Chapter 312: Break (8)

In our cast, the variety show pro was just On Jeong-Woo. The rest were actors who solely focused on their career, or comedians and idols who were dipping their toes into variety shows for the first time, not to forget our advertisers.

Fortunately, we had all met during a previous game session, so our conversation flowed smoothly without any awkward hitches when filming kicked off. On Jeong-Woo didn't even need to take the reins as everyone was chiming in naturally.

“Let's get real for a second. Who here signed in and practiced the game after our last shoot?” On Jeong-Woo called out. “On three. One, two, three!”

Hands shot up all around.

Comedian Seong Jin was visibly shocked. “...No way! You all actually went back and practiced?”

“It was pretty brutal last time. Didn’t look like we’d get anywhere close to clearing the raid, so yeah, I trained quite a bit.”

“Same here. I started from scratch with a new character. We can’t just let our CEO and Hyun-Woo shoulder all the burden, right? Haha.”

Laughter filled the room, though I remembered overhearing Seong Jin and Jeong-Hoon half-joking about their intense practice sessions just before shooting began. “We practiced like mad. If we can't manage even this, we are not getting any airtime, Senior!”

“That's right. We are usually just the fillers in these shows, so we gotta shine somewhere, or we are just gonna get cut. I’ve been hitting the internet cafes non-stop.”

It was clear their laughter hid a real fear of fading into the background. Behind the diligent practice was the sorrow of unpopular comedians.

Ji-Hyuk and I were the popular idols, On Jeong-Woo always knew how to work the camera, and the CEO got her screen time just by virtue of being the boss. We didn’t have to worry about screen time.

But what about the two newbie actors and comedians with us? They were the brave souls who had signed up for the low-rated variety show

Newbie Crew

when others turned it down in fear of low viewership.

The budget for appearance fees was tight, so the production team prioritized faces like On Jeong-Woo, Ji-Hyuk and me. This meant there wasn't much left for others. The less-known comedians, who were still hustling through cable shows and minor roles, and rookie actors just beginning to make their mark were all the team could afford.

“We gotta show we are trying, at least. I don’t want to be a burden,” actor Min-Jae remarked, hoping to make a positive impact and prove their mettle.

Even those without immediate screen time concerns like the CEO and Ji-Hyuk were trying hard. Therefore, no one wanted to be seen as a slacker.

As we caught up on each other’s lives, the director finally spoke up. He was pleased with our camaraderie.

- I am glad to see everyone’s been doing well.

“Oh, yeah. We’ve been doing fantastic.”

- Heard you’ve all been squeezing in practice sessions in your busy schedules.

“We had to. Absolutely had to.”

“I felt pretty underprepared last time.”

- Right. How about we put that practice to the test? Let’s take another crack at the Dark Citadel raid that you couldn’t clear last time.

The response was electric since everyone buzzed with readiness. “Bring it on! I’ve been waiting for this!”

“I could complete that raid in my sleep by now!”

“Really? Wow, sounds like you've been practicing a ton!"

“I feel just as confident as the CEO and Hyun-Woo now!"

It was clear from their confident remarks that they had been grinding away in the Dark Citadel.

Ji-Hyuk was smirking like he owned the place. “I've already cleared it once myself," Ji-Hyuk boasted.

“Seriously? You cleared it?" I blurted out louder than I intended. It was an unbelievable improvement.

Because Ji-Hyuk had been mostly useless during the previous raid as he continuously died, he must have practiced a lot under the hard training of his members.

“Man, I was so bummed about my pride that day. I've been hitting practice hard with the team."

“Oh, Ji-Hyuk is brimming with confidence, huh?"

Ji-Hyuk laughed proudly and casually draped his arm around my shoulders. “I might not be as good as Hyun-Woo yet, but I am definitely better than you, old man!"

On Jeong-Woo, whom Ji-Hyuk teasingly called an old man, pouted and made a face like a sulky ten-year-old. “I've been practicing a lot too. I plan to make it to the end of the raid."

Ji-Hyuk, the CEO's son of the major agency YU Entertainment, had been mingling with top-tier celebrities long before his official debut. Despite being a rookie, his ability to charm on any variety show stemmed from his image as the CEO’s son and a rookie idol whom even veterans respect.

"Hyun-Woo, just watch how well I perform." Ji-Hyuk had taken me under his wing and treated me like a brother. Thanks to him, I was soon blending in with the rest of the cast without any awkwardness.

