifully.
Jeong Dajun arrived earlier and was busy preparing for the shoot with the planning team. He didn’t even think about opening the car door and hurriedly waved his hand.
“Kyaaa!”
“It’s a vacation~!”
It’s not a vacation but a content shoot. However, I didn’t bother to correct them. The countryside air filled with the scent of grass, and the humid summer breeze felt relaxing.
The members who got out of the car a beat later were too excited to notice their surroundings.
“Wow! There’s a field here too!”
“Are we going to cook with this and eat?”
“How did you even manage to get this place?”
“I borrowed it from a variety show location.”
It seemed like the team leader had put in some effort. I laughed discreetly, but no one noticed.
“Should we make bibimbap?”
“Oh, that’s nice, that’s nice.”
“Do you know how to start a fire?”
“Anyone got a lighter?”
Suddenly, everyone looked at me.
“I don’t have one, okay?”
“I’m proud of you.”
Ignoring Jeong Dajun’s strangely generous gaze, I crossed the threshold of the old but neatly arranged country house. It seemed they hadn’t set up the camera yet…
“Should we do it here?”
I tapped on the ground with a satisfied smile. I could just tell them to set up here when the time comes.
“Oh, what memories.”
Looking around the room, I found LP records neatly arranged on a small bookshelf. Next to it was a turntable. I looked at the familiar song titles one by one, and as I moved to the right, the LP records became more disheveled. When I lifted a few, I saw a hidden pack of cigarettes in the corner. Someone from the variety show staff or cast who filmed here before must have left it.
“What are you doing?”
“Aw, man, you scared me.”
After taking it out and organizing the LP records, I was mindlessly looking at the pack when, suddenly, Kim Seonghyeon appeared in front of me.
“…You.”
Ugh.
Did he misunderstand?
Quickly, I threw the pack of cigarettes away and raised my hands, as Kim Seonghyeon was the one who had been most adamant about quitting smoking.
“I’m being wronged!”
“…”
“I know what you’re thinking, but it’s really not like that, okay?”
“…Seo Hoyun.”
Kim Seonghyeon stared at me for a moment, then let out a short sigh. He carefully glanced outside before cautiously closing the door.
“If you want to… just smoke one.”
“What?”
“I won’t tell the others.”
Ding!
[????]
I was startled, and so was the system alert. That Kim Seonghyeon? The one who insisted on not spreading any rumors about idols and always warned me against smoking was telling me it was okay to smoke one?
Speechless, I stood there dumbfounded…
“Me, me… um.”
My voice trembled for a moment.
“Um, hyung…”
Ah, I couldn’t do it. I tried to hold back my laughter, but I couldn’t. I clenched my teeth and threw out a joke.
“Hyung, if you close your eyes just once while I smoke! Puff… would you let it slide…?”
“…”
“Why is the door closed again?”
The smell would give it away anyway. I found the non-smoker’s way of thinking so hilarious that I laughed. Kim Seonghyeon clenched his teeth; he must have realized I was teasing him.
“…So annoying, seriously.”
“Seonghyeon~, can I have one hit? What about a two-hit?”
“Fine, fine. Just go over there.”
“Uh~, what about three hits?”
“Get out.”
As I continued to tease him, Kim Seonghyeon got annoyed and picked up the cigarette pack that had fallen on the floor, throwing it into the trash can. Then, realizing something, he hurriedly picked it up from the trash can.
“What are you doing, Kim Seonghyeon?”
“…If this gets caught on camera, there’ll be more rumors.”
“Wow~!”
Kim Seonghyeon had learned a lot. Annoyed, he went outside, and I followed him to the door.
“Kim Seonghyeon!”
“…What?”
He turned around sharply, full of trust towards me. I crossed my arms and leaned my head against the doorframe, smiling cautiously.
“Please don’t tell the others….”
“…”
“I’m begging you, Mr. Seonghyeon.”
“I really hate it when you don’t miss a single chance to bite at me for every word I say.”
Kim Seonghyeon left with a dismissive look. As he went outside and handed it to the manager, I couldn’t help but laugh.
I guess I went too far….
But I could proudly say,
I quit smoking!
Amazing, Seo Hoyun. As expected, it’s me.
I neatly put away my lingering attachment to cigarettes, and as I wanted to play some music, I checked if the turntable was working when a staff member came in with a camera.
I confirmed through the crack in the door that the manager hastily shoved the cigarettes into his pocket before I placed the LP on the turntable.
~♪♬?
“Nice song.”
With the soft sound of rain, the gentle LP sound flowing into my ears, and the members who were fun to tease, I leaned back against the wall with a satisfied smile.
Ah, this was… a healing program indeed.
.
.
.
“Ta-da~!”
As I left the room after playing the song, Kang Ichae was, for some reason, proudly laying something out on the floor.
“Our cute Ichae ordered these! Let’s put them on and film our V-Live!”
“What… is this?”
I was already getting anxious. Kang Ichae proudly picked up a white T-shirt and threw it to each member.
“Try it on. I prepared heartfelt messages for each member.”
I looked at the shirt he gave me. He said he had prepared a message that suited each member. On my shirt, there were these large texts:
“Troublemaker”
“…”
Ding!
[Ah]
[Crazy]
[I really, really, really like Kang Ichae!!!!!]
System windows shouted, and Kim Seonghyeon, who had been harshly teased by me earlier, put on his shirt while clapping.
“I really love it, Ichae.”
“Right??”
He had “Light” written on his shirt, so he had no complaints and obediently put it on.
“Uh? There’s something written on the back too?”
As I nervously looked at the back of my shirt, there was a message saying, “The Best Aggro King.” I grabbed Kim Seonghyeon’s shoulder, spun him around, and saw “You’ll need LASIK from the dazzle if you keep looking, good job!” written.
Did Kang Ichae have any sense of being an idol?
The person who made the shirts was standing confidently as he nonchalantly wore his shirt with “The most handsome” written on it.
“Kang Ichae, where’s your conscience?”
“Why?”
“You’re the most handsome?”
“Aaah… I knew you’d say that.”
Today, as always, Kang Ichae bragged proudly and turned around.
[ㅋㅋStop being so ugly with jealousy~]
“…”
I was getting tired of this…
Next to me, Seong Jiwon, who was wearing a shirt that said “Buddha,” laughed softly, making me feel even more wronged.
“Why is he fine? I’m a ‘troublemaker,’ but he’s a ‘Buddha’?”
“Look at the back.”
“Huh!”
On the back was the phrase, “Softly Execute.”[1]
“…I see.”
“Right?”
And Seong Jiwon also had his game nickname, “Let’s practice, guys!” written on it with his face. As I stared at it nervously, Jeong Dajun, who had already put on his “Gangster Mouse” shirt, burst in.
“Oh! I didn’t see the back! What’s written on mine, hyung??”
“…Turn around.”
I gave up on arguing and just watched Jeong Dajun spin around before me.
“Jeong Dajun definitely put this on without reading the back.”
…It was written like that. I was lost for words, yet Jeong Dajun ran around like a puppy wanting to see his own message.
“Hyung, what does mine say??”
“…”
“Puhahahaha!!”
Kang Ichae, who was holding his sides and laughing, was the real troublemaker.
[1] In the raw, the word “부처” (Buddha) is broken down into “부: 부드럽게 (softly)” and “처: 처형 (execute).” This seems to be a pun by Ichae.