Choi Kwang-soo, a variety show PD at the online game broadcasting station GMN, couldn't believe his ears when he received the call that morning. After all, the variety show he was in charge of was on the brink of being canceled.

It had been a long time since they had any guests on the show, and recently, they had been relying mostly on the regular cast members. So, when he heard the news, he thought there must have been some mistake.

“What? A guest on our show?”

He thought he must have misheard. Well, having a guest wasn’t entirely impossible.

But the problem was who the guest was.

Joo Seoyeon.

An actress who had recently become a hot topic on the variety show Looking at the Past, Memories. Additionally, she had performed in a play on Daehangno that sold out every night and had apparently severed her contract with RY Entertainment. She was the kind of hot potato everyone was talking about.

Given her current popularity, she had no reason to appear on a small cable variety show like his.

“But I don’t even know what she looks like.”

At that moment, Hwang Junho, a cast member of If You Switch It On, You’ll Be a King, who was with Choi Kwang-soo in an informal setting, took a bite of his rib and spoke up.

At Junho's words, PD Choi Kwang-soo let out a dry laugh. They had been working together for ten years on the same program and were practically inseparable, but hearing Junho say things like this always left him flabbergasted.

“Oh, were you perhaps on some sort of retreat in the mountains? For about ten years?” “Ten years is a bit much.” “No, Joo Seoyeon has been a hot topic for the last ten years. Don’t you know Tae-sum-dal?” “I know it. I just didn’t watch it. I was a senior in high school back then, so I didn’t have time for dramas.”

Well, being a senior in high school would do that.

Wait a minute.

If he was a senior in high school, he shouldn’t have been able to appear on If You Switch It On, You’ll Be a King in the first place, right?

“I distinctly remember you being over twenty back then, Junho.” “Oh, your memory is sharp.”

But it made sense that Junho didn’t know the actress, Joo Seoyeon.

She had been in commercials, but the only memorable one was Tae-sum-dal. And then there was the recent shock she gave in Looking at the Past, Memories.

Park Jung-woo's reaction and her dramatic entrance were still being rebroadcast on cable channels every day.

After that, Looking at the Past, Memories changed its format to always include a guest, and surprisingly, the ratings were on the rise.

The show had literally been saved.

“We could do something like that too.” “Hm? Oh, yes, you’re right.”

Junho, gnawing on the rib until only the bone was left, was curious. Who was this person that had PD Kwang-soo so excitedly explaining things?

“Show me a picture. Let me see her face.” “You really didn’t know, did you? Here, take a look.” “Let’s see...”

PD Choi Kwang-soo showed Junho a recent picture of Joo Seoyeon on his phone. It was of her at Yeonhwa High School, dressed beautifully as Princess Yeonhwa.

Upon seeing her appearance, Junho’s rib bone dropped from his mouth.

“A high school student?” “Yes.” “Wow, I rarely think actresses are pretty just by looking at their pictures, but she’s something else.” “Isn’t she?” “I can see why she’s popular.” “Right?” “So, why is she coming on our show?” “That, I don’t know.”

The two exchanged glances. Just by her looks alone, she seemed worlds apart from anything related to gaming. The ultimate "insider" look.

The kind of vibe only celebrities possess, after all.

“Well, we’ll find out when we meet her.” “There’s no reason to refuse if she’s willing to come.” “You can’t seem to wipe that smile off your face.” “Ahem.”

Well, who wouldn’t be happy about a beautiful actress coming to visit? Anyway, PD Kwang-soo stared at Seoyeon’s picture again.

‘Surely, she’s not going to make any unreasonable demands, right?’

There wasn’t much money. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to have a conversation. That’s what PD Kwang-soo thought as he sent his reply.

While such a conversation was taking place during If You Switch It On, You’ll Be a King, Seoyeon was wrapping up her play Eyes Closed with a successful final performance and was now greeting the audience.

The first performance of a play is often avoided, but the final performance is usually more popular. That’s because the last performance, commonly called the "last show," often comes with various perks.

These could include ad-libs in the play, stage greetings, and the actors sharing their thoughts. People who regularly watch plays often come to see the last performance again, even if they’ve already seen the show once.

“Thanks to actress Joo Seoyeon, we’ve really hit the jackpot this time. Wow, it’s the first time in my theater career that we’ve sold out every night. I’ll work hard to make sure I can stand on such a stage again in the future!”

One of the actors who played multiple roles in Eyes Closed shouted loudly and bowed deeply. The next to speak was Shim Cheong-seok, who played Bae Seong-hak.

“At first, I honestly thought it would be difficult, but it was truly an amazing stage.”

He said this while giving Seoyeon a brief glance.

“I’d love to act together again.”

Seoyeon made a slight grimace at his words.

“Next time, it might not be on stage, but I look forward to it.”

After Shim Cheong-seok’s rather ordinary stage greeting, it was Seoyeon’s turn. Up until then, it had been a normal stage greeting, but when Seoyeon stepped forward, the atmosphere changed slightly.

Cheers erupted from the audience. Though she wasn’t the lead, Joo Seoyeon, who played Hong Jeong-hee, had undeniably garnered the most attention in this play.

“...Thank you. I was able to perform well because of the audience’s support.”

Seoyeon bowed and spoke. The audience then waited in silence for Seoyeon to continue.

But Seoyeon hesitated, unsure if she should say more.

“Uh, Seoyeon, don’t you have a project lined up next?”

Shim Cheong-seok quickly interjected, noticing that Seoyeon’s body language said, “I’m done talking.”

He smiled as he spoke, but his sharp eyes glared at Seoyeon. Finally, realizing that her greeting was perhaps too brief, Seoyeon hurriedly added more.

