Chapter 126
Chapter 126
‘…So he’s planning to go all out with a dance-focused performance.’
I understood the logic.
The unit stages for this concert were going to be promoted through WeTube original content, and the performance videos would be released publicly, so fan attention was guaranteed.
If he actually performed better than Cha Yu-jin here?
The whispers about his position would likely never surface again.
But the question was whether that was even possible.
“…Wouldn’t it be better if you took the dance break in this album instead?”
“Haha. No matter how well I do… people would just say it would’ve been better if A-hyun or Yu-jin did it, right?”
Keun Se-jin answered immediately. It seemed he had been chewing on this situation for quite a while.
‘…Still, a True Competition against Cha Yu-jin is a bit much.’
It wasn’t that Keun Se-jin’s stats were bad.
‘…Status Window.’
I checked Keun Se-jin’s status window for the first time in a while.
[Name: Lee Se-jin]
Vocals: C+ (B+)
Dance: A (S)
Visuals: A- (A+)
Star Quality: A- (A+)
Trait: Be Quiet (B)
!Status Effect: None
His status window was remarkably solid. His growth was even more noticeable now that his ‘Star Quality’ had reached Rank A during this awards season.
‘Those are stats that would stand out anywhere.’
…The problem was that, overall, he was a slightly lower-tier version of Cha Yu-jin.
Except for Vocals, which were at the same level, every other stat was slightly below Cha Yu-jin’s.
It would be better if he had at least one stat that was higher, even if the others were a grade or two apart, but this… this was awkward.
‘In most cases, he’ll just be swallowed whole by Cha Yu-jin.’
That guy’s Star Quality was now S-. On top of that, he had that insane, broken trait, ‘Black Hole.’
Furthermore, Yu-jin wasn’t the type to create synergy with others. He was just a guy who stood out like crazy on his own.
To be honest, even I, whose position was completely different, wasn’t exactly thrilled about doing a duo stage with Cha Yu-jin.
‘…It’d be the perfect setup for people to say Park Gom-meo is still stiff.’
I could already hear the sound of all the points I’d dumped into my Dance stat going down the drain.
I suppressed a sigh and looked at Keun Se-jin.
“…Filtering everything else out, I’ll be honest with you.”
“Go ahead.”
“Whether it’s you, Seon A-hyun, or—no, no matter who you put there, standing out more than Cha Yu-jin in a one-on-one is almost impossible.”
“……”
“You’ve probably thought about that too.”
It would have been better to choose Option 3 and somehow carve out a part where he could grab the spotlight.
The fact that he chose Cha Yu-jin anyway meant… his greed for self-validation and his fear were both quite significant.
Keun Se-jin looked at the floor and asked hollowly, “…Do you think it’s completely impossible?”
“I think… instead of trying to beat Cha Yu-jin, you need to approach it from a different angle.”
There was one scenario that seemed the most plausible.
“Just make the stage itself incredible. Make it so the audience doesn’t even think about comparing who’s better between you and Cha Yu-jin.”
I meant that the only thing people should be talking about was how insane the dance unit stage was.
“If you don’t get pushed back during your parts in that state, your image as a member of the dance line will be solidified.”
It would be difficult, but it was more doable than trying to beat Cha Yu-jin in a duo stage.
“You have to make Cha Yu-jin cooperate on stage.”
“……Right.”
Keun Se-jin nodded quite calmly. However, his interlaced fingers were white from how hard he was gripping them.
‘…His hands are even trembling.’
I hadn’t even seen him this nervous or high-strung right before the Aju-sa finals.
‘This is almost at the level of when his school violence rumors broke.’
Isn’t this a bit excessive?
“Is there something else going on?”
“What?”
“The talk right now isn’t even the general opinion of the fans. It’s just some chatter under the surface. You should know that, but you seem excessively anxious.”
“……”
Keun Se-jin was silent for a long time.
Then, he let out a hollow laugh.
“I guess I’m even telling you this…… Hey, do you know why I was dropped from my previous debut group? It was because my position was ambiguous.”
“……!”
“Right before the launch, a kid whose parents were both actors joined the group. He had recognition, so they had to put him in… but the higher-ups insisted on a seven-member group. What could they do? Someone had to be cut.”
“……”
“But in that team, there was a guy who danced better than me, a guy who was younger, a guy who was more handsome, a guy who sang better, and a guy who rapped. The leader couldn’t be removed because he was the leader, so in the end, ‘ambiguous me’ was the perfect candidate.”
Keun Se-jin tapped his thighs with his hands.
“So I was cut. Well, what can you do…… Anyway, that’s why I can’t just let this go. If the rumors grow and the atmosphere becomes one where no one misses me if I’m gone, that would be too… pathetic. Or if my leverage is bad during contract renewals… Ha, I’m really saying everything today…….”
Keun Se-jin clicked his tongue and lowered his head. It seemed he had blurted out things he normally never would have said.
‘…This is the kind of story that really needs alcohol.’
Hearing it while sober made me feel a bit lightheaded too.
‘Anyway, I understand the situation.’
It seemed being dropped from the team right before his first debut had been a massive trauma.
I suppose his obsession with the ‘Leader’ or ‘Main Dancer’ positions throughout Aju-sa had a deeper meaning than just securing screen time.
‘But how am I supposed to react?’
I was a bit flustered because I’d heard too much.
It wasn’t like I could offer a solution to his past. And it wasn’t like I was overflowing with talent for giving comfort, either.
…There was no other way. I’d just list some positive facts like I usually did.
I suppressed a sigh and spoke.
“First of all… putting positions and all that aside… the team just needs you.”
“What, for variety shows?”
“No, for cutting off scandals.”
“……!”
It was a sad but true fact.
