In This Life, The Greatest Star In The Universe - Chapter 191:

Translator: MarcTempest

Editor: Rxel

Chapter 191

Woojoo sobered up instantly.

It was a strange thing to say, since he hadn’t drunk any alcohol, but it was true.

The drunkenness that had hit him just moments ago had vanished as if it was a lie.

“Pfft!”

One of the staff members couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

“Hahaha!”

 

Laughter erupted from all directions.

 

Woojoo felt embarrassed, sad, and wondered why his life was like this.

“Ouch, my stomach.”

Noh Jaehyun-ssi also laughed while holding his belly.

His siblings kept patting his shoulder or clapping their hands as they rolled around on the sofa.

“Kyahaha!”

Bijoo? Bijoo.

Hey.

“Sniff!”

Woojoo smiled sadly as he watched his siblings laugh until they cried.

Really.

At this moment, he wished they would all disappear from his sight.

After a while, the laughter subsided.

“Oh boy, I haven’t had anything to laugh about lately. Thanks to you, I had a good laugh today.”

“I’m glad you liked it…”

Yeah.

Woojoo decided to take comfort in the fact that he had brought some joy to the lonely veteran singer.

Woojoo turned his head and looked at the assistant director.

“This…”

Before he could finish the sentence ‘Will this be on air?’, the assistant director gave him a thumbs up.

It was going to be broadcast for sure. This.

Woojoo felt a headache coming on as he thought about the future of being teased by their Soufflés, Mrs. Kim Deoksoon, Han Taehyun, and others.

But well, this wasn’t the first time.

Woojoo quickly recovered his mental state.

He was someone who had written a video letter to a cat, after all. This was nothing.

“Wow.”

Their youngest imitated someone and staggered.

“I think I’m drunk from drinking non-alcoholic.”

“Giggle!”

“So funny! So funny!”

…Let’s deal with them later. You guys.

The filming time was extended.

Originally, the only additional scene was supposed to be Woojoo and Noh Jaehyun-ssi making a melody together.

But the assistant director came and delivered the main PD’s opinion.

“The PD said he wanted to film some other parts too.”

“What parts?”

“The things that Noh Jaehyun-ssi asked you to do for him.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

That was what the teacher said earlier.

He said Ms. Kang had some hard work to do by herself and asked them to help her out.

So we gladly agreed.

But the goal of today’s filming was to hear the behind-the-scenes stories of the competition songs.

Helping with the housework didn’t fit the purpose of <Challenge, Legendary Song Discovery Team!>, so they planned to help him separately after the filming was over.

But then…

“The PD said he wanted to film that part too, since the shooting schedule was extended.”

“Oh, okay. I understand.”

It was a good suggestion.

They had to do it anyway, and it meant they could get more airtime.

They immediately relayed the story to him.

“You want to do the work first?”

The teacher tilted his head.

“Shouldn’t you make the melody first? Don’t you need some time to focus by yourself, Mr. Non-Alcoholic?”

The siblings laughed and slapped their cheeks at the embarrassing nickname.

Woojoo coughed and said, “It’s okay. I usually don’t concentrate in a quiet place when I compose. I think while doing other chores.”

“Then I don’t care.”

“That’s right. You don’t have to worry.” Jiho chimed in, “He really works while doing other things. He even suddenly shouts ‘Maknae-ah!’ while showering and tells me to bring his phone recorder. He says he came up with a good melody.”

“I had that when I was eating spicy pork stir-fry. He kept holding me and talking until the food got cold…”

“He once came to me while I was cooking and asked me to listen to his melody.”

“Last time, he jumped out while folding the laundry, saying he had a good idea.”

“That was a real jump.”

The teacher looked interested as he listened to the victims’ testimonies.

“You’re a strange person, Mr. Non-Alcoholic.”

“No, I’m not. Teacher.”

“You’re not convincing with that face.”

The siblings all nodded.

‘The shell is great.’

‘Go away. The core.’

As Woojoo wondered whether to like or dislike that, the teacher shrugged his shoulders.

