Chapter 227
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 227
[LMAO ㅋㅋㅋㅋ "Please Take Care of Me" is hilarious ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[I’m definitely tuning in for episode 2 next week ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Seo Ho-yun’s energy seems lower than usual, but the way he just throws out those dry comments is so cute ㅋㅋㅋ]
[Jeong Da-jun?? Where is this guy from?? He’s so adorable. I lost it when his heart rate hit 150 ㅋㅋㅋ]
Please Take Care of Me was receiving a fairly enthusiastic response from the public.
Thrilled by the success, PD Choi announced that after airing the second episode and finishing the studio reaction shoot, they would even film additional special clips.
"Hahaha! Our viewership ratings will definitely be the highest again!"
"Wow, congratulations."
"Casting Min Ji-heon was a stroke of genius, but adding Seo Ho-yun and Jeong Da-jun was the real masterstroke, seriously!"
Watching the footage during the reaction shoot, I noticed that Min Ji-heon barely moved when he was alone. He mostly just read books or stared blankly out the window.
Of course, there were plenty of people who would be happy just watching Min Ji-heon breathe, but PD Choi clearly hadn't been satisfied with that. In the end, he’d managed to squeeze every bit of entertainment value out of us.
"I still don't know why Min Ji-heon agreed to be cast, but hahaha! Anyway, I hope I’ve paved a smooth road for him in variety shows. You too, Seo Ho-yun!"
"Oh, PD-nim. Feel free to call me anytime."
"Look at that charm~!"
PD Choi beamed, unable to hide his good mood.
Over PD Choi’s shoulder, I spotted Min Ji-heon. He was stealthily trying to get up while his manager was distracted talking to another staff member.
He’s getting ready to bolt.
However, the moment his manager turned his head, Ji-heon casually sat back down and pretended to be preoccupied with something else.
I let out a small smirk, which quickly turned into a cough. It was true that I felt like absolute shit, but in reality, I just hadn't bothered to hold the cough back.
"Cough, cough!"
"Da-jun was really cute. If I’d known he was such a fun kid, I would’ve invited him to the reaction shoot too..."
"Hack, cough..."
"...Ho-Ho-yun, are you dying??"
"Oh, PD-nim! Stop holding him up. Ho-yun hasn't been feeling well throughout the entire shoot."
I lowered my head, coughed a few more times, and then spoke slowly.
"...No, it’s fine. I always catch a cold during the change of seasons, but the cough is a bit worse this year."
"Wow, Ho-yun really has the right attitude~. His face is as pale as a sheet of paper, but the moment the camera turns on, you can't even tell."
One of the staff members who had previously gossiped about me being "bundled in" was now showering me with praise. Since I’d been polite during filming and the ratings were good, their attitude had flipped in an instant.
"Well then, I’ll be heading out first. I have another schedule."
"Yes, great work today~!"
I quickened my pace as I walked out.
I acted like nothing was wrong on the outside, but I felt miserable, as if someone were repeatedly splitting my skull open with an axe. I ran to the most secluded restroom I could find, grabbed the toilet, and retched. Since there was nothing left in my stomach, I only managed to spit up a bit of bitter gastric juice.
"...Ha. Nothing’s even coming out."
I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and turned on the faucet.
Sshhhhh.
I caught my breath, forcing down another rising cough.
At least I’m not coughing up blood like last time.
My stomach kept cramping and my heart was pounding wildly. Splashing cold water on my face seemed to calm me down slightly.
"Goddammit..."
I glared at my pale reflection in the mirror before pushing my hair back.
I can still endure this much.
My next schedule was a guest appearance on Rising Rookies, where Kang Yi-chae was serving as a mentor. I decided to wait for the manager, who had gone to pick up the other members from the dorm. I leaned against the edge of the sink and looked up Kang Yi-chae’s show on my phone.
Kim Hee-yeong isn't in charge of this one.
Since it was an idol survival program featuring trainees, I’d assumed Kim Hee-yeong would be the main PD, but a different name popped up.
I clicked on a ten-minute edited clip of the first competition. It showed the mentors giving feedback after the trainees' performances.
[I get everyone else, but K-Y-C is the most ridiculous ㅋㅋㅋ Why is... he even there?]
[Even if the mentor lineup is a mix of YB and OB with low seniority, isn't Kang Yi-chae way too young? ㅋㅋㅋ Who’s going to respect a 22-year-old mentor? They should’ve at least brought in someone from Black Call.]
[Looks like tvK still can't move on from the Shas hype ㅋㅋ But Rising Rookies' recognition is already tanking anyway... They want to be the next Shas, but it’s not happening ㅋㅋ]
The comments were full of noise.
[The trainee pool this time is seriously trash... Their personalities are a bit much too...]
[They rushed to put this together, so every random nobody showed up.]
[I don't want to be that person who complains about 'desperation,' but they really don't have any passion ㅋㅋ ffs]
[You’re supposed to be able to 'extract juice' from boy group survivals, but this is impossible.
└ Sorry, but there’s nothing to stan here ㅜ]
The reaction was more negative than I expected. It seemed like it wouldn't be easy to turn the atmosphere around, even with Kang Yi-chae’s talent.
I wonder if he’s okay.
Lately, he’d been grinding himself down just as much as I had, preparing for the comeback and year-end stages. He never showed it outwardly because of his natural composure, but it was obvious he was overworking himself. And yet, in the midst of all that, he was appearing on a broadcast and preparing a mentor stage.
