Chapter 7

The next morning, the five young girls woke up early. YoonA was about to go downstairs to play a prank on Kim Sung-woon, but found that he had already prepared breakfast for them.

"Wow, what is this? It looks so delicious," Sulli exclaimed as she finished washing up and approached the dining table.

"Sweet potato porridge. It can be eaten as a dessert, and it's especially effective for girls who want to lose weight in winter," Kim Sung-woon said with a smile.

"Really?" YooRi originally thought this was a breakfast Kim Sung-woon had specially prepared for Hyun, but when she heard the word "weight loss," her face lit up, and she smiled sweetly at Kim Sung-woon, "Thank you, Sung-woon hyung."

Even Jessica was quite moved.

"Sweet potato porridge can strengthen the spleen and stomach, replenish blood, and promote blood circulation. It is rich in trace elements and can prevent cancer and extend life..." Hyun explained in a serious tone.

"We all know that," YoonA quickly interrupted Hyun's words. For Hyun, who had loved sweet potatoes since childhood, sweet potato porridge was like a five-star meal.

"Mm, the sweet potato is sweet, the sugar is sweet, and the porridge is sweet. It's really great!" Sulli tasted it and praised it like a gourmet.

"Sweet potato porridge can provide a lot of energy, is easy to digest, and is rich in dietary fiber, which has a special function of preventing sugar from turning into fat. It's the most suitable breakfast for you," Kim Sung-woon said to YooRi, who seemed skeptical after hearing Sulli's evaluation.

YooRi finally understood and showed an embarrassed smile.

"Now you know why Hyun loves sweet potatoes so much," YoonA whispered to Jessica, completely immune to the comment.

"YoonA, if you don't like it, you can give it to Hyun," Kim Sung-woon said with a light cough, pretending to be serious.

"No! I really like sweet potato porridge," YoonA stuck out her tongue and quickly stirred the spoon in her hand.

"Ah! Hot... hot!"

"Who told you to be so impatient," Kim Sung-woon handed her a glass of cool water.

"Guu—" YoonA drank it in one breath and sat quietly like a little deer, her eating movements becoming more graceful.

"Hehe, it's rare to see someone who can control YoonA," Sulli chuckled from the side. Although YoonA appeared quiet, she was a real troublemaker and had often played pranks on them.

YoonA pretended not to hear but secretly made a note to herself: she would find a way to play a prank on Sulli, who always liked to go against her, when she got back.

"Phew! Having a warm breakfast in the morning is really refreshing." After breakfast, the five of them said goodbye and caught the first bus.

"I didn't expect Sung-woon hyung to be so meticulous. He's completely different from what his appearance suggests. He has the potential to be a good husband," Sulli said, sitting next to YoonA, propping her chin on her hand, her eyes shining brightly.

YoonA glanced at Sulli absentmindedly, still thinking about how to play a prank on her.

"Jessica, you should eat more of this kind of breakfast. It's good for your health," Hyun said, pursing her lips and speaking to Jessica, "Sung-woon hyung told me."

"Wow—" Sulli, YoonA, and YooRi suddenly let out a long, ambiguous exclamation, their voices stretching like sugar threads, with a hint of sarcasm.

"What are you yelling about?" Jessica's face seemed to flush slightly, and she glared at the three of them angrily.

"Sung-woon hyung said that Jessica's complexion is not very healthy. If it continues like this, it could lead to chronic problems, making it difficult to adapt to the schedule after debuting," Hyun explained calmly.

The three of them were slightly taken aback, realizing that Jessica's complexion was indeed rosy, not because of their teasing, but because they had never noticed it before.

"I told you, Sung-woon hyung has the potential to be a good husband," Sulli said, looking proud after a moment of surprise.

"Are you changing your mind and calling him 'hyung' again? Sulli, are you planning to marry Sung-woon hyung in the future?" YoonA's eyes twinkled, and she exclaimed as if she had just discovered a new continent.

"Did you really notice that?" Sulli covered her face with her hands, pretending to be embarrassed.

"Hehe..." The awkwardness that had just begun to spread was quickly dispelled by laughter.

...

Since the fourth episode of X-Man had already been recorded, Kim Sung-woon had to wait for the fifth episode. During this waiting period, he occasionally attended lectures at Seoul University, but most of the time, he stayed at home, reading books, surfing the internet, and practicing his instruments.

Kim Sung-woon was very proud of his talent for languages, which might be one of the benefits he gained from the ship. However, even so, he still insisted on reading foreign literature daily to reinforce his skills.

...

On February 21, Kim Sung-woon arrived at the SBS radio building and went to an office according to the address given by the PD of X-Man.

"Phew—" Kim Sung-woon took a deep breath and gently knocked on the door.

"Come in," a deep voice replied.

"Hyung, hello!"

"Hyung, hello!"

Kim Sung-woon pushed the door open and found two middle-aged men in their forties sitting opposite each other, apparently discussing something. He quickly bowed to greet them.

The man facing the door turned his head slightly in surprise to glance at Kim Sung-woon, while the man in the main seat continued to mark the script with a pen without looking up.

