Chapter 155: Real or Fake
“What is this?”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re charging money for this food? Is something wrong with your tongue?”
[Ah! Our actor, a veteran, is giving a very intense performance. I’m so mad just watching! The emotional flow is great. Let’s take it slow.]
The restaurant owner, flustered by the customer’s intense complaint, approached them. In fact, the owner was also an actor prepared by the production team.
“Excuse me, what’s wrong with the food…”
“The soybean paste stew! It tastes like garbage!”
“Ah, just a moment.”
The owner took a new spoon and tasted the stew. Then, as if unsure what was wrong, they blinked.
“It tastes perfect to me.”
“What? Ha! Unbelievable.”
“Sir, you seem quite drunk. Please be considerate of others. It’s unfortunate the stew doesn’t suit your taste.”
The man’s face turned beet red at the owner’s polite but firm words.
Pointing and shouting, he unleashed his frustration. His slurred speech made him seem genuinely drunk.
“Are you messing with me? You call this edible?”
“Sir.”
“Ah, this is ridiculous.”
Crash!
The sound of the table slamming echoed, chilling the atmosphere.
Ko Gyeongmin, who had been watching from the side, took another spoonful of the soybean paste stew.
‘Ugh.’
And then came the dry heaves. Honestly, the drunk man’s reaction was somewhat understandable. It seemed they had crossed a line.
[Now it’s escalating! What about Ha Muyoung? Oh! He’s still observing the owner and the drunk. He’s chewing his food calmly, but his gaze is sharp. I wonder what he’s thinking.]
“Hey, does this taste good to you?”
“Huh? Why, what’s wrong?”
“You’re eating the stew too. Does it taste good?”
“Call the police, please.”
The drunk’s outbursts spread beyond the owner to the surrounding tables. Everyone’s shocked expressions were priceless.
Sensing the unusual situation, Ko Gyeongmin tugged at Muyoung’s sleeve.
“Ha Muyoung.”
[Here it comes! The drunk turns to Ha Muyoung!]
Muyoung swallowed his food and raised his eyebrows silently, as if asking, ‘Why are you calling me?’
“You’re eating it too. What do you think?”
[The owner, who served terrible food but was kind! The drunk, rude but relatable! What will Ha Muyoung say?]
When Muyoung’s eyes met the owner’s troubled gaze, he smiled.
“My friends said this was a famous restaurant. They said you’re a regular here, right?”
“Huh? Oh, yes. I come here often.”
That was a lie. Just thinking about acting like he enjoyed the soybean paste stew made his insides churn. Muyoung replied with a ‘look at this’ expression.
“I guess it’s an acquired taste. We’re enjoying it at our table.”
[Ahahaha! He’s so cute. He couldn’t bring himself to lie! Instead, he used his friends’ words as a shield! Both the owner and the drunk can understand his response. Ah, Muyoung is such a smooth talker.]
“But, mister, the owner is right. We’re trying to talk, but you’re too loud. Could you keep it down?”
Perhaps it was because Muyoung’s voice was so clear.
In an instant, all the noise in the restaurant stopped. His polite tone contrasted with his confident attitude, creating a strange atmosphere.
[Finally, he spoke up! Did Muyoung just stand up to him? Fans, get ready to swoon! Drunk actor, take control!]
“Keep it down? You think I’m loud?”
“No, look, you’ve been—”
“Who are you? Back off!”
“I’m his manager. Let’s stop this.”
As the man approached, Ko Gyeongmin stood up too. Muyoung, eyes wide, picked at his side dishes. He seemed determined to keep eating, even if a bomb went off.
“Too loud?! Huh? Am I loud?”
Tap, tap.
The man, approaching aggressively, glared. Muyoung patted the empty seat next to him, gesturing for him to sit.
Treating a man in his thirties like a child, yet it felt so natural.
“Didn’t you know?”
“…Know what?”
“That you’re the loud one…”
Though Muyoung seemed unsure himself, his serious tone as he held the man’s hand was quite amusing.
The other actors, except for the manager, struggled to hold back their laughter.
‘What should I do in this situation? Keep pushing him?’
