Chapter 285: Stranger (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 285: Stranger (3)
Park Ju-woo and I made it back to Seoul in one go, thanks to his uncle’s driving.
During the trip, a system notification popped up saying the KPI had been achieved, but I didn't even have a chance to check it. It seemed to be the result of the year-end stages and various other factors, but I simply couldn't spare a moment to look.
When we arrived at the dorm, Lee Cheong-hyeon was sprawled on the living room sofa, his eyes swollen like chestnut manju.
“What the? I thought you were coming back the day after tomorrow?”
Cheong-hyeon jumped up in surprise.
“Do I look like I’m in any state to come back tomorrow?”
“Cheong-hyeon, are you okay…?”
Seeing Cheong-hyeon’s eyes, Park Ju-woo hurriedly wrapped two spoons in plastic wrap and stuck them in the freezer.
“What happened? How did you get to the dorm?”
When I grabbed him and asked, the kid burst into tears. Ju-woo and I were at a total loss, doing our best to comfort him.
“Did you fight with your family?”
At my words, Lee Cheong-hyeon nodded.
“About what…?”
Ju-woo asked cautiously. Cheong-hyeon avoided answering directly.
“Sorry. It’s a bit embarrassing to explain the specific reason why I’m bawling like this.”
Coming from a kid holding cold spoons to his eyelids, it wasn't exactly a convincing statement, but if he was crying this much, his heart must have been in tatters.
Lee Cheong-hyeon asked us not to tell Kang Gi-yeon that he had returned early. He was worried that if Gi-yeon heard, he might rush back early too. So, I sent a location report only to Jeong Seong-bin and returned to my room.
‘Did he say his family was against him being an idol?’
That must have been the cause of the friction. My head felt heavy with thought.
It couldn't be easy for Lee Cheong-hyeon to pursue being an idol while clashing with his family. Even when family is supportive, the heart of a non-regular worker is always anxious if results don't follow.
+
[SYSTEM] A ‘New Task’ has been assigned.
▷ Family Interview
+
And then there was this thing, making me even more uneasy. I could guess why it appeared at this specific timing, which made it even more annoying. "Family" likely referred to one of Lee Cheong-hyeon’s parents.
There wasn't even a reward.
If my interference could improve Cheong-hyeon’s situation, I’d do the interview as many times as needed, but wouldn't the company be better suited for this kind of thing in the first place? How much persuasive power could a twenty-two-year-old really have?
While Park Ju-woo looked after Cheong-hyeon, I checked the system notifications I’d pushed aside during the frantic drive from Daejeon to Seoul. It was the KPI completion notice.
+
[SYSTEM] Achievement of Party B’s KPI ‘Capturing the Hearts of Potential Customers’ has been confirmed.
▷ Reward: Past Data (1 Set)
+
It was similar to the ‘Memory Data’ I’d always received before, but the name was different. The fact that it was a "set" rather than a single piece of data was also significant.
+
[SYSTEM] ‘Holding a Concert’ has been designated as Party B’s next KPI.
+
And the next KPI was indeed "Holding a Concert," just as I had suspected recently.
Seeing the roadmap laid out so perfectly made me feel like a massive ordeal was looming. I had a gut feeling that the path to holding a concert would be a bed of thorns.
‘I should probably open the data.’
Last time, I’d put off opening the memory data and nearly crossed the River of the Underworld. The proverb about getting the punishment over with sooner rather than later had never felt more relevant.
Regardless, cheering up Lee Cheong-hyeon was the priority for now. I went out to the living room and joined in the trivial conversation between Park Ju-woo and Lee Cheong-hyeon.
We ordered something delicious for dinner, and at Cheong-hyeon’s insistence that he was too lonely to sleep alone, we ended up dragging all the bedding into the living room and lying down side by side.
“I think I’ll sleep well tonight.”
“Why…?”
“Because I’m happy,” Cheong-hyeon replied. I peeled the face mask off his face and lay back down.
“Thanks for coming.”
Cheong-hyeon spoke with his eyes closed.
“Sleep tight.”
I said goodnight to the boys and settled in.
Then, closing my eyes, I activated the system.
With a message saying the past data would be played, I felt my body floating.
In a window seat of a cafe sat a middle-aged man who was exceptionally handsome.
There were hardly any people around. The faint sound of classical music was the only thing filling the space.
From what I could tell, my perspective seemed to be that of the wallpaper, a wall clock, or perhaps a small rubber tree—the kind often found in plant cafes—looking down at the scene.
Just then, a familiar head popped up at my feet.
The shape and style of the back of the head were definitely Jeong Seong-bin’s, but the vibe was different.
The slightly hunched shoulders, the way his head turned anxiously as if checking his surroundings…
The person presumed to be Jeong Seong-bin hesitated before approaching the middle-aged man.
“Jeong Seong-bin?”
“Yes… Hello.”
Seong-bin bowed his head slightly as he greeted him.
The man exchanged a few words with Seong-bin and then raised his hand to call a waiter. It must have been a high-end cafe, as the waiter came over to take the order in person.
The opening was brief.
“I’ve heard a lot about you from Cheong-hyeon.”
The man’s gaze turned toward Seong-bin. However, Seong-bin could hardly lift his head.
Judging by his face and the way he spoke, he seemed to be Lee Cheong-hyeon’s father. Was Seong-bin acting this way because he was a member’s parent? That didn't seem right; Seong-bin hadn't been this awkward around Kang Gi-yeon’s parents or Park Ju-woo’s aunt.
‘But why is he so…?’
