Episode 70

Fortunately, the atmosphere on set wasn’t bad. Even though he had entered with an awkward greeting, everyone seemed to be trying to ease the mood with friendly attitudes. 

Most of all, he felt comfortable because Gyowon, who had come in with him, went along with his pace without showing any signs of embarrassment or shame.

It was fascinating how Gyowon, who had clearly been speaking politely in the waiting room, naturally switched to informal speech the moment he stepped onto the set, as if he were talking to an old friend. Thanks to this, Haeun was also able to adapt without hesitation.

Gyowon’s introduction wasn’t particularly lengthy either. Probably because there weren’t many people watching this show who wouldn’t know who Kim Gyowon was. Even the not-so-elaborate introduction was full of praise, as if proving Gyowon’s reputation. It was a moment when the person she had been chatting comfortably with suddenly felt unfamiliar.

Soon it was Haeun’s turn. Perhaps because there wasn’t much impressive to say about him other than being a member of the idol group Stone Cherry and making his acting debut through “First Love’s Law,” he was immediately asked questions after a brief introduction.

“This is Park Ha’s first acting challenge, right? Wasn’t it difficult?”

It was a difficult question to answer, but he knew what to say. The answer to this question had already been prepared by his agency.

“I still have many shortcomings, but thankfully the senior actors guided me so well…”

Speaking such textbook phrases made even him tone feel awkward. Whether it was obvious that he felt awkward, or perhaps the content itself was too textbook-like, Gyowon, who was standing beside him, laughed as if amused. When he glanced back, he muttered quietly as if taking credit, “Well, that’s true.” 

Haeun lightly turned his head away and finished his story with generally positive words. He had been told that he absolutely must not express hardships with words like “it was difficult but,” and that even if it felt somewhat off-topic, he should go along with it, so he had to faithfully execute this.

The comedian who asked the question nodded with a slightly unsatisfied expression. It seemed like he found the answer uninteresting. Perhaps his previous response, including the unremarkable introduction, might end up being completely edited out. Haeun thought about it as calmly as if it were someone else’s problem and looked around at the cast members.

“Did you originally plan to act?”

This time another cast member asked. Perhaps to make up for the boring answer from before. Since this seemed to be introduction time, questions for introductory purposes rather than variety show elements appeared to be the main focus.

Haeun quickly pondered. Since the original Park Ha had apparently taken acting lessons, he probably wasn’t completely uninterested in entering the acting field. Unlike Ilhyun who continued, the fact that he quit midway might mean he had given up on such thoughts.

Haeun hesitated for a moment when he was about to answer that he had taken lessons before. He worried that answering that he had prepared for acting might give the impression that he had aimed to become an actress from the start or that he was neglecting his main job as an idol. 

But if he said he hadn’t particularly thought about it, he might be criticized as a representative example of an idol carelessly using acting. After all, wasn’t Gyowon, standing right next to him, someone who disliked such idol actors?

After much consideration, Haeun organized his answer and slowly opened his mouth.

“Actually, even while doing idol work, acting study was necessary…”

“Like when filming music videos?”

Perhaps realizing he wasn’t confident as he spoke, Gyowon chimed in from the side. Haeun, gaining a bit of confidence, nodded.

“Right. I mean, yes.”

He momentarily forgot that he had to speak informally to Kim Gyowon too. When he corrected himself with an “oops,” Gyowon chuckled again. He did this in private too – laughing at whatever he said. 

However, if he narrowed his eyes and glared at him like he did in private, he’d be criticized with titles like “hopeless idol being rude to a superstar,” so he decided not to pay attention at all.

“So I had learned before, but I started studying more seriously when preparing for First Law this time. So there were a lot of trial and errors… but I was lucky enough to get cast.”

“You came in through an audition, right?”

The part about being lucky was something he had only added because the agency had instructed him to speak as humbly as possible. But Gyowon added a comment that seemed almost like he was trying to refute that statement. It felt like he was saying it wasn’t just luck.

As Haeun turned to look at Gyowon, the comedian who had asked the question spoke up again. Because of that, he didn’t get a proper look at Gyowon’s expression and had to shift his gaze away.

“Since you passed the audition, Park Ha must have talent in acting too. Have you ever thought about becoming a full-time actor?”

Once again, it was a rather difficult question. For much the same reason as before, it wasn’t easy to answer off the cuff. But letting the silence drag on would also make things awkward. Haeun hesitated for a moment, thinking quickly. Would they edit this part out later? Why is the system so quiet at times like this?

Maybe this was when he should ask the usually-silent system for help. After all, he had quietly collected some points by completing various small quests, so maybe he could use them now to get some choices that would help his survive this variety show.

But at least for now, it didn’t seem necessary—Gyowon had jumped in to answer first.

