Hard Mode Idol

I was about to get off, but subtly boarded the elevator anyway. The elevator remained quiet as the doors closed, silently carrying us up. In that stillness, Gomchi started taunting me.

“Got beaten up yesterday, huh? Scared enough to sneak around avoiding us?”

While this morning I didn’t want to wait for your lazy selves, it’s true that I came alone now to avoid meeting you. I felt I needed to preserve my stamina on the way to the dorms in case of an emergency situation. Since it counts as avoiding, I agreed with him.

“Yes.”

He should have left me alone then. But Gomchi was a persistent one.

“Such a total coward, huh?”

Simultaneously, Gomchi kicked the backs of my thighs with his knees from behind. My legs bent sharply, losing balance. Why do these guys always act the same way?

As an experienced person, I know there’s a great handhold in situations like this. The attacker is bound to be right behind me. I raised my arm and firmly gripped Gomchi’s head.

“Ah, thank you.”

I thanked him for providing the handhold. Gomchi’s face flushed a blotchy red.

“Y-Y-You brat! I won’t let this slide!”

Gomchi, whose head was gripped by me, roared furiously. Even if he accompanied it with blatant theatrics, he likely didn’t realize my intentions were sincere, since I had even thanked him politely. And he was the one who initiated this in the first place.

If he hadn’t targeted the backs of my thighs, I wouldn’t have had to grab his head. The hand I removed was a bit sticky, as if he hadn’t properly washed. The perspiration of others is unpleasant, so I frowned and wiped my hand on his shirt, returning it to the owner.

“You little bastard, I won’t go easy on you today.”

Gomchi snarled as he forcibly grabbed the arm I had used to wipe his shirt. Gomdori was trying to hold me back, not Gomchi.

Useless advice like “You shouldn’t do that,” “Why do you keep doing this,” “Just apologize,” “Jinsu is scary,” went in one ear and out the other, so none of it remained in my head.

As soon as the elevator doors opened, I was dragged away. My arm hurt. My stamina was draining again. I was almost wishing I could return to the basement room I used to live in. I want to go back. You guys don’t know how much experience I’m losing by not conserving stamina. Can’t you see it stacking up?

And yet, there is an unavoidable reason for me to return to the dorms. On top of the poor relations with the members, if word spreads that I’m also on bad terms with the dorm mates, I’ll become the odd one out. It would paint me as someone with a bad personality who gets kicked out everywhere.

At least with the members, there is some room for understanding, since the higher-ups know they dislike me due to a misunderstanding. But what about these guys?

How far the company has grasped the Joon Jaehyuk faction, I have no way of knowing. Even if they are aware, it couldn’t influence my actions. Even if I went and snitched, nothing would change.

“Ugh.”

That Gomchi guy threw me down. He’s quite strong too. My elbow collided with the floor, sending a jolt of pain through me. Seeing me in pain, he grinned wickedly. What a sicko.

“Why’s a weakling like you acting so tough?”

“What did I…”

Ah, my internal thought slipped out. As I braced myself with my arms to get up, he pushed me back down. Gomchi, straddling me, curved his lips into a twisted smirk. His demeanor of having won something with just this was laughable.

“If you don’t want a worse beating, then quit being a trainee and get out.”

His thick hand patted my cheek tauntingly. It’s just an empty threat I’ve heard countless times before. Does he think he can take my place if I leave?

“Kim Jinsu. What are you doing right now?”

Then, a chillingly low voice laced with restrained fury emerged from the shadows. It was Park Yoochan’s voice. I didn’t know he could speak so sternly.

Gomchi, who had been grabbing my collar, looked up in surprise upon hearing the voice’s owner. Confirming it was Park Yoochan, he grinned mischievously. Seems he’s close with Park Yoochan.

“Ah, it was you, hyung.”

Park Yoochan strode over and gripped Gomchi’s shoulder as he straddled me. He must have held it tightly, as Gomchi let out an unpleasant nasal whine, “Ugh! Hey, why are you doing this?”  Disgusting.

“Get up.”

However, Park Yoochan’s face was stiffly resolute. After sizing up the situation, Gomchi reluctantly stood up. Park Yoochan extended his hand towards me, who was glaring defiantly.

It’s probably better to take his hand here. As I stood up, Gomchi took a step back. The dumbfounded “Huh? Huuhh?” he let out showed he didn’t understand what was happening. Seeing him retreat at just Park Yoochan’s word, he must not have been that big of a deal after all. A head fox of an empty lair without the tiger present, it seems.

“Haon, are you okay?”

Ignoring Gomchi, Park Yoochan checked on me instead. His gentle voice inquired if I was hurt anywhere. Is this the effect of his fondness level being ‘Likes’? It’s a refreshing change.

“Why are you here, hyung?”

“Is it important why I’m here?”

Then what is important? Ah, he did ask if I was okay. I must have missed answering his question, which is why he said that.

“Ah, yes. I’m fine.”

