Chapter 74

  “Is Sol okay?”

“Even taking motion sickness medicine doesn’t help at all. It must have been tough for Sol today, but what are we going to do in the future when we have to travel to other provinces?”

“Yeah, they say it gets better if you sleep…. Seeing him today, it seems like he should get some rest.”

As Ji-ho spoke while looking towards the brightly lit emergency exit, Deuk-yong crouched down on the floor, resting his chin on his hand. Sol, who had been dry heaving and sweating the entire time, couldn’t hold it in any longer and ran to the bathroom while they were getting ready. It had already been about 20 minutes since Yeong-ho had followed him.

“Shouldn’t we go check the bathroom?”

“Let’s wait since Yeong-ho hyung went.”

As Ga-ram looked seriously in the direction Sol had run off to, Tae-oh patted him on the shoulder to calm everyone down. Even if Sol was in trouble, the only person who could help him or buy time was their manager, Yeong-ho, not them.

“I’m worried.”

“Yeah, I’m worried too. Sol will be alright, won’t he?”

“He’ll be fine. Remember last time? After resting a bit, he got better.”

Seeing everyone’s worried faces, Ji-ho comforted them this time, instead of the usually calm Tae-oh. Ji-ho’s tone was much warmer and softer compared to Tae-oh’s blunt way of speaking.

“Still, there’s that other thing too, which is also worrying. The scale here is on a different level.”

“What if Sol hyung gets too nervous again?”

“……”

At Deuk-yong’s words, Tae-oh and the others looked around. The scale was indeed incomparable to their usual profile shoots. They were in a large warehouse on the outskirts of the city. It was so spacious that the set inside the warehouse was divided into different sections. The number of staff was also incomparable, and the same went for the cameras.

“I’ll take care of Sol. I’ll look after him well, so don’t worry too much.”

“You’ll be too busy yourself, though.”

Ji-ho smiled wryly and responded to Tae-oh’s words.

“Me? Do you think they’d even give me a spot? Tae-oh, you too… But at least you’re somewhat noticed, so they might put you in as a backup dancer. But me? Not a chance.”

“Hyung...”

“Wouldn’t Deuk-yong have the best chance along with Sol?”

At Ji-ho’s bitter remark, everyone fell silent. Over the past few days of practice, they had come to realize that things would likely unfold just as he had said. After the profile photoshoot, the members began learning the choreography for a song that had yet to be released. It was Eun-gyeom’s solo track.

For a long time, agencies had used a method to give trainees stage experience by having them perform as backup dancers. It was an opportunity to put trainees in front of the camera without incurring significant costs—if anything, it reduced expenses—so the company had nothing to lose. This was true for Tae-oh and the other members as well. Though it was a chance to be on stage, with the possibility of their faces briefly appearing on camera, something about it felt unsettling.

This feeling was understandable because they had experienced blatant favoritism while practicing with Eun-gyeom. If it had been simple favoritism, it wouldn’t have mattered much. The issue was that Eun-gyeom was excessively kind to Sol. Everyone who knew Eun-gyeom found his behavior disconcerting.

None of this really mattered. Eun-gyeom’s solo activities were deserved given how hard he had worked and how long he had come. Their feelings weren’t rooted in that. It stemmed from emotions that had built up long ago, back when they were all crammed into one dorm like animals in a zoo.

Tae-oh, Ga-ram, and Ji-ho were well aware of Eun-gyeom’s personality and how he manipulated people. Especially Tae-oh. So, it bothered him to see Eun-gyeom hovering around Sol.

Throughout their time practicing the choreography together, Eun-gyeom separated Sol from the other members and shielded him. Sure, Sol’s striking appearance and decent ability to follow the choreography might have earned Eun-gyeom’s affection. However, Eun-gyeom remained consistently cold towards Tae-oh, whose appearance and dance skills were just as, if not more, impressive.

Then there was the issue Ji-ho had been dealing with since their trainee days—Eun-gyeom’s blatant disregard for him due to their overlapping positions. It wasn’t just a matter of looking down on him; it was outright exclusion. While Eun-gyeom made an effort to pretend to be friendly with Tae-oh and Ga-ram, he had always consistently ignored Ji-ho. Ji-ho didn’t believe for a second that Eun-gyeom would give him any noteworthy camera time during the music video shoot.

“He was overly friendly with Sol, to the point where it felt uncomfortable. It’s unsettling.”

“Still, it’s an opportunity we got thanks to Eun-gyeom sunbae. We should be grateful and work hard.”

“Our diligent man. Tae-oh, unlike you, I guess my mind is twisted because I can’t help but feel like there’s an ulterior motive, and it bothers me.”

“...I feel the same, a little.”

Ga-ram agreed with Ji-ho. Sol was undoubtedly a member of their group, but throughout practice, Eun-gyeom had acted as if Sol was separate from the team. Whether taking Sol aside or keeping him close, it felt as though Eun-gyeom was isolating him from the rest of the group. Every time Ga-ram felt that separation, his heart sank with anxiety.

