The Vicious Member Has Returned! Chapter 144
In the middle of the practice room filled with pouring voices, I made an awkward smile as I met eyes with Hobin-hyung standing at the entrance.
"……."
What Hobin-hyung wanted to say with that bewildered expression was clear. *You said you were going to film as a guest dance member, so what the hell is this mess?*
"Haha…."
All I could offer that face was a laugh filled with exhaustion, confusion, and embarrassment.
No, at first, I’d thought it would just be that too. When I heard the name "the crew led by Jin Dasol, the hottest dancer in the street dance scene," it was only natural for a guy who dances a bit to feel nervous.
"So, this is the person who sent the draft, right, Jin-hyung? The one from a few days ago."
"Uh…."
"Hmm, it was made really excitingly with a crump base… but it doesn't match his looks. His face, well. He just looks like he'd only be able to make idol choreo."
"…to the guest, …te. Ah, Gari, you…."
"Yeah, Dasol-hyung. We agreed to only do that when it's just us, didn't we? You're the one who called the guest here."
"Dasol-hyung. You said you wanted to look good."
"…Do it, well."
"Well… it depends on how you actually perform the draft. Shall we see it once?"
As expected, their initial reaction was exactly *we don't have high expectations for an idol.*
Unlike Choi Geon-yeong, who had brazenly called me a trainee brat or a thug-looking bastard, they were polite, at least.
Their reaction changed in an instant.
"Ah, then… I'll show it to you with the music. You said you already learned the choreography, so just a few details…."
"Ah, yes. I'll count the beat for you. Seven, uh…."
"No… need… to count."
"Huh? What… uh?"
The song *Boyhood Ending,* made by Logan in collaboration with the A&R team. The moment I danced to that song, mobilizing every skill I possessed, ahead of filming the choreography video for *Hide and Seek.*
In other words, the moment I displayed the most perfect dance the current me could show, somehow mobilizing the gestures of Dasol-hyung that I had seen during my Lex Trash days, the details I had honed bitterly as a dance member, and the skills I had received from X.
"Uh…."
The moment when I broke down the beats, didn't miss the fingertip details, and shamelessly executed the simple moves I had added as ad-libs…
Their expressions, which had looked slightly listless, changed a bit.
It was a change you really couldn't notice unless you looked closely.
"Huff…."
Because of that, even until I got up, sweeping the practice room floor with my knee at the end, I merely thought something like, *That wasn't so bad.*
However.
"I watched… well… I've… seen… before… but…."
"Ah… yes. Thank you, Coach Dasol!"
"Let's… call him… hyung… and, the bridge… part, from the draft… it seems… a little… different…."
"Uh… yes, hyung. Since this song, along with the title track, has guitar as the main sound. I put more power into the bridge than the chorus…."
"Wait, wait. You said you choreographed this alone? …Jin-hyung didn't help?"
"I… told… you… how… many… times… you… bastard…."
"Hey, someone hold Jin-hyung back for a second. Wait, I have a question. I only learned the first verse? But the nuance changes a lot in the second verse? Why is that… No! Don't misunderstand! It's because it's refreshing!"
Ah, so it turned out only their expressions hadn't changed much.
"……."
Remembering the Jin Dasol Crew, who had suddenly switched gears, I struggled to unwind the arms wrapped around my shoulders.
Really, truly, it was so troublesome.
It wasn't that I had a hard time with people showing interest in me, or that I struggled with pouring attention.
If I hated that, how could I be an idol?
This was a completely different problem.
"Huh? Chun-yong is joining the dance team? Hey, wait. Jaeha. Is that even possible contractually? Didn't all our members sign exclusive contracts with AG?"
"No. Chun-yong, on a dance team…? Absolutely, absolutely not. The company won't sit still. Hmm, I need to call them right away and report this…."
"Hobin-hyung? Hobin-hyung? It looks like Yong-yong-hyung is trying to recruit him right now? What is this? We came to cheer him on, but this is a fiery betrayal? Damn, this is betrayal, right!?"
"God, I've relied on Chun-yong-hyung since the Targeting Star days, and I really thought we were close…."
"Chun-yong, hyung-ah…."
My members began grabbing each other by the shoulders and discussing how to handle a situation they had never imagined.
"Is that the agency staff over there? Wait a minute. Let me go explain in detail about the legally guaranteed holidays you're entitled to. Let's sign the contract for activities on our team after that."
A guy who dropped out of Korea University's mechanical engineering, philosophy, and law schools to become a dancer was suddenly trying to make a deal with Hobin-hyung.
"Chun-chun, you can trust him. He's the smartest in our crew. He took the CSAT three times, you know? I didn't take it. I ran away from home."
And after Yong-yong-hyung from Jihwaseong, he had to go and call me by some weird nickname like Chun-chun.
"Hur… ry… and… come… over."
Wasn't he slowly egging me on from the side?
"Wait. Behind that person… are those members? They're members, right? The timing is insane."
"Let's take that side. They're just good-looking kids who are still young. Let's handle them with the guts we earned getting cursed out relentlessly in the dance scene."
The remaining guys were even trying to pick a fight with the T.O.Z members!
"…Wait just a moment! Haha, yes. Shall we take a short break? It seems *my* manager-hyung and *my* members bought some snacks for you guys. Ah, thank you so much!"
I wiped the cold sweat soaking the back of my neck and stepped up to settle the situation, pretending to be nonchalant.
This was something that could be resolved by stating my position very quickly.
Of course, I was grateful. I had just come to film as a guest crew member, but to get a sudden reaction like *Join our team!*
Wasn't this a situation anyone would dream of?
But what couldn't be, couldn't be.
"Yes. I'm… going to be with my members for a bit. Haha!"
No matter how many nice things the Jin Dasol Crew said or how good the conditions they offered, I had no intention of joining the crew.
