I put the straw in Kang Ichae’s mouth and started walking.
“Too sweet.”
So what if it’s sweet. Coffee is supposed to be drunk for its sweetness.
Clicking my tongue inwardly, I headed to the practice room where the members would be. The elevator happened to be stopped on the same floor, and as we got in, the glass walls gave a clear view of the outside.
Leaning sideways to press the button, Kang Ichae asked,
“Hyung, do we have a schedule tonight?”
“Check the unreleased concert track and then head to the radio.”
The days of being so busy I could only nap for a few minutes in the car had finally passed, and we were just starting to catch our breath.
The promotion period had been longer than before, which was exhausting, but thanks to that, the trophies kept piling up.
“I heard the radio will even play the B-sides.”
“Mm. But I wish we could change genres more.”
Even in the middle of this, Kang Ichae never stopped working on songs. Some that were nearly finished, he had even registered directly on the composers’ association site.
“For next year’s comeback, I want to raise popularity but also experiment more. To heighten the artistic side too...”
“......”
Ding—. The elevator stopped. Kang Ichae stepped out first, but then suddenly turned back to look at me. He caught the closing door with his hand, blocked it, and then casually threw in a belated agreement.
“...Yeah, next year’s songs sound good.”
Even if I weren’t around, The Dawn would still exist.
From the beginning, I had planned to make sure they were fed properly anyway.
“Hey, Kang Ichae. What do you think about arranging the next title track so the choreography can be perfectly set and sharp?”
“Huh? I’d love that. But what’s with you suddenly?”
I won’t be here anyway.
As I rubbed the back of my neck and shrugged, a nearby training room door suddenly burst open.
“Uwaaahhh!”
And out came Black Call’s lead dancer, Jeon Saeyoung, screaming.
“Wow, this choreography is just way too damn intense!”
“That’s what I’m saying.”
...Followed right after by rapper Lee Hanju and Chae Jungwoo.
“No, hyung. I think Saeyoung-hyung’s instincts are totally dead?! Completely slacking, honestly.”
“Slacking my ass. Hey, just give me another week of practice and I’ll be fine!”
Even without any big activities recently, Black Call’s mentions online hadn’t decreased at all.
Bare-faced and in casual clothes, yet every single one of them radiated the aura of top idols.
“Anyway, Woosung-hyung really is amazing. Said he was going to film some variety show way out in the mountains, but what the hell, he came back like he’d been training in dance. His form hasn’t faded at all.”
“If anything, his lines got even more graceful... uh...”
Chae Jungwoo, who had been humoring the whining members, finally noticed us and cut off his words. When Kang Ichae and I bowed, he brightened and came over.
“Been a while!”
It had been a while indeed since the workshop. Though I kept seeing their main dancer unnecessarily often.
“Hello.”
“I heard you guys were busy lately, so today must be a practice day?”
Wearing a dazzlingly kind smile that spoke of his personality, he asked warmly. Behind him, curious gazes pricked at us.
“Oooh! The Dawn!”
Annoying as it was, the group with the biggest nuisance like Joo Woosung was also the kind of group where none of the members had any flaws in either skill or character.
With a mischievous grin, ponytailed Jeon Saeyoung gave us a thumbs up.
“Your new song was a total hit. Congratulations.”
“Ah, thank you.”
“That was composed by Kang Ichae, right?”
From behind Chae Jungwoo, Lee Hanju poked his head out to ask Ichae. The guy who had looked indifferent even in front of his seniors finally showed some expression.
“Ah, yes.”
“Could you maybe tell me what equipment you use?”
“Equipment?”
“Well, you know how they say a true craftsman doesn’t blame his tools, but I want to at least rely on gear...”
“Our maknae’s been really into composing lately.”
Ruffling Lee Hanju’s hair roughly, Jeon Saeyoung burst into hearty laughter.
Maybe because he found that scene pleasant, Kang Ichae surprisingly opened up and explained what he knew. Even more detailed and technical than expected.
‘Though he’ll probably turn around later and ask who that was again...’
As the conversation went on, Jeon Saeyoung suddenly looked at me and said,
“By the way, I really liked Level S2. I listen to it a lot while driving. I honestly think The Dawn might win Daesang this year.”
“Haha, thank you.”
Are you guys really throwing that kind of talk around so freely, even inside the company building?
“Saeyoung-hyung, how can you say that when we’ve got Yeonhoo?!”
“Eh, we’re under the same roof anyway. Good things are good things.”
So maybe not all of WH Entertainment doted on Kang Yeonhoo like their own grandson.
Glancing toward Chae Jungwoo, I found him just smiling softly.
“Right, good things {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} are good things.”
Who knows what he was really thinking inside.
Maybe only someone with perfect self-control, hiding their true thoughts even from their members, could stand at the very top.
“—So, Seo Hoyun.”
That calm yet captivating low voice landed with a heavy weight on my shoulder.
So familiar I could identify him with my eyes closed.
“We even graciously left the seat open this year, so what’s so hard about it.”
Joo Woosung came out a step later, wiping his chin with the towel hanging around his neck. He smirked and whispered,
“If you can’t win this, you’re a fucking idiot.”
This bastard.
I shook off his arm and brushed my clothes.
“Yeah, yeah.”
I agreed, at least, that this year without Black Call was the perfect chance at the Daesang.
Woosung chuckled and whined at his members,
“Ha, guys, come on, do better. My body’s not what it used to be, you know? I can’t keep babysitting each of you, my joints ache.”
“Hyung, we saw you flying around the practice room like you knew teleportation. What bullshit.”
Seeing Black Call gathered to practice again, they were clearly preparing for their comeback next year. Chae Jungwoo’s condition also seemed much improved.
