"You, you in that shadow, So sweet dream, hehe."
Kim Joo-an, who had successfully completed his afternoon practice and self-promo photoshoot, was humming the competition song and pouring propolis into his mouth.
"Joo-an, it's good now, but right here, turn, like this…"
"Yes, yes! I think I know! Yes! I can do it!"
Not only did he become Son Jae-ha's teammate, the pureblood trainee he caught, but the first stage he performed with an audience was 'SHADOW', the number one song since the debut of the first-tier male idol group, Leopold.
It was an ideal situation for a trainee on a survival show, who couldn't help but attract attention.
And what about the self-promotion photoshoot that happened today?
"Trainees, you have exactly one minute! Just show off your charms to the fullest during this time!"
Although Kim Joo-an was a bit flustered because the filming came up so suddenly, he finished the filming pretty well thanks to the dance challenge he had memorized for uploading to SNS, and his vocal impressions.
Though Kim Joo-an was a bit flustered from the sudden filming, he finished it off pretty well thanks to the dance challenge and
"I didn't know Son Jae-ha would suddenly start singing and rapping with Ji Hwa-seong, but whatever, it's just them. The others were so-so."
In Kim Joo-an's opinion, the only people better than himself were the AG pureblood trainees.
In fact, back then, the production staff gave a better response to other trainees like Logan, a British man who played the guitar, and Ryota, who sang the unaccompanied animation opening medley.
"Ah, if things continue like this, I might just debut without a hitch. I only need to make a story that makes it look like I and Son Jae-ha have some chemistry."
Perhaps due to the praise from the original singers about his acrobatic parts yesterday, Kim Joo-an's pride was soaring.
'If I become an idol, I'll buy a really expensive house, invite famous people over, and throw a party. I'll also have to show off a lot in the middle of it all.'
And as he was imagining such a beautiful future.
"Hey, Joo-an."
"…Huh?"
Someone opened the break room door and called his name.
Kim Joo-an frowned as he processed the situation, then gasped with an 'Ah!'.
…Kim Chunyong.
Yes. If there was one person who could upset Kim Joo-an right now, it was Kim Chunyong.
"Oh, then I'll do a dance!"
During his PR time, Kim Chunyong called what he did a 'freestyle dance', but Kim Joo-an knew what kind of dance it was as soon as he saw it.
While Kim Chunyong was in QuinCE, he always practiced break dancing alone.
A thing he kept practicing even though no one gave him feedback or even helped him record.
It must have been a special dance for him. He must've practiced really hard.
…yet he calls it just a 'dance' and did it in a minute-long PR video? Perfectly, at that?
Of course, Kim Chunyong just remembered the dance he practiced for a long time as a trainee, and chose the strange dinosaur imitation in the middle because it was suitable for PR.
However, without knowing the story, Kim Joo-an secretly admitted that the dance was 'perfect', bit his lips hard and grumbled at Kim Chunyong.
"Are we close or something? You're insane. Why are you acting like we're friends?"
"…I just called your name, why are you swearing all of a sudden? What if the camera caught that?"
"I just got out of the break room because the camera was rolling. Even if I mix up words and curse at you, nothing will happen."
"You too, really…"
Kim Chunyong, who looked disgusted by Kim Joo-an's foul language, sighed deeply and rubbed the back of his neck as he spoke.
"Okay. Since I don't even have a camera right now, I'll be honest."
You, please…
"Watch your mouth."
"…what?"
"Honestly, it's none of my business if you ruin yourself by talking nonsense. You can handle that yourself. But don't let it get to our team, the competition's right around the corner. I hope you'll draw a line."
"Ahh… me again. What the hell did I say."
Kim Joo-an, who had a confident hamster-like expression on his face at Kim Chunyong's words, suddenly smiled brightly and whispered.
"Are you talking about Jang Si-woo being knocked out of the top spot in the midterm evaluation? Seriously, why are you blaming me for his mental weakness…?"
"You-"
At Kim Chunyong's growl, Kim Joo-an raised both arms and shook his head, cutting off his words.
"Hey, I know the details of his situation from my uncle, but it wasn't intentional at first, was it? I was just curious. If not then, who would I ask for Jang Si-won seonbaenim's autograph? You know that, right?"
A bitter smile appeared on Kim Joo-an's cute face.
"If he ruins the competition because of that, I'll be the one who's thankful."
"..."
"He's right above me. Well, it's the basic rankings, but it definitely has an impact on the broadcast. Come to think of it, I'm really good at grasping situations. It's probably just a stroke of luck though, huh?"
"…Is that what you're saying now? I'm telling you not to hurt others, and you're talking about your luck?"
"What can I do? You feel the same way, don't you? You pretend to care about others and be nice, it's freaking gross. The entertainment industry is ultimately one for themselves. Why should I care?"
Kim Joo-an turned away from the door, strode towards Kim Chunyong and poked his shoulder with his finger.
"Why? Is it because of Jang Si-woo? You're arguing with me because he failed?"
"..."
"What a shame. I'm the one who got Son Jae-ha. He's not like Jang Si-woo, who's mentally thinner than paper and so ambiguous. Do you know how I've been with Son Jae-ha? The bond we built by calling him hyung is different from yours."
"Ha, haha. You… really are the worst. Does that guy know you're like this?"
"What the hell do you know? Stop acting so smart. It really pisses me off. Didn't I tell you to withdraw a long time ago? How would you feel if you were hated by Son Jae-ha, a pureblood of AG? Can you handle that?"
Indeed, Kim Joo-an's words were even harsher when there were no cameras.
