Chapter 189: Inevitable Future
I didn’t even know how the interview ended.
While my head spun in circles, I checked the monitor in a state that was far from ideal.
After hastily monitoring the footage right after the camera turned off, it seemed, thankfully, that I had handled it without looking awkward.
[How would you feel if you went back to the past?]
Though my eyes flickered momentarily at Kim Woochan’s sudden provocation, the following words were sly enough to cover it up.
[Speaking from experience… I think it was really great! Especially on the day we debuted.]
[Ah, Stardust’s debut!]
[Yes, going back to that moment made me the happiest!]
The concept of Stardust’s universe itself revolved around returning to different timelines in parallel worlds.
In particular, this album blatantly used that universe as its main theme, starting from the teaser.
Any outsider would’ve thought Kim Woochan was just helping me get some screen time.
So no one else seemed to notice the strange undertone.
But I knew.
That remark from Kim Woochan definitely had weight behind it.
—Since when was The Way’s Kim Woochan a Universe Dust fan…? What the heck lol how does he know more about Stardust’s universe than I do lolol
└Woochan’s over-immersion is so cute ㅠㅠㅠ
└Not over-immersion, probably a script lol maybe it’s Universe Dust comeback promotion
└Music Bank’s giving him something to do just because he’s a Special MC~
There were a few comments suggesting it was a push from Music Bank for their Special MC.
But in the end, it was only a few seconds of screen time.
The flame quickly died out.
Instead, there were more mentions of the comment that seemed aimed at provoking me.
—Why was that interview answer so funny? “I can’t go back,” lol Woochan is 100% a confident S-type….
└Felt like he was seriously saying, “Realistically, people can’t go back to the past,” lol
└I thought it looked like a power play with a junior lol but The Way fans are busy squealing over their baby
└Our kid’s just a bit quirky ㅠㅠ don’t misunderstand
└It’s probably scripted, stop stirring things up
└Dusties are so extreme;;
He’s not quirky—he’s a bit dangerous.
“You already know, don’t you.”
That confident expression as he shamelessly looked back at me… There were too many suspicious parts for me to chalk this up to my own guilty conscience.
As I rushed down the stairs, my head was entirely consumed by that thought.
The moment I stepped into the hallway, the hyungs who had been waiting rushed over.
Ha Junseo smiled with satisfaction and spoke.
“Seohan, you did really well today.”
“You worked hard. Let’s go rest.”
Their compliments didn’t register in my ears.
I didn’t even have the luxury for that.
“……”
Kang Siwoo’s expression turned cold as he belatedly noticed my pale face.
“Hey, what’s wrong? Is your ankle hurting?”
It wasn’t that.
There was something I had to confirm.
That remark from Kim Woochan… No matter how I looked at it, it seemed targeted at me.
“I need to go check their waiting room.”
“What?”
A voice full of concern tried to hold me back, but I didn’t stop.
“Hey, Seohan!”
“What’s going on?”
Kang Siwoo couldn’t stop me as I hurried out of the studio.
I quickened my steps and ran up the emergency stairs.
I think The Way’s waiting room was on this floor.
Even if I couldn’t directly confront him about the interview…
I had to at least try to gauge the intention behind his words.
I searched fervently for Kim Woochan’s whereabouts.
And then—
“Where are you rushing off to like that?”
As I was climbing the stairs to the third floor,
I lifted my head at the sound of a familiar voice that pierced my ears.
Kim Woochan was leaning on the railing, staring down at me.
He had been waiting on the stairs.
“Your face is so pale—like you’ve seen a ghost.”
Kim Woochan smirked and pushed open the heavy metal door with his hand.
Creeeeak—
The metal door shut with an unpleasant screech. His jet-black eyes sparkled as he spoke.
“What are you….”
“Just in case someone hears us. It’s better for you too.”
I checked both above and below the stairs and swallowed dryly.
Kim Woochan added in a calm tone, as if trying to reassure me.
“It’s okay. There’s no one nearby.”
How do you know that?
I wanted to retort, but something else was more pressing right now.
That eerie smile—he definitely knew something.
I became more certain that his remark during the interview wasn’t some random joke.
Furrowing my brows, I asked Kim Woochan,
“You’re someone who cares about how others see you—so why did you do that during the interview?”
Provoking me on live broadcast.
Realistically speaking, as a first-tier idol, Kim Woochan had more to lose than I did.
So what gave him the guts to mess with me while the cameras were rolling?
Kim Woochan responded with a relaxed smile.
“Ah, that? Well… No one would take what I say seriously anyway.”
“……”
“When you say something completely absurd, people just think it’s a carefully crafted pun.”
He’s not wrong.
Who would believe it if someone claimed that Do Seohan was an idol who came back from the future?
Even a third-rate gossip outlet wouldn’t run such an absurd story.
If they didn’t commit the journalist to a mental hospital, that’d already be a miracle.
Kim Woochan smiled softly and shrugged.
“I wasn’t trying to cause trouble. You don’t have to believe me.”
