Episode 23

 

Haeun hurriedly grabbed his phone. Sure enough, the screen displayed the name “Leader Hyung” in two characters. On the screen of the visible radio broadcast, Ilhyun could be seen holding his phone, making a call. He was demonstrating how to introduce the segment to today’s guest.

 

Haeun froze in place, phone in hand. A panicked voice escaped his lips.

 

“Fuck… I don’t remember anything about this.”

 

This was bound to happen since Haeun always had the convenient help of an internet search or the selection hint items he purchased. There was no way he could remember all the detailed choices.

 

“Fuck…….. what was it? What was it?”

 

Haeun muttered in a confused voice as he walked back and forth in the room. The repeated swearing was more like a reflexive outburst, but it seemed the system didn’t approve.

 

『Professional idols don’t swear!』

 

『To prevent any mishaps during the broadcast, I’ll activate the auto-filtering feature…』

 

Was it going to automatically filter out his swearing? If that was the case, at least there wouldn’t be a repeat of the first day’s incident, so that was some relief.

 

Still clutching the phone, Haeun pondered what to do. The segment Ilhyun was covering was usually about interviewing a guest, and it always included a part where the guest would call a celebrity acquaintance to ask them speed quiz questions related to themselves. Today, Ilhyun, who was temporarily covering the segment, was calling as a demonstration for the guest.

 

Haeun couldn’t ignore the call and leave him in a bind, so he finally answered and cautiously spoke up.

 

“Hello? Ilhyun hyung?”

 

The end of his words dragged on awkwardly. It was hard to accept that the sound that came out of his mouth resembled “hyung~.” Instinctively, he realized this was the auto-filtering feature at work.

 

While he was silently cursing the system, Ilhyun quickly asked the question.

 

― “Park Ha ssi. What’s my favorite season?”

 

Haeun was screwed. He couldn’t remember. 

 

Ilhyun had gone out of his way to call someone with such low affection points, and here he was, about to embarrass himself by stammering like an idiot. This would put Ilhyun in an awkward position, and the fan reactions would be predictable. They’d definitely accuse Park Ha of not caring about the other members, losing his passion, or being self-centered.

 

“Hy-hyung, what’s going on all of a sudden?”

 

He decided to play dumb, buying himself a little time while frantically thinking. 

 

‘Can’t I use points to see the right answers? Can’t I? Come on, just let me do it!’

 

It wasn’t an exaggeration to say he’d been saving his points for a moment like this. Thankfully, the system didn’t ignore his desperate plea.

 

『Would you like to use points to view the correct answers?』

 

‣ 1 question: 5P

 

‣ All questions: 30P

 

It took more points than he thought to answer all the questions. It was more than half of what he had painstakingly collected so far. But even if it was a loss, he needed to lock this situation down for sure.

 

‘All questions!’

 

In a panic, he selected the option as quickly like how he would have slammed the “close door” button in an elevator when he desperately needed the bathroom. The moment his points were deducted, the correct answers flashed before his eyes. It seemed the system also recognized the urgency of the situation.

 

Thank God, it’s a machine with quick wits. Thank God, it’s a machine with some flexibility…

 

―“Please answer the question for now. What’s my favorite season?”

 

Ilhyun calmly asked again, waiting for Haeun’s response. This time, Haeun confidently shouted the correct answer.

 

“Autumn!”

 

― “Yes. Do I prefer jajangmyeon or jjamppong?”

 

“You always order jajangmyeon, hyung.”

 

― “Is my ideal type someone calm or someone lively?”

 

“You’re a calm person yourself, so you’re the type that fits well with someone energetic and lively!”

 

As he quickly answered, Haeun watched Ilhyun’s expression on the visible radio broadcast. On the surface, Ilhyun’s face remained calm and composed, but if you looked closely, you could tell he was relieved. It seemed there was no risk of embarrassing Ilhyun today. Haeun sighed in relief.

 

― “Do you know where I was born?”

 

“Hyung… Uijeongbu St. Mary’s Hospital!”

