Chapter 457
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 457
It was all well and good that we’d coordinated our schedules to appear on the reality lodging program where Kim Seong-hyeon was working as a part-timer.
Since the show operated on a commute system for the part-timers, everything had gone perfectly—we finished filming safely, returned our microphones, and said our goodbyes to the staff. Even renting a nearby pension afterward to capture that "MT" retreat vibe at our maknae’s earnest request had been fine.
"Hi."
"Oh~, Seo Ho-yun. You’re still alive?"
But why on earth were Im Hyeon-su and Ju Woo-seong here, laying out rows of meat?
"Oh, Woo-seong. I forgot to buy perilla leaves."
"Tsk, you’re right. I knew I forgot something… It’s a hassle, so should we just eat without them?"
"What?! Perilla leaves are the soul of the meal!"
Ju Woo-seong scratched the back of his head as he watched Im Hyeon-su immediately turn dead serious.
Are these people, who are supposed to be at the top of the industry, really allowed to be this idle?
And more importantly, how did they even find this pension?
My eyes narrowed instinctively as I looked at the two of them.
"What exactly are you two doing here?"
"The Seo-kka-mo had a scheduled dinner meeting, so we gathered. Hee-yeong is busy, but she said she’d drop by later if she can. And Ju Woo-seong said he had business with you."
I suppose I should be glad at least one of them is missing.
Just as I was about to ask how they tracked down the pension, Kang Yi-chae—who was undoubtedly late because he’d been teasing Kim Seong-hyeon about his parking—came strolling in, crunching on a piece of candy. He spotted Im Hyeon-su and practically jumped out of his skin.
"Aack! Master!!!"
"My disciple~!!"
What is wrong with these two?
Perhaps happy to see his disciple after a long time, Im Hyeon-su pushed me aside and ran toward Kang Yi-chae.
"Master, what brings you here…!"
"I came to praise my disciple’s achievements!"
"B-By any chance, did you see my Song Camp?!"
"Hey! Is that even a question?! I barely held myself back from going there as a judge and giving you a perfect score!!"
"Ahahaha~!! Master, you’re too much~!!"
Ju Woo-seong watched the pair of frivolous composers bouncing around with a look of utter disapproval. Kim Seong-hyeon, who entered the pension yard a moment later, was startled to see Ju Woo-seong and hurried over.
"Senior, you actually came!"
"Yeah, Seong-hyeon. Thanks for letting me know the location. I got here without any trouble thanks to you. Oh, by the way, do you guys happen to have perilla leaves?"
"We probably do! I made sure to pack them!!"
"Good."
So Kim Seong-hyeon was the culprit who leaked the info.
Seong Ji-won and Jeong Da-jun, the last to pass through the gate, looked slightly puzzled by the sudden appearance of Ju Woo-seong and Im Hyeon-su, but they soon greeted them without much resistance.
"No… I really did come because I have business with you."
What, business involving grilling pork belly?
When I gave him a suspicious look, Ju Woo-seong’s face crumpled into a grimace. He jerked his chin toward the kitchen and grumbled as he opened the refrigerator door.
"I had something to tell you, and it just so happened that Cheong-beom Noona said she wanted to see Kang Yi-chae. Then I contacted Kim Seong-hyeon, and he told me you were coming here—"
"You’re rambling."
"Ugh."
Closing the door with a sharp thud, Ju Woo-seong sighed and looked around. He lowered his voice quietly and asked, "Are you guys all going to renew your contracts?"
"……Pardon?"
That was a sudden curveball.
"Isn't it about time for the talk to come up for The Dawn? That’s what I’ve been hearing around."
Usually, the average exclusive contract period for a rookie artist was seven years. However, in Daepasung’s case—whether they were preparing for failure or just didn't understand the market—it was uniquely specified as five years.
"…Well, our maknae has already laid out a very meticulous plan. He wants us to renew, promote intensely for three more years, and then all enlist in the military together."
"You’re not going to the military."
"I’ve already served."
And Kang Yi-chae probably wouldn't need to go.
It wasn't that the members hadn't discussed this issue. Rather, because they so naturally took it for granted that they would stay together as a group, renewal was seen as a given.
When Jeong Da-jun brought up the very ordinary hope that they might move out of the dorm after five years, Kang Yi-chae would cling to him, insisting they live in the dorm until they die.
