Chapter 385
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 385
Even after excluding those who couldn't make it due to scheduling conflicts, one person remained from each team. Eventually, after everyone gathered at the meeting point, one person was drawn from each group via a random lottery to form a "Wild Card" team alongside Min Ji-heon.
As Ju Woo-seong, Kang Yeon-hu, Seo Ho-yun, and Min Ji-heon stood side by side, a bizarre team name was plastered across the bottom of the screen in the subtitles: ‘Seo-Min-Kang-Ju.’
[Holy crap, those four are really a team? No, wait, it was a random draw, but how did it end up so perfect?]
Aside from the fact that they were all under WH Entertainment, these were individuals with no particular connection to one another.
If one had to find a commonality, it was merely that Ju Woo-seong, Kang Yeon-hu, and Min Ji-heon had each appeared on a broadcast with Seo Ho-yun before.
Because of this, at the start of the program, the sentiment from the majority of viewers was simply that it was a "curious combination."
“…Mr. Ju Woo-seong, hello….”
“Ah, yes, hello. Mr. Min Ji-heon….”
The moment the greetings were over, they turned their heads in opposite directions and stared into the distance.
【The very busy Min Ji-heon and Ju Woo-seong haven't managed to become close yet.】
As if to support the caption, brief clips of Min Ji-heon’s intense acting scenes and Ju Woo-seong’s solo performance videos flashed by.
The classification of the other teams followed.
In the meantime, the Seo-Min-Kang-Ju team was occasionally shown on screen; every time they were, Kang Yeon-hu, caught between Min Ji-heon and Ju Woo-seong, was fidgeting restlessly by himself.
“Um, Senior, I’ll do tha—.”
“Hm? Oh, no, no, it’s fine~.”
When Min Ji-heon lifted his hips from his chair to look for water, Kang Yeon-hu also stood up, hovering and making a fuss. However, he wasn't being helpful in the slightest.
Ju Woo-seong, who had been watching him listlessly with a bored expression, hooked his foot around the leg of Yeon-hu's chair and pulled it back as a gesture for him to sit comfortably. Kang Yeon-hu’s pupils shook as if an earthquake had struck.
“Hey, just sit down.”
“Ah, a-ah, yes.”
【The image of a total newbie.jpg】
[LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL he looks like he’s doing something, but he’s actually doing nothing at all LMAO]
[Kang Yeon-hu, f*ck LOL he’s so pitiful LOL]
[To be fair, I’d find it hard to deal with them too... Even if the age gap with Kang Yeon-hu isn't that big, it’s the Ju Woo-seong and the Min Ji-heon LOL. They’re the top two in the industry right now.]
[The celebrities' celebrity... damn.]
While people sympathized deeply with Kang Yeon-hu’s position, their eyes naturally drifted to Seo Ho-yun, who stood beside them with an expressionless face.
【Min Ji-heon finally succeeds in acquiring water and cautiously returns to his seat…!】
“…Seo Ho-yun, here.”
“Thank you.”
A scene was captured where Min Ji-heon, who had just returned from visiting the other teams while crouching as low as possible to avoid the cameras, handed a bottle to Seo Ho-yun. Seo Ho-yun bowed politely as usual.
But that was all. He wasn't anxious or flustered like Kang Yeon-hu.
Even when Ju Woo-seong put an arm around his shoulder, or when Min Ji-heon poked him and cracked a joke, he remained calm and responded composedly.
【Is this person…… an experienced professional who’s seen it all?】
[LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL]
[What’s with this guy’s confidence? LMAO]
[They said he was something else, and it’s true. He’s totally bold.]
[But to begin with, Seo Ho-yun is actually really close with Ju Woo-seong and Min Ji-heon... LOL
└Wait, really??
└└Yeah, are there still people who don't know? He’s especially famous for being best friends with Ju Woo-seong!
└└If anything, isn't he just being polite right now because they're in front of the camera? LOL]
At that moment, Min Ji-heon pulled his chair forward slightly and spoke.
