10. The Trainee Who Refuses to Debut (1)

One ordinary morning going in to work, Park — a third-year at Miro Ent Content Team 1 — spat out his coffee at the rumor going around the office.

"Zhuge Liang?"

"That's what I'm saying."

The old-timers had lit up at the newbie's arrival. A newbie alone would've been fun; on top of that, this one came tangled up with every notable name around.

"Manager Kim, Team Lead Ji, even Seo Taeil came by to persuade him."

"Three visits to the mountain, huh."

Once the rumor had picked up momentum, it started accelerating and churning out all kinds of hearsay.

"Is he really that impressive?"

"I heard he was originally a Rene trainee."

"Chief Jang was personally training him?"

"No, Team Lead Ji street-cast him."

"What's this about him getting into it with Taeil while recording a Upia guide?"

Jung from marketing was practically vibrating with excitement.

"You remember — that thing the other day, Taeil comforting some kid."

"Ah. That was him?"

"They fought? He didn't just get scolded?"

"No, a huge fight, apparently. That's why he stormed out and refused to sign the trainee contract."

"Wow, some guts on him."

Park couldn't help admiring the thrilling hero's tale. Damn, Seo Taeil's presence was no joke — he actually fought him?

"Oh, there he is, look."

"Who? Him? Him? Now?"

"Wow, decent face."

The lively gossip quieted down the moment the man himself walked in. Everyone pretended not to be looking while sneaking glances at the rumored trainee.

And Kang Hajin, who couldn't miss those looks, was thinking:

'Ha. Fuck.'

Loud as hell right out of the gate.

An idol trainee had to get used to stares and gossip. Plenty of attention-hungry kids dreamed of being idols precisely for that kind of spotlight. Bad comments beat no comments, and there was a reason "anti-fan" still had "fan" in it.

'But this is just hype.'

For a trainee who wasn't even in the debut group and had just walked in, this kind of attention was pure poison.

"Yeah? He seems pretty ordinary."

See? Already scoring me.

Human psychology's a funny thing — someone else doing well didn't cost you a thing, but the moment word got around that someone was a big deal, you couldn't help sizing them up with a sour eye. Judgment was free.

The newbie effect would flare bright for a bit and settle down with time, but the problem was I didn't have time. I had to debut within three months, no exceptions, and if I got on any staff's bad side, it would all be for nothing.

I immediately changed direction and walked over to the staff still watching me with curious eyes. To the few who reacted with startled looks, I made direct eye contact and gave them a friendly smile.

"Hi. I'm Kang Hajin, starting as a trainee today."

"Ah, hi."

"Uh, since it's my first day… they said to head to Practice Room 3, but I'm not sure which way it is."

I paired a sheepish look with a soft laugh, and one of the staffers who'd been sizing me up with arms crossed turned my way, arms falling loose.

"Ah, it's this way."

"I'll show you. I was headed in anyway."

Sure enough, this one — guard already down — waved me over to follow. Should I grab you a drink? Want anything? Piling on unrequested kindness.

I declined politely and followed behind. Behind me, fresh assessments started up immediately.

"Huh, seems nice."

"How would you know from one meeting?"

"You know how many good-looking kids act like they're God's gift these days. That one's practically a saint."

The 'friendly, sociable newbie' who demolishes inflated expectations and puffed-up rumors — a killer combo.

'Many people' are experiencing curiosity and favor toward you. 'Mass favor' is being converted into cash for the Skill System. (Converting to cash…)

The steady ka-ching of stacking cash was satisfying. Watching the skill I'd made the night before pay out this fast was actually kind of gratifying.

'Yeah. Pay-to-win really is the way.'

The 'Cash Skill' was a new one I'd cooked up after taking a beating from that last penalty — 'skill' in name, but effectively its own system.

Skill 〈Name Your Price〉 is running. 'Favor' from people can be converted to cash, usable as payment for skill creation and execution. 600 cash accrued. (Balance: 1,000 cash)

'600's not bad.'

Of course, the cost of making this skill was another Mental Care shave, which turned me into a whiny brat for half a day…

'Moom…'

'What, starved for Mom's love today all of a sudden? What's up?'

'Mooooom…'

To Mom it might've read as her 20-year-old son getting clingy out of nowhere, but to me — 29 (+α) — it was just humiliating. Just remembering it made me want to crawl into a hole.

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah, just a bit nervous."

"Ah. Most people are, at first."

I buried the tangled memory and refocused on the present. Since I needed to sort my thoughts anyway, I walked the corridor and took in the clean-looking building. Just like Rene had felt like a Greek temple, this place seemed to be living up to its name too — endless corridors, endless practice rooms; one lapse in attention and you'd be lost.

"The building's kind of confusing, right?"

Apparently plenty of others had thought the same, because the staff member guiding me laughed sheepishly. I was about to nod in agreement when—

"I'll be going."

"Ah, come on — listen to me!"

Someone came hurrying out of an office and almost ran straight into us. Why was his face so small? The moment I saw the impassive face framed by hair so pitch-black you couldn't fake dyeing it that shade, an involuntary "oh" escaped me. So this was the kind of face Miro would kidnap straight out of the womb.

"Ah, Eunchan."

"…Hello."

Damn, that voice is unfair.

