Chapter 137

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Translated by Sylph

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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The penalty screen time was stolen by VTIC.

“자~ 두 분, 스테이지 위로 올라와 주시면 됩니다!”

“어우, 아깝네요!”

“좀 억울합니다~”

Instead of getting me out, one VTIC guy voluntarily stepped on the line and went into the penalty, and another guy got hit with a water balloon along with a reaction that wasn’t particularly special.

Seeing the lack of characteristic sight that would have passed in a 3-second cut if they weren’t guys who sold 1.8 million copies in initial sales, it seemed they had no particular passion for variety shows as Big Sejin said.

‘…It means they didn’t get eliminated on purpose to get screen time.’

Then, did that proud face from earlier sincerely come from ‘a heart that considers the rookie idols’?

‘Rather, the side that it was really a mistake but they did that because it was embarrassing is more persuasive.’

My eyes met with Big Sejin’s. He laughed like a picture and pointed to himself slightly with a finger.

It was annoying but there was no choice, and it seemed he meant that he would actively try to receive a penalty next time.

“자 이번 팀전은~ 쌍화차 찾기!”

However, this bizarre and absurd situation continued in the next team battle as well.

“달걀노른자가 없는! 쌍화차를 제일 처음 고르는 분의 팀이 패배합니다~ 자, 음악에 맞춰서 댄스와 함께 골라봅시다!”

In a word, it was a game with an ambiguous 90s vibe that combined musical chairs and random luck.

‘이건 완전 운인데.’

Thinking to pass this one, I picked without even agonizing. Because it would be funnier if I got caught like this.

Of course, based on probability, it was much more likely that the damn yolk was inside.

“아, 문대 씨~ 통과!”

And it happened exactly like that. There was a yolk in the Ssanghwa tea I picked.

Then the VTIC guys started inciting while clapping.

“오오~ 대단해!!”

“와, 이걸 어떻게 이렇게 바로 맞히지?”

“…….”

Why are you doing this, you bastards.

I answered roughly and passed it, but it was obvious that this wasn’t openly funny and would just be pure ambiguous and unnaturally heartwarming.

In the end, the MC, who couldn’t stand it, was trying to point this out and make it funny.

“Wait, you two have been having too good reactions only to Moondae-ssi since earlier?”

“Ah, hyung-nim, you don’t know anything~ It’s because the successful ones are close with each other~!”

“Is that so~?”

The VTIC guys waved their hands.

“No, no~ Not at all, it’s just, he’s a talented friend!”

“We did it because it was amazing that he got it right without even agonizing.”

Rather than bringing it to life, they just denied it moderately, so the picture was ambiguous again. It seemed right that they were guys who were bad at variety shows.

But why on earth are you doing troll acts to me with that.

‘Are they screwing with me?’

I looked just in case, but no sign of trying to provoke was felt.

‘미치겠네.’

And this time, the SoftSweet member took the penalty.

“Look closely! ……It’s not a yolk, right? It’s canned yellow peach, right?!”

“Uwaaaak!!”

The penalty was Gosam tea. Youngrin, who performed the penalty together as a doppelganger, drank it in one shot without even a change in expression, drawing reactions even from the staff.

‘I’m envious.’

I wish I had at least spat out after drinking Gosam tea instead.

At this rate, I’ll continue to end as a reaction background and a sidekick for VTIC’s screen time without receiving a penalty even once.

‘차라리 활약을 해야 하나.’

At the moment I was agonizing over whether to change the route, the filming stopped for a moment.

“Cut! We’ll go after changing!”

“We’ll check our microphones for a moment.”

“Yes!”

It was a short period of maintenance and rest.

“I’m going to the restroom.”

“어.”

Big Sejin followed the MC and left the seat slightly, and I waited for the timing while intentionally drinking a beverage.

Then, the opponent moved first.

“안녕하세요, 후배님~”

“아까 우리 너무 급하게 와서 인사도 제대로 못 했죠?”

The VTIC guys spoke to me with beaming smiles.

They were guys whose names I hadn’t even introduced myself to, but social life is such that I can’t be stern.

“…Yes. It’s been a long time. Sunbaenims.”

“Ah~ ‘sunbaenim’ is awkward. Just call us hyung, hyung!”

“Right. Don’t call us as if we’re so old.”

There was a feeling that came even before the impression that 8th-year guys were saying shameless things.

‘Hmm?’

These guys… why are they so awkward.

‘They look like they would be breaking out in cold sweat on their backs.’

They seemed to have tried to speak generously and friendly in their own way, but the limit was visible.

It wasn’t the feeling of the type who had been doing such things originally… that is, the type who is used to winning people over like Big Sejin or Ryu Chungwoo.

It seemed they were not used to the role of a sociable elder.

‘What is it.’

First, let’s give a proper answer.

“It’s not a matter of age, you’re great seniors, so for me to call you recklessly……”

“무슨 대선배에요~ 으악!”

