The filming location of the public broadcast variety show, "Chicken Only for the Winner."
'Ah, the other guests are idols.'
The regular cast members were not very impressed with the guest lineup they received in advance.
This program was a typical weekend entertainment program aimed at families, where guests were invited to play physical games and talk together, so there was no pressure to appear.
Moreover, thanks to the fact that it was widely exported overseas, all kinds of promotional appearances were popular.
'Still, this week's kids are worthy of their names.'
They were kids from a large agency who sang the hottest songs these days.
However, what was really surprising was the special guest that was suddenly announced.
'Wow, awesome.'
Ballerino Seon Ahyeon!
He suddenly entered the country as if he was filming an Oprah commercial for the season.
Originally, it would not have been that awkward if he had a solo special, but due to time constraints and planning issues, he was scheduled to appear as a special guest.
Should this opportunity be used?
After being greeted by a Wishze member who came to the waiting room like a rookie, the cast member slowly stood up.
"Hyung?"
"Hey, follow me."
Since there was no way Seon Ahyeon would come to say hello, he planned to go and make a name for himself.
'If I'm lucky, I might be able to use it as a story…'
But when the cast member arrived at Seon Ahyeon's waiting room…
The place was empty.
"… ??"
The staff suddenly started speaking to the cast member.
"I… I heard he went to see them."
"Who?"
"Wishze, Wizhze."
Seon Ahyeon wasn't even an MC, but he was in the rookies' waiting room? No matter how unusual their momentum may be, they were just rookies who just debuted…
"Well, they were on some kind of survival show and he appeared as a mentor there."
"Ah."
That was understandable.
'He has a reputation in his own way, that's right.'
Of course, he didn't expect filming to go smoothly.
Since the guests on the show this time were people of similar ages who also had similar arts and physical skills, that would be the main selling point.
'It'll be a fight, a fight.'
The cast member nodded.
He thought that he would have to laugh when the camera rolled and saw the mood change once it was over.
Sure enough, sometime after filming began and the special guest appeared, everyone was busy evaluating him.
Use existing guests to invite special guests!
"You're so handsome, really~"
"Ahyeon, you're a complete idol, right?"
"If you look at it this way… Hey, it seems like you're all in the same group?"
It was a common comment to get people excited, but it was also true. Even writers liked the sight of three handsome men sitting side by side.
'Women will really like it.'
The cast was busy looking at the obvious situation and giving their reactions.
Anyone could see that this was a situation where a special guest benefitted by sacrificing an existing guest.
But surprisingly, the existing guests accepted the situation gently and cheerfully without any awkward pretentious nuance.
They even went so far as to give Seon Ahyeon a seat between them.
"If you stand like this… Ta-da, center."
"Hahaha!"
'How?'
For a rookie, didn't they have good guts? Moreover, the more they filmed, the more they learned.
What a blessing these guys were. There were countless episodes to use for talk and content.
"Don't you know, hyung? These are the guys who escaped from the exploded building with just a newspaper! I guess they also heard about this method from the members. It's unique."
"Jaehyun-ssi, you also know how to rope~ Are you planning on enlisting like Eugene-ssi had done?"
"Wow! Raebin-ssi, can you do a vocal imitation?"
Every time a game was played, all the members were mentioned in turn, to the point where the MC knew them all and agreed with them.
Moreover, they each had their own characters and episodes, so the conversation was centered around them.
Only then did the regular cast member sense it keenly.
'These guys… Their plan was ridiculously well planned, wasn't it?'
He got the feeling that they were just going to be a one-hit wonder with just one good song.
This was the first group since T-Holic where each member had their own popularity. Even their songs became popular as well.
This group, which came out of T-Holic's hiatus of just a few months with great skill, had a great smell.
The smell of great success.
'Hmmm.'
Looking at it that way, the guys who were currently appearing also looked new and better.
First of all, they worked hard without exception, they had enough guts, and they had good sense.
'It seems like they get along well.'
When it was time for a break, the younger member smiled and kept talking to the older member, and the older one accepted it kindly. It didn't seem like he was ignoring the younger member or that it was just a façade for the show.
'Are they just trying to look cool on the outside?'
