I Think The Genre Has Changed - Chapter 116: Transformation

 “No one seems to be missing.”

After two days of activities, Hamin remarked as if the traces were visible on his face. Beside him, the Four Great Heavenly Kings and Haru were lined up. Even the busy passersby on the street seemed to stop and watch their flashy faces. In reality, people were snapping pictures with a click. Sihyun, who sighed, walked towards the kids waiting for him.

“Long time no see, Sihyun!”

Haewoon ran towards him with a scream, hugging me tightly. Sihyun, who was coughing due to Haru being taller than him, supported his swaying body while looking down at Haewoon. It had been a long time since they last saw each other after the vacation, but did they really need to greet each other like a reunited family?

“Did you do well? Did you miss me?”

Throwing a work-like comment as if breathing, he would have easily dismissed it, but the question about how he was doing held back the words. It made him lose his voice again for no reason.

“What’s wrong? Is Sihyun hurt somewhere?”

Looking at Sihyun with a puzzled expression, not pushing or mocking, Haewoon glanced at the stiff Hamin. It seemed like something was going on, and surprisingly, Hamin had a look that seemed to know something.

“…Just let it go.”

“Oh right, sorry! But it was still good, right?”

Thinking about something, Sihyun, who was checking his surroundings, walked towards the kids surrounding him. 

“Hello.”

Gunsu, who grabbed the chirping Haewoon as if restraining him, spoke to Sihyun. When he nodded in response to his greeting, Gunsu suddenly lowered his head and brought his face closer. While Sihyun was frozen in the sudden situation, the other kids looked at Gunsu as if it was something familiar. The only one who seemed awkward was Haru. While he widened his eyes, Gunsu, looking at Sihyun from up close, narrowed his eyes.

“…Looks swollen.”

“Ah….”

After having a nightmare, the area around the eyes was sometimes damp. Sihyun, who touched his eyes wondering if it was swollen, shrugged his shoulders. It meant he was fine.

“Did you cry?”

Speaking with concern in his low, immature voice, other kids’ gazes focused on Sihyun. Seeing the approaching kids, Sihyun, who was surrounded by them, inadvertently felt a bit overwhelmed. Despite being taller than him, it felt pressuring to be surrounded like this.

“I didn’t cry.”

“But it’s red.”

Gunsu’s deep blue eyes met my eyes persistently. As Gunsu’s words seemed to check if what he said was true, the gazes of the other kids, except Hamin, were on me. Feeling uncomfortable, Sihyun made a face.

“If that’s the case, just…”

“Are you going to have a meeting there? Aren’t you going?”

Sihyun was about to say he would just go back. He was going to say that, but Hamin, who had been a bit away from the group, spoke irritably, suggesting to go into a cafe. It was unexpected that he knew something, and surprisingly, Hamin’s expression seemed like he knew something.

“…Stop it.”

“Oh right, sorry! Was it still good?”

“Me too.”

“Me too.”

“Me too….”

Starting with Seowoo, the other kids subtly raised their hands. It seemed like there was only one person opposing. However, he couldn’t really say, ‘I oppose, so I’ll leave separately.’ He was sure that if he said that, the kids’ gazes would pour down on him.

Sihyun moved his stopped feet. Suddenly, he wanted to see Pia.

After entering the cafe and ordering their drinks, an awkward silence followed as they took their seats. As always, Haewoon was the first to speak.

“Right, Sihyun, you decided to join Redem, right?”

“What?”

“….”

Haewoon, who was always the first to speak, spoke again with a laugh. Sensing that his question referred to the time after the model shoot, Sihyun raised his head. Although he rescued Haru, it wasn’t something that happened after Baek Gunwoo went to eat dinner.

“Something strange….”

Muttering with a small voice, expressing his doubt, Gunwoo laughed and said he should join Redem too. Hamin, who had been quiet until then, chuckled.

“You didn’t even get an offer, and yet you’re thinking of joining Redem?”

“Normally, offers come during the second year. This time, it was special because of Sihyun!”

“You have a younger mental age, so you won’t get an offer even when you become a second-year. That’s one vote for you.”

“Then count me in too.”

“What’s this? We finally meet after a long time, and this is how it goes? Were you all just living to torment me?”

“Hey, if you have a conscience, usually, it’s the opposite, right?”

“Sihyun, I’m sad.”

With many people around, conversations flowed quickly. Kang Sihyun, having heard Hamin’s rebuttal, pushed Haewoon away, who feigned tears and clung to him, and Sihyun, with a stern expression, pushed his face away. Haewoon, who had been sulking, claimed that everyone hated him, shedding fake tears. In reality, it was just the sound of crying.

