Free Web NovelJeong Seongbin’s group started their travel course with a walk through the park. Walking around in the morning breeze felt nice.
It was also a strange experience running into people who recognized Spark. Even the owner of the record shop had gotten Park Juu’s autograph. They had focused entirely on the domestic market, yet they’d still gained overseas fans. It really proved that sticking to your main job was what mattered most.
For brunch, they ate French toast. It was chosen for Park Juu, who liked soft foods. While most people enjoyed a single slice of toast and one drink, we ordered full set menus for every person.
"We don’t know when we’ll get to come here again. We should try everything. Eat a lot, hyung."
Jeong Seongbin had pulled the classic "We’ll take everything from here to here" move. Thankfully, it was a toast specialty café and the menu variety wasn’t huge. Otherwise, we might have singlehandedly covered the store’s daily sales.
"The jam’s good. Juu, did you try it?"
"Yeah. It tastes good with whipped cream too...."
Jeong Seongbin and Park Juu immediately launched into a cozy discussion about finding the ultimate combination. Meanwhile, I leisurely looked around the café.
When I thought of cafés, I mostly thought of places for group meetings. Drinks were basically just table fees, and the real purpose was renting chairs and tables.
'I’ve barely ever gone to cafés except when meeting up with noona.'
Meaning, I’d never really come to a café just to drink something and relax. Maybe that was why sitting still in one on purpose felt so awkward. It felt like I should pull out a laptop and start doing something at any moment.
"What are you thinking so hard about?"
Jeong Seongbin asked.
The moment Park Juu, who’d been drawing attention away from me, left for the restroom, I got caught immediately. I could already picture the future where I admitted I missed Doshion and got heavily scolded for it, so I simply answered that it was nothing.
Jeong Seongbin stared at me quietly before speaking.
"Hyung."
"Yeah."
"I’m going to stop using that notebook."
"The notebook?"
When I asked if he meant the Ginseng Self Murder Notebook, he nodded.
"Why? That’s your precious identity."
"Wouldn’t an idol whose identity is basically a death ledger be too scary?"
"No matter how scary it is, could it really be scarier than Spark’s faces?"
Jeong Seongbin bit his lip trying to suppress laughter. He loved the members, but apparently even he couldn’t bring himself to claim that faces carved out of icicles radiated warmth.
"The reason I made the notebook in the first place was because I wanted to look after the members’ health."
Jeong Seongbin continued.
"But if it ends up making the team self-conscious or stressed, then it defeats the whole purpose."
"Did someone say something to you, Seongbin? Or did you read comments?"
I believed everyone understood that Jeong Seongbin’s notebook didn’t come from a controlling mindset. It wasn’t malicious, and in reality it was a good method that gently encouraged the members to voluntarily reflect on their lifestyles without going overboard.
"Who would dare criticize our leader’s work? Tell me. I’ll immediately open a grand forum for dialogue and persuasion."
"You."
"Me?"
I jumped in shock. I swore that unless I’d openly disagreed with his intentions, I had never once complained behind his back or negatively judged him without even trying to understand the leader’s noble vision.
"You misunderstand, Seongbin. How could I, of all people, fail to understand your sincerity? Even if I’m not loyal to UA, you know I listen to what you say. When it was decided you’d become leader, remember what I told you? That I’m the type to immediately bow before authority. I even said that if problems came up between the members, I’d fight on your behalf. That’s how much I trust your character."
Few things left a person emptier than watching something started with good intentions become twisted. Hoping Jeong Seongbin wouldn’t feel helpless, I rambled on.
"Hyung, you’re the one misunderstanding. I’m not trying to stop because I thought you misunderstood the notebook’s purpose."
"Then what is it?"
"I don’t want the notebook to become the standard you base your actions on. More precisely... I want the number of things you feel responsible for to become as small as possible."
For a moment, I had no idea what he was talking about.
But it didn’t take long to realize what situation he meant. Jeong Seongbin had been watching me constantly pay attention to where the notebook was.
I couldn’t be certain, but probably...
'Did another "patience" mark get added this time?'
'Not even one.'
'Really?'
'You didn’t do anything wrong, hyung.'
...Ever since the day we watched that "exclusive report" together.
I had been careful. I’d kept checking whether the notebook was nearby or not.
But that wasn’t because I was stressed. I just didn’t want to annoy him for no reason....
"...Sorry. Looking back on it, you were right, Seongbin."
I’d tried attaching excuses to my behavior, but ultimately admitted it cleanly. I’d thought I wasn’t being self-conscious, but it had clearly shown in every action that I was aware of the notebook.
"If I’m going to do anything, I’d rather nag you. I don’t want to make you feel pressured."
"So you are going to nag me?"
"If I don’t, you’ll quietly start cutting down your sleep again."
"You know far too much about me."
Jeong Seongbin only smiled without offering any excuses. I was convinced the proverb about not being able to spit at a smiling face had been created long ago by someone who’d met one of Jeong Seongbin’s ancestors.
