Chapter 53….
The Result Brought by Variety (1)
Weekend.
“Ah! I need to watch Idol-I! Mom, can’t you just watch the replay later? Today’s the only time I have!”
While crunching into an apple and staring at the screen, Yang Young-ja only half-listened to her high school daughter throwing a fit with her whole body.
“Watch it on your phone.”
“The screen’s too small!”
“Watch Shorts.”
“Other moms say not to watch Shorts, but why are you like this!”
At her daughter’s rebellious cry, Yang Young-ja smirked and glanced back.
“What if I tell you not to watch it?”
“Huh?”
“That’s like asking a dog not to poop.”
“Ah! Mommm!”
“Quiet. Running Friends is on.”
“Ugh, seriously!”
In the end, her daughter gave up, grumbling as she bit into a slice of apple.
“Who even watches Running Friends these days.”
Of course, plenty still do.
Old variety shows have their own kind of value.
But her daughter only wanted to watch the idol variety shows newly launched on OTT platforms.
Then it happened.
“Huh? Isn’t that Eui-gi?”
Her eyes sparkled at once.
“It’s Woo Su-han!”
“That beggar guy.”
“Oooh!”
Recently, the drama Eui-gi had gotten her hooked.
Ha Ye-ji, the high school daughter, was one of the many who’d started watching because everyone kept talking about “the beggar.”
The earlier bickering forgotten, the two now giggled together as they watched Running Friends.
But then, both of them gradually fell silent.
“Huhhh?”
On screen, a person was transforming in real time.
Not only Yang Young-ja and her daughter, but even the writer and staff in the program looked dumbfounded.
“Is that even possible?”
The transformation ended, and a before-and-after comparison flashed on screen.
“Whoa…”
“What on earth is that…”
Their eyes were wide in shock.
“I mean, in dramas, sure… that’s just makeup, but…”
“Oh my gosh, look! He’s walking right by and they don’t notice.”
“What?!”
Even after Su-han had disguised himself, the Running Friends members didn’t recognize him—and even took selfies with him.
The climax was the showdown against the final powerhouse, Kim Jong-uk.
That day, portal sites suddenly had trending searches like “shedding skin” and “discarding a golden shell.”
And to top it off, Su-han’s six-pack was briefly revealed.
The Running Friends Eui-gi special reignited the fading popularity of Eui-gi.
Manager Park Yu-cheon was suddenly overwhelmed by calls blowing up his phone again.
Watching him, Kim Dae-sung clicked his tongue in disbelief.
“Why are people chasing after a supporting role more than the lead?”
“Yes, this is about Actor Woo. His schedule is packed… You already checked? No, no, it’s not like that—it’s just that he’s preparing for the next project. Yes, yes.”
Finally hanging up after sweating bullets, Park sighed in relief.
“Seems like Running Friends really hit big.”
“Well, that scene went viral. Ah, but now what.”
“What do you mean?”
“Video Star airs today. Calls are going to flood in again. Let’s see, Su-han’s schedule is…”
“Hey, Yu-cheon. Manager Park?”
“It’s tight already…”
“You know, I was on Video Star too.”
“Should I cut this one…”
“Hey. I was on Video Star too! Don’t make me sulk.”
When Dae-sung scowled and spoke curtly, Park slowly turned to look at him.
“What’s with your lips? Why are they crooked?”
A mocking laugh.
“All you did on Video Star was clap like a seal whenever Su-han talked.”
“……”
“Try learning something for once. And what was with that impression of Lee Ju-il?”
“What? It was spot on…”
“In this era? Kids today probably only know him from history books.”
“……”
Hit hard by Park’s blunt words, Dae-sung hung his head.
Indeed, Lee Ju-il was ancient history.
“Then what about Song Hae?”
“Come on, stop mocking the deceased. At least pick someone alive.”
With that, Park’s words struck another blow.
[Uuup!]
“…Are you crying?”
[Hiiing.]
Honestly, it was confusing whether this was a ghost or not.
Seeing it crying next to me, I even wondered if I should hand it a tissue.
This wasn’t a sad movie or drama.
It was Video Star.
—“No, the hospital wasn’t for anything else. When I’d just started middle school, we went on a family trip and got in a car accident. My mom, dad, and grandmother all protected me… and they all passed away. After that I ended up in the hospital. The… well, the mental shock was huge.”
—“Ugh!”
Wow, look at that skull CG. They plastered Park Gura with bones head to toe.
Looks like he’s getting shot by a machine gun.
Isn’t this basically team-killing?
[Uwaaaaah!]
“…Can you stop crying already?”
Honestly, shouldn’t she be crying about dying and becoming a ghost?
Why cry about my past while I’m still alive and well?
Man, these broadcasting people.
They even edited in Park Gura kneeling before me.
If they didn’t air that, maybe the backlash would’ve been worse.
From a third-party view, the question he asked me looked… whoa.
No wonder they slapped a sinner’s nameplate on his chest.
CG was really working overtime today.
[Eeeeeng.]
When will she stop crying?
Still, in this day and age, seeing someone cry over this shows she must be really sensitive.
“Waaah! What do I do!”
