In This Life, The Greatest Star In The Universe

Chapter 103:

Translator: MarcTempest

Editor: Rxel

Chapter 103

The Battle for the Best Spot Before the Opening

The writers had assigned them their positions, but everyone was sneakily standing where they liked.

Where they thought they would look good on camera.

It was a weird formation.

PD Gu Jaeyong frowned as PD Oh Taejun picked up the megaphone.

-Please go back to your places.

-Move as we announced earlier! Right now!

At his roar, everyone returned to their original spots.

Woojoo had expected this scene.

That was why he hesitated when Seo Jihyung told them to move.

They would make them go back anyway, so why bother to clash with a senior in the entertainment industry?

But Woojoo also thought that he had to look after his own career, and he anticipated another problem.

Sure enough.

PD Oh targeted the rookies.

-Han Yeoreum, Baek Yeonghoon! Don’t you know your places?

He shouted at them, who looked embarrassed.

-If someone is standing in your spot, you should at least say something! Did you plan to wait until the production team told you?

That was the reason.

When there were too many people and they couldn’t control them, they usually tried to set the tone in the beginning, and the targets were always the easiest ones.

The ones who wouldn’t cause any trouble even if they spoke harshly to them.

In other words, the rookies.

If they had said ‘Okay, we’ll move’ when Seo Jihyung told them to, they would have been scolded like that too.

Thankfully, they avoided that crisis.

Woojoo nodded at his younger siblings, who looked at him with strange eyes.

Meanwhile, the guests stiffened at the sight of the angry PD.

They understood what he meant.

If they didn’t follow the rules, they would be edited out later.

The tense atmosphere continued until Woo Jaeyong, the eldest and grandfather of Around the World With Dice, opened his lips.

“Oh, Director, why are you picking on people from the morning?”

-Sir, it’s because they don’t follow the rules…

“Look, the weather is nice and we’re all gathered here. Do you think this will make the mood lively? Look at the guests’ faces. It’s not a Chuseok Special, it’s a portrait special. A line portrait.”

The old joke made laughter spread here and there.

Another senior actor and grandmother of Around the World With Dice, Yang Okbun, also waved her hand.

“Yes, kid. Taejun, do you think this will make the shooting fun? We invited them to have fun together.”

-Yes, yes…

“Oh, come on, everyone smile. Smile. Don’t frown your pretty faces.”

As the two elders eased the mood, laughter circulated here and there.

But maybe because of the PD’s scolding, the atmosphere was much more orderly and obedient than before.

Soon, the youngest line of Around the World With Dice, Ye Heechan and Ye Heeyeon, arrived and the mood became lively again.

Oh Hyungseok, the eldest brother and father of Around the World With Dice, a comedian, clicked his tongue.

“Heeyeon, Heechan! Come on, hurry up. You invited the guests and this is embarrassing.”

“We didn’t know the tire would burst.”

Ye Heechan answered with a relaxed face.

Oh Hyungseok gave a hollow laugh.

“How did the tire burst at that timing? You guys have a knack for finding comedy at the wrong moments.”

As they greeted each other, the Ye siblings found their places.

The girls from Girls on Top greeted them warmly, but they ignored them and stuck to New Black’s side.

Especially Yeo Heeyeon, right next to Woojoo.

…What?

It was uncomfortable.

She came into Woojoo’s personal space and made him awkward.

She smiled contentedly at Woojoo.

“Hi.”

“Uh… hello.”

But the way she looked at Woojoo was strange.

A friendly feeling.

The guests around them whispered, ‘Are they close?’

Soon, Ye Heechan solved that question.

“She likes you.”

“What?”

“She liked you since the basketball mission. She said it was fun to have a guest who used his body. She said it would be fun to do something physical with you today.”

“…”

Yeo Heeyeon nodded and whispered to Woojoo, “Let’s have some fun today.”

Woojoo felt a chill down his spine.

It was the first time that her words sounded so scary.

Woojoo realized what it was when he saw the look in her eyes.

She looked at Woojoo like a farmer who had a strong brown cow.

