Chapter 57
Chapter 57
“Wait for what?”
I let out a sigh.
For someone who had so boldly told me not to quit and to just wait, Seon A-hyun looked like he was on the verge of bursting into tears and snot at any moment.
Anyone watching would think he was the one being forced to leave.
In contrast, my mind grew colder and sharper.
‘In layman's terms… this isn't a situation where just toughing it out will solve anything.’
If I were already a debuted idol, maybe "going into reflection" while waiting it out would be an option.
But for a contestant in an audition program with the finals right around the corner, that was an impossible approach.
The sight of someone the public deemed unworthy of success stubbornly clinging on would only fuel their resentment.
This wasn't just any audition, either. For a cable show currently surpassing a 10% viewership rating and dominating real-time search trends, staying was nothing short of career suicide.
‘If I’m going to be dropped in the finals anyway, the next best thing is to resign quickly and figure out the situation.’
For now, I’d gloss over it with something vague like "health issues."
That would cause the least amount of damage. If Park Moon-dae really was innocent, it would also make it easier to explain things later.
And if I looked into it and found out this guy really did mess up… I’d find the victim and apologize…
Damn it. That girl even dropped out of school; if I were her, I wouldn't let Park Moon-dae promote either.
But there was no other way.
“If there’s no evidence that it wasn't me, waiting will only make things worse.”
“B-but… Se-jin did it too.”
“Back then, we found the photoshopped picture right away. We even had our smartphones on us.”
“…….”
Luck like that didn't strike twice.
Seon A-hyun hung his head low.
A brief silence filled the dorm once more. It was then—
“…Are you in?”
Someone knocked on the dorm door again.
“…….”
“Yeah.”
At Keun Se-jin’s short reply, the door opened. Kim Rae-bin walked in.
And behind him, Cha Yu-jin followed like a shadow.
I didn't know why he’d followed him to someone else's dorm, but if he’d come on purpose, he was incredibly dense.
Kim Rae-bin immediately began reading the room, which was currently a complete dumpster fire.
“……Individual practice… just ended….”
“…….”
So these two had skipped their voluntary practice to come here.
It wasn't particularly helpful, but honestly… I was grateful.
I squeezed out the last of my patience.
“Go practice.”
“…! N-no…….”
“There are only a few days left. Don’t do something you’ll regret.”
“…What about you?”
I answered calmly.
“I have to go discuss my withdrawal.”
“…!!”
“N-no, you can’t…….”
I’d check the public opinion one last time, and if it was going as expected, I’d have to come up with a good excuse for leaving.
“Pardon? Hyung, why so suddenly….”
Kim Rae-bin looked horrified. It seemed this socially inept guy still hadn't heard the rumors.
‘I’m exhausted.’
I didn't want to talk anymore. He’d probably hear about it by tomorrow anyway.
I tried to walk past Kim Rae-bin toward the door. I planned to find the writer immediately.
But then, both of my shoulders were grabbed.
“Now, now, Moon-dae. Just rest for a bit and think about it when you wake up.”
“H-h-he’s right. F-first… r-rest. Give your brain a rest.”
With two people hanging onto me, I was momentarily overpowered in the physical struggle.
Thanks to that, I was dragged back to the bed like a dog being restrained. Are these guys crazy?
“Are you crazy?”
“You’re the one who needs to get a grip. It hasn't even been thirty minutes since you found out about this mess. You’re going to throw away months of hard work in thirty minutes?”
“That’s why I’m saying the longer I delay, the worse it—”
“Even if you quit now, the articles won't go out until tomorrow morning. It’s the same whether you do it now or in the morning.”
Keun Se-jin and Seon A-hyun forced me back onto the bed.
“You have to make decisions with a clear head so you don't regret them! Do you realize you’re not in your right mind because you’re scared?”
“What?”
I tried to sit up but stopped. What kind of nonsense was this?
“I am in my right mind.”
