Chapter 81
Chapter 81
Giddeun's leader, Jin Yeohyun.
He began dreaming of becoming an idol when he was 16.
That same year he found his dream, Jin Yeohyun passed the audition for the major agency Youth in one go, and within a year of joining, he had seized the title of ace.
Debut, success, the future. He was far removed from the trainee life others described, where everything was uncertain and hearts broke a little more each day.
There was no way he wouldn't debut, no way he wouldn't succeed, and his future was certainly bright.
And so, without a single unexpected turn, he naturally entered the debut team, became the leader, and on the day he first heard the demo for their debut song.
Baek Gyeonwoo joined the company.
―Is it true he's debuting with us?
―That's what they said.
―Wow, what the... right after joining?
―That's why they said the debut date might be pushed back a little.
Jin Yeohyun felt distinctly that his members' expressions were not good when that news was delivered, but he liked Baek Gyeonwoo.
First, he was good-looking, tall, and the same age as himself.
He'd raise the average visual and average height, and lower the average age, so there was no reason not to welcome him.
Moreover, Baek Gyeonwoo possessed a voice that could compensate for the weak rap line, which was pointed out as Youth's chronic problem, and above all...
With him joining, there would finally be a same-age group in the team.
He was a card that could reinforce Giddeun's lineup, which was lacking in many ways, so Jin Yeohyun could fully understand why the company was hastily proceeding with Baek Gyeonwoo's addition.
But his teammates did not share that view.
―Maybe if his personality were good...
―He just doesn't fit our team at all.
―Has practice ever been this rocky before?
The members' complaints were all reasonable.
Damaging the team atmosphere was a flaw fatal enough to nullify every other advantage, and after much deliberation, Jin Yeohyun gathered the members' opinions and relayed them to the company.
His opinion was taken as a result to withhold Baek Gyeonwoo's inclusion, and Giddeun was able to debut safely according to the original plan.
And then, the debut they'd dreamed of.
[Giddeun kids are all skilled, they're all decent looking, and no scandals]
Their debut song is good too, so why aren't they getting big?
I don't stan them either but I am curious
Comments
―...it's a no-fun group lol tried taking a bite and it's like... they seem to have fun with their own little circle but there's no chemistry ㅜ
―What's with this brazen dragging
―They're all so uncharismatic except Jin Yeohyun... If one member is too dominant from the start it's hard to blow up big
―Hmm lol the way I see it, Giddeun runs because of Jin Yeohyun, and they fail to blow up because of him. His energy is too strong, the others can't step up.
―Bland... the songs are bland... the kids' voices all sound similar so even the killing part doesn't feel like a killing part, there's no fun in listening to the songs
└This goes for every group aiming for Billboard these days lol quit the hate
―You need a scandal. Scandals give dopamine + make fans unite, it's an essential element for getting big.. You might not admit it but 99% of actually successful boy groups all have scandals
└How is that any different from saying 99% of people who drink water die within 100 years
The response was cold.
This was a future Jin Yeohyun had never once imagined.
'Baek Gyeonwoo should have been there, after all.'
Jin Yeohyun admitted it cleanly.
That the members' judgment was wrong.
And that Baek Gyeonwoo was a necessary presence for the team.
But there was no need to blame himself or the members.
Mistakes could be corrected.
[I'll be there soon]
[You want anything to drink? I'll buy]
Jin Yeohyun wanted to get along with the new member.
But even if he himself felt that way, the other party would surely still hold unpleasant memories.
So he resolved to take the first step forward.
Not long after sending a message subtly conveying his intent to reconcile, a reply arrived.
[Baek Gyeonwoo: Get the most expensive one g]
"Most expensive..."
Jin Yeohyun let out a bewildered laugh without realizing it.
Since his participation in <MAKE100%> was confirmed late last year, Baek Gyeonwoo had been living in the same dorm as Giddeun.
However, it was rare for Baek Gyeonwoo to actually come to the dorm. He couldn't not know it was deliberate avoidance of them.
