After a day of team building games like Cops and Thieves, challenging song selections, part distribution, and even individual interviews, the tired multinational roommates arrived one by one to their dorm.
"Phew…."
"Oh, Gao Yan! You're back? You worked hard today… ehh!?"
Ryota, who was the first to finish showering and collapse into his bed in exhaustion, opened the door for Gao Yan, only to be startled.
"Gao Yan, what's wrong? Your face looks like an Ao Oni* from ghost stories, not an idol trainee!"
[*青鬼* - "Blue Demon", often depicted as ugly blue-skinned ogres in Japanese folklore. ]
It might sound harsh, but Ryota wasn't wrong.
Gao Yan shook his head with a face that seemed both angry and sad, and opened his mouth.
"Ryota. Today, I realized the truth."
"Suddenly? Uhh… what truth are you talking about?"
"Becoming an idol is difficult."
A guy who competes with high self-esteem was even making such remarks.
Ryota, sensing that something was seriously wrong, quickly sat Gao Yan down on his bed and patted his shoulder.
"Gao Yan. Was practice hard today? Did you eat all the energy bars you won in the raffle?"
"I ate four. The energy bars are dancing inside my stomach right now. A dance I can't do myself!"
Gao Yan screamed and grabbed his hair, before muttering madly in Cantonese.
Even if Ryota didn't understand, he could tell that they were insults.
'Huh? Is this okay? There's a camera over there!'
But right now, only Ryota and Gao Yan were in the room. Kim Chunyong, usually the mediator, was enjoying a steamy shower.
Ryota knelt down with his hands clasped together, praying for the return of their final multinational roommate, Logan.
'Logan! Come back quickly! I can't calm Gao Yan down on my own!'
However, Ryota soon realized that his judgment was wrong when he soon saw Logan's face.
"God, it's a total mess…."
"Why is Logan like this too!"
If Gao Yan's face was like an Ao Oni's, then Logan was much worse.
A distorted expression, utterly sorrowful. Expressing a sense of injustice.
Even though they couldn't communicate, Gao Yan understood Logan's feelings completely and embraced him, their emotions pouring out. Their hearts were racing, but to Ryota, it was no different from a catastrophe.
"I was just trying to do my best."
"I agree. I just wanted to lead my team in a better direction!"
"Oh no, what happened to you two…."
"Ryota!"
"Ryota!"
"Ugh, don't call my name so solemnly! I'm getting nervous!"
Ryota, who was stuck between the shouting Hong Konger and the Brit, felt as if the 'click' noise was like the gates of heaven opening.
"…Are you guys harassing Ryota right now? You do know there's a camera over there, right?"
Of course, since it was Kim Chunyong, the resident mediator, who opened the bathroom door with his body looking soft. Something like that.
"Chunyong anikiiiiii!!"
Ryota was the first to run to Kim Chunyong in tears, soon followed by the other two.
"What- why- what's wrong with you all? Huh?"
After flexibly dodging the sobbing trio, Kim Chunyong sat them down on the floor with a confused expression.
"Don't come near me if you haven't showered. Don't cry near me even after you shower. What's going on? If you're human, you should speak humanly, guys."
"It's cruel!"
"That's right, it's cruel!"
"Isn't it cruel to rush at someone who just got out of the shower while sweaty? You're so funny, hah."
The camera captured the scene of three muscular male trainees sitting on the floor and staring at Kim Chunyong, who would later receive applause from PD Joo while saying, "He really knows broadcasting."
It's not like the current Kim Chunyong knew it at that time, but a good thing was a good thing.
"Logan. Are you ready to talk now?"
"Yea. A little, a little."
Logan, who had calmed down a little with a somewhat straight face, glanced at Gao Yan and then opened his mouth.
Now, he was choosing his words while keeping an eye on the camera. Seems like he was quite used to survival.
"Hey, bro. So…"
Listening to Logan's awkward Korean, Kim Chunyong raised an eyebrow and scratched his cheek.
* * *
To summarize Logan's words, or rather a few mumbles, it was simple.
"Guys, from what I've heard, I think this song is the best."
Since he can produce, he chose a Lady Swan song that he could arrange best and recommended it to the members.
He thought that if he sang a song he was confident in, the results would naturally follow.
However…
"Are you sure this is okay?"
"Uhh… I'd like to select a different song."
The other trainees' reactions were overly lukewarm.
"Ah, of course Hwa-seong said it was good. But it still didn't turn out well. I guess it's because I haven't heard the arrangement myself yet?"
Logan was glancing at the camera and blurting out his words, but I could roughly guess what happened next.
Someone must have said something off-camera to Logan like, "If this doesn't work out, it's your fault."
Logan, who had never experienced that kind of hostility in his life, must have been utterly shocked.
How can you know so much about a situation you haven't even seen?
Because I had already done what Logan did before.
"As expected of Leopold, their choreography is intense and cool. With their latest song…."
