Chapter 406
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 406
“Ugh, please, I’m begging you…”
Early in the morning, desperate pleas echoed through the lobby of the WH Entertainment headquarters. The sounds were coming from Lee Ji-hyeon, who had arrived for work only to realize she’d left her ID badge at home after pulling an all-nighter working from her house the previous day.
She had gone to the reception desk to ask for help, but the staff member there—a man so burly he could easily be mistaken for a security guard—had flatly ordered her to wait. He insisted she could only enter once her identity was verified by contacting her superiors.
“I’ll connect to the intranet on my laptop and show you my employee information. I really do work here!”
“That is not permitted. I cannot let you through until I have spoken with your supervisor.”
Why does he have to be so 'by the book'?
She had already tried calling the Planning Team Leader at Daepasung numerous times, but for some reason, he wasn't picking up. Despite showing her business card, her work laptop, and even her phone as a last resort, it was all useless. Cold sweat began to pour down Lee Ji-hyeon’s face.
“I am so, so sorry, but I think I’m going to be late for a meeting. I’ll come back later and prove it to you then…”
“Please wait.”
Lee Ji-hyeon felt like she was going to lose her mind.
She was worried about what the other planning team staff members would think, but more than that, she was concerned about the fact that The Dawn was attending today’s meeting.
Specifically, Seo Ho-yun.
He was relatively generous toward her, but that was only when she handled herself professionally. He was a man who became incredibly sensitive over even the smallest mistakes.
If I’m late, he’s definitely going to give me crap for it…
“Ms. Lee Ji-hyeon?”
“Gah! S-Seo Ho-yun?!”
Speak of the devil.
Lee Ji-hyeon nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of Seo Ho-yun’s voice behind her. However, she quickly realized that if she could just endure a bit of fear, this encounter was a golden opportunity to resolve the situation.
If she was lucky, the best-case scenario was getting in with him. Even if that failed, she could at least leave him with the impression that she had tried her best.
“H-hello! Um, I know I’m being a nuisance, but could you possibly… Gasp!”
The attempt was aborted instantly.
The visual cells in Lee Ji-hyeon’s eyes shriveled in shock as they took in the sight of Seo Ho-yun.
What the…?
Vibrant eyes, subtly glowing skin, and a soft smile playing on his lips.
There had been rare occasions before when Seo Ho-yun seemed to be in a good mood. Whenever that happened, some employees who had known him since his Daepasung days would chime in, saying things like, “The Dawn is successful now, so he’s just mellowed out,” or “He’s watching his image now that he’s famous.”
“…Are you really Seo Ho-yun?”
But today was on a completely different level.
Seo Ho-yun quirked an eyebrow and let out a short chuckle.
“In the flesh. Why?”
Even though she didn't sense any immediate danger, Lee Ji-hyeon instinctively took a step back.
Seo Ho-yun didn't seem to mind as he strode toward the reception desk and asked, “Did you lose your ID badge?”
“Ah, y-yes… I’m sorry.”
“No need to be sorry for that.”
Leaning one arm on the reception desk, Seo Ho-yun turned toward the staff member, his eyes curving into a gentle, charming arc.
“Hello there.”
Having spent several years with him, Lee Ji-hyeon knew.
That was his "bewitching smile," the one that could steal a person's soul. It was the expression he usually wore when he wanted to get something.
“I’m sorry to bother you, but could you issue a temporary pass for this lady? We have a meeting this morning that she needs to attend.”
She didn't have high expectations. The staff member had shown about as much flexibility as a brick wall.
As she watched the situation with a dull gaze, the staff member, who had been staring blankly at Seo Ho-yun, nodded.
“Yes.”
Excuse me?
This was WH Entertainment security—a place where even affiliated artists were turned away if they didn't have their ID, and where people were sent back again if facial recognition failed as a secondary security measure. Even Seo Ho-yun shouldn't have been an exception, yet the staff member, completely entranced, muttered, “I’ll let it slide just this once,” and immediately issued a temporary card.
He had been repeating "no" like a parrot just moments ago.
Stunned, Lee Ji-hyeon followed behind Seo Ho-yun, unable to offer any reaction.
“It’s unlike you to leave your ID behind. Were you busy this morning?”
