Chapter 160
After the minor clash between Ryu Bo-ra and Seo Baek-young yesterday, the atmosphere in the dorm had significantly dampened.
Kim Geum kept an eye on Ryu Bo-ra. Yeon Juhong kept an eye on Seo Baek-young.
And I kept an eye on all the members.
‘I can’t be as happy as you, unnie. But I don’t want to cause trouble either, you know. That is enough for me.’
I never thought Ryu Bo-ra would have such thoughts.
I knew that the presence of her family had a significant impact on Ryu Bo-ra.
And I also knew that the impact was far from good.
It was my fault.
I should have been more considerate of Ryu Bo-ra’s feelings.
How sensitive could one be at nineteen?
It was a time when even the entire family caring for Ryu Bo-ra would not be enough.
I should have looked after the two nineteen-year-old members.
But… now it seemed like it was time to look after Seo Baek-young as well.
Since we happened to share the same room.
“Unnie.”
I called Seo Baek-young, who was doing push-ups in the room.
I could never stand seeing that woman just stay still.
“Yeah.”
“…About Bo-ra.”
“I’m okay.”
After wiping off her sweat, Seo Baek-young smiled her signature, unruffled smile.
“I was thoughtless. It was because I didn’t consider Bo-ra’s position.”
“…No. Everyone has different backgrounds. It’s no one’s fault. Bo-ra will understand too.”
“Different backgrounds…”
Seo Baek-young sat on the bed and looked up at me.
“Do you think so too, Cheong?”
“What?”
“That our backgrounds are different, Bo-ra’s and mine. Do you think that?”
Uh…
To be honest, I had no idea what Seo Baek-young’s background was like.
So I had never thought about it.
That was a mistake.
I didn’t know Seo Baek-young that well.
“I didn’t mean it that way. I meant that everyone has different ways of living. Just as you and I are different. Bo-ra and you are different too.”
“…That’s true.”
Seo Baek-young lifted the corners of her mouth in a bitter smile.
“I… my parents divorced.”
“…!”
“The process wasn’t easy. We had to fight legally for a long time.”
I sat down silently across from Seo Baek-young and listened to her story.
“The reason I told Bo-ra to seek legal help was because of that. If my father and I hadn’t… received legal help back then, we would have been in financial trouble.”
Seo Baek-young let out a big sigh.
“But legal disputes themselves are incredibly stressful. I really understand Bo-ra’s feelings. Honestly, if it were me, I’d probably think to just give up the money.”
Seo Baek-young shrugged her shoulders and looked at me with a somewhat relieved face.
“But I want Bo-ra to be happier than me. Rather than sacrificing herself for us… I want her to be happy with us.”
I nodded.
Because my feelings were very similar to Seo Baek-young’s.
“That’s the common mistake we make. Thinking that if I sacrifice myself, that person will be happier, right? But in reality… it’s not like that. When I sacrifice myself, sometimes the other person becomes even sadder.”
“…I understand.”
“I thought you would, Cheong. That’s why I told you.”
Seo Baek-young dusted off her knees and stood up.
“Thanks for listening to my heavy story.”
“No, I should be the one thanking you for sharing it.”
“I’ll talk to Bo-ra. Alright?”
“…Yes. If it’s you, unnie… I believe you’ll clear up the misunderstanding easily.”
Seo Baek-young grinned.
“Cheong, you always trust me. I like that.”
“Isn’t it burdensome? I find it burdensome when someone trusts me.”
“No? It gives me motivation to meet their expectations. It feels… empowering. Like, waiting… something like that.”
“What kind of feeling is that…”
There are people like her, I guess.
I avoided Seo Baek-young’s gaze.
It was indeed too difficult to look into the eyes of someone far kinder than me.
“To be honest, I think that the person who believes is much greater than the person who lives up to that belief.”
See?
She’s just too good.
“Unnie.”
“Yeah?”
“I think there’s so much I don’t know about you.”
“There’s still a lot you don’t know.”
That’s true.
But saying it so directly makes me feel a bit inadequate.
“…”
“Just kidding, just kidding.”
“Hmph.”
“Cheong.”
“Yes.”
Seo Baek-young turned on her phone and showed me something.
“I did taekwondo for a really long time when I was young.”
“?!”
On the screen was a childhood photo of Seo Baek-young wearing a black belt in taekwondo, making a peace sign.
“You were really young back then, unnie.”
“Did you think I didn’t have a childhood? I’m still young now.”
Seo Baek-young laughed heartily.
“When I was attending taekwondo, there was a dance academy next door, so I went to both. Then the taekwondo instructor told me I was pretty and good at moving, so I should try out for the Colors audition.”
“Usually, wouldn’t the dance academy instructor suggest that?”
“The two were a married couple.”
“…”
What a cute audition story.
“So, in my audition video, I’m sitting there in my taekwondo uniform.”
“…”
She managed to get selected somehow.
Silently, I offered my thanks to the instructor couple who discovered Seo Baek-young.
“Hmm. Maybe that’s why I couldn’t say anything.”
“About what?”
“Bo-ra said I didn’t know anything because I was only surrounded by good adults.”
“…Yes.”
“She was right. I had a lot of good adults around me.”
I see.
“That’s a good thing.”
“Yes, it was really good.”
Seo Baek-young walked to the door.
“So I want Bo-ra to believe in the presence of good adults too.”
“…Someone like you, unnie?”
