NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 216
Chapter 216
As On Raon’s parents stepped into the room, they felt a strong pull in the air, laden with a strange tension.
The intense sensation of something precious, lost due to an irresistible external force, finally returning was overwhelming.
Even though it had been quite a while since they last saw his face, they had never truly lost their son.
Why did they have such feelings? It seemed like they would understand if they could properly look at their son’s face, which he constantly avoided.
“[Raon, when you talk to someone, you should make eye contact.]”
And as On Hyun-woo met his son’s eyes, which resembled his wife’s, he found himself at a loss for words.
“Why… Why are you only coming now…….”
The child, who whispered it was too late, released his sorrow as a white and massive cumulonimbus cloud passed over the hospital.
On Raon neither seemed to force tears nor suppress his emotions.
It was as if he was emptying the emotions that had been accumulating for a long time without any hesitation.
Soon, his tears stopped.
As if the trembling was brief, On Raon spoke in a composed voice without panting from the transparent remnants of his sobs.
“[I’m sorry. I wasn’t blaming you.]”
“[…You can blame us.]”
“[No. I understand. Really. Thank you for coming even though you must be busy.]”
In that abrupt statement, Jang Haena felt a deeply strained relationship and tightly covered her mouth with her hand.
On Hyun-woo also unconsciously gripped the bed rail tightly, feeling as if the ground beneath him had collapsed for a moment.
“[I’m a bit tired and would like to rest. Can you come back later?]”
At On Raon’s soft but clear refusal, On Hyun-woo relaxed his grip and replied.
“[Okay, then… Don’t worry about anything else for now, just get plenty of rest.]”
No one could easily predict or hope whether the relationship, which had barely begun to reconnect, would be blocked by a high wall or move in a better direction.
Since continuing to face each other only caused pain, the parents suppressed the unnatural urge to hug their child now.
“[We’ll come again.]”
Watching his family leave with faces quite different from when they had entered, On Raon closed his eyes.
When On Raon’s family came out, the members, who had been crouching anxiously by the wall, stood up abruptly.
Ban Ga-eul, who had been pacing around, approached On Raon’s parents and spoke.
“Did the conversation go well?”
“Yes. Raon was tired and fell asleep again.”
“Oh, really? Raon had a hard time because he couldn’t sleep well, but he seems relieved to see his family.”
On Seha silently rebutted Ban Ga-eul’s words, recalling On Raon’s expression, which was akin to saying they had been strangers until now and would continue to be so in the future.
Meanwhile, Jang Haena and Ban Ga-eul were discussing moving their conversation to the Seed Entertainment building.
“Yes. I’ll send the older one to the hotel and come right away.”
On Seha, catching the meaning from the word ‘hotel’ and the brief glance in his direction, didn’t miss the timing to claim his place.
“[I want to hear it too.]”
Wasn’t it strange to exclude himself after coming all this way?
“[Then let’s do that.]”
Throughout the ride in Gwak Sang-hyun’s car, the family maintained a troubled silence.
“[What did Damien say earlier?]”
Breaking the silence, On Seha casually asked, as he hadn’t fully understood what On Raon said in Korean earlier.
“[Earlier?]”
“[Earlier, when he was crying, didn’t he say something?]”
“[Oh…….]”
As Jang Haena explained On Raon’s words in English, On Seha wore a puzzled expression.
Even within the same family, the feelings of the parents who gave birth to On Raon and the much older brother could not be the same.
As On Raon’s older brother, who hadn’t properly spoken to him since a major falling-out during their childhood, he only thought Raon seemed a bit different after seeing him for the first time in a while.
The parents’ reactions, who were deeply touched, didn’t resonate much with him.
‘I guess he had a hard time at his previous company…… But the atmosphere was different.’
Despite the strained relationship, On Seha couldn’t help but feel anger about what On Raon experienced in Korea, since he wasn’t a stranger but his younger brother. With that, he ended his thoughts about his parents’ strange atmosphere.
* * *
After falling asleep again and waking up not long after, I conveyed to Gwak Sang-hyun that I wanted to be discharged immediately tomorrow.
Since visiting hours were over, I finally had time to leisurely look at my phone.
After charging and turning on my phone, I saw numerous messages inquiring about my well-being.
