Chapter 50: Truths Between Teams

At Won Ju-ha’s words, the team members who had never once shown any sign of hardship burst into tears.

Watching them, Won Ju-ha also lowered her head, seemingly choked up again.

After finishing the evaluation amidst the tears, they gave their thanks and moved to the back.

As they did, the second team stepped forward to fill the empty space.

“Then we’ll see the second team.”

Won Ju-ha, who had by now regained her composure, nodded, and soon the accompaniment for ‘Beautiful Hate’ began to play.

The choreography started, and the song followed shortly after.

As the roughly three minutes passed, the song ended.

With mistakes noticeable here and there, the participants stood before the trainers with tense faces.

This time too, Kwak Jinwoong spoke first.

“You’ve been practicing separately from the first team, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

At Nam Jin-wook’s answer, Kwak Jinwoong nodded and opened his mouth.

“I think it would be good for you to get some input from the first team after this.

There’s a bit of a difference in the details, you see?”

Seizing the moment Nam Jin-wook paused, Bae Jae-hyung abruptly interjected.

“We thought it would be good to share as well, but it seems we lacked communication with each other.”

The way he said it made it sound as if they had wanted to practice together, but we had refused.

In fact, excluding Bae Jae-hyung and Nam Jin-wook, the other participants had occasionally matched the song or choreography with them.

What was he talking about…?

“Even though you were arbitrarily divided, you’re still on the same team in the end, so you should work together and cheer each other on.”

Kwak Jinwoong seemed to have understood it that way too, glancing towards them and saying this with a smile.

Just as they were about to move on to the next evaluation—

“Sorry for interrupting, Jinwoong ssam.”

Kwak Jun-sung, who had been standing quietly until now, suddenly spoke up.

“Team 1 shared everything they could share with us.

It’s just that our team’s efforts were lacking.

We’ll reflect on this and prepare harder for next time.”

At his words, which completely contradicted Bae Jae-hyung’s, Kwak Jinwoong looked puzzled, said “Is that so?”, then nodded and simply told them to work hard before lowering his microphone.

And in the distance, through the mirror, Jae-seo met Kwak Jun-sung’s gaze as he gave a subtle wink.

…What was that all about?

***

After finishing the mid-point check, some of the team members decided to take a break to calm their emotions.

Just as he was about to tidy up the tissue packs and water bottles left in the practice room, someone suddenly slapped him on the back.

“Ugh,” a short groan escaped, and he dropped the items he was holding.

Instead, the other person made a startled sound and bent down.

“You okay?”

Kwak Jun-sung, having picked up the fallen items, was looking at him with worried eyes.

It seemed these kinds of incidents were happening far too often.

Straightening up, he said he was fine.

Kwak Jun-sung frowned and asked again if he was really okay, so he repeated that he was truly fine.

“That’s a relief.

I was starting to think you might be really weak or something.”

Saying it was his fault, Jun-sung offered to help and picked up the trash Jae-seo had gathered.

If he was sorry, it would be easier if he just took it all and threw it away himself, but judging by the way he kept looking back at Jae-seo, he didn’t seem to intend to, so Jae-seo started walking with him.

As they walked towards the recycling bins together, Kwak Jun-sung started by saying he was sorry.

“It’s really okay.”

“No, I mean during the mid-point check earlier.

And also sorry about the first day of practice.”

He seemed to be talking about what Bae Jae-hyung had said during the mid-point check, but since he had no interaction with Kwak Jun-sung on the first day, he wondered what he meant.

“I didn’t know Bae Jae-hyung would butt in like that.

Nam Jin-wook, anyway, tends to play it safe.”

It felt disconnected, and seeing Jae-seo’s face showing he didn’t understand, Kwak Jun-sung burst into hearty laughter, stomped on an empty water bottle to crush it, and continued.

“It’s cringy what those Coz kids do, but I guess you’d call it king-making.

They’d like to succeed themselves, but even if they can’t, their priority is to push Nam Jin-wook up no matter what.

I don’t know why, though.”

With that, a second plastic bottle crunched and flattened under his foot.

“In that process, they can’t let Nam Jin-wook get any scratches, so even when they scheme, they do it where there’s nothing, or in a way that doesn’t show.

That’s what I mean by playing it safe.

But earlier, it showed a bit too much, didn’t it?”

The last water bottle was crushed with a loud crack.

Kwak Jun-sung picked up the thoroughly flattened bottles, tossed them into the bin, and dusted off his hands.

“There are a few trainees that particularly get on their nerves, you know?

For example, me and….”

Kwak Jun-sung pointed his finger at Jae-seo. “You.”

