Tae-oh slowly examined Sol’s changing expressions one by one. The anxious movement of his eyes, the occasionally trembling eyelids as if experiencing a spasm, the thin fingers that opened and closed, and even the restless toes that couldn’t find a comfortable position—all these details were captured in Tae-oh’s gaze.
Unlike a moment ago, Min-ju, finding Sol’s slow but still awkward responses fascinating, leaned forward. Sol, on the other hand, leaned sideways, creating some distance from Min-ju by leaning close enough to touch Ga-ram’s shoulder. Observing Sol, who tried to distance himself, Tae-oh roughly identified the factors that made Sol tense. Sol seemed to want to maintain a certain distance from unfamiliar people, not getting too close.
This tendency was apparent when Sol first met the members, but it had gradually subsided. Recently, such reactions had disappeared entirely, likely because he had become familiar with the members. Even if not for that, Sol’s current behavior suggested that he felt more comfortable with the members than with Chae Min-ju. Tae-oh kept his gaze fixed on Sol, unable to look away, prompting Chae Min-ju to lightly tap Tae-oh’s knee and speak.
“He’s still quite stiff, but he’s better than before, isn’t he?”
“...”
Tae-oh nodded silently in response to Min-ju’s remark. Although Sol had improved a bit, it wasn’t enough to proceed smoothly with the filming.
“What difference does it make...?”
Deuk-yong, who had been listening to the conversation, muttered to himself, but his voice was loud enough to draw everyone’s attention. Although it wasn’t a question meant for him, Sol answered since it was about him.
“...I’m not sure either. But now, it seems a bit... better than before, I think...”
Sol tilted his head sideways, looking alternately at Deuk-yong, Tae-oh, and Chae Min-ju, as if he couldn’t understand his own changes. His large black eyes conveyed a pure question, hoping for an answer.
“A tripod.”
The answer came from Tae-oh.
“During our practice or weekend evaluations, we always used a tripod to film.”
“Oh! Right. This is the first time someone’s filming us.”
At Tae-oh’s words, Deuk-yong clapped his hands together and exclaimed. Ga-ram, who was sitting next to him, nodded in agreement. Sol looked at Tae-oh with curious eyes, amazed that Tae-oh had figured out something Sol himself didn’t realize. Tae-oh, without even asking, seemed to understand everything and offered help, which made Sol find him all the more intriguing.
“…How did you know?”
“Earlier and even now, you tend to avoid people when they get close. You were fine when we were recording with you... It’s probably because people are getting close with cameras in hand.”
“Oh...”
At Tae-oh’s words, Sol slightly parted his lips and let out a small exclamation. Listening to Tae-oh, it made sense. Everything had been fine when they started the shoot. The problems began when the lights were turned on and the photographer approached with the camera. Just a moment ago, Min-ju had raised her camera and made eye contact, causing another issue.
Sol sighed in relief and smiled as they had found the cause of the problem. When he first received the quest, he thought it was easier compared to the past challenges he faced. He assumed that taking photos, whether they turned out well or not, would be a straightforward task. However, he had begun to worry. What if, like during the weekend evaluation, he couldn’t overcome his fatigue and collapsed? The thought made him feel dizzy. But thanks to Tae-oh, they were able to identify the cause, which was a huge relief.
“But the photographer has to take the pictures.”
Their relief was short-lived, as Deuk-yong’s words left everyone except Tae-oh sighing, “Oh...”. Sol was included in that. He couldn’t ask to be the only one photographed using a tripod. They had found the cause but had no solution, which made Ga-ram, Deuk-yong, and Sol’s expressions turn somber. Min-ju, who had been listening, also had her face darken again.
“Hmm... A tripod.”
Min-ju murmured while looking at the camera set up on the tripod. Simply passing the profile shoot wasn’t the only issue. They couldn’t use a tripod for all the numerous shoots in the future. While some shoots might allow it, the idea of being an entertainer with such a restriction was absurd. If it wasn’t a problem that could be overcome, it was better to report it to the higher-ups quickly and take action before things progressed further.
Min-ju glanced at Sol. He had no flaws in terms of appearance. However, he was the last to join, suffered from severe motion sickness, and his evaluation results were still uncertain. Although he hadn’t been a trainee for long, if a report were made, it was likely that few would argue to keep Sol on the team. As Min-ju pondered, Ga-ram gently held Sol’s hand, leaned in, and made eye contact while asking,
“Sol, do you think you can handle the shoot?”
Looking into Ga-ram’s eyes, Sol slowly but firmly nodded. It was a small gesture, but it was a significant change compared to before. Although to others it might still seem slow and tentative, the members who had been with Sol could sense the difference. Sol answered slowly but surely, much like Tae-oh.
“It’s okay. You can do it. I can do it. I will do it.”