Muk Hye-sung, Kim Jun-woo, Jena, Jing Xiao, Gyeon Ha-ram, and others…….
Among them, the message from PD Cheon Hae-kyung stood out the most.
[Unsaved Number] This is PD Cheon Hae-kyung from the other day. Please contact me when you can.
‘I’ll get back to him later.’
Next, I checked the message from Go Kyung-yoon.
Not only did Go Kyung-yoon persuade other victims who left True, but he also released evidence he had personally collected during his trainee days at True.
Of course, Go Kyung-yoon’s involvement in this matter remained unknown.
Due to the fact that he was a trainee around the same time as me, some people speculated that idols from True, including him, were also perpetrators.
However, Go Kyung-yoon had clearly distanced himself from the current issue early on, and the testimonies of the victims, stating that he had mediated conflicts among the trainees, supported his claims, causing the suspicions to quickly disappear.
On the contrary, many praised his foresight for leaving True early.
Although it was somewhat annoying that he seemed to be benefiting comfortably, I couldn’t deny his contribution to this issue. Since it wasn’t a complete lie, I decided to let it slide for now.
While scrolling down and reading the neatly organized update on True’s response and public opinion compiled by Go Kyung-yoon, a new message arrived.
[Ga] How are you feeling?
[Na] I’m fine. Getting discharged tomorrow.
According to the doctor, the issue that caused me to collapse was more psychological than physical.
The company, seeing my preference for staying at the dorm, asked the doctor if it was okay, and upon receiving a positive response, promptly agreed to handle my discharge procedures.
This time, I checked social media, which often responded sensitively to idol-related issues.
Even after two days since the incident, several related keywords were still trending.
1. #RevealTrueTruth
2. #OnRaonSupportUntilTheEnd
3. Red Disbandment
4. True Lives Up to Its Name
5. On Raon
I started by clicking on the ‘#RevealTrueTruth’ tag, which had well over a hundred thousand posts.
– This isn’t just a conflict among kids that adults failed to notice. The problem lies not only with the trainees who bullied but also with the company’s system that created such an environment. This wrong culture needs to be eradicated now or True will fall apart. #RevealTrueTruth
– Despite being scared of retaliation, Gae-rae bravely stepped forward, and On Raon didn’t give up on his dream. I support the victims who are so clear in this situation. True must take full responsibility and not just cut off the tail. #RevealTrueTruth
– #RevealTrueTruth What pisses me off the most is that True will never reflect on their actions.
Last year, they scheduled Orca’s debut showcase and Anne’s comeback showcase on the same day. Normally, it’s common courtesy and ethics for the later party to adjust their schedule to avoid conflicts, but they deliberately overlapped them to bully…ㅎ They won’t change.
– The problems aren’t just one or two. Just clean everything up and shut down. #RevealTrueTruth
Fortunately, there seemed to be a strong unity among those calling for accountability from True, with no visible division between those demanding the truth and those defending True.
After skimming through the popular posts, I clicked on ‘#OnRaonSupportUntilTheEnd’ to read the posts tagged with it.
“……”
Reading through the heartfelt and supportive messages from the Aeri made me feel very guilty.
‘Let’s do well…….’
When I clicked on ‘On Raon’, the top post, shared over 20,000 times since it was posted two days ago, appeared.
– What On Raon Experienced in Korea
1. He was cast by True and came to Korea without knowing any Korean, only to be ostracized by other trainees.
2. He fell into a severe slump, to the point where even his basic dance skills, which were his specialty, crumbled.
3. Because of the slump, he was eliminated from the debut team, barely escaping the terrible company, and joined Pick Heart, where he encountered his abuser.
4. Despite overcoming everything and nearly securing his debut through real-time growth, he was eliminated at the last minute due to a manipulation scandal, falling to 11th place when the top 10 debuted.
┗ 5. It turns out he was a victim of manipulation. He was actually 4th, but due to a controversy explained just 5 minutes before the voting ended, he was disadvantaged. By the way, none of the manipulation victims have been compensated by Mnet.
6. He successfully debuted with a great team and was on the rise, but almost died falling down the stairs because of Oh Hyun-jin (the manager who shielded him was seriously injured).
…Even listing it out like this, it’s so much. If On Raon decided to quit being an idol and leave Korea tonight, I’d understand. But please don’t go.