“Aww, it’s just because he’s a senior... And our Sol hyung is quite the talk of the town for his looks, you know. You can’t help but adore him.”

“It would be a relief if that’s all it is. Anyway, Deuk-yong, you should always be careful with your words.”

“Yes!”

Although everyone nodded at Deuk-yong’s words, they couldn’t take it as innocently as the youngest did. They wanted to tell Sol to be careful with his words and actions in front of Eun-gyeom too, but seeing how close and fond Sol seemed of Eun-gyeom, they hesitated to say anything for fear of spoiling their good relationship.

“Anyway, since I’m free today, I’ll take good care of Sol.”

“Me? Why me?”

Sol, who had returned from the bathroom at some point, was standing behind Ji-ho. Startled by Sol’s voice from behind, Ji-ho turned around quickly and flashed his signature sly smile, saying it was nothing.

The atmosphere was a bit strange, but Sol didn’t have the luxury to pay attention to the subtle tension among the members. He had just used a potion in the bathroom.

He hadn’t been able to drink the Stability Potion because he wasn’t sure how today’s shoot would go. Instead, he used the ‘Low-Level Stamina Recovery Potion’ he obtained from completing the <Capturing First Impressions!> mission during the last profile shoot. His stamina had dropped to 62 after a long ride in the car.

The four-wheel skeptic penalty would disappear as soon as he got out of the car, and he decided to save the Stability Potion for the actual shoot. He had wondered where to use the new potion on the night he obtained it, but he hadn’t expected to see its effects so soon. The ‘Low-Level Stamina Recovery Potion’ restored 30 points of depleted stamina. Thanks to that, his stamina, which had been in the 60s, was now at 92, allowing him to start the day relatively comfortably.

“Sol! You’re back?”

“Are you okay?”

“Are you alright, Sol-ah?”

“Hyung! Is your stomach feeling better?”

“Uh... yeah, I feel better now. Were you worried? Sorry about that. It seems like the medicine is finally kicking in.”

The tension that gripped his heart hadn’t been resolved, but now that his strength had returned, the pained expression seemed to have disappeared. When Sol hesitantly responded, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Sol looked at the members with an awkward smile, feeling sorry for making them worry like this.

If he used the Stability Potion like last time, everyone wouldn’t have to be so concerned. After briefly considering it, Sol decisively put the thought aside. He didn’t have many Stability Potions left. Although he was able to save one on the day of the profile shoot by being in the “small happiness” state, unfortunately, now was not the time.

Looking at the members’ faces, which might not easily relax, Sol forced his mind to work despite being tense and unable to think clearly. He was troubled by how to make this situation less difficult for everyone and himself.

‘It would’ve been nice if I were in the “small happiness” state.’

The thought suddenly flashed through Sol’s mind. If he were in the small happiness state, the Stability Potion’s effect would be doubled, and he’d have a bit more leeway.

‘How can I get into the small happiness state…?’

Sol looked at the members. Both times he had experienced “small happiness” had been when he was doing something with the members—during dance practice, or while filming.

As he continued thinking, Sol suddenly shuddered and widened his eyes in surprise at his own thoughts. The idea of trying to become “happy” just to activate the item’s effect, just to get through the situation in front of him, struck him as incredibly strange. Happiness was a feeling that should arise naturally, but trying to become happy for a specific effect, out of necessity, felt bizarre.

“Sol-ah, what’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“Oh, Ji-ho hyung. It’s nothing…. Just….”

“Too many people around? The cameras too…. Don’t worry. You’ll do great, just like last time.”

“Yeah….”

Ji-ho stepped closer and put his arm around Sol’s shoulder. As Sol, lost in thought, stumbled from Ji-ho’s embrace, he tightened his hold and pulled him into a firm hug. Although it was an unusually close gesture for him, Sol, startled by the change in himself—trying to be happy out of necessity—failed to fully grasp the situation.

While Sol was lost in thought, resting in Ji-ho’s embrace, Yeong-ho, who had been among the staff, hurriedly ran toward the members. His face clearly showed signs of distress.

“Guys, it’s cold here, right? But what can we do? The shoot has been delayed… It looks like we’ll have to wait a bit longer. Why don’t you head over there by the heater and practice while warming up?”

“Yes.”

“Sol-ah, do you want to take another dose of medicine?”

“Oh, no. I’m okay. Thank you, hyung.”

“Alright, but let me know if it becomes unbearable.”

“Yes, I will.”

Just as Yeong-ho had said, they were in a remote area far from the city. The large warehouse in the middle of a desolate field had no heating, making it just as cold inside as it was outside. No, in fact, without any sunlight, the inside of the warehouse was even colder. The members, who had obediently answered Yeong-ho, exhaled warm breaths into their hands as they moved toward the direction where the electric heater was placed.

<Prev> <ToC> <Next>