translation by mourningmoor
This time, PD Pyo also accompanied us on the Paris trip.
L.I.T had boasted that they would handle everything themselves, but in the end, he tagged along all the way to K-KON. He really has nothing better to do.
Moreover, his taste is so childish that he wandered around the duty-free shops at the airport, looking to buy game packs. At the age of forty, should I call this cute or just immature?
Watching PD Pyo from a distance, I shook my head and headed to the gate.
There were about 30 minutes left until boarding, and I wanted to have some quiet time while the members shopped. But someone had already taken a seat at the gate before me.
“Ichan-ssi.”
Kim Jeongsoo, who spotted me, raised his hand.
Come to think of it, I hadn’t seen Kim Jeongsoo since our last comeback stage on M-Start.
Was it due to the scandal? Möbius didn’t attend the K-KON events in Bangkok and Tokyo.
The group chat for Loots had also become noticeably quieter.
And Kim Jeongsoo, who used to be so lively just by the look in his eyes, had become unusually subdued.
“Why are you like this?”
I frowned as I approached, and Kim Jeongsoo gave an awkward smile.
“I’m in self-reflection mode.”
“Suddenly?”
Was he even capable of that?
“I’m also scared of people’s eyes.”
Ah, that makes sense.
I nodded and sat down next to him.
“We are the kind of people who should be a little scared.”
Last night, I had a similar conversation with the L.I.T members.
Given the nature of our job, where we have to achieve so much in a limited time at a young age, if we mess up, we might not even dream of a comeback.
So, we always have to be cautious, and even if we fall, we need to fall carefully.
Ultimately, the most important virtue to survive on this thin ice is ‘caution.’
“The clearer your sense of purpose, the more fear you feel.”
And it seems like this guy has only just started to grasp that ‘caution.’
“So, it’s normal.”
Thanks to this big setback, he’s gained a significant lesson.
I felt a tiny bit proud of Kim Jeongsoo and handed him the bag of almonds I was holding.
“Here, have some. They’re wasabi-flavored, and they’re really good.”
I placed a handful of almonds in Kim Jeongsoo’s hand.
“Ichan-ssi.”
But then, with a completely moved expression, he looked at me and even brushed my shoulder with his hand. Then he leaned his head on my shoulder.
“Why do you feel so dependable?”
“…What are you talking about?”
“Last time, you told me not to worry and that everything would be resolved.”
I did. Because I planned to resolve it myself.
“And then that crazy paparazzi immediately posted a correction.”
Well, that’s because I handled it.
I found him, deleted all the photos, and even rearranged his memories.
“‘The photos related to Kang Ichan were fabricated. I was wrong,’ he said.”
I made him look completely insane, so he won’t be able to do something like that again even if he wants to.
“There were a lot of posts in the community saying the photos didn’t look fake, but the person involved strongly insisted they were fabricated. Wow…”
Jeongsoo, recalling the situation, patted his chest.
“Ten years of bad luck.”
But it seems there’s still something bothering him.
The relieved look on his face darkened.
“But the truth is, those photos weren’t fabricated.”
Hey, shouldn’t you learn a thing or two from your hyung, Kim Hyunsoo, at times like this?
You need to be cunning like a fox and sly like a snake. What’s the point of being so honest?
“Hyung.”
I pushed Kim Jeongsoo’s head away from my shoulder with my index finger, let out a long sigh, and continued.
“Let’s just say they were fabricated for now, okay?”
“C-Can we do that?”
“Well, are you trying to get accused again after barely clearing your name?”
“N-No.”
Kim Jeongsoo, with his eyes drooping, shook his head.
“That’s not it.”
“Anyway, it’s good that we’re performing on stage together, right? So let’s be careful from now on, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Let’s stay quiet until Paris too.”
Kim Jeongsoo, with his eyes drooping, nodded obediently.
* * *
It was the day L.I.T was departing for Paris K-KON.
I was about to go to the airport to see them off, but something came up, and I couldn’t make it. Juhee, suppressing her disappointment, packed her bags.
“Well, I managed to get tickets for LA Con, so let’s meet in the U.S., okay?”
Four more days. In four days, she’d be waving light sticks like crazy in LA. Of course, before that, she’d fly to the U.S. to meet the American fans.
As she packed, she carefully wrapped gifts for the American fans.
“Hmm. I’ve got the photo cards, light sticks, fans, and stickers to give away…”
Then, for the first time in a while, the notification sound from L.I.T’s SNS went off.
“Huh? What’s this? Are the kids still before departure?”
Or are they saying goodbye since they’re leaving?
Juhee stopped what she was doing and quickly tapped the push notification.
“Oh my, the kids posted a video.”
Four posts in a row were uploaded on the official SNS.
All of them were videos.
It seemed like Jaewon was the one posting.
“Let’s see.”
