Chapter 364
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 364
“Wow, Seong Ji-won is really something.”
“He’s exactly the kind of person Ho-yun-hyung would cherish! He knows everything about you, Hyung!”
Truly, there isn’t a single soul I can trust.
I could overlook Kim Seong-hyeon, whom I usually teased, or Kang Yi-chae, whom I constantly nagged, but seeing even Jeong Da-jun—the one I’d pampered so dearly—bursting into laughter filled me with a wave of bitter regret.
As I lowered the hand holding my slip of paper and turned to walk away, Seong Ji-won hurriedly chased after me.
“No, no, wait, Ho-yun! Wait! It’s not like I could have brought someone else with this note. I… I didn’t have any other choice but you….”
“Ah… I see….”
“I—I really respect you! You’re cool, Ho-yun!”
“Sure. This shameless guy will be going now.”
“Aah… Ho-yun….”
When his excuses failed to land, Seong Ji-won didn’t know what to do. Kang Yi-chae, who had been watching the whole thing while dying of laughter, finally gestured for him to come back, and Ji-won trudged back to the members.
When I returned to my own group of troublemakers, Min Ji-heon and Ju Woo-seong, the two of them were smirking with unpleasant grins on their faces.
“Well, well, if it isn’t our smartest junior in the building?”
“Ho-yun, I respect you too. Being handsome and shameless is your obvious charm, ahaha!”
“Pfft, Senior Min Ji-heon, you have a great sense of humor.”
To think these men, supposedly at the top of their respective industries, were snickering at such trivial jokes.
Kang Yeon-hu, who had just returned from being summoned by Chae Jeong-woo in this round, muttered softly from a step behind me.
“Even his own group members won’t cover for him….”
“…….”
Even this guy isn’t missing the chance.
As I stood among these piranhas who lunged the moment they saw a single opening, wondering if I had lived my life all wrong, Kim Hee-yeong declared the end of ‘Condition Running’ and announced the rankings for each team.
“Now, I will announce the scores. We held a total of three rounds for Condition Running. In first place is Team The Dawn with 6 points. Second place is Team High Five with 5 points, and Black Call and Team Seo-Min-Kang-Ju are tied for last.”
“Seo-Min-Kang-Ju… we really picked a good name. Isn’t it cute?”
Before I knew it, the Wild Card team—which had originally been just the leftover members from each group—had been officially transformed by Kim Hee-yeong into Min Ji-heon’s terrible naming creation: Team ‘Seo-Min-Kang-Ju.’
“As a prize for this game, snacks will be provided only to the first and second-place teams.”
“……!!”
“I’m sorry, Team Black Call and Team Kang-Ju.”
While Ju Woo-seong muttered to himself, “I think she called the name wrong…,” Min Ji-heon looked as if his entire world had collapsed.
Tsk, they shouldn’t be wasting their energy on useless things.
I shifted only my eyes to look at the two of them.
This hodgepodge team needed to work hard enough to be present but not so much that they stood out; the right move was to show just enough presence and then disappear.
Min Ji-heon was distracted by food, and Ju Woo-seong was a naturally self-centered brat who probably didn’t realize it, but Kang Yeon-hu and I had been extremely careful about every single combination throughout ‘Condition Running.’ All to avoid any potential controversy.
“—Next is the Icon Quiz! Look at the photo and name the person within three seconds.”
Upon hearing that food was on the line, Min Ji-heon’s competitive fire ignited.
Ju Woo-seong, who had somehow formed a bond with the man while teasing me, stood up and spoke.
“Senior Ji-heon, I’ll take charge of this round.”
I felt a wave of unease.
However, there was no valid reason to stop Ju Woo-seong when he had volunteered first. Kang Yeon-hu seemed to be hesitating, likely worried that if he participated, he might fail to recognize one of his seniors.
Nothing bad should happen, right?
He’s the type of guy who lives glued to the TV when he’s not working.
The representatives for each team were chosen, and Ju Woo-seong stepped forward as the first runner.
As Kim Hee-yeong lifted the prepared panel, the Icon Quiz began immediately.
“Woo-seong! Ha Seo-yeon.”
Ju Woo-seong shouted the correct answer without even blinking at Ha Seo-yeon’s latest autumn magazine cover.
I was briefly impressed by how smoothly he was rattling them off, but then…
“…Han Chae-ri… Lee Ju-gyeong… Jeong Ju-eun….”
“One second, two seconds…!”
“……Kim Hae-yeong….”
The people in the photos being flipped one by one were all strangely familiar.
“……Two seconds! Three seconds!! Time’s up!! Ju Woo-seong, you don’t know?”
“……Yes, I’m not quite sure….”
Internally, I was horrified.
