I got invited to a broadcast. It was something written on my little bucket list with the viewers in mind, but I couldn’t just jump in without knowing what program was reaching out to me.
If they ask for conditions I can’t agree to or if appearing on the show would harm my image, I’d have to decline. It was something that required careful consideration for multiple reasons.
You know what they say, back in the day? Broadcast companies will do anything as long as the ratings are good.
As long as the ratings are solid, the well-being of the cast doesn’t matter. It’s no wonder that there was so much noise about the devil’s editing and manipulated probabilities back then.
So here I was, sitting in a café, with Kim Jae-jun by my side.
This was a meeting to discuss my appearance with the production director. After going back and forth through emails with Yusia, we figured it would be best to talk in person.
It was kind of like when I went out looking for an editor myself.
I could have heard enough about the program online and figured out what I needed to do, but really, meeting face-to-face was the more reliable option.
Yusia, who had said it was a decent entertainment program, agreed with my take. Maybe she was worried deep down, so she brought Jae-jun along. I guess she thought I wouldn’t manage alone or something.
So here I was, at a café on a Saturday evening, during prime time when couples were all over the place with Jae-jun. Although it didn’t seem like he would be much help.
“Jae-jun, um, don’t be too nervous,” I said.
“Nervous? I’m not nervous at all, Boss,” he replied.
He shook his head and pointed at the drink he was holding.
“Who blows on a drink like that?”
“Ah.”
Only then did Jae-jun seem to realize his mistake and scratched his head.
His drink wasn’t hot, nor was it cold coffee with ice floating around. He had just been blowing on it a moment ago.
Translated, it meant he was more than a little nervous. It was a far cry from his usual demeanor, but I couldn’t really blame him. This wasn’t exactly something a regular internet broadcaster’s editor would typically experience.
It wasn’t exactly something an editor would easily experience.
When I first heard the news, I was incredibly nervous, but seeing Kim Jae-jun looking tense next to me somehow made me feel more composed.
In fact, their job scope was just to edit and nothing more. They were chosen for editing, after all.
I repeatedly told them that they didn’t need to handle these trivial tasks, but hey, I always help out, so it was comfortable for me in many ways.
The café was bustling with people. It hadn’t been long since it opened near my house, but maybe because the interior was nice, or the prices were reasonable, people were flocking in.
The reason I chose a location near my house was simple. They offered to come to my side first. It was a bit burdensome because of their excessive kindness, but there was no reason to refuse since they were being accommodating.
While teasing the now-fumbling Kim Jae-jun, who was sipping like a champ, the person I was waiting for arrived.
“Hello! I’m Su Hyuk!”
“Hi there.”
A guy staring at me with somewhat burning eyes extended his hand. I think he said he was the main PD with the authority to select the cast. Somehow, I felt an unsettling hint of madness about him.
After introducing himself as Su Hyuk, he glanced over at Jae-jun next to me.
Oh, there was that little anecdote about Jae-jun intro-ing himself as Kayak Tube instead of his own name; it was a minor blunder but nothing serious.
I soon found out why I sensed madness in him. Just as he grabbed his drink from the counter and started the conversation, he began rifling through his bag.
Out came… a small doll. A cute little keychain doll that looked like it could hang from a backpack.
Su Hyuk PD pulled out such an adorable doll from his bag, an expression of seriousness on his face as he handed it to me.
“…What’s this?”
“It’s a gift. I heard you liked it.”
“Me?”
Now that I thought about it, the doll’s appearance caught my eye. It felt oddly familiar, like I’d seen it somewhere before.
As I pondered and examined the doll, Su Hyuk cleared his throat softly and continued speaking.
“It’s the doll that won the Cute Accessory World Cup… You tried to get one but couldn’t buy it because it was sold out back then.”
“You didn’t do it back then.”
“Oh, that’s right. It’s that doll from that time.”
