Chapter 149
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 149
Oblivious to my pathetic stare, Ju Woo-seong continued speaking nonchalantly.
“We dated about two years ago, I think? It's been a while.”
“Was it a short relationship?”
“Nah, it was pretty long. About half a year?”
“……Are you insane?”
Seeing Ju Woo-seong already equipped with an ‘American mindset’ before he’d even started his US activities was so absurd I could feel my sanity packing its bags.
The fact that I was about to run into my own ex-girlfriend made Ju Woo-seong seem even more like an alien from Mars.
“How can you be so shameless in front of your ex?”
“Huh?”
But Ju Woo-seong just tilted his head as if he didn’t understand what I was saying.
“What’s the big deal? We’re already over.”
“……”
“It’s not like we’re getting back together.”
This bastard’s common sense wasn't just from Mars; it was outside the solar system. I was glad I’d sent the other members ahead. At least they didn’t have to hear this nonsense.
Maybe it was because I was a normal person, but my blood sugar always seemed to plummet whenever I met Ju Woo-seong.
I took out a piece of candy, which now had a permanent spot in my pocket, but Ju Woo-seong snatched it away and unwrapped it.
“Hey, Ho-yun. Want some advice from your hyung?”
I don’t need it, you brat.
“People who have lingering feelings for past relationships are usually the ones who didn’t treat their partner well when they were together.”
“Uh-huh.”
“How should I put it? When things go wrong because you messed up, the regret you feel later is huge. That’s why I’m always a great boyfriend, you know??”
So said the dumpster fire of the century.
He’d behaved so well that Han Chae-ri had once dumped a basin of water on his head.
Ju Woo-seong’s advice seemed utterly useless, so I ignored him and was about to walk away when he blocked my path.
“But you’re exactly that type. Yep.”
“……What did you say?”
Ju Woo-seong tossed the candy into his mouth and smirked.
This guy, don’t tell me he….
‘No, there’s no way he knows.’
In my previous world, maybe, but here, I had no connection to Kim Hee-yeong.
Ju Woo-seong slickly continued beside me.
“You’ve dated before, haven’t you? You can’t have that kind of attitude otherwise.”
“……”
“But it all went down in flames, right?”
This son of a bitch…
“That’s a ‘how did you know?’ face right there. I can tell just by looking at you. Seo Ho-yun, you and dating? Guys like you might act all smooth and nice to their face, but your partner is never your top priority. You’re the type to let conflicts build and build until you get slapped and dumped, I’m telling you.”
“Why don’t you just perform a ritual to curse me to fail?”
…But everything Ju Woo-seong said was right.
No matter how objectively I thought about it, I really had wronged her.
Seeing me standing there, speechless, Ju Woo-seong let out an exaggerated sigh and patted my shoulder.
“So, Seo Ho-yun.”
“……”
“You…”
Gulp.
“Before you crash and burn, give up on Cheong-beom noona. From what I can see, it’s a lost cause.”
Hah…
I felt like an idiot for always being on pins and needles, worrying about this guy who was always 2% off the mark.
As Ju Woo-seong sneered that Cheong-beom noona would be back from California soon and that I should get my feelings in order before things got messy, I sighed.
“Ju Woo-seong-ssi.”
“Whaat.”
“I think you’re gravely mistaken about something. But putting that aside…”
I cupped my chin with both hands for him to see.
“Ho-yunnie is an idol, so he doesn’t date~.”
Ju Woo-seong’s eyebrow twitched.
“…Are you pissed?”
“Unlike someone I know, I won’t lose my mind and switch partners every three months only to get my picture taken.”
“……”
“I won’t get caught by some obscure, unknown junior artist and be unable to salvage my pride, getting pushed around like a pushover.”
“Hey!”
The fact that he’d been at my mercy for the past year must have wounded his pride, because Ju Woo-seong the pushover’s eyelashes trembled.
“Hah… Forget the content for a second. That third-person speech and tone, doesn’t it give you the creeps?”
“Why? Does it give you the creeps?”
“You should be improving your dancing, not weird things like this…”
Tiring!
[Everything Ju Woo-seong-ssi is saying is correct!!]
[When did you get so shameless?!!]
I glanced at the system window that had popped up to agree with Ju Woo-seong.
If I’d gotten used to being called a rabbit, what couldn’t I do?
Especially with Kang Yi-chae next to me, who takes it a step further by whining that he’s a ‘cutie,’ a ‘pretty,’ and that I shouldn’t let him be ‘tainted by other people’s hands.’
