Holy Idol [EN]: Chapter 96

< 96. Proposal >

Rembrary was puzzled, but the lines he had memorized didn’t seem appropriate for the situation, so he remained silent.

Anyone else might have improvised, but Rembrary had no experience with two-timing, let alone dating. He’d never even witnessed it. He was utterly clueless about how to begin the conversation.

Fortunately, before the silence became unbearable, Shin Joowoon spoke first.

“Do you think that woman is good enough for you?”

He then produced an envelope from his pocket and thrust it forward.

“No need for long speeches. Take this and get lost. Isn’t this why you’re meeting her anyway?”

‘Is that Shin Joowoon’s signature move?’ Rembrary thought.

Rembrary scoffed, took the envelope, and discreetly checked the amount.

Surprisingly, it contained actual money.

Moreover, considering the currency values Jungseo had taught him, it was a considerable sum.

‘Should I take it?’

Rembrary hesitated for a moment before pocketing the envelope.

He hadn’t received his appearance fee yet and was currently short on funds. If they were freely offering it, he was inclined to accept.

Seeing this, Shin Joowoon sneered.

“So, you’ll take it and leave?”

Rembrary asked in a deliberately cold voice.

“What if I take it and *don’t* leave?”

“You have some pride, huh? Is that what this is about?”

“Are you going to offer more?”

“?”

Honestly, if he offered more, it would be a genuinely profitable transaction.

Rembrary was pragmatic and knew how to look after himself, a trait befitting a high priest.

If he could get paid multiple times simply by stalling, it was an endeavor worth pursuing.

Shin Joowoon looked dumbfounded, then sneered again.

“You have no conscience. No pride, either.”

“Are you refusing to give more?”

“I’m not giving it.”

“Then I can’t break up.”

“If I give more? You mean you’ll break up then?”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Then why are you asking for money? What are you trying to do? Are you trying to extort me?”

As Shin Joowoon continued, he frowned, increasingly perplexed.

He had intended to insult the other man by throwing money at him, but he couldn’t fathom why he was suddenly the one being shaken down.

Just then, an employee arrived with a White Shake Latte Gold Coconut Sweet Potato, large size, and handed it to Rembrary.

Rembrary accepted the hefty cup and stated firmly.

“I can’t give up anything.”

“!”

***

– Did anyone see the teaser for airing on HBS this time??? I don’t understand! @@ What does Woo Yeonwoo mean by what he said in Shin Joowoon’s teaser?

– Isn’t it that he can’t give up Jang Taeri and can’t give up the money Shin Joowoon gives him?

ㄴ Why is Shin Joowoon giving money to Woo Yeonwoo?

ㄴ To tell him to take it and leave.

ㄴ But Woo Yeonwoo says he won’t leave, so why is he taking the money?

ㄴ Because he’s giving money?

ㄴ Then why is Shin Joowoon giving money?

ㄴ To tell him to take it and leave.

ㄴ Woo Yeonwoo says he won’t leave, right?

ㄴ But why is he taking the money?

ㄴ Because he’s giving money ;;

ㄴ ㅅㅂ Infinite loop ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ [Korean slang for an endless, frustrating cycle]

– I’m more bothered by the pizza PPL [Product Placement] than the loop ㅋㅋㅋ It was so obvious ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Of course, I ordered pizza after watching it. So delicious.

– Didn’t they say the concept is two-timing? I couldn’t tell from the teaser ;;

– But what’s the real relationship?

– Shin Joowoon and Jang Taeri are dating, Jang Taeri and Woo Yeonwoo are dating, and Woo Yeonwoo is receiving money from Shin Joowoon?

ㄴ ?????

ㄴ What is that?

ㄴ I don’t know ;;

***

On the way back.

Jongwoo’s face was flushed as he argued with Rembrary.

“You idiot, why do you order such a sweet coffee when you’re about to have a confrontation?”

“You are bitter, but I am sweet. That was the intended symbolism.”

“It didn’t come across that way at all!”

“Then what do people usually order?”

“A glass of water! If asking for a glass of water is too rude, then an Americano! At the very least, a latte!”

“I *did* order a latte. ‘Latte’ is in the name.”

“That’s not a latte! The word ‘latte’ is buried in the middle and barely noticeable!”

“But Jongwoo, Americano is bitter.”

“That’s the point! You order it *because* you’re about to fight!”

Jongwoo, frustrated, lamented that Rembrary lacked the basic instincts for conflict and would only be ridiculed if he argued like that. Rembrary, however, ignored him.

He was in a foul mood because his envelope of money had been confiscated as soon as filming wrapped.

He had no interest in entertaining Jongwoo’s pointless opinions on the art of arguing.

“Stop nagging. I’m going to go finish my video diary.”

***

Date: July 10th.

For some reason, Jongwoo *hyung* [Korean term for older brother or close male friend] ordered pizza.

Then he kept looking at me with a smug expression. When I asked him what he was staring at, he asked if I had anything to say.

I asked if it was shrimp pizza, and he asked if I had anything to say besides that.

I said the shrimp pizza was really delicious, and he asked if I had anything *else* to say.

I firmly told him to just say what he wanted to say, and he snatched the pizza away.

I asked Jungseo what Jongwoo *hyung* wanted, and he said he probably wanted to share the pizza with me.

I said that wasn’t what *I* wanted, and Jungseo suggested I say something nice to Jongwoo.

After that…

***

Date: July 11th

Weather: Cloudy

I went to film , and a pizza truck arrived, supposedly sent in my name.

Surprised, I saw that it was labeled ‘Taeri’s’.

I asked the person in the pizza truck, and they said this pizza truck can make 157 pizzas.

I told Jongwoo *hyung* that Jang Taeri was 157 times better than him, and he cursed at me, telling me to eat pizza for the rest of my life.

His language is far too coarse.

***

Date: July 12th

I went to the studio to film , and as soon as I arrived, Maeng Wooshin… no, Maeng *sunbae* [Korean term for senior colleague], said to me.

“I saw the teaser for the new variety show you’re going on.”

I asked how it was, and he asked what the concept was.

I replied that the concept was two-timing, and he asked if it was two-timing between pizza and latte.

I said that Jang Taeri was two-timing between me and Shin Joowoon, and he said it didn’t look like that at all.

I asked how it *did* look, and he said I looked like an idiot all by myself.

I guess I should look up the teaser.

11 PM

I looked up the teaser. I don’t look like an idiot at all.

I looked very shrewd and clever.

I looked the smartest of the three.

Come to think of it, I got a text from Jang Taeri today.

She said she was happy to be able to film with me.

I replied that I felt the same way.

Not long after, surprisingly, I got a text from Shin Joowoon too.

He said he enjoyed being able to film with me.

I replied, ‘So what?’ and he said if I didn’t reply properly, there would be no coconut latte next time.

I sent him, ‘The money envelope Shin Joowoon gave me was warm for a moment,’ and he asked why my replies to Jang Taeri and him were different.

I replied that it was the difference between 158 pizzas and an empty envelope. He must have felt something. There’s no reply.

***

My solo music show activities were over, and there were no separate filming schedules.

The agency, wanting to strike while the iron was hot, immediately began preparing for Wild Animal’s next album.

The members, except for Rembrary, were given a final break, but they were spurred on by Rembrary’s continuous activities, so they all came to the office and immersed themselves in practice.

Rembrary was also caught by the dance teacher and made to practice choreography.

How long had it been?

Someone knocked on the door.

The dance teacher stopped the music and shouted, “Yes!”

Rembrary also stopped and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

The person who interrupted the practice was CEO Im.

“CEO. What’s going on?”

The dance teacher grabbed the towel hanging on the bag and quickly approached CEO Im.

CEO Im pointed at Rembrary with his eyes.

“Ah, I was going to borrow Yeonwoo for a bit. Is he busy?”

“No. You can take him. Yeonwoo.”

“What’s going on?”

“I’ll tell you when we go up.”

Wondering what was happening, Rembrary followed CEO Im. CEO Im remained silent during the elevator ride to the CEO’s office, as if it wasn’t something to be discussed in public.

“What’s going on?”

Rembrary asked again as he entered the CEO’s office.

CEO Im opened his mouth with a sigh.

“That doctor we were supposed to meet before, the appointment was pushed back due to scheduling issues. Her appointment was canceled today, and she said if it’s okay, she’ll come right away, so I asked her to come.”

“That Harry… that person?”

“Yeah. She’ll be here in about 10 minutes.”

‘Will it really work?’ While pondering this, Rembrary said okay and sat on the sofa in the center of the room.

After a while.

Someone knocked on the CEO’s office door.

“Come in.”

The person who entered was Jongwoo.

And a strange face following behind him.

A woman in a neat suit and silver-rimmed glasses.

A beautiful woman with a pale face and red lips.

Rembrary frowned involuntarily.

It was a familiar face.

It couldn’t be helped. She was Sajikjae, the female grim reaper who was a colleague of Sagamjae.

“Welcome.”

CEO Im, oblivious to the situation, shook hands with Sajikjae and greeted her effusively, repeatedly asking her to take good care of him. When Sajikjae requested to speak with the patient alone, he quickly excused himself.

Rembrary frowned even more and asked Sajikjae.

“Why did you suddenly come here? Are you doing a side job like Gamjae?”

“Why? Is it so strange?”

“It’s not strange, but…”

“Then what’s the problem?”

“My condition changes depending on your diagnosis, doesn’t it? Are you sure you’re qualified? I still don’t understand how Gamjae became a manager; he’s such a mess.”

“Of course. I’m just taking this job because I need a shell [a human identity], not because I went to school or studied for years.”

“You’re taking a job without qualifications? Is that even possible?”

“Yeah.”

After speaking, Sajikjae gestured for Rembrary to come closer.

When Rembrary stood across from Sajikjae, she placed her hand on Rembrary’s head and tilted her own, frowning.

“What’s wrong?”

“Checking the soul.”

“Why the soul?”

“There’s no way you, a saint, would genuinely develop a mental illness. If what your boss said is true, I suspected there might be some confusion with the original body’s owner.”

After speaking, Sajikjae tilted her head.

But she didn’t seem to glean any particular information. She lowered her hand and raised her eyebrows.

“There’s nothing wrong?”

“It’s attached to the shadow side.”

“There are no traces left on the body.”

Sajikjae tilted her head, observing Rembrary’s shadow, which stretched in the opposite direction of the window.

“Does it sometimes surface? You said the frequency is increasing?”

“There was a time when the shadow looked strange on stage, then once when I told him that Woo Yeonwoo’s older brother was adopted, and then once not long after. Three times in total, and the intervals are getting shorter.”

“After that?”

“But after that, it hasn’t changed at all.”

“Hmm… I can’t really tell just from this information.”

Sajikjae crossed her arms and tilted her head again, then took out something resembling a safety pin and stuck it into Rembrary’s shadow cast on the sofa.

Surprisingly, instead of the pin piercing the sofa, it lightly adhered to the shadow.

“I’ll examine it and confirm my findings.”

“Is that all you needed?”

“Usually, people ask what I just did.”

“Is it not over yet?”

“No.”

Sajikjae, regarding Rembrary as if he were an oddity, scratched her head and sat down on the sofa, saying.

“The real fun starts now.”

“The real fun? Is there a way to return to my original life?”

“No. King Yeomra [the King of the Underworld in Korean mythology] made a proposal.”

“A proposal?”

“Capture the evil spirits and monsters before Nakru [a powerful evil entity] and contact us.”

“Why would I do that?”

“The number of awakened demons when you crossed over, plus the number of demons you will awaken when you cross over. If you help us with that many tasks, he said he would send you back.”

<96. Proposal> End