Chapter 379. A Dream of a Hot Summer Day (1)
On a rainy night in early July,
The living room of Kairos’ dorm was empty, as most of the furniture had been removed in preparation for the move.
Where the sign that once read “Welcome to Kairos” had been hung on one wall, a new, slightly different banner was now carelessly strung up.
“Special Mission! Put the Eldest to Sleep!”
“Hosted by: Kang Hajin / Managed by: Miro Ent / Starring: Kairos / Sponsored by: JDZ”
One corner of the colorful banner was flapping loosely in the air, as if it had barely been fastened. It looked like something that could be posted online with the title, “Our Challenge is Still Open for Business.” But no one bothered to point it out.
“Alright then…,”
“……,”
“Turn off the lights.”
It wasn’t like we’d be able to see anything soon anyway.
Soon, all the lights in the dorm, except for the moon-shaped nightlight next to Joo Eunchan, were turned off. Only the bare minimum amount of light remained, enough to show the faces for the camera but not to disturb sleep.
After rustling for a while, Eunchan, who had been setting up supplies, picked up something sharp with a determined look on his face.
“I’ll start now.”
At that moment, the person lying on the luxurious JDZ king-sized mattress in the middle of the living room began to flinch.
Amid the smooth white sheets, strands of shiny silver hair peeked out.
“…Do you really have to go this far?”
It was Jung Siwoo, dressed in silk pajamas that didn’t irritate any part of his body, and wearing a sleep mask, which was said to help relieve eye fatigue. He frowned slightly without his glasses, asking the question.
With a resolute expression, Eunchan gripped the long ear cleaner in his hand. On the floor lay an assortment of items that were said to be great for sleep ASMR, all neatly arranged in a box like something out of a 007 movie.
“Yes. I’m confident today. I’ve even studied ASMR in advance.”
“Alright…”
Siwoo, seeing his determined sixth younger brother, resigned himself and rested his head on the pillow. The memory foam pillow that Seo Taehyun had bought online, claiming it would help him sleep better, felt especially soft today.
Eunchan carefully placed the headset connected to the 3D microphone over Siwoo’s head, who was now perfectly outfitted with the sleep mask. Then, returning to the microphone, he looked at the phone set up in front of him and solemnly continued.
“Now, the sixth day of the ‘Putting Siwoo Hyung to Sleep’ Challenge. Joo Eunchan, starting the challenge.”
Today, I’m going to fall asleep before hyung.
Eunchan’s obsidian-like eyes flashed with burning determination.
* * *
BaddieKiz @BaddieKiz
6th Day of the Eldest-to-Sleep Challenge
Result of the Baby King Black Kitty’s ASMR attempt = He fell asleep first, so the eldest took off
his sleep mask and cleaned up for him…
(Video of Eunchan dozing off while doing ASMR.mp4)
(Video of Siwoo getting up, laying Eunchan down, and turning off the live broadcast.mp4)
Shared 7,308 Hearts 10,000+
Ice_Ciu @ice_ciu
Kairos: The ones disturbing the eldest’s sleep
We’ll take care of them all!
Siwoo: Honestly, you guys are something else.
Kairos: Haha! Oh, hyung, what do you mean by that?
Siwoo: You guys are the only ones who disturb my sleep…
(Meme of Kairos using all sorts of methods to put Siwoo to sleep.jpg)
(Meme of Siwoo lying down with an expression of enlightenment amid the chaos.jpg)
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“Siwoo, the interview’s about to start.”
“Ah, okay.”
Siwoo, who had been browsing mentions about the “Jung Siwoo Sleep Challenge” on social media, put his phone in his pocket when Manager Kwon Wook called him. Soon, a staff member holding a recorder and a laptop entered the waiting room where Siwoo was seated.
“Hello, Siwoo. We’ll keep this short, won’t take too much of your time.”
“Feel free to take your time.”
“Haha, no way! We have to get you out of here soon. Today’s photo shoot wrapped up two hours earlier than expected thanks to your excellent work.”
The staff member quickly set up for the interview and then smiled, trying to lighten the mood.
They handed Siwoo a cake and bouquet, brought in by another staff member.
“Your birthday is tomorrow, right? Happy early birthday! We got a big cake for you to enjoy with your members at the dorm.”
“Ah, thank you. The kids will love it.”
“By the way, I heard you guys at Kairos are doing something fun these days? The Eldest-to-Sleep Challenge?”
“Ah… yeah, the kids like doing fun stuff.”
Siwoo thought about the recent sleep challenge, which the members seemed to be more obsessed with than their comeback preparations.
When Hajin had first aggressively proposed the challenge, he hadn’t expected things to get this serious. But now, the members, swept up in Hajin’s enthusiasm, were coming up with all sorts of creative methods to put him to sleep every night.
