Chapter 383 [END]

Epilogue (4)

“…Seo Yutae!”

I watched helplessly as Lee Hwayoung stormed toward me, furious. No, I didn’t deliberately try to leave you out. I had no idea these guys were planning something like this. It’s all a misunderstanding … But Lee Hwayoung was far too worked up for any excuse like that to work. What could I possibly say? The kid was currently trembling like an angry Chihuahua. I honestly feared he might pass out at this rate.

In the midst of all this, Nam Yihwon firmly placed a party hat on my head, then smiled and clapped his hands together in satisfaction.

“Aww, so pretty. Our hyung looks great in the party hat too. So cute. You are so precious.”

Is this bastard actually crazy? Someone is coming to kill me right now, so what’s the point of wishing me a happy birthday?

Don’t tell me this is some kind of highly sophisticated prank too?

Anyway, this guy has always been like that. There was even a time when he braided all my hair while I was asleep, so I had to walk around all day with wavy hair.

“Whoa, whoa, you can’t kill me! I have to go on stage soon!”

“I even told you what time I’d arrive, so why didn’t you come pick me up?”

“…Because I never promised I would. Besides, it wouldn’t be fair if I only picked you up. Logically, it’s impossible to go and fetch every other member too.”

“Why did you have a birthday party without me!”

“I don’t know either. I’m the birthday guy.”

I was this close to blasting Nam Yihwon, who was clutching his stomach in laughter, and Lee Chise, who was filming the whole scene while cracking up, straight into the ceiling. But first things first, I had to put out the fire right in front of me. I calmly replied to Lee Hwayoung, who had come up right to my face.

But it seemed that wasn’t enough to satisfy him, as he started glaring at me like he was about to kill me. Cold sweat trickled down my face as I avoided his gaze, then I slowly reached out and placed my hand on his head.

“Were you that upset about having to come alone?”

And when I asked in a gentle voice, Lee Hwayoung froze, looking like a cat suddenly sucked into outer space, stammered a little, then calmed down somewhat. Cha Woon later said it was “ a gesture fit for taming a wild animal ”, but it seemed to have worked on him nonetheless.

“…Yeah.”

‘I can’t tell if this guy’s just simple or overly sensitive.’

The moment I saw his anger ease a little, I hurriedly tried to appease him by saying, “I’ll definitely come pick you up next time.”

He tilted his head, his face looking completely exorcised of all fury, “…Next time?”

“Yeah. Unless you guys suddenly disband, we’re planning to hold a family concert every year from now on. Not just concerts, but we’re also starting some in-house variety content to foster camaraderie within the agency.”

“What kind of variety show are you planning to do this time?”

“Well, we’ll be doing all sorts of things, but the first one on the list is the YT Sports Day. Prism, Pantheion, the solo artists, and the trainee teams will compete against each other, and the first-place team gets a vacation to Hawaii. You can come too, if you want.”

“I’ll come.”

In the middle of our small talk, the cat holding the cake started waving its paws at me.

With so many people already vying for my attention, I tried to simply overlook that level of appeal. The cat seemed to think, ‘ This won’t do ‘, and started grabbing its head and groaning.

And when the mascot head popped off, Han Seungbeom’s face appeared.

“Dad, I need to say hello…….”

Ah, come to think of it, this was actually the first time Han Seungbeom and Lee Hwayoung had met in person. Since Lee Hwayoung had been promoting in the U.S., there had hardly been any occasions for him to come to Korea, so they hadn’t really had a chance to meet.

“Say hello, Hwayoung-ah. This is Han Seungbeom.”

The moment he heard the name Han Seungbeom, Lee Hwayoung spun his head around, his gaze sharp as a blade. Startled, Han Seungbeom flinched and shrank back, inching behind me for cover. Seeing that reaction, Lee Hwayoung smirked with a triumphant look, curling his lips into a crooked grin as he crossed his arms.

‘Is that his way of saying he likes him?’

From behind, I could hear Nam Yihwon muttering in awe, “Whoa, that’s some scary way to assert dominance”, but that guy’s just twisting the situation too much. My kids are actually really gentle. When Lee Hwayoung pulled my arm toward him, I thought I saw Han Seungbeom’s eyes narrow for a split second, but that must have just been my imagination.

“Be nice, okay? The two of you should get along well since you’re the same age.”

As I said that and ruffled his cotton-candy-colored hair, a pair of gentle, doe-like eyes blinked up at me.

“Sure, Dad. Hehe.”

Oh my, how pretty.

While I was doting on Han Seungbeom, paying no mind to whether the other members were gaping or not, the waiting room door suddenly flew open and someone walked in.

“Hello. I’m sorry for being late. The variety show filming took longer than expected.”

It was Lee Danbi, who had finally signed a contract with our company under favorable terms not long ago.

