Chapter 396
It took quite a long time to subdue the VTIC guy who wanted to drop out.
The production staff almost came running in with a camera, probably because they misunderstood that he meant that he was going to leave because he couldn't handle the pressure, but it was fortunate that he calmed down before that.
'It was almost ruined.'
And here, Cha Eugene, Ryu Chungwoo, and… Cheongryeo were put in charge of subduing this guy.
It was understandable. It was an annoying and rude situation, and if there was a problem that arose, it would be a personnel matter that needed to be called out.
"…"
"…"
And in the narrow vocal practice room, five adults were crammed together, creating crushing silence.
'Fuck…'
It was absurd to see even Ryu Chungwoo, who should be planning out a plan to get more votes, standing there with a nervous smile on his face.
'From now on, if the intermediate reward is a random package, I will ignore it.'
This damn system was like a mass-produced mobile game.
I pressed my eyebrows and opened my mouth.
"So… Sunbaenim, we are all in a similar situation right now."
I looked at Ju-Dan, who was now staring into space with a completely distraught face, and calmly opened my mouth.
I just talked about the main points.
-We have been dragged into a strange parallel world and we need to try to escape.
I wondered if anyone would believe something like this without going into detail, but it couldn't be helped.
To a person who knew absolutely nothing, telling them something like, "I'm not actually Park Moondae…" would really make me sound like a crazy person.
'First of all, I will proceed by carefully explaining the objections that come in.'
There was no other way.
At the time, Cheongryeo was smiling and not bothering to intervene, so I had no choice but to put on a one-man show.
"Wait a second."
Finally, Ju-Dan raised his hand.
"Let me ask you a question."
"Yes."
"What is 32 times 6?"
"… … It's 192."
"Yes."
Each person took turns solving a math problem. It wasn't difficult because it was multiplication, so everyone thought about it and then answered correctly.
'What on earth is this guy doing?'
And after turning around and receiving an answer from Cheongryeo, the guy nodded.
"It's not a dream. Hmm."
"…"
"I have a general idea of what the situation is."
"… ??"
"It's a concept that anyone familiar with such subcultures can easily understand. I never thought I would experience it firsthand."
He muttered that with an empty expression and touched his chin.
"No, there's a chance it's still a dream… Anyway, I'm going to take a moment to wash my face. I have to check whether the cold water is cold water."
The guy who said that got up and headed to the bathroom.
Drurruk-tak.
The door opened and closed.
This happened 10 seconds after Ju-Dan started talking to himself.
"…"
[How… How did he believe it?]
I answered with difficulty, making a guess.
'… By numbers.'
[???]
'Because logic is poor in dreams, it's usually difficult to calculate quickly and accurately.'
[Ah…]
But normally, people would just pinch themselves instead of using that other method unnecessarily.
This bastard… Was he originally like this?
"He was always the type of person who was interested in unique concepts, so he's still the same. He's trying to adapt to this situation."
Cheongryeo, conscious of the camera being installed beyond the edge of the door, lowered his voice and whispered.
"Why are you talking about your members like you guys aren't in a group together?"
"Well, it's been a while."
The guy laughed heartily. And he lowered his voice so that only the other person could hear.
"They seem to be obedient, but they are quietly uncooperative at times… It was cumbersome to have to calculate things again when handling them."
His choice of words was fantastic.
"In any case, he's not impossible to deal with, so he will not become a major variable."
"…"
He came to this conclusion casually, but that made it even more strange.
'Is this guy okay?'
Still, I thought there would be some kind of reaction if one of his members' memories came back, such as trying to kill them. He was very strategic after all.
The guy who was tapping his chin with his finger immediately raised his voice and took the next step.
"I'll need to work on more detailed coordination with the cast, but, hmm, we'll have to send those two away before that."
"… !"
Cheongryeo smiled and turned his head. He was implicitly referring to Cha Eugene and Ryu Chungwoo, and they must have known it. However, Cha Eugene did not blink an eye.
"I am already where I want to be."
"Then we'll leave instead and you can stay here. Let's go to the practice room next door."
"Wait a minute."
These guys did this every time they talked.
However, before I could interfere, Ryu Chungwoo intervened, smiling as if he was embarrassed.
"Eugene. Let us go out first. Since they're in the same group, they probably want to talk separately."
Cha Eugene had no objection to that explanation.
He shrugged his shoulders.
"OK. Go talk to the two sunbaenims."
However, there was an afterword.
