Holy Idol [EN]: Chapter 184

184. Getting Weirder

It was night, and a car was visible under the streetlights. A man who looked remarkably like Woo Yeonwoo got out of a pretty nice car.

‘A brother?’

Just as he thought they were about to exchange greetings, Woo Yeonwoo got into the passenger seat of the car.

‘Even if he’s a celebrity, to film him even meeting his brother…’

The detective clicked his tongue inwardly, skipping the camera screen forward in short bursts.

After that, the screen showed only the road, and no particular conversation was recorded.

It seemed both the cameraman and the reporter barely talked during filming.

Finally, when the car stopped in a certain scene, the detective stopped skipping the screen.

“Are they eavesdropping on a conversation?”

The junior detective asked, sticking his face closer to get a better look at the screen.

“Looks like it.”

The background on the screen was an alleyway, and Woo Yeonwoo was talking to his brother there.

Nothing particularly unusual. But if he had to find something even slightly strange, it would be that Woo Yeonwoo’s brother looked serious, while Woo Yeonwoo didn’t.

Woo Yeonwoo had that unique ‘I don’t care about anything’ smile on his face, while Woo Yeonwoo’s brother was talking a lot with a dumbfounded expression.

The junior detective tilted his head.

“It just looks like Woo Yeonwoo being Woo Yeonwoo……”

“Is he always like that?”

“Don’t you know Woo Yeonwoo?”

“When do I have time to watch TV?”

“Right. You have to drink and play.”

The detective clicked his tongue and glared at the junior detective.

“I’m asking if he’s always like that, why are you changing the subject? I know his face and name. He’s in that, what was it… Wild Animal or something group.”

“He’s always like that. That’s why he became famous. He’s completely self-centered. He only survived with his face and voice? Ah, but his singing is really amazing.”

“Really?”

“You only listen to his songs among male idol songs.”

“……You’re talking like you hate him. Funny?”

“I really hate his personality. I hate him, but what can I say, listening to him sing makes me feel comfortable.”

Another detective from a different department who was passing by teased, “Denial stage of becoming a fan,” and the junior detective got angry and briefly turned around.

The detective judged it was a story with no substance and focused on the screen again.

Even during that time, Woo Yeonwoo and Woo Yeonwoo’s brother were still talking.

“It would be nice if I could hear what they’re saying. I can’t hear……”

Then, Woo Yeonwoo even stopped talking and looked at his phone.

Woo Yeonwoo’s brother walked away slightly—

‘Huh?’

“Why?”

In an instant, the two of them looked surprised and looked around.

Wondering if something was happening, the detective and the junior detective leaned in as if they would put their faces into the small screen.

In a flash, Woo Yeonwoo and Woo Yeonwoo’s brother simultaneously stepped back to avoid ‘something.’

“What was it?”

It wasn’t clear, so they turned it back again, but they couldn’t see at all what the two were avoiding.

In the detectives’ eyes, it just looked like they stepped back for no reason.

The junior detective was about to ask if it was a bug.

Unlike before, a suppressed scream of “What the fuck is that?” came from nearby.

“Sounds like the victim’s voice?”

“Yes. Yes!”

In the rapidly changing atmosphere, the two stopped talking and focused on the screen.

[Crazy… crazy… crazy…]

However, unlike the urgent voice coming from the screen, Woo Yeonwoo on the screen was still just looking down at his phone.

Even though the voice presumed to be the reporter and the voice presumed to be the cameraman were exchanging curse-filled conversations.

[Ah, seriously, he said he was a sponsor! That’s not a sponsor, that’s a monster!]

The disharmony between the screen and the sound was chilling.

“What… what are they looking at?”

“Aren’t they talking about something other than Woo Yeonwoo? Woo Yeonwoo keeps looking at his phone.”

Woo Yeonwoo’s brother also cast sharp glances here and there, but there was no particular movement.

[Run away.]

On the other hand, the cameraman spoke urgently and then suddenly screamed and dropped the camera.

