Chapter 80

If I can't debut, I'll get a disease that will kill me 080th Episode

The production team, being extremely cautious, crouched and moved to near the summer migratory birds, and finally managed to pick up the camera.

However, this ‘near’ was... a relative concept.

“Ah, here?”

“Yeah~ It’s better not to get any closer.”

The distance was such that the birds couldn’t even be seen clearly with the naked eye.

Ryu Cheong-woo, who was holding the camera, muttered in a difficult manner.

“Well, if it was a matter of shooting and hitting it...”

“...?”

It was a thought only an archery gold medalist could have.

Meanwhile, Cha Yujin, who was fiddling with the camera, pressed the shutter button enthusiastically.

‘...It doesn’t even seem to be in focus.’

I don’t know. It was already a mess. I sighed and picked up the camera I was given.

‘This reminds me of the old days.’

Since we didn’t have money, we used to rent club equipment and take photos. After handling some money, I got a cheap used camera from a graduating senior.

I fiddled with the entry-level camera and adjusted the exposure.

‘Let’s see... if I pull it a bit.’

The handling and resolution weren’t that bad. A few usable shots came out.

It was a small bird with a white belly and a blue back. It seemed to have an aggressive nature, throwing branches with its beak.

...But I have no idea what species of bird it is.

‘It would be easier if we could match the camera models.’

I held back a sigh and approached the ornithologist, asking quietly.

“I think I got a shot, but I don’t know what species it is.”

“...?! Ah, ah~ Really?”

The ornithologist’s eyes widened, and he quickly praised me for being quick.

‘...Did he just get surprised?’

But before I could think further, the others chimed in.

“Oh~ As expected, Moon Dae!”

“I want to see it too.”

“Hey, how is it?”

I handed the camera to the guys who were whispering, and they started admiring the photos excitedly.

“Good, it’s cute.”

“As expected, Moon Dae has golden hands.”

“Awesome!”

“Teacher, what kind of bird is this?”

The ornithologist raised his index finger.

“...Figuring that out is today’s goal for our friends!”

“Ah!”

“After we finish photographing the migratory birds, we’ll have time to identify them from the photos~ Shall we move again~”

“Huh?”

“Since we don’t have much time, let’s take photos of various migratory birds in different places!”

“Okay...”

And the forced march began again.

‘This is going to end in disaster.’

The atmosphere was devoid of any fun. I sighed and got up, and Seo Ah-hyun, who was still looking at my photos, hurriedly handed me the camera.

“Here, here.”

“Hmm.”

I took the camera and, without much thought, took a shot of Seo Ah-hyun.

“...!”

“It looks good.”

Seo Ah-hyun definitely looked good in natural light. I might as well take it and upload it to SNS later.

“I, I also...”

“Thanks for the thought. Let’s move on.”

“Y, yeah...”

I was starting to feel sleepy again. It seemed the little hope I had for the shoot was gone.

‘Is this how it ends?’

...Was that the root of the problem?

“Let’s see... I think we can get a bit closer to the bird over there. Let’s go.”

“Okay!”

Following the ornithologist’s instructions, we approached a large white bird by the water. Five seconds later,

Suddenly, the bird flapped its wings and charged at us with a loud screech.

“...!?”

“Eeeek.”

“Wait, hold on!”

People scattered instantly to avoid the bird, which was chasing them like a madman.

The bird started chasing Cha Yujin and Kim Raebin, who were the closest.

‘Damn.’

What kind of chaos is this?

“Teacher!! What do we do?!!”

“HELP!!”

“Well, birds usually have a lot of caution, so this is rare... Amazing!”

“Aaaah!!”

Cha Yujin rolled to avoid the bird, almost in tears. It was a scene of utter chaos.

And I realized the situation.

The bird... is running?

“...”

I approached the ‘ornithologist’ and asked.

“...Is this a joke?”

“Huh?”

“That’s not a bird.”

At that moment, the large bird that had pounced on Cha Yujin shouted.

“Got it!”

“...!!”

Instantly, the bird’s neck bent, and a human face popped out.

“Eeeek!!”

The mask was so realistic that it was a bit creepy. I completely understood Cha Yujin’s reaction.

“Ta-da! This was a prank show by ‘Working Human,’ Kwon Jeong-won!”

“Huuu...”

Cha Yujin melted on the ground.

The woman wearing the bird mask with the severed neck exclaimed in surprise.

“Oh no, what do we do!”

* * *

A little later, we moved to a nearby café by the reservoir, following the production team, who were grinning.

The MC apologized as soon as he sat in the prepared spot.

‘This is a rule of such shows.’

“Well, I went after the friends who seemed the least scared... but I’m sorry, both of them were really scared.”

“...It’s okay...”

“I’m scared.”

Kim Raebin accepted the apology with a dazed look, but Cha Yujin still sat as far away from the MC as possible, hiding behind the other members.

Just don’t pull on my clothes. My neck hurts.

‘He’s good at watching horror movies, though.’

Experience is a different story, it seems.

Anyway, the MC, thinking the situation was sufficiently settled, moved on with the filming.

