By Zephyria ■
Part 5
The time after midnight. In a rental practice studio in Gangnam, the choreography practice for ‘Layered’ was in full swing.
It was a time when less than a week remained until the release of the new single. Due to a busy schedule, I had to practice the choreography late at night and in the early morning after finishing my schedule. The remaining time was tight, and because of that, the leader, Choi Hong-seo, became anxious.
“One and two and three and four.”.. Throwing and spinning… Five, six… The rhythm is off… Young-ju, the beat.”The gaze of Choi Hong-seo, observing the members’ movements through the mirror in front, was serious.” Seemingly not very satisfied, Choi Hong-seo frowned and continued with the rhythm.
“Five, six… Turn and ending.I had already practiced the song from beginning to end more than twenty times that night. However, when the desired level of perfection was not achieved, Choi Hong-seo’s expression was not very good.
Sweeping her damp hair back roughly, Choi Hong-seo stood up from her kneeling position and turned in front of the mirror.
“Young-joo, focus on practicing that part of the rhythm we talked about earlier.” Don’t try to rush; prioritize mastering each movement perfectly, one step at a time. So even if the speed increases, the movement doesn’t get blurred, you know? Young-joo, please take care of Tae-joo. The rest will be practiced repeatedly with me.”Bro, let’s get some sleep.” I’ve been only able to sleep for two hours a day for several days now. So, it’s because my mind is hazy that I make mistakes.A member named Yeongju grumbled and protested.
“I sleep in the car, sleep while waiting, and even sleep in the shop.””Is that how you sleep?””There is less than a week left until the album release.” Don’t you know that during times like this, it’s not just us, but everyone is preparing fiercely? I just started to do a little better, but if I can’t show something in this song, I’ll slip again. Do you want to become like that?”
“……”As she recalled the years she struggled in obscurity, Young-joo did not rebel any further.” Choi Hong-seo patted the lord’s bottom.
“There is less than a week left.” Let’s hang in there a little longer. Think about how we got up to this point. Huh?”Still wearing a dissatisfied expression, Choi Hong-seo confirmed the back of the noble’s figure as they turned back to the mirror and clapped loudly to lighten the mood, raising their voice.”
“Let’s practice separately and then take a video in about 30 minutes to check it out.” If it is set correctly at that time, it’s time to leave work!”Is it real, hyung?””Really!” Promise.After drinking water, Choi Hong-seo placed it on the floor and straightened his back, briefly closing his eyes and swaying. One of the members who had been watching approached with a worried expression and grabbed Choi Hong-seo’s arm.
“What’s wrong?” Are you dizzy?”No.””No, it’s not.” Bro, my lips have turned completely white. Are you cold?Choi Hong-seo tried to escape by turning her head away from the member’s hand that was trying to touch her forehead.
“What kind of cold is this?” I haven’t been able to rest properly these days, so I’m just not feeling well. Don’t you know I have good stamina?”What kind of stamina does someone who gets sick every time a new song is released have?” Even if I’m not feeling well, I endure it with sheer willpower.Another member stepped up and dragged Choi Hong-seo to the sofa at the back, forcibly pressing down on his shoulders.
“We’ll take care of it ourselves, so you just sit down for a bit.” I’ll let you know when it’s been a while. You can just let it go at that time.”Choi Hong-seo, who was going to decline saying it was okay, changed his mind.” I denied it, but in reality, I had a slight fever since the afternoon. It was also true that I suffered from a cold every time a new song was released. I tend to be sensitive and worry about what kind of reactions I will get, so there has never been a time when things went smoothly.
I was worried that the members would be anxious, so I told the manager separately and took the medication, but it didn’t seem to have much effect. Pretending to wipe my sweat, I touched my forehead and cheeks, and it seemed like my temperature had risen a bit more.
I realized that just stubbornly holding on is not the answer. If you overdo it now and end up collapsing when the actual activities start, it will have been of no use. Choi Hong-seo sat down on the sofa as the members suggested. However, I anxiously watched as they practiced without even being able to lean back against the chair.
Clatter. Clatter.
The phones gathered over there by the sofa vibrated. I turned around absentmindedly and it was Choi Hong-seo’s own cellphone.
Choi Hong-seo, who was briefly looking down at the flickering screen, reached out his arm towards the phone. Because of the practice, I had already exchanged greetings with the understanding and had grown well, so the contact that came at this time was not welcome.
But fortunately, the sender of the message was ‘Carrot Seller’. It was not just the message that had just arrived. I had received several messages from the ‘carrot seller’ who had said goodbye in advance to avoid interrupting practice and was going to bed.
