Chapter 57
Chapter 57
Translator: Penny
Chapter 57
After reading out the card—a version stripped of its flowery language like "The World's Cutest Yuje Dream"—I presented the gift.
"This is for our Leader, who's always so dedicated to taking care of his health."
"Yeah, thanks."
A multivitamin, omega-3 supplements, a snapback, a piercing, and...
"What's this?"
"A germanium negative ion health bracelet."
Seo Yehyeon burst into laughter, clutching his mouth and turning away, clearly trying to suppress his amusement.
"I included it as a wish for your health and longevity."
"Hey, it was on the news—these things have no actual effect. It's pseudoscience."
"Then we'll just repurpose it as a fashion accessory instead of a health device."
Fuck, this is so tacky! Fashion? What fucking fashion? The words nearly burst from my throat, but I swallowed them down, reminding myself I was on camera.
Even worse, the multivitamins and omega-3 supplements were identical to the bulk-sized ones I'd bought online months ago after coughing up blood for the first time because of that damn System. The only difference was the smaller quantity.
And no offense to Ryu Jaehee, but snapbacks and piercings were definitely not my style.
I should have just picked something for myself. If I had, I could have added the 50,000 won support money and bought a new headset.
Kim Dobin reached out and shoved the piercing and snapback aside, then pointed at the supplements, vitamins, and negative ion bracelet, chuckling.
"If you just took these out, it'd look like a filial piety gift for Parents' Day."
The guy who gifted a mood light to someone who can't sleep with any light sure has a lot to say.
Once all the gifts had been revealed, I neatly closed the gift box, hugged it to my chest, and continued the small talk.
"But seriously, isn't it hilarious and weird how everyone prepared exactly two gifts, like they'd planned it?"
"I actually prepared five gifts, not two."
Yeah, even though I ended up with zero.
"Wait, I only got one wallet, right?"
"Oh, so you're not counting the 100,000 won inside as a gift? Yehyeon Hyung's gonna be disappointed."
"Yehyeon Hyung, don't misunderstand what Eden Hyung meant. He just meant the cash and the wallet are one and the same."
After the lighthearted banter, we filmed a few more scenes before finally wrapping up the shoot.
After reviewing the final video, I was quite satisfied. It had a strong Christmas vibe, and Reve looked genuinely cheerful.
With the final review complete, I finally ripped off the animal pajamas that offered zero ventilation.
Despite the dead of winter, I flapped my sweat-soaked black T-shirt before noticing Ryu Jaehee sitting stiffly in his flying squirrel pajamas. I strode over to him.
"Youngest member, what are you doing? Hurry up and change... Are you crying?"
The intermittent sobs prompted me to ask. Ryu Jaehee looked up at me, his eyes red from trying to hold back tears.
"What's wrong? Did someone say something?"
"No, it's just... The Hyungs pooled their money to get you 멋지고 좋은 gifts. Suddenly, seeing my gift makes me feel embarrassed and sorry..."
Tears finally streamed down Ryu Jaehee's face. I sat beside him, sighing deeply as I patted his back.
"Hey, do you think adults and minors are the same? Look at Dobi over there, with that clueless expression. You should live a little more shamelessly like him. If you bought a gift for exactly 50,000 won without trying to skimp, you did well."
I pointed at Kim Dobin with my finger, clicking my tongue. No sooner had I finished speaking than a status window popped up, announcing a deduction to my Original Intent Score.
Detected speech promoting discord among members.
Original Intent Score -1
Why does my Original Intent Score always decrease whenever I try to comfort someone? Is this the System's way of telling me to stop comforting people?
The pain from the Original Intent Score deduction must have unconsciously made me grip Ryu Jaehee's back harder.
Ryu Jaehee twisted his body, his hiccups growing louder.
Suddenly, I'd become the heartless jerk who slapped a crying kid on the back. Feeling awkward, I turned away, only to meet Kim Dobin's face, his eyes and the tip of his nose red, his lips pressed tightly together.
The moment our eyes met, Kim Dobin reflexively apologized.
"I'm sorry for stealing the support funds, hic."
"Are you kidding me? Why are you crying now?"
"No, I was barely holding it together, but Hyung's scolding... sniff! I only took 4,400 won, I swear, sniff."
Kim Dobin sobbed, wiping his nose. So that little brat was the reason for the Original Intent Score deduction.
He steals the support funds, lowers my Original Intent Score, and then has the nerve to cry like he's the victim?
While Seo Yehyeon comforted Ryu Jaehee and Gyeon Hajun consoled Kim Dobin, I dry-washed my face and stared at the chaotic scene with hollow eyes. Then, a familiar stinging sensation returned, and the Status Window popped up again.
Dead Eyes detected.
Original Intent Score -1
Please, just update this already! How many times have I contacted you about this damn Dead Eyes thing during my schedule? Seriously, deduct points for using vulgar language!
The day before departing for the WAMA Awards in Hong Kong, Ryu Jaehee, holding a camcorder, suggested, "How about we film a 'airport fashion' content where we pick outfits for each other for a reality show?"
"Picking outfits for each other is too cliché," Seo Yehyeon countered. "How about we have the four of us coordinate outfits for one person at a time, rotating through all five of us?"
Everyone readily nodded in agreement.
The Maknae Line's room was too cramped, so all their clothes—except for a few casual outfits, underwear, and pajamas—were hung in the closet in our room.
Without even a proper closet, we had to rummage through a flimsy, DIY wardrobe from Daiso.
The summer clothes had long been sent back to our parents' homes as soon as summer ended, since there was no storage space.
