Becoming An Idol Wasn’T On My Plan [EN]: Chapter 224

Everything happens by chance, with coincidences piling up and veering off in strange directions.

Ji Donghua was used to cutting ties, but he didn’t know how to handle it when he formed a connection he didn’t want to sever. For the first time, Chae Hamin was so intensely absorbed in something that he failed to see his surroundings properly.

And Ryu Ideun, who had noticed all of this long ago, was struggling to suppress his laughter. He had secretly visited the practice room and knew what Chae Hamin was up to.

As Blossem’s self-proclaimed guard dog, he had already investigated Chae Hamin’s suspicious activities. Ji Donghua would normally have calmly considered the situation and reached the right conclusion.

‘Ah, this is fun.’

It’s been a while since I’ve seen such an amusing situation. How did our Donghua start worrying about being pushed away? No matter how rationally he thinks about it, he hasn’t done anything wrong, but he keeps wondering why. And he can’t even ask. Ah, that’s a bit cute, so like a younger brother.

Ryu Ideun clearly remembered Ji Donghua’s initial reluctance to befriend anyone. That’s why he deliberately bothered him more!

But now, Ji Donghua wants to approach someone first. I’ve thought about it before, but Ji Donghua has really changed a lot.

“Really?”

“Yeah. I’ll go see for myself. If he’s not there, I’ll grab him by the collar.”

Ah, this is fun. Ah, this is the reason for living. If I can live happily watching my younger brothers bickering like this, maybe creating a silver town [a place for the members to retire together] for the members to live in together wouldn’t be so bad.

I wonder what will happen when we’re around 60 years old. I’m already excited.

“Yeah, please do your best. I don’t know either… I’m counting on you, Donghua.”

“Okay.”

He’s well-versed in psychology but awkward in relationships, our Donghua!

Ryu Ideun laughed heartily in his mind.

* * *

Even though my schedule isn’t light, if he’s not in the practice room and wandering around outside, I’m confident I can grab him by the collar and drag him back. I’ll get special tutoring in Yoon Sungho’s brainwashing methods. I’m confident I can block external information while staying up all night for about a week.

‘…Hmm, what if the lights are off?’

If he really didn’t go to the practice room, I’ll find him and hit him with a brick. Tomorrow, we’ll become the stars of the entertainment news headlines. After fading away like that, where and what will we become when we meet again?

I took a deep breath and headed to our practice room.

Wow, the lights are on.

I cautiously peered through the glass window in the door, and Chae Hamin was lying on the floor, flailing. The violent movements were reminiscent of exorcisms performed by medieval clergy, and my hand, which was about to open the door, stopped.

What’s wrong? Did he get sick?

I slowly opened the door. Chae Hamin’s screams, which had been muffled by the soundproofing, echoed. Something was clearly wrong with either his body or his mind.

As I approached his head, Chae Hamin’s flailing subsided. He had his eyes closed and didn’t know I had arrived, so he was just lying there with his earphones in.

I crouched down and was about to poke his shoulder, but I remembered that his flailing had only stopped a short while ago, so I sat next to him and waited for a moment. He’s breathing, so he should be okay.

And after a long time, Chae Hamin suddenly jumped up.

“Euhm!”

He was humming, doing a pirouette, and showing off his graceful dance moves. Hmm, what should I do? For the first time, I feel like hitting Chae Hamin a little.

Then, he suddenly met my eyes, initially glancing past me before looking back.

“…Huh?”

What.

“Eung?”

What, you bastard.

“Donghua?”

Chae Hamin took out his earphones with a violent gesture and had a fit [became flustered].

“Then.”

Who else would it be? I’ve only seen someone who looks exactly like me, and that’s my father.

“Wh, why are you here?”

“I was wondering what you’ve been up to lately.”

“Ah…”

Chae Hamin nodded blankly.

“And lately, it’s been awkward.”

“Huh?”

Don’t pretend you didn’t notice. All our members know, …well, not Seokjun, but everyone else probably knows. He’s been busy buying bread and collecting stickers these days.

“…Heueo.”

Chae Hamin covered his mouth.

“It looked that way…!”

At those words, I quietly pulled my knees together. His voice sounded like he had no idea. What? Did I just make a fool of myself?

I lowered my head and took a deep breath. This is embarrassing. I’m the one who needs to take a mental training class. I always thought conversation was important, but what am I doing?

“No, I didn’t mean to! I wanted to give you a surprise gift too! Something like that…”

Yeah, thinking about it rationally, I get it. He played the song and then started his practice room seclusion shortly after, so that must be it.

Damn it, crap, what should I do? My brain clearly isn’t functioning properly. But the fact that he doesn’t say what the ‘gift’ is until the end is so Chae Hamin-like.

“Ideun hyung [older brother/male friend] was worried a lot too.”

“Huh? I told Ideun hyung when he asked…?”

Okay, I’m going to kill him. Definitely. The time has come to see the end of my long-cherished Ryu Ideun assassination plan.

Chae Hamin sat in front of me, fidgeting and moving his hands around.

“…Then, was going crazy during activities also…?”

“Huh? Yeah. Choreography in my head… Ah!”

No, you’ve already been caught, you bastard. Why am I doing such irrational things?

When you reach a limit in explaining ‘yourself,’ you should usually suspect the influence of others. The stupid rabbit in front of me is panicking because his plan has been exposed.

Yeah, I’ve been contaminated. I’m having stupid thoughts like, what if it gets even more awkward if I ask why.

I was about to tear my hair out, but I remembered that my hair was damaged from dyeing, so I pressed down on my scalp.

“Uh, th, Do, Donghua?”

