Chapter 291
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 291
The years after Seo Ho-jin and I were the only ones left in the world were a true blend of poignant narrative and heart-wrenching emotion. Had those days been edited into a program and aired, they would have become a ratings monster in an instant.
A twenty-year-old looking after a ten-year-old was far more difficult than one might imagine. Every day was a cycle of acting stoic on the outside while inwardly crying out for our parents.
Well, I pride myself on the fact that I did my absolute best—at least by my standards back then—to ensure he didn't feel the void left by our parents.
Despite my hectic life, I never missed a single event related to Seo Ho-jin, and I never let him miss out on anything other kids his age were doing.
That’s not to say I just doted on him, though.
When he was in elementary school:
“Hey, you’re not eating your vegetables?”
“……”
“I’ll give you ten seconds. Unless you want to never see eggs or ham again, eat them all.”
In middle school:
“How do you not know this?”
“……No, it’s just…”
“I’m calling them now, so you’re starting at the academy tomorrow.”
In high school:
“Hyung, I don’t think I need English tutoring anymore…”
“I heard everyone at your school does it.”
“Just because everyone does it doesn’t mean I have to. The tutoring fees are so expensive…”
“Why is a brat like you worrying about money? If you don’t want to study, then don’t, do whatever you want.”
“But…!”
“Shut up and just take the lessons.”
Maybe I was a bit too overbearing.
Regardless, he listened well when he was young. He never dared to talk back more than twice.
Compared to that, look at the state of him now.
“Get up.”
Now that he was older and more stubborn, he was nothing but trouble.
“Wait, just a second…”
“……”
“Wait! Just one minute!!”
As I stared at him in silence, Seo Ho-jin, who was panting with his hands on the floor, wiped away his dripping sweat and muttered, “I came out to see your performance, but I got mobbed by people asking for photos. It was exhausting…”
“You brought this on yourself.”
I told him not to come, but did the bastard listen? No.
The members stood a step behind me, watching Seo Ho-jin with pitying eyes.
Slumped on the floor in a round, plump rabbit mascot suit, huffing and puffing, Seo Ho-jin did look quite pathetic.
“Go on then, let’s hear your excuses.”
Of course, it didn't work on me at all.
“Why is the guy who said he was going to the library here?”
“Ah, why! Can’t I come to see my brother’s face?!”
“Don’t give me that. If you want to see my face so bad, turn on the TV! Watch Nutube!”
“Are we strangers?!”
“You crazy bastard, if you hate that so much, open your photo album!”
“I don’t have any!”
My eyes narrowed instantly.
Shouting with a flushed face and ragged breath, Seo Ho-jin slowly lowered his gaze.
“I don’t have any. I’m sure we had photos of just the two of us, but no matter how much I look, I can’t find them.”
He told me that after I warned him not to attend the festival, he went home to organize his photos.
But even though there should have been at least one, he couldn't find a single photo of the two of us together.
That was why he had asked a friend on the festival preparation committee for this favor.
As our ages had been warped, Seo Ho-jin had even forgotten that everything except my solo photos had vanished.
“Whew…”
An indefinable emotion surged within me. I forced my eyes away from Seo Ho-jin to keep him from noticing.
“Hey.”
I held out my phone to the members.
“Take a picture of us.”
“Sure, sure.”
Kim Seong-hyeon stepped forward and took my phone.
“Alright, get close together.”
The scene on the screen was ridiculous.
Me, in full idol makeup and stage outfit, and Seo Ho-jin, in a mascot suit.
Even so, Seo Ho-jin grinned like an idiot, clearly happy.
“Happy now?”
“……You don’t even appreciate your brother’s noble intentions.”
Noble, my ass.
“Those photos your friend took earlier—send them to me too.”
“Eh?”
If his face was completely hidden by the mascot head, it should be fine to upload them to SNS or keep them.
Others wouldn't know, but at least I and the people here would know this rabbit was my brother.
While Seo Ho-jin tilted his head in confusion but obediently sent the photos, Kang Yi-chae let out an impressed whistle beside him.
“Hyung, you’re really serious about rabbits.”
I coolly ignored him and shoved the rabbit head back onto Seo Ho-jin.
Then, taking pity on our manager—who was repeatedly glancing at his watch, unable to say a word—I told the members it was time to leave.
“Hyung, bye.”
I heard my brother’s voice, muffled and slightly distorted by the mascot suit. I turned my head, stared at the waving rabbit for a moment, and then beckoned him over.
“Seo Ho-jin.”
“Huh? Yeah?”
“Come here.”
I kept walking forward. I didn't need to check to know Seo Ho-jin was following me.
“You know I’m not the type to hold a grudge, right?”
“…I’m not so sure about that.”
“Well, I’m going to decide whether to hold one based on what you do right now.”
Before exiting the building, I spun around to face Seo Ho-jin and curled my lips into a smirk.
“Since you’re already in the rabbit suit, give me the best cheer you’ve got.”
I gave his shoulder a light pat and followed the members who had walked ahead.
Crowds had gathered on both sides of the van parked near the building entrance. As soon as we stepped outside, phones were aimed at us in unison.
“Ho-yun!! Ho-yun! You were so cool today!!”
“Bye~~!”
I instantly donned my business face, waving and responding to the fans' cheers.
Just as attention was starting to shift toward the rabbit mascot trailing behind us, I paused before boarding the van and shouted.
“Thank you all for coming today!”
“……?”
It was a message to the fans, but also a signal to Seo Ho-jin.
“Your support was a huge source of strength.”
=Start cheering right now.
The trembling of the rabbit ears perfectly conveyed Seo Ho-jin’s panic.
