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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: After the Showcase Ends
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[Title]
Manwol Boys' Jeong Eun-ho: Insanely Greedy for High Notes and Screen Time from Debut
[Body]
Heard the Manwol Boys debuted today so I watched the showcase out of curiosity lol. They're from the neighboring fandom and Eun Hae-sol and Song Yu-bin are getting fucking trashed, but why's this guy escaping the hate? Manwol Boys Jeong Eun-ho
[Jeong Eun-ho stealing the maknae's point choreo ment.gif]
MC asks for the point choreo explanation and Song Yu-bin starts explaining, but he suddenly cuts him off and steals the ment.
[Song Yu-bin dejectedly putting down the mic.gif]
Steals the maknae's ment too, so greedy for screen time it's pathetic lol. Also pissed they didn't give him the high note part so he suddenly doubles it.
[Jeong Eun-ho doing unplanned doubling.gif]
[Cha Jae-hyun startled mid-high note.gif]
Did you see Cha Jae-hyun genuinely freaking out?
Anyone can tell he suddenly threw in the doubling lol
High note greed went insane lol
[Comments]
- Wow the real black villain is Jeong Eun-ho lol
- Attention whore vibes from debut lol
└ Law of attention whore preservation. Every group has that one center-obsessed attention whore. Real deal~
- Isn't Song Yu-bin the main dancer and Jeong Eun-ho the lead dancer? Main dancer explaining point choreo and attention whore butts in
- Dude's brain works overtime. Other communities are already falling for Jeong Eun-ho hard lol. Steals all the screen time and high notes in our group, scary af
- Send him to the rankings, likes go go
Ugh...
What the fuck are they even saying.
The point choreo? Song Yu-bin couldn't say his line so I covered for him, and the doubling...
Would they believe me if I said it was the strategy to clear the sub-quest preventing pitch breaks?
'They're already building him up, these bastards.'
Gotta be more careful from now on.
Just as I was about to put down my smartphone, a popup appeared at the top. It was a message from Cha Jae-hyun.
[Cha Jae-hyun]
Eun-ho ya. Can we talk for a sec?
Click—
I opened the door and went into Cha Jae-hyun's room. He was squatting in front of his bed. I carefully sat down across from him.
"Yeah, you're here?"
"Yeah. Hyung. What's up?"
Cha Jae-hyun asked tentatively with a worried look.
"Is Yu-bin... okay?"
A long silence flowed.
Of course he wasn't okay. The entire community was right now mocking Song Yu-bin's pitch break.
Cha Jae-hyun pressed his brow and said.
"Apparently Yu-bin overpracticed the day before the showcase."
"Oh, really?"
"Yeah. So I scolded him."
Scolded by Cha Jae-hyun?
The scariest thing is getting scolded by him...
There was a trainee once who got a one- or two-hour mental lecture from Cha Jae-hyun.
I can't forget the horrific state that trainee was in, staggering out into the hallway.
'Bet Song Yu-bin's in the same state right now.'
I shook my head with a heavy expression, and Cha Jae-hyun said.
"Go comfort him."
"Yeah. Wait, what?"
Hold up. He's telling me to go comfort Song Yu-bin?
I looked up with a flustered expression, and Cha Jae-hyun's gaze fixed steadily on me.
"You know. I'm always the strict one, so I'm no good at this stuff. And Yu-bin's the one he trusts and follows most."
"Me?"
"Just a feeling."
My thoughts grew complicated. Song Yu-bin trusts and follows me most? I never felt that at all.
And am I even the comforting type? Whenever stuff like this happened, the one who stepped up was never...
'Kwon Hee-yul.'
Suddenly, I missed that guy. But harboring these feelings now is pointless.
Putting aside the fleeting emotion, I slowly opened my mouth.
"Got it. I'll go comfort Yu-bin properly. Rest up, hyung."
Cha Jae-hyun smiled and replied.
"Yeah. Thanks."
As I started to stand, suddenly looking at Cha Jae-hyun's face made something bubble up and burst somewhere in my heart.
"Hyung. When did your cold go away?"
"Huh? Ages ago."
"Then you could've told me it was gone. I was worried."
If he'd told me earlier, I could've reselected the member at risk of pitch break and cleared the quest.
Resentment slipped into my tone without me realizing.
'I know. Cha Jae-hyun did nothing wrong.'
It's all my fault. I knew this would happen and couldn't stop it.
What right do I have to resent anyone.
"I'll head out."
Just as I was about to leave the room.
"Eun-ho ya."
Cha Jae-hyun's voice came from behind. I turned, and he was looking at me with gentle eyes.
"You did that doubling on stage for me, right? 'Cause you were worried about me?"
"..."
"You knew with my cold I couldn't hit the high note properly, so you covered it with me. Right?"
"Yeah."
At my answer, Cha Jae-hyun smiled and said.
"Yeah. Thanks."
"Yeah. Good night, hyung."
I closed the door and came out. Cha Jae-hyun had disgustingly sharp instincts.
'What'd I even do to get thanks.'
His face was smiling but looked dark. Well, with all that chaos online...
"Sigh..."
As I let out a sigh, my eyes met Song Yu-bin's on the living room sofa. His under-eyes were red like he'd been crying.
Song Yu-bin hurriedly turned away and rubbed his eyes when our gazes met. Guess I have to comfort him like Cha Jae-hyun said.
But how?
'I'm no good at comforting.'
Song Yu-bin sniffled. I hesitantly sat next to him.
