LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 193
Chapter 193
It was early, but many Airies had come to attend the pre-recording.
I glanced at Gyun Ha-ram.
It was true that I was a bit concerned about him being alone in an unfamiliar place.
After all, he was Gyun Seong-ha’s younger brother.
‘A friend’s younger brother is my younger brother!’
Then, Gyun Ha-ram and I made eye contact.
“……”
He looked away first.
I also turned my head without giving it much more thought.
From before, I could sense that Gyun Ha-ram wanted to avoid getting closer to me or Lee Se-jun than necessary, beyond just simple shyness.
I could understand why.
And it wasn’t like I had the luxury to look after anyone else.
Changing into costumes prepared for each stage, retouching makeup, memorizing the script being handed over, and occasionally greeting the staff and other singers…
From dawn till now, I hadn’t had a moment to rest.
Finally, after finishing all the pre-recordings, I sprawled out in the waiting room, looking over the script, and my head started to ache.
“Up until now, I never thought much about the lines while watching music shows, but now that I have to do it myself, it’s really… exhausting.”
“Let me see.”
Gwak Sang-hyun glanced at the script and smirked.
As soon as another staff member beside him saw the script, she burst out laughing, and Gwak Sang-hyun couldn’t hold back his laughter either.
“Stop laughing and help me practice by being my counterpart.”
“Oh, I’m not good at this.”
“Just reading from the script is fine.”
I forcibly handed the script to Gwak Sang-hyun.
The female staff who laughed first had long since fled.
“If you give this to me, what will you use?”
“The part where I introduce the songs is still a bit confusing, but I’ve somewhat got the flow of the conversation parts, so I’ll just practice the beginning for now. It’s not like I can’t look at the script at all, the important thing is getting used to it…”
Gwak Sang-hyun looked at me with surprised eyes.
“I often forget because Yohan is around, but you’re really smart too.”
“Maybe because I’m around, the members often forget that they’re handsome these days.”
“You really shouldn’t be complaining about Yohan…”
“I don’t get why people keep saying I resemble him. We’re not alike at all, inside or out.”
[Really? Gwak Sang-hyun is dumbfounded. Gwak Sang-hyun’s favorability +0, current favorability +44]
Anyhow, with Gwak Sang-hyun’s help, I practiced the lines as if it were real.
“It’s more natural than I expected.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. If you practice a bit more and don’t get nervous during the live broadcast, no one will say you’re bad.”
Maybe it was thanks to the practice I had done alone in advance.
I had picked out the music show MCs that had good reviews online, analyzed their characteristics, and thought about what made them particularly good MCs, imitating their lines.
After wetting my throat, I took the script back from Gwak Sang-hyun and continued practicing until the live broadcast started.
* * *
After coming back from an outing, Geum Gyu-ri immediately snatched the remote from her family and flipped through channels to turn on MBS.
Fortunately, the show hadn’t started yet.
As Geum Gyu-ri hurried to wash her hands and change clothes, the live broadcast of Music Pang Pang began.
Her brother, who was playing games on the computer in the living room, looked at her strangely as she ran out with her hair tied up and sat in front of the TV.
Geum Gyu-ri ignored him and focused her gaze on On Raon, who matched outfits with the other MCs in a cool white tone.
‘He looks handsome today too.’
Just looking at On Raon’s lightly smiling face, pretending not to be nervous, made her feel refreshed despite the suddenly hot weather in May.
The new MCs started their lines.
[What do we have on Saturdays?]
[Pang Pang!]
[And enjoyment too.]
[Pang Pang!]
[Live broadcast of MBS Music Pang Pang!]
[Hello. I’m Se-jun, the new MC of Music Pang Pang starting today!]
[Ha-ram.]
[And Raon!]
As soon as the familiar yet new introductions ended, the cheers from the fans of Selection and Orca groups in the audience could be heard.
[Se-jun, since I first met Ha-ram, I’ve always wanted to look like a cool guy in front of him. Why do you think I feel this way?]
[Huh? No way.]
[What do you mean no way?]
[I mean, it’s just not allowed. Ha-ram should only see me as the cool one.]
[Both of you stop it. Today is our first day as Music Pang Pang MCs, we shouldn’t be fighting on such a good day.]
[I’m sorry.]
[I apologize too, Raon.]
[It’s okay, Se-jun.]
[Now that you two have made up, why don’t we all go to paradise, a land of bliss?]
[What? All of a sudden?]
[Actually, to commemorate our debut as the new MCs of Music Pang Pang, we’ve prepared a very special stage.]
[Really?]
[Then, let’s go to music~]
[Pang Pang!]
The first stage was On Raon and Gyun Ha-ram’s.
The Airies, who remembered that Gyun Ha-ram was Gyun Seong-ha’s younger brother, cheered for Gyun Ha-ram’s part just as much as for On Raon’s part.
The second stage was Gyun Ha-ram and Lee Se-jun’s.
