Grab the Regressor by the Collar and Debut!

Chapter 238. When a Workaholic Leader Takes Power (7)

“But we still have to do what needs to be done.”

The positive atmosphere generated by Doha’s optimistic conclusion lasted only a moment, before Yugeon shattered it with his blunt remark.

“We also have to prepare for the Utopia… sunbaenim’s concert. How are we supposed to handle that mood?”

Yugeon had almost said just “Utopia concert,” but quickly added the honorific sunbaenim at the end.

This was because Taehyun, who had taken the notion of avoiding controversy to the max, had drilled into them, “Always attach ‘sunbaenim’ to anyone’s name, and if you’re unsure, just call everyone, even dogs and cows, ‘sunbaenim’ or ‘teacher’.” Even though Taehyun wasn’t in the room, his deeply ingrained teaching did not betray him.

Yugeon leaned against the wall, speaking in a curt tone.

“If Seo Taehyun were in good shape, it might be different, but he’s so mentally wrecked he can’t even enter his room.”

“Don’t worry. I just patched up that mental state.”

“…?”

“Ta-Taehyun hyung…?”

At the unexpected reply, everyone turned their heads towards the source of the voice. Entering through the door was Taehyun, his eyelids swollen and red from crying heavily.

Eunchan, startled by Taehyun’s sudden appearance, quickly tried to hide the paper-made nameplate for the meeting, but it was too late. Taehyun, having already noticed, smiled wryly as he saw Eunchan’s futile effort.

“As if this place is soundproof. And I also saw you dragging Doha hyung in earlier.”

“Uh, we just thought, you seemed to be struggling too….”

Worried that Taehyun might feel offended for being excluded, Eunchan carefully trailed off. Taehyun, however, closed the door softly, walked over to Eunchan and Haru, and sat down beside them with a smile, nodding his head.

“Yeah, I know. Thanks for caring. But I’m fine now. I felt better after a good cry.”

Taehyun, smiling as he responded, glanced at Yugeon, who was sitting opposite him.

Yugeon, understanding that this was a tacit expression of gratitude from a peer who found it awkward to say so directly, avoided eye contact. He also wasn’t comfortable with sentimental displays.

Anyway, Taehyun seemed to have truly sorted out his emotions during his crying session, as he had returned to his usual “pro” mode. The first thing he did was to ask a favor of Doha, who was sitting opposite him.

“Hyung, could you switch rooms with me?”

…Why did this feel like déjà vu?

Doha flinched at Taehyun’s sudden request, feeling a strange sense of déjà vu. But soon, he remembered that this was the same request that Eunchan, once tormented as Hajin’s roommate, often made. Curious, Doha asked in a puzzled voice.

“Switching rooms isn’t difficult, but… is there a reason?”

“I’m mad at Siwoo hyung.”

“…Huh?”

“Just tell him that. That his younger brother can’t even worry about him? That I’m so upset I’m going on a roommate strike.”

You’re the one going on strike, so why am I the one moving rooms…?

Doha couldn’t bring himself to ask that question and simply nodded silently. He figured that if Taehyun was saying this, there must be something on his mind.

As expected, Taehyun soon added the real reason in a serious tone, as if his earlier comment had just been a joke.

“I just think it would be better if you stayed with Siwoo hyung for now. Also, could you keep an eye on him to make sure he’s really sleeping properly? No matter how I think about it, I’m really worried about Siwoo hyung.”

“…Okay, if that’s the reason.”

Understanding Taehyun’s intention, Doha nodded again in agreement.

Eunchan, who was sitting beside them, also grabbed Taehyun’s arm with a brightened expression, as if asking if there was anything he could do to help. Taehyun smiled gently and patted Eunchan’s hand.

“The youngest members help the older ones just by not causing any trouble. As long as you wake up on time, go to school, and eat well, that’s enough.”

“But…”

When Eunchan replied in a disappointed tone, Taehyun squeezed his hand tightly.

Uh? Eunchan’s eyes widened at the sudden pressure, and he noticed a subtle glint of madness in Taehyun’s previously gentle eyes.

“Chani, Haru. Do you really want to help your hyungs?”

“…Of course. We’re members too…!”

As Haru and Eunchan nodded earnestly, Taehyun, who had cast aside his gentle INFJ persona, revealing his cold, professional idol self, gripped their hands tightly. Even Yugeon and Doha, who were watching, instinctively recoiled at the intensity.

“Then work.”

“…Huh?”

“Work a little. The hyungs are all over the place, and we’re not able to post anything on Kyros’ SNS or Kiss Day. It’s a good thing we’re not in promotion season, but if we had behind-the-scenes making videos attached, what would we have done? Ugh, what’s the use of saying this? But at least, when filming today’s Kyros segment, those hyungs seem to have pulled themselves together a bit. So, let’s have our youngest members work hard on the rest of the content~? Post lots of photos on SNS, and check the fan cafe frequently.”

“…”

“Chani, Haru. Answer?”

With the pressure intensifying on their hands, the youngest members nodded their heads like waterfalls. Satisfied with their response, Taehyun let go of their hands and crossed his arms.

“Alright, let’s wrap up today’s emergency meeting here. Everyone, get ready for bed. What time is it already?”

“Uh, Taehyun hyung.”

“Yeah? What is it, Haru?”

Just as Taehyun was about to conclude the meeting, Haru stopped him. Given that Haru had initiated the meeting but mostly stayed silent while listening to the others, the other members’ attention naturally shifted to him.

After a moment of hesitation, Haru seemed to make up his mind and made a request to Taehyun.

“While you’re on strike, can I stay in Hajin hyung’s room?”

“You want to switch rooms with me?”

“Just, …I also want to talk with Hajin hyung. But I rarely get the chance unless we’re at the dorm….”

