Chapter 250: Reminiscence (Part 1 Finale)
[Yesterday’s Universe Dust Showcase Review]
Honestly, I had half given up, but I woke up to find a showcase attendance text. LOL.
It was my first time going to an offline showcase in my life, so I arrived at the venue with half nervousness and half excitement!
To be honest, I already knew it was standing only, so I was ready to curse from the start… (Doubles, you bastards)
But then, guess what….
The view was better than expected;; Of course, it was f**king exhausting….
Anyway, the performance started right off with “Silence.”
It was my first time seeing it live, so I didn’t know the fan chant and just waved my lightstick like crazy….
But as soon as I saw our boys’ noble faces, I swear my heart almost exploded ㅠㅠㅠ
Kang Siwoo was insane.
Siwoo, you’re insane….
And Do Seohan’s dance lines were insane.
You have to see that one on a music broadcast… I think I might end up attending every offline event from now on, haha.
In a word, they crushed it.
I had so much fun I lost track of time, and the boys playing Yaja Time were as adorable as always. LOLLLLL.
Anyway, K-pop is going to be taken over by Universe Dust, so just wait for it…!
—I also went to the showcase yesterday ㅠㅠㅠ The boys’ stage was crazy, I’ve decided to make sure they win 1st place on music shows no matter what.
└Let’s go, infinite streaming, Dusties!
└Let’s give the boys a trophy!!!
└We can do it, Dusties!
—They already surpassed 1 million in first-week sales. My precious babies ㅠㅠㅠㅠ Looks like the fans are aiming for a Double Million-seller. Maybe it’s possible?
└Double Million-seller… that’s insane.
└The album market is growing so fast it’s honestly mind-blowing. Not long ago, even a million-seller was shocking.
└Third-gen K-pop is going to be torn up by Universe Dust….
└Their growth is wild. LOL.
—Yaja Time. LOLLLLL Mam-Seohan really lived like it was his last day today.
└AAACK LOL I saw that clip. That’s the one, right?
└Bang your head.
└LOLLLLLLLLLLLL I thought he was actually nuts.
└When he really tried to do it and they stopped him, I lost it LOL.
└Why did he just go for it like that?
└I don’t know where the stylist was, but Kang Siwoo’s face was freezing up in real time and they gave him a warning LOL.
└Like kindergarteners rolling around on stage—those precious Universe Dust kids….
—Yaja Time was hilarious, but the members’ exposé segment… I laughed for ages, seriously.
└What was it? I need to find that clip too, haha.
└Apparently, Jin Sehyun bought a whole box of Choco Haim recently and every time he unwraps one, he stares at Seo Haim.
└LOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL that’s insane and genius.
└Why is he looking at her LOL.
└“I’m going to kill you” (crunch)
└Chaotic Same-age Line
└The funniest part is that next to him, Seo Hanim is breaking hers in half.
└LOL why is he even conscious of it
└Not a single normal person among them…
└That’s our boys for you.
Late at night, inside the editing room at the broadcasting station, with hastily cleaned-up bread wrappers scattered around.
Only the ticking of the clock’s second hand and the click of the mouse filled the silence.
Do Seojun was watching the edited footage for the third time, a serious look on his face.
There was a part that wasn’t flowing smoothly, and he had already revised it multiple times.
His eyes were starting to feel dry from staring at the monitor for so long. With a pounding headache, he pressed on his temples.
Letting out a short sigh, Do Seojun reached for his coffee.
That was when it happened.
“Your brother had a comeback, right? Did you listen to the song?”
It was Chief Choi Wonhoo speaking to him from beyond the partition. Of course, by now there was no one at the station who didn’t know about their sibling relationship.
Do Seojun gave a small laugh and shook his head at the remark.
“I knew about the comeback, but I haven’t had time to listen to the song.”
He was never the type to keep up with that kind of stuff—it made him cringe.
Still, he should’ve at least sent a congratulatory message, but he was just too swamped and let it slip by.
Chief Choi patted his shoulder and said,
“They’re doing well again this time, right? You must feel proud.”
“Ah, thank you.”
Though he hadn’t listened to the song yet, he’d heard about the album’s performance from people around the office.
It charted in at real-time No. 15 right from the start, and in just one day it entered the top 10.
In this current drought of boy idol tracks on the upper ranks of the Melon charts, this was only possible because they’d earned the public’s pick.
And that wasn’t all.
The album even recorded 1.5 million copies in first-week sales on day one, and they were now aiming for Double Million-seller.
For some reason, Seohan had been going around chanting “Double Million-seller” like a prayer these days.
Whatever the reason, he hoped they could achieve it—that was his big brother’s sincere wish.
‘…I used to worry so much.’
Back when he first joined the Stardust Project, it felt like watching a child walk into danger.
He didn’t want his younger brother to walk a thorny path. That’s why he opposed it.