Is she trying to screw him over?
However, even if she consistently attended the ‘Seo Ho-yun Bashing Group,’ the probability of his dating history being brought up was low considering the other participants. This parade of Ju Woo-seong’s ex-girlfriends was most likely a coincidence.
But Ju Woo-seong, already feeling the guilt, was too busy stammering with a ‘Am I screwed?’ expression on his face.
“Ah, the unstoppable Ju Woo-seong suddenly crumbles here, unfortunately stopping at 5 points.”
Lee Se-hyeon from High Five and Jeong Da-jun from The Dawn did fairly well, but in the end, they couldn’t beat the accumulated experience of Black Call.
“Oh my, what’s with the atmosphere of this team?”
Min Ji-heon, who had missed out on snacks twice right before his eyes, had become even more sensitive, and Ju Woo-seong, who had taken a direct hit from the Icon Quiz, sat huddled in a corner with a dark cloud over his head. To make matters worse, even Kang Yeon-hu’s expression was poor as he walked on eggshells around the two of them.
Kim Hee-yeong, her eyes widening as she raised and lowered her eyebrows, continued in a soft, soothing tone.
“It’s almost time for the amusement park’s private rental, so we will move locations for the rest of the filming.”
“……Yes.”
“Come on, cheer up. The next game is ‘Heart-Pounding Ferris Wheel’!”
The upcoming game was a 1:1 match where one representative from each team would board the Ferris wheel for about ten minutes and try to provoke their opponent to see whose heart rate would go higher.
Cameras were installed inside the Ferris wheel, allowing us to monitor them in real-time from the waiting area under a tent below and even give advice via walkie-talkie.
“Team Black Call will face Team High Five, and Team The Dawn will face Team Seo-Min-Kang-Ju.”
Facing The Dawn would normally be a piece of cake, but…
As I was watching the situation, weighing whether it was better to stick to the ‘moderate involvement’ strategy, Kim Hee-yeong’s explanation caught my ear.
“——The penalty for 4th place is entering the Haunted House!”
“Aaah!”
“Whaaat?”
I quickly masked the expression that was about to change.
Well, that changes things.
We have to win, no matter what.
If we end up in 4th place and get extra screen time being lumped together with Kang Yeon-hu, all my efforts to keep a low profile would go down the drain.
I turned my head toward Kang Yeon-hu. For some reason, his face was pale.
When I nudged him with my elbow, I felt his gaze shift toward me.
The Dawn has to lose.
Deal.
Our opinions were unified in an instant.
Meanwhile, Jeong Da-jun was clinging to Kang Yi-chae, whining. Even Kim Seong-hyeon joined in with puppy-dog eyes.
“Hyungs, Hyung, I really—no, I’ll work hard if I have to…! But if possible!”
“Hahaha, our Da-junie, do you really hate going in that much?”
“…Is there no way to win?”
Kang Yi-chae, his lips curling up in amusement, led the two of them away for a strategy meeting just as Black Call and High Five boarded the Ferris wheel.
High Five’s Jeong Chae-hyeong was so nervous just being in the same space as Black Call’s Lee Han-ju that he was shaking like a leaf. In the end, Black Call took an easy victory without doing anything.
Lee Han-ju swept his hair back as he stepped out of the door.
“S-Senior Lee Han-ju, it was an honor!”
“Hmm, good work.”
“What is wrong with him?”
Ju Woo-seong, oblivious to his own behavior, scowled and grumbled as if he hated the sight.
I saw Chae Jeong-woo encouraging Lee Han-ju with a faint smile. They might be relaxed, but I was starting to feel the pressure.
“Now, Team The Dawn, please step forward.”
“Jeong Da-jun, heading out!”
At Kim Hee-yeong’s call, Jeong Da-jun stepped forward with both hands raised. Seeing Kang Yi-chae quietly stand up behind him, it seemed Yi-chae was taking the advisor role.
“Oh! Jeong Da-jun?! Then will Seo Ho-yun be representing Team Seo-Min-Kang-Ju?”
When I stood up abruptly, Kim Hee-yeong asked.
“No.”
Over the past three years, Jeong Da-jun had developed an immunity to me and wouldn’t be easily shaken by most things.
However, even if the opponent was the youngest, our team had the ultimate rival.
“Senior Min Ji-heon.”
“Yes, I’ll go.”
Perhaps because he hadn’t eaten, Min Ji-heon’s expression was a bit stiff.
I went to the tent prepared next to the Ferris wheel entrance and alternated between looking at the monitor screen and the heart rate data.
Jeong Da-jun, a fervent fan of Min Ji-heon, already showed a significantly high heart rate before they even started.
