Survive! Foolish Bottom!

 

For a while, Haeun and Junwoo sat in silence on their way back to the dormitory. Haeun was unsure of what to say, and Junwoo, for some reason, did not initiate the conversation either. 

 

On the way there, Junwoo had been absorbed in a mobile game, so Haeun had an excuse not to talk to him, but now, he was just staring quietly out the window, not even taking out his phone. His profile looked unfamiliar to Haeun.

 

What could Yoon Junwoo be thinking right now? Among the members, he was the hardest to read. Thinking back to what he had said earlier, it seemed he was annoyed by what he perceived as Haeun’s foolishness. But after he had ended up crying and the conversation had fizzled out, Haeun couldn’t guess his current state of mind.

 

‘Why did he say we’d talk later if he’s not going to say anything now?’

 

Haeun grumbled to himself because of the awkward atmosphere. Maybe hee was the only one feeling this uneasy. He had felt bad when Junwoo had scolded him earlier. It was frustrating to be scolded when he was merely following the system’s instructions. However, when Haeun recalled himself crying in front of him, getting angry seemed pointless.

 

“Phew…”

 

A small sigh escaped Haeun’s lips. Then Junwoo, who seemed lost in thought, surprisingly turned his head. Their eyes met. Haeun, who felt pressured to say something, opened his mouth, but it was Junwoo who spoke first.

 

“Sorry about earlier.”

 

It was a straightforward apology, given without hesitation. It felt so casual that Haeun, who had been struggling to find words, found it oddly unsettling. When his expression twisted in confusion, Junwoo continued, as if everything was normal.

 

“I didn’t mean to make you cry, and I wasn’t really trying to criticize you.”

 

If that wasn’t criticism, then what was? 

 

He almost blurted it out but managed to hold back. He hadn’t expected an apology. He hadn’t planned to apologize either, thinking at best they would end the conversation with a mutual agreement to be more careful in the future.

 

He can apologize too, huh? 

 

Simple-minded Haeun felt his bad mood quickly dissipate. He opened his mouth to say something like, “It’s okay, it doesn’t matter.”

 

“People like you are good-hearted if put nicely, but foolish if put bluntly. You know that, right?”

 

“…”

 

‘You just apologized, you jerk.’

 

Haeun felt a wave of frustration.

 

Trusting Yoon Jun-woo’s words without any suspicion was Haeun’s mistake. Haeun blamed himself sarcastically, and instead of turning his head she just looked down.

 

If you heard it from an outsider’s perspective, you would have nodded and agreed Junwoo’s statement. After all, Haeun himself had thought the same while playing the game. 

 

The protagonist of “Eu-Idol” was literally the kind and foolish type, which divided player opinions. Some found the protagonist’s naivety charming, while others found it frustrating. There had even been arguments among players about it, so there was no disagreement that Park Ha was naive and foolish.

 

But now, it was his own position being criticized. As the saying goes, “the arm bends inward,” meaning he would naturally want to defend himself. It was unpleasant to hear criticisms about his own ‘Park Ha.’ Even though he was suffering from the body’s instincts and the system’s manipulations, it was hard to tolerate being insulted.

 

“It’s frustrating to watch. Seeing someone who can’t even take care of their own things properly is annoying.”

 

In the original game, Junwoo had been the one who couldn’t wait to take care of the helpless protagonist, but now he spoke as if he had no patience for me.

 

“…I guess I must have been really frustrating for you.”

 

Haeun wanted to argue that, despite Park Ha appearing so naive, he undergoes significant growth by the end of the story. However, he managed to respond as calmly as possible. Junwoo stared intently at her.

 

“No, but you―”

 

Haeun suddenly felt the urge to argue back when their gazes met. But as soon as he opened his mouth, a notification window appeared, forcing him to shut it.

 『Junwoo’s favorability has decreased by 2 points!』 

He had barely said a word, yet his favorability had already dropped. It seemed no one could be more difficult than this person. When Haeun stopped talking, Junwoo raised one eyebrow and asked.

 

“What about me?”

 

“Oh, nothing…”

 

He had no choice but to fumble through his response. It made him wonder if the game’s protagonist had remained so kind and naive purely because of the difficult environment.

 

“If it’s nothing, then fine.”

 

Junwoo shrugged lightly and immediately continued speaking. “Anyway, I’m sorry about today. Honestly, I think it was a bit much for Kim Gyowon to step in and meddle like that.”

 

It didn’t feel much like an apology, but Haeun didn’t feel like arguing. What caught his attention more was the mention of ‘Gyowon.’ He hadn’t heard anything about this person except for the two syllables of his name, which he had only heard through the system.

 

“Kim Gyowon?”

 

Junwoo looked at him as if to say, “Why are you asking now?” His expression implied that knowing this person should be obvious. Was he that famous? Haeun had never encountered him in the game, so he had no reason to know him. He barely knew real celebrities, let alone fictional ones. Junwoo nodded and probed further.

 

“Yes, Senior Kim Gyowon. Do you know him?”

 

This time, Haeun could answer truthfully without any hesitation.

 

“No, I met him for the first time today.”

 

Junwoo scrutinized Haeun’s expression, as if trying to see if he was lying. When he didn’t pursue the matter further and nodded, it seemed he believed him. Naturally, because it was the truth.

 

“They said he was a bit eccentric… seems like it might be true.”

 

It did seem odd for Gyowon to intervene out of nowhere, but he didn’t seem weirder than Junwoo. Despite being a target character, Junwoo could be exceptionally strange. Haeun decided to stop asking about Kim Gyowon. Asking more would likely raise unnecessary suspicions. If Gyowon was that famous, it would be better to search for him online.

 

Instead, Haeun changed the subject.

 

“When do you think this will air?”

 

“Hmm, probably in about two weeks.”

 

“I see…”

 

Junwoo seemed to understand that Haeun was referring to the show they filmed today. He pondered over it. On one hand, he was relieved it wouldn’t air immediately, but on the other, he thought it might be better if it aired sooner. Junwoo then asked in a light-hearted tone,

 

“Why? Are you planning to prepare yourself in advance?”

 

“What kind of preparation would I need?”

 

“Maybe preparing to be embarrassed?”

 

Junwoo shrugged lightly. Was today’s filming really that embarrassing? Other than drawing attention with that ridiculous challenge, there wasn’t much else that would make good footage. The challenge scene was probably edited out thanks to Yejun’s outburst, so the final cut would likely just show a few shots of them clapping.

 

Haeun just chuckled and shrugged back. Junwoo looked at him strangely, but when he averted his gaze, he didn’t pursue the matter further.

 

About two weeks from now. By then, their current promotional period would either be over or about to end. He just had to hold on until then to finally catch a break.

 

Haeun exhaled deeply to soothe his stuffy chest. He sensed Junwoo’s gaze finally shifting away.

Had to divide into two parts but no worries! The next part will be released on the same day so you can check it out now!