Chapter Fourteen: An Unexpected Journey

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Entertainment at Your Side – No pop-up interruptions
(Note: The show depicted in this chapter aired much later, as a special episode with only one installment, so I’ve moved it here to let our classmate Jiang Yihan appear on a program, and also to lay a foreshadowing for later, hehe!)
Story takes place: December 2004
Recommended song: Jang Nara – "Oh Happy Day" (OST of the movie "The Mischievous Girl's Love Story")
Statement: This work is purely fictional. Please do not relate it to real people; any resemblance is purely coincidental!

Recording begins!
Accompanied by the rhythm, Jiang Yihan gently tapped out the beat, the lyrics slowly tumbling from his throat. He had barely sung a line before the music stopped. Outside, the teacher pressed the intercom button, and a harsh noise rang in Jiang Yihan’s headset. He removed his headphones, looking at the recording teacher to find the cause. The teacher said, "Your pitch is off, you started too high. Let's try again."

Jiang Yihan stuck out his tongue and began anew. This time he managed a couple of lines, and again that piercing sound echoed in his ears. The teacher said, "Yihan, you didn't handle the end of that line correctly. Remember what we discussed in class? Keep the vibrato subtle, just a hint, don't make it too obvious. Let's do it again."

The music played once more.
"Not quite, Yihan, when you switch the key in this line, you need to push the note back a little more."
"Yihan, this line feels completely wrong. Try again."
"Emotion! Emotion! Emotion! How can the feeling in the song fade after just a few repetitions? Again!"
…
Half an hour passed, and not even a quarter of the song was recorded. Jiang Yihan looked exasperated, repeatedly sipping water from his cup, searching for his state, slowly adjusting himself.

Lunch time arrived! After a whole morning, Jiang Yihan had barely managed to record half the song. He thought half would be enough, but the teacher said, "Yihan, this half is barely acceptable, but it doesn’t meet the requirements. There are too many flaws when listening from outside. It still needs polishing. We’ll start fresh in the afternoon. Consider the morning just a warm-up. See you after lunch!" The teacher patted Jiang Yihan’s shoulder and left.

Li Ran shrugged, his face full of sympathy for the poor kid. "Don’t look at me, I’ve been in class all morning too, my brain’s practically mush. Stop worrying, come on, let’s eat."

Shaking his head, Jiang Yihan could only drag his weary body off to eat, joined by the sleepy Han PD who had been waiting outside.

It wasn’t just a week, but nine days before Jiang Yihan managed to record only two songs. "Castle" alone took him six days, and he had sung it thousands of times. As Jiang Yihan said, "If I sing it one more time, I’ll start vomiting!"

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This afternoon, there were three hours off.

"Hello!" Jiang Yihan was out shopping, buying snacks for his recording sessions, when he answered the phone. Today he wasn’t alone, since Han PD from mpick was still around. Han PD was like a personal bodyguard, documenting every bit of daily life, then choosing footage worth broadcasting for the show. The program was scheduled to air a week before Jiang Yihan’s debut, with an episode per week to support the promotion.

Jiang Yihan’s training became the show’s main content. Occasionally, he would go out shopping or, like today, head to the market for supplies, or hold mini concerts in the company’s recording studio—singing Chinese songs to practice his vocals and for entertainment. So even as a trainee, mpick had plenty of material to film. Word was this was mpick’s first time shooting such a program, testing the market’s response by filming and airing simultaneously, planning for a dozen or so episodes. No concrete schedule yet, but several episodes were ready: the first, "The First Astonishment," followed by "Rigorous Training," "Mischievous Day in the City," "KTV Strength," and "Experiencing University Life." The titles outlined the main themes, with other footage woven in, each episode averaging about twenty-five minutes.

Back to the phone call—the voice on the other end was Kim Jaejoong. "Hey, bro, this is Kim Jaejoong."

"Ah, Jaejoong, what’s up? Is something wrong?" Jiang Yihan clumsily tossed a few packs of cookies into his cart, his bulky clothes hindering his movements.

Having an older brother to greet him warmly made Kim Jaejoong very happy. "Bro, I wanted to ask you for a favor today—to join an event." He explained the purpose of the call.

