As soon as he arrived at the company, Yeong-ho, who hadn’t shown up at all yesterday, greeted the members. It was not a situation where they could cheerfully smile and ask about each other’s morning. Yeong-ho seemed to be in the same boat. In the hallway leading to the company’s practice room, Yeong-ho’s outfit was the same as yesterday’s.
His beard had grown scruffy, and his hair was matted, indicating that he hadn’t gone home since he briefly met Sol yesterday. He had said he had something urgent to take care of, and it seemed like it really was urgent and kept him busy. Regardless, Yeong-ho seemed to be concerned about how he had sent Sol off, and he asked with a smile.
“Sol-ah, did you get back safely to the dorm yesterday? I was really busy.”
“Yes. I returned just fine. It’s okay.”
“Alright, alright.”
Yeong-ho unzipped a pouch and held it out in front of the members. It was the pouch they always used to collect their phones. Since this happened every morning, everyone habitually put their phones into the pouch. Except for Sol and Ga-ram.
“What about Sol?”
“Uh... I think it’s in the dorm.”
“Really?”
“Yes. It’s really not here. I think I forgot it and left it behind.”
“Really? I believe you.”
“Yes.”
When Yeong-ho looked at Sol with doubtful eyes, Sol turned his coat and pants pockets inside out to show him. He had forgotten his phone as he had gotten up before any notifications could ring. He should have looked for it, but since there had been no notifications even after time had passed, it was certain that it wasn’t in the dorm.
‘Did I lose it when I fell yesterday?’
His last memory of the phone was using it on the way home last night and putting it in his pocket. He had fallen after bumping into that person... He hadn’t checked his phone after that, so he couldn’t be sure.
He wondered if it might be lying on the street somewhere. Still, there was nothing he could do. He didn’t think it mattered much, since there was nothing particularly important on his phone. The only thing that slightly concerned him was the strange family photo inside. But that was neither Sol’s family nor Sol himself.
Sol continued to gesture to show that he really didn’t have it. Given the events of yesterday, Yeong-ho couldn’t push Sol any further and reluctantly let it go with a sigh, turning his attention to Ga-ram.
“Ga-ram-ah, what about you?”
“Ah. Just a moment.”
Ga-ram answered while keeping his eyes fixed on his phone. From the moment he woke up in the morning until he arrived at the company, he couldn’t take his eyes off his phone as if he were waiting for an important message. As Sol stared intently at Ga-ram, Ji-ho nudged Ga-ram’s side with his elbow.
“Ga-ram-ah. Stop looking at it and hand it over quickly.”
“Uh... Uh, okay, hyung. Just a second...”
“Kang Ga-ram.”
In the end, when Tae-oh called his name in a low voice, the issue was resolved. With an anxious expression, Ga-ram turned off his phone and handed it to Yeong-ho.
“I’ve been so busy this week that I haven’t been able to pay attention to you guys. It’s been too long since we took new profile pictures, and I’ve been coordinating with the A&R team... There have been a lot of things like auditions at the company lately. You know Eun-gyeom’s solo album is coming out soon, right?”
Through Yeong-ho, Sol learned about Eun-gyeom, who had seemed vaguely busy due to his recent absence. It occurred to him that the person who stayed late upstairs last night might have been Eun-gyeom. However, everyone seemed indifferent to the news about Eun-gyeom. Instead, Ji-ho reacted to the mention of auditions.
“Have new trainees joined?”
“They’re preparing a girl group.”
“Ah... I see.”
“Ji-ho, were you worried about having a rival?”
“What rival?”
At the mention of a girl group, Ji-ho waved his hand dismissively at Yeong-ho. He was too preoccupied with his own issues to care about female trainees, and he shouldn’t have been interested in them in the first place. Ji-ho blocked his ears, indicating he had no intention of talking further or listening.
“Once Eun-gyeom’s solo project is sorted out, you guys need to prepare properly, too. We’ll take new profile pictures, and Sol-ah, you should also manage your hair...”
At Yeong-ho’s remark, Sol casually brushed aside his long bangs.
“But why has Sol been winking with one eye this whole time?”
“He’s practicing winking?”
“No, I just got slightly poked… I’m fine now.”
Deukyong responded to Yeong-ho’s question and giggled. Only then did Sol realize he was still keeping one eye closed and blinked it open. His large eyes blinked a few times, but luckily, there wasn’t much discomfort.
“Okay, let’s work hard in practice today! There’s an evaluation tomorrow, so we need to give it our all.”
“Yes. Fighting!”
“Fighting.”
Between the sensitive and tired-looking Ga-ram and Tae-oh, Ji-ho and Deuk-yong shouted their respective cheers as they passed through. Sol also glanced at Tae-oh and Ga-ram, then followed the others into the practice room. When Ga-ram and Tae-oh didn’t come in right away, Sol put down his bag and asked Ji-ho.
“Ji-ho hyung, doesn’t Ga-ram seem a bit off today?”
“Why? Because he woke up early?”
Ji-ho answered Sol’s question and burst out laughing. Unlike his playful response, Sol’s expression was serious. Something was bothering him.
