"Cough, cough! Ugh, ugh...."
You should have mentioned how much pain I was in!
["Well, do you regret not listening to me that time..."]
The system window, appearing somewhat disdainful and pitiful, dispersing like smoke.
["Don't keep popping up in front of me, you're making me nauseous..."]
["you already vomited."]
Thirty minutes before the event started.
Despite clutching the toilet bowl and dry heaving several times, nothing came out except bile and blood.
"It hurts...."
Struggling to stand up, I grabbed onto the sink and tried to gather my thoughts.
My pale face reflected in the mirror looked worse than when I ignored the leakage quest.
My mind felt fuzzy, and I was short of breath, barely able to stand due to the weakness in my legs.
"Ugh...."
"Ouch...."
Moreover, blood kept spurting up from my throat.
I spat out the blood into the sink.
"...Did that damn item work?"
["It's really harsh in this situation."]
I turned the dream of being leaker into a nightmare.
Not a metaphorically but literally
Regardless of what dream he had, where it was, or who was in it, everyone pointed fingers at him and blamed him as the leaker.
To weaken his already fragile mentality, facing criticism from the public and pressure from the company.
To make him collapse at even the smallest trigger.
"How is it?"
Since I suffered like this to obtain the item, shouldn't the bastard I created also suffer as much?
So, when I asked the question, the system window grimaced but eventually gave an answer.
["It worked well. He haven't slept for three days, feeling almost half-dead, just like you right now, Seo Hoyun."]
"At least that's a bit comforting..."
"Ugh...."
As I took a deep breath, my nose started bleeding. Quickly covering my nose with my hand to avoid staining my clothes, I hastily grabbed a tissue to wipe it off.
"Wow, I really feel like I'm going to die."
Feeling the damp tissue in my hand, I sincerely wondered if I could dance and sing in a few minutes.
["Why not just stop going on stage? Don't you realize you're not in the right state of mind right now?"]
"I know..."
My vision kept wavering.
But I couldn't stop here, after coming this far.
Once I got on stage for this quest, it would be over.
It was more useful to think about how to deal with pouring blood while singing rather than stopping now.
I threw the bloody tissue into the trash and gently pressed the warm, feverish spot on my eyelid.
At that moment,
Ringgg.
"Damn it."
My phone rang.
Even though I wasn't in a condition to answer it, it kept ringing persistently after I hung up.
"Ugh...."
Reluctantly, I answered the phone while still tasting blood in my mouth.
"Hello? Hey, Seo Hoyun! Did you hang up on purpose?"
"What is it?"
"...?"
I asked with effort, trying to hold onto my sanity.
After a moment of silence, Joo Woosung cautiously asked..
"[Are you sick?]
"I'm fine."
"[Really? Your voice sounds off though.]"
"I said I'm fine. Get to the point."
"[Hmm. You seem sensitive today]"
Joo Woosung hesitated for a moment before bringing up the topic.
'Shining Star,' 'mentor,' 'Cheongbeom noona,' and so on... Even though it would probably be useful information to pay attention to, I couldn't concentrate at all.
It felt like someone was grabbing me by the hair and slamming me against a wall.
I held onto my phone and tried to breathe as slowly as possible.
My condition seemed to be getting worse.
'Is it really dangerous?'
I felt like I might collapse at the actual event.
I reconsidered the situation and conditions, wondering if it would be better to just focus on catching the leaker instead of participating in the event. But before I could finish that thought, Joo Woosung interrupted me.
["Seo Hoyun, if you're not feeling well, just go to the hospital. It's really frustrating to see you sick when you're overseas."]
"Yes...."
Enough, just end it.
But he kept talking endlessly, and gradually, irritation started to build up.
"[Are you going to have a concert? Wouldn't it be better to inform the company in advance rather than collapsing there?]"
"...What?"
It wasn't entirely wrong, but one word rubbed me the wrong way.
'A concert?'
Despite my year-long efforts to improve as an artist, I hadn't even had a concert in Korea, let alone in Japan. Yet here was Joo Woosung, a former entertainment industry insider, casually mentioning it as if it were possible.
Either he had completely lost his sense of tact that he had shown moments ago, or he was intentionally doing this.
"[Where is it? Yokohama?]"
"...."
