4.
Choi Taeri practiced his movements leisurely in the forest of trainees, not giving Lee Juha so much as a glance. As if each of his gestures was a great teaching, the other trainees watched with burning eyes and followed along.
‘Is his personality really that good?’
Taeri’s bright expression was so different from when they had clashed in the room that it felt awkward.
“Lee Juha!”
Yeom Sangyeop waved his hand from that corner. Next to him, Seo Eunwon smiled brightly and waved both hands on either side like a gorilla.
“Hyung, let’s go.”
Juha withdrew his gaze without regret and ran over to Sangyeop.
Not knowing that Choi Taeri’s gaze had begun to follow him.
***
The practice room that had been noisy now only echoed with desolate music. Occasionally the sound of stomping feet would shake the floor, but even that had lost its strength. The staff had withdrawn long ago.
Practice didn’t end until after midnight. There weren’t many people left around. Out of unnecessary meddling, Juha had even helped trainees from other teams. As a result, he had practiced until this hour without realizing how tired he was.
Fifteen-year-old Seo Eunwon, who had leaned against the wall saying he’d rest briefly during practice, began nodding off.
“Eunwon, get up. Go sleep in your room.”
Juha shook Eunwon awake. The other trainees beside them were also sprawled out from exhaustion.
“Mmm, hyung. Is it over now?”
Eunwon rubbed his eyes and got up.
“It’s too late. We’re all going to leave now. Starting tomorrow, go to your room before 10 PM. If we keep you up this late, we’ll all get reported.”
Even when Juha spoke sternly, Eunwon, who had just woken up, only grinned foolishly.
“Eunwon, let’s go to your room! Oh my, our baby should get a piggyback ride from hyung.”
Sangyeop crouched down in front of Eunwon playfully.
Befitting the oldest participant in this audition, Sangyeop took great care of the youngest, Eunwon.
“Hyung, I can walk!”
Eunwon shook his head and got up, stretching.
Despite having practiced for only a day, they had already become close as if they’d been together for more than ten days. Having practiced all day bumping into each other toward the same goal, even being soaked in sweat like kimchi cabbage and reeking of salt wasn’t unpleasant. Despite the worry about being the first team formed with people they’d never met before on the program, everyone had good personalities.
When it came time to return to their rooms, Juha naturally looked around for his roommate.
‘Did he already leave?’
Choi Taeri wasn’t in the empty practice room. While everyone was busy taking care of their own roommates, being left alone like a chestnut fallen to the ground made Juha feel strangely bitter.
Before entering their rooms after the schedule ended, the production team returned their mobile phones.
Since they were at an age when they loved their phones, everyone excitedly started fiddling with them as soon as they got them back. Juha also turned on his phone during that time.
There was one text message.
[Choi Taeri: Observation cameras installed in dorms.]
Juha glanced at the trainees who had gotten on the elevator with him. They seemed completely unaware of the observation cameras.
Well, they’d been stuck in the practice room the whole time, so there was no way they’d know.
‘Should I tell them?’
But they were already getting off the elevator one by one.
“Juha, sleep well!”
“Hyung, see you tomorrow!”
“Everyone sleep well and see you tomorrow!”
After exchanging goodbyes, the elevator doors closed.
‘They’ll find out when they get there.’
It’s not like it’s a big secret.
The elevator with only Juha left stopped at the top floor. The ding sound cut through the silence.
Juha carefully entered the room. From the entrance, a camera covered with white cloth greeted him. Following human movement, the camera made small noises as it automatically turned its head.
The air in the room was definitely different. There was no one filming, but the feeling of being watched was clear.
‘Where did he go this time?’
Juha looked around, searching for Taeri.
Despite being a large space, since the room wasn’t divided separately, everything was visible at a glance, but Choi Taeri was nowhere to be seen.
Where had he disappeared to again?
From what he’d seen today, Taeri seemed sociable, so he might have gone to visit another room.
“Juha?”
As if he’d been waiting, Choi Taeri’s voice calling him could be heard. It came from the bathroom direction.
