Chapter 220

To be honest, I had no great intentions of taking the GED.

It just seemed like there would be no harm in living at least in the case of a high school

diploma.

'There's no way that those who say I'm a middle school graduate would be quiet just

because I passed the GED, even though I showed my knowledge during the variety

show.'

So, just like renewing the TOEIC, I solved the previous workbooks once and finished

without being too conscious.

(TN: TOEIC: Test of English for International Communication)

I even prepared for the official exam after graduating from college, but I still wondered if

I wouldn't be able to pass the GED this time.

After looking at the answers to the practice exam I just did, it was a pass.

"I just need to go quietly."

It was the conclusion I reached by covering the graded problem book.

Our activities ended yesterday, and we weren't at the level of taking a full vacation yet,

but we were relaxed enough that our official schedule came out every other day or two.
Even so, after taking a break for about two weeks, I would have to prepare for the next

album again, but it meant that there would be no problem in taking the GED the day

after tomorrow.

I crossed my arms.

'Let's not talk about it.'

There was nothing good about the news of my GED getting out to the public opinion.

From useless sympathy to the worst case where a stalker could become a nuisance in

the exam hall, only unexpected situations would increase.

Wouldn't it be annoying at a time when monitoring is already restricted?

'I don't have to tell the others.'

It was our long-awaited day off, so I just let everyone play on their own.

[It's like these damn KPOP bands!]

"Wah ha ha ha!"

Immediately outside the door, the sound of Cha Eugene laughing was heard loudly.

I think he had been watching 〈K-NOW〉 from the 4th episode, and thanks to that, I was

able to effectively train for a mock test in the middle of the noise.

However, I didn't know why Cha Eugene was laughing.

'The atmosphere seems to have changed a bit from episode 4.'

Unlike the early days when it felt like 'creating trouble with the KPOP hell camp with

unresponsive participants', from the 4th episode onwards, the stories of the participants

were illuminated and a consensus was formed.

[Since my parents died, I haven't had the feeling that other people 'care' about

me.]

[I really need the prize money. For my family.]

And naturally, the editing of the participants' attitudes changed a little to match the

atmosphere.

Unlike before, when they were in pain at the camp and were edited like extra villains,

they showed that the participants were worthwhile completing the stages one by one.

[I don't think I've ever lived my life pushing myself 100% like this.]

[They are real. Factory training? This effort is real, and they train as athletes

train!]

In addition, he even formed a consensus with KPOP mentors.

For example, the family history of 'Park Moondae' was intertwined with the

participant's story and used a little.

Ah, just as the scene mentioning me passed by, I heard a sound outside the door.
 [After my parents died, I lived as trash doing shit and drugs, but my mentor

went to the audition and won.]

[This really means a lot to me.]

It was just a scene that gave tips on how to find a camera during a performance, but it

matched well with the interview.

Maybe it was because he didn’t feel tired of it abroad yet, but he seemed to be able to

communicate well, which was subtly touching.

'Now they’re talking about the cast... Should I skip it?'

Come to think of it, I already heard the news that the season 2 production was

confirmed.

'I hope there will be a lot of influx into the next album.'

I hurriedly opened the door and walked out. Cha Eugene turned his head at once and

shouted, flashing his eyes.

"Hyung! You are amazing, you are a wonderful person!”

“Oh, thank you.”

 He was on the verge of shouting 'love yourself' at any moment. He was really an

American.

I went to the kitchen and poured water.

“Has everyone gone out?”

"I don't know! I just woke up!”

It was 2pm now, but he was really proud to say it.

Actually, during our promotional period, we lived sleeping for three or four hours, so it

was hard to treat him as a lazy person if he slept for 12 hours.

“Hyung, let’s play!”

"Later."

“Do it now!”

“You’re watching something right now. You should watch all of it first.”

"Aha."
 There was a half chance that he’d forget that he said he'd like to play games while

watching the entertainment show.

I sat down at the table and drank slowly. After a while, Bae Sejin came out of the next

room.

“Have you been sleeping? I did too!”

“Oh no, just… I read a book.”

"No way."

Bae Sejin had a comfortable face for the first time in a while.

After being in the same room as Keun Sejin, I saw him sneaking out into the living

room and sitting in the corner, but he probably wasn't in the room right now.

'Come to think of it, Seon Ahyeon wasn't in the room either.'

Even if Keun Sejin and Ryu Chungwoo were like that, Kim Raebin and Seon Ahyeon,

who didn’t go out often, had gone out, so it was indeed an inactive period.

“… Hey."

"Yes. Would you like some water?”

 "Uh? Uhh...”

I gave water to Bae Sejin, who walked into the kitchen.

Bae Sejin stood there with a bewildered face holding a glass of water in his hand,

then asked without even drinking.

“… What, don’t you have anything to say to me?"

“… ? Not really.”

I bet he was expecting an offer to change rooms.

I was sorry, but the favor ended with water.

“Mhm, yes.”

Bae Sejin seemed to be wriggling his eyebrows, but without saying anything, he

quietly drank the water and went back to his room.

'What.'

There was a nuance that he had something to say, but given the atmosphere, it didn't

seem serious, so I passed it over.

 'If he’s scared, he’ll tell me on his own.'

It was the beginning of the inactive period, so I took a break too.

I shrugged and made a glass of water. There was nothing to do, so I thought about

studying one more time.

"Hyung! I watched it all!”

… And after a while, I played a few games with Cha Eugene, who had not forgotten

the game even after watching all the variety shows.

To be honest, I was bored because there was nothing to do, so it was worth doing

even if it was a bit annoying.

[How about hovering? My friend said it was fun last time!]

“Do whatever you want.”

Looking back, I shouldn't have skipped it like this.

Two days later, in the morning, I received something I could never have imagined.

***
 It was the morning of the GED.

I set the alarm to vibrate only to wake me up.

'I'm sure everyone is sleeping.'

I quietly got out of bed and went to the bathroom to wash my face.

But when I came out of the bathroom, the bed on the other side was empty.

'… … ?'

Seon Ahyeon, where did he go?

'Did he use the bathroom here and go down to the living room?'

It was when I put on my street clothes and cautiously opened the door, making the

best guess.

The first thing I felt was... A very savory smell of food.

And a booming voice was heard.

“Park Moondae came out!”

 “… ?!”

When I looked up, my groupmates filled the bright living room and kitchen.

'What's this?’

Just as I was about to think about what day it would be today, Keun Sejin approached

me, clapping his hands.

“Oh, Moondaemoondae~ You have an exam today!”

“… … !!”

Keun Sejin was smiling. And looking around, the other guys were no different.

They knew everything as if it was an established fact.

“How did you know?”

Keun Sejin shook his head with exaggerated pity.

“Moondae, let’s not forget that we live as a group… The smartphone screen you

see... The person next to you can see clearly.”

“… !!”
 “No, how can you go through such a major event on your own? Don’t you have a

word to say to the members~ Aren’t you too heartless?”

“It’s not a college entrance exam, so I didn’t have to say it...”

"Heukheuk, such disappointing words!"

"That's right! You should be sorry!”

“… …”

These guys were deliberately pretending to be sad. Was it fun?

At least, the rational explanation came from Ryu Chungwoo.

“Everyone has time anyway, and we’re all at the dorm… We thought it would be nice

to give a surprise send-off. Haha."

“… Yes."

This… was a bit unexpected. They didn’t have to do this.

“Considering hyung’s desire to take the exam quietly, we have decided to refrain from

seeing you off to the exam site.”

 That was an accurate judgment.

But it didn't end there.

“S-so… We made this together.”

Seon Ahyeon, who was standing at the back, quickly moved the ladle, and then set

the bowl on the table.

What was in it... It was chicken porridge.

“… …”

“I wanted to make chicken soup! But everyone was against it!”

“Since it’s before the exam, I thought it would be nice to be familiar with it.”

“Chicken soup is delicious...”

The burnt-out chicken soup, which looked like it came from hell, automatically came

to mind.

It was almost unbelievable that it evolved into such a perfect chicken porridge through

two processes.
 “Ahyeon worked hard… And Sejin, that is to say, Bae Sejin, did a lot. Among us, the

only ones who can cook are Kim Raebin and Bae Sejin.”

“It seemed that Bae Sejin was more knowledgeable than me!”

“That, not to that extent.”

Bae Sejin coughed. Okay. Both Kim Raebin and he were stubborn.

'They managed to make it.'

I was at a loss for words while looking at the chicken porridge, which looked like it

was made with great care.

A little… I was embarrassed, but I was also sorry.

“How is it, Moondae? Are you so thankful that… you’re speechless? I know

everything already, so eat deliciously~”

Excellent. I wasn’t sorry anymore.

“Where did you get all this?”

“Ah, we all went shopping together. Why would the ingredients fall out of thin air?”
 So yesterday, all of a sudden, everyone was absent. I didn’t think they managed to

find it and put it in the refrigerator.

“How is it, do you understand?”

I sighed, but finally smiled bitterly.

“Yes, thank you.”

“… … !”

“Thank you, everyone.”

“I’m grateful.”

“Eat quickly!”

Anyway, I ended up eating chicken porridge while sitting among those smirking.

