Becoming An Idol Wasn’T On My Plan [EN]: Chapter 257

“Overslept.”

“Huh? You, overslept?”

Seokjun and Lee Hyunjae, sitting on either side of Ryu Ideun, widened their eyes.

“No way, how?”

If you ask me that.

“…If I wake up late, it can happen.”

That’s all I can say.

“No, I mean, how is that even possible? For you……”

Ryu Ideun recoiled with a look that said, ‘I don’t know anything about that, scary.’

The conversation quickly gained momentum, speeding towards the conclusion that ‘Jidonghwa must be having a hard time. He might stay up all night, but there’s no way that guy would oversleep.’

I didn’t say a single word.

“What should we do, guys? Should we practice just the four of us today and lock Donghwa in his room?”

My opinion doesn’t matter, you bastard.

Unlike my rotting expression, Chae Hamin, who had been looking dejected next to me, nodded vigorously.

“Hyung, even so, confining someone is a violation of human rights……”

My tutoring student.

“Hyunjae, hyung is old, so I don’t know about that stuff. I’m an old-fashioned person.”

He clearly doesn’t know when the concept of human rights was invented. Even old-fashioned people should know.

“Anyway, it’s because I was finishing the song.”

If I respond logically to this kind of topic, I’ll inevitably have to accept the irrational conclusion of being confined according to the principle of majority rule. So, the best course of action is to change the subject.

“That ‘Amu’ recording, that one?”

“Yeah.”

If I throw out a topic that might interest them like this, I can easily divert the conversation momentarily, except for Chae Hamin, who is serious about confining me.

“I finished it and relaxed so much that I slept really deeply.”

“To hear you say you slept deeply in your life, hyung is touched.”

Ryu Ideun gracefully pretended to wipe tears from the corner of his eye with a conductor’s baton.

…Crazy bastard. He looks like a berserker wiping away tears with a hammer.

“Shall we listen to it together?”

I naturally sat down in the practice room and turned on the laptop with the file.

Honestly, I’m confident. I don’t think it’ll be criticized as bad. Investing time is very likely to be proportional to the result.

* * *

The members let out exclamations as soon as the song ended.

“No way, is that really our voices?”

“Hyung, if you listen closely, you can hear it. My humming habits are noticeable too.”

“…My beatbox is worse than this.”

“Post-processing seems to have improved a lot, right?”

That’s right.

“Hyung, at this rate, I think we can do that ridiculous recording a few more times.”

“You ran away when we said we were going to do additional recording.”

“I have to keep my word.”

“The lyrics are cute. Donghwa, since it’s your solo song, I thought the lyrics would be something I’d give up on understanding, but it’s heartwarming.”

Before we knew it, practice time had disappeared, and we were sitting around talking about my solo song.

If the team leader saw this, Ryu Ideun would be immediately reprimanded.

“The song—, it’s really good!”

“Thanks to you guys.”

“Our Donghwa isn’t even embarrassed to create such a heartwarming atmosphere, Ideun hyung is upset.”

I’m planning to make you feel just as ashamed when you go outside and start talking in the third person, so don’t worry.

“When is the teaser coming out, Donghwa?”

“It’s not.”

Chae Hamin was momentarily taken aback and tilted his head.

But he quickly understood that it must be a surprise release and changed the subject.

“…Oh, really? Then what about the music video?”

“That too.”

Everything is not planned. Only the making film and lyric video that I made myself will be uploaded.

From the start, I didn’t make this song to be trendy, but with the hope that the fans and us could enjoy it together in a cozy way.

In other words, rather than making excessive investments, it’s more rational to invest the money that would be used for this song into the upcoming album.

When I asked the company about it, Team Leader Jang Haejin strongly opposed it and even reacted with an agitated response, telling me not to talk nonsense, but our company’s policy is based on ‘maximum respect for the artist’s opinion,’ so I won.

Team Leader Jang Haejin, who insisted on filming a music video until the very end, seriously contemplated my heartfelt story of ‘I want to personally convey the message I want to deliver to the people I want to deliver it to without the help of others’ and nodded in agreement.

I still can’t forget the look in her eyes, which seemed full of dissatisfaction.

Anyway, so I was planning to do it as a cottage industry [small-scale, independent production].

That’s the only way to bring out the meaning of the song that expresses me…….

“What?”

Ryu Ideun, who was listening to my story, immediately frowned and interrupted me.

A rare sight to see, our leader doesn’t usually interrupt others when they’re speaking.

“Say that again, Donghwa.”

“A rational choice to—”

“Hamin, block his mouth and hold him.”

Chae Hamin, who was sitting behind me, immediately restrained me so I couldn’t move.

It’s the kind of way of holding someone from behind that you often see in movies set in all-boys high schools.

He’s clearly a little angry. I know what his breathing sounds like when he’s angry.

There’s no point in resisting, it’ll only hurt me, so I stayed still.

Ryu Ideun massaged his neck a few times and then started talking with a cheerful smile.

“Okay, our Donghwa is saying strange things again, so I have no choice but to say something.”

Nod.

“All the other members have had something similar to a music video for their solo songs, right?”

Nod.

