"Jiyeon, how are you holding up?"
A Korean variety show.
A program where celebrities spend several days in an unfamiliar place.
This ti, they were staying for three nights and four days in an unfamiliar fishing village, but Lee Jiyeon was adapting well.
Of course, she had already survived worse.
"I'm fine. This much is nothing."
"You're really diligent. It would've been nice if you were good at cooking too."
"Th-that's not really my strong point."
"We know, we know. That beca quite the hot topic recently."
Naturally, this variety show was also a promotional appearance for the movie.
Kyungsung Lady was already a massive hit, but the variety show itself had been planned in advance.
Thanks to that, the PD of Hotown: Three Nights, Four Days had a grin plastered on his face.
It was just another promotional show for a movie.
Honestly, he had considered rejecting it.
After all, the actress set to appear was soone who had only had minor roles on cable TV.
"Who would've thought the movie would blow up like this?"
A week after its release, Kyungsung Lady had already surpassed 2 million admissions.
No, it was on its way to 3 million.
It was practically speeding ahead.
At this rate, even 8 million was a safe bet.
If they were really lucky, they could aim for 10 million.
The montum had started to slow around the fifth day, but news of its success in Japan had reignited audience interest.
"This movie is a huge hit in Japan right now."
"Really? I an, it's been trending like crazy."
"That's why I decided to watch it too."
Since it was a genre that naturally divided opinions, most of the initial viewers had been drawn in by the controversy within the first week.
From here on, it was all about word of mouth.
But now that Japan had embraced it, the buzz was growing even bigger in Korea.
It was the sa everywhere.
Whenever sothing dostic gained high praise abroad, people at ho suddenly beca more interested.
For example, idols who had little recognition in Korea often gained fans once they exploded overseas.
"They've really got nerves of steel. Who thought of releasing it simultaneously in Japan?"
"Director Baek Min is seriously sothing else. The mont the opportunity ca…."
Not missing Japan’s interest was also a skill.
And now, with Kyungsung Lady dominating the box office, its cast was a hot topic in the industry.
"So, Jiyeon."
"Yes?"
"The kiss scene in this movie beca a huge sensation. Wasn’t it overwhelming when you first perford it?"
Especially Lee Jiyeon.
When the production team had originally scheduled promotional variety appearances for Kyungsung Lady, Lee Jiyeon had been the least popular na on the list.
It was understandable.
Even if she was the lead, no one knew whether the film would succeed.
anwhile, Jo Sehee and Ju Seoyeon were already major stars.
Even without Kyungsung Lady, they were valuable figures in the industry.
But Lee Jiyeon was different.
Her previous experience barely extended beyond cable dramas.
Of course, people were hesitant to cast her.
Even the PD of Hotown: Three Nights, Four Days had been reluctant.
If not for his connection with Director Baek Min, he would have likely declined.
But now—
"Who could have predicted this?"
The PD looked at Jiyeon’s awkward smile and bead.
She had a sharp, intense appearance, but contrary to her looks, she was polite and well-mannered.
"Well… it was a bit overwhelming."
"Really?"
"Yes. It was my first kiss scene. And on top of that, it was with another woman."
Not to ntion, she was friends with her co-star.
But that part, she chose to leave unsaid.
Bringing that up might cause unnecessary trouble.
It was better to let Jo Sehee be the first to talk about it.
"You're a natural~ That scene was ad-libbed, wasn't it?"
"Oh, well… yeah, it was."
If soone asked which scene in Kyungsung Lady was the best, opinions would be divided.
Yuina wrapping a bandage around Yeon Seonye’s hand.
The three noblewon’s brawl.
The conversation between Gotō Isamu and Yuina.
And, of course, the final battle.
There were too many iconic monts to count.
But if there was one line of dialogue that stood out the most, it had to be—
"You're a natural."
It had left such a strong impression that almost every review ntioned it.
"That just slipped out instinctively."
"Jiyeon, you’re seriously gifted at improvisation. I heard you had tons of ad-libs in this movie?"
"Yeah… yeah. I got scolded a lot for not sticking to the script."
Jiyeon said with an awkward smile.
In truth, she wasn’t the type to improvise much.
But the thought of filming with Seoyeon had made her nervous.
Seoyeon’s piercing gaze that never wavered.
Especially—
"During the kiss scene, I thought her eyes were about to pop out."
The dim lighting had only made her glowing red eyes stand out more.
Jiyeon had felt an overwhelming sense of pressure.
Not only was it her first kiss scene, but it was also strangely intense.
If this had been an R-rated film, there would have been a lot more explicit scenes.
