Chapter 182
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 182
“This is sweeter than I thought.”
“Want to try mine?”
“No, this is just right.”
[Wait, what are those two even doing right now?]
While one side was filming a crime thriller while enduring humiliation, this side was filming a virtual romance program.
The screen was blatantly filled with pink hearts as if to mock the situation, and the captions directly expressed the absurdity of it all.
【Are you two… perhaps mistaken about which program this is?】
“Hey, you eat this.”
“Huh? No, no. You eat it, Ho-yun. I’m not hungry.”
“I ordered it for you to eat.”
[Ugh, this is so cringe, I can’t watch. I hate this sweet atmosphere.
└ You say that, but you seem to be smiling way too much.
└└ Caught red-handed.]
Several minutes of the short thirty-minute runtime passed with the two of them just eating.
It was to the point where one might worry about their phone battery dying from all the notification alerts, yet Seo Ho-yun just closed his eyes and savored his cold drink.
Finally, the PD, unable to watch any longer, stepped forward and asked.
“Um… are you two not going to go perform the mission?”
“Ah.”
Seo Ho-yun, who peeked at him with one eye slightly open, replied nonchalantly.
“It’s nice right now, so is there a need to go?”
[Did he eat something wrong?]
While the Noeuls were coming up with all sorts of theories—like maybe the hot dog he ate earlier was bad, or if he’d drunk too much Sol-ui-nun—the camera zoomed in on Seong Ji-won’s face.
[Ah~~~!!!]
He was wearing a smile that looked subtly troubled.
[LOL, of course. Seo Ho-yun is the traitor, so he’s intentionally interfering with Ji-won right now.]
[Ah, I see... I thought Seo Ho-yun had taken a hit to the head or something..
└ Right, no matter how much the opponent is Seong Ji-won, there’s no way Seo Ho-yun would act like that...]
“…Hmm. Still, shall we give it a try?”
“Fine, if you say so.”
[But why is this guy talking like that?
└ Ugh, I seriously can’t get used to this.]
However, as soon as Seong Ji-won made the suggestion, he immediately changed his attitude and accepted. Seong Ji-won hurriedly moved along, his lips curled into a slight smile. He seemed a bit anxious.
“Aren’t you tired?”
“Ho-yun, you’re the one who’s more tired. You probably didn’t get much sleep.”
Flower CG effects fluttered around Seo Ho-yun as he asked tenderly while checking on Seong Ji-won’s complexion.
[Stop putting in the flower CG.
└ I can smell the flowers from here...]
Watching the two of them move along harmoniously while sharing quiet conversation, the fans tilted their heads in confusion.
[Guys, seeing Seo Ho-gyong acting so nice is just making me confused. Is Ho-yun actually a fansign angel?]
[Seo Ho-yun is the type that makes you confused about whether he’s a bastard or not...
└ I see...]
As the Noeuls were plunged into confusion, a caption appeared under Seo Ho-yun.
【It seems these two have no intention of doing the mission…….】
Ordinary viewers watching the show felt a bit disappointed by the unexpectedly peaceful development.
However, those who knew Seo Ho-yun well were certain that a variety show couldn't possibly continue this normally. They believed the bastard was definitely setting the stage to his advantage and running simulations in his head.
The key was whether Seong Ji-won knew that or not.
While The Dawn’s fans were busy debating how the broadcast would unfold, the screen suddenly transitioned.
【Meanwhile, what about Kang Yi-chae?】
Facing the production crew, Kang Yi-chae sat with his legs crossed, a relaxed smile on his face as he slowly opened the cards laid out on the floor.
The sunglasses hanging from his Hawaiian shirt, which had two buttons undone, swayed slightly.
【Currently playing poker with the production crew with the locations of the jewels and gold bars on the line.】
The Noeuls were momentarily flustered by the sight.
[He looks damn cool, but... um...]
[Yi-chae, you don’t have any friends.]
They were merciless even to their ‘babies.’
[How did you practice poker when you have no friends?]
[He said on B App last time that he played Halli Galli for the first time, so he must have practiced like crazy..]
Kang Yi-chae checked his cards and smirked.
“All-in.”
