Chapter 298
A year ago.
When trainees from various agencies gathered to prepare for their debut under the name ‘Lifteen,’ Go Kyung-yoon initially tolerated Bai’s presence, prioritizing the group’s atmosphere despite Bai not meeting his standards.
If someone asked Go Kyung-yoon what aspect of Bai he disliked, he would reply:
“Everything.”
Bai wasn’t good at singing, his dancing was only slightly better than Jing Xiao’s clumsy moves, and his forced, grating rapping was unbearable.
Even his unique visual appeal, which could be considered a distinctive charm, stood out too much when he was with the other Lifteen members, making him look out of place.
If Bai’s poor performance was the result of his own efforts and management, there might have been some room for understanding.
However, Bai’s deplorable personality, which constantly worried the manager, made it impossible to expect anything more than his consistent attendance at practice sessions.
Of course, Go Kyung-yoon didn’t consider showing up for team practice, the most basic requirement, as an effort at all.
When Bai joined Lifteen, the position he claimed to justify his inclusion was his ability to compose songs and speak English reasonably well.
However, Bai’s composing skills were nowhere near the level of creating a complete, polished song like Lifteen’s rival group’s Seo Moon-gyeol or On Raon from Orca. At most, he could scribble out a melody or a few fragments.
And that level of skill was something Go Kyung-yoon or Ok Do-yoon could also manage.
As for foreign languages, having a Hong Kong native and a Japanese member in the group who were learning Korean to a native level meant Bai’s skills weren’t particularly helpful.
So, besides his meaningless claims, the real reason Bai could join the group without being a disgrace was different.
Bai was a relative of a friend of the CEO of JEDA Entertainment, the company planning and producing Lifteen.
When Go Kyung-yoon first learned this, he sighed.
There was no way to kick Bai out before their debut.
Trying to force him out could jeopardize Lifteen’s already uncertain debut prospects.
Other members from Luizen Entertainment like Ok Do-yoon and Jing Xiao, as well as Wes Music’s Yoon Myung-soo, Kim Jun-woo, and Nagase Ritsu, were quite decent, so one weak link might be manageable.
However, Go Kyung-yoon soon realized that Bai wasn’t just a weak link but a moving bomb.
His predictions were correct, but the reality was worse than expected.
After their debut, Bai seemed to realize that fans who liked him were his lifeline, so he excelled in fan service to the point of being overbearing, successfully building a personal fanbase.
He would subtly discriminate against fans based on whether they gave him expensive gifts or if he found them attractive, he would privately interact with home masters through his private SNS account, and he often flirted inappropriately with female idols at work.
Whenever any of this behavior surfaced, Bai would make such outrageous remarks.
“Oh. I’m doing this to get a super pretty idol girlfriend?”
Even Bai’s bizarre core fanbase, who genuinely found his behavior cool, would immediately abandon him if they heard this.
To think I was in the same team as this fool who proudly said such things in front of younger members…
Having lived a life of recognized diligence and sincerity, Go Kyung-yoon felt a sense of self-deprecation whenever he saw Bai.
There were too many people in the world who shamelessly took and then squandered positions that others desperately wanted.
The day Go Kyung-yoon picked up and threw down a fan letter that had been carelessly discarded in front of Bai, completely dropping any pretense of politeness, and argued vehemently about whether Bai’s head was just for decoration, he wondered if it was strange to hope that Bai would cause a scandal severe enough to get kicked out without damaging the group’s image.
After a sincere and honest consultation with Yoon Myung-soo, Go Kyung-yoon confirmed he was normal.
The most troubling part was that all this happened less than a year after their debut.
And today, things went too far.
Already sensitive fanbases of Orca and Lifteen were in turmoil.
Even a quick glance at the idol community showed a lot of discussion about the moment Bai and Seo Moon-gyeol clashed.
Most comments expressed concern for both, but some left ominous remarks about how Bai’s fault lay in getting too close.
Regardless, the relationship between the two fanbases would undoubtedly worsen.
If it became clear that Bai had acted intentionally…
“Why did he do such a thing?”
With his rational mind, Go Kyung-yoon couldn’t understand Bai’s actions.
Could it be because he harshly compared Bai to Seo Moon-gyeol, pointing out how Seo Moon-gyeol was good at rapping, singing, dancing, looked good, had a great personality, and even composed well, while Bai couldn’t do any of those things properly?
