Survive! Foolish Bottom!

 

A whirlwind of thoughts raced through Haeun’s mind in an instant. 

 

‘When exactly did Kim Gyowon enter that stall? Did he hear the entire conversation?’

 

He must have, right? And why on earth had he brought his coffee into a bathroom stall in the first place? 

 

Letting his guard down was his mistake, but no one could blame Haeun for being caught off guard.

 

‘He didn’t drink it… did he?’

 

At least, judging by appearance, the coffee didn’t seem to have gone down.

 

As Haeun’s tangled thoughts continued to spiral, one particular idea surfaced. Without filtering it through his brain, he blurted it out.

 

“You’ve been in there for quite a while. Were you, uh, taking care of business the entire time?”

 『Professional idols don’t ask their seniors such sensitive questions! ε=((( ˚Дﾟ)ﾉﾉ』 

The question had stemmed from his concern about whether Kim Gyowon had taken even a single sip of the coffee. The system’s sharp response to his careless words made Haeun freeze in place. Now that the person in front of him wasn’t Lee Jaewoon, he couldn’t predict how the system would react. It might not continue overlooking behavior so uncharacteristic of “Park Ha.” 

 

Would Kim Gyowon get angry at such a ridiculous question? If he did, would the system send him another warning? Nervously, Haeun studied his face, but to his surprise, Kim Gyowon’s response came in a calm tone.

 

“If it were something like that, wouldn’t I have stayed inside out of sheer embarrassment?”  

 

Kim Gyowon echoed Haeun’s tone, but the incredulity on his face was clear. It made sense—if that

had

been the case, he likely would’ve stayed holed up in the stall no matter what. Haeun nodded to herself in agreement.  

 

As he pondered this, a voice as faint as a whisper crept into the conversation.  

 

“S-senior… I….”  

 

It was Lee Jaewoon. His face was ashen, his words halting. Haeun, who had nearly forgotten his existence amidst the shock of Kim Gyowon’s dramatic entrance, realized belatedly that he was still there.  

 

Kim Gyowon, too, seemed to have completely ignored Lee Jaewoon’s presence, his attention focused solely on Haeun until now. But he finally turned his gaze to Jaewoon, albeit slowly, as if to acknowledge him.  

 

“O-oh, this is a misunderstanding! I can explain everything!”  

 

How? 

 

Haeun couldn’t help but wonder what kind of explanation Lee Jaewoon could possibly come up with. Kim Gyowon tilted his head slightly, as if granting permission to speak. Wow. What a smug move. 

 

Haeun thought, observing the scene as if he were watching a fire from a safe distance across the river. For now, the flames weren’t licking at his feet—but it felt like only a matter of time before they might.  

 

Lee Jaewoon, panicked and flustered, darted a quick glance at Haeun before grasping at the first excuse that came to mind.  

 

“We were, um… joking! Joking around! That’s all it was!”  

 

“…….”  

 

“Right? Right, Park Ha? Haha…! We were just kidding! We’re close, you know? That’s why we joke around like this, yeah?”  

 

‘Pathetic.’

 

That was Haeun’s honest impression of him at that moment.

 

Without realizing it, Haeun found himself pitying him. Lee Jaewoon’s face, pale and stricken with desperation, made his ridiculous excuse seem even more unbelievable.  

 

Just moments ago, Haeun had been boiling with irritation and resentment toward Jaewoon. But the shock of Kim Gyowon’s sudden appearance had dulled his emotions. Now, looking at the pitiful state of Lee Jaewoon, he couldn’t bring himself to heap more sarcasm or scorn on him. Especially not with Kim Gyowon standing right there. Haeun decided to keep his mouth shut.  

 

Even after hearing Jaewoon’s frantic explanation, Kim Gyowon’s expression didn’t change. His calm demeanor made it seem like this whole situation was someone else’s problem. In retrospect, Kim Gyowon had been unnervingly composed from the moment he’d stepped out of the stall. If it had been Haeun in his shoes, he would’ve immediately grabbed Jae-woon by the collar as soon as he confessed.  

 

Of course, Kim Gyowon could stay this calm because he hadn’t actually drunk the coffee. If he had even taken a sip, no matter how poised he seemed now, he’d be losing it. He wouldn’t even have come out of the stall in the first place.  

 

Still, Kim Gyowon had to say something, right? Haeun stole a glance at him, curious to see what he would say to Jaewoon.  

 

Honestly, Haeun thought what Jaewoon had tried to do was worse than poisoning someone. Targeting a public figure, someone who made their living off their image—especially someone like Kim Gyowon, who thrived on appearances—with a laxative? 

 

If it had been him, he’d have been mortified beyond words. Of course, some of his thoughts were laced with personal bias against Kim Gyowon. Still, he figured he wouldn’t let this slide without some sort of scolding or retaliation.  

 

After a short silence, Kim Gyowon finally spoke.  

 

“Leave.”  

 

Haeun snapped her head up in surprise. That wasn’t what he’d expected him to say. But no one looked more shocked than Lee Jaewoon himself.  

 

“…Pardon?”  

 

Lee Jaewoon dumbly repeated the word, clearly unsure if he’d heard correctly. Kim Gyowon, as if addressing a particularly slow child, repeated himself patiently.  

 

“I said, leave.”  

 

Kim Gyowon’s annoyed expression made it clear that if Jaewoon were trying to court him as a character in some dating sim, his recent remark would’ve docked him at least ten affection points.

 

“Sunbae, please, just listen to me for a moment…!”  

 

Jaewoon, clearly believing that convincing Kim Gyowon here was his last chance, sounded desperate. However, Kim Gyowon cut him off with a calm but disinterested tone.  