"Why are you so stiff? You’re an actress, act properly."
Unaware of her inner turmoil, Jo Sehee had kept nagging her from the side.
When Jiyeon struggled to properly match their lips, Sehee had scolded her over and over again.
Maybe that’s why…
That line had slipped out without her even realizing it.
"You're a natural, huh? Must be nice."
Of course, Jo Sehee had been completely knocked out after the scene.
All that confidence—gone.
And when they returned, even Seoyeon had slumped into a chair.
Rembering that mont, Jiyeon couldn’t help but chuckle.
"Jiyeon."
"Yes?"
"That smile of yours is really pretty."
She had always thought of Jiyeon as having sharp features.
But at that mont, her smile was so soft.
For a second, she looked like an entirely different person.
The PD thought to himself—
If this mont aired, Jiyeon would gain a lot more fans.
And sure enough—
- Anyone watched Three Nights, Four Days yesterday?
- Lee Jiyeon was on, and she was adorable.
- The way she laughed while talking about the kiss scene… honestly, my heart skipped a beat.
- I never realized she was this pretty in Kyungsung Lady.
- Well, she was standing next to Jo Sehee, and Ju Seoyeon was just too stunning.
- Wait… her voice tone kinda reminds of that VTuber I know.
- ???? Did soone just bring up a VTuber here?
- No, seriously, she sounded exactly like them.
- LOL, so you’re saying an actress is secretly a VTuber? Yeah, right.
- I’m telling you… it’s real.
- …Maybe? Now that I think about it, they do sound kinda similar.
- LOL, talk sense and get out of here.
The internet exploded with speculation.
And as Jiyeon's popularity skyrocketed, the film's success surged alongside it.
Jo Sehee, too, rode the montum, appearing on multiple variety shows to promote Kyungsung Lady.
3 million tickets sold.
Then 5 million.
By the second week, it had surpassed 6 million.
The film was still charging forward at full speed.
And then—
- The queen of firewood, Ju Seoyeon, is at it again. Another log is about to be thrown in.
- She hasn't been on any Korean variety shows. Was she in Japan this whole ti?
- Japan loves Ju Seoyeon.
- Since it was a simultaneous release, I guess she's handling the Japanese promotions?
- Give us back our Seoyeon!
News broke that Seoyeon had fild a new variety show in Japan.
The title?
"Showdown: I Have Won."
Even from the na, it sounded anything but ordinary.
****
Seoyeon couldn't help but deliberate over the flood of love calls from Japan.
Previously, she only had to follow YHJ’s requests, but this ti, over ten different programs had contacted her simultaneously.
Of course, most of them were YHJ variety shows.
After all, YHJ was handling the entirety of the Japanese promotional campaign.
"Seoyeon, do you know this variety show?"
"I don’t."
"Then I'll explain it to you. This one is…"
Seoyeon didn’t particularly watch Japanese variety shows.
So, naturally, she was unfamiliar with most of them.
As Park Eunha went through the compiled list of shows, reading out the key details, Seoyeon had no choice but to carefully evaluate each one.
A show that can help promote Kyungsung Lady would be ideal, right?
In other words, sothing where she could incorporate an interview.
With that in mind, a few shows were imdiately ruled out.
"Why are there so many horror-related ones?"
Apparently, the Japanese TV networks had been greatly impressed by Seoyeon’s performance in Aokigahara’s sea of trees
and her dramatic reaction during the Dokkiri (hidden cara prank).
Half of the offers were horror-thed variety shows.
That did not sit well with her.
"Horror isn’t sothing you can train yourself to endure."
Seoyeon had co to a profound realization.
Before heading to Aokigahara, she had done a lot of research.
She had even tried playing a few horror gas to build up resistance.
But after breaking several controllers, she had no choice but to admit defeat.
The sight of those brutally shattered Xbox Elite controllers was just too painful.
"I’m never touching horror gas again."
Fine.
She would accept it.
She was a high school girl vulnerable to horror.
But she was cute, so wasn’t that fine?
She had convinced herself with that logic.
"Should we rule this one out too?"
"This one…."
Park Eunha pointed to a variety show listed in the docunts.
A show called “Showdown: I Have Won.”
"It’s a relatively new program."
But the ratings weren’t bad.
It fluctuated between 6% and 8%.
Initially, the premiere episode had surpassed 11%, making it a breakout hit,
but as the buzz faded, the ratings had dropped to 6%.
"It got cut in half."
Still, that was relatively high.
Among the offers Seoyeon had received, this one ranked near the top.
The premise was simple.
