Chapter 251
Chapter 251
It was a good thing that the Chuseok holidays were guaranteed after this island survival show ended. I had a use for them.
‘…I was planning to press “Truth Verification” then.’
Even if my condition turned out to be less than ideal, the fact that I could recover during the holidays was a plus. It was also quite convenient that these punks would all be heading to their family homes for the festivities.
‘I’ll be able to sort things out cleanly on my own.’
But what was with this sudden proposal out of nowhere?
‘Inviting a coworker to your house for the holidays?’
Was he determined to make things awkward for both of us?
Especially Ryu Cheong-woo—the chances of him heading down to his family home every holiday, just like I used to when I was young, were…
“…….”
‘Forget it.’
That’s enough… let’s not make useless guesses. It’s a waste of time.
Thud, thud.
As I walked slowly down the mountain path, I just asked him point-blank.
“Wouldn’t it be a bit awkward for me to go during the holidays?”
“It’s fine,” Ryu Cheong-woo answered readily. “It won’t be much different from any other day. I already told them we should just spend it with immediate family. We’ll probably just make some holiday food.”
“…….”
Whatever he interpreted my silence as, Ryu Cheong-woo gave a wry smile.
“Actually… meeting relatives is a bit uncomfortable for me.”
“…!”
“They were the ones who got contacted by Idol Inc.”
Ryu Cheong-woo continued calmly.
“Since related articles even popped up back then… my parents said they wouldn’t go to the family gatherings for the holidays anymore, either.”
“…….”
Right. The Aju-sa writers had used the "relative chance."
It seemed Ryu Cheong-woo’s parents were also avoiding interactions with relatives to prevent giving the reporters any more ammunition.
I chose my words carefully.
“That’s wise of them.”
“Haha, is it? Anyway, so it’s just me and my parents at home. My younger brother said he’s going on a trip with friends. Oh, and our dog is there, too.”
“…….”
“Think about it. It’ll probably be hard for you to stay in the dorm alone this time.”
“Pardon?”
The wry smile vanished from Ryu Cheong-woo’s face, replaced by a hint of playfulness.
“Don’t you know? The members and the company all say we shouldn’t leave you alone because something strange always happens whenever you’re on vacation.”
“…….”
Well… that was fair.
I lost my words as I recalled my track record from the last vacation.
‘Of all things, they had to find out about all of that.’
If I were them, I’d also keep an eye on a teammate who either lost their mind or got caught up in a dogfight every time they got a break.
I would try to find a way to slip away on my own, but if that wasn't feasible…
‘Then… Ryu Cheong-woo’s place isn't a bad idea.’
Since I wasn't exactly "buddy-buddy" with this guy, I could probably just get a room to myself and stay there quietly.
Seeing Ryu Cheong-woo’s parents wouldn't exactly be a pleasant time, but it would be bearable.
‘And….’
I took a breath.
There might be photos of his parents.
I mean, when people go on large family trips… isn't there always someone who leaves behind photos or videos?
‘If I could at least look at a group photo.’
If I played my cards right, even if "Ryu Gun-woo" wasn't there, I might be able to check if my parents were…
‘Nonsense.’
I shook the thought away.
Even if there were records of my parents being here… seeing them now wouldn't help at all. It would only cause unnecessary agitation.
‘Don’t fall for the bullshit in your head.’
I cut off the impulse and grit my teeth. A grinding sound echoed inside my mouth.
The problem was that the guy next to me heard it.
“Is it that uncomfortable?”
“…!!”
“No… I understand. It can be awkward staying with adults you don’t know.”
That wasn't what he was going to say.
I understood the nuance of his first reaction.
‘He meant, was I uncomfortable with him?’
Ryu Cheong-woo looked almost bitter for a moment, but he quickly changed his expression and spoke casually.
“Well, think about it anyway.”
“…….”
Maybe it would be right to just let it slide here.
But I opened my mouth.
“It’s not because I’m uncomfortable with you, hyung. It’s not like I have a problem with you or anything.”
“……Hmm.”
Ryu Cheong-woo seemed to stare at me as we walked down, then answered easily.
“Okay.”
“No, I’m not lying… I mean it.”
“I said I got it. Thanks.”
He didn't seem to believe me at all.
I kicked a stone in my path.
“That’s not it. I just don’t want you to have some strange sense of debt.”
“…!”
Inviting a coworker over for the holidays isn't an easy decision.
