Second Try Idol

Chapter 410: Reunion

Chapter 410: Reunion

Jin-Sung's change was too sudden. He looked at me with trembling eyes as if he had seen something terrifying. I couldn’t help but be startled. The Jin-Sung I knew wasn't someone who would make such a pale face. Especially when there was still a performance left to do.

Eventually, Yoon-Chan guided the dazed Jin-Sung by gently placing a hand on his shoulder. "Are you in shock? Let's finish the stage first, Jin-Sung," he said softly, trying to reassure him.

Despite Yoon-Chan's kind words, Jin-Sung barely managed to nod. He was unable to hide his confused expression. I exchanged a worried glance with Yoon-Chan, who gave me a small, helpless shrug.

Jin-Sung seemed genuinely strange today. ‘Why is he acting like this?’

Though Jin-Sung was easily frightened, it was usually by occult things, not by stage lights bursting.

Moreover, he wasn't the only one acting weird. Joo-Han and Goh Yoo-Joon also looked spaced out until Yoon-Chan brought them to the center of the stage.

It was indeed a moment so brief that the audience seemed to have not noticed the odd, lingering atmosphere. Their obliviousness felt like a stroke of luck. It probably appeared as nothing more than a startled reaction to the stage lighting to them, which was a simple misunderstanding.

Jin-Sung was still bewildered by the abrupt change, and found himself walking toward the center of the stage. As he settled into his position, the music began and filled the air with its familiar melody.

The encore of the event unfolded without a hitch. The members recovered swiftly, wore bright smiles and energetically waved to the crowd.

However, as soon as we stepped off the stage, a heavy silence fell over us once again. Our lively energy seemed to drain away with each step we took backstage.

"Are you okay?"

"You must have been really startled."

"I’m fine," came the muted reply, barely audible over the quiet backstage bustle.

The members’ responses were brief, limited mostly to answering the staff's questions. All the members, except for me and Yoon-Chan, reverted to the dazed expressions they wore when the lights first exploded. It was a sight both unsettling and puzzling.

"...Hey, Tae-Seong, should we head back to the dorm now?" Yoon-Chan's voice broke through the thick air as he tried to lighten the mood. He looked at Tae-Seong, who was observing everyone's state.

Tae-Seong sighed deeply and nodded after a moment. "You guys seem really shocked. Let's skip practice today and head straight back to rest," he decided. His voice carried a mix of concern and fatigue.

It felt as if they were all under some spell, trapped in a collective trance. I wished they would open up about their unusual behavior. The silence was suffocating, only broken by the occasional sound of shifting feet and the distant hum of the stage machinery.

"Hyung, do you know why the members are acting this way?" Yoon-Chan whispered, his eyes darting around nervously.@@@@

I shook my head, absolutely clueless."We will have to ask back at the dorm."

But it wasn’t like there weren’t any hints. There was an unnerving air about their silence, as if they were all holding back something monumental. I found myself hoping it was nothing serious and chose to feign ignorance for the time being.

Isaac.

Creator god.

Synchronization.

I silently pleaded that whatever was affecting the members had nothing to do with that ominous term—synchronization. The incident with the lights should be unrelated. It had to be a mere coincidence.

After a three-hour journey, we arrived at our dorm. Jin-Sung’s expression grew increasingly grave throughout the ride. This was a stark contrast to the other members who, despite appearing somewhat down, gradually returned to their usual demeanors.

"Jin-Sung," Yoon-Chan called out as soon as he stepped off the vehicle. His tone was laced with worry. But Jin-Sung merely responded with a quick nod and a promise to talk later before disappearing into his room.

"Ah, I’m exhausted. I got motion sickness, which I usually don't. Ugh," Goh Yoo-Joon complained as he dropped his bags and dramatically sprawled onto the living room couch.

"You should definitely wash up before sleeping today. You smell like dust," I teased while nudging Goh Yoo-Joon with my foot. I took a seat next to him and decided to probe a little.

"Hey, why were you zoning out earlier?"

"What?" He seemed slightly defensive.

"What do you mean, what? You were totally spaced out on stage. You seemed startled by the burst light for a long time," I pointed out, trying to gauge his reaction.

"Why are you suddenly using formal language with me?"

"Me? Oh... Did I?"

Something was profoundly off. This wasn’t the Jin-Sung I knew. His gaze was out of place as well. How could that be the look of someone seeing a close friend he liked?

"Have I done something wrong?"

"Huh?" Jin-Sung failed to respond and merely lowered his head. His face etched with confusion.

In that moment, seeing his unexpectedly mature demeanor stripped of his usual excitement and energy, I knew.

This person was not Jin-Sung. More precisely, this was not the Jin-Sung of now.

Was it because of the memory synchronization? ...No. This went beyond Jin-Sung simply recalling a past memory. It was as if he had been completely transformed.

'That damn creator god.'

What had he done?

I felt a coldness creeping from the tips of my fingers. This wasn't right. This really was not right.

I might not say it out loud, but the person before me now... This guy was the Lee Jin-Sung from the past, the one I went through fire to save.

Fuck. Tears suddenly seemed imminent from my eyes. I quickly stood up. "I... I will talk to you later."

I avoided Jin-Sung and headed to my room.

"Hyung, Hyun-Woo hyung."

If this was another trial or a prank from the creator god that had befallen me, how in the world was I supposed to overcome it?

If this was the result of synchronization, I definitely wouldn't be able to endure it. If it was a prank by the creator god, I would find a way to reverse it no matter what.

This couldn’t be happening... This just couldn’t be the reality...

***

/From Lee Jin-Sung’s point of view/

‘Bang!’

There was an explosion, and when I came to my senses, I found myself on stage.

Could this be a dream? I had clearly finished a few minor tasks and gone to sleep. I was wearing an outfit I had never worn before, a confused audience was around me, but more startling than them was Yoon-Chan gripping my wrist and leading me to somewhere.

Yoon-Chan, Joo-Han, Yoo-Joon... Clearly, our group, Elated, had disbanded. Therefore, this had to be a dream. Otherwise, how could I be reliving this moment I had longed for in a dream?

As I realized it was just a dream, I decided to enjoy it and followed Yoon-Chan by taking one step after another. But then I stopped again.

Another person had joined us on my dream stage. It was a familiar and neatly groomed face looking at me with concern.

"Ah..."

A groan escaped me involuntarily. It was Hyun-Woo.

How could I have such a dream? With overwhelming emotion and a heavy sense of guilt pressing down, I headed toward Hyun-Woo. As I did, something strange flickered before my eyes.

[Second Condition: Choose]

- You cannot advance until you complete the requirement.