"An event?" Jiang Yihan grabbed a few bottles of cola, unsure if his teacher allowed him to drink them, but picked them up anyway. "What kind of event? Are you able to take on events now? How’s that situation going?"

"Well, nothing’s settled yet. Recently, our fans—Cassiopeia—have been protesting everywhere, even staging a collective protest in front of the company, demanding we be given another chance. So the company hasn’t made any moves lately. I don’t know what’s next, bro, I’m really scared." Kim Jaejoong’s voice trembled when he mentioned this; the shadow of the incident was not so easily erased.

"Jaejoong, your fans are supporting you, that’s wonderful. You must have confidence in yourself and your fans. I doubt your company will ignore such actions; now you have event invitations again, so they’re probably negotiating, showing signs of wavering. Just wait for now and don’t do anything rash, otherwise who knows what the higher-ups might do." Hearing there was a turnaround, Jiang Yihan was delighted.

"Okay, bro, I understand. About the event I mentioned earlier—" Kim Jaejoong returned to the main reason for his call. "It’s a show where celebrities introduce their friends, and then help them find girlfriends. Lee Hyori is hosting. I think you’d be great for it. What do you think?"

"Lee Hyori? I’ve heard so much about her, I should meet her. Introduce me to a girlfriend? Haha, not bad! I really should thank you! But I’ll check with my company and call you back in ten minutes, okay?" Jiang Yihan was thrilled.

"The company? Oh right, you’re preparing for your debut now! Fine, I’ll wait for your call." Understanding the situation, Kim Jaejoong hung up.

"Yihan, whose call was that? Someone introducing you to an event?" Han PD quickly picked up.

"Kim Jaejoong, do you know him?" Jiang Yihan dialed Li Ran to consult the company.

"Kim Jaejoong? The one from TVXQ?" Han PD was clearly familiar with the hot idol group. "You know him?"

"Hehe, yes." The company quickly checked the show—Lee Hyori’s upcoming celebrity friend introduction program—and soon gave their answer. After considering, they decided there was no problem, and since it was a good chance to adapt to variety shows, they agreed without fuss.

With confirmation, Jiang Yihan called Kim Jaejoong back. "Jaejoong, it’s Yihan! No problem, my company’s approved it. When do we go record?"

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"Tomorrow morning at 9:30! At MBC Television, wait for me in the lobby." Kim Jaejoong didn’t know why, but upon learning about the show, the first person he thought of was Jiang Yihan, whom he’d only recently met. Jiang Yihan was like a magnet, effortlessly drawing attention; his aura was comfortable and warm. When he found out Jiang Yihan could attend, Kim Jaejoong couldn’t help but smile with genuine joy.

"Can you tell me how you met Kim Jaejoong?" Han PD was very interested in the topic. After all, one party was a current celebrity, while Jiang Yihan was a foreign student who had only recently arrived—how could they have met?

"Hehe!" After a laugh, Jiang Yihan began recounting how they met.

The next morning at 9, Jiang Yihan set out with Han PD from mpick. MBC was easy to find, a sprawling complex bustling with staff coming and going. Without a guide or a work permit, Jiang Yihan could only wait in the lobby. Having stepped in from the chilly outdoors into the warmth, he straightened his scarf, but before he could sit, he saw Lee Hyori enter, wearing a large black down coat and a baseball cap. She was undeniably stunning; even through the coat, her figure was apparent. Her features were deep, leading many to think she was mixed-race, which was understandable. Perhaps it was the early hour, but her mood seemed subdued, though she still wore a smile, greeting staff all around. Naturally, Jiang Yihan received a smile as well.

Next, Jiang Yihan and Han PD began discussing, marveling at Lee Hyori’s beauty—she was just as gorgeous without makeup.

Soon, Kim Jaejoong arrived, accompanied by a sizable entourage that amazed Jiang Yihan. Seeing Jiang Yihan standing with the camera beside him, Kim Jaejoong walked over. "Have you been waiting long? Come on, let’s head up, we need to prepare makeup, scripts, and the recording will start soon. What’s the camera for?"

