Chapter 30
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: The Assault Scandal
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Back at the dormitory, even after showering and lying in bed, sleep just wouldn't come.
From music show appearances to late-night practice sessions, my body felt as heavy and exhausted as a waterlogged cotton ball. And yet, my mind was strangely wide awake.
'Drama?'
The moment I met Kim Han-soo, I'd brought up the story I'd heard from Park Min-ha, and he'd said it was perfect timing—he'd been about to mention it himself—and explained everything in detail.
The executive director had been impressed by the acting I showed when I first arrived at the company and had reached out to the drama production team to get my face out there, whether it succeeded or not.
Honestly, I'd been flustered when I first heard it, but unlike after the radio appearance or the showcase stage, it didn't leave me dazed and out of it.
I was just a little worried.
'I hope the members don't think badly of me.'
The radio and Witube were chance opportunities, but this drama role signaled that the company was fully backing me.
The problem was all the spotlight kept shining on me.
'Some people already look down on me for debuting just half a year after joining the company...'
Even during the showcase and today's music show, my name had been called the most, which had gotten under my skin a bit.
That said, I didn't hate the idea of appearing in the drama. Of course I liked it. How many people wanted to go on shows but couldn't?
'Still...'
Honestly, I couldn't help but worry.
And on top of that, there was the incident with Arena today. I'd seen with my own eyes what kind of relationship Sung Joo-chan had with the other members.
"Argh."
It was tough. Really tough. There wasn't a single day without some worry.
Just then, Lee Jae-ha, who had lost at rock-paper-scissors and showered last, entered the room.
"Hyung, you asleep?"
"Not yet. Why?"
Shaking out his still-damp hair that hadn't fully dried, Jae-ha plopped down on his own bed.
He flashed a grin and said to me,
"I told you last time I'd buy you a car, right?"
"A car?"
Oh, right.
I'd brushed it off as a joke and forgotten about it...
"I bought one."
"What?"
He actually bought one?
I shot up in bed, staring at Lee Jae-ha in disbelief. But his face meeting mine looked perfectly confident.
Wait, was he secretly loaded? Like the youngest son of a chaebol family or something?
Maybe he was the free-spirited third-generation heir with zero interest in the family business, chasing his dreams without his parents' help...
"Here."
Lee Jae-ha's low voice neatly shattered my delusions.
'No way...'
Even as I thought that, my heart started pounding as he rummaged through his bag for something.
It couldn't be car keys coming out of there, right?
"Here."
"...A car?"
And that's when I saw the small 'car' in his hand.
A car with a three-pointed star right in the center of the grille, no less...
"You said you liked foreign cars, hyung, so I got this one."
...Thank you so much. So, so tearfully thankful.
In my early twenties, getting a car right after debuting. A foreign car, at that.
"This is a car too, you know."
"Yeah, a car’s a car."
What were you expecting, you idiot Lee Do-jun?
To be precise, I hadn't fully believed it—maybe a third of a third of half—but it was still pretty foolish.
Amused by my dumbfounded expression, Lee Jae-ha teased with a smile playing on his lips.
"Maybe I'll get you a real one later."
"By then, I might be able to buy one with my own money."
He just chuckled instead of replying and lay down on his bed.
Well, even a model was pretty cool. Driving around in the real thing would feel great.
Still, when did he even buy this? We were together every day, so pulling off a secret purchase like that was impressive in its own way.
"Good night, hyung."
"You too, Jae-ha."
Somehow, my heart felt a bit lighter than before.
At least Lee Jae-ha didn't seem bothered by me doing the drama.
Come to think of it, what was the point of worrying? It wouldn't solve anything.
As the tension finally eased, my fatigued body screamed for sleep.
I carefully set the car aside and hurried off to dreamland.
My worries turned out to be unfounded—the relationships with the members stayed the same.
If anything, grinding through our packed 24/7 schedules together fostered a kind of camaraderie, like battle-tested comrades.
Days flew by in a blur with barely a moment to breathe, but it was all worth it.
Thanks to the relentless music shows and events, our digital chart ranking climbed as high as No. 5. Sure, it had dropped back to 7th now, but still.
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed about not hitting No. 1, but No. 5 on a debut album was an incredible rank.
Plenty of songs didn't even crack the top 100.
The van heading back after the event was quiet. Everyone, worn out from the grueling schedule, was catching some shut-eye.
That was when it happened.
"What did you say?"
A sudden loud voice jolted me awake. It was Kim Han-soo in the passenger seat.
Glancing out the window, we were still on the highway. Pouring rain made everything pitch-black; no clue where we were.
"You sure? Does that even make sense?!"
He was on a call. I tried drifting back to sleep, but his urgent tone continued.
"We're heading up the Gyeongbu Expressway right now. Send the link first!"
