Chapter 178
Chapter 178
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 178
Chapter Title: Yumiho's Assault
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“Hana said something, so I checked out fan-edited clips on an internet site, and why!”
Why are you flustered?
You don’t have to make excuses. Did I make it seem like I’m some trendsetter idol for no reason?
“I peeked at what Hana was watching! Since we’re working together this time, I was curious about your skills, so I streamed it and got annoyed because you were better than I thought…”
Oh no.
‘Your words don’t match up at all, Sunbae-nim.’
Did you watch edited videos on a video site, peek over Hana’s shoulder, or actually stream it?
‘No way all three?’
I couldn’t help but laugh. Laughing in her face would be rude, so I covered my mouth and turned my head. Then she bit her glossy lips hard.
“Hey! That doesn’t mean you’re some acting genius!”
“That’s true.”
I’m not a genius.
“Huh?”
“I’m not a genius. What kind of genius reads a script until it’s in tatters?”
I held up the battered script.
“You did well, though?”
“You’re right that I did well, but not to that extent. That’s what I mean, Sunbae-nim.”
I smiled, bowed my head, then lifted it.
“Please take good care of me.”
Bitna’s brows furrowed again. Then she let out a long sigh and said,
“Hana nailed it. Fine. Take care of you too!”
What did Hana Sunbae-nim say? I was curious but didn’t really want to ask.
Bitna said that and turned away sharply.
‘You don’t have to greet me or anything…’
Still, that info was pretty useful in its own way. I picked up my script and stood.
‘Manager said he was heading to the company for a bit…’
Then maybe I’ll exercise somewhere with lots of people but quiet and review the script.
As I walked lost in thought, I suddenly felt eyes on me.
‘Is that Jeremy Sunbae-nim?’
I turned, but it was someone else again.
‘Oh, right, that girl was here too.’
No wonder it felt ominous.
I avoided eye contact and moved elsewhere. But she grabbed my sleeve.
“You avoiding me again?”
I didn’t answer. I just stared at the sleeve Yumiho was gripping.
‘If I force it off, will it rip?’
I still had scenes to shoot in this outfit.
“Hey! Why are you ignoring me!”
I looked around. Was there anyone to save me? Unfortunately, no manager, no staff in sight.
‘Damn.’
I turned to face Yumiho.
“Let go.”
“What, you finally spoke?”
Even so, Yumiho didn’t release her grip. I said it again.
“Let go.”
“N-No, I won’t!”
Damn.
‘Was she always this annoying?’
I recalled Yumiho from before my regression. Well, she’d always been like this.
“If I let go, you’ll ignore me again.”
Obviously.
“Hey! Your body’s fine again, isn’t it?”
What?
“Roll up your sleeve. No wounds again, right? You’re an alien!”
What the hell?
“A normal human would be bruised, but you won’t have any! Just like last time!”
Damn. So annoying.
‘Why did she have to be the one who found out?’
Irritated, I let out a small sigh. Just thinking of Yumiho made me want to get the work over with fast.
‘Ah, I want to do a live stream.’
Chatting with fans would melt this annoyance away. The Jenny fans must be waiting. The forums were blowing up, they said. I want to see you all too, fans.
“Show me!”
Damn.
‘Better to show her and end this cleanly?’
I undid the cuff button and rolled up my sleeve a bit. Only then did she finally let go.
The spot where Sunbae-nim had gripped was bruised purple.
“Alien, huh…”
I met Yumiho’s eyes.
“You watch too many comics, don’t you?”
“Hey!”
“Don’t go around claiming that. You’ll look crazy.”
I rolled my sleeve back down and smiled brightly.
“Well, then I’ll be…”
“Hey! You! Just one question!”
No reason to answer even if she asked. But Yumiho shouted from behind.
“Why do you only ignore me! You were fine with Bitna earlier!”
Because Bitna Sunbae-nim is a colleague.
“You ignoring me ‘cause I’m just supporting actress?”
Crazy.
“I’ll spread it everywhere. Trendsetter idol Cha Dowon discriminates against supporting actress!”
Who’d believe that? But at this point, it was the worst image possible.
‘If it spreads, it’ll be no joke.’
The sensationalist reporters would eat it up.
I turned quietly.
‘She’s different, alright.’
She definitely looked younger than the Yumiho I knew.
‘If Kang Minje isn’t the old him…’
I crossed my arms and stared at her intently.
‘Is she the same?’
Then what’s our relationship here?
I thought of the fox first.
‘Kang Minje and I are colleagues.’
Teammates living in the same dorm. We’d been together for years now.
So, is Yumiho like that?
‘A normal colleague like Bitna Sunbae-nim?’
A bitter smile formed. Well, purely professionally, Kang Minje was a golden goose. Needed by both Zenith and me.
‘Even beyond that, it’s… decent enough.’
Pretty good, even.
‘But Yumiho?’
No. That’s not it.
‘For one, I’m a trendsetter idol, and she’s a female actress.’
Shouldn’t we keep our distance?
‘If a scandal breaks…’
Our fans would be heartbroken.
“W-Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Yumiho-ssi.”
Yeah. Totally different from Kang Minje. Completely different.
“I don’t want to talk about anything outside of work with you.”
I said calmly.
“Even you talking to me like this makes me uncomfortable.”
“Why, why!”
“Because I don’t want to talk with someone who calls me an alien out of nowhere.”
Why is this girl so interested in me?
“Hey, you ignoring me ‘cause I’m supporting actress?”
“I get along decently with everyone. I don’t discriminate like that.”
