Chapter 128                                    
           									
***
“Today’s practice was the best bro, cya later . ”
After the practice, Lee JunYeol gave KangYoon a thumbs up before leaving . 
Han JooYeon helped KangYoon in cleaning up the studio, without a word .  Although KangYoon told her to go back and have a rest, she said that it was a natural thing to help out and picked up the microphone lines .  Though, she had to learn from KangYoon how to store it away . 
“Looks like senior Sedy is a peculiar person . ”
“JunYeol? Yeah, he’s a peculiar guy . ”
Rolling up the cables in an awkward fashion, Han JooYeon expressed her opinion of Lee JunYeol .
“He acts light-hearted, yet scary; sharp, yet blunt… he was incomprehensible . ”
“JunYeol has a lot of charms many don’t know of .  How was the song though?”
“His voice was really good .  As for other things… . ”
Han JooYeon blurred her words .  Although she wanted to say that JunYeol didn’t even know her name, she endured . 
However, KangYoon knew how she felt and spoke in a soft voice . 
“JunYeol is very picky .  He’s also haughty .  It would have been hard for you to adjust to him .  Well done . ”
“Yes .  It was the first time I saw a person… . ”
Just as Han JooYeon was about to say what was on her mind, KangYoon interrupted her .
“However, he’s the guy who will make you rise . ”
“……”
Hearing that, Han JooYeon couldn’t say anything .
“Do whatever you can to make him join your side .  That’s your first task . 
“That sounds difficult… . ”
Han JooYeon pouted, but KangYoon was very firm about it .
“The first run was the best one, right?”
“…It was . ”
It wasn’t just good .  It was incredibly rare for two voices to fit each other so well like this .  Although they wasted time doing meaningless things, she did not imagine that the duet would go so well . 
However, Han JooYeon showed little confidence in being able to bear with Lee JunYeol’s personality .  KangYoon then gave her some stimulation . 
“You don’t like MinAh going solo, do you?”
“… . Yes . ”
She would hate it to be behind a member of the same group .  She was honest about that . 
Hearing that, KangYoon smiled and patted her shoulders . 
“You make your own opportunities .  Don’t go looking for people for opportunities, and make them find you instead .  That is a star .  This Christmas concert will be the start . ”
“Yes . ”
KangYoon was satisfied with Han JooYeon’s response and turned around . 
After that, the two cleaned up the studio without a word . 
***
It was very rare for all members of World Entertainment to gather around in one location .  This was because they had no company-wide meeting or conference to speak of .  Even the artists had full confidence in KangYoon to do everything well . 
A day in December . 
A full-on meeting was called out at World Entertainment .  All employees and musicians alike were gathered in the studio . 
“*Yawn*, What’s up with today?”
Lee HyunAh yawned as she hadn’t had enough sleep .  Lee ChaHee also rubbed her fatigued eyes .  The other artists, such as Kim JaeHoon, had to stretch themselves out to chase out their sleepiness . 
At that moment, the door to the studio opened and KangYoon entered .  The artists were about to greet him when they saw that a group of girls had followed him in . 
“Who… . E… Eddios?”
Kim JinDae, who had an extreme hangover due to drinking the night prior, thought he was seeing things .  Seeing a top idol that only appeared on TV shows in real life blew away any trace of alcohol in his body .  His heart pounded when he saw Han JooYeon a few days ago, and now there were all six of them!
Lee HyunAh and Lee ChaHee also chatted with each other to see what it was about .  When Lee HyunJi waved at them to focus on KangYoon, they all calmed down and stopped speaking . 
Seeing that the mood was a little calmer now, KangYoon told the girls to stand in front of him . 
“You should all have seen JooYeon, but the others not, right? They’re Eddios, and they have joined us at World .  Girls . ”
“One, two – Hello! We’re Eddios!”
The girls greeted them in an energetic voice . Kim JinDae whispered to Jung ChanGyu when he saw a greeting that he only saw on TVs .
‘Huh… I still had doubts last time I saw her… . ’
‘I didn’t know I’d get to see the entirety of Eddios . ’
Jung ChanGyu’s thoughts weren’t that different from his . 
