On the day of the third round competition, at a café near the broadcasting station, three people sat nervously, having ordered steaming lattes early in the morning.
"Wow, today's the competition."
"Sigh..."
They were friends who hadn't settled down anywhere and had wandered around like K-pop wanderers, becoming close and becoming fans of The Dawn together.
There were a few others around, but only these three had made it to the third round.
They trembled or wiped their sweaty foreheads nervously.
"I'm so nervous... more than when my final grades were announced..."
At that moment, someone cheerfully spoke as they brought coffee from the counter.
"Hey, come on, let's take a polite shot."
"Are you doing that for your YouTube channel?"
"How did you know? I'm planning to boost views with The Dawn fans to buy a building."
Despite claiming Kang Ichae as their bias, they were shameless. He took out a magic wand from his bag that could hold three photo cards.
"Do you carry that around?"
"It's cool. I wish there was one that could hold five. One for each member."
"That's insane..."
The design was a bit awkward to carry around in your twenties, but it was the best for YouTube content.
Even after seeing that, one of the Noeuls, who had been calm until now, chuckled and took something out of his bag.
"Haha..."
"Wow!!!!!!"
"Hey! This!!"
Three pairs of eyes gathered quickly.
Seo Hoyun's Second Chance photo card.
Taken at a dark MV shoot location, Seo Hoyun's photo card, where he was looking at the camera without a smile, was a rare item known as the "land value of Gangnam" due to its high price.
"How did you get it??"
"I sold my house to buy it."
The owner of the photo card, accustomed to exaggeration and jokes, waved it off.
"Today's cross unit? Seo Hoyun's going to nail it."
Then he slammed the table.
"If this good-looking guy doesn't win, there's no future for K-pop!!"
"Damn..., this guy's serious."
"He's a legend of overenthusiasm... But I admit it."
Everyone nodded their heads as if they were enchanted. The Noeuls, who were determined to win with Seo Hoyoon's face before the competition, got up.
Their faces were filled with confidence.
---
"Now the shooting is about to start!"
"All the audience members have arrived."
At the third cross-unit competition venue, while the staff were busy running around giving instructions, the performers seemed quite lethargic.
'The audience atmosphere doesn't seem bad today.'
Although everyone they met smiled and greeted them, my gaze was fixed on Jung Dajun the whole time.
'He seems really down.'
He, who had always been lively and never had a dull day, was now as lifeless as a wilted cabbage. The criticism towards the youngest member bothered me more than I expected.
"....Hmm."
I pursed my lips.
I had deliberately left Jung Dajun alone until now.
Doing something more for him here wouldn't seem to revive his spirit, and it might even hinder his growth.
Besides...
"He'll do well on his own..."
"...."
Now, just by rolling my eyes, I could tell what he was thinking. Seeing Kang Ichae quietly sticking out his tongue beside me, I felt a twinge of sympathy towards Jung Dajun, but it quickly faded away.
The guy who didn't even flinch when I came out with an attitude like I was the boss ended up dragging me to the hospital. After being diagnosed with nothing more than a simple cold and gastritis, he finally backed off, but the grudge lingered.
"The third round of competition, Cross Unit, is starting!"
Even when Ha Seoyeon appeared on the TV in the waiting room, the members just quietly sipped their drinks, avoiding conversation.
"First, Vocal Unit Group A, Mr. Seo Hoyun, please move first!"
The rehearsal was perfect, and the stats were boosted.
I was about to stand up to leave when—
"...Hyung!"
Jeong Dajun hurriedly blocked my path.
"Uh, yeah?"
"..."
"You'll do well."
After looking somewhat aloof since the unit selection ceremony, he seemed to have finally chosen to support me. Watching him, who seemed gentle and naive, I felt a pang of guilt. He hesitated for a moment, his eyes darting around, before he finally couldn't say anything more and tried to move his steps forward.
"Jung Dajun."
"...Yes?"
I tapped his shoulder and raised my index finger. Jung Dajun's cheek was poked as he turned his head.
I chuckled at the sight.
"I'll be back, hyung."
"...What, what's..."
