Becoming An Idol Wasn’T On My Plan [EN]: Chapter 238

It wasn’t my plan to become an idol – Episode 238 (206/343)

Deep into the night. A gathering for those who love dark circles under their eyes.

Our esteemed Director Gyeong allowed me to leave, but I refused, wanting to see the final feedback completed, especially since it was the last one.

He seemed so burdened; it was clear he was uncomfortable with me.

And at 11 PM, all the work was finally done, and I rubbed my eyes, feeling the fatigue.

“Perfect.”

The feedback to achieve everything the trainees wanted was finally over. Listening, speaking, cross-checking, then listening and speaking again – time flew by in an instant.

“Are you heading home now, Teacher?”

A junior colleague, who had become quite close to me, sipped coffee with an exhausted expression.

He had started calling me ‘Teacher’ at some point. He was older than me, so I couldn’t say anything, but it felt like an undeserved title.

“Yes, I’m about to leave.”

Because there’s a grown-up waiting at home who promised to play ‘Joo-goe’ with me [a virtual pet raising game, similar to Tamagotchi].

“…Thank you so much for everything.”

The junior colleague, ever polite, bowed his head.

“I heard my arranging skills have improved a lot. From the company people.”

“That’s because you’ve been arranging so much.”

I cut him off, sensing that he was about to say it was all thanks to me.

There’s no worse habit than attributing your hard work to others. It’s a chronic problem with our members too.

It’s a trait unique to good-natured people, but humans originally need to be a little less… accommodating.

“It’s all thanks to Eun-gu’s hard work.”

I emphasized in my voice.

After watching Hwa-yang suppress others and Ryu Iden gain their trust, I could roughly speak with a nuance somewhere in between – firm but encouraging.

“…Yes.”

Eun-gu quietly pouted.

“…If I debut, can I visit you later?”

“You don’t have to.”

“Wow, crazy……”

“Make sure to fix your foul language.”

Eun-gu smiled, and dimples appeared on his cheeks. I didn’t know what was funny, but he seemed happy, so it was fine.

“I respected you a lot. Even when you were at our agency.”

I scratched my cheek.

“…Me too! I respect you too!”

The illegal sampler [referring to someone who uses unauthorized music samples], who had been on the verge of death from exhaustion, shouted. It’s hard to imagine how much courage it takes to express respect to someone who publicly pointed out your flaws.

“Um, thank you, both of you.”

I finished the remaining coffee and got up from my seat. How embarrassing.

“I’ll be watching the main stage in a week from home.”

Come to think of it, I can’t help but feel attached to this survival show since my hands have touched every song.

I knew I was being paid more than my current worth, so I worked harder, but still, an unknown sense of fulfillment filled my body.

“And Eun-gu and Han-jin, thank you again for singing my songs so well.”

Thanks to you, I’m making a lot of money.

* * *

The days when I could rest when there were no music show activities were in the past.

These days, whether it’s as a group, individually, or in pairs, there are so many schedules that the members rarely gather together to watch TV.

I remember reading a study that emotional bonds decrease once a group reaches the path to success, and whether it’s true or not, I think it might be.

That’s why times like these are more precious.

“Ah, this is the broadcast that our Dong-hwa hyung [older brother/male friend] protected… If not, it would have exploded someday, and only the trainees would have been hurt. I’m proud. Ji, Dong, Hwa.”

Ryu Iden’s annoying whispers are also an experience you can only have together.

“Dong-hwa, I brought popcorn. Jun told me that he misses the food I make!”

Ha-min. It was relatively like that. It’s just that the food you make is tastier than Joo-goe bread, damn it.

Fortunately, it’s popcorn, so it’s a product closer to assembly than cooking; otherwise, I might have collapsed from eating it and not been able to see Eun-gu debut.

And of course, this is also an experience you can only have together.

“Hyungnim [term of endearment for older brother/male friend], yesterday— when I was playing Joo-goe, hyungnim—, I caught what you— wanted to catch. With me again today…….”

Seok-jun clinging to me like this……. For a moment, I thought it might not be bad not to gather, but that shouldn’t be the case.

I grabbed some popcorn and put it in my mouth, surprised by the subtly bland taste.

I briefly wondered which was more likely: that the product was defective or that Chae Ha-min’s bizarre cooking had ruined the research results of scholars.

Well, it’s better for it to have no taste at all than to taste bad.

And the program started. The other members were quietly focused on watching the stage, perhaps because of their memories of the survival show.

“You helped with the arrangement, right?”

Ryu Iden, who had gone to the bathroom for a while, asked after listening to the music of the first stage that had already started.

“Yeah.”

“I knew it as soon as I heard it.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I guess there really is such a thing as style.”

I watched the stage and quietly chewed on the inside of my cheek.

Out of those people, twelve will be eliminated. Surviving until now means it’s a precious dream for everyone.

“…I guess that kind of thing isn’t my taste.”

“What?”

“Survival shows.”

“Who doesn’t know that.”

Chae Ha-min flinched. He must feel guilty because he was the one who recommended the survival show to me. There’s no need to feel that way.

As soon as the second stage started, Chae Ha-min cheered and supported Eun-gu as if he had never flinched. I don’t know what he’s so into.

Survival stages are always beautiful. The results are beautiful because they show that everyone has done their best.

