Holy Idol [EN]: Chapter 62

For several days, Rembrary dedicated himself to practicing the choreography for the album’s title track. Inside the dorm, he also studied the script for the next episode of that Jongwoo had secured.

His lines were still minimal, but he needed to understand the story’s flow and his co-stars’ lines, especially since he was constantly shadowing the male lead.

Time flew by, and Monday finally arrived.

It was also the day of the 6th competition announcement for , so Rembrary and Keshi woke up early, visited the salon, and headed to the studio.

In the 6th competition, Yeonwoo was in a safe zone, and Keshi, though in the lower ranks, wasn’t last.

Rembrary was now accustomed to this process and remained calm in front of the camera. His insightful perspective from the previous video had become a hot topic, so the camera focused on him, but his expression remained unchanged.

“He’s getting used to it,” Jongwoo muttered, feeling proud.

Yes, he truly was commendable, especially when Jongwoo recalled how Rembrary had handed him the sponsor’s business card a few days prior.

Although he still had an unpredictable mouth, he seemed to be making an effort to control himself.

However, Jongwoo’s pleased expression crumbled at the announcement: “The theme for the 7th competition is rap.”

* * *

Driving to the agency, Eunseon fixed the camera on Rembrary’s face and asked, “Yeonwoo, are you any good at rap?”

Rembrary readily shook his head.

“No.”

Rembrary knew roughly what rap was. He had seen other contestants’ performances during the competitions and had heard Jungseo rapping during new song practices.

Of course, according to Jungseo himself, he wasn’t rapping because he was good at it, but because the parts were distributed that way.

“You’re not good?”

“I’m probably not good.”

Rembrary voluntarily confessed his lack of skill and added, “In fact, I still don’t really understand what rap is.”

Eunseon recalled Wooyeonwoo shouting “I don’t know how to dance!” on live television and nodded, saying, “Ah…”

“You seem to analyze things a lot.”

“If I’m going to do it, it’s better to analyze and do it well.”

“But you have to do it no matter what this time. Are you confident you can do well?”

“I don’t know.”

“Can you let me hear it once?”

Rembrary, who readily did as he was told, nodded at Eunseon’s request and asked, “Can I do the rap part from the new song?”

Jongwoo, who was driving, exclaimed in admiration. He thought, ‘That troublemaker has really become much smarter.’ How did he naturally know how to promote the new song?

“Of course!” Eunseon replied readily, holding the camera straighter.

Rembrary nodded, mentally rehearsed the rhythm a few times, and then recited Jungseo’s part diligently.

Eunseon burst out laughing after Rembrary said three words, collapsing backward while holding the camera.

The camera flipped and pointed at the car’s ceiling, but Eunseon couldn’t control herself, clutching her stomach and laughing.

“Ah… my stomach hurts. I’m sorry,” Eunseon apologized, wiping the tears from her eyes after a while.

“But you need to practice a lot.”

* * *

With competition preparation added to his already busy schedule, he felt like he needed ten bodies. Rembrary spent days busily practicing.

“Isn’t the schedule too tight?” Manager Sajae asked Jongwoo.

Jongwoo showed him a calendar on his phone with no empty slots, replying, “Look at this. This is the schedule of a moderately famous idol group. This is what being really busy is like. It’s really bad to divide people by their level, but for convenience, I’ll divide them for now. This is about the schedule of a 1.5-tier group [a group that is more successful than a rookie group but not yet at the top].”

Sajae examined the calendar and raised his eyebrows.

“It’s the same in that it’s busy, but Yeonwoo doesn’t have many ‘official schedules’ yet. He’s busy because he practices a lot. Later, you’ll be so busy that you won’t even have time to practice. That’s really hell. Of course, you’ll make a lot of money.”

“Amazing.”

“We’ll be busy together too. We have to be. You should prepare yourself in advance.”

“Yes.”

Jongwoo nodded and put his phone away. Although the buzz was negative, ‘Wild Animal’ was receiving the most attention since their debut.

If he could divert this immense attention focused on Wooyeonwoo to Wild Animal… at least the group’s lifeline would be connected. It would be even better if things went well and the song did well.

But the phone he had just put away vibrated again. Jongwoo took out his phone and checked the text message that had just arrived. It was from the PR team, with a large photo attached.

“What is this?” Jongwoo frowned and zoomed in on the photo as much as possible.

“What is this?”

His voice echoed loudly throughout the practice room.

* * *

Rembrary was a good singer. Apart from his divine power, he was simply good. But the reason people were so captivated by his singing was because of his divine power. Rembrary’s greatest weapon wasn’t technique but his tone, which was a talent created by his divine power.

Singing rap with this voice produced similar results.

“Wow. Wooyeonwoo, you’re really bad at rap. You’re really bad, but it’s so catchy,” Eunseon exclaimed honestly. Rembrary looked at the vocal teacher.

The vocal teacher, not being a rap specialist, nodded awkwardly and asked, “I think so too. But because your voice is so good, we might be able to package it well. But you’re busy practicing the new song, I don’t know if you have time to practice with a rap teacher.”

The vocal trainer, dance teacher, and acting teacher were affiliated with LLL Entertainment, but there was no rap teacher.

In other words, they would have to invite someone from outside to teach him, but realistically, Rembrary didn’t have time for that.

“Then what should we do?”

Eventually, the three put their heads together and began looking for ways to package Rembrary’s rap skills well. Then Eunseon came up with an idea, “Ah!”

“ASMR!”

“What is that?”

“It’s something good to listen to with your ears! The real name is very difficult. But what’s important is that it’s a sound that tickles your eardrums and makes your brain and spine tingle! But when I listened to Wooyeonwoo’s song earlier, his voice had that kind of feeling.”

“Me?”

“Just a moment.”

Eunseon rummaged through her phone and played a saved ASMR track [Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response, a relaxing, tingling sensation triggered by certain sounds and visuals].

“It’s best to listen to this with earphones, but we don’t have any right now, so I’ll play it through the speaker.”

Soon, a ticklish voice that seemed to whisper in your ear came from the speaker. Rembrary shuddered and rubbed the back of his arm. Eunseon laughed at his reaction.

“When Wooyeonwoo raps, it feels like this. Wow, you’re really bad… I’m sorry. You’re not good, but your voice is really good, it feels like rubbing your eardrums with a cotton swab. How about making this the concept?”

Rembrary agreed, and the vocal teacher applauded.

“If we get first place, it’s thanks to me, so you’re buying me meat!”

Eunseon clapped happily, and Rembrary whispered in a low voice like ASMR, as Eunseon requested.

“Wow! Wooyeonwoo would be a hit if he did YouTube! The best! The best!”

But as the three were giggling, Jongwoo came in and said that CEO Lim was calling for him.

“Me?”

“Yeah.”

Jongwoo’s expression was so dark that the vocal teacher and Eunseon looked uneasy at the same time.

Rembrary quickly followed Jongwoo to the CEO’s office.

As always when stressed, CEO Lim was sitting on the sofa, chewing on candy instead of a cigarette. As soon as Rembrary entered, he asked, “Please tell me it’s not true!”

“It’s not true.” Not knowing what was going on, he answered, and CEO Lim asked with a tearful face, “Yeonwoo, are you receiving sponsorship?”

“I received a business card but didn’t contact them. I gave the business card to Jongwoo,” Rembrary replied immediately, and Jongwoo grumbled from the side, “I told you.”

Still distrustful, CEO Lim asked again, “It’s not true, right? Really not true?”

“It’s not true. Why are you asking?”

“A gossip about Do Jiho’s sponsorship is circulating, and your name came up with it.”

“My name?”

“Do Jiho received sponsorship from a chairman who ‘only takes handsome actors,’ and you stole that sponsorship.”

“Ah.”

Only then did Rembrary remember Do Jiho ranting about him stealing his fox or lover.

“Half of it is true. Do Jiho did rant about me stealing someone from him. Did that become a problem?”

“That’s a problem too. You… sigh.” CEO Lim rubbed his forehead and chewed the candy, signaling Jongwoo to explain.

Jongwoo spoke on behalf of CEO Lim.

“The story is that you received sponsorship from that sponsor because of Maeng Wooshin.”

“Why is that guy suddenly involved?”

“The story is that you were hitting on Maeng Wooshin, so Maeng Wooshin rejected you, saying, ‘I only date high-class people,’ and so you got a sponsor out of desperation.”

“Huh?” Rembrary frowned in bewilderment, and CEO Lim asked again, “This isn’t true either, right?”

“Of course it’s not true. Didn’t I say I never contacted the sponsor?”

“Maeng Wooshin, sponsor. Both?”

“Maeng Wooshin…”

“Don’t. Don’t beat around the bush here. Please.”

“There was a slight issue with Maeng Wooshin, but some of it is exaggerated.”

“What is it?”

“I didn’t ask Maeng Wooshin to date me, but to join the same cult.”

“…” CEO Lim’s face turned pale.

“Are you in a cult?”

“He rejected me for being low-class.”

CEO Lim couldn’t bring himself to ask any further and quickly said to Jongwoo, “Okay. Jongwoo, release a statement to the PR team that we will take strong action against the spread of false information.”

“Yes.”

“And Yeonwoo. You absolutely must not join a cult. I think you’d be safe even if you joined a cult, but still, don’t do it. If you want to, do it after your contract ends. Okay?”

“I’m going to be a monk when my contract ends.”

As CEO Lim began to tremble and look for a cigarette, Jongwoo hurriedly dragged Rembrary out of the CEO’s office.

* * *

Besides Rembrary’s agency, there was another place that took strong action against this gossip: Maeng Wooshin’s agency.

After hearing the gossip, Maeng Wooshin cursed Rembrary about 123 times. He was even more furious because about 50% of the gossip was true.

Moreover, the two were in roles that were always together in .

From the beginning, the director and writer Shim Kyung seemed to want their chemistry to become a hot topic after the broadcast. If aired after this kind of gossip, everyone would only think of the gossip while watching the show, not the chemistry.

Separately, would have good buzz.

Maeng Wooshin’s anger about these various issues piled up, and eventually, when he saw Rembrary’s face during the next filming of , he burst out.

As soon as Rembrary, whom he met in the waiting room hallway, greeted him casually, “Hello, senior,” Maeng Wooshin warned him, grinding his teeth.

“You crazy bastard, don’t come near me!”

“Senior, how far away are you referring to when you say ‘near’?”

“My life!” Maeng Wooshin shouted and went into the waiting room, locking the door. Rembrary smiled awkwardly.

As he stood there, a staff member hesitated and said, “Cheer up. My girlfriend sometimes acts like that, but she gets over it after a while.”

“What does that have to do with me?”

“…” As the embarrassed staff member moved away, cursing, ‘He’s even more annoying than I thought,’ Rembrary thought that there were many strange people in this world and went into the waiting room.

End