Chapter 197. The Happiness the Boy Desires (2)
Hajin properly checked the news about Ranion while on his way to the dorm after finishing his schedule.
“Already hearing about Ranion?”
Hajin, monitoring the reaction to their concept photos, noticed that instead of posts about them, the community was flooded with mentions of “Renes’ next group.” Unconsciously, he furrowed his brow and hardened his expression.
They had announced a November debut, so he had expected some teasers, but…
“The timing is really off.”
Hajin’s long, slender fingers swiped across his phone screen. The first post mentioning “Renes’ next group” appeared. Among a page filled with posts about Kairos, a single post stood out as it had been uploaded strangely.
[Is there anyone who can help me find a photo, pleaseㅠㅠㅠㅠ really, please (++Found it!! Correct answer in the comments!)]
I saw it on a friend’s phone, and I want to find it so badly that I can’t sleep…
It was a guy’s mirror selfie, probably taken in a practice room?
I only remember that his hair was black, and he was wearing a hoodieㅠㅠㅠㅠ But he was seriously soooo handsome… He looked a bit like Spear’s Seon? I think!!!!
Ugh, I’m going crazy. Guys, please help me.
(A poorly drawn figure sketch)
The only connection to Renes in this desperate post was the mention of Spear’s member, Seon, who belonged to Renes.
But how did this post end up being linked to Renes’ next group?
While trying to figure out the various possibilities, Hajin slowly read through the comments. People were suggesting photos that matched the description, but the correct one didn’t come up easily.
– Why don’t you just ask your friend?
└ (Author) My friend was just searching randomly too, so she doesn’t knowㅠㅠㅠㅠ I really want to find it
– Is it possibly this one?? (Photo of a similar-looking Believer member)
└ (Author) Ugh, it’s similar, but not quiteㅠㅠㅠㅠ He was more like a deer? Really handsome and delicate…
– Judging by the comments, it sounds like he’s almost a 2D character? If someone who looks like Spear’s Seon but more delicate and handsome had debuted, there’s no way we wouldn’t know;
– I thought it might be our statue-like member before debut, but our group’s statue doesn’t have any mirror selfies up…
└ Is that statue’s name Jung Siwoo by any chance?
└ LOL, caught me
└ It’s so Jung Siwoo-like to not have any selfies.
“Has the statue nickname been firmly attached to Siwoo hyung?”
That was originally Cha Minseok’s nickname.
As Hajin scrolled down and saw Siwoo’s name, he raised his eyebrows. But he didn’t feel any guilt about Siwoo taking someone else’s nickname. There was a strange certainty in his mind that, in the previous timeline, Cha Minseok had been called Renes’ statue only because Jung Siwoo hadn’t debuted.
Hajin scrolled faster. After turning one page of comments, he finally saw that the photo’s owner had been revealed.
– Is it this one? (Cha Minseok’s mirror selfie taken in Renes’ practice room)
└ (Author) Huh?
└ (Author) Oh my god???
└ (Author) I think this is it ㅠㅠㅠㅠ Thank you so much!!!
└ Whoa
└ He’s super handsome
└ Sorry for doubting your description, Author
“Ah! My eyes!”
“…Why are you suddenly acting weird, that’s scary.”
“I saw something I shouldn’t have.”
As soon as he saw Cha Minseok’s picture, where he was clearly trying to look as handsome as possible (although Hajin reluctantly admitted he was good-looking), Hajin lowered his phone and covered his eyes. This startled Yugeon, who was sitting next to him, but Hajin just waved it off, sighing as if it were nothing.
“It’s still annoyingly fresh even after seeing it again.”
The comments following Cha Minseok’s photo were predictable. The person who posted the photo naturally revealed that his name was Cha Minseok, and that he was a trainee rumored to be part of Renes’ next debut group.
People who came to the post out of curiosity about the answer ended up captivated by Cha Minseok’s face, leading to spin-off posts. Through those, information about Renes’ next group and Cha Minseok spread further, with the keyword “Renes’ second half debut” getting mixed in somewhere along the way.
Hajin closed the app and turned off his phone after reading a comment that said, “Whoa, does this mean the rookie award battle this year will be between Renes’ next group, Believer, and Kairos?” He had a rough idea of what was going on.
“Renes orchestrated this.”
The timing was too perfect for it to be anything else. Just as they had gained momentum by creating a competitive relationship with Believer through shorts, it seemed Renes was positioning Ranion as Kairos’s rival.
[System Alert: The idol world is truly terrifying…]
[System Alert: 〣( ºΔº )〣]
“Well. It’s just another survival strategy.”
Hajin clicked his tongue briefly, thinking that this level of competition was similar in any industry, although it was more blatant in the idol world.
While he had expected some attention when talks about Ranion began, this method was problematic. Even now, Kairos’s second concept photo for ‘THE NIGHT’ version had been released, but the buzz around Renes’ next group had halved its impact.
“They’re trying to ride on our popularity without doing anything themselves.”
Moreover, the fact that Cha Minseok was at the forefront of their promotions irritated him.
