Chapter 12: First Broadcast (1)
My legs were trembling.
At first, it was a silent scream, but later, I think I screamed all sorts of things.
The only consolation was that my first words weren’t curses.
Suddenly, I remembered a comment I’d seen often on the internet.
-If I were in that situation, I would’ve cursed right away and been kicked out of the entertainment industry.
Yeah, I almost dropped out.
At that moment, I couldn’t see anything else—not even the fact that it was being filmed.
“Seriously… this is scary….”
At my age, this was embarrassing enough, but regardless of age, it was too cruel for someone like me who had never even stepped foot in a haunted house since childhood.
They called it a variety sense test….
The saying that you should never trust the people at a broadcasting station was absolutely right.
It hit harder because it caught me off guard.
I felt betrayed, really.
“Hyung… hyung!”
As soon as I left the interview room, I saw a familiar face.
We weren’t even that close, but it was the first time I was so glad to see him.
The moment I saw Jin Sehyun, I collapsed.
“Haa… ha.”
Jin Sehyun, who had gone into the interview with me, turned his head with a completely calm expression.
“Oh, you just finished the interview?”
“…Heuh. Yes, yes….”
“Why do you look so pale? Are you okay?”
Was I the only one who got the horror test?
They said it was a variety test. Why only me?
“Didn’t… didn’t you get scared?”
Just as I was about to feel unfair, Jin Sehyun opened his mouth.
“Oh, that.”
‘Oh, that?’ What was with that nonchalant reaction?
Scratching his head, Jin Sehyun spoke firmly.
“Oh, so that’s why you were surprised. I’m not afraid because I don’t believe in ghosts. They were trying so hard to scare us, so I figured I should give them a proper reaction.”
“Oh.”
“I did my best.”
That satisfied expression.
Seeing that, I felt embarrassed about the genuine, unfiltered reaction I had when I was actually scared.
I think he’s always been that kind of person, but now Jin Sehyun was just staring at me curiously, as if wondering why I was sweating so much.
Perhaps thinking that wouldn’t be enough to calm my pale face, Jin Sehyun paused for a moment and then spoke.
“I can tell you a method to not be scared.”
Oh, that didn’t sound bad.
Let’s just say my very real reaction earlier was me being a sacrificial lamb for the variety test by the broadcasting people… I got enough footage anyway, so it wasn’t a total loss.
But I had this chilling gut feeling they’d throw me into something like this again someday.
“What is it?”
I was intrigued.
“Scientifically, ghosts can’t exist.”
“……”
“They don’t have mass, so how could they move things?”
…Of course, this wasn’t the kind of answer I was hoping for.
“Not scary at all, right?”
Science majors really were something else.
Stardust debut project.
For PD Lee Young-chae, this program was also one of the turning points.
A bold collaboration with Doubles Entertainment. There was a duty and pressure to produce a star.
Over the years, while producing various audition shows, she had taken all sorts of criticism, but those programs were what had brought her to this position.
If there was a decent star, her job was to discover them.
Today, PD Lee Young-chae was once again busy scanning the edited footage.
“What’s this, the reaction footage from that event?”
“Yes. There were actually some good scenes.”
From the start, the interviews were composed only of trainees who seemed to have some sense of variety.
Since there were all kinds of people, naturally, the reactions were diverse.
Some genuinely terrified, some swore so loudly that the audio had to be censored.
“Oh, this is funny too.”
“Right? The expressions are so real—it brings the scene to life.”
And then there were cases like Jin Sehyun, who confidently stared down the person in ghost makeup and entered a deep analysis….
‘Hmm. Hello. Oh. I’m supposed to be surprised now. Waaaah! Ahh!’
His shameless face, convinced he had reacted as best he could, was the funniest part.
PD Lee Young-chae laughed and gave a thumbs up.
“Well, it’s not bad at this level. But aren’t there any trainees who really pop?”
Still, she felt something lacking. Some trainees had overlapping footage, and most lacked impact.
Most of all, there weren’t any faces she felt strongly inclined to support.
‘Weren’t there any good ones during the first shoot?’
There were a few trainees who had already caught PD Lee Young-chae’s eye.
Kevin, with his flashy performance, seemed like he could make it into the final lineup, but his reaction was too boring, so he was out.
Seo Haim wasn’t bad, but his energy was so high that PD Lee Young-chae was debating whether to keep her.
“Still, bawling is a bit much….”
What a unique character.
At that level, he’d be criticized for faking a reaction for the show.
Though it seemed like a genuine reaction from his side.
Just as she was deep in monitoring to pick out the right talent.
PD Lee Young-chae’s gaze stopped on one particular video.
She hadn’t even hit play yet.
A young trainee was smiling brightly at the camera.
Visually appealing, and even in the first turn of the signal song, he had satisfied PD Lee Young-chae with his skills.
“Oh, is this… Mam-Seohan?”
Eventually, PD Lee Young-chae misremembered the name.
The youngest writer barely held back a laugh and nodded.
“Yes, yes. I think that’s right!”
“But he speaks so seriously. He reminds me of my nephew.”
“How old is your nephew?”
“Twenty-five.”
