Chapter 75
For some reason, I felt strange returning to the dorm today.
Sometimes, it's nothing big, but you get that chilling feeling at the back of your neck, like you've forgotten something important, right?
But even after thinking about it quietly, there was nothing I had forgotten, nor anything particularly unusual.
Today too, Eugene Kim and Park Han-hwi stayed at the company studio, engrossed in composing music.
In the car returning to the dorm, Woo Jung-woo and Baek Si-hyun, who had practiced with me all day and endured my torment, sat with exhausted faces.
An everyday occurrence, just like always.
While I was looking out the window, thinking about what kept nagging at me.
Baek Si-hyun, who was sitting in the seat next to me, spoke up.
"Lin hyung, are you feeling sick somewhere by any chance?"
"Huh? Ah, no."
As I answered Baek Si-hyun, wondering if my expression looked that bad.
A voice nitpicking from the back seat was heard.
"There's no way Lin hyung is sick. If that hyung gets sick, it's a sign of the end of the world."
"A sign of the end of the world...?"
When I spoke in disbelief at Woo Jung-woo's words, Woo Jung-woo made an even more serious expression and continued speaking.
"And hyung. This is really important."
"Yeah?"
"Because when you frown, hyung, you're too scary. Even normally, I strongly recommend that you go around with a relaxed face for the sake of other people's mental health..."
"Shut up."
Before Woo Jung-woo's rampage could go any further, I cut him off and felt a strange sense of déjà vu.
Because it felt like someone else's words should have immediately followed Woo Jung-woo's, like needle and thread.
"Come to think of it, are Sung-ha and A-jin doing a W-App broadcast at the dorm again today?"
"I think so, I saw them excitedly preparing, saying they were making some rice cakes or something."
"I think they're doing it right now? Should we turn it on?"
As Woo Jung-woo said that and took out his phone from his pocket.
Expecting to hear Sim Sung-ha's excited voice as usual upon seeing Woo Jung-woo turn on the W-App, I waited.
"Huh? The broadcast already ended."
"Really?"
Did the broadcast end early today?
They usually streamed until around this time, I think.
While I was thinking that, Woo Jung-woo spoke again.
"But why did they only stream for 10 minutes today? That's weird..."
"Huh? Hyung, look at this."
Then, Baek Si-hyun, who was also looking at his phone next to me, handed me his phone.
The screen of the phone Baek Si-hyun handed me was the fan community we frequently checked.
Usually, the posts refreshed at a fast rate, but today it was extremely strange.
-??????????????????
-What is this????
-What happened to the broadcast?
-Sung-ha...? A-jin...?????
An endless feast of question marks pouring out.
Even after flipping through several pages, it was a continuation of the same posts.
With an ominous feeling that something had happened, I scrolled up the screen, and a strange word caught my eye.
-The rice cake exploded like a bomb...
-Is it a rice cake bomb? Omg
'Rice cake bomb?'
While I was wondering what the correlation between rice cakes and bombs could be at the bizarre nuance of the unfamiliar word.
Suddenly, a chat message popped up in the quiet WEUS members' group chat.
Sung-ha: I think we caused an accident...
***
Fortunately, the distance between the company and the dorm wasn't far.
I was able to arrive at the dorm quickly.
Upon arriving at the dorm, the first thing I saw were the pale faces of Sim Sung-ha and Kang A-jin.
"Hyu... Hyung..."
As soon as I entered, Kang A-jin, who was slumped like a dog that had caused an accident, looked at me pitifully with an unjust expression and spoke.
Fortunately, Sim Sung-ha and Kang A-jin looked fine without any injuries.
However.
"What, what is all this...?"
After confirming the two were safe, I could finally properly take in the scenery of the dorm.
The wide kitchen of the dorm, visible right from the living room, was literally devastated.
Rice flour scattered all over, tiny pieces of rice cake, and shattered glass dishes here and there.
And in the center of that devastated kitchen, the rice cake making machine I had casually overlooked last time was standing, revealing its majestic figure.
What was even more shocking.
"What... are those red marks...? Don't tell me it's blood...??"
"Ah! No!!"
"It's strawberries! Strawberries!"
When I spoke while looking at the red liquid visible all over the kitchen, the two were startled and hurriedly spoke to me.
Hearing their words, the smashed strawberry pieces on the kitchen floor finally caught my eye.
"Strawberries...? Anyway, neither of you are hurt, right?"
"Yes, our bodies are fine..."
"But the phone and the kitchen aren't safe..."
"Anyway, it's a relief you're not hurt."
After confirming their safety from their own mouths, my mind finally found stability.
While I was feeling relieved looking at the two safe people.
Suddenly, a horrified voice came from the front door.
"Gasp!!"
"Guys. Are you okay?"
Since I had run up first as soon as we arrived at the underground parking lot, I could now see the manager and the two members who had just arrived.
I quickly spoke on behalf of the two who were still frozen.
"Sung-ha and A-jin are both safe and uninjured. For your information, the red marks are strawberries."
At my words, the manager let out a deep sigh and looked at Sim Sung-ha and Kang A-jin.
"How on earth did it end up like this?"
"Well... we were doing a cooking broadcast, and that machine over there suddenly went crash! and..."
As Kang A-jin spoke with his big eyes sparkling, the manager shook his head as if it couldn't be helped and replied quickly.
"Sigh, anyway, it's a relief you aren't hurt. I'll go report to the company then."
After the manager disappeared, a brief silence lingered in the dorm.
While I was holding my aching head, thinking about where to even start.
Click-
I saw Woo Jung-woo taking pictures of the devastated kitchen.
Seeing that, I spoke to Woo Jung-woo.
"Why are you even taking pictures of this?"
