Prince From Another Dimension Becomes An Idol [EN]: Chapter 205

#205.

Although airport fashion isn’t officially scheduled and should be discouraged to reduce unnecessary consumption, it’s become so commonplace that it’s practically part of the routine.

Moreover, since it was the day the MOST members were returning to Korea after a two-week overseas tour, many fans had gathered to welcome them.

While they were happy to see the members after a long time, Dojae’s fans were utterly bewildered.

“What? Where’s Dojae gone?”

“Huh? Why isn’t he here?!”

“Oh, my….”

Dojae’s fans buzzed with concern.

They were disappointed after waiting for so long, but their greater emotion was worry.

They couldn’t imagine a scenario where all the members arrived except for Dojae.

Even fans who had been taking pictures of the other members started to worry about Dojae after the members had passed.

“Why isn’t Dojae here?”

“Oppa [an affectionate term for an older brother or male friend], is he on a different flight?!”

However, no one could give them an answer.

“Isn’t there anyone who was on the same flight from Jakarta?”

“It seems like there isn’t anyone today….”

They even looked for someone who was almost a *sasaeng* [an obsessive fan who stalks or invades the privacy of celebrities], someone who followed them to every schedule and even took the same flight, but this time, there wasn’t even such a person.

“He wouldn’t have any schedules in Indonesia….”

“Dojae, is he filming a solo commercial or something?”

A fan of Louie, who had come with the worried Dojae fan, optimistically suggested.

However, the Dojae fan soon shook her head.

“No, there was no such news…. I would have known if that were the case….”

She even had her own informants.

Meanwhile, another group was deducing Dojae’s situation from the members’ demeanor.

“The kids look tired, but they don’t seem to be in a bad mood, right?”

“Well, I don’t know about the other members, but today, Gijun looked fierce….”

“He’s always like that. He hates fans coming to the airport. If it’s not an official schedule, he doesn’t even look at them….”

“He was cold, cold.”

“Gijun just seemed more tired than usual. I don’t know about anything else.”

“Heungmin and Gyuseong looked swollen, probably because they slept well….”

“Woocheol and Louie were just like usual.”

“Does that mean nothing serious happened to Dojae?”

Of course, while having such conversations, they were quickly selecting the photos they had taken of the members, transferring them to their phones, cropping them, and uploading them to Twitter with their fan page logos.

“Maybe he took a different flight by himself?”

“Hey, didn’t Woongie seem to be missing too?”

“Woongie?”

Everyone reacted to someone’s words.

The one called ‘Woongie’ was MOST’s youngest manager, who worked under Jung Gilju.

With his large height of 192cm and gentle demeanor, he quickly became popular among fans not long after becoming a manager.

Some fans would often take pictures of Woongie and upload them if they came to see MOST and left empty-handed.

Some jokingly or seriously claimed to be fans of Woongie.

Anyway, he was called ‘Woongie’ because everyone didn’t know his real name well, and he used a mumbling, clumsy way of speaking in addition to his gentle impression.

“Come to think of it, if Woongie isn’t here either, it seems like they didn’t come in together….”

“Ah, what’s really going on….”

***

At that very moment, as the fans continued to worry without knowing the answer, Dojae had belatedly arrived at Jakarta Airport.

“Haaahm….”

Dojae rubbed his tired eyes and yawned widely.

The members had taken a flight at 10 a.m., but Dojae was waiting for a 10 p.m. flight.

There were only two direct flights to Incheon that day, so there was no other choice.

Fortunately, there were business class seats available on the evening flight.

Woongie, who was next to Dojae, apologized with his head bowed at Dojae’s yawn.

“Hyungnim [a respectful term for an older brother or male friend]…. I’m sorry.”

Woongie always called Dojae ‘Hyungnim,’ even though there wasn’t much age difference.

It was a title that reminded Dojae of his palace life.

Dojae looked at Woongie, who was sitting next to the waiting area with a guilty face, and sighed softly.

“I told you it’s okay….”

“Still….”

Woong had been working part-time as a driver since the promotions and became a full-time manager before the promotions.

Even though it was a contract position and his role was to follow the members’ personal schedules or minor schedules that Jung Gilju couldn’t handle alone, it was quite fortunate for Woong, who was twenty-one years old and had started working right after graduating from high school, to be given the position of MOST manager.

It was also because his unique diligence was recognized.

But to make such a mistake…. It was natural that Woong’s expression wasn’t good.

The giant man was drooping, looking like a bear.

Dojae patted Woong’s shoulder.

“It’s really okay. You’ve been taking care of the concert schedules and flight schedules, so it’s understandable that you’re out of it….”

Dojae spoke as if he understood everything, making Woong feel even more sorry.

Woong’s mistake was losing Dojae’s passport.

Right before departure, Woong had all the members’ passports, but perhaps because there were too many things to take care of, Woong lost Dojae’s passport.

Only Dojae’s passport was missing while the other members’ passports were still there, so it wouldn’t be strange to say that a ghost did it.

The departure time was approaching, but the passport couldn’t be found even after searching the entire accommodation and all the staff’s luggage…. Woong was turning pale.

Jung Gilju was furious and scolded Woong severely.

Although Jung Gilju was a good person, he was thorough in managing his subordinates.

