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– “Oh no! Player Jeong Dajun has fallen!”
Although Jeong Dajun’s location was far away, all the members became flustered and started running toward him. Dajun, who had just raised his head, locked eyes with me.
“Jeong Dajun, stay still!”
“…”
It would be a big issue if he was injured.
Not only would it affect future activities, but who would be responsible for Jeong Dajun if he had any aftereffects?
“…!”
But as expected, it was Jeong Dajun.
Even though he clearly heard me, his eyes wavered as he glanced back and forth between the finish line and us, and he suddenly got up. He’s really good at answering but never listens when it matters.
– “Player Jeong Dajun! He’s up!”
He picked up the fallen baton and started running again.
– “Oh! Player Jeong Dajun doesn’t stop! He’s up and running again!”
– “Is this the spirit of a pro?”
Pro spirit, my foot!
Although he was temporarily overtaken after falling, he stubbornly maintained first place. After crossing the finish line, Jeong Dajun smiled brightly.
“Hyungs!”
– “The Dawn takes 1st place! The Dawn stumbled but didn’t give up and won first place!”
“Jeong Dajun!!!”
But I was angry.
In the noisy stadium, I yelled out loud. Almost everyone there must have heard it. But I didn’t care.
I quickly walked over to the finish line, where Jeong Dajun was lying down, panting. He couldn’t stand up yet and spoke with a flushed face.
“Hyung! We got first…!”
“I told you to stay still!”
I knew I had a bad feeling. Jeong Dajun was startled and opened his eyes wide. I diverted my gaze and took off his sneaker from his twisted leg.
“Ugh….”
As expected, it was swollen and red. The color change indicated a certain injury.
Shit!
I knew something was off with his posture. He must have ignored the pain and just kept running. The other members who ran over looked at Jeong Dajun and sighed.
“Where did the medical team go?”
“They were called just now.”
“Why aren’t they here yet?”
I couldn’t hide my irritation towards the broadcasting station. Jeong Dajun grabbed my arm in a hurry.
“Hoyun-hyung! There’s no need for a medical team. I’m fine.”
“…”
“Really, I’m fine, hyung. I said I wanted to win.”
Hearing that, my anger welled up inside me.
I had so many things I wanted to say. I told him to run slowly if it was slippery, that it was okay not to win, and to take it easy.
“Well, uh….”
I swallowed the words that almost came out of my mouth. Jeong Dajun smiled cautiously, even though he was in pain.
“Ahaha, really, I’m really fine.”
“…”
“I’m not hurt enough to worry….”
Jeong Dajun drooped his shoulders with a gloomy look. The medical team was still nowhere in sight, and when we walked over to them, they just glanced at him casually and threw a spray can at us.
“It looks like it’s just a mild sprain. Just apply the spray and go.”
…Huh.
“What did you say?”
Not only me but Seong Jiwon and Kim Seonghyeon also looked displeased. Kang Ichae spoke sharply.
“You’re saying he only needs the spray? He can barely walk!”
“It’s fine. It’s just the muscles that got hurt.”
“Ha.”
Kim Seonghyeon sighed as if he couldn’t believe it.
“If someone is injured, you should come right away. Are you saying the treatment is over just by looking at him from afar? Then why are you even here?”
“Whoa, Seonghyeon-hyung.”
Jeong Dajun quickly stopped Kim Seonghyeon. Then he pulled him back and whispered.
“I’m~ fine, really. I’m okay, so please stop….”
“…”
Kim Seonghyeon’s face reddened, but seeing Jeong Dajun, he turned away and closed his mouth.
Would it really be okay?
I knelt down and met Jeong Dajun’s eyes.
“Jeong Dajun.”
“…Yes.”
“Let’s go to the hospital.”
“But then, we won’t be able to participate in the event’s ending….”
I held back from saying anything that could prompt a response. If even the usually clueless Jeong Dajun could say such a thing, it was clear that we were all agitated. Yes, we were.
“If we don’t participate in the ending, we’ll get criticized…. For not staying until the end.”
“…”
Slippery floors that causes injuries every year.
