Chapter 106
Chapter 106
The next morning.
Because of our first fan signing event scheduled for this afternoon, the meeting with Mary was set for early in the morning.
"Hyung, don't let them get to you! Square your shoulders and walk in confidently!"
"I said I'm not down."
"And wear the coolest thing from your closet!"
Kim Yuri had been overly invested since last night.
Kim Yuri, who had been slapping the back of Han Neuti—sprawled on the sofa with sleep-deprived, hollow eyes—while pumping him up, suddenly spotted me and switched targets.
"Seo Cha-gyeom, you too, man—throw away that ratty zip-up you're always wearing right now and put on anything from my closet!"
"Your clothes and mine aren't that different, you know?"
And it wasn't like I was going for a challenge shoot.
'I'm just going along because I'm uneasy about sending Han Neuti alone.'
Of course, the image of leader Kim Yuri accompanying him might have seemed more fitting.
But since the other party happened to be Yoon Haejun, it was wise to revoke his accompaniment rights today.
'There's no one else to go besides me.'
In fact, just last night, Kim Yuri had strongly opposed me setting foot in Mary.
But when I countered with, 'Then who else would go with him?' he briefly scanned the other members' faces one by one, let out a deep sigh, and said:
—...I guess there's no one else but you.
Let's gloss over the fact that Jeong Sowol next to him said, 'Are you dissing us?'
Because of Kim Yuri's loud fussing since the crack of dawn, Baek Gyeonwoo, who had woken up much earlier than usual, muttered indifferently.
"I'd think you were going to an ex-girlfriend's wedding."
I left the commotion in the living room and went into my room, took out from the closet the shabby zip-up Kim Yuri had complained about (not shabby at all), and put it on.
A little later, after we got ready, we got into the manager's car.
Kim Yuri fervently shouted something that was hard to tell whether it was a cheer or a curse until the very last moment the car door closed.
I clicked my tongue inwardly and turned my gaze out the opposite window.
Having turned away, I was just looking out the window when a voice came from beside me a little later.
"Hey, now that we're here, I can ask, right."
"What?"
Han Neuti hesitated for a moment before carefully asking.
"Why does Yuri hate that... that senior so much? I don't think it's without reason."
"Mm..."
I thought for a moment.
'How much should I tell him?'
The reasons Kim Yuri hated Yoon Haejun were a complex tangle of incidents.
Explaining it all would take too long, and most of it was unnecessary for him to know.
'...Let me convey it as simply and concisely as possible.'
In a version that hyung could accept.
"Yoon Haejun hated him first."
"Huh?"
Of course, this is strictly from Kim Yuri's perspective.
Yoon Haejun didn't really hate Kim Yuri; it was more like he simply 'didn't care' about him.
And given Yoon Haejun's personality, people outside his attention were... objects of disregard.
"...Ah, I see."
At my abridged explanation, Han Neuti nodded without asking further.
It was the look of someone who felt, 'I probably shouldn't ask more, so I'll let it go,' rather than having his curiosity satisfied. That was consideration, in its own way.
Before long, familiar streets began to appear outside the car window.
And soon, a building even more familiar than those came into view.
It was Mary's headquarters.
"Let's get off."
"Okay."
After getting out of the car, I looked up at the building for a moment.
It was a place I used to come and go from every day, but standing in front of the main entrance as a visitor, the feeling was...
.......
I thought I'd feel all nostalgic, but not really.
We followed the guidance of a staff member who had been waiting for us and entered.
As soon as we stepped into the lobby, the cool, pleasant air hit us.
'The interior is the same.'
The only difference was that a poster of AWER had been put up in the company café, I guess.
We followed the staff member into the elevator.
Since the basement practice rooms were our territory when we were trainees, pressing an above-ground floor button felt oddly unfamiliar.
A moment later, the elevator doors opened, and after a few steps down the hallway, a familiar face was waiting for us.
It was Yoon Haejun.
"Hello!"
Yoon Haejun extended his hand to Han Neuti.
Having probably expected his own name to be called first, Han Neuti flustered and hurriedly shook hands.
"Watching the choreography again, it was really cool."
"...Ah, yeah, thank you. I'm also... truly honored to be able to dance with you, sunbae, on this occasion."
"We're less than a year apart, what's with 'sunbae'? Just call me hyung comfortably!"
The two exchanged greetings and naturally entered the practice room.
"I don't mind doing it right now. How about you, hyung?"
"Yes, yes! I don't mind either."
I thought I would be... filming it, but the staff member who had guided us was already holding a camera.
While they briefly synced up, I looked around the inside of the practice room.
'It is nice.'
Our company's practice room was definitely decent, but there was a clear difference in level. Starting with the size.
Soon the music filled the room, and the two began the challenge filming.
That was when.
Bang!
"Cha-gyeom!"
The practice room door burst open noisily and someone suddenly poked their head in.
"Oh, ah, sorry, you were filming?"
Even after confirming they were filming, he didn't seem to have any intention of leaving, just standing by the door and glancing around the room with an apologetic look.
Yoon Haejun paused his dance and smoothly responded.
"We just started, so it's fine, hyung!"
"Yeah, I came to see Chaegyeom... wait, who are you...?"
The person who had been chatting easily with Yoon Haejun finally made eye contact with me.
I reflexively bowed politely and greeted him.
"It's been a while, sunbae."
"Wow, the day has come when Chaegyeom greets me so respectfully as sunbae..."
This person was... a member of Mary's previous generation group, 'Nible,' Jeong Tae-hui.
I could add one more explanation about this team Nible.
'The team I almost joined.'
And I had overlapped with this hyung for about two years as a trainee.