A celebrity would compete against an expert in a specific field.
Since the show opened with an interview segnt hosted by the MC, it wasn’t bad for promotional purposes.
Actors frequently appeared to promote their dramas or films.
"It’s more wholeso compared to the others."
"Yeah, it is."
So Japanese variety shows were known for their questionable content.
Even among the offers Seoyeon received, there were a few eyebrow-raising ones.
Of course, as a foreign actress, they wouldn’t treat her too harshly,
but she wasn’t particularly eager to appear on those kinds of shows.
"But if the main goal is promoting the movie, there might be better options… Seoyeon?"
As Park Eunha shuffled through the other docunts,
she paused upon seeing Seoyeon fixated on Showdown: I Have Won.
"She’s already decided."
By now, Park Eunha understood Seoyeon’s personality.
Once she set her sights on sothing, nothing else mattered.
Maybe it was just instinct.
But fundantally, Seoyeon’s motto was:
"Variety shows should be fun first and foremost."
It must have appealed to that side of her.
"Well, it should be fine."
Honestly, most of the other shows were insane anyway.
This one seed decent by comparison.
Besides, whenever Seoyeon appeared on variety shows, she always perford well.
That alone was enough reason to trust her judgnt.
"Can I visit the zoo while I’m there?"
"The zoo? Where? You could just go in Korea."
"I want to et a friend I made in Aokigahara."
"…A friend?"
Park Eunha imdiately thought of the bear that had bodyslamd Seoyeon.
"I don’t think that bear wants to et you again."
That thought crossed her mind, but seeing the anticipation in Seoyeon’s expression,
she could only nod.
****
Ninomiya Daiki swallowed dryly.
He had contacted her with half-hearted expectations, but he never thought Seoyeon would actually choose his variety show.
"Honestly, I thought she’d go for Shabekuri instead."
There was no better show for promotion.
Not to ntion, its viewership was more than double.
The mont Shabekuri reached out, the staff at YHJ had looked utterly grim.
After all their efforts to promote the film, it felt like another network was swooping in and snatching Seoyeon away.
"If we knew it would blow up like this, we should have made sure all promotions happened only on our network!"
"We should’ve locked her in with a contract beforehand. We were too complacent."
If the film had done moderately well, it wouldn’t have been a problem.
Since YHJ had invested in Kyungsung Lady, other networks would have been cautious about overstepping.
But because the movie had beco too successful, everyone started reaching out recklessly.
"Well, she is a foreign actress, so it’s hard to completely tie her down."
"Tsk."
The contract only covered the docuntary.
And that alone had already been very profitable.
Besides, YHJ had played a major role in the movie’s Japanese release, so the real profits were still theirs.
That was more than enough, but it still stung.
"If only YHJ had a top-tier variety show."
There were plenty of decent programs, but none were huge hits.
So if Seoyeon wanted to appear on a major variety show, they had no choice but to let her go elsewhere.
That’s what they had assud.
But for her to actually choose his show?!
The weight of the responsibility hit Ninomiya Daiki hard.
His stomach churned with nerves.
"Ninomiya-kun, I heard the news. Do your best."
"Y-yes, sir!"
"This is your first variety show, right? If you handle this well, the response will be huge."
Ninomiya Daiki, the PD of Showdown: I Have Won, was one of the younger producers in the industry.
If not for his connection with veteran PD Nanjou Katsuo, he never would have been given such an opportunity.
Because of that, many were envious.
And many wanted to see him fail.
"I have to make this work."
With that resolve, he anxiously waited for Seoyeon to arrive.
The star of Kyungsung Lady.
He was holding his breath for her arrival.
And then—
"…Whoa."
The mont he saw her at the broadcasting station,
he instinctively drew in a sharp breath.
The presence of Yuina, as he had seen in the movie.
That overwhelming aura—
Seeing it up close, it was suffocating.
"A-Ah, hello. I’m Ninomiya Daiki, the PD of Showdown: I Have Won."
"Hello. I’m Ju Seoyeon. PD-nim, your Korean is really good?"
"I-I only practiced the greetings. After that…"
The interpreter sitting beside him quickly summarized the conversation.
Roughly, they were asking what she was confident in.
At that, Seoyeon responded proudly,
"I’m good at anything that involves using my body."
『She says she’s confident in physical activities.』
『Oh, really?』
If she was confident in that, the possibilities were endless.
Thinking back on her past variety show appearances,
every single thing she had done was insane.
"What should we do?"
It was practically a feast laid out before him.
Now, Ninomiya Daiki had to decide—
Which dish should he start with?
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