Chapter 191: Joy (28)

“Hyung, I'm so sorry." We stood side by side after placing the worn-out cell phones we'd been secretly using on the living room table.

“Sorry..."

“…These are?" asked Su-Hwan. Regardless of the agencies, a flip phone was a common tool among trainees. Therefore, we had been using them without much of a guilty conscience until now.

However, the thought of brushing this off weighed heavily on our conscience, especially knowing the lengths our manager had gone to buy these phones for us. With his arms crossed, the manager let out a sigh, his expression one of disappointment.

He said, “I had faith in you all…"

“We are truly sorry…"

“At least you are coming clean now, which is somewhat of a silver lining," our manager remarked, his rare stern look leaving us speechless. With our mouths sealed shut, we braced ourselves for the impending reprimand.

Picking up one of the flip phones, our manager continued, “But, you know, I was aware all along."

“…Excuse me?" Our heads lifted at the sound of our manager's voice, which was tinged with a hint of amusement.

Su-Hwan looked at us with a gentle smile and asked, “Did you really think I wouldn't notice, with it being so blatantly obvious?"

“Ah."

“Yoo-Joon, your seamless tales of post-shooting interactions with the

Graduating

cast were a dead giveaway. And Jin-Sung, your habit of pretending to fiddle with a nonexistent phone to capture moments in photographs wasn't exactly subtle."

Ah, right. It would indeed be odd if our sharp manager hadn't noticed.

“I chose to overlook it, since I know that you guys aren’t the kind to engage in mischief."

Hence, the gift of the latest model phones served not only as a celebration but also as a gentle reminder, signaling his awareness and encouraging us to come clean before our guilt became too burdensome.

Su-Hwan gently placed the phone he was holding back on the table. “Nevertheless, I appreciate your honesty now. You truly are a considerate group."

“…But could you possibly consider continuing this journey with us? We promise we will listen to you and be more honest." Jin-Sung's plea caused a momentary pause in Su-Hwan's reaction. We could see a flicker of surprise on his face.

Yoon-Chan seized the moment and quickly chimed in, hoping to steer the conversation. “Exactly, hyung."

“We genuinely appreciate you…"

“…It's not as simple as just wanting it to happen…" Su-Hwan said.

In the midst of our sincere entreaties, Joo-Han finally spoke up. “Hyung, I'd like to echo their sentiments. It would mean the world to us if you could continue being our manager."

“Indeed, I beg you. We really want you to stay," I said, my words laden with earnestness.

After a brief period of contemplation, the manager nodded solemnly. “I hear you. Your words mean a lot to me, so I will convey your wishes about continuing together. However, keep your expectations in check. The decisions are already in motion and reversing them might not be that easy."

The mere consideration of his continued presence was a hope for us. With a parting nod of assurance, the manager concluded the conversation and headed home.

The sun was still hanging high in the sky, basking the dormitory in the tranquility of a leisurely afternoon like a holiday. Yoo-Joon and I settled side by side on the couch, lost in our thoughts.

“It's been ages since we've had a day in the dorm like this."

“I know, right? Normally, we'd be in the practice room at this hour," replied Goh Yoo-Joon as he powered on his new phone, his gaze drifting toward the opposite room.

Goh Yoo-Joon then mentioned, “With all five of us having the same phone model, it'd be easy to mix them up. Perhaps setting different wallpapers or pictures could help."

“Or just use distinct cases," I said.

“Hand over yours. Let's get them set up while I'm at it."

Swiftly activating both our phones, Yoo-Joon wasted no time in showing off our new gadgets to our friends from Memory High. The sound of Hee-Su's voice and his waving hand indicated that a video call was underway.

“Suh Hyun-Woo, come over and say hi."

Seeing Goh Yoo-Joon's gesture, I scooted closer as I tried to fit my face into the frame. Hee-Su was wearing thick glasses unlike during our shoots and greeted us with a warm smile.

- Wow, seeing you guys together like this really hits home. It's fascinating every time.

“You always say ‘fascinating’ to everything.”

“Yo, what are you up to, Hee-Su?”

- I am doing my part-time job right now!

He tilted his phone to reveal the gas station vest he was wearing.

“Isn't it cold out there? Make sure you are bundled up. Don't freeze out there."

- Got heat packs with me. But honestly, it's freezing.

After a while, I excused myself from their banter and slipped away to find Joo-Han in his room. I gently knocked and entered to see him bathed in the soft glow of his computer screen, engrossed in a music composition program.

“Diving into a new project already?"

“Hmm? Oh, just fine-tuning something for the inauguration. Anything on your mind, Hyun-Woo?"

I settled into the chair next to him and nodded thoughtfully. “About Yoo-Joon's solo track… I'd be keen to take on the chorus if you haven't found anyone to write it yet."

My voice was laced with a mix of hope and resolve. If Joo-Han had found someone, I'd just let it be, but the thought of contributing to Yoo-Joon's first solo piece was too appealing to pass up.

Joo-Han responded with a warm chuckle, his hand finding its way to my head in a brotherly gesture. “I had you in mind all along. Who else can do this but you?"

𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

“Ah.”

