Free Web NovelPressing my face against the car window, I peered outside.
All I could see was the building’s exterior wall right next to us.
“Can you see it?”
“No.”
My younger brothers shook their heads.
I twisted my head, hand still on the glass, but nothing came into view. I opened the window in a hurry and stuck out one head after another.
And then....
“Wow.”
Over the tall wall I caught sight of the façade of a luxurious-looking building.
An eight-story villa.
We traded “wow”s, gripped hands, and burst into cheers.
“Wooooaaaah!”
“Guys, it’s our new home! Our new home!” frёewebnoѵēl.com
We immediately sobered up and tried to look serious, but I couldn’t help hugging Rihyuk and Hwanhee in my happiness.
All of us embraced, sharing our joy, then pressed our hands to our flushed cheeks.
“Unbelievable. This is unreal.”
“Sir, is this really our new dorm?”
At Viju’s question, Seokhwan nodded.
“We just signed the lease not long ago. This is your new home.”
“Wow. It’s for real.”
“Our CEO decided to go all out. Instead of moving every year, he said it’d be better to put you in one top-notch place at once.”
“Thank you, sir!”
We chanted “God Gyuho” toward the sun shining beyond the car window.
Seokhwan added,
“They said at the office that you guys hardly ever leave the dorm anyway, so we needed a place with really good security.”
“...Wow!”
Ignoring it, we soaked up our happiness as our team leader explained the new lodging.
“It’s in Cheongdam-dong, so it’s close to the company. It’s especially famous for top-tier security—that’s the biggest perk.”
“Seriously, this is amazing. Really.”
Hearing that it was super secure thrilled me. Living in our first dorm, we still had trauma from that pair of sasaengs who tried to break in on New Year’s Day. The second dorm wasn’t exactly bulletproof either—corridor-style apartments make it easy for outsiders to sneak in. Compared to TNT or Teenspirit, our sasaeng troubles were almost nonexistent, but we weren’t immune. Managers had to stay on watch because of multiple incidents. Packages ripped open at the door, shipping labels shredded... delivery people hiding in the hallway and trying to slip in, triggering a police visit... camera flashes going off when someone went down to recycle on the first floor... The latest was...
“I got a call from the real estate agent,”
The woman in apartment 1104 across from us said with a concerned look.
“You might want to be careful.”
“Excuse me?”
“They said some foreign woman offered five times the listing price to buy this place.”
She told us she refused, but those risks were all around. That’s why a better house was great—but moving somewhere safer was even better.
“This turned out perfectly.”
Rihyuk exhaled in relief.
“I felt the sasaeng frequency was up lately, especially after year-end.”
“That’s so true. Lately I feel like people stare wherever we go.”
The managers nodded at our words.
“We originally planned to move later, when your current lease ended, but these issues made us speed it up.”
“By the way, what about the old dorm?”
“We’ll give it to the road managers.”
Mingi piped up, making a finger-heart.
“Thanks, guys. Now we’ve got a place.”
We laughed at his goofy heart gesture.
After all the orientation on location and facilities,
“Shall we take a look around?”
“Yes!”
The car entered the villa grounds. Identity checks, CCTV cameras everywhere—security really was tight. It felt like an auto show in the parking lot, with luxury cars lined up. I noticed Mingi driving more carefully as we arrived at the entrance.
“Phew...”
It was the last day of February. Feeling the cool midday air of winter, we exchanged smiles.
Beep—
We tapped our keycards and stepped into the lobby.
“Wooooaaah—!”
No fountain, but it looked like a hotel lobby with marble floors.
“How did you guys get here... oh?”
The guard behind the desk squinted at us, then raised his eyebrows.
“Hello! We’re NewBlack, moving in today!”
“Yes, hello.”
In a neighborhood where celebrities really do live, he didn’t seem too surprised. He smiled, held up his phone,
“I’ve been listening to your song Winter Sleep.”
“Thank you!”
