Chapter 155

Translator: Penny

Chapter 155

Thanks to the Hanwoo set they had won as a prize, the dorm hosted a Hanwoo party for the first time in ages.

This time, unlike the last one, the atmosphere was warm and convivial. Of course, Seo Yehyeon ate a few pieces and then didn't touch the meat again.

"Hyung, aren't you going to eat more?"

"Uh-uh, I'm full..."

"Huh? Yehyeon Hyung only ate three pieces of meat."

"It's already 6:10 PM."

Considering he was the one who nearly cost them the Hanwoo in the first place, I didn't feel like urging him to eat more.

More concerning than Seo Yehyeon putting down his chopsticks was Ryu Jaehee, who was picking at his meat with an uncharacteristically gloomy expression.

Kim Dobin ended up taking the tongs and grilling the meat himself after Jaehee kept burning it.

"Youngest member, what's wrong?" I asked.

Ryu Jaehee forced a smile and shook his head. "No, it's nothing."

Nothing? His face looked like he was about to die. As I silently pushed more meat toward Ryu Jaehee, his phone vibrated.

The screen displayed "Mom" as the caller ID.

Ryu Jaehee glanced between the balcony and his room, bit his lip, grabbed his phone, and headed inside.

I told you...! Why...?!

I could faintly hear Ryu Jaehee shouting through the closed door. I quickly grabbed the remote and turned up the TV volume to drown out the noise.

"The soundproofing here is absolutely terrible. I thought we'd at least picked a decent place, but the CEO's judgment is as unreliable as ever. Right?"

As I clicked my tongue and muttered to myself, Kim Dobin, who was diligently grilling meat in Ryu Jaehee's place, tilted his head curiously.

"Are you not close to your family? Come to think of it, aside from the occasional mention of your younger siblings, I've hardly ever heard you talk about Jaehee's family."

"Mind your own business and flip the meat. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠It's burning, you idiot."

Kim Dobin pouted at my rebuke.

"They say sharing burdens makes them lighter. Honestly, I'd be more grateful if someone asked me what was wrong when I'm having a hard time."

"Are you Ryu Jaehee? Stop thinking only about yourself. Didn't you hear me say it's nothing serious? Besides, I haven't told you anything about my family either."

"That's different, Hyung. Your relationship with me isn't the same as my relationship with Jaehee. Didn't you tell Hajun Hyung about your family?"

At the mention of my name by Kim Dobin, Gyeon Hajun glanced at me and shook his head.

"I even know that Eden's dog is named Podo."

"But I thought it was Badugi?" Seo Yehyeon interjected.

I corrected him with the facts. "Badugi was my first dog, who crossed the rainbow bridge when I was little. Podo is the second one I'm raising now."

"Whoa! Hyung, you have a dog at your family home?"

"Yeah, wanna see a picture of Podo?"

I grinned to myself as I pulled up the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠latest photo of Podo that Mom had sent me on my phone.

Kim Dobin covered his mouth, exclaiming how cute Podo was, putting on a wonderfully exaggerated reaction. As I watched him with pride, Seo Yehyeon hesitated for a moment before finally asking, his curiosity getting the better of him:

"Hey... I've been wondering... Is Podo named that because he's a Pomeranian?"

"Oh, that reminds me! Someone once said naming a dog 'Choco' or 'Podo' is like naming a person 'Kim Cyanide'!" Kim Dobin chuckled, clicking his chopsticks together.

"My mom named him. What's wrong with it?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Seo Yehyeon and Kim Dobin quickly changed their tune.

"No, it's just a perfect name for a dog! Now that I look at him again, he really does look like a round little grape."

"Even if someone's name was Kim Cyanide, I'd still think it's a cool and unique name! But how did we even get onto this topic?"

The door burst open, and we all fell silent instantly. Ryu Jaehee, her eyes still red-rimmed, returned to the living room. We pretended not to notice and pushed the meat toward her.

"Kid, if you're worried about something, just tell us," Seo Yehyeon said cautiously, offering his own awkward version of comfort.

Ryu Jaehee smiled, trying to appear unaffected. "It's nothing, really. I just brought the mood down for no reason. Dobin Hyung, pass me the tongs! I'll do the grilling."

None of us believed her lie. We simply pretended not to notice, letting our youngest member have her way.

"Come to think of it, we should do a Reverse Tribute on our last music show. Even if the agency offers support, it probably won't be half as much as last time. Let's just assume we'll cover most of it ourselves."

During the second week of music show promotions, Seo Yehyeon unexpectedly brought up the idea of a Reverse Tribute first.

Although the settlement date was still far off, everyone readily agreed since they had already saved up enough money.

Everyone except one person.

Ryu Jaehee, who would normally be the first to push for such plans, remained stubbornly silent.

Knowing roughly why Ryu Jaehee was acting this way due to something that had happened before the regression, I sighed and said, "It's fine. I'll cover everything this time."

Ryu Jaehee's eyes widened as he turned to look at me. Our gazes met, and after blinking a couple of times, he hurriedly lowered his eyes.

Many things had changed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠since before the regression, but many remained the same. And those unchanging things were Ryu Jaehee's family matters—something I couldn't interfere with.

How could I meddle in someone else's family affairs?

"Huh? Hyung, aren't you pushing yourself too hard? We can contribute too," Kim Dobin protested.

"Yeah, Eden. This Reverse Tribute is for our fans. Why are you trying to handle it all alone? We should all chip in," Gyeon Hajun added.

"Just get the agency's support and split the rest evenly," Seo Yehyeon suggested.

