Rattle.
"… The scenery is nice."
"Th-there's a cow over there…!"
An idyllic road scene passed by beyond the people making comments at the window.
Yes. We boarded a typical tourist charter bus and headed to the countryside.
Of course, there were cameras all over the bus. In other words, this too would be broadcasted, so we couldn't let it go in vain.
"Wow, there's a karaoke machine here too?"
"Ah, it's been a while since I've seen that."
"I want to sing! Give me the microphone!"
"Okay! Shall we bet on the scores?"
Keun Sejin smiled and lifted the karaoke microphone to liven up the atmosphere. It was an entertainment-type attitude that seemed almost desperate.
I understood him.
I couldn't stand this peaceful, uncut atmosphere.
"Come on~ Our main vocalist has to sing just one song here!"
He was working really hard.
"Give it to me."
"Oooh!"
I selected a popular song that was about 10 years old and tried to sing it with as much excitement as possible while trying to get a good score.
This side was just as desperate.
'There's a possibility that we'll go on a fishing boat when we arrive…'
Production crew, please do what you're good at.
"That blue sea~ Cool breeze~"
"Oh, oh! Oh, oh!"
Please, let's just go with what we've always done before!
But what I saw when I finally arrived… It was a comfortable and warm country farmhouse.
"…"
A picturesque country house with a blue roof and veranda and lots of sunlight.
The members were excited.
"Wow!"
"It's a wonderful home with a very cozy feel!"
"… …"
No… The appearance may be fake. Yes, what was inside was important.
But after entering…
"Here… The floor is warm."
"It feels more personal because there's a sense of life."
"Th-that's right… !"
The neatly organized rooms had an old-fashioned charm, including mother-of-pearl cabinets, white porcelain, and classically colorful candy containers and stone tables.
"Have you seen the refrigerator?"
"… Yes, there were a lot of things inside."
The kitchen was stocked with various seasonings, rice, and side dishes.
With sunlight shining through the window, even the air was very warm. I swallowed.
'… It's better inside.'
This was a house that was full of the so-called romance and longing of rural life.
'What on earth did the art director get up to?'
Why did they create a title like "The House's Grandson" and make the accommodation so fancy?
How dare they not screw up the cast? This was a betrayal.
"Wow~ It's really amazing! How did they do this?"
Keun Sejin saw the atmosphere and changed the content to a housewarming reaction.
He was trying hard.
In the meantime, the director also quietly added a word.
"Haha, everyone, I borrowed this from a resident, so I have to return it when the period is over. Please use it carefully~"
"Yes!"
Why was he saying such things with such a warm expression?
I opened my mouth just in case.
"Perhaps we have to repay them for this…"
"Oh, of course not~ Of course, we paid for it all through rental! Never! That won't happen!"
Yes, I was very grateful.
'Things are really messed up.'
After a while, we finished our reactions to being asked to gather on the veranda and left.
"TeStar, please sit here~"
"Yes, yes~"
Then a short briefing on the content followed.
It wasn't much different from what we heard at the meeting. Living in the countryside, helping the elderly with their work and cooking meals…
'No fun…'
It might be better to call it a full-fledged hardcore volunteer activity, but it was a structure in which we earned money day by day.
And the production team's explanation did not end there.
"Here's how you guys can pay~"
Before I knew it, there was a lucky bag on the table placed on the veranda. Ryu Chungwoo picked it up and opened it.
"What? Wow~"
"… That's interesting. Are these bottle caps?"
Inside, a circle with an engraved pattern sparkled.
"You can only spend one type of currency here, and you can acquire more through various tasks!"
The director pointed to the lucky bag.
"That's right~
"Oh, oh!"
It was a name that seemed somewhat unhealthy.
However, the members' eyes shined at the toy-like coins made by pressing bottle caps together.
"Why is it called Carrot?"
"That's because it's like a one-on-one exchange with a real carrot~"
"Hahaha!"
Even the production crew who said nothing was met with generous reactions.
"I understand~ Carrot, carrot!"
"It's fresh, isn't it?"
"Let's use this as public money."
And then I nodded.
'Yes.'
There was no way the production crew could let the cast roam free and abundantly like this.
'They must have been playing around with coins.'
They would definitely try to get us to go into debt or we would end up in a difficult situation due to a severe lack of coins.
'Then, for impact…'
We needed to start with large-scale consumption.
My head was finally working. I tried my luck with enthusiasm.
"For now, shall we start by looking at groceries for dinner?"
"Sounds good."
