* * *
“What’s going on?”
Dojae stood up and stepped out of the room.
In the living room, he saw Heungmin and Louis, both looking groggy with their hair in disarray.
“What’s happening?”
“Ah… It’s noisy. I hope it’s nothing serious.”
Kijoon, who had returned with Woochul, looked at Woochul as if he couldn’t control him.
“Nothing serious?! I ran back because I couldn’t wait to tell you!”
“Where did you go?”
In response to Dojae’s question, Woochul answered.
“To the company! I went with Kijoon when Manager Kim called him over, and it was great that I did. Kijoon would have told you the good news so boringly.”
Even though Kijoon gave him a sharp look, Woochul didn’t budge.
“Has Kijoon’s charisma worn off… or has Woochul gotten braver?”
Dojae pondered for a moment.
Probably both.
Kijoon, as MOST was gradually finding its place, was definitely less sensitive and more generous compared to when he was a trainee preparing for debut.
As they spent more time together, the members realized that Kijoon wasn’t as rigid as they initially thought.
Seeing him cry after their debut and polish their first-place trophy every day…
It was more about his human side than charisma.
‘Better than always being difficult and scary. His leadership charisma isn’t shaken to that extent anyway.’
Thinking positively, Dojae waited for Woochul to share the good news.
“We’re moving!”
“Moving?!”
Kyuseong, who had been curious but still eating at the table, finally put down his spoon and asked.
“Yes, we’re moving to a new place in a month! Bigger and better!”
Woochul’s voice was almost flying.
“Awesome. How many rooms?”
“Isn’t it?! Five rooms and three bathrooms!”
“That’s crazy!”
Heungmin’s voice rose with excitement.
Dojae’s mouth dropped open at the mention of three bathrooms. Currently, it was practically a war to take a shower since all six members tried to do it around the same time.
Adding Jung Giljoo to the mix sometimes made it an outright battle.
“The rooms are also much bigger, so we can place beds side by side instead of bunk beds!”
“Wow! Beautiful! Wonderful! Fantastic!”
Louis, who had been in a small room, exclaimed with all the English adjectives he knew.
“Are we… at that level?”
Kyuseong mumbled cautiously, knowing how expensive the nearby housing was.
“That level of treatment…”
“It seems they arranged it while the Big Boys were moving. They got us one too.”
Kijoon replied simply.
MOST’s current dorm was previously used by the Big Boys.
Although the Big Boys had moved to a better dorm after their debut, it still felt lacking considering their success.
Comparing it to large agency idols who often lived in decent dorms from the start, it made a difference.
Kingdom, having always been mindful of this, decided to invest generously in both the Big Boys and MOST’s dorms once the lease period ended.
Both teams deserved such treatment.
Of course, MOST was at the point where they were recovering their investment and starting to see proper profits, but considering their rapid growth, it was a choice without regret.
“This time we’re getting a bit of a boost… let’s work harder.”
At Kijoon’s words, the members quickly nodded.
Honestly, they were excited about moving to a spacious place, leaving behind the crammed dorm full of stuff.
“So, how are we deciding the rooms?”
“We’ll see when we get there, but Manager Kim suggested we draw lots to keep it fair. One room will be used as a dressing room, so two members will get single rooms, and two will share a room.”
Kijoon explained in response to Kyuseong’s question.
The members decided they would start practicing drawing lots from today.
“Can you even practice that?”
“It’s just a saying, hyung.”
Heungmin grumbled, thinking that Kijoon, who had a room to himself, wouldn’t understand.
Then Woochul started whining, asking Heungmin if he hated sharing a room with him that much.
Dojae, who didn’t mind sharing or having his own room, stopped himself from volunteering for a shared room. It would be fun to let the lots decide.
“Are you tired of me?!”
“Okay, okay. I never want to be apart from you.”
“I want to be apart.”
“What? Seriously. What do you want me to do?”
Heungmin sighed like a couple experiencing a relationship crisis, and Woochul laughed, saying it was all a joke.
While sharing a room with Heungmin wasn’t bad, Woochul clearly wanted a single room too.
“Oh, and one more thing! This might be the best news for Kijoon and Dojae hyung…”
Woochul smiled broadly at Dojae.
“The dorm move was expected, but the vice president gave us a separate gift!”
“A gift?”
This was unexpected.
The other members’ eyes also sparkled at the word ‘gift.’
“Kyuseong hyung, are you done eating?”
“Oh, yeah, almost done.”
“Then let’s finish and go see the gift at the company. Kijoon hyung is packing to go back too.”
“Why… if it’s a gift, shouldn’t you have brought it?”
Heungmin asked, confused, and Woochul replied firmly.
“It’s too big to carry.”
***
That made sense.
The gift Vice President Jung Hyeongseok gave MOST was a workspace.
Two, actually.
As both Kijoon and Dojae became more involved in music production, Jung Hyeongseok decided they needed a better environment for their work.
It wasn’t just for the two of them; if other members could also participate in album production in various ways, it would be even better.
