The Name That Shouldn’t Have Been Said

Just how much do you plan to mess with the company that you’re making me suffer like this?
As Hanbyeol ground his teeth, Yuseong, sensing the murderous atmosphere, awkwardly opened his mouth.

“Well, I don’t really know either.”
“My guess is it might be because of the movie we watched the day before.”
“A movie?”
“We watched a somewhat scary movie.”
“I remember waking up in the middle of the night, holding onto you and crying and all.”

Did we watch a movie that day?
Perhaps because he was too young, Hanbyeol had no memory of it.

“I don’t remember exactly what movie it was, but it was a bit… gory, I guess?”
“The shock was quite big for me too, so I kept looking for you in the middle of the night.”

Hanbyeol nodded with an ‘Ah.’
Then, raising one corner of his mouth, he spoke as if telling Yuseong to try getting caught himself.

“My brother’s eighth-grade syndrome was a bit intense.”
“Uh, Hanbyeol-ah…?”
“He suddenly grabbed my hand in the middle of the night and asked me to show him proof that he was alive.”
“Oh my…”
“Proof of being alive…”

Yuseong coughed as if he’d swallowed wrong.

“So that was that day.”
“I didn’t remember, but now I do.”
“……Wait a minute, Hanbyeol-ah.”
“Patting my head and saying things like ‘my beloved younger brother, my pretty younger brother.’”
“……What is this?”
“Was he really going through eighth-grade syndrome?”
“Seems like it.”
“I was so scared, wondering if my brother had a split personality.”
“Pfft.”
“But, he still seems like that, doesn’t he?”
“It looks like he’d get angry immediately if someone touches Hanbyeol.”
“What? Is Hanbyeol your alter ego, Yuseong?”
“Hanbyeol-ah, have you been living under such a brother…?”
“How did you endure it?”
“Ah, no! I didn’t say that!”
“I said I didn’t!”

“By any chance, did he not draw magic circles?”

Hanbyeol, who had brought up his brother’s embarrassing past in front of the members, closed his eyes with a satisfied expression.

“If I ever get on broadcast, please tell them it’s an anecdote heard directly from Yuseong’s younger brother.”
“Okay.”
“We’re going to record a radio show anyway, so that works out well.”

Since he couldn’t spread this story himself, he needed it to come from the members’ mouths.
After carrying out his small revenge, Hanbyeol fell asleep, albeit for a short time.

At first, it was just tagging along for the experience.
But entering broadcast stations required several procedures.

For the first few days, he got through because he was Yuseong’s younger brother.
Briefly, but Hanbyeol was also someone who had been a topic online for a while.

On the condition of not revealing his face and staying with Yuseong, he even accepted interview requests.
This made broadcast station access possible.

‘From what we heard from the Cha.N members, it seems the younger brother shared some of his brother’s embarrassing past~.’
‘Ah, yes.’
‘I know even more than that, but for the sake of my brother’s fans, I’ll keep it a secret.’
‘If I say more, I’ll have to fight with my brother.’
‘Ah~ That’s a pity.’
‘What~ A brother who fights with his younger brother?’
‘No. I treat my younger brother so well.’
‘Brother, put your hand on your heart…’
‘Puhahahaha—!’
‘Later, if I’m in a place without my brother, I’ll tell you without worrying about the consequences.’
‘We should call the younger brother separately!’
‘No~! I’ll do my absolute best to stop it!’

At the time, Hanbyeol found it somewhat fun.

Since he wasn’t a celebrity who needed to manage his image and had no real intention of debuting anyway, he just needed to get along appropriately.

Since it was a short phone connection, he could take the call next to the manager.
With the condition that Yuseong was present, he thought he could be stopped immediately if it seemed like he might slip up.

However, broadcast station access wasn’t permanent.
Since he couldn’t go to every station, Hanbyeol sometimes had to stay alone in the car during Cha.N’s schedules.

‘Ah, so that was intentional.’

By that point, the company wanted to put Hanbyeol on the official trainee list.

They wanted Hanbyeol to get exhausted by endless waiting while following Cha.N’s schedules.
If he were a signed trainee, it would be relatively easier for him to visit music and variety show sets under the pretext of being a trainee they were pushing.

Yuseong, who had sensed the company’s goal, made a preemptive move.
He registered Hanbyeol on StarV’s staff list.

With Hanbyeol’s story about still considering changing his career path to become a trainee, the need for parental approval as a minor, and the active influence of Yuseong, the company’s highest earner, the company had no choice but to step back.

Of course, there was no daily wage.
Not wanting to be financially entangled, Yuseong diverted the company’s attention.
He used the hopeful story that if Hanbyeol were to join StarV as a trainee, they should settle the trainee costs then.

“But, brother, how did you know the company was trying to bring me in as a trainee?”
“Looking at the company’s recent actions, you’d have to try not to know.”

