Chapter 54
“I am a drama PD.”
At Doyun’s words, the staff member frowned.
It was clear that they were thinking—Why is a drama PD interfering with someone else’s program?
However, since they were all working at the same broadcasting station, they couldn’t outright tell him to leave.
So, the staff asked again.
“A drama PD? Which team?”
Daily Drama Team 1, Mini-Series Team 2, Weekend Drama Team 3, Special Drama Team 4.
Doyun wasn’t actually part of any of them—he was just a PD from an external production company.
So, he hesitated to answer.
“Kim PD, what’s going on?”
“…Director Oh.”
Doyun hurriedly got up from his seat.
He had been pacing near the stage before the staff approached him, and now, Oh Youngguk had noticed.
“You were completely composed back in Jeongdongjin, but now you look pale as a ghost.”
“Director, I have an urgent message for Director Moon.”
Oh Youngguk lifted his head and looked toward the production control room inside the studio.
They had only come as spectators.
Interfering could lead to embarrassment.
However, when he met Doyun’s urgent gaze, his instincts kicked in.
His decades of experience on set told him something was wrong.
He scanned the studio before turning to the floor director (FD).
“Where’s the assistant director?”
“…Probably preparing the opening performers.”
“But I heard they were below the stage. Are the opening performers there?”
“…N-No.”
“Then it makes sense why Kim Doyun PD is suspicious. The live broadcast is about to start, and yet the assistant director is running around alone? That doesn’t add up.”
First, Oh Youngguk overpowered the FD with logic.
Then, he played his trump card.
“You know who I am, right?”
The drama director’s authority carried weight.
“Yes, Director.”
“Hand me the radio. I just need it for a moment.”
When Oh Youngguk stretched out his hand, the hesitant FD finally handed over the walkie-talkie.
Instead of using it himself, Oh Youngguk handed it to Doyun.
“Do you need anything else?”
“This is enough. Oh, and… just in case, please stay by your daughter’s side.”
Ever since the incident named ‘Angel’s Fall’, Doyun had felt uneasy seeing women in white dresses.
He was going to do everything he could to prevent another tragedy, but he couldn’t predict the outcome yet.
“Understood. I’ll keep an eye on your mother and sister as well.”
“Thank you.”
Doyun turned on the walkie-talkie and moved toward the backstage area the FD had pointed out.
He immediately pressed the ON button and spoke into the radio.
“Kwak Cheol-woong, stop whatever you’re doing right now.”
The walkie-talkie frequency was already set.
Now, Kwak Cheol-woong, the camera director, the lighting director, and even the technical engineers in the production control room would hear his voice.
To expose the crime and prevent it, Doyun called Kwak Cheol-woong out by name.
“I already know about your plan to sabotage the live broadcast. If you go through with it, you’ll be held fully responsible.”
After transmitting his message, Doyun switched the radio to receive mode.
Immediately, Kwak Cheol-woong’s voice came through.
-What the hell are you talking about? Sabotage the live broadcast?! Who are you?! Minsoo! Jinwon! Get security over here, now!
His panicked shouting came not only from the radio but also from beneath the wooden stage panels.
Doyun kicked open the assembled wooden door and stepped inside.
“Hah. Kwak Cheol-woong, you were cutting electrical wires? Were you planning to electrocute Baek Kyung while he was being lifted onto the stage?”
The moment Doyun burst in, Kwak Cheol-woong panicked.
He threw off his insulated gloves and, in an instant, kicked the evidence toward Doyun.
Then, out of nowhere, he slammed the walkie-talkie against his own head.
-Ugh! What the—why are you hitting me?! Aaargh! Someone help! There’s an attacker here!
Over the radio and through the headsets of staff members, it now sounded as if a violent assault was taking place.
That was exactly what Kwak Cheol-woong wanted—to make it seem like he was being attacked.
He kept bashing his own head, yelling in pain.
-The live broadcast is at stake! Stop this! Director! This guy is trying to kill me!
Blood streamed down his face as he acted like a victim.
And yet, watching this scene, Doyun felt an eerie realization.
He’s just a puppet.
A marionette hanging by a string.
‘If he were the mastermind, he wouldn’t be this terrified right now.’
Someone else was pulling the strings.
Whoever it was, they had ordered him to sabotage the Music Campfire broadcast at all costs.
And if he failed, they had probably warned him that he’d be discarded.
That was why Kwak Cheol-woong was desperately trying to create a diversion.
Blood smeared across his face, making him look grotesque.
Still, he smiled as if he had already won and mouthed the words:
[Why are you getting involved? Now what are you going to do?]
Doyun clicked his tongue and shook his head.
“Your acting is terrible. You know that, right, Kwak Cheol-woong? A real performance should be toned down. In real life, people don’t scream ‘Ow! Ouch!’ when they’re actually hurt.”
People exaggerate their reactions when faking pain.
Finally, Kwak Cheol-woong realized his mistake and his face fell.
“Ugh… Someone call 119.”
Now that people were approaching, he pretended to stagger.
Doyun smirked.
“You should be calling 112 instead. You know why? Because the insulated gloves you threw away are made of rubber, meaning they can still carry your fingerprints.”
“Oh dear! What a shame. We caught a suspect covered in blood.”
