translation by mourningmoor
Just as we arrived at Grandma’s Snack Bar, Gyuhyung called.
“Hey, hyung.”
―We caught him. It’s the guy Siu mentioned.
“Evidence?”
―Got it. Wow, but this guy.
Gyuhyung’s voice was a mix of excitement and anger.
―He’s completely insane. He even dug through the company trash to sell cups you guys had used.
I knew it.
“Do you think that’s all he did? If you dig deeper, he probably sold a lot of other information too. He might’ve even posted stuff on Universe or SNS claiming it was insider info.”
Lately, there have been posts claiming to be insider information from the company.
There were many stories that only someone inside the company would know, so I suspected it was an insider. And usually, the kind of guys who dig through trash also sell information. There was a guy like that back in the Magic Tower too.
―Got it. I’ll make him suffer a bit more.
“Thanks. I feel reassured knowing you’ve got my back.”
―Re, reassured? All I did was catch him.
Gyuhyung’s voice trailed off awkwardly.
Anyway, he’s weak to compliments. This is the perfect time to slip in a request.
“In that spirit, I’ll push tonight’s practice back by an hour. I promised the guys we’d have tteokbokki.”
After getting permission from the chief manager, I opened the door to Grandma’s Snack Bar.
The members who had arrived first were sitting at our usual table in the corner of the snack bar.
But they looked somewhat uncomfortable.
It’s near the company, and we’re close with the owner, Grandma.
Grandma’s Snack Bar is a place we frequent like a hideout, where we can relax and spend some quiet time. Why do they look like that?
They were all wearing hats pulled low, heads bowed, looking solemn.
“Why…?”
Before I could even ask why, I found out the reason.
Grandma’s Snack Bar was packed.
Since when did this place get so popular? It used to be just us.
Just as I was about to look around the snack bar with a puzzled expression, Grandma approached.
“Oh, student.”
She’s the grandma I met when I first came to this world. I was jogging around the neighborhood to build up my stamina and came across her when her shopping bag tore, and items were rolling everywhere. I helped her, and in return, she gave me a bag of fried squid.
That’s how we started coming here.
And Grandma still calls me “student.”
“You’re here?”
Grandma, with her small stature and round face, smiled warmly as usual.
But I couldn’t smile as warmly.
The tiny snack bar, which had only six tables, was now completely full.
Two of the tables were occupied by our members, and the other four were likely filled with our fans.
The customers, with their lips tightly sealed, were staring at me with wide eyes. Their flaring nostrils suggested they were suppressing overwhelming emotions.
I considered activating my mental detection but decided against it.
There was no need.
“Grandma, you’ve got a lot of customers today…?”
Grandma was fidgeting with her lips, looking like she wanted to say something.
“Well, you see, my grandson posted something on Essence… or whatever it’s called.”
I know Grandma’s grandson well. He’s a troublemaker in his second year of middle school.
It seems he posted about Grandma’s shop on SNS.
“He said this place is a favorite among students. And then… these guys showed up.”
These guys.
It’s slightly rude, but considering Grandma’s rough way of speaking, it’s a relief she didn’t swear.
“So, I gave them a little warning. I told them if they make a fuss here, they’re never coming back.”
No wonder they’re keeping their lips sealed.
“So, eat comfortably.”
Grandma patted my back and gestured for me to sit at the members’ table.
“Thank you.”
I smiled awkwardly and greeted Grandma, then gave a slight nod to the fans before heading to the table. The fans, trying to keep their promise to Grandma, kept their lips sealed but were visibly excited.
As I sat down, Jaewon tugged at my sleeve.
“Hyung, should we eat quickly and leave?”
“Why?”
“It’s awkward.”
“But if we leave too quickly, wouldn’t the fans feel bad? Like they made us uncomfortable.”
Siu nodded.
“That could happen.”
After some thought, Hanjoon, being the eldest, made the decision.
“Let’s act as usual.”
Then he handed out chopsticks to the members.
Roa immediately smiled and poured water into the cups.
Jaewon, looking relaxed, even placed the order.
“Grandma, can we get some fish cake broth with our tteokbokki?”
“Sure.”
We ended up eating four servings of tteokbokki and three servings of fried snacks before finally getting up. While I was paying, the other members bowed deeply to the fans and headed outside.
I always notice this, but Filaments are truly special.
For nearly 30 minutes, while we ate tteokbokki, they didn’t take a single photo. They didn’t ask for a single autograph. They just ate quietly, trying not to even look at us, as if they weren’t our fans.
Grandma had warned them beforehand, but it seemed they also wanted us to eat comfortably.
I was so grateful for their consideration.
“Grandma, please add drinks for everyone.”
I whispered quietly, and Grandma whispered back.
“Why? Are you treating them?”
“Yes.”
