In This Life, The Greatest Star In The Universe

Translator: MarcTempest

Editor: Rxel

Chapter 194

Idol Sports Festival

Woojoo thought to himself as he read the message.

Well.

He hadn’t shown him anything special about how he had changed since the college entrance exam two years ago.

Honestly, from his perspective, it must have been a shock that he could dance well, let alone at the level of a main dancer. He probably never expected him to be good at sports too.

Their Deoksoon also looked at him strangely after seeing him on Around the World With Dice, saying ‘What happened to you…’

Han Taehyun [What the heck]

Han Taehyun [I thought I knew you]

Han Taehyun [The legendary Yeouido Park incident is still fresh in my mind…]

Woojoo quickly replied.

Me [Shut up]

Me [I’ll expose your pre-debut dark history to the netizens]

Han Taehyun [Oops sorry]

Han Taehyun [(Emoticon)]

The emoticon of a rabbit zipping its mouth came back.

Woojoo remembered the face of the guy who used to cry while eating soboro bread every day because he couldn’t sing well when he was a trainee.

He was good at dancing, but he always picked fights with people.

But no matter how much he had a dark history, Woojoo couldn’t do anything about it.

The legendary Yeouido Park incident.

When Woojoo was in TJ, he went to Yeouido Park with other trainees to take spring photos.

Then they happened to play basketball.

-I’m sorry! I’m sorry! Are you okay? I’m not familiar with the ball.

-Hyung, are you okay? You idiot? If you stand under the hoop, you’ll get hit in the face.

-Woojoo. …You’re really blessed to be born with that face.

…Woojoo heard all kinds of nonsense.

It was understandable.

Every time he dribbled, he got hit in the face by the ball, and he reached out for the ball, but he got hit in the solar plexus and fell down.

He bounced the ball wrong and caused trouble to the pedestrians, and the other trainees had to fix it with their faces.

Even though he kept refusing, the people who asked for his phone number disappeared with a cold face after seeing him play basketball.

“…Hyung? What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

Woojoo smiled at Bijoo, who asked him worriedly.

Rihyuk, who was using his feet and all his strength to pull the bowstring, said, “You look like that.”

“What look?”

“The look of being sad while remembering your embarrassing past.”

“No…I’m not. I don’t have any memories like that.”

“Of course you do. You’re still making dark history as you breathe… Ouch! My hand!”

Rihyuk, who held up his hand that was swollen from the friction, made a painful expression.

Woojoo was just like that.

He glared at Woojoo with a warm expression.

“Why are you looking at me like you sympathize?”

“I’ve been through that too.”

“What are you talking about? You were flying around on Around the World With Dice.”

“Yeah. Liar.”

Come to think of it, there was Around the World With Dice.

The chat room was full of messages asking why 1 was gone and not answering.

Me [Didn’t you see me on Around the World With Dice?]

Woojoo was about to send another message, thinking that he probably didn’t have time to watch it.

Han Taehyun [Wasn’t that a prank?]

Me […]

Me [You didn’t believe me at all ??]

Woojoo lifted his head and looked at the target of the archery range.

There were five arrows with 10 points.

Thud!

Now there were six.

“Uhaha!”

They clapped and laughed at the arrow that Junghyun had just shot from the next line.

Jiho called Woojoo.

“Hyung, show us a demonstration. Let us learn from you.”

“Okay.”

Woojoo got up from his seat, taking the bow from Junghyun.

Then he sent a short reply to the other person.

Me [You’ll see,]

Me [I’ll show you, the new me,]

He got an answer right away.

Han Taehyun [Are you drunk?]

Han Taehyun [No]

Han Taehyun [Lol, right, you can’t get drunk because you pass out]

Han Taehyun [Seon Woojoo the alcohol master]

Woojoo shook his cheeks.

Was there anything on YouTube like ‘How to team kill a basketball teammate you hate’?

He’d learn it and use it right away.

Early morning of February 1st.

The day of the Idol Sports Festival finally dawned.

This year’s Dolympic recording was held over two days, and today was the first day.

“Ugh…”

Woojoo sat on the dark living room sofa and whimpered like a squid.

Did he sleep for about three hours?

He was tired after preparing for the Challenge, Legendary Song Discovery Team! competition until late last night.

The octopus and the squid next to him were the same.

“Ugh…”

“Oh, man. I’m dying.”

While Bijoo was busy making something in the kitchen, the three of them made a lot of noise.