Just like the first stage, they sang a common but thrilling love song.
Unlike the first stage, there was almost no response from Selection’s fans when Gyun Ha-ram came to the center.
The third stage followed, which was On Raon and Lee Se-jun’s.
The song was a cliché 90s dance track about two men fighting over a woman, but it was pleasant to listen to.
Since Lee Se-jun came from a major agency, his dancing was fundamentally decent. However, given that he usually focused more on vocals in his practice, it was inevitable that On Raon stood out more on a dance-centric stage.
The final stage for the three-person group was a refreshing concept suitable for the upcoming summer, with a song titled “Paradise.”
After the nearly 10-minute-long stage ended, the camera returned to the MCs.
[How did you like our hard-prepared stage?]
[Did you enjoy it?]
A united “Yes!” came from the audience, which was filled with fans of Orca and Selection.
After Lee Se-jun and On Raon took turns sharing their thoughts on becoming MCs, the focus shifted to Gyun Ha-ram.
[Ha-ram, this was your first time challenging yourself with both singing and dancing on stage. How was it?]
[Oh, actually, my older brother is an idol. He’s in Orca with Raon.]
[Oh, really?]
[Oh, no wonder. You dance so well that we could replace our member Seong-ha with you, Ha-ram. It must be in the genes.]
Watching the broadcast with his members from their dorm, Gyun Seong-ha felt a sudden surge of emotion, despite knowing it was scripted.
“Replace, my foot…!”
[Yes, so I’ve always been curious about what such a stage would be like, but experiencing it firsthand was harder, more exhausting, and more fun than I thought. I believe it was a valuable experience that will help me as a Music Pang Pang MC.]
[I can see how serious you are about being here, Ha-ram.]
[I’ll work really hard, so please continue to watch us fondly.]
[Now, let’s get started with our work in earnest!]
With the tension somewhat relieved, the three began introducing the main performers, voting methods, and the process for selecting the top candidate.
Initially, it was relatively smooth, but as time went on, increasingly cringe-worthy skits and lines appeared, making both the performers and the audience uncomfortable.
[Then, we’ll take our leave now.]
[See you next week.]
[Goodbye~]
As the broadcast was wrapping up, On Raon, who had just handed the first-place trophy to the girl group that won this week, went home exhausted in the late evening.
* * *
[Music Pang Pang’s New MCs Receive Positive Reviews After First Broadcast]
(photos)
(gifs)
(YouTube link)
The official Twittah of MuPang posted “SeHaRang” and I agree with this combination.
– The name “SeHaRang” is pretty.
– All three of them did well for their first time, each in their own unique way, making it fun to watch.
– Lee Se-jun was calm and shy like a classic MC, Ha-ram was great with expressions and diction like an actor, and Raon seemed like he was just working at an amusement park.
– Raon had zero shyness and is a natural fit for being a music show MC, it’s his calling.
– Our Raon seemed really excited to be an MC for the first time, but he actually toned down his energy a lot.
– I think mixing the three of them together would be really good.
– Oh my, On Raon is so handsome. Even if my main group isn’t active, I’ll tune into MuPang just to see how handsome he looks today.
┗ 2222
– On Raon in black hair and all-white outfit looks like an angel descended from heaven. Thank you, Music Pang Pang. If you keep dressing him like this, I’ll worship every day.
[Who is the most disadvantaged person? (10 points)]
(photo)
1. On Raon, who gave up CFs, variety shows, and web dramas to focus on group activities but got criticized for being an MC.
2. Gyun Ha-ram, who is bound to get criticized and targeted by both Airy and Excellent fans because of a troublesome writer.
3. Lee Se-jun, who has to be compared to On Raon weekly in similar outfits.
4. Gyun Seong-ha, who has to watch the capitalist business interactions between his team member and his sibling every week.
– The level of humor here shows the writer’s skill.
– The writer clearly isn’t a fan of On Raon, Gyun Ha-ram, or Lee Se-jun.
– Hilarious. Number 4, Gyun Seong-ha is at a major disadvantage.
– Why do I find this funny?
┗ You think that’s funny? Are you a psychopath?
– What do you mean by troublesome writer? Today’s script was fine.
┗ That writer plays with people like dolls to fulfill their own desires. It was less with the previous female MC because she wasn’t the writer’s pick, but now it’s obvious they’re indulging with the new female MC, an actress.
┗ I like Gyun Ha-ram, but I can see the script getting more ridiculous over time, so I hate it.
┗ I felt uneasy at the beginning too, given the writer’s history.
– The kids can handle themselves, but I hate thinking about the broadcaster making a fuss.
– It’s called “Excellence” for a reason. Orca might be okay because they have a member with family connections, but once Selection gets involved, it’s going to be a mess for Gyun Ha-ram.
┗ If the writer gives more focus to On Raon, it won’t matter about family; everyone will be pissed off.