Becoming An Idol Wasn’T On My Plan [EN]: Chapter 20

20.

After some bickering with Ryu Iden, I managed to get the information I wanted and happily pulled out my laptop. It felt good to be returning to my old job after so long.

Ryu Iden, who had been quietly watching me, pulled out a wet wipe, wiped his face, and said,

“Sorry for showing you such an ugly side, Donghwa.”

I paused my laptop and looked at Ryu Iden.

“It’s just… I’ve been the oldest one for the past three years.”

…Is he explaining why he cried just now?

“Because of that, it was a little hard to talk about these things with anyone. It was hard to talk to my parents too. I guess it became a habit.”

“…Bottling it up inside?”

Ryu Iden nodded again and sighed.

“I must have been crazy for a moment. Why did I want to quit?”

Well, after hearing everything so far, I think I understand to some extent.

“…You wanted to run away?”

So, Ryu Iden wanted to rely on someone, but there was no one, and while he was enduring alone, that kind of thing happened, so he wanted to give up everything.

…I can understand that too.

“That’s right, momentarily… Anyway, I wanted to be a good hyung [older brother or male friend] if we debuted together, but it doesn’t seem like it. Sorry.”

What kind of nonsense is that? Ryu Iden needs to take care of his mental health before his physical health. Just because he cried in front of me doesn’t mean he’s not a good hyung.

Does Ryu Iden not know how great he is, just like Chae Hamin? They’re both equally stupid.

I turned my gaze to the laptop and said what I had always thought.

“…You’re already a good hyung.”

Even someone like me told that kid he was a good hyung, so Ryu Iden is definitely a great hyung.

Even though he annoys me every morning.

“…What am I.”

“You’re young too.”

“Huh?”

“The fact that you, who is also young, tried to be someone others could rely on is amazing. Besides… you even feel responsible, so you’re an even more amazing person.”

“…….”

“It’s just that you needed a hyung too.”

If you want to rely on someone but feel like there’s no one, you might suddenly want to run away. I know that feeling to some extent. So, what Ryu Iden needed was a ‘hyung’ he could lean on for a little while. That’s why he made such a fuss.

Ryu Iden pondered what I said and then asked seriously.

“…Then, will you sometimes be my hyung, Donghwa?”

You’re crazy. Even though I’m actually older, I have no intention of being called hyung by Ryu Iden.

“…Even if I’m not a hyung, I can be a younger brother who listens well.”

“After what happened today, I want to rely on you often, what should I do?”

As he said that, Ryu Iden started grinning. He’s like a dog who’s excited to take off the leash he’s been wearing for days. He looks so relieved. He’s using me however he wants.

“…It’s fine, so let’s deal with the company first.”

“Yeah, I should. Thank you so much. For helping me come to my senses. If it were the other kids… maybe.”

They wouldn’t have been able to stop him. Ryu Iden is a good hyung, but at the same time, he’s someone the kids are afraid of.

“…Okay.”

I kept looking at the laptop and replied.

“But… what are you doing on the laptop?”

What else?

“Propaganda.”

* * *

Three hours after the post about Ryu Iden was uploaded, a strange comment appeared among the comments in the still-burning thread.

―Wow, this bastard really uploaded it ㅋㅌㅌㅋㅋ

The comment subtly implied that they knew who had posted the article, and with a seemingly nonchalant tone, Ryu Iden’s fans and those who were curious started replying to the account.

And about four minutes after the replies started, the person who seemed to have written the comment left a single word.

―The bastard who wrote this was cut from The Next Ni because of school violence

The explicit expression in this statement became the highlight in the burning thread, and Ryu Iden’s fans, other people’s fans, and even people who had nothing better to do than hang out in online communities started throwing in their two cents.

―Birds of a feather ㅋㅋㅋㅌㅋㅋㅌㅋㅋㅋ This is so funny ㅋㅌㅌㅌㅌㅌㅌㅋㅋ

―A school violence criminal would have endured violence well ㅎ

―How can you believe just one comment? He’s probably a Ryu Iden fan

―Then how the f*ck do you believe just one post?

