Chapter 115 The Reason for Actions (2)
The Destinies who couldn’t attend the recording cried while reading the reviews.
They desperately wanted more detailed descriptions and previews from the talented fans, but unfortunately, no more reviews came up. It was because the Destinies who had attended were busy heading home, waiting for the commute, or disappearing to watch the live broadcast of Episode 4.
‘Well, for the sake of the buzz around Episode 4, it’s better if the reviews come out later.’
Even with that thought in mind, all the Destinies kept searching social media for more reviews. As a result, terms like “MiroMaze,” “audience review,” “Kang Hajin’s back,” and “Seo Taehyun, debut now” started trending.
And finally, amidst this situation.
– Guys, Episode 4 is starting.
Miro Maze Episode 4 aired.
Perhaps because it hadn’t been long since the public opinion had flipped over due to Yugeon’s incident, the atmosphere of Episode 4 was rather calm.
[But has the Yugeon controversy been resolved???]
The public opinion suddenly changed so much… Have the bullying and attitude controversies all been cleared up????
There are still people like this- (Link to the explanation post)ㄴYes, everything’s been clarified, so just read this and move on.
While some trolls were still lurking, looking for prey to stir up trouble, the Destinies who had already been burned once started to learn the art of ignoring. Every time a weird post came up, they would push it out with even more new posts, and soon, the troll posts started to disappear one by one.
The production team seemed aware of the atmosphere, as they apparently cut out anything that could cause even a slight problem during the editing stage. Instead of focusing on conflicts or crises among the trainees, the editing highlighted individual growth as they prepared for this song.
– I don’t want to lose to my hyungs.
– Can I do it? I keep having these thoughts….
– Honestly, I’m not very confident.
The worries of Kim Wonho and Gong Seok from the Cinderella team and Park Jaeyoung from the Sad Ending team were handled seriously.
As those who had been circling the general class until the survival round were now grouped with top-tier trainees, the sense of disparity, inferiority, and their shrinking confidence were honestly portrayed.
[Today’s episode is so relatable]
It reminded me of when I was preparing for entrance exams in the arts.
The more I prepared, the more I realized how much of a big fish in a small pond I was…
It’s like a feeling of not being able to trust myself? Honestly, we’ve all felt that at some point.
So while watching today, my heart achedㅠㅠㅠ but at the same time, I felt, you guys are all so goodㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
over the river @ov__rv
Wonho, no matter what anyone says, at this moment, you are my brightest star. bit.ly/9Pz… (A black-and-white edited picture of Wonho practicing)
The story of the “Blue Scandal” team, which included Doha, Yugeon, and the now-withdrawn Seongwoo, was also dealt with rather dryly. Instead of focusing on Yugeon, who had been in controversy, Doha’s story, who began dreaming of becoming a singer after watching Utopia, took the main spotlight.
〈Q. How does it feel to perform a Utopia song?〉
– It’s difficult. First of all, the baseline is so tightly woven that it’s not easy to tamper with it. … (2x speed)… Also, since Taeil sunbae wrote the song with each member of Utopia in mind, we’re unsure how our team can find our own color… (omitted)….
A founding member of Miro.
Not just a veteran, but a legend—Utopia’s debut song.
Moreover, it was the story of Lee Doha, who even revealed that Seo Taeil was his role model, struggling through the chaos of rearranging it.
In the dim light, a scene unfolded where Lee Doha, dressed casually in a sleeveless shirt in what seemed to be his studio, was mumbling his worries to the selfie cam, looking quite professional.
– Considering each member’s role… That’s the hardest part. In the case of Cheong Hansol sunbae, his range is vast, and his ability to lead the song is incredible. Personally, I think Hajin is the closest to his style among our trainees. Hmm, to make the most of Seongwoo hyung’s strengths, the tempo needs to be….
It was a scene that shut up all those who scoffed at him for dancing poorly and questioned why he was trying to become an idol.
With the survival show’s signature conflicts, crises, and climaxes gone, the broadcast inevitably flowed a bit flat.
‘Is this okay for a broadcasting station that needs to create issues?’ one might wonder, but the production team boldly gave up on all the drama.
But it wasn’t out of fear of controversy.
– Wow, right now, all MiroMaze stage videos are trending with 600,000 views. ㄷㄷ
It was confidence.
The confidence that they could satisfy the viewers of this show without such seasoning.
