Becoming An Idol Wasn’T On My Plan [EN]: Chapter 177

177.

I closed my laptop after seeing the article titled, “Hoppin’, a showdown with the trending Blossoms… ‘Sorry, seniors!’” Damn it, I don’t even know how I feel. Who winning would make me happier? No, from the start, I think I’d be happy if both won, so the question itself is wrong.

Then, who should I philosophically support?

“Of course, it’s us, Dong-hwa…”

Chae Ha-min answered with a very sulky voice, looking dejected, as if asking with his whole body, ‘How could you do this? I’m disappointed. Are you even human?’

“Supporting another team in the first place is a bit strange, isn’t it?”

Lee Hyun-jae mumbled while solving past exam questions on his tablet. Focus, you damn examinee.

“Well, I understand how you feel, but I’m a little sad.”

Don’t say that with a face that doesn’t look sad at all, Lee Deun.

“Hyung-nim [older brother or respected male figure]. Wizney’s reaction—so good, so good-ibnida! [Korean suffix indicating politeness]”

Seok-joon mumbled with cream smeared on both cheeks, looking ecstatically happy. Today, we gathered with a cake to celebrate Seok-joon’s successful voice actor debut. The audience’s reaction was mostly favorable, so we got a strawberry cream cake for this friend whose brain is always a flower garden.

“Actually, they didn’t really say I was good at voice acting, but rather that my rap was good…”

Focus, Hyun-jae. Human concentration isn’t that weak.

“A-anyway, I’m the happiest-ibnida.”

“Yeah, eat a lot. Just loosen your diet for today.”

Knowing that Ryu Yi-deun omitted ‘You can work out with me’ after that, I frowned.

“Don’t tease the innocent one.”

“Oh, you should really think about whether you’re the one to say that, right?”

Looking at the lump of sugar in front of me, I took a little cream and put it in my mouth. Wow, it feels like my brain is being smacked with sugar. I don’t think I can eat much.

In front of me, Chae Ha-min was melting down.

“I’m sad.”

Oh dear, that’s unfortunate. I picked up my knitting and unconsciously moved my hands.

“I’m saaad.”

Um, I need to put a Rudolph pattern here, so the order is…….

“I’m saaaddd.”

Stop it, Ha-min.

I put down the knitting. Chae Ha-min, still melting, was rubbing his forehead against the table like crazy. No wonder his voice was trembling strangely.

“…I mean, of course, I’d want us to be number one, Ha-min.”

Stimulated by my words, he suddenly raised his head, then changed to a suspicious look.

“You’re a skilled liar… I mustn’t be fooled.”

Oh dear, he’s quick-witted.

“…First, how many hours of running is it.”

Ryu Yi-deun must be calculating the calories of the cake Seok-joon is devouring with his eyes. Peaceful.

“Ah, right. Guys.”

“What is it?”

“We got offers for an OST [original soundtrack] and a cameo appearance.”

If it starts with a cameo and expands to a supporting role, I’m quitting.

“We did well with an OST last time. Hyun-jae has a lot of money now, too.”

“Ah, that’s right. I bought a lot of workbooks with it.”

“So, I guess that’s why… we got offers from three places saying, ‘Just give them the OST!'”

Therefore, Ryu Yi-deun cast his gaze on me.

“…Do you happen to know who’s in it?”

“That’s right, the cast is the most important thing in a drama.”

Ah, thank goodness, Chae Ha-min isn’t that quick-witted yet.

“Just the main cast, roughly?”

“Then it’ll be easy to choose.”

I felt a little left out as the members were talking with a meaning only they knew. I took a little more cream with my chopsticks again and took out the knitting kit.

* * *

Jin-han is smiling. Much more than the slightly artificial smile he usually puts on.

He figured it out. The riddle Dong-hwa sunbae [senior] gave! The words Dong-hwa sunbae said before leaving were a line from Sinclair in Demian! Finally, he can become close! Good at composing, smart, handsome, and close to Ryu Yi-deun sunbae, who has a wide network in the entertainment industry! A man who has it all!

