Again, Idol 12

Chapter 12

What feelings or loyalty could exist between people who’d only met once during preliminaries? Yet Lee Jungwoo just stared at Jaekyung as if he didn’t understand what was strange. As they unwillingly engaged in a staring contest, Yoon Hajun stepped in to clarify the situation.

“I think Taeyeon tried to lift you up because he’s small. If it had been Jungwoo and Jaekyung-ssi, you could have retrieved the ball. What a shame.”

Is it okay if I call you Jaekyung-ssi? Yoon Hajun asked while already using the name as he pleased, adding flesh to Jungwoo’s insufficient explanation. Then PD Choi wrapped up the situation.

“The first mission I prepared hoping you’d get closer ended in failure. Well then, we’ll remove the school uniforms from here.”

Amid sounds of disappointment, Jaekyung’s thoughts multiplied just from Jungwoo pulling on his arm. Why was Jungwoo acting this way toward him? Why had his attitude changed after meeting at the audition when he’d previously made it clear he disliked Jaekyung?

“At this rate, only the fairy costume will be left.”

“Hmm… it would be worth seeing if Geonhu hyung got wings.”

Min Taeyeon, remembering how his short sitting height had prevented their success earlier, tried getting revenge on Park Geonhu. Not that Park Geonhu paid him any attention.

“That could shut down this program. Want to see Jungwoo with wings?”

Instead, Yoon Hajun patted Taeyeon’s head.

“No. But I think they’d suit me well… Hyung, I’m scared. What if wings look good on me?”

“I’m worried too. You already have that refreshing image.”

Park Geonhu pretended to gag at Taeyeon and Hajun’s conversation, while Jungwoo ignored them. And Jaekyung, who couldn’t help but hear since he had ears, cringed.

There’s not a single normal one among them.

“Next… before I announce the event, everyone freeze. Don’t move.”

PD Choi shouted with a tone like he was catching criminals, making Jaekyung flinch. Isn’t this the kind of tension normally added in editing? Why is he acting like this?

“From now on, we’ll be playing team dodgeball.”

What’s the connection here? As PD Choi raised his hand, staff members ran over with a rope. Two staff members passed in front of Jaekyung. Just as he was about to collide with them, someone grabbed his arms and shoulders, pulling him backward.

“Ugh.”

Jaekyung groaned as the back of his head and shoulders collided with something solid. The staff member gave Jaekyung an apologetic look. Dazed, Jaekyung looked at the person who had helped him.

Lee Jungwoo. You were still beside me?

“Thank you.”

Though reluctant to respond, Jaekyung gave a small bow since Jungwoo had helped him, then moved away from him.

“I grabbed Jaekyung hyung first.”

“Ah…”

He belatedly realized that someone else had been holding his arm.

When Jaekyung turned his head, Min Taeyeon was pouting but still looking at him.

“Thank you.”

When he gave the same thanks he’d given Jungwoo, the corner of Taeyeon’s mouth twitched.

“It’s nothing. I couldn’t let hyung get hurt. By the way, I’m 16, so I’ll call you hyung.”

No, I don’t like that. Don’t call me that. Jaekyung appreciated the help, but he wasn’t thrilled about becoming close as hyung and dongsaeng.

“Don’t pressure him like that.”

Jaekyung looked at his right arm with disbelief. Unless Min Taeyeon had only one arm, the hand holding his right arm must belong to someone else. Following the hand upward, he found Yoon Hajun smiling sweetly.

It was a smile that said: I helped you too, but don’t worry about thanking me.

I’d rather have collided with the staff. Why are all three of them crowding around to help? Jaekyung just wanted to remove the hands attached to his body. So, pretending to straighten his clothes, he detached their hands and moved a step away from Jungwoo entirely. As the warmth of others left his body, Jaekyung pulled at the collar of his shirt. His breathing eased, and he finally felt alone again.

When Jaekyung changed positions, Jungwoo subtly moved closer to him, while Park Geonhu pulled Hajun and Taeyeon toward himself. Jaekyung heard someone say “stop being so clingy,” but he pretended not to hear and turned his head away.

As people were inadvertently divided, the staff secured the rope on the floor and stepped back. Unbeknownst to Jaekyung, they had been split into groups of 49 and 50. PD Choi cheerfully explained that the uneven number was just part of the luck of the draw. Jaekyung looked ahead. Specifically, he looked at Yoon Hajun, Park Geonhu, and Min Taeyeon, who had become the opposing team.

The line had been drawn right in front of him, splitting the teams while everyone remained standing. Jaekyung glanced at Jungwoo beside him.

‘Jungwoo should have been over there too.’

Unfortunately, since Jungwoo had been standing beside him rather than in front, they were on the same team.

“You know the rules, right? If you get hit, you go out. The last person remaining wins.”

Jaekyung figured this would definitely come down to one person, determining who would get the team uniform. PD Choi threw the ball without giving them time to prepare. And somehow, that ball landed right in Jaekyung’s arms. He looked down at the ball he’d caught instinctively.

‘I’ve never played dodgeball before.’

I know the rules, so I’ll just pretend to play and step back? When he looked up, he heard rapid movement as people created distance from him. The men who had fled behind him were all tense, trying not to get hit by Jaekyung’s ball.

