Episode 29. Special Advice (7)
After the filming ended, Kang Dae-oh quietly sought out the neighborhood friend’s cafe owner.
“Owner-nim. You remember what I told you during the filming earlier, right? Don’t drag it out, just contact your friend right after we leave.”
It’s best to contact them while the decision is still fresh in your mind.
Otherwise, if you keep delaying, there’s a very high chance that the resolution you’ve just solidified will become dull.
In front of Kang Dae-oh’s additional advice, the neighborhood friend’s cafe owner nodded vigorously.
“Yes. I will definitely do that. Thank you, Representative-nim. Actually, I used to hear a lot that I was very indecisive when it came to problems involving friends, family, or acquaintances… thanks to Representative-nim, I think I clearly know what to do.”
“I intentionally spoke frankly because I thought you might be that kind of person, Owner-nim.”
“Oh, was that so?”
“Yes. I have a friend who has a similar personality to you, Owner-nim. That’s why I could be more confident.”
It was a conviction born from experience.
The neighborhood friend’s cafe owner expressed his gratitude to Kang Dae-oh once again.
Kang Dae-oh added a short word of encouragement, telling him to cheer up, and then moved towards where his youngest daughter was.
Kang Yeyoung happened to be gathered with Do Sang-ho, Ji So-yeon, and Gwak Jong-su PD, briefly discussing today’s filming.
Noticing Kang Dae-oh’s presence, they gestured for him to come closer, saying he came at just the right time.
“Owner-nim, did Representative Kang say he would do as you said?”
“Yes. Just in case, I emphasized it one more time before coming.”
Do Sang-ho nodded greatly with a relieved expression.
“You did well. I definitely should have advised in a softer tone like Representative Kang. I unknowingly spoke a bit too overbearingly, and that bothered me. Should I change my approach…?”
At this moment, Gwak Jong-su PD shook his head.
“There’s no need for that. In fact, I think it would be fine if you both continue with the styles you showed today. One person speaks strongly, and the other advises with gentle comfort. Viewers will find it more interesting if you show different styles.”
Do Sang-ho scratched his head, revealing a small worry.
“I’m worried viewers might call me a devil.”
“Oh, come on. Those are all words meant for their betterment. Why would they call you a devil for that? A devil wouldn’t even say helpful things like Representative Do.”
Gwak Jong-su PD’s words made sense.
Kang Dae-oh thought the same.
“Even if it’s broadcasting, there’s no need to force yourself to change your personality and act. But it’s shameless of me, a broadcasting novice, to say such things.”
Ji So-yeon chuckled at Kang Dae-oh’s self-reproach.
“Not at all. In my opinion, Representative Kang seems to have the most broadcasting experience among the four of us. Yeyoung-i, don’t you think so too?”
Kang Yeyoung replied, “Yes, sunbae-nim,” indicating she agreed with Ji So-yeon.
Kang Dae-oh showed incredible adaptability and performance, unbelievable for his first regular TV broadcast appearance.
If the problem of this first client is resolved well.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that Kang Dae-oh was the protagonist of this episode.
Kang Dae-oh suddenly remembered what his daughters had said.
That the reason all his daughters were able to successfully enter the entertainment industry might be because they inherited their appa’s hidden broadcasting talent.
‘Could that really be true?’
Since Kang Dae-oh’s daughters were not ordinary beings, he somehow felt it might actually be true.
Time passed.
Do Sang-ho, who had finished recording the third episode of Yora Tte in the afternoon, replaced his remaining coffee with a takeout cup and took the seat right next to Kang Dae-oh.
“You worked hard, Representative-nim.”
“Representative Do, you also worked very hard. It seemed like you almost single-handedly delivered passionate speeches at the store today, Representative Do?”
“Because I had a lot to say. And it was also my area of expertise.”
“You’re talking about the latte category, right?”
“Exactly.”
Latte is a beverage made by adding milk to espresso, and various menus can be created through diverse application methods.
“The espresso itself was a mess, so all the latte-based drinks tasted bad. You wouldn’t believe how appalled I was when I first tasted the vanilla latte… But I even restrained myself while giving advice. Because I was mindful of the viewers.”
Kang Dae-oh laughed loudly and said.
“Didn’t PD Gwak say it was fine for you to just stick to your original style, Representative-nim?”
“That’s true. But it still bothers me. I’m not someone who wants to take up a lot of space on the viewer bulletin board, you know.”
At those words, Kang Dae-oh burst into laughter once more.
Between the two men, Kang Yeyoung, who had been looking for a place to sit, slipped in and took a seat.
“You worked hard, Representative-nim! And you too, Appa!”
“You also worked hard today, my daughter.”
Kang Dae-oh stroked Kang Yeyoung’s head.
However, Kang Yeyoung showed a reaction that seemed to indicate a slight disappointment with today’s filming.
Being her appa, he could immediately catch even such small thoughts of his daughter.
“Were you not satisfied with today’s recording?”
“Rather than not being satisfied… the stories of the clients in episodes 2 and 3 weren’t that impactful. I don’t think there’s been an episode that surpasses episode 1 yet.”
Perhaps due to the special nature of the first episode, the cafe called ‘Neighborhood Friend’ was still strongly imprinted in Kang Yeyoung’s mind.
Do Sang-ho seemed to agree with Kang Yeyoung’s words to some extent, as he offered a similar opinion.
