Chapter 243: Prohibited Food (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 243: Prohibited Food (2)
“When did they say the ambulance would be here?”
“They said three minutes.”
As they answered, the staff opened the meeting room doors and pushed the table to one side. It was to make it easier for the gurney to get through.
The room was filled with the sounds of retching, the thumping of someone’s back being patted, the noise of furniture being moved, and people rushing in and out.
While they waited desperately for the ambulance to arrive...
Kang Gi-yeon picked up the drink cup that had been sitting at Kim I-wol’s place. He popped the lid and took a sniff.
Gi-yeon’s brows furrowed slightly.
“Ju-woo Hyung.”
Gi-yeon grabbed the elbow of Park Ju-woo, who had been standing back.
“This... do you think there’s coffee in here?”
“Huh?”
The only thing Kim I-wol had consumed was this latte. If he was throwing all of this up now...
That was the thought that had prompted Gi-yeon to smell it. He thought he caught a faint scent of coffee.
But it could have just been his imagination, so he asked Park Ju-woo, whose senses were incredibly sharp, to double-check.
Ju-woo tilted his head and sniffed the drink. Then, he touched the cup to his lips.
Gi-yeon gasped in shock.
“Why are you drinking it? You don’t know what’s in there!”
“It’s in here.”
“What?”
Rolling his tongue over the roof of his mouth, Park Ju-woo spoke.
“Coffee... it’s in here.”
The paramedics arrived along with the sound of hurried footsteps. Chan-yeong could be seen behind them.
Gi-yeon snatched the drink cup out of Ju-woo’s hand.
‘Tell me if you’re hurting.’
Kim I-wol had promised he would.
‘I’m not feeling very well. Can we take a short break?’
And Kim I-wol had kept that promise. He hadn't hidden it when his condition worsened.
That same Kim I-wol was now writhing on the floor. He’d been perfectly calm even when he’d injured his head, yet now he couldn't even keep his senses straight.
All because of this one drink he’d consumed just because it was given to him.
Hyung is trying so hard to change, so why is nothing changing here?
“Which guardian will be coming with us? One person can ride along.”
“Yes, I’ll—”
Chan-yeong stepped forward at the paramedic’s words.
At that moment, Kang Gi-yeon slammed the drink cup into the trash can.
A loud thud echoed through the meeting room. Silence fell over the area.
“Je-ho Hyung.”
The veins in Gi-yeon’s eyes were bloodshot.
“Hyung, you go instead of Chan-yeong Hyung.”
As Kim I-wol was carried out, the staff approached the members.
“Guys, are you okay—”
“Don’t come any closer.”
Gi-yeon spoke, his voice sharp as a blade. The spilled drink was drying sticky on his fingertips.
“Why would you put something he can’t have into his drink?”
“What?”
“You’ve known since before our debut that I-wol Hyung can’t have caffeine. So why did you put coffee in it? And in a way that wasn't even obvious at a glance?”
“What are you talking about? Chan-yeong, did you buy a caffeinated drink for I-wol?”
Min Ju-gyeong asked Im Chan-yeong.
Im Chan-yeong himself looked completely bewildered.
“A drink? I didn’t buy anything today.”
“Pardon?”
“The kids didn't ask for anything, and Un-seop’s matter seemed more urgent. I couldn't find the time to go to a cafe separately because I was supposed to have a consultation with Un-seop while the kids were in their meeting...”
Im Chan-yeong stammered out his explanation.
From behind a pale-faced Im Chan-yeong, Hong Un-seop appeared.
“Chan-yeong, what are you doing here?”
A blank face. Eyes that gave no hint of what he was thinking.
Surveying the meeting room that looked as if a typhoon had swept through it, Hong Un-seop spoke.
“Oh, I-wol isn’t here. Did he step out?”
Ignoring the nonchalant voice, Im Chan-yeong discovered a Post-it note fallen on the floor.
Written in his own handwriting was a member’s name and a drink order.
It was a Post-it that looked a bit crumpled for something new, with traces of having been wet and then dried at the edges, and quite a bit of dust on the adhesive side.
“Un-seop.”
Im Chan-yeong called his junior’s name.
“Did you buy the drinks while pretending to be me?”
When he turned his head, Hong Un-seop’s expression was nothing if not calm.
“No.”
Hong Un-seop was defiant.
Jeong Seong-bin bolted out, pushing past the two managers who were blocking the doorway. He sprinted in the direction of the CCTV control room.
Everything was dark and quiet. There wasn't even a trace of light, as if blackout curtains had been drawn.
I wanted to open my eyes, but my eyelids felt heavy. In the place where the throbbing had vanished, a sense of stifling oppression remained.
I vaguely remembered collapsing in the meeting room. I must have passed out just like that.
I don't know how to describe the pain I felt then. It felt like my entire body was being crushed by something massive, making it impossible to breathe. At the very least, I never wanted to experience it again.
“...I sent Chan-yeong Hyung to handle the hospitalization paperwork.”
I thought I was alone, but I heard Choi Je-ho’s voice. I could hear a faint voice on the other end as well, as if he were on a call. I couldn't make out the details.
Maybe it was because I’d just woken up, but as I focused, the conversation became clearer.
— Hospitalization?
The person on the other end was Jeong Seong-bin.
Hospitalization for what? I’m fine now. No matter how much the company covers the medical bills, I shouldn't be a burden again.
