Chapter 209
Chapter 209
The inside of the car was a literal freezer.
Not because of the temperature, but because of the atmosphere.
‘We’re in deep shit.’
It wasn't that Ryu Cheong-woo was particularly angry at anyone or acting unfairly, but he was definitely not his usual self.
Let’s look at what happened in the music show waiting room a few hours ago.
“Hyung, I’m eating those snacks again! I’m eating a lot!”
“Sure.”
That was it.
Ryu Cheong-woo didn't make a single gesture; he just sat on the sofa, mindlessly squeezing a stress ball in his hand.
Since then, no one had dared to touch him, and everyone was keeping quiet.
We had a shoot starting early tomorrow morning, but since today was a rare day where we could get back to the dorm before dinner, these guys—who would normally be in high spirits—were all keeping their mouths shut and reading the room.
Me? I’m not exactly the talkative type anyway. I was just checking public opinion on my smartphone.
‘Looks like things have mostly settled down.’
[Ryu Cheong-woo Fancam - Different Angle]
[Ryu Cheong-woo DID NOT hit anyone XXX]
Once the explanations spread, the atmosphere finally calmed down, with people saying things like, “I knew it,” or “Of course he didn't.”
Still, there were those who stubbornly insisted it was “disappointing” or “ruined his image”... but that couldn't be helped.
In the first place, the reason Ryu Cheong-woo was in this state wasn't just because of the internet controversy.
For the record, this atmosphere followed us right into the dorm.
“I’m heading in first.”
“Okay!”
As soon as he finished eating, Ryu Cheong-woo went straight to his room. It looked like he intended to go to sleep immediately.
Click.
The moment the door closed and Ryu Cheong-woo disappeared, sighs of worry and bitter smiles broke out all over the place.
Bae Se-jin muttered solemnly.
“...Honestly, he had every right to be angry.”
“Exactly!”
“D-do you think Cheong-woo hyung is really upset? He was just doing something good, t-trying to make sure the members didn't get hurt...”
Seon A-hyun cried out worriedly.
Even so, everyone kept their voices as low as possible because of the sleeping Ryu Cheong-woo.
“Well, from the company’s perspective, they’re probably thinking, ‘Why didn't he just avoid it instead of pushing?’ right? I guess he felt a lot of pressure since people started talking~”
Keun Se-jin snarked, pretending to be sympathetic. I knew he’d say that.
I spoke up as I took my bowl to the sink.
“Cheong-woo hyung has been way too nice to the company all this time.”
If he had been a jerk, they probably would have just kept repeating “We’re sorry,” but because he’s a good-natured guy with a strong sense of responsibility who takes everything in stride, they crossed the line.
“Why don't we just let Cheong-woo hyung rest for now? If we need anything or if something’s wrong, we can talk to the company directly.”
Most of them nodded with faces full of agreement.
“Those are reasonable words.”
“...Right!”
Bae Se-jin looked extremely conscious of the fact that he was the eldest when Ryu Cheong-woo was out of the picture. I wanted to tell him it was a waste of energy.
“A-after he rests, he’ll be okay, right...?”
“Correct. One must recover their strength through rest. We should assist Cheong-woo hyung as much as possible during this promotion period.”
“Yeah.”
“Alright, let’s all head in too~”
The short discussion concluded with the decision: ‘Let’s not put any pressure on Ryu Cheong-woo for a while.’
It was a sensible and considerate display of teamwork, but in reality, it didn't eliminate the root cause.
‘There’s a limit to how long we can go on like this.’
I had zero expectations that any of the managers could cleanly handle the work Ryu Cheong-woo had been doing.
The chief manager would probably be bewildered as to why he was being told to do road manager grunt work and pass it off to the first manager, and that guy... well, he was predictable.
At some point, he’d definitely look for an opening to slide the work back onto Ryu Cheong-woo, and if he messed up then, a real landmine would go off.
‘It’d be a relief if it just ended with Ryu Cheong-woo getting pissed and throwing a punch.’
So, I had to do something before that. Whether it was getting the manager replaced or making him snap out of it.
‘I also need to check how much Ryu Cheong-woo’s mental state has recovered.’
It would be a problem if a major unexpected accident happened during promotions. The ‘400,000-person mobilization’ status effect was still very much active.
So for now... let’s keep a close eye on Ryu Cheong-woo’s condition tomorrow. Even if he seems fine, I shouldn't let my guard down.
