Chapter 64
Jaekyung was confused, unable to organize his tangled thoughts. He wondered what to say first, but there wasn’t anything he could easily ask about.
“How did you find out?”
In the end, all he managed to ask was how he found out. He belatedly examined Jungwoo’s expression, wondering if this was why he’d been clinging to practice even more. He didn’t look serious on the surface, but he could be hiding his emotions, so he was cautious.
Feeling Jaekyung observing him, Jungwoo chuckled. He always acted like he didn’t care about anything, but at times like this, he always watched for reactions. Finding that endearing, Jungwoo answered in a light tone while keeping a smile on his lips.
“Hajun hyung mentioned it? That I’m the CEO’s son, and that’s why they’re really pushing me on the broadcast. He even guaranteed I’d get 1st place at this announcement ceremony.”
“You read it all.”
“He said it’s already spread everywhere too? If that was all, I wouldn’t have said anything. Hajun hyung really laughed mockingly when he said I climbed up through my agency’s power.”
“Ah…”
If Sowoon knew, there was no way Hajun wouldn’t. Even so, the fact that he’d told Jungwoo right away made Hajun feel unreasonably spiteful. While Jaekyung cursed Hajun internally, Jungwoo brought back what he’d been saying earlier.
“Did you forget your answer about being the CEO’s son?”
Jaekyung avoided Jungwoo’s gaze.
“I’m not interested in whether that rumor is true.”
Jaekyung had also had times when he struggled with malicious rumors. Back then, people around him would pretend to worry about him while subtly asking if it was true. At first he’d answer that it wasn’t, but gradually he’d close his mouth. Nothing changed even when he explained, and it only drained his energy.
So even when he’d tried to say something to Jungwoo, he hadn’t considered whether it was true at all. He’d only thought about how Jungwoo would struggle and be upset because of it.
“Are you okay?”
Jaekyung asked about what he’d been most worried about after going around in circles. Somehow Jungwoo’s mood was what concerned him most. Even now he kept watching Jungwoo’s expression through the mirror.
“It would be a lie to say it doesn’t bother me.”
Jungwoo muttered with bitter eyes. He brought over the water bottle he’d set aside and fidgeted with it while thinking about the rumors surrounding him.
“I’m honestly frustrated by the talk that they pushed me because I’m the agency son. If I’d been treated well even once for being the CEO’s son, I wouldn’t be this frustrated.”
Jungwoo wasn’t without emotions either. However, his voice came out much lighter than Jaekyung worried it would be.
“I’m only telling you this, but I’m not the only one from JT who isn’t in the debut group.”
Jungwoo added kindly in case Jaekyung wouldn’t understand.
“From Hajun hyung to Park Geonhu and Min Taeyeon, they’re all in the debut group.”
“What about you?”
“I was eliminated long ago.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m the CEO’s son?”
“What?”
At Jaekyung’s question showing he didn’t understand, Jungwoo chuckled.
“They said if I debut, word will definitely get around about who I am, so I’d have to be really good enough to account for that, and I was eliminated.”
This was the first time Jaekyung was hearing this story. He hadn’t known he was originally in the debut group, but he really hadn’t thought that Jungwoo, who was the most popular there, would be dropped.
“I came on this audition because they told me to show how far I could go with my own strength.”
“What about the others?”
“No? They followed along saying it would be fun.”
“…”
They didn’t come to make their faces known but because it would be fun? Jaekyung looked somewhat suspicious, but Jungwoo didn’t tell him more. He just gave a mysterious smile.
“I expected talk like this to come up, so I’m fine. I didn’t expect it to come up during the audition though…”
Jungwoo tilted his head and drank water. He acted nonchalant because he knew it would be mentioned someday, not because he was truly shocked and flustered.
“It feels unpleasant that it seems like I’m cheating, but it can’t be helped. There will be people who want me to be eliminated too. When that happens, I shouldn’t feel wronged but show them instead.”
“You’re strong, Lee Jungwoo.”
That was Jaekyung’s sincere feeling after hearing Jungwoo’s words.
What had he been like when such rumors circulated about him? He’d wanted to run away out of frustration. His condition got worse as he forced himself through schedules while his heart didn’t follow, and he suddenly lost consciousness.
Why couldn’t Jaekyung do what Jungwoo was doing back then?
“What are you thinking about?”
“Huh?”
“Your expression suddenly got bad.”
“It’s nothing.”
Jaekyung turned his head. Rather than saying dark memories had surfaced, he changed the topic.
“I need to practice more. I have to do well enough to show them, right?”
“That’s why you’re doing it.”
Jungwoo answered while stretching. He rubbed his stiff and trembling muscles from constantly moving, then suddenly turned to look at Jaekyung.
“Have you practiced a lot?”
“Why are the sparks suddenly flying at me? I just came from practicing, you know?”
“Because you always finish earlier than me.”
