Chapter 27
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: Reunion with Kwon Hee-yul
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The pre-recording was over.
Before stepping off the stage, we chatted with the fans in the audience.
Their loud cheers of support were more than I could have asked for.
“How was the stage today?”
“It was amazing! The best!”
What a relief.
“Thanks so much for coming out today!”
After making eye contact and greeting each one of them, I left the stage behind with a pang of regret.
“See you next time!”
I kept looking back.
To think they’d invest all that time just for our three-minute performance...
I vowed to deliver even better shows from now on.
“Let’s head down.”
“Great job, everyone!”
The moment we finished our bows and came down from the stage, a system window popped up in front of me.
[Sub Quest Complete!]
Only then did the tension drain from my body.
As I collapsed to the floor, the members who’d been walking ahead turned back in surprise.
“What’s wrong?”
“Eun-ho, you okay?”
“Yeah. It’s nothing.”
I waved them off like it was no big deal and lifted my head.
Soon after, another system window announced the item rewards.
But...
[Item Reward]
- Acquired ‘Truth Orb’
- Acquired ‘Kwon Hee-yul’s Memory, Chapter 1’
‘What’s this?’
I wondered if I’d misread it.
This time, instead of Eun Hae-sol’s memory, it was Kwon Hee-yul’s? And what the hell was a Truth Orb?
I’d never gotten two items at once before, so I was caught off guard. Then I heard the members calling me from afar.
“Jeong Eun-ho! Hurry up!”
“I’m beat. Let’s get back to the dorm already.”
No idea what they were, but I’d check them out properly once we got back to the dorm.
I closed the system window and stepped out into the waiting room hallway.
Thud, thud—
Someone brushed past me.
It was just a glimpse, but that familiar profile made me turn my head instinctively.
“Kwon Hee-yul?”
At my words, the members stopped in their tracks.
“What’re you talking about?”
“Kwon Hee-yul just walked by.”
I stared blankly in the direction the guy had gone, and Cha Jae-hyun laughed with an incredulous look.
“Come on, why would Hee-yul be here?”
“You sure you didn’t see wrong?”
Was it really just my imagination? Why did it feel like Kwon Hee-yul kept popping up everywhere?
“No way.”
“Huh?”
“I have to check it out.”
I spun around and chased after the guy who’d just passed by. Panicked voices trailed behind me.
“Hey, Jeong Eun-ho! You really going after him?”
“We’ll head to the waiting room first!”
I kept running.
Staring at the man’s back ahead of me, I repeated “no way” in my head dozens of times.
But as the distance closed, my doubt turned to certainty.
“Excuse me!”
At my call, the man stopped. Then he turned to look at me.
Standing there was none other than...
“Kwon Hee-yul, you...!”
I couldn’t believe my eyes. Was this really Kwon Hee-yul right in front of me? I blinked over and over.
I’d always wanted to see him again, but I never imagined it’d be in a Music Bus waiting room.
Finally snapping out of it, I managed to speak.
“It’s you, right?”
He nodded, and before I knew it, tears welled up in my eyes. I hurriedly pressed at them and said,
“Hey! It’s been forever.”
As I spoke, I scanned Kwon Hee-yul up and down. His outfit said it all.
The colorful casual idol look, dyed hair, makeup...
‘This guy debuted.’
If he’d debuted, he could’ve just told me. Was he trying to surprise me?
I rubbed my eyes and looked up to see Kwon Hee-yul standing there awkwardly, face stiff.
What was this?
“Jeong Eun-ho. You here for rehearsal?”
“No, we’re up a bit later...”
“Got it. We gotta head in now.”
I was still adjusting to his suddenly heavy tone when...
“Kwon Hee-yul! What’re you doing over there?”
A guy came walking toward us from a distance. Dressed similarly to Kwon Hee-yul, he looked like a group member.
“What’s up? Someone you know?”
“...Old trainee buddy from my agency.”
“For real?”
The guy eyed me up and down with curious interest and said,
“Oh. Jeong Eun-ho from Manwol’s Boys, right? I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“From Hee-yul?”
“Nah. Internet.”
What was with this guy?
