Chapter 103
Chapter 103
I returned to the dorm after a fruitless meeting with Cheong-ryeo.
It was already 3 AM. Naturally, everyone was asleep.
...I have to be out of bed by 8 tomorrow.
I needed to sleep immediately. I quieted my footsteps and hurried to my room.
Then, I was taken aback.
"......!"
"Hic..."
It was because Lee Se-jin was huddled in his bed, staring at his smartphone and sobbing.
The light leaking from the screen illuminated his tear-streaked face.
...Is he watching Netplus?
It was incredibly awkward.
"......."
I intentionally made a bit of noise as I passed the room to give him time to compose himself.
I'll just wash up and change first.
By the time I finished my shower and came out, Lee Se-jin was buried under his covers, nowhere to be seen.
He must have been embarrassed.
...Time to sleep.
I lay down. I figured I wouldn't need earplugs at this hour.
I soon regretted that decision.
"...Hic."
The sound of muffled sobbing echoed dully from the next bed. Anyone could tell he was crying with his face buried in his pillow under the covers.
This is driving me crazy.
I seriously debated whether to put my earplugs in and go back to sleep, but eventually, I sat up and approached the neighboring bed.
I lightly tapped on the duvet.
"Hyung, is something wrong?"
"......!!"
The covers shifted, followed by the sound of a cough.
Tears, snot, probably even drool...
Knowing he wasn't in any state to be seen, I waited with my arms crossed.
"...Did you, hic, not put in your earplugs?"
"I didn't think I'd need them at this hour."
There was more rustling. Lee Se-jin’s voice regained its usual calm.
"...Just sleep. It’s nothing."
"......."
Which meant it definitely was something.
At that moment, a faint warning bell rang in my head.
"...Hyung, it’s not a drug problem, is it?"
"Are you insane?"
Well, that’s a no.
I watched Lee Se-jin kick off the covers in shock, then I returned to my bed. Even in the dark, I could see his face was flushed red with irritation.
"Do I look like the kind of guy who’d do drugs?"
"No... It’s just, I met Cheong-ryeo sunbae today and heard a story about someone who ruined their life with drugs. It just popped into my head, so I asked."
"......."
Lee Se-jin seemed to recall a few specific examples, and his expression soured.
"...It’s best not to get involved with that stuff at all. You should avoid making any connections with weirdos like that, too."
"Understood."
I shrugged and pulled up my blanket.
It’s gotten too awkward to ask anything else.
Lee Se-jin seemed to be trying to grow in his own way, so if a real problem arose, he’d probably speak up. Still, just in case, I decided to say one more thing.
"Hyung."
"What."
"If things get hard, talk to someone."
"...Fine."
"Talk to Cheong-woo hyung."
"...Hey!"
I gave him a wave and lay down flat on my back. I fell asleep almost instantly.
As the comeback drew near, the fatigue from balancing practice and schedules began to mount.
"Still, this is better than the debut album."
"I agree."
Compared to the time we prepared a double title in a single month, the group consensus was that this was a walk in the park. It was manageable, mainly because we were getting at least a minimum amount of sleep.
I even have time to monitor the reactions.
I checked the current trends on my phone.
For the past few days, fans had been theorizing by comparing the recently released concept photos with the album specifications.
And today, the second set of concept photos was released.
[TeSTAR Concept Photo ‘Side B’]
It featured TeSTAR in classic winter school uniforms. While there was a connection to the previous album, the atmosphere was starkly different.
The classroom background wasn't just old or broken; it was covered in harsh, glowing neon graffiti. Furthermore, the walls visible behind the graffiti weren't the usual ivory but rusted chrome structures.
Some members held gas masks or unique mechanical devices that flickered with neon light. It was unmistakably a dystopian cyberpunk concept.
The fans were ecstatic, requiring no public opinion management.
Concerns about the game seem to have mostly vanished.
In fact, this concept photo shared many similarities with the trailer, but since the vibe was good, it seemed the ominous premonitions had faded. The reaction was generally positive across most internet communities, not just fan sites.
*
[TeSTAR Choose Your Side Concept Photos]
: Side A (Photo)
Side B (Photo)
Current consensus is that they were pulled off well.
*
There were people trying to shift the narrative negatively, but it didn't have much effect.
It usually ended like that.
Too bad for them.
I chuckled and closed the post.
"M-Mun-dae. Are you... looking at the internet?"
"Yeah, checking the reactions to the new concept photos."
"I-I see."
Seon A-hyun didn't ask how the public reaction was. I heard he was practicing not to care too much about "what others think of him." His new doctor seemed to be a good fit; A-hyun’s expression had been bright lately.
