Becoming An Idol Wasn’T On My Plan [EN]: Chapter 280

I Didn’t Plan to Become an Idol – Episode 280 (248/343)

The PD [Production Director, the head of the filming crew] had been muting and removing all the parts with signs from the footage since 2 AM. The contract made with Gap had to be fulfilled as agreed.

He was still chuckling as usual, even while yawning.

“PD-nim, aren’t you even watching? I’m excited about what secrets might be going back and forth. Should we take a peek?”

When the junior PD asked from the side, the PD replied with the same smiling face.

“Well, then a new job will open up.”

“…Yes?”

The PD met the junior’s eyes.

“And there will be one more job seeker.”

It was the first time the junior had seen such deep annoyance in the eyes of his senior, who usually took good care of him, so he shut his mouth.

“Because you’ll have to leave our team.”

He immediately held his breath.

He sensed that he might really be out if he said the wrong thing.

On the other hand, the PD just felt sorry.

‘Why is this guy trying so hard to cut his own lifeline? Can’t you see the person over there keeping a close watch on us?’

He might have to let this guy go. Because of that human approaching him now.

“Is it going well?”

“Of course, Team Leader.”

At the sound of ‘Team Leader,’ the junior quietly backed away. It was a situation where he fully understood why he was angry.

“I’m so sorry. We were originally going to edit and give it to you.”

“It’s better to be sure with things like this. And there was a place to edit nearby.”

“I saw earlier, and it definitely seemed that way? Who knows who would have seen it if we messed up.”

Ha, a deep sigh. So scary. We were clearly supposed to send a subordinate!

Of course, even if a subordinate had come, they would have deleted it without properly looking, but since you came yourself, I can’t even breathe.

But on the outside, he wore the same sly smile as usual.

“Don’t worry! I’ll definitely kill it off!”

Jang Hae-jin laughed heartily and sat down in the chair.

“You haven’t changed at all since college. You were the one who kept the juniors in line back then.”

The string of tension loosens.

‘That noona [older sister or female friend] would get so angry if you didn’t keep public and private matters separate! I was so sick of it.’

“Working with you, noona, feels like my lifespan will shorten.”

“No, you said you wanted to do it.”

“That’s my love for Dong-hwa and the group Bloo Sense. I thought my life would lose its joy after the mental training class.”

It’s a mystery how the connection from the university broadcasting club has continued to this point.

When I first heard we were filming the mental training and saw that person as the team leader, I was so surprised. I had heard from Kyung-woo hyung [older brother or male friend] that she had joined an agency.

“Kyung-woo hyung is coming too, right?”

“Yeah. He said he didn’t want to eat into his savings anymore, so I gave him some work. He still seems a bit scared of Dong-hwa, though.”

“How can anyone be as harmless as Dong-hwa-ssi [term of respect]? That hyung is just too timid.”

Mechanically cutting out scenes, the PD asked Jang Hae-jin.

“So, what brings you here on your day off?”

“Oh, I came to see your face, Dong-won-ah!”

“Your tongue is long [you’re flattering me]. I know you wouldn’t do that, noona. How can you do work if you don’t trust your subordinates?”

“I’m cleaning up these days.”

“…Cleaning?”

“There’s something like that. Are the kids playing well?”

No matter how I listen, it sounds like they’re reshuffling the staff.

Demotions and department transfers must be sweeping through the company. It’s a good thing if power is concentrated around people I know, now that I’m going to be working at the company too.

“I think they’re probably eating right now. They all look happy from their expressions. It’s a bit sad to see them enjoying this kind of thing. Aren’t you pushing them too hard? I felt it even when filming Dong-hwa-ssi’s healing.”

“…I’m doing my best too. Do you know how annoying it is to block the higher-ups? I’m trying my best to stop them from demanding more. Did these bastards not learn anything from TOT [a previous project]?”

“I wouldn’t know. Well, I know it’s annoying to block client requests. We’re essentially subcontractors.”

The scene editing that had been going on for a while ended.

It was an absurd amount of manual labor, but it was fortunate that humans are fast and accurate.

I stretched briefly.

“Should I get you some coffee? There’s still some time before filming starts.”

“Yeah, pay me back for the meals I bought you back in the day.”

“This industry is disgustingly small. It’s full of our alumni, really. You guys always want me to pay you back for the meals I bought.”

“Isn’t that because you were the type who liked to get free meals, Dong-won-ah? And our school’s Department of Broadcasting has a really good network, you know.”

“It’s been a while since the name changed, you’re old.”

Of course, the Department of Media, Communication and Film is not as catchy as the Department of Broadcasting.

“I told you someday. I’m going to keep you by my side and mess with you directly. Now I’m going to achieve it.”

“Wow, that’s so scary. You only messed with me in college. Isn’t it because you and Kyung-woo hyung ruined my personality that I became this kind of person?”