“… How does it taste?”

"Yes. It’s delicious.”

They thought I was pretending.

 However, I didn't know what else I would hear if I didn’t finish it, so I emptied it clean.

… It was also something to be thankful for.

“Would you like another bowl?”

"It's okay. Seriously, don't take pictures of me.”

“Huh? You don't want to share this important moment with the fans, Moondae? The

members worked so hard to cook~”

“… …”

Yes, do as you please.

It wasn’t like he was telling everyone I was taking the GED, so it was okay to post that

Park Moondae ate breakfast later.

“D-do you want to pack the rest into a lunch box?”

“Yes. Thank you."

Actually, yesterday, I packed something to eat for lunch, but... I could come back and

eat it.
 I left the dorm at the right time, carrying a thermal container of chicken porridge and

being seen off by the others.

“Get full marks~”

“Let’s eat something delicious for dinner!”

I felt odd.

'I brought a cheap lunchbox with me during the college entrance exam.'

I didn't expect to eat something like this while taking the GED with someone else's

body.

'… Let's have a good test.'

If I didn’t pass like this, I thought it would be really funny. I didn’t want that to happen,

so I’d have to pay more attention.

After I put on my mask, I pressed down on my ball cap and went out on the road.

The test site was not far, and it was easy and quiet to arrive by taxi.

And, of course, nobody cared about me. If I had asked the company for security

personnel, I would have been criticized for interfering with the exam.
 'Everyone’s dressed differently.'

There were so many different age groups, so the usual outfit like mine was not buried.

Thinking that I had done well not to leak the news unnecessarily, I sat down at my

desk and took out my pen.

It was a long test.

***

At a GED test site in Seoul…

As Park Moondae said, different people of various ages were sitting at their desks.

However, there was something that Park Moondae did not expect.

All in all, there were people who had a huge fan heart that could identify any idol just

by looking at their skeletons.

'P-Park Moondae??'

Yes.
 A student who was putting her bag on the seat behind the desk of Park Moondae

froze when she saw a familiar back in front of her.

That bone, that hairline at the back of that neck.

All kinds of back cameras of Park Moondae's fancams that she looked for countless

times reflexively overlapped.

And an instinct-level realization hit her head!

'Wait, they’re inactive now... And because Moondae dropped out of high school! So

he’s here to take the test??'

Thoughts came rushing in like bombs. Of course, the ego of the examinee was also

screaming that it was an absurd delusion.

“… …”

However, after a while, the examinee who got out of the whirlpool of all kinds of

thoughts thought hard.

'I have to be careful!'

 The possibility of that was extremely slim, but it’d be rude to interfere if it was Park

Moondae, and even if it wasn’t him. In any case, it was absolutely not allowed to

interfere with the exam!

Firmly resolved, the examinee cautiously sat down at her desk.

That was how the thrilling GED test began.

Chapter 221

Even while the bell rang and the test papers were being distributed, three or four

sentences popped up in the student's head at the same time and then disappeared.

'Come to think of it, Moondae must have silver hair now, black hair? What? Is it a wig?

Isn't that also Moondae?'

'Even if it's not really Moondae, I'm still lucky to see someone who looks like him.'

'Wait a minute! Can't I see his face when they're checking his identity!?'

'Oh oh oh! Yes! When he turns around to give me the test paper, he'll look back... Nope,

the supervisor might share it.'

Some were correct, some were incorrect assumptions.

For example, Park Moondae used color spray to cover his silver hair, and when

checking his identity, he slightly lowered his mask and showed his face to the

supervisor.
However, it was not properly visible even to the examinee sitting in the back, and since

the supervisor was an elderly man, he did not immediately recognize Park Moondae, so

he remained calm.

'Ugh!'

So, the examinee in the back seat could only scream internally, suffering from frustration

and curiosity.

However, an unexpected opportunity came soon after.

"Now, please hand out the test papers."

"... ... !"

This was because the test papers were handed out by the person in front of you!

And the student... finally saw him.

'Oh my god.'

The man in the front seat turned around only slightly, handed over the test paper in an

instant, and straightened his posture.

In addition, he even wore a mask, but the test taker was sure.

Those horizontally large, clean-lined eyes!

'Park Moondae!'

It was really Park Moondae!

The examinee received the test paper while feeling like she was about to faint.

Her heart was pounding so much that she couldn't tell whether she was getting an

album signed at a fan signing event or taking her GED.

No, she has never gone to a fan signing event!

"You can start solving the problem after the paper rolls."

'Save me.'

The examinee shouted without a subject, but thanks to a large number of mock test

experiences, she opened the test paper and started to solve the problems.

But the shock left her head white, so she couldn't see anything.

After a while though...

'... The sooner I solve it, the sooner I can see Moondae's back!'

A strange idea gave a realization to the examinee who was now unable to raise her

head and stuck her nose in the test paper.

So, the student began to solve the problem vigorously. It was the moment when failing

the GED was one step further away.

'Ah!'

And to the surprise of only Park Moondae, it wasn't just the examinee in the back seat

who was conscious of him in this classroom.

***
 'It's fine.'

I finished the last optional subject, 'morality', and put down the pencil.

The test went smoothly without any problems.

It was almost dangerous during lunchtime, but I ate by the window at a moderately

unoccupied far stairway.

'It was easy to eat because it was porridge in the first place.'

And most importantly, the test itself was easier than the average year I saw in the

past.

I was worried that the social sciences and sciences would be written only in the

forgotten parts, but that wasn’t the case.

'I don't think I've seen it.'

I stretched a little, almost certain that I would pass.

“Hoo.”

'The remaining time... 10 minutes.'

And I quietly waited until the exam was over.

On the way back, I had already called a taxi on time, so I just had to get down and get

on.

‘It’s done.'
 However, the reality that I met 10 minutes later was not very expected.

It was because someone in the same classroom started talking to me while I was

waiting for everyone to leave after opening my smartphone.

“Hey, student!”

“… …”

“Student… Aren’t you Moondae? Moondae who made hotteok?”

I pondered briefly here.

Should I shout 'You're looking at the wrong person' and run away?

However, I stopped because there seemed to be more than one or two witnesses.

Besides this... Seeing that the lady also spoke in small whispers in her own way, I

thought I could finish it quickly.

"Yes. I'm here for the test.”

"Oh my! I see trouble... If that's okay, just one autograph? My daughter is such a fan!”

"Sure."

After briefly signing the admission ticket, I was about to leave.

But it was already too late.

“Ahem, if you don’t mind, me too…”

“Ah, yes.”
 "Excuse me! I'm really sorry, but can I have it too?"

The few people who were still in the classroom immediately began to line up. It was

also orderly.

And no one was frightened by the current situation.

A strong hypothesis came to mind.

'Could all these people have been suspicious before?'

Somehow six or seven of them didn't go out of class and wandered around. It could

have been because of me.

It seemed that I was too complacent about the popularity of TeStar.

'I'm breaking out in a cold sweat.'

Above all, it was most surprising that so many people did not make any movements

during the test.

If even one person had made a fuss and talked about it, there would have been a

high probability that it would turn into a nuisance controversy.

Then I would have already escaped at lunchtime.

'… They were watching.'

There was nowhere to escape. That was what covered my prediction failure.

I signed the autograph without saying anything.

 "Thank you!"

“Wow, thank you…”

I was about to leave after signing autographs for a few people who had gathered

there.

'Let's get out of here quickly before photo requests come in.'

However, when I picked up the bag, I saw that the person in the back seat was still

sitting in the seat.

“… … ?”

Moreover, without a slight movement, she stared at me with her eyes shining bright,

then opened her mouth when our eyes met.

That was the expression I saw a lot at fan signing events.

“Do you need an autograph?”

“… … ?! What? Yes, yes!”

It wasn't self-consciousness. It was relief.

“I-I love you.”

"Thank you."

I hurriedly left my autograph on the person in the back seat and left.

“Goodbye!”
 “Good luck on your activities!”

It was only fortunate that the people at the other exam halls didn't see this because

this class was at the end of the exam hall.

I ran quickly across the crowded hallway.

'Are they going to post about it?'

There wouldn’t be any big problems.

I didn’t bother anyone, so they would just sympathize with me or provoke me.

After shrugging my shoulders, I went outside and immediately got into a taxi.

It was as soon as I came back to the dorm.

“Welcome~”

“D-did everything go well?”

"Yes."

“How was the porridge for lunch?”

"I ate it well. Thanks."

And under the strong insistence of Cha Eugene, who used my test as an excuse, we

ordered and ate pork feet.

Thanks to that, I did another subtle thing of listening to a toast without being able to

drink alcohol.
 “You did a good job taking the exam today… Let’s recover well until our next activity

and show a cool image again.”

“Sure~”

“Yeah!”

“I want to spend a fulfilling preparation period.”

“Now, wait. Park Moondae, put down your smartphone!”

“… It’s just a video of a dog eating meat.”

Well, it was a vacation day.

Dinner too... It was delicious.

***

The news of Park Moondae's GED spread more slowly than he thought.

It was because there were many fans who were dubious because none of the people

who went to get autographs took pictures with him.

