Chapter 615
Chapter 615
Click.
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[What’s going on with TeSTAR’s pre-recording?]
I heard it was suddenly stopped. Anyone know why?
====================
Scrolling down, there was a long explanatory comment.
40 minutes later.
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[I heard TeSTAR’s pre-recording wasn’t stopped because of audio issues. Is that true?]
Apparently, one member suddenly stopped singing and just stood still at the center, so they had to stop. They couldn't restart, so they just told the fans it was over. If this is true, I feel so bad for the fans.
====================
As I scrolled to the latest pages, similar posts began to crawl across the board.
[Was there a discord rumor about TeSTAR?]
[Is this the member everyone’s talking about right now?]
[Could they have gotten into a fight?]
[This doesn't seem like a small thing. The vibes are off.]
Worry, amusement, interest, anxiety, petty joy, anticipation.
And then.
====================
[TeSTAR has been pulled from all music shows next week]
It seems everything was just canceled without a separate notice... (Link)
====================
The page was flooded with new posts in real-time. Moving away from there, the screen switched to a different site.
The underbelly of the internet, where raw profanity and slang ran rampant.
Top trending post.
====================
[Guess they thought they’d get f*cking crushed by VTIC lol]
They’re juniors, but they can’t bring themselves to declare they’ve become has-beens first, so they’re just dodging lol. Ah, as expected of the former gatekeepers of the top tier!
====================
“…….”
Maybe.
A few hours ago.
The pre-recording that was abruptly halted.
“Hyung!”
Ryu Cheong-woo, who had come down from the stage, didn't even drink the water the staff handed him.
“I’m sorry. I’ll do it again.”
“Wait a minute.”
What was this guy, who had been frozen and unable to speak, even saying?
I cut in immediately. Ryu Cheong-woo’s face was simply frozen, devoid of expression.
“…….”
Since we had come this far, I had to ask.
“Hyung, you’re hurt, aren’t you?”
I heard someone gasp behind me. However, the person I addressed didn't react.
“Your arm….”
No, I shut my mouth and glanced around. Curious eyes were watching us.
Broadcasting station officials.
There were too many eyes.
“Stop. We’ve finished the recording. We can show the fans a better side of us another time.”
“Th-that’s right.”
“It looks like a muscle cramp, so let’s wrap it up for today. Hey! Director!”
Soon, I heard a broadcasting staff member go up on stage and announce that today’s pre-recording would end there "due to something that needs checking."
And before we could hear the fans' buzzing, we quietly moved to the waiting room with Ryu Cheong-woo.
Click.
As soon as the door closed, our staff members looked restless, wondering if they should contact the company or go to the hospital.
At the same time, Keun Se-jin reached out toward Ryu Cheong-woo’s back.
“Hyung, first, let’s go to the hospital….”
Ryu Cheong-woo roughly brushed his arm away.
“……!”
But there was no further resistance.
“Sorry.”
Without even wiping away his cold sweat, he stood up quietly and moved with the staff.
To the hospital.
“…….”
“Let’s follow them.”
“Yeah….”
With a bad premonition, we began to follow him….
And.
“They say nothing is wrong.”
“What?”
“Cheong-woo hyung. They said his body is perfectly fine.”
We were met with an unexpected result.
‘…Perfectly fine.’
Ryu Cheong-woo’s body was normal.
There was nothing specific to his left arm. He was perfectly healthy; the doctor only commented that it would be good to manage his joints well, a chronic issue for K-pop idols specialized in high-performance dancing.
“…So there’s no damage to Ryu Cheong-woo’s muscles or anything?”
“At least not according to the immediate tests.”
However, Ryu Cheong-woo didn't look relieved by the results.
“Let’s get back to the schedule.”
As soon as he stepped out of the examination room, he spoke as if his visit to the hospital had never happened.
As if it were the predetermined thing to do.
“…….”
“Hyung, then why did you suddenly stop on stage earlier?”
“I don’t know.”
“Then there’s no guarantee it won’t happen again.”
