WETRIED TRANSLATIONS

[ Translation - Aren ]

I'm a Reporter, Please let me get off the Stage

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Chapter 4

After finishing my negotiations that weren't really negotiations with Kim Kyosik and getting Chae Ire to cooperate with me, but not really, I waited around the hospital lobby for about two hours.

Kim Kyosik was pretty fast in dealing with the article, probably because he felt really threatened.

The article that raised our notoriety for ‘Power abuse’ was completely deleted.

Instead of reuploading a corrected version however, a notice was posted on the site.

<The article recently uploaded on this site regarding WEEKANIZ’ abuse of power wasn't factual. We truly apologize for agitating our readers.>

Alright, that should be enough……

[Notoriety has gone down!]

[Karma Points +40]

[You can now open the store!]

Not long after that notice went online, a welcome notification appeared before me.

[When your notoriety goes down, you complete a quest, or when you perform in hidden events you are rewarded with Karma points!

Do you want to become a better idol? Make. Use. Of items~ (੭ु｡╹▿╹｡)੭ु⁾]

I didn't know what that thing was so excited about, while I was almost lost in a daze……

I opened the store as instructed.

Some strange items appeared before me.

[<Fans are my vitamins!> : When you hear fans cheer for you for more than 5 seconds, your stamina will increase by +10]

……I couldn't use that now.

[<Shout out to the world> : The player's voice can be clearly heard by everyone in a room!]

This was the item I had received earlier when I accepted that my soul entered a stranger's body.

[<Needleless infusion> : Immediately increases stamina by 10.]

My current stamina was at 30 out of 100.

I could really feel how tired my body actually was, perhaps because I felt more relaxed now. 

That infusion item cost 20 points, so I had enough to buy it. I decided to give it a try.

[Item used]

“Wow.”

Instantly, my heavy head and shoulders lightened.

I couldn't believe an item like that existed in this world……

I wish I had that when I was working as a reporter.

Then I wouldn't have had to fight with a cold for over a month because I had to camp outside for three days to get scoops on some actor's romantic relationship.

……Now that I thought back on it, those three nights and days I kept shivering outside just to get some scoop on a rumor had become completely meaningless now.

I had lived such a miserable life, so why did God have to make me live the life of some failed idol?

I knew more than anyone else that the world was unfair, but I never wanted to experience something like this.

No, no.

[‘World of Karma’]

This was supposed to be another life where I should repent for my shifty past life. Easy.

After solving just this one thing I could quickly go back.

It was about time that I got away from that threatening killer system.

Putting my idle thoughts aside, I contacted the manager.

Chae Ire said that he would go back to the dorms first, so all I had to do was go there as well and plan my next steps.

First I thought I should take the subway there, but……

After thinking about it a little more, I was still in the body of a celebrity albeit a struggling one, so I felt like I should inform my manager first.

I had met that manager before.

I think his name was Kim Kihun?

I heard that he went from managing an A list actor to being a manager for idols and ended up being in charge of WEEKANIZ.

Well, it might be better to pamper some children even if it was a bit tiring than having to cater to the tastes of some picky actor.

His salary might be lower than mine had been though……

Was he waiting anywhere nearby?

Shortly after I finished talking to him on the phone, he entered the hospital.

And as soon as he caught sight of me he strode towards me.

‘……What's the matter with that guy?’

He was bigger than I had expected and his face seemed pretty scary.

Didn't he look a bit too tough? If that guy hit me even once none of my bones would stay intact, right?

“So, what's the matter?”

The manager raised his voice a bit.

“Yuyoung, are you alright?”

“Yes. I'm fine now……Urgh.”

The manager, who seemed as if he wanted to hit me, unexpectedly hugged me tightly.

Hmm, he seemed to be more affectionate than his appearance might suggest.

Anyway, considering that my body ached here and there, it looked like I got pretty bruised up. I should check when I get back to the dorm.

As I turned away, a new notification popped up in front of me.

[Manager Kim Kihun: Network level 3]

Urgh, what was that now……

[About Network levels: Depending on the player’ grace, eloquence, and idol skills, the pool of people you can network with may vary! 

As you become closer to being a professional idol, you'll be able to build a wider network.

Networking is crucial in the entertainment industry, make sure to do so actively!

(tip : Depending on your Network level you can search for contact points of certain people in the entertainment world!)

Player Network level: 4 ]

Damn…… Well, maybe I should first thank the manager for even meeting up with me.

I changed into the black sweatshirt and gray sweatpants the manager brought for me and got ready to sit in the backseat of his car.

However, I suddenly felt a strange gaze on me when I tried……

“Aren't you going to sit in the passenger seat?”

“Ah, ah, yes. What? No, I mean, yes.”

I hurriedly got to the front passenger seat, stumbling over my words like an idiot.

I guess Ahn Yuyong always sat in front as the leader……

Perhaps feeling bothered by the fact that I stayed silent for the entire ride, I could feel the manager glancing at me using the rear view mirror.

Was that the kind of attention idols usually got? No, rather……

……Who wouldn't feel awkward and uncomfortable around someone who suddenly decided to jump into the Han River the night before?

