Chapter 60

# Episode 060

“No, it’s not that you have appendicitis, but I need you to pretend you have it. Have you ever had appendicitis?”

When it came to a sudden illness, Seong Pil could only think of appendicitis.

In his previous life, one of the trainees had complained of severe pain.

Thinking it was a serious illness, they went to the hospital, only to find out it was appendicitis.

“No, I haven’t. Why suddenly?”

“I don’t think you should appear on this show.”

“Huh? Then what about the company! I have to save the company!”

“Rika.”

Seong Pil gripped Rika’s shoulder even tighter.

“Don’t say anything, just trust me this one time. Please.”

Even if it were a family member, it would be hard to respond immediately to such a request.

But Rika,

“I trust you!”

replied without hesitation.

Seong Pil was taken aback.

* * *

Song Cheol-ho, the main PD of Project Poyu, looked out the window with a trembling heart.

The trainees were gathering one by one.

“I’m not sure if this will work.”

When he first proposed the idea, everyone was against it.

But Song Cheol-ho repeatedly persuaded them, insisting he would make it a success.

He even staked his career and reputation, and eventually got the approval.

‘My career is on the line with the next project anyway.’

Song Cheol-ho had not achieved significant results for a long time.

If things continued like this, he might have to give up his PD career without a single successful project.

So he decided to drink the ‘poisoned chalice’—he would use a trainee survival plot, which was guaranteed to be a hot topic.

‘They probably approved Project Poyu thinking it was a losing hand.’

But Song Cheol-ho was determined to make it a success.

No matter what, he would succeed...

“Check how many trainees have gathered.”

“Sure.”

Just as Lee Hyun-sung picked up his phone, the door suddenly burst open, and Seong Pil appeared.

The production staff were startled.

It wasn’t just the rough opening of the door that shocked them.

Seong Pil’s eyes were red, as if he had been crying, and he looked as anxious as someone who had just received news of a family member’s accident.

“Mr. Park?”

As soon as Lee Hyun-sung recognized him, Seong Pil started speaking rapidly.

“I’m Park Seong Pil, the manager of Garo Entertainment. PD Song, I’m sorry, but our trainee is sick.”

“...Sick? Your... child?”

Why was he telling him this?

“It’s Rika, our company’s trainee. She’s sick. It seems like appendicitis. I’m sorry, but she won’t be able to appear on the show. And do you have any painkillers?”

“What do you mean she can’t appear...”

“My trainee is sick!”

Song Cheol-ho shrank back under Seong Pil’s intense gaze.

It was not a common occurrence for a trainee to be unable to appear on the show.

Of course, if there was a physical problem due to illness, it was natural for them not to appear, and this was stipulated in the contract.

But if trainees started dropping out from the beginning, it would be a significant problem for the production team.

“Go and check on her. Youngest, find some painkillers and follow me.”

Seong Pil didn’t just walk; he ran out. Song Cheol-ho and a few others had no choice but to run after him.

On the way, doubts began to grow in Song Cheol-ho’s mind.

‘She says she has appendicitis right after arriving for filming? How did she know it was appendicitis? Is this just a change of heart? Or is she exaggerating a minor issue?’

Rika was lying in the back seat of Seong Pil’s car.

She was shedding tears and groaning in pain.

It was painful just to watch.

“Ugh, Manager...”

“Does it hurt? A lot?”

“Yes... Why am I like this...? Am I dying...?”

She certainly looked like she was in a lot of pain.

Song Cheol-ho sighed.

Rika didn’t seem to be faking or exaggerating a minor issue.

“Go to the hospital and get a diagnosis...”

Seong Pil suddenly took action. He pressed the lower right side of Rika’s abdomen.

Rika’s body jerked as if in a seizure.

“Ah, ah, ah!”

Rika couldn’t even scream from the pain.

“Is it appendicitis? It must be appendicitis, right?!”

No one could answer Seong Pil’s question.

There was no doctor among them.

“Alright, take her to the hospital quickly.”

Song Cheol-ho couldn’t bear to watch Rika any longer.

He had experienced appendicitis before and knew how painful it was.

While he didn’t know what Rika had, it was clear she was in pain.

“I’m sorry, PD. I know how important the start of the show is. I’m sorry for the sudden withdrawal. If it’s not a serious illness, can she return in a week? I don’t want to cause trouble, even if it’s late.”

“It’s hard to have her return with the filming schedule.”