“Then it’s decided. I’ll tell you what you have to do, so follow me.”

They followed his slowly moving electric wheelchair.

It was the library they visited for the first time.

A glass window with a clear view of the lawn and an antique wooden table.

The other three sides were filled with bookshelves.

“It’s really nice…”

As they looked at Rihyuk, who seemed enchanted, the veteran singer said, “Well, I need to sort out some books here…”

The other person coughed.

“Ms. Kang had always wanted to organize the books. She said the order was weird and some of them were misplaced, and it bothered her. But she didn’t have the energy to do it… I mean, I couldn’t do it for her.”

They smiled inwardly.

‘He must have wanted to sort out the shelves.’

They knew exactly what was going on.

The order of the books, the color arrangement.

Those little things that annoyed his eyes, but he couldn’t ask her to do them for him.

And then, just then, some young people came to visit.

“Well, Ms. Kang said the arrangement was a bit strange.”

His face was full of excitement as he listed the problems.

And.

There was someone on their side who had the same expression.

“Hmm.”

He swallowed his saliva.

His eyes were cold, but they shone with some happiness.

His fingers trembled with joy.

“You mean you need to organize them?”

“That’s right.”

“I heard what you said. You want to classify the books according to the Korean Decimal Classification, right? Social sciences are in the 300s, natural sciences are in the 400s, and so on.”

“No, you.” Noh Jaehyun-ssi exclaimed with delight, “You read my mind. So what do you think?”

“Just a moment. Sir.”

Rihyuk immediately started to look around the shelves and make an estimate, and they exchanged glances.

The more Rihyuk blinked his eyelashes, the more their faces turned pale.

‘Hey, we’re screwed. What do we do?’

‘We’re in big trouble.’

‘I just want to eat…’

Rihyuk said, “Hmm,” and then asked, “Sir, do you have a ruler?”

“Here it is.”

A long metal ruler came out of the drawer under the table.

Rihyuk walked around the room and made a precise estimate.

“37 centimeters. Then we can fill in 2.5 centimeters of books here.”

“That’s it.”

“You want to sort the books in the 900s by topic, right?”

“That’s right. Rather than dividing them by regions like Europe and Asia, let’s divide them by political history or economic history.”

They looked like architects discussing the blueprint of a building that hadn’t been built yet.

Rihyuk nodded.

“I get it. I can see the picture you’re talking about.”

“Wow.”

The old man in the wheelchair shivered.

The cameraman who was filming him glanced at them and lowered his head.

They didn’t know what they were talking about either.

Meanwhile, Rihyuk and Teacher Noh Jaehyun had been having a cozy conversation face to face.

“Hahaha!”

“Hahaha!”

They seemed so close that it looked like a fantasy was unfolding there.

Anyone would think they were a grandson and a grandfather.

Soon, they clasped each other’s hands and shouted.

“Rihyuk!”

“Teacher!”

Teacher Noh Jaehyun said with a hint of resentment, “You, where have you been all this time?”

“I’m a rational person who doesn’t believe in fate, but today I want to believe it.”

“Isn’t this what Buddhism calls karma?”

It was heartwarming.

As Woojoo watched them, he felt like he should give them a rolling paper and say, ‘Be happy together…!’

But they couldn’t laugh.

They knew what was going to happen after that conversation.

“Well, shall we get started?”

“Sounds good.”

The two organizing masters looked at them.

One of them had trouble moving because of his illness, and the other was so weak that he couldn’t even open a Pringles lid.

The simple labor was left to the elves.

“What are you doing?” Rihyuk smiled contentedly. “We have to work.”

“…”

“Come on, come over here. I’ll show you.”

“Me…”

A timid bear raised his hand with a glance.

“I have an opinion.”

“Yes.”

“Why don’t we just move the whole bookshelf? I’m confident about that.”

“Organizing is not done with force. Junghyun Hyung. This requires a delicate touch.”

Teacher Noh Jaehyun nodded and added, “Right. Absolutely right.”

