Chapter 20.2
Cheon Tae Rimâs dream was slightly beyond simply becoming an idol. It was, in a sense, a far more challenging goal to achieve. His purpose and his desires faced the same direction, structured in such a way that if he didnât sacrifice one, neither could come true.
Thatâs why Tae Rim could never fully hold onto Sun Ye Jin. Aside from genuinely caring about him, he also knew how cruel it was to say something like âjust endure it a bit longer.â
At that time, Ye Jin wanted to be alone, completely exhausted by other people. Within the group, only two or three members, including Tae Rim, showed genuine goodwill toward Ye Jin, and even those who treated him humanely joked openly about how hopeless he was.
After the only manager who looked after Ye Jin quit, the new manager, hearing rumors about him, avoided even speaking properly to him. Ye Jin was technically the leader of the group, yet most of the decisions were made by Tae Rim and Choi Hyun Hee.
Year after year, Tae Rim became more cautious around Ye Jin, both in words and actions. He was tired of fighting with Ye Jin. Ironically, every word he said out of concern only pushed Ye Jin further away.
His caution made him appear harsher, and since he couldnât just stand by and watch Ye Jin derail, hurtful words slipped out. Tae Rim was human tooâwhen Ye Jin caused trouble, he got angry, and when Ye Jin acted recklessly, he inevitably raised his voice.
Eventually, Ye Jin openly started avoiding Tae Rim. Where exactly things had gone wrong, he never fully understood. Perhaps it was for the best, Tae Rim thought. Either way, Ye Jin wouldnât notice his feelings unless he died and came back to life.
Then, the impossible happened: he died and came back.
The regression was entirely unexpected, but having managed to survive and return to the past, Tae Rim was determined to become an idol again. He aimed to debut with Reverb, while at the same time making sure Sun Ye Jinâs debut was prevented.
Yet shaking off Ye Jin proved nearly impossible. He was completely different from Myeong In Woo, who was easy to persuade with a few words because he clearly had flaws.
Ye Jinâs appearance and skill this time around were beyond reproach. Even more strangely, unlike in the past, Ye Jinâs internal reputation within R&M improved by the day.
From Tae Rimâs memory, Ye Jin hadnât made a single friend from the moment he joined as a trainee until Pick Your Rom.
There had been several reasons why Ye Jin had always remained isolated.
First, Shin Ji Oh, older and with a longer trainee tenure, wanted to exclude Ye Jin.
Shin Ji Oh, both then and now, was consumed by jealousy. He barely worked hard himself but secretly tormented any new trainee who was younger and more talented, regardless of who it was.
He did this even to Cheon Tae Rim and Go Ha Ram, so one could imagine how he treated Sun Ye Jin. Unlike before, Shin Ji Oh had been quieter lately, as trainers privately warned him after Ye Jinâs public image improved.
Second, Ye Jin wasnât the type to lose spirit just because others ostracized him.
Instead, the more he was targeted, the more fiercely he fought back like a sensitive mimosa. Are you ignoring me? Letâs see how far you dare go! Then he systematically took revenge on anyone who excluded him. Anyone who ignored his words was publicly crushed during monthly evaluations, and those who talked behind his back were promptly reported to Assistant Manager Min Ji An with recorded proof.
With his formidable eccentricity, direct harassment disappeared quickly, but the number of people willing to approach Ye Jin dramatically shrank.
Only Go Ha Ram, who was endlessly weak to pretty faces, and Cheon Tae Rim, who didnât mind anyoneâs personality, were able to hold ordinary conversations with Ye Jin. Other trainees soon began pretending they didnât see him whenever he walked by.
And lastly, the employees favoring Ye Jin became an issue too.
Although R&M was preparing a grand debut survival program, internally they had already earmarked several trainees for debut. Myeong In Woo, whom Tae Rim had quietly pushed toward Ciel, was one of them.
Sun Ye Jin was also receiving strong backing from R&M. Although it hadnât yet become overt due to his recent arrival, every trainee silently understood Ye Jin was essentially guaranteed a debut position. Even Jang Hye Joonâs request for Ye Jin, rather than Shin Ji Oh, to evaluate his skill proved this point.
Those who pull ahead inevitably become targets of envy and resentment from those left behind. Thus, Ye Jin was fated to stand apart. Until his actual debut, he was destined to bear endless jealousy and hostility.
So, Tae Rim discreetly laid groundwork everywhere so other trainees wouldnât mistreat Ye Jin. He quietly asked not only the trustworthy Go Ha Ram and Choi Hyun Hee, but also Kim Sung Hoon and Tiki, to get along well with Ye Jin.
If he requested too openly, heâd inevitably face the question of “why?” Thus, Tae Rim carefully put effort into various behind-the-scenes preparations to ensure Ye Jin would integrate smoothly. Even if it meant sacrificing his own reputation, he didnât want Ye Jin to experience loneliness again.
Cheon Tae Rim truly intended to stop at precisely this point. Heâd already learned from their previous life that trying any harder for Sun Ye Jin would only upset the person he was trying to help.
âHey, happy now?â
ââŠâŠ.â
âYou satisfied now that you got me demoted to Class B with your bullshit?â
But Shin Ji Oh completely ruined his plans. Tae Rim rarely got angry, yet anything involving Sun Ye Jin easily set him off.
And Shin Ji Oh willingly threw fuel onto his fire. Had Shin Ji Oh been arguing with anyone else, Tae Rim wouldnât have stepped in so directly. Unfortunately, the problem was that the target of Shin Ji Ohâs provocation was none other than Sun Ye Jin.
At that moment, Cheon Tae Rim lost it. There was no way he could stay calm watching the bastard who spearheaded isolating Ye Jin in their past life still arrogantly bullying him now.
So, even knowing heâd face consequences, heâd engaged in that argument with Shin Ji Oh. If Shin Ji Oh had raised his fist, Tae Rim had been fully prepared to take the hit. If it gave him an excuse to eliminate Shin Ji Oh differently from how heâd handled Myeong In Woo, it wouldâve been a profitable trade-off.
He’d told Ye Jin otherwise, but lately, Tae Rim had been quite busy at R&M, secretly playing the role of trainee-assassin.
Unfortunately, the world was overflowing with trainees who absolutely shouldnât debut as idolsâŠ.
