During the break from the Japanese broadcasting station, they contacted me about doing a variety show.
Of course, that was usually unheard of.
Was there really any need for a Japanese station to propose a broadcast appearance to a Korean actress first?
If it were an idol, they'd at least have some name recognition, but for actors, it was quite rare.
However, perhaps it was because of the huge buzz created previously.
Seoyeon's variety show appearance was approved with an almost instantaneous OK sign.
'Of course, it seems they're also using it for movie promotion.'
It had already happened once with
Back then, they probably went to an uninhabited island.
Though it seemed like they couldn't properly promote the movie then.
"S-Seoyeon, are you serious? Option 3? Going to Aokigahara?"
Park Eunha asked Seoyeon repeatedly, almost interrogating her.
Well, there were plenty of other comfortable places, so why on earth choose that kind of place?
Especially when she was so easily frightened!
'She's even thinking "especially when she's so easily frightened" right now.'
Seoyeon looked at Park Eunha with defiant eyes.
Park Eunha flinched at that gaze.
'Please, I beg you, endure looking at me like that.'
Since Seoyeon was fundamentally expressionless and rarely showed emotion, when she glared like that, even Park Eunha couldn't help but flinch.
"Yes. I think it has to be at least this much to make it a proper variety show, don't you?"
"Well, the Japanese PD will probably like it but……"
Are you okay with this when you're so bad with scary things?
Seoyeon nodded at Park Eunha's gaze, which was asking exactly that.
'You can't run away forever.'
Seoyeon had already tasted great humiliation several times due to fear.
But that wouldn't happen anymore.
'If it's one of the 7 great bizarre places, it'll be perfect for stimulating my fear.'
Seoyeon firmed her resolve.
Originally, Seoyeon had been ignorant of emotions, but there was one fact she had recently learned.
Emotions, surprisingly, could become familiar when the same thing was repeated.
Commonly, the threshold value would rise, making it impossible to feel the same sensation as before.
'So, if I become accustomed to this place, I won't feel fear toward anything.'
Goodbye to the Ju Seoyeon who trembled with fear.
Not wanting to see herself shivering and screaming every time, Seoyeon had taken such drastic measures.
Of course.
'Look, she thinks I'll absolutely never choose option 3.'
Of course, Seoyeon would also like to comfortably go with option 1 or 2, do some camping, and come back.
She had recently enjoyed watching a camping anime too, and was currently having similar thoughts.
After all, the Mt. Fuji camping from that show came from there.
But.
'Seoyeon would definitely go for option 1, right? Well, she wouldn't choose option 3.'
That thought was clearly written on Park Eunha's face.
Provocation!
Seoyeon absolutely could not read that emotion and choose option 1 or 2.
"Since I've made up my mind like this, please convey it to the broadcasting station."
"Hmm, alright."
"By the way, it's funny to ask at this point when I've already agreed to appear, but is there anyone else appearing with me?"
From what I heard, it seemed like requests had gone out not just to Seoyeon but also to Jiyeon and Seohui.
Seohui had even mentioned at the dorm that a request had come from Japan.
"Ah, right. All three of you will be doing it together. Seohui, Jiyeon, and Seoyeon."
"Hmm? Don't they have filming to do?"
"They said you've been working hard for a while, so they contacted saying to take it a bit easier."
It seemed they wanted to extend their stay in Japan a bit longer and do the filming at a more relaxed pace.
Then appearing on a variety show was also possible.
Seoyeon nodded.
"But is it okay for me to choose the location alone?"
"Well, in Japan, you're the main draw. The rest are sort of… supplementary? It seems like a request went out to one more person… I'm not sure about that side."
"One more?"
Ah, did a request go out to Stella too?
That thought suddenly occurred to her.
Since they had seemed to want her to appear on a Japanese variety show together.
'For someone who seemed to want that, she left as if saying goodbye forever.'
It would be funny if she just came back like that.
"Plus one Japanese actress."
"……A Japanese actress?"
"Yeah, it seems they're trying to package her in too."
Probably to appeal to Asher Baldwin, Park Eunha added.
'What, so it is Stella.'
Judging by the general angle, it seemed like they were trying to make the Japanese actress and Stella close to win over Asher Baldwin's heart.
'Did Asher Baldwin dislike the actress that the broadcasting station was pushing?'
During the filming of
Hearing stories from them, it seemed the original reason the Japanese movie offer came to Seoyeon was because they had rejected the Japanese actress that Japan had proposed.
So, promoting
'Usually, this is how you lose both.'
Seoyeon thought so.
Because things in the world were rarely that easy.
***
The forest near Mt. Fuji.
The sea of trees of Aokigahara.
The Japanese staff, fully armed with safety equipment, were preparing for filming with tense faces.
The theme of this variety show was 'Survival'.
In other words, 'Surviving for two days in Aokigahara' was the theme of the variety show.
"Is Ju Seoyeon crazy?"