A mindset that praises someone for getting up after falling and calls it ‘pro spirit.’
A medical team that casually dismisses an injury and tells them to go.
Jeong Dajun, who had to endure all of this.
Everything… boiled my blood.
“You….”
“…”
“You don’t have to worry about that.”
I turned my back to Jeong Dajun.
“Get on my back quickly.”
“Hyung, ah, I’m seriously fine…!”
“Forget it.”
“…”
“I’ll take responsibility for everything, so just come with me.”
As I gestured to Seong Jiwon, he helped Jeong Dajun climb on my back. Careful not to touch his ankle, I lifted Dajun up.
“Ask the manager to prepare the car.”
“He already did, hyung.”
“Good job. Where’s the nearest hospital?”
“I’m looking it up right now, just a moment.”
The situation was louder and more chaotic than we had anticipated. People realized something was wrong when they saw someone being carried and heard the shouting. Dajun whispered nervously to me.
“Hoyun-hyung, we’re making such a scene… What if it’s nothing serious?”
“Then that’d be a relief.”
“…”
Dajun fell silent at my words. At least he wasn’t complaining noisily anymore.
“Hoyun, I’ll talk to the fans briefly.”
“Alright, I need your help with something.”
Everyone was taking care of their tasks, and I was grateful. As I lifted Dajun up, Kim Heeyeon followed us.
“Seo Hoyun!”
“…Ah, PD.”
“Not this way. The nearest exit is over there. Follow me.”
“…Yes.”
“Hurry up. I’ll take care of the aftermath.”
PD Kim Heeyeon led the way with a worried expression. She was a last-minute replacement and seemed apologetic as if it were her fault. I bowed my head in gratitude.
As we left the stadium and went to where the van was parked, the system automatically completed the quest.
[Victory is Mine quest completed
You have won 1st place in Victory is Mine events 3 times.
(1st place for group members is also recognized.)
You have succeeded and received 3,000 points.]
Usually, I would burst out at the system window, but now it remained quiet as if it was observing the situation.
“…”
It started lightly but ended with a seriously annoying conclusion.
***
“In conclusion!”
Dajun beamed brightly.
“I’m totally fine!”
I reflexively wanted to slap the bragging Dajun on the forehead but held back.
Hold on. He’s a patient.
“There’s no bone damage, but there’s ligament damage.”
“Meh, it’s just a minor stretch.”
Seong Jiwon quietly stuffed an apple in Dajun’s mouth.
“Dajun, just be quiet.”
“…Yes.”
The doctor said there was no bone damage, but Dajun would need a cast for about 2 weeks. He complained about the cast, but it was better than having aftereffects.
“Hyung, I’ve been getting lots of calls.”
“I’ll answer them later.”
Calls were coming in from everywhere. The CEO, our manager, Joo Woosung, and others… Since getting injured, Dajun had been constantly checking them.
“What did the CEO say?”
“He said to rest.”
Actually, it was a lie. I tried to stay with Dajun, but Seong Jiwon gestured to me.
“Hoyun, make the call and come back.”
“Alright, hyung. My head’s spinning from all the ringing.”
“…Understood.”
With Seong Jiwon and Kang Ichae nearby, stepping away for a moment seemed alright. At least we knew the injury wasn’t too severe.
I sighed, stood up, and went to the hallway to make a call, not to the CEO, but to PD Kim Heeyeon, who was at the scene.
– “Hello?”
“PD, it’s me.”
– “Ah, Seo Hoyun. Wait a moment; we’re still cleaning up here.”
“…I’ll call back later, sorry.”
– “I’m more sorry. I always end up apologizing. I’ll call you back.”
Kim Heeyeon sounded deeply apologetic, even though it wasn’t her fault. I hung up, feeling a sense of futility, and checked the message from Joo Woosung.
– Woosung: Is Dajun okay?
– Woosung: Everything went well here, the atmosphere is good good~
Woosung was probably trying to say not to worry, but I knew there would be more to it.
If we don’t film the ending, we’ll get criticized… for not finishing the job.
