Chapter 222
Chapter 222
The decision for TeSTAR’s three-day vacation had been made quite a while ago.
This was because the General Manager’s statement—that ‘an artist’s condition must be well-managed for them to demonstrate their full potential’—had surprisingly not been retracted and remained in effect.
‘For someone who says that, he sure doesn’t invest much in the management department.’
In truth, rather than actually caring about his signed artists, it felt more like he was being stubborn about his own management philosophy… but regardless, I stood to benefit, so I had no intention of opposing it.
Thanks to this, I’d be able to spend three days quietly by myself.
Plus, I was actually looking forward to it a little.
‘I’ll finally be able to do some proper monitoring then.’
Lately, the only things I’d seen through a screen were furry four-legged beasts, which left me feeling a bit disgruntled.
“……Hmm.”
I did say I would regulate my usage, but I didn’t mean I wanted to be monitored on whether I was searching the internet throughout the entire off-season.
When dereliction of duty reaches this level, it’s not just sweet like honey; it’s pure liquid fructose.
So, I planned to use the time after those guys went home to do what I needed to do.
And then, I’d rest quietly alone.
…Of course, I’d thought this way before and had never actually managed to enjoy a vacation properly.
‘Well, it’s not like I’ve had many vacations to begin with.’
This time, I would block out all variables and make sure I stayed alone. That was the plan, but…
An unexpected situation cropped up.
One that was… probably for the best.
“Hyungs, what do you all think about an MT…!”
It was because Kim Rae-bin brought this up just the week before the vacation.
“An MT?”
“As an abbreviation for Membership Training, it refers to a short trip intended to deepen harmony and teamwork among colleagues.”
“Ayy, Rae-bin, we know that~ I was asking if you meant you wanted to go on one!”
“Ah, yes!”
Kim Rae-bin nodded enthusiastically at Keun Se-jin’s gentle teasing.
The funny thing was that Cha Yu-jin was doing the exact same thing right next to him.
‘Did those two plot this together?’
Based on what came next, it seemed so.
“I hope we can make up for the regret of barely being able to share topics other than work while handling our busy schedules!”
“Let’s go play! I want to go to the Korean sea!”
That was some aggressive covering fire.
Ryu Cheong-woo replied softly with a slightly troubled expression.
“Really? It’s a vacation, though. Are you sure you don’t want to go home?”
“Three days? Uh-uh, I can’t go to America! My parents are busy!”
Cha Yu-jin answered immediately.
‘Hmm, I can pretty much see what’s going on.’
Three days wasn’t enough for Cha Yu-jin to go to the US. And since it wasn’t peak vacation season, the timing was awkward for his parents to come here.
‘He’ll be bored since he can’t go home, so he figured he might as well play with the members.’
His calculations were certainly clear.
I closed my mouth with a sour expression, then a sudden realization struck me like a bolt of lightning.
‘…Wait, if this falls through, is Cha Yu-jin going to stay at the dorm the whole vacation?’
Oh, hell no.
“I am not suggesting we use the entire vacation. My plan is to hold the MT at a remote location for two days and one night starting the day before the vacation, and then return home on the morning of the first day of the break!”
“Oh, that sounds good. What does everyone else think?”
“I-I think it would be good too…!”
“…One day should be fine.”
Votes of approval poured in from all sides. Kim Rae-bin’s suggestion to go on a short trip while keeping the actual vacation intact seemed quite plausible.
“…….”
“Moon-dae Hyung, what do you think?”
I answered instantly.
“Sounds good. Let’s go.”
“…! Yes!”
I waited until the very end to put the period on the sentence with a ‘Let’s go’ so no one could say otherwise.
I had a plan.
‘I have to make sure someone takes Cha Yu-jin with them.’
During the MT, I’d somehow manipulate the situation to send Cha Yu-jin off to one of their houses for the duration of the vacation.
“Oh~ Moon-dae is being proactive!”
“Right, it’ll be good to go once. Rae-bin, is there a place you had in mind?”
“I have one! Let’s go to the sea at Ganghwa Island!”
“It’s Ganghwa Island! …Yes, Hyung. I’ve looked into a few places I’d like us to stay.”
I stroked my chin, deep in thought.
‘Hmm, are Ryu Cheong-woo, Keun Se-jin, and Kim Rae-bin the candidates?’
The other two either didn’t vibe with Cha Yu-jin or found him burdensome, so the possibility was extremely low.
‘Hmm.’
I formulated my own plan while watching the guys go back and forth about the destination.
A short while later.
“Then, considering the location and the interior, I’ll book this place on Ganghwa Island. Everyone’s okay with this, right?”
“Yep, yep~”
“Should I be the one to tell the company?”
“That would be great.”
The preparations were complete once I asked for the company’s understanding and established an emergency contact network.
Since the trip was happening within a few days, I wasn’t too worried about leaks.
We were going to rent a car through the manager and register Ryu Cheong-woo as an additional driver, so there was less concern about being tracked.
‘And I told the manager to be on standby just in case.’
