《Entertainment Life With A Camera》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 Saved A Country in the Previous Life? Unedited Chapter This chapter hasn¡¯t been properly edited by Editor/Proofreader, so I¡¯m sorry in advance for any mistakes. This will be updatedter! As the magnificent background music began, ear deafening shouts was heard. ¡°Whoa.¡± Who would have known we were going to perform here. Not in Korea but the ind country in Europe, UK. £Û10£Ý When the count started, the floor vibrated. The lift was going up with a rattle. Perhaps because of nervousness, my bnce swayed. Other members were also simr. £Û9£Ý I wanted to be famous. Had a desire to seed in this industry even if I die, but thought if there would be no odds as an idol. While just living as an idol with moderate weight even when there were a lot of idols that make their debut every year, I wanted to be a well-known entertainer by taking on the lead role although never really turned into an actor. £Û8£Ý £Û7£Ý Even if popr as an idol domestically, not only nastily tangled with sasaeng1(g) To simplify, a very hardcore stalker-like fans.but also get all sorts of maliciousments that quietly strike, ming the members or skills to the limit. Reporters tailing like stalkers. If they caught something they will be excited to write articles that¡¯s unknown whether it will be adverse criticism or maliciousment. And almost every day will be like terror the moment you open personal SNS.2(g) Social Networking System a.k.a Social Media. I¡¯ll use SNS to give you some Korean taste. Well, although the amount of money that goes into the bankbook may be different¡­ Fortunately, the reaction came right away after the debut and thought that thergest was Olympic stadium even if we had a solo concert¡­ Never even dreamed of Gymnastic or Gocheok, but we even came all the way here when we came to our senses.3Venue capacity(not including standing for concert): Seoul Olympic Stadium= 69,950; Olympic ¡°Gymnastic¡± Arena= 14,730; Gocheok Sky Dome= 16,813; Wembley Stadium(most probably)=90,000 ¡®Well anyway¡­¡¯ £Û6£Ý £Û5£Ý I dreamed of this life during my ¡®first debut¡¯. £Û4£Ý As the lift went up and the members¡¯ silhouettes were seen, the shouts grew even louder. Was the limited view seat also released. The lightsticks that filled the audience seats shone like a sparkling milky way. £Û3£Ý £Û2£Ý £Û1£Ý ¡®That¡¯s good, though.¡¯ *** Kim Yong Min followed a friend¡¯s audition when he was 12 years old and luckily got in as a trainee at arge agency, MI Ent., then started living a trainee life. He was 17 years old after going through 5 years of trainee life. Though, he still had talent so he entered the debut group as if flowing. Yet eventually fell off at the threshold of debut. ¡®Why am I dropped out?¡¯ The reason he fell was that he was too young. But he couldn¡¯t understand. The maknae of the direct senior group debuted at the age of 16. The reason was not known untilter. When he realized, there was a nephew of thepany director in his ce. ¡®I¡¯m sorry. It couldn¡¯t be helped. There¡¯s no way I could refuse when the shareholder pushed it. I hope you understand.¡¯ Still, since it¡¯s a big agency. Kim Yong Min who was able to endure, thinking to aim for the next group, eventually left thepany. Except for the director, other employees might be had a conscience and looked for apany that could make its debut right away. Kim Yong Min eventually had to move to anotherpany they introduced. Because he wanted to debut right away. £ÛExclusive£ÝTA Media¡¯s New Boy Group Debut Start, Group Name ¡®Diamond¡¯ Kim Yong Min immediately became a member of the debut group at thepany he moved to and debuted at the age of 18. Until then, Kim Yong Min thought that his life would be smooth if he made his debut. Thepany he moved was an affiliate of arge agency. The celebrities they belong to were also famous of mid-level or even more. Some members didn¡¯t like Kim Yong Min, but they were thirsty for their debut. So, teamwork was pretty good at the beginning of the debut. Then the group was badly ruined. The debut song was a song with an easy tropical sound, but from then on it was a feast of bad songs that reflected the president¡¯s old taste. This was because the producer only participated in the debut song and moved to anotherpany. The head hairstylist, who was in charge of them, liked to shave sideburns, reggae hair was basic and their hair was damaged by all kinds of experimental dyeing. The one in charge of makeup insisted on ck eyeline as if it had been painted with aputer sign pen. She put the foundation like ake without considering the skin tone of each member, to the point anyone who looked at it knew that the tone didn¡¯t match. What was worse, she didn¡¯t put on eye make-up at all after fans protested about the eyeliner. It¡¯s ridiculous to say that was a nerve war with fans when she didn¡¯t have any skills. Diamond Yongmin ¡®Rising Sun g¡¯ Controversy, Company ¡°Silence¡± And who knew if the Rising Sun g4 As you may know, Korea-Japan have a tense rtionship historically and politically as Japan once colonized Korea around World War II. was embedded in the clothes that the exclusive stylist gave to wore, and these brainless members couldn¡¯t even see thergely printed Rising Sun g on his back. There were 9 members, you know! He was beaten as a traitor because of that, but ironically, that was the best moment to make the group¡¯s name known. £ÛExclusive£ÝTA Entertainment, Now Turn to Catering Business To make matters worse. Thepany¡¯s finances, which had been expected to be solid, copsed due to the president¡¯s reckless business expansion. The mid or higher-level entertainer moved to anotherpany due to the expiration of the contract, and they were the only ones left. From the 4th album onwards, whether they expected their mangdol tech5(g) ?? abbr. of ?? ???(mang-han idol) meaning failed idol. Btw, this mangdoltech probably refers to all those failure criteria that happened to them. I¡¯m not sure tho. or whether the president was struggling to pay off debts, the period of new songsing out began to take longer. £ÛExclusive£Ý¡®Diamond¡¯ Jiwon, Voluntary Group Withdrawal Due to School Violence Controversy After spending so much time in vain, a member eventually withdrew due to school violence controversy while 6 out of 8 remaining members fell into rtionships. ¡®The only reason you¡¯re ruined is that you¡¯re only capable of that. Why do you me me? If you guys did well in the first ce, would thepany havee to this point?¡¯ It was the sounds heard from the president who gradually avoided responsibility. What kind of idol is this. It is no different than trainees who just debuted. By then, Kim Yong Min was left with nothing but dogged spirit. Even if I die, I will seed as an entertainer. As thepany didn¡¯t receive new songs, he studied musicposition to make it himself. But after seeing the members¡¯ dead fish eyes gradually dying, he wanted to survive even if he was alone. So, he went to take an acting ss with personal expenses. Kim Yong Min¡¯s efforts resulted in the expectations and interests of the same group members. After some effort, theposition study was useful. They turned happy as the result of two members who worked on the song together gradually improved. £ÛExclusive£ÝDiamond Minjoon, Bes Father in September. Will Marry Vanimint Yoonji in June But life was not going that smooth. Before the long-awaitedeback. A member, who thought to be just dating, conceives a female idol of the same age and got married for speeding6This is a literal trantion as I can¡¯t find a word with a simr meaning. The closest is ¡°shotgun wedding¡±. Anyway, this means out-of-wedlock pregnancy. May change this in the future.. -What??? Marry??? Getting married? -Is this ???7Is this real? Is he crazy? The kids came to gongka8official fancafe yesterday and said will have aeback soon? -I¡¯m pathetic to have been holding them all this time??9lolol At that, the handful of a handful of a handful remaining fandom copsed in a crash. Dang. He was a jerk I didn¡¯t really like from the start. Theeback, which had been organized by the members¡¯ strength, was destroyed by the news of Min Joon¡¯s marriage. Thepany neglected them again. What the hell was the problem. He thought it would work out well if he debuted after 5 years as a trainee. Just the idols who debuted that year were more than 30 groups. There¡¯re groups that said could thrive, but Kim Yong Min was not there. In the first ce, the group¡¯s name Diamond was a very mangdol material name. When searched for it, only wedding rings appeared. Kim Yong Min, who came out of the acting academy and wandered around the street with bleakughter, stumbled upon a digital billboard of a cosmetic store. People with familiar faces who had been through a lot together in MI Ent. were doing cosmetic models. And some Chinese smiled brightlying out withrge shopping bags. <¡®Jupiter¡¯ Bromide Will Be Given For Purchase More Than 30,000 Won> At the moment when he was striving to be famous, the group he should have made his debut with because the nephew jerk was on the fast track appearing in almost everymercial, hit songs poured out, and eventually became a Hallyu star. £ÛExclusive£ÝDiamond Kim Yongmin, Sends Proof of Contract Termination to The Company Kim Yong Min has since filed awsuit against thepany. After going through thewsuit and serving the army, Kim Yong Min was 27 years old. An age toote to be an idol again. That said, he hadn¡¯t achieved anything to start something other than the showbiz. It was fortunate he took acting sses in his spare time. Kim Yong Min thought maybe he will turn away from an idol and be an actor. However, a corner of his heart still had lingering feelings and aspirations for an idol. (Please choose your idol! Idol chosen by the public, ¡®Project Idol¡¯!) Unable to get rid of the lingering feelings about idols, he eventually applied for the survival audition program ¡®Project Idol¡¯. He heard that people over 30 also applied, so he thought he was not too old. He wanted to try just once this time, if not to fold the matter as an idol neatly. ¡®Individual trainee Kim Yong Min! Ranked 9th in the 3rd evaluation!¡¯ Still, he entered the rankings without difficulty because his skills were good and Kim Yong Min was delighted as he could fly. As the program became increasingly viral, the viewer ratings were high. At this point, it will be a time-limited group even if they debut, but it can be confirmed as Korea¡¯s top idol. -But fugly¡¯s past was a shock -??10 f*cking wake up the rising sun g ????? -Look at him doing bgp11(g)??? (bi-ge-per) an abbr. for Business Gay Performance. Rted to fandom shipping culture. with the group member, disgusting????? -Fugly is old and ugly who is going to choose ¨C Jupiter¡¯s final debut group, he tried really hard squeezing it???dropped anyway ???? -Was there only one or two who imed to be Jupiter¡¯s final debut group? If it as they said, Jupiter should have 30 members???? However, all kinds ofmunities began to check him and post maliciousments to make their ¡®own child¡¯ debut as soon as he entered the top rankings. His rankings fell sharply as the traitor idol era and the ck history when he tried anything to float was revealed. ¡®Project Idol! Thest member of I-One is¡­!¡¯ ¡®MJ Ent Kim Young Jun!¡¯ (11th Kim Young Jun ¨C 12th Kim Yong Min) He rebounded again with his skills but eventually failed to debut bynding in 12th ce. £ÛExclusive£ÝP.I. 12th ce Kim Yong Min, Contract with Actor Agency ¡®Onnuri Actors¡¯¡­ Walking Towards an Actor Since then, Kim Yong Min has given up on idol neatly. Still, his name was promoted since he was eliminated in 12th ce. Thanks to that, he signed a contract with a decent actor agency. And his life as an actor was impossible to believe. The works he refused set all kinds of records, high ratings, and box office sess. He was scammed by the synopsis. And the work he decided to appear in had the productionpany going out of business or the ratings came out to the decimal point. Unbelievably, there were cases where the writer, lead actor, or PD, ran away without a word, which wouldter be well known as three legendary events in the drama industry. Nothing that had been done but only empty vessels that make the greatest sound. The ie earned was spent dry for self-care. ¡®Won¡¯t you tire of self-caring. Now quit it and learn some jobs from father¡¯. His family¡¯s words just fell in one ear. He worked like a bull in dramas, movies, musicals, and theater ys. It was hard, but he vowed that he would be famous. Whether the world has returned his efforts, he caught the eyes of a renowned film director and was selected as a supporting role for the next film. The script was so good thatpetition was fierce, so he took it. But why did it get to this point. ¡®Dang. Isn¡¯t it a life as hard as it can get?¡¯ Still, others couldn¡¯t even make their debut and couldn¡¯t even make a name for themself like him. But it was a crueler situation for him. Rather, don¡¯t give a chance so I can¡¯t even dream. What kind of shit like instance that only gives a chance and takes it away. And why to the point take my life now? Kim Yong Min thought that when he flew so long in the air. Perhaps it was his life kaleidoscope, he clearly remembered the moment when he visited a friend¡¯s audition when he was 12. No! Not thatpany! S¡­t¡­a¡­y¡­!! The full moon was seen brightly in the view of Kim Yong Min, who was flying. Soon, he bounced like a ball on the cold asphalt then hit a corner. As the pain reached its limit, there was no groaning. His whole body was burning like a fire. The hot liquid from the head soaked the ground. ¡®Where you going jerk?¡¯ The car that hit him ran toward the end of the road without slowing down. If I survive, I¡¯ll report you first. Kim Yong Min tried hard to memorize the car¡¯s number, but his vision began to get darker. I don¡¯t want to die yet¡­ Did I live so hard to die like this. Acting was getting fun now. £ÛWhy is he still alive when he should have died before?£Ý Someone talked to themself in Kim Yong Min¡¯s dark vision. £ÛThat¡¯s a peculiar fate¡­£Ý ¡®What the. Who¡¯s it.¡¯ £ÛHe saved a country in the previous life?£Ý ¡®What else is this nonsense.¡¯
AmaliaJ¡¯s Note Wee on board to the journey of our future top idol, Cho-ah that¡¯s a spoiler. Uhm. Let me repeat that. Wee on board to the journey of our future top idol, Kim Yong Min! I¡¯m sure it will be a fun journey~ Sorry for the ton of footnotes. Due to the story theme, a LOT of unique termse out. A glossary is also avable for this. I will leave many terms in romanized Korean if I think the English trantion deviates the meaning too much. So, I hope you just move to another ce if you prefer pure English in my trantion. The schedule is every Tue and Thu. Maybe Sat too if I can keep up with it. Happy reading! Chapter 2 Chapter 2 Return You to The Body Where You Should Be. Unedited Chapter This chapter hasn¡¯t been properly edited by Editor/Proofreader, so I¡¯m sorry in advance for any mistakes. This will be updatedter! Kim Yong Min sat cross-legged on his dead body. In front of him was a handsome young man in a ck sweatshirt and ck ck, who introduced himself as the grim reaper. ¡®So, to sum up. I was filthy lucky that I should be on a fast-track destiny, but this happened because I was born in the wrong body. Is this it?¡¯ £ÛThat is right, sir.] ¡®I was supposed to die early and be reborn, but my soul was so lucky that I couldn¡¯t die early and still live until now?¡¯ As the grim reaper nodded silently, Kim Yong Min exhaled in despair. Isn¡¯t this a scam? Although suspicious, he died in the end, so he wondered what the use of that. Even though his head getsplicated, to know that the real Grim Reaper doesn¡¯t just wear hanbok1It¡¯s a verymon depiction in Korea that grim reapers wore ck hanbok¡­ He had a useless thought. It was a truly absurd situation. ¡®No, I don¡¯t understand.¡¯ Kim Yong Min smiled wryly again after alternately looking at Grim Reaper and his own dead body. With various talents died and gradually returned to the underworld, they received talent donations and established aputerized system for the underworld. But in the process, there was a mistake that the soul was not properly recorded. Originally, the soul to be reborn should have found a body suitable for him and reincarnated. However, in the process ofputerizing the underworld, the soul record was omitted. It means that the body and soul which Kim Yong Min should be born were twisted. It feels strange that he is dead and stepping on his body in a soul state. Also, it¡¯s amazing that underworld or grim reapers truly exist. What? Computerization of the underworld? So, there was a bug? Is the wind also blowing the 4th Industrial Revolution to the underworld or what? And I¡¯m the victim out of it all? ¡®Then, what will happen to me?¡¯ He slumped down in a dispirited heart. His heart was not beating because he was in a soul state, but he felt something wasing up from his heart.2 3 kinds of heart at once. ??(ma.eum) is mind heart or thought. ??(sim.jang) is organ heart. ??(ga.seum) is feeling heart. The first and third sometimes have a simr meaning in sentences. Kim Yong Min thought he had really worked hard in his life. That effort won¡¯t betray¡­ He thought that someday the day of sess woulde. However, does it just end like this without achieving what he wanted. Kim Yong Min kept sighing in aplicated mind. He sighed at the resentment for the underworld that made it to this point and the helplessness that things could not be reversed. £ÛDo not be so discouraged. There is a properpensation manual for the victim in the underworld, sir.] ¡®Really?¡¯ £ÛBecause it is not just one or two victims like you.] Then, the Grim Reaper hardened without any motion. He was like a living corpse originally, but he seemed to be searching for something as he was still and only blinked slightly. £ÛThe underworld has offered two ways to reim your worthy rights, sir.] Said the grim reaper, who had been searching for a while. £ÛFirst, we can send you to nirvana.] ¡®Nirvana?¡¯ £ÛHeaven, utopia, paradise¡­ Call it whatever youfortable with. You will enjoy the happiness that you cannot dare imagine with any expression of this world. We also sometimes go to y when we have a vacation.] That is how good it is. He smiled as he was quite satisfied with his vacation in heaven. Even so, his eyes were not smiling. So, there was wonder if this was serious or a joke. £ÛInstead, the life of the soul is over and cannot be reincarnated again.] Kim Yong Min was tempted by the word heaven but frowned because he did not know what was going on there. ¡®What kind of specific happiness does that so-called heaven give?¡¯ In response to Kim Yong Min, the grim reaper omitted the detailed exnation and simply said ¡®you¡¯ll know if you go through it¡¯. To be able to enjoy happiness in a lump. He didn¡¯t know if this waspensation or a psychological test. Besides. A question arose. ¡®Will it befortable to end my life like this and go to that great heaven?¡¯. Perhaps he had read Kim Yong Min¡¯s thoughts, the grim reaper added. £ÛAnd there may be other side effects.] ¡®Side effects?¡¯ £ÛBecause it is not the ce to arrive so early as it should be¡­ You will go with greed or regret for life, sir.] ¡®Hm¡­ That¡¯s a bit¡­ Is there any other way?¡¯ £ÛBefore telling you the second way. You have a desire to seed as an entertainer¡­ Are you still thinking about it?] ¡®That is¡­¡¯ During the mangdol days of ¡®Diamond¡¯, the members dispersed and he heard that some went to their hometowns, someone be inte broadcast BJ3(g)Broadcast Jockey. The equivalent English word is streamer. , someone was selling phones at a mobile phone dealer. And there was also a guy who appeared on airwaves TV shows a few times thanks to his children, but that was the life of a celeb. Kim Yong Min was the only one who still living as an entertainer4???(yeon.ye.in). Can be tranted as ¡®celebrity¡¯. But because of this one part, I trante it as ¡®entertainer¡¯. It¡¯s the realm about being an ¡®artist¡¯ or just being well known. . Would it have been a little different if he had overwhelming skills not to be stolen by the director jerk¡¯s nephew when he was in MI Ent? He was tempted by a big agency and signed a contract in vain. Should he have auditioned for another agency instead? Even though it was time to stop learning as he got older, he spent money he earned on acting and vocal sses. Kim Yong Min even had to eat with cup noodles due to his reduced bank ount bnce recently, but he still could not escape from the specter of the past. ¡®Of course.¡¯ He was determined to seed in this industry even if he died. Even in death, that was forever. £ÛSecond way. We will return you to the body where you should be, sir. In addition, we will send you to the past when you can achieve your dream. We will not erase the memories and keep them as they are.] ¡®¡­!¡¯ £ÛAnd we will attach a spirit to help you.] In the meantime, an ambnce and a police car approached Kim Yong Min¡¯s body whether someone heard the sound and reported it. I can live again¡­ Kim Yong Min¡¯s heart was set for the second. ¡®I will do the second one.¡¯ £ÛThat is good, sir.] The grim reaper lightly tapped Kim Yong Min on the shoulder. His body slid back. Thest thing he saw in the blurred vision was a paramedic putting something like a cloth over his body. * * * Kim Yong Min was looking at someone¡¯s life from a first-person perspective. A child is born into a harmonious family. Looking at the house and neighborhood he lived in, it seemed like a foreign country. First of all, it seems I¡¯m not going to the army¡­ When he thought that unconsciously, he guessed that this video was the life of the body he was going to enter. The child had many friends. Everyone liked the child and many followed him. He grew up well without troubles or ugly sides even when the child grew up as a teenager. He had good grades and also good athletic ability. Because he yed American football, is he an American? Anyway, the guy has a good background. As time goes by, he seems to be traveling somewhere with the pocket money and the money from part-time jobs he saved so far. Hm? Wait? Here is¡­? ¡°Heok!¡± Kim Yong Min jumped up from the bed. Beep- He frowned at the ear ringing and sudden headache. ¡°Did it work?¡± Kim Yong Min looked around. A suitcase was open on the low tform next to the bed and a TV was hung on the wall. It seemed like a fairly expensive hotel because the bedding had a nice feel. A passport was ced on the suitcase. A navy passport, United States of America. So, no need to go to the army. Very good. Kim Yong Min smiled satisfactorily. ¡°Wow¡­¡± It seemed he had a habit of sleeping with the shirt off. A well-crafted six-pack and not thin but moderately sized forearms. The muscle won¡¯te out like this even if it¡¯s made on purpose. Maybe it is obvious as he worked out. It¡¯s a good body to be born with. £ÛHey!] ¡°Aakh!¡± Something suddenly popped out in the vision of Kim Yong Min, who had been dazed. £ÛWhy are you rubbing your body so hard. Are you a pervert?] ¡°Wha¡­ What the?¡± There was a camera floating in front of him. £ÛWhat¡¯s with that. The helper to help you. You heard it from Grim Reaper, right?] ¡°Ah¡­¡± It seems he said he¡¯d give me a soul to help. But why a camera? Kim Yong Min covered his upper body by lifting the nket for no reason. When he waved his hand, the camera scattered like smoke and couldn¡¯t be caught. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s real¡­¡± £ÛOf course it¡¯s real, how is it fake? Just turn on your phone. What year is it today?] He turned on the smartphone by the bed. September 20, 2016. It¡¯s really back in the past. Kim Yong Min habitually turned on the entertainment section of the portal site he frequented. £ÛCelebrity¡¯s Children] ¡®Yoonji?¡¯ Minjoon, Husband With Parenting Devoted Concept ¡°I miss my idol days sometimes¡­¡± ¡°Wow, this crazy bastard.¡± Min Joon was a member of the same group that thwarted the group¡¯seback due to speeding. Even though he left a very shitty achievement that made the ruined group even worse, he came out well on the childcare program thanks to his child. Going to another page and it was another spectacle. £ÛCelebrity¡¯s Children] Yoonji, ¡°It was hard for dieting during Vani Mint days, but I was free. It¡¯s better to get marriedte.¡± He heard that the group over there also scattered all over because of that woman. Sure enough, the camera said. £ÛWhat the? Why is it? Ah, Yoon Ji is famous for sure. Shees out on the show a few more times and made the same group members look like very trashy bullies. That¡¯s why Vani Mint faltered then the contract expired.] ¡°The couple is such a bloody pair.¡± £ÛWhat. You know them well?] ¡°I was a member of the same group with that bastard Jung Min Joon.¡± £ÛWhat? Who are you?] ¡°Kim Yong Min. Will you know? Cause I¡¯m just passing wind.¡± £ÛOh, no. I know you. Ddo5Again. Also. The English version of this nickname is ¡®Yong Min Again¡¯ Yong Min.] The camera suddenly came to the front of Kim Yong Min¡¯s eyes. £ÛDiamond unlucky member! The famous P.I. 12th ce who turned into an actor and became a rice soup6(g)A nickname to call someone who ruins things like pouring soup to rice and ruin the meal. In this case, an actor who keeps failing their works to the point that their cast is a sign of failure. actor! That Ddo Yong Min who alwayses out no matter what channel is turned on, right?] ¡°It was like that¡­¡± After tried auditioning a few times, heter voluntarily cut the performance fee and entered any works. If he even got the nickname Ddo Yong Min, maybe it could be said that he still had his own recognition¡­ But what to do, he died without being able to y a lead role even once. £ÛAlthough I heard you died in a hit-and-run¡­ I heard from the Grim Reaper, to help a wrongly born soul. So, that¡¯s your original body, right?] ¡°Uh. But why do you know very well? If you¡¯re in a soul state, aren¡¯t you dead too?¡± £ÛI diedter than you¡­ So, are you going to be an entertainer again in this life?] ¡°¡­I have to. I¡¯m back to do that.¡± £ÛGood tenacity. Alright, I¡¯ll help you!] The motivated voice was quite good to hear. By the way. That guy is dead, but why its¡¯ soul state is a camera. Even Kim Yong Min was just his own appearance. £ÛAh, by the way. No matter what you do, you¡¯re just on the road to sess. I¡¯m jealous, you punk.] ¡°Huh? Why am I?¡± £ÛWhat. Haven¡¯t seen your face?] What¡¯s with my face? Kim Yong Min roughly put on slippers and headed to the bathroom. ¡°Woah dang.¡± Is this really a person. He had been in the entertainment industry for over 10 years, but this is the first time he saw a face like this in life. It¡¯s enough to p any star not just those in South Korea, but also Hollywood. The skin is shiny without any blemishes, the eyebrows are thick, and the nose bridge looks like it will cut something. No wonder everyone was so friendly. He was born and raised as an Asian in America. However, there was no memory of being discriminated against. So, racism will also get away when you have an overwhelmingly handsome face. Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Think Idol as Insurance.Unedited Chapter This chapter hasn¡¯t been properly edited by Editor/Proofreader, so I¡¯m sorry in advance for any mistakes. This will be updatedter! Ian Choi. ¡°The name is also good.¡± Kim Yong Min, no, Choi Ian stared at his passport. Even the passport photo that usuallyes out so raw also came out very neatly. £ÛIsn¡¯t it a body born to be an entertainer?] Even if he searched through his past memories, this face did not appear in any media. He didn¡¯t be an entertainer with this face? Even something like a model? £ÛThen from now on, I won¡¯t call you Kim Yong Min but Choi Ian.] ¡°If so, what can I call you?¡± The camera was silent. It clicked as if it was contemting something. It seemed even the camera expressed its emotions by kept beeping as if focusing. £ÛUhm¡­ Jin, call me Jin.] ¡°Then, what can you do to help?¡± After checking his face, his confidence soared. With a face like this, everyone will just say okay even with bad acting and cast him as the lead role. Of course, Ian wouldn¡¯t be that sloppy. £ÛWell¡­ I think I can do anything you can imagine?] This one is also very confident. Ian smiled as if satisfied. He has a good face, a good body, and also looks tall. Looking at the passport, he was born in 1999. If this is 2016¡­ 17 years old. Still growing up. He is a person with fabulous life who has everything, but there is even someone who can help. It was already felt easy to do showbiz activity. ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡± £ÛWhat?] ¡°No, I didn¡¯t say that to you.¡± Ian thought so unintentionally and then shook his head hard. It is forbidden to be careless. Life in the entertainment industry was not that easy. To think he had been through it but still loosen his tension. The camera, which had been floating around as if it was a zero-gravity space, turned its lens. £ÛFirst. If it¡¯s 2016, you have to make a good n. What¡¯s your goal?] ¡°Goal? Well¡­ I just want to be famous.¡± £ÛIn Korea? Abroad? What do you want to be famous for? Idol? Actor?] ¡°¡­¡± Those questions left Ian speechless. When he first debuted as an idol, he wanted to seed as an idol. This or that never worked so he went to the acting field that he had learned. Dramas and movies were not sessful, so he turned to theaters and musicals as well. Because musical could make use of the vocal again. Come to think of it, he has never settled doing anything properly in Kim Yong Min¡¯s life. He gave up idol because the inevitable age matter. However, he turned into an actor to simply pursue a vague sess. So, he was all over the ce like octopus¡¯ feet regardless of genre. £ÛNo matter how significant the handsome face is, you have to make a good n. If you do something wrong, you¡¯ll only be a ¡®flower without fragrance¡¯ and live without any strength.] ¡°That¡­ That¡¯s right¡­¡± £ÛStill. Your skills were good even with such bad luck. You have to make it work with that.] By the way, what did Jin do that it also know Kim Yong Min¡¯s days well? Did the Grim Reaper tell it in advance? That being said, it didn¡¯t recognize Kim Yong Min when seeing him for the first time. £ÛLet¡¯s do it all. Let¡¯s debut as an idol first.] ¡°What?¡± £ÛAre you going to rot this face? It¡¯s not a good time to debut as an actor. It¡¯s the time when those thate from child actors take the seat one by one1 Most probably mean thepetition is pretty fierce and will be hard to get a role. Because the production prefers former child actors because their acting is enough at least. It¡¯s also an ambiguous age to debut as an actor. Not really a child but also not really an adult. .] Kim Yong Min was just getting a sergeant rank2About to or just finished the military service, I think. at this time, so he didn¡¯t know how the entertainment industry was going. Come to think of it, what happened to Kim Yong Min in this era? Will Choi Ian¡¯s soul go there? £ÛDon¡¯t think about anything else. What do you want to do?] Click-click. Jin pressed the shutter to wake Ian, who was gradually lost in thought. ¡°At that, aren¡¯t there also a lot of idolsing out?¡± £ÛThat¡¯s true, but there¡¯s a suitable group when I think about it. Besides those from idols also get roles well. Especially in dramas.] People used to be busy taking down idol-turned-actor in the past, but the perception is gradually changing. Some people had good skills even if they came from idols. As the OTT3 Over The Top. Those streaming service tforms like Netflix or KakaoTV in Korea. market became more active, viewership fell overall. But in some cases, idols were often cast to attract fandom viewership. As the result, even those who were aspiring actors also make their debut as idol first. ¡°Who¡¯s that right group?¡± £ÛDo you know a group called AWY?] ¡°Awy? I think I¡¯ve heard of it somewhere?¡± £ÛThey¡¯re in good hands with their agency. The kids are polite and nice, not like kids these days. After a few years, they lost the momentum, but most idols are like that.] ¡°So?¡± £ÛTheir poprity in Korea is just a dinky, you know? They almost like a mangdol seriously, but their poprity overseas is really good. They also must have sold 150,000 album copies. It¡¯s a bit of a w that there¡¯s a lot of froaches out there, but there will be fewer rubbish sasaengs and bad kids, right?] Froaches is abination of foreigner fans and cockroaches, which refers to overseas fans with no culture.4(g) Froaches. My own made-up word. The original is ?? (wi.kwi), but it just didn¡¯t flow well in the sentence. E.g. those who bombard thement with ¡°eng plz¡±. It didn¡¯t matter because the fans¡¯ atmosphere was thepany¡¯s concern and not of the singer¡¯s. Ian liked that it was less close to sasaeng. He was not an idol who was well known enough to have sasaengs, but it was shocking to hear that from some acquaintances. Like installing a tracker and chasing the car or buying a house right next to the dorm and breaking in by pretending to be a delivery man then taking pictures. Later, when they turned around, they hand over the photos to reporters. ¡°That¡¯s quite good.¡± £ÛAnd no matter how well I set the n, there is no guarantee that you will seed. Especially idols, you¡¯ll be fine even if you do it moderately. If you think it¡¯s going to fail, you can turn into an actor. Think idol as insurance.] Think of it as insurance¡­ Ian frowned reflexively at the words. It didn¡¯t sound good. £ÛAnd one person suddenly left thepany before their debut, so there¡¯s an empty seat. Debut around next year. You¡¯ll pass even if you just go and breathe, so hurry up.] ¡°Good.¡± I should stop thinking. There¡¯s a long way to go. Ian leaped to his feet. *** Ian left the hotel wearing simple cks and a white T-shirt. Whether the family was also well off, all of his clothes were luxury goods. He really likes the body and the family. He stopped by a nearby musical instrument store and bought an acoustic guitar. £ÛWhy guitar?] ¡®No matter how dependent on the face, I still have to show my skills. You said it¡¯ll debut next year. So, I have to do it right.¡¯ £ÛOh~ Indeed, that would be better. Because you were also pretty good in your previous life.] It was fortunate that Jin could hear him even if he spoke in his heart. Otherwise, he would have been posted on SNS as a handsome man talking to himself on the street. Ian simply loosened his throat and turned on his smartphone. Speaking of SNS, he remembered something. Ian looked into all the apps on his phone as he was heading to Apgujeong in a taxi. £ÛWhat are you doing?] ¡®SNS check.¡¯ £ÛOh~ As expected from someone who had gone to an audition program. I didn¡¯t even think about it.] After flicking through the list of apps a few times, he found one. Mystargram. Please. Alcohol, cigarettes, drugs. Absolutely no. Obscene gifs? Seriously no. Sexual jokes abuse, absolutely totally no. Ian pressed the feed with the feeling of scared to death. Someone would have captured it for a face like this, so he had to be careful. ¡®Phew¡­ Fortunately.¡¯ There were only 32 posts. Thetest feed was a photo of a ticket to Korea. Trip to Korea. Perhaps it¡¯s the body¡¯s memory, he also read English well. When he read it to the end, he would have traveled to Korea, stop by Japan, and returned to America. He lived such a fabulous ordinary person¡¯s life, but not anymore. Ian thought he should also cancel his ticket to Japan. Most of them were photos of him working out and bed selfies that he took because he was bored. Also, photos of the pet cat raised at home. It was said the right mind resided in the right face and it was really clean so it did not be gossips. However. The soul of Kim Yong Min, an attention seeker who wanted to show off his handsome face, thought that he could talk nonsense so he had to strictly crack down on it. ¡®Good, nothing found. Now I have to delete the ount.¡¯ £ÛWait! Don¡¯t delete it!] ¡®Why?¡¯ £ÛSome can be used for boyfriend memes. This will also be a sales pointter. Kya. Especially, look at this beach photo. It¡¯s amazing, really.] It was a photo of him wearing a swimsuit without his top and holding a surfboard. It was a photo that he couldn¡¯t help but understand by itself. £ÛDeleting this is a real loss to the nation. We¡¯re done with the ideological verification, so leave it alone.] Ian nodded unconsciously. * * * Ian, who got off at Apgujeong Rodeo Station5Apgujeong is a ward of Gangnam. The main shopping area and tourism destinations are around Apgujeong Rodeo Station. It¡¯s an upscale and trendsetter ce. Plus, there are many entertainment agencies in Apgujeong and Cheongdam nearby. Such a trendy ce is a perfect hunting ground for street casting. , looked around. ¡®I came here on a whim, but is it okay?¡¯ £ÛIt¡¯s okay. Isn¡¯t it lunchtime now? It¡¯s perfect.] Wondering what¡¯s with lunchtime, Ian received a business card from an agency employee who came out for lunch as soon as he took a few steps. Is this the life of a face genius? He showed Jin the business card but said that was not the agency it was looking for. £ÛIe here on a whim to audition! It¡¯s too unnatural to do that. You should naturally aim for street casting.] ¡®But I mean. Is there any chance of getting a business card from the agency we¡¯re looking for? Isn¡¯t this more unnatural?¡¯ £ÛNo, trust me. It¡¯s 100%. Especially if it¡¯s your face, it¡¯s a 120%.] ¡°Please contact me if you have any thoughts.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Got a business card again. Management Leaf. It was an actor¡¯s agency this time. Wow, this is where I wanted to go. Everyone passing by stole a nce at him. Two young women passed by him and whispered, ¡®Hey, saw him? Awesome¡¯. Ian cringed even though he felt great with the gaze and interest he tasted for the first time. Even when he was an entertainer, he didn¡¯t get this kind of gaze. £ÛHey. Straighten your shoulders. Are you guilty?] ¡°Wa¡­ Wait a minute!¡± Someone caught Ian. Seeing him gasping, he seemed to have run from the opposite road. Jin repeatedly clicked. £ÛOh, here it is. Him. It¡¯s him.] ¡®How do you know that?¡¯ £ÛI took a pic of the employee ID. He¡¯s right from there.] ¡°Yeah?¡± He can¡¯t believe this method really works. It was absurd and funny, so Ian replied with a big smile. The man became nk by that smile, looked at Ian, and was startled. He said gibberish and held out a folded business card in his pocket. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not a suspicious person.¡± As if he felt the crumpled business card look poor, he opened the business card with both hands. nning Team Park Ju Min, BHL Entertainment. It¡¯s apany that reminded him of a chicken franchise.6There is ¡®bhc Chicken¡¯ in Korea. ¡°Do you know idol ck Rush? It¡¯s their agency.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ck Rush. An idol Ian also knows well. Has solid domestic fandom and is popr overseas as well. One of them seeds in artistic side, in particr, their leader seeds as a producer. As Ian nodded, the man¡¯splexion became brighter. ¡°By any chance, are you thinking of bing an idol?¡± Of course, I am. But should I try to y hard to get? Ian said ¡®Well¡­¡¯, blurring the end of his sentence. ¡°Tha¡­ That, you had a guitar on your back¡­ Are you going to perform?¡± Is he perhaps someone who has already debuted? Park Ju Min was worried. Ian was taken aback for a moment but soon spoke calmly. ¡°Oh, this¡­ It is a bucket list. I am going to busking.¡± £ÛSuch good quick thinking.] ¡°Then how about you add seeing an agency audition to the bucket list?¡± £ÛOh~ This side also has good quick thinking.] Jin shook the popcorn bin he brought from somewhere. There were thin arms that came out from the camera. Wait, where did thate from? When Ian frowned at that bizarre appearance, Park Ju Min was surprised. ¡°Ah. I am sure you have seen it a lot, but still¡­¡± ¡°Can I see it now? Audition.¡± ¡°Th¡­ Thank you!¡±
Like this: Chapter 4 Chapter 4 eptance Contract Given to Him.Unedited Chapter This chapter hasn¡¯t been properly edited by Editor/Proofreader, so I¡¯m sorry in advance for any mistakes. This will be updatedter! BHL Entertainment upied an entire building. First of all, Ian liked that they had capital power. ¡°Hello.¡± Image management is important. Ian greeted everyone from the moment he entered the agency building. ¡°Wow, did you see that?¡± ¡°Awesome, I thought there was some kind of walking light.¡± ¡°Ju Min ssi really strike it big.¡± BHL Entertainment employees, who were returning from lunch, opened their mouths wide at the sight of Ian brought by Park Ju Min. Park Ju Min puffed up for no reason at those responses. It was a shocking appearance even just from across the road, so it was natural. The female employees rushed when Ian entered the conference room. They scrambled to and from each other saying ¡®I¡¯m going in¡¯. The reason is that he has to write down simple personal information before auditioning. And of course, the documents had to be brought by an employee. ¡°What¡¯s all this fuss about? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Heok, Director! It is a jackpot!¡± ¡°Ju Min ssi did a street casting and brought him here. It¡¯s really dope!¡± The passing by Seo Su Ryeon, a director of BHL Entertainment, joined them in front of the conference room. She couldn¡¯t figure out the features with opaque sheets, but she liked that he has white skin for now. ¡°Is he that amazing?¡± ¡°His face is incredible!¡± ¡°I saw a halo at that moment.¡± ¡°He¡¯s just a celebrity, a celebrity.¡± Is it enough for the employees to unbuckle and run like this? Who is it did he bring. While Seo Su Ryeon was wondering. Park Ju Min, who had just printed and brought the documents, triumphantly walked through them. Anyone who saw it might think that he scored a goal in a match between Korea and Japan. ¡°Would you also want toe in with me, Director?¡± ¡°So you are confident, Ju Min ssi? Finally, Ju Min ssi will shine too?¡± ¡°Because I found an epic gem.¡± ¡°Is that so? Can Ie in too?¡± Park Ju Min has been the youngest of the nning Team for 3 years.1 The youngest in here also refers to the lowest in ranking. Because in Korea¡¯s corporate system, seniority and rank are directly proportional except in some cases. He had brought some fine trainees since joining thepany, but they flew to other agencies a few monthster. They were tempted by other agencies. In short, he did all the work and someone else got the result. Since then, Park Ju Min has been doing what he was told to do without any motivation. It¡¯s been a long time since his confident attitude. ¡°You¡¯ve been waiting long, right? Can you fill out the documents before the audition?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± And Seo Su Ryeon, who followed Park Ju Min, hardened like a stone statue on the spot. She saw the light. Epic gem? Approve. A very golden approvement. * * * £ÛThe soundproofing isn¡¯t good.] ¡®I know.¡¯ Ian smirked. The employees¡¯ fuss was loud. ¡®By the way, the woman who was about toe in seems didn¡¯t like me.¡¯ £ÛI don¡¯t think so.] Seo Su Ryeon, who was about to follow Park Ju Min, hardened briefly on the spot then suddenly ran out of the conference room. £ÛShe just said ¡®CEO is above, right?¡¯.] ¡®What, can you do wiretap?¡¯ £ÛHuh. I can record it if you want.] It is a very scary camera. Ian wrote down all his personal information and leaned against the backrest. It seems she liked it enough to summon the CEO. It may not be understandable to be anxious with this face, but sometimes those with striking appearance were released from the debut group to paint the overall picture of the group. 2 About the visual bnce. It will be just a thorn in the eyes. Although those kids came in because they wanted to be idols, people said ¡®You look like an actor.¡¯ and gently blow air around. And most of the time, they tended to fall to that temptation. Ian warmed up his throat. Ah- aah, this body has a wide vocal range. As he went up to the high notes smoothly, his inborn vocal cords also seem to be good. What kind of a damn cheat body is this that has everything. Maybe it really was born to ask to be an idol. Perhaps thetent luck in Kim Yong Min¡¯s soul was well applied to Choi Ian¡¯s body as he returned to his original body. ¡®So, how¡¯s it now?¡¯ £ÛThey said they can write a contract right away without auditioning?] ¡®I don¡¯t quite like that¡­¡¯ £ÛAnyway, the CEO said ¡®Let¡¯s still have an audition.¡¯. Oh, going down. They¡¯re putting chairs in the practice room.] This camera has bizarre hands and also capable of multitasking. There are still some doubtful aspects, but he thought it was good the Grim Reaper gave a helper. It¡¯s a little tough, but it¡¯s fortunate since it¡¯s on my side, right? Ian closed his eyes and thought about what to sing until the employee came. ¡°You can audition now, right? Can you please follow me?¡± Ian opened his eyes. *** ¡°You said he¡¯s that handsome?¡± ¡°Yes, because he is. CEO Lee, you have to get the contract out right away. You will regret it if you miss it.¡± Lee Byung Hun, CEO of BHL Entertainment, swept his chin at Seo Su Ryeon¡¯s fuss. It was rough because he didn¡¯t shave. Hispany was preparing for the next boy group following ck Rush. He has been preparing really ambitiously for a few years and had mobilized all thepany¡¯s manpower. The next group is a 7-member group and only selected the best out of more than 30 trainees who received auditions periodically. £ÛExclusive] ¡®ck Rush¡¯ Younger Brother Group Is Coming¡­ ¡®BHL-BOYS¡¯ Revealed After thepany¡¯s training, set next year as the debut due date, distributed articles to the media, and debut initiation was on the way. There was a problem with the n that was supposed to lead to a solid foundation. One trainee came to thepany with his parents and notified his resignation! ¡®Our Young Jun is sick, so please cancel his trainee contract.¡¯ ¡®Mother, you know that our kids are about to debut soon. Young Jun is the main vocalist.¡¯ ¡®Enough, please cancel it.¡¯ They said it was a health problem and even took out a medical certificate, so as the CEO, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and terminate the contract. However, he had an estimation from a nce as a CEO who is well aware of this floor. Kim Young Jun transferred to anotherpany under the table. It was also a big agency that could make him let go of an immediate debut. ¡®Did you hear? That Young Jun went to MJ Entertainment?¡¯ ¡®There is industry reputation, but how could they steal a kid from debut group?¡¯ ¡®Do the kids know this news? It¡¯s no good if they know¡­¡¯ It was the situation when songs had been received to some extent and the choreographer also had been hired in advance, but one person suddenly left. Besides, although that trainee was not of the main vocalist grade, he was skilled second only to a main. Back to now, the main vocalist with a great face was not somon even if you hastily selected someone for an audition. However, to give up the 7-member group and make a debut as a 6-member group, even numbers are not good considering the choreography. Because one person will be buried or the shape is not symmetrical. After thinking about it for a long time, a person who made thepany in a fuss appeared. * * * An improvised audition hall with portable chairs was set up in the practice room. Perhaps rumors had spread about the new warrior, so almost everyone was gathered except for the employees who were away. Employees who could not sit on the chairs sat on the floor plopped down on the floor. Wow, this much? CEO Lee just skimmed through the personal information that Park Ju Min had copied in anticipation and nervousness. It was such an urgent document, so of course, there was no identification photo. ¡°I am sorry. It is a trainee audition since a while. So, there will be a lot of employees.¡± ¡°It is okay. It would be nice to have a lot of people watching.¡± The conversation with the employee who opened the door hastily was heard. First, his voice is good. CEO Lee, who raised his head, gasped and swallowed his breath before maintaining his poker face. If it is that visual, it is eptable even if he is clumsy on stage. Oh my god, where in the world did you get that guy from. Was it nning Team¡¯s Park Ju Min? I¡¯ll give him a lot of incentivester. He coughed in vain, trying to hide the corners of his lips that were about to rise. ¡°There are¡­ so many.¡± Wow, he is handsome even with a troubled smile. CEO Lee red at the employees around him. If you bend over from the beginning, the kid¡¯s manner will get worse. No. If it¡¯s that face, it¡¯s okay to have a bit bad manner. CEO Lee¡¯s heart fluctuated. On the other hand, Ian was a little nervous. It was the first time in his long audition life that all employees came out to watch. Ian put the guitar on his back to the front. Because first impressions are important. He lowered his upper body to 90 degrees. ¡°Hello. My name is Choi Ian, 17 years old. Please take good care of me.¡± The employees cheered and apuded regardless of the CEO¡¯s attention. The CEO did not appear to be authoritative. Regardless of the ranks, the atmosphere was warm and the feeling was very good. Jin who was floating beside said ¡®Am I right? It¡¯s a goodpany¡¯ with a shrug. ¡°Hm hm¡­ I saw you brought a guitar, so you must have prepared a song? Can you y it for us?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to be nervous. Take it easy.¡± Wow, he doesn¡¯t speak informally3It¡¯s hard to convey this in English, but the CEO talks with a friendly yet respectful speech. Characterized by -yo endings. . Choi Ian, who used to live in a smallpany, gradually liked thispany. It ismon to bluff and speaks informally at first meet just because they are CEO, although they are from nothing to seepanies that have nothing. This CEO did not put airs as the CEO and spoke politely. He wondered if this was due to Ian¡¯s overwhelming face. ¡°Then I will get started.¡± Ian cleared his throat and put his hand on the guitar. It was a song by a male singer who became an American teen star. It was an attractive song that started with a low note at first but struck a high note at the ending part. ¡°¡­ Oh my gosh.¡± As soon as they heard the first verse, the eyes of the CEO, the Director, and other employees became hazy. His voice is¡­ so good. The serene low notes and the asional scratching of the vocal cords¡¯ voice matched the song well even though it was not rock music. At thest neatly rising high notes, they almost gave a standing ovation. Oh my gosh, he also sings well with that face. A female employee let out an exmation. As the sun was setting, Ian left BHL Entertainment with a grin. What happened to the audition? The eptance contract given to him informed the oue. * * * ¡°Such a pity. Such a bummer. Shall I grab him right now and change the contract?¡± ¡°Ei. That is not cool.¡± Seo Su Ryeon dissuaded CEO Lee¡¯s assertion that he should go immediately and change it to an artist contract instead of a trainee contract. ¡°Still, I hope he can contact us soon.¡± ¡°I know, yeah.¡± CEO Lee and Seo Su Ryeon came out to the hallway and wished eagerly. It was truly a gem not to be missed. Thank you for your hard work! Energetic voices were heard from a practice room next door. Trainees from BHL Entertainment, who were practicing dance, were leaving the practice room. ¡°Guys, stir-fried pork for today. Call?¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m bored of stir-fried pork¡­ How about pork cutlet?¡± ¡°Pork cutlet call!¡± ¡°Uh? Hello!¡± ¡°Hello CEO Lee!¡±4 It¡¯s not sounds nice in English. ¡°Annyeonghaseyo Daepyonim!¡± Sounds better, but hard to read. I want to change all the ¡®hello¡¯ to ¡®annyeonghaseyo¡¯ but it¡¯s too much, right? Trainees, who were wiping sweat with towels, greeted the employees loudly. Right, I thoroughly trained them in greetings. CEO Lee, who was somewhat pleased, nodded. ¡°Do you guys just see CEO Lee and don¡¯t see me?¡± ¡°Hello, Director Seo!¡± Seo Su Ryeon said with a snicker. It was a joke, not a harsh tone. ¡°Who just came? It was busy.¡± ¡°Huh, someone just auditioned. All the employees came in, you know.¡± ¡°Really? So, there must be something.¡± ¡°It was a total jackpot. I wish he could sign the contract right away. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°But I still have a good feeling. I think he will sign the contract.¡± One trainee retorted soullessly. ¡°What contract¡­ It would be nice if he won¡¯t resign.¡± He is the future¡¯s AWY member, who began his trainee career at the age of 8, went through 3 failed debuts, and moved back-and-forth between agencies.
AmaliaJ¡¯s Note Next chapter! Meet the members~!!! Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Our Concept Is Perfect Group Dance.Grade B Trantion: Manually edited MTL. Tranted and interpreted as best as I can. Mixed with some Korean terms. Misinterpretation may ur due to limitedprehensive ability. Awkward English, bad grammar, and typos may often ur as Trantor is not fluent in English and not edited by Editor nor proofed by Proofreader. Trainees of BHL Entertainment, who were stretching in the practice room, brought a bag of snacks that they had hidden somewhere one by one. ¡°So, when will that rumored traineee?¡± It was two weeks after Ian auditioned. ¡°I heard it¡¯s taking some time because of visa issues.¡± ¡°Was he a foreigner? Not Chinese, right? ¡°Probably not Chinese. You know that CEO Lee hates dulgi, right.¡± Since 2nd Generation idols, it is popr for agencies that experienced the firepower of Chinese fandom to have Chinese members one by one. However, when they made their debut and gain some poprity, they set up their own studio in China, sent proof of contents to a Korean agency, and then fled to their own country. It waster called dulgi because it ¡®flew like a pigeon¡¯.1 ???(bi.dul.gi) means pigeon. Since then, the idol field has ridiculed and called Chinese members=dulgi and dulgi is science. Nheless, agencies could not abandon Chinese members. That¡¯s because the records sales between them joining the group and not were too different. Furthermore, theyter also debuted members of Chinese, Taiwanese, and Hong Kong nationalities in one group. Seriously, it could be said that it was the K-Pop idol version of chaos. ¡°Young Jun-i¡­ I heard he¡¯s going to be on ¡®Project Idol¡¯.¡± And even among the BHL trainees, there was such a thing like dulgi. It was Kim Young Jun, a traitor who flew to MJ Entertainment. The hands of the trainees, who were happily opening the snack bags, stopped at the same time as if they had matched sum before. When they should have shown their faces as BHL-BOYS through Y-app and MyTube after their debut was confirmed. Kim Young Jun went out and everything stopped. As the n was pushed back, their debut was also postponed. ¡°Ah hyung! Why are you talking about ¡®that jerk who must not be named¡¯. Tactlessly. Do you think rapper should be tactless like that?¡± Said Jo Tae Woong jokingly at the cold atmosphere. Jo Tae Woong, 17. Lead vocal. Although he had a very meddlesome personality, he¡¯s so gentle and easy-going. He is from a child actor. ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m a bit tactless.¡± And Park Jin Hyuk, 18. Rapper. He was so tactless that he is called tactfool2Isn¡¯t that a good one? It¡¯s actually ??(nun.se) from ?? ?? ??(nun.chi eob.neun sae.kki) that means bastard without tact. . He opened the bag of potato chips bashfully. Probably because he opened it too hard, the potato chips flew in the air. In addition, Park Jin Hyuk was a mood-killer artisan. ¡°Ei what a waste.¡± ¡°Hey, pick it and eat it all.¡± The trainees booed. ¡°So what. By the way. Even though he moved to MJ Ent., is he still going to an audition program? Wasn¡¯t it arge agency?¡± Said Lee Joo Hyuk who would be the next group¡¯s leader. 19. Rapper and a producing capable member who writes andposes songs. Among them, he was called Buddha. As such, he was the spiritual support of the trainees. ¡°There must have been a back work. It was said they couldn¡¯t find casts so the broadcaster offers preferential treatment and asking for trainees.¡± ¡°Did contact alsoe to us?¡± ¡°I think so? But if CEO Leees out like that, the fandom will be in riotiningter.¡± Replied Kim Ju Young. Kim Ju Young, 17. Main dancer. Winner of various dancepetitions. ¡°If I was sent to the audition program, I¡¯ll leave thepany.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Hyung deserves that.¡± The person who gritted his teeth at the words of ¡®audition program¡¯ is Kim Hyun, 18. Main dancer. He stood out as a dance prodigy in the program ¡®King Star¡¯ and had been a trainee since he was 8 years old. Then he appeared on a program called ¡®K-Star¡¯ and YANG Entertainment¡¯s debut survival program. He failed to debut 3 times in 3 audition programs alone. ¡°I hope that hyung doesn¡¯t do well. If Project Idol failed. Screw up Kim Young Jun.¡± The person who was rubbing his hands was Park Seo Dam, 16. Lead vocal and maknae. Unfortunately, Kim Young Jun will debut at 11th ce in ¡®Project Idol¡¯. The program will also be extremely popr. And Ian was watching this whole thing through Jin. While showing the screen, Jin pointed who is this who is that. What happens to himter is¡­ It was spraying TMI all over. ¡®Come to think of it. What did you before that you know them well? Were you an employee here?¡¯ £ÛUh? Hey¡­ I was actually their homma. It¡¯s a dark history¡­] Homma3(g) International fans will more familiar with the term fansite master. , homepage master. They follow celebrities¡¯ schedules and take pictures or videos. Of course, they also made and sold photo books, calendars, and DVDs. It¡¯s like unofficial goods. No wonder the smell of seasoned stan came out. *** After submitting the signed trainee contract to thepany, Ian headed to America for visa issues and time with his family. Ian¡¯s parents were surprised that Ian had signed the contract right away, but they were not angry. They sighed, saying that it was not a disadvantageous contract when Ian showed them the contract he brought. ¡°Still, you should have called us in advance.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be hard?¡± With Ian¡¯s insistence, they eventually signed the legal guardian section. But they did not stop worrying. Perhaps because they raised Ian without problems, eventually they spared no effort to support him no matter what he did. ¡°I heard that there are many paparazzi in Korea too, so your life may disappear and you may get tired.¡± However, they recited the risks of bing a celebrity step by step, saying that you should know although it¡¯s your choice. Ian¡¯s parents worked for argew firm that was also famous in the United States. Among their clients, there were Hollywood stars. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind even with that. Then give it a try.¡± ¡°If you can¡¯t stand it,e home anytime, okay?¡± And they didn¡¯t spare any support. Perhaps because he inherited Ian¡¯s memory, it was not difficult to deal with his family. Suddenly, Ian remembered his family when he was Kim Yong Min. What happened to the current Kim Yong Min? As soon as he thought of it, he heard a mechanical sound chijik- chijijik- from Jin. £ÛThere is a new message. Would you like to check?] ¡®Eh? What¡¯s this?¡¯ £ÛAfter 3 seconds, it will be automatically confirmed.] A blue light flickered from Jin¡¯s camera. £ÛKim Yong Min¡¯s body was filled with the original soul. It is the soul that was in ¡®Choi Ian¡¯. Choi Ian¡¯s memory will be deleted and live as Kim Yong Min.] It was the voice of the Grim Reaper who sent him back. £ÛIt is a secret that I left a message on this body. And one more thing, it would be better not to get affected.] ¡®Affected? What I shouldn¡¯t be affected by?¡¯ £ÛThen that¡¯s it.] ¡®Excuse me? Isn¡¯t the subject missing? Grim Reaper nim? Hey!¡¯ The blue light surrounding the camera disappeared into the air. Beep beep- Focusing for a couple of times. Jin came to their senses. £ÛWhat? Did you call me?] ¡®¡­no but?¡¯ What on earth should I not be affected by? Ian took pictures from time to time while solving problems about life in Korea, visa, and school with the help of his parents. The best ones among them were often posted on MyStargram. The sales points should be taken care of well, of course. He will practice singing and dancing all day long when he entered thepany, so he focused on rxing his mind. And Ian came to Korea. While Ian was spying on his future members through Jin, thepany employees secretly looked at Ian. ¡°He is holding the contract in hand, right?¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s right. Wow, so it¡¯s confirmed then?¡± He really dide! That face genius is our idol! As Ian nced at them, the meerkats that only stick out their heads disappeared behind the partition. Where did the enthusiasm that kept their seats despite the attention of the CEO and the director during the audition go. It waspletely about to shout ¡®He saw me!¡¯. It was momentum to shout out ¡®cult leader¡¯. ¡°Just in time when the kids are in the practice room. So, let¡¯s go and say hello.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t your face has gotten better since then?¡± Director Seo Su Ryeon, who was in charge of Ian¡¯s guidance,ughed out loud. Ianughed haha. Maybe it¡¯s because he had delicious home meals and healed by the pet cat. They headed to the practice room in the basement. As expected, many things were equipped as apany with strong capital. Seo Su Ryeon brought Ian with her and proudly informed him that there were 3 dance practice rooms and 5 songwriting-vocal practice rooms. ¡°I¡¯m embarrassed to say it myself, but all the kids are nice. It won¡¯t be hard to adapt.¡± Seo Su Ryeon knocked on the door of the practice room. Ian breathed a deep breath. Even though he knew the information of the children who would be members, he couldn¡¯t help but be nervous. They are members who will be together for 5 years at the shortest and 10 years at the longest. ¡°Guys! I told you not to eat snacks in the practice room!¡± ¡°Sorry, ma¡¯am!¡± The trainees hurriedly removed the snack bags. It was a sight he had only seen through Jin just before. ¡°Finally, thest trainee you and we also have been waiting for is here.¡± You already put too much pressure from the beginning. Ian greeted with an awkward smile as if in trouble. ¡°My name is Choi Ian, 17 years old. Please take good care of me.¡± ¡°His face is no joke, isn¡¯t it?¡± Seo Su Ryeon grinned. The children, who were only looking at the ground in case they were scolded for bringing in snacks, raised their heads and looked at Ian. They hardened as if the pause was pressed on a video. Jo Tae Woong opened his mouth with his chin pulled out. ¡°Wow¡­¡± ¡°Crazy.¡± ¡°So damned handsome¡­¡± ¡°Young Jun jerk did a good job going out.¡± Thest words was Lee Joo Hyuk, who previously said although Kim Young Jun resigned ¡®Let¡¯s still cheer for him¡¯. There was no practice today. It was the agency¡¯s consideration to be friends with the existing trainees who had been working together for several years. When ites to getting to know each other, eating together is essential. Ian used the mother¡¯s card4 Moms often give their children some allowance to buy foods with friends. And since Korea often use card as payment, this thing is amon urrence. chance. The children, who said how could they receive meals at first meet, were devouring pork ribs. ¡°But can we order this much?¡± ¡°Yes, eat a lot. I can only use my mother¡¯s card until today.¡± Of course, he didn¡¯t forget to lie so that it would not be burdensome. Jo Tae Woong took selfies of himself and other children even while devouring meat. Of course, Ian was also photographed. ¡°We have to take a lot of pictures when we were trainees. Something like boyfriend pics.¡± Look at this. There¡¯s also a kid like Jin. As expected, a former child actor was different. But isn¡¯t it too much to say that mukbang at a meat restaurant is a boyfriend pic? Whether it was the effect of meat, the children generously unraveled things about thepany and themselves one after another while eating cold noodles for dessert. Ian also responded in moderation. ¡°Main vocal?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what Director Seo said earlier. Be the main vocal.¡± ¡°Wow. To think this face is a main vocal, total cheat.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m not confident in dancing. I did exercise, but that¡¯s different from dancing.¡± Since Ian was confirmed as the main vocal, there was no problem with the song. The problem was dancing. In the past of Diamond era, Kim Yong Min¡¯s position was main vocalist, not a dance-specialized member. He was at the level of following well a just so so choreography. So, he was often in charge of inner5 A position where it¡¯s sometimes hidden. positions in choreography formations. Although he danced in P.I., Project Idol, his grade was C. It was said it was grade C since the vocal was good. As P.I.¡¯s episode progressed, his dance skills did not improve. It was often heard in themunity why this klutzy was ranked at the top when he did not promote wellpared to other trainees. After hearing that, the main dancer Kim Hyun stopped using chopsticks. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a little dangerous.¡± ¡°Why is it, hyung?¡± ¡°Our concept is perfect group dance6???(kal.gun.mu) ¡®Sharp-like-knife group dance¡¯. A very well tuned or synchronized group dance. The movements are precisely matched without any deviation as if they were measured with a ruler. , you know.¡± £ÛOuch¡­ Can you do it?] Jin giggled and wandered around crazily as if it had taken a drug. Perfect group dance, huh¡­ Haha. I¡¯m screwed.
AmaliaJ¡¯s Note Have you decided on your bias? (????-)? In the future, we will meet quite a lot of characters. So! Characters List is now also avable for this novel! (?^¥î^)?*:??? You can go to ToC page and find the button for it~ Oh, I appreciate it if you can disable your adblocker or even donate to keep this site going!! Chapter 6 Chapter 6 Won¡¯t Our Debut Be Dyed Again?Grade B Trantion: Manually edited MTL. Tranted and interpreted as best as I can. Mixed with some Korean terms. Misinterpretation may ur due to limitedprehensive ability. Awkward English, bad grammar, and typos may often ur as Trantor is not fluent in English and not edited by Editor nor proofed by Proofreader. ¡°How¡¯s it?¡± At Lee Joo Hyuk¡¯s nod, Kim Hyun took a cutlery holder and answered. ¡°Perhaps since he yed American football, he used his body well. He also follows the choreography well.¡± ¡°It¡¯s refuted quickly earlier, tho.¡± ¡°I guess it¡¯s because he¡¯s in a hurry to follow the choreography. For that, he has to keep trying to match the sum.¡± It was Kim Hyun and Kim Ju Young. They, who have been called dance prodigies since they were young, were attached to Ian and taught him to dance during private practice time without lessons since they are in charge of dance in the team. Lee Joo Hyuk pulled out tissues and set them on the table. Kim Hyun grabbed a handful of spoons and Park Jin Hyuk grabbed a handful of chopsticks. The job that maknae always did when Kim Yong Min was working as Diamond, in here was ¡®Kids stay still, we¡¯ll do it¡¯. Even though the age gap is not that much, but they had unnecessarily good personalities. ¡°Can you please talk about that while I¡¯m not present?¡± Ian groaned while pouring water into the ss. He didn¡¯t think the muscle pain would go away. Maybe because he stopped doing exercise that he always did in America, his body line became slimmer than before. It was the end of December ahead of the New Year, almost two months after Ian came to thepany. Joining the final 7-member debut group does not mean that the trainee evaluation will disappear. On the contrary, it became tighter. Ian, who was still weak in dancing, only sang in the first month¡¯s monthly evaluation. But there was no mercy from the second month. He had to get a dance evaluation in sync with the trainees right away. ¡°Agh, don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Nopey? Gonna do it?¡± ¡°Ian hyung please understands. That hyung iscking intelligent than me.¡± Jo Tae Woong is bothering me again. He poked Ian¡¯s forearm and teased him. Ian¡¯s whole body was tingling with muscle pain, but it tasted even more like death when Jo Tae Woong teased him from beside. Park Seo Dam took the restaurant¡¯s remote control and quickly switched the channels. ¡°That¡­¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°I am such a person.¡± The woman blushed and approached Ian. Again? What¡¯s it this time? From where? The children whispered together. ¡°Ah, I am sorry. I already have an agency.¡± ¡°I think you are still a trainee, though¡­ Please contact if you have any thoughts.¡± The woman pushed her business card into the table and quickly left. Perhaps because it was pushed too deep, the business card almost settled in the middle of the table. It was as if she had proposed to all the trainees. The woman¡¯s behavior was rude. It could have been taken as an unreasonable act of robbing another agency¡¯s trainees. Didn¡¯t other trainees even suffer from a defector named Kim Young Jun. In this strange atmosphere, Jo Tae Woong made a huuh~ as a reaction. ¡°The business card is right in the middle. So, besides Choi Ian she also casting us right now, right?¡± ¡°Ah hyung. Where¡¯s your conscience?¡± ¡°In our Seo Dam¡¯s heart?¡± Ergh. Park Seo Dam pretended to throw up. Ian smiled awkwardly and threw away the business card into the trash bin ced on each table. Three business cards were already thrown in the trash. Maybe because there are a lot of people in the industry around here. Ian received an average of one business card a day. In some cases, they even persistently cling when it has already been given. ¡°It seems I have to tell CEO Lee to write a life contract for him fast.¡± ¡°We have to be nice to Ian. It would be a big deal if he got mad and moved to another agency.¡± Kim Hyun and Kim Ju Young said. A thing like life contract, such creepy words. ¡°Ah, Kim Ju Young. Do I look so disloyal?¡± ¡°It¡¯s sooo uncertain because your face is too handsome.¡± Said Kim Ju Young while staring at Ian. Those were words that likely to appear in a romance drama, so goosebumps grew on Ian¡¯s forearm. ¡°Spicy pork is here~ Auntie especially gave you a lot!¡± ¡°Thank you, Auntie!¡± ¡°Eat a lot, our handsome friend~¡± The sound of stir-fried spicy pork sizzling on a stone te was fantastic. The seven children were so engrossed in eating with their noses stuck in the bowls. ¡°She gives a lot of services because we go with Ian. Even though that auntie was very strict.¡± ¡°He also got macaron on the way, before. It¡¯s a tasting event. But they only gave it to that hyung.¡± ¡°What macaron? I super-duper like macaron, though!¡± Park Jin Hyuk coughed as if he was choked on something and drank water. Then he saw a familiar face on TV and he eximed without realizing it. ¡°Oh? It¡¯s Kim Young Jun.¡± ¡°Where?¡± It was the N-Net channel. Please choose your idol! Idol chosen by the people! Project Idol! 101 trainees were singing and dancing. Ah, it became tasteless. Ian frowned as he remembered his P.I days of suffering and disillusion. ¡°When¡¯s the first episode of that?¡± ¡°Already passed, maybe it was yesterday.¡± ¡°Be screwed.¡± ¡°Seo Dam-ah. Don¡¯t do that outside.¡± ¡°Then shall I do it inside?¡± Ian couldn¡¯t afford to pay attention to their conversation. After the song ended, he couldn¡¯t find one of the faces that decorate the ending. Still, there should be a cut that shown that he was from a disbanded idol. Kim Yong Min¡¯s name did not appear on the ranking table that came soon afterward. £ÛReally not there. Did he quit idol?] ¡®Is that so¡­¡¯ He couldn¡¯t help but worry about his former self although he was currently living Choi Ian¡¯s life. ¡°But if that goes well, won¡¯t our debut be dyed again?¡± ¡°Ehey,e on!¡± The children who heard that put down their chopsticks nervously. It was a taboo word among them to say that their debut would be dyed. As expected, it sounded like the mood-killer artisan Park Jin Hyuk. ***? ? But that truly happened! At the beginning of the new year 2017, the ratings of P.I which started modestly became ¡®skyrocket¡¯ from episode 3. This was because one team that wore a suit for the cover stage simply became a hot topic. And the fancam of Kang Joo Won, who willter be the 1st ce, was literally a jackpot. Not only that, the high-ss fandom who wanted to hold in check Kang Joo Won¡¯s rise in poprity started streaming fancams without sparing any number of devices. It was the beginning of the fancam war. After P.I, a bizarre record-obsessed idolmunity culture that cares about views and likes of other videos such as fancams, Y-app, etc will arise. And the emergency was the same for BHL Ent. Originally, the goal was to debut in April 2017 but P.I¡¯s debut group would also debut around that time coincidentally. P.I had taken over all the hot topic rankings. Existing entertainers picked their own trainees each and there were also small talks on variety shows. It was said that the advertising industry has already started working behind the scenes for the debut group of P.I. ¡°We got the wrong strategy in the first ce. What mysticism. They¡¯re not even ¡¯90s idols.¡± If it was a well-known mid-sized agency, some sasaengs were hanging around in front of thepany. People who used to stan ck Rush with love words gathered one by one at the news of BHL Ent¡¯s next group. The 7 trainees had to go in covered up every time they went to thepany to minimize exposure. Fortunately, it was winter. It was hard to imagine if it was summer. ¡°My sense tells that it seems Project Idol will be more popr.¡± CEO Lee Byung Hun had a good sense. Seo Su Ryeon sighed and put down the file she was looking at. If it is like this, they could have started their debut slowly. ¡°What do we do now?¡± ¡°Of course, we will make the debut. However. I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s not April.¡± It was a conclusion reached after a long meeting. CEO Lee made eye contact with each trainee and continued talking. ¡°Our n is for December.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± Jin also did not know the exact date of this group¡¯s debut. Ian, who thought it would have been dyed for a month or two, was also surprised. ¡°The momentum of Project Idol is not usual. Even if there is no inte in the dorm, you guys must have heard something among yourself, right?¡± Even though thispany was the first time for Choi Ian, the other trainees had personal connections or trainees with some friendly lines from the agencies they had gone through. ording to the rumors heard, some of the trainees they actually know well were living in P.I camp in Paju right now. ¡°If we debut with them, we¡¯ll bepletely buried. It¡¯s not just them. The trainees who came out from there will have a different recognition from us.¡± Ah, indeed. Besides the final 11-member group ¡®I-One¡¯, there was a group named ¡®JIO¡¯ which was made up of trainees with high topicality and born from the steady push by non-ranked trainees fans. They put advertisements near their respective agencies and even send fax mails. It was a group made from real fans¡¯ thoughts. The past Kim Yong Min was also able to join it in the early days of P.I. Of course, they were convinced that he was too oldter on. ¡°So, we¡¯re also going to raise awareness.¡± ¡°First, let¡¯s unhide your SNS. We are going to do some work on themunity1 The term forum probably more familiar. with those.¡± Trainee For The Next Boy Group From The Agency Of ¡®ck Rush¡¯. Currently Presumed BHL Ent Undisclosed Trainee. Crazily Handsome Trainee Who Currently Made Chaos Among Sasaengs. Etc. It will be uploaded under the title such as those. Even right now in P.I, fans confided the past photos of the trainees and each posted sales meme 2(g) Sales or business in here refer to activities of fans promoting their idols. Remember Monsta X¡¯s Hyungwon Starbucks meme!? People will ask who is it and then that¡¯s how idols get promoted. on themunity. In particr, the 1st ce Kang Joo Won¡¯s cat ear mukbang worked well even for muggles3(g) Those lowly beings who didn¡¯t know what is fangirling!! Uhm. Sorry. Those normalizens who don¡¯t know anything about idols. not just stan. ¡°We will spare no effort to support you in everything you do. First, we will keep the self-produced contents that we¡¯re filming right now of course. Just tell me whatever you want to do. We will push you hard.¡± Jo Tae Woong boldly raised his hand. ¡°Then, please put me in a drama.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°I also want to act.¡± Ian was also tagging along. CEO Lee looked at Ian with interest. With Ian¡¯s face, whatever is good4 A ng used here. ¡®?? ??is??¡¯, Ian¡¯s face is whatever. The original is ¡®? is ??¡¯, you are whatever. ¡®? is ??¡¯ is Mamamoo¡¯s song ¡®You¡¯re the best¡¯ which actually means whatever you do is good. The ¡®you¡¯ in here can be changed to other words. . Anyway, the kid who looks like an actor is willing to act voluntarily. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll also appoint an acting teacher for Tae Woong and Ian.¡± Ian sang joy inwardly. It was because he could act faster than he thought. His body was itching because he wanted to act quickly. Lee Joo Hyuk also raised his hand. ¡°We are also thinking about if we should go busking, so how is it? It¡¯s like every Friday or Saturday in Hongdae.¡± ¡°Leave the device and location to the nning Team. Shall we upload each video of weekly busking if it¡¯s like this?¡± ¡°Sounds good.¡± Assistant Manager Park Ju Min, who was promoted as he brought Ian, took a note enthusiastically. Kim Ju Young, who had only paid attention, also slowly raised his hand. ¡°Can I and Hyun-i hyung go to the dance studio of a hyung we know and take a video?¡± ¡°Why there?¡± ¡°We can catch the viewers of YouTube. They have over 10 million subscribers.¡± Ten million! CEO Lee gave hearty consent. The ban on outside activities was also coolly lifted. ¡°December is confirmed! There¡¯s really no turning back! We won¡¯t let you guys rot in the jewelry box like Mr. Someone. I hope you will trust and follow me.¡± ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± Kim Hyun barely responded as if he was relieved. CEO Lee patted Kim Hyun¡¯s shoulders. Kim Hyun was said to have been brought by CEO Lee himself after unfortunately fell from YANG Ent survival program and being released as if he had been thrown away. Well, he had been through 3 debut failures. There must have been a lot of nervousness and dissatisfaction with the continuous backlog of the n. ¡°But is there a reason it must be December?¡±? Kim Hyun was still not convinced. He was pouting and his tone was discontented. Haigoo that punk. CEO Lee grabbed his nape. ¡°Even if we failed this year due to P.I, won¡¯t we still be able to win the Rookie of the Year award next year. You only get one chance after debut.¡± £Û¡­ The CEO is good at strategies.] ¡®What is it?¡¯ Jin was amazed. ¡°Usually, the Rookie of the Year awards are judged from October to November. It looks like P.I will eat it this year, so we are preparing for next year.¡± The children were amazed by Park Ju Min¡¯s exnation that followed. So that is CEO¡¯s big picture! Kim Hyun also smiled brightly as his expression was released. In other words, he will do infinite push after their debut. ¡°If you work like a bull from December and make 3ebacks a year, won¡¯t you get at least one?¡±? ¡°Whoa! I love you, CEO Lee!¡± ¡°You¡¯re handsome, Byung Hun Lee!¡± ¡°Argh! The light¡­ the light is speaking! Are you a God!¡± CEO Lee sniggered at the children¡¯s sillyments. As he left the practice room, he didn¡¯t forget the words of encouragement. ¡°Everyone will be active to raise awareness, but everyone knows that teamwork is the most important thing, right? Prepare well for the monthly evaluation.¡± ¡°Yes, siir!¡± By the way. Thepany pushes well, strategizes well, and the kids are also okay. But why weren¡¯t they popr in Korea? Ian could not understand.
AmaliaJ¡¯s Note Owh. So many real KPop reference¡­ I won¡¯t put all reference into footnote but I hope you can guess or perhaps ask in thements! Chapter 7 Chapter 7 Isn¡¯t That Kind of Rude?Grade B Trantion: Manually edited MTL. Tranted and interpreted as best as I can. Mixed with some Korean terms. Misinterpretation may ur due to limitedprehensive ability. Awkward English, bad grammar, and typos may often ur as Trantor is not fluent in English and not edited by Editor nor proofed by Proofreader. (Why are you looking for our Yong Min?) ¡°We were trainees at the samepany. I was wondering how Yong Min was doing, so I found this number by inquiring. Are you inconvenienced with the phone call?¡± (Ahyu~ It¡¯s not. But Yong Min is currently out to work now. What should I do? I can¡¯t change it to him.) ¡°No, thank you. So is Yong Min not going to be an entertainer anymore?¡± (What kind of idol are you? He had been so upset about doing that, but he finally gave up and came to help with farming.) ¡°I see¡­¡± (How is it? Please tell me your phone number. I will tell Yong Min to call you.) ¡°No, I¡­ I will call againter.¡± Ian hung up the phone in a hurry. After being discharged from the military, he should have quit being an entertainer sooner instead of being stubborn. It took him a really long time to catch on that something didn¡¯t work. ¡®It¡¯ll work this time.¡¯ Useless positive thinking was turned on. ¡®Although it¡¯s like this, I still have experience. So, will I fall easily?¡¯. He shouldn¡¯t have that kind ofcency. Looking back on his old life, it was a series of regrets. And the most regrettable thing was that he was an undutiful son to his parents. His vision blurred. Ian wiped away his tears roughly. It¡¯s been a long time since he heard the lively voice. As the soul changed to its original body, Kim Yong Min went down to his hometown as his parents wished. Maybe his parents will be fine now. £ÛHaigo~ What¡¯s the point of regretting it now?] Scolded Jin, when Ian felt relieved. £ÛCome to think of it, isn¡¯t thispletely a delegation of filial piety? You undutiful brat.] That¡¯s¡­ true. I got nothing to say. £ÛNow let¡¯s forget about Kim Yong Min and live as Choi Ian. Enjoy this fabulous life.] ¡°Yeah¡­ That¡¯s right.¡± ? ?*** ? *BHL Ent. @BHL_Entertainment.Official £Û#NOTICE] AWY OFFICIAL SNS OPEN! -Retweeted by BHL Ent. *AWY OFFICIAL @Alwayswithyou_BHL Always with you Awy¡¯s official ount has been created. Considering that the debut was still a few months away, it was fast. The first post was a picture of 7 trainees. In the practice room with their back to the mirror, some are putting a V pose and some are putting their arms around each other¡¯s shoulders. It was a picture that contained the unique raw feelings before debut. Foreign fans of ck Rush gave hearts showing that they liked it, but core fans reacted quite differently. -Why not ck Rush? @dfidkg How about our kids? -Haeju*ck Rusheback* @qokrepjk Byeong Hun f***ng doesn¡¯t have sense, give out our kids. (fist emoticon x2) Of course, there is a ck Rush¡¯seback schedule before Awy¡¯s debut, but it is usual for fans to argue with the agency and representative. -I feel it, I¡¯m adopting them ??who¡¯s into crushyrush1 ????(ppa.ppa.ru.shi). A made-up mockery nickname referring to ck Rush that they¡¯re so ugly that people want to crush something. these days -This brate up again, eaten for the resume?? -Hey, but there¡¯s one who¡¯s seriously very handsome??? go and see, it¡¯s real -What very handsome? they¡¯re the next after Crushyrush, so they¡¯ll be crushed too -Got the ppt. Byung hun, please sue them.2Referring to fans who screen captured badments for evidence that¡¯ll be sent to the agency¡¯s email for legal procedure. -But isn¡¯t P.I. eating all the pie, yet a new group??? Take care of ck Rush you have fck -Right, I mean -But I¡¯m going to change to P.I ? Everyone, please choose Kang Joo Won! Project Idol¡¯s sales war is here too¡­ Ian let out a sigh and turned off the pad. Ian had made an idol debut once in his previous life, but Diamond debuted in 2010 and was considered 2nd Gen idol. At that time, official ounts or other SNS were not active. There were no fancams or Y-apps. But recently, content wars using all kinds of SNS were in full swing. You have to post pictures after the schedule, but this is gettingte? Then you¡¯ll be stered with all kinds of swear words. Of course, the parties are also concerned about the reaction. Ian scrolled down and frowned at the increasingly visible profanities in the agency¡¯s hatements. ¡®There are a lot of people angry¡­¡¯ Overall, the responses seemed to be stronger than in the old days. £ÛHey, maliciousments are better than no response.] There was not much expectation for the new group and all there were unfavorable reactions to the swearing at the agency. Should I show my face? ¡°I think the kids shouldn¡¯t see this.¡± £ÛTsk tsk. How can they be an idol when their mind is that weak?] After thestment,ments asking to choose their favorite trainees began toe one after another. Please give your precious vote for 12th ce Kim Young Jun! Ah, this Kim Young Jun again. For other trainees, they hate Kim Young Jun because he went out and messed up their debut. But for Ian, it¡¯s not hate but more of a loathe. This is because Kim Yong Min of his previous life was eliminated in 12th ce and Kim Young Jun would debut in 11th ce. For that reason, just thinking about Kim Young Jun made him grind his teeth. If just there¡¯s no you! ¡°Have you seen our official ount?¡± ¡°Everything about us was buried and everyone only talked about P.I.¡± ¡°Jin Hyuk hyung, we returned our phones. But, where did you see it?¡± Ian hurriedly hid his tablet pad. After their debut was confirmed, all of their phones had been confiscated by the agency. It was the industry¡¯s rule to give it back if they got first ce in music shows. But ording to Jin. Since Awy¡¯s debut performance was not good enough, will it be possible to get it back in about a year? So, Ian had secretly hidden his pad. ¡°Se Jun hyung showed it to me.¡± ¡°Ah, that hyung. Really.¡± Se Jun was the leader of ck Rush. Park Jin Hyuk made a sad face. ¡°But Se Jun hyung was smiling at it although there are also swears for his group. If it¡¯s me, I couldn¡¯t see it¡­¡± Jung Se Jun is also a great guy. Perhaps because this mentality was hidden that he would be a Music King in the future and upy the real-time charts. £ÛDid he read that and be like this? Won¡¯t he copse when maliciousments rip him offter?] Jin¡¯s words were harsh, but Ian also partly agreed. As themunity became more and more overheated, they let out words that were difficult to digest. Mental management is needed from now on. ¡°Excuse me¡­ Your number please¡­¡± ¡°Ah, I am sorry.¡± Ian pushed back the woman¡¯s cell phone. Wow, it¡¯s already the 8th. Mumbled Jo Tae Woong. The first busking ce was on Daehak-ro3A popr arts & culture street in Seoul. The Korean version of Broadway. A popr ce where university students hang out. It¡¯smon to find people busking in here. . The subway rattled. Going to Daehak-ro in a van for someone who hasn¡¯t even debuted? It couldn¡¯t have happened. They took full advantage of public transport. It¡¯d be nice if someone posted a witness shot on the way.4Eg. Upload a post like ¡°A Handsome Boy Sighting in Subway to Daehak-ro, Anyone Know Who They¡¯re?¡± in idol or public forums. Fortunately, the setting of the devices was done by the agency staff in advance. ¡°Hyung¡­ I feel like throwing up.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± Seo Dam leaned on Ian and took a deep breath. It was the first performance as aplete group. Ian was also trembling. ¡°You¡¯re nervous too, huh?¡± ¡°Did you think I won¡¯t? So nervous, seriously.¡± ¡°Really? You somehow look rxed, so I thought you don¡¯t have that.¡± £ÛIsn¡¯t that kind of rude?] Ian raised an eyebrow at Kim Ju Young¡¯s words. Isn¡¯t it like scratching something before saying something he didn¡¯t even think about? ¡°Guys, we¡¯re here. Let¡¯s get off.¡± Something was bothering him, but it was an ambiguous situation to say it outright. Ian turned off his nerves and got off the subway. Lee Joo Hyuk, who was thest to get off, had been watching the situation for a while. He had a vague look on his face on how to handle this. ? ***? ? People began to gather on a small stage in Marronnier Park5 A popr spot of Daehak-ro. As it¡¯s a park, busking is concentrated here. . There were quite a lot of people because it happened to be Friday night. ?¡±Who ising?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know too.¡± Most of them were people who expected entertainers they knew toe and people who just gathered after seeing the crowds. Soon after, 7 trainees appeared. ¡°Hah, they¡¯re not P.I kids.¡± ¡°It was said they¡¯re in Incheon.¡± ¡°Really? Shit, I should¡¯ve gone there.¡± Some tried to leave their positions. In that atmosphere, Lee Joo Hyuk and Jo Tae Woong advanced with each of them grabbing one of Choi Ian¡¯s arms. Instead We Give You The Handsome Choi Ian.6 Not sure why it¡¯s like this in the raw. Will check if there¡¯s any updated version. People who were trying to leave saw Ian¡¯s face and stopped to see if their strategy worked. ¡°Wow, look at him. Super handsome.¡± ¡°Crazy awesome.¡± Exmations were heard from all over the ce. Each of them grabbed their phones and took pictures busily. The previously shrinking person has gone somewhere and Ian felt good at the sound of camera shutters. ¡°Two three!¡± ¡°Always! By your side! Hello, we are Awy!¡± Park Seo Dam grabbed the microphone. ¡°If you look at us, you would think we are a rookie group that just debuted¡­ Actually, we haven¡¯t debuted yet.¡± Isn¡¯t it exciting? The audience burst intoughter at Park Seo Dam¡¯s following remarks. Even though he was the youngest, he had the sense and good eloquence, so thepany was trying to push him as an MC. ¡°But well, it¡¯s no different than a debut. Now! The performance we prepared is a dance performance! I¡¯d appreciate it if you could watch our handsome and cute faces until the end~¡± He said he was going to throw up, but now he went smoothly. Cute guy. Ian patted Park Seo Dam¡¯s head roughly. Park Seo Dam went to his ce in the dance formation without ever being annoyed. The music starts. Let¡¯s not make a mistake. Ianforted himself. Other trainees except him have been in sync for over two years. He is not confident in dancing, but if he makes a mistake in matching the sum, it would be embarrassing to face other members. The creative choreography that Kim Hyun and Kim Ju Young made matched the music well. Although not powerful, it was sophisticated choreography. Ian followed the beat and moved as he had practiced beforehand. The cheers and apuse of the people around him disappeared and only the music yed in his ears. As he was immersed in dancing in a trance, the second song was already passing by. Only then did Ian afford to look around. Most were filming them with phones and few people left. More and more people are gathering. Ian grinned. It was fun. And contrary to his worries, Ian matched the sum properly. ¡®Good job.¡¯ Kim Hyun patted Ian¡¯s back. ¡°Everyone please remember. We are Awy of BHL Entertainment. Now, you look at us¡­ You get to like Awy. You be a fan of Awy.¡± Park Seo Dam raised his index finger and turned it round and round. The audienceughed haha. The performance ended warmly. ? *** After Awy¡¯s busking was over, several people gathered while they were helping the agency employees carry the speakers. The trainees answered every question with sincerity. They are people who may be fans in the future. Ian was being questioned by one of them. ¡°When are you debuting?¡± ¡°We will debut in December! Thank you!¡± ¡°It¡¯s still a long way¡­ Cheer up.¡± The woman seemed to be thinking about something and left the crowd holding her husband¡¯s hand. Ian stared intently at her back. ¡®That person¡­¡¯ £ÛWhat¡¯s wrong?] ¡®The face is familiar.¡¯ ? *** ¡®There were a lot of people, unlike when we did it on our own as expected. Is it the Choi Ian effect?¡¯ That was Kim Ju Young¡¯s words that Choi Ian heard while entering the dorm. It¡¯s a tone that subtly touches people¡¯s nerves, ¡®our own¡¯ means that the 6 people except for Ian. Isn¡¯t it like drawing a line that Choi Ian and the other 6 are different? He thought something was bothering since a while ago, but he was convinced when he heard that. Kim Ju Young has something against Choi Ian. ¡®What do you think about Kim Ju Young?¡¯ £ÛHe¡¯s a little rude¡­ But let¡¯s ignore it. It won¡¯t be just once or twice. It¡¯s amonplex attack.] ¡®But for a while¡­¡¯ They will be together for the next few years. Ian wanted to get along with other members because he went through a time when teamwork fell apart and copsed. £ÛThis group was a moment anyway. You¡¯re the only one who needs to be sessful. Oh right. There will also be ¡®High School 2017¡¯ this year. The ratings aren¡¯t that good, but it¡¯s been called the stargate for a long time, so if you get the chance, go out.] ¡®Oh yeah? Then check.¡¯ Ian soon thought nothing of it and reviewed future hit works with Jin. At that moment, a haze bloomed and disappeared from Jin¡¯s camera. ¡®By the way. Is there really no response in Korea to this groupter?¡¯ £ÛMultiple situations ovepped. Buried because of P.I. Buried because those from P.I. I-One were so sessful that even after disbanding, everyone is doing well. It¡¯s called the I-One spoon.] ¡®Ah, seriously. That rubbish Project Idol¡­¡¯ Ian ruffled his hair. £ÛStill, thepany gives out a lot of self-produced content then also selects albums with good quality and style. Ah, right! Did they go to America for training in the middle? That video got good responses from international fans, so the albums sell well.] ¡®That¡¯s a relief, but¡­¡¯ £ÛWhy? What¡¯s bothering you?] ¡®Just¡­¡¯ When he heard it before, Awy¡¯s total sales were 150,000 copies. It¡¯s right to say it sell well at this point. Selling well is good. Because working is about making money in the end. Yet, will the other members have the same thoughts? In terms of numbers alone, there are only 150,000 people in the world to say they are popr overseas. Wouldn¡¯t it be a million even considering those who don¡¯t buy albums? When Ian had done busking at Daehak-ro remained like an afterimage. That energy. People who look at themselves. The eyes of fans who give blind faith and love. And Kim Yong Min from his previous life, who couldn¡¯t let go of that taste and held onto bing an idol until histe 20s. Jin clicked repeatedly and woke Ian, who was lost in thought. Ian was startled by the camera in front of him. There were times when the camera lens was like the eyes of a living creature and often felt creepy. £ÛWhy? One thing is for sure that it¡¯s a cash cow. Even if you walk around the streets, people don¡¯t flock and only fans recognize you. You make a lot of money. I like being that kind of mangdol. Oh! What I really wanted was to be a brother of a very famous idol.] ¡®That¡¯s specific, why?¡¯ £ÛMoney ising from my brother, and I¡¯m opening a cafe somewhere good. It¡¯ll be rumored as a cafe run by an idol¡¯s brother, so won¡¯t the sales juste pouring in?] ¡®Is that simr to the context of being a rich unemployed man?¡¯ Jin¡¯s voice was ecstatic, perhaps imagining it. £ÛThat¡¯s it. Oh, right! You don¡¯t have any attention-seeking friends or family, right? From now on, you have to hit the set-up well.] ¡®Okay¡­¡¯ Still, Ian¡¯s sour face did not go away. Jin sighed. £ÛAwy is not going to be popr in Korea anyway. You just need to use the idol business card moderately and fall into the acting world. Hey, write it down. 2017 TVM, Tree of Secrets.] Ian, who looked nk in thought, wrote down mechanically. A red light flickered then disappeared from Jin who was watching that.
Chapter 8 Chapter 8 Can Anyone Exin What This Is About?Grade B Trantion: Manually edited MTL. Tranted and interpreted as best as I can. Mixed with some Korean terms. Misinterpretation may ur due to limitedprehensive ability. Awkward English, bad grammar, and typos may often ur as Trantor is not fluent in English and not edited by Editor nor proofed by Proofreader. From vocal ss, which he attends like a routine although confirmed as the main vocalist, and dance ss. Foreignnguage ss that all trainees take together to acting ss. Time passed while Ian was busy taking lessons. Their practice didn¡¯t stop even as P.I¡¯sst broadcast ended and upied real-time search terms. ¡°First of all, Joo Hyuk only studiesposition. Jin Hyuk also followed Joo Hyuk and went to Se Jun.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°Hyun and Ju Young are constantly filming in that dance studio. There are already 1,500 subscribers. They always put ¡®With AWY¡¯ in the video¡¯s title.¡± ¡°Good.¡± ¡°Seo Dam is trying hard to learn Japanese. Tae Woong, you know right?¡± ¡°I know.¡± Jo Tae Woong was put into a Mon-Tue drama through CEO Lee¡¯s connections. He was chosen as the child counterpart of the main character. ¡°Ian is¡­ trying a minor role for now.¡± ¡°For now? Is his acting not that good? Right, it¡¯s a foul if he¡¯s perfect in everything with that face.¡± ¡°No¡­ It is the other way around.¡± A lucky charm hase into thepany. Seo Su Ryeon made a proud expression. CEO Lee got up halfway from the chair¡¯s backrest. ¡°Other way? Is he also good at acting?¡± ¡°The acting teacher said he already looks like an established actor¡­ But he doesn¡¯t even have a unique habit. He had nothing to learn from the teacher.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that good then?¡± CEO Lee held on for a moment and thought ¡®that¡¯s not good for sure¡¯ while shaking his head. No matter how much he snooped around to raise awareness, he had to look at the whole picture. ¡°Well, only Ian will float if we put him in more than a minor role¡­ The sense of disparity with the kids will be felt.¡± ¡°Even though the existence of Ian himself does cause a sense of disparity.¡± Seo Su Ryeon sighed. His beauty is a pain, so he was just put in for a minor role. They¡¯re not going to suddenly give him lines, right? And Seo Su Ryeon¡¯s concerns became a reality. ? ?*** ? ¡°You, switch ces with him.¡± High School 2017 shooting site. The trauma of the main character whose dream is to be a webtoon writer. It was the site of school violence. Choi Ian, who originally yed the role of Flower Screen #2 in the bully group that harasses the main character, felt conscious of the person next to him. ¡°Let¡¯s take a break for a moment!¡± The assistant director revoked the atmosphere. Ian approached with hesitation at the director¡¯s gesture. He only had eye contact with the director once, but immediately changed to a minor role with lines. As expected, face value was the best. ¡°Good morning, Director Lee!¡± ¡°Haha, don¡¯t be too stiff. Which agency are you from?¡± ¡°It is BHL Entertainment, Director.¡± Director Lee muttered that he knows there, that it¡¯s Lee Byung Hun¡¯spany. He handed Ian the script he received from the assistant director. ¡°You¡¯re an idol trainee? It would have been better if you were an actor trainee.¡± ¡°Yes, but I took acting lessons.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s a relief. That Bully #1 is your line, okay? Try it now.¡± He didn¡¯t ask back, ¡°Now?¡±. He can¡¯t miss this opportunity. Ian quickly scanned the lines and put them in his head. This body also had a good memory. He pondered a few times and closed the script. Ian¡¯s appearance closing the script quickly caught the director¡¯s eyes. ¡°What about the swearing?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll mute thatter. So don¡¯t worry and do it.¡± ¡°Hey, what are you doing?¡± In an instant, Choi Ian went somewhere and a real ruffian came out. Ian had confidence that he would be good at this acting. That¡¯s because he referred to the behavior of a member who withdrew due to school violence controversy during his time as Diamond. Ian takes three steps sideways with a swagger. The script he held already turned into the main character¡¯s notebook. The main character hugs the notebook with his whole body and curls up desperately so as not to lose it. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s this bastard? You drawics?¡± Ian, who eventually stole the main character¡¯s notebook, looks through it with the bully gang. In front of everyone in the ssroom. ¡°Give it back!¡± ¡°Give it back, huh. If I don¡¯t, what are you going to do?¡± Ian mixed his breaths excessively as if sneering. Lightness overflows through each gesture. ¡°Ah, this otaku bastard can¡¯t f***ing draw. You call this aic?¡± ¡°Actually, you also¡­ Eook!¡± ¡°It¡¯s crazy damned cringy.¡± They look around and hand it over to Ian. Ian lifted the notebook over his head as if he were teasing. ¡°Want it? Do you want it?¡± ¡°I said give it back!¡± Ian, who has been teasing for a long time, throws the notebook outside. The ssroom was on the fifth floor. ¡°If you want it, go off~ Otaku bastard. If you hurry up, hyung will buy you snacks.¡± Another minor role pushes out his feet to the main character who runs to pick up the notebook. Udang tang. The sound of falling is loud. It seems he truly fell. While Ian was worried, the Director¡¯s cut was heard. Ian quickly reached out to the main actor. 2nd-year idol, Jo Min Jun. Rubbing his knees and getting up, it looked like he hit the floor hard. ¡°You¡¯re good at acting.¡± ¡°Thank you, sunbae nim.¡± Although he said calmly, Jo Min Jun was actually scared by Ian¡¯s acting. It reminded him of the group sitting in the back seat of the bus going for the retreat in middle school. It was such realistic bully acting. ¡°You¡¯re not really a bully in the past, right?¡± ¡°Ei, no way. I can¡¯t debut if it¡¯s like that, sunbae nim.¡± ¡°Ah right, you¡¯re an idol trainee. Call me hyung.¡± At first, he was surprised by Ian¡¯s absurd appearance. The acting was also realistically good. The despicable eyes he had shown while acting went away, leaving an innocent prospective junior. Jo Min Jun thought he should be a bit nervous when Ian¡¯s group debuted. ¡°Wow, I really wanted to punch you. So, by the way. Can I just hit you once?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a bit¡­¡± ¡°Haha! Joke, just a joke.¡± They have to start the next shoot, but the Director¡¯s eyes chase Ian¡¯s figure. The potential was seen from the acting that he demonstrated to the Director earlier, but it was different in front of the camera. The brilliance that seemed to have eaten 100 reflectors alone disappeared and a lowly ruffian was captured on camera. Gorgeous looks have many benefits in life, but it¡¯s ambiguous in acting. Because there are cases when the appearance shouldn¡¯t stand out more than the role. To be honest, the Director only switched the role for his outstanding appearance to make headlines in the early broadcast. But there was an unexpected result. ¡°Give me your business card. What¡¯s his name?¡± ¡°Yes? Ah, here you go.¡± BHL¡¯s daily manager Park Ju Min, who was waiting next to him, took out a business card from his wallet and held it out. This time it was a stiff new business card. ¡°Please ask me for that one. My name is Choi Ian. Director.¡± Ian, who approached quickly, replied in a friendly manner. There was a slight smile on the Director¡¯s face. It seems Lee Byung Hun brought the right guy. ¡°Choi Ian¡­ Okay. Good job. See you next time.¡± ? ***? ? ¡°That Lee Sang Hae1¡¯i-sang-hae¡¯ means ¡®strange¡¯ in Korean.?¡± ¡°Yes, that Director Lee Sang Hyuk.¡± ¡°Heughed?¡± Park Ju Min said with excitement. CEO Lee lit his eyes as if it was interesting. Director Lee Sang Hyuk. CEO Lee Byung Hun personally thought that although his directing ability was a bit inferior, he was a friend who found a good writer because of his wide personal connections and good wits. ¡°Yes! He even said see you next time, you know?¡± ¡°Hoo¡­ That¡¯s great.¡± Perhaps because of that, the filmography was good, and he was one of the directors who was treated well in the drama industry. The fact that he epted the business card was also clearly intended to introduce Ian to someone. And if Lee Sang Hyuk wants Ian for his next work, he will contact Lee Byung Hun directly. CEO Lee smiled softly. ¡°Thanks for your hard work, Ju Min ssi.¡± When Lee Ju Min left, CEO Lee sent a text message somewhere. That is to director Lee Sang Hyuk. It was a heavy word with a lot of emotions. The grinning CEO Lee turned off the screen. ? ***? ? £ÛThat¡¯s what he said.] ¡®Hehe good.¡¯ £ÛLike it? But then, I also just knew that you were good at acting. Why did Kim Yong Min fail? Is it because born in the wrong body?] Ian was spying on the situation through Jin. Compliments are always wee. Ian had to calm down the rising lips. ¡°Heoh. I¡¯m dying.¡± Ian was covered in sweat from repeated dance practice. He was washing his face in the bathroom because he felt ufortable. Kim Ju Young came into the bathroom and wiped his sweat with paper towels instead of a towel. ¡°Are you going to use the practice room more?¡± ¡°No. Going to dorm.¡± ¡°Yeah? Well, there¡¯s nothing you have to do more now. Good for you. You dance well.¡± A subtle irritation from his tone. If Ian replied ¡®don¡¯t be like that¡¯, He will say ¡®What? I was praising you, though?¡¯. It was a high-level vocabry expression in which the person who said ¡®don¡¯t be like that¡¯ became a strange person. He ignored and epted it a few times, and it¡¯s now very openly sarcastic. And Kim Ju Young had already left the bathroom before Ian could say anything. ¡®When will that blow up?¡¯ £ÛI know.] Of course, Ian didn¡¯t just standstill. He was just silently measuring the kill point. When he first came to thepany and looked at the trainees, Ian thought the group¡¯sndmine was Kim Hyun. Wouldn¡¯t he be sensitive because of stress from frequent debut failures? Wouldn¡¯t he be impatient alone and make others anxious? He thought about it, but Kim Hyun was the type who quietly digs the ground by himself without releasing it to others. He was a time bomb in his way, but it didn¡¯t matter because he didn¡¯t cause any direct damage to Ian. And an unexpected ambush, Kim Ju Young appears. At first, it was seen that he was trying to get close to Ian since he¡¯s someone who could confirm his debut. He spent his personal time teaching Ian, who was struggling with dance, with the same position Kim Hyun as expected of a winner of dancepetitions. However, Ian gradually follows well and now he can dance live without any difficulties. It was not long before Ian¡¯s steady progress became known in thepany that he slowly changed and now even ¡®I¡¯m raging of jealousy¡¯ was written on his face. £ÛIt¡¯s gotten worse since P.I ended.] If it had not been for Kim Yong Min¡¯s umted years in Choi Ian, a real fistfight might have happened. Ian put up with it though. Just thought of wanting to feed him back for a second. £ÛWon¡¯t it be effective if you talk in front of everyone for that type of person?] ¡®Agreed.¡¯ The opportunity came not long after. The beginning was when the bbermouth Assistant Manager Park Ju Min bragged about what happened at the High School 2017 site. Maybe because he was so impressed, he said that Choi Ian is so good at acting. An acting genius. That the lesson teacher said there¡¯s nothing to touch. Rumors are bound to be exaggerated. Later on, there was even talk of making him an actor. Of course, for people in thepany to babble sillyments has always been the case. It was just a joke no matter what. Of course, some took it seriously. It was the trainees who became sensitive about their debut. Even though their debut was confirmed in December, they were conscious of Ian perhaps because they were nervous as there was a record of being pushed back. ¡°You¡¯re not going to anotherpany, right?¡± Of course, the straightforward Jo Tae Woong spoke openly. ¡°If everyone keeps doing that, I can really leave.¡± Ian¡¯s words seemed to bring this to a close. But it can¡¯t be. It was the day when everyone gathered at the dorm and ate chicken2Korean specifically called fried chicken(like KFC) as ?? chicken. They love it so much. after a long time. The trainees, who heard from somewhere that I-One is debuting and breaking all sorts of records, went on with the talk of ¡®what will happen when we debut¡¯. ¡°But since we have Ian hyung, won¡¯t we get a lot of attention?¡± ¡°Acting genius Choi Ian~ Mega agree3 ??king.jeong. A ng word for very agree. for that~ Drumstick mine dibs.¡± ¡°What dibs, hands are faster than eyes.¡± ¡°Andwae! Noooo¡° ¡°Joo Hyuk hyung! Chicken is here! Come quickly! They¡¯re going to eat it all at this rate!¡± ¡°Even if our debut is dyed again, you can still act anyway.¡± Kim Ju Young, who ate chicken silently, quickly cools the mood with a word. At this point, Park Jin Hyuk should hand over the team¡¯s sudden chill position to Kim Ju Young. The taboo word of ¡®debut dy¡¯ and the drawn line of ¡®you do act¡¯. This is where I can get angry, right? Ian looked at Jin in the air. There was a strange haze blooming from Jin. Jin¡¯s lens was shaking violently up and down. Crush him! ¡°Why have you been messing with me for so long?¡± The bodies of the surrounding members, who swallowed ¡®Ah, that is¡¯ inside, hardened. It seems they thought Ian wouldugh it off like before. This is why you shouldn¡¯t be caught like a fool in the beginning. Something was bubbling inside Ian. ¡°What did I do? I praised you. You¡¯re good at acting.¡± ¡°You strangely teased me on the drawn lines. Isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to. Didn¡¯t I say I was just praising you?¡± Ho, look at this. Ian stared at Kim Ju Young¡¯s eyes. Kim Ju Young is slightly avoiding his eyes. Wow, I¡¯ve only seen this trick by kkappa4??. A term for calling fans who strangely criticize their favorite star badly. Fans that both love and hate their star. before. Something like ¡®I¡¯m afraid of being sued by the artist, so I can¡¯t do it openly. I didn¡¯t mean to scratch the serious fans, sorry~¡¯. ¡°Hey. You haven¡¯t even debuted but you know the thought of haters so well? Hey. That¡¯s why I told you so many times don¡¯t be like that. You chewed it all up, but what? You don¡¯t mean to?¡± Ian picked up his index finger. It looked like he was poking around. ¡°I felt bad. I, from your words. The party. Who listened. Me.¡± He poked into the air in time for each period. ¡°I ignored it because words don¡¯t work, but it didn¡¯t mean I just epted what you told me, you know? Am I your emotional trash can? Huh? I¡¯m so funny, that¡¯s it?¡± ¡°Hey hey, why are you like this~ Let¡¯s stop. Huh?¡± ¡°If you have anyints, say it. Why are you scratching people¡¯s insides? Hey, tell me. Don¡¯t have a mouth?¡± ¡°Ian, calm down a bit.¡± The scene of a noisy living room. Lee Joo Hyuk, who just came out of the bathroom because of the long shower time, had his eyes wide and looked at the members. It was as if he hade home with pizza in a good mood but the house was on fire. ¡°Can anyone exin what this is about?¡± Of course, the answer Lee Joo Hyuk wanted was not heard. This is because Kim Ju Young jumped up and shouted. ¡°Yeah, I was jealous! Jealous of you!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s stop, guys.¡± ¡°But why are you venting your inferiority rage on me!¡± ¡°Hyung. Don¡¯t shout, please.¡± ¡°You have a lot to do even without us anyway!!¡±? ¡°Everyone shut up!!¡± Lee Joo Hyuk yelled loudly. Banging was heard from upstairs. It was a small protest that the noise was flowing to the upper house. ¡°Now, can you exin?¡± It was a gentle tone as if he never shouted.
Chapter 9 Chapter 9 So This Is What Grim Reaper Warned About.Grade B Trantion: Manually edited MTL. Tranted and interpreted as best as I can. Mixed with some Korean terms. Misinterpretation may ur due to limitedprehensive ability. Awkward English, bad grammar, and typos may often ur as Trantor is not fluent in English and not edited by Editor nor proofed by Proofreader. There are such people. Those who can¡¯t assert themself and get swept away. Kim Ju Young is such a person. ¡®Our Ju Young dances so well.¡¯ ¡®Ju Young, will you try to be a singer?¡¯ He just did a little better than others. But his parents poured their expectations and attention to Ju Young. Blind faith ruins the child. Either their habits get worse or stressed inside. Ju Young was thetter. ¡®Mom, but I¡­¡¯ He couldn¡¯t say that actually, he didn¡¯t want to. A pushily decided career path. Of course, Kim Ju Young had no intention. He was happy with thepliments given when he won the award at dancepetitions even with the burden on his shoulders. Ju Young struggled to getpliments. ¡®What? They won¡¯t make your debut? Let¡¯s go to anotherpany. Pack up!¡¯ The words of his parents, dressed in a mask of concern, gradually constrict Ju Young. And he bes silent on what he wants to say. ¡®What¡¯s so disappointing about my child that he is eliminated from the evaluation!¡¯ ¡®Aigo, mother1 A bit weird in English right? Koreans address people with titles, even strangers. Like ¡®student¡¯ to adolescents or ¡®uncle¡¯ to middle-aged men. In this case, because she is present as the mother of Ju Young, she¡¯ll be called ¡®eomonim¡¯ or ¡®mother¡¯. . Please calm down.¡¯ Parents who were arguing with the CEO of the formerpanies and trainees looking at it while whispering. Ju Young was embarrassed and wanted to hide in a hole. Then he came to thispany. Debut group made of elites. Those left from filtered people who were already filtered out. He feltfortable at first because there were no strong-spirited trainees who lived with swearing or indecent gangs who wanted to attract attention by pestering female trainees. From the oldest Lee Joo Hyuk who was kind and gentle, the tactless but simply honest Park Jin Hyuk and Kim Hyun, whomunicates well about dancing. To the amiable Jo Tae Woong and the staunch younger Park Seo Dam. Kim Ju Young has since liked these kids and thispany. The trainee life, which had been pushed by his parents, became sincere before he knew it. ¡®Hi. Kim Ju Young, right? How old are you? Oh, so we¡¯re the same age?¡¯ And among them, the closest one was Kim Young Jun. But a few monthster, Kim Young Jun flew to anotherpany. Debut was already confirmed and even took concept photos, but the debut was postponed again due to Kim Young Jun. ¡®Mom saw that there were some kids who debuted in their early 20s.¡¯ ¡®Shall we move again, Ju Young? From what mom heard, P Entertainment there is¡­¡¯ ¡®Stop it, please!¡¯ Kim Ju Young yelled at his mom for the first time in his life. He had been transferring only betweenrgepanies ording to his parents¡¯ choice. Just a few of the many trainees were really close. However, aftering here, he got closer as everyone shared the same dorm and took sses together. Perhaps they were kids who understood him more than his parents. He didn¡¯t want to leave the trainees who are like a real family. Then Choi Ian joined thepany. At first, he thought Ian would be arrogant by believing in his handsome face. That¡¯s because the half-hearted trainees who had been with him so far are like that. However, Ian is rather polite and worked hard to make up for hisck of skills. Kim Ju Young helped him wholeheartedly with Kim Hyun. Because they will get close soon as the handsome guy followed well and there was no dislike. He thought debut was just around the corner. ¡®Wow, it took me a month to do that movement.¡¯ But in Kim Ju Young¡¯s mind, Choi Ian keeps getting on his nerves. ¡®Not practicing more?¡¯ ¡®Uh, I have a lesson right away.¡¯ When Choi Ian follows well to some extent, he fills up the given lesson time but goes straight to acting practice after. ¡®Everything is easy for you.¡¯ He was born handsome and also with a good personality. He¡¯s originally good at singing, he even follows well when taught to dance, but now he¡¯s good at acting as well. In a way, it could be seen as a pathetic outburst of inferiority. Even after the lesson was over, his face was filled with joy as he read the script and practice.? ¡®Acting is more important than our debut for you.¡¯ Is it possible if Choi Ian¡¯s overwhelming appearance creates a sense of inferiority? However, if you live together, the other person¡¯s minor weakness can be a big deal. In the case of Kim Ju Young, Choi Ian, who was absorbed in acting more than anything else, was like that. So, he says something that gently scratches Choi Ian without realizing it. And Kim Ju Young¡¯s parents, who were calm about his first rebellion, put pressure on him again. ¡®Young Jun went out to an audition program and debuted. But what did yourpany do? They should have let you out.¡¯ ¡®Wouldn¡¯t it still be better to move now?¡¯ Kim Young Jun¡¯s parents were also people who are overly involved. So, they contacted Kim Ju Young¡¯s parents and heard about his debut. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s true that I¡¯m raging with inferiority and I took it out on you. I really apologize for that. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Yeah, Ju Young. Well done.¡± ¡°I was going to apologize. I¡¯m sorry I¡¯ve been such a loser. Let¡¯s do well.¡± Kim Ju Young said with a bit teary-eyed. ¡°But there¡¯s that time before. The practice room door was open, so I went to call you. But you were practicing moves without music.¡± ¡°¡­Therefore?¡± ¡°Perhaps the moves were twisted and you lied down after a few times, so I was about to help you. But didn¡¯t you say that to yourself.¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Ian was unable to answer. It was. He lied down in desperation because he couldn¡¯t practice the moves well that day. And that¡¯s when Jin said, £ÛHey, just follow along moderately. It¡¯s enough if you don¡¯t mess up the overall picture.] ¡®Is that so?¡¯ £ÛYeah, idol is just passing by anyway. You only need to work hard for 2 years after debut.] That¡¯s right, he answered like that. ¡°You said ¡®Right. If it doesn¡¯t work, just be an actor.¡¯¡± That was the trigger for this fight. ¡°What? Did you say that? Choi Ian. Isn¡¯t this a lump of crap?¡± ¡°Jo Tae Woong.¡± Lee Joo Hyuk said coldly. Jo Tae Woong closed his mouth. Those were not serious words, but very light-hearted words mixed with a bluff. However, it was also an indefensible remark that could be offensive to Kim Ju Young or other members, who were sensitive to debut. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Ian felt bad. He was angry not to anyone else but himself. He was following along in moderation so as not to disturb his trainee life, but he never thought about this group. He just thought they wouldn¡¯t have to worry about money because they would be sessful abroad in the future. It was the wrong idea from that point on. Do they think of debuting with overseas poprity in mind from the beginning? They are kids who wish to debut right away and appear in at least one scene on Korean TV. He was happy to debut together, but he was ignoring the kids who would be together at the base. He knows the future, so he decided on the limits of his group that didn¡¯t even debut yet. He was thinking about bing an actor in advance because he was looking for a way to live alone without thinking about staying alive together. He was also desperate for a debut, there was a time when he was even thirsty for attention after debut, but he was oblivious about it. ¡®You¡¯re ruined because your abilities are just that much, that¡¯s it. Why do you me me? Would thepany havee this far if you guys had done well in the first ce?¡¯ Ian suddenly remembered the words of the agency¡¯s president when he was in Diamond. What¡¯s the difference between that president and him? Ian raised his head. A camera was floating in his sight. Jin was shaking the popcorn if this was so interesting. A red light flickered and a strange haze enveloped Jin. Come to think of it, he felt emotional whenever Jin looked like that. It was clear that Jin affected Ian with something. So, Grim Reaper¡¯s warning not to be stained meant not to be stained by Jin. Ian swept his face with one hand. ¡°That was me being thoughtless. I¡¯m sorry. To hyungs too.¡± Ian made eye contact one by one and apologized. Thest turn was Kim Ju Young. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± ¡°If that made you upset, you should have told me right away. Even if yoush out at me with ¡®What did you just say?¡¯, I¡¯ll admit it.¡± It should have been put on the surface. ¡°Do you know how¡¯s it like when you go for a minor role? Even though I¡¯ve been holding up all this time. You came happily and said how¡¯s it like there, sunbae nim is like that, how¡¯s the director.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°You look happier than when you¡¯re with us.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°How can I speak out in front of that? The mood will get weird.¡± To talk about everything openly like a man perhaps means that he was not able to think about the tender sensitivity of someone who hasn¡¯t graduated from high school yet. ¡°That¡¯s why I needlessly irritate you. It¡¯s not an excuse, it¡¯s also not like I did well. But just¡­¡± As Kim Ju Young shed tears again in sorrow, Lee Joo Hyuk refreshed the mood. ¡°Ju Young, Ian. It¡¯s all gone now, right?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± He was about to cry loudly at the end. I thought it was andmine, but this is just a fire hydrant. Ian scratched his head awkwardly. ¡°May I say something, then?¡± Lee Joo Hyuk continued while patting Kim Ju Young¡¯s shoulders. ¡°I¡¯ve noticed it before, but I didn¡¯t pay any attention to it. I¡¯m sorry, too. I should have intervened.¡± ¡°Eii. It¡¯s okay because it¡¯s gone now.¡± Lee Joo Hyuk nodded at Park Jin Hyuk¡¯s words. A perplexed look has not disappeared. ¡°Guys, we¡¯re already a team. What¡¯s the use of keeping ourselves in check when our debut is just around the corner. We need to care about kids like them right now. Ah shoot Kim Young Jun! Seo Dam, turn off the TV!¡± ¡°Yup hyung nim!¡± While Lee Joo Hyuk was talking, Kim Young Jun couldn¡¯t read the atmosphere and popped out on TV. It was a cosmetic advertisement for I-One. Seo Dam was afraid of the Buddha-like Lee Joo Hyuk¡¯s gradation anger, so he turned off the TV immediately. ¡°I also wish Ian wouldn¡¯t have such a light thought. Of course, I¡¯m not saying anything about you doing acting. It would be nice if you also could raise awareness. Still, I want you to put the group first. You know what I¡¯m saying, right?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± Ian answered without hesitation. He was also reflecting on himself. He got an actor¡¯s disease even though he didn¡¯t even debut. It was embarrassing and shameful. ¡°That¡¯s good. And you guys too, be careful. Don¡¯t keep saying nonsense to Ian about why he¡¯s not going to anotherpany.¡± ¡°Yuup¡­ But it can¡¯t be helped. It¡¯s all because he¡¯s handsome.¡± ¡°Tae Woong.¡± ¡°Hup, understood sir.¡± They also think that it wasn¡¯t a good thing to do. It was a w caused by Choi Ian¡¯s appearance beyond the scope of human beings. No matter how many face geniuses there are in the same industry. They are just people passing by and it feels different when they live together. Especially among those who will be entertainers who need to attract public attention. The children unconsciously thought ¡®Choi Ian is not the same kind as us. He¡¯s apletely different race¡¯ and drew the line. ¡°Right, I know that I¡¯m handsome. But I¡¯d be sad if you drew a line with it.¡± ¡°Hey, it can¡¯t be helped. Your face is convincing.¡± Ian struggled to lighten the mood. Jo Tae Woong chimed in. ¡°And even if it¡¯s a trainee contract, is it a joke? Break it at will and leave?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Kim Hyun, the ultimate king of agency directors, rummaged through the cold chicken. ¡°Ah, but the chicken is cold. What should we do, Joo Hyuk hyung? The microwave hasn¡¯t arrived yet.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s order again, hyung. It¡¯s on me.¡± ¡°Is there money? You said you couldn¡¯t use your mom¡¯s card.¡± Ian took the card out of his pocket. ¡°It¡¯s a lie, dude.¡± ¡°Ah. Choi Ian that prick. Whenever you open your mouth widely, it¡¯s a lie.¡± ¡°Hey, when did I lie?¡± Ian wrapped Jo Tae Woong¡¯s neck and put on a headlock. Jo Tae Woong made a gagging sound ridiculously. The kids aroundughed. The crying Kim Ju Young also slipped a smile. £ÛHmhm. That¡¯s it. Kids are supposed to grow up fighting.] Jin nodded its lens at the unfolding scene of the youth drama forgetting the mess just before. ¡®What did you do to me?¡¯ £ÛIt worked out well anyway.] Ian had a lot to say to Jin, but he held it in. Only me who¡¯ll be frustrated even if I get angry. I couldn¡¯t hit it because it couldn¡¯t get caught. I have to get my act together even from now on. ¡®I¡¯m going to be serious from now on.¡¯ £ÛAt what?] Ian, who held back his anger, quietly vowed. Let¡¯s not ignore the eagerness of the children who¡¯ll be together. Don¡¯t assume in advance that we can¡¯t, but let¡¯s try first. The future of this group may have already changed when he joined.?
Chapter 10 Chapter 10 We¡¯ll Be Fine.Grade B Trantion: Manually edited MTL. Tranted and interpreted as best as I can. Mixed with some Korean terms. Misinterpretation may ur due to limitedprehensive ability. Awkward English, bad grammar, and typos may often ur as Trantor is not fluent in English and not edited by Editor nor proofed by Proofreader. ¡°But Ian hyung, you¡¯re not taking acting lessons these days?¡± ¡°Uh.¡± Ian wiped his sweat with a towel. They were in the middle of choreography practice. Spring is over and it¡¯s July. Awy will debut with a mini album. The agency was in the middle of collecting songs. ¡°Heol. Ian, just take the lesson. Don¡¯t be conscious of us.¡± Lee Joo Hyuk said in a hurry. Ian shook his head. ¡°No. There¡¯s nothing more to learn, so they¡¯re looking for another teacher?¡± ¡°Wow, so cheeky.¡± Said Kim Ju Young. It wasn¡¯t as subtle as before. He envied Ian to his heart¡¯s content. And Ian was being prideful to his heart¡¯s content. When Jo Tae Woong joined Kim Ju Young, the three of them quarreled and yed. The youngest Park Seo Dam shook his head as those 18-year-olds yed like elementary school students. ¡°Guys. Done with practice?¡± ¡°Hello, Director Seo!¡± ¡°Can youe to the conference room for a while?¡± ¡®What are we having for lunch today?¡¯ is the biggest concern between them these days. As they headed upstairs to the conference room, they began a lengthy discussion whether it was cold noodles or kimchi stew. It was not different from a 100-minute debate. The light and lively atmosphere were reversed when they arrived at the conference room. CEO Lee sat solemnly with his hands sped and chin on his thumbs, and a person in a suit they saw for the first time bowed his head lightly to greet. ¡°Hello, CEO Lee!¡± ¡°Yeah, sit down.¡± The trainees looked puzzled as they sat across. The quick-witted Ian was the only one who was guessing full of expectation. ¡°This is ourpany¡¯s legal adviser, Attorney Jung Hyun Tae.¡± ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°Haha, the kids are lively.¡± Attorney. And 7 trainees all gathered. The children¡¯s faces were flushed. Attorney Jung took out documents. Seo Su Ryeon received it and held it out in front of the children. BHL Entertainment¡®s Exclusive Contract. ¡°If it¡¯s up to me, I¡¯m going to tie you to the chair and ask you to sign it right away.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But you still have to look at the contract, guys. It¡¯s okay to get legal advice separately whether from your parents or anyone else. The contract period is 7 years.¡± When CEO Lee finished speaking, a staff brought a basket. The basket contained the cell phones that each had given to thepany. ¡°We¡¯re running out of time, so can you review it by tomorrow?¡± ¡°Give me a pen, please.¡± Kim Hyun signed the document without anyone stopping him. ¡°Hey hey hey! Didn¡¯t you hear me?¡± ¡°I heard it, sir.¡± ¡°Ah. It¡¯s been a while since I acted like a kind adult.¡± Still, CEO Lee seemed to be in a good mood. Attorney Jung took a copy and Kim Hyun stared at his share of the contract then left the conference room with his cell phone. ¡°You guys, don¡¯t also do that just because he did. Think carefully. You are free to ask Attorney Jung here.¡± Ian also came out with the contract and his cell phone. Because he has to take pictures and send them to his parents. He signed the trainee contract without saying anything before, so he had to obey his parents this time. Other trainees were dispersed as well. When waiting for a fast reply, Ian realized. ¡®Oh right, time difference.¡¯ Should I make a call? Ian looked around and opened the emergency exit door. Someone was already on the phone there. ¡°Uh, Mom. I signed the contract.¡± A voice that was about to burst into tears. It was Kim Hyun. Cheers were heard over the phone. The conversation could not be heard properly, but a woman and man took turns rejoicing. ¡°No, I saw it right. You know, I¡¯ve seen a lot of contracts.¡± He replied that he was always fine. The call didn¡¯t take long. After receiving encouragement and cheers from his family, Kim Hyun hung up the phone. The sound of slumping resounded through the stairs. ¡°Kuk¡­ Hup¡­¡° Soon a sobbing sound was heard. Jin said as if it were absurd. £ÛWhat the, is he crying?] Jin murmured, ¡®Why signed it right away, what if it¡¯s a ve contract?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m already exhausted¡¯. Ian lightly ignored it. He was going to only extract information from Jin¡¯s words from now on. If someone who doesn¡¯t know sees it, they might say that it¡¯s just a piece of paper. A guy like Jin would say, ¡®What are you doing, crying?¡¯. But Ian couldn¡¯tugh at him. ¡®I want to be a singer, Mom!¡¯ Kim Hyun spent more than half of his life as a trainee. Unlike Kim Ju Young, who became a trainee due to his parents¡¯ push, he had a firm belief that he would be an idol since he was 8 years old. £ÛExclusive] ¡®King Star¡¯ 8-Year-Old Dance Prodigy Kim Hyun! Be ¡®Poly Music¡¯ Trainee £ÛExclusive] Dance Prodigy Kim Hyun, ¡®King Star¡¯ Runner-Up! Nested In YANG Ent¡­ £ÛEntertainment Hot News] YANG Ent¡¯s Next Boy Group! Survival Program Launch Next Month He got attention from the media as a dance prodigy, he participated in audition programs 3 times. And 3 failed debuts. One of them passed the 3rd evaluation and joined the final debut group, but was unfortunately eliminated. A series of hopeless torture, whether it will work or not. Some people have already contacted asking ¡®how are you doing¡¯ after their debut, but Kim Hyun couldn¡¯t get rid of the feeling that he was standing still without progressing alone. ¡®Just once. Just this one more try and if it doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯ll study and go to college.¡¯ After the persuasion of BHL Entertainment¡¯s CEO Lee Byung Hun, Kim Hyun moved his agency with hisst determination. It was the exclusive contract that he finally received after hard work. How much he looked forward to the day he could sign this contract. Ian, who experienced Kim Yong Min¡¯s days, was able to fully understand his feelings¡­ He couldn¡¯t just ridicule or treat it lightly. Ian quietly closed the emergency exit door. Only a contract. However, the weight of that piece of paper may have been unmeasurably heavy for Kim Hyun. ¡®I think it¡¯s fine, but what do you think?¡¯ £ÛIt¡¯s fine. Especially the settlement part.] Ian pped the contract on the spot. He also has experience in handling contracts. ¡®It¡¯s 7 to 3? Why are the conditions so good?¡¯ Ian stared at the letters in surprise. Reading again, Ian¡¯s side was 7. The usual settlement ratio was often 5 to 5. At most, it was 6 to 4. But even that was often given after deducting the lesson fees and allowances received when they were trainees. After looking closely at it for a while, there seemed to be no poisonous use. Ian went straight into the conference room. ¡°Uh? What¡¯s this, everyone?¡± ¡°Uh, you¡¯re here?¡± While Ian signed the contract and packed his share of documents, the door of the conference room opened roughly. Kim Ju Young presented the signed contract to CEO Lee with a resolute look. ¡°Ok. Last Kim Ju Young.¡± Jo Tae Woong got up feeling relieved. What? Did you all sign it already? Park Jin Hyukughed grinningly. ¡°We really can¡¯t run away now.¡± ¡°Crazy. It¡¯s a whopping 7 years, 7 years. We¡¯ll be together for 7 years, it¡¯s going to be nasty.¡± ¡°Wow, thinking of seeing Jo Tae Woong ssi¡®s face for 7 years¡­¡± ¡°The feeling is great, isn¡¯t it? Your heart softens, right?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s never meet again.¡± The children rxed and giggled as a group. However, no one pointed out that Kim Hyun was absent. Everyone will know vaguely. That Kim Hyun needs time to be alone. ¡°Guys. I said to take a closer look, right.¡± CEO Lee sighed. ¡°CEO Lee said that but we can see your cheekbones going up, you know? ¡°Heheu, you caught me. Ju Young, did you have a good call with your mother?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t!¡± ¡°What?¡± Kim Ju Young smiled brightly. ¡°What¡¯s there if Mom Dad says anything. I¡¯ve already signed it!¡± It was a really resolute face. CEO Lee shook his head at that. Since they¡¯re minors, the contract is finalized only when the guardian¡¯s signature is also received. Looking at Kim Ju Young¡¯s bright face not knowing that, CEO Lee quietly organized the documents because he could not handle pouring cold water. His neck suddenly went numb as he thought of making confirmation calls to the parentster. * * * ¡°Hyung, did you bring alcohol to the dorm?¡± Dawn when everyone is asleep. What Ian saw as he headed to the kitchen to drink water was Lee Joo Hyuk, who was holding and drinking a can of beer. ¡°Sorry, can you keep it a secret from the others?¡± It wasn¡¯t something Ian wanted to notice either. Since most of this team¡¯s age group is underage and although it was even forbidden to bring alcohol into the dorm, Ian thought Lee Joo Hyuk is worth drinking alcohol as the team¡¯s only 20s. ¡®Ah, I want to drink.¡¯ £ÛMe too.] Ian would also have drunk soju from the crate if this body wasn¡¯t a minor. ¡°What is going on?¡± Ian sat across to talk to Lee Joo Hyuk, who seems to have a lot of thoughts. Lee Joo Hyuk¡¯s face turned red. No way, is he drunk from just a can of beer? ¡°Just¡­ We signed a contract today.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°So, I just¡­¡± Seeing that his pronunciation is slightly off, it seems he¡¯s really drunk. After that, Lee Joo Hyuk silently fiddled with the beer can. Ian refreshed the atmosphere. ¡°Hyung, are you drunk? Didn¡¯t we just feel good today?¡± ¡°Feeling good¡­ Good, of course.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re regretting signing it now?¡± ¡°No no.¡± It must beplicated here and there. Ian sighed andughed. ¡°Just say you¡¯re happy.¡± ¡°¡­Huh.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no answer if you think about it in advance.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Ian sat in front of Lee Joo Hyuk, who had been silent for a while, and said softly. For now, it¡¯s the first time signing an exclusive contract and we feel the debut is around the corner so everyone is excited. But perhaps Lee Joo Hyuk, who took the position of leader, must have had many thoughts. The oldest in the team. If the debut was postponed again this time, the debut would be until a few yearster. But by then, otherpanies also would not ept him and it would be toote to debut as an idol. Lee Joo Hyuk must have been nervous too. Ian actually sees the age of 20 as no different than a kid, but he must have had his own hardships while taking control of the spoiled members. The thought of ¡®I¡¯m happy to debut, but what if we failter?¡¯. There are a lot of groups debuting, but just how many of them will be popr. In general, the future of idols is decided two or three years after their debut. After seeing the results in that time, thepany decides whether to quit or push them further. If sales volume or recognition is not good even after going to the 4th or 5th album, mostpanies will probably put forward the next group as if they have waited. Besides, their BHL Entertainment wasn¡¯t a big agency that would push them well until the end of the contract. No matter how good thepany atmosphere is, they won¡¯t be holding on to something that doesn¡¯t make money. Even with ck Rush, sales are on the decline right now so the next album will be released after a long time and each member will switch to individual activities while soon preparing for the next group. The affiliated artist is not a person but a product. That was the normal world. ¡°Hyung, stop being pathetic and go to sleep. We have to take pictures tomorrow, but won¡¯t your face get bloated?¡± ¡°Heol, it shouldn¡¯t be like that.¡± Lee Joo Hyuk got up suddenly. He hid the empty beer can deep in the recycling bag. ¡°We¡¯ll be fine.¡± Before entering each of their rooms, the calmed down Lee Joo Hyuk tapped Ian¡¯s shoulder and smiled softly.
