Damn Hunter Life 85

Damn Hunter Life Chapter 85

Jin Seol-woon stopped his singing practice and stared at Gang-hyeon in the same room for a long while.

Because he had taken off his shoes and sat up on the chair, his ankles were clearly visible beneath his pants hem. The line continuing from his bare feet, which had a slight pinkish blush, was severely thin. His wrists covered by white sleeves, even his fingers holding the paper. His back and waist, hidden inside his clothes but which he knew from having hugged him once. His neck was too thin as well.

He’d known for a while that Gang-hyeon was delicate, but why did it particularly catch his eye today? Why… was it difficult to just watch quietly?

A light current flowed through Jin Seol-woon’s body. The sensation that traveled up his nerves blocked his throat entirely, making him feel somehow suffocated.

It was a strange feeling.

He selected three pre-recordings before the main recording and sent them to his agency’s producer and director.

The director who listened to the recordings called Jin Seol-woon directly.

[“It’s good. I think this will work.”]

“Yes.”

[“I expected Sa Ye-ho to do well, and Gang-hyeon… I can see why you chose him, Esi.”]

The director seemed pleased with the considerable quality for a civilian. He even made several playful jokes in a row.

[“Sa Ye-ho is tempting too. If I had met Gang-hyeon about 5 years ago, I would have seriously tried to bring him over. Hahaha.”]

Then I would have managed him so he couldn’t drink. The director burst into hearty laughter once more.

It was so-called ‘casting’ talk. Since he was notoriously picky about his agency’s entertainers, Jin Seol-woon knew that even though it was said jokingly, it carried significant meaning.

But Jin Seol-woon almost responded “Right?” to that. He hastily ended the call while being flustered himself.

And finally, the day of the main recording arrived.

They used the recording booth in Jin Seol-woon’s house. The agency seemed to subtly want behind-the-scenes recording footage too, but Woo Sae-geon didn’t allow that much.

Gang-hyeon probably wouldn’t have wanted it either.

Sa Ye-ho seemed to have experience with recording booths from his broadcasting days, but it was Gang-hyeon’s first time actually going inside for recording.

“Oh, the microphone is cool. Ooh.”

He was amazed by how the sound echoed, making “ah ah” sounds and fooling around.

Is that fascinating…? Such an innocent side was quite unexpected. Jin Seol-woon’s gaze followed Gang-hyeon the whole time.

Jin Seol-woon recorded first. Gang-hyeon was next, then Sa Ye-ho. Jin Seol-woon skillfully finished recording his part and quickly passed the turn.

Gang-hyeon stood in front of the microphone in the booth and focused on singing. When Jin Seol-woon saw him lightly tapping the beat with his hand, his eyes widened once.

‘He seems to find singing fun. He’s good at it too.’

Far from looking nervous, Gang-hyeon was completely comfortable. As expected, he was someone with many talents. He had no fear of being in the spotlight, and was smart enough to handle such attention in his own way.

That must be why…?

Just the sight of him bringing his face close to the recording microphone created a strange resonance in Jin Seol-woon’s chest.

Even though he had entered his territory, the scene of Gang-hyeon being there wasn’t awkward at all. Even though he was clearly just an outsider.

‘What would it have been like if that person had been a fellow idol member?’

To the extent that Jin Seol-woon imagined something so nonsensical.

The part recording continued. Gang-hyeon shook his head several times and signaled that he wanted to do it again.

[“I don’t like it.”]

When this was repeated several times, Jin Seol-woon finally set the audio so his voice could be heard inside the booth. He brought his lips to the microphone and spoke inside.

“If I think it’s okay, then it’s okay.”

[“That last one was really okay?”]

“Yes. It’s all fine.”

It’s so fine it’s troubling. Jin Seol-woon thought without realizing it.

* * *

And now, that music source was released in July.

―Who could have known my destiny

Everything changed, even myself

Jin Seol-woon’s deep voice opened the first verse.

Dragon Successor Jin Seol-woon, who had to put down his idol self. He sang about his concerns.

―What did I lose and what did I gain

What defines me is right now

Soon, a companion appears to Jin Seol-woon, who has steeled his resolve for his new destiny.

―We trees gather together to become a forest

Sa Ye-ho, who was called a “trusted bedroom singer” by viewers, had professional-level skills. His refreshing voice that would suit rock expressed the confidence of successors itself.

And when it transitions to the third vocalist, Gang-hyeon, listeners are sure to be surprised.

―Our united hearts flow like water

His originally youthful voice combined with unexpectedly clean vocal ability to clear the listener’s mind.

The three voices harmonized perfectly, neither lacking nor excessive. So in the chorus made of group singing, listeners couldn’t help but get goosebumps.

―Fly powerfully and show me to the enemy

Following light to become light

Even if I crumble, even if I break, don’t worry, I won’t disappear

Cause we are the best heroes

Drum accompaniment flows, and Sa Ye-ho and Gang-hyeon exchange light rap to the beat.

―Don’t stop break the wall

Shout out louder louder

Don’t stop break the wall

Shout out louder louder

Thanks to the composition that seemed to capture their usual back-and-forth perfectly, the song became even richer.

If the first verse sang about the gathering of successors, the second verse sang about harmony.

―Certainty toward me, I am here in this place

Rising to destiny’s call

Fire carved into my soul and burning

Spreading through the sword tip to the world

After the second verse chorus ended, through Jin Seol-woon’s bridge, the last of the five attributes appeared in the lyrics.

―No matter how much earth is stepped on, it only becomes more solid

The voice cutting through the reduced musical accompaniment left an especially deep resonance in the ears.

