Chapter 476
Chapter 476
Six years after debut, a member went AWOL.
It was a blood-chilling situation.
The moment the elevator carrying Steer’s Cha Yu-jin started its descent, I sprinted for the stairs, but it was already too late. Our new dorm was on a high floor; no matter how good one’s reflexes were, there was no outrunning the speed of an elevator.
And so… the company was turned upside down in the middle of the night.
—…Pardon?
Starting with the manager team leader, who asked for clarification as if he couldn't believe his ears, the news eventually reached the CEO’s office. Nearly every sleeping employee was jolted awake to scour Seoul with a fine-tooth comb.
Naturally, we were doing the same.
His face grim, Ryu Cheong-woo had been dashing between the security office and the dorm for a while now.
“Did they check the CCTV?”
“They confirmed he walked to the main gate, but they lost him after that because it was too dark. It looks like he caught a taxi, but…”
“……”
And to track that taxi, we’d have to file a missing person report with the police.
Of course, doing that would be insane—unless we wanted to fast-track our way onto the front page of tomorrow morning’s entertainment news.
‘Damn it.’
I felt like biting my tongue in frustration.
I kept monitoring social media in real-time to see if any sightings were being posted, all while racking my brain for places that punk might go.
‘I had to drag him back after he ran off during the last tour, too.’
Usually, if you know someone well enough, you can deduce their likely route.
However…
“……”
The problem was that I didn’t know him well.
‘Because this is Steer’s Cha Yu-jin.’
Right. I’ll admit it.
Before becoming TeSTAR’s Park Moon-dae, Ryu Gun-woo—the ordinary citizen—had a significant interest in Steer and had looked into them consistently. That was why I had recognized right away in the hospital room that this Cha Yu-jin was the same guy from Steer.
‘But that doesn’t mean I know him as an individual.’
Everything I knew about Steer’s Cha Yu-jin was a story processed and filtered through the media. It was information about an idol.
There was no way for me to know his personal preferences for locations or his favorite hangouts.
Furthermore…
“…Look, I’m saying this because it feels like no one else is going to bring it up right now.”
Keun Se-jin ran a hand through his hair, a bitter smile on his face.
“…You guys know we have a group schedule tomorrow evening, right?”
“……”
“The event.”
He was right.
Our last domestic group schedule for this promotion cycle was tomorrow. A summer festival.
“We already announced Yu-jin would be sitting out, but if we spend all night and all our energy trying to find him and then ruin the performance… I think that’s also a problem.”
He was spot on.
If there was an alternative, it would be to cancel the event entirely, but…
‘Can a headliner of TeSTAR’s caliber even manage a same-day cancellation for an event of this scale?’
It’s a dirty reality, but the impact of a cancellation varies depending on the prestige of the event.
‘And tomorrow’s event is…’
“It’s Waterbomb.”
“……”
We were screwed. Holy shit.
If we canceled on the day of, we’d be roasted alive.
‘No excuse would be enough to satisfy them.’
The moment we canceled, it would be instant headline news. And even if we didn't cancel and performed well, if a sighting of Cha Yu-jin—who was supposed to be out because he was "sick"—wandering around perfectly fine surfaced…
Cha Yu-jin already had a prior record due to the camera assault incident.
This meant he would be headed straight for rock bottom with no way out. People would see it as their chance to unleash a barrage of unfiltered verbal abuse and character attacks.
‘…What do I do?’
The problem was that even I didn't have a damn answer right now. Other than to keep searching.
But in the end, until morning broke, there was no news of Cha Yu-jin.
“……”
Naturally, not a single person had slept in their bed. Half the members had already rushed to the company.
I was the same, having greeted the dawn in the living room with my eyes wide open. I rubbed my smartphone, lost in thought. My head was spinning.
‘…If it was going to be like this.’
Would it have been better if the album hadn't done as well?
I thought I was doing my best at the time, but if things stayed like this, what would happen to Cha Yu-jin’s career? How could I possibly fix this?
“……”
My head throbbed.
‘There’s too much to do.’
Even if I found Steer’s Cha Yu-jin… I didn't know where or how to start cleaning up the mess. The company, public opinion, our activities. I didn't even know what to do with him for the next month.
‘I can only think of extreme measures.’
I pressed my eyelids.
Just then.
Clack.
A glass of cold water was placed on the table in front of me, as if telling me to drink.
“……”
I picked it up and gulped it down. The person who set the glass down sat across from me.
…It was Bae Se-jin.
Perhaps because he thought Yu-jin had left because of his words, he didn't look much better than I did. He looked terrible.
“Hyung, you have a shoot the day after tomorrow… no, tomorrow. You should probably rest for now.”
“I’m fine. I’ve done overnight shoots before.”
Bae Se-jin spoke firmly, but soon lowered his head with a slightly confused expression.
“I just…… I don’t know why he went this far.”
“……”
“I know he’s had different experiences for a few years… but he’s still Cha Yu-jin. I thought… I thought he was never the type of kid who would do something like this.”
Something like this.
In truth, while Cha Yu-jin might seem like someone who just does whatever he wants at first glance, he was actually someone who knew how to be considerate if he felt the other person was truly troubled. No, he was the type to naturally smooth things over without even making it obvious that he was being considerate.
‘Bae Se-jin must have been shocked to hear a guy like that suddenly say he didn't give a damn about what happened to anyone else.’
He must have been bewildered.
Right. From the perspective of someone who didn't know the full story, there was no way to know how much stress Steer’s Cha Yu-jin was under in this environment. The guy had quit being an idol, and then suddenly he was told to do a 30-day trial of a "successful version" of his life—of course he’d be pissed.
‘I should have handled it with more care.’