'For a guy who did that, he's pretty shameless.'
It was flustering, but he soon converted it into a positive signal and accepted it.
'Guess this is his way of getting friendly.'
If he didn't play along here, it would just become a failed joke.
Which meant, in his own way, Baek Gyeonwoo was also trying to get closer. Jin Yeohyun felt a quiet, inward satisfaction.
He soon went to the cafe in front of the company building and, just as Baek Gyeonwoo had said, ordered the most expensive drink, holding it in both hands along with his own Americano.
Before long, he arrived at the 3rd-floor terrace.
Baek Gyeonwoo was sitting on a bench at the table, waiting for him.
"Why'd you call me here?"
Jin Yeohyun asked, setting the drinks down on the table.
Baek Gyeonwoo sat with both hands in his pockets and tilted his head toward the seat across from him.
Realizing it meant 'sit,' Jin Yeohyun complied easily.
Baek Gyeonwoo didn't even glance at the drink and opened his mouth first.
"You're tight with the staff, right."
"Huh?"
Jin Yeohyun knew well that he was in a position of favoritism.
That was precisely why he had been able to snag the leader position despite being on the younger side of the team.
There was no reason to hide it. It was something he rather wanted to show off.
Jin Yeohyun nodded. And then he asked, quite happily.
"Why? You need a favor?"
"......"
"Want me to relay something for you?"
Baek Gyeonwoo put his elbows on the table and propped his chin up.
An answer came soon after.
"Yeah."
"What is it?"
Jin Yeohyun began to feel inwardly excited, thinking it might be easier to get close to Baek Gyeonwoo than expected.
To ease the burden on the one asking a favor, Jin Yeohyun deliberately fixed his eyes on his Americano.
It was to signal that anything was fine, so speak comfortably.
"You know Lee Sang-won."
And with that, he froze solid.
"Like an idiot... I felt guilty for no reason and ignored him."
"......"
"I've got way too much time on my hands right now, so there's nothing to do but stew over things."
Jin Yeohyun wished he didn't know what Baek Gyeonwoo was about to say.
"So I was thinking, and what came to mind was, there was only one bastard who kept chanting at me that I was a pathological liar."
"......"
"But then you get curious how that bastard got hold of my photos, you know."
Baek Gyeonwoo flicked the drink cup.
"He hadn't changed his number."
"...So?"
"So I went to find him."
Thump. Thump. His heart pounded.
During all this, Baek Gyeonwoo had calmly pulled his hands out of his pockets.
It was his phone.
"......"
A mere 2-minute recording was pulled up in the phone's voice memos.
Jin Yeohyun clenched his fist, then mustered the courage and reached out his arm.
Baek Gyeonwoo's voice blocked that action.
"Don't you have earphones?"
"...Why?"
"You never know."
His attitude was casual, as if to say, don't listen if you don't want to.
But Jin Yeohyun immediately rummaged in his pocket, found his earphones, and plugged them in.
Just as he said... you never knew.
[I said no!]
Gulp.
At the same time as the sound of him swallowing, what entered his ears... was the voice of his own cousin, Lee Sang-won, who was supposedly Baek Gyeonwoo's former classmate.
[I'm telling you, I didn't post that! Why would I hold on to a selfie of you or whatever, that's gross. It was probably Jin Yeohyun!]
[What are you talking about. Why would he.]
[......]
[What.]
[You don't know Jin Yeohyun is my cousin?]
[So what.]
The conversation that would follow unfurled in Jin Yeohyun's mind like a film reel.
Still, out of a sliver of hope, he didn't give up and kept focusing on the conversation between the two in the recording......
[I swear I only ever told Jin Yeohyun stuff about you! Want me to confirm it?]
[Yeah.]
[Then instead, I won't press charges for the...]
"You heard it all."
Baek Gyeonwoo, who had cut off the recording with about a minute left, took his phone back.
Then he seemed to tap around a few times, and set it back down.
