Chapter 180

I didn't know how long I'd slept after that.

It felt instantaneous, but the moment I woke up, I thought maybe it wasn't short at all.

Because my head felt refreshed.

"..."

Fortunately, the place I saw as soon as I opened my eyes was a single-person hospital room.

'Alright.'

The guy who answered the phone must have handled it properly...

"...! Moondae."

"...!"

When I turned my head, I made eye contact with Ryu Chungwoo, who jumped up from his chair.

'What?'

Why is this guy here?

"Wait, I have to call!"

However, without giving me time to say anything, Ryu Chungwoo immediately pressed the button and called the medical staff.

And a little later.

"Yes. There are no other abnormal signs. Is the drip rate okay?"

"Yes..."

"Then I'll exchange it again in an hour."

It seemed that under the check-up of the visiting medical staff, the discovery that there was no major problem was being issued again.

I looked at the back of my hand where I was being injected with bitter yes.

'No wonder I feel refreshed.'

It must have been thanks to the direct supply of antibiotics and nutritional supplements.

"If there is anything wrong, you can call me."

"...Yes."

"Thank you!"

Click.

And as soon as the medical staff left. Some serious faces popped out from the side of the bed.

Not one, but three.

Ryu Chungwoo seemed to be fiddling with his smartphone for a while, but Keun Sejin and Bae Sejin came out of nowhere.

'What is this?'

Isn't it a format you've seen in some kind of gangster movie?

In the meantime, Ryu Chungwoo opened his mouth with a serious face.

"...Your wrists are sprained, it will take three weeks for a full recovery. And two of your ribs are fractured, it will take four weeks. They said the bruises on your arms and legs will go away faster than that."

"..."

"You've been passing out all day."

The degree of injury was better than I had expected.

Park Moondae's body was unexpectedly tough.

'It's good that it's not broken.'

But... I need to be smart in this situation.

Before I could screw up, the person who made the phone call spoke to me just in time.

"...First of all, I'm glad you're feeling better."

It was Keun Sejin.

There was no answer to this situation except that this guy had contacted the other two.

"...Hey."

"What, what is it?"

Why are you answering uncooperatively?

"How can I move you to the hospital by myself without calling 119? Is there any other way besides calling hyung who has his own car?"

"..."

I didn't mean to interrogate you, but I certainly had nothing to say.

Keun Sejin didn't stop there.

"In the first place, when I called you... I was in the middle of meeting Chungwoo hyung."

"..."

"Your messages were so weird."

"...What?"

Keun Sejin crossed his arms.

"It's funny that Park Moondae left the nice dorm to go to a hotel, but it's even weirder that you cut off contact."

"...!"

"So I asked the other kids, too... All your replies were strange."

Keun Sejin tilted his chin slightly toward Bae Sejin.

"That hyung was also contacting Chungwoo hyung."

Bae Sejin slightly averted his gaze and murmured.

"...It's strange that you suddenly don't know about apartment balances when we've already talked about filing a comprehensive income tax report."

"..."

So you called him.

Keun Sejin asked with a hardened face.

"That wasn't you, was it?"

"..."

"So let me ask you, what's going on? What's wrong?"

Yeah. I knew this question would come up.

"I stopped Chungwoo hyung from reporting it right away... Honestly, I don't know why I stopped him. I thought about a lot of things...."

Keun Sejin sighed as he looked into the air.

"If you want to handle it alone because of a ridiculous reason, I'll report it right now, so just tell me what's going on."

I smiled bitterly.

"I want to avoid reporting it."

"Why?!"

"Moondae, whatever reason you have, it's better to leave an official record first. Let's report it."

"...Is it because of the activities?"

"No."

I shook my head. And I answered in a serious voice.

"I think it could be a two-way process."

"...!!"

"W-What?"

I clenched the hand that didn't have the injection into a fist and shook it.

"Because I beat the sh*t out of him."

"..."

"..."

"I was caught by a crazy bastard while going out, so I knocked him down and got some evidence, but Korean law is too narrow for the scope of self-defense... Even if I win, I will have to spend some time on the court."

"B-But, you can get that bastard punished by the law..."

"It's fine, I've hit his head with real metal."

"..."

It was the handcuff, but well, it was really made of metal.

Opening my mouth and facing the three people who stiffened, I calmly continued my explanation.

"In fact, a lot of my injuries happened because I was trying to subdue him in retaliation... I didn't actually get hit in a defenseless state, so I think I'll be the only one in trouble if I pointlessly get caught up in an article."

"...Mmm."

The guys' faces turned dazed and complicated, not making a fuss.

