Godsent Top Star [EN]: Chapter 290

290. Survival Program (1)

August 17, 2022

“Pardon? A survival program?”

For a moment, I thought I had misheard.

‘A survival program?’

Like one of those programs where you go to the outback and try to survive?

-This insect is an excellent source of protein.

Why do I suddenly think of a professional survivalist saying that and crunching down on an insect?

‘Ah. Did the PD [Production Director] from *Law of the Jungle* contact me?’

I remember the *Law of the Jungle* PD contacting me after seeing the making-of film when I filmed the previous CFs [Commercial Films/Advertisements].

He enthusiastically contacted me, calling me a divinely gifted talent after seeing the drifting on a deserted island video.

He said he would drop me off in the outback so I wouldn’t regret it.

‘What am I supposed to not regret…?’

He said that his program had ‘rigging allegations,’ but it wasn’t always the case, and this time he would really take me to the outback. Yeon-woo read madness in his words.

“Did *Law of the Jungle* contact you? Did they ask you to contact them?”

When I asked, thinking of that,

-“What? *Law of the Jungle*? What’s that? Huh? You mean that *Law of the Jungle* thing? That program where they go to remote mountains and such? Why are you suddenly bringing that up?”

A completely irrelevant answer came back.

“Why? Shouldn’t you know that?”

-“Huh? Huh? ……Ah. Ahhh!”

“……?”

Then, I heard insane laughter from the other side of the receiver.

The laughter, so loud I thought he would pass out, was quite impressive.

“I’m going to hang up if you keep laughing.”

-“AHAHA! Ah! No! AHAHA! It’s not that! AHAHAHAHA! It’s not that… !”

“……”

-“To be exact, it’s a competition. The contestants are idols. Several groups appear and compete for first place.”

“……?”

After hearing the explanation, I’m even more puzzled.

“I’m not an idol, though?”

I’m not even a singer.

I have released one OST [Original Soundtrack], but it’s a bit much to call me a singer with just that…?

-“Euhahah! Ah, buddy. AHAHAHAHA!”

I don’t know what’s so funny, but Lee Ju-ha burst into hearty laughter once again.

Now, I’m not just annoyed, but even worried.

Is this guy really going to laugh himself to death?

No, more than that.

What’s so funny that he’s laughing like that?

‘Is he manic…?’

Unaware that Yeon-woo was worried about his mental health.

Lee Ju-ha, who had barely calmed down, tried to explain again calmly.

-“Ahem. You’re not coming out as a contestant… what should I say. Um. You’ll be participating as a producer. You’ll be giving a kind of mentoring to the contestants you’re in charge of.”

“Mentoring? Me, you mean?”

-“Yeah. But you don’t have to think of mentoring as something grand. Just do some missions together when they come out, and if the kids seem to be struggling, just help them stay focused, that kind of thing?”

“…Isn’t that grand?”

-“Not at all? Just arrange some songs, write some songs, that kind of thing.”

What does this person think I am?

Yeon-woo pondered for a moment.

“Well. Let’s say that’s the case. But why did you contact me about that?”

Even though he received Salieri’s tremendous talent, Yeon-woo was not arrogant.

He was quite self-aware.

To suddenly appear on an idol survival competition program.

Even if he was a mentor, it was a very absurd casting.

-“You said your filming is over, right?”

“It’s not completely over yet. The last episode is still…”

-“Ah. That’s practically over! Anyway, you’re not doing anything soon, right?”

“What does that have to do with…”

-“Isn’t the timing perfect? How can the timing be so divinely ordained? I got cast there, too. But you suddenly came to mind! Your filming happened to be over, too. I wanted to work with you, so I immediately recommended you. They’re casting now, and it would be perfect if you came.”

It’s not explained at all.

‘I should be planning how to use YouTube since the drama is over, but a survival program?’

There’s no value in thinking about it.

There’s no time to waste on that either.

Just as Yeon-woo was about to refuse outright,

-“It seems this isn’t just a survival program for fun. Well, the PD who planned it says he’s going to grow the Korean music market even more.”

“…How are you going to grow the music market?”

Yeon-woo, who had paused, revised his thoughts.

It wouldn’t be too late to listen and judge.

-“These days, Korean K-pop is getting attention. He said he’s going to take it to the next level. This is a competition, so they’ll be showing various aspects with different concepts and themes. At the same time, they’ll be raising awareness and reforming the overall perception of idols, or something like that?”

They are also targeting not only the domestic market but also the overseas market.

-“Programs related to K-pop are also exported very well overseas. Since songs have melodies as a base, even if the language is a bit different, it’s more intuitive.”

That was true.

-“They’re showing both domestically and overseas that idols aren’t just people who sing and dance. I said that the concept will be carried out in various ways. You have to arrange songs and create stages accordingly, so there will be parts that require choreography and acting. If people’s perceptions change, it will be easier to pioneer other fields. He was ambitiously talking about pioneering the Korean Wave [Hallyu] market with K-pop at the forefront?”

This was also not entirely wrong.

‘Listening to it, it sounds plausible…?’

“Does this program mean to create artists?”

-“That’s what the PD says. But that’s not easy. If that were possible, wouldn’t everyone be a singer-songwriter? Still, the goal must be grand to try to execute even half of it.”

