MDQ Ch 4

As expected, Given took first place on the music show.

The members enjoyed the encore stage with happy faces. It was a stage enhanced by a perfect performance.

As soon as we returned to the waiting room after finishing the stage, Kang Junhyuk, who had been quiet for a while, thrust his phone at me.

It happened before I could stop it.

“Junhyuk… huh?”

My face appeared on the phone screen in front of me.

At the bottom of the screen, countless chat messages scrolled, too many to read.

“Taedungis! I just finished the encore stage and turned on the live broadcast right away! Aren’t I super nice? Did I do well?”

“Taedungi” was the nickname Given’s members used for their fans, Taken.

Even though he had just started the live broadcast, the viewers already exceeded 10k. More than ten thousand, to be exact.

I exhaled deeply as I checked the absurdly high number of viewers. I wasn’t comfortable being the center of attention.

“…”

Cold sweat had already formed on my forehead.

I tried to exit the live screen, but Kang Junhyuk’s arm around my shoulder held me tightly.

“Who’s this next to me? Many of you seem to know! This is our handsome manager hyung! Isn’t he really good-looking?”

Kang Junhyuk instantly introduced me and zoomed in on my face. I barely restrained a frown.

“Haha…”

The smile I forced was filled only with awkwardness.

I really wasn’t comfortable with all the attention.

Even though he knew I disliked it, Kang Junhyuk spoke excitedly, “Hyung promised to do our song challenge if we win first place on this album’s last stage! So I started the live to show Taedungis!”

“Huh? What?”

Challenge…? Of course, that hadn’t been promised.

I wasn’t good at dancing, and I hated being in front of people.

But Kang Junhyuk grinned mischievously.

“Ah~ Hyung! You can’t be shy now! Everyone’s expecting it!”

“…”

“You all want to see our hyung dance, right?”

Kang Junhyuk fixed my face on the chat window where “yes” messages kept pouring in.

“You’re not going to disappoint Taedungis, are you?”

“…”

Kang Junhyuk… I quietly called his name. He wore a devilish, mischievous smile.

Kang Junhyuk was usually quiet, either playing mobile games or being calm, but sometimes he did unexpected things that put me in awkward situations.

This wasn’t even the first time he had started a live and revealed my face.

“Junhyuk-ah. I have social anxiety, okay? Can you not show my face on live?”

Even after I asked many times, Kang Junhyuk often put me on live.

He said things like my surprised, dumbfounded face looked good, that I should obviously show myself since the fans liked me, and that it was fine even with my social anxiety because I wasn’t facing anyone in person—something like that.

But I really did have social anxiety and a bit of panic disorder. A mental illness I acquired after my older brother passed away.

“Junhyuk-ah, I really…”

My words came out trembling, my vision slightly blurred. A ringing filled my ears, and my head spun.

If I didn’t pull myself together, I felt I might faint.

“You’re really going to dance hard? Wow! Everyone, then I’ll sing for hyung!”

Kang Junhyuk stepped back to give me space to dance. Then he loudly started singing the chorus.

I clenched my fists, hesitating.

If I refused to dance, not only Kang Junhyuk but Given would suffer.

Perhaps an article about conflicts with the manager would appear.

There was a high chance I would be fired, like previous managers. Of course, the company would justify it as negligence, holding me fully responsible.

Given was a popular idol group backed by a major agency, and I was closer to an ordinary office worker.

I doubted the company would side with me.

Quitting as a manager wouldn’t have been a regret. Actually, I, too, wanted to escape these rude members.

But my father was the issue. He was anticipating his meetings with Jung Yohan…

“Hyung, what are you waiting for?! Start already! It’s the climax!”

I reluctantly moved my feet.

I had seen them practicing the choreography hundreds of times, so I could follow it roughly without practice.

But I couldn’t properly look at the phone screen. My back was already soaked in sweat.

After finishing the shabby dance, Kang Junhyuk applauded.

A glance at the chat showed continuous laughter messages. My face burned in shame.

…Is this the right thing to do?

I felt like vomiting immediately. My stomach really churned.

I looked at Park Saebit, Seo Seoho, and Jung Yohan for help.

However, they just watched me with interest; no one stopped Kang Junhyuk.

In the end, I pleaded to the fans.

“Everyone, can I stop now?”

Then Saebit, who had been silent, ran over and held my hand tightly.

“Why stop? Let’s dance together one more time, okay?”

“Ugh…”

When I finally gagged, Saebit whispered into my ear.

“Hyung, endure it. Do it till the end.”

Ridiculously, as he whispered into my ear, it appeared like a kiss to the viewers, and chaos erupted in the chat window.

That was ridiculous. I really wanted to vomit.

But I couldn’t escape the members’ grip until the live ended.

“Everyone! We’re leaving now. Thank you for supporting our promotions! We’ll go live again later! Love you~!”

Finally, after the live ended, the members let go of me.

“Ugh!”

I ran straight to the bathroom and vomited.

No member followed me. Perhaps they intended to push me until I vomited.

“Ha…”

I wiped the sweat from my forehead.

‘Father, how long do I have to keep doing this…’

I felt like quitting everything every time the members acted mischievously.

Even though I had devoted myself completely for three whole years, I didn’t feel resentment toward the members who showed me no consideration; I just wanted to give up.

I was utterly exhausted.

“It’s too much…”

My lonely complaint, with no one to hear, scattered into the air.

* * *

Meanwhile, a heavy silence lingered among the members left in the waiting room. The atmosphere was entirely different from when their manager Lee Hyunseok was around.

Finally, Kang Junhyuk broke the silence, “Do you think Manager Lee really went to vomit? Is he okay?”

Seo Seoho, half-undressed from the cumbersome stage costume, answered, “What do you want to do if he really went out to vomit? Do you want to pat his back? Don’t act all caring now after you were the one bothering him.”

“Seoho, that’s harsh. We’re in the same group, after all.”

“You’re ridiculous, seriously.”

Seo Seoho, in a sour mood, let out a chuckle as if mocking Kang Junhyuk.

“Seo Seoho.”

Kang Junhyuk stepped up as if to grab Seoho by the collar. A sharp tension radiated from the two men of similar height.

Park Saebit intervened.

“Stop fighting, you two.”

Park Saebit clicked his tongue but stepped between them, keeping them from approaching each other further.

Mischievous Kang Junhyuk, ill-tempered Seo Seoho, the leader Jung Yohan who never spoke off-camera… Given’s members all had difficult personalities.

Park Saebit, who was at least sociable, was usually the one mediating the members. Of course, doing it for five years had left him somewhat exhausted.

Park Saebit thought of Lee Hyunseok, who wasn’t there now. If he were present, the members would have been calmed without him stepping in.