Chapter 90
Chapter 90
It was the first time I’d ever seen Kim Rae-bin’s face turn that pale.
It was so noticeable that several other members, who had been scattered around tending to their own business, picked up on it immediately.
“Rae-bin, is something wrong? Hyung, what’s going on?”
When Ryu Cheong-woo approached and asked quietly, the manager led both him and Rae-bin away to a private spot.
“…….”
When someone is dealing with a complicated personal matter, they’re more likely to find outside interference intrusive.
Ryu Cheong-woo was fine since he wore the mantle of leadership, but there was no telling how Kim Rae-bin would feel if the other members started prying.
‘I’ll keep an eye on the situation for now.’
Sure enough, the manager returned with Ryu Cheong-woo a short while later.
Kim Rae-bin was already gone.
“…Where’s Kim Rae-bin?”
“Hold on. Let’s talk once the shoot is wrapped up.”
The manager seemed mindful of the surrounding staff. Realizing the gravity of the situation, the members kept their mouths shut and continued with their work. It wasn't until we had exchanged brief goodbyes with the production crew and climbed into the car that we heard the full story.
“His grandmother collapsed?”
“Yeah. So he headed straight to the hospital.”
“…….”
Knowing that Kim Rae-bin lived with his grandparents, the members’ expressions darkened.
I clicked my tongue. I felt… uneasy.
‘…At least they let him go.’
It seemed that because the contact came just as the day’s schedule was ending and the promotion was wrapping up, they sent him off immediately without any fuss. No unnecessary comments.
……Wait.
Could bad news really happen with such… convenient timing?
“Hyung, when did that call come in?”
“Wh-what?”
“The call about Kim Rae-bin’s grandmother collapsing. When did you get it?”
“…….”
The manager looked slightly somber.
“…It came in right around the time you guys finished rafting in the valley. I had my phone off while I was organizing things, so… I only saw it when the shoot ended.”
“……!”
The atmosphere turned icy.
“Then… even if Rae-bin goes now…”
“He-he might be too late….”
“That won’t happen! There were follow-up calls.”
The manager hurriedly added an explanation.
“……I see.”
The atmosphere in the car softened slightly at that.
I scrutinized the manager.
‘Did he actually check it earlier and just didn’t say anything?’
It was a possibility.
‘He could have pulled a stunt, thinking he’d get the shots first since the shoot was almost over before sending him off.’
If he rationalized it by thinking his grandmother wouldn't suddenly recover whether Kim Rae-bin was there or not….
…No. That was going too far. Neither the manager nor the company were the type to be that ethically bankrupt.
Besides, if that were the case, he wouldn't have been so honest about the timing.
I suppressed a sigh and leaned back.
“…What’s going to happen to his grandmother?”
I heard a sniffle from beside me.
Cha Yu-jin was huddled in the corner with a miserable expression.
‘He must have met her in person.’
Ryu Cheong-woo spoke up with difficulty.
“She’ll be okay. Let’s… try calling Rae-bin in a little while.”
“Okay….”
A heavy gloom settled over the car. Even Keun Se-jin seemed at a loss for words; when our eyes met, he simply shook his head.
“Hmm….”
Lee Se-jin turned his head toward the window, seemingly stifled by the atmosphere.
In that somber mood, the car sped toward the dorm.
It was a surreal ending to a frantic, high-energy two-day trip.
It was past midnight, in the early hours of the morning, when Kim Rae-bin returned to the dorm.
“……!”
“You’re back.”
Several members were still awake, sitting in the living room.
Seon A-hyun and Lee Se-jin, who had a photoshoot scheduled for tomorrow morning, had gone to bed at the manager’s strong insistence.
‘Since we didn’t know when Kim Rae-bin would be back, that was the smart move.’
And that judgment proved correct. It was currently 3:30 AM.
“Did you take a taxi?”
“……Yes.”
Kim Rae-bin’s face was swollen as if he’d been crying, but he didn’t look completely out of it.
‘It must not have been the worst-case scenario.’
I spoke up.
“Is your grandmother okay?”
“Yes…. I got to the hospital quickly, and they said there shouldn't be any lasting effects.”
As it turned out, his grandmother had collapsed from a cerebral hemorrhage. Fortunately, Kim Rae-bin’s older sister had found her quickly, and treatment was completed within the golden hour.
“That’s a relief….”
“Truly, what a relief, Rae-bin.”
“You must have been so worried. It was hard, wasn't it? Good job today.”
“……Thank you.”
Kim Rae-bin seemed to get choked up again, rubbing his eyes fiercely as he stepped into the living room. A small, quiet round of welcoming and comforting followed.
“Have you eaten dinner?”
“……No.”
“Oh, man.”
“You’ve been through a lot; it’s better to eat something before you sleep.”
That was true.
‘…Can’t be helped.’
I sighed and volunteered. With this lineup, it would be fastest if I did it.
“…Sit down. I’ll heat something up for you.”
“I-I’m fine!”
“It’s the middle of the night. Keep your voice down.”
“Yes….”
Once they confirmed the situation was okay, the other members stretched and stood up with much more relaxed faces.
“Then, Rae-bin, get some rest. Moon-dae, thanks for the hard work~”
“Yeah….”
