TRGCF 23🔐

Chapter 23

The members burst into reactions after hearing the mission.

“Wow, she got an easy one!”
“Just one phone call and she skips the bungee jump? Na-yoon really is lucky.”
“No, wait—what if it’s, like, a five-year-old kid? Na-yoon unnie, who’s the youngest person in your contacts?”
“Hmm, well…”

At that moment, Oh Na-yoon remembered what the writer had whispered to her before filming began.

“You just filmed that short drama recently, right? This’ll be a good chance to promote it.”

Of course, she’d said, yes, thank you so much! — but surely they didn’t mean this?
They’d already done a quick promo bit at the opening. Surely not again?
That bright little face flashed in her mind. No way… right???

Panicking, Na-yoon scrolled through her contacts. After years in the entertainment business, she’d collected numbers from all sorts of people—but there were only a few she could actually call young.
And the youngest one was, without a doubt—

“She’s ten! I’m doomed!”

The devilish production team definitely wouldn’t pick quiz questions a ten-year-old could answer.
Na-yoon was despairing, while the other members and the staff were delighted.
No one doubted that she’d be jumping off that bungee platform soon enough.

After dinner, a mountain of strawberries appeared for dessert. Kwon Jin-ho showed off by stuffing five strawberries into his mouth at once.

I clapped and egged him on to try for six, but Kwon Doo-il cleared his throat sharply.
Oops—maybe I teased him too much?
Thankfully, no scolding followed.

“Soo-ah, when your mom comes back, there’s something I wanted to ask her…”

♪♬–

Just when he was finally about to bring up the real reason he’d invited us over, my mom’s phone rang. She was in the bathroom, so I checked it for her.

“It’s Na-yoon sunbaenim. Is it okay if I take this call? I’ll keep it short.”

“Of course! Go ahead. Though… shouldn’t she be filming right now?”

Kwon Doo-il waved for me to answer quickly, saying we could talk later anyway.
As soon as I picked up, before I could even say hello, a flustered voice burst out:

“Hello, this is Soo-ah’s mother, right? I’m Oh Na-yoon, I worked with Soo-ah on the short drama! Sorry to call out of the blue, but could I speak to Soo-ah for a second?”

“Sunbaenim, it’s me, Soo-ah.”

“S-Soo-ah?! Oh—where’s your mom?”

“She’s a bit busy right now, but I can talk! What’s up?”

“Oh, well, um—(Na-yoon, just do it!)”

I could hear a bunch of people murmuring behind her.
Wait… wasn’t Na-yoon supposed to be filming now?
If it’s a show she’s in, then… EveryTry?

My eyes widened.

EveryTry—short for Every Try Challenge—was ENV’s flagship variety show, a real-life challenge program built on the motto: “We’ll try anything!”
From ridiculous missions to heartfelt long-term projects, it changed concept every episode but always drew laughs with its chemistry and unpredictability.
Oh Na-yoon, one of the original members, had boosted both her fame and the show’s ratings through it.

Considering when “Dad’s Judgement” airs… she’s probably promoting it.
Nice! This would be my first-ever variety show appearance, even if it was just a call-in—and on EveryTry, no less. Total win.

Sure enough, Na-yoon jumped straight into the quiz.

“Okay, you just have to answer my questions! What did we eat together on set? It had a fried egg on top!”

Ah, so it is for promotion. Easy question, then.

I pretended to hesitate, and Na-yoon groaned dramatically. People around her laughed loudly.

“Umm… fried rice! Kimchi fried rice!”

“That’s right! …Wait, seriously? That was way too easy. Okay, next—Soo-ah, in the drama, I marry Doo-il oppa, right? But it’s not our first marriage.”

“A remarriage?”

“Exactly! Soo-ah, you’re a genius!”

Her excited shout was so loud everyone in the room froze. Even my mom, who’d just come back, sat down next to me, eyes wide.

“In Dad’s Judgement, what’s our relationship? Two Chinese characters!”

“Mother and daughter!”

