Chapter 275
Chapter 275
In a broadcasting station hallway, bumping into Idol Inc. contestants even though we weren't appearing on the same program?
It was obvious.
‘They did this on purpose.’
The staff had lured those guys over here just to get a good shot for the broadcast.
It was exactly the kind of thing Idol Inc. would do. They were trying to make up for TeSTAR’s absence with this little stunt.
And if we were to flatly refuse to be filmed while greeting them, we’d end up looking ridiculous. It would seem overly sensitive to demand they mosaic us out of their MusicBOMB behind-the-scenes footage just because we happened to cross paths.
Ultimately, the core problem with this situation was one thing.
‘The cameras.’
Cameras were everywhere.
Of all things, Seon A-hyun had to run into Chae Seo-dam under the condition that it would be broadcast to the world.
‘Dammit.’
I caught the eyes of the other members. Sensing the mood, the more socially adept ones stepped forward to accept the greetings first.
“Oh~ Hello!”
“We’re rooting for you. Fighting!”
This should be enough.
Since there were seven of us, Seon A-hyun could get away with just a nod.
Conscious of the two or three cameras swiveling toward us, I bowed and greeted the contestants.
I intended to end it there.
However, the other side seemingly had no intention of letting it go.
“I’m seriously such a huge fan of TeSTAR seniors!”
“Oh my god… Wow.”
“Seniors, I’m really, really sorry, but could we get an autograph…?”
Perhaps due to TeSTAR’s reputation, about half of the contestants began to edge closer. It didn't seem like they’d been specifically instructed by the production crew; they just seemed genuinely excited to see successful idols.
And the cameras followed them forward.
“…”
This was going to take a while. Not good.
I checked Seon A-hyun’s face.
Fortunately, he didn't look visibly shaken. He had his usual faint smile, and while he looked a bit stiff, it wasn't noticeable enough to stand out.
That was likely because no sudden, unexpected incidents had occurred yet.
Chae Seo-dam, standing opposite us, was also moving quietly, blending into the crowd without trying to speak up.
‘…As expected, he’s quick on the uptake.’
He seemed to realize that trying to show off a connection by acting close to Seon A-hyun here would bring no benefit and only increase the risk.
‘He hasn't said a single word about Seon A-hyun during his time on Idol Inc. either.’
He probably thought that as long as he didn't provoke Seon A-hyun, he’d be safe, since speaking up would only hurt him too.
However, that was only his own judgment.
The production crew felt differently.
“Come to think of it, didn't you two go to the same school?”
I knew the broadcasting vultures wouldn't miss this prey. A friendship with a famous idol always made for great footage.
“Ah.”
Being the quick-witted guy he was, Chae Seo-dam beat everyone to the punch with a modest and appropriate response.
“Yes. We used to greet each other occasionally… It’s been a long time, Senior!”
He added the last part with a slightly bashful tone, as if speaking to someone he was 'reasonably acquainted' with.
‘This guy is incredibly loathsome.’
He must have guessed that if Seon A-hyun acted cold here, they could frame it as 'he changed after getting famous.'
So, since it had come to this, he was trying to leave behind a clip of him and Seon A-hyun greeting each other with smiles to prove they were 'on decent terms.'
Unfortunately for him, this industry doesn't always play fair.
I watched him intently.
‘If necessary, I can negotiate with the production crew to delete the footage.’
TeSTAR wasn't a group of contestants; we were idols already under contract with a company. And a subsidiary of T1, at that.
If things got really bad, I could even resort to saying something so out of line that they couldn't possibly use the footage, and we could still smooth it over later.
—Hey. I’d appreciate it if you returned the things you stole from him. There were quite a few of them.
Something like that. It would spark some rumors, but I could handle one scandal.
It was better than this bastard benefiting while Seon A-hyun spiraled into a mental breakdown and triggered a status effect.
‘Should I go for it?’
Just as I was debating.
“…Yes. Hello.”
“…!”
Seon A-hyun responded calmly.
A flash of triumph crossed Chae Seo-dam’s face.
The production crew immediately jumped in to secure more footage.
“Could we ask you to say a few words of encouragement?”
