Chapter 235
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 235
Ju Woo-seong was living his life as usual. Practicing with Black Call, playing with his cat Nyang-nyang-i, occasionally grabbing a meal with Chae Jeong-woo, and frequently showing his face at the "Seo Ho-yun Bashing Group."
While he still had periods where he became sensitive, seeing the fans who continued to love him despite his past lapses made him feel like there was no life happier than this.
"…What?! Seo Ho-yun?"
"Yeah, it’s all over the internet."
So, when Chae Jeong-woo delivered the news about Seo Ho-yun, he was genuinely shocked.
He hurriedly tracked down the hospital through an industry contact and paid a visit.
Seeing the guy sleeping as quietly as if he were dead, Woo-seong could feel just how much he had been overexerting himself.
That crazy bastard, seriously.
It wasn't like Ho-yun would recover any faster just because he stayed there. Ju Woo-seong left the hospital room without hesitation, thinking he’d come back once the guy woke up.
A short while later, he heard that Ho-yun had regained consciousness.
Wondering if his face still looked decent or if he should bring him a restorative herbal tonic, Woo-seong arrived at the hospital, only to—
"Huh?"
—be greeted by a very sleek-looking Seo Ho-yun.
The guy wasn't even wearing a hospital gown.
The air conditioner maintained a pleasant temperature, the air purifier provided fresh air, and a basket filled with a variety of fruits took up all the space on top of the dresser.
"Oh… Ah! Ju Woo-seong-ssi."
"Uh? The brother?"
He also saw Seo Ho-yun’s younger brother sitting on a folding chair next to the bed, peeling an apple.
"Oh, Ju Woo-seong-ssi. It’s been a while."
A healthy complexion and a rather friendly tone.
The person smiling and welcoming him was Seo Ho-yun?
No way.
"I think I’ve got the wrong room. My apologies."
Ju Woo-seong slid the door shut.
He checked the room number, but it definitely matched the one he had been given.
Frowning, he pulled out his phone to double-check if he’d misread something, when the door rattled open again.
"Hick!"
Seo Ho-yun, dressed in a black tracksuit with an expressionless face, had kicked the door open. He was holding a banana smoothie in one hand, sipping through a straw with a slurping sound.
"Why are you treating a person like a ghost?"
"What’s with you?"
"What about me?"
"Did you hit your head or something? Why… why are you happy to see me?"
Seo Ho-yun clicked his tongue softly and gestured toward the room with his chin.
"Stop talking nonsense and just come in."
Ju Woo-seong followed behind Seo Ho-yun, who moved first while dragging his slippers, but he didn't let his guard down. Even then, Seo Ho-yun’s brother was still piling fruit high on a plate.
"This is my brother. You know him, right?"
It was a surprisingly kind introduction.
Ju Woo-seong had only seen him briefly while drunk, so he gave an awkward smile. Unlike Seo Ho-yun, the brother seemed sociable and bowed his head first.
"Hello! I don't think I was able to greet you properly last time. I'm Seo Ho-jin, Ho-yun's younger brother. My brother is always in your debt."
"Ah, no. I was the one who was too drunk, I'm sorry..."
"What are you two doing?"
Seo Ho-yun snorted as if the situation were absurd and flopped down onto the bed.
He doesn't look like a patient; he looks like someone on vacation.
Under the wall-mounted TV that took up one whole wall, letters from fans were stacked in layers. They all showed signs of having been opened.
"Seo Ho-yun, you… you’re living better than I am."
"It’s frustrating."
"Huh?"
"Because I can't leave."
At those words, Ju Woo-seong tilted his head while crunching on a rabbit-shaped apple slice that Seo Ho-jin had handed him on a fork.
"My brother hasn't been able to leave here for three days because of the members and the manager."
"…Why?"
"They just… told him to get some rest…."
As Seo Ho-jin mumbled his answer, Seo Ho-yun let out a deep sigh.
"Ha, even the doctor said I’m so healthy I could run a marathon, so what gives?"
"You do look remarkably healthy, Hyung."
"So, you’re just staying still like this?"
When Ju Woo-seong asked with narrowed, suspicious eyes, Seo Ho-yun gave a nonchalant shrug.
