“Hey, Minhui. Try that part-time employee.”

“Why? Is he an acquaintance?”

In a PC cafe the place sport noises had been blasting from all sides, two ladies whispered whereas glancing at Sugyeom.

From the second the 2 had walked in, one of many ladies had been eyeing Sugyeom on the facet. Having sensed their gaze, he had hurriedly discovered a hat to put on, however it gave the impression to be of no use.

“Does not he appear like Track Sugyeom?”

“Who?”

The girl requested again with an absence of curiosity as her eyes withdrew to her pc display. She quickly bounced in her chair, seemingly thrilled. The subject of Sugyeom had solely lasted a really temporary second.

“Huh? Nice, nice! There’s an empty seat…what? I did not get it? Rattling it. Aahh, why do I pay tuition simply to undergo with registering for programs! I am screwed. I will ask the professors on the primary week to simply accept my tears and take pity on me as a final resort. I am not joking. I will not be capable to graduate at this fee…”

“Ah! I knew you had been going to fail. Have you ever ever succeeded in registering for a course since freshman 12 months? Why are you making a fuss as if you happen to’re stunned?”

“What do you imply by that?”

“Actually, have you ever ever succeeded in getting a spot?”

“I suppose not?”

“I had registered for Professor Lee Gyeongsu’s course as insurance coverage. I will give it to you.”

It was stunning there have been so many purchasers right here on the PC cafe early within the morning, however it gave the impression to be as a result of it was course registration season.

The 2 bantered for some time as they registered for his or her programs. As such, Sugyeom had thought the primary lady’s curiosity in him had died, however as an alternative she comforted the lady named Minhui earlier than turning her consideration again to him once more.

“Nice…Thanks, thanks… As anticipated, you have not misplaced your contact from the time you had been an idol fanatic…The god of ticketing, the grape collector, Yuha is the most effective.”

(Observe: Ticketing means live performance tickets. Grape means the factor you need to click on on to purchase tickets on Interpark.)

“Ah, sure. Go forward and reward me. Anyway, you realize the movie star that I used to be a fan of in highschool?”

“Weren’t you obsessive about one or two again then?”

“Ah, besides, you realize who triggered me probably the most heartache? The actually fairly man from U-PITE.”

U-PITE. Simply the mere point out of it made Sugyeom’s nostril twitch. He needed to depart as a result of he felt a knot in his abdomen and thought he would cry. Nonetheless, he could not as a result of a buyer had simply are available.

Listening to about U-PITE pained him, however with out realizing it, he focused on their conservation.

The truth that there was somebody who had remembered his story, which had as soon as shone brightly, was comforting within the midst of the unhappy reality.

“Oh, I do know. You are speaking about him, proper? The gorgeous man with pink hair.”

“Ah, proper! Does not that part-time employee over there appear like him?”

“Is that so? Effectively…Oh, hey, they do look alike. I suppose that is him?”

“Eh, no manner. Though U-PITE went beneath, would he be working at a PC cafe? He would have made some huge cash.”

“Effectively, you are proper…Even failed celebrities might nonetheless eat and dwell nicely with the cash they’d earned.”

Sugyeom compelled himself to carry again his laughter. Just a few failed celebrities ate and lived nicely. And, it might be humorous to say such celebrities had truly failed.

It was particularly worse for idols that turned idol trainees at a younger age and did not go to high school correctly. Discovering a steady job was like grabbing a star within the sky, and it was commonplace for them to barely make a dwelling working part-time.

Sadly, Sugyeom was the latter.

“Ha, why did my Sugyeom do this…aye. Loopy, I will say. He ought to have taken benefit of that fairly face. Why did he instantly catch ‘Navy Illness’…tsk, he sabotaged his personal fortune.”

(Observe: Navy Illness/남자병 is often a time period idol followers use to explain cute/fairly idols who develop a beard, tan themselves, or pack on muscle groups.)

One of many ladies speaking to herself was like a dagger stabbing at Sugyeom.

He bit his plump lips. Listening to his previous by way of different folks’s mouths cruelly made all of it too actual.

The whole lot the lady who was as soon as his fan had mentioned was true.

Consideration had been drawn to his fairly face for the reason that starting of his debut as an idol.

Not solely did the company push for his coupling, but additionally among the many followers he was intertwined with virtually each member. Such was the function of a ‘backside.’

“Hey, let’s go now. I’ve to be at my part-time job later, so I have to get some sleep.”

“Okay. Remember to offer me your spot.”

“After all. However you pay for the PC cafe’s invoice.”

“Deal! That is solely truthful.”

The 2 ladies stood up. In an effort to keep away from the glare of the 2 approaching the counter to pay, Sugyeom placed on his hat once more and lowered his head deeply.

“I will pay the invoice.”

They held out their pc pin playing cards and a verify card facet by facet.

Sugyeom did not elevate his head and solely obtained their playing cards as he completed the cost rapidly. After the 2 fully disappeared out of the door, he nonetheless stored his head down. It was like he was an individual who was responsible of one thing.

“…Ha.”