How can she look at trendsetter idol Cha Dowon—who’s welcome everywhere—and say that.
“I just don’t want to talk with you, Yumiho-ssi.”
A normal colleague, maybe. But a woman with this weird interest was dangerous.
“Y-You hate me?”
What now.
‘She’s not a kid—why does like or hate matter?’
My brows furrowed.
‘Oh, right, most guys like Yumiho.’
Because she’s a beauty.
‘Is that why she says stuff like that?’
Damn. Who cares.
I nodded.
“Yeah. On the hate side.”
“Why? I’m doing great! Lots of money!”
What does that have to do with me.
“I’m doing great too, and I have lots of money. I’m a trendsetter idol right now, called an acting genius. Above all, I’m from Zenith. I don’t want to get tangled in rumors with a female actress.”
So just back off, Yumiho.
‘Was she always this clingy? What a weirdo. Kang Minje wasn’t like that…’
The fox was weird, but not selfish.
‘Yumiho’s extremely different.’
Exasperatingly self-centered. In deep relationships, it was charm, but now it was pure irritation.
“So let’s end this. Please ignore me outside of work. Actress Yumiho-ssi.”
She has professional pride, so she’d get it by now.
This time I really tried to head somewhere quiet. But Yumiho grabbed my clothes from behind again.
“D-Don’t go! I, I…”
What am I.
I was about to say one more thing when someone came panting and swatted her arm away.
“L-Let go.”
Huh.
The skinny manager was panting like an anchovy.
“If you don’t let go, I’ll tase you.”
Tase what?
The manager was holding something. Hard to see, so I bent my legs and tilted my head. Manager Han, who looked like he’d topple from one hit, was trembling while holding something black.
‘What’s that?’
It looked like a pen with metal sticking out.
“Don’t touch our Dowon-ssi!”
“I, I…”
“Know some shame! Our Dowon-ssi is so nice he puts up with someone like you, otherwise he’d have gotten your role canceled!”
Oh.
‘Anyone hearing this would think I’m really nice.’
It pricked my conscience oddly.
Yumiho didn’t know what to do. She just groaned.
“Th-This…”
“Get lost.”
Like swatting a bug.
‘The situation’s like a sitcom.’
But it worked great. Yumiho huffed and backed off. As she vanished, Manager Han turned immediately.
“You okay, Dowon-ssi?”
“Of course.”
“She’s a scary lady. Didn’t I tell you not to let your guard down?”
Was she that dangerous?
‘Well, in this situation, maybe?’
Scandals aside, nothing else mattered.
“I see.”
“You don’t know yourself well enough, Dowon-ssi.”
Do I not?
Manager Han had run over and was clutching his knees, panting. He looked just like a dried anchovy, so I instinctively supported him.
“You okay?”
“I’m fine. Just tension releasing.”
“But didn’t you say you were switching with Manager Heo at the company?”
“Manager Heo’s assigned to Lee Seungjun-ssi for the time being.”
Huh, why?
“What’s the reason?”
“I didn’t hear details either.”
What’s up with that Lee Seungjun punk.
‘I’ll ask as soon as I see him.’
He’s not the type to cause problems. Just rapping practice and workouts—totally routine.
‘Oh, wait, there is one thing.’
Maybe that brother-in-law stuff. Bald but still going strong, huh.
I grabbed my smartphone in my pocket, then let go.
‘No rush to report the situation.’
Lost in thought, Manager Han said,
“Anyway, avoid her at all costs. No, I’ll stick by you, Dowon-ssi.”
I was still supporting Manager Han. Only then did I ask,
“Uh, what’s that?”
“Oh, a stun gun.”
He had another one besides the one he gave me.
“But don’t you need a permit?”
“This one’s low voltage. 9A. Stings a lot. 10A and up needs a permit.”
The manager said seriously.
“Of course, we should follow the law, but there are illegal mods out there.”
Scary guy.
“My wife was obsessed once, so I modded it a bit but fixed it all back. Gotta follow the law.”
If you’re following the law, you wouldn’t mod it in the first place?
Supported by me, Manager Han said,
“I’ll protect you.”
No matter how I look, I’d protect him faster, but I can’t say that.
A chuckle escaped. Well, good is good.
“Yeah. Please take care of me. Don’t leave me alone. She seems to target when I’m by myself.”
Honestly, I didn’t want to run into her either. Yumiho made my thoughts race.
“You look troubled again.”
“Do I?”
“Yes. I can tell just from your breathing, Dowon-ssi.”
No way.
“Really.”
Should I believe this?
‘Whatever, let’s say.’
Smooth social life is tough. I smiled a bit and nodded.
“Yeah, I do have some worries.”
“What is it? I might help. Tell me.”
The anchovy-like manager grabbed my clothes. Looked like he wouldn’t let go without hearing it.
“Something weird’s going on.”
“Yes.”
I thought of Kang Minje and Yumiho.
“Two people did similar stuff to me. One’s completely burned bridges, but the other’s a pain.”
I rolled my shoulders. The supported manager wobbled a bit.
“You liked the burned one more?”
“If we’re talking trust, the annoying one’s higher.”
“Then maybe more betrayed by her?”
My brows furrowed on their own.
‘Doesn’t feel like that?’
Now of all times?
I shook my head.
“Feels more like annoying vs. not annoying.”
“Yes?”
Kang Minje isn’t annoying. No, to keep the golden eggs coming, I had to care for him.
‘Can’t have Zenith activities halted over stamina issues.’
Well, even without that, we’d never clashed from the start.
‘No fights since Madam Cha Yeonhwa from Seongnam brought him first time.’