Daepaseong had been bouncing between hot and cold lately. “Alright!! This is huge, seriously!!” Everyone in the company was thrilled after their third-quarter sales hit an all-time high. It was thanks to the explosive success of the film Min Jiheon had shot last year, which drew massive crowds upon release, and the steady rise in The Dawn’s album activity. On top of that, Min Jiheon’s appearance on a major network variety show had created a positive ripple effect—he started getting flooded with love calls from advertisers and variety producers, and the members who appeared with him, Seo Hoyun and Jung Dajun, saw a noticeable bump in their recognition as well. “We got a crazy good bonus this time!” “Right?! Finally feels worth it to work here!” “Let’s not go that far.” But the joy of clutching a hefty special bonus was short-lived. Complaints about Daepaseong were still pouring in. Frankly, they were lucky people weren’t storming the building to protest. Then, as the chill of late autumn crept in and people began layering their clothes, a strange rumor started spreading around the company. Seo Hoyun was acting... weird after being discharged. And there was a lot of evidence to back that up. “Heading to practice now...” These days, Seo Hoyun exuded a razor-sharp energy as he immersed himself in nonstop practice, day and night. He looked more intense than even Sung Jiwon, who was famously known as a “practice machine.” People in Daepaseong started whispering that maybe Seo Hoyun had achieved enlightenment after his collapse—soon he might just vanish into the mountains. Whether he knew about these rumors or not, Hoyun walked around the building with heavy dark circles and a haunted look. “Isn’t he gonna drop dead at this rate?!” “I-I mean, working hard is good...” “He’s gonna burn out.” “Nope, not him. He never does...” Even with the management and road managers huddling together, worrying about his condition, Hoyun didn’t seem the slightest bit concerned. He also started avoiding cars. There wasn’t a single Daepaseong employee who didn’t know about his past, but after riding just fine all this time, the sudden shift in behavior naturally drew attention. There are always people who find thrill in someone else’s change. He also became obsessed with collecting and analyzing every single idol activity and campaign. What succeeded, what flopped—he categorized and examined it all meticulously. Which made it inevitable that his meetings with Lee Jihyun from the planning team increased. “Unlucky to get caught up with Seo Hoyun...” And just like that, another person joined the club of those wearing dark circles down to their chin. The eerie atmosphere matched the end of October perfectly. It felt like the calm before a storm. Meanwhile, the Noeul fandom was losing it over the steady stream of Halloween content dropping from other idols. [Please I’m begging they don’t go too hard this year Especially Kang Ichae and Jung Dajun I wouldn’t be surprised if they showed up painted head to toe in yellow trying to be Pikachu and Ash from PocketXster] (I’m so anxious my teeth are clacking together It’s not that I want his face to be completely covered in white paint so I can’t see it or anything...)] [Guys please. Let go of your desire to be funny.] “What do we do about this? There’s definitely a lot of anticipation. Should we do a Halloween event?” “Hmm... might be too much this time around?” “We barely have any time to prep... and with Seo Hoyun just out of the hospital, what if it backfires and we get dragged even more?” “Why not just let this year slide quietly?” Daepaseong still ran a lot of things by the seat of its pants, and after Hoyun’s collapse, they’d been too swamped just trying to manage that. So naturally, some people floated the idea of using his hospitalization as an excuse to skip Halloween this year. Then suddenly, Lee Jihyun, who’d been slumped over her desk half-dead, sprang to life. “April Fools and Halloween are literal holy days for otakus!! And you’re just gonna skip it?! Are you nuts?!” “Jihyun, we didn’t mean it...” “You should be sorry! How could you even think about passing on such a huge event?! It’s blasphemy!!” The planning team members working alongside Jihyun were mostly new. They listened carefully to everything she said and worked hard—but compared to her, they still lacked proper otaku instincts. So the rush to prepare for The Dawn’s Halloween began. Jihyun insisted that keeping the costumes a surprise would make fans even more excited and heighten the anticipation. Seo Hoyun, on the other hand, pushed for a fan vote, arguing that letting the Noeuls see what they were picking would get a better reaction. “Voting sounds fun and all, but... why voting?” “Do you know what drives Koreans insane?” That fear that your pick might lose if you don’t vote. There’s a reason people go insane watching survival programs. Watching