— Did you tell the doctor that it seemed to be because of the caffeine he drank?
“I did, but they said that’s not the problem.”
Caffeine?
Now that I heard it, the symptoms did seem similar to the time I’d unknowingly accepted an energy drink back in university. Since then, I’d avoided drinks altogether if I thought they might contain caffeine.
‘There was caffeine in the barley latte?’
Something felt off. The manager wouldn't have bought a drink without checking for caffeine. Manager Chan-yeong had never made a mistake like that.
But according to Jeong Seong-bin, I had consumed caffeine. And that was the reason I was lying here now.
However, no matter how much caffeine I’d had, I’d never been bedridden like this.
If I accidentally had some caffeine, my heart would race unpleasantly and my stomach would churn, but that was usually the extent of it.
This meant it was the first time I’d had a blackout. It was also the first time my heart had hurt this much. Usually, I’d recover after drinking some water and sleeping for a few hours.
That was definitely the case, so why couldn't I even open my eyes right now?
Choi Je-ho provided the answer to that question.
“They said he might go into cardiac arrest.”
— What?
“His pulse is abnormal, so they have to monitor him. The explanation was fast so I didn't catch everything... but they said the ECG results were bad. They decided to hospitalize him because there were warning signs. The caffeine influenced that.”
Cardiac arrest.
For a moment, I wondered if I’d misheard. But Choi Je-ho didn't correct himself.
So, you’re saying I almost died just now? Just because I drank the wrong thing?
— How long does he have to stay in the hospital?
“For a day, at least. So I’m just going to sleep here tonight. I don't think he’s going to wake up properly anyway.”
No, I’m awake. I just can't open my eyes. I don't even feel that bad right now. I’m in a perfectly fine state, I tell you.
More importantly, why is a celebrity sleeping in a hospital? What if sasaengs show up? Ask the hospital for security through the manager and just go back to the dorm.
I was busy sending telepathic messages when Choi Je-ho spoke.
“I told Chan-yeong Hyung to just handle the paperwork and leave. I told him not to come in.”
Big talk. You should get scolded by Jeong Seong-bin and go home too.
I waited for Jeong Seong-bin to gently coax, soothe, and whip Choi Je-ho into returning to the dorm.
But Jeong Seong-bin on the phone was quiet.
Instead of rebuking Choi Je-ho, he said something even more extreme.
— If his condition is that bad, we’ll go there too.
“It’s not to that extent. They said they’re just watching him just in case.”
I’d been so shocked by the fact that I’d fainted and woken up, and so flustered by the news that I’d unknowingly consumed caffeine and might have a heart attack, that I hadn't noticed until now.
I belatedly realized that the boys' voices were excessively low.
And that Choi Je-ho sounded like he was about to explode every time the manager was mentioned.
If someone collapsed and the cause was found to be Manager Chan-yeong, UA wouldn't have left the hospitalization process to him.
The fact that these guys were trying to separate the manager from me meant that even if it wasn't Manager Chan-yeong’s fault, they were in a state of hostility toward the company people.
In other words, the fact that I’d collapsed from drinking something I couldn't have wasn't someone’s mistake, but rather a deliberate act. And by someone very close within the company.
And that ‘someone’ was likely...
“What about that piece of shit Hong Un-seop? Has he admitted to it yet?”
...Right, I’m not even surprised anymore.
The call between Jeong Seong-bin and Choi Je-ho continued for quite a while. By eavesdropping on their conversation, I was able to learn the truth of the incident.
“He dug through the trash?”
— Yes. He waited for Chan-yeong Hyung to give us the coffee and throw away the name tags, then he picked them up. We confirmed it on CCTV.
“Is he fucking insane?”
I agree. While you’re at it, please ask him why he did it.
My desperate wish didn't reach Choi Je-ho. Instead, Jeong Seong-bin answered my prayer.
— The company questioned him while watching the footage together, asking why he did it...
“And?”
— ...
“Why the hell did that bastard pull a stunt like that?”
Even with my eyes closed, I could feel Choi Je-ho’s rage. Jeong Seong-bin must be feeling something similar.
At this point, I was curious too. Yu Han-su at least thought I’d ruined his reputation, but what grudge did Hong Un-seop have against me to do this?
My curiosity was soon satisfied by Jeong Seong-bin.
— Do you remember when we asked to change our manager? When I-wol Hyung talked about Yu Han-su.
“Yeah.”
— That man said he thought we would at least take his side to some extent.
“What kind of bullshit is that?”
— He thought that since he’d taken care of our schedules and this was the first time a problem had occurred, we’d take all that into account and show him some leniency.
Taking care of the schedule is your fucking job, Un-seop...
And how is this a mutual conflict? You just caused a massive accident all on your own.
“He’s got a lot to say for someone who’s shit at his job.”
For once, my opinion aligned with Choi Je-ho’s. It was only a pity that I couldn't move my body to give him a thumbs up.
— He said that since I-wol Hyung gave the strongest opinion and was the first to leave the room, he felt like Hyung was fostering an atmosphere of isolating him.
“So he intentionally targeted Kim I-wol and did that?”
— Yes. And...
Jeong Seong-bin answered after a long silence.
— He said he thought if he cured I-wol Hyung’s picky eating, he’d be recognized as a manager again.
“What?”
I could hear the sheer disbelief in Choi Je-ho’s voice. Now, that was a fresh plot twist.