IWDAR Chapter 24

Wooyoung’s lips parted slightly, momentarily losing their way.

“‘Eden’… you mean?”

 

“Now that I think about it, you haven’t received the team name yet. The group name has been finalized as ‘Eden,’ so keep that in mind.”

 

No way!

 

Wooyoung thought to himself, involuntarily.

 

Eden.

 

Wasn’t that the name that always followed whenever he searched for Sunwoo on the portal in his past life?

He had vaguely thought that such a group existed.

Wooyoung couldn’t help but be flustered by the fact that he . The fact that he would be a member, promoting alongside them, left Wooyoung flustered.

 

“How old are you, by the way?”

 

“Ah, I’m twenty this year. I’m Han Wooyoung.”

 

Wooyoung, still dazed, continued in a shrinking voice.

 

“I… look forward to working with you.”

 

He felt his cheeks burning for some reason.

 

Hearing Wooyoung’s age, Sunwoo made a surprised expression.

 

“Twenty? I thought you were a minor.”

 

Having heard the same thing from Tae-uk, Wooyoung felt a little embarrassed.

 

“I’m twenty-two this year. It’s okay to drop the formalities, right?”

 

“Yes, of course.”

 

“You can comfortably call me Sunwoo-hyung. Everyone else does.”

 

“I’ll… try.”

 

Sunwoo’s face briefly registered a look of discomfort as he watched Wooyoung’s innocent expression, his face flushed as he meekly nodded. Having always been sensitive to others, Wooyoung was good at reading facial expressions, and he clearly sensed Sunwoo’s unease.

 

‘Does he not like me?’

 

Even if that were the case, Wooyoung thought there was nothing he could do about it.

He knew very well that not everyone could like him.

 

“It’s almost practice time.”

 

“Ah, time flies.”

 

At Taeeok’s reminder, Sunwoo frowned. Now that he noticed, Sunwoo was wearing simple training clothes, as if he had come straight from practice to the CEO’s office.

 

“It was nice meeting you today. I personally asked the CEO to introduce us before you met the others.”

 

“Ah…”

 

Only then did Wooyoung realize that there were more people he had to be introduced to.

In Wooyoung’s memory, Eden had a total of five members, including Sunwoo.

 

“I look forward to working with you.”

 

“I look forward to working with you too.”

 

Sunwoo stared intently at Wooyoung, who even bowed his head, before asking Tae-uk,

 

“When can we practice the choreography together?”

 

“What did the hospital say?”

 

Tae-uk’s gaze remained fixed on Wooyoung.

 

“They said I should refrain from strenuous exercise for a while since it hasn’t been long since I got my cast off. They said I could gradually increase the intensity and be able to move normally in 1-2 weeks.”

 

At Wooyoung’s words, Sunwoo’s expression darkened slightly.

 

The internal atmosphere was already turbulent due to the new member issue, so he couldn’t help but feel impatient.

 

“We’ve already adjusted the debut date, so there’s no need to rush. Think of this as a time to further improve the quality, given the high level of public attention, and manage the members well.” 

 

Tae-uk spoke firmly, not unaware of the situation of Sunwoo and the other Eden members.

In the end, Sunwoo had no choice but to reluctantly nod.

 

“Then let’s wrap it up here for today.”

 

As if he really had only intended to make a brief introduction, Sunwoo rose from his seat without hesitation.

Before leaving the CEO’s office, Sunwoo looked at Wooyoung, who was sitting quietly with a calm face.

 

“It was nice meeting you today. Let’s see each other again soon.”

 

“Yes, see you again. Mr. Sunwoo… .”

 

At the sound of “Mr. Sunwoo,” which seemed like it would never become familiar, Sunwoo smiled wryly and looked back at Wooyoung.

 

“I still don’t know much, but I’ll work hard not to cause any trouble.”

 

“…Yes, I look forward to working with you.”

 

Looking at that innocent face, Sunwoo couldn’t bring himself to mention the currently poor team atmosphere.

 

After Sunwoo left, silence fell over the CEO’s office for a moment. It felt as if so much had happened in such a short time.

 

Even though all that had happened was being introduced to a member of the group he would debut with.

 

But that fact weighed heavily on Wooyoung.

 

Until now, he had only been focused on escaping Lilac Entertainment’s unfair situation, but now, the weight of the approaching reality hit him once again.

 

He had prepared himself for this ever since he accepted On Entertainment’s offer, and he had reaffirmed his resolve once again while coming to meet Tae-uk today, but he still couldn’t help the vague anxiety that crept up.

