On the day I was scheduled to have a pre-filming meeting for a variety show with Min Jiheon, I ran into a familiar face in the conference room.
"Oh wow! Hoyun, it's so good to see you again like this!"
It was PD Choi—the one who had directed "Over-Immersed Leaders" with Yoo Jia and Joo Wooseong. I'd heard he'd switched shows, but I didn't expect him to end up in charge of a fixed variety program like this.
He smiled broadly when he saw me.
"You've been hard to catch these days! Even back when we first met, your popularity was on the rise, but now it's like you've blasted into space."
"Oh no, that's all thanks to you, PD-nim. Over-Immersed Leaders was my real debut into variety shows."
"You're still as sweet as ever!"
He laughed warmly, saying he just knew I'd blow up even more.
The writers standing nearby just rolled their eyes silently, lips tightly sealed.
"Min Jiheon's flight got delayed today, so he'll be a little late. But that's fine—we can get started without him. Alright, let me explain the concept for this new variety show, Take Care of Me, Please."
Since his debut, Min Jiheon's career had only gone up. To manage his image, his agency had mostly kept him away from variety shows—aside from interviews and photoshoots.
Take Care of Me, Please featured about three teams per episode, each made up of two celebrities. One of them would act as a temporary manager and take care of the other.
A mixed-bag variety show, huh.
It had all the popular elements of today's trends thrown into one.
"We're following the trends, sure—but there needs to be a unique twist, right? You'll be assigned as Min Jiheon's manager, Hoyun."
PD Choi's eyes sparkled as he spoke.
"Honestly, we wanted to feature Min Jiheon alone this time. It's basically his first time doing a show like this, and having a fellow agency junior supporting him felt... boring."
"Right…"
"He's a top-tier actor, a syndrome-level star, a Hallyu icon—whatever label you slap on, it sticks."
I thought he was trying to pressure me, but instead, PD Choi suddenly gave me a thumbs-up.
"So in conclusion: trust your instincts and have fun with it, alright? Make it entertaining!!"
"..."
"I loved your solo variety episode with THE DAWN. That 'Hoyun Disease' bit? Absolutely hilarious. You're the kind of person who's funny just by showing your face, and your shamelessness paired with perfect timing makes your humor feel so polished. You're amazing!!"
Funny just by showing my face… is that a compliment?
I was briefly reminded of our first MV shoot—when the system's prompt forced me to say I was handsome, and Director Jeong had laughed and said I had a great sense of humor.
"PD-nim. I won't let your expectations down."
"Whew! That's the spirit!"
I smiled outwardly while my brain spun rapidly.
Did the CEO force me into this to piggyback off Min Jiheon?
As I looked at the proposal the writers handed me with Jiheon's name printed clearly, I tapped my finger lightly on the table.
What's the play here?
The CEO said it was the management team's idea, that they were worried I'd get cut from the edit—but that was complete BS.
They could just film Min Jiheon's face in silence for thirty minutes and people would still go crazy over it.
"Alright, we'll see you on shoot day!"
"Yes, thank you in advance~!"
In the end, the meeting wrapped up without even a glimpse of Min Jiheon.
Waiting for my manager, who'd gone to speak with a broadcast official, I sipped a can of Sol○ from the vending machine when I spotted the writer and assistant director from earlier.
I considered greeting them again, but they seemed too deep in conversation to notice me.
"—It's totally just riding coattails."
That line caught my attention.
"I heard the agency CEO said Min Jiheon wouldn't do the show unless Seo Hoyun joined. Can you believe that?"
Huh?
"Why? Maybe it's true. They are close."
"I don't know… I get a vibe they're not actually that close."
Their intuition was creepily sharp.
I subtly turned my body away and pretended to keep sipping my drink, but their voices grew louder and clearer.
"Hoyun's been getting variety offers lately, and he's not bad—but using him as a tag-along with Min Jiheon? That's a stretch."
"Obviously, Jiheon's on a whole different level."
"Well, yeah."
Wow, they're talking behind my back, huh.
"How long do you think Hoyun's popularity will last? There are tons of flashes-in-the-pan like him."
To be fair… not exactly wrong.
I leaned against the wall, listening silently, then downed the rest of my drink in one go.
"I mean, it's only been a short while since his debut and there've already been a few controversies. He's managed to dodge bullets so far, but it only takes one blowup for everything to fall apart. People are just smiling now while he's useful."
"Jiheon's probably suffering too. Poor guy has to drag that junior onto a show now."
That was my cue.
I crushed the empty can in my hand and tossed it into the trash. The clattering noise startled the writer and assistant director, who turned to see me.
They flinched. I smiled sweetly.
"Oh, haha… Hoyun! You're still here?"
"Yeah, well."
No reason to pick a fight with the staff. Might as well play nice and milk them for more info.
And then—
"Ah~ Writer-nim, come on."
A familiar voice drifted in from behind me.
"Jiheon?"
Suddenly, a weight landed on my shoulder. Min Jiheon appeared, casually slinging an arm around me with a bright smile.
Even after all this time, that pretty-boy face of his still gleamed.
"Yeah~ I was a little late, huh?"
