Holy Idol [EN]: Chapter 325

325. The First to Hear

Rembrary met Jongwoo at a restaurant. All the seats were in private rooms, allowing for quiet dining.

Having frequented such places during his idol activities in Woo Yeonwoo’s body, Rembrary felt a strange sense of nostalgia and looked around.

“What are you doing?”

As he did, Jongwoo, who had arrived earlier and was waiting, peeked his head out from the door and called Rembrary and Jungseo.

“Over here!”

As Rembrary took off his shoes and entered the room, Jongwoo pretended to browse the menu while watching Rembrary and Jungseo enter in a line.

It felt odd. He was seeing one of them for the second time, but why did he feel so familiar?

However, he didn’t want to seem presumptuous, so Jongwoo didn’t show it.

“Here, take a look.”

Instead, he simply handed over the menu when Rembrary sat across from him.

“I already ordered the most popular menu items. You can choose more if you want. I saw you eating a lot on TV…….”

“Ah, it’s alright.”

“Don’t hesitate. Don’t feel pressured.”

“No, I’m going to order in courses. If there are too many dishes, there won’t be enough space on the table.”

“……You really don’t feel any pressure at all. You could feel a little.”

Rembrary smiled gently and naturally took out a wet wipe to clean his hands, acting as if he didn’t feel even 1g [approximately 0.035 ounces] of pressure.

Jongwoo stared at him blankly before sighing. Why did even that feel so familiar?

‘Well, there aren’t many people this brazen.’

Just then, a voice came from beyond the door, “Excuse me.”

“Yes, come in.”

As Jongwoo answered, the door slid open, and a server appeared with a cart. The server placed the food, which filled the cart’s upper and lower levels, one by one on the table and left.

As soon as the server left, Rembrary said, “I’ll enjoy the meal,” and immediately picked up his spoon. Jongwoo watched him meticulously eat everything from the main dish to the side dishes, chopsticks in hand, before belatedly asking.

“Ah, Rembrary…… Mr. Yesterday―”

“You can call me comfortably.”

“Really?”

“Of course.”

“Okay, when we talked on the phone yesterday, you were humming a song. Can you sing it for me again?”

“After I eat this.”

“……Didn’t we agree to meet because of the song?”

When Jongwoo smoothly took the plate in front of Rembrary, Rembrary finally put down his chopsticks.

Jongwoo regretted his mistake. Even if he seemed like Woo Yeonwoo in his crazy days, he was still a different person. He had taken away his plate when they weren’t even close. What should he do? Besides, although he looked gentle, the other person was a fairly strong Hunter trainee.

However, Rembrary, without caring at all, started singing a sweet love song on his own before Jongwoo could even ask him to sing a specific song.

‘He’s crazy but bold.’

Jongwoo was briefly impressed by Rembrary’s attitude, but soon he was immersed in the song, forgetting all his previous thoughts and nodding his head involuntarily. Jungseo also closed his eyes halfway, absorbed in the song, without even taking a sip of water.

When the song ended, Jongwoo inwardly admired, ‘He really sings well.’ No, his voice was beyond good; it was suspiciously addictive.

It wasn’t just the two in the room who were captivated by the song. As soon as Rembrary finished singing, applause came from behind the door, which was unexpected. When Jongwoo opened the door to see who it was, a staff member was standing there.

When their eyes met, the staff member smiled shyly and quickly brought a plate from the cart, praising him.

“Wow, you sing really well. It’s the best song I’ve ever heard!”

The praise was full of sincerity. However, the employee belatedly discovered Jungseo sitting next to Rembrary and changed his words.

“It’s similar to Wild Animal’s song!”

After the employee left, Rembrary asked Jongwoo.

“How did you hear it?”

Jongwoo answered honestly.

“The song is the best. Your tone is the best of anyone I’ve ever met.”

“Of course.”

“Honestly, your tone is better than Yeonwoo’s. You’re the first person I’ve seen with a better tone than Yeonwoo.”

“Of course.”

As Rembrary repeatedly boasted, Jungseo, who knew that Woo Yeonwoo that Jongwoo was talking about was Rembrary, held back his laughter.

Jongwoo picked up a pumpkin pancake and asked.

“Are you going to release an album with this ballad vibe? Yesterday, I asked you what your purpose was for releasing an album, whether you were going to release a single or a full album, and so on. Did you find an answer to that?”

“One song is enough. I don’t want to be a singer; I just want to promote Redrine.”

“Wow, your purpose is clear. Then what about the vibe? How are you going to go about it?”

“Solemn…… dignified…… and sacred.”

Jongwoo quickly took out his notebook and wrote down what Rembrary said. Single. Solemn. Dignified. Sacred.

“What about promotion? Are you going to shoot a music video or something?”

“I guess I can ask the production team that’s at Redrine now to promote it.”

“You’re going to freeload.”

“I’m not going to shoot a music video. I don’t have money.”

“……Okay. You’re honest.”

Jongwoo nodded and wrote ‘Promote using the broadcast.’

‘I don’t think the production team followed you to promote the album,’ he thought, but according to Jungseo, Kim Murok PD [Production Director] was the main PD there now.

And if it was Kim Murok PD that Jongwoo knew, he would definitely promote the song in some way if he heard it sung in that voice. He had already directed Sing Survival, so he was very interested in songs. Besides, although he had been criticized several times for his provocative editing, Kim Murok had a clear eye for what would excite people.

“Since we’re skipping the music video, the process will be greatly reduced. Ah. Rembrary, do you have any thoughts on signing with LLL as a singer?”

“Huh?”

“No, our company doesn’t have any plans to train newcomers right now. But if our CEO hears your song, I think he’ll change his mind and say he wants to sign you right away.”

“Not really.”

Rembrary answered firmly, but Jongwoo wasn’t particularly upset because he had asked, thinking that would be the case anyway.

“I thought so.”

Jongwoo, who muttered nonchalantly, took out a small USB from his pocket instead of urging him to come to LLL.

“What is it?”

When Rembrary only asked without receiving it, Jungseo took the USB instead.

“I brought only the songs that Wild Animal decided not to do from the songs that the company had collected. Listen to them one by one and let me know if there are any songs you like. Be sure to return the USB.”

* * *

What are they talking about? Are they trying to persuade him to join LLL? CEO was talking with Jongwoo hyung [older brother/male friend] that he should prepare for new recruits, is he trying to bring Rembrary?

No, what if they suggest putting him in as the sixth member of Wild Animal? Damn it…… What are they talking about and how?

Woo Yeonwoo paced anxiously in the living room, making all sorts of guesses in his head.

“Is something bothering you?”

Owan, who had been staring intently at him, interrupted when Woo Yeonwoo had made almost 66 laps. Woo Yeonwoo stopped abruptly and mumbled.

“Why are you asking when you know?”

His voice was more powerless than blunt.

“You know that Jongwoo hyung went to meet Rembrary and is doing this. You all heard about it during breakfast.”

However, the words Owan uttered after hearing Woo Yeonwoo’s explanation were not what a typical manager would say.

“Are you worried about the song that guy will release? Then just steal the song.”

Woo Yeonwoo asked back in disbelief.

“How can I steal his voice?”

“Even if you can’t steal his voice, you should be able to steal the result.”

“!”

Owan’s voice was sweet. It tickled like a whisper in the eardrum, and if he opened an ASMR [Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response] channel right away, his popularity would skyrocket.

In fact, many Wild Animal fans who followed him to public broadcasts liked Owan’s voice. There was even a joke that the condition for being Wild Animal’s road manager was having a good face, linking him to the former road manager.

However, Woo Yeonwoo frowned and was wary of Owan. He never fell for that voice that seemed to be made by melting sugar.

He couldn’t help it. Woo Yeonwoo knew that the identity of that road manager with a good voice and handsome face was actually a demon. A demon that the Demon King’s fragment, who was living in his body, had brought from somewhere.

When he had the courage to ask before, he even said that he was a demon from Earth, not a demon from another world.

“What are you plotting?”

Woo Yeonwoo asked nervously. He was originally interested in demons and black magic, so he knew that demons didn’t send favors for no reason. He couldn’t help but be wary.

Owan smiled gently.

“Plotting?”

“You’re a demon. I know that demons never do anything good for others.”

Even when Woo Yeonwoo treated him like a barbed wire fence, Owan smiled generously.

“Others? The Demon King is in your body, so how can you be others to me? Doing good things for you is also good for the Demon King. Isn’t that right?”

Woo Yeonwoo narrowed his eyes.

“I don’t believe demons’ words.”

The demon smiled indifferently and turned away. As if it were true, he didn’t try to persuade him any further.

In fact, Woo Yeonwoo’s choice was the right one. If he fell for the demon’s coaxing and committed evil deeds, it would be easier for the Demon King to take over his body.

“Hey.”

However, Woo Yeonwoo, who had succumbed to temptation not long after, grabbed the demon with his own mouth.

“Is there a way to take it out without getting caught?”

The demon, who had turned around, slowly raised the corners of his lips.

* * *

At that time, as soon as Rembrary parted ways with Jongwoo and returned to the Redrine building, he took Jungseo straight to his room.

Instead of Rembrary, who was not familiar with computers, Jungseo connected the USB to the computer and played several songs. Rembrary hummed along to the music appropriately.

“You really have a good voice.”

Jungseo was constantly impressed every time Rembrary sang a different song.

“Yes, I can’t dance, but I’m good at singing.”

“Which song do you like the most?”

“What about your ears?”

Several hours later.

When Kim Murok saw Jungseo take his bag to his room and go to the cafeteria, he slipped into the room and took the recorder out of the bag. Then he took the recorder to his room and listened to it.

When he played the first recorded content, Kim Murok was very surprised. Why was Rembrary meeting with Wild Animal’s manager?

When the album talk came up, Kim Murok was surprised but also praised his choice to put the recorder in advance.

However, when Rembrary mentioned Kim Murok’s name to Jongwoo and said he would entrust the song promotion to him, he thought he had put the recorder in for nothing.

‘What? If I had stayed still, he would have told me everything?’

Even so, when Rembrary returned to Redrine and hummed each of the songs he had received from Jongwoo, Kim Murok unknowingly applauded in the air.

“Wow. Good. Good. He should have come out when I was doing Sing Survival. What a waste.”

If I had put him with Woo Yeonwoo, the ratings would have been swept away. Kim Murok was sincerely regretful, then scratched his head after listening to all the recorded content.

‘Anyway, there wasn’t much useful content. If he’s going to entrust the song promotion to me anyway, the recording from today doesn’t seem to be of any use…….’