Chapter 338 Sock Thief

Chapter 338 Sock Thief

"How many socks have you lost?" June asked as soon as they got home.

"Since I was born? Around twenty pairs," Casper casually responded.

"No," June clicked his tongue. "How many socks have you guys lost since we started living here?"

"Well, you're asking the important questions," Jaeyong chuckled, finding their conversation ridiculous.

"I'm being serious," June said, crossing his arms in front of his chest. Yôur favorite stories at novelhall.com, I don't know...I lost count after the third one," Jisung said.

"I lost one," Akira said. "I don't usually wear socks."

Zeth looked at him, disgusted. "So, that's why the practice room smells like crap after a full day of practicing. Wear some damn socks from now on."

Akira raised an accusing finger toward Zeth's way. "You also don't wear socks with your rubber shoes sometimes!"

"That's different," Zeth smirked. "I don't sweat. My feet are not an exception, so they always smell fresh and clean!"

"Lucky bastard," Akira muttered.

"Well, for those twenty pairs, I think I lost around four here already...which is an abnormally large amount considering I've been living in this world for 23 years," Casper responded.

"I've never lost my socks before coming here," June said. "But ever since we moved to this dorm, I've lost around five socks now. That's why I decided to embroider my initials on my remaining socks."

"Wait, wait, wait...Why are we talking about socks again?" Ren asked, feeling a bit confused.

"Yeah," Jaeyong chuckled. "Don't you think we have more important things to discuss? Like our New Year's Eve performance!" he exclaimed.

"Do you really want Chul to become our manager until next year?" June asked.

His other members didn't respond.

"Look at this," June said, bringing out the sock he saw under the car seat just a while ago. "I found this at our van."

"Umm, why'd you leave your sock there?" Zeth asked.

June pursed his lips while Casper raised his hand.

"I know where Chul lives."

***

In a luminous apartment in the heart of Seoul, a typical office worker's decor embellished the walls—a large LED screen TV, a sleek black couch, picture frames of achievements, and family members donned on top of an expensive-looking wood drawer.

In the kitchen, a huge chunk of roast beef was roasting in the oven, filling the apartment with a heavenly smell.

It was the type of place office workers would dream of having.

However, in the mundane humdrum of the normal apartment, one room stood in contrast. It loomed at the center, covered in an unnatural brightness that defied the otherwise bright and modern interior.

The walls inside were adorned with familiar faces frozen in time within picture frames—the smiling snapshots of K-pop idols. The idols stared down from their photos, their glossy eyes holding a misplaced vibrancy in the dimness of the room.

Yet, something far more unsettling awaited beneath those seemingly innocent images.

Black bags, misshapen and filled with an unknown material, hung beneath the posters.

Next to it was a huge bed—where the owner would usually sleep in. Other people would want to hide their secrets in the unseen parts of their homes. However, this person proudly showed it off in his master bedroom.

The owner, a strange man whose features were obscured by the shadows, hunched over in the middle of the room with an unsettling calmness. He was sitting on the floor, classical music playing in the background.

In his dominant hand, he cradled a cup of coffee. It was his fourth cup of the day, and his breath smelled distinctive of that bad coffee breath.

He started at the TV, which was the only source of light in the room. The TV was playing a familiar performance of a rising idol group. However, it was muted, as the sound of classical music was the only thing being heard in the room.

With an unnatural calmness, the man reached into one of the black bags. His fingers fumbled with the material before extracting the most unexpected item—a sock.

Then, the man brought the sock to his face. With slow and deliberate movements, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes to enjoy the sweet aroma of the white sock. He inhaled more deeply as if savoring the essence of the sock's owner.

Chul clicked his tongue, opening his eyes to stare at the photo of today's victim.

"Your socks were always the sweetest to smell," he whispered. "But you've been a very bad boy," he chuckled, his evilness filling the dark room.

Meanwhile, June's concept photo for their debut album stared back at him.