Chapter 154
It seems that Ji Yoon-chul and Go Yoon-seok met by chance in the bathroom.
But even though I only eavesdropped for a moment, I could feel that the atmosphere was not good.
'This is a golden opportunity to find out what happened between Ji Yoon-chul and Haillight.'
I held my breath and listened.
"You didn't even greet me properly back then, so why aren't you even pretending to recognize me today? It's so frustrating."
"... I'm sorry. I didn't know you came in, senior."
"He's as tall as a pole and dull. Does he seem taller?"
If you just look at the words, you could see it as just a joke played by a senior from the same agency on a junior he hadn't seen in a long time.
But having been trained for years among the aristocrats of high society, I immediately picked up on Go Yoon-seok's sarcastic tone.
Ji Yoon-chul continued answering more quietly than usual.
After a brief silence, Go Yoon-seok spoke with his voice intentionally raised.
"Oh, that's right. Congratulations again on winning first place in Mu Ka."
"...Thank you."
"I was really jealous that you got first place right after your debut. I think you sold a lot of copies in the first week, but I didn't know you would get first place. It would have been better if you got first place on terrestrial TV too, right?"
I instinctively grabbed the coffee I was holding in my hand.
He's not just a crazy guy.
Go Yoon-seok was openly getting on Ji Yoon-chul's nerves, perhaps because he had read the public opinion battle over our number one spot.
'Isn't that guy called Senior not even filtering his brain?'
I was furious inside, but then I regained my senses.
Well, if he was in his right mind, Ji Yoon-chul wouldn't have avoided him like that in the first place.
"I read some of the comments, and they're really spicy. It's going to be hard for you guys if you don't do well in grades this time."
We take care of our own things. Please keep your mouth shut.
I continued to suppress my overlapping anger and waited for Ji Yoon-chul's reaction.
Seeing that he wasn't saying anything, I could only imagine what kind of expression he was making.
I felt even angrier when I thought of Ji Yoon-chul with his head down like a dead cat.
"That's why I always told you, Yoon-chul. I told you something from the moment you first came in."
"... You said that we must be humble."
"Yes, humility. Always be humble so that things like this don't happen. You shouldn't be like me, walking around with your head held high and not even saying hello, just because you did well in the first place."
It's amazing that there are still old farts like that around.
Even when I was a trainee as Han Ji-hyeok, there was no senior like that.
If it were an agency about the size of VMS to which Ji Yoon-chul belongs, they would have thoroughly tested their personalities when selecting trainees...There's no way.
No matter how much the media says that they prioritize the idol's character, the reality in this industry is the opposite.
Because in this world, there are so many people who pretend to be good on the outside, but then deceive their agencies and reveal their true nature like this.
"I didn't raise you like this. Have you become too comfortable being alone since your hyungs debuted?"
"...No."
"No, it's not true. It's written all over your face."
Go Yoon-seok had pretended to hide his hostility a little earlier, but now he began to openly disparage Ji Yoon-chul.
"Even the blood on those shameless people's heads hasn't dried up yet. Are you still the same at your dorm? You don't say anything, and you ignore everything people say?"
[머리에 피도 안 마른 = literally means "even the blood on your head hasn't dried up yet", insinuating that a person is too young and inexperienced to be doing something or acting a certain way (rude or arrogant)]
"...."
"Haha! What, you don't even want to answer now, is that it? You've really grown a lot, Yoon-chul. Huh?"
If it were the Ji Yoon-chul, I know, he would have reacted in some way here.
Even though Ji Yoon-chul is a quiet guy who doesn't talk much, I don't think he's the type of person to just sit still and do nothing when he's being criticized so unilaterally.
These days, there are a lot of times when he is particularly silent.
"You are so sick now because you were hanging out with those unlucky guys. Did that European jerk tell you to just keep quiet?"
"...No."
"Just by looking at you, I can tell your size. I wonder what the atmosphere on your team is like. I don't understand what Chae Eun-gyu, who is 26 years old, is doing instead of educating the kids."
Are you really talking without a brain? Now you're even cursing out Seleste members you've never met before.