“...I see. I’m really sorry. I’m sorry. I feel terrible...”

“Alright, take the kid and go!”

He was afraid Rika might die if they waited any longer.

Seong Pil quickly drove away from the filming location.

“Sigh. Is this bad luck? One trainee is already out from the start.”

Song Cheol-ho was superstitious.

As he scratched his head in frustration, other staff members tried to console him.

Someone else was watching the scene.

Min Kyung-sub, the manager of Success Entertainment.

‘...Suddenly so sick?’

She had been fine just a moment ago.

While the situation was strange, Min Kyung-sub had a bigger problem to deal with.

‘How do I get back?’

In the end, he had to hitch a ride with another manager to return to Seoul.

* * *

“Boss.”

[Yeah. Did you take Rika to the hospital?]

“Don’t ask anything and can you trust me just this once?”

[What are you talking about all of a sudden? How can I trust you without a reason? What do you want me to trust?]

“I’m sorry. I’m driving, so I’ll call you back later.”

[What?]

Seong Pil ended the call and sighed.

He had managed to get Rika out of Project Poyu, but the aftermath was a problem.

What would he tell Hong Gyu-hun?

And PD Song Cheol-ho?

Using illness as an excuse was convenient, but it was hard to prove.

“Rika.”

“Yes!”

Rika was looking at Seong Pil with bright, trusting eyes. The trust in her eyes was overflowing.

Even after leaving the filming location, she didn’t ask why Seong Pil had done this.

She had decided to trust Seong Pil completely.

“You acted well. Did you learn acting?”

“Hehe. I have experience!”

“But you said you’ve never had appendicitis.”

“I’ve felt pain before.”

“Oh, right.”

“What is appendicitis, anyway?”

“You didn’t know? I’m not sure exactly what it is, but it hurts in the abdomen. Remember the spot I pressed? That’s where it hurts.”

“Hmm? I sometimes feel pain there.”

“What?”

Come to think of it, in the future, Rika had complained of sudden pain and couldn’t appear on a show.

“It got better after a while. It started about two years ago. But it doesn’t hurt after taking painkillers and resting!”

“...”

They went to the hospital for a check-up.

“It’s appendicitis. Fortunately, it was caught early. You need surgery.”

“Really!”

* * *

Hong Gyu-hun rushed to the hospital.

Sweat was beading on her forehead, and a few strands of hair were stuck to it, showing how urgently she had come.

“Rika?”

“She just went in.”

“Will she be fine with surgery?”

“Yes.”

“Will there be a scar?”

“I already begged the doctor to make sure there’s no scar.”

“...Rika was in a lot of pain, right?”

She didn’t show any signs of pain until they got to the hospital.

“She started showing signs of pain in the car. Then it got worse at the filming location.”

“What can we do? Sigh. She must have been in a lot of pain.”

Hong Gyu-hun waited with Seong Pil until Rika’s surgery was over.

Worry was etched on her face.

For Seong Pil, it was a meaningful time. He could see how much Hong Gyu-hun cared for Rika and the other members of Garo Entertainment.

“Rika won’t be able to appear on Project Poyu, right?”

Hong Gyu-hun seemed apologetic for even bringing it up.

“No, of course not.”

“It’s a shame. It would have helped her gain recognition. The timing was bad.”

“...I know. Why did this happen now? It’s not Rika’s fault. It’s a shame.”

Of course, Rika’s health is the most important.

After the surgery, Rika was moved to a hospital room.

Hong Gyu-hun talked to the doctor, and Seong Pil went to take care of Rika.

She was still under the effects of anesthesia.

“...Ah.”

Rika suddenly made a sound. She opened her eyes halfway and looked at Seong Pil.

“Manager.”

“Yeah, I’m here.”

“Have you eaten?”

“Huh? Yes, I have.”

“Take care of your meals. Stay healthy.”

“Thanks.”

When coming out of anesthesia, people often babble.

Sometimes, they say things they’ve been holding in, creating embarrassing moments.

Seong Pil laughed and turned on the recording app on his phone.

He would tease her later.

“I shouldn’t be here.”

“Why?”

“I need to practice.”

“Practice? You’re sick. Rest.”

“No, I need to debut. I’ll save the company.”

“Boss will be happy to hear that.”

“Can I succeed?”

“Of course. You can.”

“What if I can’t?”

“That won’t happen.”

Rika’s fingers twitched. When he asked if she needed something, she said ‘hand.’

