Chapter 395 |
Side Story (12)
[“…It doesn’t fit.”]
It was small.
No, it was short.
The waistband was elastic and the legs were fairly wide, clearly made with fuller figures in mind, so it wasn’t tight. But the length … was way too short.
It wasn’t quite like dressing an adult in children’s clothes, but if he bent his knees, it felt like his calves would be completely exposed. Seeing someone who always quietly rejected cropped pants whenever a stylist brought them over standing there like that was simply unbelievable.
“Ahahahahaha!”
Eventually, the Sera girl burst out laughing, clutching her stomach. The members of Prism might be risking their lives if they dared to laugh at the sight, but she was a Sera, a being Seo Yutae was completely powerless against. a being Seo Yutae was completely powerless against. Besides, safely at home on the other side of the screen, what did she have to fear?
“Oh no, pfft, he must have been given the biggest hospital gown they had, and yet…….”
There was once a buzz when Prism’s stylist appeared on a fashion program and said in an interview, “Most of the Prism members can’t really wear off-the-rack clothes because the leg length doesn’t fit.”. If that’s the case for the others, just imagine how much Seo Yutae, the tallest member of Prism, must struggle with finding clothes that fit.
“I’m sorry. If I were just a little shorter, it would have been more comfortable…….”
Whenever he had a chance to meet fans face-to-face and talk with them, Seo Yutae always felt bad that they had to crane their necks so far back to look up at him.
‘Honestly, that flustered, apologetic side of him is exactly what makes him so insanely attractive.’
But does that mean Seo Yutae’s height should actually be reduced?
That was absolutely out of the question. Even if it gave her a slipped disc, she’d keep looking up at him.
‘What do you mean, excessive!’
Even at fashion shows famous for having singers perform right in the middle of the runway, you often see that unfortunate mishap where the singer suddenly looks tiny standing next to all those long-limbed models. Seo Yutae, however, was the one singer who earned praise for not losing out to the models in terms of proportions.
[Male idols looking up at Seo Yutae │ Views: 1,093,787]
— Whoa, damn, he looks like someone from another world. The vibe is insane. So this is why height matters…
— seonghun12: Ladies, be honest. Someone that tall is kind of intimidating, right? For dating, isn’t mid-to-late 170s the sweet spot? Forget the face and answer honestly
└ serakillyou: Shut the hell up
└ YutaeMeow: LMAOO instant rejection at the gate 😂 so ruthless 😂
└ Yuna: LOLOL yeah, just turn around quietly and go home, Seonghun-ah, don’t cry ㅜ
└ seonghun12: ㅠㅠ the world is so damn unfair
[(⚠ Heart-fluttering) Seo Yutae bending down for the makeup staff │ Views: 2,319,109]
— My heart is racing……
— I swear I can smell men’s cologne through the screen;;;;
— I’m Lee Boksoon, 34 years old, and I think I might change my career to makeup artist starting today
— Hyung … you’re making me feel weird
└ ?
└ Be honest, you’re that male fan who yelled “I love you, hyung!” at the top of his lungs on the way to the music show last time, aren’t you?
— If you’re into this kind of stuff, you need to go watch this right now (Link). Nam Yihwon teasing Seras < He asks them to put a headband on him, but then he won’t lean down and just stands there snickering;;… So freaking annoying, but honestly, it’s kind of hot. Don’t you agree?
The Prism members probably have no idea how much the Seras’ pride swells every time they go viral for their killer height and incredible physiques.
‘Being able to take off their shoes on variety shows without a second thought, being able to style them without worrying about making their proportions look bad … that’s power.’
Just as she was thinking that, a nurse who had come to guide the Prism members caught sight of Seo Yutae’s pants and clapped a hand over her mouth.
[“Oh my, what do we do…….”]
Her pitying cry only ended up making Seo Yutae look more miserable.
[“Ahahahaha!”]
At the sight, Nam Yihwon, who had already been covering his mouth and laughing ever since Seo Yutae put on the hospital gown, finally lost all restraint at the nurse’s reaction and burst into loud laughter, clutching his stomach.
[❤ seconds before Nam Yihwon loses his human dignity>] [<2>] [<1>]
The moment the countdown finished, the camera caught Seo Yutae’s eyes flashing coldly. In the next instant, Seo Yutae lunged forward, grabbed Nam Yihwon by the back of the neck, and slammed him to the floor, then the video abruptly cut.
‘Here we go again…….’
