Free Web NovelIf I started listing all the absurd stories from the trip, it would never end. Something happened with every single step we took.
The most surreal incident had been when the police showed up because we were apparently "creating an intimidating atmosphere" in an alleyway. If Jeong Seongbin hadn’t managed to explain, "We’re tourists. We were merely discussing lunch options," things could’ve become extremely awkward.
"See? I told you not to furrow your brows outside, Choi Jeho."
"Is this entirely my fault?"
"Who said it was entirely your fault? I said your existence amplifies the problematic aura. And Giyeon, take off the leather jacket."
"Okay."
Honestly, I should’ve made Lee Cheonghyeon buy six more of those hamster-under-a-disco-ball T-shirts while holding cola. If we’d all worn those, anyone would’ve seen Spark as a bunch of cheerful young men.
After overcoming endless trials and tribulations to finish lunch, we wandered around some more, and before we knew it, the final day was already coming to an end.
"Anyone exhausted?"
Lee Cheonghyeon asked.
The marathon-trained amateur athletes did not collapse from something this minor. With the stamina they still had left, they headed toward a famous urban night-view spot.
The best viewing areas were already packed with people. According to reviews, the prime spots filled up before sunset even began. Fortunately, we were the sort of guys who were each at least one head taller than average, so even standing farther in the back, the view was still pretty good.
I deliberately pressed myself close to the inner wall.
These guys only knew that I’d once entertained impulsive thoughts. They didn’t know the method I’d intended to use.
I didn’t want to ruin the mood by bringing it up, but at the same time, I didn’t want to get too close to the railing and start thinking strange things again, so I restrained myself.
'...Beautiful.'
Instead of deep river water with no visible bottom, endless lights glittered beneath us. Even if I fell, it felt like the tightly packed buildings below would catch me.
"For clearer night photography... adjusting the exposure time...."
"Juu, can you see the letters? Want me to shine some light for you?"
"Nobody behind Jeho hyung can probably see anything."
"That’s why I moved behind everyone else."
"Hyung, am I not a person too?"
The main vocal line, Lee Cheonghyeon, Choi Jeho, and Kang Giyeon kept chattering nonstop around me.
The yellow lights resembled the waves of lightsticks I’d seen at concerts. Back then too, these guys had been beside me, and the pleasantly warm air had felt nice. It had been such an impressive stage that I’d even forgotten the guilt of standing somewhere I didn’t belong.
So being surrounded by things like this really did make you feel better.
Thinking I could become okay if I stayed with these guys... that hadn’t been a misunderstanding after all.
I thought I’d gotten better, but then I collapsed again, convincing myself I’d made no progress whatsoever and was merely walking in place.
But with moments like this, even if you couldn’t completely shake off your sadness, you could still stand back up again....
"Hyung, look over here." frёeωebɳovel.com
Park Juu called out to me.
The camera lens was pointed in my direction.
"Don’t move. Stay still. One, two...."
The shutter clicked.
Park Juu pressed his forehead against Jeong Seongbin’s as the two checked the photo results together. Before I knew it, I was smiling.
After fully completing even the hot spring course, the members returned to their respective rooms to prepare for bed. Since they had to check out tomorrow, everyone needed to pack in advance.
While busily moving around their suitcases, Kang Giyeon noticed Lee Cheonghyeon fiddling with something.
"What are you doing? Why aren’t you packing?"
"I was thinking we could leave behind one video filmed at the hotel. What if we visit the hyungs’ rooms first and save ours for last?"
It was actually a decent idea.
It was also still fairly early for everyone to sleep. Kang Giyeon changed into pajamas instead of a bathrobe, then followed Lee Cheonghyeon to the room next door.
Jeong Seongbin opened the door for them.
"What’s up?"
"Commemorative interview for the first group trip!"
Unlike the younger members’ chaotic room, this one was already neat, as if they’d finished packing. The only things left out were tomorrow’s clothes and a small carry-on bag for the flight.
"Who’s here...?"
"Cheonghyeon and Giyeon. They said they’re filming interviews."
