Episode 31: I think I really like you, oppa
<GraceOne Official Gallery>
[★Video★ The Moment the GraceOne Acid Attacker Was Caught]
[Comments]
—Samassanghyeon: That guy’s Free Sense’s manager, right?
—I’mANovel: Hero Punch! Hero Punch! Hero Punch!
—Tengaji: Took the hit like a champ ã„·ã„·ã„·
—CloudMaru: Heard the manager got acid burns on his ankle ã…œ
—BigriMe: Can’t even imagine what would’ve happened if he didn’t catch him.
—NovelManse: Shouldn’t the gallery send him a tribute or something?
—Shimaring: Gallery leader already announced they’re collecting donations, check the notice.
—Doria: I chipped in 30,000 won.
—ThunderWarrior: Good luck!
—Juns: Saw on Twitter he’s ex-UDT.
—kkong: I read he was a Blue House security guard. What’s the truth???
—Geppri: LOL, they think UDT or Blue House security is like a neighborhood cop? If that was true, he’d have snapped the guy’s neck before he even pulled the acid LOL.
This is wild.
Just yesterday, I was lurking in this official gallery, and now I’m being hailed as a hero. It feels strange.
The video from the incident spread across SNS and communities, causing a stir. Of course, not all the reactions were positive.
—iguanajm0720: Heard some say VIP staged this to hype up their flop group.
—Ddororong: Felt off to me too. If he knew about the acid attack, he could’ve stopped it earlier. Smells like a setup.
—Parcoo: Exactly, it’s too staged. They even had it filmed LOL.
—cky1990: Yeah, reeks of VIP using our girls to revive their dead pumpkin group.
“Pumpkin group” refers to Free Sense, nicknamed for performing in pumpkin masks after Halloween Day went viral.
Staged, huh…
With YouTubers faking content for views these days, anything slightly off gets called a setup.
The “staged” comments stung a bit.
I did plan the big picture, so they’re not entirely wrong.
But the attempted attacker confessed to his plan, and there’s no connection between us, so there’s no issue.
When I gave my police statement at the hospital, they treated me like a righteous citizen, not a suspect, with utmost respect.
The few comments doubting my intentions or calling it a setup hurt, but most GraceOne fans, netizens, and the company recognized my contribution, so I should focus on that.
There was another place treating me like a legendary hero.
“Well done, Creation No. 1. Is this why people raise kids, honey?”
“Seriously. Never thought I’d live to see our son make us proud.”
After my interview aired, my family’s reputation soared among relatives and acquaintances.
My dad, acting like he caught the attacker himself, was treated to meals by his taxi driver buddies with his shoulders squared.
Mom’s being revered like the Virgin Mary in the neighborhood bathhouse and among friends, her fridge overflowing with drinks, yogurt, and snacks they send daily.
Even my younger sibling, who usually treated me like an inconvenient housemate, upgraded their opinion.
“Oppa, you getting a girlfriend?”
“What girlfriend?”
“My friend wants to meet you.”
“Which friend? I know most of your middle and high school friends.”
“College friend.”
“Oh, is she pretty?”
“She’s nice.”
“No, not personality. Is her face pretty?”
“Uh… cute-ish…?”
“What’s that supposed to mean? Pretty or not?”
“Who are you to judge faces?”
“Show me a picture.”
“I don’t have one… Oh, wait, I do. But she doesn’t look great in this one…”
“Let me see.”
“The one on the right.”
“…”
“…”
“Uh… she looks nice. Like, super saintly nice. But maybe a bit chubby…? And her double eyelid surgery looks off… I’d rather go for the girl on the left…”
“What’s with the face rating? If you don’t want it, forget it.”
“Alright, I’m out.”
“Acting like you’re some celebrity now. You know I don’t even want to introduce my friend to you?”
“Our baby sibling’s getting harsh. Was gonna give you some allowance from my paycheck.”
“Give it.”
“Nah, I’m hurt now.”
“Come on, give it!”
“Not the chubby nice girl, but the pretty one on the left who looks like she’d ghost me on KakaoTalk—hook me up with her.”
“She’s got high standards. Like you said, she’d ghost guys like you.”
“So I don’t stand a chance…?”
