Chapter 54
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: Reactions to the Gwigok Lodge Special (1)
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“Song Yu-bin got hurt, you know. If I end up getting fired from the company over this, are you gonna take responsibility?”
…What?
I froze while eavesdropping on the manager’s phone call from behind the truck.
Who the hell was he talking to for Song Yu-bin’s injury to come up?
“Yeah, yeah. I’m hanging up.”
I wanted to hear more details, but it sounded like the call was ending.
With no choice, I hunched over and headed back to the van.
When I opened the door and climbed in, the chattering members all turned to look at me in unison.
“Oh, Eun-ho’s back.”
“What about the manager? Weren’t you going to get him?”
I’d been so focused on overhearing the call that I’d completely forgotten about that.
I racked my brain for a response and just mumbled something vague.
“He’ll be here soon anyway, so I didn’t call him. Let’s just wait a bit.”
How much time passed like that? The driver’s side door opened. The manager sat down, buckled his seatbelt, and started yapping away.
“Whew, man. That Hwang Tae-seok guy’s so arrogant. Who does he think he is, barking orders like that? You guys can’t end up like him, got it? This is sincere advice—listen up.”
What the hell’s his problem now?
I glanced around; the members were half-listening, barely paying attention.
Tired of the manager’s pathetic rambling, I pulled my earbuds from my pocket and popped them in.
The other members had done the same.
That’s when the group chat notification went off.
[Baek Si-woo]
For real, total disgust lol
[Baek Si-woo]
Why’s he gotta be like that? Ugh, so annoying lol
[Song Yu-bin]
Right?!... lololol
Everyone seemed seriously pissed at the manager.
[Song Yu-bin]
Can’t we just tell the company to switch our manager?
I wanted to storm into the company and demand a new manager too. But that wasn’t possible without solid grounds.
You couldn’t request a change just because the guy spouted some old-man bullshit.
So, what I needed to do now was...
‘Yeah. We just finished Keyword Music. The results? Can’t tell you that. And be careful from now on. This one was seriously risky.’
‘Song Yu-bin got hurt, you know. If I end up getting fired from the company over this, are you gonna take responsibility?’
That suspicious phone call from the manager just now.
Time to dig into it.
* * *
“Whoa! Finally feels like I can breathe.”
The second we got back to the dorm, Baek Si-woo and Song Yu-bin flopped onto the sofa and sprawled out.
“This is paradise.”
“Yu-bin, how’s your ankle?”
“It’s okay. Hurts less than before.”
“Yu-bin had it the roughest. Now get some good rest.”
That’s when Cha Jae-hyun strode into the living room, holding the trophy high overhead.
The members who spotted it sat up, faces lighting up with emotion.
“Whoa. Still gives me chills every time.”
“When Yu-bin got hurt, it felt like everything went dark. But then Keyword Music happened, and we took first.”
“All that hard work paid off. Congrats again, everyone.”
“Let’s give each other a round of applause.”
Amid the celebrating members, I clapped along, genuinely happy too.
Then Baek Si-woo shoved his face right up to mine and yelled.
“Let’s order chicken! Chicken!”
“Get him some chicken quick.”
Cha Jae-hyun, leaning back on the sofa, pulled up a delivery app and started listing chicken places. Soon, he flashed his phone screen at us with the menu up.
“…So, what do you guys want from here?”
The members craned their necks like meerkats, eyes glued to the screen.
Baek Si-woo, staring at the chicken pics and wiping his mouth, said.
“Half seasoned, half fried.”
Solid choice.
“Half-and-half it is.”
Cha Jae-hyun tapped away at the screen. Then his arm with the phone dropped.
“Ordered.”
“Wooo!”
“Call me when the chicken’s here. I’m heading to my room.”
How long had it been? The doorbell rang. Baek Si-woo bolted out like a lightning bolt.
Soon, his voice blared from the intercom.
“Chicken! Chicken! Chicken!”
He looked practically zombified.
“Just leave it at the door!”
Once the delivery guy left, Baek Si-woo skipped out lightly, grabbed the chicken box, and marched back in.
“Hahaha! Chicken’s here!”
At the sound, the members shuffled out from their rooms.
It’d been forever since we’d ordered delivery. After a month of salads, this chicken was a real treat.
“Wowww.”
The second the box opened, the members cheered.
Gathered around the table, they exchanged bright smiles and nods.
“Let’s eat.”
“Dig in!”
That’s when Baek Si-woo snatched the remote and turned on the TV.
“What should we watch with the chicken?”
“What’s on right now?”
“Anything fun?”
Baek Si-woo flipped channels frantically with the remote. Then Song Yu-bin raised his hand like something just hit him.
“Oh yeah, our self-con dropped today! How about that?”
“Self-con? Oh, the Gwigok Lodge special?”
How did we even film that again?
All I remembered was the members screaming and running away.
“But can we watch self-con on TV?”
“Yeah. We can connect it to the TV.”
Song Yu-bin hit a few buttons on the remote, and the self-con logo popped up on screen.
“Whoa.”
“As expected of Yu-bin. Must be the youth—good with this stuff.”
“Si-woo hyung acts like a grandpa.”
“You little punk.”
“The chicken’s getting cold! Eat up!”
