# Chapter 27
I still couldn’t believe what happened that day.
No one talked about it.
Not Lee Dagyeong, not Han Sijin, not Seo Irun.
Lee Dagyeong and Han Sijin didn’t speak to each other after that day, and they seemed to avoid spending time together.
Seo Irun only occasionally came to find me when we were at the dorm.
He seemed to handle me casually, yet he always let me make the decisions myself.
Seo Irun was the one who kissed my lips first, but it was always me who became desperate and clung to him when he pulled away.
I never thought I’d show such an unseemly side of myself to someone younger than me, but when I was with Seo Irun, such thoughts quickly disappeared.
“You’re so pretty, hyung.”
Seo Irun always made me let my guard down.
He approached me without me realizing when he had gotten close, and would press his lips against mine, then brush past.
“I must be crazy. I like you so much, hyung.”
“I can definitely tell that you’re crazy.”
The problem was that I was increasingly looking forward to his kisses.
* * *
‘Crop Five’ had all the elements needed for success.
The program itself generated buzz, and the chemistry between the cast was good.
Moreover, people were saying that its familiar format combined with original content would achieve greater success than any variety show so far.
This created a virtuous cycle.
High ratings led to word-of-mouth, which led to even higher ratings.
No, that’s not quite right.
There were plenty of shows that garnered buzz but were quickly abandoned by viewers after they turned out to be disappointing.
We were a program that no one expected much from, and we were broadcast on a channel that no one paid attention to, which allowed us to start without much pressure.
And now, countless people were focused on seeing how far we could go.
There had been ongoing talk about when we would see dancing and singing in a program featuring idols, but that gradually subsided as the ‘Crop Five Survival’ progressed naturally within the program.
Among those who made such comments, there might have been fans who were eager to see Crop Five’s performances, but my personal opinion was that there were more forces trying to check our momentum.
The members were, as they say, sharpening their knives.
Han Sijin, in particular, was especially intense.
He stopped talking to Lee Dagyeong and at some point began avoiding me as well, while dedicating himself to practice day and night with the trainers.
Even when people tried to stop him, saying he would collapse, he wouldn’t listen, and he actually did collapse several times during practice, showing his determination by continuing with IV drips.
Through all this, he changed beyond recognition.
The other members changed too, but Han Sijin’s transformation was truly remarkable.
He had been underestimated due to his light-hearted demeanor and verbal slips.
But as he devoted himself to what he wanted and became more serious, we could see a new side of him that we hadn’t seen before.
He often didn’t say a word throughout the broadcast of an episode, yet his popularity continued to soar.
I was glad that Han Sijin’s efforts were being rewarded with results.
I had deep affection for all the members, but wasn’t Han Sijin my favorite?
Thinking that even though Han Sijin seemed to be avoiding me, he wouldn’t avoid me if I approached him, I went to him when he was alone.
“Sijin, you’re really working hard these days. Your skills have improved a lot too. If you had performed like this before, you would have won. No, wait. It’s because you couldn’t do it then that we met like this. That’s fortunate.”
Han Sijin, who had been sitting down, stood up and walked past me as if he hadn’t heard anything.
Fortunately, there was no one else there; if someone had seen it, my face would have burned with embarrassment.
At first, I wondered what was going on, and then I got angry.
Still, I decided to think that he must be very tired, both physically and mentally, due to the program and the ongoing competition.
Since I’m also his hyung, it’s right for me to be patient.
I tried to compose myself with that thought.
It’s not like this would continue forever, and I thought Han Sijin would get over it in a few days anyway.
After a few days passed, I approached Han Sijin again.
I wasn’t exactly in a cheerful mood, so I didn’t approach him willingly.
Nevertheless, Han Sijin seemed to notice me approaching, stood up from his seat, and left.
He only did this to me, Lee Dagyeong, and Seo Irun.
We were all people who had been in the fitness room on that problematic day, so I wondered if it was because that issue hadn’t been resolved yet, but I was uncertain.
As Han Sijin continued to act this way, I couldn’t help but be concerned.
* * *
“Hey, our star manager is here?”
At Team Leader Hyun’s words, all the office employees looked at me and smiled.
