Chapter 96: Bomb? (7)
96. Bomb? (7)
"Huh?"
What Hajin was pointing at was his own phone—more precisely, the messenger screen displaying his conversation with Yu-geon.
"Let's assign him. His vocal tone doesn't overlap with Doha's, and from what I saw during workouts, his lung capacity seems decent."
"But Yu-geon has never rapped before—"
Hajin shot Won-ho a pointed glance. Won-ho, who had been recording everything with his self-cam, flinched when their eyes met through the monitor and hastily stopped filming. Confirming this was off the record, Hajin leaned back with his arms crossed.
"What does it matter? It's not like he's some amazing singer anyway."
[Lee Yu-geon (Affiliation: Miro)]
—Debuff: All stats reduced due to unique trait
Vocals: D (C+)
Dance: B+ (S)
Expression: C- (A-)
Charm: D+ (B+)
Special: Copy & Paste (B)
—Has a chance to fully internalize and replicate a subject of focus
Appeal Points:
"There are still twelve ships left."
—Responsibility, perseverance, intense focus
Yu-geon's absolute stats, checked previously, showed no rap ability. His vocal stat, even without debuffs, was barely a C+. Good for an amateur, maybe.
And right now, with the debuff, he was at nursery rhyme levels—just hitting the right notes and rhythm.
But Hajin had noticed a different stat entirely.
"If we craft everything from tone to rhythm for him and make him memorize it, he should be able to handle a sub-rapper part."
Special: Copy & Paste (B)
—Has a chance to fully internalize and replicate a subject of focus
Yu-geon was abnormally quick at copying choreography. Even with his half-hearted practice habits, he always managed to pull off his role on stage. During breaks, Hajin had analyzed Yu-geon's practice videos and shared his findings with the team.
"This kid might suck at everything else, but his memorization is insane. Last time during the blue stage performance, he even copied Han Seong-woo's pronunciation quirks perfectly. Probably learned it by mimicking Seong-woo's demonstrations."
"Nobody in Team A ever taught him parts separately..."
"I think he just followed the guide vocals. His ending notes were identical to Cheong Hansol's."
Of course, the actual skill gap meant Hansol's endings and Yu-geon's were worlds apart in quality.
Hajin turned to Doha, who had been silently listening.
"The downside is, Doha, you'll have to work harder. You won't just be handling your own parts—you'll need to build up Yu-geon's too. So I'll leave this decision to you."
"......"
Lee Doha's rap stat was S-rank.
Even if Yu-geon could only mimic 30% of Doha's skill, he'd still manage around a C or B level. Hajin was certain of it.
After hearing Hajin out, Doha answered without the slightest hesitation.
"That much isn't a problem."
"Doha-hyung, are you sure? You'll basically be doing two people's work..."
"Either way, when it comes to dance, I'm indebted to you and Yu-geon. If I can contribute to the team with what I'm good at, then I should."
Doha's cold, objective assessment applied to himself as well. Won-ho, still struggling to keep up with his own parts, looked stunned by Doha's decision. But Hajin, who had expected this response, quickly nodded and finalized the lineup.
"Alright. Then it's settled: Main vocal Si-woo-hyung. Lead vocal, me. Sub-vocals Won-ho and Eun-chan. Main rapper Lee Doha and sub-rapper Lee Yu-geon."
"But... will Yu-geon even agree? I'm kind of worried."
At Si-woo's cynical question, Hajin pocketed his phone and answered firmly.
"He'll do it whether he likes it or not. He was the one who said he'd take whatever was left."
"......"
"And if someone has to shoulder this, it's only fair that Yu-geon—who skips practice without a word—takes the hit instead of Joo Eun-chan, who always does his part diligently."
All eyes turned to Eun-chan, who had been quiet until now. Startled by the attention, Eun-chan clenched and unclenched his fists before finally nodding.
"Thank you, hyungs."
Si-woo, who had been watching Eun-chan intently, exhaled sharply and stood up.
"That's fair. So we're done here, right? Let's all get some rest. Starting tomorrow, sleep's gonna be a luxury."
"Agreed. I'll talk to Yu-geon. Oh, Won-ho—stay behind for a sec."
"Huh? Me? Why?"
As the others began dispersing, Won-ho, who had been gathering his things, froze and reluctantly sat back down.
"Wh-what? You got something to say?"
"...What are you talking about? We need to choreograph. Don't overthink it today."
"Me? I'm doing the choreo?"
"You weren't planning to freeload, were you, our Won-ho?"
"...N-no! No! Yeah. Okay. I'll do it."
Won-ho sat beside Hajin with a dazed expression. Hajin gave him a brief "What's up with you today?" glance before launching into his choreography ideas. They had a long road ahead.
By the time Hajin and Won-ho finished their first round of choreography planning, dawn was breaking. Knowing they had filming the next day, they decided against pulling an all-nighter and left the practice room. After parting ways with Won-ho halfway down the hall, Hajin headed not to his shared room with Eun-chan but to the lounge they used as a common area.
Better to crash on the couch with a blanket than risk waking Eun-chan, who was a light sleeper.
"......"
As the saying goes, one thought leads to another, and Hajin's mind swirled with countless questions.
"Is it really Yu-geon?"
No, he couldn't be sure yet.
"Just because he said his parents aren't coming to the audience doesn't mean they're gone."
Hajin startled at his own morbid thought. What kind of messed-up assumption was that? But the doubt lingered.
"But if it is him, what do I even say? 'I know what you did in your past life'? And if I'm wrong? I'll just sound like a cultist."
Come to think of it, Sipsam had only told him to find the Reincarnator—no instructions on what to do afterward. He really needed that guy to come back so he could figure things out...
