Chapter 70: Rumor (2)

Doubles spent money.

More than I expected.

As soon as I stepped into the dorm with cameras installed, I couldn't help but let out a gasp.

Even I, who hadn't expected much from the dorm, had my eyes darting around in amazement.

This isn’t a dorm just for filming—it’s really our place?

When I opened the door and walked in, instead of feeling stuffy, the wide living room came into view all at once.

Maybe it was a recently built building, but there was no musty smell either.

Overall, it was far beyond expectations.

“Seven people living here, and there are three rooms?”

The rooms were a bit small, but even accounting for that, the amenities were impressive.

Isn’t this a bit too luxurious for rookies…?

Had I gotten too used to the staff dorms?

All sorts of thoughts flashed through my mind.

I imagined posts like this popping up online.

[Did you see the dorm on Stardust’s reality show?]

Why is it so extravagant? LOL

Are you saying this is the real dorm of a boy group that debuted just three days ago?

–These days, boy groups have it easy. Back in my day~ Seven guys sleeping on the living room floor was the norm.

└What era are you from, LOL. That’s such a stretch.

└My original group really did that though?

└What, were you into first-generation idols?

–Wow, look at these comments. Making minors write poverty fanfiction LOL. Our kids are from a big agency, so of course they’d get a nice dorm. Feeling insecure? Tell your fave to join a big agency too~

└This is why project groups... They’re just rookies but the fans are already acting crazy. Scary TT

└Isn’t it because they’re a project group that they’re getting this much hate?

–I really don’t want to become one of those desperate fans, but this is why the newer kids lack that hunger.

└Are you a young old man?

└What are you even saying, lol. Are you a Stardust fan?

└Tsk. They're so well off, no wonder they already look lifeless in the eyes. It’s all because they’re comfy and warm.

└Oh really? Sounds like a terminal diagnosis. I can already see it coming.

Tremble.

As I visibly shivered, Ha Junseo looked at me with surprised eyes and asked.

“What’s wrong?”

May... maybe sleeping on the floor wouldn’t be so bad?

I swallowed the thought and changed the subject.

“It’s just a bit chilly. Should we, uh, turn on the heater?”

“Yeah, let’s do that.”

Since we’re a project group, even non-fans might tune into the reality show.

I really needed to get through this without saying anything controversial.

While thinking that, I was thoroughly inspecting the dorm when—

“Hm.”

Kang Siwoo was quietly observing the sunny veranda and stroking his chin.

Why is he over there instead of checking out the rooms?

His faint mumbling reached me.

“…This spot should get good sunlight, right?”

Ah.

He's serious about cacti.

“Would this be better?”

“……”

“It kind of bothers me that it’s not facing south.”

I had been quietly listening, pretending not to notice, when suddenly Jin Sehyun chimed in.

“Are you planning to put a cactus there?”

“Ah? Oh? No, I was just going to do some photosynthesis.”

At Jin Sehyun’s one comment, Kang Siwoo flailed his hands in a panic.

He was so startled that his eyes grew to a size I’d never seen before.

He was the only one who didn’t realize the rest of the members already knew. He kept denying it fiercely.

“L-light is important!”

Kang Siwoo even leaned his head against the window and started performing a photosynthesis show.

“I’ve been kind of low on vitamin D lately.”

“……”

“I swear I wasn’t planning to grow anything.”

“Well, if you say so, then sure.”

“But the air feels a bit stuffy. Should I put a plant here?”

Fine, let’s pretend we don’t know.

“…Maybe one that flowers too?”

At this point, does he even want to keep it a secret?

.

.

.

.

“Alright, everyone gather round~.”

After roaming the dorm for quite a while, we finally assembled in the living room.

Perhaps the most important topic of this reality show—and one every one of the seven of us took seriously—remained.

Kang Siwoo opened his mouth with a resolute expression.

“Which room do you all want?”

“I just want to avoid the room with three people.”

“Me too.”

“Two-person rooms are the best.”

Everyone felt the same.

Better two than three, and better one than two—that’s how roommates work.

