Chapter 367
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 367
“What are you doing?”
Jeong Da-jun was clinging to Chae Jeong-woo with both arms, holding him tight while the latter watched the situation unfold calmly. Da-jun grunted with effort, stealing glances at me.
“I—I thought I might have been a li-i-ittle too hard on you, Hyung, so I came back! I figured if you really were a Repairman, I’d stick with you…”
“Why? And if I wasn’t, you’d report me immediately?”
“N-no, it’s not like that!”
I hit the nail on the head.
His true intentions exposed, the youngest member’s face turned beet red as he shouted toward the staff.
“A-anyway, I’m reporting! I’m reporting him!”
Wouldn’t it have been better to just report me and leave me behind?
I wanted to nitpick his logic, but since the situation wasn't over yet, I scanned the surroundings and slowly backed away.
【A report has been received. All Repairmen and Rogues, please gather at the assembly point.】
The announcement echoed through the speakers installed throughout the park, signaling that the message had been delivered.
At that, Chae Jeong-woo, who had been quiet until now, couldn't contain himself any longer. His shoulders shook as he burst into laughter.
“Haha, The Dawn really does get along well.”
Then, still carrying Jeong Da-jun—who was still trying to pin him down—he stood up effortlessly.
“But Da-jun, you shouldn't just throw your body around like that. What if you get hurt?”
“Huh? Yes, sir!”
Caught off guard by being hoisted up, Jeong Da-jun could only blink. Chae Jeong-woo gently unwound the boy's arms and even took the time to brush the dust off the maknae’s clothes. Then, with a sly curl of his lips, he pressed his pointer.
“……!!!”
“And, sorry, sorry.”
【Jeong Da-jun, out. Jeong Da-jun, out.】
Hey, you idiot…
Chae Jeong-woo patted the shoulder of the dejected Jeong Da-jun, who looked ready to cry over his hollow elimination. Then, he turned his gaze toward me.
“I can still catch a Repairman within five minutes of a report, right?”
I quickly scanned for cover and spotted a side path not too far away. I bolted toward it like a madman.
【…—peating. All Repairmen and Rogues, please gather at the assembly point.】
The sound of footsteps behind me told me Chae Jeong-woo was giving chase.
Taking a cart to the meeting spot would have been faster, but that would have limited my movement, and I surely would have been caught. I rounded another corner, intentionally swaying my body violently from side to side as I ran.
Suddenly, Kang Yeon-hu popped out from another corner, heading toward the assembly point. He spotted me a beat late, his eyes widening.
“Wh-what’s going on? Ho-yun, why are you running?”
“Chae Jeong-woo Senior is chasing me, huff. He killed Jeong Da-jun.”
I answered without slowing down. Kang Yeon-hu immediately fell in step with me, checking behind us.
“…There’s no one there?”
At his words, I looked back. Chae Jeong-woo was nowhere to be seen; he must have stopped chasing me.
Catching my breath, I reached the Rose Garden, the designated meeting spot. Everyone except for me, Kang Yeon-hu, and Chae Jeong-woo was already there.
Ju Woo-seong, who had been talking to Kim Seong-hyeon, frowned slightly as he asked, “What’s with you? Why are you panting so hard?”
“Huff… wheeze.”
“Cough, huff…”
I just waved my hand dismissively and flopped into one of the empty chairs arranged in a semicircle. Kang Yeon-hu, looking equally exhausted, took a seat a couple of chairs away from me.
“Let’s just vote. Chae Jeong-woo Senior is the Rogue.”
“What?”
Just as everyone’s attention shifted to me and I was about to explain the whole story, Chae Jeong-woo rolled in on an electric cart.
“Guys~, seriously, Seo Ho-yun is so scary…”
Instantly, the eyes that had briefly flickered to Chae Jeong-woo swiveled back to me. Even in this moment, Chae Jeong-woo skillfully set the mood, wiping away fake tears.
“Seo Ho-yun caught Da-jun off guard and killed him, then reported it himself to try and frame me.”
Excuse me?
“My god, that sounds exactly like something Seo Ho-yun would come up with, doesn't it?”
Ju Woo-seong nodded, stroking his chin. Cut off, I glared at him for a moment before turning my head toward the members of The Dawn.
“You guys believe me, right?”
“It actually sounds pretty plausible……”
“I was thinking the same thing……”
It was incredibly frustrating, but if one had to choose between the credibility of Chae Jeong-woo—a kind, genuinely good person—and Seo Ho-yun—a man who was a master of pranks, teasing, and hiding things—even I would have sided with the former.
Kang Yeon-hu, observing the flow of the conversation, tentatively took my side.
“But Ho-yun looked truly desperate just now, and he was running really hard… Judging by the situation alone……”
“So, did you actually see Jeong-woo chasing Ho-yun?”
