Chapter 78:
Min Woojin parked the car on the shoulder and turned to Yooil with a shocked expression.
What did you just say?!
Even amidst the surprise, Kim Harang greeted them cheerfully.
Kim Harang quickly and clearly explained the situation. The summary of what Harang communicated to Yooil was as follows:
There was a web variety show appearance scheduled for tomorrow evening. It was a show where he needed to appear with a friend, and he had planned to go with Ji Eunho. Ji Eunho, along with all other members of Black Sea, had fallen ill with a flu that required isolation. Kim Harang didn't have any other celebrity friends (specifically, none without a schedule for the next day).
Brion quickly added additional information:
The show is called Seven Nights,' commonly referred to as Chilbam.' It's one of the web variety shows that have sprung up recently, where light-hearted conversations are held over snacks and light drinks. Chilbam' is particularly popular among younger audiences. The channel currently has 890,000 subscribers.
"Chilbam?! The one on OTube?"
Oh! Yes, that's the one, manager!
Min Woojin quickly pulled out his phone, thinking he should contact the agency.
The manager said if they can't find someone within an hour, they'll have to bring someone from our agency a junior
"Ah."
Yooil suddenly remembered something. Was it when they went to Vietnam? He had overheard something. He remembered hearing that Harang had some issues with junior members of a boy group.
He didn't know the details as he hadn't asked, but it seemed there had been some major and minor incidents.
"I don't have any special schedule tomorrow."
Really?!
Min Woojin, who had quickly contacted the company, slowly nodded. It seemed the company also saw no downside to this arrangement.
The probability of achieving positive outcomes is 76.1%
Brion thinks so too.'
Then there was even less reason not to go.
Yooil readily agreed to Harang's request.
Yes!
Harang's excited voice rang through the phone.
* * *
Despite the last-minute change, the rumor that Han Yooil was stepping in as a guest on Chilbam' spread quickly.
Next week's Chilbam guest lineup is hot
[Insider info: next week's Chilbam guests are Kim Harang X Han Yooil]
Huh? Weren't the Black Sea members supposed to appear?
Seems like they had to cancel their schedule because of the flu
Oh no, Ji Eunho got the flu?
Yeah, except for Harang, all Black Sea members are down
But about Chilbam
[It's so sad that Black Sea members are ill but honestly, I'm kind of excited about the Han Yooil and Kim Harang combo..]
Me too..
22..
33 Still watching the behind-the-scenes of Singin' High
You too? Me too
They get along so well, it's really nice to see
They're harmless and funny when together..
Is Han Yooil a gag character too?
No, just his face is funny
Of course, not all reactions were positive.
So ridiculous
[The guys are sick and suffering, and you're all excited Are all fans of that actor so selfish? I used to like him because of his acting, but this is a turn-off]
Fortunately, Black Sea's fans, seasoned through years of fandom and accustomed to dealing with trolls, along with Han Yooil's fans, who were excited about the new tidbit, didn't easily cave to such provocations.
Huh.. I've never seen anyone speak so negatively, why are you so mad?
What's this?
Bug off
Just ignore them^^ Black Sea fans support actor Han Yooil~
* * *
The program was led by Ha Inju, a singer in her 30s with numerous hit songs and recently active as a panelist in various shows.
Don't be too nervous, hyung. Just think of it as having fun.
Kim Harang meticulously briefed Yooil on several matters.
Though Yooil already knew quite a bit, thanks to Brion, including some points that needed special attention.
However, Yooil paid close attention to Harang's tips. It couldn't hurt to be well-informed.
Soon Yooil's van arrived at the underground parking lot.
"We're here~"
"Thanks. I'm sorry you couldn't rest because of me."
"I'm getting paid to work, what's the big deal!"
Han Yooil couldn't help but nod at the professionalism of the working world.
JJ Entertainment was known for treating its managers well compared to other companies.
He heard they not only got a good salary but also received substantial bonuses.
"Still, I appreciate it, hyung."
After Yooil's appearance on Chilbam' was confirmed, Manager Jang Jaeyi had wanted to assign other team members to accompany him. It was Han Yooil who adamantly refused.
Woojin hyung is reliable enough.
Min Woojin's spirits soared even higher at those words.
"Fighting! Don't drink too much!"
Yooil entered the set, taking in Woojin's encouragement and concerns.
Is this the place?'
The set was a cozy bar that could fit around ten people.
The production team was modest: MC Ha Inju, the main PD, two directors of photography, sound and lighting directors, and two assistant writers cum PDs.
Though Singin' High' had also premiered on OTube, it ultimately aimed for Newblix, so the production team and budget weren't much different from typical dramas.
Thus, excluding commercials or promotional content for the agency, this was Yooil's first appearance on OTube content.
It's going to be fun.'
Yooil greeted Ha Inju and the staff one by one before taking his seat.
Ha Inju wore a headband with eye-catching character motifs, her hair tied in pigtails. Every time she moved, rainbow colors sparkled from the white cat faces on her headband.
Caught off guard by the headband, Yooil snapped back to reality when a high-pitched voice hit his eardrums.
"Oh my! You look even better in person than on screen~ You're glowing!"
As rumored, Ha Inju was a lively person.
"Let's get started~ One, two, three!"
The shooting began with her clapping her hands as a makeshift slate.
