Chapter 60

As soon as I finished speaking, a comment like '???' appeared in the comment section.

The people inside the booth also had curious expressions.

They were wondering what I was talking about.

“I think we need to consider practical issues.”

In the previous counseling session, Hanjo suggested, 'Express your opinion straightforwardly without hurting the other person’s feelings.'

It’s not a wrong statement.

If you don’t handle things clearly in the future, similar situations could happen again.

But...

“I think it’s a good thing to open up your heart as Hanjo said. It’s better to honestly tell your friend, ‘I felt hurt by this and that,’ rather than bottling it up inside. This way, you can have a relationship where you understand each other better.”

However, what I’m worried about is the situation getting worse.

“From what you’ve said, it seems like a very old and precious friend. Your friend probably feels the same way. But if you were to honestly express your feelings, your friend might think, ‘What, you’re just upset because you don’t want to lend me a notebook?’”

Honestly, I don’t think it’s a good idea to speak frankly, no matter how close the relationship is.

Would a friend who borrows a notebook without a second thought realize, ‘Oh, I’ve been doing wrong all this time’ just by hearing a straightforward comment?

More likely, they would feel embarrassed and end up being more hurt, rationalizing their behavior.

“Of course, I’m not saying your friend will definitely react that way. It’s just a possibility. And if they do think that way, if both of you care for each other, the relationship will eventually recover.”

But until the relationship recovers?

Ultimately, the one who will suffer is the writer.

“I’m worried about the emotional pain you might experience while the relationship is strained. You’re now a second-year student, and you still have a lot of school life ahead. It’s already painful to have a falling out with a close friend, and you’ll have to see them every day. You might also get hurt in your relationships with other friends.”

Before speaking, you’ll agonize over the issue, and after speaking, you’ll still agonize over the relationship with your friend.

It’s a funny thing to divide people into victims and perpetrators, but from the victim’s perspective, it ultimately just hurts.

Being honest is good, but...

Wouldn’t it be better to be a bit more flexible?

After all, reputation can’t be ignored.

Even during my trainee days, I felt that the scariest thing in a peer group is having a bad image.

“Reputation in school life can’t be ignored. We understand your feelings, but other friends might not empathize with them. You could easily be seen as a narrow-minded person.”

“Maybe that’s true.”

“Of course, my story is just a hypothesis.”

I nodded at the DJ’s gesture to wrap up.

“Ultimately, it’s a matter of choice. If you have an outgoing personality, Hanjo’s solution might be better. In fact, his method is more suitable for fundamentally solving problems in a relationship.”

Hanjo, who had been listening quietly, looked at me.

“But if you’re introverted like me and think, ‘I can’t do that,’ I wanted to suggest this method. So, don’t feel pressured. Choose the solution that fits you best. It’s okay not to choose one. You might come up with an even better idea.”

I smiled and concluded.

“Whatever method you choose, I’ll support you. Thank you for listening. This was NewBlack Wooju.”

While the song I requested, ‘I’ll Be Your Side,’ played, I quickly scanned the chat window.

The reactions were not bad.

I took a deep breath and took off my headphones.

Now, only the results were left.

* * *

At the same time. NewBlack’s dorm.

The members were gathered in the cramped living room, looking at the laptop screen.

The youngest member let out a sigh of admiration.

“Wow. Didn’t you just see Wooju hyung? How can his features be so clear in such low resolution? His quality is different. Everyone else is 480p, but only Wooju hyung is in full HD.”

“480p? What’s that?”

“That... Wooju hyung is handsome, hyung.”

“Oh, I see.”

Kim Bijoo nodded in understanding.

While stroking his younger brother’s hair, he turned his gaze to the laptop monitor.

“Yeah. Lee Hyuk is pretty, but Wooju hyung looks really good today.”

Kim Bijoo, thinking he should save this, pressed the capture button.

Wang Jihyo blinked at his proud smile.

“Hyung, what about me?”

“Of course, our Jihyo is also handsome.”

“Isn’t your answer a bit soulless?”

“Does this capture button really save it, Jung-hyun?”

“Yeah, it should.”

While Wang Jihyo pouted, Kim Jung-hyun, who had been squeezing and releasing the grip strengthener, looked at the screen.

“Wooju hyung is really good at counseling.”

“Didn’t he brag about it before leaving? He said he used to counsel the juniors all the time when he was at TJ.”

