Becoming An Idol Wasn’T On My Plan [EN]: Chapter 236

I Didn’t Plan to Be an Idol – Episode 236 (204/343)

Minor problems are uniquely problematic because they are minor. It’s hard to say it outright, but they’re like little things that constantly irritate you.

If we were to have a big fight, we could reconcile and end it like Chae Hamin and I did, but it’s too trivial to grab someone by the collar, so it lingers like a subtle resentment.

“So, as I mentioned before, the concept is a story radio show. It’s a pilot program, so it’ll end if it’s not popular, but I believe in it. I believe you two will show fantastic chemistry!”

For example, even in a meeting like this to confirm the final script for the radio show tomorrow, there’s a strange awkwardness between us.

The writer is smiling kindly, but I’m worried that she might have noticed the subtle awkwardness.

“Actually, we were set on casting the two of you from Blossence, but we had a lot of *gomin* [worries/deliberation] about who to pick. Then, we decided to cast people who would show different reactions when reading the stories!”

Seokjun nodded with sad eyes. His eyes showed an understanding that ‘they really are different.’

I thought something would be resolved when I came to the broadcasting station today, but no, when I asked if there were any lost items, the writer said ‘No!’ firmly. At this point, I’m starting to suspect I have a problem with my memory.

At first, I suspected theft, but thinking about it calmly, even if there was a thief, it’s irrational to leave the wallet in the bag and steal the notebook.

It’s like breaking into a wealthy man’s mansion and stealing a toothpick from the kitchen.

…What am I doing? I need to hurry up and eat the bread diligently.

* * *

The gym in front of the company. Ah, I’m actually setting foot in here.

As I changed into my training clothes and let out a sigh mixed with annoyance, I didn’t like Ryueiden, who had a disgustingly bright face, unlike me.

“Hahaha, I told you! I said I’d come back with you someday! These days, I look forward to this time the most, Donghwa *hyung* [older brother/male friend]!”

“Please shut up.”

I hate myself for breaking a promise I made years ago.

“…Ha.”

“A healthy mind in a healthy body.”

Do you even know that the source of that saying is Juvenal, the satirical poet, you damn dog?

Originally, he was mocking Romans who were crazy about exercise, saying, ‘I hope that healthy mind dwells in that healthy body!’

“…I hope you have a healthy mind too.”

I lowered my head and muttered. A hand was placed on my shoulder.

“I hope your healthy mind dwells in a healthy body.”

If you ever die, I’ll probably have to turn myself in to the police that day. Too bad, Eiden *hyung*.

It’s all because of that damn bread. I was going to throw it away, but it was too… so I ate it all. On the day, I thought, ‘It’s okay to cause a little trouble to the Earth,’ but I felt like my conscience would rot if I tried to cause trouble to the Earth with just this.

“Hahaha, *hyung*, you forced us to eat it too!”

“I couldn’t eat it all by myself.”

And I ate more than half of it alone. Do you know how hard it was to eat it in a hurry, secretly from Seokjun?

“Well, thanks to that, some muscles will grow on our Donghwa’s body. Like yesterday again today?”

“No.”

I have a schedule tomorrow; if I do it like yesterday, I feel like I’ll throw up during the radio show tomorrow. I laid down on the bench press without thinking much.

“…Cut it in half.”

“Okay! As the customer wants! How many breads did you eat today?”

“…Five.”

“*땡* [wrong/incorrect]! Our customer with a good memory is deliberately reducing the amount. Is the teacher sad?”

To think that my personal PT teacher lives in the same house and observes everything I eat and do.

“…Ten.”

“Wow! Exactly. Then you have to exercise that much, but I’ll make an exception for you, *hyungnim* [term of respect, like ‘boss’ or ‘older brother’]!”

*Hyungnim* my ass. That’s a word that only Jun should say.

“Lightly, three sets?”

“That’s really light.”

“Right? Ah, really, I’m too nice.”

I grabbed the bar without saying a word. I could hold back the desire to go to Lee Hyunjae and learn sarcasm, for the sake of a smooth relationship between us.

Like that, two hours. After finishing what Ryueiden considered a ‘simple’ workout, I caught my breath.

What’s annoying is that, surprisingly, I don’t feel like I’m going to die like before. I don’t know why, but I hate myself for getting used to exercising.

No matter how I think about it, I don’t want to be like that human.

“Good job, Donghwa *hyung*!”

Ah, what is all this? What the hell. Why am I exercising now and sitting here collecting stickers of those damn radioactive contaminated creatures? Damn it, what is it?

Could this be a hidden camera? Maybe Ryueiden took it, and that’s why he’s trying to make me exercise.

“…No, I don’t know what you’re thinking, but it’s all wrong.”

“What did I do.”

“*Hyung*, you were trying to kill me just now.”

His quick wit hasn’t changed at all.

“I wonder if our Jun knows that Donghwa is eating bread like crazy and exercising.”

“He doesn’t know.”

“Huh?”

“…It’s a burden.”

Ryueiden nodded as he lifted and lowered the dumbbell.

“Anyway, you two get along strangely well…….”

“Really?”

“Yeah. You’re the most interested in Jun’s hobbies. You’ve always listened to his explanations. Even recently, you haven’t been able to because you’ve been busy.”

“That’s true.”

It’s lonely to like something alone. If my father hadn’t been a philosopher, I think I would have had a pretty tough childhood.