I bit my lip when I suddenly heard that I had become a 'European jerk'.
I wonder if the Crown Prince's ego will awaken like this.
'Now that I've heard enough, my priority is to get Ji Yoon-chul away from that bastard.'
It is true that I am angry, but if I stand in front of Go Yoon-seok as if the main character appeared there without any reason, the picture becomes strange.
Not only would it be revealed that I was eavesdropping, but it could also lead to an awkward relationship with my senior in the music industry, Haillight.
Even if I am angry now, the most urgent task is to calm the situation.
I cleared my throat once and spoke in as innocent a tone as possible.
"Yoon-chul, are you still inside? I can't carry all the drinks by myself, so I need your help."
"I'll go out right away, hyung."
"Tsk."
As soon as my voice was heard, I heard Go Yoon-seok clicking his tongue softly.
And soon, Ji Yoon-chul opened the bathroom door and came out.
"... Have you been waiting long?"
"Hmm? No, I just got here after getting the coffee."
When I lied so blatantly, Ji Yoon-chul let out a small sigh.
It seemed like he was glad that his conversation with his senior from his agency wasn't discovered.
'I'm sorry.'
On my way back to the waiting room carrying the members' drinks, I calmly collected my thoughts in my head.
As my temporary anger subsided, my cool and rational judgment returned thanks to my passive skill.
'What needs to be confirmed has already been confirmed. It is nearly certain that Ji Yoon-chul and Haillight's relationship is not good. No, to be exact, it is between a specific member.'
I can tell just by listening to what he said.
What kind of person is Go Yoon-seok in real life, and what kind of hardships did Ji Yoon-chul have to go through during his time as a trainee?
This is just my guess, but....
There is a high probability that Ji Yoon-chul's timid and quiet personality was formed while being beaten by such people.
Once I notice it, I can't just pretend not to know.
I glanced at Ji Yoon-chul, who was sitting on the sofa with a blank look in his eyes.
'I guess I should take you to the Room of Truth.'
* * *
After finishing all the schedules, we returned to our dorm.
While everyone went back to their rooms and prepared to wash up, Ji Yoon-chul sat on the bed and held Muto tightly in his arms and remained still.
It seems like he has been blankly staring for a while now.
I don't know what Ji Yoon-chul is thinking right now, but I feel like I shouldn't waste any more time here.
"Yoon-chul."
"...Yes?"
"I have something to say."
When his name was called, Ji Yoon-chul flinched and turned his head towards me.
I gave him a faint smile and spoke bluntly.
"Actually, I overheard a bit of the conversation you and Go Yoon-seok had in the bathroom earlier."
"...Yes."
"You're not surprised."
"I expected it."
Surprisingly, Ji Yoon-chul wasn't surprised to hear that I had heard their conversation.
Instead, he nodded quietly.
"The vending machine wasn't too far from the bathroom... and since Senior Yoon-seok spoke so loudly, I thought you might be able to hear him."
"What kind of person is that senior―"
"... I don't even like calling him senior."
This is the first time.
What Ji Yoon-chul said while interrupting me was...
"... Hyung. Have you heard how old I was when I started being a trainee?"
"I don't know exactly."
"I started when I was 13."
13 years old.
Considering that the average age of Korean idol trainees has gotten much younger in recent years, it's not that young.
However, considering his age of 13, Ji Yoon-chul started his social life at a relatively young age.
"Because I like dancing... My parents wanted me to pursue a career that would allow me to utilize my talents, so I became a trainee."
"Yoon-chul's dancing is so great that it's understandable for them to think that way."
"It was okay at first.... After about a year, I got to practice with the hyungs who were preparing for their debut. That's when I got to know the Haillight seniors―."
"It seems that a scumbag like Go Yoon-seok has started to run wild."
Even without Ji Yoon-chul explaining the details, I can intuitively tell.
How would Go Yoon-seok have acted when he saw that a trainee at such a young age had such natural talent?
Ji Yoon-chul slightly lowered his head.
"... He always told me to live humbly, that I wasn't the only one who was so great. Of course I knew that. That Hyung was deliberately talking badly to me. But since the influence of the seniors in our company was so strong, I couldn't say anything...."
