Chapter 43
In the empty practice room after the cameras were collected, Jaekyung was breathing heavily. The trainees who had been practicing together went to sleep one by one, leaving only Jaekyung behind. Glancing at the clock, he saw the hour hand was approaching 3 AM.
Jaekyung leaned his tired body against the mirror. The heat radiating from his back caused a faint fog to form on the mirror before slowly disappearing. While catching his breath that rose to his throat, Jaekyung thought of his phone left in the room.
He had left his phone behind thinking it might distract him from practice, but it had no effect. If he had known this would happen, he would have just brought it. As he was looking at the door, wondering if he should go get it now, he felt someone sitting down next to him.
It was Jungwoo, who had been practicing with Jaekyung until the end.
“What are you going to do tomorrow if you overdo it?”
“What about you?”
“I still have stamina left.”
Since he was so confident, he figured he’d handle it himself. Honestly, he had been thinking of saying something if he dragged him out and then went in after practicing halfheartedly.
“When the mission comes out, throw yourself at it.”
He didn’t know what would come out, but for now, if it was a team activity, he told him to go for it, and Jungwoo nonchalantly said he would. As the conversation died down with that, Jaekyung stared blankly ahead. Since he was facing away from the mirror, the practice room came into view more than people.
“That… do you watch YouTube a lot?”
Jaekyung muttered in an indifferent tone that seemed unrelated to himself.
“I probably watch a lot.”
“Behind-the-scenes too? Would you bother looking them up?”
“If it’s someone they picked as their favorite, they’d definitely watch.”
Jaekyung was silent for a moment, then spoke carefully.
“What about my videos?”
“If you’re asking about view counts, they’re not that high.”
“Really?”
Jaekyung’s face brightened a little, then darkened again. Still, since he passed the first round, he expected it wouldn’t be rock bottom.
“But they wouldn’t have voted without watching YouTube.”
Even to Jaekyung’s reasonably valid point, Jungwoo responded as if it was nothing.
“I understand that you’re predicting and imagining on your own since you don’t have accurate information, but…”
Jaekyung’s eyes sharpened at the word ‘imagining.’
“Do you think votes are obtained through simple arrangement? This isn’t some arithmetic sequence where 1st place gets 100, 2nd gets 90, 3rd gets 80 votes regularly, is it?”
Jungwoo’s mocking tone was irritating, but his words weren’t wrong. Rather, in the upper-rank competition, lower ranks could easily change positions with just a small number of votes. It was one of several possibilities since no rankings or vote counts had been revealed.
“Well, you probably got enough votes to be in the top 54.”
That’s why he was remaining in the practice room, but Jungwoo’s words unnecessarily rubbed Jaekyung the wrong way.
‘Right, you’re popular, is that it?’
There were things you could tell without them coming out. That Jungwoo’s popularity would be considerable. He wondered if that’s why he had such leisure, but it was soon just his own speculation. If he had known this would happen, he should have watched all of this broadcast before coming back. As Jaekyung was chewing over his ridiculous regret in silence, Jungwoo bluntly said:
“If you’re really worried about it, check the view counts yourself.”
It was no different from saying you’re really nothing special. It felt like trying to crush Jaekyung’s baseless confidence, so he felt unnecessarily hurt. Maybe he was saying it knowing he wouldn’t check, but he quickly dismissed that suspicion. There was no reason for Jungwoo to lie to him specifically. Jaekyung let out a deep sigh and pushed back his sweat-soaked hair. Yeah, it’s more comfortable to just believe Lee Jungwoo’s words.
“Are you going?”
At Jungwoo’s question, Jaekyung looked down at his legs for a moment. He still had strength in them, so it seemed like he could practice a bit more.
“I’ll dance twice more and then go in.”
“Yeah, work hard. If you’re going to help others starting tomorrow, you need to do a lot today.”
At Jungwoo’s words, Jaekyung’s face crumpled. What nonsense is this guy talking about?
“Why would I help?”
“Why? That’s your job.”
“Since when did that become my job?”
“The price for getting the vocal part with the least lines?”
“Wow…”
So that’s why he gave him that part.
“Be honest with me. Did you drag me in to do this? Huh?”
“Yeah. Ask me like last time.”
At Jungwoo’s shameless answer, Jaekyung’s eyes narrowed.
“What if I refuse?”
“I’ll change the parts using my leader’s authority.”
“Something that’s already decided?”
“You can move flexibly according to the situation until you get on stage.”
“You know you’re really petty, right?”
“A team member has nothing they can’t say to the team leader.”
Even though being a team leader is nothing more than gathering kids to perform on stage together. Jaekyung grumbled quietly.
“I should have hidden longer.”
* * *
While Jaekyung went in to wash up, Jungwoo turned on his phone. He familiarly entered the YouTube app and played a video he had watched many times.
