Chapter 20

Because of Yoon Hyun's deep understanding of the character Choi Han-jack, he gained a bit of authority in front of the director and the screenwriter. This allowed Yoon Hyun to unhesitatingly secure two minor roles with lines for Quan Baolan and Lee Ji-hyun, and even get a relatively significant supporting role as the younger sister of the female lead for Ham Eun-jeong.

This deeply moved the three girls, especially Ham Eun-jeong. This girl, who usually had a bit of a boyish demeanor, directly hugged Yoon Hyun's neck and kissed his face at the dinner table where the three girls were thanking Yoon Hyun.

The air date for "Coffee Prince" was set for early July, so the production team was quickly established. At the cast meeting, Yoon Hyun met the female lead of the show, Yoon Eun-hye, for the first time.

"Senior Yoon Eun-hye, nice to meet you! I'm your fan!" Yoon Hyun said with a bit of excitement.

It was true that he was a fan of Yoon Eun-hye. In his previous life, he didn't have a deep impression of Korean variety shows, but he knew about the famous ear-covering confession that helped Kim Jong-kook achieve a triple crown in 2005. In this life, he had always kept an eye on this girl whose name differed from his sister's by only one character.

"Yoon Hyun, you don't need to be so formal. Just call me Nuna," Yoon Eun-hye said with a surprisingly good temper, speaking kindly to Yoon Hyun.

The two of them slowly started chatting. Yoon Eun-hye had a rather carefree personality and wasn't particular about many things, which Yoon Hyun described as being unpretentious. He naturally had a positive bias towards such girls. Moreover, although Yoon Eun-hye's appearance wasn't stunning at first glance, it was very comfortable to look at, making Yoon Hyun very willing to chat with her.

Ham Eun-jeong, who had been hiding on the side, seeing that Yoon Hyun and Yoon Eun-hye were chatting happily, mustered up the courage to join in. In the show, Ham Eun-jeong played the role of Yoon Eun-hye's younger sister, so Yoon Eun-hye had a good impression of this girl who shared a similar aura of strength, and naturally acted very warmly towards her.

Gradually, almost all the main cast members gathered and chatted happily.

The director and screenwriter were naturally pleased with this atmosphere.

Due to the pressure of the air date, there was no time for a rehearsal period. The shooting began on the day they gathered.

The first scene was the motorcycle stunt of Go Eun-chan, where she rides a motorcycle to deliver something to a bathhouse.

Although Yoon Hyun didn't have a scene, he observed and learned seriously.

What he learned included not only some acting techniques from Yoon Eun-hye but also the overall operation of the production team. Based on some experience he had learned online, he chose to follow the clapperboard operator.

"Yoon Hyun, you really have a lot of free time," the clapperboard operator, Sun Chang-jun, said with a mix of amusement and exasperation. However, he still allowed Yoon Hyun to observe.

Those who truly understood the industry knew that learning to be a director started with learning to be a clapperboard operator.

It seemed that this Seoul University high achiever had ambitions to be a director!

Although Yoon Eun-hye had the nickname "Girl Warrior" in variety shows, she wasn't actually a tough person. Therefore, the motorcycle scene was not easy for her. After several NGs, she finally met the director's requirements, and the first shot of the entire show was successfully completed, earning applause from the scene.

The subsequent shooting became more intense.

Unlike many other actors, including Ham Eun-jeong, who was "brought" into the production by Yoon Hyun, Yoon Hyun was a lazy artist. His schedule rarely included multiple activities at the same time.

So, unlike other artists who had to rush to other commitments besides shooting, Yoon Hyun basically stayed on the set, sticking close to the director and screenwriter. When it was his turn to act, he would go on set, and when it wasn't, he would follow the director to learn.

Lee Yun-jung also approved of Yoon Hyun's behavior. In her view, an actor who didn't want to be a director wasn't a good actor. Only by having a good grasp of the entire show could one appropriately showcase the necessary brilliance in their role.

However, Yoon Hyun's leisurely behavior finally angered Kim Soo-yeon. Under her pressure, citing the need for artists to maintain frequent TV exposure and her own financial needs, she ordered Yoon Hyun to choose a variety show from one of the three major TV stations.