“So, what have you been up to all this time?”

“Me? I’ve been living receiving cuteness under beautiful unnis and cool hyungs.”

“What have you been doing for a living?”

“Curious?”

“No.”

Hamin, sensing something suspicious in Haewoon’s question, shifted his attention away. Haewoon burst into laughter. When his spirited laughter echoed through the cafe, the vibrating bell on the table signaled the arrival of Seowoo, Geonwoo, and Haru, who had been sitting outside.

They returned with their drinks and took their seats again.

“Cough!”

Haru, who had just sipped his Americano through a straw, coughed and shivered, shoulders trembling. His eyes turned red as if he had heard something heartbreaking. Sihyun, who had ordered Americano thinking Haru would drink the same, felt apologetic. It seemed like he couldn’t handle coffee.

“Hyung, are you okay?”

Asking while handing him a tissue, Haru nodded his head, trying to appear fine. It didn’t look like he was okay at all. When Hamin suggested changing the drink if he couldn’t handle it, Haru stubbornly shook his head.

“What’s wrong, can’t handle coffee?”

Hamin teased Haru, who seemed like he would shed tears after taking a sip of coffee. Sihyun glanced at the strawberry yogurt smoothie in his hand. Hamin raised his eyebrows, indicating that he could have it. It was an unasked question.

“So, where do you want to go, Sihyun?”

Seowoo brought up the forgotten topic. Sihyun, realizing that their destination was now determined by his words, hesitated for a moment. Since they rarely did something together, he was in thought when his attention was drawn to his phone. He remembered the message Hamin had sent.

“…Shopping for clothes, Haru hyung?”

“……”

A moment of silence settled in the cafe. Just as Sihyun was about to say that they would go home after that, Seowoo voiced out.

“And?”

“And?”

“We should also decide what to do next.”

“Of course, go home-“

“No.”

The suggestion that was never fully spoken was blocked by Seowoo. Sihyun, who had barely thought of one thing, now had to come up with another plan. He squeezed his forehead, thinking for a moment, and just when the phone came into his view, he remembered the text Hamin had sent.

“…How about eating and going to the PC room?”

“Sounds good.”

“Agreed!”

“Okay, let’s go with that then. Shall we get up?”

What he blurted out casually became today’s schedule. Sihyun tilted his head, thinking it wasn’t much different from what they did before. While he was pondering, Haewoon, who seemed to enjoy playing, lifted Sihyun, heading towards the clothing store.

Sihyun, swept away, focused on choosing clothes, feeling somewhat dazed. Since the Four Heavenly Kings, who usually didn’t cooperate much, each recommended their own clothes, Sihyun nodded approvingly at the outfit Haru had picked. Even with a ragged appearance, it seemed to suit him well. That was when it happened.

“Ta-da!”

Suddenly, Haewoon and Geonwoo were nowhere to be seen. Along with the sound effect produced by their mouths, they appeared.

“Pfft!”

Hamin, who was sipping his drink, spat it out. Sihyun, also holding clothes, almost dropped them, but managed to regain his grip and looked at Geonwoo.

“Uh….”

A perplexed gaze fell upon Geonwoo. Sihyun wasn’t sure what to say to him, who came out wearing ridiculous fluorescent pants. Watching Geonwoo, who seemed to be waiting for an evaluation, Sihyun finally spoke after a while.

“Do you like wearing that?”

“No.”

“Then?”

“Haewoon picked it out for me.”

“Give him a smack.”

Even if it was supposed to be a fitting outfit, it wasn’t. With a look that said, “Are you really going to hit me?”, Geonwoo turned his back. When Sihyun asked him to smack him once as a punishment for the awkwardness, Geonwoo actually cornered Haewoon. The boy with a silver earring made a crying expression. Hamin silenced him as his outcry of betrayal echoed through the store.

“It’s embarrassing because of you! Can’t you be quiet?”

“Min doesn’t understand my feelings!”

Haewoon, pretending to cry in a seemingly unjust manner, ran out of the store like the tragic protagonist of a drama. Just for a moment, he was caught by a clerk who told him not to leave without paying for the clothes, and he returned with an embarrassed expression. Sihyun looked puzzled. What on earth was happening?

Whether he was 17 or 7, the disgruntled Haewoon scolded the clerk. The sight of the kids turning their bodies side by side, as if feeling embarrassed, entered Sihyun’s view.

Hamin whispered as if questioning who called him, and Seowoo’s voice calmly replied that he did. Watching their organized betrayal, Sihyun lowered his head, alternating between scolding Haewoon and those who felt embarrassed by him.

A small chuckle escaped his lips.

Anyway, it was a ridiculous combination.