Kim Raebin made it back to the dorm well past three in the morning. His face looked puffy, with red eyes and a flush around his nose, clear signs of a long crying session. Yet despite the tears, he carried a light, relieved air rather than a heavy one.
Park Moondae met him near the entrance. “Is your grandmother alright?”
“Yes, she’s okay. By good fortune, my sister found her early…”
The rest of TeSTAR froze, exchanging quiet looks. Hajun threw them a sharp glance that made his message clear, See? What did I tell you?
Treating me like some cult leader?
Noticing the strange silence, Raebin tilted his head, confused. Cha Eugene leaned closer and spoke quietly, “Grandma sick? Head hurt?”
“Yeah, a brain hemorrhage… Wait, Eugene, how did you know that?” Raebin caught himself and added, “And you should say ‘unwell,’ not ‘sick.'”
Seeing him nag Eugene like usual proved he was doing fine. Hajun flashed a faint smirk at Raebin’s bewildered face. “If you think I can only see ghosts, you’ve got it all wrong.”
“Is this guy for real, Raebin? He makes predictions now?” Keun Sejin chimed in.
“Not predictions. I just see things.”
“Same difference.” Keun Sejin crossed his arms, curiosity taking over. “While we’re on the subject… can you do other stuff besides seeing ghosts, predicting things, or casting curses?”
“Never ever sat down and listed it out, so I wouldn’t know.”
“That’s so wild. Can you guess our next album ranking?”
Hajun raised a single eyebrow, staring at Keun Sejin. To Keun Sejin, it was a simple question sparked by meeting someone with supernatural powers for the first time. The answer he got, though, hit far harder than expected.
“Don’t forget that you shape your own fate. Haven’t you heard that heaven helps those who help themselves?”
“Heaven… what?”
“Heaven helps those who put in the effort. That means doing your best together first, not asking me for shortcuts. You know that much, don’t you?”
Keun Sejin stood there with his mouth half-open, dumbfounded. It was a good point—a solid, mature point—but coming straight from Hajun’s mouth, it felt like a sudden punch to the gut while his guard was down. He felt a bit wronged, too. He always intended to give his all anyway! It was just a harmless thought!
While Moondae filled Raebin in on what had happened during his absence, he felt surprised by Hajun’s words as well. Coming from a guy who complained about side dishes every day and spent his time teasing the younger members, those words sounded far too grounded.
“What’s with those faces?” Hajun asked.
“No, I mean… can you please stick to your usual clueless character?” Keun Sejin whined with loud exaggeration.
Hajun narrowed his eyes at Keun Sejin’s obvious attempt to brush off the awkwardness. Right on cue, Eugene jumped between them.
“Hajun looked cool just now! Like a transcendent being!”
“You just noticed? I’m always cool.”
“Oh… Never mind. Not cool anymore.” Eugene sighed in relief, glad to have the regular Hajun back.
Hajun pinched Eugene’s cheek, tugging at his lips as payback for talking back. “Small fry with a big mouth.”
“Mmmph!”
“Ah, drool.” Hajun let go and wiped his fingers on Eugene’s shirt like it was no big deal.
Rubbing his sore mouth, Eugene checked if his lips were still attached. He opened his mouth to protest, but Ryu Cheongwoo stepped in to end the chaos.
“Alright, that’s enough. I’m glad Raebin’s grandmother is safe. It’s late, so let’s all get some sleep.”
“Yes. Um… thank you all for staying up this late for me. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t mention it. That’s what we’re here for.”
The members offered warm smiles and words of comfort. Just as everyone turned to head for their rooms, a soft rumble broke the quiet. The room went still, and Raebin’s face flushed with embarrassment.
“…You haven’t eaten dinner, have you?”
“Ah, you must be starving. Eat something before bed.” Cheongwoo let out a soft sigh, realizing Raebin hadn’t had the peace of mind to touch any food all night.
Keun Sejin mentioned leftover stew from earlier. Raebin waved his hands, insisting he was fine without food, but Moondae stepped up first to warm up rice and soup.
Hajun took a seat at the dining table, amazed in secret by South Koreans and their absolute need to eat rice no matter the situation.
Cheongwoo turned to him. “Not heading in?”
“Waiting for my roommate.”
“Fair enough. Good night, then.”
“Night.”
Hajun offered a lazy wave to the three heading into their room. Once the door closed, he turned his gaze back to Raebin.
When their eyes met, Raebin dropped his head low. “…I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“I didn’t believe what you said earlier. I know that must have offended you. I apologize.”
It was a formal, earnest apology. In truth, believing a claim like that would have been far stranger. Scratching the back of his neck, Hajun accepted it with an easy shrug. “Yeah, well. It happens.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
A guy who apologizes for everything paired with a guy who takes every apology or praise without hesitation… Moondae kept a straight face as he set the hot rice and stew in front of Raebin. He threw Hajun a look that asked Why are you still sitting there?, but Hajun ignored him outright.
Raebin picked up his spoon, took a couple of bites, and then set it down.
Surprised, Hajun asked, “Done already?”
Raebin kept his head down, staying silent.
Noticing the shift in mood, Moondae spoke up in a gentle tone. “Are you alright? What’s wrong?”
“It… feels strange. I saw that my grandmother is fine, but… what if…” Raebin swallowed hard. “What if something like this happens again, and I catch it too late next time? What if it’s… real?”
