Chapter 90

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Translated by Sylph

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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It was the first time I saw Kim Raebin’s complexion change like that.

To the extent that some of the members who were scattered doing their own business noticed it immediately.

“Kim Raebin-ah, is something wrong? Hyung, what’s going on?”

As Ryu Chungwoo approached and asked quietly, the manager took Ryu Chungwoo somewhere as well.

“…….”

When complicated personal circumstances arose, it was highly likely that one would rather not have someone interfere.

Ryu Chungwoo was okay because he had the leader’s mantle, but it was unknown how Kim Raebin would think about the interference of other members.

‘For now, I’ll watch the situation further.’

Sure enough, after a while, the manager returned with Ryu Chungwoo.

Kim Raebin had already disappeared.

“…What about Kim Raebin?”

“Just a moment. Let’s talk once the filming is organized.”

The manager seemed to be mindful of the staff nearby. The members, having grasped the situation, kept their mouths shut and continued what they were doing.

And a little later, after exchanging short greetings with the production team and getting into the car, they heard the full story.

“His grandmother collapsed?”

“Yes. So he went to the hospital right away.”

“…….”

Since they already knew that Kim Raebin lived with his grandparents, the members’ complexions changed.

I clicked my tongue. ……I felt bad.

‘…Still, they sent him.’

It seemed that when the activities were wrapping up and the day’s schedule was almost over, the contact came, so they sent him right away without a word. Without saying anything useless.

……Wait.

Could bad news have happened with such good timing?

“Hyung, when did that contact come?”

“Wh-what?”

“When was the contact that Kim Raebin’s grandmother collapsed?”

“…….”

The manager had a slightly sorrowful face.

“…It came around the time you guys finished the valley rafting, but since I had turned off the phones and put them away…… I only checked it when the filming ended.”

“……!”

The atmosphere froze.

“Then… even if Kim Raebin goes now.”

“It m-might be l-late…….”

“It won’t be like that! Contact kept coming.”

The manager hastily added an explanation.

“……Yes.”

The atmosphere inside the car softened slightly.

I observed the manager.

‘Surely he didn’t check it beforehand and not say anything.’

It could have been so.

‘He could have pulled a stunt saying he’d send him after finishing the cuts since the filming was almost over anyway.’

If he had rationalized that whether Kim Raebin went or not, his grandmother wouldn’t suddenly get better anyway…….

…No. That was going too far. Neither the manager nor the company was the type to go that far ethically.

Besides, if that were the case, he wouldn’t have gone out of his way to tell the truth like that.

I held back a sigh and leaned my body back.

“…What about his grandmother?”

A sobbing sound was heard from the side. Cha Yujin was crumpled in the corner with a dejected face.

‘It seems he has seen her in person.’

Ryu Chungwoo laboriously spoke.

“It’ll be okay. A little later… let’s try contacting Kim Raebin.”

“Yes……”

The atmosphere inside the car slumped. Even Lee Sejin shook his head as he met my eyes, as if he didn’t know what would be good to say.

“Hmm…….”

Lee Sejin turned his head out the window as if this atmosphere was frustrating.

In such a gloomy atmosphere, the car ran towards the dormitory.

The crazily vibrant schedule of the past two days and one night had a dream-like ending.

* * *

It was past midnight, in the early morning, when Kim Raebin returned to the dormitory.

“……!”

“You’re here.”

Some members were still sitting in the living room without sleeping.

The two, Seon Ahyun and Lee Sejin, were sent in first by the manager’s strong recommendation because they had a pictorial schedule tomorrow morning.

‘Since it was a situation where we didn’t know when Kim Raebin would come in, that was wise.’

And that judgment was right. It was 3:30 AM now.

“Did you take a taxi?”

“……Yes.”

Kim Raebin’s face was swollen as if he had cried, but he didn’t seem particularly out of his mind.

‘It seems it wasn’t a big deal.’

I opened my mouth.

“Is your grandmother okay?”

“Yes……. They said because she went to the hospital quickly, there will be almost no aftereffects.”

As it turned out, it seemed his grandmother collapsed from a cerebral hemorrhage. Fortunately, Kim Raebin’s older sister discovered her quickly, and the treatment was finished within the golden time.

“That’s a relief…….”

“Really, that’s a relief, Kim Raebin-ah.”

“You must have suffered a lot in your heart. Was it hard? Good job.”

“……Thank you.”

Kim Raebin, as if he was about to get emotional again, rubbed his eyes fiercely and entered the living room. A modest welcoming and consolation followed.

“Did you eat dinner?”

“……No.”

“Oh my.”

“You must have suffered anyway, it’s better to eat something before sleeping.”

It was the right thing to say.

‘…It can’t be helped.’

I sighed and volunteered. With this lineup, it would end the fastest if I did it.

“…Sit down. I’ll heat something up for you.”

“I-It’s okay!”

“It’s early morning. Lower your voice.”

“Yes……”

The members, who had confirmed that the situation was okay, stretched and got up with much more relaxed faces.

“Then Kim Raebin-ah, rest well. Park Moondae, good job~”

“Yes……”

“Eat everything and go in.”

“You’ve worked hard.”

Finally, Cha Yujin patted Kim Raebin’s shoulder and went in.

There was another group schedule from tomorrow afternoon.

Since we confirmed that it hadn’t turned into a big deal for now, it would be more burdensome to sit as a group in front of a kid who was eating.

‘I should also finish quickly and go in.’

I appropriately heated up instant rice and stew and set it out. It was a wise decision to have ordered one more in the evening just in case.

“Here.”

“Thank you…….”

After confirming that Kim Raebin was eating, I realized as I turned to go in.

‘…In this situation, isn’t it also strange in the picture to eat alone in the early morning.’

