Chapter 28
Chapter 28
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: A Billboard of My Own
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Because of my conversation with Kang Ju-hyeok, I couldn't rest easy during the break.
After filming wrapped up completely, Kang Ju-hyeok asked for a moment, saying he had something to tell me.
Wondering what he wanted to say, I quietly followed him.
“Yoon-seul.”
“Yes.”
“I know you’re avoiding me because of Park Su-hyeol.”
He hit the nail on the head, and I was at a loss for words.
“To get straight to the point, it really wasn’t me. When Park Su-hyeol’s story broke, and then the story about his celebrity-aspirant friend came out, I went through a lot, too.”
Kang Ju-hyeok continued his story in a relatively calm voice.
“You suffered a lot because of Park Su-hyeol, so honestly, it’s not that I don’t understand your attitude. But being misunderstood like this is really hard.”
He had a pitiful expression, as if tears were about to fall from his large eyes at any moment.
“You know how much misunderstandings can wear a person down.”
Looking at his face, I started to think he might not be lying.
‘Right. I was probably being too sensitive. If Kang Ju-hyeok was really a school bully, articles would have come out long ago.’
I thought my judgment of character had improved, but it seems I still have a long way to go.
*Bzzz.*
The vibration startled me, and I sat up, picking up my phone.
There was a message from Lee Ho-jun.
[Yoon-seul. They said our billboards are up. Want to go see them together? Eun-woo is coming too.]
I immediately replied that I would.
A billboard.
Whenever I passed through a subway station and saw another idol’s billboard, I would unconsciously stop and stare.
“To think I have a billboard of my own now.”
It was unbelievable.
It wasn't that I had no fans during my promotions.
Even then, there were definitely people who supported me.
But they couldn’t openly reveal their existence.
Because the moment they posted something on social media, they became targets of ridicule.
[Yoon-seul’s birthday is coming up, how about we get him a billboard ad? And open a birthday cafe.]
↳Wow. Seo Yoon-seul’s fans are amazing. Spending money on a criminal’s colleague.
↳Our Yoon-seul didn’t do anything wrong.
↳? Seo Yoon-seul made one huge mistake, should I tell you what it is? It’s that he didn’t leave GANGSTER-M. If it weren’t for him, the second-generation members would have succeeded. For the sake of the other members who are suffering just by being associated with him, please just donate that money to the needy. That would do more to improve Seo Yoon-seul’s image.
↳Hey. Why is everyone making a fuss? Mind your own business.
↳My boy is the epitome of an upright life, so I have nothing to worry about.
Things that all other idol fans did were incredibly difficult for those who liked me.
In the end, they started volunteering and donating to improve my image, but the ridicule didn't subside.
[Seriously, the love from Seo Yoon-seul’s fans is tear-jerking. If that’s what true fandom is, then I’ve never been a real fan. Their efforts to save an idol stuck in the mud.]
↳LMAO what is this. Was this post really written out of pity? Isn’t it just mockery?
↳This is what you call high-class humor.
↳Volunteering and donating are good things, but maybe do something for the GANGSTER-M second-gen members. They’re truly pitiful. It seems like their fans are always getting dragged through the mud too.
When people said it would be better to volunteer, my fans volunteered. Then they were told to donate, and when they donated, people demanded something else.
Worn out by the unchanging pattern, my fans eventually had to stop their activities.
And now, I had a billboard ad.
It was another moment that made me realize my life was changing.
* * *
After lightly covering my face with a hat and glasses, I arrived at our meeting spot.
Jung Eun-woo and Lee Ho-jun, who had arrived first, were talking when they spotted me and waved.
“Yoon-seul.”
“Ah, you’re here early. I’m not late, am I?”
“Not at all. I just got here myself, and we still have some time before our meeting.”
Jung Eun-woo showed me the watch on his wrist as he spoke.
“That’s a relief. And you can speak comfortably to me too.”
Jung Eun-woo was three years older than me, so hearing him use formal language felt incredibly awkward and uncomfortable.
We hadn’t had many chances to talk before, so it felt strange to ask him to speak informally. But now that we were going to see the billboards together, I cautiously made the suggestion.
“Got it. More importantly, let’s move quickly. If we get caught, we’ll have to head right back.”
“Okay.”
“Oh, and Yoon-seul, you can speak informally too. It’s about time.”
I nodded, and we entered the subway station together.
[Lee Ho-jun, one step closer to your debut.]
The first thing we saw was Lee Ho-jun’s ad.
“This is from my debut stage.”
Lee Ho-jun said in a calm tone.
“Really?”
“Yeah. It’s how I looked when I debuted with my previous group.”
Now that he mentioned it, his face looked strangely younger than it did now. His build seemed a bit slimmer, too.
“I never thought I’d be facing this again.”
Perhaps overcome with emotion, Lee Ho-jun fell silent.
“Haha. This is no time to stand around. Can you take a picture for me?”
The silence didn't last long.
It seemed to be because Jung Eun-woo and I were there, and we had to move quickly.
“Sure.”
I took his phone and started enthusiastically taking pictures.
“That’s enough. Let’s go see Eun-woo’s ad.”
“You don’t want to look more? There are sticky notes here, too.”
