It was Thursday afternoon and I was walking home from school. I saw a crowd of people at our local park.
"What is going on here?" I wondered and looked at the crowd. In the crowd, I noticed one of my classmates. I tapped their shoulder.
"Hey Young-Jin, what is going on here?" I asked.
"Oh hey Minji, looks like they are shooting that weekly variety show, 'Mission: Find The Truth'."
'Mission: Find The Truth' is a very popular variety show that has different missions weekly that the cast has to navigate. It's hosted by Yoon Jae-Kook, an entertainer known for his ability to be respectful and funny at the same time. He is so popular that he is known as the "Nation's MC".
"But it looks like the filming isn't going too well." Young-Jin noted with a slight tinge of disappointment.
She is right. The filming does look like it is in a mess. Yoon Jae-Kook is going back and forward with the two guests. Both of them looked really angry with each other.
"Looks like Mr. Yoon Jae-Kook is having a hard time." One spectator murmured
"I wondered what got the guests so pissed at each other?" Another asked.
I gave up looking at the situation and left the crowd.
"None of my business." I muttered.
Then, from far away, I saw a familiar figure. It was my brother. I instinctively hid by a nearby .... Lamp. Street light pole I mean.
"Why do I even hide from him? He is my brother!" I told myself. But somehow my body wouldn't budge.
My brother entered the park and he waddled toward the crowd.
"Oh, he is interested in the filming." I remarked internally.
Then he squeezed into the crowd to get to the front.
Then he ducked under the perimeter tape that was set up by the filming crew to keep spectators out.
"What is that idiot doing!" I wondered while I rushed back towards the crowd. The security guard stood in front of my brother and my brother looked back at the security guard.
I squeezed my way towards the front.
There was a tense silence between them. I can see their auras materializing. My brother had an aura of a thousand years old dragon. The security guard of a vicious tiger.
It looked like there was going to be a fight between my brother and the guard. A fight to the death with their pride on the line. It is a do or die mome....
"Meow" the tiger aura meowed. Then it started to act cute in front of the dragon. Like the tiger wanted to be liked by the dragon.
The security guard bowed and welcomed him to the filming location.
"What... the...." I mouthed.
My brother walked towards the filming crew and waved to say hi. He stopped in front of the producer in charge.
Then he turned around and shook hands with Yoon Jae-Kook.
"I am glad to see you Mr. Kim." Yoon Jae-Kook looked relieved.
My brother then turned to the guests. He approached each one of them and flailed his arms to communicate.
Somehow, I really don't understand how, the guests started to smile by interacting with my brother. Then the guests started to joke around with my brother. Then Yoon Jae-Kook joined in as well. The mood around the filming area lifted like nothing bad ever happened.
My brother left the laughing group and joined up with the producer-in-charge.
"Another job that my brother did that I was not aware of." I thought to myself. "Working for an entertainment production is actually a respectable job. Even if you are an entry level floor director."
I felt like I did not know my brother at all. Maybe, I didn't even try to.
"Quiet on the set!" The other floor directors called out.
"We are rolling in 5..4..3..2.." the assistant director shouted.
"We made it out here, director! What is the mission here?" Yoon Jae-Kook
"Your mission here is simple! It's a group jump rope! Get five civilians and do twenty group jump ropes within five tries! If you make it, you will get to eat the luxurious dinner! If you fail, it's rice and kimchi for dinner!"
"Alright, let's go get some volunteers!" Yoon Jae-Kook said.
The cast separated to find volunteers. The crowd cheered in hopes that they would get called.
"At this point, I am not surprised that my brother made this work. I am starting to believe he is a superhuman." I thought to myself while closing my eyes and nodding continuously in approval of my brother's actions.
"I got one!" A cast member on the show, Kim Kang-Li, grabbed my left arm. "She agreed to join."
Apparently, he asked me and took my nodding as an agreement to be on the show.
"Oh my goodness, I am so jealous." Young-Jin cooed.
Once again, I got dragged by a stranger... albeit a famous stranger.
...
My brother has been staring at me again with that owl-like stare of "What are you doing here?"
I honestly do not know what I can do to explain away this situation.
"Alright, one last try!" Yoon Jae-Kook attempted to hype up the group. I actually caused the mission to fail four times already.
The tallest cast member of the show shot daggers in my direction. "Minji, right? Your name is Minji? I am going to be informal with you. Focus Damn it! Focus!"
"Oh comon, don't be like that to the civilians, if she fails again, she can buy us the luxurious lunch that they were going to give us if we won this mission." Yoon Jae-Kook teased.
Everyone laughed and nodded in agreement. Except me.
Yoon Jae-Kook stopped laughing and tried to calm the situation down. "Miss Minji, relax. We do not blame you for the failures. We are just trying to have fun! I mean, you aren't like the sister of the producers or something like that sent to sabotage our mission or anything like that... Right Miss Minji?"
"No... but my brother is..." I replied but I looked at my brother and he was holding a sign.
"Intentionally fail the last attempt, sister! It will make the episode much more funnier! - Your loving brother"
All the cast members saw the sign... and everyone at the filming.
"So... you were the sister of the famous producer Mr. Kim..." Yoon Jae-Kook noted.
...
We failed the mission, this time it was not my fault.
"Looks like the dastardly filming staff planted a spy within our civilian guests and now we have to eat nothing but kimchi and rice for lunch!" Yoon Jae-Kook announced after we failed. "Well played!"
The other cast members looked so disappointed in the failure. While the crowd looked at me with disdain.
I... became... a villain on national television .... because of my brother.... I hate him so much...