Becoming An Idol Wasn’T On My Plan [EN]: Chapter 44

44.

That night, after finishing practice and heading upstairs, I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling.

Okay, let’s sort things out.

First, Gisaeng, based on the quest, started suggesting ways for us to succeed this time around.

Second, while most competitions inherently have unfair aspects, it’s right to stand on the fairest side possible.

Third, I think Gisaeng is… truly a grateful presence, but is it right to receive help from such an omniscient being?

…It feels like the achievements aren’t earned by our own abilities.

Just as I was sighing, I heard a *ting!*

[You’re starting again]

…What’s this? Their tone is different.

The strange notification window soon disappeared, and a familiar notification window popped up.

[While it is true that I helped, considering the possibilities, the chance of gaining attention when completing the quest was 10 percent. Among the elements needed to realize this 10 percent, 20 percent was luck, 50 percent was charm, and 30 percent was condition.]

…Ha, okay.

I don’t know why they helped, but Gisaeng only guided us with the highest probability of success; we were the ones who achieved that success.

First, I should be careful not to rely too much on Gisaeng.

At least, if my and the members’ efforts are to be properly valued.

* * *

A Chae Hamin fan is having the happiest time of their life right now.

‘Our Hamin! Hamin is on a variety show!’

Before, he suddenly took atmospheric photos with Ji Donghwa, and now their idol is appearing on a variety show.

Even on a reasonably well-known variety show called ‘Detection’!

This is their first time liking an idol from Nietzsche Entertainment, but they seem to be doing a good job.

‘Probably… the sudden buzz about Blossoms online must be viral marketing from the agency.’

Of course, some Blossoms fans are pushing the ‘This is Ji Donghwa doing Ji Donghwa things’ theory, but it’s hard to believe.

‘No matter what, there’s no way he could have predicted and acted on this…….’

So, she exchanged DMs [direct messages] with Ji Donghwa’s fans, waiting for ‘Detection’ to start.

“Come to think of it… Blossoms is still being mentioned even though Blue Jack and HighSix are making comebacks.”

Even though The Next Ni was somewhat of a hit, this is still a very strange phenomenon.

At first, when they heard that their debut overlapped with two other teams, they were worried that they would naturally fade into obscurity, but this is still fortunate.

Now that ‘Detection’ has aired, concept photos, music video releases, and showcases will be held over the course of a week, so goodbye to the days of squeezing content from reality shows.

Lost in thought, she was picking at her chicken on the sofa when ‘Detection’ started.

In the opening scene, elegant classical music flowed as the members gathered one by one to begin the opening.

And the moment Chae Hamin and Ji Donghwa appeared, she spat out half the chicken she was eating.

‘…Chae Hamin, what’s with the dress?’

For a moment, she couldn’t stop laughing in disbelief.

Although his figure itself is slender, Chae Hamin’s dress, with his height of over 180 centimeters (approximately 5’11”) and a fairly sturdy frame, seemed to both fit and not fit at the same time.

DMs quickly flooded her phone.

―lololol Donghwa is nowhere to be seen, why is only Hamin catching my eye? lololol

She nodded, watching Chae Hamin cheerfully laughing and talking.

“…Okay, if you’re happy.”

Watching the broadcast, she was impressed by Ji Donghwa’s speed in solving problems, saddened when Jane died due to Ji Donghwa’s misjudgment after So-hwi’s death, and loved Chae Hamin for working hard with his face amidst all that, so she couldn’t hide the laughter that gradually flowed out.

And as time passed, the smile gradually disappeared from her face.

As she became engrossed in the broadcast, confusion began to arise about who the culprit was.

‘…Who is it? No, why is Gyeon-hwon dying at this timing?’

Inwardly, she thought Jun-seong was the culprit, but even a fool wouldn’t have any reason to kill Gyeon-hwon at this timing, so she was confused.

And one anxiety slowly began to emerge in her mind.

‘…Could it be Ji Donghwa?’

Even though she was Chae Hamin’s fan, she didn’t think Chae Hamin would do that.

‘No, if it’s Ji Donghwa, no, does that make sense?’

With tense music playing, the moment Ji Donghwa subtly persuaded Chae Hamin to put Jun-seong on the execution stand, she realized.

“Ji Donghwa! That right hand just now! What was that!”

―…I’m sorry, but I am not the culprit.

The moment Ji Donghwa said that, he unnaturally raised his monocle with his right hand, and the hint that Jun-seong had found began to overlap.

―You, you, you’re left-handed, but your right hand, the right side tells lies…….

Jun-seong’s eyes widened in surprise at the sight, and soon after, the citizen’s verdict announcement was broadcast.

―This is the result of the citizen’s verdict. The game is not over.

―Wow…ah?

Immediately after Chae Hamin’s cheering appearance, Ji Donghwa’s cold face is zoomed in on.

Ji Donghwa puts his right hand on his left chest and bows his head.

―…I’m sorry, Madam.

“No! Crazy! Hamin! Why!”

She threw down the chicken pieces and jumped up from her seat.

In the screen, Ji Donghwa takes out a pistol and aims it at Chae Hamin.

―No, how, Donghwa.

Ji Donghwa’s small smile.

―And I love you forever, Madam.

And the sound of a gunshot echoing.

She slumped back into her seat, rubbing her arms, which were covered in goosebumps.

“…What is it? Ji Donghwa, from where did he plan this?”

And then, a flurry of crazy DMs began to flood her phone.

―Ji Donghwa wtf [what the f*ck] no way is he a genius from where

―No way Donghwa omg [oh my god] I’m really Donghwa omg

―I want to shout to the world that this is my idol! Have you ever stanned [supported] an idol like this!?

