The Malicious Member Has Returned! Episode 97
Some memories remain vivid in your mind, even when you don't try to recall them.
For example, the moment you first step forward anew as a singer.
When you face a waiting room emblazoned with your name and your group name.
Or the moment you're sobbing after receiving the Rookie Award, and your leader hyung's hand touches your cheek.
Or…
The day dating rumors explode, and you have a choreography practice scheduled with members who are stressed out over the issue?
"—Are you really not going to focus?!"
"…Huh?"
I let out a stupid sound at the scenery suddenly unfolding before my eyes.
Spotless mirrors filling the entire front wall.
And music equipment settled in the corner. A floor that squeaks when sweat drops on it.
This was unmistakably the basement practice room of our agency, AG.
Apparently, the other members had all gathered together and were receiving a choreography lesson.
While I assessed the situation, rubbing the floor with the sneakers I was wearing, the choreography instructor's roar erupted once more.
"Rex. We're doing this one more time because of you. I don't like getting angry like this either, really!"
At the same time, the eyes of the other four who had been dancing with me in this practice room turned toward me.
The gazes of people I already knew, people I couldn't possibly not know.
Yuchan hyung, Jaeha hyung, Siwoo, and even Hwaseong.
"…We can just do it again. It's okay."
"……."
"Rex, hyung."
"Huu…."
Their expressions were somehow icy, mixed with complicated feelings.
Ah, so…
Because I kept messing up now, the choreography practice progress that needed to be finished today was being delayed?
If so, well.
"…I'm sorry!"
I bowed my head deep down and bellowed out an apology.
It was only natural.
It was delayed because I made a mistake, so I should apologize properly. Not just gloss over it.
But.
"…Did you eat something bad today?"
The instructor's reaction was strange.
She rolled her eyes around as if very flustered. She put her hand on her hip and let out a hollow laugh, "Ha."
"Excuse me?"
"No, you apologized… properly. A kid who usually just keeps his mouth shut tight."
Had I? Had I acted like such a socially inept person?
Feeling like the gazes of others were criticism, so I'd keep my mouth shut tight. If I heard even a word, I'd bow my head and stare at my shoelaces?…
That's strange.
"Ah, well, since this happened because of me… it's only natural to apologize. I'm sorry. To you, Instructor, and to the members too."
"Oh, um. Yes… well, your mindset is good today. Let's go again."
After the conversation with the instructor, my eyes met the members' again.
They weren't completely at ease, but their faces were much more relaxed than right after my mistake.
Right. Our members are so kind that as long as you act like a decent person, they treat you really well.
I recalled the choreography I needed to have memorized by now, rubbing my shoes against the floor with a squeak as I rolled my eyes.
I have to do well, practice.
So I can make this upcoming mini album a succ—…
Wait.
But what on earth had I been doing before coming to the practice room?
"Get in position. Seven, eight…."
Before I even had time to frown at the hazy memory, the scheduled events proceeded smoothly like flowing water.
What we were practicing now was the title track of Arrows' 3rd mini album.
I already knew in my head how the choreography progressed, how to nail the details so the angles looked sharp, so there was nothing particularly difficult.
As I followed the choreography smoothly, the instructor's expression—who had seemed to be teaching the lesson with a taste for berating me—gradually brightened.
"Rex, what's going on? You do well after getting scolded once? Did you practice beforehand? Was it just a hangover earlier?"
"No, well. You teach so well, Instructor."
"Oh my…."
Even as I replied nonchalantly, such a thought suddenly crossed my mind.
Right, how am I doing this so well right now?
No, more importantly.
What was I doing before this lesson?
"Let's stop here for today. The progress was good so we finished a bit early. Everyone rehydrate, and those with schedules, get moving."
"Yes!"
After about an hour more of practice ended and the instructor left first, not a single voice could be heard in the practice room.
Amidst the sounds of catching breath and doing final stretches to avoid injury.
I picked up a few water bottles in front of the mirror and naturally handed them to the members.
I wanted to ask what I'd been doing before coming to this practice, but for now, after breaking into a sweat.
Let's take it slow, slowly.