I believed that this would be a great help in creating MOST’s unique style.
“No wonder they were doing construction!”
Heungmin exclaimed in admiration.
The studio was located in a hallway opposite the practice room.
Originally, it had been used as a meeting room and a vocal practice room.
Now, two soundproofed studios were well-equipped with professional gear for composing and recording.
“We can also practice our instruments here from now on.”
Dojae said as he alternated his gaze between the equipment and the amplifier.
“Kijoon and I will each use one as our main space, and the other members can share the remaining one.”
When Kijoon said this, the other members immediately agreed.
From the start, it had been understood that Kijoon and Dojae would be the primary users of the studios.
However, the other members were also pleased because they could now practice their instruments and vocals more freely.
Dojae sat down to test it out.
Sitting in a properly equipped space, away from the cramped area, felt entirely different.
‘I thought having a studio would definitely be beneficial for arranging music….’
Working occasionally in Director Lee Jungyeop’s studio had made him realize how convenient it was and how it improved the quality of his work.
As he checked the equipment, Dojae made up his mind.
***
“It’s definitely a great opportunity, but I think focusing on our music career right now is the right move.”
Team leader Jung Heeyoung responded to Dojae’s decision as if she had anticipated it.
At first, she had also deliberated on what the best decision would be.
However, after a few days, she could predict what decision Dojae would make.
‘It’s still too early for him to start solo activities.’
There were still many goals he wanted to achieve as a member of MOST rather than as an individual artist.
‘He’s just started contributing more to song production, and even though he’s busy, he still manages to exercise early in the morning….’
Balancing team activities with composing and acting was indeed too much.
Dojae’s decision seemed like the best one for both him and the team at this point.
‘Yes, at this point in time.’
Nevertheless, Jung Heeyoung asked for confirmation.
“You haven’t completely given up on acting, right?”
“This opportunity made me realize that acting is a possibility, and I’d like to try it again if another chance comes.”
When Dojae said this, Jung Heeyoung nodded approvingly.
For Dojae, another opportunity would undoubtedly come.
“Sure, there will be a better time for it. You’ve done well considering all the options.”
“Thank you for your understanding, team leader.”
“I didn’t do much.”
With that, their conversation concluded, and they both stood up.
***
After meeting with team leader Jung Heeyoung, Dojae headed straight to the practice room.
Through the glass door, he saw the members gathered.
They were each humming their parts in preparation for recording the follow-up song.
The title of the follow-up song to be released with the repackaged version of their first full album [Bloom] was [Don’t Play Around].
The lyrics, asking the object of one’s unrequited love not to play with their feelings, were cute and earnest.
Initially, the lyrics used formal speech, “Please don’t play with my feelings,” but in the final part, they switched to informal speech, “Don’t play around,” confessing their feelings straightforwardly, which was a distinctive touch.
The song’s bright and cheerful atmosphere made it an easy listen, unlike [Yours].
The difficulty level of recording and learning the choreography seemed much more manageable compared to their previous songs.
“Will it be very hot in mid-June?”
“It’s already quite hot now…”
“No matter how hot it gets, we wouldn’t wear something like this.”
It was at this moment that Dojae entered the practice room.
The members, having received a group message, were murmuring among themselves.
Dojae quickly took out his phone to check the message.
The message was from Chief Stylist Han Jiwoo and had a photo attached.
The photo showed a set of stage outfits for the six members, matching the concept of the follow-up song.
Chief Stylist Han Jiwoo usually sent photos for the members to review before trying on the outfits, allowing them to suggest minor adjustments.
Although they usually only made minor changes like adding or removing accessories, the members generally respected the stylists’ opinions.
This was partly because the members were easygoing, but also because even Louis, who was sensitive about style, agreed with the outfits Chief Stylist Han Jiwoo prepared.
As a result, fans always responded positively.
“Oh…. If we have to wear these, don’t we need to lose even more weight than we did for the title track?”
However, this time, the outfits were a bit challenging for the members.
Woocheol’s mumbling made Kyuseong look distressed.
It seemed that while the song itself was easy to handle, the outfits were not.
Even Dojae, who usually trusted the staff and rarely complained, was taken aback for a moment.
‘We have to show our legs.’
Despite enjoying the freedom to try new things in Korea, he had never imagined wearing something like this.
In the palace, such attire would have been strictly forbidden.
Just then, Kijoon and Heungmin, who noticed Dojae entering the practice room, brightened up.
Putting the outfit issue aside for the moment…
The two of them approached Dojae purposefully, as if they had coordinated their actions.
There were still about ten minutes left before they had to leave for the recording studio.
“Dojae. Come here for a moment.”
“Me too. I need to talk to you too.”
Without waiting for Dojae’s response, Kijoon and Heungmin grabbed his arms and led him away.
“What’s going on…?”
“Just follow us.”
Kijoon’s voice was lower and more secretive than usual.
* * *
*Summary page is only available for login users. Non-users can view the chapters on the chapter list.*
Poor Dojae’s been kidnapped😂
❤️❤️