Chapter 96

"Huh?"

What Hajin had pointed to was his own phone. To be precise, the open messenger thread with Yugeon.

"Him. His voice doesn't overlap with Doha's, and back at sports day his lung capacity looked good."

"But Lee Yugeon's never done rap before…."

Hajin shot Wonho a quick look. Wonho, filming everything on the self-cam, met Hajin's eyes through the monitor and stopped recording with a start. Once he'd confirmed they were off the record, Hajin folded his arms and leaned back.

"So what. It's not like he's some incredible singer either."

label: Lee Yugeon (Miro) Debuff: All stats reduced by effect of innate trait Vocals: D (C+) Dance: B+ (S) Expression: C- (A-) Charm: D+ (B+) Special: Copy & Paste (B) — At a set probability, fully absorbs a target of intense focus as his own. Appeal Points: — 'There Are Still Twelve Ships Left' — Sense of responsibility, tenacity, deep focus

The absolute-value stat sheet Hajin had checked last time didn't include rap. The vocal stat, visible even at a glance, was only C+ without the debuff. About the "not bad for a regular person" level.

And even that, right now with the debuff, was about the level of a children's song sung on-key and on-beat.

But the stat Hajin had his eye on was a different one.

"If we build his tone and rhythm from the ground up for him and have him drill it into memory, he can handle a sub-rapper part."

Special: Copy & Paste (B)

— At a set probability, fully absorbs a target of intense focus as his own.

Lee Yugeon picked up choreo unnaturally fast. Even practicing this half-assedly, he was the type who reliably nailed his role on stage. During the break, Hajin had gone through Yugeon's practice videos and analyzed them, and now he laid it out for his teammates.

"Whatever else he can't do, memorizing — he's incredible at that. On the Paran stage the other day, he even copied Han Seongwoo's pronunciation tics exactly. Probably just listened to Seongwoo sing the part and learned it off that."

"Nobody was teaching parts individually on A-team, though…."

"Looks like he listened to the guide vocal and copied it. His end-note phrasing was identical to Cheong Hansol-sunbaenim's."

Of course, since their absolute skill levels were different, the end-note Hansol delivered and the one Yugeon delivered were nowhere near equivalent in quality.

Hajin looked at Doha, who'd been quietly taking it in, and said,

"That said, if we go this route, it's going to be tough on you, Doha. You'll be building not just your own part but his too. So I'll leave the call to you."

"……"

Lee Doha's rap stat was S.

If Yugeon could imitate even 30% of that skill, he could probably clear C or B territory. That was Hajin's read.

Lee Doha, having heard him out, answered without the slightest hesitation.

"That much isn't a problem."

"Doha-hyungnim, you really okay with this? You'd be pulling two people's worth of work…."

"When it comes to dance, I'm the one leaning on you and Lee Yugeon. If I can contribute to the team where I'm strong, that's on me to deliver."

Lee Doha's cold-eyed skill assessment apparently applied to himself just as much. Wonho, still busy holding up his own end, looked surprised at Doha's call. But Hajin — who'd already known Doha would say exactly that — nodded briskly and drew the conclusion.

"Great. Then I'll submit main vocal Siwoo-hyung, lead vocal me, sub vocals Wonho and Eunchan, main rapper Lee Doha, sub rapper Lee Yugeon."

"But — will Lee Yugeon actually agree to do it? Kind of worried."

Jung Siwoo, who'd been listening in silence, asked cynically. Hajin pocketed the phone he'd set on the table and answered flatly.

"Doesn't matter if he says no — we make him. He's the one who asked for the leftovers."

"……"

"And if someone has to do it, isn't it only fair that Lee Yugeon, who walked out on practice, takes the hit before Ju Eunchan, who's been doing his job seriously?"

At that, every eye turned to Eunchan, who'd gone quiet for a while now. Startled by the attention, Eunchan couldn't find the words and just clenched and unclenched his fist. Then a small bow of the head.

"Thank you, hyungs."

