Prince From Another Dimension Becomes An Idol [EN]: Chapter 152

The members were in a daze, barely getting out of one van before being ushered into another.

They obediently boarded the other van because Team Leader Kim Seok-cheol told them to.

However, it felt unfamiliar, perhaps because it wasn’t their usual van.

The cameras installed everywhere felt like watchful eyes, making them sit up straight.

‘What is happening – on such a happy day -‘ a song from years ago seemed to play automatically in their heads.

With a clunk, the door opened, and Jung Gil-ju, getting into the driver’s seat, smirked at the members.

“Is it true that we’re going to Jeju Island like this?”

“Why aren’t we in our van…?”

“What are all these cameras for?!”

“Did the managers take care of our luggage and stuff?!”

The members, as if released from a game of freeze tag, bombarded him with questions.

But the person who could answer them hadn’t arrived yet.

Jung Gil-ju just smiled and said, “You’ll find out soon enough.”

Then, the passenger seat door opened again, and someone got in.

They naturally assumed it would be Team Leader Kim Seok-cheol, but…

“Hello, everyone. It’s nice to meet you all like this for the first time.”

“Uh, uh!”

“Uh, uh, uh…!!”

Louis and Woo-cheol in the front seat, upon seeing the middle-aged man greeting them, exclaimed in astonishment, one after the other.

Louis unconsciously pointed at him, as if indicating someone on a TV screen.

Realizing belatedly that it was impolite, he quickly lowered his hand.

Hong Jun-soo smiled at Louis’s reaction.

Belatedly, the other members also recognized Hong Jun-soo.

Gyu-sung and Ki-joon didn’t seem to know who he was, but Heung-min quickly informed them, “It’s PD Hong, PD Hong,” revealing the identity of the newly arrived person. [PD stands for Program Director, a common title in Korean television.]

Even if they didn’t know Hong Jun-soo’s real name, almost everyone knew him as ‘PD Hong.’

He was as well-known as any celebrity.

Hong Jun-soo was the one who had established N TV as a leader in reality observation entertainment, transforming it from a simple cable channel.

Anyone who worked with Hong Jun-soo became a ‘National OO’ [a term signifying widespread popularity and endearment, like ‘nation’s little brother’], no matter how unknown they were before.

That’s how much influence Hong Jun-soo had in creating popular entertainment shows.

He started with matchmaking programs for ordinary people, but now top actors, rarely seen on TV entertainment shows, were appearing on his programs.

‘Even if you’re successful, not just anyone can appear on PD Hong Jun-soo’s program…’

Moreover, idols, who often appeared on entertainment shows and TV, had never been main cast members on his programs.

This was because he was so focused on ‘fresh’ combinations of cast members.

Do-jae thought as he greeted PD Hong Jun-soo.

‘But, are we going to be on PD Hong Jun-soo’s program under these circumstances?’

The members were all thinking the same thing, so they were even more dazed than when they first got into the van.

Being a cast member on PD Hong Jun-soo’s program meant more than a one-time appearance on 〈Campfire〉 or 〈Passion Man〉. [These are likely fictional TV show titles.]

It meant being the main character for a whole season of the program.

“Why is PD Hong here…? How did he get here…?”

Woo-cheol asked, bewildered, and PD Hong Jun-soo replied,

“I’m here to go to Jeju Island with you all for the next three days.”

“Do you know us?!”

“Were we cast?!”

Woo-cheol and Heung-min exclaimed in surprise, repeating the obvious.

Ki-joon, with a slightly embarrassed look, averted his gaze.

“But what show is it that we’re going to Jeju Island for…? So suddenly! Surprise!”

Louis asked in an excited voice what the show was.

PD Hong Jun-soo’s main program was the 〈Let’s Go!〉 series, which involved traveling to various places overseas.

The 〈Let’s Go!〉 series brought joy with unexpected combinations of young male and female actors and veteran actors who were never seen on entertainment shows.

Another series was the 〈Food, Clothing, and Shelter〉 series.

