Chapter 289
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 289
"I'm here, dammit."
I kicked the studio door open and walked in.
This was the private studio WH Entertainment had provided for Kang Yi-chae, and it had become The Dawn’s new hangout. Yi-chae had even moved the sofa he used back at the Daepasung studio here.
As expected, the members were already glued to it today.
"Why so intense today?"
"I'm in a bad mood. Hey, I bought food."
"Whoa!!"
I tossed the plastic convenience store bag onto the table and flopped onto the sofa.
Watching the members huddle together to peer inside the bag, I was reminded of something a certain Mr. Ju from WH Entertainment had said. A staunch individualist, he had watched us practically living in each other's pockets and shaken his head, asking, "Don't you guys ever get sick of each other?"
"The Melona I asked for is... nowhere to be found, of course. Right. Instead, you bought red ginseng drinks."
Did you get infected by Jeong Da-jun?
Kim Seong-hyeon, who used to click his tongue at the idea of buying ice cream, was now looking for Melona just like the maknae.
"It's good for you. Drink up."
"Fine..."
Meeting my gaze, Kim Seong-hyeon quietly took a red ginseng drink in his hand.
As I downed a bottle of Sol-ui-nun to soothe my irritation, Seong Ji-won, who was handing a red ginseng drink to Kang Yi-chae, turned to me.
"But Ho-yun, why are you in a bad mood?"
"Good question."
"Ahaha."
I raised my index finger.
【Reels, wind back this moment
When I speak, press Repeat...】
"Because of this."
The BGM filling Yi-chae’s studio was High Five’s new song, "Reels."
Jeong Da-jun’s eyes sparkled as he clapped his hands.
"High Five sunbae-nims' new song is really good!"
"Fuck, they debuted only a few months before us. What do you mean 'sunbae-nims'?"
"And Ho-yun hyung is extra prickly today!"
"Tell me about it."
I ignored Kim Seong-hyeon’s polite remark about how a few months' difference still made them seniors and made my displeasure crystal clear.
Currently, High Five’s song had swept the daily charts of all three major music platforms.
Those punks, they're doing better than I expected.
"Reels" was a track produced by Im Hyeon-su.
It was a song that further enhanced the cheerful and refreshing image High Five had maintained, while also being unique and incredibly catchy.
It had done reasonably well at the start, but the momentum hadn't been this strong initially. It had become a sleeper hit a bit late and now showed no signs of dropping in the rankings.
Honestly, their trajectory was better than ours had been, and it made my stomach churn with jealousy.
I should have teased Kang Yeon-hu more.
Tsk. Clicking my tongue, I pulled out my phone and sent a text to Im Hyeon-su.
[Me: What is the composer doing?]
[Im Hyeon-su: Why;;;]
[Im Hyeon-su: Why again;;]
I left it at that, letting her stew in anxiety without following up.
[Im Hyeon-su: Why aren't you finishing your sentence, you son of a bitch?]
"Why? Is it because their results are so good?"
Well, what other reason would I have to be in a bad mood?
We had such good momentum, but now it looks like we're going to get pushed back.
I had relaxed a bit since Black Call wasn't promoting this year, but then this happened.
When I subtly probed the management team earlier, it sounded like High Five might release another song in the summer.
And our album, which we were currently working on, was scheduled for June.
Since we're in the same company, they could show a little professional courtesy, couldn't they?
As I suppressed my simmering frustration, the now quite bulky Jeong Da-jun habitually clung to my arm.
"Ho-yun hyung, but aren't you and Yeon-hu sunbae-nim actually on pretty good terms?"
"No."
Good terms, my ass.
When would I even have the time to care about him?
[Jeong Da-jun
Our cute maknae who is still practicing hard.
Singing: B-
Dancing: S-
Variety: B+
Acting: C-
Charm: A-
???: ???]
After successfully completing the Icarus version of the "Connected" stage at the IRIX New Season Launch, Da-jun’s dance stat had risen to a superhuman level.
"Hey, hey. Is Seo Ho-yun the type of guy to be on 'good terms' with anyone?"
"True, that's a fair point."
The members' abilities were well-balanced, and their camaraderie was as strong as ever.
They were kind, gentle, and listened well...
"Ju Woo-seong sunbae-nim??"
"Are they... on good terms?"
...I wasn't so sure about that part, but at the very least, I had raised them to be capable of surviving anywhere.
It had reached the point where even the Noeuls joked that if The Dawn were dropped naked in the middle of a desert or a deserted island, they’d somehow survive and make it back safely.
Anyway, I can't stand to see my kids getting pushed around.
