Chapter - 51화 (51/150)
{RO-Match Survival in Island Portal}
I saw the guys while I was working part-time…. I was depressed as hell because they said it's not airing because of the Asian Games, but then I was at my part-time job and Han Jisu, Jeong Daesu, Jegal Minhyeok, Ma Taeohh, Ju Dansol came in. At first I thought I saw wrong, so I rubbed my eyes like crazy.
⤷For real…? Dansol—Dansol or Daesu?
⤷Both.
⤷Hooooooly shit, that's insane
⤷What were they like?
⤷They're all just insanely handsome/pretty. Ma Taeohh, Jeong Daesu were in super comfy clothes like they came from working out. Thinking back, it was the kind of outfit you see a lot in dance practice videos, but even with everything covered, they were still crazy handsome. The others were all crazy handsome too.
⤷Who looks the best in person?
⤷No clue, they're all good-looking. Their visuals in real life are insane—it legit felt like I walked into some ridiculous fantasy dream. Biggest surprise was Jegal Minhyeok. He always shows up looking like some country bumpkin so I had zero expectations, but he's just… a celebrity, periodㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ It's honestly impressive the cameras manage to make him look like a natural person.
⤷They seemed close on the show, guess they're close outside too ㅠㅠ Who did Dansol look closest with?
⤷Jeong Daesu didn't look close with anyone. He just sat there like a rock, eating so much you couldn't even see the chef's hands. He ate quietly but ate a TON.
⤷A rock that eats a tonㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ but I meant Dansol, sorry ㅠㅠㅠㅠ
⤷Ahㅠㅠㅠㅠ Dansol just kept accepting whatever Han Jisu handed him, like yup yupㅋㅋㅋㅋ and once he got a bit of alcohol in him he kept asking stuff like "You can only eat things like this if you succeed, right?" "Hyung, how do you become rich?" ㅋㅋㅋ Our place is kinda pricey and pretty private—we only take a few tables a day
⤷Whoa… so you have to reserve to go there? Who booked it? Manager…?
⤷Yeah, we only take reservations from existing customers or stuff like that. Han Jisu booked it himself. Crazy, right?
⤷Damn, that's so unexpected…. Like, other people sure, but Han Jisu does NOT look like someone who'd ever book reservationsㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
⤷I was shocked too when I got the call. Ah—but I got too excited and posted this, I should probably delete it…. If this gets out, I might get fired from my part-time job….
⤷Yeah ㅠㅠ delete before more people see!!! Thanks though—now I can spend this weekend without RO-Match in full delulu mode thanks thanks
Jisu didn't drink a single sip because he didn't want people talking if he called a designated driver. Because of that, five healthy grown men ended up crammed together in Jisu's car.
If he'd brought the car with the remodeled back seat, he could've taken Dansol home alone, but unfortunately, Jisu had brought the car that could seat about five people. He clenched his teeth for no reason, annoyed.
"You guys can just take a taxi!"
"Hyung! You said you'd take Dansol home! Don't discriminate!"
"...Don't dishcriminate…."
With Taeohh chanting nonstop about not discriminating against Dansol, and Dansol, drunk and not even sure what he was saying, parroting him, Jisu felt like his head was spinning.
"Jegal Minhyeok, why the hell did you get in too when you live five minutes from the restaurant!"
"When will I ever get to ride in the back seat of a car driven by Han Jisu? As expected of an expensive car, it's comfortable and sturdy. I'm fine."
"Ha... I'm not fine. Move your head! I can't see the rearview mirror! And you—fold your body or something! I can't see the side mirror!"
"Sorry. This is as much as I could shrink."
"What are you, human or a bear... how do you work out so much an SUV passenger seat can't contain you."
In the end, because Daesu's size in the passenger seat blocked the right side mirror, Jisu screeched to a stop.
"All you bastards who live in Gangnam, get out before I kill you."
"Huh? Gangnam! I live in Gangnam, hyung!"
"Taeohh, get out too. And Jegal Minhyeok, stop dragging your feet and get out! You're basically home!"
"Yes...."
"Jeong Daesu, what are you doing?"
Jisu jerked his chin at Daesu, who stayed planted in the passenger seat like a rock even while Minhyeok and Taeohh got out. Daesu looked around like he'd heard something absurd, then pointed at himself with his index finger.
"Yeah, you. You!"
"Are you drunk? I live where you live."
"Yeah, I know. So get out and take a taxi. Because of you I can't see the side mirror and I feel like ramming into a roadside tree, so hurry up and get out."
Daesu looked back worriedly at Dansol, who was now alone in the back seat, mumbling that he wanted to live in Gangnam too and telling Jisu not to discriminate. Daesu wanted to be stubborn and stay pressed close to Dansol even a little longer, but knowing he had to go early for performance practice tomorrow, he got out like he couldn't win.
