Recently, Jae-jun had been having frequent nightmares.
— “Isn’t it about time you understood? You’re holding the boys back. They’ll all be fine if you just leave. Still don’t get it?”
Even during the day, President Bang Gi-cheol’s voice lingered in his ears like an auditory hallucination. Consequently, he found himself staring blankly into the distance more often as the days passed.
*Thud!*
“!”
Jae-jun jumped in surprise. Someone had suddenly grabbed his shoulder from behind.
“Why are you so startled, Brother?”
“……Huh?”
“If you’re not feeling well, do you want to just go inside and rest?”
It was Riu. Usually the prickly one of the group, he now wore a look of genuine concern.
“……No, I’m okay. I have to earn my keep.”
*Clang! Clang!*
The sound of steel pipes being driven into the ground echoed continuously throughout the area.
*Rumble!*
The ground trembled wherever the excavator passed.
“Hey, hey! Watch out with that shovel! Whoa!”
Jin-woo ducked his head quickly. The ground was being prepared for blueberry seedlings. Hye-seong, the youngest, had been digging clumsily when his hand slipped.
“I-I’m sorry! Brother! Are you okay?”
Hye-seong, who had nearly struck Jin-woo with the shovel, rushed over. It was then that the commander of the site, Baek Ji-gang, rolled up his sleeves and stepped forward.
“You’re going to get hurt if you try to shovel with just raw strength.”
“Oh, Father.”
The members of Revive now referred to Baek Ji-gang as Father.
“When you drive the shovel into the ground, press down with your foot and support your weight with your legs like this. Don’t dig too deep when you’re lifting soil; just use the tip of the shovel. Especially when you lift, keep the shovel close to your body.”
“Yes, Father!”
*Thud! Thud!*
Sweating profusely, Hye-seong began shoveling again. It was as if he had received a masterclass; his posture was much more stable than before.
“But wait, why is the Prosecutor so good at manual labor?”
Riu, who happened to look over, muttered with a look of disbelief.
*Stab, stab, stab, stab, stab!*
The speed of his shoveling was so fast he looked like a human excavator.
“Maybe because he’s the son of our Farming Commander, Father Baek Ji-gang?”
“Even so, he must have spent his whole life studying. Does it make sense that we, who use our bodies for a living, are being outdone?”
“……I mean, I heard he even passed the bar exam at the top of his class at Seoul Law School……”
Even Jin-woo, the group’s usual sycophant, had to agree with Riu this time.
“I heard something……”
Min Ha-ru approached them at that moment. She whispered as if sharing a secret.
“The Prosecutor. I heard he’s a former amateur fighting champion.”
“!”
The members were instantly shocked. Even Shin Hye-seo, who was busy carrying water, perked up her ears.
“Sister, is that true?”
“Yeah. I heard it directly from Attorney Jang. You’ve all seen the scars on the Prosecutor’s wrists, right?”
“Wait, then could those be……?”
Min Ha-ru nodded with a serious expression.
“He got those while subduing criminals with his bare hands.”
“Wow.”
“He apparently didn’t want to use a lack of physical strength as an excuse for not studying, so he balanced fighting and studying since he was a student. After that stabbing incident, he trained even harder. For over ten years.”
“I-Is that even possible?”
“Since he made it possible, doesn’t his current appearance make sense?”
“……”
Respect finally dawned on the faces of the Revive members.
“In other words, is he the An Bo-hyun of the legal world……?”
“An Bo-hyun was an elite athlete who quit to become an actor…… In my eyes, the Prosecutor seems even more impressive.”
“Then, the Chef Ahn Sung-jae of the legal world?”
“Hey, even Chef Ahn Sung-jae isn’t on that level. They said the Prosecutor was a champion.”
“He’s even good at cooking.”
“……I guess both studying and athletics really are matters of talent.”
*Slide.*
Je-a brushed past them, silently moving seedlings.
“Oh!?”
*Click!*
For whatever reason, Jin-woo quickly pulled out his phone and started filming. The pouring sunlight. The white drops of sweat mixed with sunscreen trickling down the neck. The sight of him moving with work gloves on, seedlings slung over his shoulder……
“……Couldn’t we use this for our new music video?”
“!”
