Chapter 31. Put Down the Spray Bottle
As soon as we left the practice room with the camera, even the minimal effort the trainees had been making to manage their expressions vanished.
This was the brutal reality of a survival show. If someone made a mistake, they would be criticized in front of everyone—and that scene would be aired as-is.
I believed I had shown the best I could in such a high-pressure situation.
Having safely completed the mid-evaluation, I walked out without much thought.
It was then.
"Excuse me."
"...?"
When I turned my head, I saw a familiar face standing there.
It was the main vocal of Team B, who had been sulking ever since getting chewed out by Kim Joo-hyun and failing to control his expression.
There wasn’t really any reason for him to call me, so why...?
I, who had no particular connection with Lee Hajin in my past life either, answered in a flat voice.
"Yes."
"You sang well."
That sounded like there was a barb hidden in the compliment.
I turned to look at Lee Hajin, puzzled by his subtly provocative tone.
"...?"
Of course, I had a rough idea why.
He seemed like someone overflowing with confidence in his vocals, so maybe it stung to be criticized by a famous singer.
‘Why’s he picking a fight with me, though?’
It’s not like anyone forced him to choose that song at knifepoint.
Even I had the same opinion about Vocal Team B’s performance.
Song selection is one of the most crucial factors in a survival show.
Choosing the right song is a skill, too.
I had seen many people fall because they tried to take on songs beyond their capabilities and failed.
Not wanting to get into an emotional fight, I replied in a detached voice.
"Thank you. I practiced a lot…."
"But the song didn’t have many high notes. Was that intentional?"
How old was this guy again?
Oh, twenty.
I recalled Lee Hajin’s age on his profile and frowned.
‘He’s totally just a kid.’
I had suspected as much when he failed to manage his expression in front of the camera—it was that age, when emotions ran high.
It happens.
These trainee kids often think they’re seasoned ballad singers, able to cover original songs with ease.
They believe they can belt out high notes live without breaking a sweat.
They’ll learn the hard way and clean up the mess themselves.
"Ah, well…"
Just as I was about to respond lightly—
"Yes! That’s exactly right!"
A cheerful voice cut in unexpectedly.
Someone suddenly stepped up next to me, flashing a bright smile like they were trying to mess with the other person.
Startled by the sudden intruder, I turned my head with a confused expression.
"It’s kind of a strategy… I’m not good at high notes."
"...Ah."
"You should change your song too. Didn’t seem like your high notes were working either."
It was Lee Dokyung.
"Wow, that impact was insane. He ran off looking like he was about to cry."
Just as Lee Dokyung said, Lee Hajin fled with a sour expression, unable to say another word.
I guess he didn’t have the guts to answer back with something harsh.
Typical bully mentality—only strong against the weak.
And this guy…
Was he just plain strong—or just crazy?
I honestly didn’t know what kind of person he was.
"Haha."
Lee Dokyung scratched his head with a sly smile, but I couldn’t help but view him with a suspicious eye.
Not just because of that thing with Kang Siwoo, but just… I don’t know.
Maybe the 17-year-old Do Seohan might’ve been taken in by that casual attitude without thinking.
But from the perspective of someone who’s been through a bit more—say, eight years of life experience—things looked different.
Lee Hajin was the kind of small fry not even worth responding to, but this guy was different.
I had a rule: never get close to shady people.
Anyway, it seemed like Lee Dokyung had misunderstood something badly.
"Why are you letting him get to you? It was obviously a provocation."
"Ah, okay."
"Is it because you’re young? He probably thinks you’re easy."
No, I just didn’t want to bother responding.
"He’s ranked low. If he spouts nonsense, just shut him up. It’s not like the cameras are rolling."
Maybe he thought he’d done me a favor, but Lee Dokyung kept going on with unnecessary remarks.
"This place is a strict hierarchy. Rank equals status. You don’t have to worry about kids who’ll be eliminated soon."
Whoosh—
Lee Dokyung pulled out a 5% ion drink from the vending machine and tossed it toward me.
I caught it reflexively and shrugged.
"So you’re being careful with me because I’m not one of the ones who’ll be eliminated soon?"
"Haha, interesting personality."
"……."
I didn’t fundamentally like people like Lee Dokyung.
The type who acted straightforward while hiding a couple of snakes inside.
If you peeled back the mask, they weren’t nearly as bold or easygoing as they pretended.
Someone truly honest and candid was more like Jin Sehyun—and Jin Sehyun never looked down on other trainees just because he ranked higher.
So, let’s skip the pointless small talk and get to the point.
I could hear his eyes rolling in calculation from here.
"Do you want something from me?"
Click—
I cracked open the ion drink as I asked.
Of course he wanted something.
Should I consider this ion drink a bribe?
He was Lee Dokyung—the guy said to be just as good at backstabbing as Lee Junhyeok.
So I was curious who his next target would be….
Lee Dokyung answered without hesitation.
"Let’s redistribute the parts."
So this was the main point.
I sipped on the 5% drink and narrowed my eyes.
"Redistribute the parts?"
I prompted him, just wanting to hear what he had to say.
The more I listened, the more ridiculous it got.
"Ah, don’t worry! I’m not here to take away your part, Seohan."
"......"
"You know the part at the start of the third verse? The one that comes in like a rap—I think I can express that kind of vocal style better."
So?
"I really wanted that part."
"...Ah."
He kept his mouth shut during part distribution, and now he comes up with this?
I couldn’t tell if he truly wanted that part...
Or if he just wanted to mess with Kang Siwoo.
"It’s a pretty impactful part."
The lyrics are particularly sweet, so it’s a part that could really stand out if done well.
It didn’t matter to me who did it, but with just a week left until the performance—
Pulling this now was seriously low.
Both the part and the timing.