―No way he was so sexy when solving problems too really what what what what what is this really

However, she was too focused on the screen to respond to the scene where her friend was screaming like crazy.

And the truth is revealed. After Ji Donghwa was removed from the list of suspects with a trick he created alone for the first time in ‘Detection’, he quietly dealt with Gyeon-hwon when he seemed like he was about to figure it out.

―…I’m sorry, but would you die?

Ji Donghwa’s appearance, smiling politely with a knife in one hand, once again sent shivers down her spine.

‘…This is going to be a hot topic.’

Even when Nietzsche Entertainment became a hot topic online, they were spreading articles about their appearance on ‘Detection’, so the idol scene was paying attention to them.

In the midst of all this, Ji Donghwa perfectly pulled off the excessive settings for one person, a so-called ‘brainy’ image, a polite killer, and a desperate unrequited lover.

‘…What if, on top of this, the song is good?’

She shook her head as happy delusions came to mind.

‘Don’t get ahead of yourself. If you don’t want to go crazy when stanning an idol, you have to minimize expectations, you know that well.’

She slowly picked up her phone and replied to the piled-up DMs and mentions.

‘This is definitely Ji Donghwa doing Ji Donghwa things.’

She smiled faintly, looking at her timeline filled with a sea of tears.

* * *

[‘Detection’, Who is the ‘Cruel’ Killer Ji Donghwa?]

Ji Donghwa of the rookie boy group Blossoms, who appeared on ‘Detection: Who is the Culprit’ and was active, is a hot topic. (Omitted) By the way, it was revealed that Ji Donghwa is the ‘Cruel Hyung’ [older brother/male friend] from ‘Life is Good’. The mysterious man Ji Donghwa, who appeared in the Wizny viewing episode of Life is Good last month (Omitted)

Comments

―lololol How can these two be the same person lololol

└??? : I’m sorry, but would you die?

└??? : Hyung is cruel!

└lololololololol

I turned my eyes away from the article that Lee Hyunjae showed me and looked at the members.

“As expected… now I’m almost synonymous with cruelty.”

…Shh, you fox.

“The youth of this era who is polite even when stabbing people with a knife!”

…You too, puppy.

“The cruel man who killed me because he loved me!”

…What is that, ha.

I am now surrounded by members in the practice room, being subjected to personal insults.

…How did the image of cruelty get attached to a normal human being like me?

According to a cultural analysis book I read a while ago, once a frame is formed, the members play a kind of game within that frame, and these damn guys seem to be having fun in my psychopath frame.

Seokjun, who is the only one sitting silently, ponders deeply and then speaks.

“Donghwa― Hyung― seems to suit― the Wizny villain―.”

…Crazy human.

As a result, the members’ wish fulfillment story and ‘Detection’ are wonderfully connected, and it seems to have had the effect of making their names known to some extent before their debut.

The shock of seeing team leader Jang Haejin kneeling on the desk this morning, apologizing for doubting me, has not yet disappeared.

…The real debut is coming up soon.

I was only away from the stage for a short time, but I felt a little nostalgic.

I put the feeling of excitement that was slowly rising into the trash can in my heart, got up from my seat, and silently played the debut song.

‘…I shouldn’t be excited before the work starts.’

Then everyone put away their smiles and immediately lined up in formation, starting to practice with weak live vocals.

* * *

Concept photos are released one by one each day, starting to engrave Blossoms’ debut into the idol scene.

First day. Lee Hyunjae with blue hair, sitting on a small table against the backdrop of the blue sea, drinking tea and smiling faintly like a sickly boy.

Second day. Seokjun, leaning against a tree with a relaxed expression, receiving light against the backdrop of the forest and the sea, with a few birds and squirrels.

Third day. Chae Hamin with pink hair, sitting at the bow of a yacht on the sea, smiling brightly and carefully putting his hand into the water.

Fourth day. Ji Donghwa, sitting on a white chair between the blue sea and white pillars, looking straight ahead with bored expression and jet-black eyes.

Fifth day. Ryu Ideun, sitting like a mischievous person on a throne in some country, looking up at the sky and grinning.

On the sixth day, group shots and MV [music video] teasers were released.

In the teaser, each member is sitting in their own space, and at some point, they are drawn into each other’s spaces as if drawn to each other, and they encounter each other.

With each photo released, fans cheered for the concept photos that clearly showed that a lot of money had been spent.

―I think Nietzsche is determined this time ㅇㅇ [yes yes] I can smell money in the photos

└wtf TOT [Team of Team – Nietzsche Entertainment’s group] is spending the money they earned here

└Correct TOT fans, let’s love the artists of the same agency…

└The following is a comment that ruins the atmosphere~

―wtf is Ji Donghwa real? He’s so captivating looking straight ahead with a bored expression

―It seems like the kids all have characters, will they be revealed in the music video?

└Ah shit what to do I’m already excited

―Jun is like a Wizny prince when he’s with animals ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ [crying emojis]

―Hyunjae… why do you look so sick… I’m going to give you red ginseng no matter what at the fan signing…

―”Finally, I have regained the light in my world, Ryu Ideun.”

―Ha… Chae Hamin I really want to push you into the sea just once…

└This is a comment that is going to jail~

―Ha… I’m really crying wtf… It’s finally the debut…

Even though the comebacks and debuts of large male idol groups overlapped, the miraculous cycle structure of being mentioned in the community steadily, and then attracting new attention because of the surprise of being mentioned, was formed.

And at 7 PM that day, the music video for Blossoms’ debut song was released amidst the fans’ expectations and other fans’ slight interest disguised as indifference.