“Then, from here on, all future planning is entirely in PD Jang’s hands… Oh, Manager Woo.”
Just as we finished our conversation and were leaving the broadcast station building together, we ran into Manager Woo on the first floor.
“You could’ve told me if you were done talking.”
“I was going to call after seeing PD Jang off.”
“Was that really necessary?”
Manager Woo approached us at a half-jog, his expression noticeably flushed with excitement. But… why can’t he seem to keep his limbs still? Why are you this thrilled…?
“Sorry to keep you waiting. Our talk went on a bit long.”
The moment Jang Yeonju offered an apology, Manager Woo waved it off.
“Oh no, not at all! If it was important, of course it should take time.”
But then, his eyes landed on Jang Yeonju’s swollen, teary eyes.
“Huh?”
He leaned in slightly, peering more closely through his glasses.
“…”
Then his gaze shifted to me—now tinged with clear disapproval.
Huh? Why is he glaring at me like that?
“…Did you make him cry?”
“Well, I wouldn’t say I made him cry, it was more like… he just ended up crying…”
“So you did make him cry.”
[Woo Taeyoon’s trait, ‘Ambitious Seeker of Justice and Virtue,’ has been slightly shaken!]
Of all the times for the system window to pop up again…
Seriously, it’s been so inconsistent lately.
It didn’t seem like dragging this topic out would help, so I changed the subject.
“Since you two will probably be seeing each other a lot from now on, might as well formally introduce yourselves again.”
“You made him cry and now you’re—wait, what?”
Manager Woo had been mid-reprimand when he stopped short and looked back at Jang Yeonju in surprise.
“That’s right. Haram said I should rely on you a lot going forward, Manager Woo. So I’m counting on you.”
“Oh, yes! Absolutely, of course! I’ll help however I can!”
He has no idea what he’s supposed to help with, yet he’s already flustered and backing off a step.
As expected.
As soon as we arrived at the broadcasting station, Manager Woo had been excited… and now, watching him again…
At that moment—pop!—Soram appeared for the first time in a while.
[I sincerely support the love between you two!]
So you did notice, huh, you little rascal. Though it still seems like Manager Woo has a much higher affection score…
‘Well. It’s cute to watch.’
I smiled faintly as I watched the two of them wrap up their conversation.
“Yes, yes. I’ll get the full explanation from Haram later. Thank you! See you again!”
Manager Woo, buzzing with excitement, nodded furiously as he exchanged farewells with Jang Yeonju.
On the way to the parking lot, he walked briskly and silently.
And then, in the parking lot—
Thunk—!
The moment we both sat down in the car—
“So, uh. Haram, what exactly do I need to do?”
Quick to ask, aren’t you.
*****
Around the same time, while Haram was finishing up his conversation with PD Jang Yeonju, Lee Jiwon was lying in the dorm room, blankly staring at the ceiling.
‘So I really did fail, huh…’
Watching Choi Woojin and Lee Hyunjae pass the audition had made him think, ‘Maybe I can make it too.’
Sure, Kim Haram and Go Jeongeun were in a league of their own in completely different ways, but he hadn’t thought there was a huge gap between himself and the other two.
‘And yet…’
“Yes, so with that in mind, I’m afraid I’ll have to pass on you.”
The judge’s words kept echoing in his head.
It wasn’t so much a feeling of shock as it was—
‘Ah… so I’m not meant to be a protagonist.’
A person with no scent, no color, no flavor—completely plain. Lee Jiwon started to wonder if that was the real difference between himself and Woojin or Hyunjae.
After all, those two had a very clear sense of who they were.
‘Haram hyung, though…’
Speaking of protagonists, to him, Kim Haram was the obvious lead.
When he had first started as a trainee, simply because he liked dancing and singing, he’d been genuinely shocked.
‘So that’s what it means when someone “shines,” huh?’
Saying someone “had presence” wasn’t even close to enough. It was like he was absorbing all the spotlights in the world.
Hard to explain in words.
In some ways, he felt envious. In others, he just… really wanted to be close to him.
‘It’s been a while since I felt this way… wanting to get closer to someone.’
Maybe that’s why, whenever he talked to Kim Haram, he always ended up saying more than he meant to.
‘Could this be… love?’
