章 49: Fake Love (1)

"You're quite the talk right now." Producer Jang-Soo chuckled, as he took a seat in the chair that sat well in the view of the other chairs against the long empty meeting table.

The room he had been walked off to was dim-window lit and empty with just he and Producer Jang-Soo.

Producer Jang-Soo patted at the seat closest to himself, as if motioning Joon-woo to sit. Joon-woo who watched his superior took the seat cautiously. Really, wasn't this a bit like 'deja vu'? Joon-woo closed his eyes as if trying to pry the thoughts from his brain.

"Yes…" Joon-woo replied, hands firmly on his knees and his gaze shifted towards the table.

"Glad you're aware of such. But that's only slightly related to why I've pulled you aside." Producer Jang-Soo, peaked over to Joon-woo, who nervously nodded at his words. "Joon-woo? I don't bite." The Producer joked, Joon-woo found himself almost flinching at the words.

Thus far, The Producer was seen with a more uncaring tone and expression. So to see the man so cheery now freaked Joon-woo out to no end. That's how he was. That's how he was to Ha-rin in comparison to the cold ways he treated the rest of Cheerleader.

"Yes… I know…" Joon-woo replied.

Producer Jang-Soo sighed with an expression too relaxed. "Alright, then. I've also taken notice of something else, regarding you. And that's the fan-interpreted relationship between you and Reggie."

Joon-woo thought he might as well die then and there. Because really, was that a serious statement? His expression blanked. Hadn't Ryeo Hyun warned him about this?

"From your reaction you seem aware." Producer Jang-Soo confirmed. "And regarding your spur of fame, and the spur of growth with… what's the term– shippers?" He clicked his tongue, "I'll be frank, we expect you to lean into it."

Joon-woo shut his mouth at the statement. He had forgotten his anxiety in that moment, finally making eye contact with Producer Jang-Soo. "I'm sorry, senior, is this–"

"Yes, Joon-woo. I'm serious." The Producer confirmed.

Joon-woo thought back to his life as Ha-rin. How from the sidelines she watched relationships collapse over such pressure. The backlash, the constant cameras questioning your friendship like it was theirs to dictate. Really, he didn't want his and Reggie's friendship to end like that.

"What about Reggie? Have you consulted with him?" Joon-woo asked, half-knowing the answer already. Reggie hadn't seemed to react weirdly around him, so he probably wasn't told a wink.

Producer Jang-Soo blew at his lips, "Aish– He wouldn't understand anyway, you know foreigners…" He remarked.

Joon-woo's eyes slightly widened at the words. "I– But–" He tried to speak, but anger clouded his words. "He knows Korean. He speaks it well… We should–"

Producer Jang-Soo sighed heavily in interruption, placing his hands suddenly on the table and pushing himself up. "It's about time we return." He said, before taking slow, casual steps to the door of the meeting room.

Just as Producer Jang-Soo was about to fully exit the room, he turned to Joon-woo who was standing where he was just sitting and said, "Expect to be teamed with Reggie when we announce the next challenge."

And then he left. He left Joon-woo in a state of shock. Joon-woo had wanted to team with Reggie for both challenges now. He had wished for such in his head every time he got slandered by a teammate, beat, ignored. But like this? It felt dirty.

Joon-woo stared at his hands. He had washed them less than an hour before. But suddenly every germ, every little bacteria unable to be seen by the human eye, bit at his skin, his bones. He didn't want to lose Reggie, he didn't want to lose what he had.

In Cheerleader, Ha-rin never had this. In their 7 years they only ever celebrated holidays or birthdays together when a camera was present. In their 7 years they couldn't recall the names of each other's closest friends and family members. In their 7 years they never confided in each other or put in the work to get a closer-than-business relationship.

It was different here, now. He wasn't Ha-rin anymore. He wasn't the leader of Cheerleader, drowned by guilt and pressure and everything alike. He was Park Joon-woo, on the idol show named Producer10. He was Park Joon-woo, who had been befriended by Mi Yong and by proxy Jung Hyun-Ok. Who had been befriended by Ryeo Hyun and also by proxy Bo Jaesang. But more importantly, Reggie.

Reggie, since the very beginning of this program, had been by Joon-woo's side. Reggie was the first person Joon-woo had learned to support. And really, with this added on, wouldn't it all collapse at his feet?

The announcements rang overhead, scaring Joon-woo out of his thoughts. "All contestants please return to the stage room." Producer Jang-Soo's voice rang from the speakers and Joon-woo just wanted to hide from it.

He began towards the door, his legs felt heavy to move and his hands felt as if weighed down in mud and dirt and sewage alike. Really, wasn't he the weakest person to live? He hadn't wanted to, he had killed himself to escape. Hell– even this body was trying to kill himself. Park Joon-woo and Jung Ha-rin were alike in more ways than not. They were dropouts, short, long-haired, orphans, and tired of finding something to live for.

