The broadcast industry is always short on people.
That doesn’t mean there’s a lack of manpower. There are plenty of individuals leaving public broadcasting to create personal channels and one-person broadcasts, but surprisingly, there are still many who want to work in public broadcasting.
To be exact, it wasn’t other staff that were lacking. It was the cast. In other words, there weren’t enough fresh faces to showcase in the programs.
“Hmmm…”
The man held his hand to the bridge of his nose, deep in thought with a serious face.
His name was Su Hyuk. He was a PD working in the broadcast industry.
With an ambitious streak, he was currently riding high within the industry. Each program he took on was a hit, and there were even whispers that if a program passed through Su Hyuk’s hands, it couldn’t possibly fail.
Genius PD, nicknamed “God’s Hand” Su Hyuk. But why was he deep in thought with such a serious expression? He was replaying a conversation he had just moments ago.
“Su Hyuk, would you like to take on a program?”
“What kind of program?”
“It’s a dating program, a dating reality show. You know, the one that’s trending. Men and women come out and become couples.”
To be precise, it wasn’t exactly trending; it had started trending at some point and had now become something akin to a national dish. That’s how dating shows usually went. There was a dedicated fanbase that would ensure decent ratings as long as it aired.
However, the proposal seemed a bit abrupt to Su Hyuk. Out of the blue, they were asking him to take on a dating show.
“I can’t say much in detail… but if you handle this well, there’ll be good news.”
“….”
This was why Su Hyuk couldn’t refuse the director’s proposal. He wasn’t just someone preserving their position; he was a man with ambition, aiming higher.
Based on the director’s hints, it appeared evident that if this project was successfully completed, Su Hyuk’s standing in the industry would rise significantly. He might even leap from being an ordinary variety show PD to sitting in the CP’s chair.
This was why Su Hyuk had been wandering around the staff break room with a file for several hours.
“Hmm…”
He felt no particular pressure about taking on a dating program he hadn’t even planned. After all, he had always mainly dealt with variety shows.
In his view, a dating program wasn’t much different from other variety shows. Ultimately, all that mattered was providing enjoyment and sparking interest in viewers. These days, they say the dopamine levels are going through the roof!
It’s a matter of just making it happen. These days, they say dopamine just bursts out.
“Is there anyone good out there?”
Of course, to create such a broadcast, the selection of participants is the most important aspect. It’s the same for variety shows, but even more so for dating shows—the people themselves are the main focus, not the program.
It’s less about how the show progresses and more about who shows up.
But honestly, Su Hyuk didn’t have much to do. The program they were planning was practically half-made already.
The program’s name is already set: Solo Party. The goal is for hot singles to come out, appeal to each other, vote for popularity, and ultimately match couples. You could say it’s a tired concept that’s been recycled more times than kimchi stew.
But just because it’s a familiar taste doesn’t mean they can slack off. If the stew is under-seasoned, it’s bland, and if it’s over-seasoned, people will be shouting about it.
The key is to simmer it with just the right amount of know-how. That’s why Su Hyuk was so concerned with the ingredients—his participants.
“This is tough, really tough.”
Solo Party targets ordinary people. That means he couldn’t utilize the network he built from filming numerous shows. Most of those connections are known figures.
That’s why Su Hyuk was struggling to recruit participants.
They would gather hot men and women from the general public in one space for a week of shooting to extract footage. There’s a script provided, so it’s not genuinely reality, but it’s almost like it.
The script merely outlines how situations unfold without dictating exactly what actions the participants should take.
Surprisingly, couples sometimes find love through such shows and even end up getting married. However, most just date briefly before breaking up, or their main goal is to gain fame rather than find romance.
The list of participants Su Hyuk was holding was similar. Out of 12 participants, 10 had confirmed their participation. These folks were also looking to boost their own profiles as aspiring influencers.
“Getting paid, gaining recognition, and if lucky, becoming quasi-celebrities that land ads? I want to be part of that too!”