Woojoo imagined himself being dragged away by a nose ring and unconsciously rubbed his nose.

Woojoo’s siblings giggled.

***

Finally, the opening shoot began.

The gimme camera captured the cast members as the Around the World With Dice members raised their voices.

“Roll the dice!”

The guests responded.

“Dice!”

The opening started with a round of applause.

Comedian Oh Hyungseok held up the progress card and looked around the guests.

“Wow, how many people are there? There are so many people. Jaeyong, how many guests did you say we have for today’s Chuseok Special?”

PD Gu Jaeyong held up three fingers. The Around the World With Dice members acted surprised.

“Wow, thirty people!”

“Thirty people? Isn’t that the most since the Idol Special?”

“But it’s less chaotic than then. That was crazy. We had a hundred people chasing each other.”

“What did the teachers do then?”

“We were eating ice cream in the situation room.”

The members started talking about the show.

It was a boring tension.

There was no sparkling wit or witty dialogue like on the show.

About once every ten minutes.

While they were chatting, the guests reacted with laughter that made their mouths cramp.

Finally, the guest introduction corner.

There was a loud fuss every time someone introduced themselves, but one person was especially amazing.

The owner of the bright appearance smiled softly.

“Hello, I’m Lee Gyeonwoo. I played the painter Kim Youngshin in the drama ‘The Brush of Memory’ this year. This is my first time appearing on a variety show, so I’m very nervous. Please take good care of me.”

“Wow, your face is shining!”

“My goodness, China and Southeast Asia must be going crazy right now. How did a Hallyu star come to such a humble place?”

“Humble? I’m a fan of the program.”

He gave a textbook answer that he watched it whenever he had time despite his busy schedule.

After talking for about five minutes with the hottest star as the topic.

The other guests continued their introductions.

They made a big fuss over the famous people, but overall they were all supportive.

Finally, it was New Black’s turn.

“Hello, we are New Black!”

There was a polite applause.

The naive uncle position, Actor Song Jinwoo, asked his older brother, Oh Hyungseok, “Hyung, where have I seen those kids before?”

“They’re the ones who sang Something!”

“Oh, they’re the ones who sang Something? No wonder their voices sounded familiar.”

Of course, he didn’t really remember them.

It was thanks to the writer who held up a sketchbook with ‘Something!’ written on it in front of the camera.

Some people also said ‘ah’ and looked amazed at the keyword Something.

Oh Hyungseok asked, “Is this your first variety show, New Black?”

“Yes! This is the first variety show we’re appearing on!”

“You look like it. You’re fresh and cute.”

As he said that, the mother position, Broadcaster Nami Ri, pointed at New Black as if she had found something.

“Oh my, look at their legs shaking. They must be very nervous.”

It was their main vocal.

Amidst the chuckles around them, Rihyuk coughed.

“I, I have low blood pressure, so that’s why.”

“Isn’t low blood pressure when your hands shake?”

“Yes, that’s why my hands are shaking too.”

He seemed to have said anything out of nervousness, but laughter erupted from everywhere.

“His eyelids are shaking too, is he okay? Should we give him some heart medicine or something?”

“Oh, his ears are red now.”

The members acted like they had caught him and made a funny situation out of Rihyuk.

New Black also clapped and laughed.

Woojoo had thought this since before, but their fourth member’s ears were a variety cheat key.

How did they shine whenever they needed some content?

From now on, Woojoo should call him ear cheat key instead of truth ears.

Thanks to that, they got to sing a song as well.

Woojoo sang a short verse of Night Sea with Rihyuk and smiled.

It was an introduction that took care of both promotion and content.

***

The opening ended and the mass migration began.

The staff loaded the equipment onto the vehicles, and the guests said goodbye to their managers.

Usually, managers didn’t accompany them on this kind of variety show.

Everyone cheered them on and said to do well, while Woojoo had a dumbfounded expression.

It was because of the happy manager.

“Hyung, can you at least make a sad face like the other managers?”

“Like this?”

