Weird Defender Joo Ji-Tae

115 – Variety (1)

115

After resting for a week, Joo Ji-tae woke up early and started his schedule.

“I’ve been sleeping in for a few days, and it’s hard to wake up early.”

As a celebrity, he had to get up early, even on days when he didn’t have to film, and Jung Seon-woo handed him a tablet to check his schedule.

Joo Ji-tae opened his sleepy eyes and turned on the tablet.

[Working Man – Nondu Football Club: A program that brings out the guests’ unique characteristics in a free and relaxed atmosphere -]

“Hot…”

Joo Ji-tae burst out laughing at the strong, stimulating scent of the program’s name.

“What’s Nondu Football Club?”

“The name is funny, but it’s a very popular program these days.”

“What is it?”

Jo Jae-sin, who was browsing through the same report on another tablet, asked in disbelief, and Jung Seon-woo, who was sitting in the assistant’s seat, began to explain as if he had been waiting for this moment.

“That’s right. It’s extremely popular these days, appealing to people from their 20s to their 50s. It’s rare to find a program that can capture the attention of such a wide range of ages. Plus, it’s not too long, and it’s not too focused on talk, so it fits perfectly into our schedule. Or should we try to squeeze in some more variety shows?”

“…Let’s just do this.”

Joo Ji-tae and Jo Jae-sin simply nodded at Jung Seon-woo’s eloquent words.

“Even so, the name is ridiculous. Nondu Football Club? Ah, this is going to be a real challenge. It seems like we’ll be working hard.”

“Hmm?”

As Joo Ji-tae browsed through the report, his eyes widened.

“Hey, turn the page and look at the list of guests.”

Jo Jae-sin’s grumbling stopped as he operated the tablet.

This Working Man had an impressive lineup, after all.

The main host, national MC Yoo Je-seok, and his favorite doll, Jo Sae-ho, were just the beginning. The guests were none other than the aces of three 5th-generation girl idol groups!

What kind of groups were these 5th-generation girl groups?

After the 4th-generation girl groups that debuted in the late 2010s and achieved great success, it had been 10 years, but no new groups had emerged to follow in their footsteps.

There hadn’t been no girl groups before.

The Hallyu boom that started in the 3rd generation and reached its peak in the 4th generation had spread beyond Korea to the world, and with this success, numerous 5th-generation girl groups emerged, claiming to be the next big thing. But they all ended up failing.

It was only natural.

The new generation had to be different, more advanced than the previous one, but the 4th-generation idols had already reached an unattainable level of development.

Many girl groups had emerged, claiming to be 5th-generation, but none could show any distinction from the 4th generation. As a result, the numerous girl groups that debuted after the 4th generation were dubbed 4.5th-generation and eventually failed.

But people learn from their mistakes.

As the 4th-generation idols slowly began to shed their “idol” image, real 5th-generation girl groups started to emerge, and among them, three groups stood out.

And the guests on this episode of Working Man were the aces of those three groups, representing the 5th generation.

“Is this real?… Purple’s Oh Hye-in is coming? And then there’s Girl Seven’s Liz, and Hae-yeon too!?”

Especially, Jo Jae-sin’s face lit up with excitement at the news of Hae-yeon’s appearance, who was the visual member of the girl group Athena.

“Haha… Look at that expression. Is it good?”

“Uh, totally. So, you’re not good?”

Jo Jae-sin countered, and Joo Ji-tae just smiled and showed his fist.

“Of course, it’s great.”

“I knew it.”

It was only natural for Jo Jae-sin to bump fists with Joo Ji-tae.

* * *

After the World Cup, the broadcasting industry was desperate to recruit the national team members.

Especially, the spotlight was on the youngest players, Joo Ji-tae and Jo Jae-sin, who were not only the aces but also had the most outstanding visuals.

In fact, the broadcasting industry had been courting Joo Ji-tae and Jo Jae-sin for a long time.

The two players had already risen to fame as rising stars in the broadcasting industry since last year.

It wasn’t just their faces that stood out; their athletic physiques were also impressive, making them the talk of the town in both male and female online communities.

Moreover, they weren’t just sports stars who got famous solely because of their looks; they had also shown incredible skills on the football field, becoming hot topics in both male and female online communities.

They were rare beings who received admiration from both men and women of all ages.

That was not all.

