Becoming An Idol Wasn’T On My Plan [EN]: Chapter 237

While waiting for the late-night radio show to start, we sat facing each other in the waiting room.

“…Jun, wipe your eyes.”

As I naturally took out a bread from my bag and started tearing into it, Seok-jun’s intense gaze bore into me. His expression of feeling sorry and apologetic didn’t quite sit right with me.

“Hyung-nim [older brother/term of respect], I’ll eat it, so don’t go to your workout!”

I appreciated the consideration, but I couldn’t pass my responsibility onto someone else. I took a bite of the bread and handed another one to Seok-jun.

“There’s plenty left.”

“…I couldn’t even get one even if I tried to find it—”

“Money solves a lot of things, you know.”

This bread is disgustingly tasteless. I’d rather eat Ha-min’s hellish spread. The most atrocious spread made with Chef Chae Ha-min’s audacious secret recipe.

I chewed the bread like cud, then tore open the seal without much thought. It’ll probably be another duplicate. I have no expectations.

Rip, with a cheerful sound, and inside was some kind of alien life form.

A face I’d never seen in the borrowed notebook or the one Seok-jun had. It seems to be one that even Seok-jun hasn’t collected yet.

I proudly nudged Seok-jun.

“This.”

“Yes?”

“Alien.”

Its name is Murae. It means forty in Greek numerals.

“…Hyung-nim.”

Contrary to my expectations, however, Seok-jun seemed to be suppressing something rather than being happy. It didn’t seem like he was suppressing joy.

Seok-jun twitched his lips this time, then covered his eyes with his hand.

“Hyung-nim……”

Please don’t call my name like it’s the name you’ll die calling.

“Hyung-nim, are you… a god?”

“…You’ve finally gone crazy.”

Seok-jun carefully took the sticker still in my hand and gently held it to his chest with trembling hands.

“My lovely, my baby……”

If that’s your baby, then what are you?

Seok-jun hugged it tightly for a long time, then took out a sealed bag from his bag, put it in, and gently placed it on the table.

Feeling my gaze that was curiously watching all of that, Seok-jun choked out, deeply moved.

“This one… is the hardest to get……”

I see.

“Put it in your bag. What if you lose it again?”

I returned to my usual expression and chewed the bread.

Still disgustingly tasteless. It makes me miss Chae Ha-min’s cooking.

However, Seok-jun didn’t return to normal. He flinched at the words ‘your bag,’ then raised his head again and fanned his face, trying not to cry.

Perhaps he was touched that I so naturally referred to the rare sticker as ‘yours.’ Would I even want it? That Murae creature whose origins I don’t even know.

Our crazy berserker Seok-jun, having dried all his tears, shouted.

“I’ll entrust everything to you, Hyung-nim!”

“I refuse.”

People aren’t something you can own. Those damn pocket monsters don’t have their rights guaranteed, so you can take them.

“I mean it! From now on, I’m unconditionally on Hyung-nim’s side!”

That’s not a healthy way to communicate, Jun.

“…That’s reassuring.”

* * *

The radio show began in earnest. We went into the set and sat comfortably.

It’s called a radio show, but it’s essentially just a live broadcast. With worries and concerns in my heart about whether our crazy dinosaur Seok-jun would make a mistake, I opened my mouth.

“Two men you want to find when you can’t fall asleep, I’m Dong-hwa.”

Who wrote this script? If you can’t fall asleep repeatedly, you should seek help from a psychiatrist, not look for people.

“I’m Jun. Nice to meet you, everyone.”

“We’ve been on radio shows often, but this is the first time we’re hosting, so we’re a bit nervous. We ask for your help.”

Then, the chats that were coming up in real-time before my eyes.

Seeing that incredible firepower, I felt grateful to those who had waited until this hour and relieved that tomorrow was Sunday.

And then came the current events talk. The script was clearly written haphazardly, so it just said, ‘Talk about anything the fans would like.’

So, the story naturally flowed.

“Recently, Jun had something that made him weep bitterly.”

In an instant, the radio recording site became a confessional, and I slowly recounted the situation that I didn’t cause but had to take responsibility for.

“That’s why Dong-hwa hyung-nim worked out, everyone.”

As Seok-jun said cheerfully and quickly in an astonished voice, the comment section also began to be filled with shock and horror.

Seeing a comment with a serious nuance, ‘Dong-hwa… are you having a hard time mentally these days……?’ I chuckled.

“Anyway, this radio show has no roots, so it will be a time for Jun and I to read your stories and talk about your concerns together.”

“Just like how a snack bar with a variety of items is more comfortable to eat at than a specialty restaurant!”

Seok-jun was excited and definitely spoke faster than usual. The joy of obtaining that alien life form clearly hadn’t cooled down yet.

“Then, the radio show with no roots, ‘For Now, We’ve Started Broadcasting’ with Ji Dong-hwa and Seok-jun, will begin. The topic we’ll be discussing today is minor everyday concerns. It will probably be the same next week too. This broadcast has no roots, really.”

