NOVEL NEXT Chapter 255
Watching Japanese variety shows in Korea isn’t really that hard.
In fact, Young-mi often watched Japanese broadcasts live, even though there was about a 10-minute delay. But hey, that’s no big deal.
“Actually, it’s not a variety show, it’s an anime.”
Young-mi couldn’t bring herself to say that to Gil Da-hyun, the ultimate popular girl who seemed like she’d never watch anime.
Anyway, Young-mi was quite interested in the fact that Joo Seo-yeon, the class star, had appeared on a Japanese variety show.
I mean, when your classmate is a famous actress who’s even appeared on international TV, it’s hard not to be curious.
“It’s starting.”
One of the friends who came along said that.
Unlike Korean variety shows, Japanese ones start off flashy and oddly noisy.
“What are they saying?”
“It’s a special segment they prepared. ‘Genius high school actress Reika’s 3-day, 4-night shoot with Korean genius actors!’ or something like that.”
“Isn’t ‘genius’ way too common these days?”
Young-mi couldn’t answer her friend’s question.
Glancing at Seo-yeon, she seemed calm… or maybe not?
If you looked closely, her pupils seemed to be shaking a bit.
She also seemed a little nervous.
Why is she so nervous? It’s just a variety show.
‘Ah, is she embarrassed to watch her own show with her friends?’
Thinking that, it’s kind of cute.
“And so, the four actresses head off to an unknown place… without even knowing where they’re going.”
A creepy BGM played along with the narration.
Then, the screen showed Aokigahara Forest.
When one of the world’s top 10 spooky locations appeared, the panelists screamed and exaggeratedly freaked out.
“Ehhh~! Are they really camping in Aokigahara for 3 days and 4 nights?!”
“They’re definitely going to get complaints for this. Who’s in charge?!”
The Japanese celebrities jumped up and down as they talked.
Of course, it was all just for show.
The upcoming scenes were quickly previewed on the screen.
The actresses wandering the forest to gather ingredients.
Cooking together.
The staff creating a horror atmosphere, and the eerie background music.
Then, a scream echoed.
“Bear Rider.”
“?”
A short clip ended with Seo-yeon riding a bear.
The panelists blinked, not quite processing what they just saw.
Even though it was a pre-recorded show, their reactions felt genuine.
No exaggerated responses, just blinking in confusion.
“Was that a bear at the end?”
“You’re lying, right? That’s a joke?”
“Hey, it’s probably a fake bear requested by the production team. Come on, don’t act like amateurs.”
“Amateurs~?! Kura-san, that’s too harsh! Of course we’d be shocked if an actress suddenly rides out on a bear!!”
“That’s the Korean actress, Seo-yeon, right? The one who’s been trending on Twitter lately.”
“Yeah, yeah, I laughed so hard when I saw that.”
The panelists seriously discussed the short clip that played before the show officially started.
Meanwhile, the five girls watching the show all turned to look at Seo-yeon.
‘Was that a real bear?’
‘Can actresses even ride bears?’
‘Hey, it’s probably a prop.’
Those were the reactions.
Seo-yeon broke out in a cold sweat.
“Seo-yeon, was that a real bear?”
Gil Da-hyun, the only one who could casually ask Seo-yeon, spoke up.
“Well…”
Seo-yeon hesitated before answering.
“It’s a bear brought in by the production team. It’s very well-trained and calm…”
“Really?”
Finally convinced, the others moved on, and Seo-yeon let out a sigh of relief.
She never expected they’d actually air her riding a bear on TV.
‘…Wait, now that I think about it, if they don’t show the bear, I wouldn’t be on screen at all.’
She’d spent the whole day riding the bear, so if they edited out the bear, Seo-yeon wouldn’t appear at all.
In the end, it was all her own doing.
Anyway, she got through it, so as long as it ends well…
“It says it’s a wild bear?”
“…”
As the show progressed, when Seo-yeon appeared riding the bear, the words “Wild Bear” were boldly displayed on the bear’s head.
Unable to explain further, Seo-yeon quietly closed her mouth.
***
– Joo Seo-yeon’s Japanese variety show has started.
– It’s some camping show, looks boring.
– The camping spot is Aokigahara Forest.
– Where’s that?
– It’s one of the world’s top 10 spooky locations. Famous in Japan as a suicide spot.
– ??? They’re camping there?? Is the PD out of their mind???
– Lol, it’s a Japanese variety show. That’s pretty mild for them.
When the Japanese variety show first started, that’s about all that was posted on Seo-yeon’s fan cafe.
Since it was just a simple camping show, not many people were interested.
They thought someone would summarize it later, so they waited quietly.
– Joo Seo-yeon rode a bear?
– ???????????
– Is it just me or does the bear look sad?
– There’s blood on its nose, did it get hit?
– Did Joo Seo-yeon hit it???
– Lol, do you think Tyson could knock out a bear with a full-power punch?
A screenshot from the live broadcast.
Seeing Seo-yeon happily riding the bear, the quiet fans started to move.
