Chapter 238
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 238
Lately, things at Daepasung had been alternating between hot and cold.
“Alright!! It’s a hit, a total hit!!”
“Whoo-hoo!!”
The third-quarter revenue for this year had hit an all-time high, and every employee was over the moon.
The movie Min Ji-heon filmed last year had become a massive hit as soon as it was released, drawing in crowds, and The Dawn’s album promotions were showing steady, consistent growth.
Furthermore, Min Ji-heon’s appearance on a major network variety show seemed to have had a positive impact; love calls for various commercials and variety programs were flooding in. Consequently, the public recognition of Seo Ho-yun and Jeong Da-jun, who had appeared alongside him, had also shot up.
“The bonuses are insane!”
“I know, right? This makes the office life worth it!”
“Let’s not go that far.”
“Sorry.”
The moment of happiness while clutching their special bonuses was brief, however.
Criticism was still pouring in toward Daepasung. It was a miracle fans hadn't stormed the building in protest yet.
Moreover, as late autumn arrived and the chilly temperatures forced people to layer up, a strange rumor began to circulate within the company.
That Seo Ho-yun, who had been discharged from the hospital, was acting strange.
There were several pieces of evidence to prove it.
“I’m going to practice…”
“A-Are you alright?”
“Yes…”
Lately, Seo Ho-yun had been radiating an incredibly sensitive aura, immersing himself in practice day and night.
He looked even more relentless than Seong Ji-won, who was already notorious for being a "practice machine." The people at Daepasung whispered among themselves, wondering if Seo Ho-yun had achieved enlightenment after collapsing and waking up, or if he was about to renounce the secular world entirely.
Whether he knew about the rumors or not, Seo Ho-yun wandered the company with a hollow face and deep dark circles under his eyes.
“Is he actually going to die at this rate?!”
“I mean, it’s good that he’s working hard, but…”
“He’s going to burn out.”
“No, he’s the one type who never does…”
Even though the managers and road managers of the management team were putting their heads together to worry about his condition, Seo Ho-yun didn't care in the slightest.
He also seemed reluctant to get into cars.
While there wasn't a single employee at Daepasung who didn't know about Seo Ho-yun’s past, the sudden shift in behavior after he had been riding them just fine until now drew everyone's attention.
After all, many people in this world find entertainment in the changes of others.
Furthermore, he had started obsessively collecting the activity history and planning details of all idols.
What succeeded, and what failed. He categorized and reviewed them in meticulous detail.
Naturally, this led to an increase in meetings with Lee Ji-hyeon from the planning team.
“…I feel so bad for Ms. Lee Ji-hyeon.”
“How did she end up getting caught by Seo Ho-yun…”
And so, another person appeared with dark circles reaching down to their chin.
The eerie atmosphere was fitting for the end of October.
It was like the calm before a storm.
Meanwhile, the Noeuls were already getting ahead of themselves, watching the Halloween teasers being dropped by other idols here and there.
[Please, I hope they aren't too serious about this.
Especially Kang Yi-chae and Jeong Da-jun.
I wouldn't even be surprised if they showed up covered in yellow body paint as Pikachu and Ash Ketchum.]
[Don't be so disrespectful.
(My teeth are literally chattering from anxiety right now.
It's not like I'm wishing they'd cover their entire faces in white paint so I can't see their real faces...)]
[Guys, please throw away the greed to be funny.]
“What should we do about this? It seems like expectations are high. Should we hold a Halloween event?”
“Hmm… wouldn't it be a bit much this time?”
“There’s not much time to prepare starting now… and Seo Ho-yun was even hospitalized. If we try something and it backfires, we’ll just get more hate.”
“How about we just let this year pass quietly?”
“What did you say?!!”
Daepasung, which still operated haphazardly in many ways, had been too busy dealing with the aftermath of Seo Ho-yun’s collapse to prepare anything for Halloween. Thus, the suggestion was made to skip it quietly, using Seo Ho-yun’s hospitalization as an excuse.
