Chapter 184: Office Open: Part 1 (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 184: Office Open: Part 1 (2)
『Je-ho: Where should we look first?』
『Gi-yeon: Let’s start with our room.』
Kang Gi-yeon swung the door open. The room I’d seen during the wake-up call reappeared.
Even just looking at the bedding, their individual personalities were clear. Park Ju-woo, who was the only one using a top bunk, had a bed that was entirely stark white. A white, somewhat pathetic-looking ghost plushie—likely from a claw machine—was placed neatly next to his pillow.
『Seong-bin: Ju-woo used to have glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling.』
『Ju-woo: That’s right. I took them all down when I was clearing my space for our debut...』
『Gi-yeon: Really? How did I miss that?』
『Ju-woo: I guess it’s because I only put up one or two.』
The image of Park Ju-woo lying on his bed, carefully sticking glow-in-the-dark stars to the ceiling... To think my baby, who tears through the ceilings of music shows with his high notes, had such a cute side.
I felt an immediate urge to send him a link to the "Galaxy-style Mood Lamp (Indirect Lighting) / Great Value Housewarming Gift," which was currently in the Top 10 of the gift rankings.
『Seong-bin: And the bed under Ju-woo’s is my spot.』
Jeong Seong-bin guided the camera to a spot featuring a very cozy-looking duvet.
It was a plain duvet you might see in any ordinary home, but imagining Jeong Seong-bin wrapped in it made even the brown tones feel like a crisp autumn breeze.
『Je-ho: You’ve got a lot more stuff than Park Ju-woo, don't you?』
Just as Choi Je-ho said, Jeong Seong-bin’s bed was cluttered with various items. It was a good thing Jeong Seong-bin’s face was only the size of a fist; otherwise, he wouldn't have had any room for it and would've had to sleep with his head propped up.
『Seong-bin: I use my tablet a lot to read the news, and I kept a neck heating pad here for when the temperature fluctuates like it has lately.』
A humidifier sat on the shelf by his head. In the corner of the screen, Kim I-wol was watching Jeong Seong-bin with a look of pure satisfaction.
≫ Did Spark’s Kim I-wol give birth to him?
└ LOL for real, why is he looking at him so benevolently?
≫ I want to say he’s the Queen Consort who just gave birth to a princess, but there are five broad-shouldered princes in this dorm, so I can’t bring myself to use that metaphor.
Besides, I-wol doesn’t have the face of a Queen; he has the face of someone who survived a bloody palace power struggle through sheer grit.
└ I-wol is the type to drop his kids off a cliff and watch to see who climbs back up first.
└ Not just dropping them, but making them compete? Lmao.
≫ Guys, let’s not be too hard on I-wol’s face.
Even if our I-wol looks sharper than a UA Director,
And even if kids wouldn’t go near him when his dark circles were bad,
And even if Ju-woo couldn't even eat properly the first day he met I-wol...
Our I-wol is still the best idol with the loveliest smile, right?
└ You’re the one being the hardest on him!
Social media was in a similar state of chaos. Everyone thought the same thing.
Kang Gi-yeon’s bed was immaculate. Everything from the bedsheets to the pillowcases was perfectly crisp. Even the dark navy bedding set seemed to reflect his personality.
One unique thing was the sheer number of slogans pinned next to his bed. There was a wide variety, likely gifts from fans.
'He doesn't look the type, but he kept everything the fans gave him... If you keep this up, Kang Gi-yeon, you're going to end up as a Tier 1 idol for life...'
Baek Hae-won wept internally. She felt like ordering 100 more slogans for Kang Gi-yeon and sending them to the UA building right this second.
There was another peculiar detail. Only Kang Gi-yeon had a small bookshelf next to his bed.
It was packed with colorful manga volumes.
