Becoming An Idol Wasn’T On My Plan [EN]: Chapter 42

42.

I sigh as I put on my suit.

My parents are busy during the parent-teacher conference, but they were curious about my school life and asked me to go instead…

‘…It’s even more surprising that Lee Hyunjae’s parents asked you first.’

I don’t know what psychological mechanism makes people trust me so much.

Chae Hamin, who hadn’t been at the dorm yesterday because he spent time with his parents for the first time in a while, looks at me strangely as I dress up on a holiday.

“Donghwa, where are you going?”

“…Hyunjae’s school.”

Then Chae Hamin’s pupils tremble, and he says.

“…You said you went out yesterday too, Donghwa?”

“…Yesterday was a Disney viewing party with Jun.”

Ha, System, is this really meaningful?

[Warning! Trust is always important.]

* * *

I entered Lee Hyunjae’s high school and went into the parent waiting room.

I could feel about 80% of the mothers and some of the fathers in the parent waiting room looking at me with curiosity, but I ignored them because it was annoying.

Come to think of it, Hyunjae is from a private high school. Is it because of his parents’ influence?

I sat down and quietly read the book I brought, and soon the teacher came in and started introducing the school curriculum.

‘Hmm, unsurprisingly, it’s not much different from when I went to school.’

After that, they showed the projects that the school was focusing on, but it just looked flashy on the outside.

“Then that’s all for the introduction, and we’ll start with the class observation first! Then you can have individual consultations and talk about school life with the homeroom teachers.”

‘…I couldn’t even attend Mokwha’s class, how ironic.’

Without thinking, I followed the guidance to Lee Hyunjae’s classroom and sat in the back seat.

Coincidentally, I was the only one sitting in the back chair, as I was the only one who came to observe the class in this class.

Hmm, but is the classroom usually this quiet?

* * *

Lee Hyunjae was embarrassed to see Ji Donghwa reading a book elegantly in the quiet classroom.

‘How can you come in when it’s still break time, hyung [older brother/male friend]?’

In principle, you can come in during break time, but it’s obvious that it’s uncomfortable for each other, so it’s customary to come in right after the class starts.

And Ji Donghwa was protesting with his whole body that such customs were unnecessary.

‘Donghwa hyung… is usually embarrassed, but his shame disappears at strange points…….’

Even if he is expressionless and silent, he has a cold impression, and the book he is reading has a cover that screams foreign book, so everyone became quiet.

A friend sitting next to him quietly asked Lee Hyunjae.

“…Is that Ji Donghwa?”

“…Yeah.”

“Wow, he’s handsome.”

And soon, as time passed, a murmur began to form in the silence.

Lee Hyunjae’s classmates, who watched The Next Ni to support Lee Hyunjae, seemed overwhelmed by Ji Donghwa’s real appearance.

Ji Donghwa’s unique winter atmosphere and his face that shows off his handsomeness, and the suit fit that accentuates his body line.

“Hyunjae.”

“…Why, Hyunwoo.”

“I… just one autograph from hyung-nim [term of respect for older brother/male friend]…….”

Lee Hyunjae stared blankly at his friend for a moment and said.

“…Be satisfied with my autograph.”

And Lee Hyunjae didn’t know. Some of the kids were diligently taking pictures of Ji Donghwa, pretending to take selfies with each other.

* * *

‘Hmm, it’s ethics and thought class. It would be more interesting if it was a subject I didn’t learn in high school.’

Ethics and thought are too basic and boring.

I put down the book and quietly focused on the class to be polite.

“Come to think of it, the guardian of Lee Hyunjae, who is attending the class today, is rumored to be a philosophy major!”

The teacher with a cheerful personality was preparing to ask me a question, perhaps for the fun of the class.

…Hmm, quite embarrassing.

“Guardian! Do you know what influence Plato’s philosophy had on later philosophers?”

…Hmm, that’s a comprehensive question. I wonder why that person, who must also be a major, asked such a broad question.

“…Western philosophy is said to be a commentary on Plato, so it has had a great influence, but I think the most important influence is the dualistic worldview.”

Then the teacher nodded gently and asked again.

“Wow! Any examples!”

…I don’t know why you’re doing this, but should I pick one person from ancient, medieval, and modern times?

* * *

Lee Hyunjae thought.

‘Homeroom teacher… come to think of it, Donghwa hyung was his favorite pick.’

I remembered him subtly asking about the autograph before.

…So is that why he’s asking questions now?

Lee Hyunjae was proud of Ji Donghwa, who answered the teacher’s questions without any hesitation and answered the philosophical context.

‘…Hyung is amazing as expected. I need to study hard too.’

While Ji Donghwa was being upgraded to a role model once again in Lee Hyunjae’s mind, the camera installed behind the classroom was filming all of this.

This scene will be provided on the school’s official video site under the pretext of information disclosure.

* * *

‘Hmm, Hyunjae has surprisingly good relationships with his classmates.’

I was worried that he wouldn’t be able to make many friends because he was a trainee, but it’s a relief.

I was about to leave after talking to Lee Hyunjae’s homeroom teacher when the teacher grabbed me and handed me paper and a pen.

“Can you… give me an autograph?”

“…Okay.”

I wrote the character Dong (冬) [winter] and drew a flower next to it.

…For reference, I only wrote Dong, but Chae Hamin insisted that I had to add a flower because it was too impersonal.

I recalled the rules to follow when signing autographs that Ryu Ideun had told me and asked.

“…Is there anything else you would like me to write?”

The teacher quietly nodded and asked.

“Please write down your favorite philosopher’s name!”