"[Oh, not Yokohama? Sorry. I've been going back and forth between Tokyo and Osaka recently, so I'm not sure.]"
My hand trembled.
Not because of the pain, but because of anger.
The user provided a Korean text. Here is the English translation:
His hazy gaze quickly turned into anger, and he gripped the sink tightly with one hand and spoke in a soft voice..
" Joo Woosung. I have one question for you."
"[Uh, yes?]"
"Was the Black Call Tokyo Dome concert sold out within a few minutes, right?"
"[Uh, what? Why are you suddenly asking this?]"
"Just tell me, already"
"[Uh, yes it was about... five minutes?]"
Ha....
"Hung up, damn it."
I immediately ended the call and spat blood into the sink again.
"I-..Damn it...."
In the mirror, a cold-looking man with the demeanor of a patient was staring at me with intense eyes.
"I will succeed, no matter what."
Thanks, Woosung.
Thanks to you, I've made up my mind again.
.
.
.
.
"Wow! a fancam in out??"
After enduring the brutal pressure of retaking exams for each subject, Noeul, a university student, had been enjoying some peaceful days. But upon hearing the news that Seo Hoyun's fancam was out, she quickly clicked on the link.
"Wow, amazing~!"
Although Japanese activity videos were usually uploaded better than other overseas activities, fancams were still relatively rare compared to those in Korea. So Noeul felt excited as if she had received an unexpected gift.
She turned on her laptop to watch the fancam in a larger, clearer format, and habitually refreshed her private SNS account on her phone. But the reactions she saw were unusual.
"[Crazy]"
"....?"
Everyone's reactions seemed strange..
"Is it because of the leak?"
I felt a sense of unease, wondering if something else had happened.
At that moment, the voice of the MC introducing "Second Chance" came from the video playing on the laptop. The screen gradually zoomed in on Seo Hoyoon, who was waiting outside the stage.
"...What?"
Noeul couldn't close her mouth when she saw him.
She could see that Sung Jiwon was holding onto his shoulder in a position that wouldn't be visible from the audience, breathing heavily with a pale complexion.
"Oh, is he sick?"
Noeul's expression became more serious, and as the MC finished the introduction, Seo Hoyun stepped onto the stage.
Even though the song hadn't started yet, sweat was already forming on Seo Hoyun's forehead.
But when the intro played after the countdown,
"...!"
His gaze completely changed.
[This sensation is ringing in my head, tell me I've come back]
It was a prelude that she had heard thousands of times before, but Seo Hoyun was different that day.
With his sweaty bangs slightly covering his forehead, he managed his expression thoroughly and exuded not only venom but also madness as he performed live.
"What, what is this?!"
[You're anxious about the future with a low probability that is more vivid]
Noeul, who had watched countless fancams of Seo Hoyun's "Second Chance," was thrilled.
"What the hell is this????"
This fancam would definitely become a legendary one.
"Hey, what is this??"
Noeul couldn't take her eyes off Seo Hoyun for a moment.
Seo Hoyun had appeared relaxed on any stage. It wasn't that he wasn't working hard, but rather, it was a sound that indicated the freshness and urgency of the moment had disappeared as he gained experience.
However, in the video, Seo Hoyun's expression would blur or he would purse his lips when his movements deviated from the intended path or when he turned his back to the audience. But as he moved back to the center or when his part came back, he sang with emotions in his eyes and did his best to digest the choreography.
"This is insane... insane!!"
Noeul's eyes widened as she saw Seo Hoyun brushing his hair back and moving backward after his solo part.
"Oh... I... I shouldn't be doing this to someone in pain, but I'm really sorry."
Noeul was...
[Excited]
...lacking in conscience. Especially Seo Hoyun's fans.
On their private accounts, chaos ensued.
[Wow, the feeling of Seo Hoyun's return of early stages of Second Chance.. aaahㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ He seemed like a real jerk and sensitive at that time]
[He's such a stunning innocent-looking guy, but seeing him filled with venom made many people excited.. I thought he had become relaxed and soft lately, but aah]
[Oh, it's heartbreaking to see him in pain, but at the same time, smiling while his lips are splitting apart really makes me feel like trash...
└Don't worry, everyone's like this
└Trash cans are warm in winterㅇㅇ
└└ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅁㅊ]
"Seo Hoyun, what's with this guy?"
Watching him leap onto the stage in pain made me sad and worried, and I want to tear apart those insensitive jerks.
But aside from that, Seo Hoyun on the screen was amazing.
[Come to me, Come to me Don't be afraid, come to me]
The members who would naturally know Seo Hoyun's condition subtly showed concern, but he didn't even glance in their direction.
Of course, the cameras, knowing this was a crucial point, managed to capture each moment amazingly.
[Let me say it again, it's the beginning,]
Then, as Seo Hoyun appeared at the edge of the stage, he noticed a camera pointing at him and pursed his lips.
"What... what's this?"
Pressing the space bar urgently and rewinding a few times made it clear.
It was a greeting.
'Hello.'
To the fans.
His eyelashes trembled, and sweat dripped from his jaw as he took care of his fans.
Noeul was even more excited by the absence of his usual smooth smile and laughter in this simple greeting.
Clang!
Clang clang clang!!
"Hey!! This guy!!"
It was clear to anyone that it was a risky greeting, delivered while barely holding onto his senses.
[This time, this life, I will Save You (Save You)]
As the song ended, Seo Hoyun, slightly staggering, was quickly surrounded by the members, greeting them before descending from the stage. The video ended with this scene.
"…Is he crazy?"
Noeul continued to mutter curses while repeatedly replaying the fancam.
[Wow... He must be a popular member....]
[Pain aside, Seo Hoyun is really intense.. Honestly, even when I see fancam of idols greeting fans, they seem indifferent... But with Hoyun, you can feel his determination even though he's in pain]
[It's best when he us without without a smile.. He seemed like he was really struggling to say anything]
Finally calming down a bit, Noeul logged into their regular account to check the reactions.
[#Protect_The_Daepaseong_Artist]
[#Cancel_Japan_Concerts]
As expected, everyone was criticizing the agency for forcing an injured artist to perform overseas, especially when the leak incident hadn't been resolved yet.
Sitting quietly in their chair, scrolling through the posts, Noeul sighed and refreshed the page.
"...I'm sorry, Hoyun."
Regardless of the good moments, wrong is still wrong.
But what can you do, it's a matter of taste.
After posting their own thoughts with the hashtags, Noeul replayed the fancam once again.
[Quest Complete!
Successfully completed 10 events in Japan
What a strong person you are....
5,000 points have been awarded.]
[The penalty is also ending. You will gradually recover within half a day, so hang in there a little longer.]
Well, thank goodness for that.
But it was no good news when you heard it in the restroom.
Some members who only knew it as a simple cold or flu told me to go to the hospital, but I didn't think it was necessary since it wasn't a real illness.
In the end, when I returned to the hotel, I kicked out the members who kept hovering around and talking.
Seeing Kang Ichae also heading out, I flipped the blanket over and curled up in bed, groaning softly. Suddenly, waves of nausea hit me, and I had to rush back to the bathroom.
[OMG..]
"Ugh...."
Even though only a faint light from the bathroom's unlit door seeped through, the bright red blood stood out vividly.
"Damn it...."
I could still taste the metallic flavor of blood. The nosebleed persisted, accompanied by chills, body aches like being punched all over, and a queasy feeling. I could really feel all the various symptoms listed by the system window.
"Oh, the leak incident... The planning team needs to clean up...."
["I'm going crazy! I'm going crazy!"]
["Is that really important right now?!"]
["I'll do it later! Just rest for now!! ㅠㅠ"]
With trembling hands, I turned on the tap and rinsed my mouth with water from the sink.
Before the members returned, I wanted to erase any traces and tidy up, but as I tried to flush the toilet, ding!
Ding!
Ding!!
The system window popped up with urgent warnings.
"....?"
Before I could even read the frantic messages from the chaotic system window, the bathroom light suddenly turned on. A sense of foreboding enveloped me, and goosebumps crawled up my spine.
Trying to adjust to the sudden flood of light, I tightly shut my eyes, but before I could open them, I heard a voice near my ear.
"I came to help you throw up, maybe pat your back because I was worried about you, hyung...-."
As I slowly lifted my head, a face devoid of any trace of laughter was reflected in the mirror.
"What's up."
It was Kang Ichae.
With arms crossed, his icy gaze, now devoid of any hint of amusement, fell upon the blood-stained toilet bowl and sink.
..."It's red"
---