Idol Revive: If I Don't Debut, I'll Disappear-Chapter 344: Tell Me Where Areum Is!!!

With Edens slowly regaining their lost identities as SEEDZ's fans, the group gradually saw a rise in their comeback stats and were able to snatch a few wins on music shows without much competition.

[SEEDZ's winner encore stages. The youngest members actually cried!]

– Yeo Haru said they missed us, ahhh!!! I miss you too, Baby!

– Navin in glasses is too savage. I almost got killed!

– Oh, didn't Rayen cry during their livestream? Why is no one talking about that?

– Rayen already explained it on his IdolVerse. He said it was just the overwhelming pride of watching a touching MV.

– He's posting every day now, huh? What a good boy he is.

[SEEDZ total wins in this comeback: 18 wins!]

– A clean sweep! Hahaha good work, Edens!

– Thanks for working hard! On the way to make SEEDZ the 5th gen king!

– I did my best just to see them cry again. Am I a bad person now?

– This is my repentance for forgetting my idols TT

Four weeks later, late August, SEEDZ's promotional comeback stages were over. At last, Rayen could breathe once again.

However, he knew that this was just temporary. After this, they would travel all around the world for a global cleansing. So, Rayen was determined to spend the rest of his days lazing around.

But unfortunately...

"Oh... Go to school again?"

'Didn't Zi Xu say that they dropped me out of school?'

"But Gil..." Xu Jiji explained. "Have you seen his messages in the group chat?"

'Oh, right. Gil!'

Rayen had almost forgotten about him. After the incident, Rayen and the two high school students stopped showing up to school. Miles and Son Areum were also detained, and Yuzuka transferred out.

So, the only one left in the club was Gil.

While thinking this, Rayen opened his Y account to check on their abandoned group chat.

And there it was, full of unread messages.

[GHiL: Guys? Guys? Is anyone still alive?]

[GHiL: Can anyone go back and help me deal with something? I really need your help.]

[GHiL: I know something bad happened, so I'll just wait for your response.]

[GHiL: Guys? What am I supposed to do now? I think my life is in danger!]

[GHiL: Hey! If you don't reply to me, I might die tomorrow and the club will officially be disbanded! Waiting for your reply, ASAP!]

[GHiL: F***! I shouldn't have left Elite Club for you!]

Rayen's lips curved into an awkward smile. His fingers hovered over the screen keyboard, thinking whether he should apologize now.

In the end, he tucked his phone back into his pocket without sending a message.

'It might be better to apologize in person.'

Xu Jiji also shared a similar look in his eyes.

And so, the next day, the three 'high school' students went back to school.

"I missed so many classes..." Xu Jiji complained as Rayen walked them to their classrooms. "I hope we won't get scolded for skipping so many days."

But Xu Jiji's worries were unfounded because when they entered the classroom, not many even recognized him. And even the teacher forgot about him and Yeo Haru.

"Eh? Are you new students?" Mr. Min asked.

"... No."

"What's your name?"

"Xu Jiji..."

"Yeo Haru..."

Mr. Min turned to Rayen. "Ah, no. I'm not a student. I just came here to drop them off."

Mr. Min nodded. "Okay. I actually received a leave of absence from your agency. And classes had just resumed from summer break, so you didn't miss many classes. Don't worry about it."

Xu Jiji sighed in relief.

"But strange... I don't really remember having you as my students."

Rayen laughed awkwardly.

'Actually, if what Gil said about their Club Adviser was true, then we're even closer than just being your students...'

Rayen glanced at Yeo Haru from the corner of his eyes. The latter was staring at Mr. Min with an intent gaze, making Mr. Min sweat profusely.

'But I seem to be forgetting about something...'

Rayen bowed toward Mr. Min with a creased forehead. However, no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't quite put a finger on it.

'Oh, nevermind.'

After sending off Xu Jiji and Yeo Haru, Rayen headed next to the club room. He passed by his old classroom, briefly staring at the empty desk in the center of the room.

That was Yoo Gyeo's desk.

Seeing this empty scenery, Rayen briefly halted in his steps. A bitter taste rose up to the back of his throat which he quickly dismissed before resuming his steps toward the club room.

There, he waited for the afternoon break, alone while staring at the maintenance screen of Idol:Revive.

It has been two months since the system went into maintenance.

Just how long does Mini Plotter need to finish it?

Closing his phone, he browsed the internet.

[House of Idols season 4 rumored to begin this February.]

– House of Idols?!

– Tell me who the housemates are this year!!!

– Aaaaaaaahhhhh this time, I will make sure my group will enter the house!

– I heard ATOMIC will enlist!

– Huh? ATOMIC? Who told you that?! This show is just for nugu idols!

– Isn't ATOMIC slowly descending to a nugu group? Without Win, they can't even win anything lololol

Seeing the comment section descend into a fan war for ATOMIC, Rayen just scrolled past the post. He wasn't interested in them.

After a while, he came across a new, and more interesting news.

[Flower Garden Agency's first Solo Artist, Ayumi to debut this September 4!]

'Oh, Ayumi is also debuting, huh? Maybe I should congratulate her once we come back.'

Just as the afternoon break bell rang, a few minutes later, the door to their club room opened.

A grumbling tall guy appeared at the door, but when he saw the red-haired person inside, he stiffened.

"You..." Gil muttered in disbelief.

"Hey," Rayen greeted.

"D*mn you! You finally decided to show yourself, huh?!"

Rayen laughed while scratching his cheeks.

"I thought you died!"

"Almost."

Suddenly, Gil went silent.

"What's wrong?" Rayen asked.

"What happened to Son Areum?"

"Son Areum? I don't know."

And why would he want to know? She's the one who put them in a miserable situation.

"Actually, it's not me who wants to know this," Gil said, his tone dark.

Rayen raised one of his brows.

Before Gil could even explain, the door to their room suddenly flung open. Then, a mad bull pounced on Gil. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"GIL DOG!" Lee Seoha screamed. "TELL ME WHERE AREUM IS!!!"

Rayen only watched as Gil was getting viciously beaten by Lee Seoha.

"AHHHH!!! Get off of meeeee!!!"

Is this what Gil meant when he said he needed some help?

"Help... Help..."

Gil raised his head, his hands trying to reach Rayen as Lee Seoha tried to snap his spine. That's when Lee Seoha noticed his presence.

"It's you!" Lee Seoha let go of Gil and hissed at Rayen.

Out of instinct, Rayen readied his stance in case Lee Seoha attacked.

But as he realized one thing, his eyes widened. "Y-You remember me?"

"Of course! How can I forget about you! You're the one I hate the most in this world!"

"....."

"Where did you take Areum!"

Rayen stared at her, dumbfounded.

'How can she remember me?'

Just then, Xu Jiji and Yeo Haru also entered the club room and found them in this very scene.

"... What's happening, Brother?" Xu Jiji asked.

Rayen glanced at him. "I don't—"

The moment he was distracted, that's when Lee Seoha attacked. "Tell me where Son Areum is!!!!!"

Before Rayen knew it, he was knocked down to the ground with stars surrounding his vision.

And then, there was no and then.

He fainted.