Chapter 330
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 330
“Seo Ho-yun! Seo Ho-yun!”
My name was being chanted from all sides, but I had no intention of lifting my butt off my chair.
I’d have to be crazy to go out there.
I’d heard they were using a snippet of a video we filmed today for promotional purposes, but even that wasn't enough to make me budge, considering the headache of dealing with Min Ji-heon.
As I maintained a serene, distant smile, Chae Jeong-woo stepped in to assist Min Ji-heon.
“Seo Ho-yun, if you come up now and sing a duet with Min Ji-heon, I’ll give you a Hanwoo beef set right now.”
“Ooh! A Hanwoo set! PD-nim, hurry up and come over h—”
Min Ji-heon, who would do anything for food, looked toward me with a glint in his eyes, but I sent him a very clear message.
‘You’re dead.’
Quick-witted as always, Min Ji-heon caught my drift immediately and whipped his head back toward Chae Jeong-woo.
“—on’t come up! Just cheer me on from where you are! Hahahaha!”
“Wait, what?!”
“On second thought, I think I can handle this on my own.”
Covering the awkwardness with his dazzling smile, he shared a brief, lighthearted exchange with Chae Jeong-woo before snapping his fingers playfully.
“Now, shall we start the song?”
As the poignant plucking of a gayageum filled the air, Kim Seong-hyeon returned to the table with two bottles of wine and Jeong Da-jun in tow. Da-jun’s cheeks were bulging—he’d clearly found something else to snack on.
“Whoa, ith thith Thong Ji-on’th drama?”
“Finish chewing before you talk.”
“Min Ji-heon sunbae-nim’s The Day the Daffodils Bloom?!”
True to his reputation as the guy who kneels in front of the TV with his hands clasped every time the show airs, Da-jun gripped his hands together and looked up at the stage with sparkling eyes.
“Wow, Min Ji-heon even sings? Does he have to be good at everything?”
“Gosh, it’s so romantic~.”
The staff, filled with anticipation, turned on their phone flashes and waved them to the slow beat.
I sipped my wine and watched them quietly.
Everyone seemed blinded by the drama’s glow, but they really should have tried to remember the special stage Min Ji-heon, Yoo Ji-ah, and I had put on before.
【The falling rain washes away the sorrow…】
As Min Ji-heon’s voice flowed through the microphone, the lights that had been swaying rhythmically from side to side suddenly faltered.
【…Just as the blooming buds speak of love…】
The atmosphere cooled instantly.
“Ah…”
Even Jeong Da-jun, his passionate fan who had finally woken up from the dream, couldn't find a way to defend this and slowly averted his eyes.
Despite that, Min Ji-heon soldiered on, stubbornly sticking to a single pitch.
“Ji-heon! Ji-heon!”
Sensing the impending disaster, a staff member managed to source a gonryongpo—a royal robe—from somewhere and hurriedly handed it to him. Though flustered, Min Ji-heon took it and threw it on. The moment his dignified figure was captured by the camera and projected onto the screen, gasps of admiration erupted from the crowd.
“Your Majesty!!”
“Our King Jeong Hwon! You’re so handsome!!”
He’d sneakily chosen a song from the hottest drama out right now, and when his terrible singing didn't work, he’d pivoted to relying on his face and acting.
【…Will you ever be able to return to me?】
Jeong Da-jun was once again moved to tears, dabbing at his eyes. Since this was just a side stage anyway, I indifferently focused on the snacks in front of me.
Then, that ominous call reached me again.
“Ho-yun…”
“…….”
“Do you see the daffodils you loved so much?”
A field in March, overflowing with yellow daffodils.
It was a line King Jeong Hwon said while holding onto the female lead.
Jeong Da-jun had rewatched that scene on the living room TV dozens of times, crying every single time, so I couldn't forget it even if I wanted to.
“Ho-yun, I shall guard this place until the day you return.”
“Is that guy out of his mind?”
“Until these yellow waves wither in winter and bloom again in spring.”
Ugh.
My ventriloquist-style cursing probably wasn't picked up by the audio, but my look of pure disgust was captured perfectly by the camera right behind Min Ji-heon.
Laughter erupted from all directions.
“Your Majesty!!”
In that split second, Jeong Da-jun jumped up and screamed at the top of his lungs.
“What about Her Highness?! How could you say such beautiful lines to this gloomy man!”
This brat…
I couldn't deny that I was dressed in black from head to toe, but it still stung that The Dawn’s maknae had betrayed me.
“Da-jun, come here.”
Jeong Da-jun slipped away like an eel before I could grab him by the neck and hopped onto the stage at Min Ji-heon’s beckoning.
Meanwhile, the OST for The Day the Daffodils Bloom was on a loop.
【Will you ever be able to return to me—】
“Da-jun, my daffodil.”
Wearing a gentle smile, Min Ji-heon lightly poked Da-jun’s chubby cheek with his fingertip.
“I have never ordered you to stay away from me, either.”
At that, an overwhelmed Jeong Da-jun covered his mouth with both hands and started hyperventilating.
“Your Majesty…”
It was a total circus.
I was so speechless I couldn't even find words, while Kim Seong-hyeon was snickering mischievously beside me.
“I guess Min Ji-heon sunbae-nim really keeps up with our self-produced content.”
“Ugh, that’s actually creepy.”
As the reaction started to get a bit too heated, Chae Jeong-woo, who had been standing quietly in the corner of the stage, stepped forward with his microphone to wrap things up.
“Wow~, as expected of Min Ji-heon! From his captivating voice to his heart-stopping acting, that was incredible!”