“Haeun is really good at acting.”

Out of nowhere, a compliment at this timing. He could tell he was trying to help her, knowing he was struggling with the question, but he still couldn’t guess his exact intention. Haeun turned his head to look up at him, but Gyowon wasn’t looking back at him.

“That’s why I honestly think she could start a full-on acting career right away.”

Considering how cold he had been at first, this was an incredibly generous compliment. Still, it was hard to know how to respond. If it were just the two of them, he could have brushed it off lightly with something like, “Maybe I really should just go be an actor, huh?” 

Somehow, he felt like Gyowon wouldn’t dislike a comment like that. But with so many cameras in front of him now, he had no idea what the right answer would be.

But it seemed Gyowon hadn’t said it expecting a reply from him anyway—or rather, he wasn’t finished speaking yet. He finally glanced briefly at Haeun before turning his gaze back to the rest of the cast and continued.

“But that might just be my wishful thinking as an actor. When I see Haeun on stage, it makes me reconsider. He has this aura as an idol too. Watching him, I think—he’s a born entertainer.”

It was a compliment so overwhelming that it was almost difficult to process. It was impressive how he could say something like that, without the slightest hesitation, with the person in question sitting right next to him. It felt strange to be so flustered just from being praised, but it also made him feel a bit squirmy inside.

Thanks to what Gyowon said, the question ended there. He didn’t have to say he wanted to be an actor, or flatly deny it either, and he was genuinely relieved.

“Then, Park Ha, what do you think of Gyowon?”

Just as he thought he could breathe again, another tricky question came—this time in a different way. The previous question had felt like it was about someone else, so it had been easier to handle, but this one felt like it hit him directly. Haeun hesitated before managing to speak.

“Um… first of all, Gyowon… has helped me a lot.”

Gyowon let out a soft laugh at that. He had deliberately tried switching to informal speech, in line with the concept of the show, even though formal speech naturally kept wanting to come out. Maybe that made it sound awkward, and kind of funny. But Haeun pressed on, undeterred by his reaction.

“Both in terms of acting and overall work in the entertainment industry… And, well, this is kind of obvious, but he’s really good at acting.”

Does that sound too arrogant? But it wasn’t meant as a comment from a fellow actor or celebrity—it was pure admiration from a viewer’s perspective. So maybe it was okay to say it? 

Haeun glanced over at Gyowon as if seeking permission. He was already looking right at him, giving a faint smile and nodding slightly. It seemed like he was encouraging him to keep going. Apparently, there was no problem.

“I already thought he was amazing just watching him on screen, but seeing him in person—it’s like he’s on another level. Watching him always makes me feel like I need to work harder too.”

He meant what he said, but the compliments still felt awkward in his mouth. Even though he’d thought these things before, he’d never shown it in front of Gyowon, and certainly had never spoken them out loud. Saying it now made him realize—Did I really think this all along?—and it surprised him a bit.

“You’re only saying nice things, huh?”

“Gyowon didn’t put you up to this, did he?”

The teasing questions followed. Since the joking tone was obvious, Haeun responded naturally.

“No, he didn’t. But he said so many nice things about me that I kind of felt like I had to return the favor.”

Small bursts of laughter came from all around. It wasn’t a funny line, and he hadn’t intended to be humorous, but the fact that people laughed anyway made her feel oddly more at ease.

“Then it just sounds like I said all that to fish for compliments.”

Gyowon chimed in playfully. Then, one of the cast members who’d been quietly listening the whole time spoke up, arms crossed.

“You know, if you only say good things, it actually starts to feel weird.”

“Maybe that’s just because there are only good things to say.”

Gyowon replied with a smooth grin.

“Come on, no one’s only one-dimensional. People are like this and like that.”

It was a situation that could’ve turned a bit tense, but Kim Gyowon was smiling easily, so the mood stayed light.

“Take this chance to speak your mind! Think of it like clearing the air. Come on—‘Kim Gyowon is great and all, but this one thing bugs me! I really wish he’d fix it!’ Anything like that?”

The exaggerated tone and hand gestures made the question sound playful, but it was also hard to dodge. Brushing it off completely would only make it feel more awkward. Saying he has no flaws at all would actually seem weirder, Haeun thought, glancing at Kim Gyowon. He gave a small nod.

“Go ahead,” he said with a smile in his voice.

Haeun gave an awkward laugh and rolled his eyes, clearly flustered. But now that he actually tried to think of something, it was surprisingly difficult to name a single flaw about Kim Gyowon. What could I say? Something safe enough to go on air… Oh.

After some thought, he finally managed to come up with one thing. Haeun hesitated, then spoke.

“Um… he’s not great at answering his phone?”