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.

    “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.”

    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.