Chapter 23: Do You Want to Be Special? (1)
23. Do You Want to Be Special? (1)
'He's making a big deal out of nothing.'
I'd been fooled by the System. As expected, you shouldn't blindly trust emotionless data (or not) made up of ones and zeros (or not).
[System Alert: The system expresses its grievance!]
Stop grumbling, you pile of binary. After casually dismissing the system, I stood up without hesitation. There was no reason to stay any longer.
"Uh, you're leaving already?"
"Yeah. You're not coming? Ah, it's cold."
"L-Let's go together."
Seo Tae-hyun, who seemed to have a lot on his mind, also stood up in a daze. As he quietly followed me, he seemed lost in thought before eventually nodding to himself, his expression clearing up.
[System Alert: Comrade 'Seo Tae-hyun's current status is... "Having an epiphany."]
[System Alert: A comrade has gained enlightenment! (Reward: 30 Cash)]
[System Alert: The comrade's enlightenment will greatly assist in quest progression!]
'Huh? Jackpot?'
Given how the System was celebrating with virtual fanfare, our conversation must have yielded unexpectedly good results. Shouldn't there be some kind of reward for this? As I scrutinized the system window, hoping for even crumbs, another aurora-colored notification popped up.
[System Alert: ☆★There's nothing hereeee!★☆]
...This bastard.
I glared at the system window with a sour expression when Tae-hyun suddenly made a confused noise. Following his gaze, I saw that the special class's practice room was completely dark and empty.
"What? Where is everyone?"
"Isn't it individual practice time?"
"No, group practice is about to start."
Just as Tae-hyun pulled out his phone, wondering if something had happened that we weren't aware of, my phone vibrated too. It was Dan Ha-ru.
"What's up?"
—Ah, hyung, where are you?
"B1 floor. Special class practice room."
—Oh, is Tae-hyun hyung with you?
"Yeah. Why? What's going on?"
—Can you both come to Room A? There's a company-wide announcement, so everyone's gathered here.
A company-wide announcement... I absentmindedly nodded, assuming it was related to the survival show, before hanging up.
"Everyone's in Room A. They're making some big announcement, so let's hurry."
"Company-wide announcement? What's going on?"
"Probably about the survival show. Come on, they said they're just waiting for us."
Without another thought, I walked with Tae-hyun, completely unaware of the storm this announcement would unleash.
A few days later.
As usual, I changed in the locker room and entered the practice studio, muttering under my breath.
"Damn, the atmosphere here is a mess."
The moment they saw my grim expression, Joo Eun-chan and Dan Ha-ru, who had been huddled in a corner, turned pale and rushed over like puppies spotting their owner, clinging to my arms.
"Hyung. I think I'm gonna throw up."
"......"
One looked disgusted, while the other was already dizzy from exhaustion, still gripping my arm. Gently freeing myself, I smiled kindly.
"Endure it."
"......"
"When you debut, you'll enter an even worse world of power struggles. Just endure it, kids."
"But..."
Dan Ha-ru, unsatisfied with my useless advice, grabbed my arm again like a puppy deprived of treats and whispered.
"But... we can't even practice with the special class hyungs because they're too scary!"
The special class had been disbanded.
After the CEO completely purged the department head from Miro and discovered he had been manipulating the special class for his own benefit, he immediately dissolved the group and redistributed all trainees by age into new classes. Since the survival show was coming up soon, everyone would be starting from the same line anyway.
Thanks to that, the practice studio had become overcrowded overnight, and the atmosphere was an absolute disaster.
"Everyone's just on edge because of the survival show. Don't worry about it and warm up."
With Eun-chan and Ha-ru still hiding behind me, I prepared to stretch. The fact that no one else greeted me when I entered—except for those two—said everything about the current mood.
There were three distinct factions in the practice room:
Naturally, I was the unofficial leader of the neutral faction.
"Where's Tae-hyun?"
"Ah, he has an interview today."
"Tae-hyun hyung's about to die of shame. Those 'Cherry Boy' photos from back in the day keep getting reposted."
I nodded, recalling how Seo Tae-hyun had suddenly become the front-runner for Miro's upcoming survival show.
Thanks to an article featuring a photo that perfectly recreated the 'legendary meme' from his Boyhood Under Heaven days, every idol community's hot keyword had temporarily become 'Cherry Boy from Boyhood Under Heaven.'
[Do You Know You've Become the Cherry Boy from Boyhood Under Heaven While Posting Here? (263) HOT!]
[BEST‖Latest Update on Boyhood Under Heaven's Cherry Boy Seo Tae-hyun (He's Joining Miro's Upcoming Survival Show) (762)]
Every post about him was being dug up online, even the unintentional ones.
[Real-Time RTs Exploding Over Miro's Upcoming Male Trainees]
(Photo)
Seo Tae-hyun from Boyhood Under Heaven, recently spotted at an animal hospital.
With the news confirming his participation in Miro's survival show, the guy next to him is suspected to be a Miro trainee.
—Wow, Tae-hyun grew up well. Damn.
—Tae-hyun's at Miro? No way, I can't believe it.
└222 Tae-hyun doesn't fit Rene or Ocean Blue's image, though?
