“The idol who returned to the past felt shocked, yet tried his best to succeed this time without scandal. And yet…”
“He fails again, dies, and returns to the past. Is that right?”
“…Close enough. He keeps dying in accidents and coming back.”
Listening to the story, Hajun raised an eyebrow. Accidents, huh. Pushing that fresh piece of information into a corner of his mind, Hajun signaled Cheongryeo to keep talking.
“So the idol trapped in the past turned into a ghost somewhere along the way. Roaming the recording studio, whenever an idol with potential records a song, he cuts in and sings along.”
“What does he say? ‘You guys better be nervous too’?”
“No. ‘I could have done it too…'”
“Huh.”
Silence settled between them. Finishing his tale, Cheongryeo crossed his arms and looked at Won Hajun. Though his posture held nothing crooked, the man in front of him exuded a relaxed, laid-back vibe. Maybe that dull, bored look on his face caused it.
“Is that all?”
“Yes.”
“Guess you don’t know the rest of the story then.”
“…The rest?”
Leaning toward Cheongryeo, Hajun paused before speaking in a drawl.
“That idol ghost, I heard he’s gone now.”
“…”
“The kids made such a fuss about not being able to record because of a ghost, so the agency CEO held an exorcism and sent him off to the afterlife without trouble. How old is this ghost story anyway?”
Hajun stretched his arms wide, leaving Cheongryeo speechless. Park Moondae, coming out of the restroom, spotted Hajun letting out a huge yawn right in front of a senior and rushed back over.
“Oh, you’re back? That ghost story you fear doesn’t exist anymore.”
Look how well I did. Seeing the face that almost spelled those words out, Moondae gripped his aching stomach. What are you so proud of? As it was, his stomach turned after peeking into Cheongryeo’s past.
The look on Cheongryeo’s face remained subtle. He looked a bit drained, maybe confused… Either way, that guy had climbed all the way here while swapping out members to fit his taste. Hearing that Cheongryeo was a transmigrator felt different from seeing it firsthand. Cheongryeo’s trait, ‘Correction’, amounted to Reset Syndrome in short. That guy isn’t sane either. In fact, looking neat on the outside made him far more dangerous than Won Hajun.
Moondae looked back and forth between the two crazed transmigrators, guessing what words had passed while he was gone. Either way, his worst fear—a cracked skull—had not happened. That was enough for now.
While Moondae worked his brain, Hajun studied Moondae and clicked his tongue. That guy caught something from the curse in the restroom. His energy felt thicker than usual.
“Ghost stories are off-limits now. Our kid gets scared.”
“…Who are you calling a kid?”
A sour protest came back, but Moondae was indeed the youngest here. Cheongryeo, who had kept a strange look, smoothed his expression in a flash. True to a pro.
“Then, do you have any questions instead? Since I’m your senior, whether about work or mental health… I’ll answer what I know.”
If any junior could refuse this, it was Won Hajun. Sure enough, as Hajun opened his mouth to speak, Moondae jabbed his side to shut him up and caught the intent behind the question.
This sudden shift in topic aimed to test them for sure. Mentioning the idol ghost story earlier (where Hajun fell right into the trap without a doubt), and now this too. Cheongryeo felt confused about which one was the transmigrator. Moondae didn’t know how Cheongryeo figured it out, but based on his actions so far, Cheongryeo must have thought Moondae was the transmigrator. And of late, for whatever reason, he added Won Hajun as another candidate. That was as far as Moondae could guess right now.
Pretending to think of a question, Moondae weighed whether to play into Cheongryeo’s hand. His hesitation was brief. Playing dumb would get caught by a seasoned transmigrator sooner or later anyway, and looking at those eyes already fixed on Won Hajun… Leaving himself out and letting those two get lumped together as transmigrators promised disaster. Whether Won Hajun would keep his secret remained unknown too. Guess it comes to this… Swallowing a sigh, Moondae picked his words with care.
