Chapter 179. The Earth is Round (3)
Fortunately or unfortunately, when Lee Hyun-il contacted Lee Doha to meet, he replied that he would visit the company before lunch. Thanks to Doha, who woke up earlier than I did and contacted the company on his own, all I had to do when I woke up was wash up and get ready to leave.
As soon as I opened my eyes, I washed up, changed my clothes, and unpacked the luggage I had brought in a suitcase last night. Sitting on the living room sofa, I thought seriously.
‘…The member bus is such a blessing.’
I mean, when in my life have I ever been so thoroughly carried?
It’s been a long time since someone else solved all my problems for me, and while it felt strange, it was undeniably convenient. Just thinking about those group project teammates who coasted through school like this makes me feel irritated and bitter.
As I pressed down on the sofa cushion, imagining the future group project members who were likely high school seniors preparing for college exams, Lee Yugeon emerged from the kitchen, wearing a yellow checkered apron and carrying a tray.
“Stop taking out your anger on the cushion and eat your breakfast.”
“Is that informal speech or polite speech?”
“Ah, it’s just a habit.”
“So, you’re openly treating me like an old man now.”
When I helped him move the breakfast tray to the coffee table in the living room, I realized breakfast was more elaborate than expected.
Braised short ribs, assorted jeon…
There was seaweed soup with mussels, all sorts of kimchi, and side dishes. For a moment, I wondered if today was Chuseok.
Even though it was still early August and not even autumn yet.
“…Did we have a feast last night?”
“We were going to, but hyung collapsed, so it got canceled.”
“Ah.”
I accepted it immediately and stuffed a piece of donggeurangttaeng into my mouth to keep it shut. I didn’t know which household had prepared it, but the seasoning was perfect.
“Wow. This donggeurangttaeng is delicious. Who made it? I should thank them.”
“I bought it from the supermarket.”
“Hmm. I guess I’ll have to thank the supermarket every time I go there from now on.”
Well, today just isn’t going my way in many respects.
Yugeon, who was never particularly amiable to begin with, felt even more distant today. I shoved a second piece of donggeurangttaeng into my mouth.
The other members hadn’t woken up yet, so I was waiting for Lee Doha to come out so we could eat together. However, contrary to my expectations, Yugeon sat down across from me with the tray still in his hand.
“…?”
“…”
“…What? Why?”
With one leg up, his arm resting on his knee, and his chin propped on his hand, Yugeon stared at me intently. When I asked what was wrong, he didn’t answer. He just stared at me like a sulking wolf, then suddenly shook his head and stood up.
“Hey. Stop. What? Why? What was that headshake?”
“Forget it.”
“No, nothing’s resolved for me, so why are you acting like it’s all settled?”
“…It’s just that I know you won’t give up and run away like me, so I have nothing to say.”
Take care. After you’re done eating, do the dishes.
With those words, Yugeon stretched his long legs and walked into his room.
I stared dumbly at his retreating figure, wondering what he meant by that. Then, like déjà vu, a memory flashed through my mind.
– “This stage we created together is meaningless without you.”
As the scene of me coaxing Yugeon with a pork belly wrap during the Infinite Yugeon incident flashed by, I finally understood what Yugeon meant, and a smile crept onto my face.
Was he trying to do something similar to what I did back then?
Thinking that, I picked up a third piece of donggeurangttaeng and ate it just as Lee Doha walked out of the bathroom.
“Why are you smiling like that?”
“I didn’t realize Yugeon was so generous. He repays pork with short ribs. He’s a good kid.”
“…?”
Doha looked puzzled, but I just scooped a generous portion of braised short ribs onto a spoonful of rice.
As they say, a Korean needs their rice. Even Mount Geumgang is best viewed after a meal. A ghost with a full stomach looks better, too.
Since I was going to meet a past nemesis, I needed to be well-fed to shout and grab them by the collar.
With renewed determination, I finished the breakfast Yugeon had prepared, leaving not a single grain of rice. I even scrubbed the dishes until they shone as an extra act of pent-up frustration.
* * *
When I arrived at the company in the manager’s car, I was told that Lee Hyun-il had already arrived.
‘Was his home in Seoul?’
As I tried to recall TMI about Lee Hyun-il, we headed to the meeting room where he was waiting. As we walked down the hallway, I could feel people glancing at me.
“Try not to make eye contact with people and walk quickly. There are a lot of outsiders here, so it’s best to avoid them.”
Usually, I would have greeted them with a friendly smile, but given the situation, even the manager chimed in with advice. I continued walking, feeling the shadow of the manager, who deliberately positioned himself to block people’s view of me and Doha with his large frame.
Soon after, we arrived at our destination.
“For smooth communication, the company staff won’t be entering the meeting room. However, since we need to monitor the conversation, we’ll connect a call to the phone inside the meeting room and listen in real-time while recording. This has been agreed upon with Lee Hyun-il as well.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
After a quick explanation, the manager entered the adjacent meeting room.
I took a deep breath, exchanged a glance with Doha, and then opened the door.
