Chapter 125
“Didn’t you already know?”
“….”
There was no way she couldn’t know.
What kind of feelings Jin Yeoreum had for Seon Taeyang.
Even when Song Johan was passionately discussing vocals during training and demanding focus, her gaze kept sliding toward the brief glimpse of Seon Taeyang beyond the window.
She had seen the subtle shifts in expression when it came to discussing Seon Taeyang, the tiny changes that were most apparent to her.
That unfeeling, ghost-like demeanor of hers could suddenly burst into vibrant expressions.
Hiding it was never an option.
Yet they both pretended not to acknowledge it.
Because once it was revealed, they would inevitably clash.
But that deception was coming to an end now.
Gaeul realized she could no longer pretend not to know.
“Yeah, thanks for being honest. I understand your feelings.”
Even if they had to collide.
“It makes sense; I like Brother Taeyang too.”
Like dandelions blooming, those feelings had spread beyond a full-blown yellow flower, floating through Gaeul’s heart as seeds.
Gaeul’s sky was already filled with that seed.
She was in love too.
“To be more honest, saying I simply like him seems insufficient. Yes, I love Brother Taeyang. …So much that I’m scared to imagine a life without him. But I know I shouldn’t express these feelings right now. After all, we are idols about to debut.”
What they needed to become was idols.
Recently, there was a growing trend respecting idols’ private lives, but the reality that love and romance for idols often brought more harm than good was clear.
Especially since they hadn’t even debuted yet; it was complete poison.
“I know this feeling of mine will only be a hindrance to Team Leader Seon and our agency, TwoBear.”
Yeoreum understood that well too.
“But just because of that, I can’t just pretend this feeling doesn’t exist and suppress it. Honestly, I can’t. …No matter how much I try to hold back, it just doesn’t work.”
“Yeoreum…”
She knew. She understood.
That’s why Gaeul couldn’t finish her sentence. She felt the same.
The restless fluttering of her heart had drenched her surroundings without her realizing it.
Gaeul couldn’t hold back either.
In a surge of maddening impulse directed at Seon Taeyang, she found herself spiraling out of control.
It was Han Gyeoul who spoke up on behalf of Gaeul, saying what had to be said.
“…Yeoreum, I feel like it’s inappropriate for me to say this, but don’t you think we should hold on a bit longer?”
“…Yeah, Gyeoul, you’re holding on better than anyone.”
“…What about me?”
Just as Gyeoul was about to question Jin Yeoreum’s statement for its meaning, Jin Yeoreum turned to Yoo Gaeul.
“Hey, Gaeul unnie, can I ask you one question?”
“…Huh? Oh, sure.”
Having obtained Yoo Gaeul’s permission, Jin Yeoreum took a slight deep breath and unveiled the hidden veil.
“How did you know where to find Team Leader Seon while spending time with him?”
“Well… I happened to swing by after finishing a busking gig…”
“But Gaeul unnie’s busking spot is over an hour away. It’s far from the company. You just happened to drop by a café at such a faraway location?”
“….”
Gaeul fell silent. And that silence was a sufficient answer.
“…Okay, I won’t ask you how you did that anymore.”
Seeing Yoo Gaeul unable to answer and trembling, Han Gyeoul spoke up again.
“That’s because Gaeul unnie….”
“Han Gyeoul.”
Jin Yeoreum, who had taken on the role of a calm listener throughout most of the conversation, decidedly interrupted Han Gyeoul’s words this time.
Gyeoul noticed it. There was a fire in her voice that had once been cold and composed, as if she was angry.
“The weirdest one here is you.”
“…Me?”
“Yeah, you.”
“….”
“It’s fair to blame me for creating discord. I get that reason. But there’s something I find hard to understand about your behavior.”
“…Something hard to understand?”
“Why do you keep defending Gaeul unnie? …No, that’s the wrong way to put it. Why do you keep trying to endure?”
“Well, I suppose enduring is for everyone’s sake…”
“Does that ‘everyone’ include you?”
“….”
Seeing Han Gyeoul unable to respond to that, Jin Yeoreum bit her lower lip hard.
And then she unleashed all the emotions she had been holding back at once.
“Gyeoul, you’re weird. You create opportunities for Gaeul unnie and Team Leader Seon to talk, pass the opportunity to Gaeul unnie when it comes, and even bring up Gaeul unnie when you’re with Team Leader Seon. You even try to force a situation where Gaeul unnie and Team Leader Seon can be alone together, and you leave. …What’s that about? That’s weird. Why do you help Gaeul unnie while you’re trying to endure?”
“Well, it’s because the teacher feels comfortable talking to Gaeul unnie. Though he doesn’t show it, he relies on Gaeul unnie, who’s the oldest. And it’s the kind of help I can give her. So, I’m doing it for both of them…”
“But you like Team Leader Seon too!”
“….”
Han Gyeoul thought she had to deny Jin Yeoreum’s words.
