<b>Trantor: MarcTempest</b>


    <b>Editor: NicoleTempest</b>


    Chapter 242


    They were a group that had debuted less than two weeks ago, and yet they were announcing that they would be performing as a seven-member unit. I clicked on the article with worry, wondering if someone had gotten injured, and found out who was missing from the eight-member lineup.


    ‘Sigh… What are they thinking, really?’


    If they were ambitious enough to do it, they should have done it well. I felt uneasy as I read the main text that said Cheon Ise had temporarily halted his activities due to health reasons.


    The members and the staff must not understand either. Until a few weeks ago, he was a perfectionist who finished his tasks wlessly like a machine and did not neglect to supervise others’ work. And then he changed overnight into someone else.


    I couldn’t me someone who said they were sick, so I could let it go for now, but what about the future?


    The people who were close to him might not say anything harsh because of their past affection, but there were plenty of people who wanted to tear down a rising rookie group.They would have a hard time responding even if they tried their best, let alone taking a break for health issues. I could already imagine the reactions.


    [- I’m sick of the health excuses lololol. If they want to make some money and rx their bodies, why did they debut in the first ce?]


    [- How can they not feel sorry for the members when they miss the activities at such a crucial time?]


    [- I bet they’ll quit being an idol and start acting soon lololol. Their repertoire is so predictable.]


    It wasn’t that these responses were justified. Could Cheon Ise’s mental state handle this criticism? The answer was probably ‘impossible’.


    He couldn’t run away from the words that would shake his heart even in a normal state, just by closing his eyes and ears.


    What about the other members? I clenched the phone that Kang Jeonmu had given me andy down on the bed with a thud.


    Then I heard a sigh from the opposite bunk bed.


    “Sigh… Do you have the room to yourself?”


    That’s right. This was a shared room. I pulled the nket over my head and swallowed a sigh, holding my breath.


    I memorized the phone numbers of all the members, but


    I had no idea how to approach them in this state.


    Kang Jeonmu knew my original face, and we had so many episodes that only we knew from ten years ago.


    But the things that happened when I was active as Cheon Ise… They were things that a crazy stalker fan or a famous gossip reporter could easily find out. And it was someone else to begin with.


    It was impossible to persuade them in the same way.


    ‘…’


    There was no way. Did I have no choice but to pretend to be a resident and hang around near the dorm or the ce where they had a schedule, hoping that someone would recognize me?


    My head was soplicated that I curled up again, feeling miserable about my current situation.


    But I had to think. Nothing was solved by running away. I clenched my fist and started to rack my brain.


    “Good job, everyone!”


    After the shooting was over, everyone put away their smiles that they had been maintaining in front of the camera and sighed long.


    Yu-geon was also confident in his stamina, but he was exhausted because he had to put all his effort into promoting for theeback for about two weeks before and after. He had to finish the schedule even if it was hard.


    ‘But it will be less busy from next week.’


    He was holding on without showing it, thinking that he could take a short vacation before preparing for Swift’s debut album, but he was bothered by the recent atmosphere in thepany.


    Everyone was reluctant to speak, but they must have thought the same.


    The leader had changed overnight into someone else.


    The Cheon Ise he knew was a bit blunt at times, but he was basically a warm-hearted type.


    ‘Otherwise, he wouldn’t have brought Shim Naru with him.’


    Naru was fortunately doing well without any big idents, and he had some pride in himself, so he was trying to improve his skills rather than his appearance. He was doing his part well.


    But when he was asked to cooperate for the recruitment, he honestly thought it was a vague position.


    They didn’tck a main vocal in theposition. Seong-won, who had more expression and singing skills than any veteran singer, was holding on. And Kyunghwa and Seon-woo also had more than enough skills as lead vocals.


    The vocal line was enough as it was, but he was enthusiastic about recruiting Shim Naru.


    He thought he was a person who couldn’t ignore the things that were connected to him.


    But the Cheon Ise now was hardly the same person as before.


    ‘Why do I have to do this?’


    Everyone was shocked by Cheon Ise’s attitude when Kyunghwa asked him to discuss the activity ideas.


    Why did he have to care about that? He said. He was busy enough with the activities, and when did he ever do that?


    He was the leader and the representative of theposition, Cheon Ise. He would never say such irresponsible words.


    Cheon Ise thought his logic had worked, and he left without a word, taking the manager with him.


    And the following absurd behavior was even worse.


    He had been thinking of moving to a new ce soon. But Cheon Ise had never asked him to vacate the house until now, and he was too busy with the activities to keep staying at Cheon Ise’s studio.


    That day, I finished my schedule as usual and headed to the officetel. To my surprise, the door lock beeped, indicating that the password didn’t match.


