Holy Idol - Chapter 9

Proofreader: Gandy

The person who was holding up the cell phone, staggered backwards. Then turned around and started to run away.

“Hey, What are you doing?!”

KC belatedly screamed after seeing Rembrary holding the wet handkerchief. After understanding the situation at once, he curses then turned around to chase the person who was holding a cell phone.

Rembrary watched his back then tried to turn the plate back to normal by wiping off all the spilling water with his handkerchief.

At the same time, the water continued to flow out from the plate, which troubled Rembrary.

‘Did it react to my divine power?’

‘I think I will have to come back to this place later and meet the priest here.’

Rembrary made notes for later, then went out to look for KC.

KC was loudly shouting at the person with the cell phone who ran away.

“Aish, what did you take a picture of?”

After a while, KC eventually got quiet as people started to look towards them. He then wore his mask then approached Rembrary and asked,

“He didn’t take a weird picture, right?”

“…Maybe.”

“Maybe, what maybe. Why is your answer so vague?”

When Rembrary heard the camera click, he had been wiping off the water from the plate.

‘Did he saw what had happened?? What if he saw what happened?’

The power of the High Priest can be useful in many ways, thus it was no surprise that there are a lot of people who wants to covet it to abuse the said power even in his original world.

No one seems to be using divine power or magic here. Rembrary was afraid of being seen using divine power and attracting the attention of unnecessary people.

‘He, however, should not have seen it’

After thinking about it for a while, Rembrary concluded that it will be okay and replied,

“It will be fine.”

He learned from the other members that he could take a photo using a cell phone. The timing was strange, but when the sound of camera click was heard, Rembrary was standing in front of the plate. Based on the angle, the person holding the camera from behind shouldn’t have been able to capture the scene of the water rising.

“Hm. That is right. It is fine.”

Rembrary repeatedly said, then KC murmured, “That’s suspicious…” but did not ask further.

But that night, it turns out it was not fine after all.

Jongwoo, who just came into their dorm, angrily roared as soon as the door closed.

“Woo Yeonwoo, you b*st*rd. Are you crazy?”

Ever since Rembrary lost his memories, he has tried not to get mad at him. But today, his face is burning red because of anger.

As Rembrary came out with a toothbrush, Jongwoo held out his cell phone and asked,

“What is this?!”

Rembrary took his cell phone and looked at the picture.

Just like he thought, it didn’t capture the scene of the water filling the plate. However, there is a scene of the plate being tilted over. Like he was playing with the water on the plate.

‘Oh no’

Rembrary clicked his tongue.

It is true that his power would not be abused but…

He has become a horrible person who plays around in a sacred institution.

“Woo Yeonwoo, I really-”

Jongwoo hit his own chest.

“You punk,I told you to watch your hands, your hands! What are you doing in someone else’s church and turning over their plate?!”

Meanwhile, KC sneakily took out his cell phone, read the photo and the post, then giggled. This is because the person who took the picture wrote, ‘Yeonwoo was playing with the holy object of the church, and the member next to him was trying to stop him.’

The post did not outright write KC’s name, but there are some people in the comment who know his name.

-He has always been the nicest in the group

-Yeonwoo always hit him. I saw it in a video.

There are comments of people who seemed to know KC and Yeonwoo well.

“What else are you laughing at?!”

When Jongwoo saw his appearance and shouted angrily again, KC fixed his expression and handed his cell phone over to him.

Jongwoo took his cell phone, put it in his pocket, then shouted at Yeonwoo again.

“Yeonwoo. Do you have anything to say?”

“It is true that I poured the water out, but KC did not stop-”

Before he even finished speaking, Jongwoo grabbed the back of his neck and yelled.

“Punk, you call that an excuse?!”

***

The next day.

As soon as Jongwoo arrived at work, he was called by CEO Im.

“What’s going on?”

“I am sorry.”

“What can a sorry do? Even a topstar gets criticized if they turn over a holy object from a church, why is an unknown idol like him, who doesn’t even have fans to shield him, turning over a holy object?! Does he think he’s a topstar now because he appeared on the real-time searches two times, is that it?”

“…”

Even though CEO Im said it himself, he also felt gloomy for being too harsh himself.

He said it out of anger, be it reminded him that Yeonwoo’s head is currently a blank paper.

Yeonwoo might not even know what a holy object is. No, I’m certain that it must be the reason. Or maybe he doesn’t know what a Catholic church is.

“Alright, that’s it. Forget it. But why was the plate overturned?”

“…He was trying to wipe off something that was stuck on it, he said…”

“Aigoo!”

CEO Im grabbed the back of his nape with the unexpected good intention.

He grunted for a long time. He’s wearing a face that’s worrying about something.

While CEO Im was doing that for almost 15 minutes, Jongwoo just stood still and looked around. He felt like it was his fault for allowing the two of them to go to the cathedral where KC went, he should’ve had an inkling.

“As for Yeonwoo… I can’t predict what he will do. Just let him go.”

Jongwoo looked at CEO Im in surprised.

“Huh? Let him go? Release…”

“I don’t mean releasing him, just giving up on image management.”

