Chapter 315 : Gogh Girl (3)
Chapter 315: Gogh Girl (3)
The amount of practice hadn't been lacking.
However,
what remained on stage wasn't the process—
only the result.
In that sense,
the first pre-recording stage was riddled with mistakes.
The Music Bank PD frowned as he spoke.
“…Let's do it again.”
“We're sorry.”
Kang Siwoo lowered his head.
Cha Seongbin's movement had gotten tangled, causing a slight collision in the back.
He'd made choreography mistakes twice in a row—
mistakes he normally never made.
The members understood the circumstances.
But they couldn't expect the same understanding from a third party.
“You're usually so good. What's going on today~?”
Fortunately,
it was a PD they were familiar with,
so he seemed to be holding back.
Normally, unless something unusual happened, the members almost always got an OK on the first take.
I swallowed nervously and looked straight ahead.
The MR of Figure out echoed across the stage,
and the members returned to their positions.
Figure out, I want to know you more.
The faded UTOPIA that disappeared.
Hidden secrets scattered like a lie.
The choreography,
which my body remembered better than my mind now,
flowed naturally.
This time as well,
there were no major problems until the middle.
The part where the first chorus ended and transitioned into the second verse.
The Music Bank PD,
who had been watching the camera monitor,
stiffened.
He waved his hand and walked forward.
“Hold on!”
Cha Seongbin froze with a tense expression.
The PD glanced toward him before letting out a short sigh.
It looked like he had a lot he wanted to say,
but thankfully,
he held it back.
“There have been too many mistakes...
Let's take a short break first.”
“Yes, we're sorry.”
“Yes!”
I hadn't been able to see clearly since I was in front,
but apparently their formations had gotten tangled again in the back.
If the same mistake kept happening in the same section,
they could simply focus on correcting that part.
But now,
a completely different mistake appeared every single time.
It was proof that everyone's concentration had dropped significantly overall.
Cha Seongbin's shoulders sagged.
“It's okay, hyung.”
Kang Siwoo patted Cha Seongbin on the shoulder before stepping aside to greet the PD.
At least it wasn't a live broadcast.
Still,
the fans who had come to support the pre-recording were right in front of us.
Sensing the atmosphere sink rapidly,
Ha Junseo stepped forward.
He started an ordinary conversation.
“Dustys, it was raining on your way here this morning. It must've been hard coming all this way, right?”
“Noooo!”
“It wasn't hard because we were coming to see Junseooo!”
A thunderous response came back.
Jin Sehyun smiled brightly and joined in.
“Sorry the pre-recording is taking so long...
We'll finish it perfectly next time.”
“Why are you apologizing?!
The longer we get to watch you, the better!!!”
“Ah, please. Can you do it just two more times?”
Since the audience seats were so close,
their loud voices carried clearly.
“Cha Seongbiiiin!!!
You're so handsomeeeeee!”
Perhaps worried that Cha Seongbin might lose confidence,
the fans showered him with enthusiastic cheers.
“Ah... haha, thank you....”
Cha Seongbin forced a smile,
then rubbed his face anxiously.
The truth was,
he really wasn't in good condition.
And judging by their reactions,
the fans seemed to know why.
“Do you think Cha Seongbin saw the article?”
“He doesn't look good at all....”
“Ah... What should we do....”
Quiet voices filled with concern drifted over from behind.
“I'm sorry.”
Those were the first words Cha Seongbin said as soon as we returned to the waiting room.
He let out a deep sigh and lowered his head.
His pale face looked as though he'd collapse if someone merely tapped him.
“I really tried to focus somehow.
I guess I just couldn't....
I made such basic mistakes that I have nothing to say.”
He continued weakly.
“If I'd known I'd be this hopeless,
it would've been better if you all had gone on stage without me.
I should've realized what condition I was in and said something earlier,
but I just couldn't....”
His words became increasingly incoherent.
Cha Seongbin kept repeating meaningless self-reproach.
“We practiced so many times,
and I still messed up my rap there like an idiot....
And of all days, today was our first music show, so it was even more important....
At this rate, people are going to say we weren't prepared from the very first broadcast....”
“Hold on, Seongbin.”
Our little sunfish.
At this rate,
he was going to dig himself into a hole.
“It's still something we can recover from.
It's okay.”
Unable to watch any longer,
Ha Junseo cut him off firmly.
Jin Sehyun nodded in agreement.
“That's right.
Hyung, didn't you see JjaekJjaek?”
“…You guys took my phone.”
“Oh.
Right, you couldn't.”
Clearing his throat,
Jin Sehyun pulled out his phone.
After scrolling through JjaekJjaek for a moment,
he opened several reviews from today's pre-recording in front of Cha Seongbin.
“Look.
Nobody's saying anything.”
None of the Dustys' reviews mentioned the mistakes.
Totorot @totorororo22
Universe Dust Figure out first pre-recording review!!
The members' faces were insane, and Choco Haim was adorable again today.
Junseo worrying about the fans because it rained ㅠㅠ
Even if a typhoon comes, I'll still run to see them ㅠㅠㅠ
Ppie @baet17e7
Ha Junseo in a leather jacket is insane....
It feels like the model student Bardi suddenly showed up on a motorcycle to seduce me.
It's been a while since I felt something this stimulating....
Guys, I love you.
Well,
there were a few mentions of Cha Seongbin's condition....
Refresh @f4newworld
Is Seongbin okay....