"Today, the news about our guest has everyone excited, you know? Even Yesol came fully made up today Oh, Yesol! Did you even put on fake eyelashes?"
The youngest writer, Yesol, hid behind the director of photography, covering her mouth.
"Oh, don't get me wrong. I just had drinks with Yesol a few days ago. We're close~"
"We are?"
"Hey!"
Even the banter among the staff was enough to show how close they were.
I get the vibe now.'
Not too heavy, just fun.
The atmosphere was very much like the clips Brion had shown him.
"Here, we have Hanwoo beef that Harang likes and Doenjang Jjigae that Yooil likes!"
"Wow~"
As Kim Harang cheerfully applauded, Ha Inju shook bottles of soju and beer with a bright smile.
"So how much can everyone drink?"
And so the drinking part of the show began.
* * *
"We have a lot of questions for you today."
Ha Inju pulled out a whiteboard with Which Star Did You Come From?' scribbled on it in a hasty handwriting. Each episode threw a topic into the conversation, and they tried to reach a conclusion through all sorts of talks. Odd questions, a stream of consciousness conversation, and ending by painting the wall in their favorite color.
Typical of a drinking show.'
"So, Yooil, you recently had a birthday, right?"
"Yes, it's been about two months."
"What did Harang do for your birthday?"
"Well couldn't do much. Our schedules clashed"
"Ahh, right, you were busy then~ Harang, you were doing unit activities with Woosin and Yeonho at the time, right?"
Harang nodded shyly, unlike his usual self. Yooil, watching Harang with narrowed eyes, said,
"No, that's not true. Harang sent me quite a few things personally."
"Really?! What did he send you?"
"Hanwoo set and an air purifier"
"Wow, look at that! I never thought Harang was so generous!"
"Ah, no!! The air purifier was a housewarming gift!"
Despite Harang's attempts to deny being so generous, it didn't seem to have much effect.
The conversation moved on to Harang's unit activities and their future plans.
Ha Inju looked at Yooil and Harang alternately, her voice taking a tone.
"Honestly, tell me. Neither of you are from Korea, right?"
She then tapped the whiteboard.
"Which star did you come from? Spill the beans."
Hmm.'
What to do.
He hadn't really thought about a serious answer. It had only been a day since he agreed to come on the show.
Instead of pondering an answer, Yooil locked eyes with Ha Inju and playfully smiled.
"Guess."
But suddenly, upon making eye contact with Yooil, Ha Inju turned her head.
"Ack!"
?'
"Why are you looking at me like that!"
As Yooil looked at her puzzled, she covered her eyes with one hand.
"No, no don't look at me like that!"
"Why?"
As Yooil widened his eyes and leaned forward slightly, Ha Inju completely covered her face with both hands and turned away from him.
Why the?'
Yooil, clueless, looked around at the staff who were all smiling.
The second camera focused intently on Yooil's confused expression.
This is meme material.'
The director of photography, with a knack for the industry, sensed that this scene would be quite popular in short-form content.
Perhaps due to the alcohol, Ha Inju's face was slightly flushed. She cautiously spoke up.
"Have you never heard that term before?"
"What?"
"Guilty human?"
"What?"
Yooil felt a bit tense at Ha Inju's lowered voice, but relaxed as laughter erupted among the staff again.
"I haven't heard that one yet."
"Whaat? I heard about it! Manager, isn't Yooil a guilty human'?"
He's drunk.'
Yooil quietly poured the drink from Harang's glass into his own. Luckily, Harang seemed too engrossed in his own story to notice his drink disappearing.
* * *
After about 40 minutes of filming.
Yooil thought they were drinking slowly, but already two bottles of soju were almost empty.
Harang's eyes had started to get a bit blurry. Thanks to the watchful eyes of the manager, though, he seemed to be keeping it together.
Ha Inju maintained her high energy, an impressive feat indeed.
"Yooil, you were thinking about preparing for the civil service exams, right? Did you go to any study academies?"
"Due to financial reasons, I couldn't afford academies, so I was preparing on my own."
"Hyung is really smart! I even learned acting from him~"
'
Yooil once again poured Harang's drink into his own glass.
Meanwhile, Ha Inju, who had been admiring Yooil, spoke up.
"Wow really, Yooil your parents must be so proud."
!'
Min Woojin, who had been watching comfortably, suddenly stood up. Without much thought, he rushed over to the PD.
Yooil's family situation wasn't a secret, but it wasn't widely known among the public either, except to those deeply interested in him. Above all, Min Woojin was most concerned about Yooil's mental state.
He's never been asked a question like this before!'
The schedule was set up in a hurry, and they hadn't been able to check all the briefing details thoroughly.
Of all things'
Min Woojin swallowed dryly, blaming himself.
As Kim Harang's expression hardened, Han Yooil remained composed.
"Yes, I think they would have been happy."
Yooil continued slowly.
"I heard from my aunt that I used to mimic movies and dramas a lot when I was young. I heard that my parents enjoyed watching me do that."
Am I drunk too?'
Words he wouldn't normally say slipped out.
Sensing the change in atmosphere, Ha Inju turned to the staff. It was only then that she realized the gravity of the situation, and her face turned pale instantly.
This content is taken from (f)reewe(b)novel.𝗰𝗼𝐦