Chapter 49

The Last Worker (2)

The production team had prepared a high-rise exterior painting experience.

Indeed, the more time passed, the more I adapted. I tried hard not to look down and painted the wall diligently with a long roller. Every time the wooden chair swayed, my toes would curl inside my sneakers, but overall, things were going well.

The parts that Oran and I had painted sloppily were cleaned up by the boss as he passed by. He was indeed a professional.

What about Seohun?

"Would you consider becoming a business partner? Painting is a promising profession. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Seohun was born to paint exteriors! With Seohun, we could dominate this industry!"

"Um, Mr. Boss…."

Why is the boss trying to lure our member? This is strange.

Of course, even to us and the production team, Seohun's movements were extraordinary.

Seohun watched the boss's demonstration once, then, relying on the rope, he performed acrobatic movements in the air and painted an entire wall in an instant.

Holding the long roller, Seohun moved through the air without touching the wall, exuding a sense of stability. His skill was almost on par with the boss, who had ten years of experience.

"Student Oran, are you okay? If you're scared, you can call for a break…."

"No, no. I can't give up halfway. Am I causing you trouble? I'm sorry. I'll try my best."

"No, no. Student Oran is working hard enough, so don't cry…."

The annoying Oran. That soft, harmless-looking guy is actually the real Hong Oran….

Boss, he's acting right now. How young does he have to look for you to call him a student? I looked into the distance, savoring the bitterness of life, with only the sky full of fine dust in my sight.

"Mr. Yi, you're really impressive. At this height, you don't complain at all, and you're so brave…. If my son grows up to be like Mr. Yi, I'll have no more to ask for."

"No, Mr. Boss. I'm not really scared…."

"My wife is pregnant with our second child, and she's looking for only beautiful things. Maybe it's because the baby is a girl, but she's being particularly picky. In that sense, could you take a photo for me?"

My head was full of question marks. Beautiful? Girl? What does that have to do with my photo…?

I answered affirmatively without thinking, but I still couldn't understand the boss's logic.

"I've heard that to be an idol, you need to be pretty and good-looking, but seeing you in person, I understand why people are so enthusiastic. My wife says that looking at you purifies her eyes or that handsome men are a legacy of humanity. There's a reason for such expressions. I'm sure Mr. Yi's parents are very grateful."

Boss, about that private information…. If this is broadcast, won't your wife scold you?

I decided to contact the boss on the day of the broadcast to check on him.

* * *

The three of us painted the slightly bluish white paint for about an hour and then passed the baton to the next three: Green, Jiyoon, and Baekha.

The production team had rented a rooftop and a family home below where the painting was taking place to film through the windows. The camera director didn't seem to want to hang from a rope to film.

We also went down to the lower floor to join the filming team and watch the reactions of the three who were experiencing the painting.

It was a complete mess.

"Hey, sir, boss. It's so cold, what if we turn into ice?"

"It hasn't even been 10 minutes. Mr. Jiyoon…."

He seems to be trying to get out of this situation. The boss mustn't fall.

"Is this not going to fall? If it falls, it's immediate death, right?"

"Immediate? If you fall, you're already dead. But you don't need to worry about that. The rope Mr. Jiyoon is using looks weak, but it's made of special material…."

Despite the mismatch, the conversation somehow progressed.

Jiyoon then muttered in what sounded like an alien language. Perhaps he had discovered a new language in this extreme situation.

"Are you okay?"

"……"

Green, with his head held stiffly and staring straight ahead, had turned pale. The production team also observed his complexion and began to waver.

"Mr. Green? Mr. Green?"

"Yes. I'm Nam Green. I'm 20 years old and my blood type is O. I would appreciate it if you could report to the nearest hospital."

"Report? To a hospital…?"

The boss sensed something was wrong and sent a distress signal to the PD with his eyes. The PD quickly went into a meeting.

The members, including me, were also flustered. We had underestimated Green's acrophobia, thinking it could be overcome with determination. Acrophobia isn't something that can be overcome with just determination.

"Green! Can you hear me? Close your eyes! Imagine you're sitting in a rocking chair! Can you hear me?"

"Baekha… Closing my eyes is scary…."

"Then don't look at anything else, just look at me!"

Baekha boldly told him to look only at her. It was a romantic line, but the problem was that Baekha was below Green.

Green, without thinking, turned his head in the direction of the voice and ended up looking down at the ground he had been trying so hard not to see.

"Aaaaaaaaah!"

"Green!"

"Kaaaaaaaah!"

"Ch, Ch, Green, hahaha, Green, puh, puhahaha!"

