He finally understood what it meant to be burnt to a crisp. Doha returned to the dorm leading his tattered body after finishing the shoot. After finishing even the interview for which the agency had prepared answers in advance, the day was passing.
The fact that there’s a heavy arm resting on the shoulder of someone this exhausted is really something only a bastard without any sense of propriety would do. And Lim Sehyun is accomplishing this.
“Your expression looked good today.”
What was good about it?
Sehyun tapped the headband Doha was wearing with his finger. It was a gift from the coordi on the way home for Doha, who was suffering because his bangs, firmly fixed with spray, kept poking his eyes.
“I thought hyung suits cute things better than I expected.”
He had been bothered by the fact that it was a headband with fluffy pink fur and ear shapes, and sure enough, Lim Sehyun latched onto that point.
Doha’s eyes narrowed.
“You know you’ve become a completely different person since you lost your memory, right hyung?”
If you look, don’t you know? I’m a different person, you bastard.
“Well, people do change.”
“Some things don’t change. Usually that’s called being beyond help.”
So give up on rehabilitation early on.
“Don’t worry, hyung. I’ll somehow make you into a proper person.”
Is there a maknae who affectionately calls someone trash to their face?
He wanted to get angry and say something, but his words were blocked. He didn’t even have the energy to think about where to start pointing things out. There’s no way he could compete with the energetic Lim Sehyun when he was completely exhausted. In the end, Doha decided to keep his mouth shut.
It was when they had almost reached the dorm entrance. The two heard voices coming from the stairs next to the dorm entrance.
“……Why are you really doing this?”
The small, soft voice was Haram’s voice. Haram was on a call with someone on the empty stairs with his voice greatly suppressed.
“All the settlement money is in there…… What would I take separately……”
It seemed like he was having a call with content he’d be reluctant to let others know about. Suddenly, Sehyun brought his finger to Doha’s lips, telling him to be quiet. Doha turned his head to look at Sehyun. Sehyun’s eyes, which had been playful all along, sank seriously in an instant.
“Ah, really…… Hyung is still…… No. Let’s meet and talk on the weekend first.”
Haram’s appearance of struggling to compose himself again with a voice choked with surging anger was somehow pitiful. Was it because the story he had seen in the novel came to mind?
‘He’s no different either.’
Doha sighed looking at Sehyun’s deeply furrowed brow.
Kang Haram. The reason he came to bear the unjust stigma of being a scammer was because of his leech-like family.
The fact that this scenario had started meant that the time had come for regressor Lim Sehyun to be active in earnest.
‘Why am I getting involved in this too……’
It’s truly incomprehensible.
* * *
“Yawn.”
The place they moved to from the morning while yawning continuously was Yangpyeong in Gyeonggi Province. Why did they come to such a place with nice mountains and water?
“Today’s self-content concept is farming. Farming.”
Around the time they arrived at their destination, the manager said to the members while looking at the rearview mirror. No wonder he packed only baggy pants as costumes.
“You’ll be doing a lot of physical work today, so eat heartily.”
“It’s delicious.”
“I like cheese kimbap though.”
“Ah, I forgot. Sorry.”
The members were moving while eating kimbap that manager hyung had prepared. But even here, ‘he’ was different.
“Aren’t you sick of chicken breast?”
Haram asked Sehyun.
“What’s there to be sick of? I don’t get tired of eating rice every day either.”
Sehyun was chomping on chicken breast from the morning. Even though the fishy chicken smell was vibrating inside the car, he steadfastly ate both packs.
‘Tough bastard……’
From recent observation, Lim Sehyun ate chicken breast rain or shine. Like someone crazy about muscle loss. Moreover, he carried protein shakes around instead of coffee. The reason he managed himself this much was naturally because of his obsession with a perfect body.
“Want some pickled radish at least?”
Eden offered pickled radish to Sehyun. But Sehyun firmly shook his head.
“When I looked while taking pictorials, my jawline wasn’t great.”
Which part wasn’t great? The line that extended refreshingly well? The point that looked like it would cut you if you touched it?
“Baby fat remains.”
Anyone would think he regressed about 10 years. But his words aren’t exactly wrong. At 20 years old, baby fat might remain.
