translation by mourningmoor
[Let's go to the jungle. You've been cast for <King of the Jungle>.]
I'm speechless.
You're telling me to go when you're not even going yourself?
Go by yourself then.
I went down to the training center and ran on the treadmill.
Then, Hanjoon, who was doing weight training, approached me.
“What? What did PD Pyo say?”
Hanjoon, who had already worked up a sweat, set the time on the treadmill right next to me.
“The album sales seem pretty good this time too, did you hear something bad?”
And then he started running on the treadmill.
At Hanjoon's words, Siu, who was drinking water, hurriedly approached.
“The reactions aren't good?”
Siu, with a worried face, cautiously observed my expression.
“No, they said the reactions are good.”
We’ve already finished filming the comeback variety show.
After appearing on the music show tomorrow, the variety shows will start airing one by one.
First, Siu’s <Advancing Home-cooked Meals> will air. The next day, Jaewon and Hanjoon’s <Jumping Man> will air.
On Sunday night, the interview they did on <Late Night Entertainment News> will air, and on Tuesday, the cable channel will broadcast <Idol Lab>, which we’re filming today.
We’re appearing on four variety shows, what more do we need to go to the jungle?
“The response was so great that I got really excited, PD-nim.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. They said pre-orders hit 310,000 copies.”
At that, Siu’s already big eyes grew even wider.
“Wow.”
“Isn’t that amazing?”
Siu and Hanjoon exclaimed with excited faces.
Yeah, for a second-year group, it’s pretty impressive.
I nodded and increased the speed on the treadmill.
Then, Hanjoon, who had been competitively increasing his speed, panted and continued.
“But why do you look so upset? Did you hear something bad?”
“I did. Something bad.”
Immediately, Hanjoon and Siu’s expressions turned uneasy.
The sound of Siu swallowing nervously was audible even over the noise of the treadmill.
“They said they got an offer to appear on <King of the Jungle>.”
“<King of the Jungle>?”
Hanjoon, who had been running fine, stumbled and fell.
He quickly got up and approached me with a flushed face.
“Really? They got an offer from <King of the Jungle>?”
“Why are you reacting like that? Do you want to go?”
“No, it’s not that.”
Hanjoon, clearly excited, waved his hand.
“<King of the Jungle>, they don’t just offer anyone to appear. It makes me feel like we’ve really made it.”
He wasn’t wrong.
<King of the Jungle>, which started as a pilot, had become quite a prestigious program as all its seasons were successful.
At first, they had trouble finding cast members, but now it’s a program where even if you want to appear, you can’t just do so easily.
You have to be chosen.
“And even though it’s tough, once you go, you definitely gain recognition.”
That was also true.
Given the nature of <King of the Jungle>, appearing on it once stamps you in the minds of the entire nation. National glutton, national crybaby, national scaredy-cat, national mermaid, national spear-fisher, national carpenter—all these titles originated from <King of the Jungle>.
But it’s not like you can go through all that hardship just for a ‘National ○○’ title.
“Then you go, hyung.”
I got off the treadmill and answered indifferently, and Hanjoon jumped up, waving his hands.
“Hey, I… I have a severe bug allergy, so I can’t go to such places. You should go.”
“Bug allergy? Is that even a thing?”
“Y-yeah, of course.”
Yeah, right.
Who wouldn’t know he’s just scared of bugs? If Hanjoon went to the jungle, it would start and end with screams. He’d freak out at the sight of bugs.
He tried to act normal, but anxiety was evident on his face, worried that I might make him go.
“So… are you really going?”
“No, I declined for now.”
I thought about teasing him a bit, but I didn’t.
Because I myself wasn’t too keen on going to the jungle either.
“It’s a month away, but it clashes with the K-KON schedule, and there’s the risk of injury.”
Above all, it reminds me of the circle certification exam, which I hated.
Sleeping rough and eating raw food—it was a horrible memory.
“The program is too sadistic.”
Yeah, it’s excessively sadistic.
Starving you, depriving you of sleep.
Making you survive in all sorts of dangerous situations—it’s a sadistic program.
“They just make the cast suffer.”
At the news that I declined, both Hanjoon and Siu seemed relieved.
Unlike the kids, these two actually have some sense.
For a brief moment, I felt like I was floating on air at the offer from <King of the Jungle>, but when I thought about reality, the answer became clear.
Hanjoon shook his head firmly and made his stance clear.
“Right. Variety shows can be poisonous if they go too far.”
He had a firm resolve not to go. Then Siu nodded in agreement.
“Yeah. It’s always best to focus on and excel in your main job.”
With this, it seems like there’s no issue with a majority vote.
I smiled at the two of them and gestured towards the clock on the training center wall.
“In that spirit, let’s practice hard until Roa and Jaewon get back. Hyung is still the slowest.”
“Hey, you—”
Hanjoon flared up. But he didn’t make excuses.
That’s Hanjoon’s greatest strength.
He’s not afraid of criticism and works hard.
I patted Hanjoon’s shoulder and left the training center first.
“If you’ve warmed up enough, let’s head to the practice room.”