"What can a weak and fragile person like me do?"
"Cut the crap, seriously."
It looked like this guy was actually enjoying himself.
It was suspicious in many ways, but Woo-seong had heard that The Dawn was in an off-period preparing for their comeback, and he figured it might be better for Ho-yun to get some proper rest for once. So, he didn't pry further and kept his mouth shut.
Including the times he’d seen it personally or heard about it, this was already the second time Ho-yun had collapsed. And all within less than two years.
Grumbling to himself that Ho-yun’s body was failing because it couldn't handle his temper, Ju Woo-seong pulled a tangerine out of the fruit basket.
"But aren't tangerines out of season?"
"You have a lot to say for someone eating for free. Why don't you go stir-fry them with some kimchi?"
No matter how much of a kimchi fried rice fanatic he was, he wasn't crazy enough to stir-fry tangerines.
He glared at Seo Ho-yun, who had answered dismissively, and felt Seo Ho-yun’s brother glancing at him.
When Woo-seong turned his head and quirked an eyebrow, Ho-jin crept closer.
"Um, Woo-seong-ssi…."
"Yes?"
"Is… is my brother, like… a bit mean to you?"
Since it was a quiet hospital room with only three people, Seo Ho-yun probably heard everything even though Ho-jin was whispering.
Seo Ho-yun just let out a "Wow, look at him," and stayed lying down, chewing on his apple.
"Well, I mean…."
Thinking it wouldn't do any good to upset the guy, Woo-seong just let out an awkward laugh. Seeing that, Seo Ho-jin let out a lamentation.
"If it’s really hard for you, please tell me…."
"Seo Ho-jin, is there even anything you can do?"
"I can at least listen to his stories!"
While Ju Woo-seong was slightly touched by the innocent brother who shared a similar aura to Seo Ho-yun but was much softer, Seo Ho-yun looked at the two of them with pathetic eyes.
"Are you a university student, Seo Ho-jin-ssi? How old are you?"
"Yes! I'm twenty-four."
"Huh? Same age?"
"Wait… isn't it your exam period?"
Seo Ho-yun, who had been lying there like a limp piece of kimchi, suddenly bolted upright. Seo Ho-jin’s body flinched visibly.
"……Well."
"What? Why are you here? Don't you have classes? You were with me all day yesterday, too, weren't you?"
"…I only missed two subjects."
"Don't give me that shit, fuck."
As Seo Ho-yun spoke through gritted teeth, Seo Ho-jin hurriedly made an excuse.
"I was going to take summer sessions anyway."
"Does that even make sense? Get going, now."
"……."
"Answer me."
The brother, who had been pouting and glaring at Seo Ho-yun, immediately cowered and hung his head when their eyes met.
"……I’ll go, okay! I’ll go!"
Complaining that he was the "incarnation of begging for credits" and that there was a reason he was the class rep, Seo Ho-jin stood up.
Watching this, Ju Woo-seong was puzzled.
Aren't they the same age?
They were the same age, but he called him "Hyung"? And why was he so whipped?
"Hyung, if you feel sick, tell Da-jun right away!!"
Seo Ho-jin quickly packed his things and fled the hospital room.
"Tsk…."
Hearing the short click of the tongue, Woo-seong thought Ho-yun was genuinely pissed.
However, the Seo Ho-yun in his sight didn't look angry at all.
Resting his chin on his hand, he was watching the now-empty doorway with affectionate eyes.
It’s him.
Ju Woo-seong realized it instantly. The reason Seo Ho-yun clung to being an idol so desperately was because of Seo Ho-jin.
Of course, he couldn't understand the connection between Seo Ho-jin and idol activities, so it didn't fully make sense.
Still, it’s refreshing to see this kind of face after always seeing him ruin people from behind the scenes.
Ju Woo-seong, who had pulled another out-of-season tangerine from the basket, was peeling it when Seo Ho-yun stood up and lightly kicked the chair he was sitting on.
"Ack!"
Ju Woo-seong, who almost toppled over, barely managed to regain his balance. Seo Ho-yun smiled brightly and held out his hand.
"What? Are you crazy? You want me to take your hand? Giving the disease and then the medicine?"
