Chapter 312 : I Want to Leave the Group (2)
Chapter 312: I Want to Leave the Group (2)
The atmosphere in the practice room was bleak.
The air weighed so heavily on the members that even speaking felt frightening.
Lee Junhyeok had caused trouble.
As if constantly clashing with their manager wasn't enough, he'd even punched the leader for criticizing him.
I'd known since Starf that he was someone who couldn't control his own emotions.
Every time Lee Junhyeok barely avoided a scandal, Doubles had cleaned up after him.
The agency might have been incompetent at its job, but they were surprisingly skilled at suppressing articles.
But what kind of lunatic assaulted his manager at a fan signing event?
There had been far too many witnesses.
He wasn't a ten-year-old child.
He was a madman throwing punches at an official event.
It was only natural that he'd dominate tomorrow morning's entertainment news.
Ha Junseo grabbed Lee Junhyeok.
“Hey. Let's talk.”
“Bullshit. I don't have anything to say to you.”
Lee Junhyeok and Ha Junseo raised their voices at each other.
“Hyung, please stop already. Don't you understand what's going on right now?”
“Stay out of this, you little bastard.”
Jin Sehyun, who stepped between them, received nothing but abuse.
From the corner of the practice room, where he had been lounging carelessly, Lee Dokyung let out a scoff.
His sarcastic remark was directed at Lee Junhyeok.
“Stay out of it? You're the one who should get out. Looks like you're headed for withdrawal.”
“Hey!”
“Are you stupid? Well, you always were dumb, but you've gotten even worse lately.”
“You little piece of shit!”
It was complete chaos.
“If you're going to hit me, at least don't hit my face. I don't want to end up in articles because of you.”
“Fuck. Hey, get over here!”
Watching the two finally come to blows, Cha Seongbin clutched his pounding head.
As always,
it was the kind leader's job to stop them.
“Please, both of you…”
“Move!”
Even Ha Junseo looked overwhelmed in Cha Seongbin's eyes.
Someone with such a gentle personality had been tossed around all day by members with overpowering personalities.
He probably wouldn't last much longer.
Just like himself.
Having completely lost all motivation, Cha Seongbin simply stared blankly into space.
He had tried to stop them.
He had tried countless times to change things.
He had dreamed of an ideal team—
one that laughed together, relied on each other, and shouted encouragement together like close-knit groups did.
Reality wasn't like that.
At some point,
Cha Seongbin began to hate this job.
It honestly felt like he was developing a neurosis.
Lee Junhyeok's loud cursing had been ringing in his ears nonstop.
No matter how much he wanted to look away, reality was right in front of him.
He was sick of it.
“You sons of bitches…”
Right then—
“HEY!!!”
It was a shout even he himself hadn't expected.
Thud.
Cha Seongbin shot to his feet and strode straight toward Lee Junhyeok.
His face burned with rage.
The emotions he'd forced down for so long exploded without warning.
He wanted nothing to do with Lee Junhyeok.
He was already exhausted from getting angry,
yet the sharp words burst out anyway.
“Fuck. That's enough already!!”
Clenching both fists, Cha Seongbin glared at Lee Junhyeok.
Grinding his teeth, he coldly confronted him.
“You think you're the only one who can swear? You think you're the only one who can hit people?!”
“Hey, Seongbin.”
Ha Junseo hurriedly grabbed Cha Seongbin's arm.
Lee Junhyeok was just as frozen in shock.
Cha Seongbin shouted at the top of his lungs.
It was a desperate scream, as though trying to pour out every emotion he'd suppressed until now.
“We're... on the same team.
There are lines you shouldn't cross...!”
But there was no way those words would reach Lee Junhyeok.
His surprise lasted only a moment before he looked at Cha Seongbin with icy eyes.
“A team?
When have you ever actually thought of me as a teammate?”
Lee Junhyeok asked incredulously.
“We never had anything like that.
Why are you acting like this now?”
“……”
“We started as a group where everyone only looked out for themselves.
What kind of amazing team spirit did we ever have?
Did you seriously still have childish dreams like that?”
Cha Seongbin was left speechless.
“You're right.”
Only then did he realize it.
His heart had already completely left this job.
“Haa... ha...”
Breathing heavily, Cha Seongbin frowned.
He didn't know why,
but it felt as though needles were stabbing his heart over and over again.
Abandoning the last remnants of attachment, he gave up on everything.
His powerless words escaped his lips.
“I don't know anymore.
Do whatever you want.”
I never should've become an idol...
I never should've started in the first place.
Then maybe I wouldn't have been this miserable.
Cha Seongbin regretted it with all his heart.
.
.
.
“Hah...!”
He jolted awake as though having a seizure.
His body jerked as he lifted his head.
The clock read five in the morning.
A quiet curse slipped out on its own.
“Damn.”
Fumbling around, Cha Seongbin grabbed his phone.
There were ten missed calls.
Ha Junseo.
Kang Siwoo.
Do Seohan.