Then, he pushed in all the chips he had. The production crew flinched for a moment, but soon bet the same amount of chips and decided to reveal their hands.
The production crew was the first to reveal their hand.
An Ace Full House.
It was a considerably high-ranking hand.
Even as Kang Yi-chae remained still upon seeing it, the production crew, anticipating victory, was about to gather all the chips.
“Wait a minute.”
Kang Yi-chae blocked their hands and slowly flipped over his own cards.
[A STRAIGHT FLUSH?!?!?!]
Five cards of the same suit in numerical order.
The legendary hand, said to have a 0.001 percent probability, was now spread out before their eyes.
[LOL ㅠㅠ This is too much. Don’t make it so obvious that there’s a script ㅠ]
[That’s a hand you can barely even see in Paprika or Doogame Poker ㅠㅠㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Dismissed as a third-strike foul!!]
Just as negative reactions were surging in real-time, a caption explaining the straight flush appeared as if they had anticipated this.
【Wait right there! To the viewers who suspect manipulation: please watch this replay video.】
The screen showed the dealer handing out the cards.
Then, the same scene was repeated very slowly. At the same time, in that brief moment when the dealer and the opposing side were distributing and checking the cards, Kang Yi-chae’s hand movement of swapping a card through his sleeve was captured.
【His hand movement of swapping cards through his sleeve is just like a real professional gambler. This video is being aired with Mr. Kang Yi-chae’s consent.】
【>We swear on the Daepasung CEO’s fortune that this is absolutely not manipulated.<】
Everyone watching the broadcast was so shocked they couldn't close their mouths.
[He swapped them?!?!?!]
As soon as Kang Yi-chae learned of his role, he anticipated such a mission and had hidden cards in his sleeve in advance.
At the time of filming, no one from the staff to the PD had noticed. It was a fact they only discovered after reviewing the footage countless times for editing.
[It’s not manipulated, holy shit... They’re showing Yi-chae’s face in slow motion.. his hand movements are insane...
└ If it wasn’t slow motion, I wouldn’t have known at all.]
[But Yi-chae has a lot of money.. why is he working so hard..
└ The consensus is that he’s just doing it because it’s fun......
└└ This guy is literally taking the liver out of a flea...]
“We lost…….”
“Ahaha?”
Having secured the declaration of defeat, Kang Yi-chae blew kisses to his cards and then took the mission paper from the production crew.
“Thank you, happy ending is mine~.”1)
Along with a line from the movie that served as the motif for the variety show, Kang Yi-chae even blew a hand kiss before jumping up and heading outside.
【Kang Yi-chae mission success!】
【Acquires the locations of the jewels and gold bars.】
The jacket draped over Kang Yi-chae’s shoulders fluttered.
The Noeuls couldn't help but give a bitter smile.
[Fine, Yi-chae... even if you don’t have friends.... as long as you look cool, it’s fine.
└ ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Yi-chae’s mysterious 1st defeat ㅠ]
.
.
.
At the time Kang Yi-chae obtained the locations of the jewels and gold bars, Jeong Da-jun headed to Daepasung under the staff’s instructions to find out the mission code.
“I shall charm them all.”
With his confidence peaking lately, he brushed his hair back and entered the company building.
Having grown up (?) watching Seo Ho-yun’s way of speaking, which involved charming people whenever necessary, Jeong Da-jun was confident he could imitate it well.
Just as he was about to pass the lobby while walking down the familiar path, a figure sitting at the reception desk called out to him.
【Who is the person waiting for Jeong Da-jun, who came for the mission?】
“You’re here?”
[????]
However, this time, a truly unexpected figure appeared.
“I’ve been waiting.”
[Is Min Ji-heon for real??!??!?!?!!!!!!!!!!]
It was Min Ji-heon, exuding an even stronger actor aura than during ‘Please Take Care of the Camera.’
Originally, one of the staff members was supposed to do it, but Lee Ji-hyeon had spotted Min Ji-heon wandering around the company with nothing to do and recruited him with a gleam in her eye.
Coincidentally, he was bored, he thought his younger sibling would like it if he appeared on The Dawn’s variety show, and he figured he might even get to meet Seo Ho-yun, so Min Ji-heon readily accepted the offer.