Watching Eunchan for a beat, Siwoo let out a short breath and got up.

"Fair point. That's the meeting done, right? Let's head in and get some rest. From tomorrow it's back to no real sleep again."

"Sounds good. I'll break it to Lee Yugeon. Ah — Wonho, hang back a sec."

"Huh, me? W-why?"

Getting ready to shuffle out with the winding-down mood, Wonho flustered his way back into his seat.

"What is it? You got something to say?"

"……? What are you talking about. We've got to work out the choreo. Don't even think about sleeping tonight."

"Me? I'm doing the choreo?"

"What, were you planning on coasting, our Wonho?"

"…Ah, n-no. I wasn't. Yeah. Okay. Got to do it."

Wonho, dazed, dropped into the seat next to Hajin. Hajin shot him a brief what's with you today look, then quickly launched into the choreo plans he'd already been turning over. Even starting right this second, the road ahead was long.

---

By the time he'd wrapped the first choreo pass with Wonho, it was already the small hours. Both of them had filming tomorrow too, so pulling an all-nighter wasn't an option, and the two headed out of the practice room. Hajin parted with Wonho about halfway down the hall and, instead of going to the room he shared with Eunchan, headed for the lounge they were using like a living room.

Better to grab a blanket and crash on the lounge couch than walk into the room now and wake Eunchan, who was a light sleeper.

"……"

Thoughts breed more thoughts, as they say, and Hajin's head was churning with them.

'Is it really Lee Yugeon?'

No, can't be sure yet.

'His parents not coming to the recording isn't the same as him not having parents.'

Hajin startled himself at the thought — kind of a low blow honestly. But the suspicion still wouldn't come off.

'And if I'm right, what do I even say? I know what you did in your past life? And if I'm wrong? He'll think I'm in a cult.'

Come to think of it — I was told to find the Selreg, but nothing about what to do after that. Yeah, nothing much is going to move until Thirteen gets back….

"Hajin-hyung!"

"……? What."

"Just finished practice?"

At the sudden voice, Hajin turned his head — Dan Haru and Seo Taehyun were on one of the couches on one side of the lounge, in pajamas. Startled, Hajin walked over to them.

"It's almost three in the morning, what are you doing?"

"Couldn't sleep, came out for a minute — and Haru said he woke up too. We were talking about our stage."

Seo Taehyun clearly didn't know Dan Haru had cleaned out his ice cream. Or maybe Haru had restocked it in the meantime.

"Ah, I picked up ice cream, it's in the fridge. Wouldn't hurt to have just one bite before bed, right?"

"……!"

"…what, eating in the middle of the night. Hold off on that."

Seeing Dan Haru behind Seo Taehyun, eyes gone wide as full moons and trembling, made it clear: he definitely didn't know.

Hadn't restocked yet either.

Thought quickly done, Hajin obligingly went and sat down next to Taehyun. Sinking deep into the plush couch (from: Judiz Furniture), he could feel the fatigue starting to roll in, his eyes going hazy.

"What. If you're sleepy, go in and sleep. I thought hyung came out because you couldn't sleep too."

"Was working out the choreo with Kim Wonho. Chan's asleep in my room so I can't go in. Just going to grab a blanket and crash out here."

"Wonho-hyung's doing the choreo this time too?"

"Yep. You guys coming along okay?"

Being on the same team, Seo Taehyun and Dan Haru glanced at each other, giggled, and nodded. Hajin propped his chin on the arm of the couch, curious.

"What. What are you guys planning, that's ominous."

"For real, our team lineup was game over right out of the gate."

"You two, Lee Parang, who else?"

"Me, Haru, Parang, Jaeyoung, Yuki."

"…whoa. Plus flowers and confetti? Feels like I've already seen the whole stage."

They'd snapped up every one of the guys who should've been on Yellow Team at the last sports day. Aside from Seo Taehyun and Dan Haru, they were all Feather-rank trainees — so the fact that this lineup came together on pure luck was astonishing.

