Chapter 517
Chapter 517
"Are we... starting now?"
"Yeah."
At my answer, Seon A-hyun nodded vigorously. He took his seat with an expression that was a mix of nervousness and anticipation.
And Seon A-hyun wasn't the only one looking like that.
The guys who had joined us after their filming ended had gathered in the living room upon hearing that Ryu Cheong-woo’s memories were returning.
Amidst the collective tension, Keun Se-jin tossed out a light comment, seemingly trying to ease the atmosphere.
"Hyung-nim, how does it feel to be about to gain several close younger brothers in just a few seconds? Sounds like it'll be fun~"
"Right. Though that's not exactly the goal."
"…!"
Steer Ryu Cheong-woo’s reply sounded almost cold.
However, it didn't seem like he was dissatisfied; it felt more like he was simply answering naturally, according to his original personality.
It was more natural than before, when he had been trying so hard to appear gentle.
He gave a small smile, and Keun Se-jin just laughed it off.
"It’s good to see you looking comfortable!"
"Thanks."
Ryu Cheong-woo turned his head toward me.
"Then, I'm ready."
I nodded and checked the status window.
[Would you like to reactivate 'Company Use'?]
The moment I reactivated this, Ryu Cheong-woo’s memories would return, just as they had for Steer Cha Yu-jin.
As a side note, since it seemed Kim Rae-bin would also automatically regain his memories if I ended the 'Preview' I was currently using, I had been busy tinkering with the system to see if I could make 'Preview' and 'Reactivation' coexist.
I was worried he might be shocked by the sudden influx of memories and reject them, but…
"Um, Kim Rae-bin. You… your symptoms appeared later than Cheong-woo’s, so it’s okay to take your time thinking about it. Don’t feel pressured."
"…?? I never said I didn't want to regain my memories in the first place…."
"Ah."
"I have high expectations that regaining my memories will provide a new experience for my composition methods!"
…So he says.
‘Did I mess with the system for nothing?’
I felt somewhat cheated after pouring so much energy into it that my head felt like it was going to explode.
Anyway, let’s proceed as planned for now.
I took my hand away from my brow and spoke calmly.
"I'm going to press it now, so you should lie down."
Based on previous cases, I suggested this because there was a high probability he would fall asleep.
And Steer Ryu Cheong-woo lay down on the living room sofa without objection.
"Is this okay?"
"Yes."
Once I confirmed he was settled comfortably and saw that he was mentally prepared, I operated the status window.
‘Reactivate.’
Flash.
Light erupted from the pop-up.
But whether the hologram in the air was blinding or not, Ryu Cheong-woo, lying on the sofa, breathed quietly without moving a muscle.
As if falling into a peaceful sleep.
"……."
"Hyung?"
No answer came back.
Steer Ryu Cheong-woo just lay on the sofa with a relaxed face.
I had almost instinctively tried to block the light of my pop-up, which wouldn't even be visible to the others anyway.
"……."
"Let's wait."
"Yeah."
To avoid disturbing him while he was in a state of deep unconsciousness, we moved cautiously.
The living room remained quiet like that for several hours on this afternoon off.
And that evening.
Sizzle.
I was frying eggs in the kitchen.
Just then, a shout erupted from behind me.
"Oh my, Hyung!"
It was the voice of Cha Yu-jin, who had been on monitoring duty for Ryu Cheong-woo from 5 PM to 6 PM.
Which meant…
‘He’s awake.’
I turned off the stove and immediately spun around.
In the living room, Ryu Cheong-woo was sitting on the sofa, his upper body raised and his hair disheveled.
His face wasn't visible as his head was bowed, but he was covering his forehead with one hand.
However, Cha Yu-jin was relentless.
"Moon-dae Hyung is making something delicious! Let's go, quick!"
…Is that the first thing you say instead of asking if he’s okay?
‘Isn't it just that you want to eat?’
But as Cha Yu-jin pulled on his arm, Ryu Cheong-woo gave a cheerful laugh, his face looking a bit swollen.
"…Really? Thanks……."
"…!!"
Even in the midst of his confusion, his reaction was soft and comfortable.
It was the kind of reaction someone accustomed to this situation would give.
Bae Se-jin ran over, his eyes trembling as he asked.
"……Ryu Cheong-woo?"
"Yeah."
Straightening his crumpled clothes and brushing back his hair, Ryu Cheong-woo stood up completely.
A somewhat bashful smile played on his lips.
Just like the person we used to know.
"You all worked hard."
That was enough.
"…Hyung!"
"Aigo, our leader hyung-nim is back~!"
In an instant, the living room became loud enough to bring the house down.
Several of the guys hugged Ryu Cheong-woo as if they were reuniting with long-lost family, and though he looked a bit flustered, he patted each of their backs one by one.
"Se-jin especially worked hard. You handled everything that needed to be said during the schedules."
