Devil’s Music

The day after arriving at Manjaedo.

Up until late at night, Chunho sang songs and drank beer, finding himself hungover until the morning. Haejin, determined to catch the three kings of Manjaedo, set out early morning with the coastal village head for fishing. Seungwon, along with Geon, wandered along the beach collecting seaweed and horsetail scattered along the shore.

Seungwon chuckled cheerfully as he picked up various pieces of seaweed and horsetail strewn across the beach.

"Wow, there's so much food just lying around here. Hey, Geon, pick that up."

Excitedly gathering various horsetail and seaweed, envisioning a hearty broth with tangy horsetail salad and seaweed, Seungwon held a handful and shook them. His action resembled someone teasingly shaking another person's head, which amused Geon, and witnessing this, Yeongseok chuckled, thinking of adding it in the edited subtitles.

"That guy in black grabbed someone's hair. Started shaking it and laughing. Spooky."

Geon, initially amused by Seungwon's antics, suddenly remembered something and asked, "By the way, senior. Can Haejin really catch the three kings?"

With a playful nod, Seungwon replied, "If he can't, we're doomed! With so much to eat around here, hoo~! And don't put too much pressure on him. Just catching even a tiny fish out in the vast sea is impressive. When Cham Bada-sea comes in making a fuss, that's a catch. If it quietly comes in, it means no catch. Let's pay attention and react, hehehe."

Geon nodded in agreement. "Still, it would be nice if he really caught them. I've never had a stone bream, even though I'm from the seaside. I've tried octopus and sea bream, but never stone bream."

Seungwon, brushing off the horsetail, remarked, "That's expensive~ Whenever I go to a raw fish restaurant, they only list sea bream, so I never dare order it. I've tried it a few times, and it's so delicious. Haven't tried that kind of fish? Plus, they're not the ones left in an aquarium for days; they were swimming in the sea until a few hours ago. How delicious do you think they'd be?"

As Seungwon spoke, Geon swallowed, his mouth watering. "But, I heard catching them is really tough. Isn't it hard to catch octopus or stone bream? They say it's difficult to catch octopus unless you use a trap or fish with a fishing rod."

Seungwon nodded. "Oh, that's why on our way here, you bought a bit of pork belly, right? To use it as octopus bait. Yesterday, you went with Cham Bada-sea and threw the trap, right?"

Geon, unaware, looked at Seungwon, who shrugged. "Then did we buy pork belly to eat? He's sometimes stubborn, sometimes a big goofball. Hey, look over there."

As Geon looked in the direction Seungwon pointed, all he saw was the backside of a hill on the island, leaving him puzzled. Seungwon shook his head and redirected Geon's attention.

"No, not that far. Look, follow my finger."

As Geon followed Seungwon's finger from his hand in a straight line, it landed on the group of staff below the hill, filming. Among them, Yeongseok was caught by the camera. Seeing Seungwon mimicking head-shaking with laughter, Geon turned to Seungwon again.

"PD-nim? Yeongseok PD?"

Seungwon, adopting a serious expression and tone often seen on a film set, said, "You... know this phrase? I saw a demon."

Confused by what Seungwon meant, Geon chuckled, prompting Seungwon to explain further. "That demon Kim Yeongseok won't just let us be here on Manjaedo. When Cham Bada-sea mentioned needing pork belly for catching octopus during the pre-shoot meeting, Yeongseok held back. If not, that devilish PD would've waited for us to bring it out with our money and snatched it for himself to eat."

Geon, initially bewildered, burst into laughter at Seungwon's words. "What? Ahahaha~ Hahaha!!"

As everyone laughed and the camera focused on Yeongseok, who awkwardly laughed, Seungwon, with a wry smile, continued, "You see, contracts were signed, right? We shouldn't have let it go."

Hearing Seungwon, who was now stomping on the ground with horsetail, Geon burst into laughter again. Seungwon's exaggerated actions brought joy to the set once more. After clearing the horsetail, Seungwon continued, his appetite returning.

"Let's... Let's go... I mean, you also stamped on the contract, right? Let's just eat this... I'll make delicious horsetail salad."