“Ah, …that is.”
Seon A-hyun seemed to take a small breath. Chae Seo-dam waited for the moment with a faint smirk.
“That guy…”
“Wait.”
I heard Ryu Cheong-woo’s low whisper as he held back Bae Se-jin, who was about to snap from behind.
And without any interference, Seon A-hyun looked slowly at Chae Seo-dam and spoke.
“Whatever you do… I hope you do it while believing in yourself… a bit more.”
Seon A-hyun smiled faintly.
“Now that I’ve… come this far, I feel like that’s what’s most important. Instead of worrying about others, focusing on yourself… and trusting yourself.”
“…”
A flicker of agitation crossed Chae Seo-dam’s face.
Seon A-hyun took a step forward, looking Chae Seo-dam directly in the eye.
“We… weren't that close. But I hope you get through the time you have left with a good heart.”
“…”
“I’ll pray for that.”
It was a blessing.
However, depending on how you interpreted it, it could sound incredibly meaningful.
And to the person it was directed at, it must have sounded quite different.
Something like this:
—Instead of sabotaging others out of an inferiority complex, worry about yourself and try living like a decent human being.
‘He froze.’
I saw panic and tension flash in the guy’s eyes. It was quite pleasant.
Seon A-hyun looked around and called out, sounding a bit shy.
“The, the rest of you too. Fighting…!”
“Yes! Fighting!”
Seeing the other contestants follow his lead, Seon A-hyun raised a small hand in a 'fighting' gesture.
He looked at peace.
Chae Seo-dam managed to force a smile, but he didn't look comfortable at all.
Still, he stubbornly held out his hand.
“…Thanks for the kind words.”
“Yeah.”
Seon A-hyun accepted the handshake. He shook it as if it were nothing.
“Ah, should we leave a message too? It’s fate that we met like this~”
“We’d be so grateful!”
Keun Se-jin quickly jumped into the opening to shift the flow.
With the enthusiastic support of the contestants and the crew, a short encouragement clip was filmed.
Seon A-hyun used that gap to step back.
“Are you okay?”
“…Yeah.”
Seon A-hyun answered quietly and calmly. His voice sounded somewhat relieved.
“Our manager says we really have to move now.”
“Yes, yes! Thank you so much.”
“Oh, it was nothing. Well then, we’ll see you on stage next time~”
The other members each filmed a short word of encouragement for the contestants before resuming their walk.
And the moment we split off in the hallway, I saw Chae Seo-dam turn his head.
“…!”
He seemed like he was about to glare, but he flinched when our eyes met.
‘The shock must have been big.’
Since he was currently ranked first, he probably felt confident that he was in a weight class where he could hold his own.
When you're a contestant, that program feels like the whole world.
‘Did he feel superior because his rank in the program was better than Seon A-hyun’s?’
He probably expected Seon A-hyun to be intimidated and crawl again, so it must be driving him crazy to feel like he was actually the one being threatened.
I smiled at him.
Then, I mouthed the words:
‘Lucky bastard.’
“…!”
There was no need to make enemies, but seeing how he acted, he seemed more emotional than I thought, so I didn't think he’d last long anyway.
It was nice not having to worry about it.
I massaged the back of my neck and turned away. I wondered how long that guy could hold it together in front of the cameras.
TeSTAR soon finished walking down the hallway and arrived at the waiting room.
“I’ll go check on lunch real quick.”
“Understood, Manager~”
Click.
The door closed, leaving only the members.
“Phew…!”
As if the tension had finally broken, Seon A-hyun let out a breath and slumped onto the sofa.
Immediately, a wave of enthusiastic reactions poured out.
“Whoa, A-hyun~!”
“WOW!!”
“You did great. You were so calm.”
Seon A-hyun looked flustered, but his face was bright with inner pride.
Even Bae Se-jin spoke with an excited face.
“…You really gave that guy a piece of your mind.”
“Huh? I, I wasn't trying to give him a piece of my mind…. D-did it sound like that?”
Seon A-hyun bowed his head, his face turning beet red. Bae Se-jin looked a bit taken aback.
“Oh, really?”
