Chapter 106: What Must Happen, Will Happen (6)
106. What Must Happen, Will Happen (6)
The final day of waiting for Yu-geon had arrived.
There was still no word from Yu-geon, but Hajin no longer feared regression. The desire to perfect Blue Flare's stage performance with Yu-geon had grown as strong as his fear of time reversing. And Hajin wasn't the only one—the entire Blue Flare team felt the same.
"...Chan. What are you doing?"
"Ah, hyung. Did I wake you? Sorry. I was practicing..."
"Practicing what? You've been mumbling nonstop."
"Ah... Yu-geon hyung's rap part. Just in case."
"It's still dawn, hyung. Get some more sleep."
Eun-chan, who shared the room, said this while dimming his phone flashlight. Hajin had stayed up last night just to confirm the clock turning from 11:59 PM to midnight, and even then, he couldn't relax, lying awake for several more hours. At most, he'd only slept one or two hours.
"No, it's fine. Turn the light on. I'm getting up."
Hajin rose without hesitation. Lying in bed would only invite more restless thoughts.
"Where are you going, hyung?"
"Going for a run. Clear my head."
"Want me to come?"
"No, you keep practicing."
Hajin changed into light workout clothes and stepped outside into the morning dew. The world was still cloaked in a bluish haze, not yet fully awake. He put in his earbuds and played the recording of their third-round performance song.
Easy to play
Everything comes easy to you
Humming along softly to Si-woo's breathy vocals, Hajin began his run.
"Haa, hoo, huu... Wow, this is tough."
Only after completing two full laps without stopping did Hajin finally exhale roughly. Worried he might exhaust himself before returning to the company, he sat on a nearby bench to catch his breath.
Suddenly, he felt the urge to check his phone. He'd fallen asleep last night while reading the supportive comments for Yu-geon and wondered how things had settled since then.
"...Not much."
The public had lost interest in Yu-geon—there was nothing left to criticize. Of course, there were still the deranged few who twisted the revelation of Yu-geon's family background into fresh attacks.
But those were the kind of people who would leave hate comments even if Yu-geon were revealed to be royalty from a distant land. Hajin trusted Suho would ensure they faced legal consequences.
Though the masses had chewed Yu-geon up and spat him out like flavorless gum, mentions of him hadn't completely vanished. Once everyone had taken their turn poking at him and moved on, those who remained—tending to the scars left behind—became visible.
They were the DESTYs who had stood by Yu-geon through every controversy.
MiroMaze Hashtag Team @MM_hashitag
#Yu-geon Reputation Restoration Hashtag Event
※ Event Time: Today (22nd), 8:00 PM (KST)~
※ Hashtags:
#WeveGotYourBackYu-geon
#Yu-geonsStagesAreAlwaysJoyful
✖ ABSOLUTELY NO HASHTAG USE BEFORE EVENT ✖
(Details on reputation restoration in thread)
ReasonGun @2uuu_gunn2
(Image: Screenshot of a PC screen densely packed with files and PDFs)
Miro's official notice is finally up!
I've already submitted the first batch of materials I gathered.
If anyone has additional resources, please send them via the form in my bio.
I'll compile them for a second submission.
ReasonGun @2uuu_gunn2
(Screenshot of Miro's legal notice)
For those who want to submit directly,
please refer to the above for guidance.
Kang Hadi @kang_HD
May the world be kinder to Yu-geon
I love Yu-geon
Yu-geon is handsome
Yu-geon is joyful
Yu-geon is a main dancer
Yu-geon dances
Yu-geon sings
...
The wave of support bore Yu-geon's name, yet it wasn't solely about him. Some participants were his fans, others weren't. Their biases might be close to him or have no connection at all.
But they all joined the movement with one heart.
Because they knew—what happened to Yu-geon could happen to their own favorites someday.
On his way back to the dorm, Hajin read through the fans' messages of encouragement and prayers over and over. Though not directed at him, they comforted him nonetheless. It was baffling—they had nothing to show for themselves yet, so why would these people go so far for trainees they'd never even met?
But Hajin already knew the answer.
Sometimes, loving and cheering for someone requires no reason at all.
"...Is everyone in the practice room?"
After showering and changing, Hajin found the dorm unusually quiet. Out of habit, his feet carried him toward Blue Flare's practice room.
"...?"
Even from down the hall, he could see the lights were on. Assuming the team had gathered there, he approached—only to notice the noise inside was louder than usual.
Through the slightly ajar door, boisterous voices spilled out. Just by counting them, it sounded like over ten people were inside.
Hajin quickened his pace. Despite having run two laps and walked back to the dorm, he broke into another sprint without feeling tired.
Bang! Without knocking, he shoved the door open.
"...Hajin hyung!"
Eun-chan's bright voice called out to him. The trainees, clustered around someone, naturally parted to make way.
