The moon hung brightly in the sky.
Somehow, the variety show filming was reaching its climax.
“…Thank goodness.”
That was all Sua could think about right now.
Yeon-joo had boldly pointed out Su-an, and thanks to that, Sua had managed to avoid the situation.
Most of the PD’s relentless questions had gone to Yeon-joo.
“Yeon-joo-ssi should be taken care of later.”
I must repay her—absolutely.
Currently, they were filming the highlight of this special. Everyone was carrying out their given missions.
First, the raccoon.
“Uh? It really is washing the cotton candy in water?”
“Awhh! So cute!”
Everyone fell over at the sight of the raccoon washing its cotton candy. The raccoon was confused when the candy dissolved upon contact with water, and the way it waved its front paws afterward was unbearably adorable.
“Alright! Raccoon’s cotton candy challenge… failed!”
“We should probably buy it another one. It looks so disappointed.”
“Next up, Seo Yeon-joo! Can the cat really find the clothes Yeon-joo wore amidst a pile of clothes?”
The cat didn’t even start the mission and failed.
“Twenty photos of hedgehogs are prepared. Among them, find your own hedgehog to succeed!”
The hedgehog team also failed.
And once again, it was Sua’s turn.
“Sua’s mission is to blow out the candles!”
“Candles?”
Instead of answering, a table appeared with burning candles arranged on it—twenty in total, which was no small number.
“If Arctic Fox jumps over them, you, Sua, will swat the flames with a bat. Together, if you extinguish over 10 candles, it’s a success! But remember, you must not touch the candles themselves!”
PD Kang Hyun-seong hastily added:
“If it seems dangerous, the Arctic Fox doesn’t have to jump. Safety is our top priority.”
“No way. Sumi is great.”
Sua immediately gave Sumi the order, and the smart fox quickly understood the rule. In an instant, she leaped off the ground.
Pow!
“AH!”
“Wow! So cute!”
Reactions burst out everywhere.
It was because Sumi’s leap looked so adorable. Unfortunately, she jumped too high and didn’t manage to extinguish any candles.
Now it was time for Sua’s performance.
Holding the bat, Sua thought,
“I don’t want to be consumed as a gag alone.”
Even while securing screen time, image management was important.
Wouldn’t anyone want that?
Who wouldn’t want to be remembered as a magnificent actor rather than just a clown?
Sua felt the same. She was currently at a crossroads, an opportunity to impress everyone while still securing screen time.
“Hooo…”
At Sua’s deep breath, everyone erupted in laughter.
“Alright, Sua, looks like you think you’re up to bat in the 9th inning with two outs.”
“Surprisingly serious about this mission, huh? What a twist.”
“It seems like her competitive spirit has been triggered. The vibe is no joke.”
In the midst of this, Wi Ji-hye interjected:
─Let me teach you how to swing.
And in the next moment,
Kang!
All the candles were extinguished.
However, it wasn’t a success.
Clang!
Because Sua’s bat had overturned the table.
“Ugh.”
─Foolish.
…
Finally, all the filming was wrapped up.
“Thank you all for your hard work today!”
“See you after a fun day! It was such a good stress reliever.”
“Good night, everyone!”
The entire production team was in a completely different mood from the start and beamed with joy. It was natural; they had captured plenty of satisfying scenes today.
PD Kang Hyun-seong found Kim I-seo separately.
“Director!”
With a smile reaching his ears.
“Thank you so much. Sua saved the entire variety show today. The number of views isn’t even a question, and editing seems pretty straightforward too.”
“I just arrived. Is Sua’s image fine?”
“Of course! She’ll project a mix of taciturn seriousness with just a hint of clumsiness, unexpectedly sincere about pets and small missions — a reversal charm like that.”
Only then did Kim I-seo nod.
“True. If everything goes smoothly as you said, it won’t be bad.”
“Right? People might respect a rigid person, but they rarely feel affection. But when they add a human touch? Incredible. Fans go crazy.”
PD Kang Hyun-seong scratched his head after removing his cap.
“Got it. Thanks to that, I’m not too worried about the rest. But something else is troublesome.”
“Trouble? What part?”
“Did you know that these days, all the major MyTube channels have something in common? They captivate overseas viewers.”
“Oh, I’ve seen that. They either dub it in Korean or add foreign subtitles separately.”
“You’re spot on. We got greedy. Since today’s footage is excellent, we want to try adding foreign subtitles, but we’re not sure if we can secure capable help in time.”
