Save a Failed Idol’s Life

Translator: MarcTempest

Editor: NicoleTempest

Chapter 256 Urgent Fire

‘Should I meet him in person again?’

If his condition was still bad, the system’s recovery might be faster than my disappearance.

Then, even if I failed to complete the changed quest, I could go back to ‘Cheon Ise’.

‘But…’

He was holding on until the end, saying he wanted to live one more time. Would I be relieved if I completely drove him away, and could I comfortably proceed with the remaining quest?

It was a difficult question to answer honestly. I wanted to go back to Cheon Ise if I could. But I didn’t want to go back against Cheon Ise’s will.

To sum it up, the biggest problem was that I couldn’t give up anything easily.

If I chose the members and the company, I could boldly try to take over his body as a villain from Cheon Ise’s perspective.

It was my fault that I couldn’t give up either side.

‘Please, snap out of it!’

If Cheon Ise would just act properly, I could focus on finishing my revenge without any regrets.

I was almost done with the handover materials, but my mind was heavy. It was useless if I made the materials and Cheon Ise, who would use them, died again after holding on like that.

‘Should I ask Yu-geon to make another visit to the hospital?’

I scratched my head, thinking that I might be kicked out if I went alone this time.

As soon as I thought of it, I sent a message to Yu-geon. He was like a celebrity who had so much free time, he replied in less than five minutes.

[Me] Are you free now? 11:45 AM

[Yu-geon] Yes. 11:48 AM

And then a puppy emoticon waving its hand arrived. I narrowed my eyes and glared at the puppy’s annoyingly shaking hand, then typed.

[Me] Can we go to Cheon Ise’s house one more time? I think I need to see how he’s doing. 11:49 AM

Then he didn’t answer for a long time, whether he was checking his schedule or playing hard to get.

‘Anyway…’

I clicked my tongue and took care of some other work, then he finally replied.

[Yu-geon] I don’t think I can do it today. 11:57 AM

Hmm, his busy schedule should be almost over by now. He had done almost all the variety shows, and the music shows were over.

He must be busy preparing for Swift’s debut song, but that wouldn’t take too long since there weren’t many people to match the schedule.

They were all experienced people who used to handle the schedule with nine members.

I looked at the screen with a skeptical thought and sent a reply.

[Me] Why? You only have one thing at night today. 11:59 AM

As far as I knew, he only had a late-night radio show. I didn’t think Yu-geon had anything else to do besides work, and I asked him confidently. He gave me an unexpected answer.

[Yu-geon] I have a prior engagement today. Not me, Cheon Ise. 12:01 PM

‘Prior engagement?’

He had a date? No, was he in a state to make a date? I moved my finger at the word that made my eyes pop.

[Me] Cheon Ise got better? 12:03 PM

That would have been a welcome news if I heard it. It would be nice if he could regain some energy and try to do something, even if he caused trouble.

But the answer that came back was not a sentence that I liked.

[Yu-geon] No, Naru said he was going to visit him today. 12:04 PM

Ah… that was the prior engagement. It would be troublesome with anyone else, but Naru was even more unsuitable to reveal this unbelievable secret.

If he knew, he would say ‘I’m not that pathetic!?’ and run away.

He’s not pathetic. Honestly.

I nodded and replied.

[Me] Then when are you free? 12:05 PM

[Me] I only have four days left. 12:06 PM

I emphasized that it was an urgent schedule that I couldn’t postpone any longer by telling him the remaining time. A few moments later, instead of a message, a phone call came.

[Caller information]

Yu-geon

010-XXXX-XXXX

Ah… he was going to nag me again, saying why I was so careless. I frowned and was about to press the reject button, but I sighed, thinking that he was the only one I could ask for help with the company work.

I had to take it. I lowered the call volume to the minimum, then moved to a quiet hallway as if I was running away.

He didn’t hang up rudely and waited, so I finally pressed the answer button.

“Hey, why are you calling me?”

I opened my mouth with a calm voice, as if I was the one who was wronged. Yu-geon raised his voice right away.

“No, how can you say that you only have four days left as if you were asking what I had for lunch today?”

Possible continuation:

[Me] What do you want me to say? Do you want me to leave you a will, saying please take care of my legacy even if I disappear?

It’s not that urgent yet. It’s too early to say goodbye.

I had said some cool words as if they were my last will, but it would look ridiculous if I had to contact him for more than three days from now.

As I was trying to say something nonsense to lighten the mood, Yu-geon shot back at me.

“You said you were disappearing, but you didn’t say you would disappear so soon.”

Didn’t I tell you that I didn’t have much time left? I scratched my forehead and made an excuse.

