Aren felt a sharp headache splitting through his skull, accompanied by a dry, burning thirst.
Unconsciously, a hoarse and weak sound slipped past his lips.
"Water…"
Caught between consciousness and unconsciousness, Aren felt hands reach around his back, helping him sit up on the bed.
He finally opened his eyes and was met with a handsome face.
If one were to ignore the blazing crimson hair—so vivid it almost hurt the eyes—and the sharp, elongated gaze, then the man's features could indeed be described as strikingly handsome.
Aren vaguely recalled that this person's name was… Harry?
He paid little attention to the other man's sharp, scrutinizing stare. Instead, he thanked him slowly and seriously for the help.
"Thank you very much."
Aren had just managed to sit upright when a glass of water appeared before his eyes.
He looked at the person holding the glass.
Not only Aren—every mwere all members turned their gaze toward their leader.
Outsiders might think that this golden-haired man was gentle and kind by nature, but the members of his team—and those who had lived alongside him—knew him better than anyone else.
Precisely because they knew him so well, they were stunned to see him showing consideration for someone… even offering him water.
Jill had always worn the image of a soft-spoken, elegant, and harmless man, but his true nature was anything but that.
Aren stared at the man's hand holding the cup for a moment. A faint red glint passed through the depths of his eyes.
He hesitated for no more than two seconds before taking the water and drinking it all in one breath, without a single word.
He was truly exhausted. Thirst seemed to cling to every part of him.
This state was not unfamiliar to him—he had endured countless nights like this before.
Judging by the hesitant and worried looks around him, Aren could easily imagine what had happened before he woke up.
But he had never been a talkative person. To be honest, he had no desire to explain—or even think about—whatever might have occurred earlier.
As usual, Mel—the one with the kind, brotherly personality—was the first to speak. His eyes were filled with concern as he asked,
"Aren, are you okay? Are you in pain anywhere?"
Aren looked at the speaker with mild amusement.
Ever since he woke up in this body, he had heard the same question repeatedly from this man's mouth.
"I'm fine."
"Fine, my ass. Do you even know what happened to—"
Harry suddenly cut himself off with a pained yelp.
That was because Nathan had abruptly smacked him on the head.
"Damn it, that hurts! Man, are you trying to kill me? Murder is illegal, you know."
Although Harry complained loudly, he didn't truly blame Nathan—because he knew he was the one at fault.
It was all because of his stupid mouth. He had forgotten the psychiatrist's instructions they'd been given.
Before Aren woke up, everyone had contacted a psychiatrist they knew and explained the situation.
After receiving advice and clear instructions, they understood that they must not mention anything about what had happened to Aren—doing so might trigger his memories and worsen his condition.
"Tsk."
Harry clicked his tongue, dragged over a chair, and sat down.
The rest of them remained gathered around Aren, who was sitting on the bed.
To be honest, Aren felt slightly uncomfortable with so many faces staring at him.
He could sense their genuine concern and care, and for that reason, he said nothing.
Still… it was irritating.
He had always been someone who preferred to keep at least three meters of distance between himself and others.
Mel, who was sitting closest to him at the edge of the bed, was just about to say something else when David suddenly entered the room.
David smiled as he approached Aren's bed.
"Aren, my friend, you're finally awake. We were extremely worried about you. How are you feeling now?"
Looking at the man with bronze skin and a well-built body, Aren replied with a few brief words of greeting and thanks.
"Man, you have no idea what happened while you were asleep," David continued excitedly. "You went viral. No—Spark, the entire group, is back in the spotlight."
After all, the group had been standing on the edge of a cliff after a long period of stagnation, with no new or exciting projects.
Of course, the members were still famous, but no one expected anything remarkable from the group anymore. In the best-case scenario, they might go their separate ways and find individual success in the entertainment industry.
But after the recent live broadcast, the group exploded in popularity.
At first, everyone was captivated by the powerful younger brother who had subdued the vicious hunter and wanted to see more of him—only to discover that he was a new member who hadn't officially debuted yet, with no performances, concerts, or songs alongside the group.
Yet that didn't dampen their enthusiasm.
Old fans, stirred by nostalgia, returned to revisit Spark's works, while passersby were drawn in by what they saw and began searching for the group's name and content.
As a result, Spark's albums and concert recordings amassed millions of views, shattering the months-long stagnation they had endured.
"So… the live broadcast was extremely successful," David said, scratching the back of his head shyly. "The director asked whether Aren would like to continue appearing on the show."
Although the director's words had been gentle—and even the investors had inquired about Aren's condition and requested proper care—this was, in the end, a job.
The incident wasn't the team's fault, nor anyone else's. It was simply bad luck for the newcomer.
Yet that bad luck had brought countless advantages to the show.
Of course, no one truly believed the production team would let him walk away so easily if he said he wasn't well and wanted to stop filming.
Aren had already signed the contract, and the price of breaching it was something he could not afford.
Naturally, everyone in the room understood this perfectly.
Even Aren—who wasn't originally part of the industry—knew that, given his lack of money and the situation he was in, he had no choice but to continue filming the program… and to continue his work as an idol and a member of Spark.
This was his future.
This was his life now.
Even if he could abandon everything and run away, he didn't want to.
Because this life had never truly belonged to him in the first place.
Aren was a ruthless man, once known as a villainous killer.
It was true—he lacked emotions.
But he despised owing anyone anything.
He always repaid his debts.
A debt of life.
A debt of kindness.
Or even a debt of malice.
A tooth for a tooth.
An eye for an eye.
He had taken over this boy's body.
Whether it had been with consent or not, he had never intended to evade this responsibility.
Even though, after finishing his revenge, all he had wanted was a quiet place to sleep forever… now—
He simply couldn't do that.
And there was still that elderly grandmother of this body.
Her grandson had already died once.
He couldn't kill him a second time—
couldn't leave her, with her white hair, to bury her black-haired grandson and his young, fragile life once again.