Becoming An Idol Wasn’T On My Plan [EN]: Chapter 299

I Didn’t Plan to Become an Idol – Episode 299 (267/343)

Observation camera. Jang Haejin’s request to PD [Production Director] Lee Dongwon was very simple.

‘We’re going to do unit activities, and before that, I want to show in detail how these guys treat each other, their relationships.’ That was the request.

So, the PD immediately came up with this plan.

What could better show their relationships than a situation where humans are most unguarded, caught up in memories, and then an extreme event occurs, forcing them to cooperate!

The PD chuckled as he watched Ryu Ideun sweat.

Ah, this is fun. Enjoyable. My job satisfaction is so high that I can’t even think about retiring.

At first, I thought he was a bit scared, but he quickly adapted and started asking the zombies for their names. That guy is out of his mind too.

According to the juniors who went to the set, Ji Donghwa claimed it was a unit teamwork test, and Lee Hyunjoo claimed it was a competition between *hyung* [older brother or male friend] and *dongsaeng* [younger sibling or friend], but Ji Donghwa’s explanation is more fitting when you think about it.

Ha, makes me bitter.

“Let’s add a penalty.”

“…Yes?”

“A wish ticket.”

“Do you dislike Donghwa-ssi [Mr. Donghwa]?”

“I love him too much.”

That’s why I like seeing him make mistakes too.

* * *

What a fun school life.

Watching Chae Hamin’s screen, I couldn’t help but have a variety of thoughts.

“Calm down.”

—You’re really watching! What am I going to do when I get back! I think he’s going to buy me a lot of gifts!

I thought there was only one ghost, but there are two, and they take turns popping out, so taking care of Chae Hamin is the biggest task.

When Chae Hamin is consumed by fear and slows down, I immediately call to calm him down, then solve the next route and riddle. In the meantime, I’m a bit confused because I’m flipping through Ryu Ideun’s screen to memorize the terrain and zombie routes.

I have to use Chae Hamin’s only allowed exception time effectively.

—I’m really, really sorry, Donghwa. When I came to my senses, I was so embarrassed.

“It’s okay. I expected it.”

And then, when I hang up the phone, you’re going to look at the camera and wave, aren’t you, Hamin.

I’ve gathered everything I need for the exorcism, so I just need to perform a *gut* [Korean shamanistic ritual] once according to the procedure I learned from the hints I found.

But, is this right? *Gut* is legally recognized as traditional culture, but exorcism isn’t. Then there must be a difference between the two…

—Donghwa, you were thinking about something else.

“It’s a little scary that you can tell even though you can’t see my face, Hamin.”

—Hey, I have experience. As soon as I get my certification, I’m going to get it right away and work as a lecturer.

You actually did, damn it.

I organized the information while watching Ryu Ideun’s screen, and occasionally checked the procedure for the *gut* that Chae Hamin would perform.

Well, the story is a mess. It’s pieced together with circumstantial evidence, so the detailed story may be different, but to summarize:

‘A man and a woman who loved each other couldn’t confess and died in an unfortunate accident, unable to meet each other, and remained in the school as vengeful spirits.’

Up to this point, I thought it could be possible, but there’s one thing I can’t understand at all.

Why are they attacking Chae Hamin? If they met a human who could see ghosts, shouldn’t they kneel down and beg them to convey their feelings?

A human who can fulfill their lifelong wish has appeared, but they follow him to the bathroom and startle him. This makes me doubt their sincerity.

Could it be that they were actually satisfied with living as ghosts?

“Hamin, are you all dressed?”

—Yeah. Is it over for me once I do the *gut*?

“If I fail to exorcise the two of them, I’ll have to investigate a little more.”

I said I wouldn’t use any hints, so I’m prepared for trial and error. But Chae Hamin, who was walking cheerfully, stopped like a doll with a dead battery.

“Why?”

—…Two people?

“Yeah.”

We read it together, that bizarre story of two people who didn’t date while writing in an exchange diary.

If they had just confessed, this wouldn’t have happened. Economically, the losses are enormous.

—Donghwa, you’re teasing me again! I saw three people! Two men and one woman! Wasn’t it a love triangle?

What did you see wrong, Hamin?

I took my eyes off Ryu Ideun’s screen for a moment and flipped through the channels on Chae Hamin’s screen.

No matter how I look at it, there are two people. Counting numbers is one of the few things I know without being taught, so I can’t be wrong.

However, it’s too obvious what will happen when I say to Chae Hamin in a serious voice, ‘There are two people, Hamin.’

‘What, Donghwa. Don’t, don’t tease me?’

