[English title]
“······I’m sorry. To be honest, I really have no idea what caused this.”
The moment Dr. Lee Young-jo stood before the guardian of patient Kim Deok-su, shame burned through his chest.
The patient who had been brought in after a traffic accident, unresponsive for months, had suddenly awakened after a full year.
Only a few days earlier he had shaken his head in front of the guardian and declared the young man brain-dead.
Now, with just a few days of rehab, he stood perfectly healthy and whole.
How could he meet the man’s eyes?
But Kim Deok-su’s guardian—his mother, Lee Jeong-mi—met the doctor’s gaze with those warm, kind eyes of hers.
“Is there… any other problem somewhere?”
“No. There are no other issues.
Having recovered as much as he has is already a miracle in itself.”
The doctor looked mortified, yet Jeong-mi felt nothing but relief.
For her, seeing her son sweat through rehab sessions in that room was the greatest blessing of all.
He had slammed into a freight truck at over two hundred kilometers an hour.
A year later, he had woken up.
That alone was a miracle.
But it was not complete.
Memories were missing.
“Is there… no way to restore the memories?”
“······I’m sorry.
They should return with time, but for now there’s nothing we can do but watch.”
The first words the boy had spoken to her still echoed in her ears.
“Who are you?”
Jeong-mi nearly crumbled.
She gripped her heart and whispered to herself.
‘He was going two hundred kilometers an hour when he hit the truck… I should be grateful he woke up at all.’
“Mother.”
She shook her head hard to chase away the grief.
There he was, in front of her, smiling.
Jeong-mi quickly took his hand with a gentle smile.
“How’s your body feeling?”
“I feel wonderful.
Have you eaten?”
The boy who had once been Kim Deok-su now walked the hospital corridor beside Jeong-mi.
‘He really is handsome.
Men would stare too.’
Ji-hyun found it impossible to get used to the face reflected in the glass windows.
The nurses and female patients kept sneaking glances that made him uncomfortable.
‘At least I won’t starve because I have no money.’
Poverty had never been the worst thing he had faced—sleeping rough had been far harder.
‘Is this really my son?’
Walking beside his mother felt strangely alien.
He blamed it on the effects of death and rebirth, yet something about the person had changed.
The fierce eyes were gentler now, the voice calmer.
“Mother.
Why do you look at me like that?”
“Oh, no.
But, Deok-su… you still don’t remember anything?”
“······I’m sorry.
But little by little, the things I need are coming back, so I shouldn’t have much trouble living.”
Ji-hyun, now inside Deok-su’s body, avoided Jeong-mi’s gaze.
The most burdensome person since waking had been this “mother.”
“That’s good news, Deok-su.”
The woman who had once been forced to call her son by a cute nickname instead of his real name flinched.
“Deok-su?” she asked, voice soft.
“You… don’t mind?”
“Mind what?”
“That… no, never mind.
You hated having your name called.
Said it sounded stupid.”
“I did say that, didn’t I?
I’m curious though.
Why did you choose the name Deok-su?”
Jeong-mi looked surprised for a moment, then answered calmly.
“You were born premature.
You survived, but you had so many illnesses afterward.
When I had your fortune read, the fortune teller said a name that sounded bad would help you live longer.
So I chose Deok-su.”
“A good meaning.”
“······Yes, it was.”
Ji-hyun laughed softly.
The real Kim Deok-su had been such a coward and cowardice.
Jeong-mi found her son both strange and fascinating.
Yet somewhere in her heart, tension lingered.
The conversation in the hospital room stayed awkward for a long while.
“The company people are coming this afternoon.
Do you remember anything about the company?”
“JMT Entertainment, right?
Most of the work I remember.”
Kim Deok-su’s agency, JMT Entertainment.
A comprehensive entertainment company that handled idols, actors, and production.
They had the JM Group behind them, yet in recent years they had failed three major groups and the atmosphere was tense.
“That’s good.
Maybe we can postpone the meeting?
It’s probably not good news… but we’ll have to face it sooner or later anyway.”
“You’re right.
If it’s necessary, tell me.
I’ll be back soon.”
After Jeong-mi left the room, Ji-hyun lay back on the bed.
First, he needed to organize the current situation.
‘A month since I woke up….’
He had spent the time focused on rehab and gathering information.
The most important thing had been to find out what had happened to him.
‘I died saving someone, so I got the award and money.
It all went to my father.’
His father had barely held the funeral and then buried the ashes in the top shelf of the columbarium.
Ji-hyun had finally been allowed to leave the hospital, seen his own bones, and felt an odd mix of emotions.
‘At least the ashes should rest in the royal tier.’
Thinking of that man gave him no emptiness at all.
He was grateful he would never have to deal with such a human being again.
After visiting the columbarium, Ji-hyun began to adapt as Kim Deok-su.
Time was not an issue.
The doctors said he had been brain-dead for a year, but Ji-hyun had regained consciousness the moment the accident happened.
‘That face in the mirror… is this really the face of a top idol?
It’s like a doll.’
The delicate jaw, the enormous eyes like lakes, the slender neck—all of it belonged to Signature’s visual member.
‘With a face like this, punching fans, throwing away their gifts… even driving those fans away….’
Ji-hyun clicked his tongue while staring at the reflection.
Kim Deok-su, stage name L’Vyu.
In the beginning he had been the most successful member of Signature.
His fan club had been the strongest.
But after L’Vyu began discarding fan gifts, scandals, violence, and accusations of assault flooded the media.
Fans started leaving one by one.
At first the fans defended him, but when the incidents kept coming, even they turned away.
“JMT, kick L’Vyu out!”
“Why is L’Vyu still in Signature? Stop being a nuisance!”