“Now, now, shall we decide on our team name?!”
Ju Woo-seong, Kang Yeon-hu, and Seo Ho-yun—all of them looked uninterested, their faces sliding past like a row of Tibetan foxes. Only Min Ji-heon looked excited, grinning broadly.
“—How about ‘Seo-Min-Kang-Ju,’ taking the first syllable of each of our surnames?!”
The camera angle passed Kang Yeon-hu, who was forcing his lips into a smile, moved past Ju Woo-seong’s bewildered gaze, and zoomed in sharply on Seo Ho-yun.
[Ah, Seo Ho-yun is cursing with his eyes right now LOLOLOLOLOL]
[I heard our Ho-yun didn't even get that mad when his stage name was Ho-u Ho-u, but he really hates Seo-Min-Kang-Ju LOL]
[LMAO Min Ji-heon is just beaming while taking that murderous aura head-on LOLOLOLOL]
[Is Ju Woo-seong really mouthing ‘endure it, endure it’ next to him? Is this real life?]
Soon after, the first mission, ‘Condition Running,’ began. While Ju Woo-seong was being called away incessantly, Seo Ho-yun, who had been staying in place the whole time, received a call from Seong Ji-won. Without even checking the requirements on the note, he ran out with a satisfied look.
It was later revealed that Seong Ji-won’s mission was to bring back ‘the most shameless person here,’ which sent all the cast members into fits of laughter.
Seo Ho-yun, who had shown no reaction as if in shock, soon turned back with heavy steps.
“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.”
“It’s ‘Fun Fun,’ right?”
“Pwahaha!”
But it was one obstacle after another.
Back with the team, Ju Woo-seong and Min Ji-heon, who had been awkward with each other until then, had suddenly become thick as thieves. They were giggling and ganging up to tease Seo Ho-yun.
【The two of them showcasing high-class humor on par with department heads at a mid-sized company….】
Kang Yeon-hu, who had also been called away by Chae Jeong-woo and witnessed this situation a step late, averted his eyes and pretended not to hear.
Seo Ho-yun closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Behind him, a scene of a waterfall flowing serenely was superimposed.
【An experienced newbie of N-years who has reached the level of asceticism by adapting to it.】
As Kang Yeon-hu sat down hesitantly, watching the atmosphere, Ju Woo-seong and Min Ji-heon tapped his forearm and asked affectionately.
“Yeon-hu, that was my joke of the day. How was it~?”
“Hahaha, wasn't what Min Ji-heon said funny?”
“Ha, haha…… Yes, th-that, as expected, you’re full of wit!”
A CG of a bucket of water being splashed over him was added to Kang Yeon-hu, who answered with unfocused eyes and his lips pulled up as far as they could go.
【And the Day 1 Newbie…….】
[LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL]
[Is this a skit? LOL f*ck, Yeon-hu’s gonna go home and cry]
[Man, I feel like I’m watching something called ‘Survival in the Jungle of an MZ Generation Company.’]
As they performed the missions one by one, the production made it look as though the bond between Kang Yeon-hu and Seo Ho-yun was gradually strengthening as Min Ji-heon and Ju Woo-seong’s friendship grew deeper.
Eventually, they entered the third mission, ‘Heart-Pounding Ferris Wheel.’ Min Ji-heon, who had been sent out as a trump card, returned to the team even more sensitive after being utterly crushed by a food counterattack.
When Min Ji-heon, with a solemn expression that didn't suit him, started whining about being hungry, the faces of Kang Yeon-hu and Seo Ho-yun were captured alternately on screen.
【 - This is it, the staff-level employees have to survive somehow…! - 】
However, contrary to the caption that made them look determined, Kang Yeon-hu’s screams didn't stop from the moment they entered the haunted house as a penalty.
“I-I’m okay… AAAAAAAAH—!”
【But the corporate life of a Day 1 Newbie was not easy!】
[Yeon-hu.........