“No, more like you’re sorry to see us go.”

“Sorry. I guess I was too tired because of taking care of you guys lately.”

Seokhwan Hyung smiled happily, and Bijoo pretended to be hurt.

“Manager, are you happy that we’re leaving?”

“Of course, happy or not. I feel like flying. I didn’t understand why my friend smiled when his wife went to her parents’ house, but now I think I get it.”

“I’m disappointed, Manager,” Junghyun said with a snort. “We won’t buy you any souvenirs.”

They all laughed.

The manager who looked after them kindly gave them a warning.

“Call me right away if anything happens. I set your numbers as ambulance sirens for ringtones.”

“Okay, Hyung. Thank you.”

“Rest well while we’re gone, Manager.”

“I can’t do that. If I rest well, your schedules will disappear.”

He seemed to have a lot of work to do after sending them off.

Seokhwan Hyung got busier as New Black became more known.

That was the job of a manager in the first place.

Going around and handing out business cards and promoting, drinking.

So these days, most of the schedules were handled by the road manager, Minki Hyung, and other staff from the actor team.

Seokhwan Hyung only showed his face as the manager in charge for important schedules like commercials or variety shows.

That was why he didn’t have to follow New Black today.

He could have just dropped them off and said goodbye.

If Woojoo were him, he would sleep for an hour or two more, but he felt grateful to the manager who didn’t mind this hassle.

“Hyung, look forward to it. I’ll impress the rural elders and bring back a lot of kimchi cabbages.”

“That won’t happen.” Rihyuk said, “Kimchi cabbages are sown in August.”

“Right. You sow the seeds for fall cabbage in August and harvest them in October.”

As Woojoo glared at the farmer who agreed with the encyclopedia, they both flinched.

Woojoo gave an order to the third one.

“Junghyun, take away that annoying red-eared guy who keeps ruining the mood.”

“Yes.”

“…No, Hyung. Why do you always act like his servant? Oh, don’t lift me up. People are looking… Ow!”

Everyone laughed as Junghyun carried away Rihyuk on his back.

Jiho said he had to take a picture of this and raised his phone.

“Wow, our Rihyuk is so cute. Look here. I’ll take a shot for you.”

“This is ridiculous…!”

The other guests who were chatting with the managers also smiled and covered their mouths.

As the camera-wielding VJs captured the scene, Seokhwan Hyung patted Woojoo’s back and chuckled.

“You already got one segment done.”

***

Oh Taejun, the PD in charge of Team C, stood with a rolled-up script in his hand.

“We’ll split into two cars and move. The members will drive. First, Heeyeon will drive and Gyeonwoo will sit in the passenger seat. That way, the picture will look better.”

The two handsome and beautiful guests nodded calmly.

Lee Gyeonwoo.

He was the most important guest for Team C today.

He didn’t participate because he wanted to, but because he had to promote the upcoming TBC pre-produced drama ‘The Throne of Emptiness’.

That meant he had to be treated specially.

Next were the two guests.

A self-proclaimed attention-seeker SNS celebrity, Maxi, and a rapper with dreadlocks, Heysion.

They both looked like they came out of a painting by an impressionist artist.

One had thick eye makeup, leopard-print pants, and a slender body that seemed to be 180 cm tall.

The other had a fierce expression that made Seo Jihyung, who was picky and bossy, look timid.

He had a lean body, but the muscles that showed under his shorts and sleeveless shirt were dynamic.

“Maxi-ssi.”

“Call me Maxi, Director.”

His voice was soft and languid, unlike his strong impression.

Oh PD nodded.

“Maxi, you’ll ride in the same car as Heeyeon. Heysion, you’ll sit in the passenger seat of the car that Heechan drives. And.”

Oh PD looked around New Black.

Then he gave a simple and clear answer.

“You guys can ride freely.”

As soon as he finished, Ye Heeyeon raised her hand.

“Oh, then I’ll call dibs on Woojoo.”

“Me too.”

“Why you?”

“Why do you think? I’m trying to protect the kid from your clutches.”

