Grab the Regressor by the Collar and Debut!

Chapter 308. Phantom Pain (7)

The meeting with PD Choi was officially about discussing Seo Taehyun’s MC appearance and coordinating additional guest appearances by the Kairos members as special mentors.

Neither Kwon Wook-hyung nor I mentioned the rumor about Seo Taehyun’s *Boy’s World* manipulation even once during the entire meeting. It seemed like PD Choi tried to bring it up a few times, but each time we pretended not to notice and steered the conversation back to safer topics, so he eventually stopped trying.

“…Alright, shall we wrap this up and draft the contract? I think we’ve covered all the points we needed.”

“Oh, sure. We’ll draft the contract on our end and send it to you by email.”

“Yes, thank you. Please take good care of Taehyun and the others.”

“Oh no, we should be thanking the Kairos members.”

The conversation continued in a calm tone, as if no one could have guessed that we were involved in the so-called *Boy’s World* manipulation scandal. PD Choi seemed to have let his guard down considerably; his face was much more relaxed compared to when he first entered the meeting room.

“Oh, I need to take a call. Hajin-ah, why don’t you chat with PD-nim and the writer for a bit?”

“Yes, hyung.”

Sensing that the work talk was winding down, and as planned, Kwon Wook-hyung pretended to receive a call and stepped out of the room. In the now closed-off space of the meeting room, only three people remained: me, PD Choi, and the main writer of *Boy’s World*.

I deliberately kept silent, taking a sip of the iced tea the staff had provided, and smiled lightly. Whether she wanted to ease the tension or had been eager to speak all along, the main writer, who had been watching me cautiously, finally opened her mouth.

“But Hajin-ssi, we’re really grateful. Honestly… we thought you’d reject all our proposals, especially Taehyun-ssi’s MC role.”

It was obvious she was referring to the *Boy’s World* manipulation rumor, but I feigned ignorance and responded calmly.

“Why? Why would you think that? Taehyun was so excited when he received the MC offer. He said he felt like he was making a grand return.”

Surrounded by these seasoned adults in the industry, I played the role of the innocent second-year social worker, cheerfully joking as if I knew nothing.

Seeing me act as though I was either completely oblivious or utterly unconcerned, PD Choi let out a chuckle and replied in a somewhat awkward tone.

“Well… because of the rumors… I thought you might be a bit concerned.”

“Rumors? …Oh, you mean the one about Taehyun supposedly benefiting from manipulation? Oh, come on, it’s not even true. Taehyun was just a bit baffled by the whole thing.”

“Really…?”

“Yes. You know, people are saying that *Miro Maze* was manipulated too, right? Everything’s a manipulation, they say. We just laughed about it. ‘Hey, did you know we’ve got an Ntv connection?’ and all that.”

I made a joke as if I really didn’t care, which prompted a few chuckles in the room. I noticed a bitter smile flash briefly across PD Choi’s face. Then, I leaned forward slightly, speaking in a more sincere tone.

“But honestly… this is just between you, PD-nim, and the writer…”

“……?”

“When we saw the articles, we actually felt relieved. Really, to be honest.”

“Relieved? Why?”

The main writer of *Boy’s World 2* was the first to react to the bait I threw out.

As someone whose job involves finding stories to tell, there was no way she wouldn’t be intrigued by such an unexpected confession. I deliberately shifted my attention away from PD Choi and focused entirely on the writer, who was now looking at me with bright curiosity.

“Well, think about it. Taehyun being backed by the broadcasting company, being the producers’ pick, and getting favorable edits to rise to the top? Anyone can see that’s just a baseless rumor. Taehyun was an individual trainee when *Boy’s World* started, and he only joined Miro after the show ended….”

“Tsk, exactly…. That doesn’t make any sense. Everyone in the country knew how popular Taehyun-ssi was at that time. How could anyone manipulate that?”

“Exactly. So while Taehyun might feel a bit wronged, we figured that the fans and the public would eventually see through it, just like they are now. People are really smart these days. They can see how ridiculous these rumors are.”

As I grumbled like I was venting my frustrations, the main writer nodded vigorously in agreement, as if she was emotionally invested in what I was saying. Sensing that the atmosphere was just right, I steered the conversation toward the main point.

“But what if, on the contrary, the article had said that Taehyun was a victim of manipulation? I think everyone would have believed it. No matter how much we denied it, the public would probably trust our denial even less.”

Filled with a sense of injustice, my words once again resonated with the main writer, who expressed her agreement by raising her eyebrows in sympathy. I continued talking without looking in PD Choi’s direction.

“And actually, as you know, Taehyun… you’ve known him for a long time, so you know this well—he has a surprisingly strong mental fortitude, right?”

“Of course, of course. Among the writers during *Boy’s World*, he was famous for his strong mentality. Surviving alone without a company was really tough.”

“Exactly. So, honestly, the idea of him being a beneficiary of manipulation… well, the public isn’t buying it anyway, and Taehyun himself is confident. As long as he endures the brief discomfort, the rumors will eventually fade, right? But….”

“…Right. But the image of a victim is not easily erased.”

After dropping all the clues that led to my point and deliberately trailing off, the main writer, driven by her instinct to draw out a story, once again did a great job of assisting me in driving home the point.

Inwardly, I thanked her for voicing exactly what I wanted to say, and I played the role of the “rumor subject who confides in trustworthy production staff” to perfection.

