𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐈𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐏𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐲 ―𝐝.𝐨.𝐝

Chapter 75

[ Park Moondae's POV ]

There were still numerous mysteries surrounding Cho Seungmin.

He's someone the system refuses to read, also has the status abnormality of death, lives alone in a two billion won penthouse, has a supposed brother he doesn't recognize, ran away from home, is apparently half-Japanese, has no interest in learning about the idol industry despite being an idol, and has no digital footprint at all despite his handsome looks.

I thought about it for a long time.

"Maybe he's the one that's in the NIS?"

He knew that Ryu Chungwoo was a cousin of a writer long before Ryu Chungwoo himself confessed, and I'm sure the writer wouldn't say something that would ruin her career.

Even with Choi Wongil. He asked how I felt about his downfall in Idol Inc. and muttered that he thought I would like it. It was like he knew that Choi Wongil would be evil-edited.

And the bullying rumors--he was so sure that it would get better. It was almost as if he was aware of it before even hearing about it like he was controlling public opinion of him. He wasn't surprised when he saw how many minus votes he had.

And then my own scandal. I couldn't 100% confirm it, but I'm positive he broke the camera and called someone, telling them to "fix it." The next day, a miracle happened, and my scandal really was fixed.

I thought he meant the camera, but the coincidences were piling up to the point where they couldn't just be coincidences.

It was already strange enough that he said he impulsively got on Idol Inc. just because he heard me singing once at a karaoke.

"Is he doing this to spy on me?"

What if the government knew that I somehow was not Park Moondae and that I had a system? Or what if he had some sort of system that was meant to keep tabs on me?

"But I don't know why the system would do that. It's not like I can bypass it somehow."

I struggled to feel comfortable around him with these thoughts.

He seemed to realize. The past few days, he stopped rubbing his head against my shoulder or calling out my name. He was following me around a little less.

And now for some reason, I was the one following him.

'Ring...'

'Ring...'

'Click.'

"Hello?"

I bit my lip and quietly leaned against the wall.

"Maybe I should come out. Eaves-dropping in a phone call...What am I doing?"

"...I see," Seungmin muttered. "Good call....trans... 5 million won to the psychiatrist's... and say 'thank you.'"

I couldn't hear the voice on the other side of his phone, and his own voice was so low it was hard to hear.

"Huh? Well, she... Moondae hyung's only friend in high school, so..."

When I heard my name, I could feel my heart lump into my mouth. I calmed down, knowing he couldn't see me.

If he was talking about high school and Park Moondae's friend, only one female came to mind.

"...He's paying for that girl's psychiatric needs? Why? As thanks?"

I don't know how he found the identity of the girl, but paying for something meant he was doing her a favor. And if was for her mental health, it meant it had to do with what happened in high school. Considering that he didn't go to high school with me, he was doing this as an outsider after it came to light that she was bullied.