Chapter 107

“Yeah... well, then. Since it’d be boring if we just worked hard, want to make a bet?”

“A bet?”

“I want you to grow a little faster too, you know? But look at this. The thing you’re lacking most.”

Gowon

Recognition ♥♥♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

“.......”

Gowon himself surely knew that what he currently lacked was “public recognition,” and that unlike Dance or Vocals, it wasn’t something that would rise just because he shut himself in a practice room and worked his body to the bone.

So, to fill in that underdeveloped Recognition category—

“Whether it’s a fancam, a YouTube variety show, whatever. Whoever gets the higher video view count wins.”

“...Views.”

“How about the loser has to grant the winner one wish?”

“Yes!”

Hanje let out a disbelieving laugh at the answer that came flying out without the slightest hesitation.

“After everything I’ve put you through, you’re still handing me a blank check that easily?”

“...It’s an opportunity.”

“What kind of wish are you hoping to win?”

“Uh....”

Gowon blinked as though that hadn’t occurred to him.

“Fine. Think about it while you work hard.”

The higher your views get, the more good things there’ll be for you too.

“What’s the deadline?”

Ah, right. That’s the most important part.

Hanje glanced up into empty space and thought for a moment before answering.

“Let’s make it three months.”

Looking toward the spot where the quest window had been, Hanje smiled while swallowing what he really thought.

***

No matter how much of a super rookie Gowon was, a rookie was still a rookie.

His official YouTube channel had only just crossed four hundred thousand subscribers, and aside from his music videos, his other videos rarely reached more than tens of thousands of views.

There was also the inherent limitation of a solo artist having less variety in the kinds of content available.

That was why the planning team worked to devise content that could involve collaborations with other artists, like <Gowon’s Mentors>.

Especially after filming <Gowon’s Mentors>, when they discovered that Gowon—whom they had assumed was simply unusually mature for his age—actually produced quite a colorful range of reactions when exposed to outside stimuli.

Then, in the middle of that, news arrived like a windfall dropping straight into their laps.

Cha Yensu, the center of Young Ace, had personally expressed interest in filming with Gowon.

<❀K-Dom’s Garden~202X~❀>

“.......”

They called it a working title, but Gowon instinctively knew from the atmosphere that this exact title was going to end up on YouTube.

Everyone agreed that this piece of content was going to be a hit.

“I’m calling five million within a month.”

“A month? Come on. I say two weeks.”

Of course Gowon was grateful that a famous senior artist was helping him without asking for anything in return.

Even so, he waited for Cha Yensu to arrive with somewhat complicated feelings.

Naturally, it would be good if the content performed well....

But Gowon didn’t want to win his bet with Baek Hanje because of this video.

What would be the point of winning because someone from Hanje’s own group helped me?

It wasn’t the rebelliousness he had felt in the past.

Now Gowon trusted Baek Hanje deeply, and he welcomed Hanje’s attention.

But precisely because of that, he also wanted to show Hanje how much he himself had grown.

I’ll find some other opportunity to get more views than this. ...For now, I just need to finish today’s shoot without any problems.

The filming location was a bright, airy greenhouse.

Colorful flowers bloomed in profusion everywhere, enough to make one forget that the sky outside was covered in storm clouds, and an elegant afternoon-tea set had been prepared.

Before long, Cha Yensu arrived.

“Gowon. Nice to see you.”

Instead of the casual appearance Gowon had seen in Baek Hanje’s workroom, Yensu had his hair and makeup done and wore a suit styled to match the tea-party concept.

“...Hello.”

Even within Young Ace, Cha Yensu had always occupied an unrivaled position as the group’s center.

When he appeared fully styled for the shoot, several staff members stared at him as if they had forgotten how to breathe.

“Wow. He looks like he lives in another dimension.”

...Gowon almost answered, I know, right? without thinking.

“When Yensu showed up, for a second I thought I’d been hit by some dimension-travel truck and warped into a romance-fantasy world.”

It was enough to create the illusion that the colors around Cha Yensu themselves changed with him at the center.

The closer he came, the more Gowon broke into a cold sweat internally.

I-Isn’t saying I look like this person kind of ridiculous...?

Maybe this content would end up getting comments telling them not to talk nonsense.

Even so, of course Gowon intended to do his best.

