Becoming An Idol Wasn’T On My Plan [EN]: Chapter 332

I never knew he had a taste like that.

I couldn’t help but laugh in dismay. Everyone knew that Ryu Iden was a staunch hater of sugar and salt.

“…It’s not because of the sugar, but eating it reminds me of the old days, and it feels cozy.”

Ryu Iden added a gloomy explanation without anyone asking.

“So, the day after I eat it, I wake up thirty minutes earlier and exercise more! I don’t eat it often, and I don’t eat it for the taste! Only occasionally when it’s really, really hard….”

“Did anyone say anything?”

“It’s just, a little, embarrassing.”

Ryu Iden boasted a complexion I had never seen before, as if he were actually dying.

It’s the first time he’s been this ashamed. Even when I played Ryu Iden’s drunken video in front of him, he seemed to be in better condition than this.

“Anyway, everyone is wrong, so 2 points deducted from ‘Eohwadongdong’ [likely a segment or game name within the show].”

As PD [Production Director] Jung’s bright expression explained everything, Ryu Iden had let go of something huge.

Despite achieving his goal, Ryu Iden walked over with the steps of a defeated soldier and sat next to me.

“Instead of candy, why don’t you talk to me?”

I tapped the answer sheet. The entertainment industry has a lot of things that could stress Ryu Iden out, but wouldn’t it be healthier to consult me than candy?

It’s cautious to say this, but isn’t he relieving stress by tormenting himself with sugar?

“Worried?”

“…Something like that.”

It’s dangerous when a person who is strict with themselves loses their mind sometimes.

“But your advice is like my last resort.”

Ryu Iden slapped his cheeks a couple of times to try to come to his senses. Then, he stretched once and collapsed on the mat.

‘I’ve worked this hard, so let’s work together, Dong-hwa.’

Mouth shape.

“It’s good to see you working hard, hyung [older brother or male friend].”

Without saying anything, I waited for Chae Ha-min, who was sitting in the questioner’s seat.

“What is my favorite tarot card! Not the deck type, but the card name!”

Even though it’s just the back of his head, I could feel the anticipation.

Chae Ha-min brought up the secret he was sharing with me.

The Major Arcana number 0 of the Rider-Waite Tarot, The Fool card.

Fans and members only know that I like tarot, but they don’t know which card I like the most.

Haha, okay. I quickly wrote down the answer.

Thinking about what was said when he told me which card he liked, Chae Ha-min seems to like this cozy atmosphere.

The card he suddenly handed me one day, saying it was his favorite card.

I vividly remember Chae Ha-min’s smile, saying that he chose me as the person to stop him when he does foolish things.

It’s definitely a heartwarming project. It’s time to leave behind the untold stories. I can tell how much effort PD Jung put in without even looking.

“Okay, if you’ve all written down your answers, reveal them!”

“Wow, everyone wrote ‘?’ but only Dong-hwa wrote down the card!”

At PD Jung’s words, Chae Ha-min wiggled his butt as if he was excited.

“Wow! As expected! A secret between the two of you!”

“Ah, that’s heartwarming. Ha-min, what’s the answer!”

“Number 0! The Fool is the answer!”

With Chae Ha-min’s declaration of the correct answer, everyone’s eyes are on my answer sheet.

And in an instant, the atmosphere turns cold.

Sorry, Ha-min. My answer sheet says ‘Major number 13’.

I turned to Ryu Iden with the intention of saying what I had to say before Chae Ha-min, who had grasped the situation, started to get angry.

‘It’s really good to see you trying.’

From now on, even if I look like a crazy person who is craving victory in this heartwarming project where the competition is just for show, it can’t be helped.

Ryu Iden is working so hard, I can’t give up.

* * *

Lee Hyun-jae realized what those two were playing.

One is giving up everything to lose, and the other is giving up everything to win.

“Do, Dong-hwa, Dong-hwa….”

Chae Ha-min’s pupils contained all the trembling in the world, and Ji Dong-hwa tilted his head with an innocent face asking, ‘Is this not it?’

