Chapter 59
There was no point in trying to avoid being filmed by the cameras. The production team tried to film all the trainees as much as possible. Once he gave up on running away from the cameras, life at the hotel became more comfortable.
“Sowoon’s coming out.”
At Hajun’s voice, Jaekyung’s blurry focus gradually became clearer. He had watched other teams’ stages lightly while thinking about various things, but hearing that Sowoon was coming out made him want to watch a bit more seriously.
“Sowoon.”
“Yes, Jaekyung hyung.”
“I guess you’re my pick. I automatically focus when you come out.”
At Jaekyung’s calm confession, a reddish glow rose over Sowoon’s surprised face. As if suddenly getting hot, Sowoon busily fanned himself with his hands. Then Sowoon’s lips trembled and spread to both sides.
“Hyung, what am I supposed to do if you suddenly say I’m your pick? You’re startling me.”
Sowoon couldn’t focus on the broadcast and hung his head low. When Hajun gently pushed Sowoon’s head from the side, he moved like a doll whose head just went back and forth. At Sowoon’s embarrassed appearance, Jaekyung looked at the screen again. Sowoon with heavy eye makeup looking incredibly cool on the broadcast was a completely different person from the kid next to him.
“I’m also… I’m also hyung’s fan.”
“Oh, really. Thanks.”
Feeling awkward at the heartwarming conversation, Jaekyung turned his gaze away. He had just meant that he looked more closely when watching Sowoon, but it was ridiculous how it had turned into being connected as fans. But it didn’t feel bad.
Sowoon’s stage passed and soon only the last team remained. Jaekyung now familiarly accepted his appearance coming out with a bare face. It was different from when he always came out with heavy makeup like a mask. That’s why his eyes seemed more plain and his face seemed more yellow too.
“Is your face interesting to you?”
At the whisper in his ear, Jaekyung nodded to mean yes. Feeling Jungwoo’s nose brushing against his hair as he sat close by, Jaekyung turned his head toward him.
At his face being closer than expected, Jaekyung pressed his lips tightly together. His body tensed up trying not to show his surprise.
He thought Jungwoo had said what he wanted to say and moved away. Jaekyung looked at Jungwoo’s face shadowed by the light flowing from the screen. Wherever the light touched – his forehead, nose, cheekbones – and wherever it didn’t, the difference was clearly revealed, making the three-dimensional quality of his face stand out.
It was a handsome face with distinctive charm. His cool and handsome features went together like a picture, and his gaze that crowned it all was impressive. Even with a face still between boy and young man, if it was like this, as he got older, it would become impossible to look away.
Jungwoo’s face, which he had come to examine as closely as his own, was also unfamiliar. Actually, he didn’t think he had ever looked at his face this closely and carefully. Even when they stood on the same stage, they always looked at different places.
Jaekyung wondered how to express his thoughts to Jungwoo. His own features had become blurred with a bare face or light makeup, while Lee Jungwoo’s features were distinct even with a bare face.
“Don’t I look ugly coming out?”
“…First, lower your voice.”
“Why?”
“Because if other people hear you, you’ll get cursed at. Why are you suddenly saying you look ugly coming out?”
“Look. My hair is wet and stuck to my face, and my skin looks yellow too. My features are blurry.”
Jungwoo listened to the explanation while looking at Jaekyung’s appearance on the broadcast. He looked quite seriously, but he didn’t particularly see it the way Jaekyung described.
“Fine. Let’s say that’s true. But don’t say things like that to other people.”
Instead of just respecting Jaekyung’s opinion, Jungwoo gave him advice not to get cursed at.
“Even Sowoon, who’s your fan, wouldn’t be able to accept that.”
Jaekyung’s eyes narrowed. So he had heard the conversation with Sowoon.
“Hyung, I’m coming out. Coming out.”
Sowoon focused on the stage lit only by lighting with a more nervous voice than Jaekyung. At Sowoon’s reaction of clenching his fists and swallowing, while finding it interesting how he watched other people’s stages like that, Jaekyung also watched his own stage.
Six men appeared along with footage of cherry blossoms scattering. When their formal wear changed to casual clothes, the initial concept changed beyond recognition.
The beginning wasn’t bad. Rather, the movements of all six were organically connected and good.
In the full shot of the stage, all six danced one choreography and quickly changed formations to continue the next choreography – it was an overall view that Jaekyung hadn’t seen. Since all six were moving to one choreography, it felt like one team.
Watching Yang Chaejun hit the hook in that brief moment, the first verse was over quickly.