“…Well, no, but…… if Ho-yun were the Rogue, it would be more advantageous to reduce our numbers by even one more person. In that case, shouldn't he have killed me?”
“Maybe he wasn't sure if the five minutes after the report had passed, or maybe he didn't finish the job because the meeting place was close and he was afraid of being seen.”
Ju Woo-seong, why don’t you just come out and say you want me dead?
“Still—”
“Ah-ah!”
Ju Woo-seong wagged his index finger dismissively and whispered to Kang Yeon-hu.
“You clearly haven't suffered enough at Seo Ho-yun’s hands yet.”
“……”
I’ll see you after filming.
The High Five members, excluding Kang Yeon-hu, seemed to purely believe Chae Jeong-woo’s excuse. The Dawn members appeared to have reached a firm conclusion as well, exchanging glances and nodding to one another.
“For starters, whenever Ho-yun Hyung lowers his eyebrows and acts pitiful like that, it’s a lie 98% of the time. Should we just kick him out first and see?”
“Sounds reasonable.”
“Wait, guys! Aren't you being too hard on Ho-yun?”
In the midst of this, Seong Ji-won was the only one who spoke up with an indignant expression.
“Ho-yun is our teammate. We should take his side.”
“……”
“Ho-yun, even if you are the Rogue, I won’t vote for you! I promise.”
In the end, even Seong Ji-won seemed firmly convinced that I was the Rogue.
Having only succeeded in confirming my team’s lack of faith in me, I lost my will to fight and slumped into my chair with a hollow expression.
Since I didn't even bother to make an excuse, the votes were quickly tallied, and Kim Hee-yeong announced the results.
“Ah, the historic first vote of ‘Repair the Nighttime Amusement Park!’ has resulted in the exile of Seo Ho-yun. However—oh dear! Seo Ho-yun was an innocent Repairman!”
“What?!”
“Huh??”
A chorus of disbelief erupted.
Raising her hand to calm them down, Kim Hee-yeong continued in a somber tone.
“…Repairman Seo Ho-yun held precious memories in every corner of this amusement park. Whether it was a happy occasion to celebrate or a sad moment where he needed strength, he spent his time here with his closest friends. However, after being betrayed by his colleagues and losing his job, Seo Ho-yun could no longer see this place as a happy one. Due to this bitter experience, he will never be able to visit an amusement park again.”
“Ah……”
“Ho-yun……”
Honestly, I wondered what the hell she was talking about, but seeing the members of The Dawn immediately tucking their tails and creeping toward me, I crossed my legs and spoke with maximum sarcasm.
“Guys, apparently I can never come to an amusement park again. What am I going to do?”
“Ah, sorry, Hyung.”
Stepping in front of the others, Kang Yi-chae smirked with a face that didn't look sorry at all.
In the meantime, the voting was finalized, and after another ‘report’ was triggered, Chae Jeong-woo was finally eliminated. However, Chae Jeong-woo laughed heartily, saying it was worth it since he took two Repairmen down with him, and offered me an apology.
“I’m sorry, Ho-yun.”
When the game resumed, the cast members scattered even faster than before.
Jeong Da-jun, who had been forced to watch anxiously without a word because he was technically ‘dead,’ finally spoke up to the staff.
“Can dead Repairmen not do missions anymore? I’ll be reaaaally quiet.”
“Um, Da-jun, I’m sorry, but I don’t think so. The rules say you can’t.”
“Ugh, then can I just follow the hyungs around quietly? Please?!”
“I mean, why go that far…?”
“It’s so, so, so rare for me to come to a place like this… I want to ride the rides……”
The staff looked troubled, but when Jeong Da-jun drooped his eyes and murmured piteously, they surrendered before long.
“Alright. But you must not speak! And you can’t interfere with the game.”
“Yay! Thank you! Ho-yun Hyung, do you want to come too?!”
“I’m good. You go ahead.”
I ruffled the hair of the excitedly beaming Jeong Da-jun and gave him a nudge.
To be young.
Playing also required stamina, and for someone who was actually in his mid-thirties, it was an exhausting activity. It was much more beneficial to stay by the staff and observe modern filming techniques.
“Ho-yun, I’ll take your mic off.”
“Okay.”
Since it was impossible to talk while the game was in progress anyway, I took off the mic to let the battery charge and to avoid audio overlap until it was time for the closing scene.
Afterward, I chatted with a staff member who had been instructed to wait at the ‘report’ assembly point. I wanted to say it had only been a few years, but the equipment and editing methods that had popped up in the meantime were quite unfamiliar.
The staff member, who had been explaining things for a while, glanced around and lowered their voice conspiratorially.
“…So the rumors were true. I heard you were interested in broadcasting work. Why are you so curious?”
“You have to know a lot about everything. Learning this will definitely help me, and it’ll help me survive in this industry for a long time.”
