Volume 3 / Chapter 91

TL: LightNovelCafe

The Director of the broadcasting station’s number came up on the ringing phone’s caller ID. Producer Kim Ki Sik picked up the call confidently.

“Hello, Director.”

“Kim Ki Sik! You jerk. Why won’t you pick up my calls!”

“I just picked up.”

“What about Jun Hyuk? Where’s that brat right now?”

“I don’t know. I’m sure he’ll be in the waiting room or something.”

“Ha ha ha. You did well. I was so anxious the whole time I was watching.”

“How about me? I thought I was going to die.”

“You worked hard. You can’t leave once you’re done with work today. Let’s get everyone together for dinner.”

“You can’t pay it off with alcohol. Bring me a bonus.”

“Don’t be a brat. What are you going to do now? Is Jun Hyuk out?”

“There’s nothing we can do. We need to take him out of the running. If we save him now, it wouldn’t make sense. We’ll be advertising that this isn’t an audition program.”

“Good. Just make sure you get a good interview today. At least get him to say why he cried.”

“Okay.”

“Keep working hard. Ha ha.”

The youngest member of the production team came running as the Director’s laughter rang over the phone with his certainty that they would have high viewer ratings.

“Producer Kim! Jun Hyuk… Jun Hyuk disappeared.”

“What?”

“He’s not in the waiting room or the bathroom.”

“I’m going to go crazy. Hurry up and find him!”

How long would these unexpected situations last? He had never been part of such a rollercoaster ride in all of the live shows he had done until now. Producer Kim Ki Sik only hoped that they could get past today safely.

***

Kim Jong Suk was lying down on the sofa in the recording studio watching TV, but got up as soon as Jun Hyuk’s song stopped. He could tell from the timbre as soon as Jun Hyuk started singing that he was not following his biological mother’s image, but her sight.

***

Yoon Kwang Hun was watching the broadcast on the large TV in the cafe and could not stay still when Jun Hyuk disappeared behind the stage. He wanted to run to the broadcasting station, but it would be over once he arrived. He could not figure out what to do and paced inside.

After hesitating for 10 minutes, he put on his jacket to leave the cafe when his phone rang loudly. An unknown phone number. He picked it up thinking that it would be an employee at the broadcasting station.

“Hello?”

Sir?

“Jun Hyuk. You… What about the broadcast? Where are you? Why is there so much noise? Whose phone number is this”

Oh, this is the taxi driver’s phone. I’m on my way to the cafe right now.

“What? Taxi? Hey! What about the broadcast?”

Oh, I don’t know. Really. The broadcast or whatever.

“Anyway, you’re saying you’re on your way to the cafe? You’re sure?”

Yes. And sir, please come to the cafe if you’re at home. I don’t have any money on me. The taxi will come out to a lot…..

“Don’t worry. I’m watching the broadcast at the cafe right now. Don’t worry and hurry up and get here.”

Okay.

Yoon Kwang Hun ended the call and checked the phone number again. He thought that he would need to hurry up and tell the station this. A participant disappeared. Would they be able to rectify the situation? It is a great broadcast accident.

Then the phone rang again.

“Hello?”

Ah, Mr. Yoon. I’m the youngest writer at MV. Do you remember me?

“Oh, yes. I was just about to call.”

I have something to tell you…

“You’re calling because of Jun Hyuk? Don’t worry. I just spoke to him. He said he’s on the way here in a taxi.”

Excuse me? A taxi?

“I’m really sorry. I think he was so surprised after he made an accident on live broadcast.?

Sir, wait a second. Please don’t hang up the phone.

He could hear someone’s cursing, grumbling, and sighing through the phone.

Sir, can’t you convince Jun Hyuk to turn the taxi around now? All we have to do is wrap it up…..

Yoon Kwang Hun could only feel sorry at the youngest writer’s cautious voice. If the kid was someone who would go back, he would not have run away in the first place.

“I’m really sorry. I’m pretty sure it’ll be hard. It’s also uncertain whether he’ll even go back on stage if he does go back.”

Yes, I see. I’ll give you a call again.

Yoon Kwang Hun hung up the phone and turned the TV on again. He did not have to worry about Jun Hyuk because he was on his way home, but he wanted to see what would happen to the broadcast.

He was sure that the sweat on MC Yoon Kyung Min’s forehead was not from the heat of the lights. He started announcing the eliminations as he stuttered.

As soon as he announced Jun Hyuk’s name, they screened the scene where his song stopped. This came along with a request to excuse his absence as he is not in a state to appear on stage.

As soon as the broadcast ended, his phone rang and he heard the youngest writer’s weak voice.

Sir, it’s me, the youngest writer.

“I’m sorry. I’m sure you had a lot of issues with the broadcast.”

No, it’s okay since we somehow wrapped it up. Oh right, sir.

“Yes.”

We need to meet Jun Hyuk tomorrow, so please convince him for us.

“Tomorrow? Can I ask why?”

Since we finished the last like this today… we thought we would at least need to get an interview to air next week.

“Oh, I see. I’m sure he’ll be compliant too since he did cause a problem.”

Thank you. The cafe opens at 11? Can we go looking for you before you open?

“Sure, is 9:00 okay?”

Yes. Then we will see you tomorrow.

30 minutes after he got off the phone, he could see the bright light of a car outside the cafe.

Yoon Kwang Hun paid the taxi fare and took a Jun Hyuk who could not look him in the eyes inside.

“What happened to you?”

Jun Hyuk had not been able to lift his head because he thought that he would be scolded, but looked up at Yoon Kwang Hun’s gentle voice.

“I just came. I was going to be eliminated anyway and there was no reason to stay.”

“Even so. You need to finish up the broadcast before you come.”

“Oh, I don’t know. You said it too. You told me to just quit and come back if I didn’t want to do it anymore. I guess that’s why I came.”

“Kid, did that mean you should quit and leave in the middle of a live broadcast? You should have finished up the live broadcast.”

“I can’t do it anymore. I’m embarrassed.”

“What? Embarrased? What’s embarrassing?”

“You know. I almost cried in front of the entire nation. I made myself a joke.”

“What? Are you saying you came here because you were embarrassed? You’re driving me crazy. Geez. He he.”

“Stop it. I think I’m going to go crazy. What kind of embarrassment is this… whew.”

“Did you really almost cry?”

“Ah… I’m telling you it’s real. I would’ve cried if I sat there for another second.”

Yoon Kwang Hun also had the thought that it might have been better if he had just cried his heart out. Crying is a way to shake one’s feelings.

“Alright. Well whatever happened, you worked hard.”

Yoon Kwang Hun poured two glasses of sparkling wine in the kitchen and handed one over to Jun Hyuk.

“Drink it and calm down a little.”

“Isn’t this alcohol?”

“I’m giving it to you to congratulate you on finishing the broadcast. You worked hard.”

Yoon Kwang Hun pat Jun Hyuk’s back and clinked his glass.

“I’ve never drank before.”

“This kid. You think I don’t know? I know you take beers and wine from the fridge. I just pretended I didn’t know. I drank when people weren’t looking at your age too. You’re acting like it’s something new.”

Yoon Kwang Hun saw Jun Hyuk laugh and drank his refreshing wine. Whatever had happened, Jun Hyuk had experienced a lot in a short period of time and had taken a step into society.