Epilogue (1)
After Pantheion’s final concert ended, I immediately headed to Seo Yuseong’s house with Han Seungbeom to return to my original body. Since the status window had been completely transferred to Han Seungbeom, he had to be present for me to use its abilities.
I could tell at a glance that my body, which I was seeing again after a long time, had been carefully tended; my fingernails and toenails were neatly trimmed, and it lay on a spotless sheet without a single blemish.
“So, you’ve been taking care of my body all this time?”
“Do you remember seeing a notification about insufficient cost while filming a variety show? That was when I succeeded in fully reviving your body, hyung. From that moment on, your hair and nails started growing, so I had to take care of them regularly.”
I wondered what was going through Seo Yuseong’s mind as he took care of my body all this time.
Although Seo Yuseong’s face remained nonchalant, showing no particular emotion, something about it weighed on my mind. When I told him, “You’ve been through a lot” and “I’m sorry”, he gave me a sullen look and finally said, “Indeed, I did go through a lot.”
“Hyung, I couldn’t use the cost accumulated from the previous lives for your body, so I had to restore it little by little over time. But you kept trying to use your abilities, and that made things difficult for me.”
“…Ah, I wasn’t supposed to use them?”
His explanation made me think, ‘Ah, so that’s why it hurt so much, like I was dying‘, but I still didn’t quite get it. Apparently, I’d been dipping my feet in and out of the River Jordan without even realizing it. Seeing the blank look on my face, Seo Yuseong said in an icy voice, “Hyung, you really did die like that once.”
For a moment, a chill ran down my spine, but I deliberately pretended to be unfazed and asked Han Seungbeom to use his ability.
Han Seungbeom nodded, and after a few quick adjustments on the status window, I felt a sudden drop, as if the ground had given way beneath me. My vision blurred, and before I knew it, the ceiling came into view. I had returned to my original body.
“…….”
To be honest, I wasn’t as overcome with happiness as others might imagine. There were no tears streaming down my face, no frantic urge to touch and confirm my body. I simply couldn’t fully process that I had returned to my original body. But when Seo Yuseong silently approached and gently wrapped his arms around me, something suddenly sank deep into my chest, and I found myself holding my breath and burying my face in his shoulder.
The first thing I did after returning to my original body was erase people’s memories.
‘After all, I can’t just walk around confidently in the body of someone who’s already dead.’
The Status Window’s ability made it so that people couldn’t even remember the fact that Seo Yuseong and I had died. Now they seemed to remember something along the lines of, ‘Seo Yuseong had an accident but narrowly survived and needed a long recovery period, while Seo Yutae paused his activities to stay by his younger brother’s side until he regained his health‘. As with others whose memories had been erased by that ability, any gaps or inconsistencies were replaced with plausible memories.
Since we hadn’t tampered with the memories of Prism or the Pantheion members, Seo Yuseong naturally ended up getting a stern scolding from the Prism members…….
“Why on earth didn’t you tell us? If you were alive, you should have told us! Do you have any idea how much we’ve been through all this time?”
“There were circumstances.”
“What circumstances!”
“It’s a long story.”
“You’re just saying that because explaining is a hassle, aren’t you!”
“…….”
“Wow, look at him not even answering. I knew Seo Yuseong was strange, but I never knew he was this outrageous.”
“…Are you really okay without us? Even if we never see each other again, even if we can’t stay together as Prism anymore, is that truly fine with you?”
“I hate it.”
“What?”
“I said I hate it.”
“…….”
“…….”
“Haa, f**k, the mood just got weird. What are we going to do now? Everyone, back off. Don’t cling to me.”
“Jo Inchan, don’t look so happy. We’re still supposed to be mad. Stick to the concept.”
Well, it turned out alright in the end, so I guess it’s all good.
After catching up and sharing everything we’d been bottling up, I rejoined Prism at the members’ strong insistence.
…From now on, there would be no more days of being helpless while the Prism members were in danger. That alone made me incredibly happy.
After finally reuniting at the end of a long, painful time, we started preparing for our comeback so we could perform together as soon as possible. We poured our hearts and souls into the album, as a way to show how much we missed each other and to apologize to the Seras for making them wait so long. The album ended up recording higher sales than even Prism’s golden age.
‘I thought there would be people who disliked it because I was part of it…….’
Contrary to my expectations, it seemed the public had been waiting for Prism’s return as a complete group.
[Seo Yutae really is an amazing producer. He’s just on another level. Clear the path. Prism is here to re-establish the standard for idols.]