Jung Eun-woo asked, pointing to the pink sticky notes on the left side of the billboard.
“I’ve seen enough. Let’s go see yours now.”
“Alright.”
We only walked a few steps before we came across Jung Eun-woo’s billboard.
[We’re happy to be with you for your new beginning.]
“Yoon-seul, you take the picture. This guy is terrible at taking photos.”
“Okay.”
So I took the phone.
“Okay, I’m taking it now.”
As I was taking Jung Eun-woo’s picture, I felt the gazes of a few schoolgirls in uniforms on us.
It seemed like we needed to leave quickly.
Jung Eun-woo must have had a similar thought, as he strode over to me.
“Let’s get going.”
“Right.”
We walked quickly and arrived at my billboard.
[Like the shimmer on the sea, for the you who will shine—From the fans who will be your sun.]
Reading the message, my eyes grew moist.
I had to squeeze my eyes shut and hold back the tears.
‘I can’t cry here.’
“I’m taking the picture.”
“Okay.”
I stood awkwardly in front of the billboard.
Dancing and showing off my charm on stage was fine, but taking a picture in front of an ad my fans had made for me felt incredibly awkward.
“Straighten your shoulders.”
“Ah.”
At Jung Eun-woo’s words, I straightened my shoulders.
“Good. All done. Let’s go.”
I gave Jung Eun-woo a short nod to thank him.
We practically power-walked out of the subway station to leave before a crowd could form.
It was thanks to the schoolgirls who pretended not to know us.
* * *
[I stopped by the billboard after school today on my way to my cram school to put up a sticky note, and guess who I saw? Seo Yoon-seul, Lee Ho-jun, and Jung Eun-woo. The three of them were taking pictures. I really wanted to say hi, but I was afraid a crowd would gather and they wouldn’t be able to take pictures in peace, so I forced myself to hold it in.]
↳You’re a hero. If they couldn’t take pictures and had to leave, we wouldn’t have gotten to see them.
↳How did you manage that? I think I would have blurted something out without thinking.
↳Honestly, I couldn’t pretend completely. I kept glancing over.
Social media heated up in an instant.
[They must have gone to see it together since it’s their break. But the fans are so fast. Hasn’t the show only aired up to episode 3? Or 4? Everyone is quick.]
↳Right.
↳Actually, you have to strike while the iron is hot at the beginning to gather votes, so the fans probably started fundraising from the get-go.
↳This is correct. It was probably the people who became fans after watching the pre-release videos from RED CUBE, plus no matter how much of a failed idol from a small company you are, you’re not going to have zero existing fans. Those people got together, started fundraising, and then the people who became fans from the show and those who saw the recent stage performance joined in.
↳True, the people who went to the recording posted spoilers. The problem is they’re all scared of getting sued, so they wrote them in code. Someone please decipher them.
↳Impossible to decipher. Seems like only people who saw the performance can understand it. I’m so jealous of everyone who went to the recording…
[All the stages this time were on another level. Are these really the same guys who were making all those mistakes in episodes 1 and 2…? They were all flying on stage. I guess this is why companies prefer experienced people. They’re already complete packages. Their dancing and singing are a given, but their expressions and stage presence are insane.]
↳At this point, I wonder if RED CUBE just didn’t give them enough time to practice. If not, then their growth rate is unbelievable.
↳Or maybe they were just so nervous they made mistakes, but then they got anxious thinking they’d be eliminated if they kept it up and had an awakening.
↳I want to be part of this conversation. I desperately want in. Ugh. Should’ve gotten a better mouse. Which stage was the best?
↳I’m scared of getting sued, so… I’ll just say ‘chain’.
↳You too? I thought that one was insane too.
[What the heck is ‘chain’? What did they do with a chain? Does it mean the guys wearing chain accessories were the best? No. Now I’m just even more curious.]
↳Then you’ll just have to wait for the official broadcast! Hehe~
↳Wow. So annoying.
↳I swear I will get into the next recording.
[Haru and Ju-hyeok went to see their billboards today too. It’s nice to see them getting along well.]
↳I hope they debut together.
↳I saw them sticking together since episode 1. Kang Ju-hyeok constantly complimenting and encouraging him, and Haru being so humble. Their chemistry is insane. And Haru is the older one…
↳Wow. This dynamic sounds delicious. Should I take a little bite?
[But is there a reason most of the billboard ads use photos from their previous groups?]
↳First, we want to use their stage photos, but there aren’t any. It’s still early in the show, so we don’t have much material. Also, that past is a memory of failure for them. We want to change that. Tell them they were shining back then, too. There are probably lots of other reasons, but that was it for me.
↳Whoa. That’s kind of touching. ‘They were shining back then, too.’
↳I was curious about this too, but now that I think about it, it makes sense. There aren't any usable photos yet. We can only use stage photos after the performance airs on the show. If we did it now, it’d be a spoiler and we’d get sued.
[More importantly, isn’t RED CUBE airing tonight? The first eliminations are happening, right?]
↳Yeah. My heart is pounding. The people who went to the recording already know the results, so they probably don’t have to be as anxious as us, right?
↳The top-ranking guys probably… It’s just the first elimination, so I doubt they’re nervous yet. I’m so jealous.