【…Da-jun, it’s been a while.】
【Aaah, yes. Ye-yes!】
Min Ji-heon greeted Jeong Da-jun with a gentle curve of his eyes. Because he was so on edge, he was attacking with the same sincerity he used when acting.
【I’ve always wanted to talk more with you, Da-jun, but we were both so busy that our schedules never lined up.】
His intention was so transparent it was almost embarrassing for me.
But Jeong Da-jun didn’t notice. In fact, it worked perfectly. His face turned bright red, and he flustered, unable to even meet Min Ji-heon’s eyes.
Watching our youngest, whom I thought had grown up but was still such a softie in moments like this, I picked up the walkie-talkie.
“…Senior. We don’t have much time, so let’s move quickly. Give him the lines from ‘Please Take Care of the Camera.’”
Receiving the instruction through his earpiece, Min Ji-heon let his lips curl into a relaxed smile, crossed his legs, and looked Jeong Da-jun straight in the eye.
【Da-jun, I’m nice to people I like.】
【Yes… Ye-yes?】
【But you need to come over to my side quickly.】
Excellent.
The heart rate was fluctuating like a tidal wave.
【Because I’m not patient enough to just sit back and watch someone else take what’s mine.】
It was a line spoken by Min Ji-heon’s character, ‘Min Seung-tae,’ in the drama Please Take Care of the Camera.
Jeong Da-jun, the successful fan witnessing such vivid acting from point-blank range, covered his mouth with his hands, unable to look away.
I decided we needed to seize the victory completely by maintaining this momentum.
“Senior Ji-heon, follow up with a rapid-fire attack. Give him the famous line from ‘The Day the Daffodils Bloom.’”
【Jun-ah…….】
【Sob……. Amazing….】
As soon as the words left my mouth, Min Ji-heon immediately poured emotion into it and breathed out, “Jun-ah….” By this point, Jeong Da-jun looked like he was possessed, his eyes even welling up with tears.
Confident of our victory, I shot a smirk toward Kang Yi-chae.
“Looks like we’re going to win.”
Then, Kang Yi-chae, who had been silently observing until now, tilted his head slightly and looked at me.
“…Are you sure?”
He then picked up the walkie-talkie and spoke leisurely.
“—Maknae, can you hear me?”
【…Ye-yeah!】
“Maknae, why don’t you try naming any menu items you want to eat right now?”
【Anything??】
Just as I was wondering what kind of bizarre advice that was—
【K-Kimchi stew……?】
A realization hit me like a bolt of lightning to the back of my head.
“…Hey, don’t tell me—!”
I quickly checked the heart rate.
No matter how much of a glutton he was, surely not over something like this….
“Whoa, no way!”
“The numbers are going up!”
Dammit.
I had overlooked the fact that he was currently an empty-bellied pig.
【Gomtang, Sundae Gukbap, Gimbap….】
【…Ha…….】
【Gamjatang?!】
【That’s the tastiest….】
“Wait, wait a minute! Senior! Can you hear me?”
【I-I can hear you….】
【Omurice, spicy rice cakes, spicy noodles….】
【Ugh…….】
He said he could hear me, but he clearly wasn’t listening.
As I watched the numbers skyrocket in real-time, I forced back a sigh when something tapped my shoulder. It was Kang Yi-chae’s hand.
“Sorry. Our youngest and our eldest really didn’t want to go in.”
That might not be entirely false, but having seen Kang Yi-chae flinch when the ghost penalty was announced during the first mission of Shining Star Season 2, I knew his claim wasn’t the only reason.
“Whew…….”
Pretending to blow my bangs back to hide my annoyance, I focused on the strategy for what to do next, even though the Ferris wheel hadn’t come down yet.
After coldly brushing off Min Ji-heon, who came out whining about being hungry, I approached Kang Yeon-hu while we were moving to the penalty site.
“Senior. Let’s cooperate.”
“…….”
“When we go into the Haunted House, the passage will be narrow, so we’ll have to move in a single file. Let’s try to stay as far apart as possible. If we’re stuck together reacting to things, people might start saying weird things—….”
“…….”
What’s with him? He looks pale enough to be a substitute for one of the ghosts.
“—Still, if anything happens, Senior Ju Woo-seong has a lot of experience, so he’ll cover for us. Don’t worry too much.”
“……Yes…….”
Strangely, Kang Yeon-hu, who was always enthusiastic about his work, was uncharacteristically absent-minded, staring blankly at the Haunted House as if he barely heard me.
I asked, just in case.
“…Senior Kang Yeon-hu.”
“……Yes?”
“It’s not that you’re scared of haunted houses, is it?”
“What?!”
Kang Yeon-hu jumped. He literally jumped.
“O-o-of course not?!”
Did he just glitch?