The Malicious Member is Back! - Chapter 187

“…You think I’ll just quietly accept that?”

“Immediately after removal, you’ll return to the company, issue a brief statement, and head straight back to China. There’s nothing you can do.”

“…….”

“And even if you return to the filming site, don’t even think about pulling anything stupid. Someone from the company will monitor your every move.”

Shin Ki Ho clicked his tongue again, adding as an afterthought:

“This was agreed upon not just by the investors, but by your parents too, you little bastard.”

Liu Wei’s eyes trembled slightly at those words, revealing an expression he’d never shown anyone before.

They say children resemble their parents.

In fact, more precisely, people resemble those closest to them.

At its root lay affection and love.

Wanting to resemble the person who liked them, wanting to fulfill that person’s desires.

Liu Wei thought he wasn’t that kind of person.

“From the start, it seemed like you were investigating breaking off the engagement… so it wasn’t something you even wanted to do, was it?”

“…No. That was a decision I made for my family.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. What kind of high schooler worries about their family’s affairs like that? Your father told me himself, he didn’t feel good seeing you get tied up in an engagement because you thought it would be a good thing.”

Speaking in a tone of detached indifference, Shin Ki Ho paused as he saw Liu Wei’s slumped shoulders and muttered as if realizing something.

“Haha, look at this…”

I kept calling you a brat.

‘You’re really just a kid, desperate for your parents’ love.’

Never, not even once.

Had Liu Wei thought of himself that way.

He just liked winning. That’s all. He did things because he could.

His background, his circumstances. Those were what had made someone like him possible.

But now.

The trembling in his hands and his eyes.

‘Was this… was this not the way I should’ve done it?’

And that sudden thought.

It toppled every wall that had held Liu Wei up until now.

“…….”

“Ha.”

Shin Ki Ho let out a small sigh as he watched Liu Wei’s clenched fists, still trying to maintain his composure.

He had no intention of babysitting the kid who had ruined his work. And he needed to discuss with President Do Jae Chan what to do about the group Liu Wei might have entered.

“―Secretary Choi.”

“Y-yes!”

At Shin Ki Ho’s curt call, the secretary quickly entered the room, carefully avoiding Liu Wei’s gaze.

“Take Liu Wei back to the filming site, then return here. Ah, and…”

The ticket he’d planned to use to head to Qingdao after the live broadcast.

“You can cancel it.”

“…Understood.”

Even as they exchanged those words, Liu Wei didn’t move, still sitting there staring into empty space.

Trying to find a way out.

* * *

After Liu Wei returned to the Targeting Star filming site, nothing in particular happened.

The trainees gave it their all for the final push. Some talked quietly, trying to sort out what had been brewing under the surface.

“…Are you listening?”

“Uh, huh?”

“What the… Chunyong, I’ve been talking this whole time.”

“Haha, sorry, Li Ming Shen. I guess I spaced out. I’m pretty tired.”

At that moment, Kim Chunyong and Li Ming Shen were part of the second group, sneaking out of the trainee facility to talk.

“But why is it always the emergency stairwell? Chunyong, do you like this spot or something?”

“No, it’s not that. It’s just… there aren’t any cameras here.”

“…There aren’t any outside the facility either. The production staff doesn’t mind if we go out for walks during break time.”

“Huh?”

‘I just assumed we had to. That’s why I kept coming here to the emergency stairwell all this time.’

It was something Kim Chunyong only realized now, in the final days of Targeting Star, so it didn’t really help him anymore.

“Anyway, I’ll delete all the photos you sent me. …I don’t think I’ll need them after all.”

“Ah, okay. I said I’d help with anything, but it’s a little embarrassing.”

“No, it was plenty of help.”

Chunyong lightly patted Li Ming Shen’s shoulder a few times before deleting the document Li Ming Shen had prepared about everything he’d suffered from Liu Wei.

Now, in the screenshots folder of Chunyong’s phone, there was no longer a single trace linking him to Liu Wei.

“Ah, s**t. I’m feeling a bit cold. Mind if I go back in first?”

“Huh? Oh, sure. I’m fine here for a bit. I’ll get some fresh air before I go back.”

“…Okay. Don’t stay out too long.”

After Li Ming Shen left…

Ding!

Chunyong’s phone buzzed at a perfect, almost theatrical moment.

– X: Hey, why are you standing around looking so pathetic?

– X: You could just talk to me ^^

– X: Communication is important between us partners, remember!

– X: Besides, today’s the day we find out whether you’ll get to leave that laggy hell or stick around here ;-D

Even after all this time, X was still as irritating as ever, full of petty, biting comments…