The Malicious Member Has Returned! Chapter 190
Whether my mouth was slowly falling open from some emotion or not, the laughter-tinged voice reaching my ears continued on.
“Juyeong is my person. Whether he likes it or not. We’re bound together forever through Sledix now. But you think I’d put out an article in a way that leaves me unable to do anything about it? I don’t use methods like that. They’re not certain.”
And the moment he said, “They’re not certain.”
Yeonwoo-hyung’s eyes gleamed.
Like a beast that had found trembling prey.
Or like a predator that had developed a hobby of biting into the napes of its victims for fun.
But Yeonwoo-hyung was human.
Ah, well, humans are always the scariest, after all.
I leaned slightly away from Yeonwoo-hyung’s face, which had come right up close to mine, and opened my mouth, choosing my words as clearly as I could.
I’m telling you, hyung’s words have a bit of a contradiction in them.
“Uh… but earlier, you asked Senior Juyeong if he wanted to leave the group.”
That part.
I mean, judging by the way he threatened him, it looked like he was saying he could easily kick one person like him out for Sledix’s safety.
“Then who else but me would say something like that?”
“…
Pardon?”
But even my sharp rebuttal was useless before Yeonwoo-hyung.
“Obviously, I say things like that because he’s my person. Would I say something like that to someone who isn’t even within my boundary?”
“Doesn’t that ultimately mean… the closer someone is to you, the more roughly you treat them? Of course, I’m not defending idols dating.”
“Even if Juyeong ends up leaving the group in the end, that moment will still pass through my hands. Like I said earlier. Isn’t even that perfect care? These days, even insurance companies emphasize aftercare before anything else. I see even that as affection.”
The more we talked, the more I felt my mind drifting slightly far away.
Should I call this a desire for control, or something even beyond that?
Not anything else, but even the moment he left the group would pass through his hands?
Even though from that point on, he wouldn’t even be a member of his team anymore, just because he was an object under his control?
What kind of confidence was this, and what kind of terror?
I really had known it already, but….
Yeonwoo-hyung really was sane, but also definitely crazy.
I’m scared to death, seriously.
“Ha, haha….”
A hollow laugh burst out of me on its own.
A laugh with all sorts of emotions mixed together, one I didn’t even know how to deal with.
If I had to define this laugh now… was it a laugh born from a kind of relief?
In any case, what Yeonwoo-hyung was saying right now meant that the dating scandal article about Senior Juyeong and Senior Billy back then hadn’t been something Yeonwoo-hyung had arranged.
That also meant Yeonwoo-hyung didn’t treat his members carelessly for the sake of his own goals, and that, in turn, served as evidence of hyung’s attitude toward other people.
Though the question of how on earth an article outside Yeonwoo-hyung’s control ended up getting published still remained….
For now, I needed to wrap up this conversation.
“…
Anyway, it seems like things have been resolved well. Right?”
“Well, you say. Haha, Chunyong-ssi. Are you saying it’s been resolved well right now?”
“Hasn’t… it?”
“Even though the things I have to resolve from now on are piled up like a mountain?”
“Haha….”
I scratched my cheek while avoiding the eyes staring intently at me, trying to figure out what I was thinking right now.
I mean, well.
It was true that Yeonwoo-hyung would have to take charge of cleaning up after Senior Juyeong from now on.
But I had also obtained my own evidence that Yeonwoo-hyung was a different sort from “the other bastards,” so, well.
It worked out well for me.
I’m telling you, this means we’ll run into each other like this less often now.
Of course, the suspiciousness hadn’t completely faded from Yeonwoo-hyung’s attitude.
Yeonwoo-hyung, with his noticeably extraordinary mind, was difficult no matter when or at what moment I met him.
Like noticing that I had once been addicted to alcohol, even though this was the first time we had met since I came back.
Or quickly figuring out that I had an awkward relationship with Wiz, including Ahn Taei.