“Hyung, why aren’t you eating?”
Because my appetite dropped because of you.
Feeling Doha’s gaze looking at him instead of eating kimbap, Sehyun asked Doha.
“Do you want to eat chicken breast?”
It’s a question that makes me curious about how his brain structure is assembled. When I don’t even want to eat kimbap, would I want to eat bland, dry chicken breast with no seasoning?
Doha shook his head, but nimble Sehyun was faster. A chunk of chicken breast scored right into Doha’s mouth. It was absurd, but since it had entered his mouth, he had no choice but to chew it.
“You’re going to move a lot today. Eat up.”
Sehyun’s words sounded like a declaration to work him hard, making his spine go cold. He shoved kimbap into his mouth.
I have to survive first.
* * *
OnX’s own content OnX TV had various things.
Vlog-style On Air, game and play-focused X Room, On the Road where reality, travel, and outdoor shooting were the main focus, parody concept Onflix, communication content with fans On Chat, etc.
Today was the day to present a new series. The name was ‘Rural Diary’. As the name suggests, it was content about OnX members farming. It was content timed to the period when healing farming was popular.
Standing in a place where dozens of staff members were coming and going, wearing baggy pants and a straw hat, Doha was deeply pondering about how on earth he had drifted here.
‘Damn chicken breast addict regressor.’
What else could it be but because of the eyesore Lim Sehyun? Whenever he came to his senses thinking ‘Why am I doing this?’, he was caught by Sehyun’s hand and stuck close to his side. Since he carried him around like dragging a body pillow, there was no way to do anything about it.
“We’re starting!”
The agency too. How can they schedule someone who’s not normal like this?
The manager wouldn’t excuse Doha with the sophistry that being in the same environment as usual would make his memory return faster at times like this. Should he show some disgrace in front of the camera?
When the cue sign was given, the members smiled brightly and looked at each other.
“One! Two! Hello! We’re OnX!”
As the members greeted along with Sehyun’s resounding number count, Doha also inadvertently bowed together. It didn’t match the members’ greeting call, but since the atmosphere was so free, there was no sense of discord.
“Wow, hyung, where did you buy those pants? That leopard print is amazing.”
“What about your hat? Youth association president? Are you a youth?”
“After all, I’m the youngest blood among us, right?”
Everyone had baggy pants as basic wear, and Sehyun was wearing a blue vertical striped shirt from who knows where. I’ve seen grandfathers dressed like that.
“Wow, Doha hyung has a village head armband.”
The members burst into laughter looking at each other’s outfits. On Doha’s arm was an armband that said ‘Village Head’.
“Then what am I?”
At Eden’s question, Sehyun rubbed his chin, pondered, and gave an answer.
“Women’s association president?”
At Sehyun’s answer, the members burst into laughter again.
“Ah, Yunbeom hyung can be the senior citizens’ association president.”
“No, why am I the senior citizens’ association president? Doha is the village head.”
“That’s why you should have gained power in advance, hyung.”
Yunbeom grumbled with a sulky expression, crossing his arms. Then Haram said ‘Then what about me?’ and looked at Sehyun with sparkling eyes. It was an expectant gaze.
“You’re the crime prevention patrol?”
In the end, they each amicably took a position. What kind of skit is this…… Ah, this is a skit, right?
Doha stroked his armband with his hand and thought that at least he liked the point that it was a role with power since he was the leader.
While the members continued to chatter and laugh about each other’s costumes, a staff member approached and put an envelope in Doha’s hand.
The commotion stopped, and Doha stared blankly at the envelope in his hand. Then Sehyun habitually put his arm over Doha’s shoulder and said.
“What are you doing? Hurry and open it, hyung.”
‘Today’s Mission’ was written on the envelope. As he tore open the envelope with a ripping sound, the writing inside became visible.
“Potato harvest……”
A chill pierced through his back. Because behind where they were standing was a field of tremendous size.
“Yes~. Today is potato harvest day in our OnX village!”
Sehyun said loudly with applause. Damn it, I knew this would happen.
Just then, a staff member placed something in front of the members.
“Wow, what’s this?”
It was a red chair made of round sponge with two elastic straps attached.