[The true heirsㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋKey
Honestly, when other groups cover Utopia’s Enderway, no matter how well they do, it never quite captures the original vibeㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Watching MiroMaze yesterday, I was like, this is itㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
– Right? It can’t be helpedㅋㅋㅋㅋ
– The vibe is just different; it’s got that special feeling.
– I’m an Enderview, but honestly, I admit it. This is the best cover of their songs so far.]
[Yesterday’s MiroMaze Blue Scandal team was disappointing.]
The main vocalist seemed too nervous… If not for that, the Lee brothers could have carried it for a higher score. ㅠㅠㅠ
– I know, right? I really liked Doha’s arrangement version and thought it was perfect…
Isn’t the main vocalist the one who dropped out? Wasn’t he the one Kang Hajin beat? How did he win?
ㄴWatching it on TV and seeing it live at the scene is different, you know. But it’s still a shame. I wish Hajin had been the blue main vocalist. TT
ㄴDon’t say that. I’m grateful to him. Thanks to Kang Hajin sending him to Sad Ending, we got a legendary performance.
ㄴExactlyㅋㅋㅋㅋ The “To You” video is about to hit a million views for real.
Jeongcream @ice_ciu
Jeong Siwoo’s character development failed today, too.
(A clip of Hajin and Siwoo’s Cleopatra game)
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Jeong Siwoo, who broke his usual image through the Cleopatra game and completely owned the stage, making the original song his own.
Lee Doha, who created a high-quality arrangement recognized even by Utopia’s Cheong Hansol, the original artist.
Mentions of the two increased significantly.
In particular, Lee Doha, who, compared to Jeong Siwoo, originally in the top ranks of popularity, had received relatively less attention due to his lacking dance skills, saw a complete reversal in evaluation.
[Honestly, I wondered why 2Doha was doing idol work]
But after watching Episode 4 yesterday, I get why Han Sewon is holding onto him.
Mirodols all have a member who can produce+write lyrics for their own songs, and I guess that’s his roleㅋㅋㅋㅋ But it’s a shame. 2Doha could’ve done hip-hop soloㅠ
— No, I thought he’d be clumsy if he couldn’t dance, but when I saw the stage, it didn’t really bother me? Maybe people haven’t seen real clumsy dancers.
ㄴ2Doha is clumsy, ㅇㅇ… He couldn’t keep up with even 1A’s practice.
But you can always train someone to dance, and honestly, with that physique, rap skills, and songwriting ability, even I’d cling to him to debut if I were Han Sewon.
From ‘Can’t dance, so how can he be an idol?’ to ‘Can’t dance well, but a desirable trainee,’ Lee Doha’s status rose. Except for Eunchan, there weren’t many trainees in the rap position who stood out as much as Doha, which seemed to be a significant factor.
-After confirming the reactions up to this point, Hajin casually closed the internet window and shut down the laptop.
“Chana, thanks. I used it well.”
“You can use it more if you want. I’ve got a tablet, too.”
“Wow, that really hits home.”
“…Isn’t it supposed to be ‘relative deprivation’?”
“We’ve agreed to call it ‘loss of satisfaction’ in our internet world.”
“It could also be called ‘sense of deprivation’…”
“Hyung, just stop at one verse.”
“Okay.”
Without even glancing at Hajin, who was leaning against the cold laptop with his cheek, Eunchan calmly cut off Hajin’s joke while leaning against the bed. Hajin, lying down and grumbling, complained.
“Our Chana has changed… You used to be fun to tease, and you’d believe me with wide eyes when I cracked a silly joke….”
Even with Hajin’s disappointed tone, Eunchan didn’t blink as he continued to stare at his tablet.
“Hyung should try living with someone like you for two months.”
“Ugh. Chana is mean.”
“Stop at one verse with that, too. You’re not really mad at me.”
This approach wasn’t working.
It seemed like Hajin would need to find another way to tease Eunchan. So
far, a total of twenty-two research attempts had been made, and about twenty were still being used effectively.
Bored, Hajin got up from his spot, left his own bed facing Eunchan’s bed, and squeezed his large body into Eunchan’s narrow bed. Eunchan, as if it were second nature, moved to make room for Hajin to squeeze in comfortably(?).
“I’ve noticed this before, but you don’t seem to mind me invading your bed?”
“Well… My brother used to do this a lot. Mostly when he was drunk, saying, ‘Oh, my little one~.’ So, I guess….”
“Ah-ha.”
Hajin nodded as he recalled Eunchan’s brother, Eunseok, who had attended the third competition with Eunchan’s invitation a few days ago.
