These lewd things are idols?: Episode 23

Episode: 23

I wondered why this guy was in the practice room.

"Are you guys messing with me right now?! Do you think debuting is a joke? Do you have any idea how many trainees like you there are? If you're going to keep doing things like this, you might as well quit now."

This is just taming.

No.

A team leader can scold kids who are about to debut.

He can also point out what's wrong.

He's right.

If Park Joo-yong was only giving proper critiques, that is.

"Five, six years. Some kids spend all that time preparing but never even get to debut and end up back in society. What do you think they do after leaving here? Nothing. Even if they get a part-time job, they just stand there stupidly asking, 'What should I do now?' If you're not going to put your life on the line here, then what are you going to do, huh? Tell me."

"I probably wouldn't be able to do anything…."

He's just killing their spirit and gaslighting them.

The Oasis kids were working hard enough.

Their attitude was great.

I think they even had decent personalities.

But just in case they might think otherwise.

He's preemptively taming them to make them easier to control.

'Hah. What a scumbag thing to do.'

This doesn't only happen in the entertainment industry.

Toxic bosses like Park Joo-yong, who need to lord over others and lead them by their own whims, often use these tactics.

What makes this truly scummy is that it slowly turns the victim into a fool.

Making them incapable of doing anything besides what they're told.

Even breaking their self-esteem in the process.

‘He's ruined so many like this.’

Asking what they'll do when they leave?

After crushing their spirit like that, do you think anything would change?

Just the thought of Gil Min-seo falling into the hands of someone like him sends me beyond rage into a cold sweat.

‘That kind of talent. He probably ruined a woman who could bring happiness to the whole world.’

Clicking my tongue, I deliberately put on a smile and approached.

"Why put your life on the line? You just need to work hard."

"What the hell? Do you not know when to step in and when not to?"

"Sorry. I'm not very good at judging those things."

Ouch.

I thought I saw a spark.

Park Joo-yong was glaring at me like he wanted to kill me.

"Hey, guys. Don't cry, go over there and take a break. The team leader and I are going to talk. Urk."

I suddenly couldn't breathe in the middle of talking.

Not by my own will.

Park Joo-yong slapped me in the chest with all his might.

Right in the solar plexus.

If it had been a punch, things could've turned really ugly.

I looked at him in surprise, but before I could react, he started poking my chest with his index finger and growling.

"Hey, you little shit. Just because you got a 'team leader' title in front of your name, you think you can do whatever you want now?"

"……."

"Do you really think we're the same kind of team leaders, huh? Say something, you punk."

"Of course not. Urk."

"If you know it's not the same, then why do you keep acting so cocky every time we meet? Just take care of the idiots you brought in. You brought in losers who can't even dance or sing properly and expect them to play house."

What a classic jerk, this piece of shit.

Honestly, I really want to lose my temper and punch him right now.

This punk isn't even worth a fistful.

But this isn't a world where you can solve everything with violence anymore.

True revenge doesn't work that way.

"You think I get angry because I enjoy it? I get angry because I want everything to turn out well!"

His voice was so loud.

Even people passing by in the hallway stopped and glanced over.

So Park Joo-yong's voice got even louder.

This guy.

He really cares a lot about what others think.

"You think this industry is a joke? This is why you’re not going anywhere. You need to work your ass off, even more than you already do. If you keep daydreaming with your head full of flowers, I'll guarantee you this—every single one of those kids you’re training will fail. And do you know what that means? That you ruined their lives, you idiot!!"

Now he's even dragging Hee-ju and Da-young into this to make me look like an idiot.

When it comes to pissing people off, this guy is the best in the business.

This piece of shit.

"Well. Let's see when the time comes?"

He probably thought I would back down or at least apologize by now.

He can go screw himself.

I might not be able to punch him, but I sure as hell have no intention of apologizing.

I'd rather shove my face into a pile of dog poop on the street than bow down to this asshole.

"I'm more interested in succeeding happily with a supportive environment than crushing people's spirits with gaslighting like you do."

"…What?"

As if reaching some new level of rage, veins started popping out on Park Joo-yong's face.

Wow.

At this point, it wouldn’t be surprising if his skin suddenly split open and he transformed into a demon. You know, like in some fighting games where the protagonists turn into demons.

He’d be perfect for that role.

Though maybe his messed-up face would make that impossible.

"You might have had some successes, but you've also had your share of failures, haven't you, Team Leader? In comparison, I don't have any data points yet, right? So why don't we wait until I have at least one, then we can talk about who’s right and who’s wrong."

"Look at this crazy bastard."

I've never seen anyone like you either.

They say your boss is your fate.

And that there are lots of crazies in this world, but you’re something else entirely.

Park Joo-yong.

"Enough. Let's move somewhere else to talk, alright? If push comes to shove, I'll even take a punch for you."

There are too many eyes on us here.

Which is kind of disappointing.

Because I really want to get Park Joo-yong to spill his true thoughts while we're recording.

I've been thinking on the way here.

Why Nobel believes that recording can solve everything.

And when I consider what kind of person Park Joo-yong is, the answer immediately comes to mind.

'There's no way this bastard would have given up on casting Gil Min-seo out of concern for her health.'

Then what could it be?

"What is it? If it's something trivial, I swear I'll punch you."

This bastard.

He's really eager to move somewhere else so he can punch me.

Fine.

If getting hit once means I can get Gil Min-seo on my side, that's a fair trade.

