Damn Idol, Chapter 128
Han Sion’s reply came flying back immediately.
[I’d like to get some help from Producer Kang Seokwoo regarding an appearance offer.]
In truth, Kang Seokwoo already knew what Han Sion was going to say.
Because he had read the beginning of the file attached to the email that had arrived with the text.
No, to be precise, he had only read the beginning.
As he read, he realized the contents were so sensitive that it might be better not to know.
Sometimes, in the entertainment industry, curiosity could be poison.
But even from the beginning alone, he could tell that Han Sion wanted On Saemiro to be cast on MBN’s The Masked Singer.
So, in Han Sion’s way, he would make an appropriate deal with MBN’s producer.
Leaving aside whether it was feasible, if it actually happened, it would be quite plausible.
Up to this point, the picture was easy enough to predict.
Han Sion had figured out Kang Seokwoo, but conversely, Kang Seokwoo had also figured out Han Sion.
Han Sion was the type who was extremely precise about give-and-take.
The unpredictable part was what came next.
Then what benefit would Han Sion offer him?
There had been a time when Kang Seokwoo was called MBN’s ratings maker, but now he was a producer under M Show.
So even if an MBN program did well, the only crumbs that would fall to him were hollow words of thanks.
Besides, wasn’t The Masked Singer already a program that was cruising along smoothly?
Its ratings had dipped slightly recently, but it was absolutely not in any sort of crisis.
So it was impossible for him to take a position like a savior of ratings.
No matter how much he thought about it, Han Sion had nothing to give him.
Money?
That was out of the question.
It wasn’t as if he were some amateur who would accept that sort of thing from a celebrity.
Then an appearance on a program?
That was strange too.
If Sedalbaegil truly became stars, then maybe, but as of now, Sedalbaegil was the side more desperate to appear.
It wasn’t something to trade with.
Kang Seokwoo had wanted, just once, to win a battle of wits against Han Sion, but in the end, he couldn’t find the answer.
So he asked.
[So what do I get out of this?]
[Would another debt be insufficient?]
[Not even close.]
Inside M Show, the image of Han Sion had not been very good recently.
Though it had been glossed over, the manipulation controversy surrounding Coming Up Next had not been particularly welcome.
Of course, Kang Seokwoo, the main director, had easily slipped out of that controversy.
Exactly as Han Sion had predicted.
“When the materials related to the manipulation are made public, evidence of your innocence will emerge, Producer.”
“What can a director do if the judges judge however they want on-site?”
“I was the person who gave Sedalbaegil more screen time because I thought they were better. How does that sound?”
All thanks to the fact that, in episodes 8 and 9 of Coming Up Next, the protagonists had clearly been Sedalbaegil no matter who looked at it.
Kang Seokwoo was thinking that perhaps Han Sion might have been the one to cause this controversy.
Realistically, it made no sense.
How on earth would Han Sion have obtained internal materials from Lion Entertainment?
And yet the circumstances pointed that way.
But apart from that astonishment, M Show would probably not have Sedalbaegil appear for quite a long time.
In other words, it would take far too long for that debt of gratitude to come into play.
But Han Sion was persistent.
[Wouldn’t how that debt of gratitude is used be up to you, Producer?]
[Well. It’s not very appealing.]
When Han Sion continued to repeat similar things after that, Kang Seokwoo felt slightly disappointed.
But soon, he thought it was only natural.
Who was Han Sion to always have some ingenious solution ready?
Relying on connections in the entertainment industry was not a bad solution.
If anything, it was the standard method.
Then a text came in.
[Producer Kang. By any chance, did you not read the email?]
[I only read the beginning. It seemed like it would be sensitive.]
[Could you read it to the end?]
Kang Seokwoo tilted his head and read the email.
And then he realized what he had been missing.
The file Han Sion had attached had not been written solely to persuade the producer of The Masked Singer.
It was meant to persuade both him and that producer.
“I had something like that too. Something I chose even though I knew it was wrong.”
“What was it?”
“Moving to M Show.”
Remembering what he had said back then.
Han Sion was telling him to make a triumphant return to MBN through Sedalbaegil.
To be precise, freelance producer would suit him.
Someone who worked at M Show through his own ability, and worked at MBN as well.
Or even at another broadcasting station.
‘He’s insane.’
It was far too absurd.
But……
If Han Sion’s plan was realized, it wasn’t impossible.
‘How did he even think of this?’
Of course, for this to be realized, one premise was necessary.
Sedalbaegil’s EP album, which would be released soon, had to be good.
Extremely good.
In the end, Kang Seokwoo nodded.
[That debt. Put it down as a big one. Big enough that I can take a few bites out of it.]
[Of course.]
That was the conversation from yesterday.
And today, Kang Seokwoo received a call from his junior, the producer of The Masked Singer.
-Senior. You believe this?
“Yeah, I believe it.”
-No, I know these guys are good too. We’ve debated several times whether to try casting them. But isn’t this way too far-fetched?
After thinking for a moment, Kang Seokwoo decided to tell him about the deals he had made with Han Sion up until now.
Han Sion had probably anticipated even this and asked him to handle the casting.
If not, he would have tracked down the Masked Singer producer’s email address and sent the file himself.
“Listen carefully to what I’m about to tell you.”
