Chapter 141: 4th Competition: Emergency Strategy Meeting (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 141: 4th Competition: Emergency Strategy Meeting (2)
Anyone at UA would know how competent Kim I-wol was.
There was even a running joke within the company: "Did we hire a new employee instead of an idol?" Though now, no one could say that as a mere joke anymore.
Even in the eyes of Jeong Seong-bin, who had dreamed of being an idol for a long time, Kim I-wol was unrivaled. He might not be a "professional idol" yet, but he was certainly a professional at something.
‘I-wol? He’s great at his job. Smart, too. You can tell just by looking at him that he’s sharp.’
‘I-wol organized this? Man, he’s really thorough.’
‘If I-wol gave his opinion on it, then it’s good enough for me.’
How many times had Seong-bin heard people praise Kim I-wol just recently?
It wasn't just about managing his public image, either; Kim I-wol had an excellent reputation even among his closest members. Seong-bin himself relied on him heavily.
Yet, there were people who were exceptionally harsh toward Kim I-wol.
One group consisted of people like Jang Jun-hu or Yu Han-su—those with poor reputations or those who harbored an inferiority complex toward him.
The other person was Kim I-wol himself.
Kim I-wol’s self-deprecation was habitual. Whether I-wol realized it or not, Seong-bin—who had spent years putting himself down—picked up on those nuances better than anyone.
At first, Seong-bin thought he had misread the situation. What could a person like Kim I-wol possibly be lacking to feel that way?
But it wasn't a misunderstanding. Kim I-wol was harsh on the members when it came to their work ethic, but he was even stricter with himself in every aspect, including his own performance.
Seong-bin realized for the first time through I-wol that acknowledging one's shortcomings is entirely different from failing to recognize one's strengths.
I-wol worked on four hours of sleep at most—one or two when things were busy—and he made up for any lack of skill compared to the other members through sheer practice.
Seeing him check the fan café every day despite his breathless schedule and seeing the pride on his face when a great stage video was released made it clear how much he truly loved the fans and how badly he wanted to put on a good performance.
And yet, whenever a crucial moment arrived, Kim I-wol would…
‘It’ll definitely look better with just you guys.’
…say things like that. He didn't sound bitter or regretful; he said it with a perfectly nonchalant face.
"I don't know exactly what he's thinking. But if we just let him keep believing he isn't important to this team… I think I’d feel terrible."
The members fell silent at Seong-bin’s words. Everyone was recalling a moment where Kim I-wol had acted exactly like that, even if the circumstances differed.
Seong-bin glanced at Choi Je-ho and Kang Gi-yeon. If Kim I-wol were to participate in the stage, these two would technically be the ones suffering the most.
Having already redesigned the entire formation once due to Kim I-wol’s departure, the two were currently soaked in fatigue.
"I know it’ll be a huge burden on Je-ho Hyung and Gi-yeon. We could just have him sit on a side stage or only participate in the recording, but I want us to figure this out together. I’ll help out as much as I can with the workload, so…"
Seong-bin lowered his head, looking apologetic.
The response came much more readily than Seong-bin had expected.
"I mean, it’s summer vacation for me, so I don't care. Just let us push back our bedtime a bit this week."
"I don't mind either."
"We have to redistribute the parts too, right? I'll do that with Ju-woo Hyung!"
"Right. Seong-bin, you focus more on the outfits and… other things."
The members, who had been rigorously trained by Kim I-wol, immediately found their own tasks.
And so, they all began discussing how they could stand on the live broadcast stage together with the severely injured Kim I-wol.
Even today, three days into my hospitalization, I wasn't in my right mind.
My head throbbed agonizingly, the dizziness was constant, and I had to strain myself to act like I wasn't in pain whenever people stopped by.
Repeating this cycle was driving me crazy. No matter how much I thought about it, using "Pain Relief" to stop Yu Han-su had been the right call. If I hadn't, I wouldn't have been able to subdue him; I would have just collapsed on the floor, unable to move.
I was busy wondering how people in movies could fight so well after being hit with iron pipes when the manager visited my room.
"How are you feeling?"
"Much better. The doctor came by for rounds earlier and said my recovery speed is fast."
The nurse who dressed my wounds also mentioned that they were healing unusually quickly. She even seemed to doubt her own eyes. Thanks to that, it looks like I’ll have to get another MRI.
So, I asked the System to leave the surface as it was and focus on healing the internal injuries.
I want to return to society, not be sent to a research institute for rare humans.
"I heard you asked the kids to bring your laptop?"
The manager handed me a phone, which was incomparably smaller than a laptop.
"But the kids told me not to bring it. They said you’d just start working the moment you got your hands on it."
"What?"
"I figured you would too, so I didn't bring the laptop. But you need to be reachable if something happens, so keep your phone."