"Here, next."
Baek Gyeonwoo's finger pressed play once more, tap.
[Hey, yeohyeon-ah, did you post something online?]
[What post?]
[Look at the screenshot I sent.]
[......Ah, this.]
This time it was a recording of his own call with Lee Sang-won.
[Yeah, that was me.]
[It was you, right?]
[Yeah.]
Listening to it now, Lee Sang-won's voice saying 'It was you, right?'... seemed to be speaking not to himself, but to someone else present at the scene.
But he realized it far too late.
Because his own self in the recording was blabbering on about things no one had even asked.
[In case, just in case Baek Gyeonwoo debuts.]
[Why's that?]
[If he debuts there, he can't join us, you know.]
[Yeah.]
[He'll understand. Debuting with us is way more advantageous.]
[You think?]
[Isn't it obvious?]
[I suppose......]
Jin Yeohyun wanted to rip the earphones out now, but the conversation of those in the recording wasn't over yet.
[Then, wait, what about that selfie... no, I mean, where did you get his selfie?]
[You don't know? It was in my phone.]
'Ah.'
He truly hadn't remembered at the time, but he just recalled now.
That photo was one he had gotten from Baek Gyeonwoo before he was kicked out of the team, because a marketing staff had asked him to 'collect some member photos and send them over.'
The staff member had said it absolutely had to be a photo never released anywhere, and the image of himself relaying those exact words came flooding back one after another.
[Alright. Then... I'll hang up.]
[Yeah, hang up.]
The call ended.
Baek Gyeonwoo took his phone back.
"You heard it all."
In that instant, Jin Yeohyun thought.
'Let's apologize.'
He knew all too well that even if there were other ways to wriggle out of this situation, the best way was an apology.
He was even prepared to get down on his knees if that was what the other truly wanted.
But Baek Gyeonwoo, with his usual unreadable face, spoke.
"You said you'd do me a favor."
'...Ah!'
Color returned to Jin Yeohyun's face.
If a deal could be struck, it would naturally be a solution superior to an apology.
Forgiveness, after all, was merely a matter of the human heart, and the human heart was never fixed.
"What is it?"
Jin Yeohyun asked, sounding as reliable as possible.
Hoping earnestly that whatever came out of Baek Gyeonwoo's mouth was a favor he could grant.
"Go whine and cry to them again."
And finally, the words that came out of Baek Gyeonwoo's mouth were...
"Huh?"
"That you don't want to debut with Baek Gyeonwoo."
A favor he could easily grant.
Having finished speaking, Baek Gyeonwoo stood up.
Jin Yeohyun, who had been ruminating over what he'd just heard, instinctively reached out and grabbed Baek Gyeonwoo. The Americano knocked against his torso and spilled.
"You, so... you don't want to debut with our team, right?"
Baek Gyeonwoo nodded.
"But, well, maybe you didn't know back then, but now... right now our team's situation is... our performance isn't good."
Without a moment to even feel embarrassed, Jin Yeohyun kept talking.
"I'm not sure the company will listen..."
"Hey."
"Huh, huh?"
"Figure that out yourself. You're the one who's scared."
Jin Yeohyun's mouth shut.
And then it opened again.
"Then what about... being an idol? If you don't do it with us, your contract will be terminated."
Objectively, he didn't have the ability to handle going solo.
In that case, he would have to wait for the next group, but that wait would be a terrible ordeal for both the trainee and the company.
Baek Gyeonwoo's fancam photos from 'I Want to Give All This Spring to You' were still legendary, circulating with enormous ripple effects, which meant there were also many fans of his keeping an eye on the company.
Rather than having to walk on eggshells for years managing a trainee who hadn't even debuted, there was a high probability the company would simply choose termination.
More than a threat, he was genuinely curious about what was going through his head.
"I will be an idol."
Baek Gyeonwoo answered plainly.
"There's someone who wants to debut with me."
And then he left the spot.
Leaving behind the drink he hadn't taken a single sip of.