“No… he’s been looking at his phone constantly… something feels off.”
“Ga-ram hyung is always addicted to his phone.”
“Really?”
“Ga-ram hyung is always on his phone or computer a lot. That’s why we got rid of the computer in the dorm.”
“If it’s just that, then that’s a relief….”
Deuk-yong, who had been listening to their conversation, chimed in instead of Ji-ho. Sol nodded at Deuk-yong’s words. The time they had spent together was too short to claim he knew Ga-ram well. If the others who had been around him longer said so, then it must be true. As Sol shook his head to dismiss his doubts, Ji-ho, who was taking off his padded jacket, peeked out and looked at Sol.
“What’s weird?”
“This morning, when I went into his room… never mind, I think I was just being sensitive. It’s nothing.”
Sol hesitated to answer Ji-ho’s question and then shook his head. If Ga-ram had always been engrossed in his computer or phone, as Deuk-yong mentioned, it shouldn’t be a concern. Sol hadn’t noticed Ga-ram’s obsession with his computer or phone since he arrived here, but if the longtime members described it as an addiction, it seemed best not to worry about it. As Sol waved his hand while taking off his jacket, Ji-ho shrugged his shoulders and loosened up as well.
“Why aren’t they coming in?”
As soon as Ji-ho stretched his body and spoke, Ga-ram and Tae-oh opened the door and entered. As soon as he entered the practice room, Tae-oh looked around as if checking with tired eyes.
“I’ll turn up the temperature a bit.”
“Okay.”
“I’m hot.”
“I’ll lower it again after we warm up.”
As soon as Tae-oh put down his bag, he adjusted the temperature in the practice room. Deuk-yong would sweat profusely even if it was slightly warm and would say it was cool even with a slight breeze. In contrast, Sol was sensitive to the cold and disliked moving while his body was cold. Once, while warming up before practice, Sol mentioned that it would be nice if it were warm, and since then, Tae-oh had been considerate like this. Thanks to him, it was much easier. Sol gave a slight bitter smile as he watched Tae-oh take care of such things even when tired. He couldn’t help but be grateful for his attention and care.
As the warm air heated the practice room, it became much easier to move his body. Sol, who stretched his legs skillfully and did some stretches, approached the mirror and performed a very simple, short movement. It was a modern dance movement that he had once performed on a large stage. It was a minor movement, but it was so graceful and elegant that Deuk-yong exclaimed “Wow” like a child. It wasn’t that Sol was trying to show off; his dance lines were naturally good. Even when he practiced the same moves the same number of times under the same conditions, his every gesture, right down to the tips of his fingers, was unique and exceptional.
“Sol hyung, you’re really a cheat character. Where have you been until now?”
“Where else? I was dancing.”
“I can’t understand how someone like you hasn’t been famous until now...”
Sol laughed at Deuk-yong’s childlike remark. Unless you joined a world-renowned competition or dance troupe, or even if you did, you would only become a fleeting sensation. That was the extent of interest in that field.
“No matter how much you flatter me, you won’t get anything from me.”
“What do you think of your younger brother’s sincere compliment? Hyung.”
“Was it really pure intention? Kim Deuk-yong? Were you praising Sol on purpose to negotiate some ice cream?”
“Ah, I don’t want to eat ice cream! I said I don’t want it!”
With the weight check scheduled for tomorrow’s evaluation, the pressure to diet was at its peak. Deuk-yong, now irritable, glared fiercely at Ji-ho. Seeing the two confronting each other, Sol shook his head with a smile.
Suddenly, he noticed Ga-ram, who was unusually quiet today, just as quiet as Tae-oh. Though practice hadn’t even started, Tae-oh was sitting in a chair with a tired face, rotating his ankles, while Ga-ram stared blankly into space.
Both of them were not in their usual state. Sol looked at the two and tied his hair back tightly. Tomorrow’s weekend evaluation couldn’t afford to be disrupted by this atmosphere. Wasn’t this a life-or-death quest? Sol divided his ponytail into two and pulled it tight to keep it from falling, gathering his resolve and taking the lead for the first time.
“Let’s start practicing.”
“Before that, this first.”
Sol, who usually started practice, spoke up. But everyone except Ga-ram just stared at him. Tae-oh, who had been sitting, suddenly stood up, picked something up, and approached Sol. In his outstretched hand was a jump rope.
Ah, he had forgotten the basic jump rope singing. Embarrassed, Sol awkwardly took the jump rope. It was a simple and primitive method, but it was effective for handling live performances while doing tough choreography. As such, it was exhausting and grueling.
Sol took the jump rope Tae-oh handed him, already feeling overwhelmed before starting. The five of them lined up and began jumping rope while singing their chosen songs.
The sound of the jump ropes hitting the floor in rhythm matched perfectly, but the singing was all over the place. Soon, Tae-oh’s jump rope rhythm intensified. He was a harsh leader, jumping twice as high when others jumped once.
A fatigue system window appeared, signaling the start of another day in the practice room.
[Current Fatigue 1/100]
[Be mindful of fatigue management! Penalties will occur if fatigue exceeds 70.]
