Second Try Idol-Chapter 450: What Should We Do From Now On (14)

Goh Yoo-Joon burst onto the stage amid a sea of cheers by dancing so fervently it seemed his clothes might just flip inside out. He dove deeper into the act than I had. He continued the conversation seamlessly.

“I was only planning to watch your performance today, but I suddenly found myself being called up. Honestly, I was really worried.”

“You were?”

“Yes, but how could I pass up such an amazing opportunity as a fan of Eden?”

Goh Yoo-Joon’s nonchalant demeanor as he feigned ignorance made me chuckle wryly. He managed to keep the banter going.

Go ahead, let's see you improvise.

“You made it here. How was it? Everyone is having fun, right?”

“Yes!”

“Most of you might not be aware of my friendship with Yoo-Joon.”

There wasn’t any significant known connection between the famed idol Goh Yoo-Joon and Eden in official narratives.

“You didn’t know we were friends, did you?” Goh Yoo-Joon’s question was met with chuckles and playful affirmations from the audience.

“No!”

“We actually met by chance off the stage, during our personal lives.”

He means in our dorms, haha.

“And it turns out, we attended the same middle and high school, right?”

“Absolutely. I was surprised. After such a long time, to meet again and find out he had debuted as a member of the leading K-Pop group Chronos...”

I boasted unabashedly, enabled by the premise that I was not a part of Chronos.

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Goh Yoo-Joon nonchalantly nodded, his face betraying no emotion. “Exactly. There I was, succeeding as a top star in K-Pop with Chronos, when I spotted Eden. His singing was so impressive that I couldn't help but take notice of him.”

“Oh, thank you, Senior.”

“Senior? We’re friends, Eden.”

“But still.” I smiled awkwardly and continued the talk session. Given we couldn’t discuss activities related to Chronos, we had previously agreed to stick to discussing our trainee days.

“As Yoo-Joon mentioned, we attended the same school and were even in the same class for a few years during our middle and high school days.”

“Yes, that’s right. Back then, I had just started my life as a trainee and moved to the same school with another trainee friend. I’m talking about our Chronos member Hyun-Woo.”

“I remember. If I recall correctly, Hyun-Woo was in a different class from Yoo-Joon.”

“Yes, that's correct.”

“I was in the same class as Hyun-Woo.” I grinned broadly. Although Goh Yoo-Joon had become quite the prankster now, he had more than his share of embarrassing moments back during our school days.

“Oh, but wait, shh.” Goh Yoo-Joon momentarily panicked and tried to silence me as he recalled those days when he used to sneak away from practice sessions and get caught at school.

“He used to come over to see Hyun-Woo all the time during breaks. That’s why he was such a familiar face.”

“That's right.”

“There are a few incidents I witnessed.” I teased Goh Yoo-Joon by dragging out the suspense before shaking my head. “But those are not my stories to tell, so let’s keep them under wraps.”

Goh Yoo-Joon jumped up and lowered his head. “Whew, thank you. I owe you one.” His exaggerated reaction suggested a deeply embarrassing secret, sparking laughter among the audience.

I was concerned this insider story might be too cryptic for the audience, but fortunately, they were all engrossed and entertained.

“Shall we ask Yoo-Joon what he remembers of me from school?”

“Of you, Eden? Well...” Goh Yoo-Joon pretended to ponder while rolling his eyes aimlessly. Honestly, what was there to think about? We were inseparable, so he didn’t need to dig deep for stories. “Back in school, Eden was much more outgoing. He didn’t speak using a dialect then.”

“Dialect...? Ah.”

He was probably alluding to the times I had awkwardly used a dialect to conceal my identity. It was amazing how skillfully he poked fun at me.

Seeing me glancing at him, Goh Yoo-Joon flashed a mischievous grin and asserted confidently, “Now, he's quite shy and reserved. He seems pretty mature, don’t you think?”

“Is that so? Anyway, yes, I am mature, and?”

“Back then, he was really into gaming and was always laughing.”

I nodded slightly, reflecting on those times with a light smile. Given that we were in the midst of a concert, it seemed Goh Yoo-Joon had somewhat idealized me. But in truth, my school days hadn’t been all that rosy.

My lengthy trainee period, the departure of fellow trainees, and experiencing a deep slump had led to me feeling an overwhelming sense of listlessness and depression. School had been my refuge. Before heading to the practice room, I’d hit the internet cafes, and Goh Yoo-Joon and I would skip training sometimes for a bit of fun.

Back then, that was my greatest joy. School was the one place where I felt truly alive. I didn’t know I would lose my dreams in an accident.