“Manager, no, Kim Ki-, no.”

“Why have you been acting like that since earlier? Can't you recognize me?”

“……No, how could that be, Hyung?” 

Phew, that was close.

<Even though our Manager hyung looks a bit rough, he's actually a really nice guy, so don't act like you don't know him. He'll get upset. If that happens you might have to console him for the next 100 years.>

Chae Ire's text saved me.

……Okay. So I was supposed to refer to Kim Kihun as “Hyung”.

“I'm really okay. I just felt a little lost.”

I tried to talk as calmly as I could.

“Hey, no matter …… how lost you felt, how could a kid gentler than anyone just……”

As soon as he opened his mouth, words laced with some resentment poured out. It seemed like he had a lot to say.

Right? I was curious about that as well. Why did he end up like that?

“……I just felt so upset, everything became blurry around me and before I knew it I was falling. I won't do it again. I mean it.” 

Sorry, Ahn Yuyong!

Even if you really wanted to die, I can't help it, since I became you.

“You have to promise. If you're having a hard time, you have to tell this Hyung okay? Don't try to carry everything on your own. I can tell right away anyway. You can't fool me, you know?”

“Right. We've known each other for several years now after all.”

“You know it. It's already been 10 years.”

Alright, so we've known each other for 10 years, huh. I got another piece of information.

The manager glanced at me using the rear view mirror again, looking as if he wanted to ask Ahn Yuyong why he made this kind of choice.

I desperately lowered my gaze to avoid his questioning eyes.

After avoiding his eyes as if we were playing tag for a while, the manager let out a small sigh and calmly spoke up. 

“Oh, right, Yuyong. I scheduled for the announcement to be posted in about 10 minutes.”

“……What announcement?”

“You know, the one we were supposed to post on the official cafe two days ago.”

“Aah, right. Sorry. I'm still a bit confused. What was it about again?”

“About the indefinite hiatus……”

“Wait, wait!”

“Why?”

“You can't.”

“……Yuyoung. I know how you feel, but with how things are in the company right now……”

“No, you can't do this. Absolutely not. If you post that, the situation will only get worse. Wait, let me take a look at it.”

I snatched away the manager's phone.

<Hello. This is WEEKANIZ.

After our 2nd mini album, WEEKANIZ will temporarily suspend all activities and each member will take a long vacation……>

“……Trash this. You absolutely can't post this.”

“T-tra–? For what reason?”

The manager's voice became a bit louder.

I took a deep breath before opening my mouth again.

“……The fans will revolt. This announcement only states the result without explaining the cause. You didn't even try to explain what's going on.”

“I-is that so?”

“You didn’t even give a clear reason for our temporary suspension of activities, but then you even say that the members will take some vacation? It’s like you’re trying to throw the members under the bus. And” 

I stopped scrolling until I found a certain passage.

“Temporary suspension of activities and a long term vacation for the members…… This makes it seem as if the members are suspending their activities just to take a nice, long vacation. This isn’t acceptable.”

……I roughly came up with some reasons, but the real reason why I had to absolutely stop this announcement from getting posted was a different one.

In the future I came from, after this announcement was posted, not only did the backlash of the fans reach an all time high……

The members were hit by yet another thunderbolt.

One of their members opened a live broadcast and made the incredibly outrageous announcement ‘I was so pissed off by that announcement, to the point that I decided to just leave this group.’

Ultimately, WEEKANIZ disbanded after a lot of empty fuss.

If that were to happen, my life would be over!

I had to stop it from getting posted no matter what.

“……Did you talk to the CEO about this?”

And at that moment, the manager mentioned someone I didn’t want to hear about the most right now.

“Urgh, that damn CEO……”

Woops, was I a bit too aggressive there?

[Charisma slightly decreased!! : Intimacy of other party towards player decreased.]

That penalty ghost.

“……I talked to the CEO. Anyway, we aren’t disbanding, so there’s no need for any long vacations or anything.”

“So, are you…… going to bring back the other members who ran away?”

……Those bastards ran away?

“We’ll bring them back. There’s still two years left on their contract, so what can they do? We’ll just start over again.”

“It’s good that you found your determination, but…… This doesn’t seem like you at all, Yuyoung. Your tone of speech seems very stiff……”

“Hah, you know, after tasting the water of the Han River once……”

[Charisma tip! Try aegyo to increase intimacy.]

“……Hyuuuung,  I don’t wanna be treated like a pushover again~.”

Should I just go dive back into the river?

“Oh my, that’s a relief I guess……”

The manager let out a slight sigh, before frowning a little.

“So what’s the plan then?”

We were already close to the dorm before I knew it.

“Hyung, do you happen to know Kim Minyong, the stylist?”

“Even though I’ve been in this industry for 10 years now, how would I know every single stylist?”

“I need her contact information.”

“……Why? Are you interested in her?”

“No.”

“Then?”

“……I just want to expand my network a little.”

The truth was, I needed to somehow seize this opportunity to lower my notoriety.

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