Debuting by Riding the Returnee’s Bus Chapter 49

‘This is why… you shouldn’t get over-invested in souls.’

 

The aftertaste was bitter.

 

Even now, a bit of time after that small incident, I couldn’t help but think that I hadn’t acted like myself. On a human level, I knew it was a dead end to start obsessing over a soul’s story just because I felt pity or grew fond of them… and yet, I had made another mistake.

 

The lingering discomfort in the back of my mind made me realize I’d once again done something pointless. I kept wondering if there was something more I could have done, or if there was another way. The fact that I kept asking myself those questions only proved the point.

 

If I had known other necromancy skills or spells besides Conversation with the Dead, I might have been able to seal JH within the bracelet. Or perhaps I could have made him into something like Kim Haejun’s familiar. If I could cast spells on the level of that mad dark mage, I would have had so many more options.

 

Maybe I had grown attached to JH, because he kept lingering in my mind, causing my stress levels to rise.

 

But…

 

‘What can you do? It’s over.’

 

Right. I knew that clinging to the past forever was a foolish thing to do. No matter what, from my position, the only choice was to shake it off and move on.

 

Though JH had disappeared… every other result was satisfying.

 

‘At least… he didn’t vanish pointlessly like the other souls in the laboratory.’

 

This was true in three main aspects.

 

First, Kim Haejun had completely abandoned the idea of dropping out. Whether it was because of Lee Unha or JH’s final words, Kim Haejun had changed significantly. I wasn’t sure if this was the right way to put it, but he felt a bit similar to Joo Wooyoung.

 

I didn’t mean his personality or character. Previously, he looked like the type of person who viewed the world with cynicism—more like Lee Unha than Joo Wooyoung. But now, before I knew it, his eyes seemed to sparkle. It felt like he was moving with the dream itself as his goal. For him, it was definitely a positive change.

 

And second…

 

“Unha.”

 

“Yes, Haejun hyung.”

 

Kim Haejun and I had become remarkably close. It was a natural progression, of course. We had spent a short but intense time resolving various incidents together, and crucially, it felt as though I had inherited the bond of friendship and loyalty that existed between JH and Kim Haejun.

 

And finally, third…

 

‘His name has been cleared.’

 

Well, halfway cleared, at least.

 

The fight between Trainee No. 12, Kim Haejun, and Trainee No. 123, Jung Taehee, had been officially summarized as an incident caused by Trainee No. 54, Han Jungmin’s personal misconduct.

 

Whether it was due to pressure from his agency or something else, Idol Classism didn’t release the full details… but our smart and quick-witted fans seemed to have already figured out the gist of what happened.

 

Actually, in the leaked video, Kim Haejun’s voice shouting to return his bracelet could be heard clearly, so it wasn’t hard to deduce the context. If anything, he gained a lot of sympathy.

 

Public opinion was positive not just in open communities, but in closed ones as well.

 

 [Anonymous]: That bracelet Kim Haejun supposedly lost… isn’t it the friendship bracelet he shared with JH?

 [(Photo of Kim Haejun and JH wearing the bracelet)]

 ↳ [Anonymous]: I thought of that bracelet immediately too… ㅠㅠㅠ I understand him. If it were me, I’d have lost my mind and flipped everything over too…

 

 [Anonymous]: To summarize the Kim Haejun incident on Idol Classism, Han Jungmin stole the bracelet, and poor Kim Haejun and Jung Taehee were the only ones who suffered?

 ↳ [Anonymous]: Strictly speaking, they didn’t just suffer. Whatever the reason, the fact that he swung a punch and cursed at Lee Unha and Jung Taehee doesn’t just disappear.

 ↳ [Anonymous]: Read the room.

 ↳ [Anonymous]: Isn’t it a relief it ended like this? If it was something he shared with JH, it’s basically a memento for him…

 ↳ [Anonymous]: Honestly, I’m questioning if that was even a fightㅋㅋㅋㅋ Looking back now, it just looked like rabbits scuffling ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

 ↳ [Anonymous]: Neither of them looks like they’ve ever fought in their lives ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

 ↳ [Anonymous]: ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

 

 [Anonymous]: A collection of sus moments from Trainee No. 54 Han Jungmin.

 ↳ [Anonymous]: Kick him off the show.

 ↳ [Anonymous]: He already left.

 

Overall, the tide was turning in Kim Haejun’s favor. Of course, he couldn’t escape all criticism. He still had to take responsibility for his violent behavior and profanity.

 

However, a lot of positive sentiment was growing as well. Some were charmed by his more human side, and others, who didn’t know much about Kim Haejun, were moved by the story of JH and became fans. It was a virtuous cycle.

 

Honestly, even I hadn’t expected this. Perhaps because his existing fandom was solid, or perhaps they were venting the sorrow of him being trashed lately, but Kim Haejun’s long-time fans became heavy uploaders, finding all sorts of images and data, piecing together his story, and spreading it across every community.

 

What was slightly funny was that Kim Haejun himself, the center of the storm, didn’t seem to care much about public opinion. Whether he knew about the chaos or not, he gave a kind smile and spoke.

 

“What are you doing, Unha?”

 

“Ah. I was just checking the community reactions for a bit. It seems like your image has improved a lot since No. 54 left. Have you looked it up, hyung?”

 

“No. I don’t usually search for my own name.”

 

“Huh? Why not?”

