Chapter 112
Chapter 112
Translator: Penny
Chapter 112
Kim Dobin clicked his tongue, his face a mix of disappointment and resignation. He then raised his pen like a microphone and continued hosting.
"Anyway, let's get recommendations for this room-swapping game!"
"We could just do rock-paper-scissors like last time," someone suggested listlessly.
Kim Dobin shook his head dismissively. "Come on, rock-paper-scissors is so boring now."
"Who cares? The cameras aren't even rolling."
"A true idol always needs to create stories, even when the cameras are off, so we can talk about them later!"
A true idol? I thought, scoffing inwardly. You've only been debuted for a year!
"Since we'll be busy preparing for our September comeback anyway, why don't we play some holiday games in advance? We can decide the rooms that way."
"Holiday games... you mean traditional holiday games?"
"Okay, everyone, let's hear your suggestions!"
As soon as Kim Dobin finished speaking, I blurted out, "Go-Stop."
A brief silence fell over the group.
"Well, it's true that families often play Go-Stop during holidays, but..."
"I was thinking more along the lines of Yut Nori..."
"We can't get Yut Nori right away. Where are we going to find the game pieces?"
"What about Hwatu cards then?"
"Don't convenience stores sell Hwatu cards?"
"But here's the problem: I've never played Go-Stop before."
"Me neither."
"Oh, me too!"
With three out of five people having never played Go-Stop, it was eliminated as the room-deciding game.
So it was just Seo Yehyeon and me who knew how to play.
After suggesting every game imaginable, we ended up playing Mafia. I have no idea when Mafia became a holiday game.
Since one person had to act as the moderator and couldn't participate in the game, we played Mafia online.
These days, people play Mafia on their phones.
Yoon Eden: I'm telling you, I'm the doctor!
Ryu Jaehee: I'm 100% sure Eden Hyung is the Mafia. Execute him!
Yoon Eden: You'll regret it if you kill me! I mean it!
Yoon Eden: Seo Yehyeon is the Mafia!
Kim Dobin: Yehyeon Hyung and Eden Hyung both claimed to be doctors.
Kim Dobin: So one of them must have been targeting the doctor for elimination, while the other was continuously self-healing to stay alive.
Ryu Jaehee: Dobin Hyung, there's no need to state obvious facts like they're some brilliant deduction.
Seo Yehyeon: I am the doctor.
Seo Yehyeon: Yoon Eden is the Mafia.
Gyeon Hajun: Investigation results confirm Jaehee is a citizen.
We decided to assign rooms based on the order of elimination in the game.
The results were...
"Eden Hyung and Yehyeon Hyung are sharing a room, Dobin Hyung and Hajun Hyung are together, and I get a single room!"
"Wow, the Hyungs must be so relieved they don't have to move their stuff."
Physically, it's a relief. But mentally, it's a damn nightmare. I'd been clinging to the hope of changing rooms, and now I have to endure several more months of this?
Counting that godforsaken basement apartment, this will be the third time I've roomed with Seo Yehyeon.
"Jaehee, wanna switch rooms with me?"
At my most gentle inquiry, Ryu Jaehee glanced at Seo Yehyeon and waved his hand.
"Sorry, I really want to try having a single room for once."
Was it truly because he wanted a single room, or was it just awkward rooming with Seo Yehyeon?
If it's the latter, what the hell have you been doing all this time, Yehyeon? Why haven't you gotten closer to the youngest member?
I reluctantly shifted my goal to the next best option: sharing a room with Gyeon Hajun. It wouldn't be so bad, right? Kim Dobin had even grown quite close to Seo Yehyeon, developing a mentor-mentee relationship.
"Dobin, want to switch rooms? Share one with your disciple."
"Come on, Hyung. That would defeat the purpose of the game. Why don't you and Yehyeon Hyung film a 'Let's Get Closer' special? It's been canceled for ages, so you can't even apply anymore."
"Even if it were still running, you couldn't apply, Hyung. Do you want to start rumors about team infighting?" Ryu Jaehee cut off Kim Dobin's nonsense.
Only Kim Dobin and Ryu Jaehee needed to move their belongings.
Seo Yehyeon, Gyeon Hajun, and I sat on the sofa, watching the youngest members' noisy moving process.
"Done!"
"What? Why did you finish so early?"
"We just had a lot of stuff already in each other's rooms."
Well, considering how Kim Dobin and Ryu Jaehee were always in each other's rooms, it made sense.
When Gyeon Hajun wasn't in his room, Kim Dobin would go play in Ryu Jaehee's room. And when Gyeon Hajun was in his room, Ryu Jaehee would cross over to Kim Dobin's room to play.
"But at this point, aren't Eden Hyung and Yehyeon Hyung destined for each other?" Kim Dobin blurted out with a giggle.
Seo Yehyeon and I turned to glare at him simultaneously.
"Hey, you two don't have to look so serious... it's kind of scary..."
"What kind of destiny are you talking about? My destined partner being Yehyeon Hyung? Don't say such horrifying things!"
"Hey! I wouldn't want you as my destined partner either!"
As we both shouted at him, Kim Dobin shrank back timidly and tried to explain himself.
"No, fate doesn't necessarily mean love or a life partner. It could just mean we're destined to share a room forever, you know?"
Seo Yehyeon and I recoiled in unison.
"Ugh, what are you even saying?!"
"Don't jinx us like that! If we get roommates again next time, are you going to take responsibility?"
As everyone else retreated to their rooms, we lingered in the living room until well past bedtime, finally shuffling back to our room.
We trudged into the unchanged room and exchanged awkward glances before extending our hands.
