LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 191
Chapter 191
“MC?”
Music Pang Pang was the MBS music show that aired on Saturdays.
From the way he was talking, it didn’t seem like a one-time special MC event, but rather a proposal for a permanent MC position.
Even though we hit it big with Ten to Ten this time.
Do I, as a mere rookie (except for my looks), have enough merit for this?
Kwak Sang-hyun laughed pleasantly as he spoke.
“It seems like the PDs think highly of you. Remember how PD Noh Kyoo-beom praised you guys a lot during the Aiye University event?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“And this time, PD Jung Yoo-jin from Ten to Ten and PD Noh Kyoo-beom are close friends, so your name came up positively again.”
I think he mentioned it once before, but Noh Kyoo-beom, the director of Idol Variety Battle, was also a PD for Music Pang Pang.
“Should I do it? I heard the shop fees are quite expensive…”
The appearance fee wasn’t that great, so honestly, the cost of hair and makeup to look good on camera barely covered it.
Having a fixed schedule on weekend afternoons would make it a bit more cumbersome to adjust the group’s schedule going forward.
Even though I asked if I should do it.
“Of course, you should.”
In response to my question, which already had an obvious answer, Kwak Sang-hyun nodded immediately.
“This proposal came directly to you. If you refuse, the good image and reputation you’ve built with the PDs will vanish. Besides, we have plenty of money. Your results this time were good too, and have you heard of the Present Pension?”
“I heard we spent all that money on the recent music video…”
It might not be true, or it shouldn’t be, but Kwak Sang-hyun’s face darkened slightly as if it wasn’t entirely wrong.
Whenever the company earned some money, they would reinvest it back into us.
It was a sign that they cared for us, which we were grateful for, but it was also a bit burdensome.
To exaggerate a bit, if we, who had received investments to the fullest, failed, the company might falter with us.
Unlike large agencies that could afford to experiment with concepts and not go bankrupt immediately, small to medium agencies had this problem.
Once they failed, recovery was nearly impossible.
“It’s true we’re tight on money… but it’s not to the point where you need to worry about shop fees. Don’t worry and take it. It’s a good opportunity.”
“I was joking. Of course, I’ll do it.”
Anyway, even during the rest period, I could appear on TV every week. Recently, they’ve been treating MCs well by uploading just the MC cuts on the music show’s YouTube channel, so that alone was worth it.
“Then, do you know who I’ll be working with?”
“I asked, but they said it’s still under negotiation. But I know one of them. Selection’s Se-jun.”
“Oh…”
“Do you know him?”
“No? How would I know him? I’ve never met him.”
“Then why did you go ‘Oh’ like you knew him!”
Kwak Sang-hyun slapped me playfully.
It didn’t hurt much.
He was too kind-hearted to hit hard.
“Then, will the other one be a female idol?”
“Not sure. Music Pang Pang prefers a combination of one female and two males… They usually include one actor and one idol. It’ll probably be a female actor around your age.”
Not even another idol, but an actor.
I wondered if I would feel awkward around a female actor I didn’t know, or if looking awkward would be better from Airies’ perspective. I told Kwak Sang-hyun that I understood.
* * *
A few days later, I heard that the final person to co-host with had been confirmed.
When I heard from Kwak Sang-hyun who the last person was, my eyes widened.
“Really?”
“Yes. She just finished a drama on that channel. The timing, age, and recognition are perfect.”
“That’s right.”
And she was supposed to visit our company today.
When the MCs changed in music shows like Music Pang Pang, it was customary for them to prepare a special stage together.
Usually, they performed one song, sometimes two, but Music Pang Pang was unique.
They had two members do a duet for about 2 minutes each, and then all three of them performed together at the end.
So, to summarize, each person had to do a total of three performances, including two duet stages and one group stage, making a total of four performances.
Preparing each one was a task.
The person coming to our company today was for that preparation.
Normally, everyone practiced their parts separately and then met to coordinate the final performance.
This time, however, there was a special reason to prepare together from the beginning.
That special reason was…
At that moment, Gyun Seong-ha pointed dramatically at the person entering the company.
“Why are you here?”
Despite the threatening question from Gyun Seong-ha, who had recently grown to 185 cm, the other person didn’t bat an eye.
“You don’t need to know.”
It made sense.
“Are you the one who’s going to MC with On Raon?”
The partner who would be co-hosting with me was Gyun Seong-ha’s younger sister by one year, Gyun Ha-ram.
“Is there a problem?”
Gyun Seong-ha seemed to have a lot to say, but he closed his mouth and turned his head, looking like he was holding back.