If she wanted to stay by Seon Taeyang’s side in any form, she had to endure this feeling right now. But she couldn’t bring herself to say it.
Well, because she absolutely couldn’t deceive that heart.
“….”
Thus, silence was the best she could do, even though everyone knew the meaning behind that silence.
Seeing her friend’s frustrating demeanor, Yeoreum spoke as if she couldn’t cool off her rising anger.
“I don’t have a problem with Older Sister Gaeul. On the contrary, I think that pure emotion is lovely, even for another woman like me. Older Sister Gaeul’s way is completely natural. Honestly, whether it’s tracking her location or stalking, I have no intention of stopping it. Frankly, I’d like to do it too!”
Oh Yoori, who had been quietly observing the situation in the corner, thought, “Wait, no matter how I think about it, that’s a crazy statement, why is everyone nodding along?” but everyone ignored her and continued talking.
“…But, Gyeoul, you’re different; you shouldn’t do that.”
“I’m… I’m fine.”
“No! You’re not fine at all. That will hurt you so much. It’ll leave scars that will never fade. The feelings you hold aren’t light enough to just bottle up, are they?”
Those words weren’t directed at someone who had feelings for the same person. They were words meant for a friend who understood, relied on, and shared the same dreams.
Jin Yeoreum had seen. And she understood.
She understood Gyeoul’s longing and deep self-loathing, the defense mechanisms created by that twisted heart.
If left as she was, Gyeoul would break. Jin Yeoreum was sure of that.
After all, that’s how Jin Yeoreum felt herself.
“One day, I’ll confess this feeling to Team Leader Seon. And when that moment comes, I hope Team Leader Seon doesn’t accept it as a deviation or a troublesome incident from a manager’s standpoint. I want it to leave a tingle of excitement and contemplation for Team Leader Seon, not as an annoying task to deal with. And in the end, I want it to continue.”
Simply expressing her feelings wouldn’t be enough. Ultimately, she wanted Seon Taeyang to accept those feelings. For that, she couldn’t stay still. It wasn’t enough to just suffer alone while Gyeoul and Gaeul spent more time together.
Even if it created discord and twisted their relationship, that’s why she pulled this little deception.
Jin Yeoreum wanted to leave herself in Seon Taeyang’s heart.
“I’m sorry for the situation regarding Older Sister Gaeul. I understand your concerns. It must have looked like I had a sinister desire to monopolize Team Leader Seon out of my own greed. …Honestly, it’s not much different. But that’s not right. So I promise. I won’t do something foolish like blocking TwoBear’s future just to overtake them. I want to succeed with everyone in TwoBear, too. I will never allow myself to be the obstacle.”
“Rani, I promise. I won’t do anything stupid that would hinder TwoBear’s future just so I can get ahead. I want to succeed with everyone in TwoBear too. I absolutely cannot allow myself to be that obstacle.”
Jin Yeoreum didn’t just like Seon Taeyang. She liked everyone in TwoBear, including Cheon Aram, Seo Soo-yeon, Lee Hyerin, Song Johan, Seok Hyun-woo, Han Gyeoul, Yoo Gaeul, and even the new girl Oh Yoori who just joined.
She wanted them to be happy. She wanted to support them.
Nevertheless, there was something she couldn’t give up.
“But, as long as I don’t get in the way, I won’t stop making a little time for myself like now. I don’t want to fall behind.”
“….”
“So, Han Gyeoul, face it properly. Don’t give up in advance thinking it won’t work out because you don’t fit with Team Leader Seon. Instead of compromising by just being next to him, prepare to confront your feelings properly someday.”
Jin Yeoreum forced a smile, trembling at the corners of her mouth, and said to Han Gyeoul.
“If you don’t, you’ll regret it.”
Knowing that by saying this, she might be the one to regret it later.
*
After finishing her words, Jin Yeoreum left the training room to collect her emotions, but only silence filled the place.
“….”
Yoo Gaeul was also aware of what Jin Yeoreum was pointing out. She understood what feelings Han Gyeoul harbored and what significance her series of actions toward her held. Back when Han Gyeoul declared her support for Yoo Gaeul’s love, she wasn’t sure, but gradually she began to understand all the meanings behind it.
Even so, she accepted winter’s kindness like a habit. The time spent with Seon Taeyang within that affection was too sweet.
Because of that, in her opinion, the worst person here was herself.
With a body trembling in guilt, Yoo Gaeul pleaded for forgiveness from Han Gyeoul.
“I’m sorry, Gyeoul. I really…”
But Gyeoul couldn’t hear her apology. All that echoed in her mind was Jin Yeoreum’s warning that one day she would regret it.
“I love Teacher Taeyang….”
In that moment, Gyeoul was lost in thought, mumbling in a daze.
Watching all of this from the corner, the new trainee Oh Yoori secretly summarized the situation.
“This group project is totally messed up.”
Three crazy time bombs were right in front of her; her fellow trainees who were about to debut felt attracted to their manager.
It was, without exaggeration, a totally messed-up situation.
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