『Seong-bin: Gi-yeon, can I film this? The manga.』
『Gi-yeon: Yeah, it’s fine.』
『Cheong-hyeon: Why didn't you bring that one? Kingdom Cafeteria ~Another~. That’s your favorite.』
『Gi-yeon: No room. I want to put in another bookshelf.』
Kang Gi-yeon looked genuinely disappointed. He looked exactly like Baek Hae-won when she lamented having no place to put her albums.
『I-wol: What’s the vibe in this room usually like at night?』
『Gi-yeon: We... well, we chat sometimes, but usually it’s quiet, right?』
『Seong-bin: Since Ju-woo goes to bed early.』
『Ju-woo: ...Have you guys been holding back on talking because of me?』
Jeong Seong-bin and Kang Gi-yeon worked hard to comfort Park Ju-woo, who looked genuinely shocked.
『Ju-woo: If you have something to talk about next time, don't worry about me, just talk...』
Park Ju-woo gave his sweet(?) roommates a tight squeeze. Kim I-wol was still watching the members from a distance with that same satisfied expression. I started to wonder if that I-wol might actually be a CGI render.
Next was I-wol’s room. The layout was the same—one bunk bed and one regular bed—but perhaps due to the room size, this one had a large wardrobe inside.
『Gi-yeon: I don't care about much else, but I am jealous of this wardrobe.』
『Cheong-hyeon: Then you use it too. The bottom shelf is pretty empty.』
『Gi-yeon: Why should I have to come all the way to this room to get my clothes...』
Passing by a bewildered Kang Gi-yeon, the camera headed toward the single bed.
『Je-ho: Uh... this is my spot.』
『Cheong-hyeon: Why does none of your bedding match?』
『Je-ho: That’s just how life turned out.』
A grey sheet, a black mattress pad, and a mint-colored pillow were preserved exactly as they were when he’d just woken up. Our Je-ho really is the type to just live however he was born.
『I-wol: You need to change your charger.』
『Je-ho: Why?』
『I-wol: Look at the neck of that charger. Don't you feel sorry for it?』
Kim I-wol, who had been scanning the surroundings, grabbed the end of Choi Je-ho’s charger and shook it. The dangling "neck" of the cable looked pitiful.
『Je-ho: I think there was some electrical tape in Gi-yeon’s room.』
『I-wol: You don't just leave exposed wires like that. Just replace it.』
Even after that, Kim I-wol nagged him at least thirty more times. Choi Je-ho showed off his mastery of letting it go in one ear and out the other. Lee Cheong-hyeon seemed used to the whole situation.
『Gi-yeon: Is there always this much friction in this room?』
『Cheong-hyeon: Basically, we respect individual freedom, but if cleanliness, safety, or our duties as idols aren't being met, the crackdowns start.』
『Je-ho: This is my glasses case.』
『I-wol: Is that really the only thing you have to show?』
『Je-ho: ...The receipt I got from buying an ionic drink yesterday?』
『I-wol: Just throw that away.』
It was as if he intended to leave this world as empty-handed as he entered it; there was nothing at Choi Je-ho’s spot. Kim I-wol pressed a hand to his forehead. He was clearly deeply impressed by his same-age friend's lifestyle.
Next up was Kim I-wol’s bed. The members poked their heads in from all sides to sneak a peek.
『Ju-woo: I’m curious about Hyung’s spot.』
『Gi-yeon: Oh, me too.』
『I-wol: Is there really anything to be curious about?』
『Cheong-hyeon: It’s that feeling of, ‘Does this human really only use his bed for sleeping?’』
『Gi-yeon: To be precise, it’s ‘Does he even sleep?’』
Kim I-wol’s bedding was coordinated in grey tones, looking like something out of a model home.
A diary covered in black faux leather sat next to his pillow, and two pads of palm-sized Post-its were stuck on top of the diary.
『Ju-woo: ...Why do you have Post-its there?』
『I-wol: So it’s easy to jot things down if I think of something after I lie down to sleep.』
『Cheong-hyeon: That’s exactly why you can’t fall asleep early, Hyung.』
Lee Cheong-hyeon gave Kim I-wol a thorough scolding.
