[ 00 : 00 : 00 ]
[ The reserved video begins to play. ]
─Finally, it’s starting!!!!!!!
─Phew, I’m glad I ordered chicken ahead of time.
─That was long…. Long…. Long….
─I miss Suaeeeeeeee
─Sua, come out!!!!!
‘Whoa, the firepower is unreal!’
Sua was so engrossed in admiration that she had nothing else on her mind. Sua amazed!
Awaiting to watch the special episode on pets, the number of people waiting was as high as 130,000. Considering it wasn’t on a major network but just a single MyTube variety show, it was an incredible number.
‘If the real-time view count is this high, I wonder how many views the final count will reach? It’s bound to be incredible, right? It keeps raising expectations.’
But the more they expected, the greater the tension grew.
‘…Image management! Did I come across charmingly enough?’
At the time, PD Kang Hyun-seong assured her multiple times not to worry, but still, Sua couldn’t relax that easily. It was because, when she looked back, she remembered making some quite amusing blunders.
That’s when Kim I-seo broke the silence.
“I’m looking forward to it.”
Kim I-seo’s face was filled only with anticipation. Enough that it even calmed Sua down, who was sitting next to her.
“Sua usually has such a sharp image that many people might find her unapproachable, but after this variety show, I think that will soften. They mentioned focusing on humanity.”
“Was I focused on enough?”
“I’ve seen it ahead of time, and I’m confident.”
The video didn’t start right away, though.
For about 10 seconds, a Photoshop-edited thumbnail was displayed.
‘Huh?’
And then Sua was surprised by the thumbnail.
“But weren’t the only human beings in it me and Yeon-joo-ssi?”
In the thumbnail, Sua and Yeon-joo were the only two people present. The rest were all pets.
Unable to contain her curiosity, Sua asked,
“We took a group photo when you said you’d use it for the thumbnail, but it’s not being used, right? Why did you choose this one?”
“In the world of variety shows, popularity and hype are crucial.”
“Popularity and hype?”
“Exactly. Right now, among the cast, the most hyped person is you, Sua. A thumbnail is akin to a banner. Whose face would draw in more viewers?”
“Ah… I see….”
Sua felt a bit sheepish. To learn that she was creating so much buzz. Hehe, it’s always good to hear.
By the time the variety show finally began in earnest.
It was Sua’s first appearance.
It was noticeable even now. Why not? Sua was wearing a fox draped around her neck upon her entrance.
─Haha, isn’t that a fox?
─Not a scarf. Whoops ㅋㅋㅋ
─Why are you wearing sunglasses? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
─The aura is no joke! ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
─Damn, she’s not ordinary at all ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
‘…Is this, perhaps, fortunate?’
Sua was able to let out a sigh of relief. Fortunately, the audience’s reaction was still good.
But then Sua’s eyes widened suddenly.
Due to an unexpected event.
‘Wh-what is this? Did they include this scene? So embarrassing!’
It was none other than a conversation between Sua and Yeon-joo.
[Sua, there you are.]
[Yeon-joo-ssi?]
[What’s wrong? You don’t seem surprised at all. Did the director tell you I was coming? Anyway, asking for it to be kept secret doesn’t seem to work.]
Sua helped translate the subtitles for the studio snack into Japanese, but this part wasn’t in it. Meaning, this was added hastily later.
So Sua had to ask,
“Director, why was this part included?”
“The answer is already in the chat!”
Kim I-seo chuckled effortlessly.
Soon, Sua could feel it too.
─Sua-ssi said “Oppa”? Wow, this is new.
─The sisterhood chemistry is insane!
─It’s not business? Unexpected.
─Seo Yeon-joo’s appeal is insane!
─They look quite natural together ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
‘This is what it means to create an image, huh?’
Sua was utterly surprised.
Now she understood. Even Sua’s brain could fully grasp it. Sua understood!
While editing out personal conversations that should have remained private, they showed Sua and Seo Yeon-joo chatting amiably. A warm image was instantly formed.
As the video continued,
Everyone was settled in their seats exchanging introductions.
[Da-ho-ssi, what’s that? Is it a raccoon?]
[It does resemble a raccoon, but this is a raccoon.]
[Oh, have I made a big mistake?]
[No, it’s understandable. American raccoons are racoons, raccoons have stripes on their tails, but raccoons don’t.]
‘Ooh, this is embarrassing too….’
Sua instinctively wiggled her toes inside her socks.
A pink effect surrounded the harmonious chatter, while Sua’s side, who remained aloof, was hit by a snowstorm.
It resembled being isolated.
But the next scene was unknown even to Sua.
‘Huh?’
Everyone glanced at Sua occasionally.
Sua realized it now. Hmm? At the time, did the cast really look at her like that?