As thunderous classical music played and the ominous click, click, click sound effects of a camera shutter were inserted, the chaos of Seo Yutae mercilessly subduing Nam Yihwon and stripping off his pants … no, tearing at them, was summed up in just three still shots.
‘At least they covered his underwear. Thank goodness.’
When the video resumed, Nam Yihwon reappeared in a complete mess, wearing a hospital gown just like Seo Yutae. As a bonus, his posture had become noticeably more demure.
[“…It’s short.”]
Well, that was only to be expected.Nam Yihwon was roughly the same height as Seo Yutae.
It wasn’t just Nam Yihwon; none of the other members were any different. It wasn’t as severe as Seo Yutae’s case, but on everyone, the length felt uncomfortably tight.
[“Don’t we look way too ugly right now?”]
[“Even if it’s a bit late, should we ask them to stop the filming?”]
[<Pardon……?>] [<A barrage of offensive remarks>]
As if proving they were idols through and through, the Prism members huddled together whispering in front of a mirror, and captions popped up on screen voicing what the viewers were thinking. At the same time, a soft, glowing filter was applied to the screen as if to highlight their stunning visuals.
‘They’re making such a fuss about being ugly with those faces. At least say something that makes sense.’
[Bonk!]
[“Ah.”]
Even in the middle of all this chaos, Seo Yuseong was off by himself in the distance, quietly changing his clothes, only to end up bumping his head against the locker door. When a cute collision sound effect played, the kind of sound you’d only expect to hear when a toddler trips, the Sera girl clasped her hands to her puffed-up cheeks and laughed.
‘Yuseong oppa really is in his own little world. He’s always off doing something else by himself. Cute.’
She had no way of knowing the truth: he simply struggled to tell which situation called for focusing on which topic. Seo Yutae glanced at Seo Yuseong, then quietly took hold of his wrist and pulled him over to stand at his side.
[<Retrieving My Younger Brother>]
Seo Yuseong blinked blankly, as if he didn’t understand his brother’s action at first, but soon, as though used to it, he stood obediently beside him. It was a reaction born of his unconditional trust in Seo Yutae and of the limits he had felt time and again up to now. The certainty that this time too, I must be wrong, and hyung must be right.
[“…I’ll retie your ribbon. How old are you that you still tie it so weirdly? If you tie it like this, it’ll come undone right away.”] [“…What’s the difference?”]
After all the members changed into their hospital gowns, with Seo Yuseong as the last, Prism lined up in front of the camera again and continued filming. Since Seo Yutae had refused to host, Lee Chise stepped up to lead the segment.
[“You all would’ve filled out a questionnaire before the checkup. Shall we take a look at what you wrote?”] [“Yeees.”]
[“How often do you drink alcohol?”]
For the viewers, captions appeared above each Prism member’s head showing their respective answers.
[<Do not drink at all> <do not drink at all> <once every two months> <two to three times a month> <once every two weeks> <twice a week> <once every one to two days>>]</once></twice></once></two></once></do>
In order, they were Seo Yutae, Seo Yuseong, Jo Inchan, Cha Woon, Lee Chise, Yoo Jay, and Nam Yihwon.
The Prism members stared blankly for a moment with their eyes fixed below the camera, as if receiving the results of the questionnaires they had submitted in advance from the staff. Then, when it reached Nam Yihwon’s turn, their mouths fell open. It was telling enough that the captions above the heads of every member except Nam Yihwon changed to “!!!!!!!”.
[“Haha.”]
Nam Yihwon, apparently a little embarrassed by the results he’d submitted himself, scratched the back of his head and avoided the members’ gazes.
‘I mean, it’s surprising enough that the Seo brothers don’t drink at all … but once every one or two days?’
[“Look at him. He felt guilty, so he didn’t say once a day and sneaked in ‘every two days’. He’s totally lying. Based on how often he calls me while he’s drunk, it’s pretty much once a day.”]
Jo Inchan’s added remark, thrown at Nam Yihwon with a glare, only made everyone more bewildered. As a Sera, she had already heard that Nam Yihwon was a well-known heavy drinker in the entertainment industry, but she hadn’t imagined it was to that extent.
[“On days when you drink a lot, about how much do you usually have?”]
As if things weren’t bad enough, the question about quantity followed immediately, and Nam Yihwon even started breaking out in a cold sweat. He went so far as to shake his head wildly at the PD, silently begging them not to say it, but unfortunately, the results were revealed right away anyway.
