Chapter 328 ·Synchronization in Progress
Chapter 328: Synchronization in Progress... (3)
[Hello, this is Double즈 Entertainment.]
We would like to provide an update regarding Stardust member Do Seohan's health condition and future schedule.
Last Friday, member Seohan visited the hospital due to health concerns. Following his examination, the medical staff advised that he requires sufficient rest and stability. Accordingly, member Seohan will be absent from his upcoming scheduled activities.
Our company will do everything possible to support our artist so that he can focus on recovering his health.
We sincerely apologize for causing concern to our fans.
The moment the announcement regarding Do Seohan's suspension of activities was posted, the fan community exploded with related posts.
The fans' anger instantly poured out across pages upon pages of discussions.
[If he's suspending activities, is he seriously that sick??]
Then why are they just brushing it off as "health concerns"?
Dustys deserve to know what's wrong with our boy.
Who posts such a vague announcement and then suddenly suspends his activities?
Double즈, you bastards.
The moment I read the notice, I immediately started cursing LOL. It sounds like he was even hospitalized. What on earth happened that our boy ended up in the hospital? ㅠㅠ
└ I heard he collapsed too.
└ ??? Seriously?
└ That's just a rumor, don't feed it.
└ But I don't think it's just a rumor. Him being hospitalized seems to be true.
└ There were rumors like this before too, but maybe this time it's actually real....
He's only twenty years old, and this is already the second time he's suspended activities for health reasons.ㅎㅎ We seriously need to tear Double즈 apart. Just how hard have they been working him?
└ Looking at their overseas schedule, it's ridiculous LOL. They're practically grinding these kids into dust.
└ My previous bias group also had brutal schedules and the members kept suspending activities, but the kids here have it even worse;; They work them until someone collapses.
└ Seriously, every time I see Double즈, I just want to swear LOL.
Seohan would've normally posted a Private Message by now, but the fact that he hasn't makes me think he's seriously ill... I'm so worried... I'm going crazy... I can't even focus at work ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
└ I'm going crazy too... Ha... ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
└ Ah, Seohan... Please don't be sick.... It feels like my heart is being torn apart.
[Why won't they tell us the exact reason he's suspending activities?]
Double즈 must have a reason, right?
Is it something psychological, like panic disorder?
Or is it so serious that they can't even tell the fans?
Agencies usually reveal it even if it's panic disorder. That's already a common reason for suspending activities....
└ If it's so serious they can't even tell the fans, that's even worse.
└ That's why everyone's completely losing it right now.
└ Yeah, it's understandable. ㅠㅠ
Something too serious to talk about? Don't tell me Do Seohan caused some kind of scandal? Is he getting kicked out of the group? LOL.
└ ?????????
└ You're not even a fan. Get out.
└ You really have no shame saying that about someone who's suspended activities because he's sick.
└ Every time I see comments like this, I lose faith in humanity.;;
The assumption that Double즈 even has a reason is already wrong. These idiots just don't think.
└ As someone who's followed Double즈 idols before, I kind of agree. Yeah.
└ Even Tiple announced the reason whenever members suspended activities;;;
└ Just looking at the announcement, it feels like an indefinite suspension, and the fact that they won't explain why is seriously too much.
.
.
.
Public opinion among the fans was at its worst.
However, while the scheduled activities were being canceled, Double즈 couldn't simply remain silent forever.
That was precisely why they had hurriedly posted the notice announcing Seohan's suspension.
For now, they just wanted to buy some time.
In truth, the situation was difficult for the company as well.
It had already been three days since Seohan collapsed.
He still hadn't regained consciousness.
If they revealed that fact exactly as it was...
The aftermath would be impossible to handle.
One of the members had been unconscious for three days.
As everyone agonized over how they could possibly tell the fans about that situation, the atmosphere inside the company only grew heavier.
Meanwhile, the atmosphere outside Seohan's hospital room was even more oppressive.
“…….”
Kang Siwoo stood there with his fists clenched tightly, countless emotions swirling across his face.
The first was anger.
“How does someone who looked completely fine suddenly collapse? And this isn't even the first time.”
They had performed CT scans.
They'd repeated the MRI.
They'd done every examination the hospital could perform.
Yet none of them had found anything abnormal.
In the end, the doctors had only concluded it was caused by overwork.
His frustration only continued to build.
The kid had collapsed like that.
Yet there was nothing seriously wrong with his body.
It was obvious that stress had caused him to collapse.
Those words from the medical staff simply weren't enough of an explanation for Kang Siwoo.
He squeezed his eyes shut tightly, his shoulders trembling.
The second emotion was overwhelming worry.
Seohan had already remained unconscious for three days.
Would he really wake up safely?
What if...
He never woke up?
Terrifying possibilities kept invading his thoughts.
“Haa....”
Kang Siwoo let out a deep sigh as he ran a hand roughly through his hair.
“Hyung.”
Kang Siwoo wasn't the only one who had stayed awake for three straight nights.
Seo Haim leaned his head against Ha Junseo's shoulder, looking half out of his mind.
“At this rate, aren't we all going to collapse too?”
“Probably.”
“Hyung... At least close your eyes for a little while....”
Ha Junseo rubbed his face dryly and shook his head.
“No.
I can't sleep.”
And...
There was someone else who looked like they were about to collapse first.
Ha Junseo's gaze shifted toward Jin Sehyun, who sat alone in the corner of the hospital room.