Fundamentally, they were the national heroes who brought back the nostalgia of the 2002 World Cup, making them the darlings of the middle-aged generation who were weak to patriotism.

In an era where gender and generational conflicts were intense, Joo Ji-tae and Jo Jae-sin were the rare beings who received admiration from everyone, with no one disliking them.

“What?! Joo Ji-tae and Jo Jae-sin agreed to appear?! Contact the national team manager right away!!”

The PD, who was used to sending out desperate love calls, was taken aback by the unexpected jackpot.

“Is this real? Did they really agree to appear? What kind of magic is this?”

“This is an opportunity. They’ve never appeared on a variety show before, so we have to make it happen. We need to work with their agent… or rather, their manager to adjust the concept and change the guest lineup! Who’s available? Just contact them, and they’ll adjust the schedule themselves.”

Despite the tight schedule, there were no issues with recruiting new guests.

It was to the extent that…

“Ah… I wish every day was like this.”

“Why? What’s going on?”

“It’s just that our schedule fits perfectly.”

“…The value of being a national hero is truly great. Seeing those high-nosed agency people come crawling like this is quite something.”

As representatives of the 5th generation, they were always busy with their schedules, and they were eager to participate in the show.

On the other hand, the van carrying Joo Ji-tae and Jo Jae-shin drove down a narrow, winding road and arrived at a secluded rural village.

“…This is really the countryside.”

“There’s no rice field or mountain in sight….”

I had a vague idea that it might be a rural area when I saw the subtitle “Rice Paddy Football Team,” but… this is too rural.

I was relieved to hear that the filming location was in the metropolitan area, but I have no idea how they found this place.

“Don’t worry. Are they going to roll around in the mud? It’ll just get their ankles wet and that’s it.”

Jo Jae-shin smiled, reassured by Jung Seon-woo’s words, but Joo Ji-tae’s face turned serious.

“Are they really going to do that?”

Working Man is a variety show I used to watch for fun, and I know how reckless the production team is.

They’re notorious for taking advantage of their guests, who are too innocent to suspect anything.

“Everyone’s here. Let’s get off.”

Jung Seon-woo, who got off first, opened the van door himself.

“‘Eternal Green Health Village’? What kind of village name is that? But since it’s a one-day shoot, I guess it won’t be too tough.”

I was lost in thought, staring at the large sign with the village name written on it, like a famous restaurant sign.

“Wow~ World Cup hero!! You’re really handsome~!”

“Wow! Joo Ji-tae and Jo Jae-shin are here!!”

Even the staff, who are used to seeing celebrities, welcomed the World Cup stars with excitement.

Or maybe they’re just trying to butter them up.

Joo Ji-tae smiled politely, despite his cynical thoughts.

“Hello, I’m football player Joo Ji-tae. Thank you for having us today.”

“I’m Jo Jae-shin. This is my first time on a variety show, and I’m really nervous, but I’ll do my best!”

“Welcome, welcome! We have national heroes on our show! We’re so glad to have you two here. Thank you.”

The main writer, a stylish middle-aged woman, greeted them with enthusiasm, making them laugh awkwardly for a moment.

“Purple Oh Hye-in has arrived!”

With the arrival of Oh Hye-in, representing the 5th generation girl group Purple—

“Athena Ha-yeon has arrived!”

“Girl Seven’s Liz has arrived too!”

Jo Jae-shin was amazed by the simultaneous arrival of the three vans.

“This is incredible. How did they all arrive at the same time?”

“It can’t be a coincidence. They must have coordinated their arrival.”

“Bullshit. Oh Hye-in, Liz, and Ha-yeon wouldn’t do that.”

Joo Ji-tae just clicked his tongue.

“Wow, they’re really pretty. Ha-yeon is especially beautiful. Oh Hye-in and Liz are even more stunning in person.”

That’s why you can’t deny it. Women are all the same, whether they’re idols or actresses—

No, idols are different.

Each of them had done their makeup to fit the current trend, but their beauty still shone through. Joo Ji-tae punched the air, looking to the side.

“I agree. They’re really beautiful. Good job coming out. Right?”

“…what?”

“Yes?”

As I looked at the unfamiliar sensation, it wasn’t my fist that was clenched, but Jo Jae-shin’s tightly grasped palm that caught my attention.

“What’s with the goddess… what?”

“…….”

…it felt like my fist was going to break.