So, it was recognized as an established theory only after three or four people signed

and authenticated the admission ticket.

The decisive blow was this latter part.

---------==

[I went to the exam yesterday and I liked it]

 I think there are a lot of people who came in thinking of someone right now ㅎㅎ

Yes, it’s my favorite, Park Moondae!

(signed certified photo)

I even sat in the seat right behind Moondae, and I thought my heart would

burst. Just looking at his back, he was handsome. Even his bones were so

handsome that I couldn't raise my head.

His posture was so good and his shoulders were just beautifully wide.

(……)

---------==

It was the certification of the student sitting behind Park Moondae.

And behind the people, there was even a friendly aggro prevention.

---------==

He really quietly took the exam, and when he left after it was over, people

pretended to know him, so he signed autographs for everyone.

Even I was so stiff that I couldn't speak and just sat and watched, but he asked

me if I needed an autograph, so he did it.

I was afraid he wanted to avoid it, so I didn't want to post it, but everyone

already knows... I'm uploading this because I want people to know how well

Moondae has done for us...

 I decided to hold the admission ticket until I die hahahaha

---------==

It was a cute and heartwarming review. Even the fans, who were a bit vague at the

news of Park Moondae's GED, happily confirmed this review.

It wasn’t to the extent of seeing it as an invasion of privacy, and it was because they

were automatically reminded of what the situation was like.

-My puppy ​likes people, so he came and gave autographs to everyone

-I asked for Park Moondae’s autograph, and I felt really guilty… He probably couldn't

sleep when he went home.

-ㅠㅠㅠ I'm envious. If I saw him, I would’ve just looked at his back.

The cute anecdote went around the internet community and social media, even

though it was barely reaching the point of selling personality.

However, as Park Moondae predicted, the ‘provocation’ reaction naturally followed.

However, it was slightly worse than Park Moondae's guess.

-Park Moondae To be honest, you don't need to take the GED, it's just your greed.

-I wonder if he really has a class complex.

-It’s a relief that the people at the same examination hall were good people, but what

if they were crazy;

 -I can't stand the desire for fame, but he’s a high school graduate, so what can we

do?

- He asked if he would sign it first…

It was on purpose.

As Park Moondae continued to cut off or prevent controversy with exquisite timing,

the true anti-fans rose and were eagerly waiting.

Of course, since Park Moondae's response was often less explicit, there was little

credibility as to whether 'Park Moondae really cared too much about public opinion'.

It was just that thinking like that tasted better when people cursed and swore.

It was a psychology that Park Moondae wanted to see the excessive reaction behind

the scenes and, conversely, show signs of being cautious.

- Moondae is probably doing his search right now. He must be watching this too

ㅋㅋㅋ

-Ah, don’t even think about getting new content with his black hair~ I’m going to fuck

him up~ ㅋㅋ

-Yeah, come on, does he know that you’re all provoking him? Is he going to go

quietly?

-I think it would be really funny if he uploaded it like this.

 Unfortunately for them, however, Park Moondae was keeping his distance from the

Internet.

All he could see was the fan community or WeTube. If he tried to see more than that,

the members would intervene like ghosts, so even Park Moondae had no choice.

In other words, the haters were just fighting a lonely fight alone.

Thanks to that, a member who didn’t care would respond instead.

"Hyung! Let’s show them the Chicken Porridge Lover!”

“Yes.”

Thinking that rumors had spread anyway, Park Moondae coolly agreed, and Cha

Eugene passionately uploaded the photos at the time.

[Moondae hyung had an exam, so we made chicken porridge. Everyone worked

hard. Best Teamwork! (tiger emoji) (pack of pictures)]

From photos of various members shopping and cooking, to photos of Park Moondae

smiling while eating chicken porridge and being embarrassed.

They were everyday cuts with a story.

-?

- Oh, what

-Really?

And while the aggro panicked for a while…

 "Hmm? Did Eugene post a picture?”

"Yes!"

“Oh, I see.”

Seeing the situation, Keun Sejin even uploaded a video he had taken.

[It's been a while since I've seen such a smile from Moondaemoondae... After

all, eating well is the best, isn’t it? Loviewers should also eat deliciously ♡

(video)]

It was rare for a fan to hate their favorite group when they saw that they got along well

with each other.

Unsurprisingly, fans were ablaze with the unexpected extra warmth that warmed their

hearts.

-My TeStar kids are so serious. Let's go on like this forever. The answer is to have a

live dinner show now.

-I tried not to be fooled by idol family business again... Shut up, TeStar is a family

- ㅠㅠ My heart is really warm. Thank you, guys, for the good news.

The amount of photos and videos were great, and it was not even taken or uploaded

by Park Moondae himself.

Thanks to that, the aggro was knocked out while fighting alone.

-ㅋㅋ Moondae’s fighting is awesome

 -He must have asked the other kids to upload it, he didn’t get a reality check?

-I’m clenching my teeth now. Is it just me?

The remarks to somehow rationalize continued, but anyway, it was just a mental

victory.

In the end, the story of 'Park Moondae is a searchworm' had withered away due to

that vague embarrassment.

(TN: As the words imply, “Searchworm” refers to how Moondae is always on the

internet browsing public opinion)

For reference, Park Moondae, the party involved, was watching a video of a red

panda in the corner of the room.

“… Hmm."

He was suffering from intermittent boredom, but there was nothing in particular to do.

There was only one thing to look forward to.

'Vacation from the day after tomorrow.'

The three-day vacation was just around the corner.

It was a very meaningful time for Park Moondae, who had never had a proper

vacation before.

'This time I'm going to have an amazing vacation.'

Yes, the plan was perfect.

Chapter 222

TeStar's 3 days off was a story I had heard a long time ago.

This was because the general manager's remark that 'artists can only show their skills

when they are in good condition' was surprisingly not retracted and was put into action.

'Even though he doesn't invest in the management office for things like that.'

In fact, rather than caring about the company's singers, he seems to have more of an

obsession with his management philosophy... Anyway, it was our benefit, so I had no

intention of objecting.

Thanks to him, I'd be able to spend three days alone quietly.

Besides, there were some expectations.

'I can do some monitoring then.'

The only thing I've seen on the screen lately were furry four-legged beasts, so I was

bitter.

"... ... Hmm."

Although I said that I would control my usage, I didn't mean that I wouldn't monitor

anything during our break time.

At this level, negligence of duty was not honey, but high-fructose corn syrup.

So, I was going to take advantage of the time when they go back home and do my job.

And rest alone quietly.

... Of course, I've never really enjoyed a vacation thinking like this until now.

'Because I've never been on vacation that many times in the first place.'

This time, after blocking all variables, I would definitely be alone. I had such an idea...

But then an unexpected incident occurred.

I mean... maybe in a good way.

"Hyungs, what do you think about MT... !"

It's because Kim Raebin said this right before vacation.

"MT?"

"It's an abbreviation of membership training, it means a short trip to strengthen harmony

and teamwork among colleagues."

"Hey, Raebin, we know that~ I asked if you meant that you wanted to do MT!"

"Ah, yes!"

Kim Raebin nodded enthusiastically at Keun Sejin's question.

The funny thing was that Cha Yoojin was doing the same thing next to me.

'Did the two of them work together?'

I thought that my guess was right when I heard the following words.

"I hope to make up for the unfortunate point of not being able to share topics other than

work while digesting a busy schedule!"

"Let's go play, I want to go to the sea in Korea!"

Support shot. Activated once.

Ryu Chungwoo answered softly with a slightly embarrassed face.

"Is that okay? It's vacation time, so will it be okay if you don't go home?"

"3 days? Ugh, I can't go to America! My parents are busy!"

Cha Yoojin answered coldly.

'Hmm, I guess I know roughly what the situation is.'

Cha Yoojin couldn't go to the United States just for three days. And it would be

ambiguous for his parents to come to Korea because it was not the holiday season.

'He'll be bored since he can't go home, so he'll have to hang out with the members.’

I was pretty sure that was why.

I shut my mouth, but suddenly I had a flash of realization.

‘... If this fails, will Cha Eugene stay at the dorm for the rest of the vacation?'

Hey, no way.

*I am not advocating full use of vacation time. It's just a plan to do MT in a remote place

for 2 days and 1 night from the day before the vacation, and then return home in the

morning of the first day of vacation!"

"Oh, I like it? How about the rest of you?"

"I-I think I'll be fine too...!"

“... A day would be fine.”

Votes were pouring in from everywhere. It seemed that Kim Rabin's opinion of taking a

short trip while preserving the vacation as it is was quite plausible.

"What do you think, Moondae hyung?"

I answered quickly.

"It's good. Let's go."

"...! Yes!"

I waited until the end to put the emphasis on 'Let's go' so that people wouldn't say

anything else.

I had an idea.

'Someone has to make Cha Eugene go to their house afterward.'

Maybe during the MT, I would manage to avoid the situation, and some other members

would invite Cha Eugene to their house for vacation.

"Oh- Moondae is active!"

"Yeah, it's good to go once. Is there a place Raebin has in mind?”

"I have one in mind too! It's the sea at Gangha Island!"
"It's pronounced Ganghwa Island! ... And yes, hyung, I've seen a few places I'd like to

stay at."

