LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 180
Chapter 180
The production team, who had met Muk Hye-sung several times before, looked somewhat worried in my eyes.
“I’m new to this kind of variety show… How was it for you, Mr. Muk?”
“Hmm, Hye-sung is more… how should I say this….”
“Do you live a boring life?”
“Haha… Yes….”
“I thought so….”
When I talked about staying at Muk Hye-sung’s house after the Pick Heart shoot and receiving pocket money with a scary joke last Lunar New Year, the writer was very pleased.
He said that if I naturally mentioned things like “Oh, that happened back then” while broadcasting, the viewers would like it.
The meeting ended in a very warm atmosphere.
“Mr. Raon, you are our hope.”
“I think you shouldn’t expect too much… I’m not that funny or witty.”
“No, I believe in you! You won’t regret choosing us for your first terrestrial variety show.”
Technically, my first terrestrial variety show was Idol Variety War, but this was my first full-fledged regular variety show, so I nodded.
I hoped that this variety show appearance would be helpful to Muk Hye-sung, me, and Orca.
* * *
A few days later.
On a day without a music show schedule, I got into Kwak Sang-hyun’s car early in the morning, sent off by the members who told me to do well.
Not only Kwak Sang-hyun, who was in the driver’s seat, but also a male camera director was already waiting in the car.
There were cameras set up everywhere in the car, not just the camera the director was holding.
It’s fascinating. Moments like this make me realize I’m a celebrity.
“Hello, I’m On Raon. Please take care of me today.”
“Hello, I’m Yoo Jae-man. Please, don’t be too conscious of the camera and just relax.”
I exchanged light greetings with Director Yoo Jae-man, who would be filming me all day.
By the way, it’s when you’re told not to be conscious of the camera that you’re most conscious of it…
“So, Mr. Muk knows today is a Ten to Ten shoot, but he doesn’t know I’m coming today.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Director Yoo Jae-man briefly explained the background of today’s shoot and nodded.
The main character of ‘Ten to Ten Muk Hye-sung’ was Muk Hye-sung, and I was appearing as a one-time guest.
So, Muk Hye-sung, who had been shooting Ten to Ten for several days, would think today was just another shoot and probably wouldn’t realize I was joining him today.
It seemed the production team expected a surprise visit to startle Muk Hye-sung, but I wasn’t sure his reaction would be as big as they hoped.
Honestly, knowing him, he’d probably just calmly ask why I was there rather than being shocked by my sudden appearance.
But if there was one way to surprise Muk Hye-sung…
“Why are you so quiet? Are you nervous?”
At that moment, Kwak Sang-hyun asked, noticing I was too quiet.
“No, when I’m with the members, they’re so noisy that I don’t have time to be conscious of the camera.”
“Yeah.”
“But being alone makes me very aware of it. There’s no one to talk to, and talking to myself feels awkward.”
Kwak Sang-hyun, hearing my words, made a joke.
“Why, am I not enough for you?”
What an intense line, like something out of a drama full of entangled emotions.
Having spent so much time with us, Kwak Sang-hyun also seemed to have developed a strange sense of humor.
It seemed like he had given up on making us calm and instead adapted to the reality by loosening up himself.
“Hyung, this isn’t ‘You and I are the Main Characters.'”
For reference, ‘You and I are the Main Characters’ is a variety show centered around the managers of celebrities.
It’s an old, long-running variety show that still managed to stay relevant.
Like Ten to Ten, which maintained freshness by constantly changing the cast, it kept the format lively with only two regular MCs.
A manager of a major agency idol group, who appeared on the show, gained fame comparable to a celebrity due to his striking looks and impressive resume.
Recently, I saw a popular post on a community site with screenshots of the show and reactions, asking why someone with such looks was a manager instead of a celebrity.
There were comments saying the HR manager should have put him in the artist division, not management.
Anyway, Kwak Sang-hyun, who had a gentle impression, could also gain popularity if he managed his appearance well, despite looking worn out from the busy schedule.
“Really? Let’s get you famous quickly so we can go on that show too.”
Was he serious?
… It seemed our manager had ambitions beyond just making jokes.
“No, but hyung, you’re suggesting appearing on another network’s show during an MBS shoot… Oh, that’s MBS too. Sorry, I’m still not familiar with Korean broadcasting.”
“You only play the American card at times like this.”