At that, Lee Ji-hyeon, who had been slumped over her desk half-dead, bolted upright.
“Halloween, along with April Fool’s Day, is a sacred holiday for otakus!! You’re just going to skip it?! Isn't that a bit much?!!”
“…Ah, s-sorry!”
“Ji-hyeon… I’m sorry.”
“Reflect on yourselves! How could you even think of passing over such a big event?! This is a profanity!!”
The planning team staff working alongside Lee Ji-hyeon were new recruits. They all listened intently to Lee Ji-hyeon’s opinions and worked hard.
However, they still lacked the fundamental "otaku" qualifications compared to her.
In the end, preparations for The Dawn’s Halloween event began in a rush.
Lee Ji-hyeon argued that revealing the costumes as a surprise would give fans the excitement and joy of waiting, while Seo Ho-yun pushed for a voting system, believing the response would be better if the Noeuls got to see the specific looks they wanted.
“It’s all good, but why a vote?”
“Do you know what people in the Republic of Korea are obsessed with?”
“What is it?”
“Voting.”
The anxiety that if they don't vote, their "pick" will be screwed.
There was a reason why people were swept up in madness while watching survival programs.
Seeing Lee Ji-hyeon hesitate, Seo Ho-yun added one more thing. He told her to think of it in terms of the games she enjoyed.
‘He’s… definitely right!’
If given the chance to pull a game character, Lee Ji-hyeon carefully weighed whether she’d prefer a random gacha or a guaranteed gacha for the one specific illustration she wanted to see. A moment later, she had no choice but to surrender.
“I guess it is better than getting a total dud.”
“…Excuse me?”
Seo Ho-yun tilted his head, failing to understand her terminology.
[The Dawn, the idols of thorough democracy!
Vote for your pick!]
Through this process, the Halloween poll was posted on social media.
Without a single deviation from expectations, The Dawn fans swarmed it like crazy.
[Those crazy Daepasung bastards... making us vote for this too.
Anyway, I mobilized all my SNS accounts and put Jeong Da-jun in Cardcaptor Sakura.]
[Seong Ji-won in The Princess Diaries? Who the hell voted for a boy idol to do that?
...But I voted for it too.]
[Sir, if it’s not an intrusion, please give a vote to Kim Seong-hyeon as an American Quarterback.]
[Kang Yi-chae, please do Taoist Wizard Jeon Woo-chi. Please please please please please.]
It was an event intended for the fans to enjoy, but due to the burning determination of the Noeuls to dress The Dawn in the costumes they chose, it became a bit overheated.
While the voting proceeded, time flew by, and the day for the Halloween special shoot arrived.
The planning team cautiously checked the voting results.
.
.
.
“…I’m in a school uniform?”
“Yes!!!”
The other kids have such flashy stuff, so why am I in a school uniform?
Well, I guess it’ll be easy to do the makeup for.
“But Mr. Ho-yun, you went to this XX High School, right? We managed to get the uniform, but… how is it that there isn't a single sighting of you, let alone a heartwarming story? The agency never blocked anything.”
“Ah.”
I gave an awkward smile.
It was because all my history before the age of 20 had been erased when I came here.
“I just went to school quietly.”
That was a lie.
I didn't do anything illegal, but with my personality, there was no way I stayed quiet.
Seeing my expression, Lee Ji-hyeon shrugged, saying as long as there was no controversy it was fine, and went to check on the other members.
Soon, I received the uniform from the costume coordinator and put it on. With my bangs down, even I thought it looked natural on me.
The texture of my alma mater’s uniform, which I hadn't worn in nearly a decade, felt strange.
After adjusting my clothes several times, I stepped out into the hallway ahead of the members to head to the practice room where we were filming the choreography video.
As I passed the row of posters of celebrities from Daepasung,
“Whoa, what’s this?”
A familiar voice came from behind.
I turned my head to see Min Ji-heon.
“Why the school uniform? You look so young!”
It was the first time I’d seen him since I collapsed.