―Just because he caused school violence doesn’t mean Ryu Iden’s controversy disappears

―ㅋㅋㅌㅌㅌㅌㅌㅋㅋㅋㅋㅌㅋ But it’s true that the credibility suddenly dropped~

Ryu Iden’s fans, who had been fiercely defending him with their phones and computers, grabbed the weapon that had suddenly fallen from the sky and started swinging it like crazy. It doesn’t matter whether the comment is true or not. The important thing is that they can attack the person who wrote the post.

Of course, the fans of the lower-ranked contestants, who were desperately trying to bring Ryu Iden down to raise their own ranks, also responded to this.

But humans are naturally more interested in the misdeeds of someone they believed to be a victim than the misdeeds of someone they believed to be a perpetrator.

And gradually, the thread that had only been burning with Ryu Iden’s controversy began to shift its focus to whether the comment was true.

―No, if that comment is true, the post is a bit funny. Isn’t it just Ryu Iden’s realization of justice?

―That’s right. Looking at Ryu Iden’s personality, it’s more believable that he hit him because the kid caused trouble than as a way to vent his anger

―So where’s the proof that the comment is real~

―Then what proof is there that the post is real other than those scraps of photos~

―So does the person who wrote that comment have any evidence?

―Ah, I’m so excited. I love it when these kinds of incidents periodically happen in the quiet idol scene

―2222222 I love it ㅎㅎㅎ

And as if responding to the attention, the person who was presumed to have left the comment created a new post.

[I made an account because you asked for more details]

The name of the bastard who wrote that is ㅇㅈㅎ (I’m doing this because I don’t want to get sued for mentioning his real name, so please understand)

There are two guys who were going to participate in The Next Ni from Nietzsche Entertainment but were kicked out at the last minute due to school violence controversies. He’s one of them

As a side note, Chae Hamin and Ji Donghwa were the ones who came in to fill those spots back then

Anyway, here’s a simple three-line summary first

1. ㅇㅈㅎ is a kid who caused school violence

2. When he got kicked out because of that, Ryu Iden told him that he was guilty and should repent, which made him angry

3. He’s angry, but it makes his stomach hurt to see The Next Ni doing well

4. His stomach hurts, so he’s trying to screw over Ryu Iden by manipulating things

(Omitted)

And here’s a photo of ㅇㅈㅎ and Ryu Iden together

(A photo of Ryu Iden and someone whose face is covered with an emoticon, taken in what appears to be a practice room)

If you look closely, you can see that the clothes and the location of the dots are the same as in the photo I posted

Let’s quickly delete the post before I take off the emoticon!

Comments

―Wow, what the hell is this

―Hey, take off the emoticon from that photo~~~~~ I really want to see his face ㅎㅎㅎㅎㅎㅎㅎㅎ

―ㄱㅆ I don’t want to get sued for doing that

―I’ll hire a lawyer with my own money ㅎㅎㅎㅎ

―No, is the only evidence you have just one photo?

―Oh? This comment was also on the fabricated post claiming Ryu Iden’s exposé!

―Déjà vu.

―ㅋㅋㅌㅌㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅌㅋ It’s so pathetic. You said a photo was enough anytime~.

―ㄱㄴㄲ It’s so absurd, but I’m so relieved that Ryu Iden’s post was fabricated, and I feel like I’m about to cry, but I’m also happy, so I’m laughing. I’m on the verge of going crazy

And this post led to phone inquiries to Nietzsche Entertainment. They asked if it was true that Ji Donghwa and Chae Hamin were replacement members.

[Nietzsche Entertainment Official]

I didn’t ask about anything else, but I only asked if it was true that Chae Hamin and Ji Donghwa were replacements, and they said it was true.

And humans tend to fall into a cognitive bias that if one truth is confirmed, the rest are also likely to be true.

The moment they confirmed that the replacement story, which was only a small part of the post, was true, public opinion began to turn.

* * *

I closed the laptop. I analyzed the way people write on the internet to write the post, but I don’t know if it sounds natural.

The famous propagandist Goebbels said that when doing propaganda, you must mix in at least a little bit of truth.

Even though his personality was trash, he showed great talent in propaganda, so I used what I could.

Looking at the end, I’m relieved that I managed to grab hold of public opinion to some extent.