"Hwaseong, Siwoo. Here's water. You too, Yuchan hyung."
"…What the hell."
Hwaseong, who was closest to me, looked me up and down and snatched the water bottle with a bewildered face.
Hwaseong, whose hair was bleached to a brightness almost close to white rather than the usual blond he often sported, gulped down the water in one go and opened his mouth.
"Rex hyung, I'm asking seriously… did you eat something wrong?"
Deep doubt was buried in his suspicious gaze.
"Or did you sleep well? It's weird. You're not the type to act like this."
The more I listened, this brat.
I hooked my arm around Ji Hwaseong's neck and roughly rubbed his head.
Exaggerated movements and a playful voice were a bonus.
"Hey, punk. Is that how you talk to your hyung? Ill-mannered brat. I got practice to end quickly for you."
But the reaction was strange.
"R-Rex hyung? What the, seriously!"
Hwaseong flailed around enough to make his hair flutter, escaped my arm, and shouted like a rapid-fire gun.
"No, I feel like it's been forever since I've seen Rex hyung talk to me this much? Has your mindset changed a lot? I guess no matter what, people really do change when they date? Anyway, this side of you is much bet—."
"Hey, Hwaseong!"
Yuchan hyung, approaching from behind, shouted in surprise, but I couldn't understand those words and rolled my eyes wildly.
Dating?
What the hell dating?
"…I'm dating?"
"……"
The moment that problematic word came out, all the members' bodies froze.
Except for Ji Hwaseong, who looked at me with an idiotic 'Ah, I misspoke' expression.
"Rex. Yesterday… the dating rumor article came out. We found out from the article too."
As always, it was our leader hyung, Jaeha hyung, who handled the situation.
"I heard you went to meet the Director and CEO but came back without saying anything."
I'd love to call this handling the situation.
Because my face was dyed with absurdity hearing those words.
"I'm… dating? No way, hyung. That can't be."
And the moment those words mixed with injustice and absurdity left my mouth.
A certain memory crawled up my spine, slithering all the way to my head.
"Hey, hi. Rex?"
"Oh…? Hello, Billy sunbaenim."
"Yeah, you come to this club too? I didn't know. I heard you go to places far from the company."
"It's not that I'm picky about locations. It's just, a hyung I was supposed to drink with asked me to come here. Though the plan completely fell through now."
"Oh, really? If it's okay, could you give me a ride to the company? Our manager who was supposed to drive got wasted, tch. I've lost my way to get back."
"Well… it's possible. My manager hyung is still up front."
Giving Billy sunbaenim a ride after running into her in front of the club.
[Arrows' Rex, a Sweet Tryst with Lily J's Billy? "Alone Together in the Car."]
[
[Sladix's Juyeong, Outgram Post Becomes a Hot Topic… "They looked good together."]
The articles that had poured out yesterday, and even CEO Do Jaechan's face as he held his forehead in anguish.
My head spun.
My vision whirled round and round, a feeling like I was being sucked somewhere.
At this rate, from here I would….
"…Rex? Rex. Are you okay?"
And at that moment, when I felt like I would disappear somewhere.
Yuchan hyung, who had been watching the conversation between me and Jaeha hyung from behind, urgently grabbed my shoulder and shook me.
The loose white tank top he was wearing fluttered in my vision.
"…Rex's expression looks really bad right now. Jaeha. Stop talking and let's send him back to the dorm first…."
"Huck, no, no! I'm fine. Totally."
The feeling of my feet touching the ground was vividly clear once more.
Honestly, it still felt like I was floating around, but at this level, I could still endure it.
I met eyes with each of the faces turned toward me.
Siwoo, rushing over to me with water; Hwaseong, clicking his tongue.
Jaeha hyung with his calm, settled face, and Yuchan hyung, who was still patting my back.
Looking at my members' faces, my mouth moved on its own.
"I didn't date."
"Got it, got it. Rex hyung, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring that up—."
"No, I'm going to go up right now and ask them to release an article. That it's groundless."
"…R-Rex hyung? What did you say?"
While Hwaseong and Siwoo looked at each other in confusion.
