episode_0238

What I desperately want.

Can anyone know what he truly desires in his heart?

No, I don’t think you know.

Because you can only find out what you really want, what you would sell your soul for, right before you die.

So maybe that’s why I knew exactly what I wanted.

Because I died once.

At that time, I prayed as I was dying.

Be loved by many… and not be lonely.

Please let me live like that.

So what is outside the door now?

Squeak.

I opened the door cautiously, anticipating what might be outside.

and….

“… … Huh?”

The person standing outside was completely different from what I expected.

“Ha Ye-rin, congratulations on your debut.”

“You… .”

He’s a guy you can’t forget, no matter how hard you try.

Namgung Suho.

The stalker who came to my neighborhood when I was in the midst of my career.

But now, as soon as I see his face, a different memory comes to mind.

‘Oh, does it hurt? I was in more pain! I was in agony!’

The madman who stabbed me with a knife in my past life… and killed me with indiscriminate sword swings.

Swish.

The boy was seen taking something sharp, silvery, out of his pocket.

The bad relationship continues.

The guy who killed me in my past life has come to kill me again this time.

Paat.

Before I could even sort out the situation, the guy reached out his hand.

I could see the knife in the guy’s hand reaching right in front of my abdomen.

and….

Soon I felt a hot pain from below.

Bam-!

“Eight-!”

“Aaak-!!”

Before the sword could reach him, I struck Namgung Suho’s wrist with my fist.

“Ayaaya… .”

I felt a hot pain in my hand, maybe because the bone was hitting the bone… .

“Aaaaah-!”

Namgung Su-ho, whose wrist was broken, let go of the sword and screamed in even more pain.

I didn’t miss the gap and took out the three-section baton that was already stored in the shoe rack and swung it at the guy.

Clap-!!! Clap-!!!

“AAAH-!!! Hey, wait a minute…!! AAAAH-!!”

At first, the guy with the head down fell to the floor.

I beat the guy hard from head to toe in case he would get up again.

“I learned self-defense because of guys like you!”

Since what happened last time with Shin Si-woo, I… .

‘Brother Sang-gu, could you please teach me some self-defense?’

‘Self-defense?’

I learned self-defense from Sang-gu oppa.

‘…Yerin, you are quite talented.’

‘is it so?’

‘He’s so strong. I’d believe him even if you said he was a boy.’

And now this 3-stage peak that I’m hitting the guy on hard.

These are the things that Lee Ji-woo bought and gave him while crying when he first stalked her.

Because it was difficult to dispose of, we have kept it in various places in the dorms since the days of the Rookies.

When you go into my room, there are more items like sprays, whistles, etc.

“You got caught. How scared was I that day?”

Because of this guy’s stalking, I used to flinch whenever strange men approached me for a while.

Because of that, bad memories came back to me… .

Crash-! Crash-!!

“AAAH-!!”

I stomped on this skinny little guy until he calmed down.

About a minute passed like that.

“Hoo… ”

“Ughhh… , ugh… .”

Only after my anger had subsided somewhat and the guy was covered in bruises did I stop beating him.

and….

Doo doo doo doo.

As soon as I stopped beating, I heard something ringing somewhere… .

“Yerin-!!!”

“Boss… .”

Soon, Kang Hyeong-man appeared.

Kang Hyung-man’s face and shirt were covered in sweat, as if he had run here without taking the elevator.

But what catches the eye more than anything else is… Kang Hyung-man’s expression.

‘You must have been very worried.’

Kang Hyung-man’s expressionless face is changing from moment to moment.

When it first came running, it seemed like an evil spirit coming to kill someone… but soon it felt relieved when it saw that I was safe.

I felt good because the change in Kang Hyung-man’s expression seemed to tell me how worried he was about me.

and….

‘……uh?’

Just like I remembered my past life when I saw Namgung Suho’s face earlier… I remembered memories I had forgotten when I saw Kang Hyungman’s face this time.

In my previous life, when I was dying from Namgung Suho’s indiscriminate sword swings… there was an old man who helped me.

‘… Hey, young man. Are you okay…? Just hold on a little longer. I called 119.’

At that moment, the old man’s face comes to mind again.

It was Kang Hyeong-man.

“… … Mr. President.”

“… Yerin, are you laughing now?”

Kang Hyung-man pressed me while tying up Namgung Su-ho, who had already fainted.

Still, the smile did not disappear from my face.

Just as bad relationships continue… so do fates.