Looking back, those might seem like privileged concerns, but that was the reality of my younger days.

As the conversation took a nostalgic turn, Goh Yoo-Joon asked, “So, how was I back then?”

“Huh?” I fell into contemplation. What had Goh Yoo-Joon been like during school? Hmm. “Just a tough guy posing as a wannabe popular kid?”

“What? What did you say?” Goh Yoo-Joon laughed out loud, and I joined him.

In truth, I had also idolized Goh Yoo-Joon’s image a bit. Back then, he had been struggling because of his father’s issues. That was why we had become close friends. Despite being the same age, we each had our own daunting insecurities to manage. Han Jun was no different because he was constantly questioning whether he had any real talent.

I pointed toward Goh Yoo-Joon’s eyebrows. “Everyone! If you take a close look, you will notice how intimidating his eyes can seem." I teased to set the stage for a playful revelation.

In response, Goh Yoo-Joon exaggerated a scowl by furrowing his brow deeply, which only made the crowd chuckle.

“At first, I was quite intimidated by him. He seemed like such a formidable figure, especially with his crowd of friends. On the other hand, I was the quiet one with hardly any friends, which only amplified my nervousness around him."

“True." He agreed with a nod. “Back then, Eden really didn't have many friends besides me."

“...”

That was true, but it stung a little.

I said, “Despite my first impressions, I soon realized that he was incredibly thoughtful and kind-hearted. Yoo-Joon has always been a very considerate person, even during our younger days."

Goh Yoo-Joon smiled broadly and playfully cupped his hand around his ear to urge me to compliment him more. "Go on, tell them more."

“That’s pretty much it," I responded by feigning innocence as we neared the end of our allotted talk time. The impromptu nature of his guest appearance meant we had to keep things concise.

“It feels odd to wrap up so abruptly, but Yoo-Joon, thank you for being here," I said as I got up from my chair.

“Is it really over, just like that?" Goh Yoo-Joon asked with a hint of mock disappointment. The microphone carried out his laughter.

I tapped my wrist, pretending to check the time on an invisible watch. "Yes, time’s up."

He played along. “Already?"

“Yes, it's time for you to go." This easy banter was possible because we were more than just colleagues. We were like family.

Goh Yoo-Joon stood up hastily while stretching his arms above his head and then feigning resignation. “Alright then. Everyone, it seems we've spent our chat session rambling a bit too much. But nonetheless, congrats to our Eden on this amazing concert!"

"Haha. Thank you so much.”

“See you back at the dorm in a bit." He winked.

“Sure, see you," I replied casually, grabbing his arm as he turned to leave. He was still up to his usual pranks. “Hold on, Yoo-Joon. Where do you think you are going? We’ve got one more song to sing."

The audience erupted in cheers once more, eagerly anticipating the final duet.

I couldn’t help but smile broadly as I gently pulled him back to his seat. “Ladies and gentlemen, the final song Yoo-Joon and I will perform together is a special one. Ever heard of the show Again After Rainfall?"

“Oh my gosh!” The mention sparked an electric excitement among the Rings when they realized we were about to sing a song that originated from Again After Rainfall.

I smiled at the clear, enthusiastic cheers from the fans and continued. “Previously, on a music program that Chronos participated with our producer Reina, Yoo-Joon and Chronos’ Hyun-Woo—" I paused briefly and zipped my lips.

Laughter trickled from the audience. Referring to myself in third person still felt odd and embarrassingly pretentious.

“—performed a song called ‘As Always.’ I fell in love with it back then and always hoped to sing it on stage one day." Though we had sung it with all our hearts at that time, performing it under Reina’s teaching as Eden felt uniquely different.

“I am truly delighted to have this wonderful opportunity to perform it for you. Now, please enjoy our duet of ‘As Always,’” I announced, taking a deep breath to steady my nerves.

Goh Yoo-Joon wiped away his playful smirk and left only a slight smile playing on his lips.

The atmosphere was entirely different this time. The lights settled down quietly and soothingly, making for a relaxing mood. After a moment, the beautiful melody began to flow from the musicians behind us.

I closed my eyes. Not just this song, but the first notes of any song sung by Goh Yoo-Joon were always a delight to hear. Soon, I heard in my in-ear monitors the way his voice started singing in a serene manner.

♪ You and I have very different personalities

But we can't break up

Because it's natural for me to be by your side

The song began on a soothing note. I effortlessly harmonized with Goh Yoo-Joon's singing. Despite our daily back-and-forths and arguments, our vocal chemistry was undeniably perfect. It was a fact I simply couldn’t ignore.

The song flowed smoothly by carrying a delightful vibe as we sang.