"Hoyun, do well."
"You too."
Leaving behind a confused u
Jung Dajun, I walked out of the waiting room.
Following the staff's instructions, I moved backstage and waited, and then the VCR came on.
There were many scenes of me making mistakes.
From singing off-key, forgetting lyrics, or even cracking on high notes, the footage didn't hold back in showing the flaws of Team A, including me.
"We'll be up soon!"
"Yes!"
As I leisurely drank water to warm up my throat, the main vocalist of TEW, who was also cold to me before, came up to me.
"Seo Hoyun-ssu, don't be nervous and do well!!"
As I checked my outfit one last time and glanced sideways with only my eyes, Jung Wonha smiled slightly.
Part of it was genuine fondness for me, some calculated gestures, and a confidence in the forthcoming results. 'It's a problem if it's too obvious...' Yes, there couldn't be pure kindness in the jungle-like entertainment industry. If there were no benefits for himself, the main vocalist of TEW wouldn't have even spoken to me. Well, maybe by now, such a gesture was enough to show kindness in this ruthless entertainment industry.
"It seems like you did well with Seo Hoyun. At first, I was a bit skeptical, but after talking to him, he seems like a pretty decent person."
It was easy to figure out who had gotten into Jung Dajun's head.
When analyzing the performances of the other groups, each member was shown on screen. Just looking at the youngest member, who still couldn't hide his emotions proficiently, gave away the answer. After that, only the process of confirming it remained.
'I might as well have hidden it better.'
Even if I got caught, it wouldn't have made much difference.
Jung Wonha shook Jung Dajun, but what pushed him over the edge were the famous figures like Joo Woo sung, Im Hyun soo, and Min Jiheon who lingered nearby. To him, they were just insignificant people, but the fact that they hovered around him agitated him. So, he probably picked on the easiest target, the youngest member.
Once I understood the motive behind Jung Wonha's actions, it was easy to become friends with him. By subtly hinting that I could meddle with Joo Woo sung or Min Jiheon, and act as a bridge to connect with them, I quickly became a decent person in TEW's eyes.
"Ah, I wish I had been TEW's youngest member."
"……."
I continued to check my outfit nonchalantly.
Seeing no response, Jung Wonha seemed a bit taken aback.
"...Why aren't you saying anything?"
After smoothing out the wrinkles in my jacket,
" Jung Wonha-ssi ."
I called out to him.
"Next! Vocal Unit Team A!"
As I heard Ha Seoyeon's introduction from the stage, I raised the corners of my mouth.
"Do you have a girlfriend?"
Amidst the cheers from the audience, Jung Wonha looked at me with a blank expression.
"…What?"
"While waiting in the van on the way to the broadcasting station, fans were whispering from your side. Very loudly."
"…."
I couldn't be sure how he would react in front of the fans, but I had already caught on that he was dating someone.
Feeling a pang of jealousy, I teased the guy whose eyes were shaking mercilessly.
"You look nervous to the point of breaking into pieces."
I added the last bit of banter.
"Are you okay to go up on stage now?"
Leaving the TEW main vocalist frozen like a broken machine, I climbed the stairs towards the stage.
[♬♭?♪]
With the accompaniment, the lights focused on the five of us, and in the darkness, the members of Team A were revealed. At the same time, screams erupted.
"Aaah!"
To the gentle melody of the ballad, the audience swayed their hands slowly from side to side.
The first to start was the main vocalist of Try.
[Sometime you asked me
If I'm okay, maybe I looked anxious]
His tone matched the song perfectly, lifting the atmosphere. Then, it was the turn of the main vocalist of High Five.
[I said I'm okay, I said I'm okay But in that moment, my throat got blocked
I couldn't give that answer]
As the main vocalist of a major entertainment agency group, his clear and charming voice with clean pitch control added to the performance. I smiled at the audience after firmly placing my in-ear monitors and raised the microphone.
[Maybe I was scared, in the empty nights that came]
"……!"
I could feel the excitement in the audience.