"You okay?"
Ah, what do I even say?
Should I give him serious advice? But who am I to advise anyone?
My own mental state's barely holding it together. Already headache from these shitty quests...
"Hic."
I startled and looked at Song Yu-bin.
He was sniffling with his head down, sobbing.
"Sorry. Feels like I ruined everything."
What do I say.
It's not like saying "no you didn't" would make it true, right? But "do better next time" would just burden him more.
Should I soothe him? But how?
"Uh... Wanna watch TV?"
To fill the awkward silence somehow, I grabbed the remote.
Pop—
The second I turned on the TV, home shopping came on. The banner in red fancy font said...
[This belly button pear tea is so good for your throat!]
Out of nowhere, belly button pear tea.
[Singer Choi Yu-na says she drank this and her voice got so clear. You won't regret buying. Belly button pear tea, 45,000 won per set!]
I glanced at the screen and asked.
"Wanna get some belly button pear tea?"
Song Yu-bin shook his head silently.
...Pathetic bastard. That's the best "comfort" I can muster? Buy him tea? I'm hopeless.
[One cup every morning! Belly button pear tea! You'll go crazy for it! 45,000 won per set!]
The home shopping host was super enthusiastic.
[I always cracked on karaoke, but after drinking this, not a single crack.]
Wait. Why'd the topic suddenly swerve here?
[Ah! Cracks. Everyone's had that embarrassing karaoke crack moment. To prevent that...]
Click—
I turned off the TV without a word.
Damn. Why of all things...
I scratched my head furiously and whipped around.
"Yu-bin ah."
"Sorry..."
"Enough with the sorry."
What would Kwon Hee-yul have said.
No idea. All I can do is say it my way and sort it out.
"You messed up, yeah. And the stage got messed up, yeah."
At my words, Song Yu-bin bowed his head in self-reproach.
"But so what?"
Song Yu-bin blinked and lifted his head hesitantly.
"People don't make mistakes? Then they'd be machines, not humans. And is this the only stage? You've got endless stages ahead."
"But this is the debut stage."
"Yeah. You'll get hate for it forever."
As an idol seen by the masses, even one tiny slip-up lands you in hot water.
Gets preserved on communities as an eternal black mark.
Song Yu-bin gave a wry smile.
"Guess I gotta deal. It's idol life."
Gotta deal...
Everyone says that. Gotta deal 'cause you're an idol.
I nodded and said.
"Yeah. As an idol, you gotta deal to a point."
Song Yu-bin let out a small breath.
Looking at him with his head practically buried in the ground, I continued.
"But no need to deal with shit that's not worth it."
"Huh? What do you..."
"The comments. Talking shit like you didn't even try."
"Th..."
Song Yu-bin started to say something but closed his mouth.
Looking at him, I said.
"You think those people never messed up in life? Bombed a test from nerves, bombed an interview? Never happened to them?"
"..."
"They'd flip if it happened to them and someone said 'you didn't try hard enough!'"
Song Yu-bin pressed his lower lip tight. Looked ready to burst into tears any second.
"I know you worked harder than anyone. You overpracticed and that's how it happened."
I patted his shoulder a few times and said.
"Good job."
In that instant, a tear dropped from Song Yu-bin's eye. Soon, he started sobbing out loud.
"Wait. Don't cry that loud..."
Right then, all the members' doors opened at once. They'd heard the crying and rushed out.
"What! What's going on!"
Baek Si-woo, locking eyes with me, yelled with a freaked-out face.
"Oh my god! Look at his eyes, bloodshot! Jeong Eun-ho made Yu-bin cry!"
"I didn't make him cry!"
I tried to snap back indignantly, but Song Yu-bin was sobbing even harder beside me.
Anyone looking would think I scolded him till he cried...
Baek Si-woo looked between me and Song Yu-bin, then started pounding my back like crazy.
"You bastard! Why'd you make the kid cry!"
"I said I didn't!"
"You think you'll never crack a note in your life!"
"What's that curse?!"
Then Eun Hae-sol, sauntering out slowly, chimed in.
"You've got a scary side, Jeong Eun-ho hyung."
What's this guy's deal? I was comforting him...
By the time I snapped out of it, everyone was surrounding Song Yu-bin, offering their own comforts.
Watching that, I couldn't help but smile.
* * *
I opened my eyes to 7 a.m.
I stretched and got up. First thing, I saw Sophia photosynthesizing by the window.
"Hey. You water this?"
"Ughhhh..."
Eun Hae-sol mumbled something incomprehensible and tossed. Figured as much—he sleeps like a log when you wouldn't expect it.
I staggered to the kitchen.
Mid-gulp of water, my eyes caught an unfamiliar box on the table.
"What's this?"
I read the label letter by letter.
"Belly button pear tea."
...Why's this here?
Song Yu-bin, passing by from the living room, said.
"I bought a box. Supposed to be good for the throat."
"For 45,000 won?"
Crazy, he actually bought it? Weird kid.
Right then, urgent footsteps came from somewhere.
Thud thud thud—
Baek Si-woo burst out of his room and shouted.
"Hey. You guys see this?"
What now.
I could see the smartphone screen in Baek Si-woo's hand. What was on it was none other than...
The hallway scene from the music video shoot that I suggested on set.
'They released it as behind-the-scenes like I said.'
I replied nonchalantly.
"Oh, this came out already."
"That's not the point right now!"
Baek Si-woo yelled excitedly.
"The reactions are exploding!"
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