"Do you know someone named Gil Min-seo? The moment I saw her, I thought she should be an idol. So I was thinking of casting her."

"Ha. You crazy bastard. Do you even know who she is?"

"I heard she has some heart issues, but she seemed like she really wanted to do it. Don't you think it'd be fine?"

Park Joo&yong let out a scoff.

A laugh that screamed how ridiculous he found this.

"That's the most bullshit I've ever heard. Hey! This bastard has really lost his mind, huh? That heart defect is a ticking time bomb, you idiot!"

His choice of words is insane, this bastard.

"A heart defect? Isn't that a bit too harsh?"

"Bastard. Just shut up and listen. I'll say it again. She's nothing but a time bomb wrapped in the prettiest packaging in the world. When that thing goes off, maybe she'll be fine, but everyone around her will be dead. Everything that people have worked so hard to build will crumble in an instant. Got it?"

I can't believe a human being could say something like that.

And Park Joo-yong didn't even stop there.

"She's a real piece of work too, isn't she? Pretending to be all nice, but in the end, she's not thinking about anyone else. She just wants to live her life before she dies, huh?"

"Hey! Park Joo-yong!"

Bang!

A thousand thoughts ran through my head in that moment.

I have no regrets about what I did, but...

For a split second, I did think, "Oh no."

The only saving grace is that I quickly changed my mind about grabbing him by the collar and just punched the wall instead.

"You should've just grabbed me by the collar."

"…Team Leader. They're still just kids, much younger than us. I know it sounds ridiculous coming from me, but honestly, that was a bit out of line."

"I was just making a point, bastard. Just a point."

Park Joo-yong, not being a complete idiot, seemed to let my action slide to some extent.

'Maybe I should've just punched him.'

As I was muttering that to myself, Park Joo-yong walked past me and said,

"Anyway, if you bring her into our company, you're just as stupid as she is. If she wants to die, let her die alone. You're already causing trouble everywhere you go, and if you bring in that sick girl, we'll all be screwed. Actually, don't shorten her lifespan by dragging her into this. Just let her keep selling tteokbokki, got it? This isn't a suggestion, it's a warning."

He shoved my shoulder hard as he passed, clearly no stranger to such actions.

Damn, is he a gangster or something?

"Ha. Damn. He's a real devil."

I used to love the movie 'I Saw the Devil'.

But turns out, a worse bastard was right next to me.

"Damn. Reality's even worse than the movies."

[But do you want to know something scarier?]

"What is it?"

[There are tons of people like Park Joo-yong in this world.]

"Nobel."

[Yes?]

"Bring me a diaper."

[…]

"And some band-aids too. I feel like I'm gonna die from the pain. I hope I didn’t break a bone."

[Stop exaggerating. Or would you rather drink the Elixir Replica that was meant for Min-seo?]

Are you crazy?

"Ha. Damn. I feel like smoking."

I finally managed to quit smoking.

But whenever I see Park Joo-yong, I feel an overwhelming urge to light up again.

"Ugh. Forget it."

What's the point of smoking?

Now that I've got Gil Min-seo, I’ll have three people under me to look after.

Should I even let her listen to this?

[Recording complete.]

[File name: 005NP.mp4]

This is the perfect evidence.

The words are so insane, though, that I'm actually worried about letting someone else hear it.

"I've never seen anyone talk like that to someone with a terminal illness."

I think I laughed out loud about 50 times.

I'm not exactly a good person either.

I know that.

I mean, if I were truly a good person, would I be thinking about sleeping with the trainees I'm trying to nurture as idols?

But compared to Park Joo-yong, I might as well be an angel.

That guy is the devil, no doubt.

"Well... uh. I'll let her listen to it. Min-seo might be shocked, but it'll probably make her like me more."

[You're definitely not a good person. Most people would say, "I can't let her hear this," and give up, but not you.]

"Yeah, I'm a bad person."

Because no matter what happens...

I still get a little excited at the thought of sleeping with a girl suffering from heart disease.

I'm really a terrible person.

I immediately called Gil Min-seo.

-Huuuup!!

"Breathe, would you?"

-Hehehe. I got so excited, I forgot. So, did you finish talking?

"Yeah. It's done. Can you meet now?"

-Of course. I’ll escape through the window if I have to, so don’t worry. There's a path by our tteokbokki shop. Let’s meet there.

Why is it that just talking to her makes me smile?

She feels more like an unbelievably cute little sister than a girlfriend.

"Nobel."

[Yes, master.]

"The angel and devil inside me are fighting."

[Over what?]

"Whether I should sleep with this adorable girl or protect her."

[Oh my. So, who won?]

"Even the angels turned in the end. They decided to sleep with her because she's so cute."

[Weren’t they both devils from the start?]

Maybe so.

*

When I arrived at the walking trail, I saw people running around wearing the trendy headsets that are popular these days.

In the distance, a woman who looks amazing in a white tracksuit is running towards me with a bright smile on her face.

Her speed is probably only about one-tenth of everyone else’s.

But she still shines brighter than anyone.

[Gil Min-seo, SS+]

“Ah! Hello, Team Leader! Let me give you a 90-degree bow first! I'm Gil Min-seo!”

“Likewise. I'm Team Leader Kim Hyun-woo.”

I played the recording of my conversation with Park Joo-yong for her.

The first thing Gil Min-seo said was:

“Thank goodness.”

Previous||Next