Watching the members banter noisily, I couldn’t help but smile.
Soon, the Gwigok Lodge special started. The first scene was us piling into the parked van.
[Oh, cameras.]
[Wonder what we’re filming today?]
[No clue at all, right? They wouldn’t even tell us where we’re going.]
[Must be something huge if they’re keeping it that secret.]
[Surprise attack?]
Subtitles rolled under our excited chatter.
[Manwol’s Boys board the van cluelessly]
[What could this special be…? ]
Cha Jae-hyun munched on chicken and said.
“Up till then, we really had no idea. Didn’t even know we were headed to Gwigok Lodge.”
Next came the members playing games in the van.
[I’m Ground? Never heard of it?]
[…Yeah.]
“No way. You’ve definitely heard of it. Introduce yourself as I’m Ground! Anteater style!]
Eun Hae-sol’s face got a close-up. Looking like his soul had left his body, he said on screen.
[Hello. I’m Anteater.]
“Pfft!”
The members burst out laughing.
Eun Hae-sol, mid-bite of sweet-and-sour chicken, froze.
“Can’t we watch something else?”
“Why? It’s hilarious.”
Despite the reactions, Eun Hae-sol covered his face in embarrassment.
Fair enough—that was peak dating rumor hell for him...
Introducing himself as an anteater wasn’t that weird.
Next, us putting on blindfolds.
[Blindfolds?]
[Where the hell are they taking us?]
Huge subtitles under our anxious chatter.
[Where will Manwol’s Boys end up?]
Then the full shot of Gwigok Lodge appeared.
Cha Jae-hyun, seeing it, recoiled with a grimace. He squinted at the screen, clearly hating that memory.
[Can’t see a thing.]
[Hold hands and go slow!]
[One step at a time. One step.]
So that’s how I looked.
Didn’t realize at the time, but watching now, I looked pathetic.
[Take off the blindfolds!]
[Welcome to Gwigok Lodge!]
The members’ faces went pale as they removed the blindfolds and saw it.
Giant exclamation subtitles below.
[!!!]
Everyone laughed at their own on-screen selves.
“Didn’t think they’d actually drag us to Gwigok Lodge. Never saw it coming.”
“Look at that lodge exterior. I nearly passed out the second the blindfold came off.”
Soon, Cha Jae-hyun spotting the doll on the second floor and screaming played.
[Aaahhh!!]
The members lost it.
Cha Jae-hyun, eating chicken, went pale.
“W-Was that me?”
“Hyung, you don’t look it, but you’re such a scaredy-cat.”
The pillow fight game began.
‘Wonder how they edited this part.’
The members’ faces turned excited as they ate.
[Jae-hyun hyung first—gang up! Go go!]
“That’s when Jae-hyun hyung was pissed.”
“Yeah. He held a grudge after the game.”
“When did I!”
Cha Jae-hyun bristled.
[Cha Jae-hyun, out!]
The screen showed members getting eliminated lightning-fast.
[Eun Hae-sol, out!]
[Baek Si-woo, out!]
Then a close-up of me and Song Yu-bin, flames CG blazing around our faces, with subtitles.
[Jeong Eun-ho VS Song Yu-bin]
Song Yu-bin ducked his head in shame.
Baek Si-woo cackled and shoved his shoulder.
“Why! The production team even added special effects for you!”
“……”
In the standoff, pillows raised, facing off, our dialogue played.
[Hyung. I won’t go easy.]
[Yu-bin. Go drink some more milk first.]
I nearly spat out my cola.
‘Did I really say that?’
Me and Song Yu-bin charging with pillows. Tense battle BGM kicked in.
Dum dum dum dum—!
“Pfft.”
“Pffft…”
“Why’d they lay down such epic BGM?”
Me and Song Yu-bin were too embarrassed to look up.
Suddenly, the screen cut to Baek Si-woo holding milk with a cheeky grin.
[Milk is Ding Dong Milk! Please contact us, sponsors!]
“Whoa.”
All the members grimaced except Baek Si-woo, who grinned smugly.
‘Always such a weirdo.’
I refocused on the screen.
Riiip—
The pillow we were fighting over tore in two, feathers flying everywhere.
With holy BGM, slow-mo shots captured us staring blankly at the feathers.
“What’s that BGM?”
“Thought we were in a cathedral.”
“But how much strength does it take to rip a pillow?”
Next, the laugh challenge game started.
[Jeong Eun-ho starts.]
[Yu-bin. Be honest—you think you’re the best-looking in the group, right?]
[O-Of course.]
“Ooooh~”
All eyes locked on Song Yu-bin.
Overwhelmed, he mumbled while tearing into chicken.
“I’m full.”
After a few back-and-forths, unable to say “of course,” Song Yu-bin bowed his head.
[Aww~]
[Yu-bin. You lost, lost.]
Then the self-con PD’s voice came from the screen.
[You have time until lunch, so rest in your assigned rooms till then.]
The episode ended with members heading to rooms and Cha Jae-hyun screaming the second he entered.
Next episode preview rolled.
[Kyaaahhh!]
[Run if you want to live.]
[Will Manwol’s Boys find all the talismans and help the ghosts pass on?!]
Thud—
Baek Si-woo, mid-chicken, grabbed the remote and hit next episode.
