A couple for show chapter 6

“Please, take a seat here.”

Following the staff’s polite direction, the two of them sat down side by side, facing the camera.

As soon as they confirmed with the director that they would participate, a meeting was scheduled with the staff of the reality show they’d signed up for.

Both of them held iced Americanos in their hands as they left the house together, right on time for the meeting.

Their manager had prepared the drinks, knowing that they had a routine of drinking an Americano every morning, no matter the time.

Neither of them refused the manager’s thoughtfulness.

Aside from it being part of their daily routine, they also remembered how they’d mentioned in an interview once that they always drank iced Americanos when they went somewhere together.

For the time being, this was the kind of acting they’d have to do.

That thought only lingered for a moment before fading.

Cha Joobin, whom Gong Yoochan had worried might act awkwardly, greeted the staff with his usual charming smile as if nothing had happened.

“We’ve been waiting so long to film with you two.”

“Oh, then you should’ve contacted us for Season 1,” Cha Joobin responded with a low laugh, even giving a slight wink.

It was a habit that came out when he was in a good mood.

The thought that even this was calculated made Gong Yoochan want to sigh.

Though they hadn’t exchanged a single word on the way here, Cha Joobin was now sitting right next to Gong Yoochan, close enough that their chairs touched.

The faint scent of his cologne lingered between them, making it hard to ignore.

Is he sticking close just because people are watching?

In any case, it was Gong Yoochan’s own surprise at how different things were from what he expected.

But Cha Joobin’s unexpectedly active participation in the shoot also put him at ease.

He had worried they might get caught during filming, but there wasn’t even a hint of anything suspicious in Cha Joobin’s behavior.

The staff, sensing the same, continued speaking with bright smiles.

“You know, the main stars always come in a bit later,” the staff joked.

Gong Yoochan responded playfully, “I noticed in past seasons that even these pre-shoot chats end up on air. Are you sure it’s okay to say this?”

“Oh, we’ll handle that,” the staff laughed.

“When does the filming actually start? We heard the schedule, but I want to get a clear idea,” Cha Joobin asked as he sipped from his straw.

The staff, looking pleased, quickly pulled out a detailed A4 sheet and explained.

“Filming will start exactly two weeks from now. The day before, the crew will come in and set up the cameras. Of course, you’ll have other schedules, but you can continue with those while filming for our program. Cameras will be set up in the house, but we’ll avoid sensitive areas like the bedroom or bathroom. And when you go out…”

The staff member quickly went over the details, covering the key points efficiently while checking off items with a pen.

Since this is my first time filming a variety show like this, I was worried about whether every corner of my house would be filmed.

Thankfully, they assured us that we could refuse to have cameras installed in places like the bedroom and bathroom if we didn’t want them shown.

When we go out, only a minimal number of staff will accompany us, and if it fits with the other schedules, they’ll capture some behind-the-scenes moments as well.

Now that I think about it, has Cha Joobin accepted a new project?

I suddenly remembered that I hadn’t asked when his shoot would start or how his preparations were going.

Gong Yoochan looked over at Cha Joobin, and once again, their eyes met.

How long had Joobin been staring at him?

Yoochan had assumed he’d be nodding along to the staff’s presentation, but apparently not.

Unlike Yoochan, who had only just turned to glance at him, Joobin hadn’t looked away as if he had been watching the entire time.

Feeling a bit awkward, Yoochan cleared his throat and quickly shifted his gaze back to the staff, who continued explaining the program.

“I saw on the show that they do interviews during filming. How do those work?” Yoochan asked.

“Usually, we wrap up filming for the day and do interviews at the end of each episode. We’ll help you review the footage so you can go over the interview questions,” the staff member replied.

“Ah, I see. Thank you.”

The three of them continued to discuss many details.

Joobin mentioned his upcoming drama shoot and said he’d try to coordinate with the production team.

Yoochan, on the other hand, said he didn’t have any scheduled work for the time being and joked that viewers might get to see him living the life of an unemployed person.

There was even a conversation about ruts and heats, something Yoochan couldn’t avoid as a shapeshifter.

