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“…That actor is really him.”

“Of course.”

Unable to withstand the subtle gazes, I eventually admitted that it was indeed Moon Chang-sik.

Even if I had denied it, they wouldn’t have believed me anyway.

And honestly, it was true.

“Don’t get any weird ideas, we have nothing to do with each other.”

But really, we have nothing to do with each other…

I’ve barely contacted him at all.

We don’t reach out to each other unless it’s work-related.

Not that there’s ever been a reason to contact each other in the first place.

“Is that so? Hmm…?”

“What’s with that vague expression?”

But it seems Anna and the other members are making strange faces, not believing what I said.

“Well, if it’s Miro…”

“Oh really, come on.”

Do these people really think I’m on the same level as Moon Chang-sik?

“No way.”

Moon Chang-sik is a global actor who’s gaining popularity even abroad.

It’s absurd to think we’re in the same league…

“Anyway, a call just came in, right?

“…What about it?”

“Answer it, why’d they call?”

“I’m not going to pick up.”

“Oh.”

I’d just brush it off and send a message saying I’m busy with work.

As I reached for my phone to decline the call…

“Wait a second.”

Thunk.

Maho stretched out her long arm and grabbed my arm.

“Yeah?”

“Can’t you answer the call?”

“Oh come on.”

We have a broadcast to do!

Don’t you see the viewers waiting for us?

“Yeah? We’ll be quiet, so go ahead and resume.”

“Ugh.”

What on earth are they so eager about… these guys!

“Fine, if you’re that desperate to hear it.”

So I went ahead and answered the phone.

[Hello?]

Then I heard Moon Chang-sik’s voice.

Wow, it’s been a while since I heard that voice.

“Yes.”

[Are you available to talk?]

“I am. But my friends are listening in on the call.”

“You! Why would you say that!”

“That’s not proper etiquette, you know?”

Huh?

Even though I was curious about why Moon Chang-sik was calling, it’s not polite to have a conversation where everyone can hear. If someone’s next to you, you should let them know.

“Y-yeah, that’s true…”

Anna isn’t someone who lacks manners, so she fell silent, and the other members followed suit.

[Hmm, then can you make it so they can’t hear? It’s something just for the two of us.]

“You’re speaking so oddly.”

It’s obviously work-related, so why make it sound ambiguous?

With my comment about etiquette, the previously downtrodden eyes of the members started to shine again.

[Haha, I was just saying it as it is.]

Fine, if it’s just something for the two of us, I stood up.

“We’re live right now.”

“Uh-huh…”

The other members looked just as curious as I was, but we needed to get back to the broadcast.

Even now, the chat was flooding with messages after just a brief pause.

“G-Good luck with the call…!”

The members reluctantly decided to continue the broadcast, and I headed to the inner room.

It’d be a huge deal if my call got picked up in the living room.

[Were you live?]

“Yes, almost every day.”

[Oh no… I should have checked before contacting you!]

“Have you ever watched my broadcasts?”

[….]

Seeing him go quiet, it seems he hasn’t watched at all.

Well, I can’t really picture Moon Chang-sik watching virtual YouTubers anyway.

Hyeon-su, who occasionally does watch, is the odd one out.

“So, what’s the matter?”

Now that I’m in my room, I jumped straight into the main topic.

Why did he call?

[Ah, there’s something about work.]

As expected, Moon Chang-sik’s call was about work.

I wonder if it has something to do with acting?

“About work?”

[Yeah, I know you’ve had no big interest in acting, but…]

“Oh…”

He knows that well.

It’s true that I have no major interest in acting.

I had thought it might be nice to film a movie at least once in my life, but it wasn’t out of love for acting or a desire to be an actor.

But calling me while knowing that means he really has a suitable role in mind, doesn’t it?

[Still, I had a great character idea pop up, so I wanted to suggest it.]

“An idea? For a role?”

You’ve come up with a character out of nowhere?

What does that mean? Is Moon Chang-sik filming a movie or something?

[This time I’m working on a new drama.]

“Oh… congratulations!”

[It’s a confidential matter, so please don’t mention it anywhere.]

“Understood.”

But if it’s for a drama… are they trying to cast me for a role there?

[More importantly, the other day while filming, I had a good thought, and I made a suggestion to the director and the writer.]

“A suggestion?”

[Yes, I had some scenes in mind.]

Wow…

It seems that actors of Moon Chang-sik’s stature can suggest ideas to the director and writer.

Of course, with his name recognition, great acting skills, and passion, they’d surely nod along if he made a suggestion.

Most actors would get scolded for trying that.

“So, you’re calling me to cast me?”

