Chapter 11
The other bodyguard restrained the convulsing woman. The team leader, who had been hesitating, finally seemed to realize this was no ordinary situation.
It’s just a flower crown. Grumbling under his breath, he quickly picked up the evidence.
And then, at that moment—
“……What is this?!”
Whoosh. Rustle, rustle.
Powder fell from between the layers of peony leaves. Fine particles scattered into the air.
“Stay back! Hurry!”
I shouted at Do Eunseok, but even after hearing me, his legs seemed rooted to the ground. Thankfully, Anthony, who had grasped the severity of the situation, pulled him away just in time.
Rubbing the powder hidden cleverly in the flower crown between my fingers, I said:
“This is peanut powder. They knew about Do Eunseok’s allergy and deliberately hid it inside.”
The terrorist, consumed by malice, screamed:
“How did you know?! How did you figure it out?!”
“…….”
“I asked you how you knew! How?! Huh?! HOW?!”
I had hoped this might not happen in this lifetime, but that was just wishful thinking.
So this was how they tried to harm Do Eunseok.
Even though a significant amount of powder had scattered, a considerable amount still remained hidden in the flower crown.
With this much fine powder, even a shallow breath would have inhaled a dangerous dose. Witnessing the horrifying details I hadn’t known in my past life made my chest tighten and my breath grow heavy.
Why would someone go this far to hurt another person…?
I couldn’t understand it.
As I glared at the terrorist, about to snap back at them, my wrist buzzed.
Bzzzt.
[Confusion Effect Ending in 1 Minute]
It was the preset reminder I’d prepared earlier.
“Team leader, please handle the situation here.”
Though I wanted to stay and watch the terrorist get taken away by the police, I had to hurry.
“Hey! Hey! Can’t you hear me?! How did you know?! HOW?!”
Their shrieking voice made my stomach churn despite having eaten nothing. Suppressing the urge to vomit, I rushed out of the event hall.
The fan signing event was canceled.
The agency swiftly issued a statement regarding the disgraceful incident and announced compensation plans for the affected fans.
By the time I had calmed down, changed clothes, and returned to the lobby, Bubbles (Do Eunseok’s fandom) were already leaving the venue, their faces filled with worry.
They expressed concerns about Do Eunseok’s condition, the horror of the situation, and criticized the organizers’ negligence in failing to detect the suspicious object beforehand.
As I waited for the crowd to clear, I overheard a conversation between two Bubbles passing by:
“Hey, earlier, I saw a weird post on the fan community.”
“Weird post?”
“Yeah, someone was asking how severe Do Eunseok’s allergy was.”
“Huh.”
“But the post was strange. They were asking if it was severe enough to kill him.”
“No way. Was that person the one who…? If they tried to kill Eunseok, that’s attempted murder!”
“Wait—people were arguing in the comments, but… huh? It’s been deleted.”
“Wow. Chills. That’s insane.”
The two walked away, trembling at the clear premeditation of the crime.
Given the carefully hidden amount of allergen in the flower crown, their speculation wasn’t far-fetched.
I needed to inform the agency staff still inside. Normally, leaving and re-entering during a fan signing would be impossible, but with the chaos, no one seemed to notice.
I also had to retrieve Seo Eunsol’s DSLR camera and Cha Wook’s jacket.
The NeverEverAgain members were nowhere in sight—likely backstage. The security team leader and other personnel were preparing to hand the terrorist over to the police.
Eunsol won’t get the photos she wanted after all.
When I returned to seat No. 67 to gather my belongings, I nearly collapsed at the shocking sight.
Gone…?
Everything was gone.
My bag! Cha Wook’s jacket! And—
“The camera!”
It was the DSLR camera Seo Eunsol had received from her parents as a reward for getting into Seryeo University. (Shouldn’t she have gotten in first before receiving a gift? But anyway.)
The body and lens were priced separately, but combined, they cost about as much as Cha Wook’s jacket.
“This can’t be happening. This isn’t real.”
This is Korea—the country where you can leave your laptop at a café while using the restroom, and people will watch it for you!
For a brief moment, I imagined Seo Eunsol’s reaction upon learning her camera was lost—then immediately shut my eyes, picturing my impending doom at her hands.
The police! I need to report this. The CCTV should show who took it.
With only 100 attendees, it shouldn’t be as complicated as investigating a larger event.
Trying to calm myself, frustration and helplessness surged up anyway.
Oh no, what do I do?
The tension that had kept me on edge all day suddenly snapped, and I felt tears welling up—
“Looking for this?”
A sudden presence entered my periphery, followed by Cha Wook’s jacket and Seo Eunsol’s DSLR camera.
Startled, I looked up.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you. I was just holding onto them for a bit.”
“……!”
Do Eunseok. He stood before me like an illusion.
Contrary to my worries that today’s events would have shaken him, he seemed surprisingly composed.
“Th… thank you.”
As I numbly accepted the jacket and camera, Do Eunseok held out something else.
“You left this too.”
The signed album. I had completely forgotten about it—too focused on protecting Do Eunseok to remember.
“You’re Bubble No. 67, right? You left without getting my signature.”
“Ah, that’s—it’s not that I dislike you or anything…”
Flustered at the thought that he might have taken offense, I opened the album—only to find Do Eunseok’s signature taking up an entire page.
“…….”
“So I signed it for you.”
The corners of his lips curled into a smile—the one I loved most out of all his expressions.
“Are you okay?”
“With what?”
“Your allergy…”
“Ah.”
Instead of answering, Do Eunseok smiled faintly. Was it just me, or did it look bittersweet?
Right. How could he be okay?
Naturally composed, he must’ve been shaken inside. As the team’s leader, he always tried to maintain a calm, mature demeanor.
How would it feel to know someone hates you enough to want you dead?
I couldn’t imagine it. If even a place filled with people who adore you isn’t safe, who can you trust?
“Where there’s light, there’s shadow.”
“…….”
“I’m already loved so much, so it’s okay.”
The Do Eunseok I remembered had endured worse and stood strong. So…
I believe today’s Do Eunseok will be okay too.
“Oh, about that jacket…”
“……!”
Oh no. My tears dried instantly. I rolled my eyes toward the stained white jacket, suddenly remembering the cola incident—my spine chilling.
(Flashback:)
“I’ll handle things with Wook, so don’t worry.”
“Just wash it, wear it, or throw it away. Do whatever you want with it.”
No way. Did he figure out it was me?!
“Um, no. Well then, take care.”
The slight crease in Do Eunseok’s brow smoothed out. Whatever suspicion he had didn’t seem to solidify.
Without another word, he bid farewell and turned away.
“Phew…”
Watching his retreating figure, I sighed in relief. I’d never had a longer day in my life.
The thrill of seeing my favorite idol up close and even talking to him was short-lived.
All I wanted now was to go home and collapse. As I hurriedly gathered my things—
“Team leader! What on earth happened?!”
The real Kim Jahye, the bodyguard, rushed into the venue in a panic. NeverAgain’s manager, who had been talking to the security team leader, grabbed her hands tightly.
“Thank you! If it weren’t for you, something terrible could’ve happened! Seriously, thank you!”
“Huh?”
“Jahye, you wanted to take leave, right? I’ll give you 30 days of paid vacation. Rest well. Maybe even travel—didn’t you want to go to Bali?”
“Hawaii.”
“I’ll send you. Go and enjoy.”
“WHAAAT?!”
