I stood facing Go Won wordlessly.
Perhaps because of the incident, people were murmuring outside the building. It was a difficult situation to have enough conversation to persuade the kid who was fully on edge.
“……”
After thinking for a moment, I changed my voice.
As usual, to a relaxed tone.
“Well, yeah. Since even the police came and went, there won’t be any more problems.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Go Won seemed surprised I’d agree so easily, then quickly assented as if not wanting to miss the opportunity.
“But will you be able to sleep from the shock? Ah, thinking about it, I don’t think I will either. Since it’s come to this, want to go for a second round and have a drink? Drink and just forget about it.”
“Drink… you mean?”
The edge of Go Won’s wariness sneakily changed to curiosity.
“Come to think of it, you became an adult about three months ago, but have you ever drunk alcohol?”
“No, never….”
“That’s good. You’re supposed to learn drinking from adults.”
When I gently patted his back, the kid obediently moved his feet.
“I keep saying sunbae-nim isn’t that old….”
I put the grumbling Go Won in the passenger seat and brought him to my house.
When I said it wouldn’t be good to get caught drinking outside, the kid quickly agreed.
Go Won still had his guard up against me, but that was only when it involved personal matters. In other words, regarding public parts, his career, he seemed to have made the judgment that I was on his side.
Well, if he still had suspicions and kept his claws out after seeing me stay up all night for days to debut him, I’d be too upset to sleep with my legs stretched out.
“What’s so fascinating, baby?”
Go Won lowered the eyes that had been rolling around busily while pretending not to tour the house.
“It’s my first time… coming to another celebrity’s house.”
“It should be your first time. Otherwise it means you have someone you meet outside. Who is there?”
“There isn’t.”
Before the question even ended, the answer came out promptly like a doll responding when you press a button. It was desirable.
“That’s right. For idols, dating is illegal. Especially under 5 years is death penalty level.”
“…Yes.”
“I’ll be the executioner.”
If the quest failed for such a pathetic reason, this wasn’t a joke.
“I won’t date.”
“Even if your ideal type appears and asks to date?”
“I don’t have an ideal type.”
“Even if a really successful person says they’ll make your entertainment life comfortable so let’s meet?”
“……”
Go Won let out a short sigh.
“I haven’t seen anyone more amazing than sunbae-nim yet.”
“Oh.”
It was quite a cute and correct answer.
“Sit there roughly.”
I picked alcohol of an appropriate proof from the wine cellar and took out snacks I didn’t remember buying to put on the table. Wine filled two glasses glug glug.
Go Won, who had been hesitating, put his first drink in life to his mouth. At that moment, he made a subtle expression.
“Even if it’s strange, try to endure it. It’s a part you need to practice anyway.”
“Well, …yes.”
A bit more alcohol enters the kid’s mouth. I felt like a hyung teaching a young kid bad things. That’s why I deliberately picked something expensive and good.
“Did your shocked insides feel a bit better?”
“Yes.”
“You’re admirable. When I first encountered a sasaeng, I cried and made a fuss.”
Go Won’s eyes widened. It seemed like ‘you?’ was written in those two round eyes.
“Isn’t that natural? Where is there a person who’s fine after going through that?”
Having family matters carelessly dug up, fabricated scandals, and even sasaengs who don’t know limits and invade territory.
It’s natural to be frightened—I just became calm after going through storms again and again.
“…I’m also still a bit scared.”
Go Won cautiously spoke as if finally obtaining the right to say weak words. He didn’t crumble the wall, but it was like making a hole between the walls and peeking through at this side.
Even that was admirable, so I refilled the empty glass.
When we emptied one bottle, a tipsy energy spread on Go Won’s face. I silently brought one more bottle of wine.
“…This one is sweeter.”
The amount of alcohol going down in one sip increased markedly compared to when he was carefully sipping.
I have to tell him later. To learn drinking again from an adult like Kwon Taeyoung.
“Well, don’t you have any other worries?”
Expecting drunken truth, I sneakily probed the kid. Go Won’s long eyelashes blinked.
“Mm….”
His gaze looked hazy. The kid soon opened his mouth as if decided.
“Sunbae-nim. I have a question.”
His voice, usually stiff beyond measure, had become a bit soft.
“What is it?”
“The nickname fans call me.”
“Yeah.”
“Can I change it?”
Nickname? Suddenly what’s with the nickname talk?
“It’s better not to touch the fans’ domain, but if there’s a problem, you can try talking to the company. What’s the nickname?”
“……”
Go Won hesitated then gulped down the half glass of remaining alcohol alone. At the end came the answer.
“Baby Demon King… it is.”
“Oh….”
Well now, it was a nickname like the essence of K-pop itself.
With one hand refilling Go Won’s glass, I searched SNS on my phone.
“Baby Demon King. Our baby is like two years old but the aura is a pitch-black demon king…. Says eung-ae but the voice is a majestic final boss….”
“Ah!”