Did he say he’d start proper speech therapy after this promotion?
I hoped it would go well.
"W-We were so hot when we took those photos."
As soon as Seon A-hyun spoke up, shouts of agreement erupted from all over.
"Exactly!"
"I don't know if it was an abnormal climate, but the heatwave in early autumn made the cooling in the set completely insufficient!"
"........."
Thanks for saying what I wanted to say.
"Still, Se-jin’s face didn't even change color when we were shooting. Impressive."
"The actor is cool!"
"Right."
Lee Se-jin, who received the sudden praise, almost spat out the water he was drinking but soon gave a small reply.
"...Thanks."
"I'm just saying you did a good job because you did."
Ryu Cheong-woo smiled and resumed his stretching. It was a familiar sight—Cheong-woo boosting Lee Se-jin’s spirits like this whenever he struggled to keep up with new choreography.
Well, it’s not like he’s lying.
When it came to content requiring acting, Lee Se-jin’s skills were overwhelmingly superior.
From the side, Keun Se-jin grumbled playfully.
"Hey, that’s too much~ Let’s not forget there’s another Se-jin here, everyone. I took good photos too~!"
"Haha!"
"Wow, hyung, you’re so cool."
"Yu-jin, you have no soul."
"I can't lie. Ack!"
Keun Se-jin lightly put Cha Yu-jin in a headlock, laughed, and let him go. Lee Se-jin turned his head away sharply.
Those two still have an awkward relationship.
It wasn't that they were going to fight; it was just... a feeling that they disliked each other and didn't want to associate.
"Alright, let’s start practice again~"
"Yes!"
The short break ended, and the choreography resumed.
"Watch your feet~"
"This way~"
The members, who had memorized the choreographer's advice, mimicked his voice while dancing the chorus. It was a sight to behold, with everyone struggling to hold back their laughter.
However, Lee Se-jin still seemed to be struggling to keep up. He kept his mouth shut tight, staring into the mirror.
It makes sense.
His dance stat was still D+. Jumping an entire letter grade was like changing categories altogether, so it was difficult for someone without natural talent to cross that gap in a short time.
I think he’ll be able to cross it soon, though.
I checked Lee Se-jin’s status window.
[Name: Lee Se-jin]
Singing: C- (B+)
Dance: D+ (B)
Appearance: A+ (S)
Talent: A (S-)
Trait: Focus (B)
!Status Effect: None
His singing had already reached C-. Since it was originally higher than his dancing, he seemed to have raised it relatively quickly. And since his potential for dance was "B," he’d likely reach C as long as he stayed consistent.
And that trait.
It was quite good.
[Focus (B)]
: I want to do it.
- Concentration +100%
It was a simple name and description, but it seemed very versatile. I would have kept it if it had appeared for me.
Come to think of it, I should organize my own status window.
I pulled up my status window.
[Name: Park Moon-dae (Ryu Gun-woo)]
Level: 15
Title: None
Singing: A
Dance: B-
Appearance: B+
Talent: B
Trait: Infinite Potential, That sounds right (C), Bacchus 500 (B), Catchy Ear (A)
!Status Effect: Death if Not an Award
Remaining Points: 3
This was the result of reaching the 100th stage achievement and the 5,000th practice achievement. I also received additional stats by renewing the pop-up that appears during a good performance a couple more times.
I even got a trait draw during this process...
[Trait: Tear Faucet (B)]
- Open and close with ease!
: Tear control ability MAX
I discarded it immediately. Damn it.
Anyway, even without that, I seemed to have gathered quite a lot.
...The debut promotions were intense.
I felt like the sleepless nights were paying off here. But that wasn't even the most surprising part. The most surprising thing was that my Talent stat had increased naturally.
I suspected that W Live and fan signing events had an influence. Of course, most of the members' stats had increased naturally, not just mine or Lee Se-jin’s, but for now...
"Moon-dae, stop daydreaming~!"
"......"
I immediately stopped my thoughts at Keun Se-jin’s call.
Let’s focus on practice for now.
A moment later, the final accompaniment ended.
Keun Se-jin, wiping away his sweat, asked out of courtesy.
"Whew, shall we play it from the beginning again?"
"Let's do that."
"Yes!"
Keun Se-jin had pulled his dance stat from A- to A, and his speed in picking up the choreography—capturing the exact feel the choreographer intended—had become significantly faster.
I'm jealous.
Just as I was considering dumping my remaining points into dance, Lee Se-jin collapsed to the floor during the intro choreography.
"...Ack!"
"Are you okay?"
"...I'm fine."
Lee Se-jin tried to push himself up but faltered. He grabbed his ankle while lying there and bit his lip.
...I had a bad feeling about this.