"YOU WERE GOING TO DEBUT WITH ROWAN PARK?!" Gunwook shouted.
Byoungho visibly flinched at the volume.
Gunwook grabbed him by the collar and shook him hard. "YOU KNOW ROWAN PARK?!"
Byoungho struggled, hands coming up to pry Gunwook off. "Yes—calm down!"
Gunwook's grip only tightened. "WHAT THE ACTUAL F—"
After that, Gunwook completely lost it.
"AY! Calm down!" Byoungho snapped, finally shoving him back.
Byuongho finally managed to calm Gun-wook down. But he wasn't sure if he actually did. Because he was currently sitting across from him and staring at him as if horns grew out of his head.
Byuongho cleared his throat. "Can I go now? Your staring is making me uncomfortable–"
Gun-wook raised his hand.
Gunwook continued examining his face like he was studying a rare specimen.
It gave Byoungho chills — how intense… how unhinged he looked.
"F***!" Gunwook suddenly exploded.
He dragged a hand down his face.
Then pointed at Byoungho like he'd just uncovered a national scandal.
"Just who the f*** are you?!"
"Are you the son of some chaebol or something?!"
"How is this even possible?!"
He started pacing.
"That face—"
He gestured wildly at Byoungho's features.
"That height—"
His hand moved up and down like he was measuring him.
"You secure an acting role in one of the most popular webtoons—"
He counted on his fingers.
"You get personally scouted by Haerin—"
He stopped pacing.
"The Haerin."
He leaned forward.
"To star in her music video?!"
Byoungho flinched.
"You were a successful trainee at the number one entertainment company—"
Gunwook's voice kept rising.
"You almost debuted—"
He grabbed Byoungho's shoulders.
"And your almost-member is ROWAN PARK?!"
Silence.
Gunwook stared at him like he was looking at a conspiracy board finally making sense.
"The most talked-about idol."
"The hottest celebrity right now."
"And you're just standing here like that's normal?!"
His eye twitched.
"What are you? A hidden final boss character?!"
"Just who are you?!"
He genuinely looked disturbed.
Byoungho crossed his arms.
Silence.
"…When you put it like that," he said slowly, "it does sound impressive."
There was a long pause.
Gunwook slapped his own forehead so hard the sound echoed through the room.
Byoungho winced.
"Really, Byoungho?!" Gunwook stared at him in disbelief. "No f****** s***! You just realized that?!"
"You know you're swearing awfully much, right?" Byoungho replied flatly.
Gunwook made a face like that was the most offensive thing he'd heard all day.
"How many people do you think I'll meet in my life who can casually say—"
He spun dramatically, then switched into a high-pitched, exaggerated voice—
"'Oh, I'm good pals with Rowan Par—'"
"I'm not good pals," Byoungho deadpanned.
"Oh! Sorry!" Gunwook clapped sarcastically. He switched voices again. "'I'm not good pals, but you know, we almost debuted together! Totally normal! Oh, and Haerin, the nation's sweetheart, personally scouted me! And I landed an acting role with A-list celebrities even though I've never acted before!'"
He dropped back into his normal voice.
"And you expect me to react normally?! None of that is f****** normal!"
Byoungho blinked.
A sudden thought struck him.
"Crap. I have my Beautism meeting tomorrow." He jolted upright. "I need to prepare."
Gunwook shoved him back down into his seat.
"Nope. Sit."
He dragged a chair over with a screech and collapsed into it like an interrogator settling in.
"We have a serious matter to discuss."
Byoungho frowned.
Gunwook leaned forward, elbows on his knees, eyes narrowing.
"So," he said slowly, "what is Rowan Park actually like?"
A beat.
"Did you and the other members bully him to quit because he was too talented?"
"What?!"
"I didn't think you were a bully," Gunwook continued thoughtfully, tapping his chin. "But you do have pride. Maybe he was stealing all the attention and—"
Byoungho suddenly felt dizzy.
This bastard is so stupid. No wonder he dropped out of high school.
"I mean, I understand," Gunwook went on seriously. "Everywhere you go, you stand out. And then Rowan shows up and steals the spotlight? That must've hurt. But bullying him? That's low."
Byoungho's patience thinned to a thread.
"No one bullied anyone," he said through his teeth. "If anything, we were all close."
"Then why did he quit?"
"I don't know."
Gunwook clicked his tongue. "It's okay to admit it. I won't judge."
Byoungho inhaled slowly.