“You and Yoo-Joon have this harmony, this synergy. Sure, Yoon-Chan has his merits, but when it comes to raw talent and intuition, you are the one I bet on. So, Hyun-Woo, the chorus is yours to tackle,” He affirmed, his words instilling a sense of pride in me.

“Alright," I accepted, a smile playing on my lips.

“Let me give you a taste of the track." Without hesitation, Joo-Han played Yoo-Joon's solo piece for me.

“The working title is ‘Hide Room.’"

Unlike the bittersweet melody of my “Once Again,” which echoed the sentiment of overcoming adversity, Yoo-Joon's track was a deep dive into R&B from the get-go. It evoked images of a dimly lit room with nothing but the flicker of an old TV for company and someone gazing out at the moon through an open window. The melody oozed coolness with every note. On top of that, Joo-Han's knack for trendsetting was evident throughout the piece.

I found myself effortlessly layering harmonies over Joo-Han's casual English murmurs in the guide track, and the notes flowed naturally.

“…Hyun-Woo."

“Hmm? Oh, did I interrupt you? Sorry, won't happen again," I apologized, ready to just listen quietly.

“No, that's not it," Joo-Han quickly clarified, his gaze intense and thoughtful. “That harmony you just did? Let's keep it. It's beautiful."

“Really? Oh, okay. Have you thought about the lyrics yet?"

“Still brainstorming with Producer Do. Yoo-Joon's got this vibrant and playful appearance, but when we delve a bit deeper, he is actually very considerate and mature. We are trying to capture that essence in the lyrics.”

After immersing myself a bit more in the melody, I casually threw out an idea. “Why not have Yoo-Joon write the lyrics?"

After all, he had written the lyrics in “Blue Room Party,” and I'd penned my solo debut’s lyrics.

“Or, I could give it a shot, haha," I said half-jokingly.

“Deal, Hyun-Woo, you are on." An unexpectedly enthusiastic response came from behind me.

“What?" I spun around, startled.

“…Yoo-Joon, I thought we agreed on knocking on my door first before coming in," reprimanded Joo-Han with a slight frown on his face.

With his usual cheeky expression, Yoo-Joon sauntered in and playfully nudged Joo-Han before trying to sit on my lap.

“Ah! Get off!” I yelled at him.

“Seriously though, I'd be thrilled if you wrote the lyrics, Hyun-Woo."

“You sure?" Joo-Han asked, seeking confirmation from Goh Yoo-Joon.

Yoo-Joon nodded with a clear resolve. “The lyrics of ‘Once Again’ are stellar. And honestly, I've been dying to see what Hyun-Woo could do with my solo piece."

“I was just throwing the idea out there. Maybe it's better if you take the lead, Yoo-Joon," I hesitated as the weight of the request dawned on me.

“No way, I insist. I trust you, man," Yoo-Joon insisted, his determination leaving no room for doubt. With a mixture of excitement and a hint of concern, I eventually agreed.

“Let's collaborate on this. Consider it a joint effort," Joo-Han proposed, effectively sealing the formation of our “Hide Room” dream team right then and there.

***

“Jeez, how are we going to deal with these eye bangs, idol? Still pretty, but…" the stylist lamented, dabbing at the shadows.

I let out a deep sigh and said, “I couldn't sleep because I was writing lyrics with Goh Yoo-Joon."

“The skin can be covered up, but there's no helping the tired eyes. Just manage your expressions well."

“Okay."

At that moment, a soothing eye drops packet was extended from the side, held out too close to my face. I flinched and frowned as I looked at the person next to me.

“Do you have to hand it over like this?"

“Even when I'm considerate to you, you really are something."

I just shook my head and accepted the soothing eye drops packet.

Today was a special appearance on

Halo's Music Bus

featuring Kim Jin-Wook.

“One day, you and I are going to have a big fight, hyung," I said.

“Go ahead and try."

“I don't want to."

Watching the bland conversation between Kim Jin-Wook and me, the stylist chuckled and said, “Stick to either informal or formal speech. Are you two on good terms or not? Hyun-Woo hardly treats anyone like this."

I replied with an annoyed expression, “Ah, I don't know. We are on good terms."

My shoulders were already stiff from my lack of sleep, but it seemed to ache even more now. I wondered where the rumor that we were on good terms started. It would be more realistic to say that I had become soulmates with Ji-Hyuk rather than Kim Jin-Wook.

After my makeup was done and I was applying the eye drops, a bottle of water was thrown onto the table in front of me. I just glared at Kim Jin-Wook again as I let the drops that hadn't gone into my eyes flow down like tears.

I scolded, “If you are going to be considerate, do it with a smile, okay? Why do you keep throwing things, hyung? Ah! This is why people think we are on good terms."

“Ah, you always make a fucking fuss even when I try to take care of you."

“Hyung! Jin-Wook's manager! He swore again!"

Then, a loud sigh was heard from behind me. “Again! You two are fighting again! Why do you fight even when you help each other!? Jin-Wook, be the older brother and apologize first!"

It was the voice of Supervisor Kim, who had grown accustomed to our frequent quarrels.