"What am I supposed to do now?"
As I assessed the situation eerily similar to that time in Japan I cautiously opened my mouth.
"…Ichae."
Kang Ichae jerked his chin, clearly inviting me to try and explain myself.
"You think I'd ever ignore you like that? No way I'd ever…"
"…"
Right around that point, I shut my mouth.
Kang Ichae's eyes widened even more threateningly.
"What, you're not gonna keep going?"
He let go of the bed headboard and grabbed the IV pole. At that moment, I was honestly worried he might whack me with it.
Tilting his head sharply, he continued.
"I explicitly told you to rest at home, but you insisted on going to the performance. And then I hear from someone else that you collapsed and were taken to the hospital. How do you think that made me feel?"
One of Kang Ichae's signature traits was that the angrier he got, the more expressionless he became. And facing someone like that? It was hell.
"Apparently the person who contacted us was Min Jiheon. Isn't that a bit random?"
While I'd been silently listening, I had to clear something up in my mind. Sure, I didn't bother hiding my dislike for Min Jiheon, but still he wasn't a stranger to either me or Ichae.
He was technically our agency senior.
"…Yeah, I guess."
Still, with my maxed-out social instincts, I knew that saying one more wrong thing here would make things irreversible. So I shut up.
What does he think I did this time?
Not like he was entirely wrong.
But if it hadn't been for Min Jiheon, I might have actually died.
Kang Ichae stared at me intently, as if demanding the truth with his eyes, and I hesitated. Lying clearly wasn't going to work anymore.
But I couldn't tell him everything, either.
The moment Min Jiheon struck my chest, I was already unconscious. When I came to, I was in a hospital.
Who would believe that?
I was lucky I didn't get dragged off to a morgue instead.
It seemed likely that Min Jiheon was the one who brought me in after I collapsed, but I didn't know the details, so I couldn't say anything carelessly.
…Don't know if this will work, but…
If I wanted to keep pushing forward with idol activities, I'd absolutely need Kang Ichae's help he worked on most of The Dawn's songs.
"Ichae, let me explain."
I decided to calm him down and stick to the partial truth.
"Thanks for worrying, but I really didn't expect it. I felt totally fine during the performance."
His brow twitched slightly.
"But then it suddenly hit me hard… and Jiheon happened to be at the same broadcast station, I guess. We ran into each other, talked briefly, and he helped me out."
"…"
"…That's all there is to it."
What more was I supposed to say?
"That's all?"
"Yeah."
I had no other excuse to offer, and honestly, I didn't want to keep making them.
"I'll make sure it doesn't affect my activities going forward. I'll take care of my health. We've still got a long way to go to reach the top."
I added that last bit with all the sincerity of someone determined to climb to the A-list of idols.
Wasn't that enough?
There were so many things I had to do, starting with patching things up with Kang Ichae.
I had to read the fans' reactions, check in with the company about cleanup, and find the shortest route to finally clearing that damn game, Idol Tycoon.
But Ichae's silence dragged on uneasily long.
Eventually, his lips parted slowly.
"Activities…"
Then the corner of his mouth twisted upward.
"I've got a question for you, hyung."
"…?"
"You're smart, right? You should be able to answer this."
Veins popped on the back of his hand gripping the IV pole. It looked terrifying, and I instinctively scooted backward on the bed.
"What happens if only you sit out the next album promotions?"
"…What?"
"What if you take a break from activities entirely?"
Is he insane?
He said it like a question, but there was no answer expected. That wasn't a question. It was a warning.
This guy's seriously lost it.
He looked like he'd physically knock me out to force me into taking a break.
"W-Wait."
Just as I scrambled upright, trying to calm him down, the hospital door slid open with a clunk.
"…I'm here."
I froze, snapping my head toward the door, and saw Seong Jiwon standing there—nose red, clearly from crying.
Shit, I'm doomed!
Apparently, when I'd collapsed before the Shining Star finale stage, he and Kang Ichae had fought about whether or not to let me perform.
According to Kim Seonghyeon, things had gotten pretty heated.
We didn't need any more tension in the group when we were supposed to be pushing harder than ever.
"O-oh… Ji—Ji… Jiwon, you're here."
