Chapter 592
Chapter 592
Dun-dun-dunnn.
In an atmosphere where that kind of BGM felt mandatory, the thick door swung open, revealing Seon A-hyun’s room.
However…
“……”
“……This is a room?”
This wasn't just a room.
I instinctively locked eyes with Keun Se-jin. Even with a smile plastered on his face, his pupils were shaking.
The interior was a space resembling a small, elegant living room, complete with a refined table, paintings, and a piano.
Next to small handmade knit props and flower vases… I could see another door.
That’s right. It looked like there was another room inside this one.
What even is this?
A-hyun explained with a bright, innocent smile.
“They said it’s a space intended to be used as a… parlor!”
Was such a thing even possible in Seoul?
But before I could even ask, the owner of the room(?) added with a hint of bashfulness.
“Actually, I haven’t had many guests until now, so I used it as a dance studio when I was younger……”
Ah.
A-hyun quickly walked over and opened a cabinet. Inside, I saw a large, neatly folded folding mirror.
“Ah, they kept it here…!”
Beside it were several ballet-related items still being preserved.
Things from Seon A-hyun’s childhood.
Seeing him act as if he were giving us a proper housewarming tour, I couldn't help but ask.
“By any chance, since our debut, are we the first people to visit you here?”
“U-uh-huh. You’re the first!”
I see.
“We are honored, Lord A-hyun~”
“A-ah, no, it’s not like that….”
Despite his words, he looked thrilled as he busily continued his tour of the parlor.
“Before I lived alone in the officetel for a bit, I lived here….”
Apparently, right around the time of Idol Inc., his mother had been stationed overseas. Thinking it would be hard for him to stay in this huge house alone, she had gotten him a separate officetel near the filming site.
“Oh~ So the contract for that officetel is over?”
“Yeah.”
A-hyun moved his feet and finally stood before the door inside the room.
“This is… where I’ve stayed since I was little.”
When he opened that door, the bedroom finally came into view.
“Whoa!”
The interior was clean and modern, with a prominent wood-toned aesthetic.
However, Keun Se-jin’s exclamation wasn't because of the decor.
It was because a custom glass display case had been installed along one wall, and it was packed to the brim with TeSTAR merchandise.
“My goodness.”
It wasn't just A-hyun’s stuff.
Cheering slogans, MD, dolls, and even fan art of every TeSTAR member were meticulously displayed, sparkling under the high-quality sunlight streaming in.
You could feel the affectionate care put into it.
“My dad… he puts things on display here every time something new comes out!”
“Ooh.”
I had noticed that A-hyun’s room at the dorm had an unusually high amount of other members' MD in addition to his own.
Is it a family trait?
I peered into the display case.
Looking closer, the left side of the glass case held many other items. There were wooden toys, a box of crayons, a stuffed dog, and even a ring case.
It seemed A-hyun had collected and displayed meaningful or precious items from his childhood as he grew up.
And as you moved toward the right side of the case, it became increasingly crowded with the story of the TeSTAR members.
So, this… wasn't just a shelf for TeSTAR goods.
It was a display case filled with everything meaningful and precious in Seon A-hyun’s life.
And the TeSTAR members were part of that.
“……”
Keun Se-jin seemed genuinely touched, his voice sounding a bit thick, but he intentionally spoke in a playful tone.
“A-hyun, you know… I’m just so happy… to have met a member who treasures the group this much.”
“…! Yeah, me too……! I’m really… so grateful and happy to have met such good friends!”
“Uwaaaah, A-hyun, we’re friends for life!”
Good grief.
I watched the two of them, who looked like they were about to embrace at any moment, and just let out a small chuckle.
Well, it was a good thing.
“And here… there’s an open-air bath!”
“This is insane.”
Riding that momentum, A-hyun gave us a full tour of the house, and we enjoyed the sight while his parents watched on with satisfied smiles.
Afterward, we spent time idling around in his parlor… or whatever it should be called.
Since Keun Se-jin had to spend the holidays with his own parents, he couldn't stay the night, but he stuck around until late at night, chatting incessantly.
It was even funny when A-hyun’s parents brought us a massive bowl of some expensive salad as a "late-night snack."
It was a choice made by people who clearly didn't eat late-night snacks.
“Hey, at least they put beef on top.”
“I’m grateful.”
