Idol of the Heavenly One - vanish into fiction

After the follow-up promotions ended, I thought there would be a break, but hearing that we would immediately start activities in Japan honestly surprised me. I had the prejudice that being an idol was a job that made money more easily than others, but it felt like we were burning our youth and shortening our lifespan to earn it.

Then the members complained to the company, asking when we would actually get a break, but surprisingly, this time, Joo I-rip and I were on the same page.

“Guys, what are you talking about? We should make as much as we can now to prepare for later.”

“That’s right.”

“If we rest now, we might end up resting forever. Approach it with gratitude.”

“Yeah.”

I could understand since I had lived to fifty in a past life, knowing that earning now meant a smooth retirement, but I wondered how Joo I-rip knew that. I agreed enthusiastically but couldn’t help thinking, “What is this guy?”

“Proper rest is also needed for the group to last. You want to stop after a year or two?”

“Exactly.”

“Right!”

“Yes!”

However, the other four members besides Joo I-rip and I thought differently. I was especially surprised that Baek Jae-heon opposed our opinion. I expected him to agree since he had been through idol life three times, but seeing him seriously talk about proper rest made me think, is he really this sincere?

“Okay. I’ll tell the managers to give us a break.”

Faced with the members’ strong objections, Joo I-rip didn’t even blink and gave a neutral response, settling the situation. Seeing this, you realize he really is a leader, and a very capable one at that.

“Joo I-rip, how many lifetimes are you on?”

“What do you mean how many lifetimes?”

So I wrapped my arms around his neck and playfully asked how many lifetimes he had lived. Lately, this has become a meme among the members. They started copying me because I always asked Joo I-rip this.

“Joo I-rip is on his 3rd, Ji Myeong-hyeon 6th, Baek Jae-heon 92nd lifetime.”

“Hyemin hyung, you seem like just your 1st lifetime.”

“Want to see the bottom of the river?”

“No thanks.”

Go Hee-min especially liked this joke. Being an otaku who barely ate and always watched anime, he often commented on how many lifetimes someone seemed to have lived. He would get annoyed at Kwon Ji-hak’s pranks, and Kwon Ji-hak would dodge him playfully.

“Elementary school kids.”

Baek Jae-heon, living his 4th lifetime, and I, in my 2nd, thought Go Hee-min and Kwon Ji-hak were like real elementary school kids. But sometimes, I wonder about Joo I-rip and Lee Soonbok. Occasionally, I suspected Joo I-rip might be living his 5th lifetime unknowingly, and Lee Soonbok sometimes acted like he had mastered life. Though that was rare, when not serious, Lee Soonbok could be as childish as Go Hee-min or Kwon Ji-hak.

Anyway, while this meme circulated among us, the lie detector we would use for the self-recording challenge arrived.

Each member will take turns asking questions, and whoever lies the most will get an ice water punishment.

As expected, the first to be questioned was Joo I-rip.

“Joo I-rip, this is your 2nd lifetime, right?”

Otaku Go Hee-min did not expect this. Joo I-rip laughed in disbelief and shouted, “No! 1st lifetime! I’m just a naturally genius leader!”

Truth.

Afterward, Joo I-rip answered all questions truthfully, likely avoiding any punishment.

“Hyemin hyung, haven’t you ever been jealous of my height?”

“No? Ah!”

Lie.

Go Hee-min screamed, removing his hand from the machine. He got one lie recorded after lying in response to Kwon Ji-hak’s question. He protested that he was never jealous, but no one believed him.

“Lee Soonbok, you’ve lived all your lifetimes, right?”

“No…!”

Truth.

“Hyung Soonbok, you actually like being called Soonbok, right?”

“No, ISUNE.”

Truth.

Baek Jae-heon was genuinely curious if Lee Soonbok had lived all his lifetimes. The result was no. And he didn’t like being called Soonbok either. Lee Soonbok was also exempt from punishment with zero lies.