Tsk.
PD Lee Young-chae clicked her tongue, as if disappointed.
Though he looked every bit the fresh-faced youngest, the way he spoke and acted made him seem like someone living his second life.
So I hadn’t expected much.
The cicada sound was such an unexpected surprise that I couldn’t help but laugh, but he didn’t seem like the type to bring laughter in this kind of situation.
“I told you we should’ve had them show personal talents instead of testing their variety sense.”
“But the filming team’s reaction wasn’t bad, though?”
“What reaction?”
“The… video reaction?”
“Really? I don’t think the reactions are all that funny….”
That’s what PD Lee Young-chae had thought—until she doubted her own eyes.
‘No… no… seriously no… Ah. Why are you coming to me….’
Tremble.
That hamster, pressed against the wall with his head down and shaking, looked completely different from the face she’d seen on stage.
Where had that confident, bold expression gone?
-My strengths are my fearless boldness, and ambition. Lastly, my confidence.
‘Ah… ahh please… please spare me….’
‘Hehehehehe!’
-I’m not afraid of anything and I’ll show you all the charm I have to offer.
“That… that’s a kind of charm too….”
‘I’ll, I’ll buy you food! Wait, that’s not it… Argh! Don’t come any closer!’
‘I was wrong…. I’m sorry!’
Why was he suddenly offering food?
Was this some kind of Korean instinct?
Even if it’s a ghost, offering food first—this line was absurd.
The issue was that the serious expression he made while trembling and saying that was the highlight.
PD Lee Young-chae hurriedly paused the video and widened her eyes.
“Wait, is that really the same kid?”
Where had the trainee who shamelessly imitated a cicada sound gone?
The exact reaction PD Lee Young-chae had wanted was captured on camera.
The youngest writer glanced at PD Lee Young-chae, gauging her expression.
“Ah, you didn’t like it?”
Snrk.
Even then, PD Lee Young-chae wiped the sweat from her forehead, trying not to laugh.
“Of course not.”
Her short comment was this:
“Ha, this kid’s a real piece of work.”
Music show filming, the variety sense test, and even the team’s free practice time.
We only returned to the dorm after finishing a schedule packed full for one day.
Wailing sounds were coming from every direction.
Of course, I was groaning in a different way.
“Haa… seriously.”
That spot next to the bed had been bothering me for a while.
It was pitch dark and I couldn’t see anything. That kind of thing was always the scariest.
If I saw something scary, I seriously couldn’t sleep.
I was about to lose it, really.
“Ugh.”
“Seohan.”
“Yes?”
Just as I was getting uneasy, Ha Junseo spoke to me.
Maybe because he consumed too much caffeine every day, he was usually the last one among our team to fall asleep.
Peek—
Ha Junseo’s wide, sparkling eyes peeked down at me from the top bunk.
Everything was fine except for one thing.
“Hyung, that angle is a bit….”
“Hm? What about my angle?”
“It’s super scary.”
Swish swish.
His short bangs swayed above me, and every time they did—it was kinda scary!
Ha Junseo finally understood what I meant and burst into laughter.
“Oh right, Sehyun told me. You did the interview too, didn’t you?”
“…Yeah.”
“Honestly, who here got scared?”
At Ha Junseo’s words, Seo Haim silently raised his hand in the dark.
So he hadn’t been sleeping after all.
Seo Haim shifted around and added,
“I was so scared I burst into tears right there.”
“What about you, Seohan?”
“I was surprised, but….”
Compared to Seo Haim’s over-the-top reaction, mine wasn’t that dramatic, was it?
I think I tried to speak calmly.
Though I didn’t remember the details too well.
“I don’t think I was that surprised.”
“Hm…?”
Right as I finished speaking, I locked eyes with Jin Sehyun.
He looked at me with a rather skeptical expression.
“…If you say so.”
What was that reaction?
Jin Sehyun scratched his head briefly, then pulled the blanket over himself again.
While watching him, Ha Junseo suddenly clapped his hands as if he remembered something.
“Oh, right. That’s not the important part right now. Tomorrow’s the first broadcast, right?”
“…!”
“Gasp. You’re right?”
“Oh, wow.”
It was enough to grab everyone’s attention in the dorm.
Everyone had been so focused on practice that we’d known about it but hadn’t had time to properly acknowledge it.
First broadcast.
I had thought I should watch it, but now that it was upon us, I couldn’t help but feel nervous.
Ha Junseo’s words completely snapped me out of my sleepiness.
“Wonder how the first broadcast will turn out.”
“I didn’t say anything weird… right?”
It was obvious everyone had the same thoughts.
It was basically the day when our first impressions would be set.
What kind of character would be portrayed, how much screen time we’d get, and whether we’d survive the first ranking announcement.
Everyone was probably juggling these thoughts in their heads.
I couldn’t escape that cycle either.
I just hoped I was walking a better path than in my past life.
That was all I wished for.
“Let’s all watch the broadcast together tomorrow.”
Ha Junseo’s sudden suggestion blew all those thoughts away.
“Sounds good.”
“Me too!”
Even though our eyes wouldn’t close, time kept passing.