As for which one, Yoon Hyun could choose himself.

Additionally, Kim Soo-yeon began to arrange some commercial shooting commitments for Yoon Hyun.

Yoon Hyun's beautiful director dream was thus shattered before it even took off...

Even if he was forced to choose a variety show, Yoon Hyun still had ample options. For an artist who had only debuted for two months, this was a tremendous blessing.

Speaking of variety shows, Yoon Hyun naturally knew that the greatest variety show in Korean TV history, "Infinite Challenge," was just starting. However, "Infinite Challenge" was too exhausting, so he preferred talk shows like "Knee Doctor" or "Night Heart a Thousand." Sitting there and chatting for a few hours, the work was done, and it was easy and pleasant.

Out of trust, Yoon Hyun honestly shared his thoughts on "Infinite Challenge" with his agent, Kim Soo-yeon, and regretfully expressed that although he was optimistic about the show, he asked her to contact talk shows instead.

Perhaps because he was tired from shooting, he didn't notice the cold glares from Kim Soo-yeon.

Such a misplaced trust was a tragic thing in any era.

When the final result came out, Yoon Hyun felt that he had been sold out by the devil with horns and wings in front of him: with the popularity from his mini album, he smoothly became a regular cast member of "Infinite Challenge," and at the same time, he would also participate in a "Knee Doctor" episode hosted by Kang Ho-dong...

When did a two-choice situation turn into a one-plus-one?

Yoon Hyun was crying without tears.

On the afternoon he received the notification, Yoon Hyun got into the limousine and went to MBC to record "Knee Doctor"...

"Senior Kang Ho-dong, Senior Lee Soo-geun, Senior Jang Dong-hyuk, nice to meet you. I'm Yoon Hyun," Yoon Hyun immediately bowed and greeted the three hosts who were already preparing in the waiting room.

"Yoon Hyun, no need to be so formal," Kang Ho-dong said with his usual friendly and generous demeanor.

Lee Soo-geun and Jang Dong-hyuk also showed kindness and warmth.

After chatting for a while in the waiting room, they prepared to start the recording.

"Is this the place where the Knee Doctor can solve any troubles?" Yoon Hyun pushed open a partition and entered the studio, following the show's usual opening.

"Ah! It's Yoon Hyun, who swept the music industry with 'Baby'!" Kang Ho-dong made an exaggerated expression.

Yoon Hyun cooperated with some reactions, completing his introduction, and the show moved on to the main topic.

"Yoon Hyun, what troubles do you have?" Lee Soo-geun asked enthusiastically.

"Whatever troubles you have, just say them!" Kang Ho-dong said mysteriously.

"My trouble is that my hands are too clumsy," Yoon Hyun answered according to the pre-designed script.

"How clumsy? Do you often cut yourself while chopping vegetables?" Jang Dong-hyuk interjected.

"It's just that I can't learn instruments well, and my progress is very slow," Yoon Hyun thought for a moment and answered honestly.

"Ah! Yoon Hyun, you must be responsible for what you say! Your irresponsible words will be attacked by the audience!" Kang Ho-dong expressed anger. "Didn't you play the guitar and sing at the SBS music show before?"

"That's right! My friends were moved by your guitar! How can you say you can't play instruments?" Lee Soo-geun also expressed indignation.

"But that song only used a few chords, and I practiced that guitar part for months!" Yoon Hyun shrugged, pretending to be helpless.

"But if I'm not mistaken, the songs in your album were all written by you?" Kang Ho-dong asked.

"Yes, they were all written by me," Yoon Hyun said, used to being bold.

"Someone who can't play instruments can write songs? That's unimaginable!" Kang Ho-dong continued to express disbelief.

"Even if you can't play instruments, there are now computer programs that can synthesize music. My songs were made using those programs," Yoon Hyun explained.

"Ah, someone like Ho-dong, who lived in the last century, wouldn't know about the advanced computer technology," Lee Soo-geun mocked.

"And even if he knew, Ho-dong's memory probably wouldn't remember it," Yoon Hyun thought of a comeback.

