Chapter 88

88

"What are you doing right now?"

Disgusted, I quickly ushered out the minors and non-smokers and went in to open the windows wide. Despite the strong sunlight pouring in, Im Hyun-su didn’t seem to care and continued to tap his foot on the desk while sitting in his chair.

Originally, Im Hyun-su and Kang I-chae had a similar vibe, but now their actions were becoming increasingly alike. After they started to sync up as teacher and student, they seemed to absorb each other’s bad habits more quickly.

"The smoke is so thick, it’s amazing the alarm didn’t go off."

"I deliberately chose a place where the alarm is broken... so I could smoke indoors…."

"Are you crazy?"

"It’s my building, it’s fine. And it’s on the first floor, so if there’s a fire, I can jump out the window."

"Fix it quickly."

'Why is he like this?'

Im Hyun-su didn’t seem to be in a good state. I always thought he was a bit of an idiot, but today he seemed even more off.

After opening the windows and letting some of the smoke out, it became bearable, but it still seemed too early to bring the members in, so I crossed my arms and looked at Im Hyun-su.

Im Hyun-su, who was stubbornly puffing out smoke, didn’t give his usual sly smile but instead put his feet down from the desk and slowly avoided my gaze.

'...What’s going on?'

I looked at the ashtray next to him and felt a chill. It was filled with cigarette butts like a mountain, and several empty cigarette packs were scattered around.

"Even as the building owner, is this really okay? Smoking indoors?"

"Are you one to talk? You’ve smoked here too."

"Shh, I remember."

"Are you interrogating me?"

He used to smoke to intimidate. Grumbling, "This is why ex-smokers are no good, they get too cocky," Im Hyun-su sighed and fiddled with the cigarette pack.

"I don’t care… I’ll smoke a pack, no, two packs a day and die early. I’ll live like a cool artist and die young."

"What?"

"Usually, this industry highly values the talent of those who die young. I’ll shine until the very end and then die. How about it, isn’t it cool?"

'Pathetic....'

Are you done with your act?

I stared at him in disbelief and sat on the folding chair next to him. I grabbed the armrest of the chair Im Hyun-su was sitting in, which was spinning wildly.

I don’t know what’s going on, but...

'Should I try to cheer him up?'

"No. Don’t die."

"…!"

"Mr. Composer…."

Im Hyun-su, who was forced to stop spinning, looked at me with a suddenly moved expression.

"I want to use you until the very, very end."

"Shit…."

I said I wanted to use him for as long as possible, for a very, very long time, with a sweet smile. Im Hyun-su hit my hand that was holding the chair and moved away.

At this point, I figured I had taken all the jokes and the mood had been refreshed, so I called the members who were waiting outside.

"Does it smell?"

"It’s fine!"

I didn’t say it didn’t.

The members, including Jeong Dae-jun, who is kind but can’t tell a lie, greeted Im Hyun-su, who was still slumped like half-melted jelly, and cautiously sat on the sofa.

"So, why are you here?"

"It’s a fan song. Can you take a look?"

"Ha…."

Im Hyun-su sighed and leaned back in his chair, stretched out. Normally, he would have cursed and then gotten excited listening to Kang I-chae’s song, but today he seemed strangely listless.

Kang I-chae, who noticed this, hesitated before taking out his laptop.

A moment later, Im Hyun-su rubbed his eyes and suddenly sat up.

"Alright, play it."

"…Yes."

Kang I-chae, as always, listened well to Im Hyun-su. The song he pulled out in a very short time sounded beautiful even to my untrained ears.

The song, which evoked the 1980s American high school setting, was composed of a strong upbeat and a refreshing melody.

'Kang I-chae is really something.'

After that… incident, Kang I-chae seemed a bit gloomy, but then he suddenly locked himself in a room and dove into classic movies. After that, he and Jeong Dae-jun explored 1980s American films, shouting things like "I am an American teen," "Kang I-chae-ism," and "I will ride a burning car back to the past," and produced this beat.

Honestly, if he could produce such a great song, I was willing to tolerate any nonsense.

[♩♬♪?]

While the members focused on the song, Kang I-chae watched Im Hyun-su with a slight tension. Im Hyun-su remained silent for a while after the song ended.

"…?"

As we started to exchange glances, her hand moved towards the cigarette pack but then stopped. She fluttered her eyelashes and said,

"…It’s good."

"Wow!"

"Wow!"

The members, who didn’t know Im Hyun-su well, cheered just because they received praise from a famous composer, but I was speechless as I looked at Im Hyun-su.

Kang I-chae, who seemed to be in the same state, looked down and then smiled.

"It’s all thanks to our genius composer, Mr. Im Hyun-su~."

"Of course, where else would you learn it?"

Im Hyun-su responded with a light joke and gave feedback, pointing at the program. Kang I-chae, listening intently to Im Hyun-su’s voice, made the song richer and more vibrant with each touch of the computer.

I watched this from the sofa and then looked away.

'Min Ji-hun…'

After that, I naturally tried to contact him, but I received no reply, and he was nowhere to be seen at the company. I thought about trying to contact him through a manager or the company, but I knew that wouldn’t lead to a proper conversation.

I rubbed my lips and slowly unraveled my tangled thoughts.

Min Ji-hun… definitely knows something.

Let’s start from the beginning.

When we met in Jeju and at the company, he told me I looked "rushed."

He later retracted it, saying he must have been mistaken, but….

'What exactly is he rushing about?'

It’s true that I’m suffering in this wretched game, but there’s no time limit to clear this scenario. The only vague instruction was to become a top idol.

