Chapter 85: Debut (8)

The “Instant Response” game was simple. We just needed to answer Director Han Bu-Joon's questions within a one-second window. Any sign of hesitation or fumbling with words would count as an unsuccessful attempt, and a team that successfully answered everything honestly would be rewarded with the coveted revival ticket.

‘This final game seems a bit too easy,'

I mused, but surprisingly, it was challenging for everyone involved.

𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

- Whom in Chronos do you have a grievance against?

“...Ah! Uh...! Oh, no, nobody!" answered Jin-Sung.

- Failed!

“Looks like there's someone in your mind, eh?" I asked.

“No, no, there's no one!" Jin-Sung frantically denied it, shaking his hands in protest.

We also faced tricky questions like “Would you lend a million dollars to a member?” or “Do you have anything to complain about the company?”

Fortunately, since many of us kept failing, my team had several chances to answer the questions before we reached our destination.

“Next is Yoo Il-Seok's team. Yoo Il-Seok, would you let your wife become a guest star in

Flying Man

?"

“No!"

“Woo-Seok, honestly, do you prefer

Camping Man

(another program on a different channel) over

Flying Man

?"

“Nah,

Flying Man

is definitely better."

- Yoo-Joon, are you annoyed with your roommate?

“Yes!"

"What?" I asked.

- Hyun-Woo, what's the most beautiful thing in the world?

What a sudden question!

“...Me!"

- Failed! Hyun-Woo, you hesitated there.

“Come on, be lenient, Bu-Joon!"

- No leniency here.

“Really, Bu-Joon? Anyway, Yoo-Joon, what's the issue with your roommate? Who is it?

Goh Yoo-Joon pointed at me. “This guy right here."

“Me."

“Wait, you guys have been friends for ages, and you still have issues?"

“Oh, definitely," Yoo-Joon replied.

I then glared at Goh Yoo-Joon and retorted, “I've got a fair bit to complain about him too." Our bickering was like a trivial high school spat, so the cast members couldn't help but laugh at our antics.

“Yoo-Joon, what are your gripes?"

“I always have to wake him up in the morning because he stays up too late. If he knows he'll oversleep, he should go to bed earlier, right? He stays up so late that it keeps me up too."

“What's keeping you up, Hyun-Woo?"

“Just listening to music, reading fan comments and stuff. Why do you have to exaggerate? Whenever I stay up, I even go to the living room to not disturb you."

Dada took my side. “Come on, going to the living room makes sense. Yoo-Joon's exaggerating!"

“No...!" Goh Yoo-Joon chuckled awkwardly at the accusation.

“So, Hyun-Woo, what bothers you about Yoo-Joon?"

“He is always gaming on the laptop meant for monitoring.” As I said this, the rest of the members nodded in agreement, exclaiming their understanding.

“He is always hogging the laptop with water balloon games. I have to wait forever to use it." As Jin-Sung enthusiastically explained Goh Yoo-Joon's habit to the cast, Joo-Han hyung added a twist, “But Hyun-Woo, aren't you part of that too?"

“Me?"

Joo-Han's revelation made Yoo Il-Seok giggle. “Attention everyone, another whistleblower has emerged! The continuing saga of the Chronos laptop! Joo-Han, your turn to speak!"

“They both play the water balloon game together in their room."

“No, it's because Goh Yoo-Joon wants to play..."

“But you enjoy it too, don't you?"

“Guys, let's not argue on the show, especially over a game! It's so childish!" Woo-Seok's intervention managed to simmer down our petty quarrel.

“Now back to Hyun-Woo... you boldly claimed the most beautiful thing in the world is 'you'."

“Yeah, quite assertively, you said 'me.'"

Feeling a bit embarrassed, I blushed and shook my head. “It was just a panic response. Haha, isn't that question a bit out of left field?"

“Let's give it another try, Hyun-Woo. What's the most beautiful thing in the world? One, two, three!"

Hesitating for a moment, I awkwardly replied, “...Me."

Everyone directly burst into uproarious laughter, dramatically agreeing with my answer.

After that, the game kicked off again. Our turn had come around once more, and it was our final chance to get the revival ticket. Hence, I braced myself, concentrating hard.

- Yoo Il-Seok, is there a

Flying Man

member you'd like to swap out?

“No!"

- Woo-Seok, are you planning to betray anyone today?

“Why would I betray anyone? No way!"

- Yoo-Joon, what's the first song that comes to your mind?

“...The fleeting splendor will vanish with nightfall. Join me. You will want to see me entrapped in an illusion once more. You need me?. ‘Parade!’"

"Hyun-Woo, which

Flying Man

member do you like the least?

“Senior Goh Seong-Cheol!" I shouted without a 0.1-second trace of hesitation.

The room burst into laughter, accompanied by the playful “Ding Dong Dang” of a xylophone. My spontaneous call-out of “Senior Goh Seong-Cheol” caught everyone off guard, but nobody, including Goh Seong-Cheol himself, took it to heart. To them, it seemed like I just randomly picked the first name that came to my mind, so I played along with their assumption.

“Why me, Hyun-Woo? Why single me out?"

“Ah, he was just... the first person that caught my eye."

“Is that so? You don't actually dislike me, do you? We should have dinner together sometime!"