“편하게 하라니까요!”

“…….”

Wow, these guys are trying hard.

It’s more flabbergasting than when the final blow of the penalty was stolen earlier.

I was speechless. Then, as if thinking of that as a rough implicit consent, the two guys giggled and exchanged looks.

And they opened their mouths while coughing.

“흠, 예능 많이 어렵죠?”

“Eh? Yes….”

The difficulty would have dropped by two levels if you guys weren’t here.

But the two had proud faces.

“어, 촬영하면서 너무 무리하지 말고…… 힘들면 SOS 보내요. 도와줄게.”

“…??”

“아 부담은 가지지 말고! 나중에 후배 생기면 또 잘해줘요. 우린 신경 쓰지 말고요.”

And these two guys were exchanging expressions like ‘Oh~ you’re talking well?’.

It’s amazing.

“…….”

I asked openly while holding back a headache.

“……그럼 아까, 금 밟으신 건.”

“아하하! 아니~ 그렇게 티가 났나?”

“아냐, 이 후배님이 감이 좋은 것 같아.”

“그렇지? 아무튼 막… 너무 신경 쓰지 마요. 그냥 어쩌다 보니까~”

…Now I know for sure.

‘These guys, they did it completely out of goodwill.’

They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and it was exactly that state.

Furthermore, the idea they thought of to help was one-dimensional.

Even considering that they don’t have much variety show experience, they didn’t seem like the type who knows how to use their heads much.

‘한 5년 안에 보증이나 사업 사기로 한탕 털릴 것 같은데.’

No matter how smoothly the VTIC guys grew, they were quite empty-headed for having survived 8 years in this fiery hell of K-pop society.

‘…By any chance, are they guys Cheongryeo replaced?’

Thinking about it, I felt that that kind of result could happen if he looked for guys who wouldn’t cause accidents and were easy to handle.

Anyway, since they are guys who don’t seem to have any other complex thoughts, I can just brush them off moderately.

“정말 감사합니다. 그래도 제가 해볼 수 있는 데까지는 해보려고요. 아까처럼 배려 안 해주셔도 괜찮습니다.”

“Eh?”

The slightly flustered guys agonized for a moment and then opened their mouths again with sheepish faces.

“으음, 사실 거, 청려 형한테 이야기를 좀 들었는데.”

“……??”

What is this about again.

‘He didn’t say something useless, did he.’

At the moment the top of my head was about to become chilly, the guy in front smiled brightly.

“아니, 문대 씨 진짜 열심히 하고 좋은 후배니까 잘해줘라, 뭐 그런 말을 하더라고요!”

“…!!”

“Right! But that hyung is really a person who doesn’t say such things.”

“Yeah. There are really almost no close people too… it was amazing that he became close with a hubaenim.”

We are not close.

“좀 사람이 삭막해 보일 순 있긴 한데… 그래도 재현, 아니, 청려 형이 생각보다 되게 사람 괜찮잖아요.”

“Right. That hyung donates half of what he received from his settlement to a stray dog center and such?”

“Hul, he did as much as half?”

“Yeah, I was appalled while watching that hyung use a bank app.”

“무슨 산신령처럼 살더니 진짜 동물은 좋아하네.”

The two fell into a conversation among themselves while talking. And when they came to their senses, they sheepishly came out again.

“No, why did the story go here? Anyway, since it’s a connection, tell us if there’s anything difficult during today’s filming~ It’s something like that.”

“혹시 지금 힘든 건 없고?”

“…….”

I was dazed because I suddenly heard too many nonsensical things.

I punched my inner self.

‘알 게 뭐야 X발. 정신이나 차리자.’

Whether Cheongryeo is the guardian of stray dogs or not is something he will do on his own.

The important thing is my goal now. The current filming.

I picked my words and opened my mouth.

“사실…….”

After I moderately explained the situation I was in and indirectly informed them that I actually aimed for the penalty, the two people were startled.

“Heok! Was it so??”

“Hey, I’m sorry!”

“Shall we push all the penalties now?”

“Should we make it all penalties for you?”

“……It’s okay.”

I made a light request instead, and the VTIC members readily agreed.

“Hey Moondae~”

Right after that, Big Sejin, who went to the restroom, returned.

“Did you have any good talk?”

“Moderately. You?”

“Hey, I went to the restroom, how could there be a good talk already~?”

Seeing him chuckling while answering, it seemed he had achieved something, but his mouth says something else for now.

Sure enough, the spoils of war soon popped out.

“그냥… 어쩌다 보니 동선이 겹쳐가지고, 최호수 MC님이랑 대화 좀 했지. 번호도 교환하고.”

As expected.

“The conversation must have been fruitful.”

“뭐, 우리의 예능 방향성 이야기를 좀 했달까?”

Big Sejin smiled widely.

“Because I said the two of us will never receive a penalty.”

“……!”

“So he’ll probably try to give us penalties somehow to pull out reactions.”

It was brilliant.

