The Case of an Idol’s Disappearance

[Exclusive] The disappearance of the popular idol group COSMOS member ‘Woo Hyunui” 

While the comeback teaser for the first full-length album of the male idol group <COSMOS> under Heaven Entertainment is out, the whereabouts of member ‘Woo Hyunui’ is unclear.

According to the official, it is believed that he disappeared while resting at his dormitory on the evening of the 13th, and Shin-ssi, a member who is using the same room as Woo-ssi, said, “I didn’t see him before sleeping together last time.”

On the day of the incident, the agency, Heaven Entertainment, immediately reported to the police on suspicion of disappearance and kidnapping, but two weeks later, Woo-ssi’s whereabouts have not been found in CCTV and other clues, making the investigation difficult.

In the midst of growing concerns among fans due to this incident, as he is a person who appeared in Season 4 of Music Net’s idol survival program <1st Class Idol>, which has been a huge topic of discussion last year, and ranked 8th—.

I was mesmerized by the article I saw as soon as I finished reporting my discharge with a friend who had enlisted with me.

“…Euijin-ah, this is about your brother, right?”

What kind of nonsense are you talking about that Hyunui is missing?

*****

“So Euijin-ah, we also worked hard on the disappearance of Hyunui…”

“Yeah, you’re working hard while you remain on the sidelines?”

I barely held back the swearing that came out of my mouth.

It’s been more than two months since he disappeared. Does it make sense that there’s no clue? Well, what did I expect from those guys who didn’t contact me after my brother disappeared? 

If it wasn’t for the article reported two weeks after he disappeared, I’d be unaware for a few more days. 

“Did the kid who was sleeping quietly in the dormitory even fall to the ground?”

“Let’s calm down for now… We’ve been investigating that, but he’s really disappeared all of a sudden…”

“Yeah, so let’s have a chat with the members… Please let us meet once, just once. Or just please make a call. All the members were in the dormitory at the time of disappearance, so they must know something.” 

“So, the other members had a hard time mentally because of Hyunui’s disappearance…”

It’s not that I’m doing this because I’m sane.

“If you wait a little longer, there will be progress in the investigation. At times like this, you have to go back…”

“…Yes, I guess I’ve been holding on to busy people too much. Then I should get going…”

This is the fourth time they’ve turned down my request to meet with my younger brother’s group members.

‘I wish I could have said more here.’

I couldn’t stop laughing.

As soon as I was discharged from the military, I was shocked when I saw the article about my brother’s disappearance, and at the same time, my eyes rolled around. Luckily, there was a friend next to me, and I was holding onto my mind, but all sorts of horrible scenarios had already entered my mind, and I couldn’t seem to calm my anxiety. To the point where people who don’t know me would have seen it as a crazy person.

‘If there is a serious injury or life-threatening situation…’

On the train to Seoul, I called my younger brother’s group members and manager like crazy, but no one answered. My whole body trembled because I was worried that something big might have happened. Jeho, who was sitting next to me and watching me do everything, grabbed my hand and spoke. 

“Euijin-ah, let’s go to Hyunui’s dormitory first.”

“…Yeah.”

When I went to my younger brother’s only dorm before I went to my house, reporters were swarming the entrance like bees, so I met the manager of my younger brother’s agency’s management team.

All he’s saying to me is,

“Euijin-ssi? Come to think of it, it’s already the date you’re going to be discharged…” “

I grabbed the back of my neck because it was such a stupid sound.

He was busy talking to such a team leader, saying that there was a circumstance when I asked him how the agency handled the matter so they didn’t inform his one and only family of the missing member.

It’s been a few months since we had conversations that seemed like talking to the wall.

There was no sign of his missing brother, and the police were only pretending to be tired of the rarely progressing investigation. Netizens, who were on fire in the beginning due to their younger brother’s disappearance, were also busy giggling, making ridiculous guesses except for the remaining fans.

@If the agency doesn’t respond much, isn’t it just that he’s diving into the sea? ㅋㅋ (t/n : it’s mean something like when someone is ghosting you without saying a word.) 

ㄴ Really, Heaven Entertainment isn’t the type to neglect something. 

