Chapter 483
Chapter 483
Cha Yu-jin, who had returned to his usual self, spent an incredibly energetic day.
That didn’t just mean he played around.
“I’m practicing!”
He checked the choreography, worked out, and even personally called the manager, who was sobbing over the phone.
After calling his family in the States, he started playing a racing game with Kim Rae-bin.
“Yeaaah!”
“W-Wait!”
“Left! Press the jump key on the left!”
The other members were swept up in his whirlwind momentum.
It was as if he were smoothing out his daily life while simultaneously ticking off items on a bucket list.
He even had a video call with Mung-ge, who was at Bae Se-jin’s family home.
[Woof!]
“Ooooh. Hi, buddy!”
The ball of fur that used to be the size of a fist had grown so much it now overflowed from two hands. Though, the way he rolled over to show his belly remained the same.
‘He still looks as derpy as ever.’
On the screen, a white head and tail wagged relentlessly.
“Since we moved, should we invite Kkami over too?”
“I’d love that!!”
Yu-jin seemed ready to call his own dog from his house in America via video chat and host a group housewarming party for all the members' dogs.
“…….”
And… I watched him silently.
The interesting thing was that an unexpected person took the bait.
“Um, Moon-dae. Are you… feeling sad, by any chance?”
“……?”
Seon A-hyun had approached me and spoken softly.
“Me?”
“Y-Yeah.”
He blushed slightly but gave a firm nod.
“I’m really happy and relieved that Yu-jin is back, of course… but, well, saying goodbye can still be sad.”
“…….”
“I think… it’s only natural.”
No, well… I was actually agonizing over it because that specific point was so ambiguous.
Anyway, it seemed Seon A-hyun had also been quite concerned about the "Steer" Cha Yu-jin who had simply evaporated.
‘I did give them a rough explanation.’
I told them that Cha Yu-jin himself had noticed the change in me and made a request, which brought the situation to an end.
Still, from their perspective, it was no different from him suddenly vanishing without a proper goodbye.
Even if they hadn't felt it this morning because they were so relieved and happy that our member, Cha Yu-jin, had returned safely, it was about time for a lingering sense of unease to set in.
Hmm.
“……Right. Thanks.”
“O-Oh, it’s nothing!”
I suppose I should at least try to bring it up.
“Yeeees!!”
“Ugh!!”
Watching Cha Yu-jin perform a victory ceremony with his game controller, I decided to find the right timing.
And that timing came sooner than expected.
That evening.
“Oh, our Yu-jin is doing great~”
“Hehe!”
After a storm of a day, Cha Yu-jin was in Keun Se-jin’s room, looking at his guitars.
In other words, he was in a relaxed state, having slowed down the pace he’d been maintaining as if on a mission.
I called him out.
“Yu-jin.”
“Umm?”
“I have something to talk to you about regarding Waterbomb.”
“OK!”
After leading him to the balcony, I planned to talk about Waterbomb and slowly gauge his psychological state.
‘If he doesn't seem up for it, I can stop immediately.’
I intended to be cautious.
However, there was no need to go that far.
…Because as soon as Cha Yu-jin stepped onto the balcony, he opened his mouth.
Point-blank.
“I remember.”
“…!”
What?
I turned my head.
“Bad Cha Yu-jin.”
Cha Yu-jin had a calm expression.
He shrugged and stretched. Then, he walked past the frozen me and stood by the balcony window.
“But it’s not precise. [It feels like a kind of vivid dream, or… a childhood memory.]”
He squinted one eye slightly, as if trying to recall a word that wouldn't come to mind.
“But the emotions ‘that’ Cha Yu-jin felt, um, moving? Touching? Overwhelming? [It’s harder to find the right expression than I thought. Anyway,]”
Leaning against the balcony railing, he turned his gaze toward me.
Just like the Steer Cha Yu-jin had on that one day.
“I remember that.”
“…….”
I looked at him.
His positive and clear way of thinking, his active and sociable nature, and his attitude of blunt honesty were all still there.
This was Cha Yu-jin, the member of this group who debuted as TeSTAR.
But he didn't seem to just know about ‘Steer Cha Yu-jin’ as mere information.