So intimidated.
Neither of them tried to break the awkward atmosphere. The distance between them remained until Seong-bin’s coffee arrived.
It was only after Seong-bin managed a single sip of the coffee that had finally arrived that the father spoke.
“Cheong-hyeon talks about you a lot. He says you’re a good older brother and that he trusts and follows you.”
It was a compliment, but the father’s expression was stiff. It was a face that didn't look like it was about to follow up with anything kind.
“Seong-bin, I won’t beat around the bush.”
The father clasped his hands together.
“I want you to persuade Cheong-hyeon.”
Persuade? Persuade him of what?
Don't tell me he’s asking him to convince Lee Cheong-hyeon to quit Spark? Has this man been watching too many weekend dramas?
I’d once imagined getting a face full of water from Jeong Seong-bin’s mother, but that was just an imagination. Things like that rarely happen in reality.
On the other hand, what I was seeing was past data.
It was a scene that couldn't exist in my memory, but it meant it was something that had actually happened in the past.
Was a man of his age really subjecting a young kid to such petty intimidation?
Lee Cheong-hyeon hadn't left Spark until the disbandment. Given that, I assumed Seong-bin had managed to navigate this situation somehow…
“…”
…Or so I thought.
Seong-bin’s shoulders trembled.
His head looked ready to drop to the floor, and his hands were tightly clasped together.
Belatedly, I realized why Seong-bin couldn't laugh in this atmosphere that was so contrived it was almost comical.
“From where I stand, I don’t think you boys can achieve great success in this industry.”
“…”
“Since you’ve only looked toward this path since you were young, I understand why you’d want to try harder. I understand all of that. But not Cheong-hyeon. If he’s taken the wrong path, he needs to correct it as quickly as possible.”
The Jeong Seong-bin before my eyes was not the Jeong Seong-bin I knew—the one who had completely washed away the scars left by Jang Jun-hu.
To a Jeong Seong-bin who had been gaslighted by Jang Jun-hu for years, a tall, hostile, and overbearing older man was nothing but a threat.
Because to Seong-bin, everything he was hearing would feel like the absolute truth.
Seong-bin just listened to the father’s words in silence.
I couldn't even begin to fathom how much Seong-bin’s self-esteem was being eroded during that time. Or perhaps it had already been worn down to nothing by Jang Jun-hu.
“You haven't had a schedule in over six months. Don’t you think it’s going to be difficult, Seong-bin?”
The fact that the company wasn't reliable enough for Seong-bin to lean on must have played a part. In the beginning, UA had barely managed to debut Spark before neglecting them.
It was rare for someone to give up on a debut or leave after debuting due to a lack of communication or disagreement with parents. But it wasn't unheard of. These things happened more frequently when the person involved was a minor.
Around this time, Lee Cheong-hyeon would have just barely ceased being a minor. This meant he was technically out of the range of his parents' direct influence.
That’s likely why, instead of speaking directly to Cheong-hyeon, he was trying to change his mind through Seong-bin. Simply because he didn't want to be the "bad parent."
“I heard you take very good care of the members.”
Cheong-hyeon’s father stared intently at Seong-bin. His eyes were entirely dark.
“Think of it as helping a close younger brother become a functioning member of society and help change his mind. I’m asking you.”
“…”
“He won’t listen to what his family says, but wouldn't he listen to you, Seong-bin?”
Seong-bin’s clenched fists tightened. But soon, they lost all strength and went limp.
“…Yes.”
The hollow reply signaled the end of the meeting.
What was that Seong-bin thinking? I didn't even want to know.
Perhaps because the data was a set, even though my darkened vision brightened, I didn't wake up. Instead, I found myself looking down at them from the perspective of a wall clock again, this time in the dorm they lived in before moving.
Jeong Seong-bin and Lee Cheong-hyeon were standing facing each other in the living room. Kang Gi-yeon was beside Cheong-hyeon.
Cheong-hyeon asked with a look of disbelief.
“What did you just say?”
This was a Lee Cheong-hyeon who didn't speak informally to the older members. Even though I’d spent much more time seeing him use formal speech than informal, it felt strange.
“Did I hear you correctly?”
“…”
“You want me to leave? To go do something else?”
“Cheong-hyeon, that’s not how I meant it.”
“But it’s true. You’re telling me that this path doesn't suit me, so I should go back to what I was doing before. That’s what you’re saying.”
Cheong-hyeon’s face flushed red. He asked in an agitated voice.
“What’s the reason?”
“…”
When the Jeong Seong-bin I knew became the leader, he had been full of self-doubt. He’d worried so much about whether he was fit to be the leader and whether he would be a burden to the group. He’d even called Choi Je-ho and me—whom he found difficult—at the same time to ask for advice.
The Seong-bin of this time seemed to still lack confidence in himself. So much so that he couldn't even answer Cheong-hyeon’s question.
‘Is it okay for me to keep watching this?’
It felt like I was peeking at a side of someone they had hidden away and didn't want to show. I felt a pang of guilt. But the data didn't turn off.
“Why would you say something like that if you can’t even give me a reason? Do you think I’m doing this for fun too, Hyung?”
The father had said, ‘He won’t listen to what his family says.’ Even today, Cheong-hyeon had left home in tears.
Even without those details, just listening to what Cheong-hyeon usually said was enough to know. It was clear that he was treated as something less than satisfactory at home.
The resentment that had been building up inside Cheong-hyeon finally exploded.
All because he had heard those same words from Jeong Seong-bin—the ‘good older brother he trusted and followed,’ just as his father had said.