ㄴ Seriously. 

ㄴ Don’t you know that it’s not made with Heaven, but with steamed? (ㄴ 헤븐 입고소아니고 찐으로하는거 알고는있지?l

@Woo Hyunui was originally a madman… Was he really kidnapped? 

ㄴ ㅅㅂ I’m a fan but I’m still think about this. 

ㄴ There is a possibility that even during season 4 of 1st Class idols, the rankings were so bad because of all the crazy guy stuck together. ㅠㅠ 

ㄴㄴ More than that, the ranking is because of the PD 

ㄴ I think it’s true that he got kidnapped because he got caught really wrong this time. Didn’t something similar happen last time?

ㄴㄴ Aren’t my words related to the last stalker?

ㄴ I mean, you believe this, huh… You’re probably saying that because you’re involved with a guy who can’t even touch him at a higher place, right? ㅋㅋㅋㅋ Your common sense has disappeared, so how can you not even get his hair caught on CCTV? 

@the comments are all crazy ㅋㅋㅋ You guys heard that someone is missing, do you really want to?

ㄴ 22 Really, how many people are there? 

ㄴ 333

ㄴ 4444 I don’t know how a brat who says diving into the sea can live life like that. ㅠ Do you have any experience of carry an idol diving^^; 

ㄴ As they write it, I think they’re thinking same inside as if they’re the person involved.

ㄴㄴ My friend, don’t go crazy just doing internet in the corner of your room,,, get some fresh air,,, okay?

I wanted to find everything and overturn it.

Would that be fun for a kid who they don’t even know if he’s alive or not right now?

Do they think it’s okay to talk freely when they’re not even the person involved?

“F*ck…”

I looked to the side and saw a man in the window after I had burned only cigarettes that I didn’t smoke in the military. His face made it look like he was about to collapse. He looked tired and worn out, like a mess. 

— I heard from the kid that you fall down during practice these days. Take care of yourself, punk.

— That’s not what Hyung would say to me. And I’ll be healthier. 

The conversations I had with my younger brother in the past were floating in my ears.

‘…I’m sure he’ll nag me if he comes and sees me.’

Then I took everything out of my hands and pockets and threw it in the trash.

*****

The man’s face reflected in the window looked better than before.

Personally, I left a few requests with a detective agency, but I didn’t get anything out of it. I didn’t even expect it in the first place. Looking at the attitude of my younger brother’s agency, it was more convincing that they were hiding something inside.

‘It’s strange that the singer they belonged to disappeared without a trace and they didn’t even try to do anything…’

A member of a group that is at its peak has disappeared, and the release of the next album and the activities are all unclear. And yet you’re being so passive?

Although I’m no longer an idol, I did make my debut as one, so I know how this floor works.

My younger brother’s group is not only achieving the same results as other top idols upon their debut, but it has been less than a year since they debuted, so the future prospects are better. From the agency’s point of view, the treatment can’t be bad because it can be used as a cash cow for several more years. 

‘Besides, there are things that they have made, but they throw it away like this. Isn’t it inconsistent with the calculations?’

Even if it was the intention of promoting with only the rest of the members, I did not understand. 

As long as people know that the last place the missing person was seen was their dorm, watching the situation without doing anything will only raise doubts in the public. If the case continued to remain unresolved, it would not be good for the agency. Because it might be stamped like a stigma for nothing. 

In general, when a person disappears, it is common to at least actively participate in the investigation. But this company is—.

‘The manager who first identified the situation and contacted the police was disciplined.’

If it wasn’t for the real disappearance, it could be said that the manager acted hastily, but it wasn’t a bad response in the current situation. Rather, I felt that the agency’s attitude was excessive. 

I also abruptly lost contact with members of my younger brother’s group. 

These are the kids who were friendly to me as their member’s older brother and communicated frequently. However, I couldn’t contact all the rest of the members as if they had planned it as a group. 

At first, when Hyunui went missing, I wondered if they were sorry or felt guilty, so I had to write a letter to the agency. 

I don’t mean to blame you, so let’s just see each other.

If you also feel burdened, it’s okay. 

I was worried that something might have happened, so I asked for a reply while saying it was okay.

