***
“What. This program came back to life?”
“What?”
“You know the one from before. It’s been a while since it ended, the program where celebrities come out and date virtually. What was it, why did this end again?”
“All the people who dated on there actually started dating and got married within a few years. At first they thought it was a coincidence, but by season 4 I think…… All the celebrities who appeared up to that point got married. Originally the casting went around to actors, and most of them were late twenties or early thirties, right?”
“……”
“So they thought it might be easier to match eyes if they drastically lowered the age range and included two idol couples, but they ended up matching eyes too. They’re probably still dating? I don’t know about marriage news.”
“……”
“Anyway, so if it’s going to be like this, there was quite a fuss about just making a dating program with regular people instead. Also, agencies refused when they got casting requests. So it ended, but now it’s coming back?”
Jiseo, who had been quietly listening to the manager’s explanation, nodded as if he understood.
It wasn’t an article he’d deliberately searched for or had been interested in. It was just that it was a popular article, displayed first on the internet main screen, so he clicked on it.
The title was provocative enough and the program itself was likely to receive a lot of attention.
Of course, that’s why it was prominently placed on the main page, but when he clicked on the article, he understood even more. It contained content that people who clicked out of curiosity couldn’t help but spread around.
“So I guess they’re taking applications?”
“Taking applications?”
“This way, it seems like no one will be able to appear.”
Normally, the production team should be sending out contacts to cast participants. Different from that, this time it seemed they were starting the program in a rather unusual way, asking celebrities who were interested in appearing to contact them directly.
Was the casting already finished? Usually this method was for receiving regular applicants.
The viewership ratings were high enough to be very popular at the time, and there was no problem with the program itself. However, the fact that it produced actual results without exception inevitably had a powerful effect.
Given their profession, it seemed they’d been refused casting a lot due to the burden of public dating, more than expected.
“Why? Even celebrities might want to date.”
“……”
“Even if not that, it’ll be good for buzz. It wouldn’t be bad for getting your name out there. The reasons for wanting to appear would vary, but it doesn’t seem like no one will gather at all, does it?”
He didn’t know what the intention was, but it seemed like they meant to consider things from the start since opinions about the program were starkly divided.
Additionally, it seemed like the purpose was to cleanly put down controversies and gain buzz in a different direction.
“They’re really going all in on this angle.”
“……”
“This isn’t virtual from the start, it’s real, isn’t it?”
“Real?”
“After appearing on a program that applies a regular dating show format for quite a long period of time, only the couples who choose each other there get the qualification to officially appear on the virtual dating program. If you’re not selected, you don’t have the qualification to appear on the main program.”
“……”
“Ah, and from the start you have to receive voting on your personal SNS about whether to appear or not. I guess they really mean to leave it up to choice.”
“I’ll correct myself. I don’t think anyone will apply.”
It wasn’t a complicated method, but it was clearly mentally taxing. Having to live together with several people for weeks to earn the qualification to appear. And even that wasn’t enough—if they didn’t select each other, it would end with just gaining a bit of embarrassment.
There would be plenty of people who considered it a broad experience, but it was a difficult condition anyway.
“Why, interested?”
Did his concentrated reading look like interest to others’ eyes? At the question slipped in with a no way expression, Jiseo shook his head and answered with a smile.
“Me? No. Of course not.”
He might be interested as a viewer, but he had no interest at all as an applicant.
He would have felt that way originally, but now even more so. The fluffy kid was making him feel unfortunate sympathy he couldn’t grant while going on about promises.
Even if they sent a casting request offering a large appearance fee without any effort, he had to refuse for now. Unless he planned to properly make someone cry.
No matter how virtual it was, he shouldn’t show Yeongwon the relationship he wanted being exchanged with someone else. He had no intention of doing that in the first place anyway.
Since he made a promise, if he couldn’t keep it right away, he had to wait.
He didn’t know whether Yeongwon, who had accumulated many experiences accepting his proposal, would choose him someday or not.
Even then, he might still have no feelings for Yeongwon like now.
Of course, if he still liked him, and if he courted him to win his heart, Jiseo was willing to follow Yeongwon’s insistence on marriage before dating.
If the regret he was worried about happened, if it was Yeongwon rather than himself who regretted it, they’d have no choice but to part ways, but he would unavoidably follow that too.
If it came to that and Yeongwon regretted it…… that would be his fault.
He liked him so much and waited so long, but if he was disappointed, it would be because he himself lacked charm. Maybe it would be okay if he managed himself properly so that wouldn’t happen.
……Should I work out after today?
“There’s nothing after today’s event schedule, right?”
“Yeah. Since it’s an event starting in the morning, it’ll probably end before evening even at the latest. I’ll take you straight home, so rest. It’s a rare week with no filming.”
“……”
“And the meeting scheduled for the week after next got postponed, so it won’t be until early next month.”
“Okay. I’ll write down the schedule.”
Since it wasn’t a tight schedule or a difficult event, it wasn’t burdensome, but he didn’t feel comfortable. It was comfortable if anything, but it wasn’t like there was nothing on his mind at all.
Especially because it was about his private life, not work. He tried to put it aside, but occasionally Yeongwon’s face came to mind.
Yeongwon was also having a break period, so he had no publicly known schedule. He’d heard that today’s event was large-scale so models, actors, singers, and influencers alike would attend, but Yeongwon wasn’t on the attendee list.
He had no intention of contacting him first, but the time without exchanging contact had gone on longer than expected, so he was a bit curious.
‘I think he had a personal account separate from the company-managed account.’
If contact had been cut off for ordinary reasons, he might have just let it be. But now they were in the midst of a minor conflict, so it was natural that he paid more attention than usual.
Jiseo also had an SNS account that he occasionally used to upload videos or for promotional purposes. However, it was only logged in on the company-owned phone made for that purpose.
Other than that, Jiseo didn’t have any personal accounts, but he thought he’d heard that Yeongwon had one.
Since he often received Yeongwon’s news through personal messages, there was no particular need to look at SNS. But now that contact was cut off, he was interested in that direction too.
“You said there’s 30 more minutes to go.”
“Yeah. But it doesn’t take long, so don’t nod off. The crowd is no joke, so if you get off half-asleep you’ll get into an accident.”
Since he hadn’t checked the remaining time to nod off briefly, Jiseo finished the conversation with an acknowledgment and took out his phone.
First, Jiseo installed the SNS that Yeongwon frequently used and searched for Yeongwon’s name. After wandering briefly, Jiseo found Yeongwon’s account without difficulty, but couldn’t obtain any particular information.
***
“Good work. I didn’t know there would be this many people, it was so chaotic my soul got sucked out. Are you okay?”
“I’m a bit tired but I’m fine. I even moved around more on purpose thinking I’d sleep for an hour or two when I got home and wake up. When I do that, I feel refreshed and it’s good for spending time late.”
“……”
“If you’re tired too, should I just take a taxi? You said you’d go straight home after the event ended.”
“Your place is near here. I’ll drop you off before I go.”
It was originally a large-scale event, but with the meaningful addition of welcoming the new year, the schedule proceeded more chaotically than imagined.
