In the afternoon, during a short lunch break, Damien sat alone at one of the tables in the trainee lounge. It was different from what he usually did. Today, he brought his own lunch and avoided the cafeteria altogether—no way was he repeating last night's chaos. All he wanted right now was some peace and quiet.
A half-eaten bowl of rice and some side dishes sat in front of him, but he was too deep in thought to have much of an appetite. In truth, Minsoo's return didn't ignite the same kind of fear, jealousy, or excitement in Damien as it did in some others. If anything, he felt curious and oddly calm about it.
From a purely strategic standpoint, Minsoo's presence would indeed shake up the trainee rankings. The advanced class especially would now be on high alert, each fearing for their spot. Damien could understand why some of them looked so uneasy. They all had something to lose.
But Damien himself? Not only was he bumped down to the intermediate classes, but he also failed his monthly evaluation and ranked nowhere near the top. He was as low as he could be right now. At this point, his chance for debut was as far as it could be. Unless he improved at a breakneck pace, the debut line up wouldn't include him. He was sure though that if he had his restrictions removed, he'd be able to rise up again during the monthly evaluations.
Maybe then, he'd have a chance.
So, to Damien, Minsoo wasn't an enemy standing in his way. Besides, his missions didn't include him actually debuting right away. If he wasn't included in the nearest debut, he would make sure he would be included in the next one.
Right now, Damien saw Minsoo more as a benchmark—a goal to strive toward. If Minsoo was as good as everyone said, then having him back set a new bar for what it meant to be "debut-ready." The logical thing to do was to observe and learn.
He remembered watching a clip of Minsoo's performance from the survival show. Minsoo had dominated the stage with a natural charisma, hitting high notes effortlessly while executing sharp dance moves. Damien had been impressed by that video; now he would get to witness that level of skill in person. What better opportunity to improve his own abilities?
And then there was the matter of experience. Minsoo had already lived the life of an idol for a short while—he'd performed on live broadcasts, recorded songs, dealt with interviews and crowds of fans. Those were things no ordinary trainee had gone through yet.
If I could pick his brain… Damien mused, tapping his fingers against the table.
It might be useful, even wise, to befriend someone like Minsoo. Not out of cold calculation alone, but because there was genuinely a lot he could learn from him.
Popularity by association was a shallow benefit; he was more interested in practical gains.
Hmm... I really should befriend him.
Damien measured the advantages.
Minsoo's return will change the game for sure, but it doesn't have to be bad for me. Yes, the competition would become tougher overall, but I had never expected this path to be easy. If anything, this was a chance to push myself further.
Then thinking about it further, he sighed.
Hasn't he already been pushing himself?
Hah... I guess this is the life of an unfortunate trainee.
...
Night had settled by the time Damien wrapped up his second round of solo practice. The hallways of the company building were mostly empty now, illuminated by only a few low lights.
It was well past dinner, and most trainees had either gone home or returned to the dorms to rest. As Damien shouldered his bag and stepped out of the practice room, he reveled for a moment in the quiet.
Walking down the corridor, Damien noticed one of the larger practice studio doors was ajar. Faint music filtered out, barely audible. He slowed his pace. At this hour, he hadn't expected anyone else to still be practicing—yet clearly, someone was.
Through the gap in the door, Damien caught sight of a familiar figure moving inside the studio. Lee Minsoo was in there, completely absorbed in practice. He was dancing in front of the mirror, repeating a complex series of steps. Even from outside the room, Damien could see the intensity in Minsoo's performance. His bangs were damp with sweat, his oversized t-shirt clinging to his back.
There was a fierceness in the way he executed each move—a sharp turn, a precise pop, a fluid wave of his arms. But as the music stopped and Minsoo fell out of formation, Damien saw him shake his head.
"No, it's not good enough. I have to try again."
Minsoo walked back to the corner to replay the song. His chest was heaving as he sucked in deep breaths. He raked a hand through his sweat-soaked hair, silver eyes narrowed in focus. In the mirror's reflection, his expression looked... tired. Tired and frustrated. When the music started again, launched into the choreography once more, pushing himself to hit every beat.
Harder.