Park Yoochan sighed as he cupped my face. Then he fixed Gomchi with a piercing gaze, far sharper than the one he had given me. A look so keen it could slice right through him.

Gomchi also seems to have realized the situation is strange. His previously flushed complexion had drained ghostly pale.

“Yoo-Yoochan hyung? Why are you acting like this, hyung? Why towards that brat……”

“How could you be so violent towards a kid, huh. No matter how much you followed Jaehyuk, you can’t cross the line. I’ll report today’s incident to the director.”

“Wait, hyung! You disliked that brat too, didn’t you? I admit, I lost my senses. I’ll apologize for that. But you felt the same way as me, didn’t you? Just turn a blind eye this one time, please?”

Park Yoochan’s blunt words marked the end, as he fully turned his back on Gomchi to address me.

“Haon, pack your things. You’re moving dorms. You’ll be sharing a room with me, so let’s go.”

“But the director told me to live here.”

“I spoke with him. I came to take you away.”

“Ahh, I see.”

If the conversation is over, I suppose it doesn’t matter. Despite the bean sprouts gathered in droves, the dorms were quiet. The soft whirring of the kitchen fridge was distinctly audible, meaning the discussion had concluded.

“Hey, hey. Yoochan hyung!”

Gomchi was calling out to Park Yoochan pleadingly from behind. Ignoring the voice, I entered the room. Since I hadn’t really unpacked, there was nothing to pack up. I just needed to grab the clothes I had put in the laundry basket this morning……

Carrying my stuffed bag, I headed to the utility room. The bean sprouts shrank back, clearing a path for me.

As I rummaged through the laundry, an unpleasant smell wafted out. If it were just my clothes, I would have abandoned them, but since Yooyeon had bought them, I begrudgingly took them with me.

Now, Gomchi was practically begging, clinging to Park Yoochan’s legs.

“Jinsu, what are you trying to do?”

To Gomchi pleading with his arms wrapped around his thighs, Park Yoochan spoke with a troubled expression, his tone surprisingly tender. It seems his anger had cooled somewhat.

Honestly, I don’t understand why Park Yoochan got so angry. It’s not like he was the one wronged, so why make such a fuss over me just being shoved around once?

Since it’s a situation where I don’t stand to lose anything, I decided to keep quiet. Anyway, with Park Yoochan’s favorable fondness level, sharing a room with him means I won’t need to worry about recovering my stamina.

“I was wrong, hyung. I really messed up……”

Gomchi was outright sobbing now. He knelt down, placing both hands on the floor as tears streamed down.

“It’s not Haon’s fault. Haon didn’t chase Jaehyuk away. He just happened to be cast and auditioned by chance. I know the timing made it seem like a misunderstanding for us, and I misunderstood Haon too because of that.”

“Then why was Jaehyuk hyung kicked out? It must be because they wanted to bring him in, since their main vocal position overlapped!”

Park Yoochan let out a long sigh before speaking.

“Could Jaehyuk not sing? Did his visuals fall short? Was there something lacking?”

“No!”

“Then why would the CEO kick out the complete Jaehyuk and bring in Haon instead? He must have known we, the debut team members, wouldn’t be able to accept it.”

“That’s…… that’s……”

Gomchi fell silent, unable to provide an answer. No matter what reasoning he tried to attach, he seemed unable to find a valid justification for replacing Joon Jaehyuk with me. There’s no requirement for the members to be exactly five.

“I don’t know the reason either. But I can only think that Jaehyuk must have been the source of the problem. Moreover, Haon was originally cast as a visual member, not a main vocal. If Jaehyuk hadn’t done anything wrong, he would have become the sixth member.”

“There’s no way hyung did anything wrong. That’s the kind of person he is……”

Isn’t this almost cult-like devotion at this point? The faceless Joon Jaehyuk’s nickname will be the Cult Leader from now on. I should remember that, in case I forget his name later.

“I lost my senses too, and thought the same as you. But Haon didn’t even complain. He said he understands. That it’s understandable we would misunderstand given the situation. Could you say the same?”

“……”

“I don’t think I could. He’s only eighteen years old. I can’t even begin to imagine what frame of mind allowed him to say such words. That’s how sorry I feel towards Haon, and how much I realized he’s a genuinely good kid. So I don’t think I can stay quiet about today’s incident.”

What frame of mind? I just spoke the plain truth. At this point, I realized Park Yoochan seems to have gravely misunderstood something. Was that the meaning behind that complex gaze from earlier? Could that misunderstanding be why his fondness rose? It dropped due to a misunderstanding, then rose again due to another misunderstanding.

Gomchi collapsed like a deflated balloon. Park Yoochan pulled me into a one-armed embrace around my shoulders.

“Let’s go. Our dorm is in the next building over.”

Though I felt ambivalent, my stamina is precious, so I complied obediently. Goodbye, bean sprouts. Goodbye, Gomchi and Gomdori.

“Only Seoho is at the dorms right now. Don’t worry, leave it to me.”

“Yeah, I’m not worried.”

Park Yoochan smiled approvingly, praising me for being understanding.