(T/N: Release here means removing him from the group/company)

“?”

“Even though this image consumption is fast, before the people will get tired of it, we have to spin it around as much as possible. He’s the one who got into trouble when we were in the middle of image management.”

“Ah……”  Jongwoo let out, mixed with lament.

It’s important for idols to cherish their image.

The public gets bored easily. This is why the senior idols’ who have accumulated years of good image get pushed aside by rookies.  Because the freshness disappears. Of course, there also many core fans who remained persistent and stayed by their side. However, such core fans do not leave existing idols easily because of their persistence.

Wild Animal, who doesn’t even have a fanclub, obviously, does not have core fans. Those who are interested in them are the public who can turn their back any time. In front of such publics, idols have to protect their image as much as they can.

Seeing the maximum effect with minimal consumption

For agencies, this is the most basic way of idol consumption. Considering that idol’s who have a bad image have short-lived careers as an idol, what CEO Im said is quite dangerous.

“If the incident is not that big then just leave it. As long as it does not hurt the group.”

“Yes.”

“If a schedule comes in, unless it’s something weird turn everything around.”

“Yes.”

“When a good schedule comes in, try putting other members on it and send it.”

“… Yes.”

***

Jongwoo, who left CEO Im’s office with mixed feelings, walked to his seat in the office.

For famous idols and large agencies, they have several managers and their works are subdivided. However, LLL Entertainment itself is not a large agency, and Wild Animal has been an unknown idol group ever since their debut.

And so, Jongwoo has been doing various manager jobs by himself.

Sadly, although he works as a road manager, he rarely gets to go out because they’re unknown.

“Hoo…”

“Jongwoo-ssi, you must’ve been broken down a lot today.”

Sitting on his chair, Director Kim, who is in charge of the best actors on LLL Entertainment, said to comfort him.

“Haha, well. That’s true.”

Jongwoo answered awkwardly, he then sat down at his desk and turned on the computer.

Although there are a lot of empty spaces, It is used to put the schedule of Wild Animal into their agency’s homepage.

It is still unknown what will happen from here on, but thanks to their stage last Sunday, they managed to grab three music programs’s stage for next week.

He was about to write that schedule, but when he was clicking his mouse, his cell phone rang.

“Yes, hello?”

-Is this Wild Animal’s Lee Jongwoo?

“Yes. That is right.”

It’s like a call for work.

When Jongwoo answered politely, a loud laugh was heard over his cell phone.

-Ah, this manager. It was me from before. Kim Moorok PD

“Ah, hello!”

When Jongwoo stood up from his desk and made a greeting, Director Kim, who was sitting next to him, gave him a questioning look.

Jongwoo quickly went out towards the hallway and asked,

“Yes, But why did you call this time?”

Kim Moorok PD is a private entertainment PD who has a relatively average performance, and he recently has been planning a very stimulating entertainment show.

It’s a seemingly ordinary entertainment show named ‘Sing Survival’. However, the word ‘Survival’ is not attached to the name for nothing.

The cast will compete with singing in various ways once a week, and the loser will then take on the role of a servant. You’re not really going to be a servant, but you’ll be called a servant for now. In addition, you have to listen to the other cast for the whole week.

Although they have to serve the cast and do some chores, when a person who has the role of servant becomes popular, there would be all kinds of commotion and fights among fans.

As the rules of the program are this fierce, it was expected that the program would yield an all or nothing result for all people involved.

Singers and idols who are already popular refrain from joining the program, but the rookie Jongwoo immediately sent Wild Animal’s profile, wanting them to join after seeing the program’s plan.

At that time, Kim Moorok PD replied with, ‘I’ll think about it later.’

That was three months ago.

It’s obvious why he would only call now. But Jongwoo laughed brightly, pretending not to know.

“Can I expect a good response, PD-nim.”

-Yeah yeah, that’s right. What was it. Looking at his profile, this kid named Woo Yeonwoo looks very attractive. His visual is really good.

“Yes, our Yeonwoo, well, if i say so myself, even his fingers are good looking!”

-That’s right, I want to go with him, he’s free, right?”

“Ah, thank you very much. Our Yeonwoo is really good at attracting attention.  He will do a good job.”

-That’s right. I thought so.

Kim Moorok PD who was laughing loudly, suddenly got quiet.

He seemed to have more things to say.

“PD-nim?”

Jongwoo called out cautiously, just in case.

Kim Moorok PD then said in a quiet voice.

-By the way, what is it, that…… about Yeonwoo.

“Yes.”

-As you can see from the plan, for programs like us, an antagonist-like character is essential, you know that, right?.

“Yes….. that’s right.”

-Otherwise it’ll be boring. Good competition? Then everyone will smile but no one will watch. But, don’t we need viewers who will curse but will still watch? Don’t you think so?

Jongwoo, who got a sense of what he was trying to say, needlessly clenched his fist.

-That’s why, manager, about Yeonwoo. Can I edit it, making him take on the antagonist’s role? His image might get worse, but in exchange, I’ll give him a lot of screen time.