Chapter 402
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 402
The evidence Seo Ho-jin had scrambled so desperately to collect did its job perfectly.
As soon as I left the apartment, I contacted my manager and headed to WH Entertainment’s legal department to hand over the materials. The staff there processed everything with practiced, nonchalant efficiency. From their perspective, resolving trouble before a scandal could break was the top priority, so they seemed keen to wrap it up quickly.
Just in case, I put in a word regarding other relatives, but I was later informed that they were living ordinary lives in a world completely unrelated to mine.
Despite that, I couldn't feel at ease and demanded reconfirmation several times.
‘…I’ll have to stay on guard indefinitely.’
However, there was another issue currently gnawing at my nerves even more.
[Partial RESET]
An opportunity to initialize a specific portion.
Required Points: 300,000
Ever since meeting Ho-jin, my mind kept drifting toward the system window hovering in the corner of my vision, no matter how many days I spent buried in year-end stage preparations, filming commercials, or focusing on individual activities.
Would the process of him regaining his memories truly be for his sake?
Looking at it simply, the truth—that the older brother he thought was an idol was actually a loathed PD, or that this world he thought was reality was actually inside a game called Unknown Idol Tycoon—was a truth better left unknown.
Furthermore, the thought of a Seo Ho-jin who had completely forgotten his childhood…
Wasn't that exactly what I had prayed and yearned for ever since I brought him back from our maternal uncle?
When the time came to finish all the quests and return to my original world, I planned to take this world’s Seo Ho-jin with me somehow. I had judged that a brief explanation at that final moment would be enough.
Yet, even as I listed the reasons why a reset was unnecessary, I hesitated, unable to reach a conclusion. It was unlike me.
Even putting aside my own selfishness, the memories buried in that oblivion were far too significant.
Staring blankly out the car window at the scenery filled with Christmas decorations, I reviewed the missions the system window had unceremoniously dropped on me a few days ago.
[Quest Arrived!]
Complete the perfume commercial shoot for a luxury brand’s beauty line and conduct an interview at the flagship store.
Success: 15,000 Points
Failure: Permanent Stamina Debuff
[Quest Arrived!]
Break the all-time pre-order record for the magazine featuring The Dawn’s luxury brand beauty line perfume advertisement.
Success: 15,000 Points
Failure: Significant drop in Charm stat; unable to film future advertisements for the brand.
Easy-to-achieve missions with drastically reduced penalties.
It seemed like the system’s way of trying to ease my discomfort, but ironically, seeing this only made my mood sink further.
I let out a small sigh and composed my expression just as we arrived at the scheduled location.
I stepped out of the van and entered the building. Immediately, a variety of scents stimulated my nose.
“Seo Ho-yun-ssi, this way!”
The space had been set up as a pop-up store for a luxury brand’s beauty line.
Before it opened to the public, The Dawn—having served as the brand’s advertisement models—was given priority invitations, partly to film an interview video for Nutube.
“Thank you for coming despite your busy schedule. I heard you have another appointment in the afternoon, so we won’t keep you long.”
An employee from the luxury brand’s marketing department greeted us brightly.
Perhaps because they were determined to conquer the Korean market this time, the store emphasized a lavish yet sophisticated elegance. The display of perfumes placed throughout the store showed excellent taste. Above all, the various scents overlapping and drifting subtly through the air harmonized with the space, enhancing the atmosphere.
“Oh… why does it smell so delicious? I’m hungry.”
“Whoa. This one smells like a Buddhist temple!”
The cameras were already following the members, but perhaps because they knew the footage of them browsing the pop-up store would be used as an intro or B-roll with background music, everyone chatted comfortably without a filter.
However, once the formal interviews began, they started pouring out their impressions of the scents as if they were professional perfumers.
“Personally, I feel this scent has a particularly strong winter vibe. It has a sweet vanilla base, but the coolness of the pungent spices mixed with deep woody notes gives it a heavy, grounded feel overall.”
Kang Yi-chae, in particular, was the most shameless of them all.
When the interviewer asked him to describe the perfume in one sentence, the corners of his eyes crinkled into a wide smile.
“It’s a scent that reminds me of a long-forgotten, nostalgic winter.”
Hey, didn't you just say it smelled delicious a second ago?
