‘Jo Jung Min?’
The unexpected appearance of a familiar person made both Do Wook and Park Tae Hyng’s eyes grow wide.
Furthermore, Jo Jung Min was definitely not on good terms with them. Do Wook had already run into Jo Jung Min before in the waiting room of a large concert hall.
Even now, Jo Jung Min still held animosity towards Do Wook and Park Tae Hyung.
Jo Jung Min was at a distance where he definitely heard what the group was saying.
“What are you guys doing?”
Jo Jung Min had definitely made eye contact with Do Wook, but instead of greeting Do Wook, he spoke to the group.
The group looked towards Jo Jung Min and had a welcoming expression.
“Oh, Jung Min!”
“You’re here!”
Jo Jung Min accepted the group’s greeting with a head nod.
Jo Jung Min and the group had gotten acquainted at a past audition. The genre of dance they did was similar so they quickly became close.
Moreover, Jo Jung Min’s skills were recognized among the participants as most likely to win. The dance skills he showed on the day of the audition was enough to make people think that.
Participants feel competitive towards those who are more skilled than them. Still, they acknowledge the superior skills and want to be acknowledged by such a person as well.
That was the exact situation in the group that welcomed Jo Jung Min.
“What are you up to?”
When Jo Jung Min asked a little bluntly, the participant who was mocking Park Tae Hyung said with a smile,
“Nothing, what do you mean? We’re just shooting the breeze.”
“Ah…”
Jo Jung Min, who seemed to know what was going on, looked towards Do Wook and Park Tae Hyung.
The group turned their heads and noticed the two of them.
The participants’ expressions visibly hardened. Park Tae Hyung, who they had been badmouthing just now, was there, so it was understandable.
If they weren’t certain that Park Tae Hyung and Do Wook had heard them talk, they would have tried to hide it. However, the expression on both of their faces made it obvious that they had heard. As such, even if they tried to backpedal like that wasn’t the case, they couldn’t fix the situation.
The participant briefly scowled, then muttered,
“Ugh. What bad luck…”
He realized he couldn’t smooth things over, so it seemed he decided to just double down.
He didn’t like Park Tae Hyung anyways, so, now that this had happened, he thought he could simply go to a different team instead of losing face later.
The participant had muttered loudly enough for others to hear, which made Do Wook scoff over the ridiculousness.
“Hey.”
Do Wook calling out to them made the participants’ expressions tense up. However, the participant who had said, “what bad luck,” tried to not show that he was tense and said with an indifferent expression,
“What do you want?”
“The one who’s bad luck is…”
Everyone looked surprised when Do Wook spoke frankly, even Park Tae Young. It was a side they didn’t expect to see based on Do Wook’s typical image and actions.
However, Do Wook knew when to hold back and when he shouldn’t. He had no reason to hold back right now.
His low, baritone voice made the participants feel anxious.
Do Wook was about to say more.
“Apologize.”
Jo Jung Min said it first.
If Do Wook confronted the participants, who knew how they’d spin the narrative and post it online. Of course, for a star of Do Wook’s level, one incident like that wouldn’t ruin their image, but it could still cause unnecessary fuss.
It’s an everyday occurrence for celebrities to get preferential treatment compared to ordinary people, but on the flip side, they’re put at a disadvantage.
Jo Jung Min was well aware of that.
He didn’t want Do Wook to be in trouble.
Jo Jung Min’s unexpected remark made both Do Wook and Park Tae Hyung have a doubtful expression, wondering if they had misheard. The participants also looked dumbfounded.
“Jung Min?”
The participant called out to Jo Jung Min, but he gave a nod indicating more firmly to quickly apologize.
They hadn’t been friends for long, but the participant thought that someone as talented as Jo Jung Min would look down on Park Tae Hyung like he did.
Furthermore, Jo Jung Min was the one who bad-mouthed idols at their first drinking event.
“Have you ever properly seen Park Tae Hyung dance?”
The participant mumbled in response to Jo Jung Min’s question.
KK was everywhere, so he had glanced at a KK performance once. Of course, even then he didn’t think they were completely bad. Even with a glance you could tell they were much better than other teams.
However, he thought it was still the dancing of a mere idol.
Jo Jung Min shot back at the mumbling participant.
“You’re running your mouth without having seen it?”
“What, do you have some kind of relationship with Park Tae Hyung or something?”
Another participant jumped in and objected.
“Me? I didn’t make it on KK because I lost to Park Tae Hyung. I had to speak up because if you don’t acknowledge his skills, it means you’re not acknowledging my skills either.”
Everyone looked surprised at Jo Jung Min’s words.
No one knew about Jo Jung Min’s history. They thought he had been involved with his current dance team the whole time.
Of course, Jo Jung Min didn’t mean to deceive them. He just didn’t come forward and reveal it.
He had already done an individual interview about his past as an idol trainee, so everyone would find out anyways once it aired.
It became silent. The participants’ expressions looked like they realized they had picked a fight with the wrong people.
At the same time, it felt like looking down on Jo Jung Min.
It was a laughable situation. Just a second ago they were supportive of Jo Jung Min, saying how he was most likely to win.
However, once he revealed that he used to be an idol trainee, they immediately started looking down on him.
Despite getting disillusioned by their attitude, Jo Jung Min looked back on his past.
‘I’m sure I used to be just like them…you can just break prejudice with skill anyways. I’ve already been recognized too…’
Jo Jung Min internally jeered at the participants as he thought that.
“You’ll end up apologizing,”
Do Wook said towards the participants, who were leaving the hallway while practically running away. They hesitated, then quickened their steps.