Occasionally, quests had time limits, but I never doubted the reason because they seemed appropriate for the situation.

'…Wait.'

Is there something I missed?

I always thought the quest rewards and failures were arbitrary and unbalanced, but what if that’s not the case?

What if there’s a reason the system window didn’t tell me, and Min Ji-hun figured it out and told me I’m rushed?

What if he also has a limit?

"…Hey."

Even if that’s true, there are still many unsolved mysteries. How did Min Ji-hun, who knew nothing, show me that traffic accident? Why did the system window error? And—.

Just as I was about to get lost in these thoughts, my shoulder was tapped.

"Hey, Seo Ho-yun."

"…Ah."

It was Im Hyun-su, standing with his hands in his pockets, leaning to one side. The members, except for me, who was spacing out, were already standing and greeting Im Hyun-su.

"Why are you so deep in thought that you can’t hear me?"

"You’re cursing Mr. Composer."

"Shit, really…."

He shrugged and tried to leave, but Im Hyun-su stopped me.

"Wait a moment. I have something to say."

"…? Um, okay."

"Mr. Cheongbeom! Thank you so much today~!"

"Thank you!"

"Alright, go on in."

The other members quickly said their goodbyes and left, leaving me, who was awkwardly held back. I hoped they would have bought some snacks to recharge while waiting for me.

I sat on the sofa and waited. As soon as the members left, Im Hyun-su plopped into his chair and took out another cigarette.

"Are you really a mess? Can’t you hold it?"

"Shit, just look… I’m so frustrated, I need to let it out."

"…."

I stared at her. Im Hyun-su put down the lighter, exhaled smoke, and looked up at the ceiling.

"Kang I-chae is really…."

"…."

"Really, really, really enviable."

It was almost like a mutter, a forced word.

Just as I was about to frown, Im Hyun-su flicked the ash and turned to me.

"-But that’s not why I wanted to talk. I just wanted to say something."

"Why?"

"…You seem a bit sensitive today."

"…Me?"

No, I… I was still somewhat composed. I raised an eyebrow, and Im Hyun-su, looking at me, narrowed his eyes.

"You always seemed sensitive, but today even more…."

"…."

"What’s going on?"

'You’re soft.'

I sighed and slid down on the sofa, lying down. What should I say, here?

There’s a senior in the same agency who showed me a trauma?

…Instead of saying that, I scanned Im Hyun-su from head to toe. I saw him flinch.

"I…."

"…."

"I quit smoking."

"Ah, shit. I totally understand. Okay."

The mess Im Hyun-su nodded frantically. Seeing him stubbornly smoke in front of someone who had quit, I couldn’t help but laugh. I covered my mouth and squinted, and Im Hyun-su clicked his tongue and shook his head.

"Don’t laugh like that, you’ll get attached."

"I guess I am."

"No, would you? I wish you’d disappear now."

Why, I want to see you for a long time.

He took another drag and carelessly stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray. Just as he was about to reach for a new one, his phone vibrated.

"…?"

I was about to say goodbye and escape this noodle den, but Im Hyun-su, looking at his phone, muttered.

"It’s Hee-young."

"…???"

Hee-young??

"What’s Hee-young calling for? She usually texts."

What is this nonsense?

Im Hyun-su, without looking at me, already had a new cigarette in his mouth and was tilting his head while typing a reply.

"…Ms. Kim Hee-young, the PD?"

"Uh-huh. We’ve been close lately. We met at a drinking party last time. She drinks well…."

Im Hyun-su, who had been grinning while typing, seemed to notice something suspicious and looked at me with a question mark on his face.

"…Why are you angry?"

"I’m not angry."

Why would I be angry?

But Im Hyun-su, narrowing his eyes and examining me, misunderstood and snapped his fingers.

"Why, are you going to curse me??"

"…."

"Man, you’re like a ghost. You’re right, I only gossip about you when we meet."

I felt dizzy and pressed my forehead.

I really want to stop hearing about that person, but why am I so weak that I can’t even block her number….

Im Hyun-su, unaware of my situation, continued to chatter.

"Sorry, but you can’t join~. I’ve been really close with Hee-young lately. Have you heard of Best Friend? B.F.F! It’s a relationship you can’t easily join, like you… Joo Sung was also threatened by you last time, so I thought we could make a trio."

"Shit…."

"If you know someone else who’s threatened by you, let me know, I’ll take them in."

Im Hyun-su chuckled and waved me away. I was already planning to leave, anyway!

I stood up, glared at Im Hyun-su, and left. Even as I closed the door, Im Hyun-su was still chuckling at his phone, which was really annoying.

"Bro!! Over here, over here!"

"Ah, I just bought this. Have a drink!"

As I stepped out, Jeong Dae-jun, with snacks stuffed in his arms, waved. Seong Ji-won, standing next to him, offered a Java Chip Frappuccino.

"Java Chip with caramel drizzle, mocha syrup, and espresso whip. I thought you might want something sweet today."

Thankfully, the members are considerate.

"Thanks."

I took the drink and sipped it. The sugar calmed my irritation and made me more composed. Seong Ji-won blinked and asked cautiously.

"…But, Ho-yun."

"What."

"Why are you angry?"

"I’m not angry??"

***

Even though Seo Ho-yun was (due to her own fault) in a situation that was beyond repair and made her furious, she still worked hard. Thanks to her, a new video was quickly uploaded to the channel.

[The Dawn ? Will you go to prom with me? (Teaser)]

Without any prior announcement, and without even a hint during