I nodded with a smile, and Grandma, smiling back, finished the calculation.
Just as I quietly left Grandma’s Snack Bar and joined the members, Grandma’s loud voice came through the slightly open door.
“Hey, you guys. Grab a drink from the fridge. Ichan paid for it.”
Then, a scream-like cheer erupted.
That Grandma, always calling me “student,” but she knew my name after all.
I chuckled, and Hanjoon gave me a hard pat on the back.
“You really know how to treat your fans, huh?”
Then he casually slung his arm over my shoulder.
Next, Jaewon did the same on the other side.
“Our leader hyung showed the ultimate fan service today by beating Taei. He dropped a superweapon in the war between Filaments and One Tiers.”
Ha, these guys must’ve been really moved. They’re starting to get annoying.
I thought about shaking them off with a stern face, but I let it slide.
I was in a good mood because the real-time trends on SNS were playing out exactly as I hoped.
Kwon Taei, you bastard. You won’t be able to call us a shabby group from a shabby company with no output anymore.
“Alright. I’ll let it slide. Just for today. Only for today.”
As soon as I finished speaking, Jaewon laughed and hugged me tightly. Then Roa rushed over and hugged me from the other side.
Next was Siu. And even Hanjoon, who moved slowly.
It was hugging time.
“Alright. Let’s all hug for once.”
* * *
The real-time trends on Twittle were going wild.
The rankings were changing in real-time, but the basic keywords were clear.
#ICHAN_Mask #Do_I_Look_Like_The_1st_Place_Singer_From_Round_3? #Next_Level_Performance #Kang_Ichan_The_Shining_One #Praise_The_Shining_One #Survival_Music_Genius
Keywords related to <Survival, Music Genius> were dominating the real-time trends. Most of them were praising Ichan’s legendary performance today, but a couple of fluctuating keywords caught a lot of attention.
Namely, ‘#Kwon_Taei_Another_World’ and ‘#T.I.ONE_Exposed.’
Clicking on those hashtags would show comparisons between Taei’s performance today on <Survival, Music Genius> and L.I.T.’s performance.
NewTuber Juhee was also sitting at her computer, meticulously analyzing the two performances.
“The concepts are almost identical.”
Still, she didn’t want to outright say it was copied or plagiarized.
Maybe it was a coincidence, or maybe Taei didn’t do enough research and missed L.I.T.’s performance? She tried to sugarcoat it.
If she wasn’t careful, the fan wars could escalate, and that would ultimately harm L.I.T.
Juhee, with her max-level idol fangirl experience, had been urging Filaments to stay calm through fan cafes and Universe for hours.
Everyone, be careful with your words. We can’t let our boys get dragged into fights. In times like these, staying cool is how we win.
A few supportive comments followed.
└Yeah, we can just stay quiet. The One Tiers are already fighting among themselves.
└Right. Until there’s clear evidence, silence is the answer. We don’t want to accidentally spark something.
└But I really want to say this: “Hey! One Tiers, your oppa got exposed by our oppa!” Oh, that feels good.
└Where’s the ‘Gae-bi○○’ meme? I just downed a bowl of soda.
└(Photo) Here it is. Gae-bi○○.
Juhee smiled happily as she read the comments.
She had been feeling suffocated, like she’d eaten a truckload of sweet potatoes, but today, she finally felt like she’d downed a refreshing bowl of soda, just as the Filaments said.
Even though Ichan won the first and second rounds, the One Tiers refused to acknowledge it and instead tried to tear him down.
She had considered stirring up a storm that could flip the idol fan communities, but she held back, worried it might backfire on L.I.T.
But today, Ichan blew away her frustrations with his live broadcast.
His performance was perfect, and thanks to Lee Nayoung’s question, various communities were now saying Taei’s performance was an homage to L.I.T.’s.
Because of that, the One Tiers had shut their mouths.
If they spoke up now, their oppa would look ridiculous, so they were clearly holding back. Instead, they were fighting among themselves.
The Filaments, more relaxed than ever, could freely praise their idols, and that made them happy.
Moreover, news spread that L.I.T. members had appeared at a regular snack bar in Itaewon, boosting the happiness index even more.
Wow. Today, Leader Kang treated fans to drinks. Why wasn’t I there? ㅠㅠㅠㅠ
Where is it? ㅠㅠㅠㅠ I’m going on a pilgrimage.
Itaewon Grandma’s Snack Bar. Our boys’ occasional hangout is now a holy site.
“Ah, how can they be so lovely?”
The warm atmosphere of the members and the way they treated the fans, plus the drinks.
Proof posts started popping up.
“I’m going there right now. Grandma’s Snack Bar.”
Just then, as Juhee was enjoying the heartwarming stories about L.I.T., a newly posted article caught her eye.
“Huh?”
Juhee clicked on the article.
“What on earth is this?”