Moondae stayed silent.
“Or what if it happens during a show or a shoot? Is it right to drop everything and leave? But if I do that… it feels like I lack professional discipline.”
Listening to the worries pouring out of Raebin’s mouth, Hajun rested his chin on his hand. This group is way too full of softhearted fools who only think about others.
What should he even say to that? Cliché lines about how no one can defy fate were useless here. Besides, Hajun had never worried about losing someone precious in that way. The people connected to him just vanished from memory when his time reset, remaining right where he could see and touch them during each run.
A heavy silence settled over the kitchen. Moondae opened his mouth, speaking in a measured voice.
“When I got the call… I was at my cram school.”
“…”
“I had my phone on silent because of class… so I didn’t see the messages until hours later. My big exam was coming up, too.”
Hajun cut him off. “Hey.”
The distant look in Moondae’s eyes cleared as he looked up. Seeing Moondae’s puzzled face, Hajun knitted his brows a bit. “Is it fine for me to hear this? Want me to head inside?”
You’re uneasy around me anyway.
Moondae paused, then gave a tiny shake of his head. “…It’s fine. Doesn’t matter now.”
Raebin, learning for the first time that Moondae felt awkward around Hajun, blinked in surprise. Moondae himself felt a strange sensation in his chest, realization hitting him that Hajun had in truth shown him a bit of consideration.
That wild card has thoughts for things like that?
They didn’t get along. Hajun was annoying, wild, had a talent for getting on people’s nerves, and even saw ghosts on top of that. But honestly, Moondae didn’t hate the guy himself.
Not hate him? Moondae wondered if he had been spellbound by a ghost like Keun Sejin liked to joke. Glancing at Hajun’s sharp, piercing eyes—eyes he had somehow grown used to—Moondae finished his story.
With Moondae’s quiet comfort soothing his mind, Raebin found his appetite and began eating again.
Watching him clean his bowl, Hajun spoke up with an easy shrug. “If you ever run into trouble, just ask me.”
“Pardon?”
“I’ll give it a shot.”
“Give what a shot?”
Interfering with human life and death? Defying the natural order? He had never tried it before, but Hajun held zero doubt that he could pull it off. In fact, his very existence after turning back time already defied the natural order. He couldn’t run from death forever, but delaying it once or twice? Closing the door right at death’s threshold and pushing a soul back into its body… If that could wipe away their tears and spare them from grief, there was no reason he couldn’t do it.
He had stepped back this time because things seemed to settle on their own. If his mother ever found out he was entertaining thoughts like this, she would lose her mind. Well, I haven’t done anything yet. I’ll worry about that when the time comes.
Brushing the thought aside, Hajun spoke again. “Your grandmother wasn’t meant to pass away from this. I tinkered with things a bit, but that was just strengthening her tether to the living world to pull her back… You get what I’m saying?”
Taking it to mean that luck saved them this time and next time could be different, Raebin’s spirit sank again.
Moondae’s eyes narrowed into sharp slits. I just got him to cheer up, and now this guy…
Noticing Moondae’s glare, Hajun flashed him a look that said Listen till the end, then waved his hand dismissed.
“Anyway. If that ‘next time’ ever comes, I’ll make sure you’re never late. Believe it or not.”
“..! Thank you… thank you so much…”
Even if he didn’t understand all of it, Raebin accepted that Hajun’s strange gifts were real. He offered his thanks and swallowed the final spoonful of rice.
Hajun ruffled Raebin’s hair, sending him off to their bedroom. Once the door clicked shut, he turned his eyes toward Moondae.
“You. Stay behind for a second.”
“…The sun is about to come up.”
“And?”
“Whatever this is about, can’t it wait—”
“No. If we don’t talk now, when else do we get a one-on-one? Eight guys living under one roof doesn’t leave much private time.”
Moondae opened his mouth to argue, exhaustion weighing hard on his eyelids. Before he could speak, Hajun dropped a name that scattered every trace of sleepiness in a flash.
“Ryu Gunwoo.”
“!!”
Hajun sat back in his chair, a slow smirk spreading across his face. “Great. Looks like you’re ready to talk now.”
Moondae stood frozen before stumbling back into his seat across the table. His eyes transformed in a split second, sharp and guarded.
Seeing the sudden shift, Hajun ran a hand through his hair. “Woah there. Didn’t mean to scare you.”
“Who are you?”
“Hmm, an active idol who sees ghosts?”
“Are you joking right now?”
Moondae didn’t bother hiding his hostility. Reading the mood, Hajun dropped his hand and laced his fingers together on the table. Under the dim kitchen light, the space felt just like an interrogation room.
Moondae stared at the suspect sitting across from him—the one person who knew his true identity—his mind racing at full speed.
Reading his thoughts with ease, Hajun let out a relaxed smile and asked in a smooth voice:
“Coffee?”
His voice carried a polite, gentle note, offering caffeine for what promised to be a long talk. Realizing he needed a moment away from Hajun’s eyes to collect himself, Moondae stood up.
He needed cold water first—and plenty of it—if he wanted to keep his head clear.
New Terms
- 류건우 – Ryu Gunwoo (Moondae’s original identity)
- 天佑自助者 – God helps those who help themselves (A proverb meaning fate is shaped by effort)