“I used to think only my brother did this, but seeing you do it too, it seems like it’s just a hyung instinct.”
“Nah. Not really. It’s just that Eunseok hyung and I are kind of rare. What kind of hyung squeezes into the same bed with his dongsaeng?”
“…True. It’s odd that I have two of such rare ones around me. One here. And one there.”
“Our Chana’s getting better at talking back. I’m impressed.”
When Hajin responded with a smile, Eunchan set his tablet on the side table, leaned against the opposite headrest, and asked.
“Then what’s your mindset, hyung?”
“Me? My mindset?”
“You’re the only one who teases me like this. Everyone else is scared just by looking at my face.”
At Eunchan’s words, Hajin let out a small hum of contemplation. Of course, Hajin, who was now fooling around, had felt slightly (really just slightly) intimidated by Eunchan’s expressionless face when they first met, though Eunchan seemed unaware of that.
After pondering for a while, Hajin suddenly snapped his head around and looked up at Eunchan, as if something had come to mind.
“Maybe it’s because you remind me of Hawon?”
“Your younger brother?”
After saying that, Eunchan really did seem to share some similarities with Hawon.
From the somewhat stiff way of expressing emotions and speaking, to the fact that he was actually a crybaby, and also the default expression being a poker face… The way they reacted to Hajin’s jokes or the impact of his pranks was also a common trait.
‘Come to think of it, they really do resemble each other.’
With that thought, Hajin added a remark to Eunchan, who was looking at him with a curious expression.
“Of course, our Hawon is a bit more chic. He’s a T, after all. You’re an F.”
“Oh.”
“But then again, I’ve known him for over 20 years, so maybe he’s gotten to the point where he doesn’t even flinch at my jokes anymore. Once, when we were driving together….”
“Driving? Don’t you not have a license, hyung?”
“…Ah.”
At Eunchan’s question, Hajin stopped talking.
That was…. from the last round.’
A sudden flood of memories came rushing back.
Twenty-eight-year-old Hawon had been such a good younger brother and friend to him.
If Hajin managed to debut in this life, he wouldn’t be able to spend as much time with Hawon as he had in the previous round.
Thinking about that made him feel a little bitter.
“…I meant when we took the bus together. Before I became a trainee.”
“Oh.”
“Well, anyway. Maybe because I’ve always been close with my younger brother, I find it easier to be around dongsaengs. I’m used to sharing a room since I was young, so being in close quarters doesn’t bother me.”
66 99
“Why? Are you uncomfortable? If you are, I’ll go back to my bed.”
Is he trying to politely tell me to leave because he doesn’t want to kick me out directly?
Hajin looked up at Eunchan, worried, but Eunchan quietly shook his head. After a moment of seeming to choose his words, Eunchan looked at Hajin with a very determined expression and asked.
“Then, are we brothers too, hyung?”
“Huh?”
“Me, Haru, Taehyun hyung, Wonho hyung, Yugeon hyung… Everyone. Can we call each other hyung-dongsaengs?”
…If that’s the case, then you’re all dongsaengs, right? None of you are hyungs?
Hajin blinked, confused by Eunchan’s vague question.
Hajin thought for a moment about what Eunchan was asking. Then, Eunchan hastily added, looking a bit nervous.
“No, it’s nothing special…. It’s just that, we might not be able to debut together, right? Then it’d be hard to stay together like we are now. But still, we could stay in touch, visit each other’s homes… I mean, at least we could be close enough to be considered hyung-dongsaengs, right….”
Hajin, after reading Eunchan’s slightly tense expression, finally understood what Eunchan was trying to convey.
Much like Taehyun, Hajin also had a clear boundary between those inside and outside his circle. He had a naturally friendly disposition, so it didn’t show much on the outside.
But since Eunchan was close to Taehyun, it seemed that he had noticed this aspect of Hajin while spending time together.
‘What’s up with this sudden awareness….’
The feeling of slight sadness that had been creeping in after recalling his relationship with twenty-eight-year-old Hawon quickly turned into a good mood. It was a reminder that while many relationships had been lost and disappeared, these new bonds that had formed were just as precious and welcome.
Hajin, smiling, playfully tapped Eunchan.
“Then, if I don’t debut, were you planning to change your house’s door code and not invite me over anymore?”
“…Why wouldn’t you debut, hyung? The reaction to your ‘To You’ stage was amazing.”
“Then what about you?”
“Me… I don’t have as much impact compared to the other hyungs.”
“What are you even talking about, Chana? Your visuals are impactful.”