And then he concluded like this.
"There were many members besides me who were confused because of their memories, but instead of taking care of them, I only received help. I'm sorry."
"Eyy, there have to be days like this so that the work Hyung usually does can be repaid~"
"No, still, thank you."
He replied quite firmly. Then, he turned his head as if looking for someone.
‘Well, since there’s only one person not in that group, I know who he’s looking for.’
Me.
What was I doing?
"And Moon-dae…."
"……."
I was holding a crab.
"…??"
Not a cooked crab, but a raw one marinated in soy sauce.
Crack.
As I pulled off the top shell, a satisfying sound accompanied the revelation of the inside, bursting with yellow roe.
It was soy-marinated crab made from plump, high-quality crabs.
"Come and eat."
"……."
I didn't pick this. This was the menu selected by his parents.
Honestly, I didn't have time to do much else, so this worked out better. They said it was from a famous restaurant, so it should be edible.
"Hyung, Moon-dae even took a taxi just to go buy that right now!"
It’s cheaper than the cost of actually cooking.
"If Moon-dae had told me, I would have at least done rock-paper-scissors for it…."
It’s most reliable when I do it myself.
"Moon-dae, you should have rested too."
As long as you know.
I didn't really do much anyway. Just fried some eggs and cracked open some crabs.
"I've set it out. Please eat."
He probably hadn't eaten anything all day.
I tilted my head, waiting for him to sit down.
"Okay."
Ryu Cheong-woo smiled a bit awkwardly and eventually came to the table, and the other guys found their own seats as well.
Then they started excitedly chatting with Ryu Cheong-woo.
"Wow, even without your memories, Hyung, things still wrap up so smoothly without any incidents."
"T-That's right!"
"Seriously. Cha Yu-jin ran away, you know."
"I went to the sea. There was no harm done!"
"Hey, we couldn't even sleep that day…."
The dining table quickly became boisterous. Ryu Cheong-woo looked embarrassed for a moment but soon laughed heartily.
"It was Yu-jin's first time. It could happen. I'm the one who's sorry for not being able to show a more mature side."
"Hyung……."
He proceeded with the meal, sincerely answering each of the other members' questions about his condition.
And he didn't forget to say this.
"I'll be the one to contact the company starting today."
"……Um, yes."
I nodded.
Then I turned my eyes to look at the table.
A spread of soy-marinated crab, butter, and eggs.
"……."
Ryu Cheong-woo barely touched them and only ate plain rice.
‘Hmm.’
I watched that sight intently.
It was only after Ryu Cheong-woo went in to shower that he finally had time to organize his thoughts.
"Whew."
From the moment he woke up until now, he had spent all his time reassuring the other members, so he hadn't had the luxury for this.
It was only natural.
Thinking about what his past-self had done to his younger teammates made him feel beyond embarrassed—it made him feel a renewed sense of resolve.
To fall into a slump and then sink into self-pity.
‘I was like a child.’
But now, it seemed he had handled things properly.
—So that's how it is….
Even Kim Rae-bin, whose memories hadn't returned yet, seemed somewhat relieved.
‘…Good.’
TeSTAR’s Ryu Cheong-woo recovered his strong mentality without much worry or agitation, just as he usually did.
I belong to a good team.
I am handling my responsibilities well.
He reflected on everything that had happened since debuting as TeSTAR, calming his mood peacefully.
And to prevent his thoughts from drifting toward the dark side, he cleared his mind and finished his shower. When he stepped out…
"…?!"
"Ah, you're out."
His roommate, Cha Yu-jin, wasn't there.
Instead, sitting at the table placed between the two beds was… Park Moon-dae.
No, rather than calling him Park Moon-dae.
"Sit."
It would be more accurate to say that Ryu Gun-woo, who had been his older cousin, was sitting there.
Having tossed out the informal speech with effortless ease, he was reaching for the table to organize the things on top of it.
A few ingredients with strong scents. And… wine bottles.
Ryu Gun-woo had set up a drinking session on the table.
Ryu Cheong-woo was momentarily speechless before he finally managed to open his mouth.
"Hyung, the alcohol……."
"We all agreed that it's okay to drink occasionally now."
But what was on the table wasn't a single can of beer… it was a pile of wine.
"……."
Is this really okay?
Ryu Cheong-woo looked at his cousin with half-hesitation and half-worry, but regardless, he cautiously sat down across from him.
‘Did I do something wrong?’
He pondered briefly but soon intuitively found something close to the answer.
‘Ah.’
I didn't pay much attention during the meal.
That was something that could definitely be upsetting.
He had probably gone as far as calling around to find out which restaurant I liked, but because I was so preoccupied with what I had done until now, I hadn't even eaten properly.
‘I’m sorry.’
He was about to speak up about that immediately.
But the other person spoke first.
"I have something to say."
"Yeah."