Be quiet.

“I’ve finished about half of it though!”

“…Let’s just create it together.”

And I’ll help with Ryu Ideun’s assassination as well. I still remember you saying you’d help if it was poisoning.

* * *

[Ah, Ji Donghua is so cool]

It’s so funny that he opens the practice room at dawn ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅌㅋㅋㅌㅋㅋ [laughing sounds in Korean]

I didn’t know I’d watch a survival show while having a bias [favorite member], but I’m so satisfied watching Donghua.

I’ve felt it since the mental training class, but you really shouldn’t call him Blossem’s reason [for existing].

He’s not just Ji-light [a fan of Ji Donghua], he’s just crazy ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Outright madness.

Comments

―Watching Ji Donghua in this episode gave me a bit of PTSD, he’s like a lesson teacher

└For real…

―He grills you with facts but is also very interested, and he squeezes in time to buy coffee and come supervise your practice… This seems like hell for the trainees ㅋㅋㅋㅌㅋㅋㅋㅌ

└Did you see how the arrangement team was immediately reformed and their attendance rate at dawn practice went up?

└He’s the embodiment of sleeping is for the dead

Ji Donghua, whose initially cold demeanor has disappeared, leaving only the image of a practice/workaholic somewhere between passion and coldness.

A crazy person who comes at 3 AM, gives guidance for two or three hours, and then leaves for his own schedule. Even people who were indifferent to Blossem have become interested in when he sleeps.

To the point where a crazy movement demanding the disclosure of Ji Donghua’s health checkup results has briefly occurred, wondering about his health.

[But the problem is that Cherry Blossom Rain has a lot of events to perform]

Seriously, looking at Blossem’s activity schedule, it’s a relief that they have quite a few holidays, which is proof that the agency hasn’t gone crazy. But it’s obvious that Ji Donghua will sell his holidays himself to create added value ㅅㅂ [Korean slang for ‘f***’]. Donghua should disclose his health checkup results for our sake.

Comments

―For real ㄹㅇ ㅇㅈ [Korean slang for ‘real 인정’ which means ‘I acknowledge it’]

―I sincerely hope that Hamin can control him.

└Ryu Ideun joins

└Ji Donghua, the son who doesn’t listen to his parents telling him to stop working…

And there is a woman who is shedding tears of intense sympathy while looking at these health concern posts.

“Donghua…, rest! I said rest! Why are you teaching the other kids how to arrange songs! Just let them grow on their own!”

“You smell like a fangirl, Soobin…”

“I can’t help but worry.”

“Hamin and Donghua and all the members are so popular these days, so what.”

During this short conversation between the two, her phone rings.

“…What, what is it now.”

A video titled was uploaded to the official account.

“Why?”

“…My bias [favorite member], he’s gone crazy.”

“Oh my, didn’t you say that before? It’s everyday life.”

“He’s not resting!”

“That too.”

“He’s not resting! Crazy, when does he sleep! Why am I having an existential crisis? I think I slept more than this when I had a pile of assignments!”

“He’s in college too.”

“Crazy bastard!”

Originally, when you’re a fan, the word ‘crazy’ is synonymous with ‘really good,’ but this time it simply contained only the meaning of seriously crazy.

“You’re the crazy one…”

To release something like this without any prior notice. Ji Donghua said on W app [social media app], ‘I’m preparing a song with Hamin right now,’ two days ago, so I thought they would release it in about a month, but what is this!

However, her hands honestly put in her earphones and turn on her tablet. Originally, you have to watch this kind of thing as soon as it’s released and rave about it.

“…What about the assignments?”

“Tomorrow’s me.”

She, a fan who hasn’t taken after Ji Donghua and is proficient in procrastinating, goes to X-tube [YouTube equivalent] and is about to press play on the video when her hand stops.

The thumbnail, the stage was largely divided into two. A navy-colored, study-like set and an orange-colored, playground-like set. And Ji Donghua and Chae Hamin were standing in each set, wearing suits of the same color scheme.

“…Oh, it’s kind of pretty.”

The colors aren’t all the same, but painted in slightly different colors, making the stage not boring. And since Ji Donghua in a suit is always right, she pressed play on the video with a fluttering heart.

* * *

I smell too much money on the set. There wasn’t this much support when we were filming Lee Hyunjoo’s making film. Chae Hamin shouted confidently next to me as I watched the stage with my mouth open.

“We spent some money!”

I stood on half of the stage, which was composed of calm colors like navy, blue, and sky blue. It was a stage filled with books and bookshelves like a library, like something out of Alice in Wonderland.

“…Personal funds?”

“No, my father’s money. My father supported me in the name of investment. Actually, it’s called investment, but it’s like a big allowance.”

I see.

“It’s a monumental first duo stage! When team leader Jang Haejin heard the stage composition, she said she would check if she could raise funds. No matter how I listened, it seemed like it would take a month, so the sooner the better.”

I already knew he was a big spender.

“You’re definitely out of your mind.”

“Is that a compliment?”

Your head is a flower garden, Hamin.

Chae Hamin took a deep breath while looking at the stage and camera being prepared. An exaggerated gesture of taking a deep breath, a sign that Chae Hamin’s tension has reached its peak.

“I can’t undo it if I make a mistake, I’m nervous. What guts did I have to submit this proposal? I’m scared of making a mistake.”

In one corner of the stage, a staff member was moving a paint can. That’s why today’s stage will be disposable.

“Then I can submit it one more time and prepare it.”

Wince. Chae Hamin turned his head creakily.

“You spend money like water, Donghua!”

Really, I don’t want to hear that from you, Hamin.