I contemplated when I touched my chin.

'Hm, are Ryu Chungwoo, Keun Sejin, and Kim Raebin candidates?'

The other two weren't in sync with Cha Eugene or felt burdened, so the possibility was

extremely low.

I came up with a plan of my own while watching the guys talk about their destination.

And after a while...

"Then, considering the location and interior, we'll make a reservation here on Ganghwa

Island. Are you all okay with that?"

“Yes, yes~”

"I'll talk to the company.

"Then, thank you for that."

I was ready to ask for the company's understanding and establish an emergency

contact network.

We would only be there for a few days, so the destination being leaked wasn't a

concern.

The car was also rented to the manager, so only the driver and Ryu Chungwoo would

be registered together, so there was less worry about being traced.

'And he said that he would wait for the manager to come if it was necessary.’

The manager had recently become noticeably cooperative. It seemed that the plan to

form a dedicated team was in full swing, so he had a sense of crisis.

Anyway, finally, the reservation for the lodging was easily completed. It seemed that the

price was high even in the off-season because of the security and facilities.

"Okay, the reservation is complete. Let's go and have fun!"

"Woooow!"

"Rae-Raebin, thanks for the good suggestion…”

"That's too much. Thank you for your willingness to agree!"

Everyone was excited.

I stretched out my arms and laid down on the sofa.

‘... Besides the content we recorded in the past, it's the first time I'm going somewhere

with this number of people.’

Travel, not work, was fresh.

In fact, it was more like a workshop from the point of view of co-workers... But no one

was particularly uncomfortable, so I didn't have to say anything.

Even Bae Sejin seemed to be looking forward to it.

Seriously, this guy even said something like this in the rental car that day.
"... It's the first time I've done something like this."

Bae Sejin, who was in the seat next to me, looked at me regretting when he said it even

after he took it back, but the reaction was already over.

"Really?"

"Have you ever participated in various events such as school trips?"

“... I didn't like stuff like that, so I didn't go."

"I see! Certainly, traveling with dozens of people is often inconvenient and limited in

choice.”

Kim Raebin nodded happily as if he had accepted it as an honest expression of likes

and dislikes, but everyone else seemed to notice the subtle nuance.

'It seems that he didn't mix well with the school group life.'

It wasn't particularly surprising.

At that time, Seon Ahyeon raised his hand.

"I-I haven't been to many...

Bae Sejin's face, which was full of harsh words against himself for saying useless

things, improved a little.

"... Is that so?"

"Yes!"
Should I help out a bit too?

"I haven't been to many either. We just have to have fun when we go."

"..! Th-that's right I think today's trip will be fun, so I'm looking forward to it...!"

“... Me too."

Bae Sejin turned his head and murmured. It was strangely painful.

'Why is the atmosphere like this?'

Fortunately, this shriveling atmosphere was destroyed the next moment.

"I also have high expectations. The options were perfect!"

"I like the sea!"

"Haha, the atmosphere is really warm, isn't it? We just have to choose a song here~"

It was because Ken Sejin played a song behind the clear remarks of those who had no

idea.

Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo!

This... It was the Magical Boy EDM version.

'When did he get it from Kim Raebin?'

"Ah, today~ Let's forget about work and just have fun with each other~ Let's go, TeStar!"

"Haha!"

Ryu Chungwoo in the driver's seat laughed.

'Does it take an hour and a half to reach Ganghwa Island?’

That was enough. Keun Sejin was sitting in the front seat, so he'd be in charge of

dealing with Ryu Chungwoo.

‘I'll take care of myself.'

I leaned my head against the backrest in the midst of the guys singing along.

These guys would definitely arrive and do everything from games to running, so I

thought to enjoy the peace of the body while I was still able to.

"I met you tomorrow! You you you you!"

"Hahahaha!"

And this judgment was correct.

***

It was past midnight that day.

"Cha Eugene!!"

"Wah ha ha ha!"

The two youngest guys were running on the beach.

‘They're not tired.'

They weren't working, so these guys didn't get tired.

-BBQ! BBQ!
-Is there a karaoke machine here?

From the moment we arrived at the lodging, they felt full of energy even after doing

everything from grilling meat to the heated pool.

‘I thought it would stretch out by this point.'

Hopefully, they'd be there all night.

What was even funnier was that we were currently doing static work right now.

Fireworks.

"Yes, it is pretty."

"I know.

Of course, they were nothing grandiose, just holding a few sticks and waving them near

the silver water pool in front of the lodging.

'Because if we do it at the beach, we might end up getting into an illegal fight.'

It was illegal at the beach.

And just now, Cha Eugene was trying to take a picture of fireworks with the beach in the

background, but Kim Rabin caught him and was being chased.

A voice was heard from far away.

"It is unconventional to pour water on... Whoops!"

Well, they were playing well.

I pulled out the burnt firecrackers in my hand and tried to clean them up.

It was then.

"Moondaemoondae~ Beer?"

In the hands of the Keun Sejin who spoke to me...

There was a can of imported beer covered in thin ice.

... It was a type of fruit beer with low alcohol content.

"We came to play. You haven't been drinking for several months, so I thought it might be

okay to have a drink since you're in a good mood~"

“...”

Not really.

Without saying a word, I took the can and opened it.

Tak.

Then, I heard a chuckle from the side.

"Is it that funny?"

"Hey, it's not that~ It's just because it's warm."

Keun Sejin giggled and laid down on the sunbed next to me.

"Ah, the atmosphere is nice~"

Looks like he drank some too. I slowly drank my beer and breathed in the night breeze.
... Certainly, I felt fine.

Still, I didn't particularly want to drink alcohol like crazy or desperately wanted to drink

more.

It was calm.

“...”

It was clear proof that these few months of sobriety had an effect.

Habitual links were broken.

'I should say thank you.'

I briefly glanced at Bae Sejin, who was choosing the second stick of fireworks over

there.

And Keun Sejin suddenly spoke.

“We're doing fine just as we are now, right?"

“...”

"Hey, really... If you went back three years and told me that we'd sell 1 million albums, I

wouldn't believe it.”

"Everybody thinks the same way."

"Is that so? Yes!"

Keun Sejin laughed. I could see Seon Ahyeon, who was watching, smile along with us.
"Anyway, I really like this team... Really. My friends, I love you a lot- Let's do well this

year too!"

"Yes! L-let's do it!"

Please let go of my arm first. The three of us were about to fall off the sunbed.

Still, it was okay to say something like this

"Let's do our best."

"Good!"

The hand that was harshly patting my back stopped...

Well, it didn't feel bad.

I decided to stop laughing.

"Ah, Moondae. But is the drink actually non-alcoholic?"

"The packaging was the same. Uh, but I think it's okay~ You didn't know that it was

non-alcoholic. I think you can actually have a can or two from now on."

"I-I think you've improved a lot...!"

I guess this was a little over the line to laugh at.

imm, but should I move on from the good results and start thinking about how to deal

with Cha Eugene for a while?

It was when I was contemplating the decision...

Tadadang-dadadang-!

Suddenly, a strange ringtone rang.

"Oh, it's not mine."

"Me too.”

I immediately checked the smartphone in question on a nearby sunbed.

[Noona]

It was Kim Raebin's phone.

"It's Raebin's. I'll bring it to him."

"Okay~"

"Sh-Should I go with you?"

"It's okay."

I moved my feet to the beach. Fortunately, the two guys who were chasing each other

around were back near the lodging.

"Cha Eugene, you lack social style...!"

"Raebin, you have a call."

"Oh, thank you!"

Kim Raebin, while drenched in seawater, bowed his head politely, even though he acted

vigorously. Then, he picked up his still-ringing smartphone to answer the call.

"Noona. Yes, I'm fine...

Having completed my purpose, I was about to return to the front of the lodging.

The feeling came without warning.

“... Uh?"

“... … !”

Kim Raebin's question was suddenly mixed with a strange expression

A pitch that I would immediately recognize.

It... It was like the bewildered sound people made when they heard something very

shocking.

Reflexively, my feet stopped.

I turned my head.

"Uh... No, wh-what...."

“.... ..."

"Kim Raebin?"

As if he couldn't hear Cha Eugene's voice, Kim Raebin stood on the dark beach holding

his smartphone.

He was trembling.

“I-I don't know... Why?"

"Raebin?"

Ryu Chungwoo saw the strange atmosphere from nearby and intervened and grabbed

Kim Raebin's arm.

It was only then that Kim Raebin, who got off the phone, was shocked with his hands

shaking.

"Gr-grandma... I-I think need to go back…”

At that moment, the atmosphere on the beach changed completely.

"Wait, was that your sister?"

"Yes, yes…”

"Where did she call from?"

"H-Hospital...? I mean... at home.."

"Is there a big hospital near your house?"

"Yes, yes…”

Kim Raebin had a face that couldn't even cry.

Of course, something happened on a trip again.

As if past situations were repeating themselves... I mean.

"What?”

*What's wrong with Raebin?"

The other members ran around.

Ryu Chungwoo immediately patted Kim Raebin on the back.

"Raebin, take a deep breath."

