𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐈𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐏𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐲 ―𝐝.𝐨.𝐝

Chapter 12

[ Cho Seungmin's POV ]

The team wasn't good.

Even D, who was watching the live hacked footage with B, said, "Your teammates suck."

I was communicating with them again at dawn. It was hard to sleep with strangers so close to me. Talking was a better use of my time.

"I know. How's Father?" I asked in Morse code with the flashlight.

I waited for the lights to be seen through the dorm's window.

"Your dad's lost some money. C got beat up for his mistake. We need you back."

C was like a tank. He would be fine getting a few kicks here and there.

"And Mother?" I questioned.

"In Japan. Back for her yakuza dad's funeral. There's a lot of border disputes there. Affecting business here."

"By the way--" this time, B was signaling-- "you want the show to see the clip?"

She was talking about the feed of Moondae hyung drying my hair and giving me advice. Whenever I stare at the cameras, she knows to either turn the connection off or on; the red light signifies that the feed isn't entering the producer's computer. B can still see what goes on without the light.

She can easily ensure some clips aren't delivered to them.

So I coded, "If the time comes. When moon sees me as a friend."

We shortened his name to talk more easily.

"You seem close with moon," D said. The light flickered gibberish afterward.

"I want us to debut together," I signaled back.

"What? Do you like him?" B asked.

"No," I replied. "Just for fun."

There weren't any flashes for a while, and then D spoke up.

"Anyways, you better debut. Your dad is mad."

I took off my glasses and hid it with the flashlight again in my bag.

If I don't debut, it's possible Father will torture me. He's lost a lot of revenue without me backing him. We already agreed that I wouldn't come back home. He could always hire a hitman too.

But I liked having this strange routine of becoming an idol. It was something new in nineteen years. I've never danced or sang this much. I've never had anyone dry my hair and care about me.

I pulled the blanket to my shoulders and closed my eyes.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

"Seungmin. Get it together."

The dance coach sighed loudly as he criticized me.

"You're supposed to be the main dancer of this group. Why are you making more mistakes than that bronze badge kid?"

I bowed my head.

I didn't make any mistakes. He was just nitpicking. Every few seconds, his body would shift closer to the producers behind us. It was obvious he wanted to do good in front of the camera.

"It's easier to read these people than during work," I thought.

After some more harsh words, we were sent back to our practice room. Our leader, Ryu Chungwoo hyungnim was trying to bring everyone together, but a few of the members were refusing and left the room for a break. One laid down on some chairs and covered his face with the lyrics of the song.