LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 348
Chapter 348. Admiration and Salvation (7)
The relentless mission of acquiring invitation tickets under the guise of mandatory rides at Dreamland continued without pause.
After the grueling morning filled with high-intensity rides, it seemed the production team had gathered enough footage.
The afternoon’s missions were noticeably easier. While the rides themselves were still intense, by this point, our bodies had started to adjust, and we could finally begin to appreciate the surrounding scenery.
Still, the most exhausting task remained the bungee jump.
“We need at least 140 more invitations to be safe, and right now, we have 125. Each bungee jump gives us 10 invitations. So, we have two options.”
“What are they?”
“One person jumps twice, or two people jump once each.”
“Then you should jump twice.”
“Why me?”
“Because you’re the *hyung*. Lead by example.”
That little rebel Dan Haru tried to slyly pass the bungee jumping task to me. Now, normally, the ‘right thing’ for an elder brother would be to accept the task gracefully and set a good example.
But me?
“No thanks.”
“Alright, countdown starting! You have to jump without hesitation! If you look down and get scared, you won’t be able to jump!”
“Wow, Haru! You’re really living life to the fullest! I’ll make sure to capture your first bungee jump with a live cam! Don’t worry!”
“Kang Hajin, I swear…”
“Everyone! Our youngest member is about to bungee jump for the very first time!!! Look over here! That’s our Haru up there!!!”
“I’m going to kill him… for real…”
If life didn’t feel real to you, allow me to help with that.
With a swift hand, I rigged the draw so that Haru ended up at the top of the bungee platform. Originally, Haru got picked to jump both times, but Joo Eunchan, being the great older brother he was, volunteered to take one of Haru’s jumps.
I wonder where he learned that from.
“And now, for *Today’s Kairos* at Dreamland! The final count of invitations collected for the guerrilla concert is…!”
“……”
“504 invitations! Congratulations!”
And just like that, back to the present.
We’d succeeded, surpassing the original goal of 400 by an extra 100 tickets.
“How did we get that many?”
Our team had racked up 160 tickets.
With Haru and Eunchan’s bungee jumps earning us 140 tickets, I decided to ride the Swing Coaster one last time on my way back, just to cover all bases. You know, minimal guilt and all that.
That left about 340 tickets. I doubted the Lee brothers, who had the easiest missions and the weakest constitutions, could have pulled in the remaining 170.
So that meant…
“And out of that, 200 invitations were obtained by the Cherry Bomb team.”
All eyes turned to Jung Siwoo and Seo Taehyun, standing in the middle of the group. Siwoo, still wearing his bizarre alien sunglasses, antenna headband, fairy wings, and now holding a bubble wand, proudly blew bubbles into the air.
Not quite ready to talk directly to the strange alien standing before me, I leaned over to Taehyun and whispered.
“What exactly did you guys do?”
“Oh… on the way back, we found an arcade.”
“An arcade?”
“Yeah, and there were invitations attached to the games. Siwoo hyung wanted to try them out…”
“And the mission?”
“Set a new high score.”
“……”
“Every single arcade machine at Dreamland now has JSW listed as the top score. It was like he was possessed.”
Taehyun, no longer surprised by anything at this point, clapped as the show wrapped up. Siwoo, overhearing our conversation, pushed his sunglasses up onto his head and smirked.
“Taehyun, you earned 30 tickets at the end there, but you’re only talking about me?”
“What did he do?”
“Punched over 900 points on the punching machine.”
“……”
“He must’ve had a lot of pent-up frustration. His swing was something else.”
No wonder it hurt so much every time he smacked my back.
Silently vowing never to provoke Taehyun or Siwoo again, I turned my attention back to the closing statement written on the director’s sketchbook, reading it aloud naturally.
“Shall we start distributing the invitations now?”
“Sounds good.”
“We should hurry. We need to be back by 6 PM for concert prep.”
“Let’s split up. We’ve got 504 tickets, so everyone takes 72 each.”
“Alright, we’ll take a quick break, then head out. Before we go, let’s huddle up and do a cheer.”
I called everyone in, extending my hand into the center. One by one, the members placed their hands over mine, forming a semicircle. Feeling the weight and warmth of their hands stacked on top of mine, I turned to look at Haru on the far left.
“……?”
“You lead the cheer this time, Haru.”
For a brief moment, Haru shot me a look that said, *What the hell are you up to now?* But I wasn’t scared. The camera had already zoomed in on him, ready to catch his moment. Not wanting to spark any controversy over his attitude, Haru quickly schooled his expression and shouted.
“Kairos—!”
“Rise up!!”
The sky, once bright blue, was now fading into soft hues of orange as the sun began to set.
Against that beautiful backdrop, the seven of us raised our hands high into the air.
* * *
Dan Haru’s assigned zone was Dreamland’s Memory Island, an indoor area deep within the park. It was filled with family-friendly cafes, exhibitions, photo spots, and gift shops. As evening approached, the area’s main attraction—the glowing LED lamps—would soon light up.
*Handing out invitations isn’t difficult…*
Haru had once done flyer distribution as a part-time job so frequently that giving out 70 invitations to people wasn’t a challenge. The real problem was something else entirely.
“Um… excuse me.”
“What the f—!”
“Pardon?”
As Haru tried to hand invitations to a group of schoolgirls, one of them blurted out a curse. Startled, Haru flinched, only for the girl to wave her hands in apology.
“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry! I’m just, like, a huge fan! I seriously ran here straight from school just to see you! I love you so much!”
