Everyone looked in the direction Deuk-yong pointed. In fact, there was a leather sofa next to the plastic chair, but the issue was their status. Even though it wasn’t a class-based society, the trainees, who were the subjects in the studio, felt self-conscious and cautious.
There was an atmosphere in the studio where it was difficult to sit unless someone offered a seat first. Moreover, the mood wasn’t great as the shoot wasn’t going well. Even the photographer, who was conversing with Yeong-ho, stood with his arms crossed and in a slightly confrontational stance. It was evident that it was a tough atmosphere when even Deuk-yong, who usually spoke his mind freely, was careful enough to ask Tae-oh such a question.
Even Sol, who usually wasn’t aware of the subtleties, could grasp the situation. Besides, it was a start that he had messed up. If he had done better or if another member had started first, the atmosphere wouldn’t have become this chilly.
Sol, feeling the tension, waved his hands dismissively. In fact, he was too distracted to even feel tired. The only relief was the thought of getting out of that bright lighting and away in the front of the camera.
“I’m fine. I’ll just stand.”
“Sol hyung, I’ll lie down flat! You can sit on me!”
In the heavy atmosphere, Deuk-yong made an absurd joke. Sol thought it was a joke, but Deuk-yong, seemingly serious, lay flat on the complex studio floor, tangled with wires. Deuk-yong was so eager that he looked ready to do push-ups with Sol sitting on his back. It made Ga-ram shake his head and click his tongue.
“DK, do you want people to start gossiping about strict discipline in our group before we’ve even debuted?”
Feeling embarrassed, Deuk-yong clapped his dirty hands and stood up, pouting at Ga-ram. Regardless of Deuk-yong’s intentions, Sol smiled slightly at Ga-ram’s scolding.
“Watch Ga-ram and Ji-ho. I’ll go to Yeong-ho hyung.”
“Okay.”
Seeing Sol’s expression soften, Tae-oh left him to Ga-ram and walked towards Yeong-ho.
Approaching the monitor showing the last photo Sol had taken, Tae-oh overheard the conversation between Chae Min-ju and Yeong-ho about Sol.
“He’s so stiff in front of the camera. How did he even pass the audition?”
“The representative... it wasn’t a proper audition. And back then, he wasn’t this bad.”
“Well, even during the weekend evaluation when the camera was rolling... he wasn’t this bad.”
“Haah... such a frown.”
All of Sol’s photos that filled the monitor screen showed him frowning as if he smelled something bad. If Sol had a strong face like Deuk-yong, that expression might not have been so bad, but Sol was a handsome, well-shaped beauty. Min-ju and Yeong-ho exchanged glances as they looked at Sol’s photos, which were all useless.
“He needs to overcome this habit of freezing in front of the camera quickly. The team leader seems to want to make him busk in the street or something…”
“He’s really going to try every trick in the book, huh?”
“Yes. The kids will have to brace themselves. He said it like that earlier… but you know how it is.”
“Yes. We never know what might happen with the team leader’s whims.”
At Min-ju’s words, Yeong-ho grabbed his head and shook it. The two focused on the monitor screen again.
“If he had no expression at all, we could at least pick a B-cut… but he’s frowning in all of them.”
Min-ju alternately looked at Yeong-ho and the monitor and grabbed her head, too. Honestly, Sol’s photos weren’t that bad.
Despite the frown or whatever, Sol’s appearance was flawless. Previously, his unmanaged greasy hair and shabby clothes overshadowed his looks, but now, neatly styled, he had an appearance that could captivate many on TV.
The issue was that he had a face that could look even better and be photographed better. That’s why it was more disappointing and regrettable. Min-ju let out a hollow laugh and spoke.
“The funny thing is, he’s still pretty in these.”
“It’s not funny, that’s what makes me angry. We could take even better pictures, but he’s not cooperating.”
The photographer, who had been listening to Min-ju and Yeong-ho’s conversation, turned to Min-ju with his arms crossed and spoke very bluntly. Before Tae-oh could step in to defend Sol, Yeong-ho cut him off like a true manager.
“He’s not doing it on purpose. Sol isn’t feeling well today, and he’s probably very nervous since this is his first shoot.”
“If he gets this nervous over a simple profile shoot, how is he going to make a living in front of the camera? And he should at least pretend to listen when given directions.”
However, the response he received was not gentle. It wasn’t wrong either. It wasn’t a difficult shoot, just something that would be done if he stood there with the right expression.
The returned words were quite harsh, but there was no point in saying more to someone who was already upset, and there was no benefit in ruining the photographer’s mood, so Yeong-ho just bowed his head and apologized. Saying that Sol was sick wasn’t entirely a lie. His car sickness was so severe that he couldn’t keep his head straight whenever he got in and out of a moving vehicle. Watching Sol stumble, Yeong-ho had clicked his tongue, worried about how he would manage local events.