Tae-hee hyung wiped the surprised look off his face and quickly returned to his characteristic mischievous expression, striding over to me. Then without warning, he grabbed my shoulders with both arms as if hugging me tightly.
"Do you know how hard it's been for me, becoming the maknae and having to take care of the hyungs because you didn't join our team?"
"Yes, I'm sorry..."
"And you even left the company so I couldn't nag you! So unfair!"
The words pouring out nonstop were all in a scolding tone, but... let's not misunderstand. This was indeed a sign of affection.
Tae-hee hyung, who had been pouring out his feelings while holding onto me for a while, suddenly asked Yoon Haejun as if it had just occurred to him.
"Haejun, is Chaegyeom busy? No, it's just that it's been so long since we've seen each other, I'd like to step outside and talk for a bit... It's okay, right?"
"Ah, of course! We met to film the challenge anyway. I think I'll just finish filming with Neuti hyung."
"Uh... Ah, yes! I, we're fine! Go ahead!"
Han Neuti looked at me with trembling eyes, signaling his permission.
'...I dunno if this'll be okay.'
But it would have been awkward to refuse, saying I needed to take care of a grown adult.
So I said I'd be back shortly and followed Tae-hee hyung out of the practice room.
The place hyung chose was a vocal room located right in front of the dance practice room.
As I entered first, Tae-hee hyung closed the door and spoke at the same time.
"I was sure you'd debut with Haejun, what happened?"
It was a moment where Mary's secret-keeping ability was felt once again. Even their own idol seemed to know almost nothing about that major incident.
...Well, it was only because our trainee periods overlapped. Normally, existing idols and trainees rarely interact, so not knowing was natural.
I rolled the drink hyung handed me in my hands and replied.
"Nothing special happened. I was just going through puberty back then."
"What kind of puberty comes on like that? ...But I guess you would. Sigh."
Tae-hee hyung plopped down on a chair and said reminiscently.
"Really... It's already been five years since debut, but I still think about what it would have been like if we'd debuted together. I guess I truly believed we'd debut together."
"Really?"
"Yeah, well, besides, if you'd joined our team, you'd definitely have been the maknae."
Tae-hee hyung had always been particularly fond of the younger ones.
...But because I got cut from the team, far from having a younger brother, he ended up becoming the team's maknae himself—so maybe he truly resented me.
"If you weren't going to debut with me, you should've debuted with Haejun. Why suddenly your current agency... hmm, what was it?"
"It's Sorasum."
"Yeah, there. Well, since you chose it, I trust you. But still, a direct junior and just a junior feel different. Such a shame."
Since I couldn't say I didn't choose it, I just silently nodded.
And just then, a ringtone loudly sounded from Tae-hee hyung's pocket.
"Ah, wait. Phone."
Hyung furrowed his brows and took out his phone to check the caller.
It seemed to be an unwelcome caller. Hyung's frown deepened as he looked at the screen.
"Ugh, what does this hyung want, calling and bothering me again."
"Who is it?"
"Haeseong hyung. Whenever this hyung calls, you've gotta check if he's on a live first. ...Look at this. He's trying to pull the 'hyung who dotes on the maknae' concept again. Hold on."
Tae-hee hyung let out an exaggerated sigh for show and answered the phone.
"Hello~? Haeseong hyung, what's up?"
.......
"Yes, hyung! I was on my way to exercise... Oh wow, you were on a live? Ah, you should've told me earlier! But now that I think about it, I miss our fans too! Where are you doing it? Can I come too? Then I'll head over right now!"
Click.
.......
.......
Tae-hee hyung hung up and, avoiding my eyes, said sheepishly.
"So that's why you should've come as our team's maknae..."
"Yeah..."
I was glad I didn't go.
"Anyway, it's a shame. We barely talked and already have to part. We'll meet again sometime, right?"
"Probably."
"I hope so. Well, you go back to your business."
And so Tae-hee hyung rushed off to join the live broadcast.
I threw away the drink can he left behind in a nearby trash can and returned to the practice room where Han Neuti would be waiting.
The practice room door was open, so I cautiously looked inside and...
The AWER staff member who had guided us earlier was nowhere to be seen, and inside the large practice room, only Han Neuti and Yoon Haejun, who seemed to have finished filming, were sitting slumped in a corner.
Yoon Haejun was looking at his smartphone, and Han Neuti was blankly staring at a spot on the floor.
The atmosphere was so awkward it felt chilly.
"Filming done?"
At my voice, they both looked up simultaneously.
Yoon Haejun smiled first and spoke.
"Ah, yeah. Here's your camera!"
I took our company camera from Yoon Haejun and saw that Han Neuti had already jumped up and was looking at me with eyes that said he wanted to leave quickly.
I let out a hollow laugh, put my phone in my pocket, and said.
"Then let's meet next time. Thanks for making time today."
"Ah, you're leaving?"
"We have our next schedule."
"Oh right, you said you have a fan signing event today?"
Yoon Haejun nodded and gave a final greeting to Han Neuti.
"I had fun today, hyung!"
Han Neuti bowed with wary eyes.
"Yes, thank you..."
And we left the practice room.
On the way back, there was no staff member guiding us, which made me feel more at ease.
We took the elevator back down to the first floor, left Mary, and immediately got into the manager's car that was waiting for us.
After a brief greeting with the manager, I asked Han Neuti for his impressions.
"How was it?"
"He's a bit unique."
"No, I meant how was the challenge."
"...Ah, that. We finished quickly."
Han Neuti replied indifferently.
Indeed, there didn't seem to be any need to check the results.
I chuckled and asked one more time.
"You don't seem nervous?"
"What's there to be nervous about? You just dance."
"No, I meant the fan signing event."
"Hey, that's...!"
Han Neuti said with a pale face.
"I'm super nervous..."