I was at the concert stadium in Seattle for the audition to become an emcee, where we were broken into groups of ten- 100 people all together. I was in a group with nine other females, most of whom did not speak English, so I was confused about why they were even trying out for the emcee job, since they would need English to actually do it. This group of three cute Korean girls asked me to help them learn the script, so I offered to help, then the others joined in and soon I was leading my own class on how to pronounce English words correctly. I had no idea at the time, but every room was being watched, so the groups of ten that struggled, fought, or just didn’t mesh well were sent home- five groups were eliminated this way, but of course we weren’t told anything. I just acted like myself- helpful and went into teacher mode, even though it didn’t help me at all, which the people in the main camera room actually liked. I also had no idea that the three Korean girls were part of the process, hunting for an American to be on their variety show, so I was technically auditioning for two roles without even knowing it.
Anyway, we had one hour, so I did my best, then they called our group into the main area, where the stage was and we were all given microphones, then led onto the pretend stage area they had set up. I love attention and being in front of people, so I had no problem saying what I needed to say- I had memorized the script while helping the others, which also impressed the people who were hiring. After our group was done “performing” we were sent back to our room, then waited about ten minutes to find out we were the only group of ten people who actually passed the first round of auditions because of our awesome teamwork!
Unfortunately, two of the ladies decided to leave though, because it turns out, they didn’t actually want to be in front of anyone- they just wanted to meet the famous people they would be introducing and didn’t realize they had stage fright. I was sad to see them go but understood- being in front of crowds can be intimidating. The eight of us who were left then had to meet with a local band and figure out a way to introduce them on the “stage” while also hyping up the fake audience. I let the others chat for a minute, then realized they had no clue what to do- some wanted to search facts on their phones, but I told them no way- that’s not how good emcees work. We broke into smaller groups because I wanted to interview the band themselves, with the three Korean girls, but the other four ladies were stuck on searching for info on their phones, so our disagreement had no solution, and we had to part ways.
We found the band backstage, got to chatting, found out a ton of cool info about them, they were actually super nice, and when it was our turn to emcee and hype up the crowd, again, everyone was impressed with me because I had no notes, didn’t need my phone, but was still able to get everyone excited about the band and made the band feel special at the same time. It soon became clear that the other four females needed to go home because they hadn’t even worked together and had a super lame intro for the band.
Now it was just me and the three Korean girls, which is when the people behind the audition table told me I was not actually auditioning for the emcee job, but for a variety show instead and they loved me so much they invited me to film with them. I was shocked but also confused- then the three Korean girls explained they were not actually clueless- they had been acting to find out who the actual nice and talented participants really were and I was the only one who actually passed all their tests. Wow, I was totally caught off guard by their confession, but still happy I had helped in the beginning, since that’s just how I am.
Their producer asked me to travel to Korea to film, since it’s summertime for me, but I told him I could not stay very long- only a week, which he said was more than enough time, so they started arranging my flights, while I felt dizzy from the sudden change in my life. I made sure my family could care for my little doggie while I was gone and then set off to Korea on my own. I arrived in the morning, so we went right to the production studio, where I was brought to hair and makeup, then given to wardrobe people and by the time two hours had passed I did not even recognize myself. I was worried about not speaking Korean, but then realized the show was being filmed purposely in English, so felt better about that.
It was a bunch of scenarios with hidden cameras, to see how people would react, but I was the only one who knew it was pretend- the other actors did not. I guess some of them were famous, but since I had no clue who they were, it didn’t matter to me and I treated them all with kindness and respect, which is what the producer was counting on and why they had hired me in the first place. The first scenario took place in a fake medical office, where I was pretending to be a patient, with other random actors being the ones answering fake phone calls, filling out fake paperwork, or being fake patients themselves. There were fake nurses, also in on it like me, who were calling patients back into fake exam rooms, and the point was to see which actors would stick up for others who were being mistreated or verbally attacked and who would ignore or allow it to happen.
First, a rude nurse called out someone’s name incorrectly, making fun of the way it was spelled, then continued to laugh as that actor got up and went with them. Nobody said anything that time, but I was already uncomfortable with how things were going, and the producers were counting on it. Next, a different nurse came out to find her patient and started commenting loudly on their paperwork, since this patient hadn’t been able to complete it- they didn’t know any English. I stepped in, offered to help, grabbed the pen, and began writing, shocking all the actors, getting the genuine reaction the producers wanted, while also doing the right thing. The nurse (also in on it) rolled their eyes and left the waiting room, while I continued to help the fake patient.
