Chapter 35
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: Reunion with Jae-yoon
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Lee Jae-yoon covered his slightly upturned mouth with his hand as he spoke to Do-jun.
"Why'd you take so long to get here?"
"Take long? Bullshit. I had to know where to go first."
"Aw, quit whining. You found it just fine."
"This is the third place I've checked."
Saying that, Do-jun glanced around before lowering his voice and snapping.
"Are you insane?"
"What?"
"What were you thinking posting that? It's blown up everywhere. You trying to pick a fight with the company?"
"Pick a fight? Please."
Slurp.
Lee Jae-yoon calmly sipped his strawberry latte and continued.
"I just did what I thought was right. Back in the day..."
He started to add something but quickly swallowed his words. Do-jun, oblivious, just let out a hollow chuckle.
"Gonna eat scraps for the rest of your contract?"
"Scraps? Come on. I'm the guy who hit number one on the charts twice before my first anniversary."
"Yeah, yeah, you're a star."
"You know our company. Popularity is king. They can't touch me."
"You're nuts."
Do-jun shook his head in disbelief before finally sitting down, defeated.
"Go grab me a coffee."
Jae-yoon obediently bought a cup. Do-jun, who seemed on edge, downed half of it in one go.
"Even without you stepping in, I could've handled that Moon Dae-chan jerk myself."
Jae-yoon stared at him, puzzled by the claim. Instead of explaining, Do-jun shoved his phone forward.
He hit play on a recorded file right away.
"...What the hell?"
Jae-yoon was genuinely stunned by the conversation playing. Anyone could tell it was Moon Dae-chan's voice.
How the hell did he get this?
Unlike the baffled Jae-yoon, Do-jun leaned back in his chair with a smug grin, the smile of a victor.
"Snuck in and recorded it. Thought I was filming a damn movie."
He shaped his hand like a pistol and pointed it at Jae-yoon.
"Bang!"
Jae-yoon let out a deflated laugh at the cheeky gesture.
"Snuck in? Where? Not the company, right? You're actually crazy, hyung."
"Think I'd go to the company? It was a bar."
"Same difference. If you'd gotten caught..."
"I didn't."
"You're always like this, hyung."
"Says the guy lecturing me."
Their eyes met, and without a word, they both sighed in unison. Then they burst into laughter simultaneously.
It felt just like their trainee days.
Do-jun stared at Jae-yoon for a moment before straightening up, his face turning serious.
"From now on, think about yourself first instead of me. What if something really bad happens?"
"You should talk."
"I've always been like this."
"If you were, you'd have called me for help ages ago. Who else knows trainee life with you better to back you up?"
"Hilarious."
Do-jun smirked at the snappy retort and lightly smacked the back of Jae-yoon's hand on the table.
"Head on back now. Thanks to you, I've got a mountain of work waiting."
He finished the rest of his coffee and stood up.
"Thanks, man."
With those short words, Do-jun turned and walked away. Jae-yoon watched him go and murmured softly.
"Me too."
The moment I parted ways with Lee Jae-yoon, I pulled up Kim Han-soo from my call history and dialed.
His voice came through almost instantly, before the ringback even finished.
- Do-jun, where the hell are you? You're not at the dorm! And you weren't picking up!
"Uh, wait..."
I tried to explain, but he barreled on without giving me a chance.
- Where are you? I'm sending someone—head straight back to the dorm! No, take a taxi!
"Got it!"
I'd planned to explain why I'd left, but the suppressed anger in his voice made me hold back. Better to just follow orders and grab a cab first.
- And on your way, check that post Lee Jae-yoon from Flame...
"Oh, that's what I was gonna tell you about. I just met Jae-yoon."
I jumped on his name the second it came up. No point going to the company and making a bigger deal out of it.
- Pardon...?
Kim Han-soo trailed off, stunned. Yeah, I'd be shocked too.
- So... you're saying you're on your way back from meeting Lee Jae-yoon? From Flame?
His tone was thick with disbelief.
- Did you ask him to post that too?
His voice dropped lower, turning even stiffer.
He must've misunderstood. I denied it quickly and added an explanation.
"No, nothing like that. I got a call from a guy at GH, went to meet him, then saw Jae-yoon's post and rushed around looking for him."
- How'd you even find the place? It wasn't in the post.
"Eh, trainees don't have that many spots they hang out."
Kids stuck practicing at the company all day—how many places could there be?
Wait, maybe more than I thought?
I'd only nailed it on the third try, after all.
- Sigh. Then why meet the GH guy?
"Oh, he's willing to testify that Moon Dae-chan set the whole assault thing up..."
- You should've told us before heading out!
Ow, my ears.
