The Gates Opened on the First Day of Debut - Chapter 41

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Gate Burst Open on My Debut Day (41)
Seo Ijae squeezed his eyes shut and slowly nodded his head.
“So you’re saying Lee Jae will handle the arrangement?”
“…Understood.”
With the biggest problem resolved, Kang Hae-soo released a long breath of relief.
Yoo Sung and Han Theo didn’t show it outwardly, but they seemed to have let go of their worries as well.
Only Seo Ijae remained hunched over with an anxious expression.
‘Why did he try to hide it?’
In the Idol Survival Audition Program, composition and arrangement skills were nothing but an asset to trainees—never a liability.
Even knowing just a decent level would have people praising him as a future genius producer, an essential talent for the group, and there would be mountains of such people.
I reviewed Winter Boys’ song information again.
‘Lyrics, composition, and arrangement by Hwang Min-woo? This person seems like a Winter Boys member too… Ah, is that the one?’
The only Winter Boys member besides Seo Ijae who was actively working in the entertainment industry.
He had successfully transitioned to acting and consistently worked on productions while making appearances on variety shows.
‘He can do lyrics, composition, and arrangement, but he doesn’t do music activities?’
Suddenly curious, I checked the information for Winter Boys’ other songs.
From their mini-album and digital singles to their final full-length album.
‘Hmm? Nothing.’
I checked all the song information from title tracks to B-sides, but Seo Ijae’s name couldn’t be found anywhere.
‘Hwang Min-woo only participated in the lyrics for the title track of their second mini-album.’
Hmm….
I’m getting a feeling about this, a real feeling.
Something definitely happened during their time as Winter Boys.
“Now that we’ve decided on who’ll handle the arrangement, should we determine the arrangement direction?”
“Wait….”
Seo Ijae, hunched with his shoulders drawn up and hugging his knees, carefully raised his hand.
“Could we decide on the arrangement direction a bit more slowly?”
“Pardon?”
“I don’t want to decide in a rush. I want to… think about it slowly.”
“Of course. Is everyone okay with that?”
When I asked Yoo Sung, Han Theo, and Kang Hae-soo, all three nodded without objection.
“…Thank you.”
Seo Ijae murmured in a barely audible voice.
“Should we decide on the center position next? Who wants to be the center?”
At my question, Kang Hae-soo’s hand shot up.
“Uh… Is it just me?”
When no one else raised their hand, Kang Hae-soo looked around in confusion.
But the reactions from Yoo Sung, Han Theo, and Seo Ijae were lukewarm.
“I’ve already done it once, so I’m good.”
“Same here.”
“I’m not interested in being the center either.”
Kang Hae-soo whipped his head around, his eyes blazing as he fixed me with an intense stare.
It was as if he were asking, ‘You want to be the center, don’t you, Kim Chowol?’
“I’m fine not being the center.”
“Why?”
Yoo Sung, resting his chin on his hand, asked bluntly.
“You’ve never tried being the center before.”
“There’s someone who wants it more than I do. Why should I take it?”
Yoo Sung seemed dissatisfied with my answer, tapping his leg irritably.
‘What’s with him now?’
Whether it was during the Guild War or now, he acted like someone desperate to give me a part.
As the atmosphere between Yoo Sung and me grew awkward, Kang Hae-soo, sensing the tension, carefully interjected.
“Actually, I’m fine not being the center either.”
‘What’s with him now?’
“The senior members from my Entertainment Agency drilled it into my head that the center position is absolutely essential, so I applied for it.”
Once Kang Hae-soo finished speaking, an uncomfortable silence settled over us.
‘This is new.’
I’d seen plenty of arguments when too many people wanted to be the center, but this was my first time experiencing awkwardness because no one wanted it.
“Then let’s do recommendations. Recommendations.”
“Recommendations?”
“We each recommend who we think would suit the center position.”
The team members nodded at my suggestion.
It was the fairest and most impartial approach.
“I choose Kim Chowol.”
The moment I brought up recommendations, Yoo Sung answered as if he’d been waiting for it.
“What about the rest of you?”
“Well… me too, Chowol?”
Han Theo, playfully curling up the corners of his mouth, tilted his head slightly as he spoke.
‘What’s with him now?’
That was already the third time today I’d thought, ‘What’s with him now?’
I swallowed the sigh threatening to escape and asked Kang Hae-soo and Seo Ijae.
“What about you two, Hae-soo and Ijae?”
“I… Ijae hyung?”
Seo Ijae, apparently shocked that Kang Hae-soo would recommend him, spun around to face him.
Kang Hae-soo calmly added his reasoning.
“Since Ijae hyung has experience performing with Winter Boys, wouldn’t he be best at bringing out the song’s potential?”
“No, I—”
“I think Ijae hyung would be good too.”
Seo Ijae turned to me with an expression as if betrayed by someone he’d trusted.
“My time with Winter Boys doesn’t matter now.”
“How is this not relevant? We’re performing Winter Boys songs.”
“…Besides, I was never the center of the group to begin with.”
“That doesn’t matter.”
Seo Ijae was trying to persuade both me and Kang Hae-soo.
But whether Kang Hae-soo would budge or not, I had no intention of backing down easily.
If it were any other issue, I might have compromised, but the center of Winter Boys absolutely had to be Seo Ijae.
“I also want you to be the center, Chowol.”
Seo Ijae glanced toward Yoo Sung and Han Theo as he continued.
“If it comes down to this, it’s three to two…. By majority vote, you’re the center, right?”
“No, wait. Please listen to what I have to say.”
“Why are you pushing so hard on this?”
Seo Ijae hugged his knees again as he spoke.
“Is there really a reason I have to be the center?”