―When everyone’s power achieves harmony here

In the final highlight’s chorus, Jin Seol-woon’s harmonies and ad-libs swirled, and finally Sa Ye-ho’s unobstructed voice repeated the song’s core message to end it.

―Cause we are the best heroes

Having put their heart and soul into preparation between training sessions, people’s reactions were explosive. Jin Seol-woon gained great satisfaction both from the buzz and, above all, from the song itself.

If there was one thing that bothered him…

‘I should be thinking only about my career. But I’m thinking about how public opinion about Gang-hyeon will change for the better.’

At this time, Jin Seol-woon was so absorbed in this situation that he could barely recall even the happy memories of singing with his group members. If nothing special had happened, this probably would have continued for quite a while.

But…

While checking internet reactions, a strange article caught Jin Seol-woon’s eye.

<Innate’s Dodam, Discord with Member Esi? “Since becoming a successor, hyung has been neglecting us”>

A stone dropped heavily into his relaxed heart.

* * *

As soon as Gang-hyeon saw the discord article about Jin Seol-woon, he shot up from where he was sitting.

‘Dodam? Who is this?’

The incident started like this. Innate’s youngest member had expressed his disappointment on his social media, saying that Esi hyung’s contact had become infrequent.

Moreover, he mentioned this support song recording and even showed how upset he was that Esi hyung was getting along well with new people, so naturally some reporter was more than ready to bite.

“Jin Seol-woon!”

Gang-hyeon, who had gone pale and barged into his house recklessly…

Made eye contact with Jin Seol-woon, who was peacefully lying down listening to music.

“…Gang-hyeon-ssi?”

“You, that article. Don’t you know…?”

His words came out stammering due to bewilderment.

Jin Seol-woon lowered his legs from the footrest and sat up. He soon figured out what was happening.

“Ah, a clarification article will come out in a bit. The company is handling it.”

After calmly reciting his explanation, he looked up and down at the trespasser standing there with a dumbfounded face, as if teasing him.

“You came rushing over just from seeing the article? We already finished talking about everything on social media.”

A little while ago, Jin Seol-woon had immediately called youngest member Dodam as soon as he saw the article.

Dodam was already in a panic, saying such an article came out because he carelessly let something slip.

“I just said I was a bit disappointed that hyung’s contact became infrequent… Hyung, I’m sorry. Really sorry.”

Dodam, talking to Esi for the first time in a while, poured out tears and snot while babbling about love and apologies (completely sober), and even after that, he sent dozens of texts with hearts attached, making Jin Seol-woon struggle to respond.

Jin Seol-woon, Dodam, and Innate leader Seong Yuhan posted some of those text contents, and the discord controversy was gradually dying down. It would probably be cleanly resolved within a few hours.

“This level doesn’t even count as a controversy. It’s really fine. There’s no problem at all.”

Thinking something terrible had happened, thinking the kid’s mentality had burst, he came rushing over only to find everything had already been resolved. Gang-hyeon awkwardly averted his gaze.

Then he spotted Jin Seol-woon’s expression and glared.

“Are you laughing?”

“It’s amusing.”

“That was you laughing.”

“Gang-hyeon-ssi seems to see me as quite young.”

No one but Gang-hyeon had ever done that.

When Jin Seol-woon was a minor, fans couldn’t bring themselves to openly shout, but when he turned twenty and promised “proper exposure” and “concepts that match his face” at his coming-of-age ceremony live, they went wild.

The most mature character in the group. The member in charge of discipline who had never once been scolded by the strict older member, who controlled the immature hyungs and took care of the youngest—a child who acted like an adult.

“Look at your age objectively.”

But Gang-hyeon doesn’t care about such circumstances.

‘Just being two years older than me. That makes him younger than Yuhan hyung too.’

“Ah damn, I ran for nothing. Ah, I’m drained. Don’t talk to me.”

Who was the one who barged into someone else’s house, but Gang-hyeon huffed and left on his own.

So shameless and unreasonable… Jin Seol-woon thought to himself.

But still, he came running because he was worried about Jin Seol-woon. The person with the most fragile body, putting aside even his own physical condition and panting for breath.

“…”

Jin Seol-woon recalled what he had said while comforting his crying youngest member.

“Were you upset that I seemed to have gotten close to the successor people?”

“Sob, no. I’m happy if hyung is doing well…”

“Innate is always in my heart. You know that. My real self is Innate.”

It wasn’t just something he said to comfort him. That was Jin Seol-woon’s sincere truth without a hint of falsehood.

Jin Seol-woon’s home was Innate. Successors could never become his home.

But if you asked why his heart had been swaying lately—

‘It wasn’t that I felt belonging to the successors… I wanted to mix together in the place where Gang-hyeon was.’

Thump. Like before, there was a loud sound of his heart dropping.

Jin Seol-woon was frozen for a while, unable to even move a finger.

‘I, surely not.’

The denial didn’t last long either. Looking back at the time that had passed, it only made his strange behavior more clear.

‘A person who only does such absurd things, I…’

But he had known from the beginning. That person’s appearance alone caught his attention too much.

The moment of realization was shocking. Enough that he couldn’t sleep all night and tossed and turned for a long time.

But when he woke up in the morning and faced the sunlight… it was amazing. The world after realizing was so different.

Unable to quench his thirsty sensation, he found himself searching for Gang-hyeon’s photos on the internet and following only Gang-hyeon’s voice in the music source, and he decided to accept it.

‘Gang-hyeon-ssi. Since you got me involved and made me fall for you, you should be prepared to get quite involved yourself.’

As much as when going on stage, Jin Seol-woon’s heart beat loudly. His mind was clear. The blood circulating through his body surged powerfully.

He began an experience he couldn’t have as an idol.

First love was something that was already inside when you came to your senses.