His proposal made it way too obvious he was trying to screw someone over.
Especially right after the mid-evaluation had just ended.
I sipped my ion drink and shook my head.
"I’m against it."
At my single sentence, Lee Dokyung let out a dry laugh.
"You’re more cold-blooded than I thought. You’re not even going to consider it?"
Well, there’s no point considering something that isn’t worth it.
I shrugged and gave my answer.
"The part distribution is already done, and it’s what we used for the mid-evaluation. If there was no issue during the evaluation, then there’s no reason to force a change now…"
"……."
"More importantly, the parts were divided pretty fairly. If we give this one away, won’t that throw off the balance?"
It was obvious they couldn’t come to an agreement, so he came to me to lay the groundwork. I had no intention of picking sides in that political mess.
Lee Dokyung chuckled softly and said,
"I already explained this part earlier. No need to tiptoe around someone who’ll be eliminated soon, right?"
That was way more natural than when he was smiling fake.
It finally felt like his real self was peeking through. I let out a laugh and looked up at him.
"Someone who’ll be eliminated soon…"
Maybe he wasn’t wrong.
Lee Dokyung had clawed his way to debut using tactics like this,
He succeeded, and eventually became famous.
In my past life, I was probably one of those “soon to be eliminated” people in his eyes.
Which is why I disliked him even more.
I shook my head and replied,
"Doesn’t sound like a very reasonable argument."
"Hey."
Lee Dokyung let out a long sigh and added,
Looking down at me like I was pathetic.
"You must be too young to know how things work."
Oh, I’m young, huh? Pretty sure my insides are older than yours, buddy.
I furrowed my brows and stared at him.
His flapping mouth kept spewing nonsense.
"Parts go to the person who wants them more, and I’m really desperate right now."
"So?"
"Kang Siwoo… even if he drops out, he’s got plenty of paths ahead. Taking one part from a guy like that doesn’t make me trash, right?"
Pfft.
"Do Seohan, do you have any connections?"
"No."
"Neither do I."
I gave him a displeased look, and he added with a sly smile.
Then, he reached out a hand.
"So, let’s help each other out—since we’ve got nothing."
His eerie voice echoed in my ears.
That guy’s completely nuts...
His eyes were already spinning...
"You're really nineteen, right?"
How does a nineteen-year-old come up with stuff like that?
We’re only two years apart, and yet he talks like he’s seen the whole world, picking out only the most cunning words.
"What a messed-up world…"
Kids these days are terrifying.
I clicked my tongue and mumbled internally.
Thanks to my firm rejection, the parts remained unchanged, and Lee Dokyung didn’t bring it up again afterward.
But that didn’t mean I felt at ease.
It was like standing in the eye of a storm.
Still, even if a storm’s coming, practice must go on.
I was on my tiptoes peeking into the practice room.
"...Did he get here already?"
Kang Siwoo and I had promised to help each other with our parts today.
I had arrived a little early, so I assumed the practice room would be locked—but through the window, I saw a familiar silhouette.
"Oh, he’s here."
Even from a distance, that wide back was unmistakable.
No doubt about it—it was Kang Siwoo, even from a hundred meters away.
I carefully opened the practice room door and stepped inside.
Creak—
"……."
His cold-looking features made the atmosphere even more frigid. Kang Siwoo was standing by the window with a serious expression, seemingly deep in thought.
It looked like he hadn’t just been standing around waiting for me.
Given that bombshell from Lee Dokyung about the part redistribution and knowing the two didn’t get along, I couldn’t help but worry.
Did something happen?
His face looked like he had just gotten into a fight with Lee Dokyung.
I started to walk toward him, concerned and trying to read his expression.
Hiss hiss—
Suddenly, I heard the sound of water spraying.
"Hm?"
I turned my head to find the source of the sound.
What’s that now?
A cactus?
…!”
A small cactus with water droplets clinging to its sharp spines entered my view.
So that’s what he’d been doing—he must’ve been watering it.
Kang Siwoo mumbled quietly with a look like his world had just ended.
“…It’s wilting.”
Those must be the potted plants that were originally here.
They had all started to wilt from being neglected, and I’d wondered how they were still hanging on—turns out he was watering them?
Kang Siwoo looked down at the cactus and smiled faintly.
That cold face, at least when he smiled, melted a little.
“You’ve got to drink up and grow big.”
And that gentle tone, one I’d never heard when he spoke to people, came as a bonus.
Maybe he was the most difficult person to interpret.
Visuals: Siberian husky
Hobby: Plant care
“Mm, tasty, right?”
“Uh, excuse me.”
“Even got some new leaves—”
“Hyung?”
Startled.
Kang Siwoo finally heard my voice and flinched hard as he turned around.
Even then, he clumsily tried to hide the spray bottle behind his back.
His deep voice dropped even lower.
“…When did you get here?”
“Uh… a little while ago?”
“…….”
It suddenly felt like I’d been caught spying, but hey—this was our meeting spot.
Feeling slightly guilty under Kang Siwoo’s intense glare, I forced an awkward smile.
“Haha, the cactus is cute.”
If only he could look at me with half the warmth he’d shown the cactus.
At this rate, I might pass out during practice.
“Ahem.”
I cleared my throat and tried to change the subject.
“Have you finished practicing?”
“P-Practicing? I guess I finished? Didn’t you?”
That follow-up sounded even more awkward.
Kang Siwoo fiddled with his now flushed ears and averted his gaze.
Maybe he knew just how mismatched that moment had been with his usual image.
He was so embarrassed that I simply blinked and stood still.
After a long pause—
“…….”
In the suffocating silence, Kang Siwoo was the first to speak.
“Just in case you misunderstood—”
“Yes?”
“I don’t like cacti.”
Ah.
Got it, but…
“Can you put the spray bottle down before saying that?”