Chapter 577
Chapter 577
Around 11 PM.
“…He was rescued safely. He’s expected to be hospitalized for about a day.”
—Ah… thank God.
In the quiet, dark hallway outside the private hospital room, I kept my voice low as I spoke into the phone.
—And are you okay?
The person on the other end was Keun Se-jin.
Normally, this kind of report should have gone to the leader, Ryu Cheong-woo, but I knew why the missed calls had come from this guy instead.
‘…He must be cleaning up the mess.’
Ryu Cheong-woo was likely still in talks with the company.
The fact that the company hadn't contacted me yet made it almost certain.
And it made sense. …A member had suddenly walked out in the middle of a concert.
I tightened my grip on the smartphone.
—Hyung, the concert…
Keun-dal, who had been asking me about the concert, was now being examined by a doctor with a look of utter despair since I hadn't given him an answer.
Normally, I would have made up some plausible excuse and told him not to worry about it. But right now, I couldn't.
It wasn't that I was intentionally ignoring him.
I just had no answer to give.
…Because I hadn't checked the situation myself yet.
The smartphone was in my hand, but I hadn't opened a single internet browser.
Not until now.
“……Yeah.”
Right. I had avoided it on purpose. So that I could think and reason properly without being compromised by shock.
But the time had come to face the results I might not be able to handle.
I asked Keun Se-jin.
“…The concert.”
—It ended well, of course. Moon-dae, Moon-dae, don’t worry about anything for now and just rest until tomorrow morning.
The answer came back casually. But Keun Se-jin was the type of guy who could give a composed answer even if the world was ending.
……Still, considering there was another concert tomorrow, I expected a more realistic response.
‘The fact that he’s glossing over it without giving specific details means…’
This was bad. I swallowed hard.
Just as I was about to press him for exactly what had happened—
—Is—is that Moon-dae on the phone?
“…!”
A small voice leaked through the phone.
—Is it Park Moon-dae?
—Hey!
Then, I heard exclamations and the sound of footsteps running from all directions.
—Ah, they said he was rescued safely!
—What a relief!
—You did good, Park Moon-dae. Really…
Over the phone, voices filled with relief and joy overflowed as they heard the news.
Since they had to finish the concert in a shitty situation because of me, they should have sounded exhausted, yet they only sounded genuinely happy.
They were probably trying even harder to sound that way.
They were a strange bunch.
“…….”
I swallowed my words before speaking again.
“…Thank you. And I’m sorry.”
—Huh??
“For making a choice that harmed the team.”
A flurry of confused noises erupted, followed immediately by startled protests.
—What are you sorry for! You did what you had to do!
—The—the taxi… we all called it together…!
—Hey, listen! That wasn't just your choice, Hyung. We talked about it together. Cheong-woo Hyung said it, remember?
Me being the only one to benefit?
Society calls that ‘consideration,’ not ‘together.’
But since he brought it up.
“Right. So… where is Cheong-woo Hyung now?”
—Ah.
In that moment, the response cut off briefly as a strange atmosphere settled in.
—Ah~ He’s talking to the company for a bit. Why? Do you have something to tell him?
Keun Se-jin answered brightly and quickly, but I already knew. My prediction was right.
The company had indeed flipped out.
To be blunt, it was grounds for a lawsuit, so it was only natural. I pressed my fingers against my brow and spoke.
“Tell Cheong-woo Hyung that I’ll talk to the company directly, so he should just pass the phone to me.”
—What?
“I understand why the company is angry, but he doesn't need to be the one taking the heat. I’m the one who did it.”
—Hey, wait a second…
—I! I have something to say!
The one who cut Keun Se-jin off was Kim Rae-bin.
I gave him the floor. Immediately, a speech he seemed to have prepared came pouring out.
—Hyung, do you remember what you told me a few years ago when I was worried about having to skip a schedule due to my grandmother’s health?
“…….”
I remembered.
—It’s fine if you have to leave in the middle of work.
I told him it was okay. I had said those words.
—I wish to return those same words to you, Hyung.
Kim Rae-bin spoke with a voice full of conviction.
—Going to rescue a family member in danger is an act that is beyond reproach!
—And since this is something that could happen to any of us, I believe it is natural and right for us to rely on one another.
“…….”
I covered my face with my hand.
I was grateful, but…
‘No.’
It was different.
In Kim Rae-bin’s case, his grandmother was legally his guardian; it was a situation anyone could empathize with. Only a psychopath would criticize that.