In other words, Dong-hwa sunbae acknowledged that he is Sinclair. He was trying to tell him from the start! He doesn’t really know why he did that, even if he thinks about it, he honestly doesn’t even have a clue! The thrill when he guessed that he had given a quiz, guessed ‘What if those words are related to Demian?’, and finally found that line in the beginning when he read Demian!

‘Maybe he deliberately chose a line from the beginning? Choosing something that seems to make sense but is in the beginning…… As expected, his memory is no joke, this sunbae.’

He recognized it at the sports competition before. That quiz show, no matter how he looked at it, the last questions didn’t seem to be things they had told them in advance. That means he memorized that Russian person’s name perfectly. This one was similar to that. To give a hint of Sinclair, on the spot…….

…Wait, then that person came up with a line from a novel on the spot and made it a quiz? It was written exactly the same as the translated version?

He thought, ‘Dong-hwa sunbae can do it, I guess,’ but when he thought about it again, it didn’t seem like something a human could do? He’s far beyond the realm of humans.

Just as Jin-han was overwhelmed with awe, and that awe became similar to fear, Mok-hwa approached him.

“Hyung [older brother], what’s wrong?”

A younger brother who knows his personality is shady because they spent a long time practicing together.

“Who are you trying to bury this time?”

“What do you mean bury, Mok-hwa…….”

“There’s no strength in your voice at all. Hyung, you get like that when you have a lot of thoughts. Aren’t you thinking about how to ruin someone?”

Jin-han took off his smile. Ah, refreshing.

“Noooo, Mok-hwa. I’m not burying anyone. Can you just correct it to digging into someone’s weaknesses?”

Inside the company, they were secretly pushing him as the next leader without the trainees knowing. It was only natural that Jin-han’s opinions were often cited in the trainees’ internal evaluations. So he created an impression of being naive, an impression that it was okay to say anything, an impression that he would cover up sins. In order to hear all the rumors circulating among the trainees.

“Anyway, what are you thinking about?”

“I was thinking about what Dong-hwa sunbae does.”

Jin-han’s face slowly turned to fear again. That’s not a level of ability that a human should have. Even a spy who has been severely trained wouldn’t have that much memory!

“That person… might not be human, Mok-hwa. Could it be a highly developed artificial intelligence?”

“……Hyung, are you finally crazy?”

Mok-hwa’s expression rotted as if he couldn’t listen to it at all. A terribly cold voice. A look that threw away the gentleness he usually showed. He’s optimized as an idol because he knows how to be loved, but that’s why he was scarier when he was angry like this. A person who knows how to be loved making the decision to give up being loved means he’s going to see it through to the end.

“Even if you’re my hyung, if you mess with Dong-hwa hyung…….”

That’s right. Our Mok-hwa was a terrible hyung-lover. He couldn’t make a proper judgment because of fear. He forgot that Mok-hwa is a crazy dog that he can’t control when he’s angry. It’s not a big problem because the reason for his anger is always justified and he stubbornly holds it in.

Looking at it this way, the brothers seem a little, um, similar.

“I’m really sorry. It’s not that, I was just thinking about how can he be so smart…”

Then Mok-hwa’s anger subsided. Rather, it loosened up with a grin.

“Haha, isn’t our hyung a little smart? Yeah, I was really surprised when I was young, too.”

That human is scary too. It was his mistake, but fear was an instinctive feeling.

* * *

— Hyung, be careful, it seems like a crazy person is obsessed with you.

……What is this, Mok-hwa, this text. I knew that I would get a stalker someday while working as an idol, but I didn’t want to worry my younger brother.

— I’m going now.

What is it, Mok-hwa!

And then the sound of knocking. It must be a crazy person.

“Oh, hello, sunbaenims [seniors]! I came to visit briefly to tell you that it’s an honor to meet you in the running for first place today. Hehe.”

