Chapter 45
Chapter 45
“…….”
I carefully took my hand off the handle of my studio apartment door, making sure not to make a sound.
I was certain I had double-locked it before leaving for filming, but now that I was back, the locks were all disengaged.
‘It finally happened.’
The inevitable problem that comes with fame: the invasion of privacy.
It was an issue I had already worried about. I just hadn't done anything about it because I didn't have the financial means for other options.
‘…For now, there’s nothing important inside.’
I hadn't bought much, and since I’d already packed all my clothes for the shoot, there was absolutely nothing of value in the room.
‘Then I’ll just leave quietly and—’
The moment that thought crossed my mind, my smartphone vibrated.
Vrrrring!
[Seon A-hyun]
The moment I saw the name on the screen, I realized the problem.
The walls of this studio were like sheets of paper; they weren't soundproof at all.
‘Shit.’
I hurriedly backed away from the door.
Then, I immediately ran toward the emergency exit.
As soon as I rounded the corner by the exit and stepped into a blind spot, I heard the sound of a door opening.
Creeak.
I saw the back of a woman’s head as she poked her face out through the gap, scanned the surroundings, and then went back inside.
She looked perfectly normal. The only problem was that she was a total stranger currently trespassing in someone else’s home.
A cold sweat broke out.
‘This is driving me crazy.’
First, I stepped out onto the emergency staircase and answered the phone.
As the screen indicated, it was Seon A-hyun.
—M-Moon-dae, uh… have you eaten yet?
“I haven’t, but I don’t think now is the time for me to be eating.”
—H-huh?
“Someone broke into my house.”
—G-gasp!
Over the phone, I heard Seon A-hyun catch his breath, followed by his parents’ voices asking what was wrong.
Normally, I would have made up an excuse and hung up, but this wasn't a situation I could just brush off to avoid a hassle.
‘I should ask them for a ride to the police station.’
If I called the emergency services and a police car showed up, it would cause a scene in the neighborhood, and in the worst-case scenario, it could spark strange rumors.
We were in the final stretch; there was no need to give people an excuse to talk.
So, I planned to go there myself, explain the situation, and have them handle it quietly.
‘I thought calling a taxi would take forever, so this actually worked out.’
—W-wait. W-we’ll go right now. Come down immediately! W-we have to report it….
“I’m going to go report it in person. I’m sorry, but could you give me a ride to the police station?”
—O-of course!
I headed down the stairs while still on the phone with Seon A-hyun.
I really was going through all sorts of things.
*
Fortunately, everything went smoothly after that.
Thanks to Seon A-hyun and his parents, who were even more freaked out than I was, we were able to rush to the police station and file the report immediately.
—What? Oh, a woman….
—I don’t know her.
—Ah, I see.
The police seemed a bit indifferent, but they were dispatched nonetheless.
And this was the full story that came to light.
‘I didn't expect there to be more than one.’
There were four people in the studio apartment in total. After rummaging through the place together, they had been helping themselves to my dishes and clothes.
It seemed a few people with a history of stalking other idols had joined forces, followed me, and then broken into the poorly secured studio.
‘I never would have imagined.’
I massaged my shoulders, feeling bitter.
The bigger problem was that the police maintained an attitude that suggested they didn't really want to make an arrest.
‘Did I just have bad luck with this neighborhood?’
Even the four who were caught didn't seem nervous at all; they just kept grinning and trying to talk to me.
—Hey!
—Moon-dae, can’t you hear me?
—You can hear us. Come on, answer me~
—Park Moon-dae!
‘They’ll probably just get a warning or a fine.’
If I didn't move out of that studio soon, I was going to be in real trouble.
“M-Moon-dae. Are you okay?”
“Huh? Oh. I’m fine.”
Seon A-hyun was fidgeting, picking up and putting down his chopsticks. It was almost embarrassing, considering I was the one being treated to a meal.
This was how things had ended up:
—W-we were going to eat out nearby, and I-I thought it would be nice if you joined us….
—Ah. So that’s why you called.
—Y-yeah!
Thanks to that, I was now sitting in on Seon A-hyun’s family dinner.
‘This place makes good ribs.’
I silently brought the meat to my mouth. Since I hadn't slept, I might as well eat well.
“Goodness, there are so many strange people these days. How could they do such a thing….”
“Shouldn't you contact your parents first?”
Seon A-hyun’s parents were so shocked that they had repeated this pattern of conversation several times.
Hmm. I hesitated for a moment but decided to tell the truth.
Since I had received so much help today and was even being treated to dinner, the least I could do was show some sincerity by answering properly.
“There was an accident a while ago… My parents aren't around.”
Gasp. Seon A-hyun’s mother glared at his father, who had sucked in a breath, and then asked quietly.
“Is there any other adult we should contact?”
“Not anyone… in particular.”
It was partly because I didn't know anyone since I’d entered Park Moon-dae’s body, but there was also no sign that the original ‘Park Moon-dae’ had any guardians either.
‘Looking at it this way, we really are similar.’
It was quite interesting now that I thought about it. I wondered if the similarity in our backgrounds was one of the reasons I ended up in Park Moon-dae’s body.
However, the atmosphere at the table was sinking like a swamp, so I had to fix it.
“It hasn't been like this since I was very young. A few things happened at once, and it just turned out this way…. I don't have any particular problems living on my own right now.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
Instead of making a fuss, Seon A-hyun’s mother gave me a smile.
“I see. Living alone must keep you busy with so many things to do, so thank you for taking such good care of our A-hyun all this time.”
“No. I’m the one who’s received a lot of help.”
“…….”
I expected Seon A-hyun to jump in and deny it at this point, but he was silent. When I looked over, he was flipping the meat diligently with his mouth tightly shut.