I knew this would happen, and maybe enduring would have been the right thing. But seeing Dajun with his swollen ankle, looking down and only paying attention to others, I unknowingly got annoyed…
Forget it. The water has already been spilled.
Thinking more about it won’t change the outcome.
I ruffled my hair and was about to return to the room when I heard whispering from inside.
“Hasn’t Hoyun-hyung changed a bit lately?”
“…?”
What’s going on? Why were they talking about me all of a sudden?
Leaning against the wall next to the door, I raised my eyebrows as Kang Ichae initiated a discussion, and Seong Jiwon and Dajun agreed.
“…Yeah, he’s been acting weird.”
“Right. I think so too.”
Without any hesitation, I walked over and crossed my arms nonchalantly.
“What did I do?”
“Huh?”
“Ah!”
The three people inside the hospital room shrank back as they saw me. Seong Jiwon and Kang Ichae turned their heads to look at me and gave awkward smiles.
“We’ll go get more vitamin drinks!”
“Hyung! Hyungs! What the, are you just leaving me behind?”
“We’ll be right back~!”
Seong Jiwon and Kang Ichae quickly left without even looking back. They clearly looked like they were running away to avoid being caught gossiping. Only Jeong Dajun, who couldn’t escape because he was lying down with a cast, looked upset.
“Hyung….”
I sighed and pulled up a chair to sit down.
“Are you going to gossip about me now?”
“Hyung, we’ve been gossiping about you from the beginning!”
Jeong Dajun exclaimed innocently. I raised my hand to scold him, but he quickly waved his hands in defense.
“Just kidding, just kidding!”
What can you expect from these guys? Seong Jiwon had left a fruit knife behind, so I picked it up and started peeling an apple. I was planning to let it go this time, but Jeong Dajun’s pleased gaze made me uncomfortable.
“What’s with that look?”
“Ahaha. We weren’t really gossiping about you. …We were just saying that you’ve changed.”
“What has changed about me?”
“Well, it’s just… it feels like you’re putting the members before work now.”
Even as he said it, he looked embarrassed and scratched his blushing cheek.
“So, I was happy about it. You’re considering my thoughts too.”
“…”
How much of a jerk had I been?
To be honest, if Jeong Dajun were just a stranger, I might have just ignored him.
But he’s a member who’s been working together and struggling with us for the past few months.
It’s not that.
More than anything, Jeong Dajun was too young and reminded me of someone.
“…”
I closed my mouth as I couldn’t find anything to say. Suddenly, Jeong Dajun cleared his throat and imitated me from earlier.
“’Get on my back quickly. I’ll take responsibility for everything, so just come with me.’ Kyaah~, that moment was so touching, you know.”
“When did I say that?”
No matter how hard I tried to remember, I never acted that cool. Moreover, it was an exaggerated version of the truth.
When did Jeong Dajun ever cause me to worry? But Jeong Dajun never had a habit of stopping at the first verse.
“Isn’t that a drama line? ‘I’m worried, Jeong Dajun.'”
“Jeong Dajun has been making up a script since earlier….”
“Hehehehe!”
“Eat your apple. Here, eat this apple.”
“Wow, is it a rabbit apple??”
I shoved an apple into his chattering mouth, just like Seong Jiwon did earlier. When was lunch coming? He must be hungry.
Jeong Dajun seemed slightly anxious even as he made those silly jokes.
As expected, his casual remark was this.
“We’ll probably get a lot of hate.”
“…”
He must be prepared for the backlash.
I took a deep breath and patted Jeong Dajun’s head. He couldn’t be unjustly treated.
“Your meal will come later. Make sure to eat well.”
“Instead of the hate?”
Jeong Dajun asked, shaking his head.
Stupid.
Jeong Dajun had some hate to eat… actually, there’s a lot.
I couldn’t block all the hate that Jeong Dajun would receive in this situation.
But we couldn’t just take the hate while the guilty party was spared, could we?
I tapped the armrest of the hospital bed and narrowed my eyes.
“Alright.”
Shall we give it a try…
“Instead of the hate.”
I’m really good at stirring up mud.