Or pointing out that the information I possessed was too much for an idol who had only just debuted to have.
He was someone who seemed to be manipulating all of it from above my head.
But….
“…
You always handle everything well, sunbae-nim.”
Even so, I no longer thought Yeonwoo-hyung was the same sort as “the other bastards.”
Even if X, after learning this fact, were to pour out a barrage of almost-condemnatory messages like, [You went and did something nobody even told you to do, and now you’re not even going to wrap it up properly??], that was how it felt to me right now.
No matter how poor my instincts were, and no matter how much I was the type of person who only felt satisfied after checking things over and over with extreme caution, uh.
There are moments when you just feel that sort of certainty.
This person, who pretended to be perfect but seemed a little crazy, who looked sane but was more insane than anyone else….
Before becoming Rek-trash, he wouldn’t have gone so far as to think of harming me and my family, who weren’t even within his boundary.
Back then, I had simply been a drinking buddy, nothing more and nothing less….
Should I be happy about that, or hate it?
Anyway.
I gathered back the relief I had poured out earlier and blabbered on with a moderate mix of sincerity and shamelessness.
“…
If it were a situation you couldn’t do anything about, sunbae-nim, that would be one thing, but right now you can. So you’ll handle it well, like always. Well, unlike what you said earlier, you didn’t beat him this time, did you? That makes it a better situation.”
“…….”
In Yeonwoo-hyung’s eyes, which had been half-curved and glittering, a bit of surprise had settled before I knew it.
This was the first time I had seen Yeonwoo-hyung make a face like this.
Yeonwoo-hyung opened and closed his mouth as if he was about to say something, then soon put on his usual poker face again and murmured to me in a gentle voice.
“…
I should get going. Do well with the recording, Chunyong-ssi.”
I couldn’t know what Yeonwoo-hyung was feeling as he turned his back on me like that.
Nor did I know what effect my words had on him.
But, well.
Just the fact that the hem of the suit swaying near his waist looked lighter than before was enough for me.
Bzz―
[Ji Hwaseong: Yongyong-hyung where r u]
[Ji Hwaseong: Logan said he saw something scary ㅠㅠ Yuchan-hyung and Jaeha-hyung say to come quick]
[Ji Hwaseong: I think they’re gonna interrogate you before the pre-recording??]
[Ji Hwaseong: I’ll give Logan a knuckle flick for you so pls hurry]
[Ji Hwaseong: Also if you’re still in front of the snack bar bring sikhye on your way]
And since I had climbed over one mountain, there was now an even more important mountain waiting for me.
All right….
The pre-recording and explaining things to the members.
Now it was time to do this damn well.
* * *
The van carrying the other Sledix members left first, and the van carrying only Jeong Yeonwoo and Juyeong belatedly began to pull out of the underground parking lot of the Music Days Sangam Live Hall.
“Haa….”
Perhaps the aftereffects of sobbing earlier still hadn’t faded, because Juyeong was sitting in the seat right next to Jeong Yeonwoo and still sniffling.
On top of that.
Bzz― Bzzzz―
The phone clutched tightly in Juyeong’s hand kept vibrating without rest.
[Billy: Oppa, I asked you to buy me one sikhye and this is what you do?]
[Billy: What kind of law says you can suddenly break up with me;; Over the phone without even seeing my face?]
[Billy: Ah this is ridiculous]
[Billy: Did I ask for some thousand-year love? It’s not like we couldn’t just enjoy what there was to enjoy and break up later, so what is this]
The messages popping up in a flood of previews were nothing short of biting.
[Billy: LOL you cowardly bastard, if you were going to be like this you shouldn’t have dated me]
[Billy: You irresponsible bastard, this is why even though you sing well you’re less popular than the other vocal line members]
Honestly, from Billy’s perspective, it was understandable that she would be furious.
She had just been sitting there waiting for her boyfriend to quickly come find her, only to be suddenly notified of their breakup.
