Translator: MarcTempest
Editor: Rxel
Chapter 288
It started from where the last episode ended.
The members of ‘Men on a Mission’ were standing at the gate of the military base with their backpacks on. They had just completed their training at the frontline battalion.
They hugged each other with tears in their eyes.
“Look at their moist eyes. Didn’t Woojoo Hyung do the same thing at the airport last time?”
“Yeah, he did.”
Of course, the meaning was very different.
The tears they shed there were tears of regret, but mine were tears of joy from liberation. Woojoo was still ignoring the messages from the Special Forces members in the team chat room, saying “Woojoo, are you watching?”“I want to eat chicken.”
“I want fried udon.”
Woojoo wondered when the topic changed from his tears to food. They were his younger siblings who were talking about food.
He looked at the tablet PC that Rihyuk was holding.
It was showing the real-time reactions of the viewers, but it was still very quiet.
“There’s not much response.”
“They say the ratings have dropped a lot lately. They keep going for emotional codes or deep meanings in the production.”
“Ah…”
Well, the broadcast content looked a bit depressed right now.
They played a touching BGM and hugged, and the memories of the past four days flashed by.
It felt bland from the perspective of the viewers.
Usually, variety shows were not something you watched on purpose, but something you watched when you had time. Woojoo thought it would make sense for the ratings to drop a bit if they did that.
Rihyuk said, “But it doesn’t overlap with the time slot of Myeong-gok-dan, so it’s not that bad.”
“Well, if it overlapped with Myeong-gok-dan…”
Myeong-gok-dan was still doing well.
Even though it didn’t have the same hot topic as when they appeared, it was still maintaining the third place in the ratings.
On the other hand, the current ‘Men Go’ was on a downward trend.
In other variety shows, dozens of comments were posted every second in the real-time chat, but Men Go was slow.
-When will it end
-Do you have to drag it for 5 minutes to say goodbye???
-5 minutes of farewell in an hour and a half showㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-When will New Black come out New Black
-I turned it on to see New Black ~.~
-I turned it on because they said the guest was New Black, but this is a sign of leaving PD
-ㅅㅂ It takes me 3 minutes to say goodbye when I go home with my boyfriend
-Joongi, you’re getting scolded for this kind of production, why are you so stubborn?
-The production is so old… Is this a Joseon Era production? If you’re going to do this, change your name to Geojung-gi
-[Breaking] My dad starts to sigh … ‘Why does it drag on like this’
The public sentiment was not good.
The broadcast content was not so much boring as it was a bit of a burst of what had been accumulated.
The viewers who were tired of Men Go’s usual serious and emotional production were angry and said ‘Joongi, get out of here’.
“It’s brutal…”
And in the middle, there was a scene where they said ‘Give us New Black already’, which made them feel nervous.
They felt like they had to run out and dance or something to calm the viewers down.
After the long 7 minutes were over.
-Oh, the new special starts
The preview of today’s episode was briefly shown on the screen.
There was a scene where Hanjo and Woojoo screamed as they received PT, and Junghyun smiled as if he was enjoying it.
Explosives went off, and the cast members in Special Forces uniforms entered the classroom.
Someone came down from the police Special Forces with a rappel, looking cool.
“Oh, that’s Woojoo Hyung’s back. Woojoo Hyung. I have to capture it…”
“That’s me.”
Bijoo’s eyes widened at Junghyun’s answer, but he soon relaxed when their bear said ‘It’s a lie’.
“Wow, the chat room has suddenly become mild.”
The preview of today’s episode seemed to have an effect, and the chat room atmosphere changed to a calm one.
On the screen, there was a sound of a keyboard typing and a text saying where and when TBC was doing, along with an office.
It was the scene where they interviewed the guest of the day.
Woojoo sat down in a sponsored T-shirt, and Jiho laughed as he looked at his phone.
“Why are you laughing?”
“The Soufflés said they knew it was a sponsorship as soon as they saw you wearing normal clothes.”