“Well, rather than a question, I’d like to hear how you started out with your team, senior.”
“…Started out?”
“As you know, our team formed in a rather unique way… I’m curious about other groups. What path did VTIC take to debut together?”
I know you looped until you gathered team members to your taste.
Hajun watched Moondae dance around the truth with Cheongryeo. For someone like Hajun, who preferred throwing direct pitches straight to the face, watching this felt frustrating, yet he understood the need for it. Seeing things better left hidden and knowing things better left in the dark demanded such a lesson in life. His mother used to hammer that exact point into him. Never blurt out what you see, in particular when it’s bad. Slipping it out in plain words could twist someone’s fate, and the karma from leaking heavenly secrets would stack up on you. Though his spiritual eyes opened late, Hajun felt energies early on, hearing those words until his ears grew numb. Maybe in that regard, he was already too late.
Resting his chin on his hand, Hajun waited for Moondae and Cheongryeo’s talk to wrap up. As he recalled the past, a static noise caught his ear, and he raised his head.
“That helped a lot. Thank you.”
“…Don’t mention it.”
It seemed no one else noticed the sound. As the two exchanged fake smiles, Hajun stood up, and Moondae grabbed him on instinct.
“…What’s wrong?”
“A sound.”
“A sound?”
Leaving behind a terse explanation, Hajun took long strides. Moondae put strength into his grip to pull him back down, but it proved useless. Dragged along like an ornament on clothes, Moondae only stood straight once Hajun stopped before the storage room door.
“It’s coming from inside. Like, buzzing noise? Is there a radio?”
Only then did Moondae catch the sound, his face clearing up. Cheongryeo, following behind them, suggested checking the radio to learn about the landslide outside.
“Finding a flashlight or flare to signal SOS would help too. The police are taking longer than expected…”
“I’ll open it.”
Click. Luck was on their side—this door wasn’t locked. Cheongryeo and Moondae stepped closer to the buzzing radio to check its state. Hajun walked past them to look around the room. Picking up a small emergency escape hammer in the corner, Hajun tossed it with one hand and caught it. The storage room was dark, with only one camera inside. Meaning no one noticed Hajun finding something in the corner.
As Moondae tuned the radio frequency with Cheongryeo, a voice mixed with heavy noise came through.
Kzzzzzt…
[ …Emergency news update. The murder suspect who escaped prison— ]
“…Murder?”
“Eerie news.”
“What’s going on?”
Holding the hammer in one hand, Hajun stepped closer to them when a loud noise echoed.
BANG BANG BANG BANG!!
“…!!!”
“What was that?”
This guy really lacks courage. Patting Moondae’s trembling shoulder, Hajun walked to the door with the hammer in hand.
“Who is it?”
–Police! Open the door!!
“…Police?”
Moondae’s voice held suspicion, but Hajun didn’t care if the words were false. Subduing the guy first solved everything anyway. With the hammer in one hand and his other hand on the doorknob, Hajun prepared to pull it open when Cheongryeo stopped him.
“Wait.”
“?”
“Bro, step back over here.”
As Hajun paused, Moondae pulled him back by the arm. A move meant to protect whoever stood outside (most likely the youngest PD). Catching sight of the small hammer in Hajun’s hand, Moondae’s eyes went dull.
Stepping ahead of the juniors, Cheongryeo called out to the suspicious figure outside.
“State your rank, name, and department first.”
–…
Looking with regret at the emergency hammer Moondae snatched away, Hajun dusted his hands and loosened his muscles. After a moment of silence, a voice shouted from outside.
–Hey, open the door!!
BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG!
The flimsy set entrance began to break apart with a crunch. Moondae panicked. Confirming his belief that the door earlier broke just because this place was built flimsy, Hajun turned to the two and asked.
“Should I open it?”
“No!”
“Over here!”
