Chapter 135: What Are You Saying

The third-floor practice room at Doubles.

The sound of feet stomping echoed in perfect rhythm.

It was three days before the Chuseok stage of <Dance in the Night>, and since today was the last day we could rehearse together, we had poured quite a lot of time into practice.

“One and two, three four. Turn and hit. Again, two and three and four. Oh, this part should be hard, but you’re doing well.”

“Thank you!”

The choreographer teacher raised a thumb with a pleased smile.

Senior Sung Jihoo swept his wet hair back with his hand and pulled his cap low.

I could hear his rough breathing from here.

“Ha… this is exhausting.”

“Same here, I feel like I’m dying right now.”

Because of the pressure to finish perfectly today, there was a tendency to push ourselves a little too much.

Still, neither side had much time to spare, so there was no other choice.

Sung Jihoo grinned and spoke.

“Even if it’s hard, let’s go one more time.”

“Sounds good. Let’s do it right away.”

But honestly, being assigned a kind choreographer like this was already a blessing.

Back during the Stardust Project, there were many times we had to create everything from start to finish within a short time.

After adapting to those hellish survival shows, I guess this kind of practice schedule felt fairly familiar.

The real issue wasn’t the tough practice, but the awkward prop.

Whoosh— swish—

I twirled a red ribbon a few times while checking the mirror.

To add an oriental touch to ‘7 thousands’, we had boldly chosen ribbons as props.

Even back then, I had felt that this type of prop was unexpectedly a sure-win element.

The problem was that adding props meant there were that many more things to pay attention to.

“After ‘every seconds’, there’s a part where our formations converge, right?”

“Yes, the paired choreography.”

“I’m worried the ribbons might get tangled on stage… what do you think about adjusting the formation?”

“Oh, like when they cross here?”

After a brief thought, Sung Jihoo nodded.

“That would be better.”

Even though today’s rehearsal was the final, the actual final, there were still parts that came to mind belatedly that needed fixing here and there.

As a junior, it was honestly a little hard to bring such things up, but he was the type who was very open to it.

If something needed correcting, it was better to say it.

That was how you created a better stage.

There had been many times I thought, yes, you really needed that kind of mindset to succeed.

“Shall we take a short break?”

Thud—

At Sung Jihoo’s words, I slid down and leaned my back against the wall.

I took the water bottle he handed me and moistened my throat.

From his mouth came a calm remark.

“Isn’t it tough?”

“Sorry?”

“The schedule. It seems like it overlaps with your comeback season.”

It wasn’t exactly wrong, since we were planning a comeback at the end of the year.

And since the next album was scheduled as a full album, it really was going to be a busy season….

But for someone coming back in September to be saying this?

“Wouldn’t you be way busier, senior?”

“Ah. I’ve gotten used to it.”

Sung Jihoo smirked and added.

“As you keep going, it gradually gets manageable. Once you rack up some years, a lot of places give you some leeway, and well, the company pays attention to those things too.”

“…….”

“But rookies don’t have that, so it must be tough for you.”

There were plenty of times I felt like I was sitting on a thorn cushion, having to watch my surroundings constantly….

Still, thanks to being from a major company, at least I wasn’t treated like an invisible person.

In moments like this, I was grateful that I didn’t have to go through the miseries of a smaller company.

As he tied his shoelaces, Sung Jihoo glanced over at me.

“When I was a rookie, it was pretty rough. Plus, since I debuted at a young age, I struggled to adjust even more. So I was just wondering if that might be hard for you too.”

“I’m fine now.”

“No seniors giving you a hard time?”

Uh.

I was about to say no, but my answer came a little late.

“No….”

“Are you close with Jung Wonjae?”

At the sudden mention of a name, I blinked.

Why was Hyper’s Jung Wonjae coming up here?

He must have noticed the blatant provocation at the pre-meeting.

As I hesitated, wondering how to respond, senior cut in first.

“So you’re not close.”

“Haha…. That’s right.”

Even if I gave way a hundred times, it wasn’t exactly a close mood.

Still, in this industry, there was no way I could openly throw a backstabbing comment at a senior.

As I was choosing my words, wondering what would be better, once again Sung Jihoo spoke first.

“If anyone pressures you, just tell me. I’ll win anyway.”

“…What?”

Sung Jihoo added with a playful smile.

“Years of experience make me the top dog.”

I didn’t know if he meant it or not.

But it felt, just a little, reassuring.

On the day of the ‘Dance in the Night’ recording.

The Stardust dorm was bustling from early morning.

Seohan had already stopped by the shop and gone ahead to prepare for rehearsal, while the rest of the older members were planning to pack up late and follow along as audience.

Since he hadn’t asked for anything specific, it seemed fine as long as we just brought ourselves and arrived on time….

But the older members who had gone into the room weren’t coming out.

Knock, knock—

Jin Sehyun knocked on the door and peeked his head through the gap.

“Excuse me, hyungs?”

Thud, thud, bang!

So that was what had been so noisy—leader Kang Siwoo and eldest Ha Junseo were hurriedly packing their bags.

Jin Sehyun spotted a suitcase in Ha Junseo’s room and exclaimed in shock.

“Wait, are you going camping or something?”

“What are you guys doing?”

Manager Lee Jaeyoon, who entered the dorm belatedly, also came to watch the unexpected chaos.

“Whoa, what is all this?”

“We’re packing our bags!”

