A guy who I had never given an address to and never made an appointment with in advance was standing at the door of the dorm.
He didn't ring the doorbell, and he made a lot of missed calls out of the blue.
So what if that bastard already had a gem-like madness record?
'Fuck.'
I checked Cheongryeo's expression through the chain again.
It was still a surprisingly expressionless face.
"Why did you come?"
"I didn't come here on purpose. I stopped by on my way home."
"I never gave you my address."
"You talked about it last time."
Never.
"You told me which floor you lived on."
"… …"
Yes, when I met this guy with his dog at dawn before, I said it in passing to lighten the mood before mentioning the information of 'Ryu Gunwoo'.
And if he knew which floor I lived on then, of course, he knew where I lived…
'That's a piece of information collected and put together, bastard.'
It was a habit that a guy who used to be able to regress would have without hesitation.
This bastard wouldn't have had enough taste to make such a social judgment.
However, Cheongryeo's words did not end there.
"I have news to tell you."
"What…"
And an unexpected answer came.
"Kongi is sick."
"… … !"
What?
"I was on the way back from the hospital."
It was only then that I correctly interpreted this bastard's eccentric attitude.
He… There must have been a situation.
'… Fuck.'
I held my breath in a different way.
"Wait a moment."
Click.
I loosened the chain and opened the door again to get out. Anyway, this floor only had our dorm, so it shouldn't matter.
"… What's wrong?"
"Acute Kidney Failure."
Cheongryeo's eyes were slightly twisted.
"I went right before that. One of the employees… After bringing in grapes, they didn't wash them properly."
"… …"
"This is the first time this has happened."
His voice was so calm that I could even believe him if he told me he smashed a sledgehammer on the back of that employee's head.
I pressed my forehead.
"Did you get an apology?"
"Is that important? Moving his mouth wouldn't do any good."
It was a judgment of a guy who made enough money that he wouldn't be able to get rid of it even if he used it for a lifetime.
'I guess this is why he came out to take care of the dog.'
And after taking action… He must have had many thoughts on his way back.
'Did he call me like that to tell me this?'
I guessed the reason for the missed call. And Cheongryeo quietly continued to speak.
"So there won't be any recent photos of Kongi for a while, so I thought I'd explain."
"… …"
"Hoobaenim, you like Kongi."
Unbelievable.
"You could have done it via text."
"Ah."
Did he realize it now?
But he quickly changed the subject.
"Hmm, but I could've done it right away after seeing you?"
"Then why did you call me on the phone first?"
"It was a warning. It would be rude if I came without saying anything. There would be others in the dorm, so it was right to be careful."
"… … How did you guess I would be at the dorm?"
"If you weren't there, I could go back. But I guess there was no need to guess?"
He was talking nonsense as if it were reasonable. He was out of his mind.
I rubbed my eyes.
I guessed that this bastard was nervous and wanted to talk to someone, but he didn't seem to know he was in that state at all.
"… Your dog will be fine."
Cheongryeo tilted his head to the side.
"Is that so? I don't know how you can be sure."
"Wouldn't you have left him in a specialized hospital? It would be good enough to let the guardian go back right there. They probably explained the progress to you too."
"… …"
After staring at the empty space for quite some time, he opened his mouth again.
"They did."
"… …"
"They took action quickly and his kidneys were not seriously damaged. The fluids were also good. It's unlikely, but they said they would contact me if Kongi's condition suddenly deteriorated."
"Okay."
"Anyway, I have a schedule from tomorrow, so I can't take care of it."
"Yes."
I nodded.
"It was a good judgment, so what's wrong?"
"Well. I wonder if unexpected accidents happen very often in life?"
"… Hmm."
The guy's eyes were dark.
He was probably thinking about his dog. It looked like he was going to let the guy who gave his dog ruined grapes get into trouble.
'Actually, neither is a very good sign.'
It must be that the dog occupied a very large part of his life.
Wasn't this the first time since VTIC's main vocal went out that this bastard went insane like this?
'… It's a similar situation.'
When something important in his life seemed about to be ruined by factors beyond his control.
This… I couldn't let his reset syndrome occur again.
It wouldn't be good if he said, "Let's kill Gold 2 and see what happens."
'That wouldn't work.'
After a brief silence, I opened my mouth.
This bastard also needed to live a little more comfortably no matter what he put at the center of his life.
"No matter how you live, accidents happen. It is impossible for anyone to prepare for all of them."
"… …"
"That's why it's important to deal with accidents that happen. In that aspect, I think you did pretty well today."
"… !"
"You acted quickly and your dog didn't get hurt too much. I'm glad he's healthy again thanks to that."
Again, I concluded briefly.
"Good job."
"… …"
Cheongryeo stood blankly for a moment, then nodded slowly.
"… Yes. Is that so?"
"So your dog…"
"That's right. If Kongi recovers well, there is no problem."
He still couldn't understand it. I thought so.
Still, it seemed that his composure had returned, and his tone of voice had calmed down. And his expression returned to his usual state.
"Come and see me when he's discharged."
"I see."
I nodded, and only then did the smile return to his face.
'Okay.'
I didn't know why I had to take care of the bastard who tried to kill me, but when I came to my senses, I was working without pay.
Even when I had other work to do.
'The composition camp break time…'
Then I looked down at the smartphone in my hand and realized that the time frame between the missed call and the last call was quite different.
'Almost 30 minutes.'
It seemed that Cheongryeo had been standing outside the front door for longer than expected.
'It's an unreasonable waste of time by that standard.'
I guess it was because he was frustrated since I was the only one who knew the details of why he adopted the dog.
I was a bit conflicted, then opened my mouth.
"Do the people in your group know?"
Cheongryeo opened his mouth obediently.
"No. They're not at home right now. I sent them all to the company. For that matter."
"… ?"
That matter?
"Ah."
Cheongryeo lowered his head to the side.
"Hoobaenim, you didn't look at the internet today."
"… …"
"Alright. If it wasn't that you didn't pick up the phone on purpose, that would make sense. Are you not using your smartphone? Are you preparing for an album or are you taking a break?"
Why did this bastard keep trying to reason about others?
"Something happened."
Maybe it was the social side again?
None of the remaining guys in VTIC looked like they would partake in something like that.
But Cheongryeo was indifferent.
"It's not that things have happened, I should say that things are about to come."
"Come?"
"Hmm? Everyone is enlisting."
"… !!"
Suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck my brain.
The date was already… No, it wasn't the time yet.
"Isn't there still time left? I heard you got a medal and postponed your enlistment."
"Hmm… We decided to do it according to the deadline, so the story has already ended."
Cheongryeo laughed faintly and leaned against the wall.
"We agreed that that would be the best way to extend the life of the group."
"… Ah."
No way.
"Concurrent Enlistment. Simultaneous discharge."
"… …"
No way he convinced all of them.
A rare group action in which all members of the group enlisted at the same time and were discharged.
It was possible to return as a full group the fastest, but in the meantime, it was a deadly prescription that completely blocked individual activities.
There were people out there who really did that.
"So it's as I said. The grand prize this year will be a bit easier."
"… …"
I nodded slowly. I understood now.
"Then you will go too."
Then, the reason why his mentality was so broken was his reset syndrome, and the anxiety before enlistment also played a part…
"Hmm? No."
Hey.
"I only have to go for six months. Haha, I will go next year. Isn't it natural that it would be more intense if we were all discharged together?"
He was alwayss good at provoking people with his snout.
"So, at the end of this year, I will be the only one to appear at the awards ceremony. That was reported in the media today, that's the situation."
"I see."
"Yes."
In any case, Cheongryeo spoke as if there was nothing new. It looked a bit subdued, but nothing special.
'It must have been a mess.'
I guessed the internet situation and then quit.
"Doesn't it feel good? A competitor that is hard to beat will disappear."
"We can win even if you don't go."
"Oh, yeah?"
This fucker didn't believe me.
"How are you feeling?"
"Well. Not good. Because managing the hiatus is difficult."
It was a more thorough business response than expected.
Even though all the guys he was with would be leaving, this guy didn't seem to have much human emotion.
'Hmm.'
"It is a bit strange. It's the first time I've been here."
"… …"
"I will use the dorm alone…"
The guy who was talking stopped talking for a moment. At that moment, a noise started coming from the front door.
Tidik.
The sound of a door opening.
"… !"
And someone suddenly stuck their head out.
It was Keun Sejin.
"Moondaemoondae, why did you go outside…"
It seemed that the break time was almost over, but he didn't see me, so he came to find me.
However, he stopped talking when he saw Cheongryeo standing nearby. Damn.
"Lee Sejin."
"Wait a minute."
And the guy changed his stance in an instant.
"Ah, sunbaenim. Hello!"
"Hello."
"I have heard a lot of stories. What's going on here…"
"A lot?"
"… …"
Keun Sejin stopped talking for a moment, but then replied in the same tone.
"Yes, a lot."
In the meantime, I heard Kim Raebin shouting from behind the front door.
"Hyung, who's here?"
"Hm~ That's-"
"Wait."
We couldn't. I grabbed Keun Sejin and entered the door. Thud.
As soon as the door closed, Keun Sejin's face hardened.
"Park Moondae, why is that person here?"
"His dog got sick… No, it's not our business anyway. Rather, he said VTIC would go to the army."
"What??"
"Hey, is VTIC sunbaenim going to the army already?"
"… …"
"Oh my god. Did he come to tell you about that?"
When I saw Kim Raebin poking in, I immediately realized that things were getting bigger than I thought.
The people gathered in the living room at least heard Kim Raebin's voice.
"The army??"
"… Is he out there right now?"
"Oh, did Moondae hyung call sunbaenim?"
"… ! If we have been invited to receive advice to help us in our work… …"
"Wait a second."
I stopped talking for now. I was breaking out in a cold sweat.
"I didn't call him first."
"Then?"
I moderately mixed the circumstances of the guy, and made an excuse like, 'His dog had an accident, but all of his acquaintances were busy, so he came because there was nowhere to talk.'
'… No, come to think of it, it's not an excuse, it's a fact.'
It happened all of a sudden.
"Ooh, sorry for the puppy…"
"Yes."
Those who knew that I had fought like a dog with Cheongryeo only seemed to understand.
Bae Sejin looked like he was about to open the gate and shout out, but since Ryu Chungwoo was trying to stop him, it should have been okay.
I immediately spit out the closing remarks.
"I'll send him away and come back."
"Ah, I also have to see off sunbaenim~"
"… …"
Yes. He could do it his way.
I didn't bother to get rid of Keun Sejin and opened the front door again.
Cheongryeo was still standing against the wall. He should've just left.
"I guess everyone was at home. Well, I'm sorry if it was difficult."
"That's enough."
I had a headache.
"I came up with something to tell you as an apology."
"What?"
Cheongryeo shrugged his shoulders, and soon opened his smartphone and sent a file to me.
"… ?"
"… It's a sound file."
Keun Sejin was right. But it wasn't a song.
[Future Midday Radio – Spacer Kwon Heeseung cut]
It was a radio broadcast cut featuring Gold 2.