Tae-ha couldn’t help but be surprised by Yoo Jae-seop’s words as soon as “Rebel Anthem” finished playing. He never expected to receive such sincere praise for the song. Even Ha Dong-hyeon joined in.
“Wow. It’s not just that the song is good. Why is he so good at singing?”
Tae-ha, momentarily stunned by the praise from both men, managed a smile.
“Oh, come on. It’s not that great.”
“No, it really is. Of course, since it’s an OST, we have to see if the drama succeeds, but looking at the song alone, it’s a total hit. The tempo is fast, and the vocal skill to keep up with it is no joke.”
“Exactly. I think it’ll do well too. But can an actor really sing this well? Tae-ha, what did you say you did before? Were you an idol main vocal by any chance?”
“Ah, I wasn’t the main vocal. I was the lead vocal.”
“Hey! Tae-ha, you were an idol. That’s why you’re so good. You can tell you’ve been trained.”
“Even with training, this is natural talent. Especially the way he hits those high notes so quickly—it was amazing. This is a guaranteed success, no matter what.”
“Thank you.”
Tae-ha bowed his head politely, but Yoo Jae-seop, still lingering on the feeling of the song, spoke up again.
“Seriously, where can I get a song like this? How much would it cost to buy it?”
“Why are you asking that? Brother, you couldn’t sing it even if you bought it.”
“Who said I was going to sing it? I’ll just keep it. Just keep it. I’ll give it as a gift to a younger brother who’s good at singing. For his birthday.”
“Which brother? Tae-ha?”
“Tae-ha. When is your birthday?”
“Me? It’s August 26.”
“Oh, you’re an August baby. Our Ji-hun is also born in August.”
“If it’s Ji-hun… you mean your son, Brother?”
“Yeah. My son.”
With that, the topic naturally shifted away from Tae-ha’s song. Afterward, Yoo Jae-seop and Ha Dong-hyeon occasionally praised the track again, but Tae-ha just took it in stride. He simply felt that the song had turned out better than expected.
More than that, he was satisfied that today’s filming for *That’s Your Business* went well. At the very least, he had successfully made the name *Fight School* known to the viewers of the show.
At this point, Tae-ha had no idea what kind of future the reactions of Yoo Jae-seop and Ha Dong-hyeon were predicting.
***
Tae-ha continued to carry out a steady promotional schedule. As usual, he attended production press conferences and conducted interviews with newspapers and magazines. Then came the filming for an ITBC variety program.
It was *Neighborhood Big Brother*.
A show with a “transfer student” concept where the guests changed every week, *Neighborhood Big Brother* featured another national MC, Kang Ho-deok. It was a program with immense influence, and surprisingly, Tae-ha was booked as a solo guest.
“Whoa, Kang Tae-ha! The same Kang clan as me!”
As soon as Tae-ha appeared, Kang Ho-deok welcomed him with his signature high-energy shout, a trait from his days as a champion wrestler. Without being intimidated by the energy, Tae-ha responded calmly using the show’s informal speech concept.
“What’s this? I only got to be a solo guest because we have the same last name? That’s your business.”
The show was designed around a casual, informal concept. Even so, it wasn’t easy to make informal speech sound natural. The cast members were actually a bit worried because they had seen Tae-ha being incredibly polite and respectful before the cameras started rolling.
Occasionally, guests who were too polite failed to adapt to the aggressive concept and high-tension atmosphere of *Neighborhood Big Brother*, leading to awkward filming sessions. Of course, Kang Ho-deok was an excellent host who could squeeze out screen time under any adverse condition, but it was always better if the guest wasn’t nervous.
Yet, Tae-ha didn’t seem nervous at all. Kang Ho-deok and the rest of the cast were relieved.
This was possible, of course, because of Tae-ha’s immersion ability. Currently, Tae-ha was immersed in the role of ‘a professional entertainer who maintains his composure in any situation to maximize screen time.’ He judged this to be the role that would blend best into the atmosphere of *Neighborhood Big Brother*.
Hearing Tae-ha’s calm remark, Kim Hui-chan, a famous entertainer and former idol, tossed a question.
“Why are you suspicious? Was there something to be suspicious about?”
“Well, I thought Ho-deok wouldn’t be happy to see me. I’ve never been on *Neighborhood Big Brother*, but I have appeared on *That’s Your Business*.”
The rivalry between Yoo Jae-seop and Kang Ho-deok for the title of national MC was a long-running joke. It was the best kind of bait for the show. Seizing the opportunity, Lee Sang-geun, known for his witty ad-libs, chimed in.
“Ah, so you were worried Ho-deok would hold a grudge against you because he’s close with Yoo Jae-seop. Hey, our Ho-deok isn’t that narrow-minded.”
The petty wordplay sparked a round of light laughter. Kang Ho-deok laughed along before immediately snapping back and questioning Tae-ha.
“Wait. You only appeared on *That’s Your Business* once, and this is your first time on *Neighborhood Big Brother*. So isn’t it the same?”
“Actually, I filmed for *That’s Your Business* once more recently. The video hasn’t been uploaded yet, though.”
“Is that so?”
Kang Ho-deok faltered for a moment at Tae-ha’s answer before regaining his momentum.
“Still, that’s just UTube content, while this is a regular broadcast. The airtime is much longer. After today’s filming, you’ll be closer to me.”
“Calling it ‘just UTube content’… Brother Jae-seop would be disappointed to hear that. He hosts that program with the same passion as any other.”
“Oh.”
