Chapter 67: Tomorrow Potato Arrives in the Village

Riding in a car with people who claimed to be producing a variety show, we headed toward a house tucked away in the furthest corner of the village.

“Wow~ The scenery is really beautiful.”

“Isn’t it nice? The yard is spacious too.”

“That green roof is so cute!”

They wandered around, inspecting every nook and cranny of the house, while I cautiously sidled up to the village head.

“What’s this all about?”

With so many beautiful places to show off, I couldn’t understand why they’d come to the most remote spot in the village.

“I don’t know what’s going on either, but they said they’re filming something about eating and sleeping here…”

“Eating and sleeping? Who’d watch that?”

Who in the world would watch people eating and sleeping in the countryside? 

I just couldn’t wrap my head around it.

“Exactly! That’s why I called you. I’m suspicious they might be scammers.”

“Scammers?”

The village head’s mention of scammers made the already shady situation feel even shadier.

The company name on their business card didn’t sit right with me from the start.

Tomorrow Potato? What kind of joke is that?

“Last time, some broadcasting folks came saying they’d promote the village, but they left it in shambles.”

The village head whispered, glancing at them.

“I heard about that.”

A few years ago, some TV people came promising to promote the village, only to eat free meals, damage fields, and even uproot a few trees.

“That’s why I was going to fetch the smartest veterinarian in our village, but then I ran into you. You’re young, so you probably know more than I do.”

“It does feel a bit suspicious.”

“Right? Should we just chase them off?”

Since some people treat rural folks like clueless fools, I couldn’t help but be on high alert, wondering if these people were doing the same.

“Woof! Woof!”

What’re you doing? What’s going on?

But Jayden, completely devoid of suspicion, trailed after them, wagging his tail.

“Hey~ You’re so cute.”

“It’d be nice to have a dog like this.”

“Jayden, don’t bother them, come here!”

At my words, Jayden hurriedly scampered over and clung to my leg.

“Haha, we don’t mind.”

“Village head, this house is so clean and pretty!”

“The grandma from the house down the road tends to the garden and rests here sometimes, so it stays clean.”

Despite his suspicions, the village head answered their questions politely.

“Oh~ No wonder the garden looks so well-kept.”

“It feels so open and refreshing.”

“You can see the stars clearly at night here~”

“Really?”

They meticulously took photos of the house and even recorded videos of the scenery with their smartphones.

Are they actually producing something?

If they were fakes, they wouldn’t go to this much effort, would they?

“But who’d watch a show about eating and sleeping in a place like this?”

Unable to hold back his curiosity, the village head finally asked.

“Hahaha, a lot of people love rural life.”

“Really? Don’t people want to live in Seoul and hate the countryside?”

They weren’t entirely wrong. 

I’d noticed during variety show shoots that city folks found rural life oddly entertaining.

They looked around the house, visited the grandma’s place down the road, and thoroughly scoured the village.

“Thank you so much for showing us around the village today.”

“No problem~ It’s not like we did much.”

“We’ll contact you again soon.”

“Alright~”

They bowed politely to the village head and drove off.

“What do you think? Do they seem like scammers?”

“Well… the company is real.”

I’d quickly searched “Tomorrow Potato” on my phone earlier, and it turned out to be an actual production company—one that had made variety shows with famous celebrities.

“So, they’re legit?”

“But anyone could fake a business card like that…”

“True enough.”

The village head scratched his head, looking troubled.

“Last time, I almost lost my position as village head because of that incident. This time, I can’t let it happen.”

“Let’s wait and see if they even contact us again.”

“Right! If they call, I’ll let you know at the clinic right away!”

The village head grabbed my hands tightly, as if putting all his trust in me.

***

Tomorrow Potato.

“I’m back~”

“Oh, you’re here?”

Na Youngjae, one of the most famous variety show PDs in the country, greeted the team that had returned from scouting.

“How was it?”

“It was probably the best place we’ve seen.”

The PD and writers who went scouting unpacked their things and gathered around a table with Youngjae.

“There’s a grandma living nearby who sometimes takes care of the house, so it’s clean, and there’s a garden like this next to it.”

“Oh~ Quite a variety of crops?”

“So, we could probably use the basic vegetables grown here.”

The program they were planning was Rural Three Meals, a long-running show already in its fifth season.

“The village head is nice, and the village has a cozy, charming vibe.”

“There’s someone in the village who grows garlic, and they do large-scale rice farming. They said it’s almost rice-planting season.”

“Really?”

Rice planting? That sounded like a perfect activity for the cast.

“But what’s with this dog?”

Youngjae pointed to a dog in the photos they’d taken.

“Oh~ That’s a villager’s dog. Cute, right?”

“There’s only one animal clinic in the village, and that’s their dog.”

“It’s adorable. If it shows up occasionally, people will love it.”

“But…”

“The owner is a celebrity.”

They’d noticed it the moment they saw Hyunjae.

