Chapter 86: Go Higher (3)

Do Wook grabbed Suk Ji Hoon’s shoulder. It was to endure the dizziness. If Suk Ji Hoon weren’t standing next to him, he might have fainted from dizziness on the spot at that moment.

He wondered if mangnae* Suk Ji Hoon, who was pretty much like a nephew to Do Wook, had ever been more reliable than he was at that moment.

(TL Note: mangnae means the youngest)

The members that were on the other side glanced over and noticed that Do Wook and Suk Ji Hoon were off. It reminded them of the microphone sound accident from the past. It was scary then too, but this time it wasn’t a simple equipment malfunction.

Suk Ji Hoon was supporting Do Wook. It was really lucky that it wasn’t a solo performance, but a performance they were doing as a team. Do Wook realized once again how important teamwork was.

The members finally felt relieved when they saw Do Wook bring the microphone to his mouth and lip sync the part where they sang as a group.

“Huh? The position is different today. “

“Right? What’s going on? Our visual line was moved to the left.”

Fans who noticed that the ending formation changed wondered what happened, but it wasn’t too odd.

Do Wook’s unpleasant expression could be explained as exhaustion from an intense performance.

With that, the final performance for the ‘Howl’ activities was able to end successfully.

***

As soon as the KK members came off the stage, Manager Oh Baek Ho, who had been monitoring the stage, ran to Do Wook. He had already told Gu Chul Min to go to the parking lot and get the car ready.

The car that Do Wook got into immediately headed to the hospital.

The name of the illness was, obviously, accumulated fatigue due to overworking which caused gastrointestinal issues.

Do Wook had to get an IV line in his left hand and was told by the doctor that it’d be good for him to be hospitalized for about 2-3 days to rest.

The members, who arrived at the hospital later after getting changed, saw Do Wook in his hospital room and sighed.

“I don’t have to go as far as getting admitted…”

Do Wook said first, embarrassed.

Manager Oh Baek Ho clicked his tongue.

“Locking you up at the hospital is the only way you won’t work. You won’t rest if we tell you to rest at the dormitory. The dormitory is just a workshop to you.”

Do Wook kept his mouth shut because it was all true.

Do Wook recalled the dizzy spell from a little while ago. It would have been a big issue if he had fainted like that on stage.

‘I almost messed up the performance they worked so hard to prepare for…although I already messed it up a little.’n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

As Do Wook reflected, he had an apologetic expression towards the members and Manager Oh Baek Ho and Gu Chul Min.

“You couldn’t do the performance properly because of me…My apologies, sirs. Sorry, guys.”

At Do Wook’s apology, the members showed an expression indicating he was being ridiculous. Jung Yoon Ki said with his eyebrows raised,

“Man. There’s no need to be sorry. The performance isn’t the problem right now.”

“Hey, Do Wook!”

Ahn Hyung Seo jumped in and yelled Do Wook’s name. It seemed to really frustrate him that Do Wook was apologetic.

“There was nothing we didn’t get to perform anyways. We’re worried about your body, not the performance.”

Do Wook nodded his head at Ahn Hyung Seo’s heartfelt words.

He could tell how much the members cared about him by the expressions the members were looking at him with right now. Do Wook was touched.

“Yeah, I’m sorry for worrying you…”

When Do Wook apologized again, Ahn Hyung Seo shook his head.

“You should be sorry. Yes.”

When Manager Oh Baek Ho said that, shaking his head as if telling Do Wook to keep being repentant, the members shot him an angry look.

However, Manager Oh Baek Ho stood his ground. Manager Oh Baek Ho seemed to have finished dealing with Do Wook in his own way. It was clear that wIth his personality, he’d continue to think of today’s events as his ‘mistake’ even if they told him not to be sorry.

He had a strong sense of responsibility. Manager Oh Baek Ho felt that to someone like that, telling them “it’s all your fault so take better care“ would get through to them better.

“Take as much care of your body as you’re feeling sorry. You should know now what happens if you don’t take good care of your body.”

“Ok.”

Do Wook replied with a pale face. His condition definitely recovered after getting the IV, but he still looked pale.