However, Bae Sejin still had a dark face.

"Still, you were right beating him...! We can handle it, so let's just make a report. He might attack you again."

"Well, even if I report it, he won't be able to talk anyway. I've scared him enough so that he won't do anything stupid again."

"Y-You scared him?"

"Yes. I did a great job scaring him."

I lowered my head to the side.

"Um, I... You don't think I would have taken care of it half-heartedly, do you?"

"..."

I guess not. Our well-built trust really shone here.

"Is this explanation good enough? That's why I don't want to report it. If I called 119, they would track the cause of the injury right away, that's why I asked you not to."

"... Moondae. You could just go to the hospital."

"...!"

Ryu Chungwoo smiled bitterly.

"Your condition is very serious. Your fever was boiling, and you have traces of being beaten and tied up..."

"..."

"I don't know how much you hit that person, but whatever the scope of your self-defense is, you are the victim. Looking at you now, is it possible for both sides to sound the same?"

Ryu Chungwoo sighed.

"First of all, I told the hospital that you had an accident while practicing for a concert and working too hard in a sick state, but... I'd still like to report it. It can't be helped if you don't want to."

"..."

"Or at least share his personal details with the company as much as you know. Just in case, we should keep him away."

"Hmm..."

I nodded.

I could just make up a sketch and talk about it.

"Yes. I will contact the company."

"...! Well thought out."

"Tell us, too! Everyone should be careful of such a crazy person."

"Okay. Um, also."

I was a little embarrassed, but it would be better to say it.

"Thank you."

"......!"

"Thank you, hyungs. To be honest, it would have been difficult if you didn't call me back then."

I smiled.

"The fake messages sounded plausible. I didn't know anyone would notice."

"..."

For a moment, the hospital room warmed up with a sense of accomplishment.

'If I hadn't escaped, you would have caught on before I got smashed by a hammer.'

As soon as the moment passed, Keun Sejin nodded seriously.

"That's right. So be nicer to me. First of all, my personal photos..."

"I take it back."

"Hey! That's too much!"

Keun Sejin hit the bed sheet. Funny bastard.

"... Hmm, hmm! Anyway, rest well! Take care of yourself!"

"Yeah. I'm glad you got me to the hospital on time."

The other two were also proud. All right, things were sorted out well.

"Ah, should we get some drinks? What would you like?"

"Hey, hyung, I'll go get them and come back soon~"

"No. I want to go for a walk. Um, Moondae, you want apple juice?"

"Yes. Thank you."

And if there was one more thing I should sort out, it was this.

'Hmm, we've certainly become a bit more comfortable with each other.'

Ryu Chungwoo had gotten less awkward.

Perhaps, my subconscious had slipped the person who had helped me when I was sick back into my mind.

'As expected, I have to feel it to find out.'

As he helped with my health, my mind returned back a bit.

"Then take a rest."

"Yes."

I waved my hand and sent Ryu Chungwoo off.

Click.

And when he left, Keun Sejin suddenly asked.

"Hey, the leader hyung left too."

"..."

"You don't want to talk to the company but is there anything you want to tell me? Sejin hyung-nim will also listen if Moondae confides in us, right?"

"W-What? Oh, uh... Of course!"

Quick-witted bastard.

'He noticed that I turned my words around with compliments.'

Well, I was going to explain it to a few people anyway, just in case.

So that I could move major opinions within the team toward not getting involved with VTIC as much as possible during future activities.

'There's no need to make a big deal out of this.'

For that, they couldn't conspire against me without me knowing because they weren't close with each other, and they had a good trait of not making blunders with other people.

'It's perfect.'

I opened my mouth.

"The guy who attacked me, I actually know him."

"What?"

"Who is it!?"

"VTIC Cheongryeo."

"...!!"

Bae Sejin's face visibly hardened.

"That fellow, something's strange about him."

"...Really?"

"Yeah, his eyes are weird...!"

"Let's report him."

"...!!"

Keun Sejin stepped in with a hardened face.

"We'll continue to see him at award ceremonies and music shows, so no. Let's report him."

"There's no need for that."

"Even if you're fine now, when you meet..."

I smirked.

"So, what about that motherf*cking bastard?"

"...!"

"I told you. It was me who hit him."

I stretched out my arm, careful of the injection.

"That bastard got hit in the face, so he won't be active for a while."

"...If he reports you first."

"I even received an apology at the end of the recording and the photos. He won't."

"...Sigh."

Keun Sejin let out a deep sigh, but he didn't refute further.

