Chapter 193: Between a Favor and a Threat

All of them were faces I’d seen during the Stardust Project.

Maybe I was the only one who knew the exact relationship between Kang Siwoo and Lee Dokyung…

But someone sharp like Jin Sehyun or Cha Seongbin would have guessed to some extent.

Like how the air around Kang Siwoo turned ice cold the moment Lee Dokyung walked in.

The final debut team of Boy’s Dream.

Lee Dokyung had debuted last winter as the sub-vocal of FLYB.

Back then, I’d barely congratulated him through Reporter Lee Doyeon, and this was the first time we’d met again due to overlapping promotions.

I had expected we’d run into each other at some point during our activities.

I did think it would be awkward when we finally met.

“……”

But the two looked even more uncomfortable than I’d imagined.

The one to break the silence was the slightly more regretful party.

Lee Dokyung bowed his head with a sociable tone.

“Ah, our comebacks overlapped like this! I really wanted to meet you.”

“Wow. Nice to see you!”

Cha Seongbin, who had been quietly standing by, lightly lifted the mood.

Seo Haim rolled her large eyes and gave a small smile.

“It’s really been a while!”

“It’s been about a year since Starf, right?”

Then the rest of the FLYB members entered in a line. Each of them greeted us with faces full of tension.

Perhaps some of that rookie discipline still remained—their bowing was nearly folded in half.

“Good day!”

“Hello, sunbaenim!”

Not that we were much older—maybe just a few months ahead in terms of debut date.

Still, perhaps because their group had been rising steadily,

The difference in status made their overly formal greetings feel a bit uncomfortable.

What was even more uncomfortable was this particular combination.

“Nice to meet you.”

Leader Kang Siwoo reached out his hand for a handshake.

The fact that Lee Dokyung was the leader of FLYB made things all the more tense.

They didn’t openly show it, but the awkward smile hanging between them said it all.

There was no need to just leave them feeling that uncomfortable.

I glanced sideways at the clock.

Perfect timing—I had some business on this side anyway.

Turning to Lee Dokyung, I carefully spoke up.

“Hyung, can we talk for a sec?”

“Uh… sure. Let’s.”

There was a pre-recording shoot coming up soon… but I still had a little time.

It should be fine to pull him aside for a brief chat.

Kang Siwoo turned toward me with surprised eyes, and I patted his back and whispered quietly.

“I’ll talk to you after I get back.”

I took Lee Dokyung out of the waiting room.

Dragged out without knowing why, his first question was inevitable.

“What’s this about?”

Lee Dokyung looked at me cautiously with serious eyes.

There was a smile on his lips, but his gaze was filled with wariness.

We’d stayed in touch from time to time,

And I’d later heard that he’d mentioned me in his thoughts during the final announcement of Boy’s Dream.

We weren’t on bad terms, but it wasn’t like we made each other feel all warm and fuzzy either.

Maybe he’d already sensed that I hadn’t called him here with the best intentions.

Even before I could say anything, Lee Dokyung beat me to it.

“Just to be clear, I’m not planning to pick a fight with Kang Siwoo hyung. I won’t make things uncomfortable. If you want, I’ll even disappear from his sight.”

“Ah.”

“I can apologize as much as needed too, but… I’m tied to my team as well. So doing it publicly would be hard…”

He’d misunderstood.

“I didn’t call you out for that.”

“Then why?”

“You know this person, right?”

Swoosh—

What I held up right in front of Lee Dokyung’s face was a photo of a female idol.

A face he’d probably recognize very well, since I’d found it through a quick search on the portal site on the way here.

“Ah, f**k.”

Lee Dokyung tightly shut his eyes and let out a sigh.

He must’ve immediately figured out what I was about to say.

I nodded and gave him a small smile.

“I get it. You know what they say—old habits die hard. People don’t change that easily.”

“Ah, Seohan. Just let this one go, please…!”

Seriously, how long had it even been since his debut?

Already out dating a female idol and getting caught by me?

If sharp-eyed Jin Sehyun hadn’t given me a subtle tip-off,

I wouldn’t have known either…

But at this rate, it wouldn’t take long for the rumors to start spreading in this industry.

Well, entertainers usually kept quiet about each other’s dating rumors.

As long as fans didn’t find out, it should be fine.

From what I knew, Lee Dokyung had been sneaky enough with his relationships that big scandals hadn’t really hit him.

But still.

If he really didn’t want to get caught, he should’ve been more thorough.

“Blackmailing me with this is a bit much, don’t you think?”

Lee Dokyung pouted with a wronged expression.

“You’re telling me you don’t date? That’s harsh!”

“I don’t.”

“Ugh. Of all people to get caught by, why you.”

“That hurts, you know.”

“Sunbaenim, please have mercy….”

Lee Dokyung started clinging to my arm, practically hanging on me. Guess he did realize how serious this was.

An idol just a few months into debut getting caught in a dating rumor with another celeb?

That’s really the bigger issue here.

Honestly, it was way over the line.

