God Idol Project: Hope [GIPH]

Chapter 9: Building Human Relationships

The day I found out I had passed the audition at Hanul Entertainment, my family threw a grand party. Even though I told them a simple congratulations would suffice, I couldn't stop my excited parents. My mom repeatedly reminded me to be cautious when signing the contract.

True to her word, she took the trainee contract to a lawyer in the company's legal department for a personal review. Even though it was "just" a trainee contract, it was still a contract. Being overly cautious wasn't a bad thing, especially since it concerned my dream.

On the day my mom and I went to Hanul Entertainment to sign the contract after the review, I wore a neat shirt and slacks. But my mom? She dressed head-to-toe in luxury brands, accessorized with sunglasses, exuding such an air of confidence that she looked like she was there to intimidate the company staff.

There was even a moment when the CEO recognized my mom, but she made it clear she was just there as my guardian and should only be seen as Ham Iwon's mother. It felt like I was seeing her professional side that I had never known.

"We'll be counting on you to take good care of my son," she said, carefully enunciating each word. There was an unmistakable determination behind her voice, as if to say, "If you mistreat him, there will be consequences."

In any case, she definitely achieved the commanding presence she was going for.

Before I could even bask in the excitement of starting my trainee life, time seemed to fly by in the practice room. I barely had a moment to breathe.

There were two trainees who joined the company around the same time as me. One was a female trainee, but our schedules rarely overlapped, so we seldom crossed paths. The other was a male trainee who seemed to already know people in the company and quickly merged into their group.

I had been introduced to other trainees, but we only exchanged polite greetings, nothing more. Since I had no prior trainee experience, I had to start with basic training, which put me in separate classes from most of the others. It made it difficult to bond.

Am I going to be an outcast here too? I can't let that happen.

Other than Hyun-oh hyung, I didn't have any friends, and I wasn't really sure how to make new ones. I decided to start with someone approachable—someone who I could easily get to know.

The talent development manager had mentioned that there was a senior trainee from Hanul at my school, so I made it my mission to find him. His name was Nam Chorok, a third-year student majoring in modern dance. With all this information, I was ready to take action.

During the break after the first class, I stood in front of the third-year classroom, feeling the stares of everyone passing by.

Is it because a second-year is standing in front of the third-year classroom?

"Excuse me, could you call Nam Chorok for me?"

I cautiously asked a senior who made eye contact with me.

"...!"

"Oh my! It's the merman prince... but he talks?"

Did I do something wrong?

A senior who had been lingering around the classroom wore a dazed expression as they approached the window seat.

"Hey, Nam Chorok, wake up. I think a junior is here to see you."

The person called Chorok was sleeping on his desk. He got up, his hair tousled, but somehow it looked intentional, as if it was part of his image.

He slowly turned his head, noticing the hand pointing at me, and walked over.

"What's up?"

His long, monolid eyes narrowed as he smiled. He looked like a fox. His sharp facial features were softened by his relaxed tone and gentle smile. It was as if that smile was his default setting.

"Hello, my name is Ham Iwon. I recently became a trainee at Hanul Entertainment, and I wanted to get to know you better, so I came to find you."

"Huh? Ham Iwon? Isn't that the merman prince? You talk?"

"Sorry?"

I had no idea what he was talking about.

"You look confused. My bad. You're famous for being called the 'merman prince.' It's a nickname that's spread among both second and third-year students."

"Merman... prince?"

Where did that strange nickname come from?

"You probably didn't talk much before, right? People thought you were like the merman prince who lost his voice. And now that you're speaking, your voice is really nice. Were you saving it or something?"

This guy had no prejudices, I thought. I guess it's natural that he wouldn't assume there was anything wrong with my vocal cords since I was standing here, talking.

"So, you joined Hanul Entertainment too? We must have missed each other since I mostly use the second practice room. Thanks for coming to find me. I'll take care of you since you're new to the company."

