"This username sucks ass," Minjun said as he looked June in the eye.
"Minjun!" Grandma yelled, just having finished her night shower. "Don't curse, you foolish child."
"I'm just telling the truth!" Minjun yelled. "Look at his username, Grandma. You can't tell me it doesn't look bad," he said, showing her June's phone.
June looked at Grandma with wide, bright eyes. It wasn't too bad, right?
However, Grandma quickly pursed her lips when she saw his username.
"See, it's bad!" Minjun chuckled.
Grandma let out a sigh. "It is pretty bad. Why didn't you stick with a much simpler username?" she asked.
"I tried everything," June said. "That's the most I could do. Who would have thought that this would be hard? You have a Navel too, right, Grandma?" he asked.
Grandma nodded. "I made one with Minjun last month since I wanted to monitor your progress on Rising Stars."
"What's your username then?" June asked. "I'm sure you also had a hard time making one."
Grandma shook her head. "The first thing I typed worked."
June frowned. "What's your username then? Is it similar to mine?"
Grandma opened her phone and went to Navel. She quickly navigated her page and showed June her user interface.
"Here," she said.
June couldn't believe his eyes. "This is your username?" he asked.
She nodded with a smile. "Isn't it cute?"
"Do you know someone from Navel? How could you have such a simple username?"
"Well, it wasn't taken," Grandma nonchalantly said. "Your username's good too. It's one of a kind."
June sighed.
Grandma's username was "Grandma."
And it wasn't taken by other people? It seemed like the world had it out for June!
[Congratulations, host! You have completed your mission: Create an SNS account. Please pick an aspect to improve.]
'Dance.'
[Wise choice! Dance +1. Current grade: B]
***
The soft glow of the sunset spilled into June's bedroom, casting a warm ambiance in the small room. After days of grueling practice and intense competition in Rising Stars, he finally had the chance to sleep for more than eight hours.
So, despite his rock-hard mattress and poorly-ventilated room, he felt so serene—like the room wrapped him in a comfortable embrace.
June lay sprawled on his bed, his tousled hair spilling over the pillow. His chest rose and fell rhythmically as he snoozed, completely unaware of the world around him.
After hours of deep slumber, a faint grumble came from June's stomach, prompting him to stir awake. Blinking away the remnants of his sleep, he stretched his arms overhead and let out a contented sigh.
June pushed himself to his feet and shuffled into the kitchen. He rubbed his eyes and stifled a yawn, his mind still caught in the realm between sleep and wakefulness.
He rummaged through his almost empty cupboard and smiled when he saw a packet of spicy ramen in the farthest corner. He had missed the simple pleasures of junk food during his time on the show, and the ramen would be the best item to satisfy his craving.
With practiced ease, June filled a pot with water and set it on the stove. The soft hiss of water soon grew into a bubbling symphony as he dropped the noodles and seasoning packet into the pot. As he waited, he leaned against the counter, gazing out the window. The view of his neighborhood seemed remarkably different from the camera-filled sets he'd become accustomed to.
As the water boiled, June quickly turned off the stove to make the noodles have that 'bouncy' feel. He then placed it on top of the coaster on the small table, not bothering to use a bowl since washing it would be too much work.
He opened the lid, and the air instantly overflowed with the distinct scent of ramen—the comforting fragrance of umami and spices that seemed to have the power to make his heart dance.
June's hand hovered over the steaming pot of ramen, the chopsticks poised for the long-awaited bite.
However, just as he was about to dig in, an insistent knock echoed through his apartment, jolting him out of his peaceful moment. Irritated, he shot a glare at the door as if his displeasure alone could fend off the intruder.
Sighing, he set the chopsticks down and trudged to the door, his annoyance growing with each step. He yanked the door open, fully prepared to give whoever was on the other side a piece of his mind. But his words froze on his tongue as he took in the unexpected sight.
There stood C-Jay and Jangmoon, grinning cheekily. Behind them, Akira and Jisung shared a knowing smile as if they were all conspirators in some grand plan.
"Hey, big brother!" Jangmoon exclaimed. "Did you miss us?"
"No," June deadpanned. "I saw you yesterday. I don't want to see you until the mission next week."
Before June could react, the two of them breezed past him, strolling into his apartment with the familiarity of people who had lived there for years. June's jaw dropped in disbelief. He hadn't realized his front door had turned into a revolving entrance for his fellow trainees.
C-Jay plopped down on the couch, making himself comfortable with a contented sigh. "Ah, it's good to be here. Your place smells like you. It's so comforting."
June's face twisted into disgust. "What the fuck does that mean?"
Jangmoon strolled into the kitchen as if he owned it, opening the fridge as if he had the right to do so. "You've got any drinks in here?"
June's irritation was rapidly transforming into bewildered amusement. He opened his mouth to tell him off, but C-Jay quickly cut him off.
"Hey, what's that delicious smell ?" C-Jay's eyes lit up with a mischievous twinkle as he followed his nose to the small table.
June's heart sank as C-Jay made a beeline for the ramen. "Don't you dare—"
But it was too late. C-Jay and Jangmoon each sat at the table and plunged their chopsticks into the bowl of ramen, slurping away with enthusiasm.
June's frustration reached a boiling point. "Are you kidding me? That's mine!"
"Damn," C-Jay sighed in satisfaction. "You're really a great cook, bro. Why does this taste so much better than when I make it?"
June's eyebrows knitted together as he watched his friends feast on his treasured bowl of ramen. With a huff of surrender, he finally spoke up. "Okay, seriously, what are you all doing here? I told you not to come."
Akira wrapped his arm around his shoulder. "We came here to watch Rising Stars with you," he said. "Jisung even bought food," he said, gesturing to the plastic bag in Jisung's hand.
"Leave that here, then go home. Watch it at your house."
Akira clicked his tongue. "But we came this far already, and we even have a surprise guest!"
June's confusion deepened as Akira made a grand gesture toward the doorway. "He's a bit shy, so he's been hiding behind that wall."
June frowned and squinted his eyes.
"Jaeyong?" he muttered.
"Hey," Jaeyong mumbled.
"What the hell are you doing here?" June asked.
Jaeyong scratched the back of his head. "Well, the other guys said they're going to come to your place, so I uhh—wanted to come too," he said the last statement so quietly that June didn't even hear it.
"Go home," June said to the five of them, but it seemed like they weren't listening. Instead, they made themselves feel at home, turning on June's new TV and opening the packets of food they'd bought.
June stood at the doorway and sighed.
He can never have a peaceful day, can he?
