A Failed Idol’s Rise to Bottom

"…Are you asking because you really don't know?"

Taewon asked as if he was stupefied after having not said anything for a while. Taken aback by his response, Sugyeom smiled awkwardly.

"I-I'm a little embarrassed if you react like that, hyung. Hahaha."

Sugyeom laughed in an exaggerated manner, pretending to have asked jokingly. Taewon exhaled a short breath.

"Sugyeom, you're pretty. So pretty that I sometimes wonder what to do. Okay?"

"Uh, huh? Ah, ehm.”

Sugyeom didn’t know what Taewon had meant, but he could no longer ask after hearing his firm tone. Instead, he swept the bridge of his nose in embarrassment.

Meanwhile, Taewon’s eyes looking at him were resolute. Contained in his deep eyes there was even resentment of not knowing what to do.

"Even if you ask me 10,000 times, the answer is still the same."

"Uh, uh…thank you."

Sugyeom thanked him after a brief consideration. He wasn’t sure if it was the right situation to say thank you, but nothing else came to mind.

In any case, Taewon answering that he was pretty could also be considered a compliment. And, saying the answer was still the same even if he was asked 10,000 times was definitely a sincere compliment.

"Really. So don't ask me things like that."

"Ehm, okay."

At Taewon’s friendly voice, Sugyeom nodded his head.

After roughly ending their conversation, he soon laid down on his bed, soothing his fluttering heart.

"I’m turning off the lights."

"Ehm…"

Darkness soon enveloped the room.

In the pitch black darkened room, Taewon's breathing was heard. It was as if to say that there were two people in the same space.

Sugyeom looked up at the top bunk bed in front of him.

When the group’s accommodation was first decided, he was taken aback after learning that he would be sleeping in a bunk bed. He thought it would be annoying if he was on the bottom and the person on top kept rattling the bed going up and down.

The living arrangement had to be resolved fairly, so he tried not to show his dislike as much as possible.

However, Hansol immediately took the top bunk, saying that he liked being on top. As a result, Sugyeom naturally slept on the bottom without any due process.

At first, Taewon shared a room with Igyeom and Yuchan, while Sugyeom shared a room with Hansol. But because Taewon’s room was too small, he moved in with Sugyeom. Now the three of them shared a room.

Sugyeom turned his head in the dark and looked at Taewon. Visible was his silhouette lying on its side. And because of his broad shoulders, he seemed to have piled up several pillows.

He laughed silently at Taewon’s clearly visible appearance even in the pitch black darkness.

After some time, the door to the room opened quietly. A ray of light seeped through the gap.

Sugyeom looked at the doorstep reflexively. Standing there was Hansol.

"You're back? Hurry up and go to sleep. It's late."

"Ehm. I understand. Hyung should hurry up and go to sleep too. You must be tired."

Sugyeom had pretended nothing had happened because he was afraid Hansol would be embarrassed. Hansol had also answered as if nothing had happened. Although Hansol's voice was a little shaky, he decided to ignore it.

Hansol had never told him directly, but he still thought it was cute to think that Hansol had frequently told others he was pretty.

The steel bunk bed lightly shook when Hansol climbed up the ladder before settling soon after.

Sugyeom looked up where Hansol should be laying and spoke quietly.

"Hansol."

"Ehm."

"You know what?"

"What?"

“Did I ever tell you that the first time I saw you as a trainee at home I thought a really handsome guy had joined?”

"…Really?"

"Ehm, really."

In fact, Sugyeom had said he was cute, but he wasn’t going to mention it. Even in his previous life, Hansol was sensitive to being called cute.

"Actually, I…it was the same for me."

"Really?"

Sugyeom asked back as if he was hearing it for the first time so that Hansol wouldn't be embarrassed.

And rather, according to Taewon’s words, Hansol had said Sugyeom was pretty.

"Yes, really."

"You and I had felt the same way. It’s like destiny, isn't it?”