Of course, I didn’t trust Kim Woochan even a little.
Still, since he was being so honest, I had no intention of playing the ordinary junior anymore either.
It was easier to go straight to the point with someone like him.
“I’ll ask plainly. How much do you know?”
“Ah~.”
Kim Woochan grinned as he swept his hand along his chin.
As if choosing how to respond, his slightly parted lips slowly began to move.
“That Do Seohan-ssi came from a somewhat distant future, I suppose? I don’t know the exact year myself.”
Trailing off, Kim Woochan tilted his head.
“No… You look younger than me. So you must’ve died quite early? What a shame~.”
He knows I died at twenty-five?
My heart sank like a stone.
My face had already gone cold and stiff, far too much to respond to that smile casually.
What the hell is he?
I couldn’t hold back the second question that I wanted to ask.
“What exactly are you?”
“It might be a little hard to understand, but… let’s just say I can see more possible outcomes than most people.”
I frowned and mulled over those words, but I couldn’t grasp them easily.
More possible outcomes than others…
“I’d appreciate it if you explained in more detail.”
Step, step—
As I approached him with those words, he took a step back, retreating.
“It’s scary when you come at me like that.”
“Excuse me?”
“Wouldn’t you be scared too, seeing someone alive and well who should’ve been dead?”
He was the one who approached me first, and now he was making a fuss—utterly ridiculous.
Kim Woochan clicked his tongue and added with a shameless grin.
“It’s kinda like seeing a ghost, you know?”
“What kind of thing is that to say to someone alive and well….”
“No, you’re dead. In ninety-nine out of a hundred outcomes I’ve seen, Seohan-ssi dies.”
“What about the one remaining outcome?”
“That would be now…. So, why are you still alive?”
Just because you said it politely didn’t make it any less rude.
As I turned to look at him in disbelief, Kim Woochan cleared his throat and avoided my gaze.
“Well, in any case, I just want us to help each other. I absolutely didn’t come here to harm you.”
“Oh, really?”
“If my guess is right… Seohan-ssi will need me someday.”
I listened to Kim Woochan’s claim with a face that had practically transcended all emotion.
It still felt off, but it was clear he wasn’t spouting pure nonsense without any basis.
“To prepare for that time, maybe I should ask for some payment in advance…”
Trailing off, Kim Woochan clapped his hands and flashed a smile.
“So, about that—do you remember any lottery numbers?”
“Excuse me?”
“Lotto… Hmm, lotto numbers are hard to remember. Then how about stocks? Got anything that’s going to rise?”
The way he asked made it clear that he wasn’t in the same position as me—he hadn’t returned from the future like I had.
I looked down at Kim Woochan with a reluctant expression.
“You’re the one talking about seeing more outcomes than others—and you don’t know the winning lottery numbers?”
“If I could see that, all the shamans in the country would’ve bought skyscrapers by now.”
“Well….”
“Still, stocks are the real answer.”
Just moments ago, I had even wondered if Kim Woochan had something to do with my regression.
But the moment he grabbed my arm and started pestering me…
That theory collapsed in an instant.
“Just recommend me one entertainment stock!”
I thought he was a shady guy.
“Please, just one….”
But maybe he’s just a lunatic?
“Kim Woochan-ssi? You mean Kim Woochan from The Way, right?”
Thanks to Kim Woochan clinging to me like a madman going on about entertainment stocks, that conversation ended abruptly….
But I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was hiding something.
Kim Woochan had smiled slyly like a snake, trying to probe me—but the truth was, I knew far too little about The Way.
So I sought backup.
I figured someone like Sung Jihoo, who was more senior in the industry than I was, might know more, so I asked him.
“Kim Woochan….”
Sung Jihoo scratched his head and paused in thought for a moment.
Then, lowering his voice with a cautious tone, he said,
“Did he reach out to you?”
“Yes.”
After things went that way and I handed over my number, it’s true he got my personal contact info.
He’s been quiet since then, but there’s no telling when he’ll come back with more nonsense.
I swallowed dryly and added,
“We had an interview while he was serving as a Special MC.”
“Ah, so that’s what happened.”
Sung Jihoo pressed his temples with one hand as he spoke.
“There’s definitely some tension with The Way. I mean externally speaking, of course. Among us members, we actually get along pretty well.”
It was true that there had been fan wars due to their rivalry setup for a while.
But according to Sung Jihoo, the members of The Way had fairly mild personalities.
Even though The Way was rising at a frightening pace, Tiple was still holding onto their position as a first-tier group, so it wasn’t a situation where they felt pressure.
That was all just general talk about the teams overall…
“But about Kim Woochan-ssi.”
Sung Jihoo began with a more cautious tone than before.
He seemed hesitant about whether he should be saying this to a junior, pausing to think before finally opening his mouth.
“To be honest, he’s kind of….”
“Yes?”
“He seems like someone with a peculiar mind.”
Unfortunately, that wasn’t very helpful.
“Ah, I know.”
“You already knew?!”
Yeah, I knew that much already.