Chapter 142: Tales from a Foreign Land (Part I)

Entertainment Around You - No Pop-ups
Story Setting: March 2007
Recommended Song: SS501 - A Song Calling You
Disclaimer: This work is purely fictional. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental!

Upon arriving in Phuket, the recording did not start immediately. Everyone headed to the hotel, settled in, and rested for a few hours. The recording would begin in the afternoon.

Jiang Yihan and Kim Jaejoong shared a room, Hangeng and Lin Erxiang shared another, while Li Ran stayed in the adjoining side room attached to Jiang Yihan and Kim Jaejoong's suite. The room was extremely spacious, so a few more people could easily have stayed there, but currently, each room primarily accommodated the artists and their managers, while the accompanying staff stayed in rooms downstairs. Such a luxurious suite showed that "X-Man" was spending a hefty sum to ensure this grand finale was a memorable one. This time, Jiang Yihan had not brought Jiang Ziyi along because Kwon Jiyong happened to have some free time, so Jiang Ziyi stayed home to accompany her boyfriend, even giving up the chance to travel abroad—a fact that left Jiang Yihan feeling somewhat put out for a while.

At this moment, Jiang Yihan and Kim Jaejoong were hanging the clothes from their suitcases into the wardrobe. Since they were staying here for several days, they had brought along quite a few suitcases of clothing. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

"Who could that be at this hour? Aren't everyone unpacking and resting?" Kim Jaejoong asked. Jiang Yihan shrugged to indicate he had no idea.

Kim Jaejoong walked over and opened the door. A moment later, Jiang Yihan heard Kim Jaejoong greeting someone: "Hello, senior. Hello, senior."

Just as Jiang Yihan was wondering which senior it could be, the person appeared. It turned out to be Lee Minwoo from Shinhwa. Jiang Yihan quickly stood up and greeted him as well: "Hello, senior! Hello, senior!"

Although he was a major senior in the entertainment industry, Lee Minwoo appeared very approachable. "You two don't need to keep calling me 'senior, senior.' You're making me sound old! You should know I'm still very young, haha."

Lee Minwoo's friendliness helped both of them shed much of their tension. "Haha, Senior, what brings you over?"

"Why can't there be a reason? Can't I just come over and check on you two?" Lee Minwoo said with a feigned expression of seriousness. Seeing that both of them had tensed up again, he burst into a happy laugh. "Look at how tense I made you both! I'm just joking. I actually do have a reason for coming over. Mainly, I wanted to get to know Jiang Yihan. I've known Kim Jaejoong for a while now, but I've never had the chance to get acquainted with Jiang Yihan, and I've always felt it was a pity. So, I wanted to take advantage of this show recording to get to know him."

"Ah, hearing you say that makes me quite nervous, Senior, haha," Jiang Yihan laughed. "I've actually wanted to meet you for a long time, Senior. I've always admired your stage presence and really wanted to learn some dance techniques from you."

"Haha, dance? Yours is pretty good too, why are you acting like you envy me?" Lee Minwoo's smile remained on his face. "I've been wanting to ask you for some tracks, actually. The songs you compose are truly famous for their quality in the industry, and everyone is envious."

"Songs? I had no idea, haha," Jiang Yihan said, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.

"Hyung, it's true. Whenever we run into other seniors, some of them always ask if you have any free time and want to get in touch with you to write songs for them," Kim Jaejoong chimed in. "The track hyung wrote for us last time was super popular, too."

"That's right. Right now, a lot of people in the industry want to commission songs from you, they just don't know if you have the time," Lee Minwoo said, then added with a grin, "Including me. Haha."

Only then did Jiang Yihan realize that Lee Minwoo had intentions of asking him for a song. "Haha, writing songs is certainly not a problem, I just don't know if the seniors will be satisfied with what I come up with."

"Ha, no rush, no rush. I'm not asking you for a song right this second. You've been so busy lately that you probably don't have much time to write, and I don't have any release plans in the near future either. But when I do ask you for a song later on, you're not allowed to turn me down, okay?" Lee Minwoo clapped his hands happily.

"Sure, sure, sure, of course no problem," Jiang Yihan said, taking a great liking to this straightforward and cheerful senior.

Since filming was scheduled for the afternoon, Lee Minwoo stayed in the room for a little over half an hour before heading back.

During their chat, Lee Minwoo shared many interesting stories about past stages and offered numerous tips on recording variety shows, which proved immensely beneficial to both Jiang Yihan and Kim Jaejoong. Finally, Jiang Yihan even scheduled a time with Lee Minwoo to learn dancing. Whenever both of them had some free time, Jiang Yihan definitely wanted to seize the opportunity to elevate his dancing skills, and an excellent teacher like Lee Minwoo was certainly not someone to let slip away.

After the midday break, the show recording officially began. Everyone came down from their rooms and gathered by the swimming pool in the hotel's garden to prepare for the shoot. The production crew had already set up the filming equipment: cameras, dolly tracks, reflectors, microphones, backgrounds, and more. Nearby, a group of beauties dressed in traditional local costumes stood in lines, waiting for the opening sequence.