Rihyuk sang a short chorus line as fan service, and the guard beamed. He jotted something in his log. Security really does impress.
Viju tilted his head toward me and whispered,
“This feels like a department store, hyung.”
“I know, right? Go to the second floor, and I bet there’s grandma clothes shops.”
“Or a grocery store in the basement.”
We chatted as we took selfies in the lobby. When Jiho started to edge away, Rihyuk tapped the elevator call button.
“Why’s it not coming down?”
“No idea.”
The right elevator was under maintenance. The left one refused to budge from the sixth floor. I glanced at Junghyun.
“Try listening.”
“Wait a sec.”
Junghyun pressed his cheek to the doors, eavesdropping. Rihyuk gripped his sleeve tight.
“Why are you holding on?”
“What if the doors suddenly open and he falls?”
“You’d fall too.”
“Don’t worry. If I fall, I’ll clutch your clothes and drag you down with me.”
Laughing warmly, we all held onto Junghyun’s sleeve.
Meanwhile, he murmured,
“They’re fighting in there.”
“Fighting?”
“Yeah. Sounds like someone’s yelling to come down quickly.”
We pressed our ears to the doors. Muffled shouts like woah-bang, bang-woah came from the sixth floor.
“Oh dear, a fight broke out.”
The managers perked up. The guard rushed over to our odd spectacle of five people plastered against the elevator walls.
“What’s going on?”
“The elevator’s stuck on the sixth floor...”
“Oh, the sixth?” He smiled and ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) asked us to wait.
“It’ll be down soon.”
“...?”
As we tilted our heads, at last we heard the motor grind—uuuuuh—and the elevator descended. Amid the continuing fight noises—kwaaaaak! guwaaak!—the “1st floor” chime rang, and the commotion cut off. The doors slid open.
And at that moment,
“...?”
Our eyes met the six idols inside.
As the doors opened, handsome young men wearing gentle smiles stepped out. Teenspirit’s leader, Hu-yeon, eyes wide, exclaimed,
“Omma?”
We burst into laughter.
“What’s with you?”
Yun-hu, who’d been staring at the floor, looked up in surprise.
“Oh shit! Ugh... no, sorry for cursing, hyung.”
“It’s fine. It’s nice and nostalgic to hear it again.”
“What brings you here?”
His friendly smile faded into his usual expression. The rest of Teenspirit bowed politely to us and our managers. Behind them, their manager—who looked like an enlightened monk—stepped down.
Hu-yeon asked,
“Wow, it’s been so long, hyungs. How have you been?”
“We just got back from our Japan tour.”
“Oh, right. We saw that. You were trashed.”
“...”
My brothers and the Teenspirit members clapped and laughed. I smiled.
“Well, there’s a word ‘completely drunk’. Hyung.”
“Oh, true. My mouth’s just a curse factory...”
As Hu-yeon patted his plump lips, Yun-hu spoke,
“Maybe you just got your leader spot by high-stakes gopchang.”
“Hey. I told you to speak politely to your seniors.”
“Oh dear. I don’t know~ I have no sense of hierarchy~”
“They’re fighting again? Oh man, they’re at it, they’re at it.”
Chaos and destruction raged like a gathering of feisty grandmothers. We smiled at the familiar warmth. It felt good to be back in the crazy K-ent scene I’d missed.
“Anyway, my brother Yun-hu left his backup battery here. I have to go get it...”
“Speak properly. It’s a fan gift backup battery.”
“Right. But it’s just a battery. If you forget it, you can borrow one.”
“They gave it as a gift!”
“No! It’s a backup battery!”
I raised both hands like a screen between the Teenspirit members, and they paused. Then turned to Rihyuk.
“Sort this out.”
“I think there’s a difference in perspective. How about sorting it with the precious backup battery? It’s precious, but still a backup battery.”
“...Ah! True!”
The Teenspirit members went “Aah!” then cheered, “So clear!” We melted at their praise and Yun-hu said,
“Hyungs, you guys have long educations. We admire that.”