“Hmm.”
Kim I-seo’s mumble.
It was only then that Kang Hyun-seong realized his mistake and showed a sheepish expression.
“Whoops, I got so excited I started chatting idly. It’s completely unrelated to Mystic!”
“Immediately, what it means is that you need Sua’s help for subtitles?”
“Eh?”
Kim I-seo showed more interest in Kang Hyun-seong’s discomfort than his apology. The PD, puzzled but answered anyway.
“Oh, yes, that’s what we need right now.”
“PD Kang. Would you like Sua’s help?”
“Are you referring to Sua?”
“Yes, writing the subtitles script.”
Kim I-seo nodded.
“Sua is exceptionally good at foreign languages.”
The PD’s eyes lit up quickly.
“Director, let’s find you a seat immediately!”
◆◆◆◆◆
The large tent was hastily arranged into the form of a reception room.
Kim I-seo took a sip of water and nodded.
“At least Japanese and English are certain.”
To the PD, it was music to his ears. His brain was whirring faster than ever before.
‘Thinking about it, didn’t she give her acceptance speech in Japanese? And she’s also good at English? Not just proficient but truly?’
The subtitle project targeting overseas audiences was urgent, but Kang Hyun-seong had another task.
To find a Korean actor fluent in foreign languages. The final puzzle piece needed to complete “Star Summit Talks.”
‘Sua’s appearance doesn’t need any retouches—it’s already perfect as a star. The important question now is what impact she can bring…’
…Could Sua be the final puzzle piece?
PD Kang thought fearfully.
The image of Sua entering into an intellectual debate was already impressive, even if it might also be intimidating for her if she ever found out.
“Director, exactly how good is Sua?”
“At least, proofreading a script would take her no time.”
“I’d like to know more.”
“More…”
Amidst this, Kim I-seo also had his own agenda.
‘If Mystic can participate in editing, they can block scenes that might hurt her image ahead of time.’
Sua’s current image had already beautifully locked into place, and no damage was allowable. Kim I-seo would do his best to protect it.
But something caught his curiosity.
‘This seems like more than someone just asking about the subtitles. There’s likely some other scheme behind it.’
Soon, Kim I-seo’s brain reached a definitive conclusion.
‘…Ah, he’s thinking about the next variety show.’
Kim I-seo was confident now.
Kang became famous for casting decisions made through direct meetings rather than just reading resumes. His internal calculator was busy crunching.
‘When people talk about variety show PDs in Korea, Kang Hyun-seong is always on the list. This is an opportunity. It would be a win to involve Sua.’
So Kim I-seo emphasized her abilities.
“Sua is incredible. She’s probably the worst at Korean.”
“…What, worst at Korean?”
“It makes sense if you think about it. She’s from abroad.”
“Ah, that rumor was true!”
In fact, Kim I-seo had only been guessing, but Kang seemed to have taken it as the truth. His face brightened rapidly.
The look of finding something he earnestly sought.
PD Kang leaned in closely to ask.
“Director, how about her intellectual side? Does Sua handle current affairs discussions? Is she effective in debates?”
“Explanations would just make your mouth hurt.”
“Why, why is that? Do you have any stories about her?”
Kim I-seo nodded.
“Watching her negotiate contracts will be a jaw-dropping experience. She’s a master negotiator. Debates are beyond question.”
“How so…?”
“How many cars did I give her? One? Two?”
Kim I-seo chuckled.
“That’s right, three.”
“…!”
PD Kang’s eyes went wide.
By this point, his mouth was itching to ask more but he couldn’t spill all the details right away.
‘Star Summit Talks’ was still in the planning phase, and showing too much excitement might complicate the contract negotiations.
However, Kim I-seo had already confirmed victory.
“So, why do you care about Sua’s intellectual side?”
“Hmm, maybe I’ve fallen for Sua. Joking aside, do you have any plans for her in other variety shows?”
“Not yet.”
“I hope there won’t be any in the future.”
A subtle metaphor, but neither Kim I-seo nor Kang Hyun-seong were the kinds to misunderstand.
Kim I-seo confirmed inside that Sua was diving into even greater waters. He felt exhilaration.
Later, as they left the tent,
“…After all, wasn’t she a bargain for just three cars?”
Kim I-seo laughed brightly.
Sua seemed admirable, and this moment made him feel proud of his past decisions.