The production team reassured them that they would adjust the filming schedule flexibly if needed.

There would be no staff staying in the house permanently, and if things got uncomfortable, they could turn off all the microphones.

They also mentioned they could pause the filming at any time if it became too much.

Yoochan was relieved to find out that the filming wouldn’t be a full-on 24-hour surveillance ordeal.

He nodded, satisfied with the flexibility.

Suddenly, Joobin grabbed Yoochan’s hand, catching him off guard.

What was this about?

Yoochan stared at him, but Joobin just smiled softly, the corners of his lips curving gently.

“This is going to be fun, don’t you think?”

His voice was filled with genuine excitement.

The radiant smile on his face showed he was truly looking forward to the filming.

Yoochan, feeling somewhat mesmerized, nodded without even realizing it.

At that moment, Yoochan cautiously voiced a concern that had been on his mind.

“But we do argue a lot…”

He wondered if they could edit those parts out.

Although he hadn’t outright asked, the staff member seemed to understand, clapping their hands as if they had read his mind.

“Oh, don’t worry. Everyone’s like that. Besides, you two are known for being close friends, right?”

Yoochan was glad the conversation ended there, but Joobin, who had been listening, rested his head on Yoochan’s shoulder.

With his eyes playfully twinkling, Joobin smiled brightly, making Yoochan momentarily question if they had broken up.

After wrapping up the meeting, the two stood up with cheerful smiles.

There were no more plans for the day.

As they left the office, casually discussing where to grab lunch, Yoochan couldn’t help but feel Joobin’s arm around his shoulder, which had recently started to bother him more.

He hadn’t noticed it before since they hadn’t been as physically close lately, but Joobin’s sudden friendliness left him feeling uneasy.

Yoochan wasn’t sure how to react and just smiled awkwardly.

As they walked out, Joobin suddenly stopped in his tracks.

The staff member, who had been following them, asked, “Huh? What’s going on?”

“Can we take a photo with the show’s logo in the background?” Joobin asked.

“Oh, are you planning to upload it on social media?” the staff inquired.

“Yeah.”

“In that case, we’ll be releasing an article next week. Could you upload it after the article is out?”

“Sure, I’ll wait,” Joobin replied, flashing another charming smile.

Yoochan had always known Joobin was good at managing his public image, but his behavior today was particularly impressive.

Yoochan silently admired him as Joobin led him to the show’s logo displayed at the entrance of the meeting room.

“Are you really going to take the picture?” Yoochan asked.

“What, you thought I was joking?” Joobin quipped.

There it was, that snarky tone of his.

Yoochan had known it would resurface once the staff left.

Joobin really did turn on the camera, positioning them side by side in the frame.

They could’ve just faked taking a picture and forgotten about it, but Joobin seemed determined to upload it for real.

Yoochan, perplexed by Joobin’s unpredictable behavior, still tried to put on a decent expression for the camera.

As usual, Joobin placed a hand on his head and made a peace sign—a signature pose.

Yoochan didn’t bother pushing him away.

Soon enough, the camera clicked a few times, and Joobin seemed satisfied with the shots he got.

He lowered his hand, but Yoochan couldn’t shake the unsettling feeling in his chest.

As soon as they left the building, Yoochan headed straight to the smoking area in the parking lot.

Joobin, who had been trailing behind, got into the car with a frustrated sigh.

“Can’t you just quit smoking?”

Ignoring the nagging voice behind him, Yoochan lit his cigarette.

Just then, the staff member they had been talking to earlier approached again.

“Uh, where’s Joobin?”

Looking around, clearly searching for Joobin, the staff asked.

Yoochan calmly replied, “Oh, Joobin doesn’t smoke. Is there something you need to talk to him about?”

“No, it’s nothing. I just thought you two would stick together even while smoking since you’re so inseparable,” the staff member joked.

Yoochan felt an odd sense of discomfort at the comment and forced an awkward laugh.

Deep down, he cursed to himself.

For some reason, he felt increasingly anxious about the upcoming filming.