Chapter 37: Star Mission: Grand Operation (1)

“Yes, so this time-“

“Hmm, I think that might be a little difficult to accept.”

I was currently at the famous broadcasting station that aired ‘Star Mission: Grand Operation’, signing an appearance contract.

And here, I was witnessing firsthand exactly why Eun Gayoung would later be called the ‘Queen of Two Faces’.

“Those terms are unfavourable to our player. How about we revise them like this?”

“Yes, well, that’s a bit…”

“With the recent Olympic victory, public interest in player Jeong Tae-woo is growing by the day, and he’s gaining even more attention due to the news about offers from European teams.”

Even the broadcasting station officials seemed intimidated by her charisma.

“The very fact that player Jeong Tae-woo’s first variety show appearance is on

‘Star Mission: Grand Operation’ will be a huge topic of conversation.

Considering that, this is by no means a small amount.”

“I’ll discuss it with my superiors and get back to you.”

The official, sweating profusely, hastily exited the room.

I watched him go, completely stunned.

‘She’s terrifying, isn’t she?’

Eun Gayoung had a face that anyone would call beautiful, but her cat-like features gave her a sharp impression.

Seeing her corner her opponent with that sharp gaze and tone of voice, which was a complete contrast to her pretty face, was genuinely frightening.

“Uh… but I think these conditions are pretty good.”

In truth, the amount the station offered didn’t seem small to me at all.

“Absolutely not. Player Jeong Tae-woo’s current value is not some paltry sum like this. Besides, I’m taking it easy on them. This is because we’re the ones who really want to appear on the show.”

‘What? That’s you taking it easy?’

If that was her taking it easy, how terrifying would she be if she went all out?

At that moment, I made another firm resolution.

I must never, ever make this woman angry.

After that, we finalized the contract with the returned broadcasting official in a very good atmosphere and were on our way back to the car.

“Player Jeong Tae-woo?”

“Yes?”

“You always call me ‘Agent-nim,’ but you can speak to me more comfortably.”

‘Huh? She’s saying this already?’

Eun Gayoung was always the type to keep a distance from her players.

She always used formal language with Yoo Hee-sung, and while she did everything for her players, she never let down the wall around her heart.

Of course, in the novel, being the heroine, that wall crumbled quickly, and they even had romantic scenes.

But that was a kind of ‘lucky pervert’ moment that happened because of the protagonist’s plot armour.

I never imagined she would tell me to speak comfortably right after signing the contract.

I had read about Eun Gayoung’s family situation in the novel, so I fully understood why she didn’t give her affection to people.

Although the exact reason was never revealed.

‘She wasn’t loved at home and was neglected, and even after she succeeded, she was never acknowledged. That’s when Yoo Hee-sung appeared…’

Well, what’s good is good. I figured getting closer to the competent her would be beneficial for me too.

“Then… what should I call you?”

“Hmm, I’m six years older, so how about ‘noona’?”

(TL NOTE: ‘Noona’ is what a Korean male calls an older female friend or sister.)

Eun Gayoung said with a smile.

For a moment, I was lost in her face before I quickly snapped out of it.

‘Argh, get a grip, Jeong Tae-woo! You have a girlfriend named Da-min who’s prettier than anyone!’

Even for me, who had the prettiest girlfriend in the world, Eun Gayoung’s beauty was powerful.

“Yes, I understand… Eun Gayoung noona.”

“Hahaha, what’s with ‘Eun Gayoung noona’? Just call me Gayoung noona. I’ll call you Tae-woo, too. Is that okay?”

“Yes, Gayoung noona.”

On the way back after dropping Jeong Tae-woo home, Eun Gayoung’s mind was a mess.

“Why did I do that?”

It was uncharacteristic of her.

Initially, she had planned to keep her distance from the players and faithfully perform only her role as an agent.

It was all for her own success, and she had no intention of getting close to the players.

But with player Jeong Tae-woo… no, with Tae-woo, a part of her heart felt at ease.

His innocence, passion, and polite attitude had struck a chord somewhere deep inside her.

She was in a state of contradictory emotions, wanting human affection more than anyone else while simultaneously rejecting it fiercely.

The defense mechanism formed from the lack of love and attention since childhood was at work.

“I shouldn’t be like this… What if I get betrayed…”

Eun Gayoung was afraid of this warm feeling she felt towards Jeong Tae-woo.