But there was no answer.

‘Did the agency even deliver the letter in the first place?’

If I look at the way they do it, there is a high probability that they threw it in the trash.

I couldn’t understand why they acted like this in the name of protecting the artist.

What about me? What about my brother?

At least, if the agency had just taken a position to resolve the situation ahead of time, I wouldn’t have been so angry.

“Haa…” 

How can it not be seen this way, unless someone is forced to hide it?

I was sick of feeling helpless when I heard that my only family had disappeared without a trace and there was nothing I could do about it. 

****

Play

Unmute

[♫♪~]

‘I just fell asleep…’

I messed up the bedside table and picked up the ringing cell phone. 

[03:28 A.M.]

Who the hell is calling at this hour?

“…This is Woo Euijin” 

– Yes, Euijin-ssi, I’m sorry since it’s still early in the morning. We’re the Detective Agency 007 that you requested last time.

My half-asleep eyes opened wide. Honestly, I left the request with the feeling of grasping at straws, not expecting the results. 

“Yes hello. Did you find anything?”

– To be precise, there is an eyewitness that I think saw someone similar to your brother. I called you right away because the location is not far from Euijin’s residence. You said you were going to buy XX, right? 

“Yes, if you send me the address of the place, I’ll go.” 

– Yes, we also have staff on our side, so let’s find it together. I’ll put it in the address text.

Where it was witnessed.

XX-gil, XX-ro, XX-gu, Seoul, three-way intersection in front of XX Building

It is a 15-minute walk from the house or less than 5 minutes by taxi.

I just put on my coat and went out the door.

‘Finally—!’

It’s been almost three months since he went missing, so I was wondering if I should really give up.

It was painful to think about what I would do in life for a few days depending on alcohol and medicine, but when Hyunui came back later, I sometimes endured it with the mindset that I couldn’t be without him. 

‘It’s not a common face, so it’s probably right.’

Furthermore, he was from a very successful survival program, so a lot of people knew him on the street. This makes it very likely that the witness saw my brother.

I ran as fast as I could to get to my destination, and I even wasted time while I waited for the taxi.

‘Please stay there…’

I ran for about 5 minutes.

I took a deep breath and looked around the area where he had been seen, but I didn’t even see a single ant.

‘Somewhere around here.’

I pressed the call button to see if there was any progress on the detective agency side and looked around.

– Yes, Euijin-ssi.

“Yes, where are you? I’m in front of the address building you sent me now.”

– Ah! Wait.

A voice came over the phone. 

Client, three-way, arrival, informant.

– Euijin-ssi, do you see the convenience store in the alley next to it?

“Wait… I see it.”

– There’s got to be a guy in the alley on the right that’s far away. We’ve put in a tracker so that we can find out the location in real time, so it’ll be more convenient if we act together.

“Yes, thank you.”

I hung up the phone and walked towards the convenience store in search of a tall man.

‘Is it that person?’

As the detective agency said, in the alley next to the convenience store, there was a man who seemed to be 190cm tall.

As I approached him and was about to say hello to him, my eyes met the man who turned his head.

“…Huh?”

It was a familiar face.

To be precise, it’s only one side for me. 

That’s because this man was a so-called top-ranked actor. He was still the main character of a drama with viewership ratings that surpassed 40%, so he lives in Korea in the 21st century and hears the term “spies” even though they don’t know what it means.

“Shin Eungyeol, what are you doing? I have to move him, so carry him.”

And where else have I heard the voice?

“Shin Eunhwa?”

She was a member of a female idol group that was enjoying its heyday.

And since both of them are from the same agency as my younger brother, there was a time when we met in the waiting room when I went to see Hyunui’s four group concert. I didn’t pretend to know because that side wouldn’t remember me. 

‘The two people probably aren’t from the detective agency side…’

Shin Eunhwa and Shin Eungyeol are siblings, so there is nothing particularly strange about being together. Since it’s early in the morning and dangerous to go out alone,  I guess they came out together. They were not related to me, so I roughly nodded and tried to pass by.

If only it wasn’t for the person lying on the floor.

“…Hyunui?” 

It was my younger brother.