Holy Idol [EN]: Chapter 174

It was the third day since the new album was released. However, this album, which CEO Lim had ambitiously prepared, failed to break into the top 5 and lingered around 6th place. Having reached number one last time, the members and staff were all expecting similar success. Strangely, this time, 5th place seemed like an insurmountable wall.

“Damn it. We need to hit number one again this time to completely shake off the ‘unknown’ image.”

“Haven’t we already shaken off the ‘unknown’ image?”

“We might have for the fans, but the public only remembers if you hit number one, or at least number two, consecutively.”

Whenever they had free time, the members were glued to their phones, checking the charts, but there was no significant change. To make matters worse, trolls appeared in the album review section, irritating the members.

“Let’s go practice dancing and singing.”

“Still, we’re higher than the kids who copied our dance, right?”

“If they were ranked higher than us, I really couldn’t have stood it.”

“What would you have done if you couldn’t stand it?”

Jungseo and Jongwoo were absent due to filming, and the other members were driven to the agency by Sagamjae.

‘Doesn’t Sagamjae even think about stopping the members from constantly fighting in the car?’

Rembrary glanced at Sagamjae, who remained tight-lipped even in this situation, and clicked his tongue. Sagamjae didn’t even offer a comforting word to the members.

Perhaps Sagamjae thought that the members were being greedy, grumbling about not getting first place even though 6th place is still a great achievement. Sagamjae often struggled to understand people’s motivations.

But as they got out of the car and entered the building, an employee who handled Wild Animal-related tasks, but whose exact position was unclear, ran towards Rembrary with open arms.

“Yeonwoo-ya!”

He acted as if he were greeting a long-lost lover from 3,000 years ago. Of course, Rembrary had never had such a lover, so he dodged the welcoming gesture by sidestepping.

Yet, the employee didn’t seem offended.

‘He’s used to it.’

‘People get used to even annoying things.’

The members clicked their tongues inwardly and walked towards the elevator to go up to the practice room.

“Why are you doing this?” Rembrary asked, stopping in front of the elevator. The employee, with a beaming smile, approached and said.

“You’re really only one step away from hitting the top!”

“Hit the top?”

“You’re going to be incredibly successful. There won’t be anyone in Korea who doesn’t know your face.”

“Has the music ranking gone up?”

“Not yet.”

When Rembrary asked, the members, who had checked the ranking on their phones hoping for good news, lowered their shoulders in disappointment. Rembrary pressed.

“Then why suddenly?”

He asked because he suspected something must be happening for the employee to be so unusually complimentary. Jongwoo… Come to think of it, Jongwoo had also called and almost said something strange, promising to explain when it was confirmed. Could it be related to what Jongwoo was going to say?

“You’ve received twelve advertising offers!”

“Advertising?”

Rembrary recalled the cosmetic advertisement photoshoot he did with Oh Jungshin. The two products, released with different concepts as if competing, surprisingly had good functionality, and both sold well, he heard. They were released targeting fans of Oh Jungshin and Rembrary, but they gained word-of-mouth for their practicality.

Does this mean he’ll be doing more of those ads?

“Cosmetics, perfume, coffee, air conditioners, snacks, ice cream brands, jewelry brands, sports brands, a public service advertisement for using polite language, detergent, a newly opened snow park, and even cars!”

*Ding.* The elevator door opened. But no one got on except for Rembrary. The members stared at the employee with their mouths open, surprised by the long list of items the employee had rattled off a moment ago.

“Aren’t you getting on?” Rembrary asked, and the members finally piled into the elevator. The employee followed and continued talking to Rembrary.

“All of that just now, those are all advertising offers for *you*, Woo Yeonwoo.”

“Is that so?”

“Actually, the offers came in a few days ago. CEO Lim said that if it fell through in the middle, you’d be disappointed, so he told me to tell you when it was more certain.”

But telling him now means the possibility has greatly increased. The members looked at each other, dazed. Then Keshi asked.

“Are those all Yeonwoo’s solo ads?”

“That part is still being discussed with the company.”

The members, who had become quick-witted after a long period of obscurity, realized that the advertisers wanted only Rembrary, but the company was trying to include the other members in the ads.

In idol groups, where the popularity of the group is as important as the popularity of an individual, this often happens, so the members were slightly hurt but also excited. Groups do this anyway. In a situation where you don’t know who will become popular, it’s a system designed to get help from the person who does become popular.

“We’ve been contacting each other for two days. Your schedule is so busy right now, but the advertisers say it’s okay and they’ll adjust to your schedule no matter what. Wow. Isn’t that crazy?”

“Why is that?”

“Why is that? You ask? Hey, do you know how arrogant advertisers are? Those guys are acting like that because they want *you* as a model.”

*Ding.* The elevator door opened again. Rembrary walked out, thinking only that things were going well, and that it would be easier to gather followers. The employee was making a fuss, but he wasn’t greatly swayed by it.

Then it suddenly occurred to him: what Nakru said in Nakru [Likely referring to a person or entity named Nakru, possibly a company or organization]. That he could make him a star within three months. Rembrary stopped walking towards the practice room. Could it be…?

“What’s wrong?” HyeGyeol, who was yawning and following behind, asked.

“Are you not feeling well? Your expression doesn’t look good?”

The employee, who was walking ahead, turned around.

“Yeonwoo, are you sick anywhere?”

