"…Yu-ha, did something happen?"
It was after the rankings had been announced and I had gone back to the dorm room to pack for dismissal. While everyone was organizing their luggage, Joo Dan-woo suddenly threw the question out, and I froze for a moment.
Immediately, both Aiden Lee and Kang Hyun-jin—who had been folding their clothes—turned their eyes to me. Their gazes were persistent, as if they had been waiting for the right time.
"…No, nothing happened."
"That's not true. Ever since you stepped out for a bit, your expression's been off."
Aiden refuted my answer right away, as if he had been thinking it from the start.
What a quick-witted guy.
I clicked my tongue. He usually pretended he didn't notice anything around him, but the moment it became something he cared about, his instincts sharpened—an annoying habit.
"…Did the production team say something to you?"
"...."
At that, I had no choice but to lift my head and study Hyun-jin's expression. For a second I wondered if he thought I'd colluded with the staff again to gain some unfair advantage.
But—
…No.
Unlike before, there wasn't even a hint of hostility on his face. If anything, he looked worried.
Noticing the shift, I lowered my gaze again and zipped up my packed suitcase.
"It's really nothing. I just saw a face I didn't want to see."
"A face you didn't want to see? Yu-ha, did you fight with someone?"
"'Fight' is… not exactly the word."
I uprighted my suitcase and hesitated a bit, thinking.
Then:
"I'm an anti of Baek I-hyeon."
"…Huh?"
"Mm?"
I decided to go with a simple truth that could smooth things over.
"I'm the leader, right? So I stepped out to talk about team stuff, and on the way back I ran into Baek I-hyeon sunbae-nim. I don't like him, so it threw off my mood."
"Ah…"
"Y—you don't like him?"
"Yes."
I answered calmly. The three of them looked stunned—as if they couldn't imagine it—but I felt no guilt.
It isn't even a lie.
Baek I-hyeon is a public figure, and people who dislike public figures get labeled as "antis." So it wasn't wrong to phrase it like that.
No need to mention the fact we knew each other, or anything we talked about.
"R…right. I guess that can happen…"
"Y…yeah. Anyone can dislike someone, that's normal…"
Both Joo Dan-woo and Kang Hyun-jin reacted with flustered earnestness, rushing to wrap up the conversation.
"Why don't you like him?"
But instead, my words seemed to spark Aiden's curiosity. His eyes lit up.
"What reason do you need to dislike someone? I just don't like him."
I shoved away a too-curious Aiden and rolled my suitcase out of the room. He trailed after me, sounding confused.
"But no—don't you actually have a real reason? Like a real reason?"
"I said I just don't like him."
"Nobody dislikes someone for absolutely no reason."
Then, from behind us, Kang Hyun-jin hurriedly spoke up to shield me.
"He could just dislike him. I also don't like a certain entertainer. Can't stand seeing him on TV after committing a crime."
"A-ah, I think I also… have someone like that. That senior who caused a scandal…"
But Aiden decisively cut off the two of them, shaking his head strongly.
"No, that's a reason-based dislike. Yu-ha said he dislikes him for no reason."
"Maybe his first impression was bad?"
"But Yu-ha doesn't seem like the type to dislike someone for no reason."
"Well… that's…"
"…Right?"
Faced with three pairs of suspicious eyes, I ignored all of them, climbed into the taxi, and closed the door immediately.
"Hey—Yu-ha!"
Aiden called out, but once the taxi door shut, his voice was cut off.
"Please drive."
Ignoring the light tapping on the window, I thought:
I'm not reading his messages for a while.
***
[Aiden: You're REALLY not gonna tell me?]
[Aiden: Really REALLY not telling me??]
[Cheon Se-rim: What?]
[Aiden: Why Yu-ha became Baek I-hyeon's anti]
[Cheon Se-rim: Oh? Yu-ha hyung doesn't like Baek I-hyeon sunbae?]
[Cheon Se-rim: Wow, unexpected. I thought there was nobody in the world hyung disliked]
[Cheon Se-rim: Aren't you kinda the "everyone has a reason" type??]
[Cheon Se-rim: Did something happen in the past or something?]
[Aiden: Did you already know that sunbae before all this??]
[Cheon Se-rim: Now I'm curious too]
[Cheon Se-rim: thump thump]
[Aiden: thump thump]
[Joo Dan-woo: Guys, sorry to interrupt]
[Cheon Se-rim: ?]
[Aiden: ??]
[Joo Dan-woo: When are we gonna meet? To go to the event café]
[Cheon Se-rim: Oh right]
[Aiden: ah]
Thanks to Joo Dan-woo, who pulled the chat back on track, I let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Originally, the group chat had come alive because of the event café, but it had somehow veered off-course into Baek I-hyeon talk. I'd been ignoring it on purpose.
[Cheon Se-rim: You guys know our four-roommates event café opened?]
That morning, it was Cheon Se-rim who excitedly dropped several links into the chat.
The "Roommates"—the fandom's nickname for the four of us, one of
…It really is something to be grateful for.
After the subway ads, now an event café—even though it's not even anyone's birthday. Imagining the effort and dedication behind it only deepened my gratitude.