Kang Yi-chae, who had been muttering things like "I'm craving ice cream" and "I'm hungry" while testing the scents, was now radiating a charming smile as alluring as the perfume he was promoting, as if his previous comments had never happened.
Sly bastard.
While I shook my head in disbelief, Kim Seong-hyeon, Jeong Da-jun, and Seong Ji-won let out exclamations and gave him sincere rounds of applause.
Regardless, Yi-chae’s interview ended quite smoothly, and I was next. I finished my segment without any major issues and wandered around the store waiting for the others to finish when the marketing employee approached me.
“Working with The Dawn for the launch of our beauty line was truly a stroke of genius. There isn't much of the year left, but I think it’s the best thing we’ve done.”
“Ahaha, the honor was mine.”
Even though the brand’s beauty line hadn't officially launched in Korea yet, public expectation was already sky-high based on brand value alone. Furthermore, as rumors spread that The Dawn were the models, more people were pre-ordering through international sites.
Since success was practically guaranteed, the employee couldn't stop smiling.
“I was honestly shocked because you expressed exactly what we wanted! Even the head perfumer who oversaw this entire line was stunned after seeing the final cut of the commercial. He asked how you managed to capture the exact winter atmosphere he envisioned. Oh! Look, it’s playing over there now.”
Following the employee’s finger, I saw the advertisement, edited briefly for the pop-up store, being projected across an entire wall.
In the dim, blue-tinged light of dawn, I was leaning against the railing of a porch staircase, wearing only a coat over a black knit sweater, looking up at the sky as snow fluttered down. In contrast to my well-dressed appearance, my scuffed Converse sneakers hinted at a slight restlessness.
As if measuring time, my index finger—which had been rhythmically tapping the perfume bottle in my right hand—stopped. The moment white breath bloomed from my red lips, I pulled my coat tighter, and my gaze shifted past the camera as if looking at someone.
Then, the name of the perfume appeared, and the video looped back to the beginning.
“The theme was waiting for a loved one along with a cherished scent. Rather than giving you detailed directions, we thought it would be better to just leave it to you… we only mentioned that we wanted a quiet scene with a mix of longing, sorrow, and a tiny bit of exhaustion… but I can’t believe how perfectly you portrayed it!”
That’s because I was actually exhausted and slumped in the waiting room before I went in to shoot because my mind was a mess and the schedule was packed.
“That expression of turmoil that words can’t describe! That one shot alone feels like it fills in the entire missing narrative!”
“Isn't my face turning bright red right now? You’re flattering me so much it’s embarrassing.”
“Pfft, you look more pale than red. You really are a professional, and you have such a great personality to boot.”
To be honest, this commercial wasn't a result of professional perfection.
Even then, I felt so shitty that I didn't even remember how the shoot went. I only vaguely recalled the staff marveling at how great it was after we finished.
I gave a bright smile to the marketing employee, who mentioned they were preparing another new product and asked me to consider it positively.
After wrapping up the conversation, I walked over to where the members were gathered. Kim Seong-hyeon and Kang Yi-chae were whispering while looking at my image on the wall.
“—They cut the scene where Ho-yun hyung was sitting behind there like an old man with his legs wide open. That was the highlight…”
“Tell me about it. You need that part to truly complete the Seo Ho-yun experience.”
“Hey, cut the side chatter.”
Worried about the eyes of the luxury brand officials, I spoke through gritted teeth. Kang Yi-chae deliberately shook his shoulders, pretending to be scared.
Whether I clicked my tongue inwardly or not, the interviews progressed steadily.
Finally, the last person to stand before the camera was Seong Ji-won.
“Um, I liked this scent called ‘Oblivio’ the best. I heard the perfumer created it after being inspired by the quote that oblivion is a blessing from God—”
The start was normal enough. But as Ji-won’s story continued, it strangely grated on my nerves.
“Whoa…”
Even the members who were about to make mischievous jokes gradually became moved by his words, their mouths hanging open.
“As expected of God Ji-won…”
“Seriously… I feel embarrassed for even thinking about joking around…”
“Huh?”
Seeing the kids getting bashful and adding their own comments, Ji-won simply offered a radiant smile.
*
After finishing the schedule at the pop-up store, we arrived at the venue for the Gayo Star Festival and had to go straight into rehearsals without a moment’s rest.