If it were the usual him, he would have suggested I go to the house of one of the same-age guys I seemed closer to.
‘Instead of rambling on with explanations about his own home.’
The fact that he was going this far meant one thing: the thought that "I have to be good to Park Moon-dae" was firmly lodged in his head.
And there was likely only one reason for that.
“I didn't get hurt in that accident instead of you, hyung. It was just rotten luck.”
I was talking about the rebar that hit me in the car instead of him.
Ryu Cheong-woo was silent for a moment, but soon answered firmly.
“No, it wasn't.”
“I’m telling you it was. Based on the seat position….”
“Moon-dae, I have eyes too. I saw you push me. …You almost died because of that. And we don’t even know what the aftereffects will be.”
Ryu Cheong-woo continued without hesitation.
“I had to quit what I was doing because of the aftereffects of a car accident. And they said mine wasn't even life-threatening.”
“…….”
Right, I had seen that too.
I reflexively recalled the scene of his accident I’d seen through "Truth Verification."
The guy whose arm was shattered, sobbing his heart out.
‘…Maybe that influenced me, too.’
That much was true.
Crushing the memory of the aftermath of Ryu Cheong-woo’s accident in my mind, I quietly listened to him.
“And you… your stamina has already dropped due to the aftereffects. If it were before, you wouldn't be this out of breath from a hike like this.”
“…….”
“Getting hurt that badly and being bedridden for so long must have taken a toll on your condition.”
It didn't.
Hey, that’s… because I don’t have Bacchus right now.
‘I’m going to pull it again in the next gacha, you punk.’
And since I used Nectar, there won't be any other aftereffects. I recovered at a terrifying speed, so what was he talking about?
It was just a matter of me bulking up a bit.
‘I’m starting to break into a cold sweat.’
However, Ryu Cheong-woo, a civilian who knew nothing about these webnovel-like settings, was pressing his brow.
“It’s as good as you becoming like that instead of me. So how could I not feel sorry?”
“…….”
Right. Anyway, since Ryu Cheong-woo had gone through a hard time quitting archery due to car accident aftereffects, he must feel an immense sense of debt toward me for taking the hit.
“Whew.”
Well, it seemed the "accidentally putting my stomach in the way of a rebar" excuse wasn't going to work anymore.
I pondered for a moment before speaking.
“Fine. Then let’s just say I saved your life, hyung.”
“…!”
“You can just keep being very grateful from now on. I’ll call on you without hesitation if I need anything, so make sure to pay me back.”
Since telling him not to be grateful seemed like it would only make things more uncomfortable, I decided to just make good use of him until he felt less guilty.
“Ah, and as for my stamina, I’ll cover it with exercise, so it’s fine.”
“…….”
Ryu Cheong-woo stopped in his tracks with a dazed look. He probably didn't expect such a sudden shift in attitude.
But eventually, he burst into laughter.
“…Haha!”
Don’t laugh, it makes me feel attached.
I heard Ryu Cheong-woo speak refreshingly.
“Alright, I’ll pay you back.”
“Yeah.”
The air felt a bit lighter. I shrugged my shoulders.
And as we continued our descent, I added one more thing.
“But I’m still not going to your house for the holidays. I’m going to the house where people will be the least interested in me.”
“Okay, get some good rest.”
I looked at Ryu Cheong-woo, who answered cleanly, and shrugged again.
Right. If I absolutely had to go to another member's house, I should go to the quietest place.
Of course, a commotion completely opposite to the quiet holiday I desired was happening outside, where this variety show was being aired.
—It’s a total hit!! TeSTAR is the best!
“…Thank you.”
I took a call from the production crew, who were making a huge fuss.
And I fully understood the reason for their excitement.
‘The program did even better than I thought.’
The ratings for the third episode had reached 6.1%.
‘For an idol variety show on cable, this is off the charts.’
It was as high as CVN’s flagship regular variety shows.
They had secured a PPL for the frozen chicken we ate on the island later on, and apparently, sales were skyrocketing, so it was obvious how good the reaction was.
The voices of the production crew, who had gone from being on the brink of failure to achieving a massive success, couldn't be brighter.
—We really want to do Season 2!
“That sounds good.”
Naturally, the higher-ups inside the broadcasting station would be grinning from ear to ear as well.
I heard rumors that they were even talking about pushing aside the filler pilot program scheduled after us to air a "Behind-the-Scenes Special" instead.
‘Well, a lot of it was due to luck during filming, with one coincidence after another.’
