Jaden Johnson.
Commonly known as JJ, this Black man was a legend in American late-night talk shows. He started as a third-rate morning show host with the lowest ratings but climbed his way to prime time purely through his sharp wit.
He used a somewhat rude and direct speaking style, combined with dramatic presentation, to tap into the public’s curiosity.
He was an expert at drawing out the “dramatic moments” that viewers craved from his guests. Thanks to these moments, he managed to increase his average viewership in the U.S. to 10 million.
Eventually, The Jaden Johnson Night Show became a part of American culture.
Jung-joo recited JJ’s biography to us. Mari and I sat there in our pajamas, listening absentmindedly.
“When he exposed a famous singer’s scandal, the viewership shot up to 50 million. Some analysts estimate that his indirect influence reached hundreds of millions. Politicians and singers even engaged in fierce lobbying just to get their names briefly mentioned on the show.”
“…”
To be honest, I was already aware of The Jaden Johnson Night Show. I never really watched it, but it was so famous that I couldn’t help but hear about it.
It ended in 2010 and remained in people’s memories as a defining program of its time.
‘Since this is 2006… This must be his peak era. That’s insane.’
“…And I, I got invited to that show alone?”
Oh god…!
Just imagining it sent chills down my spine. The thought of being on a show watched by potentially hundreds of millions made my heart race with anxiety.
‘JJ isn’t exactly known for being nice. What if I end up becoming a laughingstock?’
Jung-joo shook her head.
“You’re not going alone. It looks like they invited a group of featured artists and representatives from the New York Contemporary Art Fair.”
“Oh, thank god. If they expected me to talk by myself, there’s no way I could do it.”
Mari hugged me tightly and said,
“Yeah, yeah, I totally get that. You just wanna run away, right?”
“Well, I mean… not that bad…”
Hearing our conversation, Jung-joo suddenly jumped up in shock.
“What?! Writer, you can’t run away! Do you have any idea how big this opportunity is? Do you know how much HU Group pays just to air a 15-second commercial during a primetime talk show?”
I gestured for her to calm down.
“I’m not running away, I’m not running away. Just tell me how this is all going to work.”
“…Ahem. First off, the show is filmed in a live-to-tape format. That means on the scheduled date, everyone gathers at the studio, and they record it almost as if it were truly live.”
“What do you mean by live-to-tape?”
“For example, if the broadcast is an hour long, they really only record for about an hour. The only breaks are about 10 minutes of commercial time.”
“That’s intense. Must be an American thing.”
“Well, given the nature of the program, they probably prefer it that way to keep emotions and reactions authentic. JJ himself is also a producer, so he’s involved in the editing process.”
Jung-joo added with a slightly wry smile.
“To be honest, even if you do go on the show, you won’t get that much airtime. The main interview segment lasts about 40 minutes, but non-main guests usually get less than a minute on average. Still, it’s an incredible opportunity.”
“…”
As she continued explaining, I gradually started to calm down.
‘Wait, so I’m basically just there to clap as a background extra? Guess I’ll just take this as a chance to check out a famous talk show.’
It’s not like appearing on a talk show once would suddenly make a rookie artist a superstar. And since I was invited as more of a glorified audience member, I figured I could just sit quietly, keep my seat warm, and come back without any fuss.
“Having such a short interview time is actually a relief. I’ll just go and enjoy the studio tour.”
“…I can’t tell if you’re timid or just incredibly chill.”
Mari grinned proudly.
“My house’s one and only is full of surprises. I knew that ages ago.”
“?”
What is she even saying now?
Wait, am I secretly the hidden child of the HU Group chaebol family…?!
…No, probably not. She was just expressing affection in her own weird way.
I let out a small chuckle.
“I’m not part of your family though…?”
“You will be soon.”
“You say scary things so casually.”
“…Scary?”
Mari puffed up her cheeks in mild dissatisfaction, staring at me.
“…”
“…”
I decided to conveniently ignore the situation.
‘I don’t need people gossiping that I’m some gold digger leeching off a chaebol heiress, so I’m just not going to entertain this conversation.’
Jung-joo watched our exchange and chuckled.
And just like that, it was decided I was going to appear on The Jaden Johnson Night Show, a show that would still be remembered as the greatest talk show in history even a decade after it ended.
Later that night, as I lay next to Mari, a random thought crossed my mind.
‘Will my episode end up on an internet wiki? …Knowing those wiki historians, they’ll definitely archive it forever. I should dress in something neutral.’
If I got immortalized in some end-of-an-era fashion disaster… that would hurt my delicate soul.
With that ridiculous thought in mind, I drifted off to sleep.
Still believing that I was nothing more than a glorified audience member…
*
“Is there anyone among the guest panel who would like to ask a question?”
The guests in attendance were some of the biggest figures in New York’s art world powerful individuals who could make or break careers.
And yet, every single one of them raised their hands and pointed toward a single spot in the guest section.
Sitting there, pale as a ghost, was a small girl.
Jaden Johnson, the charismatic talk show host, noticed the scene and laughed, turning to the audience. His humor was theatrical, like a seasoned stage actor.
