Without a flicker of hesitation, I rattled off correct answers one after another, and Gwak Seojeong’s gaze inevitably shifted toward PD Yang Juri. It meant: Are we going to get enough footage like this? The staff, too, were flustered and scrambling without any proper countermeasure.
“Ah, today really feels unusual. The production staff look awfully concerned. Seems they’re worried about the prize money. The Goliaths look pleased with the accumulated pot, but also nervous they might lose it all~! Now, Mr. Seo Hoyun! Only the final round remains! How do you feel?!”
“I suppose I am a little nervous. But I’ll do my best to the very end.”
I feigned a humble smile, and as Gwak Seojeong checked the next question card, a meaningful grin crossed his face.
“Mm, this one won’t be easy. Now, stage twelve.”
The VCR screen lit up with the question.
[Among the three given idioms, select the one whose meaning differs.
1. Myeongyabokya (明也福也)
2. Cheonryunjirak (天倫之樂)
3. Yoksikgiyuk (欲食其肉)]
I scanned them and smiled faintly.
“...May I use my second phone-a-friend here?”
“Of course! I hope it leads you to success.”
“Haha.”
Again, the production team connected the call.
“Who will answer this time?!”
Who else?
The one who would answer prettily.
[Hello?]
Barely seconds after the dial tone, that clear, gentle voice came through.
“Sung Jiwon.”
With my final chance, I intended to stage the scene exactly as I’d planned. I spoke smoothly.
“I’m on a quiz show right now—.”
At this late stage, even one line from me made the other participants gulp nervously. I could see them swallowing hard.
I grinned and finished the sentence.
“—If I win the prize money here, Jiwon, what would you want to do?”
[...Huh? Win?]
Taken aback, he sounded startled, then cheerfully asked,
[Ah! You’re filming David and Goliath right now?]
“Yeah, I’m at the final question. If there’s something you want—”
My plan was simple: have Jiwon say his wish, reveal that I hadn’t called because I didn’t know the answer, then punch in the number and end the call cleanly.
[What I want is to congratulate you a ton!]
Instead, his reply veered off course.
“...Congratulate?”
[Yeah!]
Thrown off, I missed the timing to redirect. Jiwon chuckled warmly and added,
[Then, Hoyun-ah, fighting. Come home safe!]
The line cut.
My neat scenario crumbled to dust again. I stared blankly ahead until Gwak Seojeong’s voice drilled into my ears.
“Wow, Mr. Seo Hoyun, you must have a very close bond with your members.”
“...Yes...”
I had picked the one with no greed.
And I couldn’t call Kang Ichae again—he was out buying whipped cream. Kim Sunghyun and Jung Dajun were clearly busy, too.
As I replayed the failed plan in my head, the screen displayed the surviving Goliaths one by one.
“But in the end, you got no advice. Was it simply a wasted chance, or do you already have the confidence to win?!”
At that moment, I realized what that sharp gaze from earlier had been.
“Now! Please choose your answer!”
The middle-aged man sitting in the far corner.
Even knowing all the cameras and attention were on me, I couldn’t take my eyes off him.
It wasn’t because of any unique features, or because he was famous.
“Mr. Seo Hoyun?”
...But simply because he was my uncle.
“Mr. Seo Hoyun, are you alright?”
Only then did I realize I was being called. I quickly smoothed over my expression, clenched and unclenched my hands under the table, and spoke slowly.
“Now that I’m here at the end, I do feel very nervous. My apologies.”
“Understandable. But the finish line is right ahead. Mr. Seo Hoyun, please choose among the three idioms.”
I picked my number and answered steadily.
“Number 3.”
“Number 3, are you certain?”
“Yes.”
My feelings were a muddy mess, but my mind was astonishingly clear.
“Number 1, Myeongyabokya, means continuous good fortune. Number 2, Cheonryunjirak, refers to familial harmony among blood relatives. By contrast, Yoksikgiyuk—”
I turned from the VCR to face the main camera head-on.
“...—means hatred so deep you want to eat your enemy’s flesh.”
No sooner had I finished than Gwak Seojeong continued with a bright smile.
“Mr. Seo Hoyun chose confidently. Let’s see if it’s correct—?!”
The drums rumbled in the background, heightening the tension.
“—Now we reveal it!”
With his shout, the lights flashed over choice 3.
“In this New Year’s Special of David and Goliath! Today’s victory goes to David! Congratulations!!”
