Chapter 278

When I think of Seo Yuseong, the first word that came to mind was ‘ incongruity ‘.

Seo Yuseong laughed when others laughed and felt sorrow when they felt sorrow, but he always felt strangely out of place, like a doll that had somehow slipped into a human party.

If I had to think about the reason … that’s it.

I think it was because he only laughed ‘ when others laughed ’.

In other words, the problem was that without a guide to imitate, he couldn’t show any reaction to others’ emotions.

For humans, emotions were supposed to come naturally to us without being taught. But for Seo Yuseong, that was impossible.

Once, I briefly saw someone, who appeared to be an acquaintance, crying miserably and breaking down in front of Seo Yuseong. However, Seo Yuseong simply stood there blankly, looking down at the person with a completely expressionless face.

“Are you done talking?”

That was really all.

“…….”

Maybe he simply didn’t feel the need to be polite because there were no other witnesses around, like Yutae-hyung, who could influence him. But it seemed like there was more to it than that. After all, when the other person reacted hysterically, Seo Yuseong looked slightly troubled.

Yutae-hyung once said that every action a person took had a motive. Even actions that hurt others stemmed from some kind of intent, whether it made sense or not; like, “ I’m in a bad mood, so I want to take it out on someone ” or “ That person wronged me, so I want to get back at them .”

But since Seo Yuseong didn’t feel that much interest in the other person, he wouldn’t have intentionally wanted to hurt them. It was simply a mistake—one that happened because he had no reactions from others to use as a reference.

Could Seo Yuseong be described as one of the crazed killers or psychopaths often seen in movies? No, I didn’t think so. When I faced him, I realized he was closer to an extreme character born from people’s fears and curiosity-fueled fantasies.

“Hyung, why are you being so overprotective of Yuseong? Honestly, Yuseong is old enough to take care of himself now.”

“No. I absolutely can’t leave him alone.”

“Why? Are you worried he’ll be bullied? Yuseong isn’t the type to just let himself be picked on wherever he goes.”

“That’s not it. I’m worried he might suddenly cause an unmanageable incident while I’m not around.”

“Haha! Hyung, you’re really overreacting? It’s not like he’s going to go around beating people up.”

“Well, it’s not entirely impossible. Even when he was little, there was a time when I let my guard down for a moment, and he tried to smash the head of a neighborhood thug who had messed with him with a brick…….”

“…Really?”

Of course, Seo Yuseong did exhibit some traits of ‘ Antisocial Personality Disorder ‘ 1 from a very young age. However, there were also traits that were completely absent, so it would be more accurate to say he displayed such tendencies rather than labeling him outright.

Seo Yuseong was less like the psychopaths depicted in various media and more like an unknown animal. An animal for whom understanding human language was fundamentally impossible, and even with training, could never shed its true nature.

Seo Yuseong was born in a way that would never allow him to fit into society. He treated others’ emotions as if they were no more important than trash on the street, and it seemed like he could easily sacrifice others for his own gain without a second thought.

In that regard, Lee Saehwa, whom I occasionally encountered by Yutae-hyung’s side, gave off a similar feeling. However, the two of them showed a decisive difference in their completeness as humans.

“Ah, the group that Yutae is part of … I believe your name is Inchan-ssi, right? I remember. It’s nice to meet you.”

It gave me goosebumps to see the man’s beautiful appearance, deliberately crafted to attract anyone at a moment’s notice, his captivating tone that bent you to his will without you even realizing it, and his perfectly learned emotional expressions that made it difficult to sense any incongruity.

Would it be easier to understand if I said that even the occasional abnormalities he couldn’t hide made him seem like a special person?

‘Even Cha Woon-hyung and I just thought he was a charming person until Jay gave us a hint…….’

All of it was a tool to win the favor of someone who knew nothing and use them as a pawn.

But Seo Yuseong didn’t do that.

Unlike that person, Seo Yuseong gave the impression that he was unable to care much about how people looked at him.

