Sol, upon hearing the roaring sound, lifted his head and looked at Deuk-yong. Startled by the fact that Deuk-yong’s fingers were pointing towards him, he took a step back.
“Why is your face like that? Did Tae-oh hyung hit you because you didn’t get up early?”
“Kim Deuk-yong, are you crazy? Tae-oh wouldn’t do that.”
“Yes, I know Tae-oh hyung wouldn’t do such a thing.”
At Deuk-yong and Ji-ho’s words, Tae-oh’s shoulders twitched slightly. Sol hastily swept his hair back and covered his forehead. In the midst of tension and concentration, he momentarily forgot about the bruise on his forehead.
“I just, uh, bumped into something.”
“Wow, the bruise is really something.”
“Sol, did you apply any ointment?”
“Oh, yes. It’s nothing. I’m fine.”
“It seems really painful.”
“Let me see.”
Suddenly, everyone’s gaze focused on Sol. Under the concentrated gazes of four pairs of eyes, Sol shrank his neck like a snail. Regardless of the situation, Tae-oh, who felt a bit guilty, stood silently with his fists clenched, while Deuk-yong and Ji-ho, along with Ga-ram, approached Sol without hesitation.
“You need to cut your hair. I didn’t notice it because it was covered.”
He belatedly tried to check, but once he became aware, Sol only saw that part of his face in the mirror. The wet hair barely covered the bruise on his forehead, failing to conceal it properly.
“What did you bump into for it to turn like that?”
“It’s bad... It’ll take a while to fade.”
“It wasn’t like this yesterday, right? When did it happen?”
The attitudes of the three people facing him subtly changed. Feeling the discomfort and awkwardness, he moved his face in various directions, avoiding the gazes of the three people. Even with each one speaking a few words, it turned into three questions. Still in a state of heightened tension with the ‘Unlucky Genius Dancer’ activated, Sol felt restless as attention poured towards him. Unable to answer the questions of the three people, he fumbled around like a lost child, unsure of where to go.
“He’s fine.”
Despite Tae-oh’s clumsy interference, the attention of the three individuals remained fixed on Sol.
“It didn’t look good at all. But Sol, seriously, you need to cut your hair.”
“Uh... well, I’ll cut it when I have time.”
“You’re soaked in sweat. How about just tying it up?”
Concerned about the tangled wet hair and the bruise on Sol’s forehead visible through it, Ga-ram, who had a rubber band around his wrist, extended it to Sol. Sol continued to touch the bruise while Ga-ram offered the rubber band. He had wondered why the other had this, but looking at Garam’s slightly long hair, Sol understood. Having poorly maintained long hair was uncomfortable in many ways.
For example, right now, soaked in sweat, it clings to the face, making it itchy. When dancing vigorously, the hair would poke the face, causing irritation. In reality, it didn’t help in social situations, either. The unkempt appearance negatively influenced the first impression, and constantly having a disheveled look could lead to communication difficulties.
In truth, the purpose of growing his hair was precisely for that. A kind of barrier. Like the curtain covering oneself on a stage with the curtain dropped.
Regardless of whether it was forced or due to circumstances, the show had to go on now. Sol took the rubber band offered by Ga-ram and tied his hair in a loose bun. No matter how much he described it as long, the reality was that the barely short hair managed to flow out through the rubber band, once again covering his face.
As Sol brushed the protruding hair a few times, Ji-ho lifted his hand and stepped forward. It was evident that his first attempt at tying hair was clumsy.
“Sit here!”
Ji-ho, who sat down abruptly, patted the floor with his palms a few times. Sol, still dazed, stumbled toward Ji-ho’s call. Sol’s wrist was caught abruptly, and he was pulled down to sit in front of Ji-ho. As Ji-ho’s fingers delved into his hair, he instinctively tilted his head forward. When Ji-ho’s fingers dug into the hair, he skillfully wound the rubber band several times. Ji-ho’s hands tying Sol’s hair seemed experienced, as if he had done it several times before.
“Looks good, right? It definitely feels so refreshing.”
At Ji-ho’s question, Sol nodded. He hadn’t thought much about it being bothersome until now. Perhaps due to the sweat that had been shed, now that he had his face exposed in a tidy manner, the world felt bright and refreshing.
“Wow... but seriously....”
Observing that scene, Deuk-yong ran his hand over his face in a contemplative manner, as if about to speak, but he remained silent, closing his mouth.
“This guy is really something...”
“This, what is it? Say it until the end, Kim Deuk-yong. People might misunderstand.”
“No, this guy’s face is... incredible. Wow... I can’t find the right words.”
After Tae-oh pointed out his behavior, Deuk-yong let out a sigh and asked for everyone’s agreement to his opinion. Ga-ram nodded silently, and Tae-oh wordlessly crossed his arms again. Ji-ho, who had been ruffling Sol’s hair from behind, bent his head to look into his face again.
After the accident, it was the first time someone had scrutinized Sol’s face in such detail, making it awkward to meet someone’s eyes and face.