As he spoke, he pulled Jiang Yihan upstairs. The two didn’t discuss the situation, as there were too many people around.

"Hehe, mpick’s new show, introducing newcomers." After answering, Jiang Yihan glanced around at mbnet. "Bro, how should I introduce you later?"

"Ah, just say I’m a student, haha! If you don’t mention the camera, people will think you’re filming yourself, it’s fine." Jiang Yihan caught the meaning; the company said his appearance wouldn’t be prominent since the stars were the focus, so there was no need to mention his trainee status. "I’ll probably meet a lot of seniors; I might not recognize them—you’ll have to introduce me!"

"Hehe, I’m also a junior, I have to bow and greet them too. Don’t worry, I’ll let you know." The two quickly entered the elevator. In Korea, seniority matters—a junior not bowing and greeting seniors (at minimum a nod for respect) could be directly hit by seniors in the past. Of course, that’s rare now, but anyone in entertainment understands that offending seniors leads to trouble. So politeness does no harm.

Entering the makeup room, the guest lineup was impressive. The hosts were Lee Hwi-jae and Lee Hyori; guests included Haha (comedian and singer), Moon Hee-jun (H.O.T.), Andy (Shinhwa), Jung Jong-chul (comedian), Oh Sang-jin (MBC announcer), and Kim Jaejoong (TVXQ). Such a lineup was formidable. Everyone was chatting, makeup nearly done, costumes in place. Jiang Yihan followed Kim Jaejoong, greeting all the stars. Courtesy never hurts, and as expected, everyone assumed Han PD was filming Kim Jaejoong—Han PD’s footage was a windfall, capturing a batch of top artists.

Haha, as expected, was affable, always smiling. Andy, despite his years in entertainment, was still shy, instantly returning greetings with a reassuring smile. Moon Hee-jun had no airs, and seemed especially fond of Kim Jaejoong, chatting non-stop whenever he saw him. The other stars were equally easy-going, but their friendships weren’t deep—aside from Haha’s playful banter, everyone stuck with their own friends.

Jiang Yihan noted that everyone dressed formally, yet still appeared as "ordinary people," nothing overly elaborate. Looking at his perpetual T-shirt and jeans topped with a black blazer, he felt relieved—it wasn’t impressive, but it sufficed. After pausing, Jiang Yihan, hesitating, finally took out his digital camera to record this entirely new environment, occasionally catching stars laughing freely—truly some splendid moments.

Just then, Lee Hyori, freshly made up, approached. "Hello! Are you a new artist? I haven’t seen you before." Her eyes smiled, her head gently tilted, increasing her charm. The radiance Jiang Yihan exuded inevitably caught Lee Hyori’s attention.

"Hehe, hello." Jiang Yihan quickly nodded in respect. "I’m not an artist, just a friend Kim Jaejoong brought. Nice to meet you, please take care of me!"

"What, you’re not an entertainer?" Her surprised expression—mouth slightly open, eyes wide—made one want to pinch her cheeks. "I thought, with your appearance and the camera, you were… hehe, not bad! But today, you can’t be seen by the female lead—that is, the girlfriend being introduced. It’s a ‘blind selection.’" Just as she finished, the director called everyone together for a script briefing.

Jiang Yihan couldn’t help but admire Lee Hyori’s sharp eye.

There were six celebrities, each bringing a friend. Only one beauty, meaning she would choose a temporary boyfriend from among the six, though she couldn’t see them. The six men sat behind a screen, and had to win her heart through conversation, with celebrities helping their friends.

The hosts explained the segments, spoke with the stars, and Jiang Yihan glanced around—among the friends were even foreigners, which was impressive. According to the director, the episode would air as a New Year special, and was being recorded in advance.

Afterwards, everyone checked the script and mingled, with twenty minutes before taping. It was Jiang Yihan’s first time seeing a script like this, detailing each segment and specific lines. The hosts began chatting with the friends, asking names and explaining what would happen, greeting everyone. Lee Hyori’s smile was intoxicating, her crescent eyes full of mirth. Lee Hwi-jae, a true veteran, spoke casually and easily, constantly making everyone laugh.

Time quickly passed, and everyone headed into the studio.