When I opened the locked door and walked into the room, Lee Sejin, who was sitting gloomily on his bed, got startled.

"Huh...!"

"Please, get a hold of yourself."

I sat on the opposite bed. Ryu Chungwoo and Keun Sejin, who I expected to follow immediately, were nowhere to be seen.

'...I guess they're out of it.'

The two have every reason for it.

Well, that's fine. Since Lee Sejin is like that, he can't sleep anyway, so let's see what he's thinking about.

'I wish I had a drink.'

There was no way that an idol group that was just about to debut would have such a thing in their dorms. It was unfortunate, but I just started speaking anyway.

"Hyung, you know that we will have an interview at the company tomorrow morning or dawn anyway."

"...!"

"If that's the case, wouldn't it be better to just relax and organize your thoughts here? This is not a situation that can just be avoided by escaping."

Whether the ability 'Now that you mention it, you are right' activated or not, Lee Sejin opened his mouth after some time passed.

"...I don't know."

"What do you not know?"

"What I want to do..."

"...?"

Isn't it too late to worry about your career path now?

"Do you want to go back to your former agency and continue acting?"

"...I don't want to go back."

"Then do you mean you still want to continue acting?"

"...Isn't that obvious?"

Lee Sejin buried his face in his palms.

"I never thought of becoming an idol in the first place."

"..."

This somehow reminds me of when the status abnormality popped up...

I clicked my tongue.

'I guess he didn't participate in the audition voluntarily.'

"It seem you participated in because of your former agency?"

"...That's right. I had a long break... so I was told to do that to get work."

"Hmm."

I spoke casually.

"You still worked hard for that."

"...The least I can do is work hard. Since I can't do well."

Lee Sejin was a little angry.

'Hmm, I think it was different from that.'

I remembered what he said to me in the final.

Doesn't that mean he wants to keep going? In addition, the change in Lee Sejin's status window was also noticeable.

'There is no F now'

Lee Sejin had raised his dance stats that were F when the filming just started to D+ now.

There was no growth that could be achieved like that if there was no inspiration or interest.

So I got the hang of it.

"Actually, it was fun, right?"

"...!"

"After trying to do this, you found it fun, so you worked even harder without realizing it."

Lee Sejin kept his mouth tightly shut. He couldn't deny it.

"You're right... it was nice to be on stage. I know I want to keep going. However acting... I also want to continue doing it."

"...? Then do it."

"What...?"

I don't know why he is worrying about this.

"After a year or two, the agency here will take care of your personal activities. You can act then. After five years when it's contract renewal time, you can just keep acting if you want to quit being an idol."

Lee Sejin, who was listening with his mouth open for a while, soon lowered his head with a bitter smile.

"...I can't."

"What?"

"You don't know what my former agency is like."

"..."

Well, I wouldn't know. It wasn't my sport to be an actor.

Lee Sejin seemed to have given up halfway, causing a series of situations to happen.

"At Dream K... They're not a good company. If I stay affiliated here, I don't know what could happen as a result of defamation."

"Did they catch some of your weaknesses?"

If it's a case of drugs, I will go ahead and recommend him to leave.

Fortunately, Lee Sejin frowned.

"I didn't live like that... I mean they are going to blow up anything that would seem plausible to the tabloits."

According to the explanation that followed, it seemed that there were already a few actors who were sent away like that because they did not renew the contract with the company.

When the contract renewal season comes, they deliberately release rumors to lower the ransom money.

'It's a pictured vicious plan of a company,'

"Well, what if there is a line-up of rumors that you can expect?"

"It's obvious to me... First of all, the audition was for the purpose of recovering as an actor, and I didn't even want to become an idol, so for one that rumor would set the atmosphere."

"Hmm."

"Then there's adultery... Well, it's not a crime anyway, but they're going to release a strange propaganda and send the news out without any proof."

"Well, our destination of investment is T1, so I don't think we'll be able to get out of there like that."

"First of all, the purpose is to set the atmosphere by detonating the former first. It's to make me be cut off by T1's side."

Lee Sejin muttered bitterly.

"After all... I was added at the last minute."

"..."

"The public opinion of me on the Internet is not good right now. There are a lot of people telling to do it without me... Because I'm not good enough."

"...Mm."

Seems like he looked it all up.

