ㅤㅤ

ㅤㅤ

We predicted that when the manager returned, he would tell us more details related to the incident.

— ... Are you going to report it to the police?

-Yes. When he wanted to attack us, I thought he was trying to assault us… It made me sweat a lot.

Our first manager wiped the sweat off him and, worried that this incident would lead to negative articles affecting our comeback, he complained.

— I don't understand why he didn't contact me that day… tch.

He was referring to the second manager, who was not present at the time.

NT: The second manager didn’t contact the first manager when Sejin was in the hospital, instead he called Sejin’s father.

By the way, he was not with us because he accompanied Lee Sejin to give his statement to the top management of the agency.

— How did that man get into the back hall?

— Because after leaving the hospital, little Sejin wanted to go back to the practice room and was accompanied by him. So, to re-enter, the man told the security guards that he was his father and had to accompany him.

— Aha~

Keun Sejin exclaimed with a face that did not look relieved at all.

“Perhaps because it is not a problem that can be easily solved.”

Gossip about family problems can continue even though the culprit has been removed.

Also, it was not normal or healthy to make such a racket in the middle of the lobby, so it could cause us more problems in the future.

— ...Anyway, little Sejin must have been really scared, so please treat him carefully when he comes back to the apartment.

— Of course.

— It's okay.

Having suffered an ankle injury and family problems, it was almost certain that his mental state would be on the verge of breaking.

Although the boys nodded seriously at the manager's words, inside they must be agonizingly worried about the situation in his way.

And not long after, Lee Sejin, who still had her half cast on, returned to the apartment.

It was the same situation as a few days ago, but the difference was not that he came back unaccompanied, but with a gloomy face.

— ...?

We all noticed that signal, so we started talking to him.

— Sejin-ah, hmm… Did you end the statement well?

— Are you okay?

— Yes, I'm fine.

Sejin spoke as if he had made a big decision and determinedly entered the front door and headed to the kitchen, where he poured himself a glass of water to drink.

Gulp, gulp.

He put the glass down on the table and, after taking a deep breath, he spoke to us.

— Tomorrow... I'll apply for a restraining order.

— ...!

— T-to your father?

— My father, no, that bastard divorced my mother when I was little, so he didn't have custody of me...!

Some of the boys were puzzled when they heard Sejin swear for the first time.

— ...Do you have evidence?

— I will not request that it be away from me… it will be from my mother.

— ...!

— ...Huh.

Sejin sighed and explained the situation properly.

— ...That man has been blackmailing my mother ever since I became known as a child actor.

However, his mother had never told him about it. He found out that he did it when he discussed it with her.

— He stopped doing it when I took a break from my activities as a child actor, but he… started contacting me when I appeared on Icorpo.

He swallowed hard and continued with a slightly trembling voice.

— I... I just thought they were separated by personality differences. He told me that he was going through a hard time in his life, so I sent him money.

But the amount demanded gradually increased and was accompanied by subtly abusive language and threats.

— ... Since I was doing well, he started demanding money every day from the middle of the program.

His face paled at the memory of all that.

"...That's why he became very sensitive from the third round of team battles."

Back then, his mental state had already exploded.

— ...I got to know everything when I talked to my mom on vacation.

They had divorced because he was addicted to games as well as a kleptomaniac. But his father continued to threaten them to get money.

— ...

There was a moment of worrying silence.

— ...But why did you keep in touch with him...?

— …I-I did it to protect my mother and… I didn't want to be a nuisance to the group… I had already caused problems with the matter of my former agency.

Sejin gritted his teeth and rubbed his eyes hard.

— I decided not to run away anymore and to do my best… I was going to try… But it didn't work out.

— ...

— I apologize in advance for requesting the restraining order… Articles may appear talking about it, although the agency will try to block them as much as possible…

Sejin lowered his head.

— If problems arise again… I am very sorry.

— ...!

— Sejin-ah, there is no need to apologize for this.

— E-everything will be alright…!

Among the boys who looked confused, SeJin spoke in the calmest and most pleasant tone possible.

— Hmm… Hyung, I'm sorry if what I'm about to say is causing you any discomfort, but I don't think the restraining order alone will solve this. Wouldn't it be better to think of some other way?

— ...Yes.

Sejin swallowed hard.

— That's why… I found out where he played and bet.

— ...!! Ho-how?

— ...Is it important to know how I found out? Anyway, I'll report it to the police.

— Ooh!

— Then he will go to jail. In the meantime, I can get my money back and send my mother to a better place with more security.

— Aaah!

Among the couple of minors who admired their hyung, I shivered.

"Don't they usually give a fine to everyone who has participated in illegal gambling?"

At most I have seen cases where the guilty receive a sentence, but usually end up on probation. Furthermore, the question is whether the police who received the report will trust it so tacitly and go to said place.

— ...Won't he just end up on parole?

— I do not think so. He cheated while he was gambling and working at the betting house.

— ...!

— I recorded everything he said to me to scare me. He talked as if he was a gangster… If necessary, I can send it anonymously to the police.

I had thought he was a game addict, but he turned out to be a more serious criminal than he thought.

Well, I understood Sejin's desire to get rid of the problem that was frustrating him and all that it implied, but I think his situation is very dangerous.

"If a criminal goes around claiming that he is Sejin's father, the problem will be further aggravated."

As expected, I think it would be better if he cut off the relationship with his father… Hmm, only one solution comes to mind.

"Though I don't know if he'll agree."

I must mention it first.

— I think we should make sure that a person who has a criminal record doesn't use hyung's name in the future. He can get out of jail, say he's hyung's father and do something like investment fraud.