“Is that so?”

Kim Jung-hyun, who had been scanning the comment section, said.

“The reactions are mixed. But what does he mean by ‘grooming’? Did Wooju hyung say to groom the friend? Why do they all say to groom?”

“Jung-hyun, it’s not ‘grooming,’ it’s ‘cutting ties.’”

“Oh, I misread it. Anyway, the opinions are split.”

“Makes sense. Both are valid points.”

“Really?”

Kim Bijoo tilted his head.

“I would quietly cut ties like Wooju hyung suggested.”

“Hmm. I would probably talk about it. Since we’re friends, you need to express your feelings so the other person can understand.”

“I’m not sure.”

“It’s a tough decision.”

While the members had differing opinions, the chat window was also filled with discussions about whose advice was better.

A break time.

While Kim Bijoo searched for 480p on an internet portal, the youngest member looked around.

“Hyung.”

“No.”

“I know what you’re going to say.”

“Were you going to leave a comment?”

Kim Bijoo laughed at the flustered youngest member.

He couldn’t stop him earlier because he was making snacks in the kitchen.

When he brought the tray with French toast, everything had already happened.

Fortunately, they got some airtime, but he thought it wouldn’t be good to leave more comments now that the identity of the nickname was revealed.

If Seon Wooju were here, he would probably agree.

“Jihyo.”

Kim Bijoo gently advised.

“Let’s stop here for today.”

“Just one more comment.”

“I’ll let you leave a comment next time if we have a similar schedule. Got it?”

“...Got it.”

Wang Jihyo reluctantly agreed, looking dejected.

But then the DJ announced the start of the text vote, and his expression changed.

They all busily moved their fingers.

“Did everyone send it?”

“Yeah. I’m also urging the school kids to send texts.”

“Jung-hyun, what about you?”

“Hmm, which number was ours?”

“Number 2. Did you send number 2?”

“Hmm... I think so.”

Kim Bijoo frowned at his uncertain tone.

“You’re really...”

Struggling to find a negative word, Kim Bijoo held out his hand.

“Give me your phone. You’re a fool.”

“I’m not a fool.”

The person who received the phone from Kim Jung-hyun pressed the password familiarly.

“Hey, you know my password too?”

“Isn’t 0000 easy to remember?”

“...”

Fortunately, the sent text message read ‘2’.

Kim Bijoo sighed in relief and handed the phone back.

Kim Jung-hyun, scratching his cheek in embarrassment, changed the topic.

“But strangely, I’m not worried.”

“About what?”

“The result. I don’t think we’ll lose.”

They both nodded after thinking for a moment.

“Really, that’s true.”

“Me too. Can you imagine Wooju hyung losing to someone?”

The other two laughed at the youngest member’s comment.

It was true.

It was hard to imagine Seon Wooju losing to anyone, given his established image and recent a cappella live performance.

That’s why they felt at ease watching him.

“Look at Lee Hyuk hyung. He would usually be very anxious and fidgety, but he’s talking so calmly now.”

They laughed at the main vocalist’s relaxed expression, understanding why.

-Well, it’s time to wrap up part 3. Now, it’s time to announce the text vote results.

Finally, the advertisement ended, and Jang Soo-won’s voice came through.

Wang Jihyo jumped up and leaned in, and Kim Bijoo straightened his posture.

Kim Jung-hyun, who had been squeezing and releasing the grip strengthener, quietly put it down.

Although he said he was calm, he was actually quite anxious waiting for the results.

Although it wasn’t a huge reward like winning a music show, he really wanted to win against such a formidable opponent.

Just as the three members gathered in front of the laptop,

-It was a really close battle. What? How many votes apart? Let me see... 27? Wait a moment. Oh, our staff says it’s 37 votes.

Comments like ‘My sister is bad with numbers ㅠㅠ’ appeared in the chat window, and Jang Soo-won smiled awkwardly.

“But your senior is really good at hosting.”

“Yeah. It feels like a survival show.”

Watching her naturally tease the listeners, Jung-hyun and Bijoo swallowed hard.

Right then,

-Well, does the number of votes matter? What matters is the result! So, let’s announce the winner. A fierce and close battle! The winner is...

When Jang Soo-won announced the winner,

-Ah...!

-Uh...!

On the other side of the monitor, the faces of the two teams showed mixed emotions.