Next to the talk show set, there was another set outfitted with eight top-of-the-line computers.

“Wow, this place is just like a high-end internet cafe!" exclaimed comedian Jeong-Hoon. It indeed looked like they had transported an entire upscale internet cafe onto our set.

The computers were much fancier than anything our company had, and they gleamed under the studio lights. They were surrounded by plush executive chairs and flashy keyboards and mice.

“I feel like I've turned pro. This setup is insane."

We were all in awe of the luxurious setup, which was a stark contrast to our humble beginnings.

- Please pick a seat you like and put on your headset. To help us focus, we will communicate through mics even though we are close to each other.

“Hyun-Woo, come sit next to me. Let's stick together."

"Sure."

Ji-Hyuk naturally took charge of choosing where I would sit. I ended up sitting between him and actor Sang-Hyun.

“Hyun-Woo, I’m really looking forward to working with you,” Sang-Hyun told me in a warm and friendly manner. He had entered the industry just a couple of months before Chronos, back when we were engrossed in filming

Pick We Up

.

I heard he was the same age as me. Unlike On Ki-Hoon from

Graduating,

Sang-Hyun hadn't yet had any major roles. So far, at least.

He had spent a long time under the radar but would eventually shoot to fame after landing a supporting lead in a drama by a renowned writer, followed by several starring roles. I was not sure which drama, but I had heard his name often and recognized his slightly youthful face from TV.

“Yes, me too. I am looking forward to it as well."

“Since we are the same age, why don't we drop the formalities?"

He suggested we talk informally right after I introduced myself. This reflected his reputation for being incredibly personable and warm.

I couldn’t hide my awkwardness against such a friendly face, so I nodded with the biggest smile I could muster. “Should we? Just call me Hyun-Woo, Sang-Hyun."

“Alright, Hyun-Woo. You really know your way around a game."

We were just getting into a casual chat when Ji-Hyuk chimed in, resting his hand on my shoulder to join the conversation. “What? You two are buddies already? Count me in too, Sang-Hyun."

“Ah, ah!" Sang-Hyun caught on a bit late, and looked back and forth between Ji-Hyuk and me. He suddenly realized something. “I watched

Pick We Up!

Weren't you guys on that show?"

“That's right. That's where we hit it off~"

“Wow, no wonder. I had just debuted in Ye-Ji's music video back then and was glued to UNET!"

UNET had a system that played a continuous sequence of artists' music videos during the gaps in the schedule, from early morning to morning and from late afternoon to evening. It seemed that Sang-Hyun would watch all the music videos shown from late afternoon to evening to catch his own appearance and had inadvertently ended up watching clips and rebroadcasts of

Pick We Up

that had been mixed in between the music videos.

“Ah, really?” I asked. “I saw that music video too. Wasn't Ye-Ji's song called Shoes or something like that? There was this really handsome guy in it, and I kept wondering who he could be, thinking maybe he was a trainee."

Ji-Hyuk grinned, showing off his typically slick social skills. Sang-Hyun smiled back, genuinely pleased. “Ah, aren’t you a hyung? Just call me Sang-Hyun casually, hyung."

“Should I? Great. Give me your number later, Sang-Hyun."

I nodded as if I had been part of their conversation. It seemed Sang-Hyun was just as sociable as Ji-Hyuk, although a bit milder compared to our house’s top social butterflies, Goh Yoo-Joon and Ji-Hyuk.

- Everyone, please launch

One Hours.

Come straight to the hideout and prepare for the raid.

The director's instructions came through

Disiscord,

a voice chat program.

Only then did Ji-Hyuk's hand come off my shoulder. I sat down and launched the game. My character was wrapped up in the gear provided by the game company. I logged into the server, and soon after, Ji-Hyuk’s character was visible. Seeing my character, Ji-Hyuk immediately performed the '/pray' emote.

- I will show you a new side of me~

Unlike the relaxed vibe of our last shooting, which could remind one of a tour of an internet cafe, Ji-Hyuk's resolve this time was different. And he wasn’t the only one. Cast members who hadn’t stood out last time, who had been more of a hindrance than a help, were now discussing strategies for conquering the Dark Citadel with a serious tone through

Disiscord.

I felt more at ease after seeing this. It looked like today we might just be able to conquer the Dark Citadel.