Without realizing it, he must have nodded, because those long, pale fingers pressed the vending machine button. The can clattered down, and Sung Jiwon picked it up, holding it out toward him.
“Why are you so restless? You were so composed when you spoke earlier.”
“......Is it that obvious? That I’m anxious?”
“A little?”
Then it must have been even more obvious to PD Jung Junhwan.
Sunghyun exhaled a series of sighs, and Jiwon, calmly feeding a few more bills into the machine, continued in a mild tone.
“Is it because of what the PD said earlier? You’re worried we won’t make it onto Song Camp?”
Sunghyun hesitated for a moment, then called out to Jiwon, who was sipping his yuzu tea.
“Sung Jiwon.”
“Yeah?”
“Aren’t you... worried?”
“Nope.”
The clear, unhesitant answer silenced Sunghyun completely.
“Actually, I’m excited. We’ve been practicing so hard while preparing for the album, so I just want to show our fans what we’ve been working on.”
“......”
“We’re doing well, Sunghyun.”
At Jiwon’s calm reassurance, Sunghyun rubbed the back of his neck.
Maybe it was because Jiwon had spent so many years as a trainee—sometimes he was even calmer than their leader.
That brief exchange eased Sunghyun’s tension a little. As he lifted his ion drink to his lips, a strange voice called out from behind them.
“Well, look who we have here.”
Someone vaguely familiar yet distant smiled at him. Jiwon immediately recognized the man and bowed slightly.
“But why are there only two of you?”
Sunghyun blinked, not placing him right away—until an old memory surfaced.
“...Ah.”
TwoPose.
The composer who’d caused a scandal for using one of Kang Ichae’s songs.
“Where are the other members—”
“Hyuuung! Sunghyun-hyung, Jiwon-hyuuuung~!!”
Just then, Dajun came running back down the hall, a chocolate bar in his mouth, shouting that he couldn’t find their manager anywhere—then froze when he spotted TwoPose.
“Uh—!!”
TwoPose looked him up and down with a smirk, but Dajun just bowed politely.
“Hello!”
Then he grinned brightly.
“Um, sorry, but do you have a thousand won by any chance?”
“Wha— a thousand... what?”
“I just wanted to get a drink from the vending machine, but I don’t have any cash! I’ll pay you right back after our meeting’s over! Which floor do you work on?”
...Sometimes the maknae’s antics were a carbon copy of Seo Hoyun’s.
The situation was already spilling over, but Sunghyun tried to contain it, grabbing Dajun by the back of the neck and whispering low enough only for him to hear.
“He’s not a staff member. He’s a composer.”
“Huh? Who?”
Maybe it was their whispering that annoyed him, but TwoPose’s eyes sharpened dangerously.
“Ha, haha... You really need to borrow a thousand won that badly? Sorry, but I only carry checks.”
Before Dajun could mumble What would you even use those for?, Sunghyun quickly clamped a hand over his mouth and forced an awkward smile.
“Ah, hello. What brings you here...?”
“Came for the Song Camp pre-meeting.”
“W-what?”
“Wow, didn’t expect to run into The Dawn here. I’d heard things weren’t going so well for you guys, so I thought we wouldn’t be seeing you around anymore.”
Even with the jab, Sunghyun’s pulse stayed steady.
——Seo Hoyun had always said something like this: If you’re an entertainer and someone picks a fight with you over nothing, it just means you’re relevant. Don’t get offended—just accept it and enjoy the situation.
He used to roll his eyes every time, but somehow, right now, it felt like wisdom carved into his chest.
“Well, don’t get too down about it. If the music’s truly good, it’ll be remembered no matter how much time passes.”
“...Right.”
“Artists should compete not with their looks but with their sound—their artistry.”
“Of course.”
Sunghyun barely even heard the man anymore; his mind had drifted straight to Hoyun again. Jiwon, meanwhile, seemed more focused on finishing his yuzu tea, and Dajun was busy deciding which drink to buy with the coins Jiwon had handed him.
TwoPose frowned at the lack of reaction, then suddenly curled his lips into a smile.
“—By the way, why hasn’t Kang Ichae come back to Korea?”
All eyes turned to him.
“I mean, I’m just worried, you know? A star like him, not showing up here—what happened? Maybe composing live on a variety show feels too burdensome? Or maybe that famous ‘genius touch’ of his has dulled?”
“......”
“As a senior, I can’t help but be concerned.”
There was no point in listening any further.
Sunghyun was about to end the conversation and head back to the meeting room—
When Jiwon’s voice cut in smoothly beside him.
“Ichae really does have incredible star quality.”
The soft curve of Jiwon’s eyes looked angelic as he continued,
“Considering someone’s still so curious about his updates after all this time, that says enough, doesn’t it?”
I actually think his sincerity’s the greater strength, he added lightly, still smiling.
