In This Life, The Greatest Star In The Universe

Chapter 167:

Translator: MarcTempest

Editor: Rxel

Chapter 167

Of course, it could have been someone they knew.

It could have been Seokhwan Hyung who opened the door.

But there was no one among the people who had the keys to their lodging who would come without contacting them first.

Besides, today was the first day of the New Year, a day off for the staff.

That was why the scenarios that came to their minds were mostly not good ones.

Click-

Beep, beep, beep, beep-

The sound of pressing the door lock password made the younger ones stick close to Woojoo. Soon, the sound of the door lock opening was heard.

Zing-

Jiho and Rihyuk clung to Woojoo with their eyes wide open.

They were so scared that their bodies were shaking as much as Woojoo’s. Woojoo calmly wrapped his arms around their shoulders.

But the intruder couldn’t open the door.

Clank- clank-

The door was caught by the auxiliary lock that could only be locked from the inside.

Was it when they were filming the documentary?

It was something that Seokhwan Hyung insisted on getting, and now it was protecting their safety.

Bang! Bang!

The younger ones gasped every time the door was pulled roughly.

The intruder started to unlock the lock again.

They didn’t know about the existence of the auxiliary lock, and they thought they had unlocked it wrong.

That was when Woojoo regained his senses.

He calmly called the younger ones.

“Bijoo, call the manager Hyungs and let them know the situation.”

“Okay. Hyung.”

“Junghyun.”

“Yes, Hyung.”

Woojoo handed over the two kids who were curled up in his arms and said, “Take them to the bedroom. They seem too scared, so put them on the bed and calm them down.”

“Okay, I’ll do that.”

Junghyun took the trembling younger ones and disappeared into the room.

“Yes, hello. Manager-nim.”

Bijoo made eye contact with Woojoo as he got through to Dowon-ssi.

Meanwhile, Woojoo approached the door. Bijoo gave him a look of restraint, but he waved his hand and said it was okay.

Woojoo put his eye to the peephole and tried to capture the culprit.

In case he met them in the future, he had to remember their face.

But the culprit was not one.

There were two of them, wearing thick padding, hats, and masks.

Judging by the hair that flowed out between the hood and the hat and their physique, they were both women.

…Sasaengs.

It was the moment when his guess turned into certainty.

Zing-

Damn. Why now…!

Suddenly, Woojoo’s phone rang and he was startled.

It was a call from Seokhwan Hyung, but the sound of the vibration seemed to be heard outside, and he felt a restless movement outside the door.

They ran down the stairs with a thud.

The presence of the intruders disappeared, and Woojoo sighed and went to the kitchen to answer the phone.

“Hello.”

-Woojoo, don’t ever open the door, and don’t answer anything you hear. And…

“They ran away.”

-That’s a relief. For now, we’ll contact the company people, so don’t do anything until Dowon-ssi gets to the lodging. Don’t look outside or open the door because you’re curious.

“Okay, thanks. Hyung.”

His voice cracked as he answered at the end.

Woojoo hung up the phone and slid down to the kitchen floor. Then he leaned his body against the refrigerator door.

Ah.

What was this?

Just a while ago, they were sitting down to eat pork belly, but now it felt like reality had disappeared.

Woojoo was so tense that his body was shaking.

If it was outdoors, he could have run away with the younger ones, even if he had to carry them.

But being in a limited space where a stranger tried to enter was horror itself.

Bijoo crouched down in front of Woojoo and asked him worriedly, “Hyung, are you okay?”

“…Ah, I guess I was a bit relaxed for a moment.”

“Can I have some water… Where is the water?”

“It should be on the balcony. In the box of bottled water.”

“Then.”

“Don’t go out. If you go out to the balcony, they will see you from outside. And I’m fine.”

Woojoo smiled at the guy who didn’t know what to do in panic. Then he lightly rinsed his throat with the tap water from the sink.

Woojoo straightened his wobbly legs and took a deep breath.

If he panicked, they would panic more.

“Let’s go. To the kids.”

Woojoo gave a calm smile to Bijoo and went to the bedroom. The three of them who were sitting on the bed turned their heads at the same time.