It wasn’t till a very long time later that he breathed a sigh of remorse. It was due to the comment, ‘He ought to have taken benefit of that fairly face. Why did he instantly catch ‘Navy Illness’…tsk, he sabotaged his personal fortune’ that stored ringing in his head.

That was precisely what had occurred. He had sabotaged his personal fortune.

At first, his fairly face had caught folks’s consideration, however he did not like what had occurred afterwards when he stored listening to about his coupling with different members simply due to his fairly face. It was much more so as a result of his function was that of a ‘backside’ relatively than ‘prime.’

He was assured in his expertise as a singer, however nobody appeared to care. Not solely that, ridiculous rumors started to emerge.

That he was actually homosexual, or that his fairly face was truly the results of getting hit by hormones, or that he even bribed to earn his debut, and so forth…

Ultimately, two years after his debut and earlier than the group’s first featured album was to be launched, he exercised like loopy to construct up his physique regardless of the company’s dissuasion. And since he needed to pack on muscle groups however was naturally skinny, he forcefully gained weight.

He fully tanned his truthful pores and skin, ruining it within the course of. It was additionally unimaginable to develop a whole beard, so he inevitably settled for a mustache.

Though he had the most important fandom and could not realistically be kicked out, even the CEO of the company got here ahead and requested him to stop U-PITE if he was going to do that to himself.

“What an fool. The followers prefer it, so simply play alongside. Why are you so cussed?”

It was a remorse he had skilled numerous instances, however however, it nonetheless harm as if it was the primary time.

He smiled deprecatingly at himself as he rapidly wiped the tears from the nook of his eyes with the again of his hand.

The official fan membership and the unofficial fan pages had been turned the wrong way up on the day the music video teaser for U-PITE’s first featured album was launched.

It wasn’t the total music video, however almost half of the pre-ordered albums had been canceled. The fan membership was so vital that it was indistinguishable from an anti-fan membership.

There have been some options to attend slightly longer as a result of the total music video hadn’t been launched but, and it was even earlier than their dwell efficiency, however even that did not final lengthy.

Following the whole lot, the outcomes had been disastrous.

Not like the second mini-album that was nominated for the highest spot on cable music broadcasts, the primary featured album was troublesome to search out on any rating charts.

Ultimately, Sugyeom hurriedly shaved his mustache, whitened his tanned pores and skin, and even misplaced weight to return to his authentic look. Nonetheless, at the moment, one other member’s secret love affair emerged.

It will have been lucky if it ended there.

One other member was revealed to be truly homosexual, and it was later found that he had even used medication.

Then, rumors of discord amongst members, intercourse scandals, character controversies, and even assault disputes.

Not counting Sugyeom, the opposite 4 members made silly selections one after one other.

Ultimately, U-PITE fell into the abyss a 12 months after their debut and broke into items.

That was already 5 years in the past. Sugyeom naturally misplaced contact with the opposite members, and he could not even inform in the event that they had been lifeless or alive.

Sugyeom was a trainee for six arduous years earlier than his debut, so he could not attend center college correctly and had even dropped out of highschool. There was no manner he might have made mates within the course of.

And, it was too in need of a time since his debut to make movie star mates.

In consequence, Sugyeom, who was initially an orphan, did not have any mates to achieve out to.

Even counting the cash he had earned within the one 12 months, there was a lot he needed to spend on since his days as a trainee that his account did not even quantity to 10 million received.

Sugyeom himself hadn’t dedicated any crime, however he was unable to make a comeback as a star attributable to his picture of a failed idol. As well as, there have been no employment alternatives. He was actually gasping for air.

He needed to dwell one way or the other, so he had managed to proceed his life by shifting from one part-time job to a different. For so long as 5 years.

The extra he thought of it, the extra he was amazed. Who knew that life can be so twisted by a second’s mistake.

Having recalled the previous, the feeble Sugyeom stood absentmindedly on the counter.

At that second, chat orders appeared on his display that learn, ‘Ramen,’ ‘Ramen,’ and ‘Hurry up.’

Naturally, such was the truth for him now.

* * *

Sugyeom precariously walked up a flight of stairs. After emptying a bottle of soju at a comfort retailer, he was on his manner house from work.

His house was a half-studio condominium situated at a villa atop a slope.

“I will actually give it my all if I am given one other likelihood.”

Sugyeom’s determined voice rang softly within the quiet streets.

“I will actually…I will actually do my greatest.”

Phrases nobody might hear rapidly pale within the chilly wind.

“Backside coupling, fairly member, or no matter…I will do all of it with out complaints.”

He knew. Such a chance would by no means come once more. He knew, however drunk, he whispered his want quietly.

“So, simply as soon as…Simply give me one likelihood.”

The murmurs of his voice regularly grew quieter. He knew it might by no means come true, so he did not dare want out loud.

“Huh, ah…!”

At that second, he misplaced his stability on the finish of the steep stairs. He thought he ought to maintain onto one thing, however in his drunken state his physique did not hear.

Finally, he fell down the lengthy flight of stairs.