“Wow, our hottest star is here? We all know you’re swamped with schedules these days, so there’s no need to apologize. Don’t worry about it.”

“Thank you.”

Right after Pantheion’s promotions ended, Lee Danbi received a casting offer from a famous PD who had been keeping an eye on him, and he joined a popular variety show packed with veteran celebrities as the youngest cast member.

“You know, back in my day, women used to scream and follow me around just from seeing me walk down the street.”

“Ah, I see. That’s impressive. But is it really necessary for me to know that?”

In that show, he admirably took on the licorice role 1 , known as the bold guy who wasn’t afraid to speak his mind even to senior celebrities. Then, after creating a catchphrase that became a national sensation, he went on to shoot commercials and appear on all sorts of variety shows, turning into a celebrity with an incredibly packed schedule.

“Now there’s only Yoo Jay left. Where and what on earth is that guy doing that he’s this late?”

“Ah, Jay-sunbaenim finished his rehearsal and is currently smoking in the smoking room. I saw him on my way here.”

As soon as he heard Lee Danbi’s answer, Cha Woon flashed a bright smile and said, “Aha, hyung, since I’m going to kill Yoo Jay anyway, I might as well pick him up”. Rolling up his sleeves, he strode out of the waiting room. Nam Yihwon cheerfully whispered, “Let me land one punch too!” before following right after him.

Watching their backs as they left, Lee Danbi asked with a slightly troubled expression,

“…Was what I said just now a mistake?”

***

As soon as the VCR announcing the start of the concert began to play, the cheers of 70,000 audience rumbled through the ground and reached all the way to us backstage. Despite the overwhelming roar of support, not a single one of us showed any sign of nervousness.

Everyone had been waiting for this moment.

As if to prove it, one by one, faces flushed with excitement turned toward me.

“All performers, please stand by! We’re starting soon!”

At the staff’s call, I nodded, gathered the members together, and met each of their eyes one by one before speaking.

“You’re finally here.”

At the words, which carried the nuance of ‘We’ve been waiting for you ‘, the Pantheion members swallowed dryly.

“I always believed in you.”

The Pantheion members had promised me, “ We’ll come back as even better people ”. And Prism has quietly and faithfully maintained their place at the top until this very day, even as each of those guys pursued success in their own fields and YT Entertainment grew into the nation’s leading entertainment company.

Given how fast generational changes happen in the idol industry, it was a feat close to impossible.

Since they were aware of that, our trust must have felt like a heavy burden to them.

“You can all hold your heads high. Just look at yourselves. You’ve all respectably achieved your dreams.”

But in the end, they proved themselves worthy of that trust.

As soon as I spoke those words, conveying the meaning that they had every right to feel a bit more proud of themselves, the members seemed to be instantly overcome with emotion; they quickly dropped their gaze downwards, their eyes glittering and moist, while their mouths remained tightly shut.

“…Saying something like that at a time like this is seriously a foul.”

Every time I saw them act like all their struggles and hardships had been lifted just because of a single word from me, they still seemed like kids I needed to look after. Yet out there, they were top-tier celebrities, admired and respected by everyone. That realization brought a smile to my lips.

“Hey, kids, your makeup’s coming off. Unless you want to look like tragic drama leads in seconds, hold it in.”

“Yutae-hyung always makes people emotional like that, and then he just goes off to do his own thing. He doesn’t even stop to think about how we might react. He’s seriously a sinful man, right?”

“Yuda’s face looks like a boiled dumpling. So cute!”

“Aargh, it’s all ruined! I swore to myself that from now on, I would only show my cool side!”

“Haha, honestly, I’d be lying if I said that doesn’t make me happy…….”

To comfort the Pantheion members, who had suddenly become teary-eyed, the Prism members started tossing out lighthearted jokes. They even playfully pinched the cheeks of the Pantheion members, whose faces still held baby fat compared to their own. Watching Prism fuss over Pantheion like mischievous older brothers, I let out a small laugh before speaking again.

“It’s okay.”

“…What is?”

“It’s okay if you don’t always try to show only your cool side. No matter what happens from now on, I, at least, will always be cheering for you.”

But this feeling wasn’t bad either.

After all, that’s just how family is.

“If you ever feel worn out, it’s okay to say you’re having a hard time. And if something feels too hard to handle on your own, ask for help.”

“…….”

“I’ll rely on you guys too.”

Harshly pushing myself to always show only a cool and presentable image was ultimately just going to wear me out. Therefore, among ourselves, shouldn’t it be okay to just be comfortable, to even whine or act a little childish sometimes?

From now on, we’ll live by caring for and comforting each other.

Having made that vow, I leaned my forehead against Seo Yuseong’s, who had been staring only at me the whole time, and whispered, “You understand?”

