translation by mourningmoor
The man who brushed past me scanned the sink with a pale face.
Even from the back of his head, you could tell he was panicking.
I approached him and casually held out the ring.
“Is this… yours?”
Relief instantly washed over the man’s face.
“Yes. That’s my ring.”
“It was… on the floor. I was about to return it to you.”
“Thank you so much.”
The man took the ring with both hands and inspected it carefully. Then he let out a sigh of relief.
“Is it important?”
“Yes. Very.”
The man smiled warmly and slipped the ring onto his finger.
“The design is really pretty. I love rings, so I’m quite interested in them.”
I held out my hand, showing off my layered rings, and glanced at his ring again.
“Can I ask where you got it?”
“Hmm.”
The man hesitated for a moment, then hid his hand behind his back.
“It was a gift, so I’m not sure.”
“Ah, a gift.”
So he didn’t engrave the pattern himself.
I nodded in understanding, and the man gave a friendly smile and tilted his head.
“Well then.”
With a much more elegant stride than when he entered, the man left the restroom.
It seemed like I had found a clue.
Why couldn’t I read Aki and Jung Yoobin’s thoughts?
“Isn’t it strange? The noisy thoughts stopped the moment he put on the ring.”
There’s definitely something about that pattern.
* * *
The <Idol Lab> filming studio was buzzing with a party atmosphere.
It was clear that Kim Seokhwa had taken a liking to L.I.T. Even Daily, who had been a bit sharp before filming, asked for the members’ phone numbers, showing a personal closeness.
In the end, we had to promise to have a meal together sometime before we could leave the studio.
“That was fun.”
As soon as we got back to the company, Jaewon jumped around excitedly.
“Since Roa and I were on opposite sides, Jun-hyung kept running back and forth. I thought I was going to die laughing.”
Roa immediately chimed in.
“Right. When Hanjoon-hyung fell, Seokhwa sunbaenim immediately took away the fried squid.”
“Yeah. He just took it away.”
“But he gave it back after a talent show.”
At the mention of the talent show, Jaewon clutched his stomach again.
Then he started teasing Hanjoon, who was getting into the elevator.
“Jun-hyung, what kind of talent was that? Poking the bust point? What kind of cheap talent is that?”
Jaewon and Roa burst out laughing, recalling what happened in the studio. Siu also couldn’t hold back his laughter.
“But it was a talent, right? He nailed it.”
“Wow. Did you see Daily-hyung’s face? He was so flustered, his face turned red.”
Roa nodded and added.
“Seokhwa sunbaenim also got hit and immediately shouted ‘pass.’”
Despite the members’ teasing, Hanjoon shamelessly closed the elevator door.
“Well, I got to eat the fried squid anyway. That’s all that matters.”
“Wow. Such boldness. So cool, Hanjoon-hyung.”
Jaewon held Hanjoon’s hand and looked at his index finger with a mischievous glint. Hanjoon frowned and said.
“What? You want me to poke you too?”
“No no. My BP is too precious.”
Jaewon let go of Hanjoon’s hand and gently covered his chest with both hands.
Everyone burst out laughing.
These silly kids.
I chuckled at their banter and headed straight to the practice room after getting off the elevator. Jaewon, who had followed closely behind, grumbled.
“Anyway, at times like this, Ichan-hyung is the scariest. You didn’t make a single mistake.”
“What’s there to mess up? Just do what we practiced.”
I turned on the practice room lights, opened the door wide, and gestured to the members.
“If you don’t want to make mistakes on stage tomorrow, practice like crazy today.”
Jaewon pouted and entered the practice room.
Roa followed with a bright smile.
Siu entered with a shy smile.
Last, Hanjoon, who was about to enter the practice room, stopped and looked at me.
“Hey, is something going on?”
“…?”
“You were fine during filming, but after it ended, you didn’t look so good.”
Ha, sharp guy.
I was preoccupied with the ring I found in the restroom, and he noticed.
But I can’t exactly share my worries with him. It’s a whole different level of problem.
“No. It’s nothing.”
I shrugged nonchalantly and smiled, patting Hanjoon’s shoulder.
“I’m just thinking about how to get Hanjoon-hyung back to his original shape after eating all that fried food.”
“You punk.”
Hanjoon raised his voice, sounding annoyed.
He’s got his pride too, huh.
“Hey, I’m going to practice the choreography ten times before bed tonight.”
“Only ten times?”
“T-twenty times. I’ll do it.”
“Keep your promise.”
The other members burst out laughing.
Quick-footed Roa prepared the sound system, while Jaewon and Siu changed clothes.
Hanjoon, who had been staring at them, looked back at me.
“Chan-ah.”
Hanjoon hesitated for a moment, then patted my shoulder.
“Don’t carry everything alone. If something’s wrong, talk about it.”
Is it because I’m a year older?
