Chapter 284: Chapter 284
To me, Jung Dajun was a very simple and easy existence.
He would sulk when upset, but if I coaxed him a little and offered beef as an apology, he would quickly get dressed and follow me around, asking if we could order naengmyeon too — that kind of gentle kid.
“Hey, Jung Dajun....”
But this time, maybe because he was really upset, ever since he stormed outside and came back, he would dart away the moment I even called just the last syllable of his name.
Whenever I tried to talk and smooth things over, he would deliberately call the other members over to avoid me, or just start practicing right away.
No matter how hard I tried to poke, I couldn’t get a single word back. If I wanted to say anything to him, I had to go through another member.
“Sh-shall we practice?!”
Still, he didn’t neglect his duties. He faithfully attended every practice.
Of course, if I tried to approach him after, he would scurry off in a flash.
Two days passed like that.
In the end, my patience reached its limit.
Every morning he left the hotel out of habit to head to the practice room, and I caught him by the shoulder and slammed the opening door shut.
Seeing the maknae squirming, trapped between the door and me, the anger that had been boiling up subsided a little.
‘Calm down, Seo Hoyun. Kindly, kindly....’
“Dajun-ah, where did you learn to ignore your hyung like that?”
Ah, damn it. My tone just slipped into the way I talked to Seo Hojin.
I forced myself to soften, pasted a smile on my trembling lips, and spoke to the maknae.
“If you’ve got complaints about hyung, just say them comfortably. I’ll listen.”
Jung Dajun fidgeted, his eyes rolling all over the place, and just when it seemed like he was about to meet my gaze—he quickly looked away again.
“...Let’s not make eye contact.”
“What kind of bullshit is that?”
“...If I make eye contact, I feel like I’ll forgive you.”
I deliberately made my voice gentler.
“Why? You hate looking at hyung’s face?”
He almost blurted something out, then widened his eyes, clamped his lips shut, and suddenly spread his hands forward to cover my entire face.
“I don’t want to see it!!”
Then, as if afraid I’d grab him, he bolted and disappeared into his room.
The thin thread of patience snapped. I threw away all pretense and pounded on the door he had gone into.
“Jung Dajun!! Stop talking nonsense and get out here now!!”
“Don’t be scary like that!!”
“Come out right now!”
But Jung Dajun didn’t budge.
I tried to replace my growing irritation with a sigh and brushed my bothersome bangs back.
“I’m a~ poopy bunny bug~.”
“The maknae is~ gone~.”
From a one-seater sofa, Kang Ichae strummed a ukulele he had gotten from who knows where and sang loudly.
When I glared, he grinned and walked over.
“Looks like practice is shot anyway. Why don’t we all just take today off and recharge? You too, hyung — go clear your head outside.”
Why the hell would I need to clear my head?
I clicked my tongue in displeasure, and just then, my phone vibrated.
[Joo Woosung: Yo food gogo?]
I hesitated, then looked at the tightly shut door, and left the hotel.
At a nearby café, Joo Woosung sat in sunglasses, leisurely drinking coffee. He noticed me and waved.
“Why’s your face like that?”
He tilted his head, then smirked knowingly.
“You fought with a member, didn’t you?”
“Let me guess. Hmm... Dajun!?”
‘Damn psychic bastard....’
Usually he couldn’t even notice if someone stole his wallet, but at times his intuition was sharp as hell.
Reading the answer off my face, Joo Woosung burst into wild laughter.
“Aigoo, our Hoyun is mad because his member won’t listen?”
My kid, who I even dragged across to California for, was going through a rebellious phase — of course I was pissed.
“Come on, your face says it all.”
Clearly enjoying my sour mood, Joo Woosung was being even more playful than usual.
“Yep, nailed it. Wow, even the great Seo Hoyun has moments . Just eat and blow off some steam.”
Snickering, Joo Woosung suddenly leaned close, threw an arm around my shoulders, and whispered right into my ear.
“Now look behind you, to your left.”
I brushed off his arm, pretending to adjust my clothes, and glanced.
A man in a black hat was trying to hide his camera under a big bag while acting nonchalant.
No matter how popular The Dawn had gotten, odds were he was here because of Joo Woosung.
“Wouldn’t it be better to eat quick and get back before anything spreads?”
Judging by how he smoothly chose a spot out of sight, didn’t even need to check his angle before firing shots — this guy was an experienced paparazzo after a big scoop.
I eyed him dully, then a rebellious spark rose in me.
“Nope. Today, let’s go all out.”
I snatched Joo Woosung’s sunglasses, put them on, and smiled sweetly.
‘Joo Woosung and Seo Hoyun came to America together.’
The paparazzo’s eyes gleamed.
The Dawn was in LA for the IRIX new season launch stage, with some filming schedules lined up, so that made sense.
But Joo Woosung? He had no schedule here at all.
Not only that, he had come secretly without even his manager. Suspicious as hell.
