# Chapter 28
“Excuse me, Han Sijin-ssi. Are you talking to me? Or are you perhaps practicing what you want to say to someone else?”
“Don’t say weird things. I’m definitely talking to you, Hyung.”
“Really? I don’t understand. I thought you didn’t want to talk to me? I was under the impression that you avoided talking whenever I approached you?”
“If that’s the case, then just leave it. Don’t go around saying weird things. When did I ever ask you to find me another manager?”
“……”
He seemed angry, but if we’re talking about being angry, I was no pushover either.
“Hey, Han Sijin. It’s true that as your manager, I should help you focus on your activities, but I can’t do that while walking on eggshells around you, so stop with the pointless complaining.”
“You think that’s because of me?”
“What?”
“……”
He looked at me with an expression that said he had nothing to say.
It was bewildering how he could act like the victim when he was the one causing trouble.
“I won’t bother you. I won’t ask you to only look at me, so don’t go around saying such things either. Did I say I needed another manager? If I need another manager, I’ll leave on my own two feet, so just leave it alone!”
He spoke coldly and then left.
I stood there dumbfounded for a moment, then looked back at the screen.
I thought the expression of Han Sijin on the screen resembled that of the guy who had been standing in front of me just moments ago.
“Ha. Really. Why are they all acting like this!!”
I wondered if I was missing something.
I thought maybe I was unknowingly disappointing or discriminating against the members, but even so, it was strange.
I could understand if it were the other members, but I thought Han Sijin had no right to complain like that.
‘What on earth…!’
But no matter how much I thought about it, my mind only became more tangled.
* * *
Crop Five was already reaching its 9th episode.
Crop Five Survival distinguished itself from the glut of audition programs and attracted viewers, now surpassing the 20% mark in ratings, often considered the threshold for success.
They say variety shows used to frequently exceed 20% during their heyday, but achieving this feat on CMN, which had been virtually barren, could only be explained as a miracle.
[Crop Five, they’re monsters. These trainees who haven’t even debuted already have professional skills? Compared to when they appeared on that audition program on another network, it’s a complete world of difference. I can tell how much they’ve practiced.]
[They’re really obsessive and monstrous. But if only one or two of them had improved, I’d think it was individual capability, but how is it possible for all of them to make such tremendous progress? At this point, we have to attribute it to Grand Tamer’s abilities.]
[That’s true, but the format of Crop Five itself was innovative.]
Crop Five Survival was conducted in a way that the five members each showcased the best performance with the help of experts, using songs of their choice.
It focused solely on creating the best stage by eliminating all elements decided by luck.
Each time, they were able to collaborate with experts from different fields, preparing stages with classical performers, traditional Korean musicians, and musical theater masters, allowing them to break down their own walls and develop their perspectives.
When the idea of Crop Five Survival first came up and we held brainstorming meetings, the initial suggestions were to follow a similar format to other survival programs.
However, since the goal was for each member to gain skills through this program, I strongly argued that it was important for the members to learn, and my opinion prevailed.
The stages created this way were of such quality that they drew involuntary gasps of admiration.
It was both moving and somewhat bittersweet to see the members, whom I had only thought of as kids, suddenly grow up and stand in places beyond my reach.
But after the stages ended, they would return to me like baby birds after flight practice, chattering enthusiastically.
Things were still awkward with Han Sijin, but he still joined that group and approached me to some extent, listening and responding when I spoke to him.
Then, when Crop Five recorded a 23% viewership rating, I realized that I hadn’t granted any of the members’ wishes.
‘Come to think of it, I’ve been quite terrible.’
After deeply reflecting on this, I recalled each member’s wish one by one.
* * *
Lee Dagyeong: Shower together and scrub each other’s backs.
Jeong Chan: Go running together at night on a route without streetlights.
Cha Yeonwoo: For one day, he speaks informally to me while I address him as “Hyung” and speak formally.
Han Sijin: Sit next to me whenever we’re together.
Seo Irun: Tell him what I want every day. Then he would grant that wish.
Wondering which one to fulfill first, my attention lingered on Han Sijin’s wish.
Not because it seemed easy, but because I thought Han Sijin might no longer want it.
