Chapter 460: What Should We Do From Now On (24)

"Joo-Han hyung is..." I paused to search for the right words. "He's a good older brother to me, a really good one," I replied, trying to keep the answer simple yet meaningful. I chuckled awkwardly a bit.

Bearview looked a bit taken aback. His eyes widened with a hint of disbelief. "That's it?"

"Sorry?"

"That’s all you have to say about a friend you’ve been with for a decade?"

I was caught off guard. "Well..." I hesitated but nodded before adding, "The feelings I had when I wrote about him back then haven’t changed much. But, you know, they’ve deepened. We’ve spent more time together and grew closer."

It was tricky, you know? My feelings for the members had grown more complex over time, much harder to sum up in a few words like before. I suddenly remembered Joo-Han from our Elated days and how selflessly he put others before himself. It brought up a whirlwind of emotions.

"It's kind of like how hard it is to sum up your relationship with your family in a single word. Now, the members are like family to me. Our relationship is too deep and complex to easily define."

"So, they’ve become people who are too precious to simply define your connections with them in words?"

"Exactly," I affirmed. "They’ve become indispensable."

Bearview seemed to accept my explanation by nodding thoughtfully, though he still looked a bit unsatisfied as he squinted and tilted his head. He prompted me further. "Of course, I get that deep connection, I really do. But could you try to elaborate a bit more?"

"Hmm." I took a deep breath. To me, Joo-Han was... "Incredibly smart. You know, Bearview, he’s always on about money, money..."

Bearview laughed. "Haha! Oh yes, that’s Joo-Han. All the fans know how much he loves talking about money."

"He goes around calling himself the Copyright King, so people might mistakenly think he is very calculative. But that's not the case," I explained.

"Is that so?" asked Bearview.

"Yes, he always puts the members before himself. He understands and cares for the members more deeply than anyone else, which has been a huge help to me."

Despite his jokes about money, the money he earned mostly went into buying things for us to eat.

Bearview nodded as if he was aware of this. "Yeah. It’s no easy task to work through the night to craft songs for the members rather than for himself, and gifting those songs... It's not something just anyone would do."

"True. And since our team has quite a few impressionable members who are easily swayed here and there, Joo-Han hyung stays strong in the center and leads us well. This has helped us avoid major troubles so far."

Bearview nodded again and summed up the discussion. "So, that's a reflection on who Kang Joo-Han is to everyone. But what does Kang Joo-Han mean to you, Hyun-Woo?"

I grinned and replied, "He’s a beloved good brother."

"Yes! Thank you!" Bearview seemed satisfied with the answer, even though it was the same as before, and quickly moved on to the next question.

The next question was obvious. "Next up, what does Goh Yoo-Joon mean to you, Hyun-Woo?"

"He is the softest buddy," I said without hesitation.

Bearview's eyes widened in surprise. "The softest buddy? That's quite unexpected. What's the reason for that?"

I chuckled, "What did you think I'd say, Bearview?"

"Well, I imagined something like 'the most playful friend', or maybe 'a little annoying but irreplaceable.’ I wasn’t expecting 'softest.’"

He was indeed the ultimate Ring. He knew about us too well. "You are right on all counts. Yoo-Joon is incredibly playful, isn’t he?"

Bearview laughed. "Haha! Definitely. But that's part of the fun of watching Chronos, especially how you and Joo-Han often end up as his main teasing targets."

"You nailed it."

People usually thought Jin-Sung was the prime target for pranks, but in reality, it was Joo-Han and I who bore the brunt. Goh Yoo-Joon tended to mess around more with same-aged friends or older people than with his younger friends, often getting teased in return.

"Yoo-Joon has such a playful nature that there are even compilations of him teasing Hyun-Woo floating around. But to hear he is one of the softer members... that really makes me curious about the reason you worded it this way."

"He is notorious for his pranks, but apart from that, he has a very tender heart. Despite his antics, he is extremely emotional."

Goh Yoo-Joon was probably the most emotionally sensitive among us. Jin-Sung might be the quickest to cry, but Yoo-Joon felt things on a deep level. He was good at understanding how other members felt, so he approached us to offer comfort, and sometimes even suggested solutions. However, he didn’t know how to comfort himself.

"He looks tough, but he is really soft, almost fragile sometimes. Joo-Han hyung always jokes that Yoo-Joon should never cosign a loan because he trusts people too easily."

"That I can see. Yoo-Joon really loves his friends."

"Yes, back when we were younger than we are now, I only knew him as the prankster he appeared to be, even though we'd been friends for a long time."

But having spent a lot of time with Goh Yoo-Joon, and through some miraculous circumstances that got me to know his deeper feelings, my perception of him really changed.

