Chapter 125
Chapter 125
Translator: Penny
Chapter 125
Back in the waiting room, Ryu Jaehee, who had finished his special stage earlier, was the first to greet me.
I plopped down next to Gyeon Hajun, listening to Jaehee's grumbling—was it a complaint or a compliment?—about how our stage was too impressive compared to theirs.
"Jun-a, Kwon Yunseong asked me to tell you he's sorry."
"Ah, so that's why he was late?"
Gyeon Hajun asked with a completely indifferent expression, making me blink in surprise.
"That's... all?"
"What's the point of getting an apology now? It's not like he means that much to me anyway."
I hadn't expected him to be happy, but I'd at least thought he'd feel relieved.
Maybe I didn't know Gyeon Hajun as well as I thought.
Suddenly, I remembered the Gyeon Hajun from before the regression, who had silently let go of my hand one day.
"Hey, Jun-a. If you're going to cut ties, at least give me a week's notice so I can prepare myself."
Gyeon Hajun frowned slightly at my words.
"Was Kwon Yunseong really that important to you? To mock me so harshly just because I said it was meaningless?"
"You know I'm not being sarcastic. I mean it."
"Why would I ever let go of your hand first?"
Hearing that confident declaration, I scoffed silently, glancing up at the empty air.
Today, I had completely severed ties with the friend I once believed we would debut together, share the same stage, and look toward the same future.
The friend I was certain would be a lifelong companion had let go of my hand first, before the regression.
The me who was certain of musical success had regressed with only half the success I had envisioned.
I'm sorry, but I can no longer be certain of anything. Everything I once believed in, except for music, has crumbled.
Yxxtube
(Video)
SOO Music Daejeon - On Top Making
Views: 1.51 million
👍 16,000 👎
ksls26 • 1 day ago
It's so cute seeing our Eden acting like the youngest member here! ㅋㅋ
Likes: 162
User • 17 days ago
Yoon Eden being friendly with G1 is unexpected.
Why do Kwon Yunseong and Yoon Eden have such a complicated relationship?
Likes: 35
└ Sseongyun • 2 days ago
They've been portrayed as rivals since their debut.
└ 952 • 2 days ago
I don't think that's the only reason...
Yxxtube
(Video)
On Top - Solo Bell @ SOO Music Daejeon 20xx1225
Views: 4.21 million
👍 29,000 👎
skynet • 2 days ago
Yoon Eden's rap tore through the intro, and Sion and Kwon Yunseong's vocals were insane.
The fact that they all looked like they were having a blast on stage definitely contributed to the hype.
Likes: 1.7K
llliiill • 2 days ago
1:38 Their chemistry carried the whole performance.
Likes: 351
(Locked) Baekki @backkkii
Wait, didn't Narak and Gyeongseong have zero interaction before? Why are they suddenly being shipped as besties now?
│
(Locked) ᄉᄋᄉ @tjddbstjd
Replying to @backkkii
I heard they were close during their trainee days, but it's true they haven't shown any signs of friendship since debuting.
If you ask me, they definitely had a falling out back then.
My poor baby has to smile and pretend to like someone he hates in front of the cameras ㅠㅠ
With the older members away for schedules and music production, the two youngest members found themselves alone in the dorm for the first time in ages.
"Jaehee! Yehyeon Hyung's not here, so how about we sneak out and grab some snacks?"
"Ah, I'm totally in!"
Ryu Jaehee immediately agreed to Kim Dobin's excited shout from the bedroom. It was a small act of rebellion from the maknaes.
Without Yoon Eden around to shield them from Seo Yehyeon's wrath and nagging if they got caught, they wouldn't dare dream of fast food like pizza, chicken, or burgers.
Kim Dobin emerged from his room, throwing on his jacket as he walked over to Ryu Jaehee, who was sprawled on the sofa.
"Is my wallet here by any chance? It's not in my room, but I think I might have tossed it on the sofa earlier."
"Isn't this your wallet? The navy blue one?" Ryu Jaehee casually tossed a bi-fold wallet lying haphazardly on the sofa.
Kim Dobin blinked in surprise when he opened the wallet without thinking and immediately spotted an unfamiliar card.
"Huh? I don't think I have this card. This doesn't look like my wallet."