As the crowd dispersed, Yu-geon came into view—calmly smoothing back his sleek blue-black hair.
He turned to face Hajin. His lips, unusually red and slightly swollen, curved into the same refreshing smile as before.
"I just couldn't let it go to waste, no matter how I thought about it."
Yu-geon shrugged with a look that said, You get it, right?
But that was enough.
More than enough.
And so, the day of the third-round recording arrived.
Yu-geon had returned.
Hajin still hadn't regressed.
The "tomorrow" he had longed for was finally here.
Ugh, I might actually throw up.
That was the first thought of the girl taking in the all-too-familiar scenery she never expected to see again.
"Here I am, back at this godforsaken place at dawn... Guess escaping K-pop just isn't in the cards for this lifetime."
When the audience recruitment notice for the third round dropped, she'd had zero intention of applying. Seriously.
Her main account (Harang) was all about Doha, and her alt (Soda) had been spamming nothing but MiroMaze content lately—so much that she was seriously considering creating a separate account just for gifs. But no, she hadn't planned this!
Next thing she knew, she was answering a call informing her she'd won the lottery. Clearly, a K-pop ghost had possessed her while she napped and applied on her behalf.
"Eh, might as well make the most of it."
Truthfully, recent events had left her unsettled. Like everyone else, she'd formed preconceptions about Yu-geon based on his image and the broadcast. Now that she knew the full story, she felt ashamed of her past self.
Though she'd never left hate comments or directly attacked him, she had wondered, Would he really do something like that? while reading the controversy threads.
I've been into K-pop for years. What the hell is wrong with me, Yoon Se-eun?
Yu-geon would definitely perform today, so she'd cheer her hardest—carrying both her guilt and an apology in her voice.
With that resolve, she hurried toward the studio. At this early hour, the line wasn't as long as she'd expected.
As she approached, she spotted her fandom friends already in line.
"Unnie! Over here!"
"Hey, hey~"
Luckily, no one was behind them, so she joined without hesitation. Though at the very back, the line had fewer than twenty people—they'd come early.
They'd wait until 10 AM to receive their entry numbers, kill time nearby, then return before filming to enter in order.
Technically, since filming started at 4 PM, they only needed to arrive by the 2 PM check-in cutoff... but that would mean ending up at the very back, barely able to see their boys.
It eats up the whole day and is usually mind-numbingly boring... but with fandom friends, it's a different story.
She looked at her friends—this was their first offline meetup in ages.
The tall one in a black rider jacket and a cap pulled low was Gwa-jam, while the petite one in a flowy blouse-dress organizing a giveaway goodie bag was Malang-gom. They called her Soda.
"Fewer people than I expected?"
"Nah, they'll start lining up soon. We're just really early."
"When did you guys get here?"
"Just now. Gwa-jam unnie slept here last night. Booked a room nearby."
"Seriously? Ugh, I should've done that."
"You heading straight home after? I booked checkout for tomorrow—figured I'd sleep here after filming. Malangie's staying too. It's the weekend anyway."
"Right, unnie, let's go together after. We can watch Episode 4!"
"Wait, seriously? I'm down. But will the room fit three?"
When Soda looked surprised, Gwa-jam smiled coolly.
"I booked a big one—hate cramped spaces. Just chip in for the extra person, and we can hang out after. It's been forever."
"Gwa-jam, I love you. Lunch is on me today."
"I'll get coffee! Got my allowance."
At Malang-gom's offer—the only high schooler in their group—Soda and Gwa-jam immediately shook their heads with stern expressions.
"Tch, what money? Save it."
"No way, Gom. You already spent a ton prepping these giveaways."
"I'm always taking from you unnies! Let me treat you to drinks at least. I recouped most costs from the Si-woo grip-tock group order."
Under Malang-gom's pleading gaze, Gwa-jam and Soda relented with a laugh. Though still a student, Malang-gom was sharp—her bias was Jung Si-woo, and she occasionally designed and sold merch for him. The market was small, so profits weren't huge, but for a student, it was decent pocket money. Not that she ever kept it, pouring everything back into giveaways.
"Still, between designing, outsourcing production, proofing samples... Demand surveys, packaging, shipping—can you really call it recouped? If you factor in labor, you're probably making less than minimum wage."
"Psh, breaking even at this scale is huge. Some creators rake it in, though."
"K-pop's cottage industry at work."
By the time their chatter died down, it was 10 AM. The once-sparse line had multiplied, now several rows deep.
"Whoa, it's packed now."
"Told you. Good thing we came early."
"Where to now? Too early for lunch—wanna hit a café?"
Though the pre-dawn start had given her existential dread, the envious stares from those still waiting made their 20-something entry numbers feel worth it.
Next time, I'm booking a room too.
Already planning for the next recording, Soda hummed cheerfully, her mood visibly lifted.