"No one bullied anyone. Rowan had everyone's respect. He was our leader. Every trainee sucked up to him."
Gunwook nodded slowly.
Silence stretched between them.
"…Tell me more."
Byoungho leaned back in his seat.
"What do you want to know?"
"Everything," Gunwook said immediately. "The first time you saw him. His talent. Was he always that good-looking? What was he like?"
Byoungho let his mind drift.
"Back then… he was already good-looking," he began quietly. "HY-PE selected five kids to debut. They raised them like idol prodigies. Media-trained early. Elite vocal coaches. Private choreographers."
"Rowan was one of them."
"He was the only one from that original five who made it to the final debut lineup. The others got replaced."
Gunwook's expression shifted — from chaotic to focused.
"Was he always that good?"
"He was always good," Byoungho said softly. "He was everything an entertainment company wanted. Naturally handsome. Great dancer. Strong vocalist. Decent rapper. But more than that…"
He paused.
"He had that all-star quality."
Gunwook didn't interrupt.
"He could execute difficult choreography like it was second nature. Hit high notes without straining. Fix formations on the fly. And when he stood in the center…" Byoungho exhaled quietly. "You just looked at him."
"He was born for the stage."
Silence.
"He was so impressive that every trainee saw him as a role model. Everyone wanted to be like him."
Gunwook stared at the floor, processing everything. "What about the others?"
"Others?"
"Your members," Gunwook clarified. "Or your former members."
"They all left. Doing their own thing. Like me."
Gunwook squinted. "Are you still in contact with them?"
"Yes."
"What are they doing now?"
Byoungho paused, mentally rewinding through old group chats, late-night calls, half-finished dreams.
"One just debuted."
"Seriously?!" Gunwook shot upright so fast his chair screeched. "Is he in Loverboyz?"
Byoungho blinked. "…How did you know that?"
Gunwook's jaw dropped. "No way. Which one?!"
"Junho."
Gunwook's jaw somehow dropped lower.
Byoungho closed his eyes briefly. A faint pulse began forming at his temple.
"What the actual f***, Byoungho. He's insanely good-looking!"
A beat.
"Who else?!"
"Erm… one of them is debuting in SYP's new boy group."
Gunwook made a noise that did not belong to a human being.
"What's his name?"
"Sihun Lee."
Gunwook straightened immediately, nodding like a talent scout taking notes. "I'll keep an eye on him. Continue."
"And… I'm not sure about the last one."
Byoungho's thoughts drifted back to that restaurant. The quiet clinking of cutlery. The heavy silence after the debut cancellation.
"He said he'd go to college," Byoungho said slowly. "The others convinced him to try again. I don't know what happened after that."
Gunwook leaned forward, elbows on his knees.
"Are Sihun and the other guy handsome?"
"…That's a dumb question."
"Fair." Gunwook nodded solemnly. Then his eyes gleamed again. "Okay. Who's the most handsome? And be honest."
"Including Rowan?"
"No. He wins automatically."
Byoungho scratched the back of his head.
"…We all had different charms," he admitted. "But yeah. They're all seriously good-looking."
"How good-looking?"
Byoungho thought for a second.
"The kind of guy you see once on the street and think about for weeks."
Gunwook slowly leaned back in his chair, shaking his head like he'd just uncovered a lost treasure.
"If you guys debuted together—with Rowan—you would've been massive."
The words landed harder than they should have.
For a second, something old cracked open inside Byoungho.
The what-ifs.
The stage that never happened.
The debut name that was never announced.
The teaser photos that were taken… and then deleted.
He'd already mourned it.
He'd told himself he had.
He stood up.
"Yeah. Well." His voice was even. "That's life."
He walked toward his room.
"I need to practice my lines. And I have that meeting tomorrow."
"Wait! I'm not done—"
"I answered enough."
The door shut with a firm click.
Silence settled in the apartment.
Gunwook stared at the closed door for a long moment.
Then scoffed.
"What a bastard," he muttered under his breath.
"He needs to learn patience."
—
Bang.
Rowan's forehead met the ice-cold bus window.
A dull thud.
He groaned under his breath, not even opening his eyes.
The city lights smeared across the glass in streaks of red and white, reflecting faintly off his tired expression.
Behind him—
Laughter.
Unfiltered. Loud. Completely unsympathetic.
"I swear," RAIN muttered from the seat beside him, rubbing his temples, "if they don't shut up, I'm telling them off."
