Chapter 94
Chapter 94
Translator: Penny
Chapter 94
As soon as the cameras stopped rolling after the high-stakes board game, Ryu Jaehee tossed the dice aside and suggested, "Hyungs, how about an Informal Speech Time without the cameras?"
"Wow, can we get even more candid than that? We were already pretty honest, weren't we?" I replied, tidying up the Monopoly board as Kim Dobin chimed in from the side, being his usual cheeky self.
"We were holding back for the cameras. But if you guys promise not to hold this against me later, I'm down for a real Informal Speech Time."
"These kids keep trying to sneak in insubordination, huh? Did that 20-minute Informal Speech Time experience give you a taste for rebellion?"
Detected: Remarks fostering discord among members.
Original Intent Score -1
Who was it? Ryu Jaehee or Kim Dobin? After I painstakingly taught them to soften their speech from "~냐?" to "~어?" who got offended and dragged down my precious Original Intent Score again?
"You're always being disrespectful, 365 days a year," Seo Yehyeon remarked nonchalantly.
I almost wanted to show him what real insubordination looked like, but then I remembered my recently reduced Original Intent Score and the Affinity Score I needed to raise to 100% within two years. I reluctantly held back.
With schedules tomorrow, I postponed that damn Informal Speech Time to the next opportunity, uncertain if it would ever come, and prepared for bed.
The private villa accommodated a minimum of four people, with two double beds. This meant one of us would inevitably have to sleep on bedding laid out on the floor.
The Monopoly game we had played earlier was to determine who would be the unlucky one.
We hadn't taken the game so seriously for nothing.
"Ugh," Seo Yehyeon groaned, the loser of today's Monopoly game, staring down at the bedding on the floor with a troubled expression.
For the record, I had won the most money, finally avenging my humiliation in Halli Galli earlier that day.
"I can't sleep on the floor. It's uncomfortable and my back hurts."
Even though we hadn't paid much attention to each other for seven years, I knew Seo Yehyeon absolutely couldn't sleep on the floor.
At first, I dismissed it as mere theatrics or whining. But when I saw him genuinely unable to sleep, tossing and turning endlessly, I thought, "The world is vast, and there are people like this too," and moved on.
"Then why don't you switch beds with me?" I offered Seo Yehyeon kindly.
I needed to improve my Affinity Score with Seo Yehyeon anyway, and he could finally get a comfortable night's sleep. It was a win-win situation for both of us.
Unlike certain others with their sensitive constitutions, I could sleep anywhere just fine.
As long as I had a place to lay my head, it was a bed, right?
Seo Yehyeon whipped around, his eyes wide with surprise. "Really...?"
"Have you been living a lie all this time? Just get some rest. You said you can't sleep on the floor, right?"
The Affinity Score had increased by 1%. It was fortunate that Seo Yehyeon was such a mentally fragile person, easily moved by even small gestures.
At least I wouldn't have to forcibly regress due to the Affinity Score for another two years.
This, along with Seo Yehyeon's face, was the only thing I liked about him.
I willingly gave up my bed and lay down on the bedding spread out beside it.
The Maknae Line members had long since rushed to the bunk beds, eager to sleep on the upper level.
To accommodate Gyeon Hajun, who couldn't sleep with any light, we turned off all the mood lights by the bed and lay down side by side.
Even on the plush, comfortable mattress, Seo Yehyeon tossed and turned before turning his head toward me and calling out softly, "Hey, Yoon Eden."
"What?"
"Aren't you uncomfortable?"
"Not really," I replied curtly, closing my eyes. A moment later, Seo Yehyeon was at it again.
"Seriously, you're not uncomfortable...? Your back isn't hurting...?"
"Uh-huh," I mumbled, turning my back on him. Soon enough, Seo Yehyeon's anxious voice came again.
"Are you really not uncomfortable? Do you think you can actually sleep there?"
"Ah, if you're so worried, Hyung, why don't you come down and sleep here yourself!" I snapped.
Gyeon Hajun, who had been lying perfectly still, pulled the blanket up over his head—a silent plea for us to shut up and go to sleep.
Seo Yehyeon and I exchanged furtive glances at Gyeon Hajun before quietly closing our mouths and shutting our eyes. The night passed in complete silence.
Unlike the previous night at the Sokcho Mountain Lodge haunted house, this night was truly peaceful.
The absence of snow certainly contributed to the tranquility. Even with bedding laid out, I couldn't say how comfortable the floor was.
Our second day on Jeju Island was packed with sightseeing and a yacht tour.
We planned to drive around to several famous tourist spots in my car, ending the day with a sunset yacht tour we'd booked in advance.
"It's bringing back memories of my middle school field trip here," I said. "It feels so different being here with you guys now."
"Wow, you actually went on a field trip in middle school? Our school must have embezzled all the funding—we had three years of 'retreats' instead. Ever had the water cut off mid-shower? They said the island was short on water and just cut it off while we were showering. My friend was shampooing his hair when it happened—he screamed!"
"Whoa, if the facilities were that bad, they didn't just skim some money off the top—they must have embezzled everything! Why would the school take you to a place like that?"
"Exactly! The facilities were exactly the kind we should have been paid to stay in. Sweltering during the day and freezing at night, ants crawling all over the rooms... I still can't forget it, even after all these years."
Reliving high school memories at a tourist spot,
"Ah, Dobin! Stop shaking and strike a proper pose!"
"What if I fall into the sea?! I even took off my life jacket for this photo!"
