#2. What is Business Gay Performance? (2)
[Hey Jihan]
[I’m at the Midnight company building right now]
[If you run into me, pretend you don’t know me]
Tap, tap tap. Tap tap tap.
I was frantically moving my thumb to send messages when I had to shuffle backward due to people pushing into the elevator. I almost dropped my phone, let alone send a text, so all I could do was hold my hand up awkwardly and endure.
“Oh my.”
Fortunately, CEO Baek pulled me out at the floor I needed to get off. When he said the general manager had arrived, I gulped down my dry saliva.
I need to tell him.
I don’t know how to bring it up. I know that with things having gotten this far, there’s no point in deliberating, but still…
“You’re here?”
“Oh my, how have you been? It’s been a while. I know this was sudden, but thank you for taking my call.”
“Not at all.”
The woman who had been warmly greeting CEO Baek turned to look at me. She felt somewhat familiar – she was probably one of the judges from the audition.
“I finally get to see Seowoo-ssi!”
Before I could hesitate, she grabbed my hand. She smiled brightly and started talking to me.
“You don’t know how many days I regretted letting Yoon Seowoo-ssi slip away. Do you know that?”
I don’t know. How could I know? When I didn’t get a call saying I passed, I just figured we weren’t meant to be.
“I definitely said we should bring Seowoo-ssi for this project too, but they said the positions overlap and whatnot. Does that make sense? Huh? Are positions important right now? With a face like this? With a voice like this?”
She smoothly pulled out her wallet and handed me a business card. Midnight Entertainment Twelve Label, General Manager Han Seongkyung.
“I thought we’d missed our chance with the bad timing, but things worked out like this. You heard from CEO Baek, right?”
Han Seongkyung looked around and lowered her voice.
“There’s still an embargo on it, but anyway, our debut group is going to lose their main vocalist. The withdrawal has already been agreed upon, so think of it as taking that spot. We’ll talk details later… The practice room is downstairs – want to take a look?”
“…Right now?”
“Of course.”
She smiled widely and started pulling me by the elbow.
“You have to check everything out before signing a contract. I can confidently say this is a good opportunity for Seowoo-ssi, really.”
While going down one floor via the stairs, Han Seongkyung quickly explained the project she wanted to put me in. The debut schedule is set for the first half of next year, and specialists who have been honing their skills since the senior group ‘Days’ will be exclusively assigned. Whether it’s facilities or capital – support befitting Midnight’s reputation as a recognized major agency would be provided.
In front of the practice room where I arrived, pushed along by overwhelming kindness. Through the semi-transparent glass door, I could faintly see figures moving to upbeat music.
“The kids are here. Want to go say hello? I’ll be talking with CEO Baek for a bit.”
“I…”
“It’s fine. Go make an impression, okay? Is it awkward to introduce yourself? Then I’ll help with just the introduction.”
I quickly counted the number of shadows moving in unison. One, two, three. It should be a 5-member group, but with Maki leaving, there should be four, but one was missing.
That one person was probably…
When Han Seongkyung knocked on the door, the music stopped abruptly. Soon the door opened, and a guy around my age with loosely tied bleached hair appeared.
“General Manager, you’re here? Uh… who’s next to you?”
“New member.”
“New… whoa.”
The bleached-haired guy’s eyes widened as he looked me up and down. His gaze mixed curiosity with admiration.
“You said a 4-member group wouldn’t look good, and you actually brought a new member? Amazing. Wait a moment. Lee Seon hyung! Haesol hyung!”
“…”
“Are you a vocalist? I haven’t seen your face before, so you’re probably not our trainee. Were you cast? Or were you a trainee somewhere else? Wow, sorry for asking on first meeting, but you’re really pretty. How old are you? I think you’re about my age?”
I don’t know how many questions poured out in that short time. Meanwhile, the other two members in the practice room also approached. They were all unfamiliar faces.
Then the one person not here right now would naturally be…
“What’s your name?”
Just as I was about to answer, my body was pulled backward. A firm arm wrapped around my waist and pulled me close.
“Yoon Seowoo.”
A low voice rang out from above my head.
“Why are you here?”
“Huh? What. Jihan hyung.”
The bleached-haired guy looked back and forth between us.
“You two know each other?”
The voice that questioned me was so low it was closer to a vibration than a sound.
“I’m asking. Why are you here?”
