Chapter 3

### Holy Idol - Chapter 3 (3/902)

3. It Became Noise Marketing

"Are these sheep my parents?"

Lemblery muttered in a daze.

"They don't look anything alike. How could this face come from that face?"

At Lemblery's outrageous words, the young man with glasses and Mr. Lim were convinced.

This kid really has lost his memory.

From calling his parents sheep to muttering that a well-featured son could come from such unattractive parents, these were words that could only be spoken by someone who had lost their memory.

Woo Yeonwoo was eccentric but deeply loved his parents.

While it's true that Woo Yeonwoo's face was very different from his parents, he would never say such things if he were in his right mind.

"Jongwoo."

Mr. Lim, sighing, gave instructions to the young man with glasses.

"Did you say he hit his head?"

"Yes, yes."

"......Take him to the hospital quickly."

* * *

The young man with glasses is named Jongwoo.

Lemblery made sure to remember the young man's name.

Originally, he had to stay in this world in this body until he found a way back to his own world.

To adapt as well as possible, he had to memorize everything he saw and heard.

When Jongwoo brought Lemblery to a strangely shaped white building, calling it a hospital, Lemblery keenly observed his surroundings.

He then discovered something astonishing.

A large, thin, rectangular box was hanging on the wall, and inside the box, his own image—more precisely, the image of the body he had entered—was being displayed.

The box was playing the same music he had heard on stage.

The young men on stage were dancing enthusiastically.

Meanwhile, he was standing there motionless.

As that scene ended, the screen suddenly changed, showing a man and a woman standing on a platform.

Both were wearing flamboyant outfits and had strange headgear, awkwardly smiling and conversing.

- Yes, that was the stage of Wild Animal.

- Haha. The choreography was unique...?

- Yes, it was unique...?

While they were talking, they avoided looking at each other, instead glancing at the papers in their hands and in odd directions.

'Is this some kind of video display that shows video records?'

As he stared at the box in a daze, he strangely felt the gazes of those around him.

Lemblery took his eyes off the box and looked around.

People nearby were glancing at him.

He heard someone whisper,

"Isn't that him?"

Though they weren't asking him, Lemblery smiled and answered,

"Yes, that's me."

But suddenly, Jongwoo rushed over and covered Lemblery's mouth, preventing him from saying more.

"No, he's not Woo Yeonwoo but someone who looks like him. Haha."

Jongwoo, clearly lying, dragged Lemblery somewhere.

When they arrived, it was in front of a door not far away.

"Please come in, Mr. Lee Jongwoo."

The person standing at the door, looking at Lemblery with curiosity, spoke. Jongwoo smiled overly kindly and pulled Lemblery in again.

As soon as they entered the room, the door closed.

Inside the room was a large desk, and opposite the desk was a long clothes hanger.

A white gown was hanging on the hanger.

A person who seemed to be the owner of the gown was sitting at the desk.

"Welcome, Mr. Woo Yeonwoo. What brings you here?"

The person asked as soon as they entered, and Jongwoo, leading Lemblery to a small, round chair next to the desk, answered for him.

"He hit his head hard in the bathroom this morning, sir."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. But since then, he... Well, I'm not sure if you've seen the news, but this is a secret...?"

"Since I've already talked to Mr. Lim, you can rest assured."

Jongwoo, relieved, continued his explanation.

"After hitting his head, he lost his memory. I thought it was a joke, but he can't even recognize his parents."

The person, who looked tired, finally raised an eyebrow seriously and asked,

"Mr. Woo Yeonwoo. Exactly where did you hit your head?"

"In the bathroom... on the head..."

"There are many places in the bathroom."

"On the marble bathtub."

Lemblery made it up, and Jongwoo sighed beside him.

"Look, sir. Our accommodation doesn't even have a bathtub, let alone a marble one. The kid seems to be in a serious state."

"No bathtub?! Is that true? If there's no bathtub, how can it be a bathroom?"

Lemblery, surprised, asked, and the woman, with a stiff face, muttered,

"Oh dear."

"Looks like he has some delusions or memory errors."

* * *

The examination lasted nearly three hours.

Lemblery learned that the tired-looking person was a doctor and the person at the door was a nurse.

He also learned that there were no priests here.

The hospital here was not linked to any temple, and the treatment was done directly by the doctor, not a priest.

For Lemblery, who thought doctors diagnosed illnesses and treated minor colds, this was shocking.

It was strange enough to be in another body.

A world without priests?

But regardless of Lemblery's surprise, the examination continued.

Finally, the examination ended, and Lemblery returned to the room he had first entered.

The doctor, who had been waiting with strange papers stuck on a white rectangular board, said seriously when Lemblery and Jongwoo entered,

"He's very healthy."

Jongwoo, surprised, asked,

"Healthy?"

He pointed to Lemblery's head with his hand.

"Even here?"

"Yes. No bruises. The same for other parts."

