Chapter 55
Chapter 55
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: Burn
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Fire extinguisher-wielding staff came rushing over. Ah, damn it! If they did that, all my hard work would go to waste! I quickly shouted.
“Pork cutlet!”
Kang Minje hurriedly moved the plated food to a safe spot. The staff and manager came running. I finally came to my senses and quickly turned off the flame on the portable stove that was a mess.
Powder from the extinguishers settled down. Lee Seungjun pulled me back a bit.
I let out a small breath. As the situation calmed a little, the manager immediately asked.
“Ambition! You okay?”
I shook off the extinguisher powder and turned around, but since it was my back, I couldn’t see well. I could only vaguely feel oil splattered on my white shirt.
Ah, this was a burn.
“Is there ice in the fridge?”
“No ice.”
“Then frozen meat?”
The maknae writer hurriedly brought frozen meat from the freezer. I pressed it against my back, plastic and all. Only then did the pain come rushing in.
‘At least this isn’t a crime, right?’
I glanced at the camera.
‘It’s all caught on film anyway.’
A sigh escaped me naturally.
‘Are they insane?’
Those bastards clearly never cooked before. I knew oil might splash, but I didn’t expect it to cause this much chaos. Damn it.
‘At least the fire was small. That’s a relief.’
Hush hurriedly made excuses.
“W-We didn’t know it’d be this bad!”
Shut up, you bastards.
I asked Lee Seungjun.
“You okay?”
The bear, still in shock, had his arm trembling slightly.
“I’m fine. You, you?”
I gave a bitter smile while looking at my back.
“It stings.”
Screw filming, screw everything. What the hell is this?
“This much is lucky. Imagine if the fire had gotten big.”
Did they have sprinklers here?
‘No way.’
It could’ve been a disaster. The manager immediately chewed out Hush. Then he made a call somewhere while checking my back.
“Ambition, you okay?”
“Yeah. Will it scar?”
Since it was my back, I couldn’t check visually.
How bad was it?
Of course, I had my cheat. I could make the wound vanish in an instant.
‘No.’
It wasn’t intentional, but a major accident happened.
‘I need to think. How can I turn this to my advantage?’
I forced a troubled expression. The manager went off to make another call. In the meantime, Lee Seungjun fussed over pressing the frozen meat to my back.
That’s when the director approached with a flustered face.
“Hey, you okay?”
“As you can see.”
“Do you really need to go to the hospital?”
I quietly looked at the director.
‘What the hell is this guy?’
An performer got injured, and that’s what he says?
“Hold on, Director.”
Rage boiled up, but I calmly thought about what I needed to do.
‘More evidence is better.’
I stuck close to Lee Seungjun and turned on the smartphone recording app.
“Yeah, Director. Go ahead.”
Luckily, he didn’t notice.
“You look fine. Can’t we just keep filming? If we delay, it’ll fall apart.”
Laughter burst out involuntarily.
‘You bastards.’
Yeah. Hush isn’t even the main problem.
‘You guys dragging kids into this crap are the real issue.’
Lee Seungjun said.
“Dowon needs to go to the hospital.”
I patted the bear’s shoulder.
“I’m fine.”
“Your back!”
“Hey, Director. My manager’s gonna get mad, so can you give me some time to convince him?”
“Fine. Convince him well. You’re from Friends, right? Big company and all. But you know, variety directors have our own connections.”
This was a threat.
“If I push, you guys won’t get on variety shows. No big deal.”
Wow.
“Don’t forget you’re a freshly debuted group. No flops allowed. Oh, your manager’s coming! Convince him good. You know idols get plenty of that, right?”
I smiled brightly.
“Of course, Director.”
“Good, talk him into it.”
The director grinned slyly and stepped away. Soon the manager came running.
“Ambition! Let’s go to the hospital!”
“Can’t.”
“Huh? What?”
“The director says to keep filming.”
“What? Hey! Director Seo!”
“Manager, hold on.”
I grabbed the plump manager’s clothes.
“When does filming end?”
“Uh, around five hours from now?”
Good.
I smiled brightly.
“Let’s keep filming. I’ll change clothes.”
“Ambition! You sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine. Or, I will be.”
Truth was, I wasn’t. It was a proper oil burn.
“Stylist Noona, can you wrap an ice pack in a handkerchief and put it on the burn? And I’d like to change into something loose. Okay?”
Moving made it sting like hell. You bastards. Won’t even let me go to the hospital for this? Even if it’s my back, it’s an idol’s body?
‘It’s not their body, that’s why.’
The manager brought ice from the cafe, put it in a bag, and pressed it to the wound. I asked him to wrap it with a bandage.
“You sure? I’ve got bandages. Bought them for costumes, didn’t think I’d use them like this.”
The stylist wrapped the plastic bag with bandage.
No, what kind of costume needs bandages?
“Thanks, Stylist Noona. Is the burn area big?”
“Luckily not too big. About the size of a palm.”
“Good it’s small at least.”
Size didn’t matter. I could heal it with cheat right now.
‘But I’m pissed.’
Hush. Broadcasting station bastards. Screw all of you.
I stood up.
“Let’s film.”
“Crazy Ambition! You don’t have to go this far!”
“I’m fine. I can do it.”
This time Lee Seungjun stopped me.
“Let’s go to the hospital.”
“I’m fine, Lee Seungjun.”
I felt a bit sorry for those worrying about me.
‘But to fool the enemy, you gotta fool your allies first.’
I jumped up and opened the waiting room door.
“Let’s keep filming.”
The maknae writer, leaning against the wall, hurried off. I let out a small breath.