Between the two beds sat a large suitcase.
『Seong-bin: That suitcase is yours too, right, Hyung? The one you brought when you first got here.』
『I-wol: Uh-huh, yeah.』
『Cheong-hyeon: But Hyung, what’s inside it?』
At Lee Cheong-hyeon’s question, Kim I-wol looked at him as if to say, Why are you asking that?
『Cheong-hyeon: No, I mean, most of your stuff is in the wardrobe or the drawers. I thought the room would be much more spacious if you got rid of the suitcase.』
『I-wol: I’ve got my entire fortune in there, why?』
『Je-ho: Didn't you once tell me to make sure I don't get caught up in tax evasion suspicions by recklessly liquidating assets in secret?』
『I-wol: Because of you, I’m going to look like an idol who evades taxes if I don't open this bag.』
With that, Kim I-wol dragged the suitcase out. It lifted easily, as if it didn't have much inside.
When he swung the suitcase open, a few pieces of clothing, a manila envelope, and an old-fashioned cell phone were visible.
『I-wol: This is the phone I used until I was in high school.』
Kim I-wol held the phone—once famous for being a "brick phone"—close to the camera lens.
≫ So you have to use a phone like that to get into S University.
Meanwhile, I’m watching your videos on a smartphone right now.
Seeing the post that had just popped up on social media, Baek Hae-won looked at the video, then her phone, then back at the post. She neatly folded up the rising sense of guilt and tossed it away.
『I-wol: These are my personal documents... and this is the initial planning draft for Spark’s debut.』
『Cheong-hyeon: You filed all of this?』
『I-wol: It’s a habit.』
Inside the open file were stacks of papers divided by indexes. As Kim I-wol flipped through the pages, the documents made a crisp thwack-thwack sound.
In the pages that flashed by, I thought I saw something written in bright red letters like "ABSOLUTELY AGAINST WINTER BOY." I decided I’d have to pause and re-watch that scene later.
Jeong Seong-bin, who was hovering behind Kim I-wol as he packed the suitcase back up, spoke.
『Seong-bin: Is it because Hyung was the last to join? You really have very few belongings.』
『Gi-yeon: It’s not just that; Hyung didn't bring much when he first arrived either.』
『Cheong-hyeon: He really just showed up with this one suitcase.』
『I-wol: It’s because I’m a minimalist.』
Kim I-wol replied with a smirk. That smile was definitely screenshot material. I’ll make sure to capture it in high-def.
Meanwhile, above the running minimalist, there was a flying maximalist.
『Je-ho: Can you even sleep here?』
『Cheong-hyeon: I sleep soundly every night.』
Laptops, chargers, tablets, and a bunch of machines Baek Hae-won didn't recognize were piled up by his head.
The names of the devices appeared kindly in the subtitles. Apparently, they were equipment needed for music production.
『I-wol: You’re dusting them properly, right?』
『Cheong-hyeon: Of course. I sweep and wipe so much because I’m worried dust might snow down on our I-wol Hyung’s spot.』
Besides that, books, workbooks, and notebooks were scattered all over the bed.
There was even a notebook with a torn cover, as if he’d been sleeping on top of it.
『Ju-woo: Cheong-hyeon...』
『Cheong-hyeon: That, well... I was waiting for inspiration to strike and then, oops!』
『Seong-bin: You need to sleep well when you’re sleeping. You don't have to be like I-wol Hyung in that regard.』
『I-wol: Seong-bin?』
Kim I-wol looked at his younger member with a peculiar expression.
But Jeong Seong-bin didn't care. I could feel a certain... strength of a leader from him.
And then, the screen returned to the wall clock.
『Current Time: 2:00 PM』
『Half of Spark’s day draws to a close like this...』
'It’s only... 2 o'clock...?'
Spark’s dorm life is as packed as their muscles!
Baek Hae-won shed tears of emotion. She quickly opened her screen capture program, telling herself she had to get the screenshots done before Part 2 came out.