Chapter 437
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 437
"—Listener 9151 says, 'I was feeling down because of the rain outside, but listening to the radio has cheered me up so much. I think it’s thanks to the guests.' That’s what they sent in."
Outside the transparent windows of the Night with Moonlight studio, designed for public viewing, a large crowd had gathered despite the late hour. They were Snowflake, who had come after hearing that The Dawn had a scheduled appearance here.
The broadcast proceeded, focusing on behind-the-scenes stories of their comeback and their digital chart performance.
Perhaps because they were currently appearing on Song Camp, the hottest program at the moment, the live comment section was more explosive than ever. Messages ranged from words of encouragement for their upcoming competitions to absurd personal attacks against Kang Yi-chae.
Even as they saw the comments, the members maintained their composure and led the conversation naturally.
As the radio show drew to a close, the DJ, Jeon Woo-jin, announced they would play "Wave," a B-side from the new album, as the final track and asked the members for their closing remarks one by one.
"Then, Seo Ho-yun? Could we get a word from you?"
"Ah, I had such a wonderful time being here today. This is a song we prepared very hard for, so I hope you all have a peaceful night, gentle as moonlight, while listening to our song, 'Wave.'"
The intro of "Wave," a song I had heard countless times, began to flow, timed perfectly with the radio’s fixed closing remarks.
[I don't want to fight over nothing,
But I'm so sad the tears keep falling.
I'm afraid our pride will be the end of us,
I just want to fall deep into you.]
Behind DJ Jeon Woo-jin, who was taking off his headset with one hand and telling us we did a good job—
[I said I wanted to leave you,
But the sea that soaked us both,
I said I wanted to give up on hope,
But the stars that poured from the sky that day—]
Under a sky studded with stars, slogans and digital signs made from smartphones swayed in the air.
[Lately I can’t sleep much
It means I still need you]
As the song passed its climax and raced toward the end, the blinds installed inside the studio began to lower. Seeing this, Jeong Da-jun jumped up from his seat and rushed over, lying flat on the floor to wave at the fans until their faces were no longer visible.
[If we ever meet again,
I know I’ll fall in love all over again.]
With that, the radio broadcast ended. After repeatedly bowing to Jeon Woo-jin and the staff, we left the studio. While heading to the parking lot, I pulled out my phone, logged into Pop-Pop, and sent a message thanking the fans for coming but telling them to get home quickly since it was late and raining. Then, I decided to leave a text for Kang Yi-chae as well.
[Me: Call me when you wake up.]
The moment I hit enter—
"…Huh? I just got a text from the manager asking if any of us know where Kang Yi-chae went."
I heard Kim Seong-hyeon’s voice beside me, sounding a bit flustered.
"Huh? Didn't Yi-chae go to the hospital?"
"Well, they said he suddenly vanished while they were getting ready to go…"
"Eeeh?! Did he run away?!"
Seong Ji-won skillfully covered Jeong Da-jun’s mouth as his voice rose in surprise, then patted his shoulder.
Kim Seong-hyeon, relaying the news with a serious expression, tried calling Kang Yi-chae again.
"…Hmm. Guys, you head back to the dorm first. I’m going to check the workroom."
"Mmph?! Mmph-mmph…!"
"Got it. Yi-chae might come back there."
Seong Ji-won, wearing a frown, dragged the struggling Jeong Da-jun into the van.
I, who had been watching the situation closely, turned and followed Kim Seong-hyeon as he left the parking lot. Kim Seong-hyeon glanced at me but didn't question why I was following; he just kept moving in silence.
The taxi ride to the company was quiet the entire way.
Arriving at our destination sooner than expected, Kim Seong-hyeon and I headed straight to Kang Yi-chae’s workroom. As soon as we entered the passcode and stepped inside, we were greeted by a computer that was still on, its rainbow-colored CPU fan spinning.
"He was here, Kang Yi-chae."
Kim Seong-hyeon muttered as he checked the monitor.
The file for the 2nd Competition song was open on the screen, and the last save time was only ten minutes ago.
