The production team had arranged for the five guests to stay in a full suite. It had three bedrooms and a living room, each room with its own private bathroom. From the setup, it was obvious they intended for two guests to share a room.
Chu Zhi and Min Jeong-pyo were chatting in the living room. Chu Zhi had done his homework beforehand, asking all the right questions to keep the conversation flowing. Before long, they had gone from calling each other "Mr. Chu" and "Mr. Min" to "brother" and "Min-hyung." He really was a social butterfly.
"I'm actually a bigger fan of Laughing Duck, to be honest," Chu Zhi said, "Min-hyung's deadpan acting gives it this dark humor vibe. But I saw in several interviews that your personal favorite is Strict With Myself?"
"Strict With Myself is the one I love the most—or maybe regret the most. I could've done better with it, but didn't. Maybe that's why I like it," Min Jeong-pyo replied.
To love something because it's imperfect... Chu Zhi found that perspective interesting. While they talked, he noticed a brown suitcase still left by the couch.
"I was the first to arrive, so I checked out all three rooms. The one on the south side has a mountain view. Floor-to-ceiling windows looking out onto lush green trees, really good air."
"The room on the north side overlooks Jōzankei Gorge. The west room has the best view overall, but otherwise, the furnishings are about the same."
Min Jeong-pyo spoke quickly, but his enunciation was clear, and his Mandarin surprisingly good. Chu Zhi understood him easily. The only issue was that Min looked like he hadn't slept in days. He was clearly exhausted.
"I don't have strong preferences when it comes to rooms, so I figured we could just decide together once everyone's here."
"Sounds good. You're thoughtful as always, Min-hyung." Chu Zhi nodded.
He had prepared a few cards up his sleeve for Journey Among the Stars, waiting for the right moment to play them.
Variety shows could really boost one's fanbase—but they could also tank your career. It wasn't rare for the entire cast dynamic to spiral out of control. Just look at the chaos in Divas Hit the Road 2—so much drama, and the audience loved every second of it.
"I'll go put my luggage away." Chu Zhi got up and moved toward the entrance.
"Go ahead, I'll keep an eye on things," Min Jeong-pyo waved him off, assuming Chu was just going for a quick walk. He joked, "Don't forget to bring me some chocolate as a fee."
"Sure thing." Chu Zhi gave an OK sign.
Once he was alone, Min Jeong-pyo relaxed a little. He was always quieter when by himself.
Having spent so many years in the industry, Min Jeong-pyo wasn't naive. He had done some research on the other guests before coming, though he hadn't gone full method actor by digging up every interview and project like some others might.
Before meeting Chu Zhi, he had worried a bit. The industry was full of popular stars with terrible attitudes. But from their earlier conversation, it was clear this younger guest had a solid personality.
With no luggage in hand, Chu Zhi felt much lighter going downstairs. In the time it took to drink a bottle of water, he had already reached the lobby of the annex. There was a potted plant, two vending machines, and a coin-operated microwave.
The drink and sushi vending machines both required payment. The only free thing in the lobby was a stack of newspapers in a metal basket beside the couch.
Chu Zhi didn't bother leaving the annex. Instead, he sat down and picked up a newspaper.
The on-site cameraman received a message from the director, Cha Roon, and hesitantly asked, "Mr. Chu, why did you come down here? Are you unhappy with the room?"
What he really wanted to ask was whether Chu Zhi had a problem with Min Jeong-pyo—but considering Chu's popularity and massive fanbase, he didn't dare phrase it that way.
"Am I required by the show's rules to answer this question?" Chu Zhi asked, lowering the paper.
"Uh—not really."
"Then I choose not to answer. Unless..." Chu Zhi stopped mid-sentence and lifted the newspaper to cover his face.
Unless what? Why stop there? The suspense would drive anyone crazy.
Well, that was good for variety show drama. Director Cha Roon had gotten exactly what he wanted—some spicy content to boost ratings.
"Unless what? Mr. Chu, feel free to make a request," the cameraman said, following the director's instructions.
"They took my wallet when I entered, right? On this kind of show, money is definitely important," Chu Zhi replied. "Ten thousand yen isn't much, is it?"
"Mr. Chu, please choose something else. Ten thousand yen is against the show's rules," the cameraman answered.
