Chapter 257: Bag Inspection (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 257: Bag Inspection (2)
I trembled with a sense of betrayal. Now, I perfectly understood how Park Ju-woo and Kang Gi-yeon felt.
Lee Cheong-hyeon beat his chest as he pleaded his case.
“Honestly, I might have upset you once or twice! But! If the standard is Je-ho Hyung, shouldn't I be free of any marks too?”
“Why are you dragging me into this?”
Choi Je-ho asked, crossing his arms. The way his chin was tilted up slightly was incredibly aggravating.
“Je-ho Hyung never misses a schedule. He always eats the right portions and steadily increases his workout volume. He takes such good care of his health that I never have to worry about him,” Jeong Seong-bin explained point by point.
Lee Cheong-hyeon wasn't about to back down easily, though.
“What about me? When have I ever been late? I eat well too! I work out hard! I’m a healthy man who might have shed tears on stage since debut, but never a drop of snot!”
Well, if he did have a runny nose on stage, that would be a problem in its own right. He wouldn't be able to complain if his idol points were docked for that.
To the venting Lee Cheong-hyeon, Jeong Seong-bin replied with a face still full of smiles.
“Cheong-hyeon-ah.”
“What!”
“What time have you been going to sleep lately?”
Lee Cheong-hyeon’s mouth shut tight.
“What’s the point of me setting a curfew for the studio? Did you think I wouldn't find out just because I-wol Hyung covered for you and Je-ho Hyung was too busy sleeping to notice?”
“That was all because I wanted us to make a comeback with a great song for the members…”
“…”
Jeong Seong-bin stared at Lee Cheong-hyeon in silence. Under the pressure of that quiet gaze, Lee Cheong-hyeon slowly slunk back into his seat.
“Is there anyone else who wants to raise an objection?”
Seong-bin asked in a gentle tone that stood in stark contrast to the heavy atmosphere. Breaking through the iron-clad silence, Kang Gi-yeon raised his hand.
“…I shall dare to raise an objection.”
“Go ahead.”
“I think I might have caused you some grief, Hyung. We’re roommates, so we spend a lot of time together, and we go to school together…”
He was rambling. Even the great Kang Gi-yeon couldn't help himself in front of Jeong Seong-bin. Well, if getting three strikes meant certain death, he had to be careful.
“I suppose I upset you because I was lacking. I’m sorry for that. But how can I be on the same level as Lee Cheong-hyeon?”
“Is that your problem right now?!”
Lee Cheong-hyeon, who had been shriveled up in his chair like a withered mushroom, suddenly bolted upright. With that as the trigger, Lee Cheong-hyeon and Kang Gi-yeon began to bicker fiercely.
“We’re friends, aren't we?! Shouldn't we live and die together? As the youngest members, we should be cheering each other on, but you’re sniping at me just to save yourself?”
“Is this a matter of life and death? It’s a matter of character and personality! I guarantee I haven't stressed him out as much as you have.”
From where I was sitting, both of you are guaranteed to earn another 'Patience Mark' today. Just look at Jeong Seong-bin’s expression.
“Let’s leave it at that, both of you. Gi-yeon, why didn't you go to your physical therapy session last week?”
“…Huh?”
“What?”
That was an issue I couldn't help but feel indignant about as well. Caught between me and Jeong Seong-bin, Kang Gi-yeon began to break into a cold sweat.
“No, well, last week was just… things were so hectic.”
Hearing him say it, it was understandable. Someone had collapsed during a meeting, the leader was talking about filing a lawsuit, and they had to film a commercial—it was enough to make anyone lose their head.
However, Jeong Seong-bin remained unmoved. If anything, he stared at Kang Gi-yeon with an even more rigid posture.
“You know how much the older members worry about your knees and ankles, right? If you truly care about the members, you should take care of your own treatments. I heard from the manager that you postponed it even after he reminded you.”
“…I’m sorry.”
Kang Gi-yeon cleanly declared his surrender.
The only ones left were Park Ju-woo and me.
Park Ju-woo, his face pale and trembling, spoke up.
“I’m sorry for… buying too many albums.”
“…”
“I’m sorry for listening to music so loud that it leaked out…”
“…”
“I’m sorry for walking around with the microfiber mop at midnight…”
He really did have a lot to apologize for. How did he only get one Patience Mark after all that? On the other hand, what on earth did I do to get two?
Jeong Seong-bin patted the shoulder of his friend, who had shrunk down piteously.
“All of that is fine. Though it would be better if you listened to music a bit quieter for the sake of your ear health.”
“…Then why did you give me a mark too?”
Park Ju-woo asked, looking like he was about to cry at any moment.
“Ju-woo, did you know the Velcro on your gym gloves was torn?”
“…Eh?”
“I saw it. You were still using them even though they were tattered. What if you hurt your wrists? Why do you keep using them?”
“Ah…”
“I even bought you new ones, but you didn't switch, did you? I bought the exact same brand and color, so why won't you throw away the old ones? What if you slip?”
Jeong Seong-bin’s nagging exploded. Park Ju-woo’s soul seemed to scatter like volcanic ash.
In the end, this conversation also concluded with Park Ju-woo’s apology. When Ju-woo explained that he just liked what was familiar, Seong-bin sighed but erased the 'Patience Mark.' One way or another, he was soft on his friend.
So, that leaves… me.