"I'll make a list of things to buy!"
Let's look at the prices and choose what kind of image would look the darkest first.
As we entered the grocery store, I held up a coin I had received from Ryu Chungwoo and meaningfully asked the production crew a question.
"Are you lending me this, too?"
However, the production team responded firmly.
"No. We're just giving it to you~ Initial funds!"
"… Yes."
… I didn't think it was a lie.
Well, it was still possible. It did feel like there would be a shortage of coins because they would most likely make the prices ridiculously high.
So, I started shopping.
"How much is this?"
Towels were a necessity. Surely people would be surprised by charging exorbitant prices for these types of items…
"Ah, young people… Anyway, these are worth two Carrot Coins! Just give it to me like this!"
"Thank you."
"… ?"
Wait a minute.
"Please buy me that!"
"Eugene, do you want to eat dalgona? Okay. Auntie, how much is this?"
"Wow, you're so handsome. Hm? Very handsome~"
"Aigoo, thank you! Auntie is so beautiful too~"
"Really? Then, just one Carrot Coin is enough for 7 of these!"
"… Wow~ Awesome! Thank you!!"
"… ?"
Whatever we chose, it was all ridiculously cheap.
'They're giving it for free.'
What was this?
After receiving the dalgona from Keun Sejin and almost dropping it, I immediately looked back at the production crew and tried to get my luck going.
"… It's very cheap."
"All the residents are kind-hearted."
That meant that residents arbitrarily set prices for goods.
In that case, the camera would roll and of course, they would give things to us even though it wasn't real money!
'Did a screw fall out of their heads?'
Was this meaningless free rule made using a sane mind?
"Then, shall we go in and cook quickly?"
"Moo-Moondae. Should I try it this time… ? Grilling of the meat…"
"… Sounds good."
-Prices that are almost free, easy work, nice house, no problems to solve.
I made a comprehensive judgment.
'It's ruined.'
Who the fuck would want to see an idol who was already so popular enjoy simple healing to their hearts' content?
No, of course, fans might want to see it… No matter what, there had to be some level of stimulation that created interest.
'There is no curve.'
This bland structure couldn't capture emotion, laughter, or a spicy flavor.
In short, it was something that everyone already knew a lot about.
It would be better to make something great happen because the content was going nowhere right now.
'This is driving me crazy.'
I stuffed the dalgona into my mouth and suppressed my salivation.
Of course, I actually tried to change the program's route several times before leaving.
Anything from a forced farming concept to a horror special would be good. If only we could make it even a little more stimulating.
But surprisingly, it didn't work.
-Oh, that's a bit… Right?
-Yes, I don't think that will work.
They cut everything off.
The production team said they had already finished talking to the agency and walked out like a snake.
'Why are these bastards so obsessed with healing content when they're so good at talking a lot?'
Why were they doing this to us when they did a quiz show just before?
I felt bitter.
'Are we too popular?'
Since TeStar was doing so well, it seemed like they were afraid that if they released it now, we would change our minds or the fans would be angry.
This situation was so likely that it just left me with a bitter taste in my mouth. The dalgona started tasting bitter as well.
"Wow~ Look at this at Moondaemoondae, there's an eel here too!"
"Wait."
I decided to find work first and then do more.
Now that things were like this, there was nothing better than to portray ourselves as harmonious workaholics so that we could benefit from this image.
'If there's nothing to do, I just have to make something to do.'
Thanks to this, the sweet and sour pork I made for dinner, despite all the unnecessary steps, turned out amazingly well.
…It'd be nice if we could at least do an eating show with this. Please.
• * *
Attempts to somehow tie together the content continued, but no matter how much I thought about it, I couldn't come up with an angle.
It was amazingly peaceful.
'I'm tired.'
Still, something happened after dinner on the first day.
The guys who went downstairs brought something with them.
"Voila!"
"Wow…"
A smiling Ryu Chungwoo placed a dog with a black nose and white fur on the veranda.
The dog kicked my feet energetically.
"Woof!"
"…"
I almost reached out my hand without thinking, but then took it back.
It looked like a ball of hair small enough to be picked up and lifted.
"I met the camera director's grandmother, and she said this was one of the pups her dog gave birth to."
"He kept following us, and she said it was okay to bring him back!"
"I-it's name is Mungae."
"Woof!"
The dog got between me and Bae Sejin and stumbled. Bae Sejin's face turned red.
"Do… Do you mind if I hold it?"
"Here, just hold the side."
I looked at the dog's face, which looked stupid and thoughtless. Its tail was wagging wildly.