Gyun Ha-ram, whom I hadn’t seen in a while, had recently completed a drama shoot, and she looked more lively and healthier than when I last saw her at Gyun Seong-ha’s graduation.
“Hello, I’m On Raon. Do you remember meeting me once before?”
“Hello, I’m Gyun Ha-ram. Yes, I remember. I look forward to working with you.”
“I look forward to working with you too.”
Although we had lunch together after Gyun Seong-ha’s graduation, we hadn’t had any personal conversations, so it didn’t feel much different from a first meeting.
“What are you two doing right now?”
Gyun Seong-ha asked as if he had seen something he couldn’t bear to witness.
“Can’t you see? We’re greeting each other.”
“How did you graduate school with that head of yours?”
Gyun Ha-ram, who spoke after me, looked at me with a peculiar gaze.
[You feel a slight affection from Gyun Ha-ram for the way you treat her brother, as if there are two of him and one can be dispensed with. Gyun Ha-ram’s Affection +1, Current Affection +1]
I had a strong feeling that the one who could be dispensed with was not Gyun Yoo-seong, but Gyun Seong-ha…
“Aunt?”
Instead of bickering with Gyun Ha-ram, Gyun Seong-ha looked around and asked her as she took off the hat and mask she wore and handed them to her manager.
“She quit working here quite a while ago due to some personal issues.”
At Gyun Ha-ram’s calm response, Gyun Seong-ha mumbled, looking a bit dejected.
“Really? Aunt didn’t say anything to me…”
Later, I learned that when Gyun Seong-ha and Gyun Ha-ram were actively involved in the entertainment industry as kids, their single aunt, who wasn’t married, acted as their guardian and manager instead of their parents, who were teachers and had to work at school during the semester.
When Gyun Seong-ha stopped working, the aunt became solely dedicated to managing Gyun Ha-ram.
Listening to him, it seemed like their aunt was someone he relied on more than his parents when it came to entertainment activities.
“She changed her phone number, and she seems busy these days, so don’t bother contacting her. Got it?”
Even though Gyun Ha-ram’s warning made Gyun Seong-ha frown, he nodded.
* * *
At Gyun Seong-ha’s insistence that he couldn’t bear to watch and that we should speak casually as friends, Gyun Ha-ram and I, who had sorted out our ages, began to practice our duet song with Sae-bom Jung.
We chose a vocal-centric song to accommodate Gyun Ha-ram, who, as an actor, had never properly practiced dancing.
So, the choreography wasn’t particularly difficult, but there are people who can make even easy choreography look awkward, and those who can handle it well.
Gyun Ha-ram was definitely on the good side.
“You’re doing well, Ha-ram.”
“Thank you.”
Sae-bom Jung smiled, showing off his exceptionally white teeth, genuinely saying she had talent.
While Gyun Ha-ram didn’t have strong fundamentals, the way she moved her long limbs gave the impression she was dancing well, much like her brother, Gyun Seong-ha.
‘Is that what they call swag…’
“But those people…”
Gyun Ha-ram gestured with her eyes towards Kang Ji-woo and Ban Yo-han, who were watching us through the glass wall outside the practice room.
“Sorry… Those two lack basic manners…”
It was annoying to see those grown men sticking to the glass wall and grinning as they watched their younger siblings practice a sweet love song.
It would have been a hundred, no, a thousand times better if they had been like Gyun Seong-ha, who had sworn he would rather gouge out his eyes than watch us and had gone off to work out instead.
Fortunately, they were soon dragged away by Kwak Sang-hyun, who scolded them for their embarrassing behavior.
* * *
– [Exclusive] Pluto’s Jung Joon, Son Hee-seok, Yuriana Jia, to step down from Music Pang Pang MC after 1 year and 5 months… A regretful farewell
Shortly after the official news of the Music Pang Pang MCs stepping down was reported, news about the new MCs for Music Pang Pang came out.
– Gyun Ha-ram, Selection’s Se-jun, and Orca’s On Raon chosen as new MCs for MBS’s ‘Music Pang Pang’… Will they show special chemistry following Jung Joon, Jia, and Son Hee-seok? (Official)
– Our On Raon is the new MC for Music Pang Pang
– Congratulations Se-jun on becoming the new MC for Music Pang Pang!!!
– Wow, Raon and Gyun Ha-ram together? I love them both so much!!
Some Airies were unhappy that only On Raon seemed to be favored within Orca.
– It’s great that the youngest got the MC role, but I feel like only one member in the group is being pushed forward…
– It’s fine to have a favored member, but I hope other members also get opportunities.
– It would have been nice to see sibling chemistry if they had cast Seong-ha with Gyun Ha-ram, too… Too bad.