After that day's broadcast, Gung-hwa and Jin-ri became close again, just like before.
There were still many things the Friends members had to resolve, but Ban Jeon's expression had visibly brightened.
"Joo Sung... I knew you were my lucky charm. My lucky charm, you idiot."
"Huh? I didn't do anything."
"What do you mean, you didn't do anything? Thanks to you, Gung-hwa and Jin-ri are getting along again just like they used to. We've still got a long way to go, but..."
"If we keep solving things one at a time, don't you think they'll get better again?"
"Gung-hwa and Jin-ri were close to begin with, so... Ah! No. Still, this is a start! Yeah. Things will definitely get better."
After finishing their schedule, Ban Jeon, Joo Sung, and the members returned to the dorm.
While he was helping with the work, Joo Sung had decided to stay at the manager's dorm as well.
For the first time in a while, Ban Jeon, Jeonsa, and Joo Sung ate dinner without a care in the world.
And Ban Jeon was slowly letting the feeling called “hope” grow inside him again.
The next morning.
Jeonsa was humming to himself, looking unusually excited.
"Jeonsa, did something good happen this morning?"
"Oh! Joo Sung! Come on, I'm younger than you, so you can speak casually."
"We've only known each other for a little while, though..."
"Come on. If it weren't for Ban Jeon, I wouldn't have been able to keep working as a manager. If you're Ban Jeon's friend, then you're my older brother too. You have to speak casually so I can feel comfortable."
"Ah, okay. Got it. Thanks. I'll speak casually. But why are you in such a good mood this early?"
Jeonsa fell silent for a moment, as if thinking, then answered.
"I just feel good today."
"Why? Because of yesterday's broadcast?"
"Oh! Right. Fans posted reviews online after yesterday's recording, and for the first time in a while, the internet is full of positive posts about Friends. I guess that's why I'm in a good mood."
'Jeonsa really cares about Friends from the heart, just like Ban Jeon.'
"That's a relief. Once the problems are resolved little by little, there'll be happy days ahead for you and Ban Jeon too."
Jeonsa only gave a faint smile at that and said nothing.
Today, Mugunghwa only had an individual schedule.
Since Jeonsa would be accompanying Mugunghwa, Ban Jeon and Joo Sung were able to rest at the dorm.
"I got to sleep in for the first time in ages, and yesterday's recording went well too... I wish every day could be like this."
"It will be soon."
"Yeah. For some reason, when you say it, Joo Sung, it really feels like it'll come true."
"Since this is your first break in a while, you should get some more sleep or take it easy. I'm going to take a short walk."
"Okay. I should get some more sleep too."
Just as Ban Jeon was about to go back into his room, his smartphone began to ring.
"Yes, Mr. President."
"Hey! What the hell have you been doing lately? Have you checked the internet?"
"Excuse me? What are you talking about...?"
"The internet news sites and YouTube are going crazy again over Mideum's school-bullying controversy... Damn it, Friends is going to drive me completely off the rails."
"What? School bullying?"
"Yeah. Check it right away and call me to tell me how you're going to fix this. Got it?"
"Yes. Understood."
"You should consider yourself lucky to have a president like me. If it were anyone else, you'd just—"
Click.
Ban Jeon hung up without listening any further.
Then he headed straight for the Friends dorm and kept pressing the doorbell.
"Huh? Ban Jeon oppa?"
Somang—no, it was Somang—opened the door as if she'd only just woken up.
"Where's Mideum right now?"
"Mideum unni? She should be in her room. Unni! Ban Jeon oppa is here."
A moment later, Mideum opened the door.
Her expression was dark.
She had probably already checked the internet.
After taking a moment to compose himself, Ban Jeon spoke.
"Mideum, have you seen the internet? Some strange news articles have been posted..."
Mideum couldn't say anything for a while.
Then she cautiously opened her mouth.
"If you're okay with it, oppa... could we talk at your dorm?"
"Yeah. That sounds best. No one should be there right now, so let's talk there."
Ban Jeon headed to the manager's dorm with Mideum.
"Huh? Ban Jeon?"
Joo Sung, who had said he was going out for a walk, was still at the dorm.
"Joo Sung, I'm sorry, but I need to talk to Mideum about something important..."
"Oh! Yeah, yeah. I'll go take that walk."
When Joo Sung hurriedly started getting ready to leave, Mideum stopped him.
"No. You came to help us anyway, so I think you should know too. Ban Jeon oppa... I'm sorry."
"For what?"
With her head bowed, Mideum spoke.
"That... it's true. It was me."
"What?"
Ban Jeon's expression hardened.
"What they're reporting on the news is true?"
"Yes. The things in the news... they're about me."
In an instant, Ban Jeon's emotions exploded.
"Do you think saying you're sorry is going to end this? This isn't just a devastating blow to you—it's a devastating blow to the entire group. No, it's worse than that!"
"I'll take responsibility and leave the group."
At Mideum's words, Ban Jeon finally lost control.