It was more like… Cha Yu-jin just looked like Cha Yu-jin.
And he spoke as himself.
“In my opinion, I think I was exhausted. Really exhausted.”
“…….”
[Bad Cha Yu-jin probably wouldn't have admitted it, but it was a kind of burnout. And anyone can experience that when they hit a wall.]
Yu-jin shrugged cheerfully.
[Even me. So, it’s not a particularly shocking fact!]
Is that so?
But honestly, I wasn't sure if realizing that your past self hadn't succeeded would feel that great.
Especially knowing that even though he was an incredible performer, no one watched, so he never got the spotlight.
And knowing that he eventually got tired of being an idol and quit… that part.
“……What do you think?”
“What? About what?”
“Just,”
On a summer night without the air conditioner running, the air on the balcony was hot and muggy.
“Overall, about this situation.”
“Oh…. Hyung, are you worried about me?”
I nodded slightly.
Cha Yu-jin seemed a bit surprised, but soon lowered his head with unexpected seriousness.
[I won't lie. Honestly, when I woke up this morning, I think I was a little confused.]
His answer continued calmly.
[At that moment, it felt like I was Bad Cha Yu-jin, but the memories of TeSTAR had returned.]
“…!”
[It didn't take long for me to return to being myself, though. Hyung, you’re right. That experience is almost like a trauma. Five years… completely unrewarded.]
…So it was like that after all.
Yu-jin took a short, sharp breath. I silently accepted his words.
But it didn't end there.
“But Moon-dae hyung, I know this.”
He raised his hand.
Then, he gave my back a soft pat.
“Time heals everything.”
“…….”
“So even if Moon-dae hyung hadn't come to the past, I would have performed again.”
I looked up.
Cha Yu-jin was smiling.
“The others are the same as me.”
No way.
And before I could even ask, he mouthed the word ‘Steer.’
“…!”
[Five years. Being unrewarded was just what the Cha Yu-jin of that time thought. Who knows what would have happened after that?]
Life is long, and opportunities keep coming, Yu-jin said with a shrug.
[Who knows? Maybe two years later, I would have gone back to Korea and debuted again with an amazing song by Kim Rae-bin… or maybe, we would have released an album in America.]
He wasn't talking about some grand success.
He was simply saying that even that Cha Yu-jin, who had scattered and returned to America with his heart completely closed to idol group activities…
In the end, he wouldn't have given up forever.
[We would have continued doing that work somehow. Because we loved it so much.]
“…….”
Reflexively, what came to mind was, funnily enough, my own experience.
My first concert.
—Countless voices formed a texture, pouring down from all directions like shooting stars along with the lights.
It took my breath away.
Because I knew what kind of impact that had on my mind, I understood Cha Yu-jin’s words.
And I understood his next words too.
[Waterbomb made Bad Cha Yu-jin realize that sooner.]
‘Right.’
So… that’s why he became so cooperative after that.
[But even without Waterbomb, whether I was running a repair shop or a surfboard shop in America, I would have realized it eventually. I know myself.]
Cha Yu-jin spoke with confidence and let out a giggle.
“Since I know, Moon-dae hyung should believe it too. That’s better.”
“…….”
So, that was the story.
Ryu Gun-woo just hadn't seen it because he had made an extreme choice before then, but in reality, Steer would have recovered.
Cha Yu-jin, who had been in that person's shoes, spoke without a hint of doubt.
“Hyung, you’re my fan, aren't you?”
“…….”
I… don't know.
Did that Steer Cha Yu-jin, who high-fived me, return to the place where he lived?
Or was it that this guy briefly returned to his past Steer days, just as I had regained my memories of the office worker Ryu Gun-woo?
And now, having regained all his original memories, he remembers the events of the Steer era as if they were a distant past.
But one thing is certain.
‘…That Cha Yu-jin eventually became this Cha Yu-jin.’
Therefore, it was a statement I could trust.
……I would choose to believe that.
‘So.’
If Ryu Gun-woo hadn't died and had held on for a few more years, I would have been able to see these guys' stage again somewhere.
I would believe that too.
Whoosh.
A breeze blew.
