"This is your room." Bang led me to a bedroom at the end of the brightly lit hallway after offering a quick tour of the rest of the dorm. It was surprisingly spacious—far larger than the tiny, cramped spaces I'd heard horror stories about from other pre-debut groups. But SDR was rich and powerful, and clearly committed enough to V1ne's success to invest in comfort.

"Your roommate is currently at the studio," Bang continued, pointing toward the empty side of the room. "He'll be back in a bit. That's your bed and your wardrobe." Although the designated "other" side looked just as sparse and empty as mine, I noted that my roommate must be an extreme clean freak.

"Would you like to unpack now?" Bang asked politely.

"Yes. Thank you for showing me around. I really appreciate it," I said, setting my duffel bag on my new mattress.

"All good. By the way, how old are you?"

"Oh, I'm twenty-one."

"Me and Boom are twenty. Is it okay if we call you Hyung and speak more casually?"

"Sure! We will spend a lot of time together, after all," I agreed, forcing a smile that felt tight on my face. I hated having to lie so blatantly. I knew that once I delivered the evidence to Park Hana, not only would I leave the group, but the entire company would likely crumble. These boys and other artists would suddenly have to scramble to find new agencies. A sharp pang of guilt pierced me. But the potential damage I was about to cause felt insignificant compared to the systemic devastation SDR had been causing for years.

"Come out once you've finished, Hyung. We're ordering dinner," Bang instructed as he reached the doorway.

"Alright! See you in a bit."

I hadn't brought much with me to the dorms—just necessities for hygiene and skincare, and a few changes of clothes. I figured I could easily hop home anytime to bring more things over, as my apartment was only a thirty-minute subway ride away. I unpacked quickly and then sat for a few minutes in the dimly lit room, taking in the silence. I was intensely curious about who my roommate was, but his personal belongings were almost as minimalistic as mine, despite him having lived here for longer.

As I walked closer to my roommate's neatly made bed, a faint, familiar scent crept up my nose, filling me with a sudden, confusing warmth. It was a very pleasant, clean scent—like fresh laundry and a faint, sweet cologne. I mentally noted that I'd have to ask him for his laundry detergent. It felt like being wrapped up by sunshine.

I headed out to the dining room, where Bang and Boom were setting up the takeout order. Garam already had left.

The meal consisted of salad, brown rice, and grilled seafood—I mentally prepared myself for the reality that I couldn't really afford to eat anything carb-heavy in the near future. While I wasn't the type to gain weight easily, I knew the manager and other staff members would absolutely flip out if they caught me munching down on late-night tteokbokki.

"We heard so many good things about you, Hyung," Boom spoke up as we settled in to eat.

"Oh, is that so?" I replied, trying to appear modest.

"Yes! The choreographer who's working on our debut choreography had been praising you a lot," Bang chimed in, stabbing a piece of salad.

"The vocal coach told us you sing like a siren, Hyung," Boom added with an appreciative nod.

"I don't know what to say," I replied, bringing out my best polite smile. "I will thank them profoundly in person. I just hope I can live up to the praises and fulfill my role in the group."
The twins raised their eyebrows and shrugged at my formal response, a subtle reaction that I noticed immediately.

I was still new, and I didn't yet know the dynamics within the group. There were groups who were completely open and transparent with their members and close staff, behaving casually and openly, like genuine friends. Then there were groups who acted like best friends in front of the cameras, but when it was just them, the air was freezing cold, and they acted like barely acquainted colleagues behind closed doors.

I couldn't really scan the situation just yet, since the only members I'd met were brothers. Of course they behaved casually amongst themselves. But from their unguarded reactions, I suspected this might be a very open group. Which was a relief from one angle—it meant I didn't have to pretend as much, although there was still a lot to fake. On the other hand, it meant I might genuinely start liking them in the process. Which was a serious issue.

The doorbell chimed then, signaling someone from the outside had typed in the code to the apartment building.

"Oh, the Hyungs are back from the studio!" Boom said, a bright, mischievous smile flickering across his lips.

I shuffled uncomfortably on my seat. I didn't know if I should stand up or stay seated. Then I realized the implication: these other two members could be people I already met during my trainee years. Which meant on top of pretending to be infatuated with being an idol, I had to immediately resurrect my old, extroverted, bubbly self. I face-palmed myself so hard in my head it left a red mark on my skin.

I jumped up from my chair, forcing a huge, fake but hopefully believable smile onto my face just as the two men walked in the door.

I was so focused on the first guy that I didn't pay much attention yet to the other one behind him, who had a cap pulled low and a hoodie drawn tight.

The first man was tall. Very tall. At least six feet, three inches tall (~190 cm); my own six-foot height (~183 cm) suddenly felt very short. He had a warm, kind smile on his face.

"Hi, I'm JiaHao. I'm twenty-four, and I'm the leader and the eldest," he introduced himself, shaking my hand firmly. "Nice to meet you, Minjae."