Even though it was only early April, the paparazzo was sure he’d just caught this year’s biggest scoop.
It was about relationships.
Celebrities using acquaintances as shields to sneak off on secret dates.
‘Joo Woosung has rumors about lots of women too....’
Excited, the paparazzo cautiously trailed them.
The two strolled LA streets in simple outfits — just T-shirts, jeans, slacks.
‘There’s gotta be something!’
He snapped continuous shots while shadowing them.
Checking the photos, even bare-faced they looked as if filters had been added — glowing.
“I wanna check this place out.”
Just when he thought the real story was about to start, they entered a building.
He rushed in after them, only to find... just a souvenir shop.
‘No, maybe they planned to meet someone here.’
The paparazzo even turned on a recorder and hovered near.
“—What are you, my shadow?”
“Too gloomy. Wear something brighter.”
But the two were only bickering loudly about the color of T-shirts with “Los Angeles” and palm trees on them.
‘...Well, a memento from LA is a must.’
They came out with arms full of shirts, sipping banana smoothies while discussing where to go next.
“You’ve got no mood.”
They tossed out various suggestions but, with completely different tastes, decided to just go to all of them.
The paparazzo trailed for another two hours.
“This is the right way, I’m telling you. Why are you stubborn about nonsense?”
“Yeah, like your dancing skills.”
“Yeah, well, next— hey. What’s wrong with my photos?!”
‘Why are they fighting over such childish stuff?’
He’d already seen at least seven of these petty arguments.
He thought of writing a headline like “Joo Woosung and Seo Hoyun Clash?! Diverging Paths!” but the content was clearly too ridiculous and would just get trashed by the public.
Just as he was about to give up, Joo Woosung lay flat on the street and started snapping photos of Seo Hoyun.
“Wow, I’m pissed. You take one then.”
Joo Woosung confidently handed over his phone, and Seo Hoyun sighed deeply, brows furrowed.
Then he gestured for Woosung to pose and halfheartedly tapped the shutter.
“...Holy shit. Why didn’t you become a photographer instead of an idol?”
Flipping through the photos Hoyun had taken, Joo Woosung murmured in awe.
“Post it on Stargram.”
“Guess you’re useful sometimes.”
“That’s how you ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) say thank you?”
...And utterly useless for a scoop.
‘What are they even doing?’
Without the idol title, it was just like watching high schoolers on a field trip.
The paparazzo was about to pack it in when Joo Woosung suddenly gasped at his phone and rushed off.
“Hey, hey! I’ve got somewhere urgent to go.” Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭•𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢•𝓷𝓮𝓽
The paparazzo hurriedly pulled his camera out again and followed.
Dreaming of a bonus-worthy scoop, he arrived at—
An LA Korean restaurant.
Joo Woosung beamed, holding up kimchi fried rice topped with a beautiful runny egg.
“Kimchi fried rice hotspot.”
He had come all the way to LA just to find kimchi fried rice.
The paparazzo’s fighting spirit was crushed by Woosung’s obsession.
Then Seo Hoyun, sitting across from him, calmly ate a spoonful of soondae soup and said,
“You haven’t changed, hyung. I like that.”
“You say stuff like that while I’m eating kimchi fried rice?”
The paparazzo quietly left the restaurant.
“...Why did I even follow them?”
Aside from pictures sparkling like a fansite master’s, all he got were shots of Joo Woosung eating kimchi fried rice with Seo Hoyun.
[Title: Paparazzi shots of Joo Woosung and Seo Hoyun in California
Banana_Smoothie_Drinking_Idols.jpg
Seo_Hoyun_Taking_Pics_of_Joo_Woosung.jpg
Idols_Eating_Kimchi_Fried_Rice_and_Soondaeguk_in_LA.jpg
Apparently the only thing captured was kimchi fried rice.
└Are these guys a comedy duo or what? Hahahahaha
└The paparazzo totally went for a scandal and ended up with Joo Woosung eating fried rice, lmao
└Why the hell is Woosung even in LA
└└Guess he’s on vacation lolololol. Other Black Call members went home too
└└Last time he said he was taking a dance workshop, now he’s overlapping with The Dawn hahaha what a coincidence
└LOOOOLLLL legit best-friend vibes LOOLLLLLLL
└└Seo Hoyun’s fed-up face watching Woosung eat fried rice lololololololol]
I chuckled as I read the community post link my manager in Korea had texted me.
[Manager Kim: Hoyun-ah, what the hell are you doing out there]
I replied that the members and I had all agreed to take a rest day. Just then, Joo Woosung came in carrying beer and dried squid.
We were on the terrace of his hotel suite. I sprawled out, feet on an empty chair.
He shook the bottle he’d been sipping. I held out my hand and he tossed me a fresh one.
“You look way too happy. Got some hobby of screwing people over regularly?”
“Can’t you tell, hanging out with you?”
What are you gonna do if I stare back?