I squeezed my eyes shut.
‘Ah, this really isn’t easy.’
Visual center and main dancer of the ‘Arcus Project’.
The person I admire most in the world, and the person who is kindest to me in the world.
My absolute ally who would take my side even if I ruined the country.
My close friend who has been by my side since birth.
It was Na Jihan.
* * *
“You two are childhood friends?”
I ended up going into the practice room and introducing myself to the members.
“Amazing. Since when? 10 years old? 5 years old? You’ve known each other since you were young, so you’re childhood friends, right?”
The member with a playful, youthful appearance and who was the most talkative kept talking to me nonstop. His name was Hapil Jae, and he said he didn’t particularly like being called by his full three-character name.
So he was usually called by his first name or stage name. Hapil, I think he said. A stage name he came up with himself.
“I’ve known him since birth. No, I’ve known him since before birth, right?”
Jihan tore open a water bottle and handed it to me. It was because he knew my tendency to feel thirsty when nervous. I silently accepted it.
“Whoa. Is that possible?”
“…Our mothers knew each other. They were in the same postpartum care center.”
Coincidentally, they lived close to each other too, so they had been in contact since before giving birth and afterward practically raised us together.
That’s probably why when I was young, I thought of Jihan as my real brother and asked why Jihan and I had different surnames. It was our late mother’s and Jihan’s mother’s favorite anecdote.
“That’s interesting. Looking at you two, you seem really close, but it’s a bit surprising you didn’t apply to the same agency.”
At those words, Jihan’s expression soured dramatically. He had the attitude of having a lot to say. Feeling guilty, I awkwardly laughed and extended my hand to him.
“Nice to meet you, Haesol hyung. You’re the leader of the Arcus Project, right? I watched ‘For Stadium’. I even voted for you.”
“Did you? Thanks.”
Ahn Haesol. He finished with a pretty good ranking on the idol survival audition program ‘For Stadium’, but by a hair’s breadth wasn’t selected for the debut group ‘Starium’.
At the time, there was quite a commotion saying the results were too undervalued compared to his abilities…
‘Manipulation suspicions were also revealed, and as the debut group started being used wastefully, word went around that it was better he didn’t get in.’
From that perspective, quickly snatching up Ahn Haesol and putting him in the Arcus Project could be seen as foresight.
“If you’re the same age as Jihan hyung, you’d be two years older than me. Can I just call you Seowoo hyung? You can speak casually to me too. I’m nineteen.”
At Hapil Jae’s words, Ahn Haesol smiled and chimed in.
“The only minor in our group.”
“I’ll be rid of the minor label next month though?”
“But the month hasn’t changed yet.”
“That’s true… Oh, Seowoo hyung. How about protein instead of that? Lee Seon hyung messed up an order last time and ordered a whole box.”
I turned my gaze to where Hapil Jae was gesturing.
“I’m Joo Lee Seon.”
“The original spelling is Lee Seon Joo, though. I have British citizenship.”
“I know.”
He was famous for uploading cover videos on YouTube. I have several in my playlist.
All the Arcus members were famous, so I knew all their names and faces before being introduced.
Hapil Jae walked somewhere with bouncing steps and shook a container of protein powder.
“We have too much, but it tastes good. Making one more serving while we’re at it is no trouble at all.”
Jihan answered in his characteristically indifferent voice.
“He doesn’t drink protein.”
“Oh, really? You don’t like it much? Then what should I give you. We have new drip bags – how about those?”
“Seowoo can’t have caffeine.”
“Then cola?”
“He doesn’t like sweet things either.”
Every time I tried to answer directly, I was blocked. I frowned and nudged him.
“Hey, why do you keep answering for me?”
“It’s the truth. Don’t I know Yoon Seowoo?”
“It’s not that you don’t know, but…”
“By the way, you.”
Jihan brought his face close to mine.
“What’s the reason you suddenly came here? You didn’t want to debut with me and even ran away to UJ. Did you change your mind now? Is being with me okay now?”
“That’s…”
My heart started pounding noisily.
It’s not okay. Not okay at all. I’m going crazy because it’s not okay.
Jihan.
Visual center and main dancer of the ‘Arcus Project’.
The person I admire most in the world, and the person who is kindest to me in the world.
My absolute ally who would take my side even if I ruined the country.
My close friend who has been by my side since birth.
And…
He’s my long-time unrequited love.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
