“This week’s glorious 1st place is! RAYEON, congratulations!”
Firecrackers went pop, heating up the atmosphere. The RAYEON members all looked at the screen with dazed faces. Even though their name was called, not a single member grabbed the microphone.
That was because today’s 1st place was truly an unexpected achievement.
It was their fifth trophy. Second if counting only terrestrial broadcasts. The members who won 1st place on terrestrial at yesterday’s Friday music show had shared their joy fully with the fans. Yet they implicitly felt it. That it might be difficult to win 1st place on the remaining music shows.
They knew how hard the fans tried, how decent this activity’s results were, but the timing right now wasn’t very good.
In spring, timed with the cherry blossom blooming season, domestic renowned artists were making comebacks like mushrooms after rain. When this season came around, from legendary songs making reverse runs to new songs by digital music powerhouses, the charts were truly flawless.
In the midst of that, bringing home a terrestrial 1st place with fandom firepower alone. That itself was proof that this album was successful enough. But today, they were called for 1st place on the Saturday music show they’d been half-doubting too.
Among the members staring at the screen displaying RAYEON’s name, Do Yeonjae came to his senses first. He received the microphone from the MC and passed it to leader Kang Ihyun.
“Wow, wow… We really weren’t expecting today… RayIt! Thank you so, so much. We try to give our sincerity to RayIt, but RayIt always seems to return it tenfold, a hundredfold, so I don’t know what to do with myself. We’ll work even harder from now on….”
Do Yeonjae, listening to the acceptance speech, suddenly looked to the side. Thinking he heard a sniffling sound, sure enough, Hayun-hyung was sobbing as if about to shed tears any moment. Oh my. Do Yeonjae, letting out a small laugh, immediately turned his body toward his hyung. Cupping his bright red face with both hands, his teary eyes trembled.
“Yeonjae-ya….”
“Why are you crying? It’s a happy day.”
“I, honestly I was anxious about this activity…. I gained strength thinking about what you told me, Yeonjae. I’m sorry for always leaning on you. I should become a reliable hyung….”
“Don’t say you’re sorry.”
If you’re going to do that, just cry instead. At the joke mixed with gentle laughter, Hayun’s chin formed a walnut shape. Ngh…. The moment tears were about to fall from his moist eyes, Hayun buried himself in Do Yeonjae’s arms.
“I’m happy, so happy….”
A voice filled with joy wrapped around Do Yeonjae’s ears. Do Yeonjae, looking down at the hyung in his arms with slightly widened eyes, soon patted Hayun’s back. He knew that Hayun-hyung had worried deeply about the concept aspect while preparing this album. So today’s 1st place must be especially overwhelming.
“Ah, what? You two hugging alone?”
Baek Sian, who approached from the side, glanced at the two playfully. Aw, I want to hug too. Baek Sian inflated his insufficient build as much as possible and hugged Do Yeonjae who was holding Hayun, and seeing those three, Kang Ihyun forcibly dragged even Yeo Minsung over to join the embrace.
“I’m fine…!”
“Where are you fine! Everyone come here!”
The hug that started with two gradually grew in volume like a balloon. Colorful confetti beautifully fluttered around the five members tangled together tightly.
* * *
Isoo-ya what are you doing? Busy?
Hey hey Kwon Isoo are you coming to today’s gathering? lololol Kang Heejeong is looking for you
Hyung that thing I mentioned before
Isoo-ya tomorrow’s schedule……
How long are you going to ignore my calls?
The phone carelessly tossed on the studio table continuously flashed with light. No matter how silenced, when notifications rang repeatedly like that, one would normally glance at it at least once, but the phone’s owner seemed to have absolutely no intention of checking the incoming contacts. His sharp gaze was focused only on the computer screen.
“Ha, fuck.”
A crack was clear on the forehead revealed by carelessly sweeping back his hair. With an unlit cigarette clenched in his mouth, Kwon Isoo muttered curses in a low voice. He absolutely couldn’t understand. Why the hell am I watching this kind of shit.
[Should we sing a congratulatory song? Since the staff prepared a surprise cake for us too!]
As he said, this was a first. Kwon Isoo hadn’t anticipated at all when he brought this expensive monitor into his studio. That he’d be playing a live full of nothing but guys on this monitor screen, really.
[Congratulations on 1st place~ Congratulations on 1st place~ Congratulations on our beloved RAYEON’s 1st place!]
[Now, let our youngest represent us and blow out the candles!]
Singing voices, each with their own random vocal ranges, came through the speakers. Excited sounds, noisy applause, happy laughter. At the noises piercingly digging into his eardrums, Kwon Isoo furrowed his brow.
RAYEON’s 1st place commemoration celebration live.
Nothing in that screen wasn’t annoying. The fact that all the members were looking only at Do Yeonjae with smiles, and Do Yeonjae with a comfortable face as if at home.
[Whooo.]
[Hey! What are you doing blowing it right away without doing anything? Aren’t you going to make a wish?]
[Ah, right. I’ll make one now… Please let my hyungs live long and healthy.]
[Huh, look at this guy. Saying his wish out loud.]
