Chapter 10: The Chicken Coop Assignment

Oh….

It was a decisive blow. Anyone could see he had brought it specifically for Hari.

Hari was speechless at his words, clutching the shopping bag in their arms even tighter. They were so flustered, they didn’t know what to do. To think such an amazing person was truly their fan. Hari’s toes curled inward, a nervous reaction to the unbelievable truth.

Even as they tried to dismiss it as mere pleasantries, the gentle voice that brushed their ears confirmed Ihyeon’s genuine interest. And on top of that, such a substantial gift.

“Thank you…”

Hari murmured, bowing their head deeply. Their voice, barely a whisper, reached Ihyeon. Ihyeon then bid Hari farewell, stating that he truly had to leave now.

Among all the people they’d met incidentally through broadcasting, Ihyeon was the first to so directly declare himself a fan, rather than offering a mere platitude. Hari felt a sudden rush of shyness, making it difficult to meet Ihyeon’s gaze.

And for that to be Jung Ihyeon, the national actor, saying he was a fan. Hari had known Jung Ihyeon mentioned them, but they had simply assumed it was part of a drama promotion.

Hari gazed intently at Ihyeon’s retreating back as he went to change. It felt as though they had just woken from a dream. The moment had been utterly surreal.

“Are you close with him?”

Se-an, who had been waiting a short distance away while Hari spoke with Ihyeon, approached. Hari shook their head. Se-an eyed them suspiciously. For someone not close, Ihyeon had acted quite intimately. Hari, too, found it surprising that they had gotten along so well with someone they had just met.

“Today is the first time we’ve properly talked.”

“Really? I thought you two got close on the day of your congratulatory performance.”

“I know, right? He was so kind, I almost thought so too.”

Sanghyeok suddenly interjected, stepping between Se-an and Hari. Hari flinched, their body stiffening at the sudden voice so close by. Sanghyeok slowly rested an arm on the youngest’s shoulder. He chuckled at Hari’s rigid posture, then gently pinched and released Hari’s cheek. It was amusing how they reacted like this every time they were startled.

“It’s time for us to go.”

With that, Sanghyeok nudged his two younger companions forward.

****

The filming for *The Farm Owner* typically spanned two days and one night. The cast members were expected to live entirely on the farm during that time. Therefore, meals were also self-sufficient. However, even with a self-sufficient lifestyle, a basic narrative needed to be established, so filming revolved around ‘tasks requested by the owner.’ The premise was that they would provide labor in exchange for living on the farm.

This was precisely why teams were initially divided. Their main daily routine involved working on farm tasks in their respective teams. After completing their work, they sometimes received rewards essential for their daily lives, or they brought a portion of what they harvested to use as ingredients for their meals. Alternatively, they could freely harvest crops from the farm to contribute to their household.

Today, just like previous shoots, teams were divided at the end of the opening segment.

[Owner]

1. Harvest vegetables from the field.

2. Clean the chicken coop.

Two locations were presented: the field and the chicken coop. Unfortunately, Sanghyeok was separated from them. Sanghyeok was assigned to the field, while Hari and Se-an were assigned to the chicken coop. Though it was a little disappointing to be separated from Sanghyeok, they would meet again in the evening, so Hari bravely saw him off. The three then headed to their respective destinations.

Hari burrowed deeper into the padded jacket they had received, moving diligently. Each team was provided with padded jackets of a different color. Hari received a white one. The cold was so biting it felt as though their nose would fall off. If not for Ihyeon’s hot pack, nestled warmly in their pocket, their hands would have been painfully numb.

“…It’s cold.”

“I know, right? The weather is absolutely insane.”

Hari’s teeth chattered uncontrollably. They pulled the hot pack from their pocket and pressed it against their cold cheek. Feeling a little guilty for keeping it to themselves, they briefly placed it in Se-an’s hand. Se-an’s voice melted, expressing how warm it felt.

Hari scanned the vast farm landscape. The winter grass, now a wheat-like color, felt soft beneath their feet. Large buildings were visible in various spots. It was their first time in such a place, and while it was fascinating, the cold overshadowed any sense of wonder. Hari and Se-an huddled together, quickly making their way to the chicken coop.

Staff members were gathered a short distance from the chicken coop. Hari and Se-an were on the same team as the nation’s MC, Yoo Janghoon, and Jung Ihyeon. After a short wait, Yoo Janghoon and Ihyeon appeared, dressed in white padded jackets. When their eyes met from afar, Ihyeon gave a small wave, making Hari momentarily startle before bowing their head in response.

