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“I’ll head out now!”
“Yeah. Good work!”
It was Friday evening, 6 p.m.—the time of the week office workers looked forward to the most. Weekends always passed in a flash, but that only made them more precious.
‘Tomorrow, I’m not setting an alarm. I’m sleeping in.’
Spring had arrived before anyone noticed. Standing in line for the bus at Gangnam Station, the office worker felt the slightly chilly March evening breeze.
With a long commute ahead, she opened Intube as usual. Her feed—perfectly tailored by her personal algorithm—was filled with Han Yeoreum.
INTUBE
[From a manga café to Dongmyo Market... and even ‘there’? <Please Take Care of Mbonbu> Teaser] 02:33
Views: 45,661
The thumbnail showed Han Yeoreum, Choo Gaeul, and So Dami. As it happened, the broadcast was airing today.
‘I’ll watch this when I get home.’
She had already watched Episode 2 of 〈Youth Disqualified!〉 yesterday. At some point, she had started watching anything Han Yeoreum appeared in without a second thought.
No matter how long it was. Even if it wasn’t her usual taste.
If it was Han Yeoreum, it was worth trusting.
Before, she used to spend more time deciding what to watch while eating than actually watching anything.
Now, if there was nothing good, she would just replay Han Yeoreum’s videos.
She was already looking forward to 10 p.m. tonight. Somehow, the walk home didn’t feel tiring at all.
* * *
Gam Dajeong and the <EmBubu> production team began monitoring the broadcast.
The opening scene showed fixed panelists and the guests sitting together in a bright studio.
“Welcome—! Today we have not one, not two, but three guests! The leads of Mbonbu’s campus drama—Han Yeoreum, Choo Gaeul, and So Dami! Hello! Let’s start with introductions!”
“Hello, I’m Han Yeoreum.”
“Wow, Yeoreum—it’s been so long!”
“Hey, don’t act like you’re close. Are you actually friends?”
“...I watched all your dramas.”
The panelists all directed their attention toward Han Yeoreum, seated in the center.
She had already appeared once before, so they recognized her face. And as the actress currently gaining the most momentum, the focus naturally centered on her.
[♨️Let’s watch <Please Take Care of Mbonbu> + Youth Disqualified! together♨️]
-LOL if you’ve only seen her on screen, she’s basically a stranger
-I kinda get it though, if I saw Han Yeoreum on the street I’d probably say hi
-Yeoreum’s styling today is a perfect 6 roll... her hair tied like that suits her so well TT_TT
Next was Choo Gaeul.
“H-hello... I’m Choo Gaeul.”
“Gaeul, relax! Relax!”
“There’s no one scary here!”
Dressed neatly from head to toe, she looked every bit the actress.
-Gaeul... we all know how you look like a mess in the practice room
-Why does it feel like I can smell a nice fragrance through the screen... (〃´૩`〃)
-She’s nervous because people don’t know ‘Gwangpung’ yet, so cute
But the public, who had already seen her casual side through the 〈Youth Disqualified!〉 vlog, called her by her nickname—Gwangpung.
“Hello! I’m So Dami!”
“Oh, that’s nice. So energetic.”
“So cute—. You’re all the same age, right?”
Lastly, So Dami. It was her first appearance on a major broadcast network, and her cheeks were slightly flushed with excitement.
-SO CUTE TT__TT
-Dami TT_TT
-Why do I love seeing the three of them together so much, I’m just smiling
Thanks to the vlog, public favorability toward the trio was already comparable to that of established celebrities.
“So we’re basically guaranteed stable ratings....”
“Exactly....”
“Still, putting Han Yeoreum big on the thumbnail was the right call....”
The production team checked the uploaded teaser. As the broadcast began, its views and comments naturally increased.
The version with Han Yeoreum prominently featured was drawing significantly more attention.
<EmBubu> was a program that had to walk a fine line between daily life and promotion.
If it leaned too much into daily life, interest in the guest’s upcoming project would drop. But if it focused too much on promotions, it would get criticized as artificial.
‘We almost slipped again this time....’
