Chapter 35
‘Didn’t I expect to make an idol friend?’
So Lee Jungwoo would become a celebrity and he himself wouldn’t do anything, so he was thinking of accepting him as an idol friend. All under the premise that he himself wouldn’t become an idol.
Jaekyung looked at the ceiling as if feeling dejected. The clean interior design stood out. As he was meaninglessly scanning the ceiling with his eyes, Jungwoo sitting next to him was laughing quietly.
“Is it funny?”
“…Yeah.”
Jungwoo looked into his phone then soon showed Jaekyung the screen.
“Look at this.”
The chat room was blazing with incredible activity. They had decided to watch episode 2 separately today, and after asking why only the two of them were watching, messages were constantly coming in. Of course, Jaekyung hadn’t looked at his own phone. When Jungwoo pointed at the screen telling him to look, it was all about Jaekyung. It had to be. Jaekyung glared at episode 2, which was the root of all evil.
[This friend draws attention even when staying still.]
[Look at him being shy. So cute.]
[Wow. A rough gem appeared here.]
[Even when hitting high notes right away, he doesn’t waver at all?]
[He has a clear voice so the high notes go up smoothly, but there’s a husky tone mixed in the low notes which is unique. And… it’s really comfortable to listen to.]
[It feels like he’s been singing for a long time. That’s why his tone comes through well too.]
[I couldn’t see his dancing so I want to see it.]
[I haven’t seen everything yet, but just from this one song, it wouldn’t be a waste to give him an A.]
Jaekyung’s face grew hotter and hotter at the reviews full of praise.
“Haah.”
He thought he had failed because he didn’t say anything on the stage he went up on as soon as he reached the main competition. No, they said to listen to the judging results on the broadcast, but their expressions weren’t good so he thought it would just pass by. But to think such words were exchanged.
“Even so, that’s too much.”
Jaekyung made a tearful face with the feeling that it was too much.
Why is there so much praise!
“They say you did well.”
“Stop talking.”
Jaekyung swept his heated face.
He understood everything even without Jungwoo egging him on from the side.
“There are many comments saying they expected it.”
“What do you mean they expected it.”
Jaekyung covered his hot ears. All the heat seemed to have gone to his ears, making them particularly hot. Not a single person said it was bad. Even the husky part that he thought they would consider showing off, they said was fine. Did he belt out high notes that day? Thinking about it, he did belt them out right away. Unlike when he consciously sang while standing on stage as an idol, he had to think carefully to remember how he sang. Anyway, he was honestly happy that they liked his song.
‘No. I shouldn’t be happy about this.’
After despairing that everything was ruined, now wanting to feel good about praise – this isn’t even bipolar disorder. Jaekyung shook his head as if trying to pull himself together. He reflected on how he had completely fallen for it when praise wasn’t a good thing.
When he raised his head with a hardened expression, Jungwoo turned his head to the opposite side.
‘I think he was smiling…’
Jaekyung glanced at Jungwoo once then fixed his gaze on the screen again.
‘Please just leave me alone.’
There were many talented people, so if he just didn’t stand out more than this…
[Want to hear it again.]
At someone’s last comment, Jaekyung’s expression crumbled. Jaekyung made a groaning sound and collapsed onto the table.
“Good for you. You’ll really make a proper impression, won’t you?”
He tried to brush off Jungwoo’s words as just something nice to say. When another person appeared, Jaekyung found peace again.
The place where the two met was a Korean restaurant in room format. It was interesting that TVs were installed in each room, and they said they could leave when the program was over. Jaekyung looked around the room curiously again and picked up sweet pumpkin tempura. Now that he had passed, the appetite that had settled down finally came back up.
As Jaekyung ate the crispy and sweet pumpkin tempura and turned his gaze back to the TV, Jungwoo didn’t miss that sight and watched him. Certainly, as Sowoon had said, he ate well. Even while eating away the many side dishes characteristic of Korean food one by one, there was no sound of eating.
Jungwoo was watching Jaekyung then slyly lowered his eyes to look at the chat room. When he clicked on the link Sowoon posted, there was a post in what was called the free bulletin board.
[Free Talk] Starting today I’m stanning Seo Jaekyung [76]
I scolded myself a lot today for thinking he was just a trainee who sang well since watching episode 1
Yeah, Jaekyung is also to blame for not taking off his hat and coming earlier
Anyway, what should I do?
Seeing him go to the hotel so familiarly yet not understanding that the staff came so naturally made me want to go bite his ears tightly. Does he not have ears, he’s so unable to understand, so earless//so cute
When they told him to look at other trainees and he said only he didn’t have a suitcase, puhuhuhuhuhuh…
Jaekyung.. that’s not it lololololol
What to do about that disconnect
The staff also knows Jaekyung is cute so they want to see him again, I think they’re already fans, so am I second?????