 

Haeun wondered if it was strange to know such detailed information, but getting the correct answer and then intentionally answering wrong didn’t seem like a good idea either. When he answered after a brief hesitation, Ilhyun made a surprised “Oh” sound, followed by a small chuckle on the other end of the line.

 

― “I knew you and I were close, Park Ha, but I didn’t expect you to know me this well. I’m touched.”

 

“Oh, this is just the basics!”

 

Despite having blatantly used a cheat sheet, Haeun confidently puffed out his chest and responded. At that moment, he saw the DJ on the visible radio screen take over the call and speak.

 

― “Hello, Park Ha ssi! This is Geum Hyori from Afternoon Song Requests! We’re currently running the ‘Know You Better’ segment on our program, and thank you for agreeing to the call!”

 

“Ah, hello! This is Haeun from Stone Cherry!”

 

He responded with as much energy as possible. Even though he had cheated to get the right answers, hearing the DJ’s voice made him realize that he was really connected to a live radio broadcast, which felt surreal. It was a different experience from actually being in the radio booth.

 

― “We were all really surprised that you got all the answers correct! Ilhyun’s been showing such a gentlemanly, kind, and caring side here on the radio, but does he ever show a different side with the members? You were so spot-on that people might start wondering if Ilhyun makes you all memorize his profile by heart or if he’s a tyrant behind the scenes!”

 

“Oh, no, not at all. Ilhyun hyung is exactly how he appears on air. He’s always kind, and even if I mess up badly enough to get scolded, he never raises his voice. He’s the type to calmly talk things through.”

 

― “Haha.”

 

Ilhyun’s laugh echoed through the line, and the DJ, who was also an actor under the same agency, continued to heap praise on Ilhyun.

 

― “Thanks to your success in the mission, Ilhyun will be receiving a prize! What do you think the prize might be?”

 

“I have no idea!”

 

― “Take a guess!”

 

Of course, having watched the broadcast, Haeun knew exactly what the prize was. He pretended to think it over before answering.

 

“Hmm… Could it be the Wellz Comprehensive Gift Set from Healthy Foods for Your Skin?”

 

― “Wait, how did you know?”

 

“I am actually watching hyung’s radio show right now.”

 

After responding somewhat sheepishly to the DJ’s surprised reaction, Haeun heard a sound of admiration from the other end. Ilhyun, who was still slightly surprised, responded.

 

― “You’re busy, but you still found time to watch? I didn’t expect that.”

 

“Even if I’m busy, I have to tune in when it’s your show, Hyung!”

 

Busy? In reality, he was just bored, with nothing else to do at the moment. Still, he didn’t want to come off as an idle idol, so he gave a response that made him sound more committed.

 

― “Thank you. Ah, it’s a shame, but it’s about time to hang up now.”

 

“Yes, thank you for calling! Fighting, Leader Hyung!”

 

He raised his voice to cheer Ilhyun on until the very end. The unaccustomed act of putting on such a display left him feeling a cold sweat down his back. He heard Ilhyun respond in a warm tone.

 

― “Fighting. See you later, Haeun ah.”

 

― “And we hope to have you on the radio next time, Park Ha ssi!”

 

“Thank you!”

 

After hanging up, Haeun double-checked to make sure the call was truly disconnected and turned up the volume on the visible radio to confirm that his voice was no longer being broadcast. Only then did he collapse onto the bed, feeling like a storm had just passed through.

 

As he lay there, something suddenly came to mind. He grabbed his phone again and opened the Eu-Idol app.

 

Ilhyun’s Favorability Level: 24/100

 

Since the event was triggered through the phone call, no alert had popped up, but the favorability level had steadily increased. Haeun felt a sense of satisfaction, knowing that all the effort and points he had poured into the situation had paid off. Feeling the warmth of his phone, he contentedly rolled around on the bed, pleased with the results.

 

Ilka ^[1] Ilka is the ship name for “ Il (Ilhyun) + Park Ka(Ha).” They used the code names Ka and 1 (which is pronounced as Il) instead so that the outsiders won’t know who he is. Center???? @11carcenter: 

   “Hey, did you guys hear the radio? It seems like they’re having an open romance. This is so real, it’s overwhelming…”

   – RT  ┃ Quote   ┃  ♡ 7

 

*

 

Sony???? @1csony__:

    “Doesn’t this sound like a clear sign of their relationship? Am I the only one who’s feeling tricked again?” 