Seeing me, who had not only become shameless from the bad influence but had practically donned a suit of armor, Ju Woo-seong clicked his tongue and crossed his arms.
“I’ve never met anyone like you in my life.”
Ju Woo-seong didn’t seem to be thinking much, but looking at him, I had a small thought.
This was the same Ju Woo-seong who had been getting on my nerves since Black Call’s Christmas album, constantly bringing up their concert.
Should I mess with him a little while I’m at it?
‘Yes.’
After a moment of thought, I came to a decision. I intentionally tilted my head, finding the right angle.
“Human?”
“……?”
Ju Woo-seong froze as if he’d seen something horrifying, but it was too late.
“What are you talking about? I’m a baby rabbit.”
“……”
[f*.......]
The system window’s profanity was strangely censored, but it was the first time it had ever cursed.
In front of me, Ju Woo-seong also muttered a low curse.
“Crazy bastard…”
“Ahaha, whyyy?”
[Is he crazy….]
[That’s insane. I don’t think I’ll even need to give you dialogue options anymore.]
Right?
I chuckled, glancing at the system window that was slowly appearing, as if to say it would have to rack its own brain to come up with dialogue options for me now.
Ju Woo-seong took a few steps back, a completely fed-up look on his face.
“Seo Ho-yun, you complete psycho…”
“I’m not as bad as you, Ju Woo-seong-ssi.”
“I’m no match for you…”
Shaking his head as if I were a lost cause, Ju Woo-seong suddenly stopped and his eyes widened. He urgently nudged me, giving me a look.
“Oh, hello.”
“……?”
A sense of foreboding washed over me.
It was similar to the shiver that had run down my spine when I realized Kang Yi-chae was watching me practice my cutesy act alone in the practice room, or the shock that had struck me when Kang Yi-chae exposed that very fact on a variety show.
Creak. I turned my head to where Ju Woo-seong was looking.
“Oh……”
…Kim Hee-yeong was standing there.
“……”
“……”
“……”
An awkward, chilly wind blew between us.
As I stood frozen, unable to even greet her, Kim Hee-yeong, who must have come for a smoke and had a cigarette dangling from her lips, scratched her cheek.
Then, in an attempt to break the tension, she gave me a thumbs-up.
“As expected of an idol. To not just accept your animal personification, but to actively capitalize on it…”
“……”
“I’ve seen some of the clips that pop up sometimes. Your professionalism is impressive.”
Then, as if nothing was wrong, she flicked on her lighter and lit her cigarette. After taking a deep drag and exhaling a cloud of smoke, Kim Hee-yeong threw out another joke into the still-tense atmosphere.
“Baby rabbit Ho-u Ho-u~.”
“……”
“……”
“…Um, well, good, good. Ahaha.”
She had a sense of humor that wouldn’t even work on an assistant director.
When her joke inevitably fell flat, Kim Hee-yeong gave an awkward laugh and entered the smoking area.
“……”
Tiring!
Tiring!!
[Ack]
[ㅠ]
[Aaaargh]
[Gyaaaaaaaargh]
System windows flooded my vision.
[ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[Why of all people ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ???ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
The successive alarms finally snapped me out of my shock. I glanced in the direction Kim Hee-yeong had gone, then hung my head.
[Ahㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
My life is so fucked…
“……I’ll be going now.”
“Huh?”
As I walked away quickly, I heard Ju Woo-seong’s footsteps following me.
“Crazy rabbit, you little rabbit, where are you going?”
Still not grasping the situation, Ju Woo-seong taunted me, matching his words to a nursery rhyme, then flinched back when he saw my eyes.
“……Hey.”
It was only natural. I could feel that my expression was anything but ordinary, even without looking in a mirror.
My tightly clenched jaw trembled.
“Ju Woo-seong-ssi……”
“Huh?”
“Don’t call me that, before I really fucking lose my… shit…”
“You were calling yourself that just a minute ago.”
“No! When did I?!”
“What??”
Ju Woo-seong looked completely bewildered, as if wondering what on earth was wrong with me.
Trying to mess with Ju Woo-seong and ending up calling myself a baby rabbit (goddammit) in front of my ex-girlfriend?
Might as well have just said I wanted to die.
‘Why the hell did I have to act up, fuck…’
“…What’s with him?”
Ju Woo-seong muttered that he really couldn’t figure me out, but I was too busy trying to manage my own mortification to hear him at all.