 

‘But… Mr. Sunwoo…’

 

Wooyoung’s stiff expression slowly relaxed.

He really hadn’t expected it.

Him, belonging to Eden.

 

‘And the fact that the CEO created that very Eden…’

 

As he was organizing his jumbled thoughts, a white shopping bag was placed in front of Wooyoung. It was a cell phone.

Wooyoung looked at Tae-uk with a surprised face.

 

“A congratulatory gift for getting your cast off.”

 

A housewarming gift, and now a congratulatory gift for his cast-off…?

 

Flustered, Wooyoung waved both hands at Tae-uk, who looked utterly indifferent.

 

“You’ve already done enough for me, I can’t accept this too.”

 

“Just take it. It’s a company benefit.”

 

“Company benefit…?”

 

At the unexpected words, Wooyoung, uncharacteristically, furrowed his brow slightly.

Depending on the size of the company, employee benefits varied greatly, but he wasn’t an employee, but a trainee. He wondered if it was right for him to receive such benefits.

 

“And more than anything, it’s inconvenient for me.”

 

“…”

 

“Although temporary, we’re currently housemates. Shouldn’t we be able to contact each other easily?”

 

Indeed, when Wooyoung’s hospital appointment ran late today, Do-hoon, who had accompanied him, had contacted Taeuk on his behalf.

 

“But I’ll be receiving the contract fee soon, and I can buy a phone with my own money. If you could just wait a little…”

 

“Don’t waste your money on unnecessary things and accept what you can. It’s always been common practice to provide employees with the electronics they want for free.”

 

Since everything Tae-uk said was undeniably true, Wooyoung had no choice but to gratefully accept the new phone.

 

“I’ve written my number inside, so keep it in mind.”

 

“Yes, thank you, CEO Mo. I’ll put it to good use.”

 

Wooyoung repeatedly bowed his head in gratitude.

Seeing Wooyoung sincerely expressing his gratitude for even the smallest things, Tae-uk’s eyes softened momentarily.

 

Wooyoung, stroking the shopping bag containing the white box, looked up at Tae-uk.

 

‘Ah…’

 

Again. Taeeok’s eyes were still fixed on him, steadfastly, as if they would always be there.

 

“CEO Mo, there’s something I’d like to ask.”

 

“I also happen to have something I’d like to ask Han Wooyoung.”

 

“…”

 

At Tae-uk’s playful mimicking of his speech, Wooyoung blushed.

He felt the distance between him and the seemingly immense man shrink at times like these.

Wooyoung’s heart pounded for some reason.

 

‘Ah, this isn’t good.’

 

Suddenly, Wooyoung felt that this situation wasn’t right. It was an instinctive feeling.

 

Suppressing his rising emotions was what Wooyoung did best. He had always suppressed joy, happiness, excitement, and such. This time was no different. Wooyoung skillfully turned away from his emotions and met Tae-uk’s gaze. Even so, he still felt a heavy thudding in his chest, but he could ignore it.

 

For now.

 

“You can ask me anything.”

 

“Are you really a fan?”

 

“…Yes?”

 

With a serious face as if he had important documents in front of him, Tae-uk said,

 

“Of Yoo Sunwoo, I mean.”

 

“Uh… no, rather than a fan, I just happened to see him and thought he was cool, so I liked him on my own. It’s like adoration.”

 

Since this was the first time he had ever verbalized his feelings about Sunwoo, Wooyoung could finally sort out his feelings for Yoo Sunwoo and the group Eden.

 

Adoration. Yes, it was just adoration.

 

Wooyoung emphasized his tone, lest Taeeok suspect anything, under his intense gaze.

 

“I’m really telling the truth.”

 

The problem was that he didn’t sound firm at all.

 

At Wooyoung’s somewhat dejected expression, Tae-uk opened his tightly closed lips, still with an impenetrable expression, as if not even a needle could pierce it.

 

“On Entertainment’s planning skills are arguably the best in the industry.”

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“Everything about Yoo Sunwoo that Han Wooyoung saw and admired was created here.”

 

Wooyoung’s eyes lingered on the spot where Sunwoo had been sitting just moments ago.

 

In the end, what Tae-uk was trying to say was that the image of someone Wooyoung had arbitrarily admired was simply manufactured.

 

“With Han Wooyoung’s talent and ON Entertainment’s planning skills, you too will surely become the same kind of existence as Yoo Sunwoo to many people.”

 

Tae-uk’s words carried a strong conviction.

The intense conviction that he would definitely make him that way.

 

‘The adoration of others…’

 

Wooyoung became a little lost in thought.

Did he really deserve to receive such a thing?