Chapter 11 Chapter 11 The 3 Great Improvisers.Grade B Trantion: Manually edited MTL. Tranted and interpreted as best as I can. Mixed with some Korean terms. Misinterpretation may ur due to limitedprehensive ability. Awkward English, bad grammar, and typos may often ur as Trantor is not fluent in English and not edited by Editor nor proofed by Proofreader. And High School 2017 starring Ian was aired. Trainees who heard the news couldn¡¯t stay still. They gathered in the living room, taking the lead that they should do monitoring rather than Ian. ¡°Wow, isn¡¯t it really damned scary?¡± ¡°Hey, didn¡¯t he really look like a bully? Ian, you can¡¯t be.¡± ¡°Somehow it felt unusual to crave for Kim Ju Young¡­¡± ¡°But, are there also bullies1Bully in here is iljin. Iljin is moreplicated than the usual bully. They are closer to gangsters at the school level because they are more organized. Sometimes even backed by an actual gangster group. in America?¡± The audio was full when several outgoing boys gathered. ¡°But he said that he yed American football. Isn¡¯t that what only insiders do in American series?¡± ¡°Wow, then have you dated a cheerleader?¡± ¡°We became famous, but his ex took the mound.¡±2 I honestly don¡¯t understand this one. ¡°No! No dating!¡± It¡¯s getting more and more immersed. Sigh, kiddies3 Actual term used is choding or elementary students. . Lee Joo Hyuk calmed them down like a trainer. ¡°Guys, let¡¯s lower the decibel. Another protestes from upstairs.¡± ¡°Right. Please stop talking nonsense.¡± Ian sighed. These were like cousins sticking to each other during the holidays.4 Some countries have the culture to go to their hometown, specifically parents or grands¡¯ house, on holidays. So, separated siblings and cousins will be in one ce. ¡°The real-time reaction came up asking who the bully boy was.¡± ¡°Iyeol~ It¡¯s lit.¡± Ian¡¯s tablet pad was already bing a public good for this group. If you put two bunk beds in a small room, the room will be full. So it¡¯s one room with four people. It was only a matter of time before anyone found out. ¡°Ian. Won¡¯t you be called from other ces after seeing that?¡± ¡°Ei. Can that be true, hyung?¡± It doesn¡¯t evene out for a few minutes¡­ Ian gave up his expectations. Still, there are times when people around support him because of his face and he loosens his heart. You should always be humble. If you let your guard down and get caught somewhere, it¡¯ll be very tiring. * * * ¡°Somehow everyone has no charms.¡± Cha Jun Ho, director of an investigation drama about a profiler with memory loss and a veteran detective ¡®ck Out¡¯, was flipping over the profiles of aspiring actors one by one. The role he was currently looking for had a scene where he was facing the main actor and it was a significant minor role that left decisive evidence. The actor he was looking for had to be able to handle this role. It was a role urgently set because the writer often revises the script. So, he didn¡¯t have time to choose so leisurely. While Cha Jun Ho was looking at several demo films, his ringtone rang. £ÛWhat are you doing?] ¡°Why is it? I am busy.¡± £ÛAh, you bastard is so harsh.] The person who called was Lee Sang Hyuk. He was Cha Jun Ho¡¯s senior at the same university. £ÛI found a really nice guy, you know? Any seat in the drama you¡¯re in?] ¡°This hyung is like a ghost. So, is it a request?¡± £ÛNo, I just rmend it. The kid is quite promising.] Cha Jun Ho raised his eyebrows. The master of discovering rookies. That Lee Sang Hyuk isn¡¯t asking to put someone in but just making a personal rmendation? Cha Jun Ho changed his sitting posture and asked for bait. ¡°Do you have a demo?¡± £ÛThere¡¯s nothing like that. It¡¯sing out tonight. In my drama] ¡°Please tell me more.¡± £ÛI sent a picture through the chat. Buy me a drinkter.] After hanging up, Cha Jun Ho searched for Channel K¡¯s schedule. And the next day, an unregistered phone number will be stamped on Park Ju Min¡¯s phone. * * * ¡°Good. I think this is enough.¡± Lee Joo Hyuk called Ian who was in the recording booth. The title song was finally confirmed as Jung Se Jun¡¯s song. He heard from Jin that Awy¡¯s selfposed song will only be included in their third album, but a songposed and written by Lee Joo Hyuk and Park Jin Hyuk was already scheduled to be included in the album. The future was already changing. ¡°Did I do well?¡± ¡°Good job. Especially ¡®If we meet again¡¯. I liked this part.¡± ¡°Good. It¡¯s all over.¡± Lee Joo Hyuk leaned his backfortably. ¡°The song is good, hyungs.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°I hope it goes well and the copyrightes out sweetly.¡± Lee Joo Hyuk pped the back of Park Jin Hyuk, who was counting his chickens in advance. ¡°If you think so, it bes the opposite. Do you start filming right away? ¡°Yep. I have to go a littleter. What about hyungs?¡± ¡°We have to do post-work. See youter.¡± They groaned, saying that they¡¯re still a long way off because it was still sloppy, but both of them looked good. Ian smirked. The song is really good. It¡¯s not just Ian¡¯s personal opinion. He heard that their selfposed song received a high score in the blind evaluation that they gave to the agency people. Since it even made it to the final 3 for the title candidates, wouldn¡¯t it be good to look forward to the next one? * * * Ian leaned against the back of the car. The one he was riding in was a van for Awy. ¡°Hyung, can you turn on the air-con a little cooler?¡± ¡°Oh okay, sorry. I¡¯ll lower it.¡± Park Dong Su, who came as Awy¡¯s manager, immediately adjusted the air conditioner. Although he was tenacious, he was not coercive to the members. He also had a kind personality, to the point a question arose if all thispany¡¯s people only gathered gentle people. Still, it was fortunate the person managing rookies was not someone who incites fear or suppresses. Ian readily epted the proposal received through Park Ju Min and was heading to the filming set. £ÛIf it¡¯s PD5Producer. Usually refers to a filming Director in the TV broadcasting field. Lee Sang Hyuk¡¯s rmendation, is it Director Jang? Hm¡­ No, is it him?] ¡®You¡¯ll find out if we go anyway. But why are you even guessing?¡¯ £ÛBut I¡¯m still curious.] Park Ju Min was excited about the first casting proposal, so he left out the main information. Well, the person is nice, but a screw is missing somewhere. It was a contact from Lee Sang Hyuk¡¯s rmendation, but there was no detailed exnation and it was a suggestion that it would be good to juste to the set firstly. There is no reason to reconsider for someone who hasn¡¯t even made a debut. If he listens Jin says this is not much or something, it will bother him for no reason. Ian was going to use Jin as his own Wiki after his debut. It was time for Jin¡¯s information to be of little use in the current situation where he has to reveal what to reveal. ¡®Still, I think I¡¯ll have a few lines if I get a call.¡¯ He was nervous because he didn¡¯t receive the script in advance. And the question of why there was no script in advance was solved. Ian was firstly surprised to see the director¡¯s face. He was secondly surprised by the author¡¯s name. And he was surprised again to see the main actor he will exchange lines with. £ÛWow. Now that I see it, it¡¯s not an easybination to get together like this.] Jin wandered around them as if it was interesting. Ian also nodded. First, Writer Jung Ji Yoon. Because her fickleness is so excessive, the scenario she¡¯s writing changes like ying chase. Because of that character, she is called the Queen of Scripts. Nevertheless, the writing was good and the work continued. She is conscious of the director and actors whether she is aware of blowing side scripts. Therefore, she¡¯s quite tolerant of the actor¡¯s sudden behavior. Main actor Jo Min Hwan. An insider in the entertainment industry that seniors and juniors say together. He was a person with a good personality, good sociability, and even sshing ideas. ¡®I haven¡¯t worked with that director, so I don¡¯t know. What do you know?¡¯ £ÛExcellent directing skills and polite. Good at collecting opinions. But the downside is that he¡¯s too generous. Put it badly, he¡¯s gullible.] And what the three have inmon. That is the ad-lib lover. The 3 Great Improvisers who will also be famous in the future gathered in one drama. ¡°First of all, I apologize for calling in a hurry without telling you in advance.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it, Director Cha.¡± Ian greeted with a bow. Director Cha handed over the script. ¡°I enjoyed your acting in High School 2017. I heard from Director Lee that you have a good memory¡­ You can do it, right?¡± ¡°Thank you for the opportunity.¡± He¡¯s polite too. Director Cha giggled. The Director asked for a few more things and immediately immersed himself in his work. It was a scene where the main actors talked while having lunch. Without even looking at it, Ian stood in a suitable ce and looked at the script. It was a delivery man role ording to the director, but there were not many lines as expected. ¡®Ad-lib lovers have gathered, but it¡¯s too bad to just follow the script.¡¯ £ÛI know I know. You¡¯re a fool if you miss this opportunity.] Hmm¡­ Ian immersed himself in the script. These days he was busy with the content for the album as the choreography practice and recording ovepped, so he was not familiar with the overall synopsis of this drama. Ian nced at Jin. £ÛHonestly, I know well about the writer, director, and actors. But I don¡¯t know because I don¡¯t watch dramas well.] The wiki is poor. Ian pouted his mouth and carefully looked at the script from beginning to end. £ÛHow¡¯s it?] ¡®I think I get the hang of it?¡¯ ¡°Hiya, this friend is so handsome¡±. ¡°Hello, sunbae nim.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be too stiff~ Call me hyung. You¡¯re the delivery man? What¡¯s your name? I can talk casually, right?¡± ¡°Yes, hyung. My name is Choi Ian.¡± ¡°The name is also worth the face. I¡¯m Jo Min Hwan.¡± Jo Min Hwan, who just finished filming, approached Ian. ying a veteran detective, he was wearing a pistol holster on his side. The other main actor who yed the profiler didn¡¯te because he had a solo scene. ¡°No wonder there were a lot of people around here.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°People have been looking at you for a while, didn¡¯t know?¡± When Ian looked around, some people turned their heads. They were minor actors and the filming staff who were free. Even the actors¡¯ staff stood around Ian. When Ian seemed to have noticed, the crowd scattered like dust. ¡°Hmm¡­ There¡¯s no need to run away like that.¡± Ian scratched his head. In the meantime, a small woman rushed and fixed Jo Min Hwan¡¯s makeup. At the same time, she didn¡¯t forget to nce at Ian. ¡°Min Ji, you. Look at that, her ears are red.¡± ¡°It is not!¡± ¡°It is okay to watch openly.¡± Jo Min Hwanughed at Choi Ian, who spoke without changing his face. Then he told the staff around him, ¡®I like him¡¯. Some staffughed. A camera filming the behind-the-scenes of the drama approached them due to the disturbance. Choi Ian became quite brazen. Honestly, it would be a deception if he was shy about attention with this face. Ian set the line as ¡®I know the best that I¡¯m handsome and I¡¯m the best¡¯. ¡°But don¡¯t you look too rich to be a delivery man?¡± Jo Min Hwan¡¯s stylist was already attached to Ian¡¯s side. She stared at Ian¡¯s face as if she were trying to satisfy her selfishness. ¡°Your bangs are long, so I think it¡¯ll be okay if I touch them like this¡­ Ah, do you have a separate staff by the way?¡± Unnecessary interference can be an act of exceeding authority. Ian shook his head. ¡°No, not yet¡­¡± ¡°Min Ji, what about this oppa?¡± Oppa will be upset? Jo Min Hwan lowered his shoulders. Still, he couldn¡¯t hide his natural physique. Ianughed haha. He has always been the same person. Even during Kim Yong Min¡¯s days, he was a person who carefully cared for each of the unnoticed minor roles. He is an actor who has just taken on the lead role currently, but he will star in two movies with 10 million viewers in the future. ¡°Did you finish reading the script?¡± ¡°Yes. But¡­¡± ¡°So there¡¯s something?¡± No matter if he is an ad-lib lover, Ian thinks there is a line to keep. Even in his previous life, Ian decided at least to match with the other actor in advance when he was ying ad-lib. ¡°This part. Can I add some lines?¡±
Chapter 12 Chapter 12 Delivery Boy Kim Tae Min. (1)Grade B Trantion: Manually edited MTL. Tranted and interpreted as best as I can. Mixed with some Korean terms. Misinterpretation may ur due to limitedprehensive ability. Awkward English, bad grammar, and typos may often ur as Trantor is not fluent in English and not edited by Editor nor proofed by Proofreader. S#31. Alley In Front Chicken House (Day) -Hae Jun, who fought with Ji Won, finds someone in the alley. -Delivery Boy tries to run away on a motorcycle but is caught by Hae Jun. Hae Jun ¨C (hand beckoning) Hey, delivery. Delivery Boy ¨C Aish, why¡¯s it. Hae Jun ¨C Don¡¯t you have anything to say to me. Delivery Boy ¨C What¡¯s it. It¡¯s said to be a shoddy script, so there was no action description and no proper situation exnation. But it¡¯s a role facing the main character nominally, shouldn¡¯t the writer pay a little more attention to the minor role¡¯s acting directions? Well, directing is the director¡¯s business. Ian thus created a new character. Delivery Boy¡¯s name is Kim Tae Min. Why is he a delivery man when he¡¯s still young. Because the family situation is not good. Why does Delivery Boy avoid Hae Jun? He went to a juvenile detention center formitting a crime when he was young and it was set that Hae Jun was the one who put him directly. Seeing that Hae Jun suddenly starts asking if there¡¯s anything to say, it¡¯s like treating Delivery Boy as a petty criminal. Adding theft to his crime. Ian wore a vest handed over by the staff. The multi-pocket vest was engraved with arge delivery app mark. It was a PPL1 Product cement. An advertising technique by inserting product/brand image as props in a movie/drama in return for sponsorship. It¡¯s a pretty smart ad because it¡¯s not annoying. as it was not covered with tape2 If it¡¯s not sponsored, they should cover it. Sometimes they use fictitious names, but only on important things. separately. Hae Jun ¨C Haven¡¯t you seen anyone suspicious while going around here. Someone with a scar on his neck. Delivery Boy ¨C How do I know that. Just how many people I saw passing by. Hae Jun ¨C Hey, you have a good memory. Smart enough for the detectives to catch him directly because of his good memory. Hae Jun ¨C (show the montage to Delivery Boy) Look at it well. It¡¯s a guy with a scar like this on his neck, okay? Delivery Boy ¨C Ah, I¡¯m busy. Hae Jun ¨C If you happen to see it while doing delivery, call me. Delivery Boy is annoyed and takes Hae Jun¡¯s business card. The script ends here. Ian continued to wait and one more scene was filmed in the evening. Ian roughly ruffled his hair. ¡°¡®Kay, let¡¯s go right in!¡± At Director Cha¡¯s words, Ian handed the script to the manager. Park Dong Soo held out his fist while receiving the script, saying to do well. Ian smirked. Holding props prepared in advance, he stood in front of the chicken house following the director¡¯s instructions. The cue sign came and Ian carried the delivery bag then loaded it onto the motorcycle. ¡°Hey, delivery.¡± ¡°Aish, why¡¯s it.¡± Ian, no, currently fictional figure Kim Tae Min, looked back annoyed. Jo Min Hwan, in the form of a detective, approaches Ian. ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything to say to me.¡± ¡°What¡¯s it.¡± Jo Min Hwan puts his face to Ian. He even sticks his body like arge detective giving pressure. The rebellious Delivery Boy lowers his eyes at the detective¡¯s intense stare. Ian added a line here. ¡°Wha¡­ What¡¯s it.¡± The detective¡¯s gaze staring intently as if he really found something. Wondering if the rookie had forgotten his lines due to repeated lines, the director was about to shout a cut. ¡°Agh¡­ I really didn¡¯t do anything!¡± ¡°Really?¡± Jo Min Hwan responds as if he had been waiting. Director Cha¡¯s eyes lit up. The camera director tactfully zooms in on their faces. Breathtaking atmosphere. Ian shouts here. ¡°Ah, I forgot one chicken leg! Is that such a big fault?!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s anything else, but chicken leg is a crime, you delivery beggar brat.¡± Jo Min Hwan hits Ian in the back of his head. Ah shoot! Ian rubs the back of his head annoyed. ¡°So¡­ Am I being arrested?¡± he looks sharply and cowers his body. It was such a pathetic appearance. They continued to say the given lines then Director Cha shouted a cut. It passed without NG in just one try. The Director asked Jo Min Hwan, who wasing to monitor. ¡°Hiya, you bring wit into a simple situation. As expected of Min Hwan ssi. Was this why you both were talking to each other in the corner?¡± ¡°Director, I didn¡¯t do anything. That friend suggested it.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. Wow, he has a handsome face and also has good ideas. Such an excellent guy. I also learned today that there are delivery beggars3Referring to those delivery men who stole a portion of the food they deliver. . Did Director Cha know?¡± ¡°Yeah, I heard it from my daughter. Ian ssi? Come and monitor.¡± To think that he brought the issue that went around themunity in the situation where he just received the script. And that also to add his own lines. There was a truly daring side. And the Director, who is also an ad-lib lover, smiled happily because he liked it. ¡°Director Lee didn¡¯t rmend for nothing.¡± ¡°That person¡­ Who is that person?¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s surprising. Writer Jung. What are you doing here? Shouldn¡¯t you be writing a script?¡± And another person was watching that. It was Writer Jung Ji Yoon, the Queen of Side Script. Writer Jung had arrived at the scene, after wondering if she would be able to write well when she saw the filming at the scene. It¡¯s urgent but even she came to watch the filming, the assistant writer scrambled next to her. Then, they opened their mouths toward the approaching Ian. ¡°Shoot¡­ Crazy handsome.¡± ¡°Hey, you¡¯re a writer. Oh my.¡± His look was unbelievable on the screen, but it was no joke when he came close. The assistant writer¡¯s face has already turned red. Ian greeted with a 90-degree bow. ¡°Our drama writer, Jung Ji Yoon.¡± ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Writer Jung, let¡¯s monitor it together. I think we can use something.¡± Ian actually can look back on his acting from a more variety of angles through Jin, but he quickly approached at the Director¡¯s proposal. ¡®Uh¡­ I don¡¯t like it, but.¡¯ £ÛWhy? It was a good job, though? If you don¡¯t like it, ask to film it again.] Ian slightly raised his head. The staff all had dark circles. It¡¯s already a mess because of the side scripts, but he thought the atmosphere would bepletely weird if a minor wanted to film it again. Director Cha was paying attention to Writer Jung. The dialogues fit well and the chemistry between actors was considerable. He wished that the script would be sent sooner after seeing this ande up with an idea. Writer Jung stared at the monitor silently for a long time. Then she suddenly got up. The director¡¯s wish worked. ¡°I¡­ have to go.¡± ¡°Writer Jung¡­ Does somethinge to mind?¡± Even the staff around them pricked their ears at the director¡¯s voice full of anticipation. Side scripts are tiring for actors, tiring for the director, and also tiring for the staff. Everyone looked at Writer Jung with expectation, since she¡¯ll bepletely running on the highway once her blockage cleared. ¡°Ah I can¡¯t. Ji Hye.¡± ¡°Yes. Writer Jung, here you go.¡± The assistant writer hurriedly took out aptop and opened it. The writer sat on the floor and danced on the keyboard. Director Cha burst intoughter with delight then covered his mouth with his hand. ¡°Ian ssi, you acted so well. Thank you very very much.¡± For inspiring Writer Jung. Director Cha eagerly held Ian¡¯s hand. In addition, Jo Min Hwan also tapped Ian¡¯s shoulder. His face was also full of smiles. Ian has nothing to film after this. He appears only briefly in text messages that he had seen the person in the montage somewhere. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Director Cha.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do one work together with meter, okay?¡± ¡°Is hyung taking care of me?¡± Ianughed. It is absurd that this proposal is made by 10 million actors in the future. Whether it was not an empty talk, Jo Min Hwan received his phone from the manager and handed it out to Ian. ¡°Of course~ Here, put your number.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ For now, I¡¯ll put my number, hyung. But I can¡¯t use my phone.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t use it? Why? Is it broken? ¡°I gave it to thepany. Manager hyung!¡± Why gave it to thepany? Director Cha also looked at Ian. Even until Awy¡¯s manager Park Dong Soo rushed to give out a business card, Jo Min Hwan had an expression that he didn¡¯t understand. ¡°For now, if you contact this side¡­¡± ¡°You gave it to thepany?¡± Jo Min Hwan, who received Park Dong Soo¡¯s business card, asked back. Ian also tilted his head. Is there a problem? ¡°I have to be first in music shows to get it back.¡± ¡°First on music shows? You¡¯re not an actor?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not, I¡¯m from AWY¡­ We¡¯re debuting in December.¡± ¡°Idol?¡± Yes. Ian nodded. Jo Min Hwan exhaled in disbelief. Seeing that Director Cha also had a face hearing it for the first time, it seems that he had never heard it from Director Lee Sang Hyuk. ¡°Hey, I thought you were a rookie actor because you had an actor visual and also good at acting.¡± ¡°Haha. Thanks for thepliment, hyung.¡± ¡°Wow, look at this? So, you haven¡¯t even made an official debut yet, but you even suggested an ad-lib? Wow, you punk.¡± Jo Min Hwan smiled with admiration. He is polite, had a good-looking face, and even knows how to take care of his share. Above all, he liked that he was good at acting and passed through the scene without being blocked. ¡°I saved it for now. I¡¯ll text you.¡± ¡°Yes. Hyung. But do you know this? Hyung is the first celebrity to get my number.¡± ¡°Really?¡± See? I¡¯m this kind of person. Jo Min Hwan shrugged at the people around him. ¡°Then you must be busy now, right?¡± ¡°Yes, Director Cha. There¡¯s not much time left until our debut¡­¡± ¡°Seeing Writer Jung like that, I think there will be additional filming though¡­.¡± ¡°Is that so? I don¡¯t know if I can make the time.¡± Ian looked back at the manager. Park Dong Soo shook his head. ¡°No way!¡± Writer Jung, whose ears were open even though she was tapping the keyboard, got up suddenly as if possessed. She strode over and grabbed the director. ¡°Director Cha. There is a scene where he will appear. You have to hold him.¡± ¡°How¡¯s it, can¡¯t you make time?¡± The Director, who quickly changed his stance, looked at Ian. ¡°It¡¯s not a scene thates out a lot, though? It won¡¯t take a long time.¡± ¡°Do you think the script wille out quickly?¡± ¡°Tomorrow. I¡¯ll write it by tomorrow.¡± Writer Jung thought Ian was a rookie actor and was careless, so it felt like someone hit her in the head. Because rookie actors will runing here no matter when asked toe right away. However, to think that he¡¯s busy! This is because what she was urgently writing now was thecking parts about the criminal and the scene in which Delivery Boy recognized that criminal the foremost. Besides, the reason why she can¡¯t just force him toe out is that this shoddy side scripts situation was the writer¡¯s fault in the first ce. It is even more so since they didn¡¯t make the offer a few days in advance because it was a one-time minor role. The director and the writer stared at him eagerly. Jo Min Hwan, the assistant writer, and staff members. Everyone thought Ian was the one who could break through this sleepless situation. Ian looked at Park Dong Soo. Park Dong Soo checked the schedule on his cell phone. If Ian came out more, it would be beneficial for thepany as well. £ÛYou¡¯ll need to follow the choreography hard. Can you do it?] ¡®¡­I should try it.¡¯ He had to take additional filming of the music video. An additional photoshoot was also left. And he had to practice choreography. In between, he needs to film self-produced content. Then the only time for additional filming was practice. ¡°You need to cut practice time.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± The manager seemed to have the same thought, so he approached the writer and the assistant director to coordinate the schedule. He saved the sleep of the drama cast, but he could not save his own sleep. A future is clearly drawn where he sleeps in the corner of the practice room. Ian¡¯s mind went nk. It didn¡¯t feel bad though. It¡¯s also a better choice to show his face more because in the end, his ad-lib worked and the amount increased.
Chapter 13 Chapter 13 Delivery Boy Kim Tae Min. (2)Grade B Trantion: Manually edited MTL. Tranted and interpreted as best as I can. Mixed with some Korean terms. Misinterpretation may ur due to limitedprehensive ability. Awkward English, bad grammar, and typos may often ur as Trantor is not fluent in English and not edited by Editor nor proofed by Proofreader. Ian¡¯s filmed scene was aired the very next week after he filmed it. The Profiler, the second protagonist in the y, fails to do profiling properly in the aftermath of memory loss, and the reasoning is strangely deviating. The Detective originally badly viewed him as a parachute1 A nickname to call someone who gets ced in a job because of someone higher. Nepotism. , so he quarreled with him about every single thing. And eventually, they argue over matters rted to the case and the Detective tries to investigate alone, excluding him from the investigation. However. The Detective, who is far from being an intelligent person, faces difficulties in the investigation and visits someone to get any help he can 2 Used a metaphor here. The Korean version is quite cute. ¡°Even to borrow a cat¡¯s hand.¡± . And Ian¡¯s first appearance appears from the back. Even from a distance, the tall height like a door and the wide shoulders are caught in the middle of the screen. The vest with arge delivery app embroidered on it felt like it became a fashion because he wore it. The Delivery Boy¡¯s face is zoomed in when he looks back at the Detective¡¯s call. A rebellious expression with a frown. -?? ¨CHeol crazy super handsome -Who? -What¡¯s his name brrr People who were running the drama in real-time reacted immediately. Real-time reactions continued even though he disappeared far away on a motorcycle and the scene changed. Thepany distributed the prepared articles of course. Who¡¯s The Handsome Delivery In ¡®ck Out¡¯? ¡®BHL Ent¡¯s Next Group AWY, Choi Ian¡¯ AWY, Unveils Debut Concept Photo¡­ The Eye-Catching ¡®ck Out¡¯ Delivery Boy ¡®Choi Ian¡¯ The drama ranked second in viewership ratings at the same period, so the ripple effect was greater than expected. In addition, the acting was not inferior to the handsome face. Who Are In The Group Of The ¡®ck Out¡¯ Delivery Boy? Child Actor Jo Tae Woong, ¡®K-Star¡¯ Kim Hyun¡­ Along with Ian, the former child actor Jo Tae Woong and Kim Hyun, who made his face known in audition programs, also start to rise and fall. And the next week. The next episode of ¡®ck Out¡¯ aired. The beginning of the y was suddenly dark. In the small semi-basement kitchen, water dripped down from the old plumbing, and trash was scattered everywhere as if it had not been cleaned for a long time. And things that appear to be bloodstains wet all over the wall. The angle moves to the floor. A woman¡¯s white feet are visible through the gap of the open bathroom door. The Serial Killer, which the Detective and Profiler were looking for,mitted another crime. The camera briefly illuminates an unidentified woman, and when ites back to the living room, arge man is lying in the middle of the living room. Is the culprit sleeping? However, he was rigid with no movement. The camera briefly illuminates the man¡¯s firm hands then shows the face of the body. -That crazy criminal, again? -Showing it in detail like this, is Officer Min dead? ¨CHeol fuk? -Not Officer Min wtf The man¡¯s identity was the handsome delivery boy who came out justst week. He was covered in blood and his unclosed eyes were out of focus. Plop, plop. The sound of dripping water wets the quiet dawn. Tears fell from his eyes, which soon became a cold corpse, and faded out. After such a shocking opening, the main story begins. * * * Delivery Boy Kim Tae Min was in a bad mood because the Detective¡¯s words he heard a few days ago did not leave his mind. He nces around the neck of the customers receiving the food while going out for delivery. Then, he shakes his head. I have to know my position. Am I police? What am I doing ying detective? Detective Park Hae Jun will only give thanks and say, ¡°Hiyup, eat this¡±. ¡°Ah shoot- It can¡¯t even make money¡­¡± Let¡¯s not worry about it. The Delivery Boy gets back on the motorcycle. The Delivery Boy runs along the alley with food. He presses the bell. It¡¯s delivery~. The front door opens. The squeaking noise was loud as if it had not been oiled. The camera shows an exceptionally erged view of a man¡¯s neck. ¡°34,000 won.¡± The Delivery Boy nces at the man while on the phone then lowers his head again. The wireless earphones in the Delivery Boy¡¯s ear yed music. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Please work hard.¡± The Delivery Boy gets the cash handed over by the man and gets on the motorcycle. No way. It can¡¯t be, right? The Delivery Boy doesn¡¯t go far, stops and looks back. A faint scar on the man¡¯s neck. And the fishy scent that touched the tip of his nose. Like something he smelled before¡­ ¡°It can¡¯t be.¡± Shall I check one more time? The Delivery Boy seemed to think for a while andughed spontaneously. ¡°Ah, Detective Park ruined me.¡± As he thought of Detective Park, who made him worry for nothing. Sheet! It got on his nerves. It¡¯s all because I¡¯m low on sugar. He went into a nearby convenience store to buy candy or something. * * * ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°Delivery!¡± And the Delivery Boy finds the man again. ¡°The delivery had arrived.¡± ¡°I forgot something.¡± What¡¯s it? The food came well with nothing missing. My ¡®wife¡¯ is also eating well? The man opens the door for now. The grumpy-faced Delivery Boy seen earlier gives out a can of drink. ¡°It¡¯s a service. The boss didn¡¯t give it to me before.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± The man epts the soda can with a subtle gaze. The Delivery Boy took advantage of the gap and peeked near the slightly bowed neck of the man. He didn¡¯t see the montage closely, but the scar on the man¡¯s neck was sure. The Delivery Boy managed his facial expression. He turns around with an indifferent look as if he is not interested in anything. Good, now go up3 Basement level rented rooms are quitemon in Korea in case you¡¯re confused why going up. and go over that alley¡­ Then let¡¯s contact Detective Park. The Delivery Boy goes up the stairs at a pace that is not too hasty nor too slow. Even though the actions were well calcted just in case he notices it, cold sweat flows on his face. Thump, thump. His heart was beating rapidly. The Delivery Boy felt as if he were climbing to the mountain top even though he was only going up one floor. ¡®But why can¡¯t I hear the door closing yet?¡¯ And it was finally the moment to take thest step. ¡°Aah- Got caught.¡± The Delivery Boy falls forward with a dull sound. And the sound of dragging echoes through the hallway. * * * Eugh, it felt like someone stabbed him in the head with an awl. A hot liquid runs across his forehead. His closed eyes are slowly open. The Delivery Boy crumpled his face in pain. He closed and opened his blurry eyes a few times to focus. A semi-basement with a damp atmosphere. Scattered disposable containers. He can hear unusual pounding sounds softly. ¡°Eugh¡­ Ack¡­¡± The Delivery Boy groaned because he couldn¡¯t bear the pain. Where is this¡­ He tried to get up, but couldn¡¯t. Because someone tied his limbs together. He was lying nkly as if he had not yet figured out the situation. ¡°Awake?¡± The Delivery Boy looked up at the slightly resonant voice. The man who enters the bathroom raises his upper body with a calm smile. He was all covered in blood. He bes alert at the particrly visible bloodstains on the white tiles. He found someone suspected of being a serial killer, so¡­ The Delivery Boy twisted his body like crazy. Yet he couldn¡¯t even move an inch as his limbs tied so tightly. ¡°Don¡¯t do that too much. It¡¯ll hurt.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ You¡­ What kind of bastard are you!¡± ¡°You know that.¡± When he found a white hand sticking out above the bathroom, he mmed his shoulder on the floor. The man, the Serial Killer, sat leisurely in the bathroom. And he gulps the soda ced on the sink. ¡°How¡­ How do you¡­¡± The Delivery Boy looked at the Killer with an iprehensible look. How did he know? I didn¡¯t look at him openly. I also deliberately adjusted my steps. But why? There was no sense of incongruity in the Delivery Boy¡¯s actions even to the viewers. It was normal as if he had not suspected the Killer in any of his actions. ¡°This, I drink it well.¡± The Killer who finished the drink got up and walked to the Delivery Boy. The Killer puts an empty can in front of the Delivery Boy. The camera closes up the empty can. The expression of the Delivery Boy, who was still full of questions, spreads surprise as if he had attained enlightenment. ¡°Hh¡­ Hhhhh¡­¡± ¡°Such a pity, you¡¯re handsome. Even young.¡± The Killer enters the bathroom again and approaches as he drags something. The Delivery Boy is shocked and crawls toward the front door, twisting his whole body. It was thest attempt, but it stops in a few centimeters due to restricted limbs. The Delivery Boy screamed. ¡°Eagh¡­ Aaaagh!! Is anyone there?! Save me!!!¡± A voice that shouts loud enough to be hoarse maximizes desperation. The Delivery Boy¡¯s eyes shake relentlessly as the Killer approaches a span away. He shakes his whole body so much due to fear, that his jaw also shakes. He breathes like a person with hyperventtion. It was an extreme act of a person who was about to face a killer. ¡°Hh¡­ Huk¡­ Sa¡­ Save¡­ Huuk¡­.¡± ¡°You would¡¯ve be my ¡®son¡¯ though.¡± The Killer raises the ax with both hands. A silhouette of the ax is briefly shown and the screen suddenly turns ck. Whack. There¡¯s a dull sound. After 3 seconds of silence, production sponsor banners appear and the episode ends. * * * ¡°Woah¡­ Creeeepy.¡± ¡°Crazy.¡± The trainees, who were huddled together in the practice room, eximed only then. Kim Ju Young turned off Ian¡¯s tablet pad. Ian quickly hid it in his bag in case it was caught by thepany people. Because there was an order from thepany not to look at the Inte reaction for no reason. ¡°I thought Ian was really crazy.¡± ¡°It¡¯s crazy, really.¡± ¡°Hyung, please teach me how to act.¡± Ian scratched his head. It¡¯s not the time to be immersed in the afterglow like this¡­ Ian tapped Kim Ju Young on the shoulder. ¡°Hey, look at my dance.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± When they got up, other trainees jumped up too. The debut showcase was just around the corner. They had to be more thorough because the group¡¯s concept was perfect group dance. ¡°But how did the culprit know?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he just a person who¡¯s suspicious of everything?¡± Kim Ju Young tried to watch Ian¡¯s movements, but the question was still not resolved. Park Jin Hyuk had no idea. How did the Killer know the Delivery Boy was suspicious of him? The trainees did not erase the question. Six people stared intently at Ian. Ian, the only one who knew the reason, smiled calmly. ¡°Well. Why did he know?¡± ¡°Hint pliz.¡± ¡°The drink.¡± The driiink? Some of them frown. But we still don¡¯t understand? Jo Tae Woong was thinking with a serious expression on a rare asion and ¡°Woaah!¡± shouted. ¡°Ah! Aah! Crazy!¡± ¡°Oh¡­?¡± ¡°Jo Tae Woong, don¡¯t go nuts and tell us quickly.¡± Jo Tae Woong makes a fuss and Lee Joo Hyuk nods. The tactless Park Jin Hyuk urged to tell the answer. ¡°The drink¡¯s can shown earlier!¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t a drink for business use!¡± ¡°¡­Uuh?¡± Beverages sold at restaurantse with a separatebel for business use. Delivery is the same. If the boss hadn¡¯t given the service, of course he should have given him a drink for business use. Not a drink from a convenience store. Park Jin Hyuk, Park Seo Dam, and Kim Hyun, who did not understand, btedly admired that. £ÛWow, even when I look at it again, the writer and director are really perverts¡­] ¡®What perverts, they have good directing skills.¡¯ The episode aired today was a decisive moment when the Killer¡¯s face was revealed. And Ian was satisfied that he appeared in that part. There were times when he ground his teeth due to the script in the days of Kim Yong Min, but now the defense of the writer and director came out on his own. £ÛI can¡¯t believe they¡¯re already thinking of soaking you in blood, sweat, and tears. That¡¯s why they¡¯re perverts.] ¡®Why¡¯s that?¡¯ £ÛOriginally, the more you roll and roll actors, the better it is.] ¡®Heeh?¡¯ Ian stared intently at Jin while checking the movements one by one under Kim Ju Young¡¯s guidance. £ÛSigh, what do you know.] The fanatics go crazy about this. Jin swam softly in the air. * * * After that, they couldn¡¯t watch the next broadcast due to the practice time. But in the next episode. Detective Park Hae Jun, who was dispatched after receiving a report that a scream was heard, finds the body of Delivery Boy Kim Tae Min. A crack appeared in his stiff expression. He sighs and grabs the arm of the Profiler who just arrived at the scene. ¡°Hey, I was wrong.¡± An apology came out of the mouth of the straightforward and stubborn detective. The Profiler raised his eyebrows. ¡°¡­Seriously?¡± ¡°I have to catch that bastard. Help me.¡± His voice is calm, but his eyes zing with anger. The Profiler is determined again by his resolution. ¡°Right¡­ We have to catch him.¡± Kim Tae Min also allowed the main character to wake up. The Delivery Boy role took up more presence than Ian thought.
AmaliaJ¡¯s Note I think I¡¯m one of those fanatics mentioned by Jin¡­? Btw, the drama¡¯s plot is quite good too right? Besides crime drama is my fav¡­ Chapter 14 Chapter 14 Debut Showcase. (1)Grade B Trantion: Manually edited MTL. Tranted and interpreted as best as I can. Mixed with some Korean terms. Misinterpretation may ur due to limitedprehensive ability. Awkward English, bad grammar, and typos may often ur as Trantor is not fluent in English and not edited by Editor nor proofed by Proofreader. After Ian¡¯s additional filming was aired, ¡®ck Out¡¯ upied the real-time search term. With the identity of the Killer that has been hidden under the veil and the realistic screaming performance of the Delivery Boy, it reimed first ce in viewership rating in the same period. -Wasn¡¯t ckout super dope? -So lit -But who¡¯s the delivery boy -It said he¡¯s going to debut as an idol? Of course, the portal site¡¯s reaction also exploded. This time the agency did not particrly do any marketing. -Promoting a group that will debut soon (data alert) (tl;dr) (NOruiningthispromotionpost) They¡¯re the group of ck out delivery boy yup -Second half of the year rookie boy band debut teaser This is because people who have been watching with interest for a long time voluntarily posted promotion posts. As word-of-mouth spreads, some Homma create home page ounts. It was to get a quick lead and attract followers. -Shall we go film them? -Showcase tickets still on sale go go Showcase tickets were not free. Tickets, which had been priced at 10,000 won to prevent no-show1When a reservation is booked but no onees up on the scheduled day or is canceled abruptly. , quickly sold out. ¡°It was sold out?¡± ¡°Woah¡­¡± And this news also spread to the trainees. Their eyes, which had sunken because they couldn¡¯t sleep properly, were immediately filled with vitality. ¡°Crazy. Won¡¯t we be superstars if it¡¯s like this?!¡± Everyoneughed at Jo Tae Woong¡¯s fuss. Superstars just because the showcase is sold out once. He already drank too much kimchi soup.2 Referring to the idiom equal to ¡°don¡¯t count your chickens before they are hatched¡±. But Ian also felt good. There was no mention of them anywhere, let alone the debut showcase in his previous life. ¡®How was it in the past?¡¯ £ÛWell, maybe 300 people came?] The 300 people in the past became 1,000 people. With the present gradually changing from the past, there is hope. £ÛI-One was in Gocheok. 20,000 people. A thousand is still far away.] ¡®You. Don¡¯t keep talking about them.¡¯ As can be seen, Jin was also good at being a party-pooper. ¡°Guys, you know it starts now, right? Watch your words and actions. Also, say greetings diligently. You know, right?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Manager Park Dong Soo made a new request. The trainees couldn¡¯t control their gradually rising cheekbones and eventually screamed. ¡°Don¡¯t regret if your face is stuffy like a steamed bun in the article pictures, so go home early and sleep.¡± The manager sighed on how to control those fussy brats and left the practice room. 12th December 2017. They are finally making their debut. *** Hannam-dong B Square3 Blue Square. A performance venue by Interpark. Not just music concerts but musicals (usually by foreign performers) are also held here. . Trainees in training suits went up on the stage. It was a performance hall with up to three floors, so the ceiling looked spacious and open. ¡°Owh, it¡¯s cold.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it bigger than expected?¡± ¡°We are performing here?¡± Park Jin Hyuk looked around. The seats are not all full until the third floor. Only the first floor was scheduled to be filled. The second floor was the seats for family and acquaintances. ¡®Isn¡¯t the stage and audience seat quite close?¡¯ £ÛIf you make a mistake, it¡¯ll be obvious.] Based on the water bottle ced in the center of the stage, the members took their positions. The debut showcase was scheduled to feature a total of three songs. The first is a light bad song, so they sit down and start. The second was a song in which Lee Joo Hyuk and Park Jin Hyuk participated. And thest one was the title song. ¡°Wow¡­ What¡¯s that?¡± The sound of Ian warming up his voice without a microphone rang the performance hall. The sound engineers raised their heads and fixed their eyes on the stage. ¡°Such an amazing voice.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t we need to turn down his mic volume?¡± When each of them sat in a chair and took a posture, the sound engineer yed the prepared AR4All Recorded. The music file where everything is recorded from the instrument and the singing voice. Tho, I think it should be MR in this case but¡­ I just put what the author wrote. . A bad song with a piano melody and feeling like a stormy lighthouse was yed. ¡°The song is good.¡± The sound engineer nced at the stage while adjusting the sound. Choi Ian started the intro with a husky voice to suit the mood of the song. They thought he was an ipetent visual member from a nce, but his voice is unusual. As the song reached the climax, they were amazed to hear the voice that easily hit the high notes. He has a good timbre and is rich in the vocal range. ¡°I once yed Teacher5The Teacher title here is used to call people with great seniority or well respected in any field, regardless of the speaker¡¯s affiliation. Kim¡¯s live a few years ago. Kyaa~ Teacher Kim is a real legend. He was very amazing.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so jealous you jerk. Are you bragging?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it. That guy feels like Teacher Kim.¡± ¡°Ah, don¡¯t be over the top. To put soon debuted chicks and Teacher Kim together. If you want topare,pare it properly.¡± Am I exaggerating? He didn¡¯t let go of his gaze on the stage while thinking that. At least, the sound engineer thought it was unrivaled than other idol debut teams. After the bad song ended, two ARs were yed. The title was dominated by intense choreography with high difficulty. ¡°They¡¯re going to make it¡±. No one had a faster or slower tempo, whether they had matched the sum well. The choreography of seven people jumping at the same time was cool even for the same man. * * * Rehearsal is also like the real thing. The members watched the rehearsal video and gave feedback on what wascking. The rehearsal video was scheduled to be uploaded shortly after the debut showcase. ¡°Seo Dam¡¯s expression is so hard here.¡± ¡°Look at Jo Tae Woong¡¯s wink. Disgusting¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s disgusting. Isn¡¯t that too harsh? Then, how about you do something about that expression. I can feel the evilness from your smile.¡± ¡°What evilness! Aargh!¡± Kim Ju Young and Jo Tae Woong giggled even while dissing each other. Everyoneughed at Jo Tae Woong¡¯s joke. It seems it¡¯s good to debut. They looked like they wouldugh even when seeing a passing bird. ¡°It¡¯s obvious that Seo Dam was looking at the lyrics below. You have to keep your eyes on the camera.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ I guess I¡¯m nervous.¡± People don¡¯t memorize all the lyrics when performing. The lyrics appear on the prompter located in the performance hall, which is often used at concerts and live broadcasts. ¡°We need to keep our expressions until the end, though? Look at Choi Ian struggling to death here.¡± ¡°Really? Eaargh¡­¡± Ian hurriedly watched the video. At the end of the music, Kim Hyun found Ian¡¯s loosened expression because it was hard for a moment. 6For those who don¡¯t understand. Ian struggles with the dance, so after the music ends, his face shows that he just passed an ordeal even for a moment. ¡°Still, the choreography matched well. We can just do it like this.¡± Lee Joo Hyuk patted everyone¡¯s shoulders with a proud expression. ¡°Guys, we need to get ready soon.¡± Manager Park Dong Soo knocked on the waiting room door. The members moved to a powder room provided in the performance hall. The staff dispatched from the contracted shop7It¡¯s rare for Korean celebs to have personal stylists or make-up artists. Mostly went to a ce called ¡°shop¡± to have make-up and hair styled before going to their schedule. touched their hairstyles and started to put on stage make-up. ¡°Hyung, your head is bleeding.¡± ¡°Then, are you watering the nts?¡± ¡°Owh¡­ I thought Christmas was already here.¡± Everyone dyed their hair except for Jo Tae Woong and Ian, who maintained ck hair due to their appearances in the dramas. ¡°I¡¯m going to have purple hair for the next album.¡± Jo Tae Woong muttered. Park Seo Dam was dark green ash and Kim Ju Young was red. Water in each dyed hair color was dripping with the sweat flowing from the intense rehearsal. ¡°I¡¯ll have to clean this right after the stage is over¡±. ¡°Woah, Ian received the make-up well.¡± ¡°His face is alreadyplete.¡± Despite the busy staff going back and forth, their chatter did not stop. Ian, who finished his make-up, changed into the prepared stage costume. ¡°Wow, our costumes are?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that cool?¡± When the staff brought a mobile clothes rail, all the members gathered. Each of them took out clothes with their name tags and looked at them for a long time. The stylist swept her nose at the appearance. The specially made stage costumes gave the impression of uniforms. The details of the attached metal decorations were different for each member, so it seemed they have spent quite the money. It was heard that the stylist has 8 years of experience in cosy costume alone. ¡°Guys! Before getting dressed, please attach the in-ear and mic first!¡± The stylists and staff hurriedly told the members to take off their clothes on the spot. Park Dong Soo brought arge box and held it in front of them. ¡°Your in-ear monitors came out.¡± ¡°Wow!¡± ¡°When CEO Leees, say thank you.¡± When the debut teaser photo was taken, a stranger came to measure their ear sizes. It was because of the custom in-ears, which was a debut gift from the CEO of the agency. £ÛIsn¡¯t it a named maker? Seeing each have separate designs, it¡¯ll be at least 3 million.] ¡®Crazy¡­¡¯ Each of their initials was engraved on the in-ears. It wasn¡¯t just engraved, but embedded with cubic8Cubic Zirconia. A type of synthetic diamond. . It will sparkle beautifully when it receives the stage light. ¡°As expected of Light King God CEO Lee.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ Look at how shiny this is.¡± The members lifted the in-ear case with delight. * * * The members put on costumes with the help of the stylists and chatted loudly. £ÛIt¡¯s good that the kids aren¡¯t nervous.] ¡®They¡¯re probably really nervous, though?¡¯ £ÛOh yeah?] After more than a year together, he was able to roughly grasp what they¡¯re feeling. Although they used to talk a lot, the fact that they talk andugh more than usual is proof that they are quite nervous. After putting on stage costumes, make-up, and even setting the hairstyles, the tired trainees suddenly became idols. ¡°Aren¡¯t you guys pretty cool?¡± ¡°Hyung is cool too, though?¡± When Lee Joo Hyuk spoke, the other membersughed. Ian didn¡¯t know because he didn¡¯t think about it separately, but now that he thinks about it, the average appearance of the members is quite high. The time was already past 3:30. There is a press showcase at 4 pm. The article was scheduled to be released immediately and the video was scheduled to be released after the release of the song at 6 pm. These days, mediapanies are also taking and uploading videos one by one because they pay attention to video streaming sites. ¡°Guys, be careful with tongue slip. Whatever the question is, write it down on a paper first.¡± Seo Su Ryeon, director of BHL Entertainment, sincerely requested. Dealing with reporters was one of the areas of education they received before debut. They had to be careful in answering because even trivial words were exaggerated to be published as an article. And it can be a plus factor if they take notes then answer even questions with obvious answers. The press showcase will only show two songs excluding the bad song due to time. This is because photos with choreographye out more diversely than static music. ¡°We¡¯ll bring your family after the press showcase, so do your best.¡± £ÛAre your parentsing too?] ¡®They¡¯re busy and won¡¯t be able toe, probably? How is it outside?¡¯ £ÛThere are a lot of reporters, huh? There are more than before.] It¡¯s a stage where only reporters are invited, but there are more people than in previous life? Doesn¡¯t it sound like he has been there before? Ian nced at Jin sternly. ¡®There are more people than before?¡¯ £ÛHuh?] ¡®It seems you must have been here in your past life? A press showcase for that?¡¯ £ÛUh¡­ I¡¯ve been there. Don¡¯t you know that the press passes are also traded in the back? Hommas buy press passes ande in advance] Ian didn¡¯t miss the momentary bewildered voice. In Ian¡¯s eyes, Jin¡¯s camera lens turned in a different direction. However, he couldn¡¯t afford to think deeply. It¡¯s time to go on stage. Ian jumped lightly and rxed his body. Let¡¯s just do as much like the rehearsal. The members gathered one by one and formed a circle. When Lee Joo Hyuk reached out one hand silently, everyone put out their hands and covered it. ¡°Congrattions on your debut, guys. We¡¯ll do well. We are who we are!¡± ¡°AWY!¡± Everyone shouted the group name while raising their hands overhead together. The announcer in charge of hosting introduced them, and stage greetings began.
AmaliaJ¡¯s Note I had read this novel but this still make me excited when I read it again while tranting. So much fun~ Chapter 15 Chapter 15 Debut Showcase. (2)Grade B Trantion: Manually edited MTL. Tranted and interpreted as best as I can. Mixed with some Korean terms. Misinterpretation may ur due to limitedprehensive ability. Awkward English, bad grammar, and typos may often ur as Trantor is not fluent in English and not edited by Editor nor proofed by Proofreader. ¡°Many reporters havee to see us. Yeah, the showcase will begin now!¡± The announcer in charge of hosting said powerfully. As the seven members went up to the stage, camera shutters poured out. When Lee Joo Hyuk shouted ¡®Two, three!¡¯ and everyone said greetings together. ¡°Always by your side! Hello, we are Awy!¡± ¡°Hello. I¡¯m in the position of the leader, Lee Joo Hyuk.¡± After the loud greeting, each person will have an introduction time starting with Lee Joo Hyuk. Ian¡¯s order was thest. ¡®Can you also mark the cameras that shoot me?¡¯ £ÛWell¡­ I¡¯ll give it a try.] Jin¡¯s shape disappeared and red cross-shaped marks appeared and disappeared in the audience seat repeatedly. It felt like he was ying a shooting game. Ian smiled calmly and looked at the marks one by one. Reporters pressing the camera shutter did not miss Ian¡¯s eye contact. £ÛThis worked?] ¡®King God Sir Jin, please also mark the cameras that take the group photos.¡¯ £ÛWow, he¡¯s so good at eating me. I can¡¯t even get alcohol because I¡¯m in a spirit state, I¡¯m doing this empty-mouthed.] Ian was focused on taking pictures by slightly changing the angle. Come to think of it, why does Jin help Ian? Even when he died? Is it a system where the Grim Reaper tells him to do it? ¡°Okay, the next is thest member.¡± As he immersed himself in thought, Ian grabbed the mic that came in front of him and lifted it. At that moment, all the cross shapes in the audience seat shone brightly. Ian bowed down and said a greeting. ¡°Hello. I¡¯m the visual of Awy, Choi Ian. Thank you foring.¡± ¡°Yes, we¡¯ve finished introducing the members. After a short photo time, we¡¯ll continue to perform the B-track and debut song then have an interview time.¡± ¡®Jin,unch it again.¡¯ £ÛYes yes. I understand, sir.] Ian smiled broadly and posed. *** £ÛPhoto] AWY Choi Ian¡¯s ¡®Women Captivating Eye Contact¡¯ £ÛReal-Time Photo] ¡®Heart Fluttering¡¯ Extraordinary Atmosphere of Awy¡¯s Visual, Choi Ian Photos are uploaded almost in real-time. Fortunately, other members were distinguished by their hair colors, but sometimes their names were switched. After the photo time, the stage began. The B-track did not contain as much difficult choreography as the debut song. ¡°Woah, is he the main vocalist?¡± His face doesn¡¯t look like he can sing, though? The reporter who took the stage photo muttered lowly. To be honest, reporters are not very interested in the debut group. At least there are the child actor Jo Tae Woong, Kim Hyun who has some fandom after appearing in survival programs, and Choi Ian who is a hot topic recently after appearing as a minor role in a drama, so people came more than usual. All they wanted was to get some views by pulling aggro with nice photos and titles. ¡°Isn¡¯t the feeling good?¡± ¡°He also sings and dances well.¡± A reporter muttered as he saw Ian. Since Ian made his face known first through a minor role debut with a wless actor face, he thought Ian is just a visual in the group. But, what¡¯s this. Thepleteness of the stage was high. Reporters busily pressed the shutter. The stage was over until the debut song. The venue became dark and the music video of the debut song was transmitted on the screen. Meanwhile, the staff busily carried tables and chairs. ¡°Woah, my legs are shaking. Hyung, I didn¡¯t make a mistake, right?¡± ¡°Good job. Seo Dam is stained with grass again.¡± The members quickly wiped off their sweat and corrected their makeup in the meantime. The cold performance hall was already getting hot due to the heating. After the announcer¡¯s hosting, the members went back to the stage and sat in the designated seats. ¡°Now, let¡¯s start the interview. So many people raised their hands. We¡¯ll go in order from the front.¡± The staff hurriedly took the microphone to the reporter. Most of the reporters raised their hands, so they had to proceed quickly. Time was running out. ¡°First of all, congrattions on your debut. I¡¯d like to hear how you feel about your debut. I¡¯d also like to know if there¡¯s any part of the debut album that members participated in.¡± The first was an easy question. While the members simply took notes, Park Jin Hyuk held the microphone first. ¡°It feels like it¡¯s now the beginning. I and Joo Hyuk hyung participated inposing the B-track song.¡± After that, the questions continued. When asked what they cared most about when debuting, Kim Ju Young and Kim Hyun answered about dance. ¡°As far as I know, Kim Young Jun of ¡®I-One¡¯ was in the final debut group. Is there anything you want to say to I-One Kim Young Jun?¡± ¡®Look at that level of question.¡¯ Of course, they didn¡¯t just ask favorable questions. The fact that their debut was dyed because of Kim Young Jun was well known to those who might know on this floor. What kind of answer does he want? The members managed their facial expressions. Lee Joo Hyuk quickly grabbed the microphone. ¡°I want to tell him to do his best in his respective ces.¡± ¡°Okay, I hope you only ask the questions about the group please.¡± The announcer quickly organized the situation. Jin added a wittyment, saying that he is good at work. ¡°I have a question for Choi Ian ssi. Did you get a lot of help from Jo Tae Woong, who was a child actor when you started acting?¡± Jo Tae Woong held his chin and looked at Ian right next to him. His eyes were full of expectations. The camera shutter beeps quickly ordingly. ¡°Rather than help, he encouraged me before filming. ¡®Your face is probable, so it¡¯s okay to act badly.¡¯ I remember him saying something like that.¡± ¡°Does it mean that Jo Tae Woong ssi previously thought that Choi Ian ssi would be worse at acting than yourself?¡± The question was passed on to Jo Tae Woong. Jo Tae Woong answered like flowing water as expected of an experienced person. ¡°I¡¯m the type that doesn¡¯t haveplicated thoughts like that. It¡¯s only been a year since Ian was a trainee, and he also didn¡¯t take that much acting lessons. And I also thought, ¡®Wouldn¡¯t it be okay if he couldn¡¯t do at least one thing with this face?¡¯.¡± ¡°We also sometimes get surprised when seeing him. Because he¡¯s so handsome.¡± When Kim Ju Young added a witty reply, the membersughed haha. After that, time passed by with questions and answers. The announcer, who was checking the time with a watch, organized the situation. ¡°Because of time, we¡¯ll stop taking questions and end this with a short photo time for thest time.¡± The members got up and headed in front of the podium. Ian smiled deeply while looking at the red cross shapes. The press showcase was sessfullypleted. *** ¡°Guys, good job!¡± ¡°CEO Lee is here? Were we okay?¡± ¡°It was perfect!¡± The CEO weed the members with open arms. He immediately led the members to the waiting room, where the table was filled with lunch boxes brought by each parent. ¡°What¡¯s all this?¡± ¡°Woah, it¡¯s home meals¡­¡± ¡°Mom!¡± And there were family members. Surprisingly, Ian¡¯s parents were also there. Ian honestly did not expect his parents toe. This is because his parents said they couldn¡¯te in advance because they were busy with work. ¡°Son.¡± ¡°You¡¯re here? You said you couldn¡¯te.¡± ¡°We were going to surprise our son.¡± However, when he saw his parents¡¯ faces, Ian also looked rxed, approached them, and hugged them briefly. Perhaps because he had adapted to this body now, so he unconditionally thought of Choi Ian¡¯s memory when thinking of the past. Kim Yong Min¡¯s days remained as if he had a dream. ¡°We didn¡¯t prepare anything because we came in a hurry, but everyone else prepared this much.¡± Ian¡¯s mother smiled awkwardly. Ian smiled brightly, saying he was happy just for them toe. Ian¡¯s father said they had bought gifts for the members instead and held out shopping bags. The shopping bag had the logo of a luxury brand that anyone had heard of at least once. ¡®Their pocket is deep too.¡¯ £ÛA golden spoon with this face. Bnce patch please.] Jin grumbled lowly. The families gathered in the waiting room and talked to each other in a quite harmonious atmosphere. Perhaps because of that, the tension quickly dissipated. It¡¯s 7 pm, an hour after the release of the song. Finally, the music chart rankings will be counted. ¡®What ce do you expect?¡¯ £ÛI¡¯m looking at 120th.] ¡®Is that also data from the previous life?¡¯ £ÛNo, I calcted it with big data.] Ian came out of the waiting room, leaving behind the members who were still busy spending time with their families. ¡®I think it¡¯lle out higher than that.¡¯ £ÛWon¡¯t you be discouraged if you expect it for nothing?] Ian looked dissatisfied. A lot of reporters came and tickets for the showcase were sold out, but I can¡¯t have this much hope? And there were also small responses in themunity these days. As he walked a little in the hallway, the agency employees were also holding their cell phones and checking the rankings. Ian dug between them. ¡°What is our rank?¡± ¡°Ian, don¡¯t worry about it. Just go inside and rest. You¡¯re going to perform soon.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± It was a concerned voice in case he would be disappointed with the low ranking. However, the employee next to him who was scrolling the chart eximed lowly. ¡°There is! Top 100!¡± ¡°What? Really?!¡± ¡°Show it to me too, please.¡± £ÛFor real?] At the end of the TOP 100 chart, Awy¡¯s name was listed. Entering 96th. 5,300 hearts. It was a pretty good ranking on the chart lined up by idols who had aeback. Ian put his face on the phone screen shown by the staff. It¡¯s really there! ¡°How did it go?¡± Unknown when they came out, the members flocked. In case it was lower than expected and the family was worried so they came out like Ian. ¡°9¡­96th ce!¡± ¡°Daebak!¡± Even so, it would be a ranking that would be swept away for an hour, but the members jumped in joy. Compared to popr female idols, male idols tend to climb on music charts only when their fandom is strong. That is why girl groups are weak in albums and boy groups are weak in music sources1Listeners and downloads in music streaming services like Melon, genie, or Spotify.. And except forrge agencies, it was not easy for small-medium idols to make their debut song chart-in. The same goes for Awy of the past. But now it was different. The only thing that has changed from the past is Choi Ian¡¯s joining. It¡¯s heard that Ian¡¯s brief appearance in High School 2017 also became a hot topic and ratings rose slightly. ck Out ended at No. 1 viewer ratings of the same period. Not only that but there are also talks about doing a season 2. And now also the music charts. ¡®Am I really something like a lucky totem?¡¯ £ÛLuck f***ing ruined the game.] *** They managed to calm down and held the fan showcase at 8 pm. Unlike the press showcase, a bad song was added, behind-the-scenes of the music video and pre-debut videos were also transmitted in between. ¡®There are already fans who take videos2 ??(jjik.deok). An abbreviation of ?? ?? literally means ¡®shooting fan¡¯. Can refer to both who take just pictures or videos. .¡¯ It was Jin¡¯s ability. The red cross is taking photos and the yellow triangle is taking videos. Ian danced while staring at the triangr shapes. Fancams are important. Some idols have seeded in running the chart backward with fancams. And other broadcasters have also been swept with fancams since P.I. Originally, individual photos or recordings were prohibited for performances, but now the staff in the performance hall looked around half-heartedly. It is probably an order given by the agency. It was tacitly allowed to take pictures. £ÛA lot of fans who take pictures havee. Not only you but there are also a lot of people shooting the other kids.] Even if the agency releases photos and videos, how much will it release? Photos and videos full of individual realism be baits3 ??(ddeok.bap) or rice cake. Sometimes refer to spoilers, sometimes just refer to contents. So, in Korean idolmunities/forums, fans refer to theck of activities as being hungry or being full when there are so many things their bias does. and contents. Of course, the agency will hold on to it hard to sell DVDs on its own if they be famouster, but they pretend not to know as they are still rookies. Ian sometimes gestured to the camera filming him as if he knew it. He took the concept of ¡®Are you filming me?¡¯ and created a pure rookie look. It was the moment when his nickname ¡®hawk eye¡¯ was addedter.
Chapter 16 Chapter 16 Shouldn¡¯t He Lay a Mat?Grade B Trantion: Manually edited MTL. Tranted and interpreted as best as I can. Mixed with some Korean terms. Misinterpretation may ur due to limitedprehensive ability. Awkward English, bad grammar, and typos may often ur as Trantor is not fluent in English and not edited by Editor nor proofed by Proofreader. It was expected that the music show week would begin in earnest after the sessful debut showcase, but the year-end stage at the end of December ovepped and it became ambiguous. A week after debut they should appear in all broadcasting stations, but several stations were closed due to year-end stage preparations from next week. £ÛYou¡¯re not going to the year-end shows, right?] ¡®We can¡¯t.¡¯ Almost all week without holiday, they went to work early in the morning and waited. Not only that, but they were also waiting for a series of fan signing events after the broadcast was over. The first broadcast after their debut on Tuesday was N on Thursday. The members who woke up at dawn went to the shop without even opening their eyes properly. £ÛI heard that 100 people enter for your pre-recording?] Disappeared Jin came out giving information. Ian kept his ears wide open even while half-asleep. £ÛIt¡¯s a joint pre-recording with Gxy Boyz.] After a bare body exposure1 Not sure of the term in English. But this one ident refers to a rock band(I think?) whose vocalist threw all his clothes in a live broadcast. I¡¯ll update this when I remember the case name. ident during live broadcast, all stages are pre-recorded. Popr idols host it alone and secure more than 300 fans. While thinking ¡®Still a long way to go¡­¡¯, Ian yawned. ¡®But if it¡¯s Gxy Boyz, aren¡¯t they them? The junkies?¡¯ £ÛYeah. They¡¯re about to rise since the response to the song was good, but they crashed at once. Isn¡¯t it really not cool how they got caught?] ¡®How did they get caught?¡¯ Gxy Boyz will be charged with drugs six monthster. It also takes three core members, not just one. It is said that they shaved their head, bleached their hair, and even shaved their whole body so as not to get caught like that. But how did they get caught? They get caught from the leg hair found in the dorm. When one person was caught, he then blew other members, saying that he couldn¡¯t be the only one to die. Of course, the fandom atmosphere was ruined. A mass unstanning2??(tal.deok). Literally out of being an otaku/fan. situation happened. £ÛYou too, remember this. Celebrities have this swag. Huh? Bluffing is life. Taking drugs, but got caught? Then confidently enter the police station, ¡®I take drugs~¡¯ without hiding anything. Most kids who rap are like that andter they release songs like those.] ¡®I won¡¯t cause idents.¡¯ £ÛThe swag is still left and you just need to work hard, right? Then some people also use those junkies. You know that there are quite a lot of junkies who are active out there, right?] Jin ignored Ian¡¯s words and spoke enthusiastically. Ian sighed and shook his head. He intends to live a celebrity life for a long time. In particr, idols had to be careful of even trivial behavior because they have stricter standards than other celebrities. ¡®Enough of that. Who goes first on pre-recording?¡¯ £ÛYou¡¯ll be first?] ¡®Then we¡¯ll have to bring their fans in.¡¯ There is one more reason to perform well today. * * * ¡°Look at the uniform. Daebak.¡± ¡°We should¡¯ve done that, too. Why wore weird checkered shirts.¡± It was the sound of Gxy Boyz fans in the back when Awy went up to the stage. The burgundy uniform, which was different from the blue one worn in the showcase, looked gorgeous with excessive metal decorations. Awy¡¯s coordi3??(ko.di). Fashion stylist who ¡®coordinate¡¯ the artist¡¯s outfits. was a pervert who Jin also acknowledged. ¡°Hello. This is our first pre-recording.¡± Ian waved and greeted the fans. Just because you go on stage doesn¡¯t mean that the song starts right away. There was a waiting time on the stage because it started when the preparations of the broadcasting station staff were over. What should I say? Ian was pondering and headed to the ce with the closest distance to the fans. ¡°Did everyone eat?¡± £ÛIt¡¯s the national rule to ask if they have eaten.] This short time is like a time tomunicate with fans who came to the public broadcast. Of course, fans also speak loudly or raise their hands ying jam jam4A game with a hand where the other opponent had to face their head in a different direction than the hand of the people doing jam jam. Usually just left, still, right. Some also include up and down. to attract the attention of the singer. Of course, the fan manager may give sanctions if it¡¯s too much. Ian was grateful to the fans who came early in the morning, so he turned his head to those who shouted to look here. ¡°I haven¡¯t!¡± ¡°Really? Then eat something delicious after the recording. Ju Young-ah!¡± Ian skillfully released the members who were only greeting because they¡¯re not sure what to do. Ian grabbed the shoulders of the approaching Kim Ju Young and pushed him forward. Kim Ju Young¡¯s body was a little stiff. ¡°Ju Young is our group¡¯s must-eat ce collector, the big data for must-eat ce you know? Ju Young, please rmend lunch for the fans.¡± ¡°¡­ The homemade burger around here is delicious.¡± It would be helpful to share my interests. As expected, Kim Ju Young¡¯s tension eased and his words flowed. When Ian nced around, the other members were already scattered here and there tomunicate with fans. ¡°Gxy Boyz sunbae nims are recording after us, right? The song is good.¡± ¡°Oh, I know too!¡± It was fortunate to have seen Gxy Boys¡¯ choreography in advance. When Ian hummed the title song of Gxy Boyz and danced lightly, the members gathered andughed as they did a cover dance of Gxy Boyz. Even if you dance lightly, it shouldn¡¯t be danced like mocking. When they briefly performed the point choreography, a sound of admiration from the Gxy Boyz fandom in the standing area was heard. ¡°We will start recording now.¡± Ian turned around with a sad look at the staff¡¯s voice and went to stand on the formation of the choreography. The song began and Ian stared at the camera filming him. It was necessary to properly look at the camera filming the personal fancam and the camera recording for the main broadcast, but it could be solved with the help of Jin. It doesn¡¯t end with one stage. The members went down the stage. The standing area with fans is barricaded with fences. And on the left side of the stage where they could monitor, the staff approached as if they had been waiting. ¡°Oh, the expression over there¡­¡± ¡°Ian is good at looking at the camera.¡± ¡°It seems we can make the movement path a little bigger?¡± While retouching the makeup and hair, they looked at the monitor and watched the stage they just filmed again. ¡°Let¡¯s do it once more.¡± When the PD said that, the fans screamed quietly. For fans, it is beneficial that the recording is not done properly. Because they can watch ¡®my singer¡¯ for a long time while performing three times in a row at most. On this day, Awy¡¯s stage was also held three times. In the end, there was a member who sat on the floor because it was hard. Ian raised Park Seo Dam and greeted the fans. ¡°Everyone, thank you so much foring.¡± ¡°Make sure to eat and be careful not to catch a cold~¡± ¡°Guys, don¡¯t go!¡± ¡°You also don¡¯t forget to eat!¡± The sound of fans faded away from behind. About 20 teams are performing at music shows. Most of them are idol groups with arge number of people, but there was no waiting room at the broadcasting station for them to rest one by one. Only a few popr teams are assigned private waiting rooms. So, most stations have partitions in arge space to set up amon waiting room. ¡°Ah. I¡¯m hungry since we talked about must-eat ces earlier.¡± ¡°Do you know there¡¯s a nice sushi ce nearby? It¡¯s so delicious there.¡± ¡°Oh, there? I know, I know.¡± It was a little unsightly to see men with an average height of 180 sit together in a few pyeong of space and talk about restaurants. £ÛIf you have time, ask to go to the cafe downstairs.] ¡®Hmm¡­ Should I? But why a cafe?¡¯ £ÛYou can meet fans whening there. This building is full of ss. You can see everything from outside.] ¡®Isn¡¯t it good?¡¯ As Ian got up, six people looked up at Ian. ¡°Dong Soo hyung! Can I go out for a moment?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay for a moment, but you shouldn¡¯t go outside at all. Let¡¯s go with hyung.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to the cafe below for a moment.¡± ¡°Me too!¡± At Ian¡¯sst words, the members got up busily. A cafe is better than the narrow waiting room. Ian rummaged through his belongings and took out his wallet. Since his parents allowed him to use the card at will, he was thinking of giving the staff coffee transfusions. ¡°How many staff do we have?¡± ¡°O¡¯ the shining Ian!¡± ¡°Ian God! Ian God!¡± ¡°Everyone follows General Choi!¡± ¡°Guys, this isn¡¯t a waiting room only we use¡­¡± Lastly, the leader Lee Joo Hyuk sighed deeply. Fortunately, there were only a few people in the waiting room besides their team. * * * -I¡¯m in front of now, who are they? (pic) Like meerkats ????cute ????? ?Second from left and the far right are handsome ?Where I¡¯ve seen them a lot? ?It¡¯s Awy who debuted on Tuesday! Please look at them nicely! ?(Author) But it seems they remember all of their fans ?Heol crazy crazy can you write a detailed review? While waiting for the drinks at the cafe, the members did not stay still. Looking outside with their bodies close to the window, seven men in uniform waved their hands and greeted each passing person. Several fans of Awy, who were waiting for the kids toe out after being eliminated from attending the main broadcast, and other fandoms who were looking with anticipation if it was their singer also flocked to the front of the station. £ÛIt¡¯s the fan who came to the pre-recording earlier.] ¡®Oh yeah?¡¯ Jin¡¯s ability was also used here. Jin remembered all the fans it saw once. When Jin marked the fans¡¯ positions, a blue dot appeared on the fans¡¯ heads. Ian pretended not to know and asked to check. ¡°Oh? It¡¯s the fan who came to our pre-recording earlier.¡± ¡°Really? How do you know? Wasn¡¯t the stage and the fan seat far away?¡± ¡°If not it¡¯ll be very embarrassing, you know right?¡± Ian waved his hand to find out, then a fan through the window jumped andughed. The fan showed a photo card in her hand. It was a limited photo card of Awy given when participating in the public broadcast. The members who recognized it looked at Ian with gasps. ¡°Creeps¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think Ian shouldy a mat?¡±5Not sure what this means. Perhaps referring to a Korean fortune-teller or something?? Toy mat as if to open a fortune-telling business. ¡°We called him King God Light, but did he really be a god?¡± ¡°I think they¡¯re our fans, too?¡± ¡°Woaah! Hello! Hi!¡± When Ian pointed with his hand, the members changed their posture. They liked it more than their fans and made a fuss. And this small deviation became a hot topic in the idol-rtedmunity. -Talk about how I saw Awy earlier (pic) (pic) Firstly, I¡¯m not a fan of them but a fan of other ok At first, there was something red attached, so I was wondering what it was. The people next to me who seem to be Awy¡¯s fans ¡®Our kids!¡¯ like this and run? So, I followed along just to take a look ?? It seems the members waited for fans to see them, so they¡¯re happy when people gather so cute??? But suddenly, the handsome kid on the far-right was surprised to see the person next to me and waved his hand as if he knew she was his fan and the person next to me was really happy??? But it¡¯s really creepy that all the people the handsome kid recognized were fans who went to their pre-recording??? They¡¯re good to the fans??Whoever looked at them will think that the fans were the singers and they¡¯re the fans??? They are more happy??? +Not only nice to their fans. They said hello to everyone there. It¡¯s just I posted because it was amazing that they recognized fans. From today I¡¯m going to stan them ?Woah shit?????So jealous??? ?Isn¡¯t this a sales post pretending not to be a fan? ?(Author) I won¡¯t say much. Did they really recognize? If curious, please start to stan. Some people took and uploaded videos in bluebird * * * Without knowing that their names became known, the members stored themselves well in the cramped waiting room while sipping on frappinos. Almost half a day was left until the main broadcast after the pre-recording in the morning. Kim Hyun and Kim Ju Young were discussing something in the corner, while other members were choosing selfie photos to be posted on the music show¡¯s SNS. ¡°Over there, members. Can youe out to the hallway for a second?¡± Everyone got up withoutining about Kim Hyun¡¯s words. They were talkative but obedient members. Awy took ce at the end of the hallway outside the waiting room. ¡°We¡¯re going to film a ry danceter, right.¡± Ry dance is when the members stand in a line, dance to their parts, step back, and the next member dances and goes to the back. It was a video to be uploaded on N MyTube. ¡°Why don¡¯t we make a movement path instead of just dancing?¡± ¡°Oh? It¡¯s good?¡± That¡¯s why the two dance members were talking seriously, so it seems they were talking about dance as expected. Ian also thought it was a good idea. ¡°Here, Ian and Seo Dam on both sides¡­¡± ¡°How about like this?¡± They didn¡¯t stay still but tried to dance lightly and made the movement path. £ÛTimes like this are nice for rookies of course~ This is also one time thing.] When Ian was having fun, Jin muttered with a grumpy voice. But Ian didn¡¯t hear anything. Dancing was as fun as acting because he gained confidence in dancing. ¡°It¡¯s fun.¡± ¡°It seems like it¡¯ll be okay, right?¡± They made a rough movement path and the moment when they went back to the waiting room. Two women who were watching from afar caught the sleeve of Ian, who was about to enterst. ¡°Excuse me¡­¡± ¡°Yeah? Ah, hello sunbae nim.¡± £ÛHiya, it¡¯s starting. Is their manager not managing them?] It¡¯s been three days since he debuted, so everyone here must be seniors. The woman held out a note. Ian, who receives numbers almost like a daily routine, smiled as if he was in trouble. There must be a lot of people watching because it¡¯s a broadcasting station. Still, he received the note without making them feel bad. When he nced, a Mystagram ount and cell phone number were written on it. ¡®So this is how kids approach these days¡­¡¯ £ÛSince the ID is notmon, so it¡¯s a private ount. After all, private ount is a must for celebrities.] The two women smiled shyly as Ian received the note. Somehow he can feel manager hyung¡®s energy through the door. Is it an illusion? ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t have a way to contact.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay to keep it and throw it away.¡± The women put on thick skin even after rejection and left right away without receiving the note returned by Ian. ¡®But who are they?¡¯ £ÛMin Ji and Jung Ah of Milky Way] Sigh, such a popr life. Ian opened the waiting room door with a bitterugh. As expected, manager Park Dong Soo was looking at Ian with his eyes lit. Ian handed the note to the manager. ¡°That¡¯s why it felt weird.¡± ¡°Hyung, please take care of this.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t memorize it all, right? You have a good head. Hey, you can¡¯t date.¡± ¡°Of course I know.¡± Dating at this moment? It is a nuisance to the team and a nuisance to the future celebrity life.
Chapter 17 Chapter 17 Hope They Don¡¯t Go Through That.Grade B Trantion: Manually edited MTL. Tranted and interpreted as best as I can. Mixed with some Korean terms. Misinterpretation may ur due to limitedprehensive ability. Awkward English, bad grammar, and typos may often ur as Trantor is not fluent in English and not edited by Editor nor proofed by Proofreader. After Thursday¡¯s music show, Friday was the day of a music show at public station K. £ÛYou¡¯re going to have a hard time today. You didn¡¯t have something like this in your past life, right?] ¡®It¡¯s my first time seeing openly setting the stage to film on the way to work.¡¯ ¡®On the way to work¡¯ for rehearsal that starts at 6:30 am. Since the press and fans gathered together to take pictures, of course, they had to finish all preparations at the shop from dawn, and they had to take care of the in clothes they wear. If asking is there any order for ¡®on the way to work¡¯, then it isn¡¯t. If there was an unusual fandom, there is the case where they would jump over the fence and run to the singer. ¡°What if the reaction is not good when we get off?¡± ¡°A great senior has already passed by too.¡± ¡°Ah, what the. It¡¯s like I¡¯m going to be traumatized when I hear that.¡± The members who had already woken up giggled. Seeing that theyugh a lot, they must be nervous. To warm up the atmosphere, Ian said. ¡°Eii, it¡¯s not that bad. There is me.¡± ¡°Woah such a jerk, but I can¡¯t refute it because it seems right.¡± ¡°I wanted to hit him for a moment, but when I saw his face, I quit.¡± Ian¡¯s narcissistic face was persuasive. But there was another reason. ¡°Because we went to the cafe yesterday, a lot of people wille though?¡± As yesterday¡¯s proof shots and videos were uploaded, themunity started to heat up with a post saying ¡®Do they really recognize?¡¯. ¡®They really recognized.¡¯ ¡®No, it¡¯s fake, there were so many people, so how did they recognize?¡¯ ¡®Wasn¡¯t it the agency¡¯s work?¡¯. As many suchmentse up, Awy fans, who participated in the recording, posted proof of the public recording photo card and started the talk of ¡®Go tomorrow for real?¡¯ ¡®Go and find out?¡¯ in earnest. ¡°But seriously, how did you know?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a feeling. I¡¯m good at things like that.¡± Lee Joo Hyuk asked curiously, but he couldn¡¯t say ¡®In fact, the soul of a former Homma who followed me told me¡¯ so he covered it up that his hunches are unusually good. ¡°Are you not a human, but a robot?¡± ¡°You got me. Human, you must die.¡± Jo Tae Woong poked Ian¡¯s cheek. Ian responded with a grumbling mouth. ¡°Guys, we¡¯re here¡±. ¡°How do I look?¡± ¡°The back hair is pressed. Didn¡¯t the hairstylist boss tell you not to lean your head against the backrest?¡± Ian touched Jo Tae Woong¡¯s hair, but the pressed hair could not be saved. Jo Tae Woong got out of the car with a resigned look. As soon as he got out of the car, he opened his eyes wide at the sh. In addition, cheers of fans were also heard. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°They¡¯re probably taking pictures as a courtesy.¡± Ian got out of the car, grabbing Jo Tae Woong by the shoulder. Lights were twinkling everywhere. There were more crowds than Ian expected. Was there anyone who could gather these many people among the singers who came out today? He headed to the marked photo zone with the members. They shouted the group¡¯s slogan and took time to take pictures in the order of left, center, and right. ¡°Ian saranghae!¡± ¡°Tae Woong is sexy!¡± A person who appears to be a male fan shouted. The members burst out tough. £ÛHe¡¯s not a fanboy with a high probability.] ¡®Then who¡¯s it?¡¯ £ÛA proxy photographer. It¡¯s probably because singers are more aggroed by men than women, so they shout like that.] They are people who attend all kinds of schedules, take pictures, and sell data. Does this make money? But surprisingly, it really makes money. Hommas who can¡¯t run on schedule due to circumstances buy it or those who buy for personal collection. £ÛYour fans who came yesterday are here again.] ¡®Where?¡¯ Ian found the blue dot. Two dots away from the photo zone were sparkling at the entrance of the broadcasting station. ¡°Really came?¡± ¡°Who? Yesterday¡¯s fan?¡± The members looked at Ian at his surprised sound. The members left the photo zone and waved their hands at the fan Ian found on the way into the broadcasting station. Looking closely, it was also a fan that Ian remembers the face. Since he couldn¡¯t forget the fan¡¯s very happy expression even until hey in bed and slept after the schedule. ¡°Yesterday, in front of the cafe!¡± ¡°Hello! Are you here to see us again today?¡± Lee Joo Hyuk and Kim Ju Young also took a step closer, as if they had remembered. Of course, the opposite side shouted and made a fuss. Ian also greeted the blue dot behind that fan. ¡°You came yesterday, right? Pre-recording.¡± ¡°How did you recognize me?!¡± I didn¡¯t even go to the cafe, though? The surroundings are more surprised by the fan¡¯s fuss. ¡°I know everything.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to pre-recording today, too!¡± ¡°Oh yeah? Then I¡¯ll pretend to know you even on stage.¡± There may be controversy over preference to only one fan, but when would he do it again after this fourth day of debut. And if there is a controversy, he can also notice other fans one by one. Ian alsoughed along with the fan¡¯s ¡®kyaaar¡¯ughter. The other members looked at Ian as if looking at a strange creature. ¡°I guess Ian is a ghost. Ian told us everything yesterday, too.¡± ¡°Woah is Choi Ian a maphack?¡± Fansughed at Jo Tae Woong¡¯s voice. Is this how I get the ¡®maphack¡¯ nickname. It was crowded and they couldn¡¯t go forward, so the manager dragged them in. But it was enough time to be a hot topic. Several reporters who heard the source nearby wrote articles, and reporters who received the articles posted articles one by one. Awy, ¡®7 Flower Boys With Fluttering Coolness¡¯ £ÛPic] Awy, ¡®Came Yesterday, Right?¡¯ Rookie Idol That Recognizes Fans As the years of experience umte, it is easy to recognize people who are always present. However, it is not easy for a rookie who just debuted to recognize fans who participated in the pre-recording once. It was early in the morning, but keywords rted to Awy emerged as real-time hashtags and disappeared. *** Why does this broadcasting station film all singers on their way to work from dawn? It was because of this time. There is a dry rehearsal schedule in the morning. ¡®Why are you doing this when all the pre-recordings are already being sent out? Isn¡¯t it inefficient?¡¯ £ÛIt¡¯s a tradition. After the broadcast, all gather together and say greetings to the PD.] ¡®Still?¡¯ It was also like that during Kim Yong Min¡¯s time, but it hasn¡¯t disappeared yet. Ian clicked his tongue. In the hall where the stage will be held, the production team and the cast sit in their seats and watch the stage. If you wait with arge name tag with your name on the chest, the staff will call the group with a mic and hold rehearsal in turn. The order of Awy was right in the middle. They¡¯re not in the front order since they¡¯re ¡®hot debut¡¯. ¡°Will all the seniors watch us live?¡± ¡°Big burden.¡± Ian smiled meaningfully while listening to the members¡¯mentations. ¡®If it¡¯s a big burden now, what to doter¡­¡¯ £ÛWhyter?] ¡®¡­Can hear it right?¡¯ £ÛWoah¡­ Although it¡¯s a rehearsal, it can¡¯t be done roughly.] The order right after the singer performing on stage had to wear in-ears and mics in advance to speed up the process. Therefore, the sound of the person right before you flows out through the in-ear. Just music sounds? Even the sound of breathing can be heard clearly. Jin was shocked to hear the song ying from one of Ian¡¯s in-ears. £ÛSo bad at singing. All thanks to AR.] ¡®If they¡¯re doing it while dancing that much, it¡¯s good.¡¯ £ÛIsn¡¯t it deceitful for you to say that?] The order right before them was Gxy Boyz, who had thest broadcast today. When someone¡¯s voice cracked through the in-ear, the members¡¯ expressions slightly hardened. They¡¯re at the peak age to act cool, and in addition, the order right after them is a girl group. Ian smiled quietly as he saw the members suddenly looking for water. ¡°Next, Awy pleasee out.¡± The production team and singers watched closely the rookie group that got up fast and went up to the stage. ¡°It¡¯s their debut stage today.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he the Delivery Boy? So, it¡¯s this group.¡± The production team nced at them as they organized the movement of the singer in front. ¡°So, he finally debuts.¡± ¡°Do you know anyone? Where I¡¯ve seen him often before?¡± Among the singers waiting in their seats were some acquaintances who made their own debut as different groups after being trainees together. ¡®Ah, my throat is a bit tight.¡¯ Whether the other members were nervous or not, Ian warmed up his voicefortably with in-ears on. When his powerful good voice resounded through the hall, surprised looks were felt. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a rookie warming up his voice like that.¡± ¡°Good spirit~ What to do if his voice cracks aftering out like that.¡± There were small murmurs from the seats, but Ian couldn¡¯t hear them because he was wearing in-ears. Several members arranged their ear mics, the rappers Lee Joo Hyuk, Park Jin Hyuk, and main vocalist Choi Ian lightly grabbed the hand mics. ¡°Always by your side! Hello, we are Awy!¡± After short maintenance, they did a group greeting. ¡°Standby, Awy AR please.¡± The song began with the staff¡¯s sign and Ian picked up his mic. It was a slightly stiff and low voice, but it couldn¡¯t hide his natural singing ability. It was an appearance that did not lose any single note while performing a perfect group dance with tight beats. ¡°Oh? They¡¯re doing good.¡± The PD looked at the stage as if it was unexpected. Rookies are often burdened with this ce where everyone is gathered, so they might crack their voice or the choreography doesn¡¯t match. But this group was disciplined as if it was a live broadcast. ¡°You can put them in.¡± ¡°Not bad.¡± The PD discussed something with the person next to him. The nodding person next to him was the PD in charge of this broadcasting station¡¯s year-end music festival. *** After the dry rehearsal, Awy headed to the waiting room. Today was also a partition waiting room. When can we use the private waiting room in the new building? ¡°Guys, we have two more rehearsals left. Get some sleep.¡± Everyone sat on the floor at the manager¡¯s words. It¡¯s not only in the morning. There is an intermediate rehearsal and a final camera rehearsal. And even pre-recording. There is interim leave time, but those who do not have a separate schedule are waiting indefinitely at the broadcasting station. ¡°And you all know that there¡¯s a fan signing event afterward, right?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll lie down first.¡± ¡°Ah, Choi Ian. That¡¯s a foul.¡± Iany in the corner to hide his momentary dark expression. £ÛWhy do you look so dead?] ¡®I thought of bad memories about the fan signing event.¡¯ It was when Choi Ian was Kim Yong Min when he was active in Diamond. Most of the controversies over singers¡¯ fan signing events are the controversy over discrimination, such as that singers repeatedly say the same thing and are insincere or that they respond well to pretty girls. On the contrary, there are also insults received from people who idols think are fans. Diamond was really one of the most unheard of with only 70 peopleing for the capacity of 100 people where people win just by buying two albums. Because of that, there were only old figures1???(go.in.mul) or stagnant water. People who belong to it(fandom or anything) for a long time. left that everyone who attended every time was familiar. And if there¡¯s a new face? Most of them were trying to hold entertainers¡¯ hands at a low price as if looking for a host bar2I hope you know what it is. A more known concept on the Japanese side. . ¡®I seriously don¡¯t like you.¡¯ ¡®Can you tell me why you don¡¯t like me?¡¯ ¡®Just don¡¯t like it. I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re the main vocalist and why you have a lot of parts. Practice singing more.¡¯ And when that long-time fan, who knows her face well, openly disparages his efforts in front of him, it hurts even if he was an entertainer who is familiar with criticism. ¡®When is the nexting out? I¡¯m tired.¡¯ ¡®What should I do for you to be better?¡¯ ¡®Your dance this time is bad. Practice dancing more.¡¯ Malicious nder by a person who he thought was a fan. Of course, most of the fans who said this were kkappas3??. Fans that both love and hate their star. and malicious individual fans who liked other members more than himself. Still, they were the remaining people who were fans of their group. Under the right of being a fan, they dare to spend money to go to the fan signing event ande to abuse power as if they were the president of apany. ¡®I purposely wore a low-cut shirt to meet you. How¡¯s it? Nice, right?¡¯ And he did not shy away from harassment since people are not interested in unheard-of idols even if there is a controversy. ¡®I¡¯ll always be cheering for you, Yong Min-ah.¡¯ Of course, he also remembers real fans whoe often, but the memory of hearing bad words remains a trauma and cannot be forgotten for life. ¡®I spent this much money on you, so you can listen this much, right?¡¯. Compensation mentality. When their fan heart cools down, the usual faces that always attend disappear one by one. After all, idol singers can be reced with other young people like shopping for them. £ÛCan¡¯t you just openly say that you don¡¯t like it or don¡¯t do it?] ¡®I couldn¡¯t. They could go to a better group if they wanted, but they were everything to me.¡¯ £ÛI¡¯ve heard of such things happening, but there was an experienced person here.] Ian smiled bitterly. The time when the face he always sees suddenly couldn¡¯t be found and identally saw that person holding a light stick of another group. The under-popted fan signing events where empty seats are gradually increasing. The times when they don¡¯t have money to go to music shows and events don¡¯t call them saying that they¡¯re not popr. ¡®I hope they don¡¯t go through that.¡¯ £ÛAnd you who became Choi Ian, too?] ¡®That¡¯s right.¡¯ Ianughed at the members who got up halfway at one point and silently had a pillow fight.
AmaliaJ¡¯s Note *sniff sniff* As always, it¡¯s still fun to read again. One of the reason why I picked this is because the story is quite solid and realistic that made people ask why the heck these guys don¡¯t exist in real life!!! (¨s¡ã§¥¡ã£©¨s¦à ©ß©¥©ß Chapter 18 Chapter 18 The First Birthday Party Is Starting.Grade B Trantion: Manually edited MTL. Tranted and interpreted as best as I can. Mixed with some Korean terms. Misinterpretation may ur due to limitedprehensive ability. Awkward English, bad grammar, and typos may often ur as Trantor is not fluent in English and not edited by Editor nor proofed by Proofreader. ¡°I¡¯m more nervous than before.¡± ¡°What should we do?¡± They arrived at the venue of the fan signing, located not far from the broadcasting station. They picked up Ian¡¯s tablet while eating snacks in the prepared waiting room. They were searching for fan signing post-its, fan signing responses, etc. ¡°Guys, it¡¯s our first fan signing event but you don¡¯t have to be so nervous.¡± Lee Joo Hyuk reassured the members, but his legs were also shaking. After all, even the leader is just 20 years old. Ian loosened his tie. The fan signing event was held in the same stage costume as it was, but it was ufortable to wear it for a long time because it was a suit style. ¡°Hey, Choi Ian. Do you have anything to say?¡± ¡°What about me? Ah. It¡¯s heavy, dude.¡± Jo Tae Woong put his arm on Ian¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re rxed no matter what you do.¡± ¡°That is right. Even in the morning when hyung was warming up his voice and everyone was watching, he¡¯s still the same?¡± ¡°He has a different attitude than us.¡± How should I say this? Ian put on a troubled expression. £ÛJust say the forbidden words. There aremon reasons to unstan.] Oh really? Oh yeah? To tell them not to say such clich¨¦ words, but the members¡¯ eyes were filled with expectations. Ian scratched his cheek and said. ¡°Hmm¡­ I also heard this from my cousin noona who is a fangirl.¡± Kim Yong Min¡¯s experience turned into a cousin noona who is a fangirl. But his cousin noona is actually a K-pop fan, so it will be okay. ¡°I don¡¯t know how many albums our fan signing cut1The ticket to fan signing is by lottery after buying a certain number of albums. The cut here refers to the minimum album to enter fan signing. Like in the previous chapter where only 2 albums needed to participate in Diamond¡¯s fan signing. is, but one album would be about chicken2Chicken or fried chicken in Korea is sold per box by default. So, kind of pricey. price, right?¡± ¡°About 15,000 won, then chicken price is right.¡± ¡°Ah, I suddenly want to eat chicken. When are we having dinner?¡± The conversation quickly went elsewhere. At the conversation that seemed like it would never end as it just went along with their flow of consciousness, Lee Joo Hyuk pped his hands and changed the topic again. ¡°Anyway, fans spend more than one chicken to meet us. Not only that but also think of peopleing from the provinces and inds as well.¡± ¡°Okey, so what?¡± ¡°Such people paid high transportation costs and came all the way to Seoul to see us. They would also go to the shop to touch their hair, do nail art, and others so they will look good to us.¡± He didn¡¯t forget to add ¡®my cousin noona said so¡¯ just in case they would ask back ¡®is there really anyone like that?¡¯. ¡°Fan signing events are usually announced two days after buying the album. But in the meantime, perhaps there will be people who pick, buy, and bring presents for us.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Those peopleing to see us with a hard time, but the time to talk to us is two minutes at most. What will it feel like?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a little¡­ in vain.¡± Kim Ju Young answered nkly. When Ian peeked around, the distractions on the members¡¯ expressions couldn¡¯t be seen anymore. Thepany employee who was filming behind quietly captured the members¡¯ faces on camera. ¡°We have to make sure those people think they came here well and don¡¯t regret it.¡± Choi Ian didn¡¯t just have bad memories at the fan signing event. There were also the so-called real fans who didn¡¯t forget to visit. Those people were the ones who smiled happily looking at Kim Yong Min even for a short time and one-sidedly gave him affection. And what Kim Yong Min did to them is that if he is sincere and sincere, his response will improve on its own. ¡°And you have to think about it for yourself.¡± Just as maternal love does not happen immediately after just giving birth, just because they just debuted doesn¡¯t mean they have a great love for fans. Now is the time to be puzzled and find it hard to believe the love those people give to them. Still, Ian thought they would have understood his words well since they weren¡¯t shameless enough to ignore the sincerity of the giver. *** Kim Eun Ha, who had a starstruck ident3????(deok.tong.sa.go). A ngbining the words? from ¡®otaku¡¯ or fans and ???? from ¡®traffic ident¡¯. when she saw a handsome Delivery Boy on the TV channel she identally turned on, bought the album without hesitation, and arrived at Awy¡¯s fan signing event. After checking her ID card and picking the front seat number, she thought she was lucky today and sat down. ¡°Hello~¡± The person beside spoke to her, who was only on her handphone since there was still 20 minutes of waiting time. Kim Eun Ha also received her greetings and nced at the person next to her. A face that looks a little older. ¡®An aunty fan.¡¯ She sighed quietly. It¡¯s not a generalization, but because many aunty fans she experienced were too fussy. However, there were still 20 minutes left before the start of the fan signing and she didn¡¯t even bring a camera, so she had no choice but to spend her free time. And when she realized, she was chatting with the woman next to her in less than 10 minutes. ¡°Did you see the kids¡¯ uniform today? Daebak.¡± ¡°I think the agency is doing a good job.¡± Not only the seat right next to her but also the woman sitting next next to her spent time chatting with them. ¡°How many copies did you buy? I bought twelve.¡± ¡°It was ten for me.¡± ¡°I bought nine. I bought it with my friend, but she fell out. She bought five copies.¡± And Jin was floating around watching this scene. If the fan signing cut was about 10, then it was a good start for a rookie. More and more seats at the fan signing event were filled and about half of the people who set tripods and cameras in advance also sat down. Tring- Handphone rms were heard all over the ce. Kim Eun Ha also turned on her phone at the vibration felt in her hand. £ÛY-App] AwyCAM ¨C A Common Rookie¡¯s Attitude Toward Fan Signing Events¡î ¡°Did you see this? It looks like it just came up, right?¡± ¡°It came to me, too.¡± They connected earphones to their own phones and yed the video. In the video, the part where Ian just said before was uploaded. It was a hasty upload by the person in charge of the video who thought this should be posted at Ian¡¯s deep words that he understands fans¡¯ feelings even without having to talk about it separately. ¡°Oh my¡­¡± Watching the video to the end, Kim Eun Ha said that his handsome face has a good personality and covered her mouth with her hand. ¡®Guys, I¡¯ll make sure chicken doesn¡¯t dry out in your life¡­¡¯ There were 5 minutes left before the fan signing event. Seeing some people who covered their mouths, Jin snorted. £ÛReally, what kind of universe energy is helping that Choi Ian guy.] Come to think of it, didn¡¯t he say he was born again with the luck of saving the country. Seeing a singer who seriously thinks of his fans, who will not be a fan after knowing it? Moreover, he had the face of Choi Ian and the fact that someone was lucky to film the situation. £ÛBut, will that feelingst long?] Sincerity would easily fade, though. Jin¡¯s camera blinked significantly. *** ¡°What you said about fans earlier is good, but just being fans doesn¡¯t mean they always care about you.¡± Now it¡¯s time to go inside soon. The manager, who was quietly listening to Ian, got up and said. ¡°If you think you¡¯ve heard harsh words, let me know. It¡¯s forbidden to put stickers on your faces, so avoid by pushing them from sticking it.¡± It had been announced in advance to protect the artist even before the fan signing event. The atmosphere has to be set like this from the first fan signing event so the fan atmosphere will changeter. ¡°Don¡¯t be touched anywhere except your hands and if anyone brings something like a pacifier and asks you to bite it, give a sign to me.¡± £ÛHave you been through this too?] ¡®Me? Haha¡­ I¡¯m even scared of how far I¡¯ve experienced it.¡¯ Imagine a grown-up boy biting a pacifier and was asked to show aegyo to take a picture of. The behavior, which would be disgusting even if it was an idol, already remains Ian¡¯s dark history. Still, he was relieved that thepany seemed to manage better than when he was Kim Yong Min. ¡°We¡¯ll watch from behind, but there are times when we can¡¯t take care of all of you. Got it?¡± ¡°It means don¡¯t let the fans treat you like toys. Don¡¯t take it all just because you are a rookie. You guys are the top priority.¡± Several employees of the agency also gathered to say one word at a time. Perhaps because they were also fans at one point, they tended to be too immersed in the group. ¡°Let¡¯s do well.¡± Park Jin Hyuk tapped Park Seo Dam¡¯s shoulder and opened the door to the fan signing event. ¡®Kyaaak¡¯. Their ears were deafened by the screaming voice. ¡®Howe everyone is so hyper?¡¯ £ÛThe video where you talked earlier was uploaded.] ¡®What?¡¯ For real? Ian hurriedly found the person in charge of the video. Without noticing Ian¡¯s feelings, the person in charge gave a thumbs up to him. Ian¡¯s ears burnt bright. I said it for the members to hear, not something for the fans to hear though! ¡®Ah, why is a cringy thing like that uploaded?¡¯ ¡°Always by your side! Hello, we are Awy!¡± The members shouted the team¡¯s slogan and sat down in their respective seats. Ian¡¯s order was the third from the front. ¡°Hyun-ah! Look over here!¡± ¡°Ian-ah! Here!¡± [The first birthday party is starting in earnest.]4Referring to Doljabi exactly, where the baby is asked to grab an item from several symbolic items ced a bit far away. It¡¯s a kind of fortune-telling game. Parents and rtives will call the baby¡¯s name from the other side to crawl to where the items are ced. The voice of the gunman can already be heard. Although depending on the red crosses and yellow triangles, Ian moved his head around at the sound of calling him. Ian grabbed the microphone. ¡°Haha. There are too many.¡± They are not only sitting calmly and waiting for the fans toe. Sometimes they had to listen to the requests of the fans sitting in the audience seats like this. Each of them shouts to look here to take pictures and videos. As Jin said, it was really like a first birthday party. ¡°Wee.¡± Finally, the first fan sat opposite Ian. Ian smiled and made eye contact with the fan. The fan smiled shyly but has a will to capture Ian¡¯s face in her eyes to the end. ¡°You are the first fan to get my autograph. What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Please do it with Iron Heart.¡± Ian habitually grabbed the fan¡¯s right hand. The other hand was signing the album. Iron Heart. It¡¯s a Home5Fansite, in case you forgot. name. ¡°Whose Home is it? Perhaps, my Home? ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. I opened it as soon as I saw the first broadcast!¡± ¡°From the first is already my Home Master nim, it¡¯s an honor. Noona? A Noona right?¡± And there are times when they do not just sign autographs if fans wrote a simple question on a post-it in advance and they have to answer it. Strange questions or demands are filtered out by the fan manager in front. It was amon ¡®preference vs¡¯ question with items such as jajangmyeon vs jjamppong or dipping vs pouring6Referring to how they eat sweet & sour pork or tangsuyuk of Chinese food. Whether to dip into the sauce or pour the sauce. . Ian quickly finished the post-it by circling his pick. ¡°Other members bleached their hair, but it¡¯s a pity that I didn¡¯t. What color does Noona want to seeter? I want to try blue hair.¡± The post-it can be seenter, so Ian talked skillfully. In Ian¡¯s experience, idols should never make fans talk more about themselves. This is because fanse with a lot of things they want to ask and know about the singer, not about themselves. ¡°So, you like blue. For me, red? I want to see itter.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll discuss it with the hairstylist chiefter.¡± ¡°Oh, right. Take this.¡± The fan held out a flower. It was a luscious pink rose. As soon as Ian received the flower, the manager said to the fan ¡°Please move on now¡±. The fan urgently told Ian. ¡°I was in a hurry toe out, so I only prepared this. Congrattions on your debut.¡± ¡°Thank you, Noona. Thank you so much foring.¡± Before the fan went to the next seat, Ian held the fan¡¯s hand with both hands. Then made eye contact with the fan and smiled broadly. A red cross mark exploded behind the fan¡¯s back and disappeared. ¡°Hello.¡± Ian put the rose he received from the fan in his ear and greeted the next fan. *** Ian pretended to recognize the fans who came to the pre-recording with the help of Jin and acted cute with the puppy headband brought by the fan. At the same time, he even answered the voice calling him from the audience seat. £ÛDespicable guy.] Ian tried to ignore Jin¡¯s words. It was because he thought he would have a wise man¡¯s time7The realization time like a wise man after doing something bad. if he kept listening. He heard that the fan signing cut was higher than expected, so wouldn¡¯t it be better to listen to most of the fans¡¯ requests? ¡°Hello. Huh?¡± Ian recognized the opposite fan first even if Jin didn¡¯t tell him separately. ¡°I think I¡¯ve seen you before¡­ Did youe to the busking?¡± ¡°Heok, that¡¯s right. How many months ago was it, but you remember?¡± ¡°Yes. It was Daehak-ro, right? You asked when I¡¯m going to debut.¡± ¡°Daebak¡­¡± Ian signed the fan¡¯s album and even wrote down the post-it questions neatly. Daehak-ro busking. It was the person who talked to him while helping to clean up. ¡®But I think I¡¯ve seen her a lot besides busking¡­¡± Ian didn¡¯t stop thinking even as he stared at the fan. Who is it? ¡°Any questions other than post-it, Noona?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t think of anything in particr, but can you sing a verse if you have time in the middle? You sang very well.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± At the manager¡¯s words, the fan quietly moved to the next seat. Sometimes some fans sat still and endured longer even at the words of the staff. Since that was the free time in the middle, Ian, who was thinking about what to sing, suddenly turned his head. ¡®Crazy!¡¯ £ÛWhy? Do you remember?] ¡®It¡¯s Min Hee Noona!¡¯ The home name is Dragon Mint8From ¡®Yong Min¡¯. Yong means dragon in Korean. and her name is Jang Min Hee. A real fan who has liked Kim Yong Min since his Diamond debut. She was already on her way back to her seat after receiving an autograph from thest seat Kim Hyun.
AmaliaJ¡¯s Note A reminder that the number in superscript is clickable and filled with some exnations. Ah, if you have time please write a review in Novel Updates too! Chapter 19 Chapter 19 Are We Going To Exile?Grade B Trantion: Manually edited MTL. Tranted and interpreted as best as I can. Mixed with some Korean terms. Misinterpretation may ur due to limitedprehensive ability. Awkward English, bad grammar, and typos may often ur as Trantor is not fluent in English and not edited by Editor nor proofed by Proofreader. She said she liked him before his debut since he was a trainee at arge agency. Even after Diamond debuted, she followed almost all schedules, so it was a face he had always seen. She was Kim Yong Min¡¯s Top Seed Homma, who steadily uploaded old photos even after he went through awsuit and the military. ¡®Heol, Noona?¡¯ ¡®I came here just because you wereing out here.¡¯ She was also someone who was present at the ce to meet fans before P.I. broadcast1The one where all trainees went to the street to introduce and promote themselves to the public. . She also put an ad on the subway to cheer for his debut and even when he turned into an actor, she sometimes posted a message on the fan cafe that she wouldn¡¯t be unstanning and she missed him. ¡®Woah, I got goosebumps.¡¯ He waste to recall the face since memories of the past remained faint. How can she stille to me even now that my body has changed? Ian nced at Jang Min Hee¡¯s direction, but his hand mechanically signed the album. £ÛThis is a flower garden of the heart2I don¡¯t understand this¡­ Will update when I find a meaningful metaphor or something else. . It¡¯s easy to write that you¡¯re still stanning. Do you think she didn¡¯t stan other kids during your hiatus?] That¡¯s true. They don¡¯t follow only one singer unconditionally just because they¡¯re a Homma. They are people who run for two or three groups at once if they have free time. ¡®Still, is the sincerity to follow me all the way to fan signmon?¡¯ £ÛWhat kind of sentimentality is this from the guy who knows everything about this floor. Is she the only fan?] Ian¡¯s heart, which had been excited about inner intimacy for no reason, cooled. Even such a special fan unstanned and changed to other singers. It¡¯s just that Ian¡¯s case is unusual. Who would think that Choi Ian¡¯s soul and Kim Yong Min were the same person? ¡®But, somehow¡­ That¡¯s too bad.¡¯ Even though he was amazed and happy that it was him when she was stanning again, he still had a bitter feeling at the thought that at least that person would like Kim Yong Min until the end. That is exactly how far the rtionship between a fan and a singer is. One-sided to each other but are distant people who leave at any time. *** When Awy was busy wandering around the fan signing event after finishing airwave music shows, thepany received a casting request. The other party was a person in charge of the year-end broadcast who watched them on Friday¡¯s music show. ¡°Did you say that our kids got cast?¡± Director Seo Su Ryeon, who was passing by nearby, came into the conference room. ¡°Yes, they ask toe out on the 29th.¡± ¡°Good. You said we¡¯ll do it, right?¡± ¡°Yes, but Director Seo¡­¡± What¡¯s this, when we didn¡¯t even dream of the year-end stage. Seo Su Ryeon sat in a chair smiling. It was unconditionally okay when a rookie was cast for the year-end stage. However, the person in charge of the casting work did not look very good. ¡°No way¡­¡± Seo Su Ryeon sighed and repeatedly pressed down her temple. ¡°So, we¡¯re not singing our own song?¡± ¡°Yes. They ask to do a cover stage¡­¡± ¡°No wonder. I wondered why they were letting out a rookie when the casting had already finished.¡± Evil broadcasting guys. Seo Su Ryeon ground her teeth. To raise ratings, the year-end stage prioritized casting from highly recognized idols first. Rookies fromrge agencies sometimes enter, but it is a stage that small and medium-sized rookies cannot even dream of. ¡°Who is it this time?¡± ¡°It is M.U.N.¡± ¡°What song do they ask for?¡± When thought it was difficult to enter, but they couldn¡¯t even sing their own songs and got stuck in other group cover songs. It is also not a big hit song, but a song released during the downtrend. ¡°Seriously. From when is M.U.N. We say it well and call them 1st Gen idols, but they¡¯re just like the idols¡¯ fossils.¡± ¡°I know, right. But didn¡¯t Director Seo say you were a fan of them too?¡± Seo Su Ryeon avoided the gaze of the employee. She kept whining as if regretful. It was the broadcasting station¡¯s fixed repertoire to include rookies doing covers of old idols. There are many well-known groups and also many good songs among 2nd Gen, but it is always the 1st Gen. 3 Wiki links here for those who want to look up more. I also put an anchor link to a simplified(?) note in the end of this chapter. Boy Groups and Girl Groups and TL NOTE ¡°ck Rush is also appearing, so pay attention a little please.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve talked about that too, but they said the seats are already full and to call ASAP if not going.¡± ¡°Doing ancestor cosy in the yard where there are no ancestral rites these days, huh.¡± ¡°Then, should I call back that we¡¯re not going to do it?¡± That¡¯s a different story. Seo Su Ryeon shook her head. She had to be very grateful that they were cast. Since it¡¯s better to evene out for a few minutes at the year-end stage. Maybe we¡¯ll be assigned to a stage next year. Seo Su Ryeon turned on the positive thinking mode. ¡°And I also got a call toe out on the 31st. At least, they don¡¯t ask for a cover song here.¡± ¡°31st? Station M? Nice. You said we¡¯ll do it, right?¡± Seo Su Ryeon¡¯s expression brightened up again, but the employee also had a sullen look. ¡°But¡­ The stage location¡­¡± At the following words, Seo Su Ryeon¡¯s expression turned into a scowl. *** £ÛHey, you¡¯re screwed.] ¡®What nonsense are you suddenly saying?¡¯ It was a time when they were waiting indefinitely until the main broadcast after pre-recording. Disappeared Jin popped up suddenly and delivered an ominous word before disappearing again. ¡®What¡¯s going on? Where are you going?¡¯ And as if taking over Jin¡¯s ce, manager Park Dong Soo called everyone. ¡°Guys, you¡¯re scheduled for the year-end stage.¡± ¡°Heol, really? Daeebak.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say we can¡¯t go out at the year-end?¡± The sleeping members abruptly woke up. ¡°First of all, Station K on the 29th. It¡¯s a M.U.N. cover stage.¡± ¡°We aren¡¯t singing our song?¡± At Lee Joo Hyuk¡¯s words, the manager nodded. Then the members ¡®Ah.¡¯ expressed some disappointment. If other unheard-of idols hear it, they will say they are full, but they wanted toe out with their own song if possible. ¡°But it¡¯s a cover song of a great senior, so you have to prepare well. We¡¯ll give a choreo teacher.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Anyone who has heard this song?¡± Still, everyone was greedy for the stage, so their expressions became serious. They were already looking for the assigned song. ¡°I know. Joo Hyuk hyung also knows, right?¡± ¡°Me? Dunno though?¡± It was a familiar song to Ian, but as expected, the youngsters of a generation looked as if they had never heard of it. No way, did Lee Joo Hyuk still not know even like this? Even though Ian sang a verse, he shook his head. My goodness. They are idols who are legendary in a way, though. ¡°But if it¡¯s year-end, all rtives will watch it, right?¡± ¡°My mom will like it. My aunt always said we couldn¡¯t make money because our name is unknown. Do you know when I heard that? It was exactly 4 days after our debut!¡± It felt really nasty. We have to quickly be famous. Park Jin Hyuk was especially burning with a fighting spirit. Park Seo Dam lowered his shoulders. ¡°My mom and dad also heard something like that at the reunion¡­¡± At his words, the jealous remarks of numerous rtives and parents¡¯ acquaintances who boast about their sons4???(eom.chin.ah), abbr. of ¡®?? ??? ??¡¯ or ¡®mom¡¯s friend¡¯s son¡¯. The perfect guy who bes aparison subject in parents talk. passed by in their minds, raising everyone¡¯s motivation. ¡°Woah, that¡¯s really mean.¡± ¡°Then, how should we decorate the stage?¡± ¡°Remix? Will it look rude to the original artist?¡± Seven people sat in a circle at one point and whispered about the stage. Since today is also a partition waiting room, they should not be a nuisance to other groups. ¡°Isn¡¯t it okay to change the choreography a bit?¡± ¡°How about letting the first verse be as it is and changing the second verse?¡± Ian also added an opinion. But this much isn¡¯t screwed up, though? Jin doesn¡¯t make a fuss over this. Ian tilted his head. He looked at the manager and asked. ¡°Anything else, hyung?¡± ¡°Yeah, on the 31st. We¡¯re going to do our song and they¡¯ll give us about 5 minutes. Also doing a new year bell strike together.¡± ¡°Bell strike?¡± No way. It¡¯s not the ce I think it is, right? Ian found Jin in the air. Jin, who brought popcorn, was scattering popcorn in the air. It was Jin who is practicing ¡®other people¡¯s misfortune is my happiness¡¯. ¡°Hmm¡­ It¡¯s going to be very cold there of course.¡± The manager showed them the text message he received silently. Everyone¡¯s faces turned dark. £ÛLocation: Imjingak Pyeonghwa Nuri Park, Paju] ¡®Oh¡­ Fuck.¡¯ £ÛI offer my deepest condolences. Go well.] ¡°Imjingak¡­? For real?¡± ¡°Are we going to exile?¡± Imjingak, the exile for the year-end music events has been revived. It¡¯s the northern region where the wind is at a different dimension but they have to perform there while shivering in the cold. ¡°What exile. Guys, do you know how hard it is for a rookie to go to the year-end stage?¡± The manager hardened his expression. It was a low voice just in case anyone could hear it. ¡°Even if others call it exile, you shouldn¡¯t do that. Many kids watch it on TV at the dorm because they couldn¡¯t even go to this stage.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You have to watch your mouth, guys. Otherwise, you may not even be going to exile next year and be immediately buried into the ground.¡± He was like a veteran who was in charge of ck Rush. Diamond was also called Imjingak-only group, but they weren¡¯t even called when the group rode Mangdol Tech. The members bowed their heads. Their nerves were loosened as they also often heard the encouragement words at the fan signing event. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for letting down the mood, but don¡¯t ignore my words. Let me know if you need anything.¡± ¡°Hyung, then please buy a lot of hot packs used in the army.¡± Ian replied with a resigned voice. *** Awy, Year-End Stages Sortie¡­ ¡®To Present Explosive Stage¡¯ ?Anyone is bing idols, they¡¯re going to lip-sync anyway lolol ?Why all kids these days looks like gay;; ?Everyone are fugly except for one lolololol ?rgh~~~ homo smell Are thements in thetest order. Ian frowned and changed it to the order of best. Many of the bestments were already in total war5 ??(chong.gong). A word refers to all-out war inment or voting especially by idol fandoms to support their favorite group. by fans and in a clean state. ¡°What are you doing there?¡± ¡°Hello, Sunbae nim!¡± ¡°What sunbae, call me hyung.¡± ck Rush member Kim Young Hyun from the practice room next door approached Ian. Kim Young Hyun handed out the chocte snack he was holding to Ian. ¡°Are you also for the year-end stage?¡± ¡°Yes, we¡¯re going to Imjingak.¡± Ah, Imjingak. Kim Young Hyun patted Ian¡¯s shoulder with a pitiful expression. ¡°Eat more. No, you eat them all.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Kim Young Hyun put the snacks into Ian¡¯s arms. The snacks in the mouth were too delicious to say it¡¯s okay and refuse. ¡°It must be hard to practice even though it¡¯s the promotion period.¡± ¡°Still, I think it¡¯s morefortable than before debut.¡± Since preparations for the year-end stage were urgent, the lights in the practice room were on almost all day. Ian also came out for a while because the heat in the practice room was so hot. Kim Young Hyun nced through Ian¡¯s tablet screen and smiled bitterly. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be reading this already¡­ Never mind about it.¡± ¡°But I still keep looking at it.¡± Choi Ian can¡¯t stop it because he habitually entered as soon as he was reincarnated. It was almost like an addiction. Anyhow it is a job that needs people¡¯s attention. There may be some people who do not see thesements at all, but there will be no one who only sees them once. ¡°Don¡¯t look at the portal site¡¯sments. Only look at the fan cafe or bulletin boardmunity dedicated to you.¡± Kim Young Hyun searched and showed severalmunities while manipting the pad. ¡°Hyung must see them a lot too.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll also get used to it when getting older like us.¡± I¡¯ll go. Work hard. Kim Young Hyun coolly went back in after getting a bottle of water from the water purifier. £ÛWow. Snazzy sunbae.] ¡®Is he? Is it snazzy?¡¯ £ÛWhy? Are you jealous?] ¡®Would I be jealous of what you say?¡¯ Ian ignored Jin¡¯s words and headed back to the practice room. He looked like a cool senior, but would he be mistaken if he looked a bit lonely? Just because you get used to it doesn¡¯t mean you be dull. Like Kim Yong Min in the past and the current me. Ian tried hard to swallow his words.
Special Note A glimpse of the real K-Pop Idols generations~ Click here to return above 1st Gen idols te 90¡¯s-early ¡¯00) e.g H.O.T, Shinhwa, S.E.S., Fin K.L, etc. 2nd Gen idols (mid ¡¯00-¡¯11) e.g TVXQ, Super Junior, SHINee, Big Bang, 2PM, Infinite, Wonder Girls, Girls¡¯ Generation, 2NE1, Sistar, Miss A, F.T. Ind, CNBLUE, etc. I was a fangirl from this era¡­ And as Director Seo said, there are so many well-known groups to just mention a few. 3rd Gen idols (¡¯12-around ¡¯17), e.g. Exo, VIXX, NU¡¯EST, BTS, Got7, AOA, Mamamoo, GFriend, Red Velvet, Twice, ckpink, etc. My bones are buried in this era¡­ 4th Gen idols (¡¯18-now), e.g Stray Kids, Ateez, TXT, (G)I-DLE, Itzy, Loona, etc. Our kids Awy fall in this gen, yup yup. Chapter 20 Chapter 20 You Weren¡¯t Just A Homma, Right?Grade B Trantion: Manually edited MTL. Tranted and interpreted as best as I can. Mixed with some Korean terms. Misinterpretation may ur due to limitedprehensive ability. Awkward English, bad grammar, and typos may often ur as Trantor is not fluent in English and not edited by Editor nor proofed by Proofreader. At Station K¡¯s year-end stage on the 29th, Awy will broadcast live without a separate pre-recording. Like the once-a-week music show, they go to work at dawn, do dry rehearsals, and wait indefinitely. Jo Tae Woong opened the door. ¡°Ooh. Will we also use ces like this when we be seasoned?¡± Waiting Room Awy / MyKit The broadcasting station also felt sorry for the urgent casting, so they considered having two groups use one waiting room, not the partition waiting room. In the center of the waiting room, the space was separated by a tarpaulin. ¡°We¡¯re first.¡± ¡°Dong Soo hyung! What time do we go out again?¡± Members in training suits plopped down on chairs. The chair cushion is hard, so it¡¯s not possible to sit on the chair for a long time. ¡®But, it¡¯s my first time hearing MyKit?¡¯ £ÛDebuted about 6 months earlier than you. They get small reactions in Korea, I think? Probably will go to Japan next year?] ¡®It¡¯s the same everywhere, going to Japan after promoting a few times.¡¯ £ÛIf you work well, you can make money there. They also lived as an underground idol there and touched some money.] Most Korean idols always go to Japan to promote. This is because they buy a lot of albums, and most fans like a group for a long time. Seeing that Ian¡¯s agency is also educating them in Japanese from now on, Awy will also promote in Japan next year or the year after. ¡®Their personality?¡¯ £ÛEveryone¡¯s just nice. Since idols¡¯ character education is done well these days. Although one guy is a bit wasted¡­] ¡®How do you know their personalities? I guess you used to be their Homma too, huh?¡¯ £ÛUh?] Due to Jin¡¯s personality, who wants to show off what it knows, he thought it would get caught if he asked such an unexpected question. Ian looked at Jin with suspicious eyes. ¡®You weren¡¯t just a Homma, right?¡¯ £Û¡­Ah, I heard it from their Homma. If you¡¯re ying on this floor, you¡¯ll meet and talk to other groups¡¯ Homma too.] ¡®But isn¡¯t iting out so smoothly for that? As if you¡¯ve talked to the singer in person?¡¯ It was Jin who didn¡¯t answer even though Ian asked back. What¡¯s holding you back to hiding your past? Jin clicked the shutter a few times and disappeared. Where are you running away? Ian tried to call Jin again, but the waiting room door opened faster. ¡°Uh? You¡¯re here first?¡± ¡°Hello, sunbae nim!¡± A man with pale yellow hair spoke to them in a friendly way. Awy members stood up quickly and gave a folder greeting1Remember folder phone? It¡¯s a bit of ng referring to quick deep bowing. . MyKit received the greeting pleasantly despite the awkwardness of being treated as a senior. ¡°What sunbae, the experience years must be simr anyway.¡± At the same time, they didn¡¯t ask to speakfortably2MyKit uses formal speech here. And usually, people will ask to speakfortably or with informal speech to be friendly. . When they finished greeting each other, MyKit went into the opposite space like flowing water at the awkward atmosphere unique to the first-time meeting. The sleepcking Ian and the members put the chairs in the corner and spread a mat on the floor to make up for theck of sleep. ¡°Guys, get up!¡± The members who slept well for 4 hours woke up one by one at the manager¡¯s voice. They folded the mat under the manager¡¯s instructions and set up the chairs and even tables. Then thepany staff came in one by one and ced a bulky box in front of each member. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°Your meal support is here?¡± The manager was ted as if he had prepared the meal. On top of the styrofoam box, there was a sticker with their names printed each along with the phrase ¡®Congrattions On The First Year-End Stage!¡¯. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah. They also prepared for the staff separately, so don¡¯t care about us, you guys eat a lot.¡± The members opened the styrofoam box almost like tearing it apart. When Ian also opened the box, a postcard with pretty flower decoration and a short phrase along weed him first. ¡®May there be only flowery paths in your future.¡¯ -Awy Home Master Union. At the bottom, each Home name was written in small letters. Among them, ¡®Iron Heart¡¯ which stood out in Ian¡¯s eyes was the first fan who received his autograph. ¡°Woah, look at the abalone. I really like abalone.¡± ¡°Abalone? I¡¯m allergic to shellfish, though¡­ Huh? I don¡¯t have it?¡± Not only that, there were parts with different menus in consideration of each members¡¯ preferences. Somehow, they asked what we liked or couldn¡¯t eat at the fan signing event. It must have been because of this. The lunch boxes consisted of main dishes such as braised short ribs, karaage, fresh spring rolls, and many kinds of foods such as fruits, yogurt, desserts, and fresh fruit juice. ¡°Woah, it¡¯s precious so how can I eat this?¡± ¡°Me too.¡± Other members also agreed with Ian¡¯s self-talk. A small dry flower was also carefully attached to the lid of each food container inside the disposable container. ¡°Guys, take out all of these first then shall we take a group photo once and hold these flowers once?¡± Because fans want to get their gifts to be verified that they received them. Everyone gathered at Lee Joo Hyuk¡¯s sensible suggestion and took pictures. ¡°The food must have cooled down. Let¡¯s hurry up and eat.¡± ¡°Thank you for the food!¡± Ian and the members, who took a group photo, finished a lot of food at once in a short time. After listening to Ian, the members tried to be nice to all the fans they met, whether they rte a lot. And with that effort through the fans, the total sales also increased as fan signing cuts gradually increased after the first fan signing event. Fans told the so-called ¡®Great Value Response¡¯3Used ng here so it¡¯s kind of awkward in English. ????(hye.ja.dae.eung). Hye Ja is actually a person and used as ng to say something that has good price value. story as they went to the fan signing events, so the influx of fans increased on their own. £ÛIsn¡¯t these much priced more than a million won?] Disappeared Jin reappeared and flew around Ian. Ian, who was taking photos with the tablet as he was impressed by the fans¡¯ sincerity, red at Jin in front of him. Jin¡¯s lens turned to the side as if avoiding his gaze. The situation was not appropriate to nitpick again. Ian sighed deeply, thinking that there would be a situation to talk aboutter. ¡®That expensive?¡¯ £ÛStaff are usually given simple sandwiches for meals, but they prepared simr things to you when I saw earlier. Then the price gets more expensive. The fans used a bit more strength.] ¡®Oh yeah?¡¯ Ian took a mouthful of the macaron that came out as a dessert. The taste of the macaron in the mouth was exceptionally sweet. *** After having lunch, Awy dozed off due to the fooda for a while and then went to the interim rehearsal. They waited with rookies performing other 1st Gen idol cover stages. ¡°Everyone just covering as it is?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t we doing it too much?¡± The rookies performing cover stage earlier only had different voices and came with the songs from back then as it was. They were also only assigned cover stages, not their own songs, so it gave off the feeling that they had been practicing out of courtesy. ¡°It¡¯s not too much, it¡¯s a lot of preparation. And is there anyone who hates that?¡± Ian smiled meaningfully. From what he heard from Jin, this year-end stage PD is a so-called kkondae4A word used to demean those who have the authoritarian mindset, especially older people. The closest use in English is ¡®Boomer¡¯ from the ¡®OK Boomer¡¯ meme. and really likes young people who work hard. And that PD will go up to the station directorter, so it would be good to get a good score from now on. Awy came with a remixed song with verse 1 as it is and verse 2 onwards are interpreted in a modern way. They also practiced the choreography that was changed little by little ordingly. ¡°Awy, pleasee up.¡± At the words of the staff, Awy went up on the stage. Kim Hyun Sik, the PD of this broadcast, frowned upon hearing the AR they had prepared in advance. They did their best during rehearsals like the main broadcast on the music show, so he cast them but¡­ ¡®They¡¯re also the same.¡¯ No matter how urgent they were cast, none of the teams set up a distinctive stage. And some teams danced moderately in rehearsals unlike what rookies should do. Kim Hyun Sik drew an X on the paper with Awy on it. ¡®Kids these days don¡¯t have the spirit. When I was their age¡­¡¯ Just when Kim Hyun Sik summoned his old memories, the music suddenly stops from the beginning of the second verse. At the moment¡¯s silence, Kim Hyun Sik raised his head and looked at the stage. The members¡¯ movements suddenly changed and the beat quickly transitioned. The M.U.N.¡¯s cover song they did was ¡®My Own¡¯, a song with the concept of two men fighting over a woman. ¡°Oh? They¡¯re a bit different?¡± Kim Hyun Sik was slightly admired. The members were divided into 4 to 3 and engaged in a short dance battle with each other. At the end, the two main dancers put their faces close to each other and acted as if they were having a nerve fight. Then they pushed each other¡¯s shoulders, stepped back, and all the members danced in the same movement. Even when performing a powerful dance, the swaying tempting gestures in the middle seems to be wooing by saying ¡®choose me¡¯. Even if they fight over a woman for a hundred days, the woman makes the choice. They added sadness to the existing choreography. ¡°They¡¯re good.¡± Not only that, it sounds lighter and more cheerful by reducing the techno music unique to the end of the century and mixing the song with future house feeling. And Ian¡¯s high notes, which sounded delicious in-between, made it feel like it was not just a cover song but a new re-creation of the song. ¡°Thank you!¡± While Kim Hyun Sik was staring nkly, their rehearsal ended. Kim Hyun Sik put down the bundle of paper he was holding and pped. The Assistant Director next to him was surprised and looked at Kim Hyun Sik. Apuse from the kkondae PD who is stingy withpliments? ¡°Good job, I enjoyed it a lot. Please do the same during the main broadcast, too.¡± The faces of the members, who were sweating, turned bright at PD¡¯spliment. It was worth practicing while reducing sleep. The PD circled Awy¡¯s names several times as he watched their back descending from the stage. *** It was ¡®excellent in main job¡¯, the philosophy of BHL Ent which ck Rush and the singers before them also go through. It was their principle to make all singers have an attachment to the stage, so perhaps Awy did not sloppily do rehearsal stage because of that spirit. ¡°Eugh, it¡¯s hard.¡± The members, who had undergone rehearsals like the main broadcast, dangled likeundry on the chairs. It had been a long time since sleep ran away due to the intense choreography. ¡°How many hours do we have until thest rehearsal?¡± ¡°It is 5 hours.¡± Park Seo Dam looked at the clock and sighed. They can¡¯t sleep and they don¡¯t have handphones. Even if they leave in the middle, there¡¯s nowhere to go. ¡°Shall we y a game?¡± Park Jin Hyuk got up suddenly. However, there are no board games or trump cards at all to y. In rock-paper-scissors for finger flick5Flicking finger at others forehead. Pretty hurt. No. It¡¯s like dying if you¡¯re flicked by someone with good strength. , only each other¡¯s bloodshed urs if the desire to win intensifies. ¡®That one is good at times like this.¡¯ Ian was thinking while stroking his chin and he made eye contact with Jo Tae Woong on the other side. ¡®You too?¡¯ ¡®Hey, me two.¡¯ They pointed at each other with their fingers and exchanged signs. The period of practicing together was short, but Ian and Jo Tae Woongmunicated ideas well with each other. Just in time, MyKit was also making noise over the tarpaulin. Ian and Jo Tae Woong got up abruptly and shook the tarpaulin gently. ¡°Excuse me~ Sunbae nims. For a minute.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± Ian and Jo Tae Woong peeked out their faces out of the tarpaulin. MyKit also had the same situation as Awy, so they had no handphone in their hand and were just chattering. ¡°Perhaps if you¡¯re bored¡­¡± ¡°Would you like to y a mafia game together?¡± The more people y together, the more fun it is. The eyes of the five MyKit members, who were staring at them nkly, gleamed. They rolled up the tarpaulin in the middle of the waiting room as if they had promised together in advance. *** ¡°From my point of view, Cheol Min-i is a hundred percent the mafia.¡± ¡°Ah no! It¡¯s really not!¡± Ian¡¯s eyes became sharp. MyKit¡¯s Kim Cheol Min raised his body halfway and waved his hands. However, some people instigated by Ian turned their thumbs down. ¡°It can¡¯t be! Let¡¯s shoot!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s kill Cheol Min.¡± ¡°Are you sure you want to kill Kim Cheol Min ssi?¡± Awy¡¯s Park Jin Hyuk, who served as the moderator, spoke resolutely. While everyone nodded, Kim Cheol Min shouted repeatedly that it was not him. ¡°Kim Cheol Min ssi is dead. He was a citizen.¡± ¡°Ah, I definitely said no, right!¡± ¡°Seriously not?¡± Kim Cheol Min got up and jumped. Everyone who was gatheredughed at the shortest Kim Cheol Min¡¯s pping. The already dead doctor, Lee Joo Hyuk, put his arm on Kim Cheol Min¡¯s shoulders. ¡°It is morning. The mafia killed the police overnight. It is a victory for the mafia.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s mafia!¡± ¡°Hihi, it is us! Pardon!¡± ¡°Woah. Isn¡¯t the moderator corrupted! If you use the actors as mafias, we¡¯ll all fall for it!¡± ¡°Impeach the moderator! Open a candlelight protest!¡± ¡°Photo! I demand the truth from the moderator!¡± And it¡¯s been 40 minutes since they yed the mafia game. They took off the titles of seniors and juniors and became best friends with each other.
Chapter 21 Chapter 21 Are We Really Standing Here?Grade B Trantion: Manually edited MTL. Tranted and interpreted as best as I can. Mixed with some Korean terms. Misinterpretation may ur due to limitedprehensive ability. Awkward English, bad grammar, and typos may often ur as Trantor is not fluent in English and not edited by Editor nor proofed by Proofreader. -If you like mafia game, watch here (Link)(Link) Awy and MyKit are in soul battle right now lolololol doing whatever they want lolololol ?Crazy mafia game fk ?Who are they? Is it fun? Shall I see too ?So friggin fun lololololololololol ?Did they get along well? You look like a real best friend lololololol Employees of each agency smelled the noise in the waiting room. Seeing the mafia game full of their own jokes and psticks, it was an entertainment sense too waste to watch alone. So, the employees consulted each other and broadcasted their games on each group¡¯s Y-app channel. ¡°I have an objection!¡± ¡°Defendant, your argument please.¡± ¡°I grew up with harmonious and loving parents¡­¡± ¡°Are you writing a CV with your mouth? You are out, sir.¡± Ian conducted the event skillfully. Numerous acting experiences in the past have been demonstrated in the mafia game. As he gradually mixed situational ys, all kinds of memes and jokes were rampant. ¡°What are you doing? Looks fun.¡± ¡°Sunbae nims, pleasee too.¡± Due to themotion, two members of ck Rush yed the game too and members of other senior groups also participated. ¡°We¡¯re going now.¡± ¡°You guys are fun. Call meter.¡± It was rumored from somewhere to be a game hotspot, so there was also an opportunity to get acquainted with popr mid-high tier seniors. Even one member of a top 3 boy group yed a game with them. Before they knew it, their waiting room served as a stop where almost all performers participating in the song festival showed their faces once. Taking this momentum, Ian thought they would get tired of ying the same game over and over again. Then from the next game, he joined the mafia side, manipted the game, and even added new rules to make the game more fun instead of proceeding normally. ¡°What are they doing here?¡± ¡°Woah, looks fun. Should we do it, too?¡± Fans who were waiting for the music festival stopped by Awy and MyKit¡¯s channels in case their singers woulde out, and the number of viewers exploded as they continued to watch it because it was fun. The behind camera of the broadcasting station also filmed them due to the hubbub. Other teams benchmarked Awy and MyKit then turned on their personal broadcast, but there were none as frenzy as them, so they quietly ended the broadcast. * * * Time passed quickly as they yed as if they were on an MT1Trip or camp, in a mountain vi usually. But more formal and usually with a group of people like a college club or a department. Often to build group¡¯s solidarity so there will be small events like games and even a drinking party. It¡¯s fun! . In the first part of the year-end song festival, Awy started the first verse wearing bulky vinyl clothes2I want to put a good example here but I couldn¡¯t find it! I only found JYP¡¯s legendary transparent pants¡­ Just imagine our kids wearing colorful stic-like bulky clothes. from the end of the century. Then, from the second verse, vinyl clothes that had been cut in advance were easily torn to reveal cks and shirts that fit perfectly. Ian and the members finished the stage without mistakes even though it was a live broadcast. If someone asks if they leave work right away after the given stage, that isn¡¯t the case. At the end of the broadcast, all performers will go on stage and sing along with big senior singers in the music industry. Last year was trot3A genre of Korean popr music which Korean folk music influenced with Japanese, American, and European music. For those who know, it¡¯s simr to dangdut, especially the rhythmic beats that make you wanna move your body. Popr with the elderly. , this time was lyrical bad. ¡°How tall?¡± MyKit¡¯s Kim Cheol Min looked up at Ian and said. Kim Cheol Min, who became close while ying games in the waiting room, was the same age as Ian and was the shortest in MyKit. ¡°Perhaps over 180?¡± ¡°Jealous.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll probably be taller, too. Some people grow up even after they are 20.¡± ¡°I¡¯m doomed.¡± Kim Cheol Min is MyKit¡¯s main dancer, and he grumbled that the average height of those who have been dancing since childhood was short. Well, seeing that Awy¡¯s two main dancers are in theirte 170s, wasn¡¯t he just born small? ¡°Wow¡­¡± ¡°Hello?¡± Almost everyone passing through the hallway nced at Ian. Some of the friendly people approached Ian and said hello. Not only that, some even whispered with each other while going on stage. When Ian stared at Jin, Jin continued to inform him of the contents while grumbling about what he was trying to confirm. £ÛEveryone who looked at you said you¡¯re so handsome. They said they want to get your number.] It was always pleasant to be treated like this. This is what a handsome life is like, thrilling. While the pre-recording of Mydea4Not sure with the romanization. Which one is good? It¡¯s probably one of these: My Dear(the one I had in mind when reading but not when tling), Midea(can¡¯t use this, a brand name), My Deer, or idk¡­ , one of the top 3 boy groups, was broadcast, all the cast members came up to the stage. Since the most recent debut here is Awy, they greeted like a flip phone to every performer they made eye contact with. Of course, the rookie¡¯s position on the group stage was at the back. The most front, where is well captured by the camera, was already upied by singers with a lot of seniority or poprity. As soon as Awy was about to go back, the staff rushed up and led them. When they came to their senses, they were on the edge but at the most front. ¡°Are we really standing here, sir?¡± Lee Joo Hyuk¡¯s pupils were shaking. So did the other members. The staff nodded and held out a mic to Ian. ¡°Hee Sang sonsaeng nim5Teacher. Here to refer to someone very senior and respected in the industry. Some ¡®titles¡¯ like this are hard to trante, so I¡¯m sorry for the inconvenience of not being consistent whether to use Korean or English. will go around the stage and sing, you know? You can sing it in a duet format when Hee Sang sonsaeng nim approaches.¡± ¡°Me, sir?¡± ¡°Yes, aren¡¯t you the main vocalist? It¡¯s the PD nim¡¯s order, though.¡± The staff said that for thest time and went to other groups to give out mics. Ian stared at the microphone in his hand in bewilderment then looked at the members. When he made ¡®for real?¡¯ with his mouth shape, the members nodded nkly. The broadcasted Mydea¡¯s stage came to an end on the monitor. All performers stopped speaking and looked at the camera. The camera was lit and two hosts in charge delivered their final greetings and the song began. Kim Hee Sang was a senior in the music industry who led the heyday of Korean bads from the early 80s to thete 90s. When he sang the intro, all performers were in awe. Even when he got older, it can be clearly felt that he took good care of his throat. It¡¯s really a singing ability that chews CDs. When he sang, the main vocals of each group holding a mic sang softly as if singing the chorus. £ÛBut then. It¡¯s good for you to be caught on camera, but isn¡¯t this going to cause a little made-up controversy since a rookie came out in the front?] ¡®Is it?¡¯ At Jin¡¯s words, Ian nced at the members while singing. It was nice to see them enjoying the stage and singing with each other. Even if it is a made-up controversy, a controversy is a controversy. In the process, maliciousments cannot be avoided. Besides, they¡¯re members who surf the web often¡­ He doesn¡¯t like to see shadows on the faces of those kids. ¡®Then just put it to sleep with the song.¡¯ £ÛHey. That¡¯ll backfire.] ¡®I know well. I¡¯ll have to sing it well as if it¡¯s bouncing yet not bouncing.¡¯ Still, how many years have I been singing. Ian listened carefully to Kim Hee Sang¡¯s song. Kim Hee Sang, who had eye contact with Ian, was approaching Ian after finishing a duet with a member of a group beside them. ¡°This moment together with you~¡± When Ian sang the song that showed off his singing ability in moderation while adding harmony, Kim Hee Sang who was singing together eximed ¡®oh¡¯ with admiration. After singing a few verses together, he took off his mic and gestured to Ian to continue singing. As Ian took over the baton and sang powerfully, Kim Hee Sang sang in harmony. The light did not go out from the camera in front of Ian. ¡®Why not leave?¡¯ As the duet time became longer, Ian looked at Kim Hee Sang¡¯s countenance even while singing. Doesn¡¯t he have to go to the other side and duet with other performers now. Kim Hee Sang did not move as if he was nailed next to Ian, perhaps liking singing the song with him. Ian seemed to feel stinging gazes from his surroundings. ¡°Yes, the broadcast is over. Everyone thanks for your hard work.¡± When the camera lights went out and the PD said it was over, greetings poured out from all over the ce. Ian and members also bowed their upper bodies continuously saying, thank you for your hard work. ¡°This friend, you¡¯re good at singing!¡± ¡°Sonsaeng nim, it is an honor.¡± Of course, he didn¡¯t forget to approach Kim Hee Sang once more and say greetings to him, who took care of his portion. Kim Hee Sang chuckled and patted Ian on the back. ¡°Sonsaeng nim, thank you for your hard work. Thank you so much foring.¡± Producer Kim Hyun Sik rushed up to the stage. Kim Hee Sang recalled a mistake as soon as he saw the PD. ¡°Aigoo¡­ Come to think of it, I should have also gone over there and sung. This friend sang my song so well that I forgot somehow.¡± ¡°That is not it, Sonsaeng nim. As long as the picture came out well, that was enough.¡± Kim Hee Sang, who thinks of the PD without being bossy despite the PD¡¯s sweet-talk, was not stubborn and kind even when he is advanced in age. ¡°Sonsaeng nim, then the activities¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinking about starting next year. I rested for too long.¡± PD Kim Hyun Sik¡¯s expression brightened up. This is because Kim Hee Sang was absolutely necessary for the next program he was envisioning. ¡®When are we going down?¡¯ ¡®Can we go down?¡¯ Sandwiched between a big senior singer and the PD, Ian and members couldn¡¯t find an angle to go down and only exchanged nces at each other on the stage. Several singers were hovering around Kim Hee Sang because they wanted to approach him, so they were more conscious. At that moment, Ian and Kim Hee Sang¡¯s eyes met. Kim Hee Sang chuckled and patted Ian and members¡¯ shoulders as if he was ashamed of keeping his juniors up. ¡°Handsome and tall young men.¡± ¡°I also watched their rehearsals of these friends, so I thought Sonsaeng nim would like them.¡± Kim Hee Sang likes juniors who sing well. They shouldn¡¯t have just sung well. They had to be better than others. In that short time, Ian added harmony to suit Kim Hee Sang¡¯s tone. So of course, Kim Hee Sang¡¯s attention was drawn to him. ¡°Yeah, what¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°I am Choi Ian of Awy, Sonsaeng nim.¡± Ian replied with a smile. ¡°Choi Ian, Awy. Hope to see you again next time. Go in.¡± ¡°Thank you. Thank you for your hard work!¡± Ian and members bowed 90 degrees and quickly went down the stage. * * * -Really, legend is a legend. -Woah, he still sings so well like that brrr -But the kid who sings together sings well too, handsome It was the ce where Kim Hee Sang, who had been out for several years, appeared on TV after a long time. After the broadcast, keywords rted to the song festival went up and down in real-time search terms, and of course, themunity reaction was explosive. Even the names of Awy and Ian sparkled up to 16th and 17th ce on the real-time charts. -But why was Awy in the front row? -Is there something between theirpany and broadcasting station? -If you¡¯re going to do this, you should¡¯ve put our kids in front too Of course, there were not only good posts. In particr, fandoms of other groups that debuted around the same time have poured out suspicious words, but they are only a few. Most quietly wrote at the voices asking to stop feeling inferiority, saying that Ian¡¯s skills deserve to be put in front. -Did you see the kids¡¯ eyes shaking because senior isn¡¯t going? (Capture) Ah lololololol they¡¯re happy then look at their face after lolololol cute lololololololol ?Wat de they¡¯re kinda cute, who? ?The kid with mic so handsome -Guys, I¡¯m about to be a fan, so what should I watch first? I got hit while watching the stage earlier, please congrats me ?Watch today¡¯s mafia game. Legend. ?If you look at that, you can see all the kids¡¯ personalities lolololol ?I knew it, they¡¯re going to be funny lolol And of course, the awareness of Awy also increased.