What was going on? I sat up, and saw Kim Han-soo frantically checking his phone screen after hanging up.
"What the hell!"
His shout was twice as loud this time.
"...Huh?"
The other members, deep in sleep, startled awake too.
But Kim Han-soo, uncharacteristically, didn't apologize for waking us and urged the driver on.
"Floor it!"
"Pardon?"
"I said floor it!"
The driver slammed the accelerator at his urgent command. My body lurched back suddenly.
The van screeched through the rain-slicked road like it was in a trance.
What on earth? I rubbed my eyes, shaking off the lingering drowsiness. Something big had clearly gone down.
"Do-jun."
...Huh? Why was Team Leader calling me in such a scary voice?
No chance for jokes to lighten the mood. The anxiety soon became reality.
"When you were at GH, did you ever get into a fight with anyone?"
"Pardon?"
I racked my brain quickly. But no immediate answer came—not because I couldn't remember, but because there were too many.
'How am I supposed to remember all that?'
Agencies were full of dozens of people who thought they were the best. Getting through without clashes was impossible.
As I hesitated, Kim Han-soo added,
"Not minor squabbles—someone anyone would see as sworn enemies."
"...Um, I don't think so?"
"Really?"
I nodded firmly. Sure, I'd fought, but nothing serious. Never come to blows, not once.
To call someone an enemy, it'd have to be on Lim Joo-won's level—and that hadn't happened.
"Check this article for me."
I took Kim Han-soo's phone and looked at the article on the screen.
That's when I understood his reaction.
[Exclusive] Rookie Idol Group Member Accused of Assault?
A post exposing a rookie idol group member for assaulting and bullying past trainees has sparked controversy.
The whistleblower, who posted on an online community site, detailed, "Just thinking about it still makes me tremble. Going to practice was hell. If you didn't please him, he'd beat you just for being in the practice room."
They added, "If it got too bad, you'd get kicked out of the company, but usually end up debuting elsewhere. The guy who tormented me was the same."
Concluding, "I'm still haunted, unable to stand on stage, while he becomes a star on radio and Witube, basking in cheers—makes me want to die."
The poster didn't name the idol, but netizens are speculating based on the details.
Lmaoooo radio and Witube? That's just throwing shade at him lololol
No wonder... his face looks scary af. Am I the only one??
Don't spout nonsense without proof. I'll PDF and report you all.
Pretty no, insane personality lololol
"What the...?"
What was this?
No direct names for the company or person, but it was obviously pointing at me.
And sure enough, the comments were already exploding.
"What is it? Let me see too!"
As Kim Ha-woon reached for the phone, Kim Han-soo quickly took it back from me. He asked with a serious face,
"Anything ring a bell?"
I combed through my memories one last time, carefully. But really, nothing.
"No, nothing. Never happened."
"Got it. We checked with the staff who recommended you multiple times, just in case."
The van had entered Seoul by now. Kim Han-soo let out a heavy sigh and started making calls left and right with a grim expression.
I found and read the original post too, but nothing clicked. If there'd been anything similar, maybe, but no.
Meanwhile, Kim Ha-woon, who'd looked up the article on his own phone, huddled with the members, reading intently before saying in disbelief,
"Huh? This is obviously about Do-jun hyung, right?"
"Yeah."
Even Park Tae-hoo, who usually jumped in to nitpick Kim Ha-woon, nodded gravely.
"This isn't true, right? Right?"
"You think it'd be? Hyung doesn't even yell at us."
"True. So what the hell is this?"
They stared at the screen, deep in thought. Normally it'd be funny, but not now.
'Who the hell?'
No matter how I thought about it, I hadn't done anything deserving of an article like this.
And me, of all people, getting kicked out for assault? That was the most infuriating part.
'Could it really be Lim Joo-won...?'
He knew I'd come from GH, so fabricating something like this was entirely possible.
The van arrived at the company amid everyone's panic. Before Kim Han-soo could get out, a staffer from Management Team 2, who'd been waiting, shouted urgently,
"Team Leader! It's not just us—Arena has a similar article too."
"Arena too?"
Kim Han-soo took the tablet from the staffer, read the article, and groaned.
"We've been played."
Played?
Bzzz. Bzzzz.
Then my pocket phone buzzed obliviously. It was Kim Min-jae. Why now?
In the chaos, I almost let it go to voicemail, but a thought struck me.
Right—Kim Min-jae knew exactly how I'd lived as a trainee at GH. He could be a witness.
I answered immediately.
"Hello?"
- Do-jun! You see the article?
"Yeah, just did. It's chaos."
I was about to ask if he could help somehow when Kim Min-jae spoke first.
- I'm sorry.
"What?"
An out-of-nowhere apology. I couldn't help but be stunned.
But the real shock came next, something I could hardly believe.
- We put out that article. Sung Joo-chan's too.
...What the hell was this nonsense?