Sol looked at the large hand extended before him. It was undoubtedly a gesture for a handshake, but for some reason, he didn’t want to take it. The other’s hand was elongated, with distinct knuckles, elegant yet masculine.
Sol hesitated for a moment, unsure whether to grasp the hand or not. Even though there was nothing particularly objectionable about that hand, he felt a clear emotion, causing him to involuntarily recoil.
Sol couldn’t be described as short, but standing in front of Tae-oh, who stood tall like a barrier, made him feel small. Despite wearing a loose long-sleeved shirt, the other’s well-toned and athletic body, shaped like an inverted triangle similar to a swimmer’s physique, couldn’t be hidden. In simpler terms, he had a very sculpted figure.
With the kind of appearance that would make passersby turn around at least once, Tae-oh naturally garnered admiration. Sol, too, genuinely admired Tae-oh’s looks, thinking the other could really be a celebrity. He shook his hand. As Sol smiled and nodded, Tae-oh’s thick eyebrows sharply lifted.
“It seems like you’re smiling well despite going through something painful, and you look healthier than I expected.”
“Is he smiling? I can’t tell because I can’t see his face.”
Even with a facial expression openly displaying his dislike, Tae-oh’s good looks remained unchanged. Just as Tae-oh’s low voice gained strength, a brown-haired man who had been standing a step back interrupted him, inserting himself into the conversation. Sol glanced briefly at the man, who was grinning broadly, as if carefree.
The slightly upturned corners of his mouth and his demeanor reminded one of a fox. However, it was too ambiguous to outright call him a fox, as his appearance was more fitting for a dog pretending to be a fox.
Not just a simple question but a clear sneer, Sol finally ran his fingers through his bangs in a manner reminiscent of someone waking up in the morning and parting the curtains. The strands of hair covering half of his face disappeared, opening up Sol’s view and the views of the five men surrounding him.
He looked back at the faces of the other members, who were now staring at him.
The members who had seen Sol’s revealed face remained silent, and Sol, who had confirmed the familiar face looking at him, was also speechless. Instead, Sol burst into a wider smile, feeling incredulous as the members he had reset overnight just so he could pull the character resembling Seo Ju-hwan were standing right in front of him.
Sol wondered if this was some sort of Recemara curse that had come upon him for refusing to follow what the game had given.
‘Tae-oh’. Why didn’t he recognize him sooner? The illustrations that had filled his dreams until he fell asleep were engraved in his memory. He had reset countless Tae-ohs until his vision became blurry, just so he could pull a ‘Eun-gyeom’, the character resembling Seo Ju-hwan. There were also other cards that kept getting drawn with Tae-oh. Now, checking their faces, it was so obvious he couldn’t pretend not to recognize them, each one standing out clearly.
Sol stared intently at Tae-oh’s face, a true embodiment of ‘handsomeness.’ Delicate yet strong facial features, flawless skin without a single blemish. If he debuted, he would undoubtedly become many fans’ favorite pick, but for Sol, he was just a ‘pick of resentment’.
A disruptor who prevented him from pulling the character he wanted.
Tae-oh met Sol’s piercing gaze head-on. The description of sparks flying would be fitting, as both fiercely glared at each other. As the tension between them, like a precarious tightrope walk, grew taut, Yeong-ho, who had been watching the situation, placed a hand on Sol’s shoulder.
“Sol, you should say hello too.”
“Ah! I’m Sung Sol. Hello. Um... uh. And I’m twenty years old.”
It was a botched greeting following a botched first impression. Even if he smoothly and proficiently greeted them, it felt like a feeble attempt to salvage the already damaged image. His awkward greeting embarrassed him, and Sol tightly closed his mouth, his cheeks slightly reddened. In truth, he wanted to disappear. It would have been less awkward if open hostility or mocking laughter had surfaced, as it did a moment ago. However, none of the members said anything. In the end, Yeong-ho, who was caught in the middle, called out each member’s name one by one.
“This is the eldest brother of the team.”
“Hello. I’m Do Ji-ho. I’m the eldest. Twenty-two years old. Um... and unless you’re taking the main vocal position away from me, I’m the main vocalist.”
“Call me DK. I’m the youngest, eighteen years old, and my position is rapper.”
When Ji-ho, the eldest, took the lead in introducing himself, the rest followed one by one, introducing themselves to Sol. In the game illustrations, they all had bright smiles, but now, excluding Ji-ho, none of them were smiling. Even Ji-ho, who managed a smile, didn’t seem genuinely happy.
Introducing himself as the youngest, the 18-year-old DK didn’t actually appear that young. He was as tall as Tae-oh, with a substantial build, and the neatly revealed face under the headband looked a bit mischievous. His slightly tanned skin, in particular, added a healthy charm, making him seem more mature than his age and emitting a different sense of intimidation compared to Tae-oh.