“Right, Teacher? I’m always right.”

This time, Jiho raised his hand.

“Cough! Cough!”

He acted like a really sick person.

“My throat hurts…”

“That’s why I prepared masks.”

“…”

“I brought them just in case, so take one each later. And… yes, Bijoo.”

“Can I help the lady with the lunch preparation…?”

“No way. You’re essential personnel.”

Bijoo made a sullen face.

Rihyuk’s crooked gaze swept over them with cold eyes.

“Why aren’t you saying anything, mister?”

“He won’t listen anyway.”

Junghyun muttered ‘Woojoo Hyung is smart’ next to him.

“Still, you should try to say something.”

“I don’t want to.”

“Say it quickly. You never know.”

“I know you want to see me get rejected.”

Pause.

“Ah…no. No, that’s not it. That’s unknowable.”

He must be right, judging by his tangled speech.

While the other members held back their laughter, Rihyuk snorted ‘tch’.

They quickly took off their sweaters and gathered in front of the bookshelf.

“Two, three.”

“Hello…?”

They reflexively bowed their heads to each other and froze.

“…?”

This, this was not right.

While the camera director and the writer were doing a laughter challenge, they cleared their throats and joined hands.

“One, two, three.”

“Fighting!”

As they were about to start organizing the bookshelf with spirited expressions, the singer cheered them on.

“Cheer up, Non-Alcohol guy and sleepyheads.”

Then he tapped the table chair.

“Rihyuk, come here and sit. Anyone who uses their brain should sit and direct.”

“Yes, Teacher.”

Teacher Noh Jaehyun’s kind voice continued.

“These days, young kids call teachers ‘sam’ instead of ‘teacher’. Just call me whatever you like.”

“Yes, sam.”

“Sit down quickly. This is a good spot to watch and nag.”

“No, Teacher,” Rihyuk said firmly. “I don’t think this is nagging. It’s constructive advice to create a clean environment.”

“Right you are. Right. Heh heh.”

As they watched them get along like a dream couple, they silently shook their cheeks.

PBS Entertainment Office.

The main PD of <Challenge, Legendary Song Discovery Team!>, Baek Sunghyun, was receiving a text report.

It was news that the cast members were talking to the original singers.

「 Lisa 」

• • Visited a cafe near the elementary school where the original singer of the children’s song ‘Ttolong Ttolong’ works as a teacher. Had a warm conversation with the original singer, who is a musical fan.

“Cha Woohyun”

• • The original singer was a bit intimidated by Cha Woohyun’s force. So he deliberately took off his sunglasses, but he looked even more scared. No other special issues.

“Song Bohyung”

• • Had a stormy chat with the original singer. Talking about how pitiful the street cats were for 30 minutes. Already talked about the song.

He nodded as he checked the messages from the assistant directors and writers.

Most of them were harmonious.

But…

“Jo Yuri Band”

• • Fought with the original singer over the direction of the arrangement. The original singer seemed a bit upset. The atmosphere was smooth, but separate editing needed.

The PD frowned.

‘This place is really…’

The Jo Yuri Band was a team that he brought in according to the stern order of the entertainment director.

They were good at what they did.

And polite to the staff.

But the problem was that they kept making trouble with other people.

‘This is really…’

He couldn’t just scold them because they came in through the director’s line.

But they kept getting on his nerves.

The Song Discovery Team was not a program made to have competitors grab each other by the hair.

It was a warm program planned to make the viewers happy.

But if there was a character who caused discord like this, it was troublesome no matter how good they were.

It was the same with the last time they acted badly to the other participants.

‘Should I warn them?’

He shook his head.

‘No.’

They would take care of themselves once they saw the first broadcast.

Then, the vibration rang.

“New Black”

• • Decided to make a new melody on the spot with the original singer.

PD Baek’s eyes lit up.

‘They keep coming up with something.’

He didn’t have high expectations for New Black at first.

He found the boy group while wondering, ‘Who are the new faces and talented idols among them?’

They had good visuals and skills.

