Chapter 206
As soon as I finished thinking about it, I immediately called our manager.
If the Music K Showdown PD wants to recommend me for a variety show, he may have already heard something from the agency.
[Hey, Karis. What's going on?]
"I'm calling because I have something to ask you."
[What's going on? Did something weird happen again?]
"Absolutely not."
[Thank goodness. I get goosebumps every time you speak seriously. I'm afraid something might have happened again.]
Over the phone, I could hear our manager laughing heartily.
[So, what's going on?]
"It's just that I feel like our mood has been a little down lately."
[Hmm. I definitely think we need a change of pace. It would be nice if there was an event like Triple Crown here.]
"That is something that can happen according to our will."
[That's the problem.]
I felt like the joke would continue if I continued like this, so I cleared my throat and got to the main point.
"Actually, I called you because I remembered what the Music K Showdown PD said to me before. He said that if there was a chance in the future, he would like to recommend me for a variety show―"
[Ah, ah! Hey, now that you mention it, I remember. Hasn't it been almost a few months?]
"That's right. I heard it when we were promoting
[Trying to lighten the turbulent team atmosphere by going on air. As expected, you're a genius, Karis.]
"Hyung, didn't you think about this too?"
[I just thought about it and forgot, what the. You overestimate me, Karis.]
As we've only talked about serious things these past few days, I had forgotten how much our manager enjoys making self-deprecating jokes.
[Anyway, wait a minute. Let's see, PD Jeon Ho-seok, PD Jeon Ho-seok... Ah, I found it.]
Manager Hyung, who was looking for something while talking, read the message sent by PD Jeon Ho-seok in a stiff tone as if he was doing a robot imitation.
[That foreign friend, he speaks Korean really well? I have a friend named PD Kang Hyun-seok. I'm thinking of recommending him to learn Korean properly. What do you think?]
"Just a moment. What's the name of the program-?"
[It's as you heard.
I don't know if I heard that correctly.
Apparently, the Music K Showdown PD said something like he was recommending me for a variety show.
When I opened the lid, it turned out that he had recommended me to his acquaintance for a terrestrial educational broadcasting station?
"Did I hear that correctly?"
[Yeah. The program that the PD recommended is a Korean language quiz show.]
I asked again just in case, but I still got the same answer.
Somehow.... When I think back to the situation at the time, the PD's face brightened, especially when I spoke Korean.
It seems like he's completely captivated by the fact that one of the idol members is a foreigner, from an unfamiliar country, and speaks Korean so well.
But I never thought he recommended me for a Korean quiz show.
[What should I do? Should I contact him? Even though it's not a variety show, it's a show that airs on Friday evenings and has pretty good viewer ratings. There are probably a lot of people in the age group that don't know much about idols, but it's actually good. It might be possible to promote among older people, too?]
"Hmm...."
[If you don't feel like it―.]
"No. I think it would be fun."
[Really?]
"Yes."
It's not an empty promise.
After doing a quick calculation in my head, I realized that this was a huge opportunity, just like our manager said.
Of course, he could say he doesn't remember because it was something he said in the past and wipe his mouth clean, but since he was the one who said it first, he probably won't say anything else.
In this day and age, social media platforms like YouTube are very active.
Even though it is an educational program, since it is a program broadcast by KBC, a terrestrial broadcaster, it has no choice but to be uploaded to the official YouTube channel.
And when they hear that I appeared on
It will naturally become a topic of conversation on YouTube's algorithm and various SNS platforms.
If I make a huge impact here.
'Impact, impact... There's nothing I'm more confident about than that.'
I've already established a solid image for a long time.
Starting with
Webtoon and web novel lover from Estonia. The concept of a foreigner who speaks Korean better than Koreans is already in my hands.
In that case, I have no choice but to make full use of this concept to achieve a perfect mood change.
"Then, can you please contact him? Is that appointment still valid? If so, when will the recording be?"
[Just wait; I'll contact the PD right away.]
"Thank you."
