Save a Failed Idol’s Life

Translator: MarcTempest

Editor: NicoleTempest

Chapter 259 A Brilliant Thing (2)

A moment later. The house we arrived at by taxi with Yu-geon was a more splendid mansion than I had imagined.

“Ha… What the…”

“He said he was a fan who cheered for the climax, but I didn’t know he was acquainted with Ise hyung.”

Yu-geon had a bitter taste in his mouth when he arrived at the cafe with Yi-jun, remembering Hyun-seong’s expression.

‘I should have taken a picture of that expression.’

Hyun-seong still looked displeased, but he couldn’t kick Yi-jun out and just sighed.

Yu-geon smiled brightly and Yi-jun tilted his head slightly in confusion.

Yi-jun was the only one who didn’t know, there was a separate awkward ice rink.

Just before I left for the cafe where I was supposed to meet Yu-geon, I checked the screen with a curious thought at the message alert that rang with a boom.

Is he going to say he can’t come because he’s got a schedule booked today? That would be a problem. I went into the messenger to check the content first, and there was an unexpected content waiting for me.

[Kang Yu-geon] Don’t forget to see me at 11 o’clock XX coffee, XX branch. 10:26 AM

Does he think I forgot some kind of promise? I casually sent a confirmation message saying I got it and got up from my seat.

When the kids were awake, they kept coming over and asking what I was doing, so I had to take refuge in a nearby cafe for a while.

As soon as I got there, the guys who only had their faces on came over and pretended to know me and talked to me, so I had to run away to a place far away from the shelter and finish the work.

‘This is honestly perfect.’

The only thing left is how effective the exposure will be. As soon as the video is released, the impact will be out of the hands of the family.

No matter how hard they try to take down the video, it will circulate and spread and share through various platforms, branding them as murderers.

That alone would be half a success. It would be great if I could stop my brother from participating in the general meeting, but I couldn’t hope for that. 𝐑

‘First, I’ll see Cheon Ise again today. If I feel like he can’t get up like this…’

I was speechless for a moment. Then what?

I couldn’t answer.

As I hesitated for a while, I headed to the place where I promised Yu-geon and what I faced was…

‘Hello! You’re the one Yu-geon hyung introduced me to on the phone, right?’

It was Yi-jun’s face smiling with a sulky expression.

“…”

I bowed my head silently for a moment and greeted him, then took Yu-geon’s ear and dragged him to a dark place.

“Are you crazy?”

As I shot at Yu-geon’s ear, Yu-geon smiled mischievously and answered.

“Ah, he said he wanted to visit him, I couldn’t stop him. Don’t you care that ‘Ise’ hyung wants to see him so much?”

“What are you talking about?”

I glared at him fiercely.

“Tell him to see the Ise hyung he wants to see later, why did you bring him when I’m here?”

“Hyun-seong, I think you’re mistaken.”

What am I mistaken about? This guy with no brains. I frowned and erased the image of Kang Yu-geon that had been improved in my own way, and Yu-geon added with a smile.

“The ‘Ise’ hyung the members want to see is over there.”

I felt my heart sink. So what? What are you going to do when you find me? I turned my head away and turned to Yi-jun.

“Shall we go inside? It’s pretty chilly today.”

I smiled broadly and unknowingly almost pressed the door lock password of the gate, but pulled my hand back.

The Cheon chairman couple were both away today, and the manager who worked exclusively for them opened the door and welcomed us.

‘It’s different when you come as a guest.’

As Yi-jun opened the door and entered the room with a tense atmosphere, Ise, who had no manners, was lying there with his eyes closed.

“Hyung, are you okay?”

Yi-jun shook Ise’s shoulder and tried to wake him up, but Ise didn’t budge. I stood quietly in front of the door and looked down at Yi-jun and Ise. Then Yu-geon casually intervened and explained.

“He’s been like this for a week.”

Yu-geon swallowed a short sigh and Yi-jun looked back and forth between Yu-geon and Ise, then took out a wireless earphone from his pocket.

“Will he not wake up like this?”

What are you trying to do? Yu-geon and I frowned as Yi-jun plugged one earphone into Ise’s ear and connected it to his laptop and Bluetooth.

“…? What are you doing?”

I asked in confusion and Yi-jun answered confidently.

“Maybe he’ll wake up from his sleep if he hears something in his ear.”

Ha… I remembered the melody I received yesterday by email and frowned.

‘It was good.’

What kind of concept would be good for this? How to match the costumes, how to do the stage movement and direction, how to cut the point choreography.

I had so many things on my mind.

A year ago, I didn’t know or care about any of this. But once I stepped into that world, dozens, hundreds of ideas kept popping up.

How could I make the song that Yi-jun made so beautifully shine the most? And how could I sing it and pull it off?

I was tormented by the visions of my future activities that I unwittingly drew in my head.

No one stopped him, so Yi-jun moved the mouse and played the track. Soon, the beat started flowing from the earphones.

Yu-geon burst into laughter.

‘You think this is funny.’

I didn’t find it amusing at all. Even though the track had been playing for quite a while, Ise didn’t budge at all, and his face lost more and more color.