I pulled the phone away from the blaring voice, holding it like a walkie-talkie as I replied.
"Wasn't sure, so I wanted to meet him first."
- That's our job! Not yours! That's what we get paid for.
"But I could handle it..."
- Anything you can do, we can too. Just trust us and tell us. You're the one who needs help right now.
True, but...
- Do you know how worried we were? No call back, members saying they had no idea where you went. You can't just worry people like that.
His voice grew more heated than before. First time I'd seen him this worked up since the waiting room fight with Arena.
But it felt less like anger at my recklessness and more like frustration from worry.
- Anyway, get back to the dorm ASAP, and send me that employee's number right now!
Click.
The call ended there. Rather than annoyed, I found myself chuckling.
I only did it just in case...
If I'd mentioned sneaking a recording at Moon Dae-chan's booze-up with the reporter, I'd be in deep shit.
Better save that for later, depending on how things play out.
Spilling now might mean grounded—no outings, phone confiscated.
Can't have that.
I'd already lost so many Likes thanks to that Moon Dae-chan bastard. Losing my phone too? No way.
I hailed a cab in a hurry and texted Kim Han-soo the GH employee's number.
Minutes after we pulled out, raindrops started pattering down. Sky had looked iffy all afternoon.
Good timing, though.
The drops on the car sounded like light percussion.
I leaned back against the seat and gazed out the window.
"Something good happen? You look happy."
"Huh?"
The sudden voice made me turn toward the driver's seat. The cabbie kept his eyes forward and went on.
"Your face is lit up. Makes me smile too."
His eyes in the rearview were crinkled like half-moons, the laugh lines making him look cheerful to anyone.
Me? That happy?
Honestly, with everything going on, who'd be grinning?
Sure, things were looking up, but not fully resolved yet.
Then it hit me.
Am I actually in a good mood?
A few hours ago, hearing that from a stranger would've pissed me off.
Now? Curiosity came first, weirdly enough.
"Y'know, evening fares are often in high spirits. Heading home from work, off to see friends after ages."
Rain was falling, but it didn't feel as gloomy as that first ride with this driver.
Even taking a cab like this felt surreal. Just hours ago, I'd been holed up staring at articles.
Finally seeing a way out?
That was part of it, but digging deeper, it wasn't the only reason.
Even set on quitting, that employee hyung who'd reached out first, ready to help.
Lee Jae-yoon, backing me up without a care for company ties or his image.
I hadn't properly thanked them amid the chaos, but it touched me.
They were risking fallout for themselves to stand by me—who wouldn't be grateful?
They're good people.
And the Pida folks, blowing up my phone out of worry.
Thinking of their faces explained the good mood.
Haha, guess I haven't been a total asshole. Sure, their kind hearts matter most, but still.
Lost in thought, I hadn't replied. The driver gave an awkward laugh.
"Heh, I talk too much, huh."
"No, sorry. Was just thinking. Yeah, I'm feeling good."
"Knew it. You look it."
The brief downpour had stopped. I cracked the window and looked up.
The sky was dyed deep blue, like the rain had never happened.
Back at the dorm, I got a shock the second I opened the door.
Road was planted right by the shoe rack.
Why not the couch...?
He greeted me, then called someone with a resolute face before resuming his post at the entrance.
No... I'm not going anywhere now?
I suggested the couch, but he shook his head.
"This spot's fine."
Ridiculous.
How's an empty floor comfier? Can't even lean back.
I insisted a few more times, but he looked ready to sleep there.
Especially whenever I neared the door, he was on high alert, watching my every move.
...He's serious about this.
Outmatched, I settled for piling blankets for him.
Tension easing at the dorm hit me with exhaustion.
Hadn't noticed while bouncing around hyped, but days of poor sleep amplified it.
I gave the members a quick rundown on where I'd been and crashed into bed.
Wonder if the article's up.
Eyes already drooping. How long since sleep came this easy?
Blinking heavily, I checked online. One article jumped out.
[Exclusive] Agency Employee Spills: "Lee Do-jun Assault Was Staged"
Nice, it's live.
Clear and detailed—enough to grasp the whole saga from this alone.
Lee Jae-yoon's SNS post, the quitting employee's interview, circumstantial evidence. Packed solid.
At the end: Pida vows strong action against malicious rumors.
Freshly posted, comments were still trickling in.
Tomorrow should be better, at least.
With that thought, I fiddled with my phone.
The recording of Moon Dae-chan and the reporter was still there.
Meant to play it for Kim Han-soo originally... but seems handled without it.
Releasing it now might just blow up a settling situation. No guarantee it'd even boot Moon Dae-chan.
Keep it for now.
Might come in handy someday. With that, I lay down.
A long, grueling day.