When I Opened My Eyes I Was a Superstar

Along with Kim Won’s appearance, they started singing Happy Birthday.

Even Jung Yoon Ki and Ahn Hyung Seo who had been angry, as well as Park Tae Hyung, who had been unsure of what to do, and Suk Ji Hoon, who had been crying and wiped his eyes with the end of his sleeves, starting singing like nothing was wrong.

Behind Kim Won, staff holding cameras trickled in.

Six cameramen filmed one member each for individual shots, and one cameraman was in charge of filming overall shots.

Within seconds, the spacious dormitory living room was packed.

Manager Oh Baek Ho was situated in one part of the living room, avoiding the camera angles, and was singing along with the members.

Everyone genuinely wished Do Wook a happy birthday.

“What is this…”

Do Wook stood in place and just stared blankly at the cake approaching him.

His head was already complicated because of the sudden argument between the members.

Even though he apologized, he was worried whether his apology was enough to make Ahn Hyung Seo feel better or resolve things.

“Happy birthday, dear Do Wook! Happy birthday to you!”

Pop―! Pop―!

As the happy birthday song reached its climax, Ahn Hyung Seo showed off his vocal skills and even added a high octave harmony.

At the same time the song ended, Suk Ji Hoon and Park Tae Hyung set off the party poppers they were holding in their hands.

“Dude! Happy birthday! What are you doing, blow out the candles.”

“Make a wish, a wish!”

Kim Won and Ahn Hyung Seo urged.

Do Wook blew out the candles in a daze, urged on by the members.

When he went ‘huff―’ and exhaled for a long time, the 22 candles that had been placed on the cake all went out at once.

“Oh, look at him go!”

“You got this!”

“Are you done making a wish?”

The three older members were excited for the first time in while. When the three of them asked him without giving him a moment to answer, Do Wook just blankly nodded his head.

Today was Do Wook’s birthday.

Honestly, Do Wook completely forgot that it was his birthday. It wasn’t the birthday he had celebrated for 30 years but Kang Do Wook’s birthday, so it was awkward for him.

Do Wook turned on his cell phone and checked the date. It was only then that he saw the various happy birthday messages that he had received. He had turned off notifications for everything except business contacts, so he hadn’t known all day.

While he was thinking that he should quickly respond to his parents, the members held out the presents they had for him one after another.

Among the gifts for Do Wook that were piled up in the living room, there were birthday gifts from fans, and even gifts prepared by the members themselves.

Last year or even the year before last, he didn’t particularly celebrate his birthday because they had other events. He just accepted the birthday wishes from the members and fans, and during downtime he cut and ate the birthday cake.

“Wow, I guess Do Wook is still shocked!”

Ahn Hyung Seo giggled as he looked at Do Wook who wasn’t even able to say a proper thank you while receiving gifts.

It was more enjoyable because it was contrasted with a Do Wook who usually politely said thank you even over little things.

Polite Do Wook was good too, but as his seniors there were times they hoped he would interact with them a little more comfortably. That was why it was fun to see Do Wook a little dazed like this.

“Do you see the hidden cameras now?”

Jung Yoon Ki asked.

Do Wook nodded his head like a creaking robot.

“This is a camera, so is this, and even this.”

Suk Ji Hoon pointed at various places and explained to Do Wook.

There was a camera in the living room TV, as well as above the wall mounted clock. Among the pile of gifts there was a box with a camera too.

“Be thankful I told you to get changed earlier!”

Ahn Hyung Seo proudly patted his chest.

“It’s more realistic if he stayed in the clothes he was wearing. You shouldn’t have told him.”

“Still, he’s our team’s visual member. We can’t do that.”

“Is that so?”

Jung Yoon Ki and Ahn Hyung Seo bickered like usual. Do Wook felt great relief that their tone was back to normal. Belated feelings of gratitude over the gifts he received flooded in at the same time.

“Thank…you…”

The members laughed when Do Wook belatedly thanked them.

“A very happy birthday, man!”

“Happy birthday, Do Wook.”

Kim Won and Park Tae Hyung wished him a happy birthday one more time.

“Anyways! Because of Won, it was almost ruined! Such bad acting!”

“It was good we had him leave to get the cake instead of Tae Hyung. Otherwise the hidden camera would have been ruined.”

Ahn Hyung Seo and Jung Yoon Ki, who had been arguing a little earlier, were on the same side this time and talked about Kim Won.

“I told you…I’m not confident in acting…”

“Didn’t I do a really good job acting?”