My eyes met Jeong Seong-bin’s. He smiled so widely his eyes curved into crescents.
“Surely… Hyung, you aren't planning to raise an objection too, are you?”
His tone was heavily laced with a vibe that said, 'Don't you dare be so brazen.'
But I didn't back down.
“Of course I am.”
If nothing else, I had to know why I received a death warrant that even Choi Je-ho didn't get. Go ahead, let's hear it.
At Kim I-wol’s provocation, Jeong Seong-bin took a moment to think. He wondered how much he should say to convince this Hyung while still being suitable for broadcast.
In that regard, he truly respected Kim I-wol. The man constantly made him think.
“First of all… I’m amazed by the confidence you have to even raise an objection, Hyung.”
Jeong Seong-bin landed a heavy blow. Kim I-wol seemed surprised by the weight of his younger member's attack.
“I don't understand how you, of all people, don't know the reason.”
Maintaining the bright smile that Kim I-wol had practically branded into his brain, Jeong Seong-bin continued in a calm voice.
“I happened to see the time you left a comment on Dotion recently.”
Kim I-wol’s eyebrows twitched at Seong-bin’s words. His face asked, 'So what?'
“It was 4:00 AM.”
“Whoa.”
Lee Cheong-hyeon’s voice rang out in shock.
“I can explain. You know I can't go back to sleep once I wake up, right? My eyes just happened to open at that time. It’s not like I stayed up all night.”
“Then I’ll ask the next question. You remember having porridge with me as a late-night snack recently, right?”
Seong-bin asked again. It was more like a patient's meal than a late-night snack, but Kim I-wol seemed to catch the drift.
“Do you remember what time that was?”
Jeong Seong-bin asked, even though he already knew the answer.
Since that day, Kim I-wol frequently woke up around 4:00 AM. It continued even after the seizures had stopped.
The problem was that instead of lying down and resting, Kim I-wol would work. He would constantly check the update status of Dotion, read backlogged messages, and so on.
Seong-bin had even tried venting these concerns to his friend, but…
'I-wol Hyung… actually looks more alive when he’s working.'
…He hadn't received a very helpful answer.
It was true, though. Kim I-wol would tear his hair out while doing certain tasks, yet he’d get anxious if he had no work. At other times, he would burn with motivation while working.
If it helped a person find vitality, should he be allowed to work from 4:00 AM despite being in poor health?
Jeong Seong-bin didn't think so. That was why he had unhesitatingly drawn the 'Patience Mark.'
“…I understand that part for now. What’s the other one?”
Sensing Jeong Seong-bin’s subtle emotions, Kim I-wol skillfully changed the subject. However, the content of this one wasn't much different.
“There’s something I heard from the staff.”
“Yes.”
“I heard you were lying flat on the floor in the company office?”
When he first heard it, he thought the company people were joking. But they literally meant that 'Kim I-wol' had 'lain down' on the 'floor.'
“If you’re going to bring up a case where the statute of limitations has expired, I have nothing to say but my regrets.”
Kim I-wol countered shamelessly.
“Does the fact that time has passed mean you never lay down? Do you know how shocked I was when I first heard this story?!”
“But you admit that the act was done with good intentions, right?”
“It’s no use trying to shift the point like that. The 'Patience Marks' are accumulated based on what gets on my nerves.”
“In that case, I’m sorry. Please stop being angry.”
It was a clean declaration of surrender. If anything, the rising blood pressure made Jeong Seong-bin press his throbbing forehead.
I meekly accepted defeat.
See, I told you. Jeong Seong-bin is scary.
I was thinking I should be careful with my one remaining life when Kang Gi-yeon raised his hand.
“I have one thing I’m curious about.”
“What is it?”
“What happens if someone gets a third mark?”
So the 'Patience Mark' has now been relegated to a 'stigma.' Considering it meant absolute obedience to the leader, it wasn't exactly wrong.
“The first person to reach it can ask me then.”
Jeong Seong-bin smiled brightly. It was the same smile he used when mentioning Jeong Seong-jun. None of us said a word.
Lee Cheong-hyeon’s bag was filled with all sorts of miscellaneous items.
From a device for recording melodies to notebooks, wireless earphones, cleansing products, a mini-book—the novel of the day was Beneath the Wheel—a TOEIC vocabulary book… and so on.
“Are you going to take the TOEIC?”
When I asked about the sudden appearance of the TOEIC book, Lee Cheong-hyeon answered.
“I failed 'Shining Star, K-Top Scholar' because of a TOEIC word. It keeps appearing in my dreams.”
Even so, is there a need to study it already? You only need to get the score two years before graduating university.
Since the books were out, Lee Cheong-hyeon also took some time to introduce his hobbies.
Despite looking like he should be on the cover of '100 Masterpieces of Greek Art,' his actual hobby was reading. It was just interesting that Lee Cheong-hyeon was the one reading the book rather than being featured in it.
“What’s this notebook? Do you carve 'Patience Marks' too?”
Choi Je-ho dangled a worn-out notebook. Unlike Jeong Seong-bin’s cheap plastic-covered one, this one was made of impressive black leather.
“Ah, that’s Cheong-hyeon’s Top Secret notebook!”
Lee Cheong-hyeon shouted. To think that such a dignified design was the Top Secret notebook of Spark’s Cute Pretty Visual. It was quite an intriguing story.