[Yes, I thought the role would align well with your image, and it wouldn’t interfere with your work since the filming is short.]

“Oh, I see…”

But he’s specifically calling me out like this.

What an honor!

He could have reached out to plenty of other actor acquaintances.

“I really appreciate this. Thank you for contacting me like this.”

This really is something.

It’s rare for an actor like Moon Chang-sik to take such care.

That’s a luxury not everyone gets to enjoy.

[So, how about it? Would you like to think about it this time as well?]

Moon Chang-sik’s question made me pause for a moment.

Normally, I’d politely decline or take a while to think it over…

“Can we meet and talk about it?”

This time, something else clicked in my mind.

[Meet?]

“Yes, maybe tomorrow or the day after? Or is that too soon for you?”

[Hmm… that won’t work for me.]

“Oh no…”

Now that I think about it, he did mention he’s filming so surely his schedule must be tight.

[My filming schedule is packed.]

“Oh… is that so?”

What can I do then?

Discussing it in person would be the best course.

Maybe I should consider a video call instead?

[Well, if that’s the case…]

Moon Chang-sik proposed a suitable alternative.

Can that work?

“Is that all right?”

[Yeah, it seems fine.]

So our schedule for tomorrow was set.

**

After the brief call with Moon Chang-sik.

I returned to the room to resume the broadcast.

“So, regarding what happened last time…”

“Ah, um…”

In the room, the other members were deep into the ongoing broadcast.

They were doing well.

Even if I’m out of the room, five members are still more than enough to carry the show.

“Hey, Miro’s back!”

When I entered, all eyes turned to me at once.

They welcomed me in their usual tone, but the glances they shot were completely filled with curiosity.

“Ah, yeah.”

“Was your urgent matter finished?”

“Yeah, it wasn’t urgent at all.”

—Miro’s finally here

—What was it about??

—Why are you so late?

It seems like the members didn’t say much, gauging the viewers’ reactions.

They just left my responses to me while making it sound more pressing.

“Just a call from someone I worked with before.”

If I just brushed it off, it’d be obvious they’d spread a bunch of rumors in the community, so I immediately answered in the chat.

—Whaaat

—Who?

—Is it a guy?

“It was a guy, but it’s nothing serious.”

Rather than take the risk of lying and getting caught, I chose to speak the truth.

Some members looked at me as if they had lost their minds, but hiding it would be a bigger issue.

It’s fine to state the facts pretty plainly.

I mean, who would think I just finished a call with Moon Chang-sik?

—Is it really a guy?

—Please tell me that’s a lie…

“Come on, don’t say weird things.”

Saying that, I sat down.

I quickly glanced at the chat and saw there weren’t any major reactions afterward.

Since I was acting calm, the chat followed suit and transitioned without much fuss.

From the viewers’ perspective, we took a brief pause, and the other members did well to keep things going, so they probably didn’t feel too much of a void.

—So, what’s next now??

—Now that we’re all here, how about we sing?

—Is there no game we can all play together?

Look at that, the topic has already moved on.

And there’s a bond between the viewers and me.

After all this time, it wouldn’t burst into flames over just some guy talk.

“Well then, shall we sing a song since we’re all here?”

“Sounds good, let’s sing.”

“I wanted to sing too.”

The other members seemed a bit inspired after seeing the new song from the second-generation members, and they reacted positively to the idea of a singing broadcast.

Honestly, I wanted to sing a little now that I saw their new song too.

Everyone sings well.

And so, as the six of us gathered for the singing broadcast, I realized that even though I hadn’t sung much, time flew by fast.

With each song taking about three minutes, and with six of us, that’s around twenty minutes just for one round.

I was comfortable, the viewers were enjoying it, and as time passed quickly, it was almost time to wrap up the broadcast.

“I think it’s time to head out now.”

“Shall we slowly start ending?”

One by one, the members put on their outerwear, and the viewers flooded the chat with compliments about how fulfilling today’s broadcast was.

I felt that it was a perfect moment to step up to the mic.

“Oh, right everyone.”

-??

-Is there more?

“I’ll be taking a break tomorrow. I have to go for that work thing.”

It was a pleasant atmosphere, so they shouldn’t complain too much.

After all, my Miro broadcast is driven by the strong bond between me and the viewers, and today’s atmosphere was warm and friendly.

They might not send me off with best wishes, but there was bound to be a hint of regret in the air…

—What the heck!

—What did you say?

—??

…I guess they’re not taking it well.

“Mirooo!”

“Wow, the chat is on fire!”

“What should we do?”

It was summer… no, autumn.

 

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