He was somewhat awkward at imitating empathy, and at times, he made the mistake of saying things that sent chills down people’s spines without hesitation. And even when people showed repulsion towards him because of that, he didn’t seem to care much. He had no interest in what others thought of him.

Maintaining a job that required living under the public’s gaze with such traits was no easy task. The understanding and consideration of those around him were essential, and he himself had to always be cautious.

But despite such efforts, there were occasional instances where his true nature leaked out and caused problems, but in the end, he succeeded in stamping it out.

[Isn’t it fascinating how Seo Yuseong sometimes gets lost in his own world and says weird things? Just how strong must his concentration be to do that?]

[It breaks my heart to see Seo Yuseong always alone when his brother or the other members aren’t around. He doesn’t seem to get along well with people. I guess it’s true that geniuses are lonely.]

Seo Yuseong’s genius made it possible for him.

The eccentric behavior of a genius sometimes came across as very attractive to people.

Of course, there were people who didn’t understand Seo Yuseong’s behavior and criticized him, but in reality, the number of people who were actually fanatical about him couldn’t be ignored.

“My problem is a ‘defect’.”

“…Because it makes my brother sad.”

The reason Seo Yuseong worked so hard to put on a facade and blend into society was solely for his older brother.

Among wild beasts that couldn’t shed their primal nature, weren’t there occasionally cases where they formed an abnormal attachment to a human? I thought the relationship between Seo Yuseong and Yutae-hyung was similar to that.

Yutae-hyung would never fully understand the emotions others felt when they looked at Seo Yuseong. Part of the reason was that he lost his objectivity when it came to matters concerning Seo Yuseong, but the more crucial reason was that Seo Yuseong acted like an animal fawning over its owner in front of him.

However, even in front of his older brother, he couldn’t perfectly pretend to be completely ordinary.

“I’ve been practicing singing for about a month.”

The moment those words left Seo Yuseong’s mouth, the air in the room grew cold, and Yutae-hyung sighed, placing his hand on his forehead.

Seo Yuseong was simply providing objective information about himself; truthfully stating that he had joined as the main vocalist, that he had no trainee experience, and that he had only been practicing singing for about a month. Because his older brother told him to greet the members.

“I apologize for being late.”

Yutae-hyung wanted Seo Yuseong to get along well with the Prism members, and Seo Yuseong would have tried to follow his wishes without resistance.

However, the fact that ‘ the other members had reached this position after years of hard work and sacrifice, yet still didn’t get the main position ‘ and what kind of emotions his words would stir in the other members were things Seo Yuseong could never know.

Of course, at that time, when I had absolutely no understanding of Seo Yuseong as a person, I couldn’t even begin to imagine such circumstances.

‘No way, he’s only been practicing for a month?’

With so many outstanding members around, I already felt the pressure, but I managed to hold on by acknowledging their hard work. They must have worked harder and for a longer time than I did. I believed that if I kept working hard, I could catch up to them.

‘…He’s joking, right?’

But, standing face-to-face with a genius beyond all standards, I felt as though my hope had become a laughingstock.

It wasn’t just another position, it was the main vocal position.

I couldn’t believe that I had lost that position to someone like that.

“…….”

No one said anything mean to Seo Yuseong first. We understood that expecting recognition for our hard work was an amateur’s mentality, and we knew that those aspiring to be professionals had to adopt an attitude of accepting the outcome.

But that didn’t mean the members welcomed Seo Yuseong unconditionally.

There were two people who thought, ‘ Let’s see how good he really is ‘, and one person who thought, ‘ Why is that guy rambling on about things no one asked? ‘. The former were Cha Woon-hyung and Yoo Jay, while the latter was Nam Yihwon.

Chise-hyung didn’t seem to care whether Seo Yuseong had practiced for a month or a decade; he just rested his chin and watched Seo Yuseong. I still wasn’t sure if it was because he didn’t feel the need to compete for the main vocal position, or if he was confident that, even in comparison, his talent would never be overshadowed by Seo Yuseong’s.

