The Idol Who Returned from Hell Chapter 127

“Ah, did I mess up my lifting a bit today?”

Zefa’s main dancer Seok Jae-han rolled his shoulders as he entered the dorm.

Although official activities had wrapped up and the honey-sweet break period had arrived, he believed that true self-care should never be interrupted, so he practically lived at the gym inside the company building every day.

Just as he was about to rush to the kitchen to grab his protein drink.

He witnessed light flickering from the living room right across from the kitchen.

“Hmm.”

Seok Jae-han moved his steps while wetting his throat.

It wasn’t that late yet. 6:20 PM.

Especially during break periods, Zefa focused on individual activities, so there were few people who would be alone watching TV in the living room at this time.

“……My love is chronic, chronic.”

When he entered the living room where the familiar melody was playing, an unexpected scene unfolded before Seok Jae-han’s eyes.

“Brother? I thought you went home?”

“What’s the point of just staying home when there’s nothing to do? Well, there’s nothing to do even after coming back to the dorm.”

Baek Joo-won, sprawled on the sofa with his usually well-maintained red hair roughly dried, lifted his hand slightly toward him.

Looking at the beer cans placed on the table, it seemed like he’d returned to the dorm quite a while ago.

“You came back while I was at the gym. You could have at least contacted me—.”

“Hey man, you don’t even answer your parents’ calls when you’re exercising. Why would I send a message that won’t get read? Oh, and I haven’t even been here 30 minutes.”

“……You haven’t even been here 30 minutes but you already emptied three 355mL beer cans?”

“It’s break period, so I need to disinfect my body with some alcohol. Right?”

Baek Joo-won raised the corner of his mouth as he tilted a beer can toward Seok Jae-han.

However, the sincere resolve of a true gym rat never let the protein drink leave his hand.

“Boring guy.”

“Ugh, I’m boring too. Brother, no matter how much you held back during the activity period, drink in moderation. If you throw up on this floor, I’m the only one who’ll have to clean it up. You know?”

“That’s fortunate, at least you’re here.”

“Really, that’s not what I meant.”

Seok Jae-han knew well that Zefa’s leader enjoyed drinking.

He’d been relieving fatigue with alcohol since becoming an adult.

He’d worried about falling into addiction, but fortunately during comeback periods, he’d shown restraint by staying away from beer.

But whenever break periods like this arrived, he’d invariably attack the refrigerator to relieve stress in an instant…….

Seok Jae-han turned his attention from the beer-sold mind to the TV screen.

“Wait. Brother, why were you watching that?”

“Why, can’t I monitor music shows?”

“No, no. That’s not the important part.”

Despite his incredulous tone, Baek Joo-won just wore a faint smile as if slightly intoxicated.

“Brother, you’re watching CENTIX right now. Their stage— no wait, looking at it now, they’re doing a 1st place encore. Wait, they got 1st place on KBC too?”

“Just realized? After only hole up in the gym, even the information reaching your brain is damn slow.”

“I missed it because I was distracted by your drinking. So CENTIX achieved a triple crown?”

“Yeah, they achieved it.”

Along with those words, the empty can in Baek Joo-won’s grip crumpled with a crunch.

Seok Jae-han made a mental note while watching the flames slowly spreading in his leader’s eyes.

From this moment on, he shouldn’t carelessly provoke his mood.

“……Annoying.”

“Huh? What did you say?”

“I said it’s annoying as hell. Looking at that bastard acting all cutesy makes my teeth grind.”

CENTIX’s encore stage was currently passing through Seong-hwi’s individual part.

Seong-hwi, singing with his refreshing voice while shoulder-bumping with a member who had an even better build than Seok Jae-han.

Baek Joo-won’s heated gaze watching him seemed like it would pierce through the TV.

“Brother, sorry to bring this up.”

“I told you before to think twice before bringing up something you’re sorry about, didn’t I?”

