Chapter 62: The Radio Station Contract

That night.

Inside an apartment in Gangnam.

Krystal Jung threw herself onto the bed, grabbing a throw pillow to cover her burning face.

Her phone screen lit up, and Kim Ji-won’s Kakao messages popped up one after another:

[How was it? Did the improvisation work?]

[Did his ears turn red?]

[Don't play dead!]

Krystal took a deep breath and her fingers tapped rapidly across the screen:

[It worked!]

[Though I'm not sure if it was acting...]

[When I asked him, "How would Yoon Chan-young react?", he actually started lecturing me about Stanislavski!]

Kim Ji-won replied instantly:

[So you just threw yourself right into his arms?]

Krystal’s fingertips hovered above the screen as the scenes from today's set suddenly flashed back—

The sensation of Kang Jae-hoon’s fingers threading through her hair.

His trembling eyelashes when he froze in place.

And that blurting out of "I miss you so damn much."

"Ding—"

A new message interrupted her memories:

[The whole production crew is worrying about viewership ratings.]

[And here you are, solely focused on conquering Teacher Kang.]

Kim Ji-won attached a facepalm sticker.

Krystal immediately counterattacked:

[We are the peak viewership rating, alright!]

[Rehearsing scenes is for better chemistry!]

After sending it, she guiltily added a "serious face" sticker.

Kim Ji-won’s reply came back swiftly:

[Kim Ji-won]: Chemistry? Are you sure it's not a hormonal reaction?

[Krystal]: ......I just wanted to test his reaction.

[Kim Ji-won]: And then?

[Krystal]: He seemed... to not hate it?

Her phone vibrated again, and Krystal took a deep breath before daring to look—

[Kim Ji-won]: Wear that beige knit sweater tomorrow. You look exceptionally pure and innocent in that one.

Krystal immediately jumped up and rushed to her wardrobe, throwing clothes onto the bed to compare them one by one.

She finally settled on the beige knit sweater paired with light blue jeans—casual without looking too deliberate, perfectly fitting the excuse of "rehearsing lines."

She stood in front of the full-length mirror and spun around, then, as if thinking of something, grabbed her phone:

[Krystal]: Won't this be too ordinary?

[Kim Ji-won]: Are you walking the red carpet?

Krystal curled her lips, tossed her phone aside, lay back down on the bed, and stared blankly at the ceiling.

Outside the window, the night view of the Han River twinkled with scattered lights.

Krystal rolled over, burying her face in the pillow, suddenly wishing that tomorrow's script rehearsal would never arrive.

—That way, the anticipation could remain sweeter than reality.

***

The van drove away from the SBS building.

Kang Jae-hoon was flipping through the contract terms in the backseat:

"Moonlit Drive with Jae-hoon? Who came up with this title? Why does it sound so much like a midnight emotional agony aunt hotline?"

"A rookie PD from the network's variety department. They said they want to build a 'late-night healing boyfriend' persona for you."

He continued flipping down—

Unit price per episode: 3 million won.

Every Wednesday and Friday night at 11 PM, 90 minutes, contract period of three months.

Kang Jae-hoon frowned: "This time slot..."

"Don't disdain the late hour; the late-night slot is a treasure trove! Overtime workers listening on their commute home, students staying up late doing homework, people with insomnia treating it as a lullaby—the audience is precise and loyal!"

Kim Dae-won glanced at the rearview mirror:

"Besides, the network is giving you maximum freedom. You can talk about movies, life, or even improvisational acting. You can also invite guests of your own choosing for each episode."

Kang Jae-hoon rhythmically tapped his index finger against the armrest:

"Let me think about it for a couple of days."

Kim Dae-won stared wide-eyed: "Think about what? An opportunity like this—"

"Hyung," Kang Jae-hoon interrupted him, "Actually, I'd rather focus on acting."

The manager froze, then dawned on him with sudden realization:

"Are you afraid of being typecast as a variety show regular?"

Seeing him default in silence, Kim Dae-won slammed his hand onto the steering wheel:

"Let me ask you, if the ratings for The Heirs continue to drop, what will you rely on to maintain your popularity?"