When Kang Seokwoo’s story came to an end, a long silence flowed from the other end of the phone.
-You expect me to believe that?
“If you don’t want to believe it, experience it yourself.”
-That’s the same thing!
But in the end, Kang Seokwoo knew that his junior producer would accept this proposal.
People thought directors liked puppets who moved according to their tastes.
But that was a misconception.
What directors truly liked were those who produced scenes beyond what they had expected.
Because directors were people fascinated by that vividness, that sense of being alive.
‘So that’s why I took a liking to Han Sion.’
Just as he was having that unexpected moment of self-reflection, a deep sigh came from the other end of the phone.
-Fine. Then get me one more promise instead.
“What is it?”
-Tell that Han Sion kid to come on once too, when we want him. I don’t know On Saemiro!
“Sure, whatever.”
-And tell him that if On Saemiro doesn’t win, we’ll claim damages too!
“What damages?”
-I’m serious!
Kang Seokwoo chuckled at the ridiculous remark, but for now, he said he understood.
After hanging up, Kang Seokwoo found his heart pounding.
The reason was obvious.
Because he was a director.
It might not be directed through television, but in any case, wasn’t the situation that would unfold from now on something they had directed?
No, thinking about it, the scale was far larger than a TV program.
Because it would happen in reality.
‘I feel like I’ve become the creator of The Truman Show.’
With that thought, Producer Kang Seokwoo sent Han Sion a message.
[Appearance confirmed.]
* * *
The members of Sedalbaegil, excluding Han Sion, who still had business left in America, returned to Korea.
The LA schedule had been quite enjoyable.
On the first day, they had only rested at the hotel to manage their condition, but after filming Color Show, they had been able to tour the area for two days.
What was a little strange was that Han Sion knew LA in great detail.
According to him, it was a place he had occasionally traveled to with his parents, but he did not have the vibe of a tourist.
It was to a level where one would believe he had lived there for several years.
It was a little strange.
Han Sion was not the type to search travel destinations in detail or look up reviews.
In any case, what mattered was that their trip to LA had achieved its purpose, and that it had been enjoyable.
In this situation, it would have been natural for the members of Sedalbaegil to chatter away, sharing their travel experiences.
But they remained silent.
Not because they were tired, but because they were thinking about the mission Han Sion had given them.
The first to speak was On Saemiro.
“Will I be able to do well?”
On The Masked Singer, the level of the cast differed quite a bit from episode to episode.
In an easy episode, there were cases where someone with enough skill to become the Mask King was eliminated in the first round.
So worrying in advance was meaningless, but it was impossible not to worry.
“I think……”
The first to open his mouth was Gu Taehwan.
Gu Taehwan, who tended to speak less precisely because he was too quick on the uptake, knew of one misconception that all the members of Sedalbaegil shared.
In fact, he himself had been mistaken until recently.
He had cleared up that misconception while preparing for Color Show.
Now it was time to share it with the members.
“We’ll probably do very well.”
“Huh?”
“What do you mean, Taehwan?”
At Lee Ion’s question, Gu Taehwan nodded.
Looking at Lee Ion’s face, an appropriate analogy came to mind.
“What does Senior Blue look like?”
“Out of nowhere?”
“Yes.”
“He’s handsome. I think he’s cooler now than when he was active as an idol.”
“But Ion hyung. You created Senior Blue’s humiliation meme on Coming Up Next, didn’t you?”
It was a story everyone knew.
Among the scenes of Coming Up Next, there had been a moment when Lee Ion and Blue were caught in the same frame.
It was during rehearsal, and Lee Ion had noticed a dangerous element in the stage equipment and relayed it to Blue, who was nearby.
The camera had captured that perfectly, but the gap between the two men’s appearances was so huge that it began circulating online as the “Blue squid meme.”
From Blue’s perspective, it was a little unfair.
He had been scratching his philtrum with a serious expression at the time.
It was a disaster born when a shot of Blue looking much uglier than usual and Lee Ion, handsome as always, were caught in the same frame.
At Gu Taehwan’s words, Lee Ion shrugged.
“Senior Blue was making a weird face then.”
“But still, it was because he was next to you, hyung.”
“That’s true.”
“That’s us. We only became squids because we were next to Sion.”
That was the misconception Gu Taehwan had realized.
His mother had called, so he went outside the practice room to take the call.
After hanging up, he was returning to the practice room when he heard the members’ singing leaking through the crack in the door……
It was unbelievably beautiful.
Even though Han Sion was not even participating in the vocal line and was only adding harmony.
As he stood there blankly listening to Sedalbaegil’s song, he realized the truth.
Because Han Sion had ruined their point of comparison, he had always only felt frustrated, but in truth, Sedalbaegil was incredibly good.
“We’re very good. So Saemiro will win on The Masked Singer.”
Soon after, Gu Taehwan looked at Choi Jaeseong.
“And Jaeseong will also win in terms of skill. Though, like Sion said, there’s a high chance they’ll only let you reach the top ten.”
“Will they?”
“I think so.”
At Gu Taehwan’s words, Choi Jaeseong looked down at his smartphone screen.
On it were the detailed recruitment guidelines for participants in the national audition.
That was right.
The program Han Sion had told Choi Jaeseong to appear on was……
Stage Number Zero, the national audition program Han Sion himself had appeared on in his second round and placed as runner-up.