    “What?”


    Why did it change all of a sudden? Was it broken? I pulled the handle, and I heard someone inside.


    “Who is it?”


    And then, from behind the door, I heard Cheon Ise’s irritated voice.


    “Huh? Did you change the password?”


    I looked at the open door in disbelief, and Ise threw a bag stuffed with his belongings at me.


    “Ouch. What is this?”


    He red at me with an unpleasant face that I had never seen before, as if he wanted me to exin.


    “Why are you living in someone else’s house with your stuff?”


    Why? Because he told me to stay here. I couldn’t hide my frustration and protested.


    “You said I could stay here.”


    He was silent for a moment, then snapped.


    “Well, I need to use it now, so get out.”


    I was nning to move out as soon as I finished most of my activities, but it was ridiculous to be treated like an unwee guest who had barged into someone else’s house.


    In the end, I stayed at Hwijin’s house, who lived nearby, for a day. I didn’t have the time or money to prepare for moving, so I had to share a room with Seong-won at the Climax dorm for a while.


    It was awkward to share a room with him, but at least he didn’t kick me out like Ise, who had suddenly changed.


    “Why is he acting like that?”


    I was curious, but that was secondary. I had done my job well, hadn’t I?


    He wasn’t satisfied with justining about why I had to do it. He also stuttered and stumbled during the group activities, so Kyunghwa ended up taking most of the leader role.


    Kyunghwa seemed to be used to it, as if he had done it before. But at least in thest year that I had known Cheon Ise, he wasn’t the kind of person who would leave important tasks to others and lie downfortably.


    Where did the Cheon Ise who flew to Jeju Ind on a dawn flight and picked me up go?


    In the midst of all this confusion, Cheon Ise finally caused an ident.


    “You’ve gone crazy. Is it because you’re under too much pressuretely? You’re like a different person.”


    Kyunghwa finally said something after holding it in, and Cheon Ise screamed like he had apulsion.


    “A different person? Who’s the different person? I’m Cheon Ise, who else is Cheon Ise?”


    He got angry over one word and yelled for a long time, then locked himself in the officetel and texted the manager that he couldn’t work for health reasons.


    Composition, which had lost its leader and representative at the same time, started to wobble.


    That happened less than a week after Cheon Ise had changed.


    “Thank you for your hard work! I’m sorry.”


    Kyunghwa looked pitiful, as he was in charge of adjusting the personnel changes after Cheon Ise suddenly dropped out of all the schedules.


    “Are you okay? You seem to be pushing yourself too hard.”


    I was no better off, but I was rtively used to this extreme schedule.


    When it was hard to cover with just Hwijin and Kyunghwa, I tried to block the spit with a smile on my face, hoping to help. Kyunghwa sighed deeply.


    “Ah… No, I’m fine. I’ll let you know if I feel too tiredter.”


    He had a lot of pride too. He was rtivelyfortable asking Hwijin for help, but he didn’t like to ask me.


    “Well, okay.”


    But his attitude seemed strangely familiar, and it bothered me.


    “Hey, can I ask you something?”


    I crossed my arms and called Kyunghwa, and he looked at me with a polite distance on his face.


    “Did this happen before? You taking the leader role instead of Ise hyung.”


    I didn’t beat around the bush and threw a straight question. Kyunghwa sighed briefly and answered.


    “Yes.”


    My eyes widened in surprise.


    “When?”


    He looked at me with a doubtful eye, as if he didn’t know why he had to tell me.


    “Uh, well, I just thought it was weird that Ise hyung suddenly changed. He’s like a different person…”


    It was strange that he reacted so sensitively to the expression ‘a different person’, which I used casually.


    “Well… He was always like that until we prepared for the Drink meeback. Then he suddenly worked hard and I thought he had changed a bit…”


    Kyunghwa covered his mouth, as if he regretted saying that.


    “Just pretend you didn’t hear that.”


    But I wasn’t going to let it go.


    “Did he change overnight like this?”


    Kyunghwa frowned as if he was annoyed, then confessed as if it was thest time.


    “Yes. But he said he had to change like that or he wouldn’t change, so I thought that was it.”


    My eyes narrowed for a moment, then returned to normal. Then I voiced the suspicion that I had been harboring.


    “Could it be…”


    I heard the sound of Kyunghwa swallowing his dry saliva nervously.


    “Split personality? You don’t have that, do you?”


    At the same time, his face turned contemptuous as he rxed.


    “Haha, of course not. Anyway, I understand. Let me know if you need anything.”


    He turned around with a joke. But his doubt remained unresolved.


    ‘Something… there must be something more.’


    He walked away, leaving only a vague suspicion without any evidence.