I desperately missed the walk-in closet I'd had before my regression.
"This is driving me crazy. Why does he only have hoodies?"
"Well, I just love hoodies."
I rummaged through Kim Dobin's section of the closet, which was filled with hoodies in every color imaginable, and finally found a relatively plain black one.
"Wear this with a long padded coat."
"Isn't that too simple? It looks more like neighborhood stroll fashion than airport fashion."
"Don't you know classic is best? Besides, it's way better than that gaudy hoodie you're holding. So give up and put it down, quick."
At my words, Kim Dobin reluctantly let go of the flashy hoodie, his face still showing lingering regret.
"Is this Hyung trying to freeze me to death? A shirt and short coat in this sub-zero weather? What's the point?"
Seo Yehyeon, the next in line, sighed deeply as he looked at the outfit Ryu Jaehee had chosen.
Ryu Jaehee raised his index finger and shook it, adopting a solemn tone. "Remember, style over comfort. The camera never lies."
"Hyung, the cold is temporary, but the photos last forever."
"Just add a scarf, please. I don't want to catch a cold overseas."
Seo Yehyeon finally managed to add a scarf to the early winter fashion.
"Jun, you're wearing a long coat... It's supposed to be cold tomorrow, so wear a sweater underneath."
Gyeon Hajun was particularly sensitive to the cold, so Seo Yehyeon deliberately chose warm outfits that still looked stylish. As he held up a shirt, Seo Yehyeon asked, "Can I wear a sweater instead of a shirt too?"
"Then you'd be matching. Rejected."
Seo Yehyeon's lips twitched, but with the camera rolling, he couldn't argue and quietly backed down.
"You can wear a shearling jacket with a turtleneck."
Still, perhaps because the camera was on, he chose decent outfits for me without any personal bias.
"Black jeans would go perfectly with this. Hey, Eden Hyung, would you ever consider sharing your clothes with me?"
"I feel like I've answered this ten times already. My clothes don't suit you, Jaehee. Isn't it time to give up?"
I pressed down on Ryu Jaehee's head, wondering what he was so fixated on, as I rummaged through the hangers to pick out an outfit for him.
"It's cold, so wear a warm sweatshirt with a padded jacket."
"I don't like orange. Can you pick another color?"
"Then how about mint?"
I ruffled Ryu Jaehee's hair and handed him the mint-colored sweatshirt.
Having secured enough reality show footage and successfully chosen tomorrow's outfit, I collapsed face-first onto the mattress. A ding! sounded near my ear.
The familiar blue notification screen materialized before my eyes.
[Surprise QUEST★]
▶ Celebrate the members' birthdays!
- Objective: Relationships are as crucial a selling point as the music itself! Why not showcase the group's strong bond by celebrating each member's birthday?
- Reward: Original Intent Score 5, Random Ticket
- Deadline: Until retirement
- Conditions: Post on social media (two-shot photo required) OR broadcast live on the OA App (group broadcasts also accepted) [Choose one]
※ Penalties apply for failing to celebrate birthdays!
I'm going to lose my mind. Am I supposed to be a kindergarten teacher now? Do I really have to remember the birthdays of these grown men?
But with the penalty looming, I had no choice but to obediently recall the members' birthdays.
First, Seo Yehyeon's birthday... I don't care enough to know.
Gyeon Hajun's birthday is January 3rd.
My birthday is August 1st.
I don't even know Kim Dobin's birthday because I don't care.
I forgot Ryu Jaehee's birthday.
Okay, I know two out of five members. Though one of them is me.
Even before my regression, I never really cared about the members' birthdays.
On Gyeon Hajun's birthday, I'd just post a photo of our hands making a V-sign on Instagram with the hashtag #happybirthday.
For the other members, I'd only realize it was their birthday when birthday support gifts arrived.
Ryu Jaehee always took selfies with me on my birthday, but he never posted them on Instagram, only on the group's official social media accounts, so I never paid attention.
Back then, I only used Instagram and rarely checked the official accounts.
Did we really never celebrate each other's birthdays, even though we lived and ate together in the same dorm?
I squeezed my eyes shut, then opened them, trying to grasp at the faint traces of memories buried deep within the recesses of my mind, now surfacing dimly.
Ah, yes, there was a time when we celebrated each other's birthdays.
It must have been in the very early days, before our relationship soured, I think.
The chocolate cake we hastily bought from a franchise bakery ten minutes' walk from our dorm.
Seo Yehyeon, who, despite ranting about the cake's calorie count, still took a bite for my birthday.
Gyeon Hajun's seaweed soup, which always graced the table on birthdays, made with chicken breast instead of beef.
The morning after I'd come home drunk at dawn after celebrating my birthday with friends, the seaweed soup and whipped cream cake waiting on the table, accompanied by his grumbling about how he'd been waiting up all night and nearly strained his neck. A belated birthday celebration.
My bold declaration that I preferred cheesecake over whipped cream cake was met with a barrage of curses on the way back.
...Can I really romanticize this as a good memory?
To celebrate birthdays, I'd first need to know the members' birthdays.
I nudged Seo Yehyeon, who was lying on the mattress watching a dance practice video of an arranged version.
"Hyung, when's your birthday?"
"December 17th."
Oh, December? That's this month! And the 17th...
"It's not today, is it...?"
"Uh, yeah, it is."
The current time was 10:33 PM.
If I didn't post a birthday message for Seo Yehyeon on social media within the next hour and twenty-seven minutes, complete with a selfie of us together, I'd face a penalty.
📝 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