Chu Zhi hadn't expected them to agree. That wasn't his real goal anyway—this was just step one. The classic "open-the-window-a-crack" move.
"Then how about giving me the snacks from my suitcase? One chocolate bar and a pack of milk candies. That's reasonable, right?"
"That's doable."
"The room setup's nice, but the elevator doesn't go to the top floor. Not a big deal for male guests, but the women might need help."
Female guests usually brought extra things like skincare products. This wasn't Back to Field, so makeup and skincare were allowed, and they added a lot of weight.
Director Cha Roon didn't say anything else through the earpiece, and the cameraman didn't press further. But inwardly, he thought Chu Zhi seemed pretty considerate.
Half an hour later, the third guest arrived—Cai Jia.
"This show is gonna drive me crazy. They won't let me bring my Switch or my PS5. If I'd known, I wouldn't have signed up," she grumbled as she walked in and spotted Chu Zhi. Her face lit up like she'd just seen family. Dropping her two suitcases right where she stood, she immediately launched into her complaints.
Cai Jia was loud and impulsive, a famously pretty face with a reputation for being a bit clumsy. She was twenty-five, but her looks and scatterbrained personality made her seem much younger.
She was a well-known internet gaming addict—authentic, not some fake persona crafted to attract male fans. She had competed in offline tournaments for Hearthstone, FIFA Online 4, and PUBG Mobile.
In fact, her Instagram was filled more with gameplay clips than personal photos.
When Chu Zhi had looked into the other guests, he'd come to a conclusion: if it weren't for her looks, Cai Jia would be known as a hardcore gamer, not an actress.
"The show's rules really are strict," Chu Zhi agreed. "Even the elevator's off-limits."
"I'll help you take your bags upstairs," he offered.
"Ah, that's too much! These are heavy. I can carry them myself," Cai Jia said quickly.
Before coming, her manager had given her one strict warning: she could clash with anyone else, but under no circumstances should she argue with Chu Zhi.
That manager was truly down-to-earth. They didn't ask her to perform well—just not to cause problems with Chu Zhi.
Kind of like how some editors demand three updates a day from most writers, but just ask certain slowpokes not to vanish entirely.
Tragic, really.
"It's on the third floor. If we each carry one, it'll be quick," Chu Zhi said.
"This one's lighter—wait, no, maybe this one is?" Cai Jia kept weighing them back and forth, but they felt about the same.
Chu Zhi grabbed one handle, thinking it would be easy—but almost threw out his back. It was heavy.
How did this slim-armed, gamer-girl type have so much strength? Together they hauled the luggage up to the suite, both panting by the time they reached the top.
Chu Zhi, the supposed acting prodigy, kept his face composed—but he was a little winded too. He started wondering if there were any mystical items that could boost physical strength.
Given the gender difference, Cai Jia might as well be called a "king-kong barbie."
The last two guests arrived at Jōzankei: Luo Jianhui and Zhang Ning. Their flights had landed about twenty minutes apart, so they were picked up together.
Luo Jianhui, now in his thirties, was a well-respected singer with strong name recognition and consistently high-quality work. He was a frequent nominee at major music award shows. Chu Zhi had set a goal for himself to win all four of the top national music awards—and Luo had already taken three.
As the younger of the pair, Luo was helping carry Zhang Ning's luggage. But moving three suitcases on his own was no easy task, especially with the cobblestone path and uneven terrain outside the building.
"Mr. Luo, Ms. Zhang, let me give you a hand," Chu Zhi said, jogging over from the annex.
That's right. After helping Cai Jia, he had gone back downstairs to keep being useful.
Audiences weren't dumb. Unless the footage got deliberately edited to make someone look bad, the person who worked the hardest was usually the one who won the most goodwill.
"You're Chu Zhi, right? Haha, I could tell right away. Such a good-looking young man," Zhang Ning said cheerfully.
"Really appreciate it. I fell off a horse during a shoot last month and injured my hand. Still recovering, so I can't lift much," she added, before grumbling about the production team. "Even with my injury, they didn't let my manager help."
Chu Zhi's timely arrival visibly relaxed Luo Jianhui, both in body and spirit.
"Injured your hand? Then please be careful," Chu Zhi said. Having already been up and down twice, he confidently led them to the suite.
Now, all the guests had arrived.