An hour before senior Min Si-young visited the practice room.
"I think... Si-woo is a bit traumatized by the milk CF he filmed in the past. It's to the point where he can't focus properly with team practice right now."
That was the first thing I said to Yoo-chan hyung, who was sitting on the emergency stairs of the basement floor where cameras couldn't reach.
This is not just a guess, but a fact that I'd learned in the 8 years I've been a part of the group.
Jang Si-woo hates talking about the milk CF he filmed as a child.
To be exact…
The leader of the legendary 2nd gen idol group 'M-XY', who also appeared in that CF.
"Hello, devotees of Seongun Milk? I'm idol Jang Si-won. And this is my younger brother, Si-woo!"
Should I say it's difficult for him to talk about his older brother, Jang Si-won?
Before and after debut.
The words 'Jang Si-won's younger brother' and 'Hyung Jang Si-won' followed Si-woo's name like a shadow.
Wherever he went, hyung, hyung.
Whether Si-woo becomes an idol and sings, dances, raps, or arranges songs, there's always talk about his older brother, his older brother's group, his older brother's songs, and whatnot. A never-ending comparison.
Arranging, rapping, singing, dancing—the biggest reason Jang Si-woo, known for being decent at everything, became sensitive and began to doubt himself.
"Yes. My older brother is quite… amazing."
I may not be so empathetic with others' emotions, but I clearly remembered Si-woo's face turning pale whenever he heard those words.
"Now that I think about it… yeah. When Joo-an brought up the CF in the break, his expression did change."
"I don't know for sure whether or not Kim Joo-an said that on purpose… but that's how it turned out."
"Even so, I find it a bit difficult to understand, Chunyong."
While quietly listening to me, Yoo-chan hyung's languid eyes turned sharp.
"I understand. But Si-woo is hurting the team as a whole right now. That's not okay, considering he's on an idol survival show where team competitions are the norm."
He's correct.
Jang Si-woo's one-sided lack of communication and uncooperative attitude with his teammates ultimately led to a ruined midterm evaluation.
Someone like me, who already knew the details, would know, but Ryota and Yoo-chan hyung, who were just sharing the same boat, wouldn't.
Perhaps after debut, they'll get to know each other more.
At his firm words, I immediately threw both hands in the air and corrected myself.
"Ah, I think things are getting a bit weird. Of course, we don't have to understand Si-woo right away. Just like you said. I'm not suggesting it either."
"…Huh?"
At my words, Yoo-chan hyung's mouth hung open, not knowing what to do.
"Chunyong, you… weren't you suggesting a deep talk with Si-woo after our team fully understood him?"
"Huh? No? Do we even have the time for that?"
What is this guy talking about now?
I quickly regained my composure and asked Yoo-chan hyung, who was about to spiral into confusion.
"Hyung. How long do you think it will take for you to have that kind of conversation with Si-woo?"
"Um… about two days?"
"Ha, haha."
I burst out in a hollow laugh and patted Yoo-chan hyung's knee.
This guy really doesn't know our youngest.
"I'm thinking more than a year."
"One- one year? Seriously?"
"Yes. Seriously."
"Wow, that'll be really hard to deal with. A 17-year-old going through puberty!"
Yeah, it's hard to deal with.
So let's debut together and work hard, hyung.
"What I meant was... let's put understanding aside for now and just get Si-woo in a good enough condition to perform on stage. There's only five days left until the actual competition."
"Uh, um... I see. I understand. But how do you plan on doing that? Is there anything we can do right now?"
Okay, now to the main point.
I took out my cell phone, which had been warming up in my pocket, and waved it at Yoo-chan hyung with a grin.
"We'll ask for help from someone who can."
Unlike us who've only recently met, they are close mentally, have endured similar adversities before, and are not even fellow trainees in this survival show.
And…
Someone who can empathize with Jang Si-woo.
* * *
And now.
The gruff voice of senior Min Si-young, who was sitting with her arms crossed, struck me and Yoo-chan hyung.
"First of all, how did you know I was coming? And what's with all those prints?"
"Haha… I think all the trainees already know that the original singers are coming today. The other teams are probably preparing too…"
"The surprise appearance of the original singers was done sloppily, then. The production team should reflect on this."
The two staff members looked stung by her words.
Actually, the production team really tried to bring in guests secretly, but there's no way the trainees wouldn't find out.
Even those who don't usually wear makeup during practice had their faces glammed up.
Min Si-young, who looked down at her sparkling manicure and sighed deeply, continued speaking.
"Then let's get straight to the point. Why are there only two of you? The biggest problem right now is probably the other trainees."
"If you say another trainee…"
"There are trainees who make mistakes on stage, you know."
I felt a cold sweat run down my spine at my senior's bluntness and smiled awkwardly.
That's why we planned to come out first before Min Si-young met Si-woo.
"Si-woo! You danced so well today!"
I have seen countless times over the 8 years of working with her that Min Si-young seonbae cherishes Si-woo like a younger sibling or nephew.
But our great AG senior…
"But compared to Si-won, the vocals are a bit lacking. And the arrangement. Personally, I think it'd be better to focus more on vocal practice…."
People tend to not filter their words once comfortable.
As a mentor, she's aware that she has to be careful in front of the camera, so there's only a few special cases.
"The song… isn't that great, is it?"
Every time I thought about Jang Si-woo's gloomy face, I chose my words carefully.
"Ryota and Si-woo are currently seeing mentor Moon Yoon-ha about their costumes. They should be back in about 20 minutes."
"Then, let's pause the filming and take a break, and when you two come back later—"
"—in the meantime!"