The side I belonged to now was as clear as what had just come out of my mouth.
"……."
A brief silence fell upon the practice room that had been utter chaos, and those who had regained their senses began blinking their eyes.
And, as expected, the ones who opened their mouths first in that situation were the relatively rational ones.
"…Hello? I am Yu Ho-bin, Chun-yong-ssi and T.O.Z's manager. I called ahead and came."
"Ah, yes. So you're that person. …I am Im Seung-ho of the Jin Dasol Crew."
"Yes. It seems Chun-yong-ssi… did very well. To receive such a warm welcome."
"Haha. Well, what would a dropout know about real legal disputes? Just kidding."
The moment the two representatives, now come to their senses, exchanged an awkward handshake, the sharply tense atmosphere of the practice room softened.
"Uh, hello. I am Son Jaeha. …We bought some snacks to ask you to take good care of our Chun-yong. Coffee, ade, bread…."
"Ah, yes! Ah, thank you. You really didn't have to…."
"Ah, the members should come this way… sorry, we don't have chairs or anything. We always lie around and chat after practice, so…."
"Aww, it's fine! Haha, we're the same. After choreography practice, we always lie down saying we're dying, yes."
"Practice room scenery is the same everywhere, isn't it? May I ask your name…"
"Ah, yes. I am Bang Yu-chan of T.O.Z!"
This was exactly the scene I had been hoping for.
"…Tch."
Well, it seemed like there was one person who was slightly displeased, but.
So, with slightly fewer than fifteen people scattered here and there in the practice room having various conversations and enjoying a brief pleasant time.
"Chun-yong-ssi. Are you alright?"
"…Ah, Hobin-hyung."
Hobin-hyung, who had helped me settle that earlier chaos, approached me, offering coffee.
"Yes, I'm totally fine. Well, they probably weren't being serious either. Don't worry about it."
"Hmm, it looked sincere to my eyes. Especially when they were talking about legal disputes with the company…."
"Haha! It's just that he studied a lot, so even his jokes are high-level like that, Seung-ho-hyung. So really, don't worry."
"…Understood."
Hobin-hyung, who had finally relaxed his furrowed brows at my vehement explanation, soon smiled and patted my shoulder.
"Well, judging by today's atmosphere, filming must have been difficult. Since they're so free-spirited…."
"…Ah."
I could easily grasp the context of what Hobin-hyung was saying.
Roughly, that filming must have been delayed a lot because I was dancing next to such noisy people, something like that.…
Hobin-hyung, really.
Right. The filming really was difficult.
Unlike what others might think….
"Wait, Chun-chun. Does the formation split into two sides here? …Three each?"
"Ah, yes. I choreographed the draft that way."
"I think it would be better to split slightly off-balance for a moment and then merge back together. The sound here is also a bit doong, doo-doong. A feeling like this…."
"Is that so? But then it would be a bit hard to match the main beat…."
"Huh? No way. You can do it? No, you have to do it. Think about it. How cool would that be!"
"That is true, but we've already put the choreography out on broadcast once…."
"Tsk. Think big. If it gets better, the fans will like it more too, right? This is how you do it, got it?"
…It had been difficult because we were proceeding completely anew, re-choreographing, and nailing down details.
Unlike the current noisy atmosphere, befitting the name "Jin Dasol Crew," they were all professionals.
More perfect moves.
Formations that looked better.
And details that couldn't be missed.
"You can do even better. Aren't you curious where your limits are? You just did it earlier. If you can do it once, you can do it twice."
"I… feel like I'm going to die!"
"Die while dancing…? Damn, that's insane. At your funeral, I'll say it's the deceased's final moments before death and play it on repeat!"
…Earlier, I had laughed and joked around in some cartoonish situation, but now my arms and legs felt like they were going to fall off from exhaustion!
"Still, it seemed fine because the atmosphere was good. I'm looking forward to it."
After a brief storm passed and Hobin-hyung offered me words of encouragement, I recalled the reason I had come here and why I had chosen to suffer for it.
"…Haha, yes."
A laugh escaped amidst the fatigue, absurdity, and bewilderment.
I quietly cast my gaze toward the camera that had recorded all the dancing for over five hours.
"…Yes. I'm really looking forward to it too."
That… was my counterattack against Queens.
* * *
Two days later.
On the showcase stage where T.O.Z had stood, banners of others were hung.
[MONOCHROME: The First ‘WEZ’ Showcase]
Unlike T.O.Z, which had given off a western movie or masterpiece vintage film atmosphere with green, brown, and light pink, that banner composed of black-and-white tones conveyed even a subtle sense of pressure.
"Hey, rehearsal is in thirty minutes. Everyone warm up your throats."
And, that pressure was felt in the waiting room as well.
Pitch-black rider jackets, walkers with a subtle gleam, and hair dyed black.
The young men who stood between youth and boyhood, scattered throughout the waiting room, each began actions to relieve tension before going on stage.
"Ah, ah, um…."
"Jaden. Want to check the formations together?"
"Sure."
Stretching their necks, doing light choreography practice.
"……."
"Anyone have water? …Never mind. Do what you need to do. I'll find and drink it myself."
Clasping hands in prayer, taking medicine.
"Haha…. This is fun. Yeah. You guys aren't interested, by any chance?"
Someone watching a video on their phone burst into laughter, as if greatly amused.
"……."
An Tae-i, who smiled faintly at the members silently doing their own tasks without reacting to his words, focused once again on the video he had been playing on repeat since earlier.
[ ToZ- ‘Boyhood Ending’ Cover with ToZ CY (Views: 2,934,997)]
His reaction upon seeing a massive counterattack sent by someone…
"Haha, this is really fun. And none of you are watching it…."
…He looked very much like he was enjoying it.