[Haa, deep breath]
[Hoo, haa, hoo, haa]
[Ahㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[It’s driving me crazy just thinking about it againㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
Should I just bite my tongue off now?
* * *
“Isn’t this so cool?”
“Whoa…”
Ju Woo-seong and I parted ways, as he also had a meeting for his mentor role. I arrived at the designated meeting spot and was waiting.
Several cameras were already set up in the room.
The members were huddled together in one corner, watching a video on a phone of Black Call’s concert—specifically, Ju Woo-seong’s cover of a famous pop singer’s ‘Verci on the Floor.’
‘Fuck…’
I was still writhing in shame.
“Whoa, the lyrics are a little risky… But how does he sing such a sexy song so cleanly?”
“I know, right? Senior Ju Woo-seong’s dancing overshadows it, but he’s a really good singer too.”
“His emotional delivery is insane!”
That’s because all that messy stuff is from his own real-life experience…
I buried my face in my arms, lying prostrate amidst the kind, innocent boys who were completely absorbed in Ju Woo-seong.
‘Should I just quit Season 2 entirely?’
“Hyung, what’s wrong?”
“Life is just too hard…”
Kang Yi-chae looked puzzled, but I was busy wracking my brain for a way to avoid seeing Kim Hee-yeong’s face, even though I knew it would be difficult.
“Hello~.”
“Ah! Hello.”
While I was turning things over in my head, Kim Hee-yeong came in. The staff member who followed her in only turned on the cameras before quickly scurrying back out.
I quickly schooled my expression and greeted her along with the other members.
“It’s been a while. Ah, don’t mind the cameras here. This is a pre-meeting, so we’re just filming it just in case, but not much of it will make it to air.”
“Okay!”
“Today, as I mentioned on the phone, I’m just going to give you a light briefing on how the program will run. First, before the 1st Competition, there’s a face-to-face ceremony, and I’ll tell you how that’s going to work.”
“Yes, we understand!”
All traces of the nervousness they’d shown upon entering the broadcasting station were gone, and everyone answered energetically.
Kim Hee-yeong shuffled through her papers and continued her explanation. She seemed to have completely forgotten what had happened earlier.
“Okay, so basically, it’ll be a six-episode series like last time. When it’s over, there will be a special bonus gala concert just for the first-place winner.”
“……!”
“We have high expectations for The Dawn. You have to aim for first place.”
Everyone’s eyes lit up at the mention of a gala concert.
Since we had yet to hold a concert of our own, the desire for one was particularly strong, and their eyes sparkled.
I, too, pulled my limp mind taut.
Right, let’s win first place in Shining Star.
I’ll win first place and clear this scenario quickly.
“The first competition is… Ah, just a moment.”
Kim Hee-yeong, who had been smiling at The Dawn’s reaction, raised a hand when her phone rang mid-sentence and stood up.
‘……?’
For some reason, Kim Hee-yeong seemed particularly energetic today. I felt a slight sense of unease from that moment and furrowed my brow.
“I need to take this call. I’ll be right back, so just wait a moment.”
“Okay!”
At the sight of four grown men with wide, round eyes nodding obediently, Kim Hee-yeong let out another small laugh and stepped outside.
“A concert…??”
“We can do it. If we win first place.”
Kim Seong-hyeon, fidgeting with his hands, excitedly began talking about what kind of stage he’d want to create if we got to have a concert. The other members added their own ideas.
But I just rubbed my forehead, lost in thought.
‘Kim Hee-yeong, why is she so full of energy?’
A PD worn down by all-nighters couldn’t be like that. As I looked around, I suddenly felt a sense of dissonance.
‘…Hm?’
It was something that had puzzled me from the moment I first set foot in this place.
For a pre-meeting, why were there so many cameras set up?
“…Can I get my hopes up right now?”
“How should we do the opening?”
Following the members’ movements, several unmanned cameras were swiveling around, filming them.
Careful not to let my expression sour, I examined the seams between the walls and the ceiling.
‘The patterns don’t match.’
It was as if they’d hastily put up temporary walls.
A shoddy set, multiple cameras, few staff members, and Kim Hee-yeong, who seemed to have left right on cue.
“……Ah.”
So that’s what this is.
Puzzled by my reaction, Seong Ji-won turned his head.
“What’s wrong?”
At that moment, the lights went out.
“Why are the lights…”
“A blackout?”
Right on cue, a piercing scream echoed from outside.
“Kyaaaaaaaah!”