# Chapter 84
“Sijin, did we really make the right decision?”
“Even if we didn’t, there’s nothing we can do about it now. The recording is about to start—are you saying we should back out?”
Han Sijin, speaking those words, looked so comfortable that there wasn’t a trace of nervousness to be found.
With a slight smile on his face, he looked like he could go up and tear up the stage right now without seeming out of place at all.
When rumors first spread that CMN was creating a new music show after their success with the God-Hyunshin cover competition, I just thought, “I guess that’s happening.”
I also thought that CMN probably needed at least one signature music show to represent their channel.
But to think there was a scheme aimed at us behind it all.
It seems like I’m the only one who sees it as a scheme in this situation—everyone around me appears extremely satisfied.
There was no need to worry just because it was a first-time broadcast.
The phrase “CMN’s music show” seemed to have some kind of magical power—top producers from other broadcasting companies switched sides to CMN in droves, and the so-called “golden hands” of the broadcasting world joined CMN.
The show was put together quickly, but I didn’t think it would do well from the beginning.
Yet CMN naturally requested cooperation from Grand Tamer, and hyung asked for Crop Five’s opinion.
Crop Five understood Seyoung Group’s structure well and knew that if we put CMN in our debt now, they might help us in the future.
Crop Five wasn’t the type to coldly pretend not to know this.
CMN must have calculated all of this from the beginning, and I didn’t like that kind of behavior.
But this was a way to maintain some benefits without being too manipulated within the group, so hyung and I negotiated the most favorable terms we could.
We agreed that Grand Tamer’s singers would make their debuts or comebacks through CMN’s music show, but at this point, it was hard to tell who was benefiting more from the arrangement.
The show was called “Show, Music Fantasy.”
When naming the program, they should have considered the people who would have to say that name repeatedly—there was no such consideration at all, so Sijin and I would blush every time we had to say the title.
When I heard they wanted to recruit Sijin and me as hosts for the program, I just laughed.
I thought they couldn’t possibly be serious.
Yet here I was, sitting with Sijin in the waiting room, both of us in full makeup.
I wanted to practice more, but it seemed like the more we practiced, the worse we got, so I decided to just leave it to fate and wait for our time.
“What if we mess up?”
“Then they’ll tell us not to come back next time. They’ll replace the MCs. You didn’t even want to do this in the first place, right? So it’ll turn out the way you want. If we mess up, the result might actually be more advantageous for you. So there’s no need to be nervous.”
This guy! Is he a genius?
“You’re right. Why was I nervous?”
Sijin laughed as if he found it amusing.
“Hyung, don’t you think I’m really smart? I didn’t think it would come to this. But I’m really happy about it. Co-hosting with you is fun, and if we do well today, we might get offers from other places too.”
“Would you take them if they came?”
“Of course! I’d like that—do you not want to? What if we become the kings of event hosting? We could travel to event venues all over the country and host, and do food tours too.”
“……”
That’s tempting?
Sijin, seeming to guess what I was thinking, burst into laughter.
“Hyung, why are you so cute? No, it feels like I’m the only one aging.”
“That’s fine. Aging together would be sad. Couldn’t you age twice as fast each day?”
“I really wish I could. Won’t something like that happen to me? I’d like to suddenly become about six years older so I could speak casually to you. Hey, Kang Seomin.”
“Are you trying to die!”
Sijin called my name so boldly once and then laughed because he liked it.
While we were chatting like that, the door flung open, and Crop Five came in.
“Where’s Hyunshin hyung?”
“Obviously busy. It’s not for nothing that Hyunshin sunbaenim is the star of stars. When a legend appears, would people leave them alone? Standing next to Hyunshin sunbaenim, we’re just nobodies. I haven’t felt like this in a long time. It feels like I’ve become an ordinary person again.”
Yeonwoo agreed with Seo Irun’s comment, saying it felt like they’d gone back to before their debut.
Of course, I knew it wasn’t quite that extreme, but it was true that Ki Hyunshin’s popularity was beyond imagination.
He shined among the general public, but he seemed to shine even brighter when among other celebrities.
Crop Five was an incredibly popular group too.
But seeing Crop Five wasn’t as difficult as seeing Ki Hyunshin, so his rarity seemed to show itself in situations like this.
“People were asking if Crop Five’s members had changed. Hyunshin sunbaenim said yes and that he’s now a Crop Five member. I think that’s nice too.”
Sijin nodded at Jeong Chan’s words.
Jeong Chan seemed to be telling him to be nervous, but Sijin appeared to be even more pleased.
“That sounds good. Help sunbaenim out well. Try to hypnotize everyone into thinking sunbaenim has been a Crop Five member from the beginning.”
“Hey, are you really not going to continue?”
Chan’s expression became serious at that moment.
The other members also seemed to think this wasn’t something to just laugh off, as they each sat in their chairs and looked at Sijin with serious expressions.
Sijin seemed bewildered by how the atmosphere had suddenly changed.
Then, as if realizing this was an issue that needed to be addressed sooner or later, he looked at the members.
“I didn’t think we’d talk about this here, but since Chan brought it up, I guess you all suspected something. I was thinking of talking to Irun hyung first, but I needed to be more certain about my own feelings first. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier.”
Crop Five members all became quiet at Sijin’s unusual demeanor.
Some of them nodded.
As if they had already anticipated this to some extent by observing Sijin’s behavior.
“I want to leave Crop Five. I have no complaints about Crop Five. I think the members know that better than anyone. That’s why it took me a long time to make this decision. I think you know the reason without me saying it. What’s popping into your mind right now—that’s the reason.”
Then Sijin looked at me once before turning his gaze back to Crop Five.
“Haah… so it’s come to this after all.”
Seo Irun said and sighed.
The other members’ reactions were similar.
“If that’s what hyung thinks, there’s nothing we can do.”
Dagyeong said and nodded.
“Yes. If I were you, I’d make the same decision. And I’m also envious that you can make such a decision. Honestly, envy is my strongest feeling.”
“Me too.”
Yeonwoo and Jeong Chan said in turn, and Sijin bowed his head apologetically.
“But it’s just that you won’t be active with us, right? You’re not thinking of quitting music entirely or retiring?”
“No, hyung. I made this decision because I thought it would be difficult for me to keep going in and out of activities while we’re active as Crop Five. If there’s a situation where I need to step in, just let me know anytime. You know why I made this decision, so just work with that in mind.”
“Haah…”
Irun’s sigh grew longer.
“From now on, you’ll do all the dirty work at the dorm.”
“Of course, hyung.”
“You’ll do the cleaning and meal preparation too.”
“Yes. I’ll do all the laundry too.”
Irun seemed to be saying this with the idea of punishing Sijin, but when Sijin instead looked happy as if he’d been forgiven, Irun seemed even more irritated.
“We shouldn’t have come here. I feel like we’re going to ruin the performance.”
When Yeonwoo said that, the members laughed.
Even Yeonwoo who spoke laughed.
“Then from now on, I really need to try to persuade Hyunshin sunbaenim. If we do well, he might join us.”
Irun said and stood up first.
“I never thought it would end up like this. I was certain I would be the final winner. This is a development I never imagined. It’s so humiliating. To think that I would lose to someone like Han Sijin. I shouldn’t have given in back then.”
The interesting thing was that during their conversation, the most important words were never spoken.
This wouldn’t have become such an ingrained habit if it weren’t for the incident I experienced because of my uncle.
Since someone might be monitoring us, the members were careful with their words no matter where they were.
And they only discussed matters requiring security in safe places like their dorm.
Even if someone was watching this place in real-time, what they could gather from our conversation would be extremely limited.
Not long after Crop Five left, singers from another waiting room came to visit us.