“Okay, next! What’s your character’s name?”

“Na Da-hee!”

“Right! Now, this one’s tricky—even I don’t remember. What’s Doo-il oppa’s character’s job?”

“Elementary school P.E. teacher!”

“Soo-ah, you’re amazing!”

With every answer I got right, Mom clenched her fists and shook them like a proud coach, Kwon Doo-il kept nodding so fast he looked like a bobblehead, and Ji Soo-bin and Jin-ho tried (and failed) to muffle their laughter.

Na-yoon sounded less panicked now and more hyped.
They must have plenty of airtime left.
Time to make things interesting.

“No way! How’s a kid supposed to know that?!”

Na-yoon’s voice suddenly rose. She was arguing with the staff. I even heard wind noises—was she waving the phone around?

Then came her half-whining, half-laughing voice.

“Soo-ah… You know I used to be an idol, right?”

“Huh? Aren’t you still an idol, sunbaenim?”

“Hah… thanks, sweetie. That means a lot. You’re the best… But do you happen to know my debut song?”

“Umm…”

I acted like I was thinking hard. The people around her were cracking up. Someone shouted, Thirty seconds left!

Whoever that was—thank you.

“Can I get a hint?”

“A hint? Okay—‘Na~ nana~’”

“Oh! I think I know!”

“(What? How could she?!) She might! She’s really smart! Soo-ah, please!!”

I started counting silently, pretending to struggle. Everyone around me was holding their breath, faces twisted in suspense.
Even Manager Lee was furiously tapping his phone—probably trying to search it up.
No need for that.

After dragging it out to about five seconds before time ran out, I shouted:

“The answer is! ‘You Don’t Know What Feelings Are Hidden in This Song, But Someday I Want to Tell You’!”

“Huh?!”

Na-yoon gasped audibly.
Even Lee’s eyes went wide.

“Chapter One!”

“Aaaaah!! She got it! Soo-ah got it right!! (Unbelievable! How did she know that?!)”

The room on their end erupted in chaos—Na-yoon screaming, the staff cheering in shock.
My ears were ringing, so I waited until they calmed down a bit before continuing.

“Hello, Soo-ah! I’m Seo Min-jae.”

“Wow, hello! Is this going to be on TV?”

“Huh? You didn’t know? You were so good, I thought you realized!”

“Hehe, I just thought you guys were playing with Na-yoon sunbaenim.”

After a short introduction and a quick plug for the drama, the MC couldn’t help asking:

“By the way, that last question—how did you even know that? When Na-yoon debuted, you weren’t even born yet!”

“See? I told you she’s a huge fan!”

“That’s right! When I heard I’d be filming with her, I looked her up and became a fan. The song’s great, and she’s so hardworking—it’s really inspiring!”

“(Still, remembering that whole title… I can’t even read it without stopping for breath!)”
“That’s just because you’re old, hyung. Ahem. Soo-ah, do you usually memorize stuff easily?”

“Hmm~ I think it stuck because I like sunbaenim so much.”

“Oh my god… Soo-ah, that’s so sweet. I’m touched.”

“That’s adorable! Could you maybe sing your favorite line?”

As the nation’s beloved MC laid the groundwork so nobody could accuse us of cheating, I sang a short bit—not the famous intro or chorus, but Na-yoon’s verse.

“Wow, she’s a real fan!”
“Told you! And that’s my part!”
“Seriously? Okay, respect.”

We chatted like that for a while longer before Na-yoon gave a heartfelt thank-you and ended the call.

I rubbed my warm ears and put the phone down.
Everyone was staring at me in stunned silence. I grinned.

“Huh? What’s wrong? Do I have something on my face?”

I’d handled the quiz just right and even got in a nice, long interview.
Variety shows are all about building a “character,” and being Na-yoon’s genuine little fan seemed like a perfect fit.
Since it was mainly a promo bit, I didn’t have to worry about how they’d edit it either.

All in all, I’d call that a very successful variety show debut.