IKC C3

by berry

Chapter 3

“Hu…!”

Out of nervousness, I let out a loud breath. I was about to see him soon, yet in front of my eyes I kept seeing Seong Sehan’s funeral portrait floating around. And the image of his aunt sobbing bitterly…

“No, no…”

I buried my face in my hands and shook my head, but the unease wouldn’t leave me. I checked the phone I’d been clutching tightly. Surely there should have been a missed call notification, but there was still nothing from Sehan.

Was he ignoring me on purpose?

It was more than possible. He’d probably been angry at me countless times for constantly ignoring his calls. Come to think of it… hadn’t we fought badly during that call on Christmas?

“Taegyeong, Taegyeong. Why would you pick up his call after so long just to fight again…”

Geonwoo-hyung had told me that if I was going to keep ignoring Sehan’s calls, I should just block him. But I could never do that. Truthfully, not once had I ever considered cutting ties with him completely.

I just… couldn’t control my temper. That was all.

“What was I even thinking… I really was pathetic.”

My leg bounced uncontrollably with restlessness. I couldn’t bear it anymore and opened my phone again. Hitting his speed dial, I listened, but there was still no answer.

“Sehan, please pick up. Please…”

My heart was pounding louder and louder the longer I couldn’t get hold of him. I’d never felt such an extreme suffocating anxiety before, to the point I could hardly breathe.

For a moment, I really thought I might faint just like at the funeral. But thankfully, I reached the destination safely.

“Here’s good! I’ll get off here, driver!”

As I stepped out of the taxi, the Hypherion Villa—Sehan’s residence—stood before me. I walked toward the entrance while lifting my phone again.

Should I just wait at the entrance until he answered? Was there no other way to see him?

Maybe because the neighborhood was so quiet, my anxious footsteps sounded especially loud. Even the mutterings from the people around me reached my ears a little too clearly.

…Wait?

I looked up from my phone in sudden realization.

At the entrance of the villa, groups of girls had formed clusters, stationed in position.

Sasaeng fans—those invasive types causing endless problems for Perfect Puzzle.

Their blatant stares made my shoulders hunch with unease.

“Isn’t he that trainee from Global Entertainment?”

“Oh, you’re right. The one who used to be in the debut team with Sehan.”

“What was his name again? Ah, Taegyeong. Kim Taegyeong.”

It’s Lee Taegyeong, actually. I quickly pulled my hood up and turned away. Better get away from the entrance before things went wrong.

“Didn’t he cut ties? Ever since Sehan left Global, he hasn’t been in touch.”

“They’ve completely gone separate ways. So why is he showing up out of nowhere?”

“Sehan must be refusing to meet him…”

Wait a minute. Was that the sound of a camera shutter going off? No way, they weren’t photographing me, were they? Come on—what would they do with pictures of an as-yet-un-debuted trainee?

“Ah!”

Out of wariness, I glanced around—and nearly jumped out of my skin. Girls were suddenly gathering around me, snapping photos left and right.

I covered my face with one hand and hurried away, half-walking, half-running. Haa… I never even experienced this kind of attention at my debut, yet here I was getting all of it now.

“Kyaaah!”

“Kyaaa!”

Suddenly, shrieks erupted, dragging my head around instantly. The fangirls were rushing toward the underground parking entrance of the villa. A black van was gliding out of the shadows.

Judging by their reaction, it had to be Perfect Puzzle’s transport vehicle.

“Is Sehan in there too?!”

My mind spun, my body twitching as though ready to move, yet I couldn’t decide what to do.

Meanwhile, the van passed through the crowd of sasaengs and rolled up the gentle slope, moving swiftly.

And just like that, it passed by me in an instant.

“…!”

Finally snapping back to myself, I bolted after it. But chasing down a moving van picking up speed was impossible from the start.

“Sehan!”

I screamed his name with all the strength left in me. I just had to see his face, had to confirm he was all right.

Otherwise, I thought someone might suddenly appear to tell me all of this had only been a dream, and the fear was crushing me.

I screamed his name again and again as I ran, but the black van only sped further and further away until it vanished from sight.

Still, I couldn’t bring myself to stop running.

“Sehan…!”