Next was the order he knew well. It was the section where they paired up. It was a short section of only 2 measures, but the broadcast repeated the same section 3 times, showing the reactions of the masters and trainees in the waiting room.
Hajun was making a card appear with simple magic while wearing a languid smile, Taeyeon and Yang Chaejun laughed cutely. And Choi Wooju’s usual shy appearance disappeared as he smiled refreshingly enough to show his mouth cavity.
Jungwoo and Jaekyung were also captured by the camera in turn, and Jaekyung’s provocative gaze with Jungwoo laughing as if he couldn’t stop him was completely caught.
And the masters who saw that each threw out a comment.
– Why are you looking like that, Jaekyung? Hm?
– Those two really stand out too much.
– Those guys have good chemistry.
Jaekyung was inwardly satisfied watching his own stage, but made a blank expression at the masters’ words he heard. What chemistry is there with Lee Jungwoo? There isn’t any. There isn’t.
The end of the broadcast was the results announcement where all teams that finished their stages were gathered and the best team was chosen. Through these results, 1st place would receive one benefit in the round that would proceed later, and at the same time get the benefit of having a YouTube promotional video of their practice process uploaded separately.
“The 1st place team is… the Greeting Team. Congratulations.”
The rankings were announced and each team’s appearance was shown. It was the team Sowoon was on. Without exception, the fact that they had enjoyed the stage was conveyed to the masters too, as they received the highest score. While congratulating the Greeting Team, everyone’s envious eyes were all caught by the cameras.
What was he like at that time? As he was thinking, his own face was caught on screen like a lie. Without even an awkward smile, just sending silent applause, his expression had complex emotions clinging all over it. It was exactly the expression others would think was because he didn’t get 1st place.
He remembered.
He had been worried about getting fired from his part-time job.
But next to him, Jungwoo had the same reaction. His face showed as much thinking as his own.
What was he thinking about?
* * *
**TALK**
TheyLoseWeightInCollege [No but Jungwoo sunbae-nim why are you here… we met in the lecture hall yesterday]
ExcitedHam [Jaekyung, now I can see you a lot, that’s why noona is so excited these days]
Ara [As expected, trustworthy Jaekyung devoured the stage, nothing lacking in skills or visuals… if only he’d been properly captured by cameras from the beginning, it would’ve been 1st place materialã… ]
puppup [Jungwoo, I thought only strong concepts suited you, why did you become so sweet… I’m so excited]
alcuTek [Ha……… Jaekyung, what do I do, I’m already thinking of stocking up 5 million albums]
HAPPY BH [The universe was born and I was born]
SoCute [Taeyeon.. he looks like he can’t do anything but why does he dance so wellã… ã… ]
BaraBari [Hajun oppa I love you, please go to the end!!!!!!!!]
CamelliaFlowerBloomed [Jaekyung is smart… Jaekyung is cool… Jaekyung is cute… Jaekyung is dark sweet savory rice cake… ha… yes please]
happy [Every time Jaekyung was caught on camera I got so excited I breathed out through my nose and my rhinitis was completely cured. Fairy Jaekyung who even treats chronic illnesses, I love you><]
Lovely [Jungwoo oppa please debut! I’ll cheer for you]
WhyDidYouGoWhy [My top pick is Jungwoo but I keep getting caught by Hajun and Taeyeon too, what do I do? Why did JT send out such treasures all at once?]
Socar [Yang Chaejun and Min Taeyeon’s images overlap too much, with Lee Sowoon too, the cute-type kids will have blood spilled between them?]
**234** [Found the owner of my right and left atrium. Right Jaekyung Left Jungwoo, because of you two this noona gets bradycardia.]
MyEyeForTalentIsPrecious [What are those two that they hit my heart and left… this is a stock that works]
Sucker [Jaekyung really is a visual, it’s already a plot twist that he does everything well with that soft-looking face, and he even devours the stage, but why does he look so provocatively in the midst of that, don’t tell me you’re doing that because you didn’t vote?? Hm? If so, sorry, even now]
RoundAndRound [Quickly quickly upload Jaekyung’s videos on YouTube, if not I’ll just drive a truck and chase after you, got it? Got.it. I’m negotiating with you right there on the spot. If there’s none, think of it as going to see great-great-grandmother in advance. I want just one guy, Seo Jaekyung, that bastard completely split my heart into 4 so my left atrium right atrium left ventricle right ventricle are going wild, you know?]
WoongAengWoong [Chemistry is crazy, I hope they do a one-on-one stage later, I want to see just those two dancing together]
HiBye [I just came back from seeing the future where those two debut and devour the idol industryã… ]
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