“…”
“They said you look good in white T-shirts. They want you to wear sponsored clothes for the rest of your life.”
Then his introduction came out.
[The leader of New Black, the rising star of K-pop and the driving force of the Korean Wave!]
[Woojoo!]
Please don’t. Please.
Aaah.
Every time the subtitles flashed, his limbs under the blanket curled up like a tyrannosaurus’s front legs.
“Ugh, how embarrassing.”
“When did we become the stars of the Korean wave?”
“So awkward.”
His siblings were groaning under the blanket they had flipped over their heads.
On the screen, there was a contrast between the stage performance where they were dancing and them reaching under the blanket for sweet potatoes.
Rihyuk was so ashamed that he pulled the blanket over his head like Demeter and stuffed a sweet potato through the gap.
Meanwhile, the pre-interview was playing.
“Hyung, you look so gloomy.”
“Looking at it again, I feel sorry for him. Our Hyung… his eyes are so moist because he doesn’t want to go to the army.”
Woojoo was smiling on the screen, but he couldn’t fool the eyes of his siblings who had lived together with him for over a year and a half.
And when they asked Woojoo if there was anyone he wanted to take with him, his siblings’ eyes changed slightly as he calmly refused. They looked at him with eyes that said they were touched by him.
[You’re not going to the army?]
Woojoo started to smile sincerely on the screen.
“…”
He started to show his true self, saying that he would take them all with him somehow, and he was in sync with the PD.
“That’s a misunderstanding.”
“…”
“It was just for fun, for the sake of the show. I really don’t want to take you all…”
Woojoo said on the screen:
[I want to take you all with me! Hahaha!]
The faces that came out of the blanket had a dumbfounded expression. Woojoo explained to his siblings, waving his hands.
He was so flustered that he didn’t remember what he said then.
“You don’t think I really want to take you all with me, do you? That was sincere…”
[It was more sincere than ever. I am.]
“The PD kept telling me to do it.”
[PD. How about doing it this way instead?]
“It’s a show, so of course I have to add MSG…”
[Please edit this out. It’s a secret from our kids.]
“Aaah!”
Woojoo exploded with anger at his past self.
“…Hey! You be quiet!”
[I talk a lot when I’m excited. Hehe.]
His siblings giggled as he sank deeper into the swamp with every word.
On the TV screen, the Production Team was teasing him with a caption that said ‘Sorry, Woojoo, for spilling your secret~’.
On the other hand, the viewers’ reactions were getting better and better.
They seemed to admire their lovey-dovey affection, and more and more people were laughing in the comment section.
And when the PD and Woojoo said goodbye, the phone started to vibrate and zoom in.
[PD.]
[Woojoo.]
The scene where the PD and Woojoo smiled brightly at each other.
The phone screen started to flash like crazy.
Hanjo was sending Woojoo a polite curse. He sent him a picture of a garbage bag and told him to get in there.
The BGM that sounded like fate was playing as the PD and Woojoo looked into each other’s eyes.
[Is this fate?]
[It is.]
[Fate of…]
[Destiny?]
They high-fived each other, saying ‘Great, well done’, and Woojoo answered the phone on the screen.
And then.
The scene where Hanjo was sitting with a lost expression on his face, and the comment section started to speed up.
On an internet community.
「Found 50,000 won under the sofa while cleaning.gif」
People who were drawn by the unusual title clicked and burst into laughter.
It was a gif that seemed to have just come out.
The familiar faces of the New Black members and a young man turned their eyes to the vibrating phone.
[The fateful call that comes right then!] Along with the caption, the two men smiled like they had found 50,000 won.
–ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋwhat a title
-Title: A Top Student in an Academy? LOL
-Why does he look so sinister? ㅋㅋ
-What’s going on there?
-It’s Men on a Mission. He’s deciding who to take to the army with him, but another idol calls him at the same time.
–ㅋㅋ, that expression says it all.
