Chapter 416
Chapter 416
The glamping site next to a certain hot spring in Gapyeong was gradually becoming deserted as the weekend drew to a close.
Before lunchtime, the guests who had stayed for two nights since Friday had all checked out, and few new arrivals were expected. It was that awkward period in early summer—hot, yet not quite the peak vacation season. Besides, it was already evening.
"I hope you have a wonderful stay~"
The part-timer working the counter at the edge of the grounds was leisurely attending to the occasional guest.
That was, until the next group walked in.
Ding.
'Huh?'
The door opened, and a crowd of people suddenly swarmed in.
Despite the heat, seven tall men wearing hoodies and colorful masks entered. Their attire was quite out of place for a summer campsite.
It was even more jarring when someone wearing an avant-garde character baseball cap and another in sunglasses appeared.
'...Are they here for SNS clout?'
The cherry on top was the small white dog being cradled by the well-built man at the very back.
'A PE major membership training trip?'
But more than half of them were on the slender side. Besides, this was a place frequented far more by families than university students.
'Hmm?'
Just as curiosity began to pique, one of the well-built men, dressed in a gray hoodie and a mask, approached the counter and asked brightly.
"Hello~ We have a reservation."
"Yes, please give me the name!"
The employee quickly checked the system while thinking to herself. He had a great voice, was tall, and his eyes, visible for a split second, looked handsome.
'...A theater and film major?'
However, she didn't do anything as useless as asking. True to her motto of working exactly as much as she was paid, the part-timer completed the check-in process efficiently.
"One Royal Caravan and one Sunset Ondol room, is that correct?"
"Yep, that's right!"
At that moment, the man in the black hoodie and sunglasses whispered to his companion from behind.
"Check if the pet-friendly option is marked."
"Oh, right."
"Yes, the pet-friendly option is included."
The part-timer, who had sensed the question and answered quickly, felt a strange sense of cognitive dissonance.
For such ridiculous outfits, their voices were surprisingly... good?
Wait, she felt like she had heard that voice somewhere before.
"Here you go..."
"Ah, thank you~ We just head that way, right?"
"Yes! If you go left from here past the parking lot, you'll see them right away."
"Got it~ Thanks for the kind explanation."
That cheerful voice, that way of speaking... she had definitely heard it somewhere...
But the two had already turned around and were heading back to their group.
'Hmm.'
As the part-timer smacked her lips in thought, a small voice drifted over from the group.
"Mung... no, can someone take the puppy?"
"Yes...!"
A man in white clothes and a baseball cap took the white puppy and carefully perched it on his shoulder...
"...!"
The realization struck the part-timer like a bolt of lightning.
That's the dog she saw on that variety show! The pose was exactly the same.
And that variety show was...!
The Grandson of That House!
And the cast members who appeared there were...
'Oh my god.'
The employee covered her mouth.
It was TeSTAR!
Seven members, that physique, and even the group composition—it matched so perfectly she wondered how she hadn't realized it sooner.
'No, but those fashion items...'
Usually, people would try to hide their faces while staying low-profile, but these outfits were so eye-catchingly ridiculous it was as if they were using reverse psychology.
'Wait, that's definitely Cha Yu-jin!'
She had wondered why there was another weirdo in sunglasses, but the way he tilted his neck was pure Cha Yu-jin. She had even seen a compilation video of just that on WeTube Shorts.
'Whoa...'
Since they were a group where every individual had high recognition, the scan was finished in an instant.
The one standing guard over the suitcases was Bae Se-jin. The one reading the pamphlet intently was Kim Rae-bin. The man in sunglasses with the familiar voice was Park Moon-dae, the one who had been holding the dog was Ryu Cheong-woo, and the man who took the dog was Seon A-hyun...
And the one who spoke to her was Lee Se-jin!
The part-timer clenched her fists.
'I knew he looked handsome!'
He just had that handsome aura!!
Finally, a productive thought crossed her mind.
'A-Autograph...'
But the mindset of a working professional held her back, telling her it would be rude to call out to them here. Besides, there would be another chance.
