Chapter 47 |
After finishing the conversation with the main PD, there was no one on my way back to the dorm. That was understandable. Unless they had a strong backer, the trainees had to follow the daily schedule set by the production team.
‘I need to go check on Do Yuda’s condition … think about the next mission, and also see how it was aired on the broadcast.’
As I walked down the empty hallway with a relaxed mind, I turned around a corner and my heart was almost stopped.
Suddenly, a ‘trainee with strong backer‘ showed up.
“Did the conversation go well?”
An elegant voice dripping with natural arrogance. It was Lee Hwayoung.
‘This kid always wanders around doing whatever he wants. Doesn’t he care about the production team’s hardships?’
It felt odd coming from the very person who had caused the most trouble for the production team, but that’s beside the point. That was one thing, and this was another. I didn’t pull stunts like ignoring the production team and going off on my own.
I stared straight into his eyes, which carried a reptilian eeriness. And then I asked back as if nothing had happened, “What conversation?”
Lee Hwayoung smirked as he looked at my naturally innocent face, as if he considered everything I did to be a futile struggle.
‘How did you know I came out of the main PD’s personal room?’
The most plausible hypothesis was that he found out by accident, but that possibility was ruled out.
Lee Hwayoung was never the type to waste time without a purpose. He was someone who shared a similar aspect with me. I shouldn’t rely on the thought processes of ordinary people when dealing with him.
In that case, it was highly likely that Lee Hwayoung had come here with some kind of ‘purpose‘, and during that time, he found out that I had visited the main PD’s room.
‘In an empty hallway, avoiding people … what would the young master of the Sanghwa Group be doing in a place like this?’
Most of the production staff had already gone home, and only a few key personnel were in the production staff lounge. A situation similar to mine, arriving at the same place at the same time. Taking all of this into account, I came to one conclusion.
“….Ha.”
‘This bastard … you did the same thing as me.’
Even without grabbing the leader, it was still possible to infiltrate the opponent’s ranks and stir things up at will.
Since I needed to speak with the person in charge of everything, I relentlessly pressured the main PD, but Lee Hwayoung wasn’t really in that kind of situation. So, it would have been enough to just grab one of the other production staff and order them around.
‘He must have been on his way back after contacting one of the production staff.’
That guy probably never imagined that his inner thoughts would be read, because all the opponents he had faced so far had been like that.
‘If it’s not something that requires the main PD’s involvement … it would just be a matter of receiving internal information or affecting the editing.’
So, he must have tried to dig into my weaknesses without revealing his own, but that was a mistake. In the end, he ended up exposing his own weaknesses.
All this calculations were made within a short span of time, just enough so that the other person wouldn’t notice anything unusual.
I responded calmly to his words, “Well, are you dying with curiosity?”
“I’m not curious. I already know.”
“…….”
‘He’s testing me.’
If he already knew what conversation the main PD and I had, then from the beginning, instead of focusing on the fact that ‘we had a conversation‘, the conversation would have focused on the fact that ‘I threatened‘.
‘Because that was the easiest way to gain the upper hand in the situation.’
More concealment than necessary meant that there was nothing to hide. If my head wasn’t already spinning from the conversation with the main PD, I might have been fooled.
“You have a talent for exaggerating something that’s not so great. Are you sure you’re not mistaken?”
“You’d be in an uncomfortable position if I said it out loud, wouldn’t you? I’m being considerate.”
It was the second avoidance. He acted as if he knew the answer, but in reality, he didn’t know a thing.
‘Did his family education include a lesson on how to extort people? Dealing with a young brat like this is difficult.’
It felt like a final sentence had been made to end the rapidly spinning thoughts in my head. It was clear. This guy had no idea what I was talking about with the main PD.
And he would never know. No matter how much he interrogated the other production staff, the main PD didn’t share really intimate details with them, so unless I voluntarily exposed myself, there was no worry about the truth coming out.
“I have nothing to be afraid of, so it’s not uncomfortable at all.”
“Really?”
This bastard’s blue eyes stared at me with an eerie glow.
“Of course.”
‘This meticulous bastard…….’
Every time I answered, he watched how I exhaled, how my facial muscles moved, how frequently my eyelids fluttered. I let him observe my face as much as he wanted.
I was confident that he wouldn’t see anything wrong.
However, after carefully examining my face, Lee Hwayoung let out a short, amused laugh and immediately opened his mouth.
“Wrong.”
“What?”
Lee Hwayoung, who had been standing across from me, slowly approached. Then, he placed his arm on my right shoulder and whispered, “If you maintain your composure like that in any situation, you’ll get caught someday.”
“…….”
“Because you look like someone who is very skilled at lying.”
The soft voice that reached my ears was enough to shake my thoughts. No, perhaps it should be said that it shook my reason.
‘This brat without any manners, you’re just fishing for information, how dare you give me unsolicited advice. Damn it.’
Mainly in the parts related to his rudeness.
This was not the time. He seemed to be about to leave after coolly delivering a sharp remark.
But I could never tolerate the feeling of defeat.
So, I decided to take the next step right away.
The one miracle move that could win every situation.
“Are you jealous?”
“What?”
“You little rascal, if you like me that much, just say so. Okay, okay. Next time, I can just talk to you.”
It’s the act of pouring out nonsense without a care.
At my nonsense, Lee Hwayoung froze for a moment, wearing a blank expression. It seemed like he was questioning what on earth he had just heard.
“But please don’t approach me so aggressively. I prefer a comfortable relationship.”