Director Han had resigned because of me, and people were taking good care of me.
Saying they owed me a debt.
After Director Han was fired, people who had been behaving similarly to him became cautious, perhaps thinking they might end up in the same situation, and that alone changed the atmosphere considerably.
I greeted everyone and approached Team Leader Hyun.
“Team Leader, are you busy by any chance?”
“Me? Why? Do you have something to say?”
“Yes, a little…”
“Really? Then let’s go out. I was just about to have a coffee anyway, let’s have it together.”
“Yes.”
Team Leader Hyun tilted his head, seemingly noticing that my face had stiffened while speaking.
Leaving the employees’ gazes behind, we went out into the hallway, and he immediately asked me.
“What’s wrong? Did something happen? I thought things were going well. Is someone picking on you, Seomin?”
He asked such questions right away.
“No, it’s not that. I was wondering if someone else could take care of Han Sijin.”
“Sijin? Just Sijin? Why? Is Sijin having trouble with the kids?”
“No, it’s not that. I think he has complaints about me. He’s not saying what the problem is, but it seems he’s uncomfortable because of me. It’s a very important time for the kids now, right? They’re already getting a lot of attention, and people are saying they’re guaranteed to be top stars as soon as they debut. But I don’t think I’m taking proper care of Sijin.”
“Hmm… have you talked to Sijin about this?”
“No, I haven’t been able to talk about that. I tried to talk to him about other things, but he doesn’t respond. It’s not Sijin’s fault; I think it’s because I’m not taking proper care of him. He follows you well, so if it’s alright with you, I was wondering if you could take charge of him… If taking care of just Sijin is awkward, maybe you could take care of all the kids… Since he follows you better than others, I think it would be good if you could consider it. It’s an important time for the kids, and if they suddenly get a stranger, they might be shaken.”
“Yes, that’s true. All the Crop Five kids are friendly and nice, so it’s not difficult and there’s no problem, but I wonder if there’s a misunderstanding between you two? I’ll talk to Sijin. That kid. Is he feeling burdened by the broadcast? I thought he was doing well.”
“I don’t know.”
“Oh my, seems like our Seomin has been having a hard time. Don’t worry. I think there’s some kind of misunderstanding. I’ll talk to him and let you know.”
“Thank you, Team Leader.”
“Then instead of having coffee now, I should talk to Sijin first.”
“Yes, I…”
“You’re asking me not to mention that you said this, right? I got it. I understand. Don’t worry.”
I was really fortunate to have Team Leader Hyun.
* * *
While the members were receiving training, I was monitoring broadcasts that I hadn’t seen.
As Crop Five became famous, other singers and actors from Grand Tamer were also gaining recognition, which meant I sometimes had to help care for other singers on days when additional hands were needed.
If it was a schedule that would interfere with managing Crop Five, that would be different, but if not, I could certainly help out, so I occasionally went to support them, and because of that, there were some broadcasts I missed.
‘Wow… those guys. They’ve really changed beyond recognition.’
I was genuinely impressed as all the members had become able to handle their voices precisely, to the point where it felt like they were playing with sound.
In the broadcast, Sarah seonsaengnim also shook her head, clapped her hands in delight, and praised them to the fullest.
When asked how they could grow so quickly, something no one had anticipated, the members smiled brightly with excited faces.
However, even amidst all this, Han Sijin’s expression was notably dark.
The camera seemed to be trying to avoid capturing that, but when it showed everyone together, Han Sijin’s gloomy expression stood out even more in contrast to the other members’ expressions.
While I was watching this, the door opened.
When I looked up, Han Sijin was approaching.
I wondered if he had talked with Team Leader Hyun, but I also wondered why he was looking for me.
He wouldn’t have said that I had requested it.
Was he coming to tell me that the manager would be changing from now on?
As I waited for Han Sijin to speak first, he looked at me with a dissatisfied expression.
I was sitting in a chair and he was standing, so Han Sijin was looking down at me and I was looking up at him.
“Sit down if you have something to say. My neck hurts.”
“Now even looking at me makes you uncomfortable and you hate it?”
“…What?”
What new nonsense was this?
Who was the one who avoided first every time I tried to talk or was about to speak?