Comments (76)
Shit dung beetle: It was over the moment he took off his hat and came. Jeans and white t-shirt, he came wearing a boyfriend look
â”” That’s possible that’s possible: Wasn’t it a senior look?
â”” replay0n: Just a damn handsome man
Martian: I thought he was someone who frequented hotels lol hearing him answer suitcase made me laugh out loud lolololol
Cross mark: I was already into Jaekyung from the beginning, give me second place
â”” Author: nooooooope
â”” Cross mark: Bring it
â”” Author: I refuse
Starting from today day 1: I completely collapsed during dodgeball, what if he passes to the opponent lolololol
â”” Dayyyyyy: Really I collapsedã… ã… ã… ã… ã… ã… ã… ã… ã…
I refuse to refuse: The main vocal is here.
â”” Author: Fucking agree
Show more comments
Jungwoo exited that window and put his phone down beside him. It would be fine if Jaekyung read the messages himself, but he shouldn’t mention it unnecessarily.
“But…”
Instead, Jungwoo started speaking toward Jaekyung. There were many things he wanted to ask when it was just the two of them. Why he wanted to avoid cameras so much when he applied voluntarily, why he particularly tried to avoid him, why he acted like he hated everything.
“You seem to have lost weight, are you dieting or something?”
But Jungwoo couldn’t ask all of that. Anyone could see he had circumstances, but it didn’t seem like he would talk about them. He knew he hadn’t yet entered within the line Jaekyung had set. He had just opened up a little more than before.
At Jungwoo’s question, Jaekyung stopped the chopstick movements he had been busily making until just now. Looking at what he’s eating now, couldn’t he tell there was no particular thought of dieting?
But since Jungwoo, who had seen him after a week, was asking like this, it seemed like the weight loss was really noticeable.
Jaekyung mumbled while picking up his water glass.
“It’s not dieting, just…”
He couldn’t say that he still didn’t have any real income because he couldn’t find a part-time job in advance due to being concerned about the audition. Even the lunch he ate at school, he couldn’t eat properly lately because too much attention was suddenly being poured on him. So meeting Jungwoo now was his first proper meal in a long time.
“I’m busy… doing part-time work and studying that I couldn’t do.”
“Ah, because of studying.”
He said he liked studying. Pretending not to hear Jungwoo’s words, Jaekyung picked up his spoon again. He was going to eat the remaining rice. Then suddenly Jaekyung’s gaze went to Jungwoo’s rice bowl.
“Why aren’t you eating? No appetite?”
“I’m going to eat now.”
Jungwoo saw his face appear on TV and picked up his spoon following Jaekyung. Jaekyung looked back and forth between Jungwoo on screen and Jungwoo eating rice. Jungwoo dancing to the song had little expression, and eating was similar. Just eating rice or dancing under that face.
I can see he got first place, but what’s so dried up about him.
Jaekyung thought Jungwoo was as peculiar as himself. Thinking about it, Jungwoo wasn’t different from him. He didn’t deliberately seek out cameras wanting to do well somewhere, nor did he worry about how he would appear.
Could it be that like me, he doesn’t want to be an idol? But when I actually think about it, that doesn’t seem to be the case.
Jaekyung looked at Jungwoo with a gaze that said he didn’t know, then shook his head slightly. Whatever he was thinking, he considered it unrelated to himself.
“What time will you come tomorrow?”
Then Jungwoo asked in a casual tone while picking up side dishes. Jaekyung likewise answered casually while putting rice in his mouth.
“On time.”
Jungwoo nodded as if to say “is that so.” The two would meet again at the dorm tomorrow.
* * *
Jaekyung stood in front of the mirror wearing the only clothes he received the day he finished his first filming.
“Whew.”
Seo Jaekyung in the mirror had a nervous face. Though he kept telling himself it was nothing, his expression wouldn’t relax at all.
Meanwhile, the phone beside him vibrated. Without looking, he knew it was Sowoon. Lately, he contacted him whenever he had a moment, so Jaekyung often realized where his phone was. Until recently it had been quiet as if dead, but now it often frantically announced its existence. Jaekyung roughly turned on the screen to confirm Sowoon’s name then closed it. It had been a long time since he read messages. He was busy with part-time work until last night. Then he suddenly checked the popup floating above the messages.
“Ah, right.”
PD Choi had said he’d let them know about something he planned after episode 2 aired. He was about to go in and look, but Jaekyung put his phone back down. He figured he’d hear about it when he got there anyway.
Jaekyung roughly swept his hair. It had grown quite long, completely covering his forehead and covering his eyebrows. If it was longer, could it cover his eyes completely? He killed time with useless thoughts.
However, he was already prepared and it was still early. Jaekyung looked at his clothes in the mirror one last time before going out.
It was a group uniform of white shirt, navy cardigan, beige pants and a twilly. They said if he came wearing the clothes, they would do simple makeup and start filming right away.
Today was the announcement day when those who passed and those who were eliminated would be decided.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
