#88. Red Flag in a Relationship (3)
Three weeks of cast immobilization due to ankle ligament damage.
Actually, I was recommended five weeks, but that was reduced as much as possible because there were performances during the year-end awards season. If I wanted to heal as quickly as possible, strenuous exercise like dancing was naturally prohibited during that time, and I even received strict instructions to minimize walking altogether. They said the progress after recovery would also need to be monitored regularly.
‘The other ankle was also sprained, so it couldn’t be helped.’
Just hearing about it briefly, it sounds like a somewhat troublesome situation. However, it was actually extremely fortunate that it was only this much. When I fell and got injured, not only my leg but also my head was involved, so they said there was a possibility of a concussion.
As the person involved, I only felt that the headache from the bump lasted a bit longer, but it seemed to be quite serious to the people around me. I vaguely remembered being released from the emergency room only after thoroughly completing even head-related tests.
How did I get hurt like that… it was an accident, for now.
Late at night. It was a day when Na Jihan and I remained alone in the company practice room doing choreography practice. Actually, it sounds nice to say it was just the two of us, but there were quite a few others remaining in the company building besides us. With trainees whose debut dates were set, staff busy with monthly evaluations and album preparations, and singers busy preparing for year-end performances, the company building was operating 24 hours a day.
But since it was close to midnight, the restaurant and cafe inside the building had no choice but to close. I was trying to go to a convenience store to buy some snacks when I ended up tumbling badly down the emergency stairs.
Not only was it difficult to control my body, but my vision was spinning around and around, so I was just wandering around helplessly when Bae Dojin, who appeared for a similar reason, found me.
Of all people, it had to be Bae Dojin. It seemed both fortunate and unfortunate at the same time.
‘Seowoo. You……’
‘……Please help me.’
Bae Dojin was startled and lifted me up. I didn’t want to cause a commotion for him, so I asked him to take me to the emergency room by car instead of calling an ambulance.
Actually, I could have asked Na Jihan, who was with me, but there was a reason I didn’t.
[Jihan, I got hurt so I’m going to the emergency room for a bit]
[I have a favor to ask]
As soon as I sent the hastily written message while holding my throbbing head, my phone started vibrating like crazy.
I didn’t have the time to answer the phone, so I couldn’t pick up, and Na Jihan’s messages started piling up at a frightening speed.
[Yoon Seowoo]
[Answer the phone]
[Yoon Seowoo please]
[Are you trying to drive me crazy in the middle of the night?]
Frowning from the headache, I urgently replied.
[Don’t come]
[Please do what I asked you earlier]
Then, a few minutes later, Na Jihan asked.
[Can I come to you after I finish all that?]
After quickly taking care of what I asked, he ran all the way to the emergency room. This happened while I was sitting blankly on the treatment bed after finishing all the tests and treatment for my injured leg.
Na Jihan’s face as he looked at me was full of resentment. It was as if he was saying, “How could you leave me behind like this?”
Knowing Na Jihan’s personality, I knew it was cruel to drop him like this, but I had no choice. Na Jihan was the only person I could completely trust and rely on.
When I finally returned being carried by Na Jihan, the dorm was literally turned upside down. It was surprising enough that I got injured when the promotional period wasn’t even over yet, but the bigger problem was……
‘Someone pushed me down the stairs.’
I don’t know how much cold sweat I broke out trying to stop Hapil Jae, who was jumping around saying he would call the police immediately.
This is a time when the group is establishing itself. I only wanted to prevent anything that could affect our image.
It wasn’t enough that I had already lost the last week of activities due to the injury, and even Joo Lee Seon’s birthday live scheduled for the next day had to be canceled. I was already feeling regretful and sorry for not being able to accomplish everything we had anticipated, and I didn’t want to cause any more problems.
Let’s resolve this as quietly as possible.