He soon discovered Yoon Eden's resident registration card tucked neatly inside.
"Wait, this is Eden Hyung's wallet! Oh, Jaehee, you must have kicked Eden Hyung's jacket, and it fell out of his pocket."
Ryu Jaehee glanced at the jacket casually draped over the sofa armrest, disheveled from his earlier kick. As if he'd never touched it, he subtly straightened the jacket and hung it properly.
"Issued in 20XX... that means Eden Hyung was nineteen. So this photo was taken when he was the same age as me?"
"Wow, let me see!"
Ryu Jaehee sidled closer to Kim Dobin and peered at Yoon Eden's ID photo.
The slight upturn of Eden's lips conveyed a confident, fearless demeanor, as if nothing in the world could intimidate him.
Even though it had only been two years since he was nineteen, the face in the ID photo still carried the youthful innocence of a high school student. This made his features appear slightly softer than his current, sharper impression.
Ryu Jaehee, who had been staring intently at the photo out of curiosity, glanced sideways at Kim Dobin.
"How can they both be nineteen? Especially since Eden Hyung was born in January, making him early nineteen, while Hyung is late nineteen."
"Whoa, are you indirectly calling Eden Hyung old?"
"No, I mean Hyung looks strangely more immature and younger. And it's not about being old—it's about being mature."
Kim Dobin clicked his tongue at Ryu Jaehee's firm words and was about to close his wallet when his hand froze.
"Wait... usually there's a Chinese character written in parentheses next to the name, but why does Eden Hyung only have the Chinese character for his surname, while his given name is in Korean?"
"Isn't that how it's supposed to be?" Ryu Jaehee asked, who hadn't yet gotten his resident registration card.
"No, look. I have Chinese characters next to my name," Kim Dobin said, retrieving his wallet from the sofa and showing his ID to Ryu Jaehee.
Kim Dobin (金道彬)
It was clearly different from Yoon Eden's ID, which read [ Yoon Eden (尹이든) ].
They searched online for "resident registration card name without Chinese characters," but found no clear answers.
"Let's start a live stream," Kim Dobin suggested.
Ryu Jaehee narrowed his eyes and turned to look at Kim Dobin.
"It's been a while since we've seen our fans. We can casually ask them about it."
"Isn't that putting the cart before the horse?" Ryu Jaehee protested.
But Ryu Jaehee couldn't stop Kim Dobin's unstoppable momentum. Before he knew it, Kim Dobin had already started a live stream on the OA App. Ryu Jaehee sat quietly beside him, smiling brightly and waving at the camera.
"Ilmongs, I've missed you all!"
We just saw you yesterday, Yuje! ㅋㅋ
Dobin, say hi!
"Hello, Daydream!" Kim Dobin greeted enthusiastically, waving his hand from beside Ryu Jaehee.
"The reason we're here is... something suddenly got me curious. I accidentally saw Eden Hyung's ID card, and usually IDs have the Chinese characters for your name next to the Korean, right? But Eden Hyung's ID only has the Chinese character for his surname, while his given name is written in Korean."
Huh, is that even possible?
Is it an English name?
Wow, there really isn't a Chinese character for "Eden"?
I thought it was the character for "reliable" (든든)!
Anyone else with no Chinese characters in their name, speak up!
They were so engrossed in scanning the rapidly scrolling chat for answers, their eyes darting across the screen like hawks, that they didn't hear the beep-beep of the door lock.
"What are you two youngest members up to?"
Yoon Eden strode over to the living room table, where the Maknae Line was huddled together, a tablet propped up between them. He casually placed a hand on each of their heads.
Noticing the tablet screen a beat later, he ruffled their hair briefly before withdrawing his hand.
"Hyung, since you're here, why not say hello to the fans?"
"Hello, Daydream. Nice to see you again."
Yoon Eden waved at the screen, grinning broadly.
Come to think of it, Eden did a live broadcast with Jaehee yesterday, lol.
Exactly 14 hours ago!
Why aren't you using the "May your health be well" greeting?
"Why don't I use 'May your health be well' in live broadcasts? That's a formal greeting reserved for written letters—it's for From only."
Overwhelmed by fans' fervent requests for just one more time, he reluctantly opened his mouth, a look of resignation on his face.
"May your health be well, Daydream?"