 

“Whatever it is, don’t you think this isn’t the place to discuss it?”  

 

Haeun, who until now hadn’t quite understood Kim Gyowon’s reaction, found himself silently nodding at the logic. That made sense. Having a serious conversation in a restroom with someone who just tried to spike your coffee? That would indeed feel uncomfortably gross.  

 

Realizing he had no counterargument, Lee Jaewoon, trembling and defeated, staggered out of the restroom. Haeun, forgetting for a moment that he had been fighting with him, nearly clicked his tongue in sympathy as he watched his retreat.  

 

Once Lee Jaewoon had exited, Haeun felt an acute prickling sensation on the back of her head. It wasn’t just his imagination.  

 

Kim Gyowon was watching him.  

 

Haeun had plenty of questions she could ask Kim Gyowon. Why had he gone into the restroom with his coffee in the first place? Why had he chosen that particular moment to reveal himself? Why had he let Jaewoon off so easily, and what was he planning to do now?  

 

But those questions paled in comparison to what Kim Gyowon might ask him. After all, he’d been caught in the act—brawling with Jaewoon like some street thug.

 

Haeun subtly slid his hand into his pocket, fiddling nervously with his phone, which was still diligently recording the entire situation.  

 

‘What should I do?’

 

Fortunately, Kim Gyowon hadn’t said a word yet. Judging by how he neither addressed him nor tried to stop him, perhaps he could slip out quietly, just like Jaewoon, and let the situation blow over. 

 

However, if he dawdled too long, there was no telling what the system—already sending him multiple warnings—might decide to do next.  

 

After a moment of inner turmoil, Haeun sighed deeply in resignation. It was as if he’d been infected by the meddlesome nature Kim Gyowon had displayed earlier on the stairs. He spun around to face him, though he couldn’t bring himself to meet his eyes directly. Instead, he focused on the third button of his shirt.  

 

“What are you going to do? I recorded everything—if you want it, I can send it to you.”  

 

The words had barely left his lips before he regretted them. Of course, he’d figure out how to handle it, given his personality. Why had he even offered?  

 

Kim Gyowon leaned slightly against the sink and cast a fleeting glance at the Americano sitting on the counter.  

 

“You didn’t drink it, right?”  

 

“Is that your type of thing?”  

 

He asked on a whim, the question spilling out of his mouth before she could think better of it. Kim Gyowon’s response was a prompt counter-question.  

 

‘Answer the question first, you jerk. What do you think I stuck around here for in the first place?’

 

Haeun grumbled inwardly, though he maintained a neutral tone as he answered, doing his best to seem composed.  

 

“I said it’s not like that!”  

 

Haeun snapped, running her hands through his hair in frustration. His voice rose unintentionally, and for a moment, even the ever-calm Kim Gyowon arched an eyebrow in mild surprise.  

 『Professional idols don’t shout at their seniors like that! ( ﾟДﾟ)σ』   

The system’s scolding rang out, but Haeun barely paid it any mind this time. His patience had already worn thin, and he was done tiptoeing around Gyowon’s snide remarks.  

 

“Look, I don’t know what Ham Dabi or anyone else said, but it’s all just people running their mouths, okay? And yeah, maybe my acting was a little too on point in that audition—well,

sorry

for being good at my job!”  

 

His words came out in a rush, laced with indignation. The defensive tone in his voice was evident, but he didn’t care. Gyowon simply regarded him with an unfazed expression, like a professor observing a student flounder during an oral exam.  

 

“That’s quite the excuse. You’re good at acting, sure. But just now? That wasn’t acting. That was

you

.”  

 

“I said it wasn’t!” 

 

Haeun retorted, his cheeks flushing slightly, unsure whether from anger or embarrassment.  

 

Kim Gyowon tilted his head slightly, studying him like he was an interesting specimen. His gaze was infuriatingly steady, devoid of any visible judgment, which only made him feel more scrutinized.  

 

“If you say so… But you might want to think about turning it down next time. Someone might get the wrong idea.”  

 

With that, he casually turned back toward the sink and picked up his untouched Americano, leaving Haeun to stew in a mix of frustration and mortification.

 『Professional idols don’t respond to seniors with such a snappy attitude! (๑ªัㅂªั๑)』   

Haeun stopped mid-sentence, quickly shutting his mouth with a gulp. He should’ve held back a little more. Up until now, the system had only issued warnings, but this time, the notification didn’t end there.  

 『That’s it! To help you become a truly amazing idol, a forced penalty will now be applied! ((ヾ(≧皿≦ﾒ)ﾉ))』   

It seemed there were limits to how much leniency could be granted now that her sparring partner had changed from Lee Jaewoon to Kim Gyowon. In a panic, Haeun cried out internally:  

 

‘Wait! No, I was wrong! I’ll keep my mouth shut! I won’t say another word!’  

 

But it was too late. The system ignored his desperate plea and heartlessly displayed its next notification.  

 『Automatic selection in 3 seconds ♥』   ‣ “I don’t quite understand what you’re saying, Senior! ﾟ+.(*´pωq`)ﾟ+.” ‣ “If you talk to me so harshly, I might start crying! (σ´Д｀)σ”* ‣ “I’m really not that kind of person, but it’s so upsetting that you misunderstood, Senior. Boo-hoo! ｡･ﾟ･(ﾉД`)･ﾟ･｡” 

He quickly scanned through the options, his despair deepening as he realized

none

of them were remotely dignified. Resigned to his fate, Haeun lowered his head in utter defeat, bracing himself for the impending humiliation. He genuinely felt like bursting into tears for real.  

 『Automatic selection complete ♥ Your response has been chosen and will now play!』  Hey guys, this is Flo!

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