Kim Sung-woon closed the door and stood quietly at a distance from the two men.

From the voice, the man in the main seat, wearing a black down jacket and slightly overweight, should be PD Park, who had spoken to him on the phone. He was discussing matters related to X-Man with the other man, seemingly dissatisfied with the ratings.

After about half an hour, the other man finally got up to leave, and Kim Sung-woon hurriedly opened the door for him.

"Sit down," PD Park said, gesturing for Kim Sung-woon to sit in front of him after he closed the door.

"Kim Sung-woon, debuted as a singer on January 7, 1998, enlisted on January 10, 2002, and was discharged on February 11, 2004," PD Park read from a piece of paper.

"Yes, hyung," Kim Sung-woon replied respectfully.

"Why do you want to be a regular guest on X-Man?"

"First, as a singer, I am clearly a failure, and my voice has also developed a problem. So, I want to develop in the entertainment industry. X-Man, as a new variety show, can serve as a platform for my development," Kim Sung-woon answered according to the plan he had prepared in advance. Suddenly, he had an idea and added, "Moreover, I believe X-Man has great potential and will create a wave of Korean variety shows in Asia."

"Why do you think so?" PD Park stopped twirling his pencil and asked, "You should know that X-Man's current ratings are only average."

Kim Sung-woon, of course, couldn't say that he had just had a sudden inspiration.

"X-Man has a very good format that can be continuously explored and improved to find the most suitable laugh points for the audience. Secondly, the large number of guests can attract many fans. Lastly, the three hosts of X-Man."

"Jang Ho-dong, Yoo Jae-suk, and Kim Je-dong?" PD Park was surprised that Kim Sung-woon would give such a reason, and his eyes flashed with approval. "Not bad. Although they are not the top MCs in Korea, they are definitely in the first tier, and they all have great potential, especially Yoo Jae-suk, whom I highly regard."

Kim Sung-woon suddenly remembered an important change in X-Man: in the first episode, Kim Je-dong stood in the middle, but after the second episode, Yoo Jae-suk took the middle position. Although it was just a change in position, it was a significant distinction between the main MC and the supporting MC. This indicated that PD Park highly appreciated Yoo Jae-suk.

"I hope your performance will satisfy me," PD Park patted Kim Sung-woon's shoulder and said, "I will give you a maximum of three episodes to adapt."

"Thank you, PD Park," Kim Sung-woon quickly stood up and said, "But I think one episode will be enough for me to adapt."

PD Park was slightly taken aback, looking at Kim Sung-woon's confident smile without comment, and led him to the main waiting room of X-Man.

"You're a bit early. Even Yoo Jae-suk hasn't arrived yet. Just wait here," PD Park said, noticing that Kim Sung-woon was following him alone, his eyes flashing with a strange light, as if he understood something, and his tone became more relaxed.

"Thank you, PD Park," Kim Sung-woon took the script from PD Park and bowed.

After seeing PD Park off, Kim Sung-woon began to memorize and analyze the script. Since there were many guests, the lines for each person were not many, and it mainly relied on personal performance. In short, the more humorous one was, the more screen time they would get.

Kim Sung-woon had an excellent memory. Although he couldn't say he had a photographic memory, it was close. For these lively dialogues, he could always find the best way to remember them.

After reading it twice and skimming through it once, Kim Sung-woon had memorized all the lines.

This variety show was quite novel. Before the start of X-Man, the PD would select one X-Man from the participating guests, and only that person would know. The X-Man's task was to make their team lose, and the task would be considered complete only when their team lost and their identity was not revealed.

After the game, everyone would vote to select the X-Man, and the selected person would be verified. If the selected person was the same as the one chosen at the beginning of the game, the challengers, except for the X-Man, could donate all the prize money to a charity organization in the name of the challengers. If the first selected person was not the X-Man, the X-Man's task would be considered successful, and the prize money would be donated to a charity organization in the name of the X-Man.

By bringing laughter to the audience, the stars could donate to charity, which not only increased their popularity but also left a good impression on the audience. Therefore, many top-tier stars would participate (of course, those who rarely appeared on variety shows were exceptions).

"Yoo Jae-suk..." Kim Sung-woon was deep in thought when he suddenly heard a hoarse voice from outside the door and quickly got up to open it.

"Hey?" It was Jang Ho-dong, Yoo Jae-suk, and Kim Je-dong. Yoo Jae-suk, who was at the front, was about to open the door but found it suddenly opened from the inside.

"Hyung, hello!" Kim Sung-woon quickly bowed to greet them.

"Are you the new guy who wants to join X-Man as a regular guest?" Jang Ho-dong asked first after they entered.

"Yes, hyung."

"Although you're not very handsome, you have a good figure," Jang Ho-dong patted Kim Sung-woon's chest and said.

Kim Sung-woon smiled shyly and said softly, "Hyung, your figure is also very good."

Jang Ho-dong was slightly taken aback and looked at his nearly 115 kg weight speechlessly.

"An interesting new guy," Yoo Jae-suk and Kim Je-dong exchanged glances.