The artists at World had already seen the news article .  However, it just didn’t feel real to them .  That was because it had no impact on them whatsoever .  There was no change in the atmosphere of the company after they joined .  It was on the internet that they saw the article, so some of them even treated it as a rumor . 
Everyone other than Lee HyunJi and Jung HyeJin was dumbfounded . 
The girls of Eddios thought that they would get a round of applause of welcome, but when they didn’t, they looked somewhere else and awkwardly laughed .  This reaction was much different from what they imagined they would get . 
At that moment, KangYoon scratched his head with an apologetic expression . 
“Looks like everyone’s surprised .  I should have told you before .  Looks like that was my mistake . ”
“I should have given them a head-up .  Your surprise was a horrible failure, president . ”
“Hahaha . ”
Only when Lee HyunJi lightened the mood with a joke did everyone laugh .  KangYoon shrugged his shoulders and scratched his cheek . 
When the mood got lighter, KangYoon introduced them starting with Jung MinAh .  Like that, each of them introduced themselves .  Fortunately, the awkward atmosphere was gone, and loud applause replaced it . 
Everyone here knew who Eddios was .  The men were especially cheerful .  Kim JinDae clapped like a seal and could not take his eyes off them .  He even ignored Lee ChaHee’s remark calling him an idiot . 
With Lee SamSoon as the last, the members finished their self-introductions .  KangYoon told everyone that this time was prepared for them to get closer to each other and gave Eddios some newly-bought seats
While KangYoon and Lee HyunJi talked about the Christmas event, the musicians, including Eddios, started their conversation with each other .  Kim JaeHoon mostly talked with Han JooYeon and Christie An, while Kim JinDae and Jung ChanGyu talked with Lee SamSoon .  Lee HyunAh talked with Ailee Jung, who sat next to her, and Jung MinAh, Seo HanYu, and Jung HyeJin started talking about cosmetics . 
KangYoon, who was thinking about starting the meeting, decided not to after seeing them getting close to each other . 
‘They’re adapting well .  And here I was worried . ’
‘You’re right .  Should we end the meeting here today?’
‘There’s a good mood going on .  Why don’t we eat out today?’
KangYoon nodded his head in agreement at Lee HyunJi’s suggestion . The meeting was important, but it was more important to set the mood so that everyone could adapt to the changes . Since everyone was doing well already, he was planning to go a step further .
“Shall we eat out?”
“Where?”
“Where?”
Hearing the words ‘eating out’ Lee HyunAh and Jung MinAh simultaneously asked back to KangYoon . 
At that moment, the two women met eyes . 
‘Who’s she?’
Their eyes said so simultaneously . 
Regardless, KangYoon decided on the menu despite the strange atmosphere between the two . 
“How about some Budae-jjigae (army stew)?”
“Yes!”
“Yees!”
Jung MinAh and Lee HyunAh answered cheerfully yet again . The two were more than willing to follow KangYoon’s words .
“Miss HyeJin, please do the reservations . ”
“Yes . ”
As everyone stood up and cleared away their seats, Lee HyunAh and Jung MinAh became wary of each other .  Their instincts told them something . 
                            
KangYoon, who knew nothing of that, left the studio first with Lee HyunJi . 
“Uhm… . ”
Having missed the opportunity to leave with KangYoon, the two glared at each other .
***
After the meal, the members of World Entertainment returned to their places .  White Moonlight to the practice room, Kim JaeHoon for his schedule, and Eddios back to their dorms . 
Just one, Lee SamSoon stayed at the studio . 
She and KangYoon were talking to each other in the studio . 
“It’s been a while since the two of us talked to each other . ”
“I feel like I’m back to being a trainee again, team lea… oh wait .  you aren’t a team leader now . ”
Lee SamSoon looked nervous .  Although their positions had changed, the name ‘KangYoon’ weighed heavily on her . 
KangYoon brewed her some coffee to calm her down . 
