Chapter 198: The Happiness the Boy Desires (3)
I didn’t beat around the bush and went straight to the point.
“Seo Taehyun. You saw the posts about Cha Minseok circulating on the community boards, right?”
“…Yeah.”
As soon as I mentioned Cha Minseok’s name, the atmosphere in the dormitory turned slightly chilly. Everyone seemed to catch on to what I was about to say, especially since the incident between Cha Minseok and Seo Taehyun had come up naturally during our dormitory initiation party. Even Lee Yugeon and the others seemed to understand the gist of what I was going to say.
“…? Dan Haru, what’s with that look in your eyes?”
“I don’t like that hyung.”
Seo Taehyun was the one who got backstabbed by Cha Minseok, yet it was Dan Haru next to him who was stabbing the chicken breast salad he was having for dinner with his fork, his eyes filled with a murderous aura.
That look… It was the same one he had when he saw Han Sungwoo and Shin Kyungho. Or when we ran into the unpalatable Believer guys.
**[System Alert: The system has detected ‘killing intent’ from Dan Haru.]**
‘…So much for him being a gentle soul.’
Lee Doha quietly intervened to calm Dan Haru down, who looked as though he was about to atomize the chicken breast with his fork. Jung Siwoo, sitting next to him, raised his hand to get a word in.
“What’s the word about Cha Minseok?”
“There’s talk that he’s a trainee at Renes and that he’s going to debut soon. I don’t know who leaked the photos, but the response has been good. So, it’s likely that more stories about him will start popping up soon.”
I showed the members the posts about Cha Minseok that I’d been looking at on my phone earlier. While Lee Yugeon silently read through the screenshots I had saved, I turned to Seo Taehyun and warned him.
“At this rate, it’s only a matter of time before people start talking about how you used to be close with Cha Minseok. And once that happens, do you think there’ll only be a handful of people who’ll start chattering about the two of you?”
Unfortunately, from an outsider’s perspective, Cha Minseok and Seo Taehyun had a very deep and dramatic story between them.
They were friends of the same age who had pursued their dreams together at the same academy.
Seo Taehyun ended up taking the spot in *Boy’s World* that Cha Minseok was supposed to take but got eliminated in the final round.
Cha Minseok, after joining Miro Entertainment, was part of the Enderway debut team but couldn’t debut due to an injury.
Even though Cha Minseok had called Seo Taehyun to debut together at Miro, Seo Taehyun debuted at Miro while Cha Minseok ended up going to Renes.
‘Add to that the fact that they’ll debut in different groups in the same year, and it’s basically a drama.’
To fans who don’t know the full story, the relationship between the two was something to marvel at, with them imagining all sorts of scenarios. Some might even start speculating about any interactions between them whenever their groups’ activities overlap.
“Okay, fine. Let’s say it’s inevitable that people will find out you were friends. But what do you think fans will say if they find out you’re not on good terms with the only same-age member in your group?”
Seo Taehyun, quick on the uptake, quietly averted his gaze, seeming to understand what I was getting at. I let him gather his thoughts before turning to Lee Yugeon.
“Yugeon. Do you not want to do Kairos?”
“…What?”
“Do you not want to debut? Do you not want to be in the same group as Seo Taehyun? If that’s the case, tell me now. Before we actually debut.”
I purposely spoke harshly, and Lee Yugeon’s eyes wavered uneasily.
The atmosphere grew heavy, and it seemed like the conversation would drag on, so Jung Siwoo signaled Dan Haru and Joo Eunchan to head to their room.
Joo Eunchan, who had been nervously watching the tense conversation, quietly got up to take Dan Haru, who had been glaring at Lee Yugeon, to their room. But before they could leave, I asked Yugeon one more time.
“Answer me, Yugeon. Do you not want to debut with us?”
Everyone’s eyes turned to Lee Yugeon.
Under the pressure, Lee Yugeon hesitated for a while before finally surrendering.
“…I want to debut.”
“……”
“I want to debut. I can’t be someone who does something they hate without getting paid.”
At that, Seo Taehyun looked up at Lee Yugeon. Lee Yugeon avoided Seo Taehyun’s gaze and continued speaking, as if he was finally letting out everything he had been holding back.
“…I know I’ve been off lately. It’s just… I’ve had a lot on my mind.”
“……”
“The money I saved is running out, the Tigers still have a long way to go before graduation, and my grandfather says he’ll open a shop, but honestly, I’m worried about that too. I keep thinking, is it really okay for me to be here, living in a nice house, eating good food, and just dancing without a care?”
Lee Yugeon scratched his head in frustration, his expression pained.
“It’s not that I wanted to act like a jerk like I did during Miro Maze. …And I didn’t mean to act like this with Seo Taehyun either.”
As he spoke, Lee Yugeon instinctively glanced at Jung Siwoo, perhaps still traumatized by the Miro Maze incident.
‘If he knew how Jung Siwoo behaved during his infinite regression incident, he wouldn’t be so worried.’
But I had no intention of telling him. Let him stay on his toes, the insolent kid.
Lee Doha, sitting next to Lee Yugeon, patted him on the back as he finished speaking and hung his head low. It was a rough gesture, but that single pat seemed to give Lee Yugeon some comfort, and he cautiously lifted his head.
I spoke to Lee Yugeon in a slightly softened tone.
“Then do what you can.”
“……”
“Did you know that there are already rumors going around that you’re not getting along with your group members? You, more than anyone, should know how damaging and annoying rumors of discord can be for a rookie idol.”
Lee Yugeon nodded. Though I was speaking to him, it seemed that the comment also hit a nerve with Jung Siwoo, who had remained silent. He was now pressing his temples as if he had a headache, probably remembering the mess of rumors that flared up during his controversy with Yugeon.
