“Anyway, got it.”
“Baek Hanje unusually standing on a music show, and there are too many fun things happening. Okay. Go on in.”
“Yes. See you next time.”
Q Emergency. Crisis Detected for HBN
Clear
You have successfully overcome the crisis.
The completion message that appeared this time had a slightly bitter aftertaste. Not a clean ‘Quest Success!’ but I ended up owing a debt.
At least it’s fortunate she’s not someone who’d use this card very badly.
Right, where would there be anything free in this industry in the first place?
Still, this is definitely looking out for my convenience a lot.
Because who knows what would have happened to Go Won’s position if they’d formally protested to K-dum. If other divisions found out, it would have reached Executive Director Choi’s ears too…
‘Nothing much will happen…’
As I greeted the PD and turned around to come out, I saw one person fixing their gaze on me from over there.
It was Go Won.
Looking at his standing position, he seemed to have fully seen me being dragged away by the PD. Maybe because I’d only shown him the image of living for my own greatness, acting invincible, I felt awkward.
“Hyung.”
“What?”
“……”
“Why are you alone?”
“…I won’t cause trouble anymore.”
No, I really meant where did the other people go? He must be quite deflated to come up with such a transcendent translation.
And well…
‘The kid who usually lived pressing down everything he could and couldn’t say finally burst because of insults to me…’
Emotionally, this makes it hard to get angry even if I try.
“You did well telling.”
“…What?”
“Overall you failed half and did well half, but I’m not saying anything knowing you’ll get chewed out to death at the company for what you did wrong anyway.”
“……”
Go Won shut his mouth exactly like before.
I wonder how the status window turned out. If I’d known this would happen, should I have just opened the Mental slot?
I opened it wondering if stats had dropped uselessly for nothing, but an unexpected item caught my eye.
Go Won
Current Status: I’m sorry.
What?
Go Won
Current Status: Please don’t give up on me.
Go Won
Current Status: I was wrong
“…Hey, Go Won.”
“Yes.”
The expressionless face turned to the side. I wondered if the blinking status window was lying.
“Do you have something you want to say to me?”
“……”
Go Won
Current Status: I should ■■■ more ■■■.
…Excellent.
More what? When people around are making a fuss telling him to stop practicing until his bones break.
Just say ‘I was wrong’ according to what’s in your mind.
Watching the face harden blackly made my mouth feel dry too, so I eventually urged him.
“I’m asking if you have something to say.”
Just say anything. I’ll let it go with a smile since what I said about having no more expectations for you was a bit harsh.
“…No.”
“……”
A sigh I tried hard to hide came out deeply.
Now I understand a bit.
The kid wasn’t not desperate. He lived so fiercely more than anyone, that in that difficult life he never once learned to ask for help.
And the one who probably helped such a kid for the first time is…
‘Ah, am I really in the state of a maknae with his first younger sibling right now?’
The feeling is really strange.
* * *
After returning to Korea, Maybe Entertainment contacted the K-dum side.
They officially apologized for the incident at <Music Building>, and I heard thanks to that, we could mention the overlapping concept issue from a somewhat superior position too.
That means Kwon Taeyoung’s busy work ended, and…
– What did you sell to the PD?
Ah shit, look at this. I told you he’s scary when angry.
Even though it’s over the phone, ice is dripping from his voice.
“Sell what? Am I Simcheong?”
– …….
Since he’s been in the position of ‘eldest hyung’ since elementary school, I couldn’t help but cower at the pressure he gives no matter how old I get. My insides felt cold as if carbonated water had been poured over my heart.
“Should I not have answered the phone…”
– Do it if you want to see me break down the studio door.
“Ah, it was a soliloquy, why are you listening?”
– So what was it?
“Just, when a song comes out, we’ll do the debut stage there.”
– Is that really all?
“That’s all, yeah.”
– Don’t worry about it. The company will handle it.
“Got it.”
– Don’t do this kind of thing next time. Won is important. But naturally, you’re what the company should prioritize.