“Hmm…”

-“But this isn’t really related to us. Doesn’t it sound fun? What do you think, buddy? Want to do it together?”

Lee Ju-ha’s specialty.

The ability to ‘Soulful Voice,’ with a whopping A+ grade.

Its true value was clearly revealed here as well.

He was a talented man who had created millions of core fans while hosting late-night radio for several years.

‘I was wondering what to do with the YouTube content. K-pop, huh.’

Currently, Yeon-woo’s YouTube channel only had a large number of subscribers.

The content that had been uploaded previously had attracted a lot of people in the beginning.

However, since then, the uploads have stopped abruptly, so it was difficult to say that the number of subscribers exceeding 4 million was obtained solely by Yeon-woo’s ability.

‘Jerry said that it would have increased thanks to someone named Trevi.’

In short, it was due to connections.

Jerry said that it was good to have a lot of subscribers, whatever the reason.

Just as it is difficult to create something from nothing, starting with 4 million is different from starting from 0 and heading to the ground because it is different from the starting line.

He said that if the number of subscribers is 4 million, even if the number of views is 100, at least 10,000 will come out no matter how bad it is.

“That’s when you’re really unlucky. Usually, you can easily get 100,000 views. Where is 100,000!”

So Jerry was ranting that the number of subscribers is important for no reason.

But.

‘But isn’t it just an empty shell?’

Yeon-woo’s thoughts were a little different.

‘That means the people who came weren’t here because they liked my work.’

They just subscribed out of loyalty and fandom for the celebrity who introduced them.

That’s all.

‘It’s positive in that there’s a lot of exposure… but that’s it.’

It means there are many virtual numbers.

‘Since they’re fans of someone named Trevi, it might be different from the direction I’m aiming for.’

However, I can’t do things I’m not interested in to catch 4 million people.

Yeon-woo wanted to earn lifespan, not become a slave to lifespan.

Didn’t Madam Kang say that too?

Are you having fun?

Let’s say you have to do something you don’t want to do because of your lifespan.

‘How long will it last even if I do it?’

I’ll probably get tired soon.

I’ll do it half-heartedly because I don’t want to, and then the quality will obviously deteriorate.

‘That will eventually lead to a decrease in lifespan harvesting.’

The lifespan I earn will also decrease, so I’ll hate it even more.

What a vicious cycle!

‘Well… I’m going to make even people who aren’t interested interested.’

Yeon-woo was planning to gradually bring the 4 million people who had flowed in under his influence.

That’s why he was thinking about what to upload to YouTube.

‘Is it a coincidence?’

K-pop, which Lee Ju-ha was talking about, was one of the candidates.

[How about K-pop?]

It started with a word from Dongja Ryung.

“K-pop?”

In fact, I didn’t even know this word.

However, one ghost who lives on TV more than most people clicked his tongue, saying, “Don’t you even know that?”

[Anyway, it’s popular overseas these days. If it’s that popular, why don’t you go that way? These days, they’re releasing K-POP groups overseas, too?]

“Then isn’t it K? I heard that’s an abbreviation for Korea.”

[So that means Korean-style music is very popular around the world these days!]

Is that so?

Listening to it, it sounded plausible again.

‘Yes. The most Korean thing is the most global thing.’

I don’t know where I picked it up, but someone said that anyway.

I don’t even know if this is the time to use it, but it wasn’t wrong.

‘Should I try it?’

Yeon-woo, who wanted to collect lifespan as quickly as possible, was also tempted.

Just then,

-“They also do viewer voting and measure music chart performance. Ah. And YouTube views are also included in the scoring criteria? I heard it’s to strengthen overseas fan participation?”

Lee Ju-ha scratched exactly the itchy part that Yeon-woo was thinking about.

Very coolly.

-“Since we’re doing it anyway. Wouldn’t it be fun to compete together? What do you think, buddy? Won’t you do it with me?”

Lee Ju-ha threw a tempting bait.

“Okay. I’ll do it.”

Then there is only one answer.

There is no choice but to accept.

*

“Is it normal for meetings to be scheduled this quickly…?”

The very next day after being hooked by Lee Ju-ha’s call.

Yeon-woo was almost kidnapped by Lee Ju-ha and dragged to some shiny building.

“Where are we going now?”

“Oh. Our meeting.”

“Yes?!”

“I talked about it yesterday and they immediately wanted to schedule a meeting.”

The call was made after 12 a.m., and the kidnapping was at 9 a.m. right after eating the meal prepared by Kwon Seong-hyun.

I had no idea when, where, or how he had time to talk to the PD in the meantime.

“But is it really okay to do it? I don’t know anything about songs these days.”

I know a little *pansori* [Korean narrative song].

I also know some ballads.

“It’s okay. You can learn when you go.”

“You said it was a mentor role…?”

“Ah, well. A teacher doesn’t have to know everything, right? And anyway, the goal of this program isn’t really to win. The winning process is more important. And don’t think that this program will be the same as other competition programs. I think this is a truly unprecedented program. It’s a program that encompasses not only music but all genres?”

Lee Ju-ha said it casually, but something was suspicious.

The bait was delicious, so I bit it…

‘Could this be rotten?’