Wait, our actress rode a bear!!
It spread through the community in an instant.
Not just fan communities, but also Twitter and other SNS platforms where Seo-yeon’s fans were active.
– Seo-yeon ㅠㅠ I said I’d support you no matter what, but a bear is a bit much, don’t you think???
– First time seeing an actress smile so brightly on a bear.
– Seo-yeon… no, never mind…
– Did Joo Seo-yeon fight the bear and win??
Since the photo spread a bit late, the reactions came a bit delayed.
As the rumors started, more and more people began watching Seo-yeon’s Japanese variety show live.
This wasn’t just in Korea, but in Japan too.
==
Post: Joo Seo-yeon trends in Japan lol
This is so funny lol Bear Rider lol
Replies
– Does it say “Bear Rider” in Japanese?
– Yeah, at the top it says “Bear Rider,” and below it says “Joo Seo-yeon.”
– Lol Bear Rider Joo Seo-yeon lol this is hilarious
==
Of course, she trended, and the show’s ratings started skyrocketing right then.
“So we have to gather ingredients here, right?”
After sparking interest with the bear, the show went back to show how they ended up in that situation.
Four actresses trapped in Aokigahara Forest.
They seriously discussed dividing roles among themselves.
The leader seemed a lot like Jo Seo-hee.
“What, none of you can cook?”
Silence filled Aokigahara Forest.
The four actresses, including Jo Seo-hee, awkwardly avoided eye contact.
– Out of four, none of them can cook? That doesn’t make sense.
– Doesn’t Joo Seo-yeon cook? She said she could on Golden Duckling.
– In an earlier interview, she said her dad gets scared when she holds a knife, so she can only do what she’s allowed.
– Ah.
Anyway, even if they can’t cook, they still need to gather ingredients.
While Seo-yeon quickly gathered ingredients, the other three struggled.
Especially Lee Ji-yeon, who was gathering ingredients with Reika.
『Is this mushroom edible?』
“What are you saying? Say it in English.”
『Is it edible?』
The two couldn’t communicate.
They started talking among themselves and gathering things on their own.
From this, it was clear Reika was also a bit of a free spirit.
– The Japanese girl can’t even communicate, is this for real?
– Who’s the one filming with her? Lee Ji-yeon?
– This show is also promoting the movie Gyeongseong Young Lady. The lead actress from that movie is here.
– Jo Seo-hee and Joo Seo-yeon aren’t the leads, she is??
– I’m speechless… That girl used to always ask me to buy bread for her in school…
Eventually, the two naturally split up and started gathering things on their own.
And that’s when the problem started.
After gathering everything, Seo-yeon returned to the base, only to find it empty.
「?」
Seo-yeon’s face said, “Why aren’t they back yet?”
Unlike Seo-yeon, who was scared but still managed to gather things, the others…
Half-missing state.
After waiting for about 30 minutes, Seo-yeon sighed and started moving to look for people.
– LOL, I’ve never seen Joo Seo-yeon being the ace before, LOL.
– Fact) Surprisingly, Joo Seo-yeon has always been the ace in variety shows.
– Hey, that’s a lie, LOL. In “Star Fisherman,” Joo Seo-yeon only caught a few fish, and in “Survival in the Wild”…
– This is real.
– She seems like she’s just having fun in variety shows, but when you think about it, she does everything. She’s a super ace, LOL.
As Seo-yeon went to find the actors, she found Reika first.
Reika, who was sniffling, couldn’t move because her legs gave out, so Seo-yeon had no choice but to carry her on her back and start moving.
『I really thought no one was coming, I was so scared.』
“If you whisper in Japanese in my ear, it’s scary, so please be quiet.”
『You comforted me so kindly, thank you so much. Sob sob.』
“Please don’t cry in my ear. It’s scary.”
『Sob sob sob sob!!』
“You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?”
Seo-yeon flinched at Reika’s voice, and Reika clung to her, chattering nonstop.
– LOL, it’s hilarious that they can’t communicate at all.
– They said Seo-yeon is kind, LOL.
– It’s even funnier that Seo-yeon is genuinely scared of Reika’s crying.
– Seo-yeon is a total scaredy-cat, LOL. It’s unbelievable that she’s the ace here, LOL.
Seo-yeon then found Lee Ji-yeon hanging from a tree.
– Why is she in a tree?
– Is this a hidden actress variety show?
– She’s hiding so creatively.
– Where’s Jo Seo-hee?
Lee Ji-yeon’s legs also gave out, so Seo-yeon carried her princess-style and started moving.
Seeing her so calm, the viewers were shocked.
「Seo-yeon, are you carrying two women right now?」
「Huh?! Oh~!!! I was so calm I didn’t even notice!!!」
「No, this is shocking. You’re carrying two people on your back right now.」
「Korean actresses are strong…」
「No, no, no, this is weird! This is Seo-yeon being weird!!」
The viewers also realized this late.
– I’m a current fitness trainer. Her core strength is insane.
– I’m a current fitness trainer. She’s not even out of breath, her stamina is not normal.