Cleaner.
Leaning quietly against the doorframe, Damien watched in silence for a minute. He was mesmerized by Minsoo's dedication. This was the side of training that few outsiders, even diehard fans, ever saw—the relentless, solitary grind behind the polished performances.
Damien could tell Minsoo had probably been at this for hours. The thought gave him a pang of respect for him.
Halfway through the routine, the silver-eyed teen faltered. His sneaker squeaked awkwardly on the wooden floor as he missed a step. Immediately, he stopped and lightly slapped the mirror with his palm, not hard enough to hurt, but it was definitely a frustrated gesture.
"I messed it up again." Minsoo pressed his lips into a thin line, clearly unhappy with his performance.
Creak.
Before Damien realized it, he had shifted his weight and the door creaked under his shoulder. The soft sound was enough in the quiet to catch Minsoo's attention. The silver-eyed boy spun around, eyes wide in surprise.
For a second, neither of them moved.
Caught in the act of inadvertently spying, Damien felt heat rush to his face. "Uh, sorry..." Damien blurted out, pushing the door open a bit more and stepping into the doorway. He raised his hands as if in surrender. "I didn't mean to interrupt. I was just passing by."
Minsoo stared at him, chest still rising and falling from exertion. A few seconds passed before recognition lit in Minsoo's eyes—he must have realized Damien was one of the trainees, not a manager or reporter.
The boy quickly bowed his head, a polite reflex. "It's okay." His voice was calm but a little strained from breathing so hard. "Sorry if I startled you."
"You didn't—I mean, I'm the one who startled you," Damien said as he took a step into the room, letting the door ease shut behind him.
Up close, he could see how exhausted Minsoo looked. The younger boy's face was flushed, and sweat was dripping from his chin to the floor. Yet Minsoo was trying to stand composed, shoulders squared as if nothing was wrong.
For a moment, an awkward silence hung between them.
Damien fumbled for something to say. His earlier resolve to eventually introduce himself kicked in, albeit a bit ahead of schedule. "I'm Damien," he offered, giving a small polite bow. "One of the newer trainees—I started last month or so ago."
"Ah, nice to meet you." Minsoo nodded, mustering a faint smile. His voice had a hint of warmth. "I'm Minsoo... though I guess you already know that."
Minsoo let out a short, self-conscious laugh and glanced away.
"I do," Damien admitted, a smile forming on his lips. "Kind of hard not to, with how much everyone talks about you."
Minsoo's cheeks tinted a bit pinker. He rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah... today's commotion's been a bit much," he said quietly. "I didn't mean to cause a commotion."
Damien remembered the chaotic scene that morning and shook his head. "Don't worry about that. It's not your fault reporters showed up. Actually, I was surprised the company didn't sneak you in through a back door or something."
Minsoo chuckled softly at Damien's words.
Now that the initial surprise of their encounter had passed, Damien noticed the subtle signs of weariness in Minsoo. The way Minsoo held himself was still respectful and a bit formal, but there was a heaviness to it, like he was carrying something unseen.
"You're practicing late," Damien said gently. "I mean, we all train hard, but you've been here since morning, right?"
Minsoo let out a little sigh and grabbed a towel from a nearby chair, dabbing it on his face. "Yeah. First day back," he replied. "My training officially start tomorrow but I wanted to… make up for lost time."
"Lost time?" Damien tilted his head.
From an outsider's perspective, Minsoo hadn't lost any time at all. If anything, he'd been busy becoming an idol.
"I may have been on stage, but I was away from here." He gestured vaguely to the practice room around them. "Everyone else has been training, improving. I need to catch up, prove I still belong in the lineup."
Prove I still belong.
Damien pondered over those words for a few seconds. Minsoo wasn't taking anything for granted. Despite his successful stint, he was treating himself like he had to start from zero again.
"Well…" Damien began carefully, "from where I stood, it looked like you haven't missed a beat." He offered a sincere, reassuring smile. "Your dancing is really solid. Honestly, I was kind of in awe watching you just now."