[Lee Chise LOL look at him going on a rampage because Seo Yutae laid down a killer beat for him (a puppy dancing while its owner claps.jpg]
[Ah haha, if you’re that dissatisfied with how your hubaenims are doing it, then come out and do it yourself, Prism-sunbaenims~ please.
┗ Prism: ok]
[I still can’t believe their Willboard chart rankings. My favorite group is glo bal. super stars?]
[Brace yourselves, ‘Do You Know Prism?‘ is coming. I am from the Republic of Korea……]
[Who said idols lose their prime as they get older? We’re in Prism’s eternal golden age right now???]
[The B-side track Cha Woon composed is so good. Now Prism is even serving up ballads. This is the spirit of the top idols]
[Prism has matured so much… I’m so happy… this is the adult flavor TV]
[I’m so relieved Seo Yuseong seems to have recovered well ㅜㅜㅜ Seriously, how can someone who went through such a huge accident come back singing even better? He was already a god-tier vocalist before. Did he really go for medical treatment??? Are we sure it’s not some kind of secret training camp????]
The response was enthusiastic not only in Korea but also overseas.
Even before this, Prism was already a group with considerable international recognition, enough to be invited to prominent festivals. But this time, the title track of the album went viral on SNS and climbed high on the Willboard chart.
Thus, Prism entered our second golden age.
With our career going so well and my bunny-like members tucked close at my side, my days should have been filled with nothing but happiness. Yet, in reality, that wasn’t quite the case.
“We want to do more encores, so why are you blocking us? Seriously, don’t piss me off.”
“It’s for stamina management. We’ve already set a tight world tour schedule for Prism to accommodate your stubbornness, so if the concert runs any longer, problems are bound to follow. This isn’t just for your sake. It’s also to prevent losses for the company. If schedules get canceled because of the artist’s poor condition, there will be financial consequences.”
“I said I’m fine, so who are you to decide for me? I told you I can handle it. Prism’s schedules were way tougher back then! And I know all that talk about money is just an excuse. Who was it that canceled all our schedules last time just because some guy was being a jerk to us?”
“Yeah, Kang Hyukwoo ordered it that way, didn’t he? Are you trying to repeat that? I won’t allow it, at least not while you’re under me.”
“…You know how much this concert means to me! You know how long I’ve been waiting for it!”
“I know. I know, but I have no intention of backing down. I’m sorry, Yutae-ya.”
Just as I, thoroughly irritated, was about to blurt out something starting with an f, Choi Jeokhyeon covered my mouth with his hand. Then he acted petty, smiling as he said something like, “And you should use polite speech at the office, Director Seo.”
“Ah, so this is how you’re going to act? You want to give it a shot now, CEO Lee?”
When I called him ‘CEO Lee‘, using the surname everyone was familiar with, Choi Jeokhyeon stared at me with a subtle expression. Sensing that he was clearly unhappy about something, I narrowed my eyes and exhaled.
‘This bastard is being picky again.’
He hated it when people knew his name was Choi Jeokhyeon, yet he also hated being called the name his father gave him. What on earth was he expecting from me? This is exactly why he ended up being referred to with something as ambiguous as that person. He was my friend, but he was definitely a weirdo.
“…Stop staring at me.”
“…….”
“Ah, fine, I get it! Choi Jeokhyeon. Happy now?”
In the end, I couldn’t stand his persistent stare, so after saying that, I bolted into the company elevator as if I were running away. Somehow … ever since that incident during the Pantheion final concert, it had become hard for me to be assertive with him, and every time we had a disagreement, it felt like I was the one giving in.
I clicked my tongue and repeatedly pressed the elevator’s close button.
But all that effort was pointless. Choi Jeokhyeon, with a bright expression, shoved his shoe into the gap of the elevator doors.
With a rattling sound, the elevator doors opened again. As I was about to speak, Choi Jeokhyeon, looking as cheerful as if nothing had happened, brought up a new topic.
“Are you going to meet Han Seungbeom?”
“…Uh-huh.”
After Pantheion’s final concert, the Han Seungbeom that the public knew disappeared from the public eye for several years.
[No, seriously, why is Han Seungbeom the only one who’s not active? Honestly, I expected him to be the first to make a comeback, but aside from the occasional photos of him being spotted near the company, there’s been zero news]
[Seungbeom-ah, what have you been up to these days? Just let me know if you’re alive or dead, please]
[Did he lose all his affection for the entertainment industry after seeing too much of its ugly side? ㅠㅠ]
[By the way, how is Han Seungbeom making a living? He doesn’t seem to be working]
[Are you worried about Han Seungbeom’s finances right now? lolol He’s probably already earned enough to live comfortably for the rest of his life]
Given that he signed with Choi Jeokhyeon’s company, he didn’t seem to be planning to quit the entertainment industry. But since there were no signs of him working or preparing for a comeback, most people probably found it strange.
