Chapter 76

Cameo appearance

Xiaoming stood at the classroom door, took a deep breath, and firmly gripped the secret letter from his mother. Even the most useless information, like thatched cottages, was gladly swallowed. If he only saw such reactions all the time, it would be impossible for him not to develop a celebrity disease.

“Other members call me 'hyung' according to their age, but they call Jeton without the 'hyung'! Why is that?”

Bakha held her fist in front of Jeton’s mouth. It seemed to be a substitute for a microphone.

“Just my name is enough. Age doesn’t matter between us.”

“That’s why they call you by your name! I just found out too!”

– Shout out to Jeton!

– Hyung! You’re such a man!

– Heart-throb…

– Can even grandmas like you…?

As the chaotic atmosphere calmed down, Hyung Seohoon, who had been looking at the members with a gentle gaze, spoke.

“Haha. I have an announcement. I made a cameo appearance in a drama. It will be broadcast tomorrow at 8:30 PM on MBS, so please tune in!”

It turned out that he had also made a cameo appearance in a drama, which would be broadcast the next day. Compared to movies, which take a long time to be released, daily dramas are almost broadcast immediately after filming.

– 8:30 PM MBS?

– The Secret of the Tempting Wife!

– A melodrama is coming out????

“It’s more like an extra role. You might miss us if you blink, so you’ll have to watch closely to find us.”

Depending on the editing, it might be more like a background role. Even if the writer confidently promised, an extra who suddenly appears out of nowhere can only play a limited role.

– What a waste of talent

– ㄷㄷ Seohoon as an extra…?

– With 6 years of experience, minus the time not working!

– Seohoon: Idol and 11-year actor

“Seohoon the idol is still a rookie, but I had a great time filming because I knew some people from my acting days.”

Despite receiving praise for his standout performance in the limited time, Hyung Seohoon remained humble. If this was not just a polished appearance for the fans but rather a downplayed version, could it be believed?

– What role is it?

– Is Theo in it too?

– I’ll definitely watch the live broadcast! Set the alarm!

“It’s just a brief appearance, and all the members are in it. Although it’s short, the writer will make us look good, so it will be memorable.”

– How can I wait until tomorrow ㅜㅜㅜㅜ

– It’s hard to be impressive in a melodrama, isn’t it?

– So curious!!

“Please watch us with a kind eye. We did our best.”

“I’ll turn on the W Live broadcast after watching the drama! It will be really fun to chat together then!”

Bakha was impressive for having the confidence to put her acting on display. For me, just seeing myself move on screen would be a difficult task.

“Are you excited, Cottages? Hehe.”

Bakha suddenly set a W Live schedule, making the manager hyung watch us closely.

The manager hyung stood guard like a tall tree, arms crossed. Since he didn’t shake his head, it seemed there was no problem with the schedule.

“Please look forward to the Theo & Cottages drama viewing party!”

“Bakha, what if you raise our expectations too high! What if the Cottages are disappointed!”

The chat window was filled with warm reactions to the bickering between Bakha and Ora. Most interpreted it as a sign of their closeness.

Is the bar for closeness set too low? I had a slight concern, but since they were going to be shown in a good light, I decided not to object.

“The broadcast will end here. Please wait for us until then! Theo will always return to the Cottages.”

“Oh! Green hyung! Did you think about it while we were talking? Returning to the Cottages!”

“Hmm, was it too obvious?”

– It’s obvious, but I love it!!!!!

– Classics are eternal!

– The cliché doesn’t matter! Who says it does!

“Still, it’s not a lie. Thanks to the Cottages, I feel more confident and can be more honest.”

Will I hear more bold lines from Green hyung in the future?

“Still, don’t be too lenient. We might get spoiled, Cottages.”

– Should I train you harder?

– I’m ready, sister!

– Spoiled Green… I actually like it

– Trying to knock us down like this? No way!

Occasionally, sarcastic comments appeared, but the fact that they were looking for the live broadcast on purpose was a sign of interest.

Overall, we received a lot of support from those who had a good impression of us.

“Haha, then we’ll end the Theo Live broadcast here. I’ll be back tomorrow. To the Cottages!”

“I’ll be back!”

As the live broadcast ended, the Theo members sighed in unison. It was a time to communicate with fans in a comfortable atmosphere, but they were still not used to live broadcasts and couldn’t help but be nervous.

Would they eventually get used to it and feel as comfortable as friends or family? I felt that the fans would always be difficult, grateful, and thankful.

“Did I make any mistakes?”

