ID Chapter 7

First, foods beneficial for Motion Aura were presented. Endorphin’s proud S-class Motioner Jae-yi and C-class Motioner Yadan eagerly ate them, evaluating each one and describing the immediate changes in their Motion Aura. For S-class users, the effects seemed subtle, but for Yadan, his aura definitely felt stronger. However, it was explained that while Soul Aura is immediately affected upon consumption, Motion Aura effects only become apparent after about a day.

Next was the Soul Food. Since I was the only Soul Aura user in Endorphin, I could monopolize the dishes. Heheh.

“Ira, you’re A-class, aren’t you?”

“Yes! That’s right.”

“Wow, three members are Aura Users, and among them are an S-class and an A-class. No wonder you became top idols so quickly. In fact, C-class is considered top-tier in other groups.”

“Haha…”

I hadn’t contributed to Endorphin’s popularity. I had merely filled the spot Go Yu-jin had created.

First, fruits came out: apples, strawberries, plums, pomegranates, and more. I would have preferred meat, but the script stated that the main eating show would begin in Part 2.

“There are many red fruits in Soul Food, teacher?”

“Yes. The emotions we’ve been conditioned to feel upon seeing red fruits since the dawn of humanity enrich Soul Aura.”

So, red was the primary color… It was fascinating how Motion Aura relied on a food’s nutrients, while Soul Aura relied on color. A sudden question came to mind, and I asked the coolly handsome doctor.

“Then, even if it’s an apple, do green apples have no effect?”

“…Green apples do not affect fully developed Soul Aura, like Ira’s. They are fruits needed for the initial stages of D-class or lower-tier users.”

“Ah, I see. That’s fascinating~~”

The doctor’s—what was his name? Ah, Kwon Su-han’s voice seemed to drip with ice. His gaze was intense, but rather than being deep and distant like Jae-yi’s, it was a cold intensity that felt sharp enough to cut. So, as soon as our eyes met, I pretended to be impressed and smiled, then looked away.

Throughout the rest of the filming, Kwon Su-han kept sending me sharp glances. He was generally cold to everyone, but he seemed to look at me especially often.

To be honest, I might be experiencing a bit of paranoia right now, so it could be my imagination. I should ask the members during the break. Is it just me, or does he really look at me like that?

“Hey, do you know that doctor? He was glaring at you the whole time.”

I got my answer before I even asked. As soon as Han-sae asked me in the waiting room, my curiosity was satisfied.

So, he really does dislike me. Maybe he was a fan of Go Yu-jin.

“Did you do something wrong to that doctor?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never seen him before.”

“Really? Then why is he like that to you?”

“Just leave it. No interest. Just eat your meal.”

Today, a support lunchbox arrived again. It was from Yadan’s fan site. There were handwritten letters for each member, and I also had one, for which I felt grateful and sorry.

The main dish was hamburger steak for Yadan, who liked Western food. It looked deliciously glistening, but I closed the lid.

“Not eating again?”

Jae-yi asked, as if he had been waiting. Fortunately, I had a suitable excuse today.

“Because there’s still more eating show to film, I won’t eat.”

“I see. I should eat later too.”

Jae-yi also closed his lid.

“Oh, right. There’s an eating show later, isn’t there?”

“Ah…”

Mun hyung hesitated, looking at the delicious steak. Han-sae also thought for a moment, then brightly said,

“Since you guys are starving, we can eat. Hyung, Yadan. Let’s eat!”

He said. Pffft, a very Han-sae-like decision.

Actually, Mun hyung and Han-sae weren’t Aura Users, so they wouldn’t be able to eat much later, making it right for them to eat now.

While I was laughing, Jae-yi took my lunchbox and put it in a box along with his own.

Then he tried to peel off the sticker attached to the lid. Whoa… Startled, I rushed over in one stride.

“Hey, why are you peeling it off? Leave the sticker on.”

“Why bother? Neither of us has touched them.”

“Ah, just leave it. So your and mine don’t get mixed up.”

I dragged out my words, pretending not to be serious, and snatched the lunchbox from Jae-yi’s hand. Actually, I just wanted to put mine in my bag…

“Are only yours different? This feels bad.”

Uh, yes, they are different. Mine might have poison in it. It’s to save you.

“Hey, don’t sulk. Your hyung here is a bit possessive.”

I wanted to laugh it off, but I couldn’t manage a good smile. Just then, our clueless idiot and Mun hyung interrupted their meal.

“That guy is secretly a glutton. He never tries to share his own food. He looks skinny, so you’d think he doesn’t eat, but he takes good care of his own stuff.”

“No, is it possible that fans actually put more food in Ira’s lunchbox because he’s so skinny?”

“Haha, you guys think of everything. Even Mun hyung, what’s with you? Just eat your meal, everyone. Look at Yadan, he’s diligently eating with his ‘don’t care’ attitude.”

“…I’m listening to all your conversations, hyung.”

“…Uh, sorry for talking to you. Eat deliciously.”

Somehow, I couldn’t talk casually to the maknae like I did to the others. Han-sae grumbled, saying my attitude towards Yadan and them was too different.

I pretended to pick my ear, teasing him, then quickly closed the box. Well, this should be enough to stop Jae-yi from trying to peel off the sticker. I sneaked a glance at Jae-yi; the Black Panther, lost in thought, was looking down at the box. He really was terrifyingly handsome.

“Yong-jun hyung, I think we should put our lunchboxes in the fridge so they don’t spoil.”

“…Okay, I’ll put them in.”

Fortunately, Yong-jun hyung caught on to what I was saying. As he took the lunchboxes, I let out a sigh of relief.

“…………”

My eyes met Jae-yi’s. His gaze was too deep. Rather than being cold like the doctor’s earlier… it was hot. I shrugged as if asking what he was staring at, and turned my head.