“Oh, I’m back.”
“I’m done showering, so I’ll come out.”
“Okay.”
Juha answered carelessly while taking out clothes to change into. Meanwhile, the door opened and Taeri came out of the bathroom.
“Huh!”
For a moment, Juha’s eyes lost their way.
He was wearing only pajama bottoms with his upper body completely bare. His body was much better than Juha had imagined. Much better.
His overall straight body had clearly defined muscles, like a spirited Western dancer. Even in his flustered moment, Juha couldn’t readily move his gaze.
It was like wanting to linger when seeing a beautiful work of art.
“Hey, your clothes… clothes…”
“Why? What’s wrong with it?”
Taeri, drying his hair, seemed unconcerned.
“Camera…”
Juha gestured toward the camera with his eyes and mouthed the words.
“They’ll edit it out. The bathroom is fogged up, so go in a little later.”
Taeri shook his hair as if it was no big deal.
“It’s fine. I want to wash up quickly.”
Fog or whatever, the strong desire to escape this awkward situation came rushing over him. Juha gathered his clothes and headed straight for the bathroom.
As if human rights didn’t exist, cameras were installed in the bathroom too. They only faced the sink area, but it still felt uncomfortable. Still, he couldn’t make an unpleasant expression in front of the camera.
At least it was fortunate that the bathroom and toilet were separated in the room’s structure.
As soon as he entered the shower booth, the only place he could avoid the cameras, Juha turned on the hot water. Seeing steam quickly fill the shower booth, he almost hoped the camera would break from the humidity.
‘Is that bastard doing this on purpose?’
Alone now, Juha felt reasonable suspicion about Choi Taeri. He couldn’t understand the intention behind proudly coming out shirtless when he clearly knew there were cameras.
‘I don’t know.’
After nearly thirty minutes under the hot water, his random thoughts finally disappeared.
When the shower ended, he could breathe freely. The difficult day’s schedule was finally over, and only rest remained.
Just as he carefully opened the shower booth door and stepped onto the mat to avoid being caught by the camera, Juha sensed something was wrong.
“…”
They were gone. While Juha was in the steamy shower booth, Choi Taeri had taken his clothes and towel.
‘Damn, when did he take them?’
Juha quickly covered the camera lens with his palm and barely managed to stretch his foot out to open the bathroom door. It was a ridiculous sight, stretching completely naked.
“Hey, Choi Taeri! Give me my clothes and towel.”
This bastard is crazy about getting screen time.
“Come get them!”
A voice mixed with laughter came from outside.
This son of a bitch, really.
“Give them to me!”
Juha shouted irritably.
“Try saying ‘hyung, please.'”
It was absurd that on their first day, when they weren’t even close, he’d pull this kind of prank.
Was this also Choi Taeri’s scheme to get filming content? That thought came first. He didn’t know him well yet, but since Taeri was a clever person, the possibility was high. If that was the case, Taeri wouldn’t easily end this until he played along.
Thinking this far, Juha decided to just accept the situation. Rather than getting angry like an amateur at this obvious prank, he’d just play along to look good on camera.
“H-hyung. Please.”
When he reluctantly called out quietly, Choi Taeri’s footsteps mixed with laughter could be heard.
“Here, dongsaeng. Dry off nicely and come out~”
He said this while peeking his face into the bathroom.
“W-what!”
Juha was startled and went back into the shower booth.
Choi Taeri giggled and left the towel and clothes by the door before disappearing.
‘What a show-off.’
Juha grumbled internally as he changed clothes and came out of the bathroom.
Amusingly, just from that trivial prank, the awkwardness that had been like solid ice melted away.
By then, Taeri was lying against the bed wearing glasses and reading a book. He looked peaceful as if he’d never played any prank, but the intellectual atmosphere that was unlike him made Juha find himself staring if he let his guard down.
Fortunately, he was now wearing a white t-shirt, so much of his bare skin was hidden.
Seeing him act all innocent like this made it embarrassing to be annoyed about the earlier prank.
“I’ll sleep on the sofa.”
