Hard Mode Idol - Chapter 22
Come to think of it, I saw this brat’s name earlier but forgot it again. Let me check one more time. Okay. Jung Ilhan.
“Hello.”
At my voice, his downward gaze met my face. Only then did he seem to recognize me, giving a small nod in return greeting. Good that he didn’t forget me.
“……Hello.”
Jung Ilhan hesitated briefly before stepping into the elevator. A gloomy air wafted off him. Did something unpleasant happen? Hopefully, he’s not mentally fragile like the others.
How is it that not a single member seems normal? Out of four members, you’d expect at least one bright and hopeful person by nature. For an idol group, they’re all carrying their own baggage. This company really has a knack for gathering problematic trainees.
Would it have been different if Joon Jaehyuk was still here? Did it become like this after he left? Since I don’t know the atmosphere before I arrived, I decided not to jump to conclusions.
Come to think of it, the name that had been etched in my mind rolled off my tongue quite naturally, to the point where even I, who can’t remember names well, had memorized it. It feels almost like a premonition.
With a ding, we arrived on the 3rd floor. Noticing the floor number, Jung Ilhan seemed flustered. His demeanor implied he was scanning the area. Then, realizing I was staring at him intently, he quickly averted his rolling eyes. A small voice mumbled:
“……Weren’t you getting off?”
The majesty of neutral fondness. It was a pure question out of curiosity. His voice was so low it sounded gruff, but looking at his eyes, I could tell he didn’t dislike me. He was just uncomfortable.
“I was going to, but I got curious.”
“About what?”
“Where you were headed. Can I tag along?”
Silence ensued. The elevator doors closed again without moving. For some reason, Jung Ilhan didn’t press any buttons, as if he wasn’t actually going anywhere. By chance, no one else was waiting for the elevator, so it remained stopped.
“I was going to go up to the rooftop……”
What’s on the rooftop again? There’s a cafeteria and it has a park-like artificial landscaping, I heard. I haven’t been there yet, but it’s where the vocal coach goes during breaks.
Was he also heading up there for some fresh air?
“……I was just going home.”
“Huh? Why?”
Why did his destination suddenly change? Was he put off by me tagging along? That’s possible. We are on very awkward terms. It does seem right for me to step aside……
But his brooding, sullen demeanor concerned me. If he wasn’t a member of the debut team, I could have easily dismissed it.
“……I left something behind.”
A lie, but since I seemed to have made him uncomfortable, I decided to pretend I didn’t notice.
“Ahh. So you’re going back and then returning?”
“……Yes. I guess I should.”
His voice trailed off into a questioning lilt. Is he asking me?
Suddenly, the elevator started moving again. Someone must have called it. The destination was the 5th floor. There stood the CEO and the director. The director greeted us kindly. I was about to return his greeting when I noticed Jung Ilhan’s arm trembling violently at the edge of my vision.
“Hello, Haon.”
The gentle voice belonged to the CEO. Although I was concerned about Jung Ilhan, I greeted the CEO first, then properly greeted the director as well.
“Were you coming to see me?”
Come to think of it, I heard the 5th floor only has the CEO’s office and a VIP lounge. It’s unusual for the CEO’s office not to be on the top floor, so it stuck in my memory. I had wondered if he preferred being in the middle rather than the top.
“Ah, no. I didn’t press the button because I was talking with my friend.”
Jung Ilhan bent his arm, grabbing his elbow with his other hand and pressing himself flat against the wall. Why does he look so uneasy? It’s not like the CEO and director will eat him, so why is he acting like they’re scary? Or is it me he’s scared of?
“It seems you two have become friends.”
The CEO’s question made me turn my attention to him. Since I had no real response to whether we’d become friends, I just smiled.
They must be getting reports about the poor relations between me and the members. Wait, am I missing something important here? A sudden thought pierced my mind.
Now that I think about it, the main mission involving fondness levels that abruptly appeared was quite meaningful. Until now, I hadn’t given it much thought, but there is a fundamental factor – relationships.
My previous agency lacked funds, and I was irreplaceable. So, despite me disliking the members and our poor relations, they stuck with me.
But this place is fundamentally different from my previous agency. There’s no reason for them to debut a group formed by forcibly binding together members with bad relations, even before their debut. Rumors of infighting are the worst for idols. I had overlooked this reality due to my past experience.
This was the source of the unease I felt last time…….
Since I’m still young, the company wouldn’t lose anything by debuting me alongside others. And 4 or 5 years later, they’ll put me in as a member of the third debut group……
Even after 5 years, I’ll only be 23. It’ll be January soon, so adding a year makes me 24 at most. It’s a bit late for an idol, but still a viable debut age.
