CH 20.2

“Hey, Yoo Yeon Seo.”

After a brief blackout, Yeon Seo, who had regained consciousness, felt something different from the previous memory synchronization. Now that it was over 10%, it was showing him in the first person.

His body moved on its own.

“We’re getting some street food. What do you want?”

“Me… Tteokbokki?”

[TN: Tteokbokki – Spicy rice cakes]

“Do chaebols eat Tteokbokki too?”

A youthful face, yet familiar… It was the person who visited him in the hospital room. Kim Yi Jun of ONESEVEN.

Seven people were living in the small house. The room was suffocatingly filled with the presence of three bunk beds, and the floor was covered with yellow linoleum.

From the memory synchronization so far, Yeon Seo didn’t like something as cramped and run-down as this. Still, he did live in such a place. It was unexpected.

“Why wouldn’t I eat it? My grandfather’s favourite place is a 5,000-won granny’s soup place. It’s in Seodaemun.”

“Really? I thought chaebols only ate steak every day.”

“Well, that’s also true.”

“Ugh, you’re annoying.”

Kim Yi Jun shook his head teasingly. Yeon Seo felt the corners of his mouth lift. Was he smiling now?

“But we have our debut stage tomorrow. Can we eat now?”

“It’s a secret from the manager hyung. This is our last feast. From tomorrow, it’s salads.”

“They say you naturally lose weight when you start doing the music shows full-time.”

The person with only his face hanging next to Yeon Seo’s head, who was lying on the top bunk, was Lee Han Gyeol.

“But why are you an idol?”

“What?”

“You just showed up at our company one day saying you knew you were ready to debut and asked to be included in the debut group.”

“Oh, the manager mentioned that.”

Yeon Seo huffed in mild annoyance, placing his hands behind his head and sinking into his thoughts. He didn’t have any particular reason. Studying was too easy and therefore boring, and he was fed up with his family treating him like a delicate piece of glass.

During a time in his life when he felt bored, he stumbled upon a video. It was of his biological mother, whose memory was now faint, performing during her ‘Twinkle’ era. Despite her expressionless face as she sang and danced, her movements and voice radiated vitality. He realized that his mother was enjoying the stage in her own way. He wondered why it was so enjoyable for her and felt curious enough to try it himself.

“So, aren’t you supposed to inherit your family’s business? Why are you doing this idol thing?”

“My brother will take over the business. As for being an idol… it’s not bad as a hobby.”

“What, a hobby? Is it because you’re rich?”

However, if he answered truthfully, he’d surely get teased. To avoid revealing his true thoughts, Yeon Seo replied in a deliberately gruff tone.

“For you, it might be a hobby, but for us, it’s our livelihood.”

“Isn’t it too early in life to be staking everything on this? If it fails, do something else.”

“Once we sign, we’re tied up for seven years. If we don’t make it big during that time, our lives are screwed. You, with your silver spoon, wouldn’t understand.”

“Well…”

Yeon Seo didn’t say that he could understand too.

Suddenly, his vision darkened. After a few seconds of blackout, when he opened his eyes, he found himself in a different location.

It seemed like the chaotic backstage of a concert venue. Members in dishevelled clothes and messy hair, just off stage. They were all drenched in sweat and crying.

“Crying just because we’ve done our debut stage?”

“Sob… You aren’t crying?”

“No. Is this something to cry about?”

The only one among them who wasn’t crying was Yeon Seo. He crossed his arms and teased them. Despite his rough exterior, his true feelings were quite different.

This peculiar sensation welling up from his gut… Yes, this was happiness. Yeon Seo was elated about their debut, even if he didn’t outwardly show it.

“You wouldn’t understand, Hyung. Your trainee period was short… We’ve been waiting for this moment for so long…”

“You cold-hearted jerk. He’s a chaebol after all.”

They always brought up him being a chaebol. Yet, the one who actually built walls because of his chaebol status was him. Yeon Seo pouted. Was he… upset?

“Stop crying and let’s go home. We have a music show tomorrow. Hey, Park Joo Won, you should be doing this.”

“What is ‘Hey’, when you’re talking to your elder…”

“Follow me. We can’t keep sobbing here.”

“Hmph…”

“Oh man, this is driving me crazy.”

The members of One Seven followed Yeon Seo like ducklings, despite their tears. Yeon Seo looked back at them and gave a dry laugh. It was absurd but somehow enjoyable.

His vision darkened once more.

“Han Gyeol Hyung! Read Yoo Yeon Seo’s fan letter, it’ll make you laugh!”

“That’s not true!”

This memory sync was mostly from when Yeon Seo was active with One Seven. There were occasional memories from his middle and high school days as well.

Despite being in the same class, the students were divided into those who were overly friendly because of their parents’ influence and those who distanced themselves due to their high social status.

“But thanks to you, our group gained quite a bit of attention.”

“I know.”

“Don’t just admit it like that! It’s annoying!”

“Why are you getting all worked up out of the blue?”

In contrast, One Seven were some of the few peers who treated Yeon Seo without prejudice. And those days… seemed pretty happy.

<Warning, physical exhaustion has reached its limit.>

‘Just a little more, continue.’

<Depending on physical condition, accurate memory synchronization may not proceed. Memories may become mixed.>

His vision shook as if a videotape was fast-forwarding.

“Who does grandfather think he is to meddle in my affairs!”

“Who are you, sir?”

“I’ll invest in the company instead of stepping in. But only for the seven years of the kids’ artist contracts.”

“An undiagnosable mental illness…”

His vision swirled as if he was floating in space. He was unable to identify proper memories. There was nothing to gain from this. Just when Yeon Seo was about to call Beta to cancel the memory sync,

“Do you really believe that Mom committed suicide?”

What?

<Danger detected in the body, cancelling memory synchronization.>

‘Wait a moment…’

<Master, I can no longer maintain this.>

His vision darkened once more.

When he came to, he was in the bathroom of the ‘Baekho-ham’ shooting set. Yeon Seo, collapsing onto the floor, kept his face over the sink due to the overwhelming urge to vomit.

“Ugh!”

Spewing blood, he struggled to keep himself upright before collapsing again onto the sink. His vision was red from the blood he had spat out. It felt as if someone had ruthlessly stabbed his entire body with a knife. The pain was as if his insides were skewered with a pipe.

“Ugh…”

If Lee Hee Seo’s death wasn’t suicide… then what was it?

“Murder?”

She was killed… instead of suicide?