Chapter 273
Chapter 273
Let’s summarize.
Seon A-hyun had a significantly negative reaction after watching the video of the current number one contestant in the new season of Idol Inc.
He had broken out in a cold sweat and frozen solid.
—Are you okay?
—I-I’m fine…
He had basically just repeated my words back to me.
“…….”
I heard excuses like “I’m feeling a bit nauseous” afterward, but of course, I didn't believe them.
There’s no way a guy who was perfectly fine would suddenly get sick just from watching a ballet video.
However, I didn’t press him for the reason right then and there. I already had a hunch.
And I wasn't the only one who noticed Seon A-hyun’s abnormality.
“Park Moon-dae, what were you looking at earlier?”
“What?”
“Earlier, in the car.”
“…….”
After finishing the day’s schedule and returning to the dorm, Keun Se-jin immediately asked about the situation.
Now that I think about it, he was sitting right behind Seon A-hyun.
He must have overheard our conversation.
I sat on the edge of Bae Se-jin’s bed, which the owner rarely used, and spoke.
“The video of the rank 1 contestant from this season of Aju-sa.”
“Ah, that participant…”
Keun Se-jin acted like he knew, having likely monitored this season already, but his face soon stiffened.
He had probably reached a similar conclusion as I had.
“…He said he did ballet, right?”
“Yeah.”
The fact that the background of this season’s rank 1 and Seon A-hyun were remarkably similar.
And in fact, I had already practically confirmed my suspicion.
Word was already spreading bit by bit on the internet.
The two of them were from the same arts middle school.
And judging by Seon A-hyun’s reaction… this bastard seemed to have played a significant role in the trauma Seon A-hyun carried.
“Ah… damn it.”
Keun Se-jin’s complexion changed as he searched the web on his own.
“No… is this guy crazy? What kind of nerve does he have to show up on an audition show?”
“Maybe his way of thinking is just different.”
Or… he’s just that smart.
I interlaced my fingers.
“There’s probably no evidence.”
“There are testimonies, though.”
Keun Se-jin immediately built his logic.
“They even made up fake stuff about me; you think there won’t be anything on this guy? Especially since he’s rank 1.”
“…….”
“It’ll pop up everywhere.”
No.
“Then it should have popped up by now.”
I spat out the results of my investigation.
“This guy has been getting a reaction since the first performance of the signal song. He was practically in the center position, and he’s currently rank 1. Plus, he’s been getting plenty of screen time in the broadcasts.”
“…So if there was something to blow up, it would have come out already?”
“Exactly.”
I tossed my smartphone onto the bed.
“But there’s nothing. Not even a rumor circulating.”
I had scoured everything from anonymous sites to private accounts, but there wasn't a single rumor regarding that.
It was clean.
It meant he hadn't made any enemies other than Seon A-hyun.
“Sigh…”
Keun Se-jin let out a sigh.
After a moment of silence, he spoke with difficulty.
“…This is going to be tough.”
“Yeah.”
If we were going to do something, it should have been done before the first episode aired at the latest.
By now, this guy had already secured a fairly large fandom. And it was the aggressive kind of fandom typical of audition programs.
What if Chae Seo-dam’s school violence was exposed now and he was forced to leave?
The anger of a significant portion of his fans would be directed at Seon A-hyun.
I could already see the choice of words they’d use.
Things like that.
And there would definitely be people who doubted or looked unfavorably upon the situation. From the public's current perspective, Seon A-hyun, a top-tier idol, was the one in power.
They’d see it as ‘taking out his frustration over an unfortunate school life.’
In reality, controversies regarding interpersonal relationships are extremely tricky to judge, and public opinion can be swayed by a single piece of circumstantial evidence.
In the end, I reached an unpleasant conclusion.
“If we blow it up now, Seon A-hyun will definitely take a hit too.”
“…….”
Keun Se-jin opened his mouth to say something, then just closed it. He wore a bitter smile.
“But if we just leave it, A-hyun is going to have a really hard time, right?”
“…….”
“That’s what you’re worried about, Park Moon-dae.”
He was right.
If things continued like this, someone would eventually ask Seon A-hyun during a schedule.
‘Are you two by any chance close?’
…This is bad.
It was really bad. It wasn't a matter of whether that bastard succeeded or not; it was a matter of whether Seon A-hyun could endure it without batting an eye.
Could he promote while greeting him, talking to him, and laughing together on music shows, variety shows, and year-end programs?
It was practically a red light for his career.
I pressed my temples.
“It’s difficult.”
It was then.
Click.
“…What are you guys doing?”
“Ah.”
Bae Se-jin walked in cautiously with his things, then hesitated at the atmosphere in the room.
“No, nothing. We just had something to discuss for a moment.”
“Yeah, yeah. It’s nothing, hyung-nim~”
“…If you say so.”
Bae Se-jin had suspicious eyes, but without another word, he just swapped his books and blanket and scurried out of the room.
