Debuting by Riding the Returnee’s Bus Chapter 80

“No. That can’t be right. We’ve known each other for a really long time.”

 

“So, have you ever seen her face?”

 

“Not in person, but we’ve talked a lot through messages. We’ve always supported each other… and whenever I was having a hard time, she’d comfort me….”

 

“You said you’ve known her for a long time? How long exactly?”

 

“A-about… six months.”

 

I’d bet it was actually even shorter than that.

 

‘Is he out of his mind… no, he’s not just out of his mind, is he just stupid?’

 

Actually, I didn’t want to judge Baek Suhyeon too harshly. It was true that he seemed lacking compared to other trainees of a similar age, like Kim Haejun… But then again, he was still only a teenager.

 

Moreover, people of this age group had different experiences and felt things differently. Everyone grew up at a different pace. For whatever reason, in my eyes, Baek Suhyeon seemed to be a bit late in establishing his sense of identity. It was also worth noting how emotionally vulnerable he seemed.

 

‘Even from this brief interaction, it was obvious….’

 

It was probably more accurate to say that someone had taken advantage of the fact that he was mentally vulnerable. It wasn’t right to treat the victim like a fool in situations like this.

 

“Can I see your messages for a second? Of course, only if you’re….”

 

“Huh? Uh….”

 

“Only if you’re okay with it.”

 

I practically snatched the phone out of his hand. I saw Baek Suhyeon’s bewildered face, but now wasn’t the time to worry about his feelings.

 

Sure enough.

 

[Northern Grand Duke Hel has sent a Gifticon to Viscountess Talia.] [1:11 PM]

[Northern Grand Duke Hel has sent a Gifticon to Viscountess Talia.] [3:15 PM]

[Northern Grand Duke Hel has sent a Gifticon to Viscountess Talia.] [8:15 PM]

[Northern Grand Duke Hel has sent a Gifticon to Viscountess Talia.] [12:00 AM]

 

I had captured clear circumstantial evidence.

 

At the same time…

 

‘In what world are you a Northern Grand Duke? And who the hell is Viscountess Talia? How old are you guys? Do kids this age normally play like this?’

 

I was honestly taken aback that his profile nickname was Northern Grand Duke Hel. It perfectly confirmed my earlier suspicions.

 

‘Let’s not look down on him too much. The kid’s just innocent.’

 

Then again, after I’d been transported to another world, there had briefly been a time when I’d been excited about magic and spirits too, wondering if something magical might happen to me. So I couldn’t exactly say I didn’t understand his whole Northern Grand Duke fantasy.

 

Nodding to myself, I read through the chat logs of Northern Grand Duke Hel and Viscountess Talia.

 

‘They haven’t actually exchanged that many messages.’

 

Surprisingly, it didn’t seem like Viscountess Talia had designed this situation to target him from the very beginning. Whether she had just wanted to joke around or something else, at first she simply felt like a good friend.

 

The problem was…

 

[Northern Grand Duke Hel has sent a Gifticon to Viscountess Talia.] [8:11 PM]

 

Everything changed after Baek Suhyeon sent that first gift. In fact, this way before they started ‘dating’.

 

Immediately after, their relationship changed completely.

 

From then on, Viscountess Talia began to subtly demand gifts or vouchers, and the Northern Grand Duke, as if flaunting his wealth, gifted her all sorts of gold and silver treasures. Since the Viscountess filled the hollow heart of the Northern Grand Duke, who was starved for affection and attention, they had both, in a way, gotten what they wanted.

 

And then, as Idol Classism began, their relationship shifted drastically once more. The Northern Grand Duke’s communication line suddenly vanished.

 

‘Because they took away our phones in the beginning.’

 

Whether it was a stroke of bad luck or good, Baek Suhyeon hadn’t revealed his personal information to the Viscountess. He hadn’t babbled about being on Idol Classism or being an idol trainee.

 

Their conversation, which had continued aimlessly without any special reason, suddenly came to an abrupt halt. At first, the Viscountess began to search for the Northern Grand Duke, but eventually, she started to give up as no replies came. At that point, Viscountess Talia looked quite anxious. She must have been panicked that her convenient wallet had disappeared.

 

And then….

 

[Northern Grand Duke Hel has sent a Gifticon to Viscountess Talia.] [11:11 PM]

 

— [I’m so sorry, Talia. I’ve been incredibly busy until now… actually, I’m still busy. But I’ll be able to contact you occasionally now. Have you been well?] [11:12 PM]

 

[Oppa? Oh my god! I’ve been waiting. ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ You could have at least said something… You’re so mean ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ] [11:12 PM]

 

— [I’m sorry… there was something I couldn’t talk about. I’ll definitely tell you later.] [11:12 PM]

 

[No, Oppa. As long as you’re safe and well, that’s all that matters. And actually… while we were out of touch, I thought a lot about you…] [11:13 PM]

 

I couldn’t read any more.