We no longer had to wander the country performing at obscure events whose names I’d never even heard of. Our weight class had changed. And thanks to setting the settlement ratios well from the start, the pay wasn't bad either.
Still, I wanted to build a more solid foundation before I disappeared. I had to make sure these kids could keep food on the table afterward, didn't I?
"Sigh..."
Kang Yi-chae, who had been playing High Five’s new song produced by Im Hyeon-su on repeat, slumped onto his desk.
"...I can't do it."
He then began mumbling while tracing circles on the desk with his finger.
"I really thought about it for twenty-four hours straight, you know?"
"Did you think about it in your sleep too?"
"But no lie, I really can't think of anything. I guess this is my limit."
Yi-chae started digging a hole of self-pity, not even hearing Kim Seong-hyeon’s jab.
The members' reactions to Yi-chae declaring his inspiration dead as of today and asking them to set up a tombstone for him were as follows:
"Is today trash pickup day??"
"Yeah, I think so."
"Hyung, hyung, can we go buy Melona later?"
"Give me some attention~!"
In fact, lately, Yi-chae had been alternating between being in a great mood, being depressed, and throwing tantrums.
However, since everyone had already experienced a similar state from him during Shining Star Season 2, they didn't think much of it.
He made fake sobbing noises for a long time before sniffing and calling out to me.
"Ho-yun hyung..."
"What."
"Can you just throw all the unreleased songs I sent last week into the trash?"
This guy definitely had high self-esteem and confidence, and he was well-equipped with a "fuck you" attitude.
So why did he get like this whenever Im Hyeon-su was involved?
"Why don't I have any talent?"
"Other people would cry if they heard you say that, man."
"Other people?"
Ignoring Seong-hyeon’s consolation again, Yi-chae let out a deep sigh and muttered to himself.
"Except for Composer Im Hyeon-su, the songs other people are putting out lately..."
"..."
"...are all like trash."
"Hey, just throw this guy away. His personality is rotten."
Unable to take it anymore, Kim Seong-hyeon spoke without a filter.
While the maknae subtly nodded in agreement beside him, Seong Ji-won switched the music to one of Yi-chae’s songs.
"Yi-chae, I really like your songs."
"Ji-won hyung...!"
"What's this? Why did they get so affectionate after becoming roommates?"
"I don't know... I hate seeing it."
Yi-chae looked at Ji-won with moist eyes and hugged him tight.
"Ji-won hyung’s praise is so sweet... But Ho-yun hyung, give me some honest feedback."
I restarted the song he had worked on from the beginning.
"Hmm."
I listened quietly, and the moment the chorus hit, I stopped the music and looked at Yi-chae.
"It sounds like the result of someone who spent all day procrastinating and playing games because they didn't want to work, then threw it together in ten minutes."
"....!!"
"....!"
"What?! You weren't there when I was working... but how are you so accurate...?"
"I've got goosebumps!! How did you know, Ho-yun hyung?? Did you put a CCTV in Yi-chae hyung’s studio?"
His teacher was Blue Tiger; what else would he have learned?
It was obvious without even looking.
The members, rubbing their arms and saying they had goosebumps, shook their heads and stood up.
"Alright, we've given him enough 'there-there's, let's head out."
"Yeah, if we leave him alone, he usually comes up with a good song on his own."
"....Are you guys even really my hyungs?"
"Ayy, Yi-chae hyung, I'll go buy ice cream!"
Kim Seong-hyeon, Seong Ji-won, and Jeong Da-jun left without a moment's hesitation. Only I, who still had planning proposals to review, was left behind in the studio with Yi-chae.
Yi-chae turned off the computer, popped a candy into his mouth, and stared at the ceiling.
"I need a muse."
"Muse, my ass..."
"Will you be my muse?"
I was starting to get annoyed by Yi-chae’s constant need for attention and regretted not running away with the others.
Eventually, as he sprawled out on the sofa and whined, I suggested my own method of problem-solving.
"Use money as your muse."
At that, Yi-chae’s eyes reddened as he bolted upright.
"Hyung! How can inspiration come from money?! How can you say something like that? You're so materialistic!"
"That person you respect, Blue Tiger, said that."
"Ah... ahh, what a wise quote."
"..."
This punk, looking at him, I think he likes Im Hyeon-su more than me.
I turned off my tablet and reached into the right pocket of the melting, limp Yi-chae to pull out his phone.
"Eh? What are you doing?"
Even though he was acting like it was a joke, he really did look like he was struggling, so I thought it would be better to show him a more concrete example.
Since the other members used each other's phones like public property, I habitually unlocked it and looked for a banking app.
