Chapter 26: Dawn of the Scream

“They’re really running this way! It’s not just my imagination!”

Hwang Guman slammed on the brakes.

The distance between their car and the one ahead had shrunk so much that only one person could barely squeeze through.

“Kyaaah!”

“Noona, are you okay?”

Do Minkyung shrieked and quickly pulled herself away from the window.

A group of people had approached the car and were banging on the windows.

Some had even pressed their faces right up against the glass, trying to peer inside with wide eyes.

Startled at first, Minkyung soon regained her composure and began unfolding blankets, covering Roy and the others’ heads one by one.

“Just cover up lightly so your hair doesn’t get ruined. This doesn’t look good.”

“I don’t think even the production staff expected things to get this out of hand.”

Hwang Guman’s face darkened.

The safety of the company’s trainees was his top priority.

A big agency might have hired private bodyguards, but Bada Entertainment simply didn’t have the budget for that.

That said, with his rugged appearance, Hwang Guman could easily pass for a bodyguard himself.

Most people backed down the moment they made eye contact with him.

“I’ll try to move closer to the docked ferry.”

The situation was too dangerous to stop and let the kids out.

These people were rushing in regardless of how risky it was.

Hwang Guman could already imagine how things would go the moment the idols stepped out.

It was clear the cars in front of them had come to the same conclusion—they had also begun inching forward again.

“This is scary… but also kind of amazing. They really came all the way here just to see us, right?”

With a blanket draped over his head, Kim Chan blushed deeply.

Even during his daily trips to the company for practice, a few fans would show up now and then.

The same emotional wave washed over him now.

Just knowing someone had traveled so far to see him made his nose sting.

“It’s nice that you’re touched, but you’d better not act like this with sasaeng fans.”

Worried about Kim Chan’s overly kind nature, Do Minkyung gave a stern warning.

In this world, even drawing a hard line could be interpreted as affection by some obsessive fans.

“Of course not. I’d never do anything to put the hyungs in danger.”

Even if he didn’t make the debut lineup in the current show, Kim Chan was confident that one day he’d debut together with Roy and Lee Doha.

As part of a group, he knew his actions could affect the other members too.

***

“Guys, get ready.”

Hwang Guman managed to get the car near the ferry.

When he saw what was happening to those who had gotten off earlier, his face went pale.

He got out first and began gently pushing back the crowd that had gathered.

“Please step back! Someone’s going to get hurt at this rate!”

His intimidating looks made a few people back away—but only for a moment.

As soon as the van door opened and Roy, Kim Chan, and Lee Doha stepped out, the screams erupted from every direction.

“Kyaaaa! Roy!”

“Chan! Noona’s here!”

“Doha! Hyung came too!”

Hearing their names called out so loudly, all three froze in place.

Roy, in particular, blinked in a daze as he slowly looked around.

There were cameras everywhere.

While he had gotten used to the ones held by the staff, he hadn’t expected so many strangers to be filming with phones and cameras of their own.

The deafening screams ringing in his ears only made it harder for him to stay focused.

“Ahh…!”

Kim Chan only snapped out of it when someone began dragging him away.

The fan was actually shorter than him, even on tiptoe, but her grip on his hair was shockingly strong.

“H-Hyung…!”

“Excuse me, could you please let go?”

Kim Chan looked desperately at Roy, who responded by bowing politely to the fan and gently grabbing her wrist.

“Please…”

The moment Roy touched her, the fan’s face turned beet red.

Her grip loosened just enough for Roy to pull Kim Chan back to his side.

“Everyone, move toward the ferry. Quickly!”

Hwang Guman spread his arms wide, trying to shield the boys from the onrushing crowd.

His large frame swayed precariously under the pressure.

Do Minkyung was helping beside him, but it wasn’t enough.

“Everyone, back off!”

Only when a group of staff members came rushing over did they finally manage to move forward.

Roy held onto the dazed Kim Chan’s arm and headed for the docked ferry.

Even Lee Doha, usually so composed, was scanning the area with sharp eyes.

He was clearly on edge, worried that Roy or Kim Chan might get hurt.

Roy could tell just by looking at him.

No one else tried to yank their hair like before, but people were still grabbing at their clothes from all sides.

***

“Come aboard, please!”

“Thank you.”

Following the staff’s guidance, Roy stepped onto the ferry and helped Kim Chan, who still looked shaken, into a seat.

Kim Chan sat down and clutched his head, on the verge of tears.

“My hair…”

Roy gently patted his shoulder.

His own face showed signs of deep exhaustion as he smoothed out his wrinkled clothes and sat beside him.

“Your hair…”

Each time Kim Chan ran a hand through his bleached hair, strands came falling out.

“No bald spots, though.”

Lee Doha, now seated on Kim Chan’s other side, carefully inspected the top of his head.

His lighthearted tone made Kim Chan give him a teary glare, though not a serious one.

“My scalp was already sore from the bleach…”

His voice trembled with emotion.

