The mont I got out of the car, the reporters who had been waiting nearby started firing their shutters. I smiled out of habit and waved.
‘I really looked like a celebrity just now.’
Since when had standing in front of caras beco this natural? My chest swelled. When I turned my head toward the flashes and smiled, the shutter sounds grew even louder.
‘Everyone.... Please run a headline like Han Yeoreum, this pure and innocent? A snow-white smile at the airport~.’
Hoping our hearts were in sync, I walked into the gate. The mont I sat down in the plush seat of the plane headed for Taiwan, the woman next to , who had been on her laptop, spoke to familiarly.
“Did Cutie arrive?”
Black suit sharply tailored, long straight black hair, sharp eyes... the lady was soone I didn’t recognize.
‘So this is what happens when you get famous.’
I’d heard about it a lot. Elentary school kids talking casually, people calling you by a character na instead of your real na. I’d heard that the public, who built familiarity through a screen, approached you like this.
‘The fate of a star can’t be helped.’
But not panicking at tis like this was also part of a rising actor’s job. I smoothly went into fan service.
“Yes. I’m Han Yeoreum the Cutie. Would you like an autograph?”
“Ahahaha! You’re funny!”
I wasn’t joking. If not an autograph, then a selfie? Either way, she was a precious potential fan who’d recognized , so I should treat her well. I leaned closer.
“Use a beauty app. Co on, don’t be shy. Hurry.”
It’d be nice if this turned into a Han Yeoreum good-deed story.... But then the lady, who had been staring at intently, lifted sothing that had been tucked under her laptop.
“A neck pillow?”
It was an old, squishy neck pillow. The mont she put it around her neck, I couldn’t help but doubt who the person in front of was.
“By any chance... Manager Ma...?”
“Not ‘by any chance.’ Of course.”
“No.... Where did the stretched-out T-shirt go? The loosely tied hair? What is this? Is this another persona of yours, Manager Ma?”
“I’ll take that as a complint for being beautiful.”
To think it was Manager Ma. An overly neat Manager Ma was hard to get used to.
“But why are you putting in this much effort today...?”
“Because the Taiwan side will be picking us up right at the airport.”
Typing rapidly, Manager Ma turned her head to look at .
“The scale’s going to be bigger than you think. Don’t get nervous later.”
Just hearing that made my heart start racing. The idea that not only Korea, but a faraway country too knew the na Han Yeoreum felt unreal.
“Hello.”
While I was looking at Manager Ma, a voice called out to from the right. This ti for sure, fan service. I cleared my throat to greet them.
“Hell—oh.... It’s Junhyeok....”
“...Why do you sound disappointed...?”
Because I’d been hoping to hear a fan sitting next to on the plane gush about Han Yeoreum’s acting....
I pretended it was nothing and welcod Kwon Junhyeok. With slightly hurt eyes, he opened his mouth.
“Um, you said last ti that you wanted to do variety shows.”
“Yes. Do you have sothing good? Like, sothing that builds an image where people go, ‘Wow, Han Yeoreum is really serious about acting. A truly proper Korean actor who’s rising and will climb to the top at the sa ti.’”
Because I’d been saying everywhere that I wanted variety shows to clear missions, it seed Kwon Junhyeok had sothing to suggest. At my words, the typing sounds from Manager Ma on my left stopped for a mont. She spoke admiringly.
“Cutie, your ambition is sothing else. You think one variety show can do all that?”
“It’s not that amazing of a variety show....”
Kwon Junhyeok, who’d lost his confidence in the anti, spoke hesitantly.
“Well, there’s this hyung nad Shim Juhwan.... He hosts a radio show called Afternoon Nap at Two, and because of overseas schedules, he needs a substitute for about a week.... And he said he really enjoyed and that he’s a fan of you, Yeoreum....”
Kwon Junhyeok’s voice kept getting smaller.
“It’s not even a variety show, and it’s only a week, and it probably can’t really build that ‘true Korean actor who’s rising and also reaching the top’ image.... I’m sorry.... I’ll just decline....”
At the sa ti as making the offer, Kwon Junhyeok hurriedly tapped on his phone, canceling it.
“No! Wait!”
Manager Ma shouted urgently. My left eardrum went numb. Manager Ma leaned so close to she was practically attached, then shot Kwon Junhyeok a blazing look.
“This is it.... Variety...!”
* * *
Most celebrities—especially actors—appeared on broadcasts for one of two reasons.
For a drama, or for a film.
To tell the public, ‘This actor worked on this project, so please watch it.’
‘There’s a reason most actors don’t do fixed variety appearances.’
Familiarity was a double-edged sword. If you weren’t careful, you floated away from your characters. Once people got used to the person themselves, the roles they could convincingly play beca limited.