So Na Jihan moved instead of me. While I was receiving treatment at the emergency room with Bae Dojin, Na Jihan investigated who had pushed me. He checked the people who remained in the company building at the time and secured CCTV footage near that passage to examine people’s movements. Just because we weren’t reporting to the police didn’t mean we wouldn’t investigate the incident.
Most importantly, I felt malice directed at me. I didn’t realize it because I was too busy tumbling down the stairs, but the other person pushed me and then left the stairway landing without even looking back. There was no reason to let off someone who had quite intentionally fled.
‘The people who used the stairs during the time you were injured were limited. A new employee from the A&R team, someone on duty from the strategic support team, a dance trainer helping with the trainees’ monthly evaluation, Bae Dojin from Days, and……’
‘Bae Jonghwi.’
‘Based on the timing, it seems like it was Bae Jonghwi.’
The flaw was that there was no witness or CCTV directly showing the stairs themselves, but the circumstantial evidence was clear. Most importantly, Bae Jonghwi disliked me, so he also had a motive.
Eventually, I delivered the evidence I received from Na Jihan to Han Seonggyeong, the label representative. I also told him about our previous argument and added that I wanted definitive disciplinary action.
Han Seonggyeong listened to my story seriously and even judged that since I had sustained a major injury, it couldn’t just be overlooked. Since it wasn’t a problem that could be resolved within the label in charge of Arcus, it was natural that this matter would be reported to the board of directors.
All of this ultimately required time. The time between when the situation became known, my opinion was conveyed, and disciplinary action was decided.
I had been staying quiet because I didn’t know what might happen during this period, which unfortunately coincided with the latter half of our promotional activities.
“……This is turning into discord rumors.”
Seeing it lead to controversy targeting Na Jihan instead of me made me feel even more sorry for him.
At first, it was just cyber wreckers dropping a comment or two here and there, but I don’t know when it became this noisy. It probably felt more so because Arcus had gained fame.
Every time fans poured out worried messages through private messaging apps, my hands would itch wanting to reassure them somehow, but I ultimately couldn’t say anything for fear that uncertain words might make the problem even bigger.
Still, it wasn’t a completely unrewarding wait. After various pressures, Bae Jonghwi finally admitted to pushing me. To handle the disciplinary action for this incident, we decided to meet Bae Jonghwi face-to-face today.
The suddenly reduced activities, the birthday live that was essentially canceled on the same day, and the discord rumors – I planned to explain all of this through appropriate methods once the matter was concluded. The members and I had also agreed to match this as closely as possible to the standards I wanted.
Although it was a sudden accident, it was gradually being handled. That was at least hopeful.
If there’s one problem that still hasn’t been resolved.
“Jihan.”
When I stretched out my arm, Na Jihan flinched. It was a very subtle change, but it couldn’t fool my eyes that had been watching him for a lifetime.
Of course, that didn’t mean he rejected me. He wouldn’t leave me alone when I had mobility issues, and Na Jihan would especially avoid entrusting me to someone else. He lifted me up and headed to the bathroom.
“Just sit me in the bathtub. I want to wash myself.”
“Don’t make me say the same thing again.”
Ever since he stumbled once because of water left on the floor, he doesn’t even pretend to listen no matter how much I tell him to leave.
He wrapped plastic bags tightly around both my ankles and then sat me in the bathtub. Having done it a few times now, he had quickly become skilled at it.
‘I really can do it myself……’
There’s no point in saying anything anyway. Having quickly given up, I grabbed onto Na Jihan. He leaned toward me and began washing my hair with meticulous hands.
With Na Jihan’s attitude still being so caring, my one-sided love continues sluggishly, bouncing back and forth between failure and success like a rubber band game.
Whatever the case, it means I still like him, and even if that weren’t the case, my feelings of intimacy toward him as a friend and family member remained the same.
So the public discord rumors should have been completely absurd.
“Jihan.”
When I raised my head, our eyes met.
And a few seconds later.
“……Why do you keep avoiding my eyes?”
It seems like things between us have really become awkward.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