"…Anyway, I’m glad it’s nothing serious. Seo Ho-yun, you stay here and catch him when he comes back."
"Yeah."
"I’ll go call the manager."
After confirming that Kim Seong-hyeon had left with a sigh of relief, I pulled out the desk chair and sat down.
When I clicked on the file Kang Yi-chae had composed, a much cleaner version of the intro played through the speakers.
'…It’s good.'
Good enough that it might actually turn the tide.
It meant he had been holding onto a song that had already been submitted, refining it over and over…
My thoughts grew more complicated. I sat there with my arms crossed, glaring at the speakers as if they were my mortal enemies, when the phone I had tossed on the desk lit up.
[Kang Yi-chae: 😮?]
…Look at this punk.
[Me: Where are you?]
He must have received dozens of missed calls, Pop-Pops, and texts, yet he was acting as if nothing was wrong. I quickly typed out the initials, and a reply arrived shortly after.
[Kang Yi-chae: Rooftop]
* * *
I took the elevator to the top floor and found the emergency stairs leading up to the rooftop garden. Perhaps because it was nearly dawn, the surroundings were silent, making the distant honking of cars from the road sound exceptionally loud.
The air felt thick and sticky against my skin, likely due to the heavy downpour earlier.
As I walked across the damp grass, I saw a wooden pergola. Underneath it, at a table, sat a figure slumped over, their entire upper body covered by a jacket. The red basketball shoes on their feet were familiar.
It was Kang Yi-chae.
"Hey."
What was this guy doing here? He rarely wandered outside the dorm or the workroom unless he had a schedule.
"Kang Yi-chae, Hyung is here."
"……."
"…Are you dead?"
When there was no response, I pulled back the jacket. A raspy, hoarse voice, sounding like rusted metal, leaked out.
"…Ugh, please close the curtains."
Kang Yi-chae’s face was revealed, his eyes squinting and red with fever. His skin looked rougher than usual, and his pale lips were covered in dry flakes.
"…I heard even dogs don't catch colds in the summer."
"You're so kind, I'm practically moved to tears."
"If you're sick, you should go to the hospital. What on earth are you doing here?"
"Good heavens, I never thought I'd live to hear the words 'go to the hospital' from you, Hyung."
Kang Yi-chae sluggishly pushed himself up, rubbed his cheeks with his palms, and then lifted his chin.
"Sorry for not answering. I didn't know because I turned my phone off while working. I already contacted the manager, so don't worry."
"……."
"I also texted Seong-hyeon Hyung to go back first. You should go rest too, Hyung. I’m going to stay in the workroom just a bit longer before I head out."
As if Kim Seong-hyeon would actually go back and leave a sick kid behind.
I blocked Kang Yi-chae’s path as he tried to leave the rooftop. His head tilted toward me, and his eyes narrowed into thin slits.
"What?"
"Why do you keep fixing the 2nd Competition song?"
On the surface, Kang Yi-chae’s tone and playfulness weren't much different from usual.
"What do you mean why… because it’s lacking?"
Moreover, it was somewhat natural for him to be this immersed in work. He had said himself that he would help me.
"Hey, Kang Yi-chae."
And yet, even though I understood all of this logically, I felt like crap.
I was annoyed that he was stubbornly doing his part while keeping his mouth shut, even though he was clearly overwhelmed to the point that all the members noticed. It seemed so foolish to be endlessly fixing a piece of work that had already been turned in while he was sick.
I stared at Kang Yi-chae’s haggard face, then looked away and spoke.
"Do you absolutely have to get 1st place?"
"……What?"
Regret reared its head the moment the words left my mouth, but once spoken, they couldn't be taken back.
Kang Yi-chae looked slightly startled for a moment, but then, assuming it was a joke, he let out a smirk, the corner of his lip curling up.
"…I must be having auditory hallucinations because of the fever. The Seo Ho-yun of The Dawn I know is someone who would actually kill me if I didn't bring home a trophy."
"It’s not worth having if it means putting this much pressure on you."