Not only is he mocking and sarcastic, he also doesn't hesitate to mention Son Jae-ha's name, whom he wanted to debut with.
There were no cameras in the break room right now. And Kim Joo-an was dealing with Kim Chunyong, the man he despised the most in the world.
Kim Chunyong looked at Kim Joo-an with a cold gaze and slowly closed his open mouth.
Caught up in his own head, Kim Joo-an ended up missing quite a few things.
The reason why he goes to the break room to eat propolis is because of Son Jae-ha, who goes there frequently.
The fact that Kim Chunyong deliberately did not fully close the glass door when he came in earlier.
"…Are you two talking about something important right now?"
"―!"
Two pairs of eyes turned simultaneously toward the break room door.
"Uh… Uh…"
Kim Joo-an, realizing who the other person was, smiled and stuttered.
"I came here because I was thirsty while practicing, but, um, this looks a bit serious."
Light brown hair that swayed despite being drenched in sweat, and a slightly embarrassed expression. An AG company water bottle in hand.
Kim Joo-an forced his voice from his throat and muttered.
"Jae… Jae-ha hyung."
Kim Chunyong took one look at Kim Joo-an and nodded toward Son Jae-ha.
"…hello."
"Yeah. Hello. Chunyong."
Kim Chunyong and Kim Joo-an. Son Jae-ha, who had been quietly observing the strange confrontation between the two, scratched his cheek and spoke awkwardly.
"If I go get some water now… it'll be a bit weird, right?"
"No! I don't mind, but Joo-an, well..."
"Ahh…"
Son Jae-ha's eyes fell on Kim Joo-an.
The pale irises still seemed kind, but upon closer look, there was a hidden coldness.
"If you guys are going to talk longer, I'll just come back later. Uh, mm, also…"
Kim Joo-an trembled and tried to avoid Son Jae-ha's gaze, but it was no use.
"Don't be so harsh, there's no camera here."
"..."
"You might get caught by the hallway camera."
Thump-
Son Jae-ha walked out of the break room, and Kim Joo-an dropped to the floor with his hands over his mouth, having lost strength in his legs.
A terrible thought filled Kim Joo-an's head.
…did he hear?
"No. Maybe he came in mid-sentence…"
The one I'm tied to is that guy.
There's still a lot of survival left.
The upcoming competition requires us to stand on stage as a team!
"Oh, shit. What… no. I didn't hear it. I absolutely, absolutely did not hear…"
At Kim Joo-an's trembling words, Kim Chunyong patted his shoulder with a displeased expression. The pity on his face was evident.
However,
"How could you not have heard, Kim Joo-an?"
The voice that followed was extremely cold.
At that cold reaction, Kim Joo-an suddenly came to his senses and bolted at Kim Chunyong.
"You, you! You knew everything, didn't you! You son of a bitch—"
"Why are you like this? Let go of this, man."
While Kim Joo-an struggled with their physical differences, Kim Chunyong roughly released the grip on his collar and shoved him away.
"The break room door isn't completely closed yet. What if someone else hears?"
Kim Chunyong's lips lifted in a cheerful manner as he spoke softly. His fangs matched his gangster-like appearance quite well.
So, he really looked incredibly intimidating.
Strangely enough, it was in this very place that Kim Chunyong's malicious member skills emerged.
"Don't you remember? I told you about it when we met again after a long time."
What is that habit of a wannabe idol to say?
Kim Chunyong pushed Kim Joo-an back again with both hands and whispered to him as if urging him.
"Stop blaming me. Did I ask you to curse me? You brought this upon yourself. You have a tendency to blame me for everything."
"Fuck…"
Kim Joo-an, who was completely mentally exhausted, stumbled and grabbed the corner of the break room table.
As he took in the sight, Kim Chunyong sighed and shook his head.
"You know what? If you go and apologize, Jae-ha hyung might accept it."
Actually, if Kim Joo-an apologized sincerely, Jae-ha hyung would definitely forgive him.
Because the angel who comforted me even when I got drunk at our place, grabbing him by the collar and cursing, was Son Jae-ha.
This is a case of bragging behind his back and selling his name, really.
Next time, I'll give him a long, affectionate pat on the shoulder and tell him not to do that.
What Kim Chunyong was saying now wasn't just words intended to upset Kim Joo-an.
"You're talking nonsense, you crazy bastard…"
However, Kim Chunyong shook his head as he saw Kim Joo-an tightening his grip on the table.
Alright.
If he'd acted differently from the beginning, he'd have returned to the entertainment industry after the controversy over his abuse of power scandal.
However, Kim Joo-an only sank deeper.
"Why should I apologize? Is this my fault? I was just doing what was told! What exactly went wrong?"
I don't want to apologize to that coordinator. I think this was all done by someone who was jealous of me.
Kim Chunyong knew everything, but he picked a fight with Kim Joo-an in the break room where anyone could see him.
This was originally―
"Fuck… you damn bastard…."
It was a competition that Kim Joo-an could not win.
Kim Chunyong spoke cheerfully, poking Kim Joo-an's shoulder with his finger, just like he had done to him earlier.
"If you don't take care of your mouth from now on, something like this won't just end so smoothly."
If you don't want to get cut, do it well.
"The stage has to be done properly."
Bang—
In the break room, stood only the horrified Kim Joo-an, and the bottle of propolis that'd tipped over.
Dong…
The bottle, which had been rolling at the edges of the table, soon fell to the floor and broke with an ugly crack.
…as Kim Chunyong said.
The competition is near.