The local beauties performed a graceful dance, and then suddenly, Kang Ho-dong popped out right into the center. He began dancing a very strange routine with wildly exaggerated expressions on his face, executing a "gorilla walk" all the way to the front before delivering his opening monologue: "Hello everyone! Following our previous Bangkok Winter Special, today we welcome our Spring Special right here in Phuket! In romantic Phuket, our romantic X-Man letter shall unfold right here!" With that, Kang Ho-dong burst into dance once again: "Ah-t! Ah-t! Ah-t-t-t-t-the special is here!"

Everyone watching on-site was amused by Kang Ho-dong's exaggerated performance. "And now, let us welcome the charming ladies chosen through selection—please welcome Chae Yeon, Yoon Eun-hye, Bae Seul-ki, Park Jung-ah, Nam Gyu-ri, and Shim Eun-jin!" As each name was called, the female guests stepped forward in front of the cameras, struck a charming pose, and then took their seats on the left side of the frame.

"Next up, let's welcome our charming boys! The female guests will decide who among them are handsome guys and who are landmines," Kang Ho-dong continued in his booming voice. "The handsome guys will stand on the left, in front of the 'Yes' board. The landmines will stand on the right, in front of the 'No' board. First, let us welcome the representative of thick eyelashes, the gaze-boy, Lee Jong-soo!"

At Kang Ho-dong's loud shout, the male guest standing at the front of the line stepped out. Watching from the sidelines, Jiang Yihan thought with admiration, "Look at that, Jaejoong, Hangeng—now *that* is how you host a variety show. It's amazing." Lee Jong-soo completely disregarded his own image, performing a pathetic, awkward dance in front of the female guests while flashing excessively burdensome looks that none of them could handle, prompting all the female guests to raise their "No" paddles and cast Lee Jong-soo into the landmine category.

"Haha, he's too hilarious. I could never do that," Kim Jaejoong said, laughing as well.

"I'd love to do that, but I have no idea how. Only when you act like this do you get camera time, and only then will the viewers find it funny," Hangeng said with an eager expression to learn.

"Haha, the man is a professional. Professionals! We still have a lot to learn, haha," Jiang Yihan's summary made both of them laugh.

Next up was the "German study-abroad alumnus" Kim Jong-min, who danced extremely hard and even resorted to threats: "If any of you say 'no' later on, I won't let you return to Korea! Seriously! I'll leave you stranded in Phuket to spend the rest of your life with me. I'm telling you the truth, I stake my life on it!" Kim Jong-min's words turned the entire scene into an ocean of laughter. Despite this, Kim Jong-min was depressed to find himself assigned entirely to the landmine group with all "no" votes, which left him utterly sullen. Seeing his expression made everyone laugh even harder.

Lee Minwoo, who went next, won the hearts of the female guests with a brilliant and hilarious dance routine, securing a seat in the handsome guys' zone. Unlike the landmine zone, the handsome guys' zone came equipped with chairs, fruit, and beverages, making Kim Jong-min and Lee Jong-soo, sitting nearby, green with envy.

Glancing at Lin Erxiang, Jiang Yihan didn't mind him particularly, but he honestly had no idea what to say to him. In the end, he gave up and simply encouraged Lin Erxiang with his eyes. After locking eyes for a second, Jiang Yihan turned away somewhat awkwardly, greeted Hangeng, and stepped forward—it was his turn. Although Lin Erxiang was very handsome and an idol singer as well, his comedic dancing obviously failed to win popularity, and he regretfully trotted over to the landmine group.

"I'm heading out!" Shin Jung-hwan cheerfully greeted the remaining three and ran out. As Shin Jung-hwan clowned around, the female guests naturally cooperated by playing along with the comedy—landmine decision!

"Since there are already four landmines, the final three automatically become the handsome guys," Kang Ho-dong had barely made the announcement before all the female guests started shouting, "No way! No way!"

"Why not? These are the rules! You guys rushed to pick all four landmines early on, so naturally, whoever's left over are the handsome guys," Kang Ho-dong said with a feigned look of innocence.

"Then what if they're not handsome guys? No way, re-pick! Pick again!" The female guests screamed in exaggerated fashion, fully playing along with the script.

Kang Ho-dong firmly and resolutely rejected their request, calling out the final three handsome guys. Jiang Yihan, Kim Jaejoong, and Hangeng had been laughing until their stomachs hurt backstage. Only then did they walk out together. The moment the three of them appeared side by side, all the female guests instantly quieted down—this time, not because of any scripted arrangement, but entirely out of spontaneous reaction.

"Hangeng, go!" At a look from Kang Ho-dong, Hangeng smiled. The two of them had already coordinated this beforehand—time for a repeat today: "Ready... song."

"Pre..." Kang Ho-dong's voice was still childishly playful.

