Chapter 69:
Let’s go all the way.
“Did you see Dongsoo hyung’s expression earlier?”
“Those bastards…! He said and left.”
Bak Jinhyuk opened the door of the dorm with a grim face, imitating Bak Dongsoo’s action.
“It doesn’t seem like a false report… Dongsoo hyung seemed to know something.”
“Where did the leak come from?”
The members of Awi lay down on the living room floor as they entered the dorm.
Lying on the floor and staring at the ceiling had become a kind of routine for them. Ian turned on his phone at the sound of a chat vibration.
(Jotaeng2) (link) Did you guys see this? – 14:17
(Dancing King Kim Juyeong) What the hell? – 14:17
(Ian3) You’re late – 14:17
(Dancing King Kim Juyeong) Is it really disbanding? – 14:19
Jotaeng and Kim Juyeong had changed their profile pictures to group photos with the members of Human Flower Wreath.
They must have felt good about it, even though they said they were embarrassed.
What will happen to us
Ian deleted the sentence without finishing it. Jin, who was looking at Ian’s screen, said.
[What do you mean what will happen? We’ll go our separate ways when the contract ends.]
‘…Is that how it’s going to end up?’
[How many groups do you think renew their contracts with everyone? Black Rush is obvious.
They became popular as a group, so they want to be popular as individuals. Then they can’t help but have ambitions for solo activities.]
‘It’s a shame… Black Rush was doing well.’
[Hey, Choi Ian. Nothing lasts forever.]
Ian felt uneasy as he saw his direct senior group disbanding in a regrettable way. The other members didn’t say anything either, lying on the living room floor.
(Jotaeng2) Let’s go all the way – 14:34
Ian’s phone screen, which was not turned off, rang with a pop-up message from Jotaeng.
[Official] BHL Entertainment Black Rush some members not renewing contract… “It’s not disbanding. Discussing direction of activities”
[Official] Black Rush Young Hyun, Wook Jin not renewing contract… Agency “It’s not disbanding of Black Rush”
YoungH_BR
To my beloved fans. Hello, this is Young Hyun of Black Rush.
I think you must have been very confused by the sudden news. I’m also very bewildered and sorry to the fans.
But I’m afraid there might be some other rumors, so I decided to write this after much deliberation to make my position clear.
I recently decided to go solo and start a new beginning, and after consulting with the company and the members, I parted ways with BHL Entertainment, which I had been attached to.
But it’s absolutely not disbanding of Black Rush.
When we debuted, we promised each other that we would stay together until the end, whether we stayed in BHL or moved to another place.
That promise hasn’t changed.
I won’t disappoint you as Young Hyun of Black Rush or as actor Kim Young Hyun in the future. I’m always grateful to the fans who trusted and loved me. Please believe and support me. Thank you.
-So is Black Rush disbanding?
└It’s practically no different from disbanding
└No they’re not they said it’s not disbanding
└└Isn’t that just giving false hope?
└They can’t let go of the title of Black Rushㅋㅋㅋ
└Black Rush was already losing its popularity anyway, soon they’ll be in military service and their juniors will do wellㅋㅋ It makes sense for Byunghun to stay but there’s no merit for him eitherㅋㅋ
└I’ll support them wherever they go
[That’s just playing with words.]
Jin said, looking at Kim Young Hyun’s MyStarGram post on Ian’s phone.
‘Why do you think so?’
[It’s not easy to get together when they have different agencies.]
‘Can’t they do it like I-One? They can have a separate management agency.’
[I-One was possible because they had a broadcast contract, but if the interests of each agency don’t match, reunion is just breaking up. As far as I remember, they didn’t get back together in the future either.]
Ian also tried to recall, but he didn’t care who disbanded or not in his previous life because he was busy making a living.
‘It’s hard…’
Ian put down his phone and stood in the middle of the practice room. The music played, and the members tried to match the dance.
“What if we tilt our heads like this here? And turn our shoulders like this.”
“Oh? The angle looks better. As expected, our group’s dancing king.”
“Then let’s try it again with Juyeong’s version.”