Having something to say but feeling stifled, Sol rolled his eyes continuously, unable to properly meet the gaze of Deuk-yong, who stared intently at himself, and Ji-ho, who smiled broadly and looked at him. When it became noticeable that Sol was visibly uncomfortable, Ji-ho burst into laughter immediately. Knowing that he was making him uncomfortable, Ji-ho seemed to gaze even more intently, looking at him closely. His personality was not very good.
“But you’re really handsome.”
Being part of a society where there were more women than men, Sol was aware that his face didn’t look too bad. However, he wasn’t accustomed to being stared at so openly and receiving compliments about his face like this. Moreover, it was not something he easily experienced, especially when the people complimenting him had faces more splendid than his.
“No, isn’t he pretty rather handsome?”
“If the trainer says something later, just smile once.”
It was awkward, but the atmosphere wasn’t bad. A feeling of the wall breaking down a bit and getting closer. However, feeling awkward under the blatantly pouring attention on his face, Sol awkwardly covered his forehead. The remaining dark bruises didn’t look good.
“Are you laughing?”
In response to Deuk-yong’s words, Sol forced his usual awkward laughter.
“Not like that. Smile like Ji-ho hyung, like this.”
“Like this?”
Sol looked at Ji-ho and Deuk-yong alternately and smiled again, but Deuk-yong became more frustrated. As if Ji-ho was telling him to follow suit, he smiled brightly, like a child. Following along, Sol seemed to have a kind of spasm on his face.
“Wow, this guy. Maybe he needs to practice smiling too. Why is he laughing so awkwardly?”
Deuk-yong’s words made Sol’s expression even stranger. Having to overcome situations with this awkward laughter every time, it seemed to have seeped into his face. He couldn’t remember the last time he had genuinely laughed. His face felt like it was covered with stiff leather.
“Sol-ah, watch carefully. Shape your mouth corners like this.”
“It seems like the eyes are the issue, not the mouth.”
When Ji-ho pointed to his rounded mouth, Ga-ram, who had been staring with aa amused look, interrupted with a comment. Ji-ho’s lips curled roundly, giving off a cute and adorable vibe like a cat or a puppy.
Sol followed Ji-ho’s instructions, exerting force at the end of his lips and pulling them up. The expressions of the three people looking at him were somewhat awkward, and the result didn’t seem entirely satisfying.
“What a waste of a face.”
Unable to hold it in any longer, Deuk-yong muttered the words he had been thinking silently. In response, Ji-ho also empathized, and with a sound of agreement, he covered his mouth. Sol’s cheek turned slightly red.
“Lunchtime is over now. Everyone, move.”
At the moment when it was starting to get a little awkward, Tae-oh smoothly intervened at the right timing. Sol lifted his head, looking at the other with his fist clenched. Tae-oh’s strange timing was impeccable, always inserting himself into moments that would otherwise become awkward or uncomfortable. Whether he knew what he was doing or not, Sol looked at Tae-oh with a subtle gaze.
“Just a moment, Tae-oh. If he does this well, it can be a way for us to avoid punishment from the trainers.”
“There’s no need to worry about getting punished if you practice properly.”
“Geez, Leader Yoon, you’re really quite cunning.”
Deuk-yong and Ji-ho reacted strongly to Tae-oh’s interference. Although it wasn’t clear what the punishment prevention pass was exactly, Ga-ram discreetly whispered something to Sol from behind, making sure only he could hear. ‘Smile when it’s disadvantageous.’
“By the way, Sol, you should be careful too.”
“What are you talking about?”
“About sasaengs. Stalkers.” (T/N: Sasaeng - like an obsessed fan.)
“Stalkers?”
Ji-ho, who had stood up with a light pat on his buttocks, threw a word at Sol. Sol asked Ji-ho, but it was Deuk-yong who answered. Sol, who hadn’t used the internet and spent most of his life in a dance academy, was unfamiliar with the term.
“A while ago, Ga-ram hyung...”
“Let’s practice and talk separately later.”
Sol tilted his head in confusion, and Deuk-yong continued. At the mention of Ga-ram’s name, Tae-oh interrupted again. It was evident that the interruption earlier was intentional. Sol looked at Tae-oh with a strange gaze once again.
Ga-ram’s expression, which had been half-closed and sluggish, suddenly stiffened. He hadn’t noticed before, as he had never observed someone’s expression so closely. However, as Ga-ram’s body tensed with negative emotions from head to toe, it felt similar to his own experience. He felt some kind of camaraderie, perhaps. It was a momentary reaction, but his change seemed oddly familiar.
“Yeah.”
Deuk-yong closed his mouth as if admitting a mistake. The reluctance to discuss the earlier topic was palpable among all four gathered here.
“I’ll explain on the way to the dorm. There shouldn’t be any big issues if we always stick together.”
“Uh, yes... yes. Um, should I keep standing in the middle?”
“It might be better that way. I think you’ve got the center all figured out.”
“More or less. I’ve got a rough idea of everything... I’m not sure if I can do it well.”
Feeling Sol’s gaze on him, Tae-oh calmly summarized the situation. Sol nodded awkwardly and stood up from his seat. His tied hair bounced awkwardly with each nod, making him feel uncomfortable.
“As you saw earlier, I’m a bit...”
The members who had gathered dispersed one by one, returning to their positions. Sol, unable to find the right words to follow ‘I’m a bit...’ let his sentence trail off.
