Chapter 94: An Idol Shouldn’t Do That

The image of Lee Seohwa I’d seen on broadcast was that of a graceful and elegant rookie actress.

She’d succeeded at a young age, yet knew how to stay humble, and her many charitable acts had made her well-received by the public.

I hadn’t spent more than a few dozen minutes with her, so I couldn’t say for certain what her true personality was like, but…

Hmm.

She definitely didn’t give off an elegant vibe.

How should I put it—more like the type whose mouth would be the only thing floating if she fell into water.

Lee Seohwa took a sip of her coffee and then began chattering excitedly.

“Not sure if you noticed… but doesn’t the vibe on set kind of suck?”

“Excuse me?”

“Want me to tell you why?”

She lowered her voice and whispered in my ear.

“That guy’s my ex.”

“…Ah.”

So that’s why she was so fiercely hostile to Park Minchan, even though he had more years in the industry.

There was a backstory.

She’d dated Park Minchan and they broke up.

No wonder it was so tense.

But… is it okay to talk about this stuff on set?

Watching her expression carefully, I asked cautiously.

“Won’t rumors start spreading about dating… if you say things like this?”

Lee Seohwa pulled out a compact mirror, fixed her hair, and then looked up again.

“You’re tight-lipped anyway. You’re a rookie—you wouldn’t go around spreading stuff about me.”

Well, that’s true.

Seemed like she wanted to vent to some rookie she thought was easy to talk to.

There was still some time left before filming started anyway. I could listen to her venting, sure.

I nodded and sat down in front of Lee Seohwa.

She gave a subtle signal to the stylist nearby to leave, then opened her mouth again.

This time, it was a slightly more interesting topic.

“Then do you know why I broke up with Lee Dokyung?”

“Uh…”

I could pretty much guess the reason.

Sure enough, I was right.

“That bastard got caught cheating.”

“Oh my.”

How could something like that happen!

I played dumb and chimed in.

“After appearing in Starf, he said he was going to become an idol now, so he’d break up with his girlfriend.”

Probably around that time when he got caught by me and started losing his grip.

Still, at least he tried to get it together and clean up his complicated love life.

But what Lee Seohwa said next was hard to comprehend with a sober mind.

“So, well. I thought, yeah, I’ve got two boyfriends, so I can lose one. But turns out, he didn’t just break things off with me—he broke up with three people?”

“…Excuse me?”

“Isn’t breaking up with three people just too much?”

Wait, hold on.

There was too much information all at once, and my brain started spinning.

Usually, if you say you’ve got two, then losing one should be okay,

but how does that go with having a boyfriend?

Why did she have two boyfriends?

Was she always dating two people by default?

Am I the only one living in a different world?

Seeing my dazed face, Lee Seohwa muttered, adding more explanation.

“I was two-timing, but three-timing is a bit too much, right?”

“……”

Sounds the same to me!

Is this Hollywood or something?

My sense of identity crumbled, and I just froze up in a daze.

Lee Seohwa glanced at me and asked casually.

“Seohan-ssi, do you have a girlfriend?”

“No.”

Despite my mind being on the verge of collapse, the answer came out instantly without a second of hesitation.

An idol shouldn’t do that.

Patting my shoulder, Lee Seohwa shook her head.

“Aw, such a stiff rookie. Cute.”

“…What?”

“Everyone in this industry is secretly dating someone. If you’re unlucky, you get caught, but if you’re careful, you don’t.”

“……”

“Anyway, even if you date secretly, just date one person. Don’t mess up the genealogy…”

I don’t need that kind of advice!

Seriously, my head hurts.

* * *

‘No girlfriend?’

‘Nope.’

‘You’ve never dated anyone?’

‘Never.’

‘No way.’

‘Not even in a past life.’

Unlike some people, I was a rookie idol with a strong professional mindset.

‘Still better than triple-timing.’

Either way, she seemed to like me.

Lee Seohwa crossed her arms and closely observed Seohan, who had gone into filming.