In Hajin’s memory, the fact that Cha Minseok had been a trainee at Miro before debut was common knowledge among fans. Back then, since Miro’s next group had been canceled by the previous director, he had developed a close relationship with Enderway, but this time was different.
“This time, they’ll definitely associate him with us. If we’re unlucky, it’ll even get out that he was close with Seo Taehyun.”
No matter how much Seo Taehyun smiled and acted sociable in front of the camera, there was no way he would be okay with being linked to someone who was practically his mortal enemy.
Hajin leaned forward to peek at Taehyun’s round head resting against the seat in front of him.
A red notification system window, something he’d grown used to seeing, popped up above Taehyun’s head with a ding.
[System Alert: Colleague ‘Seo Taehyun’ is currently… ‘a bit sensitive.’]
There was no way a guy as sharp as him hadn’t seen the news about Cha Minseok.
With that in mind, Hajin figured he should avoid provoking Taehyun for a while and turned his gaze to Haru, who was sitting next to him.
“Wait. If I recruit Dan Haru as a colleague, will I also be able to see his emotions like this?”
Since the most important criterion for regression was ‘Dan Haru’s emotions,’ understanding his state was crucial for Hajin. Especially since Haru was always smiling and it was impossible to know what he was thinking.
Is there any way to recruit Dan Haru as a colleague?
“Ah, there’s so much to do.”
Hajin had thought that being an idol just meant singing and dancing, but it was actually a world with more fearsome competition and hunting than any jungle.
Feeling a headache from the overwhelming pressure, Hajin slowly blinked his eyes.
How could he regain the attention that had been drawn to Cha Minseok while simultaneously keeping the relationship between Seo Taehyun and Cha Minseok under wraps?
[System Alert: The system is expressing confusion over this difficult situation…]
[System Alert: (;´・`)>]
[System Alert: What should we do in situations like this?]
“…Actually, I do have an idea.”
Hajin’s gaze shifted to Yugeon, who was sitting beside him. Yugeon, who was watching a performance video of an overseas dance team on his phone, noticed Hajin’s stare and looked up.
“…What is it?”
Responding to Yugeon’s questioning look, Hajin smiled as kindly as possible.
“Yugeon.”
“What… Why?”
“Let’s do a live broadcast together.”
“…What?”
“A live dance broadcast.”
Yugeon looked at Hajin in disbelief, as if asking where this sudden idea had come from. Hearing the word “live,” Haru, who was sitting in front, perked up his ears and turned around.
“Huh? You guys are going to do a live broadcast?”
“Yeah. I’m going to do a dance broadcast with Yugeon.”
“No, I haven’t agreed to—”
“Mmhmm. You’re going to do it with me. You don’t have a choice.”
“I don’t have a say in this?”
As Yugeon’s voice grew louder, other members started to turn around, curious about what was going on. Haru, who was looking intrigued by the idea of their first live broadcast as a group, tapped Taehyun’s shoulder.
“Hyung, hyung. Yugeon hyung and Hajin hyung are going to do a dance broadcast. Live.”
“…Whatever, let them.”
Taehyun glanced back upon hearing that but then responded indifferently before turning away again. Hajin reached out and tapped Taehyun’s shoulder.
“Taehyun.”
“…What?”
“You too.”
“…What
?”
“You’re going to join too. In the live.”
“…”
“We’re going to do a unit live with you, me, and Yugeon. Just go along with it.”
“…Hyung, are you crazy?”
“Hmm. I haven’t been in my right mind since I went to Gangwon-do to fetch you.”
Taehyun, staring into Hajin’s eyes filled with sheer determination to outdo Cha Minseok, couldn’t help but hiccup.
* * *
As soon as they arrived at the dorm, the members gathered in the living room without even unpacking or washing up.
This was because Hajin had announced that he had something to discuss.
“Unit live broadcast?”
“Yeah. It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while, but I wanted to get your opinions before proposing it to the Director.”
“So, you’re suggesting we do our first live broadcast in a unit relay format?”
“Right. And by the time all the units have gone live, we’ll probably have debuted, so we can do our first group live as a debut commemoration.”
The agenda Hajin brought up was about “Kairos’s first live broadcast.”
Since the company had already started discussing how to do their first live, all the members were interested and contributed their opinions.
“But why units? Wouldn’t a group live be more symbolic for the first one?”
“That’s true, but we’re already putting out group content with ‘Today’s Kairos.’ We’re also regularly uploading individual content with Kiss Day. But I realized we don’t have anything showing different member combinations.”
The members seemed to agree with Hajin’s point, nodding in agreement. Even Taehyun, who had initially questioned it, didn’t argue further.
Then, Yugeon, sitting across from Hajin, raised his hand.
“Yes, Trainee Lee Yugeon. You may speak.”
“But why is the unit you, me, and him?”
Everyone turned to Hajin with genuine curiosity after Yugeon’s question. Even Jung Siwoo, who usually shared similar thoughts with Hajin, seemed puzzled.
Hajin glanced around at the members and then answered casually.
“You want the honest answer?”
“…Yes.”
“You need the title of ‘Seo Taehyun’s best friend.’”
“…What?”
It’s time for you two to stop fighting like a married couple.
Hajin grinned mischievously as he shrugged his shoulders like a madman.