Chapter 140
Chapter 140
I logged into the banking app I had pre-installed.
It should have been deposited by now.
I’d heard yesterday that our settlement pay was coming in.
Actually, the contract stated we’d be paid quarterly, but because the company was a complete mess last year, the payments had been briefly deferred under the condition that legal interest would be added.
So now, in April, last year’s settlement and the first quarter of this year were being deposited all at once.
If I were a regular office worker, this kind of gap would have been grounds for a lawsuit, but since no one was in immediate financial trouble and there was plenty of time left on our contracts, it passed without much fuss.
Still, nobody hates money.
Thanks to that, on Monday, April 22nd, I wasn't the only one checking my settlement the moment our schedule ended.
"Gasp!"
A sharp intake of breath came from the bed next to mine. It was Bae Se-jin.
The amount must be huge.
I figured it would be. Our results had been incredible, and we’d even done a concert.
Still, it doesn't quite feel real yet.
Habitually, I swiped past the main account on the app and checked the new one.
Then, I blinked, doubting my eyes.
[Daehan General Deposit]
[1,146,193,520 KRW]
...1.1 billion?
1.1 billion won??
An amount I wouldn't be able to touch even if I sold my organs was staring back at me from the screen.
“…….”
I was speechless.
Was it even possible to earn this much after working for only nine months?
It was true that I’d been grinding while sleep-deprived and under immense pressure. And looking at the long term, this was the accumulated reward for all the hell I’d been through since Idol Inc.
But if I could get 1.1 billion won for that, it was a terrifyingly profitable business.
Even so, 1.1 billion... is beyond my imagination.
I felt like I needed to check the settlement statement. I checked the email account I’d opened for company correspondence.
A mountain of strange emails had piled up—I had no idea how the address had leaked—but after filtering through the junk, I found the settlement email.
I scanned it quickly.
“……Whew.”
It really was 1.1 billion.
And I found the reason why.
There are no trainee expenses.
This meant the company’s initial investment costs hadn't been deducted. Thanks to that, as soon as profit was generated, it was settled as pure income.
Albums, events, advertisements, digital sales, concerts...
On top of that, because I had a high level of participation in production, the royalties were quite substantial.
Kim Rae-bin probably got even more.
Just then, a scream erupted from the next room. It sounded like Kim Rae-bin was on the phone.
Most likely, a family member had called him in shock.
It’s a madhouse.
But it was an amount that justified the madness. It still didn't quite feel like my money.
"D-Did you see it??"
Bae Se-jin spoke to me, his face flushed red. He was clearly asking about the settlement.
"…Yes. Just now."
"With this much, I could buy a house in Seoul, right?? If I take out a loan... a loan..."
That depends on what kind of house.
However, Bae Se-jin seemed excited, seeing his goal of owning a high-security home of his own suddenly within reach.
But his math was off.
"That's the amount before taxes."
"Uh, ...huh?"
"Since it's a high amount, the tax rate will be high. Don't think about spending it all; make sure to consult a tax accountant before you file your global income tax in May."
"……R-Right."
Bae Se-jin gave a dazed nod and slumped back onto his bed.
It seemed he’d returned to reality.
Giving Bae Se-jin advice helped me snap out of it a bit, too.
"I thought you'd be used to settlements, Hyung."
"I've never seen an amount like this before……."
Bae Se-jin buried his face in his hamster body pillow.
He’s been putting that thing to good use for a while now.
"W-What's going on...?"
Seon A-hyun, who had been showering, poked his head out of the bathroom after hearing the noise.
"Checking the settlement."
"A-Ah."
Seon A-hyun smiled, seemingly relieved. He didn't even seem curious about the amount.
"Do your parents manage yours?"
"Y-Yeah! I... I get an allowance, too……."
Judging by how he’d casually handed over a department store gift certificate as a birthday present last time, that "allowance" was probably a significant sum.
Come to think of it, I still haven't used that gift certificate.
Between preparing for the concert and the new album right after awards season ended, and then going straight into promotions, I’d forgotten all about it.
Coincidentally, tomorrow morning... well, there's no schedule.
It was the only time in the next two weeks, including weekends, that I’d have free time during the day.
Let’s double-check first.
"We don't have any schedules tomorrow morning, right?"
"Y-Yeah! That's right. Why...?"
"I'm thinking of heading out for a bit."
"…Shopping? Or the bank?"
Bae Se-jin chimed in. He seemed to have guessed since I was going out right after getting paid.
I nodded.
"Yes. Shopping."
"…Then do you want to go together? I need to stop by the bank anyway."
"Um… maybe not."
"What?"
I rubbed the back of my neck.
"I'm planning on hitting some dessert shops."
"……?"
"About… seven of them."
"…??"
And so, the following Tuesday. I ended up wandering through downtown Seoul at my leisure.
……Or rather, that was the plan.
"M-Moon-dae-ya. It's that blue sign over there, right?"
"I believe it would be best to drop us off at the first alley on the right, sir."
As it turned out, I had two tails attached to me.
Seon A-hyun and Kim Rae-bin had followed me with bright, eager faces.
—I-I wanted to go out, too...!
—Dessert? Since it is my older sister's birthday next week, I believe this will be an excellent opportunity to select one of her gifts.
…Well, so they said.
For the record, we dropped Bae Se-jin off at the bank on the way. It was a win since it saved on taxi fare.
Not that I have to worry about taxi fares anymore.
It had been so long since I was in a situation where I didn't have to worry about money that it felt a bit strange.
Before long, the taxi driver pulled over at the first destination.
"Alright, we've arrived~"
"Thank you."
As I stepped out of the car, the two in the back seat, eyes sparkling with anticipation, quickly followed.
"I-It looks delicious, doesn't it?"
"My expectations are high."
