It was currently the early morning in Seoul.
As soon as Damien stepped out of his apartment building, the sun was warm against his face.
It's hot already...
It was the first day of his summer break and Damien was up early, heading to the company. He planned to use the school holiday to get extra training done that he couldn't do before. Now, he could hone his skills in the quiet hours while everyone was only beginning to wake up.
Normally, the company's entrance was nearly empty at this hour, aside from the guards and some staff or unusually early trainees. Damien had hoped for calm and silence, a chance to slip into a practice room before the usual rush of trainees.
However, as he approached the building, his expectations were quickly dashed.
What the heck?
Damien stared at the noisy crowd gathered at the front of the building. About a dozen people with cameras and notepads clustered around the glass doors of the company. They were reporters. Some wore press badges, and others hoisted a hefty camera equipment on their shoulders.
The air buzzed with excited murmurs and the rapid-fire clicks of cameras. In the middle of it all stood a teenage boy, flanked by a couple of staff members who tried to clear a path through the press. The boy was slim and a bit taller than Damien, with striking silver-grey eyes that sparkled in the sunlight.
That boy, he thought. It's Lee Minsoo.
Damien instinctively slowed his pace.
Haah... Should I just turn around and come back tomorrow? The last thing I want to do is be caught up in this media circus.
But, after a brief hesitation, he steeled himself and continued forward, keeping his head low.
Ah... f*ck it. Just don't make eye contact.
As he slipped along the edge of the crowd, Damien couldn't help but steal a quick glance at the centre of attention. Minsoo stood quietly amid the reporters, his expression polite but reserved.
Flashes went off as photographers snapped pictures of him from every angle. Minsoo managed a courteous half-bow, saying words that Damien couldn't catch over the commotion. He looked composed, but Damien could catch a certain stiffness in his posture, as if he wasn't entirely comfortable being swarmed like this.
I mean, if I were in his position, I wouldn't like it too...
System: [But host, as an idol, you'll have to deal with moments like this all the time.]
System! You're alive? I haven't heard from you for a long time. What happened?
The system, who heard its host's comment, sniffled.
System: [*sniffle* I was punished for letting the host destabilize. But don't worry host, I'm back now.]
Damien smiled slightly.
Good. Because you disappeared, I had to do some digging myself.
System: [Is this about last night and your search about Lee Minsoo?]
Damien nodded.
Just last night, Yuki and the rest of the group had been scrolling Starnote when a caption of Minsoo's name popped up. Curious, after Damien returned home, he had dug through articles, forums, and threads to get the full story—and it was a lot to take in.
Lee Minsoo was a legend among trainees—a guy who had tasted stardom and nearly grabbed the golden ticket of an idol career. Former survival show finalist, ex-member of the temporary idol group SKYLINE—he was known for his striking silver eyes and stage presence that went well beyond his years. Minsoo debuted at the age of fourteen after placing second in a nationally televised survival program. The group quickly gained public recognition and a huge fanbase, evening winning major awards during its two year lifespan.
Damien thought back to the complicated looks on the faces of the group when Minsoo's name popped up on the message board yesterday. It was a mix of admiration and anxiety. Now Damien understood why: Minsoo was a serious contender with real-world experience and popularity.
It would practically be a stupid move if the company didn't use Minsoo's popularity. Wasn't he practically guaranteed to debut?
Sigh...
Shouldering his backpack, Damien passed by a reporter who was stretching her arm out with a voice recorder. His kept his gaze down and slipped through the front doors unnoticed. Inside the lobby, the noise from the outside was muffled.
Damien let out a breath he hadn't realized he was even holding. He ran a hand through his hair, with a slightly annoyed expression.
So much for a quiet morning.
...
A few hours later, Damien had finished his morning solo practice and made his way to the intermediate training class as usual.
The moment he stepped into the large practice room, he sensed a change in the atmosphere. On a normal day, trainees would be chatting about trivial things. Today, however, low whispers and murmurs filled the air.
Small clusters of trainees huddled together in corners, glancing around with wide eyes. It was clear that news had spread fast and Lee Minsoo's return was on everyone's lips.
Damien headed to his usual spot near the back of the room, setting down his water bottle and towel. As he stretched out his arms, he caught the hushed conversations from a group nearby.
"...saw it on the message board yesterday and couldn't believe my eyes. I can't believe he really came back."
"I mean, his contract was only two years long. No wonder he came back."
"You know, I heard that the company's planning to put him straight into the debut lineup. If that's true... the chances of our debut would only decrease."
"It already has decreased."
One of the trainees sighed. "Imagine training all this time, thinking that you may have a chance, only to be crushed at the last minute."
The small group fell silent at that thought.
Damien, who heard this, felt a slight chill. He knew exactly how this felt like.
The reality of competition in this industry was harsh.
A trainee from across the room hurried over, nearly tripping over his own feet in excitement. "Hey, did you guys see him? Minsoo's actually here, right? I saw a glimpse of him downstairs!"
He blurted it out a bit too loudly. It caused a few head to turn at his outburst, and the class instructor—who hadn't arrived yet—wasn't there to control the havoc.
At this, several trainees swarmed closer, bombarding the boy with questions.
"What did he look like?"
"Was it really him?"
"Did you talk to him?"
The boy who had seen Minsoo beamed, enjoying his brief moment of importance. "He was with a group of staff. I think it was because there were reporters at the door taking pictures like crazy." He paused for a moment before continuing. "I think the company will officially announce something later."
"Of course they'll announce it. They'll probably hype his return to boost the company's profile. It's all business," one of the other trainees said flatly.
"Alright, enough chitchat!" The door slid open and their instructor strode in, stopping the conversation. "Spread out! Start with vocal warm ups."
The trainees scattered from their gossip huddles and formed messy rows facing the mirror. As he stood, Damien could still hear a few murmurs under breaths—Minsoo's name, worries about rankings... Clearly, the balance of the trainee ranks had shifted in an instant, and everyone felt it.
Damien's own mind was calm, but even he couldn't completely ignore the ripple of uncertainty that had passed through the room.