"Rex. Wouldn't this make just the dance members stand out?"
"I don't think so."
"Well, that's fine. Then, could you teach us all our dances?"
"Huh? A-All the choreography?"
"No, I didn't mean to burden you. But since you brought it up, I wondered if you were ready. And…"
If this doesn't work out.
'Can you take responsibility?'
I smiled awkwardly, chewing over the embarrassment and hostility I felt at that time.
Not familiar with the cameras yet, someone on Logan's team probably wouldn't have spoken so directly.
But people can read nuances.
"Liu Wei said I wasn't helpful. And the whole team laughed! It's unfair!"
Well, there are times when I speak directly.
I pursed my lips as I watched Gao Yan's irritation. Liu Wei tends to be quite direct, and since he's a foreigner, it seemed his words were taken as a joke.
There's still some truth to that though.
It's also why I created an atmosphere where our team members got to brainstorm together and chose the song.
So that during practice, in a difficult situation, one person wouldn't have to go through it alone.
You could feel at ease by identifying and resolving the cause, or the culprit.
But then what?
A team that doesn't communicate well couldn't possibly produce a good performance.
"Why is the stage so timid?"
"Was it really necessary to perform such an ordinary song in front of an audience?"
"It doesn't… suit the dance."
"The costumes are really bad. Whose idea was that? Did no one listen to the directions?"
Back then, I heard all sorts of things after ruining the stage. Thinking back to it, the community's reactions were endless.
Anyway,
I still sat there, staring at my pouting multinational roommates.
Although it was a good sign for me that an opposing team was going downhill, I felt slightly worried as we've been sharing a room for only a few days.
Perhaps it was because I made a huge mistake in my previous relationships, I wanted to be as helpful as I could to anyone. Even Kim Joo-an.
But it's even more so because they are such nice, kind, and funny kids.
Ryota's on our team now...so as long as I'm here, there's no need to worry about the team atmosphere. Gao Yan has the mentality to wake up tomorrow and continue pushing his own opinions, so it's okay.
The problem is Logan.
"Ah, it's a really good song. I'm so sad. I'm just saying that it could turn out really well if the arrangement's good."
Even after venting to his roommates, it seemed like he still had lingering thoughts.
Come to think of it, whether now or before, Logan never really had a chance to truly show his producing skills on
Arrangements were mostly done by coordinating between the trainees and the A&R team, and we just sang the original songs that were given to us.
Was that why he left? Because he didn't really have a chance to show off his skills?
"Hmm…."
Right now, I have to discuss the arrangement of
"Logan. Do you think your team will be convinced if they hear your arrangement?"
"Huh? Chunyong hyung, what did you just say?"
"Well... You probably have an arrangement in mind right now, right?"
"…Of course! The moment I heard the original, I thought, 'Ah! This is it!' If only I could share it…"
"Then do it."
"...Yes?"
After all, it's unfair to not be able to do anything you want.
I rolled my eyes and pointed at the door behind Logan, who was looking up at me.
"Didn't you give your guitar to the production team earlier?"
"Uh, yes. I thought it'd take up too much space if I brought it into the dorms…"
The words that had been flowing smoothly were now muffled.
Soon, Logan's eyes widened as he looked at my pointing finger then my face.
"―Wait. I'll go out first."
Before I could answer, he ran out of the room.
"Huh? Logan! Where are you going without washing? You stink!"
"Leave him. I guess he remembered something he left behind."
Bewildered, Gao Yan hastily rushed after Logan, but upon realizing he could now shower early, he went into the bathroom in excitement.
Ryota, now left alone in the room with me, looked at the door Logan had run out of and opened his mouth.
"Chunyong aniki."
"Hm? What is it, Ryota?"
"You said before that the word 'hyung' was the same as 'aniki'?"
"I wouldn't... I'm sure I said something else…"
"No! I just realized it. Chunyong aniki is a really, really great aniki."
What is he talking about now? I feel uncomfortable looking at those sparkling eyes.
"From now on, I will treat you like a real aniki."
"…Are you saying you haven't seen me as a hyung before? Seems you didn't practice enough today. I guess you didn't practice much at all."
At my gloomy voice, Ryota suddenly jumped up from his seat and began muttering awkwardly.
"Oh no! I think I need to go to the bathroom."
"Where are you running off to, Ryota? Gao Yan's in the bathroom right now. Do you want to go in there and get hit?"
"This is too much!"
"Ryota, you're the one being too much right now."
I grabbed Ryota by the back of his neck and flashed a gentle smile similar to Jae-ha hyung or Yoo-chan hyung. Ryota's slender body jerked violently.
It wasn't my concern.
I helped Logan a little, only a little bit. From now on, I'll have to move like crazy for our team.
If we help other teams while ours was just average, it's embarrassing.
That can't be possible.
"Aniki! Where are you taking me now!"
I clearly answered Ryota, who was screaming in fear.
"To go see Jang Si-woo!"