Chapter 105
Chapter 105
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 105
Chapter Title: Our Dowon Is a Minor
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Yumiho’s hand trembled. Yeah, she was flustered. Well, the situation was pretty weird, after all. I quickly pushed past her and ran to the manager. Of course, I didn’t forget to stumble a bit on the way.
*‘I’m pretty good at this stuff.’*
I laughed my ass off inwardly.
“W-What’s going on?”
I said from behind Kang Minje’s back.
“That woman……”
To stir up a misunderstanding, I deliberately trailed off. Yumiho immediately shouted.
“No! I was just trying to check the wound……”
“She kept trying to lift up my clothes……”
The manager bellowed.
“Gasp! She assaulted you?”
Close enough.
Kang Minje kept me behind him as he spoke.
“What do you think you’re doing? Our Dowon is a minor.”
Tell me about it.
Things were getting fun now.
“No, it wasn’t anything sexual! I was just trying to hide the wound!”
The manager covered his mouth as he spoke.
“Then you could’ve just rolled up the sleeve!”
Bingo.
Yumiho’s face turned bright red. She was finally realizing what she’d done.
*‘Ah, that was tough.’*
She was still a bulldozer of a woman.
“I-I didn’t! That’s not it!”
This was my cue to step in.
“It was scary, hyung.”
My eyes weren’t focusing, so I couldn’t tell what expression Kang Minje was making.
“Yumiho-ssi. Should we call the police?”
“Gasp! Minje! That’s bad for Zenith’s image too!”
“Is image the issue right now?!”
Go, Kang Minje, fighting!
“No. I was just worried the wound looked weird!”
I smiled brightly as I said.
“Apologize.”
Yumiho’s face twisted.
“Apologize, and I’ll let it go.”
“Dowon!”
“If not, I won’t.”
She was a woman whose pride overflowed. A situation like this would probably drive her insane.
*‘But hey, not my problem.’*
Yumiho clenched her fists. Then she slowly bowed her head.
“I’m sorry.”
“Thank you. I’ll forget about it. You can go now.”
My focus was finally back. Yumiho staggered away. As the waiting room door closed, the manager let out a groan.
“Gasp. What, what was that?”
“What happened? Is it okay to just let her go like that?”
“It’s fine. It wasn’t sexual.”
Kang Minje’s pupils shook.
“Huh? You crazy bitch, what does that mean? She was trying to take your clothes off.”
“She was targeting my upper body.”
I smiled brightly as I answered.
“A real pervert would’ve gone for the lower half first.”
The manager clapped once.
Clap—
“Ah! I get it!”
“And she wouldn’t leave no matter what. She won’t come near now.”
Kang Minje was still shocked, his pupils shaking.
“Thanks, Minje hyung. For protecting me.”
I smiled brightly and thanked him sincerely. At that, Kang Minje’s gaze turned so wistful it looked like he might puke.
“Dowon……”
Fuck, why?
“Does this kind of thing happen often?”
Is this guy nuts?
“I’m a minor, hyung.”
“Oh, right.”
“I’ve trained in taekwondo, you know. No way that’d happen.”
I smiled brightly. Kang Minje finally nodded.
“Still, if something like this happens again, report it.”
“No can do. I already have this fragile image. If I seem even weaker, I’m done for.”
I tugged at my costume collar as I spoke.
“Who likes a weak oppa? Idols sell fantasies, right?”
“Well said! No reporting!”
The manager jumped right in.
“No matter that you’re the maknae, Dowon has this image of getting beaten up a ton. Imagine a headline about him getting attacked by some perverted actress while shooting a music video. Zenith’s finished.”
What? Yumiho’s straight-up a pervert now?
“She probably wasn’t really trying to assault me. She did want to see the wound, though. That’s why she went for the upper body.”
“Oh, about that. Dowon.”
The manager suddenly threw an arm around my shoulder and whispered.
“A real pervert might start from the top too.”
Oh dear.
*‘Is that so…… I wouldn’t know, not being a pervert.’*
Kang Minje, you’ve got a wild imagination in weird places.
“That woman’s just weird. Listen to me, Dowon.”
Damn. Yumiho.
*‘She’s weird, sure, but not like that.’*
She seemed pretty moral. Or not. She didn’t care about consequences when she wanted something. Whatever, not my business.
“No helping it.”
In this life, I’d play the fragile card to the max and avoid Yumiho forever.
I whispered softly.
“Don’t leave me alone from now on. Especially not near that woman.”
The manager blinked. I acted a bit more.
“It was really scary.”
“Y-Yeah. Right. Can’t leave you alone. Sorry, Dowon.”
Huh? I was joking?
“It’s mostly my fault as the manager. This could happen again. Yeah.”
He’s serious?
Kang Minje went even further.
“Yeah, that makes sense. I’ll tell Hajin too. We have to do this.”
“Why are you guys making it so serious?”
I tried to stop them, but they ignored me.
“Manager hyung, take care of Dowon personally.”
“Got it.”
The manager grabbed my shoulder tight and smiled brightly. No, seriously, what’s with everyone?
“Dowon. Let’s stick together from now on? Yeah?”
Like we haven’t been?
I let out a deep sigh.
*‘No choice. It’ll blow over.’*
I shook my head. Is this why Mom always said not to lie and to live kindly? Mom’s words really were life’s truth.
***
Yumiho was a woman with strong pride.
In life, she had two things others desperately craved.
‘Money’ and ‘beauty.’
Born clutching those two, Yumiho feared little in the world. So why did this feel like she’d go insane?
“Fuck! Cha Dowon!”
Yumiho gripped the steering wheel and fumed. Even the van she’d just bought couldn’t cool her rage.
