Chapter 92
Chapter 92
The featuring artist appeared as the rap kicked off.
The first thing that caught my eye was the long legs ambling from the side of the stage to the center.
Then, the broad shoulders.
And then... that miraculous way the clothes draped over him, the kind of look only someone born with naturally big bones could pull off.
Just as Hyelin swallowed a silent gasp of admiration at the perfect physique, the camera closed up on his face.
'Wow, he's handsome....'
At first glance, his expression, which practically screamed that everything was a hassle, gave the impression of a world-weary cynic, but the more I looked, the more I could feel a mischievous, boyish charm in his face.
What drew my gaze in particular was the small mole placed just under his lip, which added an oddly sexy allure on top of everything else.
Faced with this fresh visual, Hyelin made a fuss, slapping Juha's thigh repeatedly.
"Hey, this is totally...!"
This is nothing but the final page
Reached after a myriad of emotions
The words I'm sorry are just a habit
"He's not just handsome—no, he's freaking good!!!!"
Who knew a voice that refreshing and sexy at the same time was actually possible?
On top of that, <Between Walls> was a song that had been out for quite some time, so by now the lyrics could come off as slightly cheesy.
But his trendy rapping style and voice were covering that cheesiness... no, sublimating it into charm.
It had an addictive quality that made me want to keep listening even while I was listening.
No word other than 'paradox' could perfectly capture his stage.
Don't expect any lingering attachment from me anymore
Since long ago
Conversations with you were battles I didn't want to win
'And he's way too handsome!'
I tried to focus on the rap, but his face and physique kept stealing my attention.
I tried to force my eyes shut, but I couldn't, because I had to appreciate the acting he layered precisely onto every beat where the accent fell.
Plus, his facial expressions were exactly like a guy completely fed up and stuck in the stagnant phase of a relationship.
'Wow, he seriously looks like trash!'
Hyelin's eyes darted around busily, just like when you first receive the test paper in a timed exam.
Should she focus on his looks, or focus on the rap? It was an excruciatingly hard stage to prioritize.
Meanwhile, the rap was racing toward its conclusion.
You know, between these walls and walls
There's nothing but empty air in the gap
The man's voice, spitting out the final bar, was cold and resolute.
It was a powerful finish, as if to say he had nothing more to say, leaving not even a residue of emotion behind.
"Wow, he's freaking insane...."
Hyelin murmured as if spellbound.
Soon after, Joo Yeonhee returned to the stage and started the final chorus, but Hyelin's head was filled with the image of the rapper who had just vanished.
"Unnie!"
The sharp slap on her forearm snapped Hyelin back to her senses. Juha was glaring at her with eyes full of suspicion.
"Uh, huh?"
"You said we'd wait for the kids together."
"N-n-n-no, I-I-I-I'm absolutely not thinking of switching biases!"
"Why are you stuttering?"
"Because you're staring me down!"
Hyelin truly felt wronged.
Of course, it was true that the rapper just now had a face that was a face, a physique that was a physique, a rap that was rap—not a single thing lacking.
But that didn't mean her steadfast heart for Seo Cha-gyeom was going to crack.
It was just that....
She simply harbored a pure wish that Sorasum had just one more person with that kind of visual, physique, and rap skill.
'Sigh, my greed seems to be growing.'
Having just Seo Cha-gyeom alone on the team was already a miracle.
Watching Hyelin's expression as she returned from her reverie to reality, Juha dropped her suspicious gaze and turned her eyes to her phone.
And a moment later.
"......Unnie."
"Yeah?"
"Don't be surprised and listen."
At Juha's serious expression, Hyelin tensed up and swallowed hard.
"......School violence? Scandal? Drugs?"
"It's nothing like that."
Without a word, Juha shoved her phone screen in front of Hyelin.
On the screen was a screenshot highlighting part of an article.
[......The identity of the rapper who collaborated with Joo Yeonhee on 'Between Walls' is known to be a trainee from Sorasum who is about to debut soon......]
Hyelin's jaw dropped.
"What?"