“Hmm.”
It couldn't be helped that we found out, but blabbing to the others before A-hyun spoke for himself would only break his mental state further.
Keun Se-jin brushed off his hands and stood up.
“Moon-dae Moon-dae, let’s think about this a bit more.”
“Alright.”
We reached a tacit agreement.
However, there wasn't much point in worrying about secrets or anything. Because before long, everyone had noticed.
“Guys, by any chance… has A-hyun said anything to you regarding this season of Aju-sa?”
“Pardon?”
“He seemed to be trembling too much while watching TV.”
It was because the new season of Aju-sa was being advertised on all sorts of T1-invested broadcasts.
Starting with Ryu Cheong-woo, the two youngest members had been sitting next to a depressed Seon A-hyun with trembling pupils before they finally freaked out.
“Hyung, your expression is too bad! You look like you’re in pain!”
“This is clearly the pain from when you participated in the audition program being revived by watching this provocative new season… That’s it! Should we report this season to the Korea Communications Commission?”
“That’s not it, so calm down.”
“Yeah, you dummy! It’s not the broadcast, it’s a person!”
“A person?”
“Yes!”
And finally, Bae Se-jin.
“What you guys were talking about last time, it was Aju-sa, right? That person! They said he did ballet, so could it be Seon A-hyun…”
“Yes. Most likely.”
“…I-I see.”
And so, the six members, excluding Seon A-hyun, reached the same conclusion and began to worry about how to solve this situation.
On a day when Seon A-hyun was out for an individual photo shoot schedule, we gathered in the living room and began a discussion.
“First, let’s report it anonymously… No, that won't work. He’s not living with the person right now.”
Ryu Cheong-woo, who brought it up, nodded to himself. The rest of the guys also nodded with serious faces.
But other opinions didn't come easily. It made sense.
None of these guys have had a similar experience.
Most of them had nothing to do with school violence, so no answers were coming out.
Even the less social Bae Se-jin seemed to have lived a life where he was the one ostracizing the rest of the class.
“Umm, then should we start by spreading rumors?”
“On the contrary, I think his fans will rally together. Wouldn't that just give them an excuse to refute even if a formal accusation post comes out later?”
“Wow~ that’s persuasive.”
Keun Se-jin spoke as if he were resentful, then tilted his head back.
In the midst of that, Bae Se-jin spoke up with a tense face.
“…Are there no SNS records or anything?”
“Ah, are you talking about that person’s personal SNS?”
“Yeah. Guys like that always blabber on SNS because they want attention.”
It was a good approach… but I shook my head.
“He seems to have wiped all his SNS.”
“A-All of it?”
“Yes.”
He closed everything without leaving a single account. And that was six months ago.
He cleaned everything up as soon as the audition notice for the new season of Idol Inc. went up.
He was a guy with at least a minimum level of intelligence.
“Then… there’s almost nothing we can do in this state. We don't have any clues.”
“That’s right.”
When the atmosphere sank slightly, Cha Yu-jin raised his hand high.
“Let’s hear A-hyun hyung’s opinion!”
“…From A-hyun?”
“Yes! Ask him if there’s anything he wants to do. His own thoughts are the most important!”
“Hmm.”
We had avoided it because we thought he’d feel burdened, but in fact, that was the standard approach.
Since the other members had already noticed, not saying anything would be even more unusual.
And if we’re going to do anything, it’s right to do it immediately.
The longer we dragged it out, the more famous this bastard would become.
Even now, the new season of Aju-sa was growing rapidly on the back of controversy and buzz.
The talent pool was, as expected, not as good as previous seasons, but they were weaving the narrative well by clearly distinguishing between the cards to discard and the cards to save.
Ryu Seo-rin.
That writer certainly seemed to have talent. Her sense had improved even more after going through K-NOW.
The program’s popularity alone was better than the previous season, ‘Mirinae.’
I have to do something.
And I had to do it quickly. Once the next ranking announcement ceremony took place, it would be out of control.
…In the end, is the only way to ask him directly?
I nodded.
“I’ll try asking him quietly. Since we’re roommates.”
“Hmm, alright.”
“And since A-hyun might be scared if it’s just Moon-dae, I’ll be there too~”
“…….”
What?
But surprisingly, Keun Se-jin’s words passed without any opposition. I’m starting to wonder what my image is like among these guys.
Anyway, that night. As soon as Seon A-hyun returned from his shoot and came in to sleep, I went into action.
“O-Oh? Se-jin?”
“Yep~ A-hyun, come sit down!”
Seon A-hyun had a puzzled face, but he approached without suspicion and sat on his bed.
“Did the photo shoot go well?”
“Y-Yeah. I think it went okay…!”
And after the introduction to soften the atmosphere, the main subject finally began.
“A-hyun. By any chance, do you know the current rank 1 of Aju-sa?”
“……I-Is it obvious?”
