Chapter 7: Challenge Dream King!

“Woooaahhh!!!”

“Ugh, my back’s killing me… Everyone feeling okay today?”

“No clue. Eighteen years of this—how could we be okay?”

“Argh, but we gotta bring it today, hyungs! The audience is coming!!”

“Everyone, snap out of it! They’re arriving soon!”

The Challenge! DreamKing! cast consisted of five members:

Kim Sooman, a former comedian now often called a master of many trades.
Brown Kim, a charismatic foreign celebrity.
Hyung Inhwan, a former boxer reborn as a variety star.
Lee Doyoon, a former boy group idol known as the “beast idol” or “athletic guy.”
And Yoo Inhwa, the sole female member, a former national volleyball player.

This team of four men and one woman led the DreamKing show.
Today, they were heading to the filming location in their van for the shoot.

“Today’s guests are the audience, right?”

“That’s what I heard. It’s the 18th anniversary, after all.”

Kim Sooman patted Brown Kim’s shoulder and spoke up.

“So, we all know to go easy, right? These are regular people, our fans, not the usual competitors.”

“Of course! Don’t worry, it’s all about fan service!”

“Fans should always be treated with love.”

“Ugh, so cheesy! Typical ex-idol.”

“Hahaha.”

Doyoon just laughed at Inhwa’s jab.
As the van screeched to a stop, they prepared to exit, knowing cameras were likely rolling.
Time to put on big smiles…

Freeze.

Kim Sooman, leading the group, started to step out with a grin but froze mid-motion before forcing the smile back and getting out.
Brown Kim followed, hesitating briefly before exiting.
The others, puzzled by their reactions, stepped out and immediately understood why.

They were the celebrities here, yet they felt like they were seeing a star.
Despite being surrounded by beautiful and handsome people in the industry, they’d grown somewhat desensitized to looks.
But the woman standing there was so stunning, she made them pause.

Her beauty was so striking it scrambled their thoughts.
As the cast stood momentarily stunned, the MC began introducing them.

“Here we go! The eternal leader of DreamKing! The master himself, Kim! Soo! Man!”

“Greetings, viewers! Let’s have a great day!”

Known more as an all-around entertainer than a comedian now, Kim Sooman was met with cheers and applause.

“Next, the dashing foreigner! The ultimate man, Brown! Kiiiim!”

“Hello, everyone!”

Brown Kim’s introduction was greeted with similar enthusiasm.

“The human weapon with a warm heart, Hyung! In! Hwan!”

“Who’s calling me ferocious?! Wanna take a hit?!”

The seemingly tough but secretly comedic Hyung Inhwan played up his persona, earning laughs with his entrance skit.

“Ahem, moving on! The fresh flower of DreamKing! Former idol, Lee! Do! Yoon!”

“Let’s give it our all today!!”

“Kyaaa!”

Doyoon’s introduction drew especially loud cheers, as expected from a former idol.

“No introduction needed! The one and only, Yoo! In! Hwa!”

“You forgot volleyball player!”

The sole female star’s introduction naturally sparked huge cheers.

With the cast introduced, it was time for the audience participants.

“Now, let’s meet today’s special guests! Our audience members! Where are you from, and why did you want to join DreamKing?”

“I’m from Gimpo, and…”

As the introductions began, the cast’s eyes couldn’t help but drift to one person.
Even as celebrities used to seeing beautiful people, they were stunned by one woman’s appearance.

Who was she?

“She’s insanely pretty. I keep looking, but I can’t find a single flaw,” Yoo Inhwa thought, shaking her head.

Even as a woman looking objectively, she couldn’t spot a single imperfection.
Top-tier celebrities often had some noticeable flaw up close, but this woman?
Her features were perfectly symmetrical, her skin flawless, her proportions impeccable.

The more Inhwa looked, the less human she seemed.
Not in a bad way—her otherworldly beauty inspired awe rather than repulsion.

She was just too beautiful.

‘What does she even do?’

Inhwa had never heard of someone like her in the industry.
With looks like that, rumors would’ve spread like wildfire.
Was she some secret weapon?

Inhwa was convinced she had to be industry-related—her beauty was too extraordinary otherwise.
And she wasn’t alone; the others were just as curious.

As the introductions reached her, all eyes were on her.

*

I could feel the stares zeroing in on me.
I knew what they were thinking: Who is she?
A model? Celebrity? Trainee? Idol? Actress? Streamer? YouTuber?

Most likely, they were guessing along those lines.
But the concept I’d chosen for this appearance…

“Hello, I’m Lee Winter, a solo animator.”

A one-person animator.
In other words, a freelancer.
With customization, I could master the skills in an instant.

Being an animator meant I could work from home or freelance.
Plus, animation ties into OSTs and art, so I could naturally claim to have learned music or drawing through my work.

“A solo animator? Like, making stuff like Pororo?”

“That too, but mostly freelance art-related work. Animation’s my main focus, though.”

“I see.”

The MC gave me a skeptical look, clearly finding it hard to believe I’d be in a non-visible field like drawing with my appearance.
But that was exactly the reaction I wanted.

With my surprising introduction out of the way, the introductions wrapped up.

“Now, for our 18th anniversary special! Audience vs. Celebrities! Let’s reveal today’s obstacles!!!”

To kick off the DreamKing shoot, they unveiled the obstacles.
A massive tarp covering them was lifted by a crane, revealing an enormous set.

Made of air mats and various structures, the obstacle course looked daunting, with five challenging stages welcoming the competitors.

“The Ironman Pentathlon!!! Today’s obstacle course!!!”

“Whoa, this is intense…”

“Eighteen years, and this is what we get?!”

Even the cast was stunned by the difficulty.
Naturally, the audience members’ faces turned pale.

Seeing our reactions, the MC laughed and revealed the rewards.

“Hahaha! You all look terrified! But the tougher the challenge, the sweeter the reward! For our audience only, just completing the course gets you a premium hanwoo beef set!!!”

“Hanwoo?!”

“Just for finishing?!”

“Now we’re talking!”

The audience lit up at the MC’s words.
A prize just for finishing? That sounded doable.

“What about us?!”

“Yeah, give us rewards too!”

“No discrimination!!”

The cast protested, but…

“Where’s your conscience? You veterans want the same deal?”

“Conscience? Gone! Give us the same terms!”

“No way! DreamKing cast, only the top three get rewards! But if any audience members place in the top three, you’ll get the hanwoo set plus gift certificates! So aim high! Now, let’s get this DreamKing started!!!!”

Beeeep!!!

With the iconic Dream King buzzer, we stepped onto the obstacle course.