Thank you, Sunbae-nim…

The siblings started a serious discussion with serious faces.

As Woojoo watched them decide the winner with rock-paper-scissors, he asked, “Um, seniors. Don’t I have a say in this?”

“No.”

“Nope.”

“Sorry…”

The younger ones chuckled as the VJ captured this scene.

The winner of rock-paper-scissors was Ye Heechan.

While Ye Heeyeon looked disappointed, the younger ones turned to Woojoo.

“Me! Me!”

Number 1, Wang Jiho, appealed to Woojoo.

“You talked to me last night, right? You promised to take me with you if we go on air today.”

“Did I?”

Woojoo pretended to be clueless, but the youngest shook his head at him.

“You didn’t forget, did you? We were lying on the bed together, face to face, and made a promise.”

“Hey… No, that’s not it! Camera director, that’s not it. Hey, if you say it like that…”

“I went through the trouble of going to the next bed.”

“You just be quiet. No, really, that’s not it.”

Maxi, who was lowering the window, laughed as he saw Woojoo waving his hands in panic.

Woojoo said, “No, I’m not a comedy god, just get in by yourself.”

“No way.”

Rihyuk refused.

“We have to be together when we’re on air. You’re like a totem that makes me feel safe when I hold you.”

“You’re out too.”

“You worship the leader as much as you believe in that totem.”

“I’ll give you a pass again.”

“Or maybe you’re like a dolmen…”

“Just get in there.”

Then Junghyun appealed to Woojoo.

“I have a lot of snacks in my bag.”

“You pass.”

…That was not what Woojoo said, but what Ye Heechan said.

Junghyun blinked his eyes as he was kidnapped.

It was like a scene of a stupid prince being kidnapped by a handsome thief, and Woojoo laughed.

And the younger ones’ expressions became urgent.

There was only one seat left.

As Bijoo was about to pull out his trump card and say ‘one hundred…’, Jiho shouted.

“One!”

“Two!”

Rihyuk followed.

Bijoo blinked his eyes. Then the second oldest brother smiled slyly at the youngest.

“Hyung, you’re out.”

“…Really?”

“Yep.”

“Is there no such thing as a loser’s revival?”

“Nope.”

Bijoo walked away with a wobble, after hearing the firm answers from his two siblings.

He looked like a sad deer.

In the end, the one who got to ride with Woojoo was Jiho, who won the rock-paper-scissors.

Meanwhile, the other teams were making a lot of noise.

They were not joking around like them, but seriously discussing how to ride and who to ride with.

Woojoo watched them as he climbed into the Starex.

He sat next to the window, with Jiho in the middle.

Ye Heechan, who was sitting in the driver’s seat, smiled.

“You guys are good at getting the content, huh?”

“Oh. That’s just how we are.”

“I hope you do well here too. You know there’s a mini cam installed in the car, right?”

Woojoo knew.

The first thing he checked when he got in was the camera location.

Yeo Heechan tapped the camera that was stuck between the driver’s seat and the passenger’s seat.

They waved their hands towards it.

At the same time, Woojoo made an awkward greeting with the musician who had a wicked look in his eyes, as their eyes met through the rearview mirror.

“Hello, Sunbae-nim.”

“…Hi.”

He didn’t sound very enthusiastic.

Heysion.

The top-notch hip-hop musician in Korea.

He was famous for his various exploits, but he was also a legend in the underground hip-hop scene.

Now he was appearing on variety shows and creating a funny neighborhood brother image, but he was a very amazing person in his field.

The only problem was their compatibility.

-Burn the flashy shells

…He once dissed idol singers with a rap like that, and he was known for hating the idol industry in general.

The problem was that they had to get along with him to get the content for today.

Woojoo thought he should try to talk to him as much as possible in the car, when the radio crackled.

It was Ye Heeyeon’s voice.

-Bendy, this is Gangster. We’re leaving, so follow us.

“Okie dokie.”

With that, the trucks with TBC stickers started to move, and the Starex cars followed them in a line.

It was the start of the real recording.