◆◆◆◆◆
Meanwhile, Sua was with Sumi.
Sua was sitting with bent knees, stroking Sumi.
“…”
The atmosphere around was festive.
Even behind her, people were speculating wildly about Sua, but she focused only on stroking Sumi.
Surprisingly?
“…I feel like I messed up the shoot today. What should I do?”
Sua was full of worries!
Sua’s concerns… Sua’s troubles…
Being new to variety shows, she felt much anxiety.
She couldn’t gauge how she appeared or how the scenes would end up being edited. That was why, even amidst all the compliments, she felt uneasy.
‘I want to come off with a good image, but I’m not sure how I was filmed. It’s so difficult without any special features or perks!’
At that moment, Sumi nuzzled Sua’s hand.
“Miss, are you worried?”
“No, no. I’m just hungry.”
Sua petted Sumi once more.
Fortunately, Sua was confident that Sumi would come across as very cute. Everyone went crazy at the slightest movement Sumi made.
…Even if Sumi was trying to be dignified. Regardless.
“Sumi, let’s eat since you worked hard.”
She placed down an empty food bowl.
Because she had anticipated the long shoot today, she had prepared fancy pet foods that one might consider luxurious.
Sua intended to fill this bowl herself.
And she would also watch Sumi eat. Center life would be fine, but doing it together would feel warmer, wouldn’t it?
It was then that someone called out,
“Sua, Sua! Come here for a moment! Quickly!”
“Director?”
“Too much great news! Hurry!”
Sua got up first.
“Sumi, wait here for a minute.”
…
As time passed,
Sua’s worries cleared.
Sua learned many things from the director.
About the successful completion of the filming, the expectation for Sua’s image to improve, the involvement in editing from Mystic, and the possibility of joining the next variety show…
And while Sua regained vitality,
“…”
Sumi was alone.
The problem was that the time was too long.
The little fox stayed by the empty bowl for a long while.
“Uw…”
(Hahaha…)
And burst into laughter.
“Uwuuu!”
(Sumi, you have no more use to your mother with this empty bowl! She must have given you a chance! Why couldn’t I blow out the candles?)
Fortunately, Sua soon returned, and they had a great time together.
◆◆◆◆◆
Days of relentless busyness followed.
Sua managed all her schedules with great effort, and time passed by like a comet, faster than one could blink.
And finally, on a certain Wednesday,
Every media outlet was in an uproar.
[Official Website]
─Finally, it’s Wednesday!
─I’ve been waiting for this!
─Ads feel so long today ㅠㅠㅠ
─I can’t wait anymore! Start it already!!!
[Special Mobile Unit 808 Gallery]
[Title: Today’s Expected Content]
[Between Lee Kang-cheol and Kim Yu-han, it seems they are going to part ways. They’ve reached a point where compromise is impossible. Yu-han will likely go his own way, saying each should follow their methods.]
─It’s sad because there were similarities developing between them.
─Buddy dramas always have a big argument at some point.
─Yup, it’s about the heartfelt reconciliation at the end.
[Title: These guys are driving happiness circuits insane]
[Thinking they’ll avoid Lee Geum-sook and go for some sad ending instead.]
─Then it’s really that;
─They’ll definitely start a fire on tvS. Yup.
[Title: But what’s Lee Kang-cheol’s mistake?]
[He just stuck to the rules.]
─Yeah, really, Kim Yu-han is at fault here.
─Still, Lee Kang-cheol gets a bit frustrating…
[Title: Taking Lee Kang-cheol’s side? You guys are insane, lmao]
[No flexibility at all, it’s suffocating.]
─True, honestly not great.
─So should we just let everyone break the rules?;
[Title: Start already, for heaven’s sake.]
[ seriously I’ll poop my pants if you don’t show it now. ]
─I’ve been wearing a diaper since last week.
─I’ve been holding my breath since last week.
For them, this was something they were going insane about, yet their frenzied discussions wouldn’t yield any answers.
However it might turn out, between Lee Kang-cheol’s and Kim Yu-han’s methods, which was right?
Curiosity and anticipation were immense.
The weight of an average rating at 28% was indeed tremendous.
If they couldn’t handle it, they would surely be crushed.
Thus, right now.
[Special Mobile Unit 808]
[ ─ Episode 7 ─]
The production team’s prepared answer sheet.
The much-anticipated 7th episode began airing.