He let out a soft chuckle at the ridiculous thought.
His mind wandered.
Someone like Haram—who felt like a protagonist—had gone out of his way to care for him and even mentored him. Honestly, he’d thought things would go well for him too.
I mean, come on. When the protagonist puts this much energy into supporting a teammate, it shouldn’t end in a bad ending.
‘Maybe… I really suck at singing…?’
Even though Kim Haram had insisted, “It’s because the broadcasting station bastards deliberately dropped you,” he couldn’t help but spiral into doubt.
No, that couldn’t be. He was pretty good.
His vocal coach always praised his singing.
‘This is hard…’
Suddenly, he recalled something Kim Haram had said yesterday:
It’s a tough path. So, Jiwon, rather than rushing to decide what to do right now, I think it’d be good to take your time and think it through.
He chuckled again.
The memory of Haram noticing how drained he looked before starting that talk, and how uncomfortable Haram had looked, came to mind. Haram had always been expressive, but these past few days, it had been more noticeable. Not in a bad way.
‘Take it slow, huh…’
Yeah. He could go slowly.
He wasn’t the protagonist. So he’d use what talent he had and take his time—while figuring out what he wanted to do.
Bzzz—
His phone buzzed. He checked the screen. It was those broadcasting station bastards.
[Hello. This is the production team of Be the IDOL.
Participant Lee Jiwon has been selected to join the 1.5th round of Be the IDOL, the [Wildcard Match].
Further details are as follows…]
It was real.
Just like Kim Haram said it would be.
As expected—someone acknowledged by the protagonist was different.
“Alright—!”
Now that he had a goal, it was time to act.
…And maybe deal with that guy who’d been on his mind lately.
He stepped out of the room he shared with Lee Hyunjae, passed the room Kim Haram and Choi Woojin shared, and stopped in front of the door at the farthest end of the hall.
There were five people staying in this dorm. He’d just passed four of their rooms.
That meant only one person was left.
The only one in the dorm with a room to themselves.
Knock knock.
“Hey. Go Jeongeun, open up.”
Go Jeongeun had locked himself in his room since yesterday and hadn’t budged.
He didn’t seem to be eating properly either… Was being eliminated that much of a shock for him? That guy?
Knock knock. He knocked on the door again.
“Hey. I said come out, didn’t I?”
There was no sign of movement from beyond the door. Giving up on waiting, Lee Jiwon grabbed the doorknob and turned it.
“What the— It’s not even locked?”
He had assumed it would be locked. Just goes to show how misleading assumptions can be. The door opened effortlessly, and he stepped into the room.
The room was filled with the musty smell typical of a semi-basement.
The lights were off, so Go Jeongeun wasn’t immediately visible. He was probably on the bed.
“You in there?”
As expected, Go Jeongeun was curled up tightly on the bed.
“Hey, wake up. You got the Wild Card Round notice too, right?”
“……”
Go Jeongeun didn’t respond, so Jiwon reached toward the phone lying by his pillow.
Tap tap.
He tapped the phone screen. It lit up, showing a preview of the most recent message received.
[Hello. This is the <Be the IDOL> production team.
Participant Go Jeongeun has been selected for the <Be the IDOL> 1.5th round, [Wild Card Round]…]
“Come on, look at this message.”
Jiwon sat on the edge of the bed and shook Go Jeongeun back and forth, but he didn’t react.
“Ugh, seriously… such a hassle.”
Was he really sleeping that soundly? In that case, Jiwon decided to blind him awake.
“I said wake up~!”
He turned on the flashlight on his phone and flipped Go Jeongeun’s body over to shine it in his face.
“…What the.”
But something felt off.
“…What’s with your face?”
Go Jeongeun quickly turned back over.
Not to be outdone, Jiwon grabbed and pulled him over again.
“Did someone hit you or something?”
This time, Jeongeun didn’t resist being turned over again.
His left cheek was swollen badly, and his eye looked half-closed from crying for a long time.
“…What the hell…”
Looking closer, it was even worse than he thought. You could feel the malice behind whoever had done it.
“What the hell. How’d you end up like this?”
Go Jeongeun still didn’t respond.
It was frustrating. Sure, the guy had a crap personality, but he wasn’t the type to go around picking fights or getting into them.