“The first client’s episode was good, wasn’t it? How should I put it? On the surface, everything looked fine, but there was a thrill in deducing what exactly the problem was that caused customers to stop coming. When it was revealed in the middle that it was actually due to the coffee bean problem used in the Americano, I even felt a sense of catharsis. Don’t you agree, Representative Kang?”
Kang Dae-oh was the detective who solved the problem at that time.
Kang Dae-oh also couldn’t fully express how he felt at that time.
After ambitiously visiting the store to provide a solution, if someone who claims to be an expert can’t even properly find the problem and just goes home, that’s quite embarrassing in its own way.
That’s why Kang Dae-oh was still proud of himself for ordering an Americano as his first drink.
Because if it weren’t for that, he wouldn’t have noticed the problem right away.
Kang Yeyoung lightly clapped her hands and said.
“That’s right! Now that you mention it, yesterday was the first broadcast of our Yora Tte!”
It aired from 9 PM to 10 PM. It was broadcast nationwide across South Korea.
Kang Yeyoung wanted to pin a hope on this.
“Since it aired yesterday, aren’t people queuing up at the neighborhood friend’s cafe today?”
“Would it be that much?”
Kang Dae-oh also knew well that broadcasting had a strong ripple effect.
However, it was difficult to guarantee whether Yora Tte, which had only just finished its first episode, could exert that much influence from its very first broadcast.
However, Kang Yeyoung’s thoughts differed from her appa’s.
“It’ll happen just as I said. I just have that feeling.”
Was it a woman’s intuition?
Do Sang-ho, who had been quietly listening to Kang Yeyoung’s assertion, let out a short laugh before continuing.
“If it happens as Yeyoung-i said, Representative Kang’s evaluation among viewers will skyrocket. Because in the first episode, the editing mainly focused on Representative Kang’s special advice.”
At the time, PD Gwak seemed to have liked Kang Dae-oh’s advisory demeanor, as he edited him to be like the protagonist of the first episode and broadcasted it.
Knowing that, Do Sang-ho said this.
“If the first episode becomes a huge hit like Yeyoung-i said, the broadcasting stations will probably send Representative Kang a lot of love calls for a while, don’t you think?”
As soon as Do Sang-ho finished speaking.
PD Gwak urgently looked for the cast members.
“Among you all, is there anyone who has a schedule afterward?”
The three people simultaneously shook their heads.
Do Sang-ho answered on behalf of Kang Dae-oh and Kang Yeyoung, the father and daughter.
“The three of us don’t have any schedules afterward. But I’m not sure about So-yeon ssi.”
“Ah, I already checked So-yeon ssi’s schedule separately. She also said she has no other schedule today apart from Yora Tte.”
“I see. But why are you suddenly asking about schedules…?”
At first, he thought, ‘Are we going to have a company dinner for the first time in a while?’
However, the words that came out of PD Gwak’s mouth contained content completely unrelated to a company dinner.
“We received a call that people have been queuing up at the neighborhood friend’s cafe for a pilgrimage since this morning! If it’s alright with you, I was thinking of going there for some additional filming. What do you think?”
PD Gwak looked very excited.
The fact that the store featured in episode 1 was crowded with customers meant that there were many viewers interested in Yora Tte.
Representative Do Sang-ho gave Kang Dae-oh a meaningful smile and said this.
“I was right, wasn’t I? Representative Kang’s smartphone will probably keep ringing non-stop for a while.”
Kang Dae-oh’s future was already beginning to appear.
As Representative Do Sang-ho had predicted, the number of calls from broadcasting station officials looking for Kang Dae-oh increased exponentially.
He hadn’t even gone around handing out business cards.
He was inundated with offers to appear on programs he had never even heard of.
Of course, it was a good thing.
But Kang Dae-oh had something even more pleasant.
The news came that the owner of the neighborhood friend’s cafe had reached an amicable agreement through discussion with his former classmate, who was in charge of coffee bean distribution.
Thanks to this, the Americano that Kang Dae-oh had been so worried about could finally return to normal.
Kang Dae-oh, who had settled down at the Amare main branch and finished a short call with the neighborhood friend’s cafe owner, finally offered him congratulations.
“Congratulations on your store’s huge success. Now that your income is stable, don’t go changing coffee beans again, okay? Understood?”
“—Yes, of course! Thank you very much, Representative-nim!”
“You’re welcome.”
Even after ending the call, the corners of Kang Dae-oh’s mouth refused to drop.
The thought that being able to help someone with his experience and knowledge was quite charming filled his mind.
At the same time, Kang Dae-oh looked down at his secondary phone, which had been vibrating non-stop since morning.
There were scout offers from broadcasting stations, but also a continuous stream of congratulatory messages from those around him.
‘I’m scared to pick up my secondary phone.’
At that moment, Oh Myung-woon, who was in the neighboring store, made a pleased expression as soon as he saw Kang Dae-oh.
“Dae-oh-ya. Can I get an autograph?”
“An autograph? Tie up as much paper as you want and give it to me. I’ll get the kids’ autographs and hand them over to you right away tomorrow.”
When he said “autograph,” Kang Dae-oh naturally assumed he was referring to his daughters.
However, the person Oh Myung-woon was aiming for today was not his daughters.
“Not the kids. Your autograph.”
“Me?”
“Yeah. You’re really hot these days. That’s why people around me keep asking me to get your autograph. So, write it coolly. Oh, especially put more effort into the last page. We’re going to display it on one wall of our hair salon.”
“……”
With just one broadcast, Kang Dae-oh’s life completely changed.