After a brief silence, Hyelin shouted once more.
"For real?!!!!"
* * *
The community situation right after the <Between Walls> stage ended.
―What's this? Feels like I got dumped without even dating ;; My heart hurts so much, what is this, lovesickness or delusions?
―Kids these days have no manners, if you're gonna break up, at least confess first
―I've been listening to nothing but yelling rap and now hearing some proper chewy rap just clears my ears right out, like I said, K-pop needs rap
―Yeonhee teacher really serving up that proper 2nd gen vibe... Let's go back to that era, when everyone was happy...
―Between walls rap is freaking long, over an hour
―But seriously, is he Joo Yeonhee's boyfriend? Who is it?
The mere few seconds of the mystery rapper who appeared without warning had an overwhelming presence, strong enough to turn all the other carefully prepared year-end stages into cold leftovers.
So, speculation about who he was began, and the theory that he was a rapper from Joo Yeonhee's agency was gaining the most traction when—
―Uh, they're saying he's a trainee from Sorasum? (captured article)
An article stating he was a Sorasum trainee went up.
People's number one reaction upon seeing the article was... disbelief.
―Wtf it's real?
―Journalists fact-check before they write, right?
―......? Is this a dream?
―LololololㅜㅜI had a nice dream thanks to this
But when articles with similar content started popping up one after another instead of corrections, people were finally able to accept it as the truth.
―Seems like that rumor about Sorasum is true, that whenever they see someone they like, they dig up their weaknesses first and force them into a contract
―So many flop idol stans gathered at Sorasum lol Sorasum: buzz off
―So it's a 5-member group with the Chateebaek, Between Walls Guy, and Kim Harok's son? Wow... this is crazy, how'd they assemble this
―So we don't have to miss Lee Jooyoung anymore? Can we see a stage like Strong B again?
―K-pop is finally starting to turn again
―How many cuts for the fan sign?
―Feels like this generation's top 3 will be AWER, Sorasum, Giddeun
└? Giddeun is last gen
└You should count by who's popping off, not debut
└But they didn't pop off yet
└Mary Yoos and then Sorasum ;;;;
* * *
"Uwaaaaah!"
The moment the dorm door opened, Kim Yuri kicked off his shoes and collapsed in a heap.
Han Neuti, who had been waiting in front of the shoe rack with the intention of praising him, awkwardly stroked the back of the face-down Kim Yuri's head.
"You did well out ther...."
"I was so so so so nervous! What do I do? How was I? How was I?"
Kim Yuri, still flattened face-down on the floor, babbled incoherently, whipping his head around.
Only then did I realize.
'Come to think of it, this was a first for that hyung.'
Unlike me, Baek Gyeonwoo, and Han Neuti, who had already been through the massive pre-show stage called <MAKE100%>, this hyung had stood in front of a camera for the first time today.
No matter how much he was called an ace genius, the difference between just a practice room and a real music broadcast stage was bound to be huge.
Alright, I should upgrade the praise I originally planned by three levels.
A moment later, Kim Yuri, who had slowly picked himself up, rummaged through the paper bag he had brought.
"And Joo Yeonhee sunbae-nim said to say hi to you and hyung and Gyeon-woo. She gave us gifts too, saying thanks for the featuring. Ta-da!"
What Kim Yuri proudly pulled out was an expensive-looking set of baked confections.
Since they were the ones who gave us the opportunity, we actually owed them more thanks.
'......It was a win-win, to be exact.'
The truth was, the MAKE100% manipulation scandal had left a huge stain on the agency image of mentor Joo Yeonhee as well.
That was because the speculation that mentors must have known who the pre-selected trainees were—since their feedback was always centered around them—had gained considerable support.
'When in reality, the feedback they gave to other trainees just got entirely edited out.'
Anyway, that was why. It meant their side had reached out to Sorasum first to create a picture of 'standing in solidarity with the victims.'
In the end, it was basically business rather than goodwill.
'Well, as long as the result was good.'