As Sol spoke clearly, a small smile appeared on Tae-oh’s lips and quickly disappeared. When Sol responded, everyone turned their attention to Chae Min-ju. Being the focus of the four handsome and pretty men, Min-ju unknowingly made a strange expression. Facing their sparkling eyes, she couldn’t say anything more. Min-ju hesitated for a moment and then clenched her fists.
“Of course, we have to do it. We have to debut! We have to shoot it really beautifully. This is just the first step.”
As Min-ju responded with clenched fists, Tae-oh stood up and detached the camera from the tripod. Min-ju just watched blankly, her fists still clenched, as Tae-oh’s actions unfolded. Tae-oh smiled at Min-ju, trying to come off as kind and pleasant, hoping to draw out her goodwill. His actions had an immediate effect.
“Can we try it ourselves?”
“Yes…! I mean... I mean, the filming?”
When Tae-oh asked with a smile, Min-ju nodded vigorously and then flinched, asking back. Not just Min-ju, but everyone’s eyes were on Tae-oh. Tae-oh nodded while slightly lifting the camera and answered loudly enough for everyone to hear.
“Yes. Like a self-cam, we’ll film ourselves. At least until Sol gets a bit more comfortable.”
“Hmm…”
“That’ll work! Sol hyung was awkward when we first filmed the dance video, but he’s fine now.”
“We’ll ask each other questions naturally, like we’re just having a conversation.”
When Min-ju hesitated at Tae-oh’s suggestion, Deuk-yong agreed and stood up abruptly. As Deuk-yong mentioned, Sol was very stiff and awkward when they first recorded the dance video. Even now, he’s not completely free, but it’s natural enough that you wouldn’t notice unless you paid close attention.
As Deuk-yong gave his support, Ga-ram joined in as well. When everyone agreed with Tae-oh’s idea, Min-ju rubbed her chin, pretending to think. But deep down, since Tae-oh had asked with a smile, her answer was already ‘yes! Whatever works!’.
“It’s not a bad idea...”
“Both Sung Sol and us, it would be more natural and comfortable that way.”
Tae-oh mentioned Sol and looked back at him. Sol couldn’t say anything. He was grateful for everyone’s efforts for him, but he couldn’t easily express his gratitude. Instead, he was worried that he might disappoint the members despite their help. While Sol was trying to find the right words to say, Min-ju spoke up first. She readily accepted Tae-oh’s suggestion. Upon further thought, it seemed that Tae-oh’s opinion was indeed better.
“Then do you want to try it out a bit? I’ll watch from the side.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
As Min-ju nodded, Tae-oh smiled at her again. His usually stern eyebrows relaxed slightly, forming a very refreshing smile. It was a charming smile that felt like a cool breeze was blowing. Min-ju covered her mouth with both hands and looked at Tae-oh with a slightly dazed expression. She thought that the upcoming debut group was all about looks. As soon as Min-ju gave her approval, Deuk-yong, who had been standing all this time, raised his hand as if making an announcement.
“Tae-oh hyung! Hyung, hyung. Can I do it?”
Deuk-yong’s excited shouting made Tae-oh shrug his shoulders and readily hand over the camera to him. Receiving the camera, Deuk-yong asked Min-ju if it was recording and how to use it, then immediately pointed the camera at Sol.
“Sung Sol-ssi!”
“Sung Sol-ssi?”
“Oh, just kidding. Sol hyung, how do you feel after getting a haircut?”
“You wanted to ask that, didn’t you?”
Ga-ram responded first to Deuk-yong’s call. It seemed like he had a problem with Deuk-yong’s choice of words, as his lazy expression disappeared and he looked at him with a slanted gaze. Deuk-yong, laughing playfully, quickly backed off.
Deuk-yong pushed the camera quite close to Sol this time, but Sol didn’t avoid it. Although he looked at the camera a bit awkwardly, Sol awkwardly patted his head and smiled at Deuk-yong’s question.
“Does my haircut look weird?”
“No! Hyung, it looks great on you. Really, it’s pretty.”
“Yeah, Sol, it really suits you. It was good before, but now it’s even better.”
Min-ju, who was watching from the side, almost shouted that it was the best. Everyone’s gaze turned to the only person who hadn’t answered. Min-ju, Ga-ram, Deuk-yong, and even Sol’s eyes naturally turned towards Tae-oh. Meeting everyone’s gaze, Tae-oh nodded.
“It doesn’t look weird, and it suits you well.”
It seemed like a reluctant answer, but Tae-oh’s ears turned bright red for a moment. Tae-oh was as strict with himself as he was stingy with praise. Only then did Sol, seemingly reassured, stop fiddling with his hair. Before they could catch his breath, Deuk-yong continued with another question.
“Ji-ho hyung is filming right now. How do you think the photos will turn out?”
