Chapter 52…
Things That’ll Happen in Bali
Clatter-clatter!
…Was that the sound of shuffling cards?
Nope.
Click-click-click!
Right, camera shutters.
Flashes popped all around as they took pictures of us.
Mm. So this is why people dress up for “airport fashion.”
“Huh?”
“……You came like that?”
“Why are your outfits so tacky?!”
“What? This looks weird?”
Gam-dong and I were offended.
Isn’t this how you’re supposed to dress when going abroad?
Everyone else was heading to a warm tropical country, and yet they were wearing semi-formal suits with jeans—why??
They looked ready for a runway show!
“Where on earth did you even get that floral shirt?”
Daeseong-hyung asked in amazement. Gam-dong answered, still looking dazed.
“Uh… Suhan-hyung said he got it at some select shop.”
“Where?”
Heh. Jealous of my outfit, huh?
Fine, I’ll satisfy his curiosity.
“Dongmyo.”
“Waaah…”
Why does his exclamation sound so lukewarm?
And Gam-dong’s face didn’t look impressed at all.
What’s with those eyes full of disgust?
“You said it was a select shop!”
“If they’ve got all sorts of stuff jumbled together, it’s a select shop!”
“Agh! I should’ve gone and picked it myself!”
Manager Park practically screamed at us, looking about ready to burst.
“It’s okay, Gam-dong. Shoulders back. If you can’t avoid it, enj—huh? Where’d you go? Gam-dong? Gam-dong!”
The guy suddenly disappeared.
I felt weirdly alone.
Still, the reporters gave me thumbs-up.
Good-looking people look good in anything.
We wrapped up the short departure interview and boarded the plane.
I sat down, heart pounding, and glanced around.
“Hyung, aren’t you taking off your shoes?”
“Huh? Who do you take me for, some clueless rookie?”
“Eh?”
“I know everything, punk!”
“Why… ack!”
This calls for a grab by the collar.
Seriously? I saw right through it.
That old trick about telling first-time fliers to take off their shoes—I’m not falling for it.
“Sure, I’ve never flown before, but you thought I’d really buy that?”
“Kek! That’s not what I meant…”
“What’s going on?”
Daeseong-hyung, sitting behind us, peeked his head out.
“Hyung! He thinks I’m an idiot!”
“About what?”
“He told me to take off my shoes!”
“And?”
“Eh?”
Wow… I didn’t expect this.
Trying to prank me, of all people—the savior of Momo?
“Then don’t. Won’t it feel stuffy all the way to Bali?”
“……”
“Well, personal preference.”
Wait.
Why slippers?
Why is everyone wearing slippers?
Was the “take off your shoes” thing actually real??
“Gasp! Gam-dong! Gam-dong, snap out of it!”
I’d seen another Gam-dong about to emerge from his body and let go of his collar in shock.
In his other hand was a plastic-wrapped pair of slippers.
“Gam-doooong!”
Got scolded.
No causing commotion on planes, they said. But it wasn’t commotion!
Luckily Gam-dong survived.
But there were side effects.
“Gam-dong?”
“……”
“Sorry.”
“……”
“You’re not really going to sulk, right?”
“……”
He was really sulking.
Didn’t say a word to me.
So until we landed in Bali, I had to perform a tearful clown act.
What can I do? The guilty one has to beg.
Lesson learned:
Take off your shoes on the plane.
Bali was hot, and the hotel was beautiful.
“You… stay here tonight.”
“What?”
“How much? How much do you want?”
Gam-dong’s eyes trembled as he replied:
“What era’s drama are you quoting… And how did you even see that one?”
Before coming to Bali, obviously.
If you’re going to Bali, you have to watch Something Happened in Bali, right?
Since we were rooming together anyway, Gam-dong just ignored my “famous line” and changed into his swimsuit.
As expected—you’ve got a plan for everything.
Watching him, I quickly put on my swimsuit and sunglasses too.
“You…?”
“Mm, sunglasses should hide your eye movements properly.”
“You really are an educated man!”
Now his eyes couldn’t be seen darting around.
We excitedly ran out to the pool.
Splash!
“……”
“Wow, the water’s so cool! Suhan, aren’t you coming in?”
“Come on, Mr. Suhan!”
Daeseong-hyung and Director Kim splashed me playfully.
My heart wanted to jump in, grab them by the heads, and dunk them like an old 80s interrogation drama.
“Gam-dong, are pools usually separated men/women?”
“Nope.”
“Then why’s it like this here?”
“All the female actors and staff went shopping.”
“……”
Sploosh!
Ah… the water pouring over me cooled my anger.
“Huhuhuh!”
Director Kim laughed happily.
Fine. If that’s your wish, I’ll grant it.
“Hyung, your eyes look scary!”
“Not my eyes—my mind’s spinning.”
“C-calm down!”
“Kiyooooot!”
