Chapter 6: Prolugue

After some time, I finally finished completing signing all the documents. I gave them to Yep Chunghee and eventually left the office after saying goodbye.

I made my way to the bustling streets of Busan. I strolled while taking in the view while walking…taking in the view and also the cold freezing air that seeped under my clothes.

"June hurry up and stand beside the tree!"

"This is so embarrassing Mom!"

People were having fun and taking pictures either of the snow, Christmas decorations, or just in general.

'It really is the time of the year'

I looked around feeling suffocated by the atmosphere. 

It may be because my parents just died or maybe because I didn't like crowds to begin with, but I feel quite uncomfortable when I go to public spaces with no masks or a cap on.

'Must be PTSD from sasaengs.' 

I sighed and took a shortcut and entered a dark alleyway on my right. It was a shady alleyway but it was better than having to have loud music blasted into your ears.

I walked quietly, trying to minimize the sounds that my footsteps create especially since I'm in an alleyway I never took on remembering in the past.

'Who knows what could be here?'

I shivered. Slightly regretting I went to the alleyway instead of just acting like a man and getting through the crowd.

I was consumed by my thoughts when I suddenly heard an old woman scream out of fear forcing me to jolt in surprise.

'I knew something wasn't right-!'

To be honest I didn't want to go to where the sound originated however, where the sound originated from is just in the next corner and there was no other path for me to take. 

I grabbed a metal pipe from the side, not caring if it was sticky or whatever because of an unknown substance. I was too blinded by my own fear to care.

I've never actually held something like this before however, do I really have a choice right now? 

I went to the connecting path for this road of the alleyway and saw a young man attempting to rob an old woman's purse. 

I widened my eyes as I was not accepting this. I thought the one committing the crime was your typical thug or maybe a person who looked average but instead…

The young man actually looked quite handsome. He was wearing ragged clothes that were contrasting to his angelic but fierce appearance. He had messy ginger-coloured hair and a pair of blue eyes. Something unique especially when you're in an Asian country like South Korea.

Blue eyes are often found in Europeans and ginger hairs are often found in America so either this guy is a foreigner or this guy was a child of a foreigner. 

….It could actually be both too.

'Wait what am I thinking? I should go help and save the old woman' I shook my head and shouted "Hey! What are you doing?!" in English.

"A foreigner?" He looked up at me catching him off guard and creating an opportunity for the old lady to escape.

"Hey where are you-"

Before he could run after the old lady, I quickly pushed him to the ground and caught his arms. He didn't have any firearms or any dangerous weapon so I could feel at ease and just pin him to the ground.

I reluctantly let go of the metal bar before wiping my hand on my shoes to remove the stickiness on my palm.

"You bastard!" He shouted and cursed at me surprisingly Korean.

'So he's Korean…Well, I guess it's the latter option.'

 I could only pin him using my whole body which led me to spread my legs in case he managed to stand up, I could ride his back.

"Why did you do that?" I asked him. Although the answer was quite obvious, I still wanted to know. After all, It's not that often you get to see a man this handsome and young still living in an alleyway. 

Plus, he looked like he had the potential to become an idol.

'He looks nineteen…Well, with that face of his as long as he takes care of it I'm sure he'll be able to work in the idol industry for as long as he can,' I thought to myself as I continued to pin him to the ground.

"Shouldn't it be obvious?! To take her money of course!" He said quite irritatedly.

I raised an eyebrow, ignoring his past question. "You look young. Is it because you have money problems? Are you in debt to a gangster or mafia?" 

"Why do you care anyway?!" He glared at me sharply, he looked like he was already imagining ways on how to kill me.

'Looks like he's quite on guard with me' I sighed before letting go of him. This was not going anywhere.

"Do you have a sick sister or brother? Or maybe parents?" I asked for the last time as I fixed my clothes.

"Stop questioning me would you?! Plus, we've only met! Why are you even asking me personal questions?" He glared at me fiercely as he stood up

"I understand." I took out a piece of paper I had secretly stolen from Yeop Chunghee and wrote my contact number and name on it.

"Here."

"…?" He stared at it blankly not believing things. "Oy. What are you giving me your contact number for?"

"Don't think of it the wrong way. I want to help you." 

"Ha?" He looked at me in disbelief but also in clear annoyance 

"Why should I be thankful or even receive that?" He tore the piece of paper and threw it on the ground

He scoffed "Do you think I'm pitiful is that it? You think I need some kind of 'rehabilitation'?!"

'Ah...he seems to have misunderstood..'

"Wait-"

He left before I could even properly react to him rejecting my proposal.

'I was gonna try and teach him the basics of becoming an idol…'

I slumped into the ground and heavily sighed.

'He looked like an idol so I thought he would be interested in becoming one. Even if he wasn't, I could persuade him…'

Even if that person wasn't truly born to be an idol, his face would've been a great asset in staying in the Idol industry so he could still improve long enough to become a well-known idol...

'Looks like I have no choice but to truly participate in a debut survival show huh?' 

I deeply sighed again before getting up from the ground helplessly.

I then raised my hands into a fist and raised them high then shouted to the sky

"Let's make sure we don't debut Youngjae!! Fighting!" 

This was the start of my story as a retired(?) Idol entering the Idol industry all over again as a mentor for trainees this time!