…Well, I wouldn’t say this to the teacher, but it seems to be quite a distance from what is called normal. (It means it’s not normal.)

I nodded and started to think deeply about writing the name. Hmm, I can’t pick just one.

…I have no choice. Let’s write down all the thinkers I like.

And in the end, I wrote about ten philosophers and returned it, making excuses.

“…It was difficult to pick my favorite, so I wrote them all down. I’m sorry that I couldn’t fulfill your wish.”

Then the teacher stopped breathing for a moment as if it was difficult to breathe, then nodded laboriously and took back the autograph, thanking me.

…Are you sick?

* * *

An idol community. A strange post was uploaded.

[Idol who went to his member’s class observation and shared his ethics knowledge]

It’s Blossence’s (The Next Ni debut group ㅎㅎ Please show a lot of interest) Ji Donghwa.

(Ji Donghwa reading a book in the selfie)

Blossence’s Lee Hyunjae is in the same class, so I feel like I’m purifying my eyes every time I go to school, but this time I purified my eyes again thanks to him…

Comments

―ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅌㅋㅋㅌㅌㅋㅋㅋ No, why?

―ㄱㄴㄲ ㅅㅂ ㅋㅋㅌㅌㅌㅋㅋㅋㅋㅌㅌㅋ What could possibly happen that you go to class observation?

―Ji Donghwa… so sweet…

―Only 3 weeks left until debut… so excited…

―It’s so funny that he went to class observation with 3 weeks left until debut ㅅㅂ ㅋㅋㅌㅌㅋㅋㅌㅌㅋㅋ He must have gotten a day off

The community, which was hot with news of another large male idol’s comeback, began to attract attention due to the unprecedented character of ‘Idol who went to his member’s class observation.’

[ㅅㅂ There’s a live video of the class observation]

(Lee Hyunjae’s alma mater official site)

If you watch from 12 minutes, you’ll see the teacher asking that member a question

But it’s funny how well he answers ㅋㅌㅌㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Comments

―As expected, Korea University Philosophy

―But he’s still a freshman, so why does he know so much when he hasn’t learned anything yet? Do you learn enough in high school to answer questions at that level?

―ㄴㄴ It’s not in the current ethics course (Ethics Education major, 2nd year)

―I… think Ji Donghwa would have been a great help to the world if he had studied…

―And that’s Ji Donghwa’s simping point, the sense of depravity ㅎㅎ

―Depraved Donghwa…

[I think this is part of the agency’s marketing?]

Someone went to see his co-worker’s class observation ㅋㅌㅌㅋㅋㅋㅋㅌㅌㅌㅌㅌㅋㅌ

Comments

―ㄹㅇㅋㅋ

―Ah, is that even possible, idol class observation ㅋㅋㅋㅌㅋ

And the story that started so small became the first opportunity for Blossence to be mentioned even occasionally among the large male idols.

* * *

Chae Hamin was lying alone in his room, spacing out.

He went out with Ryu Ideun today, but he felt sad.

‘…Why does Donghwa go out to play without me?’

Donghwa originally considers being at home the greatest happiness and doesn’t go out often, but this holiday he went out to play with each of the members once.

Except for himself.

When he asked him to play on the first day, he said he would rest at home.

We’re pretty close. …I’m sad, very sad.

We haven’t been able to go out and play together lately because of practice.

‘…Did I do something wrong to Donghwa?’

Chae Hamin racked his brain and looked back, but realized that such a thing did not exist.

‘…Does he just hate me?’

While Chae Hamin was digging a hole like crazy, Ji Donghwa opened the door and came in.

“…Hamin, I’m here.”

* * *

“…Yeah.”

Hmm, a deflated rabbit, something must be wrong.

He’s my roommate, so it’s normal for him to tell me what he did all day when I come in later.

To be honest, I want to just ignore him and lie down on the bed, but I feel guilty because of what Chae Hamin has done for me.

“…What’s wrong, Hamin?”

Then he raised his head buried in the blanket and looked at me with resentful eyes.

…What are you looking at, rabbit.

“…Why?”

“I’m very sad, Donghwa.”

What, again. I struggled to hold back the deep sigh that was rising from my toes and sat on the bed.

“…Why?”

“Why don’t you go when I ask you to play…….”

I can guess the rest without hearing it. Ha, tired rabbit.

…Hamin, I’m not playing, I’m working because of the damn System.

It’s a familiar sight. This is the reaction Mokwha showed when I didn’t play with her when she was young because I was focused on studying.

However, isn’t it a problem that a twenty-year-old guy overlaps with Mokwha when she was ten years old.

The solution itself is simple…….

“…I was planning to play with you tomorrow anyway.”

Then Chae Hamin jumped up and checked several times if it was true.

“…Yeah.”

You damn rabbit.

I shook my head once and said to Chae Hamin.

“…So what are you going to do?”

“Ah, my uncle’s acquaintance is opening a reptile farm this time, let’s go there together! It would be nice if the other members could come too!”

I smiled and nodded, thinking.

‘System, if the reward is not good even after all this hard work, I will stop your heart, so wait.’

* * *

…Hmm, is this okay?

“Wow, wow, wow, Donghwa, you look so cool right now!”

I sat on a chair with several snakes wrapped around my body and thought.

…How did this happen.

At first, I simply came to see the snakes, but why am I now sitting in front of the camera, taking pictures of myself looking at the snakes with a blank expression.

“Wow! Great! Donghwa-gun [term of respect], can I ask you for one more pose in a different pose?”

“…Like this?”

“Wow, so good.”

…Yeah, it’s all because of that rabbit and the System.