One of the famous people, whom I did not recognize, came over and whispered about how kind I had been and maybe he could help, since he spoke their language- Korean. I smiled and thanked him, then we both managed to fill out the form together, so when the nurse came back, it was done, and they had nothing to complain about. He introduced himself as Hobi, then I gave him my fake name, Emily, and we looked around the room at the other patients and saw more people needing help with their forms. He asked if we could team up, which I agreed with, so within the next half hour, we helped everyone get the paperwork done properly, while also changing the direction of the show, which the producer greatly enjoyed, since he had not anticipated anyone teaming up with me.
After about an hour, there were no more patients left, excluding me, which is when both nurses came out and revealed to Hobi that the whole thing had been faked and that he was actually on a show that was being filmed. He was shocked, then looked at me, wondering if I was part of it, which I was, and he asked why I had been so nice then, since the nurses were so rude and I told him I couldn’t change who I was. He laughed and the producer was excited to have such a great first episode, but knew my time was limited, so sent me back to the wardrobe people because he wanted to film at least two more episodes that day- his goal was to have the entire season filmed during the week I was visiting, so there would be no down time at all for me.
Hobi asked if he could follow me, which nobody cared about, so as I was being changed for the next role I would play, a restaurant worker asked me a ton of questions, which I thought was just him being curious, but later would find out was because he was attracted to me. After half an hour, I was looking very much like a waitress, apron and all, blond wig on, so Hobi laughed and asked if he could also be included in this scenario, since he wanted to do whatever I did and the producer loved it so much that he had Hobi dress up too, but as the manager of the restaurant who was going to be very rude and demanding of me, to see if any of the famous actors (pretending to be customers) would do anything about it, or ignore it. Hobi did not like the script he read, but I promised him I knew it was fake, so he should act like the producer wanted and it would be ok. That scenario took a lot longer than the medical one because nobody wanted to stick up for me at first- they all ignored the manager (Hobi) as he yelled at me, made fun of my mistakes, threatened to fire me, told customers to watch out for me, etc. Finally, after almost an hour, one actor told the manager to stop being so rude to me because I was doing my best and didn’t deserve to be treated so poorly. Once the producer got the reactions, the truth was revealed, and it turns out that actor was someone who knew Hobi and could not believe he would speak to anyone, let alone a female, in such a manor, but Hobi assured him that it was fake, not real, and that he would never actually talk like that to me. I had ignored him at first, but after being yelled at for an entire hour it was getting harder and harder to believe Hobi’s comments were fake, so I was glad to get a break and quickly disappeared back to wardrobe, where I was able to eat lunch and hide in a closet for a few minutes, sitting in the dark, just catching my breath and telling myself it was going to be ok. I was doubting my ability to continue, when the closet opened and Hobi found me, then sat right next to me, propping the door open just a crack for some light.
“I have been searching for you Emily and I need you to know that I would never say those things to you in real life. Please accept my apology for treating you so badly, even though it was acting, and know that I have told the producer I won’t be the bad guy anymore- I will only play the ones who are on your side, so I can support you and remind you how awesome you truly are,” he said, looking right into my eyes, seeing how upset I was, then reaching for one of my hands to hold while he spoke.
I took a deep breath and nodded but had no words to speak just yet- I was exhausted and overwhelmed, just needed some space. He saw how tired I was and told me I could stay at his house when we were done filming and he could show me how I should be treated, but of course I said no way, since we had literally just met and didn’t even know each other. He laughed, then opened the closet, pulled me out, then wrapped me in his strong arms for a hug, which confused me. He led me to the hair/makeup station and sat me down, then winked at me and disappeared, leaving me utterly perplexed and the staff member laughing at his mysterious exit.
The final scenario we were filming that afternoon was a bakery, so I was excited because I’m good with customers, but I had to play the manager this time, while Hobi played the worker who had no clue how to do his job and was being made fun of by several rude customers (actors who were in on it). First, he messed up the order and got the wrong food item. Then, he mixed up the money. Next, he pretended to not understand what the customer was saying, since it wasn’t in English. Each time, I stepped in and resolved the situation, hoping one of the other random customers would step up and care, but this scenario took extra-long because I guess they didn’t notice or care that much, since poor Hobi seemed to be super new at his job and nobody had sympathy for him? It took over three hours to film this, me getting exasperated at the lack of support, starting to become deflated, which Hobi noticed and began worrying, since he knew I had not gotten a single break since stepping off the plane, after a very long flight.
