Chapter 15

Chapter 15.

Lee Ijun was famous for having an unusual personality.

He didn't talk much, but he never hesitated to express his opinions, and his behavior was rather restless.

When you thought about it, he wasn't particularly aggressive in his actions, yet he somehow gave off an unusually overwhelming presence.

...Just like now.

“I~ am absolutely in favor. I'd really like to hear Yuseong hyung sing solo for once!”

One of the trainees raised his hand and declared clearly.

At that, Ijun's gaze grew even more intense.

Ah, right...

It felt similar to what had happened during the first mission.

When he had suddenly squeezed his head between Kang Chan and Yuseong while watching Seong Iseong's performance, persistently staring at them,

And the look in his eyes as he glanced back and forth between the screen and Yuseong.

'...Does he want some kind of reaction again? No, this time his intentions seem strangely clear...'

When Yuseong looked closely at him, the meaning became immediately apparent.

The conviction that Yuseong was good, and a silent declaration that, since there wasn't even anyone to compare him against this time, he would place mercilessly high expectations on him.

An attachment that went beyond trust.

Right now, Ijun...

Wanted to show Yuseong off.

'...Even though there are nine other people here.'

Not a chance.

Yuseong immediately stepped in to settle matters.

“No, no. Let's all sing together.”

With so many people watching, how could it possibly be a reasonable choice to stand out alone?

He abandoned his original idea of dividing the team into two groups to sing two songs.

That was because several members had already come up with the same plan as Yuseong, who had suggested the signal song as a candidate from the beginning.

In that case, it would be much better to finish everything in one go.

If only they could solve the problem of having just three microphones.

“...If we can pass them around in the middle... it shouldn't be a difficult problem.”

Kang Chan's words cleared away some of the fog that had been obstructing his thoughts.

'What if we pass the microphones like batons whenever someone's part ends...?'

However, the signal song didn't have any particular distribution of parts, so that wouldn't work.

Still... it wasn't as though there was no way for everyone to sing fairly.

“Then how about doing it relay-style? You know, that thing...”

“Like a relay performance?”

“Yeah, that's it.”

When Rubin supplied the answer, several others immediately let out small exclamations and responded positively.

“That would solve everything. We'd all get a chance to stand in the center, too.”

“...That's a good idea.”

After a brief discussion, they all lined up neatly and looked toward the cameras.

Yuseong led their greeting.

“The number one channel that captivates dimensions!”

“Let's Play, Top Play ON!”

“We look forward to your support!”

The moment they straightened up from their bows, the YouTuber's camera and the self-camera held by the staff moved to the side.

Turning to follow their direction, Yuseong found himself at the very front of the formation.

Behind him, the others whispered among themselves about when to move aside and how two people should come out together from either side during certain parts.

Meanwhile, Yuseong waved to a fan right in front of him whose cheeks were twitching with excitement.

Bzzzt.

Then a familiar electronic sound came through the speakers.

- There are no limits

At this very moment

Toward what lies beyond

Go high, even higher

Yuseong's voice joined the sound coming through a microphone that reproduced everything far more rawly than the ones provided at the studio.

The microphone picked up every breath and even the dull rustling of his clothes brushing against it, but his voice alone remained perfectly clear, as though it had been digitally enhanced.

The chat was flooded with praise and affection in all sorts of languages.

Yuseong's part wasn't long, but those few seconds were enough to excite both the fans watching the live stream and the audience at the scene,

And the occasional malicious comments that had been trying to put him down disappeared entirely, without even needing to be banned.

Next came Rubin's turn.

He also showed off his excellent condition and made sure to include some cute gestures for fan service.

Although he missed the first beat when he came forward and had to save the beginning of his choreography by practically fast-forwarding himself...

He's enjoying himself.

Watching him, Yuseong let out a satisfied chuckle.

- Following the trajectory

Rising even higher

Every night, I'll ascend

And become that star

Next, Kang Chan also demonstrated his usual stable skills without losing his composure.

Smooth and more than adequate, as always.

Everything was as it usually was.

However, even as he waited for his turn and communicated with the audience through gestures, Yuseong was listening carefully to everything. He detected a slight sense of incongruity in Kang Chan's voice.

'He must be tired.'

It was understandable.

The sun had set long ago, and they had been talking and walking around nonstop, so his stamina was probably running low. Still, for some reason, it felt surprising to see Kang Chan like this.

Throughout the entire period they had spent preparing for the competition performance together, he had never shown any sign of exhaustion, even after practicing until his whole body was drenched in sweat.

Yet now, he was wavering.

It was such a subtle difference that the audience wouldn't notice it,

So Yuseong was the only person there who realized how deeply fatigue had lodged itself in Chan's voice, like a wedge.

If he had fox ears on top of his head, they would undoubtedly have perked up sharply several times.

The microphone was passed back to Yuseong.

This time, Rubin and Kang Chan sprang out on either side of him like wings and danced together.

After one round, everyone seemed to have grown accustomed to the arrangement. Even though it was their first time trying this formation, their movements worked together perfectly.

“...Hyung.”