“Yes.”
My firm answer took the team members by surprise.
A reason why Seo Ijae had to be the center?
Of course there was.
“Because I want to see it.”
“See what?”
“The figure of Ijae hyung as the center of the new Winter Boys.”
When I thought about why Jang Hyuk-soo had assigned Seo Ijae to the Winter Boys team, the answer came quickly.
Barely in their mid-to-late twenties.
Peers who hadn’t even begun their careers were already branded with a label they could never shed.
Failed idols, that’s what they were called.
Everyone pointed fingers at them.
‘It’s because the concept is bad, their skills and visuals are just failed idol level, that’s how it is with small entertainment agencies, what can you do.’
What had we done wrong, anyway?
Our only crime was chasing our dreams earnestly.
The price of failure was too steep, and the wounds lingered like scars, constantly gnawing at our hearts.
But they didn’t give up.
Even knowing how grueling it was to chase dreams, and how agonizing it was when you failed.
They chose to chase their dreams again.
‘If I’m given one more chance, one more opportunity to start again….’
A failed idol, now grown stronger, corrects the failures of the past.
How moving and beautiful a story that is.
“It’ll be fun, definitely.”
I flashed a confident smile at Seo Ijae.
* * *
The center was ultimately decided to be Seo Ijae.
Yoo Sung changed his opinion after seeing my unwavering conviction.
‘What could Kim Chowol possibly be thinking?’
Though I’d made my displeasure obvious enough, Yoo Sung would understand it too.
That Seo Ijae suited the center position better than I did.
The parts were divided fairly evenly among everyone except Seo Ijae, who held the center.
Unlike other teams that typically squabbled over wanting more lines, my teammates accepted my decision without complaint.
“Is Kim Chowol the leader?”
Kang Hae-soo asked after we finished dividing the parts.
“Hyung, don’t you want to be the leader?”
I asked Seo Ijae, our oldest member.
If he took on the arrangement work, the center position, and leadership all at once, it seemed like too much burden.
‘Usually the oldest person takes on the leader role.’
Sure enough, Seo Ijae shook his head, his face turning pale.
“Ah, no… I really don’t think I can handle being the leader too.”
“Then I’ll be the leader. You focus on the arrangement.”
“Yeah, thanks.”
Only then did Seo Ijae, visibly relieved, pat his chest.
Was it really that burdensome?
I glanced sideways at Yoo Sung and Han Theo, who were staring blankly at me.
‘Well, looking at their faces does make me feel a bit intimidated.’
But it should be better than the Guild War.
At least Ju Gilhyung, who kept clashing with Yoo Sung and causing problems whenever we were in the same space, wasn’t here.
As long as I prepare the stage well, that’s all that matters.
“Since it’s getting late, let’s eat dinner, practice a little, and then get some rest. Hyung, think about the arrangement direction and tell me tomorrow.”
“Sure.”
After organizing what we needed to do, we headed to the Cafeteria to eat.
Dinner was spicy braised pork.
My teammates and I received generous portions of rice and side dishes, then sat down at an empty table.
“Let’s eat.”
I placed a piece of the sweet and spicy braised pork on top of the steaming rice and put it in my mouth.
‘Huh? Wait. Isn’t something off?’
Once I’d satisfied my initial hunger, I began to notice my surroundings.
My teammates, whom I’d naturally assumed would eat separately, had naturally gathered around me in a circle.
There was no particular purpose behind sitting together like this.
If there had been a purpose, they would have said something. There’s no way they’d just eat in silence without saying a word.
‘Well, it doesn’t matter.’
It wasn’t unusual for teammates to eat together.
I lifted my head slightly and scanned the Cafeteria.
Unfortunately, the person I was looking for wasn’t there.
‘I hope Hiro is doing well.’
Okada had been placed on a different team.
The expression on Okada’s face as she checked the team assignment results was so pitiful.
Even Yoo Sung, the greatest of them all, couldn’t help but worry.
“I’ll head out first.”
Seo Ijae, who finished eating first, stood up from his seat.
“Yes, you’re going to the Practice Room, right?”
“Ah… I have something to take care of first. I’ll head over right after.”
“Understood.”
Something to take care of? What could it be?
If Seo Ijae was being evasive about it, it didn’t seem like an ordinary matter.
Five minutes after Seo Ijae left the Cafeteria.
I’d been preoccupied with Seo Ijae ever since, and I couldn’t eat anymore.
“I’ll head out first too. See you at the Practice Room.”
I quickly cleared my tray and left the Cafeteria.
But once I left the Cafeteria, I faced a major problem.
‘I need to find Lee Jae, but… where should I go?’
Hmm….
After thinking for a moment, I simply started walking aimlessly.
Since I’d left almost immediately after him, he couldn’t have gone far.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
After wandering through the Building, I finally found Seo Ijae and immediately hid myself.
Seo Ijae was on a phone call with someone.
‘A cell phone? Did he ask the production crew to return it temporarily?’
Seo Ijae paced nervously in the same spot, going in circles.
“No, I’m sorry…. I didn’t say anything to my hyung. I was just too flustered. Me? I’ve been doing well. How about you? Are you still working at the Dance Academy?”
Seo Ijae, having finally calmed down, continued the conversation with the person on the other end of the line in a composed manner.
‘Who is it?’
Who could be so urgent that Seo Ijae had to ask the production crew to let him make a call?
“I’m glad to hear you’re doing well. Anyway, I understand that Han Ul hyung was thinking of me. But….”
Han Ul hyung.
The face of a man with piercings all over his ears came to mind.
Was he the main dancer of Winter Boys?
“Why Winter Boys specifically? Winter Boys is… a song that Min Woo hyung ruined.”
What?

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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