* * *
"Look! What did I tell you? I told you that if you do something like this, it's guaranteed to be a lot of fun."
"This is the fifth time you've said that, Siyoon."
"Do I really have the ability to predict the future?"
Kang Si-yoon looked at his hands and fussed.
His acting skills are really improving day by day.
"What should I do? I'm scared of myself too...."
"I hope you continue to be afraid and refrain from speaking. So that my eardrums don't bleed."
"By the way, when did you say you were going to film?"
After finishing all of the day's schedule, we gathered in the living room and enjoyed some relaxation time.
When I told him that I would be a guest on
Fortunately, Chae Eun-gyu interrupted the conversation by asking a normal question.
Is this what experience is?
"They say it's recorded on Thursday and will air next Friday."
"There are only a few days left? This will be fun."
"One piece of good news is that they invited all the members to the recording studio as audience members."
"Oh! Then I can see Karis through the first row in-person?"
"That's what it is."
The members' excitement rose to an extraordinary level when they heard that they could watch me solve the quiz in real time from the front row.
"Hyung, is it okay if I cheer really loudly every time you get a question right? Do you want to get noticed?"
"I think it'll be really fun. There aren't many idols who appear on educational programs like this."
"If we continue like this, aren't we going to become popular with people in their 40s and 50s?"
And in the midst of it all, Kang Si-yoon was still amazed by his own prophetic abilities and was making all sorts of noises.
"I told you from the beginning that you would hit the jackpot if you made content that involved a Korean language proficiency test or something. Hey, this is how it works. You said you would leave because of my idea, right?"
"No. This was purely a recommendation from the PD―"
"Hey, you don't have to beat around the bush like that, bro! I said you don't have to say thank you!"
"Hyung-nim. What do you think about just locking him up in solitary confinement?"
When I spoke to Chae Eun-gyu with a tired face, he burst into laughter.
"Why, it's nice to see Siyoon with a motor in his mouth after such a long time."
"You're happy because you're a third party, not involved. How painful it would be if you were a party involved."
"Oh my, oh my! You'll get in trouble if you say it like that?"
"Don't cling to me; if you cling to me any longer, I'll break your arm in half!"
"Wow, is that what you say to a patient?"
"What kind of patient is this guy who is already better and even ran on stage today!"
I prayed in my heart as I pushed Kang Si-yoon away from my shoulder like gum.
Please, please don't do anything weird while I'm recording, everyone.
* * *
It has already been four years since KBC announcer Um Sangyeon took charge of the program
Having seen so many contestants over the years, he knows that there are so many different characters in the world.
Looking at the cast list today, he felt something unusual compared to usual.
'How many years has it been since an idol came to our show?'
It's not like there was no such thing at all.
Before Um Sangyeon took over as the main MC, there were a few stories that his senior told him.
Among them, the story that was said to be legendary was the story of how the filming set was filled with laughter because an idol came and wrote a parade of wrong answers.
Um Sangyeon tilted his head slightly.
'But thinking about what I heard, this guy doesn't seem to have that kind of image.'
He's an idol, but he's a character who doesn't make mistakes on a quiz show like this?
He has no idea which direction filming will go today.
Before long, preparations for the actual shooting will be complete.
"It's time to learn our language correctly. I'm Um Sangyeon, the host of
Announcer Um Sangyeon shouted out his usual greeting with power.
Then, a cheer much louder than usual erupted from the audience.
Six young men in stylish attire entered the field of vision.
Each person was holding a square placard.
"Today's special feature is 'Occupation.' We have four people who are showing off their abilities in various fields. And today, we have received a tip that someone who has exceptional Korean language skills, even though it is not their specialty, has come. Who will be today's main characters? Please come on in!"
With thunderous applause, the invited guests of
Starting with a young-looking student, a kind-looking middle-aged woman, and an intellectual man wearing glasses and a suit appeared.
And finally, the only tall young man with blond hair bowed and moved to the right of the stage.