After checking the filming order, they put on their microphones and exchanged some casual conversation.

There was something Gowon absolutely wanted to tell him.

“I’m a Young Ace fan.”

Because Gowon was a proud Spades fan.

“I know. I saw you singing our debut song on that variety show. If you’ve memorized it that well, there’s no way you’re not a real fan. Thank you, Gowon.”

Cha Yensu’s smile had an atmosphere entirely different from Kwon Taeyoung’s mature sensuality or Baek Hanje’s mischievous ease.

He looked warm and gentle, yet at the same time like an immaculate castle from a fairy tale without a single opening in its defenses.

“And you also helped quite a bit with catching our runaway prodigal.”

Ah, right.

Technically speaking, Gowon’s first meeting with Cha Yensu hadn’t been in Baek Hanje’s workroom.

They had crossed paths briefly at the Han River Jazz Festival....

“I should’ve thanked you back then, but I’m only getting around to it now.”

“Ah, no. It was nothing.”

“Take care of me during filming today. I’ve been away from work for so long that I’m not sure whether I can keep up with what variety shows want these days.”

But those words immediately proved unnecessary, because from the opening shoot alone, he had the staff sighing in rapture.

“I stand here, right? Some formats really never change, no matter how many years pass.”

Cha Yensu drew a lilac branch toward his cheek, lowered his lashes softly, and smiled.

The camera crew captured him with the fervor of people who had just been handed the chance to produce the masterpiece of their lives.

“I-I don’t even know what we’re supposed to put in the captions. Pure? Refreshing? Ethereal? The endpoint of aesthetics? The boundary between flowers and the human species has collapsed? No matter what we write, it feels inadequate.”

After Cha Yensu swept through the set without a single retake, the next turn was—

Naturally, and unfortunately, Gowon’s.

Gowon was still weak at simply standing still and striking various poses.

The staff members’ expressions were enough to tell him that compared to Cha Yensu, the results were rather underwhelming.

Cha Yensu watched quietly for a moment, then stepped forward.

“Hmm, Gowon. Can you lie down here?”

He pointed toward a patch of grass dotted with small wildflowers.

“Yes.”

Gowon followed the instruction without a second thought.

A faint change crossed Cha Yensu’s expression as he watched the younger artist lie directly on the ground without showing the slightest reluctance.

Then Yensu adjusted the angle of Gowon’s head and positioned his arms and legs.

“Now close your eyes, and don’t move. Director, try shooting this.”

“Oh. Ohhh...!”

With his eyes closed and no idea what was happening around him, Gowon lay perfectly still while hearing nothing but voices going, “Oh,” “Woooow...,” and “Seriously, today—wow....”

“Gowon’s shoot is done too!”

...That’s it?

When Gowon cautiously opened his eyes, he saw the styling director holding up an emphatic thumbs-up.

“Gowon, even if you didn’t win, you definitely made it to a draw. I knew I could trust K-Dom’s new face.”

“......?”

As Gowon stared in confusion, Cha Yensu’s voice approached him.

“For twelve years, they dumped every role like this on me, so I know at least a hundred ways to deal with it. If you ever get stuck in a similar situation, call me and ask. That’s one kind of answer I can probably give you better than Hanje can.”

...Young Ace really was Young Ace.

Gowon sat up, respect swelling inside him.

After finishing the opening shoot, the two sat across from each other at the table and began the talk segment.

Cha Yensu greeted the camera first.

“Hello. I’m Cha Yensu of Young Ace.”

After seeing the enchanted expressions on every staff member’s face, Gowon hurriedly tried to hypnotize himself.

Do it like Yensu. As bright as possible to fit the cheerful concept.... Follow his atmosphere....

“Hello. I’m Gowon of Spades.”

“......?”

“...Ah, ...ah!”

By the time Gowon realized his mistake, Cha Yensu and everyone else had already burst out laughing.

“You really must be our fan. That’s adorable. Should we start with some fan service before we even begin?”

Cha Yensu rose from his seat, took Gowon’s hand and shook it, then pulled him against his broad shoulder and gave him a light pat.

...If Baek Hanje sees this video, he’s going to tease me for at least a week.

Still in Yensu’s arms, Gowon quietly swallowed his embarrassment.

“Gowon really must love Young Ace. Even his ears are red.”

At those words, another wave of laughter spread through the set.