Bang!
Confetti burst everywhere, and thunderous cheers erupted.
“It’s been nearly a year since David defeated Goliath! Mr. Seo Hoyun, as today’s champion, may we hear your thoughts?”
As colorful paper fluttered down, my eyes searched for blood.
“I only wanted to do my best, so it feels unreal to have come «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» this far...”
Unreal indeed.
If he had even a shred of conscience, if he were truly human, he wouldn’t have dared show his face here.
A moment ago, my head had been tangled with thoughts of airtime, quests, editing, prize money. But they all evaporated, leaving only one thing.
What were the odds of coincidence?
That he happened to be a fan of this program, happened to attend as an audience member, happened to meet me here?
That burning gaze told me it wasn’t chance.
Not now, after silence all this time.
Was this the system’s doing? No, it couldn’t be—the choice of this program, the quest trigger, that had been mine.
One thing was clear.
“...I’ll be donating the prize money to a good cause.”
That bastard—who deserved to be devoured—would once again become an obstacle in my life.
I smiled harder into the glowing red camera light.
***
Only after finishing an interview at Yang Juri PD’s request did I finally board the van.
I probed her lightly, and as expected, she admitted: some of today’s participants had been chosen last-minute. Whether my uncle was among them or not, I didn’t care.
What mattered was that he had come to see me.
I raked my hair back in irritation and turned to the manager, who had just settled in the driver’s seat.
“Manager-nim, has anyone been trying to contact me lately?”
“Sir?”
“Like acquaintances, relatives—people claiming to know me.”
He glanced at me through the mirror, tilting his head.
“Mm, there are always plenty of those. Sounds like nonsense, though.”
“......”
“So I think WH’s security screens them out before they even reach us. You know how strict WH is.”
His words about paparazzi and sasaengs drifted past as I sank into my seat.
Chances were high my uncle had already visited the company. With no luck there, he’d come through the program.
But why now?
‘Recently, he’s been looking for me...’
And there was something else.
Why go through the trouble of approaching a hard-to-reach celebrity, when there was someone much easier to reach?
“...Manager-nim.”
Still staring out at the blurred scenery, I said,
“Take me home today.”
“Huh? Not the dorm?”
I stayed silent. The manager didn’t press further.
Thankfully, the ride was short.
I thanked him, got out, and entered the apartment. As I reached my front door, a strange restlessness stirred in me.
I keyed in Seo Hojin’s birthday, twisted the knob, and stepped inside. Seo Hojin was slouched against the sofa, fiddling on his phone.
“Oh? Hyung?”
“......”
“What are you doing here?”
Startled, he jumped up—only to smack his shin on the table and crash noisily to the floor.
“Argh... damn it...”
Kicking off my shoes, I sat on the sofa, watching him rub his foot. He got up, walked over, and sat on the floor nearby, eyes flicking nervously at me.
“...What, why?”
“Have you been eating properly?”
“Better than you, hyung. ...But seriously, what brings you here?”
“This is my place. Am I not allowed to come?”
Glancing around, I held out my hand.
“Never mind that. Give me your phone.”
“...Why my phone....”
Ignoring his obvious displeasure, I shook my hand firmly—clear warning not to resist.
Pouting, he handed it over.
I unlocked it easily and opened his messages.
There were tons of unread ones, mostly from his university friends.
[Woo Gyeongun: Hey bastard, ignoring me feels good? Cold-hearted fuck lol remember I set you up last time...]
[XX-number Kang Youngjun: Hyung hyung hyung please lend me the exam papers or at least your pen as a talisman...]
[XX-number Han Woojoo: Yeah, Kang Jookyung went to Jeju? Kick him out of the group project lol...]
[XX-number Kang Jookyung: Sunbae, my grandmother’s sick so I might not make the presentation...]
I skimmed the names, not the content. Nothing stood out. Which made it stranger.
‘So he hasn’t approached Hojin yet?’
Something felt off.
But if my brother really knew nothing, stirring up trouble would be worse.
I handed the phone back.
“...Why? What?”
“Why are you so restless? Hiding something from me?”
I teased him, half-joking, but his eyes narrowed and he snapped back,
“...Hyung.”
“What.”
“When someone who drops by barely once or twice a year suddenly shows up unannounced, of course it’s scary...”
Scary? That face didn’t look scared at all.