She worried that the cold wall she had built up over the years would crumble, but at the same time, she yearned for the warmth beyond that wall.

“Was I just that envious of seeing a family getting along so well?”

Returning home, Eun Gayoung leaned back on the sofa.

Wanting to sort out her complicated feelings, she picked up her phone and opened an internet search engine.

After a moment’s hesitation, she typed, ‘I suddenly felt comfortable around a man’.

And the top answer to the first post was:

-lol isn’t it just because the guy is handsome?

Eun Gayoung stared at the screen for a moment, then let out a small chuckle.

“That’s ridiculous…”

She muttered and put down her phone.

‘Tae-woo is…’

Whoosh.

‘He is handsome, though…’

“Aargh, you’re crazy! Eun Gayoung, he’s six years younger than you, like a little brother!”

***

Yoo Jae-seung, the MC of ‘Star Mission: Grand Operation’, was the type to meticulously check even the smallest details about his guests before a broadcast.

‘Star Mission: Grand Operation’ was such a famous program that it featured people from various fields, including popular celebrities, athletes, and politicians.

However, Yoo Jae-seung knew from experience that many of these famous guests often became arrogant and developed poor personalities due to their sudden fame.

Therefore, he tried to understand his guests’ recent activities, personalities, and on-air attitudes in advance to ensure a smooth and pleasant broadcast.

This allowed him to prepare appropriate conversation topics for each guest and be ready for any unexpected situations.

Yoo Jae-seung’s meticulous preparation played a crucial role in ‘Star Mission: Grand Operation’ remaining a popular program for a long time.

But this time, the guest was an exception.

“PD-nim, is player Jeong Tae-woo really coming?”

Yoo Jae-seung asked, as if he couldn’t believe it.

“I had a hard time getting him here.”

“What was his personality like when you met him, player Jeong Tae-woo?”

“He came with his agent at the time and didn’t say much, so I don’t really know his personality. But there’s one thing I’m sure of.”

“What is it?”

The PD replied with a slight smile.

“He’s really handsome.”

‘He must be really, really handsome.’

The PD had seen countless handsome and beautiful celebrities who frequented the broadcasting station.

For him to say ‘really handsome’ must mean he had truly exceptional looks.

‘He’s the most famous player right now, and if he’s handsome too, I think we can get a great show out of this…’

While feeling a sense of anticipation, he also had one worry.

‘I just hope his personality is decent.’

Yoo Jae-seung couldn’t help but be a man.

He loved football and was a fan of Jeong Tae-woo, who had made a tremendous contribution to their Olympic victory.

So, he earnestly hoped that the player he admired also had a good personality.

***

“I’m nervous.”

Finally, the long-awaited broadcast of ‘Star Mission: Grand Operation’, or ‘SeuMiDae’ for short, had begun.

The thought that my mom and Da-min were watching the video made me even more nervous.

‘Da-min was so cute.’

I remembered the call I had with Da-min before the show.

“Babe, I’m going on ‘Star Mission: Grand Operation’ tomorrow.”

-I’m jealous. You’re debuting on TV before me.

“You have to watch, babe. Cheer for me a lot.”

-Okay, do well. Don’t be nervous!

“Babe… aren’t you going to say you love me?”

-…I love you. Tae-woo.

“I love you too, Da-min.”

Lost in thought, I finally heard my name being called.

“Player Jeong Tae-woo, it’s almost your turn to enter.”

“Ah, yes.”

As I got closer to the set, the nation’s MC and my mom’s favorite celebrity, Yoo Jae-seung, was delivering his opening lines.

“Fencing is tak-tak-tak, basketball is poom-poom-poom, and football is goal-goal-goal!

Everyone, have our country’s Olympic results ever been this good? That’s why we’ve invited them, the heroes of the Olympics!”

As Yoo Jae-seung spoke, the fencer standing in front went out first.

Then the basketball player followed, and finally, it was my turn.

“I’m personally a huge fan of this player.”

Excitement laced Yoo Jae-seung’s voice.

“The guardian god of the Olympic football team, the goal-scoring goalkeeper, player Jeong Tae-woo!”

I felt my heart pound as I walked onto the stage.

“Wow~”

“Wow, he’s really handsome.”

“My, my, it’s just as expected from player Jeong Tae-woo.