In my previous life, when I was dying, I prayed that I would not be lonely in the next life… that I would have a family.

and….

To me now… Whenever I’m in danger like this, there’s someone who comes to save me… .

There is someone who keeps me from being lonely.

Kang Hyung-man… not only protected me at the end of my previous life, but he also protected me in this life.

He gives me dreams… He protects me… He gives me laughter… .

Something I have longed for in both my past life and this life.

It was ‘family’.

And… that wasn’t the end for my precious people.

“Yerin!”

“Hey, what’s that? That guy?!”

The members who came back late by taking the elevator were surprised to see Namgung Suho tied up and me holding a three-stage staff and came running.

“What happened?”

“Oh, my sister hasn’t come for a long time… I was worried so we all came together, but what the heck… .”

“Yerin, are you hurt anywhere?”

“… Who is this guy…? Is this guy trying to harm you?”

These five members, who all have concerns about me written on their faces… .

My friend, my colleague and….

Please… never let me be lonely… .

Companions who will achieve my dreams together.

“… … What a great happiness it is to have such precious people by my side.”

Even though I knew it wasn’t a laughing situation, I couldn’t help but laugh.

I close my eyes and smile… .

Kwak.

He hugged the members tightly.

Although they are not here right now, Sang-goo oppa, trainer Lee Ji-woo, Han Si-woo, and other members of Brothers Planning are also there.

The reward the quest gave me.

That is, what I want most.

They were ‘family’.

“Yes, Yerin… .”

“Sister?”

The members who had not yet figured out the situation suddenly called out to me in confusion when I smiled and hugged them.

I patted those members and said:

“I just liked it so much… .”

“… What’s good?”

“I just… like it when we’re all together like this.”

I held the members like that until Kang Hyung-man finished capturing Namgung Su-ho and reported it to the police.

Now everyone here realizes that it is my quest reward… .

It was more touching and precious.

however….

“… … But sir. I’ve been wondering since a while ago.”

“Huh?”

“… Who is that person?”

…Who is the man who has been behind Kang Hyung-man since earlier?

When I asked about the identity of the unfamiliar face between Kang Hyung-man and the members, Kang Hyung-man answered as if he had only just remembered.

“Ah, this person is your fan, Yerin.”

“… Are you a fan?”

“Yes, thanks to this person telling me that you were in danger, I was able to know in advance and come running.”

“Ahh… .”

How did you know I was in danger and tell me?

Although I had doubts, I bowed my head to the fan in gratitude.

and….

“Oh! Now that I think about it… !”

I could immediately tell who the person was.

“The person who came from Japan at that time?”

“… … .”

That Japanese fan who came to many fan signing events.

I remember him because he was the first Japanese fan I saw.

“Thank you!”

“… … .”

“Your name is clearly… Tanjiro-kun?”

“… … Ah, hi.”

I was delighted to see a familiar face from a fan I hadn’t seen in a long time, so I kept bowing my head to him and shaking his hand.

But that was the end of it.

If the distance between idols and fans is too close, something unfortunate may happen.

First of all, I was wearing pajamas and no makeup at all.

Plus, it was getting late… so I decided to go inside the dorm to change my clothes.

“I’m going to change my clothes first.”

“Okay, change your clothes and go down to the car together. I’ll hand this guy over to the police and go.”

“Yes.”

But the moment I opened the door and tried to go inside… .

“Excuse me, excuse me… !!”

“… … !”

A fan who was thought to be Japanese spoke Korean fluently.

Surprised by this, I turned around and… .

“Hey, hey… .”

He had a meaningful expression on his face.

**

“Wait a minute, that kid!!”

While heading to his friend’s house in Building A, Yoo Chang-seon belatedly remembered who the man with the scar was and moved his steps towards Building D.

Of course, I don’t know why the guy came here… .

Something feels uneasy.

Should I call it a feeling?

I had a feeling that that Ha Ye-rin real stalker bastard wasn’t here for nothing.

but….

‘It’s gone!’

When he went towards Building D, Yerin Suho had already disappeared.

It seemed like he had taken the elevator… but he couldn’t tell which floor the guy went to.

But at that time.

“… … !”

His eyes caught the sight of a man waiting for the elevator.

Yoo Chang-sun, a fan of Ha Ye-rin, learned about her agency, Brother Planning, while searching for articles about Ha Ye-rin on the Internet.

[Brother Planning Where is that place?: Meet Brother Planning CEO Kang.]

That must have been the title.