"…Jiwon?"
I tried to laugh it off, awkwardly settling back onto the bed. But Seong Jiwon glanced between me and Kang Ichae—and seemed to figure everything out in three seconds flat.
"Ichae."
He marched over and grabbed Kang Ichae's arm, pulling him back.
"Come on, Ichae. Let's go. Hoyun's still sick."
"I'm not joking."
Though he moved when Jiwon applied pressure, Ichae's gaze remained fixed on me.
When he got like that, it was as if the rest of the world disappeared from view.
"You know how easy it is to get someone suspended from activities, right?"
"…!"
Jiwon froze in place.
His expression turned ice cold as he stared at Kang Ichae.
Because what he said wasn't wrong.
Even in my mind, several methods flashed by instantly. There'd be some noise and rumors, sure but still.
But…
What about me?
There was no "break" in my plans.
I was anxious even during album production; if I took a long break, the public would forget me in no time.
"…Don't go too far, Ichae. Let's talk outside."
Only then did Ichae finally take his eyes off me and look directly at Jiwon.
"No."
Jiwon covered his mouth with a hand and turned his head, as if thinking for a moment. Then he let out a dry, mirthless chuckle.
"…You really don't listen, huh?"
I had never seen that expression on Jiwon's face before.
His lips curved in a smile but he looked anything but pleased.
The atmosphere wasn't just tense—it was rapidly freezing over.
"Hey, you guys…."
Just as I was clutching my head, wondering what the hell to do with these lunatics as the situation spiraled in an unexpected direction..
"Sniff!!!"
Jeong Dajun made his grand entrance.
Still committed to the "pouting" act.
He sniffled, wiped the tears clinging to the corners of his eyes, then suddenly shouted:
"Hoyun-hyung can eat now!! Hyung, your attitude just now was honestly super annoying, but your health still matters, so hurry up and eat something delicious!"
"Hey, Jeong Dajun. Lower your voice."
"What sounds good?! Black bean noodles? Pasta? Soybean paste stew?! I personally vote for doenjang-jjigae!!"
"…Ha…"
Kim Seonghyeon followed behind, looking even paler than before, and upon seeing the state of things, his face grew even more haggard.
"What... what are you all doing."
He rushed over to the only somewhat calm one, Seong Jiwon, and said,
"Wait. Just take a step back."
"Seonghyeon, wait. I just need to talk with Ichae."
"W-Wait? What do you mean wait?! Seong Jiwon, you're already pissed!"
His tone was soft as ever, but Jiwon's eyes were halfway gone already.
Finally grasping the gravity of the situation, Jeong Dajun looked startled as he glanced between everyone.
"Again?! Again?!"
Then he latched onto Kang Ichae's arm, whining like usual.
Clearly not his first time doing this.
"Ahhh, hyung!! This is a hospital room!"
"Dajun, just give me a moment."
Even at his rage peak, Kang Ichae remained gentle toward the youngest.
"Please don't fight. Watching you guys fight once was more than enough!!"
"We're not fighting. We're just going out to talk. It's fine."
"It's NOT fine!!"
Kim Seonghyeon and Jeong Dajun, both traumatized from the last time blood was spilled, were desperate to stop the two.
The youngest blocked Kang Ichae and hugged him tight before turning to me.
"Why is this happening all of a sudden?"
"Um, well…"
"Is Ichae-hyung mad about Hoyun-hyung doing activities again?"
I was calculating how much I should reveal to the maknae when Dajun jumped ahead.
'Does he have trauma or something?'
It seemed the final round of Shining Star had left quite an impact on all of them.
Seong Jiwon frowned slightly, seeming uncomfortable as this conversation played out in front of me.
"—Ichae, come on. You didn't really mean it like that, right?"
"I did, though?"
Kang Ichae smiled coldly as he faced Jiwon.
"I kind of regret it. Back during Shining Star, why did I listen to you and leave Hoyun-hyung alone?"
But his voice dripped with ice, and his gaze was sharp as a blade.
"This is the result of that persuasion."
…He had a point?
'Damn, Kang Ichae is ruthless.'
Even I was momentarily convinced.
