Episode 28 - The First Broadcast of "Summer Table"
Back in Seoul, with the intention of editing, PD Lee Kyung-shik, who was exhilarated for the first time in a while, captured the picturesque moments of the members exploring various places on the island before leaving. The first shoot for this variety show had concluded.
The filming team and cast members had arrived at Gunsan Port on a boat. The staff members packed up the filming equipment, and after a successful shoot on the island, everyone bid each other farewell.
“Great job!”
“Yes, everyone, well done!”
“Thanks to Yeon-woo, our show is going to be a hit.”
After the shoot, PD Lee Kyung-shik approached Yeon-woo, sending him a grateful look filled with affection.
“Director, please feel free to speak your mind. The chemistry among our members is really good, isn’t it?”
“Oh, really? Hahaha. While the chemistry is great, Yeon-woo carried it.”
In response to the praise from the PD, Yeon-woo chuckled and scratched his head modestly.
His solitary life in the past, during his solo and living alone, had unexpectedly become a support like this.
“Anyway, please take care of the next shoot as well! I think we might release a teaser for the next episode using this footage from the current shoot.”
“As expected, variety shows are amazing. Thank you for your hard work on this shoot, Director.”
The actors took turns bidding farewell as they left. Cars came to pick up the actors one by one, starting with So-hyeon, who had turned pale due to motion sickness.
“Yeon-woo, see you next week! And also Jin-yuk, Jun-ho!”
Facing each other, shaking hands, and even doing a little bow, Yeon-woo waved to everyone before getting into Manager Min-soo’s car.
“Thank you for your hard work, actors. How was the shoot?”
“It was fun. It seems like it’ll turn out well. Director said.”
With a smile, Yeon-woo’s words were met with a cheerful mood as Min-soo started the car and soon arrived in Daejeon.
“Thanks for your hard work today. I’ll be coming back to Seoul every week after graduation anyway, so take care until then, Min-soo hyung.”
He conveyed his sorry feelings to Min-soo, who had been bringing him to Daejeon for his schedules.
Seeing Yeon-woo like that, Min-soo chuckled warmly.
“Oh, it’s not tiring at all. I told you last time that I used to travel back and forth between the army base every day. I find office work boring, so once you graduate, make sure to have me involved in shooting a lot of works. Haha.”
“Yes! Maybe after this variety show ends, I’ll have a cameo shoot. Though I’m not sure if the company knows about it yet.”
Min-soo’s eyes brightened at the talk of shooting.
It wasn’t just empty words. Min-soo had a hands-on work ethic, and these days, office work was quite demanding for him.
Unlike his previous workplace, at LN Entertainment, managers didn’t switch artists during their rest periods. Min-soo’s main duties were related to analyzing the artists he was in charge of and attending classes related to office work and other necessary management skills when there was no need for on-site management.
“In that case, I’ll come next week.”
“Yes, Min-soo hyung. Have a safe journey back to Seoul.”
As Min-soo left for Seoul again, Yeon-woo waved goodbye and went back home to unwind from his fatigue. So, while attending school, Friday arrived, and the teaser for the first episode of ‘Summer Table’ was released. For fans who were still struggling to move on from the drama, this teaser was like a refreshing shower in the desert.
[How are we supposed to wait until next week?]
[Island life with these members. Look at them chopping firewood.]
[Their knife skills are no joke. I wonder who’s responsible for that?]
[When was this shot? I was enduring through the making-of videos, but JNBC is the best for suddenly releasing the teaser for the upcoming show.]
The teaser for the follow-up show, starting next week, was unexpectedly revealed. It showed the members departing from the harbor, the visual of their rustic accommodations, So-hyeon’s surprised expression as she pulled out a stove, and a scene of someone skillfully chopping on a cutting board, though their identity remained unknown.
It was enough to build up fans’ expectations.
“Hehehe, quite the teaser.”
PD Lee Kyung-shik was already excited as he saw internet reactions and articles starting to appear, sitting in the editing room.
Upon returning to Seoul, the variety show team started editing immediately. They had already completed the editing for the first episode, scheduled to air next Friday.
With filming taking place over four weekends, this eight-part variety show was finally in production. Although they had just finished editing the first episode, the feeling was very satisfying.
PD Lee Kyung-shik had struggled with low ratings and challenges in his previous variety show projects, leading to some being discontinued. However, this time, thanks to the cast of ‘Summer Table’, who independently produced engaging content and episodes without him having to extensively plan or invest, he couldn’t have imagined the smile that would grace his face.
Among them, Ryu Yeon-woo was the standout contributor.
“Wow, where did this treasure come from?”
As the members gathered again in Gunsan Port the next day and headed to Gaeyado for filming, highlights included So-hyeon’s luck in catching a fish for the first time, which she turned into sashimi and even a spicy stew. The sight of her slicing the fish, with her arm muscles flexing, led the production staff to collectively shout in surprise and stumble, creating a small yet humorous mishap.
And then, Friday evening arrived—the day of the first broadcast.
Seong-sik and Junsoo insisted on watching the show together at Yeon-woo’s house.
Yeon-woo’s mother, still concerned about past events, warmly welcomed his friends, holding a pair of chopsticks. Whenever friends came over, she always thought that Yeon-woo might be upset about something.
His younger sister, So-hyeon, embarrassed by the unexpected visitors, locked herself in her room with her phone, claiming to be busy watching.
“Oh, it’s starting.”
“Wow, this is so different from a drama.”
Seong-sik found it a bit awkward to see his friend on a variety show.
Seeing Seong-sik’s reaction, Yeon-woo laughed.
“Really? It’s the same thing you see on TV.”