But he’s still just a kid.
“Thanks.”
Still, it felt pretty good.
It felt rewarding, like raising a child.
“I’ll let you know if it’s tough. So you…”
I took off the shirt I wore for <Idol Lab> and changed into a practice T-shirt.
“You’re going to burn off all those calories here before going back to the dorm.”
Then I immediately cast a time dilation spell over the entire practice room.
From now on, the kids’ time is mine.
* * *
In the early morning, there was a long line in front of the M&E Center.
Every comeback stage, I feel like there are more people waiting. But it’s not surprising.
Looking at the noticeably increased fan club membership and album pre-order numbers, the answer is pretty clear.
“Wow.”
Hanjoon, who had been asleep in the back seat of the van, suddenly woke up and widened his eyes.
On both sides of the car entering the center’s parking lot, there were many Filaments holding light sticks.
“There are so many people today?”
“Why are you so surprised? There’ll be even more in the future.”
At my response, Hanjoon nodded and prepared to get out of the van.
“Sometimes, you seem like someone who’s regressed.”
“Regressed?”
“You know, like in web novels. Someone who’s experienced everything, dies, and then regresses to live their life again.”
Hmm, not exactly regression, but he’s not wrong.
It’s not Kang Ichan’s life, but I’ve lived a similar life.
Besides, compared to the life of a Grand Mage, this life is monotonous and not surprising.
“Is that so?”
“Yeah. You’re always calm, never surprised, like you know everything.”
Hanjoon tilted his head, narrowing his eyes.
“And when I think about it, everything you say seems to come true?”
What’s he talking about? I don’t have prophetic abilities.
“Take the Ga Yuna sunbaenim scandal. You said the photo was manipulated, and yesterday, there was a confession article saying it was manipulated.”
Well, that’s because I manipulated it.
I smiled calmly and shrugged indifferently.
“Of course, everything should go as I say. I’m the protagonist of this world.”
It wasn’t a joke, but Hanjoon laughed as if it were.
Yeah, it’s easier to take it as a joke.
If you knew that I’m not just the protagonist, but that all the mana in the world is rushing toward me, and all sorts of incidents are affecting you guys, you wouldn’t be laughing.
I smiled back at Hanjoon and added a pointed remark to make the joke seem even more like a joke.
“But there’s one thing that doesn’t go as I say.”
“Really? What?”
“Your choreography speed.”
“Hey!”
Hanjoon flared up and shouted.
I hoped L.I.T would reach the top in this kind of peace.
“So stop talking nonsense and let’s get out.”
I smiled and opened the van door.
Hanjoon, still grumbling, followed, pulling his hood over his head.
As soon as we got out of the van, cheers erupted.
Filaments’ mana color is denser than other fandoms.
Maybe that’s why their voices were the loudest.
We approached the members who had arrived earlier and were waiting, and the shutter sounds went off all at once.
“Welcome back, L.I.T.”
“Kyaaa. Oppas are so cool.”
“Chan oppa. Wave at me just once.”
“Jjan. Look here and smile.”
“Guys, do well today. Fighting.”
We responded appropriately to the voices coming from everywhere, stamped our arrival, and headed toward the M&E Center entrance.
That’s when it happened. Siu whispered something to Gyuhyung, who was standing at the back, and handed him a large paper bag.
When Gyuhyung checked inside the bag and asked what it was, Siu scratched his head shyly and explained.
“Wow. Siu-hyung.”
Jaewon clapped slowly as he watched.
“He’s really giving those to the Filaments.”
“What is it?”
“Hyung, you came back to the company late last night, so you don’t know.”
Jaewon added an explanation.
“Siu-hyung’s hobby is baking.”
Recently, Siu has taken up baking as a hobby.
Because of that, the dorm has been filled with sweet smells every day.
The problem is that successfully baking something is very rare.
“Cake?”
“Specifically, brownies.”
Ah, that.
The black cake he burned the first time he tried to make it.
Looks like he succeeded this time.
“As soon as we got back to the dorm yesterday, he baked a huge tray and cut it into 100 pieces.”
Jaewon’s face twisted as he explained.
“But the taste was… really…”
“Ichan-ah.”
Then Siu approached. Jaewon, unable to finish his sentence, pursed his lips and smiled. Siu, smiling at Jaewon, handed me a small paper bag.
“This is yours.”
“Me?”
“Yeah. Hanjoon-hyung is on a diet, so he’s out. Jaewon and Roa already ate theirs last night.”
Jaewon, who had pursed his lips, shook his head quickly.
Looking at Jaewon’s awkward expression, I thought for a moment.
“Hmm.”
I don’t really want to eat it.
Without thinking too long, I took the bag with an indifferent expression.
“Thanks.”
What Siu needs is confidence.
The confidence that he can do anything.
I just hope this little brownie doesn’t crack the confidence he’s barely built up.