She’d said with her own mouth that she had no intention of acting, but those who say that always end up with one foot in the door later.

She didn’t hate idols like that, but she hoped they’d at least have basic skills.

S#52.

It was a scene where Choi Yooseok (Park Minchan), the manager of Romantic Management, was desperately trying to sign rising star Jun (Do Seohan). In this scene, Seohan, appearing as a cameo, had about ten lines to deliver.

‘Can he get it in one take?’

Who knows.

Just as Lee Seohwa was watching the set with a skeptical gaze,

the director called out.

“Action!”

Park Minchan entered, massaging Seohan’s shoulder the moment it began.

As soon as the camera light turned on, his gaze quickly sank into the character.

Drawing on his many past experiences, Park Minchan delivered his line.

“Hey, Jun. Don’t be like that—think it over. You said you wanted to join our company last time.”

“Me?”

“You said we’re perfect because we won’t interfere if you want to do real hip-hop.”

Seohan let out a small chuckle at Park Minchan’s sly flattery.

“Ah~.”

He seemed to be focusing on the role, his cautious gaze drifting into the air.

Then, fully stepping into Jun’s shoes, Seohan scratched his head and said,

“Wherever I go, I’m gonna do real hip-hop. Isn’t it written all over my face? Ah, hip-hop.”

“What are you talking about, Jun? The only thing written on your face is good looks.”

“Well… that’s kind of true.”

Choi Yooseok lifted Jun up so high it looked like his shoulders might pierce the sky, while Jun, clearly proud, didn’t bother hiding it.

They were so good at playing off each other, it was annoying in a way.

Lee Seohwa bit her lower lip, suppressing a laugh.

‘Why is he good at this?’

An idol drunk on self-love.

So deep in narcissism that he couldn’t self-reflect properly—yet that innocent charm buried underneath started to overlap completely with Seohan.

“Everything’s great, but your company’s entrance sign is so outdated, it doesn’t make me want to sign.”

“Come on, we can remodel that.”

“Already out of the running in terms of aesthetics.”

Seohan clicked his tongue and turned his head.

“But then again, who knows. If you change the sign, maybe I’ll sign the contract…”

“Really? You mean it?”

“Can’t you change the building too?”

“No way, man.”

“Well, I guess that much can be overlooked.”

Choi Yooseok made a huge fuss and grabbed Jun’s shoulders tightly.

Shake shake—

He was so excited that his grip was full of strength.

Jun grumbled in disgust.

“Ugh, stop shaking me—I feel like I’m getting a slipped disc. My vocal projection’s gonna go bad.”

“Jun, you’re really shining today!”

“I know.”

Jun added slyly to that,

“I shine even when I’m just sitting still… Ugh!”

Wham—

Choi Yooseok pulled Jun into a tight hug.

Then, the camera zoomed in on Seohan’s horrified expression.

“Cut!”

The director’s cut signal followed immediately.

With that one word, Seohan turned his head in a daze.

Did he really get it in one take?

Park Minchan patted Seohan’s shoulder and gave him a thumbs-up.

“What the, you’re good.”

The stiff and chilly mood on set from earlier melted away like it had never been there. Seeing a junior who was clearly young but undeniably skilled brought a gentle smile to their faces.

“Seohan-ssi is really good.”

“Seems like Doubles put him through some intense acting lessons.”

“I don’t think there’s anything to nitpick. He’s easy to watch.”

“Kind of feels like real-life acting.”

Well, it was acting based on reality, after all.

It wasn’t a scene that demanded incredible acting skills, but it passed in one take without a flaw.

As a rookie who must’ve been nervous for his first shoot, it would’ve been hard to show his strengths properly, yet—

‘The kid’s got guts.’

His vocal projection was solid, and his diction was clear.

The likability that came from his naturally gifted looks suited the role perfectly.

I took back my earlier question about whether he was planning to act.

You should give it a shot someday.

“That kid’s got something.”

Lee Seohwa muttered under her breath and grinned.

Meanwhile, at the same time—

A post appeared on a previously quiet fan community.