“I’ll talk to her, so give me the allowance.”
“For real?”
“I said I’ll talk.”
I playfully handed my sibling a 1,000-won bill.
“Go buy yourself a nice bag.”
“You’re dead meat.”
“Why?”
“Dad! Oppa’s teasing me!”
“Wow, my greatest creations getting along so warmly after so long. Love to see it,” Dad said.
“Mom! Oppa and Dad are ganging up on me!”
“Son, don’t tease with money. Give her what you owe,” Mom chimed in.
Of the 1.8 million won from my second probationary paycheck, I’d already given 500,000 won each to my two creators. Now, I handed a pre-prepared envelope with 100,000 won to Creation No. 2, finally acting like a proper older brother.
“Thanks.”
“Hey, you’re supposed to say ‘Thank you’ with both hands.”
“Yessir, yessir. I’ll thank you properly.”
“So, when’s the friend introduction?”
“Sorry, Yeo-jung’s got a boyfriend. She’s in a campus couple with a senior.”
“Oof, look at that sneakiness. Dad! No. 2 scammed me!”
“That’s youth for you. Your mom’s been scamming me for 24 years,” Dad said.
“She’s not even my wife though….”
“I’m saying this as your friend, but So-jin’s really nice and solid. Meet her. You think another girl’s gonna say she likes you? This might be your last shot.”
“Wow, feels good but bad at the same time, and ultimately just bad?”
She’s not wrong.
No girl has ever said she liked me first.
All my past girlfriends were ones I pursued, and I never even got an empty “Hyun-jong, you’ve got a great personality.”
I’m not exactly the charming type…
But then, I heard “I like you” from, of all people, a girl group member.
“I think I really like you, oppa.”
It was Seung-ah.
Right after Free Sense’s new album and member additions were confirmed, the girls got a three-day break to tell their parents. Seung-ah, the first to return, blurted it out in the practice room when it was just the two of us.
“Huh? Out of nowhere…?”
“It’s because of you we got this far. Our manager’s the best!”
Who’s chugging kimchi soup by the gallon?
Who’s downing a 3,000cc pitcher of it?
Obviously, she didn’t mean it romantically, but hearing “like” for the first time made my heart flutter, and I hated myself for it.
“Uh…”
Seung-ah, seeing me wilt like a soggy malamute tongue in summer, handed me a small shopping bag.
“Huh? What’s this?”
“My mom said to give it to you as a thank-you.”
“Oh, a gift?”
“Yup. She paid, but I picked it out.”
Seung-ah’s mom had prepared gifts for me and Team Leader Jeon for dramatically reviving Free Sense.
She even sent rice cakes to the company.
Inside was a trendy, semi-luxury brand cardholder popular with our generation.
“Wow… is it okay to accept this…?”
“When I make it big, I’ll get you something even better.”
“There’s a letter too?”
“That’s from me…”
“Ooh.”
As I started to open the envelope, Seung-ah squealed, “Nooo!” and grabbed my hand.
“Why are you trying to embarrass me?! Read it at home!”
“Letters are best read in front of the giver.”
“No, that’s not how it works!”
She was so flustered she slipped into informal speech.
Clutching my hand like she might crush it, her teary-eyed head-shaking was peak adorable.
Too cute to keep to myself.
If this natural, authentic charm had aired on a variety show or livestream, it would’ve won over so many fans.
It surpassed Hyera from Sunday Girls and her iconic “Kweeng!” from that military variety show.
That moment turned Hyera’s life around.
From two months of observation, I’d say Seung-ah’s quirky concepts hid her true charm—she’s got just as much stan-worthy appeal as any top idol.
Her puppy-like charm in the alumni event afterparty video already drew in fans, earning her the nickname “Seungmoongie” among the growing fandom.
“Alright, I’ll read it at home.”
I wanted to tease her more to draw out every ounce of her cuteness, but I gave a warm chuckle and tucked the envelope back in the bag.
Seung-ah quickly changed the subject.
“So, Seon-yu’s starting today?”
“Yeah. Team Leader Jeon and CEO Jung met her parents, and it went well. She’s starting practice today.”
Seon-yu’s addition was official.
From today, she’d join the practice room, learning the choreography and songs for their existing tracks.
