Chapter 87: Are You Going Crazy from Anxiety?
Meanwhile, the one who was truly fuming was no different on this side either.
Kang Ji-hyuk, who had gone to get the better of Seo Ian only to expose his own weakness in the process, was absolutely livid.
Though it seemed like he was finally heading back to the car, Kang Ji-hyuk, unable to cool down, was huffing on a couch on the second floor of the broadcasting station, relentlessly chugging water from the innocent water dispenser.
Kang Ji-hyuk let out a heavy sigh and emptied the remaining water.
“Ha…. I’m so fucking pissed.”
He should have snatched that phone wobbling right in front of his face and deleted the video, no matter what.
But he was outnumbered.
The guy clenched his teeth and wouldn’t give it up, even trying to call over their manager.
“That bastard’s really insane, I’m serious.”
Some members of The Core were aware of what was going on between Kang Ji-hyuk and Seo Ian.
Though no one said it out loud, the fact that the entire team was mocked as Manager’s Pick owed a fair share to Kang Ji-hyuk.
Even Ray, who was among the trainees with the shortest time in the game, knew about it.
‘He really is Manager’s Pick, no doubt about that.’
Ray thought so to himself, a strained smile forming on his lips.
It was, of course, something he could never say out loud.
Even after the manager left, Kang Ji-hyuk still practically held the reins of power in the team.
It wasn’t because he was exceptionally talented or overwhelmingly popular.
It was just that the rest of the members were dragged around by his pushy personality.
Still, they couldn’t completely ignore him, so Ray cautiously spoke up.
“Why? Did they get under your skin?”
“They even filmed a video themselves and threatened me with it. Ha, they really caught me at my weakest, huh?”
As Kang Ji-hyuk spat the words irritably, Ray patted his shoulder in a calming gesture.
“It’s not like they’re trying to take us all down. There’s no way they’ll leak it. You know that.”
“Fuck. What pisses me off is just the fact that the video still exists.”
What if it came back to bite him hard one day?
As Kang Ji-hyuk ran through various scenarios, he clutched his throbbing head.
“Do Seohan… when was the first time I saw him?”
One of The Core members who had trained with him for a long time spoke up.
“Probably when you were fifteen?”
That was when he was fucking young.
Thinking about it now, his guts to go against the manager back then was almost impressive.
Kang Ji-hyuk frowned, pressing his temples with his fingers.
“Now that his head’s gotten big, he’s acting all cocky… Do you even know how those two went wild and talked back to me?”
“I get it, I get it. I understand what kind of situation it was.”
“Hyung, but still, you’ve got to hold it in.”
“Hold it in, my ass.”
Kang Ji-hyuk was extremely displeased with the situation.
Seo Ian had always rubbed him the wrong way, ever since their trainee days.
The fact that bastard debuted by leveraging the manager already infuriated him—
But after debuting, the public began framing The Core versus Stardust as a rivalry, which added to his irritation.
[The Core VS Stardust]
Who do you think is the top 3rd gen rookie boy group?
Stardust’s debut song was really good
Obviously The Core
└ What are you saying lol
└ Their first week sales were 200k, be proud. What, are you Dusty?
└ Stardust had 170k in first week too
└ Yeah lol 170k~ Good for you, we’re 200k hehe
└ The Core’s digital rankings got crushed lololol Stardust is still in the top 20 ^^
└ It hasn’t even been a week and they’re so smug?
└ KJ sucks at picking songs ㅠㅠ How does The Core sell 200k in first week but chart out digitally? ㅠㅠ Did they bulk buy?
└ Don’t cross the line, fuck
└ KJ bulk buying lolol I’m crying
└ Then did Stardust bulk buy the digital charts?
└ The Core’s popular overseas so their digital is weaker haha you guys should get your sales up first~
Stardust obviously lol just look at their visuals lolol
└ Get your eyes checked, don’t kid yourself lolol everyone can see our boys are better looking
└ The thing about fans like this: they can’t even defend Kang Ji-hyuk. Since when do idols look like that these days???
└ Kang Ji-hyuk’s supposed to be Manager’s Pick, seems real. No way he debuted with that talent and that face ㅠㅠ
└ Kang Ji-hyuk’s pretty well-known though hehe…
└ Look at them trying to bury him with unfounded gossip;;
└ Everyone please just don’t feed them
└ 22222
└ Not even a fan, just throwing bait and getting excited alone
└ Dusties never say stuff like this ㅠㅠ
└ Please, stop fighting
Already overwhelmed from reading posts like that, now having to film a show with them pushed him to the edge.
The Core’s leader, Kang Ji-hyuk, was the type to hold a grudge for a long time once he got pissed.
For the sake of team harmony, the other members had grown used to calming him down.
Ray responded as nonchalantly as he could.
“Still, we beat them in first-week sales.”
“That’s right, our numbers are solid.”
For a rookie to sell 200k in their first week was nearly record-breaking.
It showed how quickly The Core was gaining popularity overseas.
Since KJ was originally a company with a lot of international fans, they had drawn in a strong overseas following from the start.
Even Ray, who wasn’t fond of Kang Ji-hyuk, was optimistic about his team’s future.