Recently, as Ryueiden said, we’ve been busy, and we haven’t had time because we have personal schedules.

“Let’s go back now. You look like you’re going to collapse if you do more.”

“*Hyung*.”

“Yeah?”

“You have to call me *hyung*.”

You have no manners, my brother. We agreed to practice enduring shame while treating you like a *hyung* until the day you take mental training, a promise is a promise.

* * *

Seokjun knocked on Ji Donghwa and Chae Hamin’s door and made a decision.

The subtly awkward air between the two. Even Seokjun, who is considered the most oblivious person in Blossence, couldn’t help but notice.

‘It’s all my fault…….’

I really love the ingot stickers. Seokjun doesn’t usually spare money on goods, but this was the first time his mother grabbed him by the collar after looking at the card statement.

Even so, Seokjun gave bread to his family without noticing that there was something wrong and asked for the stickers.

The notebook where he collected them was to be passed down from generation to generation, even to his children or grandchildren in the future—his way of thinking is different from normal people—Even if he didn’t have any, he planned to use it to share memories with Donghwa *hyungnim* in the Blossence silver town.

A total of three notebooks, one of which, the one with only his most cherished items.

He’s been a *deokjil* [intense fanboying/fangirling] alone all his life, but if he had a friend, he would open his mouth wide, shake his hands, and stutter.

But even so, more than Donghwa *hyungnim*.

Seokjun clearly remembers how sorry Ji Donghwa was.

Even though he’s a person who only expresses ‘annoyance’ and ‘anger’ on his face, he expressed ‘sorry’ and ‘apology’ intensely.

Given Ji Donghwa’s personality, he also knew that it probably wasn’t his fault. At first, the sense of loss was so great that a strange distance was created, but he finally realized.

In the first place, it’s not common to find someone who accepts you as you are and takes an interest in you.

You can collect the stickers again, but it’s hard to meet such a person even if you live your whole life.

With that in mind, Seokjun swallowed in front of the door. He’s never fought with anyone before, so he doesn’t know how to reconcile.

And then the door opens. Chae Hamin yawned and smiled.

“Jun, why?”

“To Donghwa *hyung*—*nim*.”

“Um, he’s not here right now.”

“Ah, did he go to work—work?”

“Ah? Uh? Um! Ah?”

Chae Hamin, as always, revealed everything on his face and *gomin*, ‘Can I say this? Donghwa didn’t specifically forbid it, but is it okay?’

But he couldn’t not answer Seokjun.

“No……?”

“Yes?”

“He, um, went to exercise…….”

“Exercise?”

Seokjun’s words naturally sped up.

If you were to pick the person in Blossence who hates exercising the most, everyone would pick Ji Donghwa, and if the Luminous people knew about this, they would wonder if the laws of physics had changed and slap themselves on the cheek.

Seokjun opened his mouth at the shocking fact.

“…Why?”

A question that comes out naturally.

“That’s…, he’s been eating a lot of bread lately? Eiden *hyung* told him to take care of his health…….”

Chae Hamin, who had often witnessed such things by Ji Donghwa’s side, saying only the facts while hiding the truth, thought that he was ‘in his opinion’ skillfully hiding the truth.

But unfortunately, Chae Hamin is not such a skilled person, and Seokjun is not so stupid that he can’t notice that.

“Good heavens.”

What on earth has he done!

While he was calming his mind for a while and mourning the lost ingots, Ji Donghwa was already eating bread and collecting stickers.

“Donghwa *hyungnim*…….”

“That, that’s right! He said he doesn’t like rice these days. He said he likes bread so…….”

And Chae Hamin, who didn’t notice this, is still skillfully hiding the truth.

It would be believable even if it were an act of art expressing the appearance of a rabbit believing that if only its head is hidden, its body will not be visible.

* * *

Ten cards. Even though I ate so much, I only collected ten cards. Focusing on the guys I saw in the notebook, the number of those that don’t overlap with what’s left now.

This probability is so dirty, these people know how to do business. This sticker proves the viciousness of capitalist society.

I gritted my teeth as I went home.

Having gone through this hardship myself, I had a sense of how much psychological shock Seokjun must have experienced. Wouldn’t it be similar to all the songs I worked on being lost?

And when I washed my hands and opened the door, there was a giant dinosaur burying its face on my bed and crying.

What is this, hell? Maybe the ghosts of the ingot stickers he lost came to protest in my dream.

When I made eye contact with Chae Hamin next to me, Chae Hamin immediately put his hands together. Ah, thankfully it’s not my fault.

Hamin, I don’t know what you did, but my calf muscles are screaming in real time right now, so please move a little, so I can sit on a chair.

“Donghwa, that’s…….”

Chae Hamin’s short word. That word became a catalyst, and Seokjun got up explosively.

“*Hyungnim*!”

Why hasn’t a law regulating speeding dinosaurs been proposed yet? Since when has Korea become such a careless country about traffic laws?

I don’t know what he’s so excited about, but he hugs me intensely. Seokjun rushes at me, and surprisingly, my weakened calves now.

I naturally fell backwards. It’s been a while, this. I think it’s the first time since the Blossence Thanksgiving.

I closed my eyes and sensed the imminent end. And 3 seconds later, a strong grip felt on my neck.

“Wow, *déjà vu*!”