The manager had become noticeably more cooperative lately. It seemed the plan to form a dedicated team was becoming a reality, and the sense of crisis was acting as a good stimulant.
Anyway, the reservation for the candidate pension was finalized smoothly. It was likely thanks to the high price even in the off-season due to its security and facilities.
“Alright, booking complete. Let’s have a fun trip!”
“Waaaaah!”
“R-Rae-bin, thanks for the great suggestion…!”
“Those are more words than I deserve. Thank you for agreeing so readily!”
Everyone’s excited.
I leaned back on the sofa.
‘…It is the first time this many of us are going somewhere when it’s not for content.’
A trip that wasn’t for work felt fresh.
In truth, I did think that going with coworkers made it feel more like a workshop… but since no one seemed particularly uncomfortable, there was no need to bring it up.
Even Bae Se-jin seemed secretly expectant.
So much so that he even said this inside the rental car on the day of the trip.
“…This is my first time going on something like this.”
Bae Se-jin, sitting next to me, looked like he regretted saying it the moment the words left his mouth, but the reactions had already exploded.
“Really?”
“Have you never participated in school trips or other events?”
“…I didn’t really like those things, so I didn’t go.”
“I see! Certainly, trips where dozens of people move together often have limited choices and can be inconvenient.”
Kim Rae-bin nodded readily, taking it as a simple expression of likes and dislikes, but the other guys seemed to have caught the subtle nuance.
‘I guess he didn’t blend in well with group activities at school.’
It wasn’t particularly surprising.
Just then, Seon A-hyun raised his hand high.
“I-I haven’t been on many either…!”
Bae Se-jin’s face, which had been full of self-loathing for saying something unnecessary, looked a bit better.
“…Really?”
“Yes!”
Should I help out a bit?
“I haven’t been on many either. We just need to have fun while we’re there.”
“…! R-Right. I think today’s trip will be fun, so I’m looking forward to it…!”
“…Me too.”
Bae Se-jin muttered, turning his head away. He looked strangely sentimental.
‘Why is the atmosphere like this?’
Fortunately, this cringeworthy atmosphere was shattered in the next moment.
“I have high expectations as well. The options were perfect!”
“I love the sea!”
“Haha, the vibe is getting all heartwarming, isn’t it? This is exactly when we need to pick a song~”
It was because Keun Se-jin started playing music following the bright comments of the guys who weren’t thinking much.
Doom-doong-doo-doom, doom-doom-doom-doom-doom!
This was… the EDM version of Magical Boy.
‘When did he get this from Kim Rae-bin?’
“Ah, today~ let’s forget about work and just have fun among ourselves~ Let’s go, TeSTAR!”
“Haha!”
Ryu Cheong-woo laughed from the driver’s seat.
‘It takes about an hour and a half to Ganghwa Island.’
Since Keun Se-jin was in the front seat, he’d probably take charge of keeping Ryu Cheong-woo company.
‘Things will run smoothly on their own.’
I leaned my head against the backrest amidst the guys singing along to the song.
Since these guys would definitely do everything from games to running around once we arrived, I intended to enjoy some physical peace while I could.
“The you I’ll meet tomorrow! You-you-you, you!”
“Uhahaha!”
And that judgment was correct.
*
Past midnight that day.
“Cha Yu-jin!!”
“Wahaha!”
The two youngest were sprinting across the beach.
‘Don’t they get tired?’
Maybe because it wasn’t work, but these guys showed no signs of exhaustion.
—Barbecue! Barbecue!
—There’s even a karaoke machine here?
They’d been like this since the moment we arrived at the pension. Even after making full use of everything from grilling meat to the heated pool, they were still overflowing with energy.
‘I thought they’d all be knocked out by now.’
If things kept going like this, they might stay up all night.
What was even funnier was that they were currently doing the most static activity possible.
Fireworks.
“It’s, it’s pretty.”
“It is.”
Of course, it wasn’t anything grand; they were just holding a few sparklers and waving them near the heated pool in front of the pension.
‘Because doing it on the beach might cause unnecessary legal trouble.’
It’s illegal to do this on public beaches.
And just now, Cha Yu-jin had been caught by Kim Rae-bin while trying to take a photo of the fireworks with the beach as a backdrop and was currently being chased.
I could hear voices from far away.
“Splashing water is irrational… pffft!”
Hmm, they’re playing well.
I was about to pull out the burnt-out sparkler in my hand to clean up.
It was then.
“Moon-dae, Moon-dae~ Beer?”
“……!”
In the hand of Keun Se-jin, who had called out to me… was a chilled can of imported beer.
…It was a type of fruit beer with low alcohol content.
“We’re on a trip, after all. You’ve been abstaining for months, and since we’re in a good mood, I thought you could have a drink~”
“…….”
That was true.
I silently took the can and popped it open.
Tshhh.
Then, I heard the sound of snickering from beside me.
“Is it funny?”
“Hey, no way~ It’s just heartwarming.”
Keun Se-jin chuckled and sprawled out on the sunbed next to me.
