Chapter 109 The Calm Before The Calm
June woke up with a smile on his face. It was one of the rare moments where he didn't get much sleep, but he still felt happy.
He made his bed, opened his window, and inhaled the fresh scent of chimney smoke and fried dried fish. It wasn't a pleasant smell, but nothing could ruin June's mood.
June opened his door and even watered the plants. Then, he went downstairs to Minjun's and Grandma's apartment, greeting them with a subtle smile. Then he plopped down on their couch and watched leisurely on the TV while waiting for Grandma to finish cooking breakfast.
The grandmother-and-grandson pair watched the scene before them in disbelief.
"It's weird," Minjun said. "Why does he look so happy? He's still being called a bully online."
"Maybe he lost it?" Grandma asked. "I should make his favorite breakfast today. Why don't you go and talk to him?"
"I'm scared," Minjun whispered.
Grandma clicked his tongue. "Just go."
Minjun warily went to the living room and sat next to June.
He froze as June turned to him with sparkling eyes. "Hey there, little boy!" he exclaimed in happiness, making Minjun's heart race in his chest. "Did you miss your big brother?"
Minjun chuckled awkwardly as he slowly scooted away from June. "Umm, yeah. Sure."
"Aww, I knew you missed me!" June said, squeezing Minjun's cheek.
"Brother," Minjun said, muffled because of his squeezed cheeks. "Did you eat something weird?"
"I haven't eaten yet."
"You're weird," Minjun bluntly said. "Come on, tell me. Do you need anything?"
June's smile widened as he brought out his phone.
"Minjun," he said. "How many followers do you have again?"
"Around 30k now," Minjun said. "After posting updates about the Mad Hatter, my followers increased overnight!" he said proudly.
Minjun, the eleven-year-old boy, gained over 30 thousand followers for reposting news articles on Navel while adding captions that roasted the main person in the article.
He's like a kid version of RoastHimJim. Instead, he was RoastHimMin.
His last post gained a hundred thousand likes alone because of his caption, "Introducing the 'Mad Hatter': Where Patchy Beards, Jaundiced Eyes, and Blackened Teeth Make for the Ultimate Fashion Statement! Is Crime the New Couture?"
"Then, do you want an exclusive story?" June asked.
Minjun looked at him, his eyes showing intrigue. "How exclusive are we talking here?"
"You'd be the first to post it. Not even big news stations got a hold of this information yet."
***
In the Seven Star Convenience Store, June was back to his usual duties, a hint of a cheerful tune escaping his lips as he went about his tasks.
Mr. Chang's eyebrows furrowed as he observed June's cheery mood. It wasn't often that his part-time worker displayed such unabashed happiness, especially after what seemed to have been a rather eventful day for him.
The older man scratched his head. "Kid, did something happen? You look like you're on top of the world."
June's grin only widened as he continued to stock the shelves. "Oh, nothing much. Just had a bit of an interesting day."
Mr. Chang raised an eyebrow, but before he could press for details, he decided it was best not to pry. With a shake of his head, he muttered to himself, "Kids these days."
As Mr. Chang excused himself to go feed his chickens in the backyard, June continued his work.
A jingling of the store's entrance bell caught June's attention–Jisung, C-Jay, Jaeyong, Jangmoon, and Akira.
June sighed. "You're here again?"
"Big brother!" Jangmoon sobbed, his eyes puffy. "C-Jay told us something. I can't believe this is really happening."
June let him be, and then he turned to Jaeyong. "And what are you doing here?"
Jaeyong scratched the back of his neck. "Umm, I just wanted to see if I could help."
"It's over, brother!" C-Jay screamed, making June's ears hurt. "I heard from my mother's cousin who has a friend that worked with her nephew, who currently works as a deliveryman, who went to the Azure building and heard from his client, who's a director of the show, who…"
"We get it," Akira said. "Just tell June what you know."
"You're getting kicked out."
C-Jay's words hung heavily in the air, each syllable resonating with concern and tension. The faces of Jisung, Jaeyong, and Akira mirrored the weight of the news – a reality that seemed both unfair and unsettling. As the silence stretched, it was clear that the gravity of the situation was sinking in.
"This nephew heard that they're going to give a certain trainee until morning to prove his innocence. However, if nothing happens, then they're going to kick him out and edit him out of the scenes. Can you believe it? They're going to cut you out like that? Alex and Hyunwoo don't even have any evidence against you! And that Phoenix shit isn't debunking anything, too," C-Jay ranted.
Jisung patted June's back. "It's really so unfair. You don't even have an agency to begin with. How can you compete against them?"
"Tell me about it," Jangmoon said. "It's like they're preying on June just because he's an individual trainee without a company backing him up."
"Do you want me to ask our company to help?" Jaeyong asked. "They're not the greatest, but they're pretty good at legal matters."
"It'd be absurd if they helped someone not under the company," Akira said.
"And it's too late!" C-Jay exclaimed. "The production crew is probably coming to a conclusion now. How can we prove June's innocence in just a matter of hours…or worse, minutes?"
"It's alright," June said, causing all five of them to look at him like he'd gone mad.
Amidst the shared worry, it was June's unexpected calmness that stood out. His expression remained serene, a contrast to the collective unease that had settled over the group. His eyes were filled with their usual nonchalance, and they even held a tranquility that seemed almost surreal.
The others exchanged glances, baffled by June's unbothered behavior.
"How could he be so calm when his future on the show is in jeopardy?" Akira asked.
"Jangmoon's going to get farther in the competition compared to you," C-Jay shook his shoulders. "Do you think that makes sense?"
"Yeah," Jangmoon agreed, then he realized that C-Jay's statement was lowkey bashing him. "Wait…hey!"
"Anway," Jisung said. "We can't let you leave, bro," he said, on the verge of tears.
They were in a state of panic, while June seemed to be the embodiment of composure.
And then, he smiled.
It was a smile that seemed to light up the room, a gentle curve of his lips that held a hint of mystery and a touch of mischief. His eyes, usually detached, now gleamed with confidence that was captivating and reassuring.
As the others watched him, drawn into the serenity of his presence, June finally spoke. His voice was calm, steady, and surprisingly soothing in the midst of the storm that had enveloped them.
"Relax," June said. "Things will eventually fall into the right place."
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