Chapter 168
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 168
Kang Yi-chae had finished the song.
A heavy synthesizer bass, a beat that stormed in from the very first second, and a rich melody that stirred the soul.
"…This is seriously good."
Because of the digital single being released a week early, the members had already heard it dozens of times during recording, yet they still let out exclamations of awe even while dancing in the practice room.
Normally, Kang Yi-chae would have responded with a sly remark or a boisterous laugh, but lately, his reactions had been dull.
"…I’m glad you like it."
Even when he did open his mouth, his words felt hollow, as if his soul were missing.
The schedule had been so tight—from the initial composition to the recording and final submission—that they’d had to push forward as is, but it seemed Kang Yi-chae still wasn't satisfied.
I don’t know if I should curse Im Hyeon-su or thank her.
His condition was a total mess, but she had dragged a guy who was already high-level up into the heavens.
In the end, everyone got drunk on the song and kept adding extra practice, claiming they needed to sync up just one more time. They pushed through the dawn and well past sunrise, finally stumbling out of the practice room at 6:00 PM with wan, ghostly complexions.
"This time is seriously going to be legendary…"
"The song?"
"The song, and the practice too…"
Ju Woo-seong had dropped by, and Han Chae-ri had visited once with a camera crew; both had worn strange expressions.
I didn't know if that was a positive sign, but for now, all we could do was our best.
The fourth episode had aired a few days ago. I figured if I checked the reactions I’d missed while busy with the competition prep, I could get a sense of our current ranking.
"My brain isn't working…"
"…Let’s just go sleep for three hours and come back."
"Okay…"
I pushed away Jeong Da-jun, who was whining and clinging to me because he was sleepy, and pulled out my phone.
"…You guys go on ahead."
"Huh?"
"I’m going to stop by my house for a bit."
"Why? Did something happen?"
The members' startled eyes turned toward me.
As I scrolled through my texts, I realized it had been months since I’d had a proper conversation with Seo Ho-jin that wasn't just one-word answers. I felt a bit sheepish.
"To grab some clothes."
We weren't the type to keep in touch frequently anyway.
But I felt like if I didn't act on the thought now, I’d end up putting it off for a long time. I wanted to see him, even if only for a moment.
Leaving the nodding members behind, I pulled my hat down low and headed home for the first time in a long while.
I wonder if that damn little brother of mine is eating properly.
I pressed the familiar passcode on the door lock.
Beep, beep, beep… chime.
When I swung the door open and stepped inside, the house was strangely quiet.
"Seo Ho-jin."
Since there was no answer, I assumed he was out.
I glanced at the photo of our parents sitting next to the TV, kicked off my shoes, and walked further in.
"Seo Ho—"
[Do you have any idea what happened last Friday?!]
Just then, I heard a voice coming from the master bedroom.
Oh, he’s here.
It sounded like he was on speakerphone; I could hear the whole conversation.
I didn't feel the need to go in and greet him immediately, so I went to the kitchen and opened the fridge to see what was inside.
The brat’s eating surprisingly well.
There was rice in the cooker and a decent spread of side dishes. He was taking care of himself.
I grabbed a drink and sat down at the kitchen table to chug it. Seo Ho-jin, still unaware of my presence, continued his call.
[I went to a mixer, and do you know what that girl from the Clothing Department said? She asked me to set her up with the 'insanely handsome department rep' from Political Science.]
Is Seo Ho-jin the department rep? Why would he take on such a tedious job?
[I told her not to be fooled by his skin, that he’s a total prick with a rotten personality. I was spitting as I cursed him out, but she just looked at me like I was pathetic. Fuck. It’s fine if victims keep piling up, but does he have to sabotage my love life too?!]
"Stop bullshitting… my head is throbbing."
"……??"
I nearly spat out my drink while unintentionally eavesdropping.
…Why does he sound exactly like me?
It wasn't just similar; it was my exact way of speaking. I’d stopped watching my language around him a long time ago, thinking that since he was an adult, he could manage his own speech habits.
Deciding I couldn't bear to listen to the call anymore, I set the can down on the table and kicked the bedroom door open.
"Hey."
"……?!"
Seo Ho-jin, who had been sprawled on the bed like melted jelly, scrambled upright.
"Oh, Hyung? You’re here??"
[Hyung?]
"……."
"What the—when did you even…."
[Wait, Seo Ho-jin, you have an older brother??]
His friend’s bewildered voice kept echoing from the phone.