So Dami and Choo Gaeul were strong in terms of “daily life,” but slightly lacking in drawing attention to their upcoming project, 〈Youth Disqualified!〉.
‘Good thing we have Han Yeoreum....’
Gam Dajeong had arranged the editing order as So Dami → Choo Gaeul → Han Yeoreum.
“Alright... let’s see how it goes today....”
There were more than enough elements that could go viral after airing.
This episode would show just how powerful mainstream appeal could be.
* * *
So Dami, who had woken up late, started getting ready while playing music from a speaker by her bed. Her home, decorated in a cute and cozy style, matched her perfectly.
-Hello, I’m So Dami. This time, I’ll be appearing in a drama called 〈Youth Disqualified!〉 on Mbonbu. To put it simply, my character is completely crazy about love. She loves love.
After pushing back her bangs with a pink hairpin, doing her skincare, and patting on cushion foundation with busy hands, she messaged someone.
-Are you awake? If you think you’ll be late, I’ll go in first!
-Yeah, got it. I’ll be there soon!
After finishing her mascara and hanging up, Dami changed into a comfortable, cute tracksuit.
Q. Where are you going today?
-Today, I’m meeting the writer of my debut and previous web drama to work on my new character.
A clip from the web drama she had starred in appeared.
The drama—set inside a dating simulation game—wasn’t as big as 〈ParCheHi〉, but it had still gained decent popularity.
“Oh! My niece loved that!”
One of the panelists recognized her work, and naturally the conversation shifted to 〈ParCheHi〉.
-Right, Yeoreum really was from web dramas LOLOLOL
-Oh no, now it’s just the two of them talking again and Gwangpung looks slightly left out T_T LOOLLL
-She looks the coolest but clings the most LMAO
Viewers watching live also slipped briefly into nostalgia for 〈ParCheHi〉.
Meanwhile, Dami boarded a bus and headed somewhere. Since the 〈Youth Disqualified!〉 vlog hadn’t aired yet, no one recognized her.
“Huh? Wait... is this—?”
“A manga café!”
The place she chose was a manga café. The clean interior surprised the panelists, who pretended to be shocked at how much it had changed.
“Back in our day, there were just guys smoking inside—”
“Kids were too scared to even go in.”
After finding a seat, Dami headed straight to the romance manga section, filled with famous titles everyone knew.
-Ah, damn, Glass Mask LMAO
-The way she almost picked it up then hesitated is hilarious LOLOLOL she knows she’s on broadcast T_T frёewebnoѵēl.com
-Why do all three of them liking Glass Mask feel so funny LOOLL it’s such an old manga
Dami grabbed several pastel-colored romance manga and sat down, flipping through them enthusiastically, even acting out the lines.
“That’s acting practice too, right?”
“Yes. If I want to portray someone lively and not annoying, someone who only knows love, romance manga protagonists are really helpful.”
Even lines that would make others cringe came naturally to her.
Soon, the writer arrived, and the two picked up the menu.
The screen cut to calm gray curtains.
“Ah! They cut it there!”
“I need to see her eating ramen. I have to.”
Gam Dajeong had deliberately cut the scene right before the mukbang. The panelists reacted dramatically in frustration.
<EmBubu> aired at 10 p.m.—the perfect time to make viewers crave late-night snacks.
-Hello... I’m Choo Gaeul. This time, I’ll be appearing in 〈Youth Disqualified!〉. My character is a bit prickly, speaks her mind, and is the eldest daughter of a somewhat wealthy family...
Gaeul looked slightly embarrassed as she spoke. The panelists immediately teased her.
“Wow, you definitely don’t look poor!”
“That house is amazing—so fancy!”
Unlike Dami, Gaeul’s routine was calm.
She woke up, stretched her neck while sitting on the bed, drank a glass of lukewarm water, and had a simple breakfast—just an apple.
-Dami’s speaker was blasting but Gaeul’s place is just birds chirping LMAO
-She just has a calm vibe as a person
-This is so healing, I like this kind of vlog
Q. Where are you going today?
-I’m going shopping to build my character for the upcoming project.