#L.I.T #JJAN #Jaewon #Hyungs_Lost_in_Shopping #Ichan_Hyung_Loves_Almonds #Only_Eats_Wasabi_Flavor #Special_Appearance_CEO_Pyo_Cheonhee_a.k.a_Producer_Pyo
She clicked on the video that came up with the flashy hashtags.
The video showed the kids who had just finished their departure procedures.
As always, Ichan, wearing black pants and a black T-shirt, stood out first.
Even with his cap pulled down low, his radiant glow couldn’t be hidden.
“Gasp, Ichan got a piercing on his ear.”
There was a new piercing on his left ear.
I hadn’t seen it in recent music shows.
What? Did he get it pierced yesterday? Or had it been pierced before, and he just hadn’t worn the piercing?
“Whatever it is, it looks so cool.”
Roa’s voice could be heard as Jaewon followed Ichan around, filming.
―Ichan hyungnim must be buying almonds again.
―Right. Did he already finish the ones he bought yesterday?
―Probably?
In the video, Ichan entered a convenience store, bought two bags of wasabi almonds, and gestured for the kids to back off.
His expressionless face and the way he casually waved his hand were also cool.
“Wow. He’s bare-faced again, right? Other idols are fully made up and dressed to the nines, but he’s always bare-faced and in a T-shirt.”
That’s why I like him even more.
It shows he’s confident.
The second video featured Siu and Roa.
They were huddled together at the cosmetics counter in the duty-free shop, and it turned out they were picking out face masks.
―How many do we need if we’re doing one mask a day?
―If we start tonight… Nine?
―Then for five people, we’d need forty-five.
―Hmm, Ichan hyungnim probably won’t do it, right? Too lazy?
After whispering for a while, they ended up buying a bunch of sheet masks.
When they turned around and noticed Jaewon’s camera, Siu waved his hands in surprise.
―Kim Jaewon. Didn’t I tell you not to film me? Film Hanjoon hyung. Okay?
At Siu’s words, Jaewon turned the camera.
―Where’s Hanjoon hyung? Ah, there he is.
Hanjoon came into the camera frame.
Hanjoon, looking very excited, was doing something with PD Pyo.
As Jaewon approached, the two figures grew larger on the screen. Jaewon, getting closer, spoke in a slightly mocking tone.
―Oh my. Joon hyung and PD Pyo are in a celebratory mood after getting their hands on a limited edition game pack. It’s a festival.
Juhee, watching the video, couldn’t help but laugh.
The fact that Hanjoon, the eldest of L.I.T and the epitome of stoicism, could smile so innocently was just funny.
―Filament fans, you are now witnessing the joyous moment of 21-year-old Han Junyoung and 41-year-old Pyo Cheonhee as they get their hands on the latest <○○○ go!> game pack.
Then, Hanjoon, with a bright smile, showed the game pack to the camera.
―I really wanted this, everyone. PD Pyo bought it for me.
He even bowed 90 degrees to PD Pyo.
Comments started pouring in immediately.
Hanjoon stealing hearts this easily? Wait for me, Jun. I’ll bring three boxes of game packs and marry you.
└Oh my, why are you like this? Three boxes won’t even cover it. (Hands up) Thirty boxes.
└Unnies, why are you like this? I’ve already sent a few boxes of game packs from fan meetings to birthdays. Everyone, line up. Okay?
Aren’t they all so unique? The leader buys his favorite almonds and then disappears, the eldest is all over the place collecting game packs, and the youngest is filming the whole time.
└Yeah, the two visuals are busy managing their flower-like beauty.
└I love it so much. There’s no one to throw away ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
“Right, there’s no one to throw away.”
It’s not easy for every member to be so evenly lovable. Juhee nodded and clicked on the third video.
This time, it was a video uploaded by Hanjoon.
It seemed like the duty-free shopping was over, as everyone was gathered at the gate.
Here, the members’ personalities were fully on display.
Jaewon and Roa were spinning around on wheeled carry-on suitcases, fooling around. Siu was watching them with a bright smile.
And our leader… was talking to some gentleman with PD Pyo.
“Huh? Isn’t that H-NET’s CEO Park Jungrae?”
It was definitely him. Park Jungrae, CEO of H-NET.
I remembered his face from a lecture he gave at a star newtuber event.
The head of H-NET, a subsidiary of TVH. His influence in this field is so significant that it’s said this year’s K-KON is all his achievement.
But our king leader remains unchanged even in front of such a person. He looked confident as he chatted and smiled.
“Wow. That’s our leader for you.”
Perhaps that’s why Hanjoon’s hashtag caught my eye.
#L.I.T #JUNE #When_Will_the_Maknaes_Grow_Up #Our_Shining_Ichan_Plays_Differently #Unlike_the_Immature_Members_the_Leader_is_Busy_Working?
‘Busy working?’ The witty remark made me burst out laughing.
“Anyway, you can’t stop them.”
I was saving the last video to watch later, but my curiosity got the better of me, and I clicked on the thumbnail.
“The last video must be a farewell message.”
Juhee’s guess was correct.
―Two, three. Hello, we’re L.I.T.