IKC C22

Chapter 22

 

[Taegyeong-ah, send me a few photos.]

Checking Seong Sehan’s message, Taegyeong let out a small laugh.

He had casually mentioned earlier that they would be doing a profile photoshoot today—Sehan must have remembered.

He immediately sent a group shot and a few individual cuts he liked, but there was no reply. Sehan was probably caught up in his busy schedule.

“Taegyeong, we need to move.”

“Ah, yes!”

At the urging of their new manager, Doohyun-hyung, Taegyeong shoved his phone into his pocket and ran over. Once all the members climbed into the van outside the studio, Doohyun-hyung handed out rice drinks one by one.

“You must be tired. Even if you’re hungry, just hold out a bit. We’ll eat dinner at the company.”

“Yes. Thank you, hyung.”

“Thank you!”

Doohyun-hyung had a gentle, easygoing personality, so it was always comfortable talking with him. In that regard, he was the complete opposite of Sungwook-hyung, and Taegyeong thought it was a relief for the younger members.

“Get some shut-eye until we arrive. No distractions, alright?”

“Yes!”

“Understood, hyung.”

Even though he told them to rest, not one member tried to sleep. Everyone had their noses buried in their phones, busy checking the comments and rising views on their cover videos.

“Taegyeong-hyung is honestly overwhelming. It’s been only a week, and he’s already over 700,000 views. We haven’t even broken 100,000 yet… Geonwoo-hyung! We can’t let Taegyeong-hyung be left out, right?”

“Should we?”

Everyone burst out laughing, but Suin alone looked deadly serious.

“Even as a joke, I don’t think we should let jealousy take root. For the sake of our team, Taegyeong-hyung should—”

“Ah, Suin-ah, we’re just joking. Loosen up, alright?”

There was no way the members would truly feel jealousy—after all, those views came largely thanks to Seong Sehan’s comment and the news coverage. Taegyeong couldn’t help but find Suin’s earnestness adorable, ruffling his hair before breaking into a smile.

One hundred thousand views, seven hundred thousand views… Who could have imagined them joking about such numbers? If he told the members that their debut music video back then had reached only around eighty thousand views, what kind of expressions would they make?

And even that was the result of a small handful of fans tirelessly replaying it.

“Ah…”

A sudden ache struck his heart.

He remembered the faces of the few fans on the old fan café, encouraging one another to keep going. Had those fans seen their cover videos this time? Had they joined their new fan café?

He prayed they had. He wished, with all his heart, that they would walk this path with them once more.

And if they did, then this time he would show them the radiant idol they had so long dreamed of.

He would stake everything he had.

“Suin-ah, wait a moment.”

In the recording booth, Suin, who had been rapping fiercely, froze with a frightened look.

Taegyeong had sighed as he pressed the talkback mic switch, which made Hosun-hyung, who had been directing, glare at him in displeasure.

“Taegyeong, am I just a scarecrow to you? Why don’t you direct instead, huh?”

“Hosun-hyung.”

With a hardened expression, Taegyeong looked down at Hosun-hyung, seated in front of the booth.

“Did you… by any chance let Suin listen to Sehan’s guide version?”

“Of course I did. Isn’t that natural?”

“Ah, no—you shouldn’t have. Their styles are completely different.”

Whipping around, Taegyeong strode off, while behind him Hosun-hyung grumbled.

“Geonwoo-ya, what’s with him? Doesn’t he seem more and more like Sehan these days?”

When Taegyeong opened the booth door and stepped inside, Suin was already visibly deflated. Taegyeong immediately took off his headphones and wrapped an arm around his shoulder.

“Suin-ah, you’re completely different from Seong Sehan. I told you before—you don’t need to rap like him.”

“But… this song, if I do it like Seong Sehan—”

“Hey!”

Taegyeong pulled him aside into a corner, as though they were plotting some secret together. Outside the booth, Hosun-hyung craned his neck, peering in.

“Seong Sehan was practically born with that scratch in his throat. If you force it, you’ll only ruin your voice. You just need to be yourself—straightforward and bold! Attack it with spirit, you hear me?”

“Yes…”

“Especially hit your closing notes clean, precise, just like your personality. I really love that about your rap—it’s strong, honest, manly, just like your face.”