"Can we be the only ones to see this magnificent sight? We have to deliver it to the fans too."
"Wait a minute..."
Hearing Woo Jung-woo's words, a thought suddenly crossed my mind.
"Come to think of it, how did the W-App broadcast end? Did you wrap it up properly?"
When I looked at Sim Sung-ha and spoke, Sung-ha, as if he just remembered, was startled and spoke.
"Well, we were broadcasting with A-jin's phone, and the phone broke, so I think it was forced to terminate..."
Yeah, that's why the community was in that state earlier.
"Then shouldn't we quickly post something saying we're okay? The fans seem like they'll be worried."
"Right, should I quickly post on SNS right now?"
Baek Si-hyun and Woo Jung-woo said to me.
I listened to the two and thought for a moment, then shook my head and spoke.
"Rather than posting text... I think another method would be better."
***
About 30 minutes after the WEUS W-App live broadcast hosted by Sim Sung-ha and Kang A-jin suddenly ended.
The fans of WEUS were starting to feel anxious as time passed without any news.
-Seeing how there's still no news, did something really happen?
└No way something would happen while making rice cakes.
└They say 'no way' is what kills people...!
-Sung-ha, A-jin... if you're safe, please just say you're safe ㅠ
└The kids are probably getting scolded by the company right now...lol Let's wait a little longer.
At that time, anxious fans and fans who believed nothing serious had happened were coexisting.
-Guys, the W-App live broadcast is back on!
As the live broadcast turned back on, the fans logged back into the W-App with much more relieved hearts.
The first screen that appeared before those fans was.
-It's Lin!
-The Leader has appeared...!
-Lin, are Sung-ha and A-jin safe?
-The kids are okay, right? ㅠㅠ
At Sunwoo Lin's surprise appearance, chats started to run wild in the chatroom from the start of the live broadcast.
[Ah, can you hear me?]
Sunwoo Lin, who was looking at the chatroom for a moment, stood up and spoke with a serious expression.
[Hello everyone, I am Captain Sunwoo Lin of the counter-terrorism special forces WEUS.]
While question marks were pouring into the chatroom at Sunwoo Lin's random remark.
Suddenly, the camera screen switched, capturing the horrific scenery of the kitchen, along with Kang A-jin and Sim Sung-ha kneeling in front of it.
-Sung-ha!!! A-jin!!!
-You're both safe ㅠㅠ
-But behind... the kitchen...
-Ah, the Kitchen-nim has passed away.
-Look at the kids being so deflated ㅠ
As the faces of the two safe people were captured on screen, and chats from relieved fans were pouring in.
Sunwoo Lin walked up next to the two.
[Our counter-terrorism special forces WEUS has successfully suppressed the two terrorists who devastated the kitchen with a rice cake bomb terror, without any casualties.]
Along with Sunwoo Lin's words, Sim Sung-ha and Kang A-jin raised both their arms high with deflated faces.
Only then did the fans' reactions start to rise quickly as they grasped the situation.
-LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
-No, is this what the counter-terrorism special forces do? LMAO
-A-jin and Sung-ha being terrorists... I can't believe it... ㅠㅠ
-A-jin and Sung-ha suppressed by Leader Lin is so cute Omg
[Now, put your hands down.]
[Yes sir!]
Sim Sung-ha and Kang A-jin, who quickly lowered their hands at Sunwoo Lin's words, looked at the camera and spoke.
[Hehe... we are safe...]
[We're sorry for making you worry...]
When the two finished apologizing, Sunwoo Lin spoke to them.
[Now, stand up. It was an accident, but still, the crime of turning the dorm into a complete mess! I will strictly hold the two of you accountable for it.]
The two, with guilty expressions, stood up from their seats.
Sunwoo Lin, who alternated looking at the two and the kitchen, eventually sighed and spoke in a low voice.
[Sigh... when will we clean all this up...]
-Lin has returned to reality again LMAO
-Um, counter-terrorism captain...? LMAO
-The scenery was too overwhelming to keep the concept until the end...ㅠ
-Doesn't Captain Korea have the superpower to return the kitchen back to normal either...? ㅠㅠ
-Lin, shout out the status window! Status window!
While the fans were laughing at Sunwoo Lin's despairing expression, Woo Jung-woo and Baek Si-hyun approached the kitchen with cleaning tools.
[Then everyone, we will be off to clean... no. We will now go to dispose of the explosive debris.]
-Yeah, explosive disposal can't be helped ㅠㅠ
-Guys, good luck...
-Everyone, you have to safely dispose of the explosives!
-Keeping the concept until the end... Leader Lin is a true pro!
Just as Sunwoo Lin was trying to wrap up the broadcast quickly.
Woo Jung-woo, who had been quietly listening until then, looked at the strawberries on the floor and spoke to Sim Sung-ha.
[But seriously... what were you trying to make that it ended up like this? Why are there strawberries when you're making rice cakes?]
[Uh... well...]
At Woo Jung-woo's words, Sim Sung-ha hesitated for a moment, swallowing his words, before carefully speaking.
[Strawberry mochi...]
[Strawberry what?]
[We were trying to make strawberry mochi...]
At Sim Sung-ha's answer, the expressions of the three people excluding Sim Sung-ha and Kang A-jin went blank.
[That, strawberry mochi? You were trying to make that and it ended up like this?]
[No, why were you making that? What is that?]
Looking at Sunwoo Lin and Woo Jung-woo speaking in disbelief, Kang A-jin spoke in a small voice with an unjust expression.
[Strawberry mochi... is delicious...]
Along with Kang A-jin's wistful answer.
[The broadcast has ended.]
The W-App broadcast ended immediately.
Fans came to name this incident the Strawberry Mochi Gang's Dorm Terror Incident.