Chapter 148: Establishing Measures to Prevent Recurrence (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 148: Establishing Measures to Prevent Recurrence (1)
Jeong Seong-bin is kind-hearted.
He never builds walls against anyone and is affable to all.
Possessing a wealth of affection, he knows how to look after each person individually. Moreover, if the person is in a position of weakness, Seong-bin tends to hover around them, offering his full attention.
That same Jeong Seong-bin was clearly avoiding me during breakfast. He sat further away from his usual spot, and whenever his mother mentioned me, he flinched visibly.
Seeing as he came to my room after acting like that, I figured he had something to say, so I asked him to sit down.
Even after sitting side-by-side on the bed, Seong-bin struggled to open his mouth.
The only thing he managed to say was...
"Please, lie down. You must be tired."
...That was it.
Before I knew it, I had become the self-centered eldest brother who lay down while the person who came to see him was still sitting there. No matter how gentle his tone was, it was hard to ignore the words of the leader.
It looked like my poor pillowcase was going to get soaked. I’d have to sneakily wash it again tomorrow.
I tucked a towel between my head and the pillow, stealing a glance at Seong-bin’s expression.
His complexion was dark. It might have been an overinterpretation, but he looked like he was in a bit of pain.
"Who upset our leader?"
"..."
"Tell me. I’ll show you the textbook example of a member loyal to his head of organization."
When I poked him with a joke, his head turned toward me.
Beneath his hair, I could see his lips trembling.
"Hyung."
"Yeah."
Seong-bin lowered his head.
"I'm sorry."
The bedsheet crumpled under his clenched fists.
"I knew you weren't the type of person to do anything halfway, hyung."
"Seong-bin."
"I was stubborn just because I was upset."
Seong-bin couldn't lift his face.
It seemed he believed my collapsing during the final live broadcast was his fault.
It wasn't unreasonable for him to think that. After all, when I had accepted the suggestion to sit out, Seong-bin was the one who made the counter-proposal to get me involved somehow.
But in the end, I was the one who agreed to it. There was absolutely no reason for Seong-bin to feel guilty.
If anyone should be sorry, it was me. I was the one who formed the team to enter the competition, only to end up leaving early during the final presentation.
Nevertheless, it seemed to weigh heavily on Seong-bin’s mind. He appeared to believe that both my appearance on the final stage and my subsequent collapse were his responsibility.
"It's not like standing on stage was the only way to make a place for you, hyung. I was short-sighted..."
"Okay, that's enough."
I cut off Seong-bin before he could dig himself any deeper into that hole of guilt.
Since I rarely interrupt others, he widened his eyes and looked at me.
"Sorry for cutting you off. I just wanted to ask you something."
Seong-bin didn't answer verbally. Instead, he leaned his body slightly toward me.
"Seong-bin."
"Yes."
"Setting aside all the apologies and guilt, how did it feel when all six of us stood on that stage together?"
Seong-bin couldn't answer immediately. His pupils wavered.
He really wears his heart on his sleeve. It made me feel like I should be honest with him, too.
"I liked it."
"..."
"We worked really hard to prepare for that. I thought it was a relief that we could finish it properly. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
I wasn't the only one who worked hard for Idol Dynasty Annals.
Everyone had ground themselves down practicing to death. While filming that grueling survival program, we made it to second place without a single fight or mistake.
The boys fully deserved to feel the joy that comes with achievement.
"Let's not cover up something that could be a good memory with bad ones. It’d be a waste."
"..."
"I'll ask again. How was the final, doing it with all six of us?"
I gave Seong-bin one more chance.
He hesitated for a long time. He couldn't even open his mouth easily.
But soon, as if admitting defeat, he spoke with a smile.
"It was the best."
I didn't need to hear anything after that.
I closed my eyes, saying I needed to get some sleep.
Seong-bin watched me for a moment before closing the door and leaving.
From outside the room, I could hear Lee Cheong-hyeon’s feet pitter-pattering as he asked Seong-bin if the talk went well. It sounded like white noise.
To celebrate the end of Idol Dynasty Annals, Spark was granted a short break.
Though it was only a two-day vacation, the Spark members each found their own way to spend the time.
First, Jeong Seong-bin was busy in various ways communicating with the company. Since quite a few broadcast offers had come in while we were on Idol Dynasty Annals, the details were being passed to him now that our schedule had opened up.
Kang Gi-yeon didn't leave his room, saying he wanted to read manga for the first time in a while. I’d heard his hobby was reading manga, but he seemed quite serious about it. He didn't leave his bed for hours.
Park Ju-woo went to buy a second-hand album. Apparently, a rare item that you couldn't buy even with money had appeared on Hongdangmu Market. I sent Choi Je-ho with him in case he got scammed, but fortunately, it was a legitimate transaction.
And as for me...
"Hyung, have you picked out the cutlery yet?"
"No, why on earth do I have to use a Pororo children's cutlery set?"
I was being pressured by the kids asking if I wanted the red set or the blue set.
The root of the problem was the dishes.
While I was hospitalized, the Spark members had divided up my share of the housework.
Now that I was discharged, I tried to reclaim my rubber gloves, but several of them stopped me vehemently.
I didn't exactly push them aside and shout, "Quiet! I'm the one in charge of dishes in this house!" because they looked genuinely worried.
I even held back when they wouldn't let me touch the laundry. While my conscience pricked me a bit for resting while skipping chores, it was true that it was comfortable. If necessary, I could just do something else.