As a broadcast with the concept of having no roots, I didn’t forget to fulfill the writer’s request to use casual language when personally talking to Seok-jun.

A broadcast with the concept of having no roots is the root, how paradoxical.

“I’m nineteen, a small Luminous [fan group name].”

Seok-jun quietly started with a subtly sweet voice.

Come to think of it, Seok-jun had the best tone among us.

“I’ve been living comfortably and suddenly became a senior in high school. I still have no dreams, no goals, and because of that, I have no reason to study, so studying, which I used to do habitually, is now too painful. I know I have to study, but whenever I sit at my desk, I feel like crying.”

Oh dear. I couldn’t help but feel sorry.

“Dong-hwa DJ-nim [term of respect for DJ], as a student currently attending Korea University, please give us some stern words!”

“A senior in high school……”

“Dong-hwa hyung-nim seems to have a lot to say.”

“I don’t know if it’s okay to say something wrong, I feel like one fan will leave today.”

“The advice hyung-nim gives is usually right!”

If you just believe in people so naively, you’ll get scammed someday, Jun.

“Then, shall I presumptuously give some advice?”

The comment section was filled with words like, ‘The professor is speaking. Focus.’

That professor meme will continue long after the idol production workshop is over, it’s burdensome.

“First of all, it seems like you’re having a hard time. I want to offer words of encouragement. There’s a prevailing perception that it’s natural for high school seniors to study, so even if you study hard, you often hear ‘study harder’ rather than praise.”

“It must be upsetting. You study hard and expect praise, but if the reaction is like, ‘of course.’”

“That’s right.”

Anyway.

“So, I can’t give stern words to someone who is crying because they think they have to study, someone who is admirable and I want to support. I want to tell you that it’s okay to rest, so rest, gather your strength, and then study hard again.”

Silence after finishing speaking. It’s something that can never happen on a live broadcast, so I quickly continued.

“Come to think of it, Jun, what was your school life like?”

“I was the quiet person in the class. I went to an all-boys high school, and there were no friends in the class who had the same hobbies as me, so it was a bit like that.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes. It was a bit difficult to get close… also, when I was quiet, maybe because I was big, people had a hard time approaching me.”

Come to think of it, I wonder if that human is doing well. Park Woo-jin, I hope you fail. A petty person’s revenge is to hold a grudge even for things that haven’t happened.

“He’s the gentlest person on our team.”

“But these days, I’m glad that hyung-nim plays Monster Hunter with me.”

“Ah, the fans don’t know about this.”

As expected, a broadcast with no roots.

It seems like it’s okay to say anything. There’s no intervention even when crossing so many lines.

That’s how the story about Monster Hunter started for a while. A debate arose again about whether this was ethical.

Some of the Luminous who were falling asleep while listening to the broadcast shed tears at the crumbling innocence.

* * *

The entertainment industry is truly unpredictable. I never expected that so many people would listen to such a rootless broadcast.

I’m convinced that we’re benefiting a lot from the recognition gained from the idol production workshop.

Even watching the clips uploaded on X-Tube [YouTube analogue] one by one made me feel strange.

To discover and leave as clips the interesting parts of the everyday conversations I had with Seok-jun, the parts that they found heartwarming.

I was grateful, but I also felt that I needed to correct my behavior.

And currently.

“The arrangement is not good.”

Today, I’m also working hard on the final filming of the idol production workshop.

A total of twenty people remaining. Only eight out of those who survived past one hundred will debut.

I don’t know how cruel it is. Thinking about it that way, feelings of pity for the trainees spring up.

“The basic base riff is a method that was often used in the past, but it doesn’t fit unless retro is the concept. Especially since this stage has a sophisticated sexiness as its concept, right?”

So I’m trying my best to only say good things.

“I’ll help you, so let’s think about it again together. From the beginning. The tempo is maintained so there’s no disruption to the choreography, but we can improve the quality.”

Really, I’m trying.

But if you could succeed in everything you try, that would be utopia. It’s just a pity.

After finishing speaking, I took a sip of water and looked at the two men sitting behind me, looking intimidated.

From the beginning, the balance doesn’t make sense. How can the opposing unit produce a good arrangement when there’s a squirrel and an illegal sampler on one team?

“The team that came in first in the last mission, and currently ranked first in music sales, Eun-gu team, please come out.”

The production team made me mention it one more time, it’s not a bad intention to tease the already intimidated friends.

One squirrel took a deep breath and stood up from his seat. Park Eun-gu, representing the team.

“Thank you for arranging my song well last time.”

Thanks to you, my wallet and Seok-jun’s sticker notebook are happy.

“You did well this time too, right?”

If I only appear one more time after today, I won’t have to appear again, so I want to help as much as I can and leave.

So I talked to the company and there are no schedules for this evening.

I just want to point out all the shortcomings as much as possible and make it a song that fits the final stage.

“Today, I hope the arrangement team can cut back on sleep a little, is that okay?”

In fact, they all know that this is an order in the form of a question.

But from the beginning, I came here as an arrangement teacher. I can’t help it even if I don’t like it. What can I do about the habits of a teacher?