“Yes, I was working from home all night…”
As she gave a dazed, reflexive answer, Lee Ji-hyeon noticed a scent hitting her nose and furrowed her brows.
“…Perfume?”
When she first caught a whiff of it in the lobby, she thought it was just the scent of the building or someone else passing by. But now, she realized a sweet yet sophisticated fragrance was emanating from Seo Ho-yun.
Recognizing a strange scent coming from a man who usually smelled of nothing but the faintest hint of soap, Lee Ji-hyeon froze, her suspicions piqued.
“It’s from the commercial I just shot as a model.”
“Ah, I see… Your sponsors would be thrilled to see you using it so diligently in real life… But wait, don't you have no official schedules today? Are you planning a live stream or something?”
“Yes. Technology has advanced so much lately that scents can be transmitted through the screen, you know.”
“Stop being sarcastic…”
The urge to apologize for her stupidity rose to her throat, but she swallowed it.
And that wasn't the only weird thing.
Unless her eyes were deceiving her, the disposable cup in Seo Ho-yun’s right hand was filled with ice and a pitch-black liquid.
This was a man who usually wouldn't even look at a drink that wasn't sweet, let alone something with caffeine.
Unable to believe her eyes, Lee Ji-hyeon hesitated before asking, “…Is that fish sauce??”
Seo Ho-yun stopped walking and glanced at her.
“…Has the overtime been that hard on you?”
“Uh… the workload is heavy, but… why bring that up all of a sudden?”
“Because you’re talking nonsense.”
Lee Ji-hyeon shut her mouth, stung by Seo Ho-yun’s smiling but merciless jab.
As they began walking again, Seo Ho-yun took a sip of the Americano through the straw and added nonchalantly, “Even I need something like this once in a while. When I need to snap out of it.”
When they arrived at the meeting room, it was fortunately empty, meaning they weren't late.
While she was busy exchanging opinions with Seo Ho-yun about potential content for the New Year, Jeong Da-jun walked in. Seo Ho-yun greeted him and handed the mostly full Americano to the younger boy.
Lee Ji-hyeon turned her head away from the two as they chatted.
Fine, let’s just stop paying attention to Seo Ho-yun.
To her, Seo Ho-yun was a precious idol who had made her career what it was today—a literal bonus generator. But at the same time, he was a true creature of the abyss who had inflicted deep-seated trauma on her since her rookie days.
While she was trying her best to ignore the conversation between Seo Ho-yun and Jeong Da-jun, Seong Ji-won and Kim Seong-hyeon appeared. Finally, Kang Yi-chae entered with a long yawn, completing the gathering of The Dawn.
“Hiiii.”
“Yi-chae hyung, good morning~.”
“You’re here?”
“Yi-chae is sooooo tired.”
Naturally taking a seat next to Jeong Da-jun, Kang Yi-chae started teasing the maknae by messing up his fluffy silver hair. Regardless of whether Da-jun got annoyed or not, Yi-chae didn't stop, chuckling all the while.
Seo Ho-yun’s gaze lingered on the two of them for a moment, but soon other staff members began to arrive and the meeting started, so Lee Ji-hyeon put it out of her mind.
* * *
Two days ago—the day I confessed the truth to Seo Ho-jin—I had quite a sweat-breaking time.
“I’m sorry.”
It was because the brat wouldn't stop crying, even after I’d spent a considerable amount of time comforting him.
After about ten minutes, my legs started to ache and my shoulder felt damp and gross. My razor-thin patience was reaching its limit.
“Uwaaaah… hic… uwaaaah…”
“…”
“Sniff… hic… Sorry, I’m sorry…”
I patted his back and spoke softly.
“Hey, when are you going to stop?”
Ho-jin sniffled and glared at me with eyes as red as a rabbit’s.
“…You really are my brother. There aren't many people this cold and heartless.”
“So what?”
“Nothing, I’m just saying…”
I chuckled and pulled Ho-jin upright. Aside from the fact that he’d drained his eyes like a broken faucet, he seemed fine. I led him to the sofa, and after shifting his eyes around and hesitating, he swallowed hard and asked a question.
“…So, what exactly happened? Why was I in that state?”
“Well.”