Even Yoon Hajun, Park Geonhu, and Min Taeyeon, who had been hovering around him earlier, were the most enthusiastic about running away. Jaekyung held the ball in one hand with a bewildered expression. What’s the point of creating distance? They’re standing so close together that I could hit someone with my eyes closed. Thinking he’d hit someone, he threw the ball.

“Oh? Nice pass.”

Han Chanhyung, his roommate who had appeared out of nowhere, caught the ball with a smile. He waved to Jaekyung, signaling that he’d caught the ball well.

“Ah…”

As Jaekyung turned away in embarrassment, his eyes met with Lee Sowoon, who was also inside the boundary line. Just as he was about to turn his head the other way from Sowoon’s questioning look… he noticed Lee Jungwoo biting his lip and frowned.

‘He’s laughing at me.’

Someone even muttered, “With that build, you’d think he could take out two or three at once…” Jaekyung half gave up when he saw that possession had switched. Since he’d passed it, if he got hit and was eliminated, the ball would return to his team.

‘I’ll get hit and go out.’

Han Chanhyung, who noticed Jaekyung slightly stepping forward, picked up the ball. Being at the front where he could hit Jaekyung accurately, Chanhyung muttered an apology and threw the ball. Jaekyung had no intention of dodging and only slightly turned his body. He had the shallow thought that getting hit on the back would hurt less. But someone intervened and caught the incoming ball.

‘Oh, come on.’

What is he doing? Jungwoo caught the ball, preventing Jaekyung from either dying or hiding, leaving him with nothing good. Jungwoo held the ball easily in one hand. With what looked like a casual swing of his arm, the ball flew sharply and hit one of the trainees. Jaekyung didn’t want to bother telling him not to stand in front, so he just slipped into the crowd. However, every time a ball came their way after that, Jungwoo blocked it.

‘What’s his deal?’

I’d need to ask to know if he’s coming because he wants to catch the ball. Park Geonhu, watching, threw out a comment:

“Is this bodyguard dodgeball?”

* * *

The dodgeball game that required eliminating 99 people was approaching its end. Jaekyung was eliminated when he got hit on the thigh by a ball that bounced off someone else on his team. Now free from Jungwoo, Jaekyung could watch the dodgeball game with a more relaxed mind. When he was still in, he’d had endless questions: What kind of dodgeball is this? Why dodgeball of all things? Was there really a need for dodgeball? But now…

“This is fun.”

It was genuinely entertaining watching people chase after a single ball so passionately. Some people were nimble, and others could dodge with minimal movements, which was impressive. Now he understood why both playing and watching sports had their own appeal.

The last two remaining were Yoon Hajun and Lee Jungwoo. Hajun used his tall height to intercept passes from the opposing team, while Jungwoo simply avoided the ball with a few body twists, leaving just the two of them.

Hajun, throwing and catching the ball, asked Jungwoo “You feel the same, right?” But even though Jungwoo wasn’t particularly aggressive, the ball kept circling elsewhere. Hajun threw the ball and Jungwoo was hit, unable to catch it. Just as Hajun was about to celebrate his victory, PD Choi shouted, “Yoon Hajun, out!”

Hajun looked at PD Choi with a “why?” expression, and PD Choi waved his hand.

“You stepped on the line.”

After this unexpected turn, Hajun and Jungwoo stood there blankly, and Jaekyung tilted his head in confusion. So if Hajun had hit Jungwoo before stepping on the line, Hajun would have won, and if not, Jungwoo would have won, but who was it?

“This requires video review… but since we can’t do that right now, I’ll judge based on what my eyes saw.”

That’s cheating.

“Since stepping on the line and getting hit happened simultaneously, we’ll move on to the next game.”

At PD Choi’s shameless answer, Jaekyung was certain. There must have been a clear winner between the two. However, it seemed like they were glossing over it for the sake of the next game, but no one complained.

“If you can’t review it, please don’t remove any clothing.”

Jungwoo acted like he didn’t care either way, and Hajun just seemed amused by the situation. Instead, Hajun, determined to secure his advantage, attempted to negotiate with PD Choi. When PD Choi agreed, Hajun went along without further comment. The other trainees were also more excited about moving on to the next game than determining the winner.

Next, they did jump rope. Jaekyung planned to go last and was just standing still, but people who went in ahead kept getting caught. The condition was to jump 20 times after entering, but if someone else entered, the count would start over from the beginning.

Getting caught, falling, getting caught, falling. Jaekyung, who couldn’t even find the timing to enter the spinning jump rope, could only stare blankly.

“Aren’t you going in?”

At Jungwoo’s question, Jaekyung shook his head.

“I can’t go in.”

“When the rope hits the ground and swings up, go in and prepare to jump.”

Thanks to Jungwoo’s simple explanation, Jaekyung nodded slightly to indicate he understood. Of course, he still didn’t go in.

After watching the rope swing for a moment, Jaekyung turned to Jungwoo.

“It seems like you’re hovering around me strangely. Am I imagining things?”

Jungwoo, who had also been watching the rope swing, turned his gaze to Jaekyung.

“It’s not your imagination.”

“Then why are you doing it?”

“Because I want to be with you.”

“Why?”

Jaekyung looked at him as if he couldn’t understand. Jungwoo closed his mouth for a moment, as if thinking about his answer.

“Now.”

“What?”

“Go in now.”

Because Jungwoo pushed his back, Jaekyung entered the jump rope area in a daze. Quickly finding his balance and jumping, Jaekyung looked ahead with surprised eyes.

Am I jumping right now?