CH 35

People believed that the mansion with 101 doors could change their fortunes. Even though it was still nothing more than an entertaining internet story that would be buried with time, they continued to believe so.

People were having a hard time these days, seeing that urban legends like these were being used as tools to rid them of their ill-fates.

…After introducing each other, we filmed the scene explaining the rules for about two hours. The filming staff explained that ultimately, only 20 minutes of this would be aired. I wondered if I would even get a minute of airtime while I was here. Everything seemed to depend on “the one” who invited me here in general.

* * *

“I’ve heard that someone has even seen a golden door. I wonder if that’s true.”

After today’s portion of filming concluded, people remaining in the hall shared stories.

Exploration would begin tomorrow morning. Therefore, the staff asked us to avoid going downstairs for today. The hall and the stairs looked dark at first glance. At least the top floor had lights on, but didn’t they say there wasn’t even light downstairs? People weren’t willing to go downstairs even if they were pressured, so everyone readily obliged.

We all had to stay here for a week anyway. During those seven days, everyone seemed to think that the eight people would of course be able to search all 101 rooms. I agreed.

According to the booklet they handed out, the times when exploration was possible were from eight in the morning to 10 at night—a total of 14 hours in the day. If eight people all decided on a day to open 10 doors each in the given time, we could open about 80 doors. If it were a child, it might take a while to search all the rooms in a building as big as a school, but adults were different. We could probably open all the doors in about two days.

Would it even take two days? One day could be enough. The tricks and hint system bothered me slightly, but wouldn’t it still be similar to any old variety show? If we worked together to find the exit, we could find it soon. Everyone shared the same thoughts.

Since this was the case, some were worried that the results would be lackluster compared to the work put into the project.

If the shoot failed, more than one person’s livelihood would be at risk. This gig required a full week. That meant that nobody could take any other jobs for a week. Some put the jobs that they were consistently doing on hiatus, while some hoped that the views would be sufficient to reel in their next gig.

Everyone in the hall gathered to strategize.

In case the shoot turned into a failure, someone even suggested that people pretend to fight and not share any information. Someone suggested that we designate a traitor. Clearly, in a game like this, it would be quite bland if there was no conflict at all.

However, I thought that the suggestion that Woorim and I pretend to fight would be a bit tough for me.

“Pretending to fight is easy, no? Haven’t you ever wanted to play that role? It’s great for standing out,” the comedian, Seogeung Ahn, said. He was the oldest among the cast, and he had the most extensive television experience—as much as the host of the show, Seoyoon Kim. I could see why he chose me and Woorim. It was probably because we were easy targets.

I had practically no television experience, and my image wouldn’t be ruined any further even if I showed the unseemly sides of me. Likewise, Woorim gave the impression that he was shallow, so it looked like he would easily accept this request.

Moreover, Woorim was the youngest, even including Seohang.

Even if it was for the entertainment of the show, who would willingly step forward to play the role of the antagonist? Of course, antagonists built their own fanbase. Viewers always paid special attention to traitors and troublemakers in a game show like this. However, I wasn’t really interested in finding the exit or gaining popularity. I hated involving myself in more trouble than necessary.

Moreover, an unknown person like me was perfect for getting a few bad comments then disappearing from television. Even if I appeared again on TV in the future, I would be remembered as “that guy who bickered that time.” I got used to hearing insults from the public after Yeonseon’s incident, but hearing insults wasn’t really my hobby.