I quickly spoke to Jaeha hyung and Yuchan hyung, who were standing with equally surprised expressions.
"Will you hyungs come with me and help? I think it'll be resolved faster than if I speak alone."
"O-okay…."
"…Sure. Let's go."
With Jaeha hyung's final answer, what followed proceeded in rapid succession.
"A correction article? They can just put that out?"
"Yes, please. I've never done it before… but this time."
"Well… it won't be difficult. But this is unusual. Rex coming all the way here…."
Going to the office to request a correction article, and apologizing to the CEO and Director.
On the way back down in the elevator, promising to eat together with all the members for the first time in a while.
"All this time, Rex was, um. Out with other people in the evenings. So we kept eating separately too."
"Really? I always thought the members all ate together."
"No, we also kind of… uh. Haha! Just, that's how it was. What's important is eating together today."
In a feeling somewhat disconnected from the world, I did think all of this was rather strange, but….
"Really… what's going on. This is nice. See, I told you before that if you can sue, it's better to do it quickly."
Listening to Yuchan hyung's excited voice, it really felt like nothing at all.
I nudged Yuchan hyung, who was swaying his shoulders, with my elbow and spoke vaguely.
"Right. I should have done it when you told me to."
"Hm? Are you regretting it?"
"Yes, well. Things like this clarification. I was thinking if I'd done it faster, the situation might have been a bit better…."
In that moment, the elevator light flickered.
So briefly and quickly that I wondered if it was an illusion.
The light I looked at with a startled heart was still bright, but somehow the atmosphere felt a little strange.
"Or, should I tell them about the previous matters now too? Should I go back up?"
"Huh? Well, there's no need to do that right away…."
As I got distracted and dragged my words out, Yuchan hyung spoke in an even louder, more cheerful tone.
"No, when you do something like this, you have to do it all at once in a batch. I'll go back up right now. You and Jaeha go to the dorm first!"
"U-uh, Yuchan hyung!"
Ding—"See you later!"
For some reason, he walked out of the elevator that had stopped at the floor just below, and only me and Jaeha hyung remained inside.
"Uh…."
"Haha, he left."
It was then that Jaeha hyung's mouth opened—he who had maintained calm composure in the practice room, the office, and even inside the elevator.
"It feels like things are going really well. Right?"
For a moment, I thought his tension was strangely too low.
"I think it's good. What about you, Rex?"
A gentle smile lingered on Jaeha hyung's face.
At that kind look, always so warm, I naturally relaxed my slightly tense shoulders and replied.
"Yeah, I like it too. I just had a strong feeling that this is how it should be done."
"You said earlier that you wish you'd done it a bit faster."
"Ah, yes. Yuchan hyung told me that before too, but I was completely out of it, so I didn't really listen…."
Flicker.
The elevator light flickered once more.
"I think so too. That it would have been better if you'd done it faster."
Because you didn't.
"Many things were ruined."
"…Jaeha hyung?"
The elevator light, which had felt only slightly off rather than broken, was now shaking wildly, clearly visible to the eye.
No.
The elevator itself was….
Shaking.
"By any chance, do you remember how it originally was?"
"No, Jaeha hyung! Now's not the time. Why is the company elevator acting like this? It feels like it's going to stop any second—…."
"It's okay. Nothing serious will happen."
Jaeha hyung placed his hand on my shoulder with a tap, and no trace of a smile could be found on his face anymore.
And I had definitely seen that face before.
"Remember how it was, Rex."
Flicker, flicker.
Inside the elevator shaking like crazy and the light that felt like it would burst any moment, when I slowly closed and opened my eyes.
That time.
"—Are you really not going to focus?!"
…Again, it was inside the practice room.
And my tightly sealed lips did not move as they had before.
My head, buried downward, rose up, and my figure reflected in the practice room's front mirror came into both eyes.
A gray hoodie pulled on inside out. And beneath it, long black bangs that hadn't been groomed in a long time.
Rough skin and a sunken expression.
"…Ah."
Me, from the day after the dating rumors erupted.
Rex the trash. Rex was standing there.