 

“Public opinion seems to swing this way and that. At least, that’s how I felt. If you let yourself be shaken by it, you end up losing your center, and eventually, you feel like you’re losing your true self… I think that’s when I stopped looking.”

 

“That’s a good philosophy. But didn’t you used to communicate with fans a lot on Instagram?”

 

“Yeah. I thought I should have a window to show myself, at least to those who cherish me. SNS is… well, it’s a space where I can express my ego outside of music.”

 

‘This guy is so sentimental.’

 

He was a deep thinker, too. I wasn’t sure if he was good at studying, but…

 

If he’d only had high mana affinity… he’d have been the image of a mage—or if not, at least a sage apprentice.

 

That was exactly the impression he gave. He built his own world and revealed it to the world. He had an eccentric side, sure, but most mages were eccentric anyway. It was the kind of class where you couldn’t accomplish anything unless you were obsessed with something.

 

After going through the JH incident, those tendencies felt even more pronounced.

 

‘I can see clarity in his eyes….’

 

Of course, his mind wouldn’t be completely at ease.

 

“…….”

 

“…….”

 

After all, the biggest hurdle was still ahead.

 

“Hyung. Don’t worry too much.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“You’re worried about apologizing to Taehee and the other trainees, right?”

 

“Yeah. I guess so.”

 

“Everyone will understand. It’s a fact that Han Jungmin stole your bracelet.”

 

“Even so, that doesn’t erase what I did.”

 

“It’s not exactly your fault…”

 

“No, it is my fault. And it’s a problem I have to bear… I’m going to do my best to apologize.”

 

Just as I’d expected, the expressions of the trainees we passed on the way weren’t exactly welcoming. They looked surprised to see me and Kim Haejun together, but that was all.

 

‘Public opinion outside is one thing, but the atmosphere inside is another.’

 

They might sympathize with the Han Jungmin situation, but the sight Kim Haejun had shown back then was simply too shocking.

 

It was with a bit of tension that we entered the filming set. The boisterous room fell silent in an instant.

 

Without anyone saying a word, it was obvious the atmosphere wasn’t good. No. 123 Jung Taehee had a deep scowl on his face, and Kim Haejun’s roommate was glaring at him with irritation. Since he had been the first one accused of being a thief, it made sense he was angry.

 

Worst of all, coming a little early to make the apology was useless. All the staff were already in place. As if they absolutely had to capture this painfully awkward moment, cameras had been set up everywhere.

 

‘These guys are too much… making us mic up the second we arrive… wow… these guys aren’t human. They solved the Han Jungmin thing, so now they’re going to perform surgery on the remaining tension? Is that it?’

 

Just as an even more awkward standoff than the one between me and Kim Haejun was about to continue, Kim Haejun took a deep breath and stepped forward.

 

At that moment, a large screen in the practice room lit up, and a voice-modulated audio began along with subtitles.

 

[Congratulations to all trainees of the Commons class who have survived this far.]

 

‘Whoa….’

 

[We will now introduce the next mission for the <Commons> class.]

 

[<Commons> Rank Mission: Citizen Revolution]

 

[The <Commons> rank mission, Citizen Revolution, is a mission where the <Commons> trainees will form random teams to compete against the <Nobility> class and the <Slave> class trainees owned by the <Nobility>. For this mission, viewer voting will be introduced for the first time.]

 

It wasn’t the mission itself that surprised me. I had expected that they would integrate all the classes for a mission around this time. What was shocking was the timing of the announcement.

 

‘This is seriously ridiculous. Wow.’

 

They had revealed the mission without warning, even before the scheduled filming time.

 

Subtitles appeared again.

 

[As previously mentioned, Trainee Lee Unha, who took 1st place in the <Commons> rank mission Followers with a total of 447,000 followers, will be given one Team Member Selection Right.]

 

[Trainee Lee Unha, please come forward now and select the first trainee to become your teammate.]

 

‘Truly a broadcast genius. Just in the worst possible way.’

 

I started feeling the pressure. The Hopeless Trio—No. 98, 45, and 78—who had been with me were no different. Even the large No. 141, who had been in the Slave class auction, looked like he wanted me to pick him.

 

The other extra trainees were the same. Everyone who had ever spoken even a word to me was waiting for me to call their name.

 

But the most overwhelming gaze came from No. 123 Jung Taehee. Even now, his intense, burning eyes were bothering me. The others also seemed to think I’d pick my roommate Taehee, shifting their gazes toward him. They were pressuring me, suggesting it was only right to show gratitude to No. 123 for fighting on my behalf.

 

Even the cameras were focusing on Jung Taehee.

 

It was a heavy atmosphere that made me want to run away, which wasn’t like me… but I had to walk forward awkwardly and mutter.

 

“I… for my team member selection right… I choose Trainee No. 12, Kim Haejun.”

 

The stunned reactions that followed were as genuine as they came.

 

“Wh-what?”

 

“What?”

 

[Trainee No. 112 Lee Unha, are you certain you wish to select Trainee No. 12, Kim Haejun, as your teammate?]

 

They were even kind enough to ask one more time.

 

“Yes. For my team member selection right, I choose Trainee No. 12, Kim Haejun, as my teammate.”

 

Perhaps he felt berated.

 

Jung Taehee, who had been listening to my answer, clenched his teeth and held back tears, looking utterly devastated.