The more he appears on variety shows, the more his calm and composed image just shatters.
Ah, I like it, of course.]
[Ordinary people will see Kang Yeon-hu and say, ‘That clumsy, cute kid?’ even though he’s the quick-witted and reliable eldest in High Five (laughs).]
Of course, even then, Seo Ho-yun remained perfectly calm. Despite it being a place famous enough that people claimed to have experienced actual paranormal phenomena—on top of the detailed, realistic props and gruesome setting—he approached the props to examine them closely or scanned every corner of the place with interest. Eventually, he even struck up a conversation with a part-time worker.
“Are you open late these days? Or are you working overtime because of us?”
【(Why are you asking that while experiencing ‘Horror Hospital’?)】
Just as Ju Woo-seong was advising the endlessly screaming Kang Yeon-hu to sing a song if he was that scared, Min Ji-heon, who had been silently following behind the others until now, stuck close to Seo Ho-yun and whispered with a stiff face.
The conversation was drowned out by Kang Yeon-hu’s voice, but looking at Seo Ho-yun’s expression alone, it was as if an exclamation mark had popped up over his head as he realized something urgent.
【The boss’s condition doesn't look good…!】
Then, clips of Min Ji-heon losing his snacks because he kept failing the games were inserted.
【In this situation, what should the N-year experienced professional, Seo Ho-yun, do?!】
Tense BGM played, and all sorts of mathematical formulas flashed behind Seo Ho-yun’s back. Having finally reached a conclusion, Seo Ho-yun shouted loudly.
“Pardon? Senior Min Ji-heon, you’re hungry?”
Quickly bypassing Ju Woo-seong, Seo Ho-yun surged straight to the front of the line.
Flashing a light smile at the startled Kang Yeon-hu, who was pushed aside in the process, Seo Ho-yun strode through the haunted house without hesitation.
【This is the vibe that comes from experience!】
[Wow, look at that initiative lol damn]
[Crazy
He’s clearing it in an instant while leading a trembling newbie and a boss in bad shape]
“I will always be by your side—. Let us move forward together, bathed in the warm light of love.”
【He’s even singing the Saga following Kang Yeon-hu!】
[F*ck, that insane social skill LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL]
[The ultimate brown-nosing skill LOL. If I were the boss, he’d be a shoo-in for a promotion LOLOLOLOLOLOL]
[At this point, isn't he beyond a newbie? LOL T_T He’s past Assistant Manager, he’s practically a Team Leader T_T]
[Ju Woo-seong and Kang Yeon-hu singing along quietly next to him are so cute T_T
Meanwhile,
Min Ji-heon is the only one who doesn't know the song, right?
└LOLOLOLOL Ji-heon was just the breadwinner of Daepasung....]
A few more minutes passed like that, and they found the exit marked ‘EXIT,’ allowing everyone to make it out safely.
The production crew’s cheers and applause overflowed.
At the same time, Seo Ho-yun, who was responding with a bright smile, was briefly shown glancing toward Kang Yeon-hu, who had collapsed onto the floor as if his legs had given out.
[This man is perfect until the very end..]
Most viewers, who were purely enjoying the broadcast as a variety show, were unaware of the rivalries between idols and were delighted, immersed in the ‘Newbie’s Corporate Life’ frame created through editing.
[The combination of a newbie who thinks ‘Gasp, I must have done something terribly wrong’ when scolded by a boss, and an N-year experienced professional who’s so jaded he thinks ‘Ah, f*ck off’... It’s so delicious...
└LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
└Ah f*ck, I relate so much LOLOLOLOLOLOL]
[Did you say Yeon-hu? F*ck T_T I feel like I’m looking at myself a year ago, so I’ve started rooting for him T_T It’s hard, isn't it... company life...]
[Even at the end, Min Ji-heon asking if everyone’s okay and suggesting they go eat gamjatang while patting their backs smells so much like my department head...]
