IWDAR Chapter 18

Wooyoung’s expression grew complicated as he grasped the meaning of Tae-uk’s words. 

 

A strange, quiet silence filled the air. Tae-uk, who had been keenly observing Wooyoung’s expression, broke the silence.

 

“I apologize if my hastiness has caused you any discomfort, Han Wooyoung.”

 

“No, not at all. I’m just… a little taken aback by the ease with which you offered me this opportunity.”

 

“Have you suddenly lost your confidence?”

 

“Huh?”

 

“You were so confident in your talent that you asked me for an audition even in that situation, weren’t you?”

 

Hitting the mark, Wooyoung closed his lips, which had been moving slightly. Staring silently at Tae-uk, Wooyoung softly opened his lips.

 

“This is just… a primal fear.”

 

“Fear, you say.”

 

“I reached out to you because I needed a change, but now that I realize a huge change is about to begin, I’m scared without knowing why.”

 

The moment he accepted Tae-uk’s offer here and now, Wooyoung instinctively knew that many things would change. And that change would be different from anything Wooyoung had experienced so far.

 

Only then did Wooyoung realize the weight of his situation. Both the Han Wooyoung here and the Han Wooyoung from his past life had wished for the end of their lives. They wanted to die, so he jumped. They thought he had achieved what he wanted.

 

But now, Wooyoung was standing at the starting point of everything once again.

 

‘Even though I clearly wished for the end…’

 

Tae-uk, who had been quietly observing the seemingly complex Wooyoung, spoke.

 

“I’m sorry, but I don’t fully understand the emotions you’re feeling right now, Han Wooyoung.”

 

Tae-uk, whose life had been on the line several times due to the ghosts’ reckless actions, was never afraid of that situation. There was only rising irritation and anger.

 

“But one thing I can assure you is that this choice will never be bad for you, Han Wooyoung.”

 

“……”

 

Wooyoung slowly blinked. 

 

There was a strong resonance, as if someone was firmly holding him, who was moving back and forth like a buoy. 

 

When was the last time he felt a sense of relief at someone’s words? 

 

It felt like the lingering anxieties, however faint, had disappeared, at least for this moment.

 

Suddenly, Wooyoung realized.

 

‘Perhaps, I didn’t really want to die.’

 

The realization was certainly fleeting, but its weight was not light. 

 

A clear smile slowly spread across Wooyoung’s lips. A lovely smile that was almost ticklish. 

 

The moment a shy bud slowly opened its petals, revealing its charming sight—

 

Tae-uk’s pitch-black pupils constricted narrowly. His eyes, gleaming with a sharp light, fiercely embraced what was before him.

 

It was a definite spring color.

 

For the first time in his life, Tae-uk realized with all his heart what the changing of seasons was. At the same time, he realized that Han Wooyoung had smiled in front of him for the first time.

 

This immediately overwhelmed him with an unbearable tremor. Ironically, Tae-uk was greedy for it. To the point where he couldn’t stand it unless he grasped it in his hands right away.

 

｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱┈•  ｡ﾟ

 

[Chat] What happened to ON’s new idol group?

Minhyuk’s videos were all taken down from their official account. Isn’t he the main member?

 

[Comments] 3

Anonymous 1. I guess they organized the trainee videos before their debut. But since when was he the main member?

↳Seriously lol Since when was Min-hyuk the main member? It’s Ra-on.

↳Seriously, if you see this, ON will probably be baffled too.

 

[Chat] Isn’t Min-hyuk the main member?

It’s obvious that ON is putting a lot of effort into him.

 

[Comments] 12

Anonymous 1. Visuals¹ and main vocals are rare these days, so they’re just treating him well, duh. If that’s the case, what about Ra-on, who appeared in senior group music videos twice during his trainee days? Is he some kind of royalty?

 

Anonymous 2. Right lol. ON has a lot of videos of other public trainees, but Minhyuk only has three.

↳LOL Publicly revealed trainee videos LOL

↳LOL This is the first time I’ve seen people ranking trainees by the number of publicly revealed videos they have.

 

Anonymous 3. Minhyuk’s fans are already falling for the “beloved by the world” vibe even though they haven’t even debuted yet.

↳Tone down your exaggeration, “beloved by the world” my ass.

 

Anonymous 4. ON must be in a frenzy right now LOL. Because of his school violence scandal LOL.

↳?

↳??

↳What is this bullshit

↳Showing off that you’re from another community.

↳Shut the fuck up.

 

[Title] I don’t know if it’s school violence or not, but something definitely happened…

I’m not in the related department, but my oppa works at ON and M.H. has already been kicked out.