Chapter 22 Chapter 22 What Does It Feel Like To Lose?Grade B Trantion: Manually edited MTL. Tranted and interpreted as best as I can. Mixed with some Korean terms. Misinterpretation may ur due to limitedprehensive ability. Awkward English, bad grammar, and typos may often ur as Trantor is not fluent in English and not edited by Editor nor proofed by Proofreader. BHL Ent¡¯s CEO Lee Byung Hun has been in a good mood these days. ck Rush¡¯s recently released album sales increased by 60,000 copies and although a rookie, Awy¡¯s portalmunity indicators were rising noticeably. A ¡®return initiation¡¯ exclusive interview with Kim Hee Sang, the legend of the music industry and the god of singing ability. ¡­And when asked if any singers caught his eyes these days, he picked Seo Ji Woong, Lee Hyun Ah, and Awy who was together on K Station¡¯s year-end stage. He said, ¡°It was good to see young friends working hard. In particr, I was surprised with a friend named Choi Ian who could harmonize in that short time.¡± He also picked Awy as the singer he wanted to work withter. ¡°I want to show music that epasses generations. I think idol friends are amazing these days.¡± he said with a kind smile. Lee Byung Hun looked satisfied with Kim Hee Sang¡¯s interview. He heard that K Station willunch a music-rted program, so wouldn¡¯t it be a good thing to look forward to? He essed the music site with little expectation. Awy as expected was still not in the rankings. He must have eaten kimchi soup in bulk since a bowl wasn¡¯t enough1Drinking kimchi soup is a metaphor simr to counting chicks in advance. , but it was still too early to expect the sound source. ¡°Who¡¯s this guy?¡± When Lee Byung Hun scrolled up again, a singer who took 1st ce, beating the fandom streaming-type Mydea and public favorite Lee Hyun Ah, stood out. Deok Dae Seung, it¡¯s a name like tteok-twi-sun2Abination of tteokbokki, twigim(fried food/tempura), and soondae(blood sausage). Dad jokes. Really something like what my dad would say. . He put on earphones and yed the song. He frowned not long after he heard it. This kind of cow-driving sentimental music from the early 2000s is number one? The lyrics are also spectacr. Asleep? Look at me again. I miss you, so I got drunk. Sorry, I gave you a 5,000 won couple ring ¡®cuz there¡¯s no money. You don¡¯t even have money to buy couple rings, but you drink enough to get drunk. Really, acting as if terribly miserable. In 4th ce, there was also another unknown singer. Hwang Chan Wook, what¡¯s with this punk too. When he heard it, it wasn¡¯t an addictive melody and about getting drunk too. Lee Byung Hun doubted his sense of whether these songs really deserved to be in the top 10. ¡°Did you see the chart? Saw it?¡± Lee Byung Hun eventually went downstairs. Oh, you all saw it¡­ Director Seo Su Ryeon and other employees had cloudy eyes. ¡°Ah. That thing, sir? There are a lot of talks these days.¡± ¡°How can a song like this rank 1st and 4th? Are there any trends that I don¡¯t know about?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a reasonable doubt, but it¡¯s likely sajaegi3 ???. The literal meaning is hoarding or illegal bulk buying. But in the music industry referring to chart maniption, especially using bots to repeatedly stream songs. .¡± ¡°Those bastards are still alive?¡± Lee Byung Hun was shocked. When he established an entertainmentpany andunched his first singer, a broker contacted him and said would push him to 1st ce for 100 million won. ¡°Yes. If the graph is simr to Mydea at dawn, it¡¯s a no-brainer.¡± ¡°To beat Mydea¡¯s 1.2 million in the first week? Such a corrupt¡­¡± ¡°To do that, at least they should¡¯vee out here and there on TV and made us know their name. But, aren¡¯t they unheard of names?¡± Fandom streaming-type idols have many users at dawn hours. There is no way that an unheard-of song can beat an idol fandom who sleeps with all the songs on the album ying. Idol fandom even downloads massively on time, organizes streaming lists, and streams them systematically. The popr Lee Hyun Ah also saw a decrease in the number of users at dawn hours. ¡°Do you know what they said when the suspicion grew? It¡¯s Social Media¡¯s pick4A coin(?) word from the Produce 101 series. The chosen one(?). , because their songs have dawn sentimentality.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re drunk and the film is cut off, go to an alcoholism center.¡± ¡°If you only have 10,000 won in your pocket and can¡¯t buy food, go to Kimbap Heaven.¡± The employees sighed. It was a chart that they also looked at quickly and smartly during ck Rush¡¯seback. Even then, sajaegi was booming, so they unfortunately missed the opportunity to make it to the top 10. ¡°Even if they are called bizarre and get swear, I want to see our kids line up on charts.¡± ¡°By the way, aren¡¯t they going to Imjingak today?¡± ¡°Yes, but today¡¯s weather is crazy.¡± What to do with the kids if it is too cold? Seo Su Ryeon looked out the window with worried eyes. ?*** ¡°Hyung, please put this in too.¡± Ian held out a Boston bag full of contents to the manager. The manager who opened the trunk of the car received the bag, but it was quite heavy. Kim Ju Young was bringing an armful of nkets. ¡°What¡¯s this? Hot packs? Hyung also bought a lot, though.¡± ¡°Ian prepared these nkets, too.¡± As if the nkets were new, each was wrapped in stic. Kim Ju Young shoved the nkets into an appropriate corner. Manager Park Dong Soo also bought a lot, but he did not bring as much as Ian. ¡°The more the better, Hyung. It¡¯s minus 12 degrees today, but do you know how much it feels? 20 degrees.¡± Jo Tae Woong made a fuss. ¡°It must be quite a lot of money? If you give me the receipt, I¡¯ll take care of the expenses.¡± ¡°It is okay. Since there are a lot, Hyung can use it and share them with the seniors as well.¡± ¡°Ian is thoughtful.¡± What thoughtful, it¡¯s image management. Ian swallowed it inside andughed. Jin was grumbling behind him, saying he was an abominable guy. On the way to Paju, there was traffic even though it was not peak hours as it was thest day of the year. ¡°Did you see Sonsaeng nim¡¯s interview? He even mentioned our group?¡± ¡°Of course, I saw it. Keuh, won¡¯t it be good if all seniors in the world are like him.¡± Everyone chatted except for Park Seo Dam, who slept well with his eyes closed. ¡°My rtives called my mother after the broadcast.¡± ¡°So, did you get aunties¡¯ true education, Hyung?¡± ¡°Ah, of course. I was on the same screen as that Kim Hee Sang Sonsaeng nim.¡± Park Jin Hyuk was noticeably ted. ¡°Oh my~ Did you know that Kim Hee Sang praised our children after broadcast~¡± ¡°Ah, Hyung!¡± ¡°He really shouldn¡¯t act.¡± When Park Jin Hyuk impersonated his mother with a coquettish voice, everyone¡¯s shoulders were shaken. Lee Joo Hyuk, who was sitting in the back seat, threw a neck pillow on Park Jin Hyuk¡¯s head. ¡°I hope we can go out on many broadcasts next year.¡± ¡°We will be.¡± Ian replied to Lee Joo Hyuk¡¯s words. Awy will wrap up their first album promotion with today¡¯s broadcast. They were going to shoot their self-produced content, do personal broadcasts on Y-app, and shoot pictorials without a break. The inflow trend was unexpectedly so good that thepany nned to keep the baits5New contents, especially to feed fans. from drying out even during the break. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Woah, it looks cold already.¡± Since there were no tall buildings, the open park looked even more deste because the grass was not green. ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡± ¡®Come to think of it, where¡¯s that guy?¡¯ Ian followed the members to the waiting room and looked back. He couldn¡¯t see Jin who was still next to him in the front of the dorm. ?***? ¡°Eugh, save me.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t the wind too strong?¡± It was only 5 minutes ago that they bragged that it was worth it to stick hot packs all over the body like ster. Ian and members stuck to each other like mas in the biting wind. The way they gathered wearing ck long padding jackets looked like penguins. ¡°Hyung!¡± Kim Hyun and Kim Ju Young weed the dancers who had juste up. The time was tight and the weather was cold, so they wondered if they could cast them, but the dance team they knew readily epted. ¡°Take this first, please.¡± Ian and members handed out the pre-prepared hot packs to the dance team. The dance team was full ofughter even in the cold weather. ¡°What the, did you take care of it yourself? That¡¯s touching.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll use it well.¡± While the dance team was sharing the hot packs, several staff came up to exin how the stage would be going. Ian also distributed hot packs to the staff. Today¡¯s concept is serial hot pack killer6Ian used a pun here, mixing the word hot pack and serial killer. Not quite good though in English. He is doing a crime by killing(?) everyone with hot packs. . ¡°Awy rehearsal is over.¡± ¡°Thank you for your hard work!¡± The rehearsal is over. The members¡¯ ears were red from the cold. He could see some people filming fancams, but he didn¡¯t really need Jin. Since the rehearsal fancam is trying to watch the members being yful and dancing lightly. And thepany¡¯s video team was also filming behindcams with the permission of the broadcasting station. ¡°Waiting room race, go? Thest person to arrive is today¡¯s shuttle7A ng(?) used especially by students to call someone who is doing errands like buying something. Most notably is ¡®bread shuttle¡¯, where bullies order someone ¡®the shuttle¡¯ to buy them bread in the school canteen. A ve-like entity(?). Anyway, Awy used this in a friendly tone. !¡± At the same time as Jo Tae Woong shouted, he ran. If everyone ignored it, such a small bet would disappear, but that desire to win has always been a problem. ¡°Not shuttle!¡± When Kim Ju Young ran to the automatic reflex, the wary Park Seo Dam and Park Jin Hyuk followed. ¡°Ridiculous.¡± Ian stretched his legs out and did simple stretching. ¡°Why run like that, what to do if they fall.¡± ¡°Ian-ah. You know, right?¡± Only the remaining three were rxed. Ian handed over the long padding jacket to Kim Hyun. It was cold, but it was tolerable because he was going in soon. Naturally receiving the padding, Kim Hyun threw Ian a thumbs up. Lee Joo Hyuk rubbed Ian¡¯s shoulders. ¡°I just have to go and stop Jo Tae Woong, right?¡± If there¡¯s one thing Jo Tae Woong overlooked, it¡¯s that Ian is a former high school football yer, and bets like this usually go to the person who suggested it first. Just at the right time, there were not many people on the way to the waiting room. Ian quickly beat the three who went first. At a short distance from the waiting room, Ian stepped on the right wall and jumped to the opposite direction. ¡°You can¡¯t pass.¡± Overtaking Jo Tae Woong in an instant, Ian just learned for the first time that this body knows parkour too. As Ian blocked the front of the waiting room, Jo Tae Woong screamed. ¡°I was the first one to go, so why is it you again!¡± ¡°What does it feel like to lose? I¡¯m scared of myself, too.¡± ¡°Ian-ah, ma friend. Hyung nim!¡± Jo Tae Woong tried to get in, but Ian didn¡¯t move even an inch. The following Kim Ju Youngughed silently and blocked Jo Tae Woong. Then Park Seo Dam and Park Jin Hyuk slipped into the gap that Ian had left. ¡°Knowing you¡¯re going to lose, why did it again.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t beat Choi Ian with this.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t a dance battle be possible?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you two pretty much the same? And that can¡¯t be evaluated objectively.¡± Lee Joo Hyuk and Kim Hyun, who walked leisurely, crumpled up and entered the waiting room. ¡°Ju Young-ah put your foot in.¡± ¡°Okie.¡± Ian and Kim Ju Young took a step into the waiting room as they blocked Jo Tae Woong. ¡°Shuttle Jo, please go get some water.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t wannaaa!¡± Jo Tae Woong knelt on both knees and screamed. It makes me want to do more if the reaction is that strong. He¡¯s a really fun guy to tease. ¡°Woah, guys. You¡¯ll do well even if you film a chase.¡± And thepany¡¯s video team, who was filming this situation, glinted, saying that he found good material. Ian should have sensed something ominous at this time. However, he couldn¡¯t see the facial expressions of the employees because he was paying attention to Jin, who popped out of nowhere. ¡®What the? Where have you been?¡¯ £ÛWent to see someone.] Jin¡¯s voice answering was somewhat weak. ?* * * £ÛWhy did you y with Choi Ian¡¯s emotions? Were you jealous of him being reborn?] £ÛDunno¡­] £ÛWe couldn¡¯t assume the variable that the negative energy of your soul would shake human emotions.] £Û¡­] £ÛWell¡­ It was your specialty to create conflict in a simr way.] It¡¯s my negligence. Grim Reaper stroked the lens of the camera. It was a gesture as if to lock something. £ÛSince then, you have been helping diligently despite being annoyed.] It was a dry voice with no emotion. Grim Reaper put the camera he was holding in the air. The camera did not fall to the floor and floated on the spot. £ÛYeah, how was it?] £Û¡­] £ÛYou didn¡¯t look for the ¡®body¡¯.] Jin was silent. Grim Reaper raised one corner of his mouth. It was an awkward smile because his eyes were still not smiling. £ÛWell, it doesn¡¯t matter. Just follow the contract.] Grim Reaper said as he scattered like smoke. £ÛBecause he¡¯s your way to live.]?
Chapter 23 Chapter 23 What Kind Of Confidence Did You Have?Grade B Trantion: Manually edited MTL. Tranted and interpreted as best as I can. Mixed with some Korean terms. Misinterpretation may ur due to limitedprehensive ability. Awkward English, bad grammar, and typos may often ur as Trantor is not fluent in English and not edited by Editor nor proofed by Proofreader. Awy spent time ying board games on their own even during the waiting time. However, unlike before, they didn¡¯t turn on the group live broadcast. This is because there are people who will think that it is naturalter on if they continue to broadcast live during the waiting time thenin when they don¡¯t. ¡®You must havee here to take pics too, right?¡¯ £ÛUh. I thought I was going crazy. It¡¯s cold, so I couldn¡¯t even take pictures.] ¡®Couldn¡¯t take it?¡¯ £ÛThe camera didn¡¯t work because the sensor froze.] It was truly a story that could not be heard without tears. ¡°Hey, paste this on my back too.¡± ¡°Okei, just right.¡± When Ian showed his back, Jo Tae Woong pasted a hot pack as if smashing his back. Ian groaned ¡®kkeaargh¡¯. ¡°Ah, why are you not doing shuttle properly?¡± ¡°Customer, you did not choose the kindness option when cing your order.¡± ¡°The service of this ce is unfriendly, it is a 1-star review.¡± Ian pasted a lot of hot packs and put on his costume. Fortunately, though, it is a little warmer because the costumes are in the form of uniforms. And that thought evaporated as soon as they came to the backstage. The wind was not felt because the screen blocked it, but the temperature itself was cold. ¡°Guys, let¡¯s go without any mistakes again today. We are who we are!¡± ¡°AWY!¡± Now they stood in front of the stage shouting the familiar slogan. A small cheer was heard from the audience. They were fans of Awy who came even in this cold weather. The screen was showing the ongoing stage inside the broadcasting station. £ÛSo, they didn¡¯t go to exile because they¡¯re MI Ent, huh?] ¡®MI Ent? Those guys?¡¯ £ÛThere was Lure in the line-up, so it seems they came out by tying both together.] Pluto, a rookie who debuted two months earlier than Awy, was dancing on the stage. MI Ent was that samepany who pped the nephew card during Kim Yong Min¡¯s time. ¡®How was their grade?¡¯ £ÛIt was meh for therge size.] Oh yeah? Ian nced to the back. Everyone is white and handsome, whether they¡¯re picked looking from the face. Ian vowed to surpass that group next year and looked to the front again. The prepared song begins, then the main dancers Kim Hyun and Kim Ju Young perform the intro dance break. £ÛThere are quite a lot of people filming you.] ¡®Really?¡¯ Ian took a deep breath and skimmed through the ces Jin had marked. He heard it was a firste-first-served basis without recruiting fans¡¯ seats, but it seems they waited for a long time seeing the sparkles in the front row. ¡®¡­It¡¯s nice.¡¯ Not only that but shouts were also heard from here and there that he felt butterflies on his stomach. Those were shouts that he didn¡¯t hear when he came here during Diamond days. He was a mangdol, so it can be said that there were very few loyal fans who would break through the cold. He even heard ¡°Aish, what are those guys.¡± right at the front. £ÛThat Homma got perfect attendance.] But it was different now. Being able to see the fans who came this far with his eyes, Ian felt grateful for Jin for the first time. In the short silence after the dance break was over, the dancers rushed in and took the position when the camera caught the audience seats. Today¡¯s stage concept is Revolutionary Army, so two people were raising the g and preparing to wave it at the very back. Dancers were also dressed in uniforms. And, an ident urred as expected of a live broadcast + outdoor stage. ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯ When Ian started the intro and stepped back, Lee Joo Hyuk gestured his chin at Ian. He tapped the mic while leaning back and drew an X with his index finger. ¡®There¡¯s something with the mic!¡¯ The next verse is Lee Joo Hyuk¡¯s part. Ian took the mic from Lee Joo Hyuk¡¯s hand and gave his mic to him. ¡®What to do?¡¯ It was fortunate that Ian¡¯s position was in the back, but the chorus was Ian¡¯s turn. In the meantime, the mic must be reced. £ÛThe staff also noticed, no worry.] Perhaps because he shook the mic hard toward the staff, a staff member was rushing up to the stage. However, there were about 30 dancers on stage alone, and in addition, the choreography was wide and intense. The distance is about five steps. The staff faltered as he got on. £ÛWhat the, a newbie? Why so slow?] Ian rolled the broken mic back like bowling and raised both hands to ask the staff to throw it. ¡®Hurry!¡¯ The staff hesitated and threw the mic high. Ian nced at the angle of the mic flying in a parab. It would be a major broadcast ident if missed, but Ian was confident enough to catch it. Ian¡¯s part approached just in time, so he looked straight ahead and stretched his hand high. He brought the mic that came in like in the movie to his mouth and sang his part. That situation, which Ian felt was long, took ce in just 5 seconds. Cheers came from the audience in front. £ÛWoah sheet¡­ Scary.] ¡®I think my legs are going to melt.¡¯ £ÛWhat kind of confidence did you have? Anyway, it¡¯s a relief that you caught it well.] ¡®It¡¯s just that I had a good hunch.¡¯ Ian smirked when the stage was over. £ÛBut it didn¡¯t get caught on the screen.] ¡®What?¡¯ £ÛLive broadcasts have a lot of bad cams.] ¡®Fuck¡­¡¯ Bad camera1The actual word is ???? or ¡®foot camera¡¯. A ng referring to badly taken angle pictures or videos like taking it with your foot. In a live broadcast with multiple cameras, usually the director behind the panel isn¡¯t good at choosing which angle and what timing to show things on the screen. So, many fans usuallyin when the screen shows unrted angles at the wrong time. E.g. Member A¡¯s solo breakdance is up but the screen shows all members. ¡­ It would¡¯ve been great if it was stuffed in the broadcast. Ian made a folder phone greeting at the audience with a sad face. Lee Joo Hyuk patted Ian on the shoulder saying that he did a good job, then Kim Ju Young rushed to Ian¡¯s back and hugged him by the neck. ¡°Woah, you¡¯re so dope.¡± ¡°It was dangerous, but the result was good so that¡¯s okay. You can¡¯t do that again.¡± ¡°That is right, hyung.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fortunate that didn¡¯t happen. You did well though.¡± Those are what they said, but other members also patted Ian on the back. It seems they heard it from Kim Ju Young in the meantime. Ian was able to give up his disappointment at members¡¯pliments. ¡®But, didn¡¯t you hear a weird sound?¡¯ £ÛHmm, well? What sound?] ¡®Did I hear it wrong?¡¯ I thought I heard something¡­ like a bird. Ian tilted his head and headed to the waiting room. ? ?*** ? In the already cold and far away Imjingak, spectators don¡¯t gather much when only singers with a small fandom gather. So as expected, the vicious broadcaster jerks tend to take a top popr cast as a hostage and this year¡¯s target was a female idol. ¡°Woah, isn¡¯t it too cold?¡± ¡°Look at the wind, crazy.¡± Fifteen minutes before midnight, the cast who went on stage jumped on ce trying to get rid of the cold. Awy was no different from them. They tried to share the heat by sticking together, but suffering sounds came out in the piercing wind. ¡°Do you know what¡¯s the poorest king in the world?¡± ¡°What¡¯s it?¡± ¡°Choi jeo im geum.¡±2Minimum wage. The closest English one is ¡°Do you know what king wrote books? King Author¡±. I can¡¯t exin in detail as idk much history, but im-geum means wage in Hanja but a pure Korean word for a title in the Shi(?) era. ¡°Ughahak!¡± ¡°Pfft¡­ Ah, Iughed¡­ My pride hurts.¡± They were half out of their minds because of the cold. They giggled even at dad jokes which they wouldn¡¯t normallyugh at. In the end, they tried to ovee the cold by doing random dances, including shuffle dance. ¡°Hyung, didn¡¯t you bring nkets?¡± ¡°Ah, right. I forgot. I had asked Dong Soo hyung to bring it, though.¡± At Park Seo Dam¡¯s question, Ian rushed backstage. Just in time, Park Dong Soo was bringing an armful of nkets. ¡°Hyung!¡± ¡°I was surprised you weren¡¯t there. So you¡¯re already on stage?¡± ¡°Yes, thank you. Go back inside, hyung.¡± After receiving Park Dong Soo¡¯s nket, Ian came out to the stage. ¡°Thankyoo thankyoo.¡± ¡°Whether it¡¯s broadcast or whatever, let¡¯s get covered first.¡± ¡°Kyaak!¡± The moment when Ian was about to hand out nkets to the members. It was a high-tone scream of Imjingak¡¯s hostage, Luna Girls. Ian also didn¡¯t notice because he and the members were in a circle sticking together, but Luna Girls were wearing skin-colored stockings with miniskirts as stage costumes. They were dressed in a cold outfit even just by looking at it. ¡®Did the manager not take care of them?¡¯ In the intense strong wind, they grabbed their skirts and trembled. The skirt was not a tight-fitting skirt, so it seems that humiliating pictures will be captured if taken wrong. ¡°Sunbae nim, please use this.¡± Ian approached them and held out his share of the nket. Luna Girls Kim Joo Yeon¡¯s eyes turned red after receiving the nket. ¡°Thanks a lot¡­¡± Ian even handed over the instant hot pack. ¡°Sunbae nim, please use mine too. It is new.¡± Other members also handed out nkets to Luna Girls. They were bummed actually, they wouldn¡¯t feel colder than those in skirts. ¡°Tha¡­ Thank you.¡± ¡°Thanks a lot.¡± Luna Girls bowed and hurriedly tied the nkets around their waist. Awy moved back far away. It would be better if a girl group and a boy group were not attached together. £ÛHiyeol~ Chivalry, huh?] ¡®Chivalry or whatever, I only thought that they¡¯re going to freeze to death when I see such a sight.¡¯ £ÛYeah, right. Besides, they are Luna Girls. It¡¯s good to look good.] ¡®Come to think of it¡­.¡¯ Luna Girls will rise to the top female idol starting next year. Then, won¡¯t wee up as a social media issueter as a manner idol? It would be nice if they could mention us on a broadcast¡­ Thinking like that, the cold was tolerable. ¡°I hope it ends soon.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t feel my feet¡­¡± Sticking to each other again, Ian and the members continued to talk while shaking their jaws. Otherwise, they felt that their faces would freeze and harden. £ÛYou know what? Even if you¡¯re having a hard time, the picturese out really well.] ¡®In the frank appearance sticking to each other like this?¡¯ £ÛItes out pretty since you turn pale in the cold. The breath also supports the atmosphere.] The twinkling marks from the audience seat didn¡¯t show any signs of disappearing. Usually, he would look at the signs and make a pose, but it was humanly too cold. Finally, time passed, and the host lifted the mic. Fortunately, only Luna Girls were interviewed. ¡°What is your new year¡¯s wish?¡± ¡°I hope our members stay healthy in the new year¡­¡± During Luna Girls¡¯ wish time, Awy also said their wishes. ¡°My wish is to be supported by a boiler right now.¡± ¡°Ah, I want to go to the sauna.¡± At the end of a great feast of words, the New Year¡¯s countdown finally began. Then soon, ding-, the bell rang. ¡°Yeah! The new year of the Dog 2018 hase!¡± After the bell rang and the broadcast ended, Lee Joo Hyuk spoke quietly. ¡°Guys, you¡¯ve worked hard for the past 3 weeks.¡± ¡°Then see youter with a smile?¡± Of course, it was Jo Tae Woong who responded. To think that such a meme came out in this situation3It¡¯s a Korean meme with the full text being ¡°Guys, you¡¯ve worked hard for the past 3 years, see youter with a smile¡±. It was written in a graduation book message by a ss leader who ¡®hard carried¡¯ his ssmates. His message is eye-catching since he put a line of song lyrics for each of his ssmates¡¯ messages as they were gone when asked to write a message. It¡¯s a pretty funny yet sad story. . Seriously, his quickness is outstanding. Ian and membersughed frivolously then returned backstage. -Luna Girls fan went to Imjingak review ¡­terribly cold, but the fking agency jerks put our kids on stage dressed in skirts. ??? I thought the kids would be cold that I wanted to give them my hot packs, but someone gave them nkets and hot packs (Photo) When I looked it up, it said they¡¯re Awy. They had really good mannersss ?Thanks for review! ?I was also worried a lot seeing it, but I¡¯m d?? ?Left right away after giving the nkets, they¡¯re cute lololol -A parrot came to M station¡¯s year-end stage? (Link) Singing the fan chant enthusiastically with a stuffy voice lolol ?pa lolol rrot lololol ?Was watching thinking that Ian is so cool, but I be conscious because of you lolololololol ?I mean the picture is so movie-like, but why is the sound like that lololololol ?Dmnd Imjingak Parrot lolololol -Came after watching Imjingak parrot Grabbing the mic is so damned awesome, but I can¡¯t focus because of the sound lolololol So funnyyy lolololololol So, what¡¯s his name? What do I watch first? ?Stanning? First, watch the group fan cam of Godramu-nim4Probably a Homma/fansite name. ?Neer wee! There¡¯s a stan starter guide in the notice, so take your time and read it! That scene, which made Ian depressed because it was not stuffed into the camera, became a hot topic in an unexpected way after the broadcast ended.
Amalia¡¯s Note 3 months huh? I returned to college after taking a year off and got so stressed out that I couldn¡¯t put my mind to other things. I¡¯ll tried hard to release chapters now and then. Chapter 24 Chapter 24 Why Cannot We Date?Grade B Trantion: Manually edited MTL. Tranted and interpreted as best as I can. Mixed with some Korean terms. Misinterpretation may ur due to limitedprehensive ability. Awkward English, bad grammar, and typos may often ur as Trantor is not fluent in English and not edited by Editor nor proofed by Proofreader. -Hey, Factfix is out FK -Guys, Factfix exploded January 1st is a very important day that terrifies entertainment workers and fans. This is because the announcement of arge scandal which has be as solid as a tradition by a paparazzi media, Factfix, will be posted on New Year¡¯s Day.1IRL counterpart is Dispatch. You can look up ¡°Dispatch new year scandals¡± and you¡¯ll find real-life examples. £ÛExclusive] Lure Seung Hoon, Lovely Day Hee Jin ¡°The Strongest Idol Couple¡± Lovey Dovey? Car Date -FK??? -Isn¡¯t it crazy? The article this time was also shocking. It was such a match because besides being from the number 1 boy group and number 1 girl group in terms of sales alone, Lee Hee Jin was the most popr in Lovely Day and Lure Kim Seung Hoon was also the most popr. -Hey, you said fans are your girlfriend FK -Wasn¡¯t that the date of a fan signing? Did you go out to y with your real girlfriend in the back? Naturally, real-time search terms were lined up andmunity reactions exploded. There was even amunity that exploded until 404 popped up. Sales of goods rted to Lure and Lovely Day were all over the second-hand marketce, and long unstanning posts were posted on the fan cafe every ten minutes. -lolololololol pretended to be clean like that, in the end -Heejin is going to be stripped so hard lol Lure fans are so hardcore brrr -Didn¡¯t egg ounts2Twitter new ounts with the basic egg profile picture. Specifically refers to fake ounts that people make to spread rumors since in South Korea, Social Media management is quite strict and can get sued for things like false news and defamation. said they were dating 5 months ago? -Hey, all 30 pages of fan cafe are unstanning posts lolololol In addition, there are also people who scratched both fandoms, Sommeliers3Thoseizens who are particrly fast in sensing that there¡¯s something. who said it was smelly from before, and people who captured the fan cafe reaction and ryed the situation in which the fandom fell out in real-time. Their intentions are irrelevant. They were just people who wanted to see others unhappy. In the meantime, the ignorant foreign fans posted hashtags such as #Weloveseonghoon that made domestic fans burst out.4 Korean fans thought that kind of hashtag is only pouring oil on the me. This is a bit hard to exin as the view of international and Korean fans about dating is so different. For more, Ian himself will exin it. ¡°This ce¡¯s rice cake soup is tasty.¡± ¡°It¡¯s cooked well.¡± While the neighborhood next door was like a funeral, Ian and the members set up a modest table of meals in their dorm. To make rice cake soup was simple, just buy beef bone broth sold on the market and boil it with rice cakes. ¡°Did hyung see Factfix?¡± ¡°Uh, water for me pliz.¡± ¡°It was said they went undercover for a month in front of the dorm to take photos.¡± ¡°Crazy, so creepy. That¡¯s sasaeng, not reporter.¡± Kim Hyun gulped down the water. When he silently reached out his fist, the other six also reached out their hands. Tension was evident on their faces. ¡°Loser does the dishes. Rock paper scissors!¡± ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°Niceee!¡± Like a picture, everyone put out scissors and only Ian put out paper. Ian cried out desperately. ¡°Three rounds! Three rounds!¡± ¡°No, go back.¡± ¡°Ah, let¡¯s humanly pick one more to clean up.¡± ¡°Huh, no way. Get lost~ Washing dishes also includes cleaning up.¡± Jo Tae Woong patted Ian on the back and slipped into his room. Ian sighed deeply and cleaned up the table. ¡®By the way, do you have nothing to say?¡¯ £ÛWhat is?] ¡®Factfix.¡¯ £ÛWhat¡¯s the point? It¡¯s so much fun.] Jin was shaking a bucket of popcorn. No matter how many times he witnessed it, he can¡¯t get used to those bizarre hands. ¡®Oh yeah?¡¯ It was clear that Jin himself was ashamed of the past as he kept avoiding it when asked about the past. Or there¡¯s something that holds him back. I don¡¯t think he was just a homma, at least a worker in the entertainment industry or a showbiz reporter¡­ Ian made various deductions as if possessed by a great detective and half confirmed that Jin was a reporter in the past. ¡®Did you hear anything about Kim Seung Hoon?¡¯ £ÛThat he¡¯s fking rude? But that¡¯s a fact everyone on this floor knows. Woah, by the way, how did he seduce Lee Hee Jin? Is he the warm type to his girl?] ¡®He must have the charm.¡¯ Ian answered soullessly. If he was a reporter, he would have wanted to brag about when the suspicion of dating first came out or something, but it was quiet. Perhaps he wasn¡¯t that kind of reporter? Still, there are only a few reporters in the showbiz industry who write good articles. ¡°But, why cannot we date?¡± ¡°Are you having a thing5Korean use the term ?sseom or some. As in having ¡°some¡± rtionships. Liking each other but not yet dating. The phase of knowing and getting close to each other. with someone?¡± ¡°Eii, I am just curious. It got cursed a lot¡­¡± Park Seo Dam was surfing the web with Ian¡¯s tablet. It seemed that he was monitoring the overheated fandom atmosphere next door. ¡°Cause fans don¡¯t like it. Well, that¡¯s one reason.¡± ¡°Hyuung¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look at it too much.¡± Ian took away the tablet. The screen Park Seo Dam was looking at was a portal site column. £ÛKim Ye Eun¡¯s showbiz report] Seung Hoon?Hee Jin Finally You Are Dating Too. As expected from members of the most popr idol groups. To think that you can date when you¡¯re busy working. It is surprising that such diligent idols can exist. ¡°Seo Dam-ah, novels are not read in the news column. Your eyes will rot. I told you to entermunities that you enjoyed.¡± ¡°But I am still curious about the reactions.¡± Reporters could not be left out of this major scandal. Biting Factfix¡¯s bait, reporters wrote novels of someone meeting somewhere or who introduced them, giving fact-checking a damn, and sat down to watch. To think that Kim Ye Eun¡¯s article was the one that our maknae sees, believes, and singled out. Ian sat opposite Park Seo Dam. ¡°Still, I am scared that people who were fans get so angry like this.¡± ¡°Fans who turned around are the scariest. And by then, they¡¯re not fans. Just badmenters.¡± Ian sighed at the dubious face showing ¡®Is that so?¡¯. ¡°I heard something from my cousin noona.¡± Just asking why doesn¡¯t mean he is in a real rtionship. Park Seo Dam must be asking out of pure curiosity. Ian summoned his cousin noona again. ¡°First of all, some people have rtionship feelings for idols. You know this, right? ¡°Huh.¡± ¡°That¡¯s how much why we also sell rtionships. Even at fan signings, they hold our hands, right?¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t that done at the level of fan-love?¡± ¡°It¡¯s indeed fan-love, but it¡¯s not real love. We¡¯re business, but there are a lot of fans who are really fluttered.¡± That¡¯s right. Park Seo Dam nodded. Kim Ju Young, who was trying to eat yogurt from the refrigerator, sat down silently next to Park Seo Dam. His face was full of interest. ¡°But if they get too immersed, they¡¯ll end up being a sasaeng or a stalker. Usually, it¡¯s just like ¡®he is everyone¡¯s idol, if I can¡¯t have him, no one should¡¯. Yet, someone took him. And she¡¯s someone better and prettier at that. Understand?¡± Park Seo Dam and Kim Ju Young nodded. Park Jin Hyuk, who came out of the bathroom in the meantime, sat next to Ian. ¡°And indirect satisfaction. I want you to do better because I buy a lot of albums, stream music, support, and managements for you. But you¡¯re all happy dating behind my back while I work so hard for you? Pissing me off. It¡¯s this kind of thinking. Okie?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I think I know, Hyung. Cousin noona, can¡¯t we scout her to ourpany?¡± ¡°I think she can be a top instructor with this much understanding of fans¡¯ psychology.¡± Actually, it¡¯s me though. Shall I run two jobs? Ian justughed because he couldn¡¯t. ¡°And usually, the first person dating in the group is the most criticized.¡± ¡°But why are you suddenly talking about dating?¡± ¡°Seo Dam is curious.¡± Kim Ju Young and Park Jin Hyuk simultaneously said at Ian¡¯s answer. ¡°¡°Are you having a thing?¡±¡± ¡°Ah, I am not!¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s it?¡± ¡°I was just curious because people said not to do it recklessly! I understood it roughly, but I do not know the details.¡± Really? Kim Ju Young and Park Jin Hyuk gave suspicious eyes. ¡°I guess there¡¯s something, seeing hime out strong.¡± ¡°This this. Shouldn¡¯t we tell Joo Hyuk Hyung to pay attention?¡± ¡°I said I am not!¡± There was a lot of yfulness in the way they spoke. It seems he¡¯ll be teased for a month with this. * * * After the sweet vacation on New Year¡¯s Day, they had a pictorial shoot schedule the next day. The video of the mafia game with MyKit spread to the point that almost everyone active in the knew. It is said that it became an issue that the so-called ¡®muggles¡¯ who do not do stanning also responded well. So today¡¯s shoot was a pictorial with the concept of mafia and police where they took pictures together and also had a joint interview with MyKit. It is scheduled to be published in February for an idol-rted magazine. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°Ma brother.¡± ¡°Wassup.¡± MyKit had arrived at the site first. Showing that they were best friends, they held hands, pulled each other, and lightly bumped their shoulders so smooth like flowing water. ¡°You¡¯re getting more and more handsome. Aren¡¯t we all going to be squids?¡± ¡°From the moment we came to this site, your group is like Noryangjin Fish Market.¡± ¡°What about you guys who are always together?¡± ¡°We¡¯re half-dried Dokdo squid.¡±6Squid is often used as the metaphor for an ugly face especially when there is someone much more handsome around. MyKit¡¯s Kim Cheol Min and Jo Tae Woong giggled and hadic talk to each other. The staff passing by went ¡®pfft¡¯ and burst intoughter. ¡°Yeo! Choi ssi!¡± ¡°Aigo Park ssi!¡± 7That one famous greeting from Reply 1988 if I¡¯m not mistaken. Additionally, this kind of calling only surname is usually used by middle-aged men who dobor like construction. Ian hurriedly approached then bowed and shook hands to each other. It was MyKit¡¯s Park Se On. He was also the same age as Ian. ¡°I saw Imjingak¡¯s parrot. It¡¯s dope, huh?¡± Park Se On showed his thumb. He had poor pronunciation besides a naturally low voice, but he said that his original ent was mumbled. ¡°What¡¯s Imjingak¡¯s parrot?¡± ¡°What, you haven¡¯t seen it?¡± ¡°Factfix came out today. They took over everything.¡± Ian didn¡¯t even see it. Awy fell asleep as if dead after the year-end stage, and everyone was talking about the scandal when they woke up. ¡°Oh my, you didn¡¯t watch that? There was a riot at dawn.¡± Just in time, a staff holding a tablet nearby approached Ian. MyKit went in to change costumes. It was a joint pictorial in name, but each group takes photos by themselves and takes only a few overall photos. Fans like to put together groups, but they don¡¯t really like to mix them. ¡°See the fancam yourself.¡± The members gathered next to Ian watched a shaking fancam because it couldn¡¯t even hold the focus properly. (Kyaaaaak!) A scream in a nasal voice, whether she has a cold or her original voice. Ian closed his mouth tightly. If heughed here, it was like mocking the fan who cheered him on. (Argh so handsoomekh! Thugh! Ough! Ian-aakh! Seo Dam-akh!) In the end, the try not tough challenge failed. When someone eventually burst, everyoneughed. (Gaiis it¡¯s coold! Colddd! Akh! Choi Ian handsoomekh!)8It¡¯s a bit weird, in Korean all these words end in ¡®ah¡¯ so it¡¯s like ¡®-aaakh¡¯. There was also a voice that was unknown whether she felt cold or worried about Awy. It was even funnier because someone put subtitles on the uploaded video written in red calligraphy font9Actually a font called gungseo that showed how serious something is and is often used in Korean memes. and even added a shaking effect. They almost rolled over inughter on the scene where Ian grabbed the mic. Seeing that she became a bot and scream ¡®so cool¡¯ over and over again, it seems that she was called a parrot here. ¡°Woah such an awesome passion.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t we supposed to give something to this person, Hyungs?¡± Although Factfix took over in the morning, this video is said to have heated the dawn. The members who eventuallyughed out loud discussed whether to upload a fan cafe post looking for this person. ¡°Ah, Iughed after a long time.¡± ¡°What do you mean after a long time, we alwaysugh.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s what I¡¯m saying.¡± Carefully giving back the tablet pad to the staff, Ian ordered Jin. ¡®Don¡¯t forget to let me know when you saw that fan.¡¯ £ÛGot it.] Jin became noticeably more docile after he had gone somewhere. Come to think of it, who is the one that Jin referred to as MyKit¡¯s wasted member? All five of them were hard enough. Will it changeter? Ian left his doubts behind and went in to change his costume.
Chapter 25 Chapter 25 People Don¡¯t See The Results.Grade B Trantion: Manually edited MTL. Tranted and interpreted as best as I can. Mixed with some Korean terms. Misinterpretation may ur due to limitedprehensive ability. Awkward English, bad grammar, and typos may often ur as Trantor is not fluent in English and not edited by Editor nor proofed by Proofreader. The photoshoot of Awy¡¯s trio, who were called the Triples and Donggaps1Same-aged. Referring to Ian, Tae Woong, and Ju Young who were born in ¡¯99. The term ¡®99 Liners¡¯ probably will be more familiar. by fans, was in full swing. Their concept is the mafia. They dressed nicely in uniform and coats and were posing as directed. ¡°Oppa is cool!¡± MyKit¡¯s Kim Cheol Min and Park Se On shouted in thick voices. The photographer and the staff all had a pleasant atmosphere, so no one stopped them. This is because the trio also teased MyKit a lot on the police concept shoot earlier. Kim Ju Young couldn¡¯t manage his expression and frowned at the continued teasing of Kim Cheol Min and Park Se On, but the photographer liked that the sensitivity was expressed well. ¡°Still thanks to you, we¡¯re also shooting a pictorial.¡± MyKit¡¯s leader Jung Ji Soo was watching them next to Lee Joo Hyuk. ¡°It¡¯s not because of us.¡± ¡°We wouldn¡¯t be here if you didn¡¯t ask us to y Mafia.¡± ¡°Cuz you guys did a good job.¡± ¡°I heard that the kids call you Buddha? I know the reason now. Such a perfect fit.¡± Jung Ji Sooughed haha. MyKit and Awy were able to get close quickly because they were of the same age. ¡°It would be nice if we can keep in touch. But, you guys don¡¯t have phones either, right?¡± ¡°Uh. I hope we can get it aftereback this time, but well.¡± They couldn¡¯t contact each other personally because they couldn¡¯t get first ce on music shows. Jung Ji Soo shook his head as if he was also not confident in thiseback. He asked back. ¡°You¡¯ll also go to iLympic, right? ¡°We should. We even went to Imjingak.¡± iLympic is Idol Olympics, a program in which idols gather and hold sportspetitions every holiday at Station M. It was one of the programs that fans hated because of the so many teams that appeared and the measly screen time on top of the many injuries that happened. However, it couldn¡¯t be helped because the director was the music show PD of Station M. ¡°How ¡®bout Idol Rapper?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I think Jin Hyuk wants to go out. For me, I¡¯m not sure.¡± Lee Joo Hyuk smiled as if in trouble. It¡¯s not enough for established rappers and also high school students toe out to film survival programs 2Shout out to Show Me The Money and High School Rapper! Well, I never watch them in full. Only a few episodes. The harsh atmosphere and editing full of aggro are really not my things. on N, so they were preparing a program where idol rapperspeted. ¡°You¡¯re not forced to go, huh? For us, Se On wille out.¡± ¡°Oh yeah? Our CEO really hates survival. He said it¡¯s up to us.¡± ¡°Jelly. Honestly, such programs made us bleed right.¡± Jung Ji Soo sighed. ¡°Now let¡¯s take overall group photos!¡± Jung Ji Soo and Lee Joo Hyuk put off their backs from the wall at the words of the staff. Lee Joo Hyuk was thinking about how tofort this but eventually decided to say we should create a group chat roomter. Jung Ji Sooughed when he heard that. ? ***? ? ¡°I want to go out on Idol Rapper.¡± ¡°Heol.¡± At Park Jin Hyuk¡¯s words, Jo Tae Woong dropped the chocte snack he was eating on the floor. ¡°Lie.¡± ¡°No, I just told manager hyung that I will do it.¡± ¡°Will it be okay, hyung?¡± Worries poured from Ian¡¯s words. He was more concerned because he had the experience participating in the P.I nightmare. The view of idol rappers is already bad3Idol rappers are dissed heavily by rappers especially from the underground scene because it¡¯s far from the ideal of rapper and many felt just like a position given to members who can¡¯t sing. It¡¯s better these days since many talented rappers alsoe out from idols. , but it is made into a contest program. Obviously, even a minor mistake when appearing would be stuffed into the wholemunity and be ridiculed. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m tactless, right.¡± There¡¯s no way Park Jin Hyuk was unaware of that worry. He stroked Ian¡¯s head roughly. The opponents are all idols, but you will bepletely ousted if you made a mistake in the diss battle. What¡¯s the rtionship between being tactless and being cursed at. ¡®Did Jin Hyuk hyung also go out there in the past?¡¯ £ÛUh. Still, his skill is good. So, he also got a lot of screen time.] ¡®Seriously?¡¯ Well, Park Jin Hyuk wrote the lyrics for the B-side songs, and the lyrics were also quite good. Not to mention the rap skills, he is good at it. £ÛUh. He¡¯s at the top. Was it 2nd? 3rd?] Ian leanedfortably against the chair at Jin¡¯s words. However, the other members were worried. ¡°Hyung. Really, it¡¯s not toote even now.¡± ¡°CEO Lee said he wouldn¡¯t say anything even if you didn¡¯t.¡± Oddly, all Awy members were good at web surfing. They even created Blue Bird ounts to keep an eye on fans¡¯ ounts. That¡¯s why they were even more worried. They are afraid he will even take nonsense seriously. ¡°No, I really want to do it.¡± Park Jin Hyuk looked serious unlike usual. ¡°Joo Hyuk¡¯s songwriting work is going well, Tae Woong and Ian are acting, Hyun and Ju Younge out on YouTube a lot. Seo Dam cable MC, right?¡± ¡°That MC work is a one-time event. Hyung is also working on songs, right.¡± ¡°Anyway. You¡¯re all looking for a way to live, but it¡¯s kind of weird for me to y alone.¡± It was expected that he would say about everyone who took their ces and made their name known yet he was the only one who couldn¡¯t, but the nuance was strange. ¡°I have to prepare something from now on if I be a pigeonter4Whening out of the group. , right?¡± ¡°Ah hyung!¡± ¡°You know I¡¯m kidding, right?¡± ¡°We werepletely serious though?¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± Park Seo Dam threw a cushion at Park Jin Hyuk¡¯s silly smile. Park Jin Hyuk fell back and responded with an exaggerated reaction. ¡®Even if he said it like that, he¡¯s probably trying to promote the group.¡¯ Ian shook his head. He thought he shouldfort Park Jin Hyuk by his side if he was having a hard time. Just as the pillow fight was about to begin at Park Seo Dam¡¯s lead, the manager opened the door and came in. ¡°Guys, you¡¯re cast on a variety show.¡± Everyone squeakily screamed ¡®kiyaaat¡¯. * * * PD Kim Hyun Sik, who was in charge of Station K¡¯s year-end stage, willunch a new program. It will be tried in a pilot format for now, but the broadcast time was on a holiday evening. The program name is ¡®With the Legend¡¯, where legendary singers who dominated their era and current generation singers perform in pairs. And it was a contest-type broadcast in which viewer votes and on-site audience votes werebined to select the winner. ¡°Did Kim Hee Sang sonsaeng nim named us?¡± Originally, the process of meeting and pairing was also scheduled to be aired, but Kim Hee Sang informed that he would note out if he was not going with Awy. ¡°Uh, you guys will go out as a wildcard. Superb, right?¡± ¡°What did you do after the broadcast that Kim Hee Sang sonsaeng nim named you directly?¡± Naturally, thepany weed it with open arms. Later, even CEO Lee came and behaved embarrassingly. ¡°Ian overwhelmed everyone there with his singing, sir.¡± ¡°We just worked hard to greet, sir.¡± Keeeuh! CEO Lee gave a cool reaction as if he had eaten a spoonful of rice soup. ¡°Good job, good job. Kim Hee Sang sonsaeng nim along with your skills, it¡¯s enough to win.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you putting too much pressure, CEO Lee?¡± It¡¯s a word that didn¡¯t really mean it. It¡¯s hard not to win using a cheat key called Kim Hee Sang. There was another news that made the members happy. ¡°And watch the broadcast at each of your homes. It¡¯s Lunar New Year vacation.¡± ¡°Whoaak!¡± When everyone jumped up and shouted, apany employee passing through the hallway was surprised and looked into the conference room. £ÛEigh, idiots. It¡¯s good to be working on holidays instead of going home.] ¡®They¡¯re still rookies.¡¯ £ÛWhat about you?] ¡®It¡¯s kind of vague to go home all the way. I¡¯ll just rest at the dorm, yeah.¡¯ Ian stayed quiet because he didn¡¯t want to cloud the atmosphere vainly. The manager beckoned to Ian. Ian followed the manager to the hallway. ¡°You¡¯re cast in a one-act drama.¡± ¡°Am I? What about Tae Woong?¡± ¡°He goes into a web drama.¡± £ÛThepany is doing well inquiring about jobs.] Ian nodded slightly at Jin¡¯s words. He skimmed through the script the manager gave him. Station K Drama Special ¡®I Want To Hear Your Sound¡¯. I think I¡¯ve heard it a lot before? Ian tilted his head. ¡°It¡¯ll be confirmed right away if you just say okay, you know? Decide today.¡± ¡°Eii, decide is just in words. I¡¯m still a rookie, so why would I choose works.¡± ¡°No. I also saw the script and it seemed difficult. CEO Lee also told me to leave it up to you.¡± Read it and decide. The manager patted Ian¡¯s shoulder. Ian immediately went into an empty practice room and read the script slowly. ¡°It won¡¯t be easy¡­¡± Ian¡¯s role is a person with a hearing impairment. This is because he needed time to learn signnguage separately and acting without lines requires more attention. However, it was also a work that can prove his acting skill in a short time if he is good at acting. The drama was about a returning student5I¡¯m not sure about the English term, but referring to students whoe back to study again after a leave of absence (officially recognized by the academic office). , Yu Ra, fall in love with each other while bing a transcribe helper for someone with a hearing impairment. £ÛThis¡­ It could be a little pain in the ass.] ¡®Why? The script is okay though.¡¯ It would be rude to them if they were misrepresented, but the script rather contained the purpose of improving awareness while pointing out discrimination and social prejudice against the disabled. £ÛThe script is also okay and it will be pushed well since it¡¯s been a while since Station K go all out. All writers and directors that will be famouster are from here¡­] ¡®I know that.¡¯ All one-act ys aired on this year¡¯s Station K Drama Special bring a lot of buzzes. The script is so good that one y was re-produced into a feature film. It also casts various actors, and some top stars also appear. That¡¯s why the ratings are much better than before. The reason why Ian remembers this is because there was also a scenario that he refused when he was Kim Yong Min. Kim Yong Min refused? Then it will seed 100%. £ÛBut someone makes this work controversial, you know.] In the N board, which is famous asizen¡¯s teacher¡¯s room6Refers to that one stigma that if you¡¯re called to the teacher¡¯s room, there¡¯s something wrong and you¡¯ll be reprimanded for something. So, thismunity board or forum is where people criticize others. The IRL counterpart of this forum is Nate pann. , a real deaf aspiring actor posted. I was cast in Station K Drama Special but suddenly they told me not toe out. I¡¯m an aspiring actor. I have a hearing impairment. I applied because deaf was the main character, so I applied because I thought this was just my role and even got cast, but two days before filming, I was suddenly notified not toe. It turned out that an idol was in my ce. ¡®It¡¯s Pann Literature7 ????(pan.chun.mun.ye). Apound word from ?(pan) from Nate pann mentioned in the previous footnote and ????(sin.chun.mun.ye) which is a name of a literature award in Korea. An inte term referring to posts filled with stories that do not exist to win the public¡¯s favor. Those writings are like novels, so the name of the most prestigious literary award is coined because those writings are well made that people say that¡¯s enough to win an award. , huh?¡¯ £ÛUh. He was eliminated in the final casting stage, but after that, he became delusional that an idol is in his ce and posted on the board. Wanted to give you all a fck.] Although the industry¡¯s perception of idol actors has changed a bit, the general public still viewed it with prejudice. This was especially the case for aspiring actors. £ÛSo of course,izens got up and it came out on the news. Disability organizations also asked for statements.] ¡®It¡¯s a pain in the ass indeed.¡¯ Ian skimmed through the script again. It was a scenario attractive enough to endure controversy. £ÛAnd the original author deleted the post and disappeared. Do you know why? He wasn¡¯t even disabled.] ¡®What a crazy punk.¡¯ Ian sighed heavily in frustration. £ÛIt¡¯s all resolvedter, but the fact that it is controversial is a problem.] ¡®But I¡¯m still going to do this. The scenario is good.¡¯ £ÛPeople don¡¯t see the results. You also know, right.] Ian paused while flipping through the script. £ÛEven if it¡¯ster concluded that everyone is innocent, the first controversy is already the correct answer to them.] When an actor is used as a scammer and bes controversial, people do not believe him even if the actor ims his innocence. Even if there are people who say they want to stay neutral, they are a minority. Even if the actor turns out to be a victim of a scammer, people have already branded the actor as a scammer. £ÛThe idol who entered here in the previous life was also bombarded with maliciousments. Even after a few years had passed since the results came out, there were still maliciousments asking if life is fun after taking away the seat of a disabled. Even if the fans struggle to correct it, would a guy who read that write such ament from the beginning?] ¡®Tsk¡­ It¡¯s hard.¡¯ Ian tapped the script with his finger.
Chapter 26 Chapter 26 Aggro Will Be Hyped.Grade B Trantion: Manually edited MTL. Tranted and interpreted as best as I can. Mixed with some Korean terms. Misinterpretation may ur due to limitedprehensive ability. Awkward English, bad grammar, and typos may often ur as Trantor is not fluent in English and not edited by Editor nor proofed by Proofreader. Eventually, Ian confirms his appearance in the short drama. It would be heartbreaking to see radical maliciousments since he is also a human, but it was like advertising that he had no professionalism as he could not enter a decent work just because it was scary. ¡®The kids will be okay, right?¡¯ Nevertheless, the reason why he hesitated for a while was fear that the members would be dragged as members of the same group, that the group name would be harmed by solidarity responsibility or whatever, and the second was because he was worried about the fans. -(LINK) rec thisment plz -Comment section gogo official cafe¡¯s aggro report gogo -(LINK) anyone member of this caf¨¦? Plz go and get pdf Because he was reminded of the few fans during P.I when he was stuffed and dragged all over themunities because of the slip of the tongue in the past or the Rising Sun g costume. They stayed up all night defending thements by taking coordinates1A ng for the link. for eachment that became the bestments and writing corrections constantly since maliciousments should not be the bestment.2There¡¯s a separate term in Korea for this movement to ¡®clean up¡¯ments but I forgot. Fans make newments and like or upvote goodments to be the bestments, as artists usually read these first and rarely scroll deep down. Of course, there is no way that Ian, who debuted as Awy, would not have such fans. If their bias is cursed, the fans themselves will feel cursed too. Some people said that they couldn¡¯t even eat and lost weight sitting all day in front of the monitor to protect their bias, so he was bothered that he is getting into controversy on his own. ¡®What should I do¡­¡¯ It is absolutely necessary to have an advanced step in this kind of public opinion battle, but he doesn¡¯t have any connections. And it was unclear whether Ian¡¯s words would be trusted even if he talked to the agency. £ÛJust watch for now. It can be noise marketing.] It¡¯s frustrating, but Jin is right. There was nothing he could do for now. ¡®Introduce me to some reporters you knowter.¡¯ £ÛJust say it. I can secure 5 peo¡­ Wait what?] ¡®You were someone from that side, right.¡¯ Ian nced at Jin, showing that he had already noticed everything. Jin clicked quickly. It seems that the shutter moves quickly when he rolls his head. £ÛYou¡­] ¡°Choi Ian, you¡¯re here. It¡¯s time, why aren¡¯t youing? It¡¯s all set.¡± ¡°Ah heol. I¡¯m sorry, Hyung.¡± Jin tried to say something, but Kim Hyun opened the practice room door faster. ¡®Let¡¯s talkter.¡¯ Kim Hyun stared at the script Ian was holding. ¡°What¡¯s the role?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a college student with hearing impairment.¡± ¡°Woah, aggro will be hyped.¡± ¡°Aggro?¡± How did he know when that attention seeker punk hasn¡¯t even written on the forum yet? It seems you will automatically be an aggro detector if you appear on 3 survival programs. Ian pressed the elevator button. ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll say ¡®why non-disabled y a disabled role¡¯ though?¡± ¡°Haha¡­ No way. Would that ever happen?¡± Ian admired Kim Hyun¡¯s predictive ability. It will be controversial in the future. It was imed as whitewashing when a ck role in the original work was cast as white in the movie and it was quite noisy when the heated debate broke out, but the movie seeded. Superhero Movie ¡®ck Magic¡¯ Pushing Ahead Filming Amid White Washing Controversy No Exnation For ¡®ck Magic¡¯ Controversy. Screened Next Month Of course, this was debatable enough. However, it was famous for its wrong handling. And there was a case where it was argued as discrimination by saying that they didn¡¯t cast a real homosexual in a queer movie, but the controversy quickly subsided when there was an opinion that it was reverse discrimination if it was too forced. As more and more people realize about aggro in distorted political correctness, more and more people are holding back their words thinking that there is nothing wrong mentioned in the made-up controversy. Once swept away in controversy, it takes a long time to recover. ¡°There are more crazy people than we thought. Besides, we¡¯re better sandbags because we¡¯re idols.¡± ¡°That is true.¡± Ian nodded nkly. Kim Hyun tapped Ian¡¯s shoulder, wondering if he scared him too much. ¡°I¡¯m just saying that. Nothing will happen.¡± ¡°But didn¡¯t Hyung just scare me too much for that?¡± ¡°If you crush everything with your acting, the controversy will end. Did you see that marathon movie?¡± ¡°Saw it. But that person is an acting god.¡± Besides, isn¡¯t it when there aren¡¯t many people as sensitive as now because it was a movie in the early 2000s? Kim Hyunughed quietly at Ian¡¯s reaction. The elevator door opened, and they entered the conference room. In the conference room, a phone was set up on a tripod to broadcast the group¡¯s Y-app live. ¡°Guys, sit down.¡± ¡°There is no Jin Hyuk hyung, though?¡± ¡°He went to the toilet. We have to turn on the live broadcast first.¡± Everyone sat on the chair. A business card-sized papery face down on the table, with the group logo on it. ¡°I¡¯m pressing start? Everyone put on live mode.¡± Lee Joo Hyuk pressed the button on the screen. The members were full of anticipation and only stared at the screen. ¡°It¡¯s dark?¡± ¡°What¡¯s it?¡± It was two minutes after waiting like that. Members gathered in front of the phone one by one at the still ck screen. ¡°Is thepany¡¯s Wi-Fi weak?¡± Park Seo Dam turned the setting window off and on. ¡°At a time when Jin Hyuk hyung isn¡¯t here.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with Jin Hyuk hyung?¡± ¡°You dunno? Jin Hyuk hyung is our group Yongsan Electronics Market3A popr ce where you can buy and repair all kinds of electronics located in Yongsan, Seoul. .¡± Ian epted Jo Tae Woong¡¯s words with an ¡®oh¡¯. This is because he remembered when the TV broke down before, Park Jin Hyuk touched it a few times and it was fixed. ¡°But, isn¡¯t that limited to hardware?¡± ¡°Is it?¡± ¡°I will call Dong Soo hyung.¡± Park Seo Dam jumped up and headed out of the conference room. When he tried to open the door, it opened from outside. It was Park Jin Hyuk. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Hyung hyung! The broadcast is not working!¡± Oh yeah? Park Jin Hyuk approached the phone for broadcast and looked closely at the screen. ¡°The live is on, though?¡± ¡°Eing?¡± ¡°Screen mute, did you press this?¡± When Park Jin Hyuk touched the screen, their faces came out as the screen turned on. Many fans have alreadymented. -Woah finally on! -Guys lolololol The broadcast is already on lolol ¡°Oh woah, the number of viewers is amazing.¡± Without knowing that the broadcast was starting, they stared nkly at the fast-paced chat window. All the members¡¯ eyes moved quickly. Looking at the screen as if possessed by something, it was like cats with fishing rods in front of them. ¡°Guys, position! Position!¡± Lee Joo Hyuk suddenly came to his senses and pushed the members to the back. They rushed into each position, greeted as a group, and sat down on their chairs. ¡°Everyone, how have you been?¡± As Park Seo Dam skillfully proceeded, the members flocked to the phone to checkments and stared at the screen. There were many Chinese and Thaiments on top of basic English. ¡°Ah hyungs, don¡¯t just look at the screen¡­¡± Park Seo Dam gave them a signal. The members smiled awkwardly. This is because it was difficult to imagine that this small phone was crowded with so many people, although they didn¡¯t really pay much attention to it on the mafia game with MyKit since they yed with each other. ¡°Someone asked how Imjingak was? How was it?¡± Ian only picked questions from thements and asked them back to the members. ¡°Honestly, it was so cold that I couldn¡¯t remember.¡± ¡°It was fortunate that Ian bought so many hot packs and nkets the day before.¡± ¡°Then, will you go to Imjingak again next time if asked?¡± Everyoneughed nervously at Park Seo Dam¡¯s surprise question. ¡°Please open up the story about the broken mic.¡± Kim Ju Young hurriedly read thement. Lee Joo Hyuk and Ian put up a situational y with each other and told the anecdote of that time. ¡°It was on the verge of December 31, 2017¡­¡± ¡°Ah, too long. Summary please.¡± Jo Tae Woong put off the candle. Ian continued speaking to Jo Tae Woong¡¯s ear. ¡°I came to smash the stage, but Joo Hyuk hyung suddenly put his hands behind¡­¡± ¡°Argh! Sorry! I was wrong, sir!¡± Jo Tae Woong pushed Ian away. ¡®I don¡¯t want to do it either, you punk.¡¯ Ian expressed extreme hatred inside. Why did he do something like this? Because fans like something called rtionships. When Ian was active as Kim Yong Min during 2nd Gen Idols. It was a time when BGP, a.k.a. Business Gay Performance was popr. Fans like it, so Kim Yong Min also made a few BGPs to attract attention, but it was a time when he really didn¡¯t want to remember. £ÛAggros were so bad back then. Perhaps you were even on the egg ounts¡¯ list of idols with severe BGP?] ¡®Because of that, I was cursed a lot whening out on P.I.¡¯ Now in 3rd Gen, is it gone? No. It¡¯s called rtionships4The term ¡®shipping¡¯ in international K-Pop culture is used both in ¡®friendly¡¯ and BGP extensions but have a quite negative tone in use. This word in Korean is quite neutral in meaning, so I don¡¯t use the term shipping as it is. these days, so it¡¯s good to tie up close members. In Awy alone, Lee Joo Hyuk and Park Jin Hyuk were tied together as Two Hyuk and the same-aged Jo Tae Woong, Choi Ian, and Kim Ju Young were tied together and called Triples. There were also many other rtionships besides those. The problem is that although some people sell rtionships as genuine friendships, some people sell them as an extension of BGP. ¡®This is fan service. Fan service.¡¯ £ÛYap. Yap.] Most people like it if you do it a few times, so he did it with a smile even if he hated it inside. ¡°Come to think of it, I saw Imjingak Parrot too.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. That person cheered for us very hard even though it was cold, so we were all touched.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t that person post proof on the fan cafe?¡± Ian also did not forget to thank the passionate parrot. In addition, they talked about mafia and pictorial shoots with MyKit. £ÛOne person keeps asking your nationality.] ¡®I know. I was ignoring it.¡¯ ¡°When Ian first came into ourpany, I thought some kind of light was walking in.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you open your mouth wide enough for your chin to fall out then? I should¡¯ve taken a picture of that.¡± Ian smiled and responded to Jo Tae Woong. When Awy sessfully exploded, ¡®pro disturbed¡¯5 ?? ???(pro bul.pyeon.reo). Someone who is pro in expressing their difort. Those too seriousizens who usually have an extremely conservative view and make strong objections, even on a not-so-important matter. who couldn¡¯t see them doing well naturally started their engine. Among them, they focused on targeting Awy¡¯s most popr, Choi Ian. So at first, they turned their attention to his skills when he had nothing to drag because he has a handsome face and a good body. However, he sings well and dances well enough, so there is nothing to drag. ¡°Joo Hyuk Hyung doesn¡¯t get angry that much. We call him Buddha.¡± -Choi Ian where r u from? Not to mention acting, but now they¡¯re digging into his nationality. His profile doesn¡¯t write where he was born, but it seemed he lived in the U.S. from Mystagram¡¯s posts. So, it started with ¡®then perhaps is he an American?¡¯. ¡°We¡¯re going to the Idol Olympics. This isn¡¯t a spoiler, right? Since the article came out in the morning.¡± The members also ignored thatment which kept spamming and answered other questions. What¡¯s wrong with Choi Ian being an American? That is in the military service. The military service issue is a problem that all Koreans be sensitive to. Celebrities who avoid military service will probably be dragged until they die. For that reason, they will grab something to nitpick and then start vroom vrooming, saying if his parents gave birth on an expedition6That one case which nned childbirth in a foreign country, especially to give the baby the nationality of the birth country. or calling him a ck-haired foreigner. It¡¯s enough just to make a controversy. ¡®Talk however you want.¡¯ Nevertheless, why doesn¡¯t Ian give a proper answer? They will drag him whether he answers as they want or not. So, he was just trying to gather energy and sueter. ¡®I don¡¯t care if they only insult me. It¡¯s okay if the other kids do not get cursed.¡¯ Moreover, such a forceful im does not work for Ian and otherizens. They don¡¯t just drag Awy. They just produce maliciousments and rumors in all directions. Some who were dragging in this group also doing it in that group, so they received several letters ofint when suedter. £ÛAha.] ¡®If thewsuit announcement is postedter, fans will send evidence on their own.¡¯ So, in addition to Awy¡¯s fans, other group fans will also find and send the evidence. ¡®And I¡¯ll send the notice after suing.¡¯ You will probably see a miracle that 400 pages ofments disappear at once when they clean theirments. But it will bete by then. It¡¯s probably after the sue is filed already. Considering that time, Ian could endure some maliciousments.
Chapter 27 Chapter 27 A Sasaeng Taxi Is Following?Grade B Trantion: Manually edited MTL. Tranted and interpreted as best as I can. Mixed with some Korean terms. Misinterpretation may ur due to limitedprehensive ability. Awkward English, bad grammar, and typos may often ur as Trantor is not fluent in English and not edited by Editor nor proofed by Proofreader. ¡°Here, there¡¯s a reason why we turned on the live broadcast.¡± We wasted 40 minutes just on a feast of saying whatever. Park Seo Dam pped once to evoke the atmosphere. ¡°We¡¯re going to announce the name of our fan club today.¡± ¨CHeol -We finally get a name? Thepany rowed on the rise of Awy. After the announcement of the fan club name, paid fan club members will be recruited from tomorrow. Already recruiting paid fan clubs means that there is a concert pre-booking, which means that the concert will be held this year. In addition, there are benefits such as receiving a separately produced fan club kit or priority to attend music show¡¯s public recordings if you join the paid fan club. ¡°We tried to make it, but there were so many ovepping things in the world.¡± Park Jin Hyuk overturned the business card-sized paper. ¡°Ah, Hyung!¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t flip it over already!¡± ¡°Ah, not now?¡± It was like the group¡¯s official tactless. Originally, we were going to announce it after making people nervous while drumming together. £ÛThere¡¯s not even such a thing as making people nervous.] ¡®Well, that¡¯s right.¡¯ It was not a special name to present the reason in a lengthy manner. AWYDOM Adding the suffix -dom, Awydom. Roughly it¡¯ll be like Awy¡¯s territory. In fact, the story of birth was also roughly. Many idols came out and also many fandoms formed these days, so it is very fussy if the name is simr or the same. Wondend? Existed. Out. Gxy? It seems hard to look up on the inte, out. It is a name that came out after Kim Ju Young said ¡®Why not just put something on the back of our names?¡¯ at the end of a long meeting because even this and also that are already used. £ÛThere were a lot more teams with suffixes.] Put destiny so Awytiny? Who wrote this, out. Put -ity so Awyty, who wrote this again? Then, they identally found an advertisement on the building across thepany. ¡®Kingdom¡¯. All the members shouted ¡®That¡¯s it!¡¯ at once. ¡®We made it too sloppy for sure.¡¯ Still, thement window exploded because of the joy of having a name. And Awy has decided on a fandom name but did not clearly decide on the official color. For simr reasons as when deciding the fan club name, there will be a fight between fandoms when the official colors ovep. -That color is ours u know? We used it first, u know? -Damned funny, are you guys pantone? Are all colors in the world yours? Why don¡¯t you get a patent? So these days, it is basic to use two official colors or even three colors together. The fan club name was barely decided after a long meeting, but it is a headache to also decide on the official color. So, it was decided to leave it as Awy not having an official color. Since made-up controversy also arises over simr colors. ¡°And we have good news. Our official fan club is recruiting, starting tomorrow!¡± ¡°Maybe by now, a notice has been posted on the fan cafe.¡± -Crazy!!! -Going right now! While giving a fan club guide, Jo Tae Woong suddenly looked back. ¡°What the? Why?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just someone wrote there¡¯s something behind. Wow, I was freaked out.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Ian was visibly flustered and looked back. If asked why it¡¯s because Jin was floating behind. He heard that ghost photose out a lot, perhaps Jin too? £ÛYou¡¯ve been fooled by Y-App viins.] ¡®What? What¡¯s that?¡¯ When Ian and Jo Tae Woong looked at the screen again, somements wereughing ???? in a row. £ÛFirst, inquiring viins. -ya, where¡¯s the other member? What¡¯s he doing? When does he sleep? I have to sleep but at the same time. They keep inquiring about other members when someone else is doing a broadcast.] They weren¡¯t present currently because it was a group broadcast. Will theye out if I do a personal broadcastter? Ian nodded his head slightly. £ÛSecond, please viins. Call my name, please. It¡¯s my birthday, so congratte me, please. I¡¯m taking an exam, so cheer me on please.] ¡®Isn¡¯t it better to give congrats at least?¡¯ £ÛBirthday? Exam? It¡¯s all nonsense, after all, they¡¯re just trying to get attention. And when you feed them once, they¡¯ll probably continue after that you know? You did it for her, why don¡¯t you do it for me? It could be like this.] Oh, that¡¯s a bit. He wouldn¡¯t like it if the chat window was covered about that. £ÛThird. Aggro viins. What¡¯s behind? There¡¯s a ghost behind. A cockroach behind. The curtains are moving behind. These days, foreigners who ask Eng plz aren¡¯t even viins and just a given basic option.] ¡®Wow. But it was so exquisite since you were behind.¡¯ £ÛI can never influence this world. Unless it¡¯s rted to you. I can¡¯t even have a negative effect on you anymore.] ¡®The fight between me and Kim Ju Young? As expected, it¡¯s your fault huh?¡¯ £ÛYeah¡­ I¡¯m sorry.] Ian raised one eyebrow. ¡°Ian¡¯s turn.¡± At Lee Joo Hyuk¡¯s words, Ian came to his senses and stood in front of the mobile phone used for broadcasting. The broadcast had to end now, so theyid the board for fans to capture pictures. ¡°Hiyah, handsome.¡± ¡°Does he look cool even on the phone camera?¡± When Ian posed several times, the members made a fuss even more. Following Ian, Jo Tae Woong and Park Seo Dam who sat next to him went out in turn and posed. ¡°Now, thest capture time is over. We have to end the broadcast now.¡± -Gaaiis don¡¯t go ?????? -Can¡¯t you do a 24-hour broadcast? ????? Seeing the number of hearts rising rapidly, it seems that the fans are gathering andboring on pressing hearts. It¡¯s a pity that they couldn¡¯t collect 100 million hearts, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. ¡°Then, so far!¡± ¡°Always by your side! This has been Awy! Bye!¡± 1Uhhh how to trante this¡­ A closing greeting roughly like ¡°You¡¯ve been with Awy so far. Bye!¡±. After the group greeting, Lee Joo Hyuk rushed and pressed the end button. Yet still not relieved, he turned off the phone. ¡°Then, did we have the audio transmitted when the screen turned off at first?¡± ¡°Is not that so?¡± ¡°Wow¡­ We didn¡¯t talk any bullshit, right?¡± ¡°No. We were all quiet because Hyung told us to be on broadcast mode.¡± Thinking back, it was a dizzying broadcast ident. If he hadn¡¯t warned them, they could have been put to shame on broadcasts as nderous remarks were exchanged. Lee Joo Hyuk¡¯splexion was not good whether he thought of that throughout the broadcast. ¡°If we said bullshit, wouldn¡¯t Dong Soo hyunge running and tell us to turn off the broadcast?¡± ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay.¡± And the clip video was uploaded. -Idol who hadic talk without knowing that the broadcast is on Jin Hyuk¡¯s nickname is Yongpal2Actually a derogatory nickname for bad merchants in Yongsan Electronic Market. But, the one for Jin Hyuk is just for fun since it¡¯s more catchy for a nickname. from now on ?Are you crazy??? ?What bullshit is this?? -It¡¯s cute that the kids are sitting and waiting, thinking the broadcast is on ??? After a long time, it¡¯s off? Was so funny ???? I thought the broadcast stopped ??? ?Hey me too ??? It stay still, so I closed it and came back??? ?Did you see Seo Dam¡¯s eyes shaking ??? Still, there was no serious situation as Lee Joo Hyuk was worried about. The most reactions were that everyone was cute while turning on fans mode. * * * After the broadcast ended, Ian and the members immediately went to the gym located in thepany building. Of course, diet meals were also prepared in advance. ¡°Is there anything left to lose from this, asking us to lose more.¡± Jo Tae Woong stabbed the fork in the dry chicken breast. He looked like he was eating the most tasteless thing in the world. ¡°How much did we have to lose untileback?¡± ¡°I¡¯m 3 kilos.¡± Ian replied and chewed thest remaining cherry tomato. Rather than starvingter to lose weight, it¡¯s better to prepare from now on for health. ¡°I¡¯m 5 kilos.¡± ¡°You too? I¡¯m also 5 kilos, that¡¯s too much.¡± Kim Ju Young and Jo Tae Woong frowned at each other. It was fortunate that Ian had been exercising like a habit. But the other members were dying. ¡°Honestly, we¡¯re in a growth period. Isn¡¯t dieting too much?¡± ¡°But the camera is too much.¡± ¡°It was dismissed for triple too much.¡± Three 19-year-oldsughed. There was no soul in theirughter. Dieting ruins people like this. The actual appearance tends to be different from the camera. There were cases where it came out wider on normal broadcasts. Naturally, besides diet management, the agency attached a moving PT3Usually PT means Physical Training or Personal Training. But, in this case, referring to the trainer. to them and went into intensive body management. ¡°Everyone calls you pigs just because you got double chins. This is baby fat, tho!¡± ¡°Won¡¯t we not grow taller if we lose weight like this?¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re all grown up if you¡¯re 19.¡± ¡°Nope. My mom said men grow up until 25. Anyway, of course.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s mom¡¯s words, I¡¯ll admit it.¡± While exchanging useless words, Ian leaned against the wall. It was because he thought it would be hard to get up if hey down like the other kids. ¡°Now, shift! Three of you! Pleasee here now!¡± At the trainer¡¯s words, the three of them got up faithfully even while weeping and went to start exercising. The four members who were training first stretched out on the floor panting. ¡°Joo Hyuk hyung, are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m dying¡­¡± Lee Joo Hyuk was so patient that he was nicknamed Buddha. If Lee Joo Hyuk is like this, it means that it is a confirmed trip to hell. The three stood in front of the trainer, horribly hating it. ¡®We¡¯re struggling like this, so it¡¯lle out pretty on camera, right?¡¯ £ÛOf course, you¡¯ll look pretty when you lose weight. Although all idols be paper sheets because of that.] ¡®What paper sheets, that¡¯s too harsh.¡¯ £ÛThis is the fact, sir.] Ian grunted and started the Buffett test. The trainer shouted enthusiastically for one more. ¡®Still, I don¡¯t think there were such skinny male idols in the past.¡¯ £ÛEven when you¡¯re Diamond, there was an idol called beast idol or whatever who came out taking off their shirt4Ehemm. When I was 12, I was a Hottest so¡­ Hahaha! right. The music broadcasting regtions have changed, so that¡¯s not possible these days.] Come to think of it¡­ No such unconventional idolse out these days. At best it is to expose the abs, but it will backfire if you intentionally expose abs frequently. £ÛEven in the past, there were a lot of antis if you gain weight. But especially in this era, there are a lot of people who fret even if you look a bit swollen, so there are a lot of kids whoe outpletely dry.] ¡®I wish the camera lens would change a bit.¡¯ £ÛThere¡¯s no such thing. Anyway, it should be good if you lose weight like that even with a good natural skeleton, but how many of those kids are there? You¡­ have it all.] Envy you, jerk. Jin grumbled. £ÛIt¡¯s right to lose weight like that because there are a lot of things seen on camera. But if you see it in person, you¡¯ll think it¡¯s thin for sure.] ¡®Really¡­ It¡¯s hard to match people¡¯s tastes.¡¯ Ian sighed. Although he thought it was the fate of a person who chose celebrity as a profession, he couldn¡¯t help but resign himself to the damned lookism. * * * After all the exercises ended, manager Park Dong Soo came to pick them up. ¡°Hyung, I cannot get up.¡± ¡°Cannot we just sleep in the practice room?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be exaggerated. Let¡¯s hurry up to the dorm and sleep.¡± Park Dong Soo raised the fallen Park Seo Dam and patted him on the back. The seven idols walked to the underground parking lot, dragging like zombies. Everyone was exhausted, so they got in the car half-awake and set off to the dorm. £ÛHuh? Hey, wake up.] When the van carrying them left thepany building and was waiting for the light signal, Jin woke Ian up. ¡®Why wake me up when we just set off?¡¯ £ÛI¡¯m also confused, you know? I thought there was no way you guys got it already.] ¡®So what?¡¯ £ÛThat taxi behind, suspicious.] ¡®What?¡¯ Ian got up quickly. Jin dispersed like smoke and soon reappeared in front of Ian again. £ÛI saw the kids inside the taxi in front of your dorm this morning.] ¡®Then that¡¯s¡­¡¯ While everyone copsed as if dead, only Ian hurriedly looked back and then Park Dong Soo asked. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Anything left behind?¡± ¡°Hyung¡­¡± A sasaeng taxi is following?
Chapter 28 Chapter 28 Does Sonsaengnim Also Think That Kind of Things?Grade B Trantion: Manually edited MTL. Tranted and interpreted as best as I can. Mixed with some Korean terms. Misinterpretation may ur due to limitedprehensive ability. Awkward English, bad grammar, and typos may often ur as Trantor is not fluent in English and not edited by Editor nor proofed by Proofreader. ¡®We¡¯re already followed by sasaeng taxi1????(sa.saeng taek.si). In this sentence, Ian used the abbreviation form ??(sa.taek). ?¡¯ £ÛThat¡¯s why I¡¯m also skeptical. You guys are indeed a rising2Referring that they¡¯re getting quite the attention and are on the rise to poprity. , but you didn¡¯t have that one impact yet, right? Sasaeng might follow in that case usually, but yet to get followed by sasaeng taxi.] ¡°Hyung, do you see the taxi behind?¡± ¡°That?¡± At Ian¡¯s serious expression, Park Dong Soo swallowed his saliva vainly. ¡°That feel suspicious, so how about shaking it off a bit?¡± ¡°You, perhaps¡­¡± Park Dong Soo repeatedly looked at the taxi in the side view mirror and Ian in the rear view mirror. ¡°Eii, no way.¡± ¡°Hyung, seriously. Please believe me just once.¡± Ian grabbed the backrest of the driver¡¯s seat tightly. Park Dong Soo wondered why Ian was suddenly like this but thought he would not have done this as a joke. ¡°Does everyone have their seat belts on? How about you?¡± Ian went through everyone quickly. Everyone put them on even amid the mess. When Ian answered, Park Dong Soo turned the steering wheel. ¡°How about it?¡± ¡°It keeps following. Let¡¯s go around and see.¡± Park Dong Soo¡¯s expression hardened. He didn¡¯t take the road to the dorm and took a detour. ¡®Didn¡¯t you say you saw them in front of the dorm? But why follow¡­ Aren¡¯t such kids usually going and waiting in advance?¡¯ £ÛMaybe they think you guys have other schedules.] When Park Dong Soo roughly turned the steering wheel, Lee Joo Hyuk, who was sleeping against the window, bumped into the window and woke up. While rubbing his head, he moved his eyes around to grasp the situation. A serious atmosphere of unknown reason. Looking at Ian who held the van¡¯s top handle tightly, Lee Joo Hyuk said. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Hyung, we got a sasaeng taxi behind.¡± ¡°Real?¡± ¡°Yes, Hyung. It¡¯s dangerous, so just sit down.¡± Lee Joo Hyuk got up and tried to look behind, but then he sat back upright. He opened his eyes wide. It seemed that he was very surprised by his puzzled expression. ¡°Are we up to that level to be followed by that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I want to know.¡± As expected, the doubts of ¡®were we that popr?¡¯ came first rather than feeling anxious. Of course, they said it because they trusted the manager who was driving. £ÛThe driver and sasaeng are fighting. It seems the price wasn¡¯t negotiated well.] Jin repeatedly appeared and disappeared, rying the situation there. £ÛI think it¡¯s their first time trying sasaeng taxi? The sasaeng is half-assed.] ¡®Then, won¡¯t it fall off soon?¡¯ So that¡¯s why the taxi, which had been stuck close to the tail, was far behind. When the manager shook them off with his dazzling driving skills, the taxi that had been seen diagonally was not seen anymore at one point. ¡°Looks like I shook them off. Don¡¯t worry, go back to sleep.¡± Park Dong Soo took a deep breath and started driving safely again. In the meantime, the members except for Ian and Lee Joo Hyuk still slept well. ¡®How it turned out?¡¯ £ÛI don¡¯t think the taxi is specialized in this and the sasaeng also gave up in the middle because of the high price. Usually, taxis like that cost more than 300,000 won.] ¡®Wow, what the¡­¡¯ £ÛThat¡¯s why there are a lot of sasaengs who use private loans to follow around.] The world is wide so there are many strange people. Ian rxed and leanedfortably on the backrest. As if he was relieved too, Park Dong Soo said with a smile. ¡°Ian, how did you know?¡± ¡°It just felt that way.¡± ¡°Did you find it? Wow¡­ Be a shamanter.¡± Lee Joo Hyuk let out admiration and looked out the window at the Han River. Ian drove a wedge in. ¡°Come to think of it, I felt something in front of the dorm too. Can Hyung take a look?¡± ¡°Oh yeah? It¡¯d be a big problem if you really got sasaeng¡­ This hyung will take good care of it.¡± Park Dong Soo, who believed Ian¡¯s words perhaps because of what he experienced earlier, looked serious. He nodded as if telling Ian to be reassured. ¡°¡­I got on the wrong road to get rid of that. Tomorrow¡¯s schedule is tight, so make up your sleep.¡± Come to think of it, tomorrow was a day when there were consecutive schedules. Ian closed his eyes to sleep even for a few more minutes. * * * ¡°We got followed by a sasaeng taxi?¡± ¡°Eishi, that¡¯s dirty. Clean it all up then speak.¡± Ian rubbed the sttered toothpaste foam on his shoulder hard. Jo Tae Woong said sorry and quickly finished brushing his teeth. ¡°So, what happened?¡± ¡°What are you asking for. We slept wellst night because Dong Soo hyung filmed Fast and Furious.¡± ¡°Oh, indeed. Dong Soo hyung has even caught them directly before.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Ian and Jo Tae Woong entered the room and changed their clothes. They wore clothes that looked as neat as possible. Today was the day of the meeting for ¡®With The Legend¡¯. Since it was a seat with Kim Hee Sang, they even sprayed fabric deodorant that they usually do not use. ¡°I also heard from a staff, that sasaengs were following ck Rush after they won first ce.¡± ¡°I think there¡¯s still a lot of them there, tho?¡± ¡°Maybe that¡¯s our future? Anyway, it¡¯s said that when Dong Soo hyung was ck Rush¡¯s manager, sasaeng taxi kept following so he lured them to a remote ce and raided them with Se Jun hyung.¡± ¡°After getting out of the car? Wow, awesome.¡± Se Jun hyung, who Jo Tae Woong mentioned, was the leader of ck Rush. As expected of the future music king, very merciless. The passing Kim Hyun added an exnation to Jo Tae Woong¡¯s words. ¡°What¡¯s even more awesome is that Dong Soo hyung stole the sasaeng¡¯s wallet, robbed their ID info, and even stuffed the sasaeng into the cklist.¡± ¡°Woah shoot. Such a movie.¡± When Ian admired it, Jo Tae Woong nodded. He looked proud as if it was his own story, but he seemed to boast ¡®That¡¯s our manager¡¯. ¡°However, isn¡¯t that a crime?¡± Everyone looked at Park Seo Dam¡¯s worried words. Of course, he said it out of concern for Park Dong Soo. Although he was a hardheaded maknae, he had a soft side. ¡°Stalking is a worse crime. They also knew it, so they couldn¡¯t do anything and let go of their wallet.¡± ¡°Seo Dam-ah, you don¡¯t need to worry about sasaeng.¡± £ÛWhat advice on the subject of only a year older.] Jin mocked him, but Ian ignored it. What Kim Ju Young said is right. Even though everyone washed up and finished getting ready after chatting, the manager did note for a long time. ¡°Why doesn¡¯t Dong Soo hyung Hyung?¡± ¡°Yesterday, Hyung told us not toe out until hees. Remember?¡± £ÛYour manager caught the sasaeng.] Park Dong Soo didn¡¯t just listen to Ian¡¯s words yesterday. He went undercover with an agency employee and caught the sasaeng. Ian peeked at the video that Jin had recorded. They were engaged in a quarrel with the sasaeng until the police were dispatched in the end. ¡®He¡¯s taking care of it well.¡¯ It was pulled out from the roots before suffering from sasaeng. Ian felt more at ease. * * * Park Dong Soo left the sasaeng issue to the employee and took Awy to the ce where Kim Hee Sang¡¯s studio was located after going through the shop. Originally, the meeting was nned to be held in the broadcastingpany¡¯s meeting room, but Kim Hee Sang decided on the location. As expected, when ites to a legendary figure, the broadcasting station bows its head. ¡°Wow¡­¡± ¡°Look at the painting, daebak. Isn¡¯t that expensive?¡± ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t touch carelessly.¡± The fruit basket they brought because it was awkward toe empty-handed did not fit well inside the dazzling studio. Lee Joo Hyuk grabbed the basket tightly, wondering if they had brought it for nothing. ¡°Wee.¡± ¡°Hello, Sonsaeng nim!¡± Awy bowed their backs. It¡¯s been a while since they worked together, so the greeting was also synchronized. Kim Hee Sang chuckled. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be nervous like that.¡± ¡°We will set up the audio first.¡± A broadcasting station staff, who had been waiting first, handed them belt packs and pin microphones. They couldn¡¯t let Kim Hee Sang wait, so they quickly wore the mic with each other¡¯s help. ¡°Today you can discuss with Kim Sonsaeng nim how you are going to set up the stage.¡± The program¡¯s writer spoke softly. Aura seemed to be felt from Kim Hee Sang, who was sitting leisurely on a chair. Ian was amazed again that he had sung together with such a figure. ¡°First of all. Kim Hee Sang Sonsaeng nim strongly said that you would not do this unless with Awy. Can you tell us the reason?¡± When Awy was seated, the writer helped proceed. ¡°I saw these friends¡¯ performance on the year-end stage, and they did well. Who rearranged the song?¡± The members, who didn¡¯t expect much because they thought Choi Ian won it with his singing, corrected their posture. Lee Joo Hyuk and Park Jin Hyuk said ¡°We did it, sir¡± while raising their hands. ¡°Their tone is also good. I was paying attention to it. Didn¡¯t you sing my song at the end?¡± ¡°You even sang the duet until the end back then, sir.¡± The writer replied while scribbling something on a paper. ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ They¡¯re better than I thought, so I thought it would be good to perform with these friends.¡± ¡°Woah¡­ It¡¯s an honor, sir.¡± Lee Joo Hyuk replied in a daze. Everyone had a pleased expression. ¡°Since I suspended my activities, I feel like I¡¯m bing more and more obsolete.¡± ¡°Eii, Sonsaeng nim. What do you mean by obsolete? We sing Sonsaeng nim¡¯s songs a lot.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, sir. Sonsaeng nim¡¯s songs are a must-sing song in vocal sses.¡± Ian and Jo Tae Woong spoke brazenly. Kim Hee Sang smiled calmly at the cute tricks as if seeing big grandsons. ¡°I wanted to try something new. I wanted to get inspiration from young people.¡± Kim Hee Sang¡¯s eyes were still full of passion. ¡°Artists like us tend to be forgotten if we don¡¯t work steadily.¡± ¡°Does Sonsaeng nim also think that kind of thing?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± That was Kim Hee Sang who was actively promoting albums until Kim Yong Min died. Later, he was bedridden due to health problems, but he would have really died on the stage if he was healthy. ¡°You have to keep performing even if only one person listens.¡± Ian suddenly became ashamed of the shallow and wide3Thinking too shallow and too wide, so his focus is all over the ce. days of Kim Yong Min in his previous life. At the same time, he thought he wanted to grow old like that. When Kim Hee Sang opened up about himself withints, Awy also rxed their tension. They freely expressed their opinions about the stage. The stage proceeds with the songs of each legend. The stage time was free without limitation because it was a stage conducted under mutual consultation without anyone¡¯s help. ¡°Of course, Sonsaeng nim will do the killing part.¡± ¡°Since you guys also rap, there should be time to rap too.¡± ¡°Perhaps, would you like to arrange the song together, sir?¡± Lee Joo Hyuk was excited about the time to arrange a song with a legend. Kim Hyun struck Ian with a question. ¡°Our team¡¯s main vocalist, do you have anything to say?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Ian gazed nkly at Kim Hee Sang. Although he had quite the age, his well-managed face and the seemingly exercised body looked much better than his age group. ¡°It¡¯s a legendeback stage, so shouldn¡¯t we spread the word all over the ce? Isn¡¯t that right, sir? Wouldn¡¯t it be nice to have one big hit?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Kim Hee Sang chuckled. ¡°How much money can we spend on our stage, Writer nim?¡± £ÛOh, what you just said will be used as the preview aggro. 100 percent.] The writer widened her eyes wide to Ian¡¯s realistic and secr question. The writer agreed to do whatever they wanted because she thought a good picture woulde out. Anything if together with Kim Hee Sang. The Director-General will dly ept it. ¡°What do you think about going with a musical feeling? ¡°That also sounds good.¡± By chance, the lyrics of the song meant not to be afraid of failure and to get up to fight. It was a song released to encourage people in difficult times. ¡°First of all, wouldn¡¯t it be cool if there were more people on stage?¡± Ian raised his head at Kim Ju Young¡¯s words. Even during Imjingak¡¯s stage, the picture was okay since many dancers gathered. It¡¯s the rule that you look cool when you gather in a group. Above that, one thing that¡¯ll hit more strongly. ¡°Sonsaeng nim, do you have any thoughts about dancing?¡±
Chapter 29 Chapter 29 Well-Off Fans Are Guiltless, Badly-Off Fans Are Guilty.Grade B Trantion: Manually edited MTL. Tranted and interpreted as best as I can. Mixed with some Korean terms. Misinterpretation may ur due to limitedprehensive ability. Awkward English, bad grammar, and typos may often ur as Trantor is not fluent in English and not edited by Editor nor proofed by Proofreader. After the meeting with Kim Hee Sang, Ian headed to a nearby caf¨¦ right away. It was because of a meeting with the production crew of the one-act drama ¡®I Want to Hear Your Sound¡¯. ¡°Hello.¡± Ian greeted the cafe staff with a smile. The staff swallowed a breath with a gasp. He headed to a conference room separated by ss. The camera was already set inside. Ian entered the conference room and bowed down to greet. ¡°Hello! Am Ite, perhaps?¡± There were already the PD and a person who appeared to be the writer sitting in the chairs. Ian nced at the clock. He came 5 minutes earlier than the appointment time. ¡°That¡¯s not it. We arrived early. Nice to meet you.¡± ¡°Please sit down.¡± Ian sat across from them. £ÛWas he skinny at this time?] Jin circled the man. The man is the director of this one-act drama, Choi Jong Min. In the future, he will move to a cable TV station and produce numerous hits. The woman is writer Park Joo Yeon. The writer will also follow Choi Jong Min to the cable TV station. The two were future drama masters, which will be called ¡®the golden duo¡¯. ¡°You¡¯re much more handsome in person.¡± Writer Park Joo Yeon stared nkly at Ian¡¯s face. Ian touched his back hair while saying thanks. ¡°I really enjoyed reading the script sent to me. In particr, I was impressed by thest part when Seong Min broke other people¡¯s gaze.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Park Joo Yeon smiled faintly. Seong Min is the name of the role Ian will y. ¡°That is why I am practicing oralnguage1Not sure how to trante this into English. Anyway, this refers to the spokennguage learned by people whose hearing impairment is congenital or acquired at a very young age. more intensively than signnguage.¡± ¡®I Want to Hear Your Sound¡¯ or IWHYS is the story of Seong Min, who has lived as a deaf person. It depicts the process of Seong Min, who has closed his heart due to numerous discrimination and ridicule, when he meets Yu Ra, an always ambitious returning student, and confirms each other¡¯s hearts as he bes increasingly influenced by her. Being deaf does not necessarily mean that they can¡¯t hearpletely nor use signnguage unconditionally. Some people learn lip-reading and oralnguage ording to their efforts, and Seong Min in the y is an oral speaker. Seong Min grew up ¡®watching¡¯ the social prejudice as a disabled and was ridiculed for his poor pronunciation. Later, he shuts his mouth in frustration that his efforts have been denied. And in the ending part, Seong Min is influenced by Yu Ra, so he doesn¡¯t dwell on the gaze of others anymore and breaks his shell. At this point, he opens his mouth again. So, the title of this one-act drama was like Yu Ra¡¯s heart to Seong Min, not Seong Min¡¯s to Yu Ra. ¡°Is that so? Can you show it to us?¡± Therefore, the lines at the end were very important. Director Choi Jong Min uncrossed his arms and rested his chin on one hand. Ian cleared his throat and briefly recited the lines in the y. Director Choi and Writer Park let out an ¡®oh¡¯, amazed by it. ¡°You still need to refine it more, right?¡± ¡°No, it is perfect by my standards. What about you, Writer Park?¡± ¡°It is fine. Did you learn signnguage too, perhaps?¡± Seong Min in the early part of the y uses signnguage and writing. When Ian expressed the same lines in signnguage, Writer Park nodded with a satisfied look. Ian smiled as he rxed. It was worth learning while reducing sleep. £ÛI remembered. The writer¡¯s older sister was deaf.] ¡®I see.¡¯ That¡¯s why the director seemed to care a lot about the writer¡¯s feedback somehow. ¡°It is more than I expected.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You must have done a lot of research, right?¡± Ian thanked this era when MyTube became popr and honestly expressed his personal opinion by gently sprinkling seasoning. A deep smile spread across the lips of the writer and director. ¡°Good. We will let you know the schedule through the agency.¡± ¡°Yep.¡± Director Choi sent Ian first in consideration of him who couldn¡¯t spend a lot of time. Ian met Park Dong Soo, who came back after taking the rest of the members, and headed to the dorm. ¡°Wow¡­¡± As Ian left, the silence that filled the conference room for a moment was full of everyone¡¯s admiration. The staff who came to set the camera told the director. ¡°Wow, my eyes got dazzled. I¡¯ve never seen such a handsome person before.¡± ¡°I, who was right facing him, felt my heart was about to stop. The same man.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he also good at talking? Does the agency teach that kind of thing these days?¡± Idols these days also get character education by their agency. However, the director thought Ian had answered sincerely. His eyes were serious, and above all, his face provoked persuasion. ¡°Did I make any mistakes?¡± Writer Park Joo Yeon, who was just absent-minded no matter what Ian said, blushed. ¡°No. Writer Park waspletely professional.¡± The staff gave a thumbs up. Director Choi was a fan of ¡®ck Out¡¯ starring Ian. When Ian first appeared as a delivery boy, he thought he was just a consumable minor role to draw attention with his face. However, Ian is much better at acting than he thought. Since then, he wanted to use Ian in any of his work and the opportunity came quickly. The writer, who didn¡¯t know Ian well, said that Ian¡¯s handsomeness was likely to stand out too much in the y and wouldn¡¯t it be better to use an aspiring actor who need opportunities or an experienced actor than an idol. The director thought the writer¡¯s words made sense, so he even put another actor in the final casting. However, out of all things, the actor called ¡®non-disabled person¡¯ as ¡®normal person¡¯ at the meeting.2It¡¯s pretty offensive to use the term ¡®normal person¡¯ when talking about disability. He wouldn¡¯t have done such a senseless thing if he did a few searches, but it showed that he had no brain and didn¡¯t research the data properly. The writer was extremely angry because of that, and of course, the casting of that actor was canceled. The director rmended Ian after hesitating. ¡°How about releasing it in advance as a pre-release?¡± The director told the writer while watching the staff retrieving the camera. It was the video that will be uploaded to MyTube as a behind-the-scenes video. ¡°I think the video wille out well, and seeing his oral, it wasn¡¯t ridiculous and seriously did it well.¡± ¡°I think it will be okay.¡± Inwardly, the director wanted to attract attention with Ian¡¯s face and also draw viewership. And the director¡¯s intention yed a big role in eroding the controversy that would ariseter. ? ***? ? After the meeting, Ian arrived at the agency¡¯s meeting room. Other members were already lying down on chairs and hanging their arms. Post-it-sized notes were piled up on the desk in the conference room. A proid camera and films were neatly ced on another side. ¡°Did you all write a lot?¡± Ian took off his jacket and sat in an empty seat. Jo Tae Woong raised his hand silently and sobbed. Didn¡¯t write a lot, huh. ¡°Did the meeting go well?¡± ¡°Yeah, how many sheets should I write?¡± ¡°As much as possible.¡± Lee Joo Hyuk, sitting across from him, let out some gibberish words. ¡°It¡¯s hard to write everything differently.¡± Ian grabbed a felt-tip pen and sticky notes to his front. In ¡®Idol Olympics¡¯, which will be recorded in a few days, seats are filled with fans of each singer. Popr idols took about 150 seats, and Awy¡¯s fan seats were 80 seats. It wasvishpared to 30 seats during Kim Yong Min¡¯s time. ¡°What should I write? Hey, Jo Tae Woong. What did you write? ¡°Humph, no cheating.¡± Fans have to wait from 6 am and have to stay there all day until 11 pm when the recording ends. But then, does the broadcastingpany take care of the meals for so many fans? No. The singer has to pay for the fans¡¯ meals as well, but this ¡®reverse tribute¡¯ has be a custom. The station acted as patronizing as much as the puny appearance fee is given, but that doesn¡¯t mean they give a lot of screen time. In some cases, it took 3 seconds at most. However, if you don¡¯t appear, there will be disadvantages as the PD for iLympic is also in charge of the music show PD. The lunch box and snacks for reverse tribute had to be prepared by paying attention to the quality. If prepared poorly, it bes aughing stock for other fandoms. The appearance is like a deficit from the agency¡¯s point of view. My stomach hurts thinking this will also be cut from the settlementter. Ian filled up the note papers. ¡°Woah, when will you finish if you write that long?¡± ¡°Write the sticker to put on the snack first. It¡¯s small, so it¡¯ll be over quickly.¡± Park Jin Hyuk handed out abel sticker. Ian put the phrase ¡®????¡¯3sa.rang.han.da. I love you. first and looked at it. Awy writes different phrases for each snack and lunch box to give to the fans. Those are gifts to prevent fans from leaving in the middle, including signed proids they had to take a lot of. £ÛAnyway you¡¯re iLympic¡¯s veteran, so the writing keepsing out huh?] ¡®Here¡¯s another story that can¡¯t be heard without tears.¡¯ Ianughed self-mockingly. Sitting next to him, Jo Tae Woong looked at him with a ¡®What¡¯s wrong with him?¡¯ gaze. ¡®Diamond¡¯s fans seats were only 30 seats, you know? It was the beginning of our debut, so the members were so motivated and prepared snacks by hand¡­ We also write these things a lot.¡¯ £ÛWow, 30 people. Respect.] ¡®But when we looked at our fans¡¯ seats after a few hours, more than half of the fans disappeared.¡¯ £ÛWhy?] ¡®They¡¯re not our fans.¡¯ Ian quickly filled the notes and turned his wrist gently. Lee Joo Hyuk admired Ian¡¯s explosive speed. ¡®It turned out that Jupiter¡¯s fandom couldn¡¯t find their seats, so they came into the fan seats of other Mangdols¡¯ £ÛHeol. Lost faith in humanity.] ¡®So they took all the meals and went to the fan seat on the other side to see their bias.¡¯ Jupiter was the group that Ian, unfortunately, eliminated from after being pped in the head by that nephew. So ironic. Feeling bitter for nothing, Ian took a sip of water. ¡®Since then, we¡¯ve been traumatized, so we just prepared roughly for the iLympic.¡¯ £ÛDid another fandom crawl in even after that? Didn¡¯t tell them off?] ¡®We didn¡¯t. When my fans said something, they got even angrier? How many Jupiter fans were there? Well-off fans are guiltless, and badly-off fans are guilty4 Ian used a word y here. Tho, it¡¯s not that obvious because no simr words can be used in English. .¡¯ Ian remembered the forgotten dream-like memories when Awy confirmed their appearance in iLympic. He didn¡¯t want to go through that nightmare again. ¡°I think I¡¯ll have to write whenever there¡¯s time between schedules. It¡¯s killing me to do it all at once.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be better to take Proid photos one by one. It looks insincere if you take a lot of photos with simr styling.¡± Of course, those were jokes since they¡¯re about to be dragged again for Chuseok iLympic. There¡¯s no way Awy won¡¯t go out when even top-tier idols are also being dragged in. ¡°But then, it¡¯ll be nice if we get more than 100 seats next time.¡± When Ian spoke nkly, the other members shouted ¡®of course¡¯ here and there. Ianughed. ¡°But if it¡¯s 80 seats for the first time, it¡¯s a lot, right?¡± ¡°I think so? I heard that the teams that debuted around the same time received around 30 to 50 seats.¡± ¡°I guess our fandom has gotten bigger.¡± Kim Ju Young was grumpy at Jo Tae Woong¡¯s ensuing words. ¡°We¡¯ve even got followed by a sasaeng taxi.¡± ¡°Should we be happy with it? Idiot.¡± After that, the members¡¯ mouths moved nonstop. There was nothing to refer to and there was no phone, so the time seemed to pass quickly if they talked to each other. ¡°But, won¡¯t they just leave after getting this?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s like that, there¡¯s nothing to say. If I sit down all day on the narrow seats, I¡¯ll probably go out in the middle.¡± ¡°Still, I heard that nowadays fans who couldn¡¯t get the fan seat are waiting outside in case there¡¯s an empty seat.¡± ¡°We also have fans like that, right?¡± Ian assimted into the noisy atmosphere and chatted together.
Chapter 30 Chapter 30 Idol Olympics. (1)Grade B Trantion: Manually edited MTL. Tranted and interpreted as best as I can. Mixed with some Korean terms. Misinterpretation may ur due to limitedprehensive ability. Awkward English, bad grammar, and typos may often ur as Trantor is not fluent in English and not edited by Editor nor proofed by Proofreader. ¡°But purple doesn¡¯t fit me well. I have a warm tone.¡± Kim Hyun ripped off his clothe¡¯s stic packaging. All idols participating in iLympics had to wear the training clothes prepared by a sponsor. ¡°How does Hyung know that?¡± ¡°The make-up Chief let me know.¡± Each of the members wearing a tracksuit yawned. The way to work to iLympics is also scheduled to be broadcast live this time. They eveny out the red carpet and reporters take pictures on the way to work. ¡°The Chief is a real jackpot. Is this the so-called effortless look1???(kku.an.kku) an abbreviation of ?? ? ????. Like dressed up but like not dressed up. It means someone looks dressed up yet didn¡¯t put too much effort into it. ?¡± Because of that, they stopped by the shop to get their hair and simple makeup done before leaving. Kim Joo Young admired his face reflected in the window. ¡°What are Hyungs2Hyung in plural form. Hyung-deul is too much for me but¡­ Please, understand my struggle. participate in?¡± Park Seo Dam was to be ced as a field MC even for a short time. ¡°I¡¯m 60m.¡± ¡°If Ian runs, it¡¯s game over.¡± ¡°He won a medal already.¡± When Ian answered, Jo Tae Woong and Kim Ju Young added reactions. Park Jin Hyuk said seriously. ¡°Isn¡¯t it unfair to send an athlete out?¡± ¡°Even if I was an athlete, I couldn¡¯t even y a few games.¡± His position was a running back. However, how much an Asian yer would have yed in American Football? Still, since an athlete was an athlete, he participated while thinking about challenging for the medal while he was at it. ¡°Tae Woong, Ju Young, and Hyun are archery, right?¡± ¡°And there¡¯s a group ry too.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go for medal!¡± Unheard-of idols barely go out for a single event. At least, Awy participates in 3 events. It seems they are certainly a rising group. Manager Park Dong Soo smiled in vain at the conversations of the motivated members. So was ck Rush and probably all idols would hate it horribly if they got a schedule for iLympics. ¡®Are we really not going out?¡¯ ¡®Uh, Awy is going out instead of you.¡¯ ck Rush finally does not go to iLympics using Awy as a shield. It was the agency¡¯s strategy to save its image appropriately by putting out only a group from the agency. Without even knowing such an inside story, Awy was very motivated. ¡°We¡¯ll record all day long, so it¡¯s good to win a medal. Evening out on the broadcast.¡± Well, it¡¯s their first appearance so it¡¯s reasonable to be full of energy. Park Dong Soo turned the steering wheel. Awy¡¯s droopy look from their next appearance was drawn vividly in his mind. ¡°You¡¯ll have to work hard today. But if you see something that can injure you, just lie down. Don¡¯t do anything.¡± There were quite a lot of idols injured when appearing on iLympics. Some even stopped working on their albums due to injuries even though theeback schedules were just around the corner. The van carrying Awy passed Daehwa Station and arrived at Goyang Gymnasium. When the car stopped and the members got off, shutter sounds were heard from the surrounding. They were proxy photographers3When a Homma can¡¯t attend an event or other reasons, they hire a proxy photographer to shoot their bias photos. and Hommas who gathered to take pictures of the way to work. Ian waved his hand, looking around at the markings seen in front of him one by one. Another group was already standing in front of the prepared red carpet. The group that will follow was also next to the red carpet waiting for their turn. ¡°Hello. We¡¯re from Awy.¡± ¡°Hello¡­¡± The group that Lee Joo Hyuk greeted replied, but did not introduce their group. Tucking their hair to the back of the ear hesitantly, those are movements as if embarrassed of something. ¡°Okay! The girl group that follows is¡­ ¡®Mul Bang Gae¡¯!¡± £ÛWhoa, Mul Bang Gae4Diving beetle. Yeah, it¡¯s a bug name.. It¡¯s been a while. Their group¡¯s name still sucks.] And those gestures made sense as soon as they went out on the red carpet. £ÛThe name over there is unusual, that I even still remember. Their boss¡¯s nickname was mul bang gae so that¡¯s how the group was named.] ¡®Isn¡¯t that too insincere? So damned mean.¡¯ Mul Bang Gae, who went out to the red carpet at MC¡¯s call, resolutely shouted their group¡¯s slogan since it was still in front of the camera. After a short photo session, they left without an interview. ¡°Yeah, the trending boy group these days, enters Awy!¡± Ian and the members stood in the center of the red carpet and shouted group greetings. ¡°Stand closely, please.¡± They stuck close to each other and posed at the reporter¡¯s request. The red carpet host handed over the mic and asked. ¡°Today is your first time participating, so is there any resolution?¡± ¡°We are going to bring at least one gold medal today.¡± Jo Tae Woong, who had received the mic, replied in historical-drama tone with a resolute expression. At that moment, all the members who were situational drama lovers stared at the camera with serious expressions. At the sight of it, the host smiled and continued the question. ¡°If Awy wins a medal and could get something from thepany or president, what would you ask for?¡± ¡°We¡¯re making aeback in March, and that¡¯s why we¡¯re on a diet. We want to eat chicken after a long time.¡± Park Dong Soo, who had just parked the car and entered through another door, was spying on Awy¡¯s interview site just in time. Well¡­ Won¡¯t ck Rush be the one who buys them chicken? They happily went wild after hearing they¡¯re not going out whether they hate participating in iLympics that much. Even hanwoo5Korean beef. That premium type of beef. is possible if they say it well. As Park Dong Soo thought so, his eyes met Ian, who was staring at him at some point. It was said that he was good at finding people like a ghost, and it¡¯s true. Park Dong Soo got goosebumps for nothing. Only Ian knows the truth that it¡¯s an actual ghost who told him. * * * When they entered the stadium, the idols who came first and were on standby were each looking for their fans¡¯ seats or talking to the staff. Of course, Awy were also looking for their fans¡¯ seats, but Ian was able to find their fans even without the help of Jin¡¯s markings. A banner, written in a concise cursive font on a white background, was hung on the railing. The quickest way to get to know the news of an idol¡¯s participation in the iLympics was at the official caf¨¦. When a notice is posted on the official caf¨¦ about the support banner for iLympics, fans will make a draft and send it through email to the person in charge. Then thepany produces the banner with the final decided draft. -Mydol iLympics banner notice is out???? -Are the banner notice all out now? -If it didn¡¯te out now, my babes wouldn¡¯t being out, right? Therefore the moment a banner notice is posted, whether it is their bias group or another group, it is ryed on social media and othermunities. ¡°Shall we go up there for a while?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Ian pointed to the fan seats. Seats are emptied in the front and filled in from the middle section. As Ian and the members approached the audience seats, the fans¡¯ cheers grew even bigger. ¡°Hello.¡± Awy leaned back on the railing where the banner was hung and greeted the fans. Fans didn¡¯t forget to take out their phones and film them even as they screamed. Almost all of them were showing their phones instead of their faces. ¡°Can you move your head to the side in that position? We want to see your faces, not your phones.¡± Some fans swallowed their breath. In the meantime, everyone turned their heads to the side as if it had been delivered all the way to the back. Some also lowered their phones down. As Ian tried to remember everyone¡¯s faces with exaggerated nods,ughter erupted from the front. Ian ignored the blue marks given by Jin. It¡¯s not good to recognize people whoe often too well. ording to Jin, when the singer and frequent fans be old-timers6???. go.in.mul. Literally means stagnant water. A ng term usually used in the gamemunity refers to those who y the same game so much for a long time that they be experts. , there are cases where the first timer who sees it will get hit by reality and decide to unstan. Whatever it was, the appropriate line was important. ¡°Guys, don¡¯t get hurt!¡± A voice instigator raised her voice from the back seat. All the membersughed at the clear high-pitched voice. Since a personalment brought luck, a few words were thrown from all over the ce such as ¡®it¡¯s okay not trying hard¡¯ or ¡®just lie down and sleep¡¯. Later on, anything they were saying couldn¡¯t even be understood. ¡°We will work hard. Breakfast wille outter, so make sure to eat.¡± Said Park Seo Dam from the side. After all, it is a virtue for Koreans to take care of meals. When Ian turned around and looked towards the stadium, the singers were gathering in the center. Lee Joo Hyuk went down first, saying that they should go. ¡°We¡¯lle backter.¡± Other members also turned their backs one by one. Ian waved his hand to the fan seats and went downst. The fans were stunned looking at his back and chatted with the people on either side. ¡°What to do. So sweet, crazy¡­¡± ¡°Actually, I wanted them to wear white. But isn¡¯t purple nice too?¡± ¡°Because the kids¡¯ fit is all good.¡± Those at the front were typing fast on their phones. -(Video)As soon as the kids entered, they came to our sideee??????? Saying they want to see our face and asked us to put our heads to the side, crazy damned handsome damned sweet???? As soon as the fans posted the story, the likes and retweets quickly went up. The singers gathered to find those who wear the same color training suit as instructed by the staff. When a magnificent sound ended, the voice of the moderator on the ry seat rang out at the stadium. ¡°Idol Olympics 2018 Lunar New Year¡¯s Day Special! It¡¯s starting now.¡± The opening ceremony is not held at the beginning, and the game starts right away. The first was a 60m run. The men¡¯s and women¡¯s qualifiers and finals will be held. The waiting time was long because it was conducted after each group¡¯s short interview. £ÛThey¡¯re looking at you.] Ian felt the prickly gazes around him. They couldn¡¯t stare openly because fans were watching, so they¡¯re pretending to be looking to the side or looking to the back and made eye contact. Jo Tae Woong who noticed the gazes patted Ian¡¯s shoulder from the back. ¡°Hiyeol~ Popr guy.¡± ¡°Be quiet.¡± Kim Hyun, who was sitting in the front, turned around and looked at Ian. ¡°Manager hyung asked me to watch over you well.¡± ¡°Yes? Why is it?¡± He leaned close to Ian and whispered as if he was conducting an espionage operation. Seeing the corners of his lips twitching, is it warming up for a situation drama again? ¡°Comrade Ian, didn¡¯t you have to be careful in ces where men and women gather in groups like this?¡±7He used a North Korean tone here. ¡°But, it¡¯s not just me that has to be careful, aren¡¯t Comrades supposed to be careful too?¡±8Ian also uses a North Korean tone here. ¡°Comrade Dong Soo has ordered us that Comrade Ian be under special surveince.¡± Jo Tae Woong joined forces in the situation drama and everyone giggled at each other, then Lee Joo Hyuk asked ¡°How many times have you been reported as a spy?¡± to Park Jin Hyuk. What unexpected things would happen if young men and women of simr ages gathered in groups. It¡¯s socializing, exchanging contacts, and dating. Even without phones because they couldn¡¯t get first in the music shows, don¡¯t they contact each other through acquaintances? As he had received a note before, the focus of the manager and members was Ian. But on the contrary, Ian decided to keep an eye on the members. ¡®There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll be in a rtionship.¡¯ In the past, there were not just one or two celebrities who had been rebuked from all directions and declined in poprity. The decline is just not that obvious in Lure and Lovely Day¡¯s case revealed by FactFix since they have strong fandoms already built. But if you looked a little deeper, there was an uproar as fans told them to leave the group from hashtags events to fax mails flood. It¡¯s been less than a year since he made his debut, but if it¡¯s revealed that he¡¯s in a rtionship? Just imagining it was terrible. Just in time, the first qualifying group finished the interview and started the game. The first-ce record was 7.79 seconds. ¡°Ian-ah, medal is possible right?¡± ¡°Well¡­ It¡¯s been a long time since I worked out¡­ I¡¯m not sure. It¡¯s not even a grass court.¡± Ian uttered unconfident words with his mouth, but he was not confident to lose inwardly. £ÛIt¡¯d be better not to win a medal, tho¡­] ¡®Why? Still, isn¡¯t it good toe out in the broadcast?¡¯ £ÛIf you won a medal, isn¡¯t it possible for sport variety shows to cast you? Such as that military variety show.] Ian, who got up for the qualifier round, paused. If it¡¯s the demon-like broadcasting station bastards, isn¡¯t it reasonable? ¡®No way¡­ Does that program still exist? Isn¡¯t it abolished?¡¯ £ÛIt got season 2.] ¡®My gosh.¡¯ Ian stroked his arms for nothing at the chilly feeling. Military service even on a variety show! People from the same qualifying group were walking up the track, each looking for their positions. Ian got out of his thoughts and bent his knees to stretch simply. He answered, ¡°I will just work hard.¡± in the interview. These qualifier interviews will be edited and won¡¯t be broadcast anyway. ¡°Ready!¡± When a staff member signaled, the people who participated in the qualifier round took a pose. And then bang! As soon as the sound of the starting gun was heard, Ian rushed forward as if he was the one being fired.
Chapter 31 Chapter 31 Idol Olympics. (2)Grade B Trantion: Manually edited MTL. Tranted and interpreted as best as I can. Mixed with some Korean terms. Misinterpretation may ur due to limitedprehensive ability. Awkward English, bad grammar, and typos may often ur as Trantor is not fluent in English and not edited by Editor nor proofed by Proofreader. ¡°Uuh¡­ yer Ian on the secondne, he is fast! So fast!¡± ¡°He went overwhelmingly and¡­ He won first ce!¡± Ian ran without anyone on either side, crossed the finish line, and scanned the singer¡¯s seat leisurely. Burly men in purple were screaming while jumping around. The final is not held immediately after the preliminary round. The women¡¯s preliminaries are held first and then continued with the finals. Ian waved to the fan seat then went to the singer¡¯s seat and sat down. ¡°Bro.¡± ¡°As expected, you tore up iLympics.¡± MyKit was already sitting near Awy at one point and sticking out his fist at Ian. Ian put his fist on Kim Cheol Min¡¯s fist. ¡°Hey, the color of your and our clothes seriously doesn¡¯t match.¡± Said Ian. MyKit was dressed in a bright green color close to light green. It looked even more contrasting when men inplementary colors sat next to each other. ¡°What the?¡± When a small cheer came out from where the instant rey was being yed, all the singers looked over there. Soon the iILympics host picked up the mic. ¡°A new record from yer Ian of Awy! It is 7.31 seconds!¡± The record appeared on the electronic disy, and ¡®kyaaak¡¯ screaming sound came from the fan seat of Awydom. Ian smirked at the camera pointing at him. ¡°Wow, awesome.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that enough for a gold medal?¡± Awy and MyKit made a fuss. Ian sat down and picked up the water bottle. The singers of men¡¯s qualifying group 4 were positioning themselves on the track. When the members of Pluto from a big agency and P.I¡¯s beneficiary I-One came out, the cheers from the fan seat were on different levels. ¡°I-One? They¡¯re here too?¡± ¡°Eng, really?¡± Said Park Jin Hyuk and Kim Hyun. They cared so much about I-One before debuting, but now they even btedly realize that they are on the same scene. ¡®Kim Young Jun must be here too then.¡¯ £ÛUh. He¡¯s been looking at you guys since before, you know?] ¡®Really? Where is he?¡¯ £ÛYour left diagonally behind.] There were so many eyes that he didn¡¯t notice. Ian pretended to look back and nced sideways at the ce Jin said. Kim Young Jun bowed his head in surprise. ¡®What¡¯s wrong with him?¡¯ Ian swallowed the water and looked forward again. There was a time when he resented and hated Kim Young Jun for nothing, perhaps due to the influence when he was Kim Yong Min. But now he didn¡¯t really care whatever Kim Young Jun did. ? ?***? ? Kim Young Jun joined BHL Entertainment after going around many agencies. He was also close to the trainees who would debut in the final debut group. He had a gullible temperament from a long time ago, and rumors circted that ¡®Project Idol¡¯ would beunched when the debut was just around the corner. Kim Young Jun thought that the male version would also be sessful since the female version of the previous P.I achieved good results. ¡®CEO Lee, what do you think about us going out on an audition program?¡¯ ¡®Project Idol? How did you know the news ande to me.¡¯ CEO Lee Byung Hun was skeptical. ¡®We¡¯re not going out there.¡¯ ¡®Why is it, sir?¡¯ ¡®The n has already been decided, but it¡¯s a loss if you go out there. The fandom also will be divided.¡¯ Does it matter if the fandom is divided as long as the poprity gets better? There won¡¯t be any problem if we debut in P.I and join an existing groupter, isn¡¯t it? Kim Young Jun hold his doubts and blew winds at the other trainees. ¡®Project Idol?¡¯ However, the trainees¡¯ reactions were also not good. ¡®Well, didn¡¯t CEO Lee say we¡¯re not going out?¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t think it¡¯s good either.¡¯ It was the answer of Lee Joo Hyuk and Kim Hyun. Kim Young Jun began to be hostile towards the trainees from then on. Are you not going to do it since CEO Lee said no? Don¡¯t have the spirit of challenge? ¡®This is MJ Ent. Am I speaking with Kim Young Jun ssi?¡¯ And just in time, another agency contacted Kim Young Jun. With an expression of wanting to be with him. Arge agency! Since then, Kim Young Jun did not participate in the practice properly because of false hope. ¡®I got an offer from that MJ Ent.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t be guaranteed a debut even if he moved there. However, Kim Young Jun was full of confidence. Eventually, he hid behind his mother, left BHL Ent, and joined MJ Ent. However, when he entered MJ Ent, there were many talented trainees as expected of arge agency. After receiving a low score in the first evaluation after joining thepany, Kim Young Jun threw a bid because he thought this would not work. ¡®Project Idol? Do you really need to go out there?¡¯ MJ Ent¡¯s staff also stopped him from participating in P.I, but he challenged P.I in the end. When P.I threw the first pitch at Gocheok Dome, the reaction was not good saying that he had no skills. But almost everyone he met started to talk about P.I as the ratings of the program gradually rise. ¡®Lastly! The trainee who will debut is¡­! MJ Ent Kim Young Jun!¡¯ And he made his debut with I-One in 11th ce. Family members and acquaintances constantly contacted to congratte him. The agency employee who dissuaded him changed his attitude and said that it was good that he went out to P.I. People recognize him even after walking a short distance. There are so many ovepping advertisements that he had to choose a good ce to enter, and the album sales were high enough to be mentioned as the top three male idols. Kim Young Jun thought. That his choice was not wrong. ¡®Kim Ju Young is not calling. Must be jealous, right?¡¯ ¡®Just B Square? We were in Gocheok.¡¯ Those who taste sess too quickly are divided into two categories. Be humbler or eaten by conceit and be arrogant. Kim Young Jun was thetter. I-One was unable to attend in Station K where Kim Hee Sang and all other cast members met due to overseas schedules, and Awy went to Imjingak in Station M. Idol Olympics was the first ce to finally meet Awy. ¡®Look carefully. How famous I¡¯ve be.¡¯ When entering the stadium, the first thing Kim Young Jun looked for was Awy. He wanted to show the losers, ¡®So why didn¡¯t you listen to me. I seeded like this¡¯. However, Awy did not notice at all that I-One hade and that Kim Young Jun was in the same space. Kim Young Jun stared nkly at Awyughing and ying with another group. ¡®It looks fun.¡¯ I-One is a group with a set deadline. So, the members also tended to get together with the same agency. Kim Young Jun was alone. It is unclear whether he will join the next group of MJ Ent after I-One is over. ¡®I think I wanted something like that¡­¡¯ Awy members taking care of Park Seo Dam who will be going out for an interview. Their expressions were full of smiles without any worries. Kim Young Jun suddenly felt that his appearance was shabby. ? ***? ? In the women¡¯s preliminary round, Park Seo Dam wille out as an on-site MC. ¡°Our Seo Dam, don¡¯t be scared in front of celebrities.¡± ¡°Hyung, we are celebrities too.¡± Jo Tae Woong patted Park Seo Dam on the shoulder. ¡°Yeah, Seo Dam. We also have pride.¡± ¡°Hyung, please go back to MyKit.¡± ¡°Ah why. Let¡¯sbine and do AwyKit.¡± Kim Cheol Min tagged along. Even saying so, Park Seo Dam who answered straight seemed not to be very nervous since the seven members of Awy were always full of smiles when they were nervous. Rather, members other than Park Seo Dam were smiling andughing as if they were more nervous. ¡°Hello.¡± When Park Seo Dam was interviewing female idols, people who had yed mafia together gathered nearby. Even new faces also gathered, perhaps hearing the rumor of a game hotspot from somewhere. They greeted each other and even asked what game they were going to y today. ¡°I think the bottleneck phenomenon only happened here.¡± ¡°Oh~ Advanced vocabry.¡± Returning from the interview, Park Seo Dam sat next to Ian. As he stares hard at Ian after that, he also must have received a special order from Park Dong Soo. ¡°Next, there will be the men¡¯s 60m final!¡± ¡°Do well.¡± ¡°At least a gold medal for us.¡± ¡°If youe back empty-handed, there¡¯ll be no ce for you.¡± £ÛEigh, that damnedpetitive spirit.] Ian put down the water he was drinking and said. ¡°I¡¯ll be back before this water cools down.¡± As Ian nodded solemnly, the other members also nodded. One of the idols who gathered asked ¡°Are these guys a bit¡­ loony1 ??? do.reun.ja. A ng to call someone out of their mind. ?¡± to a member of the same group. Standing at the starting line, Ian gently turned his ankles. There was an interview before starting out, and it was an acquaintance of Ian. ¡°Alright! Men¡¯s 60m final! In charge of the interview is Luna Girls Jooyeon!¡± Kim Joo Yeon, who received a nket at Imjingak, smiled shyly when she came to Ian after finishing interviews with other idols one after another. ¡°Awy¡¯s Choi Ian ssi, please tell us your resolution.¡± ¡°Firstly, our members said they¡¯ll get rid of my ce if I do not win a gold medal at least. So, I will run hard to keep my ce.¡± ¡°So, it is a gold medal at least.¡± Kim Joo Yeon giggled. ¡®It¡¯s also like that at fan signings. Why smile so hard when I didn¡¯t say much?¡¯ £ÛIt¡¯s thew that handsome people areedians just by looking at them.] Besides, it was even more so because Ian has a habit of looking into the other person¡¯s eyes when talking. After a short interview, Ian bent his knees at the starting line. With the shout of ¡®Ready!¡¯, the one next to him tried to rush off but then took a stance again. As the sound of the starting gun was heard, Ian ran. ¡°Excuse me¡­¡± On the other hand in the singer¡¯s seat, only Awy¡¯s side was crowded with people. I-One also approached there out of curiosity, and of course, Kim Young Jun was there too. It was when he tried to talk to Lee Joo Hyuk. ¡°Wow, look at Choi Ian running alone.¡± Jo Tae Woong blocked in between and cheered for Ian. The results were no different from the preliminary round. Ian crossed the finish line and crashed himself against the cushion wall since he couldn¡¯t win over his speed. Men in purple-greenplementary colors screamed ¡®Woaaah!¡¯ and jumped around. ¡°Crazy, 6 seconds?¡± ¡°Choi-sain Bolt! Choi-sain Bolt!¡± Then everyone opened their mouths to the record on the electronic disy. It was a new record of 6.89 seconds. ¡°Wait, won¡¯t he be able to reduce the record even more if the board was set properly?¡± ¡°Eii~ That¡¯s too far.¡± Awy members booed at the words of MyKit Park Se On, but they had the thought of ¡®maybe?¡¯ in their hearts. Even after winning the first prize, Ian prayed to an unknown being whether it was a god or reborn luck. ¡®Absolutely not just sports variety shows please.¡¯ £ÛSports variety shows have high ratings, don¡¯t like them? Then how about military variety shows?] ¡®No!¡¯ Jin giggled as if he had be the magical sorting hat. ? ***? ? After the women¡¯s final was also over, medals were awarded right away. All the hosts came out and conducted a short interview. Ian stood with his hands behind his back with a gold medal around his neck. ¡°Next, the men¡¯s 60m gold medal, Choi Ian ssi!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°How do you feel about the gold medal?¡± ¡°I said in the interview earlier that I will be working hard to keep my ce, so I am happy to keep my ce.¡± The camera happened to shoot the singer¡¯s seat where Awy was sitting. The members stood in groups of three on two sides, pointing to an empty seat. At the appearance of waving their wrist while full of smiles, Ianughed haha. ¡°iLympics new record! It¡¯s 6.89 seconds. How do you feel about this record?¡± ¡°It¡¯s going to be hard to break for a while, right? My heart swells at the thought ofing out as data footage even at the next iLympics.¡± ¡°Your heart swells?¡± The hostughed haha. £ÛThere¡¯s no that meme2??? ?????. ¡®My heart became magnificent¡¯. This is one of the memes derived from one big source, a very poorly written Naruto anime review post circted in DC Inside. This one is used when you¡¯re so impressed, especially when something impossible happens. This meme is pretty catchy since the word ?? ¡®magnificent¡¯ is rarely used and not quite right in this kind of context. yet currently, you know?] ¡®Is that so? Well, I¡¯ll own and use it then.¡¯ ¡°What a realistic answer!¡± The host tapped Ian on the shoulder as if he liked it.
Chapter 32 Chapter 32 Idol Olympics. (3)Grade B Trantion: Manually edited MTL. Tranted and interpreted as best as I can. Mixed with some Korean terms. Misinterpretation may ur due to limitedprehensive ability. Awkward English, bad grammar, and typos may often ur as Trantor is not fluent in English and not edited by Editor nor proofed by Proofreader. ¡°I¡¯ve beheaded the gold medal.¡± Ian grabbed the gold medal as if he had cut the enemy general¡¯s head and held it out in front of the members. ¡°The water has cooled already.¡± ¡°Have this drink, Ya Majesty.¡± Ian answered ¡°onya1 ?? o.nya. Okay. A word that responds positively to a question or request from a subordinate. ¡± and drank the water bottle given by Kim Ju Young. Park Seo Dam fanned Ian with his hands. After the sprint events were over, the singers headed to the waiting room to prepare for the opening ceremony. The production crews also needed time to run around busily organizing cameras and props. In the spare time which will take at least 30 minutes or an hour at most, fans picked up their phones and wrote real-time reviews. -Ian passed running qualifiers???? (Pic) (Pic) He came first in qualifiers??? the kids running around excitedly so cute???? ?Are you on the scene? How are the kids? ?I¡¯m also on the scene, but there are other singers around the kids. It seems rumors spread as mafia hotspot ?(Author) Heol 6 secs ?What? -Awy Choi Ian sprint 6 secs lolololol ilympics new record lolololololol ?Crzy ?Damn awesome rly ?He said his heart swells lolololol ah cute lololol ?The kids attending to Ian lolol ? ***? ? At the opening ceremony, people wearing the same color form a team and enter. It has been decided that a rookie group member of each team will be the g bearer for this iLympics. Of course, Awy takes the lead as the g bearer of the purple team. ¡°Who wants to hold the g?¡± ¡°Me me me!¡± ¡°Me!¡± Ian, who had already won a medal, was excluded. Instead, Ian mediated the situation. ¡°Let¡¯s y one round of rock-paper-scissors.¡± The rest of the members put out their fists solemnly. The sound of their rock-paper-scissors rang loudly. At the unique energy of rookies, the idols from the same Purple Teamughed as if wondering why they are sopetitive at something like that. ¡°Yes!¡± The winner of the rock-paper-scissors was Kim Hyun. He grabbed the g with excitement. ¡°Purple Team please enter.¡± The staff called them just in time. The Purple Team followed Kim Hyun into the stadium. As they entered, the fans screamed. They stood in line in the center of the stadium, waving their hands to each fan seat. ¡°Yes, Idol Olympics Lunar New Year Special! We will take the opening oath!¡± A member of I-One and a member of Luna Girls went up to the podium and read the oath. It followed with a warm-up dance time and a celebratory performance, where the iLympics host sang while performing aic dance. All idols cheered, and some others were leaping around as if they were at a club. Ian acted as if he was enjoying it and roughly danced to the rhythm because he would be dead tiredter if he lost his strength already. ¡®Reporters are here, too.¡¯ Instead, Ian stared intently at the red cross mark. ? ?*** ? After the opening ceremony, it was lunchtime because the crew had to set up the aerobics and rhythmic gymnastics events to follow. ¡°Seriously, it¡¯s only been 1 o¡¯clock?¡± ¡°It seems like the recording is a bit dyed, right?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this going to end past midnight?¡± There was a long dy perhaps because something was not working properly. Ian and the members got rid of their lunch boxes as if drinking and came out of the waiting room after a short break. Members who were trying to get sodas from the vending machine looked around. ¡°What¡¯s this sweet atmosphere?¡± Whispered Jo Tae Woong. The atmosphere inside the stadium is gone somewhere. Male and female idols were friendly mixed and chatting while smiling. There were even some people who exuded a suspicious atmosphere. ¡°Hyung, cider for me.¡± ¡°Here you go.¡± When Park Jin Hyuk threw it, Ian caught it with one hand and opened the can. Ian leaned against the wall drinking his cider. It was because of the tant gazes of several people focusing on him. ¡°Shall we go out quickly and babbling around2A ng here. ??? ?? (no.ga.ri kka.da). Spreading pollocks. Meaning talking so much or talking so much nonsense. Thispares the words of someone talk-active to how pollock fish let out so many of their young ones at once. with the fans?¡± Whispered Lee Joo Hyuk. Even in this unexpected happening of being swept away by the pink air current, he strongly wanted to get out. All the members nodded, and the moment they were about to leave the stadium. ¡°There¡­¡± Luna Girls members gathered around Awy. ¡°At that time, at Imjingak¡­¡± ¡°Ah. Hello, Sunbae nim.¡± Awy bowed their bodies and greeted them. Luna Girls waved their hands. ¡°You do not have to be so rigid.¡± ¡°We were so thankful for the nket back then, so we were going to buy you some drinks¡­ But it seems you already have, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Would you like more?¡± Awy smiled awkwardly. They raised their hands, saying it was okay. ¡°We were so thankful at that time. We really want to repay you¡­¡± ¡°We washed the nket, but we didn¡¯t bring it, right?¡± ¡°What should we do?¡± It was a word that implied, ¡®we want to interact with you¡¯. After that, Luna Girls didn¡¯t leave the ce hesitatingly. What should I do with this. After contemting, Ian said. ¡°We just did the obvious thing. Sunbae nims can just use the nkets and throw them away.¡± ¡°Is that so? Ah, then coffee? How about coffee?¡± Luna Girls nced at Ian. Special order! Lee Joo Hyuk put his arm on Ian¡¯s shoulders and brought him closer. ¡°It is really fine. And it is time for us to meet our fans.¡± At Lee Joo Hyuk¡¯s resoluteness, Luna Girls stepped back regretfully. Awy walked fast as if escaping and headed toward the stadium. ¡°Hey, did you see the gazes looking at Ian?¡± ¡°I thought honey was dripping.¡± ¡°Jo Tae Woong, you shouldn¡¯t talk like that. They also looked at you intently.¡± ¡°Really? Hyaa~ Really, my poprity.¡± At Park Jin Hyuk¡¯s words, Jo Tae Woong swept his chin. Even though so frivolous like that, he was one of Awy¡¯s visual Bermuda lines. ? ***? ? ¡°They¡¯re giving us another meal?¡± Kim Eun Ha, who even took a leave of absence from thepany and headed to Ilsan at the news of Awy¡¯s iLympics, asked the fans next to her. ¡°They¡¯ll probably give us snackster, too.¡± ¡°It hasn¡¯t been long since I had breakfast, but it¡¯s already lunch.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not words thate out for nothing that they¡¯re breeding fans.¡± When Kim Eun Ha looked at the lid of her lunch box as she turned over the bossam lunch box to the side, she noticed a memo handwritten by the members. £ÛEat a lot and cheer up, dear Awydom!] Kim Eun Ha got a message from Park Seo Dam. She was disappointed that it was not her bias, but she cherished it because the handwriting was cute. ¡°Omo.¡± ¡°Why are you like that?¡± The fan next to Kim Eun Ha covered her mouth with her hands. She silently showed her memo to Kim Eun Ha. Densely written words in ck. ¡°Wow¡­ What kind of letter is that?¡± ¡°I think it was good that I came here.¡± ¡°Who is it?¡± A few fans looked at the memo at the fuss. The name of the member written at the bottom was Kim Eun Ha¡¯s bias, Choi Ian. ¡°Wow, crazy¡­¡± She truly wanted it, but the person next to her took it. In addition, the carefully written text caught Kim Eun Ha¡¯s attention. ¡°Sell this to me, please.¡± Kim Eun Ha rummaged through her wallet. The fan beside shook her head. ¡°He¡¯s my bias too, so¡­¡± Kim Eun Ha looked desperate, but the fan put the memo in her bag preciously. Kim Eun Ha opened the lid of the lunch box with a sad expression. After only nibbling at the lunch for a few minutes, cheers were heard from among the fans. ¡°What is wrong? Are the kids here?¡± When Kim Eun Ha raised her head, Awy was entering the stadium. She forgot to eat and screamed. ? ***? ? Even after 30 minutes of babbling around with the fans, there was no sign of the next game starting. Ian and the membersy in the corner of the stadium. ¡°Sleepes.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t really sleep, right?¡± ¡°When you sleep, probably you¡¯ll get 500 memes each and those will go around on Bluebird as idols who take naps in iLympics.¡± Said Kim Hyun exaggeratedly. The other members sat up straight even while booing. ¡°Shall we y mafia again?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do it when MyKit kidse.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not very fun with 7 people.¡± It will be convenient to have a handphone like a group across the street during the long waiting time, but there is no handphone. Ian got up after rolling around. ¡°How about that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what that is, but I think I can do that all day long.¡± Kim Ju Young answered Ian¡¯s question. The members stared at Ian as if they had been waiting. Ian felt like he be a recreational instructor.?? ¡°Do you know ¡®nonsense kung kung ta¡¯?¡± ¡°!¡±? ? *** ? Nonsense kung kung ta3 ?? ? ?? ???. It¡¯s a type of word chain game, but you must say a nonsense or a made-up word. Kung kung ta itself is the lyrics(?) sung before the game and said between yers. The word is only three sybles and thest syble bes the first syble for the next yer. is a game where you make up a really nonsensical word and continue it with thest syble. Because the game proceeds with words that do not make sense by mixing strange pronunciations, it was testing Awy¡¯s ad-lib skills just by immediately rushing whenever they caught a simr word. ¡°Dda-olg-kkikk.¡± ¡°Dda-o-gi? Dda-o-gii?¡± ¡°Oh? Dda-o-gi4 ???. Ibis, a type of bird. is right! What¡¯s ibis, is it the name of your secret folder?¡± ¡°Take out Jo Tae Woong!¡± Eaargh! Jo Tae Woong fell down. Park Jin Hyuk and Lee Joo Hyuk put their hands together and took a prayer posture. It was like a fashion show¡¯s final pose. ¡°Lord, we are sending another guy like this.¡± ¡°Wow, but seriously. Rappers have an advantage at this!¡± ¡°What rappers, what¡¯s Choi Ian then.¡± Previously eliminated Kim Ju Young raised Jo Tae Woong¡¯s upper body. ¡°You can¡¯t win him over in logic. Howe an American has a better vocabry than Koreans?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it a ss difference? Intelligence difference?¡± When Ian spoke proudly, Jo Tae Woong put a headlock on Ian. ¡°Hey! Fans are watching! Take care of fans¡¯ hearts! The fans¡¯ hearts are plummeting!¡± ¡°I bet the fans who see us will think we¡¯re close, though?¡± Jo Tae Woongughed small and scattered Ian¡¯s set hair. Ian forcibly loosened Jo Tae Woong¡¯s arm and ran towards him, who started running away. Other idols were slowly entering the stadium. MyKit was looking around and approached Awy. ¡°We¡¯re looking for you guys, but are you already out?¡± ¡°What are you doing?¡± When they answered they were ying nonsense kung kung tta, MyKit sat next to them excitedly. Ian, who finally dragged Jo Tae Woong and fed him headlock in reverse, sat down. £ÛThis looks like d¨¦j¨¤ vu.] ¡®I know right.¡¯ £ÛIf it¡¯s like this, won¡¯t all the singers flock here?] ¡®No way.¡¯5 ??. Seol.ma. Usually tranted as ¡®no way¡¯, this actually has a quite neutral tone. In the good sense, this word can be filled with hopeful wishes or expectations of somethinging. In the bad sense, this word can be filled with worry or skepticism of somethinging as in this case. So, this word is often used as a g. ? * * * ? And the ¡®no way¡¯ became reality. Other idols gathered one by one and participated in the game, and there were also many people watching even if they did not y the game. The female idols were unable to get close because of the fans¡¯ eyes and were watching from afar. ¡°Jjeon-hwo-gwok.¡± ¡°Hwo-gwo6 ??. Hot pot in Korean. ?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same name as the Chinese restaurant near our dorm!¡± ¡°Out! Out!¡± Awy actively participated in the game but rubbed their eyes because they were tired. ¡°As expected, it¡¯s fun to y it on our own.¡± Whispered Kim Ju Young. As they interacted with many people at once, there were times feeling overwhelmed in the middle. In addition, they had to be more attentive because most of them had never met before and had to be polite to some extent. ¡°Dunno how far to joke, right?¡± ¡°But didn¡¯t you do well with us?¡± ¡°It seems ¡®cuz you guys are strangely simr to us.¡± Awy and MyKit fell back as they gradually reduced the number of participating members. ¡°Wanna y mafia?¡± ¡°Good. Let¡¯s make a bet this time.¡± ¡°The next game is going to start soon!¡± Shouted a staff member. ?? ¡°It seems we¡¯ll have to do it next time.¡± They walked towards their own color team. The next games were aerobics and rhythmic gymnastics, but Awy did not participate. Even so, they had to keep their seats and watch the game, but should never get bored or yawn. There were reporters too and no one knows when they¡¯ll be caught on camera. Ian passed the time watching the participating idols¡¯ games and also did something else with Jin¡¯s help. ¡®How are the fans?¡¯ £ÛComing out in middle? Not much. About five people? But the fans outside came in and filled it up again.] ¡®Oh yeah?¡¯ Ian looked at the fan seat and waved. Fans who were watching with telescopes responded with cheers. £ÛNo fan went to other fan seats like you suffer.] ¡®I see¡­¡¯ Ian sighed with relief. The trauma of Kim Yong Min¡¯s timested longer than he thought. The sense of defeat and loss that he tasted for the first time. He was also young back then, so it felt even more emotional. Looking at the red cross and yellow triangle marks that did not disappear, Ian seemed to be able to put down a load of bad memories of Kim Yong Min¡¯s time.
