The studio lights hit like a summer glare, but Aster was ready.
He sat on the second guest couch next to Minji from Sugarpop, the idol girl with a pretty smile and pink hair clips. On the far left sat Chef Bong, a celebrity chef known for cursing affectionately at contestants, and on Aster's other side was Rico, a rising comedic actor whose face had appeared in every ramen commercial for the past two years.
It was an eclectic group.
The host, MC Donnie—a man with permed hair and jokes faster than bullets—stood front and center, mic in hand.
"Alright, everyone!" he boomed. "Welcome back to another episode of Let's Eat, Let's Laugh! Today's guests are as spicy as our snacks and just as addictive!"
The audience was cued to applause.
Aster smiled as the camera panned across them.
MC Donnie wasted no time. "Let's start with our rising star. Aster Collin, welcome!"
"Thank you for having me," Aster said with a small bow.
"You've been trending a lot lately. Commercials, memes, fan edits. Even your water bottle got fanart."
Aster blinked. "...The water bottle?"
Minji burst out laughing. "Don't you check your tag feed?"
"Only when I need a dose of chaos," he replied dryly, earning more chuckles from the crew.
MC Donnie smirked. "They say you're cool and mysterious. But today, we'll find out if you can also eat pickled squid without flinching!"
Aster raised a brow. "Only if you go first."
"Ohhh!" Rico hollered. "This one's got bite!"
Chef Bong grinned. "Bet he cooks too."
Minji leaned toward Aster. "Do you?"
"I had to," Aster answered with a shrug. "I once made a grilled cheese sandwich using a flat iron."
MC Donnie clutched his chest. "That's either survival genius or a crime against dairy!"
Aster tilted his head, eyes calm. "Desperate times."
The audience cracked up again.
The group banter settled into warm, rhythmic chatter. It felt less like a talk show and more like four coworkers meeting after a long week—just with cameras, microphones, and nation-wide broadcast.
"Time for our Spice or Nice lightning round!" the host announced. "Answer fast, no thinking!"
Cards were drawn. Guests braced themselves.
"What's a food you'd eat even if it gave you a stomachache every time?"
"Spicy cheese tteokbokki," Minji answered immediately.
"Raw oysters," Chef Bong grunted.
"Instant noodles," Rico sighed. "They own me."
Aster thought a moment. "Deep-fried ice cream. Worth it."
"Which food makes you irrationally angry?"
"Overcooked steak," Chef Bong snapped.
"Cilantro," Minji said, making a gag face. "It tastes like soap!"
"Hot dogs cut in half," Rico groaned. "It's... emotional damage."
Aster answered, deadpan: "Cake without frosting."
Minji gasped. "That's valid."
"Sweet, salty, or spicy?"
"Spicy!" Minji yelled, raising her hands like she was at a concert.
"Salty," Chef Bong nodded.
"Sweet," Rico smiled. "Because I am."
Aster smirked. "Spicy. Because I'm not."
Even MC Donnie clutched the cue cards and pretended to swoon. "He just murdered us all with one line."
Aster shrugged. "I'm an actor."
The laughter lingered as the icebreaker ended, and MC Donnie gave a grin that promised chaos ahead.
"Well, now that you're all warmed up," he said, "let's see if those tastebuds can match your tongues."
He gestured toward the long table of strange-looking ingredients slowly being wheeled in.
"Coming up next: the blindfold taste test! Can our guests guess what they're eating when they can't even see it?"
Minji yelped in mock terror. Rico started praying to a ramen god. Chef Bong cracked his knuckles like he was about to go to war.
And Aster...?
He just smiled coolly, leaned back, and muttered, "Bring it on."