“Huhuhuh!”
He had no idea what was about to happen as I leapt into the pool.
“Blegh!”
“You okay?”
“Guhhh!”
I got owned.
I forgot I can’t swim.
It’s not like a beggar gets to hang around pools, right?
Trying to dunk him, I got dunked instead.
And how’s that guy moving like a seal anyway?
“Mwahaha!”
“Wait, what?”
Director Kim emerged, wiping off water, wearing a faded red T-shirt that said “Republic of Korea Marines.”
“Damn it!”
“Mwahaha!”
I’d forgotten the martial world proverb: “Beware kids and old men.”
Still, the vacation was just starting.
Tomorrow I’ll check off another bucket list item.
“Let’s gooo!”
“……Where’d everyone go?”
I muttered as I looked at kids splashing in the pool.
“They said they went sightseeing after morning swim.”
Gam-dong, clutching his stomach and gagging from last night’s booze, answered instead.
“Suhan, should we have ramen for hangover soup?”
“……”
Director Kim stumbled out of the hotel entrance.
It was his tricks that got me to drink all night.
But I didn’t just get blackout drunk.
Yesterday, I was a knight.
“You played black knight all night and you’re fine, huh?”
That drinking game…
I mostly avoided the penalties.
Life is about reading the room; games are too.
Problem was, several actresses kept calling out “Oppa, black knight!” to me in turn.
I gallantly took it all—and ended up like this.
I hate yesterday’s me.
“……”
“Are you crying?”
“I don’t know.”
Why is my vision blurry?
Looks like my bucket list will just crumble.
At that moment, a foreign kid looked at me and clapped a hand over his mouth.
What, am I that surprising?
“Begger!”
“You’re hungry?”
“Begger! Begger!”
“Huh? You know me?”
The kids jumped up and down.
Their parents came running, gasping, then held out a phone.
“Oh?”
On YouTube, my memes were playing.
“Ahaha! Yeah, that’s me!”
I hunched my shoulders, bent my back—beggar mode complete.
The kids stared blankly, then suddenly held out their ice creams.
Guess my skills aren’t rusty yet.
My bucket list may be gone, but overseas fans remain.
That’s nice too.
Nothing dramatic happened in Bali.
Gam-dong and I returned to Korea tanned black.
“Bali’s the best.”
“Right?”
“Rash guards should be banned.”
“I think so too.”
We made good use of the sunglasses we’d packed, moving on from the pain of day one.
But the tan lines…
“Why are you guys only tanned in front? Your necks and backs are all pale.”
“……”
“Tsk.”
Daeseong-hyung clicked his tongue and smirked.
“Just date someone already. This level of misery is pathetic.”
“……”
“……”
It was kind of sad.
At the airport, travelers recognized us.
“Ah! It’s you, Woo Suhan!”
“Kyaaah!”
The women screamed like dolphins as they approached.
Definitely…
Korean fans are more intense than overseas.
I haven’t been around lately, but now people recognize me, ask for photos and all.
“Heh. Yes, of course, take as many as you like.”
I handed my phone to Gam-dong for fan service and took off my sunglasses.
Then, big smile!
“Ready?”
“Yeah, make it pretty.”
“Really ready?”
“Yeah, don’t hold back.”
Their smiles spread at our playful banter.
“Pfft!”
“Pfft!”
“Heh.”
But those smiles felt a bit… off.
That day, I became a panda.
“Cho Gam-dong!”
[Whoa! You scared me!]
“Where’s Gam-dong!”
[He left early! What’s up?]
Yeon-ju glanced at the phone I’d brought in.
[Pfft!]
Her laugh was the same as the women’s smiles that morning—a mocking chuckle.
On the phone was an article about me:
“Rare Panda Spotted at Incheon Airport?”
The drama’s scene-stealer, actor Woo Suhan, who went on a Bali reward vacation with the team, was seen taking pictures with fans upon arrival.
┖“Thought it was clickbait, but it’s real.”
┖“Wow! A rare species!”
┖“Master of disguise—now a panda?”
┖“He’s transcended humanity.”
┖“Black body, white eyes—a new panda bear?”
┖“Send him to the zoo! Perfect, China took back the pandas haha”
┖“Look at the other pics—he’s two-faced <link>”
┖“His back’s so pale. How do you tan like that?”
┖“He said on TV he’s never dated. If he’s single, sure, Bali.”
┖“LOL”
It wasn’t that bad…
But looking at the photos, my eye area was indeed super pale.
I should’ve known when Gam-dong asked “Really take it?”
So this is what it means to be “memorialized.”
Still, I guess I’ve become someone who lives off my popularity.
And honestly, it’s kinda nice.
Unique, right?
“Don’t you think I look good in it?”
[Pfft!]
“……You! I’ll send you to nirvana!”
[Kyaaa!]
At the time, I thought these small joys would be the end of it.
