Becoming An Idol Wasn’T On My Plan [EN]: Chapter 51

51.

While navigating that awkward moment, Kyun-heon came outside to greet us and God-A.

“Wow, look at you all, so handsome. Nice to meet you, I’m Kyun-heon. Dong-hwa, you’ve become even more handsome. Is it thanks to the camera massage?”

Was it just my imagination, or did I catch a glimpse of Ryu Iden in Kyun-heon’s smiling face?

It’s true that I’ve benefited from the management’s grooming, but to say it to my face… this is the epitome of social grace.

“…I don’t think I’ve become more handsome.”

I quietly raised my right hand and rubbed my forehead, subtly signaling him to stop.

Kyun-heon, understanding my meaning, burst into laughter and said I should show that much wit on the radio too.

“It’s starting in 5 minutes, so let’s head in now! Move!”

Following Kyun-heon, we entered the booth and took our assigned seats.

* * *

“Kyun-heon’s Evening Rhythm Part 2, Rhythm Pawnshop, is now open for business!”

…Come to think of it, this segment had a bizarre concept: people leave their worries at the pawnshop and receive music in return.

“Today, we’ve invited the members of the hot rookie idol group Bloescence and God-A as the owners who will oversee our pawnshop.”

Kyun-heon looked at us first and said,

“First of all, Bloescence, would you like to introduce yourselves to our rhythm addicts one by one?”

During the self-introduction segment, I quietly began to speak.

“…Hello, this is Ji Dong-hwa from Bloescence. I’m the one who brutally murdered Kyun-heon, and I’m here to sell my own song at the pawnshop. I’ll buy all your worries today.”

That’s a script. Even if half my brain were missing, I wouldn’t introduce myself like that.

“Wow, as soon as Dong-hwa introduced himself, reactions like ‘Dong-hwa, what’s wrong with you today?’ are flooding in.”

I couldn’t bring myself to curse at Kyun-heon, who was reading the script but still exaggerating with his smooth tongue, so I replied,

“…In my opinion, it seems like the writer who wrote this is trying to bury me as a strange person.”

“The writer is drawing a big X outside the booth.”

“…Unfortunately, I’m not planning to look at the writer. I’ll gratefully accept their intention to slander me without resolving any misunderstandings.”

“Wow… your vocabulary is amazing. I heard that among the fans, Dong-hwa’s *mal-tu* [way of speaking] and vocabulary are subtly trending?”

Ryu Iden quickly took over the conversation.

Kyun-heon had said that if the framework is too rigid, the radio show loses its fun, so he preferred a slightly freer format, meaning you have to jump in right away when he gives you an opening.

…That’s what Ryu Iden emphasized yesterday. So annoying, you nag.

“Yes! I went to the amusement park with Dong-hwa *hyung* [older brother] during the survival show, and then…”

That crazy puppy started laughing, recounting my embarrassing behavior on the roller coaster.

And he deliberately emphasized calling me ‘*hyung* [older brother],’ leaving room for more stories. …Quite skillful.

Ryu Iden led, I assisted, and Seok-joon inserted bizarre answers in between, so the conversation flowed smoothly.

“Okay, now it’s time for our God-A members to introduce themselves.”

Then Yoon Sung-ho was about to speak first, but he glanced at the ‘human’ next to him and winked.

“Hello, I’m Y, the leader and charisma of God-A.”

…Wow, that’s awful. I thought the company usually decided things like that, but which crazy person has that kind of sense?

Kyun-heon turned his head towards Yoon Sung-ho without saying anything special.

“Hello, rhythm addicts! I’m Sung-ho, in charge of vocals and *kki* [talent/charm] in God-A.”

…I wish he would call them ‘rhythm addicts’ in full. Calling them addicts is only appropriate for referring to the guy next to him.

Of course, there’s a possibility that he made a mistake on purpose.

Kyun-heon laughed after hearing Sung-ho’s words and said,

“Addicts, our rhythm addicts might get angry?”

To elicit that kind of reaction from Kyun-heon. If it’s true, it’s a pretty elegant strategy.

Two teams appearing on one radio show means they have no choice but to fight for Kyun-heon’s attention.

“…Huk! I’m sorry, addicts! I made a mistake!”

…Oh, is he just intellectually inferior?

Unlike Y, who seems to be a prospective drug addict, Yoon Sung-ho smoothly continued the conversation with a seemingly good personality.

Y must have a flaw in his personality, as he had a dissatisfied expression with Yoon Sung-ho’s *wiju* [centered] talk, and Yoon Sung-ho was just bright, as if his head was a flower garden.

Looking at that, he’s definitely not the kind of person who would have a bad relationship with Seok-joon.

And after a bit of icebreaking, the *bongeukjeogeuro* [full-fledged] worry counseling time began.

To borrow the language of this radio show……

“Finally, Rhythm Pawnshop is open for business!”

* * *

“Rhythm Pawnshop is a store where you leave your worries, and we turn them into stories and music. Bring all the worries you’ve only had in your head!”

Kyun-heon took out a *sayeonji* [story paper] and began introducing the first customer.

“Hello! I’m a twenty-one-year-old college student living in Gwanak-gu.”

…Hmm, that’s where my school is.

“I’m worried about whether I should cut ties with my friend.”

I haven’t even heard the first sentence of the story, but usually, cutting ties is the right choice.

“That friend often gives me *myeonbak* [reproach/disapproval]. When I buy clothes, she tells me they’re too old-fashioned, and what’s with my sense. When I talk about complaints I have in my daily life, she says I’m too sensitive and doesn’t understand. Since friends usually talk comfortably, I’ve tried hard to *chameuryeogo* [endure/bear].”

…The *dae-eung* [response] is a bit too *yu* [soft/yielding].

“One day, my friend asked me for a favor, but I said I was too busy and it would be difficult, and she kept talking for a week, saying, ‘Even if it’s a friend’s favor, why are you refusing so firmly? Aren’t we friends? You don’t seem that busy.'”

…No, why didn’t you cut ties sooner?

“The problem is that this friend and I share mutual friends. If I unilaterally cut ties, I thought the other friends would be uncomfortable.”

…Um, well, that could be the case.

“Yes, a pretty *goga* [high-priced] item has come out. It’s quite *aemaehan* [ambiguous] to decide what to do. Is there anyone who can appraise this item?”

Perhaps compelled to say something, Y opened his mouth.

“I think it would be better to tell your friend more clearly not to do that. Cutting ties would create an excessively uncomfortable situation.”

Kyun-heon smiled ambiguously at that answer and accepted it for now.

“Um, actually, if it’s a friend with the *seonggyeok* [personality] in the *gomin* [worry], even if you say that, wouldn’t they say, ‘You’re being sensitive again!’?”

…Definitely. Psychologically, that person completely thinks of the person who sent the *sayeon* [story] as being below them.

In other words, that person is someone who gets satisfaction from putting others down.

I spoke first.

“Psychologically, humans repeat behaviors when there is a reward for the action. For example, the act of looking at a cell phone during the exam period is repeated because the mental satisfaction is great.”

At my sudden psychology lecture, Ryu Iden grabbed my thigh with an anxious hand. It’s the signal we decided on yesterday, not to talk too academically.

“Presumptuously, I’ll give my opinion. That friend gives the guest *myeonbak* [reproach/disapproval] through words and gets satisfaction from the guest’s expression of not being able to answer and being intimidated. So, if you’re *gomin* [worrying] about cutting ties, I think it would be good not to provide that satisfaction first.”

Kyun-heon asks,

“Oh, Ji Dong-hwa appraiser! Then how do you not give rewards?”

“If they say you’re being too sensitive, laugh very naturally and say you’re insensitive, and if they say your sense is not good, say you’re *yubyeolnan* [peculiar/unusual]. If they ask why you’re being so firm with a friend’s favor, tell them they’re being too dependent on others.”

Kyun-heon laughs at my unique *mal-tu* [way of speaking] and then answers,

“So, the *myeonbak* [reproach/disapproval] and being intimidated itself will further induce *myeonbak* [reproach/disapproval], so don’t be intimidated and respond!”

“I’ll forget the topic again and say something. If it’s difficult to respond like this due to your personality, I recommend cutting ties. I think it’s better to be stressed because of a human who isn’t even a proper friend anyway.”

And I take a deep breath and say,

“However, if you’re going to do this, it’s good to pick about two people from the friend group who are *ibi gabyeousin* [loose-lipped] or worry a lot about others, meet them individually, consult with them, and then cut ties. Then, thanks to those two, it will already be politically determined whose fault it is in the friend group, and it will help you live your life after cutting ties. Of course, it’s just advice, so if you feel *geobugam* [repulsion] to my words, please forget everything.”

At this point, Kyun-heon starts laughing loudly.

Ryu Iden seems a little embarrassed for a moment that this is not too *naengjeonghan* [cold-hearted] an answer, but he quickly reads the expressions of Kyun-heon and the PD and starts laughing along.

Hmm, I did have an image of being *janinhada* [cruel]. …How do celebrities live, anyway?

“Wow, the *sil-sigan* [real-time] reaction has become very *tteugeowojyeot* [heated]. We’ll have Ji Dong-hwa take on the *gomin* [worry] that the guest presented. Dong-hwa, you’ll have to turn it into music later.”

“…Um, should we listen to other people’s opinions too?”

“Hey, it’s a *gomin* [worry] that’s easy to get obvious answers to, but this is enough, um… yeah, it’s *janinhan* [cruel] content, so the guest will be satisfied in their own way.”

…Um, it’s not *janinhan* [cruel], it’s *haprijeogin* [rational].

Ryu Iden cleverly digs into that gap and corrects my image.

“kf9845 says that if they had a friend like that, they would immediately correct all their actions. Dong-hwa does look a little *naengjeonghae* [cold-hearted] when he’s expressionless, right? But he’s actually more *maeumi ttaseuhan* [warm-hearted] than anyone else. That’s why I sometimes call him *hyung* [older brother].”

…I don’t know because this is the only time I’ve had friends, kf4895.

Seok-joon, who heard that, jumped up and said,

“After meeting Dong-hwa *hyungnim* [hyungnim, respectful older brother]! I developed a habit of thinking three times before buying a product! If I bought something and it was something I had bought before, Dong-hwa *hyungnim* [hyungnim, respectful older brother] just stares at me, and that look is so *janinhae* [cruel]!”

…What kind of *gaesori* [dogshit] is that, you *myeoljong dongmul* [extinct animal] *nom* [guy/bastard].

“Actually, that’s because Dong-hwa has a really good memory. He remembers everything that happened during the day that he was *singyeong sseuyeotdeon* [bothered] about, even the date. So naturally, you end up being *singyeong sseoseo* [mindful] about everything you do.”

Ryu Iden’s *ieojineun* [following] words… that *manghal* [damn] *nom* [guy/bastard] is trying to attach another strange image.

“Wow, I see. Do you happen to remember what *sayeon* [story] it was the day before when I was filming ‘Detection’ with you?”

Kyun-heon smiles with a playful expression. He’s looking at his script with a *hijuikdae* [smirking] face, so it seems like it’s one of the questions he prepared.

…Ha, what……

“…The *sayeon* [story] I told you behind the set was the *sayeon* [story] of a 45-year-old housewife in Ansan, Gyeonggi-do, and the *sayeon* [story] of a *hagwon gangsa* [cram school instructor] in Gangdong-gu, Seoul.”

Why is he asking such an easy question?

And the *ieojineun* [following] 2 seconds of silence. Due to the nature of the radio, it could have led to a major accident.

…Wait, *seolma* [no way].

“…Was I wrong, perhaps?”

That can’t be. I haven’t been sleeping well lately, but there’s no way I wouldn’t remember that much of the past.

“…No, it’s too accurate. I was originally going to *nolliryeogo* [tease] you. …Rhythm addicts, surprisingly, this isn’t *jja* [scripted]! Wow, I still get *soreum* [goosebumps].”

Kyun-heon looks at me with eyes that see something *giihan* [bizarre] and then regains his smile.

“Wow… you’re AI itself. Actually, I thought that while watching Dong-hwa say *sayeon* [story] on the ‘Detection’ set.”

Then, naturally, Kyun-heon *pureonaenda* [unravels] an *ilhwa* [anecdote] that happened on the ‘Detection’ set.

I can feel Ryu Iden and Seok-joon’s *siseon* [gaze] *kkochi* [fixed] on both sides. Even Yoon Sung-ho, who is looking at me from across the table with a *singihada* [fascinated] look and *hoeung* [responding] to Kyun-heon’s words, and Y’s *siseon* [gaze], who is looking at me with a *guryokjeok* [humiliating] expression, are vivid.

“Wow, Bloescencegondeulmyeoncheongbusarin [BloescenceIfYouMessWithThemContractKilling] *nim* [Mr./Ms.] sent, ‘Dong-hwa, I feel *joeseureounde* [guilty] because I stopped the development of Korea to support you becoming an idol, but I *michige* [crazily] like this *joeseureoum* [guilt]. What should I do?'”

…Excuse me?