"Yes, yes…”

"First, change your clothes…”

I immediately ran to the lodging.

"Moondae?"

And right at the front door, I grabbed the car keys and ran back to the beach, and spoke

to Kim Raebin.

"Get in the car."

It wasn't the time for that. It was just clothes, and he could do it all in the car.

“... Park Moondae, you don't have a license. Calm down.”

Right.

I handed the car keys to Ryu Chungwoo at the words of Keun Sejin who whispered in a

small whisper.

“... Yes, Raebin. It’s better to move right now. Change your clothes in the car.”

“...”

Kim Raebin nodded.

Then, we went straight across the beach to the parking lot and got into the car.

I got stuck in the corner of the back seat of the car.

“Did everyone get on? Let’s go.”

“Yes.”

The car started right away.

… So, the first day of vacation began.

Chapter 223

The inside of the car was as quiet as a dead mouse.

No, from time to time, I could only hear Kim Raebin whimpering as if out of breath.

Even those who would normally have comforted him by saying something like, "It'll be

fine," drove silently or patted him on the back.

Because comforting him would make him more anxious.

"Hyung.... Yes, you should come 'at this hour'. We are on the move right now, so please

wait nearby as soon as possible."

After talking to the manager who was barely connected, I hung up the phone.

Now, 'at this hour?' Is this a situation where he could say such a thing? This crazy

bastard was still arguing about work-life balance at a time like this.

"... ..."
What has he been doing since then?

He hasn't done shit for us.

Then, I began thinking.

From here to Gangwon-do, where Kim Raebin's birthplace was located, it would take

more than three hours no matter what we did.

'In case of emergency, it may be late.'

... But let's suppose what it would have been like if we had left Seoul just before our

usual vacation.

That time would have been shortened by more than an hour and a half.

A difference of an hour and a half.

That calculation... I couldn't help but do it.

'Fuck.'

Because the guy sitting in front of me would be thinking the same thing.

Kim Raebin was still unable to let go of his smartphone. He unconsciously waited for

another call to come, and was afraid.

At the same time, he couldn't bear to call back first...

"... ..."

I was out of breath

'Let's stop.'

It was funny. I wasn't the person involved, and I wasn't in a situation where I could help,

but I was immersed for no reason.

I laughed at myself, put my head against the window, and decided to keep my mouth

shut.

I didn't want to get in the way.

After about three hours of fainting in the car...

We had just passed the final highway toll gate to our destination. Ryu Chungwoo

opened his mouth in the calmest tone.

"We'll be there in thirty minutes."

"... ..."

Bae Sejin struggled to talk to Kim Raebin.

"... Change your clothes."

"... ..."

Kim Raebin, who had been stiff from tension and worry for too long, slowly began to

change his top.

The clothes, which were already about to dry, fell under the sheets with salt.

And Kim Raebin, who was wearing new clothes, stopped moving as if he was

absent-minded, and soon began to shed tears.

"I... u-unnecessarily asked to go on an MT..."

"No."

I answered involuntarily. Without thinking.

So, in fact, I had to come up with a plausible reason from now on, but there was no time

to add an explanation.

Because there was someone who intervened.

“That’s right! It was because of me.”

“... … !”

“I said let’s go first. It’s not Kim Raebin’s fault!”

Cha Eugene spoke quite bravely, but he himself looked like he was about to cry.

Kim Raebin let out a hoarse voice.

“N-no! We planned the MT together… Th-the location…”

“Think about it later.”

I cut him off.

“Think about it later, and see your grandma now.”

“... …”

Kim Raebin barely nodded.

We shouldn’t make him think about it now. This was the correct decision.
I knew from experience.

Soon, the car’s navigation system stopped giving guidance.

“Let’s go.”

“... Yes”

Kim Raebin staggered out of the car and headed for the hospital.

The rest followed as far as they could accompany him.

We were sitting on the waiting chairs by the hallway of the hospital waiting for Kim

Raebin to come out.

“... …”

“Oh, my mother…”

In front of the hospital room, people who seemed to be relatives and medical staff came

and went, but of course, we sat in silence and pretended not to know.

Just looking at the atmosphere, fortunately... It didn't seem too late.

I didn't know if I could call this fortunate.

It was around the time that the twilight sun was shining outside the window.

"Moondae.”

“...”

"Park Moondae, why don't you go to the car and lie down?"

"I shouldn't be the one to go, it should be Ryu Chungwoo... Hyung should go."
It didn't make sense that the person who didn't sleep all morning and drove was still

awake.

It was right for him to go to bed.

However, Ryu Chungwoo shook his head.

"I'm not that tired."

“Yes. Neither am I.”

“... …”

The short conversation ended there. The members no longer talked about taking a

break and waited more quietly.

And after a while, Kim Rabin staggered out with a pale face and conveyed the situation

"Raebin.'

"Is she okav?"

"Yes, yes... Grandma talked to me... She's sleeping now.”

It meant that the hurdle had been passed.

‘Ha.’

Ironically, it seemed that the tension in my whole body was leaving now.

Kim Raebin... he wasn't late.

However, I was able to guess from Kim Raebin's expression and atmosphere.
It wasn’t a reassuring face.

‘There will continue to be hardships in the future.’

I thought that it might have been the worst vacation for Kim Raebin.

***

After conveying the story to the company people who arrived a little late, the members

who had homes to return to went home.

It was because Kim Raebin's older sister, who came out of the hospital room belatedly,

gently recommended it.

-Thank you very much for taking Raebin here.

-No. It's only natural…

-I heard you all are on vacation. Thank you for your precious time... I hope you are safe

on your way back.

She must have felt sorry, and it was a reasonable remark because so many outsiders

came here.

It was a great act of loyalty for these guys, who only had time to spend with their

families once or twice a year, to accompany him this far.

However, Cha Eugene firmly refused, saying that he was going to the dorm anyway.

- It's okay, I can't go back to my home! I have to stay here.

- Eugene…
Thanks to their previous agency life, he was quite familiar with Kim Raebin's family, and

he would be accepted here anyway.

But I couldn't just leave Cha Eugene behind... There was no way.

‘This guy isn’t the type to take care of someone completely.’

Kim Raebin’s older sister would be the one taking care of him.

Besides, wouldn’t it be funny if only one out of the two guys who were supposed to be

staying back at the dorm would stay here, and that it wouldn’t be the older one who

would be going back?

So I decided to stay too.

- I’m fine too. I was thinking of staying at the dorm on vacation anyway.

And after several requests and relief, we moved to Kim Raebin’s home at the insistence

of Kim Raebin’s older sister and grandfather.

And in the process, through a conversation with Kim Raebin’s older sister, I was able to

hear an appropriate explanation of the situation.

-They said they would watch the situation for a few more days and go into surgery when

the conditions are right…

-… The odds aren't high.

-Still, rather than suddenly hearing something like this time... I think it would be better

for Raebin to prepare his mind in advance.

I couldn't do such a crazy thing and ask what kind of disease it was.

I found out that it was some kind of pituitary problem after listening to the conversations

their relatives were having.

(TN: The pituitary gland is located at the base of the brain)

And after coming home, Kim Raebin, who was relieved of his tension, cried and spoke.

"Sh-she found out last time she was hospitalized… She said she didn't want to make

me worry about working in Seoul, so she didn't tell me…”

“... …”

"I-I didn't even know... I didn't even care, I-I'm so stupid."

"No! You are not stupid."

"No, I was stupid! T-today... I can't even come to my senses, I can't do it right…”

“You did good enough.”

I cut Kim Raebin off.

“You did well to stay calm. You met your grandmother and did everything you could.

No one is good at this kind of thing.”

“… …”

Kim Raebin dropped his shoulders.

And I... I had a strange feeling that my words worked.

 'That's right.'

What kind of person would be good at this kind of thing?

At this point, it was good enough.

I got up, opened the refrigerator, and took out an ionized beverage, as Kim Raebin's

older sister had allowed me to do.

Then, passing it along to the guy who was obviously lacking in hydration and

confirming that he was drinking it, I spoke slowly.

“In the car… I’m sorry for pushing. You did a great job."

“N-no… ! Thanks to you, I was able to come without being late...”

In fact, nothing would have happened if he came later, but it was a psychological

problem.

And I realized that this psychological problem would continue.

'… No matter how things turn out, it'll be difficult.'

After the vacation, even the conversation the company and this guy would have

would be difficult.

“Let’s eat something delicious, Kim Raebin. Delivery!”

“D-delivery… I’ll do it.”

"Okay. Order it!”

 Kim Raebin, who regained his usual tone by talking back to Cha Eugene, barely

ordered the food, but he didn't eat much.

The vacation passed while maintaining the usual atmosphere just barely, waiting for

the emergency call from the hospital.

And… The difficult moment had come.

***

It was the morning of the last day of vacation.

“They say that grandma is having an operation.”

Kim Raebin received a call from his older sister in the morning and spoke quite

calmly. Although he was holding his smartphone upside down.

“Talk about it while you eat.”

“This is Kim Raebin’s seat!”

“I know, this is my house! … Yes! Gr-grandmother said that her condition has

improved and she can undergo surgery!”

It meant there was a chance of recovery.

