Chapter 174
Chapter 174
Let’s briefly summarize the current situation.
A segment of Cha Yu-jin’s and Park Moon-dae’s individual fandoms have started fighting, and it’s on the verge of blowing up into a massive public issue.
‘This is driving me crazy.’
…Okay, calm down.
I could just ignore it and move on, but if this surfaces any further, the group might get branded as "tiresome" by the public again. For now, I’ll try a light touch to settle things.
‘That’s why I’m turning on W-App.’
Since we’ve become roommates and the fire hasn't spread too far yet, it won't seem too obvious if I act like I don't know anything.
However, there are precautions.
There are a few things I must keep in mind if I’m going to do a broadcast with Cha Yu-jin in this kind of atmosphere.
First: It shouldn't be a setup where one person is teaching the other.
In this case, the situation creates an implicit hierarchy, which people will inevitably nitpick. Examples include things like, "He’s teaching him, but his attitude is insincere," or "He’s being too overbearing while teaching."
‘Therefore, "Fun Cooking Class with Cha Yu-jin" or "Fun English Class with Park Moon-dae" are rejected.’
Second: Don't choose anything related to work.
The moment we pick a topic related to dancing or singing, people start comparing us, saying "who’s better and who’s worse." It’s the perfect fuel for the conflict to explode again.
And… finally, the third.
Third: Don't choose competitive content.
People who are overly invested in one side might get their feelings hurt by the other side.
‘So, no betting or card games. Deleted.’
Then what is the recommended course of action?
It’s simple.
‘It’s best to show us working together as a team.’
The nuance should be subtle so it doesn't feel forced, and it should be something people can just watch and laugh at.
Even if we fail, it’s better if it’s funny.
That’s why I chose this.
"Waaaaah!!"
Specifically… a horror-themed escape room.
‘Shit.’
I never thought I’d spend my own money on such a waste, but I found an escape room cafe that was about to undergo remodeling and quickly closed the deal over the phone for a fairly large sum.
…I think I lost some money because I didn't have time to haggle.
‘At least the company said they’d process it as an expense.’
Of course, "processing it as an expense" just means it’ll be deducted from my settlement pay.
Anyway, that’s how I ended up at an escape room with Cha Yu-jin during a rare late-night gap in our schedule.
Naturally, a staff member holding a smartphone camera followed us with sad eyes.
‘I’m sorry.’
I didn't expect it to come to this either.
"Whoa! Hyung, your head! Watch out!"
Cha Yu-jin, however, seemed incredibly excited. Unbelievable.
"Didn't you used to be scared of this kind of stuff...?"
"It’s so fake! Not scary! There are no ghosts!"
It seems he thinks this is child's play compared to that house we went to for the debut reality show.
‘It certainly is… a bit crude.’
Perhaps due to labor costs, there isn't even a staff member playing a ghost. Moreover, the props and wallpaper have a distinct scent of "budget-friendly" about them.
‘No wonder it’s up for remodeling.’
There weren't many sections that required heavy thinking, so there was no risk of being criticized with comments like "How can they not even solve that?"
They just turn off the lights occasionally to give us a jump, so as long as you have decent courage and reflexes, it’s fine—
"Hyung! Blood here!"
"……It’s, it’s a crayon. It melted."
"Aha!"
I must not let my desire to smack him show. Let’s forget it.
Fortunately or unfortunately, the setup became creepier toward the end, allowing me to forget the shabbiness and get immersed.
Even when a mannequin popped out under red lights at the very end, Cha Yu-jin got scared, which made for good footage.
"What the…!"
He held back a curse. Good job.
Thanks to that, by the time we escaped, the atmosphere was as thick as if we had overcome some great ordeal together.
"You two succeeded with 6 minutes and 21 seconds left~"
"WOOOW!! Look, we escaped!"
"On the way back… we’ll eat something delicious."
The real-time reactions the staff member briefly showed me were very good. The viewership was as high as a full-group W-App stream.
‘Is it done?’
It seems to be a success in terms of content.
"Thank you for watching."
"Thank you! Thank you guys~"
And so, the W-Live ended just before midnight.
"Then I’ll collect the cameras now."
We agreed that today’s broadcast would be edited with footage from other cams installed in the room at different angles and uploaded separately to the W-App.
…I almost fainted when I heard the title would be [Doggie and Kitty’s Horror Conquest], but I accepted it.
It’s better to draw attention that way.
‘Actually, it’s for the best….’
I sighed and checked my smartphone again.
"What are you looking at??"
"Fan reactions."
"Aha."
Cha Yu-jin nodded.
Actually, while preparing for this W-Live, I did explain why we were doing it.
Just enough to say that some of our fans weren't getting along.
‘He probably grasped the situation.’
The way this guy tactfully played the game during the fight between Lee Se-jin and Bae Se-jin last time wasn't a coincidence. It was comfortable because his useless competitive streak had completely vanished.
"Does everyone like it??"
"Yeah. It’s fine."
Anyway, the reactions were quite satisfying.
Everyone was so busy enjoying the content that the topics about the underground fighting had already become old news, pushed aside by real-time trends and popular posts related to the stream.
Unless you were one of the people actually fighting, it was hard to even care anymore.
‘Especially since Cha Yu-jin’s and Park Moon-dae’s fans have good instantaneous firepower.’