Carrot Seller: This is bad. I can’t sleep (00:04 AM)
Carrot Seller: I can’t sleep thinking Baby must be practicing, sweating (00:06 AM)
Carrot Seller: Can I just go for a moment and see your face? (00:32 AM)
Carrot Seller: I won’t disturb practice, I’ll just see your face for 10 minutes during a break (00:34 AM)
Carrot Seller: I think I could sleep if I just saw you for exactly 10 minutes (00:35 AM)
Carrot Seller: And the practice room is only a 7-minute drive from my place? (00:41 AM)
Carrot Seller: If you check the message, you’ll probably tell me not to come, so I’m just leaving now (01:03 AM)
Carrot Seller: I’ve arrived near the practice room (01:15 AM)
Carrot Seller: Opposite side, not the convenience store side. Parked in front of the cafe. I’m driving ^^ (01:17 AM)
Carrot Seller: I bought some snacks for the members too. Call me when you see this during your break (01:18 AM)
Carrot Seller: I’m going to get scolded for showing up without permission (01:31 AM)
Carrot Seller: This old man is waiting, trembling (01:33 AM)
As Choi Hong-seo read the multiple messages that had arrived at different times, his face softened without him realizing it. By the time he read the last message, he had to bury himself deep into the sofa back and cover his mouth with a towel to hide the involuntary giggles.
He had never been in a relationship before, but if it were his past self, he would have gotten angry and chased the person away, just as Lee Hae-sung worried. Choi Hong-seo was most sensitive around the time of a new song release, often surviving on snatched sleep and trying to extend practice time by even 10 minutes.
But he wasn’t angry.
Not only was he not angry, but the moment he saw the messages, it felt like his fever had subsided and his body had become lighter. His hips were practically bouncing with the urge to run out and meet him.
“Then… can I sit in the passenger seat… instead of the back seat…?”
Choi Hong-seo’s hands, typing a reply at rapid speed, suddenly stopped. It was because he caught sight of himself in the mirror opposite.
Ah… I was so excited at the thought of seeing him, even for a moment, that I forgot, but I look terrible right now.
He wasn’t the type to dress up even at the practice room, unless it was for filming a Dance Practice video for fans. Clothes that allowed him to check his dance lines and didn’t restrict movement were enough.
Sweatpants, a baggy t-shirt, his worn-out Vans Old Skool, which he favored most for practice, and thick-rimmed glasses. On top of that, he had been sweating, making his appearance even more disheveled.
Choi Hong-seo pulled up the chest of his t-shirt and sniffed. It didn’t smell bad, but he was still bothered.
What should I do? Should I just tell him to go back…?
Gnawing on his lip, Choi Hong-seo gripped the phone in his hand tightly.
He didn’t want to tell him to go back. Choi Hong-seo wanted to see him, even for a moment, and he didn’t want to send away the person who had come all this way.
“《Then can I sit in the passenger seat instead of the back seat?》”
After finishing and sending the rest of the message, he began rummaging through the large sports bag he carried to the practice room. He pulled out a zip-up jacket and put it on, pulling down his hood. The manager, who had been watching, subtly approached him. It was a manager-level executive who had stayed behind after supervising practice to drive him back to the dorm.
“What? Where are you going?”
“Just for a moment. I’m going out.”
“Let’s go together. There are fans waiting.”
“You don’t have to. Someone… someone is here. I’ll just see them for a moment in the car…”
“The Vice President?”
Choi Hong-seo, who had been mumbling while scratching the back of his neck, reluctantly nodded.
The executive manager knew about ARA’s Vice President Lee Hae-sung. He didn’t know the exact nature of Lee Hae-sung and Choi Hong-seo’s relationship, but he knew that Lee Hae-sung was interested in Choi Hong-seo and ‘Layered’ and wanted to pay attention to him. No one would accept a mere idol and a chaebol heir building an equal friendship. Perhaps the manager, like CEO Myeong, saw it as a sponsorship, or a relationship where they were ‘testing the waters’ for sponsorship. CEO Myeong had probably instructed him to cooperate if Lee Hae-sung wanted to visit or meet Hong-seo.
It was a frustrating situation, but he had no intention of explaining to them that they were lovers. They were enemies to Choi Hong-seo. There was no reason to reveal his situation to his enemies. If he said, “ARA’s Lee Hae-sung genuinely cares for and loves ‘Layered’s’ Choi Hong-seo, and they are lovers…” no one would believe him anyway.
“Then let’s wrap up practice for today.”
“No, I have to do more! I’ll just be down for a short while.”
Choi Hong-seo bristled at the suggestion to stop after less than two hours of practice.
“The kids haven’t slept properly for days. What good will pushing only your ambition do? The Vice President is here too, so let’s call it a day and you can refresh your mind. I’ll give the kids a ride back to the dorm in about 30 minutes.”
The manager, speaking firmly, stepped forward to escort Choi Hong-seo.