Level Up (1)
Lying spread-eagled on the dorm living room floor, staring blankly at the ceiling, a sudden thought hit me, and I pulled out my phone.
I should delete these.
After sex with Joanna and May Lin, I'd looked at the photos May had taken. All of them ended up saved on my phone, with the rest destroyed. May's shots of me were so damn hot that I'd had to coldly refuse Joanna's pleading to keep even one.
Fuck, I never thought I'd find a guy's face sexy, but the destructive power of this face that damn Poni gave me was off the charts.
If these got out, it'd be chaos. I have to delete them, but my finger just won't cooperate.
Probably because deep down, I knew it'd be a shame to let them vanish forever. Even though the photographer herself had coolly handed over all the files to me.
I knew objectively that my face was handsome. But when it turned lewd, it doubled the impact of my usual good looks. Enough to understand why May had eagerly offered sex just to photograph it.
Were you not born with this face from the start? You ridiculously handsome bastard. I might end up with narcissism at this rate.
These photos were hazardous material.
"Hyung~! Did you have a good time~?"
"Yeah. Had a blast?"
Right then, the front door opened, and a familiar voice entered with a guy who was still more boy than man—Ki Uyeon.
"Yeees~."
"What? Greeting's all bubbly, but your reply's so dead?"
"Vacation's over."
"You must've stuffed yourself silly? Whoa~ You've gained weight, huh?"
I just lifted my head to look at Uyeon, and the kid had definitely plumped up.
"Ugh! Manager noona's gonna make me lose it all."
"Hit practice hard, and it'll drop right off."
"Anyway, what're you doing, hyung? Lying on the floor."
"Savoring the end of vacation, just like you."
Delete this photo?
[YES]
With that, I severed all lingering regrets from those dreamlike two weeks of vacation. I deleted every photo by artist May Lin from my phone, tossed it aside carelessly, and sprawled out again.
"Did you rest well, hyung?"
After leaving Jua noona's place, my days had been a nonstop parade of skin that deserved a 19+ rating. Sure, I hadn't exactly been chaste at her house either, but between the 3P with Joanna and May, then sex after a date with Ahyun, and more with Boksun noona...
The Stamina Pouch came in clutch.
Sucked dry to the point where nothing was left, I'd gone all out. Thanks to that, I'd racked up plenty of coins beyond the shop ones.
"Had a great time. Vacation hangover's no joke now."
"Ughhh, I wish this was all a dream. Wanna go back to day one~."
After Uyeon showed up, Nam Eungyu, Jeki, Kang Jun, and Kang Kyungtae trickled in one by one. The dorm buzzed with chatter about what everyone did on break.
"Everyone came back fatter, but Haesol hyung looks even leaner."
"Really? Feels the same to me. Maybe 'cause you guys bulked up?"
Idols are human too. Aside from a few chosen ones with special metabolisms, we gain weight if we eat. And none of my team had that gift. Normal as hell: eat and gain, starve and lose.
The guys had clearly eaten well and rested at home, returning chubbier—and now worried.
"Ugh! Right in the gut."
"At least Uyeon didn't gain as much."
"Hey, why me just standing here...?"
"'Cause you turned your face into a full moon. Close your eyes, and it'll predict your future. Trainer might give you one-on-one sessions."
"Th-that bad?"
"Yup."
"Uwaaaah! Shouldn't have eaten!! Should've held back! Mom said growth spurt means it all goes to height, so I believed her!!"
"Went straight to fat instead."
"Eek! Stop the fact-check violence!"
"Hahaha."
All suffering vacation withdrawal, no one headed to their rooms. We sprawled in the living room, gabbing away. Talk shifted from the two-week break to the future.
"Gonna get slammed prepping for the next comeback soon."
"Probably."
"Hope it does well. Wonder if fans'll like it. Kinda scary? Like, will they love it again, or fall short of expectations?"
"Hasn't even started, and you're stressing?"
"The debut reaction was insane. Too good."
