In This Life, The Greatest Star In The Universe

“There’s a saying that tragedy when seen up close becomes comedy from afar.”

“So let’s watch from a distance.”

“Sounds good.”

Though there was no popcorn, we overheard Chairman Wang Hyun-tak of HoHo Chicken and his youngest son while slurping our drinks.

The maknae, his face twisted in fury, gripped his phone.

Just as he struggled to hold back the tears of indignation and hurt—

“Dad!”

the maknae shouted.

“How could you do this to me...!”

We silently applauded from behind and burst into laughter.

Moving closer, we patted him on the back and eavesdropped on the call.

–Son? What’s wrong?

His father’s voice turned urgent.

“It’s like you didn’t even bother to send a coffee truck my way! But you support Uju hyung’s drama ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) production and even send a coffee truck for him!”

–R-right? Why would a coffee truck go there~?

“.......”

–I’m not sure what happened. Oh! I think the staff said they’d handle it recently...

At his father’s explanation, Jiho’s eyes glistened like a tragic heroine’s.

Biju murmured “Oh dear...” and hugged him, while Jung-hyun gently stroked his hair.

Sensing the awkward mood, Jiho’s father asked,

–Are the other members there too?

“Yeah.”

–Oh, that’s perfect! Uju!

The maknae, still pouting, held out the phone, and I smiled and greeted.

“Hello, Father.”

–Did you enjoy the drink~? Since Uju can’t have coffee, I asked them to prepare a special chocolate drink.

“Oh. Yes......”

In that moment, I realized where the maknae had gotten his inkling.

–Could you post a photo on SNS later? With HoHo Chicken clearly visible in the shot—that angle those young people love! Okay?

“Yes, sure......”

–Hahaha! Go, Uju! Long live Agent Kim Uju!

“...Um, Father.”

–Yes?

“Excuse me... you know Jiho can hear this call, right?”

–......Oh!

Silence fell as he realized he’d just embarrassed himself live.

The maknae’s eyes went triangular as he gripped his phone tightly.

“Aren’t you perceptive? You’re the chairman and you can’t read the room?”

–Oh, I’m sorry, son. I’ve been so out of touch lately......

“Ugh, whatever. Hang up.”

–Son! P-please don’t hang up!

“Why not?”

Normally at this point one would hear an apology, an “I love you,” or a promise to send the biggest coffee truck ever. Instead, the maknae just huffed, and his father’s timid voice floated over.

–...You won’t tell Mom, right?

My head spun.

Ri-hyuk exhaled and stared into space, Jung-hyun covered his eyes with his hand, and Biju, feeling faint, massaged his temple and leaned against me. Then we all backed away in unison.

“I can’t watch this anymore.”

“Me neither.”

Fortunately, the call soon ended on a warm note. After thirty minutes of every conceivable apology, the sincerity in Jiho’s father’s voice brought tears to Jiho’s eyes.

“So as promised, you’ll send a coffee truck twice as big as Uju hyung’s...?”

–I’ll send double! Maybe on a dump truck.

“Don’t forget the ribbon.”

We laughed at the well-coordinated father and son.

In any case, it turned out well.

Though his eyes were still red, the maknae approached with a spring in his step, and we put our arms around him in a group hug.

Embarrassed by how teary he still was, he added,

“When I told him I was shooting a drama, he just said ‘Oh, okay.’ Even when I called every day about it, he’d go ‘Ahhhh~.’ But then for Uju hyung’s drama...!”

“Oh dear, I don’t know why he did that.”

“Jung-hyun, got any snacks? No snacks?”

“There’s jelly here. Jiho, let’s say ‘ah~.’ Ah~.”

We laughed as the maknae, plumping his cheeks like a tear-soaked rice cake, voiced his complaints while we handed him jelly.

Back on set, preparations were nearly complete.

“Waaaah–!”

Several passersby had stopped to watch. When we waved, they pulled out their phones to take pictures or started gesturing excitedly. I wouldn’t be surprised if the area filled up with spectators soon.

Then we approached Director Hwang Jeong-gu, who was orchestrating the scene.

“Perfect timing! We’re almost ready.”

He introduced the friendly-looking actor standing beside him.

“This is Sung Da-won, playing Agent S.”

“Hello.”

“Hi.”

We bowed and exchanged smiles.

Agent S is the junior agent shadowing Kim Uju, with a few brief appearances.

“You heard the scene briefing earlier?”

“Yes.”

“Let’s recap. You’re disguised as a fruit vendor to keep an eye on the alien family.”

The director displayed the script on his tablet. Kim Uju’s disguise is so convincing that business goes through the roof. And Biju is playing one of the difficult customers.

After running through the blocking a few times, they were ready to shoot.

“All right, change into your costumes and let’s start.”

“Yes!”

We smiled as we changed into the outfits the costume team had prepared.

While Sun Woo-ju was changing, Kim Biju stood with the supporting extras in front of the fruit stall.

“Hello.”

“Oh my! Oh my! Oh my!”

The middle-aged women among the extras applauded at his shy greeting. The others’ eyes widened too.