Because I was so focused on getting through these 30 days safely and returning Cha Yu-jin to normal, I had failed to properly look after his mental state.
“……”
My head felt heavy.
In the middle of the silence.
“Um.”
A low voice spoke up.
“Is that really true?”
When I looked up, a pale-faced Kim Rae-bin sat down cautiously on the sofa.
“I… I don’t think that Cha Yu-jin left with the intention of making things difficult for us.”
“…!”
Bae Se-jin looked up.
“…I hope so, too. But you heard him. He said TeSTAR was none of his business.”
“T-That’s true, but… I believe saying it isn't his business doesn't necessarily mean he intends to sabotage us on purpose.”
“Huh?”
“Did Cha Yu-jin ever say he would freely cause harm to TeSTAR’s career?”
“Well, no, but… given the situation, if he doesn't care, that’s naturally what’s going to happen.”
“……”
Wait.
I felt like I’d been hit over the head. In a good way.
“Hold on.”
“…! Park Moon-dae?”
“I think Rae-bin is right.”
I picked up my smartphone with a clearer mind. It was still quiet. That meant there was no news of Cha Yu-jin at all.
But to put it another way… it meant there wasn't a single sighting.
Does that make sense?
‘It’s been over five hours since Cha Yu-jin ran out.’
He doesn't even have a car. Even with the best luck, is it possible for a celebrity with TeSTAR’s level of recognition to wander around outside without a single sighting being posted?
It was impossible.
‘Unless he’s being careful.’
“Cha Yu-jin is moving around right now while making sure he isn't caught by people.”
“…!”
“If he really wanted to openly damage TeSTAR, he would have gone to a club or something, but he hasn't.”
It meant he was still moving according to his habits as an idol—avoiding people. I didn't know if he was keeping a line even in this situation or what, but…
Inadvertently, I recalled the things he had said.
—But where I live during that time is up to me. It’s my body, and I do what I want. OK?
—Your consideration has a purpose. That’s not consideration, it’s control. Control.
“……”
‘Is he… scared?’
Just then, Kim Rae-bin cautiously raised his hand again.
“I don’t know if I should say this, but…”
“You can speak freely.”
“…! Yes.”
Kim Rae-bin answered with a serious face.
“I believe we need to have more of a conversation with that Cha Yu-jin.”
“……”
Bae Se-jin muttered in a depressed voice.
“…It didn't work.”
“Pardon? Ah, it seems I made too broad a choice in my phrasing! What I mean is…”
Kim Rae-bin seemed to be trying his best to choose the right words, then corrected himself.
“I believe that until now, we have attempted persuasion, not conversation, with that Cha Yu-jin.”
“…!”
“Or perhaps it was a conversation for the purpose of persuasion. However, because there was no conversation without a purpose, I think it might have been difficult to build trust between us.”
“……”
“W-Why are you looking at me like that?”
“No, it’s just…”
I think both Bae Se-jin and I were looking at Kim Rae-bin with expressions bordering on shock. It was an incredibly sharp analysis. So much so that it was hard to believe it came from someone usually so socially dense.
“…Ahem, I just think you’re right.”
“…! Yes. I believe it was an unavoidable flow because it is natural to worry about a member.”
I looked at Kim Rae-bin.
‘This guy has been thinking about this a lot, too.’
For someone who usually finds it difficult to have conversations with hidden motives or to guess others' thoughts, he must have gone through many steps to reach that conclusion.
‘Is that why he’s been so quiet lately?’
Kim Rae-bin seemed confused by the situation, but he appeared certain of his own words.
“I also do not know what that Cha Yu-jin is thinking… and that is why I want to know.”
“……”
I looked at him and nodded.
“Yeah.”
“…!”
“I agree.”
I was curious about what that punk was thinking, too. Since he’d already crossed the line, I figured it might be better to just have a completely honest talk.
“Thank you!”
I was the one who should be thankful. And…
“Anyway, to do that, we have to find him first.”
“…Yes.”
I turned my smartphone screen back on. Since I’d realized he was at least trying to stay out of sight, the list of potential locations had narrowed down a bit. Both the mode of transport and the destination.
‘A place an idol might go.’
Bae Se-jin nodded at my words and said, “Then… we can try to narrow it down within the scope of what we know.”
Even if we focused on information up to the Cha Yu-jin who participated in Idol Inc.
Then the person who knew that best was obvious.
“Is there anywhere Cha Yu-jin used to go when you were trainees?”
It was Kim Rae-bin. He answered earnestly with a grave expression.
“I believe he preferred crowded places!”
“……”
That’s a bit…
“…Could you add a more detailed explanation?”
“Outdoor cafes with good views or meat restaurants…. I believe they were loud, open spaces. Ah, he seemed to prefer the outdoors over the indoors no matter where it was!”
“Ah, that sounds like a place that reminds him of his hometown.”
We continued to narrow the scope. Then, those words came out.
‘If he’s in a state of mind where he just wants to escape from here for now.’
There was a chance he had gone far away.
“Did he ever go anywhere outside of Seoul when you were trainees?”
“Excluding my family home… well, we did go to the beach once.”
“The beach?”
“It was Ganghwa Island.”
“…!”
In that moment, something overlapped.
‘Cha Yu-jin lived near the beach in San Diego.’
When he ran away during the tour, I found him at a cafe near the beach.
……And.
—That guy… he went to Ganghwa Island in the variety show he filmed during his Steer days.
The beach at Ganghwa Island. It was the filming location for Steer’s very first variety show.
“…There.”
“Pardon?”
“Let’s search there.”
Two hours later.
“Cha Yu-jin!”
Steer’s Cha Yu-jin meets his friends.