The actor, flustered, made eye contact with the hidden camera. Meanwhile, Muyoung rummaged through his pockets, muttering.
“…I had some mints for freshening up, ah! Here they are!”
Finding a small mint, he placed it in the man’s hand. His scolding gaze and sweet smile were so endearing that, if it weren’t acting, the man would’ve apologized on the spot.
“Have this and calm down. It’ll taste good and lift your mood. You asked for a photo and autograph earlier, right? Owner, may I borrow some paper and a pen?”
“Huh? Oh, yes, sure.”
The man scribbled his autograph on the paper the owner provided. To provoke a more dramatic reaction, the man took a deep breath, timing his next move.
“Do you know about the W app?”
“…?!”
[?!?!]
Muyoung struck first.
His eyes didn’t seek a response.
“My fans wanted to see a dinner mukbang, so I was going to turn it on briefly. But with all this noise, it might be uncomfortable, right?”
It was an ambiguous concern.
The unspoken warning—if the man’s outbursts were broadcast live, it would be embarrassing—flashed through his mind.
‘Uh-oh, what do I do?’
The man’s eyes darted around. If this situation were streamed on the W app, it would be problematic for various reasons, especially the risk of the broadcast leaking.
It was bound to become a sensation, but the process and outcome would be exposed before the actual broadcast.
[Wait, what? Ha Muyoung, what are you talking about? The W app? Now?]
The MC, equally surprised, urgently consulted with the production team. Muyoung, stalling for time, added a drawing next to the autograph and smiled.
“Want to join the broadcast?”
“…I’d rather not.”
“Right? You’re too drunk. Haha, just kidding. Just kidding.”
Muyoung laughed, lightly patting the man’s back.
Then, he snapped a quick photo with the man’s phone! The man, who had been furious moments ago, was now completely disoriented by Muyoung.
[Everyone, snap out of it! Production team, finish eating and guide Ha Muyoung to the elevator.]
The actors, stunned by the headquarters’ instructions, snapped back to reality. The customers finished their meals, and the owner nervously lingered in the hall.
Originally, the man was supposed to cause more chaos, and the owner would call the police. Then the team would say,
‘Muyoung, the police are coming. It’s better if you head up to the studio first.’
The plan was to separate him from the manager and get him on the elevator alone, flustered. But now, everything had fallen apart.
“Ah…”
“Ta-da! Here you go. Thank you for always supporting and loving me. Looking forward to your continued support.”
Muyoung handed the autograph to the drunk man with a bright smile.
After such a friendly conversation, he was supposed to suddenly snap?
What? This made no sense. The man awkwardly accepted the paper, doing his best to wrap things up.
“Anyway, owner! If you have any sense, don’t serve this kind of food! It ruins people’s palates.”
And then, munch, munch, munch. He munched on the mint Muyoung gave him as he left. Now the problem was getting Muyoung on the elevator alone…
[Ah! A sudden twist! Ha Muyoung had a personal broadcast scheduled. Due to production constraints, we’ll end the first simulation here. Ha Muyoung, are you a softie? Yes! MC Sungmok confirms it! No matter the situation, you never lose your smile or kindness. You’re a total sweetheart!]
The MC recorded the closing remarks.
“Ah, hello?”
If one situation was botched, they’d make the next one work.
The coordinator pretended to take a call, receiving new instructions from headquarters.
[Tell the manager there’s something to pick up and ask for their help. Guide Ha Muyoung to go up alone! Let’s see how our Muyoung reacts in the elevator of terror!]
“Ah, yes. Understood. Excuse me, Manager, the atmosphere is a bit tense. Shall we finish eating and head out?”
“Oh, sure. Muyoung, are you done eating?”
“Hmm… Yeah, I think so.”
“The elevator is right through the back door. Just take it to the 7th floor. But Manager, could you come with us to the parking lot? We need an extra hand.”
“Do you need help moving something?”
“Nothing much…”
At their request, the manager turned to Muyoung.
“I’ll go up first.”
“I’ll be right there. 7th floor!”
“Do I look like a child? Don’t worry.”