“I’m appearing as a cameo today, so please take care of me~”

“Oh, we’re the ones who should take care of you.”

“You’re so handsome~!”

“Thank you for saying that so nicely.”

As fans declared “He’s a national idol, right?”, Kim Biju blushed and took their hands one by one. Then he greeted the nervous Agent S.

“Nice to meet you.”

“Ah, yes...”

The rookie actor Sung Da-won hastily returned the greeting.

“Sorry, I’m just memorizing lines over and over because I feel like I’ll forget them...”

“First time?”

“Yes. I’ve only trained in an academy—today’s my first....”

“Really? It’s my first time too.”

The idol cameo and the minor-role rookie bonded over mutual nerves.

“I really can’t mess this up...”

“Me too—if I slip up, the director will kill me. Ugh...”

As they steeled themselves against making any mistakes, the extras who had been laughing shifted their attention.

“Wow.”

A single exclamation spoke for everyone. A handsome figure in a green apron approached, lighting up the area. His hairstyle and outfit looked like something out of a magazine spread titled “Selling dreams, not fruit.” No matter what he wore, he carried it effortlessly—Uju.

Kim Biju whispered, “That’s my hyung.”

“Really?”

While Sung Da-won gaped, the extras stared in awe. Uju smiled broadly and greeted them.

“Thanks for waiting.”

“No, not at all!”

“They said the costumes just arrived.”

Uju, slipping on work gloves, grinned as he diplomatically explained the costume team’s mix-up.

“Thank you for waiting.”

As everyone chuckled, Uju raised his megaphone, cleared his throat, and called out,

–Director, we’re ready! 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

“Great, let’s go!”

At the shout of “Ready! Action!” filming began immediately.

At first, fitting the scene of a slow day at the fruit stand, only a few extras started browsing.

Kim Uju was absent; only Agent S, Sung Da-won, stood awkwardly alone.

“Welcome!”

Unfamiliar with fruit vending, Agent S fumbled through customer service while the locals examined the produce.

Business was finally picking up.

“This apple looks delicious! Please give me one of these.”

Just then, trouble arrived.

“Hmmmm...”

Biju, looking like a boy out shopping with a basket, interrupted the customer who had reached for an apple. The lady hesitated, then went to pick another apple—

“Hmmmm...”

“Why are you doing that?”

“Well... it didn’t seem like a good apple.”

“Really?”

It was the “helpful” troublemaker, calmly explaining every flaw.

“They said it’s pesticide-free, but this one has chemicals.”

“Oh my, really?”

“And this one... well, you recommended it, but the stem area looks odd.”

Biju pointed out the poor condition of Agent S’s recommended fruit in a matter-of-fact tone.

“You recommended something like this for the chairman?”

“No, then I’ll take something else—“

“Forget it! I’m not buying!”

The neighborhood’s goodwill evaporated as Biju, still murmuring “Sorry...,” glared apologetically at Agent S.

When Agent S tried to let it slide, the troublemaker froze and stared intently at the fruit.

“Um, customer...?”

“Yes?”

“May I ask what you’re doing right now...?”

“I’m picking apples!”

With a pure smile that disarmed any retort, he stood rigidly like a cat watching a fish tank, staring at the apples as if greeting them with a wave.

‘Well done.’

‘This kid’s good,’ the director and assistant director, watching through headphones, smiled. Though he’d claimed he was nervous, once on set he performed like a true NewBlack member. The NewBlack crew behind the monitor silently high-fived with joy.

Meanwhile, the next customers were similarly driven off by Biju’s “hmmms,” and Agent S’s expression grew desperate. Since the organization provided only a tiny budget, they needed stall revenue to cover rent.

Eventually Agent S called for backup from Kim Uju monitoring them on a laptop off-camera. A skipped shot showed Biju’s junior joking, “This crazy person’s ruining business!,” prompting Uju to spring into action.

“Welcome~!”

The young fruit vendor sauntered in with a friendly smile, and Kim Biju fought back laughter.

‘What do I do? I really can’t hold this in....’

Suppressing the sort of laugh that bubbles out in awkward situations, Biju stared at the apples. Luckily, when their eyes met, he managed not to laugh. With a new hairstyle and businesslike smile, Uju was a different person from usual.

‘Uju hyung really is a great actor.’

In such scenes, a cameo usually reveals the real person, but Uju’s eyes stayed true to the character. Feeling a strange twinge of disappointment, Biju continued his line morosely.

“There aren’t any apples I like....”

“Really?”

The young vendor’s genial smile gave way to swift, elegant movements worthy of a fairy godmother preparing Cinderella’s pumpkin carriage. He selected ripe fruit, raised it aloft, and Biju covered his mouth with both hands in mock horror.

“My god...!”

At the delightful overreaction, the crew behind the monitor silently cheered.

‘He’s a total apple pervert...!’

Then, seeing Uju’s name tag, Biju squealed.

“Kim Uju?”

“Yes?”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Kim Biju...!”

At the odd reaction over their similar names, the crew yelled with excitement. The extras readied themselves for their entrance: Uju would grab a megaphone and shout “We’re open!” to draw a crowd.