It was a perfect time to feel sorrowful. So it was right for one or two people to remain.

And I had volunteered for that.

‘…Still, this is right.’

I sat across from him.

Kim Raebin was eating quietly.

Then he put down his spoon before eating even half.

“…Does it taste bad?”

“No…….”

Kim Raebin hung his head low and muttered.

“I confirmed that grandmother is okay……, but still… the feeling is strange.”

“……Why.”

“N-Next time such a situation happens again, if I see it late again, and… at that time if it’s really…… really it.”

“……Hmm.”

“Even if I didn’t see it late, whether it’s right for me to stop and go in the middle of a performance, in the middle of filming… But then… it seems like I lack professional qualities.”

“…….”

“The thoughts… don’t stop.”

…It was a worry worth having.

And it was also a worry that anyone whose life was ground by work could have.

While working busily, if one day a very fatal… contact came, what on earth should I have done if I were in the middle of doing very important work.

The problem was that Kim Raebin wasn’t even an adult yet.

Whether a professional environment that made one have such worries at an age where they can’t even legally drink was normal… I didn’t know, honestly.

‘If you say you’re a pro because you earn money, I have nothing to say.’

Because that kind of contact… was a situation that people who hadn’t experienced it didn’t know.

“…….”

It was quite difficult. To think I had ended up saying such things in that early morning.

I pondered and then opened my mouth.

“When I received the contact… I was at an academy.”

“……!”

“I had turned the phone to silent because I was in the middle of class… so I only saw it after quite a lot of time had passed. The exam wasn’t far off.”

“…….”

There were 24 missed calls.

Even then, I thought. What it would have been like if I hadn’t gone to the academy…

What would have changed if I hadn’t gone and followed that damn family event… that kind of meaningless thought.

“At that time, I was much less busy than you, I was just a student. So the problem of such… timing, I thought was actually in the realm of luck.”

“……Ah.”

“Besides, you’re not going to live in this kind of schedule for the rest of your life. As you gain more career experience, the schedule is something that can be adjusted as much as you want.”

I continued speaking while stroking the back of my neck.

“Still, if you’re worried, tell the manager to absolutely check for family contacts first. And it’s no problem at all to go in the middle of work.”

“…!”

“Everyone lives like that. The guy who curses is a psychopath, so just sue them.”

“…….”

Kim Raebin, who had no answer for a long time, eventually nodded his head.

“……Yes.”

“Do you feel a bit better?”

“…Yes!”

Kim Raebin answered with a bit more strength. And he picked up his spoon again. …It was a relief that he seemed to have regained some energy.

‘Looking at the speed, I can go in within 5 minutes.’

I checked the clock with some relief. …Hmm, it seemed the sun would rise when I went in.

‘The day and night are being swapped again……’

I could hear the sound of my biological rhythm breaking. If I got a vacation, I would first catch a pattern of going to sleep at 9 PM and waking up at 9 AM the next day.

“U-Hyung.”

“What.”

“Can I ask you one thing?”

“……Go ahead.”

Kim Raebin, while tidying up the finished table setting, cautiously opened his mouth.

“I think you said it was amnesia, but no matter how much I think about it, I don’t know how you remember the event at that time…….”

“…I suddenly remembered while sleeping.”

“A-Alright.”

He was a truly consistent guy.

* * *

TeSTAR’s reality trip episode called for fans’ cheers as soon as the news article came out.

-Yahoo! Trip!
-Ah, TeSTAR’s reality was fun in the beginning, but lately, it became ‘honey-no-fun’ so I only watched clips, but finally, the production team came to their senses.
-There were witness accounts in the valley, I wonder if it’ll be healing content with a feeling of playing among themselves in the countryside ㅠㅠ I’m looking forward to it.

And when the trailer appeared, this reaction doubled.

-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ crazy extreme!
-Skydiving, haunted house, and water play? Wow, they really gathered only the best things ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Park Moondae and a haunted house? This is a stock that works, everyone pour in!!
-Heol… I guess they made the fan song at this time too ㅠㅠ Even though only one cut of the kids making it appeared, they’re so cute whispering and giggling.
-As expected, Kim Raebin was the leader. Die, you bastards who were trying to bash Kim Raebin saying everyone did it together.
-I’m relieved because they seem to have eaten well.
└ㅋㅋㅋㅋ This is exactly my reaction ㅋㅋㅋ
└Really, I was worried they might not have given them food well, but a whole pig appeared ㅋㅋㅋ

Fans eagerly waited for the first episode of the reality trip, which was only a few days away.

And at the same time, they gathered rumors with a regretful heart, wondering if there were no other variety show baits.

And they also saw a nameless anonymous post without any verification.

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: This time’s guests are VTIC Cheongryeo and TeSTAR Park Moondae. They recruited Cheongryeo, but that side pointed him out directly. Everyone is whispering that the viewership ratings will come out well.
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It was a word that VTIC Cheongryeo was filming a variety show with Park Moondae.

Under this preposterous claim, a string of scoffing reactions naturally followed.

-? What kind of bullshit is this
-I enjoyed your multi-fandom delusion
-This kind of bastard sees Cheongryeo and Park Moondae greeting each other and makes up a best friend rumor just like that, right?
-Kya, these days reactions are even attached to this kind of low-level aggro? The world has become much better.

Fans naturally didn’t believe it and passed it over.

But a few days later.

An article appeared officially.

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[, next guests are VTIC and TeSTAR? (Exclusive)]
: According to an MBS official on the 21st, recently revealed that filming is scheduled with VTIC’s Cheongryeo and TeSTAR’s Park Moondae as guests.
…….
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-???
-What’s this
-Is it real?

It was real.

A little later, a trailer video produced by appeared.