“Let’s talk at ease today .  Whether you like me or not, we’re in the same boat now . ”
“Yes .  You don’t sound that different from the past, team leader . ”
“I’m old now . ”
“I feel like you’ve gotten younger instead . ”
KangYoon smiled . He felt good even if those were just empty words . Lee SamSoon definitely had the skills to make other people feel good about themselves .
“Thanks .  I told you to stay behind because of some future plans . ”
“Oh, really?”
Lee SamSoon replied calmly on the surface, but her heart was racing . Jung MinAh and Han JooYeon got their own respective roles now . It was her turn now . She wondered what KangYoon was about to say to her .
‘What am I going to do? Hip hop? Rock?’
She fantasized herself in doing many other genres of music . 
However… . 
‘SamSoon .  You told me you lived in the mountains when you were young, right?”
“Yes .  I did, I lived with my grandmother .  What about it?”
It was a very random question .  Lee SamSoon was confused, and at the same time, got a strange feeling . 
And just as she had worried – 
“There’s a pilot program that became successful last year at Chuseok (Thanksgiving) .  It’s called Modern Farmer, and the theme is for celebrities to go to the countryside and do farm work .  I want you to participate here . ”
“Whaaat?”
Her worries were on point .  She wasn’t singing, but farming . 
“W, wait .  Farming?”
Lee SamSoon frowned .  She didn’t seem so optimistic anymore . 
Seeing her being rejected about it, KangYoon told her in a calm tone . 
“There were shows that were located in the countryside, but there isn’t one actually centered on farming .  Moreover, the producer knows a lot about variety shows .  His team is top-notch at editing too .  In my opinion, this is an opportunity .  You must grab onto it . ”
“Haha… . ”
Lee SamSoon had a hard time . 
She could see that KangYoon had asked that producer to take her in .  A girl idol with a peculiar background of having lived in the mountains .  Which producer would hate such a character? The problem was, she hated farming, a lot!
“This… Do I really have to do it?”
“If you don’t want to, no .  However… . ”
“However?”
“It will take longer for you to gain back your popularity .  When that happens… .  Eddios’s comeback will be delayed to a later date, don’t you think?”
A delayed comeback? Those were some frightening words . 
She could refuse .  However, she shouldn’t .  This…
Well, she only had one road ahead of her . 
“Uhh… .  I don’t like the countryside . ”
“Let’s endure for now .  I won’t get you anything like it in the future . ”
“…Okay . ”
Lee SamSoon’s shoulders drooped down .  A certain someone was going to sing on stage by herself, while she was going to do manual labor on the field .  She could see her future self in agony . 
Knowing what she felt like, KangYoon spoke in a soft voice . 
“I can guarantee .  If you do this well, your popularity will rival MinAh’s . ”
“…Really?”
Lee SamSoon’s shoulders jolted up when she heard that . 
Half of Eddios’s popularity was thanks to Jung MinAh – there was such a saying going around .  If her popularity could rival hers… it would be unimaginable .  This was from KangYoon too, who didn’t like exaggerating . 
“Yeah .  I guarantee . ”
“…Fine .  I’ll do it . ”
In the end, Lee SamSoon accepted the deal .  Although she was pushed to it against her will, she was planning to do her best since she was doing it anyway . 
After the discussion, Lee SamSoon left the studio . 
“…Well, later, she might come to me asking for one . ”
After Lee SamSoon left, KangYoon called DLE TV Station . It was to tell them that she had accepted .
***
A snowing Christmas Eve . 
White snow colored the world a beautiful white with flower-like snowflakes…
“…are bullsh*t . ”
Manager Kim DaeHyun grumbled while sweeping away the snow in front of Lunas .  Who was it, that named snow as the ‘Devil’s bumfluff’? He wanted to give that dude a hug for coming up with such a great name . 
Even though he swept the snow clean, more snow fell down and covered his tracks . 
“Please stop snowing!”
Manager Kim DaeHyun was shivering while sweeping away the snow . 
People started entering Lunas while walking past such a shivering manager . 
As this was a party for singles, most people came in twos of the same gender .  Although couples could be seen here and there, there weren’t many .  There were also some people who sized up others . 