Living in remote mountain villages without a house, clothes, or food…

“Could it be, 〈Food, Clothing, and Shelter〉?”

The members’ eyes widened at Do-jae’s question, filled with realization.

Now, some of the situation made sense.

The beginning of 〈Food, Clothing, and Shelter〉, which had been running for three seasons, was always surprising the cast members who didn’t know they were going to be on the show.

And suddenly barging in and taking the unprepared cast members to a house in a remote mountain village.

The sight of the cast members, dropped off in a rural house without money or their usual clothes, scrambling to solve their food, clothing, and shelter needs was the fun point of 〈Food, Clothing, and Shelter〉.

In the last season, a female actress who always played the role of a chaebol heiress [heiress of a wealthy conglomerate family] adapted so well that it became a hot topic.

As expected, the better they adapted, and the stronger the contrasting image, the higher the viewership ratings tended to be.

“Yes, that’s right. The main characters of the 〈Food, Clothing, and Shelter〉 spin-off, Jeju Island edition, are none other than the members of MOST.”

PD Hong Jun-soo, with a smiling expression as if it were nothing, continued his explanation.

Meanwhile, Jung Gil-ju had already started driving the van towards Gimpo Airport.

“Since it’s a spin-off, this time we’re going to the sea instead of the mountains. The filming period is also shorter than the original ten days, with a three-day schedule.”

“Three days…”

“Yes. From now on, we’re going to a quiet village in Jeju Island. I’ll tell you the details when we arrive… Do you have any questions?”

The van was silent for a moment.

“So, we’re really just going with our bodies, just our bodies?”

“Of course. You can wear the clothes that are in the house when you get there.”

PD Hong Jun-soo replied calmly to Woo-cheol’s urgent question.

“The clothes in that house… Oh my gosh!”

Louis, recalling the flashy floral-patterned mom jeans that previous cast members had worn, made a despairing face.

Appearing on PD Hong Jun-soo’s program.

Even if it was a spin-off, it was clearly the same concept as 〈Food, Clothing, and Shelter〉, and the PD was Hong Jun-soo.

Thinking about the broadcast, it was something to be happy about.

But thinking about what was to come, the members wondered if it was right to be happy.

“Ah!”

Then, Do-jae, who had been accepting the situation most calmly, exclaimed in surprise and rummaged through his pockets.

“What’s wrong… Do-jae?”

Gyu-sung, unintentionally surprised twice in a row, asked, startled.

Lee Jung-yeon’s assistant had already taken away the cake with the extinguished candles, so they hadn’t even tasted it.

He was a little upset about that.

“My phone… Gil-ju took it all away earlier.”

“Oh, that’s right! Hyung, hyung! What about our phones?”

“PD-nim, are we going without our phones? No way! When I watch 〈Food, Clothing, and Shelter〉, everyone uses their phones at night…!”

Woo-cheol, who lived as if he were one with his smartphone, was in an uproar.

This time, even Ki-joon straightened his back and tried to find his phone.

“Ah. I thought there should be a little more restrictions since the filming is shorter than usual…”

“No, please say it’s not true, PD-nim!”

PD Hong Jun-soo, as if he had already expected this reaction to Louis’s desperate cry, replied without paying attention.

“Phone use is prohibited during the filming period.”

“I’ll keep them safe. Urgent calls will come to me anyway!”

Jung Gil-ju said leisurely, as if it were someone else’s business.

It actually was someone else’s business.

Saying goodbye to their smartphones. The members’ expressions completely hardened.

Whether it was mountains or the sea, they could go anywhere, but they had to be with their smartphones, that’s what the youth of the 21st century were like.

Of course, there was also someone who needed a smartphone for a different reason.

Do-jae was very serious.

“I… I have to say hello to my mother every day…”

“Oh! That’s right! Do-jae hyung always calls his mother!”

“I don’t think this is right! How worried would she be?!”

The members, forgetting that the man in the passenger seat was Hong Jun-soo, a huge star PD, shouted to secure their phones.

PD Hong Jun-soo was a little impressed.