Nodding that it was great for maintaining our physiques, we grazed on the greens and spent time looking through A-hyun’s childhood albums.
“Ooh, A-hyun grabbed a thread during his first birthday grab~ I grabbed a microphone.”
“Uh-huh!”
“What about Moon-dae?”
“It was probably a pencil.”
It felt new.
To be honest, the three of us chatting at the dorm was a common occurrence.
But having a time like this, where we just hung out and talked about private matters completely unrelated to work, was almost a first in the six or seven years we’d lived together.
Like real school friends.
And it seemed the host of the house felt the significance of the situation as well.
“……Um, guys. If it’s okay… could I post about today on my account?”
At A-hyun’s request, Keun Se-jin and I immediately nodded.
“Of course it’s okay~”
Consequently, a few minutes later, a post appeared on TeSTAR’s SNS.
[I came home with my friends. I’m having a really great time. I hope Loviewers have a happy evening too! (Photo)]
The attached photos were selfies taken in the parlor and living room, along with the salad we ate as a snack.
It was an unadorned, honest post.
Not long after the post went up, comments arrived from the members who had scattered for their holidays.
Suddenly, everyone’s pets were taking over.
However, a message arrived that settled everything.
A single video posted majestically by Bae Se-jin without a word.
It showed a small, white ball of fur in Bae Se-jin’s arms, howling as it recognized TeSTAR on a video.
It was Mung-ge, the little dog who had stayed with us in The Grandson of That House.
“Moon-dae, Moon-dae, Mung-ge seems to remember us, oh my god!”
The group chat went wild.
But Bae Se-jin coolly didn't reply. He looked like a true winner.
Funny guys.
I let out a hollow laugh.
Keun Se-jin nudged my side.
“How is it? Better than resting alone at the dorm, right?”
“……”
I wouldn't deny it.
Originally, I had planned to just slack off at the dorm for a day or two; I hadn't intended to spend it this boisterously.
However.
This isn't so bad either.
Meeting people, eating plenty of food.
A holiday where no sudden problems arose and I didn't have to rush out to work.
“……”
I tossed and turned to get to sleep in the ‘guest room’ I had been assigned.
I remembered what A-hyun’s parents had told me earlier.
—You’re welcome to come whenever you want to rest!
—…Yes. Thank you.
Even if I answered like that, I had no intention of being so tactless as to wander in and out of A-hyun’s house as I pleased.
Still…
I turned my head to the side. There, several Polaroid photos of me were printed and pinned up.
A few looked familiar. They were photos A-hyun had taken; he must have shared them with his parents.
“……”
So, this wasn't just a guest room; it was a room truly prepared for me.
Even if it wasn't the dorm, I had one more place to stay.
It really wasn't a bad feeling. It felt as if I actually had a family home.
“…Right.”
Thinking about it that way, it really did feel like a proper holiday.
I chuckled.
It was interesting. I had already planned to do something truly holiday-like during this break anyway.
Of course, I have to take care of business first.
I fell asleep thinking about the place I would visit tomorrow.
*
A guy in a military uniform seriously clasped his hands together.
“So… what brings you to visit a sergeant who’s about to be discharged?”
“……”
Maybe I shouldn't have come.
I felt a brief moment of reality hitting me as I faced Ju-dan, who was looking at me with a bizarre expression.
—Ah… is Moon-dae leaving already?
I had left A-hyun’s home, where they were in full welcome mode, just to come visit a soldier. The cost-benefit ratio was abysmal.
“Ah, I’m not saying this with the lowly intention of making you feel uncomfortable. I’m just purely curious.”
“……”
“A visit, and even a home-cooked meal? I don’t believe I’ve ever helped Moon-dae-ssi to this extent.”
“Ah, right.”
He really was consistent.
I muttered awkwardly.
“I just wanted to see you after a while.”
“…!”
Let’s just go home.
“Well, if you’re uncomfortable, I’ll get go—”
“Ah, I didn't mean I was uncomfortable.”
Ju-dan quickly stopped me.
Then, he replied with a slightly excited face.
“Actually, I think it’s closer to being grateful. For someone who doesn't make many acquaintances, a visitor is a big event.”
“……”
In the face of the guy saying that, I felt like I could catch a glimpse of the young trainee, the teenage Jung Woo-dan.
The kid who had no doubt that I would be a member debuting with him, a close hyung.
Good grief.
In the end, I sat back down.