He’d always been a smart kid, could’ve just studied like everyone else and made a living that way. But to him, it felt like Seohan was diving into something that had no chance of success, like a moth to a flame.
Now, it was just an old story he could laugh about.
His younger brother had proved him wrong and made his dream come true. That alone lifted some of his fatigue.
A proud smile unconsciously crept onto his face.
“You look like you’re in a good mood?”
“Of course.”
Chief Choi nodded, smiling just as warmly.
“I’m heading out now, so once you’re done with that part, make sure you go home too, PD Do.”
“Yes, I’ll do that.”
With a new program launching next week, he’d been pulling all-nighters for an entire week. He couldn’t deny that he was overdoing it.
Finishing everything tonight was impossible, so he’d at least wrap up the current segment and get some rest.
“Good night.”
Once even Chief Choi had left, only Do Seojun remained in the editing room.
Even the effects of the caffeine he’d been living on were starting to wear off.
“Sigh….”
Rubbing his dry eyes, Do Seojun clicked his mouse.
It felt like he was trapped in an endless cycle of editing that never seemed to end. The stuck section still showed no signs of progress.
“When will I ever finish this….”
At that time, when he was repeating that meaningless cycle of work over and over again.
At some point, his eyes slowly began to close, and drowsiness swept over him so quickly that even he himself failed to notice it.
Do Seojun muttered quietly with a hazy mind.
“…Should I sleep a little and then do it.”
And then.
Thump-.
His tilted head dropped heavily onto the desk with a dull thud.
His consciousness cut off right there.
Bzzzz-.
A loud ringtone rang out noisily from his pocket.
He was holding a heavy load in one hand, and Do Seojun took out the phone stuck in his pants pocket with his free hand.
The caller ID was a familiar name, and Do Seojun answered the call in a dry voice.
“Yeah, Mom.”
In his right hand was a heavy paper box, inside of which was freshly cooked, steaming hot chicken.
It was today’s lunch.
—Son, where are you right now?
“I don’t have overtime today, so I’m heading home early.”
—Ah~ Is that so?
He had spent the night in the editing room last night, which was just the daily life of a PD, but since he had wrapped up what he was working on, he left the broadcasting station early in the morning.
Do Seojun glanced around and added,
“It’s about time Seohan finishes his part-time job, so I’m going to pick him up and head home together, and I bought chicken, so we can eat this.”
—Chicken? Seohan will like that.
“Yeah, I’ll be home soon.”
The traffic light at the crosswalk turned green, and Do Seojun ended the call and crossed the street.
If he went just one more block from here, there was the café where Seohan worked part-time.
Every Friday night, Seohan was the type to crave fried chicken, so on the way, he stopped by a chicken place as well.
He would definitely like it.
The timing felt a bit awkward.
Was chicken for lunch a little too heavy?
Thinking that, Do Seojun headed toward the café.
“He didn’t already go home, did he?”
He had heard Seohan finished around lunchtime, and since he hadn’t told him in advance that he was coming, he felt a bit worried.
Still, the weather was bright and sunny, so his mood was good.
Humming lightly, Do Seojun turned into the alley, and a familiar shop came into view not far away.
“Here it is.”
A neat private café with wide glass windows that made the inside clearly visible.
He had come to pick him up once before, so he found it right away.
It was when he casually turned his gaze to look for Seohan.
“……?”
Do Seojun’s brow furrowed on its own.
He had found his younger brother, but… the atmosphere inside the café was anything but normal.
“What’s going on?”
Seohan was being grabbed by the collar by some guy wearing a black mask.
He had heard here and there that cafés had plenty of troublesome customers, but he never thought a piece of trash who had completely lost any sense of decency would be brazenly roaming the streets.
“…What the hell is that bastard doing.”
Do Seojun’s face turned cold, and though he wasn’t someone who got angry easily, he wasn’t such a saint that he could speak politely to a lunatic grabbing his younger brother by the collar.
‘Is that guy out of his mind.’
He had to pull that crazy bastard away from his brother.
Just as he clenched his fist, about to rush straight into the café.
An ominous wind blew.
And then, in an instant.
“……!”
A horrific scene flashed across Do Seojun’s retinas.
Screeeech.
A massive truck charging straight toward the café.
The truck, loaded full of steel beams, slammed into the glass without slowing down at all.
It was the exact spot where the two had been grappling by the collar.
Bang-.
An ear-splitting roar echoed through the air.
Shards of glass scattered in all directions, and Do Seojun reflexively covered his head with his hands as a dark cloud of dust filled his vision.
It was an utterly unreal sight.
Do Seojun collapsed to the ground as he let out ragged breaths.
“Hah… hah…”
It took some time for him to understand what had just happened.
But an instinctive sense of dread surged up first.
Inside the café, now reduced to ruins, there was a familiar shadowy figure lying there.
The moment he confirmed that sight with his own eyes.
“Seohan!”
Do Seojun rushed forward with a face drained completely white.