NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 274
Chapter 274
Something…
‘It seems like you’re finally trying to pay attention to Seo Moon-gyeol, whom you’ve neglected all this time.’
I had seen the strange hesitation or regret occasionally cast like a shadow on Seo Moon-gyeol’s mother’s pale face before.
My parents.
It was the same look I had seen in them.
“……”
I unconsciously hardened my expression, but then I softened it again, remembering that Seo Moon-gyeol’s mother was sitting in front of me.
‘But since people say we look alike, Seo Moon-gyeol also liked it, so it shouldn’t be entirely unpleasant for her.’
As I was lost in thought and said nothing, Seo Moon-gyeol’s mother, who seemed to be waiting for me to say something first, spoke again.
“Can I ask what Gyeol was like back then?”
As expected, it was a difficult question, and I had to show an apologetic expression.
“Well… honestly, I wasn’t very close to Gyeol hyung at that time. I was busy with trainee life and couldn’t focus much on school stuff. We only started getting closer after the Pick Heart shooting. I think it would be better to ask Seong-ha about that time.”
I didn’t feel the need to say I had no memories of that time.
Seo Moon-gyeol’s mother seemed visibly taken aback by my unexpected answer.
“Oh, I see.”
“Yes, I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s okay. I heard a little bit about your student days from Gyeol last time. I didn’t realize you two weren’t close back then.”
As for student days, it was probably just something like “a kid who dances well transferred in.”
“Oh, really?”
After my formal response, an awkward silence settled in.
I couldn’t even tell if what I was drinking was going into my mouth or nose.
After a moment of choosing her words, she spoke again.
“But still, Gyeol recently talked a lot about you, Raon.”
For a person of few words, I wondered how much he could have talked about me.
“Wow, really?”
I matched her enthusiasm without revealing my true thoughts.
It might be a bit rude, but she gave off the impression of someone who needed to be taken care of closely.
In other words…
She gave off an undeniable aura of a pushover.
Pushovers should help each other out.
Of course, I’m not a pushover.
I lost count of how many times I had thought the word “pushover” in this short time when—
Ding.
[
Seeing the notification that was twice as infuriating as any automated system, I knew instantly that Larry had sent it.
[According to the pushover check, you are a pushover. Willpower +1]
This bastard was picking a fight as soon as he arrived.
Since Seo Moon-gyeol’s mother spoke again, I decided to deal with Larry later.
“Yes. He said you’re a good younger brother and a great member.”
The more specific statement made me genuinely curious about how much and what exactly the usually reticent Seo Moon-gyeol had told his mother about me.
“Could you tell me a bit more specifically what Gyeol hyung said about me?”
Seo Moon-gyeol’s mother smiled softly, recalling her memory.
“He said you understand his feelings well, and being with you makes him feel good.”
“……”
Hearing such a generous and warm evaluation made me feel strange.
We continued talking about how Seo Moon-gyeol was doing at Orca.
Not for long, maybe about 30 minutes.
While talking, I showed her some photos we took together or short dance practice videos I had for feedback, and she really enjoyed them.
“It must have been sudden for you that I came like this, but thank you for taking the time.”
“It’s no problem.”
Unlike Seo Moon-gyeol or his father, Seo Moon-gyeol’s mother didn’t seem to have much say in the family, and considering her significant contribution to her son’s good looks, I didn’t have any particular resentment towards her.
“Gyeol wasn’t the type to smile like this. It’s good to see he’s doing well with the team.”
She stared at the photo of Seo Moon-gyeol she had set as her phone’s lock screen.
Of course, the Seo Moon-gyeol in the photo I had just sent was not smiling broadly enough to be described as having a good smile.
If I told the other members that hyung was smiling, they would have to look closely to notice it.
But as a mother, she seemed to easily recognize her son’s smiling face.
“I only realized recently that his smiling face looks a lot like his father.”
Apparently, the subtle expressions that required skill to recognize were similar to his biological father’s.
Seo Moon-gyeol’s mother withdrew her faint smile and looked at me directly.
“If you ever want anything more from us, please let us know anytime, even later.”
“Well…”
I was about to suggest that they transfer the house to Seo Moon-gyeol’s name so we could keep using it as our dorm, but I held back for the sake of my reputation.
“If Seo Joo-won can reflect and treat Gyeol hyung well from now on, growing up without causing trouble, I wouldn’t ask for anything more.”
She seemed to think they hadn’t done enough for me, but we had already received a significant settlement.
Not wanting to get further entangled with them, I subtly suggested that they should manage their second son well, which made Seo Moon-gyeol’s mother look at me as if I were a saint, greatly increasing her favorable impression of me.
“Then… I’ll go call Gyeol hyung and the other members.”