“You probably know better than I do that Ichae’s talented enough and more than qualified to be on Song Camp.”
TwoPose’s face turned red and pale in quick succession, and before he could respond, Jiwon kept going.
“Mm, I get that you’re concerned, though. Ichae’s songs stick with you, don’t they? Once you hear them, you can’t get them out of your head.”
“...Are you implying I plagiarized him?”
“Huh?”
Jiwon blinked, genuinely surprised by the accusation, then gave a polite, embarrassed smile.
“I didn’t mean it that way... though it seems that’s how you took it.”
No apology followed. Because Sung Jiwon might be kind, but he wasn’t the type to lie for courtesy’s sake.
Sunghyun considered stepping in to smooth things over, but after glancing at Jiwon’s composed face, he decided to leave it.
...He’s got this under control.
He had enough on his plate worrying about Song Camp itself.
He was just starting to organize what points to emphasize to PD Jung when his phone buzzed in his pocket.
He pulled it out—and saw Seo Hoyun’s name flash across the screen.
[Seo Hoyun:
https://Moonnews.co.kr/2chaE_reAd?/4215791]
What’s this?
A hint of anxiety prickled at him, but guessing it was important, he tapped the link. His shoulders jerked up when he saw the headline.
“—Mr. Sunghyun!”
At that very moment, PD Jung Junhwan appeared at # Nоvеlight # the end of the corridor, shouting, flushed with excitement. The normally calm, collected man was now barreling toward them in a frenzy.
TwoPose, startled, straightened up and greeted him quickly.
“Oh, PD-nim! Hello! I’m TwoPose. About Song Camp—”
“Hold on! Later, later!”
Ignoring him completely, PD Jung stopped right in front of Sunghyun, thrusting his phone into his face. His complexion was red as he panted for breath.
“This... cough—this article! Is it true?!”
It was the same article Hoyun had just sent him.
And right under the title was a huge photo of Kang Ichae, posing with a V-sign in front of an electric piano.
[Exclusive] The Dawn’s Kang Ichae Collaborating with Billboard No.1 Band “NerdyFreak”
—Speculation rises around The Dawn’s Kang Ichae possibly collaborating with U.S. band NerdyFreak.
The band’s guitarist posted a photo with Kang Ichae on his personal account, captioned:
‘Today I’m finally free from his damn perfectionism. I’m torn between yelling at him to go back to Korea and begging him not to leave and make more songs with me.’
NerdyFreak is considered one of the most successful U.S. bands since the 20XXs, boasting record-breaking album sales, top streaming numbers, and five Grammophone Awards.
Meanwhile, WH Entertainment stated, “We are confirming details regarding the collaboration.”
“D-did Kang Ichae really work on a NerdyFreak s-song?!”
“Uh, well...”
He couldn’t exactly say he didn’t know anything.
Sunghyun hesitated, then nodded slightly.
“...He did go to the U.S.”
“Really?!”
He’d vaguely known that Ichae’s trip to America had something to do with a possible collaboration with a big artist.
But he hadn’t known with whom—and since there’d been no contact afterward, he’d assumed things hadn’t gone well.
Wait, NerdyFreak?
That was the band he’d listened to endlessly back in middle school.
As he stood there dumbfounded—now learning about his own teammate’s global news at the same time as the rest of the world—PD Jung was nearly bouncing with excitement.
“Unbelievable! We have to interview him—no, forget that! Let’s finalize the contract right now!!”
At this rate, the man looked ready to grab Sunghyun’s hand and stamp it as a signature.
Sunghyun instinctively stepped back, searching for a way out—when a familiar, low voice spoke up behind them.
“PD-nim.”
He turned. There stood Seo Hoyun, dark circles heavy beneath his eyes.
Relief washed through Sunghyun instantly. Whether Hoyun noticed or not, he gave him a brief glance before walking forward.
“Sorry for the delay. My flight got held up.”
“Flight?”
At the PD’s puzzled tone, Hoyun lifted his right hand and gestured behind him.
Then, from around the corner, a man appeared—wearing a loose white T-shirt and ripped jeans.
Dajun’s mouth fell open.
“Uh...”
His hair was a mess, grown wild, his gait loose and cocky. With sunglasses perched on his nose, he sauntered closer, rolling the candy in his mouth.
“Heyyy.”
Hoyun nudged his elbow lightly, raising a brow. The man scratched his temple, pulled his hands from his pockets, and crunched the candy.
“K—Kang...”
“How’ve you all been?”
Sliding off his sunglasses, Kang Ichae looked over the lineup of stunned faces, then grinned when his gaze met Sunghyun’s.
“Took me a while, huh?”
That mischievous, all-too-familiar glint in his eyes made something hot surge up in Sunghyun’s chest.
“Ichae, we waited a long time.”
The prodigal son had returned home.