Chapter 33 Chapter 33 Idol Olympics. (4)Grade B Trantion: Manually edited MTL. Tranted and interpreted as best as I can. Mixed with some Korean terms. Misinterpretation may ur due to limitedprehensive ability. Awkward English, bad grammar, and typos may often ur as Trantor is not fluent in English and not edited by Editor nor proofed by Proofreader. ¡°Wow, I should have chosen archery, too. Aren¡¯t the gears sick?¡± Muttered Ian. Awy members who came out for archery wore ck chest guards with tight ck sportswear. Holding ck bows in that state, they dressed in something that woulde out in a game. ¡°Hiyeol~ So stylish. Only the top.¡± ¡°Hyung, let¡¯s pretend we didn¡¯t see the bottom.¡± Ian replied to Park Jin Hyuk¡¯s words. It was pretty cool on the top, but they were still wearing the fluorescent purple tracksuit on the bottom. It can be said that the most popr sport of iLympics is archery. Because it is a static sport where the camera scans the entire body and zooms in on the face. So many groups changed their clothes to cosy, but Awy couldn¡¯t prepare it because they were busy preparing for ¡®With the Legend¡¯. ¡°How were their grades when they practiced before?¡± Due to the preparation for the one-act drama, Ian decided to only participate in running and did not participate at all during the practice to select archery participants. ¡°Those Hyungs all scored 10 points. Wow, I thought they were pro archers.¡± ¡°Wow, somehow all of them said so confidently to just trust themselves.¡± Park Seo Dam¡¯s answer raised expectations for no reason. Just in time, the order of the previous team was over and Awy¡¯s order came. Kim Hyun made his first start. He stared at the target with serious eyes. He draws the bowstring and strikes a pose. Kim Hyun¡¯s face was filled on the disy. ¡°Uh?¡± Kim Hyun¡¯s arrow hit the blue part of the target. For reference, the distance of the target of iLympics is about 20 m. Six points that could be hit by Ian even with closed eyes came from Kim Hyun, who was properly positioned. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say they¡¯re good?¡± ¡°Heh? Hyungs really did a great job before.¡± ¡°Then, is his condition bad?¡± Kim Hyun fired his second arrow. 7 points. It should be a total of 4 shots, but the opponent has already scored 8 and 9 points in a row. ¡°Hyun must have been nervous. The other kids will do well, right.¡± Said Park Jin Hyuk. However, it didn¡¯t go as he said. The following Jo Tae Woong scored 7 points. It was starting to feel uneasy. Next, Kim Ju Young also scored 7 points. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s doomed.¡± At Lee Joo Hyuk¡¯s words, the four people who did not participate crossed their arms and crossed one leg. They are getting ready to berate. * * * ¡°Awy is eliminated from the qualifying round.¡± ¡°All of them are friends with good physiques, so I thought they would easily pass the qualifying round.¡± ¡°I heard that 10 points came out in practice¡­ They must have been nervous!¡± The host pretended to be regretful and turned the topic to the winning team. The three greeted the opposing team and trudged toward the members. All four who did not participate were seated while holding their pose. The three people who were walking naturally fell to their knees. ¡°Please give us your mercy!¡±1???? ?????. Please be understanding. This is in a historical tone. Usually said by the courtiers to the king when they make a mistake(?) or try to stop the king when he makes a bad decision. The camera focused on Awy who automatically entered a situational drama. Lee Joo Hyuk got up without a word and moved to a ce where the singers were waiting. The chair had to be used by the next qualifying team. Starting with that, Park Jin Hyuk, Park Seo Dam, and Ian followed Lee Joo Hyuk as if they were his attending secretaries. ¡°Please give us your mercy!¡± When the remaining three followed them on their knees and took three steps in unison, the four members burst outughing and raised them. The singers and fans who were watching Awy immersed in the situational drama let out smallughter. When archery is being held, all idols, except for the teams ying the match, form their groups and don¡¯t pay attention to the match. ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell us to trust you. Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯ll be like Jumong.¡± ¡°It must be Jumeong, not Jumong.¡±2??. Jumong. He is a figure in Korean folklore associated with archery. Jumeong is a y on the name with ? meong means nk or spaces out as in spacing out. As the other teams stretched out, Awy also stretched out the same way. They passed their time by teasing the archer trio. ¡°Ah, I am sorry.¡± Ian also jumped into the atmosphere and chatted with the members, when he slightly bumped into the person behind him. ¡°It is all right.¡± The person who received the apology had an awkward pronunciation. Top Five¡¯s Chen Xinhui3???. Chun Shin Hwi (Hangul). Some Chinese names can be very simr to Korean names when turned into Hangul. But since the surname and the characters used by Chinese for names are more varied than Korean, it¡¯s bound to stand out from the usual Korean name. , by the look of the name it seems he¡¯s Chinese. £ÛUh?] Confirming his name, Jin suddenly pointed his lens toward Chen Xinhui¡¯s face. ¡®What, why¡¯s it?¡¯ £ÛAny thoughts of being friends with him?] ¡®That¡¯s really out of the blue, what¡¯s the reason?¡¯ Wanting to hear what he was saying, Ian fell out of chatting with the members. £ÛI think you can ride a Chinese coin.] ¡®Ah, that inversion, seriously¡­ Give me a subject.¡¯ £ÛAround the end of this year, theirpany went bankrupt and Top Five disbanded. Chen Xinhui will go back and be active in his country, you know?] ¡®Oh yeah?¡¯ A rare Chinese person who is not a dulgi. Jin snapped the shutter a few times and continued. £ÛIt¡¯s the time when BL dramas were in full swing there, so Chen Xinhui also shot a BL drama and entered the ranks of top actors with the rising poprity.] ¡®What? BL drama?¡¯ £ÛAh, slip of the tongue. A drama based on a BL novel.]4Many readers pointed out that Chen Xinhui is based on Wang Yibo. Since he got his big breakthrough with a drama based on a BL novel. ¡®The Untamed¡¯ was released just a year before this novel was written, so it was quite a relevant topic back then. Is that BL what I think it is? Ian tilted his head. Jin continued to exin whether he had noticed the question. £ÛThe first drama produced based on a BL original went hit and after that, those sprang up everywhere like mushrooms after rain.] ¡®It¡¯s China tho? In thatmunist country?¡¯ £ÛOf course, it¡¯s adapted and produced into a passionate friendship.] ¡®Still, the original is BL. Can it be aired?¡¯ £ÛEven if it can¡¯t be aired on broadcast, it cane out as a web drama. Because that ce has hundreds of millions of views as basic.] Isn¡¯t he more capitalistic than anyone else? Ian¡¯s eyes glistened with interest. £ÛAnyway, as Chen Xinhui¡¯s poprity skyrockets, Chinese kids dig up Chen Xinhui¡¯s past like miners, and in the process, Top Five members also gain poprity. Even other Korean celebrities that he¡¯s close to.] ¡®Just how much he seeded it went that far¡­¡¯ £ÛHe¡¯ll sessfully advance to Hollywoodter on, so he¡¯s a very usefulwork to know.] That makes sense. Ian stretched out and pondered what game he would y to attract Top Five at dinner time. * * * When Awy came out to the hallway after dinner, there was a subtle atmosphere like lunchtime. They came out to the stadium early to avoid the atmosphere, gave a lot of fanservice at the fan seat, and then went back down to the stadium. ¡°When MyKit kidse?¡± ¡°They were fooling around with Pinky Lady earlier, though?¡± ¡°What?¡± Lee Joo Hyuk lied down, saying that they were going crazy. ¡°Can they do that already?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s up to them. Will they hear what we say?¡± MyKit¡¯s agency was free-spirited in a good way, and not managed in a bad way. ¡°Woah¡­ It¡¯s not like someone not dating because they don¡¯t want to.¡±5I¡¯m sorry if this is a bit ambiguous. This actually can be shortened as ¡°Who doesn¡¯t want to date?¡± in a cynical tone. Said Lee Joo Hyuk jokingly. At the same time, it seemed to be a mixture of worry and a little envy about MyKit. £ÛHe¡¯s here.] Just in time, Top Five was entering the stadium. ¡°Hyung, shall we y with them then? There¡¯s a lot of time left too.¡± ¡°Shall we?¡± It was fortunate that all the members were extroverts. When Ian approached Top Five and suggested a game, they nodded dly. It turned out that they were one of the groups that participated in nonsense kung kung ta. ¡°Since there is someone from China too¡­ Let¡¯s do something ssic.¡± ¡°What will we do?¡± ¡°First of all, let¡¯s simply go with ¡®Red Light Green Light¡¯.6??? ?? ????? (mu.gung.hwa kkoch.i pi.eot.seum.ni.da). ¡°The Rose of Sharon has bloomed¡±. If you know Squid Game¡­ I think there¡¯s nothing more to exin. ¡° It didn¡¯t take as long to get close as expected. * * * ¡°Ddaeng!¡± ¡°Run!¡± When the tagger Ian ran, everyone scattered away. Fans, who were bored with the long preparation period, watched their game and filmed videos. ¡°I¡¯ll have to cast them again next time.¡± Words that Awy and fans would be horrified to hear came out of iLympics PD¡¯s mouth. ¡°When I searched, it seems that Awy is called game hotspot?¡± ¡°Oh yeah?¡± ¡°If theye out, how about shooting a live broadcast during Chuseok¡¯s break time? If we live stream it on Y-App or something, I think it¡¯ll get some attention.¡± More horrifying words came from the assistant director. The PD nodded. Awy was running around excitedly without even knowing that. * * * As they moved their bodies even after MyKit joined, it was already time for thest game, but it happened to be a 400m ry. ¡°You guys, is your stamina okay.¡± ¡°No.¡± Everyoneughed dejectedly. ¡°Are you guys also makingeback in March?¡± ¡°Yes, Hyung.¡± ¡°Same with us. We¡¯ll meet at music shows then.¡± Ian achieved his intended purpose. He decided to be brothers with Chen Xinhui, who was a year younger, and spoke informally. ¡°But can we run 400m well?¡± ¡°We y too seriously, right?¡± Ian has alreadye out for 60m, so he will not participate in the ry. Instead, Lee Joo Hyuk, Park Jin Hyuk, Park Seo Dam, and Jo Tae Woong went out. But they went to the track with their shoulders hanging down as if they were not confident. Naturally, they were eliminated in the preliminary round. * * * After all the long iLympics games, only the closing ceremony and closing deration are left. But as expected, there was free time because of the camera and podium setting. Awy sat in a circle between MyKit and Top Five, who had be close at one point, and chatted with them. ¡°You guyseback next month?¡± ¡°Uh, there¡¯s Pyeongchang next month.¡± The real Olympics wille after the iLympics. It was the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. At this time, pre-arranged programs were often canceled due to the game schedule, and music shows were no exception. ¡°So the CEO said to rob the empty house and that we should win first at least on cable shows.¡± For this reason, singers scheduled to make aeback tended to avoid such global events. £ÛI don¡¯t think that guy cares much about his singers, but his strategy isn¡¯t bad.] ¡®I know right.¡¯ There is a huge difference between a singer who ranked first and one who doesn¡¯t. This is because there is a difference in the appearance fee for events. ¡°Are you guys in March?¡± ¡°Uh.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll meetter then. But will it be okay?¡± The Olympics were over in March, and it was a situation where it was unknown how many singers would make aeback to avoid that. It may ovep with big singers. ¡°Somehow it happened that way.¡± Lee Joo Hyuk shrugged his shoulders. Awy¡¯s agency was seriously trying to make 3ebacks in 1 year a reality. It was a big picture to win the Rookie of the Year award bybining album sales. ¡°We don¡¯t know when our next album wille out if it¡¯s not this time.¡± Top Five Lee Do Yoon, sitting next to Chen Xinhui, sighed deeply. Everyone became solemn at once. ¡°No, you guys will be fine too.¡± Ian, who knows their future through Jin,forted them with a big smile. ¡°Can I go to bathroom now?¡± ¡°I guess? Go quickly.¡± Kim Ju Young jumped up and disappeared out of the stadium. £ÛKim Young Jun is following Kim Ju Young.] ¡®Oh yeah?¡¯ ¡°Me too bathroom.¡± ording to other members, Kim Ju Young and Kim Young Jun were two best friends. Ian got up from his seat as he remembered Kim Young Jun¡¯s gaze, which had been following them for a while. * * * ¡°Hi, long time no see.¡± ¡°What¡¯s it? But I can¡¯t say hi.¡± It was when Kim Ju Young came out of the bathroom and was snooping around the vending machine. Kim Young Jun appeared out of the blue and stood in front of Kim Ju Young. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it a bit chaotic after I left thepany?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t chaotic, it was a fking bomb. All officials know that the debut was pushed back because you ran away.¡± Why would you say that7?? ????. This is used when responding to someone who said something so absurd, with the feeling of anger and the absurdity of not understanding the other person.. Kim Ju Young frowned. Even Kim Ju Young also felt that he was looking at Awy with longing eyes just before. Our teamwork looks good, so it¡¯s regrettable now that¡¯s it? Kim Ju Young put money into the vending machine and chose an ion drink. He leaned against the wall with the thought to listen to what piece of crap this bastard will say. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Not just to me, but to Hyungs and other kids too.¡± I get mad when talking about it. Kim Ju Young shot back. ¡°But, what¡¯ve you been doing since earlier? You¡¯re not even an ex-boyfriend asking ¡®are you sleeping¡¯ at 2 a.m. Hey, if you want to apologize, do it properly. Not only to us but also to ourpany employees.¡± Kim Ju Young exhaled long. ¡°Think of it as fortunate that CEO Lee didn¡¯t ask to pay the penalty, you bastard.¡± The dy of the debut was also the cause of his embarrassing past of doing such a thing to Choi Ian. At that thought, Kim Ju Young sighed again when he saw Kim Young Jun hesitating even though he tried to say something more. ¡°Still, I¡¯m grateful to you.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Someone better than you came in because you left, you know?¡± At his words, Kim Young Jun¡¯s expression showed jealousy of not having a bond among the group members. Kim Ju Young thought ¡®was I like that back then?¡¯ and put his head to the back. ¡®This punk. You¡¯ve grown up.¡¯ And Ian, who had been listening to the situation secretly, quietly left the ce.
Chapter 34 Chapter 34 That, Went To The Academy.Grade B Trantion: Manually edited MTL. Tranted and interpreted as best as I can. Mixed with some Korean terms. Misinterpretation may ur due to limitedprehensive ability. Awkward English, bad grammar, and typos may often ur as Trantor is not fluent in English and not edited by Editor nor proofed by Proofreader. -iLympics¡¯s epic group open for sale (Link) (Link) No long exnation, just watch the kids ying games ?Crazy lololol That¡¯s not running track&field, right? I¡¯ve never seen anyone sprint like that lololol ?I¡¯m another group¡¯s fan but they y enjoyably ?Did you see them kneel because they failed archery? lolololol -Wasn¡¯t I-One Kim Young Jun originally in Awy debut group? Now that I look at it, they didn¡¯t seem close lol ?Cuz he suddenly overturn debut and went out lololol Even if I¡¯m Awy, I¡¯d hate Kim Young Jun ?Look at above trying to drag him down lololol Kim Young Jun and they are close you know? ?Already rushing for those people? lol it¡¯s a fact so I¡¯m saying this. Cuz of Kim Young Jun, all the ns were pushed back and the kids went around busking lolol ?real Everyone who followed Byung Hun¡¯s side knows this lololol As expected of someone from P.I lolol So fussy lol ?Who¡¯s fussy, on the subject of a damned fking mangdol fan ?Huh~ that Young Jun¡¯s limited-time group lol *** A few days after the recording of the iLympics, Awy proceeded to shoot ¡®With The Legend¡¯. Kim Hee Sang and Awy tried to select candidates for what kind of stage they will perform each by themselves, andter gathered together to gather their opinions. ¡°We and Kim Hee Sang Sonsaeng nim can¡¯t win by singing.¡± ¡°That¡¯s obvious.¡± Other members agreed with Kim Hyun¡¯s words. ¡°So we have to focus on performance.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Lee Joo Hyuk thought deeply and then spoke. ¡°But there must be teams that think the same way as us, so won¡¯t it ovep with other teams?¡± ¡°No Hyung, it doesn¡¯t matter if it oveps. This is a contest. In contests, you must go strong.¡± Kim Hyun, experienced in survival contests, strongly insisted. Ian also nodded. ¡°That is why I suggested dancing to Sonsaengnim.¡± ¡°But I didn¡¯t know he¡¯d really do it¡­¡± Kim Ju Young and Kim Hyun stood up at Park Jin Hyuk¡¯s words. Coincidentally, the shooting location was the agency¡¯s practice room. ¡°We¡¯re not asking Sonsaengnim to do difficult moves.¡± Kim Hyun waved his hand in a proper rhythm. At the right time, Kim Ju Young leaned his back. ¡°Like this. It¡¯s more like a routine dance than aplete choreography.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think it would be a killer if we put a lot of dancers in here?¡± Lee Joo Hyuk gestured for everyone to get up. Assuming that Kim Hyun is Kim Hee Sang, six members surrounded him in a circle. The picture was pretty good when they matched the movements after some adjustments. ¡°I think we should only go in this way.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s also Sonsaeng nim¡®seback stage. Viewers turned it on to see Sonsaeng nim, but we kepting out. That¡¯s also weird.¡± ¡°So. Let¡¯s take our positions as backup dancers who sing. Is that it?¡± Everyone pped their knees at Ian¡¯s one-line summary. ¡°That¡¯s it. More like a featuring than a coboration.¡± ¡°If we can secure the dance break part in the middle, there we put an impact ¡®baam¡¯!¡± ¡°Then how do we put the overall concept?¡± When they couldn¡¯t speak up easily, Ian said what he had in mind. ¡°1st of March1??? (sam-il-jeol). Independence Movement Day. .¡± ¡°!¡± ¡®With The Legend¡¯ is scheduled as a special program and will be aired once a week for three weeks, including Lunar New Year. And there is the 1st of March around thest broadcast date. ¡°Because Sonsaengnim has a dandy image, we don¡¯t just wear hanbok simply, but wear a suit and a durumagi2????. Korean traditional overcoat. The modern version is quite fashionable and often used as an alternative to a long cardigan. on top of it.¡± ¡°That¡­ Sounds pretty good, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t it make patriotism3?? (guk-bbong). A ng referring to overwhelming patriotism, excessive sense of pride in country/culture, or simply Korean Pride(?). just bubbled up?¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes shone. ¡°But will Sonsaeng nim listen to this?¡± *** ¡°That¡¯s good!¡± Kim Hee Sang dly epted. He presented the part distribution list he had prepared in advance. Awy approached the performance side while Kim Hee Sang approached the song side. When they lightly skim through it, Awy¡¯s stake was considerable. ¡°Sonsaeng nim, our part is quite¡­ A lot, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Still, you should have your parts.¡± ¡°We are going to focus on performance, sir.¡± ¡°Because I want to sing together, that¡¯s it.¡± The writerughed lightly at the heartwarming scene where they were doing things for each other. Awy¡¯s eyes were shaking at the more parts than expected. Lee Joo Hyuk came to his senses and said. ¡°We have something in mind about how Sonsaeng nim should dance¡­¡± When they stood up and showed the movements practiced in advance, Kim Hee Sang was noticeably pleased. ¡°Actually, I said I¡¯ll do it, but I was worried a lot.¡± ¡°Did Sonsaeng nim think we would just ask to do something like back tumbling?¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t that your n?¡± Awyughed at Kim Hee Sang¡¯s joke. ¡°We will give you all the guides. Let¡¯s practice together, Sonsaeng nim.¡± Park Seo Dam acted cute. At the grown-up boy¡¯s aegyo, the members were extremely disgusted inwardly although theyughed on the outside. Kim Hee Sang burst into a roar ofughter in a good mood because he had a grandson of Awy¡¯s age. ¡°Then there¡¯s only the song left¡­ I¡¯ll have to rearrange it for the dance to go in.¡± Lee Joo Hyuk¡¯s eyes shone when he talked about the arrangement. Ian, who hadposed a bit in the past, also sneaked to Lee Joo Hyuk¡¯s side. The broadcast crew watched their practice with bated breath. *** ¡°Ah, I¡¯m dying.¡± Most idolse to the practice room early in the morning and practice until dawn and go home exhausted. Naturally, they had to continue practicing except for mealtime and rest time in between, but all electronic devices were prohibited. There is a CCTV in the practice room, so even if they cked a bit, apany employeees running and whips them telling them why they don¡¯t practice. Awy also had to follow the schedule because it was their firsteback since their debut and prepare for thepetition separately. ¡°Wow. But if we keep dancing like this, won¡¯t our joints go badter on?¡± ¡°I think we should take supplements from now on.¡± ¡°I heard that ck Rush Hyungs go to the hospital, too.¡± There are actually many singers who suffer from joint problems around the age of 30 and end up having to go to the hospital. After seeing the parkour moves that Ian used to overtake Jo Tae Woong somewhere, the nning team suggested including acrobatics in the dance moves. Awy felt really ufortable with that. ¡°I have to go.¡± Ian, who was spread on the practice room floor, rose like a zombie. ¡°Reading?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ I¡¯ll be backter.¡± ¡°Good work.¡± The membersy down in the practice room and only raised their hands to send him off. Ian departed for the reading of the one-act drama ¡®I Want to Hear Your Sound¡¯ in Park Dong Soo¡¯s car. ¡°Still, it¡¯s your first reading. Isn¡¯t it better if we go to the shop first?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no time to go to the shop, Hyung. Did you bring that?¡± ¡°Uh, the seat next to you.¡± Ian picked up the pink pouch next to him and took out the contents. In addition to Ian¡¯s separate request, it was also filled with other misceneous cosmetics. ¡°But, why is it a pink pouch? Hyung got girlfriend?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s Director Seo¡¯s pouch.¡± ¡°Why is Director Seo¡¯s pouching out here?¡± ¡°I had a lot of things in my hand then. So she told me to put it in her pouch. She said you can use what¡¯s there.¡± ¡°Eii. But using Director Seo¡¯s cosmetics is a bit¡­¡± Ian took out the BB cream and hair wax that he had asked for. During Kim Yong Min¡¯s time, there were times when he drove alone without an agency. That¡¯s why he had to do the styling by himself. £ÛNot enough on the left cheek.] ¡®Oh yeah?¡¯ Of course, the skills are clumsy. Ianpleted a moderately neat appearance with Jin¡¯s help. When Ian arrived at the broadcasting station¡¯s reading site, a couple of minor actors who were sitting in advance stood up and greeted him. ¡°Hello.¡± When Ian was bowing down and trying to find his ce, a minor actor gasped. ¡°I¡­ I am a fan.¡± The minor actor smiled shyly and covered her mouth with the script. I came early and there¡¯s plenty of time, so it¡¯s okay, right? Ian approached the minor actor. ¡°Really? Thank you.¡± ¡°I also joined the fan club.¡± ¡°Woah¡­¡± ¡°So that¡¯s why¡­ An autograph please.¡± Ian picked up aputer sign pen on the table and signed on her script. An autograph wasn¡¯t enough, so he also took a selfie with her. ¡°Wow¡­ Star disease.¡± Ian turned his head to a small voice suddenly heard while taking another selfie for the other minor actor beside her. ¡°Hello.¡± Pretending as if he didn¡¯t hear him, Ian greeted him with a smile. It was Jo Joo Hyun, an actor ying the role of someone who had a crush on the female lead Yu Ra and was jealous of the male lead Seong Min. ¡®You know him?¡¯ £ÛHim? Dunno. I don¡¯t remember much, so probably not a famous guy.] When Ian stared at him, Jo Joo Hyun smirked. Jo Joo Hyun only thought, ¡®I said for everyone to hear, but did he really have bad ears¡¯. This is because Ian¡¯s expression changed sharply, and he was scared for no reason. ¡°You yed the role of Sang Min, right? I look forward to your cooperation.¡± ¡°Oh yes¡­¡± Ian held out his hand. Jo Joo Hyun grabbed his hand and shook hands. Ian gave it a lot of strength. Jo Joo Hyun¡¯s face slightly frowned. I gave strength moderately, but he¡¯s already exaggerating. Ian smiled broadly and loosened his hand. Each actor¡¯s name was written on the table. Ian sat right in front of the writer¡¯s seat. £ÛUh? You¡¯d better avoid her.] It was Jin¡¯s voice while looking at the name of the female lead actor in front of Ian¡¯s seat. Lee Seo Hyun. A former child actor who turned 20 years old this year. Ian was busy preparing for the contests andeback, so he didn¡¯t know the actors who would act together in advance. ¡®Why?¡¯ £ÛHm¡­ You¡¯ll know if you experience it yourself.] Jin turned his head. At the end of Jin¡¯s lens, Lee Seo Hyun was seen entering the reading site. Ian stood up and bowed. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Hello! Omo, Choi Ian? Awy? Right?¡± Lee Seo Hyun came to Ian with a fuss. So full of energy. Ian smiled for now. ¡°I heard you from Luna Girls¡¯ Unnies!¡± ¡°Uh¡­ They did not happen to curse at me, did they?¡± ¡°Huh? No~¡± Lee Seo Hyun giggled. She seems like someone a bit carefree, but why is he telling me to be careful? Ian responded moderately. When the writer and director arrived, all the actors were busily seated. Confirming that everyone was seated, the director stood up. ¡°Hello. I¡¯m Choi Jong Min, the director of ¡®I Want to Hear Your Sound¡¯.¡± When the director sat down after a short greeting, everyone cheered and apuded. ¡°I¡¯m the writer, Park Joo Yeon. It¡¯s finally my first work as the main writer.¡± Even if it was the first main, Park Joo Yeon was previously an assistant writer for famous writers. Therefore, she had experiences that could not be ignored. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to be with good actors.¡± When Park Joo Yeon sat down, the actors pped. ¡®Yeah, everyone looks superb.¡¯ Even the other actors were veteran middle-aged actors and the actor who yed Seong Min¡¯s child role was Kim Seo Hyuk, who waster called a ¡®genius actor¡¯. ¡®It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen Seo Hyuk too.¡¯ £ÛHave you ever worked together? As far as I remember, there was no contact point with Kim Yong Min¡­] ¡®I¡¯ve seen him a few times before Cuckoo.¡¯ £ÛAh, that movie you were cast in right before you died?] ¡®Huh.¡¯ If he hadn¡¯t died in the car ident, he would have acted in harmony with the grown-up Kim Seo Hyuk. £ÛWow. Seriously, Kim Yong Min was so jinxed.] ¡®Isn¡¯t that a fact we both know best?¡¯ £ÛThat, went to The Academy.] ¡®!¡¯ £ÛBest Picture.] ¡®!!¡¯ ¡°Seong Min-ah. Look at Mom. Mom doesn¡¯t understand if it¡¯s signnguage.¡± £ÛIsn¡¯t she quite a good actor? Why is her reading so bad?] Ian avoided eye contact and used signnguage. Jung Hee Eun, a middle-aged actress who yed the role of Seong Min¡¯s mother, was an actress who was rumored to be very bad at reading. ¡°Mom¡­ Mom had taught you oralism¡­ But why¡­¡± Jung Hee Eun smiled awkwardly while spitting out her lines. Lee Seo Hyun and Ianughed together as if they were trying to melt the atmosphere. The writer and director alsoughed dejectedly but did not point her out. This is possible because she is an actor whose acting skills have been proven even if she is bad at reading. ¡®There is such a type.¡¯ £ÛOh yeah? I thought actors with good acting skills were good at reading too.] ¡®It¡¯s just she can¡¯t get immersed by sitting down and reading. She¡¯ll probably fly around when we go to the scene.¡¯ By the way, to think that Cuckoo swept the International Film Festival. Ian was sad at the futile regret.
Chapter 35 Chapter 35 With The Legend. (1)Grade B Trantion: Manually edited MTL. Tranted and interpreted as best as I can. Mixed with some Korean terms. Misinterpretation may ur due to limitedprehensive ability. Awkward English, bad grammar, and typos may often ur as Trantor is not fluent in English and not edited by Editor nor proofed by Proofreader. ¡°Thanks for your effort!¡± After the reading, the chairs made a loud noise as they were being dragged. Ian approached Director Choi who was talking to the assistant director. ¡°That¡­ Director Choi.¡± ¡°Yes, Ian ssi.¡± Director Choi responded with a smile. ¡°This scene. Can I also watch the filming?¡± Ian unfolded the script and presented it to the director. Director Choi raised his eyebrows as if it was unexpected. ¡°I heard you¡¯re busy these days, is that okay?¡± ¡°Even though I¡¯m busy, I think I have to watch this scene myself.¡± It will be a lot of learning just by seeing the acting scene of a middle-aged actor with proven acting skills and a child actor who will be given the genius modifier. Director Choi nodded in satisfaction. ¡°All right then. I can contact you through the manager, right?¡± Director Choi cast a nce at the assistant director and replied. The assistant director also nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the thanks for. You can go back now.¡± Ian bowed his back and left the reading ce. ¡®Ah. I don¡¯t wanna go.¡¯ Ian crumpled his face. As soon as he went back, there would be a dance practice and even a recording at dawn. Ian was waiting for Park Dong Soo when he suddenly looked for an inconspicuous ce. £ÛWhat¡¯re you doing?] ¡®Somehow I felt a bad hunch.¡¯ He suddenly felt an indescribable feeling and an rm went off somewhere in his mind. Ian thought he had to hide now. ¡°Uh, Unnie~¡± When Ian hid behind a pir in the parking lot, Lee Seo Hyun came out while talking to someone on the phone. ¡°I¡¯ve been looking for him, but I can¡¯t find him. I guess he¡¯s gone already.¡± Lee Seo Hyun gestured to the manager who took out the car. ¡°Do you like him that much? Well, he¡¯s handsome. Everything around him seems to sparkle.¡± She opened the door of the car that stopped in front of her and got in. Ian stuck his head out and watched the car drive out of the parking lot. ¡®Why looking for me?¡¯ Ian urged Jin to answer. £ÛWhose introduction do you think connects Kim Seung-hoon and Lee Hee-jin to date each other?] ¡®¡­Ah, perhaps.¡¯ Kim Seung Hoon and Lee Hee Jin were the protagonists of this year¡¯s Factfix. ¡®Then, is she something like a matchmaker1??? (ttu-jaeng-i), matchmaker. A Korean term that refers to a person who enjoys setting up others on blind dates or matchmaking. The termes from the Korean word ¡°??¡± (ttu-kong), which means ¡°lid,¡± and refers to the way a matchmaker often lifts the lid on a potential romantic connection between two people. or Madame Ttu2??? (Madam Ttu). Still connected to the previous footnote, Madam Ttu is a nickname for someone who is a professional in the world of matchmaking and usually targeting the upper ss. ?¡¯ Some people enjoy setting people up together. Just as there are people famous for this in the sports industry, they also exist in the entertainment industry. £ÛThere are a few more beside her.] ¡®They got nothing better to do. So, what do they get?¡¯ £ÛJust get a few meals out of it and feel vicarious satisfaction from seeing others swooning over romance?] Hah. Ian let out a dejectedugh and got into the car. £ÛEspecially, when new idols start dating as a result of being introduced by them and get caught, they be the primary cause for fans to unstan and leave the fandom.] ¡®It¡¯s the fault of those who fall for it and ept the offer.¡¯ £ÛAnyway, fans who know that don¡¯t want to get involved with them.] Like in Kim Yong Min¡¯s case, people onlye to their senses when they go downhill after being yed with false hope. Ian shook his head. £ÛThe picture of Kim Seung Hun and Lee Hee Jin is also taken by a sasaeng who turned away, you know.] ¡®What? Not taken by reporters?¡¯ £ÛNo. The sasaeng went crazy when she heard that ¡®oppa¡¯ is in a rtionship, so she staked out for a month to take that.] ¡®Darn scary.¡¯ £ÛAt the beginning of his debut, Kim Seung Hoon spread out pseudo-romance3????. A rtionship that is staged for publicity, rather than one that is based on true feelings of affection or love between the people involved. Eg. an idol says they¡¯re married to his fans or says I love you to his fans. So, like role-ying to be a boyfriend to fans. and was also nice to the sasaeng. From the sasaeng perspective, it felt like she was being treated specially by oppa, but how dare he have a girlfriend? That¡¯s how it happened.] As expected, a feeding ban 4I understand this as banning doing things over that can make imagination go too far. is the answer to sasaeng from the beginning. Ian thought he should tell the other members about it firmly. £ÛShe put the picture up for bid to the agency first, but do you know how much MI Enter quoted? 5 million won.£Ý ¡®It¡¯s MI Enter, and that¡¯s all they could offer? Their big agency pride is dead.¡¯ £ÛExactly. So she took it to Factfix, sold it for 50 million won, and unstanned them.£Ý ¡®Crazy.¡¯ £ÛAnd it¡¯s ironic that when she got stuck with another singer, it was Pluto.£Ý Pluto is a junior group directly under Lure that Kim Seung Hoon belongs to. £ÛPerhaps, around this time? Members of Pluto and Pinky Lady are dating each other.] ¡®They¡¯re already dating?¡¯ Ian sighed. It¡¯s absolutely not because he can¡¯t date himself. Anyway, that¡¯s it. Ian arrived at the agency and got out of the car. He randomly chose drinks from the vending machine in the hallway before opening the door to the practice room. ¡°Wow, look at the man¡¯s scent wafting around.¡± Some people are enjoying a fresh and exciting rtionship, but here the air was stuffy with the heat of intense practice. ¡°Look at you, what a sight. How are you all going to get women¡¯s numbers like this?¡± ¡°Why are you suddenly attacking us?¡± ¡°I bought some drinks.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Ian tapped Jo Tae Woong with his foot. Other members also got up and chose their drinks. Kim Ju Young picked up a green can and checked it, then threw it away. ¡°Ah, pine needle tea. You taste-illiterate5??? (mat-al-mot). A ng term used to describe someone who is not good at distinguishing tastes or has a poor sense of taste. jerk.¡± ¡°That¡¯s mine, tho?¡± ¡°Wow. Such a disaster really, I can¡¯t respect your taste.¡± The six members distanced themselves from Ian in disgust. Ian grabbed the rolling can. ¡°Why? It¡¯s tasty.¡± As Ian opened the can and drank it, Jin next to him muttered a word. £ÛI really can¡¯t hang out with you.] ¡°Those of you who don¡¯t know the tastiness of this are pitiful.¡± ¡°You¡¯re joking!¡± Ignoring the members¡¯ jeers, Ian finished his drink. * * * After staying busy preparing for theeback, drama, andpetition, Ian finally arrived at the recording day of ¡®With the Legend¡¯. ¡°Isn¡¯t thispletely a special treatment?¡± Kim Hee Sang and Awy were scheduled to appear as wild cards, so the rehearsal was also prepared separately the day before. They used a separate waiting room and it was thergest room. ¡°As expected, riding on Kim Hee Sang¡¯s coattails is scary.¡± ¡°Will the daye when we also get to use this?¡± ¡°When will Seonsaengnime?¡± The members sat down on the soft sofa. They were nning to surprise everyone by suddenly appearing. ¡°I heard MyKit won first ce yesterday.¡± ¡°Real?¡± ¡°Uh, I heard it from Dong Soo Hyung earlier.¡± Everyone¡¯s faces looked envious as they heard Lee Joo Hyuk¡¯s words. ¡°Wow, they¡¯re going to get their phone. Jealous.¡± ¡°But aren¡¯t we used to not having a phone now?¡± Kim Hyun said while changing into the prepared stage costume. ¡°Can we win first ce too?¡± ¡°Well¡­ Probably not?¡± Ian replied sternly. ¡°We ovep with Mydea.¡± ¡°Really? Where did you hear that? Your pad was taken away.¡± The camera floating beside me told me. Ian smiled dejectedly. This year was the time when Mydea, who had already climbed to the top, would kick the roof once more. They have already taken over the Oricon charts, and will also top the Billboard chart. ¡°We¡¯re screwed.¡± Therefore, they easily surpassed a million units from the initial sales. Awy, who has not sold 100,000 units of initial sales yet, could not beat them. Everyoneughed as if they had given up. Awy was dressed in leather and wore a durumagi over it. It was a different outfit from Kim Hee Sang¡¯s suit, as they had to perform an intense dance. ¡°I think we¡¯re kind of cool.¡± At Park Jin Hyuk¡¯s words, everyone took all kinds of cool poses in front of the mirror. Perhaps because they were wearing clothes they hadn¡¯t tried before, it looked even fresher. ¡°You guys got here first, huh.¡± At that time, Kim Hee Sang opened the door of the waiting room. ¡°Hello, Seonsaengnim.¡± ¡°You¡¯re absolutely cool today, sir.¡± Awy was embarrassed and coughed for nothing. They guided Kim Hee Sang to a seat they had left empty in advance. ¡°It¡¯s starting soon, right?¡± Lee Joo Hyuk looked at the clock on the wall and said. Just in time, a staff member who came in with Kim Hee Sang turned on the pre-installed monitor. In the studio, the hosts of ¡®With The Legend¡¯ were introducing the cast. (These guys are really popr these days!) (They are the people who set a record of winning first ce as soon as they debuted. Pluto!) Pluto walked into the studio. They were a six-member boy group from MI Entertainment. (And now, the legend joining these guys! Park Sung Soo Seonsaengnim!) ¡°Oh.¡± Kim Hee Sang let out a small exmation. Park Sung Soo was a singer who was active in the same era as Kim Hee Sang. He sat between the members of Pluto with a soft smile on his face. (What kind of stage did you prepare for today?) (Today, we prepared a performance in a refreshing concept with these friends.) (Refreshing concept? That makes me want to see it right away.) (Please check out the details on stage.) ¡®I admit, Park Sung Soo¡¯s refreshing concept is really surprising.¡¯ Park Sung Soo was a singer who captured women¡¯s hearts with a concept that showed off his powerful masculinity in his heyday. The hosts exchanged a few words with them and introduced the next singer. (Next, seven jewels! It¡¯s Pinky Lady!) Ian flinched for no reason and looked at Jin. He had heard that three Pluto members and three Pinky Lady members were dating each other. (Hello! Your vitamins! We are Pinky Lady!) When Pinky Lady appeared, several members of Pluto were pping shyly with their heads down. ¡®Haigoo, such a good time.¡¯ £ÛObvious, so obvious. This is why they¡¯re called rookies, tch.] (And the legend who formed a team with these people! Lee Chun Ja Sonsaeng nim!) Lee Chun Ja was a trot singer who still actively continued her music activities. (We prepared a sexy concept today.) ¡®This side is also shocking, right?¡¯ £ÛAs expected. This is the taste ofpetition.] Ian nced around the members. They were also touching their hands for no reason as if they were nervous. Since the waiting room situation was also being captured on camera, Ian talked to Kim Hee Sang. ¡°Everyone looks impressive.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Especially Park Sung Soo, I can¡¯t imagine that friend doing a fresh concept.¡± ¡°We won¡¯t be pushed back, right?¡± ¡°Us?¡± Kim Hee Sang scoffed. He was brimming with confidence. It¡¯s natural for him to be like that because he had perfectly copied the dance that Awy had prepared. Awy was also quite surprised by his dancing skills and speed of learning. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I trust you guys.¡± Awy turned their heads and looked at Kim Hee Sang. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about other people and just think about how to perform our performance perfectly.¡± ¡°¡­Seonsaengnim!¡± Taking a deep breath, Jo Tae Woong leaned on Kim Hee Sang. Kim Hee Sang guffawed and patted him on the back. Kim Hee Sang treated Awy like grandchildren, appreciating their passionate appearance and value for music while working together. They were polite and serious young men who didn¡¯t behave like young people nowadays. (Yes! The next is a powerful 13-member boy group! It¡¯s M.O.M!) As M.O.M. flooded in, the studio felt full. (And the legend who will be together with M.O.M! Lee Seong Ho Sonsaeng nim!) Lee Seong Ho was a singer whopeted closely with Park Sung Soo under the concept of soft masculinity. £ÛIsn¡¯t everyone strong?] Looking at it now, Park Sung Soo and Lee Seong Ho were fandom-type singers, while Kim Hee Sang was a popr-type singer focused on music sources. (And, a three-member bad group! Triple Man!) ¡°This side must be focused on singing ability¡± Following Lee Joo Hyuk¡¯s words, the legend was introduced on the monitor. (And the king of singers! Kim Jung Soon Sonsaeng nim!) ¡°Wow¡­¡± ¡°This is no joke.¡± ¡°How did PD Kim cast these people?¡± Kim Jung Soon, also famous for her CD-chewing singing ability6 It¡¯s a humorous way of describing someone who has a powerful and dynamic singing voice. The phrasees from the idea that someone with such a strong voice could literally chew up a CD while singing. , still continues to demonstrate her talent by singing OSTs for various dramas and movies. ¡°Please go to the front of the studio soon.¡± Everyone stood up at the words of the staff. Awy and Kim Hee Sang were nning to barge in when all performers thought that those four teams were over and were talking about each other¡¯s news or stages. ¡°Wow, I¡¯m nervous.¡± Kim Hee Sang was okay because they had time together, but their hands trembled slightly at the thought of standing in front of other legends. Awy and Kim Hee Sang stood in front of a ckout curtain next to the studio. ¡°Actually, these people here are not the end!¡± ¡°We¡¯re not the end?¡± As the curtain behind the host was pulled back, the camera zoomed up to where Awy and Kim Hee Sang would sit. ¡°We have another team to be together. First of all, they are trending these days. A 7-member boy group, Awy!¡± Led by Lee Joo Hyuk, Awy rushed into the studio. All the cast greeted with apuse, but their expressions were full of surprise. ¡°Hello! Always by your side! We are Awy!¡± The sound of Awy¡¯s greeting resonated loudly, even louder than the 13-member M.O.M. As Awy took their seat after being guided by a host, both hosts said with reminiscent faces. ¡°The following is the legend who will be joining us with Awy!¡± ¡°When ites to legends, we can¡¯t leave out this person!¡± ¡°The long-awaitedeback is finally! Being shown on our program first!¡± The cast was buzzing at the hosts¡¯ fuss. ¡°The legend! Kim Hee Sang Sonsaengnim!¡±
AmaliaJ¡¯s Note News For ELC readers! The webtoon adaptation of this web novel is out! For details you can click here! Read moreShow lessPublished 13 March 2023By adminCategorized as English Trantion, Entertainment Life With A Camera Chapter 36 Chapter 36 With The Legend. (2)Grade B Trantion: A mix of MTL and Human Trantion. Tranted and interpreted as best as I can. Mixed with some Korean terms. Misinterpretation may ur due to limitedprehensive ability. Awkward English, bad grammar, and typos may often ur as Trantor is not fluent in English and not edited by Editor nor proofed by Proofreader. The Kim Hee Sang effect was also felt in the drawing for the order of performances. ¡°My gosh! Team Kim Hee Sang and Awy! The order is also thest!¡± The ball picked by Kim Hee Sang had the number 5 shining brightly on it. Awy and Kim Hee Sang cheered and embraced each other. Theter the order, the greater the advantage in thepetition. ¡°That¡¯s too much¡­¡± ¡°This is not fabricated, right?¡± At Lee Chun Ja¡¯s words, the production team waved their hands. As they were all big seniors in the entertainment industry, the production crew was very polite. ¡°We¡¯re going topete against Hee Sang Sonsaengnim, but being the first one to go¡­¡± Lee Chun Ja cried out but stood up with strength. Pinky Lady and Lee Chun Ja headed towards the stage, and the studio¡¯s camera lights went out. ¡°Hyung nim! You should have told me that you were going to be on the same show!¡± ¡°Long time no see!¡± As the veteran singers began to talk to each other, Awy also greeted the singers on both sides again. Pluto was sitting next to Ian. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Pluto just nodded slightly then turned their gaze to the opposite side of Ian. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t answer back.¡± ¡°We¡¯re artists.¡± Pluto nudged each other yfully and whispered. But everything could be heard, so it was 100% thought to be heard. Ian let out a sigh. What are they saying in front of top-notch senior singers? ¡®Did they already catch ¡®that disease¡¯?¡¯ £ÛThey¡¯re from MI Enter. They¡¯re also proud to be Lure¡¯s direct juniors¡­ With Kim Seung Hoon out of the frame for dating, they must be thinking it¡¯s their turn now.] They started dating less than a year after their debut, and now they¡¯re even going crazy with artist disease1The behavior of artists who be arrogant, entitled, or difficult to work with as a result of their fame and sess. The title ¡°artist¡± has the nuance that their sess is because of skill or expertise rather than instant celebrity that often happens in showbiz. . Even if they act like that, they¡¯re just being stubborn and self-centered. I don¡¯t know where they get that confidence from. £ÛThen what¡¯s the use, they be MI Enter CEO¡¯s push grinder.] Push grinder, which means that even when thepany tries to push them, they cannot handle it and end up getting ground2This is a very Korean-only term. So, thepany pushed them well with support, etc to sess, but they couldn¡¯t handle those advantages well and got ground by externalpetition instead. . ¡®I pray for that snobbery tost forever.¡¯ It¡¯s good if they don¡¯t make as much profit as expected. If MI Enter fails, Ian will wee it with open arms. Of course, they won¡¯t necessarily fail altogether just because one group failed tounch. ¡°Okay, first is the team of Pinky Lady and Lee Chun Ja Sonsaengnim!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see the stage performance!¡± Three unknown Pluto members raised their heads at the news of Pinky Lady. Lee Joo Hyuk looked over each Awy member once, with a determined expression. ¡®You know, right?¡¯ ¡®I know.¡¯ Each member who made eye contact with him nodded slightly. Pinky Lady and Lee Chun Ja¡¯s stage was said to be a sexy concept. At this time, the attitude and expression of watching the stage were important. They should never show that they like it. If they cheer for it andugh like a pervert because they can¡¯t control their cheekbones, they¡¯ll be caught on camera and shown on air. In particr, fans will be disillusioned, thinking ¡®Oh, they¡¯re men after all¡¯. ¡®We have to put on a serious look.¡¯ This was the answer Lee Joo Hyuk presented. ¡®Don¡¯t smile. You should be concerned, worried, and nervous about yourpetitor who did a great job on the stage.¡¯ ¡®Wouldn¡¯t us look too much like stones?¡¯ ¡®Then who cares, we¡¯re rookies anyway.¡¯ This is where the rookie shieldes in handy. If they areter asked ¡®why did you react that way?¡¯, they can simply say that they were too nervous. The spotlights gradually brightened the dark stage, gently illuminating it. £ÛWuaow.] Pinky Lady came out in a tight, short dress. As they swayed to the music, screaming cheers filled the studio. In particr, Pluto¡¯s reaction next to them was too hot. ¡®It¡¯s like a musical.¡¯ The sound of the trombone and drum ring out cheerfully. As Pinky Lady fell lively to both sides, Lee Chun Ja appeared. It was in the form of when Lee Chun Ja sang, Pinky Lady danced and added chorus. ¡®A bit¡­ boring.¡¯ The performance looked sexy. However, the song arrangement andposition of the song were static. And Lee Chun Ja¡¯s trot singing style strangely didn¡¯t seem to fit well. £ÛThere¡¯s no highlight.] After the first stage, they pped obligatorily. ¡°Our Pluto! The response was very hot. How was the first performance?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ It was very good.¡± The host didn¡¯t know, but the member who was asked happened to be the dating member. When asked, he blushed and gave his answer. And they¡¯re not gonna miss this opportunity. ¡°Uh? Isn¡¯t your facepletely red? Did something happen between you two?¡± Pluto couldn¡¯t lift their head. The host wanted to ask more questions, but it would be counterproductive to ask a rookie too difficult questions. Besides, they¡¯re part of MI Entertainment, which is famous for their unusual fans¡­ He looked disappointed and turned his target to Awy. ¡°On the other hand, this side is very serious!¡± ¡°We are too nervous. They performed so well on stage¡­¡± Lee Joo Hyuk answered promptly. ¡°Then, do you think Lee Chun Ja Sonsaengnim¡®s team will win?¡± ¡°I think we are going to win.¡± The host eximed at Lee Joo Hyuk¡¯s resolute answer. The veteran singers apuded the rookie¡¯s spirit. Kim Hee Sang also nodded proudly. The second stage was Triple Man and Kim Jung Soon, whopeted with their singing ability. ¡°Wow¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s no joke, really.¡± When Kim Jung Soon sang the intro, admiration came out from here and there. Despite the limitations of listening in the studio because the sound quality of the broadcasting station was not that good, it was still a thrilling voice to hear. ¡®This is a bit regrettable.¡¯ It would have been more touching if I had seen it on the scene. Ian rubbed his arms with goosebumps. It was a moment when he envied the audience in the hall3In case you haven¡¯t noticed it yet, the studio here refers to the ce where all the cast watch the performances whilementing. Located behind the stage, most likely a decorated waiting room. The stage to perform is in a hall with the audience. If you have watched Immortal Song, it is simr to that. . Good things passed quickly, and the stage ended before he could fully appreciate it. Ian pped with regret. The host looked around the studio and approached Ian. ¡°Awy¡¯s Ian! You were so focused on the performance. How was it?¡± ¡°It was really¡­ The best. I want to sing together.¡± At Ian¡¯s words, Kim Hee Sang, who was sitting in front, turned around to look at him. ¡°Ian-ah.¡± ¡°Of course, our Kim Sonsaengnim is the number zero.¡± Ian nodded with a serious expression. The studioughed at Ian¡¯s sudden change of attitude. The third was Pluto and Park Sung Soo. They said this side would have a refreshing concept. ¡®Good skills.¡¯ Pluto wore pastel-toned costumes and danced gracefully, showing off strikingly beautiful dance lines4?? (chum-seon). A word mainly used by KPop fans that refers to the various analyses of the diverse charms of movements and dance skills that appear when dancing. Usually used when saying that someone looks good when dancing in general. Because non-professionals can¡¯t point out exactly which dance element is good. . When viewed as individuals that¡¯s it. £ÛNot fun.] Said Jin sarcastically. Overall, Pluto¡¯s choreography was strangely out of sync one by one. It stood out to the point that he wondered if theycked practice. ¡®I was like that when I was a trainee¡­ They still look like trainees.¡¯ £ÛMI Enter isn¡¯t the same as before.] ¡®Is that so?¡¯ Well, who would practice hard for a one-time performance. Still, it was a stage with a veteran singer, yet they had no sincerity. £ÛTheir director came out and opened MJ Enter. He hit it big there.] ¡®If it¡¯s MJ Enter¡­.¡¯ It was thepany where Kim Young Joon went after betraying them. Separately, Park Sung Soo¡¯s refreshing concept was shocking, so the studio¡¯s response was very good. Kim Hee Sang also watched the stage with a bigugh. ¡°Pinky Lady! How did you like the performance?¡± £ÛHe bit one thing.] The host did not miss the opportunity to interview Pinky Lady. ¡°Park Sung Soo Sonsaengnim¡®s transformation is really amazing.¡± ¡°You look like an active idol!¡± Answered Pinky Lady with giggles. Still, it¡¯s been two years since their debut, so they didn¡¯t show a single fluctuation on their face due to their good education. As they skillfully turned the topic towards Park Sung Soo, the host turned his head as if disappointed. The fourth was M.O.M. and Lee Seong Ho. M.O.M. was a 13-member boy group famous for its fierce acrobatic choreography. And as expected, they filled the stage tightly with arge number of members. ¡°This will ovep with us.¡± Muttered Park Jin Hyuk. After each stage, there was an intermission, and the staff was carrying a trampoline. ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°Woah¡­¡± As the song began, one member drew attention with a backflip. The remaining members of M.O.M used a trampoline installed behind the stage to jump in and then set up a choreography formation. They dressed up in military-look and showcased a spectacr group dance. As they danced fervently, Lee Seong Ho appeared among them when they bowed their waists. ¡°Woah!¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t they strong?¡± ¡°When did he go in there?¡± When Lee Seong Ho took the lead with an explosive high note after the surprise appearance, Awy members were left speechless. ¡°Wow, don¡¯t you think they¡¯ll win?¡± Lee Chun Ja said discouragingly. The audience¡¯s reaction at the scene was overwhelmingly good. £ÛBut the junior singers don¡¯t sing that much, right?] The previous stage was like that, and even now, the legends take charge of singing while the junior singers y a supporting role. At least, Triple Man had arge share in singing. Maybe that¡¯s why it couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling of being backup dancers despite the spectacr stage. However, Awy prepared a perfect coboration with Kim Hee Sang¡¯s part distribution. It seems that not only Ian realized it, but the other members also didn¡¯t think they would lose for some reason while watching seriously. (With Lee Sung Ho and M.O.M¡¯s powerful performance ended! We have someone to introduce before the on-site voting!) ¡°Sonsaengnim, Awy. Please go to the stage.¡± The host, who was hosting the stage scene, amplified expectations. ¡°I¡¯ll look forward to your performance!¡± ¡°Fighting, Sunbae nim!¡± ¡°Everyone, fighting!¡± Encouraged by the veteran singers, Awy and Kim Hee Sang left the studio and headed to the stage. ¡°You can¡¯t leave out this person when ites to legends!¡± Awy entered the backstage and stood in a huddle. It was a chant time to strengthen teamwork before going on stage, and this time, it was a formation that included Kim Hee Sang. ¡°Sonsaengnim, please say a word.¡± ¡°Should I?¡± At Lee Joo Hyuk¡¯s words, Kim Hee Sang pondered and said. ¡°Being with you guys is an honor.¡± ¡°We¡¯re even more honored!¡± Whether Awy¡¯s loud voice could be heard even outside, the audience was buzzing. The members closed their mouths quickly. Kim Hee Sang smiled kindly as if looking at adorable grandsons. ¡°Let¡¯s go perform without any regrets, over.¡± As Kim Hee Sang finished speaking, Jo Tae Woong mumbled. ¡°But what should we do with the chant? Shouldn¡¯t we have made a team name in advance?¡± ¡°What do you mean, Sonsaengnim can also chant Awy.¡± Is it okay? When Ian asked, Kim Hee Sangughed and nodded. Lee Joo Hyuk looked back at the members and said, ¡°Then let¡¯s go perform without any regrets. We are who we are?¡± ¡°AWY!¡± ¡°Sang!¡± Still unable to let go of his feelings, Jo Tae Woong called out thest letter of Kim Hee Sang¡¯s name. ¡°Awy Sang? That¡¯s nice.¡± ¡°Not bad.¡± Awy and Kim Hee Sang added with augh. ¡°Then for our final performance! The rookie boy group Awy and a legend! It seems like this program was made for this person!¡± The stage host continued his words in response to the PD¡¯s hand gesture. ¡°The legend! It¡¯s Kim Hee Sang!¡± ¡°Woaaah!¡± Those words elicited gasps of astonishment from the audience. Who is Kim Hee Sang. He is a singer who represents an era. If everyone were asked to choose a legend in the music industry, they would point to this person. ¡°Wow, crazy.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d I applied here. Really.¡± The audience buzzed. Everyone had an excited expression. Kim Hee Sang, who was thought to have retired due to no news for the past six years, had appeared unexpectedly. ¡°Heok!¡± As the stage darkened, the audience held their breath. With the gentle sound of the wind, the backlight cast a faint silhouette. A man running away, and another wearing a police hat chasing him eventually stopped and raised his hand. Bang! The hand shaped like a gun was raised, and the sound effect from the stage startled the audience. The man running away fell to the ground. The shooter watched it and then turned around, disappearing off stage. On the other side, a man wearing a gat5?. Korean traditional hat from the Joseon era. The ck one that looks like it¡¯s made out of a. trudged in. It felt a light sense of rhythm in his walk. The man with gat stopped in front of the fallen man, looked at him, and crouched down to close his eyes. Then the stage went dark again. Three secondster, all the lights came on and the stage was lit. The fallen man was nowhere to be seen, and only one person stood with his head down. The wide brim of the gat made his face invisible. ¡°Who¡¯s it?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he a junior singer?¡± Judging by his rhythmic footsteps, the audience assumed that he was a young person. Soon after, the person with gat raised his head and revealed his face and the audience screamed. The man with gat was Kim Hee Sang.
Published 20 March 2023By adminCategorized as English Trantion, Entertainment Life With A Camera Chapter 37 Chapter 37 With The Legend. (3)Grade B Trantion: A mix of MTL and Human Trantion. Tranted and interpreted as best as I can. Mixed with some Korean terms. Misinterpretation may ur due to limitedprehensive ability. Awkward English, bad grammar, and typos may often ur as Trantor is not fluent in English and not edited by Editor nor proofed by Proofreader. Kim Hee Sang stretched out his hand to the left and flicked his finger. As the light turned on at the left side of the stage, four members who had been using the dancers as a structure to sit on stood up and danced softly. As the undisturbed hem of the dopo1??. It¡¯s also a Korean traditional coat simr to durumagi. But the difference is the very wide sleeves.fluttered, they showed an elegant dance line as if they were dancing a modern dance. There was a buzz in the audience. ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t they good?¡± Next, Kim Hee Sang bounced his hand to the right. Three people -Ian, Jo Tae Woong, and Kim Ju Young- lightly jumped over the bowing dancers and began to dance. ¡°??, ?? ?? ????.¡± You¡¯ve, gone too far.2The lyrics used old-fashioned Korean expressions. So it¡¯s a bit poetic too, but since it can¡¯t be tranted well to English¡­ I¡¯ll just put the hangul and the meaning. I¡¯ll probably adopt this system to write lyrics. When Kim Hee Sang sang one verse, cheers erupted from the audience. It was the first verse of Kim Hee Sang¡¯s greatest hit song, ¡®Don¡¯t Give Up When It¡¯s Hard¡¯. Led by Kim Hee Sang who sang in the center, the members of Awy assembled one by one to a triangr formation. Kim Hee Sang threw off his gat while dancers held gs and stomped in ce behind Awy. The way they walked solemnly as if on a march gradually heightened the atmosphere. ¡°It¡¯s like a demonstration.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ Is it the 1st of March?¡± ¡°The concept is clear here.¡± There was also admiration from the studio watching the scene. The members of Awy sang one line at a time. Then as Lee Joo Hyuk¡¯s rap ended, the atmosphere reversed with a ¡®bam!¡¯ sound. (Catch!) (There!) The people marching were bewildered by the pre-recorded sound effect. Kim Hee Sang signaled them to go first. The dancers went out to the side while Awy hesitated before running away. The dancers dressed as Imperial Japanese Army officers surrounded Kim Hee Sang. He struggled as if resisting, but eventually the officers made him kneel down and the stage went dark. ¡°Heok! Get caught!¡± ¡°Wow¡­ It¡¯s like a movie.¡± One of the M.O.M. members sighed and said. The stageposition was solid, taking one theme and leading to a story format. The light in the center of the stage shone on the kneeling Kim Hee Sang. ¡°???? ?? ?? ???? ???.¡± Don¡¯t give up life, you who have suffered. Kim Hee Sang, who lowered his head, slowly raised his head and continued to sing. The audience¡¯s immersion in the increasingly elevated music and Kim Hee Sang¡¯s singing ability reached its peak. (Who¡¯s it!) (Shoot!) As Kim Hee Sang slowly stood up, the sound of people fighting fiercely was heard. (Eagh!) tter! On both sides of the stage, officers fell down one by one. Creaak! With the sound of the door opening, Awy entered and stood on both sides as if escorting Kim Hee Sang. The dancers also rushed in and followed Awy. As the powerful music arranged by Kim Hee Sang and Lee Joo Hyuk started, a wonderful group dance began. ¡°Woaaah!¡± ¡°Wow¡­ Even dancing? How can we beat this?¡± And in the center, Kim Hee Sang danced. Kim Hyun and Kim Ju Young used a trick here. They intensively taught Kim Hee Sang how to ride the rhythm. When looked closely, Awy and the dancers danced violently as if running, but Kim Hee Sang could be seen swaying up and down as if only his upper body was running. In that state, the timing of stretching out hand was not fast or slow, and the picture was perfectly ced. There was the effect of dispersed attention when there were more people on the stage. Also since the rehearsal was conducted separately, the camera director tactfully only showed his upper body for the broadcast. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s no joke¡­.¡± Park Sung Soo, who had performed with Pluto, let out a smacking sound as if disappointed. Watching Kim Hee Sang¡¯s performance following M.O.M and Lee Seong Ho¡¯s performance, he was truly disappointed with his performance. As Kim Hee Sang took two steps back, he disappeared as if swept away into the crowd. In this state, six members of Awy and the dancers bend their waists forward. Only Kim Hee Sang and Ian stood tall in the climax of the music, gazing at each other and delivering explosive high notes. ¡°Wooow!¡± After the high notes, Kim Hee Sang and Ian stared at the camera in front of them, and the camera took a close-up of their faces. The eye shadow applied to Ian¡¯s eyes reflected the light and glittered just right on time. ¡°Oh!¡± ¡°Awesome.¡± The people in the audience seats were left in awe by the thrill of the high notes and Ian¡¯s shocking visuals. Then as Kim Hee Sang and Ian bent their upper bodies down, the six members raised their upper bodies. With hands covered in powder prepared in their pockets, they put their arms high above their heads and pped. The scattering dust fluttered in the strong wind turned on in front of the stage. As a result, the dopo they wore above their stage costumes also fluttered beautifully. There was nothing but silence in the studio. ¡°This¡­ We lost.¡± Lee Seong Ho¡¯s low-key words prated through and everyone sighed as if they agreed. The audience¡¯s reaction was in a different dimension. ¡°???? ?? ???? ???.¡± Don¡¯t give up, loved ones. Kim Hee Sang, who sang thest verse, stood at an angle in the middle of the stage. Awy stood on either side of him. It was the ending pose of a typical boy group. ¡°Wow¡­¡± ¡°Kyaaaak!¡± After a brief moment of silence following the end of the performance, the audience screamed explosively. Even after Awy and Kim Hee Sang disappeared from the stage, the apuse continued. ¡°¡­The heat at the scene is very hot! It was the stage of the legend Kim Hee Sang and Awy!¡± The on-site host also looked nk as if he was in a lingering mood before hurriedly reading the script at the PD¡¯s hand gesture. ¡°Let¡¯s hold the on-the-spot voting!¡± The on-site host said so, but thought to himself, ¡®I think the winner has been decided anyway, is there really a need to hold a vote?¡¯. * * * As expected, there were no surprises. Nearly 80 percent of the on-site votes chose Awy and Kim Hee Sang team. ¡°With overwhelming votes, Awy and Kim Hee Sang team win the championship!¡± Poof! The pollen flew. All the cast on the stage smiled and pped. ¡°Please tell us how you feel!¡± The host handed over the microphone. ¡°I had so much fun working with Sonsaengnim. I want to be together again next time.¡± Lee Joo Hyuk replied and turned the microphone over to the side. Park Seo Dam received the microphone. ¡°We were able to decorate the stage well because there¡¯s Sonsaengnim who listened to even small opinions. And I think the fact that we were able to be on this stage as rookies was alsorgely influenced by Sonsaengnim. Thank you very much.¡± Park Seo Dam said his thoughts straightforwardly. Ian and Kim Ju Young ruffled his hair. ¡°Our legend! Hee Sang Sunbaenim, please say something too!¡± Kim Hee Sang took the microphone that Park Seo Dam politely handed over. ¡°I¡¯m happy to be with our cute grandsons on a new challenge andeback stage.¡± At his words, Awy cheered loudly. ¡°As expected, the performance was perfect as much as the team atmosphere was perfect!¡± The hostughed. He finished the stage by staring at the camera in the front. ¡°As we wrap up the Lunar New Year Special ¡®With The Legend¡¯! We will say our goodbyes!¡± The camera lights went out, and all the cast members shouted. ¡°Thank you for your hard work!¡± Awy also bowed like greeting robots. After the end, the production team and the cast were scheduled to gather and have an after-party3A bit of rification here. This is not a literal party but has a simr social context. Usually, this refers to going out for dinner and then drinking alcohol after an event. , but Awy was busy preparing for the next album and would be absent. The senior singers went down first. The junior singers greeted each other as they followed them down. ¡°Wow, it was so cool.¡± ¡°Thank you, Sunbaenim.¡± M.O.M came near and said. Their powerful sanpaku eyes4???. Three White Eyes. Sanpaku eyes refer to people with smaller irises so there is more white space around the iris. Themon one is additional white space below the iris, so ¡°three white sides¡±. But in this case it refers to the impression Sanpaku eyes give that¡¯s sharp, cold, and sexy. on the stage with Lee Seong Ho were gone somewhere and reced with innocent expressions. ¡°From ck Rush¡¯spany.¡± ¡°Oh, really? As expected¡­ Their stagepletion was different.¡± M.O.M went down the stage while talking among themselves. Awy also exchanged greetings with Pinky Lady and Triple Man, then bowed to Pluto at the end. Although they were both rookies, Pluto debuted two months earlier, so a senior was right. ¡°Thank you for your hard work!¡± ¡°Ah, yeah. Good job.¡± Pluto gave them a curt greeting and passed by them, then went down the stage. ¡°Ah, what¡¯s this.¡± ¡°With Kim Hee Sang¡­ Isn¡¯t that totally unfair.¡± ¡°We becameplete bridesmaids.¡± While the other members were embarrassed, Ian snorted inwardly. If that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t you guys try to team up with Kim Hee Sang. * * * ¡°Ah. We want to go to the after-party, too!¡± ¡°Wah, I¡¯m surprised.¡± ¡°Give us a heads-up thene inside.¡± As everyone sat exhausted in the van, Jo Tae Woong suddenly let out a scream. The other members trembled in surprise. ¡°¡­But it¡¯s true we want to go.¡± ¡°If we go, we¡¯ll eat meat, right?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll eat chicken breast.¡± All the membersughed as if out of their minds. ¡°I think I¡¯ll get sick just from looking at chicken now.¡± ¡°What about fried chicken?¡± ¡°Fried chicken¡¯s an exception.¡± ¡°Ah, I want to eat fried chicken.¡± ¡°Dong Soo Hyung! Let¡¯s humanly order fried chicken today!¡± As all the members sang ¡®fried chicken! fried chicken!¡¯ together, Manager Park Dong Soo sighed. ¡°Guys, you really can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Hyung. We even won thepetition.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­.¡± As Park Dong Soo trailed off as if thinking, the members¡¯ eyes lit up. If they keep pushing, won¡¯t they be able to tear some chicken legs today? ¡°Hyung¡­ We only have 300 grams left until our target weight.¡± ¡°You know that 300 grams are just for one person, right?¡± ¡°Just for one day! Only today!¡± Ian also said earnestly and grabbed onto the back of the driver¡¯s seat tightly. ¡°¡­Okay! Only today!¡± ¡°Woow!¡± ¡°Guys, I¡¯m driving now. It¡¯s dangerous.¡± Who cares? We¡¯re so excited! Awy screamed and jerked their shoulders up and down. ¡°If you keep making a fuss, there¡¯s no chicken.¡± At Park Dong Soo¡¯s firm words, the members shut their mouths. Everyone¡¯s cheekbones were up at the thought of eating chicken. * * * ¡°Fantastic!¡± ¡°Yeah, this is it!¡± Upon arriving at the agency, BHL Entertainment¡¯s Director Seo Su Ryeon treated them to fried chicken upon hearing about Awy¡¯s victory. It was a whopping one chicken per person. ¡°Ah, I want some soda.¡± ¡°No. That¡¯s thest conscience.¡± There was no coke in a dieter¡¯s conscience. ¡°You know we have to practice the choreography after eating this, right?¡± ¡°Ah, Hyung. We¡¯re still touched by this.¡± Ian groaned at Park Jin Hyuk¡¯s words. As expected, Park Jin Hyuk was the master of awkward silence. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m a bit impatient.¡± While preparing for the album, Park Jin Hyuk was also preparing for ¡®Idol Rapper¡¯ hosted by N. ¡°It¡¯ll be alright.¡± Park Jin Hyuk¡¯s final ranking was known, but it wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t understand the feeling. Ian offeredfort and took a bite of chicken. ¡°Sonsaengnim said we cane to the studio anytime.¡± ¡°We need to contact first at least, but we don¡¯t have a phone, right?¡± Park Jin Hyuk poured water again. The other members booed. ¡°Let¡¯s go there when we get our phonester.¡± ¡°But, we¡¯ll be ruined this time, right?¡± Thepany building was bright even though it was time to leave work because theireback shed with Mydea. This was because everyone was working without time off or weekends. Entertainment employees were no different from the 3D industry53D ??. It¡¯s a kind of ng(?) that refers to jobs that are Difficult, Dirty, or Dangerous. Some main examples are production, construction, and environmental jobs. Often rted to jobs that have low applicants, low pay, but high job intensity. . ¡°Let¡¯s just hope for the Rookie Award this year.¡± ¡°Will we be able to get the Rookie Award? ¡°We have to prepare for oureback right after this promotion.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ Such a great extreme schedule.¡± Still, it was good that the album was steadily scheduled. Park Seo Dam started to lift the mood in the increasingly sagging atmosphere. ¡°But today¡¯s performance was really great.¡± ¡°Right, it was fun.¡± They felt attached to the performance as it was created with their own hands from beginning to end. ¡°But I can¡¯t do it twice.¡± ¡°Right, it was so hard.¡± ¡°If it didn¡¯t sh witheback, we could have done it better.¡± £ÛThese guys. Are you sad about the performance or the chicken?] Before they knew it, the members who ate the chicken only sucked their fingers as if disappointed. ¡°Now, let¡¯s take a 10-minute break for digestion, and practice again.¡± ¡°Yeess¡­¡± Everyone answered Lee Joo Hyuk¡¯s words without energy.
Published 23 March 2023By adminCategorized as English Trantion, Entertainment Life With A Camera Chapter 38 Chapter 38 Already Up.Grade B Trantion: A mix of MTL and Human Trantion. Tranted and interpreted as best as I can. Mixed with some Korean terms. Misinterpretation may ur due to limitedprehensive ability. Awkward English, bad grammar, and typos may often ur as Trantor is not fluent in English and not edited by Editor nor proofed by Proofreader. ¡°My head¡­ My head¡¯s on fire!¡± ¡°Eii, what a drama.¡± The hair designer lightly brushed off Jo Tae Woong¡¯s fuss. Jo Tae Woong¡¯s hair was coated in bleach. ¡°Noona! My head is burning!¡± When Ian shoved the vlogging camera1?? ??? (self-camera). There¡¯s no proper name for this kind of camera in Korean or English. Most probably refers to Canon Legria/Vixia Mini. It has apact size with a screen that can face the front. When in action it looks like apact powder case. Commonly used in Korea for vlogging. in, Jo Tae Woong put on a cool expression as if he had never been like that. ¡°Why suddenly acting cool? I¡¯ve been filming you for a while.¡± ¡°Eii.¡± Jo Tae Woong rxed his expression. ¡°Does it hurt that much?¡± ¡°I mean it. No joke, really.¡± Jo Tae Woong will be performing with purple hair in this album. ¡°I want to dye my hair too.¡± If it weren¡¯t for the drama schedule, Ian might have bleached his hair too. Now that he¡¯s done filming Jo Tae Woong¡¯s painful scene, Ian turned off the vlogging camera. ¡°I heard you¡¯ll be filming today.¡± ¡°Not my scene, but I have to goter.¡± When Ian drank a coconut drink, Jo Tae Woong frowned as if hating it. The drink Ian was holding was a drink that was strongly divided between likes and dislikes along with the pine needle tea drink. ¡°Do you drink that too?¡± ¡°Why? It¡¯s delicious.¡± When Ian offered the drink, Jo Tae Woong avoided looking at it as if seeing a bug. ¡°The female lead is Lee Seo Hyun, right? Be careful.¡± ¡°Did you get hit, too?¡± Ian had already worked hard to reject Lee Seo Hyun¡¯s proposal for a blind date during the previous drama filming. Too? Jo Tae Woong raised one eyebrow. ¡°Did you get hit already?¡± ¡°Now I¡¯m a master at avoiding her.¡± Of course, it was possible because of Jin¡¯s help. Park Dong Soo entered the shop and called Ian. ¡°Ian, let¡¯s get going.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going.¡± ¡°G¡¯luck. You know we¡¯ll meetter, right?¡± ¡°I know.¡± Jo Tae Woong sent him off by just waving his hands. He was frowning as if his head was still burning. Ian arrived at the filming site of the drama in a van. It was the scene where Kim Seo Hyuk, who yed Seong Min¡¯s child role in the y, and Jung Hee Eun, who yed the role of mother, were acting. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± The nearby staff uttered a nk exmation when Ian appeared at the scene while preparations for filming were still underway. Ian approached Director Choi and bowed down. ¡°Wee.¡± ¡°Here, is this my seat?¡± Ian pointed to the vacant seat next to the director, and Director Choi nodded. ¡°But, I nned to watch quietly in the back like before.¡± ¡°It was a pity that I couldn¡¯t see Ian¡¯s face back then. So since you¡¯re already here, let¡¯s see in the front.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Ian immediately sat next to the director. He opened the script and read the scene for today¡¯s filming. ¡°Omo, why did my big sone here? Isn¡¯t there no filming for you today?¡± Jung Hee Eun, who came to shoot, kindly talked to Ian beside the director. Ian stood up again and bowed down. ¡°Hello, Sunbae nim.¡± ¡°What sunbae nim, that¡¯s too stiff. You can call me mom.¡± She made idle remarks. ¡°I¡¯m not used to it yet. It¡¯s my first drama as a leading role, so¡­¡± ¡°Oh yeah? But didn¡¯t you say you were busy?¡± ¡°Today is an important scene, so I¡¯m also going to watch and learn a lot.¡± Jung Hee Eun¡¯s eyes sparkled. In fact, she had a prejudice against young actors. ¡°The child actor¡¯s name was Seo Hyuk, right? He did so well during the reading.¡± ¡°Right, he was good¡­.¡± Nowadays, there was talk among veteran actors about some young actors who disregarded the sense of realism and stayed cooped up inside the van, onlying out to act mechanically during filming. Acting requires coordination between the staff and actors, but they eat separately in the van and leave immediately after filming. Whether it¡¯s an actor¡¯s disease or something else, that doesn¡¯t mean their ransom will go up. ¡°My big son doesn¡¯t seem like the kids these days.¡± ¡°Yeah? Is that apliment?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Ian was even handsome at that, so it seemed like she unnecessarily unt her pride. Jung Hee Eun, who hadpletely eradicated her prejudice, smiled kindly. ¡°Let¡¯s start filming soon!¡± The staff became busy at the assistant director¡¯s shout. Leaving her regrets behind, she approached Kim Seo Hyuk and talked to him. It was her routine to immerse herself before filming. ¡°Stand by!¡± After all the filming preparations werepleted, the actors were captured on camera. At the director¡¯s cue sign, Jung Hee Eun took Kim Seo Hyuk¡¯s hand and ced it on her neck. ¡°Aah- Can you feel the vibration? This is sound.¡± Kim Seo Hyuk made a curious expression while feeling the vibration felt at his fingertips. ¡°My Seong Min, let¡¯s try ah-?¡± Jung Hee Eun pointed at her open mouth and touched Kim Seo Hyuk¡¯s lips slightly. ¡°Good. Ah- hold mom¡¯s neck.¡± Kim Seo Hyuk opened his mouth as he felt the vibrations in Jung Hee Eun¡¯s neck. Jung Hee Eun breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that her son followed her lead well despite such a simple behavior. ¡°¡­Ah.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± After feeling the vibration for a while, Kim Seo Hyuk let out a sound. At that moment, cheers spread across Jung Hee Eun¡¯s face like ink spreading through water. The trembling voice and delicate facial expression, it was a different level of acting from the reading. ¡°Cut! That¡¯s great!¡± The director also signaled cut with a satisfied expression. While Jung Hee Eun and Kim Seo Hyuk monitored the footage, the staff began removing the props one by one from the set. £ÛWhy take them out?] ¡®¡­For details.¡¯ No matter how well this country¡¯s medical insurance system is running, raising disabled children costs a lot of money. In a society where dual ie has be essential unless you are a golden spoon, it is a reality that one guardian must take care of the child and it costs a lot depending on the required education and environment. ¡®That¡¯s why it shows the audience the disposed home goods one by one.¡¯ £ÛThe director is also not an ordinary pervert. The guys who watch the broadcast and catch those are also perverts.] As expected, those who will seed in the future differentiate themselves through such details. Ian silently appreciated the actors filming the next scene. ¡°Put strength on your stomach, Seong Min.¡± Jung Hee Eun ced her hand on Kim Seo Hyuk¡¯s stomach and pressed it slightly. Kim Seo Hyuk frowned as if trying hard. ¡°Strength! More strength! Open your mouth! Make sound!¡± Kim Seo Hyuk was on the verge of tears at Jung Hee Eun¡¯s stern expression. Suddenly, he began hitting his ears. ¡®What¡¯s this?¡¯ The script didn¡¯t have an action note for hitting the ears. It was purely an act of Kim Seo Hyuk¡¯s immersion. Immersed in the role of Seong Min, Kim Seo Hyuk thought that the reason why ¡®Mom¡¯ was so angry was that he couldn¡¯t hear. ¡°Seong Min-ah! Don¡¯t!¡± Also immersed in the y, Jung Hee Eun grabbed Kim Seo Hyuk¡¯s arms in embarrassment. Kim Seo Hyuk made struggling sounds and writhed. ¡°Seong Min-ah! Mom is, Mom is sorry!¡± An adult can fully control a small child¡¯s struggles. However, Jung Hee Eun felt weak and let go of her grip. Kim Seo Hyuk ran into his room and mmed the door shut. ¡°Seong Min-ah¡­¡± Jung Hee Eun looked at the bedroom door in despair. Tears filled her eyes. The tearful expression showed remorse and regret. I wanted people to feel that when they see my son, he is no different from others and just can¡¯t hear. I thought it was for you to go this far. But did I use that as an excuse to push you too hard? Did I vent my anger? I¡¯m still young, and I still wanted to do a lot of things. Will it all be over if I work hard now? How long do I have to do this? She shut her mouth tight. ¡®I can¡¯t give up yet.¡¯ Jung Hee Eun, who opened her eyes wide, swept tears with her arms, and got up to open Kim Seo Hyuk¡¯s door. ¡°¡­Cut! Thanks for your hard work!¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± It was a scene that was achieved without a single NG2No Good. Mistake in the shoot. The main reason a scene is taken multiple times. . The staff eximed all over the ce. Ian was also no different. Jung Hee Eun cried a lot because she couldn¡¯t get out of her immersion. Kim Seo Hyuk approached and hugged her legs. ¡°Wow¡­ Really amazing.¡± Kim Seo Hyuk was smiling brightly as if he had never done so. As expected, the future genius actor. It¡¯s a different level from the sprout. Ian greeted Jung Hee Eun who came to monitor with a tissue. ¡°At least use this.¡± ¡°Huh, thanks. I thought of my daughter for no reason.¡± Jung Hee Eun pulled out a tissue and wiped her eyes. Ian approached Kim Seo Hyuk, who was drinking orange juice from his guardian, and crouched down to meet his eye level. ¡°Hi, Seo Hyuk. Do you remember me? We met at the reading.¡± ¡°Hello. Adult Seong Min, right?¡± Kim Seo Hyuk greeted with a belly button bow3Formal bowing where you put your hands together above your navel and bow. . Ianughed at the gesture, finding it cute. ¡°Hyung really likes your acting. But can you tell me why you hit your ears in the middle?¡± ¡°When the TV broke, my mom just hit it! So I thought I could hear if I hit my ears, so I hit them! It¡¯s because of me that ¡®mom¡¯ gets angry!¡± Kim Seo Hyuk¡¯s mother, who was standing in the back, swept the child¡¯s back embarrassingly while saying ¡®this kid¡¯. ¡°Wow¡­ That¡¯s it? Seo Hyuk is really good at acting.¡± Kim Seo Hyuk ran around the setughing as if in a good mood at Ian¡¯s praise. ¡°I¡¯m not saying empty words, but I think he¡¯s amazing. A genius.¡± ¡°What. It¡¯s all because the kid is good at it.¡± Ian raised his thumb in admiration. When a child is praised, it¡¯s only natural for the mother to also feels good. Kim Seo Hyuk¡¯s mother blushed. ¡®It would be nice to be close to a future genius actor.¡¯ On the other hand, it was a pity that he didn¡¯t get to act with Kim Seo Hyuk. ¡°By the way¡­ Could you sign for me? I¡¯m a fan.¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯d like to take a picture with Seo Hyuk too, is that okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to ask you a favor.¡± Kim Seo Hyuk¡¯s mother replied with a delighted expression. Ian signed with a smile. In the next shoot, there would be a scene where Jung Hee Eun expresses anger about Kim Seo Hyuk being bullied, but Ian didn¡¯t have time. ¡°I¡¯ll take the photo.¡± Ian took a picture with Kim Seo Hyuk in his arms. The photo was posted on Mystagram a few minutester. SeohyukMom (Picture) Our Seo Hyuk took a picture together with Awy¡¯s Choi Ian! I¡¯m a fan of him personally, but he¡¯s very handsome in person. Please watch the one-act drama on Station K which will air soon! ?So heart-warming! ?Is it good to make money by selling your child? ?Seo Hyuk Mother! Please ignore above! Thank you so much for posting the picture! ?There¡¯s no bite during hiatus so thank you for posting the picture! ?Seo Hyuk is so pretty! The maliciousments were swept away by the stormyments from Awydom. * * * After watching the filming, Ian had to go shoot additional footage for the music video. There was some time left before the MV shoot, so Ian visited the entrance of Hongdae. When Ian arrived at Hongdae Station, the other members were waiting for him. ¡°You¡¯re here?¡± ¡°Notte, right?¡± ¡°Just in time.¡± Kim Hyun weed Ian. As they became morefortable together, the half-formal conversation between brothers was changing to informal speech.4In here Ian doesn¡¯t use formal speech anymore. Before he used half-formal speech, which is a more rxed formal speech but still keeping respect towards the opponent. Jo Tae Woong tapped Ian on the back. He was covered with a wide bucket hat and a scarf warped his face. ¡°Ah, that surprised me. Are you a robber?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a spoiler-proof look.¡± Other members were not much different from Jo Tae Woong. Ian also fixed the hat and mask prepared in advance and went down to the subway. ¡°Where¡¯s it?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s this way.¡± Members looked around. Ian looked at Jin in the air. ¡®Go, Jin! I chose you!¡¯ £ÛAish¡­] Jin whined but still disappeared somewhere. £ÛOver there.] ¡°Not that way.¡± Ian showed the way skillfully. Memberspletely trusted Ian¡¯s instincts and followed him withoutint. ¡°Uh? Found it!¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± Awy came to a stop in front of an electronic disy and stared at it. On the disy, there was a photo of Awy posing for a group photo at a fan signing event. It was an advertisement created by fans to celebrate theireback. ¡°We still have a long way until oureback¡­ But, it¡¯s already up.¡± Lee Joo Hyuk said nkly. We miss you guys! Love you! Congrattions on debut and firsteback! In addition, traces of fans who came for the electronic disy tour remained as post-its.
Published 31 March 2023By adminCategorized as English Trantion, Entertainment Life With A Camera Chapter 39 Chapter 39 Does Homma Make Money?Grade B Trantion: A mix of MTL and Human Trantion. Tranted and interpreted as best as I can. Mixed with some Korean terms. Misinterpretation may ur due to limitedprehensive ability. Awkward English, bad grammar, and typos may often ur as Trantor is not fluent in English and not edited by Editor nor proofed by Proofreader. Awy huddled together and looked around at the post-it notes. There were words of encouragement all around. ¡°They didn¡¯t know if we woulde or not, but they still put them up?¡± ¡°Maybe they¡¯ll collect them all and make a message book after to give us. I heard that from ck Rush hyungs.¡± ¡°Wow, amazing sincerity.¡± When everyone was speechless, Jin said. £ÛIt¡¯s a popr spot.] ¡®How much for this?¡¯ £ÛFor this spot¡­ I think it¡¯s around 5 million? It¡¯ll be more expensive if the duration is longer.] ¡®That¡¯s crazy¡­¡¯ Ian¡¯s mouth fell open. Looking at the edge of the electronic disy, the name of the home masters were listed in small letters. £ÛUsually, hommas sell goods like slogans and prepare for this kind of thing. If not enough, they¡¯ll pay for it themselves. Judging from the good editing, it seems like they put in a lot of effort.] If even the pessimistic Jin said this, it must be really good. ¡®But, does homma make money?¡¯ Ian suddenly became curious. A hand popped out of Jin and he folded a finger every time he listed something. £ÛMost can¡¯t make money. They have to attend everything from music showmutes to fan signings, and even follow along on overseas tours if there are any. If they can¡¯t make it for some reason, they have to buy data from others.] ¡®Can¡¯t they just follow as much as they can?¡¯ £ÛThose people are just photographer fans. For hommas, whether they attend everything or not can determine whether they be a top seed1Most popr. or not.] ¡®Soundsplicated.¡¯ £ÛThat¡¯s why they usually take out a lot of loans. It can be replenished by selling goods like slogans, but sales vary depending on the singer¡¯s poprity.] Singer¡¯s poprity¡­ Ian groaned. This was because he remembered hommas and core fans who followed such a few schedules during Kim Yong Min¡¯s time. Did they also follow us while in debt? Then, if we want to repay the fans now, we need to be famous quickly¡­ ¡®So are all hommas running without profit?¡¯ £ÛThat¡¯s not it.] Jin raised his index finger and shook it from side to side. £ÛTop idol¡¯s top seed hommas make a lot of money. Mydear most popr member¡¯s top seed homma sells at least 5,000 pieces just for one slogan.] ¡®Wow, then how much is it?¡¯ £ÛSince it¡¯s 20,000 won each, about 100 million? The higher the quantity, the lower the production cost, so the better the profit remains.] ¡®Crazy.¡¯ £ÛThey need to do their best to support the singer as much as that. But it¡¯s still a profitable business.] The more you know, the more surprising the world is. £ÛI think the hommas who put this up already showing their support to grab the top seed. If you want to repay them, the only way is to be famous.] Of course, there is a dilemma when you be that famous. Going inside the airport to take pictures, or riding the same flight. Actions that are no different from sasaeng. Well, it would be faster to experience it firsthand. Omitting detailed exnations, Jin floated in midair. Awy stared at the disy for a long time. A few women passing by behind paused their steps wondering, ¡®no way?¡¯. Park Dong Soo¡¯s feet fidgeted among the growing crowd. ¡°Dong Soo Hyung, can we take proof photos?¡± At Lee Joo Hyuk¡¯s words, Park Dong Soo took out his phone. ¡°I¡¯ll take it for you.¡± Men in masks posed on both sides of the electronic disy. Someone who appeared to be a fan screamed, took out her cell phone, and pressed the shutter. ¡°Time to go, guys.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we stay a bit longer?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no time. It¡¯s also getting crowded.¡± Awy sadly moved away from the disy. Fans gathered near them one by one after hearing the news. ¡°What to do¡­¡± ¡°Guys!¡± The speed of gathering was faster than expected. Awy waved to greet the fans. ¡°Too many people areing.¡± Awy took a step back in fear. Park Dong Soo stopped the fans from getting too close. ¡°Please keep your distance, everyone.¡± Fortunately, no fans crossed the line. ¡°We really have to go.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s bet on who gets to the van first. Go?¡± ¡°Loser buys drinks. Dong Soo Hyung, go first!¡± Jo Tae Woong made another bet. He was followed by the manager and other members. Before also running along, Ian approached the fan who took a video and slightly lowered his mask to show his face. The fans screamed. ¡°Thanks so much for putting up the disy. Thanks for the support too.¡± Ian grinned and ran away. ¡°Heoo¡­ Crazy¡­¡± The fan who was filming the video opened her mouth wide. Fans around her who looked at the running Awy in a stunned manner approached the fan who filmed the video. ¡°Didn¡¯t you film the video? Please post it!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t watch it alone!¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll post it right away.¡± The fan uploaded the video of Ian to Bluebird. -The kids came to see the ad disy in Hongdae?????????? -The kids are all wrapped up, but their physicals are amazing ??? -Hey, seen the video RTed a lot in Bluebird? It¡¯s crazy???? ?Saw it????? Ian-ah??????? ?I¡¯m crayinggg??????? ?Crazy facee????? * * * ¡°Choi Ian is thest!¡± ¡°Oh damn it.¡± This time, six members except Ian were determined to hold him in check. In the end, Ian sat in the van for thest time and closed the door. ¡°Hyung! Phone please!¡± Panting as if still out of breath, Park Dong Soo opened the gallery. ¡°Dong Soo Hyung really took pictures well.¡± The members flipped through the gallery. They felt proud as they looked at the big electronic disy again. ¡°We even got this kind of advertisement¡­ We seeded!¡± Everyone agreed with Park Jin Hyuk¡¯s words, but Ian added unnecessaryments. ¡°It¡¯s too early to discuss sess.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Park Dong Soo eximed. Ian returned the phone to Park Dong Soo and continued. ¡°At least we have to get to the COEX panorama ads to call it a sess.¡± ¡°That 100-meter ad?¡± ¡°Wow, it would be amazing if we could get our ad up there.¡± ¡°But it looks expensive over there. Will there be fans who can afford it there?¡± Park Dong Soo encouraged the confused members¡¯ attitudes. ¡°You just have to work hard enough to make it happen, guys. You guys are doing really well these days.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Absolutely! Director Seo was even wondering how many pre-order albums we should make.¡± Album pre-orders don¡¯t indicate sales volume, but rather how confident they are in selling them, so many agencies make media ys about how many album pre-orders they provide. ¡°Ah! Come to think of it, we forgot to bring the post-its!¡± Kim Ju Young eximed in surprise. ¡°No. It¡¯s right not to take them.¡± Park Dong Soo said while turning the steering wheel. ¡°If they hear that you guys came and took the post-its, the fans will rush to put them up everywhere. Then the fans and staff will argue over it,ining that it¡¯s messy. If the controversy gets bigger, it¡¯ll be even on the news. ¡®Fandom culture has gone too far¡­ Is this okay?¡¯ Something like that.¡± ¡°Will it be really like that?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s like a pilgrimage to the Holy Land for fans, but if anything gets too extreme, the noise only gets worse.¡± Most of the members tilted their heads as Park Dong Soo¡¯s words seemed to go over their heads. Park Dong Soo arrived at their destination and stopped the car. ¡°You¡¯ll be going to go through it one by one. Let¡¯s go to work.¡± ¡°Yep.¡± Perhaps because of the electronic disy effect, everyone was motivated. * * * Awy had a busy time preparing for aeback and repeatedly changed their schedule in the middle. The recording was re-recorded multiple times while the choreography that had been nned in advance was discarded within a day and started to be choreographed again. Eventually, the agency withdrew the vacation they had given for Lunar New Year. ¡°It seems you guys can¡¯t rest.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ It can¡¯t be helped.¡± The members were disappointed but epted it. Ian had originally not nned to go home, so he thought he wouldn¡¯t be bored alone on Lunar New Year¡¯s day. ¡°Still, I heard it¡¯s better to work than to go home during the holidays.¡± Ian consoled the members by quoting what he heard from Jin. ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s buy beef bone soup again and make rice cake soup.¡± ¡°No rice cake. You¡¯ll gain weight.¡± Park Dong Soo cut Lee Joo Hyuk¡¯s words firmly. * * * There was only one good thing about not going on vacation. That everyone could monitor ¡®With the Legend¡¯ which premiered on Lunar New Year¡¯s day. And of course, the members weren¡¯t about to listen to Park Dong Soo¡¯s words that they would gain weight. They made up for not being able to go home for to Lunar New Year by eating. ¡°Who bought this kimchi? Too salty.¡± ¡°My mom made it for us, though.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ Is it Joo Young¡¯s mom¡¯s home specialty? Thebination of salty kimchi and rice cake soup is incredibly delicious.¡± ¡°Kimchi is supposed to have a salty taste, Hyungs.¡± After a risky conversation, Kim Hyun picked up the remote control. ¡°Isn¡¯t it time to start soon?¡± ¡°There must get a lot of ads. They keeping out.¡± ¡°Wow, I¡¯m nervous. Ours wille out in two weeks, right?¡± Today¡¯s episode will feature the first meeting of legends and junior singers and how they nned the stage. ¡°Starting.¡± After thest coffee ad ended and the screen transitioned, ¡®With The Legend¡¯ began. The first team was Pinky Lady and Lee Chun Ja. Since it was a seat with a strong senior singer, Pinky Lady hesitated and offered their opinion. (What concept do you think is good, Sonsaeng nim?) (Well? Haven¡¯t you guys thought of anything?) Pinky Lady smiled awkwardly at Lee Chun Ja¡¯s retort. Even when Pinky Lady presented their opinions, Lee Chun Ja refused, saying she didn¡¯t like it. £ÛNo wonder the stage was boring.] The mood was simr to Pluto and Park Sung Soo, who came up next. When Pluto was so motivated that they threw various opinions, Park Sung Soo interrupted and blew the candle. (After we do the backflips here!) (That¡¯s it! Good!) M.O.M and Lee Seong Ho¡¯s team had a pleasant atmosphere, overflowing with enthusiasm as they added this and that. If Awy and Kim Hee Sang¡¯s team felt like a grandfather and grandsons, this team felt like an owner showering love on his dogs. Of course, the dog position was M.O.M. ¡°Wow¡­ Did they improvise that?¡± ¡°So badass.¡± When Triple Man and Kim Jung Soon sang a few songs without much discussion, the scene where they arranged as if inspired by each other was like a scene from a music movie. ¡°By the way, the show is almost over. When are weing out?¡± Said Park Jin Hyuk. He bragged to his rtives that he would be on the air. ¡°That¡¯s right. Only 15 minutes left.¡± ¡°Uh? Coming out.¡± (And!) (Herees the best legend!) Along with the narrator¡¯s solemn voice, Awy enters Kim Hee Sang¡¯s studio on the screen. ¡°Wow, Seo Dam shouldn¡¯t wear that outfit anymore.¡± ¡°I look puffy right, Hyung?¡± ¡°Uh, you look fat.¡± The membersughed, perhaps nervous about being on terrestrial TV during the prime time of the holiday. ¡°We look good in the camera now.¡± ¡°We¡¯re celebrities, celebs.¡± They also didn¡¯t forget to brag. After subtitles and narration that wrapped up the heartwarming scene of Awy and Kim Hee Sang, it was around the end of the broadcast. (Sonsaeng nim, do you have any thoughts about dancing?) The first episode ended with a close-up of Ian¡¯s handsome face. ¡°Hiya, they ended it like this.¡± ¡°Today¡¯s ending fairy is Choi Ian.¡± ¡°Fairy! Fairy! Please wash the dishes!¡± ¡°Huh, nonsense~ Let¡¯s y rock-paper-scissors!¡± Ignoring the boos of the members, Ian stuck out his fist. And after the first episode of ¡®With the Legend¡¯ aired, themunity response naturally exploded. -Kim Hee Sang really came out? -Wow, darn handsome. -Dance lololololol Won¡¯t it be a legend if Kim Hee Sang dances? -They just threw that out lololololol -So, who are they? -If Kim Hee Sang dance, the wholemunity will explode lol
Published 31 March 2023By adminCategorized as English Trantion, Entertainment Life With A Camera Chapter 40 Chapter 40 It Seems We Couldn¡¯t Chart In.Grade B Trantion: A mix of MTL and Human Trantion. Tranted and interpreted as best as I can. Mixed with some Korean terms. Misinterpretation may ur due to limitedprehensive ability. Awkward English, bad grammar, and typos may often ur as Trantor is not fluent in English and not edited by Editor nor proofed by Proofreader. ¡®With the Legend¡¯ Kim Hee Sang Presents A New Attempt, ¡®Hot Topic¡¯ The Meeting of Young Bloods and Legends Blow A New Wind to Weekend Variety Show Community response exploded after thest episode of ¡®With the Legend¡¯ aired. Until the next day after the broadcast, real-time search terms on ¡®With the Legend¡¯ dominated the portal site. -Seen the performance? So amazing, really -Watchingst week, it seemed they made all the choreography and ideas themselves, but it looks dope -It¡¯s crazy to match the stage with the 1st of March -Awy, right? It seems they¡¯re recruiting for a fanclub? Fans made gifs of Awy¡¯s clips and posted sales posts like crazy. The agency also released the behind-the-scenes photos of ¡®With The Legend¡¯ at good timing. -Kids¡¯ in durumagi, so insane?? -So fab crazy?? -Guys. Concept photo is out, go go go In addition, the concept photo announcing theeback was also uploaded. Naturally, Awy¡¯s fans influx also went up like crazy, But at this point, there is always someone who can¡¯t stand to see others doing better than them. That actor who was almost cast in the lead role for ¡®I Want to Hear Your Sound¡¯ posted on N-board. However, the response went differently than in the previous life. The production crew of IWHYS already uploaded a video of Ian¡¯s pre-meeting. Seeing his serious appearance in it, fans defended thements, urging others to hear both sides of the story. Ian also sent the actor¡¯s personal information in advance that the actor was not even a deaf through reporters that Jin knew. Anonymously, of course. ¡®IWHYS¡¯ Controversy Over the Casting of Disabled People¡­ Turns Out ¡®Pretending to be Disabled¡¯ Controversy Over Impersonating Minority Went Too Far¡­ Is It Okay to Be Like This? Reporters introduced by Jin fell for the bait. In the end, the poster couldn¡¯t attract any aggro, deleted the post, and ran away. But there is another problem. In IWHYS behind-the-scenes video, Ian appeared with an image of a too-upright life. ¡®Ah, this could be a bit of a problem.¡¯ If the image is portrayed as a model student, upright life, or simr to those, it could have a strong adverse effectter on. £ÛIdols should have a moderate bully vibe.] ¡®But if you¡¯re really a bully, it¡¯ll be a mess.¡¯ Fortunately, he is still a rookie. The image can change at any time. tranted by maroonmaru.xyz * * * tranted by maroonmaru.xyz AWY Music Streaming Team @AWY_STRM Finally, it¡¯s the firsteback day! (Picture) Please upload the streaming guide and streaming list again! Helpers, please check the group chat room. Awydom Kim Eun Ha checked the group chat room. Most of the singers who have formed a fandom to some extent have a music streaming team, and the main purpose is to raise the entry real-time ranking as much as possible. Ga2 Music Team Staff ¨C You can stream ording to the streaming list from 6 o¡¯clock. We¡¯ve given you the ID sheet, so you can download it from 6:30. Please don¡¯t reply to this message. Even before the singer makes aeback, the music team raises money for the music and collects IDs with the voluntary help of fans. Since it is difficult to put music on the chart only with streaming, it is also necessary to download simultaneously. Of course, they don¡¯t just download the music on the day it¡¯s released. If the chart rank drops, they will download again. Meanwhile, they continue to stream music as much as possible. Some seasoned fans even purchase separate devices and turn to stream music all day long. It¡¯s no exaggeration to say that these practices are rted to how idols line up the charts. When Kim Eun Ha opened the shared spreadsheet, she saw a long list of IDs that the music team had collected in advance. ¡°Wow¡­ I¡¯m nervous.¡± Kim Eun Ha, who participated as a helper for the music team, muttered to herself. It was less than an hour before the release of the song. ¡°Aish. Should I have just bought a ticket for the showcase?¡± Then Kim Eun Ha would have been stanning at the showcase site in peace, but she opened SNS to calm down her disappointment. -If you don¡¯t stream while watching the showcase, you¡¯re dead (fist emoji) -Everyone, it¡¯s our kids firsteback, so shouldn¡¯t we try to rank higher ???? The showcase will be uploadedter, so let¡¯s stream and download first???? -You can watch the showcase and mv to your heart contentter ?? We have to take care of our kids¡¯ entry ranking Even though the song hadn¡¯t been released yet, fans were already whipping others to move. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t be feeling full already, though.¡± Kim Eun Ha sighed. It was a negative side effect caused by the increase in the influx of Awydom. tranted by maroonmaru.xyz * * * tranted by maroonmaru.xyz Awy was proceeding with theeback showcase. A press showcase was held from 4 o¡¯clock, and a stage was prepared for fans from 8 o¡¯clock. Sensing the unusual influx of Awydom, the agency decides to broadcast the showcase live on Y-app. It was a strategy to attract more fans by increasing essibility. ¡°Teacher¡­ I¡¯m dying.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t die yet.¡± After sessfullypleting the press showcase, the membersy down on the floor with a mat. Their average sleep time was less than five hours these days. ¡°Whose knockoff c is this? Choi Ian again?¡± ¡°Yeap.¡± ¡°Crazy guy.¡± Skillfully receiving the beverage can thrown by Kim Hyun, Ian opened the can and drank it. ¡°We can sleep for about an hour.¡± ¡°Still I¡¯m d it¡¯s morefortable than thest outfit.¡± ¡°Last time, we couldn¡¯t even lie down properly in case it would wrinkle.¡± The outfit for this time was not uniform-style, but sporty tech wear. ¡°Guys, aren¡¯t you guys eating? Support came in.¡± ¡°We have to eat then sleep.¡± Like people who are obsessed with eating, they jumped up at the news of the meal. ¡°Wow¡­¡± Still, Ian, who thought he wouldn¡¯t be surprised by his experience with meal support, let out a series of exmations. Also this time, it was a carefully prepared menu and package. The members who devoured the lunch box filled with only what each member liked put down their chopsticks with satisfied expressions. £ÛAren¡¯t they different hommas fromst time?] ¡®Oh yeah?¡¯ Ian fiddled with the cheering cards in wonder. Home Master Union is the same but the home names are different thanst time. There were other hommas written besides ¡®Iron Heart¡¯, which was always included in this kind of support. ¡°I want to sleep, but I can¡¯t lie down.¡± ¡°Lay down after digesting.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t you feel like throwing up if you lie down now.¡± The membersughed. When theyughed with their eyes half open because they were sleepy, it was difficult to tell whether they were idols or zombies. ¡°It¡¯s past six, guys. Congrattions on your firsteback!¡± ¡°Congrattions!¡± Company employees and staff congratted them. ¡°Thank you!¡± Awy greeted politely. When the modifier ¡®first¡¯ is added, a new emotion must be felt. But doesn¡¯t it seem like the employees are more excited than the singers? tranted by maroonmaru.xyz * * * tranted by maroonmaru.xyz ¡°How many minutes until 7 o¡¯clock?¡± ¡°Two minutes.¡± Time flies and the time hase for real-time charts to change. This time, we decided to check the chart rankings together. Awy nervously prayed for time to pass with the phone they extorted from Park Dong Soo. ¡°What will be the ranking this time?¡± ¡°I wish we could chart in at least.¡± ¡°We got inst time, so won¡¯t we get in again today?¡± Mydear¡¯s music release was justst week. Looking at Mydear¡¯s already lined-up rankings1Just in case you don¡¯t understand, when all songs from an album and even some previous songs line up on the rankings. For example, the title song is 1st ce and 2nd-7th ce are other songs from the same album. This happens because of strategic mass streaming by fandoms. with envious eyes, the members scrolled up and refreshed it. ¡°Where is ours?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see?¡± The chart changed anew after an hour. Awy naturally scrolled to the bottom. When it wasn¡¯t visible at the end of the chart, Lee Joo Hyuk gently scrolled up. ¡°Isn¡¯t it going up too high?¡± ¡°But we can¡¯t see it.¡± ¡°It seems we couldn¡¯t chart in.¡± At the moment when the members were gradually losing their motivation, Ian snatched the phone from Lee Joo Hyuk¡¯s hand. His eyes grew as big as amp. ¡°Crazy!¡± ¡°Hey. Why did you suddenly take it?¡± ¡°We¡¯re here!¡± Ian showed everyone the phone screen. The members frowned as they tried to find their group name on the screen, but soon their faces brightened. ¡°For real?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t see it wrong, right?¡± Just in time, the cheers of the staff in the hallway in front of the waiting room were heard. It was followed by Awy bouncing up. ¡°Woaaaah!¡± ¡°That¡¯s crazy!¡± When Park Dong Soo opened the door of the waiting room with a smile, Awy was already running around and hugging each other. ¡°Congrattions, guys!¡± On the table, Park Dong Soo¡¯s phone screen disyed Awy¡¯s name proudly ranked 56th. tranted by maroonmaru.xyz * * * tranted by maroonmaru.xyz ¡°Everyone! We¡¯re ranked 56th!¡± ¡°Really?¡± And cheers were also continued by the fans who were waiting to enter. Even when they arrived at the showcase venue, they did not forget to stream and download. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s higher than expected¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± ¡°Everyone, you have to turn on streaming when you go in!¡± ¡°Yees!¡± The music team staff at the scene encouraged the fans. Fans responded pleasantly to the rise in the rankings. tranted by maroonmaru.xyz * * * tranted by maroonmaru.xyz ¡°What to do. Seo Dam¡¯s eyes are swollen.¡± ¡°Really?¡± The staff who was checking the makeup was startled and looked at the members. Park Seo Dam looked teary-eyed. ¡°Are they that swollen?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s all right.¡± Park Seo Dam burst into tears at the higher-than-expected ranking. The makeup director applied a thickyer of eyeshadow to Park Seo Dam¡¯s eyelids. It looked like a panda because it was too dark, but it was possible since more than half of it would be gone under the lighting anyway. ¡°Isn¡¯t this okay?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s obvious.¡± Noona¡¯s skill is superb. They didn¡¯t forget topliment the makeup staff. ¡°If we¡¯re already ranked 56th, can¡¯t we be ranked 10th next time?¡± ¡°A good dream up, approve.¡± ¡°If we didn¡¯t ovep with Mydear, wouldn¡¯t we have gone up even higher?¡± ¡°So close.¡± Awy felt better and their sleepiness flew away at once. Everyone smiled and wore microphones. ¡°Let¡¯s repay the fans well today.¡± Lee Joo Hyuk said and held out his hand in the air. Members put their hands over it. They shouted their usual chant and went up to the stage. ¡°Kyaaaak!¡± The stage became dark and fans screamed just by looking at the silhouettes of the members forming the choreography formation. On the electronic disy, the countdown numbers went down one by one, and finally, the stage lights turned on. The tech wear they wore at the press showcase was for the title song, so Awy changed their clothes again. It was a light fluttering blouse and cotton pants. The first song was a fan songposed and written by Lee Joo Hyuk and Park Jin Hyuk. The members danced lightly to the spring-like music and smiled at the live camera. ¡°Long time no see, everyone!¡± The fans cheered. Individualment viins shouted here and there while Park Seo Dam received a microphone and cue card given by the staff. ¡°Kim Hyun so handsome!¡± ¡°Love you, Lee Joo Hyuukkk!¡± Individualment viins are people who shout and talk loudly alone among the audience so that the members can hear. ¡°Aish. If you want to say something, write it in your diary.¡± ¡°Such badments. Seriously, why are they like that?¡± There was a buzz in the audience. They not only interfere with the progress of the singers who were talking on stage but also raise other audience¡¯s eyebrows at the sound of pterodactyls. ¡°Everyone. If you keep doing this, I can¡¯t proceed. Please refrain.¡± Park Seo Dam cut off their individualments. The members said ¡®Oh ~¡¯ and tapped Park Seo Dam on the shoulder. ¡°Yes! Everyone wee to Awy¡¯seback show today!¡± It was decided to proceed with the showcase without casting a host and led by Park Seo Dam instead. Other members watched Park Seo Dam, who stepped forward and worked hard leading the showcase. As they looked at him with sentimental gazes like parents sending their child to elementary school for the first time,ments on the Y-app exploded. -Look at them lolololololol -I thought they¡¯re parents lololololololol -Ah so cute ¡°Before we sing the next song! We got questions from the fan cafe in advance, right? Today, let¡¯s take time to answer that!¡± The staff set simple chairs on the stage and gave each member a hand mic.
Published 10 April 2023By adminCategorized as English Trantion, Entertainment Life With A Camera Chapter 41 Chapter 41 You Remind Me of Someone.Grade B Trantion: A mix of MTL and Human Trantion. Tranted and interpreted as best as I can. Mixed with some Korean terms. Misinterpretation may ur due to limitedprehensive ability. Awkward English, bad grammar, and typos may often ur as Trantor is not fluent in English and not edited by Editor nor proofed by Proofreader. Park Seo Dam flipped the cue card and asked the members a question. ¡°Which member do you want to introduce to your younger sister?¡± ¡°Oh, the answer has alreadye out.¡± Ian pointed to Lee Joo Hyuk. The other members also did the same. Lee Joo Hyuk smiled shyly. Meanwhile, he chose Ian. ¡°Joo Hyuk hyung has a really good personality. He¡¯s the kind of brother I want to resemble.¡± ¡°As expected of the leader.¡± When Kim Ju Young said that, Kim Hyun and Park Jin Hyuk on both sides nodded. Jo Tae Woong picked up the microphone. ¡°There¡¯s no need to go that far. If I were a girl, I would date Joo Hyuk hyung.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a bit¡­¡± ¡°Why Hyung. Do you not like me?¡± When Lee Joo Hyuk shook his head and refused, Jo Tae Woong stared at him seriously. ¡°This. We should also listen to Joo Hyuk hyung¡¯s opinion.¡± ¡°Why? Everyone. I¡¯m good, right?¡± As Jo Tae Woong walked toward the audience, fans cheered and apuded. He shrugged at the cheers. The reaction was more interesting than expected, so Jo Tae Woong had be a crowd-pleaser within the group for a long time already. ¡°Let¡¯s move on to the next question.¡± Park Seo Dam flipped the cue card. ¡°Is there anything you want to do with fans this year? I want to have a fan meeting.¡± ¡°Right, we already have an official fanclub!¡± ¡°Concert for me!¡± ¡°Reverse tribute for fans!¡± As the members spoke with enthusiasm, their voices ovepped and it was hard to tell who said what. There were responses on the real-time Y-app calling them beagles and found them cute. Then, after the question time about the album work was over, Awy changed their outfit while the MV¡¯s behind-the-scenes video yed on the screen. Once again, they received a song with strong beats and choreography with a strong performance. For the sake of the dance formation¡¯s picturesque, it required the move of lying down to the floor as if copsing and putting the upper body backward to turn the body back and stand up only with core strength. Those were high-level movements. ¡®We have to be famous soon.¡¯ After the song was over, Ian gasped while preventing his breathing from entering the microphone then vowed. When a singer bes famous, their influence in the agency increases, and their right to speak increases by itself. ¡®Be famous then get rid of all choreography like this.¡¯ The high-level moves were Ian and the main dancers¡¯ portions. Like Ian, the panting Kim Ju Young and Kim Hyun exchanged nces with each other. ¡®If they ask us to do this again for the next promotion, let¡¯s go on strike.¡¯ The three who read each other¡¯s thoughts nodded at the same time. tranted by maroonmaru.xyz * * * tranted by maroonmaru.xyz After the showcase, music show activities began in earnest. This time, they finally got a solo pre-recording with 300 fans rather than a joint pre-recording with other groups. ¡°Wow, what is that over there?¡± People densely lined up in the square across the street. ¡°Isn¡¯t that Mydear?¡± ¡°I guess so.¡± Mydear has over 1,000 attendees for their pre-recordings. That made Awy, who was happy about having a solo pre-recording with 300 fans seem insignificant. ¡°The fan manager1They¡¯re staff that manages fans. To decide whoes in first, to calm those who go over the line, to direct fans when there¡¯s an event by fans, to kick out sasaeng listed in the cklist, and many other things. over there must be tired too.¡± Fan managers have to manage such arge number of people, checking each fan¡¯s album2To watch pre-recording you must apply and win the chance(lottery/firste-first-serve). And if you win it you must bring some requirements: an opened album from that promotion, an identity card to prove that youe yourself, and songs download proof from a streaming site. Fanclub membership and lightstick are sometimes also required., identity card, and even determining admission numbers individually, while also dealing with those who try to cut the line afteringte and sending them to the back of the queue. £ÛThere, the fan manager and a fan are fighting. So much fun.] As Ian saw Jin shake the popcorn pail, he sighed. For thiseback, Awy was nominated for first ce. The excitement of being nominated was short-lived because the members did not expect to win first ce. The group they werepeting against was Mydear, which could confidently be said to be the current No. 1 boy group in Korea if you were to rank them. ¡°This week¡¯s first ce is¡­ Mydear! Congrattions!¡± Of course, Mydear ranked first and Awy ranked second. Even so, there was an enormous gap in the scores and it was safe to think that it was almost Mydear¡¯s dominance. ¡°Wow. Still, we got second ce.¡± ¡°We can do it next time, right?¡± The members hid their disappointment and pped. Ian watched Mydear¡¯s back as they gave their eptance speech familiarly and sang an encore. ¡®We¡¯ll definitely win first next time.¡¯ We didn¡¯t expect it, but it still felt disappointing. Ian turned around and went down the stage with the members. tranted by maroonmaru.xyz * * * tranted by maroonmaru.xyz During the promotion period, they came out early in the morning to go around music shows and then followed by fan signing events without rest. Their average sleep time was three hours. This schedule must continue for four weeks. There were even two consecutive fan signing events on Sunday. Ian and the members took a nap in the waiting room. £ÛYour fan signing cut went up. Everyone bought more than 30 copies.] ¡®Really?¡¯ Still, the good news is that the fan signing cut had also increased due to the rise of Awy. £ÛEven so, the album sales can¡¯t make much money.] Of course, Jin wasn¡¯t willing to just let go of Ian being happy. But Ian actually didn¡¯t even hear him. Fan signing cut was like an indicator of an increase in the number of fans. It was a huge rebound that over 20 copies went uppared to before. ¡°Hello, Noona! You¡¯re here again.¡± ¡°Hi, long time no see. Congrattions on youreback.¡± Ian smiled brightly as he looked at Jang Min Hee, who was almost always present now. Unconsciously, Ian asked Jang Min Hee while signing the album. ¡°Why did Noona start liking us? Did you like the busking in Daehak-ro back then so much?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true it started from then.¡± ¡°Ah. Is it kind of hard to ask about this?¡± The moment when Ian tried to move on to another topic after ming his wandering mind. Jang Min Hee mumbled low as if it had many meanings. ¡°Actually, you remind me of someone when I see you.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Oh? Is that me, perhaps? Ian looked up at Jang Min Hee. Behind him, the fan manager said, ¡°Please move on to the next table¡±. ¡°I¡¯ll be back next time.¡± Jang Min Hee smiled faintly and went over to the side. ¡®What¡¯s it¡­¡¯ It felt strange. Maybe she found traces of Kim Yong Min in Ian¡¯s trivial habits or manners? Without knowing that, he felt guilty because he remembered previously when he wanted her to remember and like Kim Yong Min until the end. tranted by maroonmaru.xyz * * * tranted by maroonmaru.xyz Jang Min Hee was star-struck when she happened to see Kim Yong Min, a trainee at MI Entertainment. Even after learning that Kim Yong Min was released and went to anotherpany, she continued to search for traces of him. The first impression of the boy group ¡®Diamond¡¯ was that they were a group she thought would copse soon because the name wasme, the concept was alsome, and even the agency was alsocking. And despite not being exceptionally handsome and not having such perfect skills, Kim Yong Min just stood out. ¡®Let¡¯s buy a cannon3NOT A TYPO. A ng (in Korean) for those cameras with big telephoto lenses, because it¡¯s so big and like a cannon.¡­!¡¯ Eventually, after a long period of denial, she bought a camera and followed all of his schedules. As she piled up full attendance and members recognized her, she felt superior. ¡®Noona has liked me since back then?¡¯ In particr, whenever she saw Kim Yong Min looking at her gratefully, she felt proud and even thought, ¡®Yeah, I should fill my singer¡¯s pride¡¯. ¡®I have to hang a birthday ad soon, but.¡¯ ¡®How much tribute do I put in?¡¯ ¡®How many years do I have to spend to follow events?¡¯ She did not have pseudo-romance feelings toward Kim Yong Min. She wanted to run with him toward sess. She wanted to see him seed as an idol. And she wanted to feel a sense of aplishment and vicarious satisfaction that she and other fans paved that way. ¡®What¡¯s wrong with you when I¡¯m doing this much?¡¯ ¡®His skill is getting better, but¡­ They said luck is also a skill, but why isn¡¯t it working out for him?¡¯ ¡®Why came out on such a program?¡¯ As she became more and more engrossed in stanning, she became too immersed in the singer. As a result, her stanning life that began with pure fan spirit gradually distorted. Although she belittled the ugly Kim Yong Min, she followed his schedules, thinking that he wouldn¡¯t have any homma if it wasn¡¯t her. ¡®Diamond¡¯ Minjoon¡¯s Speeding Marriage, Group¡¯s Comeback Canceled. ¡®Diamond Yongmin¡¯ Participated in the Album¡¯s Song-Concept-Choreography, But Regrettable Comeback Cancetion. Fans like their singer¡¯s dazzling appearance. However, Kim Yong Min was unable to be like that. When he unfortunately failed to join the Korean Wave group Jupiter and when he debuted with a member who caused trouble. Jang Min Hee felt dejected by the sight of everything he touched going awry. Fans also grow tired when liking an unfortunate idol. Jang Min Hee followed other celebrities¡¯ events besides Kim Yong Min for no reason and also went to other rookie groups¡¯ showcases. However, there was no one she came to like as much as Kim Yong Min. ¡®Diamond¡¯ Practically Going Through the Disbanding Process. ¡®Diamond¡¯ Some Members Disappeared After Agency Went Bankrupt¡­ And she realized toote that she was ruining herself by immersing herself vainly in a singer. She had been hoping for his sess but ended up thinking of him as she pleased and trying to change things on her own. ¡®Still. He should at least let us know where and what he¡¯s doing at the fancafe before going¡­ No. I have to let him go now.¡¯ It may seem ridiculous to think about letting go between a singer and a fan, but at least Jang Min Hee thought that she had been holding him back. She went back to her original resolution when she first became his fan. Now, she just wished he could be happy wherever he is even if he didn¡¯t seed. At the same time, she also wanted Kim Yong Min to remember that she was a special fan. Then one day, when she was visiting Daehak-ro with her husband. ¡°There are a lot of people over there. Shall we go take a look, too?¡± Jang Min Hee stared nkly at the idol trainees¡¯ performance that she happened to see. She liked the energy unique to the rookies. ¡®Yong Min couldn¡¯t dance either¡­¡¯ Especially, the most handsome guy on the far left was so busy following the dance that his eyebrows nted. But strangely enough, he looked like someone she knew even though he had a face on apletely different dimension. ¡°Wow¡­ They sing well.¡± ¡°Huh. This is my favorite song.¡± After the dance time was over, the trainees held up the microphones and sang. Jang Min Hee listened to Ian¡¯s song nkly. ¡®Yong Min also liked that song.¡¯ Eventually she approached Ian, who was helping with the cleaning up, and asked him when they would debut. Awy, December¡­ It¡¯s in December? As she also ended up watching dramas starring Ian as a minor role, she went to Awy¡¯s debut showcase as well as their fan signing events. ¡®Hei. I won¡¯t be a fan again, at this age¡­.¡¯ All the while, she vowed that she would never be a fan inwardly. Despite having already gone through a period of denial before, she was oblivious. ¡°Ah, I shouldn¡¯t do this.¡± Jang Min Hee kept opening and closing the drawer for no reason. At that moment, Awy¡¯seback teaser came up on notification. ¡®Was my preference actually a terribly good face?¡¯ It was the thought of Jang Min Hee, who clicked theeback teaser rm. Eventually, she entered the living bedroom as if she had made up her mind. Even if there¡¯s a break from stanning, there¡¯s no quitting! It was the moment when Jang Min Hee took out the cannon camera from the drawer. I shouldn¡¯t get too immersed this time. She vowed and then shepletely became a fan. tranted by maroonmaru.xyz * * * tranted by maroonmaru.xyz Having received all the members¡¯ autographs, she returned to her seat and pressed the shutter again. She had no intention of being a hardcore fan like when she was a fan of Kim Yong Min. She nned to simply enjoy fangirl life while living as a photographer fan. ¡®Today¡¯s preview came out well.¡¯ Jang Min Hee giggled lightly as she posted real-time photos of the site. And Ian, who was watching her appearance on Jin¡¯s screen, also smirked. ¡®If I had saved my country in my previous life, wouldn¡¯t that Noona be among the rtionships in my previous life?¡¯ £ÛMaybe so.] If you think about it like that, it was a pretty strange rtionship. Ian shook off his guilt. Instead, I have to make her like a sessful singer this time. He smiled happily as he made up his mind like that. Red cross marks appeared explosively from the front. And at that very moment, the greatest pictures that would be talked about over and over again came out, calling it Choi Ian¡¯s legendary fan signing day. While Awy was busy continuing theireback activities, ¡®I Want to Hear Your Sound¡¯, starring Ian as the lead, aired.
Published 10 April 2023By adminCategorized as English Trantion, Entertainment Life With A Camera Chapter 42 Chapter 42 I Want to Hear Your Sound.Grade B Trantion: A mix of MTL and Human Trantion. Tranted and interpreted as best as I can. Mixed with some Korean terms. Misinterpretation may ur due to limitedprehensive ability. Awkward English, bad grammar, and typos may often ur as Trantor is not fluent in English and not edited by Editor nor proofed by Proofreader. ¡°A University? He¡¯s going to A University?¡± ¡°He did study pretty well, didn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Hey, how well could a disabled do. I¡¯m sure he was lucky to get epted through special needs admission.¡± ¡°It must be nice to receive preferential treatment for being disabled and go to a prestigious university. Isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Even his pronunciation is bad. How did he pass the interview?¡± Knowing that Seong Min could read lip movements, the students looked directly into his eyes and said. ¡°Don¡¯t put your head down and look straight, Kim Seong Min.¡± Isn¡¯t that how you can hear our words clearly? The students giggled and mocked Seong Min. ¡°Seong Min, are you here?¡± At the sound of the door opening, Seong Min¡¯s mother rushed to greet him at the front door. Seong Min entered his bedroom without saying a word. ¡°Seong Min-ah?¡± Seong Miny on the bed and covered himself with the nket up to his head. Seong Min¡¯s mother gently shook him. ¡°Did something happen at school? Seong Min, you have to look at mom.¡± ¡°Mom¡­ Can I not go to college?¡± Seong Min raised his upper body and looked at his mother. With awkward speech, his voice trembled as if he was about to burst into tears. ¡°What¡¯s wrong suddenly? You tried hard to go there.¡± ¡°However¡­¡± ¡®People are scary. Will it be different just because it¡¯s a university? I think it will be the same even if I go to university.¡¯ Keeping those words inside, Seong Min lowered his head. ¡°Since you passed the exam after working hard, let¡¯s go for at least one semester.¡± Seong Min¡¯s mother grabbed his cheeks and gently lifted his head. ¡°Let¡¯s live like everyone else, son. If you go there, something will be different.¡± It¡¯s not what I wanted, it¡¯s what Mom wanted. Resenting and angry at his mother for not understanding his feelings, his eyes turned red and filled with tears in an instant. tranted by maroonmaru.xyz * * * tranted by maroonmaru.xyz ¡°ss transcriber?¡± ¡°Huh. You¡¯re preparing to be a stenographer, so aren¡¯t you fast at typing? It¡¯s just the perfect job¡­.¡± ¡°I wanted to try it, though.¡± Yu Ra rolled up the pasta and put it in her mouth. Yu Ra carefully bit the fork with her teeth as if in worry. ¡°You can fill in a line in your cover letter and also get an hourly wage.¡± ¡°Oh yeah?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to find a helper these days¡­.¡± Yu Ra¡¯s friend who works at school sighed. Yu Ra, who finished eating, put down her fork and said. ¡°Shall I try it for the experience then?¡± ¡°Really? Then, let¡¯s submit the application form right away!¡± Yu Ra put in the application form with a light heart, withoutplicated thoughts. ¡°You should write down everything, not only the contents of the ss, but also the ss atmosphere and the jokes the professor tells.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°And if you arete or absent, you must call in advance.¡± However, after participating in the required orientation, she realized that there were many things to consider, different from her initial thought that she would just have to transfer the contents of the ss. ¡°Did I say I would do it for nothing?¡± Yu Ra, who was inwardly annoyed, answered the phone. (Hey, it¡¯s fate. Such a fate. There¡¯s someone with a simr timetable as yours.) ¡°Really?¡± Yeah, since I¡¯ve already decided to do it, I should just do it. Yu Ra stretched herself out. And the start of school was approaching. Yu Ra, who came out earlier than usual, grabbed her coat tightly. ¡°Ugh, it¡¯s cold¡­¡± It was chilly since it was still early March. On the day of the first ss, she had toe out earlier than the lecture time and meet the fellow student to help with the transcribing ¡°There¡­¡± Someone tapped Yu Ra on the shoulder. ¡°Hello¡­ Woah, daebak.¡± Yu Ra eximed when she saw Seong Min¡¯s face. She quickly took out her cell phone and tapped it. (You¡¯re really handsome.) Seong Min smiled faintly as he read the text. He tapped a text and showed her the screen. (You can just say it. I can read lip movements.) ¡°Is it so?¡± Yu Ra stretched her face by opening and closing her mouth widely without caring that her face became ugly. ¡°I look forward to working with you.¡± As she spoke clearly with her mouth wide open, Seong Minughed. Yu Ra looked at that appearance as if mesmerized. After sitting at the front of the ssroom, they discussed how to transcribe and how much time to allocate for organizing after ss. ¡®What? Why staring at us?¡¯ Yu Ra frowned at the people entering the ssroom, who were looking at them curiously. ¡°What? Is he disabled?¡± ¡°He¡¯s handsome. What a waste.¡± Yu Ra sighed and said. ¡°Excuse me, but yournguage is a bit harsh.¡± The people flinched when she protested openly. However, that was only for a moment. They responded with a brazen look on their faces. ¡°Why? He can¡¯t hear us anyway.¡± No matter if he can hear or not, that¡¯s not something a person should say. Yu Ra was infuriated, but the professor entered the ss and they had to quickly take their seats. * * * ¡°Okay, I think that¡¯s enough for the review. Do you want to grab a meal together?¡± Seong Min touched his fingertips as if in deep thought. He looks handsome even when he¡¯s thinking. I recall there¡¯s a mention that he is more attentive in conversations than others. Yu Ra blushed at Seong Min¡¯s stare for no reason. ¡°If you¡¯re still a freshman, it¡¯s understandable you don¡¯t know any good eating ces around here. I¡¯ll tell you everything.¡± Seong Min nodded after much thought. Yu Ra eximed ¡®oh yay!¡¯ and led him. ¡°But didn¡¯t you call me earlier? There, like this. Why don¡¯t you speak now?¡± I heard from the orientation that somemunicate in oralnguage. When Yu Ra turned her head and spoke while showing her lips, Seong Min flinched in surprise. Suddenly, he remembered being an outcast in high school. ¡°Something happened, huh?¡± Yu Ra quick-wittedly observed his reaction. ¡°It¡¯s a waste. You tried hard to learn it. Your voice was nice too.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°When you feel better, please speak directlyter, not through the phone screen. With that sound.¡± As there were many cars passing by in the alleyway to the restaurant, Yu Ra pushed Seong Min towards the inner side of the alley and stood by the roadside. Seong Min made a puzzled expression at her consideration. tranted by maroonmaru.xyz * * * tranted by maroonmaru.xyz ¡°Yu Ra, it¡¯s been a while. Did youe back to school?¡± ¡°Oh, yes¡­¡± Yu Ra hardened her expression. The man, who was senior to Yu Ra, looked at Seong Min sitting next to her and snorted. ¡°I heard you volunteered for the disabled. Is this kid the one?¡± ¡°Sunbae nim, we¡¯re in the middle of a ss review¡­¡± ¡°Hey, I¡¯ll buy you coffee.¡± The man sat across from her tactlessly. Yu Ra breathed a sigh of resignation andpared the transcript with the recorded version to fill in the parts she hadn¡¯t been able to write. The man spoke to her out of baseless jealousy for their peculiar atmosphere. ¡°Isn¡¯t My Yu Ra so kind?¡± ¡®My¡¯ Yu Ra? Who gave you permission to call me ¡®my¡¯? Yu Ra retorted to the senior who had just returned to school. ¡°Am I kind? I just did it for the volunteer credit, you know?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Oh yeah?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m helping a pitiful disabled, I must look kind, right?¡± Yu Ra exhaled in disbelief. It was volunteer work that started with a light heart. However, she became more immersed in the attention Seong Min was receiving and was angry for him instead. ¡°He¡¯s not pitiful, he just needs a little consideration.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°And it seems like Sunbaecks that consideration entirely.¡± Would you leave now? Yu Ra issued an order to leave. tranted by maroonmaru.xyz * * * tranted by maroonmaru.xyz ¡°How was school today?¡± Seong Min nodded silently. His expression, which had been gloomy when leaving the house on the first day of school, gradually brightened over time. Seong Min¡¯s motherughed. ¡°The helper seems to be a nice person, huh? It¡¯s okay after going there, right?¡± Seong Min nodded. Still don¡¯t feel like talking, huh? Seong Min¡¯s mother tried to brighten her expression, which was about to harden with worry. ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡± tranted by maroonmaru.xyz * * * tranted by maroonmaru.xyz ¡°He just can¡¯t hear, but he¡¯s still the same person!¡± ¡®Why does she get angry?¡¯ For him, it was given for people to discriminate against him, ignore him, or sympathize with him, saying he was pitiful. Seong Min¡¯s feeling was getting weird to see Yu Ra getting angry on his behalf. ¡°I like your face. And I also like you as a person too. What about you?¡± Seong Min couldn¡¯t bring himself to say that he also liked her when she confidently confessed. He looked too shabbypared to her confident self. ¡°Ta-da, I¡¯ve put all the subtitles.¡± Even in ambiguous situations where he neither refused nor agreed, she kept looking for him. Seong Min liked her bright and confident energy. ¡°Don¡¯t mind other people¡¯s eyes. What do you want to do?¡± (I don¡¯t know.) Seong Min felt guilty seeing his parents who had given up parts of their lives because of him. There were times when he thought if just there¡¯s no him and that he shouldn¡¯t have been born when seeing the worsening living conditions and the reduced size of the house. Children who opposed when the teacher said ¡°Our friends have to help!¡± for granted, and the bullying that started because of it. Seong Min thought that all of it stemmed from himself who couldn¡¯t hear. ¡°This is not given. That person was rude.¡± However, there was someone who spoke up for his hidden feelings, which he hadn¡¯t even realized, and Seong Min gradually began to open up his heart. tranted by maroonmaru.xyz * * * tranted by maroonmaru.xyz ¡°Do you regret giving birth to me, Mom?¡± Seong Min, who opened his mouth again, asked after much thought. However his mother showed no signs of regret or resignation. She said with a natural expression as if just looking at a passing speck of dust. ¡°Not at all.¡± tranted by maroonmaru.xyz * * * tranted by maroonmaru.xyz ¡°Are you not going to speak now? Your voice is good to hear.¡± ¡°I like you, too.¡±1This could have a double meaning. In the Korean sentence, there¡¯s no object, so it can refer to Seong Min liking Yu Ra as well or him also liking his voice. Yu Ra turned around with a surprised expression at Seong Min¡¯s words and stared at him. Yu Ra couldn¡¯t find anything to say to his sudden confession and just opened her mouth. ¡°I feel better now.¡± Thanks to you. He took steps closer to her. ¡°Because I¡¯m not wrong.¡± I¡¯m just a little different. Standing right in front of Yu Ra, Seong Min smiled as if he had let everything go. He looked at Yu Ra¡¯s face and rolled his eyes towards the camera. The director¡¯s cut sign rang in the ears of Ian, who had maintained eye contact with the camera for a long time. tranted by maroonmaru.xyz * * * tranted by maroonmaru.xyz ¡°Thank you for your hard work!¡± After finishing filming, Ian approached writer Park Joo Yeon. Ian said to the writer with aplex expression. ¡°So, Yu Ra is Writer Park¡¯s loudspeaker, right?¡± ¡°You caught me.¡± Writer Park smiled faintly. IWHYS was mainly a repetition of the structure in which Yu Ra scolds people when they say something. ¡°I wanted to say it through Yu Ra. It¡¯s just that they¡¯re all the same people, not only my Unnie but also other people. No one is born wrong.¡± ¡®That family¡¯s daughter was wrongly born.¡¯ ¡®Can¡¯t you hear everything if you wear a hearing aid?¡± ¡®Why is her pronunciation like that?¡¯ The prejudiced words that the family received, the dagger-like words wrapped in the cloak of concern. Even if they can¡¯t hear, they can fully understand it through the atmosphere and facial expressions. It was a scenario that she wrote while looking at her older sister, who was gradually losing self-esteem among people who take discrimination for granted. She wanted people to see this and change their perception even a little bit. ¡°It may seem like a typical shoujoic, but I felt this was necessary. As you know, dramas rted to sexual minorities are slowly emerging, but there are not many dramas rted to disabled yet.¡± Writer Park smiled brightly as if she had finally finished what she had to say. tranted by maroonmaru.xyz * * * tranted by maroonmaru.xyz After the broadcast, ¡®IWHYS¡¯ went up on the real-time search keywords. Along with the outstanding editing of the director¡¯s delicate and calm directing, people¡¯s interest exploded in the story of a minority that had not been well portrayed in the media. -Today¡¯s one-act drama was dope too -Ending face is crazy, frazy really???? -I thought it was just the typical K-melodrama, then I cried for no reason??? ¡®IWHYS¡¯ Effect, K University¡¯s Disabled Student Support Center ¡®Helper Volunteer Increased Five Times From Last Year.¡¯ ¡®IWHYS¡¯ Seems Like A Typical Love Story and Why It¡¯s Not. ¡®IWHYS¡¯ Choi Ian¡¯s Fans Donate 10 Million Won to Disabled Welfare Organizations¡­ ¡®Positive Influence¡¯
Published 23 April 2023By adminCategorized as English Trantion, Entertainment Life With A Camera Chapter 43 Chapter 43 Why Don¡¯t You Look at Noona¡¯s Camera?Grade B Trantion: A mix of MTL and Human Trantion. Tranted and interpreted as best as I can. Mixed with some Korean terms. Misinterpretation may ur due to limitedprehensive ability. Awkward English, bad grammar, and typos may often ur as Trantor is not fluent in English and not edited by Editor nor proofed by Proofreader. ¡°Ian-ah, aegyo please!¡± ¡°Joo Hyuk-ah! Look here too!¡± Local broadcasts red here and there amid the constant sound of shutters. ¡°Aegyo? I¡¯m not good at aegyo though.¡± Ian took the microphone. When he winked, cheers and groans immediately erupted from fans. Ianughed at that and greeted the next fan. ¡°Seo Dam-ah, why don¡¯t you look at Noona¡¯s camera?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Park Seo Dam, who was signing the autograph, looked at the fan in surprise. She spoke with a smile, but her voice and demeanor conveyed a sense of disappointment. ¡°You only looked to the right¡­ I came from far away. Isn¡¯t that too much?¡± ¡°Did I do that? Where¡¯s Noona¡¯s seat? I¡¯ll look over there, too.¡± ¡°There.¡± ¡°Over there?¡± Park Seo Dam craned his neck to scan the seat she had pointed out. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Noona. The third row on the left, right? I¡¯ll be sure to remember it.¡± ¡°Yeah, make sure to look there.¡± Park Seo Dam smiled and said goodbye to the fans. Wow, they also strike like this. Park Seo Dam calmed his surprise and greeted the next fan. ¡°Tae Woong-ah, why haven¡¯t you proofed1That thing where the artist wears the gifts given by fans to ¡°proof¡± that they have received and are using it well. It¡¯s either the artist takes a picture by themselves and uploads it to their social media or the fans will look for themselves from Homma¡¯s photos. it?¡± ¡°What proof?¡± ¡°I sent you a brand B ball cap, but you haven¡¯t worn it.¡± ¡°Wow! Did you send me that expensive thing?¡± Wearing a flower crown handed over by a fan, Jo Tae Woong opened his eyes wide as if surprised. ¡°Thank you very much, Noona. We¡¯re busy, so we didn¡¯t have time to go to thepany. I¡¯ll make sure to wear it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a bit disappointing when other members proof their gifts well.¡± Jo Tae Woongughed forcefully as the fan whined. BHL Entertainment is not apany that banned tributes, nowadays called support. Therefore, when fans ask about support, they provide thepany address and tell them to send it there, and fans send fan letters or various gifts to this address. Of course, because something strange may have been sent, thepany employees unpack and examine it first before handing it over to the gift receiver. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Noona. Really! I¡¯ll make sure to wear it.¡± ¡°Please move on now.¡± The fan manager said indifferently. The fan sighed and stood up. -Mydol proofed my gift??? So moved??? As expected, it looks good on him???? -Gallery¡¯s owner2This is a very specific Korean inte ng so I can¡¯t trante it well. Anyway this refers to a certain artist/figure that is the main topic of that gallery(simply put a discussion forum). proofed the supported ne and bag on his way home from work Fans attach a lot of meaning to the singer carrying the gifts they sent. Fans react immediately when they wear fashion items they gave to them on their schedules. And so there is bound to be the mentality of ¡°He proofed that person¡¯s gift, but why didn¡¯t he proofed mine?¡± thate out. tranted by maroonmaru.xyz * * * tranted by maroonmaru.xyz ¡°Just why. That¡¯s reallyme. Who brought it?¡± ¡°I think there are about five people who brought that.¡± ¡°Does the manager not take it away? I don¡¯t want to see it anymore.¡± Ian was wearing a dancing rabbit hat3That one rabbit hat which if you pressed the dangling legs part(?), the droopy rabbit ears moved upward. Or just search ¡°Korean Rabbit Hat¡±. given by a fan. At Kim Eun Ha¡¯s grumbling, a fan next to her said. ¡°But it¡¯s better than I-One. You know that name tag made with pop letters4Something like this? That¡¯s not prohibited there, so it was attached all over their clothes.¡± ¡°Oh really? It¡¯s not a kindergarten. I don¡¯t even want to see pictures with that on.¡± ¡°So, there are Hommas who erase all of that.¡± ¡°What kind of trouble is that?¡± Still, it¡¯s fortunate that Awy¡¯s agency banned putting stickers on the face or the back of hand and putting something on their clothes. Even while thinking so, Kim Eun Ha kept snapping pictures. ¡°Because he¡¯s handsome, it¡¯s like a pictorial even if I snapped roughly.¡± tranted by maroonmaru.xyz * * * tranted by maroonmaru.xyz ¡°Ian, you need to sign this, too.¡± After all the fans received autographs, Lee Joo Hyuk and Park Jin Hyuk were talking to the fans with microphones. Ian received albums from Park Dong Soo. Several albums were piled up high like a wall. ¡®Wow, is this a pir?¡¯ £ÛThe drama dide out well.] Jin said tly. After writing a thanks and signing an album, Ian passed it over to the side. Jo Tae Woong, who received it, skillfully signed it and passed it along again. The albums they signed were meant to be distributed to officials. Was this really IWHYS effect? It felt like there were so much more thanst time. After filling up the three-weeks promotion period, Awy wrapped up their second mini-album activities with thisst fan signing event. ¡°Hyung, I¡¯m done signing everything.¡± ¡°Good job. Is it okay if we go home a bitter today?¡± ¡°Ah, of course.¡± Usually, thest fan signing eventsted longer than the usual ones. Park Dong Soo nodded to the members as if telling them to take their time. Kim Hyun got up with a microphone. ¡°This is ourst fan signing. So, is there any choreography you want to see?¡± The members who finished signing the remaining albums stood up and approached the fans. Today¡¯s fan signing venue was a small theater, so the distance from the fans was unusually close. The fan in the front row blocked her mouth when she was about to scream. ¡°Please stay until thest train!¡± When one fan shouted, cheers erupted from various ces. The members alsoughed. ¡°Wow, shall we really do that? This promotion is also over now.¡± ¡°We are also sad.¡± Of course, their whole bodies were sore from the intense choreography, but they still felt sad as it was thest day of this promotion. ¡°A lot of people asked to turn on the Y-app more often and visit the fan cafe frequently. We¡¯ll do it until you get tired of it.¡± As soon as Lee Joo Hyuk spoke, everyone cheered. £ÛIt¡¯s better not to make promises you can¡¯t keep.] ¡®But that Hyung is already a fan cafe fixture, you know.¡¯ Awy took a group selfie with a phone given by thepany for Y-app instead of having a personal phone, and left a post on the fan cafe or official ount. Among them, Lee Joo Hyuk would be ranked number one for fan cafe visits. He posted a selfie almost every other day and sent his regards saying he left work after schedules. Furthermore, he even chose lunch for fans and yed together. But that didn¡¯t mean he monopolized the shared handphone. When everyone was having a quick nap between the busy schedules, he was even taking care of fans. He was a true leader of this era. ¡®I should also visit often from now on.¡¯ Ian also sometimes looked at the fan cafe next to Lee Joo Hyuk and took selfies with him. But merely looking was not enough, he had to write in person for fans to know. ¡°Shall we dance to our debut song?¡± At Park Seo Dam¡¯s words, fans mored for them to perform it. After all, don¡¯t fans usually want to collect each version and keep them separate for collection and safekeeping? ¡°Do we have music?¡± ¡°Should we just do it unapanied?¡± The same goes for the stage. Fans screamed at the thought of seeing the debut song in the Techwear version, not the uniform version. And this special stage was even more meaningful because it could only be seen today. ¡°Oh? Our manager Hyung is so well prepared, isn¡¯t he?¡± Park Dong Soo yed the AR of their debut song in a timely manner. Fans screamed as the members went to their positions and lined up for formation. When Awy finished their debut song, the yellow triangle signs were blinking continuously in front of Ian. ¡°I thought the song for this promotion would be the hardest. But our debut song was also quite hard, right? The members who were out of breath brought a bottle of water from the table where they signed and drank it. ¡°Honestly, this promotion was a bit hard for the three of us.¡± Kim Hyun, who had to perform a highly difficult choreography, put Ian and Kim Ju Young on both sides and put his arms on their shoulders. ¡°That¡¯s right, really.¡± ¡°Everyone knows, right? What kind of moves do we do at the dance break?¡± The three nodded in camaraderie. In order to match the movements, they put a mat on the floor of the practice room and practiced repeatedly. Those were movements that would strain the waist if there was wrong posture. ¡°No. Good job!¡± ¡°It was cool!¡± Fans threw individualments from here and there. The fans were quite generous with individualments during the fan signing event. ¡°But I¡¯m not even a dance member, so I don¡¯t know why I was in charge of the dance break part.¡± ¡°This is all because you gave too much energy in the running match with me, so why did you stop me?¡± Jo Tae Woong responded as if it was unfair5In case anyone still doesn¡¯t understand why Ian is in charge of the dance break, this is because the parkour moves Ian did back then inspired the concept for thiseback¡¯s choreography, so ofc Ian must be in charge of this part.. The fans responded well. The Imjingak running video was one of the videos that fans liked. ¡°Ah. By the way, we¡¯ll be doing LieV tomorrow!¡± ¡°Finally!¡± Ian never did it in the previous life so he didn¡¯t know, but LieV is afortable live broadcast while lying down. Due to the nature of the broadcast, LieV starts at 10 p.m. and hosts contents such as ASMR to help viewers sleep. ¡°It¡¯s our first LieV, so I¡¯m really looking forward to it.¡± ¡°What should we do tomorrow?¡± They received opinions from fans and finished theirst fan signing event. ¡°Well done, guys. Let¡¯s go to the dorm now.¡± After the fan signing event, Park Dong Soo encouraged Awy who entered the waiting room. While changing clothes, Jo Tae Woong suddenly raised his head. ¡°Dong Soo hyung! Did we get a lot of presents?¡± ¡°Uh, they¡¯re piled up in thepany.¡± ¡°Wow, I was freaked out, you know.¡± Soothing his surprised heart, Jo Tae Woong told the members what he heard from a fan earlier. Kim Ju Young asked in surprise. ¡°Such a thing happened?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I really had no idea, but seeing how upset she was, my heart is¡­ A bitplicated.¡± ¡°There was also a fan earlier who was disappointed that I didn¡¯t look at her side.¡± While it was true that they hadn¡¯t paid close attention, they also wondered if those were things they should pay close attention to. Hearing it in person made them feel quite strange. ¡®It¡¯s just the beginning, tho¡­¡¯ As if representing Ian¡¯s thoughts, Park Dong Soo said. ¡°When you have more fans, there will be more like that. And proofing gifts isn¡¯t mandatory, so do whatever you¡¯refortable with. If you try to care about every single fan like that, you¡¯ll get tired.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Since tomorrow¡¯s schedule is only in the evening, do you want to go to thepany today? To pick up some gifts.¡± ¡°Shall we? Is it okay, guys?¡± At Lee Joo Hyuk¡¯s words, everyone agreed. ¡°Guys!¡± ¡°Kyaak!¡± Of course, fans wouldn¡¯t go home quietly just because the fan signing event was over. Knowledgeable fans knew every nook and cranny of each venue, and naturally, they knew where the van would exit when the members were leaving. While the car briefly stopped, the members opened the windows and waved to the fans. tranted by maroonmaru.xyz * * * tranted by maroonmaru.xyz £ÛThe support culture should have disappeared sooner.] ¡®Why? Jealous?¡¯ £ÛDaaamned jealous.] Ian opened the fan letter that came with a gift and read it. The tightly written letters continued on the back page. Ian read the fan letter with a pleased smile, until clicking sounds from the side distracted him. ¡°Dong Soo hyung, what are you doing?¡± ¡°To upload on our ount.¡± ¡°Hyung, did you bring us all the way here to do this?¡± Park Dong Soo avoided answering and took pictures of another member. ¡°Oh? Wow, what¡¯s this?¡± When Kim Hyun ripped off the packaging of arge frame, a huge coge work was revealed, made by collecting his photos from 8 years old until now, cutting them into pieces and pasting them together to form a single silhouette. ¡°Woah, daebak.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it no joke?¡± ¡°You can see this as almost crazy.¡± The silhouette form was the same as Kim Hyun¡¯s dance move in this promotion. All the members gathered in front of the work and eximed. ¡°Wow¡­¡± Kim Hyun was speechless as soon as he saw the work. Park Jin Hyuk tapped Kim Hyun on the shoulder. Ian also shook him gently from beside and said. ¡°With this much sincerity, this person must have liked Hyung for a long time.¡± Are you crying? Isn¡¯t this enough to cry? The membersughed and teased Kim Hyun. However, Kim Hyun muttered with aplex and subtle expression. ¡°Really¡­ I¡¯m d I didn¡¯t give up.¡± Soon, he picked up the bubble wrap that wrapped the work and repackaged the work. The other members moved in perfect order and helped Kim Hyun.
Published 30 April 2023By adminCategorized as English Trantion, Entertainment Life With A Camera Chapter 44 Chapter 44 A Bright Fool is Better Than Evil Edited.Grade B Trantion: A mix of MTL and Human Trantion. Tranted and interpreted as best as I can. Mixed with some Korean terms. Misinterpretation may ur due to limitedprehensive ability. Awkward English, bad grammar, and typos may often ur as Trantor is not fluent in English and not edited by Editor nor proofed by Proofreader. Ian, who slept until the afternoon after the schedule was over,pletely forgot that he was on a bunk bed and stretched his body until his hands hit the bed¡¯s ceiling. ¡°Ah, ugh¡­¡± ¡°Whatcha doin?¡± Jo Tae Woong¡¯s face, swollen from a long-overdue good sleep, appeared from upstairs. ¡°I hit my hand on the ceiling. Are you up?¡± ¡°Just now. Ah, my back hurts.¡± No matter how expensive the bed was, they couldn¡¯t escape the inconvenience of a bunk bed. Jo Tae Woong clumsily climbed down from the bed. Then as he turned his neck and stretched, there was a cracking sound. ¡°What about Ju Young and Seo Dam?¡± ¡°Went to buy ramen.¡± ¡°Is today¡¯s brunch ramen?¡± Jo Tae Woong excitedly opened the door. When Ian followed out, Kim Hyun was seen sitting in the middle of the living room. ¡°Wow. It looks really cool after seeing it again.¡± ¡°Hyung! Was there no fan letter with it?¡± Jo Tae Woong and Ian were captivated by arge frame. It was decided to ce the coge of Kim Hyun in the center of the living room since the bedroom was small. ¡°There¡¯s a postcard, but there wasn¡¯t much written. Just a message saying they¡¯ll always support me.¡± Kim Hyun didn¡¯t take his eyes off the artwork even as he went to the bathroom to wash up. tranted by maroonmaru.xyz * * * tranted by maroonmaru.xyz ¡°Jin Hyuk, you¡¯re going to ¡®Idol Rapper¡¯ next week?¡± ¡°Uh, for a meeting.¡± After slurping down the ramen, Kim Hyun let out a deep sigh. ¡°Can you give me some advice?¡± At Park Jin Hyuk¡¯s words, other members turned their attention to Kim Hyun¡¯s expression. ¡®What¡¯s this atmosphere?¡¯ £ÛHaven¡¯t you seen YANG Entertainment survival show?] ¡®I haven¡¯t.¡¯ Surviving on my own was already too much to handle. Did I even have time to watch other people¡¯s survival programs? Ian swallowed his ramen, trying to adjust to the atmosphere. ¡°First. Even if you¡¯re not captured on the screen, keep smiling.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°And just givepliments. You¡¯re going to have a diss battle, right? Instead of dissing anyone when youe out, just say how handsome you are, how great your rapping is, and how perfect you are.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s a hip hop survival show. Won¡¯t that be too boring?¡± ¡°Hip hop? Hey, people don¡¯t recognize idols doing hip hop. And¡­¡± Kim Hyun picked up his chopsticks and stabbed towards the air. At the other end was Park Jin Hyuk with a smile. ¡°A bright fool is better than evil edited.¡± tranted by maroonmaru.xyz * * * tranted by maroonmaru.xyz Today, Jo Tae Woong was in charge of washing the dishes. As he washed, the sound of clinking dishes filled the air. ¡°Aren¡¯t you gonna break all the dishes?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, you can do it yourself.¡± ¡°Nope. I won¡¯t.¡± ¡°Anyway, our handsome Choi Ian-ssi seems to have a talent for pissing people off. Any expertise in that?¡± Jo Tae Woong grumbled and sshed the water on his hand at Ian. Ian wiped the water off his face and nced around. Everyone else was taking a break in their respective rooms. ¡°By the way, what happened to Hyun-i hyung that everyone took notice of him?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know the ¡®Desperation Discrimination¡¯ incident?¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Ah, right. You were in America.¡± Jo Tae Woong roughly wiped his hands and settled down next to Ian. ¡°You know, Hyun-i hyung participated in YANG Entertainment and N-Net joint survival show.¡± ¡°I know that.¡± ¡°What happened there was¡­.¡± ¡°Why are you guys talking about me when I¡¯m not even here?¡± Kim Hyun spoke quietly from behind. When did hee? Goosebumps ran down Ian¡¯s arms. Jo Tae Woong and Ian quickly turned around. ¡°Heok. We¡¯re not gossiping, Hyung.¡± ¡°I had a feeling something was up with Hyung, but I couldn¡¯t ask openly.¡± Kim Hyun sat opposite them. ¡°What¡¯s with that, I¡¯ll just let you know.¡± ¡°Are you okay now, Hyung?¡± Jo Tae Woong asked worriedly. ¡®Looks like something big happened.¡¯ £ÛWell, it¡¯s not a big deal though.] ¡°You know that I¡¯ve been on audition programs three times, right?¡± Ian nodded. Kim Hyun had aplex and subtle expression. When Kim Hyun was 8 years old, he had appeared as a dance prodigy on Station S¡¯s ¡®King Star¡¯ program and attracted so much attention that he could even choose the agency he liked to enter. ¡®I want to debut soon.¡¯ And thepany that he entered after carefully selecting was a ce that persuaded him they would debut young children tounch the youngest idol group. Of course, the debut was canceled and thepany went bankrupt. Kim Hyun, who repeatedly joined and left threepanies after that, became a middle school student and challenged Station K¡¯s survival audition program called ¡®K-Star¡¯. ¡®Kim Hyun! Unfortunately, is the third ce.¡¯¡¯ ¡®I really like the friend named Kim Hyun.¡¯ Although Kim Hyun didn¡¯t win, he became known to the public as the third ce. And Lim Soon Hyun, the CEO of YANG Entertainment, who appeared as a judge there, took a liking to him, leading Kim Hyun to join YANG Entertainment. Because it was a major agency and known as a prestigiouspany for a long time, Kim Hyun spent four years as a trainee at YANG Entertainment. The 3rd Evaluation Result Announcement, Final Debut Group. Kim Hyun. ¡®Finally¡­!¡¯ He was brimming with anticipation as he could finally be an idol that he had dreamed of since he was eight years old, but life wasn¡¯t always smooth. ¡®You¡¯ll be participating in a survival program in coboration with N-Net to select the next group.¡¯ ¡®What happens if you don¡¯t go out?¡¯ ¡®Well, expelled of course.¡¯ The voice of the employee who spoke casually was scary. It was to the point that Kim Hyun even had an illusion that the back of his head was tingling the moment he heard those words. He had vowed not to participate in any more audition programs, but upon hearing the news of expulsion from thepany if he didn¡¯t go out, he had to submit an application reluctantly. (As expected, a strong candidate for debut is this friend. Kim Hyun.) ¡®Me?¡¯ There was a time when he watched the audition trailer video of CEO Lim Soon Hyun, which he had never seen since K-Star, and was moved without knowing anything. ¡°And then?¡± Ian brought water and held it out in front of Kim Hyun. Kim Hyun drank water and let out a queasy sound, perhaps finding it was absurd upon second thought. ¡°There was this kid who won K-Star Season 2, and he was favored so much.¡± ¡°Huh? But didn¡¯t you say it was shown in the trailer video?¡± ¡°That was all bait. Anyway, since I¡¯ve been getting recognition since I was eight, it¡¯s to be expected that I¡¯d get more buzz than him.¡± (12 trainees! Only 6 of them survive!) ¡®Weren¡¯t all 12 supposed to debut?¡¯ Kim Hyun couldn¡¯t forget that moment when he stared nkly at the end of the teaser video. Other trainees were in simr situations. As idol groups with arge number were increasing these days, they only thought YANG Entertainment, which was specialized in small groups, was also following the trend. ¡®They said if you don¡¯t want to participate now, they¡¯ll let you go. I¡¯m not going to participate.¡¯ ¡®Me too. I¡¯ve decided to move to another ce.¡¯ The two trainees, who had shared ups and downs together for four years, moved to anotherpany even before the program started. ¡®Hyun, let¡¯s go out too.¡¯ ¡®I¡­ I¡¯ll try one more time.¡¯ Even until that moment, Kim Hyun didn¡¯t want to miss on YANG Entertainment¡¯s name value and believed that there was a possibility because he never missed the top rank in thepany¡¯s evaluation. ¡®Hey, Park Seong Hoon. Wake up. We need to match the choreography.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m sleepy, can¡¯t I just sleep and do it tomorrow?¡¯ ¡®The stage is just around the corner, there¡¯s no time to sleep.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ve got all the moves down.¡¯ Those words pissed people off, but Park Seong Hoon was a true genius. However, this evaluation wasn¡¯t just about doing well alone, but for the whole group to do well. ¡®Are you not desperate?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s okay even without it.¡¯ ¡®What?¡¯ ¡®Hyung don¡¯t know, right? You guys don¡¯t know either, right? This is all a show. All of you are just extras.¡¯ The other trainees whispered among themselves, wondering what he meant. Kim Hyun closed his eyes tightly. He had actually noticed something strange since they started filming this program. (As expected of Park Seong Hoon.) (He¡¯s the trainee I¡¯m looking forward to the most out of all the trainees.) The editing focused only on Park Seong Hoon, excluding important scenes of the other trainees, and the attention of the CEO and the agency¡¯s singers were also focused on Park Seong Hoon. Kim Hyun was okay with that, thinking he could still debut if he persevered. However, Park Seong Hoon shouldn¡¯t say it out loud. What was he doing, discouraging fellow trainees? Kim Hyun couldn¡¯t stand seeing Park Seong Hoon¡¯s face as he spoke full of smiles. Kim Hyun clenched his fists. ¡®What are you talking about?¡¯ ¡®This is a program where most trainees will be expelled. I heard from the CEO that he¡¯s wedding out the current debut group and reorganizing a new one.¡¯ ¡®What?¡¯ ¡®Hyung thought this would be the end, right? New trainees will join during this program. To fit me as the center.¡¯ Even though Kim Hyun had already noticed it, hearing the definite facts made his vision blurry. He struggled to put strength into his legs, feeling them weak and he might copse. They said it was the final debut group. They said he would be on the path to debut just by being on the show. ¡°Wow. Isn¡¯t he such an insanely crazy jerk? He pulled that off when the camera was rolling?¡± Ian chugged down a lot of water in stupefaction. Jo Tae Woong wrapped his head in anger as it was also his first time hearing it straight from Kim Hyun. ¡°So? So, did you schooled him?¡± ¡°I did get him schooled. But Tae Woong, you know, right? What happened next then?¡± ¡°Hyung schooled him, but ended up getting roasted instead.¡± ¡®Okay, to say the least, there¡¯s already a nominee for this and I¡¯m doing all this for nothing. But, are you going to perform like this?¡¯ ¡®Uh?¡¯ ¡®This evaluation is about the group¡¯s perfection. But, do you really think this performance will be perfect just when you¡¯re the only one who¡¯s good at it? Are you going to keep acting like this even after debut? You should¡¯ve gone solo, why did you join this?¡¯ Since then, he got pissed off and fired at Park Seong Hoon. Park Seong Hoon tried to fire back, but then suddenly changed his posture, twisted his expression, and lowered his head. Kim Hyun should¡¯ve found it strange at that point. ¡°Wow, no way¡­¡± ¡°That no way happened. They edited everything where Park Seong Hoon was bragging and I became the only f**king bad guy on the aired show. But you know what? He¡¯s good at acting, too.¡± ¡°Wow, so that whole crying thing¡­¡± ¡°Another trainee who was watching secretly told me that the PD asked him to cry.¡± Kim Hyun smiled self-deprecatingly. -Really, he dareing out with desperation discrimination???? -But if it¡¯s Kim Hyun, isn¡¯t it understandable? -Bullshit???Hey, who wouldn¡¯t be desperate over there? Everyone is desperate??? but pretending to be desperate and fighting the world alone???? -How much did he grind the kid to make him so intimidated? -Heol, Park Sung Hoon is crying. Crazy????? ¡°Even that bast¡­ CEO Lim Soon Hyun who watched the broadcast looked for me.¡± It was CEO Lim Soon Hyun, who hadn¡¯t shown his face since K-Star. ¡®Why did you nag him like that?¡¯ ¡®Yes?¡¯ Kim Hyun was dumbfounded and let his arms hang down. He asked back because he felt wronged. ¡®Is it true that there¡¯s a nominee? That you¡¯re forming a new debut group with Park Seong Hoon as the center?¡¯ ¡®Just what can you do knowing that?¡¯ ¡®Yes?¡¯ ¡®Are you recording this?¡¯ Kim Hyun stepped back at his sudden frighteningly hardened expression. ¡®That¡¯s not it¡­¡¯ ¡®Really? Work hard. I¡¯ll let you join the debut group.¡¯ Did that mean the previous debut group wasn¡¯t a real one? Kim Hyun couldn¡¯t help but feel miserable and shabby upon hearing those words that were said as if extending a helping hand. ¡°After that, this Hyung turned evil on the broadcast.¡± ¡°What turned evil, please call it a scary leader concept.¡± Kim Hyun was desperate to debut, but he had no intention to live under such treatment. ¡®Again!¡¯ ¡®Are you going to keep making mistakes?¡¯ He whipped the other trainees who had lost their motivation after hearing Park Seong Hoon¡¯s words. Influenced by Kim Hyun, they confront the stage with the mindset of ¡®Okay, let¡¯s do well on stage even if we can¡¯t debut¡¯. It could be said that Kim Hyun took the lead in changing the atmosphere that Park Seong Hoon had ruined. ¡°But, even that was portrayed as if Park Seong Hoon had led it on air.¡± ¡°Cider¡­! Someone give me some cider!¡± Ian copsed in frustration.
Published 24 May 2023By adminCategorized as English Trantion, Entertainment Life With A Camera Chapter 45: Chapter 45: T/L Note: You can see the first chapter here! Chapter 45 Are you really unhappy with me? ¡°When you attract hate, the ratings go up. I was the tank there.¡± ¡°Wow, crazy¡­¡± ¡°At the end of the program, there was always a scene where I scolded the kids.¡± It was actually a remark directed at Park Sung-hoon. But the PD packaged him as a tyrant who terrorized Kim Hyun, and showed a scene of Park Sung-hoon crying behind him. Ian shuddered as he remembered how he was used as a scapegoat by Kim Yong-min in Project Idol. He was already immersed in Kim Hyun¡¯s story. ¡°Because of that, I got bashed for having skills but no leadership. I was eliminated in the final live broadcast. The text voting didn¡¯te out.¡± ¡°No¡­ wow¡­¡± ¡°It must have been a close call, right?¡± Ian, who had practiced with him, knew that it was all nonsense, so he was even more dumbfounded. Kim Hyun sighed deeply. ¡°When I got my phone back after the broadcast, everyone was talking about me.¡± Every web page he visited hadments about the program he was on, and most of them were negative about him. The ratings were only around 5 percent, a low-rated program, but it felt like the whole world to Kim Hyun. ¡°There were a lot of people who brought it up when we said we were going to debut. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t look at the pad much, Ian.¡± No wonder he saw some snarkyments like ¡°You finally made it lol¡±. Ian sighed. Kim Hyun stayed at home for almost a month without going to the agency¡¯s practice room. He stared nkly at theputer and clicked on the articles with hatefulments about him, even though he knew they were there. He scrolled down to see if there were any good words about him. He hoped in vain. ¡°I don¡¯t know. What should I have done then? Why did I keep looking at the hatements even though I knew they were there?¡± ¡°¡­¡± [Just don¡¯t look at them, right?] Jin probably couldn¡¯t understand, but Ian and Jo Tae-woong, who had been child actors and lived another life, could vaguely understand his feelings. The three of them looked gloomy as if they had coordinated their expressions. ¡°Things got bigger and the trainees who practiced with me posted articles saying that Kim Hyun wasn¡¯t like that. The broadcast was maliciously edited.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Do you know what they wrote in thements? ¡®Mr. Kim Hyun, you shouldn¡¯t do this here.¡¯ And then I got more hate.¡± He had resented them for posting that article at the time. But when he thought about it again, his resentment disappeared and he only felt grateful to them. They were still on his side. ¡°That¡¯s how I stayed at home for almost a month.¡± Kim Hyun regretted doing that sometimes, but then he wondered if he should have just endured such unfair treatment. He had mixed feelings. ¡°Anyway, I got a call from thepany. They asked me if I was going to keep skipping without permission. So I went.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°When I got there, my name wasn¡¯t on the practice room cab. They said they wanted to terminate my trainee contract.¡± ¡°Are you really unhappy with me?¡± Ian couldn¡¯t take it anymore and tore his hair out in frustration. Kim Hyun chuckled. ¡°Listen more. They wanted to terminate my contract because our CEO came to me personally and said he wanted to take me with him.¡± ¡°This is where our king god light makes an appearance.¡± Jo Tae-woong inserted a groan. ¡°YANG Entertainment probably nned to let me go anyway. I was thinking about quitting seriously too. But our CEO came to the front of thepany and begged me toe to hispany.¡± He exaggerated his tone as if trying to lighten up the mood. ¡°He cried and pleaded and grabbed my ankles¡­¡± ¡°Ah hyung, you¡¯re not funny.¡± ¡°Am I overdoing it? Anyway, it turned out that I had panic disorder back then.¡± ¡°Are you okay now?¡± ¡°The CEO took me to the hospital himself. That¡¯s how I got better.¡± Kim Hyun smiled with relief. ¡®Hyun-ah, let¡¯s go to the hospital together and get some counseling first. You¡¯re serious right now.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m not going to thatpany even if you do that. I¡¯m just going to quit.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s okay even if you don¡¯t sign a contract, juste with me.¡¯ He followed him without knowing because it was funny to see someone who was much younger than him and an entertainmentpany CEO begging him like that. After that, Lee Byung-hun kept calling Kim Hyun and picking him up personally to the hospital whenever he had a counseling session. If the schedule didn¡¯t match, Seo Soo-ryeon called him and asked him toe. That incident became a big motivation for him to challenge himself as an idol again, and it was the decisive reason why he moved to thispany. ¡°To be honest, until the day before yesterday, I didn¡¯t want to remember that time and I ignored it. But then that came.¡± Even after moving to BHL Entertainment, he hit rock bottom with his self-esteem. He wondered if it was okay to debut him in the next group, who had been cursed by the whole nation. But people were not satisfied with cursing him, and they looked for other things to chew on. Soon, Kim Hyun was forgotten and they moved on to other victims of malicious editing. It was especially the case with audition programs like ¡®Project Idol¡¯. Kim Hyun looked at the coge work that was ced in the middle of the living room. In the gift sent by an anonymous fan, there was also a part of his past that he wanted to forget. He couldn¡¯t forget, even if he wanted to. Sometimes, he had nightmares of the whole world pointing fingers at him. But it took him a long time to ept the fact that those days were also part of Kim Hyun, himself. ¡°I guess someone liked me back then. I think I¡¯m okay now.¡± Kim Hyun couldn¡¯t sleep sincest night. He couldn¡¯t close his eyes even though he had been running around all day for his schedule. He ended uping out to the living room and sitting in front of the frame, staring nkly at it. He didn¡¯t think of anything, but tears kept falling from his eyes. He cried alone until dawn. ¡°I got so much hate, I think I¡¯ll live a long time.¡± ¡°Wow, hyung, you¡¯re amazing. How did you endure it? So what happened to that bastard Park Sung-hoon?¡± ¡°Are you ready to drink some soda? He still hasn¡¯t debuted.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t it a program where you debut right away like P.I?¡± The CEO of YANG Entertainment, Im Soon-hyun, had a tendency to pick his favorite people and push them intensively. He was also famous for not letting go of good trainees. That was true for the debuted singers as well. Thepany only released digital singles all day long and didn¡¯t give proper albums to their singers. ¡°He¡¯ll probably keep living as a trainee until the CEO finds his favorite trainees and forms a perfect debut group.¡± He might still be ruling like a king among the trainees. But how far would his pathetic pride go? What would he think when he saw Kim Hyun, who had already debuted? It was thrilling to think about it. He should just suffer from false hope for his whole life and debut in histe twenties and go straight to the army. Kim Hyun¡¯s self-esteem took a long time to recover after moving to BHL Entertainment. He had an emotional roller coaster when Kim Young-joon betrayed him and left, but he still debuted. As an idol, which he had dreamed of since he was eight years old. ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s the end of my story.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s be super famous and step on that bastard.¡± ¡°I like that idea. You do say something right sometimes. But do you think he¡¯ll ever debut?¡± Jo Tae-woong and Ianforted Kim Hyun with ttery. Kim Hyun said ¡°You idiots¡­¡± but he looked happy. ¡°But can you handle it, Park Jin-hyuk? The N malicious editing is beyond imagination.¡± Before they knew it, Park Jin-hyuk, Lee Joo-hyuk, Kim Joo-young and Park Seo-dam, who were hiding behind the wall and eavesdropping, came into the kitchen with awkward smiles. ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯ll get caught in the malicious editing roulette. And even if I do, it¡¯s okay. You guys are here.¡± Everyone suddenly froze and didn¡¯t say anything. Ian felt goosebumps and his hair stood on end. ¡°Wow, I can¡¯t listen to this anymore. It¡¯s so cringy.¡± ¡°Hyung, we¡¯re not okay with this.¡± ¡°Did he watch some Japanese manga or something?¡± Park Jin-hyuk still smiled as if he was fine. The other members turned their backs on him with jeers. He hardened his expression and looked thoughtful, but no one noticed. *** ¡®He went through a lot too.¡¯ Ian nced at Kim Hyun next to him as he got his hair done at the shop for the live broadcast. He had been a trainee since he was young, and he had been in the final debut group but failed miserably. He even went on a survival program and suffered from criticism and hatements. Kim Hyun had a lot inmon with Kim Yong-min. That¡¯s why he cared more. He said he was fine, but that memory would never fade until he died. At least Kim Yong-min did, Ian did. [I don¡¯t understand.] ¡®What?¡¯ [Why do they do such malicious things on TV? If they were scared of that, they shouldn¡¯t have be celebrities.] ¡®What?¡¯ [They¡¯re public figures once they¡¯re on TV.] ¡®Why do we have to put up with hatements if we¡¯re public figures? Do you mean we deserve to be beaten up by people for no reason?¡¯ [Do you think Kim Hyun didn¡¯t do anything wrong?] Jin¡¯s lens clicked at Ian several times. [They should have thought about how to act on TV if they were idol trainees.] ¡®Hey, why do trainees have to know all that? Do you think YANG Entertainment taught them that? And besides, are you saying it¡¯s his fault that he got maliciously edited?¡¯ [That¡¯s right. He acted like a middle schooler.] ¡®Don¡¯t you think he would be pissed off in that situation? And the malicious editing is the PD¡¯s fault. ording to your logic, if a murderer says in court ¡®It¡¯s the victim¡¯s fault for walking around that street¡¯, he should be acquitted?¡¯ [That¡¯s a different case.] Ian sighed at the strangely circr words. Why were the people around him so annoying today? ¡®Did you live like this before?¡¯ [Why are you bringing up the previous life?] Ian was sure. This guy¡­ he¡¯s a hundred percent a reporter. Chapter 46: Chapter 46: Chapter 46 I was also someone to someone else. ¡®How can someone debut without thinking about the hate they would get? Do they say, ¡°I¡¯m going to be a celebrity on this day, so I know you¡¯ll write hatements and I¡¯ll take them all~¡±? Is that what they say? Is this some kind of hatement preview?¡¯ [Then, shouldn¡¯t they think about the hate they would get when they debut in front of people?] ¡®No¡­ sigh¡­ never mind.¡¯ Ian tried to argue back, but he sighed deeply. There was no point in talking to him. He had to win first. Even though he was annoying, he was on my side. Why did the Grim Reaper assign this guy to me? [What?] ¡®From now on, just open your mouth when you give me information. It¡¯s so annoying.¡¯ [Did I say anything wrong?] Ian ignored Jin, who was blinking in front of his eyes. Even so, Jin muttered that he didn¡¯t say anything wrong. Ugh, I shouldn¡¯t feed him. Ian shook his head. ¡°What are you doing in the lying broadcast?¡± ¡°Are you giving us scripts?¡± The lying broadcast on Y app started at 10 p.m., but the broadcast time was over an hour and a half. Unless it was a very funny group, there were many times when they ran out of things to say in the middle and most of the fans only watched the clip videos. ¡°What if we fall asleep?¡± ¡°Hey, do you think we¡¯ll sleep on a broadcast?¡± Jo Tae-woong said with a smirk at Park Seo-dam¡¯s words. *** ¡°Is Seo-dam sleeping?¡± ¡°It looks like she¡¯s really sleeping.¡± It had been only 10 minutes since the lying broadcast started, but Park Seo-dam had already closed her eyes. As expected, she was the type who fell asleep as soon as sheid her head down. She was the same on the broadcast. ¡°Who¡¯s going to lead now?¡± Park Jin-hyuk said. Ian got up from his seat. He put his index finger on his lips and made a gesture of silence. ¡°Let¡¯s prank Seo-dam.¡± Everyone nodded their heads. All the members except Park Seo-dam got up from their seats. They were about to pretend that the broadcast was over and they had left. ¡°I¡¯m not sleeping, hyung.¡± Park Seo-dam grabbed Ian¡¯s ankle as he got up. Ian was startled and jumped up. ¡°Wow!¡± ¡°Busted!¡± All the members except Ian pped andughed. ¡°What? You guys nned this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a reverse prank.¡± ¡°I knew it. Jin-hyuk hyung¡¯s mouth was twitching.¡± Ian grumbled andy down again. The lying broadcast was a broadcast where all the membersy down on mattresses that were arranged in a staircase shape so that they could be seen by the camera. But how could they mess up the nkets and pillows so soon after they started? ¡°Our first lying broadcast and we already made a mess¡­ Isn¡¯t it too dirty?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t it show our humanity?¡± Ian answered as he looked at the phone for Y app with Park Seo-dam. The strings of text that were uploaded in real time were too fast to recognize. Ian tapped the phone and scrolled up slowly. ¡®Most of them are foreigners¡¯ The Kpany short ys, including ¡®Dangso-deut¡¯, were broadcasted simultaneously in foreign broadcasting stations such as China, Japan, Southeast Asia, etc., and because of that influence, there were much more foreign reactions than before. He also noticed some awkward Korean trantions. ¡°We¡¯re doing a lying broadcast after our activities ended, not at the beginning¡­¡± Park Seo-dam continued to lead while Jo Tae-woong and Kim Joo-young started arguing out of nowhere. Park Seo-dam ignored them and asked questions to the other hyungs. ¡°What did you regret about this activity?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I wanted to perform with a song that I worked on with Jin-hyuk, but we couldn¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°Yeah, me too. That was a pity.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk and Park Jin-hyuk made another selfposed song. But they had to settle for a side track again because they couldn¡¯t make it to the title track in this blind evaluation. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s regretful, but our choreography was too¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I know.¡± Ian groaned and everyone murmured. Kim Hyun said. ¡°We had too many changes in our choreography during the album preparation process, right?¡± ¡°He was like this when he heard that our choreography changed again.¡± Kim Joo-young, who joined the conversation somehow, reenacted Ian¡¯s expression at that time. It was a nk stare into space. ¡°I looked like that?¡± ¡°You looked like your world copsed.¡± Ianughed bitterly. During the album preparation process, Ian, who was not very good at learning choreography, barely followed the choreography and when they were about to practice together, the choreographer came and said that he had to change the choreography. Ian looked at the camera and said. ¡°I wish I had some dance skills next time.¡± ¡°But you improved a lot, didn¡¯t you?¡± Kim Hyun said and everyone nodded. ¡°Instead, you sing well.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk said while the staff rustled and brought a bunch of microphones and snacks. ¡°Oh, snacks.¡± ¡°I want to do it.¡± ¡°This is not an ASMR of eating snacks, but of crushing snacks.¡± At Park Seo-dam¡¯s words, the members who were already ready to tear open the snack bags and eat them put down the snacks with a sullen look. ¡°While Ian hyung and Hyun hyung do ASMR, we¡¯ll listen to it and sleep.¡± ¡°If we can¡¯t fall asleep, you¡¯re out.¡± ¡°Should we decide on a penalty?¡± ¡°Why do we need a penalty? You¡¯re out if you don¡¯t want to sleep.¡± Ian and Kim Hyun rolled Jo Tae-woong over and sat down in front of the table next to the mattress. Jo Tae-woong rolled to the floor with a thud. ¡°Hyung, have you heard this a lot? How do you do this?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either, but I guess we just tear it?¡± Kim Hyun answered and pressed the snack bag with a crunch. He happened to press it near the microphone, so the sound of the snack breaking was loud. Park Seo-dam raised her head slightly while lying down and protested. ¡°Is this ASMR?¡± ¡°Shh, we¡¯re serious.¡± Ian also tore open the snack bag. Ian and Kim Hyun had lost their appetite. They had to keep their diet during the activity period, so they didn¡¯t even put snacks in their mouths. The potato chips with red seasoning shone like a steak in front of them. Ian looked at him as if he was bewitched. He felt a sense of camaraderie with Kim Hyun, who had danced hard during this activity. ¡®Should we just eat it?¡¯ Kim Hyun nodded his head. They put the microphone near their chin and bit the potato chips. Crunch. Whether you sleep or not, we¡¯ll eat snacks. In an instant, they tore open other snack bags and tasted them one by one. Ian and Kim Hyun were having a snack party as if they were possessed. The other members felt something was wrong and raised their upper bodies. ¡°What? Can we eat too?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you guys too serious about eating?¡± ¡°I want to eat too.¡± The ASMR was gone and they gathered around to inhale the snacks. ¡°There¡¯s a question for Tae-woong hyung in thements. You started as a child actor, right? They¡¯re curious why you decided to be an idol instead of continuing your acting career.¡± ¡°I¡¯m curious about that too.¡± They ate snacks while Park Seo-dam stared at the phone. The other members also looked at Jo Tae-woong with curiosity. He smiled proudly as he felt the attention and concentration of the members on him. He wiped off the powder on his lips and said. ¡°It was when I was in fifth grade? I went to my grandmother¡¯s house to y. But there was a rural event there. Not a market-like event, but a serious one with a stage set up, you know?¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°To be honest, it was a remote vige with only rice fields, so I thought the vigers were going to sing or something. But an idol group came to perform there.¡± ¡°An idol group?¡± ¡°Yeah, and it was a male idol group.¡± Jo Tae-woong smiled faintly. Even if it was a top singer, I thought it would be a trot singer or an older singer, but suddenly some young men in ck came and greeted us. Jo Tae-woong guessed that it was probably someone¡¯s mistake that invited them. ¡®Who are Diamond? Oh¡­ they were someone else¡­¡¯ ¡®Please let us perform even if you cut our fees.¡¯ The vige head sighed and reluctantly said that they could perform since it was their mistake. They were still new at that time, so they were happy that they could perform at an event. ¡®Hey, why did wee to this countryside event? It¡¯s some.¡¯ The other members grumbled but still finished the stage perfectly. ¡®We are Diamond! Please remember us!¡¯ Kim Yong-min stayed there for a long time, bowing his waist and greeting them. Even if there were only old people in the audience, he hoped that someone would recognize them and remember their group name. That was what he wanted. Jo Tae-woong looked at him only. ¡®Wow¡­¡¯ He was impressed by their performance even though no one knew or responded to them. He couldn¡¯t forget how he kept bowing until he got off the stage. ¡®Mom! I want to be an idol!¡¯ After that, he looked for an agency that would let him be an idol trainee while continuing his child actor career. And he faced a tough training that was not easy. He thought about quitting and just doing acting again. But he still couldn¡¯t forget those people who performed in the rural event. The people who danced on that shabby stage where no one cared or responded. The old people yawned and watched them, but at least in Jo Tae-woong¡¯s eyes, they shone brightly. ¡°Wow¡­ that was a serious reason.¡± ¡°But do you know who they were? Do you remember their name?¡± ¡°Do they still perform?¡± He was actually worried that it would be his future when he debuted. But somehow he felt that it would be okay. Jo Tae-woongughed and said. ¡°I wish I knew, but I can¡¯t remember. I hope they¡¯re still performing. Maybe I¡¯ll meet them someday.¡± *** ¡°Do you really not remember anything about that singer?¡± ¡°What? Oh, the rural event?¡± On the way back from the lying broadcast, Ian asked Jo Tae-woong. ¡°Yeah, do you remember the song? Sing it for me.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ what was the song?¡± Jo Tae-woong frowned as he tried to recall. He didn¡¯t remember the lyrics, so he hummed softly. ¡°I think it was like this.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Ian turned around and looked at the back seat. Jo Tae-woong flinched. ¡°Ow, you scared me.¡± ¡°Is this the song?¡± Ian sang a verse of the song that was buried in his memory. Jo Tae-woong pped his hands and said. ¡°Yeah! That¡¯s right! How did you know?¡± ¡°Ian, you¡¯re driving. It¡¯s dangerous, sit properly.¡± Ian snapped out of his trance and straightened his posture. Jo Tae-woong kept asking him like a parrot, ¡°How do you know? Who is it? Whose song is it?¡± But Ian ignored him. That¡¯s¡­ my song. Diamond¡¯s debut song. The group that Jo Tae-woong met was none other than the group that Choi Ian belonged to in the past. And the person who kept bowing until he got off the stage was Kim Yong-min. ¡®Wow¡­ how could this happen¡­¡¯ He remembered that rural event. The memory that was hidden like a dream revealed its shape. ¡®Diamond? Who? Oh¡­ they were someone else¡­¡¯ ¡®Please let us perform even if you cut our fees.¡¯ The manager begged and the vige head reluctantly said that they could perform since it was their mistake. They were still new at that time, so they were happy that they could perform at an event. ¡®Hey, why did wee to this countryside event? It¡¯s some.¡¯ The other members grumbled but still finished the stage perfectly. ¡®We are Diamond! Please remember us!¡¯ Kim Yong-min stayed there for a long time, bowing his waist and greeting them. Even if there were only old people in the audience, he hoped that someone would recognize them and remember their group name. That was what he wanted. In the car going to the dormitory, Ian stared nkly out of the window as if he had been hit on the head. ¡®I was also someone¡¯s inspiration¡­¡¯ Chapter 47: Chapter 47: Chapter 47 Advertising is love. ¡°The fax machine keeps ringing.¡± Park Joo-min, who had been promoted after bringing Ian to thepany, was annoyed by the constant fax sound in the morning. He unplugged all the power cords and sat down with a satisfied expression. ¡°What is this?¡± Director Seo Su-ryeon, who had just entered the office, picked up a paper that had been faxed. We demand feedback from BHL Entertainment on ck Rush¡¯s activities. The fandom statement, written in white letters on a ck background, showed a firm will to make thepany run out of toner if they did notply. It was not just one sheet that Director Seo picked up. There was already a pile of ck papers, which were the result of the fans¡¯ fax attack. ¡°It started yesterday.¡± He had been preparing for ck Rush¡¯s mini album in May, after releasing Awi¡¯s digital single in June. It was a schedule he had prepared after Awi achieved better results than expected. ¡°Ugh¡­ This is a headache.¡± The problem was that. If he released the album ording to the schedule, The fans would think, ¡®Oh, they listened to us? They are good at pandering. If we have anyints in the future, we will do it again.¡¯ That was what he feared. ¡°The fax is bad enough, but what about the phone?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been working on my cell phone.¡± He had already unplugged all the office phones. ¡°What if an important calles in¡­¡± At that moment, Director Seo¡¯s cell phone rang. ¡°Yes, this is Seo Su-ryeon.¡± *** ¡°Ian, you got an ad offer.¡± ¡°Me?¡± Ian, who was practicing his dance in thepany¡¯s practice room, saw Manager Park Dong-soo open the door. ¡°Just me? Not as a group?¡± ¡°Your personal ad.¡± ¡°Really?¡± He wished his first ad was a group one¡­ Ian wiped his sweat with a towel and pushed back his disappointment. ¡°What kind of ad is it?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± *** ¡°A hearing aid ad?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Is it because of the drama?¡± They had received vodka from thepany to celebrate the end of their activities. They stopped by a pork belly restaurant and had dinner together. Ian drank soda and sighed. ¡®I want some soju.¡¯ Kim Joo-young, who was good at grilling meat as well as collecting group restaurants, grumbled. ¡°Hey, you only grill and then disappear.¡± ¡°I left some for you.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk put a bunch of meat on Kim Joo-young¡¯s bowl. Kim Hyun put some meat on the grill and said to Ian. ¡°But if it¡¯s a hearing aid ad, you won¡¯t be doing it alone, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, they said I¡¯ll be doing it with Teacher Lee Young-gil.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t Teacher Lee Young-gil the one who did a work with Tae-woong?¡± Jo Tae-woong, who had stuffed his mouth with a lettuce wrap, mumbled. He barely swallowed it and said. ¡°Yeah, once in a weekend drama. It was a long time ago, I don¡¯t remember well.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°But he was just like a grandfather.¡± Lee Young-gil was a veteran actor with over 50 years of acting experience. Jo Tae-woong had yed his grandson role in a weekend family drama when he was a child actor. ¡°So he wasn¡¯t like an old fart?¡± ¡°Well, maybe I was too young then? But he got along well with other actors too. He¡¯s simr to Teacher Kim Hee-sang, I guess?¡± ¡°Oh yeah, speaking of him, when are we going to see him? Doesn¡¯t he forget our faces?¡± Lee Joo-hyuk changed the topic. Their poprity had increased since ¡®Along with Legends¡¯. People recognized them more often. If Kim Hee-sang hadn¡¯t suggested them to join ¡®Along with Legends¡¯, they wouldn¡¯t have achieved this level of public recognition. ¡°We¡¯re free when we¡¯re resting, right? Should we contact him through Dong-soo hyung?¡± ¡°Yeah, I want to see that pce-like studio again.¡± ¡°Boss! Three more servings of pork belly here!¡± They had already eaten more than two servings per person, but the meat disappeared as soon as it was grilled. ¡°¡­Crazy!¡± ¡°Who is that? Wow¡­!¡± Some women who entered the pork belly restaurant hesitated and then sat at the table next to them. They peeked at them from time to time. The members shrugged their shoulders. They seemed to like being recognized by others. [Why do you like it when people will notice you everywhere and you won¡¯t be able to go anywhere and get tiredter?] ¡®Didn¡¯t I tell you to shut up unless I ask for information?¡¯ [But I¡¯m bored!] ¡®Well, you listened to me obediently, so I¡¯ll let it go. But if you do that again, you¡¯re out.¡¯ [Che¡­] Jin sounded angry and kept clicking the shutter. What are you going to do if you get angry, you can¡¯t even physically hurt me, and you can¡¯t refuse what I say, so there must be some restriction on you. Ian smiled as if he found it amusing and flipped the meat. ¡°But it¡¯s funny that your first ad is a hearing aid ad.¡± ¡°Hey, it¡¯s still an ad. Don¡¯t insult the ¡®god of ads¡¯. Whether it¡¯s a hearing aid or whatever.¡± ¡°But we¡¯re idols, I thought we¡¯d get something cooler than a hearing aid¡­¡± ¡°Well, yeah¡­¡± Jo Tae-woong and Kim Joo-young teased Ian. Ian also thought ¡®My first ad is a hearing aid?¡¯ and chuckled when he first heard it. He silently put some kimchi on the grill. ¡°I wish we could do our first ad together.¡± He whispered softly, afraid that others would hear him. The members seemed to hear him and chuckled. ¡°You have such a cute thought.¡± ¡°Hey, stop touching my hair. Am I your little brother?¡± Jo Tae-woong messed up Ian¡¯s hair. ¡°To be honest, we¡¯re a bit sad too.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll get more offers when we get more famous, right?¡± ¡°What kind of ad do you want? Let¡¯s just make a wish while we¡¯re at it.¡± The members said they were sad, but they didn¡¯t look sad at all. They seemed more interested in the cooked meat and shed their chopsticks to fight for it. Were they not sad, but just distracted by the meat in front of them? Anyway, that was why Jin said ¡®They¡¯re not bad.¡¯ from his mouth that liked to mock others. ¡°I want a chicken ad.¡± ¡°Wow, then we must be really popr?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t a school uniform ad possible?¡± ¡°I want a shoe ad.¡± The wish time was gradually turning into a happy circuit time. Lee Joo-hyuk joked. ¡°What if Ian does a pine needle tea ad? Will the fans buy that too?¡± [Are they not usually devils?] ¡°Hey, that¡¯s a bit¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that torture for our fans?¡± ¡°They might buy it, but they won¡¯t drink it. They¡¯ll just keep it as a souvenir, right?¡± What! What¡¯s wrong with pine needle tea! It¡¯s delicious! Jin joined in and treated him strangely. Ian gulped down his soda and said. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t our fans drink it?¡± [You are really¡­] ¡°Ian, you shouldn¡¯t do that to the fans.¡± ¡°Right. You know you have the ¡®weird eater¡¯ modifier among the fans, right?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s avoid those kinds of ads for our fans.¡± He was drinking the soup before he got the rice cake, but Ian chuckled at the scene. ¡°You¡¯re funny, you said you¡¯d do anything for money.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Advertising is love.¡± Awi was talking with the flow of his consciousness when he heard a click from the next seat. The members stopped at the sound. The woman who took the picture covered her mouth with her hand. ¡°Oh no¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have taken it.¡± Jo Tae-woong silently took off his cap and brushed his hair. He asked Park Jin-hyuk. ¡°Is my hair okay?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. How about mine?¡± ¡°You always look handsome, hyung.¡± ¡°Ha, you have good eyes.¡± Kim Joo-young put down the meat he was about to grill and dropped the tongs. Lee Joo-hyuk moved the tray to his side and said. ¡°Joo-young, stop grilling. I¡¯ll do it after this is over.¡± [After this is over? What? What are you talking about?] [What do you mean? It¡¯s fan service time.] Ian ignored Jin¡¯s question and turned his gaze with the members. When the seven of them turned their upper bodies to the next table at the same time, the women there gasped. ¡°We might get scolded by our manager, but we¡¯ll do this only for you.¡± ¡°Please take a nice picture.¡± The women shook their phones and pressed the shutter without stopping. ¡°They¡¯re really handsome¡­¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Can we take a selfie with you too?¡± ¡°Oh, we might really get in trouble with our manager if we do that¡­ Sorry.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay! We¡¯re sorry for bothering you while you¡¯re eating¡­¡± But they didn¡¯t stop taking pictures. Others from different tables also came to take pictures. ¡°Were you celebrities? I thought you were handsome young men¡­¡± ¡°Can I get your autograph here?¡± The restaurant turned into a small fan meeting in an instant. The owner also came out and got an autograph. They even got free meatter. Ian and the members enjoyed their attention and had a pleasant meal. A post about seeing idols at a pork belly restaurant.jpg (Picture)(Picture) I saw Awi at a pork belly restaurant?????? They were so handsome????? I tried to take a picture secretly but they heard the sound and asked if I shouldn¡¯t take it. Should I delete it? But they said it was okay and posed for me?????? T hey all looked at us as if they were in sync. They were so cute????? -Didn¡¯t we agree to restrain ourselves from posting? -But they posed for us and said it was okay. It should be fine to post it, right? -OP is lucky I¡¯m jealous????? -Ah, I¡¯m d they feed them well at theirpany?????? *** At Star Hearing, a hearing aidpany, there was a meeting going on. ¡°Let¡¯s make photo cards for Choi Ian?¡± Star Hearing team leader Jeon Eun-ji insisted strongly. The other employees looked puzzled. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I don¡¯t think people who buy our products would want idol photo cards¡­¡± Usually, choosing an idol as an ad model means targeting the fans. So they would give away photo cards of the idol who did the ad when they buy the product, or draw a lottery for a fan sign event. In Ian¡¯s case, it was because the drama was unexpectedly popr that he got an ad offer that suited him, not a fandom type but a public type ad. The fans¡¯ age range was not that high either, so it didn¡¯t match with the age group who would buy hearing aids. ¡°Let¡¯s print some anyway, even if it¡¯s a small amount. The fans might give it to their parents or grandparents, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true¡­¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we tie it up with our new product and do it properly?¡± Actually, Jeon Eun-ji was a fan of Awi. And Choi Ian¡¯s fan at that. She had casually thrown out the idea, hoping to get a photo card for herself. And she didn¡¯t anticipate the aftermath. -Crazy photo card giveaway??????? -There¡¯s an idol who does a hearing aid ad for his first ad? Pusung-pasung -I¡¯m going to give my grandmother a hearing aid??? My mom doesn¡¯t even believe me when I say an idol did a hearing aid ad. It¡¯s awesome??? -Crazy I agree with the abovement. He¡¯s a filial son?? -Filial son edition??????? -Our idol is also filial to you????? Chapter 48: Chapter 48: Chapter 48 I don¡¯t want to be a parachute! ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± ¡°Wow¡­ hello.¡± As Ian entered the shooting site for the advertisement, the staff members gasped. ¡°Wow¡­ he¡¯s so handsome.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t we choose our model so well?¡± ¡°The camera can¡¯t capture his real beauty. It¡¯s no joke.¡± Not only the advertisement staff, but also the employees from Star Hearing headquarters looked at Ian with admiration. Especially, Team Leader Jeon Eun-ji was so stiff that she almost fell backwards. ¡°Team Leader, snap out of it.¡± ¡°Huh¡­? What¡­?¡± The staff members moved busily. They gathered around Ian. Team Leader Jeon Eun-ji also approached Ian with the advertisement nner. ¡°You¡¯re here so early. We¡¯re still far from starting the shooting.¡± ¡°I guess I¡¯m too excited for my first advertisement. Has Mr. Lee Young-gil not arrived yet?¡± ¡°Ah, he¡¯s so cute, I¡¯m going crazy¡­¡± As Ian smiled softly and spoke, Team Leader Jeon Eun-ji blurted out what she was thinking in her mind. Suddenly, all the staff members stopped talking and looked at her. ¡°Did I say that out loud?¡± ¡°Haha! This is Team Leader Jeon Eun-ji from Star Hearing headquarters. She¡¯s a fan of yours, Ian.¡± The Star Hearing employee who came with Jeon Eun-ji tried to smooth things over. Ian smiled at Jeon Eun-ji and said, ¡°Oh, then it¡¯s thanks to you that I got to do my first advertisement¡­?¡± ¡°Gasp¡­ no, it¡¯s not. It¡¯s all because you¡¯re so good¡­¡± Jeon Eun-ji¡¯s face turned bright red. She tried to cool down her face by fanning it with her hand. ¡°Thank you so much. Maybe I can give you an autographter¡­¡± But Ian¡¯s smile and gratitudebo made her face red again. The people around Jeon Eun-jiughed. ¡°Mr. Lee Young-gil is here!¡± At the shout of a staff member, everyone rushed to greet Lee Young-gil. Ian also ran to him and bowed. ¡°Hello, sir! I¡¯m Choi Ian, who will be shooting the advertisement with you.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you. You¡¯re very handsome.¡± Lee Young-gil smiled kindly and patted Ian¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I watched your drama very well.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ you did?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Lee Young-gil had a hobby of monitoring other dramas while he was busy with his schedule. The shooting preparation was still in progress, so Ian and Lee Young-gil sat on the chairs prepared by the staff and chatted. ¡°Then, did you also listen to our song?¡± ¡°I heard it on New Year¡¯s Day with ¡®Along with Legends¡¯. I watched it very well. You sing well and act well.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ thank you. I¡¯m also watching your works very well.¡± Ian smiled happily at thepliment. The camera that was filming the behind-the-scenes captured that scene. ¡°Then, do you remember Tae-woong? He debuted in the same group as me.¡± ¡°Tae-woong? Jo Tae-woong? Oh yeah, I know him. He was a very cheeky kid.¡± ¡°Cheeky?¡± Lee Young-gilughed as he remembered acting with Jo Tae-woong. ¡°He was a kid, so I tried to be nice to him even if he couldn¡¯t act well, but he came to me first and talked to me cheekily.¡± ¡°What did he say?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t discriminate me from other hyungs and noonas and tell me if I did something wrong, okay? That¡¯s when I realized that I was discriminating him because he was a child actor. He was a proper actor even though he was young.¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± [He¡¯s something.] Jin flew around and said. ¡°So I watched everything he appeared in. But then he suddenly disappeared and came back as an idol on TV, what¡¯s that?¡± ¡°He was amazing since he was young.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ He acted very well too.¡± He was just an ordinary high school senior now, but he had such a hidden talent. Ian felt Jo Tae-woong became more familiar to him. ¡°What a pity¡­ If he continued his acting career, he would have been sessful¡­ Oh, I don¡¯t mean to discriminate idols, okay? You know that, right?¡± ¡°Of course, I know.¡± Ianughed. He suddenly thought ¡®Did I y a decisive role in turning him into an idol when Lee Young-gil approved of him as a child actor?¡¯ and felt uneasy. ¡°We¡¯ll start shooting soon!¡± ¡°Oh dear¡­ it¡¯s time to work.¡± Ian and Lee Young-gil got up from their seats. The concept of this advertisement was simple: Ian, who yed the grandson, gave Lee Young-gil a hearing aid as a gift. It was a 15-second advertisement that would air on TV and YouTube. Ian followed the staff¡¯s instructions and started the advertisement shooting. *** ¡°See you next time.¡± ¡°Take care, sir!¡± After the advertisement shooting was over, Ian bowed to Lee Young-gil. He had Lee Young-gil¡¯s phone number in his hand. As Ian looked at the paper with a touched expression, Jin clicked his tongue. [Do you like him that much?] ¡®Don¡¯t ruin my mood.¡¯ Ian stayed on the site for the post-recording. In the meantime, he took pictures with other staff members, took selfies with Team Leader Jeon Eun-ji, and even gave her an autograph. ¡°Wow¡­ I¡¯m so lucky.¡± Jeon Eun-ji forgot her embarrassment and jumped around happily. Seeing her fan like him so much, Ian felt good too. ¡°I¡­ it¡¯s about the advertisement fee.¡± ¡°Oh, is your advertisement fee too low?¡± Jeon Eun-ji¡¯s eyes sparkled with madness. She seemed to think of taking some money from her sry and giving it to him. Ianughed and said, ¡°I want to donate some of my advertisement fee to a welfare organization.¡± It was already discussed with his agency. He felt a bit sad thinking about the settlementter, but it was killing two birds with one stone: he could improve his image and do a good deed. His agency also agreed with his idea and didn¡¯t stop him. Ian turned his head and saw that Park Dong-soo was talking to the person in charge. ¡°Oh¡­ really?¡± Jeon Eun-ji covered her mouth with her hand as if she was touched. After the shooting, the agency and Star Hearing released promotional articles. Ian Choi of AWY, donates all of his advertisement fee to a welfare organization ¡®Star Hearing¡¯, ¡®generously¡¯ joins Ian Choi¡¯s donation proposal *** ¡°The kids¡¯ distribution came out?¡± Lee Byung-hun, the CEO of BHL Entertainment, rushed into the nning room. A nning team employee handed him a paper with the distribution written on it. AWY mini 1st album distribution 56,000 copies The distributor came out three months after the album release. There was a graph showing when the sales exploded, along with the distributors of other singers who debuted around the same time as him. ¡°Was this after Ian¡¯s drama?¡± The graph showed a rise in the initial period, then a sharp drop, and then a rebound at the end. ¡°Yes, the overseas site sales also increased slightly then.¡± ¡°How much was the initial sales for the second album?¡± ¡°It was a little over 50,000.¡± ¡°Ah, if only we didn¡¯t ovep with Mydia, we would have really been number one¡­¡± Lee Byung-hun put down the paper with a satisfied expression. The trend was very good. Compared to the sales of other rookies, it looked like he could easily win the rookie award. ¡°Well, there was also an article saying that Ian¡¯s drama got a global OTT contract and exported to 13 countries¡­ It seems like it will increase more.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good news, but¡­¡± Still, it felt awkward when only one member rose up. The representative stroked his chin and said. ¡°Did Jin-hyuk go to film ¡®Idol Rapper¡¯?¡± ¡°Yes, sigh¡­ But it¡¯s weird there too¡­¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°They know how to make money after I-One¡­ They did another survival show.¡± ¡°Did that end already?¡± Lee Byung-hun and the nning team staff sighed deeply. *** ¡®Idol Rapper¡¯ PD Lee Jong-soo sat nted on his chair, watching the cast film with a dissatisfied look. Co-PD Kang Byung-in was busy pushing one person. ¡°Our Choice¡¯s Lim Ji-hoon! You were the runner-up on ¡®Idol Choice¡¯, right?¡± At Kang Byung-in PD¡¯s gesture, the host read the script. Lim Ji-hoon of idol group ¡®Choice¡¯ was a survivor of ¡®Idol Choice¡¯, a survival program that recruited ordinary people topete against idols, after Project Idol. ¡°Thank you very much for voting for me¡­¡± ¡°You came out on rap survival right away, are you okay?¡± ¡®Project Idol¡¯ was a survival program that received applications from trainees of existing agencies, so the revenue structure was divided by the broadcastingpany and each agency. After I-One became a hit, N-Net was bitter andunched a survival program called ¡®Idol Choice¡¯, where they set up their own idol agency and recruited ordinary people to take all the profits. ¡®Ah, I¡¯m bored.¡¯ Park Jin-hyuk thought so, but he didn¡¯t stop smiling. He never knew when he would get in trouble. That was Kim Hyun¡¯s advice. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a bit.¡± At the assistant director¡¯s words, Park Jin-hyuk got up as if he was frustrated. ¡°Seon, do you want to go get something to drink?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll just stay here.¡± ¡°Really? Then I¡¯ll bring you some water.¡± ¡°Thank you, hyung.¡± Park Seon of Mykit, who appeared with Park Jin-hyuk, looked nervous and pale. ¡°Min-hoo hyung, do you want anything to eat?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m good. Thank you.¡± Seo Min-hoo, the rapper of MOM who appeared with Park Jin-hyuk on ¡®With Legends¡¯, also appeared with Park Jin-hyuk. Park Jin-hyuk and Seo Min-hoo became close thanks to ¡®With Legends¡¯. Lim Ji-hoon of Choice was having a friendly conversation with Kang Byung-in PD. Park Jin-hyuk nced at them and left the set. *** ¡°Fuck, I didn¡¯t like Kang Byung-in from the start.¡± PD Lee Jong-soo threw away his empty coffee can nervously. The coffee can went into the trash can nicely. The nning of ¡®Idol Rapper¡¯ was started by PD Lee Jong-soo first. The n to show that idol rappers are as good as underground rappers turned into a mediocre idol survival show after Kang Byung-in PD joined in. ¡°This PD is patient. Kang PD is making waves at headquarters right now.¡± ¡°He has no skills but only does politics. Why should I listen to him?¡± PD Lee Jong-soo snorted at the assistant director¡¯s dissuasion. The problem was that ¡®Idol Choice¡¯ did not have as much impact as Project Idol. The ratings were in decimal points and the buzz was minimal, so N-Net pushed Choice into their own programs everywhere to promote them. ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do about it.¡± ¡°No! I don¡¯t want to put that parachute on my show!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a headquarters decision. What can you do about it¡­ Just give them some airtime.¡± ¡°How can I package Lim Ji-hoon? He has no rap skills¡­ Ah shit¡­ Should I quit?¡± ¡°Oh my god PD-nim you already started filming¡­ Let¡¯s just get through this one. Okay?¡± The assistant director was sweating nervously at PD Lee¡¯s rant. The atmosphere at headquarters was already bad because ¡®Idol Choice¡¯, which cost a lot of money, did not perform as expected. And in the bathroom, Park Jin-hyuk, who overheard their conversation, was shining his eyes, and they didn¡¯t notice it at all. Chapter 49: Chapter 49: Chapter 49 What¡¯s up, bro? ¡°That¡¯s how you dance.¡± ¡°This is the real deal.¡± Kim Hyun and Kim Joo-young said with satisfaction, and Lee Joo-hyukughed out loud. ¡°Ah, I feel alive.¡± ¡°You guys really have a grudge against the choreography.¡± The digital single that was going to be released in June was finally a song that Lee Joo-hyuk and Park Jin-hyuk had worked on. Maybe that¡¯s why Lee Joo-hyuk looked very happy. This song was a refreshing concept that would suit the summer. The choreography also matched the music and was less intense than the previous songs. ¡°I memorized it!¡± ¡°Choi Ian, you¡¯re getting faster at learning the moves.¡± ¡°Shall we try it together?¡± Lee Joo-hyuk turned on the music, and all the members took their positions. The song started, and they danced in sync. The choreography was easy, so they smiled naturally. The other members also sang along loudly as they moved their bodies. The music ended, and they tore off the pad that was taped to the wall and yed the video of their dance. ¡°We can upload this as a dance video.¡± ¡°Wow, we can match it in one go now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s awesome.¡± They all smiled proudly. They nodded eagerly at Lee Joo-hyuk¡¯s suggestion to do it one more time. *** ¡°Jin-hyuk¡¯s ¡®Idol Rapper¡¯ is airing today, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll get much screen time.¡± The group went to a spicy pork stir-fry restaurant that they used to eat often when they were trainees. Lee Joo-hyuk ate with his chopsticks and asked. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Well¡­ You¡¯ll see when you watch it.¡± Kim Hyun raised his head in surprise. ¡°Did you cause trouble?¡± ¡°No, but¡­¡± ¡°Our idol sons are here? Auntie gave you a lot of meat!¡± Park Jin-hyuk was about to continue his words when he saw the thick meat on the iron te and closed his mouth. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s eat first.¡± ¡°Thank you, auntie!¡± The members picked up their chopsticks and devoured the meat. After filling their stomachs a bit, Park Jin-hyuk swallowed his rice and spoke. ¡°You know that I did ¡®Project Idol¡¯ right after ¡®Idol Choice¡¯, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, we were there with you, weren¡¯t we?¡± They probably saw the trailer together at this restaurant¡¯s TV. ¡°That endedst month and they debuted as an idol group called Choice. They haven¡¯t officially debuted yet though.¡± ¡°But why are we talking about them?¡± ¡°One of their rappers is on ¡®Idol Rapper¡¯, Lim Ji-hoon.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Kim Hyun and Ian sighed at the same time, knowing how cruel the broadcasting station could be. Could it be¡­? ¡°They seem to be trying to hype him up. So I don¡¯t have high expectations.¡± ¡°Are you kidding me¡­¡± ¡°I should be happy if my name appears in one line of an article.¡± ¡°Oh, that bastard Park Sung-hoon again.¡± Ugh! Kim Hyun scratched his head furiously. But Ian saw that Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s expression looked strangely serious. Ian felt a spark in his eyes that he caught for a moment. That¡¯s not the face of someone who has given up, is it? Park Jin-hyuk smiled slyly as he met Ian¡¯s eyes. ¡°I just hope I don¡¯t get edited badly.¡± ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s nothing we can do about it.¡± They all sighed and finished their remaining rice. ¡®Hey Jin, don¡¯t you know anything?¡¯ [He¡¯s the one who survived with his poprity despite having no skills.] ¡®Do you know?¡¯ [I know very well.] Jin was happy to finally have a voice and moved up and down quickly. [Choice? They¡¯re also from , which is notorious for its money power. Of course, they¡¯re also the push crushers of . Lim Ji-hoon is originally a rich kid. He¡¯s some kind of president¡¯s son or something¡­] ¡®That¡¯s so corrupt.¡¯ [Anyway, for the final live broadcast of ¡®Idol Rapper¡¯, of course the contestants had to participate in making the lyrics as well as the music together with a producer, right? But Lim Ji-hoon bribed the PD and got a famous producer¡¯s song and then packaged it as if he made it by himself.] ¡®Is that possible?¡¯ [If you have money, anything is possible. Why not? And he picked a very sophisticated song, so most of the viewers¡¯ votes went to him. It looked good, right? The other contestants worked with producers to make their songs, but he made a song by himself.] ¡®So then¡­¡¯ [In his previous life, he won ¡®Idol Rapper¡¯.] ¡®Are you kidding me.¡¯ It¡¯s the end of the world. Ian shook his head. *** ¡°Still, it¡¯s Jin-hyuk¡¯s first solo appearance on a variety show, so we should at least monitor it together, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, bro, of course.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk picked up the remote control. They all gathered in front of the TV as if on cue. The timing was good, as the snackmercial ended and the broadcasting station logo screen appeared, followed by ¡®Idol Rapper¡¯. (¡®Idol Rapper¡¯? Idols are just idols. They¡¯re not rappers.) (They only do the music that theirpany tells them to.) (They don¡¯t have their own color?) (The same genre, the same music¡­ Those songs are on the top of the charts because of their fandom. Don¡¯t you get tired of it?) The rappers who came out as judges spoke arrogantly. The members¡¯ expressions were not good as they heard them. It felt like they were talking badly about all idols. ¡°Hmph, they think they¡¯re so great.¡± ¡°Right! Our maknae is awesome!¡± Park Seo-dam snorted. Jo Tae-woong chimed in. (I think all musicians have prejudices against idol rappers. I came out to show them that we can do it too. We also know how to do our music.) ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that the guy who did ¡®With Legends¡¯ together¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah, we got close during the recording. He¡¯s nice. I¡¯ll introduce youter.¡± The scene changed and the reasons why the contestants decided to appear on ¡®Idol Rapper¡¯ came out one by one. The first one was Seo Min-hoo of MOM. (I came out to learn everything I can from the other seniors.) ¡°What a shameless guy.¡± (I¡¯m still a rookie who hasn¡¯t even debuted properly¡­) A brief scene of ¡®Idol Choice¡¯ finale came out, and Lim Ji-hoon of Choice was interviewed. Kim Hyun gritted his teeth. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t get too angry, he¡¯s not Park Sung-hoon.¡± Park Jin-hyukughed softly. The scene changed again and a short clip of Mykit¡¯s debut stage passed by. ¡°Seon ising out.¡± Jo Tae-woong straightened his posture. (These days, rappers don¡¯t criticize society. They only brag about money.) ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°Hey, this is a bit¡­.¡± All of a sudden? This is very bad. Especially since the editing seemed to deliberately create a confrontation between Park Se-on and the other rappers, as if he was better than them. ¡°Se-on is not like that, right?¡± ¡°This is weird¡­.¡± Kim Joo-young muttered. Ian covered his head with both hands and sighed. ¡®He got caught by the writer.¡¯ It was the broadcaster¡¯s trick to induce the participants to say what they wanted to hear and get an answer that would attract attention and ratings. [Isn¡¯t it awesome?] ¡®Oh, crazy¡­ Hey, hurry up and spoil it for me.¡¯ [As far as I know, there was a controversy before the broadcast that Lim Ji-hoon was not good enough to be here. You know how every idol group that debuts these days has at least one rapper, right? But out of all those idol rappers, why did they choose someone who hasn¡¯t even debuted?] Jin kept pressing the shutter. [And on top of that, Choi¡¯s is from N. Is this favoritism or collusion? The word started among MOM fans and then other people started to doubt it too.] On TV, Park Se-on looked pale and bored as he continued to speak. [So one of the PDs had an idea. Let¡¯s stir up some controversy with another participant. And the target was Park Se-on. Hispany is shit and he doesn¡¯t have a fandom to shield him.] ¡®Oh, what do we do¡­.¡¯ Could Park Se-on handle it? The Park Se-on that Ian knew didn¡¯t seem to have a strong mentality. ¡°Jin-hyuk, when is the next recording?¡± ¡°The day after tomorrow.¡± ¡°Then can you talk to Se-on for me? You know what Hyun told you, right? Something like preventing bad editing.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk hardened his expression. He had already heard from the photo shoot that Park Se-on was forced to participate by his agency¡¯s CEO, so he felt even worse. [What a meddlesome¡­] ¡®Hey.¡¯ [Hey,e on! Let me talk! You can just ignore me! I¡¯m bored!] At least Lee Joo-hyuk cared about his friend¡¯s younger brother going through the same bad editing that Kim Hyun had experienced. ¡°Ugh¡­ This is disgusting.¡± Especially Kim Hyun¡¯s reaction was intense. He had gotten better after confiding his trauma to his members, but he still had hatred for the broadcaster. (Why are you here?) (It¡¯s Lee Jin-hyuk!) Park Seo-dam jumped up. The writer urged him to answer. (To make your name known?) (Yes, there are some people in our group who are well-known, right? I also came here to raise my awareness. And it would be better if I could promote our group name as well.) (You didn¡¯te here because you wanted to do the music you like or something like that?) (Why? Is there something wrong with that? Even the veteran rappers who have been in the industry for a long time came out on hip-hop survival shows and made their names known.) ¡°Wow, hyung is so chic.¡± Park Jin-hyuk dodged the writer¡¯s leading questions and smiled on the screen. Kim Joo-young patted Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s shoulder. At the time of recording, Park Jin-hyuk must have just said whatever came to his mind, but the editing made him look like a cold city man. (The perception of idol rappers is not very good¡­.) (I don¡¯t think I need to care about other people¡¯s opinions. Rap? I have to show it with my skills. There¡¯s no point in talking about it now when I can¡¯t prove it.) ¡°Wow, hyung is crazy?¡± ¡°That¡¯s awesome.¡± While the younger ones eximed without tact, Kim Hyun said in a worried tone. ¡°Hey, but that was dangerous. Be careful next time.¡± ¡°So what, saying what I want to say is hip-hop.¡± Park Jin-hyuk turned into a naive fool andughed happily. He must have felt good seeing himself packaged so coolly on TV. ¡®He has a lot of pride.¡¯ [He deserves it.] ¡®What?¡¯ [You¡¯ll see.] Ian fixed his eyes on the TV. Kim Joo-young and Park Seo-dam said. ¡°But I¡¯m not worried about Jin-hyuk hyung.¡± ¡°Right, hyung is strong mentally.¡± That was something that the other members agreed on too. The introduction of the participants ended and they entered the studio one by one and chatted with each other. (Long time no see, Se-on.) (Hyung!) Park Se-on and Park Jin-hyuk hugged each other with joy, and MOM¡¯s Seo Min-hoo joined them and they had a conversation. The MC introduced the uingpetition and showed each participant one by one, but only Park Se-on looked grim. ¡°Se-on was so nervous then, but they used it like this¡­.¡± Park Jin-hyuk sighed. He only made that expression once, but they kept using it in different scenes to make Park Se-on look worse. (Let me introduce the rap judges who will evaluate you!) A VCR introducing the rappers flowed. There were some fairly famous producers and rappers, and a rapper who won the N rap survival show caught the eye. ¡°Wow, the judges are all amazing people.¡± ¡°I can see why Jin-hyuk hyung went out.¡± And when thest producer appeared, the members jumped up. ¡°Holy shit, Blue Mic.¡± ¡°Blue Mic?!¡± Blue Mic was a rapper and producer who had a reputation for being number one on the charts whenever he made a beat. He was a popr musician that most singers wanted to work with, so the show also made a big deal out of his studio entrance scene. All the participants opened their mouths in astonishment. (Blue Mic? Blue Mic is here?) (Wow, Blue Mic is on this show?) (I¡¯m d I came out¡­.) Blue Mic sat on the judge¡¯s seat and looked at one ce. It was where Park Jin-hyuk was. And then his pre-interview voice flowed. (Is that Park Jin-hyuk? Love J?) ¡°Uh? Hyung, do you know Blue Mic?¡± When Park Jin-hyuk came out of Blue Mic¡¯s mouth, all the members stared at Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s face. (I came here to see him.) As Park Jin-hyuk and Blue Mic¡¯s faces were close-up, the first episode of ¡®Idol Rapper¡¯ ended. ¡°Hyung, what is this?¡± Park Seo-dam¡¯s bewildered voice echoed in the dorm living room. Park Jin-hyuk scratched his cheek awkwardly. Chapter 50: Chapter 50: Chapter 50 What will be the song¡¯s title? Park Jinhyuk started rapping when he was in the midst of an emotional storm, in his second year of middle school. ¡®He¡¯s so cool¡­!¡¯ -I¡¯m a second-year middle schooler who¡¯s interested in hip-hop! Nice to meet you! ©¸ Wow, the hip-hop scene is getting younger. Even middle schoolers are here. ©¸ Don¡¯t mind thement above^^ Wee. He became immersed in hip-hop and participated actively in rtedmunities. -LoveJ is here, hi -LoveJ, why don¡¯t you make a mixtape and upload it on MusicCloud? ¡®Mixtape?¡¯ Park Jinhyuk registered his ount on MusicCloud and recorded his rap with free sources as background music. He uploaded it on themunity. ¡®Oh, my god! Sis!¡¯ Park Jinhyuk¡¯s sister, Park Seohyun, who had been eavesdropping, flung open Park Jinhyuk¡¯s door. ¡®Why don¡¯t you stop being gloomy in your room and go audition for something?¡¯ ¡®Should I?¡¯ ¡®You don¡¯t sound too bad to me. Well¡­ you¡¯re good.¡¯ Park Seohyun felt that her brother¡¯s skills were quite good, even though she didn¡¯t know much about rap. Park Jinhyuk, a middle schooler, blushed at his sister¡¯s rarepliment. ¡®If you¡¯re going to do it, do it as an idol. I always wanted to have an idol brother.¡¯ ¡®Really?¡¯ Park Jinhyuk nodded his head after some hesitation. That was the moment when his career path was decided in two minutes. -Didn¡¯t LoveJ say he was a middle schooler? -He¡¯s so good? What was I doing when I was in middle school? I feel so inferior lol -LoveJ, do you want to join ourbel? -Does anyone know LoveJ¡¯s contact? Without knowing that his mixtape caused a stir among the hip-hopmunity, Park Jinhyuk knocked on the door of an idol agency. That was BHL Entertainment. And the person who offered LoveJ abel deal was BlueMix. -Come back, LoveJ -Come back and let us hear your other songs LoveJ stopped visiting themunity he used to frequent after that. Many people who had heard his mixtape looked for Park Jinhyuk. -Does anyone remember LoveJ? -Listen to this. It sounds exactly like LoveJ, right? And a few yearster, Awi¡¯s debut song spread among the hip-hopmunity. Awi¡¯s debut song was produced by ck Rush Jung Sejun, who was recognized in the hip-hop scene despite being an idol, so it spread faster. ¡®This sounds familiar¡­ Is this guy LoveJ? He sounds just like LoveJ.¡¯ And BlueMix heard the voice of LoveJ he had been looking for in Awi¡¯s title song he happened to hear. ¡®What¡¯s his name¡­ Park Jinhyuk?¡¯ He checked the birth year and it matched with the third year of middle school when LoveJ disappeared. BlueMix jumped up as if he had been struck by lightning. (Was it you who uploaded mixtapes under the name LoveJ when you were in middle school?) (Yes, that was me¡­) The second episode of ¡®Idol Rapper¡¯ started with Park Jinhyuk¡¯s bewildered face. Even among Lim Jihun¡¯s biased editing favoring NNetSpoon, BlueMix¡¯s presence was undeniable. The screen time of Park Jinhyuk rted to BlueMix also increased naturally. (Ah¡­ I finally found him¡­) BlueMix said with a sigh as if he had been relieved. All the attention of the contestants was focused on Park Jinhyuk and BlueMix. The screen changed suddenly and a VCR showed why BlueMix was looking for Park Jinhyuk. ¡°Wow, hyung, you were amazing after all?¡± ¡°Wow, we¡¯re in the same group as a genius?¡± The members made a fuss over Park Jinhyuk, who scratched the back of his head shyly. ¡®So you¡¯re saying that even Jinhyuk hyung, who is a genius of producing and a god of beats recognized by BlueMix, couldn¡¯t beat the corruption of the broadcasting station and got second ce?¡¯ [Isn¡¯t it ironic? That¡¯s life.] ¡®Can¡¯t I just hit you once?¡¯ [If you can hit me, go ahead~] Jin flew around and dispersed like smoke. Ahh, that annoying bastard. Ian sighed deeply. (Park Seon cut off his lyrics again!) ¡°No, that wasn¡¯t a situation where he could do that.¡± The malicious editing of Park Seon continued in the second episode as well. Ian frowned at Park Jinhyuk¡¯s sigh. ¡°I wonder if Seon is okay¡­¡± Jo Taewoong expressed hisplicated feelings for Ian. *** Time passed quickly, and it was the end of May. Awipleted their digital single work that would be released in June. But they didn¡¯t have time to rest for a while and started working on their first full album that was scheduled to be released in October. The full album had more songs than the mini album, and it was thepany¡¯s policy to pay more attention to the first full album. ¡°Jinhyuk, are you okay with working with me? BlueMix said he wanted to work on the live song together.¡± ¡°Hyung, I¡¯m going to make our group shine. Hyung¡¯s songs are good too.¡± Lee Juhyuk looked at Park Jinhyuk with a touched expression. While Awi was busy preparing for their next album, Park Jinhyuk, who appeared on ¡®Idol Rapper¡¯, was also facing the final live broadcast. ¡°Did you write the lyrics?¡± ¡°Yeah, here.¡± Park Jinhyuk handed over a neatly printed paper. Lee Juhyuk¡¯s expression hardened as he read the lyrics. ¡°Hey¡­ this is¡­¡± ¡°Hyung, just listen to me once.¡± Park Jinhyuk told him about the fight between the PDs he had heard directly on ¡®Idol Rapper¡¯, and about Lee Jongsoo PD, who was friendly to Park Jinhyuk. ¡®Hyung, I¡¯m not stupid, I¡¯m just oblivious. This PD will pass this, right? Besides, that BlueMix is on my side too.¡¯ ¡°Hey, even so, this is¡­ isn¡¯t it risky?¡± Lee Juhyuk had found it strange that Park Jinhyuk, who had faithfully followed his advice to avoid Kim Hyun¡¯s bad editing as the episodes of ¡®Idol Rapper¡¯ progressed, had done so. Was this a buildup for the final live broadcast? Lee Juhyuk sighed. ¡°Anyway, who are you going to feature with?¡± ¡°Ian.¡± ¡°Of course¡­ Then let¡¯s hear Ian¡¯s opinion too.¡± ¡°Should we?¡± Park Jinhyuk agreed easily to Lee Juhyuk¡¯s suggestion. Among the members, Ian had a reliable side for some reason. He knew well how the broadcasting station worked, how to deal with reporters, and how to catch sasaengs. He had a vibe that came from experience. A second-time idol feeling. Sometimes he was more trustworthy than the manager. ¡°Ian, can youe here for a moment?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Ian was listening to Kim Joo-young and Kim Hyun¡¯s dance lesson in the practice room. ¡°What? Why did they only call Ian?¡± ¡°There¡¯s something going on.¡± Park Jin-hyuk ignored Kim Joo-young¡¯s grumbling and took Ian to the producing room. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Can you do a featuring for my live song?¡± ¡°Oh, sure. I¡¯m happy to do it.¡± Ian sat on the small sofa in the studio. ¡°Hey, that¡¯s not the problem. Do you want to see the lyrics that Jin-hyuk wrote?¡± Lee Joo-hyuk sighed and handed him a paper. ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯ Ian quickly scanned the paper. Jin and Ian eximed at the same time. [Wow, is this what Park Jin-hyuk is capable of?] ¡°Wow, this is¡­¡± ¡°Listen to me, Ian. The PDs there are not very friendly with each other¡­¡± As he listened to Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s words about the rivalry between Lee Jong-soo and Kang Byung-in, the co-PDs of ¡®Idol Rapper¡¯, and how Blue Mick, a strong music producer, was on his side, Ian stared at Jin intently. Jin cleared his throat and said. [Isn¡¯t it a weird timing?] ¡®So?¡¯ [I think we can avoid trouble if we just stay away from Kang Byung-in PD, who was ordered to choose the contestants. Lee Jong-soo PD is going to move to JBTC after this. He¡¯s a fanatic fan of hip-hop.] ¡®Then it should work, right?¡¯ What if that PD turns against us? Ian made an interested expression and Park Jin-hyuk swallowed his saliva. [Plus, after YANG Entertainment¡¯s survival show, CEO Lim took a lot of N PDs and went to JBTC. Since then, N haspletely boycotted YANG Entertainment.] ¡®Oh, so that¡¯s why YANG Entertainment¡¯s singers didn¡¯t appear on N music shows?¡¯ [The problem is that they see this song as a diss to that era, and this part mentions Seo-on too?] ¡®There¡¯s a way around that.¡¯ Ian handed the paper back to Park Jin-hyuk and suggested. ¡°How about adding Hyun-hyung too?¡± ¡°Would that be okay?¡± ¡°Hyun-hyung seems fine now, right? And besides, Hyun-hyung is the key to the satire.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Ian pointed out the part that Jin had pointed out. ¡°But this part is written with Seo-on in mind, right? This is a bit risky. Hyun-hyung has to join to make it look like a revtion from back then, I guarantee it.¡± ¡°Is that so? Too bad¡­ Well, then let¡¯s change this part a bit¡­ Actually, I also prepared a separate part for Hyun.¡± Park Jin-hyuk epted Ian¡¯s opinion without hesitation and sneaked out another paper. ¡°I knew you would do this.¡± Ianughed as he said that. Actually, he had noticed Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s expression from before. It was not a naive look that wanted to avoid trouble at all. ¡°Alright¡­ Let¡¯s do it.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk rubbed his head roughly and said. Even though he acted like that, his expression showed his excitement. ¡°So we¡¯re going to cause some trouble?¡± ¡°Ian, go get Hyun too.¡± Ian ran off to get Kim Hyun. *** ¡°Are you crazy?¡± That was Kim Hyun¡¯s first impression after hearing Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s lyrics and exnation. ¡°Hyung, listen. YANG Entertainment and N are not on good terms¡­¡± This time, Ian stepped forward and persuaded Kim Hyun. Kim Hyun sat down on the sofa with a softened expression as he listened to Ian¡¯s words. ¡°Why don¡¯t you listen to me but listen to Ian?¡± ¡°He looks trustworthy. I would buy three of whatever he sells.¡± Kim Hyun ignored Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s tantrum and furrowed his brows. He still hasn¡¯t fallen for it¡­ Ian pushed harder. ¡°Hyung, are you going to keep cursing N behind their backs?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°That bastard PD who screwed you over, YANG Entertainment, and Park Sung-hoon. They¡¯re all scumbags.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true but¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re suffering alone if you keep it inside. No one knows. Only you¡¯re miserable.¡± ¡°Sigh¡­¡± ¡°Look at Seo-on on TV¡­ Hyung, I think it¡¯s time someone knew.¡± As Ian counted his fingers one by one, Kim Hyun sighed deeply. Ian was speaking more passionately than usual, but maybe he wanted Kim Hyun to do what Kim Yong-min couldn¡¯t do back then. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s wrong? You barely got out of that mess, but they¡¯re living their lives without knowing their faults.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true but¡­¡± ¡°Hyung, let¡¯s raise our voice.¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t we have to get permission from thepany for this?¡± ¡®He¡¯s almost there.¡¯ Lee Joo-hyuk nodded at Ian¡¯s eyes. ¡°Why do we need permission from thepany? We¡¯re doing our music.¡± ¡°Hey¡­¡± ¡°Even if they think we¡¯re idols and they¡¯re hip-hop, we shouldn¡¯t think like that.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do it together.¡± Kim Hyun closed his mouth at Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s serious words. He thought for a while and grabbed Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s hand. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s do it.¡± Park Jin-hyuk jumped up at Kim Hyun¡¯s words. Lee Joo-hyuk calmed him down and said. ¡°Anyway, I think it¡¯s better to tell the other kids too. They might hold us responsible if something goes wrong.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Ian went to call the other members who were still in the dance practice room. The three who stayed in the studio looked over the lyrics again with excited expressions. It felt great to n something behind everyone¡¯s back. ** ¡°So, what¡¯s the title of the song?¡± Kim Hyun asked and Park Jin-hyuk smirked. Chapter 51: Chapter 51: Chapter 51 Who cares? We¡¯re having fun! ¡°This is going to be fun.¡± ¡°It¡¯s going to be awesome, right?¡± ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± Lee Ju-hyuk asked again. But Jo Tae-woong, Kim Ju-young, and Park Seo-dam looked disappointed as they licked their lips. ¡°Ah, I wish we had a part too.¡± ¡°Then it would be too much like a group song.¡± ¡°Hyung, there¡¯s no ce for me, right?¡± The trio seemed to be really regretful as they scanned Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s lyrics over and over. Lee Ju-hyuk scratched his head as he didn¡¯t get the reaction he expected. ¡°You guys know the situation, right?¡± The trio lifted their heads from the lyrics. ¡°Hyung, why are you asking us that? We¡¯re trying to get your permission.¡± Jo Tae-woong retorted as if it was obvious. ¡°How much trouble can we get into? Do you think the CEO will beat us up?¡± ¡°He¡¯ll scold us for sure. Let¡¯s take it together.¡± Kim Ju-young and Park Seo-dam added. They were showing a warm teamwork as they conspired together. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Jo Tae-woong shouted and everyone raised their hands and cheered. ¡°Let¡¯s eat first and then record.¡± ¡°I¡¯m hungry. What should we eat today?¡± ¡°Cold noodles and pork cutlet.¡± ¡°Deal.¡± They were worthy of being called a group obsessed with food. Park Seo-dam left the studio and asked Park Jin-hyuk. ¡°But hyung, what does Love J mean?¡± ¡°Huh? It¡¯s nothing¡­ Love is the name of my dog, J is from Jin-hyuk¡¯s J.¡± ¡°Hyung, have you ever heard that you¡¯re living just because you were born?¡± ¡°How did you know? That¡¯s what my sister used to say to me a lot.¡± Park Jin-hyuk chuckled. Ian, who was left in the studio, stared at the emails from the reporters that he had received from Jin. ¡®Should I make at least one backup n¡­?¡¯ ¡°Ian, what are you doing? The elevator is here!¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯ming!¡± *** ¡®Idol Rapper¡¯ PD Lee Jong-soo yawned as he left the broadcasting station. ¡®Damn it, I don¡¯t like it¡­¡¯ He was on his way out after watching the final edit of episode 9. ¡®Idol Rapper¡¯ was being edited by Kang Byung-in, the co-PD who was ignoring the headquarters and doing whatever he wanted. The result was very different from what Lee Jong-soo had envisioned. ¡®Shit¡­ I should have stepped on shit. When I move, I¡¯ll start with a killer music variety show.¡¯ Lee Jong-soo¡¯s transfer to JBTC was almost certain. That¡¯s why he was able to detach himself from ¡®Idol Rapper¡¯ and rx his mind. ¡°Hello, PD-nim.¡± A tall man with a ck cap pulled down low stood in front of Lee Jong-soo. Lee Jong-soo tensed up and then saw the face under the cap greeting him and said cheerfully. ¡°Oh? Jin-hyuk, what are you doing here? Aren¡¯t you busy preparing for youreback?¡± ¡°I¡­ Can you please listen to my live song demo?¡± ¡°You could have just emailed it to me. Why did youe all the way here¡­¡± ¡°I need you to listen to it first.¡± Lee Jong-soo narrowed his eyes at Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s desperate look. ¡®There¡¯s something going on?¡¯ If you have more than 10 years of experience in the entertainment department, you naturally pick up on these things. And a few minutester, at a cafe on the first floor of the broadcasting station, Lee Jong-soo PD pped his hands after listening to Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s demo song. ¡°Go for it! I¡¯ll cover everything for you!¡± *** ¡°What¡¯s this? Why is the song title like this? What is this? Have you listened to it?¡± The day before ¡®Idol Rapper¡¯ live broadcast, PD Kang Byung-in asked after receiving all the songs from the contestants in advance. ¡°That? I checked them all out. It has a unique concept, right? The Three Kingdoms era? That kind of concept.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± ¡°They¡¯re probably going topete with their performance. They¡¯re famous for their performance skills.¡± Kang Byung-in PD shrugged off Lee Jong-soo PD¡¯s unusually polite attitude as him being careful of the headquarters. ¡®I did well as I nned. If this goes on, Ji-hoon will win.¡¯ Kang Byung-in only had his eyes on Im Ji-hoon. He had intentionally omitted Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s footage in the early episodes, hoping to get Blue Mic¡¯s attention. But Park Jin-hyuk didn¡¯t cause much of a stir, so he changed his target. He focused more on editing Park Se-on negatively to erase the negativemunity reaction to Im Ji-hoon. Kang Byung-in briefly listened to Im Ji-hoon¡¯s song and took off his earphones. ¡°I can¡¯t go to the rehearsal. I got a call from the headquarters.¡± ¡°Really? I¡¯ll watch the rehearsal.¡± Kang Byung-in smirked as if he was jealous and said, but Lee Jong-soo was secretly rejoicing. ¡®The timing is good~¡¯ As soon as Kang Byung-in left, Lee Jong-soo put on his earphones and yed Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s song. ¡°Wow¡­ What a remarkable guy.¡± Lee Jong-soo was actually disappointed that Park Jin-hyuk, who had received Blue Mic¡¯s recognition, had only mediocre rap skills and his diss battle was more like a praise battle. He didn¡¯t have a strong punch and only ranked in the middle. He thought he was just going to participate for the sake of it because of his groupeback, but he didn¡¯t know he had a heavy punch waiting at the end. ¡®Yeah, I can¡¯t let Kang Byung-in bastard drag me down.¡¯ This was hisst program here anyway. He was thinking of dropping a big bomb for real. Lee Jong-soo shivered with anticipation. ¡°Today is finally ¡®that day¡¯.¡± Park Jin-hyuk, who was eating cereal for breakfast and lunch, sped his hands and put them on his mouth. ¡°Hyung, don¡¯t act too heavy and go wash up. We have to go to the rehearsal early.¡± ¡°Oh, right.¡± Thanks to Lee Jong-soo PD¡¯s consideration, they were going to arrive earlier than the other contestants and finish the rehearsal first. Park Jin-hyuk hurriedly got up and headed to the bathroom. Ian approached Kim Hyun, who looked pale. ¡°Hyung, how do you feel?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. My stomach is churning¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s something perfect for that.¡± Ian took out a mint tea drink from the fridge and handed it to Kim Hyun. ¡°Get that away from me!¡± Kim Hyun pushed the drink can roughly. Ianughed and caught the falling drink can with a thud. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t waste it.¡± ¡°That drink is not worth saving.¡± ¡°Are you feeling better now?¡± ¡°Hey, I was always fine.¡± Kim Hyun grumbled. ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m nervous, you idiot.¡± You¡¯re kidding me. Ian snorted inwardly. Kim Hyun had been unsure until the recording, asking if they should tell thepany. Well, Kim Hyun had been receiving thepany¡¯s special care since he was a trainee. And the CEO personally picked him out¡­ It¡¯s not that he couldn¡¯t understand his worry about thepany. ¡°Hyung, it¡¯s already done. Just get ready.¡± Jo Tae-woong seemed to know how he felt and patted Kim Hyun¡¯s back. ¡°Hey! I¡¯m not scared!¡± Kim Hyun shouted, but the other members ignored him and pushed him into the room. ¡°Are you all watching live?¡± ¡°Of course we are. But do we have to act when we go there?¡± ¡°What acting? Just cheer.¡± Ian and Kim Joo-young said as they entered their room. *** ¡°Guys, how¡¯s Jin-hyuk¡¯s song? Are you still not going to let me hear it?¡± ¡°Hyung, it¡¯s our group¡¯s secret.¡± ¡°Guys¡­ You said I¡¯m the eighth member¡­ Hyung is sad.¡± Park Dong-soo muttered sullenly. Because of the rehearsal, they were heading to the broadcasting station early. Lee Joo-hyuk and Park Jin-hyuk exchanged nces. Lee Joo-hyuk was scheduled to have a pre-interview with Park Jin-hyuk as a participant in the producing. ¡°It¡¯s no fun if you know in advance, hyung.¡± Ian said that and nced at his side. Kim Hyun was still fidgeting nervously. Ian tapped his shoulder lightly. ¡°We picked a really good song this time.¡± ¡°Does the songe out at twelve tomorrow? What if we rank higher than our group¡¯s song?¡± ¡°Wow, that would be awesome.¡± The members spoke casually as Park Dong-soo made a smooth cornering. ¡®Well¡­ What could go wrong?¡¯ Park Dong-soo had been monitoring ¡®Idol Rapper¡¯, where Park Jin-hyuk appeared, diligently. Throughout the show, Park Jin-hyuk followed thepany¡¯s intention to just make his name known. He didn¡¯t get any malicious editing, and he passed the most worrying diss battle without any problem. He had no conflict with the other contestants, and he was friendly with the producers, which was shown on the broadcast. Usually, in these survival programs, the role of a teacher or a lover of all is the way to survive long and thin. ¡®It¡¯ll be fine¡­¡¯ Park Dong-soo tried to calm his restless mind as he parked in the underground parking lot of the broadcasting station. *** ¡°Jin-hyuk, let¡¯s go in for rehearsal first.¡± ¡°Already?¡± Jo Yeon-chul looked puzzled at Lee Jong-soo PD¡¯s words. He hadn¡¯t even prepared properly for rehearsal yet. ¡°It¡¯s a rap performance anyway, so there won¡¯t be much camera work involved. Let¡¯s just do it in order of arrival.¡± ¡°Well¡­ Okay.¡± Jo Yeon-chul scratched his head as he saw Lee Jong-soo being suddenly enthusiastic. The AR that Park Jin-hyuk had prepared shook the stage, and Park Jin-hyuk in a shy outfit grabbed the microphone. As soon as he sang a line, all the staffs¡¯ eyes were focused on Park Jin-hyuk. ¡°PD-nim, what is this?¡± ¡°I ordered it. It¡¯s a secret from Kang Byung-in that bastard. Everyone keep your mouth shut.¡± Jo Yeon-chul looked at Lee Jong-soo with a dumbfounded expression. As soon as the first verse ended and the second verse began, Kim Hyun and Ian jumped onto the stage and sang along. ¡°Wow¡­ Is this that?¡± ¡°That rumor was true.¡± The staffs opened their mouths wide and looked at the stage. When Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s rehearsal stage ended, all the staffs¡¯ eyes moved from the stage to Lee Jong-soo PD. ¡°I ordered it, so everyone thinks so.¡± Of course, no one believed his words. ¡°This is myst project. Please don¡¯t tell Kang PD.¡± Lee Jong-soo pretended to be exhausted and asked the staffs. The staffs had secretly disliked Kang Byung-in PD who was arrogant with his back from headquarters. They nodded their heads. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Even Jo Yeon-chul, who seemed to be the hardest to persuade, gave in to Lee Jong-soo. Lee Jong-soo smiled inwardly. And then someone screamed in that silence. ¡°Crazy¡­ Crazy¡­!¡± It was Park Dong-soo, AWY¡¯s manager who was watching the rehearsal. He grabbed his head as if he was tearing it apart. He should have checked it beforehand. He shouldn¡¯t have trusted Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s words that he didn¡¯t have to worry! And Lee Joo-hyuk, the leader, you too! ¡°These bastards¡­!¡± A rookie who debuted just six months ago, came out on ¡¯s survival program, and brought a song that dissed ?! ¡°Hey, you crazy bastards!¡± Park Dong-soo forgot his dignity and shouted. Kim Hyun, who was going down, turned around and looked at Park Dong-soo with a smirk. ¡°Hey¡­ It¡¯s fun.¡± Kim Hyun was thest one to enter the backstage. His expression was noticeably bright, and he didn¡¯t even notice the sweat running down his forehead. He was full of excitement. ¡°It¡¯s fun¡­!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it?¡± Park Jin-hyuk smiled brightly. Ian handed him a towel he got from the staff. ¡°Hyungs, did you hear? Dong-soo hyung was screaming when we were going down.¡± ¡°I heard it.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know he could shout that loud.¡± ¡°He must be fired up.¡± They guessed that their situation would get worse after this, but the trio couldn¡¯t stopughing as they wiped their sweat and drank water. ¡°Who cares, we¡¯re having fun right now!¡± *** Lee Jong-soo PD, who had keenly noticed Park Dong-soo¡¯s scream, put down the cue sheet. He promised to cover them all, so why not be a reliable backer? ¡°Are you AWY¡¯s manager? Listen to me.¡± On the cue sheet that Lee Jong-soo PD had put down, there were all the orders and songs of the performers, but only Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s song was marked with an asterisk and highlighted with a fluorescent pen. Park Jin-hyuk ¨C Jujak (Öìȸ) (Feat. Hyun, Ian of AWY) Chapter 52: Chapter 52: Chapter 52 Park Jin-hyuk ¨C Suzaku (Feat. Hyun, Ian of AWY) ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Oh, what¡¯s this? You all went to the salon?¡± ¡°Bang Cheong-seok was ready to take a picture, so why did youe with that mess?¡± ¡°Seo-dam, are you so sharp? You¡¯re a master of sarcasm?¡± The other members who came to fill in for Bang Cheong-seok found the waiting room. ¡°Dong-soo hyung looked unhappy.¡± ¡°He got scolded a lot earlier.¡± Park Dong-soo brought the members and then stayed in the hallway for a long time with his phone clenched in his hand. The good thing about not getting first ce is that he doesn¡¯t have a phone to receive direct contact from anyone who causes trouble. ¡°We¡¯re starting soon, so you guys stay with Bang Cheong-seok.¡± Park Dong-soo came into the waiting room with a particrly drained look. ¡°What did the CEO say?¡± ¡°That¡¯s for tomorrow¡­ Did you guys know?¡± ¡°Um¡­ yes.¡± ¡°Sigh¡­¡± This is why he shouldn¡¯t trust those ck-haired beasts¡­ The sound of Park Dong-soo¡¯s sigh was the end of the waiting room¡¯s door closing. The three who were going on stage looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. *** The first order of the stage was Park Se-on. Park Se-on went up on stage with a pale face, and Ian and Kim Hyun anxiously watched him from the waiting room. Park Se-on¡¯s hand holding the microphone was trembling. [He¡¯s mentally broken.] ¡®Damn it¡­¡¯ Ian sighed. How much did he get cursed at? Even to him, Park Se-on looked really bad on ¡®Idol Rapper¡¯. He was acting like he had no skills but was arrogant. Just like Kim Hyun used to be. ¡®AC¡­ I wish I had a phone to see the real-time reactions.¡¯ Ian regretted only his fingers. Kim Chul-min of Mykit, who came to feature in the chorus part, rxed Park Se-on¡¯s tension by casually sweeping the stage. Park Se-on showed a proper stage only in thetter part of the song and came down. (You looked too unconfident on stage.) (The song was okay, but¡­ the stage wasn¡¯t exciting.) As expected, the people who came out as judges gave one or two evaluations of the stage. Park Se-on swallowed his saliva as he sat in the singer¡¯s seat. (It doesn¡¯t have to be exciting, but¡­ personally, it was a disappointing stage. I think you could have done better if you enjoyed it more. You had a lot of trouble, right?) Park Se-on nodded his head with a sob. His face was thin, and he lost 4 kilograms because of his mental suffering while doing ¡®Idol Rapper¡¯. The camera gave Park Se-on a long shot of his face. BlueMic put down his microphone, and the host announced the text voting and ended the first stage. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Kim Hyun frowned as if he empathized with Park Se-on¡¯s situation. The second stage was Seo Min-hoo of MOM. Everyone seemed to have brought their group members to feature in their songs, and two members of MOM participated in the featuring with AWY. The third stage was Park Jin-hyuk. Kang Byung-in PD yed a prank on the live order as well. He took out Lim Ji-hoon of Choice as thest order. Thest order is advantageous in thepetition. How did Ian know this? Because Jin told him this information. A yearter, ¡¯s audition survival programs, including ¡®Idol Choice¡¯ and ¡®Idol Rapper¡¯, are engulfed in maniption controversies. And Kang Byung-in PD was at the center of it. ¡®And I¡¯m going to bring that controversy forward.¡¯ To divert any possible disadvantages to somewhere else, so that there won¡¯t be any other victims in the audition programs that willeter. Before Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s stage started, arge screen installed on the stage showed the work process and pre-interview. Ian and Kim Hyun received microphones from the staff backstage. (Why did you refuse BlueMic¡¯s offer for a beat?) (Actually, I didn¡¯t even think about it unless it was Joo-hyuk hyung. I have a great synergy effect when I work with Joo-hyuk hyung.) (Weren¡¯t you sorry?) (It was an honor for BlueMic to participate in my work, and I kept thinking about it even after I refused. So if BlueMic still wants to work with me¡­ I hope he would participate in our group work first¡­ Are you watching?) The screen quickly showed the judge¡¯s seat. BlueMic turned on his phone¡¯s shlight app and wrote something and held it up to the camera. OK. The four members of AWY, who were watching from the audience, and AWY, who were standing, jumped up. ¡°Wow¡­ that hyung is really good at getting things.¡± ¡°So we¡¯re getting BlueMic¡¯s producing for our regr album, right, hyungs?¡± ¡°Wow¡­ the CEO should look at us now.¡± ¡°Can we work with BlueMic?¡± If they get BlueMic¡¯s producing, wouldn¡¯t they be able to get first ce? Sa-in-bang¡¯s face brightened with anticipation. ¡°Wow, I¡¯m jealous¡­ But did you guys cause trouble? Why would your CEO look at you?¡± ¡°There¡¯s something like that.¡± The leader of Mykit, Jung Ji-soo, who was standing next to him, was envious. But that was only for a moment. Jung Ji-soo¡¯s expression darkened quickly. Park Se-on, who was sitting in the singer¡¯s seat, was holding his head and bowing his head. ¡®Fuck¡­ that PD bastard¡­ that trashy CEO¡­ , go bankrupt.¡¯ Jung Ji-soo gritted his teeth. (What¡¯s the concept of this stage? The song title is unusual.) (This stage? Well¡­ You¡¯ll see when you watch it.) The video ended with Park Jin-hyuk smiling slyly. A quiet wind sound flowed. The LED screen in front of the stage split to the sides and Park Jin-hyuk walked slowly with a microphone. The camera zoomed in on Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s face. As he lifted the microphone, the song started. ¡°We¡¯re tools of ratings Tools of music giarism rampant Marites of mass-produced content¡± As Park Jin-hyuk started rapping in a low voice, the audience stirred. ¡°Just one scene to get caught The public will be easy to fool¡± The lyrics implying giarism showed Park Se-on briefly on the broadcast screen. Park Se-on looked nkly at Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s stage with his head up. It was a trick by Lee Jong-soo PD and the camera director who conspired with him. ¡°Copy & Paste No originality in the same Plot When an auditiones out¡± (This is the trend~) Jung Ji-soo, who was watching from the audience, clenched his fist. Park Jin-hyuk put down his microphone and rolled his feet and jumped vigorously. The explosive music as a background, AWY¡¯s group voice recorded in advance flowed out. (Suzaku flies Su Suzaku flies~) ¡°Ha¡­!¡± BlueMic, who was watching the stage from the judge¡¯s seat, clenched his fist. He came out on ¡¯s survival and dissed the audition programs and malicious editing that sprang up like mushrooms? ¡°From afar, it looks like a vige y To the public, it¡¯s a fresh stimulus The tragedy we see inside¡± Bluemix thought that Park Jinhyuk had lost all his rap skills as he didn¡¯t show the rap he expected in each episode of ¡®Idol Rapper¡¯. He suggested to do a live song together, hoping that something would change, but it was an unnecessary worry. Park Jinhyuk was still the LoveJ he was looking for. Heughed as he listened to his smooth rap that flowed with the beats and his precise pronunciation that hit the ears. ¡°They won¡¯t care This ragged puppet show¡± Park Jinhyuk shouted Brrrrrr-! and the music quickly moved to the chorus. ¡°What is this?¡± PD Kang Byungin jumped from his seat. PD Lee Jongsoo chuckled at his reaction. ¡°Senior, what is this?¡± ¡°What do you mean, what is this? They¡¯re performing, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me this is, this is¡­ Did you¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. I asked them to do this because you¡¯re such a jerk. Sit down, this is live.¡± Lee Jongsoo stared at Kang Byungin. Kang Byungin was angry and made a face. He was jealous and envious of Lee Jongsoo, who was talented and sessful. In his rage, he lost his judgment and believed that this stage was ordered by Lee Jongsoo. ¡®He believes it so easily¡­ Good for me.¡¯ I¡¯m going to JBTC anyway. Lee Jongsoo snorted and looked at the stage. Just then, Ian came out to sing the chorus. ¡°I left my emotions in time and turned away from the puppet show The poor souls who lost even the right to be victims I now hold a torch and spread the sparks¡± Fireworks exploded on the stage in sync with the lyrics. The cheers from the audience seemed to be heard even through the earphones. Ian went back after singing the chorus. ¡°You only shine in a jewel box Ie out of the dirt and shine on the stage¡± Kim Hyun jumped on the stage and sang a rap. It was a method that Park Jinhyuk taught him, focusing more on singing than rapping. ¡°You¡¯re still just a trainee I¡¯m a train dancing on the stage¡± Park Sung-hoon, yeah I¡¯m talking about you. Kim Hyun red at the camera as if he would eat it. ¡°You¡¯re a twixter (a generation in between) I¡¯m a tracer bullet heading fast to the front¡± Kim Hyun¡¯s part ended and Park Jinhyuk took over the mic. ¡°I¡¯m a wizard on the beat You¡¯re a beneficiary of editing¡± The camera suddenly showed Lim Jihun. Lim Jihun pretended to smile and enjoy it. ¡°The puppets fly away as the sparks rise The position changes when the phoenix flies You pretend not to know, even though you know Dog & Pig watch what I do¡± Park Jinhyuk ran around the stage like a yground. He even sat down in front of the standing audience and high-fived them. ¡°Don¡¯t cut and hide behind the contestants The public criticizes, mass media splits You¡¯re the start of this mess You only care about the ratings graph Where are you going? The essence of broadcasting¡± He openly attacked PD Kang Byungin with his lyrics. PD Kang Byungin¡¯s face turned red and blue. ¡°He¡¯s cursing us right now¡­¡± He turned his head to look at Lee Jongsoo, but Lee Jongsoo was so immersed in the stage that he didn¡¯t care about Kang Byungin. After that, Park Jinhyuk rapped fast about mocking the broadcasting station, implying Kim Hyun¡¯s malicious editing and YANG Entertainment¡¯s debut scam. ¡°Wow¡­ He¡¯s really ying with it.¡± ¡°Is this game over?¡± ¡°He¡¯s dissing them here.¡± The singers sitting in their seats murmured. Park Seon clenched his fist. (Hey Producer?) The music suddenly stopped and someone¡¯s voice echoed on the stage. Amidst the noise from the audience, Park Jinhyuk walked towards Kim Hyun. Park Jinhyuk spoke not in rap, but in his normal voice. ¡°Hey, what are you doing? Cry.¡± Then Kim Hyun frowned and pretended to cry. Ian, who was acting like holding a camera next to him, turned around and smiled wickedly. The camera captured that scene nicely. And then explosive music flowed again and everyone on stage jumped. Ian sang the chorus in high notes, while Park Jinhyuk and Kim Hyun rapped together. ¡°Wow, what is this? Is this YANG Entertainment thing?¡± ¡°So that rumor was true?¡± MOM¡¯s Seo Minho whispered and there was a stir in the singer seats. ¡°Do you know? This is all¡­¡± At the end, Park Jinhyuk spoke to someone beyond the camera. But he didn¡¯t finish his sentence and smiled slyly as he put down the mic. Park Jinhyuk, Ian, and Kim Hyun threw their mics on the stage and walked away casually, ending the stage. There was an explosive response from the audience. There were even some who shouted for an encore. ¡°Woah!¡± Bluemix also jumped from his seat and cheered. The judge who was bribed by PD Kang Byungin coughed loudly. The camera briefly showed the contestants and Lim Jihun¡¯s angry face was the icing on the cake. ¡°Uhahaha!¡± Hisughter was buried by the cheers of the audience, but PD Lee Jongsoo pped andughed as if he was out of breath. ¡°Yeah, this is hip hop!¡± Chapter 53: Chapter 53: Chapter 53 Are we really number one? ¡°What an amazing stage, wasn¡¯t it? ¡­ The text voting is over!¡± The audience cheered. After Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s performance, the rest of the stages were not well received and ended quickly. Especially, Lim Ji-hoon had a poker face, but he seemed to be shaken by Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s stage. He made a mistake in the lyrics at a crucial moment. ¡°Now! The final winner of ¡®Idol Rapper¡¯ is¡­!¡± And of course, there was a twist. ¡°Park Jin-hyuk!¡± Park Jin-hyuk jumped up and hugged Kim Hyun and Ian. The camera caught the other members of Awi who were watching from the audience. The members were also happy and hugged each other. Even Mykit joined them and bounced around. Soon, the big screen on the stage showed the total ranking and the votes at once. There was a big gap between the first and second ce. It was almost an overwhelming number. ¡°The second ce is unfortunately¡­ Lim Ji-hoon!¡± The winner¡¯s ne in Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s hand sparkled brightly. Behind him, Ian smiled happily, but he had another thought in his mind. ¡®Did the email go well?¡¯ Ian had set up a scheduled email before going on stage, revealing the truth about Kang Byung-in. He was reluctant at first because it was from Jin¡¯s connection, who was a tabloid reporter. But anyway, that tabloid reporter was on his side now¡­ He tried to think positively, but he couldn¡¯t help feeling uneasy. ¡®Well, what can I do? We have to survive. It¡¯s not a crime¡­¡¯ It was them whomitted the crime anyway. Ian nced at Kang Byung-in PD who was ring at him from the production seat. After the broadcast ended, ¡®Idol Rapper¡¯ received an explosive response. Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s name was trending not only in idol-rtedmunities, but also in hip-hopmunities. -Wow, Idol Rapper is crazy. The song is awesome. -Park Jin-hyuk tore up the stage. -But they debuted only 6 months ago???? They went to the broadcast station with a deration of war???They¡¯re awesome??? -I thought Love J would make me angry. -I¡¯m jealous of Blue Mix¡¯s producing skills. -Have you seen Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s expression in the mirror at the corner of the screen in episode 7? He looked at Park Se-on who got pped in the face ©¸How did you find that? ©¸That¡¯s such a scornful expression ©¸(Photo) He was suspicious from episode 1. Someone posted a summary ©¸So he made a diss battle into apliment battle without giving any hints until thest episode? Wow, that¡¯s insane build-up ©¸He must have wanted to p his group member more who imed to be a victim???I agree with the nice p -Let¡¯s stream for our next group tomorrow ©¸Ok ok let¡¯s do it ©¸It¡¯s really streaming for justice. I felt so good watching the show ©¸When should we do the mass streaming? How about Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s birthday? -Have you seen the votes for Idol Choice? The numbers are repeating weirdly. Is this using a program? ©¸F*ck ©¸Is this rigged? ©¸Then what about those who were buried by listening votes? *** ¡°Did you guys finish eating? Let¡¯s go to thepany.¡± Park Dong-soo opened the door of the dorm with dark circles under his eyes. ¡°I feel relieved now that I¡¯ve done it, but¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m a bit nervous. Right?¡± Park Dong-soo grabbed his neck when he heard the whispers of the members. Do you know how hard it is for me? Jo Tae-woong patted his shoulder. ¡°Hey hyung, it¡¯s already over.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s already over.¡± Park Dong-soo checked if all the members got in the van and sat in the driver¡¯s seat. He fastened his seat belt. ¡°Guys, this is a matter of trust. Hey¡­ I¡¯m your manager.¡± Park Dong-soo adjusted the angle of the room mirror and looked into the eyes of the members through it. ¡°You should have told me at least¡­ before you did it. Not when I found out on site like yesterday?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Do you think I would have told you to scrap a finished song right away?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, hyung.¡± ¡°Guys¡­ managing you is my job. Preventing you from causing trouble like this is my job, and cleaning up the mess you made is also my job and thepany¡¯s. Then you should have given me time to clean up.¡± Park Dong-soo started the car and headed to thepany. The van that was always noisy was unusually quiet. The entertainmentpany was always busy with overtime, but after Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s stage yesterday, the staff of BHL Entertainment had to work all night. They had to discuss how to spread the news, how to deal with ¡¯s response, and what strategy to take in the future. ¡°You guys should have¡­ told me everything at least a day before.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m very disappointed in you.¡± Park Dong-soo sighed deeply. The members shrank their bodies. It was scarier than him getting angry and yelling. *** ¡°Oh, our troublemakers are here?¡± Representative Lee Byung-hun was so furious that he turned 360 degrees and greeted the kids with a seemingly calm expression. ¡°Hello, Mr. Representative.¡± The seven kids automatically backed off and bowed their heads in the heavy atmosphere. The representative sighed deeply. ¡°Anyway, congrattions on winning, Jin-hyuk.¡± Kim Hyun had been a thorn in the representative¡¯s side, so he might have felt satisfied and relieved if he looked at the situation separately. ¡°But kids¡­ what are you doing?¡± The representative shouted angrily. His face turned red with rage in an instant. A rookie singer! Who appeared on a music show, held a global concert, and even hosted a grand award ceremony on N! And that too on N¡¯s survival show! And theireback is next week! ¡°At a time when every stage is precious! You had to go against the broadcasting station!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think about how hard the staff worked because of you? What are you going to do if you can¡¯t go on N anymore?! What if the whole agency gets boycotted by ck Rush?! Huh?! Are you out of your mind?!¡± ¡®Fuck, if I had any power, I wouldn¡¯t be yelling at these kids.¡¯ Lee Byung-hun pounded his chest in frustration. The members only looked at their toes in shame. At that moment, knock knock. Someone knocked on the representative¡¯s office door. ¡°What is it!¡± ¡°Mr. Representative, I think you need to see this right now.¡± The one who opened the door was Director Seo Su-ryeon. Park Dong-soo was also with her. Seo Su-ryeon showed him the inte articles that she had opened on her tablet pad one by one. ¡®Idol Rapper¡¯ Park Jin-hyuk, a prophet? N audition rigging suspicion ¡®Idol Rapper¡¯ rookie singer¡¯s courageous revtion¡­ N affiliated producer, bribery suspicion, N ¡®checking¡¯ [Exclusive] Broadcasting PDs involved in Gxy Boys¡¯ drug scandal ¡®shockwave¡¯ Famous music producer Blue Mic, ¡®I was asked to promote a contestant on N.¡¯ Honest exposure. ¡®Idol Rapper¡¯ YANG Entertainment survival re-evaluation¡­ Malicious editing, is this okay? ¡®It¡¯s not toote.¡¯ [Did you write it properly?] ¡®¡­I admit your connections.¡¯ Ian sighed inwardly. He was nervous that it might be toote. He had just reported it, but as expected of trash media connections, they posted articles without fact-checking. The members loosened their backs and sneaked up to see the articles together. Seo Su-ryeon quickly flipped through the pages and showed him the real-time search chart in a whisper. ¡°Jin-hyuk is number one on the real-time search right now. Awi is number six.¡± ¡°What?¡± Seo Su-ryeon then quickly switched tabs and showed him the first pages of the music sites that she had prepared in advance. ¡°And look at this, Jin-hyuk¡¯s song is number one on all music sites right now.¡± ¡°We¡¯re getting calls for bookings non-stop¡­¡± ¡°Blue Mic contacted us and asked when we¡¯re going to work on the album.¡± ¡°Mr. Representative¡­ The reaction is no joke right now.¡± The staff came in one by one and reported. They rushed in to protect their singers even though they were the cause of their all-nighters. [What kind of family-likepany is this?] Jinughed sarcastically. The members looked at each other¡¯s faces and exchanged eye contact with the staff. ¡®Stay low.¡¯ Deputy Park Joo-min from the nning team winked at them slightly. [Did your manager call them all?] ¡®What?¡¯ And in the center of them was Park Dong-soo. Ian looked at Park Dong-soo with touched eyes and he avoided his gaze with a dumb face. ¡°How long has it been since he got number one?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been three hours, the graph is t right now.¡± ¡®Oh really?¡¯ [Do you get like 2 percent of that?] Ian marveled inwardly. It was amazing that he got number one, but the graph was t too? That meant he had a solid spot in the top ranks. The members swayed as they looked at each other. It was indeed hip-hop nation that lined up the music charts with rted songs once they appeared on hip-hop survival shows. ¡°Number one¡­?¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t hear it wrong, did we?¡± Lee Joo-hyuk and Park Jin-hyuk widened their eyes. They felt like they heard a solemn hymn in their ears. Was this the sound of royaltiesing in? They couldn¡¯t openly be happy because they were being scolded, but their ears turned red. At that moment, the representative¡¯s phone vibrated. He looked at the screen of the phone that he had flipped over, and it was a contact from someone he knew. (N Lee Jong-soo PD) ¡°First¡­ you guys go out.¡± The representative waved his hand and everyone quickly left the office. He confirmed that everyone had left and answered the phone. (Oh, Mr. Representative. Your blood pressure isn¡¯t high, is it?) ¡°PD Lee¡­ PD Lee knew everything, didn¡¯t you?¡± (Don¡¯t get too angry. I told him to do it.) Huh, who would believe that. The representative snorted. ¡°PD Lee¡­ We¡¯ve known each other for years, how could you hide this from me? PD Lee can go to JBTC, but what about our kids?¡± (Just bear with it. It¡¯ll be resolved well. You saw the articles, right?) ¡°I saw them¡­¡± (You¡¯ll make a lot of profit from the events even if you can¡¯t go on N for a year or so. Besides, I edited the ck Rush reality show nicely for you.) ¡°I appreciate that.¡± The ck Rush reality show that PD Lee Jong-soo was in charge of had contributed to the influx of foreign fandom for ck Rush as it spread abroad. (When I move to another ce, I¡¯ll take good care of your kids there.) ¡°Will you do that?¡± (Of course. I like you, Mr. Representative, and also Awi¡­ They have a lot of guts, don¡¯t they? They¡¯re to my liking.) Then¡­ Lee Byung-hun cleared his throat. ¡°Then I¡¯m grateful¡­ Let¡¯s have a meal sometime.¡± (Yes, let¡¯s do that.) The representative hung up the phone and opened the door. He looked at the staff and Awi who were lined up in the hallway and sighed. ¡°You guys go practice, and everyone else gather in the conference room.¡± *** PD Lee Jong-soo hung up the phone and looked at the final episode¡¯s ratings graph. The graph that was going steady showed a steep rise during Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s stage. -A rookie who debuted 6 months ago dissed N on N ??? -Crazy bastards??? I¡¯ll listen to Awi¡¯s new song when ites out -But isn¡¯t the song really good? I bought the music. -But do they really know something? -Prophet Park Jin-hyuk?????? -If N retaliates, it¡¯s cruel, they should admit their honest exposure And after thest live broadcast ended, ¡®Idol Rapper¡¯ dominated themunity. Nave TV TOP-100
  1. [Idol Rapper] Park Jin-hyuk ¨C Jujak (Feat. Hyun, Ian of AWY) @Final
MyTube Trending Videos Chapter 54: Chapter 54: Chapter 54 Aren¡¯t they half number one singers? ¡°Everyone! Please love oureback activities a lot!¡± ¡°Bye!¡± The members crowded in front of the small phone that was barely enough to fit seven people and ended the Y app broadcast. ¡°Oh, we turned it off at exactly 6 o¡¯clock. Perfect timing.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s check the reactions before they take our phones away.¡± It was 6 o¡¯clock, the time when their songs were released on various music sites. As the members opened the inte window to check the reactions, a staff member who had been watching them through CCTV came in and took their phones away. ¡°Can¡¯t we see the entry rankingter?¡± ¡°No, you can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Nuna¡­¡± When Ian pleaded earnestly, the staff member¡¯s face turned red in an instant. She was not immune to Ian¡¯s face yet. ¡°No means no. Ask your manager.¡± She said firmly and left the practice room. ¡°¡­Can¡¯t be helped.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s cause less trouble next time.¡± The members regretted it, but they didn¡¯t say they would never cause trouble again. ¡°They¡¯re so cruel.¡± ¡°They¡¯ll at least let us see the ranking¡­¡± The members only sighed in disappointment. *** ¡°Why don¡¯t you stop being angry?¡± The staff member who took the broadcast phone from Awi approached Park Dongsoo, who was looking at the CCTV camera of the practice room, and handed him the phone. ¡°I¡¯m not angry.¡± ¡°They¡¯re really nervous about you, you know?¡± ¡°Of course they should be, you worked all night that time.¡± The staff memberughed soullessly as he remembered the chaotic situation that time. ¡°I did, but it¡¯s already normal to work overtime¡­ What difference does it make if I go in a few hourste?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°But they¡¯re good at taking care of this here. That¡¯s why it¡¯s better.¡± The staff member made a money sign with his thumb and index finger. After Awi caused trouble, President Lee Byunghun apologized and gave them double overtime pay. And that money was going to be used for Awi¡¯s event expenses. ¡°I¡¯ll stop being angry now. I¡¯ll go upstairs.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± Park Dongsoo sighed deeply after sending off the staff member and monitored the situation in the practice room. had not taken any action yet. They seemed to be busy putting out the fire in their own house, as if they had been caught by their weakness somewhere. ¡®Sigh¡­ It¡¯s embarrassing to be angry at them¡­ I should stop now.¡¯ Park Dongsoo sorted out his thoughts after some deliberation. Just then, it was past 7 o¡¯clock and the music chart was reorganized. Park Dongsoo jumped up in surprise when he checked the ranking. He soon screamed silently and copsed. *** ¡°You guys entered at number 12.¡± Park Dongsoo, who had been jumping with joy, said indifferently with a stiff expression. ¡°What¡­ what did you say?¡± ¡°What did you just say?¡± ¡°We¡¯re 12th!¡± The dance practice room was soundproofed, but the members¡¯ screams could be heard outside. Park Dongsoo shook his head as he saw them. *** ¡°Look over here!¡± ¡°Right! Right!¡± ¡°Macho Park Jinhyuk!¡± ¡°Ian! It¡¯s your brother!¡± The way to the music show was noisy. The members squinted their eyes under the shower of shes. The sound of fans and paparazzi calling them was loud at the scene. ¡°Wow, my eyes hurt.¡± The members rubbed their eyes slightly as they passed through the photo zone and headed to the broadcasting station. They had even put on eye makeup to look pretty in the news photos, so they couldn¡¯t rub their eyesfortably. ¡°Awi, let¡¯s go to rehearsal.¡± Not only on their way to work, but also on rehearsal, they experienced the rise of their poprity in real time. The PD nced at Awi, or rather Park Jinhyuk¡¯s face, and chuckled. His expression seemed to say ¡®So you guys are those crazy ones?¡¯ And this poprity continued in the waiting room. ¡°Are those guys the ones who¡­¡± ¡°Oh, that ¡­?¡± Staffs and singers who recognized Awi whispered to each other. Some friendly idol groups said ¡°I listened to your song well.¡± as they passed by Park Jinhyuk. ¡°Hyung! We¡¯re nominated for first ce!¡± And then Park Seodam, who was in charge of Kpany¡¯s daily music show MC, ran into the waiting room and shouted. ¡°We are?¡± ¡°The song was released yesterday, what are you talking about? It will be counted next week.¡± ¡°No! Not that! The maniption!¡± ¡°Really?!¡± Kim Hyun and Park Jinhyuk jumped up. The members of the other group peeked at Awi from behind the partition. ¡®Kpany is putting a rivalpany¡¯s audition program on first ce?¡¯ [They can even put a machine on first ce here.] ¡®Machine? Ah¡­ music maniption.¡¯ Among the public broadcasts, Kpany¡¯s music show had a structure that made it rtively easy for male idols with weak music to win first cepared to other music shows. ¡°Is the maniption that serious?¡± ¡°We have to check the ranking¡­¡± ¡°Should we ask the others?¡± The members were about to get up and head to the other singers. Park Dongsoo, who had appeared out of nowhere, crossed his arms and watched them. ¡°Hey¡­ It¡¯s ¡¯s thing, do you think they¡¯ll win first ce?¡± ¡°Go back to sleep.¡± Park Dongsoo¡¯s eyes told them not to go anywhere. The members who had brightened their expressions with hopey down again. [His mouth is twitching, isn¡¯t it?] ¡®¡­Huh?¡¯ Ian turned around at Jin¡¯s discovery. Park Dongsoo turned his head and avoided Ian¡¯s gaze. ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯ *** ¡°Pleasee forward, the first ce candidates.¡± Awi followed the staff¡¯s instructions and stood next to Park Seodam, the daily MC of Kpany. The members didn¡¯t have much expectation until then. Thest song of the day was over and the camera light came on. ¡°Yes! The second week of June 2018! We¡¯re only left with the first ce announcement now¡­¡± ¡°I wonder who will be the first ce this week, let¡¯s see the screen!¡± The camera in front of Park Jin-hyuk lit up and the score screen appeared. The digital music score was much higher than the other group, and the members stiffened their expressions. Could it be? ¡°The winner is¡­ Ji¡­ Jin-hyuk hyung?!¡± ¡°Congrattions, Mr. Park Jin-hyuk!¡± The female announcer who covered up the short broadcast mistake of Park Seo-dam, the daily MC, handed over the first ce trophy to Park Jin-hyuk. The pollen installed on the stage popped! ¡°Is this really first ce?¡± ¡°Is this possible¡­?¡± Park Jin-hyuk, who received the trophy nervously, asked Ian. Ian was also in a daze in this situation he had never experienced before. It¡¯s N music, is this really possible? ¡°Mr. Park Jin-hyuk! Please say a few words.¡± ¡°¡­First of all, I would like to thank ourpany staff who worked hard because of us. And I love you, our manager hyung! I love you, AWY!¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± The MC wrapped up the broadcast, and the AR music of Jujak was yed on the stage. ¡®Was Dong-su hyung¡¯s smile earlier because of this?¡¯ To do an encore stage, they needed an AR music file of the first ce song. Park Dong-su must have known it beforehand. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Good job.¡± AWY bowed to all the performers. Park Jin-hyuk held the microphone and called for an encore. ¡°Our Jujak flies~¡± Not only Park Jin-hyuk, but also the members of AWY who sang chorus sang along for the encore. They all smiled happily, but unlike the lyrics, they had a very bright expression. [It¡¯s good~ It¡¯s a good time~] Jin sneered at the situation. Right after Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s first ce, K Music Broadcast¡¯s SNS manager posted a message. K_Musicbroadcast @K_Musicbroadcast Second week of June 1st ce? Park Jin-hyuk ¨C Jujak (Öìȸ) (Feat. Hyun, Ian of AWY) We don¡¯t fly anything like Jujak~ Korea¡¯s representative broadcast, fair broadcast KSB! Please look forward to next week! ¡­They hit it big. *** ¡°Dong-su hyung!¡± ¡°You knew it, right?¡± The members who were quiet in the waiting room because of other singers changed as soon as they got on the van. Cho Tae-woong, who sat right behind Park Dong-su, hit the driver¡¯s seat backrest. ¡°This hyung is smiling! He knew it!¡± Kim Joo-young shouted after confirming Park Dong-su¡¯s face with swollen cheeks. ¡°¡­Jin-hyuk¡¯s song is still number one on the music site.¡± Park Dong-su finally burst intoughter and said. ¡°Wow¡­ This is crazy. My chest feels majestic.¡± ¡°The day when Ju-hyuk hyung buys us Hanwoo is not far away.¡± Kim Hyun and Cho Tae-woong muttered. ¡°So are we first ce singers now?¡± ¡°Half of us are first ce singers, right?¡± ¡°Half? What do you mean half?¡± The members who had a bowl of kimchi soup sighed and scratched their eyes. ¡°Guys¡­ Technically, only Jin-hyuk is a first ce singer¡­¡± ¡°Huh! Dong-su hyung! Then can I get a phone?¡± Park Jin-hyuk suddenly raised his head. ¡°You want to get a phone with a song that caused trouble¡­?¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± Park Dong-suughed bitterly. Park Jin-hyuk lowered his head. *** Unfortunately, the group¡¯s ranking fell behind, and Park Jin-hyuk won another first ce on a cable music broadcast. ¡°What do I do with only me being first ce?¡± ¡°Hey, thanks to you hyung, we got a Blue Mic song too.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have more chances next time.¡± It didn¡¯t feel real that it was an individual first ce rather than a group first ce, and the digital album jacket photo also shone with the logo of ¡®Idol Rapper¡¯. Park Jin-hyuk sent two trophies to his home and forgot about them. [N was under a lot of pressure from other broadcasters after ¡®Project Idol¡¯. They¡¯re probably making auditions for all threepanies right now?] ¡®The situation is¡­ ironic.¡¯ Who would have thought that they would give a trophy to apetitor¡¯s program music? And luckily, there was noeback from the music bully singer, and it was an empty house without any machines. ¡°There¡¯s no music broadcast schedule for us on Thursday.¡± N eventually refused AWY¡¯s appearance on their own music broadcast. It was a day off in a schedule that filled up a week without sparing cable. ¡°But N had a lot of content¡­¡± ¡°Someday we¡¯ll be back on.¡± They were happy to have a day off, but they couldn¡¯t help feeling empty. The agency filled the empty Thursday with a stage they prepared themselves and uploaded it to the official YouTube. ¡°Oh, Jujak? Then let¡¯s do our group song too?¡± ¡°How many people are there? It¡¯s not much¡­ There are seven of us. It¡¯s only four more people¡­ Then how about two songs? Yes, thank you.¡± There was also a benefit. It was an event. Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s Jujak syndrome didn¡¯t seem to die down, and the agency took advantage of the situation and sold them out. The event fee usually increased as the number of people increased, and it changed again when they became first ce singers. ¡°A hip-hop festival? That¡¯s perfect.¡± ¡°Oh, water bomber? How many days is it? All over the country? We¡¯re fine with that¡­ How many days is it?¡± Summer was a time when there were a lot of events. Unfortunately, the college events ended before theeback, but the other event schedules were overflowing. The staff started to fill the calendar with inquiries. This was the price that made the staff work all night. AWY was scheduled to be ground on the schedule stone with event schedules. After finishing the music broadcast schedule for three weeks, AWY went straight into preparing for their regr album and events without a moment of rest. @Nana***** A really cool drama! I think it¡¯s a drama that makes you cry, feel touched, and think a lot. Who is the main character? He¡¯s so cool! @SUZ*** I watched it with a light heart and got shocked! I¡¯m watching it for the third time now. I think I¡¯m falling for the main character! @tong_12*** A warm and touching drama. The male actor is handsome and good at acting. And Ian¡¯s short y ¡®I Want to Hear Your Voice¡¯ was officially aired overseas and uploaded to the OTT tform at the same time. Ian didn¡¯t know yet that this affected not only his overseas response but also AWY¡¯s recognition. Chapter 55: Chapter 55: Chapter 55 Why are you here? ¡°I feel like I¡¯m going to die.¡± ¡°Kil¡­l¡­me¡­¡± After finishing their promotions, Awi was busy running around the events that piled up in the summer season. The members who got on the van groaned as they sat on the chairs. ¡°Guys, good job. Let¡¯s go to the dorm now.¡± The manager was no different. Dark circles had settled under Park Dong-soo¡¯s eyes. [We¡¯ll get paid soon.] ¡®Will we die of overwork before we get paid?¡¯ There were also people who were angry at Awi¡¯s extreme schedule. They were the fans. -Is their schedule for real? -I thought it was suspicious that they had their own stage every Thursday because they couldn¡¯t go on ?? -They¡¯re crazy -They¡¯re working too hard ?? ¡®She¡¯s here again.¡¯ Ian clicked his tongue as he recognized the fans who were attending through Jin. There were quite a lot of fans who followed them even to the local events. The agency seemed to show them the price of causing trouble by putting them anywhere as long as the schedule matched, even if it was a local event far from the dorm. ¡°Don¡¯t we have to hit our ringer?¡± ¡°First, we have to hit Dong-soo hyung.¡± Park Dong-soo had been staying in Awi¡¯s dorm living room for a long time. ¡°Guys, go to sleep quickly¡­ We¡¯re going to the countryside tomorrow¡­¡± ¡°Thank you, hyung.¡± The members yawned andy down on the bed without even washing properly. Ian alsoy down his heavy body on the bed. He felt like he could live when hey down. ¡®But¡­ it¡¯s better than before¡­¡¯ It was better than his previous life, when he was sucking his fingers in the dorm without anyone calling him. *** Awi went to a few events in Chungcheong-do and Daejeon, and then headed to Iksan in Jeobuk-do. ¡°Hyung, are we running two rounds today?¡± ¡°Today is only once in Iksan, and tomorrow we have Gwangju¡­¡± ¡°Hyung, stop there. It hurts if we know too much. Our mental state.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk sighed deeply. Park Dong-soo smiled as he saw the tired faces of the members. ¡°But you guys are free after the performance. You can enjoy the festival.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a food festival, so there must be a lot of delicious things. I brought vodka.¡± ¡°Hyung, did we ever tell you that we love you?¡± Park Seo-dam sprang up. ¡°But don¡¯t wander around separately.¡± The staff who followed the schedule were probably dying too. Park Dong-soo was in a good mood for a rare asion and whistled. [Huh? Ironheart is here again.] ¡®Really?¡¯ Ian nced at the red cross mark that Jin showed him. ¡®Really dedicated.¡¯ ? While Awi was preparing for the stage with the staff, MC came up and induced the audience¡¯s response. [Huh?] ¡®I¡¯m scared when you say huh, what is it this time?¡¯ [Isn¡¯t that¡­ him?] ¡®Who?¡¯ Ian looked up at the stage. His hand that was putting on his in-ear monitor stopped. ¡®¡­Why are you here?¡¯ Ian clenched his trembling hand. The person who was doing MC for this event was someone Ian knew well. ¡°Yes, everyone~ Your idol! Shining like a diamond, this event¡¯s pre-MC Im Tae-woo!¡± He was from the same group as Ian¡¯s previous life, Kim Yong-min. He was Diamond Im Tae-woo. *** Im Tae-woo hated Kim Yong-min, who came from arge agency. He hated that he was immediately put into a debut group as soon as he came to TA Media. ¡°You¡¯re lucky to be from MI Enter.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You got into a debut group quickly because of MI Enter¡¯s favoritism.¡± Kim Yong-min frowned. What kind of nonsense was that? ¡°So what? You couldn¡¯t even debut there.¡± ¡°So what?¡± But among the nine members of the debut group, there was only one friend of his age who was also a member. That was Kim Yong-min. So Im Tae-woo didn¡¯t show much of his dislike. Anyway, they were going to debut in the same group, so it would only cause trouble. ¡°Hey¡­ we really debuted.¡± ¡°Today is our first day.¡± He actually felt happy when they debuted in the same group. The feeling of hatred for Kim Yong-min also melted away like snow in the joy of debut. And Im Tae-woo couldn¡¯t deny Kim Yong-min¡¯s singing skills. He had wless skills, and he was always taking lessons and working hard to improve himself. He also practiced dancing until dawn to make up for hisck of dancing skills. Im Tae-woo felt a sense of inferiority that was hard to ovee. ¡°Do you like being the main vocal? I want more parts too!¡± ¡°Hey¡­ do I decide that? Theposer does, right?¡± But sometimes he vented his anger at Kim Yong-min. Of course, Kim Yong-min didn¡¯t back down and shouted back, and they had big fights. ¡°¡­But I¡¯m handsome.¡± ¡°Are you done talking shit? Ugh, you bastard¡­ Fine, you¡¯re the visual of our group.¡± And sometimes they made up for no reason. They were in the same group anyway, and they were the only friends of the same age who could confide in each other. They got along well while bickering. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t you know what that is? It¡¯s a war criminal g!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t see it!¡± ¡°Ha ??.¡± ¡°Hey¡­ are you okay? Don¡¯t look at the inte for now.¡± Im Tae-woo stayed by Kim Yong-min¡¯s side when he was suffering from hatements because of the stylist¡¯s mistake. ¡°Our fan signing event is under quota again¡­¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯ll get better with the next album?¡± ¡°Do we even have a next album?¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t say things like that.¡± They also trembled with anxiety as the number of fans decreased and the album release date got longer. They also went to confront the agency¡¯s president who abandoned them when one of their members left because of school violence. ¡°¡­It¡¯s not working. I¡¯m going to studyposing. Let¡¯s make our own album.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you get tired?¡± ¡°Hey, we have to live even if thepany goes bankrupt. This time we¡¯ll make it.¡± Im Tae-woo, who had half given up, got up and closed the book at Kim Yongmin¡¯s burning gaze. Inspired by Kim Yongmin, who had been working onposing songs without sleeping at the dorm, the other members also regained their motivation one by one. ¡°This hyung will give you a lot of parts this time.¡± ¡°Hey, let¡¯s do it together. I also read some books on harmony.¡± ¡°Yongmin-ah, let hyung join too.¡± In the end, they worked on the song with their eldest member and had a st. It was the most exciting moment since their debut. ¡°I think our album will do really well this time.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t our debut timing good too? All the big groups are going to Japan¡­¡± They went to the studio to take photos for the album, and the director who filmed their debut song generously offered to donate his talent for the music video. ¡°Hey¡­ did you see the article?¡± And then, Minjun, a member of the same group, had a speeding marriage scandal. Minjun packed his bags and ran away in the early morning, and the other members also lost their motivation and went back to their hometowns. Thest people left in the dorm were Im Tae-woo and Kim Yongmin. ¡°People have their own time¡­ Those who are meant to seed will seed¡­¡± ¡°Hey, Im Tae-woo¡­¡± ¡°Kim Yongmin¡­ Yongmin-ah¡­ I guess we¡¯re really losers.¡± Im Tae-woo sat down and shed tears. Kim Yongmin closed his eyes tightly. He didn¡¯t want to hear the fact that he had been trying to ignore from someone else¡¯s mouth. ¡°They say effort never betrays you¡­ Why are we like this¡­¡± Im Tae-woo eventually sobbed out loud. Kim Yongmin saw Im Tae-woo crying and screaming like that for the first time. He was confident and proud before. Hey down on the bed and tried to sleep with aplicated feeling. When he opened his eyes, there was no one in the dorm. Im Tae-woo¡¯s belongings were already gone, and he never contacted him again. *** ¡°No! You said it was 400,000 won. Does this look like 400,000 won?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ there must have been a misunderstanding. We originally asked for 300,000 won.¡± ¡°Ha¡­¡± And Im Tae-woo, who had grown old, was arguing with the event manager. ¡®He¡¯s aged¡­¡¯ Ian, who had finished his performance, stared nkly at Im Tae-woo. ¡°Ian-ah, drink some water.¡± ¡°Oh, yes.¡± Ian took the water from the staff. The former idol Im Tae-woo who was begging for 50,000 won more while holding onto the event manager under the scorching sun and the rising idol group who were drinking ice water in the shade surrounded by staff. ¡°It¡¯s hard for us if you keep doing this. We were going to call you for the next event too¡­¡± ¡°No¡­ that¡¯s a different story.¡± The gap between them, their changed positions, made him feel bitter. Ian was snapped out of his trance by Jo Taewoong. ¡°Hey, what are you doing?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh¡­ You know that idol I saw at your grandmother¡¯s neighborhood event?¡± Ian pointed at Im Tae-woo. ¡°I think he was a member of that group.¡± ¡°Wow! Really? Can I go say hello?¡± Im Tae-woo was holding a white envelope with a dejected look on his face. Jo Taewoong approached him without any hesitation and bowed deeply. ¡°Hello, senior!¡± ¡°Huh? Huh?¡± Ian followed Jo Taewoong and bowed as well. Im Tae-woo stiffened at the unexpected respect from his juniors. ¡°He said he became an idol thanks to your performance.¡± Ian spoke for Jo Taewoong and looked closely at Im Tae-woo. He seemed to have taken care of his appearance, but his clothes were old and shabby. Im Tae-woo shoved the envelope into his pocket and scratched his head. ¡°Is that so?¡± He also felt embarrassed by his miserable appearance and pretended to fix his clothes. ¡°You don¡¯t have to call me senior¡­ Just call me hyung. I¡¯m not an idol anymore.¡± ¡°Hey, you¡¯re still our senior! I really wanted to meet you!¡± ¡°But which performance did you¡­?¡± ¡°Oh! Well¡­¡± Jo Taewoong smiled brightly and chattered away. Im Tae-woo¡¯s cheeks gradually reddened as he listened to his story. It must have been how Ian felt when he first heard it. The memory that was so miserable and pathetic was meaningful to someone else. ¡°Thanks for telling me that.¡± Does your tear duct get weaker as you age? Im Tae-woo¡¯s eyes welled up with tears. Ian also felt uneasy and looked away. ¡°What are they doing over there¡­ Hey!¡± Park Dongsoo called Ian and Jo Taewoong. ¡°Ah¡­ I have to go now. It was an honor to meet you, senior!¡± ¡°Yeah. See you again¡­¡± Im Tae-woo couldn¡¯t finish his sentence. How could he meet the hottest idol group these days again, when he was wandering around doing MC gigs for local events? ¡°¡­I¡¯ll be cheering for you.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Jo Taewoong turned around and ran to Park Dongsoo. Ian hesitated and then spoke to Im Tae-woo. ¡°Um¡­ senior.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± He¡¯s really handsome. That was Im Tae-woo¡¯s thought as he met Ian¡¯s eyes. ¡°First of all, don¡¯t take this the wrong way¡­ You sing well, senior. Don¡¯t you sing anymore?¡± ¡°Sing¡­?¡± Im Tae-woo gave a hollowugh. He kicked the gravel on the ground. ¡°I need to have a song to sing¡­ I¡¯m not confident in bads.¡± The truth was, he didn¡¯t have the courage to try again. ¡°Then, senior¡­ how about trot?¡± ¡°Trot?¡± ¡°Yes, I think trot will be the trend.¡± Next year, trot singers will gain nationwide poprity with the start of a trot survival show. Ian looked at Im Tae-woo earnestly. ¡°Trot, huh¡­ Thanks for the advice. Isn¡¯t your manager calling you? Don¡¯t you have to go?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ yes. I¡¯ll see you again.¡± Im Tae-woo couldn¡¯t say what he wanted to say, so Ian said it for him. Ian ran to his manager. ¡°Trot¡­¡± Im Tae-woo thought hard. He had also envied the trot singers who swept up the money thrown by the elders on stage while doing MC gigs. Compared to that, he felt ashamed of today, when he groveled for 50,000 won. ¡°Should I try one more time¡­?¡± He felt more encouraged by the fact that his hot junior group had found their dream by watching him. *** Ian turned around and saw Im Tae-woo clenching his fist as if he had made up his mind. He had a good singing skill, and he was the visual of a group, so if he took care of himself, his appearance would be decent too. He didn¡¯t need to mention his effort. ¡®Let¡¯s meet again when you seed.¡¯ Just like I¡¯m doing well after going back to the past, to my original body, I hope you¡¯re doing well too. Ian thought so and smiled at the corner of his mouth. Chapter 56: Chapter 56: Chapter 56 Dream big. Ian had no time to indulge in his thoughts as Awi was busy touring local events. A month had passed by quickly due to their hectic schedule. Awi finished their local tour with the ¡®Water Bomber Music Festival¡¯ in Busan. And then they immediately started working on their first full album. ¡°You have to spray the water towards the sky, not the audience¡¯s faces.