Woong had received warnings for minor mistakes before as a newbie, but this was the first time he had been scolded like this.

“What if there was a next schedule?!”

“…….”

“The kids trusted you and entrusted you with it, how would they trust us and work with us if you act like this, huh?! Aren’t you going to pull yourself together?!”

Woong could only repeat that he was sorry.

It wasn’t like he lost it on purpose, but ultimately, the lack of management was his fault.

It happened right before leaving for the airport.

After checking the time, Jung Gilju ordered Woong to take Dojae to the consulate.

“Fix it properly. You can do that much, right?!”

“Yes…….”

He was upset that he was scolded, but he felt even more sorry for Dojae, who had to go to the consulate instead of going to Seoul with the members because of him.

In the end, Dojae had suffered all day because of him.

Fortunately, as Jung Gilju said, the next schedule wasn’t a concert (which might have relieved some tension), and it was a weekday during consulate business hours.

“I’m really sorry. I’ll make sure this never happens again.”

When Woong apologized once more, Dojae smiled and accepted the apology, saying, “It’s okay.”

Wrongdoings must be strictly punished.

That was the law of the palace.

However, generosity was also a virtue of the royal family in governing subordinates.

‘This isn’t the palace, but….’

Even Kim Naegwan, who was always thorough and perfect, made a mistake or two when Dojae was young, when he was a newbie.

Dojae also knew that he was being terribly ‘broken’ by his direct superior every time.

He wasn’t scolded in front of Dojae like Woong, but Dojae happened to witness it.

In Woong’s case, he had been properly scolded by Jung Gilju, so Dojae didn’t have anything to say.

People inevitably make mistakes.

So Dojae thought it was more important to have the mindset of not making mistakes again.

To do that, it was better to understand a little more generously than to drive people into a corner, making them forget their mistakes and only harbor resentment.

‘It wouldn’t be right if these mistakes continue. But this is the first time.’

Dojae thought.

He’s reflecting properly, so he’ll take better care of it in the future.

‘I have no choice but to trust him.’

People usually return as much as they receive.

It was the same with trust.

To work together for a long time, you had to give enough trust.

But when that trust is betrayed, you have to cut it off.

‘He’s only twenty-one years old….’

Thinking of someone the same age made him more generous.

“If you’re that sorry….”

Dojae made a suggestion to Woong, who kept apologizing.

“Huh??!”

Woong was so surprised that he forgot he had been drooping just a moment ago and asked back.

He couldn’t believe that Dojae, not Woocheol or Heungmin, had suggested such a thing to him.

“Are you serious?”

“Yeah.”

Dojae nodded as if there was no reason not to be serious.

He wondered if he could really wash away his guilt towards Dojae with this…. Woong hesitated while worrying, but he had no choice but to stand up awkwardly.

It was night, and there was no one around the lounge.

After confirming that no one was there, Woong stretched out his long arms.

“Oh….”

Dojae admired as he watched Woong’s fingertips moving near the ceiling.

“Ah, it doesn’t reach?”

“It looks like it’ll reach if you do a little more….”

“Ugh….”

The members were always curious about what Woong would be like, betting among themselves by jumping to see if their hands would reach the ceiling.

But they couldn’t bring themselves to ask Woong to do it.

And Dojae was now making Woong do it.

“Uh oh!”

“It touched slightly just now. Right?”

“Yes! It’s amazing, the ceiling here is a bit low….”

It was the first time Woong had done it since high school because no one had asked him to do it.

Woong, whose fingertips slightly touched the ceiling, smiled slightly as if he was amazed himself.

Dojae also stood up, tiptoed, and put his hand on the ceiling.

But it was impossible for Dojae, who was in the 180cm range.

“Hyungnim can’t do it.”

“I know.”

“Hehe.”

As they quietly exchanged smiles with their eyes and spent time, it was already boarding time.

Woong quickly packed his luggage and Dojae’s luggage and headed to the boarding area.

It was the first time he had spent time alone with Dojae, and Woong saw an unexpected side of Dojae, whom he had only known to be serious and dignified.

Dojae was also aware of Woong’s amazed reaction.

‘Yeah, I must have had this side of me too….’

It felt like he was gradually finding his original self, which had been erased from his palace life.

***

On the way from the airport to the accommodation, Dojae, who turned on ON TV live broadcast in the car, explained why he arrived a day late so that the fans wouldn’t worry.

“It’s not a big deal, uh, I lost my passport. I don’t know where it went…. It wasn’t a big deal, and I came on the next flight right away….”

Since he didn’t explain the reason why he lost his passport separately, the fans naturally assumed that Dojae had lost his passport himself.

Thanks to this, Dojae gained an ‘unexpectedly clumsy charm’ with the fans.

And Dojae, who arrived at the accommodation, announced that he had confirmed the fact that ‘Woong’s hand reaches any ceiling if he tiptoes.’

It was also no secret that the members had another round of ‘ceiling-touching person gets exemption from dishwashing’ at the highest ceiling in the accommodation that evening (there is a coffered ceiling in the living room)….

The story of Louie, who is less than 175cm tall, the shortest (the exact height is mosaic-processed for idol rights), rolling on the floor in frustration was revealed on ON TV live broadcast a few days later.

***

And 2 weeks later.

September 10th. Today was Dojae’s birthday.