As Su Hyuk said this, he smacked his lips. Though it wasn’t a program you could just join because you wanted to.
It wasn’t a pro that could just come out.
Despite being average people, the cast members were stunning and had impressive specs. It seemed unbelievable for real average viewers. They were supposed to be just like regular people, but anyone could see they were anything but.
Speaking of a party, everyone in the lineup was quite unusual. They were all Alpha Males and Females just disguised as ordinary people. The remaining two had to be extraordinary enough to match celebrities if they were to be chosen.
“I need a catfish…”
Especially because the last two would play roles that would burst onto the scene during the program, they needed to have a different charm from the other cast members.
They were the catfish. Just like when a catfish is thrown into a pond of loaches, the loaches would have to eat more and swim harder to avoid being eaten, the newcomers entering mid-show would stir up competition and anxiety among the existing cast, making the show even more entertaining.
“A catfish is a presence that can change the atmosphere in an instant once they step in.”
So, it would be perfect to have someone with a strong presence who could flip the vibe just by appearing.
At that moment, as Su Hyuk continued to think about catfish, a face flashed through his mind.
Someone who met the qualifications of being ordinary yet exuded an aura rivaling that of a celebrity and could overwhelm everyone just by appearing.
A woman with white hair and blue eyes popped into Su Hyuk’s head.
“…That’s perfect, isn’t it?”
With the image of someone who satisfied all conditions, Su Hyuk quickly made the call.
*
Lick, lick—
Waking up to a slurping sound, I opened my eyes to see Mila, who had gotten up before me, eagerly licking my face with her wet tongue.
“…I’m all soaked, Mila.”
Gross.
I hurriedly sat up as Mila gazed at me, urging me to get a move on. I wiped my damp face with the hem of my clothes.
At the same time, gentle morning sunlight filtered through the window, warmly illuminating me.
Lately, my mornings had started like this. Mila woke up early and I got up to match her.
I used to wake up first, but since I had been going for walks every morning, Mila’s biological clock had adjusted to early mornings as well. Now she had turned into the one waking me up. Thanks to her, my already early rising time had advanced by at least thirty minutes.
I was put in a position. Thanks to this little guy, my already early wake-up time got advanced by at least 30 minutes.
“Why are you waking up so early, huh?”
As I shot a sideways glance filled with a bit of resentment, this guy tilted his head as if he had no clue. It felt like he understood but was pretending not to. How crafty of him to play dumb when it’s not in his favor!
“Is being cute all that matters?”
Well—
Mila answered cheerfully, as if it were a casual conversation. Soon, she snuggled into my arms, rubbing her body against me. Fine, I guess I’ll let it slide since she’s cute.
Waking me from my deep slumber was a pretty annoying thing to do, but Mila had earned her keep lately by doing her job quite well.
The cost of adopting her wasn’t insignificant. The future expenses for vet visits and food would add up too.
So, about a week ago, I decided to feature Mila on a broadcast to help cover her food costs. Since then, I had been airing her every day.
The money from broadcasting the dog was decent, but there was one more benefit from using Mila.
I could run a “free-for-all” broadcast. Thanks to her high intelligence—or maybe this is a stretch—I could almost get away with a proxy broadcast through her.
By showcasing Mila upfront to soothe the viewers’ grumpy moods, and when content was sparse, she could do a little performance. When it was awkward to show my face because I hadn’t washed, I could just show Mila on camera.
That one little dog was paying off big time. Of course, I couldn’t keep this up for long. The viewers were starting to drop hints, suggesting I should take it easy with using Mila as a shield.
“Hmmm…”
I stretched as I got up. Now that I think about it, I really should come up with some content. What should my next broadcast be? Solo rank in the Abyss? Comprehensive gaming? Collaborations? Outdoor streams?
While I was mulling it over, my phone suddenly rang vigorously, displaying a familiar yet strange saved number on the screen.
“…Su Hyuk PD?”
What could this person be calling me for? Reading the name saved in my contacts, I picked up the phone with a puzzled expression.
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