Chapter 109
Chapter 109
Translator: Penny
Chapter 109
After enduring over ten hours of grueling ISAC filming, I collapsed onto my bed as soon as I got back to the dorm, too exhausted to even shower.
My phone suddenly started buzzing incessantly, but I couldn't bring myself to check it. Did my number get leaked online? Ugh, I really don't want to change it.
I buried my face in the pillow, focusing only on breathing, when Seo Yehyeon, who had just showered and entered the room, spat out, "Hey, Yoon Eden. Happy birthday."
I barely managed to roll over, my body heavy with exhaustion. I blinked at the ceiling, finally visible now that I wasn't under the blanket, and looked up at Seo Yehyeon. "Is it my birthday today?"
"Yeah, it's past midnight—August 1st. How can you even forget your own birthday?"
I chuckled at the teasing and replied slowly, "Make sure to tell Jun that I'm the kind of guy who forgets not only your birthday, but even my own."
"You're so consistent, it's almost scary," Seo Yehyeon retorted, his voice tinged with exasperation.
I'm exhausted. Maybe I should just celebrate my birthday after I wake up.
Just as I was about to close my eyes again, the familiar ding of a System notification rang in my ears.
[Surprise QUEST★]
[▶ Take a commemorative photo with your birthday ad on the subway billboard!
- Description: Fans have placed a birthday ad for you on the subway billboard! Take a commemorative photo in front of it and share it with them to express your gratitude for their love and support.
- Reward: Original Intent Score +5, Random Ticket
- Deadline: 08.01 PM 23:59:59
※ There will be a penalty for failing to take a verification photo of the subway birthday advertisement!
Looks like they put up my birthday ad. Even though Reve was Seo Yehyeon's one-man show before my regression, "even a rotten fish still smells like fish." As a Second Tier idol, I'd had subway ads before, even before my regression.
So while I was grateful, it didn't feel particularly new or moving. It was something I'd already experienced.
The best time to take verification photos of subway electronic display birthday ads was during the early morning hours when there were fewer people around.
Who should I bring?
Unless I set up a tripod and took a selfie, I'd need someone to take the photo for me, which meant bringing one of the members along.
Gyeon Hajun must be exhausted after making it to the wrestling finals, and Ryu Jaehee would be tired from running the relay. Kim Dobin, who hadn't contributed anything, was notoriously bad at taking photos.
So, that leaves...
"Hyung, you're not tired, right?"
"Yes, I am."
"No, you're not. All you did was stand still and pull the bowstring."
"Do you even know how much muscle activity it takes to draw a bowstring? And what about the concentration?"
"Well, do you know how much muscle activity it takes to dunk? Huh?"
"Wait, why are we arguing about muscle activity now?"
Oh, right. Somewhere along the way, the focus had shifted. Scratching my cheek, I asked, "Let's go take 인증샷 with my subway birthday ad."
"Now?"
"No, not now. Later, in the early morning."
At my words, Seo Yehyeon collapsed onto his bed, burying his face in the pillow and mumbling, "I don't know. If I can wake up by then."
"Don't worry. If Hyung can't get up, I'll wake him up and drag him out myself."
"You stubborn bastard..."
Just in case, I set five alarms before finally falling asleep.
I must have been exhausted because the alarms started blaring almost as soon as I closed my eyes.
It felt like only five minutes had passed, so I checked to see if I'd set the alarms wrong. To my surprise, over five hours had flown by.
I dragged my heavy body out of bed and stumbled over to Seo Yehyeon's bed, shaking him roughly.
"Hyung, wake up."
When I tried to rouse him with my voice, which was hoarse from sleep, Seo Yehyeon pulled the blanket over his head.
"Ugh... just five more minutes..."
I blasted the loudest heavy metal song I could find right into his ear. Seo Yehyeon shook his head violently and staggered to his feet.
"I'll go and sleep again when we get back..."
"Yeah, go back to sleep. I'm going back to sleep too."
Since it was still early morning, I didn't want to bother Manager Hyung, so I called a taxi.
When we arrived at the subway station, I saw a large billboard. My face was plastered across it, along with a message celebrating my birthday.
I knew they had put up a billboard before my regression, but I had only gone to see it once. And back then, it was just a small one.
As I stared blankly at the electronic billboard, Seo Yehyeon spoke to me.
"I know you're moved, but let's take a photo first."
Snapping out of my daze, I stood beside the billboard and struck a pose so it would be clearly visible in the picture.
After successfully taking the commemorative photo, we returned to the dorm. Without a word, we collapsed onto our beds and drifted back to sleep.
We woke up again at 10 AM.
The savory aroma of seaweed soup drew me from my room, where I rubbed my still-sleepy eyes with the back of my hand. In the kitchen, I saw Gyeon Hajun diligently cooking, his back to me.
Watching the Maknae Line busily setting the table with side dishes and utensils, I plopped down in my seat and asked, "Why is Dobin using only one hand?"
"He said he's got muscle soreness from shooting arrows yesterday," Ryu Jaehee answered for Kim Dobin. Wow, even someone who shoots three consecutive X-tens wouldn't get this sore. And here's Dobin, who scored zero points, suffering like this.
"Hyungs, aren't you guys tired? I'm dealing with muscle soreness and fatigue—it's no joke."
"If you're complaining, what about Ryu Jaehee, who ran both archery and the relay race?"
"Jaehee's young, though."
"You're only a year younger than Jaehee, and I'm just two years older than you, you brat!"
"Is that something you should be saying when you're still in your teens?"
"I'm pretty sure the seaweed soup I had on my birthday had chicken breast in it..." Kim Dobin grumbled, eyeing the beef seaweed soup on the table. I clicked my tongue, picking up my spoon at his childish complaint.
