Chapter 106
Chapter 106
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 106
Chapter Title: Not Much Time Left to Appeal with My Youth
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“Women these days are scary.”
“Hey!!!!!”
“They’re too aggressive.”
“Dowon, that’s a crime.”
“Oh, right.”
Cha Dowon waved his hand as if in a parade and kept walking.
“Right. Goodbye then, Yumiho. I’m busy, so I’ll be off!”
It was right as she was about to roar like a lion again. Cha Dowon struck first.
“Let’s never meet again. You scare me.”
The tinted van door closed. The idol’s car spewed exhaust and vanished from in front of Yumiho.
The underground parking lot fell quiet again. Yumiho bit her lip and yelled.
“I-I! Knew I’d lose! You’re really gonna regret this!”
I’m a woman who does what she says!
No matter how much she screamed, it didn’t reach Cha Dowon. She clenched her fists tight and turned away with effort.
‘I’ll uncover everything!’
I’ll dig it all up and make you regret today! You evil idol bastard!
Yumiho ground her teeth and walked off. Nothing could stop her, swept up in passion. Her competitive spirit told her so.
‘First, I need to learn about that guy.’
Grandma said if you know your enemy and yourself, you’ll win every battle!
She ground her teeth as she quietly pulled out her smartphone. Right. Yumiho! What’s the first thing you need to do?
‘Who would know all about this guy?’
His associates, probably. That’s fine in its own way. But to grab his weaknesses, I need his public image too.
A method came to her.
She grinned and immediately searched in the green search bar. Lots came up, probably because he was trending. Yumiho clicked every cafe with “Cha Dowon” in the name.
‘I’ll comb through every bit.’
Grandma said patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.
‘Annoying jerk!’
Yumiho smiled brightly as she joined every cafe. For now, this was the first step.
***
[Cheat Mode 2/3]
[Cha Dowon’s left arm wound regenerated again]
[Change complete. Side effect: Left arm stings for 3 seconds.]
[Cheat Mode 3/3]
As expected of Yumiho. She only calmed down after seeing it herself.
‘Good thing I prepped it with cheat ahead of time.’
What a nuisance.
The van drove on down the road.
“Man, women these days are scary.”
The manager shook his head in the rearview mirror. Yumiho, you’ve turned into a real weirdo. A chuckle escaped me. I flipped through the scripts from castings and shrugged.
“She’s not scary.”
“She straight-up threatened to stalk you?”
“She won’t commit actual crimes. At most, she’ll say know your enemy to win every battle, dig info from broadcast folks, and join fan cafes.”
Kang Minje turned from the passenger seat.
“You talk like you know her.”
Oh. Slipped my mind.
‘Yumiho from before regression, I know well. But not now.’
I smiled brightly. Good thing I had something useful for times like this.
“She’s kinda like Noona.”
Sorry, Noona. Gonna use you as a shield.
“Like Dowon’s sister?”
Kang Minje tilted his head.
“No way. Not that bad. Yumiho wasn’t as scary as your sister.”
Oh. Kang Minje, you were scared of my sister.
That made excuses easier.
“The essence is similar, though? Noona digs everything up when she targets something.”
Not a lie. Our beauty-and-brains Cha Sora digs so deep she even finds out if someone’s balding.
‘Dowon, SNS is packed with personal info. Heh heh heh.’
In the end, after getting the guy’s baldness clinic, student ID, and address, it all wrapped up.
‘No rebelling against Lady Cha Sora for 50 years.’
I shook my head. Kang Minje looked at me and said,
“Anyway, be careful.”
“Yeah, Hyung.”
I gazed out the window.
It was kinda funny, all of a sudden.
‘Getting advice on Yumiho from Kang Minje, of all people…….’
I recalled seeing her today. She was weird. The woman I knew, yet not.
‘Just don’t get tangled up.’
The one person I never wanted to meet after regressing.
The manager turned the wheel and said,
“Whew, what a mess. At least we filmed all the actress parts. No need to meet her again, thank goodness.”
“My footage wrapped up fine compared to the chaos. Tomorrow we film the members’ parts?”
“Yeah. Don’t you know, Dowon?”
“What?”
The manager’s grin showed in the side mirror.
“It’s year-end now?”
Oh, right. A year’s gone by like this.
I quietly looked out the window. Winter was definitely closing in.
“Damn…….”
I clicked my tongue.
“I’m just getting older without doing shit.”
“Huh?”
Kang Minje’s shoulders shook in surprise.
“No, just... time’s precious.”
“Dowon, you’re still in third year middle school.”
“Yeah. Not much time left to appeal with my youth.”
Too bad. Gotta get back to normal quick.
“Hahaha.”
Kang Minje rubbed his cheek awkwardly and muttered.
“You’re the busiest middle schooler in Korea right now?”
“This much? Gotta be busier. More cameras too.”
I rolled my shoulders and smiled brightly.
“Haven’t eaten yet. Starving to death. All hype for the popularity, inefficient.”
Silence fell suddenly at my answer. I tilted my head, puzzled, and the manager said,
“Wow, real psycho-ambitious type…….”
Ah, who gave me that nickname? Gotta do something.
Kang Minje rubbed his chin, bewildered.
“Y-Yeah. You’re always like that... Okay.”
“Gotta run harder next year. But why year-end?”
The manager cleared his throat.
“Year-end stages.”
Ah.
‘Right, year-end means award shows too. Idols dragged to special stages.’
Knew it, but no experience, so forgot.
“I see.”