I just sat there, clutching the phone like a raccoon that had watched its cotton candy vanish in a stream.
After that, we discussed the settlement regarding the surgery and hospital bills.
UA had already covered all the hospital expenses. I was also informed that even if I reached a settlement with Yu Han-su, I wouldn't need to reimburse the company with the settlement money.
"The company knew there was trouble between you and PD Yu Han-su, so we have to take responsibility. The company will cover all medical costs, so don't worry about it. Got it?"
The manager told me he’d bring a list of clinics later, suggesting I get psychological counseling if needed.
"And I-wol, there’s something I want to ask. Are you feeling up to it?"
"Yes, go ahead."
The manager pulled up a chair from in front of the cabinet and sat down.
"This might be an uncomfortable topic. Is that okay?"
"Of course. Please, speak freely."
"Um…"
I wondered why he was hesitating so much, but then a word I hadn't expected popped out.
"Can I ask… just how bad your relationship with your parents is?"
For family to come up at this point…
"Is it because of the guardian?"
"Huh?"
It was highly likely they had tried to contact a guardian when I went into surgery.
Sure enough, the manager avoided my gaze.
It’s impossible for me to contact those two directly. The System has placed a restriction on it.
But what if I used a third party?
"If you’ve managed to get in touch with my parents…"
If someone who could see their contact information and reach out to them did so on my behalf, I could ask about my sister.
At the very least, I wanted to know where she lived or what she was doing.
"Ah, about that."
The manager went silent.
My personality controversy had just broken out recently. With my personal details leaked, there was no guarantee that news about me hadn't reached them.
My heart sank instantly. It felt like someone had poured cold water over my entire body.
"Do they say they don't want anything to do with me?"
I didn't care about the guardian signature or whatever.
I didn't mind if they said they didn't care whether I had surgery or not and told the hospital not to contact them just because they were legally family.
But they could have at least given me one chance to talk.
The resentment I felt toward the System dissipated. Even without the System, those people would have acted this way.
"I-wol."
The manager called my name and patted my shoulder.
"In the future… if anything regarding your family comes up, how would you like the company to handle it?"
It was a kind gesture.
Part of me wanted to say I didn't care and to just cut them off without a second thought, but…
‘I told you to meet in the middle. Why did you come all the way to my house?’
‘I heard you worked overtime yesterday too. If you have a conscience, buy your sister dinner.’
"No."
I decided to suppress everything and endure.
"If they happen to call, please make sure to tell them. Tell them I have something I want to say."
For my sister’s sake.
After the manager left, I checked my backlog of messages.
I had a ton of "get well" messages from all sorts of people.
The Berion members were one thing, but even Mr. Polo and Mr. Yur had sent texts expressing their concern and wishing me a speedy recovery.
I wondered why everyone was making such a fuss, so I searched for news articles. The headlines were absurd. Based on the articles alone, you’d think I was on the verge of death.
‘No wonder everyone’s shocked when they report it so sensationally.’
As the manager had permitted, I posted a message on the group’s official account saying I was resting well, then I began replying to the backlog of texts one by one.
Finally, I logged into Bubble Pop, which I hadn't been able to access for a few days.
The inbox was flooded with messages.
≫ I-wol, are you okay? Don't push yourself and get some rest ㅠㅠ
≫ I-wol, don't be sick
≫ I miss you! Rest up, get better soon, and come back!!
≫ I-wol, if anyone bullies you from now on, just wave carrots in both hands and scream your name. Noona will handle everything.
I moved my fingers slowly and sent a short message.
[I-wol]
[You’ve been waiting a long time, haven't you? I’m sorry for the late reply.]
My personal rule was at least ten messages a day. Guilt washed over me like a tide.
Nevertheless, the fans welcomed me warmly.
≫ Kim I-wol, "sorry" is forbidden
≫ Why are you the one saying sorry ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ Are you okay?
≫ I-wol, Noona is on her way to set UA on fire right now
≫ Yeah, babies don't have to be sorry for things like this
I still hadn't developed an immunity to some of the frequently used terms… but since the sincerity behind the words was what mattered, I accepted them gratefully.
‘Assistant Manager Kim, why are you always living on headache medicine when you’re built like a giant?’
‘You got heatstroke because there’s nothing to eat? You’re doing this on purpose because I turned off the fan near you, aren't you?’
‘Assistant Manager Kim, my employees are driving me crazy. Every little thing is the flu. If everyone has the flu, who’s going to do the work?’
To prevent myself from getting dead fish eyes, my mind kept overlapping Department Head Nam onto the messages.
I’m already more grateful than anyone in the world without having to think about that man, so I wish my brain would stop.
Instead, I made a vow. Since I’d missed a few days, I would communicate with them until I dropped.
And so, I fell asleep while chatting happily with the fans. I didn't even see "Bubble Pop 999+" trending on social media a few hours later.