Among all the bosses I’d ever met, none had been younger than Jeong Seongbin. He was the youngest superior I’d ever had, while simultaneously being the kindest.
'When someone like him grows up, they probably become someone like Yur.'
Someone kind. Considerate. Someone with the broad-mindedness and perspective to protect their people and their team.
A "good boss."
Something that had never once existed in my life.
"What were you talking about...?"
Park Juu asked as he returned to his seat.
"Seongbin says he’s planning a major overhaul of the group’s code of conduct. There may be significant changes, so we’ll need to keep an eye on developments."
"So you were discussing something serious.... Once it’s decided, I’ll listen well."
The three of us united with the shared determination to cultivate the mindset befitting the leadership of a good boss. Jeong Seongbin let out a hollow laugh.
Going around sightseeing was fun. Whenever we passed a cute sign on the street, we watched Park Juu take pictures, and whenever we found a small bookstore, we waited while Jeong Seongbin picked out books he liked.
As we wandered around together, Jeong Seongbin read me little handwritten notes. They’d told me to come on this trip with nothing but myself, and truly, there wasn’t a single thing for me to do. I didn’t even need to open a translation app.
I had no reason to look at my phone, and all the signs and advertisement videos around me were unfamiliar, so it genuinely felt like I was in another country. This was what it felt like to step one pace away from reality and rest.
"It feels like I came on a filial piety tour."
"But hyung, you’re only twenty-three now...."
Park Juu objected.
Even so, the bastard pushed the pasta dish toward me.
I wondered what the others were doing, so I checked the schedule sheet. In giant letters, it said: "Shopping for clothes."
Lee Cheonghyeon and Kang Giyeon had good style and were interested in fashion, so that part made sense, but bringing Choi Jeho along to shop for clothes? No matter how I looked at it, he was obviously there as the luggage carrier.
"What time is Jeho hyung’s group at right now?"
"They went to buy clothes."
"Ah...."
His curiosity satisfied, Park Juu slurped his oolong tea.
Then he squeezed his eyes shut because the drink was cold.
"Cheonghyeon said he was buying clothes for Soohoon hyung."
"Not for himself?"
That was unexpected. Park Juu nodded.
"Cheonghyeon wore vintage outfits during “Hideout,” right?"
"He did."
"I think Soohoon hyung watched the music video."
He seemed to be referring to the conversation they’d had when they ran into him while buying bread. Hesitating, Park Juu avoided my gaze as he continued.
"He gave Cheonghyeon spending money and told him to buy clothes without holes in them...."
"Pffft!"
Jeong Seongbin hurriedly covered his mouth with his hand, but it was useless. Water dripped through the gaps between his fingers.
"He felt sorry for him...."
That final blow completely destroyed Jeong Seongbin. Our leader buried his face in both hands and trembled.
"So? Cheonghyeon actually accepted the money without hesitation?"
"Yeah. But he says he’s not going to spend it on himself. He’s planning to buy more vintage clothes as revenge...."
Lee Cheonghyeon was trying to enact glorious revenge against a hyung who failed to appreciate the beauty of retro fashion. Faced with such profound hidden intentions, neither Jeong Seongbin nor I could lift our heads.
Lee Soohoon wearing a T-shirt with a giant sunglasses-wearing cat printed across the front. Yeah. That would definitely be shocking.
Right as everyone fell solemnly silent, Jeong Seongbin’s phone lit up.
"It’s Cheonghyeon."
"How strange. His face looks so refined, so how does he always manage to contact people at the least refined timing possible?"
Staring at the screen, Jeong Seongbin suddenly burst out laughing. Park Juu and I exchanged baffled looks.
A moment later, Jeong Seongbin showed us the screen.
Alongside a message saying he’d just purchased it was a photo of an XXL short-sleeved T-shirt printed with a hamster dancing beneath a disco ball.
That night, everyone gathered together in the younger members’ room.
More specifically, Lee Cheonghyeon and Kang Giyeon had invited us. The reason was that they wanted to hold a local cup ramen tasting party.
"Why did you buy so much stuff?"
Shopping bags, overstuffed eco-bags, and plastic bags covered the two beds. It looked like the two of them had emptied out an entire department store.
"We accidentally fulfilled our wish lists."
"Choi Jeho, why didn’t you stop them?"
"Who do you think carried all this stuff?"
"Your hands carry things. Your mouth stops people. Those are two entirely separate jobs."
While relentlessly scolding Choi Jeho, I boiled water.
Thank god the hotel gym was open twenty-four hours. If pre-meal workouts hadn’t been possible, there was no way we could’ve enjoyed this wonderful late-night snack session.
After eating well and chatting for about an hour, we finished cleaning up and started heading back when Lee Cheonghyeon suddenly shouted behind us.
"Don’t forget tomorrow’s dress code!"
My heart instantly grew heavy, as though a giant stone had been dropped onto it.
The debut day of the floral shirts was rapidly approaching.