“No, you’re not. You’re flustered and terrified right now.”
Keun Se-jin added in a low voice.
“…Because I’ve been there before.”
“…….”
“Otherwise, you would’ve realized before I even said it. That there’s no difference between quitting now or tomorrow morning.”
“……!”
That was….
Damn it. He was right. I couldn't refute it.
‘Me, in a state of panic?’
I sighed. I kept thinking I shouldn't have gotten rid of that damn "Immovable Heart" trait.
For now, I lay down on the bed as they pushed.
I could clearly hear Seon A-hyun’s sigh of relief.
“What on earth is going o—”
“Alright, let’s go out.”
I heard Keun Se-jin herding Kim Rae-bin and Cha Yu-jin out of the room. Seon A-hyun followed them out, but not before swallowing hard and saying to me:
“R-rest well.”
Creeeeak.
The door closed very carefully.
‘…Even if they leave, their beds are still in here.’
Well, whether they came back awkwardly in three hours or slept in the practice room was up to them. I wasn't in a position to worry about that.
I closed my eyes and crossed my arms.
I tried to look at Park Moon-dae’s situation objectively… but as if that were suddenly possible. I was facing social death and potentially an actual sudden death.
‘Status Window.’
Even when I called up the status window, which remained unchanged, only one thing caught my eye.
[!Status Effect: Death if Not Debut]
“Why the hell are you doing this to me?”
Why me, of all people?
Why Park Moon-dae, of all people?
The fact that I knew nothing about the situation I was in and had no way to find out was incredibly irritating.
Naturally, I didn't think a brilliant solution would suddenly pop into my head by morning.
It wasn't like the situation would suddenly improve, either.
‘Hoping for luck is a fool’s errand.’
Usually, shockingly bad things can enter your life without warning, but the opposite was naturally extremely rare.
Compare the probability of winning the lottery to the probability of getting into a car accident while walking down the street. The latter is overwhelming.
Look at me. A supernatural miracle happened and my life was turned upside down, only for that life to already be ruined.
“……Hah.”
Damn it. I was only getting more anxious. I felt like resigning right this second.
‘…But let’s just get through tonight.’
I wasn't expecting anything.
Purely out of consideration for the effort of those who stopped me, I sighed and uncrossed my arms.
My thoughts were a mess. The more I calculated what would be rational to do…
‘There’s no answer no matter which way I go…….’
I think I fell into a light sleep like that.
*
Bang!
I snapped awake at a sudden noise.
‘…The sound of wood breaking?’
Still half-asleep, I shifted my gaze to see Seon A-hyun bursting through the door.
“M-M-Moon-dae!”
Seon A-hyun’s face was bright red.
‘Did something else blow up?’
If it was someone else’s scandal, I hoped it would at least bury mine.
Seon A-hyun thrust something right in front of my face.
It was a smartphone with the screen turned on.
“L-look at this…!”
The light from the screen stabbed at my eyes. I frowned and took the phone.
‘Where did he get this?’
Holding the item prohibited on set, I reluctantly read the screen.
“……!”
A miracle had happened.
=========================
[(2nd Place!) I am the person involved in the recent controversy regarding Park Moon-dae, a contestant on Idol Inc. (632)]
: I am still very afraid to write a post like this publicly. However, I am writing this because I can no longer stand to see an innocent person suffer.
It is true that I dropped out of school after the sanitary pad theft incident.
However, the person who stole the pads was not Park Moon-dae.
…….
=========================
The post began to explain the circumstances of that time in great detail.
The writer said they had been subjected to persistent bullying by several ill-natured classmates since the beginning of the semester over trivial matters.
The bullying, which started with backstabbing, gradually escalated until it became unbearable. However, due to family circumstances, it was difficult to take action, so they had no choice but to endure.
Then, the sanitary pad theft incident happened.
It seemed those kids wanted to double their fun by framing Park Moon-dae, who walked alone without any close friends in class.
