Holy Idol [EN]: Chapter 128

< 128. Someone I Hate to See >

Rembrary belatedly realized his mistake.

He hadn’t yet confirmed whether he could see ghosts or not. In the meantime, he had openly watched a ghost emerge from the closet and then retreat back inside.

It was obvious to anyone that he had ‘the sight’.

Glancing to the side, he saw Shin Joowoon smiling triumphantly. He didn’t say it explicitly, but it was clear he was thinking, ‘See? I told you he could see ghosts.’

Rembrary felt a pang of regret, but quickly countered with confidence.

“So what? You can see them too.”

Everyone makes mistakes. Even the High Priest, a great being, is still human and occasionally errs.

Rembrary briefly blamed himself, but soon felt better. He found the image of himself—mostly perfect but occasionally making mistakes—to be quite charmingly human.

However, his confident demeanor deflated again in less than 30 seconds.

“But aren’t there cameras here? What if our conversation is being filmed?”

“Too private to be released?”

Rembrary nodded quickly.

The three kings aren’t supposed to meet, so even if yesterday morning’s events or today’s are filmed, they shouldn’t be broadcast. Still, the fewer people who know about this, the better.

Who knows? Maybe Nakru is among the staff here.

Fortunately, Shin Joowoon chuckled and replied.

“There are no cameras. I took care of them over there.”

He pointed in a particular direction.

Relieved, Rembrary looked where Shin Joowoon indicated, then raised his eyebrows.

On top of a dresser with a classic design, several modern objects lay broken, completely out of place.

“You didn’t ‘take care of them,’ you broke them, didn’t you?”

“Breaking them and putting them away is still putting them away.”

“Is it okay to break them?”

“I can handle it.”

“Do you have that much money?”

“Enough to buy you pizza with different toppings every day for the rest of your life.”

“I like steak too.”

“Steak too.”

“I’m jealous.”

“Why don’t you become my pet pig?”

“…How about I just send you my heart as a pet pig, and you just send me pizza as my owner?”

“What about the body?”

“I’ll take good care of it and feed it pizza.”

“No conscience. Did you tear it off and get some quick cash?”

“If I tear it off, will you give me pizza?”

Shin Joowoon twitched his lips, then stiffened his chin and avoided eye contact. He was clearly holding back laughter, starting to lose the argument.

Rembrary watched Shin Joowoon carefully.

Whether Shin Joowoon had a lot of money was just a casual question. What mattered most to Rembrary right now was whether Shin Joowoon posed a danger to him.

However, he didn’t know which organization Shin Joowoon belonged to, making it hard to assess.

He couldn’t even tell if Shin Joowoon belonged to an organization at all, or if he simply saw ghosts and was unaffiliated.

After racking his brain, Rembrary finally asked Shin Joowoon directly.

“But Joowoon, why did you ask if I could see ghosts or not?”

“I just thought so. I felt a sense of kinship.”

“Is that something to feel kinship about?”

“You don’t have many friends who can see ghosts, do you? But anyway, you have the ability to see ghosts, so why bother being an idol?”

“You have the ability to see ghosts, so why bother starting an entertainment agency?”

“Because I make a lot of money?”

“How materialistic.”

“What about you? Why did you bother becoming an idol?”

“Because I make a lot of money?”

“…What kind of answer should I give you?”

When Rembrary avoided answering, Shin Joowoon sighed and asked.

“Seeing them is one thing. Why is the court lady ghost avoiding you?”

Rembrary thought for a moment, then made up an excuse.

“I don’t know. Ghosts have always avoided me.”

“Always?”

“Yeah.”

In fact, saying he became an idol to make a lot of money was just a random excuse since he didn’t know Woo Yeonwoo’s dream, but his current answer wasn’t entirely a lie.

It was natural for ghosts and evil spirits to avoid him, the High Priest.

Of course, strong, high-ranking demons were even more eager to attack, but weak ghosts and evil spirits didn’t even try to approach him.

Rather, the reaction of that cow-headed creature he met a few days ago was surprising. The court lady ghost’s reaction itself wasn’t that unusual to Rembrary.

Shin Joowoon muttered, watching Rembrary’s calm expression.

“Is it innate…?”

“What are you talking about?”

“They say pig’s blood chases away ghosts.”

“Get lost, anchovy.”

Why does that guy always go off on tangents?

When Rembrary frowned at the pig comment again, Shin Joowoon burst out laughing as if it was hilarious.

Rembrary frowned and asked.

“What about you? You can see ghosts, so why were you possessed yesterday?”

“I felt sorry for her. She seemed to have a lot of resentment. I was going to listen to her story, but I got possessed.”

“Liar.”

“She looked like she had a lot of stories to tell.”

“I can’t believe you’re sympathizing with someone.”

“You’re saying the same things as usual, but hearing it in banmal [informal speech] feels new.”

“Is my 말투 [manner of speaking] elegant?”

“It sounds more annoying.”

“…But does that ghost really have a lot of stories to tell?”

“Most ghosts do. Don’t you know?”

Rembrary shook his head.

“I’ve never heard a ghost’s story.”