"Teacher Hwang Jung-min can give you resources, but how long does a movie production cycle take?"

"So—public favor has to be earned by yourself. What you need most right now is national recognition!"

"..."

Silence hung for a moment.

Kang Jae-hoon pressed his knuckles against his brow bone and massaged lightly:

"Sorry, hyung. I was being too stubborn."

Kim Dae-won caught a glimpse of his compromising expression in the rearview mirror, and the knuckles on the steering wheel relaxed a bit:

"That's more like it! In a few days, we'll go to the network and finalize the planning meeting with the production team. I guarantee it will have both class and ratings—"

"Yeah."

Kang Jae-hoon stuffed the contract into his backpack.

"Where to now? Straight back to the apartment?"

"Drop me off at Cheongdam-dong."

Kang Jae-hoon swiped his phone to confirm the address:

"Kwang-soo hyung invited me out for drinks, said he wants to counsel me about the ratings situation."

Kim Dae-won’s hand paused on the steering wheel:

"Lee Kwang-soo?"

"Yeah, he said it's a hidden spot where industry people frequently go."

"—With Lee Kwang-soo, hanging out with him more won't hurt."

As the van turned into a small alley, Kang Jae-hoon’s phone lit up—

[Lee Kwang-soo]: Get off as soon as you see the "Goatee" sign. I'm in the second-floor private room.

[Lee Kwang-soo]: Remember to use the back door.

***

When Kang Jae-hoon pushed open the car door, the night breeze rushed over him, carrying faint strains of jazz music.

Kim Dae-won suddenly called out to him:

"Wait!"

He fished out hangover medicine and a face mask from the armrest box and handed them over: "Don't get drunk."

Kang Jae-hoon hooked the mask behind his ears and pulled down the brim of his black baseball cap.

In the shadows, his voice suddenly carried a hint of a smile:

"Hyung is very much like a bible sometimes."

"Get lost!"

Kim Dae-won laughed and cursed as he closed the car door: "Send me your location before midnight so I can pick you up."

"Got it."

Kang Jae-hoon pushed open the rusty back door of "Goatee" with one hand, while his other hand tapped rapidly on his phone screen:

[Kang Jae-hoon]: SBS is going to give me a late-night radio show.

The message showed as read the moment it was sent, and the "other party is typing" prompt flickered repeatedly.

[Lee Sung-kyung]: You? Radio?

You could imagine her raising her eyebrows just through the screen.

The corners of Kang Jae-hoon’s mouth automatically curled upward, and he sent a cocky Shiba Inu sticker.

[Kang Jae-hoon]: Exclusive late-night slot — Moonlit Drive with Jae-hoon.

[Lee Sung-kyung]: Moonlight? Drive?

[Lee Sung-kyung]: You might as well call it Midnight Emotional Hotline.

Kang Jae-hoon almost laughed out loud, his fingers hovering over the keyboard for a moment of hesitation:

[Kang Jae-hoon]: When are you coming back?

[Lee Sung-kyung]: Half a month later.

[Lee Sung-kyung]: After finishing in Shanghai, I still have to go to Tokyo Fashion Week.

The wooden stairs creaked underfoot as Kang Jae-hoon lowered his head to type:

[Kang Jae-hoon]: So long?

[Lee Sung-kyung]: The designer temporarily added a runway show.

[Lee Sung-kyung]: Why?

Lee Kwang-soo’s signature roaring laughter suddenly echoed from the second-floor private room.

Kang Jae-hoon deleted the half-typed "I'll come pick you up at the airport then," and hastily replied with a brief "Rest well."

The instant he pressed send, the private room door was abruptly pulled open—

"Jae-hoon-ah!"

Lee Kwang-soo poked his head out holding a soju bottle:

"Who are you messaging? Your face is practically blooming with smiles!"

Kang Jae-hoon flusteredly locked his screen:

"No one..."

"Cut the crap!"

Lee Kwang-soo hooked his arm around his neck and dragged him into the private room:

"You're not leaving tonight until you come clean!"