It must be acting. The fans will notice it right away. Dong-hwa hyung is not the kind of person who would forget such a precious story like a secret between the two of them.

“Dong-hwa, Dong-hwa!”

Chae Ha-min got up from his seat and ran to Ji Dong-hwa. He grabbed his shoulders and called his name sadly.

“What’s wrong! Are you sick today?”

“Sorry, Ha-min. I guess not.”

“You know! Tell me! Why, why!”

Dong-hwa hyung would never put up with that annoying clinginess normally.

He needs a strong motive to win the game, and that motive is probably Iden hyung.

…They’re trying to die together, Iden hyung.

Nod, nod. I realized it. Those hyungs are really good at doing useless things. What should I do?

“Dong-hwa-yaa…, I’m hurt, I’m hurt….”

“I remember now, Ha-min.”

“Liar! You remembered from the beginning! I, I now! How! How could you!”

As expected of someone with excellent acting skills, Chae Ha-min properly expressed the cry of a boy betrayed by his friend.

Of course, it’s scary because that’s not acting, it’s real.

“Should we grab some late-night snacks together?”

“Really?”

Is there anyone as skilled as Dong-hwa hyung at handling Ha-min hyung?

Recently, Dong-hwa hyung has been spending his nights working and studying, often locking himself in his room and not going out.

In fact, it wasn’t just often, it was all the time. It’s such a sweet offer for Chae Ha-min, who was bored alone in his room.

“We can go out and play too.”

“…You have to study.”

“Just for one day.”

Ha-min hyung, whose cheeks were twitching slightly as his mood improved to some extent.

However, he turned his head with a poker face as if the feeling of betrayal had not completely disappeared.

“Still, I can’t forgive you, Dong-hwa!”

He’ll forgive everything tomorrow after saying that. Dong-hwa hyung is overly skilled at handling Ha-min hyung, and Ha-min hyung is weak to positive emotions.

Even if he just explains the situation after filming, he’ll smile again, saying, ‘Ah, really?’

Anyway, what should I really do? The next questioner is Dong-hwa hyung.

Lee Hyun-jae sat close to Seok-joon, who was leisurely looking at the sky and smiling.

“Jooni hyung. Can I have your hand?”

Seok-joon immediately held out his hand without questioning it. Lee Hyun-jae wrote on it with his index finger.

‘Should I write Electric Mouse as the next answer no matter what?’

“Why?”

“I don’t know. I just think I’d be happier that way.”

“Okay―.”

Happiness is important. Seok-joon just thought so and looked at the sky again. How can it be so blue, it’s pretty.

* * *

It’s my turn to ask the questions this time.

The current score is ―2 to ―2.

I made a game to share secrets, but it’s funny how they’re acting like they don’t know anything about each other.

Before asking the question, I was lost in thought for a moment.

It’s useless to share something with Ryu Iden. Chae Ha-min is in a strangely unresolved state, so I’m not sure if he’ll write down the answer right away if I ask a secret that only the two of us share.

Then the only ones left are Lee Hyun-jae and Seok-joon. Among them, Seok-joon is the best choice.

He has no desire to win, and he’s pure enough to write down the answer right away if he knows it.

“…What is the name of my favorite pocket monster [Pokémon-like creature]?”

The answer is ‘Horanggun’.

It’s for the simple reason that it looks like Simba [character from ‘The Lion King’]. The performance is bad, so I’ve never used it even once. It’s a secret that I’ve often told Seok-joon when playing games.

But at that moment, a clear laugh burst out from behind, ‘Haha’. Lee Hyun-jae’s laughter, only the sound is clear, but it’s usually terribly evil.

…It’s unsettling.

I slowly considered the possibilities.

Lee Hyun-jae is the kind of person who would break the rules of the game if it’s reasonable to break them. Thanks to learning well from me.

Ah.

“Can I change the question?”

“No! It’s impossible!”

At PD Jung’s firm answer, a clear laugh burst out again, ‘Haha’.

Lee Hyun-jae has turned to Ryu Iden’s side. I closed my eyes. My tutoring student was always on my side, but why?

