Chapter 20.2

Chapter 20.2

TN: Happy weekend, hope it has been restful. Felt quite productive today and was able to squeeze in some translations ᕙ ( ̆ ̆ ̆)ᕗ

Enjoy reading! Let me know of any awkward phrasings or typos

"Hey, Yoo Yeon Seo."

After a brief blackout, Yeon Seo, who had regained consciousness, felt something different from the previous memory synchronization. Now that it was over 10%, it was showing him in the first person.

His body moved on its own.

"We're getting some street food. What do you want?"

"Me... Tteokbokki?"

[TN: Tteokbokki – Spicy rice cakes]

"Do chaebols eat Tteokbokki too?"

A youthful face, yet familiar... It was the person who visited him in the hospital room. Kim Yi Jun of ONESEVEN.

Seven people were living in the small house. The room was suffocatingly filled with the presence of three bunk beds, and the floor was covered with yellow linoleum.

From the memory synchronization so far, Yeon Seo didn't like something as cramped and run-down as this. Still, he did live in such a place. It was unexpected.

"Why wouldn't I eat it? My grandfather's favourite place is a 5,000-won granny's soup place. It's in Seodaemun."

"Really? I thought chaebols only ate steak every day."

"Well, that's also true."

"Ugh, you're annoying."

Kim Yi Jun shook his head teasingly. Yeon Seo felt the corners of his mouth lift. Was he smiling now?

"But we have our debut stage tomorrow. Can we eat now?"Rêạd new chapters on no/v/e/lbin(.)com

"It's a secret from the manager hyung. This is our last feast. From tomorrow, it's salads."

"They say you naturally lose weight when you start doing the music shows full-time."

The person with only his face hanging next to Yeon Seo's head, who was lying on the top bunk, was Lee Han Gyeol.

"But why are you an idol?"

"What?"

"You just showed up at our company one day saying you knew you were ready to debut and asked to be included in the debut group."

"Oh, the manager mentioned that."

Yeon Seo huffed in mild annoyance, placing his hands behind his head and sinking into his thoughts. He didn't have any particular reason. Studying was too easy and therefore boring, and he was fed up with his family treating him like a delicate piece of glass.

During a time in his life when he felt bored, he stumbled upon a video. It was of his biological mother, whose memory was now faint, performing during her ‘Twinkle' era. Despite her expressionless face as she sang and danced, her movements and voice radiated vitality. He realized that his mother was enjoying the stage in her own way. He wondered why it was so enjoyable for her and felt curious enough to try it himself.

"So, aren't you supposed to inherit your family's business? Why are you doing this idol thing?"

Despite being in the same class, the students were divided into those who were overly friendly because of their parents' influence and those who distanced themselves due to their high social status.

"But thanks to you, our group gained quite a bit of attention."

"I know."

"Don't just admit it like that! It's annoying!"

"Why are you getting all worked up out of the blue?"

In contrast, One Seven were some of the few peers who treated Yeon Seo without prejudice. And those days... seemed pretty happy.

<Warning, physical exhaustion has reached its limit.>

‘Just a little more, continue.'

<Depending on physical condition, accurate memory synchronization may not proceed. Memories may become mixed.>

His vision shook as if a videotape was fast-forwarding.

"Who does grandfather think he is to meddle in my affairs!"

"Who are you, sir?"

"I'll invest in the company instead of stepping in. But only for the seven years of the kids' artist contracts."

"An undiagnosable mental illness..."

His vision swirled as if he was floating in space. He was unable to identify proper memories. There was nothing to gain from this. Just when Yeon Seo was about to call Beta to cancel the memory sync,

"Do you really believe that Mom committed suicide?"

What?

<Danger detected in the body, cancelling memory synchronization.>

‘Wait a moment...'

<Master, I can no longer maintain this.>

His vision darkened once more.

When he came to, he was in the bathroom of the ‘Baekho-ham' shooting set. Yeon Seo, collapsing onto the floor, kept his face over the sink due to the overwhelming urge to vomit.

"Ugh!"

Spewing blood, he struggled to keep himself upright before collapsing again onto the sink. His vision was red from the blood he had spat out. It felt as if someone had ruthlessly stabbed his entire body with a knife. The pain was as if his insides were skewered with a pipe.

"Ugh..."

If Lee Hee Seo's death wasn't suicide... then what was it?

"Murder?"

She was killed... instead of suicide?