The cast member was nodding his head and thinking about how to make friends, but he felt a similar gaze from somewhere.
He took a quick glance… and saw Seon Ahyeon.
He was quietly watching the rookies.
"…?"
Huh?
Just like the regular cast member, Seon Ahyeon seemed to look there every time they took a break… What?
His gaze quickly disappeared, but the cast member felt it.
'Hm?'
Did he really want to become friends with them?
Even though it would be tempting to talk to such a famous person one more time, the newcomers seemed to be very careful and did not talk to Seon Ahyeon first.
And the cast member had his own guess as to why that was so.
Because he also heard rumors about Seon Ahyeon.
'Still, they have no sense, they have no sense.'
The cast member clicked his tongue happily and took advantage of the time to talk to the rookies.
To be exact, when the one who was one year older was left alone.
"Oh… how is it? Has filming been okay?"
"Thanks for your consideration. I've been working hard to show my good side. Thank you."
The cast member set the mood by chatting to the polite guy about various things.
Then, after sneakily bringing up the topic of Seon Ahyeon…
He got right to the point!
"He's a little chilly, right?"
"… ?"
Rookie Ryu Gunwoo's eyes widened slightly and then returned to normal.
The regular cast member laughed inwardly as he tried to pretend to be curious and give a good reaction, which was quite refreshing for a newcomer.
"People who do art are kind of like that. I guess it's even more so because he's so handsome. It feels a little different from entertainers like us."
Yes.
Seon Ahyeon was well known in broadcasting circles for his reputation for 'drawing a line.'
He was polite, but that was it. Some say that it was as if the world they lived in was different.
'There are some people who sarcastically say that he has devoted his life to the noble ballet.'
It was an attitude that people might find rude or unpleasant. The cast member fully understood that.
Of course, this was the thought of the person listening to this:
'What kind of bullshit is this guy saying?'
Ryu Gunwoo barely answered.
"… Hmm. He's kind."
"Yes. I don't really want to become friends with him… That's how I feel."
"…"
"But actually, it seems like he wants to get closer to you guys? He keeps… Well, he was looking in the direction of Wishze."
"Ah…"
Ryu Gunwoo was speechless for a moment. With a coy smile, the performer intended to continue giving advice, but…
"Hello."
"Huh?"
Shin Jaehyun, a member who was one year younger, returned and greeted the cast member.
"I came here to ask Gunwoo-ssi if there were any inconveniences while filming."
"As expected. I heard that sunbaenim always takes care of new talent at the year-end awards ceremony…"
"Ah, hmm, you know about that?"
"Yes. It's a really famous story."
During this time, there was no entertainer whose details Shin Jaehyun did not know about.
While he was quickly dispatching the contestant who had been brought in at his own pace, Ryu Gunwoo was deep in thought.
'Seon Ahyeon is cutting people off… ?'
It was an unimaginable and strange proposition.
'What on earth happened?'
Ryu Gunwoo almost looked back at Seon Ahyeon for a moment, but stopped.
There was no need to do that, right?
"To you want to send him away?"
In response to Shin Jaehyun's question about sending the cast member away, Ryu Gunwoo exhaled.
"No."
There was no time to indulge in unnecessary sentimentality, and the grand prize was in front of them.
'Just look ahead.'
So he continued filming without wavering.
What continued after the break was a blatant special guest promotion part.
A section to learn simple ballet movements.
Of course, promotional opportunities were also given to existing guests here. Slightly at the end of the section.
"Since we've tried ballet, shall we try idol dancing now?"
"Oh~"
Shin Jaehyun and Ryu Gunwoo came to the front according to the set script.
"You can dance like this. By moving your shoulders like this."
"Ohh!"
When Shin Jaehyun demonstrated a choreography that intentionally used kitschy hand movements, the cast members joined in and showed body gags.
And one of them even tried to take their chances.
"Ah~ By any chance, does Ahyeon want to try?"
The movements of the special guest.
However, what surprised the certain cast member was that Seon Ahyeon, who he thought would be reluctant, came out right away.
As if he was waiting.
"If I do this…"
"Yes."
And he executed it well without even realizing it.
"… !"
He didn't only use similar body movements, but there was also a feeling unique to those who had repeatedly trained.
