IWDAR Chapter 32

Staring at the practice room door where Jaewon had disappeared, Habin spoke to Sunwoo with a hardened face, 

 

“Sorry, I’ll have to pass today.”

 

“……Yeah, go ahead, just go. All of you, just leave. Just disappear completely.”

 

Sunwoo waved his hand with a fed-up look. While it would’ve been understandable for Habin to stay put given Sunwoo’s resigned attitude, he truly left the practice room with a huff. He truly had an unyielding personality.

 

Sunwoo sighed deeply.

 

“What’s the point of giving me the leader armband? No one listens to me anyway.”

 

“We like you, hyung.”

 

“That’s right, hyung.”

 

“Yeah, so touching. I’m practically in tears.”

 

At Si-on and Wonil’s aegyo – which appeared utterly cute in Wooyoung’s eyes – Sunwoo laughed in disbelief.

 

Soon, he looked at Wooyoung with an apologetic face.

 

“This is why I wanted to introduce you guys slowly… Anyway, as you probably noticed, we had a big fight, so the atmosphere is a bit off.”

 

“It’s okay. We can greet each other properly later.”

 

At Wooyoung’s consideration, Sunwoo finally relaxed his stiff expression.

 

“Let’s go get some food, leaving those idiots behind. I’ll even buy dessert today!”

 

“Wow, really?”

 

“Sunwoo hyung is the best!”

 

Si-on and Wonil cheered at Sunwoo’s generous declaration.

 

Seeing the physically well-built boys laughing cheerfully and excitedly, Wooyoung smiled, feeling good.

 

However, as he followed them out, Wooyoung glanced back at the empty practice room before the door closed and became lost in thought.

 

‘Can I do well?’

 

Of course, he was aware that it was too late to ask such a question.

 

That’s why he needed to strengthen his resolve even more.

 

｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱┈•  ｡ﾟ

 

Wooyoung couldn’t seem to narrow his eyes, which had widened like saucers since a while ago.

 

He knew intellectually that growing boys ate a lot, but seeing it with his own two eyes was a different story altogether.

 

Si-on and Wonil were inhaling the meat like vacuum cleaners.

 

“Boss, please bring us 5 more servings of pork neck!”

 

“Hyung, cola too, please.”

 

“Let’s stop with the soda now. You two already finished a bottle each.”

 

“Yeah, drink water. What cola?”

 

“Ah, but you have to wash down the greasy food with soda. It’s too rich.”

 

Wonil, who hadn’t stopped his chopsticks despite claiming the food was rich, smacked his lips with a look of utter regret.

 

Just then, the additional pork neck they ordered arrived. The restaurant owner’s face was full of a pleasant smile.

 

It was understandable, since the boys, who had entered in the middle of the day and already demolished three grills, showed no signs of their appetites waning…

 

Sunwoo, who had entered the barbecue restaurant with a determined look, grilled meat without a moment’s rest.

 

Anyone watching would think he was in a meat-grilling competition.

 

“Sunwoo-nim¹, I’ll grill the meat.”

 

“Huh? Sunwoo-nim? Wooyoung hyung, just speak comfortably!”

 

Wonil, who had cleaned up the remaining meat and was crunching on lettuce he hadn’t touched while the additional pork neck was being grilled, spoke up.

 

“Um… Sunwoo hyung, give me the tongs. I’ll grill the meat.”

 

Wooyoung’s cheeks flushed red as he awkwardly called Sunwoo “hyung.”

 

Wonil giggled at how shy Wooyoung looked at such a trivial title. Where did the elegant, prince-like Wonil go? He was now like a country puppy wagging its tail vigorously.

 

“It’s okay, it’s okay. I like grilling meat.”

 

Sunwoo, making a vague excuse, placed two pieces of nicely grilled pork neck on Wooyoung’s plate. He had been watching Wooyoung barely eating, too preoccupied with observing Wonil and Sion devour their food.

 

“Eat up, Wooyoung.”

 

“That’s right, hyung, eat a lot. You’re so skinny you don’t have to worry about weight management or anything. How much cheek fat do you even have?”

 

Thanks to Wonil, who grumbled as if it were his own problem despite having just met Wooyoung today, Wooyoung chuckled softly.

 

Feeling somewhat awkward, Si-on, who had handed a whole bowl of kimchi naengmyeon (cold kimchi noodles) to Wooyoung, cautiously asked, 

 

“Are you perhaps like this because of Jaewon hyung?” 

 

“Ah…”

 

Before Wooyoung could say it wasn’t particularly because of that, Si-on shook his head with a firm expression.

 

“You don’t have to worry too much about that. Jaewon hyung isn’t a bad person, he’s just been a bit anxious and struggling lately.”

 

“Anxious?”

