Chapter 43: Team D’s Hangout

Chapter 43: Team D’s Hangout

After a grueling two weeks of preparation, I found myself cocooned in my bed for three consecutive days upon returning to the Chronos dorm. Somehow, waking up in a space without cameras for the first time in a while brought me an unexpected discomfort.

I hadn’t experienced any pain during the strenuous practices, but the intense muscle soreness finally kicked in now. It seemed that other Chronos members were going through the same ordeal as the accumulated fatigue started to take its toll.

"I've been constantly sleepy lately. It feels like I'm in a cycle of sleeping and waking every three hours," Goh Yoo-Joon commented lazily from the couch.

I couldn't help but agree. "Exactly. I'm still tired, even after sleeping the whole day." The debut release of this chapter happened at Ñøv€l-B1n.

"Try not to sleep too much though. It can turn into a habit," Joo-Han cautioned, making his way to the kitchen.

"Hyung, when's our next shoot? I’m in so much pain. Starting practice now feels like a death sentence."

"In about a week, we have a meeting scheduled," Joo-Han responded, settling himself on the floor near the couch.

"A meeting?"

"The final competition is going to be live. They will announce the theme soon, and we need to be ready by the time all the pre-recorded content is aired."

‘They are really giving us ample time.’ However, this made sense, given the magnitude of the final competition.

"We will soon be back to all-day practices, so rest up while you can. Just don't oversleep," Joo-Han advised, turning on the TV. The television had been tuned to UNET for the past month and was replaying the first episode of Pick We Up. Initially, watching ourselves on screen was a novelty, but now, the novelty had worn off with the frequent reruns.

Lying across from Goh Yoo-Joon, I felt aimless, restricted from seeing the audience's reactions by our manager's rules.

Ding!

The sound of a notification from my flip phone echoed.

- Hyun-Woo, how are you? Want to grab lunch with the Team D members?

It was a message from Ji-Hyuk. Goh Yoo-Joon cast a quick glance at me before returning his attention to the TV. "Ji-Hyuk hyung again? You and Team D seem to get along well."

"Isn't it the same with you guys? I've seen you keeping in touch," I answered.

"Yeah, but I thought your team wouldn't hang out after the competition. You didn't seem all that close with each other."

I actually had the same impression. Unlike other teams who were noisy during breaks, we mostly talked about performances and didn't engage in much-lighthearted banter. Hence, I didn’t expect much interaction post-competition despite us having exchanged our contact details.

Surprisingly, Team D’s group chat had been buzzing with conversation for the past three days. It seemed that the bonds formed during those two weeks of intense training couldn't be easily dismissed. Without the looming pressure of performances, our conversations had become more relaxed and genuine.

- Yes, I'll be there. Where should I meet you?

After sending the message, Ji-Hyuk quickly replied with details.

- Where's your dorm? I'll pick you up. Already met On-Sae.

I sent the dorm location to Ji-Hyuk and rose from the couch. Though I still found crowded places daunting, I trusted that Ji-Hyuk would arrange a comfortable setting for our get-together.

Heading toward the bathroom, Joo-Han reminded me, "It's okay to go out, but make sure you answer calls and return before manager hyung arrives."

"When will manager hyung be back?" I asked.

"By 8 PM."

"Got it. I'll be back after lunch."

Once ready, I got a text from Ji-Hyuk saying he was outside. Then, the sight of a luxurious car gleaming under the sunlight caught my eye. It was clearly out of a trainee's league. Pondering whose expensive car it could be, I simply walked past it, only to be stopped by its horn.

"Hyun-Woo! Why aren’t you getting in?"

"Hyung?" I wondered, bewildered by his presence in such a car.

“Well, we are managing some stuff,” replied Jin-Wook guardedly. Despite Kim Jin-Wook single-handedly propelling Air Senior to fifth place, his team’s response to his efforts was laced with envy and sarcasm.

“Our Jin-Wook became the hero of our group. Nicely done.”