─What is Sua doing all alone? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
─Everyone wants to talk to her, but she seems scary, so they can’t. ㅋㅋ
─Sua! Smile a little! Aaa!
┬That’s really a wolf, isn’t it? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
‘…Rather, people actually enjoy this kind of thing?’
Sua thought she’d feel ashamed for being singled out, but people’s perceptions were different. They seemed to enjoy the appearance of everyone around finding Sua difficult to approach.
‘I’ll keep this in mind. This will definitely help me.’
Sua’s eyes sparkled.
There was a significant need to ascertain how people perceived her and which parts they liked. It would certainly help with future image management.
Of course…
Zzzt─!
‘Eek!’
Soon, her head was overloaded due to Sua’s foolishness.
The variety show proceeded with the chat room’s support. The current scene involved each person introducing their pets and showing off their talents.
[Hello! Hello!]
Seo Yeon-joo’s sphynx cat was adorable, and the parrot speaking English was impressive even upon rewatching, but…
─The parrot is incredibly smart
─If that were a child, it’d be 8 years old
┬ㅎㄷㄷㄷㄷ The intelligence is insane
─So, when is Sua coming on?
─What is Yang Ha-rin doing these days?
─I want Sua @@@@@
‘Hehehe.’
Sua struggled to hold back her laughter.
People hunted her down if she disappeared even for a moment. Was there this much enthusiasm in hide-and-seek? Sua felt bad for the other cast members but was also happy.
Just as she thought that, it was finally Sua’s turn.
[This is an arctic fox, her name is Sumi. As you can see, she’s very cute. And today, my preparation is…]
─Waah, Sumi ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
─She looks different from her photo
─Wow, she’s stunning in the video
┬Isn’t that just a white fairy?
In the video, Sua slipped her hands under Sumi’s armpits, lifting her up. She then made eye contact with Sumi.
[Aul Aul.]
[Au Au Au.]
[She seems happy. It’s such a warm day.]
That’s when a special effect appeared above the heads of the other cast members—a wallpaper of question marks.
“Huh….”
Kim I-seo, who was watching together, couldn’t hold back her laughter, and Sua’s face turned as red as an apple. So this is how it looks through others’ eyes. I can’t take it.
Sua feels embarrassed. Sua feels ashamed. Sua’s black history…..
Sua vowed multiple times.
‘Next time, I need to talk to Sumi more quietly…’
[Hahaha-ha-ha─!]
By the time PD Kang Hyen-seong burst out laughing, the chat had already exploded. The video focused on Sua’s bewildered expression as she looked around, making her look like a meerkat.
─ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
─What are you doing? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
─ㅋㅋㅋ This concept is really intense
┬Wa! This ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
─I wonder how much preparation she put into this
┬Double the contract fee for the management ㅋㅋㅋ
Amid all this, Sua explained earnestly within the video.
[I was just gently checking, asking how she feels.]
‘Agh, naive person.’
Sua muttered to her past self.
Yeah, looking at it now, she was truly naive. So much….
[Aul Aul! Is it like this?]
─No, that means seaweed soup.
┬Haha! She said seaweed soup! It’s seaweed soup!
─Is she seriously justifying this? ㅋㅋㅋ
┬Wow, she really puts her all into this
┬Sua is really an actress
┬Other actors wouldn’t be able to pull this off
┬ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
Meanwhile, Sua in the video earnestly argued,
[I just lightly checked, asking how she feels.]
‘Ugh, what an uncivilized kid.’
Sua thought to herself.
Right, looking at it now, it was indeed uncivilized. Truly….
[Aul Aul! Is it like this?]
─No. That means seaweed soup.
┬Haha! She’s saying seaweed soup!
─Is she this serious about justifying herself? ㅋㅋㅋ
┬Wow, she really goes all out
┬Sua is seriously an actress
┬Other actors probably couldn’t do this
┬ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
[ ─Continues in EP. 02─ ]
And thus ended the first episode.
Sua unconsciously let out an “Ah” sound.
Although she felt so embarrassed she could die, it was honestly fun. Fortunately, it seemed the others felt the same way. The chat was going crazy, demanding the next episode.
─What is this weekly release thing?
┬Aaaaahhhhhh
┬Give us the next video now!
During a short preview, there was a scene of Sua holding a bat, and although it was fleeting, the reaction was huge.
─?????
┬Oh my godddd
┬It’ll kill all other pets!
┬Eeeekkk!
┬The pet murderer has arrived!!!
And so, Sua’s first impression of the video was,
‘…I actually love it! A lot!’
It couldn’t have been more satisfying. To Sua, PD Kang Hyun-seong felt incredibly grateful now.
Just like how the image of ‘Servant Syndrome’ stuck among her friends, and the ‘Emotional Expression Disorder’ image stuck among her Mystic company and old acquaintances, gaining favor.
