What Can You Even Do About It?

"Why? Who are you?"

"No, just a guy I know. Wait a sec."

I told them to wait, then slipped out of the camera’s view and checked my messages. The moment I’d suddenly called and hung up, the reason must’ve already been bothering him, because there was a text from him waiting for me.

He was the only person I’d met in the military that I still kept in touch with outside of it. Aside from my family, he was the only person who knew I streamed.

Maybe that was why, since he knew I hadn’t revealed my face or name on broadcast, he readily agreed to do it.

"Why, who is it?"

"Ah, the hyung who called a moment ago. I thought he might use my real name."

"Yes. I’ll have him introduce himself directly, so please wait a moment."

I said that to the viewers, then called again. Before even the first ring could finish, he picked up.

"Hey, Rookie."

"Yes, hyung. I’m live right now. Do you have a minute?"

"Yeah, I do."

"Could you introduce yourself to the viewers for me?"

If he didn’t say who he was, I didn’t think they’d believe it. At that, he said he understood and gave a brief introduction.

"Hello, everyone. I’m Seo Ji-woo, team leader of management at WU Entertainment."

"Huh? Jiwoo-oppa?"

At Jiwoo-hyung’s introduction, Sia blinked in surprise and spoke up.

"Jiwoo-oppa, is that really you?"

"Oh, your voice sounds familiar. Wait, are you Sia?"

"Yes! You remember me…."

"A kid who used to come out to the practice room and work on dance before school starts is hard to forget."

I already knew the two of them knew each other. But a management team leader?

"Hyung, but you’re already a team leader? Why’d you get promoted so fast?"

"Because I’m a parachute hire."

"Ah…."

I’d thought the bit about him being the chairman’s nephew at WU Entertainment was just nonsense, but I guessed it had been true. I’d heard he’d gone in ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠there as a trainee before and failed to debut, but somehow he’d ended up working there anyway.

When I turned to look at Sia, she seemed a lot more relaxed, probably because it had been a long time since she’d met someone she knew from back then.

"You okay?"

At my question, Sia nodded. I’d asked it with more than one meaning in mind, and I figured her nod meant she was okay with all of them.

"Hyung, could you tell me what you remember about Sia back then?"

"Out of the blue?"

"Yeah. She’s suddenly saying she worked insanely hard, got into the debut lineup, and then got dropped at the last minute, so I need something I can actually believe."

I couldn’t tell him the facts outright, so I phrased it in a roundabout way. At that, he paused to search his memory before starting in.

"I told you I was a trainee, right?"

"Yeah. You said you even made it to the debut lineup for Unknown."

"Right. I guess I did tell you that much. Back then, the male and female trainees practiced in ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠completely separate studios. Even the elevators they used were separate."

"Then guys and girls hardly ever got to meet?"

"Exactly. Usually there was almost no chance, but there were only two times we could see each other’s faces. One was at the monthly evaluation, and the other was when one side’s elevator broke down."

Anyway, the first time I got to know Sia was during the monthly evaluation, and I thought, yeah, she’s definitely going to debut.

His voice sounded like he was picturing those days again. As if he were digging through memories from what he used to call the glory days whenever he got drunk, he went on in a voice that was slower now, but precise.

"She was pretty, and she ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠could dance. Her singing was decent. More than anything, her camera awareness was pro-level. I was sure she’d debut."

"Really?"

At that, I looked over at Sia. She herself looked embarrassed by all this and had turned bright red, hiding her face with both hands. But her ears were red too.

"So after seeing that, I decided to work even harder, and from the next day on I started coming to the practice room before school."

"Hyung, you really were a practice freak."

"I guess I was. But then, would you believe it? There was a light on in another practice room. So I went over to see who it was, and it turned out to be Sia."

"Oppa, why do you skip over the part where you left the door open, leaned against it, and fell over?"

"Because it’s embarrassing."

At his words, Sia and I both laughed quietly. He must have been trying to ease the mood a little, since he was quick enough to read the room.

