Idol of the Heavenly One - Chapter 24.2
“I’m not going to do things like that in the future.”
If he had just kept his mouth shut, it would have been better. But then, as if he had gone crazy from eating bad horse meat, Baek Jae-heon suddenly opened his mouth.
“I won’t have any direct contact with fans from now on.”
“What?”
“Huh?”
“So don’t make me do things like that.”
I had thought that even if he seemed indifferent about debuting, even if he seemed like someone with bizarre thoughts, deep down he would still be grateful to the fans.
Was he really just a lunatic?
Joo I-rip and I were so shocked we just stared blankly at Baek Jae-heon, unable to say a word. Actually, it was less shock and more disbelief.
“Stop it, all of you. Just rest.”
The manager, who had only been watching from a distance, stepped in and tried to stop the argument. Well, maybe he thought Jae-heon was sick, so he could excuse it for now. But still, should he not say something? Jae-heon had only debuted two days ago, and he was already declaring he would never face the fans again.
“No, manager.”
Perhaps thinking the same as I did, Joo I-rip frowned deeply and turned to him.
“E-enough, let’s j-just stop…”
At that moment, Lee Soonbok suddenly jumped in between Joo I-rip and the manager.
“J-jae-heon, he p-probably…!”
He had intervened, but maybe because of the tension, his stutter, which I thought he had almost overcome, came back out.
“S-some… rea-reason…”
“Soonbok, it’s okay. You can speak slowly.”
“…ISUNE.”
“Right, ISUNE. Take your time.”
He was stuttering worse than usual, clearly flustered, so I calmed him down, telling him to go slow. Even then, he corrected me, insisting on being called ISUNE instead of Soonbok.
“Whew… J-jae-heon must have some kind of reason too…”
Once calmer, ISUNE spoke up in defense of Jae-heon. I thought he would try to stop the fight, but instead, he took Jae-heon’s side. That kid really is nothing but a chick trailing after him.
“There’s no need for words. A fist is faster.”
Meanwhile, Go Hee-min tossed out something reckless again. He often spoke in roundabout ways, so I could not be sure exactly what he meant, but it was clear enough he was not pleased with Jae-heon’s behavior.
Ha… This should never have escalated this much. How did it come to this? Honestly, at first, I thought it was not Jae-heon’s fault but mine. I thought I had made things worse by meddling unnecessarily.
But now, just two days after debut, he went and declared he would not face the fans anymore. That was not just Jae-heon’s personal issue. It was something that could drag down the entire group.
What was I supposed to do in a situation like this? Even after living a combined sixty-nine years, moments like these were always difficult. Still, since I had lived longer than the others, I decided I would ask Jae-heon for his reasons once we were back at the dorm and talk him around gently.
“Phew…”
That was what I resolved to do, but controlling someone like Baek Jae-heon was no easy task. He only spouted strange nonsense and acted like he was stuck in some kind of adolescent syndrome. Earlier, while handing out hot packs to fans, I had thought to myself, “If I am ever born human again, maybe I should become a teacher.” But now my thoughts have changed again.
If I could not even figure out one kid’s heart, what use was that… I sat on the emergency exit stairs next to the waiting room and let out a sigh.
Creak—
“…Lee Soonbok?”
“ISUNE…”
At that moment, the emergency exit door opened, and Lee Soonbok entered, insisting on being called ISUNE no matter what. Honestly, the reason the waiting room was like a block of ice right now was partly because of him. He usually got along well with the members, but then he had gone and defended Baek Jae-heon, even though it was obvious to everyone that Jae-heon was in the wrong.
“Um, so…”
“What.”
Hesitating, ISUNE came over and sat down beside me. Actually, what I wanted to ask him first was whether he knew why Jae-heon was acting like this. Was that why he had defended him?
“I-I know Jae-heon…”
“You mean you know why he said he won’t see the fans?”
“N-no. I don’t.”
I had thought he might know the reason, so when he said he did not, I was a little caught off guard. Then what was it he wanted to tell me?
“Jae-heon is definitely not a bad kid…”
“I know he isn’t.”
“It’s just… he’s really, really lonely.”
Baek Jae-heon? Lonely? How would you even know that? I did not say it out loud, but I asked with my eyes. Catching my gaze, ISUNE continued cautiously.
“T-that day, when I was practicing alone…”
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