-This is hilarious.
-The army is fun for men.
-I’m curious about his reaction. What happens next? Any reviews?
-It’s airing right now.
-Ugh, I hate army shows, but this looks like a blast.
-They say it’s a special episode with the Special Forces Team today. No army.
-The guests are New Black.
-Oh, I trust them.
-I trust them too.ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
A screenshot from an idol community was exported to another community with a weird title, and interest in Men on a Mission was growing.
-But it doesn’t look that great with just one screenshot.
-The roulette is on now.
-Roulette?
-They’re choosing the guest to go to the army with a roulette.
-Are they crazy? Choosing the army with a roulette? I’m going to watch it right now.
–ㅋㅋㅋ.
As more and more viewers joined in, the ones who were already watching were very satisfied.
-The roulette is epic.
-Who came up with the roulette idea? ㅋㅋ
-It’s not even a roulette, it’s a dart.
-But the reservists behind him are awesome. ㅋㅋ. They’re smiling brightly under the umbrella.
-They shake the umbrella like a light stick every time he hits one.
-The old men are having fun.
The reservists behind him cheered and shook their umbrellas up and down every time Woojoo threw a dart.
The viewers were already laughing from the introduction of the guests.
-But no one would believe me if I told them.
-This situation is hilarious.ㅋㅋ
-A popular idol who’s a veteran goes to reservist training, but he throws a dart at a roulette board in front of the base to choose the guest to go to the army with him.
It sounded like something people would look at with strange eyes if they told them.
But there were people who accepted this situation more calmly than anyone else.
-That’s our kids.
-They say it’s random, but no one believes it. ㅋㅋ. There’s no such thing as random when Woojoo does it.
-Woojoo: I’m going to choose randomly now -> (Translation) I’m going to kill the one I don’t like.
–ㅋㅋ, why are you making him a bad guy?
-Woojoo… He’s still the same as when he sent his brothers back to Korea as Sukjong in History Discovery Team.
-Rihyuk’s expression right now is similar to when he was Song Siyeol and ate the canary poisonㅋ.
-But they’re all so cute right now.
-Woojoo changing into a raincoat to get serious is so cute.
-The captions for the younger ones are hilarious.ㅋㅋ
-If you want to appreciate their beauty, I recommend muting it. You can focus better if you only see their faces.
-Thanks for the tip.
The Soufflé fans were making gifs and capturing their faces every time they appeared, laughing along the way.
They were talking about their faces with almost nano-level captures.
When the guest was finally chosen, people burst into laughter at the sight of Rihyuk crying, thinking it was him.
His face was pale with redness all over, and he sobbed like a little kid.
-New Black’s Rihyuk, cries thinking he was chosen for ‘Men on a Mission’ army lottery.
-‘Men on a Mission’… ‘Rihyuk is scared of the army!’
-[Behind the scenes] How did New Black’s main vocal become known as Pirarucu? (More)
The scene of him lifting his shirt and hiding his head under the hole was captured and posted as a photo in every article.
“…”
Yoon Seokhwan, the director who was watching ‘Men on a Mission’ at home, started rubbing his temples.
The ratings graph of ‘Men on a Mission’ had been gradually curving.
People seemed to flock to the show, hearing the rumors, and enjoying the different atmosphere from the usual seriousness.
The broadcast content naturally moved on to Woojoo entering the reservist training camp and Hanjo and Junghyun receiving basic military training.
Hanjo’s image of rolling around and screaming was vividly drawn.
-?
-Did I just see something wrong?
-Is this his second time in the army?
And that was the same for Woojoo.
As he stood on the rooftop railing, holding the rope, his legs trembling and his face pale with fear, the viewers exclaimed ‘Oh’.
-He’s not good at everything after all
-That height is scaryㅋㅋ
-The instructors look worried too
-But whether it’s rappelling or anything else, when you train in the military, you usually get a lot of accidents if you’re that nervous
Right then.