Since accidents kept happening and things were unpredictable, it must have been exciting and fun to watch. Honestly, it would be hard to capture that flavor again, so as for the next season… I don’t know.
‘But I should at least say the right things.’
The production crew did keep their promise.
As soon as the "stranded" time was over, they blew the rest of the production budget to give us a luxury vacation.
The king crabs we ate then must have been at least three per person. Well, Cha Yu-jin had five.
“We’d love to appear again if our schedule allows. It was really fun.”
—Ayy~ thank you, Moon-dae!
This should be enough. I wrapped up the conversation with the PD, who was excitedly calling every single member.
“Was that the PD?”
“Yes.”
“He keeps calling.”
Bae Se-jin grumbled. I shrugged.
“He must be in a good mood. Since the program did well.”
“That’s… true.”
Bae Se-jin muttered gloomily.
“…Even though all those embarrassing moments were aired.”
“…….”
Right. We were… no different from comedians.
Bae Se-jin and I sat in silence in the car for a moment, recalling how every single stupid thing we did in episodes 2 and 3 had been highlighted and broadcast.
‘I’m dreading the fan signing event….’
The silence was broken a moment later by words from the driver's seat.
“Se-jin, this is the right place, isn't it?”
“Ah, yes! This apartment complex.”
Bae Se-jin’s complexion recovered instantly upon seeing the navigation screen.
‘Is this the power of a self-owned apartment without a mortgage?’
It probably was.
“It’s the top floor over there!”
Bae Se-jin said with a slightly flushed face.
“My mom said she’s at home.”
“Okay.”
That’s right.
I decided to spend this holiday at Bae Se-jin’s house.
I heard that he was planning to spend it quietly with his mother without going anywhere.
The pretext was also good.
—Well, you can just think of it as a, uh, housewarming party and come over!
—Sure, why not.
—…?!
—Thanks for the invitation.
And that was how Bae Se-jin’s home base was raided.
‘I’ll feel a bit bad if he was just being polite.’
Just in case, I had bought some expensive fruit and meat.
If worst came to worst, I planned to stay for just a day or two for appearances and then slip out, so it should be fine.
“Welcome~! So this is Moon-dae!”
“Hello.”
“Come in, come in~”
Bae Se-jin’s mother was a bright person with a gentle impression.
“I actually just watched your variety show again. Oh my, our babies really went through so much….”
Right. Bae Se-jin was an only child, so seeing her only son suffering on an island couldn't have been very pleasant—
“But it was so much fun!”
“……Um, yes.”
Well, I’m glad we could provide some entertainment.
In any case, as I had guessed, Bae Se-jin seemed to have a very harmonious relationship with his mother.
“Moon-dae is even more handsome in person. My son has been talking about Moon-dae a lot ever since he started that program.”
“W-When did I!”
“What do you mean? You said you had a younger brother who was re~ally good at singing~”
“Uuugh!”
Bae Se-jin sank, suffering from the shame. Bae Se-jin’s mother laughed heartily and gave her son a tight hug.
“…….”
Well, they were a nice-looking mother and son.
A moment later, Bae Se-jin, having recovered from the shock, stood up shakily after his mother patted him on the back.
“…I’ll show you your room.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
Let’s not tease him.
I quietly followed him to the room where I would be staying, and took the opportunity to look around the house.
“I chose the wallpaper myself. Sky blue.”
“It looks good. Clean.”
“…Ahem, it is quite nice. Oh, and if you do this to this cabinet here!”
“Oh.”
Whether it was because he was incredibly proud of the house he had provided, Bae Se-jin had completely come back to life by the end.
And after spending some time eating the fruit I brought, it was evening.
“Thank you for the meal.”
“I didn't prepare much, but please eat a lot~”
Dinner was mung bean pancakes, bulgogi, and japchae.
Apparently, Bae Se-jin, worried about his mother preparing everything alone, had ordered from a famous restaurant in advance.
‘It does feel like the holidays.’
Anyway, I couldn't deny that it was a pretty good time.
“I’ll—!”
“It’s fine, just give me the dishes.”
I finished my bowl of rice and snatched the dishwashing duty from Bae Se-jin.
And only a while later did I return to my room.
Click.
“Whew.”
Sitting on the bed, I crossed my arms.
Since I told them I’d be alone until night because I had people to contact, I had plenty of time.
“Status Window.”
The time had come.
The perfect moment to press "Truth Verification."