The screen spun around, and the voice presumed to be the reporter asked in surprise, “What’s wrong?”

The detective also wanted to ask, ‘What’s really wrong?’

They secured the evidence video, but nothing was filmed in the video, and even though nothing was filmed, the people who filmed it were scared after seeing something.

It was like… they saw a ghost.

“Creepy.”

The junior detective muttered, rubbing his arm.

The camera that fell to the floor was even less functional than before. Now all that was visible was the slanted floor.

However, the screams of terror did not stop, and soon feet running away were visible on the screen. Voices of help me, save me… Then the video cut off.

The junior detective and the detective looked at each other. Neither of them knew what this was.

On the screen, there was nothing of the victim and perpetrator. They just screamed and ran away until the end?

If it was a prank, the screams were full of fear. If he was this good at acting, this person should have been an actor, not a cameraman. Moreover, the cameraman actually suffered serious injuries and died.

The junior detective cleared his throat a few times and said in a deliberately light tone.

“Well, at least I know why they didn’t mention Woo Yeonwoo’s name. It’s just that they were unilaterally secretly following him, and Woo Yeonwoo doesn’t seem to be related to the incident.”

It wasn’t even a horror movie. It was strangely eerie, so he made a bright voice for no reason.

“What are you talking about? Didn’t you hear what the victim was saying?”

―Ah, seriously, he said he was a sponsor! That’s not a sponsor, that’s a monster!

When the detective turned the video back and played that part with a lot of room for interpretation, the junior detective pretended to cover his ears in distress.

“Ah, can’t you turn that off?”

“I turned it off.”

“Could that monster be talking about this person who looks a lot like Woo Yeonwoo?”

“No way. The victim wasn’t surprised when Woo Yeonwoo got into the car with someone who was said to be his brother or something. He was okay at first even while watching them talk.”

The junior detective scratched his head.

“Ah, it’s even more confusing… I can’t watch horror movies. I’m going crazy.”

* * *

At that time.

On the internet, the bizarre murder case was not as big of a topic as expected.

If there were idols, reporters, and sponsorship suspicions involved, there would have been a huge uproar, but it was possible because one person died and one person kept his mouth shut.

This case was buried as one of those terrible and painful, but not very unusual, cases.

What’s most talked about on the internet right now is that Yulli—Kesi and Yulli—Woo Yeonwoo will be on stage together at the year-end awards ceremony on different broadcasting stations.

―Are the broadcasting station guys devils ㄷㄷ [Korean internet slang for ‘ㄷㄷ’ which expresses shock or amazement];;

―They’re putting them together like that

―I don’t know well, but is this how they do noise marketing [marketing strategy that involves generating controversy or attention]?

ㄴThere hasn’t been one in the last 10 years ㅠ

ㄴLooks like they want to write a cool history

―ㅅㅂ [Korean slang for ‘fuck’] That’s too much, I would have cried if I were Yulli ㅠㅠ

ㄴㄴㄴㄴ If I were Yulli, I would have thrown an uppercut first lolololol [laughter in Korean]

ㄴㅤAh lolololol I remembered lolololol Yulli pushed a weak image, but as soon as the ghost came, she immediately threw an uppercut lolololol

ㄴMaybe because she got caught lolololol She doesn’t talk about being weak these days lololololol

―But apart from the YulliKesi couple, aren’t Woo Yeonwoo and Yulli the top two clumsiest male and female idols? Is it even possible for those two to dance

People seemed most worried about the structure of Woo Yeonwoo being 끼어든 [wedged] between a private couple, and the fact that the two with the worst dancing skills would be performing on stage.

Kesi bit his fingernails while checking the reactions on his phone, and after a long time, he finally got away from it. It reminded him of how much he was cursed after the dating rumors with Yulli came out.

He has a lot of ambition for idol activities, but he wanted to postpone this activity to another member.

Of course, he doesn’t want another member to be paired with Yulli either.

“Why do you look for that stuff when your mental is weak, hyung [older brother or male friend]?”