“…Ha, Hajin hyung.”
As soon as Lee Hyun-il, who had been sitting nervously, saw me, he stood up in surprise. But when he saw Doha following me in, his expression turned slightly fearful. I could see how my and Doha’s presence together might make someone gulp, so I sat down without any further comment.
“Hi. It’s been a while.”
“Ah, yeah. It has.”
The first greeting was more subdued than I expected.
The Lee Hyun-il in my memory was chubbier and had a lisp. Because of that, he was often ignored and ridiculed by the other trainees, and I felt sorry for him. Although I couldn’t be openly supportive due to the others’ watchful eyes, I tried to look after him whenever I could.
I don’t know what Lee Hyun-il thought of that.
I glanced at the phone on the desk to make sure the call was connected, then clasped my hands and got to the point.
“You contacted me because you had something to say to me. You also know who wrote that exposé.”
“Hyung, it was Park Shinwook. Do you remember him? He was close with Gwangchae hyung.”
Park Shinwook and Yoo Gwangchae.
Even though it had been a while since I heard those names, their faces flashed before my eyes as soon as I did. Especially Yoo Gwangchae, whose name was so distinctive that it was impossible to forget. Maybe it was because I had seen his face so many times in my dreams that it was more so.
– “Hey, Kang Hajin! Let’s go practice together.”
– “We decided not to practice with you anymore.”
One day, out of the blue, he pulled me into his group, and then another day, just as suddenly, he distanced me from everyone.
And as soon as I remembered Park Shinwook, who always followed Gwangchae around, Lee Hyun-il hurriedly continued.
“After you left, our company went bankrupt shortly after. He failed all his auditions, couldn’t adjust to school, and had been getting irritated a lot recently. Then, when he saw you on *Miro Maze*, he must have snapped.”
Hyun-il showed me screenshots of Park Shinwook’s private SNS and messenger conversations he’d captured, getting more and more worked up.
“He always blamed you and thought you were the bad guy because of what Gwangchae hyung said… You wouldn’t know since you left the company, but after you were gone, he and Gwangchae hyung subtly isolated people by swaying public opinion. I was a victim, too.”
“……”
“And now he’s writing things like that about you. It’s ridiculous. At least I know you’re not that kind of person, so I wanted to see if there was anything I could do to help.”
It seemed like Hyun-il genuinely wanted to help me. No, rather, it seemed he was more eager to get back at Park Shinwook for what had been done to him.
Judging by the flood of complaints about how he had been subtly isolated by Park Shinwook and Yoo Gwangchae and how unfair it was, it was clear.
I listened to Hyun-il’s story patiently. Only after he finished did I speak up.
I couldn’t help but say something after listening to Hyun-il’s story.
“But Hyun-il.”
“Yeah?”
“You did that too.”
How absurd it was for him to say this to me now.
“You guys did the same to me. You suddenly called me to the practice room one day and told me you wouldn’t practice with me anymore. After that, you laughed at me, mocked me, ridiculed me behind my back. Don’t you remember?”
“……”
“Honestly, I
have nothing to say right now. You did the same to me, and after I left the company, you even deleted my contact. So why are you bringing this up now?”
I’ve never changed my phone number since middle school.
So if Hyun-il had really wanted to, he could have easily found my number. Yet, he got in touch with Doha before he even tried to reach me.
I wasn’t so dumb that I couldn’t figure out what that meant.
“Yeah. Now that we’re on the subject, let me ask you. Why did you guys treat me that way back then? We were fine until suddenly you did that. Were my words and actions really that hurtful to you?”
“Hyung, that’s…”
“I know I had a bad personality back then. But honestly, it wasn’t bad enough for you all to suddenly turn your backs on me and then continue mocking and ridiculing me afterward, was it?”
“……”
“You didn’t just cut ties with me because of a simple fight. You all ostracized me as a group. So, since we’re here, tell me why. Why did you do that back then?”
As I spoke, my emotions surged, and I got worked up.
As my voice grew louder, Doha cautiously placed a hand on my shoulder, trying to calm me down. I barely managed to lower my voice and suppress my anger. Hyun-il, seemingly flustered, fidgeted with his hands as his eyes darted around.
It was Doha, who had been watching us, who mediated the suddenly tense situation.
“…I don’t know the details of your situation.”
“……”
“But if you truly want to help Hajin, I think it’s important to be completely honest. If you’re not just trying to use us for your revenge.”
Hyun-il took a sharp breath at Doha’s words, his voice deep and his all-black attire intimidating. Then, after briefly chewing on his lips as if contemplating his response, he lowered his head.
“……”
“……”
After some time passed.
Hyun-il finally began to speak the ‘truth of that day.’
“To be honest…”
“……”
“To tell the truth, there was no reason.”
“What?”
“You just had the misfortune of being the target. That’s all.”
And that ‘truth’ was far too insignificant compared to the last ten years of my life.
TL Note:
Donjeonya(Donggeurangttaeng). A mixture of ground beef or pork and minced vegetables molded into round shapes, flour-coated, egg-battered, and pan-fried.