* * *
Hyunsoo glanced at the production crew stationed in the meeting room.
“Just pretend we’re not here and have the meeting as usual.”
‘How can we do that? With so many eyes on us.’
Hyunsoo thought this but nodded anyway. The rustling sounds and the quiet exchange of opinions seemed unusually loud.
The meeting they were filming was surprisingly an actual regular meeting reflecting D Team’s schedule for the next week.
“Don’t worry about it; we’ll edit it well. Just act naturally as you usually do! Editing and screen time are our jobs. Just show your natural selves.”
‘Easier said than done. They expect too much from amateurs. It’d be better to wait on site and guide them directly.’
They had never done on-site standby, valuing Jaehee’s body too much. They didn’t want to risk any injuries.
Now, he felt halfway integrated with his body, but a subtle sense of disconnection remained. He avoided going out too much to prevent unnecessary exposure, but here he was, stuck in a variety show filming.
‘What a mess.’
Hyunsoo sighed inwardly.
“Let’s at least pretend to start. Maybe we’ll get used to it. Delaying the shoot will just make everyone tired…”
Minchan reluctantly initiated the meeting. Thankfully, the team members, who were initially too conscious of the cameras to speak properly, began to focus on the meeting and actively exchange opinions as time went on.
“So, we’ve put that issue on hold for now, and we’ll adjust flexibly according to the main team’s condition…”
Hyunsoo, who was meticulously taking notes on the team members’ statements, found himself engrossed in coordinating opinions as the meeting progressed.
Before he knew it, the meeting was over.
‘How do they plan to edit this? They might seriously consider changing the genre to a human documentary rather than an observational variety show.’
Evaluating this, Hyunsoo checked his phone. It was almost lunchtime.
He asked Yoon about the menu.
“What’s for lunch today?”
“Anything you want?”
“I don’t have any preference. You decide.”
“Hmm… I’ll look it up!”
Yoon eagerly checked the menu on his phone.
The production crew kept filming. Initially, everyone was stiff as boards because of the cameras, but as time passed, they got used to it and started having more casual conversations.
I kept watching, hoping to get something more out of it, but the situation was turning strange.
When the six-year team member earnestly recited the menu, the one-year rookie from D Team, who was the least experienced, kept rejecting them.
“I don’t want yukgaejang because I had it yesterday. I don’t want baekban because the restaurant line is too long. The center cafeteria is a hassle because of filming, so that’s a no. Pizza is too greasy…”
‘Usually, the rookie should be the one floundering, but why is it the opposite here?’
The PD, who had been watching the situation closely, intervened.
“But everyone, isn’t it usually the rookie who decides the menu? That’s like the golden rule for office workers.”
“Oh, we’re not one of those old-fashioned teams that put pressure on the rookie. Our seniors step up and lead by example!”
Yoon smiled brightly as he looked at Hyunsoo.
“Isn’t that right, Jaehee?”
‘Is he subtly calling me an old fart?’
Ever since Hyunsoo joined, the responsibility of choosing the lunch menu had always fallen on the youngest member of the main team, Kim Yoon. Now, he was indirectly criticizing him for it.
Hyunsoo, conscious of the PD who had just joined and the several cameras around, smiled along.
“Oh, of course. He said he’d keep deciding the menu.”
“…Me?”
Yoon had planned to pass on the duty of choosing the menu to Hyunsoo soon. But now, after declaring it in front of everyone, it had become difficult to pass on. You had to admit he was cunning.
“Oh, I must have said that. I must be getting early-onset dementia, forgetting things like that.”
Kim Yoon laughed it off awkwardly.
* * *
Hyunsoo thought.
‘Even the greatest person to exist couldn’t save this.’
He couldn’t understand why they were wasting high-quality manpower and broadcasting time filming the mundane daily lives of non-entertaining people.
Even though it was a promotional variety show for the center, it should at least be somewhat fun. But to Hyunsoo, it wasn’t entertaining at all.
As filming progressed, he felt more anxious, but he was somewhat relieved that if the variety show flopped, it would attract less attention, leading to fewer malicious comments, rumors, defamation, and privacy invasions.
Honestly, he expected the show to use Jaehee’s chaebol background for some sensational direction, but it was surprising that they didn’t.
Moreover, thanks to Lee Jaeyoon’s intervention, there were no mentions related to SY, and the team members’ backgrounds were barely touched upon.
While they couldn’t block the broadcast schedule, they seemed to be able to interfere to some extent.
‘Just a few more days of this crappy clown act and it’ll be over. If it gets labeled as a boring show, they won’t talk about broadcasting appearances again. I could have been relaxing, but instead, I’m going through this hell.’
Hyunsoo checked his schedule with determination.
However, he overlooked the fact that the production team was veterans known for creating humor with even the most introverted top actors, and they had no idea that their daily lives might be funnier to others than they thought.
* * *
[D Team Exploration] Episode 1 Air Date.
The first episode garnered slight interest through the center’s PR team’s articles, videos attracting viewers with awakening-related issues from iTube Wrecker, and promotions by fans who adored the handsome espers.
They decided to check out at least the first episode.
The flow of the first episode introduced D Team’s performance and individuals.
The footage provided by the center was sleekly edited to emphasize that they were the top-performing team across all centers.
[The hidden lives and true thoughts of the attack team?]
Sentimental fonts appeared, and a soft light illuminated the cozy background where D Team members introduced themselves one by one.
“Hello. I’m Jung Minchan, the team leader of the Central Center’s Special D Team Main Team. Nice to meet you.”
Minchan, in his esper uniform, wore the polite smile that Jaehee had always emphasized.