At that, Seo Yuseong averted his gaze with his usual impassive expression, his eyes rolling slightly away from mine. When I lightly tickled his cheek with my finger, the way you would with a child, urging him for an answer, he frowned a little and nodded.

As soon as I confirmed his reaction, I wrapped my arms around the shoulders of the Pantheion and Prism members. Then, starting with the Prism members, everyone linked arms one by one, forming a circle and leaning in together.

“PRISM! PRISM!”

“PANTHEION! PANTHEION!”

At the same time, the fans’ roaring cheers, which set our hearts racing, echoed once more.

In that moment, Yoo Jay spoke softly.

“Hyung, thank you.”

“…….”

“If it weren’t for you, hyung, we might not have made it this far.”

Hearing something I hadn’t expected at all, I blankly lifted my head, and the smiling faces of the Prism members completely filled my vision.

‘…Ah, I get it now. So this is what it feels like.’

It felt like I’d been hit hard, but in truth, the joy outweighed everything else. The realization that ‘ my efforts over the years hadn’t been in vain after all ‘ brought a wave of relief that made my heart swell with warmth. Yet, unable to find a way to express what I felt, I only parted my lips slightly… until my eyes met Choi Jeokhyeon’s.

“…….”

He closed his eyes and gave a gentle nod, as if seeing me off. Watching him, all the restlessness inside me faded away, leaving behind a quiet peace.

It’s been a long road filled with hardships and adversities.

But we conquered all those obstacles, and here we are today.

‘Do these rascals have any idea … how long I’ve been waiting for this moment, when we all stand on stage together?’

Everyone here is my family.

Prism and Pantheion, Sera and Muse, and even Choi Jeokhyeon—they’re all on my side.

After reminding myself of that truth, I responded with the most relaxed smile I could manage. Then, I reached out my hand holding the microphone toward the empty space in the center.

“Let’s put on a great performance, so we can repay our fans’ love.”

The microphones of our family members were stacked neatly, one by one, and finally, Han Seungbeom’s was placed on top.

I nodded at him, then swung my hand down and shouted out in a loud voice,

“Kill them all!”

“Kill them all!”

When I ran onto the stage with a pounding heart, the audience seats looked as if they were overflowing with stars, about to pour down upon us.

And the emotion I felt the moment I faced it,

It wasn’t fear or hesitation, but happiness.

[While I’m Taking Revenge, I’ll Conquer The Top Idol, Main Story — Completed]

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Translator’s Corner:

In broadcasting, this term can mean the comic relief the scene-steale r, or the flavor enhance r , a person whose contributions are essential to making the entire program enjoyable. ↩︎

Well. I can’t actually believe I finished this…..

Sorry for the unexpected hiatus (read the translator corner on Transmigrator Guide Chapter 11 for more /jk). I first translated this on 16th November 2024, and now almost a year later, I reached the ending of this story …. it felt a little bit … surreal?

I said it so many times so I guess I shouldn’t rant any longer about how much I love this story T_T But I really, really love this story, and this story helped me a lot too. Back then I wasn’t really in good condition (I mean, I feel like I’ve never been in good condition, but it was so bad back then I literally almost never stepped out my room and slept all day), but then I got so hyperfixated on this series my mind was full of Yutae 24/7. A lot of the first readers were pretty concerned since I translated the first 100 chapters in a month (sorry for the poor quality), but honestly, I survived thanks to that … and thanks to the readers too. I’m the type who’s already happy enough to have 1 to 5 people read my translations, but no matter how much I translated this for my own sake, I got a lot of motivation to keep translating by reading you guys’ comments, so thank you so much. (and to be honest, motivation to keep living too. It feels like I still have chapters to translate, so I can’t just disappear…..)

There’s so many … well, sad things happening on this story, but as I promised, this is a healing journey. I hope now that you guys reached the end, you’re not saddened anymore by the tragedy that happened in the last 380 chapters : ) Honestly I wish I can say that I won’t have anything to say if someone were about to label this story as “trauma p*rn” , but actually, I have so many things to say. I read a lot of trauma p*rn novels, both english/russia/asia lit published books and kr chn NovelFires, and this story definitely not it. The author isn’t torturing the characters “ just for the sake of it” and there’s actual character growth happening, and there’s a real happy days waiting for the ending. I wish you can remember this story in positive light too, that when you look back, you will think of it as something that not only made you sad, but also made you happy.

Please give a lot of love and support to the original work and the author too < 3 I want to manifest a manhwa adaption since almost all popular idol novels already got adaption (only Grab Regressor Collar left, I think?), but I somehow want to gatekeep too …. the spoilers will be insane once a manhwa adaption dropped…. oh, we still have a lot of side stories after this, so hopefully, you will still see me for a long time. Please linger in cabin four for a bit longer~

Thank you so much Anonymous & Anonymous for the lightsticks, and Nounousa for supporting the wishlist!

My last main story’s song recommendation,

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