* * *

The latter half of the filming ended well under the cooperation of several cast members.

‘It seems it came out better than planned.’

Now it’s a matter of editing, but honestly, I’m not very worried.

Even if I were the PD, I wouldn’t cut this.

“고생하셨습니다~”

“수고 많으셨습니다!”

“아, 오늘 굉장히 좋았어요!”

Anyway, I left the filming site only after bowing and greeting just like when I arrived.

And inside the car going to the next schedule.

In a quiet and peaceful atmosphere after the filming ended well, an unwelcome contact arrived abruptly.

[VTIC Cheongryeo Sunbaenim: I heard you met the kids at the filming today.]

[VTIC Cheongryeo Sunbaenim: How was it. It must have been helpful ^^]

“……Whew.”

I felt it would be like this somehow when I met the VTIC guys.

It was absurd, but looking at it this way, the content of the text itself was moderately normal.

‘만나면 미친놈이라 문제지.’

I pressed my eyelids several times and then sent a reply.

[Yes. The sunbaenims gave me help. Thank you.]

And unexpectedly, a reply came after some time passed.

[VTIC Cheongryeo Sunbaenim: I’m glad it was helpful. By any chance, don’t you also want to try active activities again with better teammates?]

‘Shit.’

Why does it always go towards dying and starting again if he says anything.

The nonsense of the VTIC guys echoed in my mind.

-Jaehyun, no, Cheongryeo-hyung is a quite decent person, more than you’d think… he’s decent… he’s decent….

How could he be decent.

He’s making sounds that would freeze all decent people to death.

But it didn’t seem that the VTIC guys lied either. That is, the example cited itself… seems like the truth.

‘…딱 한 번만 해본다.’

With superhuman patience, I attempted a reply after assuming for once that the opponent is normal.

[I don’t want to. And the fact itself that I keep hearing such words is very stressful. I’m almost at my limit just thinking about the mission.]

[It’s very difficult, so I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t do it.]

And for a long time, no reply came.

‘…지뢰 밟았나.’

But even if a state of being buried alive in a remote mountain entered a countdown, I will never die alone.

‘I should make this bastard enter a state of social death too.’

Leaning on the neck pillow, I began to refine the plan I had thought of before.

It’s something like a repetitive labor that calms the mind a bit.

“Hmm.”

Then abruptly again, a reply returned.

[VTIC Cheongryeo Sunbaenim: I understand.]

“……!”

Several tens of seconds passed.

Only then did the next text arrive.

[VTIC Cheongryeo Sunbaenim: I’m sorry.]

“…….”

The texts ended with that.

“…Whew.”

I turned off the smartphone and closed my eyes again.

Human beings were truly unknown bastards.

* * *

When Park Moondae was lost in thought inside the car, articles were slowly appearing on the internet.

[Choi Hosu’s , the top-tier lineup is coming… from VTIC to TeStar]

[테스타의 예능 나들이? 촬영, “많이 기대해 주세요!”]

-Hul VTIC TeStar
-It’s a relief that it’s a variety show appearance and not a simultaneous release this time
└ㅋㅋㅋㅋ Really
-Cheongryeo and Park Moondae were really funny in ‘Il-chin’… I want to see them again, I wonder if those two appeared

And it was disclosed not long after which TeStar members were appearing.

-Moondae and Keun-Se-ning (Big Sejin)

-Ah it’s Moondae, I like it so much ㅠㅠ

-Saturday Party, finally the day to market TeStar to Mom has come!!

└ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Congratulations

-Why Lee Sejin; shouldn’t Cha Yujin be the one appearing?

└Maybe because he’s the variety member?

└예능 멤 같은 소리하네 그건 본인이 알아서 뚫어야지 6위가 예능 먼저 나오는 거 웃긴 일 맞잖아 자기 분수를 모르는 건데 인지도나 화제성 생각하면 당연히 1, 2위부터 나와야하는 거 아니야?

└Looks like they’re ready to put their lives on a single variety show

└Someone would think we planted him there

-Moondae fighting! ㅎㅎㅎ

And there was also a person who sighed in relief after checking all these reactions.

‘문대한테는 거의 욕이 없네!’

The graduate student exited the page she was looking at with relief. She was a fan of Park Moondae who had started searching the internet after being sunk by the wave of English comments on Wetube.

The heart was excited because the atmosphere of seeing Moondae favorably recently was certain.

Her friend who was a fansite master seemed quite uneasy, but for her, it wasn’t quite understandable.

‘Isn’t it good if everyone knows Moondae is kind and cute?’

Compared to the times when she worried that Moondae would see malicious comments, it was no different from a fairy.

‘예능 기대된다!’

The graduate student rolled on the bed while laughing, then unable to hold back the surging fan heart, she accessed Wetube.

And she clicked a thumbnail that was still appearing on the popular video ranking.

‘I’ll watch it just one more time and sleep.’

It was none other than the music video for TeStar’s new song.