[Look at Ju Woo-seong watching Seo Ho-yun with a proud face as if his actions were commendable LOL f*ck LOL. It immediately brings to mind the relationship between a senior mentor and a junior at a company. I love it so much!!!!!!!!!!]
In the briefly released preview for the next episode, the focus seemed to be on the charms of each group rather than the ‘Seo-Min-Kang-Ju’ team.
[Yeah.. whether you’re an idol or whatever, life is all the same...]
[I wish these four would do a year-end stage special]
[No way, their stature has grown so much that calling them all together would cause bankruptcy LOL]
People who had tasted fun in a completely unexpected direction through ‘Let’s Go on a School Trip’ were soaked in the afterglow. Even while thinking it would be difficult to achieve, they sincerely hoped and hoped again that they could meet the combination of Min Ji-heon, Ju Woo-seong, Kang Yeon-hu, and Seo Ho-yun somewhere once more.
* * *
“Ugh, it’s so, so, so cold.”
During the time when schools were bustling and rowdy after the CSATs, the first snow of the year made its appearance.
‘Why is it snowing already?’
Bloy, who was fiddling with the heat pack in her pocket that had grown lukewarm, increased her walking speed a bit more. After sharing some small talk with a friend she met at the school gate, she opened the door with the ‘1-3’ nameplate and stepped inside.
It was when she was taking off her coat, putting down her bag, and rubbing her frozen hands together to thaw them. Another friend, whose silver-rimmed glasses stood out as if to prove her intelligence, approached her while crouching and whispered in a hushed voice.
“Hey, hey, you know my cousin works at WH, right?”
“Yeah, why?”
“She said The Dawn sold coffee at the company cafe this time.”
“Heol, crazy. They must have filmed self-produced content.”
They sure live diligently.
For some reason, her heart felt bitter.
She tried not to be envious of The Dawn’s content that poured out every day, but it was because Black Call, who were already infrequent, had recently cut off almost all official activities and news except for individual lives.
She supposed she should be glad they at least appeared on ‘Let’s Go on a School Trip.’
She had already rewatched it dozens of times, to the point where she knew exactly what scene appeared at what minute and second. She could even recite the lines like a play.
‘They aren't going to suddenly say they’re enlisting in the military, are they…?’
At the sudden surge of negative thoughts, she slapped her own cheeks hard and opened a book. Her thought was to study during this time instead. Her goal was to get a perfect score on the CSAT. And she wanted to do an interview saying, ‘I was able to get to this position thanks to Black Call!’
She repeatedly looked at the words that kept leaking out without being read, but one word in her friend’s subsequent story caught her ear.
“The official video hasn't been posted yet, but she said all of Black Call were gathered there together….”
“What?!”
“Aren't they preparing for a comeback?!”
“Ha, f*ck! The Dawn, thank you so, so much! Thank you! My babies were alive after all!”
When The Dawn’s self-produced content was uploaded, she would make sure to watch it.
Seo Ho-yun, who always seemed to cling to and pester Ju Woo-seong unilaterally without being much help, had always seemed annoying, but today he felt like an angel.
As she was firmly planting the schedule in her mind, the friend who pushed up her glasses with her index finger clicked her tongue and grumbled.
“Our kids’ stature has grown so much lately that they don't really show up at local events. In the past, their nickname was ‘The Dawn Again’ because they’d run to every event without picking and choosing… I miss those days…….”
“You’re just being ungrateful.”
To say such a thing in front of Bloy, who had been doing nothing but waiting for nearly a year.
Her first idols and all her fangirling experiences were permeated with Black Call.
“Please come to our school… please…….”
Bloy, who had been looking sourly at her friend who was muttering desperately, tried to shift her gaze back to her book when she suddenly discovered something out of place through the window.
An unfamiliar vehicle was parked in the parking lot located on the side of the school auditorium. It was a black van.
“……?”
Her brow furrowed slightly.
No matter how you looked at it, it looked like the number one candidate for being suspicious.