Becoming An Idol Wasn’T On My Plan [EN]: Chapter 233

Ah, a refreshing morning.

I woke up at 5 AM and stretched. The idol production workshop—well, the production was actually custom-made, but unfortunately, the client disappeared, so we were able to create a proper craft.

“Really, so refreshing.”

I checked my phone and saw that I hadn’t received any messages from my manager.

Today, made possible by Hwayang Elder—I corrected myself, realizing how frivolous it was to call him ‘Mr. Hwayang.’ Even if he lived in the Joseon era [Korean dynastic kingdom from approximately 1392 to 1897], he would have been officially or unofficially called ‘Gyeong’ [a high-ranking official title]. I plan to enjoy it to the fullest.

[Don’t forget about me either. Really, to make me do such illegal things!]

‘You were excited, though. You said you haven’t had anything that made your heart race lately.’

[Anyway, please say one word of love to Gijisaeng [female entertainers].]

What a crazy existence.

[It’s a contract condition.]

‘…I love you.’

[I’m sorry. I need to go throw up.]

PD [Production Director] Jung Kyung-woo, freed from his shackles, might feel disoriented and anxious, like someone who had no freedom in history, but as time passes, he will edit in a way that doesn’t prick his conscience too much, and make it fun.

I went out to the balcony of the dorm.

In the dim dawn, the east hadn’t fully broken yet. However, the streetlights were about to turn off, and a faint twilight covered the world, blurring the boundaries of all things.

It was like an oil painting where the boundaries of all colors were obsessively brushed hundreds of times.

And as time slowly passes, those boundaries are restored, and there is a moment when an object suddenly pops out from the chaos.

The fact that it exists becomes clear, the fact that I am seeing it becomes clear, and because of that, I also gain a boundary and know that others can see me.

Then, in that gaze, I will exist. I don’t know why it’s so interdependent.

“…What are you doing, Dong-hwa hyung [older brother or male friend], whom I respect and love even more than Professor Ji?”

Just like now.

“Enjoying the scenery. By the way, that title is long.”

“You told me to call you that, hyung-nim [a more respectful term for older brother], Did you forget?”

“Of course not. I haven’t forgotten the promise to call me hyung until you appear as a guest in the next episode.”

“Your condition is no joke these days, our hyung.”

“Yeah.”

Because I feel good. It feels like I’ve made a mess of an area the size of a Lego block in this huge world.

And that was really just for my personal greed.

“I like everything if hyung is happy.”

“Drop the honorifics. It wasn’t in the contract.”

“I do everything hyung tells me to do.”

You’re not doing it, you bastard.

Ryu Iden, who walked onto the balcony, rested his chin on the railing and inhaled.

“You’ve worked hard, Dong-hwa hyung.”

“You too.”

Ryu Iden suddenly started talking, pouring out all sorts of words in an instant.

‘I was anxious because I didn’t know what you were trying to do.’, ‘But I’m glad it seems to have ended well. I was worried every day.’, ‘I don’t know what you did, but I hope you didn’t do anything dangerous.’, and so on, constantly worrying about my well-being.

And then, he finally sighed and ended with one word.

“But still, I’m proud.”

“Of what.”

“I don’t know, it’s cool. Our Dong-hwa.”

I honestly don’t know what Ryu Iden is thinking when he says those things. Maybe Ryu Iden just wants to give me emotional support.

Unconditional support that he will support you no matter what you choose and what results you face.

Anyway, that’s the problem with animals. They need to quickly awaken their cunning and drive out humans.

I threw out a word.

“You have no respect for your hyung.”

“…Our Dong-hwa hyung.”

Yeah, now that’s how it should be, my brother.

* * *

Um, an unpleasant morning.

Jung Kyung-woo woke up and opened his eyes with the feeling of spitting blood. He is realizing painfully how reckless it was to scrap all the editing he had done in advance.

But that’s also the end today. Today’s filming is a completely new edit.

“Ah…, dark circles, why are they so dark…….”

But there’s nothing he can do. It’s what he chose. He doesn’t know why he was given such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but he was glad that he could be responsible for the broadcast he chose.

Even if the sins he committed don’t disappear, still, with just this…….

Only after everything was roughly settled did Jung Kyung-woo have some room in his head.

The recent commotion within the broadcasting station. The news that the director was looking blankly at the sky with a gloomy expression, or the stories that various loud voices were exchanged in the director’s office.

He just thought that everything was noisy and interfered with editing, but he couldn’t figure out how things were going.

Rumor has it that he is considering resigning, but he has no idea how things are going…….

“Um, what do I care, I don’t know.”

Jung Kyung-woo put on his jacket and touched the resignation letter inside once again.

Ah, I don’t know. I’ll go on a trip. I’m leaving this company when this program ends. What do I care about internal political situations?

Anyway, today the nightmare is finally over. The habitual nightmare is over, and he greeted the morning without seeing Dong-hwa in his dreams.

Physically, it was like hell, but mentally it wasn’t refreshing… but there was no fear.

Dong-hwa will come to today’s filming. He is really full of questions, and he doesn’t know in detail what he has gone through. Now that he has some room in his head, he is curious again.

But, I don’t want to think deeply. When you think about it, he is the one who gave him the motivation to fix something.

And the broadcasting station he went to work at. The assistant director told him that he could come late today and rest a little, so he came to work later than usual, but it seems that the cast members have already come to work.

“Hello.”

Oh, the final boss is already here.

“Your complexion, it doesn’t look good.”

Small talk. It’s clearly an expression of intimacy, but the memory from last time came to mind like PTSD [Post Traumatic Stress Disorder], and he flinched.

“Ah, no, I’m, I’m okay.”