When things got too heated, Seong Ji-won would usually step in with a smile to settle the matter.
“It would be really happy if we could be together for a long time, wouldn't it?”
Since he always said such embarrassing things so casually, I had just nodded along beside him.
"You guys get along well."
"It’s the same for Black Call, isn't it?"
"…It is, but… we can't renew our contracts under these current conditions."
"……What?"
Ju Woo-seong hesitated, rubbing his cheek as if troubled, before bringing up something unexpected.
"Of course, Black Call exists because our current company exists, but you know how it is since you’ve experienced it. We have so many hidden restrictions that I don't think we can do what we want to do if things stay like this. We need more freedom."
"And?"
"We’re going to start a new label."
A new label?
"Does the company know? It won't be easy to start fresh."
"It was a nightmare. You wouldn't believe how much the higher-ups fought. Chae Jeong-woo jumped right in, and since his interests aligned with some executives who wanted to split the factions, it’s somehow getting resolved. We’ve been recruiting talent over the past few years, too."
Over the past few years. It seemed this was a plan they had been forming for a long time. Still, starting a new label couldn't be easy.
Ju Woo-seong wiped the sweat from his forehead and glanced down at me.
"Well, Daepasung is a label too, but they still interfere in every little thing."
"……."
It was true that The Dawn had been screwed over more than once or twice.
However, I didn't understand what that had to do with the label Black Call was creating, so I stayed silent. Ju Woo-seong let out a short laugh.
"Didn't you know? Chae Jeong-woo’s original dream was to establish and run his own agency."
"He’s quite something."
"He’s a scary bastard."
Ju Woo-seong shook his head, muttering that Chae Jeong-woo was definitely not someone to be trifled with, then shrugged and added to the story.
"Anyway, as you well know, a label is ultimately what you make of it. The label we’re setting up will be with executives who are dissatisfied with the current system, so we’ll minimize headquarters' interference as much as possible. And it’s not like we’re making it exclusively for Black Call, either."
"……."
"So… Seo Ho-yun, when you guys renew your contracts later, keep this side in mind as an option."
He must have been hovering around lately just to deliver this message.
Regardless, I was well aware that he was someone who managed himself well and would handle his own affairs, but I felt a bit concerned given the hardships Black Call was expected to face.
At the same time, I thought that if they succeeded in becoming independent, it would be a pretty good offer for The Dawn.
"…Okay. I’ll consider it."
At that answer, the corners of Ju Woo-seong’s mouth curled up in satisfaction.
"Good. Once things are a bit more certain, I’ll tell your whole team again."
Having finally said everything he needed to, the tension in Ju Woo-seong’s face relaxed slightly, and he tapped my shoulder.
"…It won't be easy, but let’s do our best, both of us."
The guy who, until three years ago, was sick and tired of idol life had now chosen a difficult path just to do more activities.
I watched Ju Woo-seong’s back as he brushed past me and left the kitchen. I let out a sigh, leaned against the sink, and pulled my phone out of my pants pocket. A missed call from Min Ji-heon, recorded just a few minutes ago, was displayed on the screen.
‘What is it?’
I tried calling back several times, but there was still no answer from the other end.
Clicking my tongue softly, I looked up the number for Min Ji-heon’s manager, which I had saved just in case. But he didn't know Min Ji-heon’s whereabouts either.
After hanging up, I immediately accessed social media and searched to track down any trace of Min Ji-heon.
[Just saw MJH in Daehak-ro. Looks like he came to see the theater troupe he used to be in.]
"…Ugh."
At any rate, seeing as he was out and about, it didn't seem like anything major was wrong immediately, but I couldn't just leave it alone.
As I walked outside, I could hear Im Hyeon-su’s cackling laughter as she chatted with the members in the front yard of the pension.
"Is Seo Ho-yun’s temper still the same?"
"Ah, of course. Ho-yun is as cool as ever."
"……Did I hear that wrong?"
I threw on a black cardigan and walked toward the gate. Seong Ji-won, who was helping with the barbecue prep while talking quietly with Im Hyeon-su, looked over at me.
"Oh? Ho-yun, where are you going?"
"Just an errand."
"Hyung! Come back before the meat is all gone! Or else there’s no dinner for you!!"
I’m not sure if I can make it back by then.
I pressed down on Jeong Da-jun’s head and grabbed my car keys.
