GTRC&D!

Chapter 235 When a Workaholic Leader Takes Power (4)

Silence sometimes means affirmation.
And it seemed that Seo Taeeil took my silence as an answer.

“It must be true.”

Seo Taeeil scratched his forehead with his finger as if he had a headache.

He seemed to be thinking about how to phrase his words, but I continued to stay silent.

Seeing my expression, Seo Taeeil let out a short sigh and changed the topic.

“Well, anyway, speaking from my experience…. It was our youngest who did that to me. You know? Our youngest.”

Seo Taeeil’s gaze naturally shifted to a group photo of Utopia that was hung on one wall of the studio. Out of the five people wearing the same hoodie, the youngest, who was particularly tall and had the most expressionless face, was Kwon Sangrok. Seo Taeeil glanced at Kwon Sangrok’s face and let out a slight laugh, but a shadow crossed his face.

“Do you know how old Rok was when he debuted?”

“…I heard he was very young.”

“He was 15, 15 years old. I was twenty. So, can you imagine how awkward we were with each other? On top of that, he was going through a really rough puberty. I couldn’t even talk to him.”

The stories from Kwon Sangrok’s puberty were quite famous among the fans.

He was so shy that it took him until Friday to get comfortable with everyone, and after going home over the weekend, it was like hitting a reset button, and he had to start all over again to get close to them.

When he started living in the dorm, he was so uncomfortable eating with the other members that he pretended he had already eaten and would sneak out to eat alone at the convenience store, pretending to take a walk.

Once, when his roommates, Nam Daun and Cheong Hansol, were being too loud before bed, he got so annoyed that he locked the door on them, leaving the two to sleep in the living room.

‘No, looking back at it, he seems like the toughest type among the members.’

And the fact that Seo Taeeil managed to keep Kwon Sangrok in the group for 13 years, even earning the nickname “Captain’s Clingy” for him, made Seo Taeeil seem all the more remarkable. Seo Taeeil seemed to read my thoughts and leaned forward as if to emphasize his point.

“Rok debuted a bit earlier than planned. He was chosen for his height, visuals, and potential, but his singing and dancing still had a long way to go. He ended up debuting a year or two earlier than we originally thought.”

“…Was it because of the company’s situation?”

“Well…. I wouldn’t say that’s not true. But if I were to go into all of that, we’d be here all night, so let’s skip it.”

Seo Taeeil waved his hand dismissively and continued.

“Anyway, the company marketed us as a self-produced group full of talent, but honestly, I thought Rok was lacking by that standard. But Rok had too much pride to accept that. And he couldn’t bring himself to ask for help from the members.”

“……”

“As for me…. Even though he was young, he was really sharp, you know? A bit stubborn, kind of like an old man. Compared to the other members of our group, he was definitely more mature.”

Seo Taeeil smiled, recalling Kwon Sangrok as he once again looked at Utopia’s group photo.

Sure enough, standing next to Nam Daun, who looked like a wild Maltese, and Cheong Hansol, who had a rough and natural appearance, the shy and old-soul Kwon Sangrok indeed looked like the epitome of maturity.