But the thing was.
‘I’m… not family.’
Park Moon-dae has no family.
That was a public fact established since my debut. Anyone who searched for me knew it.
So… officially, I had just abandoned a concert right before it started to leave in a taxi because of a personal acquaintance.
There was no room for leniency here.
The people who took time off work for this show, the people who canceled plans, the people who booked hotels near the venue, the people who received tickets as a special gift from their parents…
Did I really think those people, seeing their time and money turn into scrap paper, would accept an excuse like, ‘A friend was stranded. I was so scared and sad that I ditched the concert T_T’?
‘Even I wouldn't accept that.’
My fingertips felt cold.
However, going on a rant about this and arguing with Kim Rae-bin would be the height of pathetic behavior.
I had already ruined the first day of the tour; I couldn't do that to this innocent kid. I bit my tongue.
“……Yeah. Thanks.”
—It was nothing!
Kim Rae-bin’s voice brightened. As if relieved, the atmosphere on the other end of the line relaxed slightly.
That was enough.
—Moon-dae, we… the concert really went well. I’m not lying just to make you feel better. I don’t think it was clumsy at all.
“…I know.”
That made it sting even more.
The fact that I had to be satisfied with the concert—which we had aimed to make insanely perfect—just barely managing not to fail because of my desertion.
Of course, that wasn't something I could say out loud either.
“I believe you.”
—…Mhm.
At that moment, a voice suddenly popped up over the phone.
—That’s right. And Moon-dae Hyung, you’ve got it all wrong.
“What?”
Cha Yu-jin answered in a serious tone.
—There are more people who come to see me than you.
“…….”
—There aren't many audience members who only look at Moon-dae Hyung. Are you worried people will be disappointed? It’s pointless. Everyone liked me—
—Cha Yu-jin!!
—Kim Rae-bin used violence! Punish Kim Rae-bin!
It was a familiar mess.
In an instant, the tension drained out of the conversation.
“Ha……”
—Hyung, did you laugh? Do you feel better?
“Yeah.”
I certainly heard a good reason why things went well without me.
These guys were trying this hard to cheer up the guy who had bolted; it would have been stranger if I didn't let out a hollow laugh.
“I’ll get my head straight and return tomorrow.”
—Mhm!
After that, the conversation continued in a more comfortable atmosphere.
A suggestion even came up.
—If you’re okay with it, we were thinking of coming to the hospital too…
“No, it’s fine. You have a concert tomorrow too.”
—Ahem, that’s true, but.
Since there was a concert tomorrow, it was right for them to rest. And if the members came to visit now, Keun-dal would probably turn pale with guilt.
Considering the physical and mental state of both sides, I cut off the suggestions that went too far. Still, the mood was good.
After a few more refusals and adjustments, the call ended.
“Then I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”
—Okay!
—Sleep tight, Moon-dae…!
Click.
Kind words lingered in my ears.
But until the very end, no specific details were mentioned regarding the public opinion that had been shattered by my desertion.
How they explained it to the audience, and what kind of reactions followed.
It was natural that those guys couldn't bring it up first. So I should have been the one to actively ask.
No, before that… I should have checked the situation before starting the conversation.
I couldn't do it.
“…….”
I pressed my hands against my face.
If necessary, after this tour ends, I… should go on hiatus.
As a gesture of self-reflection.
I felt like the group’s image would only recover if the person involved in the controversy stepped away from TeSTAR’s activities for a while.
‘…I can’t let a bad reputation attach itself to the full album.’
If I stayed holed up during that time, doing nothing but practicing, public opinion might settle down a bit by the time the next album came out.
…No, wait. Would a hiatus actually make public opinion worse?
I didn't know.
“Ha.”
I let out a short, mocking laugh. Because just yesterday—no, even this morning—I never imagined I’d be having such absurd worries.
‘Normally…’
Right now, I should have been in a state of peak excitement after finishing the first concert.
A state where I had poured out everything, whether it was regret or satisfaction, to the limit.
My body should have been dragging, but my adrenaline should have been surging, and I should have been briskly preparing my body and mind for the next concert while exchanging congratulations and feedback.
Right, tomorrow.
‘…There’s a concert tomorrow too.’
And right now, I was…
“…….”
Of course, Ryu Cheong-woo’s judgment was correct.
I was grateful.