“Yeah, but why on earth….”

While Kang Siwoo continued gathering things inside the room, Ha Junseo had already moved to the kitchen, pulling things out one after another.

Ha Junseo took out two packs of pear juice from the drawer and placed them in the suitcase.

“It’s pear juice that’s good for the throat.”

“Do you think Seohan… will drink it?”

“And this needs an ice pack, otherwise it’ll spoil in the heat…!”

This was too much, way too much.

While Jin Sehyun clicked his tongue, Ha Junseo busily stuffed the kitchen supplies into the bag.

Kang Siwoo added with the most serious face in the world.

“It’s his first time standing on stage alone, so of course we need to cheer him on from below.”

“Hyung, just don’t bring a megaphone, okay….”

“That was a joke. I won’t, I won’t.”

But it really seemed like they had meant to.

More precisely, it looked like Seo Haim had actually intended to.

He was caught by Jin Sehyun as he shoved a giant megaphone—probably picked up during a variety shoot—into the suitcase.

With wide eyes, Seo Haim nervously gauged Jin Sehyun’s reaction.

“…It’s too much, huh?”

“You’d definitely get a camera close-up.”

Manager Lee Jaeyoon, unable to watch anymore, went into the room and shut the suitcase.

This wasn’t going to the World Cup, this was attending the Chuseok Pilot Program as audience.

“Seriously, a sketchbook?”

“It’s touching, you know…. Plus it gets you on camera.”

“Whose idea was this?”

“Cha Seongbin’s.”

Cha Seongbin, obsessed with screen time, hastily stuffed the sketchbook that had popped out of the suitcase back inside.

Jin Sehyun coldly assessed the situation.

“Seongbin-hyung did the arrangement, though. That’s valid screen time.”

“Oh~. So I’m exempt?”

“But Seo Haim’s slogan is a bit too much. Let’s get rid of that.”

Even the slogan message felt oddly familiar.

[Do Seohan, I should’ve given birth to you]

“Fans hold these up a lot at concerts, so why can’t I!”

What was he even saying when there was only a one-year age gap.

Jin Sehyun freaked out and dragged Seo Haim away.

“Let’s just go quietly with our bodies~.”

Now it was really time to leave.

.

.

.

“The oriental-style arrangement, Seongbin-hyung did that, right?”

“Yeah. I’ve gotten more confident with arranging, so I wanted to try making something properly.”

“I heard it and thought it was good. Felt like you’d win?”

While the members chatted in the back seats, Seo Haim, who normally would have been the one making the most noise, was unusually quiet.

Fastening his seatbelt, Jin Sehyun turned to look at Seo Haim.

Tap, tap—

The fingers typing on the chat didn’t rest for even a moment.

Jin Sehyun glanced over Seo Haim’s shoulder to check the phone screen.

“Who is it?”

“Senior Jung Wonjae!”

It was the senior appearing together with Do Seohan on today’s ‘Dance in the Night’.

The only person he would know in the waiting room was probably great senior Sung Jihoo, so he worried that the maknae might shrink back.

Seo Haim turned quickly to Jin Sehyun and spoke.

“Since he’s appearing with Seohan this time, I’m going to ask him to take good care of him!”

“That’s the same senior we saw at the Athletic Championships relay, right?”

“Yup.”

At those words, Jin Sehyun tilted his head slightly.

Hmm.

“I don’t really… like that senior.”

He had a bad feeling, but since it wasn’t certain, it was hard to say more.

They hadn’t known him for long up close, and seeing how excited Seo Haim was, he didn’t want to spoil the mood.

Ding—

Ding—

Seo Haim buried his head back in his phone, replying to Jung Wonjae’s messages.

Just then, Jung Wonjae was the first to bring up Seohan’s name.

-There was a same team member in the waiting room

└Seohan?

└Yes, I saw Seohan last time too

└Yes, that’s right! He’s appearing on Dance in the Night today

Seo Haim stroked his chin with a pensive face.

He was wondering how best to introduce a fellow team member.

-Seohan is young, but he’s skilled and hardworking. He’s really, really a good kid, so you’ll know once you meet him ><

Hmm.

Was that too fawning?

Seo Haim bit his lower lip, then deleted the latter part.

There was no need to be that long-winded.

A single clean word could express Seohan well enough.

-He’s a good dongsaeng.

Tap tap tap.

Then he added a sincere follow-up.

-Please take good care of our Seohan!!

└Ah of course ㅎ

The reply came back immediately.

With a satisfied smile, Seo Haim placed the phone down on his lap.

His eyes met Jin Sehyun’s, and Seo Haim bragged.

“See, he said he’ll look after him.”

“That senior? That’s a relief.”

Just then,

Ding—

With the alarm sound, Jung Wonjae’s message popped up at the top.

Seo Haim picked up the phone and checked the screen again.

-By the way, is Seohan kind of close with Senior Sung Jihoo?

└Yea….

Seo Haim started typing a thoughtless reply but froze when the next message arrived right away.

-Close enough that he pushes him?

It took a moment to understand what that meant.

“Hm?”

So in other words.

Was he trying to sound out whether Sung Jihoo was backing Do Seohan?

-Oh don’t misunderstand haha

-I’m just purely curious, you know

“……”

At the same time, the smile completely vanished.

The always bright eyes had suddenly turned cold.

“Ha.”

In an icy voice, Seo Haim muttered quietly.

“What is he even saying.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep