Chapter 5: Unexpected Revelations

#5

The crux of the problem was that Dohoon couldn’t properly decipher the short sentence.

“Demjuseyo?”

Even after reading it aloud, he was no closer to understanding its meaning. Dohoon, his face serious, stared intently at his phone screen before hesitantly sending another reply.

[TSdaddy : @djWjfkrhdy Excuse me, but what does ‘Demjuseyo’ mean? ㅜㅜ I’m new to ‘Tweeting’ so I don’t really know..]

└[BaksseWhoEatsMalaTangTomorrow : @tsdh0305 Ah.. it means to DM me haha. You can click the envelope icon above]

“Ah, DM.”

Dohoon knew that much. He fumbled, scrolling up to click the envelope button, then tried to organize the jumble of thoughts in his mind. He had no idea what to ask first, or how.

[TSdaddy: I haven’t been a Jaejeong fan for long, so I have a lot of questions. Would it be rude if I asked you some? You can refuse if it’s a bother.]

Dohoon first politely sought permission, worried he might inadvertently trouble a busy person just to satisfy his curiosity.

[BaksseWhoEatsMalaTangTomorrow: It’s fine!]

Fortunately, the other person seemed quite receptive to Dohoon’s inquiry.

[TSdaddy: Ah, first, about those individual fancams that the broadcasting station releases. I wanted to watch those mainly, but I found there aren’t as many Jaejeong fancams as I expected. Do they usually only upload them for the first week of a comeback?]

[BaksseWhoEatsMalaTangTomorrow: For large groups, they don’t upload for everyone, only for some members]

Well, with seven members, filming each one individually wouldn’t be easy. Even so, a question lingered.

[TSdaddy: It seems like only a few specific members get a lot of uploads]

[TSdaddy: It doesn’t seem very rational]

[TSdaddy: Wouldn’t it be better to rotate the members?]

The immediate replies slowed, the interval between messages growing longer. Dohoon nervously tapped his fingers on the table, and then the awaited message window popped up.

[BaksseWhoEatsMalaTangTomorrow: Is this your very first time stanning an idol?]

[TSdaddy: Huh, how did you know?]

[TSdaddy: Is it that obvious..?]

Dohoon couldn’t help but flinch. Could his complete lack of knowledge in this area truly be revealed by such a short exchange?

[BaksseWhoEatsMalaTangTomorrow: In this field, that *is* rational.]

[TSdaddy: Pardon? What do you mean..]

[BaksseWhoEatsMalaTangTomorrow: Rather than uploading fancams for members that don’t get many views, it’s better for the broadcasting station to focus on those who do.]

He read the message again and again, yet still couldn’t comprehend it. Members who didn’t get views, members who did. Did that mean Jaejeong was one of those ‘members who didn’t get views’? Dohoon stared at the screen with a grave expression, then carefully typed out a reply.

[TSdaddy: Is Jaejeong.. not popular?]

[BaksseWhoEatsMalaTangTomorrow: Ah.. haha]

[BaksseWhoEatsMalaTangTomorrow: You really must be a new fan.]

The other person’s flustered reaction made Dohoon wonder if he had brought up an unnecessary topic.

[BaksseWhoEatsMalaTangTomorrow: Honestly, Jaejeong isn’t a popular member.. haha]

Even with such a definitive answer from a fan, Dohoon still couldn’t believe it. He had never even considered that Jaejeong’s popularity within the group might be low. Unable to hide his bewilderment, Dohoon hastily replied.

[TSdaddy: Jaejeong is handsome, though. No.. no, why..]

If someone who looked like that wasn’t popular, then who on earth was? Dohoon genuinely couldn’t understand. On stage, Jaejeong was the one who captivated attention more than anyone else. It wasn’t merely because of his height.

“Ha! I truly don’t get it.”

Dohoon had seriously thought that Jaejeong, with his distinct yet not overly strong features and clean, unblemished appearance, had a face well-suited for acting if he had the talent.

[BaksseWhoEatsMalaTangTomorrow: Honestly, I don’t really get it either..]

[BaksseWhoEatsMalaTangTomorrow: For idols, their ‘shell’ is important, of course, but looks don’t always equate to popularity.]

[BaksseWhoEatsMalaTangTomorrow: Jaejeong is a bit quiet and doesn’t like to step forward, so he’s always in the back.]

[BaksseWhoEatsMalaTangTomorrow: Usually, with that kind of personality, it’s not easy to get noticed.]

Even to Dohoon, Jaejeong was excessively quiet. It made him wonder if it was truly alright to speak so little on broadcasts.

[BaksseWhoEatsMalaTangTomorrow: Sometimes on broadcasts, even if they’re quiet, if they joke comfortably with other members, they can gain popularity with an ‘unexpected charm’ or something like that.]