“If you dislike everything related to Hwi, couldn’t you just not watch? If Hwi doesn’t catch your eye, you won’t get stressed either. But why are you watching this now—.”

Seok Jae-han suddenly realized while asking the question.

‘Ah, I just thought I shouldn’t provoke his mood. You idiot.’

That crumpled beer can could fly this way at any moment.

However, contrary to Seok Jae-han’s expectations.

Baek Joo-won actually threw his head back and burst into laughter.

“Hahaha! Hey, Jae-han. That’s brutally logical, brutal logic. I thought your brain had turned into muscle too, but this is unexpected?”

“Th-this seems like something anyone could easily think of—.”

“Right, if I hate seeing that annoying face, I could just turn off the TV immediately. But. I’m starting to think a bit differently today.”

Tap, tap.

Every time Baek Joo-won hit the table with his empty beer can, hollow sounds spread through the living room.

“That bastard was definitely broken. Well, maybe it was partly because I thoroughly crushed him. But as a result, after getting dropped from the debut group, the kid had definitely lost his mind. Team Leader Lee said so too.”

“He definitely looked unstable.”

“Right. So when you told me he debuted through 〈ISL 2〉, I was dumbfounded. A mentally broken wreck went on a survival show—it was practically suicide. But whatever happened there, he somehow grabbed hold of that rotten mindset and even debuted. Do you think that was simple luck?”

The KBC 〈Music Showtime〉 camera showed Ryu Si-hwan following Seong-hwi.

Seok Jae-han stared at the screen as if mesmerized.

Simple luck.

Could Seong-hwi’s mental recovery after being shattered by all kinds of humiliation at X2 and debuting in 2nd place be simple luck?

Naturally, the answer to that question was.

“……It can’t be luck.”

“Right. So what made that bastard change? What could have happened for him to even say ‘practicing is fun’ to me?”

Baek Joo-won’s gaze was firmly fixed on Ryu Si-hwan.

After waiting for his words to settle into the air, Seok Jae-han slowly opened his mouth.

“There must have been someone who straightened out Hwi’s mindset there.”

“Right, and I think that’s Ryu Si-hwan.”

CENTIX’s leader Ryu Si-hwan.

Seok Jae-han still had a vivid impression of their first meeting.

Even though they must have been busy preparing for their own debut, he’d listened to all of Zefa’s new songs, including the B-side tracks, despite being considered rivals.

From what he observed behind Baek Joo-won.

Ryu Si-hwan had definitely intervened appropriately just before Seong-hwi and Baek Joo-won exploded back then.

Baek Joo-won casually tossed the crumpled can onto the table. Then he took out his phone from his pocket and pressed the screen several times.

“He’s no ordinary guy, Ryu Si-hwan. My intuition is telling me clearly.”

“So what are you planning to do? Their activities will be over in two days.”

“……There’s nothing I can do right now. I’m just going to make some contacts in preparation for any future possibilities. Hmm, is this Producer Hong’s number? My memory’s getting fuzzy.”

Feeling his worried gaze, Baek Joo-won shot a smirk toward Seok Jae-han.

“Hey, you don’t need to look at me so pitifully. I’m just poking around because it seems interesting. Right?”

“……Even if I say something, you won’t listen anyway.”

Seok Jae-han’s candid response was met with a light snort.

“You know me well.”

* * *

“Now, now. There will be a reading session from now on, so please have all audience members take their seats—.”

After finishing my shower and coming out, another strange scene was happening in the dorm.

As I blinked while shaking my dripping wet hair, Yu Ha-woon, sprawled on the floor in a big character shape, grinned and gestured.

“Brother Si-hwan, come lie down quickly.”

“Is it really necessary to lie down?”

“Well, you could sit too, but I’m just embarrassed being the only one lying down.”

Instead of the reasonable response that you could just get up, I barely held back and lay down next to the youngest.

Naturally, Seong-hwi’s feet, who had been sitting on the sofa, ended up on my shoulder.