Even though his face was hidden, I could feel him thinking, ‘Is this hyung crazy?’
I simply stood there with a smile and waited.
The members, the manager, the fans, and even the students taking photos all followed my gaze and glanced at Seo Ho-jin.
“……The……”
A shrill voice leaked out from the rabbit mascot, which was swaying as if in a deep internal conflict.
“…….”
“…The, The Dawn, fighting!!!”
His voice cracked spectacularly.
The members bit their lips, trying to stifle their laughter.
“Aw, thank you~.”
But I let out a loud laugh and hopped into the van.
* * *
[Title: Seo Ho-yun bursting out laughing at a male fan’s shout today
Seo_Ho-yun_S_University_Festival_Leaving.avi
LOLOLOLOLOLOL, this is seriously hilarious.
I was watching and thinking how handsome Seo Ho-yun looked today, then he cracked up so hard at a male fan’s loud voice crack.
└ Omg, so cute.
No, seriously, why is he so cute?
└ Why is Seo Ho-yun filming a youth manga today? ㅋㅋㅋㅋ Ho-yun must have been in a really good mood.
└ Seo Ho-yun’s genuine laugh ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[Title: Seo Ho-yun uploaded a photo with a rabbit mascot
The_Dawn_with_a_Rabbit.jpg
Our Ho-yun... he’s serious about this....
└ LMAO ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ This is so funny. We’re obsessed with the rabbit aesthetic, but we can’t beat the man himself.
└ But seriously, the S University sing-along was insane... I didn't know they were that good.
Jeong Da-jun was practically flying.
└ Right!! I’m so proud the reaction was this good...
└└ Since the IRIX song became a hit.
└└ I’m listening to the song and doing the T..D..W (The Dawn) hand sign too.]
I was scrolling through the reactions to the S University festival stage. I was worried that rumors about Seo Ho-jin might start circulating again.
I had asked Lee Ji-hyeon to double-check as well, and fortunately, things seemed quiet.
‘Hmm, good.’
I was lounging in the breakroom next to the practice room, sipping an iced chocolate latte through a straw.
Just as I was savoring the good mood—
“Hyung, hi~.”
An unwelcome voice pierced my ears.
I looked up to see a slicker-than-ever Min Ji-heon walking toward me, practically radiating flower petals.
“Bye.”
“Wow, you’re so consistent. It’s good to see.”
I was glad I hadn't seen him for a while, but here we were.
Despite my blunt dismissal, Min Ji-heon sat his butt down on the sofa opposite me with a beaming face.
“You know, the cafeteria at WH Entertainment is no joke. Now that the company’s been acquired, I’m actually moved—”
It didn't seem like he had anything important to say.
Just as I was about to click my tongue and get up to avoid his useless chatter—
Ding!
[WARNING!]
A system window dyed in red appeared.
“What are you doing?”
“Hmm?”
I froze and stared at Min Ji-heon.
Most of the time when things like this happened, he was involved.
“What? Why? …No, why are you looking at me like that again?”
But it wasn't him.
He looked exactly the same as usual.
“Min Ji-heon.”
He didn't look like he was up to any tricks.
“Do you want to talk after getting hit, or just talk…”
Ding!
I was briefly considering dragging him somewhere quiet to shake him down when another system warning popped up.
Ding!
Ding!
Di-ding!
Drawn by the flashing red light that seemed to be begging for my attention, I turned my head.
“……Ha.”
A person I had seen countless times through monitors and on sets during my PD days—.
“Unbelievable.”
—Jeong Cheong-yeon was walking from the end of the hallway beyond the system window.
The trainee I had met right before coming to this world.
The woman who had poured curses upon me.
‘Why is she here?’
Is she a WH Entertainment trainee now?
Originally, she belonged to a small but solid agency.
The ominous state of the system window combined with her appearance made my heart uneasy.
‘Well, nothing should happen.’
She shouldn't be able to remember me anyway.
“PD-nim.”
That was why I could remain calm even when I heard that title right next to me. Unless I was suffering from delusions of persecution, there was no one here who would call me "PD."
“…PD-nim?”
The nonsense kept ringing in my ears, making me frown slightly. Min Ji-heon blinked rapidly, looking back and forth between me and the space behind me.
“……Hey.”
“…….”
“She’s calling you PD.”
Fuck.
I hadn't misheard.
My head turned with a creak, as if someone were forcing it.
“I knew it was you….”
[WARNING!]
[WARNING!]
[WARNING!]
[WARNING!]
[WARNING!]
“Seo Ho-yun PD-nim.”
The faint smile on Jeong Cheong-yeon’s face was gradually replaced by bewilderment.
“Wait… but why… do you look so young…….”
[E R R O R]
Simultaneously, my red-tinted vision flickered.
[Encountering the speaker of the final Notoriety Points.]
[Trigger activated.]
The moment those unfamiliar words appeared before my eyes, something surged up from deep within. My throat burned as if on fire, and the familiar taste of blood filled my mouth.
“Ugh!”
My body tilted. In my blurring vision, I saw that bastard Min Ji-heon recoiling in horror and Jeong Cheong-yeon still staring straight at me, the scene playing out slowly like a stretched videotape.
[The ■■ of the world is shaking.]
[The ■■ed world is weakening.]
[Selecting world setting….]
[…Selection complete!]
Even in that state, a hollow laugh escaped my lips at the new system windows that kept appearing.
[‘Actor’ has been selected!]
This is fucking….
[Seo Ho-yun, congratulations! You have been selected as a player for ‘Unknown Actor Tycoon’.]
……Another new pattern.
And with that, I lost consciousness.