After checking every detail to ensure not even a tiny error occurred, I finally stepped into the waiting room when a notification sounded.
Ding!
Ding!
[Quest Success!]
The pre-order numbers for the magazine featuring The Dawn’s luxury brand beauty line perfume advertisement have broken all-time records.
Success reward: 15,000 Points.
[Quest Success!]
Successfully completed the luxury brand beauty line perfume advertisement shoot and conducted an interview at the flagship store.
Success reward: 15,000 Points.
The points were settled immediately upon the quest completion, and then a new window popped up.
[Quest Arrived!]
Before December ends, trigger an explosive reaction from the public through an article about Seo Ho-yun.
The criteria will be determined by the article’s view count.
Success: 15,000 Points
Failure: Slight drop in Dance stat
The system had been stingy when I desperately wanted points, but now that I was hesitating, it was showering them on me as if urging me to perform the reset.
‘Whatever. I’ll use them eventually.’
I was staring at the glowing blue rectangular box with a lukewarm gaze when Jeong Da-jun jumped on me from behind, shouting excitedly with a flushed face.
“Whoa! Hyung! Hyungs! They say we’re the closing act today!”
“You just found that out now, Da-jun?”
“Didn't you look at the cue sheet?”
“Ehh?! You guys already knew?!”
“Of course…”
Receiving lukewarm glares from the members, the maknae looked around in confusion.
Ever since the cue sheet leaked, various communities and social media had been filled with insults, calling it a "WH Entertainment Party." This was because The Dawn was the final act, preceded by High Five, and even the special stage was performed by Black Call’s Chae Jeong-woo, who hadn't been active for over a year.
“…But hyung.”
Jeong Da-jun, who had been sheepishly hiding behind me, asked while clinging to my arm.
“Is today Ho-jin hyung’s birthday?”
I raised an eyebrow at the maknae, wondering how he knew, but the answer unexpectedly came from Kang Yi-chae, who was sitting crookedly on the sofa, crunching on snacks.
“I saw it on my friend list. I even sent a gift.”
“Is it Ho-jin’s birthday today? Oh, then was Ho-yun going to the department store the other day to buy his brother’s gift?”
No, that wasn't a birthday gift.
However, facing Seong Ji-won’s sparkling eyes, I found it too bothersome to explain and just kept my mouth shut.
Kim Seong-hyeon, who was stealing Yi-chae’s snacks from across him, added in agreement with Ji-won.
“Seo Ho-yun is surprisingly good at taking care of events like this. He’s the type to remember anniversaries well.”
“Hmm… but you won’t be able to go home today, hyung. The Gayo Star Festival won’t end until after midnight.”
“It’s fine.”
In any case, since becoming an adult, memories of preparing for Ho-jin’s birthday on the actual day were rare.
To me, a birthday was nothing more and nothing less than the day one was born. I only acted this way because I wanted to keep the rule my parents set while they were alive: "Always celebrate birthdays."
If I thought of it that way today, it was no big deal.
Still, thinking I should at least send a message, I turned on my phone to find a message from Seo Ho-jin on the lock screen.
[Damn Little Brother: Hyung, and you know]
[Damn Little Brother: About last time]
I tapped the preview to go to the chat, but several lines had already been deleted.
[Damn Little Brother: (This message has been deleted.)]
[Damn Little Brother: (This message has been deleted.)]
[Damn Little Brother: Never mind lol]
[Damn Little Brother: Just wondering when you’re coming home again]
Tsk.
The way he was acting made it seem like he’d noticed I was hiding something.
[Me: Can’t make it today]
[Me: Sorry]
I considered just ignoring it, but I typed out and sent what I had originally intended to say.
After that, I spent the long, tedious wait joking with the members and practicing occasionally until—
“Whoa…”
Finally, the third part of the Gayo Star Festival began.
And the protagonist of that first performance was none other than Chae Jeong-woo.
【Ah— Tell me,】
It was his first appearance on an official stage in almost a year and a half.
The roar of the crowd, bordering on a thunderous boom, vibrated all the way here.
I swallowed a groan as I watched Chae Jeong-woo smiling brightly.
【that this is my christmas present】
Black Call really is in a league of their own.