Chapter 507
Chapter 507
[Re-update complete!]
A pop-up similar to the ones I’d seen before appeared.
Then, another one followed.
[Applying '■■■ (ver.2.1 Beta)']
[Complete!]
The system update completion pop-up.
"……."
The first thing that came to mind was… a question.
'Why?'
Last time, didn't it finish early because Steer Cha Yu-jin’s condition recovered?
Right now, nothing has been resolved. Ryu Cheong-woo hasn't budged an inch from his position of not wanting to regain his memories.
Could it be that it finished because he performed on stage with us in a cooperative state? But this wasn't even our first performance. What exactly was the criteria for finishing early…?
'Wait.'
I took a deep breath.
I was overthinking this.
'I can't let my mind get cluttered.'
I barely managed to regain my composure and reached a rational conclusion with a cool head.
Completion earlier than the deadline?
'There was no such thing.'
There was no deadline to begin with.
Unlike before, there was no explanation like 'D-30 until completion.'
In the first place, this wasn't an update to a higher version by absorbing a fragment; it was a situation where this bastard was readjusting itself because I wasn't using it.
'It’s ver.2.1, not ver.3.'
So, this simply finished because it was time.
The system completed it on its own.
Ding.
As if responding to my conclusion, another pop-up appeared.
[Would you like to 'Preview' the 'Company Use' function?]
'…Preview.'
Questions filled my head again.
If it’s a preview, does that mean the system isn't fully restarting?
Come to think of it, the previous pop-up mentioned a '1st Adjustment.' Does that mean it’s going to measure my satisfaction through this 'Preview' and then update the system again if necessary?
What happens to Ryu Cheong-woo’s memories? Will it return them as a trial run, or will it not return them at all since it’s just a preview and not a full system revival?
If I hold out and don't press this at all, what’s the penalty? What’s the risk of the system acting out on its own again?
Which side is more likely? Which criteria should I use to judge—
Ah, damn it.
I slammed my head against the headboard.
Thud.
'Shit, damn it…!'
Nothing was giving me a clear-cut answer, and it was frustrating as hell.
Just how many times do I have to go through this crap?
Why does an "update" process even need something like this?
"A-Are you alright, hyung?"
"……."
"If you are feeling dizzy or having a headache, I can get you an ice pack…."
"…I’m fine."
I slowly raised my head.
My roommate, Kim Rae-bin, was looking at me with a face full of worry, as if he were about to break into a cold sweat. He seemed to think I had accidentally hit my head on the headboard.
This guy probably hasn't been able to rest properly while preparing for the last stage.
"Are you making sure to get some rest?"
"Yes! I am strictly following your instructions to recuperate until the next shoot."
"Good."
"Hyung, is your head really alright…?"
No. It feels like it’s going to split open.
Though not because I hit it on the bed.
"That’s fine."
I stared at the pop-up again before finally speaking.
"I have something to say. Tell the other members, including yourself, to gather in the living room."
There was no point in delaying or hiding it any longer.
An hour after Park Moon-dae’s summons, at the TeSTAR dorm.
Inside the room shared by the two same-aged members, Seon A-hyun and Lee Se-jin, the owners were talking quietly.
The topic of their conversation was one thing.
It was what Park Moon-dae had told them after calling them to the living room upon seeing the pop-up.
—…The update is complete.
He didn't hide anything and shared almost the entire log he had received.
It was a side of Park Moon-dae that was surprisingly kind, as he used examples and metaphors to explain things that people who hadn't experienced the system firsthand might find difficult to understand.
But at the same time… he looked utterly exhausted.
—I honestly don't know what will happen if I press this. But I'll think about it and look into it more, so don't worry too much.
That was why Seon A-hyun was pouring out his worries to his friend of the same age, someone he had built trust with over several years.
Seon A-hyun sat on the bed with his long legs tucked in, muttering somewhat anxiously.
"I'm worried about Moon-dae."
"……."
"It feels like… he’s overdoing it…."
And Keun Se-jin had no intention of contradicting those words.
He had thought the same thing as soon as he heard Park Moon-dae’s briefing earlier.
'He’s really going to collapse at this rate.'
Of course, his first concern was how the current Ryu Cheong-woo—who seemed like a different person after losing his memories—would react. Everyone, even Park Moon-dae, must have felt that way.
However, that didn't mean they could fail to notice that something was wrong with Park Moon-dae.
The light in his eyes was practically gone.
'It’s not like him overdoing it is anything new.'
Keun Se-jin frowned for a moment. He felt a bitter taste in his mouth.
Normally, Keun Se-jin would have said something smooth and easygoing to reassure the other person.
He usually thought that being honest about his own anxiety would only make the situation worse.
But this time was different.
"…Yeah, you're right. Anyone can see he's pushing himself too hard."
Because they needed a solution. And while Seon A-hyun could be a bit socially awkward, he was the serious and meticulous type.
'He’s worth discussing this with.'
Besides, Seon A-hyun wasn't the type to be comforted by self-justifying platitudes if Keun Se-jin wasn't being sincere.
So, he spoke the truth quite bluntly.
"It didn't seem like Cheong-woo hyung wanted to remember. Think about how much of a burden that must be. Moon-dae is the only one among us who can see that status window or whatever it is."
"…Moon-dae."
Seon A-hyun bit his lip.
"T-Then, what if Cheong-woo hyung refuses until the end…? Would Moon-dae… still press it?"
Keun Se-jin already knew the answer.
"Yeah. He would."
If he decided it was the rational thing to do, Park Moon-dae was the type of guy who would do it regardless of how much it hurt.