 

Anyway, through this series of events, Northern Grand Duke Hel and Viscountess Talia had confirmed their feelings for each other. The Northern Grand Duke seemed a bit flustered by the Viscountess’s sudden approach, but perhaps he prioritized soothing his own loneliness. If all of this hadn’t been a lie, it might have ended as a somewhat beautiful story.

 

As I sighed and continued scrolling…

 

Northern Grand Duke Hel—no, Baek Suhyeon—looked at me and spoke hesitantly.

 

“Give it back now.”

 

“This is a romance scam. Even the way she talks, it’s probably a man….”

 

“Why do you keep saying that? I told you it isn’t!”

 

“Should I prove it? Will you believe me then?”

 

“H-how are you going to prove it?”

 

“I’ll take care of that.”

 

“What if she gets hurt?”

 

“Why are you worried about her feelings? You said you’d break up with her when you debut anyway.”

 

“…….”

 

“What, were you planning not to break up?”

 

“Well, I was going to wait and see. I have to break up eventually… but still, she was the friend who gave me strength when I was struggling. I can’t just… and I… I also need someone to rely on… Honestly, I’m not even sure if I’ll debut… To be blunt, there’s a high chance I’ll fail here. Then I’d have to go to another agency… and start over as a trainee… I heard that plenty of trainees actually have secret girlfriends. It’s the same after debut… dating isn’t a bad thing… Honestly, idols are people too….”

 

“?”

 

“Unha, you too….”

 

“Baek Suhyeon, what on earth are you talking about?”

 

“Huh?”

 

I stared at him quietly.

 

For a moment, silence filled the room. After a slight sigh, I looked straight into Baek Suhyeon’s eyes again. Then, I slowly opened my mouth.

 

“Idols aren’t people.”

 

“Huh? What?”

 

“I said idols aren’t people.”

 

“…….”

 

“Or at least… you have to act like you’re not human. No matter what you feel or think, at least in front of the fans, you aren’t supposed to show it. To put it bluntly, we are products, Suhyeon. I don’t know what others think, but at least to me, that’s the essence of this industry. Let me ask you one thing: is there anyone who wants to buy a damaged product?”

 

“…No.”

 

“The fact that you met someone of the opposite sex while participating in this survival program is already a huge flaw. Honestly, I don’t even understand why you jumped into this industry. I don’t even know if you’re taking this seriously in the first place…. If you’re going to prioritize your own feelings and do whatever you want, why the hell did you join an agency, and why did you come on this show? You, with your family’s money, might have come here because dancing and singing looked cool, but most of the kids on Idol Classism are here with their lives on the line.”

 

“I didn’t come here with a light resolve either— I… I also….”

 

“Then, what kind of mindset did you come here with?”

 

“That is….”

 

“Speak.”

 

“I’m serious too. I… I have my reasons. Do you think I was born into this family because I wanted to be? I’m serious too….Do you think I fought with my family and came here just to fool around?!”

 

Looking at him clenching his teeth as he desperately held back his tears, I couldn’t help wondering if I’d pushed him too far. He’d suddenly lost his temper and raised his voice.

 

“But it’s just… so hard. It really is. I know what you’re trying to say. But I need somewhere to rest my heart too. I know I shouldn’t be doing this, but… but it’s just so hard… I know Talia doesn’t actually like me either.”

 

Oh, so you do know?

 

“But what was I supposed to do? It felt like I was rotting away inside….”

 

“Don’t bring your personal problems into this.”

 

“Y-You… maybe you can live like that, but….”

 

“I think we can make all sorts of mistakes at our age, but nobody judges us by our age. From the moment our faces appear in the media—no, from the moment we decided to work in this industry—we aren’t judged by the same standards.”

 

The guy standing before me wasn’t stupid.

 

Although it was an embarrassing statement for me to make right after having a panic attack, Baek Suhyeon likely understood what I was saying and the hidden meaning behind my words. That was why he couldn’t say anything and simply stood there with his head lowered.

 

‘Even so….’

 

It wasn’t easy watching him look so mentally broken. If he were to quit everything and run away now, I’d lose my link to the Dark Mage… I started thinking I should clean up the mess a bit. Not to mention, it wouldn’t be good to show Joo Wooyoung an overly cold image of Lee Unha.

 

It was a bit cringeworthy—no, it was downright mortifying—but I nodded anyway and threw out the next sentence.

 

“That’s why… we have each other.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Because it’s hard to overcome it alone. That’s why we have each other. We have members, and we have friends and comrades we can be with.”

 

“Oh….”

 

Part of me wondered if I should really be saying this….

 

But after seeing the satisfied smile on Joo Wooyoung’s face, I couldn’t help nodding to myself.

 

“…….”

 

“…….”

 

‘Wooyoung hyung… so you really do like this kind of stuff, don’t you?’