‘You won’t get away easy, bastards.’
Back in the studio, the other members approached.
Yoo Hajin asked worriedly.
“No hospital?”
“After filming.”
Kang Minje grabbed my arm.
“Shouldn’t you go now? It’s a burn.”
“Later.”
I looked at the director. The bastard who threatened a 16-year-old grinned.
“Alright, alright! Let’s start filming!”
I’ll make you pay, you son of a bitch. For real. No morals.
I turned to Hush. They were scared enough not to meet my eyes.
You too, bastards.
“Standby!”
I sat down. Soon the camera light came on.
The MC said.
“Now for the tasting evaluation. The staff will do the tasting!”
Yeah, chow down good.
‘What a waste of food.’
Too perfectly made for program staff.
The staff tasted Hush’s food once and set it aside.
The MC said.
“How is it?”
“Barely edible thanks to the sauce.”
“This one’s undercooked.”
Oh dear.
Moving made my back sting. I furrowed my brow slightly, and Lee Seungjun looked at me worriedly.
I patted his back as if to say I was fine.
‘Can’t even show pain because of this bear guy.’
Regardless of my thoughts, things proceeded smoothly.
The staff tore into the food I’d sweated over and shoved it in their mouths.
“Wow, this is impressive.”
Eating the cheese pork cutlet, the staff marveled.
“Seasoning’s great, salad’s fresh.”
“There’s even spicy soybean paste soup.”
“The mashed potatoes are good too. Wow, really made by Zenith?”
Yoo Hajin grabbed my shoulder and said.
“Dowon made it.”
I smiled brightly.
“Glad you like it.”
Damn. Don’t eat it. Waste.
“This is good. Could sell it.”
“No more?”
I smiled brightly.
‘There was. Probably soaked in extinguisher fluid though.’
The MC picked up salad and said.
“Winner is Zenith!”
I made a soulless joyful reaction.
The MC turned around immediately and said.
“But the world of competition is cruel. Best of three. Zenith won the first, but the last event can turn it around!”
Ruining one whole event like trash, so typical of broadcasting bastards.
My back kept stinging. I felt the ice melting in the bag.
“Starting the final round!”
“Cut! Change set and go right away.”
The set moved. I carefully stood and looked at Hush. The deflated guys still avoided my eyes.
‘Not even one apology?’
I smirked and shook my head.
Then Kang Minje said.
“You really okay?”
“Not really. But we gotta film.”
“Dowon, let’s go now.”
“After it ends. Ah, first aid’s done.”
Even off-camera, staff kept devouring my pork cutlet. I crossed my arms and watched.
‘Impressive.’
After all that chaos, still scarfing it down?
I checked the camera was off, pulled out my smartphone, and activated cheat mode.
[Cha Dowon’s temperature changed to 38 degrees]
[Change complete. Body changing.]
[Side effect: Cold sweats for 4 hours.]
A staff shouted.
“Please change and come back.”
I stood. I staggered a bit, and Lee Seungjun grabbed my shoulder. He immediately frowned.
“You’re hot.”
“Yeah. Fever.”
“Hospital!”
“I’m fine. After filming. Just hold out 5 hours.”
I breathed hot breath.
“Keep it secret.”
Cold sweat dripped. I looked at the MC. The seasoned host eyed me worriedly.
‘A normal person after all.’
Of course, the MC would know about the director.
I leaned on Lee Seungjun, pretending to hurt more. The MC stared piercingly.
‘Please leak some info.’
Looking back slightly, some staff pitied me too. I kept breathing heavily.
‘One person is enough.’
I smiled bitterly. Honestly, a bit of a gamble.
‘But worth it.’
Screw that director.
‘Gotta plant guilt hard.’
I pretended to steady myself forcibly. Maybe that’s why—the mood sank in real time.
‘Good.’
Keep it up. I muttered inwardly.
***
The performers changed clothes and came out. The director said.
“Why’s the mood so down?”
You asking because you don’t know?
“Hush, what’s wrong? Be like before.”
“Uh…….”
Hush glanced at me.
“He’s fine. Why else would he stay instead of hospital?”
I wiped sweat from my forehead with my sleeve.
“You really okay?”
“If it was bad, I’d be in an ambulance. Hush, come on. Your charm is running wild like stallions.”
Pure devil.
‘So the director planned Hush’s mess.’
I glanced at Hush. Desire to crush rookies mixed with stupidity was dazzling.
“Let’s go hard when filming starts? Yeah?”
Hush nodded. I quietly looked at the camera.
“Alright, standby! Cue!”
The MC came out and said.
“Final event. Truth game! Not just any truth game—there’s a prize!”
Childish, really.
“Hanwoo set!”
They’re giving that? I clapped soullessly.
“Lie detector in the center. Team that doesn’t lie wins! Of course, lie without showing wins too!”
I looked at the lie detector on the table. It sent current based on heartbeat—not much, but seemed powerful.
‘Shows up on variety a lot.’
Point is probably inducing lies to see pain.
‘What questions will they ask?’
Probably something weird.
The MC said.
“One by one please. Who from Zenith?”
The leader stood first. Green hair from Hush.
“Hands in the lie detector middle. Questions incoming.”
Yoo Hajin and Hush green watched MC tensely.
“First kiss? Done or not? Zenith?”
Yoo Hajin answered honestly.
“Did.”
Hush answered.
“Didn’t. Only Hush Hush fans for me. Ow! Stings!”
Oh dear.
‘Better build honest image at least.’
Not my business.
“Oh, Zenith leader. When was your first kiss?”