SWNOVELXO Chapter 218
Chapter 218
When I opened the door and entered, I could smell the familiar and comfortable scent of our dorm, much more familiar than the hospital smell.
Although I felt a bit relieved by the familiar air, as soon as I saw the faces appearing one by one, the tension returned to my shoulders.
“You’re here? How’s your body?”
Kang Ji-woo, who came to greet me first, spoke to me casually, with an expression that was no different from usual.
“I’m fine.”
“Have you had lunch?”
“Not yet.”
“Then let’s eat first. I’ve prepared something easy to digest.”
And without having time to argue or anything, we sat around the table, eating the late lunch that Kang Ji-woo, who couldn’t stand seeing anyone skip a meal, had carefully prepared.
Thanks to the small special effects of the master homemaker Kang Ji-woo’s food, I could feel my not-yet-recovered body slowly returning to its normal condition as I ate.
That was one thing, but I didn’t know what to do about this tense atmosphere that felt like it would give me indigestion.
Because of the saying that even a dog wouldn’t bother someone while they’re eating, everyone seemed calm for now.
It was easy to tell that as soon as the table was cleared, the conversation we had in the hospital room would resume.
…As I was thinking that.
I made eye contact with Gyeon Seong-ha, who was sitting across from me.
“…”
As soon as our eyes met, Gyeon Seong-ha’s eyebrows twitched slightly as he quickly looked away.
When he makes that face at this timing, it can only mean one thing.
“Sniff…”
It means he’s about to burst into tears that he’s been holding back…
Since I’ve seen Gyeon Seong-ha cry or about to cry more than a few times, I could easily recognize the signs.
“Why are you crying…?”
I couldn’t guess at all why he would suddenly cry, so I could only ask a dumbfounded question.
I’m not the kind of person who would just continue eating and pretend not to see someone crying.
The other members also put down their spoons and were looking at Gyeon Seong-ha.
Seo Moon-gyeol handed him a cup of water, which Gyeon Seong-ha managed to take with trembling hands, and he replied in an uneven voice.
“Sniff, I just… I’m just so happy that we can eat together like this…”
“…”
Honestly, saying something like that while crying during a meal feels like cheating.
If things had gone differently, I might have been ready to fight, but now I just felt very sorry.
“I’m not dead, so why wouldn’t we be able to eat together?”
“I thought you were going to go back to America…”
This guy definitely saw my SNS post that said I could understand if I had to leave Korea right away.
“Hey… I’m not going anywhere, and I’m doing much better than you think, so don’t cry.”
“Sniff… Is it only important that you’re okay?”
I didn’t have anything to say to that, so I looked away slightly, and another voice chimed in slyly.
“Well, it is pretty important.”
It was Kang Ji-woo, who had been quietly watching Gyeon Seong-ha cry with a gentle expression.
Gyeon Seong-ha, taken aback by the unexpected rebuttal, stammered.
“Still, it’s not everything… let’s say it’s most things. Young-min hyung is also injured and in the hospital right now…”
“That’s true. Seong-ha is right. But since Young-min hyung is getting good treatment, let’s say that most things are okay.”
At Kang Ji-woo’s half-hearted conclusion, Gyeon Seong-ha, wiping away his tears with the back of his hand, retorted angrily.
“What are you talking about? I’m not joking here…”
“I’m not joking either.”
His words, spoken with a mix of teasing and soothing, sounded more serious than before.
“Even if most things are okay, it means we’re managing to get by. Honestly, not everything in life can be okay.”
Not everything in life can be okay.
I felt like I’d heard something similar somewhere…
‘Ah.’
It was what Ban Yo-han said when we exchanged rings during the reality show shoot.
I recalled Ban Yo-han’s rare calm and thoughtful words that I had completely forgotten.
– Like I said before, people can’t always be okay. If you ever have a hard time, talk to me or the others anytime. We’re a team and a family now.
They say friends resemble each other.
Suddenly, I felt the weight of the ring on my left index finger.
‘…Wait, what about that guy’s ring?’
Whether Gyeon Seong-ha cried or not, Ban Yo-han, who had finished eating early and was calmly munching on the peach slices Kang Ji-woo had cut, wasn’t wearing his team ring on his left index finger.
Did he not wear it when he visited me in the hospital either?
I couldn’t remember clearly…
As if he noticed me looking at him, Ban Yo-han’s eyes met mine for a moment, and it seemed he had no intention of hiding that he was still angry, despite his calm expression.
It seemed that Gyeon Seong-ha should be more worried about Ban Yo-han reenrolling just to avoid seeing my face, rather than me leaving the team.
Whether he hadn’t realized it yet, or if he already knew.
Now that Gyeon Seong-ha had stopped crying somewhat, he lightly complained to Kang Ji-woo without caring about Ban Yo-han.
