Debut or Die-Chapter 283
The situation unfolded just as expected. Only it was more pleasant than I’d imagined.
I thought I’d be doing hellish rock climbs since it was a former national athlete’s favorite spot—but I didn’t.
“Nice here, right?”
“Yes.”
I moved my foot forward and looked around.
We’d driven just under an hour to reach a hiking trail on the outskirts of Gyeonggi Province.
It didn’t feel especially well-maintained, but it wasn’t steep, and it was walkable.
‘...He’s giving me a break.’
I remembered what he’d said on our deserted island hike.
You’re... already weakened from the aftereffects. Back when, you wouldn’t have been this out of breath on a hike.
His guess had many errors, but I decided not to argue and just accept the situation.
‘Work-life balance over pride.’
Still, one thing puzzled me.
“But there really aren’t many people here.”
In my view, aside from a few middle-aged folks, no one was around. Even on a weekday afternoon, you’d expect more hikers.
“Oh, they did construction on the path beside us. See?”
Cheong-woo pointed to a small stream on our left.
Construction mesh and materials lay scattered along the bank.
“So most people go the other way. They say that path’s better paved.”
“I see.”
“Plus it’s just a neighborhood mountain—no mineral spring or rock formations.”
“You know this place well.”
“I grew up around here.”
He smiled sheepishly.
“The archery range I trained at was nearby, so I kept coming back after I moved.”
“.......”
He’d kept visiting the archery range where he couldn’t even shoot properly after his injury... forget it.
‘He’s not someone to pity.’
I just nodded.
“It must’ve been a good facility.”
“More like memories.”
He fell silent for a beat, then spoke again one beat late.
“You should bring the guys here sometime. The owner’s really nice.”
If I flat-out refused this offer, I’d be a total social misfit.
“Sure.”
“Great.”
Cheong-woo smiled.
“Since the tour ended, we’ve had nowhere to go together anyway. When you guys went out a few days ago, I had a schedule.”
Ah, that.
I recalled how a few members had gone out for Seon Ah-hyun’s birthday, and Cheong-woo hadn’t joined because of his own schedule.
“We didn’t do much. It was crowded.”
“Ha-ha, but you even left a proof shot?”
I raised an eyebrow remembering Big Sejin’s Polaroid after the escape room.
TeSTAR friendship forever ☆ 5/7
Happy birthday, Ah-hyun!
I wouldn’t lie if I said I didn’t expect it to hit the internet so fast—fans loved it, though, so whatever.
“We went back to the dorm right after. It was too packed.”
“I get it. This job’s rewarding, but I see how hard it is. Going out becomes difficult.”
“It is.”
I jogged lightly along the path and shrugged.
“But this would’ve applied even if you weren’t an archer. A national athlete still has to train.”
“What? Ha-ha!”
Cheong-woo finally stopped laughing after a while.
“True. I’m not cut out for it, I guess. You can’t escape physical training in sports.”
His tone wasn’t complaining but refreshingly honest. After all, it was proof of his success.
‘A winner’s complaint.’
Cheong-woo and I kept running along the outskirts trail—the side-effect hike for winners.
Only after a while did I realize something was off.
“Phew.”
The slope grew steeper the higher we climbed. After a few deep breaths, I realized my stamina bar—built up over months—was more than half depleted.
‘I should be well above average for a grown man.’
And judging by the surroundings, hardly anyone else hiked this far.
...More to the point, we were the only ones jogging upward.
Only then did I realize.
‘I’ve been duped.’
He’d lured me along gentle switchbacks before subtly steepening the angle—like a frog in boiling water, I kept climbing.
The “easy” trail wasn’t courtesy; it was bait. I stifled a groan.
Of course Cheong-woo wasn’t an idiot—he saw my training and knew my fitness had improved.
‘I got played... properly.’
I figured it’d take quite a while to reach the summit. Complaining wouldn’t do—I couldn’t back out now. So I shut up and put one foot in front of the other.
It wasn’t impossible, after all.
‘I’ll get a serious workout.’
I climbed in silence.
After some time, I felt a tap on my shoulder.
“Mundae, look.”
“Huff, what....”
We still had a way to go.
I raised my head and followed his hand.
“.......”
Below us stretched the city in broad daylight.
Rolling hills with ancient fortress walls, a stream winding down, and densely packed buildings below.
A colorful springtime city.
A breeze swept by, the mountain air brushing my nose.
It was lovely.
“Nice, right?”
Cheong-woo said casually.
“There’s no need to go further. This is the best view. ...When I quit archery and started this, I climbed here every day and realized it.”
“.......”
I perched on the guardrail, taking in the scenery.
‘So he never intended to summit.’
Well, then.
“How do you feel? Motivated... better than regular exercise, right?”
“Yes. Definitely.”
I answered firmly: a known route, expected hardship, guaranteed reward.
