Chapter 188: “You Already Know”

The Special MC spot on Music Bank.

It was only a temporary two-week fill-in, so it didn’t feel like it had much merit.

Since it overlapped with our already hectic comeback week, I would’ve normally turned it down out of concern it might interfere with our 2nd Full Album promotions.

But then—

Being stuck like this, I was momentarily swayed.

‘Hey, just try it. It’s a good opportunity.’

‘Just do it with a light heart. What’s the harm.’

Maybe they’d noticed that I’d been slightly down since the injury.

Even the hyungs stepped in and pushed for it, and before I knew it, I had accepted the Special MC position.

Right now, the hyungs were helping me rehearse the script.

All of them. At once.

“Seohan, let’s do a reading practice.”

“Yes…”

But this…

It’s too embarrassing.

After checking the lines in the script, I felt heavy-hearted.

I hadn’t thought much of it when I was the guest, but being the host? That was a whole different story.

Even rereading the script made me sigh instinctively.

Eunji: “These days, it’s all about self-promotion. Seohan, you’re perfect from head to toe—what do you think is your biggest charm?”

Seohan: “My charm?”

Eunji: “Yes!”

Seohan: “Well, I guess my charm would be my tall height over 180cm and my handsome face! And most importantly… (pauses for effect)”

Eunji: “Gasp!”

Seohan: “It might be… that I’m really cute?” (pokes cheek)

Eunji: “CUTE. That’s a massive merit.”

Seohan: “But I’ve heard there’s someone even cuter than me, so I’m nervous. Let’s check out the stage of Lee Harang, who’s making a comeback with the title track <Merit>!”

“‘It might be that I’m really cute?’ Ahaha!”

Cha Seongbin burst out laughing mid-rehearsal like he was going to die.

Next to him, Seo Haim was crying from laughter like she was in mourning.

And standing beside them, I seriously felt like crying for real.

“Ughh… If I hear that live on-air, I might cry from the emotion.”

Even hearing praise from our trainers made me freak out—now I had to say this kind of thing with my own mouth? No wonder they were laughing themselves sick.

They looked like they were having the time of their lives.

Ha Junseo tapped my back and urged me on.

“Seohan, give it a go.”

“I need to mentally prepare.”

Hoo—

I took a short breath and started reading the lines one by one.

“Well, my charm would be! My tall height over 180….”

That’s true.

“My handsome face!”

Also true.

“That I’m really cu… cute… ugh.”

I collapsed right there.

I felt like I was losing my mind.

“Do you think Seohan can actually read this script?”

Jin Sehyun glanced over the script and gave a cold assessment.

“Feels like he’s going to dive into a mouse hole.”

“It’s too small to fit.”

If I were a bit smaller, I really might have escaped into a mouse hole.

This script had so many mentally unbearable points.

Things like poking my cheek or using a cutesy tone—I’d been well-trained through countless fan signing events, but…

The biggest problem was—

Me… saying it myself…

Sigh.

After a deep breath, I opened my mouth again.

“That I’m really cute…”

“Puhahahaha!”

“Don’t laugh!”

Are these people really here to help me?

When I hesitated for a moment, comments poured in from all sides.

“Seohan, you have to poke your cheek.”

“Yeah. Like this!”

Seo Haim even did a demo with a bright and sweet tone.

She’s a born MC. Maybe they should’ve given the job to her instead.

Grabbing my throbbing head, I turned to look at Seo Haim.

The original intention to help was long gone—now they were cherry-picking the cringiest lines to finish me off.

Clearly having too much fun, Seo Haim clung to Cha Seongbin’s sleeve and begged desperately.

“Seohan, Seohan!”

“Seohan! Please put that burden down….”

“Don’t tell me… is it your coolness?”

“Ahahaha! Aha!”

That’s it.

I couldn’t take the tag-team attack from Cha Seongbin and Seo Haim, so I shot up from my seat and snatched the script.

“…Get out!”

“Whoa, Do Seohan’s mad. Run away~.”

“We support Seohan’s cuteness!”

And with that, the two of them bolted away.

Watching their retreating backs, I pressed my palm to my forehead.

What was even more shocking—

All those teasing lines they said?

They were actually in the script…

“Hmph.”

I wanna quit.

[ON AIR] Do Seohan is doing great as MC

Wow, I thought he’d be super shy with lines like that,

But he’s surprisingly bold and shamelessly good.

Then why are his ears getting redder and redder?

–His ears are speaking the truth…

└Ah lololol the brain may follow capitalism but the ears tell the truth 😭

└Our kid normally cannot do that stuff.

└Unless it’s aegyo for fans at fan signings, he never talks like that normally…

└So proud of my baby, doing his best lololol

-Do Seohan smiling shyly here and there like he’s getting hit with reality, seriously too cute lololol you shy hamster….

└Even Seohan is living so diligently haha I’ve decided to be productive starting today too.

└222222

└Damn even someone like that lives so hard ㅠㅠㅠ

[[ON AIR] Who’s the Special MC right now?]

Who is that? Why is he so good-looking???

His chemistry with Eunji is unexpectedly insane.

His pronunciation is so clear and neat—so comfortable to watch.