The moment everyone got out and the doors shut, Jisu stomped on the accelerator.
Dansol insisted Jisu didn't need to drive him all the way home, so he got out near the neighborhood and started up the alley to the dorm.
Even while his stomach churned, Dansol hugged the boxed beef Jisu had ordered to-go for him to give the members.
That was when he saw a long shadow under the streetlamp in front of the dorm. The person, sighing deeply with cigarette butts piled at his feet, was Woo Hyun.
"Huh...? Why are you out here?"
A little drunk, Dansol had even forgotten he and Woo Hyun had fought. The truth was, after dance practice, the anger had already blown away and only guilt remained. Thinking about what happened before the regression, wasn't he being too cruel to kids who were still young?
Jisu's company's nice practice room. Taeohh's skill, built properly from the basics. Good food. An expensive car.
Maybe even before the regression, there had been chances they could've grabbed, and the reason they hadn't was because he handled things wrong. And by failing, maybe he'd also taken away opportunities the other members could've gotten naturally.
That doubt sprouted in Dansol's heart.
"Fuck, hey! Ju Dansol! Are you kidding me⁈ Do you know what time it is!"
But Woo Hyun, who didn't know what Dansol was thinking, started by yelling.
The sudden profanity blew away all the worries Dansol had just been having about the members.
"What... what did you say? Fuck? Ju Dansol? Hey! It's dark so you can't see who's in front of you? I'm older than you, asshole!"
"If you're hyung, act like one! You pull that shit, then turn your phone off! Fuck—and then you go eat beef in Cheongdam-dong with famous celebrities! Are you out of your mind⁈"
"What⁈ How... how do you even know that!"
"Guess you were too busy having fun to know a post went up online…. And I didn't even know, and—ha, whatever. Calling someone like you the leader..."
"Are you done talking⁈"
"No. I've got plenty to say, I'm just holding it in. I'm not holding it in for you—I'm holding it in for the others. Watch yourself. Practice your dancing properly, and don't screw up and embarrass the rest of us."
In that moment, tinnitus rang in one of Dansol's ears. He frowned hard as sharp pain shot through, and a scene from before the regression flashed in his head.
"We busted our asses and finally thought we might see the light, and you ruined everything. And you still have the nerve to come here?"
"What did I do that's so wrong?"
"What?"
"I said what did I do that's so wrong. From the start, I clearly said I didn't want to go. You're the ones who shoved me in. Now you're looking at it and regretting it? Then you go instead."
"Hey, Ju Dansol!"
"Don't call my name, you bastard! I'm your hyung. That joke of a leader role—just because I'm a little older... I don't want to do it either."
As the past caught up to him, tears filled Dansol's eyes. But to stop himself from crying again, he forced strength into his gaze.
"Let me ask you one thing. If I went on the program and it all went to shit, what were you planning to do? You'd take the hate with me? No, right. When it happens, you'll act like you don't know me and be the first to run. You've got nothing but a mouth."
Woo Hyun stood there blankly, unable to say anything to Dansol's anger. He couldn't argue back because Dansol's resentment suddenly felt petty and ugly.
Even while he kept saying it wasn't like that, he'd been leaning on Dansol's popularity from the start.
Honestly, since RO-Match Survival, he'd been scared because it felt like Dansol was drifting away. After all the years they'd depended on each other like brothers, seeing Dansol suddenly get close to other celebrities he'd only just met made Woo Hyun's words turn sharp without him meaning to.
Today too, he'd regretted snapping at Dansol and immediately chased after him, but Dansol was nowhere. His phone was off—he'd vanished after making everyone worry—then Woo Hyun saw the photo of Dansol sitting in a restaurant with the program cast, and it felt like all the blood drained out of his body.
The part-timer's original post got deleted later, but by then the photo of the five of them clinking glasses had already spread everywhere.
He'd promised himself he'd apologize properly this time, but he still couldn't control his temper and ended up spitting cruel words again.
Everyone expected Dansol to get popular and save the team—but no one thought about what it would mean if, instead, Dansol became the reason they got hated.
DinoSoul was too weak a team to block the arrows flying in. So the one who had to take all the arrows was Dansol alone.
They wanted the glory together, but the wounds had to be carried alone—and Woo Hyun hadn't realized how heavy that was for Dansol.
Woo Hyun felt like his ugly truth had been exposed. By then, Dansol had already stalked into the dorm.
After standing outside for a long time, Woo Hyun went in, and his eyes landed on the beef box Dansol had left on the dining table.
"Like anyone's going to be grateful for this kind of thing... it's not like we're a bunch of beggars."
Even more unsettled than before, Woo Hyun raked a hand through his hair.
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