“Now, you all must have realized that our ‘Working Human’ is actually a serious prank show~”

“Aaaah...”

The MC laughed as Testa clapped in a groan.

“So, the first episode...?”

“That teaser episode also fooled the viewers! ‘Working Human’ is just a shortened name, and the original title is... ‘One Verse Only’!”

“...?!”

Seo Ah-hyun’s mouth dropped open, and I almost bit my tongue.

‘That sounds familiar.’

I didn’t expect to be the first victim, with the name changed to catch us.

“So, how does it feel to experience the true title of ‘Working Human,’ ‘One Verse Only,’ for the first time?”

Words burst out like a flood.

“That banner! Did you intentionally make it like that!”

“I was wondering why we had to walk so much!”

“Was the duck walk unnecessary?”

“Aha-ha! You’re all right~ All right~”

The MC laughed and happily sipped his coffee. I held back a sigh and added a comment.

“Was the ornithologist also fake?”

“Of course! He’s a great actor~”

“No wonder he seemed strange! He kept talking about cuckoos!”

Everyone, including the production team, burst into laughter at Daesejin’s comment.

“Well, this place is for winter migratory birds~ We don’t need to come here to photograph summer migratory birds. They spread out and live. There are even some in Gyeonggi Province!”

“Aah...”

I had never seen Ryu Cheong-woo so obviously embarrassed and suffering.

I silently drank my beverage. I would probably be doing the same if I were in his shoes.

Fortunately, the agency wasn’t completely clueless, and the MC continued a long conversation about Testa’s album and activities.

Ryu Cheong-woo, despite his discomfort, answered diligently for the promotion.

‘I’m glad I’m not the leader.’

A title with only obligations is best avoided.

Anyway, after the conversation, we managed to film one of the title songs.

Performing in a countryside-themed café and receiving applause from the staff was a unique experience.

“Wow, you’re amazing! You’re definitely from an audition!”

“Thank you!”

The MC smiled brightly as Testa bowed in all directions.

“Thanks for making the start of the program so fun!”

“We’re the ones who should be grateful!”

“It was fun!”

The ending was warm. It’s an entertainment show, after all, so it can’t end without a warm feeling.

At the end, Cha Yujin also pulled herself together and bowed.

“I’m scared of birds.”

“Haha!”

The MC probably thought it was a joke, but Cha Yujin was dead serious.

‘Well... it’s not bad enough to be a problem.’

He’s not the type to notice if she says it.

At that moment, the MC, receiving a signal from the production team, clapped his hands and continued.

“Alright, everyone! The wages we promised will still be given~”

“Huh?”

“Expensive lunch! We’ve brought plenty of it, as much as your wages~”

“...Eeeek!!”

“Wow!!”

A grill and beef appeared.

And all the bad feelings were washed away. The power of beef.

“Enjoy it!”

“T, thank you!”

The members sat in front of the beef with a dazed look. There was still a lingering suspicion that it might be another prank.

But nothing happened, and the beef was the most delicious thing they had eaten in the past six months.

‘...Not bad.’

Considering the appearance fee, it was a fulfilling schedule.

‘It might be a bit different for Cha Yujin, who experienced it firsthand.’

But soon, Cha Yujin whispered.

“He’s a good person.”

“...Yeah.”

Responding to Cha Yujin’s sincere words after a full meal, I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of variety show this would turn out to be...

‘...I don’t know.’

As long as it doesn’t get bad reviews, it’s fine. I brought the beef to my mouth.

The manager was signaling the members to stop eating, but no one except Seo Ah-hyun paid attention.

* * *

And time passed to Sunday afternoon.

Testa’s second week of music shows ended.

Fans were enjoying seeing the outfits that didn’t appear in the MV at music shows and events.

- The pink hanbok in Music Night is legendary... (screenshot)

- See the power of the black baseball uniform breaking through the crowd and quickly become a Testa fan! You can enjoy fandom without buying stocks (video)

- Testa Park Moon-dae 2X0630 at Oseong Corporate Event (photo) Wearing the Oseong Bears baseball uniform, even the number 11 is proudly displayed!

Intermittent complaints about the incompetent agency were still there, but overall, the atmosphere was enjoyable with a lot of content and no major incidents.

However, many people were thirsty for variety shows.

- The reality show is good, but I’d like to see a big variety show too

- I want to see them on a talk show and be adored...

- Our guys all have great characters, so why is there no news? :(

In this situation, an unknown variety show announced Testa’s appearance.

[National Stock Testa, First Variety Show is TVC’s New ‘Working Human’]

[The First Guest of ‘Working Human’? Testa from ‘Aju-sa’]

-??

-What kind of variety show is this?

-Is this a false report?

-New show?

But soon, the anger of people who had seen the first episode, which was released on YouTube, filled the SNS.

-LOL, T1 is using our guys to promote their own program

-The first episode was so boring, are they crazy?

-It’s already getting a bad reputation among variety show viewers :(

-They really can’t do anything... sigh...

Of course, it didn’t last long. Publicly lamenting would just feed the trolls.

So, hidden complaints filled the internet, and the dominant reaction in the article comments was:

- Wow! Testa will make this show popular!

- Finally,