Apparently one shower after the hot spring hadn’t been enough, because Park Juu emerged through a cloud of steam looking freshly showered once again. Jeong Seongbin handed the now-warm friend a carton of milk with a straw already inserted.
"First of all, our Seongbin hyung worked really hard!"
At Lee Cheonghyeon’s words, Park Juu clapped enthusiastically. Kang Giyeon also applauded as sincerely as possible without shaking the camera.
"So, how did it feel leading around five members?"
"Leading them around? Everyone had their own role. I don’t think I was the one leading anyone."
"If it weren’t for you, we definitely would’ve gotten arrested."
"Seriously...."
The atmosphere instantly turned solemn. Even Jeong Seongbin didn’t argue with that.
"Juu hyung, the last trip you went on was basically to an uninhabited island. Comparing the two, what felt most different?"
"Hmm... modernization...?"
"Don’t let Iwol hyung hear that statement."
Kang Giyeon added seriously.
Wearing an innocent expression, Park Juu commented that both trips had been fun.
"Did everyone get a good change of pace?"
While adjusting the zoom so both Jeong Seongbin and Park Juu fit in frame, Lee Cheonghyeon asked the question.
"Completely. It felt like hanging out with friends. Right?"
"Yeah.... I’m glad we came."
Jeong Seongbin proudly showed off the bookmark he’d received as a bookstore freebie, while Park Juu proudly displayed the CD the record shop owner had recommended to him.
As Park Juu stuffed the CD into his bag, loose change spilled everywhere. The camera faithfully captured two men over 180 centimeters tall crouching between the beds picking up coins.
Filming continued for another ten minutes or so. Once they’d gathered enough footage, Kang Giyeon pressed the stop button.
After checking the video length, Lee Cheonghyeon smiled in satisfaction.
"Okay, recording ends here. Thanks for cooperating!"
"Did you already visit the other hyungs’ room?"
"Not yet. Since Juu hyung sleeps early, we came here first. We’re heading there now."
At Lee Cheonghyeon’s words, Jeong Seongbin checked the time.
Even if Kim Iwol and Choi Jeho filmed among themselves, they’d probably finish much earlier than their usual bedtime.
"Film well. The hyungs are probably tired, so don’t stay too long."
"Okaaay. Sleep well!"
"Good night."
"Sleep well...!"
Leaving behind warm goodbyes, Lee Cheonghyeon and Kang Giyeon headed toward the next room.
After knocking and waiting, Choi Jeho opened the door.
"What?"
"Last-day-of-the-trip commemorative interview. Can we come in?"
"I don’t care, but Kim Iwol’s asleep."
"Asleep?"
Lee Cheonghyeon’s eyes widened.
Sure enough, only the bed near the window had its lights turned off.
"Why’s that hyung sleeping so early?"
Lee Cheonghyeon whispered quietly.
"He must’ve been tired."
"Should we leave?"
"Just stay. He didn’t even wake up earlier when I dropped the suitcase."
Granted permission to remain, Lee Cheonghyeon and Kang Giyeon sat side by side on Choi Jeho’s bed.
"If I’d known this would happen, we should’ve come here first."
"You already visited Seongbin hyung’s room?"
"Yeah. Juu hyung sleeps early."
Kang Giyeon pointed the lens toward the back of Kim Iwol’s head sticking out from the blanket.
Kim Iwol slept deeply without moving at all.
"Maybe he was nervous."
"Iwol hyung?"
"It’s his first time traveling abroad."
Choi {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} Jeho gestured toward Kim Iwol with his chin.
At the very end of the trip, it wouldn’t have been strange if the tension had finally left his body. freeweɓnøvel.com
"True. An unfamiliar environment must’ve been hard for someone so meticulous."
Lee Cheonghyeon accepted Choi Jeho’s explanation easily enough.
That had been the point of the trip in the first place, but it was true Kim Iwol must’ve accumulated a certain amount of fatigue.
While chatting a bit longer with Choi Jeho, Lee Cheonghyeon noticed something suspicious.
Several tissues had been carefully laid out across the room’s table. When he moved closer, he realized cat figurines were lined up beneath them.
"Wait, aren’t these the capsule toys I won? Didn’t you give them to Iwol hyung?"
"I did. He’s the one who arranged them like that."
"Why?"
"He said even cats deserve the right to sleep properly."
Choi Jeho answered indifferently.
Only then did Lee Cheonghyeon realize the tissues were blankets for the cats.
Instead of filming the sleeping Kim Iwol, Kang Giyeon filmed the figurines peacefully resting after work. He thought adding the subtitle "The owner of this interview is asleep, so we’re replacing him with video footage instead" would work well.
Lee Cheonghyeon and Kang Giyeon carefully adjusted the angles of the tissue blankets before quietly leaving the room.
With finals season over, Baek Haewon was overwhelmingly busy.
Even after entering their non-promotion period, Spark never stopped releasing content. After returning from the group trip, they started posting phone wallpapers suitable for hiding idol fandoms and endless photos that looked like random boys from the class next door.
≫ Spark are seriously insane
The fact they back up all their Insta photos onto the fan café because saving them individually is annoying
└ They’re literally the only idols who tell fans to download the high-quality versions so the image quality won’t break
└ The fact they upload them as zip files so fans don’t have to click one by one is legendary
≫ Spark all dress really well casually
Their fans must have fun browsing Insta
└ There’s actually a deeply tragic story behind this...
└ LMAOOOOOOOO
└ Apparently a righteous young man named Kim kept stealing clothes from the members’ closets
└ The funniest part is that he didn’t even wear them himself, he just kept hiding them somewhere
≫ What’s with the floral-shirt squadㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
Are those class T-shirts?ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└ Honestly if you ignored the faces and physiques, they really do look like boys from the class next door
└ They literally just look like kids on summer vacationㅋㅋ
└ Kim Iwol actually allowed this??
└└ Apparently they negotiated using marathons
└└└ What the hell does that even mean omg
Becoming a university student and upgrading to the newest phone model had been a fantastic decision. Every time she looked at the generous storage capacity, her heart felt secure.
After all, for an idol fan, there was no such thing as too much money or too much phone storage.
Right as she prepared to spend thirty minutes carefully examining each newly uploaded photo, a notification rang out.
A Bubble Pop message had arrived from Kim Iwol.
≫ Iwol
Hunter...... I’m really sorry. I fell asleep early on the last day, so I couldn’t film the interview. I wish I’d at least woken up in the middle of it, but I must’ve been sleeping too deeply. I’ll upload lots of travel photos to the fan café instead!
Setting aside the fact that he’d forgotten yet again to change her nickname from "Hunter" to something else, an interview?
Confused by the unfamiliar story, Baek Haewon’s phone vibrated again.
Spark’s official MeTube account had uploaded a video.
The title was:
"!Very Short Warning! Spark Is on Vacation"
Rather than something properly produced, the video resembled a series of tiny thirty-second recordings stitched together. Judging by the fact the members themselves had filmed everything, it didn’t seem like they’d intended to make actual content.
'If they’d attached a self-produced-content filming team during vacation too, Sparkles would’ve sent protest trucks immediately.'
It was obvious they’d simply gathered little clips they’d filmed themselves because they wanted to show the fans something.
The comfortable atmosphere and simple composition made Baek Haewon feel as though she were quietly peeking into part of their vacation from nearby.
At the very end of the video came the hotel-room interviews asking for travel impressions.
Behind Choi Jeho answering questions, the back of Kim Iwol’s sleeping head could be seen.
Above him floated a doodled star and the words:
"Dreamland"
And during the portion where Kim Iwol should’ve spoken, a close-up shot of the collapsed cat figurines played instead.
『The owner of this interview is asleep, so we’re replacing him with video footage instead. (Written by Giyeon)』
『In place of a comment, we present Iwol hyung gently tucking them in with blankets. (Written by Cheonghyeon)』
The subtitles written in the younger members’ handwriting appeared onscreen.
Bubble Pop notifications rang nonstop.
It seemed Kim Iwol was going wild sending photos.
Laughing so hard tears streamed down her face, Baek Haewon watched her consistently lovable favorite remain exactly the same as always.