Suin’s ears flushed red at once. Such an easy-to-read, endearing kid. Nodding shyly, he let Taegyeong pat his head. Taegyeong had just turned to leave when—

Ding-dong.

A sharp chime reverberated through his head. His heart plummeted.

[How to prevent the death of genius idol Seong Sehan.]

[Now revealing Lee Taegyeong’s current inferiority score.]

The status window wasn’t saying anything new, yet every word landed like a blow to his chest.

[Congratulations! 80 points!]

Staring at the blood-red letters, Taegyeong reached for the booth door handle, his palms so sweaty he slipped off it multiple times.

[Ah! Ah! Mic test! Please note: there has been no change in your inferiority score for over two weeks!]

He froze, hand trembling on the handle. What the hell was this supposed to mean? He had just been too busy, that’s all…

[As such, a penalty will be imposed today!]

“What the hell!”

“Uwaah!”

Whipping around to yell at the window, he startled Suin, who jumped back in fear.

…But there was no time to comfort him now.

[And what will today’s penalty be? Drumroll, please!]

“Sorry, Suin. That wasn’t meant for you.”

Hastily opening the booth door, he stepped out, only to find Hosun-hyung and the members staring at him, bewildered.

“Uh—I’ve got an urgent matter to take care of. Geonwoo-hyung, this is really important, alright? Please understand.”

Taegyeong had once made a solemn request of Geonwoo-hyung for moments like this: if he ever said it was urgent, to just let him go without questions.

“Alright. Go handle it.”

The moment Geonwoo nodded, Taegyeong bolted from the studio.

He knew well what the status window intended—most likely to hurt Seong Sehan again. But he wouldn’t just sit back and let it happen. Whatever the penalty was, he would block it.

[First, Lee Taegyeong must go to Baeknyeon Entertainment and meet Seong Sehan.]

“I’m already on my way!”

The words came out harsh. As he dashed out of the company, anger flared hotter and hotter.

“How the hell can you call this a penalty? If you’d told me in advance, I would have—”

Wait. Could this be… my fault?

The status window had given him a year to save Sehan. Yet all this time, he had thrown himself into preparing for debut, putting Sehan on the back burner…

Was that why—?

[Not necessarily.]

The sudden interjection made his legs falter mid-run.

[But wouldn’t it be better to save both lives? Kill two birds with one stone, sweep the yard and find a coin, dredge the ditch and catch a crayfish—save Seong Sehan, save Lee Taegyeong.]

“Ha… shit…”

He bit down hard on his lips, unable to let the curse slip out.

“Damn it… then what is the penalty?”

[First, let me tell you how to block the penalty.]

“If you had a method, you should’ve said so sooner!”

[It’s simple.]

Simple? What the hell is supposed to be simple?

[Before today ends, meet Seong Sehan and make him promise to quit smoking.]

“W-what?”

His fingers, halfway through opening the taxi app, froze.

“Quit smoking? Since when did Seong Sehan even smoke?”

[Time remaining: 3 hours 8 minutes!]

Ha… damn. He really couldn’t keep himself from cursing this time.

His legs trembled all through the cab ride. He knew Sehan was at the studio, but what was he supposed to say—barge in and demand he quit smoking? The guy already thought he’d been acting strange lately…

But then—wait.

Taegyeong stilled, leaning back against the seat.

Why was the status window interfering even with Sehan’s smoking? What was the logic behind this?

[How to prevent the death of genius idol Seong Sehan.]

He narrowed his eyes at the glowing window, sharp suspicion burning in them.

[The status window has determined that quitting smoking will benefit his health.]

“Ha…”

Of course it would. Who didn’t know that?

In fact, nearly every composer he knew smoked while writing songs. But why was Sehan, of all people, being forbidden even this? The one who bore the heaviest pressure—didn’t he need some outlet for his stress?

[He simply shouldn’t feel stressed!]

“You’re insane…!”

He nearly unleashed a string of curses.

[Ah! Ah! If you fail to complete the Quit Smoking Promise Quest, here is the penalty that will be imposed!]

“!”

Unconsciously, his back straightened.

[Seong Sehan’s death will be moved forward by 30 days.]

He didn’t even know what words burst from his mouth—just that he found himself screaming at the empty air, voice raw.

Only when the taxi driver glanced back and scolded him did Taegyeong regain his senses.

But when he stepped out of the taxi, he couldn’t take even a single step forward.