Chapter 314
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 314
How did I know that?
How else? Because you sang about green tea lattes so often it felt like my ears were going to bleed.
“…….”
Of course, that was a thought I had to keep to myself.
Watching my reaction, Ju Woo-seong’s lips curled into a faint smirk.
“A new manager who just joined the company suddenly handed me a green tea latte the other day. Not my usual Americano. I thought it was strange, so I asked. And wouldn't you know it? He said Seo Ho-yun gave it to him.”
“…Since when did you know?”
“I don’t know, has it been a few months?”
That meant he’d known I was suspicious from the very beginning.
Our gazes met and held in the heavy silence.
I was the first to look away, raising a hand and letting out a sigh.
“…Let’s just go inside. We can finish talking there.”
It would be a disaster if someone spotted us having a heated argument on the main road near the hotel.
Ju Woo-seong seemed to agree, as he followed me without protest.
We got into the elevator, I tapped the key card, and pressed the floor button. As the doors slid shut, a suffocating silence settled between us.
“…….”
“…….”
I wondered if there was even a point in making excuses since I wasn't planning on staying in this world, but my brain was already frantically searching for a plausible story.
The moment we entered the room, I sat straight down on the sofa and cracked open a can of beer.
Kaaaah.
“…….”
Even after pulling such a stupid stunt, the beer tasted like heaven.
I gestured toward the opposite sofa for Ju Woo-seong, who was still standing near the entrance.
“Ju Woo-seong-ssi, you asked how I knew, right?”
“Yes.”
“I’m Bloy.”
“……Excuse me?”
In any fight, the first strike is half the battle.
Even Min Ji-heon hadn't seemed to believe it, but I dragged out the same excuse I’d used on him.
I was sensitive about Black Call’s album release dates, I kept up with everything from concept photos to teasers and music videos, and I’d listened to plenty of their songs. From a certain perspective, I figured it wasn't a complete lie.
“I’ve been this pushy and shown this much interest, yet you didn't even think I might be a fan? I’m a little hurt.”
“…You know my tastes because you’re my fan?”
“Of course.”
Even if Ju Woo-seong had hidden his preferences, there was a high probability they’d already leaked to the fans.
Fans wanted to know every little thing about the idols they loved. Even if it was just the brand of a phone case that appeared for a split second during a live stream.
I leaned back against the sofa with an air of confidence, but Ju Woo-seong murmured softly.
“…That’s strange.”
Stroking his chin, he looked me straight in the eye.
“If Seo Ho-yun-ssi were my fan, there would have been some rumors. I don’t recall hearing anything at all.”
“I didn't go public with it; I just cheered you on fervently from my room. I’m a bit shy, you see.”
“……Shy-y-y.”
“I collect photocards, and I have all your albums.”
To be precise, I had them because Ju Woo-seong had forced them on me even when I said I didn't need them.
“Is that so?”
“Yep.”
“Then name any popular photocard of mine.”
What is this, a variety show shoot?
Do I really have to know the popularity rankings of your photocards too?
If this had been a question on an actual broadcast, the cast would have cursed out the staff for the extreme difficulty.
“Well… Ju Woo-seong-ssi’s photocards are all expensive and hard to find….”
“So, which one?”
“…….”
I tried to gloss over it with vague words, but Ju Woo-seong stubbornly latched onto the suspicious part.
Back when I was a PD, I had memorized the histories of the stars I worked with, but I hadn't looked into their photocard records.
I frantically tried to piece together scattered memories when Black Call’s Christmas album from the year before last suddenly flashed through my mind.
“…The Christmas photocard?”
“…….”
“The one… where you’re wearing a red knit sweater with fairy lights wrapped around you.”
I remembered grinding my teeth in fury when I saw the album contents, thinking they’d really gone all out with the fanservice.
Even thinking back on it now, they had no conscience.
Anyway, Lee Ji-hyeon had told me back then that Ju Woo-seong’s photocard was called the ‘Banpo-something photocard’ and was incredibly hard to get.
Upon hearing my answer, Ju Woo-seong kept his mouth shut for a moment, then narrowed his eyes.
“I’ve never released a Christmas album.”
“……Ah?”