 

Wooyoung, popping a thick piece of pork neck dipped in salt into his mouth, asked with puzzled eyes.

 

“Jaewon hyung has been here for 8 years.”

 

“What?”

 

Wooyoung’s eyes widened.

 

“He’s been a trainee for 8 years?”

 

“He’s in his 9th year this year. Jaewon has been here the longest among us.”

 

Sunwoo, who had quietly added to the conversation, shouted towards the owner, 

 

“Boss! Two more kimchi naengmyeon please!”

 

The kimchi naengmyeon was so refreshingly sweet and sour that Wooyoung’s spirits lifted momentarily, but this was soon forgotten by the weight of the 9 years.

 

Jaewon was the same age as Wooyoung. That meant he had been a trainee since he was a very young elementary school student.

 

“Is it common to be a trainee for so long?”

 

“It’s common if you consider it common, and uncommon if you don’t… Most people give up early on. A small number of those who stubbornly persevere, like Jaewon, make it to the debut team.”

 

“I also came here five years ago, and I was a little depressed when our debut was canceled, but it must have been even harder for Jaewon hyung.”

 

“Hey, it wasn’t canceled, it was postponed.”

 

Wonil, who couldn’t resist and placed more new meat on the grill, corrected Si-on’s words.

 

“Wooyoung hyung also joined us, and if we all practice hard, the debut date will definitely be set again, so what’s there to worry about? Our team name has been confirmed. The CEO said he’d leak our story to places like the news, and that can’t be a lie, right?”

 

Wonil, who had been obsessed with the meat like a country puppy, spoke resolutely with all traces of laughter gone from his face.

 

Words have powerful strength. Si-on’s eyes, which had been momentarily wavering with anxiety, regained their focus.

 

Wooyoung was a little surprised. There wasn’t a single shred of doubt or hesitation in each word Wonil uttered.

 

“…Well, I can’t ask you to understand Jaewon, especially since you just joined Wooyoung, but I hope you weren’t too hurt by what happened earlier. He didn’t really mean it.”

 

Wooyoung, who was clueless about the ecosystem of this place, had been able to hear various stories through Soohee while his contract with Lilac Entertainment was being finalized. 

 

It was about the reality and problems of young boys and girls who had to have their spirits broken countless times with the promise of debut, even if the contracts weren’t unfair. The children referred to as trainees were too young to simply chase after a vague, intangible dream.

 

Jaewon had endured that kind of time for 9 years. There must have been countless difficult and painful situations, whether known or unknown…

 

‘Does everyone go through such a process to debut?’

 

To Han Wooyoung, idols were simply pretty and sparkling beings. That’s why, in his past life, he felt melancholic with envy every time he stole glances at that dazzling youth.

 

He felt incredibly sorry for these kids.

 

“I wasn’t hurt at all. Rather…”

 

Wooyoung hesitated, then gathered his courage.

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

“…What?”

 

Sunwoo, who hadn’t expected Wooyoung to suddenly apologize, looked at him with a surprised face.

 

“You all could have debuted sooner as five, but I’m sorry for making you wait.”

 

“…….”

 

It wouldn’t be just Jaewon who had been waiting and dreaming of debut.

 

‘I’m not the only one who’s desperate, right?’

 

To be honest, Wooyoung wasn’t desperate at all, just as Jaewon had said. He had no intention of denying this.

 

Wooyoung, holding Jaewon’s pain deep within his heart, looked at the three boys in front of him.

 

It must be very difficult to endure the repeated disappointment of dashed hopes.

 

He had heard that ON Entertainment’s launch of a new boy group was roughly their first in 4 years.

 

What kind of mindset did these boys in front of him have as they lived each day during that uncertain period?

 

“I’ll work harder so the debut date doesn’t get pushed back any further. I look forward to working with you all.”

 

At his resolute appearance, Sunwoo’s expression softened.

 

Wonil, who had been silently watching Wooyoung, grinned.

 

“I’m glad hyung joined us.”

 

“Me too. We’ve always practiced with six members, so it’s much better to maintain this formation than to practice with the changed formation again. And also…”

 

Si-on, who had been rambling, looked at Wooyoung shyly.

 

“The manager played your singing for us. It was really good, really.”

 

“That’s right! The moment I heard hyung’s singing, I thought we would definitely succeed!”

 

Wonil said confidently.

 

Si-on looked embarrassed by Wonil’s audacious tone, which spoke of success so easily, but Sunwoo laughed heartily.

 

“Well, I don’t know if we’ll succeed or not, but one thing is for sure.”

 

Sunwoo’s eyes sparkled.

 

It was the same light that Wooyoung couldn’t take his eyes off in his past life.

 

Wooyoung finally faced it.

 

“Wooyoung, your voice gave us back the confidence we were lacking. So you don’t have to be sorry at all from now on.”