Minsoo's eyes widened slightly in surprise. He looked at Damien as if to gauge the sincerity, and when he saw no hint of sarcasm, he lowered his gaze with a shy smile. "Thanks... but I could feel how sloppy I've gotten. My footwork is all over the place."
Damien nearly cursed. He hadn't noticed any major mistake at all. Perhaps Minsoo was a perfectionist.
"I get it," he replied. "We're our own worst critics. Still, don't be too hard on yourself. You just got back. No one expects you to be a machine."
A faint laugh escaped Minsoo. "Maybe not no one," he said, dabbing the towel on the back of his neck. "I think I expect me to be a machine."
The admission hung in the air, revealing a glimpse of the immense pressure he put on himself. The guy in front of him wasn't just a boy basking in his previous glory—he was also an exhausted teenager, pushing himself to meet sky-high expectations.
"You've got nothing to prove to me, at least," Damien said lightly. "For what it's worth, I'm glad you're back. Means I get to learn a thing or two watching you."
Minsoo looked up at that, a little startled by the friendly admission. Slowly, he gave a more genuine smile, one that reached his eyes this time. "I'm glad to be back," he said softly. He hesitated, then added, "A-And… if you ever want to practice together or something, let me know. I could use a partner to keep me in check."
Damien's eyebrows lifted. Was Lee Minsoo—the famed trainee everyone was either idolizing or dreading—actually suggesting they practice together?
How unexpected. He's quite friendly? He slightly reminds me of... a sheep?
System: [...]
System: [Why are you always comparing people to animals, host?]
I don't know, system... I've always had this habit.
System: [...]
At first, Damien wanted to refuse. But thinking about the benefits, Damien found himself nodding. "Sure. I'd like that."
"Alright."
Minsoo's shoulders relaxed at Damien's answer, as if he wasn't sure what response he'd get.
Damien glanced at the clock on the wall. It was getting late, and they'd both need rest before training tomorrow.
"I should head get going," Damien said, adjusting the strap of his bag.
Before leaving, he couldn't help but add in a gentle tone, "Don't overwork yourself, okay? It's easy to get injured when you're exhausted."
Minsoo gave a sheepish little laugh. "You sound like the instructors." But he raised a hand as if taking an oath. "I'll do one more run-through and call it a night. Promise."
"Good," Damien said, lips quirking up.
Damien opened the door to step out and slipped out into the dim hallway.
As he walked away from the studio, behind him, through the crack in the doorway, he heard the music start up again as Minsoo began his final practice run for the night.
Damien shook his head and continued on his way, a faint smile on his lips.
The warm summer night air greeted him outside the building. Damien looked up at the moon hanging low over the city.
There was a lot of hard work ahead, but he felt ready for it. With that thought steeling his resolve, Damien headed home, eager to face whatever tomorrow would bring.
He just didn't expect the next morning to greet him with the exact same chaos.
By the third day, he'd had enough.
The crowd outside the company was worse than ever—reporters elbowing for position, cameras flashing, staff trying to keep the peace with little success. And in the middle of it all, again, stood Lee Minsoo, looking like he wanted to run away.
What is he doing just standing there...
Damien sighed through his nose.
"Alright. Enough of this."
...
Extra: [Yejun & Xingyuan After Class]
Yejun (peering over heads): "Where is Damien? He said he was eating lunch at the company building today."
Xingyuan: "Maybe he evaporated."
Yejun: "Bro, come on..."
Yejun (thinking): "...Wait, do you think he's avoiding us?"
Xingyuan: "Pfft. What? No. Who would avoid me?"
Yejun (blinking): "...Damien."
Xingyuan (frowns): "Okay. Rude."
Yejun (still scanning the tables): "Should we message him?"
Xingyuan: "No. That's exactly what he wants us to do. He's testing our devotion."
Yejun (deadpan): "Only you think that way."
Xingyuan (already sitting): "Whatever. I'm just gonna eat. If we keep at it, we'll miss lunch all together."
Yejun (grumbling): "I guess I'm the only one who cares. Ugh, what's wrong with everyone? And where the hell is Kian too?"
Meanwhile, in a far-off corner of the trainee lounge:
Damien (eating quietly and sipping hot tea): "…Peace. Finally."