Of course, Eun-gu’s stage was even more beautiful because his skills were good.

However, although effort is beautiful, it is not honest, so my stomach ached knowing that twelve of them were going to be betrayed.

Among them, there are four people from the arranging team who I bickered with. Most of them have experience practicing with me all night because of my surprise visits.

Then the fact that I was part of this system weighed heavily on me.

Seok-jun, who was sitting next to me, flinched when he saw my expression and then put his hand on the back of my hand.

“…It’s okay.”

“Hyungnim sometimes—, thinks too much.”

Seok-jun lowered his voice among the focused members. The other members didn’t seem to notice and weren’t interested in this side.

“Joo-goe too—, if you think too much, everything— seems serious.”

A slightly unfamiliar feeling.

I was a little surprised by the fact that I had never heard such a serious word from Seok-jun.

“If you think about the marshmallows to eat today— or the Joo-goe to meet today—, you’ll be much happier.”

Really, we don’t match.

Even as I thought that, a subtle smile came up. That must be why Seok-jun looked so cheerful and carefree. Because he’s someone who can be happy with a piece of cookie to eat today rather than worrying or thinking.

He’s like the Little Prince. Then I guess I’m like the businessman who only knows numbers.

The group TV viewing that day ended with a total of 5 people passing, including Eun-gu, Han-jin, and Ji-sang, who I didn’t become close to but was sly like Ryu Iden.

Unlike Chae Ha-min, who cheered and clapped, I still couldn’t help but notice the shadows of those who remained on the stage and were not chosen.

Yeah, unlike Seok-jun, I guess I’m this kind of person.

* * *

Ji Dong-hwa and Seok-jun’s bizarre radio. A strange radio where the concept is that there is no concept.

As a result, it mainly consisted of Ji Dong-hwa and Seok-jun’s rambling, and the listeners’ stories were added as a seasoning when the rambling became boring.

However, perhaps because the radio was mainly listened to by Luminus [Bloo Scent’s fandom name], they had become accustomed to the subtle madness of the broadcast.

[The most bizarre combination within Bloo Scent]

(Capture of Seok-jun and Ji Dong-hwa sitting face to face and talking)

The story of the two playing Joo-goe together came out on ‘Ilbangsi (We started broadcasting anyway)’. Roomnuts who haven’t listened, please listen. It’s so healing ㅇㅇ

Anyway, the two of them are huddled together playing Joo-goe, and Jun raises the child with affection, and Dong-hwa calculates with efficiency and numbers…

Then they discuss whether it’s right to raise Joo-goe, and it’s so funny ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅌㅌㅌㅋㅋ I wondered what kind of broadcast it was, but I ended up focusing on it

I think they named the radio really well… Dong-hwa is so well-trained in nonsense through mental training, and Jun usually says strange things often, so the synergy between the two is bizarre… They don’t match well, but they match well

Comments

―??? : The right to freedom of Joo-goe is not considered at all in the system.

└??? : That’s because you don’t know the emotional connection between Joo-goe and the trainer.

└??? : Emotional connection should not be forced either.

└Why… is it subtly educational…?

└That’s because he’s a professor.

―But it’s healing, the kids seem to listen carefully to the listeners’ concerns

―Both of them have a screw loose, so I like them.

└ ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅌㅋㅋㅋㅋ Why do you like that ㅋㅋㅋㅌㅋㅋㅋㅋㅌ

[Ji Dong-hwa is getting better]

Jun taking care of him is so sweet, I was really surprised to hear that he was going to work out

Comments

―Seok-jun is doing what our leader couldn’t do…

―Wow, but Jun is also a bit of a magnanimous person… If my mom threw away my 덕질 [Deokjil refers to obsessive enthusiasm for a particular subject or hobby] box without saying anything, I would really lose it

└Right

―His basic stance is warm to everyone except Ryu Iden. Dong-hwa’s heart is upright!

└’Except Ryu Iden’ ㅋㅌㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅌㅋㅋㅋㅋ

└The man who is most wronged when he is with Ji Dong-hwa.

└They are each other’s natural enemies ㅎㅎ

In the end, how is Ji Dong-hwa being imaged?

A professor of mental education, Bloo Scent’s official worker, the only reason in the team, and at the same time, the person in charge of subtle madness.

Ji Dong-hwa sometimes finds all these images funny. Because he himself doesn’t know how it happened.

A persona called Ji Dong-hwa formed by attaching all sorts of things around the image of a human who composes music.

Ji Dong-hwa was a strong-minded person, so he was dealing with his external image with an appropriate sense of distance.

However, if Ji Dong-hwa’s external image is summarized in one line, he is a slightly strange but smart person, so why do strange program planners keep getting caught?

“So, let’s cast Dong-hwa.”

Director Jang PD, who directed Detection. He misses Ji Dong-hwa now. When he sees him raising his stock on the internet, he suddenly wants to see him on his show.

A person who is known as an eccentric, likes to make strange attempts on the show, and somehow gets money to build the set he wants.

“Ah, it looks like his value will go up even more, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Our Dong-hwa will get rid of all the strange images and only leave the smart images.”

“…Well, you never know?”

Director Jang PD couldn’t help but tilt his head. Ji Dong-hwa, the performer, is definitely a strange person. He’s a very bizarre person.