“It actually fits the concept and vibe of our debut stage.”
“N-Now that you mention it……?”
Expectation lit up the faces of the Revive members simultaneously. They had started this work to clear their heads, but they had gained an unexpected prize.
*Squeak!*
*Squeak!*
Even the cameos were excellent. A pair of otters stood side by side like meerkats, watching the humans work without running away.
“Since they’re doing that, doesn’t it feel like the otters are cheering for us?”
“Yeah. If even their pups do that later, I’ll really feel like working.”
*Whish!*
At the same time, a slow, fresh breeze blew by, cooling the members’ heat. The cool air rising from beneath the ground was a bonus.
“……This is nice.”
However, the members also felt a twinge of regret. The day they would have to leave this wonderful place was not far off.
—
A luxury restaurant in Seoul.
Bang Gi-cheol, the former CEO of Prop Entertainment, met a long-time sponsor here.
“Oh, President Hwang!”
Uncharacteristic of his usual personality, Bang Gi-cheol bowed deeply.
“President Bang. How have you been lately?”
“I’ve been doing very well.”
“I’ve heard the rumors. You’re going independent this time?”
“Hahaha. It was something that had to be handled eventually. There’s been a lot of noise surrounding our company, hasn’t there? Because of my partner.”
President Hwang Hye-gyeong of Shinhwa Department Store nodded.
“You mean Lee Ji-hoon?”
“Oh dear. I didn’t intend to bring up unpleasant topics. Well, instead of standing here, shall we go to our seats?”
The two were soon guided to their table by waiting staff.
“As I mentioned over the phone, I’d like to run a business properly this time. I want to take over the work President Shin was handling and start a brand-new comprehensive entertainment company.”
“I’m well aware of your business acumen, President Bang.”
“I’ll speak plainly. The funds you used to invest in Prop Entertainment. If possible, could you provide those to me exclusively?”
“……”
A heavy silence fell. For Bang Gi-cheol, the few seconds felt like hours.
“……First of all, it’s not like I’m made of money. I haven’t even properly recovered the funds already invested in you.”
“Ah……”
“To make matters worse, I heard your company is quite noisy right now? Because of that drug scandal.”
“!”
Bang Gi-cheol’s face stiffened reflexively.
‘I knew she knew.’
Recently, due to issues with celebrities evading military service and habitual drug use, even Bang Gi-cheol’s house had been searched and seized.
“I can settle that easily!”
“Yes. I’m sure you will. I’m just telling you how things are on my end.”
“Are things difficult for you lately?” Bang Gi-cheol asked cautiously.
“It’s hard trying to split the pie in a small region like Busan. I want to prove my ability quickly and move up to Seoul. Then I’d be able to use the company funds more freely at my discretion, but that girl Han Yu-jin is being quite bothersome.”
“You mean Saekyung Department Store.”
President Hwang Hye-gyeong nodded.
“Anyway, since that’s the situation, just wait a little bit. Once I find a solid item that caters to the customers’ tastes, sales will skyrocket. We have quite a few business items in preparation. We can talk about the investment then.”
“I understand.”
“Which reminds me……”
At that moment, Hwang Hye-gyeong lowered her voice with a strange smile.
“Do you have any good kids at your place lately? I saw them briefly before; those trainees in the group called Revive had very nice faces.”
“Ah. They’re already ruined. To the point where a debut is practically impossible.”
“Why?”
“If a part is broken, you have to replace it and move on, but I heard they’re trying to force it to work with a rusted part. I suppose it’s typical of President Shin……”
“Is that so? That’s a bit of a waste.”
Hwang Hye-gyeong’s reaction ended there. Seeing her indifferent expression, Bang Gi-cheol smirked.
“I’ll prepare some better ones and bring them to you soon.”
—
I moved the first harvest of blueberries to the kitchen. These were fruits that had ripened in the open field in just one week. After washing them thoroughly and setting them aside, the luster that had looked like transparent frost became even stronger.
‘Blueberries are known to be rich in anthocyanins.’
A treasure trove of vitamins that relieves fatigue and clears vision. Not only do they have antioxidant effects, but they also greatly help in preventing dementia and activating the brain. Especially,
‘There are research results showing that rich flavonoids act on the balance of serotonin and dopamine in the brain, alleviating stress, anxiety, and even depression.’