The members gave Kim Juyeong a thumbs up and praised him. They repeated the dance from the beginning, incorporating Kim Juyeong’s suggestion. Ian played back the dance they had just filmed on his tablet.
“Good.”
“This is better.”
Awi was going to Japan right after a short two-week promotion in Korea. So this time, they only had a digital single without a physical album.
“Okay. That’s it for practice. Let’s take a break and go eat dinner?”
The members nodded their heads at Lee Juhyuk’s words, drinking water.
“But what should we eat?”
“How about delivery?”
“Don’t you feel suffocated? We’ve been in the practice room all day. Let’s eat out.”
“Meat…”
“Let’s eat something delicious with vodka chance.”
“Haven’t we earned enough to eat meat by now?”
The members left the practice room with the lights off and continued their serious discussion on the topic of dinner.
“Hey, Young Hyun hyung!”
Ian waved his hand as he saw Kim Young Hyun coming out of the recording studio. Black Rush’s leader Jung Se Jun was also following Kim Young Hyun.
“Hello!”
All the members of Awi bowed their waists and greeted them. Jung Se Jun and Kim Young Hyun pulled their heads back as if they were uncomfortable.
“Why are you greeting us so formally?”
“You don’t have to be so stiff now that you’re at our level.”
Awi got on the elevator with them. It was only one floor up, but they had no strength to climb the stairs after repeating practice all day and being hungry.
“Where are you going?”
“We’re going to eat.”
“Food? We’re going to eat too.”
Kim Young Hyun looked at Jung Se Jun and said.
“Should we buy them some meat?”
“Should we? What do you guys want to eat?”
The tiredness in the eyes of the Awi members who lifted their heads disappeared and they sparkled with anticipation.
“Hyung, can you buy us some pork belly?”
“What? Pork belly?”
Kim Young Hyun repeated the question and Jo Tae Woong was about to add that anything else was fine, thinking he had asked for too much.
“Why pork belly? Let’s eat Korean beef.”
““Wow!””
The Awi members gasped at Kim Young Hyun’s generous words.
“Hyung, we eat a lot.”
“Can you handle it?”
“We might drink up the Korean beef.”
Ian and the other three twenty-year-olds expressed their reluctance to refuse. They had seven members and their appetite was no joke, so they thought it would be a burden for Kim Young Hyun and Jung Se Jun.
“It’s okay. We have a lot of money.”
“Still…”
“So, you don’t want to eat Korean beef?”
“No!”
There was no such thing as refusing three times as a virtue in front of Korean beef. Awi accepted Kim Young Hyun’s offer and grinned at each other.
***
“Juyeong is good at grilling meat.”
Kim Young Hyun muttered blankly as he watched the tongs moving skillfully over the grill.
“Juyeong is our group’s food expert. He grills meat like no one else.”
“I should have sat next to Juyeong.”
Kim Hyun sighed. Ian looked at Kim Hyun and raised his eyebrows.
“Why hyung, I grill well too. Don’t you like me?”
“You grill well too, but Juyeong is unbeatable.”
“That’s true. I’m better at pork than beef.”
Ian quickly agreed.
“Let me know if you need more.”
Jung Se Jun said. The place they brought Awi to was a Korean beef restaurant with separate rooms.
Jung Se Jun and Kim Young Hyun didn’t show them the menu, so they didn’t know the price, but the restaurant atmosphere with dim lighting seemed to be quite expensive.
“It’s so delicious…”
“The meat melts in my mouth.”
Awi snatched the tongs from Jung Se Jun and Kim Young Hyun and grilled the meat excitedly.
“Who’s the most popular among you?”
Kim Young Hyun asked, and the members who had a mouthful of meat pointed at Ian with their fingers without saying a word.
“As expected…”
“He has a face that deserves popularity. When he came to record our debut song, his face was shining.”
“He sings well too, right? He’s totally talented with that face.”
Jung Se Jun nodded his head. He seemed to have something to regret as he smacked his lips.
“Can we drink too?”
“Do you guys want to drink too?”
As they ate meat, Kim Young Hyun and Jung Se Jun pressed the bell to call the staff, asking about Awi’s situation, such as how their leader was doing and how their mood was.