“What are you talking about…….”
Lee Hwayoung furrowed his brow and was about to deny it. But I interrupted him and continued.
“Aren’t we friends? Don’t you trust me?”
Friends. At those two words, Lee Hwayoung had a look on his face as if his mind had been swept away into space.
‘Looks like you really don’t have any friends. You don’t have any friends because you act like that.’
It was just nonsense to stop him from talking, but I didn’t know it would be this effective.
I slowly walked away, leaving the guy who couldn’t come to his senses.
“Thanks for trusting me. As expected, you’re the best friend. Well then, I’ll be on my way now, my friend. You should go inside and rest soon too.”
And after the guy disappeared from sight, I started running.
‘Lee Hwayoung.’
“……Don’t friends usually talk like this?”
I used my eavesdropping ability while running, and it seemed like Lee Hwayoung was still standing there, muttering to himself.
“…….”
My conscience pricked a little, but what can I do?
***
The hallway window was already showing the dark night sky, so I could tell that quite a bit of time had passed.
‘It would be nice if I could just relax and think about the stage…….’
While I was looking after of a bunch of younger kids and taking care of my own share whenever I could, before I knew it, the program had already reached its midpoint. Although I was somewhat prepared for it, there was really no time to rest since accidents happened every day.
I hurried over and nervously opened the door to my room.
“Oh, hyoong! Ooohhhh.”
And then I heard an unintelligible alien language.
To be exact, it was Do Yuda’s babbling as he stuffed a lot of food into his mouth.
‘Butter squid?’
What Do Yuda was putting in his mouth was butter squid, and various kinds of snacks were scattered messily around him.
“Duyuwansom.”
“……What are you saying?”
I turned my gaze to Woo Kangwon who was sitting next to me, peeling snacks for him. Woo Kangwon smiled awkwardly and then translated Do Yuda’s words.
“I think he’s saying, ‘Do you want some?‘”
I muttered while looking at the piled up snacks, “It looks like you’re about to roll sideways.”
“Imnatgaenwegh.”
“…….”
“It seems like he’s not gaining weight.”
Noticing that I wasn’t saying anything, Woo Kangwon once again translated his words for me. At a loss for how to respond to that vague words, I exhaled the heavy breath that had risen and steadied my breathing.
“….Eat a lot.”
“Yes. Nomnomnom.”
After being told to eat more, Do Yuda gave a thumbs up and made a slightly annoying sound while eating.
As I was putting my coat in the closet Woo Kangwon cautiously approached me and said, “You know, Yuda. He’s been in that state ever since we came back.”
“…He’s been in that state?”
I glanced at Do Yuda. That kid was staring at the TV without moving a muscle, tearing into his next snack, and his cheeks, moving dynamically, continued to puff up as if they wouldn’t burst.
He had been eating a lot before, but not that much.
“Yeah, he’s been like that since we came back. I haven’t really asked him about what happened earlier, but is he okay?”
As far as I could tell, Do Yuda was not okay at all right now.
Although they were similar in that they were both fools, Do Yuda was different from Zen. I shouldn’t think of Zen and this kid as the same. Zen’s dullness reached its peak that the incident with Frick didn’t phase him at all.
“….I’ll give it a try and ask.”
I patted Woo Kangwon on the back and sat down next to Do Yuda without thinking.
Then, I stiffened like a stone.
‘…I have to be careful with my words!’
Children at that age are surely delicate. I should ask carefully to avoid hurting his feeling, but I’ve never been careful with my words in my entire life.
My words got stuck. However, Woo Kangwon was already looking at me with 100% trust in his eyes, and there was no turning back now.
‘Oh, shit. I should’ve just let Woo Kangwon do it.’
I coughed a few times, taking a moment of meaningless regret. Then, I spoke, “…Ah, are you hurt?”
“Pfft! Hyung, why are you doing something you’ve never done before? When have you ever spoken carefully? Just do what you usually do! Don’t give away your lack of experience.”
At my awkward way of speaking, Do Yuda spat out the drink he was sipping and looked at me in disgust. My blood pressure spiked for a moment, but I didn’t explode. After all, I’m an adult.
“I’m not okay. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to give up. I’ve gained so much from this competition. I need to keep improving!”
“…….”
“I’ll only be not okay today. I’ll eat lots of good food, curl up under a blanket, and get some sleep, that’s it. Hyungs, thank you so much for your help, but please don’t treat me like a ticking time bomb. I can overcome this.”
The look in his eyes as he said that carried the same confidence and excitement as when he had just finished the second mission.
Watching him, I couldn’t help but think that I might have seen Do Yuda as nothing more than a young and weak kid all this time.
Do Yuda went through a tough time.
However, he was also someone capable of handling that pain in a healthy way, so now was the time to trust him and leave it to him.
“Alright. Just don’t eat so much that you get indigestion.”
“I have no history of getting indigestion.”
While we were having a trivial conversation, I sensed someone’s presence outside the door, followed by the sound of knocking.
Knock.
“Just a moment.”
Woo Kangwon, who happened to be nearby, answered briefly and opened the door.
“Yahoo!”
Then, something tall and slender dashed into the room with a gait that didn’t suit its size at all.
“Hello, our little cuties! I’m Fairy Jaaay!”
It was Jay who had come to visit us at this late hour.
…..What’s he doing out here?
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Translator’s Corner:
MC: this kid trying to find my weakness
Nicholas in his mind: I wonder what my best friend Han Seungbeom is doing