“A little.”
Actually, it was glaringly obvious, but I toned it down appropriately.
A stiffened Seon A-hyun seemed at a loss for what to do, then slowly nodded.
“Y-Yeah, we w-went to the same middle school.”
I threw a straight ball.
“The guy who said he was happy when you got injured, that’s him, isn't it?”
“…!”
Seon A-hyun gulped, then admitted it.
“T-That’s right.”
As I thought.
“But… I don't know.”
What?
“M-Maybe… it’s just because I’m weak-hearted. I-In life, there are always people who dislike you, r-right? But I-I just couldn't handle that well…”
“Wait a minute.”
I cut him off.
“If you don't like someone, you just don't associate with them. Isn't the one who bullies the weird one?”
“I-I don't even know if it was b-bullying. It wasn't like he hit me or anything…”
“What was it like then?”
“He’d act f-friendly while smiling… but it didn't feel sincere, and s-strange things happened often…”
“……For example?”
“M-My shoes disappeared, and I was in trouble… but a few days later, he returned them, saying thanks for lending them to him… B-But I didn't remember lending them, but he said it with a smile.”
“I see.”
“W-When I failed a technique, he’d laugh, but when I listened, he was just laughing while talking to someone else, so I thought maybe I was just being sensitive…”
Oh.
There really are all sorts of bastards in this world.
He singled out Seon A-hyun and bullied him.
Was there a need to dislike another person so craftily?
It would have been easier to catch him if he had just hit him or given him physical punishment like typical crazy bastards.
Keun Se-jin, who had been listening quietly with a subtle expression, asked casually.
“A-hyun~ by any chance, were you the top student and that person was the runner-up?”
“Huh? I-It wasn't always like that, but… a few times?”
“Hmm. That person was the top student sometimes too, right?”
“P-Probably?”
Keun Se-jin grinned.
“Okay~ Geez, he definitely bullied you, A-hyun. Why are you worrying about stuff like that? That guy was in the wrong! He did it because he was jealous of you!”
“Y-Yeah, M-Moon-dae told me that too.”
Seon A-hyun nodded quite calmly.
“And m-my counselor also told me that even if it w-wasn't bullying, it’s not strange that I was hurt…”
He’s certainly someone who realizes the value of his counseling fees.
“I-I’m much better now! It’s just… I didn't expect to see him like this, so I think I was just a bit surprised…!”
“I see! Of course you could be.”
As Seon A-hyun spoke, his complexion eased as if he were recovering by making a resolution to himself.
However, the remaining two weren't feeling particularly good.
“Ah, then I’ll go head to bed~ A-hyun, don't worry because of a mean guy like that!”
“Okay!”
“I’m going to get some water.”
I followed the guy out of the room.
Thud.
Once Keun Se-jin was in the living room, he spoke as if tossing the words out.
“There won't be any evidence for this.”
“…….”
“It’s a bit embarrassing… but if I hated someone to death, I think I would have acted like that. I would have been nice to everyone else. Absolutely.”
“Just go in and sleep for now. I’ll think about it.”
“…Alright. You get some sleep too.”
I patted Keun Se-jin on the shoulder and sat in the living room.
“Hmm.”
Let’s calm my emotions and think again.
Chae Seo-dam.
He’s a guy who’s quite good at playing tricks. A bastard who’s skilled in interpersonal relationships and knows how to manipulate his peers.
At the same time, what I can tell from the fact that he singled out Seon A-hyun is…
He’s highly competitive, has a greed for success… and is the type with a strong sense of inferiority.
If so, it means he definitely has a bloated ego and strong pride.
If he’s that kind of person, in this situation.
He wiped all his SNS long ago, and there are no testimonies from classmates.
He must also have the arrogance that he has eliminated all future troubles that could hinder his path.
That’s where a point to aim for arises.
When you’re arrogant, mistakes usually happen.
“…….”
It was currently 11 PM. Usually, it’s a late hour, but for idols in their promotion period, it’s a time they’re usually awake.
I made a phone call.
The dial tone rang briefly before it was picked up.
“Hello.”
—Yes? Uh, Moon-dae-ssi?
It was the direct number for Mirinae’s manager.
And the person I intended to speak with… was the rank 1 from Mirinae.
What was his name again?
“If it’s alright, could you… put Jung Yul-gi-ssi on the phone for a moment?”
—Pardon??
After barely convincing the shocked manager that ‘this is absolutely not a useless social call but for business,’ I was able to speak with the person himself.
—Hello, sunbaenim!
“Yes, hello.”
—It’s nice to talk to you! But what’s the matter?
“Do you happen to remember the conversation we had about Aju-sa a few days ago?”
—Ah~ yes! Of course!
I tightened my grip on the phone and asked in a lower voice.
“You said back then that you saw some mean participants… by any chance, was there a currently popular participant among them?”
—Heol, yes!
Good. It starts here.