A Failed Idol’s Rise to Bottom

"…Ah. I didn't think you had that view on love. Not a relationship, just sexually open-minded…? Anyway, I didn't know you thought like that."

"Wait, wait. Stop, stop!"

Sugyeom interrupted Hansol, startled by his words.

He didn't know what, where, or how it had became twisted, but he, who had suddenly become sexually open-minded, looked at Hansol with round eyes.

"I'm sexually open-minded?"

"…No? That's…Aren't you open-minded?"

"No, no. What the hell are you saying?!"

Sugyeom abruptly shouted, unable to hold back his frustration in the end.

How did he suddenly become sexual open-minded? And how was Hansol so open-minded to react as such? It was unanswerable questions one after another.

"It's…sex…"

"Stooop! Why are you talking about that all of a sudden?!"

Sugyeom quickly interrupted Hansol, perfectly aware of what he was about to say.

He was confused by the sudden words that had come from Hansol's mouth and why he was talking about such things now.

"Then…you didn't put it in…Did you do it until then?"

"What do you mean I didn't put it in?!"

Kyaaagh–

Sugyeom shouted in disgust knowing what Hansol seemed to have meant.

Soon, Hansol's face became more flustered.

"Then, did you put it in?"

"No!"

Why did this little brat keep saying he put something in?!

Although Sugyeom was only one year older than Hansol at most, he suddenly felt like he had aged from the chaotic situation.

"So what is it?!"

"Agh! That's what I want to ask! What the hell is this conversation?! What kind of flow is this?!"

Sugyeom cried out in frustration and even grabbed his hair. And from Hansol's expression, he seemed to be just as frustrated as he was.

He hit his forehead hard and began to reflect on their conversations to see where and how it became twisted.

First, he said he had messed around with Taewon yesterday. Then, Hansol asked him if he would do it with him if the situation was right, so he had answered that he would because he liked them both.

In this pure and unspoiled conversation, how did the words that start with sex and end with him became intertwined?

And what? Sexually open-minded?

"Hey, what made you think I was sexually open-minded?"

"You said you did it with Taewon-hyung because the situation was right!"

"Huh…?"

"You said you would do it with me if the situation suits you! Because you like us both!"

"Uh, huh…?"

Sugyeom asked back in a daze.

What Hansol had repeated was certainly true. That was, when taken word for word. However, he was certain there was no underlying meaning.

As he tried to understand what he had said faintly, he calmly looked at Hansol.

Hansol could be seen sighing as he swept his blond hair with a flustered expression like he was embarrassed.

One, two, three seconds passed. The moment when different frustrations weighed on them grew, Sugyeom widened his eyes at a thought that had suddenly come to mind.

"Wait, wait. Sol, don't tell me…that…Taewon-hyung and I…You don't think we slept together…?"

"Hyung said it with your own mouth. You slept."

"Hey geeze, when did I say that?!"

At the same time as Sugyeom's anger exploded, the palm of his hand turned to Hansol's chest.

Thump–

Hansol covered his chest after being suddenly struck. His expression was filled with shock.

"Wh-what?"

"I said I was messing around with Taewon-hyung. When did I say we slept together?"

"Hyung, when did you say you were messing around? You never said that!"

Hansol cried out unjustly as he massaged his chest.

His words of protest quickly reminded Sugyeom of the conversation he had with Taewon. However, even after looking through his memory carefully, as Hansol had said, he never mentioned that he and Taewon were messing around.

In the end, as his lips quivered like it was going to explode from being unable to find anything to say, his face quickly became dyed red.

Although he felt aggrieved, embarrassment came when he thought how Hansol had misunderstood him so far.

"Hey, who do you take me for? I'm a virgin!"

"…"

Sugyeom, who had unconsciously shouted for his innocence due to feeling aggrieved and embarrassed, quickly closed his mouth and eyes tightly.

Even though he felt aggrieved, he didn't have to shout that he was a virgin. Regret was called regret because it was always too late.

As he was thinking in vain that he would sell his soul if he could go back five seconds, Hansol's thick lips moved slightly.

"…Don't say anything. Just don't do it. I made a slip of the tongue, so you just…"

Perhaps due to Hansol's personality, he must have wanted to say something to fix this awkward and embarrassing situation even if a little to comfort Sugyeom who wanted to drown in a plate of water.