"Hyung!"
"...Huh?"
"Done practicing?"
At the sudden voice, Hajin turned to see Dan Ha-ru and Seo Tae-hyun sitting on one of the lounge couches in their pajamas. Surprised, Hajin walked over.
"It's almost 3 AM. What are you two doing up?"
"Couldn't sleep, so I came out, and then Ha-ru woke up too. We were talking about our stage."
Seemed Tae-hyun didn't know about Ha-ru stealing his ice cream. Or maybe he'd restocked it already.
"Oh, there's ice cream in the fridge. Can't I just have one bite before bed?"
"...!"
"...No midnight snacks. Tough it out."
Seeing Ha-ru's eyes widen like full moons behind Tae-hyun's back, shaking with desperation, confirmed he hadn't restocked.
In fact, he hadn't even bought more yet.
Hajin sat down beside Tae-hyun, sinking into the plush sofa (courtesy of Judeez Furniture). As exhaustion crept in, his vision blurred slightly.
"What? If you're sleepy, go to your room. I thought you came out because you couldn't sleep either."
"I was working on choreo with Won-ho. Can't go in now—Eun-chan's sleeping. I'll just grab a blanket and crash here."
"Won-ho-hyung's doing the choreo this time too?"
"Yep. How's your team shaping up?"
Tae-hyun and Ha-ru exchanged glances before nodding with quiet giggles. Curious, Hajin rested his chin on his hand.
"What? What are you guys planning? You're scaring me."
"We're seriously set. Our lineup alone is a cheat code."
"Who's in your team?"
"Me, Ha-ru, Parang, Jae-young, and Yuki."
"...Wow. Add some confetti and flower petals, and it's like we've already seen your stage."
It was practically the dream lineup that should've been on the yellow team during the sports festival. Except for Tae-hyun and Ha-ru, they were all Feather-tier trainees—pure luck that they'd ended up together.
"Parang joined right before the deadline. I literally screamed 'Eureka!'"
"...So that's what that was."
"Huh? What was?"
"Nothing. Just know that your choice changed everything..."
The three chatted quietly in the early morning haze. At one point, Ha-ru couldn't keep his eyes open anymore, but even when told to go to bed, he stubbornly stayed put. He seemed to genuinely enjoy late-night talks with his hyungs. (Or maybe he was afraid Hajin would bring up the ice cream again...)
As their conversation gradually shifted from casual to serious, Hajin asked Tae-hyun in a low voice,
"How did you even get close to Yu-geon?"
"...Hyung, you've been really focused on him lately, huh?"
"We're on the same team now, and no matter how I look at it, it's weird that you're friends with him."
Tae-hyun had grown up chasing nothing but his idol dream. He had talent and worked hard, but opportunities kept slipping through his fingers. Though Tae-hyun didn't know it, in the timelines Hajin remembered, he'd been tortured by hope over and over, never giving up on that dream.
Even now, on his fifth life, Tae-hyun was that desperate.
Which was why Hajin couldn't understand why Tae-hyun was so lenient with Yu-geon, who held his dream in his hands and couldn't care less.
"His attitude's kind of trash, isn't it?"
"He doesn't even seem like he wants to debut."
"Hmm..."
"I'm only tolerating him because he's your friend. If we fail this mission, I'm screwed. You know that."
"...Don't pay too much attention to online reactions. Those people are just looking for someone to hate temporarily."
Tae-hyun, as adept at reading public opinion as Hajin, offered sympathetic advice. He knew all too well how Hajin had become internet trolls' favorite punching bag. Tae-hyun tucked a blanket around Ha-ru, who had fallen asleep on his lap, and spoke cautiously.
"Actually... Yu-geon didn't join the company to debut."
Hajin's head snapped up at the unexpected statement. Any drowsiness vanished instantly.
"You know something? Then why hasn't he quit? Why join a survival show and act like this?"
"It's... personal. I shouldn't say too much. I don't even know the full story—just happened to find out."
"......"
"Anyway, he has no intention of being an idol. He'll probably leave the company after the show... But he still does his part, so cut him some slack. I know it's frustrating."
Tae-hyun smiled apologetically, gauging Hajin's reaction. But Hajin's thoughts only grew more tangled. Fatigue and frustration weighed on him, creasing his brow.
Then—
Bzzzzzt—
"Ugh!"
"Hyung?"
A sudden ringing filled Hajin's ears as his vision swayed. An intense, unexpected headache sent him doubling over. Tae-hyun reached out to steady him.
Bzzzzzt—
"Hyung! Hajin-hyung!"
The pain and dizziness were overwhelming, reminiscent of the side effects from leaving the Unconscious Space. As his heartbeat pounded loudly in his ears, Hajin realized—
It wasn't his own heartbeat.
Something was knocking on his "world."
His vision distorted, colors splitting like a glitching RGB screen. Hajin squeezed his eyes shut.
"Hyung! Are you okay? What's wrong? Should I call the manager?"
"...No, I'm fine."
After what felt like minutes, the pain vanished as suddenly as it had come, leaving no trace.
Haa, haa...
His breathing was ragged, his body chilled with cold sweat.
'What was that?'
Before Hajin could process it, a familiar blue window flickered before his eyes.
[S?n_le Q$esSSSㅅㄴt *3.]
C0mpl3t3 th3 n3xt m1ss10n w1th Y_u-g3on
Pl3as3 w41t p4t13ntly
** Full r3c0v3ry 3st1m4t3d s00n
F41lur3 c0nd1t10n:
—R3gr3ss10n p0ss1b1l1ty: 10000000%