"Pre..." Hangeng's Chinese-accented Korean finally hit the correct pitch.

"Pre!"

"Pre!"

"Are you ready?" Kang Ho-dong shouted loudly, happily waiting for the response.

"Sigh, forget it!" Hangeng delivered an unexpected punchline that sent everyone into a roar of laughter, while Kang Ho-dong stood there with an awkward, sheepish expression.

"So, do you like these three handsome guys?" Kang Ho-dong shouted toward the female guests.

"Satisfied!" came the unanimous, unified reply.

"Really that satisfied? *That* satisfied?" Kang Ho-dong feigned overwhelming jealousy. "Since our three top idols have appeared today, and we even have Jiang Yihan, who has recently swept across the domestic and international charts, wouldn't it be a crime not to make them sing a song for us?"

Kang Ho-dong's proposal won everyone's approval. Jiang Yihan naturally knew this was part of the show's flow, so he cooperated and briefly consulted with Kim Jaejoong and Hangeng. They decided to perform "Magic Castle," a track by legendary music senior Lee Seung-hwan. The song had a very high sing-along rate, and TVXQ had even previously covered it for their album. Hangeng had practiced this song many times during daily training, so it was a piece of cake.

Accompanied by the soothing melody of the piano, Kim Jaejoong began singing the romantic love song.

"Can you believe it? In my dreams, you are a princess under a spell. No matter what difficulties lie ahead on the path toward you, whatever happens, it is my absolute resolve to rescue you once again, holding my hands together to pray for you. Please grant me boundless strength and wisdom. Passing through the magic castle, crossing the forest, I saw you in the dark cave. Now, try holding my hand and feel the warmth reviving within our bodies. Freely flying in that sky, don't be alarmed—the world unfolding before us is truly precious if we are together..."

Kim Jaejoong's slightly husky voice, Hangeng's crisp and clear vocals, and Jiang Yihan's crystal-clear tone blended together to give the song a uniquely enchanting style that left everyone spellbound. Once the song concluded, the crowd briefly forgot they were filming a variety show and broke into genuine, heartfelt applause.

With his wealth of variety show experience, Kang Ho-dong immediately seized the moment and proposed, "Hearing just one song certainly isn't enough to satisfy us! So next up for the Overseas Special Dance Special, let's welcome our idols Jiang Yihan, Kim Jaejoong, and Hangeng to bring us the absolute best dance performance!"

The dance the trio chose this time was actually "Good Man" from Jiang Yihan's third album, a collaborative track with Hangeng. Because the rhythm was extremely strong, the choreography looked stunning. To prepare for today's performance, Kim Jaejoong had also learned the steps on short notice. Moving to the beat of the music, every single movement the three of them made was packed with power, and their facial expressions exuded sexy charisma. When the chorus hit, their coordination was exceptionally seamless, drawing waves of enthusiastic cheers.

Right after the performance concluded, the comedic trio of Kim Jong-min, Lee Jong-soo, and Shin Jung-hwan rushed out to stage an impromptu wrestling-dance showdown. Having just enjoyed a showcase of handsome idol dancing, the audience was treated to this hilarious contrast, which doubled the comedic effect and left everyone doubled over in laughter.

"Jaejoong, Hangeng, let's go out there and dance with them too! That'll boost the show's entertainment value," Jiang Yihan whispered to the other two. Although the three of them felt a bit reserved, after a moment's hesitation, they decided to step out.

When the three of them joined the ranks of the comedy dancers, the atmosphere of the opening segment reached its absolute climax. To everyone's utter surprise, Hangeng's comedic dance skills turned out to be not a whit inferior to his handsome dancing, leaving everyone thoroughly impressed.

Amidst waves of laughter, the opening segment was finally wrapped up. Once the cameras were turned off, everyone was left panting and catching their breath.

"You guys did great today, you really know how to create good show moments, haha," Kang Ho-dong said with a smile as he walked over.

"It's all thanks to Ho-dong hyung's teaching. That's the only way the show becomes fun to watch," Jiang Yihan replied with a smile.

"The demands for going on variety shows are getting higher and higher these days. Guys like Junghwan who do so many shows have it really tough," Kang Ho-dong sighed with some emotion. "Coming up with new dances, learning new gags, trying to figure out what to say on air—every single day is so busy."

"Yeah, lately with doing so many shows, I sometimes feel like I've run out of things to say. You end up having to tell the same stories across different programs over and over again, and even I get sick of it. I'm only in my twenties, how many life stories could I possibly have?" Hangeng, having a heavy schedule recently, was clearly starting to feel the pinch.

"That's why when necessary, we also fabricate a few stories based on facts. But when you make up stories, you have to make them engaging enough to hold the viewers' attention, which is why it's getting harder and harder for comedians to survive," Kang Ho-dong remarked with a hint of lingering frustration.

Chatting as they walked, the group unknowingly arrived at the recording location for the next segment: bungee jumping!