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Of course, hyung.¡± ¡°Wow, I¡¯m nervous.¡± Despite the extreme schedule, the members¡¯ expressions were unusually bright. ¡°This is the Water Bomber that only famous singers can perform at, right?¡± ¡°Does that mean we¡¯re famous singers too?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Jinhyuk hyung¡¯s connections. He did a great job.¡± Jotaewoong, Kim Juyeong, and Ian said in turn. Park Jinhyuk scratched his head at his younger brothers¡¯ fuss. Awi had been excited since they heard the news that they were invited to the ¡®Water Bomber Music Festival¡¯. It was a stage that could only be done in summer, where the audience brought water guns and shot them, and the singers on stage sprayed water and enjoyed themselves. ¡°Wow, our name is here.¡± ¡°Where?¡± The poster had the names of the singers in order of poprity, with the font size getting bigger as they went up. Awi was written in small letters at the very bottom. It was a poster that showed the stark gap between them and the top singers. ¡°It would be nice if we were up here next time.¡± Lee Juhyuk pointed to the middle of the lineup. Ian said. ¡°Dream big, I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°Lee Yeol~¡± Ian pointed to the top row, where the font was thergest. Kim Juyeong whistled. ¡°Good. That¡¯s how our members should be.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll go up there next year.¡± Lee Juhyukughed out loud. The members checked their earpieces and microphones. ¡°I wish our stage outfits were like this too.¡± The stage had water sprayers installed, so the singers inevitably got wet. Awi was only wearing white t-shirts and jeans. ¡°There might be sudden bursts of water, and sometimes the audience shoots water guns at the singers, so be careful with your eyes.¡± ¡°Yes, hyung.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a water gun on stage, but don¡¯t spray it too much at the audience. Just enough, you know?¡± Park Dongsoo prepared towels in advance and said. ¡°I hope the floor isn¡¯t slippery.¡± ¡°It would be embarrassing if we fell.¡± ¡°Guys, there are a lot of people here.¡± The members jumped nervously on the spot. Their faces showed anxiety about what would happen if there was no response from the audience on their anticipated stage. [Why are you so anxious? If there¡¯s no response, just strip.] ¡®What?¡¯ [This kind of festival is all about exposure. No response? Strip and you¡¯ll get a fancam.] Jin said seriously as if he was reciting a wise saying. What nonsense. Ian grabbed his microphone. *** Awi was only going to sing three songs: their debut song, their recent song, and a cover song. They were allotted 15 minutes of time. If they were popr singers, they would have 30 minutes of performance time, but they didn¡¯t have that kind of hit song or recognition yet. ¡°Hello everyone!¡± ¡°Hello! We are Awi!¡± These events had a festive atmosphere, so if the singers showed their rookie nerves, it would dampen the audience¡¯s mood. ¡°Do you all know us? Wow, you¡¯re really responsive!¡± Awi ran around the wide stage and greeted the audience. ¡®I see a lot of fancammers.¡¯ Ian scanned the signs that Jin shed. There were people who followed these events even if they weren¡¯t fans. They were people who uploaded high-quality fancam videos of various singers, and some of them started their viral fame from these videos. ¡°Are you having fun?¡± Park Seodammunicated with the front audience. The staff raised their hand to signal the start of the music. The members found their dance positions. The first song was Awi¡¯s debut song. ¡®Wow, what is this? They¡¯re singing along to our debut song¡­¡¯ As he danced and sang, Ian heard the audience¡¯s chorus in his ears. Ian made eye contact with Jotaewoong who was dancing behind him. ¡®Did you hear that?¡¯ Jotaewoong nodded his head. The cheers weren¡¯t loud, but they were definitely singing along to their lyrics. The members sang enthusiastically as they ran around on stage. ¡°Wow¡­ do you know our debut song?¡± The members asked nervously after finishing their first song. They didn¡¯t have inte ess so they couldn¡¯t check their poprity. ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°You¡¯re handsome!¡± The audience¡¯s cheers were especially loud, because they had been sprayed with water guns by the audience and the water sprayers on stage. ¡°You know us, so we have to work harder. Right?¡± Awi had an unusually good average height and physique. They had taken care of themselves because of their activities, and they also started working out together because of Ian¡¯s daily exercise routine. Their silhouettes were revealing, and Jin¡¯s signs shed on and off. ¡°Should we try spraying this too?¡± Lee Juhyuk grabbed a water gun and sprayed it at the audience. The other members also grabbed water guns and sprayed water. ¡°Our second song is our recent song.¡± ¡°Can you follow along if we teach you the fan chant?¡± The members skillfully induced the audience¡¯s response. The audience who came to enjoy the stage cheered. The chorus was louder than before, maybe because it was their recent song. ¡®This is fun.¡¯ He had never been near such an event in his Kim Yongmin days, but the water jets, the audience¡¯s cheers, and the festive atmosphere were palpable. ¡°Ahhhh!¡± Ian went to the edge of the wide stage and took care of the corner audience. The audience waved their hands. Ian approached them and high-fived them randomly. Some of them held his hand and didn¡¯t let go. ¡°Everyone, make some noise!¡± The audience followed the fan chant that they had taught them beforehand. Park Jinhyuk was so excited that he took off his top and threw it. The audience¡¯s cheers got louder. ¡°Thank you for having fun with us!¡± Kim Juyeong and Jotaewoong also took off their tops and threw them. ¡®Whatever.¡¯ All the remaining members, including Ian, took off their tops. They swept up their hair that stuck to their faces. ¡°This is thest song, and it¡¯s the one you¡¯ve been waiting for.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the glorious song that made us half of the number one singers, right?¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to sing it together.¡± There were many events that required ¡®Ju-jak¡¯ to be yed. So Lee Ju-hyuk and Park Jin-hyuk arranged a special group version of ¡®Ju-jak¡¯ for Awi. It was a thoughtful gesture to have fun without leaving anyone out. ¡°It¡¯s that song, right? Even though we couldn¡¯t go to ¡®that ce¡¯, we still got paid for the event.¡± Jo Tae-woong¡¯s blunt remark made Kim Hyun hit his back. Park Dong-soo, who was listening backstage, facepalmed, and the audienceughed. ¡°I didn¡¯t participate in that song, but thanks to our talented Jin-hyuk hyung, I got to be on Water Bomber. That¡¯s why it¡¯s good to have many members, right?¡± ¡°Someone has to carry you, right? But Tae-woong, you should rap. Your rhymes are killer.¡± The peers of Jo Tae-woong didn¡¯t let his snarkyment slide. Kim Ju-young and Ian picked up his words. ¡°Before we y thest song, we have an albuming out this fall. We hope you listen to it a lot.¡± ¡°¡­We have to finish quickly now.¡± Lee Ju-hyuk also did some quick promotion in the meantime. A staff member came up fast andsignaled the end of the stage. ¡°Alright! Then! Shall we sing ¡®that song¡¯?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s tear up the stage!¡± The music started, and as the intro of ¡®Ju-jak¡¯ began, the audience jumped up and down. Awi spread out on the stage and held their microphones. ¡°I y with the beat I¡¯m different from fakes like you¡± ¡°Everyone!¡± The audience waved their hands above their heads and sang along. Ian pointed his microphone towards the audience. ¡°Ju-jak flies~¡± ¡°Louder!¡± ¡°Ju ju-jak flies~¡± ¡°Good job!¡± The members ran around the stage with smiles even as they were hit by water jets. ¡°Thank you everyone!¡± Thest song ended. Awi quickly exited backstage because another singer¡¯s turn was right after them. ¡°Wow, but it¡¯s cold when you keep getting hit by water.¡± ¡°I got hit in the eye earlier.¡± Kim Ju-young¡¯s eyes were red from irritation. Park Dong-soo hurriedly handed him a towel. ¡°But it was fun.¡± ¡°Do you think we cane again next time?¡± The members smiled brightly. -Guys I just saw you on Water Bomber and you were legendary today???? -The fancammers were there, when will they upload??? I want to see again -Your live was amazing and I died at Ju-jak stage????! ©¸Died¡­? ©¸You died? ©¸Hey crazy preview came out Themunity posts rted to Awi exploded with previews posted by fansites. And in the evening, they flipped out again when high-quality fancams uploaded by fancammers came out. Not only themunity rted to Awi, but also various SNS posts made people who weren¡¯t interested in Awi watch their fancams at least once. The idol group that turned Water Bomber into a hellish inferno -So handsome?? -??so hot -Who are they? Their bodies are insane?? -Who¡¯s the one who said ¡®that ce¡¯????????So funny??? -Ian¡¯s slip came out???? But the slip was Choi Ian crazy ???????? ©¸He¡¯s too honest ????? ©¸But he really was crazy ???? Unaware that their names were trending, Awi knelt down in awe at their long-unseen dorm. ¡°Home¡­! It¡¯s home!¡± ¡°We made it back alive¡­!¡± Awi had been invited to many events, so there was a change in their situation. Now, an auntie woulde and clean and doundry for them when they had no schedule. It used to be their job to take turns doing those chores. ¡°Is this really our dorm that used to be a pigsty?¡± ¡°It¡¯s so clean.¡± ¡°People need to make money after all.¡± ¡°Dong-soo hyung! Are you going home?¡± Manager Park Dong-soo could finally go home. He spoke listlessly with dark circles under his eyes. The auntie might have cleaned Awi¡¯s dorm, but his own home was probably a pile of dust by now. ¡°You guys rest tomorrow, and start working on the next album the day after. I¡¯ll leave some vodka for you. Order something delicious.¡± ¡°Hyung, you worked hard.¡± ¡°Hyung, what if you fall asleep while driving? Just sleep here and go.¡± Ian grabbed Park Dong-soo. Park Dong-soo shook his head. ¡°I want to restfortably at my own home. You guys did well too.¡± ¡°Go home safely, hyung.¡± As Park Dong-soo left the dorm, the members copsed on the living room. ¡°Who wants to shower first?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we just sleep without showering?¡± ¡°Ew, you dirty bastard.¡± Kim Ju-young kicked Jo Tae-woong with his foot. Jo Tae-woong groaned and rolled around. He wasn¡¯t kicked that hard, but his acting skills were Hollywood-worthy. ¡°I don¡¯t have the energy to go to my room.¡± Kim Hyun moaned. ¡°But it was fun.¡± Everyone smiled at Park Seo-dam¡¯s words. The audience who watched them and their cheers. The sound that kept ringing in their ears even in the van on their way to the dorm. It made them happy, but also somehow empty. ¡°I wish it could always be like this¡­¡± Ian murmured as he drifted off to sleep. Diamond also had many people who looked for them when they debuted. First of all, they were cheap as rookies, and they had a decent debut song. But those people who looked for them were only temporary. In the end, singers had to do well for people to invite them more often. Awi hoped that people would keep looking for them for a long time. They thought so as Ian closed his eyes. Chapter 57: Chapter 57: Chapter 57 They all knew the drill. After staying up all night without missing a single member, they woke up at dawn andy down on my bed, exhausted. They slept until noon, had a delivery food party, and then went back to sleep. Their one-day sweet vacation was over, and Awi went to thepany. ¡°Did you have fun at the events?¡± ¡°Wow, manager, we almost died. You know we¡¯re giving you our bonus, right?¡± ¡°Did you get a bonus¡­ Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to make us work all night again?¡± Park Jumin and Jo Taewoong chuckled. When did they be friends? ¡°Bluemix sent us a demo. Do you want to listen?¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Park Jumin yed the music. It was a song they had received in advance to set the concept. ¡°What? Is this a demo?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this already a finished song?¡± ¡°This is awesome, right? Bluemix¡­ Is he a rookie?¡± The members ttered him. We¡¯re going to meet Bluemix next week and work with him. Besides Park Jinhyuk and Lee Juhyuk, who will be working with him, the other members agreed to write lyrics. It was an album produced by Bluemix himself, so it was a benefit to get even one copyright. ¡°Choi Ian lived in America, but he writes lyrics better than me.¡± ¡°No cheating.¡± They were writing lyrics during the concept meeting. Lee Juhyuk clicked his pen and got up. ¡°I¡¯m going to theposing room. I need to y with the MIDI a bit. I think something wille out.¡± He stretched his upper body and left the meeting room. The members who watched him leave closed the door and whispered to each other. ¡°Did you see his expression? Is he waiting for us to notice?¡± ¡°Is he that kind of person? But, he doesn¡¯t seem to know anything, right?¡± ¡°Why isn¡¯t Jinhyuk here?¡± Just then, the door opened with a bang. ¡°Ah, you scared me. Hyung! What? Why are you empty-handed?¡± ¡°Where¡¯s the cake?¡± Kim Hyun asked Park Jinhyuk, who shook his head. ¡°What? Why didn¡¯t you buy it?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think I needed to.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°There were some staff outside carrying something that came by quick service. There was a cake there too, right?¡± At Park Jinhyuk¡¯s words, Kim Hyun and Park Seodam went to the door and looked down the hallway. ¡°Huh! It looks like a support, hyung.¡± ¡°Wow, crazy, isn¡¯t that a luxury shopping bag? The brand that Ian¡¯s mom gave him as a gift?¡± The remaining members headed for the door. The six of them huddled together and observed the situation across the hall. ¡°Wow, crazy, they keeping out?¡± ¡°I¡¯m jealous of Juhyuk.¡± They must have thought they were watching secretly, but they met eyes with Park Dongsoo, who was carrying the support items. The six of them went back into the meeting room. ¡°Is this the time for us to write lyrics?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s ask Dongsoo hyung to take out the cake.¡± The person himself didn¡¯t seem to notice because of his busy event schedule, but today, August 4th, was Lee Juhyuk¡¯s birthday. It was strange that Awi¡¯s members¡¯ birthdays were clustered in summer and fall, but Lee Juhyuk¡¯s birthday was the first one they celebrated after their debut as a group. ¡°Are you all ready for the surprise?¡± Following Park Jinhyuk¡¯s words, the six troublemakers nodded their heads secretly. ¡°Where¡¯s the frog here?¡± *** Lee Juhyuk came out of the meeting room and leaned back on the chair in theposing room. The paper he brought from the meeting room was nk. He had just listened to Bluemix¡¯s demo song and his head was spinning. ¡®It¡¯s hard¡­¡¯ Originally, ck Rush¡¯s Jeong Sejun was in charge of Awi¡¯s producing. But ck Rush was slowly approaching their contract renewal season, so thepany had their eyes on Lee Juhyuk as the next producing member. ¡®What if I do this here¡­?¡¯ He was happy enough to have his song on the album until his debut, but now he felt more and more insecure. He didn¡¯t count Jujak as his own work. It was partly because of the program effect, and partly because of Park Jinhyuk¡¯s rap skills that made it number one. ¡®Jujak was the most popr at the events too¡­ Should I clone Jujak? No¡­ That¡¯s not it.¡¯ Even though his song became Awi¡¯s digital single in June, it briefly sparkled in the entry ranking and then was swept away. Wouldn¡¯t it have stayed in the ranking if the song was good? ¡®What¡¯s the point¡­ The next album is Bluemix¡¯s¡­¡¯ Lee Juhyuk lifted his hand to the keyboard and then dropped it with a sigh. He couldn¡¯t drink a bowl of soup at once, but he felt more pressure and greed at the same time. ¡°Still, I have to do it¡­¡± Lee Juhyuk sighed. It was convenient for thepany to have a member who was in charge of producing, but it was quite awkward for the members. The producing member had to bear the pressure of making a hit song and the controversy over part distribution. ¡°Okay! Let¡¯s start.¡± Lee Juhyuk tried to gather his mind and raised his hand to the keyboard again. Suddenly, all the lights in theposing room went out and theputer turned off. ¡°What?¡± Fortunately, he hadn¡¯t started working yet, so he didn¡¯t lose any files. Suddenly, the door of theposing room opened and masked men rushed in and grabbed Lee Juhyuk¡¯s arms. ¡°What?! What is this!¡± The thugs put a ck stic bag over Lee Juhyuk¡¯s head and dragged him out. Someone couldn¡¯t hold back theirughter and made a deting sound. ¡°This is Park Jinhyuk!¡± Kim Hyun gave Park Jinhyuk a hint. Park Jinhyuk switched with Ian, who grabbed Lee Juhyuk¡¯s right arm. ¡°Guys¡­ It¡¯s not fun if you do this!¡± We decide what¡¯s fun or not, hyung. Ian walked with the members to the dance practice room. ¡°What? Where is this? Is this the dance practice room?¡± The members sat Lee Juhyuk down in the middle of the practice room, and Park Seodam pressed his shoulders so he couldn¡¯t get up. [You¡¯re quick to notice?] ¡®Enough, where¡¯s the cake?¡¯ [There.] Ian went to where Jin pointed and lit the candles on the cake. Even in the dark, he found and lit the candles well, and Kim Juyoung and Kim Hyun gave him a thumbs up. Park Seodam lifted up the ck bag on Lee Juhyuk¡¯s head. ¡°Guys, stop joking¡­ Huh?¡± ¡°Happy birthday to you~¡± In front of Lee Juhyuk¡¯s eyes, there was a cake with candles on it. ¡°Happy birthday to you~¡± ¡°My beloved Juhyuk hyung~¡± ¡°Happy birthday!¡± The members shouted and pped. Jo taewoong took out a phone for Y-app and recorded the scene on video. ¡°Wait, today was my birthday?¡± ¡°No! What if you didn¡¯t know!¡± ¡°Quick, blow out the candles, my arm hurts!¡± Juhyuk blew out the candles with a bewildered expression. Just then, the lights in the practice room turned on. HAPPY JU HYUK DAY ¡°Huh? What¡¯s this? Wow¡­¡± A banner prepared by the fans was hung on the mirror, and the support items sent by the fans for Juhyuk¡¯s birthday were neatly arranged on the floor. ¡°Hyung, actually this cake was also from the fans.¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± Juhyuk couldn¡¯t finish his words with a touched expression. The members grinned and smiled when they saw his face. ¡°Who turned on the lights? It was Jo taewoong, right?¡± ¡°Ack! I¡¯m sorry!¡± Park Dongsoo burst into the dance practice room and ran towards Jo taewoong to hit his back. Jo taewoong quickly turned off the video he was recording and dodged Park Dongsoo. *** ¡°Wow, this is expensive, isn¡¯t it?¡± To prevent any weird items, Juhyuk¡¯s birthday present opening was supervised by an agency staff. All the members participated as well. There were so many gifts and they were all curious about what he got. ¡°There are a lot of music-rted things.¡± ¡°Wow, aunchpad!¡± The members only tore the wrapping of the gifts and handed them to Juhyuk. The gift wrapping was arge box with pastel-toned paper and ribbon, and fresh flowers were beautifully decorated. [I think it would be better to give one more gift instead of spending tens of thousands of won on gift wrapping.] ¡®Are you jealous?¡¯ Jin grumbled in a jealous voice. Ian, who was opening the gifts, handed something to Juhyuk. ¡°Wow, hyung¡­ We shouldn¡¯t look at this.¡± It was a message book made by collecting fan letters and fan art from the fans. It was a thick hardcover book with two volumes. ¡°Thank you guys. For celebrating. But don¡¯t you have anything for me?¡± Juhyuk said that without much expectation. Where would a rookie group that hadn¡¯t received their settlement yet have money? ¡°Oh, of course we do.¡± ¡°Really? We haven¡¯t received our settlement yet.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because we don¡¯t have money! We prepared only one thing together.¡± Park Jinhyuk smiled sheepishly. Park Seodam and Kim Hyun continued. ¡°Hyung, you didn¡¯t expect anything, did you? How do you see our loyalty?¡± ¡°Actually, Ian has about 70 percent of the share, but we also prepared a gift for you.¡± Kim Juyoung got up and took out a small box from the storage corner of the practice room. ¡°I¡¯m d it doesn¡¯t ovep with the fan gifts.¡± ¡°Open it, hyung.¡± Juhyuk tore off the poorly wrapped gift wrapping. ¡°Wow, this is what I wanted.¡± The gift that the members prepared was an expensive pair of headphones. ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°That hyung.¡± Ian pointed at Park Jinhyuk. Jo taewoong eximed. ¡°Jinhyuk hyung was useful for once!¡± ¡°What! When was I useless? Hey, Jo taewoong, I¡¯ll hit your head.¡± ¡°Please save me! Please have mercy!¡± They must have known since they worked in the sameposing practice room. Juhyuk smiled warmly. ¡°Hyung, your work isn¡¯t going welltely?¡± ¡°Huh¡­? Um¡­ Yeah. It¡¯s not going well.¡± Ian asked, knowing Juhyuk¡¯s situation through Jin. Juhyuk felt embarrassed and fiddled with the edge of the box. ¡°It¡¯s okay if it doesn¡¯t work out.¡± ¡°¡­Why do you think so?¡± ¡°We like hyung¡¯s songs. That¡¯s enough for us. Don¡¯t think about anything else. We haven¡¯t even reached our first anniversary yet. Aren¡¯t you too anxious too soon?¡± ¡°Wow¡­ Ian, are you sure you can¡¯t be a shaman? You seem like you could build a building with your fortune-telling.¡± Ian knew how hardposing was. He had been desperate when he was Kim Yongmin, an idol who had failed so badly that there was no risk behind him. He had to do it or he would be done for. But thispany had solid capital to back them up, and the group was doing well too. That didn¡¯t mean he didn¡¯t understand the pressure that came from thepany¡¯s support. ¡®I felt that way too.¡¯ ¡®The thought of what if I fail after working so hard.¡¯ But Juhyuk¡¯s anxiety was something he could feelter. ¡°I know a way.¡± ¡°You¡¯re really scary.¡± Juhyuk hung the headphones that the members gave him around his neck,forted by Ian¡¯s mature and quick-witted words. ¡°Besides, we don¡¯t cause any trouble.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t that a trouble just now?¡± ¡°That wasn¡¯t even a trouble.¡± They did pick a fight with N, but at least they didn¡¯t have any members who suddenly got into a school violence scandal or speeding like Kim Yongmin. It was rare to have a group without any personal quirks. ¡°Let¡¯s go see hyung¡¯s adter. It¡¯s nearby.¡± ¡°Right! Hyung, there¡¯s also an event at a cafe by the fans, right?¡± ¡°There is?¡± That evening, a video was uploaded on AWY¡¯s official MyTube. [AWY EP.24] Celebrating our leader¡¯s birthday! -They¡¯re not robbers???? -They prepared thoroughly for their own sake????? So cute??? -They didn¡¯t turn on the lights together?????? The escape is so realistic???? -I came to Apgujeong and the kids came and went to Juhyuk¡¯s birthday event cafe ????? -Wow, is it still there? -Are all the kids there? -???? Yeah yeah yeah they took pictures and it was crazy ????? So cute ?? Chapter 58: Chapter 58: Chapter 58 He was congratted for bing the most popr member in the group. (Can you make the beginning part more deep?) ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll try.¡± Bluemic¡¯s directing was more meticulous than expected. The recording session at night did not seem to end even until dawn. [What does he mean by deep?] ¡®Maybe¡­ I need to put more emotion into it?¡¯ [These ¡®artists¡¯ are so vague. Tsk.] While Ian was recording, Joo Hyuk and Jin Hyuk were watching Bluemic¡¯s directing without sleeping. (That¡¯s good, let¡¯s go with this. This one was really good.) ¡°Thank you.¡± (Let¡¯s keep this feeling and continue.) Bluemic never gave an OK at once. He kept recording in different versions. ¡°Good job.¡± Ian came out of the recording booth and drank some water. ¡°But don¡¯t you feel sleepy, hyung?¡± ¡°I usually record at this time.¡± Bluemic clicked the mouse while wearing a cap. ¡°You can go first, Ian. We¡¯ll stay here and do the post-production with hyung.¡± ¡°All night? That must be hard¡­ Well, I¡¯ll go then.¡± Ian yawned and left the recording studio. Bluemic looked at the door that Ian left. ¡°How can he be so handsome even without sleeping?¡± ¡°We¡¯re sometimes surprised too.¡± Bluemic leaned back on the chair after adjusting the volume. Jin Hyuk smiled. ¡°Did Joo Hyuk do most of theposing for this song?¡± Bluemic asked a sudden question. ¡°It¡¯s half and half, with Jin Hyuk.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not. Joo Hyuk hyung did all theposing. I only wrote the lyrics.¡± Bluemic spoke without taking his eyes off the monitor. ¡°It¡¯s the first time, of course I agreed to work with LoveJ, but as I listened to this song, I liked the sound so much. How about this version?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I want to fix it like this.¡± Joo Hyuk listened to the song and took the mouse from Bluemic¡¯s hand. He clicked and adjusted the tone bnce of the song. ¡°That¡¯s good. Let¡¯s go with this.¡± Bluemic nced at Joo Hyuk. There was a gem like LoveJ here. ¡°Come to my studio when you have time.¡± ¡°Can we?¡± ¡°Of course. Let¡¯s work togetherter. You guys are good.¡± Joo Hyuk widened his eyes. Me too? ¡°Have some confidence. You guys have a high participation rate inposing. You¡¯ll be registered at the same rate as me, you know?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ really?¡± Jin Hyuk grinned. ¡°But you have to line up, hyung.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°We already have to go to Kim Hee Sang teacher¡¯s studio.¡± At Jin Hyuk¡¯s words, Bluemic shook his head. Jin Hyuk was good atposing but had no sense. ¡°By the way, this¡­¡± Bluemic tapped on the paper with lyrics written on it. The lyrics that the members wrote together were almost discarded. There was nothing worth using. The only members who survived were three. Jin Hyuk and Joo Hyuk, and¡­ ¡°The handsome guy from before was Choi Ian, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°He has some sensibility too.¡± Ian was also going to be registered as a lyricist for their song. *** While preparing for the music video shooting and their own contents, their first full album work was finished and theireback date was approaching. [Your stylist is really a pervert.] ¡®I agree.¡¯ On the day of theireback showcase, Ian lifted up his assigned outfit. A ck shirt and ck leather pants were nothing special. The problem was the harness that wrapped around his shirt. [Is this all handmade?] The harness was not just a harness, but it had cubic decorations and long chains woven together. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a dog cor¡­?¡± Ian was still better off. Kim Joo Young, who was holding his clothes next to him, looked at the choker decoration around his neck and said dejectedly. ¡°Who would like this?¡± Ian also thought so and shrugged his shoulders. But¡­ there were people who liked it. ¡°Kyaaah!¡± They were fans. [Look at their screams, they¡¯re no joke.] ¡°Did you enjoy our stage?¡± ¡°What time is it now? Is it time?¡± This showcase started at 6 o¡¯clock and there was a time to check the music chart rankings together at 7 o¡¯clock. The LED screen on the stage wall suddenly changed and showed the real-time TOP100 rankings of major music sites. The fans shouted loudly when they saw the screen. The members turned around one by one and looked at the screen. ¡°Huh?¡± NEW 1. AWY ¨C Dawn (Prod. Bluemic) ¡°Wow!¡± ¡°Awesome!¡± Jin Hyuk shouted. Tae Woong and Joo Young ran around the stage. Seo Dam knelt down on the stage. ¡®My God¡­ The day we ranked first on the music site hase.¡¯ Ian also high-fived Joo Hyuk. He had never dreamed of ranking first when he was Kim Yong Min. Now he achieved it before his debut anniversary, which was touching. ¡°Guys,e here.¡± Joo Hyuk called all the members and gathered them in front of the stage. They hugged each other in a circle. It was a gesture to boost the team atmosphere. ¡°Kyaaah!¡± ¡°Congrattions, guys!¡± The fans screamed. [It¡¯s different when you have a famous producer by your side.] ¡®Don¡¯t be so sour.¡¯ [Maintaining is important, you know?] ¡®Anyway, we¡¯re first.¡¯ Ian ignored Jin¡¯s words. The members lined up and held each other¡¯s hands. They bowed to the fans. ¡°Thank you!¡± The showcase ended sessfully. ¡°Wow, we really ranked first.¡± ¡°It¡¯s amazing.¡± They didn¡¯t go straight to their dorm after the showcase. AWY had to go back to theirpany and film an album unboxing video. ¡°I saw Joo Hyuk hyung crying in the waiting room earlier.¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t cry.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a lie.¡± Kim Hyun pped the back of the seat where Joo Hyuk was sitting. Only Read it at Gxy Trantion /novel/entertainment-life-with-a-camera/] ¡°It¡¯s understandable that Joo Hyuk hyung would cry when he thinks about the money that will go into his bank ount.¡± ¡°Beef! Beef! But then, shouldn¡¯t you cry too, Choi Ian? You also got credited as a lyricist.¡± ¡°Are you jealous? If you¡¯re jealous, you should cultivate some ¡®sensibility¡¯ in your spare time.¡± ¡°Hey, I have some sensibility too.¡± As Ian and Tae Woongughed and shouted, Joo Hyuk muttered quietly. ¡°I wish our song that we worked on entirely would rank first next time¡­¡± *** ¡°Is this our album?¡± ¡°Wow¡­ it¡¯s thick.¡± AWY released three versions of their album. It was a strategy for people who wanted to collect different versions. The members looked at the album with curious expressions. They picked it up and put it down. It was quite heavy. ¡°Let¡¯s put on gloves.¡± ¡°Reverently. This is our first full album.¡± The members who were drama queens bought white gloves themselves and carefully put them on their hands. They were not ordered by their agency to do so. ¡°Now! We will start our first full album unboxing!¡± They looked serious as if they were unboxing a luxury item. ¡°Scalpel.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Tae Woong reached out his hand and Ian handed him a cutter knife. Tae Woong slid the knife along the edge of the album. ¡°Eh! Be careful! Don¡¯t cut the paper!¡± ¡°Professor Jo, be careful not to scratch the album.¡± Joo Young and Kim Hyun nagged at him. Regardless, Tae Woong tore open the stic wrap of the album. ¡°Oh¡­ let¡¯s take everything out and put it here in front.¡± They shook out the contents and lined them up in rows on the table. ¡°First, we have our mini photobook.¡± ¡°As you can see¡­ it¡¯s thick, right? Wow¡­ I think this is where all the weightes from.¡± ¡°How about our fans who buy several copies of this? Is the weight okay?¡± The members made a fuss. ¡°And we have postcards with our messages on them.¡± Tae Woong opened the envelope with postcards. This is where the true value of the album strategy was revealed. The postcards were random 1 out of 7 types. Of course, they were not group photos. They were individual photos of each member. There were three versions of this, so there were 21 types in total. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Seo Dam.¡± ¡°Really? Wow.¡± ¡°Seo Dam looks good.¡± That was not all. There were also photocards. There were different concept photos for each member, and they were also random. There were two concept photocards for each member, random 1 out of 14 types, and different for each album version, so there were 42 types in total. ¡°The photocards are¡­ Joo Young and Jin Hyuk hyung.¡± ¡°Wow, I thought this was legendary when we shot this, but it came out as a photocard?¡± ¡°Yeah, I remember everyone was crazy then. You got lucky.¡± Ian exaggeratedly imitated Joo Young¡¯s pose. ¡°Hey, when did I do that!¡± Joo Young hit Ian¡¯s arm. ¡°And we have a CD and a bookmark inside.¡± ¡°We also have that. A poster.¡± ¡°Oh, right.¡± Tae Woong brought a bundle of posters from behind and put them on the table. They gave two posters when they bought an album. One was a group poster that they gave to everyone who bought an album. And the individual poster was of course random. It was random 1 out of 7 types. ¡°Who will be the star of this poster?¡± ¡°Please reveal it!¡± As Tae Woong unfolded the poster, Joo Hyuk¡¯s individual poster appeared. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Joo Hyuk hyung.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been getting them evenly so far, right?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s open the other versions too.¡± Ian secretly hoped that his poster would be there too as he opened the poster. It was Tae Woong. ¡°Tae Woong, which version is that?¡± ¡°Seo Dam¡¯s.¡± Joo Young opened thest remaining poster and saw Seo Dam¡¯s face. ¡®There¡¯s none of mine. What? Is it a printing mistake?¡¯ [Congrattions on bing the most popr member in the group.] ¡®What?¡¯ [They usually print less of the popr members. You have a lot of individual fans, so they¡¯ll buy more.] ¡®You mean they¡¯re ying tricks even with so many types?¡¯ [That¡¯s how capitalism works. People who know, know.] Ian looked at the box full of albums that he had to unbox. ¡®Wow¡­ it¡¯s so different from before.¡¯ [That¡¯s why the album sales have increased overall. And the fans rank the album sales and post them in real time. They even fight over the Chinese group orders. He¡¯s the Korean top, but only 10,000 in Chinese group orders? He¡¯s not that popr, they say. Actually, 10,000 is a lot for an individual member in a group.] ¡®How weird is that?¡¯ Ian couldn¡¯t finish his sentence as he remembered the past. He had a time when he was jealous of Lim Tae Woo, the popr visual member of Diamond, the group he was in before. The members now were all well-educated and had good personalities. But what if they witnessed the fan reactions and discrimination caused by poprity? ¡®¡­Let¡¯s not worry about it until it happens¡­¡¯ Ian shook his head. He decided to do so, but it popped up again. ¡®But is it really fair to discriminate like this?¡¯ The members didn¡¯t know and happily finished filming. ¡°Everyone! Please love our first full album a lot!¡± ¡°Until now! We were AWY! Bye!¡± The staff member who pressed the recording end button said. ¡°Guys, you worked hard. Those albums are for your families or friends, right? Decide well.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± After the staff left, the members sat in front of the box and opened one album after another. They wanted to send them to their families with their own photocards and postcards. Ian also nned to send his parents an album with his photocard and postcard by international express delivery, but it was not easy to get them. ¡°Hey Tae Woong, here¡¯s what you were looking for.¡± ¡°Oh! Then I¡¯m done with my version. I¡¯ll send it to my mom.¡± ¡°Hyung, what about me?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Seo Dam¡¯s here. But Ian¡¯s ispletely wiped out?¡± There were only three photocards and postcards of Ian in the box of 40 albums. Chapter 59: Chapter 59: Chapter 59 What¡¯s wrong with liking idols¡­ There are some fans who like the whole group, but most of them are individual fans. Most of them go to offline music stores to get the photos of their favorite members in different versions. Especially, they look for the stores that start the raffle for the fansign event. ¡°I¡¯m looking for Choi Ian¡¯s blue version A-type! I have all the members!¡± ¡°I want Lee Joo-hyuk¡¯s ck version postcard! I can trade it with Hyun¡¯s ck version!¡± ¡°Oh! I have Hyun!¡± The first week after the album release is the initial period when most of the album sales are determined. That¡¯s why they all gather during the initial period and exchange their albumponents. Awidom was no different. ¡°Oh? I have Tae-woong, but¡­ do you have Ian?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have Ian.¡± Kim Eun-ha visited K-Mungo in Gwanghwamun on her holiday. Maybe because the fandom had grown a lot, K-Mungo had set up a temporary sales booth at the entrance where they could sell albums separately, and they had put up a fence in the corner and evenid out a sign saying to exchange here. ¡°Wow, what? Ian¡¯s photo card is so rare, right?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no postcard either.¡± ¡°Is this ce unlucky¡­¡± Kim Eun-ha was with her online friend who she met through SNS. They had already bought 10 albums at K-Mungo. But they were in a situation where they couldn¡¯t get the photo cards and postcards they wanted. ¡°I heard that Ian¡¯s photo cards came out in bundles in Busan?¡± ¡°Ah, by the time we go to Busan, it will be all over and gone, right?¡± ¡°Should we check out the secondhand site?¡± They waited there for two hours to get Choi Ian¡¯s album goods, but it was a waste of time. ¡°Wow¡­ on the secondhand site, Ian¡¯s photo card is up for 60,000 won. The blue A version.¡± ¡°Crazy, that¡¯s three times the price of an album. That must be a dealer, right?¡± ¡°Probably. But it seems like even dealers have a hard time making a full set. Only photo cards are up.¡± ¡°Ha¡­ why does it have to go to dealers when there are fans who really want it.¡± Dealers were people who bought albums in bulk and sold them at high prices by making full sets of popr members¡¯ versions. Then, someone who was opening an album screamed. It was Jang Min-hee. The people around her flocked to her. ¡°Wow, crazy! It¡¯s Ian¡¯s ck version B-type!¡± ¡°Huh!¡± ¡°That¡¯s totally a legendary item, I¡¯m so jealous.¡± It was the photo card that was said to be Choi Ian¡¯s legendary photo card after it was revealed by the fans¡¯ album unboxing posts on themunity. Kim Eun-ha quickly pushed her way through. ¡°Who¡­! Who is your favorite member?¡± ¡°I like Ian.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ congrattions¡­¡± The fans around them sighed. Kim Eun-ha drooped her shoulders and turned around. She said to her friend. ¡°If we buy an album now, won¡¯t we get the same photo card?¡± ¡°You want to buy more? You said you have no money.¡± ¡°Next month¡¯s me will take care of it. I have a feeling now. I¡¯ll be back.¡± Kim Eun-ha went to buy an album. Kim Eun-ha¡¯s SNS friend, Lee Da-sol sighed. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± A strangedy approached Lee Da-sol, who was standing nkly, and asked. Lee Da-sol answered with a nervous expression. ¡°It¡¯s Awidom¡­ rted to idol albums¡­¡± ¡°Awidom? I know that. Aren¡¯t they the ones who appeared on ¡®With the Legend¡¯? Oh my, so you all came here to buy their albums?¡± Thedy acted like she knew everything and was very annoying. Lee Da-sol¡¯s expression brightened up a bit. ¡°No, that¡¯s right¡­ I wondered what you were doing blocking the way here for just idols¡­ You live interesting lives.¡± Thedy shook her head and went her own way. Lee Da-sol frowned. Just before, some old man had yelled and spat at them¡­ ¡®What¡¯s wrong with liking idols¡­¡¯ Lee Da-sol had started idol fandom as Awidom for the first time. She was still not immune to such meddling. She pursed her lips and turned around. ¡°I bought it!¡± ¡°Did you? Hurry up and open it.¡± Kim Eun-ha came back with three albums and sat down on her seat. The other people around them nced at her albums and wondered who came out. ¡°Please¡­ please¡­!¡± What greeted Kim Eun-ha as she opened the album with a desperate wish was not the photo card of the member she wanted. ¡°Ah, why Park Seo-dam of all people! I can¡¯t even trade it!¡± ¡°Hey¡­ lower your voice.¡± Kim Eun-ha¡¯s scream made some people frown at them. Lee Da-sol was embarrassed and lowered her head. ¡°No, did they really print Choi Ian¡¯s photo cards so little? I can¡¯t even see a glimpse of him!¡± ¡°Be quiet, please¡­¡± Despite Lee Da-sol¡¯s dissuasion, Kim Eun-ha shrieked. Lee Da-sol wanted to get out of here as soon as possible. -I can¡¯t forget the Choi Ian fan who was annoyed by Seo-dam¡¯s photo card at Gwanghwamun -Oh, I heard that too. It was really too much. -If you¡¯re a solo fan, don¡¯t show it off. It¡¯s really ridiculous???? *** The next week after the album release, Awidom prepared to go to the music show as usual. ¡°Is it the first week of counting?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll get first ce this time, right?¡± The members¡¯ faces were full of anticipation from the morning. Awidom had kept the first ce for four days after the album release. And then, Lee Hyun-ah, a strong digital music artist who released a song after them, took the first ce with an overwhelming number of users. But Awidom didn¡¯t fall down in the rankings and continued to cruise in second ce. ¡°We¡¯ll get a lot of calls when we get our phones back, right?¡± Besides, the music show they were appearing on today was S cable music show, which didn¡¯t have many big groups that performed well. It was one of the music shows where they could rtively take advantage of an empty house. The van that carried them passed by N center and headed to S building. ¡®When can we go to N?¡¯ [Unless the investigation is over and the top brass changes, it will be hard toe out for about two years?] ¡®I see¡­¡¯ [The broadcasting station guys are mean.] ¡®What about reporters? They¡¯re all the same.¡¯ If they happened to pass by without looking at the camera, they would immediately make a sarcastic headline in their articles. Ian put down the neck pillow he had around his neck and got out of the van. *** ¡°Let¡¯s add more dates for next year¡¯s world tour.¡± The director, Seo Su-ryeon, who entered the meeting room, looked at the overseas majormunity reactions prepared by the nning team and said. ¡°I¡¯ll try to get more agents.¡± Awidom didn¡¯t know it, but they were frequently appearing and disappearing on overseasmunities and their overseas fandom was growing rapidly. First of all, the fans who came in through Ian¡¯s short y ¡®I Want to Hear Your Sound¡¯. And then, the fans who came in after listening to Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s ¡®Jujak¡¯ liked their fighting spirit against arge broadcastingpany and said they were spirited. ¡®Jujak¡¯ was ironically very popr in China. ¡°We have Japan, Hong Kong, and Taiwan confirmed for now¡­¡± ¡°Sir, we have confirmed the contract for Southeast Asia as well.¡± The decisive blow was the ¡®Water Bomber Music Festival¡¯. They were a group that followed the legacy of the second-generation ¡®beast idols¡¯, who had dieted regardless of gender to look slim on camera. They had received reactions from not only China, Japan, and Southeast Asia, but also Europe. ¡°Let¡¯s add Europe, Australia, and America too. The response is not normal. But let¡¯s go small-scale there.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The staff quickly wrote down the instructions. ¡°Is it time for ¡®Music The Show¡¯ to end? Turn on the TV.¡± Another staff picked up the remote and turned on the TV. It was just when the ending song was about to finish. (Yes! Live Music The Show! Here are the candidates for the first ce of thest week of September!) (These are the scores for digital and physical sales.) The score tally for Awi went up fast. ¡°Geez¡­ I thought it would take more than a year.¡± Seo Suryeon leaned back on her chair with a nostalgic expression. She had expected Awi¡¯s first ce on music shows to be more than a year after their debut, because they might be buried by other ¡®Project Idol¡¯ alumni. The agency had prepared a two-year schedule to push Awi hard. (These are the scores for real-time text voting.) ¡°The text voting is good too?¡± But they had to scrap the two-year n and make a new one for the world tour because of their rapid growth. (The first ce is¡­ Awi! Congrattions!) ¡°Wow!¡± The staff eximed. Even if it was a cable music show, first ce was first ce. And judging by the overwhelming score gap, they could expect to win first ce on public broadcast music shows as well. ¡°I guess we have to give them their phones¡­¡± Seo Suryeon sighed among her favorite staff. She was happy that her group won first ce, but she felt more anxious and worried. Getting their phones meant that they would be easily exposed to hatements. ¡°¡­I need to educate them a bit.¡± She needed to take care of their mental health, since half of the group members were minors. Seo Suryeon got up quickly. *** ¡°Guys, congrattions on your first ce.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± She looked at the faces of the kids who came to get their phones at thepany and entered the conference room with a basket of phones. The members reached out their hands, but Seo Suryeon pulled the basket back. ¡°Can you sit down first?¡± Awi obediently sat down. Seo Suryeon turned on the beam projector. ¡°There¡¯s something you guys have to promise me before you get your phones.¡± She opened an image file. (No SNS for 5 years. No private ounts. Use group SNS only.) ¡°I hope you guys keep this.¡± ¡°But sir, isn¡¯t it better for our group to be active on SNS?¡± ¡°You can do that on group SNS. Look at this.¡± Seo Suryeon opened another image file. ¡°This is a direct message I received.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± ¡°Are you okay, sir?¡± The direct message she received started with cursing her parents. Then it followed by unspeakable insults and sexual harassment. ¡°I¡¯m not even a celebrity and I get these messages. How do you think celebrities get them?¡± ¡®If you don¡¯t make ck Rushe back right now, I¡¯ll kill you¡¯ was a threat and ¡®Why don¡¯t you do ads for Awi? Are you discriminating them from senior groups?¡¯ was a mildintpared to the harsh criticism that Awi members frowned upon. ¡°And this is a direct message that Sejun actually received.¡± ¡°Holy crap¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s too much.¡± ck Rush¡¯s Jeong Sejun had a god-like mental strength, so he sent Seo Suryeon a screenshot of the humiliating message he received. Double curses were basic and pad rips were also basic. The level of criticism was so high that all members of Awi felt angry. ¡°Mystagram doesn¡¯t have an option to block all direct messages. They¡¯re taking advantage of that.¡± And Mystagram was apany based in the US, so it wasplicated to sue them. ¡°And this is what will happen to you guys when you open your personal SNS ounts. Can you handle it?¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± ¡°Then I trust you guys will keep it. And no private ounts either. Private ounts can be easily hacked by people.¡± It wasn¡¯t calledizen detective for nothing. There were many cases of idols who had their private ounts hacked. And they all ended up on bad news because of that. ¡°This is not from ourpany¡¯s standpoint, but for your sake. You guys got it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Good. Congrattions on your first ce, guys.¡± Seo Suryeon handed out the basket of phones. The members quickly grabbed their phones. ¡®I hope they¡¯ll be okay¡­¡¯ Seo Suryeon looked at Awi members with a worried and anxious face as she gave them their phones. Chapter 60: Chapter 60: Chapter 60 Why did they call us? Ian got his phone back and contacted his parents first. Then he called the people he had exchanged numbers with, starting with Jo Min-hwan, who he had acted with in ¡®ck Out¡¯. ¡°Are you guys not sleeping? We have a music show tomorrow.¡± Park Seo-dam, who had just taken a shower,y down and looked at his brothers who were only staring at their phones. ¡°Uh¡­ we should sleep.¡± ¡°You guys are not flirting, right? No dating, seriously.¡± At Park Seo-dam¡¯s words, Kim Joo-young, Jo Tae-woong, and Ian turned their heads and looked at him. ¡°Yes! Sir!¡± ¡°Is that the same Park Seo-dam who used to ask why we can¡¯t date?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve grown up so much.¡± ¡°Hey, stop teasing me!¡± Park Seo-dam squealed. At that moment, their phones rang with notifications at the same time. ¡°They¡¯re still not sleeping even though they¡¯re not in Korea.¡± ¡°Where did the MyKit hyungs go?¡± ¡°They went to Japan, right?¡± MyKit created a group chat for both groups as soon as they heard the news of Awi¡¯s first ce. They congratted Awi¡¯s first ce with noisy emoticons. (Ian) How¡¯s Japan? ¨C 01:03 (CheolminGod) Don¡¯te here ¨C 01:03 (Jung Jisu) Don¡¯t do any activities in Japan¡­ just do concerts¡­ ¨C 01:04 (CheolminGod) Can we talk? ¨C 01:04 (Ian) Yeah ¨C 01:04 As soon as Ian sent his reply, the phone rang. Ian turned on the speakerphone and answered the call. (Hi hi. Is everyone there?) ¡°Just a sec.¡± Kim Joo-young jumped up and called the other members in the other room. Lee Joo-hyuk, Park Jin-hyuk, and Kim Hyun came to Ian¡¯s bed and sat down. (Congrattions on your first ce, and congrattions to you too, hyungs.) MyKit checked if all the members were gathered, and Park Se-on greeted them. ¡°So, why did you call us?¡± (Is that Hyun hyung? Hyung, don¡¯te here! Come to Japan only when you be the top group in Korea! Go away to Tokyo Dome!) Kim Cheol-min screamed. Jung Jisu followed him. (Sigh¡­ guys, it¡¯s crazy here. Handshake events, signing events, high-touch events? Those are fine. They¡¯re simr to what we do in Korea. But the problem is the selfie events, back hugs, wall ms, and stuff like that.) ¡°What are those? You do those too?¡± (They¡¯re the masters ofmodification. They have unimaginable events.) ¡°And thepany doesn¡¯t stop them?¡± (Ourpany is not that kind ofpany.) [Well then, you should enjoy it while you¡¯re there.] Ian asked in astonishment. Jin added casually. (We have no poprity in Korea and we¡¯re almost starting from scratch in Japan. We came here prepared for an underground idol life, but it¡¯s beyond imagination. We have to follow whatever the fans ask for. There was even someone who asked me to kiss their cheek.) ¡°You did that?¡± (Of course I told the staff and refused. And Se-on, remember yesterday¡¯s selfie event? There was someone who groped your butt.) (Ugh¡­ I felt so bad. But that person bought a lot of tickets and stayed for more than 30 minutes.) Kim Cheol-min screamed from the other side of the phone. Amidst their chaos, Jung Jisu spoke calmly. (The worst was when someone asked me to pretend to kiss them like in a wall m event¡­ sigh¡­ and we can¡¯t show any signs of dislike.) (Is that all? We have a two-hour date event tomorrow with some big spenders¡­) ¡°Crazy.¡± (At this point, I don¡¯t know if we¡¯re idols or hosts. We don¡¯t even perform well. We can¡¯t go on music shows here unless we have some poprity¡­) MyKit made a fuss and Awi members opened their mouths wide and looked at each other. ¡°That must be hard.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be fine.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk offered ame constion. (Remember this. You can¡¯t be an underground idol in Japan.) (Just do concerts. We won¡¯t let you do anything else.) (By the way, don¡¯t you have a music show tomorrow? It¡¯s past midnight now, so it¡¯s today¡­ Sorry for calling youte. Let¡¯s hang up and talkter.) ¡°Okay Jisu hyung, take care.¡± Ian pressed the end button. The call was over, but they still had things to say, and the chat room notifications kept ringing. ¡°Wow¡­¡± ¡°Is this real?¡± The members couldn¡¯t continue their conversation. ¡°¡­Guys, let¡¯s sleep. We have to leave early in the morning.¡± ¡°Yes, hyung.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk wrapped up the situation and turned off the light. ¡®Wow¡­ that¡¯s harsh.¡¯ [Underground idols in Japan are good at selling pseudo-romance. They¡¯ll get stalkers if they keep doing that.] ¡®Really?¡¯ [It¡¯s worse than you think. But at least they¡¯re not local idols there, so they¡¯re lucky. They cane back to Korea if there¡¯s a problem. And as long as they make money, it¡¯s fine.] ¡®I wonder if they¡¯re okay.¡¯ Kim Yong-min had been neglected by his agency because they didn¡¯t have the money to send him to Japan¡­ It was probably the reality that most of the failed idols faced. [But Japan is a lucrative market. That¡¯s why the Korean entertainment industry can¡¯t let go of Japan. And they¡¯ll heal when they see the amount of money in their bank ounts.] Park Seo-dam fell asleep as soon as hey down, and the ceiling was faintly lit by the light of Jo Tae-woong¡¯s phone screen. ¡°How bad was it that Jisu hyungined? He was as calm as Joo-hyuk hyung.¡± ¡°But we¡¯re going to Japan next year, right? We won¡¯t do that, right?¡± ¡°Should we ask ck Rush hyungs?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s ask themter.¡± Ian fell asleep to the sound of Kim Joo-young and Jo Tae-woong¡¯s conversation. *** Awi won first ce in all the music shows they participated in after ¡®Music The Show¡¯. The number of albums sold for fan signing events jumped to more than 50. And half of the people who came to the fan signing events were foreigners. ¡°You came from Thand? Wow, your Korean is really good.¡± Ian looked at the name the fan had written and copied it onto the album. ¡°And this¡­ happy birthday.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ thank you.¡± The fan manager behind him passed the fan¡¯s gift to the back. In the boxes with each member¡¯s name, there were gifts from fans and headbands they had worn during the fan signing events. ¡°Hi Ian! Happy birthday!¡± The next fan put a gift on the table and smiled brightly. The gift was a shopping bag with a luxury brand logo written on it, as if it was saying ¡®I¡¯m a luxury item¡¯ to anyone who saw it from afar. ¡°Noona, you came again! But didn¡¯t you send a gift to thepany yesterday?¡± ¡°Oh that? I thought it wasn¡¯t enough, so I bought another one.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ thank you noona.¡± Today, October 12th, was Ian¡¯s birthday. He pretended to be surprised as his fan club ¡®Iron Heart¡¯ proudly sat down in front of him. ¡°Did you see the advertisement?¡± ¡°The one at Samsung Station? Of course I did.¡± ¡°Not that one. The one we did with the Chinese fan union.¡± ¡°Really? Why didn¡¯t I see it? Noona, you know me. I¡¯m good at searching.¡± ¡°Oh, it must have been posted on the Chinese fan site. They put your ad on Times Square.¡± ¡°¡­Not Yeongdeungpo, but the Times Square I know, right?¡± ¡°Yeongdeungpo¡­ how cute.¡± Iron Heart covered her mouth andughed loudly. Ian was startled and dropped his pen. ¡°Wow¡­ then my parents can see it too. I¡¯ll tell them. Thank you, noona!¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee. Happy birthday!¡± ¡°Please move to the next seat.¡± Iron Heart moved to the next seat without hesitation. *** ¡°Good job, guys.¡± Park Dong-su spoke to the members who got on the van. ¡°Don¡¯t we have some poprity? There were a lot of foreigners.¡± ¡°There was a Thai fan who spoke Korean very well.¡± ¡°Not one, hyung. There were more.¡± ¡°There were Chinese fans too, right? But I couldn¡¯t understand what they were saying.¡± The members chattered. Park Dong-su arrived in front of the dorm and turned his head back. ¡°Ian, don¡¯t get off. Let¡¯s go to thepany together.¡± Jo Tae-woong got back in the van after getting off. ¡°Why? We have a birthday party tonight.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because of the drama. Go ahead.¡± ¡°Oh, drama, okay. Please bring him back soon.¡± ¡°Hey, am I an object?¡± The members epted it without anyints and went into the dorm. Jo Tae-woong ignored Ian¡¯s protest and closed the van door. ¡°Hyung, am I going to be in a drama?¡± ¡°Just a cameo for a bit.¡± ¡°A cameo doesn¡¯t need to go to thepany, right? There¡¯s another reason, right?¡± ¡°You¡¯re really good at this.¡± Park Dong-su raised his thumb. ¡°Actually, your birthday gifts arrived.¡± ¡°They came yesterday.¡± ¡°That was from one fan site¡­ there are more from other fan sites and from China. But they¡¯re a lot.¡± [¡­I¡¯m jealous.] Jin whispered in Ian¡¯s ear. Ian shivered and was startled. ¡°How am I going to take all these?¡± But the amount of gifts was overwhelming. The gift boxes that filled one side of the wall seemed to be prepared by different fan pages, as each wrapping paper had a different color. [Wow, how many luxury items are there?] The materialistic Jin hovered around the shopping bags sent by the Chinese fans. ¡°Wow¡­ it¡¯ll be hard to open all these.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll help you today.¡± Ian sat down in front of the pile of gifts and unwrapped them one by one. [Wow, this is from 18fw collection? Oh, that¡¯s Nike cob shoes? Awesome.] ¡®Hey, stay still. You¡¯re driving me crazy.¡¯ [You couldn¡¯t even imagine getting these gifts when you were Kim Yong-min, right? Did you ever get any donations when you were Diamond?] ¡®I did.¡¯ [What was the most expensive gift you got?] ¡®Just¡­ sneakers. Not these limited edition ones.¡¯ He was excited and happy when he received donations for the first time. But he became greedy andpared his gifts with Jupiter¡¯s birthday support projects. He had regrets and longing for Jupiter, who had barely missed their debut by a hair. He looked up all the news about them. ¡®Wow~ look at that bastard Im Tae-woo getting a C-brand wallet.¡¯ And he felt miserableparing his gifts with other popr members. But he knew that it wasn¡¯t normal for fans to give expensive gifts. ¡°You don¡¯t look very happy with your gifts?¡± ¡°Hyung, I¡¯m super happy?¡± Thanks to his experience as Kim Yong-min, he didn¡¯t feel jealous or envious anymore. Instead, he felt burdened. He cared about theizens¡¯ reactions and more than anything, he cared about the other members¡¯ reactions. ¡®This silver bracelet¡­ it¡¯s from Min-hee noona.¡¯ Ian put on a simple leather bracelet on his wrist. Of course he was always happy to receive gifts. [Why don¡¯t you wear a C-brand bracelet instead?] ¡®The other members will notice.¡¯ [They¡¯ll find out sooner orter anyway.] He didn¡¯t want to deceive them, but he didn¡¯t want them to feel what he felt when he was Kim Yong-min. He wanted to stay with these members for a long time. ¡°Yes Awi manager¡­ yes director, I¡¯m with Ian in the basement right now. Yes?¡± Park Dong-su¡¯s voice got louder. Ian, who was opening the gifts, looked at him. ¡°Hyung! What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ you guys got invited to NMA.¡± ¡°N Music Awards?¡± Why did they call us? Chapter 61: Chapter 61: Chapter 61 I hope it¡¯s for the better. Ian didn¡¯t have anything to worry about. ¡°I bet my right kidney that he went to open the gifts.¡± ¡°I bet my left one after he received them.¡± Jo Tae-woong and Kim Joo-young said as they watched the van carrying Ian to thepany. ¡°Who¡¯s betting on the other side?¡± ¡°Probably no one?¡± Park Jin-hyuk shook his head when Kim Hyun asked. ¡°Did you all know?¡± Lee Joo-hyuk asked. He was secretly concerned that the other members might feel bad because of Ian¡¯s poprity. ¡°It was on Parangse. Didn¡¯t you see the photo he posted in front of the supportpany today?¡± ¡°Dong-soo hyung was looking at us earlier.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a fact that Ian is the most popr member of our group.¡± The members answered casually, not knowing Lee Joo-hyuk¡¯s feelings. They got on the elevator and pressed the floor number. ¡°Did you see how Ian looked when he opened the gifts yesterday?¡± ¡°He¡¯s good at acting, but he sucks when he¡¯s with us.¡± Kim Joo-young imitated Ian¡¯s expression. He made a furrowed brow and a grim face, which made Park Seo-damugh and hit his back. ¡°Anyway, is Ian too considerate or too timid?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s say he¡¯s timid. He needs to have at least one w with that face and talent.¡± ¡°Agreed.¡± Jo Tae-woong agreed with Lee Joo-hyuk¡¯s words, and everyone nodded. ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s annoying that he cares about us so much.¡± ¡°You too? Me too.¡± ¡°Just act confidently. We won¡¯t say anything even if you bring less gifts.¡± ¡°Okay. And if you get something limited edition, let us borrow itter.¡± ¡°You bastard, that¡¯s your real motive.¡± ¡°What, you¡¯re not?¡± ¡°No, actually I thought about that too. How can we three have the same shoe size?¡± ¡°A destiny of mutual benefit?¡± Jo Tae-woong and Kim Joo-young snickered andughed together. Ding- The elevator door opened. Lee Joo-hyuk sighed when he saw a small shopping bag hanging on the door handle. ¡°When did our address get leaked?¡± ¡°Our numbers were leaked long ago, so our home address must be the same.¡± Everyone shuddered and trembled when Kim Hyun¡¯s phone rang at that moment. ¡°Ah, why does it have to ring right after we get home?¡± ¡°It could be nned.¡± ¡°Hey Park Jin-hyuk, don¡¯t say scary things like that.¡± The members had received calls from unknown numbers that were not saved on their phones before. Not only calls, but also texts and CocoaTalk messages saying things like ¡°Who are you? Is this your CocoaTalk?¡± that gave them goosebumps. ¡°Well, judging by the sasaengs we had since debut, they must have a good estimate.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to change my number next week.¡± ¡°Hyung, let¡¯s go together. I want to change mine too.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk opened the door without picking up the small shopping bag on the floor. It was not a good thing to bring it in. It was something for Park Dong-soo to deal withter. ¡°I feel like I¡¯m alive since we got a dorm maid.¡± ¡°What should we order for dinner?¡± The membersy down in the living room and took a nap from exhaustion. It was when Lee Joo-hyuk was lying on the sofa and looking at the delivery app. The sound of someone pressing the door lock rang out, and Ian came into the dorm. ¡°Huh? What? You came early?¡± ¡°Hey Ian, we know everything about you opening the gifts!¡± Jo Tae-woong jumped up. ¡°Oh really? You knew?¡± Ian smiled awkwardly. He had already heard everything from Jin through his earpiece. Jin even told him [Hey, your members are much more sociable than you.] as he yed their conversation. Ian felt more rxed after seeing that scene. ¡°But why are you empty-handed? I thought you would bring something.¡± ¡°Yeah, you don¡¯t have to care about us, Ian. We¡¯re fine.¡± ¡°Hyung, that¡¯s not the problem.¡± Ian sat down on the floor with a thud, and the members who were lying down got up one by one. ¡°We got invited to NMA.¡± ¡°NMA? ?¡± Ian nodded his head, and all the members pulled back their faces with nervous expressions. ¡°Why would they invite us?¡± ¡°Do they think we¡¯ll forgive them for ¡®rigging¡¯ so easily?¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t make sense?¡± The members had the same reaction as Ian. Park Jin-hyuk frowned. ¡°Hey, this is suspicious. You all know what Kang PD said to me after ¡®Idol Rapper¡¯ ended, right?¡± Kang Byung-in PD, the producer of , had threatened Park Jin-hyuk after the show ended, saying ¡°Don¡¯t ever think ofing out on again.¡± ¡°But Kang PD is in hot water right now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡± Kang Byung-in PD was not only suspected of maniption, but also involved in various incidents that led to a warrant for his arrest. ¡°But I heard that Kang PD is still messing with the headquarters. If he has connections with the headquarters, he might still have some influence, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, and I don¡¯t trust .¡± Park Jin-hyuk and Kim Hyun expressed their skeptical opinions. ¡°I hope it¡¯s for the better.¡± Park Seo-dam lowered his head. Every award ceremony was precious for a rookie. Especially this year, when they had a chance to win the rookie award. ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s think positively. Anyway, thepany will tell us to go, right?¡± Lee Joo-hyuk patted Park Seo-dam¡¯s shoulder and said. Ian nodded his head. ¡°Yeah, we have no choice but to go since they told us to. If we don¡¯t go, they¡¯ll think we¡¯re picking a fight.¡± ¡°Right¡­ It¡¯ll be okay. But let¡¯s not get our hopes up.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk changed the topic. ¡°Who wants to eat jokbal for dinner?¡± ¡°Me!¡± ¡°Bossam jokbal set!¡± The mood changed in an instant as food was mentioned. ¡®What do you think?¡¯ [? They¡¯re trying to screw you over, what else?] ¡®Sigh¡­ We can¡¯t refuse anyway.¡¯ [And this year¡­ They¡¯re doing it in three countries, right? Vietnam, Japan, Hong Kong. Want me to write a scenario for you? You¡¯re definitely going to be exiled to Vietnam.] Ian sighed. [And then you won¡¯t even get to perform there. You¡¯ll just p like a shuttle ande back.] ¡®Hey, that¡¯s a bit¡­ Too harsh, isn¡¯t it?¡¯ [You don¡¯t know well. I guarantee it.] ¡®No way¡­¡¯ Ian denied it, but he couldn¡¯t help but doubt it rationally. was capable of doing something like that, right? ¡®We¡¯ll make it.¡¯ We have to make it and make those bastards from e crawling to us. The best cure for unfair treatment was to be famous. *** ¡°Hello.¡± Ian arrived at the filming site of the movie ¡®The Righteous Band¡¯. He agreed to make a special appearance at Jo Min-hwan¡¯s request. ¡°Ian is here?¡± Jo Min-hwan, who had finished his beard makeup, greeted Ian warmly. ¡®The Righteous Band¡¯ was a movie based on the independence activist Kim Sang-ok, set in the Japanese colonial era. And this movie was one of the ten million movies that Jo Min-hwan would achieve. ¡°Hyung, long time no see.¡± ¡°Wow, you¡¯ve been getting a lot of camera massages since your debut, huh? You¡¯re getting more handsome.¡± Ianughed. ¡°Let¡¯s start with the makeup.¡± Ian followed the staff¡¯s instructions and entered the powder room. He was going to make a brief appearance as a member of the secret assassination group organized by Kim Sang-ok. ¡°I thought you wouldn¡¯t suit a beard, but you look good with it?¡± ¡°Change into these clothes.¡± It was lunchtime, so there were a lot of people around Ian. Even the camera that was filming the behind-the-scenes captured Ian¡¯s makeup process. ¡°Can I take a picture of this and post it on SNS when it¡¯s released?¡± ¡°It would be great if you promote it for us. Don¡¯t post it on the release day¡­ Post it a weekter.¡± He put on a beard and fixed his hair, and he had apletely different vibe than before. Ian looked satisfied and turned to the set. *** ¡°You have to run away!¡± Ian burst into the door of the secret hideout where the assassination group was nning to kill Saito Makoto. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°The n¡­ The n has been exposed. The police areing this way!¡± ¡°Damn¡­¡± The sound of Japanese policemen shouting outside reached their ears, and the people gathered in the assassination group got up quickly. ¡°What do we do?¡± ¡°Shanghai¡­ Let¡¯s escape to Shanghai!¡± He couldn¡¯t carry out the n that he had prepared so hard for and had to run away. Jo Min-hwan, who couldn¡¯t ept it, got up and shouted. ¡°We can¡¯t run away like this!¡± ¡°It¡¯s dangerous if we don¡¯t run away now!¡± Ian blocked Jo Min-hwan¡¯s way as he tried to jump to the other side. ¡°Please go ahead.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go with you¡­¡± ¡°No. Comrade, you must survive. The future of our country is in your hands.¡± ¡°You¡­!¡± Ian turned around and ran toward where the policemen were. The remaining independence activists grabbed Jo Min-hwan¡¯s shoulder. Bang- A gunshot rang out and Jo Min-hwan looked back. He hurried his fleeing steps as he clenched his teeth. Ian fired his gun wildly and bought time for the independence activists. He ran out of bullets after a few shots and threw his gun away. ¡°Catch him!¡± ¡°There he is!¡± Japanese voices and footsteps echoed in the dark alley. He heard some of the independence activists who had scattered to meet in Shanghai being caught. ¡°I guess we can¡¯t do this. We can¡¯t leave ourrades behind.¡± Jo Min-hwan tried to jump to the other side again, but Ian snatched his gun from his waist. ¡°Please go ahead.¡± ¡°What about you¡­¡± ¡°No. Comrade, you must survive. The future of our country is in your hands.¡± ¡°You¡­!¡± Ian turned around and ran toward where the policemen were. The remaining independence activists grabbed Jo Min-hwan¡¯s shoulder. Bang- A gunshot rang out and Jo Min-hwan looked back. He hurried his fleeing steps as he clenched his teeth. Ian fired his gun wildly and bought time for the independence activists. He ran out of bullets after a few shots and threw his gun away. ¡°Catch him!¡± ¡°There he is!¡± Japanese voices and footsteps echoed in the dark alley. He fought with some policemen who popped out from the side, but he was eventually caught by their numbers. A Japanese policeman pointed his gun at Ian¡¯s forehead. ¡°Wait! Don¡¯t shoot!¡± A man in a police uniform shouted in Japanese. He approached Ian, who was kneeling down, and squatted down to meet his eyes. ¡°Where did the remaining Koreans go?¡± ¡°What are you¡­ Are you Korean?¡± Ian raised his head at his fluent Korean ent. The man in a police uniform was a pro-Japanese policeman. Ian looked at him with a hateful expression. ¡°Where are the rat bastards?¡± Ian clenched his mouth shut, and the man nodded to his subordinate. The policemen who restrained Ian pinned his right arm to the ground. He saw a knifeing to his hand and clenched his teeth. ¡°Talk.¡± Ian let out a desperate breath as he endured the Japanese policeman¡¯s torture. He didn¡¯t want his scream to catch the feet of his fleeingrades. He just breathed heavily as he was tortured, and the Japanese policeman stabbed his finger with a knife again. ¡°Talk!¡± Ian writhed in pain, but he never opened his mouth. ¡°Long live Korean independence3.¡± A drop of tear fell from his eyes, which were burning with anger. The pro-Japanese man sneered at his face, which was soaked with sweat and blood. ¡°You little¡­¡± The man took out a gun from his pocket and aimed it at Ian. Ian red at him with fiery eyes. A drop of tear fell from Ian¡¯s eyes, and the man pulled the trigger. Bang- The camera zoomed in on Ian¡¯s lifeless eyes as he fell limp. ¡°Cut!¡± The director Choi Moon-sik, who was watching the acting, pped his hands. ¡°Wow, that was perfect. You¡¯re a total scene stealer.¡± Ian, who had been lying like a corpse, got up and bowed. ¡°Thank you! You¡¯ve worked hard!¡± Ian shook off the fake blood that was stuck to his hand. His teeth and jaw were sore from clenching them during the acting. [Howe you¡¯re always blood, sweat, and tears?] ¡®Tell me about it.¡¯ Chapter 62: Chapter 62: Chapter 62 Is this a diss track? ¡°Wow, you did a great job.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Director Choi patted Ian¡¯s shoulder with a satisfied expression. He was doubtful when he saw his face, but once he started acting, he became a different person on the screen. Rather, the actor who yed the pro-Japanese policeman looked more awkward. Ian¡¯s scene would go into the first scene of the drama and y a big role in leading the viewers¡¯ immersion. ¡®It¡¯s a shame that he¡¯s an idol¡­¡¯ There were hardly any star-like male actors in their 20s in the entertainment industry these days. ording to Director Choi¡¯s intuition, Ian could fill that spot easily. He remembered a project that he was going to shoot next year and casually asked. ¡°How is your schedule for next year, Ian?¡± Director Choi tantly showed his closeness, and Ianughed. He was grateful for the love calls already, but he had an important schedule next year. ¡°I have a world tour next year.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s too bad. Can you give me your number?¡± Director Choi handed him his phone. Ian shook his hand and gave him his phone instead. ¡°I¡¯m nning to change my number often¡­ It would be better if I get your number, director.¡± ¡°Really? You change your number often? That¡¯s troublesome¡­¡± ¡°My fans often hack it.¡± ¡°How do they hack it?¡± ¡°I heard that some tel employees leak it.¡± ¡°I only heard about it, but it really happens¡­ You must have a hard time.¡± Director Choi took Ian¡¯s phone and typed his number. In fact, even if he changed his number, they would somehow find out and contact him. His current number was already the second one he changed. ¡°It¡¯s such a waste¡­ Let¡¯s see each other again next time.¡± ¡°Thank you. Please call me anytime.¡± Ian smiled contentedly. Director Choi Moon-sik was a hit-maker who produced hit works in both movies and dramas after ¡®The Righteous Band¡¯. It was a good connection to have in advance. Ian approached Jo Min-hwan, who was fixing his makeup. ¡°Good job.¡± ¡°Thank you, hyung. Thank you for calling me. Do you have a lot of shooting left?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sorry to see you after a long time. I¡¯ll buy you a meal next time.¡± ¡°Hyung, don¡¯t make empty promises.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true. I¡¯ll buy you meat next time.¡± Jo Min-hwan had secured his lead role firmly by attracting 7 million viewers with the movie he starred in after ¡®ck Out¡¯. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go ahead!¡± ¡°Bye. Keep in touch.¡± Ian got rid of his makeup and got on the van after receiving Jo Min-hwan¡¯s farewell. Ian¡¯s special appearance was conducted in secret, so he couldn¡¯t watch the rest of the shooting. *** Awi prepared for the award ceremony stage without a single day of vacation after their first full album activities ended. The agency prepared various costumes and stagepositions for their first award ceremony where they were nominated for the rookie award. ¡°Get up with your stomach muscles in this state.¡± ¡°Wow, this is dangerous if we do it wrong?¡± Park Seo-dam crouched down. ¡°Be careful, it¡¯ll be a big deal if you get injured.¡± Ian showed him the movement as an example in front of Park Seo-dam. ¡°Wow¡­ this is hard.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do it slowly. We have plenty of time.¡± ¡°Hyun-ie hyung! Help me out!¡± Kim Joo-young, who had already learned all the movements, sat leaning against the wall of the practice room and shouted while ying with his phone. ¡°Hyung! Did you hear that Park Sung-hoon released a song?¡± ¡°Really?¡± Park Seo-dam, who was practicing the movement with Kim Hyun¡¯s help, quickly sat next to Kim Joo-young. The other members also gathered one by one. Park Sung-hoon was YANG Entertainment¡¯s trainee who was dissed by Kim Hyun in ¡®The Righteous Band¡¯. ¡°Is this a diss track?¡± ¡°y it.¡± Kim Joo-young pressed the y button and turned up the volume of his phone. ¡°The lyrics are too mumbly?¡± ¡°What is he saying? Am I the only one who can¡¯t hear well?¡± ¡°His diction is not clear at all? Show me the lyrics.¡± The seven members crowded together and stared at Kim Joo-young¡¯s small screen. Roughly summarized, it was ¡®No matter how fast you debuted, I¡¯m a genius and I¡¯ll blow you all away when I debut and yourpany has less money than ours¡¯. ¡°Hmm¡­ not good.¡± ¡°Me too. Really objectively speaking, there¡¯s nothing catchy to my ears.¡± [Wow, really no sense of shame¡­] Even Jindo, who was watching, made a remark. ¡°Howe his skills are getting worse?¡± Kim Hyun rubbed his ears as if it was funny. Ian also shrugged his shoulders and asked Kim Joo-young. ¡°When did this songe out?¡± ¡°The day before yesterday.¡± ¡°How did it do?¡± ¡°He hyped it up as a response to ¡®The Righteous Band¡¯, so the entry was good. 14th or something?¡± ¡°He hyped it up? But he couldn¡¯t maintain it since he¡¯s out of the chart now.¡± In the past, he didn¡¯t know, but these days, the meaning of ¡®response¡¯ has changed a lot. It was a method that the unknown bad singers who manipted the chart with machines used a lot. ¡°Isn¡¯t ¡®response¡¯ something that real maniptors use?¡± ¡°Why did he say it was a response when it¡¯s a diss track?¡± A nameless male singer would release a song about money and alcohol and put it up with the power of machines, then a female singer from the same agency would release a song from a female perspective. Then they would manipte that song too. The current chart also had four manipted songs in the TOP10. ¡°Originally, ¡®The Righteous Band¡¯ was aimed at dissing , so it¡¯s meaningless to hype it up as a response.¡± ¡°YANG Entertainment always does weird hype.¡± It seemed like an attempt to get some attention by using Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s ¡®The Righteous Band¡¯ as a sacrifice, but the rap skill and the quality of the song were so bad that it was swept out of the chart in no time. ¡°He doesn¡¯t debut but only releases songs like this, so he¡¯ll probably debut in two years.¡± ¡°I was scared for nothing because he said it was a diss track.¡± ¡°But YANG Entertainment is doing another survival audition, right?¡± ¡°Again?¡± Kim Hyun frowned. ¡°The survival audition is popr these days because of P.A. YANG Entertainment is also doing it, I heard.¡± ¡°Our Jin-hyuk hyung is ahead of him by a few steps. He¡¯s really legendary.¡± Jo Tae-woong admired and Park Jin-hyuk smiled proudly. ¡°Kim Young-joon timed it well.¡± Kim Joo-young muttered. The survival audition never ends. When the idol audition craze passes, the trot audition crazees. So it was advantageous to participate in these auditions in season 1. ¡®But if YANG Entertainment does survival, is it that one thates out next year?¡¯ [Wasn¡¯t that the biggest debut scam survival show ever?] Ian remembered the YANG Entertainment survival program ¡®YANG 7¡¯ in 2019. It was an audition survival show that followed the project idol trend. It involved auditioning trainees from their ownpany and otherpanies. [And Park Sung-hoon was there too, right?] ¡®He¡¯s from their ownpany, so they¡¯ll debut himter, right?¡¯ [They¡¯ll make their own trainees survive, but they¡¯ll still debut them.] Usually, these kinds of programs needed a trainee who stood out as a star, but there was none. Moreover, the problem was that YANG Entertainment¡¯s CEO Lim tried to highlight himself more than the trainees. Because of that, the ambitious program failed miserably with low ratings. CEO Lim, who expected a project idol-level sess, abandoned the seven trainees who survived the final round. Eventually, it became known as the worst debut scam audition program ever. ¡®Tae-woo should have picked a better timing¡­¡¯ The trot craze that started with ¡®The Man of Trot¡¯ also faded away as more and more trot audition shows flooded the market. People felt tired of them, and some contract fraud scandals also emerged. Ian hoped that Lim Tae-woo would appear on ¡®The Man of Trot¡¯ next year. ¡°I feel sorry for Park Sung-hoon again.¡± ¡°Hyung, we have no reason to pity him.¡± Kim Hyun clicked his tongue. While everyone was looking at their phones, Kim Joo-young opened an inte window. ¡°Oh¡­ wow, our fans are amazing¡­¡± ¡°What is it? What is it?¡± Kim Joo-young opened amunity page rted to Awi and showed it to the members. Most of the fans were using fist emoticons and scolding them. -Vote now kids! We¡¯re the rookie award candidates! hxt -You can only get the rookie award once, so if you don¡¯t vote, you¡¯re not an Awi fan -Watermelon Music rookie award vote go go go they¡¯re catching up to us -Favorite Idol what is this? Grandma help me;; ©¸That¡¯s an app that counts for next year¡¯s Nuri Chart Music Awards. It¡¯s good to do it regrly because it donates in the name of the kids if you get a lot of votes ©¸When should I vote? Should I do it at thest minute before the day ends? As Awi¡¯s global poprity and album sales soared, there were more and more music awards shows. Among them, there were some one-time awards shows that tried to make money from selling concert tickets to fans. They were dirty and cheap, but there was no reason not to go if they gave awards. ¡°Wow¡­ did you see the votes? We¡¯re first.¡± Awi attended almost every music awards show they were invited to. Some of them counted not only album and digital sales but also fan votes. -Buy a Watermelon Music subscription and get 3 votes per subscription. Buy a subscription and stream the kids and vote too -AAMA don¡¯t becent about being first -Who are you voting for the grand prize? Who are we allied with? ©¸Luna Girls The members¡¯ fighting spirit rose with the fans¡¯ sincere voting guides and organized activities. ¡°¡­let¡¯s practice.¡± ¡°Where did we stop?¡± *** Awi prepared slightly different stages for each awards show to repay their fans¡¯ efforts. They started with the Asia Artist Music Awards (AAMA) and continued with M Company¡¯s year-end music festival until February. ¡°Unnie, am I going bald?¡± ¡°Do you have any baldness in your grandparents or parents?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t¡­ wow, it¡¯s so itchy I¡¯m going crazy.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you whine like Tae-woong?¡± Ian shrugged his shoulders. Jo Tae-woong giggled and pushed his camera forward. ¡°Now you know how I feel?¡± ¡°Hey, scratch my head for me. It¡¯s so prickly and itchy I¡¯m dying.¡± Jo Tae-woong zoomed in on Ian¡¯s face, who frowned, and then filmed Park Seo-dam next to him. ¡°Seo-dam, are you okay?¡± ¡°Hyung, I¡¯m not prickly.¡± ¡°You¡¯re young, so your scalp is healthy.¡± The hair salon manager who was touching Ian¡¯s head made a ridiculous expression. He couldn¡¯t help butugh at the one-year difference between them who were talking about youth. ¡°Seo-dam is pink?¡± ¡°It suits our cute Seo-dam.¡± ¡°Ah hyungs stop being cheesy!¡± The members who got addicted to teasing the youngest gathered around them one by one. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that the awards show is in the evening. If it was during the day, we would have been bleaching our hair at dawn.¡± ¡°Wow, just imagining it is horrible.¡± The awards show dyeing was also done secretly like theeback. ¡°I hope we get an award for working so hard.¡± ¡°Rookie award! Rookie award!¡± ¡°Guys, don¡¯t think about getting an award. You¡¯ll be more disappointedter.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk calmed down the members, but they didn¡¯t care and kept making noise. It was a problem to go online often. Theizens calcted the album sales and digital rankings and confirmed that Awi was already the male rookie award winner. And the members who often went online couldn¡¯t miss that post. ¡°How do I look?¡± Ian came out after washing his hair and stood in front of the members. Ian finally got to dye his hair, which he couldn¡¯t do because of his drama appearance. The hair color that was decided by thepany staff¡¯s meeting was silver gray. ¡°Wow. Ian. You look awesome.¡± ¡°You suit any hair color.¡± ¡°Choi Ian is what.¡± The process was painful, but he was satisfied with the hair that waspleted after four bleaching sessions. ¡°Our stage today will match well with this.¡± Awi was scheduled to perform a special stage at the AAMA awards show today. Chapter 63: Chapter 63: Chapter 63 This is a prestigious award ceremony, right? ¡°Next up¡­ A W Y is entering. They are hot these days! They are the terrifying rookies who appeared like aet.¡± A W Y was naturally one of the first to appear on the red carpet, ording to the order of seniority and poprity. As A W Y walked on the red carpet with wide strides, wearing tailored suits, the fans who came to the scene screamed. ¡°Silver hair¡­! He has silver hair!¡± ¡°Wow!¡± The fans waved their homemade slogans vigorously, trying to catch A W Y¡¯s attention. The members waved their hands back. ¡°Please look to the right.¡± The A W Y members had to try not to squint their eyes as they followed the instructions of the red carpet host. Their eyes hurt from the shes. Popr singers had a brief interview time on the red carpet, and surprisingly, a microphone was given to A W Y. ¡°I heard you prepared a special stage today. Can you give us a little spoiler?¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be fun if I told you so easily.¡± Jo Tae-woong smiled yfully, and the reporters pressed their shutters. ¡°Just one hint, please.¡± ¡°Maybe something rted to an uing anniversary?¡± Park Jin-hyuk took the microphone from Jo Tae-woong and answered brightly. ¡°Did you spoil too much?¡± ¡°Did I?¡± A W Y¡¯s bewildered expressions were broadcasted live on the red carpet. The chat window of Y app went up quickly. -Silver hair is awesome????? -I know what they are doing but they are so dumb????? -So cute In fact, the performance cue sheet was leaked on SNS, so everyone who knew what stage they were doing knew it. A W Y didn¡¯t know that and hit Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s back, who had just spoiled everything, as they went down the red carpet. *** ¡°No looking at your phone when we go in. No checking the time either. Especially when other singers are performing, if you do that, we are¡­ You know, right?¡± Lee Joo-hyuk warned them as they passed through the hallway. AAMA was an award ceremony that had seats for singers in the concert hall. Of course, there were cammers who came to the concert hall and filmed even the singer¡¯s waiting seats. If they looked disrespectful while watching the performance, it would inevitably cause controversy. ¡°As soon as we enter the concert hall, we are in broadcast mode, guys.¡± ¡°Yes, hyung.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk looked into each member¡¯s eyes and said. Park Seo-dam answered sincerely, but there was a member who couldn¡¯t just let it go. ¡°Beep, update required.¡± ¡°Broadcast mode is not avable in this version.¡± ¡°Please try again next time.¡± It was none other than the three 19-year-olds. They were acting cheeky until they saw a girl group passing by in front of them and shut their mouths. ¡°Idiots.¡± Kim Hyun barely held back hisughter. *** There weren¡¯t many singers sitting in the singer¡¯s seats in the concert hall because they were in front of the red carpet order. Ian, who was looking for his name on the round table, lifted his head when Kim Joo-young tapped him lightly. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Hey, look at that LED panel.¡± ¡°¡­Wow.¡± On the LED panel located on the second floor of the concert hall, each letter of A W Y was shining brightly. ¡°That¡¯s amazing¡­ It will look great on live broadcast.¡± When A W Y waved their hands toward them, the LED panel shook up and down. It wasn¡¯t even fixed on the railing, but someone was holding it by hand. ¡°Guys, I found our seats.¡± Park Jin-hyuk, who passed by I One¡¯s table, called out to the other members. ¡°We have it all to ourselves?¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± The table for A W Y had no seats for other singers. ¡°The red carpet is still far from over. What should we do?¡± ¡°How about ying Mafia?¡± ¡°Good idea. Who wants to be the moderator?¡± There was nothing better than games to kill time. And fans who came early to the concert hall took pictures of their games and posted them onmunities in real time. -Real-time AAMA A W Y situation.jpg They are ying Mafia again?????????? ©¸They are crazy about Mafia????? ©¸Who is the moderator? Joo-hyuk?????? Of course, A W Y¡¯s game was not as immersive as before. They had to get up and greet every singer who arrived at the singer¡¯s seat. ¡°Hello!¡± They got up and greeted I One, who sat at the table on the right, with enthusiasm, even though they were in the middle of the game. They didn¡¯t care about Kim Young-joon or anything else, as they werepetitive. ¡°Okay, who are we going to kill?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s kill Choi Ian.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not Mafia, really. You¡¯ll regret it if you kill me.¡± ¡°Who wants to kill Choi Ian?¡± All the members¡¯ thumbs pointed to the floor. ¡°A good citizen has died. Night hase. Everyone lie down.¡± ¡°What? He wasn¡¯t Mafia.¡± ¡°You guys have bad intuition¡­¡± Ian leaned back on the backrest. He looked around the concert hall, bored because he was eliminated early. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Hello, sunbaenim.¡± Luna Girls came over and greeted them, and A W Y got up from their immersive situation y. Luna Girls sat at the table on their left. After that, A W Y got up and exchanged shoulder greetings with singers they knew from music shows and MOM. It was then. ¡°Kyaaaaa!¡± The countless fans who were waiting in the concert hall screamed. ¡°What? Who came?¡± ¡°Who do you think? It must be My Dear.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ Look at the ss of their cheers.¡± My Dear sat in the center of the singer¡¯s seat where the fans could see well. The concert hall darkened, and the award ceremony began. The bright lights shone on the stage, and the MCs in dresses and suits walked in. ¡°Hello! I¡¯m actress Min Ji-yoon, the MC for the 2018 Asia Artist Music Awards.¡± ¡°I¡¯m announcer Hong Ki-ju, the MC for this event.¡± He had always wondered why they invited actors to present awards at music shows. Why couldn¡¯t they let the senior singers do it? [Well, many actors participate when the organizers ask them to promote their works. Sometimes there are more actors than singers.] ¡®But they don¡¯t invite singers to present awards at actor shows.¡¯ [They have the previous winners present the awards there. They only invite singers to perform for celebration.] ¡®I don¡¯t get it.¡¯ [It¡¯s like a tradition that everyone follows to invite actors and stuff.] Ian rested his chin on his hand. He felt like there was an invisible wall between actors and idols, even though they were all entertainers. They couldn¡¯t just invite actors without giving them any awards, so they started with the Best Artist Award and the Asia Icon Award, and many actors and singers received awards. Ian was enjoying the performances of the rookie singers who debuted this year, but he got bored as the awards became more like giveaways. Then, a VCR was yed on the big LED screen. Best Hip Hop Song of the Year ¡°Huh? Look, there¡¯s ¡®Jujak¡¯ too.¡± ¡°Jujak is his nickname. But why didn¡¯t we know?¡± ¡°Who didn¡¯t tell us that Jujak was nominated?¡± Park Jin-hyuk, who was eating chocte, suddenly remembered and shouted. ¡°I actually knew that he was nominated. But I didn¡¯t tell you because I thought I had no chance of winning¡­¡± ¡°Congrattions, Park Jin-hyuk ¡®Jujak¡¯!¡± ¡°I¡­ I won?¡± Park Jin-hyuk opened his eyes wide and looked at his members. They were also surprised and looked at each other until Lee Joo-hyuk pushed Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s back. ¡°Jin-hyuk, you have to go get your award.¡± ¡°Huh? Huh¡­ Joo-hyuk hyung, Hyun-ah Ian-ah, let¡¯s go together.¡± ¡°It¡¯s your award, why should we go.¡± Park Jin-hyuk got up clumsily and ran to the stage. ¡°Hyung! Don¡¯t run! You look like a deer!¡± Ian shouted anxiously at his ridiculous jumping. ¡°Is that hip hop?¡± ¡°Ah, Jin-hyuk hyung has no swag¡­¡± Kim Hyun and Jo Tae-woong grumbled. But they also smiled as if they were happy that Park Jin-hyuk won. The girls from Luna Girls next to their table giggled. ¡°Congrattions on your award. Please give us your eptance speech.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ First of all, I want to thank our staff, director, and CEO who worked hard for this song. And the listeners who listened to ¡®Jujak¡¯¡­¡± Park Jin-hyuk nced at the trophy in his hand and continued. ¡°Most of all, I want to thank our members who helped me a lot with this song. Thank you very much!¡± ¡°Jin-hyuk hyung is awesome!¡± ¡°He¡¯s handsome!¡± The remaining six members pped and cheered. ¡°Ehehe! Careful careful!¡± ¡°Hyung, what if we lose our award?¡± Park Jin-hyuk came back to his seat with excitement and put the trophy down on the table with a thud. ¡°Wow, ¡®Jujak¡¯ won an award, can you believe it¡­¡± ¡°Now we have the ¡®Fantastic Wee Award¡¯.¡± The members who were looking at the trophy raised their heads and looked at the stage. ¡°The ¡®Fantastic Wee Award¡¯?¡± ¡°What¡­ what kind of award is that?¡± ¡°Did I hear it wrong?¡± As soon as they heard the name of the award, everyone in the audience murmured. ¡°What the hell is ¡®Fantastic Wee Award¡¯?¡± Ianughed incredulously and made a deted sound. ¡°Is this a credible award show?¡± *** The controversial ¡®Fantastic Wee Award¡¯ went to a male solo singer who just finished his military service, ending the first part of the show. The second part started with the performances of the rookie award nominees. AWY also went to their dressing room early and finished their makeup, watching the stage on the monitor. ¡°We¡¯rest, right?¡± ¡°Yes, I think it¡¯s because of our stage set.¡± ¡°Cool¡­ It¡¯s worth preparing well.¡± The rookie award nominees performed the same songs and choreographies as if they were on a music show, except for their slightly fancier outfits. ¡°Our hair dye and lenses make us look like we¡¯re cosying.¡± Lee Joo-hyukughed as he looked at his members¡¯ faces. The excessive red eye makeup glittered every time they moved. (Thest rookie award nominee has prepared a special stage just for AAMA.) The song of the previous singer ended, and it was time for AWY¡¯s stage setting. Lee Joo-hyuk stretched out his hand in front of him, and the rest of the members put their hands on top of his. ¡°Let¡¯s rock the stage today. We are who we are?¡± ¡°AWY!¡± *** Dry ice smoke swirled on the stage. The song, which added organ sounds to create a horror vibe, matched well with the red lights on the stage, creating a dreamy atmosphere. Snap. A white spot light turned on in the center of the stage with the sound of a finger snap. There was Park Seo-dam lying on a marble pedestal where the light shone. Park Seo-dam raised his upper body and looked around. He was wearing a white chiffon outfit that fluttered in the wind. ¡°I get it. The concept is Halloween.¡± ¡°They¡¯re good at staging.¡± Seo Min-hoo of MOM, who was watching the stage, stared at it intently. ¡°Oh, is that pink-haired one like a sacrifice?¡± ¡°That makes sense.¡± The pale makeup that portrayed a delicate boy made him look like a pitiful sacrifice. The camera zoomed in on Park Seo-dam¡¯s bewildered face. At that moment, behind his dark back, several hands wrapped around his upper body like snakes. ¡°What¡¯s that? What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Is it a horror concept?¡± The people who were immersed in the stage buzzed. The faces of six members popped out from the dark behind him, and the fans screamed. ¡°Oh, they¡¯re vampires.¡± The members moved their faces slowly as if they were going to devour Park Seo-dam, looking at him. Ian, who was about to bite Park Seo-dam¡¯s neck, rolled his eyes and looked at the camera. At that moment, snap- All the lights on the stage went off again with the sound of a finger snap. A few secondster, the lights on the stage turned on and the song started. Chapter 64: Chapter 64: Chapter 64 The male rookie award goes to¡­ They danced around Park Seodam in the intro. They added unnatural movements like dolls in the middle of the choreography, following the horror version of ¡®dawn¡¯ arranged by Lee Juhyuk. ¡°I remember the dawn when your breath touched me¡± Ian, who was pushed away after biting Park Seodam¡¯s neck, sang. The fans cheered loudly at his powerful voice. The rookies who performed before them had only lip-synced to the recorded AR with their breathing sounds. They couldn¡¯t feel the live vibe. ¡°Wow, he¡¯s handsome.¡± ¡°His live is amazing.¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t look like a rookie. He¡¯s good.¡± Seo Minho of MOM whispered to his fellow member. ¡°Don¡¯t run away, I¡¯m looking at you Come to me, I¡¯ll give you this night as a gift¡± Park Seodam, who was caught by Park Jinhyuk, shook his shoulders and shook off his hand. Then he was caught by Jo Taewoong, who was singing his part. The stage,posed of a fleeing sacrifice and a chasing vampire, had no dull moments. As the song was nearing the end, 20 dancers dressed as priests filled the stage. ¡°It¡¯s like an end-of-year stage.¡± ¡°What if they show this at the grand prize?¡± ¡°They worked hard for this.¡± The singers who reacted favorably to Awi murmured. Park Seodam, who showed a fierce military dance with his members in the center, suddenly stretched his arms to both sides. A low vibration sound followed, and the people on the stage swayed. Soon after, as if hit by a shock wave, the members and dancers fell to the floor. Park Seodam, who rxed and smiled faintly at that moment. ¡°At the end of this dawn, I¡¯m waiting for you¡± Ian, who sang thest verse, got up slowly. Then he grabbed Park Seodam¡¯s neck from behind and fell back with him. ¡°Gasp!¡± The audience swallowed their breaths as they watched him dive back without hesitation. The dancers who were waiting in advance caught their bodies andid them down so they wouldn¡¯t hit the floor. The other members and dancers crawled toward Ian and Park Seodam like zombies approaching their prey. The red light went off and the stage went dark. The people who were just gaping at the shocking ending pped and shouted. ¡°It¡¯s like watching a musical.¡± ¡°That was awesome.¡± Some group members even gave them a standing ovation. ¡°That was Awi¡¯s special Halloween stage, thest nominee for the rookie award.¡± Ignoring MC¡¯s progress, Awi quickly ran backstage. -Their stage is fun. They are a stage powerhouse -Are they really rookies? -I was going to turn off the broadcast and watch my idolse out, but I watched their whole stage -They are crazy The livement section on the portal site went up fast. ¡°Are you okay, Seodam?¡± ¡°Yeah, what about you, hyung?¡± ¡°The dancers caught us so we¡¯re fine.¡± Awi entered backstage and gulped down the water handed by the staff. There was no time to go back to the waiting room because the rookie award ceremony was right after the stage. They took off their receivers, in-ears, and microphones and handed them to the staff. ¡°Wow, Seodam¡¯s arm strength is amazing. I almost fell earlier.¡± ¡°Really, hyung?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Park Jinhyuk patted Park Seodam¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Was our stage okay? Did anyone make a mistake?¡± ¡°Juhyuk hyung, we were perfect, right?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t we do our best stage ever? Listen to the cheers. I can still hear them.¡± ¡°I wish we could monitor it right away since it¡¯s live.¡± Awi members smiled with satisfaction. While MC was hosting, the rookie nominees came backstage one by one. ¡°Rookie nominees, pleasee up now!¡± Awi, who had a quick hair touch-up backstage, went up to the stage again at the staff¡¯s shout. Awi bowed to the other rookie nominees. The other side also politely greeted them back. (We introduce you to the presenters of 2018 AAMA Rookie Award!) The rookie singers stood in a line on stage. There were five teams each for male and female rookies. They awarded both female and male rookie awards at the same time. As VCR introduced presenters on screen, fans¡¯ cheers were louder or quieter depending on poprity. Finally Awi¡¯s name appeared on screen and cheers were unusually louder. When VCR ended and an actress in a dress came in arm in arm with an actor from left side of stage Ian knew them too. ¡°Hello. I¡¯m actor Jo Minhwan.¡± ¡°I¡¯m actress Jin Seokyeong.¡± Jo Minhwan nced over rookies standing in line and acted like he knew Ian. Ian nodded his head. ¡®What, Minhwan hyung is presenting?¡¯ [You weren¡¯t supposed to tell anyone you¡¯re in it, right?] ¡®Well, it¡¯s not a big secret, so I guess it¡¯s okay.¡¯ Jo Minhwan looked at Ian behind him with a ¡®did I do well?¡¯ expression. Ian shook his head slightly. It was time for the award and Jin Seokyeong checked the name on the cue card. ¡°Then we¡¯ll announce the female rookie award first. The female rookie award goes to¡­ ¡®Eos¡¯! Congrattions!¡± The girl group holding each other¡¯s hands screamed. They ran to the center of the stage from the far left. One of the members was already crying. [They¡¯re the controversial ones. I thought they were next year¡¯s rookies, but they were this year¡¯s?] ¡®Why?¡¯ As Eos sobbed and gave their eptance speech, Jin scanned their faces. [They didn¡¯t have the performance to get the rookie award, but they got it. Originally ¡®Friday¡¯ next to you had better performance and votes.] ¡®But why couldn¡¯t they get it?¡¯ [Eos¡¯s agency is MI Entertainment.] ¡®Oh¡­¡¯ The tyranny of arge agency. Ian nced to his left. Friday was smiling hard, but the person right next to Ian had a stiff expression and bowed his head. [Friday¡¯s fans protested, but the organizers didn¡¯t budge and moved on¡­ And even a low-level employee of MI Entertainment wrote on SNS something like ¡®if you don¡¯t like it, go to arge agency¡¯. It was exposed and only Friday¡¯s fans were outraged.] ¡®That¡¯s too much¡­ It¡¯s the only rookie award they can get¡­¡¯ Eos returned to his seat after finishing his eptance speech, and Ian licked his lips that were dry. He knew that they would not be able to avoid the thunderbolt that Friday had received. ¡°And the Asia Artist Music Award for Best New Male Artist goes to¡­¡± The members of AWY looked nervously at Jo Min-hwan¡¯s cue card. ¡°AWY! Congrattions!¡± ¡°Wow!¡± Park Seo-dam jumped in surprise. Ianughed out loud as the tension was released, and Jo Tae-woong walked confidently to the center stand microphone. The rest of the members followed him. The fans screamed, and the LED panels with AWY written on them swayed violently in the audience seats. Kim Joo-young looked up at the sky. Ian was startled by his gesture and grabbed his shoulder. ¡°Are you crying? Why are you crying at this happy moment?¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t talk to me. I¡¯m holding it in.¡± Kim Joo-young¡¯s eyes were brimming with tears that seemed to fall at any moment. Park Seo-dam was no different from Kim Joo-young. He clenched his mouth to hold back his tears, but his eyes were already dripping with tears. [Eos didn¡¯t cry, but these guys are crying.] ¡®Eos cheated. We won this fair and square.¡¯ ¡°Congrattions.¡± ¡°Thank you, hyung.¡± Ian received the trophy from Jo Min-hwan. Jo Min-hwan patted Ian¡¯s back and left the stage. Ian lifted the trophy and reflected it in the light. The crystal trophy had AWY¡¯s name engraved on it clearly. ¡°Wow¡­ our name is really on it.¡± Ian smiled brightly as he confirmed their name. He had doubted the influence of this award ceremony because of the ¡®Fantastic Wee Award¡¯, but he felt like he was flying when he received the award. ¡°First of all, we want to thank our agency staff, our manager hyung, our director and CEO. Thank you so much. And also, our family who always support us. Thank you very much. And¡­¡± Lee Joo-hyuk approached the standing microphone and gave his eptance speech. ¡°Lastly, I want to thank our members as well. Thank you!¡± At Lee Joo-hyuk¡¯s words, the members of AWY hugged him tightly. Jo Tae-woong, who was right next to him, quickly added more words. ¡°And our AWY fans who voted hard for us to give us this award! You worked hard! Thank you! Thank you!¡± The fans cheered, and the light sticks in the audience seats flickered. As AWY turned around after looking at that picturesque scene, the people who were nominated for the award bowed their heads and greeted them. ¡°Congrattions.¡± The rookie groups that had been standing like a folding screen. Ian sighed softly. ¡®Who told them to stand there? That¡¯s really cruel.¡¯ They should have just let them sit in the singer seats and call only the winners to the stage. [You¡¯re too nosy. Why do you care about them? You¡¯re the ones who won anyway.] Jin didn¡¯t understand him. But Ian remembered that he was just like them when he was in ¡®Diamond¡¯, so he greeted them more politely. *** ¡°Wow, rookie award! This is our first award.¡± The trophy in Ian¡¯s hand, who was heading to the waiting room, went through the hands of other members. Kim Hyun stared nkly at the trophy and said, Park Jin-hyuk said without any tact. ¡°Hey, why are you leaving out ¡®Cheating¡¯?¡± ¡°That¡¯s only your award.¡± ¡°Hey, technically we all worked on it together. Let¡¯s count it as a group award.¡± ¡°Yeah! Let¡¯s count it as two awards.¡± Jo Tae-woong and Ian teased Kim Joo-young on both sides of him. ¡°Did you see Kim Joo-young crying earlier?¡± ¡°Yeah, I saw him sobbing like a baby.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with crying because I¡¯m happy! Hey, Seo-dam also cried!¡± ¡°Seo-dam is the youngest.¡± Jo Tae-woong poked Kim Joo-young¡¯s cheek and teased him. ¡°Guys, don¡¯t make a fuss in the hallway.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk opened the door to the waiting room, and a loud bang followed by a flower pollen firework went off. ¡°Wow! What a surprise!¡± ¡°What is this?¡± Ian and Jo Tae-woong were more surprised by Kim Hyun¡¯s scream than by the firework. ¡°Guys, congrattions on your rookie award!¡± ¡°And congrattions on Jin-hyuk¡¯s solo award!¡± It was Park Dong-soo and other staff members from their agency. ¡°Thank you!¡± The members of AWY bowed their heads and greeted the staff members. ¡°If you think about it, Dong-soo hyung also did his part.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, he¡¯s our eighth member.¡± Ian and Jo Tae-woong high-fived with Park Dong-soo. ¡°What, Seo-dam is crying again?¡± ¡°Seo-dam, you can¡¯t cry! We have to go out again!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t stop the tears!¡± The members snorted at his crying and happy face. ¡°The youngest is the youngest.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s clean up the makeup first.¡± The actors who received the awards left one by one, but the singers were not done just because they received the awards. ¡°What if Seo-dam¡¯s eyes are swollen on the singer seat cam?¡± It was impossible for a rookie to receive an award and not show up on the singer seat. AWY had to sit in the singer seat until the end of AAMA and watch the performances and awards. The next day after AAMA, the fancams of the cammers flooded MyTube. When Choi Ian¡¯s one-shot was caught on the screen, idols¡¯ reactions ©¸LOL????? ©¸Crazy look at my idol ?0????? ©¸Wow but he¡¯s so handsome [2018 AAMA] AWY ¨C dawn (Halloween ver.) ©¸They tore up the stage they¡¯re so good???? ©¸I watched the lip-sync stage before them and then I saw them and it looked like a real award ceremony stage ©¸I¡¯m a fan of another group but I came back to watch their stage because it was fun MyDier performance, grand prize singer seat reaction ©¸Who are they? Their reaction is good??? ©¸They¡¯re the rookie group that won the award they¡¯re good at performing ©¸The dance following is cute ©¸But is that pink-haired guy¡¯s eyes naturally small? Or swollen? ©¸He cried after winning the rookie award??? ©¸Ew???Really? That¡¯s cute???? Chapter 65: Chapter 65: Chapter 65 NMA in Vietnam. (1) A week after AAMA, Ahwi, who had his hair done at the shop early in the morning, got on the van with sleepy eyes. ¡°This is my first time going to Vietnam.¡± ¡°Dongsoo hyung! Will we have some free time there?¡± Park Seodam asked and Park Dongsoo answered. ¡°Well¡­ it depends on your rehearsal schedule.¡± ¡°Oh, I hope we finish the rehearsal quickly.¡± Jo Taewoong was excited. Ahwi was heading to the airport to perform at Music Awards in Vietnam. ¡°We¡¯re taking the same ne as the other singers going to NMA.¡± ¡°How many teams are going?¡± ¡°Ten teams from Korea¡­ Iwon is also there.¡± Iwon, as expected from audition graduates, was participating in all NMA events held in three countries. What was surprising was that Ahwi was also taking the ne provided by . Maybe that¡¯s why the other members didn¡¯t doubt ¡¯s intention. Only Ian had a dark expression. ¡®It¡¯s a bit suspicious¡­¡¯ Ian couldn¡¯t believe that invited Ahwi so easily. What if everything goes ording to Jinui¡¯s scenario? ¡°Guys, we¡¯re almost there, so get ready.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ian put on a ck beanie hat. ¡°Hey, do I look okay?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t the stylist hyung check your outfit? You look fine.¡± ¡°I heard airport fashion is so important¡­¡± Kim Juyeong held a hand mirror and fixed his bangs. He seemed very nervous for his first airport schedule. The best ce to show off fan gifts was the airport. Ian¡¯s outfit also had no items bought by himself. They were all fan gifts. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Lee Juhyuk opened the van door. As shes went off from all directions, Lee Juhyuk squinted his eyes. All the singers participating in NMA were leaving at the same time, so the airport entrance was crowded with reporters and fans. ¡°Guys!¡± ¡°Here! Here!¡± Ahwi got off the van and stood in a line to greet the reporters across the street before crossing the traffic light. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± The light turned green and Ahwi crossed the traffic light and entered the airport. ¡°Wow¡­ there are so many people.¡± [Are they all here to see Iwon?] There were many people at the airport despite it being an early morning departure. There were also many reporters who followed Ahwi and took videos and photos. Ahwi, who didn¡¯t know what to do with this unfamiliar scene, was led by his manager, Park Dongsoo. ¡°Please look this way.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Ian stepped back and grabbed the arm of a person who was filming them. The cameraman, who almost fell over, didn¡¯t let go of his camera with his professional spirit. ¡°Be careful.¡± Ian smiled and passed by him. The cameraman opened his mouth wide. And his reaction was captured by the fans¡¯ cameras. Ahwi had already checked in at the city airport, so he headed straight to the departure hall. ¡°Do you know that, hyung? This is my first time on a ne.¡± Park Seodam said to Ian while waiting in line at the departure hall. Ian¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°Do you know that you have to take off your shoes when you get on the ne?¡± ¡°Ah hyung, who falls for that these days!¡± Park Seodam hit Ian¡¯s shoulder. Kim Juyeong, who was behind Park Seodam, said dejectedly. ¡°I thought you had to take them off¡­¡± [Is there anyone who believes that?] Jo Taewoongughed out loud. ¡°Ah damn¡­ if it wasn¡¯t for Seodam, Kim Juyeong would have really taken off his shoes, right?¡± ¡°Is it not true? I saw it on the inte!¡± Kim Juyeong, who still didn¡¯t understand, was teased by the six members. ¡°Dude, you should always ask us before you decide anything when someone tells you to buy something.¡± ¡°Juyeong-ah, no multi-level marketing.¡± ¡°Dude, Kim Juyeong, it¡¯s a lie about the ne. You have to put your belongings on a rail for security check when you go in there, right? Do you know that you have to take off your shoes and put them on there?¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Wow Jo Taewoong is a devil, a devil.¡± At that moment, a scream like a concert hall came from the airport entrance. ¡°What¡­ what is that?¡± The members who were having fun teasing Kim Juyeong were startled and looked back. ¡°¡­I guess Iwon is here.¡± ¡°They¡¯re so popr.¡± They felt envious of the cheers that were different from when Ahwi arrived. They looked at the entrance where Iwon came in with security guards. ¡°Guys, let¡¯s go in.¡± Park Dongsoo led Ahwi, who was staring nkly at the crowd around Iwon. Ahwi entered the departure hall and passed by the bright duty-free zone. ¡°I wish I had money to buy my mom some cosmetics¡­¡± ¡°When will we get paid?¡± Park Dongsoo, who was walking ahead, felt embarrassed and asked the members. ¡°We still have an hour left, do you want to eat something?¡± ¡°I want jjamppong!¡± ¡°Wow, I¡¯m getting goosebumps. I was craving for tangsuyuk today.¡± The members became simple-minded when food was mentioned and went ahead. ¡°Do those people feel like they¡¯re filming us?¡± ¡°They¡¯re probably filming us, right?¡± Ian answered Lee Juhyuk¡¯s question. Since they entered the departure hall, some fans inside the airport had been following them and clicking the shutter incessantly. Some of them even tried to talk to them persistently. Those fans were handled by the manager, but they didn¡¯t back off even after being scolded by the manager. ¡°Wow¡­ it¡¯s kind of scary.¡± Park Jinhyuk, who brought the food, said. Ahwi, who didn¡¯t have a business ticket, had breakfast at the airport restaurant, but the problem was the crowd of people sticking to the ss window outside the restaurant and taking pictures. ¡°Just ignore them, hyung.¡± Ian, who was already used to this kind of attention, calmly chewed on a pickle. Ian usually had a lot of eyes following him, so he just thought of it as adding one more camera to that gaze. ¡°I don¡¯t know if the food is going into my mouth or my nose.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s eat quickly and sit in front of the gate.¡± They finished eating and went to the gate, but the fans didn¡¯t seem to let go. ¡°Guys, I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s ufortable, but please bear with it.¡± ¡°Yes, hyung.¡± There were too many groups of fans, so Park Dong-soo couldn¡¯t handle them all. ¡°Just ignore them and y with your phones.¡± The members of Awi, who were sitting in front of the gate, took out their phones and surfed the web, pretending not to notice the fans. Ian was thinking of ying a puzzle game and opened the app store, when a notification popped up on the top bar, showing a text message he had just received. Ian felt goosebumps on his arm as he read the message. *Message Ian, look here to the right ^^ ¡®Wow¡­¡¯ [No need to look for a thriller movie. This is a thriller itself. Who sent this?] Jin was looking for the sender of the message in the air. Ian tried to act calm and took a screenshot of the message. (Ian3) Anyone want to see the message I just got? ¨C 8:39 (Ian3) (Picture) ¨C 8:39 (Jo-taeng2) Wow crazy ¨C 8:40 (Hyun-hyun) F*ck ¨C 8:40 (Seo-da-mi) It¡¯s so scary, hyungs ¨C 8:40 (Park Jin-hyuk) What? Are they here right now? ¨C 8:40 (Dancing King Kim Ju-young) Wow sh*t I got chills ¨C 8:40 (Lee Ju-hyuk1) Guys, don¡¯t look over there. Adra is looking for the sender of the message ¨C 8:40 (Lee Ju-hyuk1) Especially Park Jin-hyuk, lower your head ¨C 8:41 Park Jin-hyuk quickly lowered his head. (Park Jin-hyuk) But isn¡¯t it noisy on the left? ¨C 8:43 Awi nced at the left side. A crowd of people was rushing towards the gate from the other side. They were the fans of I-One, who hade to see them off. ¡°Ju-won! Here!¡± ¡°Kim Young-joon!¡± ¡°Ji-woong!¡± I-One, who walked fast through the security guards, seemed used to these fans and looked ahead. (Lee Ju-hyuk1) But why does I-One look like they¡¯reing to our side? ¨C 8:51 (Seo-da-mi) They¡¯re reallying this way, hyungs? ¨C 8:51 (Hyun-hyun) OMG no don¡¯te ¨C 8:51 (Jo-taeng2) Don¡¯te! ¨C 8:52 ¡°Wow! Awi! Hello!¡± Kang Ju-won, the center of I-One who won first ce in Project Idol, smiled brightly and sat next to Ian. ¡°¡­Hello.¡± Ian smiled and greeted Kang Ju-won. Awi¡¯s surroundings were filled with people in an instant. ¡°Long time no see, hyung.¡± ¡°Huh? Oh¡­ long time no see, Young-joon.¡± Kim Young-joon scratched his back of his head awkwardly and sat behind Lee Ju-hyuk. ¡®Are they using us as a friend shield?¡¯ [A reasonable suspicion.] ¡®Did you find out who sent me the message?¡¯ [I got pushed away by I-One¡¯s fans.] Ian sighed softly. Kang Ju-won misunderstood his sigh and made a cute face. ¡°Oh, are you ufortable because I sat next to you¡­?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just that I got a text from a fan earlier.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I know how you feel.¡± Ian forced a smile. He felt dizzy from the fans who had multiplied two or three times. This was the reality of a top-tier group. Kang Ju-won chatted away with a friendly smile. ¡°Your AAMA stage was awesome. I watched your fancam more than ten times after that stage. I wanted to talk to you then, but you guys looked so serious doing something.¡± ¡°Did you? We get so absorbed when we y games¡­¡± ¡°Oh, you were ying games. Our team¡¯s Young-joon is from BHL Entertainment, so I wanted to get close to you through Young-joon.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­ I don¡¯t know him well because he left after I joined.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Ian peeked at his right side. Kim Young-joon was having an awkward conversation with Lee Ju-hyuk and Park Jin-hyuk. Jo Tae-woong stuck to Ian¡¯s side and chatted with Kang Ju-won. ¡°You can rx, hyung-nim. We¡¯re neen years old.¡± ¡°Should I?¡± Kang Ju-won, who was twenty-one years old, rxed his speech easily. I-One had gone through a brutal survival show called Project Idol and had been hit byizens too early, so they seemed veryid-back in their actions. ¡°Can I have your number?¡± ¡°Of course. It¡¯s an honor, hyung-nim.¡± ¡°Who would have thought we¡¯d get the number of the nation¡¯s center?¡± Jo Tae-woong and Ian joked around with Kang Ju-won, whoughed heartily. Ian and Jo Tae-woong entered their numbers on Kang Ju-won¡¯s phone. ¡°Let¡¯s keep in touch.¡± I-One went on the ne first through the business ss entrance. ¡°Wow, business! I¡¯m jealous.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll get to ride that someday, right?¡± ¡°But did you see the fans who followed I-One?¡± Some of the fan groups followed I-One into the business ss. They were theplete fans among the airport fans, who took the same flight as them. ¡°How was Young-joon?¡± After the business ss boarding was over, Kim Hyun asked Lee Ju-hyuk as they lined up for the economy ss. ¡°Just, you know, same as always. He couldn¡¯t ignore them because there were fans in front of him. He kept apologizing and saying he was sorry, but I felt bad for not epting it.¡± Lee Ju-hyuk took out his passport. ¡°Still, it must be hard for Young-joon to have them follow him around like that.¡± Kim Hyun, who felt sorry for Kim Young-joon, couldn¡¯t disagree with that. Even as they showed their tickets to the flight attendants, the fans¡¯ shutters didn¡¯t stop. *** It took five hours to arrive at Hanoi, Noi Bai International Airport. Awi dragged their tired bodies and finished the immigration check. ¡°Wow, my face is swollen. What do I do?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I brought disposable masks.¡± ¡°Look at Choi Ian¡¯s preparedness.¡± They all put on the masks that Ian had given them and went outside the gate. Before they knew it, local airport security guards were standing on both sides of Awi and leading the way. They had thought until then that even if they had security guards, there wouldn¡¯t be many fans. They raised their heads at the fans¡¯ screams. ¡°Oh¡­¡± The screams of Vietnamese fans were so loud that they seemed to pierce their ears. They even saw some fans holding Awi¡¯s slogans. Ian burst intoughter when he saw a huge slogan made with a still cut from ¡®I want to hear your voice¡¯. Chapter 66: Chapter 66: Chapter 66 NMA in Vietnam. (2) Awi had to unpack his luggage in the hotel room and go out again. It was because he had a rehearsal for NMA tomorrow. Awi, who had tied his name tag on his upper body, put on a microphone backstage. Ian, who felt strange, asked Jin. ¡°Isn¡¯t it too much to have a rehearsal? Are they going to p for us?¡± [It¡¯s better not to becent until the end.] Ian was annoyed by Jin¡¯s sarcastic remark and swung his arm in the air, breaking Jin¡¯s figure. ¡°What?¡± ¡°There was a bug.¡± [Hey! Am I a bug?] ¡°Awi, let¡¯s go to the rehearsal.¡± Awi had prepared various versions of the stage for each award ceremony, but he did not perform a different version for every award ceremony he participated in. The criterion was to perform the basic version of the stage when he only performed one title song on stage. He decided to show a different stage only for the award ceremonies that gave him more time than the title song, such as intro+title song. NMA did not give him any extra time besides the title song. ¡°Thank you!¡± Awi finished the stage and greeted loudly. Jeon Daehan PD, who was in charge of NMA Vietnam performance, crossed his arms with a meaningful expression. [What are you thinking?] ¡®Really?¡¯ Ian tilted his head as he ordered Jin to read PD¡¯s expression. ¡®Are they really calling us for the main stage?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t help but feel anxious as he remembered Jin¡¯s p shuttle scenario. *** After finishing the rehearsal, Awi went to a nearby downtown area with his agency staff. Awi got out of the car and headed straight for a restaurant. ¡°Vietnam is all about pho, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s banh mi.¡± The members entered a suitable restaurant and sat down at an empty seat. Suddenly, the locals sitting at the next table buzzed. ¡°But can you all eattro?¡± At Ian¡¯s words, Park Jinhyuk and Park Seodam hesitated. ¡°What istro?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never eaten it before.¡± But they had already ordered food. ¡°Cntro is very prizing.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just try it. When in Rome, do as the Romans do.¡± When the food came out, Park Jinhyuk, who had shouted confidently, had to spit out the food after one bite. ¡°Ew! Gross!¡± ¡°Jinhyuk hyung, that¡¯s rude to the cook.¡± Cho Taewoong and Kim Juyeong frowned. Park Jinhyuk drank water gulp by gulp. ¡°Wow, I can¡¯t eat this¡­ Anyone want mine? Seodam, are you okay?¡± ¡°It¡¯s edible.¡± ¡°Wow, she¡¯s good at eating it for the first time.¡± Park Seodam did not stop her chopsticks. Ian pushed the food withouttro to Park Jinhyuk¡¯s front. ¡°Hyung, this doesn¡¯t havetro.¡± ¡°Thanks. Dongsoo hyung! Can we go get burgers before we go back to the hotel?¡± Park Dongsoo, who had food in his mouth, nodded. Ian also stuffed his mouth with food. When he was halfway through eating, there was a clicking sound and people buzzing nearby. ¡®What?¡¯ [Are they taking pictures of you?] When Ian looked up at the people taking pictures, there was a small scream and camera shutter sounds from all directions. ¡°What are they doing?¡± ¡°Are they our local fans?¡± The interpreter who was eating with Park Dongsoo at the next table asked them. Park Dongsoo tranted the interpreter¡¯s words. ¡°Guys, they¡¯re local fans, so let¡¯s just eat quietly and go.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Wow, there are people taking pictures of us even here.¡± The members were amazed but not ufortable. Maybe it was because they had experienced it at the airport, they continued their meal calmly. [You say that, but they¡¯re mostly taking pictures of you. You¡¯re more popr than I thought.] ¡®Did you hear that? Is that why invited us?¡¯ [Well¡­ think what you want.] Jin chuckled. Ian couldn¡¯t hide his uneasiness at thatugh. ¡°We¡¯re done!¡± ¡°Kyak!¡± After finishing their meal and leaving the restaurant, Korean fans who had seen Awi¡¯s sighting news on SNS also held their phones and took pictures of Awi. The members bowed their heads and got into the car. *** They finished their day at the hotel and it was NMA day. Awi had another stage scheduled before the main broadcast in the evening. It was a red carpet stage. ¡°Is that a stage¡­?¡± It was nicely packaged as a red carpet stage, but it was just a shabby space with one tform set up next to the red carpet. It was hard to call it a stage. This stage was not even broadcasted, and Yapp did not even live stream it. ¡®I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen those people on the ne?¡¯ [There are many idols who only do the red carpet stage and can¡¯t enter the main stage and go back.] ¡®Really?¡¯ Ian narrowed his eyes. He hoped that wouldn¡¯t be our future. He doubted it, but he thought it wouldn¡¯t happen since he had finished the main stage rehearsal. ¡°Thank you!¡± The group that finished the stage hurriedly went down under the tform. Ian adjusted the angle of the microphone and stood on the stage with the members. The local fans who held Awi¡¯s unofficial slogan shouted. ¡®The stage is a bit shabby¡­¡¯ Ian dragged his feet and checked the condition of the stage. The wooden floor creaked and seemed to copse soon. ¡®Is it okay to do this? What if there¡¯s an ident?¡¯ Ian tapped the floor anxiously and found his position. And as expected, an ident urred when he moved to the chorus. The sound of the stage suddenly cut off. ¡®What?¡¯ A singer can¡¯t be dumbfounded on stage when there is no apaniment as soon as he stands on stage. Ian, who was in his part at the moment, sang without apaniment for now. The members, who were momentarily startled, followed Ian¡¯s song and danced. ¡°Thank you!¡± Awi finished the stage professionally after singing half of the second verse without apaniment. The members who came down from the tform sorted out their microphones and said. ¡°Wow, I was dizzy for a moment, but I came to my senses when Ian kept singing.¡± ¡°Wow, that was close.¡± ¡°Guys, good job!¡± Park Dongsoo, who was watching from under the tform, cheered on the members. ¡°Are we going to be treated badly today?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have a good feeling about this.¡± Ian muttered to himself as he handed the microphone to the staff. Lee Joo-hyuk nodded in agreement. The rest of the members also looked grim. ¡°Let¡¯s not get our hopes up today.¡± Awi arrived at the main stage after walking the red carpet and sat down on the seats marked with their name tags. The seat next to them was for I-One. ¡°Hello.¡± Awi greeted everyone who entered the singer seats. They also exchanged friendly greetings with I-One and settled in their seats. ¡®Huh?¡¯ And their bad hunch was right. Before the broadcast, Awi did not appear in the VCR that introduced the singers. Kim Hyun whispered to Ian from the next seat. ¡°Was it just me who didn¡¯t see it?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t see it either, hyung? Why are we not there?¡± As the presenter came out, Ian pped mechanically and asked Park Seo-dam. ¡°Seo-dam, did you see us in the VCR?¡± ¡°No, we weren¡¯t there, hyung. I have a bad feeling about this.¡± Park Seo-dam¡¯s voice trembled slightly with anxiety. Ian frowned. Some unknown local singers performed on stage, and awards with strange names were given out for show. Ian noticed that there was no camera focusing on Awi. ¡®They keep filming I-One next to us, right?¡¯ [Yeah. I-One¡¯s face keeps appearing in between the segments. Do you know what¡¯s funny? They cleverly manipte the angle so that your faces don¡¯t show up at all, even though you¡¯re right next to them.] As time passed, Awi stiffened their expression and sat still as I-One left their seats to prepare for their stage. They¡¯re going to perform now, the most popr group among the singers invited to this show? That means the show is almost over. [See? I was right.] ¡®Damn it.¡¯ [I went to see what the PD was doing before the show started.] Jin showed a video. A man talking on the phone, Jeon Dae-han PD, the person in charge of NMA Vietnam. He was discussing how to treat Awi with someone who seemed to be from the headquarters. Ian clenched his fist as he heard the conversation. Jin¡¯s scenario was spot on. They invited them on purpose to screw them over. ¡®Ah¡­ That¡¯s so dirty. They even prepared our ne tickets themselves to screw us over?¡¯ [They got them from a scalper, so the ne tickets are nothing.] Even so, considering the cost of bringing and sending back the staff, Awi was no different from losing money. ¡®They paid for the red carpet stage too? That crappy quality stage?¡¯ [Of course they did. Do you think NNet is crazy to give them a free stage? They¡¯re all doing it for money.] Ian¡¯s one-man show had caused a craze in Southeast Asia, including Vietnam. And NNet, who wanted to sell tickets and boost their pride in NMA Vietnam, where sales were already low, decided to have some fun with the red carpet tickets and hit Awi in the back of their head with their main stage. ¡°NNet Music Awards! World Best of Next!¡± ¡°Congrattions! It¡¯s I-One!¡± Awi didn¡¯t even p out of courtesy anymore. They were prepared for it, but it was still infuriating to be treated so tantly like this. Their head cooled down. They couldn¡¯t even go up on the ending stage where all the singers who participated in the show were supposed to go up together. They had to follow the instructions of the staff and leave the venue. ¡°What are you trying to do now!¡± Park Dong-soo was arguing with a staff member. Ian sighed deeply. ¡°It¡¯s over already. Let¡¯s go back to Korea quickly.¡± ¡°Wait for me, guys, manager.¡± The staff who followed Awi tried to calm down Park Dong-soo, who was angry. Park Dong-soo was about to say something else but let out a big sigh. It was no use getting angry at a low-level staff member. The car heading to the airport was filled with silence. Awi just watched as the venue disappeared beyond their sight. Lee Joo-hyuk, who had been looking out of the window, spoke to his members. ¡°Let¡¯s be famous.¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Park Dong-soo shouted excitedly. Ian added. ¡°Let¡¯s make NNete to us first and apologize.¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Park Dong-soo shouted again. The members who had been silent opened their mouths. Jo Tae-woong bounced his body and said. ¡°And then we pretend we¡¯re busy and say ¡®Oh, we¡¯re so busy¡­¡¯ and blow them off.¡± ¡°Then they¡¯ll beg us to go on stage, right? Then we¡¯ll sing ¡®Phoenix¡¯. We won¡¯t go unless we sing ¡®Phoenix¡¯, you know.¡± ¡°Yeol~ Hyun-hyung, your scenario is awesome, right?¡± Jo Tae-woong snapped his fingers. Park Seo-dam raised his hand. ¡°We¡¯ll go to other shows, but not NNet! Well, it would be better if NNet goes bankrupt before that!¡± ¡°And let¡¯s make Phoenix 2. This time as a group song.¡± Park Jin-hyuk said seriously. Kim Joo-young also chimed in enthusiastically. ¡°And if we ever have to go on NNet¡¯s show, we¡¯ll ask them bluntly ¡®Why did you do that to us?¡¯¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Park Dong-soo said cheerfully. Awi smiled faintly as their mood improved a bit with the conversation. -Awi summarizes how they were treated by NNet They were deliberately or identally cut off from the singer introduction VCR. Their backing track was cut off in the middle of their red carpet stage, but they finished the performance without it. They had rehearsed for the main stage the day before, but they didn¡¯t have a stage (not a lie, there¡¯s a post on their fan cafe saying they rehearsed). If they don¡¯t have a main stage, they shouldn¡¯t have let them in. They just went there and pped like shuttlecocks. Of course they didn¡¯t get any awards. ©¸I waited for them until the end, but they didn¡¯t show up. ©¸They were used by the scalpers for real. ©¸I saw the worst of NNet today. ©¸But why did they invite them? They could have just done the red carpet stage and left. But they made them sit in the singer seats and didn¡¯t give them a stage? ©¸I went to see their stage and bought tickets with my own money, but I couldn¡¯t see their stage and I¡¯m crying on my way to the airport. The fans were sad andined, but of course there were not only positive reactions to Awi. As Awi¡¯s poprity increased and their fans increased, so did the so-called ¡®haters¡¯. ©¸I don¡¯t even know who they are. Isn¡¯t getting a red carpet stage enough of a treatment? ©¸Who told them to mess with NNet? They¡¯re so arrogant for rookies. ©¸Huh? But are they worthy of a main stage? I¡¯ve never seen them before. Chapter 67: Chapter 67: Chapter 67 Let¡¯s hit it big this year. A white spotlight shone on the center of the stage. There was a ck coffin in the middle, and Park Seodam, who had dyed her hair bright red, popped out of it with a thud. Park Seodam, who wore red lenses that matched her hair color, looked around. ¡°I guess this is a continuation of thest stage.¡± ¡°Wow, you¡¯re right.¡± As people crawled towards Park Seodam, the stage lights that had dimmed suddenly turned on with a bang! and the music started. The six members danced to wee Park Seodam, their newrade. Park Seodam pretended to smile and then turned around with a serious expression. As the climax of the song approached, Awi, dressed in a splendid uniform, matched the dancers¡¯ moves and performed a military dance. ¡°Wow.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± And at thest verse of the song, Park Seodam shot Ian¡¯s head with a finger gun and made him fall. She stretched her arms out to both sides with force. As if they were hit by a shockwave, the other members and dancers copsed weakly. Park Seodam looked at the fallen people with satisfaction and smiled at the camera. The concept of this stage prepared by Awi was a vampire who hunts vampires. ¡°Wow, awesome.¡± ¡°The stage is fun.¡± The singers in the seats apuded. The stage, which was prepared as an extension of the AAMA stage, could be presented at the Watermelon Music Awards hosted by Watermelon, a music site. It was because the Watermelon production team, who were impressed by the AAMA stage, gave Awi more time for a special stage. -The stage today was crazy -How do they get better every time???? -They seem to know how to make their fans go crazy Awi won the rookie award for men in all music awards except . ¡°What do you wish for in the new year, Ian?¡± Awi, who attended M¡¯s year-end music festival, avoided the curse of Imjingak this time. This year, they decided not to do Imjingak live broadcast because of the fans¡¯ protest. ¡°I hope our members are healthy and our Awi be more famous in the new year.¡± Ian answered with a microphone in his hand. ¡°Leader! Joo Hyuk, please say something too.¡± ¡°We are starting our overseas activities next year, and I hope we can get through it without any idents.¡± All the singers went up on stage and watched the bell-ringing ceremony at Bosin-gak on a monitor. The countdown ended and the bell rang. Fireworks went off at Bosin-gak. ¡°Yes! The new year of 2019 has begun!¡± ¡°We wille back with better broadcasts!¡± The members of each group gathered together and showed their teamwork. Awi also stood together and hugged each other¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Guys, you worked hardst year too, let¡¯s have fun this year.¡± Joo Hyuk said and Jin Hyuk and Kim Hyun followed. ¡°The year of Joojak is over¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hit it big this year.¡± Tae Woong, Joo Young, and Seodam also said. ¡°Will we get paid this year?¡± ¡°We can do it if we go on a world tour.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get number one with Joo Hyuk hyung¡¯s song next year!¡± Tae Woong looked at Ian. ¡°Hey Choi Ian, don¡¯t you have anything to say?¡± ¡°¡­Is it too much to wish for Daesang this year?¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re overdoing it.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t Daesang too much of a jump?¡± Even with the other members¡¯ teasing, Ian said confidently. ¡°Why! They say you should aim high for your dreams!¡± ¡°You have to have realistic dreams first.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t we realistic enough?¡± ¡°Ehehe!¡± The members ruffled Ian¡¯s hair roughly. The fans in the audience shouted individualments and screamed. Awi waved their hands to their fans and went down from the stage. *** As the new year began, Awi also had some good news. They got an advertisement offer. The advertisement that would be presented for the new semester was a school uniform advertisement. ¡°Hello! We look forward to working with you!¡± As Awi entered the shooting site and shouted loudly, the shooting staff were surprised and looked at them. ¡°They¡¯re so energetic. I appreciate it.¡± The shooting director chuckled. Awi changed into school uniforms that were prepared in advance ording to the staff¡¯s guidance. ¡°Wow¡­ they¡¯re so shy.¡± The school uniforms were pastel-toned with dark primary colors as checkered points. They looked like clothes that were newly designed by thepany rather than actual school uniforms. ¡°I would have gone to that school if there were such uniforms.¡± Tae Woong, who came out of the fitting room next to Ian, said. ¡°Tae Woong, your school has pretty uniforms too, right?¡± ¡°Ah, that yellow uniform¡­ I get tired of seeing it often.¡± Jin Hyuk¡¯s words were followed by Joo Young. Tae Woong and Joo Young went to the same high school. ¡°Did you guys grow taller? This doesn¡¯t look like a uniform, but a suit.¡± Even Joo Hyuk, who was an adult, grew 2 centimeters. They didn¡¯t have to diet anymore because they lost weight naturally due to their busy schedules. It was thanks to thepany that fed them well. ¡°Are we going to be famous as a tall group?¡± It seemed that none of them had finished their growth period yet, as they grew a few centimeters in height. ¡°Is this your first time wearing a uniform, Ian?¡± ¡°First¡­ time?¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that vague answer?¡± It was his first time in this life. Ianughed awkwardly at Kim Hyun¡¯s question. After getting their hair and makeup done, Awi headed to the studio that was prepared in advance. In the meantime, Tae Woong opened his mouth wide and stretched his face. Ian stared at him sharply. Tae Woong closed his mouth in embarrassment. ¡°They¡¯ll tell us to smile when we take pictures, so we have to loosen up our facial muscles in advance.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do that in front of the fans.¡± ¡°Our fans will like it even if I do this. You should do this too, it¡¯s effective. What if you get a cramp in your mouthter?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it worked for me.¡± Ian sighed and shook his head. ¡°Come on! Smile again!¡± Tae Woong should have listened to him. Ian smiled mechanically at the photographer¡¯s instruction. His mouth twitched as he hadn¡¯t taken a pictorial for a long time. ¡°You¡¯re good at taking pictures, handsome. How about changing your pose a bit? Come on, smile again.¡± ¡®Please¡­ stop¡­¡¯ Stop torturing me with pictures! He thought so, but Ian obediently followed the photographer¡¯s instructions. After some time, it was time to take another group photo. Awi repeated the process of taking photos, changing clothes, and taking more photos. Everyone was exhausted after more than half a day of shooting. Finally, thest shoot they had been waiting for began. ¡°Hey, handsome guy, stand in the center.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ian stood in the center. The photographer took a few shots and then said something he didn¡¯t like. ¡°Can youe forward a bit more?¡± Ian took a step forward and the photographer shook his head. ¡®Isn¡¯t that too far?¡¯ Ian took two more steps forward and stood there. The photographer looked satisfied and lifted his camera again. ¡°Good. Everyone smile. How about you put your hand in your pocket, the guy on the left? Good.¡± ¡®Please end this quickly.¡¯ Thisposition looked like Ian was the only one highlighted. He felt like he was sitting on a thorn and swallowed his saliva. *** ¡°Ah, I¡¯m tired.¡± ¡°I thought it was just a print ad. They took so many shots.¡± Awi, who had removed their makeup and got on the van, slumped down on the seat. ¡°Do you want to eat some chicken when we get home?¡± ¡°Sounds good!¡± The members perked up at the mention of food and suddenly screamed in unison. The sound startled Park Dong-soo, who sighed. Ugh, these brats. ¡°I just remembered because of the uniforms, when are Tae-woong and Ju-young graduating?¡± ¡°Next month, I guess?¡± ¡°Who doesn¡¯t know it¡¯s next month?¡± ¡°It¡¯s February 15th.¡± The person who didn¡¯t know the exact date was the driver Park Dong-soo. Lee Ju-hyuk turned his head back and looked at the members in the back seat. ¡°You guys are all going to their graduation ceremony, right?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Ian answered. Kim Yong-min had dropped out of high school and took the GED exam. Ian also wanted to have some fun at their graduation. ¡°There are quite a few idols who are graduating with you guys, right?¡± Kim Hyun said. The high school that Jo Tae-woong and Kim Ju-young attended was an arts high school that allowed students to attend even if they couldn¡¯te to school because of Awi¡¯s busy schedule. That¡¯s why there were a lot of trainees and celebrities there. ¡°That¡¯s why there¡¯s a lot of talk about it. They say it¡¯s unfair to the other students.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a photo wall at our graduation ceremony. Do you think there will be a lot of reporters? If theye, we¡¯ll have to take pictures too, right?¡± ¡°Oh, then do we have to stop by the salon before we go there?¡± ¡°Of course we do.¡± Ian was surprised and asked. They had to go to the salon for just a graduation ceremony? ¡°It¡¯s the same as when we go on music shows. Every year, reporters and fans flock to the graduation ceremony and sometimes the families of the graduates can¡¯t even get in¡­¡± ¡°¡­Should we not go?¡± Lee Ju-hyuk suggested and Jo Tae-woong jumped up. ¡°No! Come on! It¡¯s our graduation ceremony! I¡¯m lonely! The other idols said their group members would all attend!¡± ¡°What about your families? And you have Ju-young. What do you think, Ju-young?¡± ¡°Come or don¡¯te?¡± ¡°Hey Kim Ju-young!¡± Jo Tae-woong squealed at Kim Ju-young¡¯s answer, which he said with a smirk. Awi members allughed while only Park Dong-soo frowned with his ears hurting. *** Park Dong-soo, Awi¡¯s manager, who came home, went straight to the bathroom and finished showering. ¡°Ugh¡­ I¡¯m dying¡­¡± Hey down on the bed without even drying his hair properly and was about to fall asleep when his phone rang. Park Dong-soo got up irritably and answered the phone. (Hello, are you Awi¡¯s manager?) ¡°¡­Yes, I am.¡± (I¡¯m Lee Jong-soo PD. We worked together on ¡®Idol Rapper¡¯, remember?) ¡°Oh yes hello. I remember. What can I do for you¡­?) (How are your kids¡¯ schedules?) Park Dong-soo lifted his head sharply. Lee Jong-soo had moved to JBTC and sessfullyunched a music variety show. The ratings were pretty good too. (Do you have any ns for a reality show? It¡¯s not JBTC, but JBTC2¡­ I think I can make it well.) ¡°Oh wow, of course we have time. When are you thinking of shooting?¡± Park Dong-soo got up quickly and took out his tablet pad with Awi¡¯s schedule on it. ¡°Yes yes, then? We don¡¯t have anything scheduled for now¡­ But I¡¯ll check with thepany again and get back to you. Yes yes thank you.¡± He hung up the phone excitedly and marked the tablet pad and put an important sign on it. ¡°Reality~ That¡¯s good~¡± Park Dong-soo hummed andy down on the bed again. As he closed his eyes and tried to sleep, the phone rang again and Park Dong-soo groaned. He fumbled for his phone on the desk and picked it up. ¡°Yes hello¡­¡± (Dong-soo hyung? Were you sleeping?) ¡°Oh long time no see. No hyung, I wasn¡¯t sleeping¡­¡± (Your voice sounds like you were about to sleep. I¡¯m sorry if I woke you up.) ¡°No it¡¯s okay.¡± (How are you doing these days, hyung?) ¡°Me? Busy. The kids are killing me. I think they¡¯re worse than you guys.¡± (Haha, they¡¯re all like that.) Weren¡¯t you like that too? Park Dong-soo chuckled and got up. There was no point in trying to sleep again. ¡°But what¡¯s up at this hour?¡± (¡­Hyung, I¡¯m going somewhere else.) Park Dong-soo¡¯s hand, which was fiddling with the tablet pad, stopped. ¡°¡­So you finally decided?¡± (Are you upset, hyung?) ¡°Upset? No, it¡¯s a good thing. You did well. You have to go your own way.¡± They talked for a while and Park Dong-soo hung up the phone. ¡°¡­That can happen too.¡± Park Dong-soo got out of bed. He walked to the kitchen with tired steps and took out a bottle of soju from the fridge. Chapter 68: Chapter 68: Chapter 68 I wish my brother would be more famous. Awi had been busy for a month because of his next album work. Awi was going to release a new album in March, and then leave for Japan right away. After finishing his activities in Japan, he would return to Korea and wrap up his Korean activities briefly and then start his world tour. This year was full of schedules. ¡°Wow, look at all the people.¡± ¡°Why do they have fences for the graduation ceremony?¡± Ian and Park Seodam stuck to the window and looked outside. ¡°Guys, we have to walk from here. Juyeong and Taewoong are going to eat with their families?¡± ¡°Yes, hyung. Eat something delicious!¡± ¡°Then what about the other kids¡­? Is this your way?