“Ah, the atmosphere is great~”
I guess this guy had a few drinks too. I slowly sipped the beer while taking in the night breeze.
…Certainly, I felt good.
Still, I didn’t feel a crazy urge to gulp down the alcohol or a desperate desire for more.
I felt calm.
“…….”
It was clear proof that these few months of abstinence had been effective.
The habitual link had been broken.
‘I should say thanks.’
I caught a brief glimpse of Bae Se-jin, who was picking out a second sparkler over there.
Then, Keun Se-jin suddenly tossed out a question.
“We’ll keep doing well like this, right?”
“…….”
“Hey, seriously… if someone went back three years and told me I’d sell a million albums, I wouldn’t have believed them.”
“Everyone’s like that.”
“You think so? Right!”
Keun Se-jin laughed. I saw Seon A-hyun, who had been watching, laugh along.
“Anyway~ I really… like this team. I love you guys so much~ Let’s do well this year too!”
“Y-Yeah! Let’s, let’s do well!”
First, get your arm off my shoulder. With three of us like this, I’m going to roll off the sunbed.
Still, I suppose I could say this much.
“Let’s work hard.”
“Great!”
The hand that had been patting my back encouragingly pulled away. …Well, it didn’t feel bad.
I decided to just laugh it off.
“Ah, Moon-dae. But actually, that’s non-alcoholic.”
“……!”
“The packaging looked exactly the same. Oh, but Moon-dae seems fine~ even without knowing it’s non-alcoholic. I guess you can have a can or two from now on?”
“I, I think you’ve gotten much better…!”
This felt like it might be crossing the line a bit to just laugh off.
Hmm, but since the result was good and it would make the task of handing over Cha Yu-jin later easier, should I let it slide?
It was while I was weighing the verdict.
Ring-ring— Ring-ring-ring!
Suddenly, a strange ringtone went off.
“Oh, it’s not mine.”
“M-Me neither.”
I immediately checked the smartphone on a nearby sunbed.
[Noona]
It was Kim Rae-bin’s.
“It’s Rae-bin’s. I’ll go bring it to him.”
“Okay~”
“S-Should I go?”
“It’s fine.”
I walked toward the beach. Fortunately, the two who had been chasing each other had returned to the vicinity of the pension.
“Cha Yu-jin, you lack social common sense too much…!”
“Rae-bin, your phone.”
“Ah, thank you!”
Even while huffing and puffing while soaked in seawater, Kim Rae-bin bowed politely. Then he picked up the smartphone that was still ringing and answered.
“Noona. Yeah, I’m doing well…….”
Having completed my task, I was about to head back to the front of the pension.
The sign came without warning.
“…Huh?”
“……!”
A strange tone suddenly mixed into Kim Rae-bin’s response.
The kind of tone I could recognize immediately.
That is… the dazed sound a person makes when they hear something incredibly shocking.
Reflexively, my feet stopped.
I turned my head.
“Uh…, no, what, what do you mean….”
“…….”
“Kim Rae-bin?”
As if he couldn’t hear Cha Yu-jin’s voice, Kim Rae-bin just stood there on the dark beach holding his smartphone.
Everything about him was trembling.
“I, I don’t know…. Why?”
“Rae-bin?”
“……!”
Ryu Cheong-woo, seeing the strange atmosphere from nearby, stepped in and grabbed Kim Rae-bin’s arm.
Only then did Kim Rae-bin lower the phone and answer with his hands shaking violently.
“Gra, Grandmother… they say she’s, she’s going to pass away…….”
“…!!”
In that instant, the atmosphere on the beach completely changed.
“Wait, is that your sister?”
“Yes, yes….”
“Where did the call come from?”
“The, the hospital…? I mean… at home….”
“Is it a big hospital near your house?”
“Yes, yes….”
Kim Rae-bin’s face looked like he couldn’t even cry.
Of all times, while on a trip.
It was as if a past situation was repeating itself exactly… like that.
“What’s going on?”
“What’s wrong with Rae-bin?”
The other members ran over from the surroundings.
Ryu Cheong-woo immediately patted Kim Rae-bin’s back.
“Rae-bin, take a deep breath.”
“Yes, yes….”
“First, change your clothes….”
I immediately ran to the pension.
“Moon-dae?”
I grabbed the car keys from the entrance and ran back out to the beach, telling Kim Rae-bin.
“Get in the car.”
Now was not the time for this. Clothes and deep breaths could be handled on the way, so right now….
“…Park Moon-dae, you don’t have a license. Calm down.”
Right.
At Keun Se-jin’s small whisper, I handed the car keys to Ryu Cheong-woo.
“…Right, Rae-bin. It’s better to move right now. Let’s change clothes inside the car.”
“…….”
Kim Rae-bin nodded.
And the group crossed the beach, went straight to the parking area, and got into the car.
I squeezed into the corner of the back seat.
“Everyone’s in? We’re moving.”
“Yes.”
The car started immediately.
…And so, the first day of vacation began.