Juha stubbornly insisted again for no reason. The closer distance made him uncomfortable.
Then the eyes of the glasses-wearing Taeri glanced up.
“Just sleep on the bed. I told you I’m fine with it.”
Taeri emphatically patted the mattress with his palm.
“Why would I share a bed with you?”
“If you won’t sleep on the bed, should I sleep on the sofa?”
At Juha’s stubbornness, Taeri threw off the blanket he was covered with and prepared to rush out immediately.
“You’re the room owner, so what…”
“That’s why I’m telling you to just sleep on the bed. Are you going to make me beg and plead over just this?”
Beg and plead.
It was a phrase that didn’t suit Choi Taeri at all.
“Ah, fine.”
Juha reluctantly moved toward the bed step by step.
Honestly, sharing a bed with a guy wasn’t uncomfortable. During his trainee days, he’d slept with five people in rooms without beds.
The uncomfortable point was feeling like Taeri, who was clinging to him for no reason, was using him to create content.
Juha curled up like a shrimp on the far left edge and lay down. Taeri confirmed this and put down his book and glasses.
He was a bit curious about what book someone would read on a night during an idol survival audition, but he didn’t want to ask. This level of distance was comfortable for Juha.
Fortunately, the bed was really big. The faint light from the mobile phone on the opposite corner wasn’t uncomfortable.
‘Let me just sleep.’
Just as Juha was about to turn off the bedside lamp, his mobile phone rang.
[Choi Taeri: Get your character straight.]
“…”
Sending a text from the same bed.
And he was certain that all of his earlier actions had really been an act. Since they’d entered this industry anyway, someone who couldn’t act was a fool. It was bitter, but that was the truth.
[Lee Juha: What character?]
[Choi Taeri: Kill your temper and just let me have my way with you.]
‘What does he take me for?’
He let out a hollow laugh inside.
Lee Juha wasn’t the type to harm others, but he also didn’t live getting pushed around. There were quite a few people who thought he was easy because he was quiet, only to stiffen up and click their tongues at Juha’s prickly personality.
Juha didn’t reply and turned off his phone. That was the only rebellion he could manage.
He was so annoyed that heat naturally rose in his body. Even after pulling back the blanket that had covered up to his chin, he still felt warm, so he pushed the blanket away slightly.
Whether the rustling sound bothered him or not, Choi Taeri didn’t move a muscle.
***
‘I want to… do it with you.’
“Huh!”
Whatever dream he’d had, as soon as he opened his eyes, Juha heard that sound in his ears. Choi Taeri’s voice mixed with sticky breath remained like an afterimage. It had definitely been an intensely erotic dream.
He’d definitely thought it was hot when he went to sleep, but as soon as he woke up, goosebumps rose on both his arms.
‘What else would it be? He must have meant he wanted to debut together.’
Yesterday, Choi Taeri had told Juha, “Because I want to debut with you.” But how that statement connected to an erotic dream was completely incomprehensible.
It was true that desires had built up from his long trainee life, but suddenly having lust explode in front of a same-age guy he’d just met was absurd.
‘It’s just a random dream, why am I thinking deeply about it?’
Juha hurriedly covered up his thoughts.
Although he’d been annoyed by Choi Taeri’s text before going to sleep last night, when he woke up, the bad mood had faded. Instead, strange emotions came up because of the dream. The fact that his dream partner happened to be Choi Taeri was too damaging to his pride.
‘But why am I here?’
Looking at the ceiling and blinking, Juha suddenly felt like both sides were empty.
He’d started sleeping clinging to the edge of the bed, but when he opened his eyes, he was in the middle of the bed. Fortunately, he hadn’t crossed over to Choi Taeri’s pillow line, which was like the 38th parallel.
Come to think of it, Choi Taeri had already disappeared.
‘He could have woken me up before leaving.’
Except for his pajama top being rolled up to above his navel because the indoor temperature had been unfamiliar all night, it was an ordinary morning.
His whole body was stretching for an energetic start to the day, so he could only hope good things would happen.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