Ji Dong-hwa’s worried expression deepened. He looked seriously ill and his complexion was pale.

Lukachi, who was passing by, also saw the scene and looked shocked.

“PD-nim [PD- a title of respect], your skin is so white that…….”

You look like a sick patient. Lukachi, who couldn’t spit out the last words, covered his mouth, and Ji Dong-hwa nodded.

Jung Kyung-woo looked at Lukachi, who was pointing out health problems, and suddenly turned his eyes to Ji Dong-hwa. Then, Ji Dong-hwa put on a smile like Professor Ji and silently moved only his mouth, saying, ‘Thank you.’

“Ah, seriously…….”

PD Jung Kyung-woo was scared. It is said that the greatest fear that humans have comes from the unknown.

What is it, really. I think he’s going to come out in my dreams again. A PD who is scared of the cast, what is this?

However, the merciless mouth continued to ask for a conversation only with lip movements. ‘I respect you.’

Déjà vu. Jung Kyung-woo was convinced. Ji Dong-hwa knows everything about what he did and what he chose afterwards.

Wait a minute, if he knows, how can he respect him? He is trash. Today, Jung Kyung-woo had no choice but to pull himself together.

* * *

“How many more episodes of the main broadcast are left until the finals?”

“There are about 6 episodes left.”

“Oh, it’s really not much left. It feels like filming started a long time ago.”

“Speaking of which, our maknae [youngest member].”

Here we go again today. This damn praise raid.

“I heard you gave a song for the kids to perform this time.”

There are many songs left anyway, and there are songs that don’t fit the concept to put on the album, and it’s a waste to throw them away. Giving away one of the remaining ones is not that big of a deal.

“…Yes.”

“Ah, I’m already excited. I wonder what kind of song it will be.”

“I know, right. I imagined the maknae writing a lovely song.”

“The last comeback song was also lovely. The kids’ love story.”

Cherry Blossom Falling was the kids’ love story… I see. I wrote it seriously in my own way, but I didn’t know because I haven’t experienced the world that a forty-year-old sees yet.

“PD-nim, are the teams all set?”

“Yes. Someone has already taken Dong-hwa’s song.”

PD Jung Kyung-woo is still avoiding eye contact with me.

Ah, compared to that mental lesson bastard, I really want to get close to him.

“Dong-hwa, who would you like to take it?”

“…Won’t there be controversy when it airs?”

“We’re trusting PD-nim and going for it.”

I smiled and looked at Kyung-woo. He is obviously turning his gaze and pretending to read the paper.

Um, you’re not good at acting.

“Then, I hope Han-jin or Eun-gu will take it.”

“Why?”

Because they are the most diligent among the kids who are arranging.

“Because they have excellent arranging skills.”

“As expected, if you have skills, it’s not difficult to be loved by Dong-hwa, right? The PD-nim gave us the statistics on the number of practice room visits, and Dong-hwa is overwhelmingly number one.”

“I wish Dong-hwa would love us like that too. Let’s go out for a company dinner, Dong-hwa.”

“…Last time.”

“I didn’t see you drunk then.”

What kind of determination do you have for a drinking party? I have a habit of threatening the members when I get drunk, so I can’t.

I have a small wish that the customs based on age will disappear in Korea soon, so that the atmosphere of taking care of the maknae will disappear. Whenever I come to the set, I feel like I’m going crazy from hearing only compliments.

“Anyway, shall we take a look at the team composition?”

Lukachi-sunbaenim [senior colleague] read my difficulty and quickly drew attention.

“We’re watching it on VCR, right?”

“Yes. I’ll turn it on now.”

Our Kyung-woo is leaving his seat with a look of overwhelming emotion, as if he is thrilled that he can finally escape my gaze.

I should go find him after it’s over and have a little more conversation. It’s definitely not because I like to harass someone, but because there are still things I haven’t said.

* * *

Ji Dong-hwa smiled brightly while watching the VCR. Ji Dong-hwa’s cameraman zoomed in and took a close-up of the intense facial changes that he had never filmed before.

To think that Ji Dong-hwa’s teeth would be revealed even a little. It was an event that would surprise the heavens.

The scene of the team for the song he wrote being formed was on the VCR screen. Park Eun-gu was in the center, talking and laughing with Kwon Han-jin and Ji-sang.

However, when Waffle 1 showed signs of joining the team, the bright smile on Ji Dong-hwa’s face disappeared and cold anger appeared in his eyes.

When Ji-sang whispered something with a smiling face and he seemed to give up and leave, he smiled subtly with a satisfied expression again.

In just a few seconds, the human who had the least facial changes, so much so that he doubted whether he had stopped filming when taking pictures!

The cameraman was so surprised that he couldn’t close his mouth.

Of course, these peculiarities also reached the PD’s ears. There were times when they would point out useful parts to use when filming.

“…Yes?”

Jung Kyung-woo was naturally curious about what that part was, checked it, and realized it for sure while looking at the expression that showed hostility towards ‘Waffle.’

“…He knows everything. Crazy, what should I do? Should I run away?”

And when Jung Kyung-woo was about to leave the conference room with a sense of fear rising to his throat, there was a neat and polite knock.

‘Ah…, the knock is replacing the business card.’

Jung Kyung-woo slumped down in his seat with a hollow feeling.

“Yes…, come in.”

Squeak. It was like a scene from a horror movie.

The sound of metal friction heard as the seams were misaligned. The door opened very slowly. And even though the body could enter, only the head was sticking out, looking back at him.

“Hello, PD-nim.”

“…Yes, Dong-hwa-ssi [a polite suffix].”

Jung Kyung-woo reasonably suspected. That human might have deliberately shown exaggerated facial changes to harass him.