“How dare she make me out to be a pervert? What the hell is that kid?”
The image of that smiling idol flashed in her mind. Fuck. That irritatingly cute smile was pissing her off!
“Fuck! Fuck! Ah, why does nothing go right?”
This isn’t the time! I need to blow up soon and watch that face crumple!
Yumiho took a quiet deep breath. This was only the second time in her life things had gone this wrong.
*‘No! Pull yourself together!’*
She slowly recalled why she’d become an actress.
Why do most people want to be celebrities?
‘They all say money.’
But she didn’t want to be one for money. She didn’t particularly love acting either. There was just one thing she wanted.
“When will that bitch’s face get wrecked?”
Yumiho wanted to see her stepmom’s face twist in horror.
She quietly glared at the steering wheel in the underground parking lot.
Her teeth ground together, and memories floated up.
Three years ago, right after her doting grandma passed, that bitch had said, as if she’d been waiting.
‘Know your place and live like you’re dead.’
That’s when Yumiho first learned rage could spike your blood pressure to death levels. She’d bottled up her temper for grandma’s sake all those years, and now? Live like she was dead?
*‘Fuck! How’s a living person supposed to live like that, you bitch!’*
Thinking of it heated her up again. Yumiho ground her teeth, then regulated her breathing.
*‘That’s when I decided.’*
How to screw that bitch over.
Maybe from her rough life, the answer came easy. The bitch wanted her to stay invisible. The reason was simple.
‘Because of Yumiri.’
That hopelessly dense kid from the bitch’s belly.
Yumiho let out a long breath. Yumiri had just turned adult and was already eagerly going on blind dates. Hustling to inherit the company—mother and daughter indeed.
*‘She couldn’t stand me being even a little better than Yumiri.’*
Watching that psycho proudly show off the tiny article about Yumiri in the financial paper, she’d decided.
“I’ll plaster my face everywhere across the country.”
Every channel she flips to, my face. Then she can’t even watch her precious TV.
Remembering that made her grin split wide. Yumiho giggled to herself, then snapped back.
*‘Right. Forget Cha Dowon.’*
Shooting was already over. She was insanely wronged, but she’d gritted her teeth and finished.
*‘Have I ever endured like this in my life?’*
Cha Dowon had seen her again but said nothing. Just hid behind his members and manager.
*‘Am I some germ?’*
Why avoid me? For real?
Even when she tried to explain, he slipped away like a damn loach.
“I need a chance to speak to clear my name!”
A big actress labeled a pervert? One rumor and it’s total humiliation!
Yumiho had makeup on but wiped her face anyway.
*‘I’m innocent! The real issue is the wound vanished!’*
She bit her lip hard. Come to think of it, what had she seen? What was up with that Cha Dowon kid?
*‘It was definitely there, then gone……’*
How?
Yumiho racked her brain.
*‘What if he’s an alien or something?’*
She shook her head. Nah. He’d have erased her memory first.
*‘Or he’s an alien but can’t erase memories?’*
Best idea so far, but she knew.
*‘Too far-fetched.’*
She rubbed her face hard. This frustration was driving her nuts.
That’s when she spotted that annoying punk ahead. Miracle of miracles, no manager or members behind him.
*‘Now or never!’*
Time to expose him! No interference! No more waiting. Yumiho jumped out and charged like a bulldozer.
“Stop right there!”
Her shout echoed in the quiet underground lot. Cha Dowon blinked at her.
“You’re in for it now!”
The annoying punk looked flustered. Yumiho grinned.
“Let me see that wound! You alien!”
“Uh, Yumiho-ssi?”
“I saw it right! The wound was gone! Hey, you! What are you?!”
The irritating jerk pulled his head back like he was in trouble. Yumiho nearly grabbed his collar but desperately held back. Her instincts screamed: never touch that kid again.
*‘Last time, I might’ve ended up at the station for real.’*
She safely crossed her arms and shoved her face close.
“Spill! The wound vanished, right? I saw right, didn’t I?”
Yumiho pushed aggressively, but Cha Dowon just blinked. Then, at some point, he smiled brightly.
“You haven’t changed at all.”
“What?”
“Look behind you. You never check your back.”
Yumiho whipped around. Cha Dowon’s manager and one member were approaching.
Cha Dowon calmly called his backup.
“Manager hyung!”
The winner of this round whispered while looking at Yumiho.
“Oh, the wound.”
Soon the manager and member rushed up. Cha Dowon slowly rolled up his sleeve.
A gash appeared on his forearm.
“Huh?”
“Of course it’s there. I just got it earlier.”
Cha Dowon smiled brightly.
“You really wanted to see this, huh, Yumiho-ssi.”
“It, it wasn’t there!”
“You must’ve seen wrong.”
Yumiho backed away, arms still crossed.
*‘What? What the hell?’*
She was confused. Then what did I see earlier? Did I really see wrong?
Soon the manager blocked her path.
“Excuse me? From now on, if you want to talk to Dowon, go through me.”
Yumiho clenched her fists. The punk was hiding behind the manager, still smirking.
Suddenly, hot rage surged in her head.
“You think I’ll back down?”
Her voice boomed through the underground lot.
“I’ll follow you and expose you, Cha Dowon!”
Cha Dowon said nothing. Just stared blankly.
After a brief silence, the manager spoke.
“St, stalking threat?”
The manager immediately shielded his celebrity with his body. Seeing that, Yumiho’s boiling anger deflated instantly.
“Ah, no! Not like that!”
“Dowon, let’s go. So scary.”
“No! Really not!”
“Don’t live like that, miss. Come on.”
Cha Dowon stayed silent.
“Hey, Cha Dowon! Say something!”
To her desperate shout, the trending top idol replied offhandedly.