The moment he appeared, the female PDs and our Ji-hee are completely mesmerized.”

“Ah, oppa, what are you talking about.”

Ji-hee retorted shyly.

As expected of a variety show, they eased the guests’ tension with playful banter.

“Ji-hee, player Jeong Tae-woo is a high school student, so this is a crime. Control yourself~”

“Aargh, seriously!”

At Yoo Jae-seung’s playful words, the other members immediately jumped in.

“Wooooo, it’s a crime, a crime!”

Lee Gwan-soo, known as the betrayer of ‘SeuMiDae’.

“Wow, he really is handsome. A spitting image of me when I was young.”

Jin Seok-jin, the eldest brother of ‘SeuMiDae’, and others.

The various cast members created a cheerful atmosphere filled with laughter.

I was nervous, but at the same time, I felt myself gradually relaxing in this pleasant atmosphere.

“Now, we will give you the mission.”

The floor director stepped forward and began to explain the mission.

“This mission has been prepared as an Olympic special to match our Olympic athletes.”

“An Olympic mission? Is it something like sports?”

“You haven’t brought something strange again, have you?”

The cast’s anxiety was justified.

The PDs of ‘SeuMiDae’ were notorious for being ruthless.

“The name of this mission is… Challenge the Impossible!”

At those words, a stir went through the entire studio.

“Uh oh, this is going to be a big problem.”

“Oh my, what kind of torture will we endure this time…”

‘An impossible challenge? What could it be?’

The floor director continued his explanation.

“From now on, you will challenge impossible missions in the order of fencing, basketball, and football.

If you fail two or more of the three, the mission is considered a failure.

And of course, a terrifying penalty awaits if you fail.”

“Hah, Jae-seung hyung, do something about the PDs. We’re all going to die at this rate.”

“Impossible? There’s no such word in my dictionary!”

“They don’t usually use the word ‘impossible’, so the fact that they did means we’re really going to suffer today.”

Yoo Jae-seung adjusted his glasses and said worriedly.

“Can we know what the penalty is in advance?”

“Oh man, my legs are already giving out.”

“Hey, what does it matter? It’s fun!”

The floor director continued to explain.

“The penalty will not be revealed in advance.

However, since these are missions you can’t possibly clear just by trying, there are special items.

We’ve prepared a mini-game for a chance to win them.”

“Right, there should at least be something like this.”

“We’ve invited such esteemed guests.”

“Alright! Then hurry up and tell us what the mini-game is. I’m going to win them all!”

“The first mini-game is eating bizarre foods.

There are 10 bizarre foods prepared. If you eat 5 of them as a team loyalty game, you pass.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the staff brought out the bizarre foods, and the faces of the cast members hardened one by one.

The prepared foods were truly, truly terrible.

A green, slime-like smoothie, fried insects, fermented cheese, and a line of other foods that looked nauseating just to look at.

“Hey, we have the athletes who lit up this year’s Olympics here, is this the right way to treat them?”

“We won’t be able to broadcast like this.”

“Then the cast members can just eat it all for them.”

At the PD’s words, the cast changed their tune as if nothing had happened.

“Ahem, well, it’s a game, so it has to be fair.”

“Of course, of course.”

Everyone played rock-paper-scissors, and the resulting order had me going first.

‘Ugh, I don’t want to eat it…’

“Player Jeong Tae-woo, please eat it.”

“Hyung, please.”

I asked in bewilderment.

“Um… I’m 17.”

Then Lee Gwan-soo replied in a playful voice.

“Oh? 17? That’s even better! Since you’re young, your digestion will be good, and your immune system will be strong. Go for it, our Tae-woo!”

“That’s right, an Olympic gold medalist can handle this much.”

‘Okay, I’ll just eat one.’

I steeled my resolve and looked over the bizarre foods.

Then, one dish caught my eye.

‘Huh? I think I can eat that one.’

Led by curiosity, I picked up the food, and the floor director began to explain.

“The food player Jeong Tae-woo has just picked up is a pineapple hamburger.

It’s a delicious food with a single lettuce leaf, one meat patty, and a whopping five slices of pineapple and pineapple jam in the hamburger.”

“Booo, how is that a delicious food!”

“If it’s so delicious, you guys try it.”

I liked pineapple, so I took a bite without hesitation and, surprised by the taste spreading in my mouth, I said.

“Hmm? This is actually delicious?”