‘Come to think of it, did he not know I don't have parents either?’
Now that I thought about it, I’d only told the production crew, and it hadn't been featured on the broadcast since then.
He must have been quite surprised, but Seon A-hyun was trying his best not to show it.
‘I guess he wants to respect my privacy.’
Looking back, maybe the reason Seon A-hyun followed ‘Park Moon-dae’ around so much in the beginning of filming started from something like this.
‘Was it because I reacted to his symptoms casually during the first grade evaluation?’
The pieces of the puzzle seemed to fit together.
‘Well, it’s not a particularly important deduction.’
I shrugged and ate more meat. Since I had no other choice, I’d spend tonight at the studio and look for a new place first thing tomorrow.
However, an unexpected lifeline was thrown to me right after the meal.
“Y-you’re going back there?”
“They were taken away, so they won't come back today, at least.”
“B-but still….”
When I said I planned to return to the studio, Seon A-hyun and his family were horrified. After whispering among themselves, it was decided that I would stay at Seon A-hyun’s apartment until the next filming.
“……?”
I didn't know what was going on, but it was a total win, so I decided to just shut up and follow along.
*
Around the time Park Moon-dae was enjoying the unexpected upgrade in his living situation, people on the internet who had attended the recording were frantically leaking spoilers.
Because the program was doing so well, the non-disclosure agreements weren't doing a damn thing at this point.
While Cha Yu-jin was the most mentioned individual, as a team, the <Moon Rabbit> team was overwhelming.
Many people tried to suppress the hype, claiming it was just media play by the fans of the <Moon Rabbit> contestants, but as proof of attendance started popping up one after another, they quietly left a few malicious comments and vanished.
And here was the owner of a famous Park Moon-dae fan account, who had been out of her mind all day because neither she nor any of her acquaintances had won a ticket to the recording.
She was the very person who had hidden a camera during the first team match and ended up settling on Park Moon-dae.
‘Was my network really this lacking?’
Since he was a survival show contestant whose fandom had only just begun to form, she had tried to refrain from socializing too much as a famous account, but the result was a total defeat in the information war.
With trembling hands, she clicked on a trending post.
=========================
[I went to the recording. (Photos included) (361)]
: This was my first time winning something like this, so I went with a fluttering heart. Honestly, just seeing Moon-dae’s face made it more than worth it ㅠㅠ
Moon-dae came out with the first team, wearing a rabbit mask and a hanbok. He looked like a character from a fusion fantasy historical drama. He was so cool I couldn't stand it… so I took a quick photo ㅠㅠ
And that talk about the stage being all thanks to the broadcast editing is total bullshit. He was so good my heart is still pounding ㅠㅠ
His singing is seriously beyond human, and he’s a great dancer too. I don't know what those people who keep chanting that he can't dance are even looking at.
I’ll write a detailed review below!
……
=========================
She read the post word by word, and when she saw the mention of a photo, she couldn't help but scroll down rapidly.
Below was a photo of Park Moon-dae’s upper body, wearing a rabbit mask tilted to the side and a durumagi.
“Ack!!”
Against a black background with shining stars, the blonde Park Moon-dae in a navy durumagi was so damn handsome it made her heart ache.
‘Should I… buy the data?’
She muttered, unable to overcome her sorrow. However, those who sold data usually only sold such things after the broadcast to avoid legal issues.
The more she imagined that appearance—which she could see in the Episode 9 teaser at the earliest, or the Episode 10 broadcast at the latest—the more her head spun.
“…Let’s just, let’s just look at the ads…….”
She tried to pull herself together by pulling up a new ad draft to post before the final episode.
‘No, but if I use the photo from that time for this ad! It would be perfect!’
She wailed again and logged onto social media.
Her daily routine of searching for recording reviews continued until the Episode 9 teaser was released.
*
Staying at Seon A-hyun’s apartment provided a quality of life that was fundamentally different from living in the studio.
Of course, there was a headache in the middle involving the studio landlord and compensation for the damaged door lock.
But that sort of thing was an annual occurrence even before I entered Park Moon-dae’s body, so it didn't particularly ruin my mood.
The important thing was sleeping in a room without mold. And the fact that the soundproofing was good enough to sleep without earplugs also played a part.
However, the joy of a noise-free environment wasn't a benefit I could enjoy today.
“I can’t believe you guys were having fun all by yourselves!”
It was because Keun Se-jin had come over.
Keun Se-jin, who had been chatting in the same-age group chat about watching Episode 9 together today, had gone into overdrive when I said I was staying at Seon A-hyun’s place and eventually barged in this morning.
“W-welcome!”
Seon A-hyun just looked happy. If the homeowner was fine with it, it wasn't my place to say anything.
Keun Se-jin walked into the living room with a smirk and pulled out the board games he’d brought.
…He seemed fully intent on having a serious play session.
Vrrrring.
“Isn't that a message for Park Moon-dae?”
“Oh. You’re right.”
I checked my smartphone, which was vibrating on the dining table.
[Kim Rae-bin: Hello, Hyung. Today is the day Episode 9 airs. If you have time, would it be alright if we watched it together?]
Well, we were on the same team anyway, so I didn't think it would matter if he joined us.
Since a quiet viewing was already out of the question with Keun Se-jin here, it should be fine.
“Rae-bin wants to watch Episode 9 together. Should I invite him?”
“Oh? I’m in~”
“T-that sounds great!”
A unanimous decision right away.
Without much thought, I sent a text to Kim Rae-bin explaining the situation.
A moment later, a reply came back.
[Kim Rae-bin: Um… Cha Yu-jin is with me. Would it be alright if we watched it together?]
“…….”
Hey, that’s a bit much….