[BaksseWhoEatsMalaTangTomorrow: But Jaejeong is the same whether he’s on or off stage, haha.]

[BaksseWhoEatsMalaTangTomorrow: And when you look at him, he seems to have no flaws at all, right?]

A perfect image with no discernible weaknesses was, in fact, poison in the idol world. For Dohoon, who had no prior knowledge of idols, it was only natural that he couldn’t understand such a phenomenon.

[BaksseWhoEatsMalaTangTomorrow: To be honest, Jaejeong’s true worth only shines through after you’ve watched him for a while.. but ultimately, watching someone for a long time requires affection.]

[TSdaddy: I apologize for asking unnecessary questions.]

[BaksseWhoEatsMalaTangTomorrow: No, no, it’s really fine!]

[BaksseWhoEatsMalaTangTomorrow: Stanning with a small group of people is also bustling and nice ^^ㅋ]

The fact that Jaejeong wasn’t a popular member was still shocking, but thanks to the conversation, Dohoon had found answers to his previous questions. Because he wasn’t a popular member, he was excluded from fancams and ending shots. This obvious market logic somehow felt cruel.

[TSdaddy: Thank you, Baksse-nim, for kindly informing me.]

[TSdaddy: It was very helpful.]

[BaksseWhoEatsMalaTangTomorrow: No, I enjoyed talking about Jaejeong after a long time too.]

[BaksseWhoEatsMalaTangTomorrow: Thank you for liking Jaejeong.]

Dohoon’s hand paused at the last message. The words of gratitude for liking Jaejeong contained an inexpressible sincerity.

[TSdaddy: Um.. can I DM you again later?]

[BaksseWhoEatsMalaTangTomorrow: Yes, please do.]

Perhaps it was the reward for tirelessly knocking on various doors, but Dohoon felt as if he had found a ray of light in his previously aimless journey of stanning.

[TSdaddy: Oh! Enjoy your Mala Tang tomorrow.]

[BaksseWhoEatsMalaTangTomorrow: What???]

[BaksseWhoEatsMalaTangTomorrow: Ah.. that thing.]

[BaksseWhoEatsMalaTangTomorrow: Anyway, understood ^^]

It was Dohoon who resumed the conversation, just as it seemed to be winding down.

[TSdaddy: Ah, excuse me!]

[BaksseWhoEatsMalaTangTomorrow: Yes?]

[TSdaddy: But what is Face A doing these days?]

He had grown tired of repeatedly watching the same videos, so Dohoon was curious about Face A’s current activities.

[BaksseWhoEatsMalaTangTomorrow: They have an album coming out next month and are preparing for their comeback.]

[BaksseWhoEatsMalaTangTomorrow: It’s been a long time since their last full album.]

[TSdaddy: Comeback?]

Before the shock about Jaejeong had even subsided, the word ‘comeback’ made his heart suddenly pound. Did fans feel this way when news of his next project was released? Dohoon placed a hand over his thumping heart and smiled shyly.

****

Jaejeong sat leaning against the wall, surveying the bustling practice room before quietly putting on his headphones. The title track from the new album, which he had been listening to ad nauseam for over a month, began to play. The noise-canceling function kept the outside murmurs from seeping in. When he closed his eyes, it felt as if he were isolated in a distant place.

He envisioned the choreography in his mind, synchronizing it with the music resonating in his ears. The movements had become so ingrained in his body that he could now spring up and perform them even in his sleep. He always did his best, yet he still yearned to work harder. He disliked the feeling that time was passing, but he himself was stagnating.

As he quietly hummed the song, Taeyoung, a fellow member, approached and tapped Jaejeong’s shoulder.

“Jaejeong hyung, Sejin hyung is here.”

“Huh?”

“I said Sejin hyung is here.”

“Oh, really?”

Jaejeong pulled down his headphones and turned his gaze towards the practice room entrance. The person who had kept over a dozen people waiting leisurely strolled in. Jaejeong stood up, openly scowling.

“Sorry I’m late.”

Sejin, who offered his apology belatedly, smirked when his eyes met Jaejeong’s. Jaejeong stared at him, waving a cheerful hand, then simply turned his head away.

Sejin, who had returned home past midnight after finishing a variety show filming, had indeed overslept. Since it was due to his hectic schedule, no one openly expressed dissatisfaction.

Time had already been lost waiting for Sejin, so the dance practice began immediately, without even a moment to warm up. The choreography was so intense that after performing one song, they would be quite breathless. But without even a moment to catch their breath, the song’s intro began again. The members, without a word of complaint, immediately took their positions.

As practice continued, Sejin increasingly grated on Jaejeong’s nerves. His rhythm was subtly off, noticeably so even while dancing. Yet, among the choreographers and staff watching from the front, no one pointed it out.