The boy — who looked like his first cry at birth had been "Hi, I'm destined to be an idol at Miro" — spotted me and the staff member, gave a quick bow, and disappeared with long strides.

Maybe because his legs were so long, he was out of sight in just a few steps. As I stared absently at his retreating back, the office door he'd come from opened again.

"Hey, if you just leave like that, what am I supposed to—"

"Oh, Haru."

"…Ah, um. Hello, haha."

Oh, sparkle-sparkle.

The huge eyes — which could only be described as sparkling — were slightly misted over. Sparkles — with "something's up with me" written all over his face — spotted us and put on an awkward smile.

"Did the Head of Department call you in?"

"Yeah, was in the middle of practice for a sec… Um, have you seen Eunchan-hyung by any chance?"

"He just went that way. Nothing wrong, is there?"

"No, nothing. I, I'll head off then!"

Sparkles (no better nickname came to mind) took off, as fast as a rabbit fleeing a hunter. Two handsome faces in quick succession, and suddenly all my effort to escape Rene's Greek gods felt pointless — embarrassing, but that wasn't what mattered right now.

'They just said "Head of Department," right?'

I peeked through the frosted glass door, and the familiar ugly face inside was definitely the Head of Department from that day. The back of my neck went cold and my instincts sharpened in a flash. There was definitely something going on.

'Might as well dig up some info.'

"Wow, everyone's really good-looking."

"Ah, Haru? Cute, right? Dan Haru — even the name's unusual."

"Haru… Dan Haru."

Even the name was unusual — practically begging to get me tangled up with him. It was my first day, so I'd take my time. Silently locking the Head of Department's office location into my head one more time, I followed the staff member's steps.

---

"You've all heard, right? He'll be practicing with us from today."

"I'm Kang Hajin. Looking forward to working with you."

Applause without a shred of soul in it filled the wide practice room. The dance trainer who'd introduced me declared a 30-minute break — since the new kid was here anyway — and walked out with the staff member who'd brought me in.

Any way you looked at it, they were obviously off to slack with coffee, which was pretty galling. Wow, dumping the newbie like this on day one? Really?

"……"

"……"

I was still reading the room, and it felt awkward to speak first — I was mid-deliberation when one of the trainees — the oldest-looking one, clearly an adult at a glance — spoke up.

"Alright, what are we doing. Let's gather up first for intros. Hajin, sit over here."

Naturally taking charge of the trainees — enforcer type through and through. The scattered, restless atmosphere pulled into focus with a single line from him.

The alpha of this room? Reading the hierarchy at a glance, I quietly took the seat the alpha was offering.

"Sorry we're late!"

"Sorry."

"…Ah."

The barely-settled mood shattered as Sparkles and Miro-face (I hadn't gotten to ask his name) came clattering through the practice room door. As the two hurried over into the group, the circle we'd been forming broke apart.

A tiny — very tiny — crack ran through the warm smile the alpha had been wearing. Huh?

"Ah, Eunchan, Haru, come sit down. We're on a quick break — new kid today."

"Yes."

"Yes!"

Did I imagine it? By the time I looked back to check his expression properly, the alpha's face was already wearing that kind, warm smile again. Just as I was thinking maybe I really had imagined it and turning my gaze back to Sparkles—

"Still, let's keep to the time. It's group living — can't be inconsiderate."

A single line said with a smile, and the atmosphere plunged. It was the moment that showed me exactly where he stood in this practice room.

Every gaze snapped to Sparkles and Miro-face. The two, tense-faced, apologized over and over. Even so, the subtly chilled atmosphere didn't lift.

Well, well.

"Sorry, first day and it's chaos, huh? I'll go first — I'm Han Seongwoo, 22. Oldest of the kids here, so I'm Class B's class rep. Ask me anything you don't know. Nice to meet you."

Sure enough, the moment the self-declared class rep finished, the others burst into enthusiastic applause. "Whoo, Seongwoo-hyung, you're the man!" "Our class rep is so handsome!" — that kind of thing spilling out.

'Well — the one I care about is over there anyway.'

Sparkles, looking away sheepishly, met my eye again. When I held his gaze pretending to know nothing, his slight hesitation showed he did know I was the one he'd bumped into in the hallway earlier.

"…Ju Eunchan, 18."

That voice — still couldn't get used to it, even the second time.

When his turn came, Miro-face introduced himself in that killer mid-low voice. I studied his features one by one in case he was someone from a past life, but no — the face wasn't in my memory. A kid like that hadn't debuted? Life really was a mystery. Maybe sensing my gaze, Miro-face shot me a glare with those impassive eyes.

'Stared too much, huh.'

I promptly equipped my social-life smile and grinned benevolently, at which he broke eye contact first. A vague sense of victory left me a little smug, but I was a pro, so I didn't show it on the outside. And then it was Sparkles's turn.

"Hi, I'm Dan Haru… and I'm 17."

"I got your intro from a staff earlier. Dan Haru. Unusual name — I remembered."

"Sorry? Ah… yeah. Um, earlier, we, we met earlier, right."

"Earlier? Where'd you meet?"

I'd cut in with a friendly voice on Sparkles — who was on full alert — when Han Seongwoo asked, curious. At which Sparkles flinched visibly and looked over at me for a read. Watching those big eyes wavering way too much, I was certain.

See? I told you this kid had something going on.