Jo Jung Min, Park Tae Hyung, and Do Wook. Only the three of them were left in the waiting room hallway.
The vibe was awkward.
Jo Jung Min’s attitude was very unexpected. Park Tae Hyung looked at Jo Jung Min. He had been really scary during their trainee days, but looking at him now, he seemed so ordinary that Park Tae Hyung couldn’t understand his past self.
Do Wook looked at Jo Jung Min, skeptical.
“I’m sorry. As a fellow participant, I apologize on their behalf.”
“Wha…What?”
Jo Jung Min was looking directly at Park Tae Hyung. When Park Tae Hyung asked, flustered, Jo Jung Min politely bowed his head.
“What happened in the past…I was too young back then. No, that’s probably an excuse. Just…I’m sorry. I don’t know if you’ll forgive me, but…”
Flustered by Jo Jung Min’s multiple apologies, Park Tae Hyung looked at Do Wook. Do Wook stared at Jo Jung Min.
Jo Jung Min looked towards Do Wook and said,
“Kang Do Wook.”
Jo Jung Min, whose gaze met Do Wook’s, thought as he looked at Do Wook’s dark black pupils.
What Do Wook said was right. Whether it was today or in a few years, like himself, the participants from earlier would apologize to Park Tae Hyung, or at least be apologetic.
Jo Jung Min’s hate and malice-filled heart had changed about a year ago.*
(TL note: Ok, I admit I was suspicious but I guess he really has changed.)
Under the justification that he was a trainee, Jo Jung Min was practically exploited as a backup dancer at Ara Entertainment, which was trying to get a fresh start.
No matter how long he waited to debut, he didn’t get an opportunity. The group after M2M was postponed indefinitely after the incident with Seo Kang Jun. The company was putting all its efforts into reorganizing M2M and getting them established.
Even if that weren’t the case, there was very little possibility that Jo Jung Min would debut. After spending some time as a backup dancer for M2M, they looked down on him for being too old and eventually drove him to leave the company, so there wasn’t much more to say. It was what they call ostracism.
When he joined Ara Entertainment, he wanted to do whatever he could to be more successful than Park Tae Hyung and Do Wook so he gritted his teeth and bore it. That’s why he even tried to endure the blatant belittling.
Still, it was no use and as he left Ara Entertainment, Jo Jung Min had to look back on his life.
Unlike himself, who crumbled pathetically, KK was making their own way. Firmly.
The moment he saw them winning at the Billboard Awards, Jo Jung Min’s ego completely collapsed. At the same time, he built himself anew.
It was his choice to leave HIT Entertainment. Even if it hurt his pride to lose to Park Tae Hyung, he shouldn’t have thrown away the opportunity he was given at HIT Entertainment.
Harassing others because of his pride, acting dishonestly. He realized how stupid each and every action had been.
Only one thing, his passion for dance that he had accumulated until now, was genuine.
< Dancing Dancing > was a program he decided to pursue after his realization as a way for him to go back to the very beginning and draw a new future.
When he heard that Park Tae Hyung was one of the judges, of course his pride was indescribably hurt, but now he had no choice but to acknowledge it. His and Park Tae Hyung’s status had become incredibly different.
It could end up being a good opportunity. A way to reflect on the past and move forward.
“Thanks. If you hadn’t gotten mad at me, I would have lived my entire life as arrogant trash. Like Seo Kang Jun…”
Jo Jung Min had observed Seo Kang Jun from the sidelines, so Seo Jang Jun’s downfall contrasted with Do Wook’s path and was a big shock to Jo Jung Min.
“You guys might not like it, but…I want to use this program to get a fresh start. I can’t go back to the innocent days when my only focus was dance, but if I hold onto the feeling from back then…maybe one day I’ll find my way too…”
If it was as Jo Jung Min said, it was a good thing. It wasn’t Do Wook’s place to say if it was ok or not. Do Wook looked at Park Tae Hyung. The one who was harassed by Jo Jung Min was Park Tae Hyung.
“Jung Min…”
Park Tae Hyung struggled to speak. Jo Jung Min waited for Park Tae Hyung to speak like someone waiting for his punishment.
“You’re going to do great. It’s true that I suffered because of you, but…it’s also true that you’re a good dancer.”
“I’m sorry. If it’s hard for you to see me, I’ll leave the program. I must really have been out of my mind back then…I have so many regrets.”
Jo Jung Min bowed his head again.
“It’s ok. Thank you for apologizing.”
Seeing Park Tae Hyung’s determination made Do Wook feel Park Tae Hyung’s growth anew. To Park Tae Hyung, what happened with Jo Jung Min was already a thing of the past.
The lives of the two people were changed by Do Wook.
***
After returning to the waiting room, they were scolded by the members for taking so long as they ate the boxed lunches together.
When Do Wook told them that Jo Jung Min was on the program, everyone was surprised and looked uncomfortable.
As cohorts who went through the trainee days together, Ahn Hyung Seo and Jung Yoon Ki briefly felt sorry for him. At the same time, they were very worried about Park Tae Hyung.
However, Jo Jung Min had apologized to Park Tae Hyung, and Park Tae Hyung had also said it was ok so they looked surprised but responded that they were relieved.
“Also…”
Park Tae Hyung said as they cleared the cleanly-eaten lunch boxes.
“There’s a favor I’d like to ask of you.”
Everyone turned their attention to Park Tae Hyung, as if urging him to go on. He had already asked Do Wook for his opinion so Do Wook was smiling, knowing what he was going to say.
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Next chapter: Having to deal with the rude participants is not the only bad news this chapter.