One keeps creating work, and the other is getting involved in office politics with the juniors.

I ruined my personality doing all the cleanup. If they weren’t seniors I could learn from, I would have killed them long ago.

* * *

“Everyone, did you have a good night? I haven’t checked the broadcast yet, so I don’t know.”

Lying. You woke up at the crack of dawn and were sitting in a room full of computers, drinking coffee.

“This is a skydiving center in Korea. Today, you will be jumping from 3.3km. You will have a meal dressed as beasts in a luxury restaurant inside a domestic aquarium, have a debate about the breeding of anglerfish, and finally, after spending a night of uncontrolled madness, you have finally reached the last schedule of our vacation.”

“Hearing it like that, it’s really bizarre. What kind of group are we?”

“…Idols.”

“That’s right, Lee-deun-ssi. We’re going to start filming now, so please proceed. There’s no script, but I trust Lee-deun-ssi.”

“Yes?”

“I’ve gained trust while meeting you for a day. I thought it would be okay not to give you a script, just like Dong-hwa-ssi. I threw away the one I had. Then, let’s start filming.”

Applause starting with me.

Ah, good. A situation where Ryu Lee-deun is screwed. I was the one who always got screwed by that PD bastard.

“Then, I’ll hit the slate.”

“As expected, we match well.”

My eyes met with the PD bastard. Damn it, I hate it so much.

Clap, as my two hands met, all the members looked straight ahead, and only Ryu Lee-deun opened his mouth with a ‘Huh?’ expression.

Two seconds of silence.

That’s how long it took for Ryu Lee-deun to squeeze out a comment while racking his brain.

“Bloo Sense fulfills its #1 promise!”

“Woah!”

“This is a skydiving center, and we made a promise to Luminous [their fanbase] when we got #1 with ‘All mine’ this time.”

“That’s right!”

“What was that, Ha-min-ssi.”

This isn’t a reality show, Lee-deun.

“The fans said they wanted to see us skydiving!”

“That’s right. So we came here.”

A terrible silence returned.

The PD bastard probably intended even this silence, so there’s no need to squeeze out a comment.

Ryu Lee-deun’s pupils are shaking, constantly looking for what to say, that alone is enough.

“Dong-hwa, help me!”

“I believe in you, hyung, always.”

“You only treat me like a hyung at times like this!”

Still, I feel bad, so let’s talk according to the script I received in advance. The PD bastard must be crazy.

“Yes, so we are planning to board the plane in groups of two and three.”

“Oh, PD-nim! You gave Dong-hwa a script, right!”

“So, we’ll divide into groups of two and three and receive safety training.”

“It’s so unfair, really.”

While the other members continued their comments, I comforted Ryu Lee-deun next to me and looked around at the surrounding scenery, then looked up at the sky.

3.3km. The X-deworld Tower is 550m, so it’s like falling from a height where you stack about 6 of those buildings.

…Why do humans do this? From roller coasters to bungee jumping, and skydiving. Why?

Is it because they are addicted to the endorphins released when experiencing near-death experiences? I don’t really feel it. Isn’t it just being in a situation where the probability of death is slightly higher?

“Haa.”

“Why, hyung?”

“It’s so high just imagining it.”

“Guys, Dong-hwa is scared.”

“It’s not that I’m scared.”

“Dong-hwa hyung is scared.”

“It’s not that.”

“Dong-hwa! Cheer up. I’ll be cheering for you from the side!”

“Me too, hyung-nim [another term of respect for older brother]!”

“…Okay.”

If you’re done talking, get lost. Because I want to be alone.

* * *

After receiving safety training and even doing a mini-game to divide into groups, I suddenly realized.

Does everyone need to be involved in this skydiving? Shouldn’t at least one person be there to greet the kids from below?

And shouldn’t that one person be me?

I thought so absentmindedly while looking at the sky.

It was a futile thought because I was already wearing all the equipment.

“Are you very scared?”

Ryu Lee-deun, who was in the same group as me, asked while checking if there was anything missing from my equipment. It was the result of a ladder game [a random selection game].

“I don’t know. I’m not sure.”

Seeing that I don’t have a sense of reality about whether this is scary or not, it seems like I don’t have a clue because I’ve never experienced it before.

Six X-de Tower buildings high.

I’ve been on a plane, but I’ve never been in contact with the air from there.

“You can give up if it’s too hard. Even if you get on the plane, they said it’s okay to give up if it’s too hard. The PD-nim also said it’s okay to give up because it wouldn’t look good if you jumped forcibly.”

“I have to keep my promise.”

“I can jump twice, what. You always endure even when it’s hard. Without telling anyone.”

“You might be scared when you go up there, hyung.”

I don’t have a fear of heights anyway. I also did bungee jumping.