“As you know, half of our team lacks tact, and more than half are soft-hearted. Think about it. If you weren’t here, what kind of situation would this team… be in right now?”
“……”
Keun Se-jin fell silent for a moment, as if reflecting on everything from the one-month rush before debut to the recent Onyx incident.
But he soon shook his head.
“You’re the one who came up with almost all the ideas. There wouldn’t have been much of a difference.”
“Well, about that, I actually made those moves because I trusted you.”
“What?”
“I mean… I knew that if it was a usable opinion, you would definitely drive the atmosphere for it.”
“……”
It was a bit embarrassing. I cleared my throat and continued.
“Cheong-woo hyung is the leader, sure. But if I had to pick the person most suited for team play, I’d say it’s you. It’s very rare to find someone who does their part in every situation… whether it’s on stage, on broadcasts, inside the team, or outside.”
I wrapped up my words.
“A member with such a good hexagonal balance is a necessary position in an idol group. Well… that’s what I think.”
“……”
After listening to me until the end, Keun Se-jin shut his mouth and turned his head the other way.
‘Is he crying?’
I hoped he wasn't. That would make the atmosphere really weird.
A moment later, Keun Se-jin finally burst.
Not into tears, but into laughter.
“Pwahaha! You feel like you’re going to die from cringe right now, don’t you!”
“……You’re laughing?”
“Pffft, hey, wouldn’t you laugh in this situation?! A guy like Park Moon-dae is saying all sorts of things just to try and comfort me!”
This bastard, I give him a compliment and he gives me crap.
Before I could smack him with my neck pillow, Keun Se-jin stopped laughing.
“Hahaha, seriously……. Whew, anyway, I get it. It’s funny, but… it is comforting. Wow, you’re amazing.”
Keun Se-jin beamed, then suddenly crossed his arms and muttered in a deliberately exaggerated voice.
“But if the fans don’t know what an amazing idol Se-jin-ie is, wouldn’t it all be for nothing? Maybe I should take Cheong-woo hyung’s leader position?”
Don’t say what you actually mean under the guise of a joke, you punk.
I answered as calmly as possible.
“Most of them probably already know. You’re worried that the opinions you saw will spread to other fans… but I actually think the opposite. The longer this goes, the more advantageous it is for you.”
“…Really?”
“Yeah. The fact that you have no weaknesses becomes more apparent as the years pile up.”
It was a trend I had actually confirmed in the data market.
When the time comes for each member’s demand to plummet in cycles, the type that defends their position exceptionally well is someone like him.
Keun Se-jin looked like he couldn’t fully trust those words. However, he nodded with a smile.
“…Right. I’ll keep that in mind and do my best on stage~”
At least that part seemed sincere.
In any case, since he seemed to have reached a conclusion in his mind, it looked like the trait effect would kick in.
[Be Quiet (B)]
: Let’s not talk back!
- Momentum +100%
Based on the name alone, I had wondered if it was a trait related to public opinion given Keun Se-jin’s personality, but I was a bit surprised when I saw what it actually was.
‘Well, that fits him too.’
I suspected that "not talking back" applied to both himself and those around him.
He’d probably take a similar stance with Cha Yu-jin while preparing for this unit stage.
‘…He’ll probably coax and soothe him to extract exactly the elements he wants.’
I was curious to see how far that would work.
“Then I’m heading up. Come up when you’re ready.”
“What are you talking about after you’ve already settled everything? Hey, let’s go up together!”
“……”
Keun Se-jin stretched forward and prepared to get out of the car.
Looking at his hands, I suddenly remembered him manipulating the cards.
“…By the way, how did you mark the cards?”
“Huh?”
“The cards for deciding the units. The ones you manipulated.”
“Ah~ Oh? Wait.”
Keun Se-jin chuckled.
“Hey, I didn’t manipulate them!”
“……!”
“What can I do if I just happened to memorize the scratch patterns on the back while touching the cards~ It’s because I’m so smart… Oh dear, my brain is to blame!”
It was a relief that he hadn’t gone as far as actual manipulation… but somehow, it was irritating.
Even as we got out of the car and walked toward the waiting room, Keun Se-jin snickered a few more times.
Then, in front of the waiting room, he spoke with a bit of gravity.
“Anyway… then I’m even more grateful. It means you were willing to listen to my situation even while thinking I’d manipulated the cards.”
“…Buy me some beef once the concert is over.”
Keun Se-jin burst out laughing.
“Sure. Just beef? I’ll buy Hanwoo.”
“Fine.”
“…You tell me if you have any worries, too.”
“……”
My worries.
I briefly imagined explaining my situation to these guys.
…Yeah, I’d probably be forced into an indefinite hiatus and have a psychiatric consultation booked that very day.
I should definitely just act like I don’t have any.
“Yeah. If I ever have any.”
“Oh~ Look at that confidence, saying he doesn’t have any yet!”
Keun Se-jin entered the waiting room with a laugh.
The manager, who seemed to have grasped the situation in the meantime, saw that Keun Se-jin’s condition had returned to normal and gave me a small thumbs-up.
‘Keun Se-jin can see that too, you know.’
Regardless, the waiting time afterward was peaceful and uneventful. This was because every member except Kim Rae-bin avoided even making eye contact with Zairop.
And that day, TeSTAR took home the Main Prize for the 4th quarter album and the Rookie of the Year Award.
“Thank you so much! We just celebrated our 200th day since debut last week….”
While waiting for my turn after Keun Se-jin, who was speaking fluently into the microphone, I finally received the news I had been waiting for.
[Successful Award!]
You have successfully won the Rookie of the Year Award amidst public recognition in the ‘most prestigious domestic awards ceremony’!
!Time Limit: Met (Great Success)
!Status Effect: ‘Death if Not an Award’ removed!
: Truth Verification ☜ Click!