Huh? He looks familiar.

As variety show producers, they had to be sensitive to trends and knew up-and-coming stars better than anyone.

It’s Jung Hyunjae!

His drama had been a huge hit, and his face practically screamed “celebrity,” so there was no mistaking him.

“Who?”

“Jung Hyunjae.”

“Jung Hyunjae?”

Youngjae seemed clueless about the name, so a writer nearby searched Hyunjae on a laptop and showed him.

“Oh! I know him.”

He didn’t know the name, but he recognized Hyunjae’s face from the drama instantly.

“He lives here?”

“Yeah, he’s the nephew of the village’s animal clinic director.”

They never expected to meet a celebrity in a place like this—it was beyond surprising.

“Is he the real deal? Not some staged setup?”

“No, the village head brought him along.”

“And he was looking at us with such suspicious eyes.”

Those eyes clearly didn’t recognize them and saw them as shady outsiders.

“He was so wary.”

“Apparently, some scammers came before, promising to promote the village, took a bunch of stuff, and ran off.”

“That’s why the village head was so firm about not doing this at first.”

Youngjae’s curiosity naturally shifted to Hyunjae.

“How’s the kid? Does he seem alright?”

“We didn’t talk much with him, but he seemed close with the village head and the grandma nearby.”

“Oh! He was on Neighborhood Supermarket yesterday.”

“Really? Let’s check it out.”

The writer recalled seeing Hyunjae on a variety show, and they all gathered around the laptop to watch.

Why’s Donghyeok so cute?

Total country bumpkin vibes lolol.

He has no clue why the company censored him lolol.

The CEO did a great job.

Show us his face! His face!

He seemed like a cold Seoul guy in the drama, but this is a total plot twist.

I want to see more ㅠㅠ. 

The drama did well, so why isn’t he in more stuff?

(Link) Here’s a drama behind-the-scenes video, you have to watch it.

Any chance he’s single?

185cm tall. No chance, he’d drag on the floor.

Can I meet a guy like that in the countryside?

Not even in Seoul.

Just a bunch of grandpas over 60 in reality.

The show featured two people, but the reactions were all about one person.

“His character’s pretty cute, huh?”

“He’s so different from his drama role.”

“This… wouldn’t it be fun to put them together?”

The series had a loyal fanbase, but some found it repetitive and boring.

“But didn’t you say we’re going guest-focused this time, without a maknae?”

“Guest-focused, sure. But sometimes you need chemistry with the locals, right? We can use him for that.”

A fresh-faced 20-something among a cast in their 50s would liven things up, and since he’s a local, viewers wouldn’t feel uncomfortable.

***

“This season, let’s go with this place.”

There was no better option, and they were certain of it.

‘Love Some’ Production Company.

I visited the production company to finalize casting and choose outfits suited to the character.

“Looks great on you~”

“With a frame like that, anything works.”

“Doyoon looks like he jumped straight out of the webtoon.”

My character, Doyoon, was similar to Donghyeok from Blue Sky Spring—a tsundere with a clumsy charm. 

Honestly, that was part of why I hesitated to take this role.

“Hyunjae, try this on too.”

“It’s perfect.”

The costume team and director nodded approvingly at the outfits I tried on.

“Thank you. But is someone else coming today?”

My eyes caught the rack full of women’s clothes nearby.

“Oh! Didn’t I mention? Both the female and male leads are coming today.”

“Both?”

“Casting’s finalized.”

“Oh, really?”

I was curious about who I’d be acting with.

“Who are they?”

“They should be here soon… Oh! There they are.”

Right on cue, a knock sounded, and the door opened.

“Hello~”

A woman with long, dark hair and a bright smile walked in…

Huh? 

Why’s she here?

It was the woman who sat next to me on the plane.

“Hey~ Hayoon, you’re here?”

“Hello. Hell—”

She was greeting the director and staff when she saw me and froze.

They say you meet your enemies on a narrow bridge, but to meet her here?

Her obvious shock prompted the director to ask, “What’s up? Do you two know each other?”

“No! First time meeting!”

It was a casual question, but she snapped back defensively.

“I was just surprised because he’s so handsome. Haha.”

“Come on, no need for that between good-looking folks~”

“Stand close together. Let’s see a two-shot.”

At the director’s request, she hesitantly moved closer, and I stood awkwardly beside her.

“Wow~ The height difference is perfect.”

“It’s already giving me butterflies.”

“There’ll be a lot of fans eating up this sub-couple vibe.”

The staff reacted positively to our two-shot.

“Hayoon has a bit of an older-sister vibe, but since it’s a regression story, it feels natural.”

“Right. If Seojin joins, the three of you together would be perfect.”

“Yeah, I can’t wait to see the chemistry with all three.”

About 30 minutes later, the door opened again, and I couldn’t help but be stunned.

What is this lineup?

A situation more dramatic than the drama itself unfolded before my eyes.