...Even Manager Lee Jaeyoon.
His phone had practically been on fire.
It wasn't unusual for him to spend the night in the studio,
but since he'd disappeared without saying anything, everyone had apparently panicked.
“What's wrong with me?”
Smacking himself on the head, Cha Seongbin stood up.
He'd only meant to doze off for a moment,
yet he'd ended up sleeping soundly.
This was why pulling all-nighters was so dangerous.
The moment your consciousness snapped,
you collapsed completely.
He'd even had a nightmare.
Remembering the lingering sense of discomfort, Cha Seongbin frowned.
“How could I dream something like that after barely sleeping...”
How should he put it...
It wasn't realistic,
but it was horrifying.
Lee Junhyeok,
who had been infamous as Starf's villain.
And being on the same team as FLYB's Lee Dokyung.
It was like the worst possible version of a group project.
“Now that would've been one legendary lineup.”
Even though it had only been a dream,
he could barely breathe from how suffocating it felt.
If the final Starf debut lineup had really been that combination...
“Mm.”
He didn't even want to imagine such a terrible lineup.
He was more than satisfied with the peace he had now.
Clicking his tongue softly, Cha Seongbin stood up.
“Our kids are all good kids.”
He felt grateful all over again.
“The Synchronization level looks normal.
Fortunately, it's remaining stable.”
Kim Woochan said as he stared intently at the floating window before him.
On the other end of the call was Do Seohan of Stardust.
Somehow, he'd ended up talking to him on the phone more often than even his own teammates.
The calls were mainly to share Synchronization values and control Variables,
but regardless of those cold, practical reasons,
Do Seohan had unquestionably become the only junior Kim Woochan kept in contact with within his tiny social circle.
His feelings toward that junior...
had definitely been terrible at first.
This universe had toyed with his own lifeline using the life of a complete stranger.
Kim Woochan quietly looked up at the message window.
[Final Achievement-2: Vegetative State]
Your Variable remains alive through life-sustaining treatment. This condition will remain valid until 2024.
Every time he looked at that blinking Final Achievement route, he seriously felt the urge to bury Do Seohan.
If I turn him into a vegetative state now, he won't survive until 2024, will he?
If not for that very realistic reason, Do Seohan would've already been lying in a hospital bed.
Well, that fact hadn't changed even now.
If his own situation deteriorated to the worst possible point, Kim Woochan would still consider making the same choice.
However, now his desire for the kid to survive had simply grown a little stronger.
Rather than letting themselves continue to be toyed with by this damned world, instead of pursuing ambitions beyond his station, he wished the kid could simply live an ordinary life, just like everyone else.
That was what he found himself thinking.
Darkness settled deeply in Kim Woochan's eyes.
Lost in thought, he missed what came through the receiver.
“...next week...”
Ah.
“Sorry.
What did you say?”
Kim Woochan adjusted the phone against his ear.
Do Seohan answered calmly.
“Ah. Nothing important.
I was just saying we have our music video shoot next week.”
A music video shoot?
Kim Woochan tilted his head.
“You're making a comeback?”
“Our comeback is in August.”
“Huh?”
“Huh...?”
Had there already been articles?
He honestly hadn't been paying that much attention, so he hadn't known.
Ahem.
Kim Woochan cleared his throat before speaking carefully.
“If it's the second week of August, then we'll overlap....”
“……”
“Don't tell me?”
Silence hung over the line.
Scratching his head, Kim Woochan smiled.
“Ah, but this Achievement isn't related to winning first place on music shows anyway, right?
As far as I know, you just need to gather enough overseas tour audience numbers.”
“What is this.”
Was it his imagination?
It sounded as though someone had just clenched their teeth on the other end.
“You're talking like first place is already yours.”
“Haha.
Does it sound that way?”
He hadn't meant to provoke him, but that's how it turned out.
From what he knew, this ridiculously young junior of his was surprisingly competitive.
“We won't know until we actually compete.
We haven't even filmed the music video yet.”
Hmm.
Slowly stroking his chin, Kim Woochan smiled.
Seohan declared resolutely.
“If we only achieve the overseas tour Achievement, it'll feel a little awkward....
So with this 3rd Full Album, we'll naturally be aiming for five awards as well.”
“It'll still be tough if we're promoting in the same week~.”
Kim Woochan responded to Do Seohan's challenge with a teasing grin in his voice.
At times like this, it was a little disappointing that they weren't on a video call.
“Really?”
“Well, like you said, Seohan...
we won't know until we see who's actually stronger....”
“Yes.
We'll be the ones taking first place.”
“Ah.
Then I guess I need to practice even harder starting today.”
Stretching, Kim Woochan added, “If we're thinking about winning first place on music shows, we'd better practice our encore stage in advance too.”
“Haha.”
“Hahaha!”
At the very end, a reply came back that sounded as though it had been squeezed through gritted teeth.
“Sunbae.
I sincerely wish you continued success.”
“Good luck to you too, Seohan!”
Click.
With that, the call ended.