"But let's go together, Moondae hyung!"
That was a bit much.
"… It's better for me to do it and explain."
"Moondae hyung, are you a VTIC fan?"
Was that why he was doing this?
"I'm going to charge you an explanation fee."
"Wow!"
Go now.
I let Ryu Chungwoo drag Cha Eugene away. However, Ryu Chungwoo did not leave but instead looked back.
"Ah, Moondae."
"Yes?"
"Don't worry too much about my votes. If I get eliminated, it means I wouldn't have been of any help to the team."
"… !"
"And I have no intention of being evaluated like that."
He finished gently but firmly.
"I'll take care of the votes on my own."
"…"
Since he even called me Park Moondae, he was saying this as a group leader.
If that was the case…
"Alright."
I nodded obediently. After smiling once, Ryu Chungwoo left the vocal practice room, dragging Cha Eugene, who had a sour face.
Drurruk-tak.
"…"
"Do you really charge an explanation fee?"
"Do you really think so?"
"Haha."
I resisted the urge to punch him in the face.
Fortunately, Ju-Dan came back before we left the room.
With water dripping from his head.
"It feels real."
"…"
The guy muttered.
"Am I crazy, or is this a dream… In the worst case scenario, I thought I might have been caught up in some kind of ghost story phenomenon. The last one was the closest to the correct answer."
Wait a minute.
"Is that really why you wanted to drop out?"
"Yes, people are supposed to assume the worst and act accordingly."
"… … Ah, yes."
This… No, it was okay. Anyway, now that he had convinced himself that it was reality, it would be easier to say the next thing.
I got to the point.
"We are trying to return to reality as much as we can, and we hope you will cooperate with us."
The difficulty started from here.
If this guy thought that this would be another opportunity for himself, it would be quite painful…
"Of course."
"… ?"
The answer came immediately.
"When I was young, I dreamed of experiencing such a fantasy-like development in my life, but now that I have grown into an adult with no dreams or hopes, I want to go back quickly."
The guy continued speaking with a blank expression.
"I can't give up on the life of a 10-year grand-prize-winning-idol with a building, a bank account, and fame."
"…"
I barely opened my mouth.
"Sunbaenim, you are going to the military."
"I'll have to go to the military here as well."
That… he was right.
"But to have to go through all the hard work from debut all over again without money or any positions is such a rude comparison."
The guy nodded.
"It would be a lie for adults to say they want to go back to the past. Once you have a foundation, there is no way you will want to go through all that trouble again. It's all a convenient setting."
I almost looked back at Cheongryeo.
"Anyway, this is a type of game, and Moondae hoobaenim is the key player."
"It seems like that's the case for now."
"Yes, thank you for your hard work so far."
The guy nodded his head expressionlessly.
"Then I… I appear in the latter half of the film, so I won't have a lot of screen time, but I think I will be a supporting character who will provide quite useful assistance."
What was this crazy guy saying?
"Should I say I'm glad I'm not the antagonist…? Oh, sorry. I've been reading a lot of novels and watching videos lately because I have nothing to do."
What an excuse.
However, given the situation, I countered to ensure his stability.
"It's a hobby that idols can enjoy without pressure."
"That's right."
The guy nodded somewhat satisfied and muttered as if he wanted to say something more, but soon returned to his businesslike tone.
"Then I guess I'll vote for Ryu Chungwoo hoobaenim now, no, I'll call him Ryu Chungwoo hyung now. Anyway, if I just give him my vote, I won't have to do anything else."
Just as I was about to say yes, another voice declared instead.
Soft and cold.
"Not really."
"… !"
There was a hint of politeness in Ju-Dan's voice as he flinched.
"Hyung."
"Your skills aren't the same right now. Isn't that right?"
The VTIC guy seemed to notice Cheongryeo's thoughts, and nodded quietly.
"Yes."
"Then you have to recover your skills first. No matter how good a plan we make, it's impossible if the stage quality is poor."
The guy with a faint smile looked at Ju-Dan and continued talking.
"Even if, as you said, your memories and self as a 10-year idol have returned, if your appearance isn't like that, you cannot claim it as yours."
"… … !"
"I hope you will show a side of yourself that will not be regretted by those who willingly gave you wealth and honor. Do you understand?"
"… … Yes."
The guy who used to say shamelessly weird things was being disciplined. He didn't seem to have any intention of resisting or talking back.
'It looks like he has been disciplined so hard he got completely molded.'
He must have been controlled thoroughly.
"Good. Still, I feel reassured because you're here now. Right?"
"… Thank you."
Ju-Dan was able to leave the vocal practice room only after receiving a training sheet disguised as advice on the practice routine from Cheongryeo.
"…"
'He's such a guy.'
It looked like he had a knack for dealing with people.
He was still the same.
I looked at Cheongryeo, who was smiling and crossing his arms.
"First of all, I went in the direction of taking care of him efficiently. Things will sail smoothly."
"I think it would have been better for his mental health if you had been more soothing."
"It's okay. He's the type that requires a bit of pressure to move. On the contrary, if you let him do what he wants, he'll run wild."
The guy answered calmly.
"If you poke at him well, sometimes he brings good ideas for albums. He will be a good member."
"… Okay."
Since he had known Ju-Dan for so long, he probably had a better idea of his strengths. I didn't bother to refute him.
The guy raised his chin.
"I need to revise my plans a bit more after my debut. Well, there's never a dull moment."
Wait.
"You need to vote first."
He must have forgotten that it was a priority.
But he tilted his head to the side.
"Hmm? It's already over. It's clear who will get eliminated from the finals."
What?
"Wow, hoobaenim, you haven't even started yet. Or are you going to trust me and hand it over like you said before?"
"I can take care of it."
"Haha."
He didn't provoke me anymore. I uncrossed my arms and opened my mouth.
There was something I originally wanted to say.
About the situation where Ju-Dan found his memories.
"… This was an unexpected situation."
"Yes."
What?
"But as I become more famous as an idol and continue to look for companions, I might be able to return the memories to the other VTIC members."
"Hmm."
Cheongryeo narrowed his eyes.
"We'll see about that. It seems like the number of hands has increased, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's a good thing."
"Okay."
If that was the case.
I decided not to ask further.
It was then.
"Still, it's my first time."
"… !"
The guy lowered his gaze and muttered. It was a grave voice.
"Something like this?"
"…"
I asked.
"Does it feel bad?"
"There's nothing in particular, but… It's been a while since I imagined something like this happening. It's unfamiliar."
The guy was out of focus with no expression. As if he was vaguely recalling a time when he expected or imagined "a situation like this".
'… Okay.'
I guess he wasn't impressed.
I sat on the floor for a while without bothering to ask about his condition.
And only after hearing the staff's voice announcing the start of filming did I slowly get up and leave the practice room.
He never brought up the topic again, but I decided not to click on the accept button the next time I received a package as a reward. I put it on hold for now.
And time passed again.
As if Ju-Dan's unexpected situation was a lie, the filming site was still in a state of strange tension. The camera was already turned on.
'They're waiting.'
I waited until after midnight, when the filming for that day was over and the batteries ran out again, leaving a gap.
And among the guys who were busy practicing until dawn just before the finals, I found someone who was conflicted about whether or not to go to bed.
"Sunbaenim."
Ju-Dan got up from the practice room floor and muttered quietly.
"We should avoid actions that might raise suspicion. Let's speak comfortably like before."
Well, if that was what he wanted.
I leaned in and asked.
"Woodan-ah. Who among the participants are you close with?"
"… Well, I don't have anyone I'm particularly close to. The trainees I went with couldn't participate."
Got it.
Well then, I changed the question.
"You know roughly who is close to whom or who they don't like."
"I know as much as everyone else knows."
That was enough.
I needed information from existing trainees.
I needed to speak naturally.
"Can I get some help?"
The guy didn't answer for a moment as he was thinking deeply, and then he suddenly answered.
"I'm not good at persuading others."
It seemed that he perceived it as a request to at least join Ryu Chungwoo's election campaign.
I smiled and sat down comfortably.
"I don't mean to ask for that."
"Then?"
"All you have to do is talk to me. In front of the others."
Votes for Ryu Chungwoo were limited.
If I had to choose anonymously between a trainee I was already friends with in the survival show and a new face who was a strong competitor, I would definitely choose the former.
They probably wouldn't bother voting for Ryu Chungwoo unless there was some kind of incentive.
So what should we do?
'All we have to do is distribute the votes.'
The main question was who the other participants were going to vote for excluding Ryu Chungwoo.
"There's no need to curse. Rather, we'll be giving some compliments."
As Ryu Chungwoo said, he wanted to take care of his votes on his own.
I wasn't trying to make them vote for Ryu Chungwoo. I was just trying to make them not vote for the others.