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Chapter 98: Debut (21)

“This is the showdown of the century, folks."

“These two always have conflicts, with or without a game." Amidst our buzz of anticipation, Joo-Han and the manager clasped hands.

- First up, In-Hyun.

“Joo-Han, take it easy, will you? You know I\'ve got my own list of complaints."

“Oh boy, In-Hyun! What bombshells are you planning to drop?"

“Dang!”

- Now, Joo-Han\'s turn.

“Let’s pretend that there are no cameras today, hyung. Let\'s have it out for real."

‘Someone, hand him a mic to drop.’ The nervous quiver in In-Hyun\'s eyes said it all.

-Let\'s begin with In-Hyun!

“Joo-Han, why not let the others use the good computer in your room sometimes? Since you monopolize it, Yoo-Joon and Hyun-Woo have to use our company’s office laptops for gaming and monitoring!”

“Yooooo, spicy!”

“Yes! We want our turn with the computer too!"

Though everyone was aware of Joo-Han\'s commitment to music production and monitoring, the awkwardness of using the computer in his absence was a common source of frustration.

“Let\'s move the computer to the living room!"

“Whoo, whoo, whoo, whoo!”

Joo-Han barely managed to flash a smile, but his expression was still grave. “I’m sorry. Thanks for telling me."

I could hear the trembling in Joo-Han\'s voice.

“But hyung, I use that computer for our music. Shouldn\'t the company purchase another one for the members or provide me with a separate studio? Is it really fair for a five-member dorm to have just one computer? We can\'t buy our own since we\'re still awaiting our pay."

“Exactly! Another computer is needed!"

“Joo-Han deserves his own studio!"

“And why are we still waiting on our paychecks since Pick We Up ended?"

“...I\'m sorry... Thanks for... telling me." The manager barely caught his breath after his scripted response.

“But hey! You\'re spilling company secrets here...!"

As the manager attempted to protest, Joo-Han tightened his grip on the manager’s hand.

“Your turn to air the next complaint, In-Hyun hyung."

“...Alright. I always tell you when to wake up the next day, right? But when I arrive at your dorm the next morning, it\'s still pitch black with no one awake. I end up having to rouse everyone, even carrying Jin-Sung on my back to the schedule sometimes. Shouldn\'t that be your responsibility, Joo-Han, as the leader?"

“I’m sorry. Thanks for telling me. But hyung, I\'m only human. I\'ve been practicing till 2 AM and then waking up at 5 AM to keep up with our hectic schedule for a month. If you expect me to get the kids ready in advance, shouldn\'t I be allowed at least five hours of sleep?"

The true essence of the title “No Regret Revolutionary” was on full display. While everyone harbored complaints, they typically remained unspoken. On the other hand, Joo-Han laid them all bare on the broadcast, unfiltered.

“He is right! To be honest, we are too exhausted, In-Hyun hyung! I think today is the first time we\'ve had a proper sleep."

“Our manager gets to catch naps at home while we\'re grinding away in practice."

Our uproar in solidarity was obvious as we agreed on each others’ points.

“...Ah, that is mean.”

“Can this really go on air? Isn’t the schedule brutal enough to get criticized?”

“Even if Chronos is skyrocketing in popularity, three hours of sleep is a bit...” The production team started whispering among themselves.

From my observations during my trainer days, it was not just Chronos. Most popular idols barely slept during their active periods. Two to three hours a day was sadly the norm, which caused many idols to faint from exhaustion or suffer from narcolepsy[1]. But being universal didn’t mean that it was acceptable.

Faced with Joo-Han\'s pointed remarks, the manager retreated without a reply, likely fearing a fan revolt that could rock the company.

After Joo-Han, Jin-Sung faced off against Director Lee Won-Jae, Park Yoon-Chan was paired with a random cameraman, and Goh Yoo-Joon with the audio director. When my turn arrived, I delved into the box, shuffling the papers before drawing one. After I unfolded it, it revealed “Kim Dong-Woo (Suh Hyun-Woo\'s designated cameraman)”.

“This will be interesting."

“Hyun-Woo hyung, are you on good terms with your cameraman?"

“We\'ve never had issues."

However, the production team\'s snickering puzzled me. Feeling slightly awkward, I extended my hand to a clearly embarrassed Dong-Woo.

“Dong-Woo hyung, eye contact is part of the game. Why won\'t you look at me?"

His ears flushed as he avoided my gaze. Suddenly, Director Lee Won-Jae announced with a grin.

- Dong-Woo must make eye contact with Hyun-Woo to start the game.