With each member's objection, I could clearly see Ryu Jaehee's hand twitching on his knee.

"Do you guys even realize how much copyright revenue is flooding my bank account thanks to you, my beloved members? The money I'm covering includes all your shares too, so don't feel pressured."

I waved my hand dismissively.

Of course, this is a one-time gesture, a special exception for this particular situation. If they try to use this as an excuse to constantly bleed me dry, we'll have a problem.

That's why I made it clear earlier: "Just this once."

"Eden Hyung...! You're truly a God Leader...! You're the textbook definition of a leader! I finally admit it!"

"Since when did the textbook definition of a leader include paying up?"

Kim Dobin, his hand clamped over his mouth, turned to me with teary-eyed admiration. Seo Yehyeon, belatedly realizing the unusual tension in Ryu Jaehee's expression, chuckled teasingly.

"Oh, so are you giving us a share of the royalties too?"

"Hyung, you're crossing the line. Are you my muse or something? Huh? Even Jun, who contributed the most to the project, isn't asking for anything."

His words, meant to lighten the mood and utterly devoid of sincerity, prompted me to retort playfully:

"Would you actually give it to me if I asked?"

I paused, taken aback by the seriousness in Gyeon Hajun's question.

Should I actually give it to him...? If I have to give up shares, what percentage would be appropriate?

As I was mentally calculating, Gyeon Hajun chuckled and waved his hand dismissively.

"Just kidding."

Fuck, Jun-a. Stop using your acting skills like that.

The atmosphere smoothly shifted toward me bearing the full cost, excluding the company's financial support.

As it was late, everyone retreated to their rooms to sleep. I sat on the sofa, mindlessly flipping through channels with the remote.

Beside me, Ryu Jaehee remained firmly planted on the sofa, refusing to go to his room.

I was hoping to enjoy some solitary contemplation, but the most annoying jerk had to be here, stubbornly planted in place.

Ryu Jaehee spoke first.

"Hyung, do you know about my situation? Is that why you're acting like this?"

His once-round eyes had sharpened into a fierce glare. I met his gaze with a cool reply.

"How would I know if you don't tell me?"

Look at this kid, glaring at his hyung just because he's grown up a bit. I tossed the remote aside and reached out to firmly press down on the crown of his head. Ryu Jaehee's expression ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠shifted to one of realization, and he quickly softened his gaze.

The paused channel showed a late-night movie in full swing—a Korean noir film. Ryu Jaehee muttered, watching the meaningless mosaic blur over cigarettes and smoke.

"I think I understand why people smoke," Ryu Jaehee said abruptly.

I gently smacked his head, grumbling, "Don't even think about wanting to smoke, you idiot. Once you start, it's hell to quit."

"Have you ever smoked, Hyung?"

I used to be a chain smoker, going through half a pack a day, in a timeline that no longer exists. And I barely managed to quit.

I deliberately avoided answering, gazing into the distance. Ryu Jaehee chuckled, interpreting my silence in his own way.

Damn nutria bastard, do you even know the struggles of a heavy smoker who nearly dislocated his jaw chewing nicotine gum to quit?

"What does family even mean?" Ryu Jaehee sighed heavily, gazing up at the night sky reflected in the balcony window.

"What's wrong? What happened?"

"They want me to pay off their credit card debt. They said they charged it all because they trusted me. That's why I never wanted to succeed, even though I did. I knew my parents would just spend more. But if I don't succeed, our family will be..."

Ryu Jaehee trailed off, burying his face in his knees.

"When I asked what they would have done if I didn't have the money right away, they said they would have taken out a private loan. Ha, I guess I'll be the one paying that off too. My younger siblings are still in middle school."

It seemed that Reve's recent success had allowed him to cover the credit card debt with his savings. Before the regression, Ryu Jaehee had been forced to repay his parents' private loans.

"So I'm broke right now. I used all my money to pay off my debts. Of course, I should be giving back to our fans, contributing to the Reverse Tribute... But when Hyung offered to cover everything, I just felt relieved..."

Ryu Jaehee's eyes reddened as he bit his lip.

"There's nothing to apologize for. You're the one who brought that song to the world in the first place. Did you think I was just saying empty words?"

Technically, it was Ryu Jaehee and the other four members, but...

"And Kid, cutting ties takes courage too."

This Hyung, who had witnessed firsthand the past Ryu Jaehee's struggles and regrets—his failure to break free from the chains binding him until it was too late—could offer no other advice.

Ryu Jaehee nodded silently and stood up.

"Going to bed?"

"Yeah, I'm going to take a sleeping pill and try to get some rest. We have a schedule tomorrow. Hyung, if you can't sleep, maybe you should take one too?"

Kim Dobin, who had been whining about insomnia, had gotten a prescription for sleeping pills. These pills occasionally proved useful to the other members, excluding me.

For the record, Kim Dobin's "insomnia" wasn't actually insomnia at all. It was just his sleep pattern being disrupted by staying up all night on his phone.

"No, I'm not really—"

"Hyung, there's not a trace of sleepiness in your eyes. Don't stay up all night for no reason."

Ryu Jaehee shook out a sleeping pill and tossed the bottle to me.

Since I genuinely couldn't sleep, I glared at the bottle with a reluctant expression before deciding to give it a try. I opened the lid.

I tilted the bottle too far, and the pills spilled onto my palm in a rush. My head throbbed.

After putting all but one pill back into the bottle, I took the glass of water Ryu Jaehee offered and swallowed the sleeping pill.

I immediately vomited it back up.

📝 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