The controversy over being “maladjusted” dragged on for quite a while. People wanted to defend Park Juu by saying geniuses always had one or two eccentric traits, but in reality, those opinions only poured oil on the fire and made things worse.

Posts started circulating claiming this was proof that Park Juu was an outsider within Spark. For example, Park Juu’s habit of going out to the veranda often because he liked growing plants got twisted into him avoiding uncomfortable situations with the members.

Normally, something at this level would have been sorted out within the communities where K-pop fans gathered.

But Spark’s skyrocketing recognition—and especially the fact that Park Juu had become a public favorite—combined with the recent Allover incident, where they’d threatened people into covering up a drug case within the group, gave the issue terrifying momentum.

≫ How are we even supposed to respond when people crop out all the context and insist that a single captured moment of him sighing proves everything?

My head fucking hurts.

≫ Are the solo stans acting like this because they believe UA would immediately throw him a solo album if the group disbanded......?

Did everyone already forget Juu saying the members were the people he relied on the most......? Get a grip......

└ I saw you people screenshotting my post and saying we were trying to pressure him into not going soloㅋㅋㅋㅋ And insulting Giyeon fans just because my profile picture was him too. What, you think the “all-member fan” written in my bio is decorative?

└ If you’ve watched Juu brag about the members and the members brag about Juu since debut, how can you casually say things like “re-debut as a solo artist” or “the members should treat Juu better”......? Forget everything else, did you seriously think people saying Spark was harder for Juu to love than Giyeon was just a joke??

└ I’m censoring his name even while writing this because I’m worried he might see it, but there are still idiots claiming the artist himself fueled the fire because his social skills are dead and he didn’t even avoid searches. Blocking every single one of them. Rather than replying to garbage like that, I’d rather listen to “Speaker” one more time.

The sparks even spread to line distribution. People complained that Park Juu, the main vocalist, had been given far too little.

Even though a strict line quota system had been enforced ever since I got kicked off line distribution duty, some people still found reasons to complain.

“If he gets the intro or middle section, they say the main vocal isn’t being respected. If ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) he gets the highlight, they say he’s stuck as a high-note shuttle forever...... Looks like that kind of flow’s been especially bad this album cycle.”

Kang Giyeon added the explanation.

It was driving me insane.

“How did I miss this?”

“Your monitoring time got cut down.”

Just as Kang Giyeon said, the amount of monitoring time I was allowed had been reduced to the bare minimum. The company had been especially strict about limiting my internet access until the trial ended.

Since I was only checking the album’s immediate reception and the major issues, I couldn’t look into detailed areas. I never expected something like this to happen in the meantime......

No. That was just an excuse.

This wasn’t even unprecedented in the entertainment industry. I’d been careless. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

“Don’t worry too much. Juu hyung promised he’d start eating properly again tomorrow, right?”

“Daeyeon hyung says he’s bringing tofu all the way from Gangwon Province.”

Lee Cheonghyeon and Kang Giyeon tried to lighten the mood. Watching the younger members refuse to leave his side, Park Juu gave a bitter smile.

Regardless of whether Park Juu was truly socially maladjusted, or whether he genuinely wanted to go solo, Spark’s activities continued.

The new concept drew in a new layer of demand. Controversies and mentions ultimately got absorbed into buzz volume.

Even as interest in the group grew and their results maintained peak levels, Park Juu’s condition didn’t improve. I suggested he could rest if things were hard, but Park Juu refused.

And he never showed it in front of the cameras.

The company staff kept telling him, “There’s nothing wrong with you, Juu,” but the effect was minimal. Even though I wanted to do something for him, there was nothing I could do if the person involved didn’t want my help.

I can’t keep whining to Jeong Seongbin either, so what am I supposed to do?

If I wanted to solve things with Park Juu, the fastest route was through his best friend, Jeong Seongbin.

But after everything with Gu Jahan, I’d already bothered Jeong Seongbin enough recently. And right now, he was the one taking care of Park Juu most closely, so leaning on him too felt shameless.

Lee Cheonghyeon and Kang Giyeon were awkward about whether they should involve themselves more deeply in their older brother’s problems, so the only person left to rely on was......

“Why are you literally the only one?”

“You picking a fight?”

......Choi Jeho.

You little brat, cooperate a little. I’ve been glaring at every stage setup wondering if something’s going to fall during schedules, so my eye pressure keeps climbing. It’s natural you don’t recognize my contributions, but at least learn to act agreeable on your own.

“So. What do you want help with?”

“I want you to tell me if Juu’s acting different than usual. If he unconsciously shows signs that he’s struggling, someone nearby needs to stop him.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to just ask him directly? Or tell him to rest?”

“......”

“You don’t want to bring up something that’s already over and get hated for it again?”

Seriously, these bastards only keep getting better at stabbing people in their weak spots.

