Chapter 195

[Today, Soyoon-Chan from Korea is appearing on a Dokkiri show!]

It was a sudden thread posted on Japan’s online community, Futaba Channel.

The post tagged under “variety show” and “Dokkiri,” mentioned that YHJ Broadcasting Station would be airing a variety show featuring a Korean actress today.

Dokkiri refers to the Japanese term used to describe a hidden-camera format variety show.

002 Ehh, is it a Korean actress today?

005 It’s been a while since we’ve had a Korean.

013 YHJ loves Korea too much these days wwww.

019 I was happy when Nanjou-kun started avoiding them, though.

020 But honestly, idols would’ve been better than a Korean actress we don’t even know, right w?

Since the preview had been posted in the morning, the thread was already filled with various discussions.

The reactions weren’t particularly bad or overly enthusiastic either.

Recently, it wasn’t uncommon for Korean celebrities to appear on Japanese broadcasts.

However, actors were relatively rare, making this a slightly more interesting topic. Most users didn’t even know who this actress named Seoyeon was.

Just as the discussion began to slow down somewhat:

129 Picture arrived!!! [Image]

Someone posted a picture.

It was of Seoyeon.

The picture showed her dressed in a school uniform, shot in Korea, and suddenly the thread became more active.

131 Ehhh~ Is she really a current student? Is that true???

132 Probably just filming in a school uniform, right? There’s no way she’s actually that young, right?

>>Soyoon-chan is a real student. In Korea, she’s known as a prodigy actress.

134 Is that true?? Prodigy actress wwww. I feel like I’ve seen her stuff too much already w.

135 Wait… isn’t she Harin from *Dream Future*?? Is Soyoon the one who plays Harin?

The long black hair, crimson-tinted eyes, and clear skin made for an appearance so striking that the thread quickly filled with discussions about whether the image had been edited or not.

Once it was revealed that she was appearing in the ongoing drama *Dream Future*, footage from the drama was also posted on the thread.

Especially since the idol Chanahi from the Japanese performance of *Summer Girls* also starred in *Dream Future*, the drama had initially garnered significant attention.

However, once the drama aired, what ended up being discussed the most was Jo Harin. Visually, she was so overwhelming that it seemed many Japanese viewers had frequently encountered her image through various clips.

222 Oh wow w, Harin-chan was Soyoon?!

223 If she’s really a current student, that’s kind of cool.

234 There’s no way Nanjou-kun would waste time on Dokkiri with just any Korean actor.

236 Cool-type actresses appearing on such shows isn’t weird, right???

>> Perhaps they wanted the contrast.

Even those who were typically indifferent couldn’t help but be interested in Seoyeon’s looks. Furthermore, the preview suggested it would be a horror-themed hidden-camera segment.

382 A genius cool actress receiving Dokkiri treatment… that sounds kind of promising.

The rate of comments being posted, originally around one per hour, started to increase significantly.

People were getting excited enough to announce “I’m ready!” ahead of time, and some had even switched to the channel early.

However, no one had particularly high expectations. Sensibilities differ by country, and the reactions of Korean entertainers were generally more muted compared to Japanese stars.

Of course, seeing a foreign entertainer react differently always has its own charm, so there’s always some demand for it.

003 It’s starting!

004 Excited!

When the broadcast began, the thread had reached its 1000th reply count and was restarted fresh, with the variety show title prominently displayed. The stream of viewers began watching.

The first shot showed Seoyeon arriving at the airport, casually giving a small “V.” as if in a vlog-style video. The excitement she exuded transcended the screen.

023 Eww, isn’t she usually cool? She seems way too excited.

025 Different impression than what I thought.

030 I think I’m falling for this kid right now.

031 I’m just a tourist from France. Who is the actress appearing now?

>>Seoyeon “Soyoon-chan” from Korea. She’s an actress who plays Jo Harin in *Dream Future*.

Seoyeon appeared completely unaware that the filming had already begun. Accordingly, at the end of the first scene, she could be seen chatting casually with other women about her plans for the day.

“Of course I’m going to Akihabara.”

“Not Akihabara?”

“Nothing else in mind.”