"Just eat what you're given. Stop being so picky."
"I'm not being picky! I'm just talking about fairness..."
"Why are you bringing up fairness over soup ingredients?"
The more Dobi talked back, the more comfortable he must be getting with me. Since his Relationship Improvement Score was rising as quickly as his sass, I decided to let it slide.
"I went grocery shopping yesterday and saw that beef brisket for soup was on sale. I'll make it with beef for your next birthday, Dobin."
Kim Dobin hastily shook his head at Gyeon Hajun's kind words, saying he was fine and had just been joking.
After finishing his meal, he replied to the flood of birthday wishes from acquaintances. Naturally, the length of his replies varied according to his level of familiarity with each person.
There were also plenty of classmates who sent birthday messages despite not being close to him.
Those who hadn't bothered to send messages back when I was a flop idol group member before my regression were immediately cut off.
I remembered those who had sent messages back then and replied to them with genuine care.
To the Underground hyungs I wasn't particularly close to, I sent polite replies suggesting we catch up sometime. To the hyungs who had prepared gifts and invited me for birthday beatings, I replied that I had a live broadcast today and would treat them to dinner tomorrow.
Some people were surprised to receive birthday messages from me, like KICKS Parachute and G1. Lee Jiwon had sent a package, but it was delayed and wouldn't arrive until after my birthday, as he texted me.
I called my parents to tell them I'd visit home during Chuseok and ended the call with a thank you for bringing me into the world.
After finishing my birthday live stream for the agency, I went to the designated area and found it overflowing with birthday support gifts.
Remembering the last fan post I'd seen before my regression—about a member who'd scammed birthday support funds and left the group—left me with a strange feeling.
"First, take the luxury goods, electronics, watches, and accessories to your dorm. Have the songwriting equipment delivered to your studio."
Manager Hyung expertly sorted the gifts and handed them to me with a practiced ease.
"Make sure to grab this one too," I said, gesturing to a particular gift.
Manager Hyung glanced at it and clicked his tongue, patting my back. "Tsk, look at you, finally growing up."
Most of the accessories—rings, bracelets, piercings—and the clothes and shoes were right up my alley. Since they matched my usual style, it wouldn't be hard to wear them and post 인증 shots.
After neatly organizing the gifts in my room, I pulled out the one I'd asked Manager Hyung to keep aside.
"Wow, a photobook!"
Ryu Jaehee, who had scurried over unnoticed, sat down beside me and flipped through the pages with me.
"Isn't it strange? To think that moments I'd forgotten are captured like this."
"Was this on the way to WAMA Airport? Right, Hyung's Mustang!"
"I think so?"
As a rookie who hadn't even celebrated their first debut anniversary yet, the photobook was thin. After the pages featuring my photos ended, messages from fans filled the remaining pages.
Some were just single lines, while others were long, letter-like entries. As I slowly read each word, a faint smile gradually spread across my lips.
"Hyung, let's use this photobook for the birthday support 인증 instead of those other things," Ryu Jaehee suggested, handing me a sticky note and a pen. After a moment's hesitation, I scribbled a sentence on the sticky note.
"If you're going to write something like that, you should draw a heart too," Ryu Jaehee teased.
"Ugh, what's with the heart?" I grumbled.
"If Hyung can't draw one, I'll do it for you," Jaehee said, snatching the pen from my hand and quickly drawing a heart beneath the sentence.
"Hyung, you actually wrote a sentence like this?" Ryu Jaehee chuckled, and I silently took the sticky note from his hand, placing it beneath the words "I love you!"
Click—the sound of a phone camera echoed.
I had been about to upload photos to social media: 인증샷 of my birthday subway ad, group shots with the members, and 인증샷 of the support gifts. But when I saw the post celebrating my birthday, I paused.
Even though it wasn't Search Quest day, I decided to postpone my post and search for my name to slowly read through all the birthday wishes.
#HappyEdenDay
#SummerYouthEden'sTwentyOne
The blue hashtags embedded in each post resonated deeply in my heart. But technically, if you count my age before the regression, I'm actually twenty-eight.
Dream♥Daydream @revedream
My baby ㅠㅠ Support 인증샷ㅠㅠ
"I love you, too" ㅠㅠ What's with the heart below it?!
(Support_ 인증샷.jpg)
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Dream♥Daydream @revedream
He even put it right under the "I love you!" sentence!
Is he replying to us? It's so sweet I could die...
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"So, you called me over just to show off your G1 gift when it arrives today?"
"Ah, do you think I don't know you, Hyung? You're curious too, admit it."
"True enough."
Yongcheol Hyung, sprawled in his studio chair, chuckled in agreement.
"What do you think it'll be?"
"I hope it's a speaker. That 850,000 won one you have is trash."
"A true craftsman doesn't blame their tools, you know?"
"I don't know. I do."
Our trivial banter was interrupted by the arrival of the delivery.
As we tore open the packaging, a massive speaker materialized in the studio, leaving Yongcheol Hyung and me gaping in unison. There was no mistaking this model.
It was the very speaker I'd hesitated to buy, ultimately abandoning the idea because it far exceeded my budget.
"Holy shit, why is this Hyung so generous?"
Spending over 2 million won on a birthday gift for a younger acquaintance? When was G1's birthday again...?
📝 Translator’s Note:
You may notice that certain lines or phrases in this novel appear both in their original Korean (or Hanja) form and in English translation.
This is intentional — these phrases are classical idioms, divine titles, or poetic expressions that carry layered meanings.
To preserve their original tone and authenticity, the raw text has been kept for reference, while the English interpretation is provided right before or after it. This helps convey both the literal and cultural nuance of the original work.
but if you guys dont want tha raw for future chapters or my future other novels u can just text me on discord and say so discord name Mr.Penny