“Okay, everyone, listen to the answer!”

The result is obvious without even looking.

“Dong-hwa, what’s the answer?”

“It’s Horanggun.”

“Everyone failed to get the correct answer, so 2 points are deducted!”

Damn it, I expected Lee Hyun-jae to participate, but I never thought he wouldn’t be on my side.

“…Haa.”

A deep sigh. When I turned around, Seok-joon was holding an answer sheet that said ‘Electric Mouse’. That kind of rat that looks like it’s been exposed to radiation, me.

However, Seok-joon didn’t care about me and asked Lee Hyun-jae, who was sitting next to him.

“Are you happy?”

“Yes, very.”

“Then I’m happy too―.”

I’m unhappy, you damn dinosaur. I wish an ice age would come so you could come to your senses. I feel like telling you why the character Dong(冬) [winter] is in my name.

You shouldn’t discuss what answer to write in advance. That’s the rule of this game.

Lee Hyun-jae boldly broke it, but there’s no evidence. Maybe he won’t do it again since he succeeded once.

“…Hyun-jae.”

At my short call, Lee Hyun-jae looked at me with eyes that seemed to contain starlight. Emotions such as joy and happiness were raging.

“Yes.”

“You look happy.”

“Of course. It’s been a while since I’ve had such a heartwarming game like today.”

“Me too.”

Ryu Iden laughed out loud as if he had noticed how the situation was flowing.

“Hyun-jae really likes you, so that’s why.”

“That’s right.”

[Accept it! If that’s the way that child expresses his affection, you must know how to respect it.]

Haa, I couldn’t help but sigh.

I feel like my stomach is boiling after hearing a word from Ryu Iden, Lee Hyun-jae, and even Gisaeng [likely a nickname or reference to someone who is giving advice, possibly a staff member].

* * *

I knew that this was a biased rule, but really.

If Ryu Iden can continue to give me ―2 points, all I can do when I ask the questions is to make up for the difference.

When the other side asks the questions, all I can do is deliberately get it wrong if I’m the only one who knows it to give them ―2 points, or get it right if many people know it to reduce the score.

Unless Ryu Iden makes a big mistake and reveals his shameful secrets to the world, it’s a rule that’s designed to make it easy to lose.

Ryu Iden steadily accumulated ―2 points by pouring out all sorts of secrets such as ‘peppermint candy, his shameful childhood memories, and the wounds he received from his father’.

In other words, it has become a game where losing is natural.

I sighed deeply as I looked at the results of the game.

―6 points to ―1 point.

I tried to narrow the gap somehow, but Lee Hyun-jae’s participation on Ryu Iden’s side became a serious cause of defeat.

During the filming break, Chae Ha-min laughed in vain.

“How can all the scores be negative?”

It’s natural that he can’t understand because he doesn’t know the situation at all. Lee Hyun-jae said in a refreshing voice.

“It’s because hyung and Jooni hyung asked questions about secrets that only they know with Dong-hwa hyung.”

Actually, they had no choice either, because I have the most secrets that only the two of us know.

“…That’s right, I’m really upset, Dong-hwa.”

“I’m upset too―.”

Can you all be quiet.

I massaged my throbbing head.

“I thought you two looked happy today, but I didn’t know you were playing such a game.”

While Chae Ha-min and Seok-joon were whining, Lee Hyun-jae handed me a water bottle.

“Did I look happy?”

“Yes. Both of you.”

“Hmm.”

Maybe. It’s true that I don’t like the PD’s penalty, but maybe it’s fun to fight with Ryu Iden himself.

Just in time, Ryu Iden, who had finished his second individual interview with PD Jung, sat down next to me.

“…It’s really relieving stress, Dong-hwa hyung.”

“Shut up.”

“I might not have been able to endure my life in the entertainment industry if it weren’t for you.”

“That’s probably a common thing for all of us.”

Suddenly, I started praising them.

What is this, these guys. I frowned.

“At least not you, Iden.”

You’re not an animal that wouldn’t be able to live in the entertainment industry if it weren’t for me. You are an animal, though.