He cast them thinking they would make a decent picture, but now they were rising as a dark horse.

‘They were extraordinary during the recording…’

Woojoo was active in all directions during the talk they had when they selected the song.

It changed the editing direction.

He was so excited to talk about the song that he felt his love for the music industry.

He couldn’t guarantee what the viewers would react, but there was a high chance that the public would like those small details that appeared on the broadcast.

‘Maybe it’s just my feeling…’”

He had a feeling this would be a big hit.

That was good news for the broadcasting station as well.

As PD Baek Sunghyun was reviewing the report on New Black, his phone started to ring non-stop.

“…Huh?”

What was going on?

-We’re cleaning up right now. Rihyuk is a genius of cleaning.

-Junghyun lifted the whole bookshelf by himself. The other members wiped the dust underneath. They looked like professional cleaners.

-The youngest got a hardtack from the teacher for being cute.

-Woojoo got scolded by the members for bringing a recorder.

-Bijoo bonded with the lady in the kitchen over a makjang drama. They’re checking the seasoning of the food now.

PD Baek blinked.

“…?”

He didn’t know the details, but something strange was happening in Jeju Island.

They went outside after finishing the bookshelf.

“Ouch.”

Woojoo rubbed his back.

He had underestimated the book sorting task, but it was really hard.

The cool breeze of Jeju Island cooled his sweat.

“It’s nice to be outside. The weather is good too.”

“Indeed.”

“Freedom!”

Jiho spread his arms and basked in the sunlight.

Clank. Clank.

And Junghyun was walking with the handle of the rear car.

“Junghyun, are you okay?”

“It’s fine. It’s just a little stimulation for the muscles.”

They were on their way back after moving the rest of the heavy stuff to a faraway place.

The camera was filming Rihyuk, who was taking care of the teacher, Noh Jaehyun, and his caretaker at home, so they were somewhat free.

Bijoo peeled a tangerine and called Junghyun.

“Junghyun. Do you want a tangerine?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll throw it.”

“Give me a tangerine.”

Bijoo threw a tangerine and Junghyun caught it and ate it.

It was a peaceful scene.

Meanwhile, Woojoo was playing the ukulele that he brought from Seoul during the break.

“Bijoo, how about this?”

“Well, I like everything. But I think the teacher’s opinion is more important, don’t you?”

“Hmm, I guess so.”

Woojoo nodded and played the ukulele a little more.

At the end of January.

A monotonous melody echoed along the quiet village road of Jeju Island.

That was when Jiho pointed ahead and said, “Junghyun Hyung, there’s a bicycle coming from the opposite side.”

“Okay.”

Junghyun skillfully turned the rickshaw.

“Whoa!”

But something strange happened to the bicycle that was approaching from the other side.

The old man who was riding the bicycle saw them and his eyes widened.

He looked shocked, as if he had seen something unbelievable.

He was so startled that his bicycle wobbled for a moment, making us go ‘uh-oh’.

“Watch out!”

“…”

He looked at them as if he had seen a ghost.

They waved their hands at him, but he tilted his head.

“Why is he like that?”

“Yeah, why is he looking at us like we’re weird?”

“Maybe he’s wary of us because we’re outsiders.”

They each made their own guesses, but the real reason was a mystery.

The villager stopped his bicycle for a moment and opened his mouth dumbly.

Then he looked at the scene in front of him.

‘What, what is this?’

The rickshaw carrying three people was spewing dust and moving away like a chariot from Ben-Hur.

And.

The people on it were waving their hands at him as if they were happy to see him.

‘…Did I see it wrong?’

He rubbed his eyes, but the sight was still the same.

A handsome man wearing a straw hat and pulling the rickshaw with vigor.

A handsome or beautiful person who was throwing tangerines to the horse like a groom.

And a cheerful person who was spreading their arms and basking in the sunlight.

Ding ding.

And a weirdo wearing a sun cap and playing a strange mini guitar.

“…?”

The villager’s confusion deepened.

‘Should I tell the village head?’

There were some strange guys roaming around the village.