And he had found something to live for. He found it in friends. He found it in waiting by an open window, as his roommates snuck out to buy snacks from a local convenience store. He found it in the choco pie Bo Jaesang had given him. He found it in the way his phone was more active than it had ever been in all of his lives. He found it in Reggie.

How Reggie had invited Joon-woo first, before anyone else, to his house to watch Producer10 episodes. How he had been embraced, cared for, worried for by Reggie's mother, not even his own, but Reggie's.

He felt as if he had pinpointed the beginning of a better, a new start. He was, for what he wished for as Ha-rin, happier. So why wasn't he allowed to keep it close?

Joon-woo stumbled out of the meeting room and all he could think of was how comfy his bed would be that night.

–+–

Producer Jang-Soo's words were right, of course they were. For the next challenge, teams were split 'randomly' into six groups of five. Joon-woo happened to be teamed with Ryeo Hyun, Baek Du-Ho, Reggie, and some lower rank that Joon-woo had only seen in snippets. He was teamed with Reggie. Really, couldn't his life end now?

In this challenge, it involved both dancing and singing. Joon-woo figured the team was perfect for such a challenge. Joon-woo could sing, Baek Du-Ho, much to Joon-woo's dismay, could rap, Ryeo Hyun could do it all just enough to get praise, and Reggie could dance. Really, wasn't their last team member getting a free million dollars and trip to the top?

The five of them sat in a practice room setting like they had so many times before. Joon-woo's anxiety could only spike with such a team. Baek Du-Ho and Reggie? Even the presence of Ryeo Hyun wasn't the most comforting, especially since he was often the first to confront Joon-woo if he thought something was up.

Joon-woo watched in silence as his new team conversed.

"Hyun Hyung, you're the oldest here, right?" Reggie asked, after a few moments of silence.

Ryeo Hyun nodded, "I am, I think. Is anyone here older than 23?"

The group nodded 'no'.

"Then I think Hyung should be the leader…" Reggie suggested nervously, looking around for the validations from the rest of the team.

Joon-woo nodded, as did Baek Du-Ho, and Song Chunghee, who Joon-woo finally remembered as their lower-ranked team member.

"I think Hyun Hyung would be a good leader." Joon-woo reassured, trying to rid Reggie's still seeking gaze. "Do you think so, Hyung?" He asked Ryeo Hyun. At least it was easier to talk to Ryeo Hyun.

Ryeo Hyun sighed, stoic expression still there, but his body language of rubbing the back of his neck as a bead of sweat rolled down his face, showed a bit of hesitance. "I'm not too sure…" He replied.

"It'll be just like how you order Jaesang Hyung around!" Reggie said, earning a small chuckle out of Joon-woo.

Ryeo Hyun looked at Reggie with a raised eyebrow, "Will it?"

"Maybe even easier." Reggie spoke with implications, flashing Ryeo Hyun a small smile.

Ryeo Hyun sighed, "Well only if the rest of the guys are okay with it…"

Reggie looked at the group with a raised hand, Joon-woo raised his, then Baek Du-Ho, then Song Chunghee. It was unanimous. Ryeo Hyun sighed at the sight, he motioned for everyone to put their hands down.

"Okay, then I'll do my best." Ryeo Hyun spoke with a short nod. "Then I guess the first order of business is a song, right?"

The group nodded.

"Any suggestions? Just a theme works too…" Ryeo Hyun tried to reason.

Joon-woo's mind was blank as the group began to converse. A conversation prompted by Reggie, who suggested something along the lines of a school boy concept and continued by Song Chunghee who began to go on about applying a more sexy twist to it.

Really, Joon-woo was too tired to talk. Even letting Baek Du-Ho contribute more to the conversation than he. He knew the cameras were rolling, but the words of Producer Jang-Soo rang heavy in his head.

He was scared. He was terrified of what else Producer Jang-Soo would do to edit Reggie and Joon-woo as close. How far would he go to control the narrative of their friendship? It scared Joon-woo shitless.

"Joon-woo?" Reggie called, tapping at Joon-woo's shoulder with a curious concerned expression.

Joon-woo flinched out of Reggie's touch, wanting to close in on himself as the whole group looked his way at the action. The cameras so caught that.

"Sorry… What were you guys saying?" Joon-woo asked, wrapping his arms around himself.

After a beat of silence from even their leader, Ryeo Hyun, Song Chunghee spoke up, "We were just wondering how you felt about doing a school boy crush concept for the song?"

Joon-woo paused. Just how much had he zoned out for? "Oh, uh–" Joon-woo looked over the looks of his teams. Ryeo Hyun stuck out of such a theme like a sore thumb. "Hyun Hyung, isn't he a bit too– cool for such a concept?"

Ryeo Hyun and Reggie exchanged a look, "Ah– we discussed that. He could play more of a troublemaker school crush–?" Song Chunghee continued to clarify.

Joon-woo pursed his lips. He had already arisen worry and attention from Ryeo Hyun and Reggie, hadn't he? He didn't even want to know about how Baek Du-Ho was thinking of him right now.