Chapter 192

Chapter 192

Raise Three Idols Well And They’ll Launch a Confession Attack.

Episode 192: Chapter 21 – Five Years Later (END)

At my overly confident remark, Oh Yoori gave me a doubtful look and asked,

“There’s a method for this? In this situation?”

I debated how to explain it, then answered playfully.

“Yoori, what do you think of me?”

“…Where did that come from?”

“Do you like me? Romantically?”

She recoiled in disgust.

“Wow… That’s literally the worst question ever.”

Yeah. That’s how someone her age should react.

Not like Gaeul, Yeoreum, or Gyeoul.

Feeling oddly satisfied, I smiled at her. Yoori, baffled, gave a dry chuckle and said,

“But you know what kind of person I am, right? I can’t answer that question properly.”

“Oh, right. Maybe I asked the wrong person.”

“…I said it, but now that you agreed, I’m strangely offended.”

So complicated.

“Still, it’s not totally unrelated, so hear me out. Yoori, when you see me whining to you over a beer you brought, what goes through your head?”

She looked unusually serious for such a cliché question, glanced at me, and replied,

“…You’re easy?”

“And when I bang my head on the keyboard during composing, cursing myself for making trash?”

“…Pitiful?”

“And when I’m laughing at the girls suffering on Girls in Road, only to scream and run when I find out I have to join them?”

“…Pathetic?”

“There it is! Perfect answers!”

“…”

She mumbled just loud enough to hear.

“…That’s the right answer?”

I ignored the muttering and continued.

“Just like you said, if you look at my actions objectively, I’m not someone you’d have some grand illusion about. I try my best to cover it up, but I mess up all the time and call it a ‘plan.’ I’m always missing a screw somewhere.”

“…So, this plan you’re talking about—isn’t it the same?”

“Nope, this one’s different. You’ll be convinced when you hear it.”

Yoori leaned in to listen.

“What matters is, I’m not actually this insanely attractive guy the girls make me out to be. Like you said—I come off as pathetic, pitiful, and easy. Or at least full of unflattering impressions.”

“And? You think I’m doing this to make them hate me? That’d cause another disaster.”

“It’s not about making them hate me. It’s about breaking their illusion.”

“Breaking their illusion?”

I nodded confidently.

“Yeah, like the so-called ‘rose-colored glasses.’”

“…Honestly, they’re not just seeing you through rose-colored glasses—they’re completely in love.”

“No, Yoori. Think about the guys those girls are around.”

She tilted her head, thought for a moment, then said,

“I thought about it—why?”

“Was there anyone among them who could be seen as a romantic interest by any of the three girls?”

“You.”

“…Not me.”

“Besides you? Hm… huh?”

Yoori scratched her head, thought again, and muttered,

“There isn’t.”

Exactly. There wasn’t.

There’s a common perception that pretty teenage girl group members secretly date behind the scenes—but that only works if they actually meet someone.

First off, the usual meeting ground: trainee years.

TwoBear was a tiny startup back then—there weren’t even male trainees to talk to.

Right after debut, the Yeoreum controversy exploded and shut everything down before any connections could form.

Now that they’re back on track with variety shows, competitions, dramas, and a successful second album, Cheon Aram—sensitive to scandals—had preemptively cut out almost all shows where they could meet people.

Maybe there was a chance during music shows with many people involved, but managers drilled with Aram’s code of conduct made sure those situations never escalated.

“Right. The girls have no opportunity to meet attractive peers of the opposite sex.”

So they’ve ended up living in a completely sterile, man-free environment.

“That’s probably a huge reason they started seeing me romantically. When there’s no one else, even an old guy like me can start to seem appealing. It’s like high school girls crushing on the one young male teacher. The first man they’ve seen post-puberty, plus the mystique of being an adult—it all overlaps into one perfect storm.”

Yoori tilted her head once and said,

“Honestly, I don’t think that’s the only reason… but even if I play along and assume you’re right—that they fell because they had no one else—fact is, they did fall for you. Isn’t that what matters?”

“It does matter. But the thing is, feelings born in such limited spaces and perspectives are very easy to break.”

And breaking that illusion doesn’t have to involve hurting anyone.

“Yoori. Why do you think you see me as pathetic, pitiful, annoying, poor, sloppy, and unimpressive? That I have zero romantic appeal, that I’m frustrating and pitiful?”

“I mean, I didn’t say all that…”

“It’s because I treat you differently than the other girls. I treat you like a friend, not like an adult who needs to be responsible and lead by example.”

“…A friend.”

Yoori fidgeted with her beer can for a while, then asked,

“So, if you treat the older girls the same way you treat me, their illusion will shatter—and so will their love for you?”

“Exactly.”