“Please take good care of me from now on. If there are areas where I’m lacking, please kindly teach me.”

When I saw Seo Yuseong bowing his head while giving a greeting that seemed straight out of a textbook, along with the mechanical smile he had shown when he entered the room, I turned my head away.

My stomach churned.

Strangely enough, I think I was more envious of Chise-hyung, who didn’t feel any inferiority complex while watching Seo Yuseong, who had claimed the main vocal position in just one month, rather than Seo Yuseong himself.

…Why on earth did I feel that way?

To this day, I still don’t quite understand what the root of that feeling was.

***

After starting the preparation for our debut together, the members of Prism were finally able to see Seo Yuseong’s skills. I had no choice but to be away from the scene, as I was taking care of another matter, but at the same time, I felt both disappointment and a sense of relief.

Maybe I was scared of hearing Seo Yuseong’s singing.

‘ Ah, I can’t beat this ’. I felt like I’d never be able to forgive myself if I let that thought creep in.

Would I have felt any better if I had heard that Seo Yuseong was made the main vocalist to market them as ‘genius brothers’ since he was the younger brother of Seo Yutae ? As I walked down the company’s corridor with that thought in mind, I saw Cha Woon-hyung and Jay, who had been with Seo Yuseong, coming out of the practice room.

I hurried over, and then I noticed the serious expressions on their faces. As I was about to open my mouth to ask what happened, Cha Woon-hyung’s voice interrupted me.

“…He’s a genius.”

The person who was being praised was, of course, Seo Yuseong.

“He’s a genius. Putting his personality aside, he sings unbelievably well … Ha, how can brothers both be like this?”

Precise pitch and tempo, an explosive vocal range, and a tone that was both popular and unique. Seo Yuseong had the talent that every singer dreams of from the very beginning.

“But you know what’s funny?”

Having someone that talented in our group would make me so proud and happy.

“He doesn’t know a single song. He said he’s never been interested in music, so he never bothered to search for and listen to any songs.”

To my great shame, I felt so awful in that moment.

It felt like all the beliefs I had held onto had completely fallen apart.

At that moment, Kang Hyukwoo approached me, who was staring blankly at the floor, and spoke in front of the members.

“Hey, I forgot to mention this earlier, but don’t talk about your family on broadcasts. We’ve built Prism’s image around Seo Yutae’s younger brother and Gong Ayeon’s son. You can’t ruin that. Being the child of a single mother 2 isn’t something to be proud of.”

“An idol’s career is over the moment they are pitied. Got it?”

You can support this translation through Buy Me a Coffee or Wishlist!

Translator’s Corner:

And yes, we’re not done with Prism’s backstory ….

But Lee Danbi lowkey in better situation tbh Yutae was holding himself back in Pantheion, but in Prism … and there’s Chise and Yuseong …. I would be crazy too if I was grouped with them

Anyway, I’m not even sure why I have to directly say this in the year of 2025 … but please don’t repost my translation T_T Especially not on wattpad … I’m not sure what’s the point of copy paste the whole thing to wattpad when this blog is just ??? can be accessed normally ??? Idk about ads this is free wordpress so I have nothing to do with that, but it shouldn’t be too annoying …. no need to say “so more people can read it” either, people read it just fine, if they can’t find it, they’re not supposed to read ….

the witch hunt has been pretty severe lately (did you see the big neighbour closed down) and a lot of people snitched (not even sure for what), so I’m keeping a pretty low profile …. please just gatekeep until I at least finished the side stories ….. I’ll cry if this blog got targeted omg unless you guys want to read translations in google drive with each chapter has different password like the old days … So, yeah, please delete ^^

Anyway that’s it, I’m going to go update my other project … apparently, there’s people wanting to read it asdfghjkll (I thought no one read it)

If you find any errors (non-standard content, ads redirect, broken links, etc..), Please let us know so we can fix it as soon as possible.