Woojoo, who was screaming ‘Aaah!’, suddenly slid down with a perfect posture.
The Special Forces and the Men Go cast who were watching from the rooftop had a ‘?’ expression on their faces.
And so did the viewers.
-?
-??
-Come out, the one who just talked about accidents. Let’s hear your opinion again
-He’s scared but he’s good;
-It’s like watching a gymnastics competition where the athlete goes ‘Aaah! I’m scared’ and then lands perfectly
There was a moment of silence on and off the screen.
Then everyone burst into laughter at the scene of the Special Forces cheering happily.
It was as if they were saying ‘Yeah! Our kid wouldn’t do that’ with a trusting expression.
Woojoo’s face, sitting on the floor and saying ‘I’m scared…’, was shadowed by the Special Forces.
While Woojoo dug his own grave once again and suffered.
“Hahaha!”
Near the TBC control room, PD Do Joongi, who was fidgeting, had a big smile on his face.
The ratings were going up.
And while he was laughing, there were people who were the happiest to see Woojoo rolling around.
“Ah, I feel healed.”
“Men Go was a healing variety show?”
“I have to save this and watch it again and again. Aww, poor Woojoo rolling around…”
“Oh, poor thing… Hehe.”
It was the A&R Team of Lemon Entertainment.
They were working on the album, but they also smiled brightly while watching Woojoo roll around for healing.
“Oh, our Woojoo is pitiful.”
“Woojoo is having a hard time~”
“Ouch…”
They said that, but they couldn’t hide their satisfied laughter whenever Woojoo screamed ‘Aaah!’ while rappelling.
Meanwhile, the broadcast continued.
After the training full of highlights, they received black suits and had a conversation with the Special Forces.
As the broadcast time filled with small things passed, the preview for the second day started.
-Ohㅋㅋㅋㅋpolice dogsㅋㅋ
-Explosives are exploding…
-Is that instructor the one who’s angry?
In the next week’s preview, Instructor Viper, who was angry and shouted ‘What the hell!’, drew attention.
It was more exciting than the relatively boring first part, full of scenes full of thrill.
And there was the most eye-catching scene there.
-???
-What is that
-Hey, what just passed by
It was only a few seconds, but it was Woojoo using someone’s center of gravity to perform a strange technique.
It was so fast that some people looked for the VOD as soon as the broadcast ended.
But the afterimage was strong.
A scene where he subdued someone very oddly, like a scene from an action movie.
-What is that?? How did he do that?
-Watch next week, they’re teasing us
-It’s amazing even if I play it slowly… How did he do that???
–ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋwhat is that
-I was going to turn off my mind after the broadcast, but the preview impact is too strong
-What is that??
As everyone wondered, someone who noticed something appeared.
-But isn’t that… similar to what was in the movie Codename?
USA, LA.
A Hollywood movie that adapted a famous musical was being filmed on the set.
In front of the green screen, the actors and dancers were getting directions on their movements, while the director, John Edwards, was holding his phone.
“Hmm…”
“What’s wrong?”
- Daegil’s friend is doing well in the army.
- Is that Hanjo? He’s so cute, lol. Look at his expression of despair when Daegil’s best friend flies around, lol.
- They’re like the king’s favorite concubine and the queen, lol.
Junghyun was flying high during the basic military training.
He was serious and solemn as he participated in the training, but he always made the instructors smile with whatever he did.
He dismantled the gun like a craftsman, and he aced the shooting.
- But he’s handsome.
- He’s more of a bear than a flower boy.
- If he just fixed his hairstyle a bit, he’d look like a movie star soldier, lol.
- I didn’t notice him when he was with Woojoo earlier, but he’s handsome when he’s alone.
- Daegil’s friend was a visual member. But every time I see his face, I hear a goat’s bleat.
- If they edited the screen a bit, he’d look like a model.
- Why is he in a different genre by himself? The others are like a mud festival.
- I still like Hanjo more. He’d be handsome too if he shook off that dirt.