He apologized, but didn't look the least bit sorry.
"But it sounded like you were talking about something fun?"
"Uh—?"
Jiheon lightly tapped my shoulder, tone still breezy.
"Oh, right! I heard this show had an investor trying to sneak his nephew into the cast… Is that different from this situation?"
"Ji-Ji-Jiheon!!"
The AD grabbed Jiheon's arm in panic.
What the hell is he doing?
I narrowed my eyes and watched his antics unfold.
"What? Is that supposed to be a secret? That actor—y'know, the nephew—ran up to me asking for an autograph and spilled everything. I thought it was okay to talk about it?"
"W-What are you even saying?!"
"Ahh, my bad. Guess I'm just dense. I didn't realize everything that guy said on set was top secret~!"
'Ah.'
His talent for pretending to be clueless while taking jabs was truly exquisite.
As expected of an actor—his booming voice ensured that what was supposed to be a secret was anything but.
The assistant director and writers glanced at me, faces gone pale, looking utterly flustered.
"Min Jiheon-ssi! Shhh! Quiet!"
"Sorry~ Uncle talk is a secret! Don't worry, I absolutely won't say that the nephew got in through connections~."
Min Jiheon winked with exaggerated innocence, still speaking loudly, prompting the assistant director to gather the writers with a face that looked like he was barely holding back a string of curses and quickly left.
"Looking forward to the show~!"
Even as he waved and shouted after their backs, Jiheon turned to me with a gentle smile.
His bright, sunflower-like eyes sparkled under the light.
"Hi, Hoyun."
...And this brat took the chance to casually drop the honorifics.
"Sunbaenim."
As a proud son of the land of Confucian values, I refrained from cussing out the much-younger Jiheon for his disrespect and simply asked politely while walking away.
"What brings you here?"
"I was late, but thought I'd still join the meeting~. And, you know, see the face of the junior I'm being bundled with."
What the hell was going on in his head—he even covered for me.
Jiheon trailed behind me like a duckling. On the way, he greeted anyone who spoke to him with a warm, friendly smile.
'He doesn't seem like someone who'd lack friends.'
Even if they weren't close, how many people could really say no to Min Jiheon?
I deliberately led us through the back corridors to one of the most secluded vending machines in the station. Last time I'd been here, there hadn't been any CCTV.
I shoved a bill into the machine and firmly pressed the button labeled "Sol○nun."
"You drink that stuff?"
I ignored him and downed the drink in one go.
Honestly, I wanted to chain-smoke, gulp Sol○nun, and pass out in a sauna after getting my back scrubbed.
But smoking—or any of that, really—would be too much of an "old man" vibe. My fans, the Noeul (Sunsets), would hate it.
'Can't have that.'
I probably couldn't do any of that until I quit idol life.
I clicked my tongue in regret just as Jiheon also inserted money into the machine and asked,
"What'd you hear?"
"About as much as you did, sunbaenim."
"People are awful. If you can't say something to someone's face, you shouldn't say it behind their back either."
That line sounded oddly familiar.
As I squinted lazily at him, Jiheon pressed the button for a "100% Real Fruit Orange Juice," but nothing came out.
"Ugh, what's wrong with this thing?"
"Did you really say you wouldn't appear unless I was in it too?"
"I doubt the person who passed that along made it sound that dramatic."
"Same difference."
Just then, while watching Jiheon frown at the machine, I felt heat rush to my face. My nose was bleeding again.
"So why'd you do it?"
Muttering curses internally, I pulled out the handkerchief I always carried now and held it to my nose.
Jiheon, finally pulling his gaze from the machine, looked me over.
"…Hmm."
He rolled his eyes slightly like he didn't want to answer, then turned back to the vending machine and kept pressing buttons.
"Haha. You're great on variety shows, hyung. I thought it'd be fun to do one together."
"..."
"I thought it'd be cute if we looked close. Want to pick nicknames for each other?"
He suggested couple-style nicknames like Hohoo-Hohoo or something like Camera, Please, and I pulled the handkerchief from my nose.
Thankfully, the bleeding had stopped.
"Why isn't this thing working?"
Station vending machines were always a mess.
It reminded me of the time Kim Heeyoung had kicked one out of frustration. The memory actually lightened my mood a bit.
"Jiheon-ah."
I curved my lips into a smooth smile.
"Yeah!!"
Jiheon turned to look at me, tilting his head slightly, smiling right back.
"I don't care what your angle is, but—"
I raised my foot.
BANG!!
I kicked the vending machine hard right next to Jiheon.
"...!"
Clunk, clunk…
Several drinks came tumbling out.
I reached under the machine, picked up one of the fallen cans, and handed it to him.
"Let's not play games."
It was partly an act of kindness, but mostly because this was the kind of overreaction that actually made him behave.
"Enjoy your orange juice."
"..."
"Hmm?"
"...Yeah."
Still blinking in shock, Jiheon held the can as I patted his hand a few times before walking off without hesitation.
Behind me, I could hear him mumble, "This was… apple juice though…"
I ignored it.
'No idea why he's hovering around me like this.'
But it was fine.
Because now I was starting to figure out how to handle Min Jiheon.