While Kim Won was sulking, Suk Ji Hoon butted in and bragged.

Since he even had to cry, it was understandable he wanted to hear he acted well. It was Do Wook he was trying to trick with his acting, after all. In a sense, it was funny that Suk Ji Hoon asked as if urging Do Wook to praise him, but Do Wook nodded his head.

“Yeah…you were good.”

When Do Wook said that, Ahn Hyung Seo applauded.

“That’s right, our youngest’s enthusiastic crying performance!”

Ahn Hyung Seo, who was praising Suk Ji Hoon, smiled and asked when he saw Do Wook,

“You know that everything I said earlier was all just acting, right? Why do you think you have the most gifts? It’s because it’s your birthday!”

The Fan Marketing Team had an unmanageable amount of gifts come for Do Wook for his birthday this time.

The gifts they sent weren’t the only thing the fans had prepared for Do Wook’s birthday.

There was also money they donated in Do Wook’s name to the fundraising program < World’s Love >. The fact that a substantial amount of 10,000,000 Won* was collected in seconds was thanks to Do Wook’s popularity.

(TL Note: About $7,378.14)

Also, on the wall of Gangnam Station, which is one of the subway stations with the largest foot traffic, there was also an advertisement with Do Wook’s face plastered on it. The fans collected money to put up a “Happy Birthday Do Wook” ad.

“That’s a relief. I was worried that it really bothered you…”

“What do you mean! You thought of me as such a small person?!”

With a big smile, Ahn Hyung Seo patted Do Wook on the shoulder. He added that he didn’t need to worry about that at all.

“Is…it ok if I eat cake?”

Because they were talking, the cake with the blown out candles was forgotten. The members only remembered the cake when Park Tae Hyung, who was extremely hungry because of the dance rehearsal in the afternoon, asked.

“Ah, we should eat it, we have to!”

Realizing it belatedly, Jung Yoon Ki quickly took the cake to the living room table.

“Do Wook, you have to cut it…”

Park Tae Hyung quickly held out the cake knife to Do Wook. Do Wook neatly cut the whip cream cake with a lot of strawberries on top.

“Is this enough? Let’s order chicken and pizza!”

“I agree!”

“I agree~! One hundred percent~!”

Suk Ji Hoon and Kim Won replied excitedly to what Ahn Hyung Seo said.

All the members looked toward Manager Oh Baek Ho, and Manager Oh Baek Ho, who had been watching all of this, nodded with difficulty.

“It’s only for today.”

Of course he added a condition.

Only after dinner was over did Do Wook find out the full details about the hidden cameras.

The broadcast that the hidden camera footage would be aired on was ‘Return of KK Broadcast.’

With the 3rd full-length album ahead of them, the company was planning a reality entertainment show. It wasn’t an official entertainment show with long episodes like the previous ‘KK Broadcast’, but it was a broadcast plan of one or two episodes for fan service and promotion.

The members, including Do Wook, were aware up to that point and had agreed to follow the company’s decision.

While looking for a broadcast station and program where they could broadcast the project, the Fan Marketing Team contacted PD Shin Yoon Ho, with whom they had done a broadcast together previously.

Having done KK’s first solo entertainment show ‘KK Broadcast’ together as well as casting Do Wook in ‘Get Ready 1999’ and letting him debut as an actor, PD Shin Yoon Ho was a PD they were deeply connected with.

However, with the success of ‘Get Ready 1999’, PD Shin Yoon Ho wasn’t a typical entertainment show PD. In a situation where the public found it hard to remember names of PDs, he was a big shot PD that was getting his name known.

They wondered if PD Shin Yoon Ho would want to do another idol entertainment show, one with only one or two episodes on top of that, but surprisingly, PD Shin Yoon Ho happily accepted the proposal.

For HIT Entertainment, who was trying to explore broadcast stations and broadcasts by getting introduced to a good PD through PD Shin, it was a very welcomed situation.

“Haha. Am I the only one that became a star?”

PD Shin Yoon Ho said and laughed when Fan Marketing Team Leader Lee Dae Hyung asked if he’d be ok doing an idol entertainment show even though he must’ve been busy and his status had gone up.

He didn’t try to deny that he became a PD star, but he was right.

Furthermore, PD Shin Yoon, who was planning ‘Get Ready 1999’ season 2 that was to air at the end of this year, thought this short broadcast could serve as a way to get people excited and was rather happy to do a broadcast with KK.