“Could you explain the challenge a bit? Is it really just about getting you to sleep?”
“The kids enjoy games. Recently, the weather’s been too hot, and they couldn’t sleep well at night, so they thought, ‘Why don’t we try to put you to sleep ourselves?’”
For six consecutive days, from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., Kairos had been livestreaming the challenge to put Jung Siwoo to sleep using various methods.
It had somehow become a trending topic in this sleepless modern society, and now, wherever Siwoo went, people were constantly asking, “Are you sleeping well these days?”
“So, are any of the methods working?”
“No, not at all. In fact, whenever they try something, I wake up even more.”
Despite this, Siwoo was willingly enduring this nightly ordeal. Since he couldn’t sleep anyway, it was more entertaining to watch the members earnestly trying out all sorts of ridiculous methods than just lying in bed, doing nothing.
“Still, it seems like your members really care about you. It’s nice to see that. Idol groups definitely have that close-knit, family vibe that makes others envious.”
At the word “family,” Siwoo’s smile, which had been there while thinking of the members’ recent efforts, froze for a moment.
Family, huh…
Well, at least, this wasn’t the kind of family he knew.
“It doesn’t really feel like family.”
“Ah… really? I guess since you’re all colleagues, there are bound to be some challenges?”
“No, it’s more like…”
“……,”
“It feels like it’s only possible because we’re not family.”
They shared the same job, but they weren’t competitors, just co-workers who were also rivals.
Despite that, they complemented each other’s weaknesses, benefited from each other’s strengths, and knew every little detail about each other, for better or worse, due to how much of their lives they shared.
Even those he thought were close would avoid certain sensitive topics, saying, “That can’t be helped,” but the members, especially Hajin, broke through those barriers with ease, simply because they were in the same group.
By now, even Yugeon, the member he wasn’t as close with, probably knew more about his sleeping habits than Gong Seok, his good friend.
“My mom doesn’t run 7km with me along the Han River every morning just to help me sleep.”
“Every day? 7km? All the members?”
“Hajin wakes us up every morning for a run, and then Doha makes us do two hours of weight training, and Yugeon packs meals full of foods that are supposed to help with sleep.”
“Your members are really dedicated. What about the others?”
“Eunchan comes up with interesting methods, and the youngest recently gave me a book to read before bed. Taehyun’s been hoarding scents and bath products that are good for sleep, but honestly, I think it’s more for his own enjoyment than for me.”
“It sounds like an environment where it should be impossible not to sleep!”
“Right? But I still can’t sleep, so I’ve been feeling a little bad for the kids lately.”
Siwoo shrugged as he listed off the recent “achievements” of his members. Even with all their efforts, he wasn’t getting the desired results, and he was starting to feel disappointed himself.
Maybe tonight, I should secretly take a sleep aid and show them that I’m actually asleep?
While Siwoo was mulling it over, the interviewer smiled, clearly touched, and asked in an envious tone.
“Kairos members really seem to get along well with each other.”
“Excuse me?”
“Siwoo, you were so excited when talking about your members just now. It was interesting because I’ve never seen you like that before.”
“……”
“You’re lucky to have such great team members. It seems like you’ll never feel lonely with them around.”
“…Yes, that’s true.”
“I was even thinking it would be nice to plan a group photo shoot for Kairos next time. Now, shall we get into the main interview questions?”
The seasoned interviewer, having smoothly broken the ice, began asking more pointed questions, but Siwoo found it hard to concentrate on the interview for a while.
It was something that had never happened to him before — not since his debut, or even in his entire life.
“Siwoo, I feel lonely when I’m with you.”
“I don’t know what to do about it either.”
A conversation from a day he had long forgotten surfaced in his mind.
The memory of the day he had decided to set down the piano and pick up the guitar pick was so vivid that even the smell of the air felt imprinted in his mind.
“Siwoo.”
“……”
“Siwoo? Siwoo, Jung Siwoo!”
“…Ah, yes.”
Hearing his name, Siwoo finally snapped out of it and lifted his head.
He wasn’t sure how long he had been spaced out, but somehow, he was already in the van, parked in the underground garage of the dorm, having finished the interview.
“Are you feeling alright? You seemed out of it during the interview too.”
“…Maybe I’m just tired from not sleeping well. I didn’t mess anything up in the interview, did I?”
“No, you answered everything perfectly. Don’t worry. But seriously, are you sure you’re not sick? Should we go to the hospital?”
“No, really, I’m fine. I just lost focus for a moment.”
Despite Kwon Wook’s concerned words, Siwoo kept insisting he was fine as he got out of the car. His schedule was over for the day, and he just wanted to get back to the dorm and rest.
