Save a Failed Idol’s Life

#018. Biting the tail to the tail

In order to catch up from the beginning where Oh Yejun was going, I quickly finished preparing to go out and left the dorm first.

I was sitting in the cafe across from the dorm’s entrance when Yejun came out of the building about 30 minutes later.

‘What’s with that bag again?’

I didn’t know until now because I wasn’t interested in how he was going out. But when I looked closely at him today, I saw that he was carrying a big, unidentified backpack behind him.

Considering that my body is comfortable, I could use the replay service, but—the replay service usually only showed fragmentary situations of about 10 to 20 minutes.

I have to waste points like water to find out what happened before and after that. 

‘Even though I’m not in need of points right now…there’s nothing wrong about saving it.’

When a full-scale practice or activity begins, it may be necessary to use the skill actively.

In preparation for that time, I thought it would be better for my body to suffer a little now.

After confirming that Oh Yejun was moving, I slowly left the cafe and followed him, maintaining a distance of about 50 meters.

‘Still, as a celebrity, he thoroughly covered his face.’ 

Black mask, black hat, and sunglasses. Dressed like an armed robber, the place Yejun headed was a shady area scheduled for redevelopment. 

There is an empty house with a red X drawn on it.

‘Do kids these days meet their friends in places like this?’

Graffiti was painted all over the walls of a house that was to be demolished soon. It seems to fit well with hip-hop.

Looking around carefully, I followed Yejun, and soon a building with no vacancy sign appeared.

‘Looks like he’s going in there.’

Did his friend wait for him in the building? After hiding behind an old fence, Yejun climbed the stairs to the second floor. 

Kiik—.

The iron door opened with an intrusive metal sound, then closed with a thud.

I thought that he would meet his friends somewhere in the cafe.

If he goes into that tightly closed room, I can’t see what he’s doing inside, right?

I complained to myself and sat down under the fence. If it had been Lim Hyunsung’s body before I died, my body would have been sore. Anyway, being young is as good as it gets. 

Maybe 10 minutes passed like that.

As I waited for Yejun to come out, the unpleasant metal sound rang out again. 

Kiik—. 

It came out.

Yejun opened the iron door and came out again and was changing the bag he had carried in the front.

Like he was carrying a baby seat forward—he was holding something else in his hand, like a spoon or a big plastic bowl, but I didn’t know what it was for.

‘What is that outfit?’

It looks like he’s going to do something weird. Now, it didn’t matter which friend he went to see anymore. 

It’s a matter of what he will do with that suspicious and shady outfit.

I raised my body, which I had carefully bent down. Meanwhile, Yejun was walking toward a secluded alley.

‘I can’t figure out what the hell he’s trying to do.’

If what he was holding in his hand was oil instead of a spoon, he would have been accused of being an arsonist. 

“Ah—!”

Finally, Yejun, who entered through a crack in the wall, opened the bag and poured something into the spoon.

Is it liquid? Are you going to start a real fire?

As I watched with a furrowed brow in astonishment, I heard the sound of something like grains pouring.

‘I don’t think it’s like gasoline… what is that….’

After pouring the grains from the spoon into a flat bowl on the floor, Yejun left again.

I followed, holding my breath to avoid being noticed.

After getting out of the alleyway, Yejun walked for a long time and, this time, entered what seemed to be a parking lot.

‘What are you going to do over there….’

At that moment, there was a sudden, high-pitched cat cry.

“Meow–! Meow–! Meow–!”

And not just one, but several cries that sound like sirens at the same time. 

“Wait a minute! Don’t you have to give me time to unpack? Ahaha, ugh, wait a minute!

“Meow–!”

Four cats with their long tails standing high in the sky surrounded Yejun instantly. 

With no time to escape, Yejun, who was surrounded, stumbled as he received the cat’s headbutt.

Soon, there was the sound of grains pouring, as I had heard earlier. The cats rushed over to the food bowl in an instant. 

“Eat slowly, slowly. You’re going to throw up.” 

The careful stroking of the cats’ backs was not something he usually did. 

I moved closer to Yejun as if possessed by something in an unexpected scene that I had never thought of.

“What are you doing here?”

“Huh?!” 

Surprised by my sudden appearance, Yejun dropped the spoon he was holding in his hand.

The cats at Yejun’s feet stepped back, wary of me as if they were surprised, but—.

In the meantime, some cats were chewing on the food as if they couldn’t give up eating.

“Hyung, what are you doing here!? 

It was an appropriate question, but I persevered and continued with my words.

“You’re the one who keeps wandering around, and you’re wearing such a suspicious outfit.” 

Then, Yejun fumbled over his clothes and took off his sunglasses and hat. Maybe it’s because he wore a hat tightly in this heat. His reddish hair, which was dimly pressed down, stretched out wildly. 

“What’s wrong with me!”

“What do you mean? I thought you were going around setting fire somewhere.”

Yejun looked at me with an enlightened look, as if he hadn’t even thought about it.

“Ah?” 

“It’s not ‘Ah’. What are you doing here?”

I didn’t miss the opportunity to push.

“What do you mean? I was feeding the cat.”

The answer was so good and natural that it made me raise an eyebrow right away.

“Why do you feed the cat?