The show began with the meeting between PD Lee Kyung-shik and the members at a tavern.
“Weren’t you there back then?”
“Well, that was probably the day before the mock exams in March, right?”
They focused on screen again.
Before they knew it, the screen transitioned to a self-camera shot by Yeon-woo before departure.
“Oh my, when did you take this? You should have redecorated your room!”
Yeon-woo’s mother playfully tapped the back of his head.
“Ouch. We recently moved, so it’s still clean.”
Suddenly, Yeon-woo’s manager appeared like a machine, causing laughter among the family.
“He’s quite funny.”
“He’s a really kind person. When I see Manager Min-soo, I think he’s a good match for you.”
Min-soo’s awkward greeting was made even more awkward with robot-like CG effects added during editing.
“Hiccup. Was it going to the island by boat? He just acted like he went to the countryside.”
“Yeah. That island is definitely in the middle of nowhere.”
And then, a scene that even Yeon-woo hadn’t seen before appeared.
Before Yeon-woo’s arrival, the show presented scenes of Han So-hyeon teasing Ahn Jun-ho and making fun of the exterior of the old house. The way he hesitated and looked scared while coming to the island was shown.
“Wow, Yeon-woo, is So-hyeon noona even pretty when she’s seasick?”
“Ahn Jun-ho? That guy is so funny. Hahaha. He doesn’t match his looks, he seems so timid.”
“Hey, didn’t you also say you couldn’t get on the boat? Look at his visual.”
As Yeon-woo was filming, he wondered, ‘I wonder if this will be interesting’. Seeing his friends and parents having fun watching it next to him, he realized the power of editing in variety shows.
He had carried a burden about the variety show genre itself, feeling that he wasn’t naturally entertaining. However, the edited broadcast turned out to be enjoyable even for himself, and the reactions were quite positive.
“Son, did you get seasick?”
“No, I didn’t get seasick at all.”
Before he knew it, Yeon-woo had arrived on the island, and So-hyeon was running towards him to give him a hug. CG effects were added to make flower petals flutter around, giving it a dramatic touch.
“Oh my, what’s this? Ryu Yeon-woo.”
“Hmm? No, I just got off the boat, and suddenly she ran towards me.”
Seong-sik exaggeratedly pointed at Yeon-woo with his fingers.
Yeon-woo’s father, who had been quiet, also smiled while watching Yeon-woo.
“Hmm, what’s her relationship with my son?”
“Hey, it’s not like that. We have a ten-year age difference.”
“Wow, there’s a ten-year age difference between you? In the drama, she is only twenty years old, So, I had no idea.”
The broadcast continued with scenes of Yeon-woo and the members decorating the house, splitting into two teams to make a furnace, and scenes of them collecting firewood.
And as usual, the voice of So-hyeon and the sound effect of a slap, as they collected fishing net, raised curiosity. The caption “Next week” appeared, increasing the anticipation.
“Ah, what is it? What did you catch? Tell us, Yeon-woo!”
“Why did they cut this? Argh.”
“It’s a secret! Watch the broadcast next week.”
Yeon-woo smiled mischievously and playfully kept the secret while Seong-sik and Junsoo went wild.
After watching the variety show for a while, time flew by, and the friends stood up from their seats.
“Mother, Father. We’ll be leaving now.”
“Sure, kids. Thanks for playing with Yeon-woo.”
“Hey, Yeon-woo is the one playing with us.”
Having spent a comfortable time joking and chatting with Yeon-woo’s parents, the friends left. Finally, So-hyeon opened the door and came out.
“Oppa! What did they catch in the fishing net? They keep asking.”
“Oh, that’s a secret, isn’t it?”
Yeon-woo replied with a smile.
Seeing her brother’s reaction, Ryu So-hyeon couldn’t resist teasing him.
“But why is that sister’s name also So-hyeon? They keep sending us captures of articles saying ‘Yeon-woo So-hyeon Couple.'”
“Hahaha, that’s right. Your names are exactly the same.”
Seeing his embarrassed sister, Yeon-woo went into his room, took out a ten thousand won bill, and whispered in her ear.
“Go buy something delicious with your friends. Oh, and what they caught in the fishing net was octopus.”
So-hyeon’s eyes widened, just like when a fortune appears from a book in a Korean traditional game. Indeed, the best remedy is financial therapy. As the reactions from friends and family were positive, the online community was also buzzing with excitement.
sowol0***: I’m all for the Yeon-woo So-hyeon couple!
JunsooDaewang (forbes***): Yeon-woo is still a high school student. They have a ten-year age difference.
Yuri Hong (yuri131***): I can’t wait for next week!!!
Seogun (zks156***): This combination is so good. If they had gone for the next drama with this combination…
VeryHandsomePerson (zlflxh31***): The vibe of a life drama turning into a reality show.
Glenn Grant (glang***): Right now, Gaeyado is trending on the real-time search ranking==
Han So-hyeon was at home watching ‘Summer Table’ with her mother, laughing as she looked at the comments.
“Mom, the reactions to the variety show are good.”
“Even though you said you wouldn’t go on variety shows because of the possibility of saying the wrong thing. Our daughter is doing well on variety shows, huh?”
Thinking about the members, So-hyeon’s eyes curved like a crescent moon.
“The atmosphere on our drama set was really good this time. I thought it would be fun with these members. Hehe.”
While looking at comments on her phone, So-hyeon quietly pressed the dislike button on a comment that said ‘ten-year age difference.’
“Of course, I never had any romantic feelings towards the underage Ryu Yeon-woo, but I naturally disliked comments that unnecessarily emphasized the age difference.”
“Well, I’m still in my twenties. Ugh.”