PD Kang Hyun-seong gave Sua the character of ‘looking perfect but still very human’ through the variety show. Happy!
Not treated like a patient or a machine for the first time!
Kim I-seo stretched comfortably.
“Now that we’ve watched it, let’s have an easy dinner? It’s better to eat heartily while we can. By the time we’re done with the meal, the press would have gone wild.”
“Press? Did my variety show appearance get an article?”
Sua tilted her head in confusion.
But,
“Of course. It’s your first variety show appearance.”
Kim I-seo once again gave a calm smile.
.
.
.
.
.
The next day,
It turned out the director’s words weren’t mere boasting, as the media indeed turned out as Kim I-seo had foretold.
If you think about it, it was a natural occurrence. As the special mobile unit 808 had struck it big, the viewers were eagerly counting down the days until Sua appeared on a variety show.
[View counts that can capture criminals? The prodigious detective ‘Special Mobile Unit 808’ with Kim Yu-han played by Sua—her first variety show appearance on MyTube took off! Reached 800,000 views in one day after upload.]
The pet special variety show also topped the ‘Real-Time Trending Videos’ list within the MyTube app and journalists immediately churned out articles.
Its influence spread significantly across online communities.
[Sua Community]
[Title: Few captures from the variety show]
[I took random screenshots whenever she appeared on screen, and here are the ones I thought were decent.]
─Whoa, random captures and her face looks like this?
─I found the fox around her neck hilariously funny ㅋㅋ
┬ㄹㅇ ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
┬I didn’t even realize it was a fox at first ㅋㅋㅋ
[Title: If this is all you remember, like]
[(Sua’s picture)]
[Even though the show as a whole was entertaining, at the end of the video, only Sua comes to mind. Therefore, like. haha]
─She really did appear the most
┬Haha, it was fun, really
┬She’s not as scary as we thought, I guess
[Title: Today’s variety changed my impression of her]
[I used to think she was emotionless, but she actually has a cute side. My perception has slightly changed. haha]
┬Me too haha
┬ㄹㅇ, she’s human after all
[Title: Kids, don’t fall for it]
[Sua is just a genius. What is this? The stuff she acted out during the variety was probably scripted.]
┬Huh…
┬Oh my goodness
┬Is this true?
┬ㄹㅇ It’s rather convincing
The atmosphere at the fan cafe was broadly similar,
Except for a slightly different nuance.
[Sua Zoo]
[Title: I saw Sua earlier.]
[We’re not close. I just one-sidedly caught sight of her. I glimpsed her a few times while working part-time. But it was different from how she appears now…]
[Title: Sua seems a bit different.]
[To clarify, I have no intention to defame her. I joined the fan cafe and will continue to support her as she improves. But she does seem somewhat changed. She used to not be this perfect.]
Exactly, Sua’s former acquaintances were increasingly appearing day by day.
Fortunately, it didn’t seem like anyone malicious had shown up yet, but the monkeying was annoying.
Naturally. There was no clear justification for deletion, and leaving it there caused concern over adverse effects on Sua. What to do with this? It was truly a perplexing issue.
Finally, Kim I-seo was called.
“Hello. Ah, Director.”
“The fan cafe manager?”
“Yes. Could you look at some monitoring reports?”
After receiving it at the Mystic headquarters, Kim I-seo thought,
‘Hmm.’
Surprisingly, she wasn’t shocked at all.
After all, hadn’t she already encountered Sua’s former acquaintance during the photo shoot meeting? It was only going to increase, not decrease.
However,
Kim I-seo’s brilliant mind kicked in again.
‘If you gather the testimonies, there’s no one who claims to have seen Sua as a child. They all say they saw her after at least 20 years of age. Meaning, Sua came to Korea after she was 20….’
This alone already simplified the response significantly.
Since there were no childhood acquaintances in Korea who knew Sua, there was no one digging into her distant past unnecessarily.
‘…Perhaps letting it burn brightly is better. When it’s the hottest, it’s the best time to announce her emotional expression disability. That could completely reverse public opinion. Now is the time to wait.’
After calculating, Kim I-seo even began finding the current situation amusing. Burn bright. For a dramatic result.
“This isn’t a problem, and the next one is….”
Kim I-seo flipped through her phone contacts.
“…Yeah. I should give thanks.”
She was planning to call PD Kang Hyun-seong. It was only right to thank those who had edited Sua and Yeon-joo beautifully.
But then,
┬♪
Kim I-seo’s phone rang first.
[Caller: PD Kang Hyun-seong]
The caller was none other than PD Kang Hyun-seong. What a coincidence.
“Hello? PD?”
“Director─!”
His voice was quite urgent.