He calmed the excited staff, soothed the still-bouncing Jeong Da-jun, and even managed to usher Min Ji-heon off the stage.
At this point, they really needed to pay Chae Jeong-woo an MC fee.
‘Anyway, I need to finish that conversation from earlier…’
Well, like Min Ji-heon said, we could do it later when we had time.
For now, the talent show right in front of me was the bigger problem. I was about to get up to call my partner, who was nowhere to be seen.
“Hey, Kim Seong-hyeon. I’m just going to…”
“Now! Let’s keep the performances going! Wow~, these next people said they wanted to show us who they are through their performance right away! The song choice is very… striking!”
I froze mid-sentence as the introduction hit my ears.
“The Dawn’s Seong Ji-won and Kang Yi-chae, with ‘Chewy’—!”
What?
Dun, da-dun, dun-dun-dun.
Bathed in purple lights, a sultry yet heart-thumping beat filled the room.
A massive roar went up.
“Woooooooah!”
As if we’d planned it, Kim Seong-hyeon and I locked eyes before looking toward the stage.
“Why are they coming out from there…?”
Seong Ji-won, wearing a tight black turtleneck under a studded red leather jacket, and Kang Yi-chae, in a baggy white T-shirt that covered his hands and ripped jeans, were taking the stage with electric guitars.
“When did they say they were going up?”
“I don't know. I was wondering where they’d disappeared to…”
Seong Ji-won, mimicking a swaggering walk, grabbed the standing mic and slowly opened his mouth.
“Ba…”
Ba?
“Babies, Ji-won is heeeeere!!!”
Kim Seong-hyeon, who had been taking a sip of wine to calm his nerves, spat it right back out. A few drops even splashed onto my face.
Beside Seong Ji-won, Kang Yi-chae was leaning against his mic stand, shoulders shaking as he tried to hold back his laughter. His cheeks were practically vibrating.
Without missing a beat, Seong Ji-won launched into the intro.
【Don’t just throw me vague glances, come to me—】
It was a song released by a duo from a small agency, once heavily criticized for its comical yet provocative lyrics and performance.
Five years later, it had been re-evaluated as an artistic masterpiece and was frequently covered by numerous celebrities.
【You and I falling in love
Feels like a balloon going pop】
I barely managed to pull myself together and shook my head.
‘Okay, fine. Aside from the beginning… it’s not that bad. It’s Seong Ji-won, so at least the singing is good.’
However, I had forgotten one thing.
Despite his mild appearance, Seong Ji-won was incredibly ambitious.
【I. want. to. swallow. you. whole. from. head. to. toe. in. one. big. gulp.】
And he never knew when to quit.
The rap part naturally began, and Seong Ji-won took the lead.
【Gulp! I want to swallow you!】
As Seong Ji-won recited every single syllable with earnest sincerity,
【It. might. sting. a. bit. but. here’s. a. warning. I’m. going. to. chew. you. up.】
【Nom! I want to chew you up!】
Kang Yi-chae, who was headbanging while pretending to shred an electric guitar that wasn't even plugged into an amp, added the ad-libs.
“…….”
“…….”
And every time they did, the camera kept cutting to me and Kim Seong-hyeon.
I desperately tried to keep my trembling lips still as I muttered under my breath again.
“……Kim Seong-hyeon, you should have stopped those idiots.”
“I’m sorry…”
It was too much. It was burdensomely over the top.
And yet, the response from the WH Entertainment staff was through the roof.
Surely, those cheers were fueled by the sheer embarrassment radiating from me and Kim Seong-hyeon—since Jeong Da-jun was already headbanging near the stage with them.
I suddenly craved soju, but I settled for wine and tried to clear my head.
‘I don't think these guys will take first place either.’
In terms of pure craziness, they might, but I decided to ignore that for now.
‘Just how much do I need to calibrate this?’
If I half-assed it, I’d end up stuck with some useless travel voucher or a piece of junk machinery.
I was busy crunching the numbers while trying my best not to look at the stage when Kim Seong-hyeon’s face, which had been losing its color, suddenly lit up as if he’d seen a god.
“Sunbae-nim!!!”
Following Kim Seong-hyeon’s gaze, I saw Ju Woo-seong in a black T-shirt. He looked like he’d come straight from home, as he was covered in stray bits of white cat fur.
His eyes were fixed on the stage.
“…Is your member drunk?”
“I’m planning to kick him out of the group when he gets back.”
Kim Seong-hyeon cleared the cluttered glasses and pulled out a chair for him. Ju Woo-seong sat down naturally and rested his chin on his hand.
“I’m not late, am I?”
“If you were a minute later, you would’ve been.”
“Bullshit.”
“You’re ready, right?”
“Of course.”
For some reason, he seemed to be in a particularly good mood today.
When I looked at him suspiciously, he said firmly,
“You’re doing that part. You know that, right?”
“Ah, of course.”
“Don't regret it. You’re the one who suggested it.”
His tone carried a hint of pity, but he couldn't quite hide the twitch at the corner of his mouth. He’d mentioned having a dark past at workshops, and it seemed he’d decided he wasn't going down alone and was determined to drag me with him.
‘Why would I regret it?’
Well, he was free to believe whatever he wanted.
I thought that to myself while giving him a bright smile.
“I get it. We’re probably next. Let’s g—”
“But Ho-yun.”
…Ho-yun?
Ju Woo-seong, calling me by my name so familiarly, had eyes that were burning with fire.
“I don't do second place.”
“What?”
“How could I possibly not take first?”
He curled his lips into a confident smirk.
“I have the pride of Black Call to maintain.”