The Malicious Member is Back! - Chapter 72
The next morning, after all the trainees had met with the original artists, the multinational roommates were chatting with faces much more relaxed than before.
“Jesus. Nina seonbaenim said, ‘The arrangement is so good that we want to sing it ourselves.’ Definitely, I was right!”
Logan, wagging an invisible tail and shaking his body back and forth, looked the happiest he’d ever been since preparing for this competition.
“I was told I could debut immediately. As expected, the star of Hong Kong, Gao Yan. Logan is no match for me.”
Gao Yan, who seemed to be losing some confidence under Liu Wei’s pressure, was now excitedly proclaiming his unlikely future.
In other words, things were going quite well for everyone.
“What? Gao Yan. You’re lying, right!? There’s no way that’s true!”
“It’s not a lie! If you translate it into Cantonese, it means the same thing!”
“If that’s the case, then I’m the star of Japan, Gao Yan!”
“Alright, alright. Guys, you’re all stars. Don’t fight over this.”
Leaving my excited roommates behind for a moment, I headed to another room. I needed to check if things were going well there too.
Knock, knock…
– Who, who is it?
Fortunately, the voice from inside was Si Woo’s, sounding slightly subdued. Clearing my throat, I tried to speak as cheerfully as possible.
“It’s me, Kim Chunyong. Can you come out for a bit?”
– …Just a moment.
When Jang Si Wpp opened the door, I was taken aback for a moment.
“Uh….”
“It’s not… practice time yet. Why did you come so early…?”
His eyes were swollen and red, and his voice was deeply hoarse. I clicked my tongue lightly and scratched my cheek.
He had clearly been crying a lot.
“Trainee Jang Si Woo. Can we talk privately for a bit?”
After the conversation with Min Si Young seonbaenim yesterday, once enough footage had been shot, she immediately called Jang Si Woo to another office.
None of the other trainees were allowed to follow, so I couldn’t know how she handled Si Woo.
She might have scolded him as she initially intended, or she might have snapped him into focus by comparing him to his brother.
Alternatively, she could have emphasized empathy and understanding, as I had subtly reminded her.
The junior production staff followed them, so maybe it was caught on camera.
Anyway, that wasn’t the most important thing right now.
“Do you have something to say to me too, hyung…?”
“What? Did someone else say something to you?”
“Ah, last night, someone… came to see me separately….”
Si Woo trailed off without mentioning who it was, but I instinctively knew it was Yu Chan hyung.
Knowing the whole story now, Yu Chan hyung likely related it to his own experiences and offered some advice.
Sometimes being too kind can be a problem, right? That hyung has that problem too.
“So, why did you come?”
“Well, I just wanted to ask you something.”
I awkwardly spoke while pulling something out of my pocket, still feeling Si Woo’s intense gaze on me.
“Do you like these, by any chance?”
“Huh…?”
Seeing Si Woo’s eyes widen, I mixed truth and lies, crafting a plausible story like I did with Hwa Sung before.
“I found this in my bag. I don’t like it because it’s too sweet, and my roommates are all foreigners who find these snacks strange. You came to mind, so―”
“I like it.”
Si Woo quickly took what I was holding, mumbling softly.
“If you have any extras, you can give me more. I grew up with my grandfather, so I’m used to eating these….”
“…Sure. It’s good that you like them. I’ll look for more and give them to you if I find any.”
I had brought them from home with the intention of giving them to you, anyway.
Swallowing the words that had risen to my throat, I spoke in a playful tone.
“So, do you think you can practice hard today, Jang Si Woo? Was the meeting yesterday okay?”
“…….”
In response to my roundabout but pointed question, Si Woo bit his lip and hesitated before speaking.
During that time.
“I’m sorry for causing trouble….”
He continued, roughly rubbing his already swollen eyes.
“It’s a team competition, so I shouldn’t have done that. I acted too immaturely. There are some things I find hard….”
“You don’t have to explain it to me. Just do well on the stage from now on.”
I quickly cut off Si Woo, who was struggling to mention his trauma. I already knew, and I didn’t want to see our seventeen-year-old youngest member struggling.
At my words, Si Woo pursed his lips anxiously and then lowered his head.
“…No. I feel bad. I’ll apologize to the other hyungs separately later. Hyung, and also….”
Thank you for the sweet red bean jelly.
I watched Si Woo wave to me and go back inside his room, a bitter smile playing on my lips.
“Manager hyung, can you buy me some roasted corn?”
Even now, our youngest still has the same taste as his grandfather, preferring old-fashioned snacks.
In truth, I wanted our team members to lift his spirits and help him focus on practice without having to go through Min Si Young seonbaenim.
He’s the youngest, who I owe so much to. Because of me, he suffered irreversible losses.
But there’s always a gap between ideals and reality.
…I should have done this before, not now, before I came back.
Feeling a bit bitter about the situation, I clicked my tongue and turned around.
“―Did you talk to Si Woo?”