“How should we decide?”

“Let’s go with the fairest method.”

Jin Sehyun gently unlocked his fingers and said,

“If you don’t play, you lose… rock-paper-scissors!”

“Wah!”

“Ahhh!”

What followed was a nearly insane session of rock-paper-scissors.

“Uuaargh!”

“Rock! Paper! Scissors!”

“Eek!”

Honestly.

Watching them, I couldn’t help but be dumbfounded.

Is this really something worth getting so worked up about?

I mean, we’re all on the same team.

What’s so bad about sharing a room with three?

“It builds teamwork, keeps things lively, and is all-around heartwarming. Honestly, a dorm should have three people per room. Don’t you all agree?”

“Yes, thank you Do Seohan for your self-justification~.”

That’s right.

Because I suck at rock-paper-scissors, I ended up being the first one assigned to the three-person room.

And there were two other unlucky ones.

“So… this is how it ended up?”

Do Seohan, Seo Ian, Ha Junseo

Kang Siwoo, Jin Sehyun

Seo Haim, Cha Seongbin

Thud, thud—

Kang Siwoo taped the paper with each member’s name to the room doors.

Call it fate’s joke.

Oddly enough, people with similar temperaments ended up in the same rooms.

Especially that last one.

Jin Sehyun slowly stroked his chin and said in a heavy voice,

“Everything’s fine… but there’s one room I’m a little worried about…”

Right on cue, two high-energy voices rang out.

“Seongbin hyung!”

“Haaaiiiim!”

Yeah, those two.

“That audio’s insane.”

“My ears are already about to burst.”

Whether we liked it or not.

The two seemed completely immersed in their own world already.

Seo Haim mumbled with his lips sticking out.

“Hyung, they’re jealous of us…”

“It’s because they lack love~.”

Ah, I really wanted to avoid getting involved with them.

Quietly.

I took a step back and looked over at Ha Junseo.

He seemed to be thinking the same, as his face had gone a little pale.

Ha Junseo clicked his tongue and reached his hand toward us.

“If I’d gone in there, I’d have been drained…. This combo is great. Let’s get along well.”

“Sounds good.”

“…Me too.”

Even Seo Ian timidly raised his hand and softly said “fighting.”

Ha Junseo patted Seo Ian’s back as he entered the room.

“Alright, let’s go in.”

The room the three of us would be sharing was the largest in the dorm.

Seo Ian looked around and let out a quiet exclamation.

“Wow… this is more manageable for three people than I thought.”

“I call this spot.”

Whoosh—

Without any fight over the bottom bunk, I threw my bag onto the bed next to the door and flopped down myself.

So cozy.

“Seohan, are you already sleeping?”

“I love being in the corner.”

“As expected of a hamster.”

“I’m human too, you know.”

Even though Ha Junseo started spewing nonsense about my behavior being a rodent instinct, I ignored him with my ears covered.

Right then.

As I had my head pressed against the wall, I locked eyes with a camera.

“Huh?”

So there’s a camera here too.

Seeing the camera poking out right next to the bed made debuting finally feel real.

I guess because it’s a reality show, they even set up a camera beside the bed.

I grinned and waved at the camera.

“Hi.”

Maybe it was the aftereffect of survival shows, but I felt this urge to do something whenever I saw a camera.

Without thinking, I dug into my bag in the corner.

I think I’d seen comments from fans asking me to do this kind of content before.

“Do Seohan’s ‘What’s in my bag’….”

Zzzzip.

Just as I was about to take things out one by one—

Ha Junseo’s next words wiped the smile off my face.

“Actually, our room’s not a triple. It’s a quad.”

“Huh? Who else is here?”

Suddenly?

What was he even saying all of a sudden? I snapped my head up in confusion.

That hyung’s not really the type to joke like this, but you never know with those broadcasting guys.

Especially since this reality show was supposed to air on TBN, it felt like a bad omen.

If a ghost or whatever suddenly grabbed my ankle again, I swear I’d take revenge…

“Byeoldol, say hi!”