   – RT┃Quote ┃♡ 4

 

*

 

Apply for scholarship @1carmarr_ige:

    “I almost spit out my food while listening to this… I’m happy, but… is it really okay to be so open about their romance like this? Is this really fine?”  

   – RT 2 ┃Quote┃ ♡ 11

 

Reka @1onely1ka:

   “As soon as the radio ended, I’m sure 1 ^[2] 1 is codename for Ilhyun.  immediately called Kaeun ^[3] They are using Park Ka instead of Park Ha and Park Kaeun instead of Park Haeun so that the members and the outsiders won’t be able to know who they’re talking about. . How can they always do such adorable things? During the radio, he probably wanted to say he loves him, but he had to hold back… Ah, I can’t handle their real relationship tension. Park Ka is so lovable, no wonder 1 can’t resist!ㅜ #Ilka”

   – RT 4 ┃Quote┃ ♡ 17

 

*

 

Soon @sooooooon111:

   “#Ilka Sponsor Story. Kaeun, who was forced by the company to get a sponsor, ends up getting caught by 1. The story begins when 1 noticed that Kaeun, who used to eat well, had been eating less and getting thinner. No matter how many times he asked, Kaeun didn’t answer. 1 became worried but he couldn’t ask openly because he knew that Kaeun would get upset when he interfered.” 

   – RT 10 ┃ Quote 7 ┃ ♡ 41

 

┃

 

Soon @sooooooon111:

   “But the sponsor had a nasty hobby, and because of that, Kaeun always had bruises all over his body. Kaeun always asked the sponsor to make sure the bruises are in places hidden from members. Even though he had to endure unpleasant things in return, it seemed like he could hide it from the members.” 

 

┃

 

Soon @sooooooon111:

   “Eventually, something happened. Kaeun was washing his face when 1 found a bruised neck. There was even a kiss mark on it. 1 was shocked and thought that he was seeing things, but he couldn’t ignore it. Late at night, when all the members are asleep, 1 quietly visits Kaeun’s room.”

 

┃

 

Soon @sooooooon111:

 

   “Kaeun opened the door without suspicion, but as soon as 1 came in, he would demand Kaeun take off his clothes with a stern face. Naturally, Kaeun turned pale and insisted that he can’t do it, but 1 would probably force him to. Despite the physical power disparity, Kaeun would end up exposing all his bruises, tears streaming down his face.”*

 

┃

 

Soon @sooooooon111**:

   “1 will look down at Kaeun with cold eyes that she has never seen before and ask, “Kaeun ah. Is this why you lied to hyung?” Then Kaeun will shake her head frantically with wide eyes. Because even if everyone found out, the one person she absolutely did not want to be found out by was 1. However, 1 has no intention of listening to Kaeun. Because he can’t stand the fact that someone other than him had touched Kaeun.”

 

*

 

Natsumi???? @natsume___:

   “I can’t stop getting angry about this damn thing. LOL Jeong Ilhyun is without a doubt a kind and affectionate gong…….. I can’t understand why these kids are portraying him as deep-rooted evil. What on earth are they thinking?”

 

   [Quote]

 

1 will look down at Kaeun with cold eyes that she has never seen before and ask, “Kaeun ah. Is this why you lied to hyung?” Then Kaeun will shake her head frantically with wide eyes. Because even if everyone found out, the one person she absolutely did not want to be found out by was 1. However, 1 has no intention of listening to Kaeun. Because he can’t stand the fact that someone other than him had touched Kaeun.

• 1. Ilka is the ship name for “ Il (Ilhyun) + Park Ka(Ha).” They used the code names Ka and 1 (which is pronounced as Il) instead so that the outsiders won’t know who he is.
• 2. 1 is codename for Ilhyun.
• 3. They are using Park Ka instead of Park Ha and Park Kaeun instead of Park Haeun so that the members and the outsiders won’t be able to know who they’re talking about.