Chapter 15
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: That's You, Right?
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That's you, right?
I usually go to bed around 11 PM and wake up between 7:30 and 8 AM.
I've stuck to that near-perfect routine all through 2023, but today, when I opened my eyes, it was already 1 PM.
"This is gonna be addictive..."
Overslept like a champ. Feels amazing.
The moment I woke up, I grabbed the iPad by my bedside and fiddled with it.
As the speaker poured out my carefully curated "best playlist for right after waking up," I did some light stretches on the bed to shake off the grogginess.
Once my joints popped satisfyingly all over, I shuffled out to the living room and drew the curtains.
I breezed through mouthwash, washing my face, and morning skincare at the sink, then habitually scarfed down some yogurt and cereal.
After that, instant coffee time.
Normally, that's when I'd finally pick up my phone and start thinking about how to spend the day—
"...What the hell is this?"
Missed calls and KakaoTalk messages galore as soon as I disabled sleep mode.
What? Did my personal info get leaked?
Stunned, I rubbed my eyes and double-checked the notification counts.
Missed calls were over 80, and KakaoTalk had maxed out at 999+.
"Is this what an influencer's life is like?"
The most unread KakaoTalks in my life were the first two days in my undergrad group chat, when I hit 700 and screenshotted it thinking, "Whoa, this is unreal."
That feels like yesterday.
"Whoa, too many to read."
I was curious why KakaoTalk had piled up like that, but now that it had, I couldn't stand the sight of it.
Fatigue hit me just an hour after waking up. Frowning, I checked the call log, which had fewer notifications.
...Did my info really get leaked? Why so many unknown numbers?
I went through each unrecognizable number, spotting the occasional saved contact amid them.
Oh, and for reference, my contacts list has only about twenty people, family included.
"Why'd this guy call so damn much?"
My best friend Sunwoo dominated the list with 14 out of 81 missed calls, an overwhelming first place.
I knew he'd be in the middle of work at this hour, but if he'd called this many times, I should return the favor, right?
I hit call right away, and...
"Hello—"
"You bastard, why'd it take you so long to pick up?!?!"
He answered before the ringtone could even loop once and immediately exploded in anger.
What was with that reaction?
'Did something bad happen near my place?'
Could be a stabbing, group brawl, fire, or explosion—plenty of possibilities—but for him to react like that, it was one of two things.
A gate opening, or an alien invasion.
I figured a gate opening was slightly more likely...
"Are you sane or not?!?!"
Guess it wasn't the time for nonsense like that.
Sunwoo's voice sounded even angrier than I'd thought, so I cowered and mumbled back, clueless.
"Huh? Uh, yeah... Sorry. I had a rough night and slept in..."
"Hah, slept rough? You think this is the time to be messing around?"
"Yeah, it's not like I'm a squirrel or anything—it's not the time to be scampering—"
"......"
"...Okay. Sorry."
He didn't play along with my joke, which was super awkward, but his reaction made it clear this was a big deal for him.
I was about to ask what was so urgent that he'd called fourteen times when—
"Explain yourself."
So it wasn't a gate—it was a social scandal that blew up.
"......Explain?"
"What? Don't tell me you caused all this and have nothing to say?"
First time I'd ever heard Sunwoo actually pissed off since we met.
He hadn't even gotten this mad when his seniors in the army tormented him.
I could count on one hand the times I'd seen him angry, so my head was genuinely spinning.
What? Did I actually screw up somehow?
The most controversial thing I'd done lately was timidly splashing water from my pants at people spraying me during the jazz festival.
No way that'd be an issue.
'Do I have to go back to elementary school?'
What the hell was I supposed to explain?
The situation made no sense.
As I stayed silent, Sunwoo's frustrated sigh pierced through the phone.
Even the sigh screamed disappointment.
"Whoa, you're gonna duck responsibility to the end, huh?"
"It's not ducking— I seriously have no idea what I did wrong..."
Objectively, not knowing my own fault made me seem shameless, and I shrank even more.
"...I'm really sorry, but can you just tell me what I messed up? I genuinely don't know. Please? If you tell me, I'll reflect properly and apologize."
"......"
"Think of it as our last favor?"
Sunwoo let out a deep sigh and clicked his tongue.
I had no clue what I'd done, but his reaction confirmed I was in the wrong.
But I felt so wronged...
What did I even do?
"Yumin."
"Y-Yeah. Sure."
"How long have we been friends...?"
"Since high school, so... at least six years."
"...Six years. Already?"