[<Not applicable> <not applicable> <half a bottle of soju> <half a bottle of wine two shots liquor> <3–4 bottles of soju> <1–2 bottles of soju> <Bomb shot. Don’t remember the exact amount</half></half></not>>]
[“…….”] [“…….”]
After a brief silence, Seo Yutae’s eyes rolled from the PD who had been reading out the answers to Nam Yihwon.
[“******.”]
As if he’d let loose a string of heavy swearing, a beep sounded and a little bird-shaped sticker was slapped over Seo Yutae’s mouth. The atmosphere on set heated up instantly. The staff laughed because it was funny in their own way, while the Prism members were busy trying to restrain Seo Yutae.
[“No, I seriously agonized over whether I should write the truth or not, but I figured lying during a medical checkup would be bad, so……”] [“Of course you shouldn’t lie. Who’s saying that’s the problem? Who told you to drink like that in the first place?”] [“Chise-hyung too! He wrote three or four bottles! Why is it just me!”]
[“Chise knows nothing. He’d never drink something as horrifying as a bomb shot.”]1 [“Lee Chise only drinks once in a while, and he can hold his liquor. How dare you try to drag Lee Chise down with you? What? Don’t remember? Is drinking until you black out something to brag about!”]
Seo Yutae didn’t stop hitting Nam Yihwon until his words coming out in jagged gasps and his gown was about to fall open from the increasingly violent thrashing. Even then, his anger hadn’t subsided; he panted as he tried to catch his breath, raking a hand irritably through his hair.
At that moment, Seo Yuseong, who had been quietly staring straight ahead the entire time, spoke up.
[“Hyung, calm down.”]
[“…….”]
He said that because it looked like the vein bulging on his brother’s forehead from the rush of blood might burst at any moment. Hearing that, Seo Yutae flinched slightly, his storm-like momentum easing a little.
Then, after taking a deliberate, deep breath to calm himself, he shot Nam Yihwon a fierce glare and spoke,
[“Haah … you better be ready for what’s coming after we finish filming.”]
[“…I feel like I’m getting called in every single day lately.”] [“You reap what you sow.”]
The next question was about exercise.
[Q. Over the course of a typical week, how often do you engage in high-intensity exercise that leaves you short of breath?]
[<Every day> <every day> <every day> <every day> <every day> <every day> <every day>>]</every></every></every></every></every></every>
‘Insane. This is insane…….’
She knew the Prism members worked out diligently. After all, their daily vlogs often showed them heading off to the gym, and when talking with fans they frequently said things like, “I’m on my way back from working out”. Still, she never imagined it was to this extent.
‘All I do is breathe.’
‘If the Prism members knew, they’d be horrified for sure.’ Swallowing those thoughts, she continued watching the video with a weak, saintly smile.
[Q. Have you ever smoked a total of five packs (100 cigarettes) or more of regular cigarettes (combustible2) in your lifetime?]
[<O> <x> <x> <x> <x> <O> <O>]</x></x></x></x>
For this question, the captions above the members who answered ‘yes’ turned red.
In truth, it had been common knowledge for a long time that the Prism members smoked, and since the members themselves didn’t seem to care who knew, Seras had eventually come to accept it as a given. So, their answers to this question weren’t surprising at all. The real issue was the question that came right after.
[Q. What is your average daily smoking amount?]
[<One pack a day> <not applicable> <not applicable> <not applicable> <not applicable> <five cigarettes a day> <half a pack day>>]</half></five></not></not></not></not>
Even though he wasn’t exactly in a position to call anyone out himself, Nam Yihwon seemed to think he’d finally found his gotcha moment. He cocked an eyebrow crookedly and leaned his face right up close to Seo Yutae.
[“One pack a daaaay?”] [“…You said you were cutting back.”]
Seo Yutae was about to fire back immediately with “That’s the average” or “It varies depending on the situation”, but before he could, Cha Woon’s muttering from the side stabbed straight into his conscience. As a result, Seo Yutae, who had been fuming just a second ago, fell completely silent, and Nam Yihwon began to speak with a cheeky smirk.
[“Wow, I think I’m gonna have to report this to the CEO? This is really serious, Director-nim.”]
[“…….”]
Now, it was time for the counterattack.
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Translator’s Corner:
- This is Lee Chise speaking ↩︎
- Basically the medical term in this question refers only to the traditional / rolled cigarettes (궐련), so electronic cigarettes doesnt count. ↩︎
Happy New Year, everyone! Please live a healthy live and stay far away from smoking and drinking if you can! (well, I never smoke or drink and I’m still not healthy so idk too. Healthy life really sounds difficult)