I came to that conclusion and went to sleep, but the next day, I realized I didn't even need to reach a conclusion.
“We’re stopping by the shop before the variety show shoot today. Any specific instructions?”
“No.”
Because Ryu Cheong-woo’s condition was exactly the same as yesterday.
He even walked past the first manager, looking at his face as if he were looking at an inanimate object.
“I’m scared!”
“Quiet.”
Does this guy’s volume have to be this high even when he’s whispering?
I pulled Cha Yu-jin away from my ear and got into the car. Then, I intentionally sat near Ryu Cheong-woo.
‘Time to feel him out.’
Ryu Cheong-woo wasn't being particularly uncooperative or giving shitty answers. It was just that he was usually so genial that the contrast was stark.
‘...Actually, he doesn't seem that different from how I usually am.’
Thinking that made me feel a bit awkward.
Anyway, I looked for an opportunity and naturally struck up a conversation with Ryu Cheong-woo as we were about to get out.
“I’m going to buy some drinks. What do you want, hyung?”
“I’m fine.”
He didn't look fine at all, but whatever.
“COKE! COKE!”
I only received the enthusiastic support of Cha Yu-jin, who was strongly advocating for soda.
I also received looks from the other team members that said, ‘That was a brave attempt!’ but... well, this wasn't even an attempt. It was just the build-up.
And the next day.
“Cheong-woo hyung.”
Without a word, I handed him a fresh fruit juice.
“I’m fine.”
“Just think of it as a glucose supply. We haven't even slept for three hours.”
“......”
Ryu Cheong-woo didn't seem to have the energy to argue, so he just took the drink and sipped it.
Then his eyes widened.
“...! It’s too sweet.”
Of course it was. I had asked them to put in as much sugar and syrup as possible.
I actively applied the ‘sugar high’ method I had used on Cha Yu-jin during Idol Inc. It’s simple and stimulating, so the barrier to entry is low.
“That’s why it’s good.”
“...Hmm.”
Ryu Cheong-woo eventually finished the whole drink.
He probably found it too bothersome to say anything more, and he lacked the motivation to exercise self-control over his diet.
However, seeing the color return to his face as his drinking speed increased, it seemed my plan was a success.
I threw out one more question.
“How are you feeling? I feel especially tired this time around.”
“Yeah. I feel... like I’m not recovering from the fatigue very well.”
“Right.”
As expected, was it burnout and lethargy?
For the first time in days, words were flowing easily from Ryu Cheong-woo. Whether it was the power of sugar or a momentary boost in energy.
“Liquid fructose definitely seems to be effective! I feel like I’m gaining vitality!”
“Hmm, I guess so.”
Even when Kim Rae-bin couldn't help but chime in with a relieved face, he received a gentle response like usual.
The effect was even better than expected.
I rubbed my chin.
‘...He seems like the type who needs to resolve mental stress through physical stimulation.’
Not just resting, but the type whose head clears up when his body feels refreshed from a good stimulus.
“Hmm.”
It’s a hassle, but it can’t be helped.
‘I do owe Ryu Cheong-woo a debt, after all.’
I pulled out my smartphone and searched for a location.
*
The next afternoon, we successfully filmed a weekend variety show where you get automatically dunked into a pool if you get the lyrics to a classic hit song wrong.
Meaning, we dove in without holding back.
“Agh!”
“I’m not letting you off for this!”
“No, what are you doing to our TeSTAR, MC Tong-tong?!”
In the end, every single one of us ended up soaking wet. Only after being bombarded with towels and hair dryers did we finally manage to get into the car.
We were beyond exhausted.
‘I just want to go back and take a half-bath...’
But we had a schedule immediately after.
It wasn't a fixed schedule, but one we had set with a flexible window, so it was relatively free.
It was a W-Live.
Since it was squeezed into a gap in our schedule, it was the kind of thing where we could adjust the length and content if we were too tired.
However, this time, I had agreed with the members to do it properly instead of just doing it comfortably at the dorm.
Except for Ryu Cheong-woo, of course.
“It’s in an hour, right?”
“Yep, let’s move~”
TeSTAR caught some shut-eye while moving to the pre-arranged location.
Ryu Cheong-woo, who would normally have checked where we were going, also just slept in silence.
