The One Who Stopped Moving

“Hanbyeol.”

As if noticing Hanbyeol’s gaze, Taeha called him, sweat dripping.

“Anyway, Taeha, you go practice. Even if your debut fell through, you still have to do your work.”

“That’s…”

“Besides, the exam is right around the corner, so it actually worked out, didn’t it? You can focus on one thing entirely.”

Somehow, a slightly prickly tone slipped out.

It wasn’t Taeha’s fault, but inwardly, Hanbyeol thought the god who made this world was too unfair.

“Don’t worry about studying. My brother teaches me well. He even helped Yechan hyung get a good score on his exam too.”

Waving his hand as if to say not to worry, even mentioning the youngest Cha.N member’s exam story, Taeha hastily shook his head.

“No, that’s… not it.”

“Huh?”

Did I show my resentment toward the world too much?

Hanbyeol wondered if he should apologize to Taeha and looked at him.

Seeing this, Taeha, who had been frowning his fine brow as if embarrassed, gave an awkward smile.

“Did… did your debut date come out? Already?”

“No, nothing like that.”

“Then what is it?”

“I, actually…”

“Ji Taeha! Choi Hanbyeol! Get out here now!”

“Hey! They said pork chop steak is on the menu today! If you’re late, you’ll only get a tiny piece!”

Before Taeha could finish his sentence, their friends’ voices urgently knocking on the classroom door and shouting made Hanbyeol frown.

“Ugh, did some pork-starved ghosts possess them… Taeha-ya, let’s go to the cafeteria first.”

“Huh? …Okay.”

Since there was still lunch break left, he could hear the rest of the story after eating.

Or he could hear it while eating.

Thinking lightly of it, Hanbyeol ran toward the cafeteria with Taeha.

So, although Hanbyeol told Taeha to talk during the meal, he agreed when Taeha smiled and said it would be better to eat deliciously first and talk later.

―Third Grade, Class 1, Ji Taeha. Third Grade, Class 1, Ji Taeha. Please come to the teachers’ office.

However, Hanbyeol didn’t get to hear what Taeha wanted to say during lunch.

As soon as they finished eating, the broadcast called Taeha to the teachers’ office, and he only returned to the classroom after the final bell.

The next break, he passed out immediately after class ended, lulled by the teacher’s soporific voice, and the following break, Taeha was called to the teachers’ office again.

“Taeha, you’re being called in all day today?”

As Hanbyeol muttered while pulling out a book to lend to Jaehwi, who came to borrow a textbook, Jaehwi opened his mouth as if scolding him.

“You’re so slow with the news. Why, remember when Ji Taeha got that thing from the inter-school competition the year before last?”

Hanbyeol searched his memory for a moment.

Come to think of it, Taeha had appeared on a quiz program aired by a broadcasting station.

Since friends or school teachers had to sit in the audience seats, he and Eunhan, Jaehwi had made a cheering banner and gone.

Back then, Taeha had confidently won first place on that show, beating senior second and third-year students.

Truly, a cheat character… The world is unfair.

“Ah, ah~ right, why?”

“The grand prize for winning included four years of university tuition and support for a short-term language study abroad program for about three weeks. But apparently, there’s a set period when you can use it. So, some people go during the gap between the exam and regular admissions applications. But to do that, you have to talk to the school about attendance and stuff.”

“Ah.”

Only then did Hanbyeol understand.

Originally, Taeha was tied to a company and had to manage his training.

But recently, his debut had been derailed again.

No matter how fast, the probability of debuting while still in high school was slim.

So, was he planning to use this gap to go on the language program?

Having watched Taeha’s empty seat all day, busy, Hanbyeol handed the textbook to Jaehwi.

“Don’t scribble in it. And don’t draw pictures like last time either.”

“Hey, Choi Hanbyeol… I’ve never drawn a picture in your book?”

Looking at Jaehwi making a face straight out of a horror movie, Hanbyeol’s expression clouded.

“…If this isn’t a picture, what does it look like to you?”

“Letters, man. Letters. Can’t you recognize Hangul? King Sejong would be disappointed.”

“Was it letters? I thought they were hieroglyphics. Some pharaoh in Egypt would wake up.”

Just then, the bell rang.

Hanbyeol waved at Jaehwi, who hurriedly ran off, then looked at the empty seat at the very back—Taeha’s seat, who still hadn’t returned to the classroom—and sank into thought.

No matter how derailed his debut schedule was, Taeha was still a trainee tied to a company.

Even for a short-term language program, that much lesson time would be lost.

Considering the lesson costs the company invested, there was no way Taeha could easily go on the program.

But if rumors had spread within the school to this extent…

“Taeha-ya.”

After class ended, Hanbyeol called out to Taeha, who was gathering textbooks for the next moving class.