[You were going to ask what I wished for right away anyway. It’s annoying to say it twice. Here, cake.]
[You’re not eating?]
[Yeonjae doesn’t really like sweets. Right, Yeonjae-ya. But if you’re curious about the taste… want to try one bite of mine?]
[Yes.]
How they were chatting harmoniously like puzzle pieces fitting perfectly, as if they were family. Just everything.
It was unbearably irritating.
Beyond the screen, he could see Hayun scooping up cake with a fork and carefully putting it into Do Yeonjae’s mouth. Haah, fuck. What the hell…. An irritated sigh leaked through his teeth. Kwon Isoo messed up his already disheveled blond hair wildly in an inexplicably frustrated mood.
Fucking annoying.
But the most fucking annoying thing was himself, sitting there like an idle unemployed bastard watching a male idol live.
Kwon Isoo had hated RAYEON from the start. From the moment Do Yeonjae didn’t give him a single glance at the greeting ceremony between RAYEON and NEOS as senior and junior groups, no actually from when that fucking group stole Do Yeonjae away, he’d consistently felt that way.
Respect for a senior group? Fuck that, go find it somewhere else. He hated even seeing that name, so he’d decidedly never once looked up anything about RAYEON. There were many reasons to give. Because Do Yeonjae, who abandoned him and debuted alone, was annoying. Because Do Yeonjae, who even after he debuted with NEOS, avoided him as if to show off, was pathetic. Because even though he won the fucking Daesang, there wasn’t a single contact, which was shitty….
Even nobodies whose names he didn’t know that he’d passed by once sent annoying, pretending-to-be-friendly contacts saying congratulations on the Daesang, but only Do Yeonjae didn’t. Only you, weren’t there. Ah. So that’s how you’re going to play it. With his feelings twisted, Kwon Isoo decided to solidify even more his past resolution filled with spite.
See if I’ll boost RAYEON’s view count even if my fingers break. Thinking that, he cut off all interest as he had until now. Whatever it was, if it was about Do Yeonjae, he wouldn’t even look at it.
But why the hell is he doing this now?
“Fuck.”
Kwon Isoo, muttering curses, glared fiercely at Do Yeonjae in the live.
This was all because of the weird words that bastard spouted a while ago.
‘I’m your fan, you know. Kwon Isoo.’
When Kwon Isoo first heard those words, he doubted his own ears.
A fan? It wasn’t even funny. How conscious of the behind-the-scenes camera must he have been for such bullshit to come out so smoothly. After parting with Do Yeonjae that day, no matter how many times he thought about it again, he could only snort. When did he avoid and pretend not to know as if they’d never see each other again, and now he was coming around spouting empty words, which was utterly despicable.
Do Yeonjae’s last words naturally held no meaning for him. It wasn’t like friendship suddenly gushed forth making him want to repair their broken relationship, nor did he newly want to create a friendly relationship as colleagues.
Because he had no intention of giving any meaning to those soulless words.
But for some reason, the moment Do Yeonjae said those words kept coming to mind. At a very minute level, but tediously and persistently wandering through his mind.
Why? What meaning was there in that formal greeting? Kwon Isoo clicked his tongue with a coldly hardened face. If he was going to say such things, he shouldn’t have avoided him like a rat. It doesn’t add up.
Recalling the eyes that met his gaze as if saying something incredibly sincere, as if making some great confession, made him unbearably angry. The words about listening well to his songs were undoubtedly lies too.
‘And next, similar to NEOS’s last title chorus, you bend your waist like….’
But seeing that he knew NEOS’s choreography, he must have really watched the performance.
“……”
For a moment, Kwon Isoo’s eyebrows twitched. Do Yeonjae watched my performance? Since he acted awkward as if they were completely done, he’d never once thought that would be the case.
The hand rapidly tapping the table soon grabbed the mouse. Since he said last title, he must be talking about the most recent song. Searching ‘NEOS Ethereal’ on YouTube produced countless results. Various performances, fancams, choreography videos, split-screen edits, covers, etc… they were uncountable.
Kwon Isoo turned his head crookedly and glared at the YouTube videos.
“Shit, what the hell did he watch.”
Thinking that Do Yeonjae’s gaze had touched one of these damn well bothered him. Probably because it was unpleasant. Annoying that he ignored him in front but secretly snooped from behind.
Since there was no way to know which video he watched, Kwon Isoo just played any one and stared intently at himself on screen with his arms crossed. The sight of dancing on stage and handling the live performance. Originally he thought it was pretty decent, but strangely today it looked unsatisfactory. It was the same when playing other videos. From the hairstyle to the styling, expressions and minor gestures all seemed lacking.
“What’s lacking about it.”
Kwon Isoo reflexively muttered fiercely. Fuck, what makes Do Yeonjae so great.
Rough hand gestures impulsively hit the keyboard. That guy snooped on him too, so there was no reason he couldn’t do it. Do Yeonjae. As soon as he pressed enter, videos appeared in a stream. Maybe because they’d made a comeback not long ago, there were many recent videos. He clicked on the one at the very top.
[20XX0412 Music Bank RAYEON Do Yeonjae Close-up Fancam]