He’s a crazy person, but. He’s not crazy in that direction. Because he’s smiling like an idiot with a gentle, handsome face.

Feeling my gaze, Jin-han shook a copy of Demian in his hand, looking at me. With an expression of ‘Please praise me’.

He noticed. If he’s been worrying about it, he must have had a hard time. A natural, pleased smile flowed out of me. Jin-han, who approached me, whispered in a lowered voice.

“Sinclair-ssi [Mr. Sinclair]! Thank you so much for the song! I, I’m really honored, wow, how should I say it.”

He’s jumping up and down, not knowing what to do. A slightly rising voice. A face and intentional act that he’s really excited to death.

I got up from my seat.

“Shall we go to the cafeteria?”

“Ah, thank you.”

He’s chattering, this time without any tension, speaking well without any nervousness.

As expected, Jin-han is drinking a bizarre drink like tomato juice.

“Wow, so I have a question.”

I just gave him a look without saying a word.

“I’m curious about the intention of the test.”

That one word pierces my mind. Ah, this person. That’s who he is.

Many human characteristics can be confirmed depending on how the same phenomenon is interpreted. To interpret a word thrown without much meaning like this, that’s all calculated. That innocent expression. Amazing. Even Ryu Yi-deun doesn’t decorate himself to that extent. What test is it in the first place, I was just teasing.

“I thought it would be a quiz if it was sunbaenim [senior], I guess I was right.”

……Wait, is that how I look like.

“Do you have any prizes? I think it would be nice to have sunbaenim’s number!”

That a human can reveal the innocence of Chae Ha-min’s level through acting is amazing. Why is such a person a singer? Tell him to act instead of Park Woo-jin.

“I understand. Give me your phone.”

“While you’re at it, I think it would be nice if you lowered your words a little!”

A human who can act ‘I thought we were close, so it’s become easier to treat you!’ What on earth, now everything looks like acting, this is a big deal, prejudice is not good.

“Okay, Jin-han.”

Then the expression that is dyed with the light of glory again. Ah, now everything looks like acting, this is a big deal, prejudice is not good.

“Jin-han-ah [Jin-han, in a more familiar way].”

“Yes, sunbaenim!”

Pretending to be sparkling.

“Can you keep this a secret from the other members?”

“Ah, well, I guess you have a reason to hide it.”

Um, I just want to tease my younger brother once.

* * *

“This week, the winner of the first place trophy is!”

“Blossoms! Congratulations!”

At the words of the MCs, we felt emotions that we are now slightly familiar with and stepped forward to the center to finish our acceptance speech. The Hoppin’ members standing next to us were all smiling brightly, and Mok-hwa hugged me and shouted congratulations.

As expected, I want to see them win first place too. First place is good, but as a composer, I also have the desire to see the children shine with my song. Dreaming an impossible dream is so heartbreaking. We have to be number one for the fans, but as a composer, I want Hoppin’ to be number one. Damn double standard. Humans are hard to understand after all.

“Sunbaenim [senior], congratulations, we were expecting it because our song was so good this time, but as expected!”

Jin-han liked to gild my face like this again. Um, it’s embarrassing. Whatever the reason, if he wants to get close, I wish he would understand me a little more.

“I will definitely! Get a song from the person who gave us the song this time again! And win!”

I burst out laughing at that moment. He’s a weirder person than I expected.

“I’ll look forward to it.”

In the place where Hoppin’s fandom, Wishes, gathered, the story of the composer was coming out very occasionally, like beans sprouting in a drought.

[Hoppin’s first place is so sweet ㅅㅂ [Korean slang for ‘so good’]]

To be honest, when I saw that Diony’s debut had little popularity in the beginning… I thought, ah, is Diony the first male idol group to fail… but this album filled me up with뽕 [ppong – feeling of being high on something]. Miro… was the best concept… The description of the growing children was also very good…

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