“I even had a solo stage, and Hyunjae has become somewhat famous, so he went on the radio and sang several times.”

Nod.

“Hamin’s song had a lot of money poured into the performance video, and Jun’s lyric video and making film also cost some money.”

Nod.

“If you’re the only one insisting that you don’t need to do anything in that situation, how do you think the members would feel, you bastard!”

While Seokjun was exclaiming, ‘Oh—, that was pretty similar,’ I raised my hand.

“Hamin.”

“Yeah.”

My hand was released, and I took a breath.

“As you know from listening to the song just now, investing in the group is the same as investing in m—”

“Hamin, block him again!”

Thud, before I could finish my sentence, I lost my freedom of speech again.

“Our Donghwa is trying to smooth things over with a heartwarming atmosphere, how cunning. He’s trying to move me and make me go along with it!”

Lee Hyunjae, with a giggling, boyish smile, threw out a word during a brief gap.

“Hyung, I know you’re someone who seriously thinks that’s rational. But……”

He’s clearly laughing not because it’s funny, but because he’s dumbfounded.

After spending a long time analyzing sounds, I could more accurately guess the members’ emotions.

However, Lee Hyunjae, who was trailing off at the end, finished his sentence in a clear voice.

“Ahaha, I’m not confident that I can persuade hyung with words, but if this keeps up, I might end up grabbing you by the collar later.”

[That’s real. Be careful! I know because I’ve been grabbed! He really grabs you!]

Notifications from the base life [online fan community] were pouring in from all directions, frantically sounding warning signs.

But I, who was going through all these hardships, was still unable to express my opinion because Chae Hamin was blocking my mouth.

“Ah, this won’t do. Donghwa has done something terribly wrong to us. Let’s decide on a punishment, a punishment.”

Enacting a law while excluding the opinion of the person to whom the law will be applied is unimaginable in modern society.

I turned my eyes to Lee Hyunjae, my human rights lawyer and only hope, but he seemed to be thinking, ‘Ah, if I were alone, I would have definitely grabbed him by the collar. I’m glad. I didn’t want to grab my respected hyung by the collar.’

“Then, let’s open a promotional event for our Donghwa!”

Chae Hamin, who had strength in the hand blocking my mouth, shouted.

Rather than that, if you guys want to get your way, wouldn’t it be better to go to Team Leader Jang Haejin and demand additional investment?

When making these kinds of choices in the group, I looked at Ryu Ideun, who was still a reliable person, but he was lost in thought, thinking, ‘Ah, I smell something interesting.’

“Haha, let’s release Donghwa. We can just decide on the punishment among ourselves.”

“Just go to the team leader.”

“Shh. Donghwa, it’s not about the money.”

The world doesn’t suddenly become equal just because a young master says something like that, Hamin.

More than that, I’m surprised that Chae Hamin immediately realized what I was saying.

“It’s a problem that can be solved by hiring a video production company with my own money and connecting you with them, that’s all.”

That’s your father’s money, Hamin.

“The company people were bad too. Why didn’t they tell me or Ideun hyung about that?”

I asked them to keep my cottage industry news a secret because I wanted to tell them myself.

I was going to show them the videos I made stitch by stitch and have some emotional exchange for the first time in a while, you bastards.

However, I couldn’t stop the frantic plan of Ryu Ideun, Lee Hyunjae, and Chae Hamin working together to create a shameful situation for me in order to promote my solo song.

“Hyungnim—, your way of expressing affection is too clumsy—.”

Seokjun, who was watching this, put his arm around my shoulder and whispered softly.

“We want to see hyungnim— shining too—, and the song— alone is enough of a gift—, you’ve gone too far—.”

I’m a little wronged this time.

Unlike other times, it’s not like they were trying to use me as a means, I really just wanted to do it that way personally. I guess your usual behavior is important.

“…Okay.”

Seokjun is indeed a wise human. Just like how the Eastern writing that expresses a child as a sage is quite plausible.

“You’re usually smart, but you’re more foolish— than me in these things.”

Oh my god. I never thought the day would come when I’d be called foolish.

* * *

…As a result, the sudden a cappella arrangement version demonstration of Self-Portrait is being planned.

From the clickbait of a spoiler broadcast to stimulating my shame through recorder performances—of course, unlike the intention, I practiced quite enjoyably and wanted to try other bizarre instruments—it’s a trick to promote my solo song with a low budget.

After finishing all the a cappella, the members squatted down again without saying a word and disappeared off-screen.

In the screen, my figure is left alone, looking pathetic.

I let out a few hollow laughs for a moment.

“Everyone, can’t you tell even after this.”

—No ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅌㅋㅋㅋㅋㅌㅋㅋ what is this ㅋㅌㅋㅋㅋㅋ why suddenly ㅋㅌㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

—It’s too sudden ㅋㅋㅌㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Wait a minute, this is a bit embarrassing. To leave all the aftermath to me.

At first, I thought it was just a funny prank, but now that the situation has come, it’s embarrassing.

“Surprisingly, this is my favorite song.”

Take a breath.

“Next week, please look forward to the official video channel.”

The hidden members set off birthday poppers that I don’t know where they bought.