…Son of a… The Black Call in this world actually had a conscience, then.
Seeing as they’d never planned something like a special Christmas album.
It didn't look like I could fix this with more talk, so I was deciding to just kick him out and act shameless if he asked one more time, when Ju Woo-seong suddenly burst out laughing.
“Pfft, this is actually kind of funny.”
“…….”
“Hey, do you really think I wouldn't recognize one of my own fans?”
He then reached into the plastic bag on the table without permission and pulled out a can.
“Do you know what your eyes look like right now? Like you’re going to kill me if I ask one more question. Is that how a fan looks?”
He gulped down the entire beer in one go and crushed the can in his hand.
“You don’t have to make excuses. I don’t have a hobby of prying into people who clearly find me annoying.”
“Well, thank you very much for that.”
He immediately grabbed the next beer.
“I just wanted to know why Seo Ho-yun-ssi did what he did. There are too many people who approach me with all sorts of pretexts.”
“Doesn't that make you cringe?”
“Why? It’s the truth.”
That one was also gone in a single gulp.
Ju Woo-seong didn't stop and opened a new can.
“It’s obvious you’re not the type to be obsessed with popularity, so it was fascinating to see you suddenly go full throttle. I just wondered what the reason could possibly be.”
“…….”
“Ah, I said I wouldn't ask anymore. Relax your eyes.”
I twitched an eyebrow and pointed at the scattered remains.
“You drank all my beer.”
“Don’t be so petty over a few beers. I’ll just buy more.”
Grumbling, Ju Woo-seong went to the minibar and brought back more beer. I had a strong feeling this drinking session was going to continue for a while.
“I was thinking of drinking alone tonight anyway.”
“…….”
“It’s nice to have someone to talk to.”
His lips curved upward as he picked up the phone to order room service.
“You don’t have any plans for tomorrow morning, right?”
Now he finally seemed like the guy I knew.
.
.
.
“—Sooo! I just told them right then and there! I mean, if I know how to sing live, why the hell are you making me lip-sync?!”
“Agencies act like idiots like that sometimes.”
“Exactly! It’s so frustrating, seriously!!”
Ju Woo-seong had eventually polished off five cans of beer by himself and was now sipping on wine ordered from room service, looking quite drunk.
It seemed he’d had a frustrating experience while carrying out his schedule before visiting the studio.
“I’m the one who gets cursed out either way, so why can’t they just let me do what I’m best at…?”
Bitterness and sorrow seeped through his grumbling.
Right, if every idol were like you, lip-syncing wouldn't even exist.
I half-listened to Ju Woo-seong’s lament while pouring beer down my own throat.
“Ugh, but saying it out loud makes me feel a bit better. I didn't have anywhere to vent about this stuff…….”
“Still, for someone with so many complaints, you work incredibly hard.”
Ju Woo-seong tilted his head slightly, then flopped backward and let out a sigh.
“That’s just… inertia.”
“Inertia?”
“It’s just what I’ve always done. It’s a job with ups and downs, so my mood fluctuates a bit.”
With a flushed face, he stared blankly at the hotel ceiling and murmured.
“……But the problem is that even the things I’ve always done aren't going well lately.”
He squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them and looked at me.
“Seeing me drink like this with someone I’m not even close to, you can tell how miserable my life is, right?”
“You do look a bit pathetic.”
“Your mouth is starting to get out of hand….”
He frowned and kept babbling incessantly. It was getting noisy, so I decided to give him the response he wanted.
“Fine, how exactly is it miserable?”
“Just~. Even when nothing’s wrong, some days I’m just filled with irritation, and other days I hate everything. Then I fall into endless anxiety…. Above all, the hardest part is that there’s no end to any of this. …Now that I’ve said it, I’m just talking nonsense.”
I rested my chin on my hand and just listened to his story as a side dish to my drink.
Ju Woo-seong didn't seem to expect a reaction, as he slowly continued.
“But while working, sometimes unexpected good moments happen. Like seeing a fan who’s liked me since the beginning for the first time in a while, or perfectly pulling off a choreography I was struggling with.”
“…….”
“I guess it’s because of those moments that I can’t run away and end up staying here.”
Just as a brief silence settled in the room, Ju Woo-seong suddenly sat bolt upright and asked me.