This situation was my burden to bear alone from the start.
It wasn't that I didn't want 1st place, but ultimately, it was just to garner buzz. If we failed at Song Camp, I could just find another way.
"……Are you serious?"
Kang Yi-chae stared at me blankly, asking as if he couldn't believe his ears.
I let out a sigh of annoyance and roughly pushed back my bangs.
"Did I ever say I had to win Song Camp? Don't obsess over something past its deadline when you look like you're about to drop dead. It’d be better to just prepare for the next promotion."
"……Hmm."
Kang Yi-chae rubbed his forehead, his gaze dropping to the floor. A brief silence followed, and then a low, sharp voice escaped his pale lips.
"…I don't get it?"
"……."
"We were doing fine. Why are you suddenly coming here and picking a fight?"
I was the one who was frustrated because I couldn't understand why he was acting like someone driven to the edge of a cliff.
"Why? Is your pride hurt? I’m just telling you to act realistically. I’ll handle the parts that are lacking—"
"Pride?"
The words pouring out of me were cut short by his question.
Kang Yi-chae looked me straight in the eye, a self-mocking smile hanging on his lips.
"Wow, did I even have something like that left?"
He slowly closed and opened his eyelids, then looked away as he added.
"Well… fine, I appreciate the concern, Hyung. But I’ll pretend I didn't hear what you just said. I’ll take care of it—"
Kang Yi-chae, who was putting up a wall as if telling me to stop being a nuisance and get lost, suddenly stopped talking and looked up into the air. At his strange behavior, I quickly checked his complexion, but strangely, his focus was wandering through empty space.
"…Hey, are you okay?"
He really didn't look well.
As I called out to him again and stepped closer to grab his arm, I could feel his body heat, which was like a ball of fire.
"This won't do. Kang Yi-chae, go to the hospital—"
Ding!
The moment I was urgently pressing him, a sound that shouldn't be heard at this timing reached my ears.
[――…Loading—…]
Along with something that shouldn't be seen.
[Loading….]
[Loading….]
[Loading….]
[Loading….]
[Loading….]
.
.
.
The system windows, which I had once seen so often I was sick of them but had recently vanished, now filled my vision, obscuring the summer night sky.
[¿?Degree: ?5¿??]
[À¹° ‘°Àä’°¡ Target ‘Kang Yi-chae’ is reaching his lÙ.¸mit.]
[X?¿: 2?%??]
[The ‘Proxy Authority’ granted to the ÇÑ°è¿ subject ‘Kang Yi-chae’ is being revoked.]
Ding!
[—The ‘Visibility’ effect is being reapplied to Player ‘Seo Ho-yun.’]
Ding-ding!
Ding-ding!
Ding-ding!
Ding-ding!
Ding…
Di—
* * *
—…….
[Quest Arrived!
‘Proceed with a collaboration with an overseas artist!’]
[Quest Success!
‘Proceed with a collaboration with an overseas artist!’]
[Quest Arrived!
‘Chart on the Billboard Hot 100!’]
[Quest Success!
‘Chart on the Billboard Hot 100!’]
[Quest Arrived!
‘Chart all songs from the comeback album on the three major music charts!’]
[Quest Success!
‘Chart all songs from the comeback album on the three major music charts!’]
Simultaneously, countless messages surged in like a blue tidal wave.
[Quest Arrived!]
As the noisy alarm sounds faded, the final window that popped up was a quest. I read the text written next to a flashy trophy spinning in mid-air.
[‘Take 1st place in Song Camp!’]
"……Uh…."
After checking the contents repeatedly, I moved my head, which felt as stiff as a broken machine, to look down at Kang Yi-chae.
"…Uh-oh."
"……."
"Hyung, you’re seeing it now… Ah, well… so this is how you’ve been feeling all this time, ahem…."
The prickly attitude from moments ago was gone, replaced by clear embarrassment. He looked back and forth between me and the quest window, then suddenly his eyes crinkled as he gave a soft smile.
"…So, that’s how it turned out."
What did you just say, you absolute lunatic?