𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐈𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐏𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐲 ―𝐝.𝐨.𝐝

Chapter 50

[ Cho Seungmin's POV ]

As soon as I learned what happened, I asked the production team for my phone without anyone knowing. I pleaded them under the pretext of needing to know if anything else came out.

When I got to the dorm later and saw Moondae hyung distressed for the first time, I could feel my heart sink.

It was like when I would see Mother swallow her anti-depressant pills when we still lived together or when I saw C get shot in the leg during one of our first missions.

So when Moondae hyung remained still for a long time, I made a move. I assumed he was asleep. I should have checked. But I was impatient.

I didn't like seeing him like this.

I walked casually under the camera's blind spot and threw a pen through it, breaking it.

Then I called B.

I would have texted her, but I needed her to check the situation right away. I would have left the room to call, but I didn't want to leave Moondae hyung alone.

Luckily, there was no mission going on, so B had the time to do what I asked.

I laid by Moondae hyung's side and checked my phone continuously under the blanket.

B found the victim after a few hours. By then, everyone was back in the dorm, fast asleep.

She told the victim about the situation. We couldn't force a victim to come forward, so we promised safety from any backlash.

Eventually, the victim wrote an article. It talked about how she had been bullied in the form of sexual harassment. And after her pads were stolen and the bullies put the blame on Moondae hyung, she left school for a break. It was during that time that Moondae hyung dropped out.

She contacted him because she knew he was falsely accused. But his answer to her apology text was: 'You didn't do anything wrong, so of course you don't have to apologize. And it's fine because I was going to drop out anyway. But if you're having a hard time and want to accuse the perpetrators who harassed you, I'll help.'

She sent a screenshot as confirmation.

But during that time, she couldn't take his help because she was busy going to therapy.

After that, when she tried to contact him again, his number didn't exist anymore.

"Park Moondae canceled his phone," B confirmed.

It was before his supposed suicide attempt. B found that he went to a motel one day after purchasing a bottle of sleeping pills, so it wasn't a lie.

The victim, with our backing, ended her article by saying she would proceed with a lawsuit against the perpetrators. I asked B to give her the best lawyer we could get with my own allowance. It had piled up because I never used it.

It was early morning at this point. The other team members left to practice, but I stayed in the room.

They argued with me for a while before letting me stay.

I also had B delete the footage from the camera I broke. I didn't want people to know about Moondae hyung's attempted suicide.

Then, after confirming that the article was posted, I closed my eyes.

Park Moondae had tried to commit suicide not even a week before I saw him at the karaoke.

He said he forgot everything that happened after he woke up. Was the want to become an idol an unconscious feeling he had from before he tried to die?