Although there was no resemblance, looking at Seo Moon-gyeol’s mother reminded me of my own mother, which made me feel slightly uneasy.
“Sure.”
After wandering around the spacious house and opening each door, I found the members huddled together in one room and brought them back.
Seo Moon-gyeol’s mother was ready to leave by the time we returned.
I was a bit taken aback that she was really about to leave just like that, but I didn’t show it.
“I’m sorry for visiting suddenly today. We heard the situation and wanted to help in any way we could, so please stay without any burden. We’ll support your activities with this album as well.”
“Yes, thank you!”
“Mother, it’s not a burden at all, so if you ever want to see Gyeol or me, feel free to visit anytime.”
Seo Moon-gyeol’s mother nodded at Kang Ji-woo’s friendly words with a smile that seemed both appreciative and polite.
“Gyeol, I’ll contact you later.”
“No, come with me. Just to the first floor.”
“…Really?”
“Yeah.”
Oh, how heartwarming.
* * *
Even after Seo Moon-gyeol saw his mother off and returned, the place was bustling with workers bringing in various furniture and supplies for the house.
“We’re only staying here until we find a new dorm, right?”
“Yeah. It’s temporary, not permanent.”
“This house is nice, but knowing Auntie’s personality, she wouldn’t let us stay here like this for long.”
It was clear they felt uncomfortable about receiving things unilaterally like this.
“Raon, which room do you want?”
“Any room is fine. They’re all good.”
“Really?”
“Yes, but hyung.”
“What?”
“…From the way you’ve been talking, your expressions, your voice, everything from head to toe, it’s all really strange. Can’t you just act like usual, please?”
I glanced at Ban Yo-han, who had been smiling constantly since we left the vocal practice room.
“Whatever concept you’re going for, you look like a ghost who died from being overly kind, and I’m wondering if we need to perform an exorcism.”
Worried that I was being overly harsh only to him, I asked the other members individually what they thought of Ban Yo-han’s strange behavior.
– Maknae, did you hit his head with a mic or something while fighting? By the way, frying pans make a great sound when they hit, just so you know. Not that I’m asking you to hit him for me, just FYI.
– Yeah… you don’t need to teach me how to swing it, so just put it down for now.
Or—
– Did you catch that hyung’s weak spot properly this time? If you did, share it with me too, and I’ll help you with the duo position you wanted. Or… is that hyung bullying you?
– What do you take me for?
…Given the cold and unhesitant responses, it seemed I wasn’t being especially harsh to Ban Yo-han this time.
“Why do you complain even when I’m being nice?”
His sullen expression told me he had returned to being his usual mildly annoying and sly self.
“Well, there’s a saying that sudden change can be a bad sign. I was worried something might happen to you.”
[Ban Yo-han, the original master of insincere words, chuckles at your insincere comment. Ban Yo-han’s favorability +1. Current favorability +65.]
Increasing favorability despite being taken aback.
It seemed he was quite moved by my worry, even if it was about not dying from doing something out of character.
* * *
The reason why Orca’s schedule was empty during their comeback’s first week, allowing On Raon and Ban Yo-han to bicker idly, was the same reason the music scene had been unusually quiet lately.
The 2018 Summer Asian Games had started with an opening ceremony on Monday, causing all terrestrial music broadcasts to be canceled.
Since relations with Music Box’s broadcasts were still strained, and to make matters worse, a cable music show on Thursday was also canceled due to the broadcaster’s situation.
Thus, the only place Orca could appear this week was SBM’s Music Round on Friday.
From the broadcaster’s perspective, less important music shows would inevitably be canceled for Asian Games coverage. Scheduling it that way naturally caused fan dissatisfaction.
– Seriously, having only 2 music shows during the comeback week and 2 in the second week is too much… They’re not even an established group but rookies???
– The album and digital performance are so good, it’s a shame to have only 2 music shows in the second week ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
– I usually avoid ranting, but this planning is stupid. If you have any conscience, extend the promotions to 5 weeks. Four weeks isn’t enough; it must be 5 weeks.
Seed Entertainment also had their reasons.
They had already pushed the schedule as much as possible by overworking everyone, and delaying further wasn’t feasible.
Waiting until the Asian Games season ended was too late, considering the album’s momentum and media attention.
Moreover, delaying by just a week or two would overlap too much with the comeback schedules of other major artists, significantly reducing the chances of winning on music shows.
There was a heated debate within the company on whether to delay the comeback or proceed as planned.
In the end, the opinion to take advantage of the empty field and avoid unnecessary losses prevailed, finalizing the current plan.
Under these circumstances, the initial sales tally for their third mini-album ‘AGAIN’ was completed.