The program was called ‘Return of KK Broadcast’ and was a special broadcast with 3 thirty-minute episodes.

They were able to easily get the Friday evening time slot thanks to the combined power of the PD’s and KK’s name.

In the middle of that, the timing worked out well, so PD Shin Yoon Ho suggested to HIT Entertainment the idea the broadcast station writers had of starting the first episode with Do Wook’s hidden camera prank.

Do Wook didn’t know the details for ‘Return of KK Broadcast’ yet, so the hidden camera joke would be a complete success.

Although it is a cliché item, there is a reason why it is an item that continues to be used.

The Fan Marketing Team determined that it was a good opportunity to show the members’ diverse and honest appearances.

It didn’t hurt to expose KK’s honest side more, since they were trying to reach a wider public through the third full-length album.

Additionally, the Fan Marketing Team believed in the KK members’ personalities, and was confident that the more the honest aspects of KK members were revealed, the more popular they would become.

And so, while Do Wook was in New York, the members were informed about the ‘Return of KK Broadcast’ recording and hidden camera plan without Do Wook and Manager Oh Baek Ho.

Members enthusiastically prepared for Do Wook’s surprise party, even practicing and filming in advance.

***

And it was as the HIT Entertainment Fan Marketing Team expected.

When the first episode of ‘Return of KK Broadcast’ aired, everyone was surprised and happy with KK’s slightly new look.

Ahn Hyung Seo, who always threw hearts at fans and seemed like he was having fun, got angry, Suk Ji Hoon, who looked stoic, pretended to cry, and Kim Won, who they had always thought would be good at deceiving others since he never missed out on anything fun, kept being aware of the camera…

In addition, they saw Do Wook, who was never flustered at all even when there was a broadcast accident, getting flustered.

Even if it were acting, the fans were enthusiastic to see their unexpected sides.

Since it was a hidden camera, the members’ casual tone was completely shown, and it was inevitable that the fans would be happy, feeling like they were watching from right next to the members.

Jung Yoon Ki’s country accent, which he tried to control any way he could when on broadcasts, was also very vivid, so Jung Yoon Ki’s fans gave him the nickname ‘eargasm’.

-A GyeongSangDo man who uses a country accent in a low voice when mad!

-A bad boy persona…so good… :’)

-Seeing Hyung Seo be harsh like that… :’(

-Why is Won being so obvious lol. His movements were awkward starting from when Do Wook went to his room

-But why was it edited when Do Wook went into the room? Maybe they told him during that time? Maybe they staged it

-What do you mean;; Look at Do Wook’s reaction, how is that staged

-Just read the caption lol. That’s the part he plays the title song for them so it’ll be part of the next episode lol

-The comeback is today? real??? true???*

(TL Note: “real??? true???” was said in English)

-Airing the comeback performance as soon as this broadcast is over… I feel dizzy…

-It’s making ME nervous X’) I’m jealous of the Key Rings who got to go to the broadcast studio today…I’m in my bedroom

-I was able to watch because I’m in my bedroom so I’m good!

-I think I need to take a heart pill. I’m so excited for it

-When turnabout man* suddenly said he wants to eat cake it was super cute

(TL note: The nickname Hyeon Seo was given in chapter 98 after his collab performance.)

-But on stage he’s sexy

-As expected of our youngest the child actor

-Let Ji Hoon go into acting too!!

-By the way, Do Wook is really kind

-Him apologizing…even though he did nothing wrong…I know it’s fake but it pulled on my heartstring seeing him flustered

-Do Wook’s Rolled Tissues..we’re currently shredded pieces of tissue….

-How will I get compensated for this broken heart

-It’s KK performance soon…Let’s watch the performance and get compensated!!

-Kang Do Wook is good looking even when he’s flustered

-If you’re sorry with that face, I’ll forgive you no matter what you did wrong T.T

The scene where Do Wook apologized was the most popular among the general community as well as the fan page.

Everyone was well liked, but Do Wook’s personality, showing no sign of arrogance, was unanimously praised.

After ‘Return of KK Broadcast’ ended, TBN’s next broadcast was its own music broadcast.

And they planned to have KK’s first 3rd album comeback performance on that broadcast. With both the music video and sound file not released yet, only the teaser had been released.

The expectations from fans and the public who were waiting for KK were at its peak.

—

Next chapter: The public’s response to the remake of ‘Blue Sky’ is….????!

Good. Of course it’s good XD

Translator’s comments: Totally agree with PR WhiteRabbit, I wholeheartedly disagree with this prank