Unsurprisingly, the first place mentioned was Akihabara. Everyone in Japan knows how famous Akihabara is internationally.

But it just didn’t quite fit the typically aloof Seoyeon.

158 It’s probably all for show wwww.

160 Soyoon-chan did magical girl cosplay in Korea, right?

>>Really?

>>Yeah, it’s true. [Link to video]

>>Oh no, how cute wwww!! Soyoon-chan is my bride now!

Meanwhile, the thread filled with various images and videos of Seoyeon. The most popular ones featured her as *Magical Girl Harara*. Though the anime had not aired in Japan, the clips were still accessible.

Despite her usually cool demeanor, it was surprising to learn she had participated in such activities.

194 If she’s doing this kind of thing, her fame level in Korea must not be high, right?

195 She’s the most talked-about actress this year in Korea and the young antagonist actress is currently top among young actresses.

196 Is she Sohee? I like Sohee; she starred in many movies.

199 Who’s Sohee? She reminds me of Tomie… kinda scary wwww.

>>Cancel that last comment!

During these discussions, naturally, attention turned to Narumi Sora, the female who was responding to Seoyeon’s comments. Their interaction seemed almost like a comedic duo, with Sora cleverly interjecting to the points Seoyeon made. Additionally, Sora had a pleasant, healthy appearance that caught the interest of many.

Sora’s vivid illustration-like ponytail and round eyes contrasted starkly with Seoyeon’s sleeker look, drawing even more attention.

301 Narumi Sora, a Japanese person. She first met Soyoon-chan in the audition for *Mine*.

302 Ehh, she’s Japanese? I thought she was Korean.

303 She speaks Korean really well w.

304 But can Soyoon understand Japanese somewhat?

>>She watches a lot of anime.

>>Is that her character setting??

305 For Soyoon, it seems more likely she genuinely watches a lot of anime.

The show featured most conversations being about Seoyeon’s impressions of Japan. The scene then shifted to the arrival at their accommodation.

Or rather, the “film set”!

The text prominently declared the arrival as filming began and showed Seoyeon stepping out of the van.

Then came PD Nanjo and the makeup crew hiding away and peeking at her, already prepared to surprise Seoyeon.

The inn they arrived at was eerie, which was heightened because they arrived at a late hour. Everyone but Seoyeon was visibly shivering, knowingly prepared for the hidden-camera segment.

Her manager, Park Eun-ha, knew about this from the start.

Sora had guessed it vaguely.

Soyoon, on the other hand, knew absolutely nothing. This ignorance was emphasized by the huge subtitle text under her reading: “Doesn’t know a thing.”

801 Ww, isn’t this suspicious?

802 She should figure it out by now wwww.

803 Is the innkeeper even an actor?

804 Doesn’t seem so.

805 Then it’s a ghost?

>>?

As the filming got serious, the speed of replies in the thread increased.

Typically, Japanese threads restart after reaching 1000 replies, and by this point, they were already on the third one. Even regular users of the thread were surprised at how many replies had been made for a hidden-camera variety show.

The main reason was that most of the audience had joined just to see Seoyeon’s appearance, not because of *Dream Future*. There was something about her looks that resonated with the Japanese audience.

Seoyeon’s passive reaction to the innkeeper’s warning only highlighted her detachment.

While others might sense something was off, Seoyeon was preoccupied with thinking about shopping and sightseeing after filming.

She could be seen busily writing something down on her smartphone.

When Sora asked what it was about:

“I need to buy some goods.”

“What kind of goods?”

“Um, you know, there are these VTubers, right?”

Thinking no one was listening, Seoyeon whispered this to Sora — something she wouldn’t even reveal to her manager.

This wasn’t actually a major revelation for Seoyeon. She assumed Sora, being Japanese, would at least have a basic understanding.

Also, it wasn’t like she had anyone else to discuss this kind of thing with. Juyeon was a VTuber herself, but bringing up the topic would inevitably lead to mentioning “Ramiel,” so she avoided it.

So, Seoyeon had been quietly yearning for a friend she could talk VTubers with — and Sora seemed like a good candidate.

Though, Sora was nodding along but clearly clueless.

