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At Icorpo, Choi WonGil caused conflict in every tag team battle, but in the end, he was struck by a heavy beam from the show's editing team, leaving him devastated.

Well, he was destined to fail because it was too obvious that he was pretending to be a weak victim to others.

He even pissed off AhHyun by making him say that he “is really bad”, so in a sense, he was always a great guy.

NT: In this case, “Great guy” refers to someone who is capable, willing to accomplish whatever his goals are even if they are bad.

"Hmm, he left his agency and joined Gold 1."

Therefore, it is not particularly surprising that the two are together, but it was unexpected that they were at the venue where the year-end music festival was taking place.

"They probably haven't debuted yet."

He had researched which agencies had debuted idol groups to find out who was in the lineup of candidates to win the “Rookie of the Year” award.

Meanwhile, Gold 1 was waving and chatting with my teammates.

—Wow, how good it is to see you again! Wait, should I respectfully address them with the “nim”? They're really amazing seniors~!

—Aigoo, don't worry~

—Fee-feel free to talk to us, hyung…!

—Ya, AhHyun, you're still so nice!

Amidst the friendly atmosphere, I checked the appearance of Gold 1 and WonGil. So then I fell into reason.

“They came as dancers.”

In that agency was Hana, a female idol group member who recently released her solo album and performed well.

And in order for them to gain experience and attract media attention, they sent trainees from a soon-to-be debut group as the soloist's dancers. That was not strange because it was a method frequently used in most agencies.

As expected, Gold 1 introduced the people around him who were wearing black suits just like him.

—Oh, yeah. These are the dongsaengs I've been practicing with lately!

—Oh, hello!

—Hello!

The eyes of those who greeted us shone with curiosity, envy and nostalgia. Perhaps those reactions were embarrassing for some of my colleagues, as they exchanged greetings awkwardly.

Suddenly something happened that I didn't expect.

—Ex-excuse me, Park MoonDae sunbae-nim!

—Yes?

—I wish to shake hands with you…!! May l…?!!

The boys next to him got scared and tried to stop him.

—Y-ya, don't get too excited!

—Aigoo. If you are facing MoonDae-ssi, you have to control yourself!

I don't know what these guys are doing anymore. In the end, I hid my frustration and agreed to the request.

—...Sure.

—...! T-thank you very much!

And the handshake was carried out with extreme courtesy, as if he were meeting the president of an important company.

—That’s good!

The Gold 1 team members murmured happily upon seeing the handshake.

—I guess we should all have more courage, just like him.

—Yes.

…If anyone sees us, they'll think these guys have met a legendary senior artist in the music industry.

Thinking about it, it seems like it's already been confirmed that their group will debut, but if they do so early next year, it would be less than a year younger than TeSTAR... there would be almost no difference, we would be from the same generation.

"...Well, it all depends on your results."

That means that the admiring and envious looks they give us is purely a psychological gap created just because we are a “popular group”.

I don't think these guys are the only ones who feel this way.

However, there was someone who gave me a slightly different feeling.

—Waah, I was so nervous that in the pre-recording I didn't look directly at the camera.

—No, don't you think it's normal to feel intimidated when you have hundreds of cameras filming you~?

—It's not because of that! I was so scared that I'd end up ruining sunbae-nim's performance!

—Hmm, well, it's hard to get over that complex.

Behind Gold 1 and the TeSTAR members chatting, Choi WonGil kept his head down, avoiding eye contact.

—...

"He seems to feel pressured."

I guess he gave up when he saw Icorpo's final rankings.

TeSTAR's promotions this year have been very good, but he doesn't dare to talk to us.

After a while, Gold 1 finished talking to Bae Sejin and with a slightly sad expression, he said his final remarks.

—Oh, we have a lot to talk about. But I assume they must be very busy, right? I'll invite you to eat some other time!

That meant it was time to retire, but there was one person who didn't understand the empty words.

So, Kim RaeBin replied.

—Ah, we have a lot of time until we have to do the next presentation. If we go to the waiting room, we can continue the conversation

Gold 1 was puzzled.

—Haha, RaeBin-ah, thanks for your recommendation, but I think people who don't know me well will feel uncomfortable...

He was talking about Cha YooJin and Ryu CheongWoo.