'They have to check out eventually.'
She wouldn't miss it then...
'Oh, seriously!'
She wanted to tell someone! Even her older sister!
'Wow, she's going to be so shocked when she hears this...'
Just as the employee opened her KakaoTalk with trembling hands.
"Excuse me."
"......?!"
When she looked up, she saw a pair of eyes smiling shyly above a mask.
'Ryu Cheong-woo! It's Ryu Cheong-woo!'
The part-timer's brain was screaming, but Ryu Cheong-woo spoke only with gentleness.
"We're really here just to rest. Could you please keep this a secret for just the few days we're here?"
"Huh? Of course... Yes, yes."
Absolutely. No problem!
"Thank you. Oh, please take this."
Gulp.
Accepting an expensive bath bomb set—offered as a bribe under the guise of a gift—with trembling hands, the part-timer watched the members of TeSTAR (presumably) walk away with a dazed expression.
"Mung-ge, let's go!"
"Kyung, ang!"
"I told you not to egg him on..."
...They're here to rest?
'They must be really close.'
The part-timer put down her smartphone. She thought of her sister, whom she had just decided to cut off from this information without a second thought.
She nodded at the deep bond of an idol group that came to a family-style healing glamping site in the middle of their promotions without any cameras.
'Don't they get sick of each other, seeing each other every day??'
She had no way of imagining just how many crazy ups and downs they had faced over the past ten months, or how long it had been since they had truly reunited like this.
*
I had to admit it.
'In truth, it's like we're getting a vacation for the first time in ten months.'
If you added the time we couldn't rest before that, it had been over a year.
Thanks to that, I had to endure an endless cycle of searching and debating as the guys, their eyes gleaming with the determination to go somewhere great, refused to settle.
And finally, a conclusion was reached.
"As expected, the place A-hyun went to is the best."
"Right?"
"......"
I wanted to ask why they spent all that time hunched over laptops in the salon waiting area instead of sleeping if this was going to be the result.
I found the answer in Bae Se-jin's words.
"I-It did look the best from the start. But since he's already been there, I thought it might be a bit boring for him."
"A-Ah, no...! Not at all. I know for sure it's a good place, so I wanted to go there with the members...!"
"Hyung..."
The atmosphere suddenly became heartwarming. The fact that we had wasted hours to reach this conclusion was quickly forgotten.
Ryu Cheong-woo smiled warmly.
"Great. Then A-hyun, could you introduce us to a lot of the activities you enjoyed?"
"Yes...!"
"Okay~ Then our destination is the Gapyeong Healing Glamping!"
And so, that very day, we booked a tent at the full list price.
'Though I'm not sure if this can even be called a tent.'
"Ooh~ This is nice!"
I looked around our reserved spot at the very edge of the campsite, surrounded by lush trees.
The aesthetically draped canvas only served to maintain the image of a tent; inside, there were heated ondol floors with plenty of hot water and pine wood interiors.
There was even an outdoor bath.
The comfort of camping without the actual struggle. It truly was fit for "healing."
"...! They say this is hot spring water."
"Mung-ge, do you want to go in? Aw, does our Mung-ge want to try? ...Wait, wait, wait."
"Don't torment the dog."
Even if it was pet-friendly, this was clearly a pool for large dogs. If we were going to put this fist-sized thing in there, we'd need to put a life jacket on him first.
Fortunately, a magical conclusion was reached by the guys who were excited just looking around.
"Hmm, shall we eat dinner first? The sun is setting."
"Sounds good~"
As expected, hunger took priority.
"Exactly! We have been starving for a long time."
It wasn't a comment that should have come from someone who had just eaten roasted potatoes at a rest stop, but regardless, from then on, it was time for barbecue and a campfire.
We lit a fire with logs in front of the caravan.
"Ooh."
It was rare to do this without staff present, but the meat grilled perfectly without any issues.
'It's delicious.'
I tended to the fire. In the meantime, Kim Rae-bin, with a solemn face, quickly flipped the meat on the grill.