As they finished their part quickly and moved toward the back, Kang Chan's hand lightly tugged at Yuseong's sleeve.

“We're keeping the third verse... the same, right?”

...Why is he speaking informally?

Yuseong generally didn't mind when people naturally began speaking casually to him, but this time he couldn't hide his puzzlement.

It didn't feel entirely sudden, but it stirred up something that had been bothering him since before.

'Could this guy... have known Soyuseong before?'

No, surely not.

If that were the case, he would have shown some sign of it...

He immediately dismissed the thought and asked Kang Chan in return.

“Which part do you mean by keeping it the same?”

“...The final center part. The center is normally the only one shown there, and at this rate, it looks like you'll be taking that part as usual... I meant, are we going to maintain the formation all the way through the ending?”

“Ah, that...”

When Yuseong answered politely, Chan returned to his familiar manner of speaking.

The atmosphere settled down along with it, and Yuseong could see that his gaze had become slightly dimmer.

He's really acting strangely today.

Yuseong twitched his nose thoughtfully before answering.

“I was actually thinking about that part too... I thought it might not be a bad idea for all of us to spread out into formation together, so I was just about to ask everyone. How about turning an entire section into something like a dance break, without any lyrics? The part I'm talking about is...”

“...I know which part you mean.”

“Ah... You do? Then that makes things easier.”

“You'll still sing from the final 'I'll show you,' right?”

“Yes, that part...”

“...We don't have much time, so I'll pass the message to everyone behind us.”

Rubin, who had suddenly found himself caught between them and was looking bewildered, tactfully gave a thumbs-up.

Kang Chan passed the suggestion backward while Yuseong communicated it to those in front, asking for their opinions.

Everyone agreed, and when the planned section arrived, they formed two rows with Yuseong at the center.

The front and back rows stood slightly staggered, filling the gaps between one another's feet.

A few members briefly fumbled around, but when they looked at Yuseong, they immediately found their places and continued the choreography with thoroughly professional expressions.

The image he'd envisioned was becoming reality exactly as he had imagined.

Perhaps all the moments when they had laughed off someone's hesitation, tangled movements, or accidental collisions without having practiced even once had somehow accumulated into experience during this short time.

- Go far—NO limit!

For the final line, they lowered their microphones and shouted together with their unamplified voices.

As an added bonus, the group jumped onto Yuseong as though piling onto his back.

The burst of laughter—wahaha—tickled his ears.

___________

“I thought Soyuseong was nice, but he's actually really nice.”

“Hm?”

Yuseong widened his eyes at Ijun's sudden remark.

If he hadn't known that Ijun was looking at his phone, he might have wondered what kind of impudent remark that was.

After all the filming had ended, the three people accompanying him on his way home were Ijun, Rubin, and Kang Chan.

Those who were heading in different directions or traveling in their own cars had already dispersed.

“Soyuseong's on a roll.”

“...Why do you keep reading only things about me...?”

Ijun, who had been staring at his phone the entire way, silently showed him the screen. It displayed social media search results for the keyword 'Soyuseong.'

「This was seriously an impromptu relay performance...? Yuseong, please stop being so good T_T What are we supposed to do when someone who's obviously a dance member is also amazing at singing T_T」

「One nice thing about Soyuseong is that he greets every single person he makes eye contact with, even if it's just some random middle-aged man passing by」

「Did everyone in the Enchin fandom see that enormous Yuseong suddenly drop out of the sky? Hope you all managed to make your wishes in time~ haha」

「Looks like Yuseong is close with Chan too... Why is it so cute seeing them standing together whispering lololol What are you two doing」

「Soyuseong is so fucking handsome」

“Reading things about you is the funniest, hyung.”

“You make it sound like the things about you aren't interesting.”

“The grass is always greener on the other side.”

Is that really the right proverb to use here?

Anyway, thanks to him, Yuseong had learned what the fans thought of the live broadcast, so he decided to let it go.

Besides, this was almost the first time he'd had such a substantial conversation with Ijun.

Ijun added that Soyuseong had once again appeared in the real-time trending topics on social media.

How many more times would he have to trend before everyone was satisfied?

“Ah, Yuseong hyung is going in the opposite direction!”

When they arrived at the subway station, Rubin swayed his body limply as he expressed his disappointment.

The finger he was using to point at the route map attached to a pillar also wobbled dramatically.

Ijun quietly joined in from beside him, tapping the name of his destination and saying that he got off there.

“We're going the same way! Ah, thank goodness~ At least I've got you.”

“Yeah.”

“...Gasp, the train's here! We're going now! See you next time! I'll message you~! Kang Chan, you worked hard too~!”

The arrival melody sounded through the station,

And Rubin quickly grabbed Ijun, who had already gotten distracted and was fiddling with his wireless earbuds, before rushing into the train on the opposite platform.

Yuseong watched them waving through the windows until they disappeared into the distance, then turned to walk away.

“...I'm going in the same direction as you, hyung. We even get off at the same station.”

Kang Chan was beside him.

Yuseong briefly answered, “Is that so?” and fell silent.

The platform at Hongik University Station, approaching eleven at night, was much quieter and less crowded than during the day. More people were getting off trains than boarding them.

