Episode 14 

 

There were constant situations where Haeun didn’t want to accept his current behavior. 

 

Once, he almost cried after being teased by Seongjae and Il-hyeon, and another time, he embarrassingly collapsed when Junwoo startled him. This was particularly frustrating given that the old Haeun was someone who had stormed into haunted houses with friends and alcohol, unfazed by fear. Now, he found himself trembling at the ghost stories his members shared to pass the time.

 

Whenever Haeun noticed himself acting out of character, it felt as though he were possessed. It was as if the original spirit and personality of the idol “Park Ha” were haunting him, slowly taking over his mind and actions.

 

The mere thought of completely merging with “Park Ha” from the game by the time the story ended was chilling. 

 

Now, having just finished the first week of broadcasts, Haeun realized that the story’s timeline suggested several more months to reach the ending. Even completing the month-long comeback activities seemed daunting. 

 

The game had many events interspersed between the main storylines, even though the exact timeline didn’t come out.

 

If you do well during this period, you can increase your favorability and decide your route. However, if you don’t watch the event properly, it will just end up as ‘you have worked hard’ scenario and move on to the next chapter, which was precisely what Haeun aimed for.

 

The second storyline was that the members would all participate in a group competition program. Now, if he performed well in this competition, it could significantly boost their popularity.

 

Was the third storyline about filming a reality TV show together? If he pursued a route involving Yejun from another group, he would also appear on a variety show featuring him.

 

‘Whatever, it’ll all work out somehow.’

 

With nothing more coming to mind, Haeun decided to stay positive. Despite the ups and downs, he was managing to get through the activities somehow. 

 

Thinking about enduring it was overwhelming, but he had no choice but to think that it would all work out somehow.

 

????

 

It was at the end of the practice when Haeun was suddenly called by the CEO. After quickly showering, he hurried to the CEO’s office. He wondered why he would call him in person instead of relaying the schedule through his manager. He remembered being annoyed every time the CEO called him directly in the game as well.

 

Haeun peeked through the office door and asked in a polite tone.

 

“You called for me?”

 

“Yes, come in.”

 

The CEO gestured hurriedly for him to enter. Sensing the urgency, Haeun quickly approached the desk. The CEO, with his hands clasped together, informed him of the schedule in a serious tone.

 

“We received an offer for ‘God of Live’.”

 

“‘God of Live’?”

 

One thing Haeun realized after becoming “Park Ha” was that when he didn’t know what to say, he could just parrot what the other person said. This way, he could usually buy some time.

 

“Yes, you know what kind of show it is, right?”

 

Haeun wasn’t familiar with the variety of shows in the “Eurasha Idol” world, but he had come across a video of “God of Live” on social media recently. It was almost the only show Haeun knew about. He nodded and answered.

 

The real life equivalent would be “I Can See Your Voice” by TvN. It’s a show where a guest celebrity would have to guess the only person living live while everyone else is lipsyncing.

 

‘‘God of Live’ was a show known for featuring fairly high-profile celebrities. That’s why it never appeared in the original ‘Eu-Idol’ game. How did this happen?’

 

“ God of Live ^[1] I am actually supposed to use the short form of God Of Live which is “GOL” but it looks very awkward to read so I will continue to use “God Of Live.” reached out to us? Really?” 

 

There will be no reason for CEO to deceive him, but the curiosity did not disappear. CEO also nodded without even thinking about hiding his expression.

 

“Yeah. I’m amazed, too.”

 

Haeun fell into thought. He wondered if this was something that was just not shown in the original story, or if it had been cut because it wasn’t considered important. But he quickly concluded that it couldn’t have been omitted. A high-profile event like appearing on a popular show wouldn’t have been left out.

 

“Are we appearing as guest performers?” Haeun asked, still half in doubt. He wondered if they were being invited as guest performers because they didn’t have the status to appear as panelists. Many unknown idols would appear on ‘God Of Live’ to gain exposure.

 

“But we’ve just made our comeback. With our schedule so packed, do we even have time to practice another song?”

 

With almost certainty in her mind, Haeun kept asking questions. The CEO shook his head lightly, trying to reassure him.

 

“Don’t worry, it’s not that. You’re going as panelists.”

 

“Isn’t it even weirder if we’re panelists?” 

 

Instead of feeling reassured, Haeun felt even more uneasy. Seeing his ambiguous expression, the CEO quickly changed the subject.

 

“Anyhow, you’ll be appearing with Junwoo, so prepare for it.”

 

It was an effective topic change. Haeun, momentarily distracted from the strangeness, responded reluctantly. 