“Hyung, what happened? Did they leave?”

“They left. You don’t have to worry anymore.”

“Ah…”

The youngest one relaxed and sprawled on the bed. Rihyuk was clinging to Junghyun’s side and just clicking his tongue.

Even Junghyun, who was always calm, looked slightly tense.

Bijoo was also smiling next to Woojoo as if he was fine, but his Adam’s apple was bobbing up and down as if he was startled.

Seeing the siblings trembling, Woojoo’s mind felt rather calm.

That was right. He had to keep the center.

“Come here, everyone.”

As Woojoo said that, he approached the siblings with big strides. Then he sat on the bed and opened his arms to hug their kids.

“…”

Only the sound of their breathing was heard in the room.

“Even if it’s uncomfortable, let’s stay like this until the manager comes.”

“…”

There was no answer, but they all stayed close together without a word.

Woojoo comforted the siblings who were gasping and shrugging their shoulders, and looked at the ceiling of the bedroom.

Suddenly, he missed their Mrs. Kim Deoksoon.

After the incident, the staff in charge of New Black gathered in a hurry.

“Damn bastards.”

The head of management growled.

“There is a line that you have to respect. Isn’t this too much, even if you do it? Where do you start this kind of garbage on the first day of the New Year…”

“Do you think the saesang fans have any decency? If they did, we wouldn’t have to meet here.”

The head of management asked Yoon Seokhwan, “Are the kids okay? No injuries?”

“Yes, they were very surprised. They are not hurt. Dowon-ssi is currently waiting at the dorm, but they are still not in good condition.”

“Of course. I would have fainted if I were in that situation.”

Hong Seoyoung, the assistant manager of the PR team, said, “Some stranger came with a key and even guessed the door lock password. It’s lucky that there was a backup device. It could have been big trouble.”

“Fortunately, their purpose was not the kids. As soon as they sensed someone inside, they ran away like crazy.”

When they reconstructed the story that Woojoo told them, they guessed that the fans’ purpose was to rob the empty house.

They went into the empty house to get something or hide there.

The former was more likely.

If they had targeted the New Black members, they would have been more happy to open the door and make a scene.

The director shuddered.

“How did they get the keys? And, isn’t that villa supposed to have a card lock?”

“I’m more creeped out by the door lock password. I thought it wouldn’t be that bad when the manager told me before…”

“It was bad back then.”

Yoon Seokhwan smirked.

He had heard a strange remark from a repairman when the door lock battery ran out last summer.

-Why is the door lock so worn out? It looks like you’ve been lifting and lowering it a lot. Look here. It’s all worn out.

It was an auxiliary lock that he had installed just in case.

The director slapped the table with his thick palm and said, “Let’s focus on cleaning up the mess for now.”

“We sent the managers to calm them down. And we’re trying to find out if any information leaked from the inside.”

Assistant Manager Hong continued, “I wrote down the impressions that Woojoo sent me. Based on that, we’re going to look at the videos and photos taken at the event tomorrow and see if anyone has similar clothes or impressions.”

“Anyway, he’s really good at judging. Sometimes he seems better than most adults.”

“But even if we find out, there’s not much we can do except blacklist them or ban them from the event.”

“That’s unavoidable. That’s the law.”

Even if they caught the stalkers, the maximum punishment they could get was a fine.

Director Yoon sneered.

“What can we do? If punishment was possible, TNT or Teen Spirit would have done it first. They’re the real hellholes.”

“…Yeah, compared to them.”

TNT and Teen Spirit, who were running at the top of popularity, had suffered from stalkers to an indescribable extent.

They would pop out when they were taking a shower in their dorm, follow them into the public restroom and take pictures, or cause a contact accident with the members and try to face them.

Director Yoon said, “The PR Team should also be more careful when receiving things.”

“We’re always careful. We even got a box with a cutter blade in it as a gift from Scarlet last year.”

Assistant Manager Hong showed a thin scar on her wrist, and the others smirked.

Yoon Seokhwan changed the topic of the meeting.

“We can’t keep them there anymore, since they tried to get into the dorm. We can’t watch them 24 hours a day. We need to find a temporary shelter until we move.”