Filming resumed.

The first half was fruits and vegetables, so it couldn’t be called a mukbang. The second half was the real mukbang. Meat, oh, meat! I salivated at the food laid out, but it was just my premature excitement.

“Generally, these are dishes said to be good for aura. Motioners tend to get land animals, while Soul Aura Users get a lot of seafood.”

…The MC senior was right. Pork, chicken, and beef were eaten by Yadan and Jae-yi, while I got seaweed… crab, flounder… What is this…?

First, the Motioners started their mukbang. Mun and Han-sae, who aren’t Aura Users and were only given a little food, exaggerated, saying it felt like a penalty. Yadan, despite having eaten a whole lunchbox earlier, had a successful mukbang. Is it because he’s still growing?

Jae-yi received compliments that even eating samgyeopsal wrapped in lettuce looked like a commercial. I thought so too.

Finally, it was my turn to eat soul food. Excluding the fruits, it was my first meal today, so I was hungry enough to eat fish deliciously. Though I secretly hoped for meat.

“Unlike Motion Aura, Soul Aura shows effects immediately after consumption. We will show you the before and after comparison.”

Before eating, I had to hold hands with the cold, handsome doctor. It was in the script. I went to where the doctor was sitting.

Laughter erupted in various places as I crossed the studio.

“Heh, heh. Ira, watching you run reminds me of the chick picture. So cute.”

“Hahaha, so you’ve seen that meme too, senior. It’s the famous Ira Chick Meme, right?”

“He’s our pride!! Hahaha.”

“Huh? What is that?”

I tilted my head, having never heard of it. The MC senior was surprised, asking if I, the subject of a picture that had taken the internet by storm, didn’t know about it.

“Ira doesn’t use the internet. His data plan only gives him 300MB a month, I think.”

“Wow, really? 300MB? I’d use that up in less than half a day. Don’t you play games or anything?”

“He only uses his phone for KakaoTalk. No games, no SNS, no internet… He’s like someone from the ancient times.”

Hahaha, laughter spread through the studio. I acted coy, saying, “Oh~ just think of it as an idol’s ironclad defense~~”

I had used the internet until early in my debut. I clicked on all the Endorphin articles and browsed fan sites. I don’t know when I stopped using the internet.

“You’ll see it when the broadcast airs later. They’re probably showing the footage now.”

“Oh, really? What is it? It’s not something weird, is it? I’ll have to look it up right after today’s shoot!”

“It’s extreeeemely cute, so don’t worry.”

Pffft.

Everyone chuckled simultaneously, as if recalling the photo. Even Jae-yi smiled handsomely. It seemed I really was the only one who didn’t know. Oh, there was one more person who wasn’t smiling. The doctor in front of me. He was so icy, I wondered if he had ever smiled.

After the brief laughter subsided, I again entrusted my hand to the Aura Adapter doctor. He was sitting and I was standing, but his gaze was above mine, so I had to look up slightly. His slender, pale hand, with prominent veins, reached out and intertwined with my fingers.

He held my hand firmly and let the aura flow. To make it visible to others, he created a spherical shape with the aura and floated it above the space between us. To anyone who wasn’t an Aura Adapter, it would appear in different forms. If an Aura Adapter reshapes it, it would appear the same to everyone, but I couldn’t see that.

“…….”

The doctor, who was supposed to explain its size and color after reshaping it, simply stared down at our clasped hands.

“Doctor, how is Ira’s aura?”

“…It’s thin.”

“Pardon?”

“Your fingers are thin. As if there’s nothing but bone.”

The studio fell silent. It was a very rude remark, but because I was an idol, I grinned foolishly.

“Even if I’m thin, my aura is strong. How is my aura?”

The doctor looked down at me coldly. I thought it must be an extreme job for an Aura Adapter to have to assess the aura of someone they dislike.

Once the aura had flowed, there was no need to keep holding hands, so I tried to pull my hand away, but a strong grip held it. It felt like cold ice was embedded, so I couldn’t withdraw it.

The doctor created the shape while his fingers were intertwined with mine, and didn’t let go even after the initial assessment was over. It looked strange to anyone watching.

“Alright, shall we try Ira’s soul food now?”

The doctor only released my hand after the flustered MC senior spoke up directly. I was also flustered. This person, an adult, was openly showing his personal feelings during filming… Was he still immature?

The seafood dishes were more delicious than I expected. Mussel soup, steamed snow crab, flounder mulhoe… perilla seed seaweed soup and abalone porridge… The seaweed soup, in particular, was perfectly to my taste. Eating white rice mixed with seaweed soup was like heaven itself.

“Wow, you’re eating so well~~~~ How are you so thin when you eat like this?”

“I went on a harsh diet, haha.”

“Ira doesn’t eat much usually, but when he does, he eats a lot. He usually doesn’t eat during filming, but he’s eating well today. It must be really delicious.”

“Yeah, it’s super delicious. It’s amazing. I almost want to meet the chef.”

“My vote is he’ll skip dinner after this.”

“Me too.”

The members couldn’t tell the difference. They thought I just didn’t eat during filming. Sometimes, when the members were eating their lunchboxes, I’d go to the convenience store. It was natural since I’d never told them.

There was a small difference in my aura before and after the meal. According to the Aura Adapter doctor’s explanation, the hard and spiky surface had become rounded. Was rounded better? Curiosity piqued.

“Is being hard a bad thing?”

“…Soul Aura is based on emotional state. Your rigid emotions have softened after eating. Your Soul Aura was the most rigid I’ve ever seen.”

“Ah… I see…”

The doctor’s voice was as chilling as a biting wind blowing through an arctic ice cave. The studio atmosphere also cooled uncomfortably. I shouldn’t have asked…