Geon chuckled and picked up a bunch of horsetail, following Seungwon.

Upon returning home, they found Chunho sitting at the table, towel around his shoulders, perhaps after washing his hair. Seungwon greeted Chunho cheerfully with the horsetail. Chunho, evidently fond of horsetail salad, brightened up and swiftly started preparing side dishes.

Geon, following Seungwon's instruction to bring eggs, startled the chickens in the coop, resulting in a chaotic flapping and a comical moment for everyone.

When handing the finally retrieved eggs to Seungwon, Geon, embarrassed by the chicken feathers stuck to his head, made Seungwon laugh as he rolled around on the ground. Geon blushed in embarrassment, and this scene was captured by the camera.

After lunch, they split wood with Haejin, and Seungwon taught Chunho to play the guitar, spending yet another peaceful day.

As evening approached, Haejin hesitated, watching Seungwon.

"Um... Can I... drag you out for night fishing? I promised to go with the village head."

Seungwon shook his head at Haejin's proposal. "Why would you want to go out at this hour? Let's just harvest some potatoes and radishes from the garden and make miso stew. It's tiring; let's go tomorrow."

Ignoring his plea, Haejin packed fishing gear onto his bike. "No, a fisherman loses his dignity if he can't earn. I used to be a big guy, you know? Wait for me; I'll catch one properly."

Seungwon couldn't dissuade him. "Fine, take Geon with you and have a look with the trap, and if you catch something, send Geon back. We need something for dinner."

When they stepped out, it was already dark. Despite checking the trap with Haejin and finding no catch, Geon lingered by Haejin's side while he fished at night. Eventually, only Geon returned home, accompanied by the VJ, leaving Haejin to fish alone in the dark.

Upon returning to the blue-roofed house, Seungwon, Chunho, and Yeongseok were seated, discussing something with a new guest.

Geon, slipping into the conversation, realized they were discussing a new guest's appearance.

Looking between Seungwon and Haejin, Yeongseok spoke, "I informed Seungwon and Haejin beforehand, but is this the first time Geon is hearing about it?"

Geon, puzzled, shook his head. Yeongseok smiled, "Recently, there's been a lot of interest in buying Korean programs from China. Our program received a sponsorship offer in advance for production to be sold in China."

Nodding, Seungwon added, "Yeah, so what's the big deal? Are they asking for a Chinese actor, singer?"

With a subtle grin, Yeongseok replied, "It's an ordinary person. A lively teenager, at that."

Three weeks ago

International Arts University of Beijing, China

The International Arts University in Beijing, owned by the Beijing Cultural Department, stood as a prominent secondary specialized arts school, distinguished as the first in Beijing to foster international exchanges in the arts. With six majors including dance, fine arts, acting, specialized secretarial studies, martial arts, and circus, the school emphasized specialized education over general knowledge courses, garnering acclaim even from overseas. Teaching middle and high school students, the school's aim naturally gravitated toward enrolling graduates in leading global art universities. Since 1995, it boasted over 23 gold medals in domestic and international artistic competitions, earning a prestigious reputation within China.

Today, sixteen-year-old Tsuh Mei was diligently carrying her newspaper-wrapped paintings to school, diligently navigating the weight of her larger-than-life artworks. Tasked with submitting them by this morning, she appeared an adorable sight, shuffling forward, alternating between glancing ahead and lowering the paintings to ensure her path, unable to see clearly due to their size.

Seeking a moment's respite from the burden, Tsuh Mei spotted a notice board a dozen meters ahead. Struggling, she made her way, propping her paintings against it, then wiped the sweat from her forehead.

"Ugh, this is exhausting. Did I choose art for nothing? This feels more like labor than artistry. Where's the beauty in this?" she lamented.

Tsuh Mei, a prodigy who had won several art competitions since childhood, though not sweeping every contest, had secured admission to the International Arts University through consistently achieving gold or higher in many competitions. While she had enjoyed a brief respite during the break, she now found herself dedicating late-night hours to rigorous drawing practice, tackling the high-level courses once more.

