Chapter 233
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 233
When I opened my eyes, I saw an unfamiliar ceiling.
“…….”
There was a time when I actually wanted to use that line.
Experiencing it again, however, felt like total shit.
I blinked my heavy eyelids a few times before pushing myself up.
The fluorescent lights were off, but light leaked in through the window, so the room wasn't completely dark. Only then did the smell of disinfectant and the IV tubes dangling from my arm make me realize I was in a hospital room.
To check if anything major had happened while I was out, the first thing I did was look for my phone.
“…Ugh.”
It was sitting neatly on the small nightstand next to the bed, right beside a fresh bottle of water.
Just then, the phone vibrated. Buzz.
As soon as I turned it on, I was greeted by a flood of missed calls and wellness checks.
At the very top of the list was a message from:
[Sly Bastard: You alive?]
It was a text from Min Ji-heon.
Come to think of it, Min Ji-heon’s first aid seemed to have worked quite well. The headache that had been relentlessly pounding against my skull was gone, and moving my body felt decent enough.
Everything seemed to be returning to normal.
Still feeling a bit dazed, I skimmed through the messages. Since it didn't seem much different from the last time I collapsed, I turned off the phone and pressed my palms against my stinging eyelids. Then, it vibrated again.
[Sly Bastard: Guess you’re alive. Congrats on making it back safely. lol]
…Made it back safely?
[Sly Bastard: You were out for so long I was actually getting nervous…]
[Sly Bastard: You didn't see anything weird, did you?]
Anything weird?
Ding!
[To gain a new life, clear the game through idol activities!]
“Ha!”
Seeing that made my head spin instantly.
“—Fuck.”
Seo Ho-jin!
My heart began to race frantically. My vision blurred, and my brain felt like it had stopped functioning; I couldn't think straight. I immediately summoned the system window, the source I figured would have the most information.
“…Hey, hey!”
Was my brother, left all alone, okay?
“What happened to my brother?”
A creeping sense of anxiety began to erode me from the toes up.
I rubbed my face with both hands and asked, “Fuck, is he really there all by himself?”
Was he crying alone?
I desperately wanted it to say something, but the system window displayed nothing other than the prompt: ‘To gain a new life, clear the game through idol activities!’
Seo Ho-jin.
I stood up, biting my lip hard. I felt like I wouldn't be satisfied until I saw the Seo Ho-jin of this world with my own eyes.
“Ugh!”
As I walked toward the door, something sharp tugged at the hand holding my phone. I turned my head to see the IV line connected to the bed pulled taut.
Just as I was about to rip the annoying thing out, the hospital room door slid open.
“Oh!! You’re awak—”
Seong Ji-won, who had jumped in surprise, quickly let out a soft smile, his eyes crinkling. But his expression froze the moment he saw my hand gripping the IV needle.
“W-What are you doing?!”
“Move aside for a second.”
“No, Ho-yun! Just calm down for a moment!”
Perhaps because I had just woken up, I didn't have much strength in my hands. I tried to grip it as hard as I could to pull it out, but Seong Ji-won stopped me in a panic.
Buzz. Buzz—
Right then, a call came in.
[Damn Little Brother]
“……!”
I checked the caller ID and answered immediately.
[Hyung? Hyung?! Are you awake?]
A voice filled with worry—one similar to mine, but a bit warmer.
It was the real Seo Ho-jin.
[I just finished class! I stopped by this morning, too…]
…He sounded like he was on the verge of tears, but it was definitely Seo Ho-jin.
[I’m on my way to the hospital now. Why do you keep collapsing lately? Do you have too much work? Being an idol really isn't for everyone, seriously…]
Yeah, I had a hell of a lot of work.
I went into my unconscious, met a being that looked like your younger self, witnessed the world collapsing, and got into another car accident.
Even when I was told I had died, my only concern was you being left alone.
It’s funny, though.
The moment I heard my brother’s voice,
[Hyung?]
I felt relieved.
Hearing the tearful voice of a grown-ass man—which would usually be gross—fuck… it calmed my racing heart.