“We won’t drink.”
“Why? Aren’t you all adults?”
“Except for Seodam. We decided to drink together when our youngest becomes an adult.”
“You have good teamwork.”
Jung Se Jun ordered a bottle of wine from the staff. Jo Tae Woong cautiously asked him.
“But hyungs, can I ask you a sensitive question?”
“What question? Why I didn’t renew my contract?”
“…Yes, that one.”
Kim Young Hyun held his chin with his hand holding chopsticks.
“How should I say this…”
“Don’t tell me you fought?!”
“Hey, fight! We’re close like you guys!”
Jung Se Jun shouted at Jo Tae Woong’s question. Ian and Park Seodam shook their heads vigorously.
“I knew Jotaeng would ask that.”
“Hyungs are so nice. I’m a bit jealous of you.”
Everyone laughed as Kim Young Hyun took a sip of wine.
“We didn’t fight, but… I didn’t tell the other members in detail.”
Jung Se Jun, who was also curious, put down his chopsticks and looked at Kim Young Hyun’s face.
“Okay. I’ll tell you.”
He had told the Black Rush members that he wanted to start anew as an actor, but the truth was different.
“Remember when I asked who was the most popular among you?”
“Yes.”
Kim Young Hyun seemed to have made up his mind after thinking for a while. His face was slightly red, maybe because the alcohol wasn’t that strong.
“It’s similar to that. Black Rush also has members who get more attention. And that’s not me.”
“…”
“It felt… suffocating.”
Jin, who had been listening to the conversation, flew around and made a fuss.
[See, I was right? He left because he wanted more popularity. He wanted to do well on his own!]
‘Can you be quiet? It was touching just now.’
Ian was annoyed by Jin, who kept interrupting his view. He tried hard to smooth out his expression, afraid that the members would misunderstand.
“…Was it like that, hyung?”
“By the way, I’m not saying this to make you feel bad.”
Jung Se Jun asked in surprise and Kim Young Hyun waved his hand. The most popular member of Black Rush was undoubtedly leader Jung Se Jun.
The second was Lee Wook Jin, who was active in variety shows. Lee Wook Jin also didn’t renew his contract with BHL Entertainment.
“Before I tell you my story, what did you guys think when Ian became popular?”
“You can be honest. We’re all fine with it.”
Ian, who was curious about the members’ feelings, supplemented Kim Young Hyun’s question.
“Well? I don’t have any special thoughts… It’s good if Ian does well. He also promotes our group name.”
“I think Ian deserves to be popular…”
Lee Juhyuk and Bak Jinhyuk spoke, and Kim Hyun and Park Seodam followed.
“Honestly, I don’t have any thoughts either. Ian doesn’t slack off on group activities…”
“Ian hyung is talented, right? Our company doesn’t blatantly push one person either.”
“What about you guys? Tae Woong also acts.”
Jo Tae Woong and Kim Juyeong shrugged their shoulders and said.
“I think he’s in a different category from us. But well… He’s our member, so not really?”
“Honestly, I would have been jealous if he was worse than me but more popular. But he’s good at everything.”
“He doesn’t ignore us because he’s popular… He’s very considerate of us.”
[He’s just pretending!]
‘Can you shut up? It was very touching.’
Ian was annoyed by Jin, who kept making noise. He smiled awkwardly at the members.
Lee Juhyuk continued to speak.
“Actually, there aren’t many people like him when we go to music shows or something. Then we feel a bit proud, like ‘How about that? He’s our member!’”
“That’s right.”
“Oh, I feel the same way.”
The members agreed and Jung Se Jun made an ooh~ sound.
“Are you guys really being honest?”
Ian scratched his head awkwardly. He felt embarrassed but also touched.
“You guys are close.”
Kim Young Hyun looked at each of the Awi members’ faces. He smiled warmly as if he was looking at his younger siblings.
“Actually, I felt the same way as you guys when we debuted.”
Kim Young Hyun said and Jung Se Jun, who had been spinning his wine glass for no reason, stopped his hand.
“But the people around me weren’t like that.”