“I said I got it…”
But if Go Won fails, we fail together too…
I don’t know how long it’s been since I got scolded at this age. But maybe because of habits ingrained since childhood, rather than feeling rebellious, I just felt awkward.
When I trudged out of the room, Go Won flinched upon seeing me.
An awkward atmosphere remained to some degree even after returning from Singapore.
“……”
It was because of the kid who made various expressions whenever he encountered me, then sneakily turned his head.
Just how much did Kwon Taeyoung chew him out for his spirit to be crushed like that?
“Where are you going?”
“…I’m, going to practice.”
“Ah. Have a good trip.”
“Yes…, I’ll, be going.”
The kid hesitated while bowing his head, then hurriedly went out.
“That, that.”
It’s good he knows he did wrong, but a bad habit has formed. Why is he covering his face with his forearm?
I’ll have to say something later.
* * *
-You have stepped foot into a cursed idol military academy.
“Hiik!”
The harmonious classroom was dyed in a creepy atmosphere in an instant.
-Only the best idols can obtain graduation qualifications and leave the school.
“The, the door is locked from outside!”
“Save me!”
“I’m turning forty the day after tomorrow! If I’d just married earlier, my child would be idol age!”
Creeak—
At that moment, the back door of the classroom opened with an eerie sound.
“Uaaaah!”
Idol ghosts wearing blood-stained stage outfits staggered in from outside the opened door.
-Idols dare not speak of marriage.
-Idols are fans’ eternal lovers. You must be careful with words and actions so lovers don’t get disappointed.
“I, I was wrong! I was wrong!”
Though he belatedly repented, the panelist who couldn’t take back his words was surrounded by idol ghosts.
Crackle, crackle— crackle—
“Aaaaah!”
Unidentifiable sounds rang ear-splittingly as the lights flashed eerily.
Finally came the blackout.
“Hyung, are you okay?!”
“What on earth is happening!”
The lights turned on again amid the chaos.
“Huuuh…!”
“G-guys, sob, guys…”
He, who dared utter the word ‘marriage’ in the idol military academy…
His upper body was frozen in the pose of making a flower holder under his face.
-‘Correction’ has been completed with the proper idol posture.
What wrapped around and fixed the panelist’s body tightly wasn’t the cursed idol military academy’s bizarre power… but box tape.
“Ah shit, what on earth is this?”
-Idols use proper and beautiful language that can appear on all-ages programs.
“Uaaah!”
-Idols don’t scratch their nose.
“W-wait a minute!”
Several more panelists were forcibly ‘corrected’ according to the strict school rules. They explored the classroom in cute poses and gathered meaningful hints.
A digital clock that doesn’t move.
A blood-stained calendar.
Some student’s diary.
“The clock’s date is marked as graduation day on the calendar.”
On the calendar was a circle drawn as if with a bloody finger.
In the eerie atmosphere, everyone opened the diary.
If we just graduate, we can leave this crazy school. We must succeed in the graduation performance. Otherwise, the school will never let us go. Rather than break the history and tradition of producing the best idols, they’d kill all the inferior students…
“……”
“…Wh-what kind of dev… fairy-like beautiful school rules are these… haha…”
A panelist who was about to use strong language quickly changed their words before getting ‘corrected.’
But since we can’t immediately become the best idols, we decided to disguise ourselves.
After that, the diary continued with song selection meetings, learning choreography, and part distribution.
The guest who checked the series of processes immediately figured out what the students had attempted.
“These people seem to have prepared a cover stage! They’re covering a song by a senior group recognized as ‘the best idols’ to pretend to be them! That’s how they tried to escape from the school.”
He cheerfully summarized the situation while receiving the spotlight.
It was Jeong Yusang, the maknae and center of Newton, this episode’s guest of the popular escape room variety show.
“Guys, it seems like we need to do some kind of stage!”
A panelist who had gone to explore the cabinet area shouted from afar.
“Here, look at what Go Won found!”
Next to the panelist, Go Won was lifting a large box without any sign of it being heavy and bringing it to his colleagues.
The gazes of this week’s two guests on <Escape on Sunday> met.
Newton’s Jeong Yusang, and Go Won.
