Chapter 57
It’s crazy, I never imagined this would happen.
As I continued to fumble with my words, Jae Ha hyung, with a gentle smile, softly started talking.
“Thank you.”
“…Excuse me?”
“I heard you told Hwa Sung to come console me.”
It was an unexpected remark.
Knowing Ji Hwa Sung, I thought he’d just say something like, ‘Why are you so down, hyung! Even if you’re lying sprawled on the road, you’re going to debut!’
Mentioning my name, it seems I was more appreciated than I thought.
“I just wanted to say thanks. Even though we haven’t talked yet, you thought to look out for me. It’s amazing.”
“That’s because….”
We used to talk a lot before.
Getting scolded, being ignored.
“……”
But as I was about to dredge up memories only I knew, opting to keep silent seemed the better choice to avoid making things weird.
And just in time…
“…You’re here, aren’t you?”
No, I’m not sure if I should call it good timing, but a cop who came to catch us opened the door and barged into the practice room.
“Just come out peacefully. It’s just about becoming a team. So be on my team!”
As the footsteps grew closer, I locked eyes with Jae Ha hyung and mouthed to him,
‘I’ll go left. You go right.’
Jae Ha hyung, with a determined look, nodded in agreement. What’s up with playing cops and robbers, and making such a fuss over forming teams…
“Come out, thief!”
With that level of enthusiasm, we had to focus with all seriousness.
And the final benefit for the last four standing was pretty enticing.
Counting to three with my fingers, Jae Ha hyung and I prepared.
One.
Two.
“―Three!”
“Is it there! Oh, two of you!?”
Both of us swiftly knocked down the rack and darted in opposite directions.
The cop, who was waiting with arms wide open for just one person, was taken aback by the sudden emergence of two tall men and clumsily targeted me as I headed towards the door late.
“Where!”
I felt a smack on my back as a sticker was slapped on – not just placed, but smacked!
“Pfft!”
As I fell with an embarrassing noise, the person who ruthlessly hit me said with a fearsome expression,
“Chunyong Aniki. So, you were hiding here. There’s no mercy from the police.”
Struggling to rub my sore back, I shouted back at the person who was clapping in satisfaction,
“…Ryota, you’re not a cop, you’re an idol trainee! Snap out of it!”
“No. Right now, I am a cop. I have a mission to catch thieves. I need to build my own jail!”
“Are you happy just because you caught me? What about your other team members!”
“Haha, Chunyong Aniki. Didn’t I tell you? I’m the god of Keidoro! I’ve already caught two. Just one more to go―.”
The moment Ryota flashed a confident smile, the speaker in the practice room blared with an announcement.
– “The police officers have caught all the thieves! All trainees, please gather back in the auditorium.”
As the broadcast played, Ryota looked visibly confused. The last sticker in Ryota’s hand fluttered.
“Ah, wasn’t it four stickers? So, isn’t it obvious that we’re supposed to catch four people?”
I tutted at Ryota,
“Idiot. The maximum number is four, but if someone catches four first, you end up with only three!”
“Idiot? That’s harsh! Chun-yong Aniki, how can you say something so mean!”
“Ugh… Let’s just head to the auditorium. Ryota, who exactly did you catch?”
Pressed by my firm question, Ryota seemed to regain his idol trainee persona, hesitantly starting to speak.
“Well, it was, um.”
Listening to Ryota list the members in a mumble, I felt a headache coming on.
…It seemed this wouldn’t be easy.
Discussion
3 CommentsReactions
JadeJabberwock
Rukimi
Penguin loves reading