Ban Noah stared intently at the video of Yu-jin on Secreti’s official NewTube channel.
That face… It’s the one I saw back at the station, when I dropped by under the pretense of meeting Seol Yurang.
Yu-jin had never met Ban Noah. But Ban Noah had seen Yu-jin—from afar.
Too composed for a D-rank. And his guiding was too efficient for someone of that level.
Strangely enough, despite witnessing Yu-jin’s power firsthand that day, the version he saw at the broadcast station had seemed like just another run-of-the-mill D-rank Guide—like a pebble anyone could step over.
I couldn’t have been mistaken.
Ban Noah was the only one who remembered that Yu-jin had guided his teammates through a kiss.
Hyun Je-ha had used his Memory Erasure ability to wipe that moment from the minds of everyone present—but it hadn’t worked on Ban Noah.
Click.
A bead, deep crimson like coral, rolled between Ban Noah’s fingers. If it had been made of clay instead of glass, it would’ve been flattened by now.
Hyun Je-ha and Yeon Yu-jin…
Smirk.
With a cheerful smile, Ban Noah picked up the phone and handed it back to Seol Yurang.
“Here. Your phone.”
“Oh, thanks.”
Seol Yurang considered Ban Noah a friend.
At least, to Seol Yurang, that was the truth.
“Food’s taking forever. Are we going to be here a while?”
“Seems like it. I’m starving.”
As their idle chatter continued, Ban Noah absentmindedly fiddled with the lowest red bead on his earring.
And then—the bead briefly turned blue.
“So anyway, I was…”
“Seol Yurang.”
As soon as Ban Noah spoke his name, Seol Yurang’s body went rigid like a corpse. His pupils dulled, his expression vanished from his face.
He looked like a wind-up doll drained of all vitality.
Ban Noah took a sip of water from his glass and asked, in a tone soaked with arrogance and superiority:
“Did you notice anything suspicious about Yeon Yu-jin?”
Like a master interrogating his pet slave.
Seol Yurang shook his head feebly.
“No… He seemed normal…”
“Anything. Even a small detail. Just say it.”
Because otherwise, Ban Noah’s time spent humoring a worm like him would be meaningless.
To Ban Noah, Seol Yurang wasn’t a friend. He was just another planted pawn—one of many tools.
Seol Yurang’s dull gaze flickered, his brow slightly creased.
“I really can’t think of anything…”
“Tsk. Useless.”
Ban Noah thought to himself that maybe it was time to drop the whole “friendly acquaintance” act.
Just as he reached for the red bead on his earring again, Seol Yurang suddenly grabbed his arm.
“What the hell?”
Ban Noah immediately swatted Seol Yurang’s hand away like a bug, irritation flashing across his face.
“Ah… wait.”
Mumbling, Seol Yurang spoke up, remembering something.
“The song.”
“The song?”
“It was written before Yeon Yu-jin was even born. But he sang it so naturally.”
As if he’d sung it hundreds of times before. Like it was second nature.
“So what? Maybe he just likes old songs.”
“No. I could tell from the expressions on the other Secreti members’ faces. That was Yu-jin’s first time singing that song. If it was something he liked, they’d have heard him sing it at least once while living and training together. But there was no sign of that. On the contrary…”
“Contrary?”
“They looked shocked. Like, since when could Yeon Yu-jin sing like that?”
For a moment, it was like they were staring into the sun.
“They were mesmerized… I was too, but for them, it was even stronger.”
“I don’t need your reaction.”
“…Ah. Sorry.”
“Well. Not a total waste, I suppose.”
Click.
Ban Noah flicked the red bead on his earring, and life slowly returned to Seol Yurang’s face.
“Huh? What were we talking about just now?”
“You said you adopted an adorable cat recently?”
“Oh right, yeah. My Nono’s so cute. Wanna see some photos?”
Before Seol Yurang could continue, their food arrived—just in time to cut him off.
“Let’s eat first.”
“Oh, sure.”
Ban Noah stabbed his steak—rare, crimson, nearly bleeding—with a knife. The juice that trickled down was far closer to blood than anything else.
Yeon Yu-jin is hiding something.
After seeing Yu-jin and the other Secreti members that day, Ban Noah had someone start digging into their backgrounds.
Yu-jin, in particular, stood out. He was acting like a completely different person. From the day the agency claimed he’d been in an “accident,” something about him changed—he was no longer “himself.”
Ban Noah sliced the bloody meat into bite-sized chunks and began chewing.
Hopefully he’s worth the effort I’ve put in.
Good thing he’d whispered to that executive at the Bureau of Awakened Ability Users. The Director was sharp enough to pick up on the hint and push for Yeon Yu-jin’s reassessment. That part had been easy.