He had heard that they were honest and unpretentious, and it was true.

He thought it was just a sales point from Kingdom [Likely referring to a show or agency], but they really didn’t pay attention to the camera more than he thought.

It seemed that they were able to do that because they were basically all kind.

They were the kind of people who could just act as they always did without causing any problems on the broadcast.

“Even if you don’t say hello for a few days, she knows you’re busy, so wouldn’t it be okay?”

The members were even more upset at Jung Gil-ju’s words.

“You can’t stop filial piety!”

“Wow. Gil-ju hyung is making Do-jae hyung an unfilial son!”

“Hey, why are you guys saying such harsh things…?”

Rather, Jung Gil-ju swallowed his words, conscious of the camera.

They were already near Gimpo Airport.

***

Before boarding the plane.

The members left messages to their families and friends for 10 minutes, saying that they wouldn’t be able to contact them for a while due to concert preparations, but not to worry, and to contact Jung Gil-ju if there was anything urgent.

That was as far as PD Hong Jun-soo would allow.

The members, who had failed to win back their smartphones in the end, were depressed…

Do-jae, however, handed his phone back to the staff without regret, with a relieved expression.

They took the plane and arrived in Jeju Island late at night.

The members, who had been completely worn out, were put back in the car and arrived at a small village in the east of Jeju Island, their destination.

“Wow! The sea…!”

“I can’t see it!”

“It’s so dark! I don’t think there are any streetlights.”

The members, as if they had come to terms with the whole situation on the plane, were now enjoying being in Jeju Island.

Walking in a line along the narrow, bumpy country road where cars couldn’t enter, the members lowered their voices, worried about waking the villagers.

Gyu-sung sniffed, trying to smell the sea, but only smelled dirt.

“I feel like there’s a carrot field somewhere…”

The cameraman in charge of Gyu-sung was secretly surprised.

He only smelled dirt, but how did he know this was a carrot field? It was a mystery.

The cameraman quickly zoomed in on Gyu-sung, thinking it would be used on the broadcast.

The members, having arrived in front of the house where they would be staying, looked around the low stone house with curious faces.

The house, built in the unique style of Jeju Island, was old and shabby, but it had a solid feel and exuded a simple beauty.

Only the members’ ‘house,’ with its lights on, was brightly lit in the dark neighborhood.

PD Hong Jun-soo, having obtained all the filming cooperation, also lowered his voice, worried about causing a nuisance.

“First, when you go into the room, there are clothes, so choose what you want to wear. It’s late at night, so just sleep tonight.”

“Yes!”

“Okay.”

The members answered PD Hong Jun-soo even in parts where they didn’t have to.

Even though there were only six of them, it felt like there were twelve, so PD Hong Jun-soo, the writers who strongly pushed for MOST’s appearance, and the staff couldn’t help but smile contentedly.

Above all, MOST had already succeeded in capturing the hearts of the staff with their energetic and polite demeanor from the airport.

“And the full-fledged 〈Food, Clothing, and Shelter〉 life will begin tomorrow morning. If you look at this map, there’s a field, so you can gather food from here… The main ingredients, like meat, are prepared at the village hall marked on the map.”

“Huh? That’s really far away? Are we going by car?”

Woo-cheol, estimating the location of the village hall, quickly asked.

PD Hong Jun-soo shook his head.

“No. Only those things can be used for transportation.”

PD Hong Jun-soo pointed to a cart and a bicycle.

“That distance by bicycle…?”

“A handcart?!”

While the members were in shock at the wide-open gate of hardship.

Do-jae was looking at the dimly visible hill with meaningful eyes.

***

And the next morning.

PD Hong Jun-soo and the staff, who had been setting up filming equipment since dawn, couldn’t help but be surprised to see Do-jae, who had finished preparing to go to the village hall.

“Where did he get a horse…?”

Do-jae was sitting on a horse with a dignified air.

Do-jae’s cameraman was capturing the scene with a half-넋 out expression. [넋 (neok) refers to the soul or spirit; here, it implies the cameraman is in a daze or shock.]