All this time, Han Seungbeom spent every day holed up in the practice room, doing nothing but practice, practice, and more practice, only taking breaks to eat and sleep. The gap between the Han Seungbeom the public knew and the real Han Seungbeom was so huge that he couldn’t appear in front of people without bridging it, at least a little. Naturally, the one who trained Han Seungbeom was me.
If he had borrowed the power of the status window, it might have been a little easier.
“Don’t use the status window.”
But … I couldn’t tolerate using shortcuts like the status window to improve one’s skills. If someone doesn’t have the sincerity to hone their skills through their own effort from start to finish, they have no right to step on stage. Weaklings who don’t put their heart and soul into this work are not needed in the industry.
Fortunately, Han Seungbeom improved so much through the grueling practice with me that, even compared to other idols who debuted over the past few years, he seemed to be doing exceptionally well. Kids who were tone-deaf or terrible at dancing could become main dancers or main vocalists through trainee life, so what could Han Seungbeom possibly not be able to do?
Besides, it wasn’t like I had to teach him everything from A to Z.
Han Seungbeom demonstrated remarkable talent in expressing emotions through his facial expressions.
I was referring to things like a natural charm for the camera that never feels over the top, or a smile that makes you unconsciously lose yourself. That child always had a slightly angelic side, so I knew he looked pretty when he smiled, but with each passing day, it just got more and more astonishing. No, I wasn’t blinded by infatuation. I really mean it.
“I’ve been practicing ever since I was a kid. Every time Dad appeared on TV, you looked so cool that I wanted to be like you.”
Recalling something Han Seungbeom had once said to me, I nodded to myself, thinking, ‘I really did raise that child well.’, Then I opened the practice room door and walked in, tapping the wall-length mirror to make my presence known.
The Pantheion song that was playing on the speaker stopped, and the person in the practice room paused his movement. I looked him straight in the eye and and spoke.
“It’s finally time to show the results of all your hard work. Are you scared?”
He wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand and replied in a firm voice.
“…No. I’m nervous, but I’m not scared. This is my best right now.”
“Good. That’s how it should be.”
“…What about you, Dad? Are you looking forward to it?”
I grinned at the reversed question and answered, “…Of course I am.”
Once I was Seo Yutae again, I made sure to say this to the members of Pantheion,
“Come on up to the top where I am.”
And tomorrow was the day of the YT Entertainment Family Concert.
Finally, I would be able to see everyone.
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Translator’s Corner:
Welcome to new novel /jk
It was actually Director-nim and CEO-nim but writing Director Seo-nim looks too clunky so I deleted the -nim this time.
If you wondered how did they have enough cost to erase worldwide memories, remember that Seo Yuseong was doing whatever side quests the system gave him in 100 lives … this baby doesn’t get enough credit ….
Ugh sorry this is so late. There’s a severe, heavy flood … and when I said severe, I mean it even caused fatalities and people have to move to shelters …. and the government doesn’t care enough to solve it well. My September really is bleak. Then, my one pick in Boys2Planet (Chu Sanghyeon) is on the verge of elimination … and my second favorite (Jang Haneum) is rumored to be eliminated … I feel like so many bad things happening to me in a row right now, even my shift key not working right now asdfghjk
Talking about Boys2Planet, guys if you haven’t watched it, don’t. My pick is in Sugar High team, and they deadass not only evil editing the team practice process, but the performance too … can’t you believe that they actually aired the rehearsal/camera test (just the practice perfomance without audience) and inserted it into the episode to make it seem like the members were performing terribly in the performance … when the fansite fancams and official individual fancams (that showed the audience and filmed during actual performance, so they can’t manipulate them) showed them all doing well and not making mistakes …. like I know mnet usually edit trainees to sound either better or worse depending on which trainees they favored, but airing rehearsal performance where they made mistakes as if it’s the actual performance ???? I’m the fool for trying to trust them again omg they’re definitely going to rig those votes again.
Anyway, please give my hard working, good natured kids a listen (this is the evil edited performance but sadly this is the only full performance ver we have … mnet you will pay for your crime) (seriously watch it guys. it’s Pet Talk concept irl) (and please look up to the song too, since the one in this performance is edited to sound worse … does it even makes sense that the audience fancam ver sound so much better…..)
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