“Pardon? Hahaha! Ho-yun, you’re a top-tier idol, what are you talking about?”
The staff laughed it off as if they had heard a funny joke. I just smiled and played it off as idle curiosity while asking various questions.
“Ugh, being a Rogue is no easy task. I tried to catch Kim Seong-hyeon, but he was so fast I lost him right in front of my eyes.”
“No way, Beom-hyun Hyung lost him?”
As time passed, the eliminated players began to trickle in. Since they were all members of High Five or Black Call, I decided to leave before getting roped into anything.
The members seem to be holding out well.
The fans, Noeul, didn't say they could survive even if thrown onto a deserted island for nothing.
After notifying the assistant director, I walked away. Not far from where I had been, there was a hill with a railing. Though it wasn't very high, it offered a panoramic view of the amusement park. However, since the power was out in various places, it was hard to find signs of people.
As I was calmly looking down, someone suddenly spoke to me.
“Ugh, Hyung…. I’m here….”
Of all people, it was Min Ji-heon.
“Good work, Min Ji-heon Senior.”
“I’m not wearing a mic. Just act natural.”
“Pardon? What do you mean?”
Walls have ears, you brat.
When I feigned ignorance, he shrugged and stepped closer.
Despite being here, which meant he was eliminated, he looked suspiciously pristine from head to toe.
“Did you get out?”
“Mmm, I was a Rogue, but I got caught by three people while trying to kill Jeon Sae-young, so I was hauled away. Haha.”
Min Ji-heon didn't seem to have any regrets about the game as he playfully made a throat-slitting gesture with his hand. Then, he leaned against the railing and looked out into the distance. A faint, noisy sound drifted over.
“…I guess the game is finally ending.”
He muttered as he watched the lights flickering like Christmas tree bulbs in every direction. I also stared at the scene in silence when he suddenly burst into laughter.
“My, look at Seo Ho-yun’s face. Are you sad you got knocked out of the game early? Why are you looking at it with such longing?”
There he goes again with the nonsense.
He grinned as if he’d caught me doing something interesting.
“Do you know you’ve been really strange lately, Seo Ho-yun?”
“In what way, Senior?”
“It’s not that you lack energy, but you’ve become strangely… soft? Like someone who’s relaxed a bit because they can see the end?”
Min Ji-heon turned around, leaning his back against the railing with a smirk.
“Why? Is it finally time for you to go back to your original world?”
…This guy’s biggest problem was that he knew too much about me.
It was ironic that, with Seo Ho-jin’s memories currently a mess, this annoying Min Ji-heon was the only human who objectively understood my situation.
Just as I was clicking my tongue inwardly and ignoring him—
【Ah—, ah—. Mic test.】
The speakers attached to the dead streetlights emitted a burst of static before Kim Hee-yeong’s voice came through.
【To all the celebrities of WH Entertainment, great job. Kang Yi-chae of The Dawn has finally succeeded in repairing the carousel, and all the rides have returned to normal operation.】
It was the announcement of the game’s end.
Simultaneously, the lights flickered on all at once across the dark park.
【——It is a victory for the Repairmen!】
“Whoo—!”
The cheers of the cast and the applause of the staff mingled and spread.
Brilliant lights sparkled and danced, and the giant Ferris wheel began to turn slowly. The hopeful theme song of the park drifted out from the spinning carousel.
“It’s such a beautiful place. Won’t you miss it?”
I took in the entire view slowly and said,
“…I suppose I will.”
Perhaps he hadn't expected such an answer even though he was the one who asked, but Min Ji-heon wore a surprised expression. I took my hand off the railing and brushed back my hair.
“Let’s go, Senior. We have to wrap up the shoot.”
Min Ji-heon, who had only been blinking blankly, suddenly spread his arms wide. Then, in a theatrical, exaggerated tone, he shouted:
“…Seo Ho-yun, do you see these beautiful, brilliant lights? I rented this amusement park just for you.”
Fuck off.
As I sent him a curse with my eyes, I heard Min Ji-heon cackling behind me.
I walked quickly down the hill and headed back to where the staff were. Just then, familiar silhouettes nearby recognized me and came running, waving their hands wildly.
“Gyah! Hyung!!”
“Ah, Ho-yun~!”
They must have had a hell of a time, because their perfectly styled hair was all equally a mess.
Jeong Da-jun was the first to cling to me, chattering away.
“Uaaah, Ho-yun Hyung, where did you go?! Did you see?! Our Repairman team won! Everyone on our team was a Repairman, isn't that awesome!”
“Hey, you should have seen Kang Yi-chae. Honestly, he was so cool. I thought he was filming a spy movie by himself.”
“Ha, Yi-chae is truly afraid of his own talent…”
“Ho-yun, you should have been there! It was so much fun!”
“I’m good.”
The other members chimed in one by one, talking up a storm.
I simply laughed along with them.
“I had fun too.”