"Leave? You're going to leave?"
His voice rose.
"Were you always this irresponsible? You kept doing it because you hadn't been caught, and now that you have been, you're just going to leave? Is that really what you're saying right now?"
"Were you really that kind of person?"
As there was no sign of Ban Jeon's anger subsiding, Joo Sung tried to intervene.
"Ban Jeon. I don't know what happened, but let's hear Mideum out first."
"Hey! She's talking like that, and you expect me to listen to her?"
Joo Sung knew better than anyone that although Ban Jeon was usually calm, once he got angry, he couldn't control himself.
But this was the first time Mideum had seen him like this.
In the end, she couldn't hold back her tears and ran outside.
"Mideum! Mideum!"
"Haa... Leave her. She probably went back to their dorm."
Ban Jeon dropped heavily onto the sofa.
"Ha-ha-ha... I'm really exhausted now, Joo Sung."
"Why... why are you acting like this? What happened?"
"The internet news sites and YouTube are apparently plastered with stories about Mideum's school-bullying controversy."
"What?"
Joo Sung hurriedly searched for Friends on YouTube.
The moment he saw the screen, his expression hardened.
The screen was covered with all kinds of videos about Mideum's school-bullying scandal, along with provocative headlines.
Ban Jeon sat on the sofa with a blank expression, and Joo Sung couldn't say a word either.
Just then, someone began pounding on the dorm door.
When Joo Sung opened it, Somang was standing there.
The moment she saw Joo Sung, Somang called for Ban Jeon without saying anything else.
"Oppa! This is bad. Mideum unni went outside without even saying where she was going."
"What? What did you say?"
Ban Jeon grabbed his head.
"Haa..."
"Ban Jeon, stay here and look into things. I'll search around the neighborhood. You need to calm down and think about how to fix this. Okay?"
"Thanks... Joo Sung."
"This is when you need to keep your head on straight. Eat something too. Anyway, let's stay strong and figure out what to do."
Joo Sung hurriedly grabbed his clothes and went outside.
'Where could she have gone? It's not like I'm even close to Mideum.'
People said Mugunghwa's popularity in Friends was on another level, but now that the group had become famous, the public knew the other members' faces well too.
Joo Sung figured she wouldn't have gone somewhere crowded.
So he decided to start by looking in places like the playground tucked away in the apartment complex and the comic-book store.
The comic-book stores that came up on his smartphone map weren't open yet.
In the end, Joo Sung began searching the playgrounds and parks around the nearby apartment complexes.
About twenty minutes passed.
Then he spotted someone sitting on a bench in a corner of a nearby park, their hat pulled down low over their face.
Joo Sung cautiously approached and spoke.
"Mideum! What are you doing here?"
Mideum looked up, startled.
Thankfully, it was Joo Sung.
"Oh... the manager's friend's friend."
Joo Sung let out a small laugh.
"What's with 'the manager's friend's friend'? You can just call me Mister, or Uncle, if you want..."
Mideum gave a small laugh at that.
"But you want me to call you oppa, don't you?"
"Hahaha. No, it's not like the title matters... More importantly, are you okay?"
"I can't say I am..."
Mideum lowered her head.
"The group is about to suffer major damage because of me..."
"Hmm... Ban Jeon's anger earlier must have really surprised you, huh?"
"He's extremely responsible, so he hardly ever gets angry. But when he does, he becomes pretty scary, doesn't he?"
Tears welling in her eyes, Mideum said,
"I'd never seen our manager... no, oppa, get that angry before. But of course he would. It's because of me..."
Mideum looked as though she might start crying again at any moment.
"Mideum..."
Joo Sung sighed.
"Is everyone in Friends a crybaby?"
Mideum was confused at first.
But Joo Sung's joke gradually stopped her tears.
"You're right. I'm not exactly in a position to cry right now... I think it's only right for me to leave."
"But Mideum."
Joo Sung's voice dropped slightly.
"Why are you lying?"
Mideum was flustered by his sudden accusation.
"What? Lying?"
"Yes. You're lying right now, Mideum."
"What? What are you talking about?"
"If there's a reason, why do you keep hiding it?"
"A reason?"
Mideum's expression hardened.
Joo Sung grinned.
"I mean, if it happened when you were young, then there must be a reason, right? But you're just admitting it and saying you'll leave?"
At his words, Mideum's expression became somewhat relieved.
"Even if there was a reason, it's still true that I bullied someone. That fact alone will cause major damage to our group. I should leave."
Joo Sung smiled once again at her answer.
"Wow... then why did you want to become an idol in the first place?"
"Didn't you know something like this could happen?"
"No... It's not that. I just... I just..."
Mideum ultimately couldn't finish her sentence.
Joo Sung looked at her and spoke quietly.
"Haa... Mideum."
A brief silence passed.
Then Joo Sung delivered one final question.
"Do you really think this is how you protect Aejin?"
The instant she heard those words,
Mideum's expression hardened.
Mideum couldn't say anything.