“I’m Kang Ga-ram, twenty years old...”
Lastly, Ga-ram, standing a bit away and sweating, nodded in greeting. Despite the sweat on his fair skin, Ga-ram exuded a somewhat toned-down, languid charm not unlike Sol. Moreover, his voice was calm, adding a unique atmosphere.
Sol looked at the four faces. They resembled the game illustrations, but they were real people. And once again, Sol thought about how these people were celebrities. Each of them had handsome and beautiful features overflowing with charisma. Of course, right now, none of them had a particularly pleasant expression.
Ga-ram and Tae-oh were both twenty years old, Ji-ho was the eldest, and DK was the youngest. As the real-life counterparts matched with the in-game characters, Sol couldn’t help but recall the profiles of the four he had seen endlessly. Tae-oh, rated SSR, was the leader and main dancer. In <My Idol Stars>, the unit leader was always of SSR rank.
Kang Ga-ram had a specialty in composition and was the lead vocalist, while Ji-ho was the main vocalist. Memories of DK, the youngest, were a bit hazy, but since he claimed to be skilled at rapping, being a rapper suited him. Looking at it this way, it seemed unnecessary for him to be here. It felt fitting for the four of them to debut, just as they were.
After the formal and awkward greetings came to an end, everyone avoided each other’s gaze. The atmosphere was incredibly awkward and uncomfortable. With evident discomfort and no initial curiosity towards each other, there was no basis for a continued conversation.
As the five men stood in a circle in silence, Yeong-ho, who was beside them, became more and more restless. Unable to endure the awkward silence any longer, Tae-oh called him outside, saying he had something to say.
“Yeong-ho hyung, let’s talk for a moment.”
The husky, low voice resonated, matching with Tae-oh’s wild eyes. Watching Yeong-ho following Tae-oh outside, Sol couldn’t help but feel like the other was a student about to be scolded by a teacher. Of course, the teacher was Tae-oh.
As Tae-oh and even Yeong-ho, who had been somewhat conversational, left, the atmosphere sank even further. Whether intentionally tuning out his surroundings or simply uninterested, Ga-ram busied himself stretching in front of a mirror. Sol, like a covert observer, surreptitiously gauged the members’ reactions. When he released his gathered hair, the black curtain once again draped over his face.
“Hyung—no, I mean, can you even see in front of you?”
“What?”
DK usually called the other members ‘hyung’, but when he had accidentally called Sol hyung, he clicked his tongue and bluntly threw a question. Caught off guard by DK’s unexpected question, Sol stammered in response. Garam, who was focused on stretching, also turned to look at Sol in the mirror upon hearing DK’s voice.
“In front? I can see fine. Why?”
“Really? When I lower my head, I can’t see a thing.”
“Oh, I can see just fine.”
“...I see.”
After responding, Sol had a moment of realization. Conversing with others in this manner, apart from Ju-hwan and Yoo-chan, who were well aware of his situation, had become a rare occurrence. Consequently, he spoke without much consideration, letting the words flow naturally. Disrupting the conversation initiated by DK, who had managed to break through the awkward atmosphere, Sol bit his lip in self-reproach.
The awkward and incongruous discomfort of the situation made Sol uneasy. Like a tight thread about to snap, the tension pulled at him, and he found himself involuntarily tensing his shoulders. Restlessly, he glanced around, wanting to dispel the awkward and out-of-place atmosphere. Without much thought, Sol blurted out anything just to break the silence.
“Is DK a stage name?”
“Yes. DK is not a common name.”
“That makes sense. But you could be a foreigner.”
“I’m Korean.”
“Oh, okay.”
“Anyone can see that I’m Korean, right?”
“We never know about people. Your parents might be Korean, but you could have been born abroad.”
“That may be, but anyway! It’s a stage name, and I’m Korean!”
Sol continued with a serious expression. In response to Sol’s words, DK nodded and then shook his head vigorously. When DK let out a loud shout, Sol awkwardly laughed, adding an uneasy atmosphere to the moment.
[<Tutorial: First Visit to the Practice Room!> Success]
[Success reward: Information on the character ‘Sol’ will be updated.]
[Information synchronization completed!]
Startled by the sudden appearance of the forgotten notification window, Sol jumped, shoulders twitching. It seemed it would take quite some time to get used to this mint-colored window popping up unexpectedly.
As Sol fell silent while checking the notification window, the practice room became quiet once again. Although a muffled voice beyond the firmly closed door was audible, Sol, distracted by the notification window, couldn’t fully hear the sound.