“L’Vyu is no longer part of Signature!”
The snowball effect had even pushed for his expulsion.
But the accident had happened then, and afterward Kim Deok-su had awakened after one year—Ji-hyun’s soul intact.
“Hyung, if you’re going to use that face, give it to me.”
“Three consecutive assault videos.
I’m learning from Lim Yo-han.”
“Hahaha, keep growing up.
Without you, the trash will starve lol.”
Ji-hyun’s head ached.
L’Vyu had definitely been a top idol, but whether he could still perform as a Signature member was doubtful.
A year had passed and the public opinion about Kim Deok-su remained negative.
If he were forced to leave or be expelled, Ji-hyun did not know what would happen.
Retiring from the entertainment industry had crossed his mind, but it only felt like running away.
‘What do I do next….’
While lost in thought, someone knocked on the hospital door.
Two men entered.
A tall man in a suit.
“Cast?”
“You suddenly call me by my stage name?
Stage names are for work, remember?
How strange.”
The tall man with thick eyebrows was the leader of Signature—Ryu Gang-hyeok.
Ji-hyun was startled but forced a smile.
“It’s been a long time.”
“L’Vyu seems surprised?
The guy who used to do the rejection show every time someone called him by name?”
The man beside Ryu Gang-hyeok spoke cheerfully.
Ji-hyun realized he was from JMT Entertainment but could not identify him exactly.
“It’s not the same as remembering you, Director.
I’m sorry, but losing memories like this is too much.”
“It’s well-known that you and L’Vyu didn’t get along.”
“I was only doing my job.
By the way, I’m Lee Gwang-yong.
Manager director of Signature.”
“I’m Ryu Gang-hyeok.
Leader of Signature.
You don’t remember that either?”
Ji-hyun bowed his head and studied both men.
While Director Lee Gwang-yong had an expressionless face, Ryu Gang-hyeok’s eyes and mouth held constant smiles.
At thirty years old he still had the bright, clean smile that charmed countless fans.
“Nice to meet you.”
“Whoa, how long has it been since I met L’Vyu?
It feels like the first time since debut.”
Director Lee Gwang-yong asked many questions about Ji-hyun’s condition.
When he confirmed there was no issue, he reached into his bag.
Ryu Gang-hyeok stopped him.
“Director, are you really planning to say that?”
“It’s better to rip off the plaster quickly.”
“L’Vyu is still in recovery.
Only a month since he woke up.”
The two men argued while Ji-hyun sat between them.
He did not need to ask; he already knew it was not good news.
‘I have to find out what it is.’
Without parents to shield him, Ji-hyun had learned to read the room well.
After a long debate they stood up as if nothing had happened.
“I know, I know.
Let’s talk about that later.
Deok-su, you never used social media, did you?”
“I don’t remember any IDs.”
Director Lee Gwang-yong laughed and sighed.
“That’s good.
Don’t talk to the media or the internet at all.
We’ll have the staff tell you what to say.
Be careful with your words.”
Director Lee Gwang-yong turned to leave, then stopped.
“And keep the memory loss a secret for now.
If it gets out, only the trash will notice.
Gang-hyeok, keep it secret from the other members too for a while.”
“Yes.
Take care of your health.
We’ll see you again soon.”
The next few days passed peacefully.
But Ji-hyun had spent them in intense preparation.
“Rehab isn’t necessary anymore.
There’s just one problem….”
“Problem?”
“You have less muscle mass than a man should.
Your bones are also thin… but it’s just your constitution.”
After rehab, Ji-hyun stood in front of the mirror.
The bulky body he had built from years of hard labor was gone.
Only a thin, wiry frame remained.
‘At least my fashion sense is still perfect.’
Ji-hyun laughed softly.
Whether the patient gown was on him or he was wearing it, he could not tell.
When he had been Ji-hyun, his legs had been short and his limbs thick, so clothes never fit well.
Now, with Deok-su’s small face and long legs, any outfit looked good.
Ji-hyun sat on the bed and turned on his tablet.
[Exclusive] Signature’s fan club Arosam demands L’Vyu’s expulsion from the agency.
JMT Entertainment remains silent on the demand….
Some extreme fans continue their strong protest outside the agency….
[Exclusive] Signature member L’Vyu, speeding at over two hundred kilometers an hour, collides with a freight truck. Currently in a coma.
Even with the coma news, the fan club’s position remains the same.
Within the silence of Signature members, leader Ryu Gang-hyeok appeals to the fan club. ‘Please just pray for his recovery.’ The fans’ hearts are moved….
‘Ryu Gang-hyeok really is a good leader.
I heard he was known for being friendly with women.’
After rehab Ji-hyun had collected information about Kim Deok-su.
Whether lucky or unfortunate, articles about Ji-hyun had stopped after the accident.
‘In the worst case, the contract will be terminated.’
If fans learned he had woken up and was recovering, the company might carry out the expulsion fans had demanded.
‘From the company’s perspective, current Kim Deok-su is no longer an asset.’
Maybe a short article, but not enough to make money long-term.
Better to let fans think they had gotten what they wanted.
Ji-hyun carefully read the contract.
His only trust was himself now.
Angry fans, a twisted image, an unpredictable company.
He was walking on thin ice.
Ji-hyun logged into Signature’s fan club Arosam.
Without an ID he could not see the hardcore members, but he could read the general posts.
Ji-hyun kept reading.
JMT Entertainment’s efforts to defend Kim Deok-su and the shifting public opinion were both there.
Ji-hyun closed the laptop.
After gathering the information, he understood the situation better.
The next afternoon, visitors came to the room.
“······A termination contract.”
Ji-hyun calmly accepted the papers Director Lee Gwang-yong offered.
The company was moving exactly as he had expected.