=========================
[I didn't want to live.]
=========================
Though not explicitly mentioned between the lines, the mockery seemed to have reached the level of sexual harassment. In a state of extreme stress, the writer’s mental state completely shattered, and they were absent without leave for ten days.
And during that period, Park Moon-dae had dropped out.
Despite being the victim, the writer felt guilty that Park Moon-dae had been framed, so they tried to contact him after dropping out.
However, Park Moon-dae’s reply to the text message apologizing and asking how he was was as follows:
=========================
[I received a long reply saying, ‘You did nothing wrong, so of course there is nothing to apologize for. I was planning to drop out anyway, so it’s fine. However, if you are having a hard time and want to report the perpetrators who bullied you, I will help.’]
=========================
The writer was taking antidepressants at the time and was in a state where they would hyperventilate just by going near the school, so they couldn't proceed with a report.
So, the conversation with Park Moon-dae fizzled out, but even after moving on from the incident to some extent, it kept weighing on their mind, so they tried to contact him again.
But the number was disconnected.
‘…Because Park Moon-dae canceled his phone plan.’
=========================
[When I saw Moon-dae on the audition program, his style and impression had changed so much that I didn't recognize him. It was only after this controversy broke out that I realized Park Moon-dae was that friend.
He was quiet in school, but he was never someone who caused trouble or was strange. After dropping out, I realized he was a thoughtful and kind friend.
I sincerely hope Moon-dae isn't hurt by this incident.]
=========================
The post ended with a satisfying sentence stating that the protagonist would proceed with a lawsuit against the high school perpetrators based on recordings. Several verification photos were attached below.
In the latest comments, people who were in denial were being mobbed and were either deleting their comments or running away.
And opinions that had completely flipped occupied the top comments.
“…….”
My stomach churned.
‘It wasn't Park Moon-dae.’
And the person involved even appeared and verified it to prove it.
And only a day after the incident happened.
“…….”
“I-it’s okay now!”
Seon A-hyun started babbling something, but it was hard to hear him properly.
My head was spinning.
‘Is this… even possible?’
I didn't even do anything, and the situation suddenly gets this good?
It just gets resolved like this?
Rather than relief or joy, I felt a strange sensation.
It felt foreign that something like this could happen in life.
I thought I had learned from experience that if life changes when I’ve done nothing, it’s usually for the worse.
…To think I’d experience a counterexample after entering someone else's body.
“Hey!!”
A crowd of people burst through the door. Led by Keun Se-jin, I saw the faces of my teammates.
‘Come to think of it… I was the leader.’
I didn't think we were that close, so I thought it was strange. Since the leader was in a state of Schrödinger’s resignation, it must have been awkward for them to even change their practice schedule.
These guys must have had a lot on their minds last night too.
“Hey! What did I tell you? I told you to wait, didn't I?”
Keun Se-jin shouted after seeing Seon A-hyun and assessing the situation. It seemed they all already knew.
“…I guess so.”
I readily conceded.
“Thanks.”
“……!”
If it weren't for these guys, I would have quit and packed my bags last night, only to regret it this morning.
“Thanks to you guys, I can keep doing the show.”
I smiled.
Seon A-hyun was overjoyed, repeating "No" and "I'm so glad." Keun Se-jin gave a wide grin.
“If you’re thankful, buy us beef.”
“……Let’s just act like nothing happened.”
“Hey!”
I don't have money.
Listening to Keun Se-jin’s grumbling and the teammates’ congratulations, I finally felt relieved.
‘Now I can practice in peace until the finals.’
“Thanks for bringing this to me. How did you get it?”
“I, I asked for it!”
Seon A-hyun smiled brightly and took the phone back. I hoped I wouldn't have to see it again until the finals.
However, I didn't know that while my eyes were off the smartphone, the situation would start to turn even stranger.
The first blow was a post uploaded by Gold 1.