“Yes…! It was just… my honest thoughts…. Still, I didn't know… I’d be able to say something like that directly….”
Seon A-hyun let out a small sigh of relief.
“…It’s strange. I thought I’d be s-scared.”
I asked him.
“How was it?”
“It was… better than I thought. Yeah.”
Seon A-hyun clasped his hands together and murmured softly.
“Meeting him in person… it made me realize that it really was nothing. I felt that… for sure.”
“…”
Contrary to my worries, this encounter seemed to have served as a sort of awakening for Seon A-hyun.
He had experienced firsthand that it didn't hurt anymore.
“I… was okay.”
Seon A-hyun finished his sentence with conviction.
“…I see.”
“Then that’s all that matters~!”
Keun Se-jin patted his shoulder. The other members surrounded Seon A-hyun with gratified expressions.
Then, Ryu Cheong-woo spoke with a smile.
“Come to think of it, A-hyun, you barely stuttered just now when you were speaking comfortably, did you?”
“…!”
“You’re right!”
Did the trauma fading away help?
Seon A-hyun’s face lit up.
“R-really? I think… it was like th—aat.”
…As soon as he became conscious of it, he started stuttering again.
Seeing this, the members, who had been looking at each other, hurriedly began to shout.
“No, it’s fine, A-hyun~! You can stutter when you’re talking comfortably!”
“It’s just us, so let’s just be relaxed.”
“You are absolutely correct. Cha Yu-jin lives his life just fine while picking his words haphazardly.”
“I speak perfectly well!”
“Sure, sure.”
The point got a bit muddled in the middle, but the intention seemed to have been conveyed well, as Seon A-hyun lowered his head.
“…Yes.”
His voice sounded a bit thick with emotion. But immediately after, he raised his head and spoke firmly.
“Still… I’ll practice more! So that… I can speak better even when I’m r-relaxed!”
“Yeah. I’ll root for you on that.”
The atmosphere in the waiting room became as heartwarming as it could possibly be.
‘That’s good.’
I patted Seon A-hyun on the back. He really was a commendable guy.
“T-thank you, thank you…!”
Seon A-hyun smiled with a much more relaxed face.
The interesting thing was that after that, Seon A-hyun really did start speaking more comfortably without stuttering as much in official settings.
It seemed that the release of pressure and tension had helped.
“M-my teacher said it would improve in steps, and I feel like I’ve moved up a step…!”
“Yeah, congratulations.”
And we all watched this week’s Idol Inc. together, including a very proactive Seon A-hyun. It happened to be the ranking announcement ceremony.
[1st place is… Chae Seo-dam!]
“Whoa.”
Don't be surprised. I knew it.
I looked at the screen with a bored expression.
Since the last episode included footage of 'Chae Seo-dam suffering because of his teammates,' his momentum would have only increased, not decreased.
[Chae Seo-dam: Thank you… thank you so much. I will work even harder…!]
However, the atmosphere in the living room wasn't bad at all.
“Do, do you want some, Moon-dae?”
“Sure.”
“Thanks, A-hyun~”
Seon A-hyun’s face was clear as he handed out dried apple chips to the members.
Even if Chae Seo-dam stayed at number one and succeeded as an idol, he probably wouldn't care much.
‘Well, that’s a good thing.’
I shrugged.
But it would leave a bad taste in my mouth to just let it go like this.
And it was that night when the bait I’d laid out earlier finally brought in the fish.
—Hello, Senior!
It was Mirinae.
I quickly steered the conversation to the main point as I entered my room.
“Hello. Are you calling about the matter I mentioned last time?”
—Yes! Um… I just got home after participating in the team battle filming today!
Since the ranking announcement was airing now, it made sense that they were currently filming.
And the fact that he called… meant there was something weighing on his mind.
Something significant enough for him to call without hesitation on the very same day.
“Did you see something?”
On the other end of the line, Mirinae’s rank 2… that is, Park Min-ha, caught his breath.
—This… whew. Well, you see.
“Yes. Go ahead.”
—That, that person we talked about last time. I think he was trying to get our phone numbers in a natural way.
“…!”
I heard the sound of hitting the jackpot.