Idol Revive: If I Don't Debut, I'll Disappear-Chapter 342: You’re Really, Really Crying?

As the livestream abruptly ended, Yeo Haru and Xi Huan leaned against the door of Haru + Ren + Rayen’s bedroom, trying to listen to the sounds inside.

"So?" Adrian crossed his arms, facing the two. "Are you hearing anything?"

Xi Huan glanced back, finding all the other members had gathered here, standing beside Adrian.

"I heard Rayeye sniffing!" she said.

"You liar. I don’t hear anything at all," Yeo Haru said.

However, Xi Huan adamantly refused his words. "My ears are good. Yours aren’t."

"....."

After having had enough of trying to listen to Rayen’s cries, Xi Huan straightened her back. "Anyway, why do you think Rayeye suddenly cried?"

Yeo Haru also did the same.

"I don’t know." He shrugged. "What about you, Adrian Bro? Aren’t you close with Rayen Bro?"

Adrian pointed at himself. "Me?"

Everyone nodded.

"Shouldn’t it be him?" Adrian pointed at Liam who was standing at the corner in a daze.

Everyone stared at him, waiting for his answer.

After a while, Liam finally spoke. "He’s crying because of the MV."

"....."

"That’s it?" Iris asked with eyebrows raised.

Liam nodded. "That’s it."

As though annoyed, Iris walked away. "What a crybaby."

When her figure disappeared inside the door of her own room, the other members glanced at each other, silent.

Eventually, Xu Jiji broke the silence. "Why do you think Sis Iris is so annoyed?"

Without a clue, the others shrugged, except for Adrian.

"Did you forget? Eureka called her a beauty before," Adrian explained.

"When?"

"During the show’s third round. When we evaluated each other."

"... What’s wrong with being beautiful?" Yeo Haru asked.

"Sis Iris hates being called beautiful," Xu Jiji answered.

"....." Yeo Haru was speechless.

Just then, Ren also joined in on the conversation.

"Is he still crying, Xi Huan? If possible, I’d like to rest now," he said.

"Hmm... I’ll check." Once again, Xi Huan leaned her ears against the door. After a few moments, she signed to everyone. "Coast clear!"

She immediately stepped aside to give way. Sighing in relief, Ren unlocked the door. But before he could even go inside, Adrian shoved him aside.

"Can you wait for a while, Eyeliner Babe?"

Smiling, Adrian closed the door on him without waiting for his response.

"....." This time, it was Ren’s turn to be speechless.

As soon as the door closed, Adrian’s surroundings were suddenly enveloped in darkness.

Rayen hadn’t turned on the lights when he entered.

Clicking his tongue, Adrian felt the wall for the light switch. A second later, the lights came on.

There were three beds lined up in the room, and on the left side, there was a huge bump under the quilt. The bump flinched in surprise with the sudden change.

Adrian glanced in its direction. "Hey."

Upon hearing his voice, the bump seemed to stiffen in place. This sight stifled a laugh from Adrian.

"You look like a worm in a cocoon, you know? Wiggle. Wiggle."

"Beep, beep." A series of beeps came from under the blanket before Rayen emerged from it and glared at Adrian.

"Red and sore eyes, hmm..." Adrian observed Rayen’s countenance, his hands on his chin. "You’re really crying?"

Rayen’s face flushed at his words. "So what?"

"You’re really, really crying?" Adrian continued to tease.

"Beep you! Go away if you’re just here to make fun of me." Rayen threw a pillow toward him which he elegantly caught.

"Eh. You’re so embarrassing, Eureka," Adrian said, putting down the pillow and sitting at Yeo Haru’s bed near Rayen. "Also, you freaked out the fans."

Rayen remained silent and hid under his blanket again. "My bad. I’m just tired."

"You cry when you’re tired?"

"Beep, beep." Rayen’s muffled beeps sounded from the blanket.

Adrian laughed. "Well, you’re indeed pushing yourself too much with this comeback. After recovering, we immediately jumped into this."

Rayen did not speak again.

Adrian’s words were true. Rayen hadn’t been resting properly since they began preparing for this album. However, his tone seemed to sound like something else.

"I really, truly understand you, Eureka." Adrian nodded repeatedly as though Rayen was watching.

"... What do you really want?"

"Oh, you really get me. Don’t you?"

"Beep, beep," Rayen cursed.

Adrian remained unfazed. "Well, thank you for that. I just want to ask you something."

"What is it so you can leave me alone now?" Rayen said with gritted teeth.

Suddenly, Adrian’s tone turned serious.

"How did you survive?" he asked. "You’re crying because of that kid manager, right?"

"....."

"No need to deny it. So, is he the reason you survived?"

From under the blanket, Rayen sighed. Eventually, he left its comfortable embrace and faced Adrian.

"Yeah. He’s the one who let me survive."

Rayen hadn’t been able to explain all this while because of their busy schedules. Besides, only Liam and Adrian knew of Mini Plotter’s existence. If he revealed everything he knew to everyone, the others would surely ask how he knew of this information. He would be revealing his secrets that way.

Adrian smiled, his eyes under his glasses seemed to be glinting with ulterior motives. "How?"

"If I tell you, what are you gonna do?"

It was Adrian who went silent now. The corners of his mouth that were curled up turned down.

Rayen raised his brows. "What? You asked me, but I can’t ask you in return? That’s—"

"I want to bring back Ara," Adrian answered.

Rayen closed his mouth shut. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Adrian continued, "So? Are you willing to help? You can do so by telling me how you survived. No, actually, I remember you still have a few wish debts from me. So why don’t we use one of them now by telling me your secret?"

"... It’s impossible. Give me something else to fulfill."

"Why? You’re unwilling to reveal your secrets?"

"It’s not that."

Adrian furrowed his brows at the rejection. "This isn’t a request, Eureka. Keeping it a secret is not so kind, you know?"

"But I—"

"After that incident, haven’t you realized it yet?"

"... What?"

"Our existence is tied to you. When your soul was destroyed, we also turned back into seeds. The others deserve an explanation about this."

"....."

"Although they seem to be considering your feelings, I know deep down they harbor some doubts."

"....."

Rayen wanted to say he was clueless about that matter, but was unable to rebut Adrian’s words. Now, keeping Mini Plotter’s existence to himself didn’t feel right because of those guilt-tripping words.

For a moment, Rayen clenched his fist in resistance, but eventually, his hand loosened.

’I give up.’

"Your strategy is so effective." Rayen sighed in defeat.

Adrian smiled in return.

However, Rayen’s next words erased that smile away.

"But I already told you, it’s impossible."

"What do you mean?"

"Even if you know how I survived, you won’t be able to use it to bring Ara back."

"How come?"

"It’s simple."

Adrian crossed his arms as he listened.

"I survived because Plotter fixed my soul before it got thoroughly destroyed."

Silence enveloped the two as Rayen stopped speaking. Adrian didn’t need to let him continue to deduce his next words.

He even finished it with his own mouth.

"Meanwhile, Ara’s soul is already gone."

A tinge of disappointment was evident in Adrian’s voice. Rayen looked at him, staring right in his dazed eyes.

After a while though, its clarity returned.

"Then tell me. How did Plotter fix your soul?"

He refused to give up.

Rayen sighed. Figuring that no matter what Rayen said, he would refuse to budge, Rayen could only explain to him.

"Well, it’s actually like this..." Rayen explained the mechanics that Mini Plotter told him before.

After he finished speaking, Adrian fell into contemplation.

Just then, the door of the bedroom suddenly opened. Under Rayen and Adrian’s gaze, Ren and the others barged in.

"You’ve been talking for a while. Can I go to sleep now?" Ren said as he walked to his bed.

Adrian clicked his tongue. "As if you even sleep at night, Eyeliner Babe. You just want to check on him, right?"

Ren stopped in his tracks. He was just about to open his mouth and rebut him, but Adrian already stood up.

"I already comforted Eureka for you. Go on and sleep," he said and walked away, leaving Rayen and Ren awkwardly looking at each other.

But before he could completely leave, Rayen said something more to Adrian.

"Remember to deduct one of my wish debts!"