Thinking about it, I jumped because of this dog back then… Damn it, dog.

“Hyung.”

“Why, hyung?”

“If you think about it, Hyun-jae came up with the idea, but you accepted it because you liked it.”

“…Yeah.”

Ryu Lee-deun wiggled his fingers and lowered his eyes. So cute.

“Okay.”

On the other hand, I smiled and looked up at the sky.

The weather is disgustingly clear, letting me know that the possibility of the plane operation being suspended is 0.

“The two of you will board the plane!”

I jumped up from my seat. Now that it’s coming, I’m getting calm.

“Well, what else can I do but die.”

I engraved a single word of omnipotence that eliminates all fears in my heart.

I could feel Ryu Lee-deun, who was following behind, being restless.

* * *

I took a breath. As I sat still in the vast sky, the random thoughts disappeared, and only the impression that the scenery was beautiful remained.

When I was bungee jumping, I was busy cursing Ryu Lee-deun, but even that was no longer there now.

I’m jumping from a space higher than the clouds.

“Okay, the altitude is gradually increasing! It may shake! Have you decided who will jump first!”

The staff member shouted cheerfully.

I looked at Ryu Lee-deun and raised my hand.

“Are you going to jump with me? Are you okay?”

“Yes. My condition is the best.”

“Oh, you’re determined.”

As the plane captain shouted, ‘Get ready!’, Ryu Lee-deun wiggled his butt.

The person who would jump with me came to me and checked the safety devices here and there.

“It’s okay! I’ll connect it, can you come here?”

I was so busy with hands going here and there. I just felt like something was tightly squeezing me.

“Dong-hwa, if you die, I’ll follow you! Don’t be nervous!”

“Crazy person.”

A hollow laugh leaked out.

“You can give up if you’re too scared! I’ll jump ten more times!”

He’s serious, that mad dog.

As they watched our unsightly appearance, a gust of wind brushed my cheek with the words ‘Opening the door!’.

At the door, I recalled last night.

The night when everyone listened and just put salad on my plate without saying anything. The words that I felt a sense of distance from these guys.

“Do you have anything to say before jumping?”

The staff member who was holding me tightly from behind asked. He said, ‘Leave the safety to me and just enjoy the speed and wind!’ when he got on the plane, and I feel reassured.

There’s even a human who says he’ll die with me, so I won’t die. My life may be at stake, but the members’ lives can’t be cut off so easily.

I felt like I could take the hesitant step.

“Lee-deun hyung!”

“Oh, hyung!”

The staff members’ expressions showed bewilderment at the strange sight of each other calling each other hyung, but it doesn’t matter.

I raised my voice so it wouldn’t be drowned out by the wind.

“You’ll find out soon too!”

I’ll tell you in the safest place.

“…Huh?”

“I’ll jump!”

I told the staff member behind me, and he immediately took a stance.

“Yes! I’ll count one, two, three!”

I turned my head, leaving behind Ryu Lee-deun’s dumbfounded expression.

Wow, I’m falling here. Amazing.

One, two, three, the numbers echoed in the cloudy blue.

“Well, the weather is nice.”

Falling out of the plane door, I think I muttered that.

* * *

The wind that felt like it would cut my whole body blew, and when I closed my eyes for a moment and opened them, I fell into the clouds.

The terminal velocity does not approach because the air density is different, but I cannot tell whether I am going down or up now.

I realize what the word ‘falling’ expresses, how much weight this huge planet has, and what the force of gravity due to it is.

It’s overwhelming. Physical rules are forming an entity in front of my eyes.

‘Ha,’ I let out a rough breath.

Only then do I realize that I wasn’t breathing. It feels like a corner of my brain is burning.

Even so, the wind enveloped my skin with something beyond coolness.

A clear contrast in temperature. A stimulus that cannot be compared to bungee jumping was overflowing.

‘Refreshing.’

It’s a moment I would never have known in my life.

When I set all the plans and did them myself, this kind of thing would never have been in my life. It’s a moment that can only come when there are humans like Ryu Lee-deun or humans like Lee Hyun-jae.

“Okay, I’m going to deploy the parachute! Don’t be surprised!”

“Yes.”

“Deploying!”

Along with the sound of the cloth spreading in the wind from behind, the force resisting gravity pulled my body up.

Humans have always built their own achievements on top of the given rules.

From airplanes to parachutes, high-rise buildings, all of these are achievements to alleviate or overcome the limitations imposed by the rules.

I took a rough breath once.

You have to accept the given situation and build everything anew on top of it. How could an airplane be made without Icarus falling?

“If you look around, it’s very pretty. It’s my favorite scenery.”

The mountains, the sky, and the buildings. The appearance of the world I will fall into is spread out so that it cannot be captured in one glance.

Beyond the horizon, I cannot reproduce what will be there, so it is sublime.