Lee Dokyung, now sounding a bit desperate, hurried to add more.

“Seohan-ssi, if I get caught, I’m dead. My noona will kill me too, seriously.”

“……”

“Please just let this one slide. Please! I swear, it’s just one girl this time. I’m not juggling anyone else.”

You crazy bastard.

That’s actually what’s normal.

Even I, who was perfectly sane, felt like I was going crazy thanks to Lee Dokyung’s American mindset.

Lee Dokyung bit his lower lip and jumped while holding onto my arm.

“I really messed up. I won’t date again, ever!”

“Why are you apologizing to me? I’m not even your girlfriend.”

“Then just be my girlfriend instead. If a dating rumor’s going to break out, I’d rather it be with you!”

“Don’t say such horrifying things.”

What the hell did I just hear?

I scowled at Lee Dokyung in disgust.

His sly eyes sparkled as if trying to wriggle out of the situation.

“Come on, there’s still some professional courtesy in this industry. You’ll keep it a secret, right?”

Lee Dokyung hastily added, looking desperate.

“If it’s because of Siwoo-hyung, I’ll seriously bang my head on the floor. Just pretend you don’t know. Please….”

Honestly, I had nothing to lose from Lee Dokyung dating.

If we were in the same group, I’d pester him until they broke up, but he wasn’t even involved with me in the first place, so there was no reason to meddle in someone else’s love life.

That’s why.

The reason I even played this card in the first place….

“I’m good at keeping secrets.”

“Right? Oh, senior-nim. You’re the tight-lipped type, huh.”

“Of course.”

I had one thing to ask Lee Dokyung.

At first, I thought of contacting Reporter Lee Doyeon directly.

But in this field, Lee Dokyung had the upper hand when it came to rumors.

“So, I have a favor to ask….”

“A favor, right?”

“Pardon?”

“No, no! What kind of favor is it, senior-nim?”

This guy… if he were born in the Joseon Dynasty, he would’ve been a sycophant for sure.

I clicked my tongue inwardly, genuinely thankful there was no one like him in Stardust.

Anyway.

I got straight to the point without hesitation.

“Do you know anything about Kim Woochan from The Way?”

“Huh?”

Rattle—

Lee Dokyung’s eyes rolled helplessly as he repeated my question in confusion.

Then his words trailed off in a strange way.

“Hmm…”

“Oh, so you don’t.”

“Don’t worry. Even if I don’t, I’ll find something! I’ll dig something up if I have to!”

At my unenthusiastic reaction, Lee Dokyung began rambling.

“What are you most curious about? I’ll scrape through all my connections, even the nonexistent ones—something’s bound to turn up!”

“That’s just like you, hyung.”

“Right?”

Kim Woochan from The Way.

The guy knew way too much about my cards.

Until I figured out what he was really thinking, I had to hold something in my hand too.

In that sense—

“Kim Woochan from The Way? Where should I start digging….”

—I had quite a reliable ally.

At the same time.

Kim Woochan from The Way was in the middle of recording a guide track.

The eccentric of the entertainment world.

The Way’s members all considered him a 4D outlier, but in terms of various metrics, Kim Woochan was an all-rounder.

He had recently taken up songwriting by chance, and it suited him so well that he now spent almost all his time in the studio.

Even though it was a break, it didn’t mean he had endless free time, but compared to his frenzied schedule before, it did feel like a breather.

Considering the upcoming overseas tour, this peace would probably only last until the end of the week.

Having done a quick calculation, Kim Woochan took off his headset.

“Done.”

A satisfying result.

Even on replay, it was a pretty decent guide track.

“This could work.”

It felt good enough to include on the album.

Maybe he should suggest adding his self-composed song to the repackaged album.

Thinking that, Kim Woochan stretched out his arms.

“Uugh…!”

He’d been sitting for so long that his whole body felt stiff.

He was going to leave anyway.

Just in time, his phone buzzed in his pocket.

Bzzz.

A text from leader Min.

–What are you doing, Kim Woochan?

–Where are you?

–In the studio?

“Oh, right.”

There was a meeting.

While Kim Woochan usually stuck to his own path thanks to his seniority, he was at least punctual when it came to appointments.

He got up from his seat, getting ready to leave the studio.

And then it happened.

“…….”

Kim Woochan’s hand froze mid-air.

“Urgh.”

A sudden, sharp headache struck. He instinctively clenched his lower lip and staggered hard.

A choked, low cry escaped.

“Urghhh…”

The pain, as if his head would split, was brief but intense.

His brow furrowed involuntarily.

The same throbbing he always felt whenever he glimpsed another possible future.

“Haa…”

He took a deep breath, recalling a conversation he’d had with Seohan.

What would prompt Do Seohan to need him—he’d been asked about that time period.

‘When would that be?’

‘At the very least, after the concert ends?’

He’d answered confidently like that.

But the words he muttered while swallowing a lump in his throat were now stripped of conviction.

“April… wasn’t it the concert?”

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