My eyes burned with despair as tears threatened. Just then, the phone I was gripping tightly buzzed to life. I stopped in my tracks and glanced at the screen.

“Haaah…! Haa… haa…!”

[Seong Sehan]

His name lit up clear as day. I clutched the phone hard as though it might shatter, terrified of dropping it. With shaking fingers, I hurriedly pressed accept.

“H-hello? Sehan!”

―……

Two silent seconds were unbearable. I shouted again, louder.

“Sehan!”

―Lee Taegyeong.

The familiar voice speaking my name reached my ears. At that moment, I collapsed to the ground, unable to withstand it anymore. Even so, I pressed the phone hard against my ear with my sweating palm.

―Was it really you who called me?

His voice hiccupped between my ragged breathing. I rushed to reply.

“Sehan, it… it really was me who called you!”

―So suddenly? What business could Lee Taegyeong possibly have with me?

Even his brusque tone couldn’t affect me now. I could’ve been cursed out and still smiled in relief.

Ding-dong. Ding-dong.

Then, the forgotten status window chimed noisily.

[Inferiority Score has decreased by -1.]

[The accident score of Genius Idol Seong Sehan is declining. Death risk is lowering.]

I lifted my head and glared at the hovering text. No need to bother with such unlucky words anymore.

If Sehan just came back safe to me, I wouldn’t feel any inferiority at all.

I pushed power back into my legs and stood tall.

“Sehan, I… I came here to see you. Were you… maybe in that van just now?”

―What?

His voice suddenly shot up.

―Wait, what—you came to see me? Where are you right now?

“A-at your dorm. I just saw a van go past. Could it have been…?”

―Outside our dorm? Wait! Jongsoo-hyung! Pull the car over, now!

He was stammering unusually, clearly flustered. My breathing was steadying, yet my heart was hammering even harder now.

―Lee Taegyeong! Stay right there. Don’t move. I’m coming. You hear me?

A dull thud carried through the line—likely him jumping out of the vehicle. My slow steps turned into quicker strides.

“Sehan, just stay in the car. I’ll come to you.”

No answer. Instead, the line filled with rustling noise. He hadn’t even thought to end the call; he was just running.

“Ha… doesn’t listen to a word I say…”

I broke into a full sprint.

My pounding footsteps echoed through the quiet streets as loudly as my heartbeat.

I never imagined it would be this hard just to see Seong Sehan’s face again. If only I’d come here earlier, if only we’d reconciled sooner…

“!”

I turned around the curve—and saw him running toward me from the distance.

“Sehan!”

Seeing him rush toward me made my throat tighten. I wanted to reach him faster, but my legs were already at their limit.

“Haaak! Ha… haaa…”

Even when I stopped moving, breath wouldn’t come. I stumbled, catching myself against a stone wall.

“Haa… I’m dying here…”

“Lee Taegyeong!”

And then he reached me. Sehan ran closer and closer—and yet again, unbidden, I saw his smiling eyes in that funeral photo.

“That bastard’s… perfectly alive, right here…!”

He was healthy enough to sprint furiously, yet my nose stung and a lump rose in my throat.

“Taegyeong!”

At last he was in front of me. To see him safe, I reached my hand out.

“Sehan… uke!”

But before I could touch him, his large hand ripped back my hood. Grabbing my chin, he twisted my head left and right so suddenly, I almost bit my tongue.

“Ah—hey, Seong Sehan! What the hell are you—”

“Taegyeong! Haa… are you okay? You’re not sick or anything, right?”

Breathless, his words poured out nonsensically.

“Uh, huh…?”

Was he seriously asking if I’d gone crazy?

Without waiting for an answer, he started roughly twisting my body around, flipping me this way and that against my will.

“Hey, calm down! No one’s sick here—”

“Something happen at home? Your mom, or Taemin—is something wrong with them?”

“What the hell are you even talking about! How does your brain jump to that!”

I burst out furiously, but then his panting face filled my vision.

Despite the biting cold, he was in nothing but a short-sleeved shirt, beads of sweat glistening on his brow. His chest rose and fell hard, proof of how frantically he had run here. For me. Because he was worried.

“Sehan.”

Right—this was him. This was the Seong Sehan I knew. Always considering me, always caring for me… one of the very few people I could truly rely on.