“Oh, yes. I think I’ll be appearing in a movie next. It’s expected to be released at the end of this year.”

The mention of a movie caused the audience to cheer. Questions about her role and the film followed, with Shim Cheong-seok inadvertently taking on the role of an MC.

“Oh! And I’ll also be appearing on a variety show soon.” “A variety show? Already?”

Shim Cheong-seok was surprised. She had gained popularity through the play, but to have a variety show appearance confirmed already?

‘Is this what they call being a hot topic?’

Shim Cheong-seok was inwardly astonished. Doing this play had changed his perspective. Before, he was content with performing on small theater stages, but now he wanted more. Seeing Seoyeon made him want to play in a bigger pond, to show his acting to more people.

“What variety show is it?”

He assumed it was a well-known variety show, given Seoyeon’s rising popularity and the likelihood that it was for movie promotion. As the audience speculated on which famous variety show it might be, Seoyeon answered.

“If You Switch It On, You’ll Be a King.”

“?”

The unexpected name of the variety show that came out of her mouth caused the once noisy theater to fall silent.

And then, the next day at school.

“What were you thinking, mentioning that during the stage greeting?”

Lee Jiyeon said, showing her phone’s screen.

<Princess Yeonhwa, a hot topic, to appear on If You Switch It On, You’ll Be a King?> <Why is she appearing on If You Switch It On, You’ll Be a King right before it ends?>

There weren’t many, but there were a few articles prominently displayed on Naver’s front page. Seeing them, Seoyeon felt wronged.

She just thought it would be good to promote the show a little. Other actors did that sort of thing, didn’t they?

And what was wrong with If You Switch It On, You’ll Be a King? It was fun. Although she hadn’t watched it in about seven years.

“Anyway, you’ve really stirred the pot. It’s even more of a hot topic on the communities than in the articles.” “Really?” “Well, it’s better to be talked about than ignored.”

Just as Jiyeon said, it was indeed a hot topic in several online communities. Scanning through them briefly:

• “Another fake gamer, fake otaku has arrived.”
• “Is If You Switch It On, You’ll Be a King completely ruined? Has her agency lost its mind?”
• “Does she even know how to play games?”
• “She’s trying to appeal with a relatable high school girl concept.”
• “She’ll probably make the show awkward as hell, lol.”

And how did Seoyeon feel reading that?

‘I should learn boxing.’

She thought she should give each of them a good punch when she met them. That’s what filled her mind.

“Do I know how to play games, you ask?”

Of course, she was confident in her gaming skills. After all, didn’t the TS million prove that?

Knowing how to play games was a given if you were a TS. If you didn’t know, you should learn. Seoyeon had no doubt that she was, naturally, a gamer too.

She really believed that.

A few days later, on the day of the If You Switch It On, You’ll Be a King shoot.

The regular cast, who were used to preparing for the show in the same place and the same way, were quietly excited. It had been so long since they had a guest. Plus, after seeing Seoyeon’s photo, the male cast members were in high spirits. There were two female cast members as well, but they seemed just as expectant.

‘I should sit a little further away from her.’ ‘Her face is so small. I need to avoid sitting next to her.’

If You Switch It On, You’ll Be a King didn’t really have a set set. They often filmed at PD Choi Kwang-soo’s or Hwang Junho’s house.

But this time, they were filming at GMN for the first time in years.

“They seemed to have high expectations after watching Looking at the Past, Memories.” “No matter how popular that show was, it’s not the same as network TV...”

Even though Looking at the Past, Memories had ratings of 3% to 5%, it couldn’t compare to cable variety shows. Still, it was good news for the cast. The more comfortable the shoot, the better.

As they prepared in the new and lovely GMN studio.

“She’s here.” “Really? She’s coming now? So the cameras will start rolling soon?” “The cameras have been rolling for ten minutes already.”

Oh, really? Junho nodded at the words of his fellow cast member, Gong Taekyun.

“Ahem. So, today we have a special guest! You all probably know who it is.”

After a half-hearted “Really?” passed around the group, Hwang Junho, following PD Kwang-soo’s signal, spoke loudly.

“Today’s guest, returning after ten years, Princess Yeonhwa! It’s Joo Seoyeon!”

At Hwang Junho’s announcement, the six cast members all turned their eyes to the entrance of the set. They had all seen many actors and idols, but every time, seeing a new one was a fresh experience.

And then, taking a step onto the set.

With a light step, Seoyeon appeared.

“Uh, school uniform?”

Everyone knew she was a high school student. But no one expected her to show up at the filming set in a school uniform.

"Hello," Seoyeon said, bowing politely, reminiscent of her younger days as Princess Yeonhwa.

"Oh! Yes! Hello!!" The other cast members immediately stood up and bowed in response.

This reaction wasn't what Seoyeon had expected, and she couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed.

"Um... Why are you in a school uniform?" Hwang Junho asked, wondering if she had come straight from school.

Seoyeon blinked her large eyes and smiled.

"It was sponsored," she replied.

"Oh, really?"

Ah, so the uniform was sponsored? It seemed that a school uniform brand had quickly decided to sponsor her since the main audience for this game show was young. Normally, brands would avoid sponsoring game shows due to image concerns. It seemed strange, but that wasn’t something Hwang Junho needed to worry about.

‘But still...’

Hwang Junho swallowed dryly. He had seen many actors, but Seoyeon’s appearance was particularly striking.

She was so mesmerizing that he found himself watching her without realizing it. In fact, the other cast members were staring at her with their mouths slightly open.

‘...Is this okay?’

He wondered if the cameras were still rolling. As these thoughts crossed his mind, the filming of If You Switch It On, You’ll Be a King officially began.