“Because my mental is weak. To stabilize it.”

HyeGyeol clicked her tongue and shook her head, watching Kesi turn on his phone again to look at comments without being able to stand it for a minute, and walked to the kitchen.

There was another person holding a phone here.

“What are you doing again, hyung?”

It was Rembrary. But Rembrary wasn’t glued to his phone like Kesi, he just had his usual expression.

“Yeonwoo hyung? Are you ignoring me?”

But he was more focused than he looked, he couldn’t answer right away, and after missing a beat, he slowly answered, “Text.”

Since it wasn’t a very 궁금한 [curious] question, HyeGyeol understood alone and took out water and left the kitchen.

Rembrary turned his gaze back to his phone.

The text was from Jang Taeri.

[Did you fight with Jo Un?] [No. Why?] [Ah, it’s been a bit strange lately. But it’s okay if nothing’s wrong ^^]

After the text ended. Rembrary held his phone in his hand and thought about it… but since he really didn’t fight, nothing came to mind.

But after hearing Jang Taeri’s words, he was sure that he hadn’t been in contact for the past few days. He couldn’t pay attention because he was busy with a series of things.

‘Is something going on?’

He thought about it for about 15 minutes. If there was something, he would have called. It’ll be okay. In the end, Rembrary came to a positive conclusion and returned to his room.

* * *

The next day.

While the internet was still buzzing with the year-end awards ceremony stage, Rembrary went to Yulli’s agency with Sagamjae to discuss the performance preparation.

“Shouldn’t I go with you too? I’m also on stage.”

Kesi, who felt a little more at peace after a day, stepped up, but Jongwoo deliberately only 챙겨서 [took] Rembrary and sent him to Sagamjae.

“Are you trying to make some rumors by going with him? Just send the two of them. You can schedule another date and practice, right?”

“How many days are left!”

Whether Kesi, who was left at the agency, fought with Jongwoo or not, Rembrary, who arrived at Yulli’s agency, started discussing with Yulli how to decorate the stage.

But after practicing for a while, it was when they sat down to take a break. While Sagamjae and Yulli’s manager went to get snacks.

Yulli quickly came to Rembrary’s side and asked in a low voice.

“Can I ask you something?”

Even though there was no need to lower her voice since it was just the two of them.

Is it something that needs to be kept secret? While wondering, he told her to ask, and Yulli quickly took out her phone and turned on the memo pad.

‘What is she doing?’

“Do you know a number called ‘010―XXXX―XXXX’?”

And then the question was about asking about a phone number. Rembrary took out his phone and entered the number that Yulli called out. But no name appeared on the phone.

“Looks like I don’t know the number.”

When Rembrary answered, Yulli muttered, “Ah, then what is it?” and put her phone back in her pocket.

“What’s wrong?”

“That number from earlier. It’s saved on Kesi’s phone, but the saved name is ㅇㅇㅇ [a placeholder in Korean, often used when the actual name is unknown or being withheld].”

“Ah.”

“It’s suspicious. And since it’s ㅇㅇㅇ, it feels like Woo Yeonwoo. So I was wondering if it was a number secretly saved with Woo Yeonwoo… Ah. Who do you think it is?”

“You can call, right?”

“I tried. I tried, but a woman answered.”

Rembrary remembered that Yulli and Kesi had a big fight once. Could it be because of that number?

“Did you ask directly?”

“That would be rude.”

That’s right. As Rembrary was understanding, Yulli handed her phone to Rembrary and asked.

“Can you ask Yeonwoo once?”

“What?”

“It’s saved on my boyfriend’s phone, who are you?”

Since it wasn’t a difficult request, Rembrary gladly called that number.

Indeed. As Yulli said, it wasn’t long before a woman answered the phone.

[Hello?]

“Hello.”

[Yes… Hello? But who are you?]

“I called because it’s saved on my boyfriend’s phone.”

[Yes?]

Yulli covered Rembrary’s mouth and quickly hung up the phone.