[Hey, I saw Seohan with Lee Seohwa and Park Minchan. What are they filming?]

[photo.jpg]

This is Hyehwa Station btw, they blocked foot traffic and surrounded the place with cameras

I spotted Do Hamjji from a distance

Kinda looks like a drama set

What are they filming???

I’m going crazy with curiosity rn

– Lee Seohwa and Park Minchan??? That combo screams Romantic Management, no?

└ omg you’re right

└ Romantic Management???? A drama shoot? Why’s Byo-Seohan there?

└ Romantic Management? That trending drama right now?

└ wait a drama?

└ collecting endless hooks

– Do Seohan’s acting?

└ dunno nothing’s been reported yet;;

└ yeah nothing yet, Doubles hasn’t said anything either lol

└ Do Seohan acting??

└ did I really just read that?

└ came to the fan café out of boredom and saw this bombshell drop, wasn’t expecting this at all

└ this isn’t clickbait, right?

– It’s true they were filming Romantic Management at Hyehwa Station today

└ holy sh—

└ it really was a drama shoot

└ Seohan, get famous—or wait, don’t get famous—no, get famous—no, don’t…

└ getting famous is fine, but acting? Kinda sus lol

└ what’s sus about it

└ if you're gonna whine like that in the fan café, just leave lol

What started as a random post soon spread with several follow-ups.

There was visible excitement from fans at the thought of seeing their favorite idol in the No.1 trending drama, but the usual haters also seized the moment to pounce.

[I told you lol they all end up acting eventually]

It’s a rule of thumb that good-looking ones wait for the right moment and then jump into acting

But DSH is way too fast lol

Not even a month into debut and already trying to go solo? Think they’ll renew the contract?

Don’t pour your whole identity into Dusty stanning~

He looks like the type to backstab, so just give enough, okay? ^^

– Damn, this one’s making it obvious. Talked like idol life was everything, then immediately switches to acting?

└ lololol how is that obvious, probably the company’s decision

└ not every idol just says yes because the company tells them to hehe

└ he was good at dancing, such a waste of talent

└ Seohan, with that talent, just stick to being an idol

– But from what I heard from someone in the industry, it’s just a cameo, probably promoting their next album ㅠㅠ people always assume the worst

└ you “heard” that? From your phone?

└ lololol who even are you

└ we’ll know when an article drops

└ still, doesn’t look like he’s suddenly joining Romantic Management as a supporting role, so cameo sounds right

└ even a cameo means he’s thinking about acting ㅎㅎ Dusty, is this the best defense you’ve got?

– If you’re not a fan, leave lol Do Hamjji sends long private messages every day lol is he not sincere about being an idol? Who else treats fans like he does?

└ Saying he’d backstab won’t work on Dusties. We know Seohan isn’t like that.

└ I still have that candid shot from the fan signing when he was full of energy

└ soon he’ll be wide-eyed and blank-faced lololol

└ He’s only eighteen and y’all are tearing him apart. What’s this inferiority complex?

└ He’s young, good-looking, dances well, debuted as center at a young age~ people just jealous cuz he has it all ㅠ

└ Even the OP admitted it—said he’s good-looking lol everyone, stan the gorgeous Seohan ^^

The comments section was a chaotic battlefield of defenders and haters.

A Dusty office worker sighed, clutching their head.

“The unjust hate is insane.”

Our kid is so sincere about being an idol.

It felt so unfair that someone like him was getting this kind of hate, and they were worried he might damage his image by acting.

“If it’s just a cameo, that’s a relief…”

Our kid would do well no matter what he chose, but watching it unfold made any Dusty anxious.

Just as that Dusty’s shoulders began to slump,

a notification from the Yui App popped up.

Dding—

[Beloved Dusties, come on in~ by Herbivore Duo]

“Huh?”

A livestream titled in a way that sounded like Seo Haim had written it.

The other members had already done a livestream earlier today.

“A livestream at this hour?”

Dusty, almost as if in a trance, reached out and tapped to join.

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