“Ugh…” 

Yejun scratched his cheek as if his mouth was shut. The red hair, which had just sprung out, fluttered in the wind.

Sweat dripped down his temples, his eyebrows rebelliously stretched out.

As expected, if it is an image of an “unhateable troublemaker,” it is more like Kang Yoogun or Kang Yookwon. 

“There are some circumstances….” 

“What circumstances?” 

It was a conversation that would sound like an interrogation to anyone. In the meantime, the cats, who had filled their stomachs satisfactorily, flocked to Yejun’s feet.

“Meow–!” 

“Wahaha, w, wait!”

One of the cats hit Yejun’s leg with a heavy body. The black jeans had a lot of fur on them, but Yejun didn’t care. 

“That’s later! There are a lot of places to feed, so I have to go around quickly. The kids are starving and waiting.”

“What?” 

I raised my voice and asked again, but Yejun didn’t care and dragged me.

“Since you’re here, help me!”

I was dragged away by Yejun’s hand, and I headed to the next place.

Three cats were also waiting for Yejun to come.

“Now there are four left!”

The redevelopment area looked pretty small from the outside but was quite big when I went all over to feed them.

Learn more

Pause

Unmute

Every time I moved to another place, new cats were meowing while waiting for Yejun.

Yeah, I know you’re doing a good job. But is it okay to feed the cat in a neighborhood, not in front of their house? At the time of such doubt, Yejun stopped walking.

“I turned everything around. Whoo…” 

“It’s not ‘Whoo’. Just what are you thinking of doing this?” 

He’s the most well-known guy in this damn group. It would be a big deal if he fought with the residents of the neighborhood. 

Yejun held the cat in his arms and held it out to me with a face that showed no sign of concern.

“Hyung, do you want to hug the cat?”

“Don’t change the subject.”

I reached out my hand and swept away the fluffy fur. The short, soft fur touched the fingertips with warmth. 

I reached out my hand and swept away the fluffy fur. The short, soft fur touched the fingertips with warmth.

“Just what the hell is the circumstances?” 

“My grandmother is sick and is in the hospital right now. Originally, she went here and neutered, rescued, adopted, and fed them.” 

“Grandmother?” 

When I touched it—it didn’t feel as bad as I thought. I asked again with an unresolved expression. 

“Yeah, she’s in the hospital until this week for knee surgery. She say it’s okay because they’re looking for volunteers to come on a temporary basis from next week. But I kept worrying that the kids would starve this week.”

Well…It’s fortunate that he didn’t have an accident with the secret meeting (?) who tried to get this guy out of nowhere. 

“Are you sure it’s only until this week?”

“Ung. Now I’m going to take the rest of the feed and go in as a companion to grandmother.”

In the meantime, he won’t eat with us and will just eat with his grandmother.

While I was immersed in emotion for a while, Yejun suddenly urged me.

“Ah. With the price for today, Hyung should also go to see my grandmother. She irritates me so much because she wants to see the faces of my friends who I sing together. It just so happened.”

“All of a sudden? Empty hands?”

“What do you mean empty-handed? She’ll like it just by looking at a new face!”

I was dragged to the building where Yejun entered and exited earlier, and I opened my eyes wide at the neater interior than I thought.

“This is my grandmother’s building. Originally, the basement was a studio, the first floor was a practice room, and the second floor was a rented house. As you can see, everyone else has left, so I’m the only one using it now.” 

His grandmother—I guess she’s doing well financially.

Are the grandchildren usually this close to their grandmother? Or is this guy especially close to his grandmother? 

I didn’t know because I grew up without knowing any of my relatives. 

Looking inside, it was clear that someone was managing it.

The practice room, which would have once been full of people practicing choreography, was filled with food bags and no furnishings. 

“I sometimes come to the studio to work. They said it would take a year before the demolition could begin.” 

What do you have so much to say? The chattering Yejun was just like the cat that rushed at him earlier. 

“Hyung can use it if you need a place to practice. Because it’s a place that my grandmother leaves for me anyway.”

Yejun put the food back where it belonged and smiled happily as he pulled the corners of his lips up to his ears.

“What, I don’t need it.” 

Unknowingly, a reflexive blunt remark came out first. Why? Is he not used to hearing stories like this? 

‘Hyungsung-ssi is…cold hearted man. I don’t even know what he like…Should I say that I don’t know what to say when I stand in front of Hyunsung-ssi…’

I, who had been dumped after hearing such words from a woman I believed to be in love with. 

It felt strange to be invited freely by a child who would never have mixed words if I hadn’t become Cheon Yise. 

“Well, Hyung, you can find a practice room anywhere, but. Anyway, keep this a secret from the other members.”

“Why?”

“If Kyunghwa Hyung finds out, it’s obvious that he’ll be very upset, right? Do you have an idea or not?” 

That was true. I didn’t answer but turned my head lightly. And I didn’t open my mouth until it was time to open the door.

“If you bring a cat to the dorm, I know he will kick you out together.”

Then Yejun burst out laughing, saying he really liked it. Are you crazy—or are you just an immature fool?

I put on the hat I had brought with me when I left the house and turned my head away. It was my turn to be taken to the hospital as a price for stepping on his back.