Jongwoo's eyes widened.

"Can someone with a perfectly fine head lose their memory?"

"Human bodies are complex, so it's not impossible... but..."

The doctor, glancing at Lemblery, who was poking a skull model on the desk, answered.

"First, yes. No injuries were found."

The doctor, looking at Jongwoo, asked,

"Should I refer him to another department?"

The tone suggested a mental health issue.

Jongwoo, waving his hand to decline, took Lemblery to the changing room.

He then sadly watched Lemblery change clothes.

"Huh?"

Suddenly, he noticed something strange and asked,

"Yeonwoo. Didn't you have a scar here?"

"A scar?"

"On your side. A surgery scar. From a car accident."

"During my memory loss, do you think I would remember just a scar?"

"That's not it, but..."

Jongwoo, blinking, muttered,

"That scar was said to be impossible to remove even with surgery...?"

It seems my divine power naturally healed the wound. Lemblery felt a chill but pretended not to know and quickly changed his clothes.

Jongwoo kept glancing at Lemblery's side.

The memory loss and the disappearance of the scar were both strange.

He wondered if Lemblery could be a twin or a lookalike.

But that was impossible.

The accommodation was strictly controlled, and Lemblery had been brought directly to the members by the staff.

Moreover, the important thing now was not the scar but the head.

"Yeonwoo. Stay here. Don't go anywhere, okay? Here."

Jongwoo left Lemblery in the company's on-duty room, instructed him not to leave, and went to the representative's office.

Mr. Lim, pacing anxiously, asked as soon as Jongwoo entered,

"How was it?"

Jongwoo had received the examination results via text message in real-time but seemed to want to hear it again.

"He's very healthy."

"His head too?"

"If you mean physical injuries... Yes. His brain is clean."

Mr. Lim, sighing heavily, muttered,

"I'm going crazy."

"Mr. Park suggested we see a psychiatrist..."

Jongwoo cautiously suggested, but Mr. Lim shook his head.

"Absolutely not."

"But if it's a mental issue..."

"If he lost his memory due to an injury, people would pity him. Mistakes would be forgiven, and those who criticized him might feel guilty."

"..."

"But if he lost his memory for no reason, what do you think people will say? They'll say he's crazy. Do you know the rumors in this industry? Even a scratch on the wrist can start a suicide attempt rumor!"

Mr. Lim groaned and twisted his body.

He collapsed onto the sofa, clutching his head.

"Do you know how exclusive our country is about mental illness?"

"That's true."

"The only mental illnesses the public accepts in celebrities are depression and panic disorder."

Jongwoo remained silent.

Unfortunately, that was the current reality of the entertainment industry.

If a huge star had a mental illness, it might be different.

But for an unknown idol at the start, it was definitely a disadvantage.

Mr. Lim, realizing his words were harsh, added in a softer tone,

"Since his face is already known, if we reveal a mental illness, it could affect his future employment even after he leaves the idol industry."

"..."

"But the kid isn't violent or uncontrollable."

"Right."

After much thought, Mr. Lim sighed and said,

"Let's keep the memory loss a secret. And say he was standing because he wasn't feeling well. We'll release that as a news article."

"Will people believe it?"

"We have to announce it even if they don't believe it."

"Right."

"It's a bad situation, but the name 'Wild Animal' is now in people's minds. Let Yeonwoo rest, and we'll focus on the other members. It's become noise marketing."

"Understood."

"Contact Yeonwoo's parents honestly. Even if he doesn't perform, the settlement will still come in... though there won't be much since it's a deficit. Tell them not to be too disappointed."

Though he felt sorry for Yeonwoo, this was the best Mr. Lim could do.

He sighed and instructed Jongwoo to leave.

Just as Jongwoo was about to leave, a loud ringtone came from his phone, carelessly stuck in his back pocket.

It was a song by another idol who had debuted around the same time but was doing well.

Mr. Lim's eyes turned cold, and Jongwoo quickly took out his phone and answered while leaving.

"Yes, this is Jongwoo from LLL Entertainment."

Mr. Lim lay sprawled on the sofa.

Jongwoo had left, but his conversation in the hallway was still audible.

"Yes."

"..."

"Yes."

"..."

"Yes... Yes?!"

Suddenly, Jongwoo, who had been cautiously answering the call, burst out shouting.

Mr. Lim, peeling a candy wrapper, stopped and sat up, wondering what had happened.

The door suddenly burst open, and Jongwoo rushed in.

Jongwoo still had the phone to his ear.

Seeing that he hadn't hung up, Jongwoo deliberately spoke loudly and clearly.

"Our Yeonwoo is a hot topic on SNS and forums? Because he said, 'I don't know how to dance'? They want to interview him because of that? And take a photo shoot too?!"

Jongwoo looked at Mr. Lim, asking silently, "What should we do?"

Mr. Lim quickly gestured, flustered.

Say yes! Definitely say yes!