“What’s going on!”
Ha Dong-geun, the head of the household, rushed inside after a long day of work when he heard sobbing from the living room.
“Waaah!”
“Oh, poor thing!”
“……”
The outcome was anticlimactic.
Thankfully, though.
His wife and daughter were just crying in front of the TV.
When he glanced at the screen, he recognized the face.
Realizing who it was, Ha Dong-geun clicked his tongue.
“Honestly… the two of you bawling like that. I thought it was serious. Isn’t that the beggar from the drama—”
“Don’t say it!”
“…Huh.”
He froze at his daughter’s desperate scream, the first time he’d heard such a tone from her.
Her face, turned away, was a mess of tears and snot, streaming like a river.
“What, that beggar is—”
“You! I said don’t!”
“……”
Even his usually gentle wife, Yang Young-ja, raised her voice at him.
Neighbors often praised him for “living with an angel,” thanks to her.
But now she glared at him with tear-filled eyes, looking anything but angelic.
“…Oh.”
Shaken, Ha Dong-geun retreated to the bathroom.
Feeling wronged, he turned on the shower and shouted under the water:
“Damn it! What did I do wrong!”
Softly.
After a long shower, Ha Dong-geun peeked out.
The program had ended, and the mother and daughter had gone to their room.
“….”
He was angry.
What could’ve made them lash out at him like that?
So he quietly turned on the TV.
For a moment, he caught Video Star still on air.
He sat and watched, cold-eyed, perhaps with a hint of bitterness.
“Uuugh…”
Hearing someone retching, Ha Ye-ji opened her door and walked out.
It was her dad.
He was watching TV, shoulders shaking.
“…Dad?”
With bloodshot eyes, Ha Dong-geun was crying buckets, trying to stifle it by covering his mouth.
Seeing him, Ha Ye-ji burst into tears again and hugged him.
“Waaah! Dad, thank you for raising me!”
“Uwaah! I’m sorry! I’ll raise you even better!”
Hearing the commotion, Yang Young-ja came out and joined the embrace.
That day, the family realized once again how precious family truly is.
“Hello, who is this?”
—“This is the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family.”
“I don’t have a family, though?”
—“Ah, no, it’s just…”
“You must have the wrong number.”
A strange call.
They said they were from the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family.
Something about me being meaningful and wanting to do a public service campaign.
It sounded okay, but since I’d never heard of it, I hung up just in case.
“What was that?”
Gam Dong-i, who was home for once, asked.
“Oh, some ministry of gender and family? They were talking about some public service thing, so I hung up.”
“What?”
“Sounded weird. I don’t have a family, and I’ve never heard of them. Could’ve been voice phishing, right?”
“No way… You didn’t just hang up? You didn’t do anything weird, did you…?”
“Huh?”
Of course not.
I just threw in some Chinese words and hung up.
As if I’d let anyone scam me out of my hard-earned money.
“Sounds more like you’re the ghost here.”
“Hey! What’s family got to do with a government ministry?”
“You don’t think that’s related? And did they even ask for money? How can you not know the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family?”
“…Huh?”
I really thought it had nothing to do with me.
And seriously, how was I supposed to know?
It’s not like I memorized every government ministry.
Until recently, I was just a beggar who didn’t care about politics.
While I was stewing in confusion, another call came in.
—“Hey, Su-han. Did the Ministry call you?”
“That… that doesn’t mean like ‘leisure time,’ does it?”
I nervously tried to make a joke to Manager Park.
But he didn’t answer right away.
—“Wait. Is Gam Dong-i there with you?”
“Yes.”
“Put him on, please.”
I carefully handed the phone to Gam Dong-i and hit speaker.
“Hello?”
“Hey, it’s Manager Park. Did Su-han… do it?”
“Yes, he did.”
Do what??
“Was it bad?”
“Just ignorance, sir.”
“Think we can smooth it over?”
“If we explain he had no family, didn’t know the ministry existed, and thought it was a phishing scam, it should be fine. Just say that. Oh, and be sure to mention he only finished elementary school. Or is he not technically elementary-level if he passed the equivalency test?”
“…How do we phrase that… Never mind, I’ll handle it. Got it.”
“Yes, sir.”
“……”
Man… I could feel my mood souring through their conversation.
So what—do they know every single government office in Korea?
“Yeon-ju, honestly…”
[Sigh…]
Yeon-ju, not you too?!
Thanks to my misunderstanding, the little incident passed without a problem.
Turns out they wanted me because I’d reminded people of the importance of family.
Well… not wrong.
It’s true—you only realize the value of family once you’ve lost it like I did.
Though, you don’t have to be alone to know that.
Anyway, they wanted me for a public service ad.
“I’ll do it.”
—“Really? Hmm, are you sure?”
Manager Park sounded worried.
Maybe he thought I’d feel sad about my family.
But honestly, I didn’t mind.
“Come on. My memories of family aren’t all sad. There are good ones too. It’s for a good cause, so why not.”
—“Good. Smart choice. These kinds of things are good for your image too.”
“…What’s wrong with my image?”
—“……”
“Hello?”
This guy, seriously?