"Thank you, Nam Choro-sunbaenim."

"Ah, that sounds too formal. Just call me hyung. Let's get along, Iwon."

I had made a connection—by myself! I felt proud, and my shoulders lifted a little.

Thanks to that bit of courage, I now had a lunchtime companion at school. I even got to know Chorok-hyung's friends. They looked at me fondly sometimes, but they weren't bad people. A bit mischievous, maybe.

After hanging out with Chorok-hyung a few times, I learned more about him.

One thing that stood out the most was his incredible social skills.

Chorok-hyung greeted everyone at school. Not only that, but he also knew all the trainees at the company, as well as the staff and even the security guards.

...Was I the only one unaware of this?

He felt like a different species compared to me.

I still felt awkward around the other trainees, except for Chorok-hyung.

I had heard that friendships form naturally over time, but that was clearly a lie. I hadn't had much time to get close to the other trainees, since I was still finishing my basic training.

Luckily, I was moving on to advanced vocal training tomorrow, and my dance training would wrap up soon.

"Iwon, some of the trainees I usually practice with are getting chicken tonight. Want to join?"

"Would it be okay if I came?"

I had long since gotten used to dropping formalities with Chorok-hyung.

"Of course. They said they wanted to meet you too. I've been talking about you a lot."

"Then I'll come."

"We're meeting at 10. Is that alright?"

"I usually practice until 1 a.m. anyway, so it's fine."

Lately, I'd been waking up at 5 a.m. to hit the gym, then coming back to shower, eat, go to school, practice violin, and finally head to the company for training.

But tonight, there was a new event on the schedule.

"Let's meet in front of the flower shop next to the company at 10. See you then, and practice hard."

I felt a bit nervous about meeting new people.

In the past, I had built walls around myself, never really trying to connect with others. Even those who approached me eventually gave up due to my indifference.

But now, I felt motivated to do better this time.

I arrived at the flower shop before 10 to wait.

Two minutes before the meeting time, a group of tall guys walked out of the main gate and headed toward me.

Chorok-hyung, who already knew me, was the first to speak.

"You're early! Everyone, this is Ham Iwon, the new trainee. Let's introduce ourselves."

"Hello, I'm Ham Iwon. I'm 18, and my specialty is singing."

"My name is Seo Hon, just one syllable. I'm 20, and I rap."

He was tall and broad-shouldered, with the physique of an athlete. His face seemed familiar, and when I tilted my head in thought, Seo Hon chuckled.

"Do I look familiar? I used to be a child actor."

Ah! Though his body was completely different, I recognized his features from the dramas I had seen him in as a kid.

"My name's Kim Ji-on. I'm a rapper, and I'm the same age as you. Let's get along."

"Ji-on lived abroad for a long time, so he sometimes slips up with his Korean. Just a heads-up."

Chorok-hyung gave me a heads-up. Ji-on's deep voice had me thinking he was older than Seo Hon, but I was wrong.

His deep eye sockets and striking features made him look like he might be mixed-race.

"I'm Park Ha-jun! I'm 17, the youngest here! But, um, please don't speak informally to me... even though it's weird for me too..."

He looked like a classic statue, a textbook example of a handsome guy. His appearance alone was already perfect.

If a group were formed with just these guys, Park Ha-jun would definitely be the visual member. But his way of speaking gave away his youth.

"Oh, Seo Hon-hyung, are you okay with this?"

"I'm fine. Once you're out in the world, a one or two-year age gap doesn't matter. Just call me hyung, and we're good. I'm not too strict about that."

"You can speak casually with me too."

Once Seo Hon-hyung and I agreed, the group settled into speaking informally.

"Thank you! Iwon hyung! So, are we all set? Let's go! My stomach's been growling for a while now!"

We weaved through alleyways and arrived at a chicken restaurant with a shabby exterior. It was in such a hidden spot that it would be hard to find if you didn't know the area.

