ong seongwoo

the restaurant was small, but enough for the both of us.

well, it was because we were the only customers that come at this late of a night. we soled down the cuts of sashimi down our throats, sizzling it up with a pinch of wasabi. i automatically opened up one of the bottles of soju and chugged it quite aggressively.

"i'm concerned." the man from the store said to me calmly.

"concerned because.."

"concerned whether if i'm speaking to someone who's legal or someone's who's just curious about the taste of alcohol."

i stopped. "do i look underaged?"

he shrugged. "are you?"

i leaned forward. "i'm a '95."

he clicked his tongue. "you're a hyung, then."

"i'm sorry?"

"you're a year older than me. you're a hyung."

i shook my head. "fuck honorifics, just call me ong."

"i'm afraid i can't do that," he crossed his arms. "i'm not one for disrespect. i'll have to call you hyung, hyung."

i sighed. i was clearly anticipating the first name basis. my eyes gazed at the name on his nametag. "and you must be kang.. eui-"

"just call me daniel." he interrupted, his voice abroad.

i pouted my lips. "why?"

"because it's nicer."

"euigeon is a nice name."

"you can barely pronounce it."

"i'll just call you euigeon." i stated, a sentence that sounded like a conclusion.

"only my closest friends call me euigeon."

"and i'm a close friend, ay?" i took another sip of the hard beverage. "at least, i am trying to be."

he paused, staring at me contently. "you must've had a very rough day."

"you don't say."

"whatever your problem is, i'm sure it's not as worst as mine."

"try me."

he took a deep breath. "well are you currently in an idol agency that turns out only trains backup dancers and is in the midst of bankruptcy?"

i squinted my eyes. "... no, but i am the guy who has been tricked into a contract that 'guaranteed' my debut for 10 years and now i'm a lost man with no agency."

his eyes widened. "10 years?"

"of training, yes." i looked down. "but no luck, i guess."

"life is cruel, ain't it?"

"hasn't it always."

he then opened the lid of his bottle (though mine was already half drunken) and we rose our bottles for a cheer. "for the debut that'll never come,"

"and dreams we will never achieve."

and for some reason, i felt calm. it was relieving to have someone who understands me because he has also experienced what i am experiencing (though not as much) and we could talk it off while being completely paralyzed by the taste of alcohol.

it was nice. euigeon was nice.

—

i'm sorry for not updating and i'm sorry for how shitty this chapter is. i have the ideas all set but i have trouble putting it into words (troubles having english not as my first language hhhh) so please forgive me.
the next chapter will go back to the present time, and you'll be more introduced to the other trainees hehe so stay tuned!!

— yuehwa