Before I could process the awkwardness, he kept going.
“I’m Hayden. Nice to meet you. Looks like we debuted around the same time, so let’s get close and...”
“We’re heading out.”
Kwon Hee-yul’s words turned the mood ice-cold in an instant.
Was he just tired? Even so, after all this time, did he have to be so cold?
I yelled after him as he turned and walked away.
“Kwon Hee-yul!”
He glanced back at me expressionlessly.
“What now?”
“You changed your number without a word. Kinda hurt my feelings, you know? Keeping your debut a secret too?”
I forced a smile as I looked at him, but he just stared off elsewhere.
“Can I get your number?”
I handed him my smartphone, and he inputted it with obvious reluctance.
Maybe it’d been so long, but his face felt unfamiliar. Back then, he had this bright, innocent vibe. Now... it was like shadows hung over him.
“Here.”
“Thanks.”
The second he finished speaking, he brushed past me.
“Take care!”
Still, it was good to see him again. At least we’d exchanged numbers.
We’d cross paths again for sure.
* * *
In the speeding van.
“Hee-yul debuted.”
My words snapped the dozing members awake, eyes wide. Cha Jae-hyun spoke first.
“When?”
“Not long after us. Our debut dates are pretty close.”
Their eyes bulged. Everyone looked pretty shocked.
Baek Si-woo, who’d been on the verge of passing out, bolted upright in a fuss.
“Hee-yul debuted? Huge news! That’s awesome. Really awes—”
I watched the smile slowly fade from Baek Si-woo’s face.
“But why am I just hearing this now?”
“......”
“Why didn’t he tell any of us? Kwon Hee-yul, this won’t do!”
Baek Si-woo pouted, looking seriously miffed.
Cha Jae-hyun tried to play it cool.
“Don’t overdo it, guys. He probably got thrown right into debut prep after joining the lineup. Must’ve been swamped.”
True. If he’d gotten kicked out and jumped straight into another agency’s debut team, time would’ve been tight.
I got it, but...
“Kinda hurts.”
Song Yu-bin said it with a downcast face.
I’d felt the exact same when we first ran into him. Just like Song Yu-bin.
If he’d debuted, he could’ve said something. Why change his number without a word and keep his debut under wraps?
If we’d known ahead of time, we’d have all celebrated together.
That’s when Cha Jae-hyun asked,
“What group?”
“Halfton, I think.”
“Let’s search.”
It was almost comical—we had no clue he’d even debuted.
The members stared at their phones like they were stalking an ex’s SNS.
“Halfton’s under Wipl.”
Wipl. A mid-tier agency known for launching some decent groups. But lately, their idols kept screwing up, and the company was on a downward spiral.
Word on the forums was they sucked at managing...
“Wonder if Hee-yul’s okay.”
At Cha Jae-hyun’s worried tone, Song Yu-bin chimed in brightly.
“Of course he is! Hee-yul hyung could thrive anywhere. He might even blow up big time.”
Maybe. If so, great, but...
The second I pulled up their MV on YouTube, I knew instinctively. The company had zero sense of style.
‘What’s with the styling?’
Heavy hip-hop beat paired with garish, upbeat outfits that didn’t match at all.
They’d tried for hip-hop vibes by shooting in graffiti-covered streets, but...
Weren’t those clothes way too bright for a grimy, rundown neighborhood?
Overall, the colors and backgrounds clashed hard.
‘What the hell.’
I’d started watching with a smile, expecting to see Kwon Hee-yul, but the shocking production quality killed my grin.
I searched “Wipl styling,” and posts flooded in.
[Title]
Why’s Wipl’s styling like this?
Clicking one showed Wipl idol “Lemon Kare”’s outfits from a stage four months back.
[Comments]
- Wtf is this?
- Thought they were ladybugs lol
- Isn’t this comedian wear??;
- Why no stylist fired?
└ Wipl’s three great mysteries
- No-brain trio, Hemeko Legion lol
Next, I searched Halfton. Maybe a dozen posts total.
Wipl wasn’t promoting them, so the group barely existed on the forums.
Leaning against the window, I took in the passing scenery and thought,
‘Hope it works out for him.’