“……S-S-S-Senior?”
Jeong Da-jun, who couldn't have known about this process, froze like he was buffering after coming face-to-face with his bias without any prior notice.
“……Why…??”
Then, Min Ji-heon smiled brightly, stepped out from the reception desk, and walked closer to Jeong Da-jun.
“You’re looking for something, right?”
“……Ah!!”
[Um...
It seems like Jeong Da-jun is the one being charmed.]
[My thoughts exactly...
But then again, if I ran into Seo Ho-yun? I’d probably pee myself right then and there.
└ Mr. Jeong Da-jun is being very patient...]
After being dazed by the sight of his number one pick, whom he’d only seen on screen, moving and breathing just a meter away, Jeong Da-jun shook his head to snap out of it.
In any case, he had a mission to charm the opponent, guess the movie line, and obtain the code.
Thud!!
Jeong Da-jun slammed his hand against the wall next to Min Ji-heon and forced his trembling lips into a smile.
“Jeong-hwa, shall we try loving each other properly?”
【The maximum charm offensive Jeong Da-jun could think of: A wall slam.】
[ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Ah, I’m dying ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
He had ambitiously delivered a famous line from ‘Please Take Care of the Camera,’ but Min Ji-heon just looked down at the close-standing Jeong Da-jun and smiled.
It was because it wasn't the answer to the mission.
“…Yep. I guess that’s not it. Sorry.”
The maknae, hit by a wave of disappointment and embarrassment, quickly took his hand off the wall and tried to run away. However, Min Ji-heon was faster in grabbing Jeong Da-jun’s arm.
“……?!?!”
Just like that, their positions were swapped, and by the time he came to his senses, Jeong Da-jun was trapped between Min Ji-heon’s arm and the wall.
Jeong Da-jun’s eyes shook wildly as Min Ji-heon’s head slowly tilted downward. His fine brown hair fell over his smooth forehead….
The scene was captured so beautifully that even the camera director filming it was confused as to whether this was a variety show or a drama.
[Wow, but Min Ji-heon....
He’s seriously handsome..
└ He’s a master at making things look like a drama..]
“…Let’s break up.”
“……Huh? Y-You and me, Senior??”
“Break up.”
[But he’s talking nonsense...
└ ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
“We… have never dated?”
[Jeong Da-jun is taking it a step further..
└ Ah, holy shit, I’m seriously going crazy ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
Jeong Da-jun’s bewildered face was captured perfectly on screen. It was a line he felt like he’d heard somewhere before, but with Min Ji-heon right in front of him, the memory was just on the tip of his tongue.
Watching Jeong Da-jun lost in thought with a deep frown, Min Ji-heon steadfastly continued with a sorrowful expression and a poignant voice.
“Do you love me?2)”
“……!!”
[Heol.]
At that moment, a thrill struck the center of his brain.
It was because it was a famous line from a well-known melodrama that Jeong Da-jun—who had never even experienced a crush, let alone love or a relationship—had watched while sobbing his eyes out.
Jeong Da-jun, who had been just gaping, slapped his forehead and delivered the following line.
“H-H-How can love change!!!3)”
Ding-dong-dang-dong!!
Then, the production crew behind the camera frantically struck the xylophone.
【Jeong Da-jun mission success!】
【Acquires the mission code.】
[Hey, Jeong Da-jun.]
[Jeong Da-jun, how do you know this? You weren’t even born yet.]
“Kuaaaah!!”
“Goodbye, Da-jun.”
“Yes!! Ye-yep! Senior, I’m a huge fan!!”
“Ahaha, I like you too, Da-jun.”
After letting out a roar of joy, Jeong Da-jun gave a ninety-degree bow at Min Ji-heon’s words and ran off in a hurry. Min Ji-heon, looking at him endearingly from behind, flashed across the screen.
“Hyung!! Yi-chae hyung, I figured it out, aaah!!”
It was a question that Jeong Da-jun, a drama fanatic who was said to have received early education through dramas and movies since he was in his mother’s womb, could answer.
As soon as he stepped out of the company, Jeong Da-jun took out his phone and called Kang Yi-chae, jumping up and down in excitement.