"Yeah. Hard to believe."
"How could you not say a word? Didn't you trust me?"
That's what I'm asking—what is it?
I wanted to snap back, but hearing how genuinely hurt he was killed my retort.
I squeezed my eyes shut and sighed.
"...Sorry."
"Hah... Nah. Talking like this, I realize I got too emotional. We're bros, after all."
"You must've had a reason to blow up like that."
"Sorry, Yumin. The guys are waiting, so I'll hit you up later."
"W-Wait. Before you go, tell me what I did wrong."
"......Hah, that."
Sunwoo kept swallowing hard, reluctant to bring it up.
Was my screw-up that heinous?
Whatever it was, I steeled myself to accept it humbly and waited.
"Chaewon."
"......Chaewon?"
"Why didn't you tell me you're childhood friends with Chaewon...?!!!"
A lion's roar of pent-up frustration.
"Dude! You know I'm a die-hard Ever fan, especially Chaewon...!!"
His choked-up words cut off, followed by heavy breathing.
What did I just hear—?
One second. Two. Three.
I blinked repeatedly, replaying his words...
"You fucking—"
I unleashed a barrage of curses I hadn't uttered outside the army.
I'd figured "uploading tomorrow" meant the day after today, since he'd said so ironclad.
Especially since it was already around 11:50 PM when Chaewon and I talked.
From my perspective, a new day had dawned, so "tomorrow" meant from then.
But nope—the vlog went up right at midnight.
The timing was insane too. I was lost in thought, staring at the sky with my phone on sleep mode, totally oblivious.
"That psycho Park Sunwoo probably shaved ten years off my life..."
To calm my racing heart, I sat in lotus position and took deep breaths.
Despite my quest for peace, the calls and KakaoTalks kept pouring in even after learning the full story.
Irritation surged thanks to that lunatic Sunwoo, so I switched to airplane mode and killed the KakaoTalk notifications.
Screw it. No contact for two days.
I muttered that to myself, chucked my phone on the bed, and grabbed the iPad.
"Anything good on Netflix lately?"
Current time: 2:30 PM.
Afflicted with the status ailment known as boredom.
Since discharge, I'd hit up every spot worth visiting and caught up with everyone worth seeing.
No plans today.
No groceries needed, no reason to go out, and studying? That's straight-up insanity.
I thought about bingeing some movies or dramas I hadn't seen in ages, so I opened Netflix, but...
"Whoa. Too lazy to watch."
Yeah. I'm the type who finds watching videos a huge chore.
I shut off the screen and stared blankly at the ceiling.
Normally, I'd listen to music or nap around now, but I'd just woken up two hours ago.
No decent songs lately to listen to anyway.
...And no way was I ready to watch that problematic vlog.
"Emergency. This is an emergency."
Me, worrying about having nothing to do at home? Unheard of.
Felt like a crack in my pride as the ultimate homebody king.
"But somehow, time always flies anyway... Huh?"
A song title flashed through my mind mid-mumble.
I immediately streamed Kendrick Lamar's "Alright."
"Old masters are the best. This guy's tracks are insane."
I grooved along to his clumsy rap delivery.
Just like that, three hours flew by enjoying old-school hip-hop...
"Whoa, I shouldn't sleep now."
Did I enjoy it too hard? Sleepiness crashed over me like a wave.
Desperate to fend it off, I half-asleep grabbed my phone, wallet, and headphones and headed out.
Might as well run laps on campus, sweat it out, and grab some food.
Campus was a 15-minute walk.
I jogged lightly like a warm-up, then stopped at the crosswalk before an eight-lane road, waiting for the signal.
...But what was this?
"Nah, no way."
Even I thought I was overreacting, so a self-mocking smile crept up.
Uploaded at midnight meant it'd only been public for 17 hours.
No matter how famous Ever's Han Chaewon was, how much interest could there really be in that childhood friend of hers?
'Don't get cocky. You're nobody special.'
Muttering that ridiculous thought anyway, I cranked up my headphone volume to drown out the two women seeming to whisper and glance my way.
Signal was about to change, so I picked up my pace—right then.
"Um..."
A woman tapped my shoulder.
No freaking way.
I muttered that and turned to meet her eyes...
"That's you."
"...Pardon?"
"Kang Yumin, Chaewon's childhood friend. You're him, right?"
Her eyes sparkled with near-certainty, and my face froze solid.
My worst fears came true.
"NewJeans' Hype Boy."
Five minutes after stepping out, I sprinted back home at full speed.