What truly overwhelmed Haru were these reactions.
Having always experienced such things secondhand through *Haru,* facing this kind of adoration directly was new and disorienting. His face began to stiffen with nerves, but he managed to force a smile as he responded.
“Uh, thank you. We’re performing at Love Square at 8 PM tonight. If you can make it…”
“Yes, yes! I’ll be there, I swear! I’ll definitely be there!”
“…Thank you.”
“I’m more thankful that you exist…”
The girl’s passionate confession sent everyone nearby, including the staff with cameras, into fits of laughter. Only Haru stood there, frozen, unsure how to process the overwhelming fan love.
*Thankful that I exist…?*
It was the first time Haru had ever heard such words.
“I love you!”
“You’re my absolute favorite! I’m not even lying.”
“I happened to hear you sing on the radio, and your voice was so comforting. That’s when I became your fan.”
“I’m just so grateful you debuted as part of Kairos. I’m so glad you’re here.”
“I saw you on that variety show! You were so charming on *Touch High!*”
“Kairos’ year-end performance was my favorite. I watched your *More and More* stage over and over.”
Haru continued meeting person after person.
There were Destis who had rushed to Dreamland after hearing the news, people who had heard of Kairos and Haru, and even regular visitors who didn’t recognize him but were kind nonetheless. But most people seemed to know who Dan Haru was.
And they all showered him with affection and warmth.
The unconditional love directed at Haru felt disorienting, and even though part of him found it false and hypocritical, he couldn’t help but feel a certain satisfaction.
It was clear to Haru just how cherished *Haru* was, how much he deserved love.
It was comforting to know that the person he had sacrificed so much to protect was flourishing and loved by so many.
At the same time, Haru felt something else stirring inside him.
“Haru.”
“Haru-ssi.”
“Dan Haru!”
Each time someone called his name, it struck him harder.
The more he saw how much meaning was attached to the name *Dan Haru,* the more his long-buried feelings began to take shape.
These emotions were a complex mixture of jealousy, resentment, hope, desire, regret, and yearning.
The writer held up a sketchbook with instructions for Haru. By now, he had only about 10 invitations left, and given the time, the person he was currently speaking with would likely be his last.
After some hesitation, Haru opened his mouth, driven by impulse.
“…What if.”
“Yes?”
“What if I’m not the kind of person you think I am?”
“Excuse me?”
“I mean, I might not be as hopeful, bright, or positive as you imagine.”
It was a question that could easily be interpreted as provocative. Yet the person he was speaking
with didn’t seem startled. Instead, the woman, a Desti in her early thirties who ran a small café, smiled warmly, as if she understood exactly where Haru’s question was coming from.
“Honestly, I might not have been able to accept that.”
“….”
“If I were in my early twenties, that is.”
The Desti spoke softly, with a small, embarrassed laugh.
“When I was younger, I’d only see the version of people I wanted to see. If they didn’t match that, I’d feel disappointed or even dislike them…”
“……”
“But now that I’m in my thirties, I’ve changed a lot from who I was back then. Even in my twenties, I think I was changing all the time.”
“……”
“And I think that’s how it is for everyone. All those moments add up to make us who we are. So, I just hope you keep growing into a better artist and a better person. I’m your fan, so of course, I want you to only experience good things and have good days. But still… Oh no, this sounds so motherly, doesn’t it? Sorry, I’m talking like a mom, huh?”
Embarrassed by her own words, the Desti covered her face, her cheeks flushing bright red. The touching sincerity of her answer seemed to warm even the production staff, and the director smiled at Haru.
“Haru-ssi, how about a hug? She just gave you such a heartfelt answer.”
At the director’s suggestion, Haru took a cautious step toward the Desti, who was still covering her face. As the surrounding people clapped, Haru gently wrapped his arms around her.
“…Thank you.”
It was a simple response, but it carried all of Haru’s sincerity.
The Desti returned the smile, replying with warmth.
“I’ll always be cheering for you.”
*Always.*
That word left a lasting impression on Haru’s heart.
Even after the interview ended, even after the crew gathered their equipment, even after the mic was removed from him—those words continued to resonate within him.
* * *
“Haru, Hajin said he’s on his way. Since there are a lot of people around, we’re going to stay here until dinner, then head to the concert venue. Let’s just hang out here for a bit, okay?”
“Alright. I’ll just head to the restroom.”
“Sure. It’s right over there. Take your time.”
Nodding to the manager’s instructions, Haru got up from his seat. After spending the entire day outside, his hands felt grimy, and he wanted to wash them.
The restroom was surprisingly empty, despite the bustling crowd outside. Haru didn’t pay it much mind and headed straight for the sink.
“……”
He no longer denied the strange emotions that had been brewing inside him.
But he still refused to acknowledge them fully. After all, the time he had spent living in despair was far too long for him to accept everything so easily.
And yet…
*…I want to talk to Haru.*
When Hajin returned, Haru wanted to talk to *him.* He realized now that, perhaps, the other Haru had wanted to have a similar conversation that night, before their personalities switched.
He wanted to know what Haru had been thinking, what he wanted to talk about. Even though Haru didn’t know how to bring *him* back, he was confident Hajin could help.
As these thoughts filled his mind, Haru turned off the faucet and raised his head to look in the mirror.
And at that moment—
[So, you intend to keep living?]
A chilling voice and crimson letters flooded Haru’s vision, seeping into his consciousness like a nightmare he could never escape.
Before he could react, his awareness was swallowed by an overwhelming darkness.