Taehyun’s expression turned puzzled at the unexpected request.

However, after thinking about it for a moment, he realized it wasn’t a request he couldn’t grant, and besides, it might be better for Haru to face Hajin than for him to do so, considering he was the trigger for the conflict between Hajin and Siwoo.

‘Haru has always seemed to be somewhat removed from conflict issues….’

It felt similar to how he had briefly escaped the situation by watching a completely unrelated romantic movie for a brief moment of healing, as he had just done earlier.

Maybe if Hajin received some fluffy, comforting therapy from their soft, innocent youngest member, his mind might cool down a bit?

With those thoughts, Taehyun readily nodded.

“Alright. Then you stay with Hajin hyung for now. I’ll stay here.”

“Could you check with the roommates of this room first?”

“If you’ve got a problem with it, Yugeon, you can sleep in the living room. Eunchan, you’re okay with it, right?”

“Yeah, I’m fine with it.”

With Eunchan’s support, Taehyun proudly turned to Yugeon. As the conversation seemed to be wrapping up, it was Doha who once again took charge of concluding it.

“Alright, let’s do as Taehyun suggested. But since the others are probably already asleep, and we need to sleep soon too, let’s switch rooms starting tomorrow. You two also have school tomorrow, after all.”

“Oh, school….”

At the mention of school, the youngest members’ faces turned pale.

Most of all, since they knew that if they didn’t wake up on time, it would be Siwoo who’d have to wake them up, they feared they’d only become more of a burden to him. Thus, the third emergency Kyros meeting ended around that point.

Lying side by side with Eunchan and Yugeon on the mattresses they had set up along the wall, Haru blinked his round eyes.

“…Hyung.”

“Yeah?”

“What?”

Though he didn’t specify who he was addressing, both Yugeon and Eunchan responded.

Feeling a newfound sense of gratitude towards them, Haru thought of his other hyungs, Hajin and Siwoo, and asked.

“Do you think… everything will work out? For everyone.”

A few months ago, Haru would have been extremely anxious and worried in a situation like this.

Haru had always felt lonely and distressed, whether it was when Eunchan was being bullied, when Taehyun disappeared, or during many other circumstances.

Sometimes, it felt like he could hear a voice deep inside his heart.

“Is it tough? You probably can’t take it anymore. Just say the word anytime.”

Whenever he felt that way, Haru wanted to run away.

He wished that this time would all disappear, or that everything could go back to how it was before.

If Hajin and Siwoo never reconciled, if they could never return to being the close and precious friends they once were….

Every time those thoughts

crept in, he felt a sudden wave of fear.

But…

“Stop thinking about unnecessary things and go to sleep. If you’re late for school tomorrow, no breakfast for you.”

“Everything will be fine. Trust your hyungs.”

Somehow, Haru felt that things would be okay.

Dan Haru no longer believed that a “fight” necessarily led to a “break in relationships.”

‘Tomorrow with Hajin hyung… I’ll try to talk while eating something delicious.’

He hoped he could somehow be of help to his hyung.

With those thoughts, Dan Haru fell asleep with a smile.

* * *

But a few days later.

The members of the “Shadow Duo Reconciliation” task force found themselves perplexed by the bizarre turn of events.

“What the heck are you doing?!”

“What? What are you talking about? I have no idea what you mean~.”

“I heard you canceled my lesson. And you changed the shooting date for my Leto’s Letters!”

“I’m just trying to manage the main vocal’s condition as the leader of a group, so what? Didn’t you say that all you need from me is the main vocal, Jung Siwoo? So, I did some managing. What, got a problem? If you do, go ahead and hit me~!”

Jung Siwoo grabbed Kang Hajin by the collar.

Usually, Kang Hajin would have freaked out, but he seemed completely out of it, mocking Siwoo with crazed eyes. Normally, Siwoo would have just let it go or dealt with it nonchalantly, but due to extreme stress and lack of sleep, he snapped.

Yugeon and Doha had to rush in to stop Siwoo from actually hitting Hajin.

“Have you both lost your minds?! Are you crazy!? I knew you were both nuts, but this?!”

“Hyung, Siwoo hyung, calm down.”

“I-I’ll go get the director…!”

Despite Yugeon and Doha trying to calm them down, the two looked like they were on the verge of a serious fight. Eunchan, horrified, sprang up, but Taehyun stopped him.

“No, leave them be. The director knows about this.”

“But…”

“I already mentioned it to him, and he told me to just let them fight it out.”

At Taehyun’s words, Eunchan hesitated and stopped.

The two hyungs, who had been bickering loudly, were eventually separated and sent to individual practice rooms by Yugeon and Doha.

As the four of them disappeared, leaving the Kyros practice room in sudden silence, Taehyun’s gaze turned to Dan Haru, who had been avoiding eye contact and kept his mouth shut as if he had committed a crime.

“Haru.”

“…Y-Yes?”

“I think Hajin really turned into a monster after you started sharing a room with him….”

“…W-What do you mean? I don’t… Ah, I’m so thirsty….”

As Dan Haru tried to subtly get up and head towards the water cooler, Eunchan and Taehyun simultaneously grabbed his shoulders.

Forced back down into the practice room, Haru’s pupils shook as he noticed the intense stares from the two people.

Holding Haru’s hands tightly, Taehyun asked.

“What on earth did you talk about in that room to make him go completely nuts…?”

Hic.

Fragments of their conversation from the previous night flashed through Dan Haru’s mind.

-So? Haru, you still think you can handle it? The current situation.

-Huh? No, no, of course, I don’t like that hyungs are fighting, but…

-Then, it’s okay if they fight even harder, right…?

-…Huh?

The day when Hajin, having heard Haru’s honest thoughts, had turned to him with eyes full of madness.