“Still, there must have been a trigger that made you suddenly decide to see me… Is there a special reason?”
“Hmm.”
Well, it shouldn't matter with this guy.
“I had a bit of a unique experience.”
After double-checking that there was no one else in the visitation room’s cafeteria, I started the story without holding back.
“A while ago… I received help from a senior who was a trainee before he debuted.”
“…!”
I was talking about my recent experience when I became Cheong-ryeo’s status window during his 100th restart and met the Ju-dan of that timeline.
Ju-dan listened to the supernatural story with great interest and then nodded.
“Hmm, a Jung Woo-dan from a sort of parallel universe, then.”
If you had to put it that way… I guess.
“Hmm, this is just my guess… but if that’s the case, you built a certain intimacy while receiving help from me, and this visit is a sort of way to repay the favor?”
“……”
It wasn't quite to that extent.
Well, maybe it was similar.
“Something like that.”
“I see.”
Ju-dan shrugged.
“Regrettably, strictly speaking, I am not the Jung Woo-dan who helped Moon-dae-ssi. A person’s identity is formed through experiences and memories, after all. I have no such memory.”
“…Ah, right.”
I suppressed a sigh.
Yeah. I figured you’d say something like that.
But I didn't expect his next words.
“Still, if it were me at that age in a similar situation, I think I would have made the same choice.”
“…!”
“In that sense, if I were to acknowledge it… even though I have no memory, it is certainly something I experienced at some point in the past, isn't it?”
Ju-dan nodded seriously.
“So, I will accept Moon-dae-ssi’s words as indirect memories. That it was indeed me.”
“……”
Seriously.
You.
If you didn't have that ‘What a fun situation for me’ look on your face, I might have been a bit moved.
But… well, I couldn't deny that it was a very him thing to say.
I let out a short laugh.
“Yeah. Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it.”
Despite having no memory of it, he began to eat heartily with a slightly triumphant air.
“Tell me more details once I’m discharged. I’ll try to make the memories more concrete.”
“Ah, sure.”
He was a funny guy.
But somehow, I felt a sense of relief, as if I had finished a lingering homework assignment.
And as the visitation time drew to a close.
“I see. A belated holiday break.”
When the conversation shifted to my recent news, he looked into the air as if reminiscing.
“It reminds me of my first holiday break.”
“How was it?”
“Jae-hyun hyung did a home visit to the families of every member, including me.”
“……”
“He said he stopped by to thank the members' parents, but it was undoubtedly for surveillance purposes.”
Of course it was.
“Come to think of it, aren't you going to visit Jae-hyun hyung?”
“Well… if I have time.”
Nope. Not going.
That guy is only serving for six months. Besides, I caused too much of a scene during my last visit to go back again.
He probably had a hard time cleaning up after that.
It was better for both of us if I didn't go.
“Then do you have any other plans for the rest of your break?”
“Hmm.”
I smiled faintly.
Tonight.
It was exactly the time I had planned.
“It’s a break I got for the holidays. …I’m thinking of going to see my family.”
*
March.
“Thank you.”
Keun-dal, Ryu Gun-woo, looked back for a moment as he stepped out of the district office where he had worked for several years.
Originally, he had intended to resign entirely. However, through a meeting with his supervisor, it had been processed as a leave of absence.
It seemed that due to his family circumstances, some sympathetic rumors had spread, and his previous unannounced absences had been overlooked to some extent.
He couldn't avoid a few glares, but since Keun-dal had done his best to clean up the mess he’d made, he was able to submit his leave of absence on relatively good terms.
So now, Keun-dal was…… free!
What should he do?
First, he reflexively checked TeSTAR’s recent news.
Hyung is at A-hyun-nim’s place.
Since sightings had also been posted from Lee Se-jin’s house, it seemed he planned to spend this break at those two members' homes.
Well, that was a good thing.
Come to think of it, the new season of ‘Doll Hunter’ is coming out soon!
Then we’d soon be able to see the production diary for TeSTAR’s OST as well.
Keun-dal tried to keep his heart light as he hurried his steps.
However, someone was already standing in front of his officetel door.
“Hey.”
“…?!”
His hands were full of… signed TeSTAR MD and albums.
The hyung standing in front of the door gave a wide grin.
“If you have time, let’s get some rest together.”
To celebrate the belated holiday, Park Moon-dae had come to visit.