Perhaps that was why TeSTAR had been able to charge forward with such momentum despite all the controversies and incidents since their debut.
However, Keun Se-jin also knew the aftermath that followed.
"But he'll be in a lot of pain after doing it."
"……."
"Moon-dae… he tries to take responsibility for everything himself."
He was the kind of guy who thought this current mess was his fault, too.
'If we're not careful, something might actually happen to him because of the stress.'
Keun Se-jin still remembered the chaos during the Summer Package shoot early in their debut.
How Park Moon-dae had stubbornly pushed through the filming even while having what looked like a traumatic panic attack.
He clenched and unclenched his fists.
'…Ah, how did it come to this?'
Succeeding as an idol felt like a dream, but things that literally only happened in dreams kept occurring, which was frustrating for a realist like Keun Se-jin.
He never even expected to meet a friend he would care about this much, yet all these nonsensical events were concentrating on that very friend.
It was then, while Keun Se-jin was silent, trying to think of a solution.
"Hey, let's… talk about it more."
"Huh?"
Seon A-hyun spoke first with a determined look.
"Let's talk to the other members, too…… and let's talk to Cheong-woo hyung again. I think… we haven't really talked because we didn't have time while practicing for the stage, and everyone was… being careful because of what happened with Yu-jin…."
Keun Se-jin felt like he’d been hit.
'You're right.'
They had only tried not to upset Ryu Cheong-woo; they hadn't thought about having a deep conversation or persuading him.
They had subconsciously excluded that option after seeing the bad turn things took with Cha Yu-jin.
Seon A-hyun remained silent as if thinking deeply, then continued.
"The current Cheong-woo hyung is kind to us, but I'm sure he's anxious. That might be why he doesn't want to find his memories……. I think it's right to have a deeper conversation."
"……."
Keun Se-jin listened intently, and Seon A-hyun’s speech became slightly faster.
"Because we aren't doing that, I think Moon-dae is having an even harder time. If a conclusion isn't reached, no one can help him…."
"You're right."
Keun Se-jin agreed immediately.
Then he stood up. He knew his friend wouldn't be offended by him suddenly ending the conversation.
"Let's go talk, right now."
"……."
Seon A-hyun also nodded and stood up.
Keun Se-jin and Seon A-hyun left the room together.
And again, one hour later.
"Park Moon-dae."
The two called out to Park Moon-dae, who was sitting on his bed as quiet as a mouse with his eyes closed.
As soon as Park Moon-dae opened his eyes, he realized his roommate wasn't in the room.
And this time, he found that roommate outside the room.
To be precise, he found every single member except himself.
"What is…."
"We talked it over, and we have something to tell you."
Keun Se-jin spoke as if making an announcement. And he thought:
Saying 'It's okay to do whatever you want' won't work.
It’s not like they could take responsibility for the outcome. That would be no different from dumping the decision and the responsibility on him just to make their own hearts feel lighter.
Therefore.
"Press 'Preview' now."
The decision had to be made by them.
"What?"
I couldn't believe my ears.
"Do you even know what you're talking about?"
"Of course."
For someone who had suddenly barged into someone else's room with all the members, Keun Se-jin was remarkably composed.
The same went for the other members who had come with him.
"This is the result of a majority vote after a discussion among the members."
"……."
"Hey, you said that company system was something we'd all use together. You said the same thing when we were making the album last time."
Keun Se-jin shrugged.
"So just surrender to the majority vote and press it~"
It was absurd.
What was even funnier was that several guys around him were nodding in agreement.
Furthermore, that wasn't the end of it.
"We've finished talking with Cheong-woo hyung here, too."
"……."
I reflexively turned my head.
Steer Ryu Cheong-woo, standing in the back, had a fairly calm expression. He didn't seem to have any resentment from being pressured by public opinion.
"I heard that if we keep delaying, something dangerous might happen. And that there's a high chance the memories won't return anyway."
"……."
"I'll trust you guys. I know you didn't have any reason to lie to me. You could have just returned my memories without an explanation. But you didn't."
Then the guy gave a faint smile.
"…I felt it while preparing for the stage, but I think you guys are trustworthy teammates."
"Hyung……."
Reactions came from the members around him.
It was a statement touching enough to warrant that. To hear someone who had become a stranger due to memory loss say he trusted us after only a few weeks. Even I was momentarily shaken.
But at the same time, I felt a strange sensation.
A faint sense of incongruity.
'What is it?'
But that nagging feeling passed through my mind before I could even give it a concrete shape.
And right now, a more certain situation was right before my eyes.
Everyone had reached an agreement and notified me.
To press 'Preview.'
"……."
The funny thing was, my heart suddenly felt at peace. As if I were relieved.
'Am I crazy?'
It’s always better to have the power of choice, so why the hell was I feeling relieved after being told that a decision was made by majority vote?
However, I couldn't deny that my head felt lighter.
'…Yeah. It is less of a burden.'
I finally summoned the pop-up.
"Then, I'll press it."
"Go ahead."
[Would you like to 'Preview' the 'Company Use' function?]
I pressed 'Yes.'
Immediately, the pop-up began to change rapidly.
A flickering hologram regained its color.
[Executing 'Preview']
I considered a few possibilities.
The system restarts while Ryu Cheong-woo’s memories remain gone, the survey function is activated, and—though unlikely—Ryu Cheong-woo’s memories returning just like that.
But none of them were the answer.
"……! Ugh,"
"Rae-bin?"
I looked at the guys who were staring at the collapsing Kim Rae-bin with faces of pure shock.
And at that moment, I realized.
'Preview' meant the next target.
While the current target, Ryu Cheong-woo, was put on hold.