It's surprising that in this day and age, that level of old-fashioned culture still exists.
Even though it's not unusual for trainees to be disciplined, it's not like they're doing that to younger friends like Ji Yoon-chul. If the difference is that big, then they would be competing for debut spots.
This is really not an ordinary way of thinking.
They are monsters before they are humans.
"So I started to be more cautious with my words... and I started to be more mindful of what other people thought... I think that's how it was."
Whatever he said, it's always the envy, jealousy, and discipline that come back.
As I expected, Ji Yoon-chul had to endure an extremely harsh environment since he was young.
'If he had started as a trainee at 13, he wouldn't have been able to attend school properly.'
At age 13, it is a sensitive period of adolescence when one's self is just beginning to be established.
Ji Yoon-chul was unable to enjoy his middle and high school years, when he could hang out and play with his peers.
Since he couldn't have a normal school life, he should have made happy memories and laughed even more within the agency.
It was both infuriating and pitiful to realize that the only people living in the same space as Ji Yoon-chul were the same type of human beings as Go Yoon-seok.
Ji Yoon-chul touched Muto's ears with sad eyes.
This wasn't a cat that had died of starvation, but rather a cat that had been left outside in the pouring rain for hours.
"... Not all of the hyungs were bad. In the case of Shane hyung, the leader, he took care of me, who was the youngest at the agency...."
"He couldn't have taken better care of you in a world where people like Go Yoon-seok are present."
Ji Yoon-chul nodded silently.
"I don't blame Shane hyung. He's in the debut group, so he has to work with the members as best as he can... and above all, he can't fight. So I think he couldn't help it. The things he said today are things I've been hearing all along, so don't worry. Just listen with one ear and let it go out the other."
I was a little surprised when I heard Ji Yoon-chul's words.
I thought it would be enough to shake his mentality, but I didn't know he would show such a calm attitude.
But on the other hand, I felt sorry that he had to have been persecuted so much for such words to come out so naturally.
Ji Yoon-chul slightly clenched his fist.
I could see his slender fingers trembling.
"But.... I really hated it when he cursed at Hyung or Eun-gyu hyung so casually. What does he know.... What does he know to say that?"
Was it not that he was angry because he was being insulted, but rather that the members of his own group were being ridiculed?
"1st place too... We still have a lot of activities left."
"Yes."
"There's still a lot left, and we can still get first place on other music shows...."
Ji Yoon-chul looked at me, biting his lips tightly.
"I'm really upset."
The last words echoed softly throughout our room.
I couldn't hold back the laughter that was breaking out.
The reason I wanted to talk to Ji Yoon-chul was because I was worried that his mind might have been severely shaken.
But Ji Yoon-chul did not collapse.
Rather, he was holding back his anger.
"That's fortunate."
"...Yes?"
"I didn't expect you to think the same way as me."
I stood up and smiled.
"Yoon-chul. Do you have any desire for revenge?"
"... Of course. But how...."
"The method is simple. What was the most annoying thing that Go Yoon-seok said to you today?"
Ji Yoon-chul thought for a moment.
"... He said that I am not humble when we didn't even get first place on a terrestrial broadcast. He can clearly see what the team atmosphere is like. And.... Um, he said that you're shameless."
In fact, isn't that everything that Go Yoon-seok said today?
I laughed briefly.
"Then, just give back everything you've received today. Life is about proving something with one action rather than saying it a hundred times."
Ji Yoon-chul leaned forward slightly after hearing what I said.
The blank stare was nowhere to be found.
"For the rest of our activities, all you have to do is overwhelm that rotten senior of yours so that he never lifts his tongue again."
And right then.
For the first time in a long time, a red system window appeared in my field of vision.
[Status Abnormality: Otherworldly Being (Possessed Person) - Activation]
[※An emergency mission is created. An emergency mission is created.※]
[Emergent Mission: It is human nature to trample on the fearless crawling bugs. Show the difference in class by winning the trophy for first place on terrestrial broadcasting and making sure that Go Yoon-seok never raises his head again. (Time limit: Until the end of the activity)]
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