¡± There was no ce to park, and there were a lot of people around the school, so it was crowded. ¡°Hyung, I know this way.¡± ¡°Oh, right! You did. Then call me when you¡¯re done.¡± As Awi got out of the van, the people around him screamed. ¡°Brr, it¡¯s cold.¡± ¡°But how long did Seodam go here?¡± ¡°He went for about two months and then dropped out. The tuition here is expensive, you know.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t thepany pay for it?¡± ¡°He had to pay it back.¡± Ian looked at Park Seodam in surprise. Jo Taewoong said loudly. ¡°Thepany even gives you an advance?¡± ¡°Hey, Jotang, your voice is loud.¡± Kim Juyeong hit Jo Taewoong¡¯s shoulder. Kim Hyun asked. ¡°But what did you do to get an advance?¡± ¡°My family doesn¡¯t have money. I said I would pass the GED in one try, so please give me an advance for the tuition.¡± Awi¡¯s momentum dyed his debut, and while he was busking and building up his personal recognition, Park Seodam studied. As they entered the school building, shes were popping on the other side of the hallway. ¡°There¡¯s really a photo wall?¡± Ian opened his eyes wide. There were even student volunteers who were running the event. The student volunteer saw Awi and gasped. ¡°Fa¡­ fan.¡± ¡°Thank you. Can¡¯t I go yet?¡± ¡°Ye¡­ yes¡­¡± ¡°Okay. Get ready, everyone.¡± Park Jinhyuk nodded seriously. Ian and Park Seodam rummaged through their bags. The rustling sound made Jo Taewoong and Kim Juyeong turn around. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I feel uneasy somehow?¡± Ian smirked at Kim Juyeong, who was shaking his pupils. ¡°Congrattions on your graduation.¡± Soon after, Ian pulled something out of his bag, and a pink ribbon stretched out long. ¡°We don¡¯t have anything to give you¡­ but we prepared a wreath for you.¡± Ian crossed his arms and gently ced them on his chest, acting shy. Jo Taewoong frowned at his disgusting act. ¡°Hey! What is this? It¡¯s embarrassing!¡± ¡°Embarrassing? Are we ashamed?¡± Lee Juhyuk, who was tying a ribbon around his neck, said seriously. Lee Juhyuk¡¯s ribbon said ¡®Awi cute Jo Taewoong congrattions on graduation¡¯. ¡°How is it, hyung? Are you touched?¡± Park Seodam tried to hold back hisughter and said. ¡°What! What are you doing!¡± ¡°Be quiet, everyone is looking.¡± Kim Hyun patted Kim Juyeong¡¯s shoulder and tied a ribbon around his neck. Kim Hyun¡¯s ribbon said ¡®Dance king Kim Juyeong congrattions on graduation¡¯. ¡°You say that but you¡¯re happy inside, right?¡± Ian straightened the wreath ribbon that said ¡®Chinguchinggideh graduation congrattions!!!¡¯. Jo Taewoong and Kim Juyeong shouted. ¡°No!¡± ¡°Look, they like it.¡± ¡°You bastards, you¡¯re happy too.¡± The remaining members ignored their annoyance with shameless faces. ¡°If you go now, senior¡­ oh.¡± The student volunteer who was helping with the guidance covered her mouth with her hand. The five members pushed Jo Taewoong and Kim Juyeong¡¯s shoulders, who expressed their reluctance to go to the photo wall by dragging their feet. They pushed Jo Taewoong and Kim Juyeong in the middle and surrounded them with a ring. The members shook their hands quickly with a clink clink sound. The camera shes shed loudly. [TD Photo] Awi Taewoong X Juyeong ¡®We came to the graduation ceremony with our members~¡¯ [DZ Video] ¡®Seo Arts Graduation Ceremony¡¯ Taewoong-Juyeong congratted by ¡®human wreath¡¯ Awi members Taewoong-Juyeong can¡¯t hide their joy at the surprise gift from their members In fact, they were not happy but embarrassed and covered their faces with their hands. ¡°I¡¯ll get you back next time.¡± Jo Taewoong and Kim Juyeong gritted their teeth as they left the photo wall. Park Seodam had nothing to graduate from, so would there be a next time? The remaining members looked at each other and smirked. They were worried that the graduation students¡¯ families wouldn¡¯t be able to get in because of the crowd, so the members watched the start of the graduation ceremony briefly and left the auditorium. ¡°Where did those hyungs go?¡± ¡°They¡¯ll call if they get lost.¡± ¡°Right? Then where should we sit?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go this way.¡± Ian and Park Seodam, who had been separated from their three hyungs, found a ce to sit that was rtively secluded. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t dropped out, you would have been performing there.¡± ¡°I guess so?¡± There was a time for the juniors to perform at the graduation ceremony. ¡°Don¡¯t you regret it?¡± Ian asked. He couldn¡¯t go to school often because of his activities, but he still had some memories of his school days. Ian also attended school whenever he had time before he dropped out as Kim Yongmin. ¡°A little bit.¡± Park Seodam answered nkly. He looked at a student carrying a luxury bag. He probably was the main character of this graduation ceremony who came out during the ceremony, or he looked like a junior. ¡°That person is also a trainee or a debutant, right?¡± ¡°He does stand out a bit.¡± [That¡¯s her. She debutedst November with Seven Girls, Chae Dahee.] ¡®Really?¡¯ [The group flopped, but she¡¯s a golden spoon, so she did some ads maybe?] I see. Ian looked up at the sky. ¡°These days, it¡¯s hard to be a trainee unless you¡¯re a golden spoon. There¡¯s no guarantee of debut, but you spend a lot of money on being a trainee.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t they support you with living expenses and stuff at thepany?¡± ¡°There aren¡¯t manypanies that do that, right? There are a lot of weirdpanies too¡­¡± Park Seodam scratched his nails nervously. Park Seodam actually wanted to go to school and graduate like Jo Taewoong and Kim Juyeong when he had time. Just like other friends. He told Ian something he hadn¡¯t told the other members. ¡°I grew up under my grandmother. My parents died in a car ident when I was young.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± ¡°Yes, I have younger siblings too. Twelve and ten years old.¡± ¡°You have some troublemakers?¡± ¡°My siblings are really cute.¡± Park Seodam giggled. ¡°I became a trainee by chance when I was cast on the street, but I didn¡¯t want to burden my grandmother, so I entered impulsively. I thought there would be a dorm. They would give me food. If I was lucky, I could make money faster than others.¡± ¡°Well, anyone who sees you on the street would cast you.¡± With his fair skin and cute face, Park Seodam looked like he would get a street casting in an instant. Ian praised Park Seodam, and he scratched his head shyly. ¡°But once I became a trainee, it felt like I had no future. Even if I debuted, it was uncertain if I could make money, and I couldn¡¯t look for other jobs because of the contract¡­ Actually, I didn¡¯t have a dream of bing a singer, I just wanted to make money. Am I too materialistic?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s right to want to make money.¡± In Kim Yongmin¡¯s days, it was possible to be a dragon from a ditch if he was lucky enough to debut as an idol. Diamond couldn¡¯t even do that¡­ These days, it was a big deal to be a worm in a twisted ditch. The idol market was saturated and no different from a red ocean. ¡°There are many idol groups that debut, but few of them seed. I think I¡¯m lucky.¡± In the second generation, there was the Hallyu wave, and these days K-pop was leading the trend worldwide, and as idol survival programs became popr, everyone wanted to train idols and more trainees followed. Even if they were lucky enough to debut, they had to be popr tost long. Thepany had to push them until they became popr, but after releasing two or three albums, they spent a lot of money but didn¡¯t sell well. If that situation came, most of the ces that weren¡¯t bigpanies would abandon the group. ¡°You guys got popr at first because of hyung.¡± ¡°Nah, that¡¯s not true. It¡¯s because everyone did well.¡± The abandoned members were bound by the contract and had restrictions on their individual activities. Even if they tried to terminate the contract, somepanies would charge them several times the penalty for the living expenses and lesson costs they received as trainees. In such a situation, there were many cases where kids with a ce to run away from, or kids from wealthy families, knocked on the doors of nningpanies to be trainees. Park Seodam, who had nowhere to run away from, must have been very frustrated after his debut. It was fortunate that the group¡¯s direction was going smoothly. ¡°So I wish hyung would be more famous. You guys can show off your talents and I can just make money from the group activities.¡± [That¡¯s what I think too. You¡¯re very ambitious.] Ianughed at the blunt words that came in. Usually in this case, it was either malicious individual fans of other members or other fandoms trying to provoke them. Or it was a troll who had nothing to do and wanted to see celebrities fail. The members who were watching the reactions almost in real time were worried that Park Seodam would be depressed. ¡°I don¡¯t want to get very popr¡­ I just want our group to do well¡­¡± But who knows where human greed will explode? Ian looked at Park Seodam with a worried face. ¡°Thepany and hyung are not the kind of people who neglect group activities for individual activities.¡± ¡°I guarantee that.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s fine.¡± Park Seodam got up from his seat. He took out his phone from his pocket and checked the time. ¡°You guys are taking care of me too obviously since I got the phone. You even pushed me as the main character for the year-end stage¡­ You don¡¯t have to do that.¡± ¡°Re¡­ really?¡± Ian was flustered by Park Seodam¡¯s words that followed. After getting the phone, they checked the fans¡¯ reactions as well as web surfing like their group name. While other members were mentioned quite a bit, Park Seodam had few mentions and low recognition. -Poka again Park Seodam came out ?? No one wants to exchange ?? -But what is Park Seodam good at? ©¸Ipetent¡­? ©¸Just the youngest? ©¸At least he does well in hosting? ©¸©¸Hosting?? He can¡¯t do that? There were also plenty of malicious reactions. Usually in this case, it was either malicious individual fans of other members or other fandoms trying to provoke them. Or it was a troll who had nothing to do and wanted to see celebrities fail. The members who were watching the reactions almost in real time were worried that Park Seodam would be depressed. ¡°So I wish hyung would be more famous. You guys can show off your talents and I can just make money from the group activities.¡± [That¡¯s what I think too. You¡¯re very ambitious.] Ianughed at the blunt words that came in. He didn¡¯t care about poprity as long as the group did well. Park Seodam thought that hyung had enough star quality, he just hadn¡¯t exploded yet. ¡°At least I don¡¯t have to worry about you.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, I¡¯ll carry you.¡± Park Seodam bowed his head. He took out his phone from his pocket and checked the time. ¡°You guys are taking care of me too obviously since I got the phone. You even pushed me as the main character for the year-end stage¡­ You don¡¯t have to do that.¡± ¡°Re¡­ really?¡± Ian was flustered by Park Seodam¡¯s words that followed. He felt guilty for not noticing his situation sooner. Somehow he seemed too mature for his age. ¡°Thank you for telling me.¡± He had no choice but to enter thepany impulsively, hoping for a dorm, food, and money. He didn¡¯t have a dream of bing a singer, he just wanted to make money. ¡°We¡¯ve only debuted for just over a year. Don¡¯t worry too much.¡± Ian stroked Park Seodam¡¯s head roughly. ¡°Ah hyung!¡± He was worried that he would be depressed by the fans¡¯ reactions. He was lucky that the group was doing well. *** ¡°What took you so long?¡± ¡°Hyungs got lost.¡± Ian shook his head back and forth. ¡°There were too many people and we got swept away.¡± ¡°Some fans recognized us and asked us to take pictures and sign autographs¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s a cowardly excuse!¡± Amid the noise, Ian opened an inte window and looked at the news section. There was arge picture of someone he knew well in the most viewed entertainment news section. ¡°Huh? Dongsu hyung!¡± Did he see it wrong? He clicked on the article. ¡°¡­ck Rush disbands?¡± [Exclusive] ¡®Contract renewal failed¡¯ ck Rush virtually disbanded ck Rush Yeonghyun, BHL Entertainment exclusive contract expired¡­ Negotiating contract with ¡®Management Reef¡¯ Chapter 69: Chapter 69: Let¡¯s go all the way. ¡°Did you see Dongsoo hyung¡¯s expression earlier?¡± ¡°Those bastards¡­! He said and left.¡± Bak Jinhyuk opened the door of the dorm with a grim face, imitating Bak Dongsoo¡¯s action. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like a false report¡­ Dongsoo hyung seemed to know something.¡± ¡°Where did the leake from?¡± The members of Awiy down on the living room floor as they entered the dorm. Lying on the floor and staring at the ceiling had be a kind of routine for them. Ian turned on his phone at the sound of a chat vibration. (Jotaeng2) (link) Did you guys see this? ¨C 14:17 (Dancing King Kim Juyeong) What the hell? ¨C 14:17 (Ian3) You¡¯rete ¨C 14:17 (Dancing King Kim Juyeong) Is it really disbanding? ¨C 14:19 Jotaeng and Kim Juyeong had changed their profile pictures to group photos with the members of Human Flower Wreath. They must have felt good about it, even though they said they were embarrassed. What will happen to us Ian deleted the sentence without finishing it. Jin, who was looking at Ian¡¯s screen, said. [What do you mean what will happen? We¡¯ll go our separate ways when the contract ends.] ¡®¡­Is that how it¡¯s going to end up?¡¯ [How many groups do you think renew their contracts with everyone? ck Rush is obvious. They became popr as a group, so they want to be popr as individuals. Then they can¡¯t help but have ambitions for solo activities.] ¡®It¡¯s a shame¡­ ck Rush was doing well.¡¯ [Hey, Choi Ian. Nothingsts forever.] Ian felt uneasy as he saw his direct senior group disbanding in a regrettable way. The other members didn¡¯t say anything either, lying on the living room floor. (Jotaeng2) Let¡¯s go all the way ¨C 14:34 Ian¡¯s phone screen, which was not turned off, rang with a pop-up message from Jotaeng. [Official] BHL Entertainment ck Rush some members not renewing contract¡­ ¡°It¡¯s not disbanding. Discussing direction of activities¡± [Official] ck Rush Young Hyun, Wook Jin not renewing contract¡­ Agency ¡°It¡¯s not disbanding of ck Rush¡± YoungH_BR To my beloved fans. Hello, this is Young Hyun of ck Rush. I think you must have been very confused by the sudden news. I¡¯m also very bewildered and sorry to the fans. But I¡¯m afraid there might be some other rumors, so I decided to write this after much deliberation to make my position clear. I recently decided to go solo and start a new beginning, and after consulting with thepany and the members, I parted ways with BHL Entertainment, which I had been attached to. But it¡¯s absolutely not disbanding of ck Rush. When we debuted, we promised each other that we would stay together until the end, whether we stayed in BHL or moved to another ce. That promise hasn¡¯t changed. I won¡¯t disappoint you as Young Hyun of ck Rush or as actor Kim Young Hyun in the future. I¡¯m always grateful to the fans who trusted and loved me. Please believe and support me. Thank you. -So is ck Rush disbanding? ©¸It¡¯s practically no different from disbanding ©¸No they¡¯re not they said it¡¯s not disbanding ©¸©¸Isn¡¯t that just giving false hope? ©¸They can¡¯t let go of the title of ck Rush??? ©¸ck Rush was already losing its poprity anyway, soon they¡¯ll be in military service and their juniors will do well?? It makes sense for Byunghun to stay but there¡¯s no merit for him either?? ©¸I¡¯ll support them wherever they go [That¡¯s just ying with words.] Jin said, looking at Kim Young Hyun¡¯s MyStarGram post on Ian¡¯s phone. ¡®Why do you think so?¡¯ [It¡¯s not easy to get together when they have different agencies.] ¡®Can¡¯t they do it like I-One? They can have a separate management agency.¡¯ [I-One was possible because they had a broadcast contract, but if the interests of each agency don¡¯t match, reunion is just breaking up. As far as I remember, they didn¡¯t get back together in the future either.] Ian also tried to recall, but he didn¡¯t care who disbanded or not in his previous life because he was busy making a living. ¡®It¡¯s hard¡­¡¯ Ian put down his phone and stood in the middle of the practice room. The music yed, and the members tried to match the dance. ¡°What if we tilt our heads like this here? And turn our shoulders like this.¡± ¡°Oh? The angle looks better. As expected, our group¡¯s dancing king.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s try it again with Juyeong¡¯s version.¡± The members gave Kim Juyeong a thumbs up and praised him. They repeated the dance from the beginning, incorporating Kim Juyeong¡¯s suggestion. Ian yed back the dance they had just filmed on his tablet. ¡°Good.¡± ¡°This is better.¡± Awi was going to Japan right after a short two-week promotion in Korea. So this time, they only had a digital single without a physical album. ¡°Okay. That¡¯s it for practice. Let¡¯s take a break and go eat dinner?¡± The members nodded their heads at Lee Juhyuk¡¯s words, drinking water. ¡°But what should we eat?¡± ¡°How about delivery?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you feel suffocated? We¡¯ve been in the practice room all day. Let¡¯s eat out.¡± ¡°Meat¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s eat something delicious with vodka chance.¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t we earned enough to eat meat by now?¡± The members left the practice room with the lights off and continued their serious discussion on the topic of dinner. ¡°Hey, Young Hyun hyung!¡± Ian waved his hand as he saw Kim Young Hyuning out of the recording studio. ck Rush¡¯s leader Jung Se Jun was also following Kim Young Hyun. ¡°Hello!¡± All the members of Awi bowed their waists and greeted them. Jung Se Jun and Kim Young Hyun pulled their heads back as if they were ufortable. ¡°Why are you greeting us so formally?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so stiff now that you¡¯re at our level.¡± Awi got on the elevator with them. It was only one floor up, but they had no strength to climb the stairs after repeating practice all day and being hungry. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to eat.¡± ¡°Food? We¡¯re going to eat too.¡± Kim Young Hyun looked at Jung Se Jun and said. ¡°Should we buy them some meat?¡± ¡°Should we? What do you guys want to eat?¡± The tiredness in the eyes of the Awi members who lifted their heads disappeared and they sparkled with anticipation. ¡°Hyung, can you buy us some pork belly?¡± ¡°What? Pork belly?¡± Kim Young Hyun repeated the question and Jo Tae Woong was about to add that anything else was fine, thinking he had asked for too much. ¡°Why pork belly? Let¡¯s eat Korean beef.¡± ¡°¡°Wow!¡±¡± The Awi members gasped at Kim Young Hyun¡¯s generous words. ¡°Hyung, we eat a lot.¡± ¡°Can you handle it?¡± ¡°We might drink up the Korean beef.¡± Ian and the other three twenty-year-olds expressed their reluctance to refuse. They had seven members and their appetite was no joke, so they thought it would be a burden for Kim Young Hyun and Jung Se Jun. ¡°It¡¯s okay. We have a lot of money.¡± ¡°Still¡­¡± ¡°So, you don¡¯t want to eat Korean beef?¡± ¡°No!¡± There was no such thing as refusing three times as a virtue in front of Korean beef. Awi epted Kim Young Hyun¡¯s offer and grinned at each other. *** ¡°Juyeong is good at grilling meat.¡± Kim Young Hyun muttered nkly as he watched the tongs moving skillfully over the grill. ¡°Juyeong is our group¡¯s food expert. He grills meat like no one else.¡± ¡°I should have sat next to Juyeong.¡± Kim Hyun sighed. Ian looked at Kim Hyun and raised his eyebrows. ¡°Why hyung, I grill well too. Don¡¯t you like me?¡± ¡°You grill well too, but Juyeong is unbeatable.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. I¡¯m better at pork than beef.¡± Ian quickly agreed. ¡°Let me know if you need more.¡± Jung Se Jun said. The ce they brought Awi to was a Korean beef restaurant with separate rooms. Jung Se Jun and Kim Young Hyun didn¡¯t show them the menu, so they didn¡¯t know the price, but the restaurant atmosphere with dim lighting seemed to be quite expensive. ¡°It¡¯s so delicious¡­¡± ¡°The meat melts in my mouth.¡± Awi snatched the tongs from Jung Se Jun and Kim Young Hyun and grilled the meat excitedly. ¡°Who¡¯s the most popr among you?¡± Kim Young Hyun asked, and the members who had a mouthful of meat pointed at Ian with their fingers without saying a word. ¡°As expected¡­¡± ¡°He has a face that deserves poprity. When he came to record our debut song, his face was shining.¡± ¡°He sings well too, right? He¡¯s totally talented with that face.¡± Jung Se Jun nodded his head. He seemed to have something to regret as he smacked his lips. ¡°Can we drink too?¡± ¡°Do you guys want to drink too?¡± As they ate meat, Kim Young Hyun and Jung Se Jun pressed the bell to call the staff, asking about Awi¡¯s situation, such as how their leader was doing and how their mood was. ¡°We won¡¯t drink.¡± ¡°Why? Aren¡¯t you all adults?¡± ¡°Except for Seodam. We decided to drink together when our youngest bes an adult.¡± ¡°You have good teamwork.¡± Jung Se Jun ordered a bottle of wine from the staff. Jo Tae Woong cautiously asked him. ¡°But hyungs, can I ask you a sensitive question?¡± ¡°What question? Why I didn¡¯t renew my contract?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, that one.¡± Kim Young Hyun held his chin with his hand holding chopsticks. ¡°How should I say this¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you fought?!¡± ¡°Hey, fight! We¡¯re close like you guys!¡± Jung Se Jun shouted at Jo Tae Woong¡¯s question. Ian and Park Seodam shook their heads vigorously. ¡°I knew Jotaeng would ask that.¡± ¡°Hyungs are so nice. I¡¯m a bit jealous of you.¡± Everyoneughed as Kim Young Hyun took a sip of wine. ¡°We didn¡¯t fight, but¡­ I didn¡¯t tell the other members in detail.¡± Jung Se Jun, who was also curious, put down his chopsticks and looked at Kim Young Hyun¡¯s face. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll tell you.¡± He had told the ck Rush members that he wanted to start anew as an actor, but the truth was different. ¡°Remember when I asked who was the most popr among you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Kim Young Hyun seemed to have made up his mind after thinking for a while. His face was slightly red, maybe because the alcohol wasn¡¯t that strong. ¡°It¡¯s simr to that. ck Rush also has members who get more attention. And that¡¯s not me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It felt¡­ suffocating.¡± Jin, who had been listening to the conversation, flew around and made a fuss. [See, I was right? He left because he wanted more poprity. He wanted to do well on his own!] ¡®Can you be quiet? It was touching just now.¡¯ Ian was annoyed by Jin, who kept interrupting his view. He tried hard to smooth out his expression, afraid that the members would misunderstand. ¡°¡­Was it like that, hyung?¡± ¡°By the way, I¡¯m not saying this to make you feel bad.¡± Jung Se Jun asked in surprise and Kim Young Hyun waved his hand. The most popr member of ck Rush was undoubtedly leader Jung Se Jun. The second was Lee Wook Jin, who was active in variety shows. Lee Wook Jin also didn¡¯t renew his contract with BHL Entertainment. ¡°Before I tell you my story, what did you guys think when Ian became popr?¡± ¡°You can be honest. We¡¯re all fine with it.¡± Ian, who was curious about the members¡¯ feelings, supplemented Kim Young Hyun¡¯s question. ¡°Well? I don¡¯t have any special thoughts¡­ It¡¯s good if Ian does well. He also promotes our group name.¡± ¡°I think Ian deserves to be popr¡­¡± Lee Juhyuk and Bak Jinhyuk spoke, and Kim Hyun and Park Seodam followed. ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t have any thoughts either. Ian doesn¡¯t ck off on group activities¡­¡± ¡°Ian hyung is talented, right? Ourpany doesn¡¯t tantly push one person either.¡± ¡°What about you guys? Tae Woong also acts.¡± Jo Tae Woong and Kim Juyeong shrugged their shoulders and said. ¡°I think he¡¯s in a different category from us. But well¡­ He¡¯s our member, so not really?¡± ¡°Honestly, I would have been jealous if he was worse than me but more popr. But he¡¯s good at everything.¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t ignore us because he¡¯s popr¡­ He¡¯s very considerate of us.¡± [He¡¯s just pretending!] ¡®Can you shut up? It was very touching.¡¯ Ian was annoyed by Jin, who kept making noise. He smiled awkwardly at the members. Lee Juhyuk continued to speak. ¡°Actually, there aren¡¯t many people like him when we go to music shows or something. Then we feel a bit proud, like ¡®How about that? He¡¯s our member!¡¯¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Oh, I feel the same way.¡± The members agreed and Jung Se Jun made an ooh~ sound. ¡°Are you guys really being honest?¡± Ian scratched his head awkwardly. He felt embarrassed but also touched. ¡°You guys are close.¡± Kim Young Hyun looked at each of the Awi members¡¯ faces. He smiled warmly as if he was looking at his younger siblings. ¡°Actually, I felt the same way as you guys when we debuted.¡± Kim Young Hyun said and Jung Se Jun, who had been spinning his wine ss for no reason, stopped his hand. ¡°But the people around me weren¡¯t like that.¡± Chapter 70: Chapter 70: Chapter 70 Where does it end? ¡°I¡¯m honestly a useless member.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re not!¡± Jung Sejun jumped up at Kim Younghyun¡¯s words. ¡°Why would you think that¡­ Who said that? No!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, hyung. Calling yourself useless is too much.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not really useless. You don¡¯t need to listen to the haters.¡± The members of Awi also chimed in with their support. Kim Younghyun smiled weakly. He seemed to be half-drunk already. ¡°Anyway, our group was doing well when we debuted. Sejun made a really good song.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ ¡®Long Time No See¡¯? Wow, that was a hit song.¡± Jo Taewoong hummed ck Rush¡¯s debut song ¡®Long Time No See¡¯. The other members joined him in singing. The atmosphere became lively in an instant. ¡°Right, that song. Our debut song was so sessful and our group suddenly rose to fame. Naturally, people¡¯s attention was drawn to us.¡± Kim Younghyun took a sip of wine and continued his story. The noisy Awi members quieted down. ¡°Thepany naturally wanted to make the most of it. Of course, Sejun and Wookjin, who were talented and had good sense, were the first priority for casting.¡± ¡°Ourpany wasn¡¯t that big back then, so they couldn¡¯t give us all the opportunities we wanted.¡± Jung Sejun added. Kim Younghyun nodded. ¡°I was honestly worse than the other members in singing and dancing, so I was always in the back for choreography and I had no special skills for variety shows either.¡± ¡°No, hyung, that¡¯s not¡­¡± Jung Sejun sighed with pity. He tried to say something, but he couldn¡¯t find the words. ¡°Listen, ck Rush became famous, but there weren¡¯t many people who knew all the members¡­ And then people started to say things.¡± It started with his close family and friends. ¡°Don¡¯t you appear on TV?¡± ¡°People don¡¯t believe me when I say you¡¯re in ck Rush.¡± ¡°ck Rush? What¡¯s that? Jung Sejun? Oh! I know him. He¡¯s in your group?¡± ¡°ck Rush? Jung Sejun and the kids?¡± ¡°That really hurt my self-esteem.¡± -What kind of member is Younghyun? ©¸Just the oldest brother¡­? ©¸Acting? Well, that¡¯s vague. -Oh Kim Younghyun only has tons of photocards ?? -Kim Younghyun is so useless he¡¯s always in the back for choreography?? He was psychologically dominated by the hatefulments on the inte. And by the words of his closest people, wrapped as concern but cutting like knives. Do I really have nothing I¡¯m good at? The other members are working so hard, why am I like this? Did I really do something wrong? ¡°I became obsessed with doing better and developed OCD¡­ I¡¯m still the oldest member of this group. Instead of leaving everything to the other members, I wanted to do something too. I wanted to stand out and be noticed.¡± No one could easily say anything at Kim Younghyun¡¯s words mixed with sighs. ¡°To be honest, I told Ian earlier that it would be okay once I got used to it, but it wasn¡¯t okay. I tried hard, but my skills improved slowly. I tried not to look at people¡¯s reactions, but I ended up seeing them anyway. I wanted to see if I had improved.¡± Kim Younghyun said in a joking tone. ¡°But what is this? They don¡¯t care about me? The only attention I got was hate?¡± ¡°No, hyung, maybe you felt that way because you were depressed.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Hyung, you had a lot of fans. And they reacted well too¡­¡± Jung Sejun tried to console him. His expression was gloomy. He felt like he had done something wrong by reacting like that. Kim Younghyun waved his hand. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! It¡¯s just those people who have a problem.¡± Park Seodam said a word. ¡°Anyway, as the situation continued like that. Before I knew it, I felt suffocated doing group activities. I felt like I wouldn¡¯t be able to live a normal idol life like this.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So¡­ I wanted to step away from ck Rush for a while and start fresh on my own¡­ Without being swayed by others.¡± ¡°No, hyung, if you had told us earlier¡­¡± Jung Sejun couldn¡¯t finish his sentence and sighed. He thought he was just looking for a new dream. He thought he wanted to be free and not tied to the group. But it turned out he was running away. He never dreamed that he had such a story. Ian asked. ¡°You could have done solo activities¡­ even if you renewed your contract.¡± ¡°Wookjin said he wouldn¡¯t renew his contract first, so the team¡¯s future was already uncertain. And thepany had more kids to take care of, right? Oh, I¡¯m not ming you guys?¡± Kim Younghyun winked at Lee Jooheuk. ¡°Anyway, I had a lot of fans who liked me, so I couldn¡¯t just disband ck Rush¡­ Wookjin and I didn¡¯t want to disband either, but we wanted to do solo activities more seriously.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It was half running away, really.¡± He wasn¡¯t sure if he would do well as an actor, even if he left ck Rush for a while. But he felt like he could breathe easier than when he was doing group activities. Kim Younghyun finished the wine in his ss and looked at the faces of the Awi members. ¡°Guys, you might be okay now.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But as you get more popr, people¡¯s eyes will change. There will be people who envy you, hate you, and criticize you for no reason. And if your group does well, you might get more greedy too.¡± Suddenly, he remembered Park Seodam¡¯s face on the graduation day. Ian looked at Park Seodam¡¯s face. Park Seodam¡¯s face was expressionless. ¡°I couldn¡¯t do it, but you guys need to keep your bnce from now on. If you have something you want to do, ask thepany. Thepany has a good system now.¡± The mood became heavy with the serious topic. Kim Younghyun smiled awkwardly. He didn¡¯t want to talk about it because he knew this would happen. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s get up if we¡¯re done eating.¡± Kim Younghyun pulled his chair and got up. *** ¡°The hyungs will pay, so you guys go ahead.¡± Awi went outside the restaurant after seeing the older members¡¯ signals at the cashier. It was chilly outside and their breaths were visible, but they didn¡¯t feel too cold after filling their stomachs. They just felt uneasy. ¡°¡­What do you think?¡± Lee Jooheuk asked quietly. Park Jinhyuk frowned and said. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Jo Taewoong, who had been hunching his shoulders from the cold, said. ¡°I think I need to use the inte less.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s say everything we have on our minds to each other.¡± Kim Hyun said and everyone agreed. ¡°Let¡¯s not worry too much in advance.¡± Lee Jooheuk added. ¡°We might be in a different situation. Younghyun hyung was just telling his own story, not generalizing.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Ian muttered. ¡°But¡­ I feel sorry for him.¡± When he was with Kim Yongmin, he wanted to debut desperately. And when he finally debuted, he wanted poprity desperately. He never thought there would be other problems when he became popr. [What are you sorry for? That¡¯s your future. That was our strategy from the start, to gain recognition as idols and then switch to acting.] ¡®Why break up the group? You should do both idol and actor.¡¯ Now that he was Choi Ian, he had the experience of his previous life and wouldn¡¯t be easily swayed. But he didn¡¯t know about the other members. And that ¡®him¡¯ who wasn¡¯t swayed by others included Jindo. ¡®But the members seem fine now.¡¯ Ian thought as he looked at the members who were joking around with the boss gag. *** ¡°Thank you for the meal!¡± The Awi members bowed to Jung Sejun and Kim Younghyun, who came out after paying. Jung Sejun was surprised. ¡°Wow, you scared me.¡± ¡°Hey, people might think we¡¯re gangsters if they see us.¡± Lee Jooheuk said to Kim Younghyun. ¡°Thank you for your advice, hyung. It seems like it will help a lot.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± It really did help. The Awi members would be able to remember Kim Younghyun¡¯s advice if they faced a simr situation. Kim Younghyun, who had spilled everything, felt embarrassed and rubbed his nose with his index finger. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we go practice?¡± ¡°Wow! We missed dinner time!¡± Kim Juyoung checked the time and jumped up. There was even a missed call from Park Dongsu. ¡°¡­Dongsu hyung called?¡± ¡°How scary is that?¡± The members¡¯ faces crumbled. Seeing them rolling their feet, Kim Younghyun said. ¡°You guys can go ahead. If Dongsu hyung asks what happened, I¡¯ll make an excuse for you.¡± ¡°¡­Then we¡¯ll go! Thank you for the meal, hyungs!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll treat you next time!¡± The juniors ran towards thepany. Kim Younghyun shouted at them. ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Go on for a long time!¡± Kim Younghyun yelled and the members looked at each other and smiled brightly. ¡°Yes!¡± They answered well. Kim Younghyun chuckled. ¡°Sejun, I¡¯ll go too.¡± ¡°What? Already? Let¡¯s go for round two.¡± ¡°I have to pack my stuff at home.¡± ¡°¡­Oh.¡± Kim Younghyun¡¯s home was no longer ck Rush¡¯s dormitory. Jung Sejun called out to Kim Younghyun, who was walking across the alley. ¡°Younghyun hyung!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Jung Sejun opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again. ¡°¡­Keep in touch!¡± Jung Sejun said with difficulty and Kim Younghyunughed and answered. ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Oh, Ian, hello. Your face is killing me today.¡± That was what the staff always said when they saw Ian. It became a greeting that everyone followed. Ian stretched as if he was used to it. He came early than the other members for personal practice. Awi¡¯seback was not far away. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Ian asked the staff. Thepany was noisy. Ian looked at the desk and chairs that were being moved into thepany. ¡°Oh, this is because thepany reorganized and created a new department. They hired a lot of new staff too¡­ Jumin, who brought you here, became a team leader.¡± ¡°Oh, Jumin hyung made it.¡± The staff who was checking the goods said. Ian whistled. ¡°What department is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a rookie development team.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± The staff said excitedly. ¡°They¡¯re going to hold a big audition and recruit trainees too.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t know? You guys are on the audition recruitment video as the main attraction.¡± Ian felt a bitter taste in his mouth. ¡®Well, thepany is a profit group¡­¡¯ They couldn¡¯t rely on ck Rush forever. Poprity changes. ¡°I¡¯m going to practice.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ck Rush¡¯s contract renewal failed not long ago and thepany already finished reorganizing and brought in new people and new departments. Ian was seized by an indescribable emotion. ¡®How did ck Rush hyungs feel?¡¯ What did they think when they saw the trainees who pushed them back as their group¡¯s growth slowed down? How did they feel when thepany reduced ck Rush¡¯s activities and pushed Awi hard? ¡°Should I leave soon¡­?¡± Ian looked at the empty practice room and muttered. ¡®The other members shoulde soon too.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t time toze around in the dorm. Ian opened the phone message app and entered the group chat room that was pinned at the top. Guys, ourpany has a new team?? Let¡¯s practice hard He moved his finger to press the send button, but paused for a moment. When did he set it as an announcement? ¡®Let¡¯s go till the end¡¯ by Jo Taewoong was pinned at the top of the group chat. ¡®Where is the end?¡¯ Contract expiration? Renewal? At least 10 years? Will thepany support us until then? ¡®¡­I don¡¯t know.¡¯ Chapter 71: Chapter 71: ¡°¡­Am I too quiet?¡± Lee Joo-hyuk, who had been staring at the keyboard and monitor for a long time, spoke while looking at a corner of the studio. ¡°Actually, this song and the regr album were both very sessful¡­ So I feel more pressure.¡± In this digital single, AWY entered the music chart at 6th ce with Jung Se-jun¡¯s song. Thepany entrusted Lee Joo-hyuk with the overall producing of the next album. ¡°But¡­ it¡¯s fun. Se-jun hyung and the members help me a lot¡­¡± Lee Joo-hyuk¡¯s eyes were full of vitality, even though dark circles had settled under them. ¡°But is this really moving automatically?¡± Lee Joo-hyuk stared intently at the camera installed in the corner and shook his head quickly from side to side. The camera slowly reacted and turned its direction to both sides. ¡°Oh¡­ amazing.¡± After a short two-weekeback, AWY started shooting reality. The first episode was nned to capture the daily lives of each member. ¡°I¡¯m going on a trip with the members today, so I have to go to the dorm and pack my stuff and go out again. Actually, I could ask the members to pack for me, but I have to trust them.¡± Originally, they nned to shoot reality with Japan trip as the theme before starting their activities in Japan. But after the boycott of Japanese products and the ¡®this situation¡¯ broke out, they changed their direction to domestic. ¡°Why can¡¯t I trust them? Do you know what they bought when I asked them to buy me a drink?¡± He continued to speak skillfully without anyone answering him, as he had done a lot of personal broadcasts through Y app. ¡°There¡¯s a drink for kids, right? The one with a small can and a penguin character on it, they bought that.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk sighed. His phone screen vibrated and shed. He checked the message and jumped up. ¡°The manager hyung is here. Well, I¡¯ll be back from the trip.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk waved his hand and greeted the camera. ¡°But can I just leave this camera here?¡± He was not familiar with the reality camera yet. He turned off the studio lights without taking his eyes off the camera. He closed the studio door at the sound of another message from the manager. ¡°Wow, what kind of person¡­¡± Lee Joo-hyuk opened the door with his hat pulled down because of his messy hair. Then, the fans who were waiting in front of thepany screamed. ¡°Joo-hyuk!¡± ¡°Where are the other kids?¡± ¡°Here!¡± Lee Joo-hyuk got on the van without answering, bowing his head low. ¡°Next time we have to move to anotherpany, let¡¯s go to the ce with an underground parking lot.¡± Park Dong-soo, who was sitting in the passenger seat, gritted his teeth at the fans blocking the road. Lee Joo-hyuk chuckled. ¡°Oh my god, team leader.¡± ¡°Joo-hyuk, why are you doing this too?¡± Park Dong-soo smiled awkwardly. There was one more thing that changed when thepany reorganized. It was Park Dong-soo¡¯s promotion to team leader, AWY¡¯s manager. ¡®It¡¯s just a team leader in name, but I still have to take care of you guys.¡¯ That¡¯s what Park Dong-soo said on the day he was promoted. He did the same work, but his sry changed and his face was unusually bright. The person who held the steering wheel asked Lee Joo-hyuk. ¡°Did you stay up all night? Did the work go well?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ half and half.¡± He was a new road manager who shared Park Dong-soo¡¯s work. His name was Kim Myung-jin. He was even experienced. BHL Entertainment paid better than other entertainmentpanies, so there was fiercepetition. ¡°You guys have a lot to prepare too, so get some sleep if you can.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk staggered and opened the front door of the dormitory. His eyes were dry from staying up all night. He nced at the camera installed in the dormitory as well. Lee Joo-hyuk changed his clothes quickly in a blind spot of the camera andy down on the bed. Park Jin-hyuk woke up from his sleep at the sound of squeaking bed. ¡°¡­Are you here?¡± Lee Joo-hyuk waved his hand tiredly. He hoped that the manager hyungs had a lot to prepare so that he could sleep longer. He closed his eyes. *** ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°Just get in the car first.¡± Ian, who was wearing a pin microphone, stared at the writer. The writer bowed his head and went to another member with a pin microphone. ¡°Did you ask? What did he say?¡± ¡°The writer doesn¡¯t talk much, does he?¡± Cho Tae-woong, who had already finished setting up the microphone, grabbed Ian and said. Ian sat next to Cho Tae-woong and answered. Cho Tae-woong didn¡¯t trust the broadcasting station very much. He said to Ian. ¡°Are we going to some marine corps camp or something?¡± ¡°Marine corps? That¡¯s over the top.¡± ¡°Do you think we¡¯re just going to have fun ande back? Does that make sense? Marine corps, he says.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have much time to shoot, do you think we¡¯re going to a marine corps camp?¡± One of the contents that fans wanted was reality. And the main viewers of the broadcast were also fans. Would fans want to see them suffer in a marine corps camp? ¡°Joo-young, do you know what he said? He says we¡¯re going to a marine corps camp.¡± ¡°That¡¯s over the top.¡± Kim Joo-young, who was sitting next to Ian, frowned. ¡°Marine corps is over the top, but¡­ we¡¯re just going around here and then go back to thepany and practice! Is that it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s also possible.¡± ¡°Or maybe something like rural experience?¡± ¡°It¡¯s winter.¡± ¡°There are vinyl greenhouses.¡± Cho Tae-woong and Kim Joo-young came up with all kinds of scenarios. Ian shrugged his shoulders and looked at the camera installed in front of him, saying it was not his opinion. The camera had been filming them since a while ago. ¡°Jin-hyuk hyung! Do you know what they said?¡± Ian asked Park Jin-hyuk like a tattletale. Park Jin-hyuk was grateful to Lee Jong-soo PD, who made ¡®Idol Rapper¡¯ and the group reality ¡®Who are we? AWY!¡¯ that they were shooting now. ¡°Hey, you guys doubt our god Jong-soo PD-nim?¡± ¡°Ack!¡± Park Jin-hyuk rushed in and messed up Cho Tae-woong and Kim Joo-young¡¯s hair. ¡°Hyung! Why me!¡± Ian, who was in the middle, also got hit. ¡°Guys, buckle up. We¡¯re about to leave.¡± Road manager Kim Myung-jin said. He was only taking AWY to the trip ce, so Park Dong-soo was not in the passenger seat. ¡°We¡¯re leaving.¡± Kim Myung-jin started the van. Kim Joo-young rustled and took out snacks from his bag one by one. ¡°As expected of Kim Joo-young.¡± ¡°I want potato chips.¡± The members ate the snacks that Kim Joo-young brought and chatted. ¡°It feels like we¡¯re going on a school trip when we eat snacks while going out.¡± ¡°Have you ever been on a school trip?¡± ¡°No?¡± Jo Tae-woong lowered his head with a blurry look in his eyes. Ian also extended his hand with the same expression as Jo Tae-woong. Jo Tae-woong shook hands with him. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it feel like a school trip right now?¡± ¡°Kind of, yeah.¡± ¡°Do they have school trips in America?¡± ¡°America is not some alien. They have camps.¡± ¡°That must have been fun.¡± He had entered the path of an actor too early, so he missed a lot of school days and couldn¡¯t get along well with his school friends who whispered about him being a celebrity whenever he showed up. ¡°Ju-hyuk hyung is not dead, right?¡± Park Seo-dam pressed Ju-hyuk¡¯s arm hard as he slept with a hat on his face. Park Seo-dam spoke to the camera. ¡°Please understand, this hyung worked on his song all night.¡± ¡°Pork belly¡­¡± Ju-hyuk mumbled. Park Seo-dam widened his eyes and looked at Ju-hyuk, then spoke to the other members. ¡°Ju-hyuk hyung is talking in his sleep, right?¡± ¡°For real?¡± The members who were chatting suddenly became quiet. ¡°Mister, please give me more¡­¡± ¡°More what?¡± ¡°Meat¡­ sirloin¡­¡± He answered Park Seo-dam¡¯s question and turned his head away as if he regained his appetite. The members who were holding back theirughter finally burst outughing. ¡°Did you know that Ju-hyuk hyung talks in his sleep?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°What if you don¡¯t know? You share the same room with him.¡± ¡°We always fall asleep before Ju-hyuk hyung.¡± Kim Hyun and Park Jin-hyuk also looked at Ju-hyuk with curious eyes as if they saw him for the first time. Ju-hyuk always came inte because of his song work, and Kim Hyun and Park Jin-hyuk were the type who wouldn¡¯t wake up to any noise except the rm once they fell asleep. ¡°What¡¯s creepy is that we never heard Ju-hyuk hyung talk in his sleep even when we did so many events before.¡± ¡°Wow, then did hyung not sleep in the car that time?¡± ¡°He must have been really tired today.¡± Park Jin-hyuk took out a nket and covered Ju-hyuk¡¯s whole body, including his head. Kim Hyun frowned. ¡°Where did you get this white nket from?¡± He probably covered his head to block out the sunlight, but the nket was white so it looked weird. ¡°A ghost¡­?¡± ¡°Ju-hyuk hyung looks like he¡¯s really dead, right?¡± ¡°This is like¡­ a deceased person¡­?¡± Kim Hyun lifted the nket that covered Ju-hyuk¡¯s head and draped it over his shoulder. Ju-hyuk woke up from his sleep and groaned. ¡°What¡­ are we there yet?¡± ¡°No, hyung! Go back to sleep!¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Ju-hyuk closed his eyes again. He tossed and turned for a moment and then became still. The members let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Hyung worked hard, so let¡¯s keep our mouths shut.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point of keeping our mouths shut? It¡¯s boring.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s sleep too.¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± The members quickly regained theirposure and closed their eyes. None of them were sensitive, so they fell asleep in no time. ¡°What about the broadcast content?¡± Ian muttered as he looked at the members. Then he shrugged and closed his eyes. *** ¡°Really?¡± ¡°We can just eat whatever we want?¡± On the way to the MT location, Avi was bewildered as he stood at the rest stop. He had heard the production team say that they could buy lunch as they pleased. ¡°Yes, just take a camera and buy anything you want.¡± The staff handed the members self-cameras and envelopes of money. Kim Hyun stared at the envelope in Park Seodam¡¯s hand. ¡°Taewoong, open that envelope. It¡¯s not like there¡¯s only children¡¯s bank money in there, right?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± Jo Taewoong took out the money and showed it to the members. There were two 50,000 won bills in it. ¡°It¡¯s real money?¡± ¡°Shine it in the sun. Is it counterfeit?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s counterfeit, they can¡¯t air it on TV, right?¡± Jo Taewoong, Ian, and Kim Juyeong examined the bills and looked at the production team. ¡°Guys, we¡¯re not that malicious.¡± Lee Jongsoo PD said with a forced smile. ¡°PD-nim, you know too. We have a history with ¡®that broadcasting station¡¯¡­¡± ¡°Shh! This is JBTC!¡± Lee Juhyuk quickly covered Park Jinhyuk¡¯s mouth. ¡°Let¡¯s go before they change their mind!¡± ¡°Go go!¡± As soon as Kim Hyun ran to the restaurant, the other members also followed him in a hurry. Lee Jongsoo PD, who was watching them, smiled meaningfully. ¡°Juyeong, what should we eat first?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hit the udon, ramen, tonkatsu and stuff at the restaurant, and then go for hot bars and hotteok outside for the second round.¡± ¡°Sounds good!¡± ¡°The rest stop food is all dead.¡± The members rushed into the restaurant with a fuss. Most of the people in the restaurant looked at Avi, who came in with a camera in his hand. Avi greeted everyone he met. ¡°Juhyuk hyung, are you having pork belly rice bowl?¡± ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°You were mumbling meat¡­ in your sleep earlier, right?¡± ¡°Really?¡± Avi, who gathered around the kiosk and chose what they wanted to eat, sat down at a suitable spot. ¡°Seeing how they coolly gave us money to buy food, we¡¯re really just going for an MT, right?¡± ¡°People who give you food are good people.¡± ¡°Agreed.¡± They were full of doubt and distrust towards the production team until they received the envelopes, but as soon as they ordered food, their doubts melted away like snow. ¡°Let¡¯s have fun.¡± -I¡¯m eating at a rest stop right now and a celebrity came in (photo) Who are these guys? ©¸OMG is that my idol ©¸It¡¯s Avi ©¸Fck fck -I¡¯m the one who ran into an idol at the rest stop earlier (photo) They weren¡¯t noisy and they ate their food super fast and then they ate hotteok outside. Who starved them? ©¸The one in the middle is handsome ©¸Crazy kids??????so cute????can I share this? ©¸(OP) Yeah they seem to be devouring all the food at the rest stop?????? Chapter 72: Chapter 72: ¡°Wow!¡± The ce where Avi arrived after leaving Seoul was a pension in Gangwon-do. Jo Tae-woong spoke to the camera installed in the corner. ¡°Do we get to use this whole ce?¡± ¡°Wow! Amazing! There¡¯s a swimming pool here!¡± Kim Hyun shouted and Jo Tae-woong ran over. It was not just a pension, but a detached house with an indoor pool. ¡°How¡¯s the water?¡± ¡°It¡¯s warm. Do you think we can go in?¡± The production team must have contacted them in advance, because the pool was full of water. It even had hot water. ¡°Oh, is this a barbecue ce?¡± Three sides of the indoor pool were transparent like a vinyl house, and when they went out through the door on the side of the vinyl house, there was a grill and wooden table and chairs for grilling meat. ¡°They got us such a nice ce to stay? Why?¡± Jo Tae-woong looked around the living room with half excitement and half doubt. There were cameras installed everywhere he looked. ¡°Oh, what¡¯s this? The fridge is full?¡± ¡°What should we eat?¡± Ian and Kim Joo-young opened the fridge and looked inside. Park Jin-hyuk followed them into the kitchen and pulled his head back, making two chins. ¡°What about the food we ate at the rest area?¡± ¡°That was just an appetizer, right hyung?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s eat after we go to the pool. Cup noodles taste so good after ying in the water.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± There were also plenty of entertainment items, such as board games and karaoke machines. The members excitedly explored the ce. Kim Hyun brought a nket from the room and spread it on the living room floor. ¡°The real deal is to lie down on the nket in the living room.¡± ¡°Wow, you know how to have fun, huh?¡± Park Jin-hyuk chuckled. Park Seo-dam helped Kim Hyun spread the nket and immediatelyy down. ¡°But we don¡¯t have swimsuits, what do we do?¡± ¡°I brought some shorts, isn¡¯t that enough?¡± ¡°When did you pack them, hyung?¡± ¡°Wait, let¡¯s do this first. Thank you for the production support.¡± Ian drank a sip of an ion drink with the logo visible in front of the camera. Hey down next to Park Seo-dam. ¡°I grabbed whatever I saw on theundry rack. Just in case.¡± ¡°As expected, you¡¯re a shaman.¡± Ian didn¡¯t have to tell Jin to check what the production team was doing. He had a feeling that the group¡¯s reality shooting would be like this. Just let them be free and show their chemistry with each other. Reality shows were mostly watched by fans anyway. ¡°Are we all going to the pool?¡± He was d he brought them just in case. Ian took out some clothes from arge Boston bag. The members quickly changed their pants and took off their tops. Park Jin-hyuk dived into the pool. ¡°Ah, hyung!¡± ¡°The water sshed everywhere!¡± Kim Hyun also dived in, followed by the other members. Aviughed happily and sshed water at each other. ¡°Let¡¯s y water polo.¡± Kim Joo-young got a beach ball from the corner of the pool and floated it on the water. All the members rushed to the beach ball. They wrestled with each other in the water. ¡°I swallowed some water!¡± ¡°Who pushed me? Come out. I¡¯ll spare your life.¡± Avi was busy even in the new year. He had to memorize the lyrics he had rewritten for the album to be released in Japan, study Japanese, and prepare for theeback in between. Even though they had a day off because of a conflict with , they had music shows every day except Thursday. They finished their music show activities and finally had a moment to have fun together. Everything was fun. ¡°¡­What?¡± Jo Tae-woong, who was resting after ying in the water, looked outside and said. His voice was trembling with horror. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°There¡¯s someone out there.¡± ¡°Who?¡± The members looked at where Jo Tae-woong pointed, but there was nothing. The sun was setting and it was hard to see. ¡°Hey, why are you scaring us?¡± ¡°No, I really saw something!¡± ¡°You must have seen it wrong. Was it a deer?¡± The members thought Jo Tae-woong had seen something that wasn¡¯t there. Jo Tae-woong shook his head and muttered. ¡°There was something with long hair¡­¡± ¡°Hey, he¡¯s lying. How many times has he tried to prank us?¡± Kim Hyun dismissed Jo Tae-woong¡¯s words as nothing. *** The frantic water y ended and it was dinner time. Avi came out of the pension bathroom after washing up briefly and went to the barbecue ce. The charcoal fire was burning on the barbecue grill. ¡°I¡¯ll grill the meat.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± While Kim Joo-young and Ian grilled the meat, the members moved swiftly. The fridge that the production team had filled in advance had everything from various lettuce wraps to sauces. ¡°Meat is the best.¡± ¡°There are pork belly and sirloin here. Joo-hyuk hyung, eat a lot!¡± ¡°What did I say in my sleep talk?¡± Lee Joo-hyuk grumbled but still dipped two pieces of pork belly in the sauce and wrapped them in a lettuce. The barbecue ce was quite cold, so the members stood around the barbecue grill and ate the meat. ¡°By the way, we¡¯re going to clean up the inside, since it¡¯s not very nice.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± While Avi was busy filming his eating show, the staff who were shooting the reality show went inside the house. ¡°Huh?¡± Park Jin-hyuk, who was eating the meat, looked outside and said. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Ah, Jin-hyuk, why are you like this too?¡± Lee Joo-hyuk turned his head to follow Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s gaze. It was exactly where Jo Tae-woong had seen something with long hair. There was nothing in sight and only the sound of the wind hitting each other was heard. ¡°Something moved.¡± ¡°Hey¡­ hyung, why are you like this too? Is this a hidden camera? Is it?¡± Ian looked at Park Jin-hyuk and Jo Tae-woong. He had disappeared suddenly, saying [This kind of thing is more fun when no one tells you.] Wait, what does ¡®this kind of thing¡¯ mean? What¡¯s going to happen? Ian wondered, when Jo Tae-woong clung to Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s side with a fuss. ¡°Jin-hyuk hyung saw it too, right? I¡¯m telling you I saw it right!¡± ¡°I really saw something dark moving.¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t see anything?¡± ¡°Ah, hyungs, it¡¯s really scary. Stop it.¡± ¡°Stop lying. When did you seduce Jinhyuk?¡± The members who were eating meat without a break made a crying sound in the middle of that. Only Park Jinhyuk and Jo Taewoong firmly shook hands with each other. ¡°We need to get our act together.¡± ¡°The broadcasting station guys are suspicious.¡± Jo Taewoong scanned the staff who were filming in front of them with a doubtful look. The staff who met his eyes smiled faintly as if they found his suspicion cute. *** After ying some simple board games, the members inevitably started the mafia game. They yed mafia so often on Y app broadcasts and once they started, they were so focused that the fans called them ¡®the group that gets too immersed in mafia¡¯. Ian, who was the moderator, walked around behind the members who were sitting in a circle. ¡°It¡¯s night time! Everyone bow your heads and close your eyes.¡± As soon as the members bowed their heads and closed their eyes, there was a thud sound and all the lights in the dorm went out. ¡°What?¡± Ian stood bewildered and looked around. The other members also got up one by one. They reached out their hands to the empty air. ¡°Is it a ckout?¡± ¡°Where is the shlight here?¡± Woo woo woo- A sudden siren sound echoed in the dorm and everyone screamed in surprise. (Are you having a good time?) After a mechanical sound, someone spoke through the broadcast. It was Lee Jongsoo, the PD of this reality show. ¡°What the hell!¡± ¡°Why are you scaring us like that! PD-nim!¡± (If you had fun, you have to receive a mission. You have to arrive at a designated ce outside the pension within a designated time.) Jo Taewoong jumped up. ¡°See! I told you! The broadcasting station guys wouldn¡¯t let us off the hook like this!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s calm down first.¡± Ian, who had good night vision, grabbed Jo Taewoong¡¯s shoulder. (If you don¡¯t arrive, you won¡¯t be able to have breakfast tomorrow.) ¡°What? No food¡­? No way!¡± Kim Hyun covered his mouth with both hands and made a sound. (By the way, tomorrow¡¯s breakfast is Korean beef.) ¡°We can do it!¡± The members shouted with increased fighting spirit at the mention of Korean beef, even though they had meat for dinner. (You have to find the map that the production team hid in the living room and kitchen of the pension, and go to the designated ce marked on the map.) The members looked around. Lee Juhyuk took out his phone from his pants and turned on the shlight. ¡°They must have been hiding the map when they said they were cleaning up earlier. How about three of us who are the same age look in the kitchen and the rest look here?¡± ¡°Yes, hyung.¡± The other members also turned on their shlights one by one. They followed Lee Juhyuk¡¯s instructions and searched for the map. ¡°Waaah!¡± Kim Juyeong, who was looking inside the middle cab in the kitchen, stumbled back and fell with a thud. As soon as he opened the door, a small amount of flour bomb flew out with a firecracker sound. ¡°Are you okay, Juyeong?¡± ¡°Ouch¡­ I hurt my butt.¡± Kim Juyeong smiled bitterly as he got up with Lee Juhyuk¡¯s help. ¡°There are traps too?¡± ¡°When did they set this up?¡± ¡°PD-nim, you¡¯re really scary!¡± Ian, who was about to open another cab next to him, stopped in his tracks. His pupils were trembling nonstop. ¡°What do I do?¡± ¡°Ian, open that one. There must be a map in the cab since there¡¯s a trap.¡± Jo Taewoong chuckled. Ian opened the cab door and ran away to the living room. Park Jinhyuk and Park Seodam also followed him. There was no firecracker sound. ¡°Cowards.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really weak at this kind of stuff.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Park Jinhyuk made a crying sound and Jo Taewoong smiled slyly and looked inside the open cab. ¡°There¡¯s a map!¡± ¡°Wow!¡± The members gathered around Jo Taewoong. The pension was located on a small hill, and the map said to go to a small supermarket at the entrance of the hill. ¡°Did anyone pay attention to the road when we came in here?¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t we all sleeping?¡± ¡°I think I know. I didn¡¯t sleep then.¡± Park Seodam raised his hand. ¡°Maknae!¡± ¡°Ah, get off me!¡± The members hugged Park Seodam with emotion. Park Seodam struggled. They found the map, and they put on thick clothes to withstand the cold outside. The members nodded at each other with their hoods on. ¡°Let¡¯s survive. Let¡¯s get there on time and eat Korean beef tomorrow.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t run off by yourself.¡± The members who made up their minds went to the front door of the pension and opened it. The doorknob turned in vain. ¡°The door is locked?¡± ¡°How can they lock it from inside?¡± ¡°Is there a lock?¡± They tried to open the doorknob continuously but it was firmly locked. Jo Taewoong, who was looking for another exit, pointed to the pool side. ¡°We have to go that way, I guess.¡± ¡°Ah, that ce looks creepy.¡± The only exit that opened was the barbecue ce where Jo Taewoong and Park Jinhyuk saw something. ¡°What could go wrong¡­?¡± Ian bravely stepped forward. The members behind him followed him closely. They opened the door of the barbecue ce and went outside. There was a deste field. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m really scared, what if somethinges out?¡± Kim Juyeong, who was clinging to Ian¡¯s back, looked around. Ian checked the ce where Jo Taewoong and Park Jinhyuk saw something. ¡°Hey, Taewoong, is that what you saw over there?¡± ¡°Yeah, over there.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing over there¡­¡± They couldn¡¯t see anything even after looking closely, and when they were relieved, ¡°Aaaah!¡± From the opposite side, a person with long ck hair and a white hanbok jumped out and screamed, running towards them with a scary face! ¡°Aaaah!¡± ¡°Run!¡± ¡°There! There¡¯s a road over there!¡± Chapter 73: Chapter 73: Awi stopped running when he reached a dead end. They had been sprinting for a while and were panting heavily. ¡°Are they following us?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Geez¡­¡± Kim Joo-young and Park Seo-dam copsed on the ground. Ian smiled bitterly as he saw the broadcast camera installed in the corner of the alley. It was not a coincidence that Jin had disappeared. They should have suspected something when the production team let them out so easily. ¡°What kind of winter survival special is this?¡± ¡°I really hate this kind of thing.¡± Kim Joo-young was almost sobbing. He was especially weak to horror. Once, they had done a hidden camera prank with horror themes at their dorm, and Kim Joo-young had cried out of fear. ¡°Do you guys remember the way we came?¡± ¡°Look at the map.¡± The members looked at the map that Park Seo-dam was holding and tried to trace back their path. They turned to Kim Joo-young. ¡°If we go back the way we came, we should be fine, right?¡± ¡°Can you handle it, Joo-young?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try. I don¡¯t want to cause trouble because of me.¡± Kim Joo-young dusted off his pants and got up. He stuck close to Lee Ju-hyuk¡¯s back. Jo Tae-woong, who was the least scared, volunteered to be at the rear. ¡°We don¡¯t know what will pop out, so don¡¯t run away by yourself even if you get startled. It will be harder if we get separated.¡± ¡°Seo-dam, give me the map.¡± ¡°Here you go.¡± The map that Park Seo-dam had been holding was crumpled from gripping it too hard. Lee Ju-hyuk and Ian took the lead. They walked slowly, sticking together. ¡°Do we turn right here?¡± Suddenly, there was a tter from a trash can next to them, and something popped out. It was a mannequin with long hair and a white dress. ¡°Wow, ahh!¡± ¡°What is this!¡± The members fell to the ground at the horror trap set up by the production team. They were shaking all over from the shock and did not get up for a while. ¡°Ah, please don¡¯t do this to us!¡± Jo Tae-woong pushed away the mannequin that had covered him. Ian got up and helped the other members. ¡°We can¡¯t do this. Let¡¯s run for it. Whatever pops out, just run.¡± ¡°That sounds good, but do you know the way?¡± ¡°There were only two forks in the road before. How about we leave it to luck?¡± The dim street lights made the atmosphere even scarier. ¡°It would be best if we got to the destination on the first try, but if we took the wrong turn, we have toe back quickly and go the other way. If we keep going this slow, we won¡¯t make it in time for dinner.¡± ¡°We have to eat.¡± Ian mentioned tomorrow¡¯s meal and the members suddenly became serious. They looked at each other with determined eyes. They had been working out every day at thepany gym, so they were confident in their stamina. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We can¡¯t die here. Let¡¯s all survive and go back together.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that a death g?¡± ¡°Ah, hyung! Don¡¯t say ominous things!¡± Park Jin-hyuk, Kim Hyun, and Park Seo-dam spoke loudly to lighten up the mood. It was because Kim Joo-young¡¯s face was pale. They couldn¡¯t joke around with him as usual. ¡°Then let¡¯s go. Don¡¯t stop running no matter what pops out.¡± Jo Tae-woong jumped forward as he spoke, and the other members followed him one by one. ¡°Turn right there!¡± Ian shouted. As they entered the right alley, there was a bang and a flour bomb exploded from the side. ¡°Ahh!¡± ¡°What is this!¡± The members screamed but did not stop running. Jo Tae-woong, who had gotten most of the flour on him, looked back. ¡°Are you all okay?!¡± ¡°Just run! Over there! Straight ahead!¡± As they reached an intersection, actors dressed like zombies popped out from both sides. They grabbed at the members¡¯ clothes, but they all shook them off and ran. ¡°Ack!¡± Only Kim Joo-young tried to sit down on the spot with a scream. At that moment, Ian yelled. ¡°Kim Joo-young! Beef!¡± That was the magic word that moved him. Kim Joo-young stumbled forward with his right foot. Ian supported him and pushed his back. ¡°Hurry up!¡± Ian ignored the zombie actors who grabbed his sleeves and ran quickly. Normally zombies would chase them slowly, but these zombies ran fast to catch up with Awi members. ¡°Ahh! What kind of zombies run that fast?!¡± ¡°There!¡± Jo Tae-woong shouted. Luckily, they had chosen the right path. At the end of the alley, there was a round tform set up in an empty lot, and bright lights shone on it. ¡°Arrived¡­!¡± The members climbed onto the tform one by one. Thest ones were Kim Joo-young and Ian. The timer next to the tform stopped, and Lee Jong-soo PD shouted. ¡°Yes! You all made it.¡± ¡°Huh¡­ We survived.¡± The members breathed heavily andy down on the ground, dirty or not. ¡°PD-nim¡­ How could you do this to us¡­¡± Park Jin-hyukined weakly. He had worshipped Lee Jong-soo so much! ¡°It¡¯s no fun if it¡¯s too calm, right?¡± Lee Jong-soo smiled smugly. He had expected a great picture from the screams of Awi that he heard from afar. [I enjoyed your body gag.] Jin appeared with a popcorn bucket in his hand. He wasughing heartily as if he was very satisfied. Ian red at him. ¡®You bastard¡­¡¯ [But it will look good on camera, right? Think of it as a sessfuledy.] Ian got up from his spot. ¡°So did we make it in time?¡± ¡°Unfortunately¡­¡± The PD trailed off. Kim Joo-young sprang up and looked at him earnestly. There was moisture in his eyes, and it seemed like tears would roll down if he tapped them. ¡°Did we make it in time? We did, right?¡± ¡°Yes, you did. Mission aplished!¡± ¡°Ah, PD-nim!¡± Park Jin-hyuk was annoyed. Kim Joo-youngy down again. ¡°Wow¡­ wow I really thought we failed because of me¡­¡± ¡°Kim Joo-young is crying!¡±The members, who had rxed their tension, piled on top of Kim Joo-young, who was lying on the floor, like ying a hamburger game. The flour that stuck to their clothes scattered in the air. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re heavy!¡± Kim Joo-young, who had stopped crying, pushed away the members who had covered him. The actors who were dressed as ghosts quietly approached and stood next to the stage. ¡°Waaah!¡± The members were startled again when they saw the actors and fell backwards. The actors, who had been making scary faces, were now smiling brightly. ¡°Please give a round of apuse to the ghost actors who worked hard in this weather.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Awi bowed and greeted the actors. During the break time, an actor who was dressed as a zombie yed a prank on Kim Joo-young. Awi took pictures with them. ¡°Excuse me¡­ can I take a selfie with you¡­?¡± ¡°Of course you can. But are you sure you¡¯re okay with that makeup¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine!¡± Ian also took a picture with an actor who had long hair. He was wearing a white robe with a long padding coat over it, but he looked quite cold. ¡°Weren¡¯t you cold? Don¡¯t you have to go inside quickly?¡± ¡°I¡¯m about to go now.¡± Awi waved goodbye to the actors who boarded the bus to leave. Lee Jong-soo, the PD who was watching them, said. ¡°You can all go back to the pension now.¡± ¡°PD-nim¡­ I¡¯ll get back at you.¡± Park Jin-hyuk gritted his teeth. They had been outside for a long time and their ears were red. ¡°Good job everyone!¡± Awi left the production staff behind and walked back to the pension shakily. He was still startled and his heart was pounding, but he was happy that he could eat a hearty meal tomorrow. At that moment. ¡°Where are you going!¡± The actors ran after Awi from behind, shouting. ¡°What?!¡± ¡°Aaah!¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you gone?!¡± Awi was shocked and ran to the pension with all his strength. He reached the front of the pension and looked for the entrance. The door that had not opened before opened very easily. Ian, who came inst and mmed the door shut, sat down leaning on the door. ¡°Wow, really¡­ they don¡¯t let us rx until the end.¡± ¡°Is Joo-young dead?¡± Kim Joo-young was already lying on the floor. His body was trembling. *** ¡°Guys, you worked hard today.¡± They had been scared so many times and they were afraid that the production staff would hit them with another surprise, so they decided to sleep together on the nketsid out in the living room. ¡°But I¡¯m d we can eat beef tomorrow.¡± ¡°We suffered so much and couldn¡¯t even eat properly¡­ I¡¯m losing my spirit.¡± Kim Hyun and Park Jin-hyuk chuckled. Park Seo-dam poked Kim Joo-young¡¯s cheek, who was lying in the middle of the nket. ¡°Are you okay, Joo-young hyung?¡± ¡°I have no strength in my body¡­¡± Cho Tae-woong and Iany down on either side of Kim Joo-young and snickered. ¡°We¡¯ll lie down next to you so you won¡¯t be scared.¡± ¡°How are you going to survive in this harsh world if you¡¯re such a coward?¡± They looked at him with mocking eyes. They would probably tease him about this for at least three months. Kim Joo-young made a sour face. ¡°Hey, Seo-dam was not easy either, okay? I was as scared as you.¡± ¡°Seo-dam is the youngest, you know.¡± Ian answered shamelessly. Kim Joo-young clenched his fist. If it weren¡¯t for the camera, he would have punched him long ago. ¡°Guys, should I turn off the light?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk turned off the light andy down on the edge. ¡°When do we have to wake up tomorrow?¡± ¡°I bet they¡¯ll wake us up with a siren sound. One hundred percent.¡± ¡°Jong-soo¡¯s intuition was not a joke today, so I believe him.¡± The members, who had been chatting andughing softly, closed their mouths one by one. Kim Joo-young felt that today was unusually long and sighed deeply. The members who were not sensitive to sleeping were already snoring. ¡°Are you all asleep?¡± Kim Joo-young was still unable to sleep because his heart was thumping. ¡®Damn it¡­ why is that open?¡¯ The sliding door that separated the pool and the living room was not closed, so he could see the outside clearly through the transparent vinyl wall. ¡°¡­Who¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Lee Joo-hyuk, who was lying at the end, started to talk in his sleep. Kim Joo-young felt goosebumps on his arm. ¡°Joo-hyuk hyung, are you asleep?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± His sleep talking was scaring him. Kim Joo-young lifted his head and looked at Lee Joo-hyuk. Lee Joo-hyuk was lying facing the pool. ¡°Oh hyung¡­ don¡¯t scare me like that.¡± ¡°What are you doing there?¡± ¡°Oh shit¡­¡± Kim Joo-youngy down again and closed his eyes tightly. He wanted to go back to the dorm as soon as possible and eat beef and whatever. *** After Awi¡¯s reality show shooting was over, the editing room of ¡®Who Are We? AWY!¡¯ was busy with editing the broadcast. ¡°Let¡¯s do this here¡­ huh?¡± On the paused screen, there were Awi grilling meat and Cho Tae-woong and Park Jin-hyuk pointing at one side. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± The production staff yed another video. It was the camera footage of the ce they pointed at. A ck something that could not be identified came out from behind a tree and disappeared. The production staff who examined it closely tilted their heads. ¡°Was there an actor like that?¡± Chapter 74: Chapter 74: Chapter 74 Idol information is almost like a public good. ¡°This is Mr. Na Sang-jun, the head of the security team from ¡®Elgard¡¯, the securitypany that will protect you.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you!¡± Awi finished their reality show shooting and departed for Japan. There was one thing that changed: Awi now had bodyguards. ¡°Wow, bodyguards!¡± ¡°We¡¯re so cool!¡± The members murmured as they saw the muscr and imposing bodyguards. Jin clicked his tongue. [They don¡¯t know what¡¯sing.] ¡®Why?¡¯ When he was Kim Yong-min, Diamond belonged to a smallpany that had no resources to send them abroad, so he never had bodyguards in his previous life. [Why do you think they assigned bodyguards? It¡¯s probably because they expect some crazy fans like Bunsuni to follow you, so the agency is taking precautions.] ¡®Ah¡­¡¯ Bunsuni, he had heard that term before. They were the fanatics who stuck to the idols like glue and followed them everywhere. They would shove cameras in their faces, and even try to touch them physically. ¡°Let¡¯s get going.¡± Park Dong-su opened the van door and looked at the members with a pitiful expression. ¡°Hyung! What are we going to do in Japan? Like fan signing or something?¡± Maybe it was because he heard something from Mykit, but Lee Ju-hyuk took the lead and asked Park Dong-su. ¡°We¡¯re going to do a handshake event, a high-touch event, and a signing event.¡± ¡°Oh, they have signing events in Japan too.¡± ¡°It¡¯s different from Korea. There, you sign individually, and you just get the signature and leave.¡± ¡°Wow, that sounds easier. Is that all we do? Anything else?¡± Park Dong-su turned his head and looked at Lee Ju-hyuk from the passenger seat. ¡°Anything else? You mean like a performance?¡± ¡°Yeah, anything besides that?¡± ¡°Where did you hear weird things?¡± ¡°No, I just heard from Mykit kids that they do weird things.¡± ¡°Mykit? That must be ST Entertainment, right? They¡¯re known for that¡­ But do you think ourpany would make us do that?¡± Park Dong-su chuckled sarcastically. The members sighed in relief when they confirmed that there were no events like Mykit did. ¡°What¡¯s a handshake event? Isn¡¯t that the same as a high-touch event?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll look it up.¡± Kim Ju-young questioned and Jo Tae-woong took out his phone and searched for an answer. He entered a portal site and searched for Japanese handshake events. ¡°Holy crap, look at this. There was a stabbing incident at a female idol¡¯s handshake event.¡± There was even a member who was injured by a knife. ¡°A stabbing?¡± ¡°Crazy, did they get stabbed?¡± ¡°What are we going to do?¡± The members who were looking at Jo Tae-woong¡¯s phone screen gasped. Park Dong-su sighed deeply as he thought about how to deal with these troublemakers. ¡°Guys, don¡¯t worry too much. We have bodyguards and local staff behind us.¡± ¡°Do we put them here?¡± ¡°Yeah, over there. Where the reporters are gathered.¡± The road manager Kim Myung-jin parked the car smoothly. As soon as Lee Ju-hyuk opened the van door and got out, camera shes shed from all directions. ¡°Look over here!¡± Awi skillfully finished their photo time and crossed the traffic light to enter the airport. Homma and reporters mixed together and followed Awi¡¯s path. There were also many people taking pictures on the upper floor of the airport. It felt like there were more people than when they left Vietnam. ¡°Don¡¯t get too close.¡± The bodyguards of Elgard warned those who were too close. Thanks to them, they were able to pass through the security checkpoint smoothly and enter the airside. But that wasn¡¯t the end of it. The fans had no shame. They followed Awi into the airside and took pictures of them browsing the duty-free shops. ¡°Just bear with it for a bit.¡± Park Dong-su clicked his tongue. As an agency, there was no way to stop this. They posted a notice on the fan cafe not to follow them to the airside or take pictures, but there were always people who ignored it. It was no use telling them not to do it on site. If they raised their voice, it would only cause trouble for other passengers. There was also no legal means to catch them, even though a rted bill had been proposed. ¡°Let¡¯s go eat something.¡± Some fans followed them even when they went to eat. They deliberately sat in a corner seat, but they zoomed in their cameras and took pictures while waiting for Awi toe out. Park Jin-hyuk let out a hollowugh as he put down his water cup. [It¡¯s not something I should get used to, but I¡¯m already getting used to this feeling. What is it?] ¡°Right?¡± They should have worried about the fans in Korea before worrying about the unlikely stabbing in Japan. ¡°Guys, look here!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lower your head!¡± The fans shouted to get Awi¡¯s attention, and Awi tried not to show any interest and just looked at their phones. They headed to the boarding gate when it was time to board. The fans went to the boarding gate before Awi. Ian was shocked when he entered the ne. ¡®What?¡¯ There were fans sitting near Awi¡¯s seats. There was even one right next to them. ¡®How did they know we were on the same ne and even get seats close to us?¡¯ Maybe it was because of ¡®the situation¡¯, but the tickets for Japan flights didn¡¯t sell well, and only the fans who were aiming for the same ne as Awi booked them happily. ¡®How did they get that information?¡¯ [Don¡¯t you know? As soon as you book a flight, your flight number and seat number are leaked. They pay money to get that information.] ¡®That¡¯s possible?¡¯ [Why not? They even get your phone number. To them, idol information is almost like a public good.] Ian let out a hollowugh. Not only him, but the other members also had to change their numbers. As soon as they changed their numbers, they got a text from an unknown number saying ¡®Why did you change your number?¡¯ (Lee Ju-hyuk1) Did you see who¡¯s sitting near us? ¨C 13:02 (Jo Tae-woong3) Yeah, they¡¯re crazy ¨C 13:02 (Hyun Hyun2) Ah, crazy, they¡¯re sitting next to me, what do I do? ¨C 13:02 (Park Jin-hyuk1) What do we do in this situation? ¨C 13:03 They all had numbers attached to their names because they kept getting their numbers leaked and getting calls from unknown numbers. That¡¯s why they changed their numbers and even deleted and re-registered their messenger app IDs. But Ian had a feeling that this number wouldn¡¯tst long either. As soon as he changed his number, he got a text from an unknown number saying ¡®Why did you change your number?¡¯ (Lee Ju-hyuk1) Dong-su hyung said to stay still as much as possible ¨C 13:04 (Seo Da-mi1) Can¡¯t we tell them to stop taking pictures over there diagonally? ¨C 13:04 Ian twisted his body as much as possible to hide his phone screen. It was the same for the other members. (Ian4) Don¡¯t do it, they¡¯ll get excited and do more. ¨C 13:05 Park Dong-su sighed deeply as he saw the gabby fans who surrounded Awi. When he was in charge of ck Rush, he was a rookie manager at the time and he warned the fans not to follow them or take pictures. It¡¯s a coincidence that we¡¯re on the same ne, right? I paid for my own ticket, why do you care? You didn¡¯t even talk to me or act like you know me, right? You know how people take pictures with their phones when they see celebrities in restaurants or something? Why can¡¯t we do that? They were obviously stalking, but they had no shame. They didn¡¯t care about the singers¡¯ privacy. They only did it for their own satisfaction. The fans criticized Homma and Gabi for taking pictures of Awi in the airside and told them to stop via direct messages, but their audacity was beyond imagination. -Look at these brooms(*brooms that have been swept away)??? They¡¯re so jealous and making a fuss???? -Why are you talking to me, you broom bitches who don¡¯t spend any money and don¡¯t help the fandom? If you¡¯re jealous, why don¡¯t you follow them offline too^^ I can hear their breathing^^ They forgot that stalking was a crime and were intoxicated by ¡®me who runs with the idols¡¯ schedule¡¯ and even shouted ¡®I¡¯m right and you¡¯re wrong¡¯. (Lee Ju-hyuk1) Guys, just hang in there ¨C 13:12 Before departure, the in-flight announcement came on and Ian switched his phone to airne mode. [You¡¯d better not go to the bathroom if you can help it.] ¡®Why?¡¯ [If you go to the bathroom ande out, they¡¯ll go in and say ¡®The bathroom where our baby went~ Snap snap!¡¯ like lunatics.] ¡®Ah, shit¡­¡¯ Jinughed quietly. Ian was already tired before the ne took off, so he reclined his seat and put on an eye mask andy down. [And don¡¯t ept any gifts. That one over there is trying to give you a gift.] Ian took off his eye mask slightly and looked at Jin. [You didn¡¯t ask for it, but they¡¯ll give it to you and say ¡®He hates us but he takes all the gifts?¡¯ and act like you snatched the gift from them.] ¡®Ugh¡­ crazy.¡¯ [That¡¯s the reality of being a popr idol. You¡¯d better get used to it soon.] Ian took off his eye mask and raised his seat. He was afraid that there would be a gift from someone he didn¡¯t know near his seat if he slept like this. Ian didn¡¯t want to ept gifts from fans either. Ian read a book he brought in advance or yed some phone games that didn¡¯t require data to kill time. The in-flight announcement came on, and the ne shook slightly as itnded safely on the runway. The ne didn¡¯t stop and kept moving, but the fans unbuckled their seat belts and got up. ¡°Sir, please sit down for now. It¡¯s dangerous.¡± The fans ignored the flight attendant¡¯s words and stood firmly in front of the exit. They wanted to get off first and take pictures of Awi. ¡°Sorry for causing trouble because of us¡­¡± The flight attendants smiled and said it wasn¡¯t their fault. It was something they expected as soon as they saw an idol on board. ¡°Ow, my back hurts.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t do anything because of those fans.¡± Awi stretched lightly and followed the bodyguards out of the ne. The fans who were waiting ahead ran out. They held up their cameras as they followed Awi¡¯s movements without stopping. ¡°At least there weren¡¯t many passengers because of the situation.¡± ¡°Right, we almost became nuisance idols.¡± ¡°Why are we nuisances? They¡¯re the nuisances.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. But people me us anyway.¡± The ones who suffered because of them were not only the idols but also the ordinary passengers. They would ask who the idol they were with was, and then me them for causing trouble. ¡°Why are you tired already?¡± Ian turned his neck. As soon as they passed immigration and came out of the gate, the fans who came to greet Awi screamed. ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°There are quite a lot?¡± The fans who were waiting on both sides of Awi¡¯s path waved slogans and fans with Awi¡¯s face printed on them. Awi waved their hands at them and left the airport. The Awi members who got into the van prepared by the Japanese agency spoke with a bewildered expression. ¡°Guys¡­ I guess we¡¯re kind of¡­ popr?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± It was hard to tell if all the fans who gathered at the airport in Vietnam were for Awi, since all the idols who participated in NMA arrived on the same ne. But the number of fans who gathered at Haneda Airport just now was more than they expected. ¡°We won¡¯t have any trouble selling out our events.¡± Ian sighed in relief. Chapter 75: Chapter 75: Chapter 75 Are the fans satisfied with this time? Awi started his schedule from the day after he arrived in Japan. The amodation was two people per room, and one of them was decided to share with Park Dong-soo. ¡°I don¡¯t want to share with Ju-hyuk hyung.¡± ¡°Ju-young, hyung is sad.¡± Lee Ju-hyuk drooped his shoulders and made a sad face. ¡°Ah, hyung, your sleep talking was so scary. I couldn¡¯t sleep well since then.¡± ¡°Was it that scary?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t everyone say they had to check it out on the broadcast?¡± ¡°Good, one lesspetitor.¡± The other members except Lee Ju-hyuk and Kim Ju-young chuckled. Kim Ju-young was the first choice for roommates because he was the cleanest. He was so neat that he even tidied up other people¡¯s stuff, which was a very desirable habit. ¡°Who should I choose¡­¡± Kim Ju-young crossed his arms and scanned the members. The other members except Lee Ju-hyuk swallowed their saliva. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go with Jin-hyuk hyung. He¡¯s the fastest at showering, so I like him.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Park Jin-hyuk jumped with joy. ¡°Then I¡¯ll share with Dong-soo hyung.¡± Lee Ju-hyuk was already opening the door of the amodation with Park Dong-soo. The remaining four divided the rooms by ying rock-paper-scissors. Jo Tae-woong shared a room with Park Seo-dam and Ian shared a room with Kim Hyun. ¡°Dong-soo hyung asked how we¡¯re going to eat?¡± ¡°I want to go out and eat, but¡­ aren¡¯t you really tired today, hyung? Let¡¯s order room service.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Kim Hyuny down on the bed after sending a reply. Kim Hyun still felt like he could see something from his right side. It was because a sasaeng fan had sat right next to him on the ne. Even though there was a partition in the business ss, it was inevitable to feel ufortable. ¡°When we do our world tour, it¡¯ll be worse than this, right?¡± ¡°They¡¯re following us well even in this situation. It¡¯s 100 percent.¡± Kim Hyun groaned. After finishing their meal with room service, Ian and Kim Hyuny on the bed and stared at their phones. ¡°Do you want to do a Y app broadcast?¡± ¡°Should we? We haven¡¯t done ittely.¡± Some of the fans counted how often the members came to the official cafe and left posts andments, or how often they did personal broadcasts. Some malicious people subtly cursed the members who had fewer counts. Ian got a phone for broadcasting from Park Dong-soo and fixed it on a selfie stick. ¡°Is it done?¡± -Wow -They¡¯re here The chat window quickly went up. ¡°Hello. It¡¯s been a while, right?¡± While Kim Hyun was leading the broadcast, Ian turned on his tablet pad. He wrote something on it and ced it so that it could be seen well on the Y app screen. ¡°Is it done? Can you see it?¡± (Ju-hyuk, Jin-hyuk working on songs. Tae-woong, Ju-young went out. Seo-dam is sleeping. This is not our dorm, but Japan. Good luck on your exams. Congrattions on your birthday, job, marriage, childbirth, first birthday party, release from prison, etc. I can¡¯t call your names one by one. There¡¯s something behind me that¡¯s our aura.) -Why release from prison????? -Rainbow reflection is awesome????????? -Refreshing????? The chat window quickly went up. Fortunately, the reaction was good. ¡°I prepared this because I didn¡¯t want to be disturbed by anything during our precious time with you. Actually, I tried to write it in English too, but I thought you wouldn¡¯t be able to see the letters¡­¡± ¡°Please exin it in English once.¡± Ian said the words on the pad in English. Kim Hyun admired his low voice and native pronunciation. ¡°I¡¯m surprised every time he speaks English because he sometimes seems more Korean than Koreans when we live together.¡± Some of the viins ignored Ian¡¯s pad message and tried to elicit their reaction by saying things like there¡¯s a bug behind you, the curtain is moving behind you, etc. ¡°We don¡¯t fall for things like that, like there¡¯s something behind me or I can see a shadow.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯ve experienced worse things, right?¡± ¡°Ian, that was close. Your spoiler sense is sharp.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re curious, please watch our reality show on JBCT2.¡± Kim Hyun and Ian giggled. While they were doing the Y app broadcast, someone was calling Ian¡¯s phone from an unknown number. It was someone who got Ian¡¯s number from somewhere and was trying to check his reaction on the Y app by calling him. Kim Hyun¡¯s phone was the same. They covered their phone screens with the floor. If they answered the phone, it would be the same as confirming that this number was mine and killing it. ¡°Why are we so roomy? We both didn¡¯t get picked by Ju-young. Ju-young is the cleanest, you know. He¡¯s good at organizing too.¡± ¡°I envy Jin-hyuk.¡± When Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s name came up, the chat window was full of Jujak talk. Jujak was Awi¡¯s biggest hit song that also ranked in the annual ranking. ¡°How did you feel when you first heard Jujak? I thought, can we do this kind of song? How about you, hyung?¡± ¡°I thought this kid Park Jin-hyuk finally went crazy.¡± Kim Hyun and Ianughed and teased each other while someone knocked on the hotel room door loudly. Ian shouted. ¡°Who is it! Password!¡± ¡°Choi Ian is handsome!¡± Jo Tae-woong shouted from behind the door. ¡°Weak, weak. Don¡¯t you have anything else to say?¡± ¡°We bought snacks!¡± ¡°Pass.¡± Ian opened the door. Kim Ju-young and Jo Tae-woong, who had been to the convenience store, put down their bags on the bed. They bought a lot of things, so the bags were bulging. ¡°We came up quickly because we heard you were doing Y app.¡± ¡°Did you buy anything delicious?¡± ¡°We swept everything.¡± ¡°Ohh.¡± Kim Hyun and Ian rummaged through the bags they brought while Kim Ju-young and Jo Tae-woong greeted the screen. The number of viewers exploded when they heard that other members had joined. The number of hearts also increased. ¡°Oh, 100 million hearts! It¡¯s our first time.¡± ¡°So this is what happens when we reach 100 million hearts.¡± At that moment, a congrattory fireworks animation appeared on the broadcast screen with a message saying that they had achieved 100 million hearts. The number of hearts could be duplicated, so some fans would hit the hearts repeatedly to increase them quickly while watching the broadcast. This was called ¡®heartbor¡¯. ¡°Let¡¯s show something to Awi fans in celebration of 100 million hearts.¡± ¡°What should we do? Rap while rolling forward in the hallway?¡± ¡°Sing a whole song while doing a headstand.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that a punishment? Huh? Wait a minute. Someone¡¯s here.¡± Someone was knocking on the door softly. Ian felt a chill. ¡°Who is it!¡± [There¡¯s a sasaeng outside.] ¡°Hey, wait a minute, this is suspicious.¡± Ian grabbed Jo Tae-woong¡¯s arm as he was about to run to the front door. ¡®Where did the bodyguard go?¡¯ [He must havee while we were away.] ¡®How did he know we were here? This is stressful.¡¯ Ian called Park Dong-soo. He gestured to the other members to continue the live broadcast. (What¡¯s up, Ian?) ¡°Hyung, can you check outside our room? Someone is knocking on the door and it¡¯s fishy.¡± (Okay. I¡¯ll go and see. Don¡¯t open the door no matter what.) ¡°Yes, hyung.¡± Park Dong-soo¡¯s door opened, and Ian heard him shout, ¡°What are you doing here!¡± ¡®I have to be careful from now on.¡¯ Ian sighed deeply. *** After the stormy Y-app broadcast, they weed the next day. Today, Awi had a high-touch event in the morning, and a handshake event and a mini live concert in the afternoon. ¡°Ugh, he didn¡¯t show up again.¡± Ian¡¯s home master ¡®Ironheart¡¯ was having a hard time since morning. The high-touch event was a lottery system where you had to buy an album online in advance and apply for it. Fortunately, she was lucky enough to win the high-touch event, but the handshake event was a problem. The handshake event was where you buy a Japanese event album on site, and inside the album there is a ticket for which member and which round of the handshake event. Both the round and the member were random, so if your favorite didn¡¯t show up, you had to go around exchanging tickets or pay extra money to buy tickets if they were popr members. ¡°Ah, the Japanese album quality is so bad¡­¡± Ironheart wondered if it would be better to pay extra money and buy tickets instead of buying an album that would only be a burden. She had no guarantee that her favorite Ian would show up if she bought an album. ¡°Please¡­ please!¡± She finally decided to buy two albums. She opened them with trembling hands and screamed inwardly. ¡°Ah¡­ damn it¡­¡± If Jo Tae-woong had shown up, she could have exchanged his ticket for Ian¡¯s, but in her hand were Lee Ju-hyuk and Park Seo-dam¡¯s handshake tickets. They were not very popr in Korea, so she was more disappointed. She had no choice but to look for Ian¡¯s ticket on SNS. She scrolled through her feed. Her eyes sparkled at some point. ¡®Maybe I can get Ian¡¯s ticket¡­?¡¯ There were more Japanese fans looking for Lee Ju-hyuk and Park Seo-dam¡¯s tickets than she expected. *** As Awi entered the event venue, the fans who were already in line screamed. ¡°Wow, did you see Ju-hyuk hyung¡¯s fans? The line is so long.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t there still a lot of time left until the start? Are they already waiting?¡± ¡°Seo-dam¡¯s line is also long.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Lee Ju-hyuk and Park Seo-dam looked nervous. The other members made a sound of admiration and patted their shoulders. [Japanese fans tend to like talented members more. Lee Ju-hyuk is a producing member. Park Seo-dam is well¡­ he has a face that would appeal more in Japan than in Korea.] Jin said casually. Surprised by the unexpected attention from the fans, Park Seo-dam looked around with wide eyes. He saw fans with homemade fans of Park Seo-dam and people who clumsily called his name. He smiled brightly and waved his hand at them. Awi finished their preparations and as it was time for the high-touch event, the fans lined up in front of Awi ording to the staff¡¯s guidance. The first fan came in and Ian smiled widely. ¡°Hello! Oh, should I have greeted you in Japanese?¡± Ian greeted her again in Japanese, and the Japanese fan greeted him back in awkward Korean. She carefully touched Ian¡¯s hand for a high-touch. She blushed and shouted that she really liked him. ¡°*Thank you!¡± As Ian was about to respond with a smile, the staff pushed her out. Ian looked confused and nced back and forth between the bodyguard and Jin. ¡®I heard about it before, but this is too fast¡­?¡¯ [That¡¯s how it is.] ¡®Is¡­ is that so?¡¯ The next fan came in. Ian greeted her with a smile. She was Ironheart. ¡°Oh? Noona!¡± ¡°Hi Ian. I came to see you.¡± Ironheart lightly touched Ian¡¯s hand for a high-touch and spoke hastily. ¡°Wink! Just wink once!¡± She shouted so desperately that Ian winked at her two or three times. She was so happy that she stomped her feet. ¡°Thank you foring here.¡± ¡°See youter!¡± The staff gently pushed Ironheart away, saying that the time was up. She had to turn around reluctantly. Ian chuckled at the sight of moving on to the next fan without even a minute passing. They paid 2,500 yen for this short time? Really? Without even getting a signature or a photo? He wasn¡¯t the only one who thought that. Awi, who finished the morning high-touch event, went back to the waiting room for a while to have lunch. ¡°It was really just a high-five and a few words and that¡¯s it.¡± ¡°Are we toofortable¡­? Are the fans satisfied with this time?¡± Lee Ju-hyuk and Park Jin-hyuk spoke seriously. ¡°They must be satisfied if they do this event.¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s an advantage that they can see us up close?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the same for fan signing events.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it better than fan signing events? Our album cut rate is pretty high. Here, you buy an album and it¡¯s a lottery¡­¡± Awi continued their serious discussion. ¡°I felt so good when they said they were my fans and cheered me on in that short time. And they were foreigners.¡± Kim Ju-young¡¯s words made the members think for a while. They soon got up from their seats. The conclusion was ¡®let¡¯s be nice to the fans¡¯. ¡°¡­Anyone has perfume?¡± ¡°You all brought your toothbrushes, right?¡± ¡°I brought a super effective mouthwash!¡± ¡°Where was the Japanese book?¡± Chapter 76: Chapter 76: Chapter 76 You guys are doing great The handshake event was divided into individual, group, and unit sessions. The handshake event was also a short time where fans could exchange greetings and handshakes with the idols before moving on to the next person. Even so, fans were lining up outside the venue. ¡°Hi, you came again. Is this your fourth time?¡± Ian folded his thumb and showed his palm. The Japanese fan nodded vigorously and bounced on her feet. She spoke in a high-pitched voice. ¡°See you next time.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± See you at the next session. Ian greeted the next fan in line. Ian thought that fans who came to these events would be greatly rewarded by just being recognized by the idols. Ian used Jin¡¯s ability to help him remember the fans, and they liked it more than he expected. Ian also felt happy and couldn¡¯t stop smiling. ¡®This person is new, right? No, the face looks familiar¡­ Is this the second time?¡¯ [You came to the high-touch event once.] He didn¡¯t just rely on Jin¡¯s ability, but he also tried his best to memorize the fans¡¯ faces. ¡°You came to the high-touch event, right?¡± ¡°Wow! How did you know? Amazing!¡± ¡°Thank you foring.¡± The Korean fan who crossed the ocean resisted the staff¡¯s guidance to move on with a reluctant expression. Eventually, when the staff pushed her slightly, she had to let go of Ian¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯lle again!¡± She actually couldn¡¯te to the next handshake event because of her flight schedule. But seeing Ian recognize her, she opened her SNS and posted that she would buy a ticket for the next handshake event. She also changed her flight to ater time and smiled happily. *** ¡°I¡¯m so tired.¡± Ian entered the hotel room and copsed on the bed without changing his clothes. ¡°Hyung, my legs are swollen.¡± Ian¡¯s roommate for this time was Park Seodam. Park Seodam sat on the bed and massaged his calves. ¡°It must be because you stood for too long.¡± ¡°But hyung, you really remember the fans well. How do you remember them all?¡± Ian smiled awkwardly. He was still getting a lot of help from Jin¡¯s ability. ¡°I guess I¡¯m good at memorizing people¡¯s faces.¡± ¡°Is it your natural talent? The more I see it, the more amazing it is.¡± Park Seodam looked at Ian with envious eyes. ¡°But did you see that male fan?¡± ¡°I saw him.¡± ¡°It was my first time seeing a male fan so close.¡± ¡°He spoke Korean very well.¡± Ian and Park Seodamughed together. Their bodies were tired, but their hearts were strong because there were many people who came to see them. ¡°Hyung, you go shower first.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± While Ian went to the bathroom and washed up, Park Seodam turned on his phone. He skillfully browsed through themunity he often visited and saw a post that said: -Fans¡¯ reviews of the handshake event (+mostly about maknae) I¡¯m Seodam¡¯s fan so this is mostly about Seodam! Actually I was hesitant to go because of the situation, but they¡¯re going to do their world tour right after their Korean activities??? I can¡¯t go to their fan signing or world tour because of my situation, but I miss them?? So I tried not to spend money there and just did the handshake event and came out, now I¡¯m at the airport! Seodam was so cute and kind today??? He asked me if I wore a pink knit hat before, and that was me??? He remembered me?? ¡®Ah, this person¡­ Is it that person?¡¯ He remembered a Korean who came to a fan event in another country better. Park Seodam scrolled down. Actually I went there to cheer him up because he seemed down, but I didn¡¯t need to worry! Seodam is popr in Japan! I felt proud when I saw the long line for him! What perfume does he use? He smelled good too! ©¸Really? That¡¯s good! I was so stressed because some people kept saying that maknae has no poprity and there will be a shortage of tickets??? ©¸I don¡¯t know why they pressed the rage button for no reason ©¸They¡¯re just jealous?? ©¸Let¡¯s just say nice things on a good review post??? Thank you for your review! I miss our boy too??? Park Seodam, who remembered one bad word more than ten good ones, felt his heart sink. ¡®I guess fans feel like they¡¯re being insulted too when idols are insulted?¡¯ Even though he didn¡¯t do anything wrong legally or morally, he was insulted for no reason. That¡¯s what being a celebrity was. There were people who were hurt by the insults that had no reason besides the person involved. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ Park Seodam looked at his right hand. He still felt the warmth of the people who came to see him, who held his hand with a shy expression and said they were really fans. ¡°Hyung, I¡¯m done washing. Come in.¡± Park Seodam got up quickly when he saw Iane out of the shower. ¡°Hyung, can you teach me how to sing?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Ian stopped shaking the water from his head and sat on the bed. ¡°Suddenly? Now?¡± ¡°Or whenever you¡¯refortable.¡± ¡°Why do you want to learn how to sing?¡± Park Seodam hesitated. ¡°I told you at our graduation ceremony, hyung. You guys can show off your talents and I just need to make money from group activities¡­¡± He thought that way because it was easier for him. But was it because he didn¡¯t want to try hard and ran away? Park Seodam suddenly thought of Kim Young-hyun, who had moved to anotherpany recently. ¡°But I think that¡¯s wrong. I was relieved when we debuted, but honestly, debut is not the end, right?¡± Park Seodam wanted to be a singer who could be proud of his fans, not a singer who just made enough money. ¡°I think what I told you is the same as beingzy¡­ I shouldn¡¯t think like that.¡± What would the fans who liked him, who was beingzy, be? Ian nodded and said it made sense. ¡°And actually¡­ I don¡¯t want to be like Young-hyun hyung. He might be upset if he hears this, but¡­¡± Park Seodam wanted more people toe see him. He didn¡¯t want to move to anotherpany like he was running away from hisck of ability, and he wanted his members to be by his side until he retired. ¡°Really?¡± Ian crossed his arms. ¡®You got greedy?¡¯ Of course, in a good way. Ian smiled warmly. ¡°But you don¡¯t have to learn from me, there¡¯s a vocal trainer at thepany anyway.¡± ¡°But you sing well.¡± ¡°Singing well doesn¡¯t mean teaching well¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re better than me.¡± The conversation was strangely off, and Ian raised one eyebrow. Park Seodam suddenly headed for the hotel room entrance. [What¡¯s up with him? He stopped talking and left?] ¡®Let¡¯s follow him for now.¡¯ Ian chased after Park Seodam. T here were always bodyguards waiting in the hallway because of thest incident. While Ian greeted the bodyguard, Park Seodam knocked on the door of the next room. ¡°Hyung hyung hyung! Hyungs! Open the door!¡± That room was Kim Hyun and Kim Joo-young¡¯s room. Kim Joo-young opened the door while humming a song. ¡°Byung byung byung! I¡¯m Kungcheol~ What? What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Hyungs, please teach me how to dance! Hard!¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Kim Joo-young looked at Ian. Ian shrugged his shoulders. ¡®He must have asked Taewoong to teach him how to act, and Jinhyuk hyung and Juhyuk hyung to teach him how topose and write lyrics.¡¯ [That sounds usible.] Ian politely called the other members. ¡°What? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Seodam has a big announcement.¡± Jinhyuk yawned and opened his mouth wide. ¡°What is it? What about Seodam?¡± ¡°Actually¡­¡± Park Seodam told them his feelings without holding back. Everyone flinched at his blunt words that he didn¡¯t want to be like Kim Young-hyun. ¡°But do you really need to learn from us? There are trainers at thepany too¡­ If you ask them, they¡¯ll probably agree.¡± ¡°But you guys are good at it.¡± ¡°That¡­ is true, but.¡± Taewoong nodded awkwardly. The membersughed quietly at hisck of modesty. It was better than having no self-esteem. ¡°We¡¯re going to start our activities right away when we go back to Korea, and we have a world tour too. Then we won¡¯t have much time¡­¡± [Why do you need to learn from amateurs? You¡¯ll naturally improve your skills when you go on a world tour, right?] ¡®I don¡¯t know, I¡¯ve never done it before.¡¯ Some people say they improved their singing or dancing skills after going on a world tour, but Ian thought the basics were important. ¡®It¡¯s dangerous if you pick up bad habits along the way. You have to fix them from the start¡­ But that¡¯s something the vocal trainer would know better, and can I teach well?¡¯ [Why not? You have some talent. Just teach what you learned.] ¡®That¡¯s a bit vague.¡¯ Ian hesitated. He had a lot of lessons under his belt since his Kim Yong-min days, but it was different when he had to teach someone else. Even if he taught what he learned as Jin said, would that be the right method for Park Seodam? He had doubts about that. ¡°If you¡¯re annoyed, I can¡¯t help it¡­¡± Park Seodam looked noticeably gloomy and Juhyuk waved his hand. ¡°No, no, it¡¯s not that we¡¯re annoyed¡­ It¡¯s just that we¡¯re not skilled enough to teach someone seriously.¡± ¡°Me too, that¡¯s what I think.¡± Ian added, but Taewoong shrugged his shoulders and said. ¡°Not me?¡± ¡°Wow, look at Jo-tang being shameless.¡± Joo-young threw a crumpled cleansing tissue at Taewoong. Taewoong fought back. ¡°Who are we going to teach?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t we have a lot to learn ourselves?¡± In the midst of the paper flying around, Juhyuk and Jinhyuk spoke seriously. Park Seodam¡¯s eyes looked desperate and he didn¡¯t seem to give up easily. Juhyuk thought hard and eximed. ¡°We can do that!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Study group.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± The members pped their hands. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea, right? We learn the basics from the trainers and review with each other.¡± ¡°And sometimes we show our fans our study sessions on Y-app broadcasts.¡± ¡°We can also upload videos on MyTube once a week as study group assignments.¡± ¡°Dongsu hyung will probably agree too, right?¡± The members chatted excitedly. ¡°Okay, what do you want to do? Jinhyuk and I will doposing and writing lyrics, Joo-young and Hyun will do dance duo¡­ Taewoong will do acting. Ian will do vocal, Seodam will do¡­¡± ¡°Me too?¡± ¡°Of course you too, it¡¯s a study group. You just want to steal our know-how?¡± ¡°Uh¡­? No? That¡¯s not it¡­¡± Park Seodam tilted his head. What can I teach the hyungs? ¡°Seodam is obviously the leader. You¡¯re good at it.¡± ¡°If we learn from Seodam, can we also get music show MC jobs?¡± ¡°I actually wanted to try MCing.¡± Ian, Taewoong, and Joo-young said casually. Park Seodam smiled brightly. ¡°Then when do you want to start?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s start tomorrow before we lose our motivation.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Juhyuk brought hisptop and made a schedule. The n was getting bigger and bigger. *** ¡°Study group? So that¡¯s why you¡¯re singing in the car?¡± ¡°Yes, is it noisy, hyung?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s a good idea, right?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll also show our fans on Y-app broadcasts.¡± Park Dongsuughed as he listened to the members¡¯ excited ns. They made their own content and improved their teamwork. As a manager, he had to wee it with both hands. It was easier for him to take care of them when they were close than when they fought. ¡®I did well to take care of them.¡¯ They were doing self-development on their own, so he couldn¡¯t just suck his fingers as an adult. Park Dongsu opened his phone memo and wrote ¡®Ask thepany to assign more trainers for the kids¡¯. ¡°Good! Go ahead!¡± Chapter 77: Chapter 77: Chapter 77 Sometimes I think he came from the future. Lee Juhyuk was moving his mouse with half-open eyes, tired from his work. In the dim dawn, Park Jinhyuk, who shared the room with him, was already sleeping soundly on the bed. ¡°¡­Good.¡± He chuckled as he finished his work satisfactorily. He looked like he had lost half of his mind. He closed hisptop after checking the file¡¯s save two or three times. ¡°That¡¯s it for now.¡± He stretched out contentedly and put down the headset he had received as a gift from the members. He flopped down on his bed. ¡°I hope it goes well.¡± *** His phone vibrated continuously even though there was no call. He checked the message and said. ¡°MyKit guys are still in Osaka.¡± ¡°Really? Maybe we can meet them?¡± Park Jinhyuk turned on his phone. Park Seodam, who was learning vocalization techniques in his spare time, took a sip of water and said. ¡°They¡¯ve been here for a while, haven¡¯t they?¡± ¡°I know¡­ Dongsoo hyung! Can we meet them if we have time?¡± Ian also checked the group chat and saw that the MyKit members were lonely and wanted to meet them. ¡°It¡¯s okay if you tell me when you¡¯re going in advance.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Park Dongsoo had been trying to rx the Awi members after the study group. Awi was finishing their activities in Japan with Osaka and finally returning to Korea. ¡°It¡¯s almost over in Japan. Well, we¡¯ll be back again this year anyway.¡± ¡°It feels like we came here yesterday¡­ I guess time flies when you¡¯re busy.¡± They had a busy schedule of doing events all day in one city and then going to another city to do events and perform. If they had an early day off, they would study together or show their faces frequently on Y app broadcasts so that the domestic fans wouldn¡¯t feel left out. ¡°Let¡¯s order Korean food when we go back to Korea.¡± ¡°Good idea, I thought my mouth would dry up here. The ramen I had earlier was full of salt.¡± ¡°My mouth is already pickled cabbage.¡± ¡°Speaking of cabbage, I want kimchi.¡± At that moment, all the members said ¡°me too!¡± and lost their appetite. ¡°We¡¯ll start working on the next album when we go back, right?¡± ¡°Juhyuk hyung! How is it?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Lee Juhyuk scratched his head. His dark circles hadn¡¯t disappeared. He had been working on songs whenever he had time, even in the midst of his busy schedule. Park Dongsoo tried to stop him from overdoing it, but he didn¡¯t stop. ¡°Are you pushing yourself too hard?¡± Ian looked at Lee Juhyuk¡¯splexion and asked. ¡°No, I¡¯m fine.¡± The Korean music chart was in controversy over manipting the chart rankings and idol songs lining up the chart with fandom streaming. As a result, there was talk of reforming the chart, but Lee Juhyuk had a desire to reach number one with his own song before that. ¡°I want to try to get number one before it¡¯s toote. With a song I made.¡± He had been able toe up with a good melody while studying with the members. He looked confident even though he looked tired, and Kim Hyun patted Lee Juhyuk¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You can do it!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t your song rockst time? We can get number one, right?¡± ¡°We¡¯re awesome in everything.¡± The members cheered Lee Juhyuk on as they entered the event hall. The fans who spotted Awi screamed. The members waved their hands at the fans and headed to the dressing room. *** (Can you all find your way here?) ¡°Are we stupid? We can read maps too. Send your location on chat.¡± Cho Taewoong said confidently. Kim Cheolmin sent their location to Awi with doubt. Awi finished all their schedules in Japan and returned to Korea tomorrow. ¡°Where is this?¡± ¡°Just send our location first.¡± Cho Taewoong turned his phone around to find directions. There were noticeably fewer Korean tourists because of ¡®the situation¡¯. ¡°Oh, takoyaki.¡± ¡°Should we buy thatter and go to the hotel?¡± Ian shook his head. ¡°No, we came here to earn yen. Let¡¯s save money¡­ Don¡¯t forget about ¡®the situation¡¯.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Cho Taewoong quickly agreed. They attracted people¡¯s attention wherever they went in Korea because of their camera massage, but it was no different here. They were tall and slender men walking around the streets, and people passing by would look back at them once or twice. ¡°This must be it.¡± ¡°Is this ce really that good?¡± Awi opened the sliding door and entered the restaurant. Someone waved at them from a corner seat. It was Jung Jisoo, the leader of MyKit. ¡°Here!¡± ¡°Long time no see.¡± They greeted each other warmly without any hesitation. Jung Jisoo asked Lee Juhyuk. ¡°Have you been well?¡± ¡°Yeah, you too?¡± ¡°Same as always. Let¡¯s order something first.¡± They sat down. They had made a reservation in advance, so they could sit together by putting 13 tables together. Jung Jisoo looked at the menu. There was a Korean menu as well, since tourists often came here. ¡°Are you all okay with skewers? Anything you can¡¯t eat?¡± ¡°Skewers are good. Except for Taewoong¡¯s shellfish allergy, nothing really?¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll order whatever I want?¡± The Awi members admired the MyKit members who ordered in fluent Japanese. ¡°Wow, are you Japanese?¡± ¡°You¡¯re so good.¡± Park Jinhyuk and Cho Taewoong teased them and Jung Jisoo shrugged his shoulders. ¡°We¡¯ve been in Japan ever since we called you guys.¡± ¡°We can even speak in dialect.¡± Kim Cheolminughed. His face was dark, and it wasn¡¯t because he was happy. Ian looked at them sharply. ¡°There¡¯s something going on, isn¡¯t there?¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s creepy¡­ You really are a shaman.¡± When did the word ¡®shaman¡¯ spread to MyKit? Ian crossed his arms and looked at the MyKit members. ¡°Let¡¯s eat first and talk.¡± Kim Cheolmin sighed. He saw Jung Jisoo drinking beer after ordering it and Lee Juhyuk said with a serious face. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Lee Ichun and Park Jaehyung, the MyKit members who were the same age as Park Seodam, bowed their heads. ¡°Our stay got extended.¡± ¡°Your activities in Japan? Didn¡¯t you say you wereing to Korea, Jisoo hyung?¡± Park Seodam asked back and Jung Jisoo nodded. ¡°We were nning to go back to Korea and do activities around the same time as you guys. But I guess we¡¯re making some money here. They said let¡¯s just do two more months and go.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± They had heard that they did all kinds of weird events. The Awi members sighed. Feeling the mood getting heavy, Jung Jisoo said. ¡°We didn¡¯t call you to talk about this.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all because our kid has such a good sense of things that it¡¯s a problem.¡± Ian scratched his cheek. Park Seon, who was sitting across from Ian,ughed. ¡°But they don¡¯t make you do anything weird, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Park Seon looked like he had lost more weight than when he was on ¡®Idol Rapper¡¯. They must have suffered a lot. Ian took a sip of water. ¡°Ah, I want to go back to Korea.¡± ¡°But you made good money, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Money? Oh¡­ are we buying this?¡± ¡°For real?¡± Jung Jisoo pulled out a card from his wallet with exaggerated gestures. Cho Taewoong leaned his upper body on the table and stared at the MyKit members. Jung Jisoo said proudly. ¡°I got a little settlement.¡± ¡°Wow, I¡¯m so jealous. When are we getting ours?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t get it? You did a lot of events.¡± Kim Cheolmin looked at Ian. ¡°We should get ours soon too, right?¡± He remembered that Park Dongsoo had hinted that there would be good news when they went back to Korea. Park Seon grumbled. ¡°But you guys don¡¯t have to do anything weird. Our problem is that ourpany seems to have gotten a taste for money. I¡¯m afraid it might be longer than two months.¡± MyKit seemed to want to vent their frustrations, as they nodded slightly at Park Seon¡¯s words. ¡°But you have toe back to Korea at least once in ¡®the situation¡¯, right?¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Park Seonughed self-deprecatingly. He was anxious that the Korean fans might leave him if he only did activities in Japan. ¡°Let¡¯s endure it even if we¡¯re spinning around. We¡¯ll have toe back to Korea by the end of this year anyway. At thetest, early next year?¡± Ian smiled meaningfully. Leaving aside the Korea-Japan rtions, there would be an outbreak of an epidemic in China by the end of this year. This was something Ian couldn¡¯t do anything about even though he knew the future. [Come to think of it, yourpany timed your world tour well.] ¡®Should I buy some masks in advance?¡¯ Awi would probably finish their world tour and be working on their next album in Korea when the coronavirus spread. His smile looked mysterious, and the MyKit and Awi members murmured. ¡°Doesn¡¯t he sound trustworthy even though he has no basis for his words?¡± ¡°I agree.¡± ¡°But his words are 100% urate. Scissors scissors.¡± ¡°Really? Then what can we expect from him?¡± Lee Juhyuk, who was sitting next to Ian, tapped Ian¡¯s back lightly. ¡°Sometimes I think he came from the future.¡± [Caught.] Ian tried hard to keep his expression. *** ¡°Oh right, there was someone like that! He gave me a note with his phone number and said contact me~ But he came all the way to Japan and asked me why I didn¡¯t contact him.¡± ¡°Wow.¡± Awi responded appropriately to MyKit¡¯sints. MyKit mostly talked about their crazy fans, but Awi felt ufortable because it felt like they were joining in on the gossip behind their fans¡¯ backs. ¡°But there was someone who came to our hotel and opened the door with a master key and came in.¡± ¡°Is that possible?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have bodyguards.¡± ¡°Oh, but we had something simr happen to us too.¡± Of course, Awi also enjoyed chatting about their stalkers. They had been talking for over two hours since they met. ¡°Do you know that person who¡¯sing to our table?¡± Ian asked as he saw a big man walking towards them. Kim Cheolmin turned around and looked visibly flustered. ¡°Huh, it¡¯s our manager hyung.¡± MyKit bowed their heads as a group. It didn¡¯t matter how much they bowed, Kim Cheolmin¡¯s bleached hair wasn¡¯t going anywhere. MyKit¡¯s manager stood in front of them with an angry face. ¡°Are you still here? We have to go back to our ce now. Do you know how many schedules we have tomorrow?¡± ¡°Hello.¡± Ian got up and smiled and greeted him. He even shook hands with MyKit¡¯s manager. ¡°¡­Oh, are these your friends Awi?¡± He noticed Awi and his eyes widened. ¡°If you were meeting them, you should have told me earlier.¡± MyKit was embarrassed by his attitude change from being tough to groveling. Jung Jisoo blushed as he saw that. Lee Juhyuk got up and said. ¡°Don¡¯t be too hard on them. Jisoo wanted to go, but we wanted to y more so we held him back.¡± ¡°Oh, well, friends need to relieve their stress sometimes.¡± ¡°Right? We were about to get up anyway.¡± ¡°Then how about taking a picture with our kids since we met? Can I post it on SNS?¡± He was tantly trying to use Awi¡¯s poprity, and MyKit was ashamed and bowed their heads. Lee Juhyuk got up and smiled. ¡°Sure, why don¡¯t we take a group photo outside? We don¡¯t have many photos with you guys.¡± ¡°Yeah, I wanted to take a group photo. We couldn¡¯t take one at the Arimpic.¡± ¡°Right! Can you take it with our phones too?¡± Awi tried hard to lighten the heavy mood. Chapter 78: Chapter 78: Chapter 78 Is he really possessed? (I hope he didn¡¯t feel awkward because of us. I¡¯m sorry.) ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. We wanted to take a picture with you guys too. The fans also wanted to know how the Mafiaz are doing.¡± (Really? That¡¯s good then¡­ Are you going back to Korea now?) ¡°Yeah, we just left the hotel. We have to start working on our next album as soon as we get there.¡± (You guys will do well. We¡¯ll be there soon too.) Lee Joo-hyuk sighed with relief after finishing his call with Mike Jung-ji-soo. Awi loaded their luggage into the van and headed to the airport. ¡°Are you already drooling over the thought of eating kimchi stew when you get to Korea?¡± ¡°My stomach is nervous.¡± Kim Hyun and Park Jin-hyuk chatted while Lee Joo-hyuk closed his eyes from exhaustion. Jo Tae-woong and Ian were also tired and just looked out the window. Kim Joo-young, who was listening to music, handed one of his earphones to Park Seo-dam. ¡°¡­Seo-dam, try singing this.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Park Seo-dam frowned as he shared the earphone with Kim Joo-young. ¡°Hyung, this is too low for me.¡± ¡°Really? Just try it once. I think it suits you well.¡± After the study group, the members had a lively exchange of opinions. Since they could only practice singing in the van, they hummed songs without disturbing the driver. ¡°Ah¡­ ah. Is this the right pitch?¡± Park Seo-dam cleared his throat and sang. The song was by Kim Hee-sang, released in thete 80s, a legendary song among maniacs, with a charming low voice. Suddenly, Lee Joo-hyuk, who was sleeping, opened his eyes wide and turned his head to look at the back seat. Kim Joo-young flinched at his movement. ¡°What?¡± ¡°What¡­ what?¡± ¡°It suits you so well? Who chose this song?¡± Park Seo-dam pointed his finger at Kim Joo-young. ¡°Seo-dam has a talent for low notes?¡± Lee Joo-hyuk muttered with a nk face. Awi¡¯s overall direction was focused on strong performances. As a result, most of Awi¡¯s songs were high-pitched. The low parts were handled by Lee Joo-hyuk and Park Jin-hyuk, who rapped, and the high parts were mainly by Ian. The members who couldn¡¯t hit high notes mostly used falsetto for recording. ¡°Joo-young, how did you know?¡± ¡°I just¡­ thought it would suit him well? His voice is really low when he¡¯s not fully awake.¡± That¡¯s why Park Seo-dam had never sung in a low voice before. It was an unexpected discovery. The members looked at Kim Joo-young with puzzled expressions. Kim Joo-young shrugged as if nothing was wrong. [Does he have a good sense?] ¡®It¡¯s amazing that he matched this song with his sleepy voice.¡¯ He even chose a song that fit Park Seo-dam¡¯s vocal range well. It was Park Seo-dam¡¯s low voice and Kim Joo-young¡¯s rediscovery. *** Awi returned to Korea and went straight to thepany¡¯s practice room without any rest. Lee Joo-hyuk, who had been lost in thought since Osaka airport, finally came to his senses. He grabbed Kim Joo-young¡¯s arm. ¡°Joo-young, let¡¯s go to theposing room.¡± ¡°Me? Why me?¡± ¡°I have something to do with you. Jin-hyuk,e with me too.¡± Kim Joo-young and Park Jin-hyuk were dragged along, and the remaining members did stretching exercises in the dance practice room. Ian, who was twisting his waist with his hands on his knees, said. ¡°Hyun hyung, teach us some dance moves.¡± ¡°Should I? I revised the choreography we made before. Let¡¯s record it and upload it on MyTube.¡± ¡°Sounds good.¡± As they were about to practice lightly without music, with Kim Hyun in the center, something happened. ¡°Guys, are you here? Good job.¡± ¡°Hello, director.¡± The director, Seo Su-ryeon, opened the door of the dance practice room and greeted them with a smile. ¡°I was worried about you guys, but I¡¯m d you came back without any trouble. Where are the others?¡± ¡°They¡¯re in theposing room. Joo-hyuk hyung is going crazy right now. He¡¯s almost possessed.¡± ¡°Really? He must be working well¡­ Well then, let me introduce you to our new trainees first.¡± ¡°Trainees?¡± Seo Su-ryeon opened the door of the dance practice room. ¡°Hello!¡± A group of boys with fresh faces that looked like they had just entered middle school came in and bowed deeply to Awi. ¡°These are our new trainees.¡± ¡°Oh, you already auditioned them.¡± ¡°Some of them came here because of you guys. They said you¡¯re their role models.¡± Role models already? Ian looked at the trainees with a strange expression. He roughly counted them and there were about 20 of them. The trainees looked at Awi with sparkling eyes. ¡°Hello!¡± The members greeted them awkwardly. They had always been juniors, but now they were seniors and it felt weird. The new trainees would start their training in the practice room that ck Rush used to use. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to interrupt your practice, guys. But I thought you should get to know each other¡¯s faces, so I called them.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± The trainees shouted enthusiastically, making the members flinch. They felt the same way when they greeted ck Rush. Jo Tae-woong tapped Ian¡¯s arm. ¡®What do we do in this situation?¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t know.¡¯ Ian shrugged his shoulders. Kim Hyun stepped forward as the representative. ¡°Hi. Oh, can I speak informally? You guys are younger than us, right?¡± Kim Hyun spoke in a yful tone, making some of the traineesugh. He had the confidence of a veteran trainee. ¡°We¡¯re preparing for our album right now, so we don¡¯t have much time, but if you have any questions, feel free to ask us anytime.¡± ¡°Yeah. Don¡¯t think too hard about it.¡± Ian added to Kim Hyun¡¯s words. ¡°You¡¯re handsome¡­¡± One of the trainees opened his mouth and there was a roar from here and there saying that they were really fans. ¡°Do you remember me? Do you want me to buy you a drink?¡± Jo Tae-woong smiled mischievously at the trainee. The traineesughed. Awi made them feelfortable without being too heavy-handed, and the trainees looked more rxed. ¡°Well then, guys, good luck.¡± ¡°Yes. Please go ahead, director.¡± The trainees followed Seo Su-ryeon out of Awi¡¯s practice room. As they left, they wanted to watch Awi¡¯s practice, so they nced back at them. But as soon as they went out into the hallway, they stuck to the ss door of the practice room and watched Awi. ¡°They¡¯re young¡­ I used to be like that too.¡± ¡°They¡¯re cute. It¡¯s like watching our younger siblings.¡± ¡°Seo-dam is exactly like that when he was younger, right?¡± Jo Tae-woong and Park Seo-dam said, and Jin snorted as if they weren¡¯t much different in age. Ian waved his hand at the trainees outside the ss door. The trainees immediately responded by waving their hands back. ¡°Can you believe we¡¯re seniors already?¡± Kim Hyun chuckled. He also used to be in that position, greeting ck Rush and watching them practice by the door. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s practice!¡± *** [M Column] I-One¡¯s disbandment and My-Dear¡¯s joint enlistment¡­ Who will be the next K-pop star? ¡­Multiple music insiders unanimously picked ¡®AWY¡¯ as the next K-pop star to seed I-One and My-Dear. They said: ¡°They have high-quality performance and songs that show their unique color. Not only that, they can alsopose, write lyrics, rap, dance, sing, and act¡­ Each member has versatile charms.¡± ¡°They are different from My-Dear, who prioritized group activities. They can showcase their individual talents in various fields while being group-oriented. I like that.¡± ¡°They are a group that never stops growing.¡± Then, who is the most anticipated member among AWY? The answer was surprising. ¡°Seodam. I saw Seodam¡¯s cover video on MyTube a few days ago. It was a rediscovery of her voice. I look forward to her future.¡± ¡°I would choose Joo Hyuk, the leader. The songs heposed were not very popr, but I think he had a great musical sense. If he can capture the public¡¯s taste, he can make a long-running hit song.¡± *** After Kim Joo Young¡¯s rediscovery, Lee Joo Hyuk asked for opinions from other members whenever he worked on a song. ¡°Hyung, is this really helpful?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Lee Joo Hyuk smiled at Ian¡¯s question. AWY had received songs from the hit-makers Blue Mix and Jung Se Joon, so he felt pressured to present his own song as the next one. But he realized that it was too heavy to carry it alone, so he asked for feedback from the members. They were the ones who would sing the song anyway. ¡°How about this?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ This is good. Where did you learn topose?¡± ¡°Just a little bit?¡± He didn¡¯t expect his pastposing experience to be so helpful. Ianughed softly. ¡°Hyung, but I really have nothing in mind.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± The members cut their free time to gather in theposing room for Joo Hyuk. They studied together, yed pranks like hidden cameras, and chatted about trivial things. Joo Hyuk observed them and put the mood that came to his mind into the song. Even Jo Tae Woong acted out his previous roles in front of the members. ¡°Then just y any melody.¡± Joo Hyuk tapped the keyboard. Jo Tae Woong sat in front of the keyboard with a doubtful face. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to y piano.¡± ¡°Then y with your feet.¡± And Jo Tae Woong really yed with his feet. Ian quietly took a picture of that scene. *** The members who habitually visited theposing room gathered one by one. ¡°What? Joo Hyuk hyung is not here.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t he a ghost here?¡± ¡°He must have finished his work.¡± They didn¡¯t see Joo Hyuk who always stared at the monitor. He arrivedst, with a face that showed he had slept well after finishing his workst night. ¡°Guys, I have a guide now¡­ Do you want to listen?¡± ¡°Finally!¡± The members shouted. It was a song they made together in a way, so they all had high expectations. Joo Hyuk yed the song. It was a song that he recorded all by himself, including the guide vocal. ¡°Wow.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it good?¡± The members eximed as a sophisticated Latin pop song filled the studio. The melody was catchy from the intro. ¡®Is it just me who likes it? What do you think?¡¯ [Well¡­ It¡¯s not bad.] That was a very positive reaction from Jin. ¡°We don¡¯t need a blind test for this, right? It will totally beat the other songs.¡± ¡°There¡¯s more.¡± ¡°There¡¯s more?¡± Lee Joo Hyuk turned hisptop and showed it to the members. ¡°¡­How many songs are these?¡± Theputer folder was full of files with names like _final, _finalfinal, _nailedit, etc. ¡°These are all done except for recording?¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s still post-production, but yeah.¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± ¡°But these are not the songs I¡¯ve been working on alone. These are the ones I wrote with you guys. You all did a great job.¡± Lee Joo Hyuk yed the songs one by one. The members gaped. The number of songs was not something that could be produced in a short time, and the quality of the songs was very high. ¡®Did he get possessed by a god?¡¯ [Wow¡­ This is good too.] Jin was immersed in the music. The members pped after thest song ended. ¡°Wow, hyung, this is amazing.¡± ¡°Seriously, these are not just good because they¡¯re our hyung¡¯s songs. They¡¯re all masterpieces.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go for all-title tracks.¡± The members ttered him. Kim Hyun took out a small jelly bag from his pocket and handed it to Lee Joo Hyuk. ¡°Hyung, don¡¯t die.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s make amittee to prevent Lee Joo Hyuk¡¯s overwork death.¡± ¡°Hyung, let¡¯s stay together for a long time.¡± The other members also gave him snacks one by one. Lee Joo Hyukughed and epted their gratitude. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything like that¡­ But this.¡± ¡°Oh,e on.¡± ¡°Why!¡± Of course, he didn¡¯t take the pine leaf drink that Ian offered. Chapter 79: Chapter 79: Chapter 79 Being handsome is also a talent. ¡°Insane!¡± ¡°Hyung!¡± ¡°Guys!¡± Ian jumped up from his seat as he checked the text message alert. The members who were resting on the floor gathered in the center of the practice room as if they had timed it. ¡°Did you all see it?¡± The other members nodded their heads with serious expressions at Lee Joo-hyuk¡¯s question. They were holding their phones tightly in their hands. Jo Tae-woong couldn¡¯t contain his joy and chuckled. The other members also smiled brightly. ¡°Let¡¯s not split up!¡± ¡°Never betray!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s sign a lifetime contract!¡± Awi hugged each other in the middle of the practice room and spun around like they had won a sportspetition. ¡°How much is this? How many zeros are there?¡± ¡°Do we have any events today?¡± Some members were looking at their bank apps, while others were calling their parents. Ian calmly opened his email and looked over the detailed settlement details. He had earned more than Kim Yong-min did when he was active as Diamond, even though he had only done one season of events. ¡®How much would a concert be if domestic events are this much¡­¡¯ [What¡¯s the point of saying it? It¡¯s a different dimension.] ¡®Wow, shit¡­¡¯ Of course, Ian alsoughed like a madman as a member of Awi and joined the members in singing the song of victory. The noise reached the hallway, and the trainees who came to receive training peeked into Awi¡¯s practice room. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s go in.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± The trainees entered the next practice room with a look of regret, as if they had seen something they shouldn¡¯t have seen, at Awi members¡¯ crazedughter. ¡°Mom! I got my settlement!¡± They were all out of their minds because of the overnight practice, but the trainees didn¡¯t know their situation. *** ¡°Good morning.¡± ¡°Did the CEOe?¡± The employee stopped plugging in hisptop and got up. Lee Byung-hun, the CEO of BHL Entertainment, sat in the highest seat and pressed his throbbing head. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m tired. I went to third round with this PD yesterday¡­ Should we order some coffee?¡± ¡°That sounds good.¡± ¡°Hello!¡± The employees opened the door one by one and entered. As more people gathered, a heavy atmosphere filled the BHL Entertainment conference room where they were about to start the blind test. ¡°Do you have anything to say before we start the meeting, CEO?¡± Seo Su-ryeon, who was sitting next to the CEO, took a sip of her coffee and asked. ¡°Hmm, I feel like I¡¯m treating our precious kids as products, but this is the only analogy I can think of¡­¡± The CEO muttered softly and then said. ¡°A few days ago, our cash cow, ck Rush, practically disbanded.¡± There might be some individual fans who only liked their bias, but most people liked their bias who was active in the group. That¡¯s why usually, the group¡¯s poprity doesn¡¯t trante into individual poprity. And they don¡¯t divide the group¡¯s poprity by the number of members either. That¡¯s why there was a limit to pushing for individual activities of ck Rush members who remained in BHL Entertainment. ¡°That¡¯s why this time is very important. Please share your opinions without hesitation.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Awi was on the rise, so they had to keep up this momentum by exceeding expectations in this activity. ¡°I¡¯ll start the blind test now.¡± They entrusted Lee Joo-hyuk withposing, but that didn¡¯t mean that thepany let go of its hands. In case Lee Joo-hyuk¡¯s song didn¡¯t meet their expectations or there was some unexpected variable, thepany had collected songs from otherposers. ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll y the first song.¡± The employee yed the audio file. It was an attractive song that captivated the ears from the first jazz-like melody. Lee Byung-hun raised one eyebrow. ¡®This is good? It¡¯s not just me, right?¡¯ He looked at Seo Su-ryeon across from him. Seo Su-ryeon also nodded her head. They circled number 1 on their survey sheets. ¡°The second song.¡± He thought there was no need to listen to the next song since this one was already great. The CEO leaned back from his seat. ¡°Wow¡­ This is good too.¡± He listened to the next song and clenched his fist. ¡®This is a hit.¡¯ The employees gasped softly at the explosive sound that started with a brilliant guitar melody. It was a song that felt like it would appeal not only in Korea but also overseas. The CEO drank water after listening to six songs in total. ¡°They¡¯re coposed songs, but so far six songs have been participated by the sameposer.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Seo Su-ryeon widened her eyes. There were already circles from number 1 to 6 on her survey sheet. ¡°From what I heard, they all sound like title candidates, don¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Who is theposer? Let¡¯s spend some money.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we bring theposer to our exclusive contract?¡± The employees buzzed. ¡°Let¡¯s check theposer first and listen to the next song. If it¡¯s a rookie, let¡¯s scout them right away.¡± The CEO hardened his expression. It was a talent that he didn¡¯t want to lose to anotherpany. He hoped it wasn¡¯t someone from anotherpany. ¡°Uh¡­ I don¡¯t think you need to do that, CEO.¡± The employee who checked theposer showed the information on the screen with a nervous expression. ¡°Oh my.¡± The employees murmured. Awi members had their names on each of the six songs, with Lee Joo-hyuk and Park Jin-hyuk as the mainposers. This could be a hit. The CEO pressed his rising smile without realizing it. ¡°Ourpany must be lucky, CEO.¡± Seo Su-ryeon muttered nkly. After ck Rush¡¯s Jung Se-jun, now Lee Joo-hyuk. The talent came to them on their own. *** ¡°We got our settlement, what are you guys going to do?¡± Park Jin-hyuk asked after the morning dance practice was over. ¡°First of all, let¡¯s eat something delicious today.¡± ¡°What should we eat?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go slice some meat!¡± The members who were lying down exhausted got up at once. Kim Joo-young was even searching for nearby restaurants. ¡°They said there¡¯s a blind test today, I wonder how it went.¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to say, it must be Joo-hyuk hyung.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk pressed his temples nervously. Even if his song was well chosen, he could be pushed out of the title at any time if anotherposer¡¯s song was better ¡°Hey, guys!¡± ¡°Uh? Hello, boss!¡± ¡°Can you all gather here for a bit?¡± The boss headed to the center of the practice room without a word. ¡®What¡¯s going on? What¡¯s happening?¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t know.¡¯ The members looked at each other andmunicated with their eyes, but they didn¡¯t know the reason and gathered in the center of the practice room with confusion. Only Ian was smiling. He must have heard Lee Joo-hyuk¡¯s song. ¡°My babies!¡± ¡°Ack!¡± ¡°Boss, are you okay?¡± The boss hugged the members without caring about his dignity. Lee Byung-hun, the boss, was a person with arge physique who liked to work out and was over 180 cm tall. ¡°Where did these treasurese from to ourpany!¡± The boss was ttering them through the ss door of the practice room. They say that praise makes even a whale dance, and the members also enjoyed the situation and cheered at the boss¡¯s reaction. The trainees who came out to the hallway for lunchtime looked at them. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s go eat.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± The trainees wanted to say ¡®Thispany is weird¡¯, but they decided to keep it in their hearts. ¡°What do you want to eat? I¡¯ll treat you!¡± The boss took out his personal card, not even a corporate card. Free food is always delicious. The members shouted. ¡°Meat!¡± ¡°Korean beef!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go to the ce that Young-hyun hyung bought us before!¡± *** The blind test was almost unanimously selected Lee Joo-hyuk¡¯s song. All six songs they worked on were scheduled to be included in the album. ¡°Can you make it a little more rhythmic there?¡± (Um¡­ I¡¯ll try.) ordingly, the members became busier because of the recording, and the member who received Lee Joo-hyuk¡¯s focused directing was Park Seo-dam. The R&B soul-style track had to highlight Park Seo-dam¡¯s low voice from the beginning. ¡°Good. You cane out.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk took off his earphones with a satisfied expression. Park Seo-dam came out of the recording booth and drank water, and Park Jin-hyuk went in for the next recording. ¡°Seo-dam has improved a lot.¡± Kim Joo-young raised his thumb and shook it. In a friendly atmosphere, only one person who always talked a lot was silent. ¡°Jin-hyuk doesn¡¯t need any help.¡± (Am I done?) ¡°Let¡¯s do it one more time.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk was engrossed in recording, and the members who were watching yed jokes on each other. Cho Tae-woong, who was sitting in the corner of the recording studio, had a bad expression. He was originally the first batter of recording, but he changed his order to record at the end because he didn¡¯t record well. Eventually, Cho Tae-woong, who got up from his seat without saying anything, went out of the recording studio. [Where is he going?] ¡°Hyung, I¡¯ll go check on Tae-woong.¡± ¡°¡­Okay. I¡¯ll call you.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk, who rarely scolded, was also uneasy. Ian got up from his seat and went out to the hallway. Cho Tae-woong was lying on the sofa in a small lounge next to the water purifier. Ian tapped Cho Tae-woong, who covered his eyes with one arm. ¡°Hey, are you hurt?¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°¡­Nothing.¡± Nothing my ass. It¡¯s obvious. The other members are finding their talents one by one, but he must feel like he¡¯s being left behind. Ian stood in front of the vending machine and chose a coin. Cho Tae-woong spoke softly. He hated drinking what Ian drank. ¡°¡­I want c.¡± ¡°I got it, man.¡± Ian sat down opposite Cho Tae-woong with a drink. He drank his drink and waited for Cho Tae-woong to open his mouth. ¡°¡­What am I good at?¡± Cho Tae-woong muttered after thinking for a long time. ¡°Seo-dam is flying around these days and Kim Joo-young suddenly shows talent inposing, but I feel like I¡¯m mediocre at dancing and singing.