My reason returned, and I remembered what that little kid had said about having a meal with the Seo Ho-jin of this world.
“Should Hyung buy you dinner?”
The words slipped out in a voice that was raspier than usual.
[Huh?]
“Let’s go eat something damn delicious. When are you free?”
[What’s with you all of a sudden…? No, why?]
“Just because. I want to eat with you.”
[…Y-You’re giving me the creeps. Why are you being like this?]
A flustered Seo Ho-jin stammered. He grumbled about what a patient was doing talking about "delicious food" and told me to just eat hospital food and get better, but he still rattled off his schedule.
[Midterms are ending soon… the day after tomorrow… no. Tomorrow is fine, too.]
“Got it.”
[Ah?! Can you even eat regular food yet?!]
“Shut up, my head hurts.”
Hearing the brat make a fuss made my anxiety subside a little, even as I snapped at him.
[What is it? Did something really happen?]
“Why is a grown man clinging to his brother so much?”
[Wha—What?!]
I hung up while Seo Ho-jin was still sputtering.
My pounding heart finally regained its normal rhythm.
Seo Ho-yun, get it together.
Even if the "me" on the other side had died, what I had to do moving forward remained unchanged.
The system window had stated it clearly: if I cleared the game through idol activities, I would gain a new life and could return to where I came from.
I had no idea what this thing was or why it had saved me, but for me—having gained a new opportunity—those weren't the most important issues.
I have to finish this quickly and go back.
If I was anxious about leaving the other Seo Ho-jin alone, the solution was simple: finish this quickly and return.
Ultimately, if I was worried about my brother, it meant I had to work myself to death as an idol.
Then that’s what I’ll do.
No matter how shitty it felt.
Once a clear answer was established and my goal came into focus, my fighting spirit surged rather than my anxiety.
“Hey, Seong Ji… won…”
Only after I had the mental leeway to look around did I remember Seong Ji-won. I turned my head to apologize, but my thoughts came to a halt.
Water was dripping from Seong Ji-won’s brown eyes.
“……W-What are you doing?”
“…Can’t you tell?”
Well, I can see it, but…
“Why are you crying?”
I quickly pulled out a tissue and handed it to him, but Seong Ji-won shook his head and pushed me back onto the bed.
Why is he being so dramatic?
Isn't it normal to collapse for a day or so? My body feels fine, anyway.
“Hyung, we’re here! Is Ho-yun awake—!”
The members, dressed in training gear as if they had come straight from practice, swarmed into the room.
Jeong Da-jun, whose eyes met mine first while I was awkwardly perched on the edge of the bed, burst into tears.
“Hyung! I thought you were going to die!!”
“What are you talking about? Don't overreact. Why would I die?”
Actually, I did die.
I figured mentioning that wouldn't be good for his mental state, so I kept my mouth shut.
Seong Ji-won covered his eyes with his hand and sniffled, while Kim Seong-hyeon lowered his head, his shoulders trembling.
It was quite a sight—a bunch of grown men gathered together shedding tears.
I opened the water bottle I had set on the nightstand, took a long swig, and spoke.
“Why is everyone making such a fuss? I just took a little nap.”
“……What?”
The members looked at me with expressions of pure disbelief.
What?
“Wait.”
When I frowned in confusion at their reaction, the members exchanged glances. Soon, Kim Seong-hyeon raised his right hand.
“Seo Ho-yun, do you have any idea how long you were unconscious?”
“…How long has it been?”
“Nearly two days.”
Come to think of it, I hadn't properly checked the date and time because I was too busy checking my messages.
I checked my phone again as soon as Kim Seong-hyeon finished speaking. It was just under two days since the day of Kang Yi-chae’s mentor performance.
“…Wow, I really slept a lot.”
As I mumbled an embarrassed excuse, the hospital room turned into a sea of tears once again.
“…Stop it. Seriously. Anyone would think I almost died.”
Of course, I repeat, I did die.
Seong Ji-won bit his lower lip slightly before speaking.
“Ho-yun, you really did almost die. …They said your heart stopped for a moment.”
“…Gah, cough!”