Since the choreography needed a complete overhaul, both the dance and vocal trainers were brought in, and even the existing members had to re-practice.
I’d already asked Seung-ah to take care of something, based on Team Leader Jeon’s earlier advice.
“You’ll handle it fine, but Seon-yu’s had a short trainee period and is joining midstream, so she’ll struggle to adjust.”
“I know, I know.”
“I know you guys aren’t the type to haze, but still, look out for her. Tell Ah-hyun and Jin-ah too.”
“No worries. You know we hate that kind of thing more than anyone.”
“I know, I know.”
“We’ll shower our new maknae with love.”
“Oh, right, Seon-yu’s the maknae now. Though she feels like the oldest vibe-wise…”
“Hehe, I can’t imagine Seon-yu calling Jin-ah ‘unnie’ either.”
“Right? Jin-ah already looks younger than her age…”
Seung-ah, giggling with anticipation for the chemistry between the new and old maknae, continued, “Jin-ah’s secretly bummed about giving up the maknae spot.”
“Really?”
“Yup, our Jin-ah’s such a baby.”
A total baby.
Beyond her looks, her behavior’s stuck in toddler mode.
Soon, the other members trickled into the practice room, and finally, all four were together.
As expected, Seon-yu, facing her unnies, was visibly nervous.
She clung to me more than the members, cautiously asking, “What do I do now…?”
“Hold on a sec.”
Before the official schedule briefing, I set aside time for introductions since the dance teacher wasn’t here yet.
Though they’d met and knew each other’s names, now that they were officially a team, it felt like an opening ceremony was in order.
Ah-hyun grumbled about it being cheesy since they already knew each other, but Seung-ah stood up confidently and went first.
“Hello, I’m Lee Seung-ah. I’m 22, the team’s leader and lead vocalist. Nice to work with you.”
Next, Ah-hyun gave a brief greeting in seniority order, and then it was Jin-ah’s turn.
Maybe because I’d heard she was sulky about losing her maknae status, Jin-ah’s already low energy seemed even more subdued today.
She stood, grabbed a large shopping bag she’d brought, and returned to her spot.
“I’m Baek Jin-ah. As of today, I’m stepping down from my 302-day tenure as maknae.”
She pulled out a framed certificate from the bag and addressed Seon-yu.
“New maknae, stand up.”
“Huh…?”
Seon-yu, glancing at me nervously, stood hesitantly.
Jin-ah, standing before her, read from the frame.
“Certificate of Appointment. Seo Seon-yu, being the youngest member, is hereby appointed as Free Sense’s official maknae. VIP CEO Kim Yong.”
She went all out.
Seon-yu, stunned, accepted the certificate and double-checked its contents. Seung-ah and Ah-hyun, equally surprised, clapped to make the maknae handover ceremony lively.
I peeked at the certificate—wait, what?
It actually had CEO Kim Yong’s official stamp.
“What? You got this from the CEO for real?”
“Yup, straight from him.”
“That’s wild… But are you crying?”
“Huh…?”
“Your eyes are all teary.”
“No, I’m not. It’s just sweat from my eyes.”
No sooner had she spoken than a tear rolled down her pale cheek.
Ah-hyun and Seung-ah were shocked.
“What, for real?”
“Pfft, she must be really bummed!”
“No, I’m not upset. It’s just… my 302 days as maknae flashed before my eyes. I got emotional for myself.”
“Oh my gosh…”
Seon-yu was the most startled.
“Uh… I’m sorry, unnie… I don’t know why I’m sorry, but I’m just sorry…”
Wiping her tears, Jin-ah shook her head calmly and opened her arms.
“Maknae, give unnie a hug.”
“Uh, okay…”
Jin-ah melted into Seon-yu’s sturdy embrace, mumbling, “Unnie’s gonna take good care of you…”
“I’ll do even better.”
Seung-ah squeezed in, hugging them both and comforting them.
“Aww, you cuties…”
Ah-hyun, zoned out in the midst of this sentimental drama, looked at me cynically.
“What’s this vibe…?”
“Go join the hug.”
“Nah, I’ll participate in spirit.”
***
That afternoon, a clue about the fifth member arrived via a future video.