I’ve been too indifferent.
I should have paid more attention to Yi-chae.
Since I’d have to get my makeup done again anyway, I splashed my face with cold water one more time and tousled my hair. Just then, my phone vibrated. I dried my hands with a paper towel and checked the message from the manager.
[Manager: Ho-yun, I should be there in about 15 minutes. Wait just a bit!]
I sent a reply saying I understood, left the station building, and headed down to the staff parking lot.
There, I spotted the yellow sports car I’d seen at Min Ji-heon’s house while filming Please Take Care of Me. I was certain he’d arrived in a van with his manager this morning; I had no idea how he’d managed to get that car here.
My head was throbbing, so I leaned against a parking pillar and stood still for a moment. Soon, a figure appeared.
"......Whoa! You scared me."
It was Min Ji-heon, sipping an iced tea and twirling his car keys. He flinched when our eyes met.
"Why are you standing here all alone like a ghost? It’s creepy."
He’d been fidgeting earlier because he was planning to ditch his manager and sneak off alone.
"That yellow doesn't really suit you."
"I know. I know, but they said it’s fine because my face carries it."
"Who dared to say that?"
"...The salesperson."
I clicked my tongue softly, and Min Ji-heon pouted. He added that it was his younger sibling's favorite color, but I didn't care.
"Hey."
Even during that brief exchange, I could feel cold sweat breaking out on my forehead.
"You know something, don't you?"
I cut the small talk and got straight to the point.
"I feel like I’m about to drop dead lately."
While filming the program, Min Ji-heon had stepped in to cover for me at the most perfect moments. After spending two weeks like that, my gut was telling me something.
This guy definitely knew something.
"You noticed my condition and suggested we do the variety show together, didn't you?"
"Ahaha... No. I just wanted to show my cuteness to the world."
Cuteness, my ass.
I ignored him and pushed myself off the pillar.
"Thinking back, it seems like you knew I’d end up like this beforehand."
"What are you talking about?"
"'Contact me if anything happens,' you said."
It was something Min Ji-heon had said when we ran into each other at the company, right around the time the Shining Star Season 2 performance unit ended and the final competition was approaching. I’d always found it strange that most of my memories from that period were blurry, even if the stress had been severe. This time, I’d even completely forgotten that Kang Yi-chae was appearing on a broadcast as a mentor.
Was this a coincidence?
No way.
I’d been through too much to naively dismiss it as a coincidence. No matter how many times I replayed it in my head, it was bizarre.
"That 'residual thought' of mine that you see. Is there something wrong with it?"
Until now, physical penalties were only given when I took out a loan, failed a quest, or when Min Ji-heon forcibly detached the system window from me.
But lately?
I haven't done anything.
And yet, symptoms identical to the physical penalties appeared, as if the world itself were rejecting me. I wasn't spitting blood from my throat yet, but everything else was the same.
It’s not natural.
Based on the system window’s blatant mention of my unstable state, I deduced that the "ERROR" messages that occasionally popped up had caused an overload in my body. Everything clicked.
"Hyung..."
"Yeah?"
Min Ji-heon hesitated for a moment, then shrugged and added lightly, "...You really overrate me. I’m nothing, so why do you act like I’m the answer key?"
"Just answer the question."
"I just see things. If I were you, I’d go home and lie down on a warm floor and sleep. For at least a week."
He set his half-finished iced tea haphazardly on the hood of his car and stepped closer. As he did, my ragged breathing gradually began to stabilize.
Min Ji-heon scanned me from head to toe before speaking again.
"Don't go to your schedule."
"Does that make sense? I thought you’d been quiet lately, but you’re still talking nonsense."
If I was the only one missing from an event all the other members were attending, God knows what rumors would start. Besides, I was confident I could pretend to be fine as long as the cameras were rolling.
Vrrrrt.
Reflexively, I checked my phone; it was a call from the manager.
"Well, I’ll be—urk!"
"Ji-heon."
I grabbed the back of his neck just as he was about to take his iced tea and get into the driver's seat. At my uncharacteristically gentle tone, Min Ji-heon—who had accumulated some experience dealing with Seo Ho-yun—looked horrified.
"I’ll be done with my schedule around 3 AM. Let’s talk then."
"No, I’m going to sleep."
"Did that sound like a request?"
Min Ji-heon scowled deeply. He had the face of someone who knew they were caught in a trap.
"Ugh... I’m a morning person, though?"
"Is that so?"
"What do you mean, 'is that so'?"
Grumbling, he shook off my hand and climbed into the car. Taking it as a yes, I smiled slightly. I tapped the roof of the car as he started the engine.
"See you later."
"...You’re really too much."
Min Ji-heon took a sip of his iced tea and let out a long sigh. He waved his hand as if telling me to get lost and drove out of the parking lot.
Soon, I had a strong feeling I would find something out.
Whatever it is, I’ll at least gather some information.
It felt like I’d put out the immediate fire. Now it was time to deal with our health-obsessed, genius rapper.
I slowly crouched down to wait for the manager, when suddenly—
Screeeeeeeeeeech—!
...The sound of tires violently scraping against the pavement echoed from behind me.
Startled, I whipped my head around, but I saw nothing. I was alone.
Goosebumps erupted across my arms.
"...Wow, holy shit..."
It was a chillingly familiar sound.