"No, what nonsense are you talking about?"
Avoiding Ju Woo-seong’s hand as he tried to grab it, Seo Ho-yun added:
"They took my phone away."
He was telling him to hand his over.
Brushing back his light brown hair tinged with ash, Ju Woo-seong let out an exasperated breath.
"Don't tell me, you bastard, the reason you were happy to see me was…."
"It’s so good to see your face, Senior."
There wasn't a single ounce of sincerity in his voice.
"You son of a bitch…."
He muttered a curse, but then thought, This is the Seo Ho-yun I know.
Ju Woo-seong felt a bit relieved by Seo Ho-yun’s unchanging "son-of-a-bitch-ness" despite being ill.
* * *
As expected, they don't touch Ju Woo-seong.
On the day I woke up, after much discussion, everyone eventually agreed to my "confinement." That evening, the phone I handed over under pressure from the members ended up in the manager's hands.
Since then, Seo Ho-jin didn't even bring his phone when he came to the hospital.
I was wondering what to do when Ju Woo-seong happened to visit.
The members flocked to the room every day after practice. However, they only babbled about things like reviewing the taste of a new ramen at the convenience store, wanting to go to Tongyeong for oyster soup in the winter, or their thoughts after watching a show about famous restaurants.
It seemed they were blocking me from hearing any bad news….
Who do you think I am?
I’m Seo Ho-yun.
If it’s insults, I’ve already eaten enough to become immortal in my previous life. In fact, sometimes it feels good because I see it as a sign of being a threat.
Accessing SNS through a portal site app, I searched for my name combined with a few keywords.
[Daepasung you fuckers just die I knew this would happen since the kid was working like a dog]
[Ho-yun’s complexion hasn't looked good for weeks, fuck…… Daepasung doesn't protect their artists, they just stick a straw in and suck them dry..]
[#DaepasungJustDie
#ProtectDaepasungArtists]
It’s a mess over here.
Fortunately, there were no rumors about me coughing up blood or my heart stopping.
After the scuffle between Seong Ji-won and Kang Yi-chae stopped, the leader, Kim Seong-hyeon, had relayed my condition to the manager. Then, as if they had been waiting outside, the manager and road manager rushed in.
"Wh-whaaa. Ho-yun-ah!"
"……."
The manager, who had been checking my body so thoroughly it was almost gross, cried buckets of tears out of relief and then immediately contacted Daepasung to post an announcement.
Looking at the previous posts, it seemed they had responded quite quickly, but the fans, who were already furious, looked ready to protest in front of the company at any moment.
"Your mental state won't survive if you keep looking at stuff like that."
"Who are you talking to right now?"
"…Right, you are Seo Ho-yun."
Ju Woo-seong shook his head and rummaged through the fruit basket again. It looked like he was going to finish it off by himself.
I turned my gaze back to the phone. This time, I searched for the members' names.
[I heard Yi-chae’s stage was seriously insane...........
Please release the pre-release soon ㅠㅠㅠㅠ
Don't make a girl go crazy]
[Yes, my pick for Rising Rookies is.. none other than-!
"Kang Yi-chae"
└ You're my number one,,
My little Yang A-chae,, precious,,]
[But seriously, since Kang Yi-chae isn't with his members, his default expressionless face is so scary ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└ It's a relief the mentees didn't piss themselves,,,
└└ Fuck ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
There wasn't much else, but the Noeuls were buzzing a bit about Kang Yi-chae.
It seemed rumors were already spreading about the mentor performance on Rising Rookies, even though not even a clip had been released yet.
Still, perhaps because I had collapsed that day, everyone seemed to be refraining from mentioning it as much as possible.
[Ho-yun-ah, I love you ㅜㅜ Don't worry and get plenty of rest]
Cute.
After checking the fans' reactions a bit more, I closed the app and returned the phone to Ju Woo-seong.
I owe Min Ji-heon.
I thought I should have a conversation with him when I had time.
Judging by the general atmosphere, it seemed best to refrain from broadcast activities for the time being.
Wouldn't it be okay to upload a selfie on SNS or send a message on Pop-Pop in about a week?
I racked my brain on how to return to activities without causing further concern to the fans.