Maybe it was because his face was his only saving grace, but even though he looked haggard and exhausted, he was still radiant.
He made a huge fuss, looking me up and down.
“Are you acting? Is the role a high schooler? Ah! Did you go back to being a high schooler this time?”
“Do you attend an academy for talking nonsense?”
“Ahaha, it was right next to the academy you attend for being a prick. Didn't you know?”
His personality seemed the same as ever.
Seeing his poor condition made me a bit concerned.
After all, Min Ji-heon was also coughing up blood the last time I saw him.
“But hyung, can I take a picture of you just once? To send to my sister~.”
“No.”
“Hmph.”
I ignored Min Ji-heon as he whined, asking to at least keep it for his private collection, when his manager called him from afar.
Min Ji-heon signaled that he understood and then looked at me.
“You didn't text or call after that. I was dying to know the answer.”
Had he asked what I saw there?
‘I saw my brother.’
But I had no intention of telling him.
“I died. The accident you showed me was the accident where I died.”
I left out all the extra details and only delivered the most important fact.
“But you already knew.”
“…!”
Min Ji-heon, who had been listening quietly, widened his eyes.
“…Um, what are you talking about?”
“It’s obvious.”
Rolling around in the hospital without a phone gave me more than enough time to think. In fact, if I had just looked at the situation a bit more deeply from the start, it was something I could have known.
The way he treated me like an unpleasant person when we first met, and how he said he was confused about my true identity.
His restless attitude had always bothered me, but if I were a being who had died… everything clicked perfectly into place.
“I wasn't certain, I…”
Min Ji-heon turned his head, slightly avoiding my gaze.
“It’s been a bit strange ever since I dropped your lingering thoughts. It’s not like I have the ability to dig up someone’s trauma… so I wondered what it was.”
He let out a deep sigh, looking embarrassed, then peeked at me and asked.
“But did you see anything else besides that?”
I stared at him intently, then gave a beaming smile instead of an answer.
Instantly, Min Ji-heon’s expression froze.
“Ji-heon-ah.”
When I called his name sweetly, Min Ji-heon shuddered and took two or three steps back.
“I’m sorry. I don't know what I did, but I’m really sorry.”
“I was really grateful this time.”
I was grateful, since I survived thanks to Min Ji-heon, after all.
“But you know what?”
“I don't know, I really don't know.”
I draped my arm over the shoulder of the repulsed Min Ji-heon and curled the corners of my mouth even more.
“I’m the type who never lets a pushover go.”
He let out a scoff and brushed my arm off.
“…I’m sorry, but you’re a bit much for me, hyung.”
“Deal with it.”
“…….”
Just as he clamped his mouth shut and was about to leave, the sound of thumping footsteps echoed.
I didn't even have to turn my head to know who it was.
See?
“Ho-yun hyung! Sunbae-nim!!”
As expected, it was our group’s maknae.
“Wow… that side is a bit much too…”
Min Ji-heon’s face turned pale as he glanced back and confirmed it was Jeong Da-jun. He even tried to sneakily hide behind my back.
“Sunbae-nim!!”
“Y-Yes!!”
“I-I was sorry about last time! I didn't know you disliked it… Huh? Where are you going now?! Should I walk you out??”
“No, no, it’s fine! My manager hyung is right there!”
“T-Then, I’ve practiced cooking a lot since that variety show, so maybe sometime I could cook for—”
“No!! It’s fine!! I only eat delivery!!”
Min Ji-heon was horrified, flatly refusing all of Jeong Da-jun’s offers. He must have suffered a lot because of Jeong Da-jun during that brief time filming the variety show.
‘Maknae, you’re amazing.’
To shut down Min-gro in advance.
Min Ji-heon, who was using me as a shield to keep a certain distance from Jeong Da-jun, looked back and forth between me and Da-jun, then shook his head.
“…This group is definitely going to make it big. There isn't a single person who would lose in a battle of nerves.”
“Thanks for the compliment.”
“It wasn't a compliment, Mr. Seo Ho-yun.”
