Chapter 21.1
Cheon Tae Rim would give his liver and gallbladder to people he considered his own, but was merciless toward those he didnât. Instead of offering his own liver and gallbladder, heâd gladly rip theirs out and replace his empty spaces with them.
Was there any reason to keep Myeong In Woo around until Pick Your Rom, when he was already dating around before debut and would inevitably throw the group into crisis? Right after regressing, Tae Rim had immediately begun laying the groundwork to bury Myeong In Woo.
Just as steak needed marinating before grilling and ovens needed preheating before use, kicking someone out also required careful preparation. So Tae Rim willingly treated Myeong In Woo kindly, ensuring no one would suspect he was planning his downfall.
In fact, Myeong In Woo dating or marrying Twinkleâs Sera wasnât the real issue. After all, their relationship was notorious for frequent breakups and reconciliationsâeventually even fans quietly became aware of their romance.
By the time all the fans knew about it, Myeong In Woo had reached his late twenties. Since their dating hadnât been discovered during Reverbâs prime, considering his looks and talent, keeping him around wouldnât have been a huge loss. If they simply ended activities without renewal after seven years, Reverbâs promotions couldâve wrapped up cleanly before In Wooâs marriage.
But Cheon Tae Rim wouldnât accept Myeong In Woo under any circumstances. In this world, some trash could be recycled, and some couldnât. Myeong In Woo belonged firmly in the latter category.
Myeong In Woo took the gifts fans gave him and handed them straight over to his girlfriend, Sera. Luxury bags, watches, hoodies or sweatshirts that didnât fit himâeven the handmade dolls fans preparedâwere passed along to her.
Having roomed with In Woo a couple of times, Tae Rim felt complicated every time he saw him gifting fan presents to Sera. Dating itself wasnât as problematic as giving away gifts from fans. Fans werenât idiots; did In Woo seriously think theyâd sit quietly if they found out?
The only reason Myeong In Woo and Seraâs relationship lasted undetected was entirely thanks to Seraâs caution. She never uploaded pictures to SNS, official accounts, or Bogle wearing any clothes or accessories In Woo had gifted her.
That was a wise move. Twinkle, Seraâs girl group, was also a popular group with several hit songs. At the very least, she diligently managed their relationship as a not-so-secret secret to uphold her idol reputation.
Myeong In Woo followed her example, dutifully posting on Bogle during inactive periods. If he wasnât seen frequently enough, fans suspected he had a girlfriend. He maintained just enough presence so fans could confidently deny rumors, saying things like, âOur devoted In Woo would never do that!â
In a sense, that was effort too. With Ye Jin sprawled nearby with dead-fish eyes, mumbling, âBogle? Visiting 100 days a year is enough,â In Woo earned brownie points for at least posting once a week.
Yeah, all male idols date and mess things up anyway. At least our In Woo dates secretly and treats his fans well, so heâs fineâŠ.
Watching that attitude spread among fans like a plague, Tae Rim could only helplessly sigh. What the hell was fine about that? That was when Tae Rim first realized how many people drank spoiled milk, convinced it was fine cheese.
Dating might be personal business, but giving fan gifts to his girlfriend was outright deception. Ultimately, while Tae Rim and Ye Jin were in the military, In Woo abruptly announced his marriage and halted activitiesâjust three days after his unit comeback with another member.
Myeong In Woo had openly disliked Ye Jin from the beginning. He secretly carried an inferiority complex toward Ye Jin and, when Ye Jin lost enthusiasm for idol activities, seized the opportunity to openly attack him at every turn.
Every time Tae Rim saw In Woo desperately trying to hurt Ye Jin, he agonized countless times over how to deal with him. Had In Woo not been a popular member, Tae Rim would have privately summoned him to threaten him, casually mentioning the names of other girl group members heâd secretly dated behind Seraâs back, telling him to behave himself.
Thatâs why, post-regression, Myeong In Woo became Tae Rimâs top priority for elimination. There was a reason he had decided to kick him out even before Sun Ye Jin or Shin Ji Oh.
Only by getting rid of Myeong In Woo could he bring in Hwang Eui Jae.
Just like the saying about trading a garbage car for a Mercedes Benz, Tae Rim had always planned to replace In Woo with Hwang Eui Jae. He intended to exploit the trainee-trading agreement between Ciel and R&M, exchanging the flashy but worthless Myeong In Woo for Hwang Eui Jae at a bargain price. That was Tae Rimâs plan.