In a few days, just when someone tries to raise their voice again, the edited version will be uploaded. That’ll pretty much lock it down.
"Can we eat something delicious now?"
"Tomorrow. It’s late today, so just have a Zero Coke."
"Yes, sir……."
…However, after getting into the car to return to the dorm, I found some unpleasant content.
Specifically, posts from a few of Cha Yu-jin’s malicious fans who had fled to anonymous sites after the fight.
‘Here it comes.’
I had a feeling someone would be saying things like this.
‘I’ve handled a few cases too perfectly.’
Since I had smoothed things over quite well whenever a controversy broke out, if someone connected the dots, it was plausible for them to think, ‘Wait, is this bastard doing this because he knows everything?’
However, whether it was this time or in the past, there isn't a single shred of circumstantial evidence.
Because I prefer to respond first, I often crushed issues by acting a step ahead or simultaneously.
It would be hard to think, "He responded because a controversy broke out." They’d just think the timing was fortunate.
Besides, since I never mention these things separately, even those who are suspicious are likely to think the company is the one pulling the strings.
So, the evaluation of me always ended at "his response is appropriate" or "he’s lucky."
That’s why it’s a bit… amusing.
‘Even they don't believe what they’re writing.’
They’re just angry, so they’re grabbing onto any circumstance and insisting on it.
However, I did have a concern that if they kept piecing things together, eventually a sample size would build up and turn into a plausible story…
‘Well, it is the truth, after all.’
I shrugged. Still, I didn't want to give those guys a single win.
So I thought.
‘Then how should I get rid of this too?’
Since I’d already started, I wanted to uproot everything so there was no room for noise.
‘Making them fight among themselves is the best way to dismantle them. Or making them switch to another fresh group.’
From Cha Yu-jin’s perspective, it would be better in the long run if this side’s influence weakened. So….
"Hyung! Do you want a Coke??"
"…Huh, what?"
Turning my head, I saw Cha Yu-jin, who had managed to buy a Zero Coke, getting into the car with a small plastic bottle.
"Um, do you want to drink? Will you have some…? Eat?"
Cha Yu-jin struggled to change his words. It seemed he thought my lack of response was because his words hadn't been conveyed properly.
"I’m fine. You drink it."
[Oh, okay. But Hyung, do you have something on your mind?]
"……!"
"Hyung, you look tired. You look like that."
"It’s late at night."
[Not that! Um… like, because of psychological factors?]
"……."
This guy… he notices things like this?
I scanned Cha Yu-jin with suspicious eyes before eventually sighing.
Let’s just give him a reasonable answer.
"It’s because I’m stressed from checking reactions. It’s nothing."
"Oh, are there many people who hate you??"
"No, just… well, they exist."
"Aha."
Cha Yu-jin spoke seriously while gulping down his Zero Coke.
[But don't worry too much, Hyung. How can you change someone else's heart to match yours?]
"……!"
Cha Yu-jin shrugged his shoulders.
[My mom said that someone who hates me will always appear in life anyway! But you just ignore them and, ta-da! Keep going. Don't get stressed!]
"……."
Well. A surprisingly sensible piece of advice came out.
My head… cooled down a bit.
I thought about it once more.
If I don't immediately take care of these guys who fled to anonymous boards, will a problem occur?
‘It might, but it might not.’
Then, if that "problem" does occur, would it be hard to handle?
"……."
‘No.’
I don't think it would be difficult to solve it when the time comes.
Besides, even if it becomes known that I monitor things strictly, what kind of big problem would that be? At worst, some people might find it a bit off-putting.
Rather, the probability of a problem growing was higher if I made a mistake while trying to root them all out.
In the end, I admitted it.
‘I was a bit… oversensitive.’
Normally, I would have brushed it off and stopped caring by now, but it seems I didn't like the idea of someone trying to figure me out.
‘Have I developed some kind of control compulsion?’
Since I ended up in a profession where I have to deal with many people in various ways after entering someone else's body, it seems my brain has stiffened a bit.
"Whew."
I closed the anonymous board on the screen and tossed my phone onto the seat next to me.
Then I said.
"You’re right. I need to step back a bit."
"Good, I’m right!"
He’s very confident.
[Ah, Hyung. One more thing! Never forget that there’s always the option of a lawsuit!]
A very American piece of advice followed.
"Right."
"Good!"
I never expected to hear such words from him.
I chuckled. Then I leaned back against the seat.
‘Should I get some shut-eye?’
As a bonus, Cha Yu-jin would be able to drink my share of the Zero Coke without feeling guilty.
And the moment I closed my eyes, someone hit my shoulder hard.
"Oh, Hyung! The old man said today! Our unit stage is going to be a circus!"
"……."
Six months as roommates… I don't know if I can endure it.
After suffering from intermittent sleep deprivation and eventually bribing and threatening Cha Yu-jin with snacks to keep him quiet for a few days.
The topic of the concert came up at the company, and naturally, talk of new content followed.
For the record, I was positive about it. The more entertainment there is, the easier it is to bury any useless nonsense that might pop up.
However, the company’s story was… a bit different from what I had in mind.
"We’re planning a new reality show."
Reality shows are good. It would have been better to do it during the album release, but it’s not bad for filling the gap during the tour….
"We’re thinking of a US edition!"
"……?"
I should have realized it then.
That the new General Manager, who came after the Approval Bot left… was obsessed with America.