"Anyway, after that we greeted each other, and from the next monthly evaluation onward we’d say hi and just sort of kept in touch."

"Were you close?"

"Close enough, I guess? I asked around the other trainees, and apparently with them she’d only give a little nod, but she’d still wave at me."

"…."

"Then right before debut, I heard she’d hurt her ankle or leg. So I heard the whole thing fell apart."

"Hyung, then..."

I cleared my throat briefly. After bracing myself, I said it.

"Have you ever heard that Sia was dating someone?"

"No, not at all."

The answer came immediately. So firmly, it was almost ruthless.

"A kid who came to the practice room early in the morning and left the latest every day wouldn’t have time to date, would she?"

"Really?"

"Of course. And do you know what Sia’s nickname was among the male trainees back then?"

Maniac. Crazy girl. Ah, of course, in a good way.

A boring life of just home, school, and the practice room. In the middle of that, she still had decent grades and stood out as an idol candidate too.

That was the evaluation Jiwoo-hyung and the other trainees had given Sia back then.

"Hey, why is Sia with you? Are you two dating?"

"Huh? Ah... n-no, we’re not."

"Come on, you can tell from the sound of it. When you lie, your tone goes up."

I heard Sia was making a name for herself on broadcast too, and somehow she ended up with you again.

"No, I’m telling you, we’re not dating."

"Oh, then you just like her? One-sided?"

"I said no!"

I wasn’t sure why the attack on me had suddenly begun, though, well, actually I did know.

Either way, I’d managed to confirm the part I wanted to confirm.

"Sia, think about it again. No matter ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠how you look at it, he..."

"I said we’re not dating, you old man!"

Please!

*

After a lot of twists and turns, things had settled down to some degree. Jiwoo-hyung ended the call after saying we should drink together with Sia sometime.

The chat was full of viewers teasing me as if they were asking whether the rumor had ever been brought up before.

"Anyway, setting that aside, I think I’ve proved it to some extent, right?"

Most people were saying it was fine, but a few comments had caught my eye.

"Now, there are still a few people who can’t believe it, so I’m opening the room of truth."

With that, I clicked on a few nicknames in the chat. In an instant, the nicknames and the messages they’d written were lined up right in front of me.

"All right, it’s time for the duel."

"First, CentiToday. You’re saying the phone call was a staged act, a whole fake performance? If you’re that suspicious, why would you believe that rumor in the first place?"

People who don’t listen no matter how you talk to them need to be put through the wringer like this once in a while. Even after I called out the nickname and the exact comment, the person still didn’t show up, so I had no choice but to ask Sia for permission.

"Is it okay if I ban this one?"

"Huh? Uh, yeah…."

The moment she gave the okay, I handed out a permanent ban. Next.

"Lira... how do you even read that? Anyway, Lady Lira. You wrote that we should check, but what exactly are you saying we should check?"

"Yes, but with rumors, you also don’t know whether the person who said it was really an acquaintance or not, do you?"

"Of course it’s different. Are you stupid? At the very least, if this were staged, I’d be staking my broadcasting career on it. But that other thing was just a post spewed out with no evidence at all. Which one sounds more believable?"

Honestly, the more I looked at them, the more I felt like it was hopeless. Since no more messages from that one were coming up, it wasn’t worth paying attention to anymore. Next.

"Lady Leche. Putting everything else aside, wasn’t it true that you used Hazy? you asked."

Why were there so many people without any common sense?

"Think about it. If Sia and I did WGM, I’d be the one benefiting, not her."

"Frankly, if I only just started growing in size, what, would I even make it into Watch’s top ten? If anyone’s getting used, I’d be the one using someone else. Not the other way around."

I couldn’t take it anymore. I had to say what needed saying.

"And besides, I’m the one saying I’m fine with it. What does it matter to you?"

I’m the one who likes it, so what can any of you even do about it!

I thought it to myself while saying it out loud, and then the chat suddenly froze for a moment before surging up at a wild speed.

...Huh.

Did I just say that out loud?

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