Idol of the Heavenly One - vanish into fiction

Inside the station, a huge crowd had gathered just to catch sight of Baek Jae-heon. But because of the risk of fire and explosion, the police quickly imposed control, and the station was temporarily closed. Thanks to that, both Baek Jae-heon and I were able to leave safely. The fire department arrived before the substation door was opened, so the situation ended without any explosion or major fire.

But relief did not last long. In front of the company executives, all wearing grim expressions, I had to stand with my head bowed like a criminal. Even the members, who had done nothing wrong, were made to stand with me. At this hour, in normal circumstances, the executives and the members would all be resting. Yet because of my and Baek Jae-heon’s sudden actions, no one could rest.

“It’s lucky no one got hurt, but Ji Myeong-hyeon, seriously, what were you thinking? Huh?!”

“……”

“You told I-rip you had to run to the bathroom. So why did you put on Jae-heon’s street clothes and sneak off to the subway? Huh?!”

“……”

“The one I thought was the quietest ends up causing the biggest mess?!”

The manager was furious, saying the one who seemed the most well-behaved had made the worst trouble of all. But I kept silent. The members must have been curious about my actions, but not one of them looked at me with blame. They only bowed their heads along with me.

“I am sorry.”

That was the only answer I could give. I could not say, “In my previous life, a fire broke out there and a YEARZ fan died. I thought maybe this time I could prevent it, so I went.” Even if I did, no one would believe me.

No, that is not it……

My eyes, which had been fixed on the floor, slowly shifted across the room.

“……”

Baek Jae-heon, silent just like me.

“……”

Perhaps he felt my gaze, because he lifted his eyes and met mine. The moment recalled the scene in the station when we had stared at each other. That same look we exchanged.

“How did you know to come and stop this?”

That question lingered in my head. It was a situation I could not explain. The only reason I had been able to stop the explosion was because I knew from my past life that a great fire had broken out in that station. But what about Baek Jae-heon? How had he known to push his way through the crowd and stop the substation door from being opened?

Could it be…… that he also remembered a past life?

Nothing else made sense. Or rather, maybe that was the only way everything could be explained. The fact that he had prepared street clothes beforehand, that he had a hat and mask ready in his bag, that he chased me down to the station before the performance was even over. And above all, the fact that he managed to force his way through the crowd and block the substation door. All of those so-called coincidences suddenly connected naturally if the single clue of past life memories was placed in the center.

Maybe he really does know the same thing I know.

As that suspicion inside me began to take definite shape, the heavy air of the meeting room was split by the manager’s harsh voice.

“If something like this happens again, Myeong-hyeon, you had better be prepared to leave the group.”

The words struck like a thunderbolt. My breath caught, my mind went blank. I was sitting with the members, but that threat landed solely on me. To think that risking myself for the team had come back as a warning of expulsion.

I lowered my head as if pressed down.

“Yes. I will be careful.”

It was the only short answer I could manage. But deep in my chest, one question still burned.

“Baek Jae-heon, how on earth did you know?”

I could say nothing else but that I would be careful. If I apologized further, it would only fuel the anger. Whatever excuse I gave would not be accepted. The only thing I could do was promise not to repeat it.

After hearing even talk of expulsion in the executives’ meeting, I returned to the dorm with my whole body stiff.

In the car, no one said a word. Only the sound of the tires cutting through the dawn air pressed against my ears. Neither the manager, nor the staff, nor the members spoke. They were all exhausted, but to me, it sounded like silent reproach directed at me.