He needed to remove his makeup, change clothes, and see what tonight’s sleep routine, prepared by the members, would involve….
“Oh, is tonight the last day of that challenge?”
Siwoo, who had been mentally organizing what he needed to do once he got back, stopped in his tracks at Kwon Wook’s words. It felt as if someone had poured cold water over him.
However, Wook didn’t notice Siwoo’s reaction and continued talking as he retrieved the bouquet and cake from the back seat.
“Hajin told me that if the challenge doesn’t work by your birthday, they’ll stop. Tomorrow’s the 4th, so tonight’s the last night, huh? That’s too bad. They should’ve found something that worked.”
“……”
“But you’re moving dorms next week, so maybe a change of environment will help. I’ll also look into teas and drinks that are good for sleep.”
“…Yeah. Thanks, hyung. I’ll head up now.”
“Alright, alright. You know you’ve got that birthday live tomorrow, right? If you can’t sleep tonight, at least try doing some stretches to get your blood flowing. Not that it matters, you look handsome even with a puffy face….”
Maybe he had picked it up from Hajin, but Kwon Wook had started complimenting Siwoo’s appearance as naturally as breathing. Siwoo accepted the cake and bouquet, nodding, but he couldn’t shake the unsettled feeling churning inside him.
“Wanna make a bet?”
“Let’s bet on whether we can cure your insomnia or not.”
Siwoo knew better than anyone that his insomnia wasn’t just a matter of a messed-up sleep pattern.
Before he fell asleep, he dreaded the flood of thoughts that would overwhelm him. And once he was asleep, he was tormented by nightmares that dragged him down. It was a deeply ingrained trauma, etched into his body.
“……”
Siwoo also knew that no matter how hard the members tried, they wouldn’t be able to fix his insomnia so easily.
The reason he had accepted the bet wasn’t because he truly believed they could cure him, but more because he had been startled by Hajin’s sudden and uncharacteristically aggressive approach. He had always been passive in their relationship, and this sudden change threw Siwoo off balance.
Just as Hajin didn’t fully understand him, Siwoo realized he didn’t completely understand Hajin either.
“If you win, I won’t say a word about your condition anymore.”
After tonight.
And if tonight, once again, Siwoo couldn’t fall asleep.
Siwoo would win the bet.
And the members, who had spent the last week frantically trying to put him to sleep, would return to their normal routines. That meant the noisy nights Siwoo had endured would finally give way to quiet, peaceful ones again.
“……”
But why?
Siwoo didn’t want to return to those silent nights.
He arrived in front of the dorm and punched in the code to open the front door. But instead of the lively presence of the members, the dorm was cloaked in darkness.
“……?”
Are they still at the company? Or did they have another schedule today?
As he tried to recall, Siwoo slowly stepped into the dorm. There was a light switch right beside him, but he didn’t bother turning it on. He didn’t want to face the reality of being alone in this house if no one appeared even after he turned the lights on.
Siwoo pulled out his phone from his pocket and called his roommate, Taehyun, as he walked toward his room.
We’re running,
Running Over the Moonlight
“……?”
Then, not far away, he heard a familiar ringtone.
It was Kairos’ debut song, Over the Night, which Taehyun had set as his ringtone.
“Huh, what do we do? The phone, the phone…!”
“Seriously, Seo Taehyun, what are you doing?”
“Sorry, but it’s too late. So let’s just go with it.”
“Should we go out now? Wait, Doha hyung, the lights! The lights!”
“…Oh.”
“You’re breaking the matchstick instead of lighting it. What are you doing?”
Following the familiar ringtone came hushed, frantic whispers. They were clearly trying to be quiet, but since the dorm was so silent, every word was easily heard.
Siwoo’s footsteps slowed as he moved forward. When he rounded the corner leading to the kitchen, his vision was suddenly filled with bright light.
And what he saw was…
“Ta-da—!”
…the members, standing there with a lit birthday cake, waiting to greet him.
“It’s already a bit of a mess, but anyway, surprise!”
“Hyung, happy birthday! I didn’t think you’d call me right away…!”
“Happy birthday, Siwoo hyung.”
“Why would you put both the big and small candles together? Do you want to start a fire?”
“What else was I supposed to do? Siwoo hyung was coming closer, the candles wouldn’t light, and I was panicking….”
“Hyung, hyung! If you don’t blow them out soon, the dorm will catch on fire! Hurry and blow them out…!”
Until humans find the light, they don’t realize they have been walking in darkness.
“Haha… what is this, seriously.”
And right now, staring at the bundle of lit candles on top of a cheesecake — the only sweet thing he actually liked — Jung Siwoo had a thought.
“Was I… lonely?”
It seemed he had found his light.