Hard Mode Idol

The guilt of carefreely watching the kid while he was sick was the first thing that struck Park Yoochan’s mind.

“Uh, uh…?”

Jin Haon’s face was reflected in Park Yoochan’s vision. His face was flushed red with fever, and his breathlessness seemed unusual.

“Hey! Jin Haon! Hey!”

Seoho ran over in surprise and shook him roughly.

‘I, I need to get a grip. I’m the leader.’

Suddenly, his mind went blank.

What comes first? Bringing down the fever? Did we have medicine at home? I’m sure yesterday, some medicine, ah, cold medicine. It was cold medicine. Was there fever reducer in it? Jeonggon hyung told me to take vitamins, so I gave them vitamins. Should I contact Jeonggon hyung? What should I do? I’m the leader. I’m the hyung. I’m supposed to take responsibility for the kids… I…

“You’re trying to take responsibility for every little thing.”

Ah. It was something he had heard before. It was when he apologized to Haon for not being able to take care of his meals.

“There are many people around to help, so try reaching out.”

This was what he told me in the vocal room. Didn’t he say even white paper is better when folded together?

Jung Ilhan and Seoho came into Park Yoochan’s view. Jung Ilhan was endlessly calling Jin Haon’s name with a pale blue face. Seoho’s eyes had already turned red, and he looked like he would burst into tears at any moment. His confused and tangled mind slowly returned.

“Guys. Everyone, calm down and help me out.”

The two of them looked at Park Yoochan simultaneously. He spoke to Seoho first, who was nodding his head hard.

“Seoho, you call Jeonggon hyung first.”

“Ah, okay, yeah.”

When Seoho couldn’t leave his spot, Park Yoochan urged him. Startled by the words to hurry, he ran to his room. It seemed like he was going to get his cell phone.

Park Yoochan found his own cell phone and called 119. He was flustered when he couldn’t remember the address momentarily when asked. Jung Ilhan, who keenly noticed, called out the address.

“Yoochan hyung, will Haon be okay?”

“He’ll be fine.”

Park Yoochan placed his hand on Jin Haon’s hot forehead. He thought nothing would happen since his condition was good throughout the music video filming. Because he only had a hard time on the first day.

Maybe he was smiling brightly without saying anything even when he was having a hard time. The image of him smiling innocently while saying his condition was good made his heart ache. He could have said it was hard if it was…

I told you to rely on me, but what is this? He wanted to reproach him and scold him.

“Hyung… Is there anything I can do? Do I have to just wait like this?”

“Let’s take him to the first floor. To get him in the ambulance even a little faster.”

“Uh, yeah! That would be best.”

Jung Ilhan easily picked up Jin Haon and said,

“I’ll take him.”

“Wait, Haon’s clothes are too thin.”

“Ah…”

Park Yoochan hurriedly opened the closet and took out a thick jacket. It was fortunate that the winter clothes weren’t put away because they were busy preparing for their debut. Jung Ilhan, who received the jacket, carefully wrapped Jin Haon’s body and held him in his arms again.

“Let’s go. I’ll open the door.”

“Yeah. Okay!”

The two of them hurriedly left the room. Baek Kanghyun, who woke up from the commotion, was in the living room, listening to an incoherent explanation with a frown on his face.

“Where are you going, hyungs!”

Seoho, who was rambling, grabbed the two of them. Park Yoochan ran to the front door, opened it, and replied,

“I called an ambulance. We’ll go down to the first floor and wait.”

Baek Kanghyun, who quickly grasped the situation, took out his cell phone.

“Tell them to come to the underground parking lot, not the first floor. There are sasaengs on the first floor.”

“Ah…”

Seoho put on his shoes in a crumpled manner and dashed out like a bullet. After pressing the elevator button, he nervously bit his fingernails.

“Why isn’t it coming!”

Seoho stamped his feet and kept pressing the button. It’s not like it would arrive faster by doing that, but he was so anxious he felt like he was going crazy.

If it were someone else, it wouldn’t have been this scary, but it had to be Jin Haon. Seoho couldn’t forget Jin Haon’s face as he suffered, gasping for breath.

‘It looks like he’s going to die. Why isn’t it coming? Why?’

The tears that had been welling up finally spilled out. Baek Kanghyun uncharacteristically patted his shoulder and comforted him.

“Why are you crying? It’s just a fever. He’ll be fine after getting a shot at the hospital. Don’t make a fuss for no reason. You keep making it seem like a big deal when it’s not.”

“But hyung, I…”

“It’s okay, so calm down. You’re the hyung, aren’t you?”

Seoho roughly wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. The tears that kept flowing no matter how much he wiped them stopped the moment the elevator arrived.

“That’s right. I’m the hyung. I was the hyung.”

