Chapter 211
Chapter 211
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 211
Chapter Title: Pro vs. Amateur
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On the treadmill, spinning with cold indifference.
*Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud.*
“Hah, hah.”
So Joong-han tried to run mechanically, his mind drifting back to the past.
The Bergamot rehearsal room, a music club at one of South Korea's prestigious high schools.
The band members, fresh from seeing the biopic of the legendary rock group ‘Queen,’ were still buzzing with the film's afterglow.
“Hey. Instead of just doing this, why don’t we start making music for real?”
“What do you mean, for real?”
“I mean quitting school and trying to make money as a band.”
“What?”
“Our band is good, we’re good-looking, and Hyun-seung’s vocals are insane.”
“…”
“Look at Brian May. He’s an astrophysicist, and he was in Queen! Who’s to say we can’t be like that?”
Their lifelong record of academic excellence, combined with a lethal dose of cinematic hype, had filled them with overflowing confidence.
“What if we fail?”
“There’s no way brains like us would fail, but if we do, we can just start a tech company or something. Right? We could pass the GED right now without even trying. No matter how you look at it, we’re wasting time we could be using to make money.”
“…”
“Einstein, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Ellison, Michael Dell…”
So Joong-han began listing off successful people who had made it regardless of their formal education, and with each name, their vague confidence swelled.
“Still, we should probably have some kind of safety net, right?”
“What do you have in mind?”
“We can send our demo to some agencies and see if our music has what it takes, can’t we?”
“Ooh. That sounds like it’s worth a shot.”
“First, let’s save up our allowances. We’ll need money to survive.”
So Joong-han sent the demo they had produced and performed to several agencies, and one of them got back to them.
Pushed by their parents to do nothing but study their entire lives, they were hit with a bad case of eighth-grade syndrome after watching a single movie, ultimately leading them to make an absurd decision.
Of the seven members of the band Bergamot, four ran away from home and subsequently dropped out of school.
“Now that it’s just the elite left, let’s change our name. What about ‘Earl Grey’?”
“Much better.”
Though they were cut off by their parents, they rallied around So Joong-han. They imagined themselves as ‘Earl Grey,’ a legendary band from the movies, someday in the future.
-[The Justified Rebellion of Four Geniuses from a Prestigious Korean High School!]
A single line in an entertainment news article, accompanied by their photo. They thought debuting meant immediate success.
The moment they were no longer minors, they started playing all sorts of gigs. They worked hard, performing not only their own songs but also playing as a backing band on stages where they were only needed for the instrumentals. But society wasn't so easy.
A year had passed since they started their activities.
“Why haven’t you paid us?”
“Payment? You’re barely earning enough to cover your food.”
“How does that make any sense? Look at how many gigs we’ve played!”
“Don’t you know that all goes to promotional expenses? You think nobodies like you get recognition for free?”
Too late, they realized the loopholes in their contract. For the first time in their lives, they had experienced failure.
But their pride was still intact, and they refused to go back to their parents.
So Joong-han, who had been studying direct music distribution and event management, spoke up.
“Those agency guys are all thieves. This time, let’s do it ourselves. I’ve figured it all out.”
Another year passed just like that. The world remained unforgiving, and So Joong-han began to feel an immense weight of guilt.
“It’s all my fault. I roped them into this, and now all our members’ lives are screwed up. I have to fix this…”
Though he always acted confident on the outside, So Joong-han was suffering from severe stress. No matter how hard he tried to find a breakthrough, the band’s situation only worsened with each passing day.
And now, he had encountered an opportunity that might just absolve him of his guilt.
*Thud, thud, thud. Thud.*
“Heok, heok, heok.”
So Joong-han abruptly stopped the machine, panting for breath.
“If you keep working out like that, you’re going to end up needing a real personal trainer.”
A female trainer, carrying a stack of towels, tossed a comment at So Joong-han. Contrary to their determination, the athletic ability of So Joong-han and his members was, regardless of gender, at rock bottom.
“It’s been too long since I’ve worked out…”
“Hmm? It doesn’t look like you took a long break. It looks like you’ve never worked out at all.”
“I’m worried about overdoing it, so I’m planning to increase the intensity gradually.”
“No. That’s not how you improve. You have to push yourself to the brink of death every time, until you can taste blood in your lungs.”
So Joong-han gave a bitter smile, and the female trainer smiled back before heading into the locker room.
“Hellooo!”
“Yes, hello!”
The cheerful voices of girls made the Earl Grey members’ eyes light up with recognition.
It was Seul-bi and Yi-na. As they entered the gym, they exchanged greetings with a few of the other patrons.
But the pleasant feeling was short-lived. The sight of Min-jun following behind them sent an inexplicable chill down their spines.
“Oh? Hello. You guys started already, Seonbae-nim?”
“Yeah! Hello, Seul-bi! Do you have a schedule today?”
“I do. I have to go again after this workout.”
“Ah, of course. Celebrities are always so busy!”
Jang Hyun-seung chatted with a wide grin.
Seul-bi and Yi-na went into the locker room, and Min-jun approached.