—Did you figure it out?
“Yeah!! Ah, Min Ji-heon senior’s acting was amazing—no, anyway, that’s not it. Hyung, did you win the bet?”
—Of course I won. So, what is it?
“How can love change!!”
As Jeong Da-jun shouted in pure joy, Kang Yi-chae’s low laughter could be heard over the phone.
—You’re right. How can it change, Da-jun?
The moment those words reached his ears, Jeong Da-jun felt an ominous hunch.
“……Eh?”
—I think this is the end for us.
“E-E-Eh?”
Just like that, Kang Yi-chae bid him farewell.
—Let’s break up.
Jeong Da-jun, who was staring blankly at his phone with a shocked face after the call was cut off, tried calling again.
However,
—The call is being forwarded to voice mail….
“……B-B-Blocked?”
[ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[Ah ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Wow ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ He just dumps him like that ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
“Wait, why?!”
[Why do you think? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ You were betrayed ㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
【Second betrayal occurs!
Kang Yi-chae betrays Jeong Da-jun!】
While Jeong Da-jun was rolling around on the floor in frustration over being betrayed, Kang Yi-chae was making a call somewhere using the speakerphone.
—Hello?
“How have you been, Macau Seo?”
Kang Yi-chae smiled broadly as if he were having the time of his life.
“Everything you wanted is ready, right?”
With less than five minutes left until the end of the broadcast.
Suddenly, the screen reversed as if rewinding a video, and the caption ‘10 minutes before filming’ appeared.
In the studio where the members were first sitting, Seong Ji-won, Kim Seong-hyeon, and Jeong Da-jun were gathered together chatting happily, while Kang Yi-chae was in a corner by himself, warming up his hands by shuffling cards.
“Kang Yi-chae.”
Seo Ho-yun quietly approached Kang Yi-chae with muffled footsteps. Kang Yi-chae’s eyebrows twitched as he glanced up at him.
“Let’s set the stage together.”
With the lights at his back and his head tilted slightly, Seo Ho-yun looked quite arrogant.
“I’ll make sure you don’t regret it.”
But he seemed that confident in the results.
The corners of Kang Yi-chae’s mouth curved into a pleasant arc.
At the same time, the arrangement of the teams that had been constantly clashing shifted, and lines were scribbled over the emoticons of Jeong Da-jun and Kim Seong-hyeon with CG.
Instead, a new figure was added next to Kang Yi-chae, and arrows went back and forth toward each other.
【Kang Yi-chae, Seo Ho-yun.
Secret Alliance.】
From the beginning, they had planned to backstab the other members.
[Wow...........]
Movie BGM played over the screen as Kang Yi-chae walked somewhere with steady steps.
“You know who the traitor is?”
—Yeah, Seong Ji-won.
“Seong-hyeon hyung said it was you.”
—That’s obviously a lie, you brat. Do you think Kim Seong-hyeon would tell you the truth?
“Hmm. I think he would.”
—That’s just you.
At Seo Ho-yun’s words, Kang Yi-chae lowered his gaze slightly and stroked his chin, weighing his options before reaching a conclusion.
“Why? I’m going to tell him. In fact, I already sent the locker location via text.”
His eyes looked toward something as he raised his head.
“But you see—”
It was the payphone that the production crew had installed in advance for reporting traitors.
“—it’ll be a bit too late even if I tell him.”
Kang Yi-chae had intended to betray Seo Ho-yun from the very beginning.
“Because I’ll be faster than you.”
【Third betrayal occurs!
Kang Yi-chae betrays Seo Ho-yun!】
*
1) A line by Yenicall (Jun Ji-hyun) in the movie ‘The Thieves (2012.07.25)’.
2) A famous line by Sang-woo (Yoo Ji-tae) in the movie ‘One Fine Spring Day (2001.09.28)’.
3) A famous line by Sang-woo (Yoo Ji-tae) in the movie ‘One Fine Spring Day (2001.09.28)’, and the mission code that appeared in episode 110, ‘Run with the Money Bag’ special, of MBC’s representative variety show ‘Infinite Challenge (2006.05.06-2018.03.31)’.