* * *

In an instant, the man’s expression twisted strangely.

“Ha, are your emotions all tangled up too?”

Then he abruptly averted his gaze.

“I haven’t found it yet. When I do… I’ll return it.”

When he finds it, he’ll return it…

“So, if you don’t find it, you won’t return it?”

The man, who had been avoiding my gaze, looked back at me with a wry smile.

“Yichan, have I ever broken a promise I made to you?”

The aura of 《Annoyance》 emanating from the man thickened. I decided to heighten my awareness.

“Lies”.

“You’ve broken them.”

I raised one corner of my mouth into a slight smile and spoke in a colder tone.

“Always.”

“Yichan, no. Why would I…”

The man, who spoke hastily, fumbled awkwardly at his chest before pulling out his cell phone.

“Darn, the CEO is calling.”

With a frown, he showed me the phone and put his sunglasses back on.

“Nice seeing you again?”

He raised his hand slightly as if to say goodbye, indicating with a glance for me to remove my hand from the window frame.

What’s this? Does he want me to move my hand so he can roll up the window?

Sorry, but if you were Kim Chanyoung, I wouldn’t let you off so easily.

“The laptop.”

Instead of moving my hand, I leaned closer to the car and spoke coldly. The man’s brows furrowed.

“Make sure to find it and bring it back. Got it?”

I gave him a cold smile, curious to see what kind of emotions my actions would evoke in him.

《Annoyance》, 《Anger》, 《Fear》, 《Confusion》, 《Contempt》

Ha, look at this. So many negative emotions.

Yet, amidst all these emotions, there’s no “Guilt”. This bastard is truly a bad guy.

His thin lips, which had been trembling awkwardly, formed a forced smile.

“Alright, Yichan. I’ll find your laptop and bring it back.”

The man, looking quite flustered, rubbed his palms together apologetically.

Inside, he was swirling with dark turmoil, but his gestures were quite earnest.

Then, he gently pushed my hand away.

“See you next time? Okay?”

Oh, how dare he touch me?

HS or SS, those guys all seem to lack any fear.

I can’t just break all his fingers.

“Keep your promise.”

Reluctantly stepping aside, the window rolled up. The black car sped away down the alley as if fleeing.

HS Entertainment’s Director Kim Chanyoung… huh.

I rummaged through the diary of Kang Yichan, which I had acquired through the media.

“Kang Yichan, is that bastard the one who stole your song?”

---

As I opened the practice room door, “Only One” blared loudly.

Only One. There’s only one path.

Shout to the sky, let the cheers bury you.

So that I can know even your smallest secret,

I’ll understand you, I’ll embrace your heart.

Because we’re the only ones for each other.

The kids in the practice room were moving freely to the booming music.

As soon as I stepped into the practice room, my part of the song began playing.

A world I’ve never been to, a path I’ve never walked.

I’m familiar yet unfamiliar, in a strange world.

But I don’t worry. Because I have you.

You’re the only one. Only One, Only You.

Familiar lyrics, familiar rhythm, familiar moves.

Humming the song, I perfectly copied the moves of Teacher Ji Youngjun that I had learned from the media.

Instantly, a reaction erupted.

“Wow, hyung!”

With eyes as big as saucers, Roa approached me.

As the main dancer, his scrutinizing eyes were sharp.

“What is this? Were you holding back on purpose?”

Of course. Did you really think I couldn’t do it?

I’ve been drawing that complex magic circle with my whole body for over 300 years.

Instead of answering, I continued dancing with a smile.

Before long, the youngest member approached as well.

Like Roa, he widened his eyes and began to grumble for no reason.

“Aww, I liked it better the way you did it earlier.”

He then danced clumsily, the same dance I did before stepping out for a walk around the neighborhood.

Despite being the lead dancer, he skillfully replicated and danced the exact way I did.

This kid is impressive.

I smiled at the youngest and slightly changed my movements.

“Then how about mixing it like this?”

Combining Teacher Jun’s movements with the clumsy style the youngest preferred, Roa’s eyes widened even more.

“Oh my gosh, Yichan hyung.”

Roa, eyes still wide, gave me a thumbs-up.

“A hidden master.”

His eyes sparkled as he showered me with praise, then spoke as if entranced.

“I want to recruit you into our dance line.”

“Dance line?”

“Jaewon and I are the dance line. We also do dance breaks together.”

Dance line, dance breaks.

Damn, more information to absorb.

Just then, Roa tilted his head.

“But, was Yichan hyung always this good at dancing?”

To Roa’s musing, Jaewon, who had been following my dance moves, cheerfully replied.

“No, he was ranked 4th in dance. He barely avoided being last because Hanjoon hyung is so bad. Siwoo hyung is just slightly above him.”