‘As long as we don’t fall apart from some feud rumors…’
While Ray swallowed his bitter thoughts with a forced smile, Kang Ji-hyuk continued swearing nonstop.
Half the curses were directed at Stardust, the other half at Do Seohan.
Just as Kang Ji-hyuk muttered with his hands stuffed in his pockets,
“That bastard Do Seohan…”
He suddenly locked eyes with a man standing in front of the water dispenser.
“Ah.”
There hadn’t been anyone before, but it seemed someone had passed by.
He noticed the ID badge hanging from the man’s neck and realized he was someone from the broadcasting station.
“…….”
It was a relief, in a way.
This kind of trash talk was everyday stuff in this industry, and no staffer would risk causing a stir over it.
If anything, being someone from the station meant it would definitely get swept under the rug.
But then.
Kang Ji-hyuk happened to glance at the name on the badge, and his expression turned subtly strange.
[SBC Variety Department – Do Seojun PD]
A face that looked familiar for some reason, and a name that carried an odd sense of déjà vu.
Was it instinct?
Kang Ji-hyuk asked in a trembling voice before he even realized it.
“Who are you?”
Sip—
The man chuckled as he swallowed the water.
A cold voice spoke.
“Me? Do Seohan’s hyung.”
.
.
.
.
Step, step—
Do Seojun stood before Kang Ji-hyuk with a chillingly cold face.
He looked to be a hand taller than Kang Ji-hyuk.
Maybe it was that pressure—Kang Ji-hyuk’s shoulders shrank slightly, as if he were intimidated.
PD Do Seojun slowly scanned Kang Ji-hyuk’s face.
A face that seemed oddly familiar…
Was his name Kang Ji-hyuk?
He was from KJ Entertainment.
As he recalled that, the smile faded from his face.
Maybe more so for the people involved, but even for PD Do Seojun, KJ hadn’t been left with a good impression.
Just thinking about it still triggered his PTSD.
Only three years ago.
The kid who was so thrilled to have joined a major agency.
When he suddenly left KJ Entertainment one day, his younger brother had never told him the reason.
He’d heard rumors here and there, but he still didn’t know the full story.
‘That kid who used to be so solid cried for days back then…’
Now he finally had a rough idea why.
Do Seojun stared down Kang Ji-hyuk with a sneering smile.
“So it’s you.”
When he was talking all that trash so excitedly—now suddenly, he shuts up like nothing happened?
It seemed like he was trying to do some last-minute image management now that he realized his opponent was a broadcasting station PD.
What a joke.
If it were some powerless staff, he would’ve completely ignored them.
Do Seojun spoke in a menacing tone.
“What. Are you scared?”
“…….”
“Scared my little brother might outshine you…?”
Just as Kang Ji-hyuk opened his mouth to retort—
A chilling line shut him up.
“Are you going crazy from anxiety?”
An entire week had flown by in a blur.
It was hard to believe that we’d already wrapped up our first week of music broadcasts and entered our second.
So it’s already been a week since I debuted.
Even on the way here, the moment we got contacted about being a candidate for first place on a music show, my heart started pounding like mad.
And now, standing on the ending stage, it was even worse.
I felt like I was going to go insane from nerves.
I’d been swallowing dry spit over and over, and then Jin Sehyun poked me in the side and asked,
“Seohan, are you nervous?”
“Very much….”
“Honestly, me too.”
For a rookie in their first week to be aiming for first place on a music broadcast—it might be overreaching, depending on how you see it….
But there was no way not to be hopeful.
K-Chart was a cable music show, so there was a bit of a chance.
And since it was the music show that Dusties were looking forward to the most, I really wanted to show them a trophy.
So please.
I clenched my trembling hands tightly and stared straight ahead.
The red light on the camera came on,
And the cheerful voices of the three MCs rang out.
“Yes, the center of the ever-changing K-pop! K-Chart!”
“The second week of May! We’re now down to the final announcement of the K-Chart rankings!”
As the tense BGM began to play, I felt like I could barely stand upright.
I bounced on my feet and lowered my head deeply.
“Seohan, what’s wrong?”
“Just checking if my heart has popped out of my chest.”
“It’s still in there, don’t worry.”
“Okay.”
The fans’ cheers were so loud I could hear them from here, and I couldn’t calm down no matter what.
They’d voted so hard—it really showed. Could we bring joy to the fans who had waited all that time just to see us?
With that pressure, we waited for the announcement.
The MC pointed forward and shouted.
“The first place for the second week of May! The honorable winner is!”
“Drumroll please….”
“First, the digital score!”
Whirrr—
The numbers moved so fast I couldn’t keep up with my eyes.
I stared blankly, trying to read the screen in front of me.
“Album score!”
Are we scoring well?
“Digital score!”
“Broadcast score…!”
Finally, the dizzying numbers stopped.
Before I knew it, I had both hands clasped tightly together.
“Combining digital, album, broadcast, and live text voting—the winner of this week’s first place is….”
I folded my hands and prayed.
Please.
Please.
Please.
And then.
“Congratulations to Stardust’s ‘Yuyeong(spacewalk)’!”
“Waaaaah!”
Pop—
Fireworks exploded before my eyes.