Jihyun still hesitate, Hoyun added one last nudge. He told her to think of it like one of her favorite games. When it came to pulling gacha characters, Jihyun always had to weigh her options—would she # Nоvеlight # rather gamble on a pool of random costumes, or guarantee that one special limited-edition illustration she really wanted? A moment later, she surrendered. “Yeah, I guess that’s better than pulling a ‘do not equip’.” Hoyun tilted his head, clearly not following the gaming lingo. [Pure democracy at its finest — Vote for your pick! The Dawn’s Halloween costumes are in your hands!] The voting post hit SNS. As expected, The Dawn’s fans dove in like madmen. [You insane Daepaseong bastards... how dare you make this a vote I threw every SNS account I have into voting Dajun for CardXptor] Thɪs chapter is updated by NoveI[F]ire.net [Sung Jiwon Princess X Diary—WHO THE HELL put that on the ballot for a boy group ...But I voted anyway] [Excuse me sir if I may please I’m begging just one vote for Kim Sunghyun American Quarterback] [Kang Ichae, PLEASE let him be a Taoist exorcist this year, I’m begging you PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE] It was meant to be a fun fan event, but Noeuls, fired up by the belief that their chosen costume must win, turned it into a full-blown war. As the voting raged on, the Halloween special filming date crept closer. The planning team cautiously checked the results. “...I’m wearing a school uniform?” Everyone else got flashy costumes, so why was he in a school uniform? Well, it was easier to move around in, at least. “But Seo Hoyun, this is the uniform for XX High, right? We managed to get it, but... how come there’s not a single witness or story from your school days? Your agency’s never been known to cover stuff up.” I let out an awkward smile. That was because all my memories from before I turned 20 were erased when I came here. “I was quiet in school.” I never did anything illegal, but there’s no way my personality would’ve gone under the radar. Judging by my expression, Jihyun shrugged like, ‘as long as it’s not scandalous,’ and moved on to check on the other members. Soon, the costume coordinator handed me the school uniform. Once I even pulled my bangs down, I had to admit—it looked natural on me. It had been over ten years since I’d last worn this uniform, and it felt strange against my skin. After adjusting my outfit several times, I stepped out ahead of the members to head to the practice room where we’d be filming the choreo video. As I passed the hallway lined with posters of Daepaseong artists... “Whoa, what the hell?” A familiar voice called from behind me. When I turned around, I saw Min Jiheon. “A school uniform? You look like a baby!” It was the first time we’d met since I collapsed. Even in his worn-out, pale state, the guy practically sparkled. Figures—he had nothing going for him except his face. He circled around me, being all dramatic. “You filming? Playing a high schooler? Wait—are you going back in time as a high schooler again?!” “Do you attend a private academy that teaches nonsense?” “Ahaha, didn’t you know? Mine was next to the shady school you go to.” Still the same personality. But seeing the rough shape he was in... I started to get concerned. The last time I saw Min Jiheon, he had coughed up blood. “...Can I take one photo? Just for my little brother~.” He pouted, begging to keep one just for personal collection, but I ignored him—until his manager called out from down the hallway. Min Jiheon made a hand signal like “got it” and then turned back to me. “You never texted or called after that. I was dying to know your reply.” He’d asked me what I saw in that place, hadn’t he? But I had no intention of telling him that. “I died. That crash you showed me? That’s what killed me.” I cut out all the other details and gave him just the one fact that mattered. “And you already knew that, didn’t you?” Min Jiheon’s eyes widened. “...Mmm, what are you even talking about.” Lying around in the hospital without a phone gave me way too much time to think. Honestly, if I’d just looked a little deeper from the start, I probably could’ve figured it out sooner. Like how Min Jiheon had looked at me like I was something unpleasant when we first met. Or how he said I felt confusing. That weird, restless vibe of his always lingered in my mind—and if I was someone who had already died, then everything suddenly... clicked. “I wasn’t sure,” Jiheon muttered, looking away. “Ever since I pulled your lingering thoughts, something’s been off. I mean, I don’t usually dig up people’s trauma with my powers or anything, but... it was strange.” He let out a heavy sigh, then glanced at me awkwardly and asked, “But... you didn’t see anything else, did you?” I just stared at him and smiled sweetly instead of answering. Instantly, Min Jiheon’s expression froze. When I gently called his name, he visibly shuddered and backed up a couple steps. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what I did, but I’m really sorry.” “Still, thanks this time.” I meant it. If it weren’t for Min Jiheon, I wouldn’t have made it. “I don’t. I really don’t.” I slung my arm around his shoulder with an even wider grin. “I never let go of useful people.” The guy scoffed in disbelief and batted my arm away. “...Sorry, but you’re a bit much for me.” He shut his mouth and looked like he was about to walk off when we heard the clatter of footsteps from behind. I didn’t need to turn around to know who it was. “Hoyun-hyung! Sunbae-nim!!” Of course. Who else but our group’s maknae. “Wow... that guy’s a bit much too...” Min Jiheon glanced back, confirmed it was Dajun, and his face visibly paled. He even inched behind me like I was his shield. “About last time, I’m really sorry! I didn’t know you didn’t like that... Huh? Where are you going now?! Should I walk you out??” “No, no, it’s fine! My manager-hyung’s right over there!” “Th-Then, since that variety show, I’ve been practicing cooking a lot, so I could make you somethi—” “No!! I’m good!! I just order delivery!!” Jiheon was terrified, rejecting every single suggestion Dajun offered with all his might. He must have suffered a lot during that variety shoot with him. ‘Damn, maknae’s impressive.’ Cutting off the Min-grit before it even starts. Using me as a human shield, Jiheon kept a safe distance from Dajun and alternated glances between us before shaking his head. “...This group’s definitely gonna make it big. Not one of you ever loses in a power struggle.” “Thanks for the compliment.” “It wasn’t a compliment, Seo Hoyun.” With an incredulous laugh, Min Jiheon patted my shoulder and started walking off. “No news is good news, you know.” Raising an eyebrow with a half-smile, I watched Jiheon hum a tune as he disappeared down the hallway in the opposite direction. Dajun latched onto my arm out of pure habit. I twisted my body instinctively to dodge him and stared down. “Hyung, what were you talking about with sunbae-nim?!” “Nothing you need to know.” I drew a hard line, and Dajun pouted in response. “But you showed up at just the right moment,” I added as we started walking back toward the practice room. Dajun gave a big grin and winked at me. The gesture looked way too similar to that red-haired rapper from another group. “Well, I’ve got great timing! I mean, Min Jiheon sunbae-nim is the senior I respect the mo—” “—just kidding! Just kidding!! The person I respect most is you, Hoyun-hyung! Please don’t look at me like that!” This little brat. Makes it really hard to keep spoiling him. “But Ichae-hyung said something the other day! He said we all owe sunbae-nim big-time for taking hyung to the hospital, so we should treat him really well!!” Our pure maknae had clearly taken Ichae’s words at face value. I thought it was weird how smoothly that all went down. Right now, Min Jiheon probably felt like a huge thorn in Kang Ichae’s side. He hadn’t gotten the full picture but had still ended up tangled in the mess. Even if he acted like he was fine, I knew he’d be watching me even more closely from now on. What kind of life do you have to live to have that level of awareness at just 22? Personally, I believe people should live according to their age, so I found it a little irritating. I clicked my tongue softly in my mind, then patted Dajun’s head as he excitedly chattered with sparkling eyes. “Bangbang-ah, just keep growing up the way you are.” “...Hyung, I’m already grown up, though?” He frowned and shoved his face close like he wanted to argue about what I meant, but I just poked his forehead repeatedly with my finger. ‘Time to get to work again.’ Me—or rather, The Dawn—still had a long way to go. The Noeuls were pacing anxiously all over the internet. There hadn’t even been a teaser, and considering Daepaseong was just a mid-sized agency, most of them assumed there wouldn’t be any Halloween content at all on the day itself. Still, they couldn’t let go of hope and kept lurking around The Dawn’s SNS accounts and YouTube channel. Then, the YouTube notification rang. [Rushing like my eyebrows are on fire] [Haha, Kang Ichae as the Taoist exorcist is 100% guaranteed, right?? No way it didn’t win] Everyone clicked on the video all at once. With just the first note, anyone would recognize it as the theme song from that insanely iconic anime—famous for the scene where a girl gently tapped her toes onto a flower petal. Cards flashed across the screen, along with a glittering magical wand rendered in hilariously bad CG. The Noeuls blinked and rubbed their eyes, trying to process what they were seeing. And then he appeared—wearing a black sailor top, white shorts, a white beret, and holding a pink magical wand with tiny wings. “I love the Noeuls~!” —It was none other than Cardcaptor Kang-I‘Chae’ri.