“It won’t.”
Ryu Cheong-woo repeated his answer.
“…It won’t happen again.”
As if he were reciting it to himself.
“…….”
Even Keun Se-jin fell silent.
In an atmosphere thick with bewilderment and confusion, no one could get angry.
Because no one had ever imagined Ryu Cheong-woo would be like this.
Just in case, we left Ryu Cheong-woo at the hospital to continue with a more detailed check-up, and the rest of us returned to the dorm.
In the silence, Cha Yu-jin spoke up.
“Just tell Cheong-woo hyung to stop acting like a baby and snap out of it. Tell him. That’s the right way.”
“No!”
“That’s… not it…!”
Bae Se-jin and Seon A-hyun, who had experienced slumps themselves, opposed him in horror, making Cha Yu-jin flinch.
“Y-you, saying things like that doesn't make a person snap out of it! It could actually become a trauma!”
“We are working! And hyung is a team player. To win the game, you have to accept criticism.”
“…But we’re not just people living together just to work.”
As Bae Se-jin muttered with a hint of hurt, Cha Yu-jin sprawled out under the sofa as if frustrated.
“Hyungs, remember Bad Cha Yu-jin! Remember!”
Kim Rae-bin suppressed Cha Yu-jin, who was barking about how he was only acting out because the hyungs gave him the space to do so.
Keun Se-jin let out a short sigh.
“Actually, what Yu-jin said is a valid method. It might be better to honestly say this is a nuisance.”
“Hey!”
“No, look. If we try to coax Cheong-woo hyung or persuade him with nice words while pretending everything’s fine… don’t you think he’ll notice what we’re trying to do? It might even have the opposite effect.”
“……That’s.”
Bae Se-jin faltered.
Perhaps, even though Keun Se-jin didn't explicitly mention it, he was reminded of their own relationship in the early days of their debut.
‘You were even more annoyed when I tried to talk to you in a vaguely nice way.’
Being treated with kid gloves.
“…….”
In the ensuing silence, the members seemed lost in their own thoughts.
‘If it were me.’
What would I be thinking? How should I be approached to accept the situation most comfortably and with peace of mind…?
Of course, there was no easy answer.
‘It’s not like we’re in a break period right now.’
We were right at the start of a promotion cycle, a crucial phase where we had to build momentum in a high-stakes showdown.
I couldn't easily say things like, "I’ll only care about your feelings, tell me everything that’s going on, let’s focus on healing together!" to Ryu Cheong-woo.
And judging by his current attitude, it didn't seem like he would accept that anyway.
In the end, I brought out a temporary fix.
I have to clean up this mess, f*ck.
“Let’s use a different excuse.”
“Hyung, I’m planning to pull next week’s music show schedule for now.”
I spoke nonchalantly to Ryu Cheong-woo, who had returned home after his detailed check-up, handing him whatever drink was within reach.
“Since we need to prepare other content for next week anyway, and we want to avoid appearing at the same time as VTIC…….”
“I thought you said you wanted to show us appearing on music shows together.”
The small sound of Kim Rae-bin swallowing his saliva echoed right behind my back.
Ryu Cheong-woo’s tone was flat, but compared to his usual self, it was definitely a bit aggressive.
‘If I get pushed around here, it’s game over.’
I replied calmly.
“Thinking about it again, I don’t think it’ll look good on broadcast for us to be clapping in the background while VTIC takes first place.”
Logically.
“We’ve already promoted well for two weeks and solidified our results, so it’s probably better not to be compared for no reason.”
Of course, I knew.
Even if I said this, this guy would see through it all. He’d think, ‘Ah, they’re putting it on hold because they’re worried I’ll freeze on stage again.’
‘Still, whether there’s a rational reason or not makes a difference in how it’s accepted….’
“Just.”
His voice cut through my thoughts.
“Let’s proceed as planned.”
“…….”
If that’s how you’re going to be, then I have no choice.
I crossed my arms and held back a sigh.
“Shall we settle this by a majority vote?”
“…….”