822 Japan has failed wwww.

832 VTubers are a little niche, right?

834 Which VTuber does Soyoon like?

845 This is the first time this information appeared on Japanese TV.

The viewers watching were surprised to find Seoyeon discussing something like VTubers.

In Japan, VTubers are more mainstream, having appeared occasionally on public broadcasting.

Still, it wasn’t exactly a common hobby.

Seoyeon’s serious face while mentioning it created an unexpected disconnect.

Then suddenly:

“We should be careful with our movements at night, it seems this inn might just be us.”

“Huh? According to me, there are a lot of people here!”

While Seoyeon looked around absentmindedly, actors in hiding could be seen flailing and running away.

002 Ew, is Soyoon a superpowered person??

003 This is the first time I’ve seen such a person in real life.

005 It’s like she’s thinking, ‘Since we’re in Japan, there could be ninjas or something, right?’”

Casual banter continued until it got very late at night.

The innkeeper had previously warned them: 10 PM is when things get dangerous.

“Do you want to visit the hot spring?”

At that moment, Seoyeon’s manager Park Eun-ha asked.

“But didn’t the innkeeper warn us not to go there?”

“It’s still before 10 PM.”

“In that case, let’s go.”

Seoyeon nonchalantly agreed.

This reaction drew comments.

123 Wwww bait her wwww.

124 Soyoon is fearless.

125 Isn’t this too carefree?

126 She seems like the type who wouldn’t even be scared if a ghost shows up.

127 The other actors must be super excited now.

129 Everyone else seems reluctant to go.

130 Sora’s so cute. Why isn’t she active in Japan?

131 She mentioned in an interview she’s interested in becoming an action actress in Korea.

Cut to a scene showing the hidden actors inside the inn, their elaborate makeup clearly showing the effort put into this segment.

Just as Seoyeon confidently led the way to the hot spring:

All the lights suddenly went out.

Eun-ha and Sora shrieked and clung tightly to each other in panic.

At that very moment, something strange began happening to Seoyeon — her body twitched nervously.

431 Is she scared?

432 Really?

444 I thought she wouldn’t feel any fear at all w.

While everyone hesitated in tension, a loud thud was heard, and a portion of the ceiling opened with something falling down.

“AAAHHHHHHHH!!!”

While Sora and Eun-ha screamed and recoiled, Seoyeon’s hand moved.

Slow-motion shots showed the hidden cameras capturing her reaction.

As the object fell, her pupils darted and she squinted slightly.

Then, in an instant, it showed her hand piercing through what had fallen.

The sound of the plastic breaking echoed clearly as the mannequin’s head was pierced clean through.

772 Eh?

773 Eh?

774 Ehhh wwww.

775 Is that mannequin made of styrofoam??

776 It says on the subtitle that it’s plastic.

777 How did she pierce that with her hand? wwww.

778 Was Soyoon really a magical girl all along??

779 Wait, didn’t we see it in slow-motion??

780 Ww fake wwww.

Seoyeon could be seen studying her hand carefully that had pierced the object.

Her eyes were visibly trembling, and her mouth twisted as if in shock.

822 Maybe Soyoon accidentally thought she attacked a person?

823 I saw it right there.

824 It could be the darkness made it hard to see.

825 If she could pierce through a mannequin’s head like that, a human body wouldn’t put up much resistance.

826 No wait w, this is weird.

827 Soyoon thought she had accidentally killed someone…

828 Does Soyoon have this kind of image in Korea as well??

These became the dominant reactions on the thread, with many offering gentle words of condolence.

“Eh…”

Ironically, Seoyeon, who was stealthily watching the thread, was confused by these reactions.

Shouldn’t this have been an adorable, girlish, scared reaction?

“It’s just because it looked gross.”

Well, she did stab it with her hand.

Technically, her reflex had acted faster.

Had it been a person, she would have stopped long before.

She wasn’t stupid; she could distinguish between a mannequin and a real person.

So, Seoyeon asked Sora to post a reply.

844 She probably just hates things that look gross… realistically.

>>Did she maybe not get social cues in school?

>>Ha… so awkwardly serious, that’s funny w.

After seeing this, Seoyeon’s eyes turned a deep crimson red.

Sora, standing beside her, couldn’t help but tremble.

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