When I opened my eyes, I saw an unfamiliar ceiling.
This is that scene from a web novel I read not long ago.
After this, everyone ends up debuting as idols.
...Wait, isn’t this my story?
I didn’t know how long I’d been out.
My last memory was a woman passing by, screaming when she saw me covered in blood.
For some reason, stuff from the Hanpyeong Industries days was still in my head. Must’ve been a dream.
But... what am I supposed to do now.
Should I call a nurse? I’m not in enough pain to call anyone.
Thanks to the system, I didn’t feel a thing. If anything, it felt nice to be lying here doing nothing for the first time in ages.
I’m a modest citizen who loves his bed—how did my life get this tangled.
I turned my head this way and that and got the gist.
With an IV cannula in my wrist and a “fall risk” sticker by my pillow, surgery or emergency treatment seemed done. If it were truly urgent, everyone would be gathered at my bedside.
‘Never thought I’d be hospitalized in this life.’
Weird. The company at Hanpyeong Industries was more of a shitshow, but I feel more threats to my life at UA.
More importantly, there’s a problem.
This looks... like a private room.
How much does that cost? It’s my first time admitted and I’m flustered. I’d only heard it was insanely expensive; cold sweat trickled down my back.
Will the company pay? I don’t even have insurance in this life yet. Does salary cover hospitalization from an injury?
‘You lunatic bastard... I’m invoicing every last won.’
Grinding my teeth, I thought of Yu Hansu. Don’t even think about a settlement unless the number’s obscene. I’ll hit you civil and criminal and end your life.
While I was fuming, I heard the door at the foot of the bed open. Someone approached.
"Manager?"
"Iwol! You’re awake? Nurse, the patient’s awake!"
In an instant the room got busy. Just answering the presence around me drained me.
Only after a quick explanation did the room settle again.
"The surgery went well. You punk, that could’ve been really bad."
"Did it?"
"Of course! Do you know how big the wound was? ...No, why am I dumping this on someone who just woke up. Sorry."
Because the wound was on my head, it had blown up bigger. What a trash human being.
"Are you sure nothing hurts? They stitched you up a lot."
"Must be the painkillers. I’m really fine right now."
Even so, the manager didn’t look reassured.
But I can’t pretend to be in pain on purpose—what’s the point.
I smiled to show I was fine, and he let out a breath.
"Ah—did the kids make it back okay?"
When the police or ambulance arrived, I figured the company would send them home, which is why I told them to wait in the practice room.
"The kids? They’re sitting outside."
"What?"
Turns out they were here.
"Was I out that long? Did days go by or something—"
"No, no! They said they were worried about you."
Even so, there was mayhem—couldn’t they have put the kids in the dorm.
"Want to sleep more? If you’re okay with it, I’ll let them pop in for a minute."
"Yeah, sure."
Better to bring idols into the room than leave them in the hallway, so I agreed quickly.
No sooner had the manager stepped out than I heard their footsteps, as if they’d been waiting for the signal.
When they reached my bed, their faces were...
"Iwol!"
"Are you okay?"
...Half of them were a wreck.
"Did you guys cry?"
"Sniff—what did the doctor say? Is it okay now?"
Tears streamed down Lee Cheonghyeon’s face.
He didn’t cry this much even when we read the rolling-paper messages for the 5th anniversary on our own content.
"If the surgery went well, why are you crying? I’m fine."
At my words, Lee Cheonghyeon wiped his tears with shaking hands.
"So surgery fixes everything, is that it..."
His voice trembled.
"Your mouth’s working, so I guess you’re fine."
Choi Jeho looked down at me like I was pathetic.
Yeah, f**k it, I’m fine because I’m doped by the system. So what.
"Why are you that angry?"
"Do I need to spell it out?"
"Knock it off."
Choi Jeho scowled. Kang Giyeon tried to stop him, but he wouldn’t let up.
"Do you even know how you ended up here? Skull cracked—how can you be so carefree?"
"It’s not like I planned this."
"You almost died and that’s what you have to say?"
"I didn’t die. That’s what matters."
And I’m not carefree. If I’d died over this, I’d be grabbing the system by the throat first.
"Anyway, I’m fine, so go back to the dorm. Don’t go out without the manager for a while."
"Must be nice to be fine, you asshole."
Glowering at me, he snapped and stormed out.
"I’ll go check on him."
"Uh—yeah..."
Kang Giyeon hurried after Choi Jeho.
"What’s his problem? Was he like that outside too?"
I’d pulled all kinds of strings to head off the personality scandal. He didn’t lose control and blow up while I was unconscious... right?
"Want the honest version?"
"..."