If he said he didn’t want it anymore, that would be one less thing for me to do, which would make things easier. But when I mentioned it to Han Sijin, unexpectedly, he seemed upset that he had completely forgotten about it until now.
“Are you going to do it?”
“Of course!”
“Why are you shouting? You’re the one who forgot about it.”
“I thought I shouldn’t do it because you hadn’t given permission!!”
Ah. What’s he saying?
His personality is really strange.
“Then let’s agree to do that.”
“Ha!! You’re not even going to apologize?”
“Apologize for what?”
Han Sijin glared at me again and then walked away, as if there was no point in talking to me.
He’s really irritating.
Next was Cha Yeonwoo.
For one day, he would speak informally to me while I addressed him as “Hyung” and spoke formally.
I called Cha Yeonwoo, told him today was the day, and then went about my business.
As a result, I didn’t have much time to see Cha Yeonwoo face-to-face or be together.
Moreover, even though Cha Yeonwoo could only speak informally to me for 24 hours, he kept forgetting and speaking formally.
Since I had to speak formally to Cha Yeonwoo, I just didn’t speak at all.
If I had something to say to Cha Yeonwoo, I would either post it in the group chat for everyone to see or ask Lee Dagyeong to relay the message.
‘This is easy. Why are these wishes so modest? If they’re like this, I could grant each of them another wish later.’
I was worried that the kids were so naive that they might not be able to properly look after themselves later on.
After quickly fulfilling two wishes, I became quite proud of myself.
‘I must be born to be a manager. I’m really good at this.’
With confidence overflowing, I looked at the remaining wishes.
What was left now:
Lee Dagyeong: Shower together and scrub each other’s backs.
Jeong Chan: Go running together at night on a route without streetlights.
Seo Irun: Tell him what I want every day. Then he would grant that wish.
I felt like I had been almost fulfilling Seo Irun’s wish already.
‘So let’s consider that one fulfilled. Then there are two left.’
Jeong Chan’s wish was a bit strange, but when I woke him up while he was sleeping soundly to go running, he said he’d just consider the wish fulfilled.
‘What? So I could’ve gotten away with it that easily?’
The only wish left was our youngest’s.
Alright. Let’s scrub to his heart’s content.
Thinking that, I called for Lee Dagyeong.
* * *
“Hey, Lee Dagyeong. Let’s scrub each other’s backs.”
“What?”
Lee Dagyeong seemed to struggle for a long time to understand what I was saying.
Still, he appeared thrilled that I had approached him.
Considering the incidents that occurred when that guy kissed me while doing sit-ups, I should probably scold him a bit more.
“Hyung, I’m really good at scrubbing. People who’ve experienced my touch say they won’t trust anyone else with their backs, which has caused me a lot of trouble. I’ve learned you shouldn’t show off your skills just anywhere.”
Lee Dagyeong went on boasting.
A truly trivial boast.
“But why was that your wish?”
“Just… because.”
Lee Dagyeong gave a vague answer and fidgeted.
“Hyung, let’s go back to the dorm first today. Other people might think it’s weird if they’re around.”
“Why would showering together be weird? We shower together all the time.”
“No, but still.”
“You think they’ll find the back-scrubbing strange? What’s strange about that?”
“No, but still. Anyway, let’s do it that way. You’re granting my wish, right? So let’s just do it that way.”
A rare show of assertiveness from our youngest.
We would call him the youngest and find him cute, but Lee Dagyeong had been growing steadily while living with us, and now he was taller than me.
I didn’t understand what he was saying, but it wasn’t difficult to slip away, so I went back to the dorm with just Lee Dagyeong.
Lee Dagyeong kept taking deep breaths and fidgeting like a pregnant woman going to the hospital for delivery.
“Why are you so nervous? Haven’t you scrubbed someone’s back recently?”
“N-no, that’s not it.”
“It’s okay, it’s okay. I’m not going to spread rumors or advertise that you have a lot of dead skin. It can happen to anyone.”
“No, that’s not it!”
Lee Dagyeong fell silent from that point and remained so until we reached the dorm.
Then he said he would go first and walked ahead briskly.
