When I opened my eyes, it was to an unfamiliar ceiling. Once upon a time, I used to want to say that line. But going through it again... it was fucking awful. I blinked my heavy eyelids a few times and pushed myself up. The fluorescent lights were off, but light trickling in through the window kept the room from being completely dark. Only then did the smell of antiseptic hit me, and I noticed the IV line dangling from my arm—realized this was a hospital room. First thing I did was look for my phone to check if anything °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° serious had happened while I was out. It was neatly placed next to a new bottle of water on the small bedside table. Just then, bzzz—my phone vibrated. The screen lit up with a bunch of missed calls and worried messages. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ novel⁂fire.net [Se-han-asshole: You alive?] A message from Min Jiheon. Now that I thought about it, Min Jiheon’s emergency treatment had actually worked pretty well. The constant pounding in my head had faded, and moving my body didn’t feel too bad. It felt like things were slowly returning to normal. Still a little out of it, I started skimming through the messages. It didn’t seem much different from the last time I collapsed, so I turned the screen off and, eyes stinging, pressed my palms against my eyelids. Then it buzzed again. [Se-han-asshole: Looks like you survived. Congrats on coming back in one pieceㅎㅎ] ‘...Came back in one piece?’ [Se-han-asshole: You were out of it for so long I nearly pissed myself....] [Se-han-asshole: You didn’t see anything weird, did you?] [To start your new life, clear the game by performing as an idol!] The moment I saw that, my head snapped fully awake. My heart went berserk in an instant. My vision spun, and my brain froze. No thoughts came. I instinctively yanked up the system window, the one I figured would know the most. Would my little brother—left behind—be okay? “What happened to my brother?!” The creeping anxiety started climbing up from my toes. Rubbing my face with both hands, I asked again. “Fuck, is he seriously there alone?” Was he crying all by himself? I hoped the system would say something—anything—but all it showed was the same message: [To start your new life, clear the game by performing as an idol!] I bit down on my lower lip and stood up. I wouldn’t be able to calm down until I saw this world’s Seo Hojin with my own eyes. As I started walking toward the door, something tugged painfully at my hand holding the phone. I turned and saw the IV line stretched taut, still hooked to the bed. Just as I was about to yank it out— The hospital room door slid open. “Oh!! You’re awake...!” Sung Jiwon, startled, quickly smiled with his eyes turning into crescents. But the moment he saw my hand on the IV needle, his face went stiff. “W-What are you doing?!” “No! Hoyun-ah, calm down for just a moment!” Maybe because I’d only just woken up, I couldn’t get much strength into my hand. I tried gripping the line tightly to pull it out, but Sung Jiwon jumped in, flustered. Right then, a call came in. I immediately answered, heart pounding. [Hyung? Hyung?! You’re awake?] A voice full of worry—similar to mine, but warmer. It was really Seo Hojin. [I just finished class! I actually stopped by earlier this morning too....] ...He sounded like he was choking up a little, but yeah, it was him. [I’m heading to the hospital now. Why do you keep collapsing lately? Are you overworking yourself? Being an idol really isn’t for just anyone....] Yeah, I was working like hell. Passed out. Met someone who looked like you as a kid. Watched the world collapse. Got hit by another fucking car. Even though I technically died, all I could think about was you being left behind. Hearing my brother’s voice directly— Even with that annoying voice, soaked with emotion from a grown-ass man, fuck... the chaos in my heart finally settled. My reason came back, and I remembered what that tiny kid had said—how I should at least grab a meal with the Seo Hojin in this world. “Wanna go get food? Hyung will buy.” The words came out before I knew it, in a voice more hoarse than usual. “Let’s go eat something fucking delicious. When are you free?” [Why all of a sudden...? I mean, what?] “Just. I want to eat with you.” [...Y-You’re being weird and giving me chills.] Seo Hojin stammered, clearly flustered. He started grumbling about how I should focus on eating hospital food and getting better, but he also rattled off his entire schedule. [Midterms are almost over... maybe the day after tomorrow... actually, tomorrow works too.] [Ah?! Wait—can you even eat regular food yet?!] “Shut up. You’re hurting my skull.” His loud-ass voice made my head throb, but even as I scolded him, the anxiety slowly subsided. [What’s going on? Did something happen?] “Why’s a grown-ass man clinging to his hyung ?” [What, what the hell~?!] I hung up as Seo Hojin spluttered. My heart, which had been pounding hard just moments ago, settled back into its rhythm. ‘Seo Hoyun. Get your shit together.’ Even if the me on the other side was dead, my mission remained the same. The system had been clear. If I cleared the game by being an idol, I’d earn a new life and get to return to where I came from. I had no idea what this was or why I’d been brought back, but I had a second chance—and that was enough. ‘I just need to finish and go back.’ If I was scared of leaving Seo Hojin alone, then all I had to do was wrap this up and return. In the end, if I was worried about my brother, the answer was simple: I had to go all in and become a fucking idol. No matter how fucking shitty it was. Once my goal became clear, the anxiety vanished—and my fighting spirit surged. “Hey, Sung Ji...won...” Now that I had a moment to breathe, I finally noticed Sung Jiwon. I turned to apologize—then froze. Tears were streaming down from his big brown eyes. “...What, what are you doing?” I mean, I could, but still— “Why are you crying?” I quickly pulled some tissues and offered them, but Sung Jiwon shook his head and shoved me back onto the bed. ‘Why is he so dramatic?’ I mean, it’s not that weird to pass out for a day or so, right? “Hyung, we’re here! Is Hoyun hyung awa...!” The others poured into the room, still in training gear from practice. The one who locked eyes with me first, Jung Dajun, immediately burst into tears. “Hyung! I thought you were gonna die!!” “What are you on about? Don’t exaggerate. Why would I die?” Well, I had died, actually. But there was no point in mentioning that—it’d only mess with their heads. Sung Jiwon sniffled, covering his face with one hand, while Kim Sunghyun hung his head, shoulders trembling. A bunch of grown men tearing up—it was kind of a spectacle. I grabbed the water bottle from the table and chugged it before speaking. “Why the fuss? I just took a nap.” They all stared at me like I’d grown another head. I frowned in confusion. Their eyes flicked toward one another—and then Kim Sunghyun raised his hand. “Seo Hoyun, do you know how long you’ve been unconscious?” Oh, right—I never even checked the date or time while going through my messages. I quickly checked my phone again. It was just under two days since Kang Ichae’s mentor performance. “...Damn, I really slept like a log.” I scratched my head, trying to laugh it off—but the room immediately became a sea of tears again. “...Come on. Seriously. People are gonna think I nearly died or something.” I mean, again—technically, I did. Sung Jiwon bit his lip and muttered. “Hoyun-ah, you did almost die... They said your heart stopped. Just for a moment.” A cough burst out of me before I could stop it. I quickly covered my mouth. ‘Fuck, they found out?’ “W-Wait, you didn’t tell anyone else, did you...?” “The company worked hard to cover it up. Everyone knows you collapsed and were taken to the hospital, but that’s it.” God, that was scarier than any ghost story. If there had been a headline like, “Idol S from X group collapses mid-performance and heart stops—” I wouldn’t have been able to spin that, even with all my noise marketing skills. “Wow, what a near miss.” “It’s fine, I don’t have any health conditions. Just stress.” Can stress actually stop your heart? I wasn’t sure, but this wasn’t the time for honesty. Bluffing was all I had. Trying to lighten the mood, I made a joke—but Jung Dajun trembled all over. “...Are you an idiot?! Do you know how scared we were?! When we got the call you collapsed, we all turned pale and—” “Whoa, whoa, hold up.” Kim Sunghyun jumped in to stop him. “Maknae, enough. He just woke up.” “Hey. You need anything?” I was just rolling my eyes, trying to read the mood—but Kim Sunghyun tossed me a lifeline. I didn’t have anything else to say. Honestly, I couldn’t even if I wanted to. Kim Sunghyun must’ve understood. He nodded without a word and stood up. “Hang tight. I’ll check if you can eat yet.” “Ugh, you insane fucker...” He rarely cursed, but Kim Sunghyun laughed like he couldn’t help it, gave my shoulder a few pats, and walked out of the room. “Jung Dajun, stop crying and come here.” ‘Too kind for his own good.’ Jung Dajun glared at me with a pout, stomped his feet, and followed after Kim Sunghyun. He was seriously sulking. Just before leaving, he snorted at me one last time at the door. Eventually, the leader came back, grabbed the maknae by the scruff, and dragged him away from the door where he kept hovering. Sung Jiwon silently wiped away tears and quietly left, too. ‘Why does this feel like I committed a damn crime?’ Still, after talking to Seo Hojin and seeing my members’ faces, I felt weirdly... happy. I flopped back onto the bed. “You’re not leaving?” There was one guy who hadn’t budged—still standing there with a deadpan face—and I couldn’t help but feel nervous. Kang Ichae just stared silently. At my low question, he rubbed his chin for a long moment—then suddenly spoke. “Who brought you in.” I stared at him, unable to even blink, but his gaze dropped to the IV line. “You’re the kind of person who’s super conscious of your image, but you’re not asking whether it was a fan who found you, or a staff member. You’re not even curious.” ‘This freak’s sharp as hell.’ Kang Ichae was smart and perceptive—but more than that, he was sensitive and had freakishly strong instincts. ‘Practically a damn animal.’ Even though he had a temper himself, I knew he’d tried to play nice with this stubborn team of ours—so I felt a little bad. “Kang Ichae, I mean—this isn’t—” “I told you, like a broken record. Don’t make us worry.” He’d said he didn’t care what I did behind the scenes, as long as I was healthy and happy. That he respected that—but also wanted us to at least talk sometimes. He stood from his chair and stepped closer. I instinctively scooted back on the bed, but he braced one arm on the bedframe and leaned over me. His face was cold, all traces of his usual grin gone. A chill sweat ran down my back. “Did you do it on purpose? To rile me up?” His eyes were totally unhinged.