"Nice to meet you, too! Wow, you're the leader? That's so cool! Please take me into your care! Is it okay if we speak casually? Can I call you Hyung?"

I copied the same enthusiasm Bang treated me with, delivering it with the most balsamic, happy-go-lucky voice I could produce. Being a naturally "happy-go-lucky" guy seemed like such a distant memory; I couldn't do it naturally anymore.

But my fake, bubbly energy worked. JiaHao flashed a big, bright smile. "Sure. I'll treat you with care."
I turned to the guy behind him. For a second that felt like an eternity, I froze. I knew the fake smile had completely faded from my face.

"Renji..." I murmured, the name a soft gasp.

"Minjae," he said firmly, his eyes flat and devoid of warmth. He didn't hold out his hand to shake mine. He didn't say a word besides my name. He turned to JiaHao instead.

"I'm gonna take a shower and crash. I'm dead," Renji stated.

"At least eat something, Hyung," Boom tried to interject, but Renji was already rushing toward the corridor where the bedrooms were, heading straight for the bathroom.
I tried to collect myself, forcing a semblance of a smile back onto my face.

"I apologize for his behavior," JiaHao said quickly, looking genuinely concerned. "I know you guys had been training together before. I don't know what's wrong with him."

"It's okay," I replied, trying to sound casual. "He must be shocked to see me here."

"Oh, he knew you were coming. Garam-nim let us know prior. Plus the choreographer couldn't stop talking about you for the past week."

"I see. Maybe he's just tired," I suggested, trying to ease the sudden, thick tension in the room.

"Probably," JiaHao conceded.

"May I ask who my roommate is?" I asked the leader, dread pooling in my stomach.

"That grumpy guy who sped to the shower just now," JiaHao replied simply.

"Excuse me?" I blurted out unconsciously. Then I quickly corrected myself. "I mean... That's great!" Great my ass...

"He's a pretty reserved guy, you know," JiaHao continued, unaware of my internal panic. "Not a talker. And he's very tidy. He sleeps like a log, and he's not really confrontational. Plus, he's a real professional. He's the ideal roommate, after all. But you probably know all this already—you had been together for years."

"Right, right," I agreed, nodding vigorously. "He's a great guy." And I truly believed that. Renji was an amazing person, and probably the ideal roommate. Or he would have been. If I hadn't ghosted his ass two years ago like a coward.

"Come on, Hyung, we ordered dinner!" Bang called out to JiaHao.
I sat back down at the dining table with them, even though I had already finished my food.

"Hyung, I heard you've been attending university until now. What was your major?" Boom asked, turning his attention to me.

"Media and Communication," I lied with ease. It wasn't that far from reality; I had taken plenty of those classes.

"That's so cool," Boom said. "My brother and I had to finish high school online." Boom seemed very similar to Bang on a surface level, but I was starting to notice faint differences in their personalities, differences that were probably much grander once I truly got to know them.

"For an airhead like you, there wouldn't have been a chance at a university anyway," Bang spoke up now, teasing his younger twin brother with a familiar sibling rivalry.

They reminded me of Minsung and myself. I had only left that day, but I already missed my little beluga forehead.
"Is this the kind of impression you want to make in front of the newbie?" JiaHao scolded them playfully.

"Oh, it's okay," I assured the leader. "I have a younger brother. I know exactly how it goes."

"That's a relief. I want to have you around for a long time. I have a lot of hope for this group to work out successfully. Did the manager or another staff member tell you about the concept already?"

"Yes, briefly. Seven Deadly Sins, right?"

"Correct."

"Grandmas will throw a fit nationwide and call us Satanists for sure," Bang said, rolling his eyes dramatically. I couldn't help but genuinely giggle.

"I can imagine their faces when their granddaughters tell them their new obsession is seven boys who represent deadly sins in skimpy outfits and perform suggestive dance moves," Boom added.

We had a good laugh, which filled me with another dose of unexpected relief. The atmosphere, at least among these three, was surprisingly light.

"So, I'm Greed," said JiaHao. "Bang is Gluttony, and Boom is Sloth. Ironic, since Bang is constantly on a diet, and Boom is a fitness addict. But hey, we do whatever for the concept."

"I can relate to you guys," I said, leaning forward. "I got Lust. I'm probably the least lustful person the company could have scouted. What about the others?" I asked, though I was mostly curious about Renji.

"The baby tantrum in the bathroom is Wrath," JiaHao explained. "Which is somehow unironic. Although he's a chill guy, he always has the vibe of the calm before the storm."

"Maybe we all represent our sins somewhere on the inside," Boom mused, looking thoughtful.

"No, take that back," Bang immediately countered. "I won't accept something so philosophical from an airhead like you."

"The other two guys are Pride and Envy. They're from the countryside and visiting family currently. They're both Koreans, like you. I'm from Taiwan, and Renji is half Japanese. But that, you're probably aware of. Dumb and Dumber are from Thailand," 

I chuckled easily at his last remark. Despite the devastating shock of seeing Renji, I felt surprisingly at ease around JiaHao, Bang, and Boom.