“Oh my, how did our leader’s shoulder end up here?”

“……Let me ask you one thing.”

“What’s with you, brother, asking me a question first for once?”

“Do you wash your feet properly?”

“Come on, really. I wash super thoroughly. I’m the epitome of cleanliness. Ask Si-hyeok.”

I didn’t really want to know about the guys’ shower patterns, so I just quietly let it pass.

First, I was curious why Kang Seon-woo had declared a reading session.

“Our Ryu Si-hwan, you’re giving me that look like ‘why is that guy acting up again’!”

“Did what I was thinking in my mind come out of my mouth?”

“No, I perfectly read your brain! Anyway, we safely finished our first activities and even got those brilliant trophies, right? So naturally! We need to find out what name CENTIX is being called by!”

I had no intention of stopping Kang Seon-woo, who had latched onto another strange concept.

I just maintained an indifferent expression while touching Yu Ha-woon’s fluffy hair.

“That’s one thing, but why did you make Ha-ru stand up there?”

“I played rock-paper-scissors with Ha-ru to see who would read! And I lost immediately.”

“Ha-ru, were you given a choice?”

“Do you think I was, brother?”

Looking at Chae Ha-ru’s dead eyes, it seemed like he’d been swept up without any chance to refuse.

Since Kang Seon-woo obviously wouldn’t stay still until this reading session ended anyway, I just gestured for him to hurry up.

“Then let’s start with the entertainment section page 1.”

Chae Ha-ru accessed a major portal site and skimmed through the articles.

“Our article is right on the main page. The title is…… Uh, ahem. [‘Monster Rookies’ CENTIX Lives Up to Their Title, Where Will They Go Next?]”

“It’s even more embarrassing when another member reads this instead of someone else.”

When Ma Si-hyeok, who had been quietly sitting, made a comment, Chae Ha-ru’s ears turned red.

“Brother Si-hyeok, you think I’m not embarrassed?”

“S-sorry. Continue.”

“Saying continue while feeling sorry is the worst.”

Chae Ha-ru, seemingly determined to finish quickly, read more articles rapidly like rap.

“[National Idol CENTIX, The Peak of Spectacular Debut is ‘Triple Crown’]. Wait, when did we become national idols? Isn’t this too heavy a title?”

“Who knows? How would we know?”

“Ask the reporter who wrote that article directly.”

“Then I’ll think of it as Brother Hwi sending an email to TopMedia’s Jang Min-kyung reporter and move on.”

National idols.

It seemed like a title created thanks to 〈Idol Stove League Season 2〉 which drew tremendous viewership, but as Chae Ha-ru said, it was a modifier with serious weight.

I silently prayed to the entertainment reporters.

‘The monster rookie title is already burdensome enough, so please show some mercy. Please.’

Chae Ha-ru tried to speed up to quickly read through the headlines full of embarrassing praise, but the endlessly produced articles seemed to have no end in sight.

After about 10 more minutes passed, I got up and forcibly ended the reading session.

“Wow, guys, there are so many people who view us favorably. Isn’t it?”

“What’s with that pointless acting tone, Ryu Si-hwan?”

“Why are you suddenly getting hooked on these pointless ideas and making the kid suffer?”

“Suffering! I was just trying to confirm how amazing our performance was—.”

“Yes, yes. We heard your good words well.”

“Tch!”

I gently patted the thoroughly sulky Kang Seon-woo’s cheek while looking at the living room display case.

Seven trophies acquired through our first activities. Our debut activities at that.

The four trophies we received consecutively in the last 4th week would probably be unforgettable for life.

“……We really worked hard.”

Emotion-filled words slipped out without me realizing as I stared at the trophies.

The guys also looked at me with smiles at that moment.

“Guys! You all worked so hard on this activity—!”

The front door burst open and a sturdy man tumbled right in.

Watching the fresh cream cake in his hands fall helplessly to the floor, I let out a deep sigh.

“We’ll have to work hard on cleaning too.”