"Hey, stop talking nonsense and just send the email."
Seo Ho-jin hurriedly turned off the speakerphone, blurted out a few words, and hung up.
I just stood there, leaning against the doorframe with my arms crossed, watching the spectacle.
"What’s up? Why’d you come without calling?"
"This is my house. You’re a tenant who doesn't even pay rent, remember?"
"…I know."
Watching Seo Ho-jin pout and grumble, I flopped down into the chair at his desk.
I turned my gaze to the framed photo occupying a corner of the desk. It was a picture of our parents and Seo Ho-jin, the three of them together.
"Nothing’s wrong, right?"
"Nothing."
"Really?"
"Nothing."
Seeing my expression, Seo Ho-jin let out a scoffing laugh.
"Stop worrying…. Oh, Hyung. I heard you’re filming some program?"
"Yeah. The finals are coming up soon."
As I answered, I noticed something strange.
He was pretending to be fine, but Seo Ho-jin’s entire body was drenched in sweat, and his breathing was ragged.
"Are you sick?"
"I think I just overdid it a bit…. There’s a lot to do now that the semester’s started."
No, if this kid is sick, he should rely on modern medicine. Why is he just huddling here alone?
"You’re twenty-four years old. Don't you have anyone to look after you?"
"I’m doing juuuust fine on my own~."
Well, seeing as he’s still talking back, I guess he’s not that sick.
"Want to go to the hospital?"
"I already went, like, the day before yesterday."
Better than me, then.
Come to think of it, there was a torn-open pharmacy bag and a half-empty water bottle sitting by the bedside.
I was about to let it go, assuming he’d handle it, when Seo Ho-jin let out a sharp, labored breath, his face flushing red. His condition seemed to worsen instantly; he slumped back onto the bed and buried himself under the covers.
I wondered if I should take him back to the hospital right now and pulled out my phone to search the area. I thought I remembered a place that did night consultations.
I scrolled through the screen and asked casually, "What did the doctor say? A cold?"
"……Ugh."
Seo Ho-jin hesitated for a moment.
"The thing is… they said I’m perfectly fine."
I was checking the name of a clinic when… my eyebrow twitched.
"…Perfectly fine?"
"You know how it is. 'It’s just stress,' blah blah blah. Who isn't stressed these days?"
Seo Ho-jin pushed his sweat-slicked bangs back and furrowed his brow.
"They told me to just take some medicine for now, so I did. It made me feel a bit better."
Thump. Thump.
I felt my heart start to beat out of rhythm.
An inexplicable anxiety began to claw at me.
Because his symptoms were…
"…Hyung?"
…They were exactly like the symptoms I get when I suffer a penalty for abusing the system.
Seeing me frozen and speechless, Seo Ho-jin sensed the heavy atmosphere and sat up.
"What’s wrong? Your face looks…."
As he moved closer to me, his complexion suddenly turned ghostly pale, and he hurriedly covered his mouth.
"…Urgh."
"……!"
Thinking he was going to vomit, I held my hand out under his chin, but a chill ran down my spine from the dread.
"Move, get out of the way."
He pushed me aside and ran to the bathroom. I stared blankly at his retreating back.
"Blegh… cough…."
Along with the sound of Seo Ho-jin retching, a certain possibility began to crawl through my mind.
In the chilling air, I stood there frozen, unable to move or go over to pat his back.
"…Hyung."
A moment later, after the sound of running water and him rinsing his mouth, Seo Ho-jin came out and slumped onto the edge of the bed.
"……Did I do something wrong?"
He was looking at me tentatively, his face white as a sheet.
I forced myself to swallow the words I wanted to say and quickly gathered my emotions.
"Why? Do you have a guilty conscience? If you do, spill it now."
"No, it’s just… you were making such a weird face—"
"Forget it. You look worse. Go back to the hospital."
Seo Ho-jin’s eyes widened as if he’d been wronged, and he mumbled lazily with a protruding lip.
"It’s not like I’m that sick…."
"Enough. I found a hospital that does night hours. I’ll text you the map, so go. I have to leave for a schedule now. Here, taxi fare."
I pulled out my wallet from my back pocket, grabbed every single bill inside, and shoved them into his hand.
"Seeing you throw up, it looks like indigestion. Stop eating random junk, you brat."
"I didn't."
"If you can't go to the hospital alone, we can go together."
"I’m fine, just go."
"…Fine."