The women were naturally focused on Lee JunYeol . 
“Sedy’s so awesome . ”
“I bought a ticket just to see him . ”
“Wait, who’s Han JooYeon?”
“Idunno, a singer maybe?”
(T/N: Han JooYeon is known to the public as her stage name “JooYeon” which is why some people don’t recognize her full name . )
If Han JooYeon of Eddios was the one featuring, then the order of contents would say ‘Feat .  JooYeon of Eddios’ .  However, there was just ‘Feat .  Han JooYeon’ written on it .  So many people didn’t show much interest . 
When it was time for the show, the lights for the audience seats turned off and the curtain to the stage rose . 
A band appeared under the spotlight .  It was White Moonlight . 
“Hello!”
“Waaaa!”
The audience replied cheerfully to Lee HyunAh’s cheerful greeting .  At the same time, the first stage began with the drums . 
Although White Moonlight’s stage was shorter than usual, it still heated up the mood of the audience . 
Kim JaeHoon’s following stage drenched the audience with emotions .  He started off lightly, but the emotions that could be felt in his singing put everyone to tears . 
Especially those who had no partner by their side . 
“*Sob sob* .  Why! Why am I single?”
“God d*mmit .  I’ll be able to use the meteor spell soon . ”
“I’ll be able to summon a dragon next year .  I don’t like dragons though… . ”
(T/N: Remember the myth where virgins turn into wizards when they reach 30…?)
Kim JaeHoon’s voice resonated within the hearts of men . 
His stage ended when he was done ringing wringing the tears out of them . 
“Waaa—-!”
“Thanks for listening . ”
When Kim JaeHoon’s stage ended, the crowd erupted in cheers . 
At that moment, the stage lights suddenly turned off .  The audience seats were also dark so there was no light anywhere .  Then, a soft voice started flowing out along with some instruments . 
“I know — that I should not hesitate — our halted story –”
It was a deep, plentiful baritone male .  Eventually, the light turned on and the spotlights focused on one man . 
It was Sedy . 
“It’s Sedy!”
“Kyaaa!”
Unlike with Kim JaeHoon, where the male audience erupted, this time, Sedy received cheers from mostly the female audience . Moreover, there was the mood set up by Kim JaeHoon’s previous stage, so the reactions burned hotter than before . He lightly waved at the audience before closing his eyes . It was to focus on singing .
‘Aah, my heart is racing . ’
‘Can’t he be mine?’
‘No! He’s mine!’
The female audience started trembling already .  A tall man with a melodious voice – Lee JunYeol was charming enough for any woman to fall in love with . 
At that time, some of the male audience expressed their joy after listening to the lyrics . 
‘Wait, isn’t this Love Day?’
‘There should be a girl too, then .  Isn’t this a duet song?’
They looked around the stage for any figures . However, as the spotlights only shone down on Lee JunYeol, they were unable to see anywhere else . However, they did not give up and even squinted their eyes to see if they could see any better . However, they couldn’t even find a shadow, much less a silhouette .
“Let’s start our story — again –”
Just as some of the audience kept looking for the other singer, Lee JunYeol’s part was over . 
At that moment . 
“I know — that I am not alone — don’t be afraid —”
Another spotlight shone down on the stage and revealed a lady .  And ‘Han JooYeon’ from the pamphlet showed herself .  She was wearing a slightly tight one-piece dress with straight long hair .  She had a puppy face and exuded the charm of wanting to keep looking at her . 
The male audience, who were looking for a female singer, was about to cheer out loud .  However, when they saw the girl, their heart started pounding non-stop . 
“E… Eddios?”
“Isn’t that JooYeon?”
At those words, the audience erupted in murmuring . 
Everyone started talking to each other .  They never imagined that JooYeon of Eddios would be the one to show up . 
“It’s Han JooYeon!”
“What, really? Awesome!”
“Hey hey! Keep your hands down! I can’t see . ”
If the female audience could be seen as lovestruck by Sedy, the male audience could be considered that they were dumbstruck by the appearance of JooYeon . The stage of the two started decorating the performance in a beautiful fashion .
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