Seong Pil held her hand.

“Manager.”

“Yeah.”

“Even if I don’t succeed, I won’t blame Boss or the managers.”

“...What?”

“Even if I fail. Even if I don’t become famous. Even if the group falls apart later, I understand. That’s what being an idol is. Sometimes, effort isn’t enough. I won’t blame you even if I fail.”

“...”

“You don’t have to feel burdened or sorry. I know Boss and the managers are trying their best.”

“No, you’re talking about failure before even debuting. Stop being so negative. Did you see the future? Are we going to fail?”

“So, if we fail, I won’t hate you. Don’t hate me either. I’ll do my best. You have to understand. Got it?”

“...”

Seong Pil pressed the corners of his eyes and laughed.

“Hey, you speak Korean so well, but why do you talk strangely usually?”

“Is Rika awake?”

Hong Gyu-hun entered the room.

“No, she’s still under anesthesia.”

“Hmm. Let’s see the surgery site. Wow, that’s too much. Will there be a scar?”

“It will heal over time.”

“Wow... It must have hurt a lot.”

“What did the doctor say?”

“Eat water when the gas comes out. Nothing should be eaten before that. Why are you holding Rika’s hand?”

“Rika asked me to.”

“Hmm... Rika.”

Rika opened her eyes at Hong Gyu-hun’s call.

“Boss?”

“Hey, do you like Manager Park?”

“Yes...”

“Do you love him?”

“No...”

“What about Manager Han?”

“I like him...”

“Do you love him?”

“No...”

“What about Ara? Do you love Ara?”

“I love her...”

“Haha, that’s funny.”

“Don’t tease her.”

“One more. Rika, do you like me?”

“...”

She fell asleep.

“Is she pretending to sleep? Hey, Rika. Why won’t you answer me?”

“Don’t torment her.”

* * *

Rika was discharged in good health.

But she couldn’t sing or dance.

Even getting out of bed made her sweat profusely.

“You have a hole in your abdomen. You need to rest at the dorm for a while.”

“What will I do at the dorm?”

“Find something to do. Resting is good for you, right?”

“I’m bored! I want to go to the company!”

“No. Lie in bed and rest comfortably. Resting is also work. Got it?”

“...Yes.”

Hong Gyu-hun gave Rika a vacation, but it wasn’t a vacation for Rika.

Lying still was torture for her.

Seong Pil and Han Goo-in occasionally visited to check on her, but it wasn’t enough to alleviate her loneliness.

So, Rika developed a new hobby.

[Manager! I just saw on TV that lions are part of the cat family, did you know?]

“I knew that.”

[What?! Lions look more like dogs to me!]

“Really?”

Seong Pil had to chat with Rika over the phone constantly.

While Rika was recovering, Garo Entertainment was making progress.

One of the developments was the introduction of weekly and monthly evaluations.

From now on, the members would be forced to constantly prove themselves.

Of course, it wasn’t an easy or enjoyable process.

It was more like a thorny path filled with pain and difficulties.

* * *

Baek Seol-ha’s dance busking ended.

A few audience members clapped lightly and then went their separate ways.

Baek Seol-ha bowed repeatedly, showing her gratitude even to the small audience.

“Let’s go.”

“Sure.”

They packed up the equipment and got into the car.

Baoh Seol-ha was still excited from the busking.

It was a performance with almost no audience and no reaction.

It was truly an unknown busking.

The location wasn’t in the city, making it even more desolate.

Still, the fact that she could show her dance to others was exciting and released endorphins.

“Wait a moment.”

As soon as they got to the company, Seong Pil shared Baek Seol-ha’s busking video with Hong Gyu-hun and Han Goo-in.

“Let Manager Park explain.”

Next, they watched the video of Jo Ara’s singing busking, taken by Han Goo-in.

“Let Manager Park explain.”

“Sure.”

The two had each done busking in their respective areas of improvement—vocals and dance.

Busking was better for skill improvement than practicing alone in a room.

It provided motivation and helped build experience performing in front of an audience, which would be beneficial for future stage performances.

They also filmed videos for the company’s YouTube channel.

“You can leave if you have no other business.”

As soon as they left the boss’s office, Han Goo-in worriedly asked them not to be too harsh on the two.

Seong Pil nodded in understanding.

He called Baek Seol-ha first. They watched the video together.

“Seol-ha.”

“Yes.”

“I was embarrassed.”