[It was dark, I couldn't see ahead, I couldn't easily move forward]
Perhaps because we seemed much better after the previous VCR, where we appeared as the weak link of the team, missing beats or hitting off-notes, the vocals stood out more positively.
But I had a different event I was eagerly awaiting.
[Being different from when I was young]
Next was Jung Wonha's part.
[The more I know, the scarier it gets, I feel suffocated, but when I lift my head, you're there]
Jung Wonha's voice trembled unstably.
【…Affectionate】
Eventually, he cracked on a high note.
"Oh my."
I quickly lowered my head and managed my expression.
"What a fun moment."
Jung Wonha seemed to realize his mistake and tried to quickly regain his composure, but along with the mistake, he also messed up the rhythm due to worries about his dating situation and ranking.
【Your tone is cautious, trembling with worry
So, I】
As the member forced to cover for the now completely lost Jung Wonha, I was thrown off my pace and hurriedly jumped in.
【Sing here in front of you】
It went smoothly.
【Because I'm with you
I'm okay...】
Next was the duet part between Jung Wonha and me, but that brat didn't even look at me.
Still, he seemed to be making an effort to finish the song somehow, but it was almost silent.
Thanks to that, this part became my solo.
【Watch over me, I'll always say I'm okay because I'm with you I'm okay because you're with me】
As we approached the highlight where all five of us sang together,
【Our memories, our moments, our days】
Looking out at the audience, everyone had a mesmerized expression, moving their slogans and cheering sticks left and right, but TEW's fans seemed sour.
【I'm happy with you I can trust myself because you're here】
As we entered the final part, everyone gradually regained stability and smoothly continued with the lyrics.
【I will sing for you-!】
At the peak moment, the main vocalist of High Five closed his eyes and sang the last verse.
【I'm okay because I'm with you I can trust myself because you're here Singing always】
The other members exchanged glances and added harmonies.
Lowering the microphone slowly, shortly after, a thunderous cheer erupted.
I smiled faintly.
***
"Congratulations! The winner of the Vocal Unit is Team A with their stage 'Our Time Together'!"
"Wow!"
"Additionally, in Team A's 'Sing for You,' the individual 1st place goes to The Dawn's Seo Hoyun. Congratulations! Thus, Team B's 5th place, TEW's Ju Hyungjin's score will be combined with Seo Hoyun's score."
A bit disappointing.
One miscalculation was that I naturally thought Sung Jiwon would be 1st place in Team B, but it turned out Jung Wonha had the highest individual score.
Perhaps there was a big difference in fan base and recognition.
Anyway, although Team A won, thanks to me taking 1st place and getting a combined score with Jung Wonha, the difference in scores with Sung Jiwon and me, and Jung Wonha and the main vocalist of High Five, was not that big.
In the end, we were the winners of the Vocal Unit.
"Ah, feels good."
With the results I wanted, I headed to the waiting room with a refreshing feeling, taking Sung Jiwon with me.
"Great job!"
As I cheerfully greeted the members of other groups, a sub-vocalist from Versi called Sung Jiwon. It seemed like we became closer while matching scores for Team B.
Waiting a bit further away for Sung Jiwon, I nodded politely to the staff members.
"Wait a moment!"
With a flushed face and veins bulging in his neck, it was the TEW main vocalist, still clenching his teeth.
Even though he made a mistake and ended up in fourth place instead of last, he was not a person to be satisfied with that ranking.
"Just now, I confirmed with the manager. Such words didn't spread at all."
'Of course.'
It was a lie.
I just suspected that his red face and absent-mindedness were either due to facial flushing or dating, nothing else.
'He hid it pretty well.'
I thought he would reveal it smoothly once we got closer, but as a slippery character in the entertainment industry, he was heavy-mouthed.
It wasn't that I couldn't think of Kim Jaeyeon, but time was tight, and he wasn't someone worth the effort.
"Why the hell did you say that, making me look like an idiot?!"
As some staff members glanced our way, Jung Wonha's voice rapidly diminished with frustration.
Thankfully, Sung Jiwon seemed oblivious to the situation.
"I've been so mentally distressed because of that, and because of that, I got fourth place in the slip-up."