His face was sharp and angular under the helmet.
As Junghyun lightly brushed off the dirt on his cheek and chin, ‘New Black Junghyun’ rose on the real-time search.
He was very pleased with that fact.
“Wow. I’m on the search. Hyung.”
“…”
“I should send this to my parents.”
While the New Black members were inhaling sweet potatoes with nervous faces at the dorm, the footage that Woojoo, Hanjo, and Junghyun made as guests was quickly passing by.
The viewers were puzzled by that.
‘This is fun, but they’re skipping it fast.’
There were no scenes to waste.
Unlike the usual guest introductions, these scenes were funny or amazing just by looking at them.
But they were passing by fast.
If they were going to do this, they should have edited out the farewell scene earlier. What was behind this?
The viewers’ curiosity was amplified by the confident editing that seemed to imply there was a lot to show.
Soon, the scene where the Men Go cast and guests met at the airport.
They chatted at the opening and then moved to the Police Special Forces from Incheon Airport.
The faces of those who were excited when they were told to bring their passports were gradually filled with anxiety.
The viewers who already knew where they were going just laughed.
Then, a sign that said ‘Police Special Forces’ and a video explanation of what this unit was with a powerful BGM.
PT that started with Kubo.
Woojoo’s interview was inserted in the middle.
[If I learned anything from the army, it’s that you shouldn’t do too well or too poorly… I think it’s important to do your best at a reasonable level.]
Woojoo doing PT movements while sweating.
And the instructors’ eyes were focused on him.
–ㅋㅋㅋㅋThe eyes of a hawk looking for prey
-You shouldn’t stand out (serious)
-But he stands out right away,ㅋㅋㅋ
-Why are the instructors’ expressions so cute? This is not right.
-They look like fitness trainers looking at new members,ㅋㅋ.
-What happens when a newbie enters a veteran’s territory
-A strange-smelling newbie from the wild appeared
Contrary to their fearsome first impression, the Special Forces members were cutely saying ‘Oh, oh, Number 8’s posture!’
They even had shy expressions when they offered rope climbing as a reward.
Tactical Team 1 was getting as much attention as the guests.
But the one who got the most attention in this first episode was a new recruit who monopolized the love of those Special Forces members.
[Number 8. Are you happy?]
[Aaaah!]
[Are you screaming with happiness?]
[Huaaah!]
It was the Number 8 trainee who was suffering as if he was rebelling.
Left roll, right roll.
Every time he rolled, the Special Forces members’ laughter bloomed, and the others who got to rest were the same.
But it was worth it.
He was expressing ‘I’m suffering’ with his whole body, but he was doing all the movements perfectly in the meantime.
It was the same in the rappelling training in the afternoon.
Training to come down the outside of the building with one rope.
The Men Go cast members were screaming as they did the training at the height where humans feel the most fear.
John showed his phone to the stunt director in response to his question.
“This is what I’m talking about.”
“What…?”
“I saw online that this is similar to the action sequence we did in our movie.”
“Really?”
The screen showed a very short scene.
A handsome man dressed like a Special Forces agent used his opponent’s force to subdue his neck.
It was the skill that the protagonist used to overpower the giant villain in the movie ‘Codename 17’ that they had filmed together before.
The director narrowed his eyes and asked, “How did he do that? We used wires to shoot that scene…”
“I know, right? I thought it was only possible in theory… What show is this?”
“It’s from Korea.”
“Is he a stunt actor…?”
As the two men watched the strange scene from a foreign variety show with curiosity, the choreographer who was directing the dancers approached them.
He smiled cheerfully and asked, “What are you looking at… Aaah!”
“…Clay?”
The choreographer, Clay Tyler, recoiled and backed away as soon as he saw the screen.
The two men blinked at him.
‘What’s going on?’
‘He looks like he saw something terrifying…’
They didn’t have time to wonder.
John Edwards caught sight of someone on the screen who was performing the bizarre move.