└Have you not seen Cha Min-seok at Rene?
—I really liked Tae-hyun back thenㅠㅠㅠ Another survival show? Tae-hyun-ahㅠㅠㅠ
—Tae-hyun joined Miro? Why didn't they debut him in N-Depth? His visuals are way better.
└How would these kids know? That's a rude thing to say about N-Depth and N-Debut members.
└Comment deleted. Anyone who shows interest in him will be banned from fan meetings forever.
—Guys, am I the only one who just got hit by the black hoodie guy? My heart's racing.
└LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL Add me to the list of people sniped by black hoodie oppa.
└3333 So who is black hoodie oppa?
└44
└5555 My fangirl radar is going crazy LOLOLOLOLOL
—Han Se-won's taste is so consistent... My life is about to be mortgaged to Miro again.
└Who's Han Se-won?
└Miro's CEO.
—What's black hoodie oppa's position? Dancing, right?
└Even if he's tone-deaf and can't dance, Han Se-won would still clap and recruit him.
└A high school classmate spilled the tea—he was in the band club back then.
└Sorry to interrupt, but where's that tea? Link pleaseㅠㅠ
So this was the so-called 'Cat's Gratitude'?
In no time, my old Instagram account and even graduation photos had been dug up. Thankfully, the reactions weren't bad, so I let it slide.
"Hajin, sorry, but can you move?"
"Yeah, sure."
As I tried to warm up, the mirror area was already occupied by the 'Heavenly Special Class.' No mere 'neutral faction' could dare approach. Just getting near made them growl like guard dogs.
'Ah, childish teenagers...'
"Hey, Dan Ha-ru. Hold my leg..."
"Ah! Aah! Dan Ha-ru! Stop!"
"Hyung, are you made of wood? How are you less flexible than yesterday?"
I turned to Dan Ha-ru, the most flexible among us, for help with my splits. But seeing him mercilessly stretching Joo Eun-chan's legs, I turned away without regret.
'Guess I'll just stretch by the wall.'
Eun-chan looked at me with pleading eyes, but I averted my gaze without hesitation. Sorry, Eun-chan. A man's gotta survive.
"Hey."
"......?"
As I headed to the corner, someone tapped my shoulder. Turning around, I saw a tall, broad, and ridiculously handsome bear-like guy staring at me.
'Ah, that bear.'
The trainee I'd run into in the company hallway before—the one I'd been determined to recruit no matter what. Thankfully, he didn't seem like a nepotism case or a ticking time bomb. But what was his name again?
"Ah, Doha. Lee Doha, right?"
"Yeah."
"What's up? Need something?"
Doha, who hadn't spoken to me since introductions, hesitated and scratched his chin.
"Well."
"Yeah."
"......."
"......."
"......."
"......?"
'Is he asleep?'
What kind of psychology was this—starting a conversation and then clamming up? As I pondered his intentions, I remembered he was also from the special class.
'Ah, does he want me to move?'
This corner barely even has a mirror. How petty.
"You want me to move? Fine, take it."
"Huh? No, I meant..."
"Everyone, gather up!"
Before Doha could explain further, Ji Soo-ho entered, cutting him off.
Doha's lips twitched in frustration, but none of us trainees dared to disobey the (soon-to-be-promoted) team leader. We moved without protest.
"What, you talked to Doha hyung too?"
"Nah, he just wanted me to move. What, is sharing a mirror a death sentence? So stingy."
"......? Doha hyung?"
Tae-hyun, who had apparently finished his interview and entered with Soo-ho, tilted his head in confusion. That didn't sound like him. Hearing his puzzled tone, a mischievous urge bubbled up inside me.
"Yeah... Guess there's a difference between former special class members and the rest of us..."
"What are you talking about?"
"A noble connection that us lowly regular trainees could never understand—"
"I really hate you, Kang Hajin."
Sorry, but neither Eun-chan nor you seem to realize your reactions just make me want to mess with you more.
"The company's been hectic these past few days, right? Classes merged, schedules changed—thanks for keeping up. Today, I have a few announcements."
Soo-ho, who had been reviewing documents with a new development team employee, raised his voice. Even if they pretended otherwise, everyone was on edge like typical teenage boys.
"You've probably heard rumors, but I'll make it official. There'll be an in-house survival show to decide the next debut team."
Amid the silence, Soo-ho continued.
"I'll be overseeing and directing you all. As you might've seen in the articles, Taeyil from Uphia will be making a special appearance too."
At the official announcement of the 'survival show,' the trainees' stiff military-like formation loosened slightly, buzzing with excitement. The tension of competition mixed with the thrill of a possible debut.
"Filming starts around March, finals in May. We'll prepare in earnest from June, aiming for a second-half debut."
Soo-ho went on.
"But that doesn't mean you're free until March. We'll shoot profiles and teasers, record the title track—you'll be busy, so be ready."
At the mention of profiles and teasers, everyone burst into excited murmurs. Soo-ho watched them with an amused smile before clearing his throat and returning to his professional tone.
"And before that... What's in February?"
"......."
"Why so quiet? What's in February? No answers?"
"...Monthly evaluations."
...I had no idea.
A chill ran down my spine. Oh, damn it.