“That’s right.”
I passed high school by exam...
“But how did we get off-topic?”
We thought for a moment, then gave up. In any case,
“Good to see you, hyungs!”
“Same here!”
We clapped and cheered. Members of similar age caught up. Somewhere along the year-end stages, we’d stopped thinking of each other strictly as seniors and juniors—more like equals now. It was comfortable.
Watching Jiho giggle and chat with the Teenspirit members, top leader Hu-yeon whispered,
“Don’t ever tell the juniors to talk casually to you, hyung. You must remember this.”
“...”
“Hell will break loose. For real.”
Like Maeda-sensei’s “You’ll get divorced! Definitely!” it felt like “Hell will break loose! Definitely!” We quietly patted Hu-yeon’s shoulder, watching Teenspirit’s hierarchy meltdown.
I brought up the move.
“Wow. We’re neighbors now. Take care, hyungs.”
“Yeah. We’re in 701.”
“We’ll drop by sometimes. Don’t hide when weird fuckers ring your bell.”
“Don’t worry. Feel free to visit.”
At that, the Teenspirit members paused and asked,
“Um... Wooju hyung.”
“Yes?”
“You don’t compose music at home, do you?”
“Oh, I do. A lot.”
“...!”
They faltered on telling us they’d visit. My brothers covered their mouths, giggling, as the Teenspirit members averted their eyes.
“Guys, we should get going now.”
“Yes! We’re off, hyungs!”
Jiho, as if he’d adopted friends, waved to the Teenspirit juniors.
“Bye-bye! Our buddies!”
“Buddy-buddies!”
They pounded fists in reply, and we laughed. After Teenspirit bowed to the guard—“Great work!”—and left,
“...Wow.”
Mingi blinked, shaking his head.
“What just passed by?”
“Teenspirit.”
“Hearing it that way sounds like a typhoon name.”
We laughed, imagining, “Typhoon Teenspirit is heading north...” Then we rode the elevator back up.
“What do you think, hyung? Do you ever want to experience living with a different idol group?”
“Nope. Not at all. I love you guys too much.”
“We love you too.”
We chatted as we rode the elevator.
We stood before room 701. Maybe because Teenspirit was infamous for sasaeng issues, our trust in security swelled.
Beep—
A gentle click as the electronic lock opened. We clasped hands and sang the Love House BGM.
“Tarararara~ tararararan~”
With a soft-glow filter over everything, we stepped inside. In that moment, everyone except Seokhwan—who’d seen it before—screamed.
“Wooooaaaah!”
“This is insane!”
“Guys, this dorm is like a palace.”
A towering ceiling. Sunlight poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room. A big TV and sofa were set up.
“Wooooaaaah!”
Junghyun dashed to the sofa and dove onto it, as if to build a sandwich of us on top of him.
“Unreal! Best moment ever!”
The maknae yelped in excitement, and we howled along. Then,
“Uh...?”
Junghyun, at the bottom of the sandwich, laughed then blinked.
“Look. There’s a second floor.”
“...!”
Turning my head, I saw the lofty ceiling and a mezzanine railing. Goosebumps. Then I spotted the spiral staircase. Overwhelmed, I couldn’t speak—just stared in awe. I felt the same wonder I’d had at Director Jo Gyu-hwan’s house last year.
We lay piled like a sandwich, gazing around, only making “wow” noises. Seokhwan said,
“You’ll get hurt. Stop and follow me. I’ll show you around.”
“Yes!”
Thus began our house tour with the TF team leader.
“This is the kitchen.”
“The kitchen!”
“All the cooking appliances in your old dorm were old, so we bought new ones. There’s also basic snacks stocked.”
We cheered at the fridge full of ingredients and the cupboards packed with ramen. We’ll definitely cook some later.
“When we had dinner with the CEO in Busan, you said you were into baking, Viju?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“The CEO heard and bought you the gear.”
“Wooooaaah...”