–He’s the main dancer of next-gen rising K-pop group Stardust and plays the role of the maknae-on-top, a hamster-like cicada. If you stan now, this summer you can spend it with cicada sounds and cool vibes… (see more)

└Huh…?

└LOLOLOLOL the ending is weird though

└He’s a human, people

└Is this even proper promotion? lololololol

–Do Seohan!! He’s that center who was on Starf.

└Wait what? It was him?

└Wow, kids really do grow fast… lolol

└I almost stanned him back during Starf days and forgot, but I think I’m gonna fall for him again. Him being all shy is so cute.

└Just a year ago he was still a baby, but man, other people’s kids grow up fast;; He’s starting to look handsome now.

└Seohan is the future.

└Hamsters are the future!!!!

.

.

.

“You’re doing a really great job.”

“Thank you.”

Seohan gave a shy smile and bowed his head at the staff’s compliment.

The filming site was a whirlwind.

Standing on stage as the host was nerve-wracking, but Seohan had been doing quite well without any major slip-ups so far.

It seemed that the rehearsal with the hyungs had helped.

Thanks to his smooth hosting, the live reactions on the fan community weren’t bad either.

With a slightly more relaxed expression, Seohan checked the camera.

A PD came running over to deliver a quick announcement.

“Next up is The Way’s interview! The order changed a bit, so just check the next page of the script.”

“Okay, got it.”

Up next was The Way’s comeback interview.

A top-tier idol group currently chasing down Tiple at full speed—The Way.

Though they hadn’t crossed paths on music shows yet, they were already so famous that Seohan knew all their faces.

So this is how they meet.

Seohan gave a short greeting and picked up the mic.

Right on cue with the live broadcast, the camera’s red light turned on, and MC Eunji smiled brightly as she began.

“Live on Music Bank!”

“Today we’re back with some very special guests.”

“It’s The Way, making a comeback with their new song. Welcome!”

As soon as she spoke, a roar of cheers erupted from the audience.

Proving their skyrocketing popularity, the studio shook with intense excitement.

The Way’s leader, Min, gave their team slogan and greeted the audience.

“Let us greet you. To your way. Hello, we are The Way!”

“Waaaaaah!”

“It’s been a while since your last comeback. I’m sure your fans have been eagerly waiting. Could you tell us what kind of song your new title track is?”

Seohan delivered the line naturally with a gentle smile.

Holding the mic, Min calmly began explaining the song.

“Yes, our new track is a Future Bass song that expresses the longing to return to the most brilliant times of our lives.”

“Ah, I see.”

MC Eunji responded with a short exclamation and nodded along to Min’s words.

“If The Way could go back to the past, when would your most brilliant time be?”

“We held a concert at the end of last year. That memory was so great that we’d love to go back and stand on stage again with our fans.”

“Kyaaaaah!”

It was a clean and textbook-perfect answer.

With a smile, Seohan turned his gaze toward Kim Woochan this time.

Kim Woochan, The Way’s main vocalist. Seohan addressed him with a lead-in.

“Woochan, if you could go back in time, when would you return to?”

“Hmm…”

The original script had him recall that brilliant moment and then sing a line from Best Time.

But then—

Something completely unexpected came out of Kim Woochan’s mouth.

“I can’t go back.”

…Huh?

Seohan blinked and forced a natural smile.

‘Is this an ad-lib?’

It was a live broadcast. Even if he was a 7-year veteran top-tier idol, he wouldn’t just pick a fight on camera.

Thinking that Woochan had simply forgotten the script, Seohan shifted the topic.

“Then could you think of the moment you’d want to return to, and sing a line from Best Time?”

“Woochan’s Best Time!”

Sensing something odd, The Way’s Min jumped in with a big response, and Kim Woochan smoothly sang a line from Best Time.

His gentle and clean tone proved why he was the main vocalist of a top-tier group.

With a smile, Seohan picked up the script card again.

“It really does make you think of that brilliant moment.”

“Yes, it was wonderful.”

As the interview wrapped up in a warm mood, Kim Woochan suddenly grabbed the mic.

“One moment, please.”

There was no reason for him to cut in at this timing.

They were supposed to introduce the next group’s stage quickly.

But—

Before Seohan could move on, Woochan spoke first.

“There’s something I’m curious about too. Do Seohan.”

“Yes.”

It’s only my first year doing music broadcasts—do ad-libs happen this often?

Seohan was surprised, but turned his head without showing discomfort.

And right then, Kim Woochan’s lips curled into a grin.

“What do you think it feels like to really go back to the past?”

Jet-black hair, obsidian-black eyes. Kim Woochan stared straight into Seohan’s eyes.

It was too blatantly pointed to be coincidence.

‘What is he doing?’

In that brief moment, Seohan’s mind spun rapidly.

Kim Woochan. Aside from being The Way’s main vocalist, there was no connection with him in Seohan’s past life.

He’d never even heard any particular rumors.

Just a successful top-tier idol, living his best life.

But now, in front of Seohan, he was saying things that made no sense.

“You already know, don’t you, Seohan?”

Seohan’s body froze as he was casually flipping to the next page of the script.

“……”

That face, tossing out such a loaded topic as if testing him, smiled brightly in front of the camera and asked—

“Tell us from your experience.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep