Holy Idol [EN]: Chapter 98

< 98. The First Broadcast's Reception is Good >

“Aaaagh!”

Jang Tae-ri, who was on the phone, screamed in horror.

“Holy crap, bird poop!”

– What’s wrong?

Shin Jo-woon asked, equally surprised, as he suddenly heard a scream over the phone.

– What happened?

“I don’t know, a flock of birds suddenly—Aaaagh!”

– Why? Why??

“Yeon-woo ssi!”

Jang Tae-ri shouted in horror.

Bird poop wasn’t the problem.

Woo Yeon-woo was surrounded by birds as if he’d been caught in a pigeon tornado.

There were magpies and crows in the mix.

However, Rembrary was unfazed.

I couldn’t see his expression clearly, but judging from his relaxed movements and voice, he was definitely calm.

He was even waving his hand around, making old man noises like, “Uh-huh. Mustn’t do that. Mustn’t.”

Surprisingly, the flock of birds that had gathered slowly dispersed and flew away again.

Rembrary dusted off his clothes.

Jang Tae-ri stared blankly at the scene, dumbfounded.

Only after Rembrary had finished tidying his clothes did he notice that Jang Tae-ri had ended her call, and he quickly delivered his line.

“It’s still tough even though I knew it would be from the start. I only have Tae-ri ssi by my side… I get lonely at times like this.”

“You don’t seem lonely at all…”

“Pardon?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

Jang Tae-ri thought that such a scene might have appeared in a fairy tale, and she brushed the bird feathers off Rembrary’s clothes.

“The birds must really like Yeon-woo ssi.”

“It’s not just birds, all animals like me.”

“Wow, really?”

“That includes people, too.”

“?”

“I think I was born to be loved.”

“Ah… is that so?”

Jang Tae-ri recalled her friends’ reactions when she revealed that she was a fan of Woo Yeon-woo.

They were all horrified, saying her taste was unique.

Of course, Woo Yeon-woo was getting a lot more hate back then, so the reaction was particularly bad, but still, wasn’t that less than six months ago?

Woo Yeon-woo himself should have had those hateful comments from that time left as painful scars… Could it be that he didn’t use the internet at all?

As she looked at him suspiciously, Rembrary thought for a moment before adding.

“But there are some people who hate me.”

“Yeon-woo ssi… that’s not your fault.”

“Of course. Naturally.”

Jong-woo was expecting Woo Yeon-woo to confess his pain and receive comfort from Jang Tae-ri, but when Woo Yeon-woo recovered on his own, he let out a short sigh.

In the meantime, Jang Tae-ri put a churro in Rembrary’s mouth.

On the surface, it didn’t seem like the difficult times he had gone through in the past had left any scars at all, but as a fan, it still hurt her heart. She wanted to give him something delicious since he seemed to like eating.

After that, she stalled for time appropriately before delivering the essential line.

“By the way, what do you like about me, Yeon-woo ssi?”

“The fact that you resemble a giant squid.”

“…”

“Ah. A giant squid that lives in the deep sea.”

***

“Hey, Jang Tae-ri ssi isn’t ugly! No, even if she were ugly, how can you say something like that to someone’s face!”

On the way back to the dorm in the car.

Jong-woo shouted, pounding his chest.

Rembrary, who had heard Jang Tae-ri ask him to think of her as a giant squid, felt a bit wronged.

“Before, when I said Shin Jo-woon ssi was like a whale, Jang Tae-ri ssi said she would be a giant squid living in the deep sea.”

“That’s just because a giant squid living in the deep sea is stronger than a whale, so she was joking!”

“Either way, it’s not a bad thing, is it?”

“It is a bad thing! These days, people use ‘squid’ to describe ugly people!”

“Ah. Is that so? But there won’t be any misunderstandings. There’s video footage of Jang Tae-ri ssi bringing up the giant squid thing first.”

Jong-woo shook his head and sighed.

“That’s a relief, but…”

***

Date: July 17th

Time: 11:30 PM

I went on my second date with her today.

During the date, she asked me why I liked her, and I answered that she resembled a giant squid, but I definitely didn’t mean it in the sense that she was the ugliest.

Leaving aside the slang, she absolutely doesn’t resemble a squid, even just considering the atmosphere.

She actually resembles a leopard cat.

Ah, two hours ago, while eating a chicken breast salad, I consulted with Keshi, who is the only one among us with dating experience.

Is it okay to air this on TV?

Anyway, I consulted with him.

Whether it would be good or bad to clarify my giant squid comment on the next date and tell her that she resembles a leopard cat instead of a squid.

Keshi said it would be better to use another cute animal besides a leopard cat. Like a puppy or a kitten.

But Tae-ri ssi resembles a leopard cat. I won’t lie.

***

Date: July 18th

Time: 2:00 AM

Before going to bed, or rather, was it 12:20 AM? I sent Tae-ri ssi a text saying, ‘Tae-ri ssi, you resemble a leopard cat.’

But what’s this? I sent the text to Tae-ri ssi, but I got a reply from Shin Jo-woon ssi.

He asked me what he resembled, and I said I didn’t know, and I raised suspicions that the two of them definitely went to a restaurant without me, no matter how I looked at it.

He must have felt guilty because he didn’t reply.

If they really went to a restaurant without me, Jang Tae-ri ssi is disqualified from being a leopard cat, and Shin Jo-woon ssi is also disqualified from being a whale.

Jang Tae-ri ssi is a scorpionfish, and Shin Jo-woon ssi is an anchovy.

Time: 3:00 PM

While practicing dancing hard in the practice room, I checked my texts during a break, and Jang Tae-ri ssi confesses that it’s true that the two of them went to a restaurant.

She said they stopped by the hotel restaurant for a shoot and then went to the lounge afterwards.

I’m very disappointed.

The two of them are now a scorpionfish and an anchovy.

***

Date: July 19th

Time: 6:00 PM

Weather: Sunny! Very sunny!

Shin Jo-woon ssi is a whale again.

I was about to go back after filming , but unexpectedly, Shin Jo-woon ssi was waiting in the studio parking lot.

When I asked why an anchovy was here when it should be playing with a scorpionfish in the sea, he protested that he was being treated unfairly even though he had just filmed according to his schedule.

When I asked if he didn’t think of me while eating steak, he protested this time.

“Well, I don’t think you thought of me while eating pizza either.”

Of course, I didn’t.

But when I said that if he had bought me steak, I would have chewed it carefully while thinking of Shin Jo-woon ssi, he immediately offered to go buy me steak.

I scoffed, asking if he thought I would fall for something like that, and he said he would just give up and left.

One should choose practicality over pride.

I hurriedly followed him and offered to fall for it, and he bought me steak at a nearby restaurant. He even added lobster as an option.

Shin Jo-woon ssi has been promoted back to whale.

Afterwards, I took a picture of Shin Jo-woon ssi and a picture of the steak and sent them to Jang Tae-ri ssi with the text, “I’m free tomorrow at 4 PM.”

It was effective, and 15 minutes ago from now.

Jang Tae-ri ssi sent me a text saying that she knows a more delicious Western restaurant.

Jang Tae-ri ssi is a leopard cat again.

And I am a great minister… no, a person who knows how to control two animals.

***

– Has anyone seen the first episode of ㅅㅂ Dating Process? LOLOLOL

– I heard it was a two-timing concept, so I watched it with a knife to report it LOLOLOL It’s not two-timing LOLOLOL No, it is two-timing LOLOLOL

– They should change the title to ‘How an Idol Who Hasn’t Been Paid Survives.’ Our Yeon-woo is begging for pizza ㅠㅠㅠㅠ

– Our Tree-boards got 1st place on music shows and 1st place in digital charts, but they still haven’t been paid ㅠㅠ

– He’s been a submarine for 3 years. Isn’t he paying off the debt that’s been accumulated for 3 years?

– Does that accumulate as debt?

ㄴ I think I heard that ㅇㅇ

ㄴ ㄴㄴ It depends on the company

– But Yeon-woo’s agency is so small ㅠㅠ It seems like they would have accumulated it as debt…

– Why is everyone only talking about the payment?

– Why isn’t anyone talking about CEO Shin? *cries* How handsome is CEO Shin!!!

– The one who trainees lose their dreams after seeing the CEO’s face when they go to audition.

– The one who the agency’s actors don’t want to stand next to when taking pictures, so they always stand far away…

– The one who shot up to the top 7 agencies with just his looks…

ㄴ Sorry to break the mood, but is that real? How? Is that possible?

ㄴ Yeah… all the female actors who came out in the FA [Free Agent] market all went to Bolla to renew their contracts… LOLOL

ㄴ Huh? Really?

– None of that matters ㅠㅠ I’m most envious of CEO Jang ㅠㅠ She’s rich, successful, her business is doing great, she’s dating Woo Yeon-woo and she’s also dating CEO Shin ㅠㅠ

ㄴ On top of that, she’s pretty herself ㅠㅠ

ㄴ She’s practically the ultimate winner ㄷㄷ;;

– Yeon-woo, I can buy you 100 pizzas too!

ㄴ It’s already up to 159 pizzas. They’ll only treat you from 160 pizzas.

ㄴ Damn, I’m 100 won short, so I can’t order 160 pizzas. Sorry, Yeon-woo. I’ll just eat the pizza I ordered…

– Tae-ri unnie… please switch souls with me for just one day… I’ll use it wisely and preciously and give it back to you ㅠㅠㅠㅠ

– But why is Woo Yeon-woo getting such a good reaction? Didn’t they say he was a trash human being until recently?

ㄴ 22222

ㄴ 33333

– I also thought Woo Yeon-woo was a morally trash human being LOLOL He came out so cute on this broadcast.

ㄴ 222 I’m a fan of Oh Jeong-shin, and I ordered both Woo Yeon-woo’s BB cream and Jeong-shin’s sunscreen ㅠㅠㅋㅋ

– This is how dangerous image making is, everyone.

***

The live broadcast of was a success.

Viewers who were curious after seeing the teaser and viewers who turned on the TV fuming after hearing the two-timing concept all opened their mouths and fixed their eyes on the screen.

The concept was provocative, but the editing was sweet and romantic, so none of the three teams were getting hate yet.

All three teams had a good response, but the most talked about was Team Two-Timing.

“PD-nim [Producer-nim]!”

Jong-woo went to see PD Song Yoon-bi right after the first broadcast the next day and delivered a box of fruit.

He really almost cried.

PD Song Yoon-bi was the person who edited Woo Yeon-woo the most adorably out of all the PDs Jong-woo had met so far.

To be honest, she edited him even cuter than the real Woo Yeon-woo.

“Thank you! This is the first time Yeon-woo hasn’t been getting hate since he’s been on TV!”

“That’s why I told you to trust me and leave it to me. I never do evil editing.”

“Thank you. Thank you so much!”

Jong-woo repeatedly thanked PD Song Yoon-bi and then distributed various foods to the staff and returned to the dorm with a happy heart.

‘Ah, when we go into the new song, we’ll have to manage his diet strictly again, should I feed him well before we start preparing?’

He remembered Woo Yeon-woo talking about food every day on the live broadcast, so he bought three pizzas.

Not only Woo Yeon-woo but everyone is at an age where they eat a lot.

“Pizza’s here!”

But when he actually arrived, none of the kids who should have smelled the pizza and rushed out were to be seen.

Did they say they were going out today?

Jong-woo put the pizza boxes on the table and checked inside the bedrooms and bathrooms, but there was still no one there.

‘Where did they go?’

Jong-woo picked up his phone and checked the text message list. Just in case his memory was wrong.

But there was definitely no text message from anyone saying they were going out. Even if it was an unscheduled event, they would usually text if something came up and they were going out.

‘That’s strange.’

Jong-woo picked up his phone and called Jung-seo first.

Ring ring ring ring

The default ringtone rang from right behind him.