“Do Wook, please make sure to get plenty of rest. We don’t have any events for the time being anyways.”

Do Wook nodded his head to what Suk Ji Hoon said.

“Thank you Ji Hoon.”

He didn’t say a long thank you such as “I survived because of you”. He just said one thing, thank you, but Suk Ji Hoon could fully feel how grateful Do Wook was.

“You guys take good care of your bodies too.”

“Of course. There’s no other member who does as much as Do Wook, so don’t worry.”

“You think those words are comforting?!”

Ahn Hyung Seo playfully responded to what Manager Oh Baek Ho said. Oh Baek Ho laughed and told Ahn Hyung Seo off.

Do Wook was thinking as he looked at the members who were gathered in the hospital room.

He thought he had been taking good care of his body, but there were definitely moments that were difficult for him to endure. However, he also wasn’t in a situation where he could stop.

An idol group’s lifespan was set in stone to a certain degree. You had no choice but to push yourself if you wanted to produce the best results in that limited time.

“It’s all pointless if you’re sick. You know that, right?”

Manager Oh Baek Ho said, looking at Do Wook one last time, then got ready to leave.

“Let’s get going now. If you guys are here he can’t rest properly.”

The members, who were pressured by Oh Baek Ho, said they’d come again soon and rushed out of the hospital room.

‘It’s true what they say…none of it matters if you’re sick,’

Do Wook, who was left alone in the empty hospital room, thought.

Moving forward they might or might not get busier, but they definitely wouldn’t get more downtime. Do Wook’s goal wasn’t just to be a slightly successful idol singer, but a higher standing position.

He had already expanded his career activities to not just a singer but also an actor. He planned on expanding his scope more and more.

‘It’s been over a year now since the debut. It’s definitely the time to keep producing good results without resting.”

However, Do Wook felt that it was necessary to adjust his tempo.

He was already in the middle of mulling over the idea when he almost fainted on stage.

‘As expected, is it time to be decisive and focused?’

Do Wook also thought that a small but impactful activity could be beneficial at any moment.

Even now he was picking good, high-quality activities on his own rather than following whatever the HIT Entertainment’s course of action said.

However, since they were rookies that just debuted, they inevitably had no choice but to appear on cable broadcasts or local events as they had done until now to get their name known. Furthermore, since HIT Entertainment itself was a mid-sized agency, there were many activities they couldn’t turn down.

‘Now we can reduce that type of activities…since, even when it comes to album production, lots of pretty good songs have been coming in now that KK started to be recognized as singers.’

Do Wook felt it’d be good to take some of the energy he had been using to write lyrics and composing, and put it into producing.

HIT Entertainment now had enough capital power and they had followed Do Wook’s ambition so far, so if he talked to the company those were the things they would be fully capable of adjusting.

It might be because of the IV therapy he was getting, but he became very sleepy. He definitely had to relax while he was hospitalized and regain his strength.

***

Do Wook wanted as little information as possible to go out, but inevitably there were articles about Do Wook’s hospitalization from overworking.

As soon as the article came out, KK fans’ reactions were very rough.

I knew it ever since they forced Do Wook to do things. As expected, I knew this would happen since they had them going abroad to Japan and China already. They’re working KK like a dog too much. I wonder if the other members are ok. Give them a medical checkup. If you look at the ‘Howl’ choreography, there’s no way they’re not having a hard time. Come out President of HIT Entertainment that’s having KK work to death. If you’re blinded by money, I’ll make it so you’re blind in real life…

As he read the rough reactions from fans, Do Wook felt bad for the company employees in many ways.

Especially Fan Marketing Team’s Assistant Manager Do Ra Hee and her subordinates were working hard. There was a flood of calls from fans to complain.

“There’s a lot of things you stepped up for and accomplished, Do Wook…we want to make a public announcement saying that that’s the case.”

Do Wook couldn’t help but smile in a pleasant way when Assistant Manager Do, whose expression was full of exhaustion, complained when she came to visit him in the hospital as the representative of the company.

Of course Assistant Manager Do Ra Hee soon collected herself, slapped her own cheeks, and told him to get well soon.

At the same time, there were a lot of messages of encouragement sent by Do Wook’s fans.