"U-Um, Moon-dae. Should I... try grilling too...?"
"Hahaha, A-hyun, could you wash these mushrooms over here?"
"Ah, yes..!"
And so, time flowed peacefully.
Whether the bribe at the counter worked or not, there were no intruders or prying eyes. Occasionally, a kid running around in front of a distant caravan would peek over.
"Oh my, does our baby want some meat too~?"
"Hey, the dog might have allergies."
"Ah. Sorry."
We spent time talking about nothing in particular, took baths, roughly divided the sleeping quarters, and slept soundly.
"Don't set any alarms, let's just sleep as much as we want."
"What a great idea. As expected of our leader."
I slept on the ondol floor on the first night. Mosquito coils burned, and the sound of grass insects filled the air.
It had been a long time since I didn't have to think about screen time or the next goal.
The next day, we didn't wake up until past noon and then tried horseback riding nearby.
"Yippee-ki-yay~!!"
Cha Yu-jin completely dominated the horseback riding. Even Ryu Cheong-woo, who chased after him laughing, seemed to have startled the staff.
Maybe I shouldn't have called the guys who used to be athletes "beginners."
'Those two could have been quarantined to the advanced course.'
"Moon-dae, Moon-dae, what on earth is Yu-jin saying?"
"I don't know."
"...I should search to see if it's a problematic word... Whoa!"
"Oops, hyung-nim."
Just then, as Bae Se-jin, who almost lost his balance on the horse, regained his footing following the staff's instructions, I saw someone whispering to him.
"Hyung, that's just a cowboy sound..."
From afar, I could hear Cha Yu-jin shouting things like "Yee-haw."
"Ahem, as long as it's not a problem, then fine."
I'll just mention that Bae Se-jin rode quite skillfully after that, though it felt somewhat like he was acting.
And as for Seon A-hyun, who had whispered to him...
"Did you do horseback riding too?"
"Yeah! Not a lot, just occasionally."
I'll just say he took on the role of the third "former athlete."
'It seems this guy is good at riding too.'
Apparently, he had adjusted his pace while planning the course.
"Oh, really? I didn't know that~ Okay, Se-jin's turn to pick."
So the next day, we went to a sheep ranch that Keun Se-jin said he hadn't been to.
"I think we can buy a little bit of sheep's wool...! I-I'm thinking of making a sweater."
"Ooh~!"
"A-hyun, you should wear that and post a photo on the official account this Christmas."
We spent time like that, without worrying about efficiency.
No filming, no proof shots, nothing to use for broadcast episodes or build-ups.
Just time spent resting and playing.
"S'mores are delicious. Hyung, let's eat s'mores! Buy marshmallows!"
"Sure."
Cha Yu-jin looked at me seriously.
"...! Hyung, are you serious? Are you sick?"
"I couldn't be healthier."
He makes a fuss even when I agree to buy them. Anyway, that day we even bought chocolate and biscuits, roasted marshmallows over an open flame, and made s'mores. We ate them while looking at the stars.
"Moon-dae, Moon-dae, we have to jog twice as much tomorrow."
"I know."
It was almost the first time the seven of us had gathered to spend time just playing without a single thought.
The trip to the seaside pension had fallen through when Kim Rae-bin's grandmother collapsed.
'...This is nice.'
We also made full use of the hot spring.
Using the outdoor hot spring bath every evening was a great way to end the day before bed.
"Let's buy this. Let's put it in the dorm! I'll pay for it."
"There's no room for it."
The hot water lowered our guards.
Then, things we had experienced in that bizarre system world would slip out of our mouths.
"Did you know? Kim Rae-bin grilled a lot of meat while making strawberries. I heard it from Kim Rae-bin there."
"Heol, really?"
"No wonder he was good at grilling. It was all a learned skill."
"Since I, as a minor, could not harvest strawberries delicately, I assisted in preparing the snacks. But thank you very much for the compliment. I will continue to strive for excellence!"
Sitting in the outdoor hot spring one by one, the guys threw out comments without much regard for the context of the conversation.
"Did you contact the VTIC sunbaenims?"