Viju’s eyes glistened as she took in the ovens. We patted her gently as tears threatened. She even snatched a spatula as a souvenir and joined the end of the tour.
“Inside the kitchen is... oh, this place has three bathrooms.”
“Ooh...”
“We’ll see those separately. First floor has a room that Junghyun wanted so badly.”
Junghyun’s excited voice rang out,
“Is it a vegetable garden...?!”
“It’s a gym.”
“Oh. Right.”
We drooped, and Seokhwan gave us a look.
“Why so disappointed? Logically, you can’t have a garden here.”
“Well... I thought expensive houses might.”
“Anyway, this is an indoor gym you all can use.”
In a spacious, sound-proofed room filled with equipment, Junghyun fondled barbells and weight plates, smiling, “I love it.”
“And here’s the storage room for supplies and cleaning tools...”
“Oh! Oh! Oh!”
“Let Rihyuk explore and leave us. Let’s go.”
While someone was distracted, we peeked at the two first-floor rooms—pastel yellow interiors, rooms your moms would adore.
“This is Viju’s room. Opposite is Junghyun’s.”
“Oh. Kind of bleak.”
Spacious rooms with minimal furniture, we nodded.
Finishing the first-floor tour, we climbed to the second floor. Jiho stuck close to Seokhwan.
“Did you pick the layout and décor yourselves?”
“Yes.”
“What if we want to change something?”
“Once you see it, you won’t.”
“...?”
“Pick the rooms you want.”
Soon, Rihyuk, Jiho, and I inspected the three private rooms and each chose one. Mine was in the exact spot I wanted, with the perfect minimalist design.
“How did they know?”
As we wondered, Seokhwan revealed the secret.
“Director Jo chose for you.”
“...?”
“He lived with you last year and... not got sick of you, but got experienced.”
“Ah.”
Thanks to his sharp director instincts and living with us before, the layout was easy. Seokhwan asked,
“Good?”
“It’s amazing! There’s even a computer—now I can use my gaming laptop without hassle!”
“Don’t game too much.”
“Okay. I spoke too soon...”
“And this room over here on the second floor is Wooju’s studio and Rihyuk’s vocal practice room.”
“Ooh!”
A mini studio with sound-proof walls, equipped for composing and vocal practice. I asked,
“Who set this up? It’s great.”
“The A&R and producing teams did it over the weekend.”
“They must’ve worked their asses off.”
“They insisted you sometimes work from home instead of the office on weekends.”
I nodded, smiling.
Thus the house tour ended. As we admired our rooms,
Seokhwan asked,
“By the way, how do you want to handle the move?”
“The move?”
“I installed built-ins and furniture, but you’ve got clothes and drawers to pack. If there’s personal stuff you want to take yourself...”
“No. Nothing.”
All five of us shook our heads simultaneously.
Seokhwan, the math ghost, smiled warmly.
“You just don’t want to go back to the old dorm.”
“...”
“Feel free to live here from now. It’s fine.”
“R-Really?”
“Well... it’s okay, but let’s hurry to the dorm. No matter how nice a house is, nothing’s as homey as our old place. We joked you missed the smell of that dorm, remember?”
“Sorry. I just realized how awesome this new place is.”
Seokhwan laughed and said we could do as we liked. We decided to visit the old dorm later to grab only the essential personal items.
“Let’s make ramen!”
“Ramen! Ramen!”
We dashed to the kitchen’s induction cooktop, Viju and I hurried to cook ramen. After the managers popped down to the first floor, we fanned open the ramen seasoning packets and surveyed the huge living room.
“This is great.”
“It really is.”
When I was little, I’d visit model homes with my grandmother and dream of living in one. Though I’m not living with her, being in such a safe, wonderful home with good people made me feel like I could fly.
“By the way, what did Teenspirit say the Wi-Fi password was?”
“One sec.”
I opened my phone’s network list—“Why are you using this?”—and spotted their SSID. It came back to me quickly.
“JONNA.”
We typed it in together, bursting into laughter.