Rustle rustle.

They cheered warmly for Junghyun, who was packing his stuff in a sports duffel bag.

“Junghyun Hyung. Can’t you pack quietly? It makes my head ring when you rustle.”

“Yeah. Just pack softly.”

“Junghyun. You have to pack quietly.”

“…”

The grumpy bear asked, “Can’t you all just go to bed?”

“No,” Woojoo said. “We have to see you off.”

“It’s okay. Hyung. Just go to bed and sleep more.”

“No. No.”

While the youngest leaned on his shoulder and sang ‘No, no, no~’, Woojoo said.

“We have to cheer for our Junghyun, who is going to play futsal.”

Woojoo clenched his fist and showed it, but his shoulder was stiff.

“Ouch, my shoulder. …Uh, what was I saying?”

“Cheering.”

“Right. We have to cheer. For our beetle.”

The other events they were participating in, including basketball, were scheduled to open tomorrow with the opening ceremony.

Only futsal was today.

“…”

With their cheering, Junghyun started to pack his stuff carefully.

Thud.

Swoosh…

Boom.

Swoosh…

“…”

Woojoo brushed his hair back.

“Junghyun.”

“Yes, Hyung.”

“Just pack your stuff as usual.”

“Okay.”

Junghyun’s face brightened as he packed his stuff vigorously.

They had been giving him warm advice all along.

“Junghyun Hyung.”

“Hmm?”

“Why are you taking dumbbells with you? Are you going to battle with another team?”

“For strength training…”

“Leave them.”

Woojoo smiled warmly too.

“Junghyun.”

“Yes.”

“That snack has too much salt. Your face might swell up on camera, so leave it. That drink is also full of sugar.”

“…Okay.”

The youngest one joined in.

“Hyung.”

“Yeah?”

“That Hoho Chicken towel is mine.”

“Huh? Since when?”

“From the beginning. Wait, Hyung, have you been using it for exercise?”

“Uh…”

As they gave him advice like that, Junghyun started packing his stuff with his back turned to them.

Woojoo thought he heard him mutter ‘I hate you guys…’ but it must have been his imagination.

“Junghyun, eat.”

They jumped up at the call of Bijoo, who was wearing an apron.

“Okay! I’m coming!”

“Ah, I’m not hungry.”

“Let’s go eat, guys!”

Woojoo thought he heard him say ‘I hate you guys…’ again.

He ran cheerfully, but there was only one spoon on the table.

“Huh? Where’s our food?”

“Today, Junghyun is the star. We’ll get you some later.”

They all sat down miserably, while Junghyun ate like the birthday boy.

Woojoo looked at the food on the table and tilted his head.

“But why are all the side dishes…”

From grilled eel to oyster pancakes.

Rihyuk blinked at the strange lineup of dishes, and Woojoo asked him a question.

“Bijoo, what did you make this based on?”

“Oh. There’s a blog run by a famous housewife. I saw that she posted some food for boosting energy.”

“I see.”

But he had a feeling that energy was not the kind of energy she meant.

Woojoo decided to let it go as he saw Junghyun’s happy face saying ‘delicious, delicious’.

Their youngest brother sparkled his eyes and tilted his head.

“Hyung, what does it taste like? Can this cute little brother have a bite~”

“Um…”

As Junghyun wrapped his bowl with his arms and sent them a plea for rescue, Rihyuk stepped in.

“Hey. Wang Jiho. Go eat a flea’s liver. Why are you coveting what Junghyun Hyung should eat?”

“Where can you find such a big flea?”

As the sibling line bickered, Junghyun sucked in the food almost like a vacuum cleaner.

After spending a warm morning like that.

They all went out to the cold hallway and saw him off.

“Then, I’ll be going.”

As Junghyun waved his hand in the elevator, they also waved back.

“Good luck!”

“Don’t get hurt!”

They waved until the door closed.

Bijoo blew out a white breath and looked worried.

“Why does it feel like we’re sending a baby to the water? I’m so worried.”

“Don’t worry. Junghyun is not a fool.”

“He’ll be fine, right?”

“He’ll do well. Trust me… But why is that going up?”

The elevator went up one more floor and came down. Then it came down again and opened at our floor.

Ding.

They made eye contact with Junghyun, who was riding with someone from upstairs.

“…”

“…”

Junghyun held some snacks in both hands and looked sheepish.

Then he greeted them with a mouthful of food.

