Chapter 108

**[Star Fisher]**

It was a variety show that had gained immense popularity among middle-aged men who loved fishing or among those who enjoyed healing-themed variety programs.

The two actors, known for their excellent banter, were also exceptionally skilled in their craft. Having been active in the entertainment industry for a long time, they could handle any guest with ease, ensuring the show flowed smoothly.

However, not all guests were exempt from criticism.

“Joo Sooyeon? Who’s she?”

“Didn’t you see *The Chaser*?”

“Nope. I haven’t stepped foot in a theater for over ten years now. What’s *The Chaser*?”

To those who didn’t watch movies or dramas, Sooyeon Joo was an unfamiliar celebrity. After all, how could people whose only TV consumption includes variety shows recognize a rising star?

“Plus, that scrawny guy who appeared alongside her, who is he?”

“He’s her grandson, Lee Ho-seung.”

“Ah, Lee Ho-seung?”

Nevertheless, Ho-seung’s family gathered to watch his first variety show appearance on *Star Fisher*. Online, reactions about Joo Sooyeon’s guest appearance on the show also began popping up.

– I guess I should’ve expected her to appear on variety shows after two big hits, but *Star Fisher*???

– But honestly, *Star Fisher* is usually pretty good.

– I haven’t seen a woman guest making things fun on *Star Fisher.*

– If you watch *Alone Survivor*, Seoyeon’s good.

– She’s the one who spears fish! Haha.

– But is spearfishing and sea fishing the same thing? Ah, looks like all the Seoyeon fans are here.

Among those who found her attractive or had seen her on *Alone Survivor*, Seoyeon’s appearance was well-received. Meanwhile, others who barely recognized her as an actress weren’t particularly thrilled.

After all, *Star Fisher* was typically a serious, methodical fishing show, and female guests rarely left strong impressions.

But all such preconceived notions were shattered within just ten minutes of the broadcast.

The moment Seoyeon started fishing once on the boat, everything changed.

As the scene showed her cheerfully preparing her line and casting the rod with gusto…

– ?

– Did anyone else hear something strange just now?

– Not sure if this is normal for *Star Fisher*?

– No, no, no.

The lure whizzed through the air with such force it seemed like someone had fired a gun.

– Wow, sound strange…

“Ah, Seoyeon’s posture is good, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, she must’ve practiced.”

With a confident smile, Seoyeon replied, “Of course!”

– What’s even good about that?

– Did anyone else think that scene was a bit weird?

– For a moment, I thought her fishing rod might have killed someone.

Despite some odd moments, Seoyeon turned out to be much more likable than expected. At first glance, she seemed like an elegant lady, and the thought was that it’d be miraculous if her presence didn’t disrupt the flow of the show.

– She must’ve practiced on her own.

– Her stamina’s impressive. Jigging (the vigorous up-and-down motion when fishing) is no joke.

– What’s ‘jigging’?

– It’s when you shake the metal jig attached to the float to mimic a small fish.

Watching her energetically perform the motion endlessly left viewers’ arms feeling sore just from watching.

– Who’s that idol guy? Who is he?

– It’s Thunderstream.

– Who’s that?

– Doesn’t Sooyeon ever get tired? This feels like it’s looping!

If not for a worn-out Li Ho-seung on the other side of the boat, they might have suspected it was a repeated clip. Seoyeon’s energy and excitement were palpable through the screen.

“Miss Seoyeon, do you want my hat?”

“No thanks. The sun can’t touch me.”

That bold reply left Lee Sang-soo momentarily dumbfounded, as he hadn’t anticipated anything like it.

– Is Joo Sooyeon four-dimensional?

– Haha, what the heck was that? Did she say something out of a movie?

– I almost thought I misheard. Is that what female actors usually say?

– “The sun can’t touch me” — didn’t that come from some vampire movie where the protagonist conquers sunlight?

Ten minutes of such casual back-and-forth passed when suddenly, Seoyeon’s float dipped.

At the request of actor Lee Sang-soo, she carefully began reeling in, her focus visible as she turned the reel.

“Ker-chik, ker-chik…”

“It looks like it’ll break!”

“But no, it won’t. That’s a very expensive rod. It’s sturdy—don’t worry; it won’t break.”

Taking his words to heart, Seoyeon reeled in even more enthusiastically. Until now, no one had any clue what she had caught. Seoyeon appeared too calm, unlike the usual reactions when something big was caught.

Next, she tensed up and started pulling against the taut fishing rod. Despite it bending dramatically from the weight, she showed no signs of fatigue.

– Might be a rockfish? That’d fit since we’re near Wando.

– Rockfish? Haha, if she’s that type of actress, there’s no way rockfish would drag her.

– Not necessarily. If you know how to handle it right…

– Beginner’s luck maybe.

Just as everyone was expecting her to reel in a medium-sized sea bream…

Suddenly, the camera began shaking.

“All right, everyone, help Miss Seoyeon!”

Producer Jung Seung-hyun, who had been calm, now stood up and shouted, alerting the crew. Meanwhile, the camera turned to the sea, capturing the commotion and a loud noise.

– What is it?

– What kind of fish is that? It seems big…

The audience hadn’t noticed yet what was going on. The fish was still submerged, so its outline was unclear.

“Miss Seoyeon, loosen the line… No, if it gets dangerous, don’t force the rod!”

Producer Jung Seung-hyun, who usually teased the guests, was now completely sober, urging help and gesturing to others…

“But I’m stronger!” came Seoyeon’s brave response.