“…?”

Suddenly, something bright yellow popped out of Ha Junseo’s luggage.

Its round, adorably plump backside and wide face had nothing but two round eyes printed on it—a very simple visual.

It was Ha Junseo’s beloved plushie, the bright yellow Byeoldol.

Seo Ian, who had quietly been unpacking, turned his head with a shocked expression.

“Hyung… is that a plushie?”

“Byeoldol, say hi.”

Of course.

“……”

Even after seeing that thing a few times, I still wasn’t used to it.

“Byeoldol, get back in there!”

Maybe…

It’s a good thing that hyung wasn’t made the leader.

The Dusties were eagerly awaiting Stardust’s debut reality show, scheduled to air next Monday.

-OMG, a debut reality show. My heart’s already racing.

-So excited, can’t wait!

-Our boys are really debuting… Why am I getting all emotional?

Maybe to ease those fans’ thirst.

Doubles surprisingly released the teaser early.

[We are Stardust]

Dun dun—

With the screen filled with that phrase, someone’s cheerful greeting kicked off the video.

[Byeoldol, say hi.]

It was Ha Junseo on his bed, waving at the camera with Byeoldol.

Ha Junseo forcefully bent Byeoldol’s head to make him bow to the Dusties.

What he said next was even more confusing.

[If you're a rookie, you should greet properly.]

-??????

-So that’s Ha Junseo’s plushie? The legendary one?

-Ha Junseo’s character is unreadable. Seems like the most normal one but subtly unhinged.

-I declare: Ha Junseo is the craziest member in Stardust. Just look at the madness hiding in that “heh” expression.

Softly crazy Ha Junseo, and—

[Waaaah!]

[Haim, sometimes hyung sleeps hanging upside down, okay? Can you understand that?]

[Then I’ll lie upside down with you!]

Two people who are just outright crazy.

-Who thought it was a good idea to put Seo Haim and Cha Seongbin together?

-Why are they roommates???

-We need to install a soundproof booth in that room.

-Why does Cha Seongbin sleep upside down, seriously?

Dusties with introverted personalities were horrified and covered their mouths at the energy blasting through the monitor.

Is it real that even this short teaser is already so noisy?

After the chaotic room assignments ended.

The screen quickly switched to a close-up of Jin Sehyun’s face.

[Oh, there’s a dartboard here? Wanna bet dishwashing duty?]

[How about a round by rooms~?]

The small ball Jin Sehyun tossed in was edited nicely into the teaser.

Among the members serious about darts, one person especially stood out.

Shooong— Thud.

Thud—

Thud—

Thud—

Do Seohan’s crazy dart skills, reminiscent of his “Are you Jumong?” moment during early Stardust Project episodes, were highlighted again.

-Do Seohan is insane. He’s so good.

-That’s straight-up skill from work gatherings!

-What can’t Byo-Seohan do? Now he’s amazing at darts too???

And.

There was something Do Seohan wasn’t good at.

A dull crash shattered the peace.

Crash bang boom!

[Seohan… burned everything.]

[Is Do Seohan only good at darts or what?]

Clatter.

[What the—who messed up?]

[The two youngest.]

[Ah, please don’t include me. Call them Do Seohan and Seo Haim.]

Even chaotic cooking scenes from the members were included. This teaser was like a full-course comedy meal.

-Ah, even just the teaser is hilarious.

-Their faces alone are funny.

-I’m so hyped for the reality show. How do I survive a whole week waiting?

-This is perfect. Yes, give me more of this, not drama over fights TT

In just under four minutes, the Dusties’ reactions were on fire.

So this is what my baby’s debut reality show feels like, after supporting them since Stardust Project days.

Back then, I always got nervous at every episode thanks to the spicy edits.

But with this kind of healing content, I’d happily watch it over and over.

While fans were screaming in happiness,

Doubles didn’t even give us time to breathe and dropped the next teaser.

Get ready for the debut teaser.

-Is Cha Seongbin’s blue hair for real?

The teaser had been released.

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