What if he never woke up? What if he became a cripple like this? What would I become then?

You came back with such determination to live again, and I gave up everything and returned it to you. And this is what you do?

I strode to the bed and shook Ise’s shoulder.

“Wake up.”

Then, Ise, who had shown no reaction at all, lifted his eyelids with difficulty. He looked around with his blank eyes, and when he saw me, he shuddered.

“Y-you…”

He seemed to want to ask why I was here. But he didn’t have the strength to squeeze out the sentence.

“Ah, I brought you here. I was worried because you were in bad shape.”

Yu-geon explained instead, with a poker face.

“Hyung, there are so many people who are worried about you right now. You have to wake up soon. We have to prepare our album and record it.”

Then Yu-geon blurted out something rude.

“But what. Even if you get better and wake up, will you be able to do it?”

Yi-jun frowned at the sudden and unpleasant remark.

“What do you mean by that?”

Yu-geon answered calmly, holding his head high.

“Have you ever thought about when Ise hyung started to be helpful to our activities?”

“What?”

Yi-jun twitched his eyebrows, as if he was saying what nonsense he was talking about.

“Think about it. When did Ise hyung change so completely, like a different person? And now he’s changed again, just like then. If he was the Ise hyung from a few months ago, he would have come to the dorm even if he was in pain, saying he had to work.”

Yu-geon’s incomprehensible words made Yi-jun react sensitively.

“What do you want to say in front of a sick person?”

“Just think about it. The Ise hyung before he got sick. Was he the kind of person who would irresponsibly throw everything away and hole up in his house?”

“He didn’t throw anything away. He’s working right now.”

Then Yu-geon added ominously.

“Is that really what Ise hyung lying here did?”

He had no limits to what he could say if left alone. I intervened before the atmosphere got worse.

“Stop it, both of you. It’s not right to raise your voice in front of a sick person.”

When I awkwardly stepped in and stopped them, Yu-geon twisted his lips.

“So you’re going to side with him?”

“Enough!”

I sighed and scowled, and Yi-jun still looked annoyed and raised his eyebrows.

“What’s with this mood? Do you two have some secret that I don’t know?”

Yu-geon was about to open his mouth nonchalantly, and I quickly shut it.

“Ah, no, ugh!”

“It’s nothing. I’m sorry for making a fuss.”

Yi-jun looked at me and Yu-geon alternately, and then said abruptly.

“Wait a minute… Do we know each other from somewhere? Why do you look so familiar?”

I felt a twinge, remembering what Yu-geon had said last time, how could our faces be so different but our expressions be so alike.

“No, this is the first time we meet. Maybe it’s just your feeling?”

I played dumb, and Yu-geon’s mouth came alive.

“I don’t think so.”

“Ah, stop talking nonsense.”

I stomped on Yu-geon’s foot. It wasn’t intentional, but the tense atmosphere eased a bit as Yu-geon wrapped his foot in pain.

“Maybe it’s just my feeling…”

Yi-jun nodded and took the earphones from Ise, who had fallen asleep again.

“I thought he could at least talk a little. But it seems difficult. It’s better to leave him alone.”

I nodded and took Yu-geon and Yi-jun outside.

Just before we left the bedroom, Yi-jun said one last thing to Ise.

“Wake up soon and don’t listen to that weird stuff. I want to keep working with you, hyung. We have so much to do. We have a lot of work piled up.”

I looked down at Yi-jun and turned my eyes away. Yu-geon didn’t miss the chance and asked me.

“Are you sad?”

I snapped back.

“No.”

It was a blatant lie.

The sun was barely in the middle of the sky, since I had come out again less than 30 minutes after entering the mansion.

“Are you going back to your accommodation now?”

“Yes. I have another schedule in the afternoon.”

I blurted out something I shouldn’t have without thinking.

“Well, at least the variety show pilgrimage will be over by this week. And the song hasn’t been released yet, so I have some time until recording.”

Then, Yi-jun tilted his head and asked.

“But how do you know that, Mr. Hyun-seong?”

‘Uh…?’

I was startled by the unexpected remark, but I couldn’t show it here. I had to answer calmly and expressionlessly.

“Oh~. I keep in touch with Yu-geon often, so I get updated on his schedule.”

“Hmm~.”

Yi-jun still looked unconvinced and stared at me. I stepped on Yu-geon’s foot secretly, hoping he would back me up, but he just grinned and uttered a meaningful word.

“Yeah, how do you know that?”

“What are you talking about?”

Yi-jun narrowed his eyes and looked at me and Yu-geon.

“Something’s fishy…”

“Don’t worry, it’s not like I’m an industrial spy or anything.”

“Enough, you two. Go inside quickly. You’ll be late for your schedule.”

I pushed their backs toward the taxi that had arrived at the corner. They obediently got in the taxi and waved their hands as they left.

And I collapsed on the spot, my legs giving out.

“That crazy bastard…”

What was I thinking?

‘I want to keep working with you, hyung. We have so much to do.’

Yi-jun’s weak voice echoed in my ears.