Moondae grabbed Hajun’s arm and moved according to Cheongryeo’s signal. As Cheongryeo reached for the window lock, Moondae grabbed the frame to help him. Hajun, snatching the hammer back from Moondae’s hand, smashed the window beside them. If you’re human, use tools.
—CRACK!
The window made of clear plastic rather than glass shattered with a heavy thud. The material had plenty of flex, meaning Hajun pretty much tore it open with force rather than the hammer. Seeing a second piece of property destruction before his eyes, Moondae’s hand slipped on the window frame.
“This is faster.”
Since they prepared a hammer in the first place, didn’t that mean we could break things? It wasn’t real glass anyway, so this should be fine.
The three climbed out through the window one after another. The green chroma key background behind the window had been torn to shreds long ago.
“Let’s head down fast before that person chases us.”
“Yes. See you next time, senior.”
“…You aren’t going together?”
“If worst comes to worst, having even one person survive is better, so why not split up?”
“Fair point.”
Watching the two exchange cool farewells and part ways, Hajun followed behind Moondae without a word.
“…Aren’t you going apart?”
“We aren’t going together?”
“Like I said, at least one person shouldn’t get caught. Go on ahead.”
“We’re riding the same car anyway.”
“…Just go.”
Trying to ignore the comment that broke the mood, Moondae pushed Hajun’s back. He also grabbed the hammer Hajun was still holding.
“Well then.”
Going apart? Nonsense. Hajun snorted, feeling a presence trailing behind him for a while now. Ah, right. That’s the setup. Pretending to rest against a tree, he felt the presence draw closer with care. Whether it was the crew who ordered this or this guy doing it despite knowing he’d get caught…
“—!”
“Gotcha!”
“Ugh…!”
In a flash, Hajun turned around and twisted the wrist of Moondae, who was attempting a surprise attack. Losing his grip on the hammer due to the strong pressure, Moondae swallowed a scream. By the time he gathered his senses, he was pinned to the ground. When Hajun tried to strip off his parka, Moondae panicked. This is sponsored clothes…! Seeing the tan clothes beneath the outerwear, Hajun smirked. What Moondae wore was none other than a prison uniform.
“Bingo.”
“…”
“You really were the murder suspect.”
Stealing the hammer from his hand over and over, plus telling everyone to split up. Fitting the puzzle pieces together revealed the picture. Thinking of the production crew inserting this setting behind their backs felt ridiculous, but since he verified the final setup, guess it was time to go. Hajun pulled Moondae to his feet, checked that he was fine, and grinned.
“Shall we go?”
“…Aren’t you going to report me to the police?”
“Can’t have our precious main vocal getting dragged away. Let’s just go. It’s going to rain.”
Just as Hajun said, summer rain poured down before long. The skit hovering between immersion and the fourth wall came to an end, and time returned to reality.
While the crew cleared up the shooting set, they suggested calling the members on video. Called a suggestion, the deal with the agency had already wrapped up. So despite Moondae’s expectation that a few formal words would be all, sincere worry poured out from the members as soon as the call connected.
[Are you alright?]
[Park Moondae! Are you okay?]
[A-A-Are you safe…?]
…Anyone watching would think they went to war instead of a shoot. Wondering who Seon Ahyun’s question aimed at, Moondae nodded. Whoever it was, they were safe. For now.
Listening without a word, Hajun popped his face onto the screen to assert his presence.
“Why is no one worried about me?”
[Well, we always worry about you, Hajun…]
[You didn’t cause trouble, right?]
“Umm– nope.”
[…Bro? Why are you drawing out your answer?]
[Hajun…]
[Look at Moondae bro’s face! It turned ugly!]
[Cha Eugene! In times like this, you say gaunt, not ugly!]
“…”
Well, thanks a lot. Indeed, his face on the corner of the screen looked a bit more tired than when shooting started. Makes sense, since they stayed up through the night. The shoot had stretched from late night to the next morning—now.
Snatched the phone from Moondae, Hajun demanded from the members.