Not my usual thing, but maybe hiking’s not a bad hobby.
“Good to hear.”
We leaned on the railing and gazed down together.
After a while, Cheong-woo spoke up.
“Shall we head down soon?”
“Let’s.”
I felt refreshingly alive.
I started stretching, then spoke the thought that’d come to me on the trail.
“Brother, it’s great, but I still need anaerobic training.”
“Oh.”
I’d held back mentioning it—if I’d brought it up immediately, he’d suspect the mood shift.
Cheong-woo looked sheepish.
“It was uphill... you still used muscle power.”
“.......”
Professional rationalization. Got it.
I descended without complaint, and agreed when he suggested, “Let’s come run here sometimes.”
‘The intensity’s right, and we’re roommates—might as well.’
Two weeks after the room swap, not only us but the new roommates had all adjusted in their own ways.
“Want something to eat?”
“Yeah, sure.”
For instance, Bae Sejin surprisingly spent less time holed up in the living room. Now he only retreats during the day to avoid Cha Yoo-jin.
“It’s a bit noisy at night, but earplugs fix everything!”
He once said brightly. Cha Yoo-jin, surprisingly, respected his roommate’s individualism.
‘Must be the American in him.’
Of course, there were limits.
“If you play games or watch videos with me sometimes, I’ll be quiet when I sleep....”
I informed him of reality calmly.
“That won’t last long.”
“What?”
“If chatting doesn’t work, I’ll shake your shoulder next.”
“.......”
“Congrats on turning nocturnal.”
Bae Sejin stared at his room in a daze.
And the only one still in a single room—Big Sejin—was happily roaming from room to room.
“Wow, Mundae and Cheong-woo are besties now~ You’re going to workout tomorrow too, right?”
Big Sejin lounged on Cheong-woo’s bed, scrolling on his phone. I answered bluntly.
“Yeah... we’re roommates, so might as well. You can come if you want.”
“Aww~ I’m not that clueless! Enjoy your workout~”
“.......”
He didn’t add more, but I knew what he meant.
‘He wants me to change the vibe completely.’
Some fans still held a grudge over my attitude toward Cheong-woo during the summer package shoot. I didn’t need more sparks under our fragile fandom unity.
‘I need to look comfortable together.’
Since I’d already decided to get along, I appreciated the extra push.
I waved to Big Sejin and went to wash up.
The next day on the trail:
“Wanna summit today? Just ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) test it.”
Cheong-woo offered. He’d been silent climbing, so this must be his idea.
‘Sure, why not climb once.’
My free time outdoors was winding down. I needed to refocus on comeback prep.
I calculated my remaining stamina and nodded.
“Let’s.”
“Great.”
At 4 p.m., we started toward the summit. The slope grew steeper, but since we weren’t running, it was manageable.
About forty minutes later, we saw the top.
“Huff.”
No one was there. Cheong-woo and I quickened our pace to the summit marker in sync.
“Huff, long time no see.”
He grabbed the wooden fence by the marker and stood, and I stood beside him, looking down.
And I confirmed what he’d said on day one was right.
“It really does offer a better view up here.”
The summit view wasn’t as spectacular as from mid-mountain, though the height gave it some awe.
“Yeah.”
Cheong-woo nodded, gazing. He pulled water from his backpack and drank. I did the same, and peaceful silence followed.
Hmm, it was definitely more relaxed than before.
“.......”
“Mundae.”
“Yes?”
“Mind if I ask you something?”
“Go ahead.”
I answered without hesitation.
Cheong-woo kept his eyes on the view and spoke slowly.
“Actually... I asked around about that person you mentioned last Chuseok when we watched your family video.”
“...!”
“You know, ‘Ryu Geon-woo.’”
I nearly choked on my water.
I set down my bottle and formed a hypothesis.
‘Could he find his whereabouts?’
“Did you... find out where they are?”
“Um, no. Sorry, but that’s not it. I just heard about his past.”
“.......”
“That branch of the family... everyone except you had an accident on a trip to your father’s side. It was a car crash with a fire too.”
He paused, then continued so calmly it sounded rehearsed.
“And that first accident... seems to be the car crash that left me with my aftereffects.”
Damn.
I gulped more water, unhappy with the topic.
‘Why not just say you didn’t know whereabouts?’
Why bring this up... it’s maddening.
But Cheong-woo wasn’t done.
“Mundae, did you know?”
Did what?
“...Your parents’ accident wasn’t a car crash. It was a plane crash.”
“.......”
What?
“Actually, an article almost ran last year, but the company blocked it. They thought it’d shock you—and it was just after you were discharged.”
I looked up at him.
“But you... have trauma around car crashes and fires. Not planes.”
Cheong-woo had quietly turned to face me instead of the view.
“That’s the story of the Ryu Geon-woo you’re searching for.”
“.......”
“Mundae. Who on earth are you trying to find?”
