Godsent Top Star [EN]: Chapter 43

043. Radio Appearance (2)

2021.12.13.

A sense of unease, like a large predator approaching, filled the air. “Why are you dressed like that again! I told you to dress like a normal person!” a voice boomed. “Ah, what can I do? It’s hot,” came the reply. *Smack!* Despite the imposing figure, the radio writer casually slapped the man’s bare arm. “I told you, you look like a gorilla when you dress like that. Yes, you have a lot of muscles! But can’t you manage your image at all?” “It’s just a radio show, what does it matter what I wear? Don’t you think?” The last question was directed at Yeonwoo.

“Well, it doesn’t matter to me,” Yeonwoo shrugged. *I’ve seen creatures who take out their insides and eyeballs, and guys with missing limbs. A normal human wearing a sleeveless shirt is pretty mild.*

“Ah, the guest doesn’t mind either. You worry too much, *noona* [term used by younger men to address older women]!” “Haha… Yeonwoo, I’m sorry. He’s a fitness fanatic. He sometimes goes around half-naked like this. He looks strange, but he’s surprisingly normal, so don’t worry.” “Nice to meet you. This is our first time meeting, right?” The man suddenly held out his hand. “I’m Lee Juha. I’m twenty-five. My job is…”

“You’re a singer.”

“Oh. You know me?” “Yes, well…”

-Name: Lee Juha (25/Male)
-Occupation: Soulful Singer-Songwriter
-Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
-Skills: Absolute Pitch [A], Soulful Voice [A+]
-Affection: Neutral
-Current Physical Condition: Optimal
-Current Emotional State: Interest

***Some items cannot be opened at this time.
***Detailed information about this person is hidden.
***Additional stats available for harvest: Captivating Vocal Cords [A]

The status window popped up in front of me as soon as we shook hands. *I couldn’t possibly not know.* ‘Captivating Vocal Cords?’ There was an additional stat available for harvest. It was the first time I’d seen an additional stat available since I harvested the ability from Writer Min’s son. Moreover, it was an A-rank stat.

‘Tsk.’ Looking at the singer’s stats, I had a feeling what ‘Captivating Vocal Cords’ was. *I wanted it. I really wanted it.*

‘It would be nice if he gave me a quest.’ Unfortunately, nothing was floating above Lee Juha’s head. As I smacked my lips and looked at the top of Lee Juha’s head, Lee Juha said, “I’m not a scary person. I don’t associate with guys who try to establish weird hierarchies, so don’t worry about that.”

“Hey, watch your mouth! I told you to watch your mouth!” “Ah, why? The broadcast hasn’t started yet. Anyway, I heard you’re a rookie, so you must be really nervous. You don’t have to be. Our show is famous for being very free. I’ll cover for you if you make a mistake, so don’t worry.”

“He looks a bit rough around the edges, but he’s actually a good host. He’s also famous for having a comfortable broadcast to listen to.” The writer sighed and slapped Lee Juha’s arm. It seemed like she was scolding him, but she was subtly taking care of him, like watching siblings. The funny thing was that even in the midst of all this, Lee Juha’s voice was quite good.

‘I really wish I could take that additional stat.’ *Tsk. Get influence and additional stats. Isn’t that killing two birds with one stone?*

“*Noona*. Aren’t you being too biased because you’re a fan?” “What are you talking about?! Get in there. You can’t make any mistakes today, so make sure you check the questionnaire and everything else in advance. Yeonwoo will be unfamiliar with this place, so take good care of him. Show him how to use the app and the program!” “Yes, yes. I understand~!”

The radio booth felt different from the filming set. The soundproof walls that completely blocked out sound, and the large microphone set up in front of the laptop, reminded me of a professional recording studio.

“You can use these headphones, and you can talk into this microphone. You don’t have to stick right up to it, so you can speak in a comfortable position. Juha will generally control the radio broadcast, but our writers will let you know the timing with cue sheets in front, so please refer to them. And the program is…” The main writer, who had followed Yeonwoo, explained everything kindly. Lee Juha, who was watching this, clicked his tongue.

“*Noona*. Aren’t you being too biased? You’ve been going too far since a while ago?” “Euneureuneukkeu. Be quiet, Juha.” “It’s best to learn by bumping into things yourself. I’ll take care of Kang Yeonwoo, so why don’t you go out for a bit?” After slapping Lee Juha’s arm once more, the writer left the booth, and Lee Juha spun his chair around to face Yeonwoo.

“Are you really close?” “Yes?” “Are you really close to Kwon Seonghyun? Honestly, I’m not very close to that guy.” “Yes?” “I don’t know if you know, but that guy and I are the same age. He started as a child actor, and I debuted around the same age as a musical prodigy, and I became a big hit. I guess it’s because we’re the same age, but they keep putting us together, but our personalities don’t really match.”

Lee Juha shuddered his thick shoulders, as if the memory was disgusting even now. “That kid is always polite and keeps his distance, so I can’t handle him. But strangely, he’s very thorough when it comes to broadcasting. He even pretends to be friendly. Anyway, that’s why he and I don’t really get along? Of course, we still don’t get along. I don’t like him as much as he doesn’t like me? Ah, should I say he disapproves?”

That was true. -He’s usually a slick guy, but… That was the first time I heard Kwon Seonghyun refer to someone as a ‘guy.’ *Come to think of it, he was smiling, but the atmosphere wasn’t great either. I wondered why…* Personally, they didn’t like each other, but they seemed to have a subtle relationship where they acknowledged each other’s abilities.

“He wouldn’t even try to associate with me if he could help it, but our writer *noona* is very persistent? I thought I would definitely get cut off because Kang Yeonwoo and Kwon Seonghyun seemed so close, but it’s amazing that you’re here like this.”