At the entrance to the forest, Jiyeon said so.
"You should obviously choose option 1 or 2, why would you choose option 3?"
"Options 1 and 2 don't look fun at all."
"……Since when did you care so much about variety shows?"
Currently, Lee Jiyeon was regretting intensely.
'If I knew this would happen, we should have suggested option 1 or 2.'
There were several reasons why the two had left the choice to Seoyeon.
First, as Park Eunha had said, this was a variety show where they were supporting roles and Ju Seoyeon was the main.
Second, they believed that Seoyeon would absolutely never choose something scary.
'That smug face after pulling one over on us is annoying.'
As if reading Jiyeon's thoughts, Seoyeon grinned and squared her shoulders.
She wanted to punch her, but gave up since it would obviously just hurt her own hand.
"Hmm? Are we really sleeping here for a day?"
In Jo Seohui's case, she blinked as she looked at the forest with its fearsome form, as if she couldn't believe this situation itself.
They said it wasn't much during the day, but now the sky was overcast, making it quite a terrifying sight.
Despite appearances, Jo Seohui was a proper lady.
She had almost never been to dangerous places.
She was a true lady actress who had almost never even appeared on variety shows.
"Bears also come out in this forest."
A Japanese staff member who could speak Korean approached Jo Seohui and said.
"B-Bears?!"
Jo Seohui jumped in surprise.
Bears, of all things.
Could they really film in such a dangerous place?
Scary, Japanese variety shows.
Do they just leave celebrities in places like this?
Of course, they had prepared thoroughly for such situations, but regardless, for Jo Seohui, the important thing was that bears came out.
"Seoyeon, they said bears come out?"
"That's okay."
"?"
Seoyeon was more afraid of monsters or ghosts she couldn't hit than wild animals she could hit.
"Bears are cute."
"……They won't be cute when you encounter them in the forest."
Is that so?
Seoyeon shrugged.
Honestly, what could be so different about a bear?
Animals were fine.
If it were a dinosaur, she'd think about it a bit.
'Anyway.'
Seoyeon narrowed her eyes as she looked at a woman among the Japanese staff.
Surprisingly, it was a familiar figure.
It wasn't Stella, whom she had expected.
Perhaps she had refused to appear, or for some other reason, Stella's figure was nowhere to be seen.
However, the Japanese actress who was set to appear together.
It was Goto Reika.
'The actress who ignored Sora back then.'
More precisely, the woman who had dragged around the actress who was with the group that had ignored Sora.
She didn't know exactly what her personality was like, but since she hadn't stopped the lackeys following her from ignoring Sora, she had a quite obnoxious image in Seoyeon's mind.
And, how was Reika, receiving such a gaze from Seoyeon?
'S-S-Scary.'
She was genuinely trembling for several reasons.
They said it would just be camping, but when she actually arrived, the location was Aokigahara, infamous even in Japan.
Even the three women appearing together had extraordinary impressions.
Just Ju Seoyeon alone was scary enough, but the other two were roughly at the same level.
'A Korean gal-looking girl, and another one who looks like she walked out of a horror manga.'
Why did they have to stand with their backs to the Aokigahara forest of all places?
Thanks to that, Jo Seohui had literally become the incarnation of Tomie walking about.
'Stella, where on earth is Stella?'
Originally, her purpose for coming to this variety show today was to get close to Stella.
But when she actually arrived, what they said was:
"Ehh~, so they might come or might not come? They're not coming on the first day and will come from the second day onwards?"
No, what does that even mean?
Why would they come from the second day?
'More importantly, they are coming, right?'
If they don't come, does she have to stay in this Aokigahara with these three women?
Also, do they even know Japanese?
『Hello, hello?』
"What is she saying?"
When Reika casually asked Lee Jiyeon, the Korean gal, she asked Jo Seohui half-heartedly.
'They don't even know Japanese?!'
Then how were they planning to appear on a variety show?
While thinking that.
『Hmm, hello.』
Fortunately, Jo Seohui answered while scanning her up and down with interested eyes.
Anyway, Jo Seohui was a very warm woman toward actors.
And she had at least memorized the name of the actress being pushed in Japan.
Goto Reika, the actress with the most outstanding skills among Japan's young actresses currently.
"What, Jo Seohui. You know Japanese?"
"Yeah."
"How many languages do you speak?"
"Many."
Seoyeon admired Jo Seohui's figure as she answered with a snort.
'I should answer like that next time too.'
It felt cool.
As expected of a chaebol family daughter, she must have learned various languages from a young age.
No wonder her vocabulary ability was so good since childhood.
"By the way, Jo Seohui, here's a prop."
"Huh? A fan?"
"The Japanese staff said it would be nice if you did it with a lady concept."
"……Does a lady concept have any meaning in a forest like this? Ah, is it because of Gyeongseong Lady?"
Seohui belatedly understood the reason for the Japanese staff's request.
Since they were also promoting the movie, it seemed they wanted her to show a 'lady'-like image.
『Wait a minute!!』
Reika couldn't hide her shock upon seeing Jo Seohui holding a fan.
When attention gathered at the sudden exclamation, Reika panicked and whispered quietly to a nearby staff member.
『What is going on? This overlaps with my concept!』
Reika was an actress who appealed to herself with a lady character in Japan.
Her name was somewhat ladylike, and her actions were relatively refined, so she naturally acquired that image.
In reality, Reika herself came from a family slightly below the middle class.
But for some reason, rumors followed her that she was the daughter of a famous group or the child of a famous celebrity.
Because of that, a group of people who followed her around and worshipped her also attached themselves, but she let them be since she liked that part.
But seeing Jo Seohui holding a fan, Reika felt a sense of crisis.
'Her aura is that of a real lady!'
First of all, her nose was high, and the way she slightly lifted her chin and patted the fan against her palm looked exactly like a villainess young lady from a manga.
『Well, the theme of this variety show is "Fierce Young Ladies," so.』
In other words, it felt like a parody of "Little Women."
But what did that have to do with Aokigahara?
She wished they would at least make one thing clear.
『G-Give me a fan too.』
『Huh?』
Anyway, as Japan's representative young lady, she couldn't lose.
With that in mind, she ignited her rivalry toward Jo Seohui.
***
『First of all, you don't need to worry too much about safety. We're taking the utmost care.』
Amaya Hiroki, the PD of YHJ broadcasting station in charge of this variety show, nodded as he looked at the four actresses.
Judging by their visuals alone, they all had the impression of ladies.
Of course, Lee Jiyeon didn't have a lady-like feel, but he figured one was fine.
『For the variety show, we won't particularly chase you around; you can film freely. Yes, really.』
Of course, Reika didn't believe the PD's words.
Japanese variety shows often said things like that and then committed outrageous acts.
'But please, in this forest.'
Since it was scary, she wanted them to stop.
Just the eyes of Seoyeon staring at her from behind were scary enough.
『Are we to procure our own meals for the 3 days we'll be living here?』
The one who raised her hand and spoke first to the PD was Jo Seohui.
At her words, PD Amaya nodded.
『Yes, I thought you'd be curious about that. Of course, since it's dangerous, it won't be through hunting or picking fruit.』
『Then?』
『We've hidden ingredients that can be cooked arbitrarily within this forest, inside a designated line, so you just need to find them and cook.』
『Ah-ha.』
In other words, meat or vegetables and such, cooking utensils or ingredients were hidden in the forest.
'Why is she calmly saying "Ah-ha"? Then we have to go into that forest and find them.'
Reika stomped her feet at Jo Seohui's calm response.
Finding things in that Aokigahara forest, how scary would that be?
Aokigahara was famous as a suicide spot right now.
What if they wandered around carelessly and saw something terrible?
'That Japanese actress seems to have zero trust in the Japanese staff…….'
Jo Seohui clicked her tongue as she looked at Reika's face, which revealed her inner thoughts so clearly.
In a way, she thought it was good that she was so honest.
She was easier to deal with than Stella, at least.
『Then, good luck for two days.』
With those words from PD Amaya, the variety show filming began.
"First, let's decide who will cook."
The person to get the ingredients was already decided.
Ju Seoyeon.
She had confidently said she would get them herself.
'Bizarre phenomenon overcome!'
Showing such strong will.
'Ju Seoyeon, who overcomes bizarre phenomena…… That sounds like a title that would appear in Monster Hunter recently.'
Looking at such Seoyeon, Jiyeon inadvertently had that thought.
Come to think of it, it didn't seem that different.
"……Why isn't anyone raising their hand?"
Jo Seohui became flustered as she looked at the three staring blankly at her.
"I can't cook."
"I can't cook."
『Me neither.』
"……."
Naturally, Jo Seohui couldn't either.
She was a woman who had never held a kitchen knife once in her life.
No, let alone a knife, she was a super lady who had never even held a pot.
Well, she had a housekeeper, but the others didn't.
"Why can't you?"
"My dad said it's too scary if I hold a knife."
"Mine just comes out weird when I make it."
The former was Ju Seoyeon, and the latter was Lee Jiyeon.
Indeed, it would be scary if Seoyeon held a knife.
Lee Jiyeon was truly unexpected, but it didn't seem like a lie.
'Maybe that side is a concept?'
When she quickly looked at Reika, Reika shook her head left and right incredibly fast.
She really couldn't cook.
Although she was from a middle-class family, she was truly a princess at home.
Especially after pushing the lady concept, her life had become even more distant from cooking.
But by this point, the four young ladies gathered here realized that a huge problem had arisen with the variety show.
'We're doomed.'
Even Seoyeon began to feel a sense of crisis.
'Don't tell me we have to starve for 3 days?'
Or would they have to bring back ingredients and eat them raw?
Like that, the four young ladies were now driven into an unexpected crisis.