Well, it was too obvious.
Despite nothing being confirmed, articles related to Hanbyeol were quietly resurfacing.

They came down quickly when Hanbyeol expressed discomfort.
But stories also subtly flowed through SNS suggesting Hanbyeol might have become a StarV trainee.

It seemed like underhanded work, but he decided not to pay much attention.
That wasn’t the type to get nervous and watch his step anyway.
If he were that type, Yuseong wouldn’t have asked for his help in the first place.

“So, you went and talked to them?”
“Yeah.”
“Here, sign this.”
“I’ve checked it all for any weird clauses.”

The contract Yuseong brought contained information about being a temporary manager.
It also had a clause stating that if Hanbyeol refused a trainee contract, they would cleanly step back.

“The title is just ‘temporary manager,’ but actually, it’s assisting with filming for Cha.N’s YouTube and W-app content.”
“For small shoots, there are quite a few people who come in on contract basis regularly.”

The period was 2 months.
Extension possible in 1-month units.
Dates for academy were excluded.
It was for 1-2 workdays per week.

The paperwork for the field trip experience was also to be handled by the company.
He didn’t know how on earth his brother had persuaded the company.
But from Hanbyeol’s perspective, there was nothing bad about it.

“Brother thought of you this much.”

As Yuseong spoke in a satisfied voice holding the contract with Hanbyeol’s signature, Hanbyeol smiled.

“It’s probably a desperate attempt to not get caught.”
“Ah, Hanbyeol-ah…”
“Listen carefully…”
“If you make me come out more than three times a week, I’ll expose all your embarrassing past online…”

He would even certify it as coming from Choi Yuseong’s biological younger brother.

So brother, you must take your medication on time.
You must keep the situation from getting tangled.
At Hanbyeol’s eyes gleaming with madness, Yuseong nodded.

Anyway, the company couldn’t demand excessive schedule participation from a student.
He wasn’t even a trainee and hadn’t graduated yet.

Since all clauses allowing refusal were already written at the contract stage, Hanbyeol received permission.
He could assist with filming Cha.N’s waiting room, practice room, and dorm scenes within the limits of both his and Cha.N’s free time.

Of course, he had absolutely no intention of visiting places related to Cha.N without Yuseong present.
But as the situation became seriously complicated, Hanbyeol’s expression darkened.

“If fans find out, they’ll kill me, right?”
“Why?”
“Why?”
“Because I’m an outsider.”

And on top of that, an Omega.

At Hanbyeol’s words, Yuseong pondered for a moment and nodded.
Thinking of his younger brother, my foot.
He was a very, very bad brother who knowingly put his younger brother in a difficult situation.

“Anyway, you’re only participating in official schedules, so it’s fine.”
“On days without schedules, I won’t call you at all.”

Occasionally, his brother had a habit of saying obvious things as if they weren’t obvious.

“Ah, but can I bring a friend?”
“A friend?”
“Yeah.”
“Hmm… Outsiders aren’t allowed.”
“Who?”
“Brother, weren’t you trying to officially spread rumors about me anyway?”
“Uh, uh…?”

Yuseong’s eyes wavered fiercely as he looked at Hanbyeol.
Seeing him like that, Hanbyeol let out a sigh.

If he doesn’t know, he’s an idiot.

It wasn’t clear what deal he made with the company.
But Yuseong was now deliberately trying to make Hanbyeol famous.

Well, it wasn’t like he hadn’t seen his brother’s calculating side once or twice.
Since it wasn’t once or twice that he had matched his steps, Hanbyeol trusted his brother.
Anyway, it was something he had decided to help with.

“I’m bringing Taeha.”
“……Hanbyeol-ah.”
“Taeha is an Alpha.”

The expression of Yuseong, who had been pretending to be flustered and laughing, hardened.
The one thing Yuseong hadn’t prepared for was Taeha’s existence.

“Taeha already knows everything.”
“He’s sensitive.”

He couldn’t explain at length, worried someone might be listening.
But even with Hanbyeol’s words missing key terms, Yuseong seemed to understand and hesitated.

“……What?”
“Don’t misunderstand.”
“It wasn’t revealed because I wanted it to be.”

‘It’s definitely a different scent from your pheromones, Hanbyeol.’

Even thinking back, it was astonishingly sensitive.
Since Taeha knew Hanbyeol’s pheromones, comparing them to Yuseong’s was easy.

“……I can’t trust someone who isn’t family.”

Seeing Yuseong’s gaze darken, Hanbyeol shook his head.

“I’ll vouch for Taeha.”
“Hanbyeol-ah.”
“You never know when an outsider might change and spill everything.”
“Then it just means I’ve been friends all this time with someone who’s only that much.”
“Taeha is keeping quiet out of goodwill toward us.”
“More precisely, toward his friend—me—rather than you, brother.”
“……Hanbyeol-ah.”
“And, this is your fault to begin with.”

Hanbyeol’s voice also grew firm.