“That’s right. They were pretty shocked, so they need a place to go for a week or so…”

But there was no suitable place.

The hotel was expensive, but it was actually easier to break into than the dorm.

And they couldn’t ask other staff to take them to their homes.

The option of going back to their own homes was rejected by the members, who said their families would worry.

In the end, they were having trouble finding a place, when.

“Hmm?”

The Director’s phone vibrated at the right time.

“It’s the President’s call…?”

Did he have something to say from his line? They had reported it, but.

As they tilted their heads, the Director answered the phone.

“…Yes, sir. Yes, yes, really?”

His face brightened in no time.

After the call, he told them what he had said, and they all nodded with relief.

It was a bit burdensome, but there was no place safer than that.

“Wow…”

They opened their eyes wide as they got off the car that the manager had dropped them off.

Woojoo exclaimed, “Is this a house or a castle?”

“What do you mean? It’s obviously a house.”

“Our Rihyuk is fine now, right? I’m so relieved, Hyung.”

“…Don’t touch me.”

He pushed Woojoo away with a smile, but he didn’t seem to hate it as much as usual.

Junghyun pressed the bell.

They introduced themselves and heard a voice saying that he would open the door. Then the manager sighed with relief and said, “Then I’ll go.”

“Thank you so much for today.”

“No, no. Call me anytime if you need anything. I’ll be right there.”

They bowed their heads sincerely to the manager who got in the car and left.

Soon after, they looked around.

“Wow…”

A high-end residential area in Pyeongchang-dong.

Tall walls surrounded the place, and each house had a large gate and a garage that caught the eye.

The house they were standing in front of was the biggest one here.

Clank.

They passed through the automatic door and walked up the stairs quietly.

“Wow.”

Four exclamations of admiration came out of their mouths.

A green lawn.

There were also two or three trees, and birds were singing on them. It was a peaceful sight that made the heart calm.

The youngest one had a different expression on his face.

“I feel like I’m back home. It would be perfect if there was a fountain here. There’s only a pond.”

“…”

“Hey, Hyungs. Why are you looking at me like that?”

They just smiled at the excited youngest.

They were glad.

He looked much more relaxed than before.

Even during the day, they were all shivering for an hour, wondering if there was any problem with their families.

Woojoo also called Mrs. Kim Deoksoon, but fortunately there seemed to be nothing wrong in Gunsan.

-Is there really nothing wrong? Your face is ruined.

-…

-Oh, dear. That’s a big problem. You have nothing to boast about but your face.

-…Should I hang up?

Thanks to his grandmother, who comforted him with insults as usual, he was able to regain his composure.

Of course, the aftermath was still there…

Anyway, this unfamiliar scenery was also helpful in blowing away the memories of a while ago.

Soon they entered a large two-story mansion.

The door opened automatically again.

“Wow…”

Woojoo swallowed his breath as he saw the interior that was black and white, as if to show the end of neatness.

“Crazy…”

“So clean. I love it. Perfect.”

“Is that a waterfall?”

Junghyun pointed to a mini waterfall that looked like something you would see in a department store, where water flowed down a glass wall.

The living room was also high enough to be six meters, and the front was all glass.

A house full of the smell of wealth.

The piano sound that was faintly heard from the second floor stopped abruptly, and a man in a robe for indoors came down leisurely with a mug in his hand.

“Are you here?”

They all nodded their heads to Mr. Jo Gyuhwan, who smiled softly.

“Hello, sir!”

“You’ve worked hard to get here.”

“No, not at all.” Woojoo waved his hand and said, “Thank you so much for letting us stay.”

“No, I’m lonely living alone, so it’s good for both of us, right?”

The person who provided them with temporary shelter was Mr. Jo.

He said it was too big a house to live alone, and told them to make themselves comfortable.

It was very kind of him.

As a professional homebody, Woojoo knew how big a favor it was to lend his house.

“Follow me. I’ll show you around the house.”

They followed Mr. Jo around the house, like people who had entered a strange world for the first time.

It took almost 40 minutes to look around.

Every time, exclamations came out of their mouths.

“This is the room I use for gaming, and Jiho said he likes games, right? Come and play when you’re bored.”