—It doesn't bother me!

—Oh, no problem for me. Be comfortable.

—R-really?

Gold 1 was puzzled because they accepted it without discussion. The members of his group noticed the situation and quickly fled.

—Have fun, hyung! We'll go back to the bedroom.

—When you come back, bring us Melonas!

—You have a lot to talk about since you left Icorpo. fighting~

—These crazy guys…!

NT: Melona or Merona is the brand of an ice cream that is sold in convenience stores. It is the custom of Koreans to ask others to buy Melonas on their way home.

The boys dressed in black ran down the hall and disappeared.

However, Choi WonGil, who couldn't find the right moment to speak, remained in place.

—...

Maybe he didn't speak before because he must have recently joined the debut group, or maybe he was left here since he was our groupmate in Icorpo.

"The situation is ambiguous."

Fortunately, Gold 1 took care of him.

—Oh WonGil. It'll be our first time visiting our friends' waiting room, so how about we bring them something to drink?

—I will go shopping.

—Eh?

And before I could say anything else, WonGil ran off.

"I don't think I'm going to come back."

Gold 1 heaved a sigh.

—I'm sorry. Did you feel uncomfortable?

—W-we're fine!

—Well... To tell the truth, WonGil has improved quite a bit, but I'm worried that he will search the internet for reactions about his person... Because of that, he doesn't talk much lately...

He told us and then took a deep breath. He must have been through tough times.

Keun SeJin smiled and looked in the direction where WonGil had gone.

—Is he in the group that will debut?

—Oh, actually, he's a good singer... but he's also well known...

Although he didn't debut in Icorpo, he got a bad image on the broadcast of the show, so at any moment he could be discarded from the final debut lineup as if he was a bad piece.

His agency would have no problem kicking him out and replacing him with someone else before they debut.

"Well, that has nothing to do with me."

If his group sells more than 300,000 albums next year, then I'll stop to analyze them.

—Oh MoonDae, where are you going?

—To the bathroom.

I sneaked out of the procession heading to the waiting room and walked down the hall.

"No one moves up the stairs."

There was a lot of time left until the next show, so I was thinking of going somewhere where I couldn't run into anyone.

I went downstairs, but before I got to the bathroom, I ran into WonGil.

Surprisingly, instead of being in a convenience store, he was sitting in the corner of the emergency stairs wrapped in his loneliness.

—...

—...

I'll continue on my way to the bathroom.

I nodded my head to greet him and walked past him to continue down the stairs.

But he suddenly raised his voice to him.

—It’s going great for you, hyung.

—...??

—Everything is going well for you… everyone likes you.

Why does he out of the blue say something that seems like it came out of a daily drama?

NT: Drama = Dorama = Soap opera.

I don’t know. It seems absurd to me, but more than that... it's embarrassing.

"It's because he's talking loudly on a fire escape, where any sound reverberates."

That made my hands and feet shrink even more.

I hope no one goes up or down this remote staircase. I don't want anyone to know that I'm the one they say that to.

"How does it feel to live like this?" It is as if the world turns at your will.

I never imagined that one day there would be a bastard who would say those words to me.

Worst of all, Choi WonGil told me sobbing.

"How the hell did he get so sensitive?"

I felt again the gap that separates the trainees from the idols.

"I will go."

I took a furtive step, but under the railing of the stairs, I saw a figure move.

—...!

Will someone have listened? We were separated by a long distance, but even though someone heard a muffled echo, it seemed like that person might have understood even a little of what WonGil said.

If I left this guy who's talking to me alone, wouldn't there be strange rumors about me afterwards?

"...Should I help him before I go?"

I went back to see it.

—We are all like that! But they all fought for their parts and cursed at me… like I was the only one wrong.

—...

Now he is talking as he pleases. It seems that once he explodes, he doesn't know how to control himself.

"But why is he telling me all this?"

—I-I also fought for my part. B-but… when Sejin hyung got angry and argued, I came out as if I was the only one who was wrong. Although I apologized to him afterwards, that didn't go on air.

WonGil continued to mutter about the amount of bad editing he received in the middle and end of his time on the show.

"He still hasn't gotten over his experience at Icorpo."

Well, that was possible.

Because he was a self-conscious teenager who was suddenly criticized by countless people for many months.