I knew it too. If I had stayed at the concert and Keun-dal had actually frozen to death, that would have been a true hell.
So.
‘I have no regrets about this choice.’
Reaching that conclusion, I sat down in the hallway.
The smartphone screen went dark.
The noisy, warm things had all passed, and all that remained was the dark winter night in a hospital hallway.
“…….”
For some reason, it felt terribly cold.
“……Hyung.”
When I returned to the room, Keun-dal, who had been sitting quietly on the bed after his examination, snapped his head up.
“Um, I’ve been thinking. What if I wrote a post? On the internet… since you couldn't do the concert because of me, if I explain well that it wasn't your fault…”
“No.”
Who did he think the arrows would point to then?
—He skipped work, went into the mountains on his own, and got stranded in a restricted area? Is he insane? What a waste of taxes.
—Gom-meo, are your personal connections all just psychos?
—How much did you get paid by Orbit? ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
Keun-dal would literally be torn to shreds.
No matter how well he polished the post, people who were already pissed off would curse him and dox him.
Coworkers or people who had only heard rumors about him would crawl out of the woodwork to say all sorts of things. Why on earth would he do that?
There was no guarantee my reputation would improve just because this civilian’s reputation got trashed even further.
“Don’t do it.”
“But…”
“I’m thinking of other ways, so you don’t have to. Don’t even think about posting anything yourself.”
“……Yes.”
Keun-dal nodded cautiously.
Then, he spoke up as if testing the waters.
“…Um, Hyung. You should go back and rest now. The doctor said my condition is fine.”
As if I could leave him in this atmosphere, knowing he’d fall into some deep depression.
“I’m too tired to make it back to the dorm. Are you kicking me out?”
“Ah, no!? You can stay as long as you like!?”
Easy.
“Then I’m going to use the bathroom.”
“Yes!”
After finally washing my face, I lay down on the makeshift caregiver’s bed attached to the side of the private room.
I had to wake up at 6 AM to make it to tomorrow’s schedule on time.
No matter what happened, even if there were boycott banners at the venue, I had to perform.
‘I need to manage my condition properly.’
With that thought, I closed my eyes.
And I woke up at exactly six in the morning.
Bip.
I quickly turned off the vibration before it could wake Keun-dal.
But I didn't get up immediately.
Instead, I pulled out my smartphone. And I took a silent, deep breath.
“…….”
It was time to check.
I couldn't delay it any longer.
Actually, I had considered checking before I went to sleep, but I had postponed it for fear of losing sleep.
I couldn't afford to ruin today’s concert too.
‘…6:00 AM to 6:30 AM.’
A time when there were few internet users, so I wouldn't be caught in an endless stream of updating opinions.
‘I’ll check now, and then I’ll go.’
I tapped on the social media app I used for monitoring.
“…….”
As soon as I clicked, a popular post appeared at the top.
—What’s going to happen to Moon-dae? T_T
My eyes stopped at the intro, which looked sarcastic no matter how I looked at it.
‘Read it.’
I grit my teeth and kept my eyes moving.
The post revealed itself.
—What’s going to happen to Moon-dae? T_T Is he coming to the concert today? I’m so worried if he’ll even be in a state to perform…
“…….”
Was it… sarcasm?
I reflexively scrolled down.
New popular posts kept appearing before my eyes.
Posts written at dawn, posts that went up right as the concert was starting, all mixed together… endlessly.
—Is the notice about Park Moon-dae’s absence for real?
—Ah, crazy T_T
—He’s the kid who couldn't hide his excitement whenever the concert came up on W-App since a month ago. I can’t even imagine how Park Moon-dae feels right now.
—I’ve just… become a soul-less husk. Is this how the first concert ends? I feel so bad for both me and Park Moon-dae.
—Why isn't he coming? ;;; I’m so confused and pissed, but I’m worried about my idol. Fuck, I stayed up all night.
No matter how many times I re-read them, it didn't change.
There were hardly any posts cursing me to death.
“…….”
With trembling hands, I hurriedly scrolled back up.
And I looked at the popular post I had read earlier.
—What’s going to happen to Moon-dae? T_T Will he come to the concert today? I’m so worried if he’ll even be in a state to perform… Ah, I’m going crazy.
And now, I read it properly to the end to check the context.
It wasn't sarcasm.
It was a post genuinely worrying about whether I was in a fit state to appear at the concert.
“……Ah.”
My hands moved.
New posts continued to appear.