“Ah, that might be a bit too much for me..."

They all took my playful rejections in stride, which just contributed to the lightheartedness of the show.

Finally, the bus came to a halt. We had reached the science institution, the site of our previous karaoke challenge.

- Thank you all for making it this far. With the revival tickets distributed, it's time to shift from team to individual challenges. Each of you will receive an item bearing the

Flying Man

logo. Wear it where it’s easily visible. If someone snatches your item, you're out of the game.

“Are the revival tickets for post-elimination use?"

- Yes, eliminated participants can take a five-minute break before rejoining with a new item. Remember, a grand prize awaits the ultimate winner, so give it your all.

Director Han Bu-Joon glanced around at the cast with a mischievous grin and signaled the commencement of the last round.

- Let the race start!

***

Each of us took our assigned items and dispersed to various locations. I wrapped the scarf I received from the crew around my waist, fashioning it into a makeshift belt, before slipping into a random room to hide.

“This feels way more intense in reality."

The tension of not knowing where others might be lurking, ready to pounce, set my nerves on edge. If I bumped into Jang Seok or Goh Seong-Cheol, I'd likely lose my item in a heartbeat. Peeking out cautiously, I started to move with stealth.

“Hyun-Woo." While crossing the corridor, I heard a quiet voice. It was Ji-Hyuk, peeking from a room down the hallway.

I stopped dead in my tracks. “Hyung, can you come here?"

Could he be waiting with other High Tension members, ready to ambush me and take my item? However, to my relief, Ji-Hyuk stepped out of the room and approached with a smile.

“Are you suspicious of your hyung? I admire your cautious nature," laughed Ji-Hyuk

“What's up, Hyung? Why did you call me over?"

“Let's stick together for a bit. It's early in the game, and it'd be a bummer to get eliminated too soon." His suggestion sounded reasonable. Sticking together felt safer than venturing alone.

“Hyung, no one's been eliminated yet, so let's not be too aggressive in our movements. Let's quietly target any lone players we come across until the crowd thins out a bit."

“That’s exactly what I think."

We planned to wait for the more energetic and aggressive players—like Jin-Sung and Goh Yoo-Joon—to make moves and then join the fray more actively in the later stages. Hence, Ji-Hyuk and I moved to an upper floor for a better vantage point.

“It'd be great if someone took out Senior Jang Seok and Senior Goh Seong-Cheol."

“Everyone's probably thinking the same thing. Charging at them too soon would be a fast track to elimination."

“How many revival tickets do they have?" I wondered while subtly glancing at Ji-Hyuk's item, a watch adorned with the

Flying Man

logo. It might be worth making a move to snatch it when the time was right.

“Hyun-Woo, look there! It's Senior Ye-Hee."

“Where is she? What's her item?"

“It looks like a hat. Should be easy to grab."

I held Ji-Hyuk back gently and said, “Just stay here, Hyung. I'll dash over and snatch the hat."

“You sure? I'm grateful then. I'll keep watch."

I left the room and scanned the area before racing toward Lee Ye-Hee.

“Wh-what's happening!? Hyun-Woo? Why are you here?!"

Taken aback, Lee Ye-Hee darted off in the opposite direction. However, I was quicker, thanks to my sprinting skills honed in high school, and I effortlessly snatched her hat as I passed by.

- Ye-Hee eliminated! Ye-Hee is out!

“What the... Hyun-Woo! You are targeting me first?”

As soon as Ye-Hee was announced out, I quickly went back to her side, fixing her tousled hair with a hint of remorse.

“Senior, I am so sorry. I really am.”

“Fine, Hyun-Woo. I will see you in five minutes. Just wait. I will get you back!”

Hearing this, I bowed at a ninety-degree angle as I felt guilty. “I am so sorry!”

After that, Lee Ye-Hee disappeared into the maze of corridors, accompanied by the muscular staff.

I exhaled sharply, feeling the adrenaline. “This is so intense. My heart's racing!"

This game of tag was like no other. Back at Ji-Hyuk's hiding spot, I tried to steady my pounding heart.

“Nice move, Hyun-Woo!"

“Hyung, this is really intense. Eliminating someone feels so surreal."

“You handled that pretty smoothly. Any sign of High Tension or Chronos members around?" asked Ji-Hyuk while peeking cautiously outside the room, showing a preference for a safer approach by staying put in the room. It became clear to me that he wasn't one to actively seek out more screen time.

Keeping a close eye on him, I sensed his complete trust in me and asked, “Can you see anyone?"

“Nope. But I think I can hear Dada's voice from that direction."

Edging closer to Ji-Hyuk under the guise of listening out for Dada, I subtly reached for his wristwatch.

“...Hyun-Woo?"

Ji-Hyuk turned slowly, sensing something amiss.

“Hyung, I'm sorry, really."

After all, he had plenty of revival tickets, so I swiftly removed the watch from his wrist without a second thought.

“Ah, Hyun-Woo... I feel so betrayed right now."

“I'm sorry, Hyung. I will see you again soon."

- Ji-Hyuk eliminated! Ji-Hyuk is out!"

Dripping with a sense of betrayal and disbelief, Ji-Hyuk was then taken away by the robust men. And so began the saga of Suh Hyun-Woo's cunning gameplay.