A brief freeze frame of him smiling was followed by a profile appearing in the intentionally left blank space.
[Jung Minchan / 28 years old / S-Class Fire Esper / Born on July 7]
The subtitle appeared.
[Q. Can you briefly explain the main duties of the Special D Team?]
Minchan thought for a moment and then replied.
“Exterminating monsters.”
[Q. …Is that all?]
“Yes, that’s correct.”
In response to his firm answer, white letters appeared on the black screen with sound effects.
[Explanation over. Dismissed!]
Then, after a brief pause, the screen returned. The background was the same, but the person had changed. It was Song Jiwon with his straight platinum blonde hair.
[Q. Please introduce yourself.]
“Hello. I’m Song Jiwon from the Special D Team Main Team. I’m very shy, so I don’t talk much. Please understand.”
Jiwon bowed his head and repeated the lines that Hyunsoo had threatened his to say.
[Q. How little do you talk…?]
“I enjoy practicing silence.”
Jiwon, who already extremely disliked broadcasting, was obviously uncooperative with the forced filming pushed from above.
Knowing he’d have a sullen expression no matter what she said, Hyunsoo had pressured him to go with a ‘silent monk’ concept, leading to him being a versatile character who was excused for having no lines on the show.
[Support for Jiwon’s silent practice.]
The subtitle flowed, and the screen showed Kim Yoon, whose curls had been enhanced by a recent perm.
“Hello! I’m Kim Yoon from the D Team Main Team. I’ll do my best. I’m so nervous since this is my first time on a show like this!”
Yoon responded in a lively voice that lifted the mood just by listening. Despite his initial skepticism about the variety show, once filming began, he became animated as if he had never doubted it.
[Q. If you had to pick one strength of the D Team?]
The most enthusiastic Yoon received a personal question. He blinked and then answered.
“A cheerful atmosphere, perfect teamwork, definite rewards!”
[Q. That’s more than one, though?]
“I said it all at once, so count it as one.”
After Yoon’s brazen response, the subtitle appeared.
[S-Class Shamelessness]
When the scene changed, the last team member, Lee Jaehee, appeared on the chair Yoon had vacated. With an indifferent expression, he bowed and introduced himself.
“Hello. I’m Lee Jaehee, the dedicated guide for the Special D Team Main Part.”
[Q. I heard you’re the youngest in the team?]
“Thanks to the team leaders and all the members, I live very comfortably.”
[Q. If you could describe D Team in one word?]
After a moment of contemplation, he nodded resolutely and said.
“D Team.”
[D Team is D Team. Because it’s D Team.]
Hyunsoo was taken aback as he watched the edited broadcast. He distinctly remembered providing additional explanations.
‘I thought the word that best represents D Team’s identity is the team name itself.’
He clearly said that, but those bastards decided to go for a humorous editing direction. Watching the boringly edited scenes from the meeting room, Hyunsoo felt relieved.
He didn’t need to watch any further. Instead of watching this dull pseudo-variety human documentary, he thought it was better to get some more sleep.
“Jaehee, go to bed early.”
“I seriously need to quit as soon as my mandatory service is over.”
Leaving Minchan behind, Hyunsoo entered his room.
Throughout the shoot, Minchan, who had been nervously watching Hyunsoo’s sensitive demeanor, thought that the shoot wasn’t so bad after all when he saw his face captured beautifully on screen thanks to the excellent staff.
After uploading the high-definition broadcast footage to the cloud, Minchan smiled with satisfaction.
* * *
Hyunsoo, feeling relieved by the boring editing, stopped monitoring midway, but the editing’s true potential exploded in the latter part.
After a serious meeting, the scene where the youngest member, Lee Jaehee, exaggeratedly and humorously criticized senior member Yoon’s menu choices was edited to be quite funny.
Viewers laughed at D Team struggling against the youngest member.
– Seriously, our department head says the same things as that 22-year-old… Can the youngest also become a department head? Even Jaehee?
– Expectation: An awesome show where Espers use their abilities to promote the center.”
Reality: A vlog of the older members doting on the youngest… with a touch of the youngest’s disdain.
Subsequent scenes introducing their dormitory and showing their daily routines in casual clothes also became a minor topic.
The spacious and luxurious dormitory provided by the center was part of it, but the candid exposure of D Team’s daily lives was quite provocative.
– I thought Minchan’s windbreaker was pretty and looked it up, but the price made me take a step back, lol. Boss, can you buy me chicken for 3 million won? (image of the product price).
– Lol, what’s this in the living room? It looks like a sticker chart from kindergarten, but why do 20-something men have this in their dorm? Are they overdoing it? (facepalm)
┕ If you look closely, only Lee Jaehee’s name has lots of stickers, lol. D Team, rename yourselves to kindergarten.
– People keep hyping up D Team Life on my timeline, so I watched the first episode, and their characters are rich. No wonder, they were the top four in novels back in the day.
Kim Yoon ]_[
Song Jiwon =_=
Jung Minchan ^-^
Lee Jaehee -_-^
Of course, not all reactions were positive.
– Why are people praising the rude Song Jiwon? Those crazy fans who idealize him as ‘shy but nice’ make me sick.
– The scripted nature was so obvious I turned it off. They’re trying too hard to act like a warm team loving the youngest.
– I watched it because of the hype but couldn’t last 10 minutes; it’s all role-playing with concept freaks.
– The reality is that other Espers are working hard while they shoot this, earning money, getting famous, and gaining fans. I wish I could become an Esper too, so I could live like that!
Comments teetering on the line between reviews and hate comments were prevalent.
* * *
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