— ...!!

— Why don't you draw the line tomorrow?

— H-how…?

I rotated my finger.

— Hyung, you can change your last name to your mother's.

— ...!!

— That completely erases the bond with your father.

Was it something too unexpected? Sejin choked on hearing me.

Calm down.

Sejin refilled his water glass and downed it all in one gulp. He then muttered with a puzzled expression.

— I… had never… thought about that before.

— I also haven’t.

— M-me neither.

Cha YooJin and Seon AhHyun met Sejin.

On the other hand, after hearing me, Keun SeJin was looking for something on his phone quickly and then nodded.

— Oh~ If you are not a minor, you can change your last name without asking your parents for permission. Still, you have to wait until an audience letter arrives, even if you are in a hurry to inform the betting establishment. Do you think you can do it, hyung?

Sejin's expression turned strange.

— ...It's going to take a long time... And change it when we're in the middle of our comeback...

Hmm. He’s worrying too much.

— For now, you can go about using it as if it were your stage name.

— ...!!

— Oh, it's true. Once you adopt your stage name, you can easily change your real name!

Kim RaeBin was amazed and Sejin was puzzled.

"Well, he might not like having a stage name, so it would be troublesome."

It's funny that I think like that, since currently my first and last name are completely different from the original.

He had built his career as an actor since he was a child with his original name, so he might be reluctant to change his first or last name.

"You could refuse."

But just when I thought that, Sejin nodded determinedly.

— ...Okay! I don't mind changing my last name.

His eyes burned intensely again.

"...It's the same passion with which I saw him look at his phone a few days ago."

I assume it is his desire to resolve his frustrations and do justice.

In any case, the boys excitedly applauded Sejin's last name change statement.

— Oooh!

Sejin shook his head shyly.

"It's already settled."

I immediately gave him one more suggestion.

— Tell the agency to select an article that mentions a reason entirely attributable to your father for the divorce. It doesn’t have to say it in detail, but can be guessed between the lines.

That means "choose something that doesn't spread rumors that seriously affect you and settle the issue".

Of course, I know that the agency will take good care that nothing related to this is published, but there is nothing to lose if such an article is released.

Lee Sejin seemed to be remembering something.

— ...Last time I thought so too, did you...? No.

—...? Tell me.

— It’s nothing.

NT: MoonDae is constantly related to the Korean Intelligence Service for his behavior when he spontaneously gives solutions to any problem.

Oh, well.

Ryu CheongWoo smiled slightly and joined the conversation.

— Actually, I think changing your last name is a pretty good decision… Not just for the reasons you've been talking about. The last name of your mother who loves you is much better than the one you received from someone like that

— ...Yes

— Anyway, thank you for making this difficult decision, Sejin-ah.

— ...It wasn’t difficult.

Sejin seemed to have exhausted all the sociability he had saved for the rest of the year, so he spoke again in his usual tone.

— Oh, well, I'll call the agency to tell them that.

— Yes!

— I am glad that the problem is solved in this way, everything will be fine.

— ...Thank you.

— Haha.

— Thanks for all your effort~

Keun SeJin smiled and thanked him.

I doubt he likes Lee Sejin any more, but at least this time, he didn't seem to mind. On the other hand, Sejin was so focused on what he would do from now on, that he didn't have time to feel uncomfortable about Keun SeJin's words.

"That's good."

As long as they don't fight for silly reasons.

In that harmonious atmosphere, I suddenly asked a question that came to mind.

— By the way, what is your mother's last name, hyung?

Then, Sejin's ears turned red. Why?

— ...Bae.

— What?

— It's Bae!

— ...!!

...If I think about it, Lee Sejin, the former child actor, will really turn into Bae Sejin.

Only this time, Sejin himself seemed content to go by the last name “Bae” because it wasn't an abbreviation for actor, but his mother's last name.

NT: The word “actor” is spelled “배우”, and the last name “Bae” is “배”. In the first team battle of Icorpo, SeJin proposed that they call Sejin "Bae", shortening the word of his previous profession, but Sejin did not want to because "he liked his real last name", so SeJin had no choice. to be called "Keun" to differentiate them.

It's the same last name, but the fact that he now agrees to be called that because the reason has changed... it's funny.

However, the most surprising thing about this case was something else.

A few days later, it appeared in an article that Sejin was reading.

— Look at this!

Oddly flushed, Bae Sejin brought his phone closer to my face.

— ...?

I read the article.

_____

[In the XX city, an operation was carried out to arrest the staff of an illegal betting house… Drug trafficking was even found.]

Today, October 12, it was announced that Mr. A (43 years old) and five others were arrested yesterday on illegal gambling charges for opening a gambling hall in the basement of a building in XX city in the Gyeonggi district, located in northern Gyeongsang province,

In addition, 2.2 kg of narcotics in pill form were discovered inside the facility.

(...)

________

— ...!!

— What do you think? I don't think I have to worry about him for a few years!

— ...Yes.

It's true, I don't have anything to worry about either.

Schrödinger's drug dealer had been caught red-handed.

* * *

Days passed and Sejin exchanged his half cast for a splint to protect his ankle.

“Our MV teaser will be out at midnight.”

That would be the signal that we will start our promotions soon.

The day also came when I would have to choose the classification in which I would distribute my points.

“Status Window”

I planned to use two points and save one in case of emergencies.

The question is where to use them...

— Hmm.

Without thinking too much, I decided where to distribute them.

But I wanted to do something before leveling up that ranking.

— Hyung.

— Yes?

— If I went to a beauty salon, what color do you think would suit me?

I wanted to improve my appearance more compared to what I did in Icorpo.