Green hyung asked the manager hyung first. He probably thought the manager hyung, who could view things more objectively than Theo, who was directly broadcasting, would be a better judge.

“I didn’t see any. More importantly, have you all finished the video shooting for the upcoming upload?”

“Yes! Of course!”

For a few days, we had been brainstorming to create a self-produced video for NewTube but couldn’t come up with a good idea and were struggling. The creative team staff told us not to feel the pressure to make the first video the best. They said that putting too much pressure on ourselves would make it harder to create a good video.

Taking their advice, the Theo members decided to show “our unadorned daily life” but film it in a new location.

“Let’s first figure out how to portray Ora hyung’s personality.”

Bakha’s concern was valid. If we went with a real, unfiltered concept, fans might feel betrayed when Ora’s true personality was revealed later.

“Gradually revealing her personality shouldn’t cause any discomfort. Should we have another concept meeting?”

“No need. Is it because you and Bakha are trying to bring out my true personality?”

Ora, who was quick to notice, immediately caught on to our attempts.

“That’s right! Why!”

Bakha decided to be bold and straightforward. Understanding her intentions to help Ora, I couldn’t just scold her. Knowing this, Bakha took a strong stance.

“Pretending to be cute isn’t bad! It’s undeniable that it’s a source of joy for us and the fans! But I don’t want to deceive the fans. I want Hong Ora to be able to act without hesitation! Is that bad?”

Ora, taken aback by her straightforwardness, was speechless.

It wasn’t easy to apply the plan of creating a cute character and living as that character in real life.

It caused considerable stress to be mindful of every action and could lead to unexpected backlash.

“Ora, this self-produced video is the first to show our true selves and is close to a reality show, right?”

If the format is a reality “show,” viewers would understand that it’s close to real life but also includes some scripted elements for entertainment.

“So?”

“Let’s pretend to have a concept. Act like you’re deliberately playing the role of a prickly Ora for laughs.”

“What’s the benefit of doing that?”

“Viewers of the self-produced show will feel closer to the ‘prickly Ora.’ When her true personality is revealed, they can take comfort in the hint they received.”

“Hmm… What do you all think of Eun’s suggestion? What about the others?”

The manager hyung, who had been watching silently from a distance, stood among the creative team staff.

The staff members in front of the manager hyung flinched at his imposing presence.

“Your opinions are more important, but I’m in favor. Following Eun’s suggestion could reduce the risk.”

“The strategy of repeatedly exposing it so that it’s seen as a ‘concept’ rather than ‘acting’ is, frankly, innovative.”

“I agree. Even if fans think the true personality is a concept, it’s a manageable level of misunderstanding, isn’t it?”

No one can predict the future accurately. We can only gauge how people’s psychology might move based on experience.

The Theo members, gathered around a round table, began to speak one by one.

“I don’t understand why we’re so seriously considering this. I wouldn’t care.”

Ji-on, who was indifferent to how others lived, couldn’t empathize with the others’ seriousness.

It was reassuring to know that people like Ji-on, who can quickly return to a calm state or accept reality, exist.

As they say, people are less interested in others than we think.

“Our fans, who are emotionally close to us, would be the problem. They are likely our fans. In that sense, I hope you accept Eun’s suggestion. I do.”

Green hyung believed a safety measure was necessary to reduce the shock to the fans.

“Let’s try it Eun’s way. There’s no harm in trying.”

“I agree with Hyung Seohoon!”

The opinion to try it, even if it fails, was the consensus.

“The concept of a ‘prickly Ora’ could be fun. You can see how Eun reacts to Ora’s changes.”

Seohoon hyung, I didn’t know you felt this way. You found it amusing every time I was surprised, didn’t you?

Turning my head sharply and wrinkling my nose, Seohoon hyung pretended not to notice. He’s so soft-hearted, even though I’m not going to eat him.

“I agree too! That’s real reality!”

I want to believe the video team staff’s words that the joy felt by those filming will be conveyed to the viewers.

All the relevant parties, except Ora, voted in favor of the ‘prickly Ora’ concept.

“I can’t refuse such consideration for me. Let’s try it and see. We can decide the direction afterward based on the results.”

Ora reluctantly accepted the idea of setting up a safety measure, and thus Theo filmed their first self-produced reality show.

The filming, which simply showed the Theo members’ usual selves, was quickly wrapped up. It seemed too easy.

However, since the video team staff burst into genuine laughter during filming, I decided to put my worries aside.

If we can elicit such reactions from those who only superficially know Theo, the Cottages, who have a deep affection for us, will surely be rolling on the floor laughing.

“I hope the Cottages will like Theo’s gift.”