Taking a seat on the sidewalk in front of the notice board, Tsuh Mei gazed at the sky, lost in thought.

"I wonder what Geon Oppa is up to. Since the event in China, he hasn't appeared on Chinese broadcasts, not even on Korean shows... I miss him so much," she sighed.

Running her right hand through her hair, she reminisced, "Even though I pricked myself with seven needles, it was worth it just to hold Geon Oppa's hand."

That was Tsuh Mei, the girl whom Geon had rescued at the Seowoo Airport during the event in China.

Standing up from the sidewalk, Tsuh Mei, fanning herself with her hand, scanned the various announcements pinned to the board.

"Why are there always notices for modern dance competitions? How many competitions are there in China anyway? There are plenty for fine arts, but even more for dance."

Pointing with her finger, she read the notices one by one aloud, "Mr. Wang Chen's class is canceled today? Lucky kids in martial arts, hmph. Our classes never get canceled. I want to have fun too... hmph. Oh? A K-pop listening club is formed? Should I join?"

Walking beside the notice board, she continued reading the next notice.

"Huh? What's this? Korean broadcasting? Seeking participants for a show?"

Greetings from the Administrative Office of the International Arts University.

We are recruiting participants for the Korean show "Three Meals a Day," which will be aired in China starting next month. To localize popular Korean content for the Chinese audience, this show will feature ordinary Chinese citizens and will be broadcast on CCTV. Interested individuals are requested to submit their applications to the administrative office by September 31st.

A reality entertainment show set in a Korean rural village striving for self-sufficiency

Cha Seungwon (Actor), Yoo Haejin (Actor), Ham Chunho (Musician), Kim Geon (Singer)

Tsuh Mei pressed the part where Kim Geon's name was written and exclaimed, "Aack! It's Geon Oppa! He's on the show!"

Mid-excitement, her phone rang from her pocket. Tsuh Mei answered it, bouncing around in excitement.

"Yeah, Chai! Oh, I just saw it too! Aaah, Geon Oppa's going to be on a show! Did you call to tell me that?"

Tsuh Mei, slowing down from her lively manner, asked with a slightly serious tone, "But wait, are you applying too? What? Why! You didn't even go to the event back then! What's this, becoming a fan now? Where's the consistency in that!"

Clutching her fist and kicking her thigh, Tsuh Mei expressed, "What? Already three hundred applicants? They're only selecting one?"

Hearing Chai's words, Tsuh Mei wore a worried expression, "The competition is too tough! It's really hard to even apply... What should I do, hmph."

Tsuh Mei returned to the sidewalk, crossing her legs and pondering.

"But why would a Korean show feature Chinese participants? They aren't celebrities, just regular folks?"

Listening to Chai's explanation, Tsuh Mei remarked, "Ah, because it will air in China later? Having Chinese participants will make it more relatable? I see. But why regular people?"

"Yeah, yeah. To bring freshness? Well, there are indeed entertainment shows featuring regular people for a brief moment. But this notice doesn't mention the filming duration. Do you know how long it will take?"

"Yeah, two days? That's short. So, no classes will be canceled?"

"Oh, I see. Alright. I'll hang up. I'll quickly apply and come back! Classes? I don't know, just tell the teacher I urgently needed the restroom! Yeah, yeah! Thanks!"

Hastily hanging up the call, Tsuh Mei picked up her paintings and dashed towards the school's administrative office.

A while later, panting and sweating, Tsuh Mei entered the office, propped her paintings on a chair meant for waiting, and approached the staff.

"Um, I saw the notice about participating in a Korean entertainment show and I want to apply."

The staff member, sporting short hair and gold-rimmed glasses, glanced at Tsuh Mei and extended an application form. Tsuh Mei looked at the form and inquired, "Um, what are the selection criteria for this?"

Pushing up the glasses slightly, the staff member replied, "Hmm, I heard the teachers will decide based on the applicants' motivations."

Listening to the staff member, Tsuh Mei grabbed the form and, lying down on the chair, began writing fervently, pouring her heart out in every word she penned, striving to express herself at her best.