But...
"We have perfectly fine spoons and chopsticks, so why are you trying to buy new ones? And why these?"
"The cutlery in our dorm is old, so it's a bit heavy. To focus on recovering, we have to prevent you from wasting energy on unnecessary things. Plastic seems perfectly light and good!"
...This was a different story. No, it wasn't just different; it was excessive.
I stared blankly at the screen Lee Cheong-hyeon was scrolling through.
The 5,690-won "Pororo Children's 3D Handle Cutlery Set" flashed before my eyes in various colors.
"You're joking, right?"
"I even downloaded a discount coupon."
Lee Cheong-hyeon was more serious than anyone.
I looked around, but everyone avoided my gaze. Did this mean everyone in this dorm had agreed to me using Pororo cutlery? I couldn't believe it.
Lee Cheong-hyeon actually—with Choi Je-ho's help—paid for a sky-blue cutlery set. Then he looked delighted, saying he even got a discount on shipping.
I wanted to say something so badly, but I held it in. Currently, I was in a very weakened state against Spark. With such a fragile heart, I couldn't bring myself to scold them.
"Sigh..."
I retreated to my room with a deep sigh. Then, I turned on my laptop and crawled under the covers.
If I typed on the laptop in the living room, I didn't know who might interfere, so I should stay here for at least 30 minutes...
『spArk’s Treasure Vault
Please enter the password.』
...
Who was it?
Who set a password on the shared laptop without even making an announcement!
"Hyung, are you mad...?"
"No."
"You look mad..."
"Not at all. I'm just marveling at your passion."
Beside Park Ju-woo, who was busy walking on eggshells around me, I squeezed out a packet of red ginseng with a hollow expression. It was the second round of health food left by Seong-bin’s mother.
After the laptop incident, I suffered through all sorts of tribulations. They were bothering me from all directions.
Eventually, I reached a state where I couldn't tell if I was struggling because of the aftereffects of my injury or because I was stressed out by those guys.
I'll admit it. These guys were so thorough that I wondered if they had spent all their time while I was asleep plotting schemes.
That’s why it was even more irritating. If they were this good at reaching a consensus, why were they so desperate to stay away from each other in the past?
"Hyung, we're going to practice."
"Then I'll..."
"Just rest. Call us if you need anything!"
"No, I'll just go and sit there..."
"We're off!"
They even went to practice and left me behind. Jeong Seong-bin ignored my words with such surgical precision before bolting out.
In the end, I had to lean against my bed and listen endlessly to the hard rock albums Park Ju-woo had procured.
I wished someone would steal a bass from UA for me. Just so I could loosen up my hands while I was idling.
Oh, I also did a major check on the System. It wasn't often I got the chance to stare into thin air with a clear mind.
I checked my resume for the first time in what felt like a million years.
I had neglected it for a while since the stats didn't seem like they would rise, but there were some changes.
+
Performance Evaluation (100)
— Vocal Proficiency: 11(▲)/20
— Dance Proficiency: 9/20
— Self PR: 17(▲)/20
— Attendance Management: 18/20
— Organizational Adaptability: 15(▲)/20
— Cumulative Fatigue Level: 10%
+
I could understand the Vocal Proficiency going up. I had sung my heart out.
But why did Self PR and Organizational Adaptability go up?
'Self PR probably went up because of the Yu Han-su issue, considering it rose when those clips of me drinking were circulating... But what about Organizational Adaptability?'
Just as I was wondering, the System appeared.
+
[SYSTEM] A work directive from the 'Person in Charge' has arrived.
▶ The atmosphere in Assistant Manager Kim's team seems good lately? It would be great if that teamwork led to results. You know what I mean, right?
+
I guess it was a measure of how well I was getting along with the Spark guys.
That... really went up a lot...
Other than that, nothing special had changed. Before I became an idol, the System was desperate to grill me. Now, it seemed to be leaving me alone, knowing I couldn't just run away as I pleased.
How much longer until I achieved the KPI of winning #1 on a music show?
What would the next KPI be after that?
Holding a fan meeting? What if they told me to hold a concert? Could I take responsibility for all those things?
I thought about this and that before giving up. The fact that it was work I’d have to do when the time came wouldn't change.
Instead, I decided to think positive thoughts. For example, what I should do when I finally got to meet my sister.
'Should I tell her to go on an overseas trip? I think Supervisor Song mentioned a place that was nice.'
I also thought of the one-day classes that had been candidates for the workshop. There were things like making accessories like bracelets, or items like pottery and candles.
If it was my sister... she always lived with the words "I want to burn everything down" on her lips, so it might be good to tell her to go make candles once a week.
Or, I remembered hearing that one of her friends played golf, so maybe I could suggest she take up golf.
'I heard it costs a lot of money. I should have asked people how much it costs.'
Everything my sister preferred was cost-effective. Things like bungeoppang sold in winter, a quick bet at an outdoor batting cage, or visiting an arboretum every season.
I didn't dislike things that could make one happy in small ways either, but when every part of life consists only of such things, it can get tedious at times.
Shouldn't she have at least one thing she truly loves?
Something she can enjoy with a peaceful mind, without being constrained by time or money.
I pulled out my diary and wrote a small goal on the very last page.
At least let Noona do one thing she wants to do to her heart's content.
I felt proud just by setting the goal.
It was the first time. Thinking of my sister brought a sense of anticipation rather than guilt.