“Sir, I love you!”

A room full of various game consoles and computers.

The youngest one ran around the room like a puppy who came back from a walk and tried to smell every corner.

Meanwhile, Mr. Jo covered his mouth with his hand and whispered the truth to them.

“I made this room because my nephews were running around so much during the holidays.”

“…Is it effective?”

“They don’t come out of the room except for meals.”

They all smiled happily.

Next was the fitness room on the first floor.

“This is the exercise space I use before going to work in the morning, but you can use it as long as it’s not that time.”

“Awesome…”

They were moved by the sight of the state-of-the-art exercise equipment and the neatly stacked weight bars.

Next, they checked out the kitchen.

They were amazed by the two refrigerators, the oven, and various cooking utensils.

“You can use the kitchen anytime you want. Bijoo, are you listening?”

“…This is heaven.”

He looked at the kitchen with sparkling eyes, thinking that he could finally make soufflés.

Everyone laughed at his cute expression.

He felt a bit embarrassed.

He noticed that Director Jo was looking at them with a curious face, as if wondering if they were always like this.

Anyway, they all had some dignity to maintain…

“Wowwwww!”

“Ah, you scared me. Why are you screaming all of a sudden, Hyung?”

“Wowww! This, this is!”

He was stunned by the basement studio.

He didn’t care about the reactions of his siblings who were backing away.

“This, this is…”

“These are hard to get in Korea, right? I ordered them specially from overseas.”

“These precious things…!”

He felt a surge of excitement as he saw the luxurious lineup of machines in the studio.

He covered his mouth with both hands, and Junghyun asked him with a smirk, “Are these that expensive? They look…”

“Stop!”

He pushed away Junghyun’s hand that was trying to touch the console casually.

“Don’t touch it carelessly, Junghyun! You have to wash your hands first. What if you get grease on it?”

“Wow. Did you see his eyes turn red just now?”

“I always feel this way, but he’s not normal. He goes crazy whenever something related to composing comes up.”

They laughed and said, ‘Did you hear that? He’s nuts, nuts.’

Look at these lovely machines!

He gently stroked the console, and Junghyun said, “Hyung, you look like that. That.”

“That?”

“That four-legged monster from The Lord of the Rings… Ah. I remember.”

He pointed at him.

“Gollum.”

“Uh…”

He snapped out of it, like Frodo without the One Ring.

“Ahem.”

Woojoo cleared his throat and tried to regain his dignity, but he felt that Director Jo’s gaze had changed a bit.

He seemed to keep some distance from him.

But the most abnormal one was someone else.

There was someone who got so excited that his pale face turned red every time he saw a perfectly organized room.

“…Perfect. It’s the best. It can’t get any more perfect than this.”

Rihyuk looked at the tidy room with a dreamy expression, as if he was looking at a masterpiece in a museum.

“Director, who cleaned this place?”

“She mostly did it.”

“May I ask your name…?”

As soon as he heard the name ‘Choi Youngja’ from Director Jo, Rihyuk typed it on his phone, letter by letter.

He was ready to take her as his master right away.

After looking around the house once, we came to one conclusion.

“Hyung…”

“Guys…”

They nodded and looked at each other.

“This is heaven!”

The first day of the New Year.

They had arrived at their own heaven.

“Wow!”

And as he watched us, a hint of regret crossed Director Jo’s face for the first time.

“Guys… well.”

“Then we’ll unpack in our room!”

“Let’s unpack!”

Director Jo tried to say something again.

“Guys, first of all.”

“Quick, bring the luggage!”

“The leader said to bring the luggage!”

“Wow, I’ll bring the luggage!”

‘Well, it’ll be fine.’

With a resigned step, Director Jo climbed up to the second floor. He heard someone calling him from behind.

“Excuse me… Director.”

“Oh, Woojoo.”

Seon Woojoo looked up at him with a very polite expression. Maybe he wanted to thank him again.

‘Woojoo is the most normal one…’

That was what Director Jo thought, when a pleasant voice pierced his ear.

“What’s the wifi password here?”

“…”

He had a feeling it was going to be a long week. Was it just his mood?