They passed a group of people laughing cheerfully and boarded the subway.

The two sat side by side in a corner. Even then, neither said a word.

Yuseong had tried to start a conversation first, but Kang Chan's responses were too slow for it to continue.

He seemed lost in thought.

They passed several stations without him even looking at his phone,

And only after more passengers had crowded around their seats did Kang Chan speak first, holding something out.

“Wear this.”

“Ah, thank you...?”

It was a disposable mask.

Kang Chan pressed down the brim of the cap he'd been wearing for some time.

“...There are a lot of people, so you should be careful... Your face is recognizable to everyone now.”

Yuseong blended in with the surrounding passengers wearing masks and managed to conceal his face safely.

It also helped block out some of the smell of alcohol permeating the train car.

Silence continued afterward, but it no longer felt as awkward as before.

As the time spent staring blankly ahead grew longer, the events from earlier began to feel as distant as a dream.

They had successfully completed the relay performance, then, unable to resist the flood of encore requests, had taken turns singing three more songs before finally being allowed to leave.

Toward the end, the viewer count had reached one hundred thousand, so they had wandered aimlessly around the streets a little longer, hoping to capture something else worthwhile, before wrapping things up.

Recalling all that commotion, he closed his eyes.

By the time he opened them again, they were almost at the station where they needed to get off.

“Are you walking home too, Chan?”

“No. I need to transfer to a bus... but I have to go in that direction first anyway.”

They walked beneath the cool night breeze along a road where the streetlights flickered.

As the sound of a car horn faded into the distance behind them, Kang Chan spoke.

“...Can I ask you something?”

Only then did Yuseong turn to face him.

When he briefly answered yes, Chan slowly asked his question in a gentle voice.

“What made you... decide to try again? You'd already been eliminated once. And... rather unfairly, at that.”

“Ah... You're asking why I decided to appear on another program like this?”

“Yes. There's absolutely no guarantee you'll succeed this time either... so I was surprised you came back.”

“Well, that's...”

Yuseong rolled his eyes thoughtfully.

Just as he was thinking that it wasn't anything particularly surprising, a thought suddenly occurred to him.

What would 'Soyuseong' have done?

Would he eventually have accepted Pyo Junseong's offer, or would he have lived on while compromising with reality, without even sending a reply...?

'Probably... the latter. He seemed to have dreams but lacked the courage to act on them. If he'd willingly decided to participate, he would've replied long ago. Since he didn't, the answer is obvious.'

Still, the content of his wish probably wouldn't have changed.

Perhaps that part of him was the same as me.

Yuseong continued his answer without hesitation.

“Because I wanted to become one. This opportunity means more to me than anything else.”

“...So that's why you didn't give up?”

“Something like that.”

He shrugged lightly, and there was nothing more he particularly wanted to say to Kang Chan, who had fallen silent again.

And so, time passed quietly once more.

If he walked just a little farther, he would reach the alley leading to his home, while the bus stop was across the road.

They had passed the crosswalk quite some time ago.

...Could he be following me on purpose?

“I'm going this way.”

Yuseong stopped walking and spoke first.

Kang Chan stopped with him, parted his lips slightly, and let out a halfhearted “Ah.”

“Is there something you want to say?”

When Yuseong asked, Chan smiled quietly.

“You've really changed a lot, hyung.”

...He called him hyung again.

Both the form of address and the meaning of that sentence felt strange, but Kang Chan casually slipped his hands into his coat pockets and lowered his gaze toward his feet.

Dragging one foot backward with a scrape, he added something that sounded like an excuse.

“Compared to when you were on Catch One. I watched it, you know.”

“Ah...”

“That's not really why I'm saying this, though... Do you think you have a chance this time?...I'm a little curious whether you're working this hard because you genuinely believe you can debut.”

It was an argument picked out of nowhere, to an almost absurd degree.

Although his tone was far too subdued to be called confrontational.

“I don't just think I can do it. I'm going to do it.”

“...You seem confident.”

“Do I not look confident?”

“I'm saying it because you do.”

For some reason, being around Kang Chan always made Yuseong feel uncomfortable.

He was about to wrap up the conversation and send him on his way when Chan began saying something strange again.

“Seong Iseong, Kim Hwanyeong, Lee Sia... and Seo Juan as well. There's still one position vacant. That spot will probably be decided by the rankings, but it's ultimately up to the producer... so there's no telling what will happen.”

“What are you... talking about right now?”

“Only five people will debut, hyung.”

What I'm saying is that there won't be a place for you among them.

His expression remained unchanged and calm, but his voice suddenly turned cold.

The way he casually spoke about the predetermined debut candidates made him seem more unfamiliar than someone Yuseong had only just met.

And how had he learned how many people would debut?

“Whether you believe this or not is up to you, hyung... but it'll be the same this time. You, Ma Rubin whom you care about so much... even me, the person telling you this....This is where it ends for us.”

“...There's no need to be so certain...”

“So don't work so hard.”

He raised his voice almost to a shout, interrupting Yuseong.

“...You'll only end up reopening your wounds.”

But Yuseong's answer had already been decided.