"This place has the best spicy fried chicken. I found it, and it's got great value for the price. The old lady who runs it is amazing."

Chorok-hyung kindly explained the restaurant to me.

"Grandma! Six spicy fried chickens and three plain fried, please!"

"Park Ha, you should ask before ordering. Iwon, can you eat a whole chicken? It's one more than usual."

Chorok-hyung gently scolded Park Ha-jun for ordering without asking.

Park Ha-jun pouted and leaned in as if asking whether he'd done something wrong. His forwardness was a bit overwhelming.

"You should ask others. I'm not picky, so I'm fine with it. Park Ha-jun."

"Huh! Don't call me Park Ha-jun like that! Everyone just calls me Park Ha."

I guess he also didn't like people calling him by his full name. I decided to call him Park Ha from then on.

"Wait, do you guys usually order eight chickens for four people? You all must eat a lot."

It wasn't impossible for a group of growing boys to eat that much, but it still seemed a bit excessive.

"Oh, that? Well... the chickens here are a bit small."

"Chorok-hyung is lying! They're bigger than franchise chickens! He just didn't want to admit he eats five chickens by himself!"

It looked like Park Ha's claim was credible. Chorok-hyung was about my height and quite slim, but he could apparently eat five chickens.

"I'm so jealous of Choro's metabolism. He doesn't gain weight at all."

"But you're always working out, Seo Hon. You're in such good shape that you never have a chance to gain weight. You're a fitness freak."

Ji-on's British-accented English was incredibly charming. His noble-sounding voice stood out more when he spoke in a foreign language.

I was learning so much. A big eater, a fitness fanatic, different body types. Is this how people get to know each other—by learning about each other's quirks? Should I share some random facts too?

"My birthday is on Arbor Day."

"...Out of nowhere?"

"...I thought this was a time for random facts."

Did I misunderstand?

Everyone else paused for a moment, then burst into laughter. Did I misread the situation?

"Iwon, you're so funny. You've got a bit of a clueless vibe, huh?"

"I don't think so...? It's just that I'm not used to this kind of situation."

I've never been called clueless before. Then again, no one had ever really said much to me.

But I was always sensitive to subtle cues, like someone's mood or gestures.

"Iwon hyung, what kind of situation is this?"

"A situation where I'm surrounded by people my age and trying to socialize?"

"Listen to the way he talks! Haha, this guy really must not have many friends!"

How did they know? Was it that obvious?

"Park Ha, didn't we talk about teasing people like that?"

"We did! Sorry!"

"Iwon is like, hmm, a brilliant loner type. That's why he's such a standout at our school."

I could sense where this was going. That dreaded nickname, the one I found so embarrassing. The one involving "prince" or something...

I shook my head vigorously, hoping Chorok-hyung wouldn't say it. He just smiled and winked, as if promising not to.

"Anyway, he's really popular for being a cold-looking genius, and his grades are always at the top."

"Damn, if you were first in everything, you'd be like an anime protagonist."

"They say he's first in the school whenever we take mock exams, and there's a rumor that he turns classical pieces into jazz for his violin exams."

We're in different grades and majors, so how do these rumors even spread? Why do people care so much?

"Hahaha! A rebellious genius against the world, huh? That's hilarious. Why'd you do that?"

"...I got bored of playing the same sheet music over and over."

I had been listening to classical music since I was a baby. Playing the exact same interpretation of a piece felt like repeating myself, and I couldn't bring myself to play that way anymore.

"We should jam sometime. I'll play piano, you play violin. How about it?"

"Iwon hyung, let's be friends. You're so cool, like a real artist. I want to be friends with you."

"Me too!"

What was happening?

Why did it feel like they were all gravitating toward me? Did I do something? I couldn't keep up with their thought process.

"I like that you all want to be friends, but it feels a bit strange."

"Haha! He really is clueless! Okay, got it!"

Why were they all nodding their heads?

I'm not clueless... am I?

...Am I?