I choked on my own spit and started coughing. I quickly covered my mouth with my hand.
My heart stopped?
Fuck, they found out about that too?
“D-Did this… get out to the public?”
“The company fought desperately to block it. Everyone knows you were rushed to the hospital because you were sick, though.”
That was a story more terrifying than any ghost tale.
If a headline like ‘Idol Mr. S from a certain group collapses and his heart stops while watching a fellow member’s stage…’ had broken, I wouldn't have been able to fix it, even if I were the god of noise marketing.
“Wow, I really paid my dues to fate.”
“……You!!”
“It’s fine. I don't have a chronic illness. It’s just stress.”
Can stress make your heart stop? I was skeptical, but in times like this, there was no choice but to insist.
“…Hyung…….”
Jeong Da-jun trembled at my lighthearted attempt to clear the gloomy atmosphere.
“…Are you really an idiot, Hyung?! Do you know how much we worried after you were taken to the hospital? When we got the call that you collapsed, we all turned pale as ghosts…”
“Wait, hold on.”
Kim Seong-hyeon calmed him down and cut him off.
“Maknae, that’s enough. Seo Ho-yun just woke up.”
“…….”
“Hey. Do you… need anything?”
“I’m thirsty.”
I, who had been rolling my eyes while gauging the atmosphere, quickly grabbed the lifeline Kim Seong-hyeon threw me.
“And I’m hungry.”
I had nothing more to say for now, and honestly, there was nothing I could say.
As if he knew that, Kim Seong-hyeon simply nodded without much of a response and stood up.
“Wait here. I’ll go ask if you’re allowed to eat.”
“Thanks, sweetie.”
“Ugh, you crazy bastard…”
Kim Seong-hyeon, letting out a rare curse, gave a helpless smile, patted my shoulder, and walked out of the room.
“Jeong Da-jun, stop crying and come here.”
“……Sniff.”
He took Jeong Da-jun with him, too.
He’s too kind for his own good.
Jeong Da-jun, who had been glaring at me petulantly, stomped his feet as he followed Kim Seong-hyeon.
“Hmph!!!”
“…….”
He seemed extremely upset.
He even let out one last huff at the door.
The situation finally ended only after the leader returned to grab the youngest by the scruff of his neck—since he kept peeking back into the room—and dragged him away.
Seong Ji-won, who had been shedding tears the whole time, also quietly left without a word.
What’s with this atmosphere? I feel like a major criminal.
Still, having talked to Seo Ho-jin and seen the members' faces, I felt strangely good as I flopped back onto the bed.
“Aren't you going?”
I still felt a prickle of unease because of the one person who remained in the room with an expressionless face.
“…….”
Kang Yi-chae just stared at me blankly without answering.
“Are you really mad?”
At my low-voiced question, Kang Yi-chae stroked his chin for a long moment before suddenly throwing a question back.
“You’re not asking?”
“…What?”
“You’re not asking who brought you here.”
My body went stiff in an instant.
I stared at him without even blinking, but Kang Yi-chae’s gaze drifted down toward the long IV tube.
“For someone who cares so much about his public image, you aren't curious if you were found by a fan or a staff member.”
“…….”
I was speechless.
This guy is like a damn shaman.
Kang Yi-chae was smart and quick-witted, but above all, he was sensitive and had extraordinary intuition.
His instincts are practically animalistic.
Knowing that he, despite having quite a temper himself, had tried his best to play nice with a teammate who never listened, I felt a bit sorry.
“Kang Yi-chae, look, this is—”
“I’ve told you until I’m sick of it. Don't make us worry.”
He had said that as long as I lived a healthy and happy life, he would respect whatever I did behind the scenes. So, he’d asked me to actually communicate.
Screeeak!
Kang Yi-chae stood up from his chair and approached me.
I squirmed and backed away while lying on the bed, but he leaned over me, bracing one arm against the headboard.
…Dammit.
“I was wondering.”
Seeing his cold face, stripped of all humor, made a cold sweat break out.
“Are you provoking me on purpose?”
I was screwed.
The look in this guy's eyes was completely unhinged.