“Make sure you eat everything before you go to bed.”
“You worked hard.”
Finally, Cha Yu-jin patted Kim Rae-bin on the shoulder and headed inside.
There was another group schedule tomorrow afternoon.
Now that we knew it hadn't turned into a tragedy, having a whole group of people sitting and staring at a kid while he ate would only be more burdensome.
‘I should finish this up and head in too.’
I heated up some instant rice and stew and set them out. It had been a wise decision to order an extra portion for dinner just in case.
“Here.”
“Thank you…….”
After confirming Kim Rae-bin had started eating, I turned to leave but then realized something.
‘…In this situation, wouldn't it look weird if he’s eating alone in the middle of the night?’
It was the perfect setup for feeling miserable. It was better if one or two people stayed.
And I had essentially volunteered for that role.
‘…Well, this is for the best.’
I sat down across from him.
Kim Rae-bin ate his meal in silence.
Then, before he was even halfway through, he set his spoon down.
“…Does it taste bad?”
“No…….”
Kim Rae-bin lowered his head and muttered.
“I confirmed that Grandmother is okay…… but still… I feel strange.”
“……Why?”
“If… if this happens again, and I see the message late again, and… if that time it’s really… really it.”
“……Hmm.”
“Even if I didn't see it late, would it be right for me to stop in the middle of a performance or a shoot to leave? But if I did that… it feels like I’d be lacking in professional ethics.”
“…….”
“I… I can’t stop thinking about it.”
…It was a valid concern.
And it was a worry anyone whose life is consumed by their work might have.
The fear of what to do if a devastating call comes while you’re in the middle of something incredibly important.
The problem was that Kim Rae-bin wasn't even an adult yet.
I wasn't sure if a professional environment that forced these kinds of dilemmas on someone not even legally old enough to drink was normal… honestly.
‘I suppose if you’re making money, you’re a professional, but still.’
Unless you’ve experienced that kind of phone call… you just don’t know.
“…….”
This is difficult. I didn't think I’d be saying this at this hour.
I thought it over before opening my mouth.
“When I got the call… I was at an academy.”
“……!”
“I was in class, so I had my phone on silent… I didn't see it until quite a while later. My exams were coming up.”
“…….”
There had been 24 missed calls.
Even now, I still think about it. What if I hadn't gone to the academy?
What would have changed if I hadn't gone and had followed them to that damn family event instead…? Meaningless thoughts like that.
“Back then, I was much less busy than you; I was just a student. So, these… issues of timing, I think they’re actually just a matter of luck.”
“……Ah.”
“Besides, you’re not going to live with this kind of schedule forever. Once you have more experience, schedules are things that can be adjusted as much as you want.”
I rubbed the back of my neck and continued.
“If you’re still worried, just tell the manager to make sure he checks any calls from your family immediately. And there’s no problem with leaving in the middle of work.”
“……!”
“Everyone lives like that. Anyone who talks trash about it is a psychopath, so just sue them.”
“…….”
After a long silence, Kim Rae-bin finally nodded.
“……Yes.”
“Do you feel a bit better?”
“…Yes!”
Kim Rae-bin answered with a bit more strength. He picked up his spoon again. …I was glad to see him regaining some energy.
‘Judging by his speed, I can head inside in five minutes.’
I checked the clock with a sense of relief. …Hmm, the sun will probably be up by the time I go in.
‘My sleep schedule is getting flipped again…….’
I could practically hear the sound of my circadian rhythm shattering. When we finally get a vacation, the first thing I need to do is fix my pattern—sleeping at 9 PM and waking up at 9 AM.
“Um, Hyung.”
“What?”
“May I ask you something?”
“…Go ahead.”
As he cleared the table after finishing his meal, Kim Rae-bin spoke cautiously.
“I believe you said you had amnesia, but no matter how much I think about it, I don’t understand how you remember the details of that incident…….”
“…It suddenly came back to me in my sleep.”
“A-Ah, I see.”
He really was a consistent guy.
As soon as the news articles about TeSTAR’s reality travel special were released, fans erupted in cheers.
And when the teaser dropped, the reaction doubled.
Fans counted down the days until the first episode of the reality trip.
At the same time, they scoured for any other variety show rumors, feeling a bit greedy for more content.
Then, they came across an anonymous post with no verification.
=========================
: The next guests for <Get Close First> are VTIC’s Cheong-ryeo and TeSTAR’s Park Moon-dae. They scouted Cheong-ryeo, and he personally requested him. Everyone’s whispering that the ratings are going to be insane.
=========================
The post claimed that VTIC’s Cheong-ryeo was filming a variety show with Park Moon-dae.
Naturally, a string of mocking comments followed this absurd claim.
The fans, of course, didn't believe it and moved on.
But a few days later.
An official article was published.
=========================
[<Get Close First>, Next Guests are VTIC and TeSTAR? (Exclusive)]
: According to an MBS official on the 21st, <Get Close First> is scheduled to film recently with VTIC’s Cheong-ryeo and TeSTAR’s Park Moon-dae as guests……
=========================
It was for real.
A short while later, the teaser video produced by <Get Close First> was released.