– Is she insane?

– Strong or not, she’s in danger!

– This is more like a fish-fighting show!

As the bent rod moved, dragging the water, a large fish began to emerge. The scene was surreal.

As Seoyeon continued reeling with the rod bent nearly to breaking point, her face started making headlines across online communities.

– Isn’t that a red seabream? That’s huge!

– What’s a red seabream?

– Wait, you don’t know about red seabreams? Those beasts can grow up to 2 meters!

– Only a few dozen are caught each year, and some consider catching them a dream.

– This thing weighs over 100 kilograms. How is she handling it alone?

– Maybe the fish isn’t fully out yet?

A red seabream—a species primarily found in deep waters, rising to the surface only during its spawning season from May to July. Catching one was nothing short of pure luck, and even professional fishing shows rarely captured their fishing moments. And here it was, being caught on a cable variety show.

– Insane.

– They’re catching it on a variety show?

– Isn’t she pulling this all by herself?

– Wait, aren’t there other guests helping?

– What others? Are they helping?!

Seoyeon vigorously worked the reel while the rod creaked under the intense strain, making sounds as if it would snap any moment. Others hurried over with giant nets to support her, though catching a fish of this size wasn’t as simple as it sounded.

– Isn’t this supposed to be a relaxing show?

– Isn’t this *The Old Man and the Sea*?

The show continued to capture the red seabream’s resistance.

Suddenly,

“Yaah!”

– What?

Seoyeon’s cheerful shout filled the air. Simultaneously, “BOOM!” the fish leaped out dramatically.

– Whoa!

Before everyone could react, there was a thud as the fish landed on the boat. The startled crew fumbled with the nets while trying to figure out what was happening.

– Whoa, insane.

– Isn’t this dangerous?

– That thing’s huge, and it’s thrashing around wildly—what do we do?

As chaos ensued, Seoyeon, unnoticed by everyone, took a quick glance around before stepping toward the thrashing red seabream.

With the expensive fishing rod now half-bent and set aside, Seoyeon moved stealthily through the commotion. Quietly, she approached the struggling fish.

And with one swift movement, she delivered a punch to the fish’s head. So subtle that the camera barely caught it.

Poof, thud.

The red seabream relaxed and went limp.

“Ah, looks like it’s tired out!”

“Once they’re out of water, even the biggest don’t stand a chance.”

Ironically, those who subdued the fish didn’t realize why it had suddenly gone still.

– What happened? Why did the fish just collapse?

– Did Sooyeon hit it with a punch?

– Can you knock out a fish with just a punch?

– Is the fish unconscious or dead?

Even viewers who barely caught the punch on the screen didn’t suspect that Seoyeon had knocked the fish out.

“Wow, it’s a red seabream! This red seabream!”

“This has been my lifelong dream to catch one. Incredible…”

“Wow, this is it. This is victory!”

With the first catch being a red seabream, the competition was as good as over. Fishing enthusiasts like Lee Sang-soo and Song Gwang-min couldn’t hide their excitement.

“Do you mind if I hold it?”

With Seoyeon’s gentle inquiry, everyone nodded in agreement.

“Of course, come on. We’ll all help you hold it.”

Lee Sang-soo grinned as he turned to her. The actress who caught the fish was stunning.

Although Seoyeon wanted to carry it alone, she recognized it might seem a bit off to do so with everyone helping.

Thus, they snapped one photo together, all beaming as they held the fish. With a thud, Seoyeon gently let go of the fish.

Seeing this, Lee Ho-seung swallowed uncomfortably.

“Didn’t they say this thing weighs over 100 kilograms?”

Even with everyone helping, didn’t Seoyeon handle the fish with remarkable ease?

Such was Ho-seung’s bewilderment. Moreover, he observed:

“Definitely… she struck the red seabream with her fist…”

Though everyone was too distracted to notice, Ho-seung, standing quietly at the back, clearly saw the moment the fish went limp after being hit by Seoyeon’s punch.

“…”

With a height of 170 centimeters and substantial weight, this fish was larger than Ho-seung’s own build—best not to tangle with her.

Ho-seung inwardly decided not to cross her.

After catching the red seabream, everyone prepared to share their fishing tales when Seoyeon asked,

“Are we going to make spicy fish soup with the fish we caught?”

“Huh?”

“I’ve seen people cook spicy fish soup after catching fish.”

Seoyeon’s voice was excited, rare for her.

– What?

– Who makes spicy soup with red seabream?

– Please, don’t do it.

– Insane woman! Please stop!

– Let the fish live!

For fishing enthusiasts, her proposal was akin to sacrilege.

Yet Lee Sang-soo and Song Gwang-min exchanged glances.

What could they do when the person who caught the fish requested it?

Especially since this was Joo Sooyeon, making her seem even more charming. How could they deny her?

“Even for something this big… taking just a little wouldn’t be bad, right?”

“So, where do we start cutting? Honestly, I haven’t seen a red seabream properly in the clips.”

Everyone bustled around, with some shedding tears in protest. But with two big actors readily agreeing to Seoyeon’s request, what could the others do?

Thus, the unexpected jackpot of *Star Fisher* resulted in…

[The legendary fish caught by *Star Fisher*! Ratings skyrocket too!]

[Joo Sooyeon’s red seabream spicy soup controversy: “It was delicious.”]

This incident with Seoyeon became her “first scandal” on the wiki.

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