“Surely, he can’t be that petty…”
But seeing Bai’s face, Go Kyung-yoon changed his mind.
“He is that petty.”
Meanwhile, Bai’s expression grew more hostile by the second as he listened to Go Kyung-yoon’s blunt criticism.
“So… who are you to tell me what to do? Isn’t it a problem to nitpick over trivial matters without any regard for hierarchy?”
Recalling Bai’s laughable attitude of being relatively compliant only to senior Yoon Myung-soo, Go Kyung-yoon smirked coldly.
“There’s always someone who has nothing to boast about in life except the age they gained without lifting a finger.”
And then he added one of the most effective insults to aggravate Bai.
“But the thing is, Orca’s Gyeol, who’s the same age as you, is so versatile that it’s almost unfair to compare you two. Now he’s even excelling at sports, making you look pitiable….”
“Shut up.”
“You must feel quite inferior, given how ridiculous it makes you look.”
Ignoring him, Go Kyung-yoon habitually checked that there were no eavesdroppers around before continuing.
“Surely, you didn’t do it on purpose, right?”
With an air of genuine pity after having scratched Bai thoroughly, Go Kyung-yoon asked.
“Damn it. Yeah, I did it on purpose.”
Bai exploded.
“I wanted the fans who are obsessed with that ugly jerk to curse him out. But I didn’t step on his foot or yours, so why are you giving me such a hard time, huh?”
Speaking threateningly, Bai raised his foot as if to stomp on Go Kyung-yoon’s.
“You also got in through connections, acting all righteous and clean. Aren’t you ashamed?”
Go Kyung-yoon’s face hardened.
It wasn’t because he lacked a response but because the inherent frustration of arguing with someone who couldn’t understand weighed down on his already tired body.
Instead of giving a reasonable reply.
Go Kyung-yoon lifted his foot and put it under Bai’s raised foot.
“Why don’t you try stepping on it?”
Bai’s face twisted, thinking Go Kyung-yoon was mocking him.
‘Does he really think I can’t do it…’
“However, you better tread carefully this time. After today, I’m almost resolved to make sure you can’t stay in the group.”
The warning, delivered in an unwavering voice, caused Bai to falter.
‘That snake…’
It was too much for an ordinary member to handle, but it seemed possible with Go Kyung-yoon right in front of him.
Although Go Kyung-yoon didn’t look particularly old, he could exude an aura of experience and authority when he wanted to.
Go Kyung-yoon lightly pushed Bai.
Bai, trying to keep his balance, had to step back.
“This is your last warning. Be careful with your behavior. Consider how limited your options will be if you get expelled from the entertainment industry for a personality scandal, even if you’re a barely known celebrity.”
Unfazed, Go Kyung-yoon’s warning carried weight, backed by support that Bai couldn’t easily challenge.
If it weren’t for that, he would have already dealt with this eyesore of a troublemaker.
“Damn it…”
Go Kyung-yoon, tired of hearing the same curse repeatedly, left without another word.
Once alone, Go Kyung-yoon pulled out his phone and stopped the recording.
‘It won’t be easy to catch him off guard like this again.’
Bai, usually careless and lazy, probably hadn’t thought to collect evidence during their clashes.
But now that Go Kyung-yoon had openly threatened to expel him, Bai might become more cautious and try to gather evidence against him.
Go Kyung-yoon had almost been labeled a bully in True Entertainment due to Bai’s obsessive fans, who disliked him for various reasons.
Having shown a friendly relationship with On Raon today should resolve that issue once and for all.
Bzzzz.
At that moment, a call from On Raon came through.
“……”
There was only one reason why someone who had told him to face his past would contact him so quickly.
‘Does he know for sure, or is he just testing?’
Go Kyung-yoon dismissed the option of not sharing what he knew with On Raon.
But what could On Raon do other than get angry?
If On Raon came over and hit Bai a few times, that would be satisfying.
However, if On Raon wanted to make a big deal out of this…
For now, Go Kyung-yoon, the leader of Lifteen, had to prioritize the team and calm On Raon down.
Yet, he vaguely sensed that when the time came to decisively expel Bai, On Raon’s help might be needed.
“……”
As he thought of On Raon, the embodiment of the opposite of Bai, a guilt he had momentarily buried resurfaced like bile.
It seemed he would need more time than usual to steel himself for the resolve On Raon had mentioned.
* * *
Meanwhile.
– Unable to take your call, please leave a message after the beep…
“Is he ignoring me?”