As Hanjoon, notoriously bad at dancing, and Siwoo, slightly better, frowned in our direction, the two continued their conversation without a care.

“Can someone suddenly get this good?”

“Of course. Like a lightning-struck jujube tree. The electric shock must have activated his motor skills.”

With a bright smile, Jaewon concluded. Roa, with a serious expression, agreed with a drawn-out “Ahh.”

Why is a lightning-struck jujube tree coming up here, and why is he agreeing with it?

These two kids. Really can’t help but love them.

“Shut up.”

I stuffed a piece of fried food from the white bag into the youngest one’s mouth.

“Eat this.”

As the chubby fried squid filled Jaewon’s mouth, his eyes widened, and he shouted.

“Uh uh uh, thank you.”

Then he gave a thumbs up.

Yeah, please, eat a lot of that and shut your loose mouth, okay?

I handed the bag of fried food to Roa and approached the audio system.

From behind me, I heard the children exclaiming with joy.

I couldn’t help but feel a bit proud.

It felt just like that time when I first brought carrots to the rabbits on the mountain behind Parapara.

Those rabbits really enjoyed the carrots.

When I glanced back, even Teacher Jun had joined in and was picking up the fried food.

Yeah, enjoy the food that I earned with my own hands, you dirty dungeon rabbits.

Then I pressed the button on the audio system.

[Only One] played once more.

“Alright, let’s give it a shot.”

I looked at Kang Yichang reflected in the mirror and started moving.

I jumped high from my bent position, making sure my knee angle was just right.

Here, bounce the joints softly, move the upper body this way.

Two quick taps to the side with the legs.

Bend the joints forcefully again, lower the arms smoothly.

This time, make sure the knee angle is exactly 90 degrees.

Yes, dynamically, like water flowing…

Look forward to it, rabbits. Tomorrow, I’ll treat you all to a feast.

---

Tears hung from the corners of Teacher Ji Youngjun’s eyes.

Ten years as a choreographer, and he had never seen an idol improve their skills so dramatically.

“You little brat, you’ve been hiding your talent all this time.”

“Moved”, “Moved”, “Moved”…

It was an endless festival of emotions.

And naturally, the festival of emotions should have led to… a feast.

Well, it should have.

“A feast… you said?”

On the cramped table at the dorm, a humble meal was laid out.

A barren grill, a mountain of vegetables, the red stuff was kimchi, and the plastic container held pickled radish? What even is pickled radish?

“You call this a feast?”

I demanded an explanation from Gyuhyeong, who was standing nearby.

“This is a feast. It’s a pork belly party.”

Gyuhyeong laughed awkwardly.

How can you laugh right now?

To me, a feast means going to a big restaurant, sitting around a big table, and eating fancy food.

Isn’t that what a feast is in your world? Huh?

But what? A pork belly party? What on earth is that?

Just then, Roa tugged at my arm and smiled brightly.

“Hyung, please sit down. Yes?”

Come to think of it, these kids have been sitting around the table with pretty excited faces since earlier.

“Expectation”, “Happiness”, “Excitement”…

What is it about pork belly that stirs up such emotions?

Finally, the youngest was pounding the table with a spoon and chopsticks in both hands.

“Give me rice! Give me rice!” he kept chanting.

“Fine, sit down, you rascal.”

Gyuhyeong lightly tapped my back.

“Today, I’ll grill the meat, so eat as much as you want. The stingy president said we could buy a lot, so we bought tons.”

And so the pork belly party began.

The pink pork belly on the grill sizzled and cooked with a hiss.

When Gyuhyeong cut the well-cooked brown meat with scissors, the kids’ chopsticks became busy.

The sizzling oil, the kimchi cooking in the oil together.

The smell was enticing, but it seemed like a barbaric meal, so I hesitated.

This body, always sitting gracefully, eating beautiful food, participating in such a barbaric feast.

I almost felt like the ‘cup rice’ I had been eating for the past two weeks was better.

Then it happened.

Jaewon wrapped three pieces of pork belly, garlic, ssamjang, and a pepper in a lettuce leaf and presented it to my mouth.

“Ah―”

You want me to eat food touched by your dirty hands?

“As a thank you for the fried food.”

A repayment for the fried food I gave yesterday?

Ha, suddenly, I thought of the rabbits on the mountain behind Parapara.

Those rabbits, bringing their front paws together, munching on the carrots I gave them…

“Hyung, ah― please.”

Jaewon smiled brightly, his mouth wide open.

Was I lost in thoughts of home for a moment?

Unconsciously, I opened my mouth following the youngest.

In that moment, the large wrap was shoved into my mouth.

Hey, I said I wouldn’t eat it.

Unable to spit it out, I chewed the wrap tightly.

And I realized.

Ah― even in this world, there’s something worth experiencing.

I thought.

* * *