“What are you talking about?”
It seemed closer to whining to a trustworthy older brother who would always take his side, rather than actual annoyance.
Kang Ji-woo, who looked like he could inspire world peace with his profound sayings, poured fresh water for Gyeon Seong-ha and then looked at me.
“And one of the good things is that our youngest is safe, which I am truly, sincerely grateful for.”
“…Yeah.”
“And now, let’s make the bad things good as well.”
Kang Ji-woo added in a clear tone.
“Together.”
* * *
Even though Kang Ji-woo spoke like a true leader.
I didn’t immediately have time to have a deep conversation with Ban Yo-han, who had conspicuously taken off his ring, or Seo Moon-gyeol, who had visited his home after reaching an agreement with Seo Joo-won.
Responding to external matters was more urgent since I had been hospitalized and unable to do anything for two days.
At least I was somewhat relieved that I had managed to mend things with Gyeon Seong-ha, who had triggered my guilt with his particularly pitiful tears.
Gyeon Seong-ha, who had straightforwardly confessed that he was jealous of me from the moment we first met, was surprisingly open about revealing his true feelings despite feeling embarrassed.
“I’m sorry. Back at the hospital, I got angry because when I was having a hard time, you helped me, but I couldn’t do the same for you.”
“No, I… I’m sorr…”
“Don’t say you’re sorry. It’s my fault for not noticing you were having a hard time… I’m the bad guy…”
It was severe self-deprecation that I had heard before.
“Alright, alright, you’re not a bad guy, so stop crying…!”
And I had a brief talk with Kang Ji-woo, who had recorded a video of me trying to console Gyeon Seong-ha as he cried behind the door.
“Honestly, I was upset.”
“I’m sorry.”
“You won’t do that again, right?”
“Of course not.”
What are the chances of falling down the stairs twice in one lifetime?
Despite my quick response, Kang Ji-woo still seemed somewhat unsatisfied but didn’t say anything more.
“About Ban Yo-han… I think he’s somewhat less angry now.”
“But he took off his ring. It’s because of me, right?”
Kang Ji-woo’s gentle expression hardened slightly.
“He says he lost it, but that’s nonsense. He just wants attention. Don’t worry about it too much. He’s not even as good as Seong-ha.”
His evaluation of his friend was harsh.
“Yo-han hyung isn’t angry because my solo actions affected our activities… right?”
“No.”
As I expected.
If he was angry about my reckless behavior causing trouble for our future activities, there would be no reason for him to still be sulking.
At least my body was fine now.
“As for why he’s angry… it’s better if you figure it out on your own.”
Kang Ji-woo said, patting my shoulder.
“And make sure you get an apology for his harsh words.”
“Okay.”
Seo Moon-gyeol, who occasionally asked about my condition, had suggested we talk when I was more relaxed.
I hadn’t had a chance to talk to Ban Yo-han about such things yet.
Ban Yo-han aside, I was also holding off on approaching him because I wanted to clear up other issues first and then talk with a clear mind.
But if photos of Ban Yo-han circulated without him wearing his ring, and if someone noticed and rumors of discord spread, it would be bad for the group…
“Sigh…”
“Why? Are you feeling unwell?”
My mother, who hadn’t missed my small sigh, asked.
“No, it’s just… I have a lot to think about…”
But for now, I needed to focus.
Next to me in the company were my parents, and a few company employees, including a lawyer and Ban Ga-eul.
“For now, True wants to resolve things amicably and discuss it with us, but that’s just not possible, so the company rejected it. However, if you have any other opinions, please feel free to share.”
There were no differing opinions.
“We’re going to sue, right?”
“Yes.”
Having already decided to sue Oh Hyun-jin before coming to the company, I nodded to my father’s question, and the process went smoothly from there.
I had relatively little to do during the process.
After filing the complaint with the help of a lawyer, I went to the police station to give a statement.
Everyone kept asking if I was having a hard time, but maybe because I had already been through something big, I didn’t feel particularly stressed.
And since it’s possible to have to sue someone out of personal enmity at least once in a lifetime, I decided to take this opportunity to gain some experience in a situation where everyone else was handling it for me.
When the news broke that we were suing Oh Hyun-jin, True immediately responded by hiring a large law firm to counter.
Nevertheless, it didn’t seem easy for Oh Hyun-jin or any of the idols under True, including Hunt Red and Anne, to make a comeback.
If it had just been a matter of Oh Hyun-jin pushing me down the stairs due to Zero’s schemes, they might have been able to mitigate the situation by having him leave the group.
But with the victims from True revealing that the entire group Hunt Red was a collective of perpetrators, it was safe to say that Hunt Red’s domestic fandom was in shambles.