But again... It also meant that there was a greater chance that the operation would

not be successful.

I didn’t know.

Should I strike a candle at the person who was trying to think hopefully or not?
 So I brought out a practical problem instead.

The 'difficult' problem that I thought about from the first day of vacation.

“Are you planning on taking care of her?”

"Yes… ?”

“You see, the vacation ends today.”

I put the spoon in the bowl.

“We have to return sometime tomorrow morning.”

“… !!”

“Will you be okay if you go back to Seoul? You should think about it.”

… If he returned to our activities and was in Seoul, he may not be able to stay by his

grandmother’s side if her surgery worsened.

I remembered the conversation I had with Kim Raebin at the beginning of our debut,

when his grandmother collapsed for the first time.

-That, in that case... During the performance, during the filming... Is it right to stop and

leave? But then... It would sound like I lack professional skills.

Family or work?

It was that damned moment of choice.

 It was not just for a short period of time, but the whole 4 weeks to see the progress of

the surgery.

'The situation is trash.'

Of course, it was like that, but what to say now had already been decided.

“I’ll tell you in advance, it’s okay if you don’t come back for a while. It's all about living

well, so there's no need to suffer.”

“… That's right. It’s okay!"

“Don’t worry, the company’s persuasion will come together.”

Cha Eugene seemed to know how to shoot support. He had been good at grasping

the atmosphere these past few days.

And in fact, at this point, I thought Kim Raebin would close his eyes tightly and shout

'I'm really sorry, but I'll stay here'.

But, no.

"That… Even so, it seems painful... …”

“… … !”

“I-it’s an important full-length album, but I, I haven’t finished a single song yet… The

title song is also in the works...”

Of course, Kim Raebin also had a dream and a sense of responsibility.

 “The music video, the choreography, the stage… Oh, and I won’t be able to contribute

anything.”

Kim Raebin was even a member in charge of producing. So, he was also the

musicality itself of TeStar.

Kim Raebin was quick to realize that if he completely left, the group's identity would

be damaged.

“If grandma recovers without passing away… Then all I contributed to the group was

nothing.”

“Yes, I understand.”

I stopped talking to him.

That was right. Kim Raebin said that if his grandmother recovered without problems,

he might regret it, saying that he rested for nothing.

And he would be disillusioned with himself, who regretted it.

'… Am I biased?'

I was a bit mistaken because it overlapped too much with my past situation.

I tapped the table with my fingers.

'The best thing to do was to delay the release of the album for a month or two.'

But this troubled me.

 If that happened, the tour schedule may be distorted, which may cause problems in

clearing my status abnormality.

‘I’m going crazy.'

It was then.

“Do both!”

“… !!”

Cha Eugene shouted.

“We have a lot of good ways! The phone and… um.”

"Say it in English."

[Right! You speak English, don’t you?]

Cha Eugene tapped the table with his eyes shining.

[It's an era where there are e-mails, video calls, and even video chats! Kim Raebin

can work on the songs here! And we’ll prepare the other elements!]

“… … !”

It was surprisingly reasonable. I opened my mouth right away.

“Cha Eugene said that you should work from home remotely while working on a

songs.”

“Working from home?”

 “It sounds good to me.”

Sure enough, Kim Raebin's complexion instantly improved.

“Th-that sounds good to me too! Then, other than the song...”

I clasped my hands together.

My head began to roll smoothly for the next few days.

“Let’s do this. We’ll have two versions of the choreography just in case. A version with

you, and a version without you.”

"Yes??"

"Great!"

“And similarly to filming, we’ll select our individual cuts and group cuts first, and set

the four individual shooting dates separately as much as possible.”

"Oh!"

“As much as possible, we’ll try to push back the time that is needed for you to join,

and we’ll also complete a different version in case you can’t join.”

Kim Raebin opened his mouth wide.

“… … I-I’m sorry.”

“What are you sorry about? It’s just that the later you join, the harder it gets for you

alone.”
 I asked him.

“Are you going to do it anyway?”

“… Yes!"

Good.

Kim Raebin nodded eagerly.

Still, he looked quite courageous, and soon began rubbing his eyes.

There must have been something uplifting for various reasons.

“Okay, let’s do as much as we can.”

"Yes… …”

I added a comment.

“And you can quit halfway if it doesn’t work.”

"That's right! It's not Kim Raebin's fault."

That's right.

Like that, four weeks of trying to catch both work and family began.

Chapter 224

It was after vacation.

"You're here?"
"Yes"

As soon as I returned to the dorm, I delivered specific details about Kim Raebin's

telecommuting.

In fact, I told Kim Raebin that it was a difficult job alone, and it was not common to

prepare two versions of activities with and without Kim Raebin.

'Actually, it's heavy labor.'

Wouldn't it be obvious to do this under the assumption that the comeback schedule

remained the same?

There was nothing to say even if they arbitrarily protested that the conclusion was

unfair.

Of course, I didn't think these guys would protest.

"... So, we finished talking in the direction of preparing the album remotely while Raebin

worked on the song at home."

"Wow."

"Nice job, hoo."

After gathering in the living room and giving a briefing, sighs of relief came out from

here and there.

During the vacation, they couldn't openly ask about it, so they just gave simple regards.

It seemed that each of them worried to the point of breaking their heads.
"Well, then Raebin will be by his grandma's side... He's able to stay."

"I know. It's fortunate~ Then, Raebin's work is to be given feedback on Mondays and

Thursdays at 9:00 pm?"

"That's right. And intermediate contact is possible in real-time."

It was a compromise that would satisfy people who were focused on Kim Raebin's

peace of mind and the people who were concerned about Kim Raebin's absence.

"It's just a different way, nothing has changed. Let's all make this album well together."

"Fighting~"

"F-fighting... !"

In the process, the level of increase in labor took a day or two, so it was naturally

pushed out of the priority list.

I sensed it there.

'The staff's reaction must be similar...'

That meant there was no need to think of incentives.

... I'd have to check if the company was taking care of the overtime pay.

However, it was not without exception.

Because one member had a white face.

"... That's great, Kim Raebin."

It was natural, but it was Bae Sejin. Even after all the topics had passed, his response

came a step later.

'Though the words themselves sound sincere.'

It was clear that his eyes went dark when he imagined a future where he had to learn

two choreography sequences separately.

Still, his recovery was surprisingly quick.

Let's see what Bae Sejin said right after the choreography formation discussion.

"Then, shall we talk about the choreography first?"

"Oh~ Since the number of people is different, why don't we ask them to think of a

separate formation?"

"Hmm... Still, wouldn't it be better for the vocal members to move in a direction with as

few changes as possible?"

Ryu Chungwoo made a rough drawing, but everyone knew who he was trying to be

considerate of.

And the reaction of the other party was this.

“… No, you don't have to. Let’s do it the same.”

“Is that so?”

“… Yes!"
 "Oh! Cool!"

“Kuhm.”

Bae Sejin seemed to be secretly happy with Cha Eugene's response.

'… I get it roughly.'

There was a reason why he had a small amount of confidence.

Maybe it was because of his latest reputation.

I recalled that right before the vacation, he was secretly watching a WeTube video

titled 'Escape from a hole in the pit' in the corner of the living room.

[As the controversy in <Idol Co> was a lie, Bae Sejin showed amazing

cascading growth after his debut.]

[Beyond simply not standing out in the group dance, he surprised fans by not

missing the details of the choreography from start to finish in the fancam.]

[Isn’t this a sample of what you need to be at this level to attach a ‘growth

type’?]
 Even with Bluetooth earphones on, the subtitles of such videos were so large that I

could still watch them.

Most of the comments seemed to be surprisingly favorable.

-Bae Sejin really surprised me. Seeing variety shows, he was cute and worked hard,

so I wanted to support him ㅋㅋㅋ

Hmm, I also thought of Bae Sejin's face, who couldn't control his lips as he secretly

clicked 'Like' on a comment like this.

Anyway, since his debut, his public reputation had been on the rise after going

through the hotteok-making reality show, which meant that he himself seemed to have

been positively motivated.

'Still, we’re in trouble if we overdo it unnecessarily.'

He shouldn't have burnout during our promotional period and interfere with the tour, so

he needed to let his shoulders loose.

“Then, let’s proceed with the choreography movement request without any special

changes…”

“I’m fine.”
 “Huh?”

“I wish there were fewer changes in choreography. Good consideration.”

I deliberately stared at Bae Sejin and Ryu Chungwoo in turn.

Why? Wasn’t I a vocal member too?

Ryu Chungwoo put on a smile on his face and lowered his head pretending to tidy up.

"Hmm… okay. Then, Sejin-ah, is it okay to ask a simple favor? Because Moondae

wants to.”

“… O-okay.”

“Yes, yes, then let’s decide it like that~”

When I met Keun Sejin's eyes, he raised and lowered his eyebrows.

It seemed like he was asking why I was taking care of it. He was quite a consistent

guy.

“Have you contacted the company?”

"Yes. I asked for a double shooting schedule...”

 I rubbed my chin.

"Now… We just need to proceed quickly, starting with the concept of the album.”

“… … How much time do we have?”

“Probably a week at most.”

"Okay."

There was a sense of depression in the living room.