"…What?"

"Right. We thought the same thing, but didn't tell each other and instead hid it."

"Oh…That's true."

Sugyeom cheerfully smiled at Hansol's response.

And perhaps because of how Hansol was speaking softly in a pleasant way, he began to feel sleepy. A lot had happened today.

He didn’t fight back his urge to fall asleep as his long, thick eyelashes closed gently.

"Good night."

Like a dream, a faint affectionate voice was heard.

* * *

"Song Sugyeom, wake up."

Despite the distant familiar voice, Sugyeom didn’t wake up. Rather, he pulled his yellow blanket up over his head and hid his face under it.

"Wake up and have breakfast."

The voice trying to wake Sugyeom up had grown louder.

"Um, ehm, ehm…"

Sugyeom had a rough sense of who the voice belonged to, but still drowsy, he could only mumble in response.

"I'll take the blanket away."

"Don’t…"

Still fast asleep, Sugyeom’s reply was drawn out. Igyeom, the owner of the voice, chuckled. Although Sugyeom was still drowsy, he smiled slightly at the pleasant sound of laughter.

At that moment, the blanket covering his head was pulled down.

Without any time to panic over the missing blanket, Igyeom grabbed him by the shoulders and sat him up.

“A little more…I want to sleep a little more…We don't have a schedule."

Today's schedule was mostly communicating with fans live in the afternoon.

Naturally before that there were a series of processes such as having to dress up in a Hanbok and do makeup, but there was no need to wake up so early in the morning.

"What time do you think it is?"

"Uh, ehm…seven…?"

"It's eleven."

"Already?"

"Yes. So hurry and get up."

After hearing the time, Sugyeom pouted his lips with displeasure as he slowly got out of bed.

Eleven o’clock wasn’t late enough to disrupt the schedule, but he couldn’t afford to keep staying in bed and risk being late.

He reluctantly headed to the kitchen with forced steps so as to not fall. Sitting at the table were Taewon, Hansol, and Yuchan already eating breakfast.

"Did you sleep well?"

Yuchan asked with a smile. Usually he would give a silent nod, so Sugyeom looked at him in surprise. At Yuchan’s changed greeting, he felt like he was still asleep.

"Ehm, what about Yuchan?"

"I slept well too."

Seeing Yuchan answer shyly, Sugyeom almost wanted to shout to the world, ‘Our Yuchan has changed!’

Yuchan, who had never talked to him first even when greeted, had not only asked him if he had slept well, but had also answered with a smile.

Had Yuchan turned over a new leaf after the new year?

He didn’t know why Yuchan had suddenly changed, but it was a good phenomenon nonetheless. Soothing his overwhelmed heart, he sat down in an empty seat.

In his bowl was Tteokguk that not only contained egg yolk and white garnish, but also finely shredded beef.

And naturally there were plenty of black seaweed flakes. As someone who liked seaweed flakes, it was a dish that fully reflected his taste.

"Wow, it looks delicious."

Looking at the beautifully decorated Tteokguk, Sugyeom’s eyes glistened as he held his spoon.

Sugyeom, who could be said to have a cat’s tongue, couldn’t eat hot things well. Therefore, no matter how delicious the food looked, he could only eat it after it had cooled.

This time again, he could only drool as he waited for the Tteokguk to cool.

"You don't have to wait. It's cold."

"Really?"

"Yes, that’s why I woke you up last."

"Heuk, amazing. I can't believe you were that thoughtful. I'm touched."

Sugyeom smiled with his eyes wide open as if he was genuinely moved by Igyeom’s consideration. And if that wasn't enough, he gently swept Igyeom's broad shoulder to praise him.

"Hey, look at you. You cook well, sing well, and have a nice body. It would be perfect if I could keep you all to myself."

"…"

Sugyeom thought nothing of it as he repeated what fans had said the day before. However, while picking up his spoon, he sensed a strange atmosphere.