Finally, two customers stepped in, the situation was revealed, and we stopped filming. I held it together long enough to hear the producer say we needed to be back at 8am the next morning- it was already 7pm at night, then I sprinted to the wardrobe room and hid in the closet, taking deep breaths and remembering that I love what I do. Hobi had followed me, knowing I was about to lose my mind, so when he offered to take me to his house again, I accepted this time- I was too tired and hungry to argue with anyone at this point. He wheeled my suitcase for me, directed me to the car that would be driving him home, and helped me get in the back seat, then made sure I was buckled before we left.
The whole way, for about 30 minutes, he held my hand, reassured me that I was doing a great job, and said he would make sure I had a restful night to be refreshed in the morning. I was too tired to argue, so I nodded most of the time, not really knowing what I was agreeing to and mostly not caring either. We arrived at his house, he showed me to the bedroom I would be using, showed me the bathroom attached to it, and said I could shower while he got dinner ready, which I was very thankful for. I showered and had my pink sheep pjs on, my wet hair just hanging loosely, not brushed, wearing my glasses, when I wandered out to the kitchen, found him not alone, surrounded by six other guys, then laughed when they all stared at me for a second, not knowing who I was, me not understanding why they were even here…
Hobi stepped towards me, took my hand, and guided me over to them, introducing them all, then saying he had tried to tell them not to come visit, but once they heard about me, a foreigner visiting just to film a show, they insisted on coming over, plus they brought food, so it was a win-win situation. I had one second of shyness, then realized they might be famous in their country, but to me they were just normal guys, so I got over it and treated them like best friends, laughing with them in no time, being silly with them, just having fun, half in English, and half Korean, so me looking at them curiously, which only made them laugh more… Hobi was happy sitting next to me, watching me interact with them, easily using the chopsticks, which impressed them all, eating bits and pieces of the random items he put on my plate, plus the noodles he had put in a bowl for me. After about an hour and a half, he noticed my chopsticks were down, my eyes were barely staying open, and I was leaning on his shoulder while the others continued talking loudly.
He told me it was clearly time for bed, which I attempted to argue about, but didn’t have any power when he helped me up and saw how sleepy I was- barely able to stand and walk alone. One of the other guys, JK, saw me trip and jumped up, swooped me into his arms, and quickly carried me down the hall, setting me gently on the bed. Hobi followed closely and thanked him, then saw JK smell my hair and smile- he said he liked me and was happy he got to carry me because I smelled so good. Hobi laughed, but then asked if I needed anything- I was so tired I didn’t even answer, so he just covered me with the blankets and turned out the lights, then went back out to the guys, knowing I didn’t need an audience to sleep. I must have gotten up to brush my teeth and use the bathroom sometime during the night, but when I woke up the next morning, I was not alone in the bed and that surprised me because I didn’t remember anyone joining me. Hobi was behind me, while JK was facing me, happily snoring loudly, which made me smile and when I turned on my back, I saw Hobi’s eyes pop open, so I blinked at him, worried he would be upset. He whispered, “I hope you slept well sweetheart. You have made quite the impression on us, and I don’t think we will ever be able to go back to normal life again. I had the best sleep of my life, cuddling you, so there is clearly some magical power you have.”
I blushed, then replied, “Hobi, I don’t know what you mean, but I did like being part of your family last night. I’m so glad I helped you sleep.” He kissed my hand, then slowly rolled out of bed, helping me do the same, then pulling me into a very warm and strong hug, which I was thankful for and melted into, gripping his pajama shirt with my fingers and letting him smell my wild hair as he held me tight- it was somehow the thing we both needed, but couldn’t express in words. After a few minutes, he let go, took my hand, and guided me towards the bathroom, then motioned me inside, pointing to the kitchen and saying I should join him when I felt ready. I thanked him, went to the bathroom, washed my hands, laughed silently at my wild hair, attempted to smooth it down some, but failed, then grabbed my glasses and left for the kitchen.
I found Hobi in the kitchen, but also Yoongi, who was making coffee and had hair just as wild as mine, which made me smile and he fed off my happiness to meet me with a smile as well, whispering something to Hobi, who looked at me, ran his fingers through his hair, blushed, and chuckled about, then motioned me over towards them, quickly wrapping his arm around my waist and pulling me closer. Yoongi smiled and told me how much happiness I brought Hobi, but I didn’t understand, since I hadn’t done anything that I could think of, so I peeked up at Hobi’s face, only to see him looking back at me with an expression I had not seen the day before… He saw the confusion on my face, chuckled, then kissed the top of my head, telling me he was happy I was with him and he had lots to explain after we all got ready for the day.