That was why blueberries were also called “brain food.” I planned to make a delicious dessert with these.
*Slide.*
I immediately picked up a handful of blueberries. The plump fruits dropped one by one onto the yogurt.
*Press.*
As I pressed down lightly with a spoon, the blue fruits burst through their skins. The purple juice mixed instantly with the white yogurt.
*Swirl.*
With a few stirs, purple waves rippled over the snow-white surface. The tangy scent tickling the tip of my nose was a bonus. My lips naturally curved into a smile at the dense texture as I stirred.
“Jae-jun.”
I immediately approached today’s first taster with the bowl.
“Prosecutor……?”
“Try this. It’s a dessert I prepared specifically for you.”
“……”
Jae-jun, who had been looking at me for a moment, gave a bitter smile.
“Thank you, Prosecutor. You didn’t have to go through all this trouble for me……”
“Don’t say that; just try it. I won’t give it to the others until you say it’s delicious.”
“……If you say so.”
Jae-jun reluctantly picked up the spoon. However,
“……Mm?”
The moment he put a spoonful into his mouth.
“!!!”
An immense sourness and sweetness followed. A blanket of incredible flavor completely enveloped his tongue.
‘W-What is this……?’
Jae-jun’s eyes widened. Fruit yogurt was a common enough food, but he had never tasted anything like this in his life. Moreover,
‘Why do I feel like my mood is improving?’
How should I put it? It might just be a feeling, but with this mood, he felt like he wouldn’t even be nervous if he had to stand on stage right now.
“Attention, everyone!”
Right then, President Shin Hye-seo called the members of Revive together.
“You boys start getting ready to go up to Seoul.”
“Huh? Already?”
“What do you mean ‘already’? Isn’t your debut at the end of next month?”
At those words, the Revive members’ gazes naturally drifted to one place.
“Um, President. Then what about Brother Jae-jun……?”
“Why are you asking? He’s your leader; of course he’s going with you!”
“!”
The faces of the Revive members instantly brightened.
“If you fall, it’ll hurt less if you fall together. If you don’t make it the first time, try a second. If not a second, then a third. If you keep challenging yourselves, eventually one will be a hit.”
“President……!”
“Or did you plan on succeeding without Jae-jun?”
“No way, Ma’am!”
Everyone except Jae-jun shouted at the top of their lungs.
“You guys……”
Just as Jae-jun looked down, overcome with emotion, a bag was thrust in front of him.
“These blueberries. Eat them every day as a snack.”
“Prosecutor……”
“Wait, what? Prosecutor! Are you only giving a gift to Brother Jae-jun? I’m offended!”
The other members, noticing the two late, ran over in a dash.
“Big Brother!”
First, Riu grabbed my hand.
“Once I succeed, I’ll definitely keep my promise. An apartment in Hannam The Hill!”
“I’ll periodically change the car you drive. Whether it’s a G-Wagon, a Ferrari, or a Lamborghini, just say the word!”
“I-I’ll introduce you to at least ten beautiful celebrity girlfriends!”
“Hye-seong. Are you sure that’s a good thing for the Prosecutor?”
“O-Of course! It depends on the person!”
“Thank you so much for saving Brother Jae-jun. And for gifting us such a wonderful time.”
“May you always be blessed.”
As if they were gangsters, the Revive members all bowed ninety degrees at once. And their greetings weren’t over yet.
“Father! Mother!”
Entering the main wooden hall, the members bowed to my parents.
“Thank you for everything!”
“Oh my……”
My mother turned her head away, her eyes reddening. She seemed genuinely sad to see them go.
“……Ahem.”
Even my incredibly blunt father let out a small cough.
“Come back whenever you want. I’ll always welcome you boys.”
The members, standing back up, bowed their heads once more.
“Yes, Father!”
—
Bang Gi-cheol turned on the TV as he usually did.
— “Hello, we are the rookie idol group, Revive!”
— “KYAAAAAAAAAAAA!”
At the same time, an enormous roar erupted, nearly tearing the speakers.
“……What is that?”
It was a sight that left Bang Gi-cheol utterly dazed. Even more shocking was the performance that followed.
“Why the hell are they so good, damn it?”
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