I was reminiscing about Kim Yuri's featuring and feeling newly proud again when, suddenly, a piece of bread was thrust in front of my mouth.
I glanced down and saw it was Baek Gyeonwoo's hand.
I obediently ate it.
Baek Gyeonwoo, already with a piece of bread in his own mouth, shouted toward the two still rolling around in front of the shoe rack.
"Hyungs, come eat too."
"I was so nervous, I still don't have any appetite."
"Then don't eat."
At Baek Gyeonwoo's cold remark, Kim Yuri shuffled over and started grabbing and eating the bread.
'.......'
Han Neuti didn't like stuff like cookies in the first place.
Kim Sanho was already eating well.
I looked at the last person and asked.
"Sowol, you not eating?"
Jeong Sowol, with his eyes fixed on his phone screen, answered my question with something completely different.
"Yuri hyung's reactions are going up like crazy right now."
Hmm.......
Somehow, his voice sounded more deflated than usual.
Should I test the waters?
"You're next."
"......."
"You ready?"
Jeong Sowol, with an utterly grave expression......
Averted his eyes from me and answered.
"Yes."
Look at this.
"Don't tell me you're not confident?"
Jeong Sowol shook his head vigorously.
He said no, but it seemed that after watching Kim Yuri's overwhelming stage, he felt the pressure of his own turn coming up.
Just as I was about to offer some words of encouragement, I looked over at Kim Sanho beside me, who was about to stuff bread into his mouth.
Feeling my gaze on him, Kim Sanho set the bread down and spoke slowly.
"Sowol's good. I've been watching him a lot from the side, so...."
At Kim Sanho's awkward compliment, Jeong Sowol stared right at him.
And then he looked back at me, his expression returning to his usual determined one as he said,
"I'll do well."
"Alright."
I chuckled and read through article comments while eating the bread Baek Gyeonwoo kept practically shoving into my mouth.
―Sorasum debut soon... It really won't be long until I see Cha-gyeom againㅠㅠ Flutter, flutter, so excited and looking forward to it
―I'm so confident I won't regret waiting for Chateebaek ♥♥
―That's quite a lot of rap... haha Kim Harok's son won't be doing rap, right?
―Hmm, isn't 5 members a bit too few
―......Honestly I think you need one more vocal at least as good as Junbin
To the comments mixed with concern... if only I could, I wanted to tell them right now.
We still had one card left to play.
* * *
Christmas Eve.
The office worker wrapped up yet another boring routine and headed home.
The entire street was garishly flashing, and cheesy carols ceaselessly pounded his eardrums to commemorate the year-end, and that was all there was to it.
In the buoyant scenery, he was merely an extra passing by.
'Another year ends like this.'
Nothing he had achieved, nothing he would achieve.
The only thought circling his mind was the fact that he was getting a year older, with nothing changed except the numbers stamped on his bank account. Emotion? As if there could be any.
'Ah, so noisy.'
For some reason, the commute home was especially clamorous today.
That spot along the way, where almost every day someone would stake out and do some busking or whatever.
On top of dragging his body, which already felt like it weighed a ton, he had to endure this noise pollution too.
'They should be more selective with busking permits. How do they even approve such a racket.'
And why was the crowd so huge? Just as the office worker was being pushed along, the noise pollution music tearing at his eardrums abruptly stopped.
A moment later, a murmuring sound came from up ahead, as if the next act had appeared.
"Oh my god, cute."
"So cute."
"He's cute."
"How old is he? He's cute!"
Did some children's choir come out or something.......
The office worker briefly stopped his steps, expecting a carol sung in clear voices.
But what soon reached his ears wasn't the voices of young children... but the sound of a guitar.
'It sounds oddly different from the guitar sounds I'm used to hearing.'
Curiosity was piqued.
The office worker hesitated for a moment, then pushed through the gaps in the crowd and moved little by little.
At last, just as the busking stage came into his view.
As I dragged my tired steps along
Have you ever suddenly looked up at the sky
Like the moon floating alone in the pitch-black night
When you feel lonely
The office worker's footsteps halted.