After checking his complexion one last time, I stepped out into the hallway.
As I put on my shoes and adjusted the laces, Seo Ho-jin followed me out and stood there awkwardly.
"Hyung, uh…."
"Yeah."
Hearing his voice trail off, I intentionally untied the laces I’d just finished.
"Nothing’s really wrong, right?"
I toyed with the tips of my fingers before tightening the laces again.
"…Ho-jin."
I stood up abruptly and turned around.
"Why do you keep asking so persistently? Do you want something to be wrong with me?"
"That’s not what I meant."
Seo Ho-jin looked at me with a blank face.
I don't know who he takes after, but the brat is unnecessarily quick on the uptake.
"Your brother is going to the finals. Don't you have anything to say?"
"……Hmm."
Seo Ho-jin crossed his arms and looked at me.
"Don't overdo it."
"That’s not it, you jerk."
I reached out and gently brushed back his sweat-soaked hair, flashing a grin.
"I’m going to go take first place."
Then, I left without hesitation.
Thud.
The door closed. I walked to the elevator and pressed the button. I waited with my hand pressed against my forehead, but unable to bear it, I turned and headed down the stairs instead.
"……."
The nonchalant mask I’d worn vanished instantly.
My rapid pace gradually slowed until my feet came to a complete halt.
"Fuck…."
Why did I feel so awful?
No matter how much I thought about it, there shouldn't be a major problem, yet with every step, I felt like I was wading through thick, suffocating mud.
I tapped my fingers against the railing and summoned the system window.
"What did you do to my brother?"
I expected the system window to pop up immediately to claim innocence or try to dodge the question, but it flickered with static before slowly displaying a message.
[What do you mean??]
Did it really not know? Could I even trust it?
I leaned my back against the wall and let out a long sigh.
"Haa… if you touch that kid, I won't let you get away with it."
I slowly sank to the floor and ruffled my hair into a mess.
Perhaps because I’d seen my brother in pain, the time I’d spent surrounded by my members—performing on stage, eating together, joking, and talking—suddenly felt worlds away.
Right. What have I been working toward all this time?
I would complete all the quests successfully and return to how things were.
With a heavy heart, I turned on my phone and searched for Shining Star, High Five, and The Dawn.
The song was definitely good, and the stage would likely turn out well.
And yet, no matter how much I calculated the odds or revised my plans, the conclusion always remained the same.
To anyone looking, this was a game we were destined to lose.
Even though The Dawn had gained significant momentum, we were still lagging behind High Five in terms of both fandom size and capital.
Furthermore, the final competition would be decided by pre-released digital scores and live voting, making it even more disadvantageous for The Dawn.
The quest window hovered beside me.
[Achieve 1st Place in Shining Star Season 2!
The long-awaited survival program is back!
Seize the top spot in Shining Star Season 2.
Success: Massive increase in Vocal stats.
Failure: Leak of Seo Ho-yun’s confidential information.]
"……You heartless bastards."
The penalty was truly devoid of a conscience.
…I really didn't want to use this method.
My mother’s face was the first thing that came to mind, followed by Seo Ho-jin, who resembled her so much. I also thought of the young Seo Ho-jin who used to cry whenever our parents were mentioned.
I weighed the upcoming scenario against the actions I was about to take.
"……Haaaaa…. Fuck……."
Since when did I care about playing fair?
I told myself I should do whatever was necessary, yet I couldn't bring myself to commit easily.
"…Ah……."
I rubbed my face vigorously with my hands and licked my parched lips.
Fine.
"Sorry, Mom."
Let’s do it.
Having made my final decision, I picked up my phone. It didn't ring long before the other person picked up.
[…Huh? Hello?]
"Yes, PD-nim. It’s me."
[What’s up? Why the call? Did something happen?]
"Do you have some time?"
[……Why?]
Ignoring Kim Hee-yeong’s blatant suspicion, I rubbed the bridge of my nose.
As a PD, there was no way she wouldn't be enticed by what I had to say. It would require a bit of maneuvering, though.
"The thing is—"
I started to speak, then paused for a moment.
…Right, she isn't me.
It would be better to just deceive her.
I quickly revised my plan and let out a faint smile.
"Let’s meet up and talk for a bit."
A tiny sliver of guilt and self-loathing crawled up my throat, but it wasn't difficult to keep talking while pretending to be composed.
And why would it be?
"It’s about boosting the ratings."
My conscience had been sold to hell a long time ago.