Rowan shifted slightly, peeling his forehead off the glass. He leaned back into his seat instead, folding his arms loosely.
His eyes fluttered shut.
The bus hummed steadily beneath them.
Their adrenaline was finally crashing.
Silence—
Bang.
His head tipped forward again, gently but decisively colliding with the window.
For half a second, no one reacted.
Then—
The entire bus exploded.
"That's the FIFTH time!" Woojin wheezed, clutching his stomach. "Hyung, please! Are you okay?!"
Daehyun leaned over the aisle, squinting like a producer analyzing sound. "Wait. Do it again."
Everyone turned to him.
"That sound was crisp," he continued seriously. "It has depth. We could sample it."
"Hyung is becoming percussion," Seojun added.
Rowan slowly opened one eye.
"…I can hear you."
That only made it worse.
"Guys!" Seojun suddenly shouted, holding up his phone like he'd just won a trophy. "I'm going viral."
"Same!" Haejin leaned across the seat, laughing. "People are saying my laugh was attractive when I said—"
He dramatically reenacted himself:
"'Did you guys think we were done?!'"
He even did the exact same shoulder movement from the stage.
Woojin clapped immediately. "I saw it too! I thought you sounded so cool!"
Jaehyun, scrolled through his phone calmly. "Seojun, you're getting a lot of praise for opening the stage." He chuckled. "Yup, your visuals and presence–the comments can't stop gushing about you,"
Seojun straightened instantly. "As expected."
RAIN perked up. "What about me?"
"You're trending too," Daehyun replied without looking up. "People are obsessed with your rap tone. And your anime visuals. Again."
RAIN leaned back smugly. "Naturally."
He glanced around. "Who's top three?"
Silence.
A very specific silence.
The competitive kind.
"Rowan is first, of course," Haejin said.
No debate.
RAIN waved dismissively. "That's expected. Looks. Talent. Center aura. We know. Who's second?"
"Mmm," Daehyun hummed, scrolling rapidly. "Between you and Seojun-hyung. You guys appear most often on Utube and Nstagram,"
"Ayyyy," Seojun grinned, lazily waving his hand with exaggerated swag.
RAIN nodded, satisfied. "Nice."
"Our synchronized choreography is getting insane feedback too," Jaehyun added. "Clips are everywhere."
"How many views?" Haejin asked.
"Our performance video hit ten million already."
The bus filled with quiet, proud murmurs.
Ten million.
In a few hours.
Jaehyun put his phone away and stretched. "We did good today."
Bang.
This one was louder.
Rowan's head had slipped sideways this time, knocking the window at a sharper angle.
The bus went dead silent for a split second.
Then—
Chaos.
Full-body laughter.
Woojin fell sideways into Daehyun. Seojun slapped his knee. Even sleepy RAIN cracked up.
"At this rate," Jaehyun said between laughs, "Rowan's going to get a concussion before we meet our seniors."
Rowan blinked sleepily.
"…Seniors?"
Woojin froze mid-laugh.
"Wait." His face drained. "The seniors."
He groaned dramatically. "I forgot."
"Yes!" RAIN pumped his fist with renewed energy. "I get to meet my role models!"
Haejin flopped back into his seat with a sigh. "I'm really not feeling it. Maybe I should follow Rowan-hyung's example and knock myself out."
"Don't even think about it," Jaehyun warned immediately.
Haejin crossed his arms and sank lower in his seat.
Meanwhile—
Rowan tried to sit up straighter.
He lasted approximately five seconds.
His eyelids drooped again.
His head tilted—
Everyone leaned forward in anticipation.
Rowan caught himself at the last second.
The entire bus groaned in disappointment.
"…You guys are sick," Rowan muttered drowsily.
Rowan rested his head back carefully.
Very carefully.
The bus continued forward into the night—
Filled with laughter, viral fame, and one extremely exhausted center trying not to headbutt glass again.
They arrived at the SW Entertainment headquarters.
The building itself felt heavier today.
Inside, they weren't just meeting staff.
They were meeting legends.
XEXO — a boy group that debuted twelve years ago. Industry royalty. During award season, even other fandoms ended up chanting their name.
"X-E-X-O!"
Their name alone shook arenas.
Then there was Girls Revolution — five women who had carved their names into the industry with hit after hit. The youngest member, Loona, had successfully transitioned into acting and was now considered A-list. The leader and eldest, Wonyoung, was famously known as the visual and the face of the group — elegant, poised, untouchable.