Gaeul looked tense. She sent a message, checked her phone repeatedly, washed dishes, brushed her teeth—then finally couldn’t take it and called.
-Hello.
-Hey! Han Yeoreum!
Viewers already knew from the vlog that Gaeul would get persistent if she didn’t get a reply.
-At this point it’d be weird if she didn’t say “Hey Han Yeoreum” LOLOLOL
-Yeoreum stay strong... think of it as the price of having a girlfriend like Choo Gaeul T_T
Gaeul seriously listed what she needed to buy. On the other end, Yeoreum spoke in a slightly lowered voice.
-You know, right? You can’t look like a beginner.
“...Yeah...!”
After hanging up, Gaeul headed to—
“Dongmyo!”
“No way. I didn’t expect this at all.”
Yes. Dongmyo Flea Market.
The panelists were shocked—this was the last place someone like Gaeul would go.
“But why Dongmyo?”
“We talked a lot about costumes before starting the project. My outfits need to look the most expensive, but I can’t wear luxury brands all the time...”
“Right. You can’t spend more than your appearance fee. You can’t end up sleeping on the street.”
“What do you mean sleeping on the street?”
On screen, Gaeul walked stiffly through the crowded market, trying desperately not to look like a beginner.
“So for noticeable items like brooches or headbands, I’ll buy some new ones myself... and some vintage ones from here....”
“That’s a great idea!”
She wore black sunglasses to hide her awkward gaze—but they clashed so badly with the market that she looked even more like a newbie.
-Gwangpung if you look like a customer you’ll get scammed T_T LOLOLOL
-Yeoreum teases Gaeul the best LMAO she shouldn’t have called her
-I suddenly feel like scamming her too
-“For you, it’s 100,000 won, customer” 🙏
Gaeul carefully picked out items in the worn-down market.
Despite seeming flawless, she was full of gaps.
At one point, she even lost a silk scarf she had been holding to another customer.
“Alright, if you went to Dongmyo—!”
“You have to eat that, right!”
Just as the panelists anticipated the next scene—
-Hello, I’m Han Yeoreum.
“Ah!”
“Are you kidding me?”
The screen changed again—right before the mukbang.
Yeoreum’s home looked mostly the same as before.
Except—
“Hey! Look at those trophies.”
“Wow... that’s impressive.”
Several trophies gleamed on her bedside table, polished so often they shone.
Below them was a leather-covered book.
Q. It looks like you keep scripts by your bed. Do you read them before sleeping?
-Scripts? No, I store scripts separately.
“Then what’s that?”
Curiosity peaked as Yeoreum carefully picked up a trophy and opened the leather cover.
-?????
-What the hell LMAO
-She carries her own autographs around?? Please Yeoreum LOLOLOL
Inside were signed autograph sheets.
After carefully packing them, Yeoreum grabbed a melon milk and headed out.
“You carry those around all the time? Really?”
“Yes... sometimes people regret not getting {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} my autograph....”
“That’s happened?”
“No, no—just in case!”
Even though it had never happened, she worried about it anyway.
On the way to the subway, she didn’t take a single sip of the melon milk—just held the straw in her mouth.
Because of that, even passersby who hesitated at first quickly recognized her.
“Excuse me...?”
“Yes, that’s right!”
And just as Yeoreum predicted, they didn’t have paper or a marker.
When she handed them pre-prepared autograph sheets, they looked confused—but happy.
“Is she going to start sticking them on walls like flyers?”
“She might end up handing them out on the street....”
The panelists could only marvel at this unprecedented type of celebrity.
-I remember a post—someone in her apartment said they have too many Yeoreum autographs LOLOLOL
-She’s so cute LOLOLOL
-I’ve never seen someone go out just to hold a fan signing by herself
The melon milk she had been holding just to prove her identity was finally gulped down as soon as she reached the station.
“Were you nervous while signing?”
“No... you’re not allowed to bring drinks on the subway.”
“That’s not the point. She’s definitely strange.”
After putting on a mask and boarding the subway, Yeoreum headed somewhere unexpected.
-???
-Where is this
-What does this have to do with acting???
The live comments filled entirely with question marks.
