Chapter 56: Chuseok Holiday (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 56: Chuseok Holiday (3)
“Hello...?”
Before Park Ju-woo could even ask why they were calling, the voice of a woman—presumably his aunt—burst through the phone.
— Ju-woo! Have you eaten?
“Yes, I have...”
— With who! Seong-bin must have gone home to his parents!
“One of the older members stayed behind at the dorm, so we ate together.”
— Then you should have brought him along! The braised short ribs turned out so well.
— Ju-woo, did you eat any songpyeon? Should Dad bring some over to the dorm for you?
— You, be quiet for a second! And a courier would be faster than you going yourself.
The phone call turned into a chaotic mess as a man, presumably his uncle, joined in.
In the brief moment I lost the thread of the conversation, the topic had already drifted to whether they should strip the pine needles off the songpyeon before sending them or leave them on.
It was a completely different atmosphere from Jeong Seong-bin’s house.
‘Park Ju-woo can’t even... get a word in edgewise.’
The run hadn't even started yet, but Park Ju-woo already looked a bit weathered.
After a few more exchanges, his aunt spoke up.
— Can you come for Seollal? Or should Mom head up to Seoul once?
Park Ju-woo flinched at those words.
However, he didn't let it show and replied in a calm tone.
“It’s okay. I’m doing well.”
But I saw it clearly—the slight upward curve of Ju-woo’s lips.
Considering they referred to themselves as ‘Mom’ and ‘Dad,’ they were already family. He was just trying to keep his distance.
Ju-woo finally managed to stop the songpyeon from being shipped to Seoul and ended the call.
“Park Ju-woo.”
“Yes, Hyung. I’m sorry. You had to wait so long...”
“You should go to your aunt’s place for Seollal.”
“What?”
Ju-woo looked at me as if he didn't understand.
“What do you mean, ‘What?’ Just go.”
“But, it’s a holiday...”
Ju-woo hesitated as he tucked his phone into his pocket.
I don't really know what it means for a whole family to gather, but...
“I’m telling you to go because it’s a holiday.”
If you don't see them at times like that, you might end up regretting it.
We ran for a solid hour.
Cool weather and a deserted riverside—weren't these the perfect conditions for a workout?
Well, that was just my opinion.
Beside me, Park Ju-woo was gradually turning into a puddle. He didn't complain that it was hard, but he looked so pitiful it was almost painful to watch.
Before his breathing got any more ragged, I stopped and looked for a bench.
‘With that kind of lack of endurance, how is he going to handle a concert...?’
As soon as the thought crossed my mind, the System glowed. It meant the Additional Labor Support Service was active.
Right, I’m not exactly in a position to talk about others, am I?
In the first place, this has nothing to do with me. It’s not like I’m the one performing the concert.
Since we decided to rest, I was about to take a breather and drink some water I’d brought from the dorm when I heard a loud voice from below. Even a cursory listen revealed it was full of profanity.
‘A drunkard?’
I straightened up slightly and looked down to see two men sitting on the stone steps a bit further below us. Fortunately, it didn't seem like they were picking a fight with each other.
“...Are they fighting?”
Ju-woo asked in a small voice.
“I don't think so.”
I replied in a decibel level close to a whisper.
However, as if to make a liar out of me, the man at our feet snapped again.
“Ah, fuck.”
This time, the curse was crystal clear. His tone made it impossible not to realize the mood was foul.
“He definitely seems angry...”
Ju-woo muttered. This was getting awkward.
Just as I was about to suggest moving elsewhere if it was uncomfortable, the man’s companion tried to calm the one venting his rage.
“Hyung, what if someone hears you?”
“Let them hear, for fuck’s sake. Do I have a mouth just for show? Fuck, this is total bullshit, seriously.”
The man’s swearing showed no signs of stopping.
I might call people this bastard or that bastard in my head, but usually, once people grow up, they don't swear like that out loud, do they?
I grew up hearing my family swear so much that my head is filled with nothing but profanity, but because I recognize how trashy it is, I try my best not to say it out loud.
‘He must have had something really infuriating happen,’ I thought as I capped my water bottle. I was planning to get up and leave.
But something was strange. The man’s voice sounded familiar.
‘Where have I heard that before?’
It definitely wasn't one of the Spark kids.
They had all sent photos of themselves at their family homes, holding old pictures from their childhood albums to prove they’d arrived. (I’d ordered them to do it because I thought we might need them for a variety show later.)
If it were someone I’d talked to even once, I’d usually remember their voice, so it probably wasn't someone close.
‘Is it someone I ran into at UA?’
While I hesitated to move, the man suddenly stood up.
“I told you to stop annoying me, you prick! Are you going to keep pissing me off? You guys are fucking nothing without me!”
‘Ga-un, do you hate it because I’m being annoying? That hurts my feelings, you know? I’d die without you and the other members, Ga-un!’
I remembered.
It was the group Parte, the one I’d been monitoring recently as the biggest potential obstacle for Spark.
It was the voice of Song Min-il, the group’s center and the rookie idol with the largest individual fandom.
It goes without saying that life always comes with certain premises.
Of course, while anyone can swear, there are times when they shouldn't.
And idols are held to much stricter standards than ordinary people.
Therefore, it’s better to be careful when swearing.
‘Though it seems some people aren't.’
I thought as I watched Song Min-il vent his fury below us.
This was the same guy who acted all heartbroken because Ga-un wouldn't look at him, yet here he was, acting like he wanted to tear Ga-un apart.
I was going to pretend I hadn't heard and move on, assuming he had his own personal reasons or grievances, but...