“Hello, PD-nim!”
“Hello. Is the workout going well?”
“Yes, yes.”
Min-jun exchanged a few greetings with other gym-goers before heading into the locker room himself.
“What’s this? Is PD Min working out today too?”
“Hm.”
Yoon Woo-sung responded to Seo Bang-il’s question with a short grunt.
A few minutes later, when Min-jun emerged wearing the gym’s logo-stamped workout clothes, the Earl Grey members couldn’t help but snicker.
After their first day, they had scraped together what little money they had to buy their own workout gear.
“He must not work out often.”
“Yeah. He talks like he’s a seasoned pro, though.”
“That’s how all managers are.”
The Earl Grey members moved from machine to machine, gossiping about Min-jun in hushed tones like ladies at a public bath.
“Could everyone gather for a moment?”
At Min-jun’s words, the Earl Grey members quickly assembled, and So Joong-han let out a deep sigh.
It pained him to see his once-brilliant members turn into genuine idiots after a few years of failure.
“I’m telling you this to give you some motivation for your workout.”
A look of anticipation appeared on the Earl Grey members’ faces.
“I’ve secured Earl Grey’s debut on a special stage for SBC’s *Gayo Bank*.”
“No way!”
The Earl Grey members shouted in surprise, earning glares from the other gym members.
“Sorry.”
The Earl Grey members bowed their heads, still smiling.
“Just so you know, this is a debut special stage that even KGM or SJ only get a few of a year.”
“Thank you so much!”
While the Earl Grey members celebrated, Seul-bi, now in leggings under her short-sleeved shirt and shorts, came out and began to warm up.
“The Brake Burger CF shoot is only a week away, so work hard. It’s your first shoot, and it’ll last a lifetime.”
“Yes, sir!”
The Earl Grey members scattered, each igniting their workout with newfound passion.
Just then, Seul-bi, having finished her warm-up, got on a treadmill with Min-jun. As Yi-na followed out of the locker room, Seul-bi’s expression soured.
It was because of Yi-na’s outfit. She had tied the bottom of her top up to her chest, creating a makeshift bra top, and was wearing nothing but leggings on the bottom.
Yi-na examined her body in the mirror from various angles, admiring it with a peculiar gaze.
“Ugh. Shin Yi-na, you’re insane.”
As the other members’ eyes focused on Yi-na, Seul-bi’s face flushed with embarrassment. She rushed over to Yi-na and whispered through clenched teeth.
“Put on some shorts over those.”
“Why? This is how leggings are meant to be worn. I’ve been working out a lot, so my glutes are fired up.”
“Just put them on!”
“Ow! That hurts! Let go. Ah, why! You’re being so old-fashioned, it doesn’t suit you.”
Watching Yi-na get dragged back into the locker room by Seul-bi, Min-jun let out a heavy sigh.
Ten seconds later, Yi-na came out wearing shorts, her lips pouted.
“Look at that. Everyone else is just wearing leggings. What is this? It looks awful.”
Yi-na grumbled, pointing at the shabby gym shorts she wore over her leggings.
“I won’t say anything once you’re over nineteen.”
“Wow. You sound like Seol-ah unni. It really doesn’t suit you. Are you perhaps—”
“Perhaps what?”
“Worried that my body will look better than yours?”
“Agh! Hehehe.”
“Hmph. I knew it. My figure isn’t exactly that of a minor, is it?”
“Aish, you idiot. Showing skin doesn’t automatically make you sexy, you know?”
“Pfft!”
Yi-na let out a puff of air as if in disbelief, then joined Seul-bi on the treadmill.
“Alright, little minor. Let’s just work out.”
“Okay. Shall we get warmed up?”
She immediately started running at a high intensity.
‘How is she so fast? Is she a marathon runner?’
When Yi-na first started working out, her abilities were no different from an average person’s.
But after seeing Seul-bi’s incredible athleticism, she had pushed herself relentlessly, growing stronger by the day.
Intimidated by Yi-na and Seul-bi’s proficient running, So Joong-han quietly stepped off the treadmill and started doing barbell squats. Their pace was simply too fast for him to even attempt to keep up.
As So Joong-han was squatting with just the 20kg barbell, Min-jun approached him.
“You should get rid of the idea of gradually increasing the weight. Building muscle is only possible by overloading them.”
So Joong-han thought about how Min-jun’s words were exactly the same as what the female trainer had said just moments before.
“Let’s try it with 50kg.”
“All of a sudden?”
So Joong-han was startled. He felt that squatting with 20kg was already difficult enough.
“Keep your voice down. Even girl group members can lift 70kg.”
“Huh? They can?”
Startled, So Joong-han lowered his voice, but then he let out a chuckle.
“You’re exaggerating a bit, aren’t you? But still, how can people so slender lift 70kg? Even if I haven’t worked out much—”
Before So Joong-han could finish, Min-jun spoke with a deadpan expression.
“Seul-bi, Yi-na.”
“Yes! Director!”
“!”
The Earl Grey members couldn’t believe their ears.
“Did she just say Director?”
“What’s going on?”