Perhaps because he had been busily summoned all day, Taeha also seemed out of it, as he only seemed to properly come to his senses after Hanbyeol called his name.

“Ah. Hanbyeol-ah, sorry. I’ve been so out of it…”

Seeing Taeha apologize first, Hanbyeol shook his head.

“No, it’s not like you did it on purpose.”

“That, what I was trying to say earlier…”

“Did you… by any chance leave the company?”

At Hanbyeol’s words, Taeha flinched, then his expression hardened.

“…How did you know?”

“Just a guess…”

He had asked just in case, and it was correct.

Hanbyeol was filled with regret.

Taeha’s good grades were partly due to his intelligence, but more because of his tremendous effort.

The reason Taeha kept making it into debut team lineups since first year of high school was because he practiced hard, beyond just being good.

The reason Hanbyeol kept cheering for such a Taeha was because he knew all too well that debut was like swallowing a glamorous poisoned chalice.

“Hanbyeol-ah, I thought it’d be better to tell you sooner. You always cheered me on and helped…”

No.

Even though he had done nothing wrong, Taeha wore a bitter smile.

It wasn’t something to apologize for, yet he looked sorry for not properly living up to the support.

Hanbyeol had no idea how to comfort him.

“But, why? What happened? You were training well.”

When Hanbyeol took a step closer and asked, Taeha scratched the back of his head as if embarrassed.

Taeha had been a trainee since he was a 13-year-old kid.

He wasn’t the type to give up so easily!

“The company is having difficulties…”

Looking at Taeha’s weary expression, Hanbyeol felt he understood a tiny bit of what emotions Taeha might be holding.

Because that’s how Cha.N members Yoonseo and Sehyun had been.

Especially the quiet Yoonseo often wore an expression just like Taeha’s now.

Before debuting with Cha.N, Yoonseo was a member of a debut project team that could be described as having ‘flopped.’

Profile pictures with the stage name ‘Teo’ were even posted on SNS.

Even the expected debut date was announced, but it ultimately fell through.

Perhaps because of that.

During the first interview on [Pick, My Dol!], Yoonseo said he had actually been about to give up on his idol dream, wearing exactly that expression.

‘How did you endure such a difficult time?’

A subtitle appeared below the interview.

At that time, Yoonseo, after some thought, opened his mouth as if struggling to answer.

‘……I’m not really sure. I thought it was better to give up and live on, but before I knew it, I had applied to participate in [Pick, My Dol!].’

At that answer, other members who had gone through similar experiences gently ruffled Yoonseo’s hair.

Recalling that comforting scene, Hanbyeol likewise ruffled Taeha’s hair.

It’s okay, it’s okay.

To others, it might just be someone else’s business, but to Hanbyeol, it was something people around him had experienced, had been frustrated by, and was an ongoing issue.

And in the end, he knew people who had achieved their dreams within that hell.

Of course, post-debut, they were living in a different kind of hell…

“For now, let’s do well on the exam.”

“Yeah. Got it, Hanbyeol-ah.”

Taeha smiled.

Hanbyeol felt proud.

“We can go to university together.”

“Right!”

After running so hard, a process of resting for a while is also necessary.

It’s not that you’ve stopped; think of it as storing up energy to move again.

In Hanbyeol’s eyes, Taeha was a friend good at anything.

As Taeha smiled at Hanbyeol’s words, he cautiously opened his mouth.

“Then, could I help you with your studies from now on? Of course, I’m not a perfect scorer like Yooseong hyung or anything…”

Hmm… That’s a bit awkward.

Because the reason for going to the dorm isn’t the exam in the first place.

Though it’s a close call, Hanbyeol was in a situation where he could meet the minimum grade requirements for the university he wanted.

So if he pushed a little harder here, his scores would be in a stable range; he didn’t really need Yooseong’s tutoring.

“Ah… Wouldn’t I be taking up your time, Taeha?”

“That’s not it. I’d actually be better off. Hanbyeol-ah, no matter how well you know them, going to the dorm is dangerous.”

Taeha’s eyes wavered a little.

But Hanbyeol shook his head with an embarrassed face instead.

“No. I can’t take your time. I’m comfortable with Yooseong hyung too.”

“…By any chance.”

“Huh?”

“There, I mean, that…”

Taeha frowned and unfrowned as if contemplating.

“There are… two alphas there, right?”

“Huh? Yeah, that’s right.”

Though the thought that they’re his brother’s colleagues is much stronger than the fact that they’re alphas.

When Hanbyeol nodded, Taeha, with a stiff face, spoke again.

“Even though I’m an alpha too, wouldn’t it be better to study with me at a library or at school?”

I’m sorry, but I can’t do that, Taeha-ya.

I’m going there because of those alphas.

Seeing Taeha’s worried face, Hanbyeol let out a light laugh.

“My brother is there anyway, so it’s fine.”

“…Then, can I come along too?”