He didn’t mention that while the broadcast was made somewhat bland, they had stuffed it with ads on YouTube and made it an hour long. It was 60 minutes total with the 9 members of Team A, including Jaekyung, appearing for about 5 minutes each, plus the content of them practicing together.
Naturally, thanks to generously revealing the side of Jaekyung that he had been hiding all along, Team A’s view count was incomparably higher than other teams.
Jungwoo looked at Jaekyung in the video. It was the profile shoot they did first after gathering as Team A. Despite the somewhat oversized cardigan and awkwardness, everyone in Team A was surprised by how he changed as soon as filming began.
There were already many trainees who were subtly conscious of Jaekyung because he sang well. But seeing him naturally pose in front of the camera, they knew he had properly caught their attention.
When teaching dance to Sowoon, he deliberately moved aside, conscious of the camera. However, he didn’t calculate being reflected in the mirror by another camera. Jaekyung’s skills were glimpsed in how he broke down the beat finely and taught each movement in detail.
He did well. He just did everything well.
“Good enough to believe he had worked as an idol.”
Unlike his clumsy self, Jaekyung did everything skillfully. He stood out just by standing there, and his skills were good too.
And in the video that immediately followed, Jungwoo propped his chin. He had replayed this part especially many times.
– He’s someone who looks good in suits, but it’s like putting him in a school uniform. It would be good if he raised his tone a bit more and was more active, but it’s a bit disappointing. Something doesn’t go in with force… Still, his voice is good.
Yoo Minhyuk, who had seemed dissatisfied about something since filming, was indirectly criticizing him. Well, not all trainees cheer for each other. But what was surprising was Jaekyung’s words that followed.
– I think that’s better for now. He might be different when he actually gets on stage, but right now it’s time to show his voice to the trainer. Rather than showing an overly excited appearance, he needs to be able to receive help according to future lessons.
Though Jaekyung’s expression wasn’t visible since his back was turned, his voice stuck clearly in his ears.
– He’s probably producing the voice that seems to fit that song best. It’s not cheerful, but the lyrics are being delivered well.
“You acted like you had no interest in me at all.”
“What did I act like?”
At Jaekyung’s question as he came out after washing up, Jungwoo shook his head as if it was nothing. Then he turned off the YouTube he had been watching. At that natural movement, Jaekyung got on his bed without any other suspicions.
“Why aren’t you sleeping yet?”
“I can’t fall asleep.”
“Don’t doze off tomorrow after saying that.”
Jaekyung confirmed he could only sleep for a couple of hours, then yawned quietly and pulled up the covers. After confirming that Jaekyung was soon breathing evenly, Jungwoo picked up his phone and went online.
[Free Board] My 16-year trainee days are finally paying off I think [93]
Honestly, each trainee being given different amounts of time, ok. It’s hard to show all 99 kids… I acknowledge the PD’s character just for not sacrificing anyone to evil editing. But what’s the problem?
Jaekyung oppa’s screen time has gone missing!!! When other kids were working hard to secure screen time, Jaekyung oppa, what were you doing ㅠ
But the video uploaded on YouTube resolved all my resentment. It was brief, but I’m sorry for resenting oppa ㅜㅜㅜㅜ Just breathing and being alive is enough, so please continue living as oppa wants, I’ll come find you
Comments [43]
YouAreGuilty: Damn, I almost passed by just looking at the title, phew. I’m already hooked
└aphijj: He definitely has charm
Martian: Nothing lacking in vocals or dance ㅠ Is that why I fell for him?
└Author: That’s what we call ‘doing a Jaekyung’
[Anonymous] Yeah, this is it, this is what I wanted to see from the beginning
He seems a bit broadcast-conscious, but it’s not that he’s trying to come out, but that he’s hiding because he’s shy, so I’ll let it pass
└The broadcast consciousness is intense
└└Cross the line
└Please stay still
└└There’s no sincerity, he’ll only become a top star at this rate
[Anonymous] Ah, he’s so good it’s annoying
└Basically all these kids have good vocals
└He’s good, let’s go top 9
[Anonymous] It’s healing
└His voice hits hard
└Pressing the soundproof cushions ㄱㅇㅇㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
[Anonymous] Jaekyung, you’re already at debut level. Our Jaekyung who will become a thousand-year idol, please give lots of love^^ People who pretend to have no interest will also be like “Huh? This kid dances well? He didn’t look like that but it’s interesting?” while finding it fun, funny, cute… huh…? I can see the future of being sucked in while denying their interest. I can see it.
Looking at the comments as well, Jaekyung’s passage this time wasn’t very surprising. There was even speculation that perhaps Jaekyung might be the most popular in Team A.
Jungwoo quietly turned his phone slightly to shine light just enough to check Jaekyung’s face. Hearing even breathing as he slept sweetly, Jaekyung’s expression looked comfortable. How that face would change if he passed the next announcement ceremony.
Jungwoo pondered over Jaekyung throughout the dawn hours.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