"Soothe your soul by looking at your bank balance, you brat."
"Uh, wait..."
But for some reason, a flustered Yi-chae jumped up, and his forehead and my chin collided with a sharp thwack.
"Ack!"
"Ugh!"
The guy, groaning while clutching his head, quickly looked up to check on me.
"Heck, hyung. Sorry."
This rock-headed brat...
A deep pain throbbed in my chin. As I gritted my teeth against the pain and looked away,
"...Huh?"
I couldn't help but be bewildered.
Just before our heads collided, I had simply entered his unlock pattern as a test, and now the banking app was open on the screen.
And...
"...You..."
Ding!
[?????????]
No...
Wait, what is this?
"...Why do you have an extra zero?"
"............"
Checking his phone screen in my hand, Yi-chae’s expression froze as if a shameful secret had been exposed.
Being in the same group, the members generally knew how much each other made.
Naturally, they also knew that Yi-chae, who wrote and composed many of The Dawn’s songs, earned more.
However, even for me—who had heard roughly how much Im Hyeon-su made and had shared all sorts of conversations with her—the amount shown in this bank account was excessive.
What the hell?
There was one more zero than I had estimated.
Belatedly snatching the phone back from me, he tossed it aside and let out an awkward laugh.
"—Ayy, I don't have that much. Didn't you see it wrong?"
"My vision is 20/15."
"I'm glad my hyung has such good eyesight..."
When I was thirty-three, I couldn't even distinguish people's faces without glasses because I spent every day monitoring and editing, but thanks to being rejuvenated, my eyes were fresh and sharp.
Realizing that lying was no longer of any use, Yi-chae scratched his head, looking troubled.
Given that he had studied abroad and could play multiple instruments, I had speculated that he might come from a well-to-do family.
What's with him?
It wasn't exactly a flaw or a stain, but Yi-chae was carefully watching my reaction.
Narrowing my eyes slightly, I grabbed his shoulders.
"As your close hyung, I'm going to ask you just one thing."
"...What is it."
"Kang Yi-chae, you..."
I could feel Yi-chae’s nerves tensing up as if he were on edge.
I continued slowly.
"You're not going around scamming people, are you?"
"...What?"
"You know, that kind of thing. People who use a celebrity's name to rip others off."
Yi-chae, who had been speechless with his mouth hanging open, let out a sigh as if all his energy had drained away. At the same time, he looked at me with an incredulous gaze.
"How did the conversation even go there?"
"Well, because you, Kang Yi-chae, are acting so suspicious."
"That's because there are circumstances... Anyway, it's nothing like that!"
I tapped the shoulder I was holding with my hand as he kept repeating that it wasn't like that.
"I need to know what you did so I can either help you or clean up the mess."
"What?"
"So, first of all, did you sell out the group's name?"
"Argh, seriously!"
Yi-chae bolted upright and paced the studio anxiously before plopping back down on the sofa.
"...It's just, it's just uncomfortable, that's why! It's uncomfortable!"
Why is having a lot of money uncomfortable?
When I crossed my arms and quirked an eyebrow, he realized I wasn't buying his excuse at all and added with a deep breath:
"I was born with plenty to begin with."
"..."
"No, really. I have some land in my name... Wow, why am I telling hyung all this?"
Yi-chae, roughly wiping his face with both hands, swept his hair back.
"I'll just prove it's not a scam."
He gestured toward me, as I stood there expressing neither affirmation nor denial, and walked over to the computer. After booting it up again, he logged into a cloud drive and showed me some scanned documents.
"This is in my name."
In that moment, the Kang Yi-chae who was twelve years younger than me and always seemed like a child vanished instantly.
Documents scrolled endlessly as Yi-chae clicked through them. The admiration from the system window, which witnessed this shocking situation alongside me, also continued without end.
[Wow...]
"This, and this. This too. See the dates? It's from before I debuted. Even if I wanted to scam someone, how could I do it when I wasn't even famous?"
[Whoa...]
Then, the sound of the mouse clicks, which had been unusually loud with annoyance, suddenly stopped.
"...Ah, wait."
"..."
"...Now that I think about it, you're making fun of me right now, aren't you?"
It had started with the intention of probing the inner thoughts of a needlessly suspicious Kang Yi-chae. But that intention had long since evaporated.
I put on the kindest-looking smile I could muster.
Then, I gently placed a hand on his shoulder.
"...Yi-chae."
Yi-chae’s eyes wavered.
"...What."
"Hyung—"
Our rapper wasn't just born with a silver spoon.
"—Buy me an ice cream first."
He was born with a diamond spoon.