Ryu Cheong-woo straightened his posture. Like a subordinate drinking with a superior after committing a mistake.
However, Ryu Gun-woo didn't talk about his mistake.
"It's something a younger brother I know told me."
Ryu Gun-woo continued slowly.
Words he had heard somewhere before.
"That it's actually okay for a person to get a bit angry and blame others… in the face of fear and pain."
"……."
Ryu Cheong-woo’s eyes widened.
Ryu Gun-woo smiled and reached out, picking up a glass from the table.
"If it was okay for me to do that, then it should be even more okay for you."
Because he was the very person who had said those words.
—How can a person live rationally every single time?
Looking at the table laden with alcohol, Ryu Cheong-woo finally realized the cause of his déjà vu.
The Summer Package.
The other person had perfectly recreated the scene from that day when he had given Park Moon-dae the chance to pour his heart out.
‘Ah.’
Ryu Cheong-woo slowly blinked his eyes repeatedly. Ryu Gun-woo held out a glass in front of him.
"You've been through a lot."
The wine was poured in. Ryu Cheong-woo watched it blankly.
Then he reached out, took the glass, and brought it to his lips.
"……."
In truth, he was too strong a drinker to get drunk off something like this.
However, he realized from the fact that he wanted to drink.
‘I wanted to run away.’
That he had been intentionally trying not to recall the memories of his time as 'Steer' in detail.
Because the act of remembering itself felt quite repulsive.
The only things he could dismiss as 'childish' were the things Steer Ryu Cheong-woo had done here.
When he was the person involved, he had been too immersed to realize it, but looking back after regaining his solid spirit, he could tell.
The previous him….
"Actually, I……."
"……."
Ryu Gun-woo asked back inwardly.
‘You?’
But Ryu Cheong-woo didn't answer.
He just silently drank the remaining wine in his glass.
"……."
Ryu Gun-woo didn't rush his younger brother either.
The two of them slowly finished a whole bottle of wine like that and opened another.
"Want more?"
"Yeah."
And one more bottle.
That was all.
His cousin was someone who didn't demand any role from Ryu Cheong-woo.
Sometimes, that was enough.
TeSTAR rested thoroughly until the next day.
The extent of their movement was just going between rooms to chat. Even Keun Se-jin didn't go to work out, and the same went for Ryu Cheong-woo.
Bae Se-jin looked like he had a hell of a lot to say after seeing the amount of alcohol the two had consumed, but he held it in.
Time flowed lazily like that.
After dinner, they all gathered in the living room to watch the performance from the last competition, which had finally been released.
"Wow, as expected of TeSTAR, the stage is so good."
"That's right. Especially me, I'm good."
Relaxed conversation tossed back and forth.
"I want to see our unit stage soon too."
"Mhm. Me too…!"
"How about Rae-bin? Rae-bin did the arrangement~"
"…! Of course, I also… wish to see it again!"
"Oooooh."
They spent a smooth and comfortable break time, even talking about when Rae-bin might find his memories and if there was anything he wanted to do before then.
Still, the TeSTAR on the screen was impressive.
Even while looking at the cringeworthy captions, TeSTAR chuckled excitedly.
[The stage of the K-POP Kings who bewitch the audience]
"Are we kings?"
"Euhahakhak!"
Small rounds of applause were heard, Keun Se-jin took a group selfie to share with fans, and Park Moon-dae picked out the photos.
Ryu Cheong-woo watched the peaceful scene with a relaxed mind.
And it was the moment the competition video of True Competition, which they had appeared in, ended.
Thump.
[I realized.]
Along with an eerie minor-key resonance, a commercial flowed onto the TV screen.
"Huh? That's…."
But it was a voice they had heard somewhere.
[In this building, a strange shadow]
After the narration ended, eerie images of a desolate hallway and an emergency staircase flashed by.
A thriller heavily infused with a fantasy feel.
[Is chasing you.]
Thump, thump, thump.
To the rhythm of the sound, close-up shots of actors standing under red, blue, and dark lighting passed by.
And among them was Bae Se-jin making eye contact with the camera!
"Oooooh! Se-jin Hyung!"
"W-Wow…!"
[Doll Hunter]
[Thursday, October 31st, on Netplus]
That’s right.
This was the drama Bae Se-jin had filmed!
"Hyung, I think you'll come out looking cool…!"
"I heard! The protagonist's friend!"
"Right, that was the role, wasn't it? Se-jin, congratulations!"
The members excitedly patted Bae Se-jin’s shoulders and back. Even Park Moon-dae spoke to him with a smile.
"Looks like it'll be released soon."
"……. Uh? Uh-huh."
Bae Se-jin nodded.
But in his heart, which he couldn't bring himself to speak, he was breaking into a cold sweat.
‘I still haven't told them…!’
Bae Se-jin,
D-3 until the grand reveal of his role as a psychopath.