“Ahhh~—”

As the familiar “Ahhh~” rang out, the extras barely stifled their laughter. Uju’s expression shifted: as if he’d spent half his life selling fruit, his hearty laugh struck the actors, and his subway-vendor cadence had him shaking with mirth.

“Good day, residents! This sale isn’t one that happens day after day—May is Family Month, so shouldn’t you pick up some fine fruit as you head out?”

“And here we have a watermelon. Does it have seeds? No. It’s state-of-the-art watermelon.”

“A taste so good you wouldn’t know if one of you ate it all and the other died! Yes, even I haven’t seen my brother off the stall~”

At that moment, the extras, staff, and passersby all burst into laughter, causing an NG.

A wave of laughter rolled through the set.

–Heh heh... hahahaha!

Director Hwang, holding his megaphone, stood red-faced, laughing as though in tears. The extras were leaning against walls laughing, passersby dropped their phones, and the younger members were clutching their sides and rolling on the ground.

“......?”

I hadn’t expected such hilarity. The script merely said “Uju delivers a vendor’s pitch line,” leaving room for improvisation.

“Uju!”

The director called me over, still laughing.

“Who talks like that in their twenties?”

“Well... it just said to improvise a sales pitch.”

“No, no. That’s not it. I thought you were a seventy-year-old fruit vendor.”

“.......”

I flinched. Was the stall-master I met in the market really in his seventies? He seemed like a true fruit-sales guru.

As the director laughed at the prospect of showing that to Writer Hwang, I asked,

“Should I adjust the tone?”

“Hmm......”

After a moment’s thought,

“No. It’s not bad. It lends credibility to the scene.”

“Yes, that’s why I prepared it realistically.”

“You don’t have to prepare that much, Uju. Hahaha... actually, this scene’s meant to rely on your face for plausibility.”

“Oh!”

The premise is that the stall becomes famous for its handsome owner.

The director’s eyes lit up.

“This is convincing. Not bad at all.”

“Shall we try another take?”

“But tone down the... grandpa vibe a bit.”

“Yes, director.”

He asked for a moment to rehearse, then summoned the crew.

“Extras!”

“Yes!”

He explained the change to the first four arrivals, and we quickly adjusted the tone, enduring a few jibes from the director in three minutes flat.

Then, raising the megaphone:

–Here we go. And no laughing this time.

Everyone nodded resolutely.

The second take began—

“Pffft—!”

My sales pitch caused the extras sampling fruit to burst out laughing, NG again.

After about three NGs, we finally nailed a serious take. Though multiple NGs can dampen a set’s mood, Our Alien Family’s atmosphere remained warm.

‘There’s just something hilarious about this.’

It’s a universally relatable scenario. Thanks to Uju’s slight tone adjustment, filming resumed smoothly.

The assistant director remarked,

“Uju, you’re amazing.”

“It’s natural talent.”

As Director Hwang complimented him, the maknae teased into the behind-the-scenes cam, “I raised him~,” followed by Jung-hyun pointing to Jiho saying, “I raised him.” Ri-hyuk pretended not to know.

Then filming continued: Uju offered fruit samples, enchanted people with his signature smile, and recommended the best produce.

“Yes! These apples are fantastic! The aroma isn’t too strong, it’s just perfect.”

“The grape skins are deep in color and the berries are plump—these grapes are truly top-notch.”

What started as a potential nightmare—“Oh, a troublemaker...”—became a heartwarming scene of consistency: “Ah, he’s just passionate about fruit.”

Then, in-story idol Kim Biju posted “Fruit stall is daebak!” on SNS, and the stand filled with customers.

“Whoaaa!”

Kim Uju and Agent S were swept up by the crowd, hiding the alien family from view. Backdropped by the fruit stand, Kim Biju tucked his phone away, bit into an apple, and hummed a tune.

Crunch!

Intercut with Agent Kim Uju’s frantic efforts—“I have to keep observing the aliens!”—Biju strolled off singing happily.

“It tastes amazing, Earth apples really are something~”

The cameo ended on the note that the aliens were truly in plain sight all along.

“Cut! Let’s move on to the next scene!”

With impressive acting even in his cameo, Uju carried the momentum forward. The crew’s faces shone with smiles.

‘Uju!!!’

While the actors and director focused on the drama’s success, the staff’s main concern was going home. Uju’s stellar performance without mistakes had them on track to finish in half the expected time, prompting joyous laughter.

‘Fastest worker wins.’

As Uju barreled through the outdoor shoot, the younger members clustered together, eyes wide.

“...Uh?”

They checked the time, then the leader, whispered to one another.

“This is going to be huge.”

“What do we do?”

“Why is Uju hyung so good?”

They’d come to surprise him with a meal truck as a gift. They planned to ask the staff to treat him well, then shout “Ta-da!” But—

“...We should call them soon. Otherwise the meal truck might leave before they finish shooting.”

“Let’s call.”

“...Hellooo! Where are youooo?”

“We’re about to miss our lunch...!”

As the juniors stamped their feet in panic, the surrounding crew bit back laughter.