* * *
“Hey, are you out of your mind? Are you trying to kill yourself?”
“Ah…”
As soon as he regained consciousness, a man’s sharp rebuke cut through the air.
It was the man who had been appearing repeatedly in his dreams.
Kim Seongsoo, their former manager who had looked after Halo since before their debut, was now angrily scolding him.
“A guy who’s barely in one piece running around wherever he pleases—what were you thinking?”
Seunghyun barely had time to process the bewildering words before piecing the situation together.
He had collapsed at that house and been brought here by Manager Kim.
Come to think of it, the last thing he remembered was mumbling nonsense, intoxicated by Han Kangwoo’s pheromones in his arms.
He wanted to ask something, but the tube inserted in his mouth made it impossible.
As his awareness returned, so did his breathing.
Noticing Seunghyun’s discomfort as he twitched his fingers, signaling pain in his neck and shoulders, Manager Kim sighed and pressed the nurse call button.
“Do you have any idea how lucky you are? Who would’ve thought a pheromone overload would happen there? It’s a good thing Han Kangwoo is a gentlemanly Alpha and took proper care of you. It could’ve been disastrous otherwise.”
Who caused all this in the first place?
Seunghyun grumbled internally.
Manager Kim was still unaware that Seunghyun no longer had issues controlling his pheromones.
Contrary to his assumption, the overload was entirely Han Kangwoo’s doing.
“Why did you even go there?”
The question came as Manager Kim watched the nurse remove the tube and rinse Seunghyun’s mouth.
But before Seunghyun could answer, someone slipped through the space between them.
“Excuse me.”
It was Yijeong.
Supporting the half-risen Seunghyun with one arm, he offered him a glass of water.
“Hyung, take it easy. Here, drink some water first.”
Seunghyun’s trembling hands accepted the glass.
He wasn’t sure whether the shock came from encountering Han Kangwoo or the remnants of the dream, but it had clearly shaken him deeply.
Was it a nightmare?
Or had he truly glimpsed the memories left behind by “Joo Seunghyun’s” lingering spirit?
As Yijeong’s gentle hand rubbed his back, the tremors gradually subsided.
When Seunghyun finished the water, Yijeong took the empty glass and wiped his damp cheek with the back of his hand.
It seemed Seunghyun had shed tears during the dream.
Embarrassed, a flush rose to his face.
“Yijeong.”
The soft tone that left his lips surprised even Seunghyun himself.
It was “Joo Seunghyun’s” way of speaking.
The original Seunghyun would have called brusquely, “Hey, Cheon Yijeong.”
Had he absorbed not just the body but also the memories and mannerisms of “Joo Seunghyun”?
Caught in confusion, Seunghyun faltered, leaving Yijeong staring at him with a worried expression, sensing something was wrong.
Clearing his throat awkwardly, Seunghyun called out again, the same overly gentle tone slipping out.
“Yijeong, did you manifest as an Alpha after debuting?”
“Yes.”
Yijeong’s face brightened at the question, as if hoping Seunghyun’s memories had returned.
The other members seemed to share the same hope.
Chiyoon rushed forward, his voice charged with excitement.
“What? Are your memories coming back?”
Watching a man who usually exuded effortless composure now swing between hope and anxiety eased Seunghyun’s tension slightly.
“Not entirely. Just vaguely.”
The room immediately erupted into chaos, everyone speaking at once.
“Do you remember anything about me?”
Chiyoon’s eager expression bordered on overbearing, but Seunghyun’s steady gaze only made him look more expectant.
Eunwoo chimed in before Seunghyun could respond.
“Hyung, what about me? Do you remember?”
Though Kwon Yooju didn’t say anything, he too stared at Seunghyun with hopeful eyes.
Seunghyun nodded slowly, his unfamiliar tone emerging naturally.
“Yeah. Chiyoon, you were the main dancer. Eunwoo, the main vocalist. And Yooju, you were the center.”
Lastly, Seunghyun turned to Yijeong.
“You were the rapper, right?”
Yijeong nodded, smiling shyly.
“Joo Seunghyun” would never return.
That much was clear to Seunghyun.
And if “Joo Seunghyun” couldn’t come back, then Seunghyun wouldn’t be able to return to his own body either.
The worst-case scenario had come true.
Whether he liked it or not, he was now trapped in this body, neither alive nor fully himself.
Looking around at the clueless members, who leaned on him without realizing their leader was gone, Seunghyun recalled Joo Seunghyun’s final wish.
‘I just want to be loved.’
His heart wavered.
Joo Seunghyun, who had stood at the pinnacle of idol fame, was hollow inside, hidden behind a dazzling facade.
Seunghyun felt a deep kinship with that loneliness, knowing too well what it meant to lose one’s parents early and have no one to lean on.
Perhaps it was natural for him to consider fulfilling Joo Seunghyun’s desperate longing for a life where he could be loved as an idol.
But the thought chilled him.
Without realizing it, he had begun to imagine continuing Joo Seunghyun’s life as an idol—an idea he’d never entertained before, yet it came so naturally now.
The realization made him shudder, as though he were gradually losing himself, dissolving into Joo Seunghyun.
Singing, dancing, and flirting with the camera on stage?
The thought alone made him grimace.
If Joo Seunghyun’s wish was to ensure Halo’s success and the public’s continued love, he might try.
But standing on stage in his place?
That was too much.
‘Like hell I’m doing that,’ he muttered.
Feigning affection to be loved—it had been so long he couldn’t even remember the last time.
And who’s to say Joo Seunghyun’s talents would even carry over to him?
If anything, possessing an Omega’s delayed manifestation might have been a stroke of luck.
It gave him the perfect excuse to withdraw.
“With all these memories coming back, my head’s a mess,” Seunghyun groaned, clutching his head.
His pained expression sent the members into a frenzy of worry, but he raised a hand to hold them off.
“Just… give me a minute.”
An idol.
How had his life turned into a fantastical tale of reincarnation and possession?
Lost in thought, Seunghyun absently surveyed the members gazing at him with shining eyes.
Manager Kim, now calmer, asked pointedly, “I still don’t get it. Why did you go there in the first place? That area has no connection to you.”
Seunghyun avoided his sharp gaze.
He had intended to visit quietly and leave without incident. Who knew he’d run into Han Kangwoo?
How was he supposed to explain this?
As Seunghyun’s tongue brushed his dry mouth, Manager Kim, visibly irritated, continued.
“You’ve caused a stir online,” he said, thrusting his phone toward Seunghyun.
On the screen, SNS trends flashed with a post:
MolleyMolley @molley445__ · 1 day ago
OMG, Joo Seunghyun is right in front of me.
Seeing that the post had been shared over ten thousand times, Seunghyun felt a wave of dizziness wash over him.
To make matters worse, the post was marked as “one day ago.”
Seunghyun, who hadn’t even realized a full day had passed, widened his eyes in surprise.
Manager Kim let out a short sigh and asked again, “Why did you go there?”
* * *