‘It’s not teasing, Hamin. What did you see wrong,’

‘Ah?’

A moment of silence.

Chae Hamin, feeling the sincerity in my voice, will tilt his head again.

‘Ugh?’

Another silence.

But this silence is not the same as the previous ‘process of understanding what you’re saying,’ but a process of slowly stiffening.

And finally, when his whole body stiffens, he will kneel in front of the camera, reminding himself that I am still on the phone and on the other side of the camera.

‘Do, Donghwa. Please come next to me. I’ll, I’ll kneel! I’ll, I’ll do anything! I can give you my bank account too!’

And he’ll cry, probably. Well, a familiar crazy guy.

Of course, this is a projection of Chae Hamin’s image in my head, so it may be different in reality.

“Sorry for teasing you.”

—Yeah! I’m not fooled by that anymore. How can I be scared of that when I’m talking to you? I’ve grown a lot while working.

He seems proud of himself. The reality is that he mistook a school uniform left by a student for a person and was startled, but if Chae Hamin is happy, that’s enough.

“I guess so. Anyway, I hope you’re wearing your own clothes.”

Ah, I’ve memorized it all. The zombies’ routes.

If Ryu Ideun is visible, they’ll chase him right away, but if he’s not, they maintain a constant route, so it wasn’t difficult to memorize.

“Take the bell and fan and go to the multipurpose room. Do you remember the password?”

The numbers from the first letters of the exchange diary.

—Of course! 247356!

With Ryu Ideun’s physique, wouldn’t he be able to change direction and move as soon as I tell him? It’s okay to say that he practiced at the training center and then ran out with a dream of becoming a celebrity. The sport is dog agility.

“That’s right.”

He called himself a dog, so if I just grab the leash and lead him well, he’ll arrive at the goal in first place on his own.

* * *

While Ji Donghwa was taking care of Chae Hamin’s mental state and memorizing Ryu Ideun’s zombie movements, Lee Hyunjae was spitting blood [working incredibly hard].

“Hyung [older brother or male friend], let’s try one more time. What’s the answer to question 4?”

—Um. …Question 4?

Lee Hyunjae breathed a sigh of relief.

Oh my god, it’s so, so difficult. How can a test where you only have to get sixteen out of twenty questions right be so, so difficult?

Lee Hyunjae, who was using so many methods to memorize Seokjun’s number, was seized by a strong desire to just go in and solve it himself.

“Hyung [older brother or male friend], I care about you a lot.”

—Me too—.

“…I was being sarcastic. Sorry.”

—But I still care—.

Ah, I feel like I’m becoming trash. It’s even more frustrating because he doesn’t have any malice in doing that, and it’s three times more frustrating because I know he’s sincere.

I’m even more annoyed because I respect that *hyung* [older brother or male friend]. Lee Hyunjae was sometimes dissatisfied with the fact that there wasn’t a single person in their group who was worse than him, so he always ended up respecting them.

“We’re going to check one more time and then take the test. It’ll take more time if we retake it, so cheer up.”

—Okay!

He’s so cheerful, *hyung* [older brother or male friend]. I’m burning inside.

Lee Hyunjae habitually lay down on the chair, calling out the number pairs he had already memorized.

The mental fatigue is severe. From taking out the test paper to memorizing it. If he studied with this effort, his grades would improve, but he couldn’t understand why he was doing such a thing, so it was difficult to immerse himself in it.

“…Are Donghwa *hyung* [older brother or male friend] and his team doing well?”

—I think they’ll do better than me.

Don’t say it with a smile. How can he seem so unaffected?

He doesn’t have any sense of shame, and he doesn’t have any pride, but he has self-esteem.

He loves what he loves the most, and if someone ruins it, he’s sad, but he doesn’t resent that person.

“We’re going to win no matter what.”

—Really?

“Yes, I’m sure.”

We’ve never been so in sync before.

When Donghwa *hyung* [older brother or male friend] was happily playing with a tiger named Simba, Lee Hyunjae and Seokjun were constantly arguing even when taking care of one of the turtle’s meals.

At that time, Lee Hyunjae was embarrassed to death by his *hyung* [older brother or male friend], who was calling a turtle by its character name and being so happy.

But as time went by, he just respected him more and got more annoyed.

Lee Hyunjae was envious of Seokjun’s composure, wondering why there were so many frustrating things in the world.

—That’s too bad.

“I don’t know what’s going to come out of my mouth, *hyung* [older brother or male friend].”

—That’s too bad too—.

He wants to hear it.

“…You’re like a crazy bastard, *hyung* [older brother or male friend].”

Lee Hyunjae naturally made scissor motions with his fingers at the camera and repeatedly bowed his head.