Kang Minje showed interest first.
“Any offers from stations?”
“Four so far. Rookie slots, mid-time, mid-stage.”
I shook my head. Yeah, mains are finale.
“Minje, you need two. Both special stages. One’s up to you, with Yumi.”
“What’s the concept? Don’t need to check with Senior Yumi?”
“Yumi just wants full explanation. Concept’s Queen of Hearts and card soldiers. Hates fairy-tale vibe, wants modern reinterpretation.”
Huh.
‘Just like Senior Yumi.’
Queen of Hearts and card soldiers... Alice?
‘What do gnomes do? Haven’t read fairy tales in ages…….’
Kang Minje did the same, searching his phone right away. Then he grinned wide.
“Wanna do it. Ideas flowing. Gimme Senior Yumi’s number. Oh, Dowon, you have it, right?”
I shook my head.
“Nope. No idea.”
“MV, stage, variety together?”
“Yeah. Any reason I must know?”
Kang Minje blinked, then nodded.
“You’re thorough, Dowon.”
What?
Kang Minje kept tapping his screen, smiling.
“No worries then. Concept’s great. What song to arrange?”
“Any song.”
“Too much faith.”
“Company knows you’re good. That’s settled. And…….”
The manager sighed deeply.
“The last one’s the problem.”
I flipped scripts again and asked.
“Why?”
“Girl group not from our company. Gotta do it together. We didn’t pick them. Station decided on their own.”
Ugh.
“Who?”
“Sweet Kiss. You know?”
I nodded. Bumped into them on music shows a few times.
“Know of them.”
Manager chuckled at my words.
“What kinda answer is that.”
“Doing it with them? What company?”
“Mini Pang. Small place. Sweet Kiss carries it.”
Ugh. Tough.
“Sweet Kiss is pretty popular. But that place is iffy?”
What’s iffy?
Kang Minje, still on his phone, answered.
“Popularity’s all on one member. Bitna.”
Oh.
“Useless info. Who cares.”
One stage and done.
“Important. Bitna’s super popular. Practically top, dragging the group by the neck. Drama hit, movie out.”
Kang Minje smiled.
“Heh heh. Kinda like our Dowon?”
I furrowed my brow.
“Bitna’s career like yours. Sweet Kiss debuted way earlier, though.”
“So what’s that got to do?”
Kang Minje glanced at the manager.
Manager sighed.
“We’ll talk with members, but practice without Bitna? She joins later.”
“I see. They’ll adjust schedules. But why’s that a problem?”
Kang Minje leaned back, chin on hand.
“Dowon, Sweet Kiss is infamous for bad member relations.”
“Sweet Kiss others are desperate. Want to blow up.”
Really useless info.
“Atmosphere’ll be cold?”
I shook my head. Wanna forget it.
“Pros, so they’ll practice fine.”
Kang Minje shook his head, whispering low.
“Doubt it. Not all pro like you. People emotional usually, Dowon.”
Damn. Complicated. Gotta mind everything.
“Can’t we just do two stages with Senior Yumi?”
“Like station lets us. They decided.”
I sighed. Need to climb higher quick, but bullshit keeps popping up.
“Experience the undercurrents of screen time wars!”
I shook my head. Don’t wanna know.
***
“This part’s mine!”
“Change the positioning!”
“Hey, you again!”
“Crazy! Just change it. Fuck.”
I quietly stared at the ceiling. The girl group members in the mirror were dynamic.
“Haha. Total mess.”
This is what “brace yourself” meant.
I started quiet abs in the practice room. Time wasting was bullshit no matter what.
“Um…….”
Only Hajin Hyung, trying to stop it, sweated bullets.
‘Pointless?’
Sweet Kiss talk got harsher.
“Hey, shut up! You took parts last time!”
“What, so much? Shut up!”
Wow. Lots of cursing.
I quietly did abs, exhaling softly. Ki Jaeyoon, scared of the vibe fight, sidled up to me.
“Man, Dowon. Sweet Kiss scary. Cursing like that.”
“Yeah, can happen.”
“W-We don’t.”
True.
Sweet Kiss fight showed no sign of stopping. Hajin Hyung tried intervening a few times, then sighed.
Ugh.
I stopped abs and smiled brightly.
“Sweet Kiss members?”
The two armed with doubled consonants looked at me.
“Let me know when you conclude.”
“What?”
“What?”
“Go on fighting. But conclude quick. Gotta practice. Busy.”
Sharp glares stabbed down. I kept smiling.
“You two might not be, but we’re very busy. Not like Bitna level, though.”
Wow. Burning stares.
Glared hard. What to do. Scary as hell. No choice. Ignore and dodge.
I resumed abs, opened nearby script. Whispered loud for poor Leader Hyung.
“Hajin Hyung, you exercise too. Or practice positions. Our formation unchanged?”
“Y-Yeah, but…….”
“That won’t end easy. Don’t waste energy intervening. Hajin Hyung.”
My words pissed them; reaction immediate.
“Hey! You! Cha Dowon!”
Voice boomed. I kept reading script.
“Yes. Speak, Sweet Kiss member.”
“Famous and cocky much?”
“Can’t help. Time precious. And…….”
I looked up from script, muttering.
“Wasn’t it already set?”
“What!”
“Choreo, paths. Got guide choreo. Why adjust?”
Sweet Kiss duo speechless. I tilted head.
“Say parts too small.”
Finally looked at them.
“Then take Bitna’s parts? Why fight over your tiny scraps?”