He was about to ask Supervisor Park a quiz question.
[You’re ready! Great…]
I hid my trembling hand beneath the podium. Then, I slightly lowered my body and pulled out two items from the inside pocket of my suit jacket.
A cheap sticker with a smiling emoticon and a can labeled ‘Drink me’.
I opened the can-bottle.
Then, I stuck the Smiley Sticker onto the can-bottle.
“…Ah. May I say something to the viewers before I answer?”
Supervisor Park glanced toward the camera, pretending to address it but actually looking toward me and Assistant Manager Eun.
He was looking at the podiums where we stood.
“…I have a family member in the hospital. I hope someone could check in on her after this filming. If possible.”
[So, what’s your answer?]
Supervisor Park gave a nervous smile, sweating profusely.
I raised my left hand.
At the same time as I drew his attention…
I stretched out my right hand and quickly slapped several wet smiley stickers under the spherical TV that was the host’s head.
A drop of water hit the ground.
Did the cameras catch it? Did anyone notice?
No, if they had, my head would have already exploded.
[Oh, Mr. Roe Deer! Do you have something to say?]
When I looked over, Supervisor Park was staring at me in shock.
He seemed surprised that I hadn’t been incinerated after interrupting the flow and speaking out of turn.
It was definitely a gamble.
‘But I have a reason.’
Didn’t the host say it earlier?
– It’s pre-recorded this time, so it’ll be even easier than before! Haha!
In other words, this was not a live broadcast.
‘So as long as I don’t outright ruin the flow or act uncooperative, it might not count as disrupting the broadcast.’
Simply raising my hand and making a personal comment wouldn’t be a problem!
I glanced at the area beneath the host’s TV where the water had dripped.
Then, lowering my voice just enough for only the host to hear, I said,
“My head feels very dizzy. Could I… rest for a moment?”
What I had just done was…
The ‘Smiley Sticker’—an item that induces mild feelings of friendliness when attached to a sentient being.
And, the ‘Alice Picnic Set / canned drink’—an item that doubles the effect.
I soaked the sticker into the can and stuck it to the host.
…Of course, this was still debatable.
– Can we consider the host a sentient being?
The host was clearly not human.
But it must have some kind of intelligence, right?
No, it has to. I’m betting my life on this.
And now, there’s no turning back.
What if I’m incinerated for disrupting the broadcast? Well, if I’m going to die anyway, I might as well go out a little more peacefully.
The shirt clinging to my back was soaked with cold sweat.
The host made a noise…
[Was the passion for the broadcast a bit too much? Yes, I understand that… Hmm. Mr. Roe Deer, you did work hard.]
The monitor of the host’s head turned black.
He raised his right hand…
[Cut! Let’s take a short break!]
The band’s sound stopped.
The staff began murmuring.
[Haha, I’m sorry. My screen went blurry. Makeup!]
The camera lights were quickly turned off.
[Carefully clean it, please. Oh, excellent!]
A faceless staff member carrying makeup tools rushed up and vigorously cleaned the old TV screen.
And as the host finished his task, he grabbed the makeup artist by the arm and pointed at me.
[Ah, on your way, could you guide this contestant to the waiting room? They were supposed to bring me water.]
Then, the host winked the TV-screen emoticon eye at me, briefly displaying and then erasing text.
[Take a break and have some water!]
I staggered off the podium, following the makeup artist as I walked.
Even though the filming had been paused, the ominous, grotesque pig-headed conductor was still standing at the center of the stage, swinging its baton without moving.
The horrifying silver trays continued to emit eerie songs from the human heads.
With stiff legs, I crossed the center of the stage…
[Filming will resume in 30 minutes!]
As I passed the podium on the opposite side, Assistant Manager Eun slipped something into my hand.
I quickly looked at her.
I could read her lips.
I was guided to the door behind the stage.
Inside was a typical old Hollywood-style waiting room.
Aside from the unsettling number of black-and-white broadcast posters plastered all over like talismans.
The makeup artist gave a silent nod and disappeared in a flash.
Only for 30 minutes, but I had at least delayed my scheduled death.
‘I need to do something during this time.’
And I had a new clue.
I immediately opened my hand to check what Assistant Manager Eun had slipped me.
The item they had somehow managed to give me in this dire situation was…
It was a button, the kind you’d attach to a suit.
But it was also a button in the sense of something you could press.
It seemed like it had a mechanism inside that would trigger something when pressed.
There was only one way to find out, and I didn’t have much time.
‘They gave this to me thinking it would help.’
I pressed the button immediately.
[This is Lee Jaheon.]
[Who’s this? This is Assistant Manager Eun Haje’s call button though.]
Section Chief Lee Jaheon.
The squad leader of the Field Exploration Team’s D-squad, who was supposed to be on a field assignment, had answered through the button.