Although there was still a tremor in his voice, he had a rather strong look in his eyes. The elevator took the members straight to the underground first floor.

The time they waited for the ambulance was only a little over 10 minutes, but it felt several times longer to the members. Especially for Jung Ilhan, who was holding Jin Haon, that time was particularly long.

‘Don’t be sick…’

He felt sorry for Jin Haon, who couldn’t come to his senses. His panting breaths were hot, and the way he occasionally let out groans and frowned looked painful. If he could, he wanted to be sick instead. Because to Jung Ilhan, Jin Haon was a savior.

He lost confidence and shut himself in the studio, afraid of being a burden to the members. He was scared to face the CEO and the director. It felt like they would abandon him because he wasn’t the same as before. Because he was a half-wit who couldn’t write a single proper song unlike before.

It was lonely and scary, but he couldn’t complain. The more he did that, the more embarrassed he was to show his face in front of the members. When he first saw Jin Haon, he envied his confident appearance, and when he met him for the second time, it was strange how he seemed to stay by his side for some reason.

And the third time he met Jin Haon, he played a song that grabbed his heart. That talent was so dazzling that it felt like it was saying he didn’t deserve to sign the contract.

But the fourth time. Jin Haon came to find him. With a cup of coffee in his hand and eyes that said, “You have no choice but to allow it.” Overwhelmed by his momentum, he let someone into his personal space for the first time in a really long time.

He had nothing to say, so he kept talking about boring things. As he talked, he realized that he was the only one having fun, but he couldn’t stop. Because it had been so long since he had a long conversation with someone. He wanted to talk a little more. That’s when he realized that he had missed people.

He wanted to keep holding on, so he played another song. He wanted to keep talking even if he was disappointed. But an unexpected reaction came back.

Jin Haon happily chattered by his side for a long time. No matter what song he played, he listened seriously and meticulously told him what he liked about it. When he told him what he found lacking, he immediately corrected it, and Jin Haon clapped and was delighted.

Jung Ilhan was happy too. He was so happy and joyful for the first time in a really long time. So he mustered up the courage and came out. The members, who had been the object of his fear, accepted him without any problem. Jin Haon was the sun that pulled him out of the darkness he was trapped in and into the light.

When the sound of the ambulance siren was heard, Jung Ilhan ran in one breath. He saw Park Yoochan waving his arm towards the driver’s seat.

“Over here!”

“Over here! Here!”

Jung Ilhan and Seoho shouted loudly. Seoho jumped up and down, crossing his arms widely.

Eventually, the ambulance stopped, and the back door opened. Jung Ilhan got into the ambulance with Jin Haon in his arms. The other members also tried to get in but were stopped. When Seoho protested, “Why!” Baek Kanghyun pulled him back.

“They need to treat him in the ambulance. Don’t interfere and step aside.”

“Ugh, ugh. Okay…”

“Ilhan. Watch over Haon well. Jeonggon hyung said he’s coming, so contact us when you arrive at the hospital. I’ll go with the members.”

“Okay.”

The ambulance door closed. As soon as it left the parking lot, the siren turned on.

“Since when did he have a fever?”

“…In the early morning, so around 3 or 4 o’clock? He was fine then. But when I tried to wake him up for lunch today, his fever…”

Was he sick in the early morning too? Or even before that? Was he hiding that he was sick? A person’s fever can’t rise this rapidly, right? There must have been symptoms before it got to this point…

“I’m always watching you, hyung.”

‘Haon always looked after me, but…’

Jung Ilhan’s head drooped low. He felt like a sinner.

Suddenly, my ears popped, and a commotion rushed in. It seemed like the abnormal condition had just ended because my whole body was limp, and I had no energy at all. My eyes were sore, and my throat was dry.

But I really had no strength to lift a finger, so I didn’t want to open my eyes. Should I sleep a little more?

Huh? No, wait a minute.

Wasn’t the duration of the abnormal condition strange? It should have ended in 30 minutes, but it was definitely longer. Even if the symptoms were severe enough to make me lose consciousness because it was my first time experiencing a fever, the time was still strange.

If the abnormal condition lasted more than 30 minutes, there are two possible reasons. Just as the duration of the abnormal condition that occurs when stamina reaches 0 and the abnormal condition caused by an event are different, the abnormal condition caused by skill termination is also different. Or it could be a penalty for forced termination.

I need to check which one it is. So I can decide whether to use the skill in the future or how to use it if I do.

I forcibly lifted my heavy eyelids. The first thing is to check how much time has passed…

“Haon!”

“Haon, are you okay?”

“Hey! Jin Haon! You want to worry us like this?”

“…Now you’ve done it.”

No less than four faces were looking down at me. The first thought that came to mind was ‘I’m screwed.’

Did I get caught having an abnormal condition again?!