First of all, it was a good move to include that Chae Hamin and I were replacements at the beginning, the second best move was to write it in a stimulating way while maintaining the minimum line, and the decisive move was to dig into the point of betrayal of someone who was believed to be a victim.

At least the people who were sticking around for fun will like my more stimulating writing.

Anyway, it wasn’t bad.

I stretched once and lay down on the bed. And then, Ryu Iden rushed into the room and stared blankly at me. He’s moving his lips, so it looks like he has something to say.

“…Was it you?”

Well, asking like that makes me feel like I’ve committed a crime. Team Leader Jang Haejin must be working hard, as she was constantly monitoring the situation.

There’s no need to deny it, so I nodded.

“…The team leader said she’s going to use the post you wrote to grab public opinion.”

Well, just saying that someone who was kicked out of The Next Ni right before the show due to school violence issues will definitely grab public opinion.

Ryu Iden nodded satisfactorily and looked at me humming a tune, and then asked in disbelief.

“Why did you go so far…….”

I think I know what he’s going to say.

I smiled slightly and replied.

“…As a hyung, I’m thinking of my younger brother.”

“…Hyung.”

Wow, I really don’t want to hear that. Even though it was a joke, I crossed the line myself.

“Donghwa hyung!”

Ryu Iden ran towards me with a touched expression and hugged me, damn it, hyungnim [a more honorific term for hyung].

“…It hurts.”

Then Ryu Iden hugged me even tighter with his strong body. Being touched is, good…….

“Ah, let go!”

“Donghwa hyung always uses honorifics when he’s angry!”

“Get out, please!”

And in the midst of that chaos, Chae Hamin opened the door wide and appeared.

“Everyone! Guess what I bought……?”

Chae Hamin stared blankly for a moment, not understanding the situation, seeing Ryu Iden hugging and clinging to me. Ryu Iden and I are also staring blankly at Chae Hamin in that position.

I, who came to my senses first, said.

“…It’s not like that.”

“…Huh?”

“Whatever you’re thinking, you’re all wrong.”

Ryu Iden smiled at my words and looked at me.

“Donghwa hyung, let’s tell them the truth.”

…He’s definitely crazy.

“…Hyung?”

…Is that the point you’re focusing on?

“Donghwa, no… hyung?”

Ha… please get out of here.

* * *

Team Leader Jang Haejin was preparing an official statement on the Ryu Iden controversy, but she felt like she was going crazy because of the anger boiling inside her.

‘Lee Jung-hyun, how dare that little bastard try to ruin our show? And even with such a dirty and shallow trick?’

At first, she didn’t know, but from the moment she found out who had written the post while talking to Ryu Iden, her whole body was burning with heat.

She felt like she was going crazy with resentment, but seeing him come out like this, it seemed like he was going to step away from the entertainment industry, so she felt even more crazy that there was no way to properly take revenge.

It was a stupid and shallow manipulation, but the overheated situation in the idol scene, the greed of the lower-ranked fans, and the discrepancy with the healthy image that Ryu Iden had shown on a regular basis caused the situation to escalate.

If the response wasn’t proper, a terrible situation would have occurred where Ryu Iden would have to step down, no matter how false it was. And our show would have been ruined as a bonus.

‘It’s a relief that someone showed up and turned public opinion around before the image of Ryu Iden as a perpetrator stuck even more.’

She carefully selected each word of the official statement, not wanting to miss this opportunity given by an anonymous person.

‘Let’s think about how to deal with Lee Jung-hyun later. …It’s a good thing that guns aren’t legalized in Korea.’

If they were, I would have gone to shoot him right now.

“Team Leader, the final draft is out. Please review it.”

“…Okay, let’s get the final confirmation from the vice president and upload the statement right away.”

“It’s still a relief. The situation stopped from getting worse thanks to someone.”

“Isn’t that proof that God is alive?”

On her wrist, as she said that, the rosary that Ji Donghwa had been wearing since he entered Nietzsche Entertainment was quietly hanging.

‘Come to think of it… I feel like things have been working out strangely well since Ji Donghwa and Chae Hamin came in.’

Team Leader Jang Haejin thought about the strange coincidence for a moment and hurried her steps to the vice president’s office.