– I’m a current fitness trainer. Carrying like that would ruin your back.
– Why are there so many current fitness trainers here?
– (Cafe Manager) After last week’s Joo Seo-yeon Challenge, many fitness trainers joined the fan cafe.
– Is that for real?
Finally, Seo-yeon found Jo Seo-hee and stopped.
She saw a woman walking eerily in the darkness.
The broadcast played a creepy BGM, heightening the viewers’ fear.
One step.
Another step.
The wind blew, emphasizing the bizarre sight.
It was only natural that Seo-yeon took a few steps back.
– Is that Jo Seo-hee?
– Why is she in a different genre?
– Hold on, I need to go to the bathroom.
– Not scary at all, LOL. I’ll sleep with my mom tonight, LOL.
Then, Jo Seo-hee started running towards Seo-yeon.
“Kyaaaah!!!!”
– Kyaah?
– Did Seo-yeon just scream?
– Seo-yeon screamed like that?
– LOL, so Seo-yeon does get scared too, LOL. Kinda cute.
– But I’d scream the same way if I saw that.
Seo-yeon screamed and started running away from Jo Seo-hee.
Jo Seo-hee desperately called out, “Come back,” “Don’t go,” but Seo-yeon didn’t look back and kept running.
While carrying two people.
– Is that even possible?
– I’m a current MMA fighter. To do that… maybe Seo-yeon really did punch that bear earlier?
– There are MMA fighters here too?
Anyway, after rescuing three(?) people, Seo-yeon returned to the base.
Jo Seo-hee somehow managed to walk in the direction Seo-yeon ran and returned.
After that, Seo-yeon spent a long time comforting Jo Seo-hee, but aside from that.
「What do we do?」
The three had ingredients but couldn’t do anything with them.
They tried everything they could, but of course, nothing edible was made.
Instead, they wasted all the ingredients they brought.
The four young ladies with zero survival skills.
– It’s the first time I’ve seen Seo-yeon looking so pitiful, LOL.
– Jo Seo-hee had a sharp image, but I guess cooking isn’t her thing, LOL.
– Reika is the funniest, she tried the hardest but got the weirdest result.
– That Japanese actress is kinda likable, cute.
– She can’t even communicate with the other Korean actresses, LOL. She only talks to Jo Seo-hee.
– Is Seo-yeon an otaku? Why can’t she speak Japanese?
– She knows some, but it’s mostly weird, like something gangsters would use.
While the three were busily trying to make something, Seo-yeon went out to get more ingredients.
The actresses kept getting lost, so Seo-yeon ended up being the one to find things.
As she wandered around, Seo-yeon suddenly frowned and stood up.
She started staring at one spot.
– What’s this vibe?!
– Why is she moving so dramatically?
– What is it????
At that moment, Seo-yeon suddenly started running.
In an instant.
She disappeared from the CCTV-covered area.
The TV screen displayed <Emergency Situation!!>.
The PD appeared on screen to explain the situation.
「Wait, while the three actresses were busy cooking, Joo Seo-yeon suddenly disappeared. Upon checking, it seemed like she realized something and ran in that direction.」
「It was really shocking. She just vanished.」
「But what was even more shocking was what happened next.」
Seo-yeon didn’t appear on CCTV for a while.
The crew’s panicked faces were shown on screen.
They were debating whether to stop filming, thinking something serious had happened.
The cheerful variety show atmosphere turned tense in an instant.
The panelists stopped their light-hearted comments and watched the screen with serious faces.
About 5 minutes.
10 minutes passed.
Then, Seo-yeon appeared on CCTV.
「Huh?」
「Seo-yeon, are you riding a bear?」
The bear tried to go somewhere else, but Seo-yeon kept hitting the back of its head.
People learned for the first time that bears could whimper.
Of course, Seo-yeon was ruthless.
This bear had clearly come to attack people, so she had no choice.
Of course, to those who didn’t know, it was just a poor bear.
Anyway, Seo-yeon calmly rode the bear back to where the actresses were.
After a while, the bear started listening, and Seo-yeon began petting its head.
And then.
「No ramen? Can’t we just make ramen?」
「No ramen, but we have this meat…」
Jo Seo-hee, who was talking to Lee Ji-yeon, suddenly stopped.
Jo Seo-hee froze, and Lee Ji-yeon frowned.
「What, why did you stop talking?」
「B-behind.」
「Behind? Why can’t you speak properly?」
Lee Ji-yeon turned her head and saw a bear’s face right in front of her.
The bear was standing on two legs, making it look even bigger and more intimidating.
Why is there a bear here?
Is this a bear for filming?
But it smells like blood?
The bear raised a paw towards the frozen Lee Ji-yeon.
Just as Lee Ji-yeon was about to scream, Seo-yeon’s face popped out from beside the bear’s head.
Seo-yeon grabbed the bear’s front paws and shook them side to side, saying.
「Bear wave」
「Kyaaaaaaah!!!!」
That was when a scream that could split the forest rang out.