Let’s see what results come back.
Even if the test came back unchanged, that in itself would be suspicious.
Because that would imply he had complete control over his powers.
If Yeon Yu-jin’s results don’t change… then there’s a chance he’s S-rank.
Just imagining it sent a thrill through his entire body. It excited him.
“This place is good. Tastes great.”
“Right?”
“I should come back with family or friends sometime.”
“Sure. You could come back with a new friend too.”
Thanks to that comment, Seol Yurang unknowingly managed to hold onto his hollow title of “friend” for a bit longer.
Eventually, once he outlived his usefulness, he too would be discarded.
***
The reaction to the new video was explosive.
Just like the CEO had said, combining covers with Secreti’s original songs and having all five members take turns performing had produced excellent results.
***
Entertainment > Category: Celebrities
[Casual Talk] Secreti’s meteoric rise
By: Nekomimi | 3 minutes ago | Views: 102 | ♥10
Where the hell were these guys hiding all this time?
(Attached: Link to SeCrity Official NewTube Video)
(Attached: Screenshot of Yeon Yu-jin’s To You on an Autumn Night cover)
(Attached: Screenshot of Yeon Yu-jin singing Secreti’s debut title track Bodyguard)
(Attached: Screenshot of Ra Ho-yeon singing Secreti’s second single Re: Make)
(Attached: Screenshot of Seo Yoon-chae playing piano while singing the OST This Way from that famous anime)
(Attached: Screenshot of Shin Tae-boem and Cha Si-yoon performing the hip-hop chart-topping song Boy meets Girls)
Came here just to hear Yu-jin’s cover… and got hardcore bias wrecked.
This group’s faces are no joke.
And they can actually sing.
They’re all pretty damn good, honestly.
One minute you’re casually clicking a video…
Next thing you know, you’ve fallen into the algorithm trap and you’re drowning in content.
[Comments]
At this point, I’m promoting them as a Guardian 1st Gen. Guys, STAN SECRETI.
⤷Already joined the Guardians.
⤷(Attached: “You too, huh” meme)
⤷(Attached: “Me too, bro” meme)
Wait weren’t these guys a doomed nugu boy group?? When did their image suddenly get this clean?
⤷LOL you’re so late to the party.
⤷Not a rebrand—just catching up. Go watch the live videos on the NewTube official channel.
⤷They were the “Three Sides of Disaster” once… but now they’ve climbed out of the laundry pile.
⤷LMAO stahp
⤷Respect to this fan for not denying the “dirty laundry” era
⤷“Clean. Pure. Confident.” ^^7
But fr tho, if you’ve been a Guardian, you know how messy Secreti used to be…
⤷Don’t know, don’t care. Muted.
⤷Just because it happened doesn’t mean we gotta dwell on it.
⤷True. The internal drama rumors mostly stemmed from one person anyway.
⤷Wasn’t someone even doing solo protests at one point?
⤷I heard that person doesn’t even show up to the agency anymore.
⤷Honestly? They probably left in peace after seeing the group actually recover.
Silver-haired leader is a GOD. Don’t touch. He’s mine.
⤷LOL
⤷Excuse me, Ho-yeon and I are already dating.
⤷Move along—I’m the one who exchanged engagement rings with him.
⤷Okay but I already filed the marriage license.
⤷Thanks for the distraction, now I get the untamed tiger.
Si-yoon’s got a nice vibe too…
⤷My pick’s Yoon-chae. Blonde prince vibes all the way.
⤷Totally. He seems like the kind who’d treat his girlfriend like a princess. Big “church oppa” energy.
But let’s be real—since Secreti’s a Guide+Esper team, doesn’t that technically make Yeon Yu-jin the MVP?
⤷Dude, shut it.
⤷Can you not go full fanfic here;;
⤷I mean, if guiding’s involved, it’s not fanfic—it’s just facts…
⤷I know a bunch of Guide-Esper pairs who ended up catching feelings. Most became couples, even if not married.
⤷There’s a reason why shady rumors followed Secreti around after debut. Some even said certain members were dating during trainee years.
⤷But didn’t the members hate Yeon Yu-jin before the accident? LOL
⤷Ah.
⤷LMAOOOOOO there it is
⤷As a Guardian 1st Gen I swear, that wasn’t the look of hate—it was the gaze of a trainer eyeing a wild beast they couldn’t control.
⤷FFS LOL
⤷So what you’re saying is… the current Yu-jin is a tamed squishy beast boy now?
⤷That’s… pretty accurate.
I miss Jeha ;; but I also like the idol side.
Thanks for the updates! ❤️