At Jeong Seongbin’s words, I went speechless. It felt like a Pandora’s box was right in front of me.
"Thirty minutes ago, Jeho was shouting in the ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) van that he’d kill Yu Hansu. Hic—"
Said Lee Cheonghyeon, hiccuping through tears.
That bastard. I told him not to get heated in front of the kids, over and over.
Wait. So Kang Giyeon went to stop him?
"I swear, I’ll—"
"Hey! Don’t get up!"
"You can’t get up!"
I almost shot out of bed. When I tried to bolt, Lee Cheonghyeon and Jeong Seongbin flailed to stop me.
I must still be under “pain relief,” but my nape throbbed. I rubbed the back of my neck and lay back down.
"Why does he only ever do shit that gets on my nerves? I’ll die of a rage aneurysm before the injury gets me."
"Don’t say that."
From behind them, I heard Park Juu’s voice.
I hadn’t seen him behind their shoulders; he was in a state too. Tear tracks were still on both his cheeks.
"I thought you... were really... going to die..."
He forced the words out in broken bits. Then pearly tears fell.
"...Sorry."
I gave a short apology. But his tears didn’t stop.
After a long, silent sob, Park Juu said,
"I’m sorry... for saying I wanted a drink..."
Tears dotted the blanket.
It was such a nothing of a line, and none of this was his fault, and yet—
My heart sank. I felt guilty.
"It’s not your fault. Don’t apologize for that."
At my words, he scrubbed his eyes raw with his sleeve.
‘...He must have been really scared.’
Even I, the first time I got hit, couldn’t think of anything but grabbing the weapon.
These kids aren’t even twenty—of course they’re worse off. I patted the sniffling kid’s shoulder a few times.
"Are you really okay? They said it can hurt a lot when the anesthesia wears off."
Jeong Seongbin looked worried.
"I’m really fine. Maybe the anesthesia hasn’t fully worn off yet."
As much as I wanted to chase after Choi Jeho, calming these guys came first.
Look at Lee Cheonghyeon’s face. If he’d cried any more, he’d be “Weeping Statue — Year 20XX,” but right now he’s just a puff pastry.
Looking closer, even Jeong Seongbin’s eyes were red. With everyone crying, Kang Giyeon must have taken charge of Jeho. It felt heavy, dumping that load on the youngest.
"Seongbin, can you bring Jeho and Giyeon back in? I’m worried Giyeon’s dealing with him alone."
"...Okay."
First, I called back the kid who was probably handling things solo.
Then I said to the two who remained, Park Juu and Lee Cheonghyeon,
"When you get to the dorm, everyone take a dose of the calming drops. I bought the drinkable kind before. You know where the first-aid kit is, right?"
"Shouldn’t you be the first one taking calming drops?"
"Don’t make me repeat myself when I’ve got no energy."
There was more I wanted to say.
I looked at their faces—wrecked from rough scrubbing—and gave a sheepish smile.
"I’m sorry for making you worry."
"..."
Since I wasn’t in pain right now, I’d brushed off their concern as overprotective. That was rude to people who’d come because they were worried about me.
For that, I apologized sincerely.
"It’s not a lie that I’m okay, so you can believe it. Just listening to me talk—don’t I sound like my usual self?"
"That’s because you can’t see your own face..."
Park Juu reproached me.
But I really don’t hurt. You worrying this much pricks my conscience. I can’t explain it, but still.
"I’m sorry for even asking whether you were scared. As if you weren’t already terrified—I wasn’t thinking."
"What are you saying. Even if we were scared, not like we were as scared as you, right?"
Grumbling, Lee Cheonghyeon’s tears eased bit by bit.
"Also apologize to the others and to Kang. Don’t needle Jeho for nothing. Telling someone who’s worried ‘I didn’t die so it’s fine’—what kind of thing is that to say?"
"Jeho needs a one-on-one. Losing his temper in front of the younger ones..."
"He hasn’t been like that lately. He did it because he was worried about you."
"Cheonghyeon, whose side are you on?"
"Today I’m on Jeho’s side, you blockhead."
He tore into me, and Park Juu didn’t look like he’d stop him.
Once their tear ducts finally shut, Jeong Seongbin returned with the “Sapodungi” duo.
I gave the same apology to all three. Jeong Seongbin’s worry eased a hair; Kang Giyeon accepted it with a put-out but resigned face.
As for Choi Jeho...
"..."
"..."
"I’m sorry I spoke thoughtlessly, but don’t swear or blow up in front of the kids."
"Seongbin, can I head back to the dorm first?"
...Not smooth, but we patched it up somehow.
Only after that could I hear about the culprit, Yu Hansu.