“You're giving your all now when we are about to disband. Do you think it might lead to a scouting offer from another company, perhaps?”

“Hey, don’t be harsh on him. He already worked so hard. Why create inner strife? Jin-Wook was simply using his brain to the fullest.”

The air in their dorm was charged with underlying tension, indicative of deep-seated discord. It seemed the imminent disbandment had eroded any sense of team unity.

After a pause, Kim Jin-Wook spoke up hesitantly, “I might need to move out of the dorm soon.”

“What? But the competition isn't over yet.”

“Staying there is almost impossible now. It's not just about the strained relationship among members. The CEO is also pressuring me.”

Kim Jin-Wook let out a weary sigh, his face reflecting his exhaustion. Ji-Hyuk had been listening in quiet contemplation and just smiled. “Try to endure until the end of the competition. You still need support from your current company for the stage.”

Jin-Wook hesitated, his voice trailing off. “That’s true, but...”

Imbued with an air of assurance, Ji-Hyuk's tone was calm yet firm when he said, "The timing couldn’t be better. After you wrap up things with True Entertainment, join us at YU. Our director himself has praised your abilities."

Jin-Wook's eyes widened in a mix of surprise and disbelief. "Really?"

"Yes," Ji-Hyuk affirmed. "The director reviewed your training videos alongside your stage performances and was particularly impressed with how quickly you’ve been learning. He mentioned that with your skills in both rapping and singing, you would be an excellent multi-talented asset to the team."

"...Thank you," Jin-Wook replied, his voice tinged with sincere gratitude.

Ji-Hyuk continued, "Make a smooth transition from True Entertainment and then come over to YU. Got it? Let’s be on the same team."

The rest of the members chimed in with their congratulations, genuinely happy for Kim Jin-Wook. This was the first time I witnessed Jin-Wook smiling so broadly, his hand shyly covering his eyes as he wasn’t used to such joy.

"Anyway, don’t stress about it now. Just focus on preparing well for the next competition. Remember, don’t take it easy just because you feel a bit relieved. You are still on your path to debut, so it’s important to show that you can work hard independently."

"Okay." Jin-Wook nodded with newfound determination.

Suddenly, Ha-Yoon's unexpected question interrupted the flow of our conversation. "Ah, by the way, has everyone found their songs?"

"What songs?" I asked.

Ha-Yoon gave me a quizzical look. "We should start getting ready for the next competition, right?"

However, how could we prepare when the theme hadn’t been announced yet? Unlike Kim Jin-Wook, Yoo On-Sae, and me—the three who were completely in the dark—Ji-Hyuk and the Street Center members were already discussing this very topic.

"We’ve been diligently scouting songs with the company, but finding the right one is quite challenging." Ji-Hyuk shared his dilemma.

"That’s true." One of the Street Center members agreed. "Thankfully, due to Pick We Up’s popularity, we’ve been receiving a lot of song submissions."

As I listened to their exchange, a realization dawned on me. "Wait, do you guys already know the theme for the next competition?"

They looked at me, their faces etched with confusion. "Of course. Weren’t you informed? They told us right after the last competition."

What...? I was stunned.

"They didn’t tell you?"

"No..." On-Sae’s voice mirrored my shock.

Suddenly, everyone seemed to understand. The frustration our manager had been voicing about the major agencies receiving preferential treatment made perfect sense. They had the advantage of knowing the competition theme in advance, allowing them to prepare more thoroughly, which inevitably enhanced the quality of their performances. This contrasted sharply with our experience, where we were constantly in a rush, planning and preparing at the last minute.

Realizing our surprise, the three of them looked somewhat uneasy. "I suppose we weren’t meant to talk about it," one of them muttered.

"It should be fair," Ji-Hyuk said, his tone laced with displeasure. "We didn't know it was information exclusive to us."

"If we had known earlier, we would have shared it with you. The theme for the next competition is original songs by each group."