Looking out at the balcony’s night view, which was like starlight, I opened my mouth.
“…Yeah. Thanks for telling me.”
“Don't mention it!”
It was a slightly more polite expression than the one Yu-jin usually used.
I realized that those words weren't directed at Park Moon-dae, the hyung he knew, but at Ryu Gun-woo, who had cheered him on.
So, I nodded quietly and stood with him on the air-conditioner-less balcony for a little while longer.
“So… I have something to say.”
“What.”
“Moon-dae hyung is my fan.”
“I told you, I’m not.”
“You are. I’ll give you fan service! In return, hyung, cook some dak-galbi for me.”
“Why are you trying to charge me for something you called ‘service’?”
“That’s Konglish. Originally, ‘Service’ means you get paid!”
Give me a break.
A moment later, as if the serious conversation had been a lie, he immediately began acting like the youngest in the team again, and I stepped off the balcony feeling my energy being drained in a familiar way.
‘Dak-galbi, huh.’
Haven't we been eating too much chicken lately?
But as I watched him head back to his room, a thought suddenly occurred to me.
‘Ah, right.’
I hurriedly asked.
“Come to think of it, about Se-jin hyung.”
“Oh.”
Bae Se-jin.
I was worried about what he would think now that he’d regained his memories, but…
“I don't know!”
Having already begun to lose the details of those memories, he seemed to only vaguely remember the mess during Bae Se-jin’s drug arrest.
Besides.
“But I’m sure there was a misunderstanding. [Honestly, that hyung would rather enlist in the army than sell drugs.]”
“…….”
Having witnessed Bae Se-jin’s passion for legal action over the past few years, his trust(?) was rock solid.
“You’re right about that.”
“Sure. I’m always right.”
“You’re wrong sometimes.”
“I might be wrong in that moment. But in the end, I’m right!”
Look at him.
I laughed and gave him a playful nudge.
“Sure. We’ll see.”
“Hehe.”
And just like that, Cha Yu-jin had truly, completely returned.
The next day, he received a mountain of handmade candy from Bae Se-jin and even uploaded a post on social media.
*
[Loviewers, it’s Cha Yu-jin!
Sorry I’m late. I won’t be sick anymore. T.T
I’m perfectly healthy now (Sunglasses Emoji)
I want to perform again soon. Thank you for worrying about me. A cooler tiger is coming your way!
(Photo)]
*
‘The reaction is explosive.’
The comments and share counts, which were updating at a crazy speed, were very positive. I nodded, and after finishing a call with the company, I saw Ryu Cheong-woo approaching.
Now, the preparations were complete.
“The reality show filming is on schedule, right?”
“Yeah. The talk went well.”
That’s right.
Since Cha Yu-jin had returned safely, the perfect timing to film the group’s own content, the reality show, had arrived.
“It’s next week.”
We could proceed as planned.
“Yes.”
I finished my assessment with satisfaction and composed myself.
Now, all the priority matters were settled.
‘All that’s left… is to deal with this.’
Time to take a deep breath and face it.
“…Status Window.”
Ding.
Dazzling text began to float on the screen.
[New! Update Completion Reward]
[New! New Function Unlocked]
[New! Survey]
…….
The items flickered. The fact that they looked so tempting and incredibly good made them even more suspicious.
I was carefully checking them when a strange word caught my eye.
[New! Survey]
“…Survey?”
What does that mean?
I rubbed my chin, weighing several possibilities.
Of course, one thing was certain.
‘Yeah, I’m not falling for it.’
I had no intention of clicking it. I’d call Keun-dal and have him tear into the internals. And if there’s no risk?
‘Then get out of my head already.’
I wanted to cancel this damn system as soon as possible.
‘Keun….’
It was at that moment.
Bzzzzzt—
“…….”
My smartphone vibrated.
A text message.
‘Hmm.’
Just in case it was a contact from the company, I opened it…
[VTIC Shin Cheong-ryeo Sunbae-nim: Junior. Are you by any chance interested in a featuring?]
“…….”
Wait.
Even after re-reading it, both the sender and the content were correct.
‘What?’
It was the start of a proposal I had never even imagined.