Legendary Superstar-Chapter 161: Watching Episode 1 (3)

The screen fades again into the morning view of the city of Seoul. A soft instrumental played in the background, it was upbeat and lively.

The camera pans inside a modern apartment. It was moderately sized, befitting a house of a famous idol. Then the camera changed to a bedroom, it was quiet and dim, except for the light streaming through the half-open blinds.

After a few seconds, Minjae was shown slowly sitting up on a bed. His hair is messy, and his eyes are slightly swollen from fatigue. The makeup artists did a good job of making it as natural as possible.

Minjae yawned and stretched his arms before grabbing his phone. The phone was brand new, sponsored by a technology company named Limsung. It was the leading technology company in the country.

The cameras focused on the time of the phone to show the time. It was 6:03 AM. However, what they really wanted to show was the features of the phone close-up.

Minjae sighed and got out of bed.

A fast-cut montage begins, showing the daily routine of an idol before it transitions once again to show the agency that he was supposed to be in. Flex Entertainment was generous enough to let Global Studios film a portion of their company to show in the drama.

"Taeyung, you're finally here." On the screen, Sanghoon could be seen wearing a piece of a suit, inside an office. The office was overlooking the city, showing that they were at the highest level.

"Hyung," Minjae greeted the man with a small smile on his face.

"I was just looking over the tour stats. You've officially conquered the world, Taeyung. Every concert of yours was sold out, and your international fan base even increased. You're all over the media. Congratulations."

"Thank you, hyung." Taeyung gave a modest smile and bowed lightly before taking a seat in front.

"I mean, it's insane," Sanghoon went on, tapping the screen of the tablet in front of him. It was from the same brand, Limsung.

"The way your name is trending globally? There's already talk about the next phase. We've got more brand offers waiting, and also international invites. There's also a collab request from that American R&B artist—oh, and there's a luxury brand interested in making you their ambassador."

Minjae nodded along quietly. His character looked like he was listening, but not saying much.

He took a breath, then finally said, "Hyung, actually... can we talk about that?"

Sanghoon looked up from the tablet, curious.

"Why? Is there a problem?"

"I was just thinking… I might want to take a break for a while."

There was a short pause after Minjae's words. Sanghoon raised an eyebrow, clearly caught off guard.

"A break?"

"Yeah. Maybe just for a few weeks. I just… need time. The tour was great, really. I loved it. But I'm exhausted, hyung. I've been on the move non-stop for months."

Sanghoon studied Taeyung's face for a moment, then set the tablet down. "How long were you thinking?"

"I'm not sure. I just need to clear my head for a bit. Rest properly. No schedules, no cameras following me around."

Sanghoon leaned back in his chair. "Alright," he said, surprisingly quick to agree.

"I'll sort it out. I'll talk to the PR team, let them know you're on a short hiatus. Maybe we'll say you're taking time to work on music or recharge creatively. I'll make sure no one bothers you."

Minjae blinked, a little surprised by how easily Sanghoon responded. "Really? You're okay with it?"

"Of course," Sanghoon replied. "You've earned it. You've been going full schedule since debut, and especially these past months." Sanghoon gave a small smile, then added, "Take care of yourself, alright?"

"Thanks, hyung," Minjae said sincerely. The scene lingered for them for a little longer, before it changed once again, now back to the apartment.

Soft morning light spilled into Taeyung's apartment once again, signaling that it was another day. This time, he was seen, curled up on a couch in oversized clothes, with a blanket loosely tossed over his legs.

The TV was playing, showing a drama that Global Studios also produced. His phone sat untouched on the table beside him, and for the first time in a while, he looked truly relaxed.

The camera then cut to the apartment entrance just as the sound of a passcode being entered echoed softly. The door swung open.

"Ya! Why is your door still set to the same code?" a familiar voice rang out.

Jihoon stepped inside. He was dressed comfortably in sweats and a hoodie, he was carrying a big take-out bag in one hand and a tray of coffee in the other.

In the dining hall, the staff immediately reacted to it.