If the main mission is meant to be resolved over time, I can’t just leave it alone. If my debut fails with this group, I’ll be left with one of two paths.
Either transfer agencies and join a new debut team, or stay here as a permanent trainee licking their boots until they debut me.
But then, what happens to the main mission? The members’ names are already firmly etched in my mind. Would it be considered a failure? Or would I never be able to complete it?
Regardless of the outcome, I don’t want to find out by experiencing that situation firsthand. Improving relations is a must.
But how? I don’t even understand why Park Yoochan’s fondness level changed to ‘Likes’.
“Have you two eaten?”
The CEO asked as he boarded the elevator. I had eaten, but Jung Ilhan likely hadn’t. However, my answer was predetermined.
“Yes, we’ve both eaten.”
What if he invites us to eat together? I then naturally pressed the button for the 1st floor. Since the destination changed from the rooftop to our homes, the 1st floor makes sense. The director pressed the button for B4.
As soon as we arrived on the 1st floor, I pulled Jung Ilhan out with me. After lightly bowing to the two superiors, I sent the elevator on its way.
“Phew.”
Although it was just a sigh, it was the first audible sound Jung Ilhan made after meeting the CEO and director. What should I do with him? Should I just say goodbye and part ways? Staying neutral means I don’t need to put in effort, and the urgent priorities are the two who dislike me. I can’t see a solution for Seoho, but Kanghyun… No, I’m also at a loss for Kanghyun.
While my mind wandered briefly, Jung Ilhan moved further away. After pondering his large retreating back for a moment, I promptly called the elevator. The mission comes first. Before that, recovering my stamina is the priority, and I also need to raise my stats.
Above all, that person seems ready to quit.
The time spent with the vocal coach is usually enjoyable, but not today. I couldn’t stop thinking about Jung Ilhan, whom I had simply let go of earlier. Am I normally this meddlesome?
Trying to find mental peace, I checked the experience points I gained today. Before I knew it, I was back at the dorms. The female student from this morning immediately came running over as soon as she saw me. Her friend was nowhere in sight, she was alone.
“Kyaa! You’re here!”
Should I greet her? After a brief hesitation, I nodded my head in greeting.
“Hello……”
“Why are you alone? Oh, and it feels a bit weird to keep calling you ‘you’, could you tell me your name? You’re so adorably shy! Do you know you’re really prettily made? You must realize it yourself. That’s probably why you became a trainee. Aww, just stay this pretty as you grow up, okay? Absolutely no ruining that looks. Got it? But are you in the first or second string right now? Oh, right! Do you know where Jaehyuk oppa went? I haven’t seen him around lately.”
Her stream of questions and musings left me confused. It didn’t seem like she was really expecting me to answer either way. As I tried to hurry away, the female student kept following me and talking. It felt like standing in the middle of an aviary, surrounded by the chirping of birds all shrieking at once.
“You didn’t know I was the only loyal one waiting for you, did you? The other girls all went to the parking lot entrance. It’s getting close to when the van returns. The oppas sometimes greet us by opening their windows when they’re in a good mood. Other than that, we only wait at the entrance when they’re leaving or returning, but I stayed here just in case you came walking. I’m not joking around! Right?”
“……Yeah.”
“Ah! Here they come. Are you going straight inside? I’m sad to see you go, can’t you talk to me a bit more? No, you probably can’t. I don’t mean to make things difficult, I’m just disappointed I can’t see your face more. I hope you debut soon. Seeing you in glimpses morning and night is such a tease. I’m totally infatuated with you, you know. I usually like handsome guys, but you’re seriously heaven-sent and perfect for my taste! Hurry up and debut! You know trainees don’t get allowances. You need to debut so I can give you an allowance too!”
“Th-Thank you.”
“Kyaakya! He’s thanking me!”
The female student cupped her flushed cheeks and bounced up and down excitedly. Taking that opportunity, I swiftly bowed my head and entered the apartment building. The glass doors opened and closed. When I turned back, the female student was vigorously waving at me.
This female student is the sasaeng fan the director warned me about. But everything she just said was simply expressing how much she likes me. It’s unfamiliar since it’s my first experience like this. Still, she doesn’t seem like a bad person, I’m just not sure how to respond. I should ask about it later.
Lost in these thoughts, I boarded the elevator heading up to the dorms. As the doors opened, I saw the same faces from yesterday. Naturally, Gomchi(moray eel-face) and Gomdori(teddy bear body) were there too. The rest were those vaguely familiar bean sprouts, nodding at me one by one. If I board, won’t we exceed the capacity?