“The company and the private accounts are fucking losing it just because I grabbed one sasaeng’s number, fuck.”
I ended up hearing the trashy reason: he’d been scolded by his agency for getting caught taking a sasaeng fan’s phone number.
Wait, a sasaeng? There’s no room for leniency for you then, you piece of shit.
It sounded like it would only pollute Ju-woo’s ears, so I was about to make some noise to signal our presence and leave, but Han Ga-un’s desperate voice caught my ankle.
“Hyung... it’ll be a disaster if someone hears you...”
Dammit, now I can't even get up.
Fortunately, it was particularly dark under the bridge, and since they were below us, they hadn't noticed us yet, but...
If we moved now and got caught, Han Ga-un would probably cling to us and beg us not to post it on community sites.
Or who knows, maybe Song Min-il would even try to threaten us.
Ju-woo must have had the same thought, as he wasn't even breathing.
I was about to politely cover his ears when I felt a vibration against my thigh.
And about 0.02 seconds later, my ringtone filled the quiet Han River park.
Simultaneously, the non-stop medley of profanity from below stopped as if by magic.
‘Fuck.’
If things went south, it would look like trainees who were about to debut were eavesdropping on a senior’s dirty laundry.
Ju-woo’s pupils were already shaking like a leaf.
I had no intention of letting Ju-woo take the fall. This was my responsibility for picking a bad spot to rest.
But I couldn't just turn myself in and tell Ju-woo to keep holding his breath here, so I grimly answered the phone.
— Hello? I-wol Hyung?
“Gasp... Hey, what time is it?”
— Huh?
“Fuck, man. I think I fell asleep at the Han River after drinking too much.”
It was the ‘I was so drunk and asleep that I didn't hear your conversation!’ strategy.
This time, the Parte side was quiet. It was only natural, since I was acting like someone they definitely wouldn't want to get involved with.
Not that I cared how fast their hearts were racing. They were probably holding their breath as hard as they could.
Recalling the countless drunks I’d seen while working the night shift at a convenience store during my university days, I put on the performance of a lifetime.
“Fuck, my face is gonna freeze. Hey, sorry. It’ll probably take me... 30 minutes to get there from here?”
As I rambled on, fully immersed in the role of a typical drunk twenty-something male, Jeong Seong-bin asked back:
— Hyung, is something wrong?
“Gi-hun is here with me too. This guy is totally wasted. Can I just leave Park Gi-hun behind?”
Park Ju-woo, who had suddenly been renamed Park Gi-hun, swallowed hard.
Just bear with it. If I blurt out your real name here and you debut later, Parte will definitely remember this little memory at the Han River.
Besides, Ju-woo’s voice was quite distinctive. To the point where later on, even the general public, not just fans, would be able to identify him by his voice alone.
I couldn't rule out the possibility that those two would recognize Ju-woo if he opened his mouth.
So, there was no other choice. We had to go with the setting that Ju-woo was dead drunk and unconscious.
“Yeah, yeah. I’ll head over right away. I’ll call you when I catch a taxi.”
With those words, I hung up.
After sending a text to Jeong Seong-bin saying, ‘Seong-bin, sorry. I’ll call you in 5 minutes,’ I scratched my head exaggeratedly and muttered to myself.
“Ah, fuck... This sucks...”
Then, I hoisted Park Ju-woo onto my back.
Ju-woo gave me a subtle boost so it wouldn't look obvious. It was enough to bring tears to my eyes.
And so, carrying Mr. Park Gi-hun, I moved out of their sight to go catch a taxi.
— You ran into the Parte sunbaenims?
“Yeah. They probably didn't see us, though.”
— And what does that have to do with acting like a drunk...?
Jeong Seong-bin asked, but neither Ju-woo nor I could answer.
Because as we were leaving the bridge, we had promised to keep everything we heard a secret.
Whether they were shouting in a public place or we heard it unintentionally, it wasn't right to go around spreading things that others wouldn't want revealed.
Besides, Ju-woo had to continue his career as an idol.
It wouldn't hurt to get into the habit of not talking about others.
“It just happened that way.”
— If you say it’s no big deal, Hyung, then I guess it isn't, but...
“Don't worry about it. More importantly, why did you call?”
— I just wanted to see how you were doing. Ju-woo, too.
This guy, Jeong Seong-bin, seemed quite worried about the people left behind at the dorm.
Shouldn't he just forget about trainee life and enjoy one of the two vacations he gets a year?
‘I suppose I should be glad he’s not out by some river swearing his head off.’
For a moment, I imagined Choi Je-ho or Kang Gi-yeon at a river shouting, “Fuck this goddamn UA!” I squeezed my eyes shut.
“We’re fine. We’ve already eaten, so you just relax and enjoy yourself.”
— Okay, I will. Is there anything you want to eat? I was thinking of packing some food to bring back.
“There’s plenty of food here, so just come back empty-handed.”
I gave Jeong Seong-bin strict instructions and hung up.
If everyone came back, we’d be stuck eating nothing but bibimbap with the three-colored vegetables anyway, so what was the point of bringing more?
“What did Seong-bin say?”
“He asked if there’s anything we want to eat.”
“...I’ll send him a text telling him the fridge is full.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Ju-woo left to go remind Seong-bin. The surroundings became quiet.
‘Right, this is what a holiday is like.’
I never dreamed I’d spend a rowdy Chuseok with the taciturn Park Ju-woo.
The return of a familiar sense of normalcy finally put my mind at ease.
‘It’s not so bad to experience a holiday like this once in a while.’
Thinking of it as a good experience, I lay down on the bed comfortably.
But at that time, I didn't know.
That the holidays aren't over until they’re truly over.