"As we spent more time together, it became clear that he is actually a very sensitive and gentle guy. Nowadays, the Goh Yoo-Joon I know isn't just strong."

"He is such a kind person. Even though he is sensitive, people around him, like you or the other members of Chronos seem to comfort and support him well. That probably helps him maintain his bright demeanor."

The discussion then moved on to other members, Yoon-Chan and Jin-Sung. My responses were shorter due to the extensive comments I had made earlier.

Yoon-Chan was the opposite of Goh Yoo-Joon, appearing fragile but actually possessing a strong spirit and immense dedication. He was also known for his exceptional consideration for others. Tae-Seong mentioned that during production, Yoon-Chan provided a lot of emotional support.

As for Jin-Sung, I simply called him "just a kid."

Bearview seemed to understand immediately, whether due to the time constraints or maybe because he genuinely agreed with my response. At least it was a lighter note to end on, which was a relief.

"We will keep cheering for you with passion! Thank you for joining us today. And here is a gift for you."

"A gift? Wow... what is this?"

I was taken aback by an unexpectedly generous gift and stood up from my chair in surprise. It was a set of premium Korean beef. I thought that if I got gifts, they would just be promotional items or something related to Chronos. I never imagined I would get beef.

"Why beef... are you really giving this to me?"

‘Isn't this too much considering my performance?’

I fumbled, unsure how to react.

Beareview replied as if it was obvious. "This is a gift I bought with my own money."

"What, really?"

"Yes, for real. I know how much Jin-Sung loves meat. As a fan, I wondered what would make you happy, so I thought, 'they should eat a lot of delicious food to show us a great performance.' Oh, and this too."

My mouth hung open in astonishment. More and more items were placed down by Beareview. On top of the beef were three elegant, white envelopes and a box of fine chocolates.

"I hope everyone likes the beef... But I know you guys too well. Jin-Sung loves meat, and the others aren't particularly interested in food."

The envelopes were labeled for Hyun-Woo, Yoo-Joon, and Joo-Han. I stared at the envelopes and blurted out without thinking, "Is that cash?"

Beareview looked at me as if I'd asked something absurd and shook his head. "No, not cash. I've put something inside that you will like. This box of chocolates is for Yoon-Chan. He loves sweets, right?"

"Yes, wow..." Seeing the gifts Beareview had brought, I was speechless at his thoughtfulness. "I’m really grateful that you thought of each member..."

"Usually, I wouldn't give gifts this extravagant, but these really come from the heart. I am truly a fan. More than a gift, it has been my dream to someday give something that Chronos members would love, something I've paid for with my own earnings. Oh, and there's this too."

"Huh? What else is there?"

Feeling like I should definitely return the favor but not knowing how to proceed, I was restless until the production team handed something to Beareview.

"Ah."

It was Bearview’s new single album.

"This is my new track, so please listen when you have time."

"Of course, thank you so much."

"Alright, then." Bearview hurried to wrap up the shoot, perhaps worrying that I might feel burdened by the gifts.

On the way back to the dorm after the shoot, I stared at the gifts wrapped in bundles that I was carrying.

"Hyung, I really think we need to return the favor."

Keeping quiet after receiving so much didn't seem right. Tae-Seong looked at the gifts through the rearview mirror and said, "Beareview has a concert coming up soon."

"Really? I was planning to attend a concert of his if that were the case."

"Then sending something as a thank you gift during the concert could be a good idea."

Tae-Seong had just given a great suggestion. I agreed and looked out the window. Lately, only good things had been happening.

***

Back at the dorm, the members were more excited about the gifts than seeing me. Of course, Jin-Sung didn't even greet me before grabbing the meat and disappearing into the kitchen. Yoon-Chan greeted me, but his eyes were fixed on the chocolate box. He figured out which gift was his without me even saying anything.

"Beareview said he prepared all these with his own money."

"All this?"

"He said he's a fan. You know, Bear Ring. He’s pretty famous among the fans."

"Right, very famous," Yoo-Joon answered with a grin, already aware of Beareview's reputation as a Ring.

"Anyway, Hyun-Woo, you must be exhausted. With the concert and the shoot... It must have been hectic," Joo-Han told me.

"It was fun, though. I was happy," I responded, opening the envelope Beareview had given me. I couldn't help but chuckle as soon as I saw what was inside. Beareview really knew each member's tastes too well.

There was a high-end speaker voucher for Joo-Han, a VIP lounge card for the fun-loving Goh Yoo-Joon, tickets to Beareview's concert, and a luxury jewelry shop gift voucher for me.

‘Tickets to his concert already...’

It seemed like he had hurriedly prepared them, remembering the brief mention I had made at the concert. I knew Rings were well aware that I liked to wear multiple pieces of jewelry, but I never thought Bearview would consider my wish to attend his concert.