‘That’s # Nоvеlight # why variety appearances have to be chosen carefully.’
Last ti, So Yesol had offered Yeoreum free rein over MBS variety shows, but there was too much to consider before deciding.
‘First of all, the next project isn’t even airing on MBS.’
Han Yeoreum had a track record of taking MBS down twice in a row. Not just a loss, but a crushing defeat in ratings.
‘So it’s better not to do promotional variety shows while entering a new project there. No need to deepen emotional rifts.’
There was no need to promote KBC’s 50th anniversary blockbuster by borrowing MBS’s goodwill.
‘At least not until after doing one project with MBS.’
But her image needed to be changed before aired. She was, after all, only a child role. No matter how good Han Yeoreum’s acting was, she couldn’t beat Eun Baekhap.
‘It’s hard to completely overturn the shaman image that’s been so strongly imprinted on the public in just four episodes.’
It was Manager Ma’s job to ensure that not a single role in Han Yeoreum’s filmography ever got labeled ‘this one was a sha.’
Formulas tangled chaotically in her head. Calculating over and over what thod would yield the best result, Manager Ma grabbed Han Yeoreum and shook her.
“MBS radio is the answer!”
Then going on MBS variety shows would happen naturally.
“Let’s do Mbubu!”
Please Take Care of M Headquarters—shortened to Mbubu.
It was an observational variety show on MBS with fairly strong reception. Mbubu’s appeal lay in showing both ordinary people’s daily lives and celebrities’ daily lives together.
Intube
[Don’t ever... join a broadcasting station.... Junior drama departnt director vlog] 14:11
Views 480,000
— wow I really had a broadcast station dreamㅠㅠ lol they work like dogs
— I’ve seen PDs pop up sotis but not other jobs much.. kinda fascinating
— 04:27 are they insane, look at the stacked coffee cups
ㄴ at this rate everyone’s gonna die
From the staff producing M Headquarters programs, to the filming crew, editing team, makeup rooms, and even celebrities—
Because of Mbubu’s atmosphere, where everyone pulled together, it could show Han Yeoreum’s daily life while preventing excessive image consumption.
‘And add in Han Yeoreum’s greatest strength—her voice!’
Precise diction and delivery even musical-theater fans couldn’t deny.
If you combined that with radio, a dium that could properly use a voice you wanted to keep hearing the longer you listened—
‘What kind of result would co out?’
Manager Ma’s heart raced.
“Hurry! Hurry and say you’ll do it! Delete all that! What are you even typing right now? Say it!”
At Manager Ma’s roar, Kwon Junhyeok hurriedly deleted what he’d been writing.
“H-hello. Hyung.... I hope you’ve been well.... It’s very cold these days, so please be careful not to catch a throat cold....”
“Cut the intro and just say Han Yeoreum will do it! Tell him to do it!”
“About the radio you ntioned last ti, the schedule....”
Manager Ma imdiately locked in the schedule before Shim Juhwan could find another substitute. Then she said to Yeoreum,
“You’re returning to school this sester, Cutie.”
In just a few seconds, Manager Ma decided what kind of daily life Han Yeoreum would show on Mbubu. The picture was complete.
Enrolled at DaeYeJong, diligently attending acting classes, and on top of that, filling in as a radio DJ.
‘It flows so naturally.... It’s even better than just showing daily life filming the next project.’
By showing in detail that she was an acting student, she gained legitimacy in the acting world. Manager Ma clenched her fist, already imagining the public’s reaction.
They would capture actor Han Yeoreum attending acting classes, practicing lines in spare monts, reading radio cue sheets on school staircases. Scenes perfect for image-making.
‘But there’s just one thing. One more thing would be nice....’
Showing only acting classes felt lacking. One impactful hit. That was needed. Another side of Han Yeoreum—not Yeon Huijae.
* * *
After about two and a half hours of flight, the plane finally landed. A vivid blue sky spread beyond the window.
This was Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport.
The first thing that hit as I got off the plane was Taiwan’s distinctive warmth. While Korea was in the dead of winter, Taiwan was filled with mild air hovering around a dayti high of twenty degrees Celsius.
To really feel that I was in Taiwan, I took a deep breath.
“Ah.... The air of a protagonist....”
Thinking that this was air only actors holding overseas fan etings could breathe made it indescribably sweet. Breathing in and out repeatedly, I walked forward.
“But isn’t it kind of noisy?”
“Yeah....”
Strangely, the area over there was bustling. Guess there are a lot of people today. Thinking that, I stepped out of the gate.
And what unfolded before my eyes was—
“Seoryeong—!!!”
Huh. What is this?
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