“Because Nam Jin-wook can’t afford to drop, they try to keep people like us in check.

Just in case we might surge ahead.”

So that’s why, ever since the ‘A Letter’ team, they’d been blocking him from taking noticeable roles, with Bae Jae-hyung especially taking the lead.

One by one, the suspicions he’d vaguely had were falling into place, but it was all in the past anyway.

Thinking about it now would just be a hassle.

And it’s not like dwelling on it would change anything.

“Anyway, since his picking a fight earlier was partly my fault too, I’m sorry.”

The mention of his fault seemed to refer to what happened on the first day of ‘Beautiful Hate’ practice, so he listened quietly.

Soon, Kwak Jun-sung continued.

“On the first day of practice, I deliberately didn’t teach your side the choreography.”

So it was Kwak Jun-sung who had learned the choreography for the other team.

Jae-seo thought that if he wanted to avoid being entangled with Nam Jin-wook or Bae Jae-hyung, that was understandable, and he nodded.

But then an unexpected reason came out.

“You looked pretty cute when you were flustered.”

Suddenly, goosebumps rose all over his arms, and he instinctively sensed a danger signal.

He was convinced: this was right before hitting the 50% favorability threshold.

What exactly is causing the favorability to rise so fast with Chae Han-ul and Kwak Jun-sung?

The thought crossed his mind.

“Ah!”

Along with a sudden ominous feeling, that familiar sensation washed over him, and his body started moving on its own.

Not now, he begged inwardly, but his body wouldn’t stop.

Just as his foot slipped and he was about to plant his face into Kwak Jun-sung’s back—

“…Are you okay?”

A familiar situation was replaying itself.

Grabbing the arm that had wrapped around his waist just before he fell, he turned his head to find Yeo Hyun-tae’s face filling his vision, appearing from who knows where.

“Uh, I’m fine.

Thanks.”

Only then did Kwak Jun-sung, who had been walking ahead, turn around, his face showing clear surprise.

“Yeo Hyun-tae, since when were you there?”

Yeo Hyun-tae, frowning uncharacteristically, answered, “Just now,” and glanced briefly at the corner opposite where he and Kwak Jun-sung had been standing moments before.

…Did he run all the way from there to here because of me?

He seemed completely out of breath or tired, which made it suspicious, but then again, Yeo Hyun-tae had no reason to lie to them.

Because he overheard Kwak Jun-sung talking about Nam Jin-wook?

What would that have to do with Hyun-tae that he’d need to lie?

Just as he was thinking this and about to step away,

“Huh?”

Yeo Hyun-tae wasn’t letting go of the arm around his waist.

Seemingly lost in thought, he was frowning with a serious expression.

Jae-seo called him several times, “Yeo Hyun-tae,” but got no answer.

…What’s wrong with him now?

“Hyun-tae.”

He tried calling one more time, just in case.

Only then did Hyun-tae’s expression return, and with an “oops” face, he let go of Jae-seo’s waist.

“Did something happen?”

Yeo Hyun-tae, flustered unlike himself, soon answered that it was nothing, said he’d go ahead, and quickly left the spot.

***

[x00512 Please Take Care of My Idol Season 2 Episode 7 Live Discussion Thread]

[x00512 Please Take Care of My Idol Season 2 Episode 7 Live Thread
It’s the second round of the 2nd contest position evaluation]

[Comments]

…

Vocal team starting! ‘The Way to You’!

Lee Seung-han will definitely suit this lol

This is that kimchi-jjigae master’s famous kimchi-jjigae restaurant lol lol

Oh Han-ul came for vocals

↳ Vocals are the easiest to attempt lol

↳↳ Oh.. lol

Mmm~ as expected, the kimchi-jjigae restaurant makes the best kimchi-jjigae

I used to support idol Seung-han, but the more I see, the more ballads seem to suit him better lolㅠ

↳ Fr if you make mala tang at a kimchi-jjigae restaurant, the taste is bound to be ambiguous..ㅠㅠ

Han-ul’s vocals are fine though? lol The comment above said something about it being the easiest to attempt, so I thought he’d be really bad lol

↳ He’s been like that often since the July Snow team;

Oh next team!

Um… lol lol lol lol

What’s with this atmosphereㅠㅠ

Seo-hu and Jae-seo are coming!!

↳ Jin-wook too!!

Holy this is Son Chae-i’s song!!

Son Chae-i’s expression is so obvious lol lol lol lol

↳ Son Chae-i wrote the lyrics, so Sim Jae-seo complimenting them? lol Both are cute lol

Huh? Park Seo-hu isn’t the main vocal?

↳ Nam Jin-wook doesn’t seem to be pulling it off, why..??