Kang Ho-deok was flustered again, and the set erupted in laughter. Then, Seo Jong-hun, a former basketball player turned entertainer, asked Tae-ha a question.
“So Tae-ha, are you officially confirming your spot in the Yoo Line right here?”
“No. I don’t have a line.”
If the conversation ended there, it might have been a bit of a letdown. But Tae-ha didn’t stop and continued playfully.
“But there is a line I don’t want to join. Even if the sky collapses and the wrestling pit is flipped over, I will never join that line.”
“A wrestling pit? Then could it be?”
“Ah. I messed up. I accidentally mentioned wrestling.”
This triggered a massive explosion of laughter. The cast of *Neighborhood Big Brother* was thrilled by Tae-ha’s reaction. Since they were always sincere about teasing Kang Ho-deok, it was only natural.
Kim Yeong-jun, a comedian famous for his impressions, asked Tae-ha.
“Tae-ha, you’ve only seen Ho-deok for a short time and Jae-seop for a short time. Why are you so determined not to join the Kang Line?”
“I’m not really a fan of being tied down by things like blood relations.”
“Ah, so him pretending to be happy because of the same last name actually annoyed you?”
“Annoyed? That seems a bit harsh. Let’s just say it was a bit… much. Actually, I’m a little sensitive about things like that. In fact, I have one thing to say about this, and Yeong-jun brought it up perfectly.”
“Oh? Me?”
Kim Yeong-jun, whose comments didn’t usually hit the mark, looked at himself in surprise at the unexpected praise. Another round of laughter followed, and Tae-ha answered while looking at them.
“The quiz I prepared to introduce myself? The first question is actually about a famous relative of mine that I’ve kept hidden until now.”
“A famous relative? So your relative is a celebrity? Like, a former wrestling champion?”
“That’s right. But it’s not Ho-deok. Please don’t lump me into the Kang Line.”
“Which celebrities are named Kang? The singer Kang So-ji?”
*Ding.*
“It might not be a celebrity. Soccer player Kang Jung-hun?”
*Ding.*
“Hey, give us a hint. Not many names are coming to mind.”
“It’s a celebrity.”
“Is it… Kang Sojeong?”
Min Jeong-hun, a former singer, spoke the answer with a look of uncertainty, and Tae-ha nodded with a smile on his face.
“Ding-dong-dang.”
At that moment, the entire *Neighborhood Big Brother* studio erupted in shock. It had to be that way. It was the first time it was revealed that Tae-ha and Kang Sojeong were related.
***
Tae-ha’s statement that he was related to Kang Sojeong sent the *Neighborhood Big Brother* studio into a stir. In a way, it shouldn’t have been that surprising. The number of stars in the entertainment industry with family ties wasn’t small.
Siblings were basic, and there were cases of parents and children as well. Compared to that, being cousins might not seem like a big deal. To people nowadays, a cousin was someone both close and distant.
However, the relationship between Tae-ha and Kang Sojeong didn’t feel like just any other celebrity relative connection. It couldn’t. Both Tae-ha and Kang Sojeong were currently top-tier actors in the Republic of Korea.
Among the many celebrity families, there were hardly any cases where both people were this successful. It was difficult enough to become a celebrity and make a name for yourself, but for two relatives to both be so famous that everyone in the country knew them was astonishing.
Tae-ha’s following story pulled the cast’s interest even further. He talked about how Kang Sojeong had secured him an audition for *The Scattered People* back when he was still a rookie.
He added that he had loved the script so much that he even turned down an audition offer from Director Lee Hae-ik for another role to try out for the apprentice priest—only to find Director Lee Hae-ik sitting right there at the audition. The cast of *Neighborhood Big Brother* couldn’t help but be fascinated.
This was certainly a story that viewers, who previously thought Tae-ha had simply landed a role in *The Scattered People* after showing promise as a supporting actor in *Critical Point*, would find intriguing.
However, like a true national MC, Kang Ho-deok caught a missing piece of the story and asked a question.
“Huh? But Tae-ha, you didn’t play the apprentice priest in *The Scattered People*. Didn’t you play the sub-male lead? What was his name?”
“You remember that? You’re right. I played Lee Jae-hyun.”
“See! I told you! How many likability points do I get for that?”
“Ten points plus.”
“How many did I have out of a hundred?”
“You had forty out of a hundred. Now you’re at fifty.”
“What? It was that low?”
“At least you’re halfway there now. Keep trying.”
After a quick round of banter with Kang Ho-deok, Tae-ha also told the story of how he ended up playing the sub-male lead, Lee Jae-hyun. Thanks to that, the producers of *Neighborhood Big Brother* were beaming. They could already predict the ripple effect this would have once it aired.
Tae-ha felt the same way. The reason he revealed his relationship with Sojeong on *Neighborhood Big Brother* today was exactly for this purpose.
First of all, even if he revealed his connection to Sojeong now, his own recognition wasn’t so low that her name would follow him around like a shadow. In some ways, his recognition was even higher than hers, especially since he was also proving himself as a writer.
Furthermore, unlike Kang Sojeong, Tae-ha had already achieved massive success in film. Kang Sojeong’s highest box office record was 7.11 million viewers. Therefore, there was no issue for Tae-ha to reveal that Sojeong was his cousin.
But he didn’t reveal it simply because there was no issue. Under normal circumstances, Tae-ha wouldn’t have sought attention by revealing such a fact.
The decisive reason Tae-ha revealed that Kang Sojeong was his cousin was that she, as well as him, had a project nearing its release. It was the release of *Ghost Ship*, the movie in which Tae-ha had participated as a cameo.