Chapter 57 |
I hate stupid people.
“Let’s stop with the pointless mind games and speak honestly. I’m the leader. I have the authority to make decisions about parts and positions … But honestly, I don’t think I’ll have good feelings toward the ones who voted for me.”
I knew there was something morally wrong with judging a person’s worth by their intelligence. But what could I do? When someone kept saying stupid things right in front of me, my affection for them just dropped.
“What are you talking about?”
“I’m saying this. I’m the leader of this team, and I’m the one who decides your parts … I want you to know that.”
‘….He knew that it would be aired on broadcast, yet he said such a thing?’
To summarize his words, I am the leader of this team, and I have absolute authority in deciding the parts, so everyone should just watch out and follow my lead.
I looked at Kang Baeyoung with cold eyes.
If it had been Song Hanseo, he wouldn’t have acted like that. Even though he could somehow manage the upcoming third mission on his own, this was a broadcast. Because in the long term, some level of image management was necessary.
Was he thinking that it was cool, or was he really so stupid that he couldn’t tell right from wrong and just went ahead with it? That was my question.
I was hoping it was the former. I really had no idea how to deal with a really stupid person.
“And I plan to give the members who didn’t vote for me a reward they deserve. It’s a gesture of respect towards each other.”
Perhaps he knew that the members who had heard his threats wouldn’t be too happy about it, so he quickly added a tactic of persuasion. And with those words, a change occurred in the atmosphere, the atmosphere that had been cold changed..
“A reward they deserve?”
“Are you saying you will be as considerate as possible about the parts or positions?”
“That’s right. Equally.”
He nodded at the members’ questions. Then, Do Yuda leaned in close to me and whispered, “How is that respect? He’s saying that if you stick with him, he’ll give you a lot of parts, and if you don’t, he’ll ignore you.”
“Yeah.”
“How despicable. Since I’ve already been targeted, I’ll do whatever I want.”
“…….”
Looking at the producer team’ expressions, it seemed like they had read the direction of the broadcast and had no particular intention to intervene. The members, sensing that the production team had no plans to get involved in this absurd situation, were left to figure things out on their own.
The refreshing concept song, Marine Marine!, was pretty well chosen. It was obvious that it would be a huge success when the performance was released to the public.
If the song became a hot topic, the public’s attention would naturally turn to the members who performed on stage, and inevitably, the members who stood out among them would receive the spotlight.
Members with mediocre skills and popularity. It was now time for them to step up and compete, and realizing this, I instinctively felt that the situation had already reached a point of no return.
Greed began to appear on the members’ faces.
“If we distribute the parts according to skill, Do Yuda and Han Seungbeom will take it all.”
“We’ll just get a small part like we’ve done so far.”
“If Baeyoung-hyung becomes the leader, we’ll all get equal parts, right?”
“…….”
I made a desperate effort not to show any expression of disdain towards them.
‘You’re talking about equality. How are you going to handle 1/7 of the parts with that skill?’
Parts came in proportion to skill and recognition. If the parts were few, all one had to do was improve their own skill until they couldn’t be ignored and had to be given more parts. But to these guys, that was an impossible idea.
“If I choose Baeyoung-hyung, I might not get many parts. I don’t want that.”
“Then we shouldn’t pick Baeyoung-hyung…..”
If, by a narrow margin, Kang Baeyoung wasn’t removed, those who pointed him out would have to face consequences. And this fact became a great excuse for them.
“The 15-minute time limit is over.”
With fantastic timing, the discussion ended and it was time to vote.
“On the count of three, please point to one person with your finger.”
The members looked at each other’s expressions as they listened to the production team’s words.
“One, two, three.”
“…….”
“…….”
The production team just counted the seconds with the unprepared trainees, and the results that were revealed right away were disastrous.
“The trainee to be removed is Park Yeonkang.”
Do Yuda, the trainee to be kicked out, and I pointed to Kang Baeyoung, while the other trainees pointed to a member who had been less noticeable after Kang Baeyoung. In the end, Kang Baeyoung was confirmed as the leader of the team.
‘Ah, these idiots…….’
If you just used your common sense, someone who said things like ‘If you pick me, I’ll ruin your parts‘ was hardly someone who would make a good leader.
Team members who only care about themselves, a leader who is incompetent and shameless, and a clueless little puppy.
I ended up taking on this ruined group project.
‘I’m so busy with my own work that I felt like dying, but since there are so many immature people around me, there’s no end to the accidents.’
Anyway, one thing was certain: after the broadcast aired, Kang Baeyoung’s image would be ruined. I never imagined he would be foolish enough to ruin his own future like this, but it was too late to turn back.
“Are you having trouble judging the situation properly because you’re so busy being friendly with Do Yuda?”
Kang Baeyoung still seemed unaware of his situation, as he put on a smug expression and pushed his face forward. For a moment, I wondered if the camera was just a decoration to him.
“I never thought you’d choose me until the end. What on earth are you thinking, still taking Do Yuda’s side?”
“Why would I take Do Yuda’s side?”
“What?”
When I immediately asked back to that stupid question, both Kang Baeyoung and Do Yuda tilted their heads in confusion. Seeing their clueless expressions, I decided to kindly clear up their doubts.
“I told you, it’s only right for the person with the least skill to be removed. If it’s not you, who else would be the least skilled in this team?”
“…….”