* * *
At 4 PM, we arrived at H-NET Center, a subsidiary of TVH, for the filming of <Idol Lab>.
<Idol Lab>
It’s considered a must-pass gate for idols making a comeback.
It wasn’t like this until last year, but since this spring, this atmosphere has formed. It seems the influence of Kim Seokhwa, who recently joined as an MC, was significant.
“Kim Seokhwa?”
“Yeah. Kim Seokhwa, from the second-generation idol group <Radiance>.”
When I didn’t know who Kim Seokhwa was, Gyuhyung explained in detail.
A rapper from Radiance, who made a mark in the Korean idol industry.
The group hasn’t disbanded, so he’s still a member of Radiance. But for the past two years, he hasn’t been active as an idol. Now, he’s working on TVH’s variety programs, raising his stock as an entertainer.
He’s known for his playful and mischievous nature, so if you get on his bad side, it can be exhausting.
But I wasn’t too worried.
Whoever faces me will have to choose one of two options.
Either tremble in fear with hostility or admire and be in awe.
And fortunately, Kim Seokhwa I met in person was the latter.
“Wow. Juniors. I was already deeply impressed by your performance.”
Kim Seokhwa, with his pretty looks befitting a second-generation idol heartthrob, suddenly offered a handshake.
He greeted each person with care, and Daily, the co-MC, commented.
“Wow, Seokhwa-ssi. Isn’t this too much of a contrast compared to last week’s guests?”
“Last week? Ah, Sonet.8?”
“Yeah. You kept teasing them, calling them ‘dot eight, dot eight.’ But aren’t you being too generous to L.I.T?”
“These juniors are pretty.”
Then he smiled at me.
“The leader is especially cool.”
Yeah, that’s how it should be.
My heart would be pounding so hard it’s overwhelming, and just looking at me would make you smile.
That’s just who I am.
Amused by the situation, I smiled slightly and fixed the mic the staff handed me to the end of my shirt.
“That’s what discrimination is. You should treat all juniors equally.”
It was actually Daily, the comedian, who had been making snide remarks since earlier.
Could it be that this guy, like Aki or Jung Yoobin, is someone who I can’t read the mind of? I subtly activated my mind-reading ability. Fortunately, I could read both Kim Seokhwa and Daily’s thoughts.
Daily’s inner thoughts weren’t malicious either.
He was just putting on a show for the program, but inside, he couldn’t hide his amazement.
《Wow. This is the level you need to be at to even hand out business cards in the industry. Now I see why dot eight isn’t selling.》
《Wow, these kids really have no flaws. Especially the leader. His charismatic charm is no joke.》
That was a relief.
Thanks to that, the filming went smoothly and easily.
After introducing the snacks piled on the table, a brief interview followed.
There were some teasing questions, but they didn’t drag on.
The most awkward question was about the scandal with Ga Yuna, but other than that, the questions and answers stayed within reasonable bounds.
Then, the main segment of <Idol Lab> began.
The rule is that the representative songs of the guest idols are played in a relay, and each time a mistake is made, one of the foods on the table disappears.
“Alright, even though it’s just snacks, these are famous dishes from H-NET’s top eateries.”
“You’d feel sorry if you couldn’t eat tteokbokki and fried food. You wouldn’t be able to sleep.”
“Right. Last week, our dot eight couldn’t eat any and left.”
While Kim Seokhwa and Daily exchanged banter, the camera captured each dish on the table. Then, the jib camera filmed the members’ expressions.
It lingered on Hanjoon for a while, zooming in on him.
Hanjoon, who had started dieting for the comeback, was eyeing the tempting tteokbokki, licking his lips. It was a relief he didn’t drool.
“Uh-oh, did Hanjoon-ssi drool?”
Kim Seokhwa didn’t miss the moment and teased Hanjoon, who awkwardly smiled and waved his hand. Then, he declared that one of the fried squids was his and showed his competitive spirit.
Daily seemed to like that.
“Nice. That’s the spirit to eat with determination.”
And then the relay dance began.
The filming went smoothly.
The practice sessions with Ji Youngjun ssaem before the filming paid off.
There were no mistakes at all, so the MCs watched the dance with hawk-like eyes, but as the relay dance went on, the steps started to get mixed up.
Eventually, about a third of the food on the table was removed before the game ended.
By the time filming wrapped up, it was past 10 PM.
As everyone gathered around the table with chopsticks, I slipped out of the studio for a moment.
I wanted to wash my hands.
Just as I was about to enter the restroom, I stepped on something.
“Huh?”
I bent down to look and found a ring on the floor.
“Someone must have dropped it.”
I picked up the ring.
It was a thick platinum ring with a very luxurious design. Probably lost while washing hands…
“What’s this?”
As I examined the ring, I noticed something strange. No, something familiar. The pattern engraved on the ring.
“Isn’t that the same as the picture hanging in the Troifle party room?”
To be precise, it was the seal stamped on the picture.
That’s when it happened.
Hurried footsteps followed as a middle-aged gentleman rushed into the restroom.