I’m sorry, PD-nim [Production Director]. I couldn’t stand it in the end.

Seokjun hummed a tune, oblivious to what was going on, and closed his eyes for the last time, immersing himself in memorizing the answer sheet.

—Studying is really boring, Hyunjae. Right—.

“If you ask me that, we’ll fight again, though?”

—That’s fun—.

“I’m sorry, writer-nim [writer], can you mute my microphone for a moment?”

* * *

‘Game over! Happy after-school time! Please gather with your friends and enjoy snacks!’ That’s the ending phrase.

Look at how they connect it to the school until the end. Your knitting skills are better than mine.

The sun has already set.

I got up from my seat and stretched once.

Chae Hamin performed a *gut* [Korean shamanistic ritual] with bizarre movements, and Ryu Ideun took a shot of Chongmyeongtang [traditional herbal medicine], saying it was a cure for clearing his head, and everyone succeeded in escaping.

Ah, I should have taken a picture of Chae Hamin dancing to relieve his resentment. Even shamans would be impressed by his dance lines.

I organized the events of the day and arrived at the door.

And I clenched my teeth as I was about to open the door.

“…Donghwa wants this door to open.”

The sentence that appeared on the screen after Chae Hamin and Ryu Ideun escaped. It was said to be the password to shout for escape. Damn PD [Production Director], it’s a good thing it went to Ryu Ideun.

The door opens with a creak. I was about to go outside, but my expression soured as soon as I saw one person’s face.

“Please be a little cuter. If you read it as coldly as you are now, I’d believe it even if it was a phrase written in a religious scripture!”

Why are you here, PD [Production Director].

“I ran here to hear this. I have to see what I’ve prepared with my own eyes to be satisfied.”

Ugh. I’m disillusioned.

“Ah, more than that, I’m going to do a post-shooting interview today, are you going to come along?”

“Um.”

It’s strange. The shooting order is bizarre.

Moreover, ‘Are you going to come along?’ is a sentence that deliberately gives a choice. It’s very annoying.

I pondered for a moment and opened my mouth.

“…I’m going to eat snacks.”

Then the PD [Production Director] immediately drooped his shoulders with a disappointed look.

“Ah, if you don’t fall for this, it’s not fun at all, Donghwa-ssi [Mr. Donghwa].”

It was a showdown, damn it. If I had known, I should have grilled Ryu Ideun more.

“Go quickly! I’ll pray for your victory!”

What a liar. Just looking at his face, I can tell that he wants me to lose and taste humiliation.

As soon as I got into the car prepared in front of the school, the car started right away. It seems like I lost, but even if I lose, so what? I can’t lose to my younger brother, but losing to the members isn’t a big deal.

“Donghwa-ssi [Mr. Donghwa], you can get off here.”

“Should I go to the snack bar in front of here?”

“Yes.”

I got out of the car and saw a snack bar with a friendly atmosphere. There was no one inside.

…Did I win? No, these damn things must be hiding even if they arrived first. And the PD [Production Director] might have hidden some strange devices too.

I wondered if it was possible to become so suspicious while filming a reality show, but I couldn’t help it because I was at the point where I wouldn’t be surprised even if Chae Hamin popped out of that flower pot or fireworks exploded.

As I was wandering around for a while, grabbing the doorknob of the snack bar where something was clearly hidden, a car stopped behind me.

I naturally turned around and saw Lee Hyunjae looking at me with regretful eyes.

“I lost.”

Considering the time I was wandering around, it can’t be said that the time changed because the car was stuck in traffic.

“…Ha, I was bragging to the camera about how I saw through the fake at the end. How embarrassing.”

And when I opened the door and took a step inside, another car stopped.

“Ah, what. Am I in third place?”

“Did you do the interview?”

“I was doing it, but I asked for permission and ran out. I thought something was strange.”

He ran like that the whole time, but how can he not look tired? Don’t we eat the same thing?

When I, Lee Hyunjae, and Ryu Ideun entered the snack bar in that order and sat down, we couldn’t help but sigh as soon as we heard the victory conditions.

“You have to have everyone here to win……”

“Then, doesn’t that mean that there’s no point in us figuring it out early?”

In the end, the victory or defeat of this game depends on which of the two with flower gardens in their heads talks less. All the hard work we put in all day becomes meaningless, damn it.

“There are also special benefits for those of you who succeeded in avoiding the interview.”

The writer-nim [writer] said that and handed out one tablet to each team.

“You can watch the two of their interviews directly.”

Special benefits, it seems like it’s just going to be embarrassing for us, that kind of, expectation.