Fortunately, the pension located on the outskirts of Gyeonggi-do wasn't that far from where Min Ji-heon had been spotted, so I was able to arrive in forty minutes.
After finally finding a parking lot and stopping the car, I picked up my phone once more.
[The subscriber is not answering. You will be connected to the voice mailbox after the beep—….]
Since the black ball cap Min Ji-heon had given me earlier was in the car, I pulled it low over my head and put on a mask. To be honest, I had never even been here during my student days, so I felt unfamiliar and lost my way.
Since it was dinner time, the streets were crowded. I didn't particularly draw attention, but occasionally people would glance at me, so I pulled my hat down even deeper.
I arrived at the theater where the troupe Min Ji-heon had been part of before joining Daepasung was supposedly performing, but people were pouring out as if the show had just ended.
"Hey, hey, did you see the back row? Min Ji-heon was there!!"
"What?!! I didn't know!!"
"Seriously, because he’s a celebrity, his aura is just different…."
Just as I was about to turn toward a less crowded area to avoid the throng, the excited chatter of the audience reached my ears.
"Ah, but he left in the middle… I guess he had something urgent."
…Then he probably isn't here anymore.
I stepped into a back alley and was about to pull out my phone to call him again when I felt a presence.
A man with brown hair was holding a cigarette in his mouth under a broken streetlight.
‘…A cigarette?’
Between the unfamiliar smell and the fact that the faint smile he always wore had vanished, I almost thought it was someone else.
I was about to take another step closer, frowning at the sight of him expertly exhaling white smoke while staring into space.
"Hey—…."
"Ji-heon, did you enjoy our performance?"
Men who appeared to be from the theater troupe approached Min Ji-heon from the opposite side and asked him warmly.
Min Ji-heon spotted them and gave a small smile.
"Yes, it was fun."
"The ending scene was good, right?"
"It was great."
You said you left in the middle of the play.
I narrowed my eyes at the strange sense of dissonance, but the corners of Min Ji-heon’s mouth curved smoothly.
Looking at him made me feel uneasy.
"Thanks for coming to see us. When you show up, the morale of the people here goes up. Especially the younger kids, they think of you as a legend."
"If you say it like that, it makes me sound old."
"Hahaha, what are you talking about? It feels like just yesterday when you were a college student."
I couldn't find the right timing to intervene, so I just watched silently as they babbled on excitedly.
"Ji-heon was something else even back then. When he first joined the troupe, he was so excessively desperate that I was suspicious he might be a bit strange, but it turns out that was all talent."
"Hey, remember when he played that student suffering from mental illness? That was truly insane!!"
"I was so chilled back then. How could he act out having hallucinations so well—? There’s even a legendary story about how the kids secretly avoided you for a while because you were scary and creepy."
Min Ji-heon took a drag from the filter without responding.
"I knew it from back then."
They didn't seem to have any ill intent. At a glance, it was clearly the sound of seniors congratulating a junior. Min Ji-heon, who had been silent the whole time, took a deep breath and nodded slowly.
"It’s all thanks to you seniors."
"Yeah, come visit often. I don't know much about the entertainment industry, but I’m sure there are uncomfortable and difficult moments sometimes. When that happens, come here and rest easy."
"…Yes, well."
"It’s comfortable and nice to see people you knew from the old days, isn't it?"
Our Ji-heon is actually very shy, despite how he looks—.
‘What are they even saying?’
Having heard enough, I took a step forward and shouted with force.
"Ji-heon hyung!"
The eyes of the startled group instantly turned toward the sudden intruder. The same went for Min Ji-heon, who was smoking.
As I took off my black hat and mask and smiled brightly like a certain someone, someone muttered.
"……Crazy."
It’s Seo Ho-yun. I thought I heard someone whisper my name, but I didn't care. I walked straight up to Min Ji-heon and grabbed his arm.
"What……."
"Here you are! I’ve been looking for you for so long!"
I could feel Min Ji-heon flinch at the voice filled with aegyo. Instead of his usual sweet citrus scent, the acrid smell of cigarettes wafted from him, making my brow want to twitch.
However, I maintained my expression as much as possible and wore a radiant smile.
"Ji-heon hyung, how could you leave first like that~?!"
From this moment on, I was Jeong Da-jun, the one who adored Min Ji-heon.