The one person who had always remained composed no matter what happened...
This time, he had completely fallen apart.
Ha Junseo sighed before grabbing Sehyun's arm as he repeatedly pulled at his own hair.
“Hey, Jin Sehyun.
You seriously need to sleep.”
“…….”
Jin Sehyun's empty gaze slowly turned toward him.
A faint, bitter smile appeared on his lips as he nodded.
“Yeah.
It's not like anything's going to change even if I keep doing this....”
His voice trailed off as he stared blankly out the window.
The lifelessness in his eyes returned only for a moment.
Bang—.
The door to the hospital room burst open.
Manager Lee Jaeyoon rushed inside, shouting urgently.
“Guys, Seohan woke up!”
Jin Sehyun's eyes flew open.
“What?”
Every member shot to their feet at the same time.
The hyungs had completely turned the hospital room upside down.
'You remember your name, right?'
'Then what's my name? And what about the person standing next to me?'
'Where's your hometown? Do you remember the title track from our third full album?'
Cha Seongbin was so worried that he practically interrogated me, asking for every piece of my personal information before he finally left the room.
'Would you stop tormenting the kid who just woke up....'
Seo Ian and Ha Junseo were both sweating as they desperately tried to stop him.
Shaking his head, Ha Junseo added,
'At this point, it'd be completely legal for Do Seohan to pretend he doesn't know us and lie back down.'
'Exactly. Let's let Seohan get some rest.'
If those two hadn't pleaded with everyone...
I probably would've been subjected to even more questioning.
Saying I was already exhausted enough, they dragged the other members out of the room.
Patting my shoulder, Kang Siwoo added,
“Seohan, if you feel uncomfortable again, call us immediately.”
“I'll go buy you something to eat!”
With that, all the members left the hospital room.
The only one who remained behind was Jin Sehyun.
He had said there was something important he wanted to discuss.
Yet after everyone left, he remained silent for a long time.
“…….”
I quietly observed his expression.
He was always good at hiding what he was thinking.
Just looking at him now...
I couldn't tell anything.
It felt a little difficult to ask directly.
What if...
Just like the previous Synchronization, the collision had erased his memories?
As countless possibilities filled my mind and I remained silent...
Jin Sehyun finally spoke.
“This is the second time.”
“Huh?”
“The second time I've watched you collapse right in front of me.”
“...That's true.”
I lowered my head.
Watching someone close to you collapse right before your eyes...
Could never be a pleasant experience.
I'd shown him something like that twice already.
Just as I let out a short sigh—
Jin Sehyun spoke again, his expression grave.
“I heard the explanation from sunbae.”
“From Sunbae Kim Woochan...?”
“Yeah.
Just the general outline.”
Those words made my eyes widen.
His memories hadn't disappeared.
The situation had clearly been almost identical to last time.
Then why had Jin Sehyun retained his memories this time?
My thoughts became tangled.
I'd only just regained consciousness, yet my mind was already racing.
However...
I didn't have much time to think.
Jin Sehyun lowered his gaze toward me.
His lips slowly parted.
“Now it's your turn to explain.”
Glancing toward the closed door, I lowered my voice.
Frowning slightly, I asked Jin Sehyun,
“The other hyungs....”
“I didn't tell them.”
After a short sigh, he continued,
“You collapsed so suddenly.
Do you really think I was in any state to explain things to the others?
Besides...
You said this happened... partly because of me.”
“That's not true.”
It seemed Kim Woochan had explained Synchronization to him as well.
The pain caused by conflicting data.
This time had been just as awful as before.
Still...
The second time had been a little easier.
Although I'd eventually lost consciousness halfway through.
Smiling awkwardly, I shrugged.
“As long as I'm alive...
Isn't that enough?”
“...Forget it.”
Clicking his tongue, Jin Sehyun shook his head.
Then he looked back at me.
“First, I'm going to ask you a few questions.”
It seemed Kim Woochan had only given him a rough explanation.
He still had many unanswered questions.
After choosing his words carefully, Jin Sehyun finally asked,
“So...
What I saw...
Was that really reality?”
“Yes.”
He quietly let out a sigh.
I didn't know what kind of future he'd witnessed.
But judging from his expression, it clearly hadn't been anything pleasant.
In a calm voice, I answered,
“The future you saw...
It's something like a Parallel Universe.”
“A Parallel Universe... Ha.”
Jin Sehyun let out a hollow laugh.
Even after thinking it over again, he still seemed unable to believe it, his brows knitting together.
“Seriously...
How ironic.
An idol whose concept actually became reality....”
“You believe me?”
“To be honest?
I don't.”
After a deep sigh, he continued,
“If someone had simply told me this story...
I never would've believed it.”
Because it defied common sense.
For someone like Jin Sehyun, who valued realism more than anyone else...
It was an incredibly difficult concept to accept.
He slowly shook his head.
“But...
I saw it with my own eyes.
At that point...
I don't really have a choice anymore.”
The universe had forcibly carried out the Synchronization.
Jin Sehyun had no intention of denying what he'd witnessed with his own eyes.
Perhaps...
It was better that things had come to light this way.
Filled with complicated emotions, I quietly looked at him.
Then...
He spoke once more.
“So.
Let me ask you one thing.”
“Yes?”
I looked up.
Jin Sehyun met my eyes directly.
“What can I do to help you?”