Finally, he met my eyes, only to shyly look away once more.

- Dong-Woo, come on, eye contact.

I had no idea he was this shy. I only knew him as an always-smiling presence.

Eventually, he locked eyes with me.

- Then, let’s begin. Dong-Woo, your turn.

After hesitating for a bit, he said, “Honestly... you\'re such a nice person that I seldom have issues with you, but at times, you\'re so engrossed in games that you forget the camera. Because of it, I have to run around so much to capture your face. A little pose here and there would be nice, though it\'s not a frequent issue."

The team erupted with mock disapproval. “That\'s all? Put some punch into it!"

“That’s such a trivial complaint!”

Dong-Woo remained calm amidst their teasing.

“I\'m sorry. Thanks for telling me."

I wondered if his gentle approach was a mind game to catch me off guard, so I decided to mirror his style. “Once in a while, when I\'m in action, you struggle to keep up, affecting my flow. A little more stamina would be great."

“Dial it up, you two!" the team jeered.

Acknowledging the mild critique, Dong-Woo responded graciously by nodding. “I\'m sorry. Thanks for telling me. I will work out a bit more. And Hyun-Woo, you smile at the camera by looking straight at it too much. I know it’s a joke to me, but I\'d appreciate it if you could tone it down a bit."

I was taken aback. I did it only because I felt I was pretty close to him. “I’m sorry, and thanks for telling me. Umm... Did that upset you?"

He hurriedly shook his head/ “No, no, no! Not at all! It\'s just that..."

Before he could continue, Director Lee Won-Jae intervened. “Dong-Woo\'s actually a big fan of yours, Hyun-Woo."

“Is that so?"

Blushing furiously, Dong-Woo nodded.

“I\'ve been a fan since Pick We Up. It was just my luck to be assigned to you... Your on-camera antics sometimes make my mind go blank."

This revelation left me genuinely astounded because he acted like a close friend without being shy in front of me. “I had no idea, thanks for the support. But I\'ll keep up my camera antics."

As Dong-Woo\'s face turned beet red, Director Lee Won-Jae looked at him fondly and remarked, “He tries to stay calm in front, but behind the scenes, he\'s all over the place. Despite his size, he\'s quite the romantic. He even secretly makes coffee runs whenever Hyun-Woo shines."

Wow, I was really surprised. I directly let go of Dong-Woo\'s hand and offered a proper handshake. “I had no idea. Thank you for liking me. But just so you know, the camera teasing will continue."

Dong-Woo clasped my hand with both of his. “I\'ll keep supporting you even after the show ends. And, well, even from a guy\'s perspective, you\'re quite handsome." The game shifted to a warm atmosphere, and at Director Lee Won-Jae\'s suggestion to continue properly, Dong-Woo graciously bowed out.

We won the game 3:2 and earned a delicious chicken soup. While the production team prepared it, we spent time in the valley. Goh Yoo-Joon and Jin-Sung were topless, energetically playing in nature, and Yoon-Chan became the target of Goh Yoo-Joon and Jin-Sung\'s playful attacks after hesitantly joining in, getting thoroughly soaked.

Meanwhile, Joo-Han and I simply relaxed atop a large rock, watching the trio with leisure. “Hyun-Woo, about the dance challenge, I sneakily asked the manager earlier. He said he\'d ask the planning team and let us know."

“Good, I hope they approve it. What about my song? Did you hear from PD Do?"

“Yes, he said it would be ready by the time we return, so come and check it out."

“Send it to me as soon as you get it. I\'ve got some preliminary ideas, but I need to see how they fit."

Joo-Han nodded and started applying the sunscreen the stylists had left us. “Want to join me when I go to check out the song?"

“Me too? Sure, but why? I\'ll just be there to listen."

“Well, we could grab a meal together. I have something to give you," Joo-Han said this as he drew a long line of sunscreen on my leg. I then spread it out and nodded, curious but not thinking that it was anything serious.

“Joo-Han, Hyun-Woo! The chicken soup is ready!" called the production team from the house.

Joo-Han checked the pot and then drew another line of sunscreen on my other leg before standing up. “I\'ll bring bowls of soup here. They won’t be that heavy."

“...Oh, okay." Lately, I had noticed that Joo-Han was trying harder to fulfill his role as a caring brother. It was both new and heartwarming to witness this transformation in him—from a stern leader to someone trying to connect with members who still found him a bit intimidating.

1. A chronic neurological disorder that affects the brain\'s ability to control sleep-wake cycles. People with narcolepsy may feel rested after waking, but then feel very sleepy throughout much of the day. ☜