Becoming An Idol Wasn’T On My Plan [EN]: Chapter 109

109.

My studio doubles as our own discussion forum. Recently, the members have been complaining more about muscle pain.

Of course, I only received the practice questions, and I had no problems, let alone headaches.

It’s not hard to memorize the answers to 100 broken questions. At this rate, I wonder if a quiz competition is even possible. If everyone gets the answers too easily, it won’t be a quiz competition, but a speed quiz.

“Ah, I think I’m getting cramps in my legs these days. Running practice is also subtly…….”

“Me too, wrestling is subtly hard.”

Especially Ryu Iden and Chae Hamin, who were selected for archery, are half-dead preparing for the two events.

“Ah, but when I heard it from Yaeun *hyung* [older brother/male friend], our fans are going to suffer a lot.”

I was rechecking the paper I had already memorized and flinched.

I wondered what that meant again.

“When you go to that competition, the fans don’t even get to eat!”

……What is that supposed to mean.

“They’re locked up during filming and can’t go out to eat.”

…Oh my gosh, those damn broadcasters again. Why are they starving other people’s precious children?

Moreover, if they’re using the word ‘locked up,’ I can’t even imagine how inhumane the environment is for the fans. Freedom of residence is guaranteed by the constitution, yet they dare to do this just to film something.

Lee Hyunjae flinched, probably because my expression was scary, and carefully put his hand on my shoulder. Was he telling me to calm down?

“So, our agency is providing lunch support, but I don’t know if it’ll be enough since they’ll be there from morning till night.”

The moment Ryu Iden finished speaking, Chae Hamin and I opened our mouths at the same time.

“I’ll pay for one meal.”

“I’ll treat!”

And our eyes meet.

“…I’ll pay. I have some copyright fees.”

“Hey, Donghwa. I’m using my allowance?”

Good heavens, the young master is different. The other members widened their eyes as if surprised by those words.

When I think about it, the first settlement hasn’t even been processed yet, so if it’s not copyright fees, there’s no other way he could have earned extra money besides his allowance.

“……Wouldn’t it be better if I paid?”

“I want to contribute to our team even at times like this! Donghwa, I saw with my own eyes how hard you worked on composing, how can I watch you spend the money you earned like that.”

A short argument broke out over who would pay. Chae Hamin argued more strongly than expected, insisting that we should save the money you worked so hard to earn.

Ryu Iden, unable to watch any longer, intervened.

“Stop it, guys.”

Seokjoon is just yawning, and Lee Hyunjae has a fed-up expression.

“I think something like this happened when we were deciding on a leader before…….”

The day Ryu Iden and I had a battle of spear and shield over who should be the leader, with the members in between.

“But can’t you just split it in half?”

“Hmm, but it’s Donghwa’s hard-earned money…….”

What a mess. There’s nothing else to do with the money I worked hard to earn except buy cotton candy, gifts for the members, and books for me to read.

“Hamin, then I’ll do the appetizers and dessert, and you do the main dish.”

I look at Chae Hamin.

“How about that?”

I wonder if he’ll let me buy the appetizers and dessert.

* * *

Idol Star Athletics Championships filming day.

The Luminaries [fan club name] are huddled together in the fan seats assigned to Blossoms [group name]. It was a double-mindedness of cursing the damn Idol Olympics but not wanting to miss the opportunity to see them in person.

Hard chairs. Terrible cold. Controlled behavior. To prepare for all of this, they brought blankets, cushions, and other items. This damn athletic competition doesn’t even provide a glass of water or a meal while imprisoning the fans.

There are endless calls to boycott, but they always fizzle out. For some, enduring this much pain may be a reasonable thing to do.

And then the full-scale filming began. From the entrance ceremony to the warm-up exercises, it was unnecessarily long.

“Look at the kids in their gym uniforms.”

The sudden burst of sobbing resonates with the Luminaries as if it were contagious. Everyone from Lee Hyunjae to Ryu Iden is wearing gym uniforms, looking like college athletes themselves. Especially Ryu Iden. His physique and gym uniform were a cheat combination. In addition, Chae Hamin and Seokjoon were also great because their physiques supported them, while Lee Hyunjae and Ji Donghwa, although lacking in physique, further fueled the imagination.

One Luminary, who was watching the scene, muttered.

“There’s no way there would be seniors or juniors like that.”

The muttering of a college student elicited a chuckle.

After that, the fans, who had not eaten since waiting from the morning, were about to take out the snacks they had brought.

Blossoms came up to the fan seats. Carrying heavy boxes.

Opportunities to see your idols this close are rare, so they take a breath and hold it in.

“Everyone! You haven’t eaten, have you!”

The moment has come. It’s time for the reverse support [idols providing food for fans].

“Yes!”

With that huge answer, the Blossoms members take out the first box and say.

“First, we’ll give you the appetizers!”

And then a moment of awkward silence. Expressions of not knowing what it means and expressions of understanding what it means and being even more puzzled are mixed together.

“I personally chose smoked salmon salad and canapés with ham. I personally chose something suitable to stimulate your appetite.”

Ji Donghwa’s continued explanation. He even added that the canapés were made by the members themselves, so don’t expect too much.

One fan quietly asked.

“……So, are we eating a course meal now, Donghwa?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Ji Donghwa answers with a smile. Lee Hyunjae also opens his mouth next to him.

“The members woke up around 4 a.m. today to make the canapés according to Donghwa *hyung’s* recipe.”

