Two days after that meeting, Chan Hee and Darren decided to reach out to the other two members—Jae Min and Kyun Bin. They hoped that bringing them together could begin a healing process, or at the very least, align their stories to save their reputations—for Dream Night.
But they had forgotten one thing: Broken trust isn't easily mended.
Chan Hee contacted Jae Min first. They agreed to meet at a small café they used to frequent together back when they had just debuted.
Nothing had changed in Seoul. There was no place to hide when the media had become the battlefield. The morning sun seemed reluctant to shine. Lately, for Chan Hee, ever since they were disbanded unceremoniously, the sky seemed to know—and allowed them to quietly wither.
Chan Hee checked his watch. It was exactly eleven. Gray clouds hung low like a faded painting, casting a perpetual sense of sorrow. The storm never came, but for him, the thunder had long echoed in his head.
He arrived at a modest alleyway. The café wasn't too crowded. He figured he didn't need to wear a mask or sunglasses here. Still, the twenty-three-year-old pulled up his hoodie, just in case.
When Chan Hee arrived, Jae Min was already seated, wearing sunglasses and a mask—like he didn't want to be recognized.
As soon as Chan Hee sat down, Jae Min spoke coldly,
"You're with Darren now?"
Chan Hee nodded. "I know the truth now, hyung. You need to see—"
Before he could finish, Jae Min cut in like a flash of lightning.
"I don't need to see anything," Jae Min snapped.
His gaze was sharp behind the tinted lenses. "All I see is the damage. Do you know how many endorsement deals I've lost because our name is now tied to 'cheap drama'? And you go crawling back to him?"
It was like Chan Hee's heart suddenly stopped. His chest burned. His fists clenched tightly.
"Hey, hyung! You think I'm defending Darren because I'm stupid?!" Chan Hee shot back, voice rising. "I saw it with my own eyes—how DC twisted the truth. You think Darren caused this? He was the first victim!"
"Or are you just defending him because if the truth gets out, you'll be exposed too?" Jae Min hissed. "Careful, Jung Chan Hee. You might be the next to fall."
"I didn't come just to talk about Darren," Chan Hee said, voice firmer now. "I came to tell you—if Darren goes down first, you're next, Choi Jae Min." The words landed heavy. He pressed Jae Min—without adding the honorific 'Hyung' to his sentence.
After that brief exchange, Chan Hee stormed out. He hadn't even properly sat down. Jae Min hadn't greeted him with the warm smile that once calmed them in tough times at practice. That smile was long gone.
***
An hour later, Kyun Bin sent a message in their old group chat. His words were sharp, harsher than ever. He never hesitated to let the media's narratives poison his view. And he believed every word.
[Kim Kyun Bin : "I heard you two met. Darren, you really have no shame. And Chan Hee… you're even worse."]
12:12 KST
[Kim Kyun Bin : "I trusted you once, Jung Chan Hee. But now you're back with the one who ruined everything."]
12:13 KST
[Kim Kyun Bin: "If you think you can clear his name, go ahead. But don't drag Dream Night's name into it."]
12:14 KST
Darren, who had just read the messages, sat in silence, his head bowed. His jaw clenched. But he said nothing.
Chan Hee threw his phone across the room. He paced, frustrated, like a man losing his grip.
"I thought they'd listen…" He muttered. "I thought they'd understand…"
Darren only stared out the window, watching the Seoul night that now felt meaningless.
"They're not angry because I was wrong," Darren whispered. "They're angry because they needed someone to blame. And now… Hyung, you're their next victim."
That night, hashtags like :
#DarrenTraitor and #ProtectJaeMin trended across social media. Dream Night's fans were split—worse than before.
Some sided with Darren and Chan Hee. Others defended Jae Min and Kyun Bin. A few just wanted it all to stop.
Meanwhile, DC Entertainment remained silent. Too silent. As if they were waiting... for something.
***
Clouds hung low over Seoul that evening. Rain fell steadily, like the sound of heavy breathing. But in a small apartment in Mapo, two former idols sat in front of a laptop, their faces tense but determined.
Darren and Chan Hee had started something they might never be able to stop.
"This… this is a voice note from our old manager—Min Seok hyung," Chan Hee said, dragging a folder onto the screen.
"I tried contacting anyone who'd be willing to help," He added.
Darren leaned closer. He recognized that voice. The one that used to cheer them on before performances... but also the voice that disappeared when the scandal broke out.
The recording played:
["…DC leaked Darren's practice photos on purpose. They knew fans would start speculating. It was their strategy from the start. Begin with him, then go for Jae Min. They want Dream Night divided."]
Darren was silent. His jaw tightened.
"I always knew he started doubting the agency," he muttered, biting his lower lip. "But why speak up now?"
Chan Hee pointed at an email on the screen.
["Sorry I'm only speaking out now. I recorded this secretly. But DC has eyes everywhere. I could only send this from a new address."]
The voice note ended.
They opened folder after folder.
Screenshots of DMs from a former stylist. Tampered contract addendums. Internal CCTV footage leaked by an insider.
And—most shocking of all—a document titled:
Darren's name was printed in bold at the top.
They sat in silence. The air in the room grew heavy. "This is a character assassination plan," Chan Hee muttered. "They really meant to make you look like the worst."
"And now I have proof," Darren said, eyes burning. "They thought I'd stay quiet. But now I know who I am."
"So…" Chan Hee began.
He picked up his phone, opening a new Kakao conversation. He paused at the name before tapping it. Nam Yeon Ju. He'd gotten the contact from their old manager.
Darren saw it and responded immediately.
"Hyung? Are you sure we can trust her?"
"Nam Yeon Ju. She's a journalist. Used to be our fan. But now she works for an independent outlet. She hates DC even more than we do," Chan Hee explained. Darren nodded slowly.
He took a deep breath. "If this goes wrong… we could get sued for defamation."
Chan Hee looked straight at him. "But if it works… we can clear our names. Maybe even save what's left of our lives."
"Darren, we have to do this. We're just discarded idols now. We're no one. They have the power. We only have the public—and that's our only hope."
And for the first time in a long time, Darren saw no hesitation in Chan Hee's eyes.
Chan Hee—the one who drank the most. Chan Hee—the one who could always outlast them all at the bar. He was also the first person to help Darren rise—and feel truly heard again.
***