Shin Jaehyun narrowed his eyes.
'Is there something still there?'
Of course, that feeling passed in an instant, and all the cast members were impressed.
"You're good~ You could really be an idol, right?"
"That's right. What do you two think?"
'Did they really think that he wouldn't be able to do it?'
Even though Ryu Gunwoo thought they were asking an obvious question, he nodded and followed the trend.
"I think so too."
"Oh, of course! Ahyeon, are you thinking about officially trying out for idol dance?"
Seon Ahyeon seemed to hesitate for a moment, but that moment disappeared.
"I really appreciate the compliment, but… But I am a ballerino."
"Ah, you are firm."
"This is the craftsmanship!"
Seon Ahyeon just smiled and nodded. So Ryu Gunwoo asked without thinking.
"It seems like you really like ballet. Are you always focused on that?"
"…"
Seon Ahyeon slightly lowered his gaze and spoke calmly.
"Because it's my everything. I've never thought about anything else."
"…"
Park Moondae was convinced by the answer.
'Is it because of such a single-minded voice that such strange rumors started to spread?'
And the cast member who was watching shrugged his shoulders, thinking that his advice had worked.
'This is how you make connections. Hoo.'
And the filming entered its last remaining part: the main section.
• * *
I held back a sigh.
'It's almost over.'
Nowadays, these types of entertainment shows were so easy that I could pretend to be sincere even with my eyes closed. Plus, the main section was easier.
-Right away~ treasure hunt~!
Well, this was something about hiding mines and treasures in abandoned buildings and finding the treasures, but if you touch more than a few mines, you're dead.
It seemed like this happened every time a program like this came out.
'I can do it even if I take out my brain.'
Of course, I really shouldn't do that.
I waved three or four gift boxes in my hands in front of the camera.
"Hey, are these really treasures? It seems likely that they are all landmines…"
"We don't know either~~"
"… … Yes."
Oh, I knew it was treasure. I had calculated all their movements.
I created an alibi by deliberately asking the cameraman, so I pretended to be anxious and started my next move.
It would be funny if I exchanged a reasonable amount of money and then ended up blowing everything up, only to later feel aggrieved when I realized that it was all treasure.
'Should I find an MC?'
So it was time to go down the stairs to find someone who would be receptive to the exchange scene.
"… Gunwoo-ssi?"
"… !"
Just then, I saw a guy coming up the stairs.
Seon Ahyeon was running around.
There was a maroon box in his hand.
'… Hmm.'
… It wouldn't be a bad idea to let that guy win. A special guest… Because he was older than us and someone who promoted national prestige.
I ran over and held out the gift box I was carrying.
"You've come at the right time. Hyung, do you want to switch? For some reason, I thought it would cheer me up to see you find it…"
"What?"
[Ding dong!]
[10 minutes until the end, 10 minutes left~]
The atmosphere was also good.
I waved the gifts as if I was in a hurry.
"Then… How about a 2 to 1 exchange? I'll give you two."
"…"
"If you give me just one thing…"
Seon Ahyeon suddenly became speechless.
'What?'
Still, wasn't he aware that we were being filmed?
I looked at him, puzzled by the rising tension.
The guy opened his mouth again.
"You, to me…"
"… … ?"
"You gave it to me."
He gripped his box so hard that it broke, and muttered softly.
"The golden ball."
"… !"
"Right before the bell rang and time was up… I received it."
What?
The guy who was talking almost like he was in a trance kept his mouth shut. But suddenly he raised his head.
"… Oh, sorry! Suddenly something came to mind… I said it without even realizing it."
"…"
"I appreciate that you will give me a lot, but… we should do it one-on-one."
[Hyung. Just now… ?]
I would have noticed it even if Keundal didn't intervene.
The golden ball that Seon Ahyeon just mentioned.
'I… gave it to that guy during Idol Inc.'
The treasure hunt section where we found balls containing personal broadcast keywords.
Just like now… Random with unknown contents.
There, I exchanged it for the guy's bronze ball containing 'frozen food'.
And of course, there was no way that ballet dancer Seon Ahyeon would have such memories.
[But he just said it!]
Yes.
So what was this situation?