Even under my furious glare, Choi Jeho remained unfazed. He simply worked his dull brain, trying to recall something.

“Nothing really stands out......”

Choi Jeho trailed off mid-sentence.

“There is one thing.”

“What is it?”

“When he’s in his room, he’s almost always wearing his headset.”

“Wasn’t he always wearing a headset? Juu likes listening to music.”

“He doesn’t listen to music.”

“Huh?”

For a second, I thought I’d misunderstood Choi Jeho.

Or maybe Choi Jeho had said it backward.

But Choi Jeho didn’t correct himself.

“I said he doesn’t listen to music.”

After talking with Choi Jeho, my thoughts only became more tangled.

Has he always been like that? Or only recently?

Especially recently. He used to listen to music normally.

How could you tell whether he was listening or not?

You can tell by whether he touches his phone before putting the headset on.

Choi Jeho also said Park Juu almost never charged the headset. Lately, he’d even been sleeping with it on frequently, and once, when he accidentally left it off for a while, there hadn’t been any sound coming from it at all.

Even after lying down in bed, my chaotic thoughts refused to settle.

Could it happen if someone’s senses are overly sensitive? Wanting to be alone...... something like that.

It wasn’t impossible to understand.

When people got exhausted, didn’t they lose their appetite? Didn’t even help from others start to feel overwhelming? Now that I recognized it as a sign someone wasn’t in a good state, it made me even more anxious.

At the same time, a conversation I’d had with Park Juu long ago suddenly resurfaced.

Back when Jeong Seongbin received the request for the In My Office OST, I’d asked Park Juu whether he was okay with his turn not coming yet.

It’s not really about trust...... We promised.

.......

Hyung kept every single thing you said you would.

.......

So I’m waiting for my turn. Until then, I can wait.

Back then too, Park Juu had definitely said......

Until we do a band too, and perform stronger songs together.

......He’d said “together.” He’d called it a promise.

We said we’d play together.......

Watching him then, I’d thought the same thing myself.

Promises matter.

Even more recently.

I’m talking about the pathetic attitude of not wanting to do anything alone.

Park Juu had said it clearly. That he didn’t want to do things alone. Exactly that.

The important thing was never the band.

The important thing was six people being together. Keeping promises.

The band was just one genre he liked and one of the things he wanted to do together. Those two things were what Park Juu had always insisted on.

The core issue had been somewhere else entirely, and I’d just stood there saying infuriating nonsense from the sidelines, so of course he must’ve felt frustrated.

Only now, belatedly, was I beginning to understand Park Juu’s attitude...... when another question struck me.

Wouldn’t the old Park Juu have valued the same things?

Up until now, the essence deep inside Spark hadn’t been all that different from the version I knew before regressing. There was no way only the Park Juu from the past had been exceptionally different.

Even when Jeong Seongbin and Lee Cheonghyeon fought because of misunderstandings, Park Juu had tried to mediate in his own way.

A guy who liked the team functioning as one unit more than even the stages he loved......

Would he really have actively agreed to disbandment?

The video letter Park Juu had played through the VCR during the concert lingered in my head.

“......I said you could tell me anytime if there was something you wanted to do. Maybe you thought that meant the band...... but my wish is to sing and dance forever with the members on the stage we’re standing on right now.”

And the answer Park Juu gave during the ridiculous balance game I’d suggested.

“I don’t want to give up good memories because of a few painful ones.”

Forever.

And giving up.

Could a Park Juu with the same nature really have calmly agreed to disbandment?

An indescribable unease rose inside me.

“System, can I look at memory data I already opened before?”

The System agreed readily. It even asked which data I wanted to see.

“The day I died.”

My vision darkened.

My body was back inside the pitch-black room.

The first time I opened this data, I’d touched my dead hair with my own hands. I still vividly remembered the strands slipping through my fingers. It meant I could exert at least some degree of influence within this past space.

I walked toward the computer.

Spark’s disbandment article was still open on the screen.

After taking a deep breath, I placed my hand on the mouse. The texture of the plastic, devoid of any warmth, felt vividly real beneath my fingertips.

The dragged article title glowed blue.

『Spark Unable to Survive the Cursed Seventh Year...... Moving Toward Disbandment』

My trembling hand scrolled downward.

The page descended.

Five-member boy group Spark has failed to overcome the cursed seventh year and will proceed toward disbandment. UA Entertainment announced through its official account that Spark will conclude activities following the upcoming nationwide tour.

.

.

.

Discussions were held with the goal of renewing contracts for all members, but negotiations ultimately failed.

It has been confirmed that the decision to disband was made long before the official announcement.

It is reportedly known that none of the members have signed exclusive contracts with other agencies yet.

The company drew a clear line, stating there would be no group activities involving the five members following disbandment......

The article’s contents pierced me like blades.

Then it happened.

Below the advertisement section on the right side of the screen, red arrows suddenly began appearing one after another beside the trending articles.