Chapter 154: Hidden Camera
“Tell me today’s schedule.”
Muyoung, with a neck pillow, tilted his head back. He had clearly come in after seeing the morning moon, and now he was heading to work while seeing the morning moon again. He was fully booked all day long, or so he was told.
“You have a photo shoot for Melre in the morning, then attend the Yonggu L&P department store launch event at lunch. In the afternoon, there’s a poster shoot for
The schedule kept coming without end. Muyoung, startled, sat up straight.
“Is today some special day? Why is it so packed?”
“It ended up like that after adjustments. It’ll be tough today, but your schedule is completely empty until this weekend.”
“Hearing that suddenly boosts my motivation.”
Muyoung shook his head and searched for the second script file on his phone.
There were revisions due to filming issues, and the writer had asked Muyoung to review the lines for his convenience.
“Oh, right.”
Muyoung, rubbing his sleepy eyes while reading the script, suddenly remembered something.
“What happened with the hidden camera thing you mentioned last time?”
“
“Oh, I see.”
“They’ll let you know when it’s time, so don’t worry about it. Let’s focus on today. Oh, and the evening meeting will be at a restaurant. They’ll serve meat, your favorite.”
“Oh yeah! That’s great news.”
Muyoung gave a thumbs up and turned his attention back to his phone. The morning moon was unusually bright, feeling like the start of something special.
“Hello! To all our beloved overseas Korean viewers! This is Kim Sungmok from
In a small park between buildings, a man dressed in a suit, bow tie, and fedora politely greeted the camera.
“Today’s star is—!”
Boom!
The man made a sound effect with his mouth and pretended to drum in the air, then guided the camera to the left. The camera slowly panned to reveal a life-size cutout of Muyoung.
“He’s the hottest of the hot these days! The lovable actor, Ha Muyoung! Yay!”
Though there was no one around, the man’s energy was through the roof. He put his arm around Ha Muyoung’s cutout and held the mic.
“Everyone, aren’t you curious about the hidden charm of Ha Muyoung, the icon of loveliness and purity? This man, who perfectly fits the description of ‘milk-like,’ what could his hidden charm be?”
He was truly commanding the stage alone. The comedian engaged with each camera, continuing the show.
“Could it be a rich charm like chocolate milk? Or maybe sweet like strawberry milk? According to the production team’s research, Ha Muyoung is surprisingly quick-witted. Right, PD-nim?”
-Yes.
-So it was a bit tough.
The PD’s words would be subtitled.
While the viewers were unaware of the filming, this was a method they used to maintain a sense of reality.
They would announce that the filming date had been pushed back by a couple of months.
Sometimes they would actually film a couple of months later, and sometimes, like with Ha Muyoung, it was a fake announcement.
“Ha Muyoung’s schedule today is so packed it’s overflowing, but the last item—the meeting with the OST team—is actually a lie.”
It was an event that would take place in two parts: at the restaurant and then at the recording studio.
The production team had chosen this timing, thinking that exhaustion would make it easier for his true nature to show.
“Even the manager sitting with him is unaware of the situation! Just thinking about it makes my heart race. We’re curious about two things. Ha Muyoung, are you~?”
The MC strode toward the front camera, eyes wide open, startling the camera operator.
“Truly a cute and lovable guy? And!”
Whoosh!
The man spun around and approached the left camera.
Since the show was observational, the MC poured all his passion into the opening and ending segments.
“The steel heart you showed on a certain horror variety show—is it real? Let’s welcome the actors who will help with today’s hidden camera! Come on in!”
“Hello.”
“Nice to meet you.”
Two men and one woman, all in their early to mid-thirties, greeted him with smiles. To Muyoung, they were introduced as music industry professionals. Of course, they were actually extras.
“Then, for a successful hidden camera, let’s do this!”
“Let’s do this!”
“Fighting~!”
They wrapped up the opening with their signature pose. With no time to spare, the staff quickly packed up the equipment as soon as the cut sign was given.
“I heard today’s scale is pretty big, is that right?”
“They rented out the entire restaurant, and even custom-built the elevator inside the building. Haha. Horror pranks cost a bit more. Can’t be helped.”
The man, now calm with the cameras off, moved to the observation headquarters with the production team to confirm the filming schedule.
“Ha Muyoung will arrive in… about an hour.”
The elevator leading to the restaurant and studio was equipped with small cameras with no blind spots, and even the restaurant owner and all the diners were actors.
“Alright, let’s see if we can pull off a proper prank!”
“Ugh…”
“Are you okay? Try to walk straight.”
“This is so hard.”
Muyoung was limp getting out of the van, and his steps toward the restaurant were just as weak.
His stamina, drained from a schedule that started at dawn, was not just at zero but seemed to be digging into the negatives. However, the increasingly strong smell of meat revived his energy like a potion.
“Ah, I’m going to eat a lot today. Like, five servings.”
“Yeah, yeah. Eat a lot.”
Sizzle-
[Oh! They’re going in now! Ha Muyoung and his manager are entering!]
And MC Kim Sungmok was watching it all in real-time. Muyoung’s image was split across dozens of screens.
“Hello.”
“Welcome!”