Do you think I wrapped you up like that during the third competition for no reason? Just showing your face can have an impact comparable to my back or Lee Doha’s abs.
At Hajin’s serious words, Eunchan laughed as if he couldn’t believe it. Hajin, too, chuckled and sighed as he spoke.
“Let’s just imagine that we’ll debut together. It’s more enjoyable to think positively.”
“Sounds good. Then if we debut together, introduce me to your brother, too.”
“Our Hawon? Why?”
“You met my brother, right? I want to talk about you with your brother.”
“Hey, I only had wholesome conversations with Eunseok hyung. I didn’t badmouth you or anything.”
“I didn’t say you did. Then I’ll just have wholesome conversations with Hawon hyung.”
When did you start calling him Hawon hyung?
Hajin blinked in disbelief at Eunchan, but after thinking it over, he realized there was no reason not to introduce them, so he nodded.
“Sure, then. We can have a meal together sometime.”
“Really? Really? Can I tell Haru about this?”
“Why do you have to go so far… Sure, Chana, do whatever you want.”
It was too much to say no, especially with that expectant look in his eyes.
‘I’d better not mention that Hawon might not like it.’
Hawon, who was introverted, found just leaving the house bothersome,
and being in a situation where he had to meet strangers was even more uncomfortable.
The fact that he had agreed to the broadcast filming last time was already a miracle.
‘Come to think of it, that footage hasn’t aired yet, right? The one we filmed then.’
I thought it would be shown early on, but when will it air?
As Hajin pondered the structure of the remaining episodes, Eunchan, who had been rustling around, suddenly jumped off the bed.
“Hyung, the others are going to play games in the lounge. Do you want to join?”
“Who else?”
“Haru, Jaeyoung, Yuki, and Parang.”
Hajin, who had been intrigued at the mention of games, lifted his head slightly, but after hearing the party members’ names, he shook his head and lay back down on the bed.
“Let the chicks play together. Hyung’s going to rest.”
“We’re not chicks!”
“Level up a bit and come at me. You guys always lose to me.”
“…That’s true.”
These high schoolers who had been practicing singing and dancing nonstop since they were young had no chance of winning against Hajin in games. Normally, Hajin found their attempts to win cute and played along, but today he was tired, and…
‘Eunchan and Danharu should start getting along with the others.’
Thanks to the sports day, it seemed like Eunchan and Haru had recently started getting along well with the other trainees of their age. If Hajin joined them, it was obvious that the conversation would inevitably focus back on him.
Hajin was someone who had experienced all kinds of human relationships, from minor skirmishes to intense conflicts, and he instinctively knew that sometimes, it was better to step back.
“Hyung, are you really not coming? Then what if I invite Taehyun hyung?”
“Seo Taehyun is probably busy right now, doing his
stretches and rolling on his foam roller while monitoring his performance in his room. I’d bet Doha’s hoodie on it.”
“Why would you bet Doha hyung’s hoodie?”
“I don’t know, it was in my room. I must have grabbed it by mistake when I did the laundry last time.”
Since their clothing sizes were similar, it sometimes got mixed up, Hajin explained, pointing to the oversized hoodie hanging on his chair with his chin.
“Alright then. But next time, you have to play with us. I’ll level up and come back.”
“Sure. Let’s see the day when our Chana doesn’t have a panic attack during Mafia.”
“Oh, seriously.”
Feeling embarrassed, Eunchan snapped and left the room. As Hajin laughed at Eunchan’s amusing reaction, he decided to return to his own bed and watch Episode 4 again for some monitoring.
He had just stepped off Eunchan’s bed, with one foot still on the floor.
“…?”
With a crackling sound, something blocked Hajin’s view. Hajin quickly got into a defensive stance, but when he recognized what it was, he smirked and crossed his arms.
[LOADING…]
[LOADING…]
[System restoration complete]
[System alert: The ‘Fixed Regressor’s timeline is operating normally.]
[System alert: The ‘Fixed Regressor’s system error has been resolved.]
[System alert: Would you like to view the ‘Fixed Regressor’s system history? (Condition for viewing: Enter the unconscious space)]
The long-awaited return of Thirteen was here.
“It’s about time, you damn brat.”
It was a relief that there were no schedules lined up for the day.
Hajin prepared himself thoroughly for bed, lying on the bed with a solemn heart to avoid raising any suspicion if Eunchan came back. Just in case, he even sent a text to Eunchan, telling him that he was tired and would be sleeping early, so not to wake him up.