TMMIB!

74

“You, you in the shadows, So sweet dream, hmm.” 

After smoothly finishing his afternoon practice and self-promotion shoot, Kim Joo An was humming his competition song while downing a bottle of propolis.

“Joo An, it’s good now, but if you turn here, like this…” 

“Yes, yes! I got it! Yes! I can do it well!”

Not only was he teamed up with Son Jae Ha, a pure-blood AG trainee he had scouted, but their first performance in front of an audience was to be Leopold’s debut first-place song, ‘그림자 (SHADOW)’.

It was an excellent situation for a trainee on a survival show, it was almost impossible not to draw attention.

And what about the self-promotion shoot they had today?

“Trainees, you have exactly one minute! In that minute, please showcase your charm to the fullest!”

Although he was a bit flustered by the sudden shoot, Kim Joo An managed to wrap it up quite well, thanks to the dance challenges and impressions he memorized for SNS uploads. 

‘Son Jae Ha suddenly singing and rapping with Ji Hwa Sung was unexpected, but it’s just those two. The others were just okay.’

In Joo An’s mind, the only ones who did better than him were the pure-blood AG trainees.

Though the production team had actually shown more enthusiasm for other trainees, like the British guitarist Logan or Ryota, who sang an a cappella medley of anime openings.

‘Ah, at this rate, debuting should be a breeze? I just need to create some dramatic narrative involving Son Jae Ha.’ 

Perhaps it was the praise he received from the original artists yesterday, saying, “Kim Joo An’s acrobatic parts are especially flexible.” His confidence was soaring sky-high. 

‘When I become an idol, I’ll buy a ridiculously expensive house and throw a party with famous people. And I’ll be the star in the middle of it all.’

As he was painting such a beautiful future in his mind,

“Hey, Joo An.” 

“…Huh?” 

Someone opened the break room door and called his name. 

Kim Joo An frowned briefly, trying to grasp the situation, then let out an exasperated sigh and twisted his lips into a sneer. 

…Kim Chunyong. 

Yes, if there was one person who could ruin Kim Joo An’s mood right now, it was Kim Chunyong.

“Alright, then I’ll just do a freestyle dance!” 

During the self-promotion time, Kim Chunyong had called his dance a “freestyle,” but as soon as Kim Joo An saw it, he knew what kind of dance it was. 

While in Queens, Chunyong Kim practiced break dancing all by himself.

Even without anyone to give feedback or help with recording, he kept practicing. 

It was undoubtedly a special dance for him, something he had practiced with intense dedication. 

…And he just called it a freestyle and did it perfectly in a one-minute self-promotion video? 

Of course, for Kim Chunyong, it was just a dance he remembered practicing a lot as a trainee, and the strange dinosaur impression in the middle suited the PR, so he chose it. 

But without knowing the background, Kim Joo An, who had subconsciously acknowledged that the dance was “perfect,” bit his lip hard and snarled at Kim Chunyong. 

“Are we friends or something? How crazy of you to assume that. Why are you acting all buddy-buddy?” 

“…I just called your name. Why are you swearing at me right away? What if the camera audio picks that up?” 

“The break room camera is off right now. I can mix up consonants and vowels and swear at you all I want, and nothing will happen.” 

“You really are something…” 

With a look of exasperation at Kim Joo An’s vulgar language, Kim Chunyong let out a deep sigh, rubbed the back of his neck, and spoke. 

“Alright, since there are no cameras rolling right now, I’ll be straight with you.”

Please, just…

“You should learn to watch your mouth.” 

“…What?” 

“I honestly don’t care if running your mouth leads to your own downfall. That’s your business. But don’t drag our team down with you. The competition is right around the corner. You need to draw the line with this kind of stuff.” 

“Ah… Me again. I thought you were just spouting nonsense.” 

With a smug hamster-like expression, Kim Joo An suddenly smiled brightly and whispered. 

“Are you talking about Jang Si Woo messing up the mid-term evaluation? Well, why are you blaming me for his weak mentality…?” 

“You—” 

At Kim Chunyong’s growl, Kim Joo An raised his arms above his head, shaking his head to interrupt him. 

“Hey, I know his situation. My uncle told me about it. But at first, I didn’t mean any harm. I was genuinely curious. When else would I get the chance to ask for Jang Si Won’s autograph? But, do you know this?” 

A sly smile spread across Kim Joo An’s cute face. 

“If he messes up the competition because of that, it’s actually a blessing for me.” 

“……” 

“He’s right above me in the rankings. Even if it’s just a basic ranking, it definitely impacts the broadcast. Now that I think about it, I really understood the situation perfectly. This must be a stroke of luck from the heavens, right?” 

“…Are you seriously saying that? I’m telling you not to harm others, and you call it luck?” 

“So what? Deep down, you’re the same. Pretending to care about others, acting like a nice guy. It’s disgusting. Damn, the entertainment industry is all about survival of the fittest. Why should I care about anyone else?” 

Kim Joo An walked toward Kim Chunyong, who was leaning against the door, and poked him in the shoulder with his finger.

“Why? Did you think Jang Si Woo was your golden ticket? And now you’re taking it out on me because he screwed up?” 

“……” 

“Too bad, my ticket is Son Jae Ha. Unlike Si Woo, who has a mentality thinner than a sheet of paper and is mediocre in every way. Do you know how much effort I put into cozying up to Son Jae Ha? Calling him ‘hyung’ and building bonds? It’s on a whole different level from you.” 

“Haha, you’re truly the worst. Does that ‘hyung’ know what kind of person you are?” 

“Like I care, you bastard. Stop acting all high and mighty, it’s really annoying. Didn’t I tell you to drop out? What do you think will happen if you get on AG’s pureblood Son Jae Ha’s bad side? Can you handle that?”