Triples — three members, debuted four years ago. Refined. Beautiful. Their leader Kora had gone viral countless times for her "AI-like visuals."
ZCT — six members, debuted six years ago. Known for their self-producing reputation and intense performance stages.
And finally RunWish — five members, debuted three years ago. The only group they'd already met.
Today was the first time they'd be face-to-face with the rest.
The elevator ride felt longer than usual.
Rain rolled his shoulders back. "Not going to lie… I'm nervous."
"Easy." Seojun snapped his fingers right in front of Rain's face. "Snap out of it."
Rain swatted his hand away. "Don't touch me. Anyway—" He turned to the others. "How's everyone's face card?"
Haejin licked his lips casually. "I don't know. Do I look good?" He shrugged and glanced at them, faux-nonchalant.
RAIN stared at him.
Of course he looked good.
Even during their trainee days, Haejin had been considered one of the best-looking. His skin was almost unreal — pale and smooth. His long, sharp eyes gave him a naturally cold expression. His black hair, streaked with bright red, fell loosely over his forehead, parted slightly on the right.
Dark brows. A sharp V-line jaw.
He looked like a death prince.
Black jeans. White shirt tucked neatly in. Black leather coat draped over his shoulders.
It matched his aura perfectly — dark, mysterious, dangerous.
In short—
"You look good," RAIN finally admitted.
Haejin smiled.
And just like that, the cold prince melted.
From death prince—
To heartthrob.
Woojin clutched his chest. "Hyung, don't smile like that in front of seniors. It's dangerous."
Daehyun wagged a finger at Woojin. "Control your cuteness first."
RAIN's eyes widened. "That's right! Don't smile either. Nunas go crazy for that."
Everyone turned to Woojin.
And they all silently agreed.
Woojin was a menace to the industry — not because he tried to be cute.
But because he just is.
There were plenty of maknaes in K-pop known for their aegyo. But Woojin? He never forced it. His cuteness was effortless. Unintentional. Dangerous.
Big, round eyes that held entire conversations without him speaking. Soft pink lips. Angelic features that made him look like he had fallen straight out of a painting.
White pants. A soft pink shirt.
He looked like he belonged in a romance drama poster. The innocent male lead or younger brother.
As a trainee, the moment he joined, he skyrocketed in popularity. Everyone adored him. Staff, trainees, seniors — he was instinctively protected.
Woojin pressed his lips together.
His cheeks puffed slightly.
"I won't smile," he muttered.
It only made him worse.
Daehyun and RAIN immediately reached over and pinched his cheeks.
"See? This is illegal," RAIN muttered.
Soft chuckles filled the elevator.
Low.
Attractive.
From Rowan Park.
Woojin froze.
Rowan was leaning against the elevator wall, arms loosely crossed, watching them with quiet amusement.
"I think we're making it worse by telling him not to act cute," Rowan said gently, smiling at Woojin.
Not teasing.
Fond.
Woojin's ears turned red.
"You're right!" Daehyun nodded. "That's literally his brand."
Jaehyun adjusted his blazer. "Rowan, you enter last."
Rowan straightened immediately. "You're the leader. You should be last."
"Nope. You're our visual—" RAIN grabbed Rowan by the shoulders and physically moved him to the back.
"Perfect!" Seojun beamed. "I can't wait to see our seniors' reaction to his face."
They all snorted.
It wasn't arrogance.
It was fact.
Rowan Park's visuals were currently one of the most watched topics online. Reaction videos flooded YouTube — idols, actors, influencers, even chaebols' daughters reacting to his face on live broadcasts.
Shock.
Silence.
Disbelief.
And then—
Admiration.
The members had watched those compilations more than once.
Rowan blinked, unimpressed.
RAIN gave a thumbs-up. "But I agree with Rowan."
He grabbed Jaehyun next and moved him to the front.
"Mmm," Haejin nodded approvingly.
RAIN shoved Jaehyun toward the elevator doors with finality. "There. Formation complete."
"Jaehyun-hyung will start us strong with his imposing aura and striking looks," Seojun played the scene in his head.
Woojin suddenly began trembling and clutched Daehyun's arm. "I'm scared."
Daehyun laughed softly. "Don't worry. You've got your hyungs."
Haejin smirked. "Just remember — we're not trainees anymore."
"Exactly," Jaehyun said, posture straightening. "Show proper respect. But don't cower."
The elevator dinged.
The doors slid open.
And just like that—
The rookies stepped into a room full of legends.