"Excuse me."
I looked calmly at the furious Jung Wonha.
"Is that my fault?"
"…!"
One of the things I was particularly good at in the world was shifting blame.
It was a skill I found very useful every time an accident occurred and I was called in by the broadcasting director.
"Well, you probably want to pass the blame. Because of your slip-up, we lost some lines."
"What… What did you say?"
"Don't get it twisted."
His face turned red and green. I tidied up the annoying earpiece and spoke slowly.
"You made a mistake, and it affected the team."
"…"
"Don't pass it off."
The trembling guy, suppressing tears, quickly left. He was probably furious and wanted to confront me immediately, but he realized that causing more trouble here would only make things worse.
I didn't usually resort to such drastic methods, but this time, I wanted to give him a taste of his own medicine.
Watching his retreating figure impassively, I turned on my heel.
'Not so fun when you're on the receiving end, huh?'
Ding!
"Excuse me, anyone can make a mistake, right?"
Then.
Anyone can make a mistake.
But whether to forgive or not, isn't that up to me?
With that neat conclusion, on the way back to the waiting room with Sung Jiwon, I bumped into Kang Yeonhoo.
He chuckled.
"Seo Hoyun."
As the urgent alarm bells rang in my head, I tried to send Sung Jiwon first, but Kang Yeonhoo's words were faster.
"So this is why you pretended to be close? Trying to take first place out of revenge for Jung Dajoon?"
Damn!
"Thanks to you, he completely lost my composure just now. How could you shake he's mental state right before the performance? He seems like he might develop a serious trauma from this."
Oh no, damn!
'Don't say that while standing next to Sung Jiwon!'
I had to exert every effort not to look at Sung Jiwon next to me.
"What are you talking about?"
"Pardon?"
"I don't remember."
"…Is this an interrogation?"
With disbelief at my shamelessness evident in his eyes, Kang Yeonhoo rubbed his temples,
"Sigh… Well. Good job. Also to Sung Jiwon."
With that bombshell dropped, he quickly left.
"…Sung Jiwon."
As I pondered how to salvage the situation, Sung Jiwon seemed remarkably nonchalant.
"Why did you call me?"
Rubbing my lips as I contemplated how to phrase my words, Sung Jiwon tilted his head slightly and met my gaze.
"What's wrong? Need help?"
"...Huh?"
"But why are you acting so... Oh!"
As Sung Jiwon rolled his eyes, he soon clapped his hands.
"The thing with the other vocalist?"
"...??"
What's he talking about?
"You knew about it?"
"...Isn't it obvious?"
Surprised, Sung Jiwon pushed me as I stood still, then started walking again.
"We all knew, didn't we? Oh, maybe not Dajoon."
...!
You knew all along and didn't say a word?
Not even the other members?
With a face resembling someone who just got punched, I muttered as Sung Jiwon chuckled and nudged me.
"Hoyun, do we really need to talk about this now? It's been over a year since I saw you."
"…Um."
"You're really good at acting. Almost regrettable that you're not going to do it anymore."
Is he mocking me?
But knowing Sung Jiwon, he wasn't the type to do that, so I mumbled as if making an excuse.
"Don't you dislike this kind of thing?"
"Huh?"
"...Pretending."
Nodding to a passing staff member, Sung Jiwon quietly replied.
"Yeah, I really hate it."
Then he turned to me.
"But, because it's you."
With that, Sung Jiwon smiled and returned to the waiting room.
I watched silently as Sung Jiwon disappeared.
[…How can he say that without even blinking?]
"My point exactly. I'm really scared of these kids nowadays."
[Yes. Don't ever lie to Sung Jiwon again.... He might not take it well anymore....]
"Yeah...."
Sung Jiwon is not someone to be taken lightly.
"...Sigh."
Anyway, my part is done.
I've dealt with the troublesome TEW main vocalist, boosted my stats to A+, and secured the victory for the vocal unit.
I sighed as I wiped my neck.
'Dajoon, I've taken care of the TEW main vocalist for you.'
Now all that's left is for Dajoon himself to rise up.
---