"The second Parang walked in I called close. I actually shouted eureka."

"…so that's what happened."

"Huh? What did?"

"Nothing. Just know that that call of yours turned a lot of things…."

Riding that pre-dawn mood, the three of them drifted into a pretty comfortable back-and-forth. Halfway through, Dan Haru's head drooped as he lost the fight with sleep, but even told to just go back to bed, he stubbornly held his spot. Chatting with the hyungs he was close to at that hour seemed to be a real treat for him. (Or maybe he was nervous Hajin would bring up the ice cream….)

Around when the topics started shifting from everyday chatter into slightly more serious territory, Hajin asked Taehyun in a low voice.

"So how did you and Lee Yugeon get close, anyway."

"…hyung, you've been really fixated on him lately, huh?"

"We ended up on the same team this time, and no matter how I turn it over I can't figure out how you two are close."

Seo Taehyun had grown up with a single dream — being an idol. He had the talent, he'd put in the work, but the chances kept getting yanked away from right in front of him. Taehyun didn't know it, but on the timelines of him Hajin had seen, he'd been tortured by hope — the dream of being an idol dangled and yanked away — over and over.

Even so, Taehyun was desperate enough that he'd never once given up on that dream. Even now, on his fifth run.

Hajin couldn't understand how Taehyun — someone like that — could be so lenient with Yugeon, who had a chance in hand and wouldn't even glance at it.

"His attitude's kind of bad, right?"

"He doesn't look like he has any intention of debuting."

"Hmm…."

"Honestly, I'm putting up with it because I heard he's close to you. If I flop this mission it's over. You know that."

"…don't read the internet reactions too much. Those people just need someone to bash for a minute — that's all it is."

Taehyun, every bit as fluent in reading public sentiment as Hajin, gave the advice with a pained expression. Taehyun also knew Hajin's situation — currently the trolls' chew toy — well. Draping a blanket over Haru, who was stretched out with his head on Taehyun's lap, Taehyun spoke in a careful voice.

"Truth is, you're right. Lee Yugeon — he didn't come to the company to debut."

At the unexpected words, Hajin snapped his drooping head up. It was the sensation of sleep vanishing all at once.

"You know something? Then why hasn't he dropped out — why is he still hanging around a survival?"

"That's his own business, so I can't really run my mouth about it. It's not like I know the details either. I just happened to find out."

"……"

"Anyway — he's got no plans to be an idol. He'll probably leave the company after the survival's over too…. Still, he pulls his weight, so cut him some slack, hyung. Frustrating, I know."

Seo Taehyun read Hajin's face with an apologetic smile that said he understood entirely. But Hajin's thoughts only got more tangled at what Taehyun had told him. When exhaustion and fatigue piled on top of it, Hajin's brow crumpled miserably.

That was when it happened.

Beeeeeeeep—

"Ugh!"

"Hyung?"

A sudden ringing hit his ears, and Hajin's vision swam. Blindsided by the migraine, he clutched his head and pitched forward. Startled, Taehyun stretched out an arm to check on him.

Beeeeep—

"Hyung, Hajin-hyung!"

A headache and dizziness so massive he couldn't even answer properly slammed into Hajin. It felt similar to the aftereffect of stepping out of the Unconscious Space.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Just as he was noticing that a heartbeat sounded unusually loud, Hajin realized — that wasn't his own heart.

Something was actually knocking on Hajin's 'world.'

His field of vision twisted and blurred, breaking apart like RGB channels splitting, and Hajin squeezed his eyes shut.

"Hyung. You okay? What's wrong? Should I get the team lead?"

"…no, I'm okay."

How many minutes had passed. The pain that had seemed like it would never end vanished all at once, and Hajin's state snapped back as if nothing had happened.

Haa, haa….

In that brief stretch his breathing had gone ragged, cold sweat had broken out, and he could feel a chill all through his body.

'What the hell?'

Before Hajin could properly get a read on anything, a familiar blue window rose in front of his eyes.

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