“Tell me ‘Good job’, ‘You worked hard’, ‘Come back safe’, things like that.”
[P-Please come back in one piece…!]
[Yeah, good job. Hurry back.]
[Don’t cause trouble and come back fast, seriously.]
“I thought about buying snacks on the way back for you guys, but guess I’ll leave Keun Sejin out.”
[Ahhh, I’m sorry!]
[Snacks!!]
Exchanging a few words in English with an excited Cha Eugene, Hajun ended the video call before long. While Hajun chattered on his phone, Moondae contacted the manager using Hajun’s phone. He wondered if calling from that phone made more sense, but since the goal was reached, it didn’t matter.
“The manager says he’ll be late.”
“Really?”
Hajun shrugged and let out a long stretch. His tall height stood out as he stretched. Catching sight of him, Cheongryeo walked over. And Moondae tensed up. Here it comes.
“Ah, you two. Not leaving?”
“Our manager is running late, so we’re waiting.”
“Then lunch will be late too. How about having a meal before heading back? My treat.”
“…”
“Sounds great.”
Curling his lips into a smile, Hajun answered right away on Moondae’s behalf. Moondae really, really didn’t want to, but he had no choice but to nod. He had to accept that getting info on the System through Won Hajun alone was tough. He needed the words of someone who firsthand ‘experienced’ this System. Not someone dragged in by chance.
“Then, shall we go in my car?”
Not bad.
That was the rich boy’s sole thought on a top-tier first-generation idol’s car. Glancing at the shameless guy naturally taking the seat of honor in the back, Moondae got into the passenger seat. Closing the door and fastening his seatbelt, Cheongryeo started the car right away and opened his mouth almost at the same time.
“I don’t like wasting time. Shall we get straight to the point?”
“…”
“Sure.”
Hearing the brief, sharp response, Moondae turned around with a sharp snap. Hajun just raised an eyebrow. Whatever. There were no cameras here, and only one recorder in Moondae’s pocket. Why use honorifics when the other guy dropped honorifics first? Cheongryeo, receiving informal speech from a fresh junior, showed little reaction. Glancing at Hajun through the rearview mirror was all. He brought up the main topic right away.
“I didn’t think there’d be two. Which year did you come from?”
“Why do you think I ‘came’?”
“…”
Silence. Moondae gripped his seatbelt tight. Cheongryeo kept looking at Hajun through the rearview mirror instead of keeping his eyes proper on the road. Damn it. Before long, the car caught a red light. Cheongryeo let out a small gasp and muttered.
“…Ah, so that’s why. That’s why you did that.”
Appearing in his dream, and the words spoken back then. Hearing his mutterings, Hajun scowled. He remembered. He really shouldn’t have thrown away that doll. Sticking a few more thumbtacks might have made him forget for good.
“How did you even do that? Is the rumor about you being a shaman true?”
“Not a shaman.”
“Interesting… Well, anyway. Then the one who came from the future is junior Park Moondae. Which exact year did you come from?”
Figuring out that Hajun wasn’t a transmigrator from the past like himself, Cheongryeo turned his focus straight to Moondae. His main goal was the next transmigrator holding future knowledge, not someone whose time had passed. Sure, it held interest, but compared to future knowledge, its value was far lower.
“…Is that all?”
“What more should I say? Your point in time has passed. Well, let me talk about that later. Time is tight right now.”
Later? Something surged up from deep inside. Hajun didn’t know what name to give it. But what had slept inside him for a very long time flared awake like an explosion just now. The next moment, Hajun realized his fist was flying straight toward Cheongryeo. It happened in a split second, far too fast for Cheongryeo to dodge or Moondae to block.
—THUD.
New Terms
- 교정 – Correction (Cheongryeo’s Status Window trait)
- 리셋 증후군 – Reset Syndrome (Psychological term for wanting to restart everything when things go wrong)
- 비상탈출용 망치 – Emergency escape hammer
- 구치소 수의 – Prison uniform