As Daydream went into a frenzy, hearing that grandiose greeting from Yoon Eden's lips for the first time, Kim Dobin casually asked, "Hyung, you have an ID card, right? Why isn't your name written in Chinese characters?"
"When did you see my ID card again?" Yoon Eden asked, raising an eyebrow.
Kim Dobin instinctively lowered his gaze, his eyes drooping as he hurriedly stammered an explanation. "No, I thought it was my wallet and opened it by mistake... I'm innocent!"
Ryu Jaehee quickly chimed in to support Kim Dobin. "Is it really because your English name doesn't have Chinese characters? Eden?"
"It's not English, it's Korean. Pure Korean. That's why there's no Chinese character—it's written in Hangul."
Finally, the Maknae Line's curiosity was satisfied.
"It's a name my parents gave me, meaning 'to live up to my name'... Sometimes I feel bad about it, haha."
As Yoon Eden awkwardly brushed his hair back and chuckled in front of his phone screen, the Maknae Line quickly searched "pure Korean name Eden meaning" on Ryu Jaehee's phone.
The pure Korean name Eden means 'kind, virtuous'.
Kind and virtuous Eden Hyung...
What kind of diligent and quick-witted sloth nonsense is this?
The Maknae Line bit their lips and pinched their thighs, barely suppressing the laughter threatening to erupt.
If they laughed now, Eden Hyung would definitely kill them after the live stream ended.
My laughter at that remark was just the beginning. The ensuing controversy among fans about the leader's character was an unexpected bonus.
"Hyung, you're living up to your name perfectly!"
"That's right! Hyung is truly a kind and virtuous leader."
I clapped enthusiastically, trying to sound as sincere as possible, but...
"Guys, are you reading from a textbook?"
"That subtle theatrical tone and the barely perceptible twitch at the corner of his lips..."
"First of all, ever since the Filial Scoundrelism Diss Rap, he's been living a life completely at odds with the meaning of his name."
"What's wrong? Eden's actually really nice, lol."
Unfortunately, they weren't dealing with Gyeon Hajun, the acting idol.
The fans were too busy laughing at our transparent act to notice anything else. Part of the reason was Yoon Eden's usual image: a leader who occasionally let his younger members win, not some perpetually kind-hearted figure.
"Yeah, I'm not sure how this live stream started, but anyway, just a reminder that pure Korean names only have the surname registered in Chinese characters on your resident registration card. It's a fun fact that's good to know, but won't really affect your life if you don't."
With his curiosity satisfied, and having no further plans, the live stream ended abruptly after a quick farewell.
"Hyung..."
"What?"
"Can I laugh...?"
As soon as the live stream ended, Ryu Jaehee cautiously asked his question. Eden waved his hand with a resigned expression.
"Laugh, laugh. Why does everyone always start laughing whenever they hear the meaning of my name?"
The answer would have been obvious if he'd only reflected on his own actions for a moment.
After the Music Daejeon, Gyeon Hajun and I remained in a state of subtle cold war. To be honest, it was hardly even a proper fight.
Affinity Scores:
- Seo Yehyeon: 73%
- Gyeon Hajun: 92%
- Kim Dobin: 64%
- Ryu Jaehee: 81%
The funny thing was, the Affinity Scores hadn't changed since the last time I checked.
If he wasn't actually upset, then why was this awkward tension persisting? I was just curious about the root cause of this lingering cold war.
The damn System, oblivious to these complex emotions, kept throwing quests at me.
★ Surprise QUEST ★
▶ Deliver a memorable acceptance speech!
- Objective: Deliver an acceptance speech that will move fans and be remembered for years to come!
Reward: Original Intent Score +10, Random Ticket
Penalty: If the acceptance speech fails to leave a lasting impression on more than half of the fans' memories!
How am I supposed to make an acceptance speech memorable?
I've never been one for long-winded speeches, usually just cycling between "Thank you" and "I love you."
The only time I spoke a bit longer than usual was when I received the Rookie Award on the Charts, overwhelmed with emotion.
My first full-length album, CHASE, won the Main Prize in the album category. I'd been worried that failing to win an award would mean failing the quest, but thankfully, we secured the Main Prize.
I accepted the trophy, stood before the microphone, and slowly began to speak.
📝 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