I raised my voice, desperately looking at the production crew as they started to put away their equipment.
"Could mentor Min Si-young give us some advice?"
"…Advice for you two? Me?"
Her eyes scanned me up and down. Perhaps because her back was turned to the camera, her expression showed blatant displeasure.
Maybe it was a sign that I was outside her boundaries. But it made sense since she was currently targeting me.
I'd kind of expected this.
"Well, we're not asking for anything special. We just have some free time. When else will we get the chance to get advice from a senior as great as mentor Min Si-young?"
…I also brought one more person.
"Hmm."
The atmosphere became a bit less tense thanks to Yoo-chan hyung, who had garnered attention with his outstanding vocals despite his lacking dance skills.
"Well, I guess it'll be fine for a little while."
The game has officially begun.
"First of all… the song you chose, 'Us Beyond the Waves', is truly special to me. In fact, I'd planned to debut with that song in Korea and Japan simultaneously."
"Uh, but didn't you debut in Korea with a different song? Maybe…"
"That's right. I debuted with 'Nonstop Girl'. I was in my second year of middle school then."
"Yes! I used to sing that song so often at karaoke. Wow, hearing it like this, you really debuted so young? People who lead an era are truly different."
"Ah, well… I feel a little better. Thank you, trainee Bang Yoo-chan?"
"Uh, eh? I was just saying the obvious."
Min Si-young shrugged at Yoo-chan hyung's teasing. Seems like this kind of thing only works when coming from someone with a lot of experience in the outside world.
"But doesn't the person who spoke first have any questions? You're being quiet?"
Trainee Kim Chunyong.
Both of their eyes were fixed on me.
'Chunyong, now would be perfect.'
I quickly opened my mouth in response to Yoo-chan hyung's wink.
"...Of course, I have a lot of questions. But these opportunities are precious! It's hard picking what to ask."
"Just tell me. It's not like I'll answer everything you ask anyway."
"Then…"
I spoke quickly and loudly so that the camera wouldn't miss it.
"Why didn't you debut with 'Us Beyond the Waves'?"
Min Si-young seonbae's mouth snapped shut instantly. It looked like she was really serious after saying that she wouldn't answer everything.
But that shouldn't be the case.
I'm sorry to poke at your sore spot, but we need proper feedback, seonbae.
"...."
Min Si-young seonbae's expression was strange, as if she was trying to find the right words.
…ah.
By any chance, did I look too gangster-like just now?
I quickly fixed my expression to the most pitiful one I could muster, and spoke my words of repentance.
"I was also rejected from another agency's debut lineup and ended up on
"…You were cut from the debut lineup?"
"Yes. So, I thought that if mentor Min Si-young could give me some good advice, I might be able to overcome those memories..."
"…Hmm."
Maybe because this was new information to her, Min Si-young's face turned pale.
No matter how much you dislike a trainee, it's bound to change upon learning their backstory.
As I continued to look gloomy, Min Si-young carefully opened her mouth.
"It's not that I didn't do it."
A beggar who can't do it.
At those words, Yoo-chan hyung's mouth fell open.
"You couldn't do it? Why couldn't you debut with such a good song…?"
"Because I was ignored."
"...Yes?"
She bit her lower lip once at Yoo-chan hyung's blank answer and continued speaking in a slightly angry voice.
"Because I was ignored. I had no choice but to debut later. Back then, domestic broadcasting didn't support me. That's why 'Us Beyond the Waves' was released under my Japanese name instead."
"No way. You're not just anyone, but Min Si-young seonbae!"
"I was young back then. No matter how well I did or when I was called a genius, I was still a child."
Disregard for a talented young girl. The broadcaster's typical arrogance of wanting to tame her before she grows up.
Things like that.
Min Si-young seonbae, after bringing up the humiliation she suffered as a child, took a shallow breath and her expression cleared.
"—That's how it was. It got a little out of hand. But I debuted and got to sing a lot of good songs. It's all for the best. I'm even able to say this on TV."
"But, even if you were a genius who was good at everything… it must have been very difficult for you to be ignored like that."
She nodded slowly at my words.
The animosity towards me had faded considerably.
"Yes, that's how it was back then. I already knew how to do everything, but people still compared me and even looked down on me. There were times when I wondered if I couldn't do better. I'm much better now, but..."
—Now's the time.
I dusted the hem of my pants and muttered as nonchalantly as I could.
"Well, this is just a guess."
"…Huh?"
A small voice that wouldn't even be caught on camera.
"Wouldn't that be the case for Si-woo too?"
Even she, a genius with high self-esteem, had a hard time when she was subjected to such comparisons.
Under his already outstanding older brother, wouldn't it be hard for Si-woo to still hear his name even while working hard himself?
Don't you know what that feels like?
"That's right. Si-woo… too."
Min Si-young seonbae, who had been responding to my questions calmly, suddenly widened her eyes and looked at me.
Her glassy eyes trembled as she spoke.
'How would you, a trainee from somewhere else, know that?'
How would I not know?
He's our youngest.
'Siwoo, if you keep doing this, you'll only be tarnishing Si-won's name!'
If Yoo-chan hyung and I don't step in and advise her on how to talk to Si-woo, her fiery personality will definitely cause a disaster.
Instead of explaining and appearing like a know-it-all, the corners of my mouth lifted as I bowed to her at a 90-degree angle.
"I look forward to it!"
Because at that very moment.
"Oh dear, mentor Min Si-young came to our practice room!? To scold us!?"
Ryota, startled and fussing in a strangely feminine tone―
"..."
And the subject of all this talk.
Our Jang Si-woo is back.