According to Sol’s standards, it might have been a mess, but to the average person, Sol’s movements were anything but ordinary. Each movement was as light as a feather, smooth, and gracefully executed.
Moreover, in Tae-oh’s eyes, who was in charge of the performance aspect of the group, even in the other’s brief moment of movement, he could see the details of Sol’s every step, the handling of each fingertip, and the traces of strain on his body. Because Tae-oh was focused on Sol’s movements, he could quickly react even when Sol lost his balance.
That made Tae-oh curious. The movements Sol displayed were those that only a dedicated “dancer” who had been faithful to dance for a very long time could exhibit. While not an expert in pure dance, even in Tae-oh’s eyes, Sol displayed skills beyond what he had initially expected.
Even though he had heard through Manager Yeong-ho that Sol had experience in dancing, he hadn’t thought Sol would possess this level of skill. Therefore, curious about the sudden entry into this world after dedicating himself to something to this extent, Tae-oh asked subtly.
“You seemed to be quite serious about dancing, so why?”
“I just didn’t want to do it.”
“....”
It was an unexpected answer, causing Tae-oh to fall silent. The eyes of the four people who were looking at Sol quickly met and exchanged glances. In response to the awkward silence, Sol gave a bitter smile. It wasn’t entirely untrue. If fear of falling, experiencing pain, making mistakes became overwhelming and he no longer enjoyed dancing, it was right to give it up.
It wasn’t a medical or technical problem, but rather a mindset issue. If he truly wanted it and was desperate, by now, he would have gritted his teeth, undergone rehabilitation, and put in every effort to overcome it. That was precisely it. Having the mindset to give up to the extent of living like a recluse, he decided to abandon it.
In the awkward silence, Sol laughed even more brightly.
The corners of his mouth turned up, but his eyes, hidden by his hair, did not. His dark eyes flickered like candlelight with unresolved anxiety, and his breathing was still ragged. Trying to get up, Sol sank back down to the hardwood floor. He was too tired to lift a finger, and his legs refused to cooperate.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yes, I’m really okay. Don’t worry about me.”
“...Maybe it’s better to take a break today and go back to the dorm?”
“Should I call Yeong-ho hyung?”
“No, it’s okay. I’ll just sit and rest for a bit.”
“Alright, let’s do that then. If you need to go to the hospital, just let us know. Since we’ll be living together in the dorm, there shouldn’t be any issues, but from now on, let’s try to stick together in pairs or with Yeong-ho hyung whenever possible. Also, let’s be diligent about keeping our time appointments.”
“Ah, yes.”
After Sol repeatedly assured him that he was okay, Tae-oh informed him of a few precautions in a strange tone. Although Tae-oh’s gaze was somewhat sharp when mentioning ‘time appointments,’ Sol didn’t have the energy to pay attention to such things. Completely exhausted, Sol lowered his head, nodding vaguely in response to Tae-oh’s words.
Sweat streamed down his forehead, dropping onto the practice room floor with each shake of his head. The eyebrows of DK, who had a fierce expression, continued to twitch at the sight of Sol nodding indifferently. He looked at Ji-ho, who was smiling behind Tae-oh, with a face full of discontent, pursing his lips. There were no words exchanged, but signals were communicated through the glances between them. Sol, with his head deeply bowed, didn’t see that, nor did he particularly care.
“For now, take a break. And next time, if you’re not feeling well, say it clearly.”
Sol raised his head to look at Tae-oh. He had a handsome face, but his expression was excessively indifferent. Upon closer inspection, Tae-oh was subtly considerate and attentive to Sol. Tae-oh had prevented him from falling earlier, offered an ice pack in the hallway when he sensed something was wrong, and even avoided him first. Despite these simple acts of care, Sol didn’t feel that concern, but rather, just a very formal kind of responsibility.
While it was true that there were no obvious triggers, the actions Sol had displayed so far were perfect for provoking a fight with a hot-headed guy. In fact, DK, who was standing beside him, continued to glare and express discontent by repeatedly kicking the floor. If Do Ji-ho hadn’t intervened occasionally from the side, the impulsive 18-year-old might have confronted Sol more aggressively.
“I want to debut quickly. I don’t want to endure any more member changes or delays in our debut.”
“So?”
“You see, I dislike situations where someone leaves, and there are new people coming in.”
“If I leave, you can just debut as a group of four.”
“Why are we going through all this, then?”
“Deuk-yong-ah. Let’s talk later.”
“Why are both Ji-ho hyung and Tae-oh hyung doing this only to me?”
“Kim Deuk-yong.”
DK’s rough voice was interrupted in the middle. Like scolding an unruly puppy, Ji-ho and Tae-oh simultaneously called his name, “Deuk-yong,” while looking at him sternly. They had been calling him ‘Kim Deuk-yong’ for a while now, and it seemed like that was his real name. Under the stern scolding of his brothers, DK pouted and walked to the corner of the practice room.