"Ohhh~ here he comes! Jihoon's first appearance!"

"Our Jihoon looks adorable!"

"Nice one, Jihoon-ssi!"

"It's just me, everyone," Jihoon answered out loud amidst the conversation, making everyone laugh out loud.

Back in the scene, Minjae sat up on the couch, blinking at the guest who visited him in surprise.

"Minseok?" the scene captured the frowning on his face perfectly. "What are you doing here?"

Jihoon took off his shoes and walked in like he owned the place.

"What do you mean what am I doing here? You go on break and don't even tell me? You think I wouldn't find out? Of course, I'm here to celebrate that!"

"I was gonna tell you, but I forgot," Minjae uttered with a sheepish grin as he got up to help. "You didn't have to bring all this."

"You've been eating convenience store ramen for days, haven't you?" Jihoon accused, setting the food down on the kitchen counter. "I could already tell. You didn't even deny it."

Minjae chuckled at it.

"I'm lazy, also, I eat properly, not just these past few days."

"Exactly my point, hyung" Jihoon said, opening the food containers like a good friend that he is. "So sit, hyung, and praise me, alright? I brought that kimchi stew you like. And real rice. Not those microwave packs."

The screen showed the two of them casually sitting at the small dining table, sharing a meal. Their conversation was light, filled with friendly teasing.

"So, what's the plan now?" Jihoon asked between bites. "You're gonna just stay here for a few days?"

Minjae snorted as he shrugged his shoulder.

"I don't know. I just want to breathe a little, you know? Maybe sleep in for once. Watch movies. Do nothing."

"Hays… I'm so jealous of that." Jihoon sighed and shake his head. "Our group will have a comeback soon, so we're getting busier than usual."

In the drama, Jihoon was also an idol. He belonged to a 5-member idol group that was also popular in the whole country,

"Lmao, Jihoon is serious in this scene, but I can't help but laugh whenever I see his face."

"Their chemistry is so good."

"Now I'm cravng for kimchi stew. Sir! I'll order one more kimchi stew, please!"

"Add more bottles of soju too!"

"Haha, we're really enjoying this drama so far."

"This makes me want to take a break too."

"Yes, go on have a break and then get fired."

"Stupid, of course, that's just a joke!

The staff's conversation grew louder each passing minute,

"You know what you should do, hyung?" Jihoon leaned back in his chair and gave Minjae a look.

"What?"

"Go on a trip! A solo trip! Since you don't have a schedule, then you might as well have a break, right?"

Minjae blinked, he frowned, looking caught off guard.

"Seriously?"

"Yeah. Come on, when's the last time you did something spontaneous? Also, I'm free for a few days next week. So, let's go, alright?"

Minjae looked thoughtful for a moment. He smiled at Jihoon.

"You know what? You can go alone. I'd prefer to stay here first."

"Hyung!" ƒrēenovelkiss.com

Jihoon gawked at him like he had just committed a crime.

"You're seriously turning this down?" he said, his voice loud and full of disbelief. "Hyung, are you really going to just rot on that couch for the rest of your break?"

Minjae just laughed, spooning a bit more stew into his bowl.

"I told you. I want to rest."

Jihoon threw his hands up dramatically. "Rest somewhere else, then! Rest better! You ever heard of Jeju? You know, where there's clean air, ocean breeze, and good food?"

"Of course. I'm not stooped like you."

"That's not the point!" Jihoon leaned forward, lowering his voice like he was about to spill a secret. "Anyways there's this viral café in Jeju right now. It's called Coastal Café. You've probably seen it online. It's all over the place. People say it's super pretty with a good view. Some even say it feels like something straight out of a drama!"

The screen briefly cut to a close-up of Minjae's face, showing the smallest flicker of interest as he stirred his rice. However, he shook his head and smiled.

"No."

"Lmao, Minjae's face at the end is so funny. I'm dead."

"Pft.. HAHAHA."

"Our Jihoon's face is so funny!"

"Hahahaha."