However, Sugyeom didn't want to hear it. Whatever he said would only add to the shame.

"…I-I'm a virgin too."

"Aaaaak! I told you not to say it!"

Sugyeom's scream echoed from U-PITE's accommodation.

* * *

"Yuchan."

Sugyeom scratched his nose as he approached Yuchan, who was leaning against the veranda railing and looking out the window.

Yuchan glanced at him and soon fixed his eyes out the window again.

He sighed inwardly, seemingly too aware of why Yuchan was acting like this.

After finally resolving the grave misunderstanding with Hansol, it was now time to explain to the remaining members.

He didn't know why everyone had such a ridiculous misunderstanding.

Common sense was that he couldn't have slept with Taewon! The same member! At the accommodation no less! He couldn't do that unless he wanted to ruin their group's dynamic.

Nevertheless, it seemed not only Hansol but Igyeom and Yuchan had misunderstood, so he had to resolve the misunderstanding before it deepened.

"It might be an unnecessary worry, but what I had said earlier during breakfast…"

"Don't say anything."

Yuchan ended the conversation without giving Sugyeom a chance to explain.

If Sugyeom hadn't seen Yuchans expression when he gave him the cold treatment, he would have felt hurt.

However, contrary to Yuchan's cold treatment, he appeared to be more depressed than anything, so Sugyeom wasn't even given the chance to be hurt.

"It's a misunderstanding."

"…What misunderstanding?"

It was more important to bring up the main topic than to give a lengthy explanation. Yuchan seemed to be harboring a deep misunderstanding.

Fortunately Yuchan had turned his head. As a result, Sugyeom took a deep breath in relief and spoke.

"That's…Uh, I never thought it would be conveyed in that sense. Taewon-hyung and I were just joking yesterday. Hyung poked me in the cheek as a joke. So I told him not to do it, and I bit him…That's why his neck is like that."

"…Really?"

"Ehm. Really."

Sugyeom answered firmly.

Although he wanted to angrily shout, "Who do you think I am?" and smack him like he had done with Hansol earlier, he thought it wouldn't be too late to do it after the atmosphere had warmed up.

"Then, nothing happened with Taewon-hyung?"

"If you mean sexual, then nothing happened. Really."

"Ah…That's a relief."

Yuchan buried his face in his big hands. Perhaps he was really relieved, but he even exhaled a long sigh.

"Hey, who do you think I am?! How could I do such a thing with a member of the same group at the accommodation when all the members are around unless I was crazy?"

Only then did Sugyeom shout. He thought it was unfair and ridiculous, but on the other hand, even thought it was funny trying to explain such a ridiculous misunderstanding.

"…Right."

For some reason, Yuchan looked bitter even after hearing Sugyeom's explanation.

Sugyeom, who was elated that the ridiculous misunderstanding had cleared up and thought Yuchan would laugh, was taken aback by the completely different reaction than expected.

"Yuchan, what's wrong?"

"No, nothing. I'm sorry I misunderstood."

Although Yuchan said nothing, his eyes looked as lonely as could be.

Sugyeom finally realized what was wrong. He thought his words had hurt Yuchan.

Yuchan naturally didn't know that he knew his sexual orientation, so he thought what he had said was enough to be hurtful.

"So what I meant, uh…Of course, the members can date, and if they like each other, they can move forward. But no matter how much we do that, there's a limit. We don't live alone but in an accommodation with other members, so touching each other doesn't make sense."

Yuchan showed a surprised expression. It wasn't a bitter expression like before, so Sugyeom was relieved to think that his added remark had worked.

Gaining nerve, he continued.

"To put it bluntly, couldn't you and I go out? Like dating? And uh, kiss on the cheek? Or real kissing? And after that too! It could happen. Why couldn't it? But there's a time and place for everything."

"…Do you really think so?"

"Sure, of course!"

Sugyeom answered Yuchan's careful question without hesitation.

When he thought about how Yuchan must be suffering alone just because he liked men, he added.

"Well, what's the big deal with guys dating? It's nothing special. What's the problem? I don't mind dating and sleeping with a guy. It's fine, there's no problem as long as we get along. I mean, the time has to be right, is what I'm saying."

"Hyung, what you just said…do you mean it?"

"I mean it. I'm someone who can't even lie."

Sugyeom responded by waving his hand in an exaggerated manner.