In that article…, I saw Kang Hyung-man’s face, and now that Kang Hyung-man is in front of me.

then….

‘Isis’s quarters are here…?’

Yoo Chang-seon, who had quickly assessed the situation in his head, shouted earnestly to Kang Hyeong-man.

“Hey, over there, Mr. Kang Hyung-man!! Mr. Kang of Brothers Planning!!!”

“… What? Who are you…?”

“Yerin is in danger! There’s a stalker bastard! Stalker!”

“… … !”

As soon as he heard the story about the stalker, Kang Hyung-man checked the elevator that wasn’t coming and then started running like crazy towards the emergency stairs.

“Hey, over there! Let’s, let’s go together… !!”

In that way, Yoo Chang-seon unknowingly followed Kang Hyeong-man… and ended up in the current situation together.

‘Huh, huh…! Yerin’s cat pajamas are super cute… .’

Yoo Chang-sun, who followed Kang Hyung-man, saw Ha Ye-rin, wearing pajamas, beating the guy Ye-rin Su-ho with a three-stage baton and even hugging the members.

but….

“The person who came from Japan at that time?”

“… … .”

“Thank you!”

“… … .”

“Your name is clearly… Tanjiro-kun?”

“… … Ah, hi.”

Still, she knew him as a Japanese fan.

Of course, I didn’t mean to show off to Yerin or anything… .

Something felt wronged.

Then he shouted before Hayerin entered.

“Excuse me, excuse me… !!”

“… … !”

At his sudden shout, Hayerin, all the members, and even Kang Hyungman looked at him.

“Hey, hey… .”

Although he called out curiously, Yoo Chang-seon was embarrassed when everyone’s eyes turned to him.

‘There was something I really wanted to say to Yerin when we met in person…’

At fan signing events, Ha Ye-rin couldn’t speak to him because she mistook him for a Japanese person every time they met.

He took a deep breath and left a message for Ha Ye-rin as a fan.

“I… Actually, I’m not Japanese, I’m Korean… . In the military… So, I’ve been a fan since Naaah first came out… .”

As I started telling the story, memories from the past came to mind.

When Ha Ye-rin first appeared on Naaah… he couldn’t take his eyes off her.

When she appeared on stage, I thought only of her, to the point where I felt entranced.

My long, long later years… were able to pass quickly thanks to her.

“I really saw it all… I saw you win… I saw you work hard in the Rookies… .”

Some people pointed fingers at Yoo Chang-seon, saying he was wasting his money and time on useless things, but he didn’t think that way.

He was… genuinely happy, looking at Ha Ye-rin and cheering her on.

“I followed the Rookies to a lot of music shows… I went to fan signing events… I went to their last concert… And um… .”

Yoo Chang-seon wanted to give back to her even a little bit of the happiness he had received from her.

After rambling on and on, he soon met Hayerin’s eyes and gave her a thumbs up.

“… Anyway, Yerin was really the best.”

“… … !”

“Yerin and the members of Isis were truly the best idols to me.”

Although the appendix was long… .

You were the best to me.

This is what Yoo Chang-sun wanted to say to Ha Ye-rin.

Ha Ye-rin’s eyes widened as if she liked what he said.

At that moment, Yoo Chang-seon was about to let out a sigh of relief… .

“And I will also support ISIS’s future activities… , ugh… !!”

Prison.

Hayerin approached him and hugged him lightly.

“Thank you.”

Ha Ye-rin began to speak slowly, smiling.

However, Yoo Chang-seon, who was so shocked by the fact that Ha Ye-rin had hugged him, could not hear her words properly.

**

When I called his name

He came to me and became a flower.

I kept thinking about what the best idol is.

Records? Grades?

Is an idol the best if they are #1 on a music site for several weeks in a row?

Does a concert attract tens of thousands of audience members to make them the best idol?

If you win an idol entertainment survival show, does that make you the best idol?

All those questions are wrong.

An idol cannot be an idol alone.

Without fans, idols are nothing more than unproductive nerds.

Idols exist because there are fans who love and support them.

My stage, my song, my dance… .

If the fans truly enjoy it and are happy and tell me that I am the best idol… .

“Yerin and the members of Isis were truly the best idols to me.”

I am finally becoming the best idol.

“Thank you.”

I only realized it after hearing this guy’s words.

Like this person… I can be here because there are so many fans who don’t know my name but are always looking out for me.

It’s not because I’m good… .

I can be an idol because I have fans.