“Oh! Now, now… Guests, please lower your hands for a moment. I wasn’t expecting such an overwhelming response! I must’ve forgotten to read the morning paper today.”
With exaggerated ease, he mimed unfolding a newspaper.
“Hmm…”
On the imaginary pages, he pretended to find an article about a controversy surrounding a certain girl’s artwork an in-depth discussion about the negative impact of the media.
“…Oh, my goodness.”
Then, the large display screen next to the studio flashed an image, a stolen TV. The very TV that the small girl had brought from her home country.
Debates.
A theft.
An act of vandalism.
The images swiftly summarized the series of incidents she had faced since arriving in New York.
“!”
JJ widened his eyes in mock shock, raising his hands as if he were genuinely surprised.
“My word! This young lady has experienced New York more thoroughly than anyone else here! I should be the one asking her the first question!”
A playful skit.
Under normal circumstances, JJ would have hit his guest with blunt and piercing remarks. But today’s star was just a child, so he shifted his approach to comedy instead.
Of course, JJ’s masterful direction played a role in setting the atmosphere, but more than anything, the sight of the girl looking so flustered was undeniably charming.
Laughter filled the studio.
— Hahaha!
— Oh my goodness!
— She’s been baptized by New York!
— You’re not a true New Yorker until you’ve been robbed at least once!
“…”
JJ watched the scene unfold, feeling satisfied with how the show was flowing.
‘Much better than filling an entire segment with dry art discussions. This is dynamic and engaging. If I edit in audience laughter, I can stretch the runtime by five more minutes.’
He glanced at the girl in question. That adorable face—capturing her reactions for just one minute would already make for great TV. Even the cameraman was sweating as he tried to get the best angles.
‘Even if she stumbles over her words from nerves, there are plenty of other guests to help move the conversation along. And worst case scenario, I can just edit it out.’
With that thought, JJ stepped closer, determined to get more out of this unexpected moment.
Using the gentlest tone possible, he spoke.
“Our dear friend Hannah, everyone here is eager to hear your story. Could you share your experience with us? For example, how did you feel when your belongings were stolen?”
“!”
He expected a simple, childlike response, something along the lines of ‘I was sad.’
But once the girl snapped out of her initial shock, her answer was far more composed than he had anticipated.
“At first, I was completely bewildered. In Korea, the idea that something left behind after a protest would just be taken… it never even crossed my mind.”
“Oh, is that so? You must have been terribly disappointed in New York.”
“I saw it as a cultural difference. In a democracy, there must be both freedom of expression and responsibility in all forms. I didn’t fully recognize that difference at first, so I, too, had a responsibility to bear.”
“A responsibility? Honestly, I doubt any reasonable adult would expect such a small and charming girl to bear any responsibility.”
Then, the girl finally delivered the line that would become the highlight of the night.
“As an artist, I have a responsibility to display my work in the place I promised my audience.”
“…That’s an incredible level of professionalism.”
“I am an artist, after all.”
*
Jaden stepped back from me.
“Please give a round of applause to Hannah, who came all the way from Korea to share this wonderful answer with us!”
“!”
Clap clap clap clap clap!
The sound slowly brought me back to my senses. For a moment, my vision had gone completely white from the tension.
‘Ugh… What the heck?! I thought I was going to lose my mind with all the sudden attention on me…!’
What just happened…?
Did I say something wrong?
Even as I darted my eyes around nervously, the applause continued. Then, I noticed Chief Jung standing in the corner of the studio, nodding her head enthusiastically.
— That was amazing!!
“!”
Oh, thank goodness.
At least I didn’t unconsciously say something ridiculous.
I let out a sigh of relief.
“Phew…”
At that moment, Jaden suddenly paused, as if something had just come to mind. Whether it was part of his performance or not, he turned toward me with perfect timing.
“Oh! My goodness. I nearly forgot again. Does anyone in the audience have a question for our guest?”
Once again, a wave of hands shot up.
I swallowed hard as I watched.
‘Why is everyone so fixated on me…?’
Jaden pointed to one of the guests—a woman. She was Asian, but her eyes exuded the confident, free-spirited energy of someone deeply immersed in American culture.
‘Wait, that person is…?!’
“Oh! It seems we have a very special guest with us today! This is Ellen, CEO of Laohu Agency! Do you have something you’d like to say to Hannah?”
“Of course. She’s an exceptional writer who has even received an offer from us. I actually have a personal question for her.”
“?!”
What the why are you doing this to me, lady?!
‘You were just sitting there pretending not to know me a second ago…!’
A kid from Korea had caught the attention of a top-tier agency in New York. Sensing another juicy piece of drama, Jaden’s expression grew even more intrigued.
“This just keeps getting more and more interesting… May I ask what your question is?”
Ellen Weiran, CEO of Laohu Agency, looked straight at me.
“You mentioned a writer’s responsibility earlier. What kind of ‘responsibility’ do you think applies to the message and structure of your latest work?”
“…”
She was pressuring me to explain my work right here, right now.
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