Seul-bi and Yi-na walked over to stand in front of Min-jun.
*Clank! Clank!* Min-jun easily slid 50kg worth of plates onto the barbell.
“Yi-na, since you’re still a minor. Would you mind demonstrating a set? Mr. So Joong-han here would like to learn a thing or two.”
“Oh! Ah, of course, Director!”
Yi-na stepped forward with a bright smile. The Earl Grey members stared at Min-jun, who had once again been called ‘Director,’ with puzzled eyes.
At Min-jun’s words, Yi-na placed the barbell on her shoulders without any preparation, causing So Joong-han to exclaim in alarm.
“Whoa! At least wear a belt. You’ll throw out your back!”
“Eh? It’s not 100kg… It’s fine. Hup.”
Yi-na casually lifted the secured barbell onto her shoulders and began to squat.
“One, two, three.”
“Huh.”
Watching Yi-na perform barbell squats without much difficulty, the Earl Grey members were completely dumbfounded.
The other gym members, on the other hand, found the dazed looks on the Earl Grey members’ faces more amusing than Yi-na’s strength and watched with chuckles.
“Five, six, seven.”
Yi-na’s lower body, which had seemed ordinary, moved with resilience. The Earl Grey members, shameless in their astonishment, stared at her from behind as if mesmerized.
Her form was flawless, an object not of lust but of pure admiration.
“Fifteen…”
“Wow. Our Yi-na has improved a lot.”
Seul-bi, with her arms crossed, remarked with an impressed look.
*Clack.*
“Woohoo!”
The gym members, as if teasing Earl Grey, cheered and applauded, something they didn’t usually do. Yi-na bowed to them in thanks.
“Woooow!”
Finally snapping back to reality, So Joong-han and the other Earl Grey members also applauded Yi-na’s incredible strength. They were utterly blown away by the athletic prowess of someone who wasn’t even an adult yet.
Just as Min-jun was about to speak while looking at So Joong-han, So Joong-han beat him to it.
“…So a female minor can lift that!”
“Not a female minor, but a trained girl group member, Mr. So Joong-han. In a word, a ‘pro.’”
“…”
So Joong-han felt his face turn beet red with embarrassment and couldn’t lift his head for a long time.
“Yi-na, thank you for the demonstration. Mr. So Joong-han says it was very helpful and that he’s grateful.”
“Pfft!”
Yi-na flashed a smile, then spun around and returned to her treadmill.
The female trainer, who had been watching, passed by and threw a comment at So Joong-han.
“Seul-bi can lift 100kg.”
“…What!?”
The Earl Grey members’ faces went pale.
“But this is a bit much. Isn’t 100kg difficult even for strong men? I think Seul-bi might be a bit of an anomaly. Like, top 0.00001%, right?”
Yoon Woo-sung said with a slightly aggrieved expression. Min-jun, again without a word, began to endlessly slide plates onto both sides of the barbell.
The weight went past 120, then all the way up to 150kg.
“…”
The Earl Grey members sensed that Min-jun was about to attempt it, but looking at his average-looking shoulders and otherwise unremarkable build, they had no thought that he would succeed.
“If you work out a little, you can do this much without any trouble.”
“Excuse me, PD-nim! You’re scaring me. This is really… wear a belt.”
“I’m fine.”
So Joong-han offered the belt from the nearby rack, but Min-jun declined.
The Earl Grey members experienced an illusion, as if Min-jun’s body was slightly swelling beneath his loose-fitting gym clothes.
“Okay, okay, I get it. I’ll just pretend I saw it.”
So Joong-han said, already scared for him, but Min-jun paid him no mind and got into position.
A moment later.
Min-jun shot up.
“Heok!”
“One, two, three.”
Watching Min-jun squat 150kg at the same pace as Yi-na, a chill ran down the Earl Grey members’ spines.
“Eight, nine, ten…”
Min-jun completed a total of fifteen reps without his legs trembling once, maintaining a stable posture throughout.
*Clank.*
“See? Anyone can do it if they work out a bit. And Mr. So Joong-han.”
“…Yes, yes?”
“Don’t dismiss the results of other people’s hard work. Start with the basics and train diligently. Understood?”
“…Yes! Understood!”
“You seem to have cooled down. Go get back on the treadmill and start over.”
“Yes, sir!”
So Joong-han replied with a voice loud enough to echo through the gym and scrambled onto the treadmill. Bassist Yoon Woo-sung quietly approached and tapped the weight plates Min-jun had lifted, as if knocking on a door. He was clearly doubting if they were real weights.
Min-jun threw out a casual remark.
“Mr. Woo-sung, shall we get started?”
“Huh? With what!?”
Yoon Woo-sung was flustered, which was unusual for him.
“You have your first CF shoot in a week, and you’re debuting in the fall. You can’t go out there with bodies like these, can you?”
“…”
“I believe that people in the popular arts should gather as many elements as possible that the public will enjoy. Whether that’s humor or their bodies.”
Yoon Woo-sung swallowed nervously. He thought to himself that he had gotten himself into some serious trouble.