Three men wearing masks and hats pulled low entering a specialty dessert shop probably wasn't a common sight... but whatever.
There aren't many people on the street anyway.
It was likely because it was 9:30 AM on a weekday.
The members and I entered the shop as the first customers just as they opened.
"Hell— gasp."
"Hello."
The moment our eyes met, I was made. I’d felt it before, but it seemed masks were useless now.
"Oh, oh... gasp, wow……. I really enjoy your music, oh my."
"Thank you. Please pack one of every kind of dacquoise you have."
"Ye-Yes?"
"I'd like one of every flavor, all to go, please."
"A-Ah, yes!"
I felt bad, but I didn't have much time.
I exchanged handshakes and autographs for the packaged dacquoises.
"U-Uwaah."
…Well, at least they seemed happy.
I turned back to the two standing there in a daze.
"Aren't you guys going to pick something?"
"Ah!"
The other two ended up picking out dacquoises along with their own handshakes.
I went straight to the counter.
"Please ring these up together."
"Ah, yes!"
Both of them were horrified.
"I-It's okay!"
"If we were to rank us by our settlement amounts, it would be correct for me to pay... No, I do not mean to sound arrogant, but rather, that it is quite alright—"
I let out a short laugh.
"Forget it. I'm the one who asked to come out."
"Hyung……."
"M-Moon-dae-ya……."
If I’d brought Cha Yu-jin or Keun Se-jin, they would have shamelessly milked me for all I was worth, but these two were just standing there being moved.
The two of them grinned as they received their packaged dacquoises.
"I-I'll enjoy them!"
"Thank you."
The moment we stepped out of the shop, Kim Rae-bin finally realized something.
"Ah, I must buy a birthday present for my sister."
"I think you can take your time choosing. We have many shops left."
"Pardon?"
The two blinked.
"Y-You bought some here, so... aren't you d-done?"
"I assumed you had researched many candidates in case you did not find one to your liking……."
I shook my head.
"No."
"I'm going to buy from all seven places."
"……!!"
And I really did.
By the time noon rolled around, both of them were slumped limply in the taxi.
I organized the boxes and set them at my feet.
Seven in total. All successful purchases. I’d already tasted one from each.
There was an unexpected event in the middle where someone ran up to me waving an album and gave me a hug, but otherwise, it was smooth sailing.
The last one was a bit close, though.
The person I made eye contact with at the counter let out a thunderous scream, so I had to grab the macarons, say a quick goodbye, and bolt out of the shop like a thief.
"I-Is that the end...?"
"Yeah. Finished."
"Huaaaa……."
Seon A-hyun practically melted. He seemed exhausted from meeting so many people.
I’d told him to just go back to the dorm halfway through, but I don't know why a guy who barely eats sweets because he's managing his physique insisted on tagging along.
Is it because of a sense of alienation?
Given Seon A-hyun's personality, he might have hated being the only one left out when everyone else was going.
Regardless, the fact that he went out of his way to come along during his break... utility aside, it was something to be grateful for.
"Are we returning home now?"
"Yeah. Let's go."
I directed the taxi back to the dorm.
Once we arrived, instead of going up with them, I just handed over the desserts.
"Tell the others at the dorm to share these."
"U-Uh?"
"I just remembered something I need to do."
I sent the two of them inside and got back into the taxi.
I entered a new destination into the GPS.
"The department store?"
"Yes."
After finishing my business, I returned to the dorm about an hour later.
Beep-beep-beep—
When I opened the front door and walked in, I made eye contact with Cha Yu-jin in the living room, who was stuffing his face with dacquoises.
“…….”
"It's delicious! Thank you!"
"Sure... whatever."
He wasn't the type to gain weight easily and he loved sweets, so he was the perfect person for the job.
"Which one is the best?"
"This one."
The strawberry macaron. I made a mental note of the shop's name on the wrapper.
"Thanks for the treats, Moon-dae."
"No problem."
"You didn't buy these for us as a smokescreen because you got a girlfriend, did you? Hyung trusts you~"
"Are you crazy?"
After greeting Ryu Cheong-woo, I swatted the back of a snickering Keun Se-jin and went to my room.
Past Bae Se-jin, who was reading a book on his bed, I saw Seon A-hyun at his desk, knitting a dishcloth.
"M-Moon-dae-ya. Did you finish your work okay?"
"Yeah. And here."
"U-Uh?"
I held out what was in my hand.
"It's a bit early... but it's a birthday present."
"W-Whaaat!?"
Seon A-hyun was shocked. Bae Se-jin bolted upright.
"Is it Seon A-hyun's birthday...?!"
"N-No, it's not...?!"
The two of them being flustered in unison was like a comedy skit.
"It's in two weeks, but I won't have time to go out until then, so I'm giving it to you now."
"Ah……."
Bae Se-jin lay back down, relieved.
Seon A-hyun nodded vigorously.
"I-I see, thank you...!"
"Don't mention it."
……I decided not to mention that I used the department store gift certificate he gave me to buy that present.
"C-Can I open it?!"
"Of course."
Seon A-hyun tore into the packaging immediately.
He froze when the coat was revealed.
"…! This is t-too expensive, isn't it……."
"No, it's not."
The guy who gave me the gift certificate in the first place has a lot of nerve saying that.
I tucked another shopping bag I’d brought from the department store under my bed. It took a moment because the bag was quite large.
...I think I chose well.
I briefly regretted not just taking Seon A-hyun with me, but what was done was done.
Bae Se-jin glanced over.
"What's that?"
"A gift."
And on Sunday of that week, at the broadcasting station in the early hours of the morning for TeSTAR's final music show pre-recording of this promotion cycle.
The TeSTAR fans who arrived at the scene each received a large box.
[TeSTAR presents:]
[Midnight and Loviewer ♡]
"…??"