The owner of an amazing appearance at first glance.
The moment he came out, a loud cheer erupted from the front of the audience.
"Karis! Karis! Prince Karis of Seleste! Karis! Karis! Prince Karis of Seleste!"
When the unidentified slogan was heard, the blond youth could not raise his face as if he was ashamed.
Then he secretly signaled with his hand to stop, but the chanting continued.
Only when announcer Um Sangyeon took the microphone and began hosting the event did things finally become quiet.
"Hmm, hmm. Then, should we each introduce ourselves?"
The first student was a second-year male high school student attending a famous foreign language high school.
"The subject I am most confident in is English, but the subject I find most interesting is Korean. That is why I always try to get good grades in Korean at school."
"Oh, you're trying harder than your most confident English?"
"Yes. That's where I invest the most time."
The high school student took a deep breath as he straightened the sleeves of his uniform.
Then he looked around at the other participants, and for some reason his expression brightened.
'Based on first impressions, it seems like I'll definitely win?'
He was filled with unwavering confidence.
It was extremely difficult to get good grades in a foreign-language high school. In that system, a high school student who had always maintained a top grade in Korean was determined to win this quiz.
In order to win, the skills of the competitors were key, but from his first impression, it seemed like he had the highest chance of winning.
In particular, the participant who was furthest away from him seemed the most vulnerable.
'How can someone like that speak Korean so well?'
Judging from his hair and appearance, he was definitely a celebrity.
In this student's opinion, the percentage of celebrities who are good at studying is extremely low.
So, he was filled with baseless confidence that he could definitely beat that person, even if he didn't know about other people.
The next participant was a woman in her 30s.
"My main job is running a café. I studied Korean in my free time and even got a certificate."
"Wow, that's amazing. You must be busy running a cafe."
"When I was a student, my dream was to become a Korean teacher, so I'm thinking that I should keep studying even now."
The man in the suit and glasses was an interpreter who could speak no less than four languages.
"I went to the US last month to do interpretation work."
"Everyone here today is amazing. If you speak four languages, what languages exactly do you specialize in?"
"I can speak Korean, English, Spanish, and French."
The last runner in this incredible lineup was Karis von Walden, who waited for his turn with a faint smile on his face.
"Hello, I'm Karis von Walden, a member of the idol group Seleste. I'm from Estonia, and I've been learning Korean on my own since before my debut because I love Korean culture."
"Excuse me. You're from Estonia?"
"Yes."
"But how is your Korean pronunciation so good now? Have you ever been to an academy or anything?"
"No. I taught myself."
"Wow...."
Announcer Um Sangyeon let out a heartfelt exclamation.
He had been told who the guests would be today, but when he actually talked to him, a truly absurd impression was engraved in his head.
"How did you teach yourself?"
"I taught myself by reading webtoons and web novels. It was very effective because I was able to learn various expressions and even vocabulary and speaking styles appropriate to the situation."
"Oh, webtoons and web novels."
"Yes. I've talked about the works I've enjoyed watching before, and these days there are a lot of new works worth watching. I'm currently enjoying
Karis took it a step further and brought up a topic that was sure to grab everyone's attention.
A list of his recommended works became the talk of the town on
This time, the topic was mentioned on a terrestrial educational program.
Announcer Um Sangyeon was experiencing a situation that he had never encountered before in his 18-year career.
He could swear he has seen a lot of characters over the years, but Karis was one of a kind.
An Estonian youth who loves Korean so much that he taught himself through webtoons and web novels.
If you write a novel like this, you'll get cursed at.
'Then I'm really curious about everyone's skills.'
After finishing his self-introduction time, he now began to move on to the real quiz.
"Yes, the first round of
As soon as the high school student heard the words "consonant quiz," he clenched his fists.
'Okay. That's the field I expected to be in.'
In his second year of high school, Na Ju-young was confident that he would definitely take first place in this round.
But unfortunately, the opponent was an Estonian with language skills that were beyond the common sense of this world.
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