“We will continue to work hard for you.”

When he finally pulled away after saying those words, the fan’s face was red.

“Yes, yes, yes… ! I, I, I will go then!! Ah, that, and lastly… !”

Perhaps embarrassed, he quickly moved away from me and lowered his head.

And then….

“Yes, congratulations to Yerin and the other Isis members for debuting again today!”

He left as if he was running away, leaving behind one last word.

I looked at his back with a smile and then said to the members and Kang Hyung-man.

“We… will really work hard in the future.”

I remember something Han Si-woo said to me one day.

‘I always feel indebted to my fans.’

The endless love my fans give me… .

I will pay them back as if I were paying a debt.

Of course, I’m not alone… .

“Of course.”

“Let’s just tear up today’s showcase.”

…with my family by my side.

I smiled brightly at the look in Kang Hyung-man’s and the members’ eyes that showed their infinite trust in me.

It was the happiest smile in the world… something I had never seen before.

I became an idol to pay off my debt. (Complete)

BONUS: Part 2 Final Review.

Hello, I am a writer.

With episode 238, the main story of Debt Repayment has come to an end.

In fact, Debt Repayment Stone started out as a thought while watching the Japanese animation My Favorite Child, wondering what it would be like if it had a happy ending instead of a bad ending.

Even if you look at the first line of the prologue of Debt Repayment Stone, there is a line that pays homage to the favorite child.

The ending of Debt Repayment Stone was originally decided like this.

The reason why the late Private Yoo Chang-seon was introduced from the beginning was to give a message to Ha Ye-rin at the end, and the stalker named Ye-rin Su-ho was also introduced with the ending in mind.

Now that we’ve brought it up, I’ll also reveal the hidden setting in Rookies.

In fact, the members of Rookies were created based on the seven deadly sins.

Greed – Hayerin (desiring people’s love and attention)

Jealousy – Yoo Seol

Oman – Seo Yu-jin

Gluttony – Lee Hye-jeong

Anger – Park Yoo-jung

Laziness – Na Hanna

Lust – ??

However, there are 6 members in Rookies.

If you’ve been watching Debt Repayment Stone for a while, you might remember that the original number of Rookies members was 7, but I reduced it to 6 in the middle.

So where did the last member of Lust go?

Kanna, a Japanese member of Rookies’ rival group Python.

I originally planned to include Kanna, who has the trait of being a pervert, as a member of Rookies… but as I was planning on it, I thought 7 was too many, so I reduced the number.

Originally, I was going to go with Yerin’s trait as ‘the deadly sin of greed’ instead of ‘heavenly horse’… .

Honestly, I quit because I thought it was too much of a nerd.

In addition, Debt Repayment Stone was able to come to a close conclusion despite going through several changes from the original concept.

Of those, the most memorable one is the process of defeating the second part villain, Shin Si-woo.

Actually, in my head, there was a good way to make Shin Si-woo leave in a fun and refreshing way.

but….

When I was serializing that part, my grandmother suddenly passed away after suffering from COVID-19… and many other things happened, so I had to rush the story and the development was a bit disappointing.

Actually, if life is difficult and I can’t write, I could just ask for the readers’ understanding and take a few days off… .

At that time, I was foolish and had a compulsive need to write at least one piece a day… .

I think it turned out that way because I was forcing myself to write in difficult times.

I apologize for that.

The next thing I want to talk about is the side story.

I had the idea from the beginning to conclude the story with the Rookies members re-debuting as Isis.

However, there are quite a few stories that could not be included in the main story alone.

First, the backstory of the members who re-debuted as Isis… How Brothers Planning became a first-class planning company… .

How are the parents of Yerin, the villain from Part 1 who did not appear in Part 2, living?

There, we will conclude Part 1 and even have the yuri route with the members that we promised.

However, it seems that they won’t be serializing the side story right away.

First of all, I want to take a break for a bit… and I also want to serialize a new work… .

It looks like the spin-off series won’t start until a long time later.

I will return someday with a side story that will satisfy my readers.

Finally, I would like to thank my readers.

Just like what Yerin said to Yoo Chang-seon in the story… .

I exist because of my readers.

Oh, of course, I’m not a young child or a world-class person… .

I can’t tell you how much joy it gives me to have readers read my writing… I can’t tell you how much joy it gives me to make money with just a few lines of writing like this.

Thank you for giving me such great joy… I will also work hard to bring joy to my readers in the future.

I have been a writer until now.

thank you