What, Jae-seo’s part is so shortㅠㅠ Still, he’s working so hard, it’s admirableㅠㅠ

The Coz kids are taking all the parts for themselves

↳ Are they really going that far;

↳ Park Seo-hu didn’t raise his hand for main vocal first, did he?

Ju-ha ssam and Gi-hoon ssam seem unusually cold today

Huh they’re telling them to change positions??

↳ They have to,, if it’s that bad,,

↳↳ Same give the parts to Seo-hu and Jae-seo..

Oh the main vocal changed to Seo-hu!

↳ Jae-seo played a big role lol lol lol lol

Why is Jae-seo’s part still the same, it’s too shortㅠㅠ

Ah the feel is a bit different from the original song??

Holy Son Chae-i said she wants to sing Jae-seo’s version too, isn’t that huge praise?

↳ It’s absolutely huge praise!!

Oh the stage is starting I guess

But today Jae-seo is so innocent and pretty and handsomeㅜㅜ

Wow Jae-seo’s part, what is this, so goodㅠㅠ

He’s the tone legend of Please Take Care of My Idol Seasons 1&2 combined

Wow is that Son Chae-i’s reaction we’re seeing for the first time??

↳ Yeah it’s amazing lol lol lol lol

↳ They’re buttering up SJSeo because he’s the PD’s pick

↳↳ They’re buttering him up because it’s Son Chae-i’s song, what lol lol lol lol

↳↳ How long are you going to push the ‘everything is Sim Jae-seo PD pick’ theory, it’s getting really tiresome

How did Sim Jae-seo’s facial expressions improve so much?

↳ Did he break up with someone yesterday or something?? (I know he didn’t)

Ugh, goosebumps!! Park Seo-hu is definitely the main vocal pick after all!!

Seo-hu is just a high note genius, it’s not just blindly high, it’s comfortable and good to listen to

↳ Same but actually his low notes are good too

Jae-seo and Seo-hu’s harmony is amazingㅠㅠ

Jae-seo the ending fairy is legendary

↳ Was this the preview last week??

↳↳ Yeah wow I didn’t know I’d feel like I just went through a breakup because of Jae-seoㅠㅠ

Guys (0 of you), I suddenly really want to see crying Jae-seo,,

↳ Same you too?

↳ If he debuts, will he cry?ㅠㅠ

↳↳ Then first, let’s make him debut!

No, his part was just three short lines, but how is it possible that only Jae-seo is visible?

↳ Holy Jae-seo’s part is only three lines? This is truly shockingㄷㄷ

Last week’s ending cut off with Seo Jun-jae’s team, when is Seo Jun-jae coming out?

↳ Probably at the end..

Isn’t this team the last one formed?

↳ Ah.. I heard they’re all bad at rap lolㅠㅠ

Ah from the practice video, it’s already awkward..

What’s with this awkward tensionㅠㅠㅠㅠ

I’m not watching..

📢Now it’s the dance teams, come back!!📢

Ah right, Ji-heon didn’t perform last weekㅠㅠ

↳ But I don’t have high expectations for the team members..

Yoon Ji-heon is so good, I’m tired of saying it

Ah the rest can’t support himㅠㅠ

↳ Same he’s fighting alone too much

Na Woo-jae is fine

↳ Same right, Woo-jae is doing well, why do they lump him in and say they’re all bad..

When the rest all dance badly together, it makes you wonder if Yoon Ji-heon and Na Woo-jae are the strange ones.. lol

(((Save Ji-heon)))

📢Seo Jun-jae is out!! Seo Jun-jae is out!!📢

Today Seo Jun-jae’s visuals are truly a shock

↳ Right, whoever did Jun-jae’s hair and makeup deserves 10 times their monthly salary

Anyone know what color contacts Jun-jae is wearing?

Holy shit but Jun-jae in the practice room is handsome too lol lol lol lol

↳ *222* Ah I thought today was legendary, then I saw his normal face and realized his normal face was also legendary

↳ *33* The hair and makeup isn’t legendary, Jun-jae’s existence itself is legendary

Wow but they’re all so good, the lineup is too strong;;

Who was that guy in the red beanie just now??

↳ Lee Ha-jin?

↳↳ Thanks thanks, he looks like he’s about to break a leg, so coolㅠㅠ

What do you call Seo Jun-jae getting picked as the main dancer in that lineup?

↳ God of Dance

Jun-jae today is too crazy

↳ Same he seems crazy about dance and crazy about the stage, it’s cool

↳ *333* Isn’t this something you should have to pay to see?

↳↳ I’m already on my knees

↳↳ I’m turning off my wifi

…