The Second Chance of A Suicidal Idol

The Downfall of Park Jangsoo (1)

"Is the room set up okay?" A tech-worker asked Producer Jang-Soo while gesturing towards a camera set upon a tall tripod. The room it was in was about ten by ten feet with plain walls. It resembled that of an alysum room or a room yet to be filled.

Producer Jang-Soo smiled. "It's perfect. I assume the four other rooms are set up? I want to record five parent calls at a time."

The tech-worker nodded, "Yes. They should be ready..."

The words trailed off as Kite, who was watching the scene from a perch, flapped away and through the halls and past staff.

After a few moments, he spotted Joon-woo awkwardly standing in the middle of a conversation between friends. It appeared Jung Hyun-Ok and Mi Yong were bickering over something most likely trivial, and Reggie was actively trying to break them up. Ryeo Hyun and Joon-woo watched in silence, letting the bickering commence despite Reggie's begs for help.

Quickly and with a new urgency he waved towards Joon-woo and perched on his shoulder. Joon-woo did a hidden but knowing gesture towards Kite, as if urging him to explain.

"Parent calls. That's the next thing!" Kite whispered into Joon-woo's ear.

Joon-woo's eyes slightly brightened at the opportunity. Discreetly he muttered: "Good." In reply. No one else around them noticed Joon-woo's words to the invisible Kite.

This meant he could play into his tragic parent-less backstory. That means that though he would hate it, people– producers, fans, other contestants would pity him. Producers of shows like this always loved a tragic backstory.

Reggie turned with a grimace as he gave up on keeping Mi Yong from absolutely tackling Jung Hyun-Ok to the floor. He looked at the indifferent Joon-woo and Ryeo Hyun with a betrayed expression.

"Joon-woo, why do you look so happy to see me struggle?" Reggie asked with a small but joking pout.

He had misunderstood Joon-woo's satisfied expression, but it wasn't like Joon-woo could explain that he was satisfied because the Grim Reaper's worker that was also in the form of a bird spied on the otherworldly-Jang-Soo and got information before it was revealed.

"I wouldn't be of much help to stop them anyway." Joon-woo replied. There was slight truth to his words, as he would probably be tackled to the ground with Jung Hyun-Ok if he tried.

Reggie looked at Joon-woo's thin frame and height and shrugged, as if agreeing. He didn't go to question or scold Ryeo Hyun.

Ryeo Hyun had become quiet and blank-faced even more so ever since they left Bo Jaesang's place. The older had stayed over Bo Jaesang's place the whole weekend they were on break. He hadn't disclosed what did or discussed, but they knew that it was probably something regarding Bo Jaesang not returning as a trainee.

So, by proxy, they had been careful about running their usual antics around Ryeo Hyun. But Joon-woo understood just a bit of the depression Ryeo Hyun was experiencing. They were assigned dorms. Five rooms and three people each.

The room that Joon-woo, Jung Hyun-Ok, Ryeo Hyun, and Bo Jaesang had spent so much time with the sometimes-appearances of Reggie, Mi Yong, and even Baek Du-Ho when he felt up to it, was now vacant. Even conversations felt a little less vibrant without Bo Jaesang to brighten them.

Now Joon-woo was roomed with Reggie and Ryeo Hyun, and the missing piece that was Bo Jaesang was clear in every waking moment now. The others' tried to play off the gap in the conversations and walk to the stage room or practice rooms, but there was still that lingering feeling of something missing.

Joon-woo cleared his head. He had to focus. He couldn't wallow in Bo Jaesang's elimination because his chance at avenging Bo Jaesang and himself would fly out the window. Parent calls, he thought, parent calls.