As we gained more experience, we suddenly felt the vacancy of Kim Raebin, who

made Excel work more staggering.

Besides, this concept was going to stand out from the entire flow of activities.

Clarification was essential.

“Today, let’s quickly check the contact with the people involved, and start in earnest

tomorrow.”

"Great."

“I-I’ll do my best… !”
 That was how the final album work began.

***

Scheduling a busy freelancer's schedule was more cumbersome than one may think,

and there were many things to consider.

It was because the freelancer himself shouldn't be too overworked, but the schedules

of the other people involved needed to be properly arranged as well.

Even if that freelancer was in an idol group?

The things that needed to be considered were multiplied.

So what we needed was the management room...

'They're the ones who can't handle the spirit.'

It was just convenient for them to watch.

For example, contact with Kim Raebin.

[Title work_Verse 2 Verse_ (1)]

[Title work_Verse 2 Verse_(2)]

 [Kim Raebin: Today, I worked on the rap part of verse 2. Please listen and

respond with the version that has received more votes.]

[Kim Raebin: Thank you as always.]

Kim Raebin sent the work on time like a knife. I sent a reply

[Good job. I'll send you feedback quickly]

Then, after receiving this, the opinions of the members were collected and reviewed

by the AR team, usually by mid-morning the next day.

And if I sent it back to Kim Raebin in the evening, another work would come on the

next contact date.

Originally, Kim Raebin would have communicated directly with the AR team, but...

Because the current situation was the current situation…

I added a text while thinking about it.

[Tell me if there's anything particularly difficult or worrying you while you're

there]

Because of this problem, we needed some flexibility outside of work.

 Fortunately, the answer came quickly without any hesitation.

[Kim Raebin: No special exception occurred.]

This meant that there were no deterioration or rapid recovery symptoms after his

grandma's surgery.

'… Still, this period shouldn't be too long.'

As I was contemplating the answer, messages arrived in quick succession.

[Kim Raebin: Thank you for always worrying!]

[Kim Raebin: (Image)]

The attached image was... The phrase 'The strength to live today, from a smiling face

and courage^^' was flashing in rainbow colors on the rose picture.

[Kim Raebin: My grandfather sent it, but I really like the phrase, so I'm sharing

it. I hope you have a great day.]

I chuckled.

'There's not much time left today, you bastard.'

 It was already 10 o'clock at night.

Even so, I understood that he wanted me to have a good day even for the remaining

two hours.

[Okay. Sleep well too.]

After checking Kim Raebin’s polite reply, I turned off my smartphone screen.

In front of me, I heard the sound of shoe soles sliding.

“Let’s go again.”

"Yes!"

This was the reason why no one except me could reply in real time even though Kim

Raebin uploaded the file in the group message room.

It was because we were in the process of learning the choreography of 6 people,

excluding Kim Raebin.

No one could react, so I replied for a while.

“Moondaemoondae, did you check Raebin’s song well~ Which part?”

 “Introduction to Section 2.”

“Okay, is it over?”

It meant rejoining practice soon. I stood next to him before entering the chorus loop.

“Let’s go again, Moondae.”

"Yes."

The entire composition of the song had been released, and arrangements and some

recording-related work were in progress, so a tentatively edited demo song was coming

out of the speaker.

For reference, I was the one who recorded it.

… When I recorded each part, I changed my voice to match each member’s voice to

avoid confusion, and it reminded me of the laughing bastards.

- Hahahaha! Is that supposed to be me? Moondae is the best??

-I want to try! I’ll do it!

-Moondae, why don't you do more impressions?

 I had a feeling that the next time we went on a variety show, it’d be a short story

they’d tell.

… Yes, I was pissed off again. I had to stop thinking about it now.

I focused on the choreography moves.

"One, two…”

After the choreographer checked my movements, he nodded.

“You dance well. I especially like the way you raised your head.”

"Thank you."

“And by the way, I like the song, too. It came out well.”

It was a compliment that any idol who was about to release an album would be happy

with.

Bright answers came from here and there.

"Thank you!"

'It's fun.'
 For reference, this choreographer was the same choreography trainer I met during

<Idol Co>.

He pretended to be natural, but his attitude of spitting out vicious words had gone and

he had become much more cautious and kind.

Bae Sejin couldn’t even ignore it, let alone get nervous when he sometimes reacted

slowly or made mistakes.

'This is society.'

In particular, he was almost polite to Seon Ahyeon, who he had uttered abusive words

to during the audition.

I couldn’t say this was a very good thing, but there was no etiquette injector that

worked as well as social position when working.

“… Ahyeon-ah, let’s look back there.”

"Yes, yes!"

'It seems that Seon Ahyeon himself doesn't even care.'

Well, choreographers had come out with more pressure because of show business,

so there was no need to treat them as people with particularly bad personalities.
 Besides, the most important choreography came out well.

There was a reason why this choreographer's draft was chosen as the main.

'It's almost the first time I've seen this style.'

“End of verse 1.”

“You worked hard~”

"Thank you!"

The guys who fell here and there seemed to be having a hard time, but they didn't

look too anxious.

Apart from being busy, it was thanks to the sense of security that things were going

well step by step.

'It’s good.'

“Moo-Moondae. Here is some water."

"Thank you."

I drank water while imagining the rest of my schedule in my head.

 Either way, there were no problems.

'Still, I'd like to go to the best scenario with Kim Raebin joining us.'

Because the image of this album suited Kim Raebin so well.

I came to that conclusion and took a short break to the fullest.

“Ten minutes is over.”

“Yeah~”

However, there was one point that could not be taken into account during this

process.

That I hadn't been monitoring the internet deeply for weeks.

And under the water, the posts of people who knew were already spreading.

[It seems that Kim Raebin is going to miss this activity]

Of course, it wasn’t that I confirmed it too late and hit the ground.

“Ahyeon-ah.”
 "Yes?"

I managed to convince my roommate that day.

Therefore… It meant that the season of only watching animal videos on WeTube was

over.

Chapter 225

Convincing my roommate wasn't as difficult as I thought.

"It's been a while since I haven't looked at the internet, and I haven't had any withdrawal

symptoms during that time."

"Yes. I-it's fine, Moondae... !"

"So, I think it's true that I monitored it for stress relief, not for addiction."

"Uh, uh uh?"

"As you said, if I go too far, it might be stressful, but... I took a break and got my senses

back."

Seon Ahyeon couldn't keep his mouth shut as if he didn't know that the words would

connect like this.

"I think I'll be able to control myself in order to not get stressed."

"O-of course, Moondae would do well, but..."

And this would be the part where I'd turn the conversation around.

"It was thanks to you. Thank you."

"... !! N-no, Moondae handled it well, but, what... !"

"Okay. In the future, I will adjust well and monitor in a stress-free way."

It was over.

Afterward, Seon Ahyeon was dragged around the schedule in a daze, feeling like he

had been scammed, but it must have been okay because he soon recovered.

In this way, I succeeded in freely resuming monitoring using the break time.

"The preparations start tomorrow at 7:00 for the concept photo shoot, so let's not sleep

late."

"Yes!"

And the night when today's work was over...

'It's been a while.'

As soon as I laid down on the bed, I looked through the related community once.

Slowly, starting from the past.

First of all, 〈K-NOW〉, which was filmed in the beginning, was gradually escaping from

the K-pop hell camp and was also working as a healing camp.

That smooth route change seemed to have worked well for viewers, and thanks to that,

TeStar was still scoring quite a bit.

-Seon Ahyeon's special stage was performed by both female and male idols, so there

was a big difference in size. I thought he was a deer, not an elk. Fuck.

- ㅠㅠ I'm suing Lee Sejin. He was kind to foreigners and made Loviewers excited.

-Have you seen BaeSe's sunglasses pictorial, American guys? This is the dignity of a

Korean idol who was an actor.

Once the ability and composure of the mentors were compared with ordinary

participants, it seemed that the editing made the atmosphere rise properly.

My portion was concentrated in the beginning, so there was no big change, but as the

behind-the-scenes scene unfolded... There were a lot of cute words.

-Moondae learns really hard. If you're sincere about being an idol, you won't miss an

opportunity to learn every time. ㅠㅠ

-What are you thinking, standing cutely by yourself ㅠㅠ (screenshot of Moondae in a

corner during break time)

-It's so cute when he pricks up his ears whenever people speak.

-Yes? Can't you see? It can't be... (GIF with dog ears)

Of course, everything would have been good except for the fact that the

behind-the-scenes scene was a special stage practice camera with Cheongryeo.

-The two of them did variety shows together, so they seem to be close. What should we

name the two of them?

‘...They're crossing the line'

Not the fan, but the behind-the-scenes editing of the variety show. I quickly passed this

response.

And next was the GED exam.

Maybe it was thanks to the people who uploaded the visual data, but surprisingly, the

overall response was that everyone was warm.

What were they doing?

- Moondae, are you watching the responses here too?

I didn't know why they were fighting alone, but anyway, the traces of the exhausted cubs

who failed to cause problems were clear.

'I won this time.’

... It seemed that Seon Ahyeon's advice really worked well at the right time.