That’s why he was even more flustered when we arrived at the filming site a short while later.
“This place is...”
The members surrounded the surprised Ryu Cheong-woo, grinning as they spread their arms to introduce the location.
“Today’s W-Live location is a shooting range~!”
“Ta-da!”
“...!!”
It was a large-scale airgun shooting range with top-tier facilities in the middle of Seoul.
It was the very place I had searched for the day before.
“Hyung, you seemed to enjoy shooting, but we haven't had time for such serious hobbies lately~ We wanted you to enjoy yourself, even if it’s just like this!”
“Enjoy! Play!”
“......”
Ryu Cheong-woo looked like he’d been hit with something.
But soon, a faint look of being touched became evident on his face.
“...Thanks, guys. This looks fun.”
“Hehe.”
He seems quite moved.
Looks like it worked as expected.
The consideration that had been submerged underwater for days finally began to surface from Ryu Cheong-woo’s mouth.
“You guys must be exhausted right now, will you be okay? It must be hard to do something this active late at night...”
Bae Se-jin looked away.
“...I only agreed because it looked fun when we were filming the music video. Everyone wanted to try it, so don't misunderstand.”
“R-right. I think it’ll be fun...!”
“Haha, okay. I get it.”
“Ahem, ahem.”
For someone who was the first to agree with excitement saying it was a great idea, he’s acting quite rational.
“Then, let’s pair up in twos~ ‘Beat Ryu Cheong-woo!’ Let’s go with that theme for the W-Live!”
“No going easy on us! No mercy!! I’m going to win!”
Ryu Cheong-woo gave a rare grin.
“Will you be okay? You can even make a team of three.”
“Wow, hyung, you’re looking down on us too much.”
For the record, it was revealed in just one hour that it wasn't looking down on us, but a cold assessment of reality.
“Ugh!”
I’ll just say that the team of Bae Se-jin and Kim Rae-bin sank first, with Ryu Cheong-woo doubling their score.
The real-time comments I checked while watching the other teams were in this state.
And as time went on, Ryu Cheong-woo became even more unstoppable.
“Whoa.”
“...That’s actually possible?”
The sight of a former archery gold medalist running wild among civilians who hadn't even served in the military would likely remain a source of laughter for fans for a long time...
“You must also consider that Cheong-woo hyung has an advantage because he used a firearm once in the music video!”
“...He said that was a musket and this is a rifle, so the types are different.”
“Gasp.”
“The staff member said that m-muskets underwent improvements to become the firearm known as the rifle...!”
“As expected! This is by no means a defeat for Bae Se-jin hyung and me, but merely the result of a good fight...”
“Oh~ Another double score!”
“My goodness.”
Whether this banter continued or not, I silently fired my gun.
Bang! Bang!
I think I put up a good fight, even if I wasn't on Ryu Cheong-woo’s level. As proof, Seon A-hyun and I were the ones who came closest to his score.
Since the location was what it was, there were some trolls bringing up military service, but anyway, the W-Live ended quite successfully, capturing both laughter and thrills.
“See you again~”
“We’ll come back often!”
And with the usual closing remarks, everyone, including the staff, returned to a state of exhaustion.
“Ha.”
“I have no regrets...”
“It’s fun! I want to do it one more time!”
Ah, except for Cha Yu-jin.
Anyway, in the brief moment while the staff were cleaning up the site, the idols were given a bit of free time.
That was when Ryu Cheong-woo moved.
“Drink some of this.”
“Thank you.”
Perhaps because he had enjoyed the shooting and won the competition, his condition had improved, and he had bought drinks for everyone from a nearby convenience store.
He stood next to me as I took the can and began to speak tentatively.
“A-hyun told me that you were the one who suggested coming here, Moon-dae.”
So someone just had to say it.
Before I could even respond, Ryu Cheong-woo finished his sentence concisely.
“Thanks. ...I feel much better.”
“......”
I popped open the drink he handed me. The sound of the carbonation rising was refreshing.
“Do you feel a bit more relieved now?”
“Yeah.”
Then that’s enough.
I silently gulped down the zero-calorie drink. Ryu Cheong-woo opened his own plastic bottle and continued calmly.
“It really wasn't a big deal... but strangely, I was feeling worn out.”
“......”
“Maybe it’s because it reminded me of when I quit archery.”
He’s even talking about that?
The activity seemed to have worked even better than I thought.