When I read it character by character in front of him, his face already reddened with intoxication turned twice as red.
“It suits you well though?”
“…How am I… that?”
“Why? You are a baby. A baby whose knees hurt from growing tall.”
“That time was, a special situation only sunbae-nim saw…. Don’t call me a baby….”
Go Won roughly dry-washed his reddened face. Having only shown an old-looking appearance until now, he finally seemed his age.
“So, why do you hate the nickname? Embarrassed?”
“It’s not that I hate it. I know it’s a nickname given because they like me, but if fans get… treated as weird people while speaking like that to someone grown like me, I’m worried.”
“Ah, saying where is there a 180cm baby?”
“…Yes.”
For a moment, I suspected this bastard didn’t know to be grateful for the nickname from fans and was putting on useless airs, but there was no need.
“Give up. I’ve also been Megaton Baby for 12 years, and I think I’ll be called that until I retire from being an idol.”
“Megaton Baby?”
“I got it for being a big youngest.”
“Ah….”
That’s why the most used one for my nickname is ‘Mebe’….
Even if a 190+ idol gets the nickname dinosaur, in fans’ heads, that dinosaur goes ‘kyu?’ That’s the idol ecosystem.
“I didn’t know you’d even care about such nicknames.”
“I’m currently doing a fandom name contest. They said I have to make the final choice… since it’s come to this, I want to choose in a direction fans would like, so while looking around… I found out.”
“Oh, you’re a really distant rookie who doesn’t even have a fandom name yet.”
“I hope it’s a cool and meaningful word like Spades.”
Spades is yACE’s fandom name. It meant people who make the six members into the strongest hand, the ace of spades.
I smiled slightly as if hearing the name of a neighborhood friend I’d been with for a very long time.
“Our fans are more famous by a different name though.”
When seniority is long, nicknames attach to fandoms too. Thinking of things like this made Go Won feel a bit more distant.
“By the way, you’re quite strong with alcohol.”
Didn’t you say today was your first drinking? It took a whole two bottles of wine to make the kid soft and pliable. I said talent overflows, overflows, but you have talent even in this area. There’s nothing bad about having high alcohol tolerance in the entertainment industry.
“…Sunbae-nim didn’t get drunk at all?”
“No. I’m just better at pretending I’m not than you.”
“Ah….”
I don’t know why, but the nodding agreement was quite intense.
“Hey, Go Won. Since we’ve faced each other and drank, stop with the stiff titles now.”
“What?”
“What are you pretending not to understand? Stop with the awkward sunbae-nim sound and call me hyung. Save energy.”
“…Hyung, you mean.”
Go Won, who moved his lips as if disassembling the word and recalling it one by one, soon reassembled and put it in his mouth.
“Hyung.”
“Yeah.”
“…Well, thank you.”
Hoobae’s Respect (+5)
Oh my, cute.
Q Emergency. Detecting HBN’s Crisis.
Clear
Rewards are being settled.
You helped overcome the crisis in an excellent way.
Emergency quest completion reward is being issued.
Reward: Open HBN’s slot selection
It seemed that Go Won completely relaxing enough to forget the stalker incident was part of the quest.
Having a drink at a sunbae’s house that looks secure to anyone, and as the other party showed friendliness, the frightening memory seemed to gradually be erased from his head.
The reward choices were two as expected.
[Recognition], [Mental]
What I originally wanted to see was mental.
Because while the kid acts indifferent on the outside, the inside seems a bit unsettled. I thought firmly establishing that would be a lot of help in succeeding as a singer.
But now.
‘Open recognition.’
Go Won
Recognition ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♥ (Domestic only, excluding overseas)
Current Status: Dru■ ■■■■.
The notation method completely changed so I’m not sure, but I decided to think of it as recognition a rookie would have. Anyway, I’ve confirmed it so that’s enough.
‘Since I chose this option to avoid mental anyway.’
“Go Won. I have something to ask.”
“Yes, hyung.”
“Since I have nothing to hide from you and laid this much groundwork, you expect it’ll be a very rude question, right?”
“……Hyung wouldn’t do that.”
Even hearing the admirable answer, I didn’t smile. I just stared at Go Won’s face then opened my mouth.
The atmosphere was good. Until now.
Now it’s time to smash that mental all at once.
“Do you have debt?”
Go Won’s expression froze stiffly as is.
Go Won
???: ??? (▼1)(▼1)(▼1)(▼1)(▼1)(▼1)(▼1)(▼1)(▼1)(▼1)…….
Current Status: ■? ■■ ■■■ ■■ ■■? ■■■ ■■■■■■■■■■■■■? ■■? ■■? ■■? ■■■■■ ■■■■■■ ■■ ■■ ■■■■■■■■■■……
Mm, glad I didn’t open mental.
Just looking at his face, I can tell well enough that his mental is completely shattered, so there’s no need to open it.
The wariness I thought had dulled shot up sharply several times more than when we first met.