How absurd must it have felt?
However….
“Juyeong.”
“Huh, huh?”
“Give me your phone. Use mine for the time being.”
“…
Okay.”
To Jeong Yeonwoo, who had caused this situation together with Kim Chunyong, it was honestly none of his concern.
[Block recipient: Billy Yes / No]
Having gotten Juyeong’s phone in his hands, Jeong Yeonwoo quickly blocked Billy’s number and stared at his member, who had squeezed his eyes shut.
His head was filled with what Kim Chunyong had said to him earlier.
“Well, unlike what you said earlier, you didn’t beat him this time, did you? That makes it a better situation.”
A better situation.
How had Kim Chunyong been so sure this was a better situation?
Jeong Yeonwoo was a king who wielded absolute power within Sledix, and no one even thought of raising a rebellion against him.
After fiddling with his chin for a moment while looking out the window, Jeong Yeonwoo called to Juyeong, who had his head bowed low, in a quiet voice.
“…
Juyeong.”
“Huh? Y-Yeonwoo-hyung. …What?”
“You, if I had done that to you earlier… and even hit you, what do you think would’ve happened?”
“Are you crazy, are you trying to hit me?! Hyung! I broke up with her! You saw the messages coming in too!”
Perhaps deciding that Jeong Yeonwoo even had a plan to hit him, Juyeong stopped even the sniffles he had been using to evoke the manager-hyung’s sympathy and freaked out.
“Seriously, ah… I mean, what happened earlier was already enough to completely break my spirit. I’m never going to see Billy again, hyung. I understand that much! I’m not that stupid!”
“Haha… I’m just asking. Just asking. What do you think would’ve happened? Would I really hit you?”
If Kim Chunyong hadn’t provided him with this situation, he probably would have hit him, but putting that aside.
At the sight of Jeong Yeonwoo, who had set aside that cold demeanor from earlier and was smiling brightly, Juyeong let out a small sigh and lowered his head again.
Then, fidgeting with his now-empty hands without a phone, he muttered quietly.
“…
I don’t know. I’ve never been hit by anyone before.”
“Be honest.”
“…
I don’t think I would’ve broken up with her, then.”
If he had been hit, he wouldn’t have broken up with her.
Whether it was behind Jeong Yeonwoo’s back, or whether he knew and still dug in his heels, somehow.
He would have maintained his relationship with Billy no matter what and dragged Sledix’s name through the mud.
More precisely, the name of Jeong Yeonwoo, who was their leader.
Juyeong had merely stated his guess that “he wouldn’t have broken up with her,” but in Jeong Yeonwoo’s mind, everything that would have followed lined up one after another.
A strange expression appeared on Jeong Yeonwoo’s face as he tapped the armrest of the van seat with his finger.
As if he understood, yet didn’t.
As if something was within reach, yet not.
A trainee who had strangely caught his eye since the survival show, one who had clearly experienced being addicted to something.
And now, a junior idol who kept brazenly pushing him into suspicious incidents.
“Kim Chunyong….”
Jeong Yeonwoo murmured that name under his breath and lowered the blinds on the van window.
To Kim Chunyong, all of this had been a stepping stone to gain his own certainty, but to Jeong Yeonwoo, a new question had been thrown his way.
Just as he had once pointed out to Kim Chunyong, Jeong Yeonwoo diligently rolled his eyes in thought, then turned his head toward the manager driving hard up front.
“Jeonghyeon.”
“Huh, yes, yes! Yeonwoo-hyung. Go ahead!”
“After the radio show later, could we come to Sangam one more time? There’s something I need to do.”
“Uh… yes. Understood. It’s not an additional shoot, is it?”
“Yeah, no. Just… just.”
Jeong Yeonwoo vaguely trailed off, closing his eyes and raising the corners of his mouth slightly.
In any case, it wasn’t as if he disliked this mess.
When he could enjoy something, he intended to enjoy it thoroughly.