As DK left, Tae-oh calmly gazed at Sol with his deep-set black eyes once again. Despite the awkwardness of being stared at so intently, Sol, almost as if engaging in a staring contest, continued to gaze back at the other. Rather than someone who would react based on emotions, a person like Tae-oh, who remained composed, was much more comfortable to deal with.
It was more comfortable to deal with someone consistently self-centered like Tae-oh than to face the sympathetic and pitiful looks of people after getting angry and eventually understanding Sol’s situation.
Sol had a vague sense of how this team functioned. The still impulsive DK, relying on his straightforwardness, would occasionally act impulsively, and Ji-ho and Tae-oh would appropriately rein him in. Tae-oh felt like a mediator, while Ji-ho gave off the vibe of subtly manipulating DK to suit his own preferences.
Sol then looked at Garam. Though seemingly quiet, it was unclear if he would take the lead in any situation. As Sol observed the four individuals differently, Tae-oh brought the conversation back to the main topic with a serious expression.
“Anyway, I want us to debut smoothly, including you. If we all do well, isn’t that a good thing?”
“Well... I guess so.”
“We don’t have enough time, and the time the trainers allocate is short. I’ll keep an eye on the dance part. Ji-ho and Ga-ram will help with the singing.”
Sol nodded at Tae-oh’s words. It made sense. Whether Sol really had to debut with them or how things would turn out remained uncertain, but running away blindly or refusing the given situation was not an option. Nevertheless, Sol blurted out words that weren’t in line with his feelings.
Even the composed and neat Tae-oh would likely find Sung Sol unbearable after dealing with him a few times. Irresponsible, with no sense of time, avoiding all responsibilities and being lazy, he would eventually become a burden. Watching Tae-oh’s expression remain unchanged even after his sarcastic remark, Sol suddenly became curious about what would truly make Tae-oh angry.
“What if I refuse?”
“....”
In response to Sol’s provocative words, Tae-oh fell into silence, seemingly contemplating. He thought the other might get angry or raise his voice a bit, but there was no significant change.
“If you have no intention of cooperating, it would be better if you just quit now.”
Tae-oh’s eyebrows twitched slightly, but he quickly regained his calm demeanor. There was no notification of whether the quest was completed or not. Sol couldn’t simply say he would quit. What if the system shut down again? Just the thought sent fear throughout Sol’s body, causing him to huddle in discomfort.
“Whatever circumstances you have and whether the idol life is something you want or not, it doesn’t matter to me. I don’t particularly want to know. You just need to be willing to follow along.”
From Sol’s perspective, Tae-oh was incredibly rational. There was no reason for him to refuse the offer Tae-oh presented. Of course, it wouldn’t be as easy as Tae-oh suggested, but in Sol’s current mindset, accepting Tae-oh’s proposal seemed like the only reasonable choice. Like top executives negotiating, Tae-oh extended his hand. Sol hesitated for a moment, but eventually shook Tae-oh’s hand.
Thinking it was a handshake, Sol shook Tae-oh’s extended hand, but instead of a mere handshake, Tae-oh pulled Sol up with force. In an instant, Sol’s body rose with the strength of the firm pull.
[<Tutorial: Dance Initiation Ceremony!> Success]
You’ve showcased your dancing skills to your team members and received a proposal from the leader! Congratulations on gaining a somewhat reasonable ally, even if it’s not an ideal relationship! The tutorial quest is complete. Now, embark on the path of an idol with the support of My Idol Stars.
[Obtained a Grade Boost Ticket.]
[Received the Tutorial Completion Reward Box.]
Upon seeing the clear letters spelling ‘Success,’ Sol let out a deep breath. With Tae-oh holding his hand, Sol, standing in front of him, looked beyond the letters spelling ‘Success’ into Tae-oh’s dark eyes. He initially thought Tae-oh’s eyes had a wild and animalistic feel due to their intense gaze. However, as he looked beyond the letters, he noticed that Tae-oh’s black pupils were unusually sparkling. As Sol blinked heavily, the notification window disappeared quickly.
Notifications about acquiring something had appeared since earlier, but Sol, who was already troubled by quests, had no interest in rewards of unknown use. A sense of relief swept over him as the situation with his life on the line was finally resolved. Other than that, nothing else mattered to Sol. A complete novice in the game, he cleared all the distracting notification windows.
As Tae-oh released Sol’s hand, Sol wiped his sweaty palm on his pants. He couldn’t lift his head like a sick chicken, and his eyes were blurry, indicating how tense and tormented he had been.
“Normally, practice hours are from 10 to 10, from 10 in the morning to 10 at night. Unless there’s a special schedule, vocal and dance lessons start around 6.”
“...”
“Take a short break over there and let me know when you feel better. I’ll start by teaching you the basic routine.”
With no energy to respond, Sol simply nodded his head vaguely. Due to excessive tension and trauma, even though the dance was very brief, Sol looked visibly exhausted at first glance.
T/N: Updates will now be every Mondays and Fridays, following GMT +8 timezone. ^^
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