“People can get confused sometimes.”
After bickering with Kwak Sang-hyun, I arrived at the shop, got a simple makeup done, and headed to Muk Hye-sung’s apartment.
It was my first time visiting Muk Hye-sung’s house in nearly a year.
Director Yoo Jae-man subtly asked me as I stood in front of the door.
“Do you know the password?”
If I didn’t know the password, the staff inside would probably open it for me.
“I know. I stayed here for a few days last year and heard it then. It might have changed since then…”
* * *
Last year, summer of 2017.
“I’ll give you the front door password.”
“What? The password? It’s okay. I’ll be leaving in a few days anyway. Changing the password later would be troublesome. You don’t have to tell me.”
“It’d be inconvenient otherwise.”
And Muk Hye-sung really told me.
The password was almost at the level of ‘0000’ or ‘12345678’, overly simple to the point where I was slightly dumbfounded.
Of all things, the front door password shouldn’t be so lax!
“… You don’t usually tell everyone this easily, do you?”
“Not many people know.”
“What? Obviously, not many people should know. Even if this place has good security, you’re a celebrity. What if someone with bad intentions comes and does something bad? Why would you tell someone you barely know like me the house password so easily?”
“You’re…”
“If someone sneaks in and takes everything, we won’t even know who did it! If you get a notice saying they’ll take those really expensive speakers over there in a month, just know it’s me!”
“……”
“Oh, I’m sorry. Even if my words came from a sincere concern for you, it was rude for a young, green rookie like me to speak so disrespectfully to an elder who has taken care of me… I probably shouldn’t speak at all, let alone sing.”
“No, it’s…”
“I’m really sorry for being such a kid. To repay your kindness with such words, I’m truly hopeless. It’s okay if you dislike me. Even if you already do, that’s fine. Well, it’s not fine, but not everyone in the world can like me. Thinking that way makes me feel a little better.”
[The effect of the trait ‘Inborn Pitiful天生可憐’ maximizes your pitifulness.]
[Perfectly struck by your artistic push-and-pull, Muk Hye-sung feels pity for you. Muk Hye-sung’s favorability +5, current favorability +25.]
“No… You’re right. I’ll change it once you leave.”
“Okay!”
* * *
“But somehow, I feel like he hasn’t changed it since then…”
Yesterday, after contemplating all day, I entered the door lock code of the house I stayed at once.
“…See?”
As expected. With a beep, the door easily opened.
Since I had successfully snuck in, I carefully opened the door without making a sound.
“Excuse me. I didn’t get permission to enter, but since you gave me the password a year ago, you should’ve expected something like this…”
Director Yoo Jae-man, who heard my meaningful muttering, bit his lip tightly.
The modern interior of the living room, which I hadn’t seen in a while, greeted me quietly.
Because of his unique tidy nature, the trophies and plaques neatly placed on the shelves were still dust-free.
The only difference was that there were several cameras installed in the living room.
I checked the location of the cameras in Muk Hye-sung’s house, bowing politely to each lens I found.
These trivial cuts probably wouldn’t make it on air, but if they did, I’d be known as a polite idol.
Maybe our PR team would even write an article.
‘Orca’s On Raon, Exceptional Politeness’
…Something like that.
Anyway, thanks to my camera-finding skill, I quickly finished my greetings and stood in front of the only room I hadn’t checked.
“Is Mr. Muk sleeping in this room right now?”
The production crew who had arrived earlier nodded at my question.
Despite being famous for his thorough self-management, Muk Hye-sung had his own lax side, like his attitude towards the front door password.
Muk Hye-sung slept a lot.
As seen when he answered my late-night call during the Pick Heart shoot with a sleepy voice, this person slept whenever he had nothing to do.
There’s a reason he has good skin and no scandals at his age.
Let’s all get plenty of sleep.
Of course, this didn’t really apply to idols, who often have packed schedules from dawn to the next dawn during their active periods.
“It’s 9:56 right now. I’ll wait until 10 when Ten to Ten starts, and if he’s not up by then, I’ll wake him myself.”
The production team, hearing my plan as I looked at the camera, offered advice.
“Mr. Hye-sung has set his alarm for 10 these days.”
“Oh, then I’ll go in at 9:58.”
Two minutes quickly passed, and it was 9:58.
Determined to surprise Muk Hye-sung, I solemnly opened the door.