For a moment, he had really thought his scalp would be ripped right off.

“I’ll come with you guys up to the gate. They’re really shaken up.”

“Please do.”

With the staff’s permission, Hwang Guman boarded the ferry.

He quickly scanned Roy, Kim Chan, and Lee Doha with a worried look.

“Phew… Are you all okay? I guess this is what happens once you’re on TV.”

Catching his breath, Kim Chan glanced at the crowd still shouting nearby.

When his eyes met the fan who had pulled his hair, cold sweat soaked his back.

“Do we already have fans?”

Still, it wasn’t just fear that filled him. Kim Chan looked up at Hwang Guman with an expression of excitement he didn’t even realize he had.

“Looks like it. Our company’s social media follower count nearly increased tenfold overnight.”

“In that case… I don’t mind sacrificing my hair a little.”

Just moments ago, he had looked devastated over his wind-blown hair, but his mood had flipped in an instant.

Roy shook his head at the sudden change, but Kim Chan just smiled brightly.

“Will things like this keep happening?”

Roy tilted his head at the question, and Kim Chan answered in a cheerful voice.

“If we get more popular. I noticed the fans holding banners with your name on them the most, Roy.”

“That’s… scary.”

His ears were still ringing.

Come to think of it, Kim Chan was right—he’d seen something with his name waving in the air.

“There are way more kind fans. And if we get really popular, the CEO will assign us bodyguards. Right?”

Popular Hunter idols were always accompanied by bodyguards.

Since some fans could be Hunters themselves, the bodyguards were usually Hunters too.

Top-tier idols were sometimes protected by some of the best Hunters around.

“Of course. We’re going to report what happened today to the broadcasting station. They’ll probably take action—it wasn’t just you they rushed at.”

Hwang Guman pointed around them.

Just like the boat Roy, Kim Chan, and Lee Doha were on, nearby boats were also surrounded by swarms of people.

“We’ll head out first. Looks like the others can’t make it through the crowd.”

“Okay.”

The driver, after receiving a message over the radio, started the engine.

The boat quickly pulled away from the port, leaving behind a trail of white foam.

Roy gave a small wave to the people fading into the distance.

The crowd had been overwhelming, even frightening, but the fact that they had come all this way just to see him filled him with gratitude.

***

“Hyung… is it okay if I hold your arm?”

Kim Chan huddled close to Roy.

He had just locked eyes with something—eyes the size of an adult torso floating above the surface of the water.

“Are you scared of monsters now?”

“Yeah… I’m more surprised you’re not. You’re the weird one, hyung.”

Roy could feel Kim Chan trembling as he clung to his arm.

He gently patted the younger boy’s head and turned to look at the island drawing near.

“Why does it feel like we’re coming home? It’s kind of sad…”

Kim Chan’s voice drifted away in the ocean breeze.

Roy and Lee Doha both nodded in agreement.

“I have to head back out soon. Good work, everyone. Let’s do our best for this shoot too. Fighting!”

Hwang Guman could only accompany them to the entrance.

With a regretful expression, he offered his farewell.

Roy and Lee Doha gave him a light handshake, while Kim Chan, teary-eyed as if saying goodbye to his father, gave him a heartfelt hug.

“Hyungs!”

Just as the bittersweet farewell was ending for the two of them, a clear voice rang out.

“You’re here early.”

“Yeah. I came at dawn. I heard the port is packed—is that true?”

Roy stepped forward to greet Lee Hajun, who ran up to them.

His round eyes sparkled with curiosity, but the moment he saw their disheveled appearance, his face turned to concern.

“Gasp! Did you guys get hurt? What happened to your hair, Chan hyung?”

All three of them looked a mess, but Kim Chan was by far the worst.

His carefully styled hair now looked like it had been chewed up by rats.

“My scalp hurts. Hyung, blow on it for me.”

Kim Chan, suddenly playful, leaned in toward Hajun, pointing to the top of his head.

Roy and Lee Doha’s faces soured at the sight.

“Whooo~”

Only the sweet and innocent Hajun played along with the joke.

“Let’s head inside. More people are arriving.”

Roy took the lead in organizing the situation.

Under fluttering banners, more contestants were gathering.

Most looked just as rough as Kim Chan.

One of them had even been scratched on the face and was being led to the medical tent by a staff member.

“Oh, right. Did you guys hear?”

“Hear what?”

“This next mission… there’s a rumor it’s happening at dawn.”

“Dawn…?”

Kim Chan’s face went pale.

He had a bad feeling.

A scene from a previous Hunter Idol survival show flashed in his mind.

A terrifying video filled with screams in the darkness.

And now they were on an island crawling with monsters.

The island wasn’t even that big—and the living quarters for people were even smaller.

That meant the production crew had only set up lights in some parts of the island.

In other words, there were areas shrouded in pitch-black darkness.

As Kim Chan stood there, face white, imagination spiraling over the possible horrors of the upcoming mission—

“Aaaaagh—!!”