IKC C19

Chapter 19

When I saw my little brother Taemin’s name flashing on my phone, I snatched it up at once.

“I’ll just take this call. Keep eating!”

I slipped out of the cafeteria and answered.

“Hey, Taemin. It’s hyung.”

―“Hyung, did you eat dinner?”

We’d spoken only a few days ago, but his voice today sounded especially bright. I thought I knew why, and couldn’t help but smile.

“Yeah, I did.”

―“I watched your video. Hyung, you looked like a real idol.”

Uneasy, I touched the corner of my mouth. When he first saw our old group’s music video, he hadn’t said anything at all. Back then, it had crushed me—that even my own kid brother couldn’t acknowledge my debut song.

“So? Was it okay? Did you like it?”

―“Yeah… you didn’t look like you. More like a whole different person. You were really, really cool. Mom called all her friends about it, too!”

“Hahaha! Guess your hyung pulls off cool pretty well.”

So this feeling—of having Mom and my brother see me as cool—this is how it felt. Ah, my chest hurt from the happiness.

―“Hyung, send me some photos with Sehan-hyung.”

“Huh? Why?”

―“I deleted all of them back when I was so mad at him. Now I don’t have a single photo to show my friends.”

“Haha… you really did that, huh?”

Taemin had been furious when Sehan left the company and our group’s debut fell apart.

“You and I really must be brothers. I don’t have a single picture of him either.”

―“But you made up, right? He even left you a comment.”

“Of course we did. Oh, by the way—he said he was upset that you blocked him. He said to unblock him. I’ll make him send you a selfie. You just want to show off to your friends, don’t you?”

―“What are you talking about? I’m more proud of my hyung.”

Ha! I laughed out loud. My little brother had grown up enough now to know how to lift my spirits.

“By the way, Taemin—I’m really sorry I couldn’t be there for your middle school graduation.”

―“It’s fine! Just focus on your debut, hyung!”

His excited, high voice filled my chest with warmth. God, it felt amazing.

I ended the call and stood, only to see Jeongmin scanning the cafeteria for me.

“Looking for me, Maknae?”

“Hyung, senior Kim Yanggyu is asking for you…?”

Ugh. Just like that, my mood soured.

“He said instead of giving him your number, you should just meet him in the basement parking lot…”

“…Okay. I’ll head down.”

The closer I got to the elevator, the worse my mood grew.

Kim Yanggyu—leader and main vocal of Global Entertainment’s very first boy group, ‘Basic.’

As a trainee, I barely interacted with him. But after our flop of a debut, he made our lives hell. Always messing with the younger members’ minds—but never in front of Geonwoo-hyung. Low-grade scum.

I wanted to end whatever this conversation would be as soon as possible. So the second I stepped out of the elevator, I jogged straight to his car.

“Sunbaenim, you called for me?”

Leaning against his mid-sized sedan, Yanggyu ran his eyes over me.

“All you ever wear is training clothes? Tch. Anyway, get in. Come with hyung somewhere.”

“…Where are we going?”

Startled, I asked, but he gave no answer—just shoved me into the passenger seat.

“You’ll see when we get there.”

“S-sunbaenim, I left without telling Geonwoo-hyung. I’ve got practice—”

“Zip it! If hyung says he’s got business, you follow. I’ll smooth it over with Gunwoo, don’t worry.”

I couldn’t fight him, and before I knew it, I was stuck riding along.

“Sunbaenim, I really need to hurry back to practice…”

“Relax. It’ll only take an hour or two.”

An hour or two might not get me chewed out by Geonwoo-hyung, but just being in Yanggyu’s company was stressful enough. Worse, the ride dragged on forever.

“…Isn’t this a bar?”

“Ha! You call a club a bar? Funny kid.”

He had dragged me to a flashy club I’d never even heard of. He bragged about how the 2nd floor was VIP-only. I was going mad. Why did I have to show up here when I should’ve been in the practice room? I should just tattle to Geonwoo-hyung…

“Taegyeong, this way.”

Grinding down my temper, I paused for a moment. He gestured me forward.

The long hallway was draped in red satin, ornate doors lining each side. He stopped in front of one at the very end.

“Haa…”

I sighed and walked up.

“Sunbaenim, let me just call Gunwo—Ah!”

He shoved me in so hard I nearly tripped.

“Oh, Yanggyu—you brought him?”

“Come on in.”

Straightening up, I looked around the room and drew a sharp breath.

A spacious room, a long table, huge sofa—and five idols sat there, all with name recognition.

“Taegyeong, greet your elders.”

Yanggyu clapped my shoulder and walked toward the sofa.

What the hell. Before I got my bearings, one of them called to me.

“Taegyeong? Come closer.”

At the head seat, ‘Secret Garden’s’ center, Jaei, crooked a finger at me.

A third-year group, Secret Garden was enjoying stable popularity. Jaei was their undisputed core. If not for Perfect Puzzle’s rise, they’d probably have swept the year-end awards.

So, keeping it polite, I bowed deeply again.

“Hello. I’m Lee Taegyeong.”

“Good to meet you.”

“Hello, nice to meet you.”

“They say you’re debuting soon? We’ll cross paths often, then.”

I stepped to the front, bowed once again before Jaei.

“Pleased to meet you, sunbaenim. I’m Taegyeong.”

“Mm, good to see you.”

Leaning back on the sofa, he smiled graciously. Fans called him divinely handsome. Up close, he really was gorgeous.

But instead of telling me to sit, he simply stared. The others leaned back on the sofa, gazes sweeping up and down me like an evaluation. My mood sank further.

“I saw your video. Pretty.”

“Ah, thank you.”

I bowed again mechanically, unsettled. That wasn’t praise for my singing—just… pretty? He meant the video was handsome?

“How close are you with Seong Sehan?”

My eyes widened at the sudden mention of Sehan.

“Sehan? Ah, we’ve been friends since elementary school.”

“So how close?”

He reclined further, crossing long legs, expression unreadable.

“Since we were kids. As close as that long time.”

“Mm.”

He smiled faintly and picked up his phone from the table. On stage he was always dandy—but in a flashy bomber jacket, he had a different image.

“Sehan seems to really like your face. Did you realize that?”

“…Excuse me?”

I blinked, confused. He held out his phone.

It was a gif—stitched from three close-up snippets of my cover video.

“…?”

I bent closer out of reflex, then recoiled slightly.

“1:47. 2:50. 3:36. All close-ups of you.”

My brow furrowed. Damn it. He’d called me here just for this?

“…It’s not the face. He said he liked my singing. Those were just the parts he pointed out that worked.”

“But 3:36 isn’t even during singing. Just a wistful look.”

…Why did he flag that one?

“Maybe he mistyped the time—”

Pfft. Jaei scoffed, closing my mouth. Anger simmered—everyone was staring, and my nerves frayed thin.

“…Did you make this gif yourself, sunbaenim?”

Yanggyu snorted.

“You think Jaei has nothing better to do?”

“Mind if I call you Taegyeong? Don’t you check fan reactions? This is all over the place online.”

“Your debut reactions will be hot.”

Ugh. I dropped my gaze—out of everyone here, Yanggyu was the last I wanted to meet eyes with. How long was I stuck here…?

“Taegyeong.”

“Yes, sunbaenim!”

Startled by how casually Jaei said my name.

“Give me your phone.”

“…My phone?”

Maybe he wanted our numbers exchanged? I pulled it from my hoodie pocket.

“Getting a number from Jaei-sunbaenim is an honor—huh?”