Health-related gifts such as health food and supplements arrived at the company dozens of times a day. Honestly, Do Wook knew well that organizing those gifts was also a Fan Marketing Team task, so he felt remorseful to Assistant Manager Do Ra Hee.

KK’s goodbye performance became a hot topic again along with the article about Do Wook’s hospitalization.

Do Wook feeling dizzy and Suk Ji Hoon handling it. It was a performance where the KK members’ teamwork shone.

There were also a tremendous amount of gifts being sent to the hospital.

Of course they were from people in the company who heard the news, but also Kim Woo Yeon and Kim Soom, Brave Only Child, Lucas, PD Shin Yoon Ho and the ‘Get Ready 1999’ cast, etc. Gifts from people who had worked with Do Wook continued to come.

Assistant Manager Do Ra Hee was permitted because she was a visitor from the company, but Manager Oh Baek Ho didn’t allow hospital visitation from anyone else.

Thanks to that, Do Wook simply sent thank you messages and was truly able to rest properly.

After getting treatment and resting at the hospital for about two days, his body definitely felt like it had gotten better. He had worked on songs and other activities without even a day of proper rest, so it now felt like all the fatigue that had accumulated had been relieved.

By the third day, his whole body was restless. He wanted to go out and do some kind of activity.

He was undeniably a workaholic.

The next day, as soon as it was light outside, Do Wook got his discharge orders after being examined by the doctor.

Gu Chul Min, who had helped Do Wook get discharged, had a hard time moving the mountain of drinks and fruit from the hospital room.

Lastly, Gu Chul Min loaded a giant flower basket in the car passenger seat.

Do Wook silently looked at the flower basket. Perhaps having seen the article, Yoo Sung Fashion President Lee Yoo Min had sent the flower basket.

***

A few days later, at a fine dining establishment that specialized in French cuisine, Do Wook met up with President Lee Yoo Min.

It was dinner time, but it was a place where only a limited number of parties could get reservations a day so it had a quiet atmosphere.

“Thank you for the flowers you had sent. That you’d think of me to this extent…I feel I have to pay you back somehow.”

“I knew because I happened to see the article. It was nothing, you don’t need to repay me.”

“Still…”

“I told you I’d treat you to a meal. Well, I told you I’d treat you to a meal without knowing you’re busy to the point of almost collapsing. I felt I had to apologize for that.”

“Ah. Not at all!”

Do Wook shook his hands, taken aback by what Lee Yoo Min said. The appetizers for the course meal they ordered came.

“Eat up. But, is it ok for you to be out and about already? I would have been ok meeting up at a later day.”

“I wasn’t too sick. I rested plenty in the hospital so I’m fine now.”

“Your group is the hottest group currently, right? My niece is in middle school and she was singing a KK song. She’d probably faint if she knew I was meeting you like this.”

President Lee Yoo Min remarked idly as she ate the salad that came on a palm-sized plate.

“Please give me an autograph before you leave. I’ll tell you my niece’s name. That’d be enough to repay me or the flower basket.”

“Yes yes, of course.”

Do Wook gladly replied.

As the meal progressed, conversation about work naturally came up. It started with talk about the time he was a model for Lucas’s fashion show. Do Wook had left a deep impression on President Lee Yoo Min that day.

“To be honest, it wasn’t just that I wanted to have a meal with you. I wanted to work with you… are you interested in fashion? These days singers are more interested in fashion than in modeling.”

Do Wook’s eyes shone.

“I do. I am interested.”

She wasn’t at the level of Yoo Sung Electronics President Lee Chul Ho, but President Lee Yoo Min was also a very busy person. Time was money, and it was natural for a meeting with someone to turn into business.

It was a request he had somewhat expected when President Lee Yoo Min said she wanted to meet up. It was a great blessing and opportunity that he had caught President Lee Yoo Min’s eye.

Do Wook had also not come here only to eat. He planned on taking advantage of that blessing and opportunity to the fullest so all his effort wasn’t in vain.

“On that note…there was something I wanted to ask of you too, ma’am.”

President Lee Yoo Min laughed with an expression showing, ‘as expected’.

“Is that so? Please go ahead.”

—