“Oh! There they are. Hello. Muyoung, say hello. This is the producer, this is the head of the music production team, and this is…”
[Oh, the manager is introducing our actors. Actually, the manager has met these fake professionals once before. A week ago, during scheduling. Of course, that was also a lie~! Sorry, Manager. Haha.]
“Hello, I’m Ha Muyoung.”
“Have a seat. You must have had a busy day.”
“It’s like that sometimes. The meat smells amazing. You said the studio is right next door, right?”
“Yes, it’s close, so we come often. This place is famous for its meat and soju.”
“Ma’am! Five servings of meat, please.”
Muyoung, clearly hungry, kept nibbling on side dishes as he chatted with the professionals. And there was the soybean paste stew and rice served with the meat.
[Now! This is where it gets real. The restaurant is famous, and Muyoung is starving. But what if the rice is undercooked, the soybean paste stew is overly salty and sweet, and everything is a mess?]
Gulp-
Muyoung, taking a big bite, hesitated. Then, his eyes widened. He slowly chewed, tilting his head in confusion. Thinking it might be different, he took another bite, but it was the same.
“What’s wrong?”
“Uh…”
[Muyoung is shocked! This is so bad, right? Look at that expression—it’s like he’s never experienced anything like this before!]
“Is something wrong?”
The manager, sensing something was off, took a spoonful and immediately grimaced. It was one of the few times he felt disgusted by the taste.
“Muyoung, does it not suit your taste?”
At the professional’s words, Muyoung smiled broadly and shook his head.
“No, please eat.”
And he whispered to the manager,
“…We should’ve ordered kimchi stew. This place must be famous for kimchi stew.”
[Aww, our Muyoung is so kind. Alright, let’s get this started. Actors, begin!]
“Is that Ha Muyoung?”
Two men sitting diagonally, sipping alcohol, glanced at Muyoung’s table and approached. Muyoung, chewing on meat, glanced up at them.
“It is Ha Muyoung, right? Nice to meet you! Ah, I’m a fan!”
“Uh, hey-”
With his mouth full of meat, his pronunciation was slurred. The man lightly tapped Muyoung’s shoulder, repeatedly greeting him in a gruff voice.
“Wow, it’s so cool to see you eating meat here. Celebrities live just like us, huh? Hey, can I get an autograph? A photo would be great too.”
[The rude man’s one-sided contact! How will Ha Muyoung react?]
Muyoung, mouth still moving, stared blankly at the man. A brief silence. With no response, the actor was slightly taken aback. For some reason, making eye contact felt intimidating.
Gulp!
But Muyoung was just busy swallowing his meat. He smiled politely and asked for understanding.
“Of course, I’ll do it. But I’m in an important meeting with my company right now, so I’ll do it after we finish eating. Do you have paper and a pen?”
“Uh? Oh, no.”
“I see. Well, who carries paper and a pen these days unless they’re a student, right? I have some in my car, so if you don’t mind waiting, it should be fine. Seeing you drink, you’ll probably be here for a while. Hmm. The meat here is really good.”
Muyoung, smoothly calming the situation, seemed experienced. The man, almost hypnotized, nodded. Then, instructions came from headquarters.
[Don’t back down! Ask if you can try some of his meat! The man’s continued rudeness! Let’s see what happens!]
“Is the meat good?”
“Yes, you’re eating it too.”
“Ours is pretty bad. Can I have a bite?”
“No, over there.”
The manager, unable to hold back, stood up. But Muyoung remained seated, calmly wrapping garlic and kimchi in a leaf and handing it to the man.
“Ah-”
“…?”
The man was momentarily stunned, glancing around at the reaction. Everyone in the restaurant was in on it, yet he strangely felt embarrassed.
“Uh, uh?”
“Hahaha, just kidding.”
Muyoung, as if offering the wrap, popped it into his own mouth. Awkwardly standing, the man looked at Muyoung, who gestured behind him.
“Your meat’s burning, sir. Go ahead and eat. Don’t worry, I’ll definitely sign for you. Oh, and team leader, where were we?”
And he blatantly turned his head, ignoring the man. Though he kept smiling, there was an unshakable aura that said, ‘Don’t push it.’
[Yes, Ha Muyoung firmly but gently shuts down the rude man. There’s a quiet strength beneath that soft smile. And our actor returns to his seat.]
“What the hell is that guy?”
The manager glared at the table diagonally across, fuming. Muyoung tapped his knee under the table, signaling him to stop.
“Sorry, that must’ve been startling.”
And he apologized to the professionals across from him. They, tense from watching, quickly relaxed and laughed.
“No, we’re fine… It must be tough for Muyoung.”
“Are there many people like that? You must see all sorts.”
Muyoung, flipping the meat, smiled.
“It happens sometimes.”
Showing no signs of being bothered, he calmly continued grilling the meat and eating.
[Good, the setup seems to be going well. Now, let’s get to the main show! Ha Muyoung has noticed both the terrible food and the rude customer across the room. What if that man now loudly complains to the restaurant?]
“Damn it!”
Clang!
The two men sitting diagonally slammed their spoons down in frustration.
Muyoung, chewing his meat, was startled, his eyes widening.
[And if he does it very aggressively?]
“Manager!”
“Yes? Yes, sir!”
“Come here.”
The loud voice made everyone in the restaurant stop eating and look toward the man. Muyoung did the same, slowly removing the spoon from his mouth, chewing…