“I’m sorry. Sol will do well after a little rest. Please start the shoot with another friend first.”
“Yes. Let’s move quickly.”
When Yeong-ho bowed, the other person, finding it difficult to say more, waved his hand and agreed to Yeong-ho’s suggestion.
Tae-oh, who hadn’t received proper management from Yeong-ho, didn’t trust him and tried to handle the situation himself. But as he watched the situation from behind, he noticed that Yeong-ho was actually saying things that were quite manager-like. With nothing more to add, Tae-oh asked Yeong-ho, who had just finished talking with the photographer, once more, just in case.
“Yeong-ho hyung, please put Sung Sol’s turn at the very end.”
“Sure, I already mentioned that.”
“Thank you. I think he needs some time to adjust to the atmosphere.”
Just as Yeong-ho did, Tae-oh bowed slightly, and Yeong-ho patted him on the shoulder. Tae-oh saw one of the staff members approach Ji-ho, who was standing in Sol’s place, to tidy his wavy brown hair.
“Okay, Ji-ho’s up next. Tae-oh, try to calm Sol down.”
Even though there was an issue with Sol, Yeong-ho couldn’t solely focus on him. As Ji-ho’s shoot seemed to begin, Yeong-ho patted Tae-oh’s shoulder harder, effectively handing over the responsibility.
Yeong-ho moved closer to the monitor to observe Ji-ho’s shoot. Watching this, Tae-oh decided to go back to Sol, help him change the atmosphere a bit, and let him breathe more comfortably. Taking a moment, Tae-oh turned around with a small sigh.
But as soon as he turned, he was met with Chae Min-ju and her camera. The small black camera fit snugly in her hand, with a red LED light constantly on. The small red light bothered him, so Tae-oh, just as he did with Yeong-ho, spoke politely to Chae Min-ju.
“You’ll edit this part out, right? Please.”
“Is that what you want?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Chae Min-ju asked as she lifted the camera. Tae-oh glanced down momentarily with a calm expression before looking back up resolutely. It might seem cold or overly realistic, but the company was not on the trainees’ side.
Honestly, the term “side” was laughable. It was a relationship bound by a contract. And that contract could be terminated at any time since they were products that had yet to generate proper profits.
If they caused a scandal that turned public opinion against them irreparably, or if they were deemed hopeless. Tae-oh had once experienced such an event due to Eun-gyeom, who had been a debut candidate in the same group.
Min-ju asked “why,” but she wasn’t truly curious. She just wanted to capture an image with a marketable value on the camera she was holding, along with the corresponding lines.
He didn’t feel good about it. But even that discomfort didn’t show on Tae-oh’s calm face. Seeing no particular reaction from Tae-oh, Min-ju poked him first.
“You can gain the image of a kind and reliable leader who takes care of struggling team members.”
“……It’s not an act to gain such an image, and I don’t want to use Sung Sol’s struggles for that.”
Tae-oh already knew someone who exploited such an image. And he didn’t want to become like that person. Whether for the team or for himself, using that would ultimately hurt Sol. Despite speaking nonchalantly, Min-ju moved the camera aside slightly at Tae-oh’s words. Then she looked at him directly with her own eyes, not through the camera.
He had been a long-term trainee at the company, but it seemed like this was the first time they had faced each other like this. She never realized how mature and handsome he looked, but now that she was seeing him this way, he still seemed like a boy who hadn’t lost his baby fluff. Min-ju brushed her short hair back, wondering what she was doing with these kids.
The public likes provocative things. They like pretty and glamorous things, but on the flip side, they also like seeing pain and suffering. It was a fact she hated to admit. While people loved the bright, shining kids, sometimes the hidden, sharp suffering behind them created even more buzz and interest.
Min-ju stared at Tae-oh a little longer before nodding silently. Then Tae-oh, as if he had been waiting, bowed his head once more. It was a much more polite bow than the one Yeong-ho had given earlier.
“Thank you. I think Sol needs some rest. Can he sit over there?”
At Tae-oh’s words, Min-ju glanced between the sofa he pointed to and Tae-oh, exclaiming in surprise. The sudden events had left her flustered, so she hadn’t paid attention to the kids. Now she saw that Sol, Tae-oh, and the other members were all standing gathered at a distance.
“Right! Of course.”
As Min-ju nodded, Tae-oh started moving towards Sol, Ga-ram, and Deuk-yong, who were standing hesitantly. Before he could take even two steps, Min-ju hurriedly grabbed Tae-oh.
“Wait a minute! No, never mind. Go and sit on the sofa and talk for a bit while I take some pictures.”
