Chapter 133: Live Broadcast Mastery

It was new, but that didn’t make it an easy question to answer.

For that reason, Tae-ha had no choice but to remain silent.

Watching him, Lee Man-nyeon spoke up.

“Was the question too high-level? Hard to answer?”

“Yes, that’s right,” Tae-ha replied. “No matter what answer I give, I probably won’t gain the public’s understanding.”

“I see. Then let’s move on to a slightly lower-level question. This is your first time working with global star Song Ji-eun, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“How is it? Does an actress who went to Cannes feel different?”

At that, Tae-ha let out a small laugh.

It was simply because Lee Man-nyeon’s serious expression while asking such blunt questions was too amusing.

Lee Man-nyeon laughed along, then quickly composed himself.

“Was that also too high-level?”

Tae-ha shook his head.

“No, I can answer this one. Ji-eun was definitely different. Throughout filming, she was so humble and sincere that I completely forgot she was a global star.”

“Oh? Then was she the best among the actresses you’ve worked with?”

“That’s not it.”

“Oh? Then who was the best?”

“The best, without a doubt, is Kang So-jeong.”

“Kang So-jeong… your cousin? Have you ever worked together?”

“Yes. I made a cameo in a movie.”

“Ah! I remember. You appeared as her son at the end.”

“That’s right. Her son in the story—not in real life.”

Lee Man-nyeon laughed silently.

“Right. If a younger cousin became her real son, that would be strange. Anyway, choosing your cousin as the best… blood ties really are strong.”

“Blood ties aren’t bad,” Tae-ha replied smoothly. “They seem one level above school ties or regional ties.”

At that witty remark, Lee Man-nyeon finally burst out laughing.

At the same time, the live chat window beside the monitor was flooded with “lol.”

***

That’s right.

This was a real-time live broadcast.

It was Tae-ha’s first proper live stream since his music show appearance—and back then, he hadn’t been able to see the chat.

Now, seeing viewers react in real time brought a different kind of pressure.

Lee Man-nyeon had anticipated this and asked beforehand whether Tae-ha was okay with going live.

If it felt burdensome, they could record instead.

But after some thought, Tae-ha chose the live format.

He believed this was the true charm of the channel.

Fortunately, things were going smoothly.

The fact that Lee Man-nyeon couldn’t stop laughing was proof enough.

***

After laughing for a while, Lee Man-nyeon clapped his hands.

“Wow, amazing. Tae-ha, you really have great broadcasting sense.”

“Thank you.”

“I thought that story about you causing tension between Yoo Jae-seop and Kang Ho-deok was just a concept.”

“You’ve seen those shows?”

“Yes, I watch them in my free time. But now I know it wasn’t a concept.”

“Oh? So you want to join that fight too?”

“Ah, no, I’m not on their level. But it did make me think—having a younger sibling like you would be nice.”

“Wow.”

“I usually have a lot of pride and I’m quite shy, so I don’t say things like this easily. Even I’m surprised.”

The chat window exploded again.

Tae-ha could tell he was being sincere.

But Lee Man-nyeon didn’t even glance at the chat.

He continued.

“Honestly, I kept asking rude questions earlier. Even I thought, ‘Oops.’ But you handled them perfectly.”

“So you knew they were rude.”

“See? You handle it so well. I officially recognize you as the fastest guest to adapt to this channel.”

“Scary. Isn’t your pattern to praise first, then ask harsher questions?”

“Oh? You know that pattern too? Do you watch often?”

“Yes. It’s one of my favorite channels. I even like your webtoon.”

“You’ve read my webtoon?”

“No. I haven’t read it—but I still like it.”

“…That’s a new one.”

The chat filled with teasing comments again.

Tae-ha seized the momentum.

“Do guests usually pretend to have read your webtoon?”

“No, they don’t pretend. They at least read it once out of courtesy.”

“Ah, so they pretend out of courtesy.”

“I’m saying they actually read it!”

“So what’s your webtoon about? What makes it fun?”

Caught off guard, Lee Man-nyeon burst out laughing again.

Tae-ha barely held his own laughter.

The chat exploded once more.

***

After calming down, Lee Man-nyeon continued.

“Let’s stop talking about completed works. How about upcoming ones?”

“If it’s about that drama, that’s fine. Ji-eun will promote it for me anyway.”

“You came here to promote, but you refuse to promote?”

“Ask anything else—even high-level questions.”

“I just thought of one.”

“What is it?”

“Dramas compete in the same time slot, right?”

“Yes.”

“And since all your works succeed… does that mean you’ve ‘killed’ every competing show?”

Tae-ha smiled.

“I wouldn’t use such an extreme expression. Just like I wouldn’t say you’ve killed all the viewers watching this stream.”

“…Oh?”

“There are 20,000 viewers watching right now. That makes you first in your time slot, doesn’t it?”

Lee Man-nyeon lowered his head, laughing.

At that moment—

The control of the broadcast had completely shifted to Tae-ha.

***

The live broadcast lasted three hours.

But it felt short.

There were simply too many great moments.

Even longtime viewers ranked Tae-ha’s appearance as one of the most legendary episodes.

***

[Viewer Reactions]

• “Kang Tae-ha was hilarious lol”
• “This was top-tier”
• “First appearance but insane chemistry”
• “He’s a cheat code for variety”
• “Hope he appears again ㅠㅠ”

***

From that live broadcast onward, the promotional results began to show.

The variety content quickly reached millions of views.

Many overseas comments started appearing:

• “Vamos a ver esto”
• “파이팅 화이팅”
• “C’est génial!”

Domestic reactions were strong as well.

Most discussions focused on Tae-ha’s interactions and variety skills.

***

The third program became especially important.

It served as a gateway for overseas fans.

Fortunately, the response was strong.

Tae-ha’s chemistry, especially his playful clashes, drew major attention.

His overseas follower count surged significantly.

***

“Song Ji-eun’s appearance also received great responses,” someone remarked.

“At this rate, the promotion is a success.”

Now, all that remained—

Was the drama’s broadcast.

***

A few days later.

For the first airing, many people gathered at Tae-ha’s studio.

Friends, colleagues, and acquaintances filled the space.

Including Tae-ha, fourteen people were present.

The large studio suddenly felt crowded.

But Tae-ha didn’t mind.

He preferred a lively atmosphere.

***

Food and drinks were piled high—almost like a home party.

“Hahaha. Maybe I should’ve prepared more alcohol,” Chairman Choi laughed.

“No, this is more than enough.”

“We’ll enjoy it!”

“Let’s eat before it gets cold.”

Everyone already seemed confident in the drama’s success.

Tae-ha thought it was a bit early—

But he didn’t ruin the mood.

Instead, he quietly opened a can of beer.

Click—tss.

***

Ten seconds remained—

Before the broadcast began.