“Hello…”

“…”

“I forgot to press both buttons…”

“…”

As the woman upstairs bowed her head and shook her body, the door slowly closed.

“…”

They looked at the numbers of the descending elevator and wore sincere expressions of worry.

Goyang Indoor Gymnasium.

The production staff ran around without a break, checking the situation on the scene and installing cameras and other equipment.

Outside, fans were shivering in the cold, waiting to cheer for their singers.

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In the waiting room, the idol singers gathered together and clasped their hands.

The man in his thirties with a good physique spoke in front of them.

“Nice to meet you all.”

He was Kang Beomsu, the coach of one of the four teams participating in today’s futsal match, ‘Rascal Soccer School’.

He had an ordinary appearance and a monotonous voice.

But the eyes of those who looked at him were full of respect.

He was a legend to those who loved soccer, as he was one of the main players of the 2002 World Cup.

Coach Kang held a paper and said, “I heard from the production staff that the team composition was messed up at the last minute. So they haven’t made the entry properly yet. Is that true?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Then we need to write down our positions quickly…”

As he said that, the team members started to talk about their soccer experience and preferred positions.

It was time to observe the opponent’s physique and condition.

“I’m New Black Junghyun.”

The handsome man greeted them with a pleasant voice.

Among those present, his physique and muscles stood out.

Kang Beomsu admired him inwardly.

‘Wow, he’s someone who needs to exercise…’

If it weren’t for his face, he would have gone to the sports world.

He had a slim face even after dieting, but his broad shoulders and muscular shape were extraordinary.

He asked a question right after introducing himself.

“Did you do some exercise?”

“Yes, I was briefly in the baseball club when I was in elementary school… I played soccer a lot in middle school too.”

“Do you have a position you want?”

“Um…”

He lost his words for a moment.

Kang Beomsu watched the fleeting emotions on his face.

‘What’s going on?’

Meanwhile, in Junghyun’s head, someone’s caring voice was ringing.

-Junghyun… Look at me.

-It’s good to do well, but don’t get hurt. Our performance is more important. What do you think will happen if you fall and get injured?

-Yeah. It’ll hurt. But is that the end of it? If you get hurt, you can’t practice, so you’ll have to sit with me and work all day. I’m fine with that, but you… Can you handle it?

He felt a chill.

Junghyun chose the safest position he could think of.

“I’ll be the goalkeeper.”

“Wow…!”

Everyone’s mouths uttered exclamations.

Unlike the striker who could score goals and make an impact, or the other positions that could show their presence by running around, the goalkeeper was a position that everyone avoided.

It was nice if they did well.

But the problem was that if they didn’t, they would be branded as the hole of the team and get scolded.

And it was not fun.

That was why everyone was avoiding the position, but when someone said they would do it, they all smiled brightly.

Kang Beomsu nodded.

‘Not bad.’

There was no applicant and he volunteered.

He felt good about his movements, even though he only saw them briefly, so he wrote ‘New Black Junghyun’ as the goalkeeper’s name on the entry.

‘Well, he’ll do fine.’

It wasn’t professional soccer.

It was hard to expect great skills from soccer played by idols for a special occasion.

He only hoped that he would do well without any injuries or goals.

With that thought, Coach Kang moved on to another topic.

The futsal stadium was heated up with cheers.

“Woah-!”

Every time their singer dribbled and ran, scored a goal, or just brushed his hair back, a loud scream erupted.

Hot atmosphere.

After the first match of the four teams, the next teams came up for the match.

“Yes, this is the second semi-final match!”

The announcer Baek Sangjung turned his head and asked, “There are a lot of points to watch, right?”

“Yes, last year, Gu Seongwoong from TNT had a hard carry, but he failed to advance to the final. I wonder how he will do this year.”

“Look at his expression. He’s really determined today.”

The sports caster and the member of Around the World With Dice, Ye Heeyeon, who were sitting next to him, responded and gave comments on the match.

The players who entered the field.

As Chaekyung of Girls on Top was interviewing each director and captain with her cute charm, a conversation was going on in the commentary booth.

Baek Sangjung asked, “Heeyeon, you used to be a soccer player, right? Is there any member that catches your eye today?”

“There are several friends that I would pick if I were a captain. Gu Seongwoong of TNT has a talent for scoring decisive goals as a striker. And Junggun of Wild is also talented as a defender.”

Ye Heeyeon, who had once been a soccer player, spoke as she analyzed the strength of each team coldly.