Kwak Cheol-woong’s eyes widened like he had just been struck.
Realizing his mistake, he lunged toward the gloves.
Just as he grabbed one—
Moon Sung-il opened the door and stepped in.
“D-Director?”
Kwak Cheol-woong was so stunned to see Moon Sung-il appear that he couldn’t even close his gaping mouth.
Doyun nudged the glove lying on the floor toward the dumbfounded Kwak Cheol-woong.
“The other glove is right here.”
“……”
Kwak Cheol-woong instinctively reached for the glove, but then hesitated, realizing how suspicious his actions might seem.
He awkwardly got up and turned to Moon Sung-il.
“I was doing a final safety check, and then this crazy bastard barged in and tried to cut the wires. I have evidence. There should be fingerprints on it, but… I touched it, so… I guess the evidence is compromised now.”
Moon Sung-il stared at Kwak Cheol-woong with a hardened expression.
“You, you bastard.”
“Director, I’m fine. I don’t think my injuries are too bad. Just a few stitches. So, please, turn that lunatic over to the police.”
“Chief Jang.”
Moon Sung-il called out to Jang, the head of the security team, who had followed him in.
“Lock him up in an empty waiting room until the broadcast is over. It’s better for the station to investigate before we hand him over to the police.”
“Yes, sir.”
Chief Jang approached Doyun, ready to grab his arms.
But before he could, Moon Sung-il waved his hand as if Jang had grabbed the wrong person.
“Not him. That one.”
The person he pointed at was none other than Kwak Cheol-woong.
“D-Director! Why are you doing this to me? I’m the victim here! That crazy bastard hit me! That’s why my face is like this!”
“…Cheol-woong, can you see that?”
Moon Sung-il gestured toward the temporary lift where Baek Kyung was supposed to ascend.
There, a microphone wrapped in a soft foam filter had been installed to prevent surrounding noise from interfering with Baek Kyung’s singing.
But if one looked closely, a faint red light could be seen blinking inside the foam filter.
“W-Was a hidden camera installed?”
“That’s right.”
“D-Director! Let me explain everything! The truth is… the truth is… I received intel that this bastard was planning to cut the wires! That’s why I tampered with the equipment first—to stop Baek Kyung from getting on the lift!”
Even if no one believed him, his goal was to keep insisting and create enough confusion to buy time to escape.
‘Did he really think such a cheap trick would work?’
Doyun let out a quiet chuckle and crossed his arms over his chest.
“Kwak Cheol-woong, did you know? I was the one who suggested hiding a camera inside the microphone foam filter.”
Kwak Cheol-woong’s already bloodied and grotesque face twisted in horror.
He looked like a hamster caught in a trap.
“W-Who the hell do you think you are to pull something like this?”
“Who am I? Let’s just say I’m a fan rooting for Director Moon’s success. And I also didn’t want Baek Kyung to get hurt.”
Even though Moon Sung-il had warned Baek Kyung about the potential danger, Baek Kyung had decided to take the risk for the sake of putting on a great performance.
So, Doyun had come up with a contingency plan.
“Did you call me?”
Just then, Baek Kyung strode into the room.
And without hesitation—
WHAM!
He punched Kwak Cheol-woong right in the face.
“You were going to sabotage the live broadcast by making me fall? Good luck stepping out of your house now. You think my fans will let you off the hook?”
The realization of his fate hit Kwak Cheol-woong.
He could already picture Baek Kyung’s furious fans hunting him down.
Even though he had been punched, he was too terrified to even scream.
[30 seconds to live broadcast.]
The announcement rang out from the control room.
Doyun turned to Director Moon Sung-il.
“Director, now that we’ve caught the rat, it’s time to start the party.”
“Indeed.”
Moon Sung-il ripped the headset off Kwak Cheol-woong’s head and handed it to Doyun.
“Kim PD, start queuing up the singers and send them up in order.”
“…Excuse me? Are you telling me to be the assistant director?”
“Exactly. I’m counting on you.”
Music program assistant director?
Doyun had zero confidence in that.
[10 seconds to live broadcast. Director, please come to the control room.]
Time was up.
Moon Sung-il thrust the headset into Doyun’s hands and ran off toward the control room.
9, 8, 7…
Doyun’s mind went blank.
He shook his head violently and put on the headset.
“Kim PD, right? Here, take this.”
One of the staff members handed him a cue sheet.
Doyun grabbed it and rushed to the stage entrance.
3, 2…
[Queue!]
As the floor director (FD) signaled, thunderous applause erupted from the audience.
Holy shit! It already started!
Doyun gulped hard and gave the cue to the first performer.
5, 4, 3, 2…
[Queue!]
At that moment, Moon Sung-il’s cue over the headset and Doyun’s internal countdown synced perfectly.
This feels like shooting a music drama.
Doyun could hear his own heartbeat pounding as the live broadcast went on.
Somewhere beyond the stage lights, he thought he could hear familiar voices.
“Our son is the best!”
“Oppa, fighting!”
At this moment, his mother and Dohee weren’t cheering for the celebrities.
They were cheering for him, waving their balloons.
Figures. Mom and Dohee always support the people inside the frame.
Even though he was backstage, right now, he was part of the music broadcast team.
—
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