"Ah! Baekha Jun! You'll regret this!"

"It, it was a mistake, hahaha, I, ch, I'm sorry. Puh, puhahaha! Hahaha!"

Grinding?

A grinding sound came from somewhere. Green and Baekha had a heated argument in the air. Green seemed to have forgotten that he was hanging in mid-air while arguing.

The production team finally relaxed and watched the two bicker with smiles.

"You said you were scared! Do you think acrophobia is a joke? Baekha Jun, you'll regret this."

"What did I do wrong? It was a mistake!"

"Sure! It could have been a mistake. You could have forgotten! But you laughed and mocked me? You laughed so heartily?"

"When did I! The laughter just, just came from deep inside me! I couldn't control it! As a leader, is this acceptable? This is an abuse of power!"

"Abuse of power? When have I ever been unfair? Do you want to taste real power?"

"Help! Seohun! Yi! Jiyoon! Oran!"

Oran, pretending to be a cute creature but acting scary,

Jiyoon, scared and saying anything,

Green, trembling and shouting,

Baekha, laughing heartily at their antics.

Seohun, with his incredible physical abilities, even received a scouting offer from the boss.

I was the only one who was normal. I looked at the members with a hazy gaze and couldn't bear to look anymore.

Is this filming okay as it is? I decided to trust the bright smiles of the PD and the writer.

When Green came down, his hand was holding Baekha's ear. The boss, who had experienced the chaotic members in a short time, was in a daze and could only laugh.

They all had strong personalities, and the special environment led to an explosion. Feeling sorry for the boss, I took a lot of photos for him.

I thought he wanted a photo with the boss, but the boss wanted a solo shot of me. When I checked the photo, it was cropped to show only my face.

"Boss…? Did you take it wrong? Should I take it again?"

"No. Good things should be seen up close."

"…Okay?"

The boss seemed satisfied. Since the manager also approved, it should be fine.

The interview was conducted separately at the broadcasting station the next day, and the filming time was much longer than I expected. I thought it would be short because the questions were set, but we received detailed questions as if it were a deep interview.

"This filming was so much fun! I can't even remember the last time I laughed so much. The Teora members have incredible talent for variety shows."

"It might take editing to give a definite answer, but it could be broadcast in two episodes."

"From what I see, it can't be contained in one episode. PD."

"Kim, don't you think so too? There are too many scenes that can't be cut, making it a pity to edit."

"Exactly!"

We received praise from the writers, and the PD gave us the hopeful news that we might appear on TV for two weeks.

"Wow?!"

Whether our goal of bringing laughter and emotion was achieved will be known in a week. At least we did our best, so there was no regret.

"Teora members, let's meet again. Even if it's not this program, I'll definitely call you for another program."

"Of course. If you call, we'll come anytime."

"I believe Teora will definitely succeed. When we meet again and you're successful, don't pretend not to know me. I'll cry if you pretend not to know me."

"Hey, don't forget us, writer."

Green, who had regained his composure, threw a sly line. The writer's nostrils flared and then shrank as he looked at Green, who had found his condition.

That's the movement just before laughter. Was he comparing it to Green's appearance at the filming site yesterday?

"I don't think I'll forget. You'll be seen everywhere."

"Thank you. I'll work hard."

"By the way, I'll contact the writer of the program that Teora requested. Is it okay to ask why they chose a program other than the variety shows and talk shows that idols usually appear in?"

Telling our side of the story to everyone might not help but could only make things worse.

It would be no small feat for POT Entertainment to put pressure on all programs of all broadcasting stations. Moreover, the risk of exposing POT Entertainment's actions would increase. It can be inferred that they focused on programs that could efficiently promote idols.

So, we decided to exploit the gaps. To the audience, it might seem odd for a new idol group to appear in such a program, but we had no choice. Any program was a blessing for Teora.

"If the program I recommend is confirmed, I'll ask the PD to add a subtitle at the end of 'The Last Worker.' Then more viewers will see it."

It seems that there's no problem since it's a recommendation from 'The Last Worker' format and the connected program is on the same channel. All the Teora members were pleased with this unexpected gain.

"Thank you, writer. I'll definitely repay this favor someday."

"Don't mention it. I think the day will come when I'll be more grateful. I do."

"Really?"

"I'm hoping that this filming will be a turning point for 'The Last Worker.' It's the intuition of a writer who has been in the business for a long time."

For this intuition to become reality, we need to become a topic of discussion.

"I don't want to say it's impossible. My intuition is also like that. Writer."

Despite Green's arrogant statement, the writer smiled deeply. The Teora members were looking forward to the broadcast day.