“…I don’t think that’s gonna work. The way they feel about you—it’s not something that’ll fade just from that.”

“Of course not. That’s why this has to be a long-term plan.”

“So what makes this different?”

“It’s completely different.”

Time dulls even the most burning emotions, burying them as distant memories you just vaguely recall with a “those were the days” sort of thought.

“The hormones that spark love peak for about two to three years. After that, they fade. And so will the girls’ feelings. If I spend that time making them see me as a friend instead of a romantic partner, those feelings will fade into the category of ‘someone I used to like.’”

“…Won’t that take a long time?”

“They’ve got five years and a month left on their contracts, right? That’s more than enough. By then, they’ll probably be the ones asking me to pretend we never made that promise.”

Honestly, I don’t even think it’ll take that long. I’m estimating a year or two.

That much time is more than enough to change how they see me.

“I’ll prove it. That no one has to get hurt—and all of this can just become a beautiful memory.”

Going to a baseball game with Yeoreum.

“Team Leader Seon, thank you so much for coming with me. I love sports and I’ve always wanted to watch a game live like this.”

“Oh come on, no need to thank me. I’m into sports in general too. I watch them whenever I get the time. Let’s enjoy this properly and wholesomely.”

“Yes! I’ll do my best to have fun too!”

“Yeah, that’s a great mindset. Even if your team’s losing, just enjoy it with good sportsmanship—MERCURIES, YOU INSANE IDIOTS, HOW DID YOU MISS THAT?!”

“…”

Also, going to karaoke with Gaeul.

“Um… Taeyang oppa, wouldn’t that song strain your voice a bit? How about a different one, or maybe lowering the key?”

“Thanks for your concern, Gaeul. But there are moments a man simply must not avoid.”

“…Like what?”

“Challenging your vocal range at karaoke, of course. HERE I GO—LAZENKAAAAAHHH!!”

“…”

And while playing games with Gyeoul.

“Taeyang-ssam, I can’t break this freeze! Can you come up here just once? I promise I’ll pay back the gank!”

“Gyeoul.”

“Yes?”

“Top lane is supposed to be lonely. Learn to endure that solitude. Mmm… this red buff tastes good.”

“…Taeyang-ssam, enemy jungle’s setting up a dive. Please, just once—if you help, I’ll work really hard…”

“In that case, I must follow the Law of Diagonals and rush bot instead. I’ll show you—my plays! Ah, I missed the Q.”

“…”

And just like that, I went full-on clown mode.

Oh Yoori watched all of this and made a strange face before saying,

“Is this… actually working?”

“Yeah, I think it’s working great. The way they’re looking at me—‘what’s wrong with this guy?’ I’m telling you, even eternal love would wither.”

“…”

“Bonus—I’m having a great time.”

Yoori let out a big sigh, scratched her head, then said,

“Well… this time, it might actually work. You’re breaking the illusion, but still giving them more attention than usual, so it doesn’t feel like neglect. Honestly, for you? It’s a pretty solid plan.”

“Right?”

“But be careful. Showing them your flaws is fine—but if they interpret that as you pulling away or losing interest, we could have another incident like before.”

“Don’t worry. I’m being extra cautious about that part this time.”

I’d already accepted it—no privacy, no personal time. I was all-in on these three girls.

“But… you’re sure the girls really don’t like it, right?”

That part, I was absolutely confident about.

“Come on, I’m doing nothing but annoying, gross stuff. Of course they hate it.”

“Yeah… right?”

“Totally!”

“…Wow, I feel so much more relieved now.”

“Thanks for sticking it out with me this whole time.”

“You’re the one who’s had it the hardest, Team Leader Seon.”

“Well, yeah, the hard part’s still ahead, but I think we can breathe a little easier now… Thanks, really.”

For the first time in a while, we smiled, thinking of a hopeful future.

Five years.

Enough time for passionate love to fade into simple affection, for at least two bouts of emotional burnout, for the feelings teenage girls had for an older man to shift from infatuation to sympathy.

I didn’t spend those years idly.

I put in consistent effort to become someone annoying, unappealing—utterly devoid of masculine charm.

And just like that, five years passed.

-Five years later-

“Taeyang oppa! There are 30 days, 3 hours, 28 minutes, and 4 seconds left until our contract ends! I can’t wait anymore—can we just start dating now?”

“Um… Taeyang-ssam, my grandpa keeps pestering me about when I’ll get married and bring home someone. So… can I tell him I’m dating you already?”

“Director Seon. Where do you think would be best for our newlywed home? Don’t worry about money. A villa? Apartment? House? Oh! Should I just build us a whole building?”

There was one month left until the end of their contracts—the promised start of dating.

Their feelings hadn’t faded at all. If anything, they’d intensified.

“….”

…Wait, what?