“But! Seo Ho-yun-ssi, why did you help me?”
“I thought you said you wouldn't ask.”
“It’s not like you’re head over heels for me. And it’s not like we’re friends.”
“So?”
“Are you a pushover?”
“You’re really pissing me off, seriously….”
He chuckled, as if he’d been building up to that one word.
I decided to use this opportunity to clear up something I’d been curious about.
“Hey, did you see me dance?”
“Whoa, dropping the formalities all of a sudden?”
Aren't I the older one? Ju Woo-seong grumbled and knit his brows, then glanced at me.
“Well… I did see it.”
“How was it?”
“…Do I have to say it?”
When I just stared at him intently, he scratched his cheek.
I really wanted to hear the words ‘talented’ from his mouth. At the very least, he wouldn't call me a klutz here.
“It wasn't bad, but…….”
Ju Woo-seong’s eyes darted around as his voice trailed off.
“It just… felt like a very hardworking klutz….”
“…….”
You son of a bitch….
* * *
The moment I snapped awake, my head throbbed as if it were about to split open. I traced back my last memories and remembered Ju Woo-seong stumbling out of the room, saying he was going back after we’d opened about three bottles of wine.
I checked the time; fortunately, it was still early morning.
I had to start filming in the afternoon, so I had to regain some semblance of a human being by then.
‘They told me to go all out on the outfit and makeup….’
My throat felt like it was on fire.
I emptied a whole bottle of water, flopped back onto the bed, and picked up my phone.
[Title: Real-time Ju Woo-seong in Japan]
[Japan_Jusung&Ho-yun.png]
[They say he’s eating with Seo Ho-yun.]
[└ Huh???]
[└ Are they close????]
Sightings of Ju Woo-seong were already circulating on various communities. There were no issues related to dating.
‘It passed safely.’
It probably would have been fine even if I hadn't meddled.
‘This is really the end, the end.’
The system error would be handled soon, and Ju Woo-seong seemed like he’d be fine.
There was nothing more to gain by getting involved further.
“Tsk.”
It wasn't like I’d helped him expecting something, but there really was zero harvest.
However, I felt a slight, annoying sense of understanding as to why Ju Woo-seong had tried to help me.
“Above all, the hardest part is that there’s no end to any of this.”
Ju Woo-seong, who had reached the top right from his debut, hadn't been able to find a path further forward. Naturally, he couldn't find his own end, either.
That might be why he was curious. Conversely, he wanted to see what would happen when I, who seemed to have a clear goal, reached the end.
Whether the Ju Woo-seong here, who cherished the occasional sparkling moments while living atop a foundation of deep-seated anxiety, was happy.
Or whether the Ju Woo-seong over there, who threw himself into anxiety and struggled to carve out his own path, was better.
At the very least, I couldn't be the one to judge which side was right.
It was his life, after all.
“……Wow, I really have gotten older.”
To have the luxury of worrying about someone else.
I was pressing my aching forehead with my index finger when a text message popped up on my phone screen.
[Genius Main Dancer Top Tier Sunbae-nim: (Photo)]
[Genius Main Dancer Top Tier Sunbae-nim: I looked it up and it turns out there was a Christmas album lol]
When did he save my number?
And what is up with this name?
Wait, he said there was no Christmas album.
I immediately accessed a portal site and searched, and a familiar Christmas album cover appeared.
“……This guy.”
I’d been completely baited.
I was catching my breath, suppressing the rising anger, when notifications started ringing incessantly.
[Genius Main Dancer Top Tier Sunbae-nim: Left on read, I see]
[Genius Main Dancer Top Tier Sunbae-nim: (Photo)]
I tapped the photo to enlarge it.
Underneath a shower of brilliant fragments of light, a gaze that looked straight ahead with a expressionless face while crouching as if about to take a magnificent flight burned itself into my mind.
“…Wow.”
Damn, he really shines.
[Me: I’m reporting this leak.]
[Genius Main Dancer Top Tier Sunbae-nim: LOL]
I clicked my tongue softly and turned off the phone.
“He’s an idol through and through.”
A natural-born idol who didn't need any of my concern.
I sincerely hoped he would stay that way.