“Don’t you think that you’re just being stupid?”
Jaekyung lightly kicked Jungwoo’s leg with his foot.
“How much did you practice?”
“I told you I practiced a lot?”
As he glared at him irritably as if asking why he kept asking, Jungwoo pointed ahead with his chin.
“Then show me.”
“What are you talking about.”
“You said you practiced a lot. I’ll check if there’s anything awkward.”
“That’s annoying.”
Jaekyung shivered and pulled his back away from the wall due to the sweat that was just starting to cool. The cold air coming through the wall had disappeared, which was good, but there was nowhere to lean. He looked around but couldn’t find anything suitable, so Jaekyung just hugged his knees.
“Seo Jaekyung, you’re being petty – it’s because I’m a competitor, right?”
Jungwoo tapped Jaekyung’s rounded back.
“What competitor.”
“You’re being wary of me so you won’t show me.”
“That’s ridiculous… Fine, I’ll show you.”
Jaekyung glared at Jungwoo as if he was dirty and petty, then got up from his spot. His sweat had cooled anyway so he felt chilly – moving once would make it better.
When he stood in the middle of the practice room, Jungwoo took it upon himself to play music from Jaekyung’s phone. It wasn’t a girl group song but a newly recorded song that Jaekyung’s team had done with slight arrangements.
As the familiar yet unfamiliar melody flowed out, Jaekyung immediately immersed himself in the song and moved his body.
While moving his body smoothly to the music, strength could be felt. Watching the eyes reflected in the mirror, the fingertips, and the moderately powerful movements, the original artist didn’t come to mind.
The movements were delicate but never feminine, and the powerful moves blended well with the song without standing out awkwardly.
Even though Jaekyung was dancing alone, as if every movement down to his toes was calculated, the series of dances didn’t feel boring and flowed like one continuous stream.
During the choreography where arms brushed up and down, Jaekyung and Jungwoo’s eyes met. Jaekyung’s expression glaring at Jungwoo as if he were an ex-lover was quite fierce.
Watching that expression, Jungwoo tilted his head at the strange feeling. It was an expression that suited the song well, but he felt something was lacking.
Jungwoo watched Jaekyung without knowing what it was. And just before the song ended, when he met Jaekyung’s eyes again, he knew.
He felt a new emotion in Jaekyung’s gaze looking at him. Though he was hateful and resentful like a complete stranger who’d turned away, the longing underlying it made Jungwoo unconsciously press his heart.
The plaintive notes saying “I hate you but still yearn for you” swallowed all the preceding emotions.
The song ended, but Jungwoo still looked at Jaekyung. As if asking when he’d ever yearned for or hated him, it was his usual sullen face. Watching Jaekyung’s ordinary actions of wiping sweat from his face, flapping his clothes, and rubbing his arms in the cold breeze, Jungwoo swallowed a hollow laugh.
“Taking it easy, my ass…”
He recalled what he’d said to Jaekyung when he was disappointed about 9th place – that others practice more fiercely. It had been partly to comfort Jaekyung, but it wasn’t wrong either. Since everyone really fought fiercely here, it was natural that those who stood out more than Jaekyung, who’d stepped back, would be noticed.
But seeing Jaekyung’s dance today changed his mind.
“I thought you weren’t trying hard.”
From song interpretation to choreography to emotions – he’d made great efforts not to miss any single thing. Though he pretended otherwise, the care he put into each stage was second to none.
Actually, every time he checked during mid-evaluations, everyone in Jaekyung’s team was half-dependent on him. To hope not to stand out while doing that much – now Jaekyung seemed a bit frustrating.
“I’m curious how you’ll come out next time.”
Somehow it seemed like his popularity would rise more if he showed this stage. Jungwoo carefully predicted Jaekyung’s next ranking.
* * *
At the same time malicious rumors about Jungwoo spread among the trainees, another rumor began to circulate. The trainees who could freely carry their phones found those rumors on their own.
Hajun, who had only laughed and not taken it seriously when encountering rumors about Jungwoo, held out his phone with a face devoid of any humor.
“This time it’s about Jaekyung.”
Jungwoo received the phone from Hajun, who’d come looking for him since morning.
“Jaekyung is still sleeping, so I came to you.”
Knowing he’d gone in late at dawn yesterday, Jungwoo didn’t respond and looked at the phone. It was that site where people told their stories under anonymity.
“I came to the audition venue and met a trainee who’d had many problems at his previous agency. Even though he was a trainee, not a singer, he received many special privileges at school. He’d skip school all the time and if there was a trainee he didn’t like, he’d bully them, then when things didn’t go his way, he’d cause all sorts of trouble and leave.”
After picking out several points from the lengthy post, Hajun couldn’t hide his excitement.
“Isn’t this really crazy?”
Having read all the content in the meantime, Jungwoo returned the phone.
“This one’s not completely anonymous either.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