'I guess he's starting to get the sense of what kind of mess it will become if I report it.'

Still, for a guy who was so hung up on the group's records, it was brave of him to ask me to report it.

"Why on earth..."

"I don't know. I guess he just doesn't want to see me."

"He's crazy."

Perhaps he had seen more outlandish people in the industry, Bae Sejin understood this poor excuse surprisingly easily.

Then he hesitated and asked.

"...Is there a reason you only say this to him and me?"

"Um, if we have to schedule a meeting with VTIC in the future, I want to ask you to avoid him together."

Let's flatter him a little bit.

"Because you're good at speaking every time you're working."

"...! Y-Yeah. All right."

He felt better now that I had given him a sense of duty. Good.

"Still, just in case, make sure you have the proof!"

"Alright."

As such, the explanation and conviction of 'How Park Moondae ended up like that' were over.

'It was more difficult than I thought.'

Well, it was difficult in a good way.

"Guys, drinks."

"Oh~ Thank you!"

"...Thanks."

After a while, Ryu Chungwoo returned, and I turned my head the other way while drinking a fairly expensive convenience store apple juice.

'First of all... Four weeks is enough to recover from an injury to a level where I can easily move around.'

I guessed I would be able to make it to the beginning of the concert.

'If I have to, I'll overwork myself at the Seoul concert.'

However, the problem was, I hadn't been able to keep up with the final practice.

It was the group choreography, so I had learned it before the vacation. I could adjust to it if there were no changes, but I was worried about the solo stage.

And I had to learn a new choreography for the fan service segment

'Should I just memorize the moves while being careful?'

I couldn't help it now.

I shrugged and picked up my smartphone.

First of all, I was going to ask the other guys' understanding regarding the injury, and I planned to contact the company and ask them to publish some articles ahead of time.

'I have to do this now so that everyone will forgive me if I don't recover until the concert.'

...However, if I had known that this action would have stronger repercussions than I thought, I would have thought of delaying it a little longer.

[Me: Got caught by some crazy stalker and got hurt a little when subduing him. All of the messages after the vacation were from that person impersonating me, so please excuse everything. (sighing emoticon)]

As soon as he saw this, Seon Ahyeon quit his trip and came to the hospital room.

It seemed he was more alarmed by the stalker excuse because he had seen some freaks break into my apartment.

"M-Moondae!"

"...? Hello."

Before he could look at my 'Why are you here?' expression, Seon Ahyeon shouted in panic.

"Y-You didn't get hurt, right!?"

"..."

Well... I wasn't even wearing a cast, this was a bit too much.

I calmed Seon Ahyeon who was about to cry instead of the other way around and I received a gift box full of some bread.

It was from a famous bakery in Sokcho, but it tasted good anyway.

I also exchanged awkward greetings with the parents who had brought Seon Ahyeon all the way here.

I was rather embarrassed because they were so sad.

"Next time, make sure to come with Ahyeon. There are so many strange people these days... Aigoo, what should I do?"

"It's okay. I won."

"R-Right. But still..."

The tearful face was the same as Seon Ahyeon's, I wondered if it ran in the family.

"C-Call me if you need me!"

"All right."

Since then, Seon Ahyeon had been in and out of the hospital room until the vacation was over.

He had a great deal of patience. If it were me, I would never visit the hospital every day while on vacation.

'Is it due to a difference in personality?'

Oh, of course, other members besides Seon Ahyeon also contacted me.

Among them, there was also a guy who tried to call me.

- Hyung-nim! Are you feeling well?

It was Kim Raebin.

"Yeah. Um, that's great. I had something to say."

- Yes...?

And I did my job.

"Hello, Grandmother. This is Park Moondae."

[Aigoo!]

I tried to sing trot to lighten the mood, but Kim Raebin's grandmother had a firm taste.

[That one~ I like the one that our groom sang! Winter Night!]

"I-I will let you hear it."

[Oh, so pretty~]

Hmm, it was a pretty fun experience anyway.

And lastly, Cha Eugene... Surprisingly, there was no contact from him until the last day of the vacation.

Then, a short video uploaded to the group message room reported his survival.

[Wahhahaha!]

[Watch out!]

... It was a video of Cha Eugene getting into the beach which was filmed dynamically.

In this late autumn.

[Cha Eugene: Mom took this video for me! :D]

He was a really consistent guy.

Still, he must have belatedly seen my post, so he called me late at night to ask how I was doing.

- Hyung!! Do you beat the stalker?? Did you hit him?

This guy was really consistent.

"Sigh."

And around this time, the company finally started publishing articles about my injury.