“Yes… So we were a bit flustered at first. But, well, we expected some rumors when debuting as idols…. We think it’s better than being rumored to be a victim. That’s how we’re thinking about it. Even the company just wants to leave it at that….”

As I said this, I finally turned my gaze to PD Choi, who had been sitting there with a sour expression. He seemed lost in thought, perhaps recalling past events, but when our eyes met, he quickly cleared his throat and looked away.

‘I hope you understood what I meant.’

The reason I had deliberately said these things in front of PD Choi was to send a clear message: no matter what “truth” he knew about that day, I was asking him to keep quiet.

Whether Seo Taehyun was truly the beneficiary or the victim of manipulation.

I was strongly appealing for him not to say anything.

“Rumors might fade away if you ignore them, but stigmas are much harder to remove.”

PD Choi might have been a conscientious person, but he wasn’t a brave one.

Considering that he hadn’t taken any action or even spoken up when this controversy first erupted, the golden opportunity to reverse all this had already passed.

‘We’ve barely managed to turn public opinion around and quiet down the rumors. If the story about Seo Taehyun being the real victim comes out now, it’ll be a problem for us.’

The public sympathizes with those they can pity and sides with those they admire.

So, what happens when the object of ‘admiration’ suddenly becomes the object of ‘pity’?

“…We’re idols. It’s harder for us to endure being pitied and looked down on than it is to deal with envy or jealousy.”

So, whatever you know, unless you’re ready to shatter your own livelihood, please keep it to yourself.

I sent a sincere smile toward PD Choi to convey that meaning.

* * *

Since it was deemed that we wouldn’t be of much help at the hospital, the members, except for Seo Taehyun and Joo Eunchan, had already returned to the dorm the day after the accident.

However, after the meeting ended, my destination was not the dorm but the hospital.

“Wow… Look at how quiet it is without a single reporter around. They must’ve all chickened out and run away?”

Perhaps because JDZ had declared war on the entertainment reporters, threatening to go after them all, the reporters who had been camped out in front of the hospital on the first day of the accident were nowhere to be seen.

Thanks to this, I was able to pass through the VIP parking lot and elevator without any hassle and arrived at the hospital ward. As I walked down the now-familiar hallway, I reached the room at the far end on the right, where Joo Eunchan was staying.

‘…I wonder if he’s asleep.’

Unlike Ji Suho, who still hadn’t regained consciousness after his major surgery, I had heard that Joo Eunchan had woken up last night and was slowly regaining his strength. Although I wanted to rush to the hospital as soon as I heard the news, visiting hours were strict in the VIP ward, and I had a lot to do, so I only managed to come now.

“……”

Although I knew through Joo Eunseok that

all of Joo Eunchan’s test results were good and that he hadn’t suffered any serious injuries, standing in front of the hospital room door still made me feel uneasy. Despite the fact that this expensive place smelled less like a hospital and was as clean as a hotel, the weight of the hospital atmosphere continued to press down on me.

I cautiously opened the door to the hospital room.

Breathing in the scent of the cozy woody diffuser that Joo Eunchan liked, I carefully stepped inside the room, trying not to wake him up…

“Ah! It’s a disaster!”

“…when I heard…”

“We’re doomed! Hyung, help me!”

“Hey, hey. Dan Haru, get out of the way. You’re all strength and no control, breaking everything.”

“No, I can do it. I can really do it…! Just give me one more chance!”

“Ahhh! Haru, you can’t shake the bed right now! My hands are trembling…!”

“Haru has nothing to do with it. Your hands have been shaking since earlier.”

…Only to be greeted by a ruckus rather than the solemnity I had expected.

“What the….”

The first thing that caught my eye was the hospital bed, mostly because it was where the most people had gathered.

On a bed big enough for two people to lie down comfortably, Joo Eunchan, with bandages stuck all over his face and arms, was diligently assembling what looked like a mini LEGO set that he had probably received as a gift. Dan Haru, who had tied up his bangs to keep his view clear, and Lee Yugeon, who looked like he was reluctantly helping the younger ones with their summer homework, were with him.

“Oh, Hajin-hyung!”

“Ah! Hyung, you’re here?”

“Hi.”

“…?”

When I passed my gaze over the group, who greeted me cheerfully upon noticing my arrival, I saw Lee Doha sitting on the couch next to them, raising his hand in a casual greeting while wearing a serious expression.

It looked like he was holding tiny LEGO pieces in his big hands, staring intently at the instruction manual. The fact that he was even wearing glasses, which he hadn’t used for a while, just to read that manual was comical.

‘Usually, in situations like this, Joo Eunchan would still be unconscious, lying weakly on the bed, and I’d hold his hand and deliver a few emotional lines. Then, he’d wake up, and we’d exchange a heartfelt look—that’s the typical narrative, right?’

Why are they all so unnecessarily strong…?

No, more importantly, why are these guys here instead of at the dorm?

Just then, I remembered that I had missed one person(?) and scanned the room again. Sure enough, I spotted the last guy(!), who had been lying on the couch on the opposite side of the bed, slowly getting up.

Wearing his usual glasses, with his bangs tied up like Dan Haru, and holding a comic book in one hand, Jung Siwoo greeted me cheerfully.

“Hey, Leader. You’re here?”

“Why are you doing this too, hyung…?”

Right. This is a familiar mess.

Feeling like I was perfectly back in the ordinary daily routine, I decided to just give up on thinking.