* * *
Kim Yoo-chan re-entered the broadcast booth.
After two songs played back-to-back, the music ended.
The host spoke.
“Yoo-chan, it seems like the message board is about to explode with questions about that video.”
Kim Yoo-chan began to speak.
“Dear listeners, that video is from the first day we were reshooting the movie on set in Gangwon-do. It’s something that actually happened.”
Shin Eun-ha didn’t stop Kim Yoo-chan. He had already told her that they had come up with a plan during his phone call.
The host smiled subtly.
“So it wasn’t CGI. But you used wires, right? Haha.”
“There were no wires.”
“What?”
“It was a real situation. I really ran down the slope, jumped onto the moving car, and stopped it with a steel pipe. Everything that happened after that is also real.”
“What if the stuntman had died? How could you shoot that without wires?”
“It wasn’t a movie shoot. It was a real kidnapping situation caught on video.”
The host’s expression froze.
“What? Wait a minute. Are you saying that was a real incident?”
Shin Eun-ha quickly realized what Kim Yoo-chan was trying to do and jumped in to support him.
“Of course, the kidnappers were caught on the spot, and our child actor was safely rescued. You’ve seen the video, right? It looks just like a movie, doesn’t it?”
***
An entertainment journalist answered a call from the PR team leader at THO Entertainment.
After a brief exchange of greetings, the PR team leader asked,
– Do you remember the video I mentioned before? The one where someone jumps onto a moving car and stops it with a steel pipe.
“Of course. You said it was from a movie THO Entertainment was making, right?”
– I never said it was from a movie we were making.
“What? But you definitely said THO Entertainment released it…”
– It’s true we released it. But it’s not a movie. It’s a video of a real situation.
The reporter was initially taken aback but quickly became serious.
“This is quite an interesting story. Can you tell me more about it in detail?”
“Should I send you the material by email? You can look at it after your meal.”
The reporter hesitated.
“You’ve already prepared material to send by email?”
“Yes, it was just revealed on live radio.”
“Forget the meal, I’ll head back to the office. Please send it right away.”
***
The radio broadcast ended.
In the elevator at the broadcast station, Shin Eun-ha scolded Kim Yoo-chan.
“Yoo-chan, are you crazy?”
“I swear it was an accident…”
“CEO Lee Tae-ho is famous for being a doting father. I’m sure he was thrilled, right?”
“Well, he didn’t kill me. He just told me to handle the aftermath well.”
Shin Eun-ha waved a finger back and forth.
“No, from my perspective, Yoo-chan, you’re as good as dead. Your life has just been temporarily extended.”
“What am I, a probiotic?”
***
The video was already released on the internet.
People initially thought the video was a promotional clip for a movie using CGI. They didn’t know which movie, but it seemed logical.
Then the truth was revealed on the radio broadcast. Articles followed quickly.
As soon as the video and articles were posted on online community boards, comments started flooding in.
– Wow, are you saying that’s not CGI but real?
– How does someone jump onto a moving car without bouncing off?
– No way, it must be fake.
– The news article says it’s real.
– Wow, I looked it up, and it’s true? Amazing.
– How did he survive? Is he even human?
– The relative speed must have been just right.
– No, he secured himself with a metal pipe when he landed on the car.
– That makes sense.
– Still, it’s a life-threatening stunt.
– Usually, you’d die from such a jump.
Others were amazed for different reasons.
– “A Sunny Day” has a more dramatic production process than the actual movie.
The PR team’s efforts paid off.
– So, that guy is the lunch truck dude?
– No, he’s a chef.
– I heard he’s a CIA secret agent?
– You saw him run down the hill and leap onto the car. What do you need to fly? That’s Qinggong and Air Walk.
– I know for sure. That’s Air Walk. I saw it in the NBA.
AI Zijin searched various online boards.
[There are many theories, but none mention the Earth Union.]
Na Kang-in commented.
“Did you really expect to find that info here? Sometimes you take things too seriously.”
Reporters asked the police for related information. Though it was an ongoing investigation, the police released some information.
The police announcement was straightforward.
– The video released online is indeed related to the minor abduction case.
– All suspects were arrested at the scene, and the child was safely rescued.
– The child is in good health.
– No one other than the suspects was injured.
Some analyzed the video.
– Calculating the speed and distance of the downhill run, wow, it surpasses Olympic sprint records.
– But it’s downhill. The Olympics are on flat ground.
– I know, but running downhill that fast without falling is impressive. With some training, he could win medals at the Olympics.
Another analysis emerged.
– Look at the distance of the final jump. It’s a world record in long jump.
– As mentioned, it’s because he jumped downhill. It’s different from jumping on flat ground.
Na Kang-in asked AI Zijin after seeing that post.
“Can I compete in the Olympics?”
AI Zijin quickly searched the internet and replied.
[You wouldn’t pass the doping test for the Olympics finals.]
“Right? I figured.”
[Depending on the circumstances, you might avoid the doping test in the preliminaries.]
“Forget it. I won’t do it.”
Most online communities agreed that Na Kang-in’s incredible running speed was possible because he was running downhill.
But baseball fans had different interests.
– When he caught the kidnappers, his throw looked just like a pitcher’s pick-off move, right?
– He hit the target’s hand precisely from a distance. Amazing control.
– Look at the speed he charged at the kidnappers after throwing the rock. His sprinting ability is phenomenal. No one could catch him if he stole bases.
– Not sure about his batting, but he’d be great at baseball if he trained.
– Batting? Didn’t you see him in the movie knocking down heavy metal lights with a steel pipe? That was him!
– Right! The lunch truck guy!
– So, he can hit too!
– There’s the hero to save our local team from last place!
Na Kang-in asked AI Zijin.
“So, what about baseball?”
[There are no doping tests in amateur baseball, but professional baseball occasionally conducts them.]
“I wasn’t planning on going pro. Seriously.”
***
The video released on the internet was a low-quality copy taken from a distance, making it impossible to identify the faces of the people. However, it became known that the child who was almost kidnapped was a child actor who appeared in “A Sunny Day.”
The PR team leader reported, “So, in the end, it’s actually helped promote the movie more effectively…”
CEO Lee Tae-ho of the film company growled, “Are you bragging that we used my daughter to promote the movie?”
“No, that’s not what I meant.”
“What’s the public reaction?”
“It’s positive. Everyone is only focused on the amazing actions of the food truck guy. There’s not much talk about Min-ji.”
“And what about Kim Yoo-chan, who caused the incident?”
“He’s gone to apologize to Min-ji.”
Kim Yoo-chan was very fond of Lee Min-ji during the movie shoot. Lee Tae-ho also knew that Yoo-chan didn’t cause the incident on purpose.
Lee Tae-ho sighed.
“What about Na Kang-in?”
“Excuse me?”
“We owe him so much; we can’t cause him any trouble, can we?”
“Ah. Hardly anyone on the movie staff even knows who Na Kang-in is. On set, people have only heard his name. Those who do know him wouldn’t leak any information.”
“But if reporters dig, they’ll eventually find out. This will do. Make sure the articles stay within this boundary.”
“Understood.”
THO Entertainment’s PR team distributed materials related to the incident to the reporters. However, if these materials were reported as-is, they would turn into movie promotion articles rather than incident reports. The PR team intentionally designed the materials this way.
Reporters found it inappropriate. Although related articles were published here and there, the details were minimal, leaving out much of the content.
Nevertheless, it became clear that the video was of a real situation.
* * *
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