After that, lunch boxes for appetizers are distributed one by one.

The fans who received the salad and two canapés in their hands quietly lost their words.

“……Did Nietzsche have this much money?”

“He’s quite rich, but did he have this much?”

Of course, it’s Ji Donghwa’s private money, but they didn’t know it yet.

And then a short meal followed. Eating the salad and canapés was instantaneous. Of course, there were many comments that the canapés were made by themselves, so it was a pity to eat them.

“Okay, everyone, now you have to eat the main dish!”

Chae Hamin shouted proudly and took out the box.

A fairly large lunch box that goes around one pack at a time. A letter was delivered along with each lunch box.

After receiving the letter and putting it in their arms, the top of the lid was revealed. One fan saw the logo drawn on it and made a surprised noise.

“Isn’t this the schnitzel place Donghwa recommended? I don’t think they do takeout here.”

She, who was a true Ji Donghwa profile picture [someone who knows everything about him], had of course eaten Ji Donghwa’s pick of schnitzel.

“I will tell you how to eat schnitzel, Luminaries.”

Ji Donghwa explains in a polite voice how to use lemons and jam step by step.

“Enjoy your meal, everyone! I couldn’t prepare beer to drink with it, so I decided on apple juice!”

While being purified by the bright smile, another box is taken out again.

“And, this is— the— dessert— to eat after you’re done—”

Cakes wrapped one piece at a time. Ji Donghwa asked Mokwha, who often eats sweets, and found out about a famous restaurant.

At this point, the Luminaries who had received everything were confused as to whether they had come to support their idols or to eat.

And while eating and having a short conversation with Blossoms, one Luminary muttered while cutting the schnitzel.

“I don’t know if this is reality…… It’s crazy, really.”

The fried food that I took a bite of felt like it had just been fried.

“If I post this on mentions [social media], it’ll be popular, right?”

“……Ha, but if a rookie is this good, if Nietzsche was this good, if the support makes sense, I’m worried about the sound coming out [negative rumors].”

However, the food was so delicious that I thought I could put those worries aside.

* * *

After the meal, I went down to where our team was and sat cross-legged next to Yaeun.

“Wow, composer, the lunch was amazing. The members paid for it themselves?”

“…That’s right. Senior.”

“Actually, we’ve been around for a while, so we saved up money and bought it in addition to the company’s support.”

“Surprisingly, there is a friend on our team who is guaranteed to make a living from inheritance alone, even if he doesn’t earn money.”

Yaeun nods.

“Hamin definitely has an air of nobility.”

I didn’t have anything to say, so I stayed still.

“…Um, Donghwa, are you going to continue working as a composer?”

“I think that’s what will happen.”

Of course, songs for our team and songs for Mokwha will be the top priority.

“Wow, you haven’t really experienced the rising season yet, so you’re going to be very busy. Of course, I’m okay with leftover songs too!”

Yaeun asks for a song, taking advantage of the gap. It’s an ambiguous sound to answer.

“That’s what *hyung* said.”

Ryu Iden comes and sits next to me, who is talking to Yaeun, and answers.

“You’ll be so busy that you won’t have much time to compose, Donghwa. It’ll be really tight just making our songs. I heard it too.”

“That’s a problem that can be solved if I stay up all night,”

When I was about to say that, suddenly someone was running from behind.

“Donghwa!”

Chae Hamin grabs my shoulder from behind and shakes it.

“Again! Again! You don’t think about your body at all! I’m not saying don’t work, but please! Donghwa!”

It was a familiar thing to me, so I just entrusted my body to Chae Hamin’s shaking. Like a steel ball doing pendulum motion.

“…Ha, Min, I’m, in the middle of, a conversation, right now.”

Yaeun, who saw that, smiles brightly.

“You’re almost a paper doll, composer. If you only look at the proportions and skeleton, you’ll look strong.”

Originally, everything is not what it seems.

“Anyway, Blossoms’ first game is running, right?”

“That’s right. Hyunjae is warming up now.”

“If it’s Hyunjae… he might be able to win first place.”

Um, I don’t know. I don’t have the talent to estimate athletic ability just by looking at the human body.

After the time I was shaken by Chae Hamin passed, it was time for Lee Hyunjae’s 100m race.

“But Hyunjae is good at running, Iden *hyung*?”

Ryu Iden nodded at Chae Hamin’s question.

“He’s also a cheat character after Donghwa…….”

Lee Hyunjae warms up at the starting line, and soon the preparation signal spreads.

Three, two, one.

Lee Hyunjae starts in response to the stabbing start signal,

……Um, where did he go. He was definitely there just a moment ago. He had disappeared before I could close my eyes for a moment.

Exclamations of ‘Wow, what is he’ burst out from everywhere, and Lee Hyunjae ran far ahead as the leader.

“……Did he do track and field?”

When I was dumbfounded, Ryu Iden burst into a short laugh.

“If you pick the golden balance in our team, wouldn’t it be Hyunjae?”

…Um, I feel like I’m getting too much for nothing.

Lee Hyunjae, who passed the finish line in first place in a fairly short time and advanced to the finals. We ran towards him.

“Our Hyunjae!”

Lee Hyunjae, who is running to meet him, jumps and runs to hug him when he gets close…… Wait, Hyunjae. That direction is towards me.

Wouldn’t it be too harsh for the official paper doll recognized by Yaeun?

Thinking so, I naturally fell backwards.