 

[Comments] 9

Anonymous 1. What’s ON?

↳ON Entertainment.

 

Anonymous 2. Yeah, my boyfriend, Mo Tae-uk.

↳Who is Mo Tae-uk?

↳So many clueless people today.

↳CEO of ON Entertainment.

↳…? You guys are crazy. The moeification² is insane lol

↳You don’t know what the CEO of ON looks like, do you?

↳How would I know what the CEO of an agency looks like? I can’t even find him when I search.

 

[Title] What are you guys talking about?

Why are you fighting again?

 

[Comments] 2

Anonymous 1. Fighting over ON’s new idol group.

 

Anonymous 2. I don’t know. They were talking amongst themselves, and then suddenly started fighting.

 

Park Ha-jin, the main manager of ON Entertainment’s Planning Team A, closed his tablet with an annoyed expression. Perhaps because it was a space where the most idol fans gathered among the existing large online communities, it was chaotic from Monday morning.

 

“It’s a mess.”

 

“They’ve been talking about this nonstop since the weekend.”

 

“Since he’s already been kicked out, it’s better for us if they keep talking about it. They’re raising the buzz for us. Monitor it from time to time and rein them in if they cross the line. Make sure they don’t get reported and blocked, you know what I mean?”

 

“Yes, I will.”

 

Ha-jin, who had finished his now lukewarm and tasteless coffee, got up from his seat.

 

“Where is he now?”

 

“In the vocal practice room.”

 

Ha-jin, who hadn’t slept peacefully for a single day since the member issue erupted, yawned with a tired face. Every time there’s trouble, it’s always the innocent ones who suffered.

 

Why was it that the employees at the bottom always had to suffer the emotional and physical hardships?

 

“It seems like the CEO is really invested in the new idol group. I wonder where he picked up another talent from. I was so surprised when I saw him in person; his face was literally the size of my fist.”

 

“You saw him in person?”

 

“Of course, as soon as I was informed that he arrived, I snuck a peek.”

 

Ha-jin stared at his junior, who was proudly talking about sneaking a peek, with a look of disdain. Despite Ha-jin’s obvious stare, his junior continued to chatter.

 

“His skin is so clear, he looks like a baby in person. He’s twenty years old, so he’s supposed to be in the hyung³ line in Eden, but I would believe it if you told me he was the maknae⁴.”

 

‘Eden’ was the name of the boy group that was about to debut from ON Entertainment. Including the new member, the five members were all publicly revealed trainees⁵, and two of them were minors.

 

“Hmm…”

 

“By the way, is this the first time you’re seeing him in person, Manager?”

 

“It seems so.”

 

Ha-jin shrugged lightly. ‘Han Wooyoung,’ whom Ha-jin was going to meet for the first time to exchange greetings, was a ray of hope that CEO Mo Tae-uk had cast upon Planning Team A, which had become gloomy after the main member’s expulsion.

 

However, Ha-jin couldn’t shake off a nagging feeling. He acknowledged Tae-uk Mo’s discerning eye more than anyone else who worked under him, but it felt like he had been waiting for this situation, as if he had fallen from the sky.

 

In the first place, the trainees who were eliminated from the debut team weren’t even considered as new members of Eden, so they were in a situation where they had to select new faces from scratch and train them again. 

 

In the worst-case scenario, the debut schedule could be completely postponed to next year, but ON Entertainment hadn’t revealed a new idol group in over three years, so they were in a dilemma where they couldn’t postpone it any longer.

 

But would a member selected so hastily really be as valuable as the existing members, without falling behind?

 

‘The profile visuals weren’t bad, but…’

 

How could he trust a profile picture taken from who knows where one hundred percent? Who knows what kind of editing was done.

 

“Rumor has it that our CEO was so taken with him that he poached him directly from another agency.”

 

“……”

 

Ha-jin had also heard that ridiculous rumor too. He didn’t really believe it, though. 

 

Who was  Mo Tae-uk? A man whose nature was to seize whatever he desired, but at the same time, he only dealt with the best. 

 

Considering his haughty mindset, it was hard to believe that he would go through that trouble just for one trainee, no matter the situation.

 

“That’s probably why his posture is perfect, as if he’s had long-term posture correction. He has a nice physique too.”

 

His junior seemed to be very pleased with Han Wooyoung, whom Tae-uk had brought in, praising him profusely. 

 

To be honest, Ha-jin listened to most of the exaggerated praise with one ear and let it out the other. Judging a person was something he had to do himself, not through the words of others.