 

“With Junwoo…?”

 

Anyone else would have been less uncomfortable to be paired with. If it were his dad standing there instead of the CEO, he would have threatened to quit show business rather than go with Junwoo. But because it was the CEO, showing hesitancy and asking in a timid voice was all about the rebellion that ‘Park Ha’ could do.

 

The CEO looked puzzled by Haeun’s reluctance, raising his eyebrows slightly as he replied.

 

“To be precise, they asked for Park Ha and any other member. Why, is there a problem?”

 

“It’s not a problem, but…”

 

He was baffled by the specific request for him. However, his unease about Junwoo outweighed his curiosity.

 

“Il-hyun is the best at broadcasting, but he has a pre-scheduled radio show that day. And Seongjae… well, it’d be a miracle if he doesn’t cause trouble on live TV.”

 

The CEO then waved his hands dismissively, clearly not even considering Seongjae a viable option.

 

“I can’t handle the fallout of two members having personality controversies within a week of their comeback.”

 

Haeun couldn’t deny it—it wasn’t an unfounded concern. If they were just performing, it might be different, but having to interact and make comments as panelists was indeed a risk.

 

“Junwoo is friendly and gets along well with his hyungs. Why don’t you want to go with him?”

 

On the other hand, Junwoo seemed to be receiving good evaluations. Haeun mumbled in response to the CEO’s question.

 

“It’s not that I don’t want to…”

 

In truth, he really didn’t want to.

 

The idea that Junwoo had a good personality was nonsense. Publicly, Junwoo had the image of a cute and friendly big dog. Everyone thought he was nice. But in reality, Junwoo had the worst personality among the members, and for some reason, he showed that nasty side only to Haeun.

 

“There’s no problem. It’s just that we haven’t gotten close yet…”

 

He couldn’t openly admit the truth, so he had to respond passively. He had gotten somewhat used to his characteristic habit of trailing off at the end of sentences, but he still sighed at the fact that he couldn’t say more.

 

“Try to get closer. You two are, you know, part of the maknae line ^[2] Maknae line means the youngest people in the group. It’s usually a pair or a trio when they use the word “line.” .”

 

It was actually Seongjae, who was the same age as her, so he didn’t understand why he had to be lumped together with Junwoo in the maknae line. But seeing the CEO’s indifferent attitude, he felt that resisting further would be pointless.

 

“I undestand.”

 

He just decided to accept it.

 

Haeun trudged out of the CEO’s office, mulling over Junwoo’s name. Then he started to think about the other members’ faces, one by one.

 

Now that he thought about it, it seemed that Park Ha was not very fortunate with her group members.

 

Il-hyun: He is really kind and the most reasonable one, but even if he worked hard and didn’t cause any trouble, his favorability didn’t increase much. He was subtly uncomfortable to deal with, and he was already worried that a lack of favorability might cause issues at the ending if he didn’t manage it properly.

 

Seongjae: Unlike Il-hyun, he had no manners but his favorability increased easily. Every time Park Haeun stumbled or ate something sweet, his favorability went up on its own. But if he tried to show his true self a little, it dropped just as easily, so there wasn’t much of an issue for now. He seemed easy to deal with.

 

Junwoo: Actually, he was the biggest problem. Unlike the other members, with whom he could at least have a conversation, it was hard to even talk to Junwoo. When he initiated a conversation, he would just respond with a “Yeah, sure…” and then leave it at that, often looking at him with a meaningful, unfriendly gaze. It was as if he was constantly looking for an opportunity to pick a fight.

 

Junwoo’s concept in ‘Eu-Idol’ was that although he seemed like a big, friendly dog on the outside, he was actually quite dark on the inside but would open up his heart sincerely to the protagonist alone. But, the Junwoo he encountered in real life seemed anything but a cute younger guy secretly harboring feelings for the protagonist. He just seemed dark and menacing.

 

Thinking about Junwoo with a growing sense of unease, he found himself in front of the dorm. When he opened the door and stepped inside, it just so happened that Junwoo was the first person he saw.

 

“Hey, you’re back?”

 

Speak of the devil. Junwoo, who hadn’t had a proper conversation with him in days, was now suddenly smiling and talking to him as if nothing had been awkward before. Haeun forced himself to smile back.

 

“Yeah. Hi.”

 

Junwoo’s sly smile somehow made him feel uneasy.

• 1. I am actually supposed to use the short form of God Of Live which is “GOL” but it looks very awkward to read so I will continue to use “God Of Live.”
• 2. Maknae line means the youngest people in the group. It’s usually a pair or a trio when they use the word “line.”