*Everything is amazing. If he knew that Donggaryeong was hitting him hard on the head, he would be more than amazed and would collapse. It’s a shame I can’t see it at times like this.* [This won’t do. I was wondering what kind of decent person he would be since every song he releases is a hit, but he’s slandering our actor?! Die!] A curse from an old ghost that’s over 20 years old. *I wonder if there will be an article about Lee Juha having a heart attack soon.*

“We’re spending the night together again today. It was a bit hotter today, right? But we can’t skip our daily walk once a day. A midnight stroll. Let’s start happily today. The first song today is ‘Hungry Time’ from ‘Midnight Diner’.” The ON AIR light came on and the broadcast began. A low bass tone flowed through the microphone. After the intro song ended, the introduction followed.

“Today, we have a very special guest. None other than the person who appeared in the very hot drama recently. A cold grim reaper and a man with a burning passion to sacrifice himself for one person, we have invited Kang Yeonwoo.” “Hello. I’m Kang Yeonwoo.” “Oh. Our *Bbami’s* [nickname for listeners of the show] are already going crazy. ‘His voice is so good’, ‘He looks handsome just by listening to his voice’, wow… What is this? You always said my voice was the most handsome?”

Lee Juha’s hosting was very skillful. -His abilities are worth using. He’s a guy who knows his limits when it comes to work. Just like Kwon Seonghyun said. “The speed at which the chat window is going up is very scary. Yes. I haven’t seen this kind of speed in a long time. Everyone likes the new man more than me, right?”

Unlike his rough appearance, he had witty hosting, manners that didn’t cross the line, and consideration. Lee Juha was famous for treating his fans like his own people without being pretentious. Indeed, there was a reason why he had so many fans.

“Our *Bbami’s* have a lot of questions about Yeonwoo. Especially! We will have an exclusive interview with Kang Yeonwoo on Midnight Walk. Yeonwoo, there’s a behind-the-scenes story about being cast in this drama?” “It’s not really a behind-the-scenes story, but there is an episode.” “I’m very curious to know what it is.” “I didn’t originally go to the set to act, and I was in charge of Kwon Seonghyun’s temporary manager position. Then…”

The drama hadn’t ended long ago. Interest in Yeonwoo was at its peak. -You have to release information even a little bit at times like this so that you don’t die of thirst for bait. The interview mainly flowed with stories about Yeonwoo. “‘What’s your favorite drink?’ someone asked, what’s Yeonwoo’s pick?” “I like everything, but if I had to pick one, I like mint chocolate flavor.” “Isn’t that toothpaste flavor?” “It’s not.”

“‘Our Yeonwoo looks like he’s gritting his teeth. Juha *oppa* [term used by younger women to address older men], stop it.’ Yes. I think I should stop. Yeonwoo is smiling, but he looks kind of scary. Ah. It looks like the grim reaper has descended. But our Yeonwoo? Is that Yeonwoo’s nickname? Ah. That’s right. Wow. Our Yeonwoo. It’s shortened to Wooyeon.” Lee Juha burst out laughing as he read the message. “It’s called Wooyeon because it hits your heart hard like a coincidence. Ah. I burst out laughing. There’s going to be a lot of ownership disputes over Yeonwoo, right? If everyone says our Yeonwoo here and there.”

He also asked about minor episodes that happened on set. After the source providing disguised as an interview was roughly over, the listeners’ stories and chatter began in earnest. “Today, especially! Our guest, Yeonwoo, will pick the stories himself. Feel free to post anything on the Toktok bulletin board. A generous gift will be given to the winner~!” As I had heard in advance, Yeonwoo picked and read a few stories. Deep sincerity that can only be revealed in the middle of the night. Things that make you look back on the day because you can’t fall asleep. Or even just things you want to say to Yeonwoo. The reaction to Yeonwoo’s voice, which read each one carefully, was very hot.

“Wow. This firepower at this time is really the first time. Our writer is also surprised. ‘Yeonwoo-nim. Somehow, when I’m listening, the pronunciation is easy to hear, do you practice your pronunciation or something?’ someone asked. Come to think of it, that’s right. I know actors have good vocalization, but it’s very rare to have good pronunciation. Dramas and movies aren’t news. Feeling and emotional delivery are more important, so sometimes the pronunciation is a bit disappointing. Did you practice separately?”

*There’s no way I would do that. Crystal-clear, perfect pronunciation. That was the secret of Yeonwoo’s ability. ‘I can’t say that.’* “First of all, thank you for the compliment. But I didn’t practice separately, and I’m trying to be careful to speak correctly.” “Ah. In short, it’s a natural talent! It’s a very enviable talent.” When Lee Juho said that, the chat window was filled with ‘ㅋㅋㅋㅋ’ [Korean equivalent of ‘hahaha’]. “*Bbami’s*. Don’t laugh. I’m hurt. You’re laughing at me now because I had a strange pronunciation when I was recording the song guide, right?”

After reading stories and playing requested songs back and forth, it was already time for the broadcast to end. “Oh. It’s already time to say goodbye again today. Thank you again to Kang Yeonwoo for coming. And *Bbami’s*! It’s a shame, but until we meet again tomorrow, let’s take a walk in our dreams together.” After exchanging greetings, Lee Juha gave his closing remarks. And just as it was about to end. “But it’s a shame to say goodbye like this, right? Finally, a word from our Yeonwoo, please.” Lee Juha threw a sudden comment. It was not a scheduled part. The writer who was counting outside had wide eyes. *Are you crazy?!* The shape of the mouth saying that was clear. One side was worried, and the other side was staring with blatant interest. *’I just had a good idea.’* Yeonwoo smiled and leaned forward.