“I just chose you because I didn’t think you’d be much help to our team, so I don’t know what you’re mistaken about. Worry about your own future, not mine. What you just did is no different from sending an innocent kid out with a dirty trick.”
At my words, the trainee who was leaving the practice room stopped in his tracks. Then, with tears welling up in his eyes, he looked back at me.
“Seungbeom-hyung…..”
“It’s not your fault. So, don’t cry when you enter the other practice room. Just be confident.”
I cut off his teary voice and spoke my mind. I had never talked to him before, and Do Yuda was more than enough to be the only crying child I needed to comfort.
Do Yuda was looking back and forth between the camera and me with an anxious expression. He seemed worried about whether it would be okay for the broadcast to show me openly expressing my hostility toward Kang Baeyoung.
‘‘Again, you’re worrying about useless things…….’
I had no choice. The trainee who should never have been removed in the first place was kicked out because of this ridiculous trick, so I should at least tell him that he wasn’t kicked out because he’s not good enough.
And I don’t do things that will harm me.
I didn’t have the patience to cater to Kang Baeyoung’s whims, nor did I have any intention to. From the beginning, I had no expectation of receiving a good part from him.
This was nothing more than a scene created for the show.
In this type of survival program, there had to be a character who caused trouble; whether it’s an action created through editing or a deed committed simply because they couldn’t see themselves objectively.
Because they needed to create a target for the public to vent their anger and relieve stress.
‘If I hadn’t caught the main PD’s weakness, I might have been a little more careful.’
I was just guiding the direction of the editing. To create a scene that would explode like soda, allowing the producers to edit it more provocatively.
“…You’ll regret it.”
Kang Baeyoung muttered, his face flushed red. I just ignored him.
“Now, Trainee Park Yeonkang, please move to the other room. And please begin the actual distribution of parts and selection of positions.”
“Hyung! I’ll do my best!”
After confirming that the conflict was roughly resolved, the producer team sent off the removed trainee and continued with the next segment. I waved casually at Park Yeonkang and returned to my seat.
Then, Do Yuda grabbed my arm and shared his worries again.
“Hyung, how can you not control your temper and say everything on your mind? If you don’t get any parts, it’s all because of your mouth, hyung.”
“You say that, but you voted for Kang Baeyoung too.”
“I’m already doomed. I don’t have to pretend since we’re not on good terms anyway. But it’s different with you, hyung. He was trying to be on your side, but if you reject him so coldly, he’ll completely hate you.”
“If I sided with him, you’d be upset.”
“No, I wouldn’t?”
I snorted, laughing at Do Yuda’s lie. I could guarantee that if I had sided with Kang Baeyoung, this kid would have stuck out his lips and complained all day long. Wanting to avoid that at all costs, I dismissed his nagging.
“It’s fine, I don’t regret it.”
“Ah, seriously, I think this hyung’s brain is taken over by his pride. You might end up failing someday if you keep acting like that.”
This kid teased me about my personality, but the corners of his mouth twitched as if he was secretly happy.
Either laugh or get angry, just pick one.
“Shall we start distributing the parts?”
As if he was about to start acting like a leader, Kang Baeyoung walked toward the members, holding a piece of paper with lyrics and a position stickers. Just as the meeting was about to begin in earnest, someone opened the door to the practice room without knocking.
“What?”
“Someone seems to have come?”
At the murmuring voices of the members, I, who was sitting closest to the door, had no choice but to get up and walk towards the door. And when I saw the person standing in front of it, I let out a little laugh.
“…What are you doing here? We’re not done talking yet.”
The unexpected visitor turned out to be Lee Hwayoung.
“I got kicked out.”
“…What? You’re the second place in the program?”
“I got kicked out.”
“You’re talented at both singing and dancing.”
“I got kicked out.”
Lee Hwayoung kept spitting out the same answer and glared at me. To be precise, he wasn’t glaring at me, but was probably just glaring at me because I was the one standing in front of him while he was feeling wronged.
I grabbed the back of my neck, which had suddenly become stiff, and tightly closed my eyes. Then, a memory flashed through my mind.
“Why are you crying so much?”
“I don’t like it.”
“Do you want to go home?”
“I don’t like it.”
“Do you want me to take you to Mom? Say bye-bye to uncle?”
“I don’t like it.”
It was a memory from a long time ago, when I often took care of a child who was like a nephew. The conversation pattern was exactly like this. I’m talking to a twenty-year-old now, but I’m feeling the same emotions from back then … does this make sense?
“So, what are you going to do?”
“…….”
I had no intention of playing ‘Twenty Questions1‘ to find the truth from a twenty-year-old, so I waited for him to answer on his own. But Lee Hwayoung just shut his mouth and glared at me with an even fiercer look.
“The practice room here is already full.”
Lee Hwayoung’s golden eyelashes fluttered at those words. He seemed to be disappointed.
I let out a deep sigh at his helpless state and covered my eyes with my hand.
‘This is what happens when you crush your teammates like that.’
That’s why I told you to do it moderately, you stubborn young master.
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Translator’s Corner:
- Twenty Questions (스무고개) is a game in which 20 questions are asked and the answer has to be guessed. ↩︎
OMGGG I WAS GETTING REALLY ANGRY BECAUSE OF THE STUPID TEAMMATES (i really tormented my mouse and keyboard in this chapter) THEN NICHOLAS APPEARED … 100% forgiven for now, i’ll get mad again next chapter