It wasn’t that he felt pain. He just became suspicious. 3 months. Star. Mobilizing all connections. Rembrary’s eyes narrowed. If the employee is so surprised and jumping for joy, it wouldn’t be a normal thing. The timing is subtle. Could this be something Nakru did?

Rembrary rejected Nakru’s offer. But Nakru didn’t readily accept the rejection. If this is the result?

“Yeonwoo, should I tell you something that will even drop diseases [An exaggerated expression meaning something incredibly amazing]? There’s talk from overseas luxury brands too! They like your… uninhibited speaking style. Nowadays, the internet is so developed that there are fewer and fewer characters like you who don’t care about what others think.”

Before entering the practice room, Rembrary dragged Sagamjae to one side of the hallway.

“What’s wrong?”

“I have something to ask.”

“If it’s about advertising, I’m still low in rank, so I can’t voice my opinion.”

“It’s not about that.”

“Then what is it?”

“Advertising twelve…”

“Twelve.”

“If I receive all twelve and they all get cut at the same time, what will people think?”

“They’ll think there was a problem.”

“That’s what they’d think, right?”

“If they find out there wasn’t a problem, they’ll think I wasn’t effective as an advertising model at all. If it’s one or two, maybe, but if twelve get cut at the same time…”

“…”

“What’s wrong?”

“They might be aiming for this.”

The price for putting him in the star position within three months. It’s not free. It was on the condition that he join Nakru. But to offer the price before even accepting the condition…

“What are you talking about?”

“Nakru told me to join Nakru.”

“Really?”

“The condition they offered was to make me a top star within three months.”

“Did you… accept the condition?”

“Would I accept it? What they ultimately want is this body, right?”

“That’s true.”

He may not be interested, but he’s not stupid. Sagamjae soon grasped the situation and made a serious expression.

“They’re trying to give it to you first, then take it away if you don’t do what they want.”

There was also Redrin’s order, so he had to become a top celebrity here. He couldn’t lose the image he had diligently built by pretending to be a devil because of something like this.

“It can’t be. Sagamjae, you have to stop it.”

“Stop which one?”

“You have to block any advertising related to Nakru.”

Sagamjae repeatedly said with a troubled expression.

“I think I said it before, but I’m low in rank, so I don’t have the power to do that here.”

“Still, you can’t just sit back and take it.”

“I’ll try.”

After finishing the conversation, Rembrary returned to the practice room, thinking anew that Nakru is spread out everywhere.

“Hey, our superstar!”

What is this again? Rembrary, who was lost in thought and looking down at the floor, raised his head. It’s the dance teacher. He’s giving a thumbs up and cackling towards him.

‘Superstar?’

He thought he was familiar with almost all the words people use a lot these days. He gets confused when a new word appears.

Then I have to search it. Rembrary took out his phone.

But the gaze that had been directed at the phone screen came back up. The members, who had been glancing at Rembrary, avoided his gaze. Someone looked to the mirror, someone to their sneakers, someone to the ceiling. It’s unnatural.

Rembrary recalled the time when he was a high-ranking priest in the past. When he rose to the position of chief priest, the gap was already so great that the other priests couldn’t say anything about Rembrary’s rapid rise. Perhaps they were quiet because they knew that the position of chief priest was not a place to rise with ambition.

But when he rose from a common priest to a high-ranking priest, at that time, the whole temple atmosphere was strange. Few people genuinely congratulated him on his unusually rapid promotion. Even those who didn’t envy him were like that.

The dance teacher, who noticed the awkward atmosphere, quietly lowered his thumb. Ahem. The dance teacher coughed awkwardly.

“Let’s practice, practice.”

* * *

“What’s with the atmosphere?” Jongwoo, bringing Jungseo into the entrance, was surprised to find dark clouds hanging over the entire living room and asked.

He had been stuck at the filming location with Jungseo all day today, and had barely escaped from there at 9 PM. The filming amount was large for his first work, but it was precisely because of the order. The waiting time was lengthened because the order was pushed back and forth.

Thanks to that, the atmosphere in the waiting room was dark throughout the waiting period. But the inside of the dorm is even darker. Jongwoo put his bag down at the entrance and asked.

“Did something happen to you guys?”

HyeGyeol, who was playing a game with the TV on, answered immediately.

“No.”

Taein also answered from the kitchen while opening a nutritional supplement lid.

“What’s wrong? We were in the practice room all day.”

When the members didn’t open their mouths even when he pressed them, Jongwoo was suspicious but went back. He was also very tired, and he had to get some sleep to go to work tomorrow.

But Jungseo had come here after getting off work. No matter how dark the atmosphere is, he can’t avoid the place. While looking at the members who were wandering around with a strangely drained energy, Jungseo entered the room he shared with Rembrary.

“What’s wrong? Why are the kids like that?”

Jungseo vaguely believed without realizing it: whatever happened, Rembrary would not be affected by the atmosphere and would be playing around uploading pictures by himself.

That’s why Jungseo was a little surprised to see Rembrary lying on the bed. Rembrary’s expression was hardened in a different orbit from the members.

“What’s wrong with you? Are you okay?”

His hands are holding the phone tightly, but his eyes are fixed on the screen and won’t come off. Jungseo walked over to Rembrary and looked down at the phone screen. What’s wrong with him?

It was news.

—Idols with a new concept have succeeded!