Holy Idol [EN]: Chapter 207

207. Needs a Fresh Image

“I think… you guys need a fresh image.”

After Representative Lim said this, half-drunk, Jungseo paused from picking up meat to look at him for about 0.5 seconds. Rembrary just put down his cider. The other members didn’t even bother with that.

“Hey, hey, listen when the boss is talking.”

Jongwoo clicked his tongue and stepped in, and only then did the members stop eating and ask what was going on.

Today was the day of the third music awards rehearsal, but Wild Animal wasn’t invited to the third awards show, the one on the last day.

However, since everyone had worked hard this year, Representative Lim took the members out for prime rib as a year-end party.

But suddenly saying something like that while they were eating well.

“Representative, I think the kids are craving meat more than your nagging right now.”

Sagamjae said seriously, and Jongwoo hurriedly poked him in the side with his elbow.

Representative Lim sighed and asked Sagamjae.

“Gamjae, you know you need a fresh image too, right?”

“Why me…?”

“To me, to me! You need to refresh your image to me!”

While Representative Lim was groaning and nagging Sagamjae, the members started eating again.

Like Sagamjae said, they had been suffering from diets, so they didn’t really hear anything else while eating meat for the first time in a while.

Rembrary also glanced around before picking up his chopsticks again.

‘Lettuce. Meat. Grilled garlic.’

Rembrary happily opened his mouth, but before the meat wrap could go in.

“Yeonwoo.”

Representative Lim, who had finished nagging Sagamjae, now openly pointed at Rembrary.

Rembrary put the wrap in his mouth and looked at Representative Lim gloomily.

“Why? Can I listen while I eat?”

“Listen while you eat. I’ve thought of a few ways.”

“What?”

“Ways to change your image. That dreary image!”

“You used to say it was good because it was mysterious.”

“That was before you almost died.”

Representative Lim, who had spoken rashly, immediately looked at Rembrary’s face, worried that his words might have hurt him.

But Rembrary was busy making another wrap. He didn’t seem to have heard it at all. Representative Lim continued, half relieved and half annoyed.

“Anyway, there’s a need to change your image. So I’ve thought of three ways.”

A staff member who came with them for dinner groaned and protested to Representative Lim.

“Representative, he’ll get indigestion. Why are you talking about work at a time like this?”

Jongwoo stared at the staff member with wide eyes. Sagamjae always lacked tact, but that staff member wasn’t usually like that?

Sure enough, the staff member’s face was flushed with alcohol.

‘I should have gotten a little drunk too. Why is the atmosphere like this?’ Jongwoo covered his face with both hands.

Representative Lim glared at the staff member, but still stubbornly continued.

“Method one. A digital single with a lovely, cozy, and cute vibe!”

Rembrary asked Jungseo, who was sitting next to him.

“What’s a ‘dishing’?”

“Digital single. Something that only comes out as a sound source.”

Representative Lim grabbed a lettuce leaf and shook it.

“Can I keep talking?”

“Do so.”

“Anyway, releasing a digital single quickly is the first method! The second method is a drama with a bright, cheerful, and innocent… anyway, a younger man role with an image completely different from you.”

Keshi burst out laughing while eating.

“An innocent younger man. Seriously, it doesn’t suit you at all.”

“Keshi, don’t tease him.”

Representative Lim warned, and Keshi quickly denied it.

“I’m not teasing.”

Representative Lim clicked his tongue but continued.

“Anyway, Yeonwoo, the third method is that. Someone who seems sly but is secretly a romantic, you know? That kind of senior role. Of course, someone who studies well and is smart… Ugh. Why is there no image that suits you?”

Representative Lim sighed in the middle of his speech, and Keshi grabbed his stomach and laughed. Sagamjae also bit his lip.

Rembrary looked at Representative Lim in disbelief.

After that, Representative Lim kept singing about younger men, pure love, and cozy digital singles, but Rembrary thought of it as Representative Lim’s drunken rambling.

Like Representative Lim said, the roles he suggested didn’t suit Rembrary at all. Of course, the role of Lim Seo didn’t suit his personality either.

Jongwoo didn’t seem to be listening closely either, so Rembrary was even more convinced that Representative Lim was just drunk.

However, the next day. As soon as he went to the agency, Representative Lim called him and asked clearly.

“So, have you thought about it? What do you like the most?”

“What are you talking about?”

“The three methods I mentioned yesterday. Ways to change your image.”

Surprisingly, Representative Lim remembered everything he had said in his drunken state yesterday. He hadn’t just said those things on a whim; he had thought about them in advance and blurted them out while drunk.

“I didn’t know you were serious.”

“Would I joke about something like this? So, which of the three do you like? Let’s hear your opinion.”

“How about a digital single with a sacred and mysterious feel? Or a gentle and benevolent monk role.”

Rembrary, who didn’t like any of them, gave his opinion seriously, but Representative Lim just closed his mouth and stared at Rembrary with a very displeased look.

‘No, if you’re going to ask for my opinion and then do that, why did you ask in the first place?’

Rembrary was dumbfounded but asked again anyway.

“Let’s say I can make an album like that. Do you even have the younger man or senior roles you’re talking about?”