Our debut had blown up unusually big. Rookies grabbing massive attention right away? Pure luck, plus agency push and visuals hype.
"Still miles from catching top idol groups."
"True. Fandom's still weak."
Jeki chimed in, listening to us.
"That's our issue. Blew up without a solid fandom, so lots of haters now. Fail to prove skills this time, and we'll eat shit. That's what you're worried about, right Uyeon?"
Short version: massive aggro on us. Hard to gain popularity here, harder to keep it. So explosive debuts like ours draw inevitable pushback.
"Yeah. Manager noona babied us through last promo, or we'd have been toast. Eyes everywhere. This time'll be worse. How to endure...?"
"Uyeon was terrified back then."
"Especially after the bathroom incident."
Bathroom incident: Uyeon overheard rivals trash-talking us in the broadcast station restroom, came back bawling. After that, he never wandered alone—always with a member. Root of his current fears.
"We'll protect you, so don't worry, Uyeon."
"Yeah. And to not disappoint fans, let's prep hard. Effort pays off—they'll see it cute. Company's backing us too."
Plus, I had a reliable ace: coins stacked thick during break!! With them, I could boost skills way beyond now. Appeal properly to fans this comeback.
With everyone gathered, I asked their thoughts on next activities.
"What do you guys want for the next one?"
"Next activity?"
"Like, song style or whatever."
"Company decides that."
"Our album, but hand it all off? Debut we had no say, but second time—voice up for the future? Plus, we got Jeki. He'll make 'em listen."
"Uh..."
Eyes flicked from me to Jeki. He had the most musical cred among us.
"Yeah, need to show skills from second on. Last song didn't flex our talents fully. To swim bigger ponds and weather rivals, gotta prove it."
Jeki spilled his pent-up ideas: tougher songs, harder choreo. Mastering debut's had been brutal for me, but apparently just me—others vented too.
"Some parts could've tweaked better."
"Song had tons lacking."
Nods.
"But we succeeded."
"...True."
"What if we push our wants and flop?"
Sulks.
Great songs don't guarantee hits—we learned that. Tons released daily; few chosen. Irony: quality ain't enough.
"Company's solid, but voicing wants is fine. They're pros—reflect ours and make it succeed."
"Then crack open Jeki hyung's treasure vault!! Heard snippets—tons of bangers."
"Hey, why mine suddenly?"
Dorm erupted again. Six personalities clashing like a market: hip-hop vibes, dream dances for fans. Most unrealistic, sadly. Jeki neatly compiled notes anyway.
"Hip-hop!! Hardcore!!"
"Insane choreo!!"
"Song with explosive high notes!"
"Needs balance. Too different from debut vibe, fans might feel off?"
"Wanna highlight vocals."
Those went to Manager via Jeki—he insisted as leader.
"Time's up. Head to company."
Break over, off to meeting on schedules. We'd lounged sweetly; staff slaved for our next moves.
"Hello."
"Hey!!"
"Ooh, long time no see~?"
"Vacation done already? Time flies. Feels like nothing happened."
"Look at 'em, all fresh and glowy. Must've rested great. Haha!"
"Back to strict regimen."
Airplane dedicated team office: staff swarmed, checking us out. Trainer especially shrieked at chubby members, hauling out scales.
"Uwaaa~! Uyeon!! What'd you eat at home?? 4kg up?!"
"Hehe, mom said it'd all go to height now..."
"You know the hell losing it'll be, and you wolf it down???"
"Ughhh, just spare me."
My turn: trainer blinked.
"Haesol lost weight? Rested properly?"
"Yeah, felt like it."
After that wringer, it'd be weird not to.
"You manage so well, could've chilled fully. Held back even on break?"
"Nah. Played too hard these two weeks."
"Ugh~ Hyung's a total freak. Same fun, we gain, you lose."
'Cause our 'play' differed.
Do what I did, they'd show up skeletal too.
Trainer bustled new routines/diets for fatties. Meanwhile, Manager briefed revised practice schedule.