'This… It might be okay.'
Because people liked dogs.
Moreover, since it didn't have a known breed, there was no need for unnecessary controversy. Hmm. Good.
I nodded internally.
"Since this puppy came to TeStar, I think it should get a stage name~ How about Moon Puppy?"
"Hey."
And, deliberately overreacting to Keun Sejin's bullshit, I ran through the yard with Keun Sejin and the dog behind us.
"Hahaha!"
I wondered if the threshold for laughter had been set too low, but the members and staff laughed anyway.
… Maybe it wasn't that bad. From that day on, the dog slept in the middle of the heated room.
After that, small tasks continued.
We dug potatoes, watered crops, fed ducks, and gave massages to villagers.
And what I was doing right now was delivering groceries.
"Ugh!"
"We're almost done."
The goods were distributed to farms located far away.
Traveling through the countryside with a dog was the perfect thing to do without thinking about it.
And on the way back…
"Hm, shall we take a rest over there?"
"Good idea!"
There were no restrictions, so we could use our time however we wanted.
So, just before sunset, we parked the bicycle cart and sat down in the pavilion.
"I want to lie down~"
"Me too!"
And we could stretch this portion out as much as possible.
'We can do all kinds of things.'
In the video, we would all be lying down together, but I wondered if they would replace the clip.
At that time, Seon Ahyeon, who was lying next to me, muttered briefly.
"I-I think something like this is good."
"…"
"Without having any worries, just like right now… It's been a while since we had time like this."
"… You're right."
This whole time, we had been running hard without stopping. Because it was a job where we'd fall if we stopped.
'Even when we rest, we have to make plans to rest efficiently.'
… It had been a long time since we genuinely had time.
Time passed by aimlessly.
"It's one per person. Don't take any more."
"Boo…"
Bae Sejin, who just happened to run to the supermarket, bought ice cream.
It tasted like fruit.
Sururu-sururuk.
The grass swayed in the wind.
"It smells good."
"Yes."
It was quiet.
I lay down in the pavilion and realized that I was quite relaxed.
"…"
Perhaps… This might not be a bad thing.
'Is this why… healing entertainment shows are still coming out?'
Looking back, it seemed that supply was pouring in because healing entertainment shows were secretly popular. There may be demand for this relaxing feeling.
'It must feel like we're moving away from any unnecessary problems.'
I shook my head. And I had a thought.
'… I guess I'll just leave it be this time.'
Even if I just enjoyed the entertainment show without thinking about anything else, it didn't seem like there would be much of a problem in completing the mission.
Just this time, should I trust the production team's editing skills and delegate the content?
'It could be that since I took my first step into entertainment with
I didn't know the taste of organic food.
I slowly enjoyed the sweetness of the ice cream and placed my head on the floor.
It wasn't so bad to be relaxing in this small pavilion.
• * *
Two peaceful days passed like that.
Around the time when the members and I were finally getting used to this uneventful life…
"Hello everyone!"
"Hello!"
The production team that came every morning showed up again and called us.
'They'll give us small tasks to do again.'
However, today there was something that was conducted first before the daily briefing.
"Everyone, shall we play a mini-game for a moment?"
"A minigame?"
"Yes. There was a brief event that occurred this morning, so let's play a mini-game to find out what happened!"
"Oooh."
The mini-game was a simple game played against the production crew.
We played it often before. When we won we would often get snacks, fireworks, or other things.
So everyone naturally agreed and participated.
"Wow, it seems like our Mungae is always with Moondae."
"Haha, I guess they feel the same way because they are dogs."
"… Hyung."
Even this guy, Ryu Chungwoo, was like this.
We participated without much tension, petting the dog, and lost.
"Ah."
"Well, it's possible."
"It's okay! Let's do more work!"
No one was very upset. The atmosphere was still very smiley with encouragement.
"Then, let's pull out a penalty note about what happened during the event."
"Yes~"
Until now, the penalty notes had words like '1 volunteer activity today' and 'buying corn'.
And all that was left were two notes.
"Let Raebin pick it."
"Alright!"
Today's batter, Kim Raebin, vigorously drew one of the two remaining penalty notes.
And his expression hardened.
"… ??"
"Raebin?"
"What's the matter?"
"Raebin-ssi, please read it out loud~"
At the production crew's call, Kim Raebin opened his mouth with his pupils trembling.
"This morning, an unidentified night guest came… Did they steal all of TeStar's precious 'Carrot Coins'?"
"… !"
What… What?