Muyoung headed out the back door to the elevator, humming a tune and sniffing at the meat smell on his clothes.
Ding-dong!
Finally, the doors opened, and Muyoung stepped in.
[Ahhh! This is it. Our steel-hearted Ha Muyoung! Can he stay calm even in the most extreme fear? Let’s see!]
He pressed the 7th-floor button and stood there blankly.
Soon, the lights flickered, and the elevator made a strange noise.
Gurgle-clank!
“Huh?”
The lights flickered madly, and the machine stopped. Muyoung looked up at the ceiling, then rolled his eyes. What kind of situation was this?
“Hello? The elevator’s stopped.”
-Ah, security here. We’ll check right away. Just a moment.
Muyoung’s voice was answered by the MC at headquarters, already changed into a security uniform. He chuckled, watching the screen.
“This is troublesome.”
Knock, knock.
Muyoung crossed his arms and knocked on the elevator door. At that moment, the lights went out completely, leaving only pitch darkness.
[Ah! If it were me, I’d have peed myself by now.]
Under the infrared camera, Muyoung glowed green. Then, from the ceiling, a hand suddenly reached down.
Creak-creak-creak!
“…Huh?”
Along with the eerie sound, red blood dripped from the hand. At that moment, the flickering lights came back on.
“Aaaah!”
The actor playing the ghost stretched out, hanging upside down. Her long hair swayed, nearly touching the floor, as she reached toward Muyoung.
“Oops!”
Muyoung’s eyes widened, and he grabbed the ghost’s reaching hand, pulling her into a hug.
“You could’ve gotten hurt. Are you okay?”
“…Kyaaaah!”
“Ahahaha! I’m not scared! Is this a hidden camera? Come on!”
[What the heck is he…]
It was a shocking reaction. They had spent days preparing the special effects and machinery. Why wasn’t he even screaming?
[Ha, what’s up with Ha Muyoung?]
“Where’s the camera? Oh, is that it? Senior Sungmok, you’re watching, right? Hi~”
Still holding the upside-down ghost, Muyoung waved at the CCTV. At headquarters, Sungmok ripped off his headphones.
“Ugh, this is a disaster.”
The plan was for him to scream in fright, open the elevator, and shout, ‘Hidden camera!’ But now, it was all ruined.
Unable to bear her weight, the ghost actress fell with a thud. Muyoung supported her until the end, then pleaded with the CCTV.
“Please open the door quickly. The ghost hit her head.”
“Seriously, Ha Muyoung, are you even human?”
“Hello, senior. I’m a big fan of your show.”
The two met at the elevator. The ghost actress dragged her long hair out, preparing for the closing scene. They had a brief moment together.
“Muyoung!”
“Huh? Hyung.”
Ko Gyeongmin, who had gone to the parking lot, rushed over in surprise. He couldn’t believe it was all a hidden camera stunt.
“I went down, and suddenly they said it was a hidden camera right in front of the car.”
“Really? I had a ghost pop out at me.”
The director spoke with Sungmok, then scratched his head, looking troubled.
“Um, Ha Muyoung, did you realize it was a hidden camera from the start, or when the ghost appeared?”
They were unsure how to edit the footage.
The first situation fizzled out, and the second didn’t go as planned either.
“Well, honestly? I thought something was off when the first guy came to our table.”
“Huh? How?”
He was just a civilian recognizing a celebrity and causing trouble, right? Muyoung smiled.
“He didn’t smell of alcohol.”
“…Huh.”
“The meat smell threw me off at first, but the more we talked, the more sure I was.”
Muyoung had a keen nose for the smell of drunken troublemakers. It was ingrained in his memory, and he could sense it instantly.
“But when I got on the elevator, I was sure. The footsteps from the ceiling were too loud. Haha.”
Muyoung’s cheerful admission made everyone freeze. Footsteps? What was he talking about?
“…There was no one but me above the ceiling.”
The actress in ghost makeup muttered, pale-faced. The director and Sungmok, stunned, stared at Muyoung.
‘Oh dear.’
That part was real, then.
Muyoung smiled even brighter, joking,
“Just kidding~ It’s Ha Muyoung’s hidden camera~”