Different company, different group—nothing I could do. Just pray it goes well.
That’s when...
“Um, Manager hyung.”
Song Yu-bin asked cautiously.
“What’s the plan with that incident? The one where Jae-hyun hyung got locked in the bathroom.”
The van stopped at a red light.
The manager turned to us.
“Locked up? Don’t use such scary words. Looked like some crazy anti’s doing.”
His half-assed response nearly set me off again, but I held back.
“So what’s the plan?”
“Requested a police investigation. They’re combing nearby CCTV for the perp.”
At least that was something. I’d been going nuts thinking we’d keep dealing with crap like that on schedules.
Cha Jae-hyun spoke up.
“Guys. From now on, no one goes alone. Always two-man teams. And don’t trust people right away.”
We all answered, “Got it.”
“Who the hell would pull something like that?”
No one spoke.
Honestly, I couldn’t wrap my head around it. Who’d do this, and why?
Was it really some deranged anti, like the manager said?
My mind was a mess.
“Ha...”
I sighed and closed my eyes. Sleep hit soon after.
* * *
Click—
We opened the dorm door and went inside.
As the members trudged tiredly across the living room, Cha Jae-hyun stopped in the middle.
“Guys.”
At his voice, we all turned to look.
“Got something to say. Gather up.”
We sat in a circle.
I could guess what it was about. He’d recap the Black Dice waiting room mess from today’s music show.
Cha Jae-hyun hesitated, then spoke.
“There was some tension in Black Dice sunbaenims’ waiting room today, right?”
Right on the money.
Song Yu-bin said carefully,
“Bet the company folks already heard all about it.”
“Seems like they’re all keeping quiet.”
Hwang Tae-seok. DIEN’s top star, huge impact on company revenue.
Wouldn’t be easy reining in a loose cannon like him.
Probably planning to let this slide too...
“What if we run into that Hwang Tae-seok guy again?”
Song Yu-bin’s words made Baek Si-woo grimace and shake his head.
“I’d hate that. Seriously don’t wanna deal with him ever again.”
We all nodded unconsciously, same thought.
In the heavy mood, Cha Jae-hyun eyed our faces and said,
“Guys. Looks like we can’t just let this one go?”
He let out a short breath, then continued.
“So let’s make sure we never have to interact with Black Dice sunbaenims again.”
Song Yu-bin asked worriedly,
“Will that be easy? What if we cross paths on a show...”
“Yu-bin, no worries.”
“Why, Eun-ho hyung?”
“You think the company’d put us on the same show as Black Dice?”
The members looked convinced.
‘Unless they’re insane, who’d schedule feuding groups together?’
Word was out, so the company would avoid pitting us against Black Dice.
Even if we crossed paths, it’d be music shows or award ceremonies at worst. Too many eyes around for them to act up like before.
To lighten the mood, I added,
“Don’t stress. Hwang Tae-seok’s a big senior idol, sure, but he’s not our boss.”
Exactly.
His status was fact, but we didn’t have to grovel for unfair treatment.
No matter how big he was, he couldn’t block company idols’ paths.
Cha Jae-hyun followed up.
“Yeah. We just do our thing. Don’t carry today’s crap around. That’s why I called you.”
He wrapped it up.
‘Nicely tied off.’
Everyone was worn out from this—hope this eased their minds.
“Off to bed.”
“Great work, everyone!”
We headed to our rooms. Everyone crashed onto their beds the second they entered.
Eun Hae-sol was asleep on the top bunk, and the others seemed out cold...
‘Time to check those quest rewards.’
I opened my inventory.
Two items: Truth Orb and Kwon Hee-yul’s Memory, Chapter 1.
‘What’s the Truth Orb?’
Clicking it in the inventory brought up the description.
[Truth Orb]
A capsule revealing the truth of who locked Cha Jae-hyun in the Music Bus bathroom.
‘I see.’
I’d been annoyed waiting for the police, but perfect timing.
No hesitation—I hit the use button at the bottom.
The moment I saw the truth, it hit me like a hammer to the back of the head.
“What? The bastard who locked up Cha Jae-hyun is really this fucker?”