It was the doll that won during the World Cup content we did with the viewers. I had completely forgotten about it since it happened a few months ago, but I didn’t expect the producer I met to bring this up.
“You brought it for me?”
I wasn’t expecting to receive a gift before the meeting. It didn’t seem like a common occurrence. It’s not like it’s a bribe to get me to appear; it’s just a small gift. Could it be that I have a fan?
For some reason, he slightly turned his head away. Could it be that he’s embarrassed? I really don’t want to see a middle-aged man being embarrassed.
Regardless of that, Su Hyuk hesitated for a moment, then looked me straight in the eye and spoke.
“I’m a fan. It’s truly an honor to meet you.”
“Thank you.”
Of course, it was a good thing that he was my fan. It was beyond just the fact that the producer was a fan; the very existence of a fan is a wonderful thing. Fans are valuable no matter what.
“Since you know about this doll, you must have been a fan for quite a while. When did you start watching my broadcasts?”
“Oh, I watched the World Cup video on V-Tube, but I just started watching the live broadcasts the day before yesterday.”
“The day before yesterday?”
I questioned him again, wondering if I misheard.
He definitely said he was a fan and even brought the doll. Was it that he only started watching the live broadcasts two days ago after having only followed V-Tube before?
“I became a fan after seeing you when I was picking cast members. So, I still have a lot of videos I haven’t watched. I’ll try to catch the live broadcasts when I can and finish watching V-Tube too.”
“I see….”
Isn’t it the case that I brought him on because he was a fan?
No, it was more like he became a fan from the casting process. It felt like there was some twisted causal relationship, as if things were swapped around.
It’s definitely a peculiar case, but well, good is good, right? It’s fascinating that fans can come about like this.
*
“As I mentioned over the phone, there shouldn’t be any major difficulties. The regular panel members will be leading the broadcast….”
He went from hesitating as a fan to showing a professional side the moment the conversation switched to the show.
With a serious face devoid of any laughter, he explained the overall progression of the program, what to be wary of, when the breaks are, and so on.
They explained what to be careful about and when to take breaks.
“It really is a talk show, literally. Just be honest within your comfort zone.”
“Does that mean there’s no need to put on a show?”
From my perspective, having heard from a friend that all broadcasts are scripted and manipulated, it was both shocking and a relief. I wasn’t exactly the best actor, and I’ve heard I can’t lie without the viewers catching on, so sticking to a script would be tough for me.
“I heard that in the past, people would intentionally choose provocative topics to discuss… but since I became the PD, that hasn’t happened.”
“I see.”
“Our show has a calming, healing vibe, so there probably won’t be any sensitive questions. Just give a brief self-introduction about what kind of broadcaster you are, Kayak, and then you can freely jump in while others are talking.”
Hearing this made it seem like there wasn’t much different from collaborations with other streamers. The only things that changed were needing to go to a broadcasting station and the style or scale of filming.
“The fixed panelists are all comedians from variety shows, and the guest stars will include idols, actors, and a variety of others. In the world of internet broadcasting, Kayak, you’re the one and only.”
They said it would be my first time appearing on Midnight Talk as a streamer like me. Since VTubers have been popping up on various variety shows lately, I shouldn’t feel too much pressure.
“And I’ve got a solid 10 years of experience as a PD, so in my opinion, you don’t need to worry at all, Kayak. Just sitting there will make for good content.”
Um, aren’t you the one putting pressure on me right now? You say you’re a fan, but is this some kind of distorted fan sentiment?
“If you just sit there in a variety show, doesn’t that get cut out in the editing?”
“As long as you act like you usually do on your streams, that’s plenty. No need to worry.”
With that, the meeting came to a close. We discussed everything we needed to in a business-like manner.
In the end, we decided that I’d participate. The PD seemed like a decent person, and trying out a broadcast once didn’t seem like a bad idea.
So, next week, I decided to head to the broadcasting station for filming.
I felt a mix of excitement and nerves, my feelings all over the place.
Can I really do this well?
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