I pretended not to notice Jung Siwoo’s reaction and instead began to soothe Seo Taehyun and Lee Yugeon, who seemed to have calmed down a bit.
“I’m not saying you have to go live and act like you’re inseparable or immediately become best friends. Just do a regular dance live broadcast together. That’s all it takes.”
“……”
“Don’t bring your personal feelings in front of the camera. At the very least, don’t make fans speculate about why the two of you are fighting. It’s not like you hate each other so much that you can’t even talk.”
“……”
“Aren’t you going to answer? Do you hate each other so much that you can’t stand talking to one another?”
“No, it’s not that…!”
“…No.”
See? It’s just like a married couple’s fight.
Seeing the two of them immediately shake their heads and deny it when I asked if they hated each other, I smiled with satisfaction and nodded.
“Good, then. The three of us will do the live, okay? I’ll take care of all the preparations, so you guys just need to show up.”
“…Somehow that makes me uneasy.”
“Come on. Just trust me. It’s like the saying, ‘Obey your grandpa, and your stocks will rise even while you sleep.'”
“…Isn’t it supposed to be rice cakes?”
“Stocks going up feels better. Just let it go.”
I roughly tousled Seo Taehyun’s hair as he tilted his head doubtfully.
Having achieved the outcome I wanted and feeling like I had said everything I needed to, I leaned back. That’s when Jung Siwoo, who had been quietly observing the entire time, finally spoke up.
“So we’re doing a unit live, reporting to the company, and the first unit is you, Hajin, Taehyun, and Yugeon? If we’re going to tell them tomorrow, we should decide on the rest of the units now. Eunchan, Haru, come back and sit down.”
Jung Siwoo’s clean wrap-up brought Joo Eunchan and Dan Haru, who had been stuck standing, back to their seats between their hyungs. Watching the two youngest members sitting on either side of Lee Yugeon and Seo Taehyun, I uncrossed my arms and leaned back against the sofa.
As I was thinking about how to split the remaining four and was about to ask for their opinions, Joo Eunchan, who was sitting next to Seo Taehyun and occasionally glancing at Lee Yugeon, suddenly raised his hand.
“I have something to say… It’s not about the units, though.”
“…? Sure, go ahead, Eunchan.”
When I nodded for him to speak, Joo Eunchan, with a determined expression I felt I’d seen somewhere before, looked at Lee Yugeon and made an announcement.
“So, what Yugeon hyung is most worried about right now
is the financial side of things, right? And that’s causing problems with our team practice.”
“…Hey, Eunchan.”
“Then please let me help this time.”
Why is the rich kid pulling out his Harley King gimmick again here…?
“It’s not like last time where I said I’d pay you an hourly wage! Siwoo hyung said no to that…!”
Joo Eunchan, nervously glancing at the hyungs, slowly shared his thoughts.
“My brother mentioned this before, and it just suddenly came to mind… Our parents’ company runs a scholarship foundation.”
“……”
“It’s not just given to anyone; you need to maintain a certain level of grades, and there are some conditions, but… Anyway, my brother said that if I was interested, he could help with the scholarship screening. I think he saw the post Yugeon’s younger brother made online.”
Joo Eunchan firmly shook his head as if to prevent any misunderstanding.
“This isn’t just because my family has money. It’s definitely not out of pity for you, hyung.”
“Then…”
“I want this group to succeed.”
Joo Eunchan’s clear eyes were filled with unwavering conviction.
“And for that, we need Yugeon hyung. I think we really do.”
“……”
“Honestly, Yugeon hyung is the best dancer among us, right? If any of us is going to take the main dancer position, it should be him.”
At Joo Eunchan’s honest assessment, Lee Yugeon flinched and looked at me, but I just shrugged as if to say, ‘Why look at me?’ The other members also subtly nodded in agreement with Joo Eunchan’s words.
“If hyung gets distracted by other things and it messes up practice and ruins the team’s mood, that would be a loss not just for you but for me and our entire group. So this isn’t charity, it’s an investment.”
“……”
“If it really bothers you, you can pay it back later when we get our settlements. I’m confident I can get it all back. So if you need it, I can call my brother tomorrow and talk to him about the scholarship selection.”
“……”
“Please let me do this, Yugeon hyung.”
After Joo Eunchan finished speaking, a brief silence fell over the dormitory.
Lee Yugeon, who had been quietly processing the unexpected offer, rubbed his forehead and asked softly.
“…Why.”
“…?”
“Why are you all doing this? For me?”
His tone seemed a bit accusatory, but Lee Yugeon’s eyes were red and tear-filled, as if he was about to cry.
I could somewhat understand how Lee Yugeon felt.
Having lost his parents right after birth and grown up without anyone to rely on, burdened solely by responsibility… It was no wonder he found this warmth unfamiliar. Now, even his sharp shoulders seemed pitiable.
And it was Seo Taehyun, looking more upset than Yugeon, who answered his question as tears began to well up in his eyes.
“Why, you fool.”
“……”
“Because we’re on the same team, that’s why.”
Our INFP, Seo Taehyun, sniffled as he finally let out his true feelings.
“We want to be on a team with you.”
Why did these guys fight in the first place?
I was about to feel a bit deflated, watching them care so deeply for each other, when I noticed Dan Haru looking at us.
“……”
With a gaze full of warmth and affection, yet also cautious and relieved.
Dan Haru was watching each of us with such eyes.
Could it be that you needed a place to belong?
A warmth that would be there to reach out and pull you up when times were tough?
Was that why you chose the path of an idol?
I let the flood of emotions and thoughts pass, and simply handed tissues to the crying Lee Yugeon and Seo Taehyun, who had broken down in the middle of the night.