Kim Seonghyeon and Jeong Dajun didn't say anything, but their expressions showed some agreement.
The tension was thick enough to hint at a rematch of the infamous fight between Seong Jiwon and Kang Ichae during Shining Star Season 2.
'What do I do now?'
"Seong Jiwon, maybe just—"
"U-Ugh…"
The leader and the youngest, now fully alert, quickly jumped in to stop the two again—as if reliving a nightmare.
They looked like shrimps caught between two fighting whales, ready to be crushed.
Then I made eye contact with Jeong Dajun. He mouthed silently:
'Hyung! Do something!'
'I'm the patient.'
'...!!'
His eyes shook with betrayal.
Hold on, I'm thinking hard too right now.
Do I need to sacrifice someone?
"Why are you looking at me like that?!"
Shouldn't a true leader take the lead in times like this…?
But the quick-witted Kim Seonghyeon caught on from just my gaze and ducked behind Kang Ichae—even though his big frame didn't hide well.
Busted. That plan was off the table. I was racking my brain for plan B when the door suddenly flew open again.
"Huff—huff—Hyung! I'm here…!"
With his face practically screaming "I ran here," Seo Hojin burst into the hospital room, breathless.
"Are you really sick? Are you okay?"
My dumb little brother had arrived.
Just making eye contact with him after all this drama felt like a breath of fresh air.
His once-chubby cheeks were nowhere to be seen now.
"Sorry. I took a taxi to get here as fast as I could, but the traffic was horrible…"
After closing the door, Hojin turned to look at us—and immediately sensed the awkward tension.
"…Huh?"
"...Ah."
Even Kang Ichae and Seong Jiwon, who looked about to tear each other apart, paused when they saw Hojin.
Then, Jiwon was the first to soften, giving a gentle smile.
"Hojin-ah, hi."
"Oh, hi…"
I thought this was the perfect chance to grab Hojin and escape outside.
"Hojin, let's go—"
"This is it!"
Just then, Jeong Dajun pulled away from Kang Ichae and dashed toward Hojin.
"Hojin-hyung, I'm sorry!!"
"Uh, what?"
And then—he moved behind Hojin and—
"Urgh!"
"Guhhk!"
-shoved him straight onto me.
Caught off guard, my brother collapsed on top of me.
A solid blow and his full weight hit my stomach. I guess I raised him too well he was taller and heavier than me now. The impact knocked the wind out of me.
"Cough—Hojin, you could've held your ground! Were you trying to kill me…?"
"N-No! I panicked! Who knew Dajun was this strong?!"
He's like an elephant pretending to be a puppy…
He'd been eating more lately, and while his appearance hadn't changed much, it seemed all that food went into building muscle.
"I started judo, hyung!!"
"…Good for you…"
"Why are you praising that right now?"
I gave a half-hearted compliment as Hojin quickly got off me.
Meanwhile, Jeong Dajun spread his arms wide, looking around at everyone.
"See?! Now stop fighting!"
"..."
"This isn't bad, right?! Right?!"
What exactly are we supposed to be looking at?
My nearly crushed body under Hojin's weight?
Everyone stared blankly at the youngest, dumbfounded by the randomness.
"Listen up! Hoyun-hyung's a patient! He needs rest first! He should be surrounded by good things, see good things that's the best medicine!"
He's got quite the nerve to preach right now.
"So…."
And he trailed off.
"So what?"
"It's okay. Go on, Dajun."
I'm sure I asked nicely, in the tone you'd use for the youngest—but the fire in Seong Jiwon and Kang Ichae's eyes must've scared him, because Dajun's shoulders shrank.
Kim Seonghyeon watched the scene unfold with a face full of tension.
"Um, um…"
"..."
"Like… what if we…"
This guy. He clearly didn't think this through.
He was mumbling and darting his eyes around like someone who spoke before thinking.
I sighed and opened my mouth to salvage the situation, when
"Hey, what if we"
"We lock up Hoyun-hyung!!"
Dajun's voice overlapped mine.
The youngest clenched his fists, staring at the cold-faced Ichae and Jiwon.
"Just lock him up, okay?!!"
"..."
...What did he just say?
A chilling silence fell over the hospital room.