“I didn’t have a chance to tell you the exact time. Anyway, I don’t have much left, so I hope there’s a place where I can meet Cheon Ise again soon.”

Yu-geon made a sound of disbelief, clicking his tongue loudly, and answered.

“You’re telling me that now. If you have anything else that will piss me off, tell me quickly. I’m scared of what else you have.”

I muttered nervously.

“No, nothing else. I’ve already told you everything about disappearing. I’ve almost finished the handover materials, so I just have to give them to Cheon Ise… I want to check if he’s feeling better.”

Yu-geon sighed as if my reaction was still lukewarm, and there was a brief silence.

“Okay. I’ll ask Naru later and let you know. It might be difficult today, but I’ll try to contact Cheon Ise’s mother tomorrow morning and see if we can go again.”

He was doing me this favor while nagging a lot. I stroked my chest and replied.

“Okay. Thanks.”

Then, after a long silence, Yu-geon whispered in a low voice and hung up.

“…If you’re grateful… beep…”

What do you mean if I’m grateful? I glared at the screen with a dumbfounded expression.

[Me] Why did you hang up all of a sudden? 12:13 PM

As soon as I sent a message, a bland answer came back.

[Kang Yu-geon] It’s nothing. 12:15 PM

It’s nothing my ass. I was not very pleased, but I had to wait until the schedule was set.

I had to prepare more materials in the meantime. I had to keep my hands busy before I started having weird thoughts.

“Hmm…”

On the other hand, Naru, who looked like a celebrity or someone doing an advertisement, covered his whole body with a hat, sunglasses, mask, and padding, and looked up at the huge gate in front of Cheon Soo Group’s mansion.

‘It’s really big.’

How much would the maintenance fee be for a house like this? The president’s mansion had a thousand-unit electricity bill. Wouldn’t this house be similar? I was making stupid thoughts while the cold wind penetrated the gaps in my clothes.

‘Let’s go in.’

I heard that he was in such a bad condition that he couldn’t recognize anyone. I hope the members didn’t fail to recognize him either.

He wouldn’t be senile at that age. Naru paused and tapped his chin with his fingertips, then pressed the doorbell.

It was not like him to worry about such things. I came all the way here to visit him, and he would refuse me even though I contacted him in advance? I lifted my chin and waited for the door to open, and soon the door opened with a clank.

‘It’s open!’

As I cautiously opened the door and entered, I saw a garden that was spread out as wide as a small stadium.

‘They’re rich, alright.’

I was confident that I had grown up without any lack, but this level of wealth was definitely not mine.

If you asked me if I was jealous… Honestly, I was, but. I didn’t understand why he was doing something like an idol when he had so much money.

If he had that much money, he could just act like a rich and leisurely gentleman who was suspiciously wealthy and had a life full of fun.

Why did he bother to set up a label, and do something like a salad business, and get sick like this? I couldn’t understand it.

‘Well, it’s none of my business anyway.’

The reason why Naru came to visit him was simple.

The guy who had been talking so nicely in front of me had thrown everything away and lay down! He was acting so cocky, but you’re no better, huh? I wanted to tease him.

I also wanted to show him how much I had improved. I was confident in my skills anyway.

Did I take the lessons seriously? No, I didn’t.

I’m good without doing that. That’s the hard work that only those who can’t sing do. I had ignored the basics that I had been proud of, and started to organize them for about two weeks.

My basic style didn’t change much, but my high notes became more stable.

I had been proud of myself for not needing that until now, but the improvement was noticeable.

Look, now you can’t nag me with your skills. I was looking forward to the day when I could show him, but Ise suddenly quit his job and hid.

‘Even if you stop working, you have to listen to my song and quit.’

I didn’t care about anything else. Naru cleared his throat and pressed the doorbell again in front of the front door.

Soon, the door opened with a clank, and a person I had only seen on TV showed his face.

“Are you Naru? This is the first time I see you. My son was very rude to you.”

He was different from the mothers of the friends I had seen so far, from his appearance to his voice, which showed that he was not an ordinary person.

He looked restless because his son was sick and lying down, which was not very pleasant to see.

“Ah, yes… No, it’s not. I owe him a lot too…”

I reflexively greeted him politely, and soon I was guided to the room where Cheon Ise was sleeping.

“Since he’s been asleep for so long… Do you want to go and talk to him? Maybe he’ll wake up…”

Naru stood nervously in front of the bed, following the hesitant suggestion of Vice Chairman Ahn.

There lay Cheon Ise, barely breathing with his eyes closed and his face pale and sickly.

Naru understood that he was ill, but he had his own honest opinion.

“…Pathetic.”

Naru blurted out what he should have kept to himself, and his heart sank, wondering if his mother had heard him.