"This is driving me crazy! At least smile! You look like you're being sold off somewhere."
"Let's take a group photo of Reve over here. Could we trouble you to take one for us?"
On the yacht, they diligently took photos against the backdrop of the open sea for social media and the Fan Cafe. "The sunset's beautiful. The scenery is breathtaking."
"Yeah, this view is truly unforgettable."
"What do you think, Eden Hyung? Does seeing that sunset and the vast sea spark any inspiration?"
"I wish it would."
"I'm hungry..."
"Seriously, you have a talent for ruining the mood. You're number one at it, number one."
Sitting at the bow of the yacht, watching the sun sink beyond the horizon, we wrapped up our healing trip to Jeju Island.
Unlike the previous reality show footage, there weren't any particularly spectacular scenes, so it didn't seem likely to attract many new viewers.
But just being able to relax and rest my mind and body without worrying for the first time in ages made it the perfect healing trip.
Of course, that's assuming this trip will actually help me break out of my slump.
After returning from Jeju Island, I couldn't bear the stress of my stagnant work for days. I finally stormed out of the studio and retreated to my dorm.
"Well, I wasn't expecting a dramatic breakthrough just from a trip anyway..." I muttered to myself, sprawled comfortably on the living room sofa.
The members, who were in the middle of dinner at the dining table, kept glancing at me nervously.
Why are they acting like this? I wondered. It's not like I'm giving them the stink eye for eating while the Leader's in a slump.
"Eden, are you really not going to eat dinner?"
"No, I'll eat."
This damn System wouldn't acknowledge the "Health Management" section of the Weekly Quest unless I ate at least two proper meals a day.
Thanks to that, even when the creative torment made me want to skip a meal, I had to force myself to eat regularly.
Perhaps that's why no one realized I was struggling with a creative slump unless I told them.
Even my insomnia had vanished, so everyone assumed I'd already overcome it. I looked perfectly healthy on the surface.
"Then come eat quickly. The food's getting cold."
"Yeah, I'm coming."
At Gyeon Hajun's call, I got up from the sofa.
I casually slipped my hands into the pockets of my hooded jacket and sauntered over to the dining table, settling into a chair.
There was a reason I'd made sure to arrive during the members' dinner time.
"Tell me all the concepts you want to try."
I blurted out the question before even picking up my chopsticks, and four pairs of eyes turned to me at once.
Seeing Gyeon Hajun's satisfied smile, I stammered, "Why... why are you looking at me like that?"
"I thought you finally understood my advice."
What advice had Gyeon Hajun given me again?
To be honest, my own realization was far more significant than any advice Gyeon Hajun might have given me—advice I couldn't even remember. Still, I swallowed my words, acknowledging that his forgotten conversation might have subconsciously influenced me.
Kim Dobin was the first to raise his hand, shouting, "Sexy! Or a noir concept!"
I ignored him, not even bothering to respond.
With two minors in the group, a sexy concept would go over like a lead balloon, you idiot. And a noir concept? Same deal.
If we're going to do that, we'll wait until after Ryu Jaehee's grown up.
Dobin lowered his hand with a pout after being ignored. Seo Yehyeon casually raised his hand next, offering his suggestion.
"How about a ballad like our B-side track, 'Highlight Film'? We've only done foreign high teen concepts so far. We could wear school uniforms and do K-High Teen—you know, a student concept..."
"Well, we might not feel it, but the older members must feel increasingly awkward in school uniforms as time goes on."
"Do you think you'll stay teenagers forever, Dobin? You'll be an adult next year, you know."
"But I've heard people are already getting tired of the refreshing, high teen concept. If we keep doing it for our full album, it might be risky. We'll definitely get called out for being repetitive."
"And if we switch to a ballad concept, Yehyeon Hyung won't get to showcase his signature sharp choreography."
"Ugh, Dobin Hyung, you're so clueless! This is all part of the Eldest Member's grand plan to avoid sharp choreography!"
"That's not true, Jaehee!" Seo Yehyeon retorted through gritted teeth.
Gyeon Hajun, who had been resting his chin in his hand, deep in thought, let out a short sigh.
"Sorry, I can't think of anything specific now that you've asked me to speak up."
"No need to apologize. Take your time. It's not urgent."
Ryu Jaehee clicked his tongue. "Stop calling him 'Gyeon Hajun' all the time."
"Gyeon Hajun? Is Hajun your friend? Or are you just having Informal Speech Time by yourself?"
"Calling him 'Gyeon Hajun' is a meme, you know? Adding 'Hyung' makes it too long."
"Still, you should call him 'Hyung,' you brat."
"It's fine, Eden. It's just a meme."
Right, it's Ryu Jaehee, not the clueless Kim Dobin. I'll let it slide.
Since he'd already opened his mouth, I gave him the floor to share his thoughts. After a moment of contemplation, Ryu Jaehee began:
"A detective concept where you travel through time and space to catch criminals—"
"Aaaah! Ryu Jaehee's been possessed by the CEO's ghost! Wait, the CEO's still alive, so is it a living spirit instead?"
"Are you serious, Jaehee...?"
"Youngest member, you're going to get an earful from Yoon Eden if you keep joking around. Just look at his expression already."
While the members were noisily teasing Ryu Jaehee, Yoon Eden remained silent, arms crossed, glaring at him. But as Seo Yehyeon's words finally silenced the group, he spoke up.
"Keep talking."
📝 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