Of course, the side wanting to skip the music shows won.
Because all the other members agreed with my opinion.
This time, too, Ryu Cheong-woo didn't protest. He just silently watched the members' raised hands, accepted it wordlessly, then stood up and went into his room.
Click.
The door closed without a loud noise. We had bought some time, but…….
“I have a bad feeling about this.”
“Yeah….”
The members remained sitting in the living room, each with an anxious or troubled expression.
Then, Keun Se-jin quietly nudged my side and asked.
“Moon-dae, Moon-dae. About the weird atmosphere with Cheong-woo hyung earlier, was it related to this?”
“…….”
Even after the disaster of standing frozen on stage, he wasn't opening up?
It was a situation where I had to at least share my suspicions.
“…I think it might be.”
“……!”
I shared what had happened so far, without going overboard.
Ryu Cheong-woo’s recent attitude of trying not to use his left arm and becoming passive about intense physical activity.
And even his reaction last night when he shut down after I mentioned it.
“…….”
Thinking about how he couldn't move and froze on stage today, there was an answer that flowed naturally, but.
“Wait, that sounds like an injury….”
Bae Se-jin muttered.
“But he was fine in the physical exam.”
That was true. It had already been ruled out.
“Um.”
The one who raised their hand then was an unexpected person.
Seon A-hyun, who was biting his lip.
“Could it be… the Yips?”
“Eh…?”
The Yips.
“A condition in sports like golf or baseball where an athlete who used to play well suddenly loses the ability to control their movements and makes ridiculous mistakes….”
“…….”
“There are cases where people suffer from this for years and even… retire.”
Kim Rae-bin’s eyes trembled as he read the definition he found on the internet.
“However, Cheong-woo hyung said it wasn't a physical issue, like muscle reflexes. So…….”
“It means it’s a completely psychological problem.”
Bae Se-jin, who had searched a bit more, muttered to himself.
“…Conversion Disorder.”
—A condition where physical symptoms or deficits, primarily affecting motor or sensory functions, appear due to psychological causes.
Startled, the members waved their hands.
“It’s too… early to make such a judgment…….”
“…! Of course not!”
Bae Se-jin quickly closed the page, as if he had only read it aloud unconsciously.
“Anyway, it’s true that he needs to go back to the hospital. For counseling or….”
“We have to send him, even if we have to force him.”
The members talked about needing a proper diagnosis and treatment, but their faces remained uneasy.
The discomfort of having such a conversation among themselves while leaving the person involved alone in his room.
And…….
“But… if this is true.”
Bae Se-jin’s voice trembled slightly.
“They say it’s… difficult to treat because it’s a symptom that isn't explained by medical principles.”
“…….”
The heavy question that followed didn't make it out of their mouths, but it quietly settled in everyone’s hearts.
‘Then what happens to Cheong-woo hyung?’
And.
‘Why on earth did this happen?’
The question about the cause.
“I didn't know something like this would happen.”
Kim Rae-bin muttered, looking a bit dejected.
This was Kim Rae-bin and Park Moon-dae’s room.
Instead of Park Moon-dae hyung, who had gone out to contact the company regarding this incident, Cha Yu-jin had taken over his bed, lying spread-eagled while tossing and catching an American football.
He looked relaxed on the surface, but it was actually an action to keep his own mentality in check.
Even for him, this was a bewildering and worrying situation.
Something unexpected.
“Right.”
Ryu Cheong-woo wasn't the type of person to be overwhelmed by mere ‘feelings’ like anxiety or worry, was he?
He was strong in both body and mind, without any victim complex—a truly resilient type of person.
‘He would’ve been fine even if he played football.’
Cha Yu-jin smacked his lips and caught his ball again with one hand.
Thwack.
A conversation between his two quick-witted hyungs flashed through his mind.
—Cheong-woo hyung’s reason for quitting archery was the aftereffects in his left arm. Could that be coming back to him?
—It’s been quiet for a long time since debut, so why suddenly now?
Yeah. The timing was strange.