All of us TeSTAR members, who had been through various crazy things over the past half year, quickly got rid of the bad experiences and fears we suffered at Icorpo. But for a trainee with a bad image who only practiced so he could make it to debut, it would be different.

It is also very likely that I have affected him too much. Perhaps he has psychologically struck at the difference between our Icorpo skills, evaluations, and rankings.

I don't think he blew up because he met TeSTAR, but because he personally met me.

"...Wouldn't it be better if he received psychological counseling?"

Obviously I don't feel like talking about it with him, but I have to resolve the situation quickly so as not to create bad rumours. I held back a sigh and spoke to him.

—Are you jealous of me? If so, why?

—...Because everything is going well for you.

—I don’t think so.

I stared at him.

—If you switched bodies with me, what would you do?

—...It is not possible to change…!

—But that means you would like to change. Hmm…

I rubbed the back of my neck.

—But honestly, I don't think you want to change your family.

—...!

Choi WonGil flinched and lowered his head. Of course, he seems to know Park MoonDae's family history.

So I spoke slowly on purpose.

—The only thing you envy about me… is my current professional status. But we do not know if this will change in a few years.

—...

—Do you get along with your parents?

—...Yes.

—Great. I hope it stays that way in the future.

—...

WonGil bowed his head further.

"I made it."

My words had an effect.

"I must have helped him cast off some useless inferiority feelings."

It's a famous way to use family history.

"Now I just have to say something like 'Be strong, you can overcome your obstacles'."

But before he could speak again, something amazing happened.

—...I'm sorry.

—...!

An apology came out of his mouth.

—At first… I said you were just lucky. I am so sorry.

Hmm… had he told me that?

He probably said it sarcastically to me during practice for the first rankings evaluation.

"Isn't it a general rule that only those who hear those ill-intentioned words remember them clearly and not those who say them?"

He doesn't know it, but he is the only one who remembers them.

Anyway, it was a good dialogue to end the situation. It is very good in case someone is listening to us.

I nodded my head.

—Okay, I accept your apology. I hope you prepare very well for your debut.

—...

He also nodded slightly.

In fact, Choi WonGil was a bit mean, but he didn't commit any great crimes. Since he hasn't matured yet, he lacks the ability to think coolly and rationally.

"I didn't have the ability to ruin anyone with his strategies."

Gold 2, whom he totally ignored, did much better than him.

Overall, WonGil was just an annoying troll. I hope not to see you again in the future.

I went downstairs and, just in case, I leaned over the railing to check if there was someone below, but the person I saw before was already gone.

* * *

—Happy New Year!!

—Happy New Year~

TeSTAR counted down and celebrated the New Year at MBS, but they didn't have time to relax and enjoy the celebration.

This is because the new award ceremony will be in five days.

Since the “Gold Disc Awards” was one of the most famous and oldest award ceremonies, it had been arbitrarily named by Park MoonDae as a “prestigious award ceremony”.

This award will be divided into two days, in which the two Daesang will be delivered separately, which were the "Album of the Year" and "Song of the Year", but the most important thing for the boys was only the long-awaited "Rookie of the Year" .

That category was included in the list of awards to be given on the day of the “Album of the Year” Daesang which TeSTAR attended.

In their minds, they all had the same thought.

"Honestly, it would be very strange if TeSTAR didn't receive that award."

And as everyone expected, TeSTAR won it even before they did their stage performance.

—Congratulations, Testar!

It was not a surprising result, but due to all the obstacles they faced, both the fans and the members themselves were overjoyed!

—AAAAAAH!!

Recalling everything that had happened over the past two months, fans waved their lightsticks and cheered in high spirits.

—Thank you very much!

The young people came up on stage and bowed in thanks.

But when they received the bouquet and the trophy, they suddenly exchanged glances with wide smiles and handed the microphone directly to Seon AhHyun.

—...?

For a moment, the atmosphere of the audience became bewildered because everyone who had seen at least one episode of Icorpo knew his stutter very well.

Never before had he been given a microphone to give a speech. There was one time when he was offered, but he backed away in shame.

However, although he had a tense expression on his face, this time he received it immediately.

—...Thank you for giving us this undeserved award… Thank you very much.

—...!!