Can we win the Grand Prize next year? No, we have to.
I would put in every effort to at least break into the bottom of the first-tier, but what was needed now, more than anything, was perhaps luck.
And the right timing, along with a powerful song that could shake the hearts of the general public.
However,
"Hey, but you should take care of yourself."
"……."
"Normal people don't collapse like you do. I'm scared you might actually die, man."
Even if all those things were in place, it was only possible if I could surpass this pushover who was peeling and munching on tangerines while worrying about me.
"I'm going to practice hard; will you help me out a bit?"
"Huh? Oh, sure."
"…Why are you so compliant?"
"I have enough time to help out a 'nobody' idol."
I ignored Ju Woo-seong’s nonsense.
Black Call is a lock for this year’s Grand Prize. And they’ll probably be active next year too.
Damn, the wall is so high.
With November already around the corner, I might be able to win a few decent awards, but the Grand Prize was out of reach.
Looking at Ju Woo-seong’s sleek face—the guy who sweeps every award despite having short promotion periods—I couldn't help but click my tongue.
"Ju Woo-seong-ssi."
"Yeah?"
Ju Woo-seong answered while wiping his yellow-stained fingertips with a wet wipe.
"Aren't you going to the military next year?"
"……Eh?"
"Just say you're going."
"…Aren't I a bit too young for that?"
Ha….
I asked once more, clinging to hope.
"Then, any signs of a discord rumor?"
"Why are you really doing this to me?!"
Whether he still wasn't close with the other members except for Chae Jeong-woo, he reacted even more sensitively than to the military talk.
He huffed beside me, rambling things like, "How close are you with your members then?!" and "Ugh, you guys did look a bit close, though."
"No, I was just asking."
"You poke me where it hurts and then say you're 'just asking.' Why would you even ask something like—"
Ju Woo-seong, who was being noisy, suddenly stopped talking and let out a hollow laugh.
"Hey, shit, I get it."
"……Get what."
"You, right now, are you keeping tabs on me because you're afraid I'll win the award?"
I rolled my eyes slightly and gave a harmless smile. As if such a thing were impossible.
"As if."
Of course, it was a very accurate guess. Naturally, Ju Woo-seong, who had already seen through my personality, flew into a rage.
"Wow! Look at this ungrateful brat! I came here because I was worried, and Seo Ho-yun, this bastard, is talking about the Grand Prize!!"
"Hey, no. I just asked because I was curious if Woo-seong Hyung was getting along with his members."
"There's no way you'd be curious about something like that! Look here, I'm Ju Woo-seong. Even if a discord rumor breaks out, winning the Grand Prize is nothing for me, okay?"
"……!!"
This guy?
My blood pressure shot up the back of my neck.
While I was forcing the corners of my mouth up to keep from trembling, Ju Woo-seong made it very clear he was sulking.
"Yeah~, I'm going to pull off a Grand Prize Grand Slam for the next five years. You guys will neeeever win it."
"Are you crazy?!"
"Did you just speak informally to me?!"
While I was in the middle of a loud shouting match with Ju Woo-seong, Kang Yi-chae walked in.
"Oh, Woo-seong Hyung~."
"I'm leaving! I'm out!"
"Who told you not to?! Go! Go already!"
And with that, he brushed past Kang Yi-chae, who had just entered, and stormed out, saying he was going home.
"I'll see you at practice! You klutz!!"
Are you still going to help me with practice?
I was massaging my stiff neck when Kang Yi-chae strolled over and plopped down in the chair Ju Woo-seong had been sitting in just moments ago.
Ever since he’d mentioned me suspending my activities, he had been ignoring me even while sitting with the other members. It was unusual for him to visit alone.
"Kang Yi-chae."
"Yes, Hyung."
"…What’s with you now?"
Suddenly using formal language? I felt goosebumps rising.
"I'm currently maintaining emotional distance through formal speech, Hyung. Da-jun advised me to do so."
"Are you insane?"
"Ahaha."
Kang Yi-chae laughed, covering his mouth with his hand as if he were embarrassed.
"Just a little bit, still."
"……."
Ah.
I decided to leave this guy, who was still crazy, alone for a while.