And here, his same-age friend had quietly come up with another hypothesis.
“Cha Yu-jin. Do you think… the vanished past we remembered could have had a bad influence on Cheong-woo hyung?”
Oh.
“Maybe.”
Right. It was something he had thought about too.
Cha Yu-jin mouthed the letters. S-T-I-E-R.
Steer.
“That could have an influence.”
Even Cha Yu-jin had needed time to sort out his feelings for a while. But he had already passed that stage and digested the memories.
In fact, now only a bittersweet yet pleasant feeling remained.
‘To think Moon-dae hyung was my fan.’
Thinking of the original owner of the bed he was sprawled on, Cha Yu-jin felt a brief urge to whistle mockingly.
Of course, it vanished as he realized the reality of the situation.
Cha Yu-jin gave a calm and cool-headed answer.
“That group didn't have good results, but our ending was good, and the misunderstandings were cleared up.”
“…….”
“There’s nothing for Cheong-woo hyung to be anxious about there.”
“You’re right.”
Kim Rae-bin nodded seriously.
TeSTAR was sailing smoothly now, and just because they were going head-to-head with VTIC didn't mean they would suddenly fail amidst controversy like back then.
‘Well, still, the activities the three of us did at the end were decent in their own way.’
It was eventful, but looking back now, it wasn't a bad way to wrap up the group called Steer….
Wrap up?
“……!”
Cha Yu-jin’s hand stopped.
He put the ball down and sat up.
“Cha Yu-jin?”
“Rae-bin. You went to the military after it ended, right?”
“Huh?”
Realizing he meant Steer, Kim Rae-bin nodded blankly.
“Yeah. And I continued studying composition….”
“I went to America and did other things.”
Cha Yu-jin spoke again.
“What did Cheong-woo hyung do then?”
Click.
At that moment, the owner of the room appeared, opening the door.
Park Moon-dae, who had just finished his call and returned, wiped the exhaustion from his face upon seeing the two youngest.
“You guys are here….”
“Moon-dae hyung.”
Before Park Moon-dae could even speak, Cha Yu-jin quickly pushed him into the room and closed the door.
With the sound of the door closing, a strange light flickered in Park Moon-dae’s expression.
“You worked hard! You really did well. But I have something to ask.”
What was he talking about?
Park Moon-dae was skeptical, but seeing Cha Yu-jin’s serious face, he decided to listen to what he had to say.
And he immediately lamented.
“Hyung, you were a fan of Bad Cha Yu-jin. Right?”
“……No,”
“I know. We all know. So I’m going to ask.”
Suddenly finding himself being interrogated once again about being a Steer fan, Park Moon-dae shut his mouth in absurdity, but his expression couldn't help but return at Cha Yu-jin’s next words.
Because it was about information.
“What did Cheong-woo hyung do after our group ended?”
“…….”
Park Moon-dae answered slowly.
“The three of you all lost contact.”
“…….”
Kim Rae-bin to the military, Cha Yu-jin to America.
“Cheong-woo didn't have any other activities either. So I don’t know… how he was doing then.”
“…!”
Cha Yu-jin shouted.
“That’s weird!”
“What?”
“That hyung definitely wanted to keep being a K-pop singer!”
That was… a fact Park Moon-dae couldn't help but know.
“Moon-dae hyung saw it too. Scary Cheong-woo hyung!”
Recalling how desperately he had acted to properly carry out TeSTAR’s activities when only Steer Ryu Cheong-woo’s memories remained.
“…….”
Wait.
If that’s the case… then.
‘Even if Steer ended, couldn't Ryu Cheong-woo have done something?’
Even a small solo album.
If he had wanted to, he would have renewed his contract with a mid-sized agency, or at the very least, there should have been articles hinting at something.
If he had any intention of continuing his career in the entertainment industry, that is.
But the fact that there was nothing….
“……He was in a situation where he couldn't?”
And if the reason for that was, perhaps.
“Wasn't his arm hurting back then too?”
“…….”
Dammit.