Jiwon checked the back of Jeongeun’s right hand. It was far too clean to suggest he’d punched anyone.
Honestly, it didn’t take much thinking to figure it out. Given the current situation, it was pretty clear who had done this to him.
“Did you tell Haram-hyung about this?”
Only then did Jeongeun finally open his mouth.
“…What the hell would I even say to that bastard.”
The problem was, the moment he spoke, the answer just made Jiwon even more annoyed.
“Yeah, true… if Haram-hyung knew about this, no way he’d just let it slide.”
From what he knew of Haram, he was the type who’d take a hit in Jeongeun’s place if it came to that.
“…Doesn’t it hurt?”
Jiwon was frustrated, but what good would it do to yell at someone whose face looked like a bloody mess? Jeongeun just snorted dismissively through his nose. Jiwon stood up and headed for the door.
“…I’m telling the others. We’re not letting this go.”
In that instant, Go Jeongeun—who hadn’t moved an inch till now—suddenly sprang up from the bed.
“You tell anyone and you’re dead. Especially that bastard Kim Haram.”
“You’re in that state and that’s what you say?”
What the hell was wrong with this guy? Couldn’t he tell right from wrong? Or did he just want to live his whole life as someone’s punching bag?
Jiwon barely held back the curses rising in his throat.
“Say what you want. I’m not changing my mind. Just lie back down and stay there.”
“You son of a b—”
Jeongeun finally got up and grabbed Jiwon by the collar.
“I said shut up, you crazy bastard.”
What was with this guy? His hostility was beyond just being irritable.
And then—
Beep beep beep beep—beep—click!
The door lock gave a cheerful chime as it unlocked.
Jiwon assumed it must be Haram returning.
“Haram-hyung! You’re back! Listen, Jeongeun is—!”
But before he could finish, Jeongeun—looking past him toward the entryway—turned pale as a sheet.
“Well well~ Our little Jeongeun~ acting like a damn gangster when he’s back at the dorm, huh?”
A nasty voice rang out.
._. Fuck.
Lee Ji-won couldn’t help but curse internally in the end.
Yeah, he should’ve realized earlier that it was strange this guy hadn’t shown up until now. Of all times, when Haram-hyung wasn’t even home…
“I even dropped by once and told you nicely to behave, didn’t I?”
So it really was you. That horribly twisted expression and his casual tone were terrifyingly out of sync.
“Fuck, and after that, our dear Jeongeun didn’t contact me even once, huh?”
Go Jeongeun’s hand, which had been gripping Lee Ji-won’s collar, was already halfway loosened—and the man snatched it away in an instant.
“So in the end, I heard about Haram from someone else’s damn mouth again.”
“Ggh…”
As his wrist was twisted, Go Jeongeun let out a faint groan. CEO Jo Jeong-jae brought his face in close.
“This won’t do. You’re coming with me tonight, you piece of shit.”
Go Jeongeun’s face was instantly drenched in cold sweat.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing!!!”
When they turned around, Lee Hyun-jae and Choi Woo-jin had rushed out of their rooms at the noise.
“Heh. What’s everyone doing here, gathering like this? Is this supposed to be a fun show or something?”
“Get back inside, all of you.” Jo Jeong-jae waved his hand dismissively, dragging Go Jeongeun toward the front door.
Completely overpowered by Jo Jeong-jae’s larger build, Jeongeun was helplessly dragged away.
“? What are you doing, Woo-jin?”
Just as they were about to step through the doorway, Choi Woo-jin grabbed Jo Jeong-jae’s forearm with both hands.
His hands trembled faintly.
“P-please, don’t take Jeongeun-hyung with you!”
“…Heh, Woo-jin. If your arms are that thin, how are you gonna carry anything properly, huh?”
With a light flick of Jo Jeong-jae’s arm, Woo-jin’s hands were easily shaken off.
“Don’t worry about this little shit. Just focus on your own stuff, yeah? You guys are supposed to be entering some competition or whatever, right?”
Jo Jeong-jae sneered with a crooked grin.
“Make sure to properly tell Haram what happened. That I dropped by.”
Tell him to give me a call next time. Jo Jeong-jae’s voice rang out thinly through the gap of the closing door.
THUD—
Beep-beep.
The sound of the door lock echoed once again.