"Yeah. They seem to be doing well."
"That's good~"
"I didn't know we'd become close with those sunbaenims like this."
I twitched an eyebrow, thinking of the list of various work recommendations I had received from Ju-dan around yesterday.
The other two also contacted me quite often.
'I suppose it's natural, considering we have memories of promoting as one group for over half a year.'
Perhaps recalling the 'Wishes' activities like me, Ryu Cheong-woo spoke softly.
"Come to think of it, we didn't get to do a proper tour there. It feels like it's been a very long time."
"That's right. I'm looking forward to it."
Not just Cha Yu-jin, but guys from all over started nodding. Ryu Cheong-woo nodded along and then added playfully.
"Ah, only Se-jin has done it, right?"
Keun Se-jin grinned.
"You shouldn't call that a proper tour."
"......"
"No, really... yeah."
He almost looked serious for a second.
"Anyway, I missed our group so much~ Now that we're going on tour, we're going to perform really excitedly and hard, right?"
I get it, you punk.
"Uh-oh? It looks like only Moon-dae isn't responding?"
"That's because you're asking something obvious."
"...!"
Resting is good, but my brain really starts working when I'm doing something stimulating.
"Let's do the tour right."
Smiles spread across the faces of the others, including Keun Se-jin.
And so, the conclusion for that day was reached.
It was the night of the fourth day, the end of the trip.
And the morning of check-out.
"Thanks to you, we had a great stay. Thank you!"
"Not at all. Me too...!"
We gave autographs and took proof shots for the counter employee and the owner who had remained silent, then boarded the car back to Seoul. The guys, each wearing a neck pillow, were laughing.
"That was fun."
"It was a camping trip where I realized that rest is also a beneficial use of time."
"Next time, let's go to the sea!"
"Sounds good, sounds good."
Amidst the chattering guys, I picked up my smartphone and logged into the group's official account... then suddenly remembered.
Come to think of it, I had brought it just in case.
"Is everyone's appearance okay right now?"
"Hmm?"
Fortunately, in preparation for the future where we'd take proof shots at the counter, everyone looked clean and well-groomed.
"It's fine, it's fine."
In that case.
After a brief discussion, we pulled out a spare phone from a bag. It was the smartphone for W App.
After attaching it to the front of the passenger seat and adjusting the angle, we turned on the broadcast...
Beep.
"Hello, Loviewers!"
-???
-1st
-What's going on? What's this?
Comments flashed by, asking what was happening so early in the morning and greeting us.
Then a sensible question came in.
-Is this for filming?
"Is it for filming? No~ We're just on our way back after hanging out together!"
And the members started chatting excitedly.
"Ah, what we did... we went to a hot spring, went horseback riding... and touched baby sheep. Oh, I also brought Mung-ge along."
"Ah, Moon-dae-Moon-dae was really funny then. Yu-jin made lava with marshmallows, right? Moon-dae's face at that moment~"
"Hmm, Se-jin talking about lava reminds me. A-hyun succeeded at the barbecue yesterday! We were all so surprised. It was delicious."
"Photos? Uh, we didn't really take any..."
"Hmm. Something like a video... Ah, there is a video of Mung-ge!"
Seon A-hyun smiled and showed a video on his smartphone of Mung-ge floating on a pool in a tube.
[Mwang!]
That was the beginning and end of all the materials.
"Uh... it's not for a show or anything, we really just went on a trip by ourselves and are on our way back!"
There was nothing more.
-?
-No, show us TeSTAR's faces
-Show us what you guys did
-This is a cruel and unusual act, only showing us the ending
Silent screams took over the chat window.
'...Did we just play too much?'
I realized it.
This was just intended to give an update on our current status, but listening closely, everything we talked about sounded like a perfect setup for self-produced content.
And so, it had greatly piqued the interest of those who were watching.
However, hollow teasers with no actual content were overflowing through the live stream.
-Go back, guys. Hurry up and camp again.
Thanks to that, madness was flowing through the comments.
......This was the beginning of all the grand chaos that would follow.