Certainly, those kinds of comments has been circulating.

As an additional last member, a former actor and someone whose ability level was the lowest of us, peple said that the group would become much better if you leave him out.

I shrugged my shoulders.

"Those opinions will decrease when we debut."

"...There's no need to console me."

"That's not it. I just mean it will be like that."

"...What?"

"It's the same with VTIC. It means we're going to unite from inside to keep in check with them."

"...!!"

If there is a strong enemy on the outside, the inside is bound to unite.

"Besides, if hyung leaves, someone else will become the target. That's how it is. So I don't think you have to think about it based on that."

It was common behaviour for people to target the one who seems to be the weakest in the group to get rid of them which could happen to any group. This means that the situation didn't happen because of Lee Sejin particularly.

Lee Sejin seemed a bit choked up, but soon calmed down and shook his head.

"But still... There is no way to stop my former agency now. Just because I go talk to the agency right now, doesn't mean I can block the rumours."

"Then you just have to do it yourself."

"What?"

I crossed my arms.

"Hyung, you can announce it yourself first."

"... Announce it first?"

"'I was forced to participate by my former agency, but now I am posting this because I was able to find my aptitude during the show and do not want to go back.' Be sure to emphasize that the former agency 'forced, coerced' you. It will be like you managed to escape from there thanks to the audition."

"...!"

"Then things will work out even if there was a rumor."

The purpose was to create an atmosphere where fans would think 'so it's the former agency who is spreading rumors~' and make them defend him themselves.

Once the public opinion turns around, it will be difficult for his former agency to proceed with the lawsuit. Then T1, who does not want to give their shares, will take care of it.

Lee Sejin was speechless and had his mouth open for a while.

"...You- what have you been doing since you dropped out of high school?"

"I auditioned."

This pattern doesn't seem to change. Fortunately the talk about me being associated with National Information System was not mentioned this time.

"Then that's how you will talk with the agency."

"...Okay."

Anyway, the situation has been sorted out. Ryu Chungwoo will take care of the rest. I suppressed my sigh.

"...Should I post it on our social media account?"

"Make sure you write in your own handwriting."

* * *

After news of Lee Sejin's former agency, Dream K's lawsuit, came out, more than one related content was filled in the Internet entertainment article section.

In fact, since the unfair contract was correct, there were various reactions in connection with the problem of broadcasting station's abuse of power.

In particular, there was a strong response from those who insisted on excluding Lee Sejin.

At those comments, the vicious cycle of Lee Sejin's fans getting hurt was repeated.

And the next morning.

There was a notification for TeStar's new social media post, which had not alarmed since the first post.

Fans who clicked at the speed of light saw the post with a picture of a handwritten letter attached.

It was written by Lee Sejin.

Written carefully in a neat handwriting, the content began with a story about his childhood life in the entertainment industry.

To summarize, the former agency had immensely overworked and abused his younger self.

And as soon as he barely recovered and tried to take on a new challenge, it was said that he was forced to participate in the audition by his former agency.

And he participated in the audition show.

Lee Sejin wrote that he unexpectedly greatly enjoyed there.

Lee Sejin concluded the post by saying that he really wants to debut as TeStar with these friends.

Not long after this was posted, the public opinion of TeStar fans, who had been favorable to Lee Sejin, was revived.

Those who have been fans since he was a child actor were even more heartbroken.

And once public opinion was broken, the people who enjoyed ostracizing Lee Se-jin fell apart.

Of course, there were still many people who were sarcastic, but for now, they were pushed back by a number of people.

As the fans of other group members felt sympathetic towards Lee Sejin's writing, the individual fandoms of TeStar began to feel repulsed by the malicious comments about the incident.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Tnet caught Dream K with a little carrot and a full whip.

The day when the articles went down quietly and the atmosphere of the fans settled.

Like a wedge, another teaser was released at midnight.

However, this time, it was not posted on TeStar's official WeTube channel.

Instead, it was added as a TeStar reality item on Tnet.

'Is there a mistake with channels?'

'It's not Magical Boy...?'

Fans wondered for a while, but they quickly clicked on the video.

"...!"

//TN: Ahh I'm so glad to know more about Lee Sejin ㅠㅠ been super curious about him since his personality is kinda...well..unique :d