It took quite a while to explain that there had been a slight side effect to the 'Unknown Idol Tycoon' system, but it wasn't a major problem—all while trying to make it sound non-threatening and avoiding unnecessary details.
“Ha, this is insane… Is this world crazy or what?!”
Ho-jin, who had been shouting in excitement, bit his lip nervously and suddenly stood up.
“Wait a minute… Could my trip to the emergency room a while back have something to do with this? …Don't tell me something like that happened to you too, Hyung—”
“It didn't.”
When I cut him off sharply, he muttered, “Really?” and plopped back down. Seeing him biting his nails, it was clear his mind was a mess.
I pulled his hand away and spoke as if to cut off his train of thought.
“Whatever, it’s fine.”
The important thing was that everything was back to normal.
“There isn't much left now. I just need to win a Grand Prize.”
One awards ceremony that would have fit the main quest had already passed us by, but there were still ceremonies left in January. If we could just win there, this long story would finally reach its conclusion.
“…What happens after you win the Grand Prize?”
“The game will end.”
Mostly.
I kept the last part to myself. Kang Yi-chae’s scenario quest remained, but there was no need to worry Ho-jin by mentioning it.
“Then, um, after that…”
“We just go back to the way things were.”
“Ah, right… yeah…”
He opened his mouth a few times as if to speak, then lowered his gaze and mumbled.
“……I see.”
He looked conflicted for some reason.
“I’ll take care of it, so you just focus on what you need to do.”
“Mmm…”
I figured it couldn't be helped; he was probably confused by the sudden influx of truth. I stood up and ruffled his hair.
“Wipe that look off your face. I’m leaving.”
“Already?”
“I have practice.”
With a slightly lighter heart, I walked toward the front door, with Ho-jin trailing behind me.
“…But Hyung, you really are amazing. To think you climbed this high after being thrown into being an idol.”
“As you know, charm is my middle name.”
“Ah… yes, of course…”
His face went flat, but a faint smile touched his lips. Then he started chattering away.
“How are the other guys doing? They look even more dazzling on TV than before.”
Those guys would survive and find their way home even if you dropped them on a deserted island.
“It was fun when I met them before. I want to see them again.”
“Hey, forget it.”
What a horrifying thought.
Because you and Kang Yi-chae are in contact, I had to endure so much grief when I was caught lying about going home to look after my brother while I was actually hiding out in Min Ji-heon’s apartment to take over the penalty you were supposed to bear.
“Stop hanging out with them. You spilled way too much to Kang Yi-chae.”
“Huh? Me? What did I say?”
“What do you mean 'what'? Why on earth did you tell him that I used to edit family videos when I was a kid?”
It was the day the music video for the third fan song I edited was released, which also happened to be Kang Yi-chae’s 23rd birthday. I was so shocked when he suddenly brought that up.
“I did?”
But Ho-jin looked genuinely clueless.
I clicked my tongue, wondering if this was also an aftereffect of his previous memory loss, and added a brief explanation.
“Yeah, you told him that’s why I’m still good at editing.”
“……I did?”
Even so, Ho-jin remained bewildered, unable to grasp what I was talking about.
I pressed my index finger against his forehead and said seriously, “……Has my brother turned into an idiot?”
“What are you talking about?!”
Ho-jin swatted my hand away and jumped. His furrowed brows looked truly indignant.
“It wasn't me. To begin with, until recently, my memories were disappearing and my childhood events were all jumbled and hazy… Like the stuff with our maternal uncle.”
As Ho-jin’s defense continued, a chilling sensation began to creep up on me.
“I’m sure of it. I really never said anything like that to Yi-chae.”
I hurried to retrace my past conversation with Kang Yi-chae.
It was about six months ago, in Hawaii, where we had gone as a reward for a workshop.
In the late afternoon as the sun was setting, a soaking wet Kang Yi-chae had wiped his face with a towel and asked with a mischievous tug at the corner of his mouth:
“Hyung, I heard you used to edit family videos back in the day?”
Had I confirmed it when Kang Yi-chae threw out that bait?
“…Is that what he said?”
Distracted by the fact that Ho-jin still had those memories, I had barely managed to speak after an excessively long silence.
“…Ah, damn it.”
I had stepped on a massive landmine.