“I’m an adult by age, but I don’t know if I’m a real grown-up.”
Haha.
Seo Baek-young laughed and left the room.
***
“…Ugh.”
Early the next morning.
The moment I opened my eyes, feeling the burning sensation on my forehead, I thought.
This is bad.
“…Unnie.”
I called Seo Baek-young, who was in the bed next to mine.
“Oh, oh. Yes, Cheong.”
She answered in a still sleepy voice, having just woken up.
“I think I’m sick. Could you call the manager unnie for me?”
“What?!”
Seo Baek-young immediately jumped out of bed.
…Anyone would think she was a spring.
“If this is the flu… don’t get too close…. Keep a safe distance….”
“Wait, Cheong, you think it’s the flu?!”
Even in the dark, Seo Baek-young staggered over to me.
“Do you have a fever?!”
“No. Don’t touch me, just go outside…. Right now…. Please.”
“But how can I leave when you’re sick-”
“Our… activities end in a week. We can adjust the choreography for one sick member, but not two. Please.”
Only then did Seo Baek-young hesitate.
“I’ll ask the manager unnie. For now, please go and call the manager unnie… so I can at least get an IV drip.”
“Oh, oh! I’ll do that. I’ll call the manager unnie.”
I felt relieved only after hearing the sound of Seo Baek-young leaving.
Damn.
I was anxious about the cold early spring weather.
Let’s see. Today is… Tuesday, so….
I’ll skip today’s and tomorrow’s schedules. I’ll return on Thursday.
As long as it’s not contagious. It’d be better if it were just a simple cold.
I touched my forehead.
It was burning hot.
Hmm.
I need to get better within two days, no matter what.
We’re aiming for first place this week too.
I did push myself a bit too much.
Even I thought our schedule was unreasonable. Finishing “Top of Idol,” then immediately filming “Dear My Diva,” and starting our activities without any break.
It wouldn’t be strange to fall sick.
But the timing was too unfortunate.
Couldn’t I have gotten sick a week later?
I resented Yoon Cheong’s weak body.
“Cheong!”
Ah.
It seemed I had dozed off again.
The room was brightly lit, and the manager was looking down at me.
“Unnie. I think I have a fever. I need to… check the schedule…. I need to miss today’s… What was today’s schedule?”
“Why are you worried about the schedule!”
The manager shouted, then touched my forehead.
I never knew human skin could feel so hot and sore.
That meant my body was really in bad shape.
“Cheong, your body is burning up…!”
“Fortunately, I don’t have a sore throat. It shouldn’t be contagious…. Keep the members out of this room….”
“The other managers are taking care of the members. First, you need to go to the hospital with me.”
“Okay. But first, what’s today’s schedule… quickly.”
With my eyes barely open, I saw the manager’s face.
She looked horrified.
She must be surprised that I’m worrying about the schedule while being this sick.
But I’m more afraid of getting a bad reputation for missing an event. Much more than being sick.
“We have an event in the provinces today. I’ll send the other members, apologize, and pay the penalty fee. No, wait. You shouldn’t be worrying about that now. Why do you think the company exists!”
The manager lifted me up.
It’s embarrassing to be carried on someone’s back at this age.
…As I had that thought.
I fell asleep again.
***
“Ugh.”
I woke up with the feeling of being late for a schedule.
A chilling sensation spread from the top of my head to my heart.
“Cheong, you’re awake?”
The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was the manager.
This feels like a scene from a romance novel.
Seeing her every time I wake up is a bit embarrassing.
“How are you feeling…? Are you okay…?”
“Ah, yes. Much better.”
I saw the IV drip in my wrist and felt relieved.
The power of fluids is amazing.
I felt much lighter.
“It seems you had a fever from overexertion. It’s not an illness like you worried about. But they said you need to rest for a while.”
“…I’ll rest right after this week’s activities.”
“You wouldn’t listen even if I tried to stop you.”
The manager sighed and nodded.
But more importantly….
“What about the members?”
“Ah… about that.”
The manager had a perplexed, slightly amused expression on her face.
I felt uneasy.
“Well… Cheong.”
“Please tell me quickly what’s going on.”
“While you were sleeping… quite a lot happened….”
“!”
Something bad must have happened.
Damn it.
“Is everyone okay? Did anyone get hurt-!”
“No. No. No one got hurt.”
Thank goodness.
I immediately felt relieved.
“Then what’s the problem?”
If no one was physically hurt.
I could solve any problem that came up.
“Well… it’s not really a problem. Actually… things turned out well. Very fortunately.”
“…?”
I couldn’t understand a word she was saying.
Seeing my confusion, the manager nervously handed me her phone.
“Uh… rather than explaining it in detail… it might be better if you just watch this video.”
What the manager handed me was a… fancam on YouTube?
This…
“Isn’t this from the event the members were supposed to attend today?”
“…Technically, it was yesterday… Today is Wednesday, and the other members went to a music show schedule.”
Has it already been a day?
I quickly pressed the play button.
After watching the entire video.
I was at a loss for words.
“…What is this?! The members…!”
“They’re all fine. Perfectly fine.”
“I need to see it with my own eyes…!”
“They’re currently wrapping up their pre-recording and are in the middle of an interview.”
“What?”
What interview?
Seeing my bewildered expression, the manager looked at me with an awkward smile.
“Cheong. We’ve gone viral… on the internet.”