After saying that, Min Ji-heon burst into a laugh as if it were absurd and patted my shoulder as he passed.
“No news is good news.”
I agreed with that.
I raised one corner of my lip and quirked an eyebrow, and Min Ji-heon hummed a tune as he disappeared in the opposite direction.
“Hyung, hyung!”
Jeong Da-jun habitually clung to my arm.
I naturally twisted my body to avoid him and looked at him.
“Hyung, what were you talking about with Sunbae-nim?!”
“Something you don't need to know.”
When I drew a firm line, Jeong Da-jun pouted.
“But you showed up at a pretty perfect time.”
As I asked while heading back to the practice room, Jeong Da-jun grinned and winked at me.
The gesture was remarkably similar to a certain red-haired rapper from another group.
“Well, the timing was just right! Min Ji-heon sunbae-nim is the senior I respect most in the world—”
“…….”
“—NOT! Just kidding, kidding!! The person I respect most is Ho-yun hyung! Seriously, don't look at me like that.”
This kid, there’s no point in doting on him.
“But Yi-chae hyung said last time! He’s so grateful you took hyung to the hospital, so everyone should be nice to Min Ji-heon sunbae-nim!!”
It seemed our innocent maknae took Kang Yi-chae’s words exactly as they were said.
‘I thought so.’
I wondered why he was letting it slide so generously.
It was a kind of warning.
To Kang Yi-chae, Min Ji-heon must feel like a massive thorn in his side right now. He hasn't heard the full story, but some random person is involved.
He acts like he’s cooled off, but he’ll probably be watching me with even sharper eyes from now on.
‘A guy you can’t let your guard down around…’
What kind of life has he lived for a 22-year-old kid to be this perceptive?
As someone who believes people should live according to their age, I was a bit displeased.
I clicked my tongue inwardly and stroked the head of Jeong Da-jun, who was chatting excitedly with sparkling eyes.
“Puppy, just keep growing up exactly as you are now.”
“……I’m already fully grown?”
“Sure, sure.”
I pressed my finger against the forehead of Jeong Da-jun, who frowned and leaned in to ask what that was supposed to mean, and thought to myself.
‘Time to start activities.’
Because I—no, The Dawn—still had a long way to go.
* * *
[I’m so nervous right now.
I’m more nervous than I was for my Master’s thesis results, I’m going crazy.
Of course.
A Master’s thesis doesn't take responsibility for Quarterback Kim Seong-hyeon.
└Please value your Master’s thesis.]
[How do I see the voting results?? TTTTTTTT Where did my Cardcaptor Da-jun go? TTTT]
[Lol... whatever comes out is fine~
(A brief moment of being relaxed while drinking coffee)
(Chewing, chewing, chewing on the paper cup)]
October 31st.
The Noeuls were pacing around anxiously.
Since not even a teaser had been released and Daepasung was a small-to-mid-sized agency, the general consensus was that no related content would be posted on Halloween day. Even so, everyone was unable to let go of hope, lurking around The Dawn’s social media accounts and Nutube.
Just then, a Nutube subscription notification rang.
[Omg it’s up]
[Running so fast my eyebrows are falling off]
[Taoist Wizard Kang Yi-chae is a given, right? ㅋㅋㅋ There’s no way it’s not that, right?]
[Heave-ho, heave-ho, heave-ho!]
Everyone instantly rushed to Nutube and clicked the video.
[????]
An anime song so famous that the first note alone brought to mind the scene of a toe tapping onto a flower petal began to play. Simultaneously, several cards and a flashy magic wand flickered by in crude CG.
[????????]
The Noeuls, doubting if they had truly seen what they thought they saw, rubbed their eyes several times and faced the screen again with a calm mind.
But nothing changed.
[??????????????]
“I really, really~!”
In fact, taking it a step further, wearing a black sailor top with white shorts, a white beret, and holding a pink magic wand with tiny wings—
“Love Noeuls~!”
—Cardcaptor Kang Yi-‘Chae’-ri made her entrance.