I turned my eyes to the bed next to me. Just in time, our eyes met and it saved me the

trouble of calling

"Is there anything you want to eat?"

"What?"

"For dinner.'

Seon Ahyeon seemed to think about what this meant for a moment, then raised his

upper body with a '!!' expression written on his face.

"Ah, Moo-Moondae, do you want to have a late-night snack?"

“... …”

It was a symptom of 'I don't have the ability to relate to my peers without being aware of

the meaning of being hungry.’

I guess I'd have to feed him something in return tomorrow morning. I moderately calmed

Seon Ahyeon, who answered all questions and resumed monitoring.

Let's see, there hasn't been a big topic for a while since then.

Since we were inactive, the main focus was on the fans’ reactions to roommates and

moving content.

But when it came to recent times, the atmosphere behind the scenes changed

completely.

It started with an acknowledgment letter.

----------==

[I saw idols at the hospital.]

: I went to the emergency room because I had a stomachache, and on the way

back, I saw several long-legged men getting out of a van in a parking lot.

From the proportions to the number of people, I thought they were kingly idols,

so I looked closely and checked. Kim Raebin didn't wear a mask. ㅋㅋㅋ They

were negligent. ㅋㅋ

But he had a bad complexion. Is there anyone in his family who is sick? It's the

perfect angle.
(shaky picture)

----------==

Since it was posted in a community that believed that celebrity privacy was a public

good, we didn't get any criticism and only received reactions.

I held back a sigh.

‘... We were complacent.’

But at that time, it was impossible for anyone to consider such a thing.

“...”

After that article, I put ‘Raebin’ and ‘hospital’ in appropriate combinations in the search

terms to check various results.

-Raebin was seen at the hospital?

- Just block the other stories. I don’t think we’ll know until Raebin says it himself.

- They all went together… I shouldn’t consume this kind of thing, but I’m crying for no

reason.

The speculation that one of Kim Raebin’s grandparents was sick was almost certain.

Still, in most fan communities, it was forbidden to mention it openly.

‘It spread faster than I thought.’

It seemed that it was because it was widely spread before the original direct

authentication post was deleted.

‘The company’s response was a bit slow.’

It was clear that we had missed this part because we were focusing on reorganizing the

album preparation schedule and preparing for the media response.

So, under the water, it was perfect for stalker-style crazies to rampage.

They seemed to feel a strange sense of superiority as if they owned information that

many people were curious about.

-They rented a car under the name of the manager. These bastards are playing around

with each other??

- Were they hanging out with girls? With a woman? They weren’t hanging out with other

women, right? Someone quickly find out.

- Their vacation was ruined. Now, I’m going to Gangwon-do to soothe my eyes~

- They should just make songs, it’s fucking annoying

It seemed that some people who heard from the company or officials or copied their cell

phones were reproducing and installing the information.

Besides, even the bastards claiming to be fans of Kim Raebin were making all sorts of

speculations and nonsense.

- Ah, I'm going to go crazy. What’s going to happen with the album? ㅋㅋ But I knew this

would happen one day.

- It’s not like anyone died, so why isn’t he working? Why is there no news that they have

returned to the dorm?

-Raebin, please put your career first, okay?

- He’s ditching the regular album to spend time with a sick family member? ㅎㅎ How

did we get a hold of such a person?

It was a spectacle.

‘... This side has not been cracked down either.’

I… At this time, I didn’t have the mental head to care about this, so I neglected it to this

point.

“... …”

Fuck, let’s stop. Self-criticism was not a nuisance if I did it when I had time.

‘Shut up and use your brain.’

A few patterns that could be used immediately came to mind.

‘First of all, it would be best to release the message room screenshots first.’

We needed to post the words shared about Kim Raebin’s work on social media as a

kind of comeback notice.

Then, we would be able to put an end to speculation about Kim Raebin's current

condition or anxiety related to participation...

Even in the worst case, it would work.

Therefore... Even if Kim Raebin could not participate in the early days of our activities...

There would be less needless cursing.

Still, there would be pups that would try to bite, but this time I was ready to handle it

neatly.

'We'd have to press charges first.’

This was the first thing to do as soon as a dedicated team was formed. And the

dedicated team would finish the composition within this activity.

'Before that, let's start with what we can do right now.’

I immediately selected and screenshotted the most suitable conversations about Kim

Raebin's work.

And I tried to quickly seek consent to upload to the group message room.

Kim Raebin was nocturnal, so he'd probably be awake even now.

[I think they'd like it if we captured and uploaded some of our work. How about

that?]

[Keun Sejin: (I agree with that emoticon)]

[Cha Eugene: I have to come out!]

As expected, people who didn't sleep showed up and replied.

And Kim Raebin's response also arrived in time.

However, the content was a bit odd.

[Kim Raebin: It's okay.]

(TN: in the novel, he types out “괜ㅊㄴㅇㄹ” instead of “괜찮을 것 같습니다 (I think it’s

going to be okay)”)

It was a typo that did not suit Kim Raebin at all.

Maybe it was a sign that he slipped while trying to write 'I think it's going to be okay.’
‘... Did he make a mistake because he was sleepy?'

I crossed my arms. And I waited for a reply with a cautious attitude.

However... Several minutes passed, and no corrected answer came.

“... …”

So, this meant that Kim Raebin did not correct the typo and lost contact.

It wasn't something to laugh at.

'What is to be expected…’

It was like shit, but then an intense assumption hit me on the head.

I tapped my arm with my finger.

‘... Is it an obituary?'

(TN: Obituary: An announcement of death)

If that was the case, I should not call now. Calling would only get in the way of an

emergency.

I barely came to a reasonable conclusion.

‘... I'll check around tomorrow morning.'

By then... Whether it was porridge or rice, it would be sorted out

[Keun Sejin: Raebin?]

In the message room, messages from other guys calling Kim Raebin appeared a few

times, but they soon went away.

Everyone seemed to be grasping the atmosphere.

About what might have happened.

“... …”

I wanted to respond as rationally as possible... To derive it, I kept turning my brain.

‘If the timing of the obituary and social media upload overlap, it wouldn't be possible.’

I decided to put the upload on hold.

And right away, I laid down on the bed with my smartphone.

"Moo-Moondae... ?"

"Yes."

'Let's go to bed without unnecessary thoughts.'

There was no time or space for this.

I didn't sleep very well, but I was able to fall asleep moderately around dawn by using

fatigue as a sleeping pill.

However, even after the day was bright, Kim Raebin did not contact us.

***

It was past 8 o'clock in the morning.

"Let's get in touch."

"Uh, since we don't know what the situation is, how about waiting a little longer... …”

"I want to call him!"

"Wait a minute. We are already behind schedule. Let's talk while we move."

The living room was in an uproar with people each giving their opinions about the

current situation.

The time to leave for the practice room had already passed. I sat down on the sofa and

tilted my head.

Damn it.

My head wasn't working.

'Is it because I couldn't sleep?'

This speculation was also an excuse. My Bacchus 500 trait was running well. It wasn't

about fatigue, it was about my mental state.

I exhaled.

‘... I'll have to check.'

... It would be evasive if we delayed it any longer. We really needed to call now.

It was then.

Ding!

The smartphone in my hand rang.

The phone call... was here.

"Is it Raebin??"

It was Kim Raebin.

Without even thinking, I pressed the answer button and brought it to my ear.

"Hello?"

-Hyung!

Kim Raebin’s voice was...

It was bright with excitement.

-Last night, Gr-grandma regained consciousness completely... A conversation

was possible!

“... …!”

It wasn't an obituary.

Suddenly, a strange sense of relief came over me, like fireworks exploding all the way to

my head.

And I went crazy.

I didn't know if it was good. I just couldn't control my voice.

"Then you should have contacted me right away..!”

-I-I'm sorry! I was going to wait until 9 am because I thought you all would be in

bed until the morning, so I thought it would disturb you...!

I was speechless because the answer was so stupid.

I took my smartphone off my ear because I felt weak. Members flocked around.

"Is that Kim Raebin?!"

"Is he okay?"
Ryu Chungwoo asked quietly.

"Moondae, should I take it?"

“... Yes”

I passed the smartphone.

The voices of the guys rushing in and talking excitedly into the phone rang in my ears.

"Raebin~ it's nice to hear your voice."

"H-how are you?"

I... I don't know.

It was just strangely sweet.

I didn't know if it was because of Kim Raebin, the phone call, this damn situation, or the

status window... Just, fuck, that was it.

My fatigue went away.

'Am I crazy?'

I smiled and pressed my forehead.

"Raebin is coming here tonight!"

"Oh, the date is just right~"

I know.

Sometimes, things seemed to work out perfectly.

As soon as I got my smartphone back, I connected to social media.

‘Let’s do something quickly.’

My head and hands were itching.

***

That morning.

Less than an hour had passed since Kim Raebin called Park Moondae.

A short article was posted on TeStar’s social media page.

---------==

The heart is pounding (Photo)

---------==

The post, which was uploaded without introducing who posted it, was accompanied by

friendly group chat screenshots carefully selected by Park Moondae.

-Oh my gosh, guys ㅠㅠㅠ

It was a signal of work for a comeback.

Next chapter