Watching it firsthand made me crave the Daesang even more.
‘Next year, there won’t be another chance.’
Snatching an ion drink from Chae Jungwoo, Woosung wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and casually switched topics.
“Well, anyway. Oh yeah, I heard we might film a variety show together.”
“Huh?”
“PD Kim Heeyoung came up with a great format. Wants to gather all WH artists and shoot something like an MT-style program. Not finalized yet, but maybe you guys, other juniors, even actors, all might be in it.”
The first thing that struck me was respect for Kim Heeyoung’s planning and networking power. But immediately after came the question, why?
Why would a giant like WH Entertainment bother with this, at this timing?
“Seriously, I’m so bored lately. Anyone will do, I just want to play. Seo Hoyun’s too busy to see me, Meowy ignores me. No fun, no reward.”
“Hyung, you can’t fill that emptiness with people, you know.”
“Wow, the maknae dropping wisdom.”
Woosung laughed lightly as he hooked his arm around Lee Hanju’s neck like he was about to flick his forehead. But then—
“...Huh?”
Glancing at his phone, Chae Jungwoo’s eyes widened slightly, followed by a sigh.
“Hey, Joo Woosung. What is this?”
“What is?”
There was a sharp edge under Chae Jungwoo’s gentle voice, but Woosung stayed nonchalant.
Jungwoo shoved his phone at him, and Woosung took it with a displeased face.
“...‘Joo Woosung... pink romance with actress Shim Jungyoon...’”
“......”
“......”
“......”
“...Me? Dating?”
All of Black Call, except Jungwoo, wore the same “...ah...” expression. Kang Ichae and I probably looked the same.
“What the... what the hell is this?!”
Woosung looked more shocked than anyone, gaping before hurriedly pulling out his own phone to check.
“Ha... you said you were bored lately...”
“Sigh...”
Maybe this was just the vibe that comes with seniority.
Since every one of them had been through dating rumors before, no one panicked or rushed to fix it.
They just looked at Woosung with eyes colder than Antarctica.
“...Hyung, when did you date this one too?”
“Hey! I didn’t!!”
Woosung flailed desperately, shaking his head.
“I’ve never dated this person!”
But Lee Hanju didn’t believe it.
Actually, none of Black Call looked like they believed him. They’d been burned too many times.
“What dating rumor! Damn it, I’ve never even met this Shim Jungyoon before. TV? I saw her on TV! That’s it!”
“Yeah, sure. Just like with the previous ones, right.”
“I’m saying we’re nothing more than fellow entertainers!”
“Got it, hyung.”
Their chilly replies looped back like a broken record, leaving Woosung pounding his chest in frustration. Saeyoung and Hanju bent over whispering to each other.
“See, some things never change...”
“People don’t change so easily, right?”
“Agh! I said it’s not true!”
Not that I cared much either way, but honestly, the rumor didn’t sound convincing.
Despite getting caught by me a few times, Woosung usually managed his private life meticulously. And WH Entertainment was airtight when it came to defense in that area.
Grinding his teeth as he scrolled through the article, Woosung spat,
“Look, total fiction! I’m only saying this so you don’t misunderstand—I’m not that kind of guy. You know me!”
Yeah, right.
Still, I thought this was karma catching up to him, until Chae Jungwoo draped an arm over Saeyoung’s shoulder, smiling awkwardly.
“Think of it as something that was bound to burst.”
“It was coming.”
“Take it with humility, hyung. I’ll clear my head and carry on with schedules. Let’s just be extra careful today.”
“Ah, fuck! You guys don’t trust me?! I’ve never even met her!!”
Woosung raged.
“If it was someone I actually dated, at least I wouldn’t feel so wronged. But this is someone I don’t even know, that’s what makes it absurd!”
“......”
“......”
“What, why are you all looking at me like that!”
That’s your problem.
Even Kang Ichae, peering at the article beside him, looked fed up before pointing out a detail to me.
“...Hyung, weren’t you with senior Woosung that day?”
All eyes turned toward me.
I hadn’t really read it yet, so I stretched my neck to where Ichae’s finger pointed.
“Oh, right. The day I went to see Meowy.”
I remembered the black hoodie covered in white cat fur that wouldn’t come off.
At my testimony, Woosung regained his confidence and raised his voice.
“See! Look! How could I have been on a date, a date! I was innocent, you just wouldn’t believe me—”
“Woosung, quiet. Let’s check more carefully.”
Jungwoo silenced him, scanning further.
“June 28th, early morning... wasn’t that when you were prepping the workshop with Seo Hoyun?”
“Wow, shit! That’s right, that’s right!”
Saeyoung slapped both hands over his mouth in mock shock, staring between me and Woosung. Then he pointed at the ugly black T-shirt Woosung was wearing, with palm trees printed on it.
“This ugly T-shirt! Hyung bought this in Los Angeles!”
“Yeah! I wondered why he was wearing black when it didn’t suit him—turns out he bought it matching with a junior...”
Ugly T-shirt, really? Bit harsh.
The misunderstanding in Black Call seemed somewhat resolved, though no one looked particularly sorry toward Woosung. Serves him right.
Not wanting to waste more time, I nudged Ichae’s side.
Let’s go.
Yeah.
After confirming his nod, I tossed a half-hearted closer to Woosung.
“Anyway, senior, got it. Good luck with your dating rumor—”
“Hey, hey!”
Woosung grabbed my arm in a hurry.
“Seo Hoyun!”
Frowning down at where he held me, I found him looking up with pitiful cat eyes.
“I juiced fruit for you and made you soup when you were sick, and you’re really going to ignore me like this?”
Yes, I am.
“We’ve built up all this affection... no, right?!”
What the hell are you expecting from a junior right now.