“To be honest, we haven’t gotten any casting offers. We get a lot of offers for dark roles, but not those kinds of roles.”

“Then there’s nothing I can say I want to do.”

“That’s right. So you have to go to auditions yourself.”

After speaking, Representative Lim paused for a moment, then laughed mechanically.

“Well. It’s not like they’ll give us the role just because we choose a younger man or senior role. Let’s just go to all the good auditions. We’ll get something eventually.”

* * *

Rembrary came out of the representative’s office and got on the elevator to go to the practice room.

There was no one in the elevator.

Rembrary leaned against the mirror on the elevator wall and stared at his reflection.

The shadow was still there, and the red fingers sticking out from the shadow were still there as well.

“It’s strange.”

On one hand, they’re talking about rifts and whatnot, and on the other hand, they’re talking about auditions and roles. Moreover….

‘If Daeju’s words are true, what’s happening to the original world?’

Rembrary was most worried about that.

Besides, Redrin was already a very famous god in the original world. If people’s faith in Redrin is wavering, what is the person who took over his body doing?

Then, as the door opened with a ding, Rembrary thought of Hwanshin.

‘The demon Lavrum seemed to know something. I should contact Hwanshin and meet that demon.’

* * *

That night.

Rembrary sent a text message to Hwanshin.

[There’s something I want to ask.]

But even the next day, Hwanshin didn’t reply. Still, Rembrary waited patiently.

Today is the company’s year-end party, so he doesn’t have to go to practice. He has plenty of time. So he doesn’t send a text urging him.

The reply came around three in the afternoon.

[You’re still doing whatever you want.]

[Are you next to Lavrum?]

[yes]

[Ask Lavrum what he meant by what he said before.]

[What do you mean?]

[I mean, ask Lavrum.]

[yes sorry]

After that, Rembrary turned on the TV and waited for a reply.

Jungseo went to see his mother, Keshi said she was going to the library but definitely went to the awards show to support Yuli, Taein went to meet some composer, and only Hyegyeol and Rembrary were at home.

But Hyegyeol was sleeping in, so only the sound from the TV echoed in the living room.

As soon as the ding sounded, Rembrary quickly tapped the phone screen.

But before checking the text message, the phone call screen appeared first. It was Jongwoo.

Rembrary frowned because he was waiting for Hwanshin’s reply, but he answered the phone anyway.

“What’s going on?”

But Jongwoo’s voice was very urgent.

[Yeonwoo, quickly put on some sunscreen. Did you shower? Did you shower this morning?]

“Of course I showered. Why sunscreen?”

[Put on some neat clothes. Quickly. Quickly.]

“Why?”

[I’ll tell you when I get there! Get ready quickly!]

Rembrary looked at his phone in disbelief, but the call had already ended.

The screen flashing “Call time 0:10” disappeared.

He didn’t know what was going on, but Rembrary got up from the sofa and checked the text message notification with one hand.

[Lavrum says the world will change once, and it will be a happy direction for you.]

But the reply he had been expecting didn’t have much content.

‘Demons are too good at talking nonsense.’

Rembrary frowned. It seems like it would be faster to meet the demon in person and ask him directly later.

First, preparing to go out was urgent.

However, when he had applied about half of the sunscreen to his face, the door opened and Jongwoo came in. Jongwoo was even panting, he had come so urgently.

“What’s going on? Why did you come so urgently? Isn’t today your day off?”

When Rembrary asked, Jongwoo pointed to the door with his hand.

“It’s your day off. Audition. Quickly. Get ready. Let’s go.”

“Audition?”

“News. News.”

“News?”

“Let’s go first.”

Because Jongwoo kept nagging him to come out quickly, Rembrary had to apply the sunscreen he had dabbed on his face while coming out.

Only after getting in the car did Jongwoo explain properly, panting.

“A very famous rom-com [romantic comedy] writer is writing a historical drama for the first time, and the actor who was cast in it, the one Representative Lim kept talking about yesterday, ‘a bright, cheerful, and innocent younger man,’ was cast.”

“So why?”

“That actor was caught two-timing.”

“Oh, dear.”

“But it’s not just dating two-timing, it’s actually a common-law marriage two-timing.”

“Oh my.”

“It’s a mess right now, so he dropped out. But that drama has already finished filming the first episode and the broadcast is not far away, right? They’re urgently looking for a replacement. We have to go quickly.”

“Is it first come, first served?”

“It’s not that they’re recruiting on a first-come, first-served basis, but the audition will be closed as soon as they find someone. I called them and they told me to bring you in. They’ll audition in the order they come, and if you get cast, they’ll proceed with filming and release it right away. The articles about the departure and the replacement are already out.”

Jongwoo concentrated and moved the steering wheel back and forth, instructing Rembrary.

“I don’t know what you’ll be auditioning for, so practice in advance.”

“What?”

“Lines like a younger man! Practice on the way!”

“How do I know what lines a younger man says?”

“Still, something! Lines you might say to an older lover! Anything! They might ask you to do impromptu acting!”

“I like you because you have a lot of money, noona [term of endearment for an older sister or female friend]!”

“Damn it, something else!”

“Do you like me because I’m young, noona?”

“Hey!”

“I’ve never had a lover or seen one, so how am I supposed to do it! I have no idea!”