"Ah! Yoon Hyun, that's not right! I have a famous memory!" Kang Ho-dong was不服气.

"Then, Ho-dong, if I remind you that we met more than two years ago, can you remember where?" Yoon Hyun said with a smile.

"Two years ago? That's too long ago for Ho-dong to remember," Jang Dong-hyuk added.

"Two years ago, we met?" Kang Ho-dong instantly understood what Yoon Hyun was referring to. That chance encounter had been so long ago!

"Yes, see, you can't remember," Yoon Hyun laughed.

"Give me a hint! A hint!" Kang Ho-dong pretended to be不服气.

"Hint? Okay. The hint is hiding from women. The location is in the restroom of Ho-dong's barbecue restaurant," Yoon Hyun said calmly.

This statement was like a bomb, instantly piquing the interest of Lee Soo-geun and Jang Dong-hyuk.

"Hiding from women?"

"In the restroom?"

Kang Ho-dong laughed loudly: "Ha ha ha, I remember! You're that young man!" He secretly gave Yoon Hyun a thumbs up.

"Ho-dong, explain why you were hiding from women in your own restaurant's restroom. We're more interested in that!" Lee Soo-geun showed no interest in Kang Ho-dong's realization.

"What hiding from women? This little guy was hiding... Ah, Yoon Hyun, right! I was just going to the restroom," Kang Ho-dong naturally wouldn't admit to hiding from women.

"Wow, looks like today's show is full of drama! Yoon Hyun, why were you hiding from women?" Lee Soo-geun's curiosity was fully ignited.

"Me? It's simple. Two Nuna, who had been calling me Oppa due to a misunderstanding, were very angry when the misunderstanding was cleared up during a drama audition. They forced me to treat them to barbecue and even called my sister and another younger sister to join. They were determined to bankrupt me, so I hid in the restroom," Yoon Hyun explained honestly.

Lee Soo-geun and Jang Dong-hyuk burst into laughter.

"I can vouch for this. I remember that day, and I even thought about waiving the bill because it was so high," Kang Ho-dong nodded.

"But Ho-dong only gave me a 20% discount," Yoon Hyun said with a hint of resentment. "And Ho-dong wasn't hiding from women, he was hiding from alcohol."

"Hiding from alcohol? Ho-dong hiding from alcohol?" Lee Soo-geun showed extreme surprise. "I believe he was hiding from women, but hiding from alcohol? I don't believe it."

"I don't know. I said I was hiding from women, and Ho-dong very cooperatively said he was too," Yoon Hyun shrugged.

"Women... alcohol... Speaking of which, Ho-dong, I guess you were drinking with Shin Ji or Yoon Eun-hye that day?" Lee Soo-geun said mischievously.

"Ah..." Kang Ho-dong was speechless.

The other three burst into laughter.

"Ah! Weren't we supposed to talk about Yoon Hyun's hand problem?" Kang Ho-dong, seeing that the effect was sufficient, brought the topic back to the main point.

The subsequent conversation followed the pre-designed script, with Kang Ho-dong and Lee Soo-geun suggesting unreliable ways to improve hand dexterity, which Yoon Hyun refuted, creating the show's comedic moments.

Finally, Kang Ho-dong suggested that Yoon Hyun learn to play the drums, which would make hand dexterity irrelevant, as a way to solve the problem, and the recording ended.

The entire recording process took about three hours.

After the recording, Kang Ho-dong praised Yoon Hyun's ability to improvise and find topics, and said he would definitely invite Yoon Hyun to the next gathering to experience whether it was hiding from alcohol or women.

Yoon Hyun dismissed Kang Ho-dong's threat. Although he didn't drink much, he wasn't a complete teetotaler. After returning from the military and drinking with his former comrades, Yoon Hyun had outlasted many, realizing his body's tolerance for alcohol.

However, this recording session also increased Yoon Hyun's good impression of Kang Ho-dong. Despite his efforts to undermine him on the show, Kang Ho-dong didn't get angry, which would be unimaginable if it happened with a senior in the music industry.

After a heavy bear hug from Kang Ho-dong, Yoon Hyun left the studio, both physically and mentally drained.