His face looks like he's lost a little weight ㅠㅠ
Even then,
they carefully avoided mentioning his mistakes.
The fans' loyalty was incredible.
There was no way to stop every bit of information from leaking,
but at the very least,
things weren't anywhere near the worst-case scenario Cha Seongbin had been imagining.
Besides,
he'd done well all this time.
Among the choreography instructors,
Cha Seongbin was famously nicknamed Won Seongbin.
What that meant was simple—
once he was corrected for a mistake,
he never made it a second time.
Fans who frequently attended offline schedules had seen countless occasions where Cha Seongbin finished pre-recordings in a single take.
How many people would turn away because of one mistake?
“……”
Cha Seongbin quietly stared at Jin Sehyun's phone for a long time before slowly lifting his head.
Jin Sehyun grinned.
“See?
Nobody's saying anything.”
“…You're right.”
Hyung's mind still looked unusually troubled.
Without saying anything,
I glanced at the clock hanging on the wall.
There was still some time before the live broadcast.
“Hyung.”
Cha Seongbin turned toward me when I quietly called him.
We'd been together for three years now.
It was about time I understood.
Smiling softly,
I slowly parted my lips.
“Go.”
“What?”
“We still have time.
Go see your sister.
She's been on your mind this whole time.”
Cha Seongbin's eyes wavered.
Ha Junseo patted him on the shoulder.
“Yeah, go.
As long as you're back before the live broadcast.”
“That's right.
Your sister's probably waiting.”
“Y-You really want me to go...?”
He awkwardly stood up.
He still looked bewildered.
“Go ahead.
We'll call you before the live broadcast.”
Even Manager Lee Jaeyoon joined in,
gently pushing Cha Seongbin toward the door.
Although he looked unsure whether this was really okay,
he didn't refuse.
His sister must've been weighing on his mind the entire time.
“Let's go, Seongbin.”
Manager Lee Jaeyoon decided to drive him to the university.
Ha Junseo raised a hand high.
“Have a safe trip!”
“Hyung, don't make any mistakes after you come back!”
“Wow, look at Jin Sehyun putting pressure on him....”
“What are you talking about? It's all because I care deeply about hyung.”
“Huh? Go find your conscience first!!”
While Seo Haim and Jin Sehyun bickered,
hyung awkwardly stepped outside.
“I... I'm going?”
His footsteps were heavy,
yet somehow,
he also looked relieved.
I smiled brightly and waved.
“Hurry and go!”
There's no need to keep everything bottled up inside.
After all,
sadness becomes the lightest when it's shared.
“Hey, is your older brother really Cha Seongbin from Stardust?”
The unexpected question pierced straight through her.
It was a situation she'd simulated dozens of times in her head,
thinking that someday this question might come.
But when it actually happened,
the words wouldn't come out.
Cha Eunha stood there blankly,
swallowing nervously.
The female student rolled her eyes before asking again.
“Cha Seongbin...
Cha Eunha.
Well, your family names are the same.
Don't tell me it's really true?”
Cha Eunha looked up at the girl who had asked.
The smile on her lips.
The curiosity shining in her eyes.
It was a question without malice.
“……”
Not only that girl,
but the entire classroom was staring at her.
Overwhelmed by all the attention,
Cha Eunha clenched her fists tightly.
It would be a lie to say she wasn't flustered.
It was true that she was afraid.
But.
If she took a step back and thought about it carefully,
one fact was clear.
These people weren't trying to throw stones at her.
They were simply curious.
It was probably the first time they'd ever met the family member of a celebrity.
People who stood in the public eye naturally attracted attention.
'I hate to admit it... but my brother really is successful.'
At home,
he was nothing more than a human sunfish who flopped around so much that all those media headlines calling him a "rising star" felt unreal.
But...
on stage,
he was someone amazing.
To someone else,
he was a shining star.
So it wasn't strange that this kind of attention followed him.
Her racing heart gradually calmed.
Instead,
her mind became peaceful.
A faint smile appeared on Cha Eunha's lips.
Maybe...
this wasn't something to be afraid of.
No.
It was something to be proud of.
Summoning her courage,
Cha Eunha finally spoke.
“That's right.
Cha Seongbin is my older brother.”
At those words,
the classroom erupted.
“No way.”
The girl who had asked the question lit up with excitement.
“Wow, it was really true?”
“Can you get me his autograph? I'm a huge fan!”
“Hey, do you really think that'll happen? You're not the only person asking for one.”
“Sorry. I got a little carried away! But I really am a fan. I voted for your brother all the way back during Starf!”
In an instant,
her classmates surrounded Cha Eunha.
“Seriously, how did you keep something like that hidden?”
The friends who were usually talking about Universe Dust the most seemed especially excited.
Questions came flying at her from every direction.
“This is incredible....
If it were me, I'd have hung a banner in front of the school.”
“I'm so jealous.
What's it like having such a handsome older brother?”
Everything became a blur.
The attention was overwhelming,
but it wasn't nearly as terrible as she'd imagined.
The excited voices of her classmates rang around her.
“I don't even need an autograph!
Eunha, just show us one picture of the two of you together!”
“Hey, don't put her on the spot like that.
I just want a personally signed album...!”
“……?”
Without realizing it,
Cha Eunha let out a small laugh.
Sehyun Special Illustration
The special illustration of Sehyun was created by artist Matgom, who is currently serializing the webtoon adaptation of I Became the Youngest Member of a Top Idol Group, following the previous special illustration of Ian!