Then, the sports caster next to her asked, “Where have your eyes been fixed since earlier?”

“That’s a friend that I’m keeping an eye on.”

“He’s handsome. Let me see. …He’s a first-time participant, right? Junghyun of New Black.”

As the sports caster flipped through the list with a photo attached, Baek Sangjung asked, “Do you have a special reason to pay attention to him?”

“I saw him on a show once, and he wrestled with a black goat.”

“…Really?”

“He wrestled with a huge black goat.”

“…”

“And he won.”

“…”

“He had the best physique among the idols I’ve ever seen. I’m looking forward to seeing what he’ll show today.”

As the two of them were stunned by the words ‘black goat?’ and ‘wrestling?’, Ye Heeyeon smiled contentedly and looked at the field.

After the interview shooting was over, the referee’s whistle sounded over the field where the formation was set.

“Yes, the game has started as soon as I told you! FC Real Daddy Jers vs. Scrappy Soccer School!”

“Wow! They’re going for it! They’re going for it from the start! TNT Gu Seongwoong!”

“Teen Spirit Yeonhu tries to stop him, but fails. He’s fast, fast.”

“Soul Six members also fail to defend! That’s like a runaway train.”

Gu Seongwoong, the leader of TNT, showed a terrifying dribble.

He mocked the Scrappy Soccer School team, who came out to defend, with light skills, and ran fast without stopping.

He felt the elasticity as if he had bounced off a springboard.

“Woahhh-!”

As the casters in the commentary booth made a fuss, there was also a commotion in the stands where the fans were gathered.

A scream of ‘Oppa!’ rang out once.

But even in all that heat, Gu Seongwoong of TNT made a cool-headed decision.

‘There’s no offside in futsal.’

His brain spun fast.

He quickly scanned where the defenders were moving and where his teammates were.

‘I’ll just go for it.’

He couldn’t find a good angle to pass to his teammates.

He ended up dribbling alone to the near the goalpost. Soon, a familiar face came into his sight.

A calm expression and a somewhat bear-like appearance.

‘Was he on Woojoo’s team?’

There was a name tag on his body that said ‘New Black Junghyun’.

But that wasn’t important right now.

Thwack!

He lightly kicked the ball, easily shaking off the defender who tried to block him. Then he put all his strength into his legs and kicked the ball as it floated in the air.

The ball flew with a bounce, accompanied by a sensation of sticking to his foot.

“Huff… Huff.”

That one second when he gasped for breath.

He clenched his fist.

‘…I did it!’

There were times when you played soccer and you got that feeling.

Everything was perfect and you had a premonition that it had to go in.

The teammates around him were already making expressions as if they were preparing for a celebration, and cheers and sighs mixed with worry were about to burst out from the stands.

‘I made it.’

He turned his head and smiled at the other teammates.

Swoosh.

Junghyun moved to the side like a beetle.

Then he raised his hand with a calm face like a Buddha.

Thud!

The ball bounced off his gloved palm.

It was a powerful shot, but the soccer ball that bounced off seemed to be saying ‘I’m hurt’.

“…!”

He rushed in explosively and kicked the ball again.

‘I did it!’

But then…

Thud!

The other hand went up swiftly, with a calm expression on his face.

‘Again?’

He felt out of breath.

He had barely snatched the ball after a tough struggle with the defender, and was about to take his third shot.

But it was the same as before.

Thud!

The serene face and the lightly raised paw.

No. Palm.

He felt like he was seeing a Buddha with his arms spread out behind the opponent, like a hallucination.

“…”

He was speechless.

While the TNT fans in the stands were sighing, ‘Hey, can’t you play the ball properly? Why won’t it go in?’ and his teammates were comforting him.

“Woohoo!”

While the opposing team members were giving a thumbs up to the goalkeeper, he turned his body and made a V sign with his eyes towards the audience.

“What is he doing?”

To the enemy team.

“Woo woo!”

“…?”

“Junghyun, that’s not our team!”

“The other way! The other way!”

“Ah.”

The person who had been tilting his head finally found the right direction and greeted them with an “ah”.

As Gu Seongwoong blinked his eyes, sweating.

Junghyun, who was turning his body, saw him and smiled.

“Thank you, Sunbae-nim.”

“…Yes?”

“The shooting just now. I had a bad feeling today, so I was really nervous.”

“…”

“Thank you for watching over me.”

“…”

He couldn’t bring himself to say that he wasn’t watching over him.