And clearly, Cheon Se-rim, Aiden Lee, and Joo Dan-woo were thinking the same. Se-rim, especially—since voting was still ongoing after the third round and the live broadcast was approaching—probably thought strengthening our "relationship image" would help too.
I scrolled through the group chat the three of them were busy talking in.
[Cheon Se-rim: But if we're gonna go, I think it's best to go early in the morning]
[Cheon Se-rim: Ideally right when it opens]
[Aiden: Why?]
[Cheon Se-rim: Hmm… for safety reasons?]
[Cheon Se-rim: There are a ton of trainees with sasaengs following them right now]
[Cheon Se-rim: Don't hyungs have some too? I heard Ji-hyuk hyung already has a few sticking to him]
[Aiden: Oh…]
[Joo Dan-woo: Yeah, better to be cautious]
[Joo Dan-woo: I heard someone even came looking for my mom at her workplace]
[Aiden: WHAT THE—]
[Aiden: Are you OK???]
[Joo Dan-woo: Yeah, nothing really happened]
[Joo Dan-woo: My mom was just startled]
[Cheon Se-rim: Yeah… we definitely should be careful. Let's move early in the morning when it's less crowded.]
Reading that, I remembered the shouts that had been trailing behind me every time I went into the company lately for practice.
—Yu-ha!
—Won Yu-ha!!
Fans gathering in front of an entertainment company was normal. Some stopped by out of curiosity; others waited hoping to see their favorite artist. But among them were the ones who didn't stop at that—who followed all the way home.
Sasaengs who monitored everything: home, company, every step.
As
At least since most of us were living in the dorm, the front gate blocked a lot of it…
But there were still cases of sasaengs getting past guards and making it to the dorm entrance—or showing up at trainees' family homes.
It had become a serious issue for the
The company tried to manage it, but compared to fully debuted seniors, protection for trainees was always weaker.
Lately, I had seen such things too, so I tried to avoid going out unless necessary. Even when heading home, I took roundabout routes.
I didn't feel like anyone was following me yet, but…
It's definitely better to be careful.
Once your address gets out, normal life becomes impossible.
[Aiden: Should we go tomorrow?]
[Cheon Se-rim: When does the café close?]
[Joo Dan-woo: I think it's open for two more days]
[Cheon Se-rim: Oh, not much time left? Then we should go soon. What are you guys doing tomorrow? Can you skip practice?]
[Aiden: I can]
[Joo Dan-woo: I think I'm okay too]
[Cheon Se-rim: Then should we set it for tomorrow?]
[Me: Sorry but]
[Me: Could we do the day after tomorrow instead?]
[Cheon Se-rim: Huh hyung]
[Cheon Se-rim: You can't tomorrow?ㅠㅠ]
[Me: Sorry]
[Me: I have a prior appointment]
[Aiden: Is it important?]
[Me: Yeah. Sorry.]
[Me: I really can't skip it.]
[Joo Dan-woo: Then I'm fine with the day after tomorrow too]
[Aiden: Me too, OK]
[Cheon Se-rim: Then let's go the day after tomorrow~!]
[Me: Thanks]
[Cheon Se-rim: Have fun at your appointment hyung~~~]
[Cheon Se-rim: Bring back a Melona on your way ㅇ.<]
[Aiden: Se-rim, you want ice cream?]
[Aiden: Should I buy it for you?]
[Cheon Se-rim: No, I don't REALLY want it]
[Cheon Se-rim: Hmm]
[Cheon Se-rim: …Yes, please buy it]
I didn't bother watching the comedy routine that Se-rim and Aiden were about to dive into and turned off my phone. Then I raised my head, looked at the person in front of me, and apologized.
"Sorry, I was replying for a second. Didn't mean to keep you waiting."
"No, it's fine."
Hyun Ji-oh shook his head gently, looking genuinely unbothered. I felt bad—after calling him out here, I'd basically zoned out on him—so I quickly pocketed my phone and lifted my head.
Ji-oh, who had recently wrapped up a comeback successfully, had washed-out dyed hair and was dressed casually in a training set. He seemed to be enjoying a short rest period, not particularly styled today.
He had come to the company today for a regular lesson, despite being off-cycle. Compared to when I passed him in the hall during his active promotions, his atmosphere now was much more relaxed.
"You look good, Yu-ha. You seem a lot healthier."
"Thanks."
I returned the greeting lightly. Just as I had observed him, he had been observing me—so the comment probably wasn't empty.
I really have gotten healthier.
Compared to the start of
"But, um… the third-round performance… are you okay?"
"...?"
After our mutual observation ended, Ji-oh suddenly asked in a cautious voice—and I couldn't help but wonder what he was getting at.
Noticing my confusion, he opened his mouth again, sounding hesitant.
"The editing this time… won't be favorable, I think."
"Ah."
Finally, I understood why he was speaking so cautiously. He must've watched the preview—he never missed an episode of
And he had every reason to be worried.
—Let's try once more. I swear I won't mess up this time…
—No. Hyung, you don't have room to spare right now.
—...!
—We'll proceed with me as the shooting center for the short-form.
Because the preview for the last episode had ended with that exchange—
Painting me as the biggest villain of the entire third round.
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