“Really? Is that possible? Usually, if you can see them, you hear all sorts of stories, don’t you?”

“As I said, they usually avoid me.”

Rembrary’s expression, which had been muttering, suddenly became serious. He looked deeply troubled.

Seeing that, Shin Joowoon asked, “Are you worried?” and Rembrary said in a serious voice.

“Anchovy, I’m worried about you. Why did you put that ghost in there?”

“To take her out.”

“Are you going to keep that ghost by your head for a week?”

“Not by my head.”

“Your energy will be sucked dry. I may call you anchovy, anchovy, but I don’t really want you to become a dried anchovy.”

Shin Joowoon clenched his jaw again to hold back his laughter.

In this kind of situation, you should usually be serious and have a serious conversation. But if you get caught up in that bizarre way of speaking, it’s hard to even have a straightforward conversation, let alone a serious one.

However, there was no time to ask more.

“Your Highness. Your Highness.”

The stage staff kept calling them from outside the door.

When Rembrary and Shin Joowoon opened the door, the stage staff said anxiously.

“You have to leave now. This doesn’t fit the setting.”

Shin Joowoon’s stage staff also nodded silently.

Shin Joowoon thought, what does it matter if the setting doesn’t fit, but Rembrary surprisingly went outside obediently.

Already leaving? Shin Joowoon looked at him with a regretful smile, and Rembrary warned firmly.

“Think carefully about what I said.”

* * *

Shin Joowoon burst out laughing as soon as Rembrary left.

“He’s nice.”

Even giving me advice like that.

As he laughed and rubbed his chin, the ghost who had taken refuge in the closet peeked her head out and looked around.

And then, after confirming that Rembrary wasn’t there, she finally crawled out of the closet.

Shin Joowoon turned around and asked, seeing the sight.

“Why did you avoid Yeonwoo earlier?”

[Yeonwoo?]

“The white-haired one you avoided earlier. One of you even wanted to receive his favor, leaning your head on his shoulder. Why did you avoid him earlier?”

The court lady ghost stood silently for a moment.

However, her eyes were still darting around in all directions.

Shin Joowoon waited quietly until the court lady ghost spoke again.

After a while, the court lady ghost fixed her gaze properly on Shin Joowoon and said.

[That white-haired lord is 4th Consort’s type.]

“…I’m asking why you avoided him, not why you asked him for his favor.”

[Ah. I don’t know, my lord. It was just a reflex…]

“A reflex?”

[Yes. Just…]

A ghost reflexively avoided someone?

One of Shin Joowoon’s eyebrows cocked up.

That means…

“Was Yeonwoo perhaps like an exorcist?”

However, the ghost quickly shook her head.

[That’s not it.]

“?”

[I don’t know what it is, but he just felt a bit ominous, my lord.]

“Do you mean he’s an unpleasant person?”

Still, when Shin Joowoon repeatedly pressed, the court lady ghost stammered in embarrassment.

[If I had to express it… he’s like the sun…]

“The sun?”

[Yes. Too bright, hot, and dazzling… hard to even look at…]

“Ah. So he’s someone you hate to see.”

[My lord, I’m getting further and further away from what I’m trying to say.]

* * *

September 6th.

It feels a bit awkward to write a video diary after a long time.

As you all know, and it will be broadcast soon… Ah. Keshi just passed by and told me that some parts have already been broadcast.

I’ll have to check it out later.

Anyway, I finished a week of filming and came out, and now I’ve gotten my phone and selfie cam back.

I came straight back to the dorm and started writing this video diary without even eating dinner.

I told the members that I had so much to say that I would film the video diary first. That’s actually a lie. My stomach was upset from eating greens after eating a feast, so I came here.

Hmm. Should I talk about the filming since I turned it on? I guess so?

Actually, I had high expectations for this filming.

Spending a week as a king. Doesn’t that sound really comfortable?

But the world I lived in… No. Correction. Please erase this part.

The king I imagined and the PD-nim [Production Director] imagined must have been different.

The king I imagined was someone who held all the power in his hands and wielded it freely.

But when I actually went there, I couldn’t do this, I couldn’t do that, I shouldn’t do this, I shouldn’t do that… I mean, I’m a king, right?

I don’t know if it was because there were three kings that my freedom was restricted so much, or if the image of the king I imagined was different from the values here.

Hoo. I was going to complain, but it’s hard to complain because I’m being careful with my words. Let’s just move on from this.

* * *

September 7th.

One o’clock in the morning.

I was lying down trying to sleep when I got a text from Shin Joowoon.

He said he was uncomfortable living in the palace and wanted to get out quickly. But now that he’s out, he misses it a bit.

He asked me for my agreement, so I ignored it.

I don’t miss it that much yet.

Three o’clock in the morning.

I guess I can’t sleep well because the bed has changed.

Maybe it’s because I miss it a bit now that I’m out, like Shin Joowoon said.

I ended up taking my phone and selfie cam and coming out to the veranda.

Ah, now that I think about it. I don’t know if this will be broadcast, but Shin Joowoon and Jang Taeri had a fight while filming .