The four received work gloves and boots from the staff and put them on. Fortunately, the PD explained that the chicken coop would be warm. The four naturally fell into conversation. Initially, their chat was about the cold, then shifted to the chicken coop, a rather insubstantial topic.

“This is my first time seeing chickens up close.”

“Don’t worry, don’t worry. Oh? We have plenty of veterans here!”

At Se-an’s remark, Yoo Janghoon could be seen throwing an arm around him, loudly declaring there was nothing to worry about.

“Easy for you to say, hyung. You’re the most scared!”

Ihyeon chuckled, joining their conversation.

Hari admired Se-an inwardly. His sociability was incredible. It felt like a lie that he had been standing there with a nervous expression just moments ago.

They knew they should try to be a bit more amiable, but their personality wouldn’t allow it. Hari, unable to fully immerse themselves in the cheerful atmosphere, walked along, pretending to meticulously check their work gloves and boots.

National actor Jung Ihyeon, national MC Yoo Janghoon. It was only natural to feel nervous when such formidable figures were moving right before their eyes. No matter how kindly they treated Hari, from Hari’s perspective, they were immensely important individuals.

Fortunately, the symptoms they used to call ‘variety show phobia’ had improved on *The Farm Owner*. The cast of *The Farm Owner* was kind and attentive to every word Hari spoke.

Moreover, filming for *The Farm Owner* often felt more like recording conversations and playful interactions. For Hari, who was accustomed to speaking only when it was their turn in a studio, it was a refreshing experience. While it was natural to feel self-conscious around such senior figures, everyone listened well and responded positively, even to Hari’s brief remarks, making them feel more at ease than usual. They had only belatedly realized this sense of ‘feeling at ease.’

Being in front of many people and cameras was still tense, but not to the point of trembling. For the first time since developing variety show phobia, Hari found themselves unafraid of a variety show.

A clean building came into Hari’s view. It was large and pristine for a chicken coop. Hari scanned the building, examining it carefully. Ihyeon suddenly appeared beside Hari, who had been drifting outside the conversation.

“Hari, have you ever touched a chicken?”

“Pardon? I’ve touched chicks, but chickens…”

“Chicks?”

“Yes… The 500-won chicks they sold in front of school.”

“Ah. Those. Did you raise them?”

“No… My grandmother would have objected, so I just looked at them.”

Before they knew it, a natural conversation had begun. Ihyeon touched the back of his neck with his still-clean work glove. He then turned his gaze to Hari and spoke again.

“It seems you like animals.”

Their conversation continued a little longer. Hari eventually mentioned that they were fond of animals and had looked forward to that aspect of this variety show.

“You saw Janghoon-hyung. He likes animals too, but he’s scared of birds. Most people who like animals only go as far as dogs and cats.”

“Hmm… Yes. What about you, sunbaenim?”

“Ah…”

‘Sunbaenim.’

Ihyeon mumbled the word, then answered naturally.

“I don’t dislike them. But I wouldn’t say I *like* them either.”

“I see…”

Hari nodded in response to Ihyeon’s words. Hari, who had previously seen Ihyeon in an advertisement for animal-related products, found his answer surprising.

“Anyway, what exactly are we supposed to do in the chicken coop?”

Only now, having finished his chat with Se-an and fully donned his boots, did Yoo Janghoon speak. At his question, Hari and Ihyeon also stopped their conversation and stood beside Yoo Janghoon. Hari regretted having talked so informally with Ihyeon just now. Had they said anything strange? They had been so captivated, answering whatever he asked.

Regardless of Hari’s regrets, filming continued. Hari cast aside their thoughts, focusing on the shoot, and looked towards the PD.

“From now on, you will clean the chicken coop and then spread straw.”

“Straw?”

Yoo Janghoon, who had finally admitted he couldn’t touch chickens and trembled at the thought, was also horrified. Having asked how they were supposed to enter the chicken coop, Yoo Janghoon whispered with a slightly pale Se-an. Contrary to his earlier bold proclamations, seeing a chicken coop full of chickens right in front of him seemed to have made him afraid.

However, Hari remained unfazed by the two of them.

Because chickens were cute.

“Two of the four of you will go in first to clean, and the other two will remain outside.”

After hearing the explanation, the four stood in a line and extended one hand.

“Alright, rock-paper-scissors!”

Hari didn’t particularly care which group they were in, but they wanted to be on the same team as Se-an if possible, so they nervously threw out a fist.

They won.