"Take care until we switch rooms, Hyung. Let's definitely get separated next time."
"That's exactly what I wanted to say."
Our hands clasped firmly, a silent agreement passing between us.
Reve's official first full-length album comeback date was rapidly approaching.
KICKS, who had made their comeback in early July, likely aiming for the third-quarter Digital Song Award, failed to achieve any significant results.
Altair, whom we had expected to return in mid-to-late August...
Damn it! No wonder I couldn't remember it—that was just a pre-release track!
Their actual comeback was scheduled for early October.
Currently, Reve's comeback schedule had been pushed back from early September to mid-to-late September.
Considering that full-length album promotions typically last about a month, Altair's early October comeback would inevitably overlap with our activities.
And this year marked Altair's third anniversary—the year they were poised to win the Grand Prize.
In other words, we were now facing direct competition with the song destined to win the Grand Prize for Song of the Year.
Moreover, if the pre-released track I saw on the September charts before my regression drops mid-September, we risk losing all our momentum.
Altair is an idol from Sinwol Ent, one of Korea's three largest agencies. We can't even dream of competing with their resources.
The only reason we have a chance at all is because the CEO abandoned his cost-effectiveness strategy. Even then, surpassing them is utterly impossible.
If we win this, Reve will become a legendary underdog story for all time. But even if we lose, we'll still be remembered for putting up a good fight...
A good fight? What the fuck is that bullshit? Losing is losing, you fucking idiot.
And I absolutely refused to let my song lose to a track that bastard had claimed credit for writing and composing.
"Maybe we should move our release date forward... It's not too late to make an immediate comeback..."
Ryu Jaehee murmured in a dazed voice. It was fortunate he didn't realize they weren't just competing with Altair but also against songs vying for the Grand Prize.
If Ryu Jaehee, whose face was already pale as a sheet, had known that, he would have fainted backward on the spot.
"The agency pushed back our comeback date because we couldn't meet the early September deadline, Jaehee. How can we move it up now?" Gyeon Hajun sighed deeply, his voice calm.
"Why does this have to overlap with our regular promotions...?" Ryu Jaehee slumped onto the table, muttering dejectedly.
"That's it! That's it! They say if you try to avoid fate, it always comes back in some form. Our fate of avoiding that insane HI-TN lineup is finally catching up to us now!"
Kim Dobin was making a fuss, spouting otaku-like nonsense, but no one paid him any attention. To be precise, no one had the energy to humor him.
In the dorm, which had taken on the atmosphere of a funeral home, I was about to speak when Seo Yehyeon beat me to it.
"What's with the funeral vibe, everyone?"
Whoa, he's coming in strong right from the start? I'd planned to start with something normal like, "Guys, is Altair some kind of unstoppable natural disaster? Are we just going to spend our whole lives raiding empty houses?"
At Seo Yehyeon's calm voice, everyone's attention snapped to him.
"Our song isn't some Come to My Universe-level masterpiece, but it turned out well, right? The choreography is decent, the outfits are fine. So what's the problem?"
"The problem is that our promotion period overlaps so much with Altair's. They're in a completely different league."
Let's see how you respond to that, I thought, watching Seo Yehyeon's expression darken at my indifferent reply.
"Are you lacking confidence in your song?" he asked, frowning. "Altair's song hasn't even been released yet. Why are you already looking so gloomy? It's not like we've always been pushed off the top spot."
"I'm not looking gloomy," I retorted, shrugging. "Who said I lacked confidence?"
Seo Yehyeon shot me a playful glare before addressing the group, making eye contact with each member.
"Guys, we're not those rookies who sang 'Come to My Universe' back in the day anymore."
Seo Yehyeon groaned, raking his hand through his hair as he paused briefly before continuing.
"Everyone's been doing their part admirably. It's a bit embarrassing to admit, but even I, who used to be the biggest liability on the team, am now pulling my weight."
As he spoke, he glanced at me as if seeking confirmation. I chuckled softly and nodded in agreement.
Watching him practice, it was clear he had reached a level where he could no longer be called the "creator of the New Choreography."
"So, don't jump to conclusions about the outcome yet. We haven't even faced them yet," Seo Yehyeon said firmly.
I rested my chin in my hand and stared intently at him.
"I've learned from experience that avoiding confrontation changes nothing. Sometimes, facing things head-on can actually lead to better results."
Before the regression, Seo Yehyeon had always worn a confident smile. Now, the faint smile on his face overlapped with that image.
I had always assumed his self-esteem would never blossom, that it would remain a lifelong burden in this iteration.
But he had finally bloomed on his own. I had scoffed at his "glass-cannon mentality," but Seo Yehyeon was stronger than I'd given him credit for.
Relieved to have shed some of the weight on my heart, I laughed heartily.
"So let's clash head-on. We don't have much to lose anyway. We're still rookies in our first year, and we're idols from a mid-sized agency, not a powerhouse like Altair."
Even if we had no choice but to go along with it, having the will to fight made all the difference.
Seo Yehyeon's words were enough to instill resolve in the members.
I could see the light returning to their eyes, which had been filled with worry just moments before.
Somehow, his approach seemed even more effective than my own relentless prodding. Was this like the sun winning against the wind in that old fable?
Feeling threatened by the possibility of losing my leadership position, I chimed in, determined not to be outdone.
"Actually, Altair should be the ones worrying, not us. We don't have much to lose if we lose, but they have everything to lose if they lose, right?"
As I chuckled, Ryu Jaehee, who had already regained his spark and energy, blurted out his honest impression:
"Yehyeon Hyung was like a hero, but Eden Hyung sounds like a villain."
Have you been corrupted by Kim Dobin too?
📝 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