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not mediocre. You¡¯re good at acting too. And you¡¯re part of our group¡¯s visual Bermuda.¡± ¡°But that doesn¡¯t help the group.¡± ¡°Why doesn¡¯t it help?¡± Ian threw his drink can into the trash can. He clicked his tongue as he saw the can bounce off the edge of the trash can. ¡°Hey, being born handsome is also a talent.¡± ¡°It¡¯s so annoying to hear that from your face.¡± Cho Tae-woong chuckled. Ian said with a shameless face. ¡°Do you know how amazing this talent is? You can¡¯t make a natural face with stic surgery. And the fact that you get a response as a celebrity with that face is not an easy thing either.¡± Even if you have the ability, if your face doesn¡¯t support it, people¡¯s interest level drops significantly. Like Kim Yong-min in the past. With a natural face, and not tone-deaf, rhythm-deaf, or body-deaf, and the recognition and acting skills he had built up since he was a child. Ian thought Cho Tae-woong had a lot. ¡°Kim Joo-young didn¡¯t even know he had talent inposing, right? He had it all along.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Seo-dam also said he wouldn¡¯t improve in dancing and singing and would be carried by his hyungs.¡± Ian pulled Cho Tae-woong up. His phone was vibrating. It was Lee Joo-hyuk. ¡°And you might have other talents that you haven¡¯t discovered yet.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be impatient. You¡¯ll get sick if you rush.¡± Cho Tae-woong sighed deeply. He thought he would only be a hindrance to the team if he did this. Ian hit Cho Tae-woong¡¯s shoulder and said. ¡°Don¡¯t be out of ce by yourself¡­ I¡¯ll help you with the singing.¡± ¡°¡­Thanks.¡± Cho Tae-woong felt better than being depressed. Chapter 80: Chapter 80: Chapter 80 What¡¯s our rank? Who is the young independence activist who captivates the audience in the beginning of the movie ¡®The Righteous Army¡¯? The connection continues in ¡®ck Out¡¯¡­ Jo Min-hwan, Ian of Awi reveal a warm two-shot The audience surprised by the cameo appearance¡­ ¡®Why are you there?¡¯ ¡°This is already released.¡± Fortunately, there were no maliciousments. The fans had already taken over the article¡¯sments. Ian browsed through other entertainment news. ¡°Huh?¡± A picture of Diamond¡¯s activity period was hanging on one side of the portal site. ¡®Who is the rising trot star in the first episode of ¡®The Man of Trot¡¯? ¡­Lim Tae-woo, a former member of the idol group ¡®Diamond¡¯, won the hearts of the judges. He impressed the viewers with his handsome face, talent, and story. Lim Tae-woo received good reviews from the judges and ranked first in real-time search after the broadcast. Ian put down the water he was drinking and skimmed through the article. Jo Tae-woong tapped Ian, who was staring at his phone. ¡°Is there anything interesting? Break time is over, we have to go.¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, okay.¡± Ian turned off his phone. Lim Tae-woo would probably do well if he had luck and skill. *** Time passed and it was the day of Awi¡¯seback showcase. Awi ate the support food sent by the fans and went up on stage. They shouted their group greeting and sat down after the photo time. ¡°This album was participated by all members, can you briefly exin how the work process was?¡± ¡°Jin-hyuk and I set up the framework, and we worked on the songs freely with the members¡¯ opinions. There were members who learnedposition, so there was no difficulty in working.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk added with a smile. ¡°The members were a lot of help.¡± Ian also chimed in. ¡°It¡¯s almost like Joo-hyuk hyung did all the work.¡± There were more reporters thanst time at the press showcase, and they kept pressing the shutter. ¡°The title song is a Latin pop genre, is it simr to the songs that were popr in pop musicst year?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s a more exciting song than that. You¡¯ll know when you listen to itter.¡± Jo Tae-woong answered. As the group became popr, there were fewer rude questions. They answered sincerely with afortable mind. After sessfully finishing the press showcase, Awi entered the waiting room at the concert hall. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m so nervous.¡± Park Jin-hyuk, who was fixing his hair and makeup for the fan showcase soon, bit his nails with an anxious face. ¡°What¡¯s our rank?¡± ¡°Hyung, it hasn¡¯t evene out yet. It¡¯s still 55 minutes.¡± The other members were also restless and moved around in and out of the waiting room. Ian poked Kim Joo-young. ¡°What do you expect this time?¡± ¡°I¡¯m number one.¡± ¡°Number one? That¡¯s too much. Isn¡¯t it amazing if we get into the top 10?¡± ¡°The heart count was much higher thanst time.¡± Among them, Lee Joo-hyuk, who had the most pressure, was ying a mobile game with a calm expression. ¡°Hyung, aren¡¯t you nervous?¡± ¡°I felt like throwing up earlier, but I¡¯m fine now.¡± He was actually trying to rx by ying games, but Lee Joo-hyuk had already let go of everything. Awi¡¯s chart entry ranks so far were number one with Blue Mix¡¯s song and number six with Jung Se-jun¡¯s song. Lee Joo-hyuk thought it would be okay even if he got lower than that. He had no regrets as long as he got into the top 20. ¡°It¡¯s updated!¡± ¡°I want to see too.¡± The members stuck to Park Seo-dam¡¯s side and looked at his small phone screen. Park Seo-dam deliberately scrolled to the end of the chart and slowly checked the ranks. Jo Tae-woong said impatiently. ¡°We can go down from above now, right?¡± ¡°Hyung, it¡¯s a dramatic presentation. If you¡¯re unhappy, look at your phone.¡± ¡°It¡¯s more fun to see together.¡± ¡°Huh? Our old songs are up too?¡± Thanks to fandom streaming, Awi¡¯s previous title songs were noticeable in between the chart. ¡°Here it is.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s high.¡± One of the album tracks was on the chart at number 32. At number 23 and 21, and then at number 16 and 10, all of this album¡¯s tracks were on the chart. The members eximed in admiration. Then they checked the title song¡¯s rank and jumped up. ¡°Crazy!¡± ¡°Fifth!¡± ¡°Hyung, we¡¯re fifth!¡± Park Seodam shook Lee Juhyuk gently with joy. Lee Juhyuk looked at Park Seodam¡¯s phone screen with a nervous expression. 5th ce. They really made it to 5th ce. Lee Juhyuk clenched his fist. *** ¡°We¡¯re 5th.¡± ¡°5th?!¡± Of course, they weren¡¯t the only ones who were excited. The fans who were waiting to enter the showcase also buzzed and looked at their phones. Their phone bars were already ying muted music. ¡°This is crazy.¡± ¡°Thank goodness¡­¡± Some fans kept refreshing their screens in disbelief, while others raised their voices in happiness. ¡°5th ce is insane. Our kids are superstars.¡± ¡°This song is awesome, right?¡± Kim Eunha, a fan of Avidom, also came to the showcase. Her fangirling friend Lee Dasol couldn¡¯t get a ticket and couldn¡¯t join her. She was standing alone in boredom when she mingled with other fan groups. ¡°What¡¯s your fan site name?¡± ¡°Blue Delight.¡± ¡°I followed you! You¡¯re Hyun¡¯s fan site master, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± There was a fan site master among the group. ¡®She¡¯s not a top seed.¡¯ Kim Eunha thought and pretended to know her. ¡°I want to go in already.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t feel my legs right now.¡± ¡°You brought a camera, right?¡± Blue Delight nodded at Sugar Crush¡¯s question. They were Ian¡¯s fans, or hommas. Kim Eunha squinted her eyes. She wondered where the camera was in such a small bag. ¡°A camera? Where? You can¡¯t take photos at the concert, can you?¡± The two hommas looked at Kim Eunha with disdain. ¡°You don¡¯t know¡­ You have to take photos secretly. And the camera is¡­ here.¡± She pointed at her lower body. There was a trick to bring a camera into a ce where photography was prohibited. It was to wear a long skirt and attach a camera with a detached lens and body to the leg. And what did they use to attach it? Tape. ¡°Wow¡­ Do you all do this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s amon method among us.¡± Most of the fans wore simr outfits for a reason. ¡°But everyone knows this trick. They can¡¯t catch us, so they just let us go. They can¡¯t lift our skirts or touch our legs.¡± ¡°But the foreign kids have no shame. When I went to the US NMA, the guard pped my crotch to get my camera.¡± ¡°Really?! Isn¡¯t that sexual harassment?¡± ¡°What can I do¡­ I stayed still, afraid of getting caught. Now that I think about it, it feels awful.¡± Kim Eunha closed his mouth, about to say ¡®You shouldn¡¯t have done something that makes you feel bad in the first ce.¡¯ ¡°But do you know that Pluto and Pinky Lady are dating?¡± ¡°Really?¡± Kim Eunha raised his voice. Blue Delight whispered as if he was telling a huge secret. ¡°I know a fan sister who follows Pluto around. She saw them dating at Dosan Park.¡± ¡°Oh my¡­ Who and who?¡± ¡°Who was it again? I can¡¯t remember, but they said there were three from Pluto and three from Pinky Lady.¡± ¡°Did they have some kind of group date or something? I bet my whole fortune that they hit it off at the Arimpyc.¡± The people around themughed. They were interested in this gossip, but Kim Eunha didn¡¯t believe their words. She thought she should filter them out and chuckled. ¡°She¡¯s funny.¡± ¡°Do you go to the offline events often? Can I have your number?¡± Some of them were stalkers, which made her feel uneasy, but she thought it was worth it to get some information from them. Kim Eunha hesitated and then gave them her number. ¡®I wish I knew someone¡­¡¯ They exchanged numbers before they entered the showcase. *** ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡°Wow, thank you for giving this to me!¡± Awi, who had finished the encore performance, greeted the fans. Ian stretched as he returned to the waiting room. He had practiced all night until yesterday for the quality of the performance, but he was used to it now and felt light. ¡°Jotang, what¡¯s that slogan?¡± ¡°Some fan threw it earlier. So I picked it up.¡± ¡°Really? Why didn¡¯t I see mine?¡± ¡°I saw the staff confiscating them.¡± It was not a good behavior to throw dolls or slogans on the stage. Even if slogans were fine, dolls could be dangerous if they hit the singers. ¡°Finally, a week of music show hell is over.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t it easier without schedule?¡± ¡°It¡¯sfortable, but don¡¯t say that in front of the managers.¡± Awi had a showcase on Tuesday and music shows from Friday. If they hadn¡¯t shed with , they would have started on Thursday. ¡°Do you have a day off tomorrow?¡± ¡°Tomorrow we¡¯re going to film a dance video for MyTube.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t we already film that?¡± ¡°Not that one. The one that¡¯s like a music video with angles and stuff.¡± As MyTube¡¯s user base grew to an impressive level, broadcasters started to create separate channels for idol-rted content. ¡°Will it take half a day?¡± ¡°Is it that long?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what they said. But the fans will love it if we go there.¡± The ¡®Studio Ringo¡¯ they were going to film tomorrow was a channel created by a retired music show PD. It was a rising channel among idol fans, as it offered shy sets and meticulous camera work, as well as individual and facial cams. ¡°We¡¯re busy even without music shows.¡± ¡°Tell me about it.¡± Ian and Jo Tae-woong sighed. *** Awiy down in the middle of the living room as soon as he entered the dorm. Ian, who was staring nkly at the music site, spoke softly. ¡°Do you want to have ate-night snack and sleep if you can¡¯t sleep?¡± ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s have a party. How about chicken?¡± Kim Joo-young jumped up at Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s chicken suggestion and opened the delivery app. Chapter 81: Chapter 81: Chapter 81 We have our own waiting room?! -Is it just me or do idols dominate the charts too much? They line up every time someone makes aeback. It¡¯s disgusting, really. ©¸I also hate how idols take over the charts. It¡¯s a problem with the chart system. ©¸Idol fans keep streaming all day long. How is that different from manipting the sales? ©¸Honestly, I hate all the idols on the chart right now. Awi? What are they? ©¸©¸The chart system is trash, but why are you ming the idols? ¡°Go catch some machines. Idols are not easy targets.¡± Awi fan Kim Eunha snorted and replied to thement. She wrote a longment and pressed the submit button, but ¡®This post has been deleted.¡¯ popped up and herment was gone. ¡°Damn it!¡± Kim Eunha resisted throwing her phone. It was a new model with 14 months of installment left. ¡°Huh?¡± Instead, she entered amunity site she often visited, but it was soggy as soon as she entered because of the high traffic. [Exclusive] Pluto?Pink Lady¡¯s pink romance¡­ The ¡®love signal¡¯ of the idol industry [Exclusive] Idol hot?couple, Pluto-Pink Lady¡¯s group dating ¡°Really?¡± The ¡®story¡¯ she had dismissed as a rumor turned out to be true. Kim Eunha checked the group chat of the people she met at the showcase. (BD) I told you so, right? I was right, right? ¨C 13:04 (Euna) Wow ¨C 13:04 Blue Delight sent a message just then. As soon as Kim Eunha replied, the chat room was filled with messages from other people. ¡°Wow¡­¡± Kim Eunha, who loved gossip, also received messages from her other muggle friends saying ¡®Did you see this?¡¯ (Euna) That? I knew it beforehand ¨C 13:12 Her friends asked how she knew. Kim Eunha smiled smugly. She felt a thrill of knowing something before others. (Euna) I know someone who¡¯s an insider^^ ¨C 13:15 ¡®You didn¡¯t know, did you? How is it? I¡¯m more knowledgeable about the entertainment industry than others.¡¯ Kim Eunha, who was filled with a strange sense of superiority, finished chatting with her ¡®muggle¡¯ friends and opened the fan chat room again. (Euna) Do you know anything else? ¨C 13:21 (BD) Of course I do ¨C 13:21 (BD) Do you know why GYH didn¡¯t renew his contract with BRRS? ¨C 13:22 (BD) He was bullied by the BRRS members and left ¨C 13:23 Kim Eunha¡¯s eyes sparkled. She was no longer the Kim Eunha who thought she wouldn¡¯t believe rumors without evidence a few days ago. *** On Thursday, after the showcase, Awi gathered in the conference room. The video team staff of the agency were busy setting up cameras. Soon, the staff gave an okay sign. Park Seodam and Jo Taewoong recited their prepared lines. ¡°What are we going to do today?¡± ¡°Today, we¡¯re going to apply for our own reality show ourselves.¡± The members eximed in awe. Thursday at 8 p.m. was the time to apply for the pre-recording of K Company¡¯s music show on Friday. ¡°Why are you looking at the server time?¡± Park Seodam asked Park Jinyeok, who was staring at the server time alert on hisptop. Park Jinyeok answered with a serious expression. ¡°My sister told me that the time is slightly different for each site¡¯s server.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah, so they use it a lot when they do ticketing or course registration.¡± To apply for Awi¡¯s pre-recording, they had to leave ament on the newly opened pre-recording application board on the official fan cafe. Park Seodam leaned in to see Park Jinyeok¡¯sptop screen. Park Jinyeok blocked his screen and pushed her away. Cho Taewoong, who was watching the situation, shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s all unnecessary. This is purely luck.¡± ¡°What will the fans who can¡¯t go do if we seed?¡± ¡°The ones who got the backup numbers will go, right?¡± Lee Juhyuk narrowed his eyes as he looked at the trio of same-aged friends who were already expecting to seed. ¡°It won¡¯t be that easy.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s bet on this. The person who appliesst will buy dinner orte-night snack today.¡± ¡°Hyung! Can you handle it?¡± Kim Hyun, who had a strongpetitive spirit, confidently proposed the bet. The members who had received their settlement and had a rich bank ount dly epted his offer. When he nced at the server time on hisptop, it was 7:58 p.m. The numbers indicating the server time gradually changed from ck to orange, and then to red as the time approached. ¡°Why am I so nervous?¡± ¡°My stomach is churning.¡± Ian casually pressed thement button at 59 minutes and 54 seconds. Suddenly, there was a loud beep from the server time alert, along with a countdown sound effect that matched the seconds. Lee Juhyuk and Kim Juyeong were startled by the sound and missed their timing to write ament. [It crashed as expected.] ¡®I¡¯m screwed.¡¯ As expected, nothing appeared on the white screen. The fan cafe had temporarily stopped because of too much traffic. ¡°Go!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± The members who pressed at 8 o¡¯clock sharp looked at their screens with bewildered expressions. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Am I the only one who got stuck?¡± Kim Juyeong refreshed his page. Jin, who was watching him, scolded him [You shouldn¡¯t refresh¡­] ¡°I got an error and went back, but this is ruined, right?¡± Kim Hyun showed his screen to the members. Ian mocked him. ¡°Okay, today¡¯ste-night snack is on Hyun hyung.¡± ¡°No way!¡± ¡°Hyung, you did that on purpose to buy uste-night snack, right? Hyung has a big heart. Like an ocean.¡± ¡°No!¡± Kim Hyun screamed, but there was no sign of the fan cafeing back. It was still showing only a white screen. ¡°When will thise back?¡± ¡°How can there be so many people?¡± ¡°Is this site too weak?¡± After refreshing the page for about three minutes, the fan cafe finally returned to normal and he was back on the home screen. Ian went back to the fan meeting application board. The fan meeting application required personal information, so only privatements were allowed, but he could see how manyments there were. ¡°Wow¡­ did you see this?¡± ¡°What? Oh? Wow¡­¡± ¡°Is this real?¡± The members eximed as they saw the number ofments. It was a lottery for only 330 people, but about 7,000 people hadmented in an instant. ¡°How can there be so many people?¡± ¡°We could even have a concert at our showcase venue, right?¡± The members refreshed the page with nervous expressions. It was firste-first-served, so the application was already over, but morements were being added. ¡°When will we get the results?¡± ¡°It will be announced at 10 p.m.¡± The video team staff answered. Ian frowned slightly. ¡°10 p.m.? The fan meeting is tomorrow morning.¡± He thought it would be better to give some time for the fans to adjust their schedules, since there were fans of different ages, some who wanted to take a day off from work, and some who had other circumstances. He said: *** ¡°Isn¡¯t this too tight for the working fans? Can we change the application time?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll talk to them.¡± Park Dong-soo, who was watching the recording with the video team, gave a thumbs up. The members cheered and praised Ian. ¡°By the way, how do we seed in this? I¡¯m sure none of us have seeded.¡± ¡°The ones who get through this are amazing.¡± With Park Jin-hyuk and Kim Joo-young¡¯s words, the video team finished recording. The video they filmed was a short self-made content that they applied for their own fan meeting, and it was supposed to be uploaded to the fan cafe as soon as they finished recording. ¡°The number of applications increased a lot fromst time.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Park Dong-soo smiled happily. This album was lucky from the start. The songs were well received on the charts, and the title song was gaining poprity by word of mouth. ¡°It was nice of you to care for the fans earlier. Just keep doing that. It would be nice if the public recognized us more, but idols can¡¯t survive without fans. You guys know that, right?¡± ¡°Yes, hyung.¡± As they saw their poprity rising, the members also smiled and nodded. *** Awi ate dinner and stayed in the practice room to lightly practice the choreography. He headed to the dorm earlier than usual because he had to arrive earlier for Kpany¡¯s music show, which had frequent rehearsals. ¡°Wow, Ian made it into the top 330?¡± ¡°Really?¡± At exactly 10 p.m., Lee Joo-hyuk checked the rankings for ate-night snack and showed his phone screen. What rank are our members in? Ian 95th (golden hand!) Seodam 2,407th Jin-hyuk 3,874th Tae-woong 4,971th Joo-young 5,180th Juhyuk ranked 6,829th Current count unavable (presumably noments) Ian made it to the top ranks and needs to arrive at the live broadcast site by standby 331! ¡°Wow, 95th ce. That¡¯s amazing.¡± ¡°How did you do it?¡± ¡°I had no hope, so I uploaded it in 54 seconds.¡± Ian went to the fan cafe and posted a message titled ¡®The honey tip from the 95th ce of thement olympics¡¯. The content was ¡®Awi-dom! The honey tip of thement olympics! Upload it in 54 seconds! See you all tomorrow. Awi-dom who didn¡¯t make it in time, let¡¯s meet next time??¡¯. As soon as he posted the message,ments flooded in. Ian smiled and read each fan¡¯sment carefully. ¡°Then, Hyun-hyung is treating us tote-night snacks today?¡± ¡°Ah! Why did I make that bet?¡± ¡°Usually, the person who proposes this kind of bet loses.¡± Everyoneughed out loud except for Kim Hyun, who had a deathly expression on his face. *** There were a lot of people gathered on the way to Kpany¡¯s music show as usual. Reporters and fans crowded together and shed their cameras. ¡°Look over here!¡± ¡°Ian!¡± ¡°Left! One more time!¡± Ian used Jin¡¯s ability to recognize his fans as usual, but the other fans around him were amazed and opened their mouths. ¡®So many¡­ Were there this many before?¡¯ And Jin¡¯s mark was noticeably more visible than before. They had been inactive in Korea for a while due to their Japanese activities, but their fans didn¡¯t decrease and rather increased. [Pluto¡¯s rtionship broke out and a lot of their fans came over.] ¡®So they finally broke up¡­ But why did their fanse to us?¡¯ [They ovep with you guys a bit. Their concept and debut time are simr¡­ And usually, people who enter the K-pop scene go around. They can¡¯t forget the taste of being a fan and soon leave for another singer. There is hiatus but no quitting.] And poprity was not only felt by the fans. ¡°Awi, we¡¯ll start the dry rehearsal.¡± He felt it during the whole rehearsal too. He was right in the broadcast order. The order of the music show was assigned ording to poprity, and Awi was the fourth from the end. ¡°Wow, he sings well live.¡± The audio director admired his voice that didn¡¯t falter even while dancing. *** Awi finished the whole rehearsal and headed to the waiting room. He felt his back ache already as he thought of squeezing into the group partition waiting room again. ¡°Huh? Isn¡¯t this way?¡± Juhyuk tilted his head at the direction that led to the main building where they always went. ¡°Dongsu-hyung! Why are we going this way?¡± ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t tell you. You guys don¡¯t use the shared waiting room anymore.¡± ¡°Huh¡­ Then. Do we have our own waiting room?!¡± Juhyuk raised his voice. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a bit small but it¡¯s much better than the partition.¡± ¡°Wow! Our own waiting room!¡± ¡°Awesome!¡± The members jumped up. Awi finally got their own waiting room. Chapter 82: Chapter 82: Chapter 82 Do we have to do this for the whole month? ¡°Look at what¡¯s written on the door. Can you all see it?¡± ¡°We have our own waiting room.¡± The members were excited by the ¡®AWY¡¯ letters on the door. ¡°Let¡¯s¡­ open it.¡± As Lee Joo-hyuk opened the door, the members sang the background music of a variety show that had changed their house interior. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s bigger than I thought.¡± ¡°Was Kim Myung-jin hyung already here?¡± The waiting room was already upied by the staff from their agency, and Kim Myung-jin, their road manager, was putting some snacks on the table. ¡°We can all lie down and still have space left.¡± Ian sat down on a chair and looked around. It was a private waiting room that they had never had even in their Diamond days. Before, they had used a shared partitioned waiting room where the members could barely curl up and lie down. Because of the limited space, the staff had to wait in the car or in the hallway. The members who had felt ufortable about that gave thumbs up to the staff. ¡°If this is how it is today, tomorrow will be even more insane, right?¡± ¡°I heard from MOM that Mpany is on a different level.¡± ¡°Really?¡± There was a rumor that Mpany¡¯s music show had the best waiting rooms among all the broadcasters. They had spacious rooms and even beds. ¡°Can we be loud then? Should we y games?¡± ¡°I think the soundproofing is weak. If we¡¯re noisy, we¡¯ll blow up this ce. It¡¯ll be a nuisance to others.¡± Jo Tae-woong and Kim Joo-young¡¯s conversation was interrupted by Park Dong-soo, who was helping Kim Myung-jin with the snacks. ¡°Guys, don¡¯t be loud in the waiting room or in the hallway.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Do you all like it so much?¡± ¡°Of course. Isn¡¯t it amazing that we have our own waiting room at our seniority?¡± Jo Tae-woong smiled brightly. ¡®Well, it¡¯s faster than ck Rush.¡¯ Park Dong-soo also smiled as if he had gotten the waiting room himself. The private waiting rooms were usually assigned ording to seniority unless you were very popr. AWY was not yet at that level of seniority. They got it purely because of their poprity. ¡°Guys, we should go out soon.¡± Park Dong-soo opened the door after checking his phone. ¡°Is it already here?¡± ¡°That was fast. Take lots of pictures in front of the car.¡± The members jumped up and followed Park Dong-soo outside. There was a coffee truck parked on the roadside, with arge group photo of AWY printed on a banner. ¡°The car is bigger than I expected.¡± Park Seo-dam walked around the car and admired it. The banner said ¡®AWY fans~ Thank you foring to cheer us!¡¯ The first thing that AWY members wanted to do when they got paid was ¡®to give back to their fans¡¯. The members nned a coffee truck event with the help of their manager. ¡°I¡¯ll have an americano.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have a kiwi juice.¡± They didn¡¯t ept any food support from their fans on the day of the event. The coffee truck prepared not only for the fans but also for the members and staff. The menu was coffee, juice, and sandwiches. ¡°There are our photos on the cup holders too.¡± ¡°Can we have some unreleased photo cards too?¡± The n was to give out snacks, drinks, and signed photo cards that were not avable to the public. ¡°Guys, let¡¯s get in position. We need to post this on our SNS right away.¡± The members each held a drink and a sandwich and posed in front of the coffee truck. ¡°That¡¯s good. Let¡¯s go inside before the fans see us.¡± ¡°Hold on a second.¡± The photos they took were not uploaded by themselves, but by the SNS promotion staff. ¡°This is my spot.¡± ¡°Hey! Move it!¡± ¡°Go somewhere else.¡± ¡°This is the best background, you know.¡± Kim Joo-young and Jo Tae-woong argued and fought over the spot. Ianughed as he took a picture of the scene, and behind him, Lee Joo-hyuk was taking a picture of the three same-aged members from afar. ¡°What kind of framedposition is this?¡± Park Dong-soo looked at the other side and saw that the other members were also taking selfies non-stop. They even changed the filter apps and took them very carefully, but Park Dong-soo shook his head at the mess. They were crazy about betting. ¡°Are you still doing that? Is it meat again this time?¡± ¡°This time we bet on a prize. Wireless earphones.¡± ¡°That¡¯s cool? I won¡¯t stop you since it¡¯s a good thing for us, but don¡¯t spam with meaningless content.¡± These days, the members were betting on ¡®who goes to the fan cafe more often and writes posts¡¯. The one who had the most visits, posts, andmentsbined was the winner of the bet, and the fans loved the flood of spoilers. *** When they had to use a shared partition waiting room, they were rookies, so they tried to be quiet and not bother other teams by sleeping or ying games on their phones. But the atmosphere of the solo waiting room was quite different. As they passed by the hallway after taking pictures of the coffee truck support, they saw people gossiping about other celebrities, people who took off their tops without hesitation and walked around outside the waiting room. ¡°They¡¯re so¡­ free.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk chuckled as he closed the door of the waiting room. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s not do that.¡± It was a hallway where entertainment industry staff also walked around, so they didn¡¯t know what kind of rumors woulde out. The other members nodded. They quickly ate the snacks they got from the coffee truck andy down. ¡°I¡¯m bored. What should we do?¡± ¡°Mafia call?¡± ¡°That will make us 100% noisy¡­ Let¡¯s just sleep.¡± They slept the same even in a solo waiting room. A littleter, Ian woke up from his sleep feeling noisy. ¡°¡­What is it?¡± ¡°I woke up because of this too.¡± Kim Joo-young gestured to the direction of the next waiting room. ¡°They¡¯re fighting next door?¡± ¡°If they¡¯re going to fight, they should do it outside. Why are they hitting the wall too?¡± Kim Hyun got up with a frown. ¡°We did well not ying mafia earlier. The soundproofing is really weak.¡± Ian muttered nkly as he was still half asleep. Maybe when you be popr and experienced enough to have a solo waiting room, you lose any sense of shame¡­ An idol who came out of the next room was yelling in the middle of the hallway, ignoring anyone who tried to stop him. ¡°¡­So what did you fight about?¡± ¡°I think it was about his girlfriend?¡± ¡°Girlfriend? He has a girlfriend?¡± The members woke up from their sleep and forgot their bad mood as they stuck to the wall near the hallway. It was always fun to watch other people¡¯s troubles. *** ¡°I¡¯m worried about their growth, even though it¡¯s a good thing.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect them to increase so suddenly either.¡± Seo Suryeon, the director of BHL Entertainment, looked at the graph on the monitor. It was a report on the poprity change of Awi, researched by an employee. ¡°Is there still some time before the ticket opening?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s make the stage 360 degrees and increase the capacity. How much will that add? How was it for the other group before?¡± ¡°About¡­ 1,500 seats, I think.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s do that.¡± Seo Suryeon nodded. The concert booking schedule had to be set in advance at the beginning of the year, but the venue that was booked ording to the poprity trend at that time turned out to be too small now. ¡®What a pity¡­¡¯ The more and more often you have concerts, the better. Seo Suryeon tapped her finger on the desk. ¡°Let¡¯s also book an encore concert. How¡¯s the booking schedule? The end of the year must be full, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll check it out.¡± ¡°If not, early next year is fine too. Let¡¯s also produce more goods and hurry up with online sales.¡± The employee who had more work to do was busy, but it was a happy problem when he thought of the bonus that would be printed on his paycheck. *** Awi appeared on all music shows except , and they had no time to rest. They had a concert after this album promotion, so they prepared for the concert stage whenever they had time. ¡°This can¡¯t be.¡± At dawn, in the dance practice room where the lights were not turned off, Ian screamed while tearing his hair. ¡°Do we have to do this for two months?¡± Kim Hyun looked at the video with disbelief. ¡°Where did our choreographer go?¡± ¡°He must have left early.¡± ¡°He was here a while ago¡­ Did he run away?¡± Kim Juyeong widened his eyes. The intense acrobatic moves that were not in this promotion song were revived on the special stage of the concert. There were even moves that all members had to do. ¡°Howe it¡¯s harder thanst time?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you shouldn¡¯t do too well.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have to adjust thister.¡± The choreographer, who made them do anything he asked, had put his taste into Awi¡¯s choreography. Of course, the ones who suffered in the meantime were Kim Juyeong, Kim Hyun, and Ian. ¡°Where did Taewoong go?¡± Park Jinhyuk, who was watching their scream, asked Park Seodam. Park Seodam shrugged his shoulders. ¡°He¡¯s at vocal lesson. He should be back soon.¡± *** ¡°Taewoong, your singing has improved a lot.¡± ¡°Really? Teacher, are you just ttering me?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m serious. Why would I tter you when you keep me up until dawn?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry about that¡­¡± Jo Taewoong shrugged his shoulders. He had been taking vocal lessons from Lee Heejin, a new teacher hired by Park Dongsoo¡¯s request. She had stayed until thiste because Jo Taewoong kept begging her to teach him more. ¡°You must have practiced a lot¡­¡± ¡°Yian helped me a lot.¡± ¡°Yian? Oh, right, you guys study together, don¡¯t you?¡± Lee Heejin thought of the other idol groups she had taught. They were alwayspeting with each other, trying to get more lessons or bragging about their progress. She felt differently when she saw these two helping each other. ¡°Your breathing is also better. Did Yian teach you that too?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You could do musicalster if you polish your skills.¡± ¡®She has talent for vocal training too?¡¯ Lee Heejin wondered. Yian was good enough, but what about her? ¡°Teacher, are you still here? Hey, Jojo, stop bothering the teacher.¡± Someone knocked on the vocal lesson room door. It was Yian. He bowed his head and greeted Lee Heejin, who had been staying up all night. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s because of our kid¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I thought you were his parent.¡± ¡°Dad! What¡¯s wrong with me!¡± Lee Heejinughed as she watched Yian and Jo Taewoong act out a scene. ¡°Teacher, you go ahead.¡± Yian opened the door and saw Lee Heejin fiddling with her bag. ¡°Okay, see youter.¡± She left quickly, afraid that Jo Taewoong would hold her back again. ¡°How long did you hold her that she ran away like that?¡± ¡°I had a lot of questions¡­ I should buy her somethingter.¡± ¡°So, what did the teacher say?¡± ¡°She said it was okay. She told me to do musicalster.¡± ¡°Musicals are good. You can act too.¡± Yian had tried to teach Jo Taewoong some musical techniques as a test, and although he was still weak at hitting high notes, he thought he could be useful if he practiced more. ¡°Do you like it?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Jo Taewoong¡¯s expression brightened noticeably, whether it was because he was happy to be praised or proud of his improvement. Yian tried to hide his pride and cleared his throat. ¡°Hey, but we¡¯re screwed. Our choreography is crazy.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Can you do a tumbling without touching the floor with your hands?¡± ¡°Are you crazy? If I could do that, I would have gone to Taereung.¡± Chapter 83: Chapter 83: Chapter 83 During the three-month period of the world tour, thepany filmed various self-made contents of the members to prevent the fandom from leaving. Two days before the concert, the members went up to the conference room to film a short video of them checking out the concert goods. ¡°Wow, there are so many!¡± The members gasped at the goods that were piled up on the conference table. There were various kinds of goods, from official slogans to keychains and eco-bags. Jin floated around the goods and gave his reviews. [Concerts are all about selling goods.] Ian sat down in front of him and picked up a t-shirt with Awi¡¯s logo on it. The t-shirt had a small embroidery on the right chest, and it didn¡¯t look like an idol good at first nce. [They chose a design that can be worn by normal people.] ¡®What does that mean?¡¯ [Normal cosy.] ¡®Oh¡­ so you don¡¯t look like a fan?¡¯ Some people would judge him for liking idols at his age, saying things like they don¡¯t even know you or care about you. It wasn¡¯t a crime to like idols, but sometimes he felt ufortable by the stares of others. [In our country, you can¡¯t show what you like. People are too nosy. Especially with idols.] And when he showed his love for idols, and his favorite idol started dating or got into trouble, he would receive countless messages from acquaintances who never contacted him before. Usually, they weren¡¯t really worried about him. ¡°Did you see this?¡± The members who were looking at the goods turned to Kim Hyun. He was holding Awi¡¯s official lightstick. ¡°Is this our lightstick?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been looking for it, but you took it.¡± Thepany had sold acrylic lightsticks as a temporary measure after they got their official fan club, but this lightstick was different from that one in many ways. ¡°There¡¯s something spinning inside.¡± ¡°It looks like a magic wand.¡± The lightstick had a transparent dome in the center with a decoration that wrapped around Awi¡¯s logo. When he shook the lightstick, the decoration inside rotated like a real mobile. The members stared nkly at its movement. ¡°Does our logo light up?¡± ¡°Hyung, turn on the light.¡± ¡°Wait, does this have batteries?¡± Kim Hyun flipped the switch. He let out a short scream, because his eyes and the lightstick were close together and he got a direct hit from the bright light. ¡°Ow, my eyes!¡± ¡°Wow, what is this? It¡¯s so bright. Are lightsticks supposed to be this bright?¡± It wasn¡¯t just the members who felt that way. Jin also said [It¡¯s really bright?] and moved away from the lightstick. ¡°I could use this as a shlight. My mom would love this.¡± Park Seodam read the manual on the lightstick box and said. ¡°It says it can be controlled centrally.¡± ¡°Wow, so the fans don¡¯t have to change the colors themselves?¡± ¡°It must be controlled by us. It changes ording to the mood of the song.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see it.¡± The members smiled brightly with anticipation for their first concert. After that smile, they finished filming the video and looked at other goods. ¡°Dongsu hyung! This is ours, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, take whatever you want.¡± Ian pressed the lightstick again and it blinked quickly. It was his first lightstick and first concert in both lives. He pressed his left chest. His heart was already pounding. ¡®I wish it was concert day already.¡¯ *** [Ian] Awi fans! The picture is of us practicing for the concert and ying flower blooming game?? The reason why it¡¯s from my perspective is because I was already caught ?? I¡¯m holding my finger up. All of us are excited to see you at our concert tomorrow. See you then! ©¸Ian oppa you were caught already????? ©¸Why is Taewoong oppa crawling? ©¸I want to go to the concert too????? The singers weren¡¯t the only ones waiting for the concert day. ¡®I¡¯m so happy.¡¯ Awi fan Idasol rolled her feet as she looked at the pictures of the members posted on the fan cafe. She flopped down on her bed and hummed. (Euna) What time are you going tomorrow? ¨C 20:21 (Idasol) I was nning to go around lunchtime ¨C 20:22 (Euna) Aren¡¯t you buying goods? ¨C 20:22 (Euna) If you gote, there won¡¯t be any goods left? There will be a lot of people lining up at dawn ¨C 20:22 (Idasol) Really? I wanted to buy a t-shirt, a ball cap, and a postcard set ¨C 20:23 (Euna) Everyone says they¡¯re pretty, so they¡¯ll be sold out soon. I¡¯m going early in the morning ¨C 20:23 That¡¯s what she said. She couldn¡¯t wait until the online sales were open. Idasol got up quickly and adjusted the rm time on her phone. (Idasol) I want to go early too. What time should we meet? ¨C 20:24 *** ¡°Will we be able to see them up close?¡± ¡°Handball is heaven anywhere. And it¡¯s a 360-degree stage. It¡¯ll be even closer.¡± Ida-sol and Kim Eun-ha met at Olympic Park Station and squealed with excitement. They went out of the station and entered the za. ¡°We have to buy the Iron Heart slogan and pick it up at the cafeter.¡± ¡°I got mine delivered and brought it with me. The photo selection was awesome. The colors came out nicely too.¡± ¡°Show me.¡± They walked slowly while admiring the slogans and witnessed people lining up in the middle of the meeting za. Ida-sol and Kim Eun-ha gasped and opened their mouths. ¡°What¡¯s that? Is that our goods line?¡± ¡°Wow.¡± Kim Eun-ha approached the person at the end of the line and asked. ¡°Is this the line for Awi¡¯s goods?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Wow. What do we do?¡± Ida-sol and Kim Eun-ha sighed deeply and stood behind him. ¡°We¡¯re screwed. We should havee earlier.¡± ¡°Well, at least they won¡¯t be sold out by the time we get there, right?¡± There were still five hours left until the goods sale opened. Kim Eun-ha took a picture of the long line and posted it on SNS. ¡°By the way, I told you I became friends with some of the home masters before, right? I heard Pluto and Pinky Lady are dating.¡± ¡°Huh? Oh¡­ yeah.¡± Ida-sol stiffened her expression slightly. Kim Eun-ha had been telling her endless rumors about celebrities that she didn¡¯t want to know ever since she hung out with those people. ¡°MOM¡¯s Seo Min-hoo is so dirty.¡± ¡°Really¡­?¡± ¡®Oh, MOM¡­ I liked them a bit when I was in high school.¡¯ Ida-sol thought and pretended to look at her phone. ¡®Just fangirl over your bias and don¡¯t care about other people¡¯s stories.¡¯ Ida-sol didn¡¯t ask and didn¡¯t want to know, but she endured it because she had few fangirl friends. Kim Eun-ha and Ida-sol hovered around the goods sales counter and nervously shuffled their feet, but luckily they were able to buy all the goods they wanted because they came early in the morning. ¡°Do you remember the sharing post we saw earlier?¡± ¡°I liked them all.¡± The concert was full of fans¡¯ voluntary sharing. They shared their own made goods or snacks for free, and Ida-sol smiled happily at the festive atmosphere. ¡°The rehearsal is on!¡± ¡°Wow!¡± The fans screamed even at the faint sound of rehearsal outside the venue. ¡°Is this Red Moon? Is it Red Moon?¡± ¡°Wow! Red Moon!¡± Kim Eun-ha and Ida-sol stuck to the venue as soon as they heard the sound of Awi¡¯s unreleased song ¡®Red Moon¡¯. ¡°I wish the concert would start soon.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get some sharing and sit somewhere. There won¡¯t be any seats at the nearby cafes, right?¡± ¡°We have to go to Jamsil Station or something.¡± *** ¡°Thank you for your hard work!¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Awi bowed to the staff at the venue after finishing the rehearsal. Awi returned to the waiting room and emptied the fans¡¯ support food as if drinking it. ¡°Should we have practiced our moves earlier?¡± ¡°If we get hurt rehearsing without a mat, it¡¯ll be a big problem.¡± None of them were restingfortably because they were excited about their first concert. Kim Joo-young and Kim Hyun were practicing their dance moves briefly, Park Seo-dam and Jo Tae-woong were walking around the waiting room to loosen their mouths. Lee Joo-hyuk was nervously browsing the fan cafe and biting his nails. ¡°Are these our clothes?¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Ian and Park Jin-hyuk approached the hanger that the stylist brought. Awi¡¯s coordi was very attentive to their music show outfits, so Awi was not only popr among their fans but also among other fandoms as ¡®coordi paradise¡¯. ¡°Sister! Can I look at this?¡± ¡°Yeah. But be careful not to drop the decorations.¡± Ian carefully examined the concert outfits. Jin eximed with admiration. [They spent a lot of money on this too.] ¡°I thought these were embroidery decorations, but they¡¯re all jewel decorations?¡± ¡°Wow, amazing craftsmanship.¡± There were even outfits that had cubic decorations cut in different shapes sewn together like embroidery. Ian happened to pick up a top with Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s name on it. Park Jin-hyuk put on his jacket. ¡°Wow¡­ this is awesome.¡± ¡°You look like a prince, hyung. Prince Jin-hyuk, prince.¡± ¡°What if you fall while dancing?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get the love of Cody noona.¡± Ian looked at the other costumes. They were all dazzling. [These costumes must cost hundreds.] ¡®¡­Just for this jacket?¡¯ [Well, it¡¯s embroidered. Nowadaysputers do everything, but these cubic decorations are hand-stitched one by one. The price is crazy.] ¡®Wow.¡¯ [They prepared seven sets of these. It must be thousands.] It was a good thing that they invested in the stage instead of other businesses. No wonder the styling team looked so happy. Ian rubbed Cody noona¡¯s shoulder and said. ¡°Wow, noona, these clothes are amazing.¡± ¡°Right?¡± Cody rubbed her nose with a proud expression. She had to sew some of the costumes herself because somepanies didn¡¯t ept them. But she felt relieved when the singer appreciated her hard work. ¡°Guys! Let¡¯s change clothes!¡± *** Kim Eunha and Lee Dasol, who had killed time at nearby cafes and restaurants, headed to the concert hall as the entrance time approached. ¡°Where are you? I¡¯m in section 41.¡± ¡°Close to the protruding stage? Lucky. I¡¯m in section 35. See youter.¡± They barely got seats on the second floor, but getting adjacent seats was like picking stars from the sky. Kim Eunha left to find her section and Lee Dasol walked to the entrance of the concert hall. ¡°You can¡¯t hold this in advance. Read the instructions.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The staff at the entrance were handing out something, and Lee Dasol carefully read the instructions after receiving it. ¡®I¡¯m excited.¡¯ Lee Dasol followed the staff¡¯s guidance and found her seat. She was on the second row of the second floor, and there was a staircase connected to the protruding stage. ¡°No way¡­¡± Would hee up this staircase? Her cheeks flushed in an instant. ¡°Excuse me¡­ I¡¯ll sit next to you.¡± ¡°Oh, sure!¡± Lee Dasol got up and moved aside to let him in. She was happy to see the slogan that the fan next to her was holding. ¡°Ironheart slogan! I bought it too.¡± ¡°Oh, really? You¡¯re a fan of Ian.¡± Lee Dasol, who had nothing to do until the concert time, gave some snacks to the fan next to her. ¡°What goods did you buy? I came out toote and everything was sold out. I barely got a light stick.¡± ¡°I lined up early in the morning and bought them. I guess they¡¯ll be released onler anyway? I wanted to have them as soon as possible¡­¡± Lee Dasol quickly became friends with the fan next to her, Jang Minhee, and exchanged phone numbers before the concert started. ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°It¡¯s starting!¡± The lights inside the concert hall gradually went out and it went dark. The big screen started counting down from 20. The fans screamed and sang along with the countdown. Chapter 84: Chapter 84: Chapter 84 Lee Ju-hyuk reached out his hand in the air. Park Seo-dam ced her hand on top of his. One by one, the other members joined their hands. ¡°Don¡¯t worry if you make mistakes, just don¡¯t get hurt.¡± ¡°Ju-hyuk hyung, are you less nervous now? You didn¡¯t bite off your nails, did you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m feeling better now.¡± AWY, the idol group, gathered backstage as they always did. They formed a circle and looked at each other. Ian, who brought the hand mark, put his hand over the others¡¯. ¡°Are they doing the countdown outside?¡± ¡°Wow, I¡¯m so nervous.¡± The staff urged them to get ready. ¡°Let¡¯s have fun and enjoy ourselves. We are who we are?¡± ¡°AWY!¡± With Ju-hyuk¡¯s shout, the members lined up on the lift and put on their earpieces. The countdown went from 10 to 9, 8¡­ The lift slowly rose up. ¡°Kyaaah!¡± As the lift went up, the fans saw the members¡¯ faces and screamed louder. The light sticks in the seats waved and flickered. The lift reached the top, and the round screen on the stage showed close-ups of the members¡¯ faces. Finally, after showing Ian¡¯s face, the music started. The first song was naturally AWY¡¯s debut song. ¡°This moment with you, we are eternal¡± As Ian sang the intro of the song with his microphone, Lee Da-sol and Jang Min-hee, who had be close friends, held hands and shook their light sticks vigorously. The fans chanted along. While AWY danced, their stage outfits, which were carefully made by the styling team, sparkled under the concert lights. ¡°Hello everyone!¡± ¡°Two, three!¡± ¡°Always by your side! Hello, we are AWY!¡± After finishing the first song, the members waved their hands and greeted the fans. The members drank some water prepared in front of the prompter and took off their earpieces. They wanted to hear the fans¡¯ voices. ¡°This is our first concert.¡± ¡°We were so nervous that we couldn¡¯t sleep well. How about you, our AWY fans?¡± ¡®Us too!¡¯ A fan in front of the standing area shouted. ¡°Then shall we check if our AWY fans are ready to have fun?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s start with this area in front of us. Please scream as much as you like us!¡± The fans in front of them shouted loudly. The membersughed. They felt good that so many people liked them and watched them. The members turned around and looked at the opposite side. ¡°The atmosphere is amazing here.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t lose to them. This area too! Scream!¡± After a time of screaming together, the members gave theirments. ¡°We prepared a lot to show you a good stage, so we hope you have a good time.¡± ¡°Shall we go to the next song?¡± After a shortment time, AWY went back to their choreography. AWY performed two songs in a row and went backstage while a concert VCR was yed. The stage was in the center to amodate more people, and it was too far to go to the waiting room. So the members had no choice but to change their clothes right under the stage. ¡°Did you see the fans?¡± ¡°No kidding. That¡¯s why everyone¡¯s crazy about concerts.¡± ¡°I keep wanting to take out one in-ear monitor¡­¡± Ian and Jotaewoong chatted while quickly changing their clothes. Staff bustled around, fixing their hair and makeup. ¡°What¡¯s after our ¡®Dawn¡¯ and ¡®Phoenix¡¯ performances?¡± ¡°The unit special stage.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t even remember the order. Without the prompter, I would¡¯ve forgotten the lyrics.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t we rehearse yesterday and today? We shouldn¡¯t forget.¡± As they prepared for the next stage, a concert VCR showed the members¡¯ preparation process and video letters to fans. ¡°Ugh, I don¡¯t want to listen to that.¡± ¡°I get weirdly emotional during that part.¡± Seodam hurriedly put in his in-ear monitor, and Ian muttered. Just then, Juyeong¡¯s video voice was heard backstage. (Fans to me¡­ Well, it¡¯s hard to define in words. They¡¯re people who aren¡¯t taken for granted but would be nice if they were?) ¡°Look, Juyeong is a poet.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t listen! It¡¯s cringy!¡± Juyeong rushed to cover Ian¡¯s mouth. Ian dodged him and hid behind Juhyeok. ¡°Guys, we need to go back on stage soon. Put in your in-ears.¡± At the staff¡¯s signal, Juhyeok spoke softly. The distracted members obediently listened. Next, Awi performed the group version of ¡®Phoenix¡¯ and the song ¡®Dawn¡¯ made by Bluemix. Afterward, the members went backstage without furtherments. Another VCR was broadcasted, featuring a special concert part with song swapping. ¡°Next stage is with Juhyeok and Jinho?¡± The unit stage proceeded. The hip-hop unit, Juhyeok and Jinhyuk, changed outfits and went on stage. ¡°Wow¡­ The cheers are amazing.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t the fans get tired?¡± Members attached to a small monitor watched the concert situation while gulping water and wiping sweat. ¡°Aren¡¯t you guys serious? Not even out of breath?¡± ¡°You rocked the stage.¡± With powerful raps, Jinhyuk and Juhyeok dominated the stage, running around without seeming breathless. Fans waved their hands back and forth in response. The light sticks in their hands glowed green under central control. ¡°You guys were awesome.¡± Seodam high-fived Juhyeok and Jinhyuk as they came backstage. Ian and Jotaewoong also gave them thumbs up before going on stage. Next was the vocal unit¡¯s turn: Seodam, Jotaewoong, and Ian. They didn¡¯t have a unit song, so they were considering what to do when Ian visited Heesang¡¯s studio. Since cover songs involve copyrights, they needed the original artist¡¯s permission. Heesang warmly weed Ian after a long time and readily agreed to let him use his song. ¡°You can use my song.¡± ¡°Really? Thank you!¡± ¡°But visit often. Don¡¯t just call. Come sing with me.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll visit more after the tour.¡± Ian smiled shyly after hanging up the phone, having be close with Heesang through frequent calls. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± ¡°Much better.¡± ¡°Please get a health checkup soon.¡± ¡°Not that again¡­ You take better care of me than my own son.¡± ¡°You¡¯re like a son to me too.¡± Ian smiled brightly and Kim Heesang chuckled. Ian had always urged Kim Heesang to get regr checkups to reduce his long-term illness. ¡°This time, Taewoong and Seodam have improved a lot in singing. Pleasee and see them.¡± ¡°Really?¡± As a small token of gratitude, Ian gave Kim Heesang a concert ticket. The vocal unit of three had practiced hard to not disappoint Kim Heesang, who would be watching their performance from the second floor. ¡°My love, don¡¯t leave me¡± Kim Heesang jolted up from his seat as the intro started with Park Seodam¡¯s deep voice. ¡°Haha¡­ So that¡¯s why you asked me toe.¡± Ian did well as expected, and Jo Taewoong¡¯s skills had also exceeded expectations. They were still diligent even after gaining poprity, which no one could dislike. ¡°They¡¯re good.¡± Kim Heesang nodded with satisfaction and smiled. Next, the dance unit of Kim Hyun and Kim Juyeong came up on stage. The other members had changed their outfits during that time, wearing dark leather clothes with harnesses that looked like cors. ¡°¡­Come to think of it, our families are on the second floor, right?¡± Lee Juhyuk muttered as he checked his clothes for thest time. ¡°Oh¡­ Grandma.¡± ¡°Is this a stage that Seodam¡¯s siblings can watch?¡± ¡°Yeah. My sister is here too. She¡¯s going to tease me for the rest of my life.¡± Park Seodam washed his face and Park Jinhyuk sighed. The next part was a special stage that was only for the concert, which was a tant fan service time for the fans. They sang their track ¡®Red Moon¡¯, which was a jazz-style song with a werewolf concept. But the choreography of this song had troubled the members. It had sticky waves and explicit expressions as the basics. ¡°Are we really doing this?¡± That was what Lee Juhyuk said when he saw the choreography n. The choreographer nodded as if it was obvious. ¡°I guarantee it. The fans will love it.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be shy. The other groups do this kind of stage at least once at their concerts.¡± If the fans liked it¡­ The members took their positions and practiced the choreography. Lee Juhyuk sighed as he remembered what happened then. It was the right attitude as a professional to focus on the stage no matter who was watching, but it was really embarrassing to do this kind of choreography in front of his family. ¡°I envy Ian.¡± ¡°It¡¯s better to get scolded early thante. What do I have to envy? Our family will see it sooner orter anyway¡­¡± The members had given out tickets to their families and friends. They were watching their stage from the same section as Kim Heesang. Ian¡¯s family was in America, so they didn¡¯te to today¡¯s concert. ¡°But Ian¡¯s family has an American mindset. America is thend of dance, so this kind of thing wouldn¡¯t be a big deal for them.¡± ¡°No matter what country, doing this kind of choreography in front of your family¡­¡± Ian groaned. The makeup team finished applying the dark smoky makeup that matched the mood of the song and told him not to rub his eyes. They quickly moved away. ¡°What about Teacher Heesang?¡± ¡°¡­Teacher came too?¡± ¡°Yeah, I gave him a ticket back then.¡± Lee Ju-hyuk¡¯s pupils trembled uncontrobly. His manager, Park Dong-soo, chuckled as he watched the scene. He knew well that his expression would change as soon as the music started, even though he was crying now. ¡°We¡¯re next with ¡®Red Moon¡¯. Are your family here, hyung?¡± ¡°Ah!¡± He was not the only one to suffer. As Jo Tae-woong casually mentioned it, Kim Hyun screamed briefly. ¡°What about you, Ju-young?¡± ¡°My family ising tomorrow¡­ Oh. What am I going to do tomorrow?¡± Kim Ju-young sighed as he quickly changed his clothes. The other membersughed softly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with our choreography? The fans will love it!¡± ¡°Yeah! We¡¯re confident!¡± ¡°Mom! Mom, your son is making money so hard!¡± The members pretended to be hysterical, but their hands were faster than anyone else in arranging their microphones. After the mid-show VCR ended, they went up on stage. As the intro of ¡®Red Moon¡¯ yed, the fans shrieked. The light sticks also shed red to match the mood of the song. ¡°Red Moon¡­! It¡¯s Red Moon!¡± ¡°What do we do!¡± Jang Min-hee and Lee Da-sol rolled their feet while sitting. The fans screamed again as the members started with a knee bend and then did a body wave. ¡°Crazy¡­ They¡¯re crazy!¡± Kim Eun-ha, who was separated from Da-sol, took out a telescope to see the stage better. *** And in the VIP seats, Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s sister, Park Seo-hyun, frowned as she watched Awi¡¯s performance. ¡°Ugh, disgusting¡­¡± It was a reaction she could have as his sibling. She couldn¡¯t bear to see her brother¡¯s tant business with her eyes open. She turned her eyes away and fixed them on Ian. ¡°This is it¡­¡± Her eyes quickly found peace. Chapter 85: Chapter 85: Chapter 85 ¡°When I took off my in-ear monitor earlier, the fans¡¯ screams were no joke.¡± ¡°As long as you¡¯re happy¡­ it¡¯s fine.¡± Ian and Jo Tae-woong groaned as they remembered the dance move that involved thrusting their hips. They did well on stage without any mistakes, but they couldn¡¯t help feeling a harsh reality check when they went down. ¡°Guys, you did great. You were awesome.¡± ¡°Really? We didn¡¯t look stupid?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. You did well.¡± Park Dong-soo patted Park Seo-dam¡¯s back, which was red up to his neck. Park Dong-soo tried to hold back hisughter. He knew they would get used to this kind of thing after a few times. ¡°Calm down, we have to go back on stage.¡± They changed into loose-fitting shirts and cotton pants that were different from the fancy uniform-style outfits they wore before. As they wiped their sweat and checked the set list, they saw that there were only three songs left until the encore. Ian looked puzzled. ¡®How is it over already?¡¯ He didn¡¯t feel tired at all thanks to the fans¡¯ cheers. He even pulled off the acrobatic dance moves with ease. After the intermission VCR ended, the members took their ces in front of the stand microphones. The next song was a calm bad track called ¡®I¡¯ll Wait for You¡¯. ¡®¡­What?¡¯ Ian scanned the audience. Until a moment ago, the fans were holding individual slogans made by fan clubs or official goods slogans. But now they were all holding the same slogan. Ian took off one of his in-ear monitors and read the slogan. At that moment, there was a bang on stage and paper confetti flew. Always by your side We love you forever ¡®Wow¡­¡¯ The slogan that Lee Da-sol received at the entrance before the show was actually a fan event slogan. The fans had set up a secretmunity where only verified fans could join, because they knew that the Awi members were good at web surfing and didn¡¯t want to spoil them. In that secretmunity, the fans discussed things rted to the concert event. Once the fans¡¯ event proposal was approved by the agency, the fans decided on the design and phrase candidates for the slogan and voted for them. The agency printed the final version and distributed it to the staff who helped guide the fans at the venue. [This is what you do when you have an idol concert.] ¡®But still¡­¡¯ The concert hall filled with confetti, the fans¡¯ chorus, the light of the light sticks. And the sight of all the fans holding the same slogan looked like a picture. ¡®¡­I dreamed of this.¡¯ It was a moment that he couldn¡¯t even dream of as Diamond Kim Yong-min. This wasn¡¯t the end. He would probably experience this a lot more in the future. He felt a surge of emotion as he thought about it. ¡°What is this slogan?¡± ¡°Did you all prepare this together?¡± As soon as the song ended, Lee Joo-hyuk and Park Jin-hyuk widened their eyes and approached the standing area. ¡°Wow¡­¡± The fans in front of Ian offered him their slogans, but he politely declined. He did it for the sake of the fans who wanted to keep their slogans. ¡°Wow, really¡­ I¡¯m so touched.¡± ¡°Thank you everyone!¡± Kim Joo-young¡¯s eyes were already moist. Lee Joo-hyuk read the script that appeared on the prompter. ¡°Unfortunately, we only have one more stage left.¡± There was a sigh of regret from the fans. The members made an X with their eyebrows and expressed their sadness. ¡°We want to stay with our Awi-doms until thest train.¡± Somebody shouted ¡®Then don¡¯t go!¡¯ from the standing area. The membersughed. ¡°We want to, but¡­ we can¡¯t make our staff work overtime, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pity¡­ but we can¡¯t help it. Well, this is ourst song!¡± ¡°Shall we have some fun then?!¡± The fans screamed. The music started and the members danced lightly and sang theirst song. ¡°Goodbye everyone!¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± When the song ended, the members went backstage. As the concert hall went dark, the fans chanted for an encore. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sad.¡± ¡°We have tomorrow.¡± Ian muttered nkly, and Jo Tae-woong answered. ¡°But today is today.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± It was a more meaningful day because it was the first show of their first concert. Jo Tae-woong tapped Ian¡¯s back. ¡°It¡¯s time to go back up.¡± The group Awi returned to the stage after listening to the fans¡¯ cheers for about a minute. They did not dance together for the encore stage. The Awi members sang and scattered to the extended stages. ¡°Ian! Ian, over here!¡± Ian approached the fans in the standing area and held their hands. He smiled and posed for the fans who took pictures with their phones. ¡°I¡¯m so jealous¡­ Will hee this way?¡± ¡°I think so? The staff are gathering in front of the stairs now.¡± Idasol and Jang Minhee, who were watching the scene with envious eyes from the second floor, stomped their feet. ¡°Wow!¡± ¡°He¡¯s reallying, sis!¡± Ian walked up the stairs that connected to the extended stage. The fans on the second floor held up their phones. Ian waved and greeted them. ¡°Ian!¡± ¡°Thank you foring!¡± He nced at the cameras that were taking pictures of him. He wanted to hold every hand that the fans reached out, but he didn¡¯t have time. Ian quickly went down the stairs and headed to the opposite extended stage. Along the way, he picked up the slogans and dolls that the fans threw. On the other side, Ian finished his fan service and headed to the center of the stage. The members held hands and bowed to the fans. *** The concert ended without any idents, and in the hallway of the waiting room, there were already family and friends who were invited by the Awi members. ¡°Mom!¡± Park Jinhyuk ran to her. The family members were taking pictures with Kim Heesang, a national singer, first, and they seemed to wee him more than the members. ¡°Did I bother you, sir?¡± ¡°No!¡± While Park Jinhyuk was chatting with his mom, Ian approached Kim Heesang. ¡°Sir, thank you foring.¡± ¡°No, I had fun too.¡± Kim Heesang patted the members¡¯ shoulders and looked at them with a strange expression. ¡°Well¡­ I enjoyed your dance too.¡± ¡°¡­Ah!¡± The members¡¯ faces turned red and Kim Heesangughed. The members bowed after taking a group photo with Kim Heesang. ¡°I have to go now. Come visit my studio sometime.¡± ¡°Goodbye, sir!¡± Now it was time for the family members. They took turns taking pictures with the members¡¯ families. Ian had no family or friends in Korea, so he mostly took pictures for them or stood nkly against the wall. ¡°Um¡­ Can we take a picture together?¡± Park Seohyun, Park Jinhyuk¡¯s sister who was circling around him looking for a chance to take a picture with him, shyly handed him her phone. ¡°Sis, don¡¯t you want to take a selfie with me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like you.¡± Ian quickly took Park Seohyun¡¯s phone and took a picture. Park Seohyun¡¯s face turned red as she got close to Ian and Park Jinhyuk made a gagging gesture. ¡°Bro, these are our siblings.¡± ¡°Hello.¡± Ian also happily took pictures with Park Seodam¡¯s siblings and lifted his head when he heard someone murmuring at the end of the hallway. [The back girls are here.] As they got closer, Park Dongsoo sighed. ¡°Guys, good luck.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Park Dongsoo escorted the members¡¯ family and friends, and the members had to take pictures with people they didn¡¯t know. These people came in through concert staff or agency staff, and they were people who used their connections to meet celebrities personally. The fans sometimes called these people ¡®back girls¡¯. [He¡¯s S Entertainment¡¯s variety director. His daughter must be your fan.] [Oh, there¡¯s B Corporation¡¯s granddaughter too.] There were also people who were hard to refuse, so most of the agencies let these people in. ¡°Hello.¡± And the first priority for taking pictures with them was Ian, who took pictures with them as if he was at a high-touch event, repeating taking pictures and moving on to another person. Of course, there were not only back girls but also back boys. A young man came up to Ian and asked for a handshake. Jin smirked when he saw his face. [Don¡¯t hang out with them.] ¡®Why?¡¯ He could tell why without Jin exining it. The man who greeted Ian for his performance went straight to the point. ¡°Ian, do you do virtual currency?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You should invest your money early and wisely. Now that you¡¯re going to be a monthly idol, you¡¯ll earn a lot of money. We have developed a virtual currency that¡­¡± Who is this weirdo? Ian frowned slightly. [He¡¯s famous. He tries to make connections with celebrities or corporate heirs by hanging out with them. Most of them are nouveau riche who made some money with virtual currency. They can¡¯t forget the taste and want to make more deals.] ¡®What a bunch of strange people.¡¯ [When you be popr, these scammers will follow you. Watch out for your members. Oh? Do you think he¡¯s the only one? His family is more dangerous. You know what debt investing is, right?] The man kept on talking about the investment value of a virtual currency that Ian had never heard of, whether it was HepaCoin or HepaFilter. Ian had no time to listen to such nonsense. Just as he was about to politely refuse, a woman cut in between them. ¡°Can I take a selfie with you?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Ian quickly took the woman¡¯s phone. The man looked disappointed and turned to the other members. Someone should stop him. Fortunately, the man who went to Juhyuk came back empty-handed. [She¡¯s the youngest daughter of T Group.] Jin, who was taking a picture with the woman next to Ian, said. He wasn¡¯t even a corporate chairman, but how did he know their children¡¯s faces so well? ¡®Did you work as a political reporter or something?¡¯ [These are the people who run around in this circle. They¡¯re obvious.] Ian looked around after taking a picture with the woman. There were still many people who wanted to take a picture with him. ¡®Ah¡­¡¯ Ian was filled with gratitude and joy for the fans who came to the concert until a while ago. And now, he felt bitter seeing the people who could easily meet celebrities through someone¡¯s connections. How many of them were his true fans? They probably didn¡¯t even join the fan club. ¡®Give me back my emotions¡­¡¯ Ian was able to leave the ce only after he epted all the photo requests. *** ¡°Unni, are youing tomorrow?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it sold out for the concert?¡± ¡°Wow, me too! See you tomorrow, unni.¡± ¡°Okay, keep in touch.¡± Dasol waited for Eunha at the subway station after saying goodbye to Minhee. ¡°You came out fast?¡± A few minutester, Eunha tapped Dasol¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Ugh, someone fainted in my standing area. It was crazy.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°When they came out for the encore, the standing people rushed to the stage. I got pushed and I think I breathed wrong.¡± ¡°Wow, really? That¡¯s dangerous.¡± ¡°You¡¯re standing tomorrow, right? Don¡¯t stay in front if you can. You can see their faces well even if you¡¯re in the back.¡± Dasol nodded at Eunha¡¯s advice. ¡®I¡¯m so happy¡­¡¯ On the subway home, Dasol was still immersed in the aftermath of the concert. She went on SNS and saved every preview photo of the concert by her fellow fans. ¡®I love seeing them¡­ but it feels a bit¡­ empty.¡¯ On the other hand, Eunha was hit hard by the post-concert blues. The concert was better than she expected. The stage was perfect, and she could see her bias¡¯s face rtively close. But she couldn¡¯t help feeling awkward when she realized that she was just one of the many fans who filled the venue. ¡®They were really far from me¡­¡¯ Eunha couldn¡¯t get out of that feeling even when she entered her house. The face of her bias that she could see rtively close was actually a very distant existence. She couldn¡¯t erase that gap. Chapter 86: Chapter 86: Chapter 86 Why are we the benefactors? Kim Yong-min had terminated his contract with his agency after awsuit and was looking for a new one after finishing his military service. But at some point, he felt like he had lost his motivation. ¡®Why was I so obsessed with the entertainment industry?¡¯ He felt like the one thing that was holding him back had snapped. He was too old to re-debut as an idol, and he didn¡¯t think he could make any ie from trying to challenge himself withposing or acting, which he had learned on the side. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m going back home¡­¡± He would be lying if he said he didn¡¯t regret his long trainee period. But there were so many people in the entertainment industry who were more handsome and talented than him. He had no confidence that he could make a living with this, even if he tried again. ¡°I just¡­ don¡¯t want to do it anymore.¡± Kim Yong-min wanted to rest now. He hated living by other people¡¯s eyes and worrying about his fans leaving him. He hated seeingments like ¡®What is this trash?¡¯ when he got a rare mention online. ¡°I just¡­ shouldn¡¯t have been a celebrity.¡± He sighed deeply after pressing the end call button. *** After the three-day concert in Seoul, people started toe up on the empty stage. They were the staff and the agency representatives. They took a group photo with Awi, who bowed and thanked them. ¡°Thank you for your hard work!¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Awi had no time to rest and had to leave for Japan the next day. The members looked around the empty venue. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it feel¡­ empty?¡± Kim Joo-young gave a hollowugh. Ian nodded. ¡°I can still hear the cheers.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk sat down on the stage, and the other members joined him. ¡°You know what it¡¯s like? It¡¯s like going to a big house for a holiday and having fun with your cousins, and then feeling sad when you go back home. It¡¯s exactly like that, right?¡± The membersughed at Jo Tae-woong¡¯s words. ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± ¡°Nice analogy.¡± Park Jin-hyuk grabbed a handful of paper confetti on the floor and threw it in the air. ¡°But it was fun.¡± ¡°I wish it could be like this every day.¡± Ian smiled as he saw the confetti, remembering the fans¡¯ event. The fans had surprised them with different slogan designs and messages for thest two days. ¡°¡­Would it be greedy to say that I want to perform in a bigger venue next time, hyungs?¡± ¡°Gochuk! Jamsil!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have to be at Mydia¡¯s level for that?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that what we have to aim for?¡± The members closed their mouths after Jo Tae-woong¡¯sst words. How would they feel if they reached that level? Could they reach it? ¡®Our group was lucky.¡¯ They had debuted when Aiwon was sweeping the idol scene with ¡®Project Idol¡¯, but they got lucky and received a song from a famous producer through word of mouth, and achieved number one on the charts in a short time. And their first concert was about 7,000 seats per day. 20,000 seats for three days. There were more groups debuting every month, but how many of them could do a concert of this scale? Could they exin it with just ¡®luck¡¯? Ian felt a surge of confidence that they could do more than this. ¡°We can do it.¡± As Ian opened his mouth again, the other members also raised their arms and shouted. ¡°We can do it!¡± Their warm scene was captured by their road manager, Kim Myung-jin. And that photo was uploaded on Awi¡¯s official SNS. *** Awi left for Japan the next day without any rest. They had to perform in Tokyo and Osaka and then return to Korea. ¡°A long padding ad?¡± ¡°Yeah, Ppany¡¯s ad. It¡¯s not a print ad, but a TV ad.¡± It was because Awi had gotten another ad contract besides their school uniform one. When Aiwon disbanded at the end of the year, the adpanies that had contracts with them started looking for new models. [They must have made a lot of money from their fans.] And not only long padding, but most of thepanies contacted Awi¡¯s agency for inquiries. Awi had to fly back to Korea in between their world tour to film ads. ¡°There¡¯s also a chicken ad.¡± ¡°Chicken!¡± They finally got their coveted chicken ad. They had to rearrange their flight schedule because of that, but it was a happy problem for their agency. ¡°Is our poprity real?¡± ¡°Are we really going to Gochuk?¡± The members drank their rational kimchi soup and giggled. Awi went straight into rehearsal as soon as they arrived in Tokyo, and Ian was amazed as soon as he sang the first verse. ¡®Wow¡­ The sound here is amazing.¡¯ [Japan is known for having good sound quality. The audience response is not as good as Korea, though.] The members headed to the backstage after finishing their rehearsal. ¡°The sound here is awesome.¡± ¡°Did you feel it too, Hyuk?¡± Jo Tae-woong and Park Seo-dam, who were gaining confidence with their improving skills, fiddled with their hand microphones. ¡°It makes me want to sing more.¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± ¡°Should we take off one of the in-ears?¡± There was more than just the sound. In Korea, they could get closer to the fans on the second floor through the stairs connected to the protruding stage, but Japan had a different system. ¡°Does this move?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s cool.¡± In Japan, there was something called a toro, which was like a makeshift stage with wheels. They would ride it and go around the concert hall to get closer to the fans on the second floor. ¡°We can sing here and throw balls.¡± ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s why they told us to sign them.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t throw them with all your might. Just toss them lightly.¡± ¡°Hey, do you think I would do that?¡± You probably would. Lee Ju-hyuk narrowed his eyes and looked at Park Jin-hyuk. They were nning to throw stic signed balls while riding the toro. ¡°I heard from MOM Min-hoo hyung that there is also something called a moving stage.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Park Jin-hyuk pointed to the main stage. ¡°The stage rises up and passes over the standing audience seats. Then ites to this front side.¡± ¡°That sounds scary.¡± What if the stage copses? Kim Ju-young shivered. ¡°But I kind of want to stand on it once.¡± ¡°The concert halls that have that must be big, right?¡± ¡°Tokyo Dome¡­?¡± The members¡¯ ambition for the performance grew. *** The Japanese fans had more round fans with the members¡¯ faces or names on them than personal slogans. ¡®It¡¯s amazing¡­¡¯ Ian still felt strange that there were so many people who liked foreign idols across the sea. He had met Japanese fans through handshake events or high-touch events, but he didn¡¯t feel the numbers well because he met them face-to-face. When he saw them all gathered together like this, he felt like he was dreaming just like when he had a concert in Korea. ¡®It looks like a gxy.¡¯ He never got tired of seeing the light of the light sticks moving without a break. *** After sessfully finishing their concerts in Tokyo and Osaka, Awi returned to Korea for an advertisement shoot. ¡°Guys!¡± ¡°Look over here!¡± Somehow, their arrival schedule was leaked, and reporters and fans were waiting at the airport. Awi waved their hands slightly and passed by quickly. ¡°It¡¯s Eun-in?!¡± Someone who was looking for some celebrities shouted loudly. ¡°Eun-in?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Eun-in!¡± The old people who were wandering around stopped and looked at Awi, especially Ian and Jo Tae-woong. They stretched their heads to look closely at their faces, and even pointed their fingers at them. ¡°Why are we Eun-in?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know?¡± Ian and Jo Tae-woong looked at each other in the van. *** ¡°Guys, how are you so lucky? You did well.¡± Seo Su-ryeon looked at Ian and Jo Tae-woong with a proud face. Ian said with a calm face, hiding his joy. ¡°What did we do well? It was all thanks to that senior.¡± Jo Tae-woong nodded. ¡°He¡¯s the one who made me an idol. We should at least do that much for him.¡± The Eun-in incident was this. Lim Tae-woo finally made it to the TOP3 in ¡®The Man of Trot¡¯. Ian smiled happily as he watched the video that Seo Su-ryeon showed him. (Actually, I had a different reason for starting trot.) (What was it?) (I debuted as an idol, but it didn¡¯t go well. I wasn¡¯t popr either¡­ And my agency went bankrupt, so I had nowhere to go. I ran away to the army. When I came out after discharge, I had no decent talent and I had to make a living¡­ So I worked as an MC for events.) (We have a video from that time. Let¡¯s take a look!) Lim Tae-woo¡¯s footage appeared on the screen for a moment, and he continued. (I had a tiring day after being ripped off by the event organizers. One of the idol members who performed at the event approached me. He said he dreamed of bing an idol after seeing me at the Diamond era event. He said he was a real fan. I was about to cry, but I held it in.) (Which idol group was it?) (Awi.) A short clip of Awi¡¯s stage performance shed by. (They are really popr these days.) (The member who said he was a fan of me was Tae-woong. He was a sessful child actor who dreamed of being an idol after seeing me. It was strange and nice to hear that¡­ and I felt courageous.) Lim Tae-woo¡¯s eyes moistened as he recalled that moment. (So you got the courage to try again after seeing your old fan?) (No. After that, Ian, who came to pick up Tae-woong, cautiously suggested that I should try trot since I sing well. He called me senior even though I¡¯m not one anymore¡­) (They are famous for being polite.) Photos of Jo Tae-woong and Ian appeared on the screen, and the host nodded his head. It pays off to be nice to people. (I couldn¡¯t say let¡¯s meet again to them. I thought I would never see them again since they are popr idol juniors¡­ But Ian said he would see me again next time.) Lim Tae-woo finally shed a tear on his face. (It¡¯s like a drama.) (So I got the courage to try again. I made it to the TOP3 thanks to them. They are like benefactors to me.) (Why don¡¯t you say something to Awi on this opportunity?) (Should I? Well¡­ I think I can keep my promise to see you again next time. I hope to see you soon.) That was not all. Lim Tae-woo, who suddenly rose to fame and was busy, appeared on various entertainment programs and left video messages for Awi without fail. (Who do you want to do entertainment with? I want Awi.) (I want to see Tae-woong and Ian of Awi.) (Who do you want to sing with? Of course, Awi. My benefactors.) Awi fans collected Lim Tae-woo¡¯s love calls for Awi and uploaded them on MyTube. Most of thements were written by elders with a fragrant scent. Lim Tae-woo, who swept the middle-aged poprity with his handsome face and skills, kept mentioning Awi as his benefactors, so naturally the public¡¯s attention was drawn to Awi. ¡°It¡¯s crazy. They want us to do entertainment andmercials together.¡± The staff, including Seo Su-ryeon, had joy on their faces. Ian was no exception. ¡®Lim Tae-woo, you did it¡­¡¯ You really made it and got to meet them. Ian smiled happily. Chapter 87: Chapter 87: Chapter 87 It¡¯s not me. (Unfortunately, AWY is on a world tour, so it¡¯s hard to cancel their schedule right away.) (That¡¯s too bad.) (Do you have anyone else in mind besides AWY?) (Well¡­) There was one more person he could think of. But¡­ Lim Tae-woo¡¯s face hardened. Would he resent me for disappearing without a word? Would he be angry at me for changing my number and going off the grid? But I can¡¯t ignore him any longer. After a moment of thought, he opened his eyes and said. (Yong-min. Kim Yong-min, who was in Diamond with me.) *** ¡°If it¡¯s a long padding ad, are we supposed to do something like this?¡± Park Jin-hyuk gestured in the air, pretending to swing a coat that he didn¡¯t even wear. ¡°And then they¡¯ll add Mount Everest in the background?¡± ¡°And the wind will blow from the front and make our hair flutter like this.¡± AWY arrived at the shooting site with high expectations, as the clothing brand they were shooting for was a subsidiary of arge corporation. ¡°The concept of the ad is penguins.¡± ¡°Penguins¡­?¡± And their expectations were shattered. ¡°Yes, do you see that green screen over there? They¡¯ll add the Antarctic background.¡± The members, who wore long padding from head to toe, finished the shooting quickly by walking and imitating penguins. ¡®It¡¯s not¡­ penguins¡­¡¯ ¡®Long padding!¡¯ That was the narration that AWY members had to recordter. What about Everest? The camera that sweeps over the whole body as if flying in the wind? ¡®How is it?¡¯ ¡®It must be fun¡­?¡¯ The members nodded their heads as they looked at the storyboard of the ad together. ¡°Next, there will be a short group video of us wearing padding. But this version is a bit crazy.¡± ¡°Oh, is there another version?¡± ¡°Yes, the other version is just us dancing with our padding on. Coolly.¡± There was a non-crazy version too! The members sighed with relief inside. Anyway, they were only going to film the back of the members walking from afar, so the preparation time was not long. All they had to do was wrap their bodies carefully with padding. Ian put on the gray padding that the staff handed him and eximed softly. ¡°Oh, this looks nice, doesn¡¯t it? It¡¯s light.¡± ¡°You can take it with you when you¡¯re done.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, the head office told us to give it to you as a gift. If you look closely here¡­¡± The staff pointed to the sleeve of Ian¡¯s padding. There was AWY¡¯s logo embroidered on it. ¡°It¡¯s one of only seven in the world. That¡¯s what the advertiser asked us to tell you.¡± ¡°Wow! Advertiser! Lord!¡± The members zipped up their padding to their necks and jumped up and down in their seats, dancing a tribal dance they had seen somewhere. ¡°It looks expensive and they¡¯re giving it away for free?¡± ¡°We have to show them what a real ad model is, don¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s wear this in the summer too?¡± ¡°Jin-hyuk hyung, that¡¯s too much.¡± Anyway, free is good. The members smiled happily. A crazy ad would also spread by word of mouth if it was good. ¡°Don¡¯t we have to make it look like real penguins if we¡¯re going to do it?¡± ¡°How do penguins walk?¡± ¡°Like this?¡± Ian and Jo Tae-woong imitated penguins. They had acting sses where they imitated different animals. AWY stood on the green screen after checking their movements and rehearsing for the shooting. ¡°You can just rx and do it. We¡¯ll shoot it many times anyway. Let¡¯s try it once.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go. Stand by, cue.¡± The members who took their positions at the starting point walked slowly while imitating penguins. ¡®Do we really just have to walk like this? It feels boring¡­¡¯ As Ian thought that, Jo Tae-woong, who was walking behind him, suddenly pped his arms and stretched his head up to the sky. ¡°Squawk!¡± Ian desperately closed his mouth at the sudden penguin imitation sound. It wasn¡¯t just an imitation, it was too realistic. ¡®Hold on¡­ The camera is still rolling¡­¡¯ But a deted sound escaped from his closed lips. The other members¡¯ reactions were no different from Ian¡¯s. Kim Hyun, who was walking next to him, had his cheekbones already raised high. ¡°Cut! Ah, that was great! Do we need to do another take?¡± The director shouted ¡°cut¡± with satisfaction, and the members burst intoughter and rolled on the floor. Kim Hyun pped Jo Tae-woong¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Ah, Jo Tae-woong, you¡¯re hrious!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make meugh out of nowhere!¡± Jo Tae-woong smiled proudly, having seeded in making the membersugh again. ¡°I can¡¯t beat Tae-woong¡­¡± Park Jin-hyuk, who was thinking of something in the corner, ran over to Park Dong-soo. ¡°Do you guys know this video?¡± Park Jin-hyuk took Park Dong-soo¡¯s phone and opened the MyTube app. He searched for ¡°penguin sound¡±. A short video showed a penguin falling backwards as it walked peacefully in front of a group of penguins. Then the penguins behind it made a collective crying sound. ¡°What is this? The penguin sound is so cute!¡± ¡°This is fun. Let¡¯s ask if we can shoot this again.¡± The director agreed readily. Ian took the role of the falling penguin. AWY finished the crazy version of the shooting without any trouble, and then they also wrapped up the cool version of the shooting that they had been looking forward to in the morning. ¡°This will be a hot issue when it¡¯s released, right?¡± The director smiled contentedly as he watched the footage. *** After finishing the long padding ad shooting, AWY got on the ne right away. The next city was Singapore. And of course, the tickets were sold out. ¡°Yes! Are you all having fun?¡± The Singaporean fans cheered politely. Then Ian read the script that appeared on the prompter in English. ¡°*We heard that our Singaporean AWYDOM prepared something for us¡­ Ready? A surprise video?¡± The members, including Ian, turned around to look at the screen at the prompter script that was not in the rehearsal. (We will always be with you.) The video started with white subtitles on a ck background. It was a fan-edited video of their trainee days, when they were busking as BHL Boys, and their debut and until now. (From. Singapore AWYDOM.) The video also showed aption of fan cheering videos. ¡®Wow¡­ When did they prepare this?¡¯ The video was crude, not made by a professional. But they could clearly feel how much the fans loved them. Ian felt touched and pressed his chest. ¡®I¡¯m happy just by theming here¡­¡¯ They were happy just by liking someone, even if they heard ¡®they don¡¯t know you¡¯ from others when they said they liked idols. ¡®Can I give them back this much?¡¯ Some fans called themselves ¡®ATMs with emotions¡¯. They didn¡¯t ask for much. They just poured unconditional love, money and time for their singers, their celebrities. They wished they were not a light money-making tool, but a business. They wanted them to know that fans have emotions too. They hoped that their existence in the hearts of their favorite idols was not insignificant. ¡®Don¡¯t forget.¡¯ Ian vowed again. Don¡¯t take it for granted that these people like me. And I¡¯ll make sure they don¡¯t regret liking me. *** After the touching Singapore concert, AWY returned to their hotel. Park Seo-dam and Kim Joo-young had tears in their eyes after watching the fan video, and their eyes were red because of that. ¡°It was so good in Seoul too.¡± Ian, who finally shared a room with Kim Joo-young, the cleaning king, muttered as hey on his bed. ¡°Me too¡­¡± Kim Joo-youngy on his bed next to him and stared nkly at the ceiling. ¡°I wish we could do more than just perform.¡± Ian jumped up at Kim Joo-young¡¯s words. ¡°Why can¡¯t we do more? The best thing is to keep working for a long time without getting into trouble.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°No crime, drugs or dating until our 30s.¡± ¡°Ah, dating is a bit¡­ We¡¯re going to be wizards at this rate.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay to be a wizard once in your life, right? How many years left until we be wizards?¡± ¡°If I knew this would happen, I would have dated a girlfriend when I was a trainee¡­¡± Ian and Kim Joo-young chatted casually and fell asleep. *** Ian watched Lim Tae-woo¡¯s broadcast appearances whenever he had time during his tour, and one of them was broadcasted when AWY couldn¡¯t appear due to their schedule. The special program after ¡®The Man of Trot¡¯ was an entertainment program where ¡®The Man of Trot¡¯ TOP7 contestants went to meet someone they missed or wanted to see. ¡®Huh¡­? Something looks familiar here?¡¯ Lim Tae-woo, who was going to meet someone he missed, looked nervously outside, and the outside scenery was familiar. Lim Tae-woo got out of the van with a gift basket. He waved his hand happily at the person who was walking over from the other side. (Yongmin!) ¡°Me?!¡± [Is that Kim Yongmin?!] Strictly speaking, I¡¯m not him anymore. Ian pressed his face to the small phone screen. It was Kim Yongmin, who looked a bit aged but still healthy. Ian felt a strange feeling as he faced his past self across the screen. (Taewoo, long time no see. I watched ¡®The Man of Trot¡¯. You still got it.) Kim Yongmin smiled brightly with a carefree face. At his smile, Taewoo suddenly burst into tears. (What? Why are you crying all of a sudden?) (I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry for disappearing without a word back then¡­) Kim Yongminughed out loud and hugged Taewoo. (Kid¡­ You didn¡¯t cry like this before. Why are you crying now?) ¡°Exactly¡­¡± Ian twisted his face as if he was about to cry. He felt unfamiliar with the sight of his former self moving on the screen. And at this moment, he wanted to be Kim Yongmin again and talk to Taewoo honestly. After that, Kim Yongmin grilled some charcoal meat for Taewoo, whom he hadn¡¯t seen in a long time, and the real talk time began. They drank a ss of soju and asked each other about their recent situations. It was ate-night cable show, so drinking was allowed. (I knew he would make it. He lived in the practice room all the time during Diamond.) Kim Yongmin said to the PD. (Hey, that¡¯s the same for you. He did more than you, PD-nim.) (Really¡­ I¡¯m d you made it too.) At that unexpected remark, Taewoo clenched his mouth and made a walnut chin. He felt like crying again. (Why did you quit being a celebrity all of a sudden? You had more talent than me.) (Ah, that¡¯s not true.) Kim Yongmin smiled bitterly and gulped down a ss of soju. After a long hesitation, Kim Yongmin opened his mouth. (You cried and said we were hopeless back then.) (¡­I did.) Taewoo fiddled with his soju ss for no reason. He remembered how he went missing without contact after that. (It¡¯s not us. It¡¯s not you, it¡¯s me who couldn¡¯t do anything in the entertainment industry.) (Hey, that¡¯s¡­ What are you talking about?) Maybe it was because his soul had changed. Kim Yongmin didn¡¯t have the obsession with the entertainment industry that he had in the past. ¡®That person is no longer me.¡¯ Ian was able to get out of the unfamiliarity as he saw Kim Yongmin¡¯s face that he had shaken off. Chapter 88: Chapter 88: Chapter 88 What do fans matter¡­ (I felt like I couldn¡¯t reach the end I wanted, no matter how hard I tried. I was tired, and so were my parents.) (¡­) Tae-woo opened his mouth to say something, but closed it and poured more alcohol into Yong-min¡¯s empty ss. (You know how it is. Every time we try to do something, something goes wrong somewhere.) (Theeback that fell through¡­) We were so confident back then, but we got scattered by Jung-min-joon¡¯s reckless marriage. I still feel regretful when I think about that time. Tae-woo and Yong-min sighed together. (If you think about it, there was no guarantee that we would do well even if we had aeback then.) (But the song was so good¡­ It¡¯s a shame.) The PD who was listening to their conversation asked, ¡®Can you sing it for us once?¡¯ (Do you remember the lyrics?) (Of course.) Tae-woo and Yong-min sang their nnedeback song without hesitation. Even though a lot of time had passed, they didn¡¯t forget a single line of the song they loved. (You still have it. You should do trot.) (What are you talking about? You should use this song for your album. What¡¯s wrong with it not being trot?) (Let¡¯s do it together.) (What?) (Let¡¯s do it together. Again.) Yong-min said with a relieved smile. Next to Tae-woo¡¯s serious expression, a caption said ¡®loyal friend¡¯. (I¡¯m better off doing what I¡¯m doing now. I don¡¯t want to be dragged down by you.) (I¡¯m fine¡­) (You have to think about your fans, even if you¡¯re fine.) Yong-min had long lost his attachment to the entertainment industry. But his face darkened when he thought of his fans. Even in that unpopr group, there were people who liked him. The PD caught Yong-min¡¯s inner feelings from his expression. (Then, what about the fans from your Diamond days? Do you have anything to say to them?) (Um¡­) Yong-min scratched his head. He had retired from the entertainment industry without any news, and he didn¡¯t know what to say now. (I¡¯m sorry for disappearing without a word.) Yong-min held his trembling hand. (Thank you for liking me.) The broadcast recorded a whopping 18.3% viewership rating, despite being on a cable channel. It was because of the cast of ¡®The Man of Trot¡¯. And Diamond ranked third on the real-time search, and Yong-min ranked ninth. It was something they couldn¡¯t achieve during their peak. ¡®Nice to Meet You, Friend¡¯ The deep idol story that made you cry ¡®Nice to Meet You, Friend¡¯ Who was Diamond? ¡®Nice to Meet You, Friend¡¯ Tae-woo, loyal friend confirmed¡­ Diamond¡¯s breakup story revealed. After the broadcast, articles poured out, and Diamond¡¯s few fans unlocked their dormant ounts and wrote posts on SNS. -Crazy agency screw them?????? -TA Media bastards??? -Come to think of it, isn¡¯t Jung-min-joon insane? He ruined the group and now he¡¯s living as a celeb on a parenting show? ©¸He has no conscience, such a shameless guy -I¡¯m d Tae-woo is doing well???? But Yong-min is such a waste???He could do well as a singer again?? ©¸He said he¡¯s noting back to the entertainment industry???? ©¸But he would have done well if he did a duo with Tae-woo ©¸©¸Tae-woo has opened his golden path with trot and he¡¯s going to do activities with Yong-min lol ©¸©¸©¸What are you ?? get lost with your aggro Of course, Jang Min-hee, who had been Yong-min¡¯s longtime fan and now became Ian¡¯s fan, also watched the broadcast live. ¡°Honey, are you crying?¡± ¡°Huh¡­? Just¡­ feeling sorry for him?¡± ¡°No, you were his fan, right? Do you want a tissue?¡± Jang Min-hee blew her nose with the tissue her husband gave her. She still loved him even though she was fangirling over someone else. It was just that her feelings were piled up in a corner of her heart. ¡®You suffered a lot¡­¡¯ She had left her ount for Yong-min untouched when she made a new one for Ian¡¯s SNS fangirling. She couldn¡¯t delete it because she couldn¡¯t bear it. ¡®Now I¡¯ll really¡­ really let you go.¡¯ Jang Min-hee opened her notepad. DragonMint @DragonMint_YM (Photo) CLOSE. Ian, who was searching for Yong-min after being mesmerized by the broadcast, saw Jang Min-hee¡¯s ount being activated by chance. ¡®Close¡­? Does that mean she¡¯s closing it?¡¯ He zoomed in on the attached picture. It contained the words that he couldn¡¯t fit in one message due to the character limit. [What a noisy withdrawal letter.] ¡®Don¡¯t call it a withdrawal letter¡­¡¯ This letter was iparable to those cheap withdrawal letters. Ian gritted his teeth as he red at Jin. Jin snorted and disappeared like smoke. Ian read Jang Minhee¡¯s letter again and again. He was happy that she still liked him even after his soul changed, and he also had a selfish wish that she would like Kim Yongmin until the end. But Jang Minhee didn¡¯t forget Kim Yongmin. ¡®She kept Kim Yongmin in her heart.¡¯ In his previous life, he had given up on being an idol and switched to being an actor. He was so thirsty for fame that he didn¡¯t care about anything else. Back then, he thought that his Diamond days were a waste, and that he was no different from a trainee who barely debuted. ¡®There was no useless time¡­¡¯ But no matter how much he was neglected by his agency and had no poprity, it wasn¡¯t a useless time. During that time, he was able to be an inspiration and a memory for someone. He suddenly felt that he had received a lot from someone who didn¡¯t do anything for him. Ian wiped his eyes with his sleeve. His sleeve quickly became damp. ¡®It wasn¡¯t one-sided, noona.¡¯ He wanted to tell them that he thought of them more than they thought of him. But he couldn¡¯t do that. Because now he was Choi Ian, not Kim Yongmin. *** [Ian] Hello Awi-dum Even if you like someone elseter, or don¡¯t like us until the end, I¡¯m okay with it. I just hope that you are happy in this moment when you like us. Thank you for always liking us Ian posted a message on Awi¡¯s fan cafe with a calm mind. He couldn¡¯t do it when he was in Diamond, but now he wanted to tell his fans what he felt. But about five minutes after he posted the message on the fan cafe, someone banged on the hotel room door. ¡°What is it? Is it another stalker?¡± Park Jinhyuk, who had just finished washing up, put his ear to the door. ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°Choi Ian! Open the door!¡± What? It¡¯s the kids? Park Jinhyuk opened the door. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Hyung, where¡¯s Choi Ian?¡± ¡°Ian is lying on the bed.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Jo Taewoong and Kim Juyeong passed by Park Jinhyuk¡¯s side. The members piled up on Ian before he could get up. ¡°Hey! What is it?! You¡¯re heavy!¡± ¡°What do you mean!¡± What kind of nonsense is this? Ian pushed away Kim Juyeong and Park Seodam and lifted his upper body. All the members were gathered in the same space. ¡°Hyung! Is there something wrong?!¡± Park Seodam sounded like he had a voice crack. ¡°Do I have to have something wrong?¡± ¡°Why did you post such a weird message on the fan cafe? I thought something was wrong with you!¡± You came here because of that? Ianughed out loud. It was a blessing to have members who woulde running just because he wrote one different message than usual. He found these people fun and unbelievable. But more than that, he felt happy. ¡°Why are youughing! We¡¯re serious!¡± ¡°Why did you suddenly write such an emotional message? Are you depressed? Homesick?¡± Hisughter burst their buttons. Kim Hyun and Jo Taewoong pped Ian¡¯s back, but Ian didn¡¯t stopughing. ¡°Hyung, what should we do? Ian hyung must have something wrong.¡± ¡°Ian-ah. Don¡¯tugh, is there something wrong?¡± While Park Seodam and Lee Juhyuk were talking seriously, Park Jinhyuk, who had btedly checked Ian¡¯s message, spoke with a serious face. ¡°Hey Choi Ian. Are you having a hard time¡­?¡± They all looked worried and asked, and if he dragged it any longer, the members would suffocate from curiosity. Ian took a breath and opened his mouth. ¡°Did youe here because of that? I¡¯m fine!¡± ¡°Really?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s dawn right now. I just wrote it because I was feeling emotional. Huh? It¡¯s two o¡¯clock in the morning, the peak of emotion. I wrote it while practicing writing lyrics.¡± ¡°Is that true?! Hey, you scared me!¡± ¡°Puhahaha!¡± Ian rolled on the floor, clutching his stomach. Why is he like this when people are worried? The members looked at each other in disbelief and decided to ignore him. They piled on top of Ian, making a hamburger game. The camera was floating above the chaotic scene. [What¡¯s so special about a fan¡­] Jin muttered in a tone that he didn¡¯t understand. *** Kim Yong-min, who helped his parents with farming, received a call from an unfamiliar number that was not saved. ¡°Hello?¡± (Yong-min, long time no see. Do you remember me?) ¡°Who is this?¡± (It¡¯s me, Choi Jo-hyun, the director of MI Entertainment.) ¡°Oh¡­¡± He was the director who had put his nephew in Jupiter, the ce where Kim Yong-min had been. He had never spoken to him so friendly when he was a trainee at MI Entertainment. ¡®How dare he call me?¡¯ Kim Yong-min pretended to know him and Choi Jo-hyun spoke excitedly. (The reason I called you is¡­ Lim Tae-woo from T.Nam is doing well these days. Don¡¯t you want to be a singer again? You seem to be close with Lim Tae-woo, you even asked him to do a show together¡­ How about debuting again as a trot duo? I think it will go well.) ¡°Don¡¯t do that.¡± (What?) ¡°Don¡¯t do that.¡± He heard a flustered breath from the other side of the phone. Kim Yong-minughed sarcastically. ¡°Why? Lim Tae-woo¡¯s contract with Apany is almost over, so you want to sell me off and make some money? Do you think he will sign with MI Entertainment if I persuade him?¡± Well, he must have no shame to be a director at an entertainmentpany. Kim Yong-min keptughing. Apany didn¡¯t expect ¡®The Man of Trot¡¯ to cause such a syndrome. That¡¯s why the contract period specified in the contract was very short. Lim Tae-woo was only affiliated with A broadcastingpany for six months and after that he had no agency. (Wh¡­ what are you talking about? I was the one who epted you at the audition¡­) Who cares if you epted me or not? Who was the one who kicked me out of the debut group by putting his nephew in? ¡°It¡¯s no use trying to work on me. You bastard, you have no shame and call me. I want to twist your neck.¡± Kim Yong-min lowered his voice and continued. ¡°Lim Tae-woo? He has no reason to go to your shitty agency. He already stamped another ce.¡± (Listen to me carefully, I was really sorry back then¡­) ¡°If you call me one more time, I¡¯ll kill you for real.¡± Kim Yong-min pressed the end call button and let out a sigh of relief. *** ¡°Do you want toe to ourpany after your contract with Apany ends?¡± Park Joo-min didn¡¯t know what to do and eventually summoned Lee Byung-hun, the CEO. Lee Byung-hun opened his mouth when he saw Lim Tae-woo who came suddenly. ¡°Why ourpany all of a sudden¡­ There are betterpanies out there.¡± Lim Tae-woo, who ranked third in T.Nam, was as good as a big fish. In fact, other entertainment agencies were constantly sending love calls to Lim Tae-woo, who had not yet decided on an agency. ¡°I liked thispany.¡± Lim Tae-woo took a sip of the coffee that Park Joo-min brought him. Lee Byung-hun spoke calmly. ¡°No matter how much Ian rmended trot to you, just because of that¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just a word.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°That kid¡¯s word changed my life.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry for saying that lightly. I misspoke.¡± Lee Byung-hun apologized quickly. Lim Tae-woo smiled and said it was okay. ¡°But even if you have a special story with our kids, we are an idol agency, so we don¡¯t have the infrastructure to support a trot singer.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. The T.Nam fandom is almost simr to idols. The age range is just a bit higher.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And it¡¯s more reassuring that you say this. Please ept me.¡± Lim Tae-woo was no longer the loser from Diamond Days. His confident appearance showed no signs of worry or anxiety. ¡®This big fish came in on his own feet¡­! Jo Tae-woong Choi Ian! These amazing guys!¡¯ Lee Byung-hun¡¯s inner feelings were already flying away, but his face was calm. Lee Byung-hun shook hands with Lim Tae-woo, who reached out his hand. ¡°Okay. Even if we are a bit clumsy, we will do our best to support you. I promise.¡± Chapter 89: Chapter 89: Chapter 89 Did the audition gue spread there too? Awi had sessfully finished their concerts in Indonesia, Mysia, Taiwan, and the Philippines. Ian and Kim Joo-young turned their stiff necks and said. ¡°I¡¯m tired even though we¡¯re in business ss. Is it just me?¡± ¡°Me too. Let¡¯s go to the practice room and have some pig¡¯s feet.¡± ¡°I like that idea.¡± They had a week left until the next city concert. It was a brief visit to Korea. ¡°The choreographer hasn¡¯t arrived yet?¡± Awi had been on a world tour fromte May to early September, and they had to prepare a new stage during the tour. After the tour ended, they also had to start working on their next album, and it was the award season from October. ¡°Let¡¯s start with stretching.¡± The members arrived at the practice room as soon as they came to Korea and loosened up their bodies. It wasn¡¯t over with preparing for the award stage. They also had schedules in Korea, such as a chickenmercial tomorrow and a magazine photo shoot the day after. ¡°How about a light song? What do you want to do?¡± ¡°Of course, ¡®Side Effect¡¯. It¡¯s our Joo-hyuk hyung¡¯s first number one song.¡± The members cheered as Ian said. Among them, Lee Joo-hyuk smiled happily. ¡®Side Effect¡¯ had done so well that it made it to the annual chart, not just the daily chart, and it was still in the upper ranks of the chart. ¡°Guys, hold on.¡± ¡°Huh? Hello, teacher!¡± ¡°Did you have a good tour?¡± The choreographer from BHL Entertainment patted the members¡¯ shoulders. After exchanging greetings with the choreographer, they looked at the door and saw a bunch of trainees gathered behind the transparent door. ¡°They said they wanted to see you practice. Is that okay?¡± ¡°Guys, what do you think?¡± Lee Joo-hyuk looked around at the members. The members nodded with indifferent faces. They had performed in front of countless people until two days ago. There was no reason not to show their practice scene to just 30 or so trainees. ¡°Thank you!¡± The trainees bowed their heads and thanked them, then stuck to the wall of the practice room. They looked at the mirror with eager expressions. ¡°I¡¯ll y the music for you.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The music yed, and they matched the picture one by one. The trainees opened their mouths nkly. They had felt that their bodies were unusually lighttely when they danced, but it wasn¡¯t an illusion. Ian felt that he was dancing differently than before in the mirror. ¡®It¡¯s true that world tour boosts your skills.¡¯ As he confirmed it with the mirror, he realized that although their group had always been known for their sharp choreography, it was different from before. The seven members¡¯ movements and steps were perfectly aligned without an inch of error. It was almost mechanical. ¡°Wow¡­¡± When the music ended, the trainees pped and cheered. Lee Joo-hyuk scratched his back of his head. ¡°Did we match this well?¡± ¡°It felt great. Let¡¯s do one more song.¡± The members agreed to Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s suggestion. This time it was ¡®Dawn¡¯. They also danced perfectly and the music ended. ¡°Wow¡­ we¡¯re awesome.¡± ¡°We¡¯re almost crazy.¡± The members praised themselves, forgetting that the trainees were listening. The trainees who had witnessed Awi¡¯s settlement sceneughed as if they were immune. ¡°They say world tour is a skill booster.¡± They shouldn¡¯t have fallen into self-praise. They should have noticed that the choreographer¡¯s eyes were sparkling. *** ¡°So, there¡¯s a Sea Music Award at the end of October. Do you have any concept in mind?¡± The choreographer asked as he sat down on the floor. BHL Entertainment cared about the stage, so they didn¡¯t just follow the choreography that the choreographer made, but they participated in the choreography concept from all members. ¡°Well¡­ our main stage is ¡®Side Effect¡¯, right?¡± Last year¡¯s award stage was a hot topic, so this year some awards gave Awi a lot of stage time, which made them more worried. Lee Joo-hyuk asked around at the members. ¡°Whates to mind when you think of side effects?¡± ¡°Drugs¡­?¡± ¡°Not that.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk dismissed Kim Joo-young¡¯s words. The lyrics of the song were about ¡®side effects in my life because you¡¯re gone¡¯, so it would be a bit controversial if they went with drugs as a sensitive topic. ¡°But I can only think of drugs?¡± ¡°What about stic surgery?¡± Cho Tae-woong and Kim Hyun said. Their thoughts were not much different. Ian tapped his finger on the floor and pondered. ¡®Drugs¡­ drugs¡­ sleeping pills.¡¯ Ian raised his head. ¡°How about insomnia?¡± ¡°Insomnia?¡± He was sleep-deprived and love-sick. He felt like he was going crazy. ¡°Wow! Ian, I like your idea, but how about something more fantastical? Like a dream character?¡± ¡°Or what about a ghost? A ghost that keeps him awake. We did horror before, so let¡¯s make it a ghost with a backstory.¡± As soon as the topic was opened, ideas sprang up from everywhere. The choreographer listened to them all and stroked his chin. ¡°Not bad. Hyun, what do you think?¡± ¡°I like it. How about putting a bed in the center of the stage or paying homage to a movie? It would look nice, right?¡± Kim Hyun, who had recently developed an interest in stage direction, expressed his opinion proactively. The choreographer smiled with satisfaction. ¡°Good. Let¡¯s think about it together.¡± At that moment, someone opened the door of the practice room and peeked in. It was a staff member from their agency. ¡°Is Ian here?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Can youe with me for a minute if you¡¯re not busy?¡± What is it? Ian headed to the hallway. ¡°Are we going to the conference room? Did I get a schedule?¡± ¡°You¡¯re quick on the uptake.¡± If he had a schedule, the agency would have notified him after reviewing it. But calling him to the conference room meant that he had received a rather important offer¡­ ¡®What is it? An ad? A drama?¡¯ Ian opened the door of the conference room. ¡°You¡¯re here?¡± ¡°Hello, director.¡± Inside, there were the director, Seo Suryeon, and his vocal coach, Lee Heejin. ¡°What am I doing here? Heejin teacher, why are you here¡­?¡± Ian sat down across from them. Seo Suryeon got straight to the point. ¡°Ian, do you want to go on the Chinese version of ¡®Project Idol¡¯?¡± Jin, who had disappeared for a while, stuck to Ian¡¯s side. [Chin-Pro-Idol?] ¡®Damn, you scared me. Where did you go?¡¯ [Your stage talk was boring, so I went somewhere else.] Anyway, Chin-Pro-Idol out of nowhere. Ian looked puzzled. ¡°Why would I go there?¡± ¡°Oh, I skipped too much. They want you as a vocal trainer.¡± ¡°Me?¡± He had only debuted for three years. Well, technically two years if he counted by months. It didn¡¯t make sense to call a foreign singer with such a short career as a trainer. Seeing his expression, Lee Heejin took a sip of coffee and opened her mouth. ¡°Director, let me exin. Ian, I have a friend I met when I studied abroad in China.¡± Lee Heejin used her study abroad experience to teach vocal lessons to Chinese idol trainees. ¡°That friend is an investor for that show. I rmended you to him.¡± ¡°Can I ask why?¡± ¡°Remember how Taewoong improved his skills? You taught him, right?¡± ¡°I gave him some feedback¡­ But he was good from the start.¡± Modesty is¡­ Lee Heejin chuckled. ¡°The truth is, since Project Idol did well in Korea, they also have idol audition programs popping up everywhere over there.¡± They also caught the audition gue. Ian looked gloomy. ¡°So they thought their showcked buzz. So they decided to bring in idol members who are active in Korea as trainers. Korea makes good idols, right? Like P.I.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°But they can¡¯t be mediocre, they have to be popr too. And you were perfect for that. So when he asked me if I knew anyone good, I rmended you right away.¡± That made sense. Ian nodded. [Wow, lucky bastard.] What were the chances of having a vocal trainer who knew a Chinese investor? Anyway, things were going well for Awi. If they gained a Chinese fandom, their initial sales would change. ¡°You guys might not feel it much, but Awi is pretty popr in China.¡± Awi had gained fans after their debut with their reputation as stage masters. And thanks to Ian¡¯s cameo appearance and short drama series, his recognition had increased. They also attracted new fans from scandals and incidents involving other idols and water bombers. China was no different. ¡°And that friend likes good-looking people.¡± ¡°Oh my, that¡¯s the same for everyone.¡± Lee Heejin and Seo Suryeonughed heartily. ¡°But can you call me? Aren¡¯t they under Hallyu ban?¡± ¡°You can do it. It¡¯s a bit of a loophole¡­¡± ¡°I can do it?¡± He felt like he became a killer of question marks as soon as he entered the conference room. Jin sighed at Ian¡¯s bewildered face. [Idiot¡­ What¡¯s your nationality?] ¡®¡­Ah!¡¯ He was a Korean singer, but did it matter if he wasn¡¯t Korean? Ian quickly realized something and Heejin smiled and said. ¡°So, are you in?¡± ¡°As long as it doesn¡¯t interfere with our team activities.¡± Ian epted without hesitation. He couldn¡¯t miss this opportunity. If the investors liked him, he would have no problem getting in. ¡°The schedule can be adjusted. It won¡¯t ovep. But it will be tiring, right? You have to fly back and forth to film during the end-of-year stage preparation period.¡± ¡°I like being busy.¡± He always thought that it was better to be exhausted than to twiddle his fingers at the dorm. Heejin picked up her phone at Ian¡¯s cheerful agreement. ¡°Good. Then I¡¯ll tell them you¡¯re on board. Oh, director. The official document will be faxed to you. They might send someone over from their side¡­¡± ¡°Okay. Ian, you can go practice now. I¡¯ll try to arrange the schedule as best as I can.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ian got up from his seat and opened the door of the conference room, then stopped. ¡°Director, please assign me a Chinese teacher too.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± [Ask for the program name too.] ¡°Hee teacher, what¡¯s the name of the program?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Idol Uni.¡± Idol Uni¡­ Ian frowned. It sounded familiar, but he couldn¡¯t remember where he heard it. ¡®Do you know anything?¡¯ [Idol Uni? Hmm¡­ It rings a bell.] Ian didn¡¯t go straight to the practice room, but sat in the lounge and drank a soda. The light on Jin¡¯s camera was blinking fast. [Oh, there¡¯s Cheon Shin-hwi as the MC.] ¡®Cheon Shin-hwi? The guy I saw at the Olympics?¡¯ [Yeah. His Korean group flopped and he flew away like a dove around this time.] ¡®Why is he a dove if his group flopped¡­¡¯ [Anyway, he went to China and joined a big agency and starred in dramas and stuff. He¡¯s doing well. Be friendly with him.] It wasn¡¯t just because Cheon Shin-hwi was there that he felt this uneasy. Ian sighed deeply. As he kept thinking, his temples throbbed. [There, the trainers and trainees form teams and do joint stages and stuff.] ¡®Really? That¡¯s different from Korea¡­¡¯ [Well, it¡¯s because they didn¡¯t buy the official license for the show¡­ But you¡¯re lucky, aren¡¯t you?] ¡®What¡¯s so lucky?¡¯ [Idol Uni, that¡¯s the female version.] Chapter 90: Chapter 90: Chapter 90 Let¡¯s do it again without mentioning Awi. ¡°Can we really eat this?¡± ¡°Of course. But don¡¯t eat too much, the shooting might take a long time.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The members put down the chicken legs they had picked up with a gloomy expression. The camera was not even set up yet. ¡°Didn¡¯t they say this was a new product?¡± ¡°It smells like spicy fried chicken. Or sweet and sour pork.¡± ¡°It tastes like that too. You¡¯re the master of chicken, Kim Joo-young.¡± Jo Tae-woong gave Kim Joo-young a thumbs up after taking a bite. ¡°It¡¯s awesome.¡± ¡°Delicious?¡± The photographer, who had finished setting up the camera, captured that moment. ¡°You guys were great just now! Very natural!¡± As if they were waiting for that cue, the members lifted the chicken legs again. There were only chicken legs, no other parts, because it was an advertisement shooting. ¡°Don¡¯t focus too much on eating and smile brightly!¡± The staff¡¯s advice to not eat too much was unnecessary. They ate so eagerly that the photographer had to warn them. The next day after the chicken advertisement, they had a photo shoot for a magazine. It was a fall fashion photo shoot for the uing season, and it was a luxury clothing photo shoot. ¡°The clothes are amazing, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Did our jawlines look like that?¡± The members admired the photos they had taken together. Jo Tae-woong rubbed his chin and pretended to cut paper with it. ¡°Ouch!¡± ¡°Jo Tae-woong, you¡¯re so cheesy.¡± ¡°The faces came out really well. Is this another booster for our poprity?¡± They had lost some weight from touring overseas and performing, and their faces became sharper as well. The results were better than expected. ¡°Let¡¯s change clothes and take another round.¡± The confident members looked at the camera with cool expressions. After finishing the magazine photo shoot, Awi headed to thepany to prepare for the award ceremony stage. It was when Ian was practicing the choreography for the bonus track that Kim Hyun had made with the members. ¡°Ian,e to the conference room for a minute.¡± ¡°Ian, bring me some ice cream when youe back!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bete!¡± It was time to practice as a group, not individually, so the members were happy to have a break andy down on the floor. ¡°Some people came from Shinwa Media Group.¡± ¡°Really?¡± They had only agreed to appear two days ago and they came in person? Already? When Ian opened the door of the conference room, there were quite a few people sitting inside. ¡°Did you call me?¡± Ian greeted Director Seo Su-ryeon as if he didn¡¯t know her. Next to her were vocal teacher Lee Hee-jin and a woman with shy makeup. There were also people who looked like broadcasting staff holding cameras. ¡°These are the people from Idol Uni.¡± Then who was the person sitting next to Lee Hee-jin? ¡°This is Yewen Li, the investor.¡± The investor came in person. ¡°*Nice to meet you.¡± Yewen Li spoke in English and reached out her hand to Ian. He shook her hand and sat in an empty seat. ¡°*I couldn¡¯t wait after you agreed to appear, so I came here myself.¡± Yewen Li blushed. She came to make sure he wouldn¡¯t change his mind and brought the production team with her to film the teaser for the first greeting of the trainer. [Did you juste to see him?] ¡®Is that so?¡¯ Yewen Li looked embarrassed and whispered in Chinese with Lee Hee-jin. ¡°*Are we filming now? I haven¡¯t learned how to greet properly yet¡­¡± ¡°*It¡¯s okay. Just speakfortably in English. It will be short.¡± The person who looked like a broadcasting staff said. He still had the makeup on from the photo shoot. The staff set up the camera and Ian stood in front of it with a microphone. ¡°*Hello. I¡¯m Ian from Awi.¡± ¡°*Wait a minute, let¡¯s do it again without Awi.¡± What am I supposed to say then? I¡¯m from Awi. Ian looked at the production team with a puzzled expression. ¡°*Why? Oh, because of Hanhanryeong?¡± ¡°*Yes, the subtitle will say global boy group.¡± What kind of Hanhanryeong is that? They lumped together my group like that. He was unhappy but he had no choice but to do as they said. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Ian, the vocal trainer for this project.¡± The staff nodded with satisfaction at his introduction. Ian finished the video shooting as easily as roasting beans on a fire and then took some photos against the white wall in the hallway. ¡®My hair is a mess after practicing¡­¡¯ He posed with one hand sweeping his bangs. The photographer gave him a thumbs up. ¡°Let me take some shots of you practicing as thest part.¡± ¡°With our members?¡± ¡°Yes, ¡®Side Effect¡¯ is famous in China too.¡± ¡°Our leader hyung would be happy to hear that.¡± Did it matter if only the group name was wrong? Ian went down to the practice room with the people gathered in the conference room. ¡®Wait.¡¯ Ian, who was leading the way, suddenly stopped. The members should have looked normal. ¡®Do you know what our members are doing right now?¡¯ [Who can crawl like a worm faster? They were having apetition.] ¡®Sigh¡­¡¯ Ian rubbed his forehead with a sigh. What was he supposed to do? Seo Suryeon and Lee Heejin, who knew that the members sometimes acted weird, exchanged nces and pushed Ian¡¯s back. ¡°Go and check what the kids are doing first.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ian sprinted to the practice room. As soon as he opened the door, Park Jinhyuk, who had pulled up his practice pants like diaper pants, was dancing wildly. Was it a penalty time? He wanted to watch andugh with the other members, but unfortunately he couldn¡¯t. Ian shouted loudly. ¡°Quick, get into broadcast mode!¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°We came here to shoot a video in China!¡± ¡°What!¡± The members moved swiftly. Kim Hyun and Kim Juyoung pretended to practice their choreography by turning on the music, Park Jinhyuk pulled down his pants and became a fierce rapper in an instant. Lee Juhyuk looked at the nk screen of his tablet pad with a serious expression and Jo Taewoong and Park Seodam sat on either side of him. ¡°Are you guys okay for a moment?¡± Seo Suryeon, who arrived at the practice room first, sighed with relief at the normal appearance of the members. *** After that storm passed, it was the next day. Awi had continuous practice schedules until they boarded the ne to finish their tour. Ian, who was coordinating the rough schedule of Usang Uni in the conference room, headed to the practice room. ¡°Ian, you¡¯re here?¡± ¡°Yes, teacher. Where are you going? Don¡¯t you have to watch us?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be back after checking on some trainees next door.¡± The choreographer rushed into the next practice room. Ian tilted his head and opened Awi¡¯s practice room door. ¡°What? What happened while I was in the conference room?¡± The expressions of the members except Kim Hyun and Kim Juyoung were not good. ¡°Where¡¯s Juyoung teacher?¡± ¡°Next practice room, why?¡± ¡°Aaah!¡± Jo Tae-woong knelt down and screamed. It was obvious that the choreography n hade out. Ian snatched the pad from Jo Tae-woong¡¯s hand. ¡°What, this is not bad¡­¡± Ian¡¯s expression gradually darkened. There was no intense acrobatic movement, but a more difficult choreography had appeared. It was a timepse choreography, which required precise timing to avoid breaking the overall picture. It was a choreography that focused on the whole picture rather than on individual attention, and it looked cool to watch. ¡°No¡­¡± Ianughed bitterly. He waited until the excitement of the Awi members in the next practice room subsided, and then casually checked the posture of the trainees, hoping that the dance members would handle it somehow. The choreographer left, so the arrow turned to Kim Hyun and Kim Joo-young. ¡°Joo-young, you made this too, right?¡± ¡°Hyung! What is this!¡± Kim Hyun said leisurely. ¡°Hey, we can do this at our level.¡± ¡°That bastard got high on monthu¡­¡± ¡°Just try it and see. We can do it, right?¡± ¡°Hyung, we are not professional dancers.¡± They had to sing while doing this choreography. Park Seo-dam frowned as if he had no confidence. How can I do this¡­ Lee Joo-hyuk patted Park Seo-dam¡¯s shoulder and said. ¡°Guys, let¡¯s just try to match it simply. This is just a draft choreography.¡± ¡°Shall we? Where should we start?¡± Lee Joo-hyuk smiled as he saw the members who had forgotten their frustration and got up quickly. ¡°Just this part. You do this movement here and gather in a line.¡± The movement itself was simple. However, they had to gather in a few seconds with a certain timing. ¡°Let¡¯s do it, one two three¡­¡± Poh, Ian followed the front member and lined up behind him, then stretched out his arm. ¡°¡­It works?¡± ¡°Wow!¡± The members cheered. Kim Hyun and Kim Joo-young shrugged their shoulders confidently. ¡°I was right, wasn¡¯t I? We can do it.¡± ¡°I just felt a thrill. Let¡¯s do it again.¡± This time they practiced the movement with music and video recording ready. The result was perfect. ¡°Crazy. Why are you so good?¡± ¡°What about you?¡± Park Jin-hyuk and Kim Hyun praised each other as they looked at each other. Seo Young-joon, the choreographer who was watching the members¡¯ movements from the hallway, opened the door of the practice room with a smile. ¡°Guys, I¡¯ll take a look.¡± ¡°Teacher! You said you wouldn¡¯t make the choreography too hard! We still have monthu left!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no acrobatic.¡± He still hadn¡¯t cooled down. Seo Young-joon smiled awkwardly. *** Awi, who spent three days practicing hard, headed to Hong Kong. ¡®The audience here are, to put it nicely, a bit¡­ assertive.¡¯ Chapter 91: Chapter 91: Chapter 91 World tour in London. [Exclusive] ¡®Idol Rapper¡¯ PD Kang Byung-in sentenced to 1 year and 6 months in prison ¡­As Kang PD and other N officials filed an appeal It was revealed that Kang PD and Kim CP were also involved in the maniption of ¡®Project Idol¡¯, causing theizens¡¯ anger. [Exclusive] N,unching idol survival with Media agency. ¡®Did they manipte I-One too¡­?¡¯ [¡­I guess so.] Jin said indifferently. ¡®They have no shame.¡¯ They were manipting like it was their daily meal, and they were doing another survival show. Were they insane? If Ian hadn¡¯t exposed them earlier, they would have rigged two more programs after ¡®Idol Rapper¡¯. Ian lowered his head and turned off his phone screen. ¡°Do we have any fans waiting for us outside?¡± ¡°But they¡¯re all foreigners.¡± Kim Hyun and Park Jin-hyuk whispered. Looking outside, there were local fans holding slogans of Awi. ¡°Weren¡¯t the fans foreigners until now? And there are foreigners here too.¡± ¡°Oh, right.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk pointed at Ian with a grin, and the members looked at Ian. ¡°Ian, please take good care of us on the European tour.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the only one we have.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you guys learn English from me? We¡¯re having a fan signing event in Paris.¡± The other members sighed at Ian¡¯s words. ¡°I have English nausea.¡± ¡°Ah, Jin-hyuk hyung, what are you going to do if you can¡¯t speak English as a rapper?¡± ¡°Seo-dam, that¡¯s a prejudice.¡± After finishing the Hong Kong Macau concert, Awi arrived in London for the start of their European tour. ¡°Wee to London!¡± As Awi¡¯s appearance was seen at the departure hall, the fans who were gathered there shouted softly. The scale was smaller than the Asian tour, but there were still a lot of fans. ¡®Wow¡­ quite a lot.¡¯ [Awi was originally a group that would do well overseas.] Maybe it was because of Ian¡¯s joining, but they were also sweeping up domestic fans unlike their previous life. They were doing well on their own, but why the hell¡­ ¡®Hey.¡¯ Ian woke up Jin who was lost in thought. ¡®Did you get smaller?¡¯ [What?] Jin paused in mid-air and then disappeared like smoke. ¡®What?¡¯ Ian shrugged his shoulders and waved his hand at the local fans. *** What was the reason why Awi, who debuted less than two years ago, became explosively popr? At first, it was because they were the next group following ck Rush, so they had more interest than other small and medium-sized next groups. -Did you see the face of ck Rush¡¯s next group? So handsome?? -Hyun is finally debuting??? The members who already had recognition before their debut and the drama that Ian appeared as a cameo before their debut became a hit, making their start very good. -Did you see the attendance, posts, andments on their fancafe? Joo-hyuk does it five times a day?? He¡¯s a god ©¸They¡¯re all high on average? I came back from doing other idol fandoms, but there¡¯s no idol who gives as much bread as them??? ©¸They love their fans so much??? With their excellent skills and their attentive care for their fans, the fans voluntarily posted promotional posts. Not only domestic fans but also overseas fans were responding. The influx of overseas fans started with the global sess of Media after which there was an increased interest in K-pop as a whole. Because of that, the interest in other idol groups also increased gradually, and Awi, who was rumored to be a stage gourmet, took the lead in sweeping up the global fans. -Did you see Awi¡¯s K-pop Town sales? It¡¯s crazy???? It seems like they haven¡¯t exploded yet??? ©¸Why do they have so many overseas fans? ©¸©¸Water Bomber and Side Effect?? ©¸Water Bomber is ?? it¡¯s so hot ©¸Is Side Effect still on the annual chart? -Did you see Awi¡¯s Ian Bar pre-order? 9 thousand ??? ©¸Is 9 thousand a lot? Their fans are so popr that they do politics, but they¡¯re not really? ©¸It¡¯s less than I thought?????? ©¸You idiots, 9 thousand is a lot, okay? -Ian¡¯s fanart summary for the Olympics ©¸Wow, it¡¯s more than three lines ©¸©¸And the content is different too ©¸Their fans are lucky ©¸They arepared to other groups in the same group? ©¸©¸Don¡¯t grab other kids¡¯ hair But poprity inevitablyes with a dark side. As their poprity increased, so did the attacks from other groups¡¯ fans, the haters who wrote maliciousments for no reason, and the crazy people who were obsessed with bashing them. And it wasn¡¯t just other groups¡¯ fans. Some of the other members¡¯ toxic individual fandoms also joined in the bashing. -Binhyun, sue them -Don¡¯t expect anything, the senior group didn¡¯t sue either ?? -I¡¯m collecting screenshots and sending them to the agency -At least they cleaned up their online ounts -Is AWY going to cob this time? ©¸??Impossible ©¸If they don¡¯t listen to Side Effect, they¡¯ll flop?? ©¸The crow is back ?? The expectations and criticisms for their next album grew more intense as Juhyuk¡¯s masterpiece ¡®Side Effect¡¯ swept the first half of 2019. Of course, the ones who suffered in this process were AWYdom, who had no immunity to these trolls. ¡®The Man of Trot¡¯ Taewoo, moving to BHL Entertainment after Awork contract ends¡­ ¡°We will fully support his activities¡± (official) A special bond made by their affiliated singer¡­ Taewoo, signing an exclusive contract with AWY¡¯s agency BHL Entertainment As AWY¡¯s poprity grew and they recruited ¡®The Man of Trot¡¯ Taewoo, signs of bacsh and reverse viral from other agencies also appeared. *** Their European tour was held in smaller venues than their Asian tour, but the tickets were sold out without any empty seats. AWY got off the van as they arrived at the London venue, the start of their first European tour. ¡°What?¡± The local fans who spotted AWY from afar waved their handmade slogans and shouted. ¡°Wow, look at the people¡­¡± The members instinctively waved their hands towards them and headed inside the venue. ¡°Did you hear that scream?¡± ¡°Awesome.¡± The wall of the stairs leading to the venue was made of ss windows, so they could see the fans waiting outside. They looked up at AWY and waved their hands whether AWY saw them or not. ¡°It¡¯s amazing¡­¡± Seodam stuck to the ss window and looked at the fans. ¡°Guys, we have to go straight to the show after rehearsal, so don¡¯t sweat too much. It¡¯s hard to fix your hair.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The members who entered the backstage stuffed their in-ears and mic packs into their back pockets and went up to the stage for rehearsal. ¡°The stage and the standing area are very close.¡± ¡°The stage seems a bit small, right? We have to narrow our movements too.¡± ¡°I can see the faces of the fans on the second floor. Nice.¡± The members¡¯ eyes changed as soon as they got on stage. They swept the floor with their feet. ¡°Oh, the floor is kind of like Kpany¡¯s material.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good for dancing.¡± The music yed, and the members danced lightly and sang. ¡°Seodam¡¯s mic seems small.¡± ¡°*Please turn up the volume on this side mic.¡± Of course, Ian was in charge of interpreting. The local sound director raised his hand and gave an okay sign after hearing Ian¡¯s words. ¡°Anything else? I don¡¯t think I have anything.¡± ¡°Ian¡¯s English is so cool. He lowers his voice and snaps.¡± ¡°You can be cool too if you learn from Ian School.¡± ¡°I¡¯m tempted.¡± The manager, Park Dongsoo, smiled happily as he watched them. It was very convenient not to have to hire a trantor separately since they had a native member. ¡®I guess I¡¯ll be a trantion shuttle during this tour¡­¡¯ Ian calmly turned his mic and prepared for the next song rehearsal. All of AWY members were excited because it was their first concert in Western countries. In the end, the members who sweated in rehearsal had to endure the sharp gaze of the hair team leader. As the members changed into their stage outfits, the fans started entering. The fans sang along to AWY¡¯s songs that were ying softly in the venue while waiting for the show to start. ¡°Fans are the same wherever you go.¡± Juhyuk closed his eyes and listened to the fans¡¯ voices. He reached out his hand. ¡°Let¡¯s rock this stage today. We are who we are?¡± ¡°AWY!¡± They shouted their group slogan and went up on stage. The inside of the stage was filled with cheers. ¡°Are you ready?¡± The song that got the most reaction from the fans was ¡®Phoenix¡¯, arranged in a rock version. As the intro of Phoenix started, the fans raised one hand to the sky and jumped lightly. ¡°Phoenix is flying, phoe-phoenix is flying~¡± They did not stop singing along, even though the lyrics were in Korean. They also followed the Korean cheering method and boosted the mood of the concert hall. The members were so excited by the cheers that they ran around the narrow stage. Their faces were soaked with sweat in no time. ¡°*Please give it to me.¡± Ian picked up the phone of a fan who was holding it out in front of the standing area. He switched to selfie mode and took a picture with the owner of the phone. He returned the phone and the fan screamed with joy. ¡°*Did you all have a good time? Before we do ourst song, let¡¯s take a picture together, shall we?¡± There was a group photo time before thest song. In thest concert, they took a picture with the surprise event slogans that the fans had prepared. But in Europe, there was a different event. ¡°*Oh, what is this?¡± A fan from the second floor threw a British g made of cloth onto the stage. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s huge. Can you hold the end for me, hyung?¡± Ian and Joo Hyuk spread out the g and looked at the audience with wide eyes. ¡°Did you write this yourself?¡± When Ian tranted Joo Hyuk¡¯s words, the fans shouted affirmatively. The g had arge message saying ¡®Global Awidom¡¯ under which there were many messages from the fans. The fans voluntarily set up a temporary booth in front of the concert hall a few days before the concert. There they gave out free slogans that they had made themselves, and also wrote messages of support for Awi on the g. ¡°Awesome.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hang this in our dorm.¡± The members sat in the center of the stage with their backs to the fans. Kim Joo Young and Park Seo Dam, who sat in the middle, held up the g to their chests. Manager Park Dong Soo came up on stage and took a group photo of Awi and their fans. ¡°Wow, that was hard.¡± ¡°We really went all out.¡± Ian and Jo Tae Woong, who became roommates,y down on their beds at the same time. They were so sharp in their movements that it seemed like they were doing a world tour booster. ¡°Hey Jo Tae Woong, what are you going to do tomorrow during your free time?¡± ¡°I want to go see a ser stadium.¡± ¡°Oh, that sounds good.¡± ¡°Someday we¡¯ll perform at a ser stadium too, right?¡± ¡°¡­Right.¡± Ian and Jo Tae Woong closed their eyes and smiled happily as they were immersed in the aftermath of the concert. ¡°Let¡¯s see what¡¯s nearby before we go to bed.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ian and Jo Tae Woong took out their phones at the same time and opened an inte window. Joo Hyuk¡¯s name was at the top of the real-time search terms. ¡®What is this?¡¯ Ian frowned as soon as he checked the article. Jo Tae Woong, who was lying on the bed next to him, also got up with a start. ¡°¡­What is this?¡± *** ¡°Is Director Seo here?¡± ¡°Yes, what¡¯s wrong? You don¡¯t look good.¡± A BHL Entertainment employee turned on an entertainment news page and turned his monitor towards Seo Soo Ryeon. ¡°Director Seo, I think you should see this.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± [Exclusive] Awi Joo Hyuk¡¯s mother involved in ¡®debt gambling¡¯ scandal¡­ ¡°She didn¡¯t pay back the money she borrowedst year¡± Awi Joo Hyuk¡¯s poprity hit by ¡®mother¡¯s debt gambling¡¯ controversy The situation that Jin had warned about had arrived. Chapter 92: Chapter 92: Chapter 92 Debt. That was the first thing that Ian and Jo Tae-woong thought of when they saw the article. They had to take away Lee Ju-hyuk¡¯s inte ess. They knew he would find out eventually, but Ian hoped he would not notice it too soon. Tomorrow, they had to film their own content and a sightseeing vlog in London. If they could just prevent him from going online tonight, they could spend a happy day tomorrow. ¡°Which room is Ju-hyuk in?¡± ¡°He¡¯s sharing with Dong-su.¡± Ian and Jo Tae-woong sprang up and headed to the hallway. ¡°You too?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Just then, Park Seo-dam and Park Jin-hyuk came out of the next room. Kim Hyun and Kim Ju-young followed them. ¡°I knew you guys would be out here.¡± ¡°Did you do this when you came to our room before?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Kim Ju-young and Jo Tae-woong whispered to each other, while Ian knocked on the door. ¡°What¡¯s up? Why are you all here?¡± ¡°Hyung, what is Ju-hyuk doing?¡± ¡°Ju-hyuk? He¡¯s on the bed. Why?¡± It seemed that Park Dong-su did not know yet. The members exchanged nces and pushed past him into the room. ¡°What? What¡¯s going on?¡± Lee Ju-hyuk was sitting on the bed with his phone in his hand. ¡°Hyung, wait!¡± ¡°No phones!¡± Ian and Kim Hyun shouted and tackled Lee Ju-hyuk. The rest of the members piled on top of them, making a human sandwich. Where have I seen this before¡­ Ian felt a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu, but he had no time to think as Lee Ju-hyuk screamed under the weight. ¡®Did we use too much force?¡¯ Ian rolled to the side. ¡°Why did youe here all of a sudden? Ju-hyuk is tired. Get off him.¡± Park Dong-su was at it again, grumbling as he cleared the members off Lee Ju-hyuk. Jo Tae-woong snatched Lee Ju-hyuk¡¯s phone from his hand. ¡®Got it.¡¯ ¡®Good.¡¯ Ian nodded at Jo Tae-woong¡¯s eye contact. But it was a useless action. ¡°Guys, you don¡¯t have to do that. I¡¯ve seen it already.¡± ¡°Seen what?¡± Park Dong-su, who was still clueless, turned on his own phone and showed him the article. ¡°You¡¯ve seen it already?¡± ¡°If you guys came to see me because of this, then I¡¯ve already seen it. I got a lot of calls too.¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± Lee Ju-hyuk was about to say he was fine out of habit. But he felt like he could not say that to the members who rushed over to him so quickly. He decided to open up a little bit. ¡°No?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m a bit upset.¡± Park Seo-dam made a sad face and put her hand on Lee Ju-hyuk¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I wonder how this could happen.¡± Ian looked at Lee Ju-hyuk¡¯s expression. He might be biased by his appearance, but Lee Ju-hyuk¡¯s mother who came to the Seoul concert did not seem like that kind of person. She looked close with her family and Lee Ju-hyuk talked back to her sharply. Lee Ju-hyuk seemed to read Ian¡¯s thoughts and said, ¡°The person who wrote the article is my biological mother.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°She divorced father when I was young. Because of this issue.¡± I see. The mood turned gloomy in an instant. The members did not know what to say. Lee Ju-hyuk smiled and said, ¡°Thanks for worrying about me.¡± Park Dong-su, who skimmed through the article, turned red in anger. He called Korea and told the members, ¡°Guys, this is something thepany has to deal with. We have to have fun tomorrow, so go to bed early.¡± ¡°Hyung, let¡¯s have a st tomorrow.¡± ¡°Hyung, you sleep early too!¡± Lee Ju-hyuk also thought he needed some time to think. Ian grabbed Jo Tae-woong¡¯s arm as he left. ¡°Wait, wait, I have something to say, hyung! Don¡¯t ever pay me back!¡± ¡°Thepany and hyung will handle it well.¡± Ian and Jo Tae-woong sighed as they returned to their room. ¡°You never had anything like that, right?¡± ¡°Me?¡± He had been in the entertainment industry since he was young, so he must have faced a lot of ridicule from the people around him. Jo Tae-woong tilted his head at Ian¡¯s question. ¡°I had a lot of rtives and friends of my parents asking for money.¡± ¡°What did you do?¡± ¡°I cut them off. Well, who knows where they are now, selling my name and scamming people¡­ But I don¡¯t have aplicated family history.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°But Joo-hyuk hyung¡¯s situation is a bit different from ours, right?¡± Even if they issued a statement through their agency, would the reporters who smelled the bait stay still? They would probably dig up his family history. There would be people who wrote fiction without knowing the details. Who would feel good in that process? (Joo-hyuk1) Don¡¯t worry too much ¨C 7:25 (Joo-hyuk1) Thepany will issue a statement and I won¡¯t pay the debt ¨C 7:25 That¡¯s a relief¡­ Ian sighed. ¡®He should worry about himself.¡¯ [Official Statement] Mother ¡®Debt Run¡¯, Awi Joo-hyuk ¡°I had no contact with my mother since I was young¡­ I¡¯m sorry to the victims.¡± ¡®Mother Debt Run¡¯ Awi Joo-hyuk, ¡°Parents divorced when I was young. I cut off ties long ago¡­¡± The agency quickly posted an article after hearing Joo-hyuk¡¯s words. -Isn¡¯t this the first time in the debt run scene? ©¸Who is debt run? ©¸©¸Awi Joo-hyuk¡¯s mother ©¸Didn¡¯t someone explode in the actor scene yesterday? ©¸Why are there so many celebrities who met the wrong family? -They all say they cut off ties when debt run happens??? Who knows if it¡¯s a fashion divorce? ©¸Then what do you want them to say if they cut off ties? ©¸No ?????????? this is another novel aggro go to the hospital if you¡¯re sick -So they¡¯re not going to pay the victims? The victims are screwed?? ©¸Why pay ?? it¡¯s not their fault ©¸It¡¯s better not to pay if they pay then other celebrities will have to pay for debt run too? [Culture] ¡®Mother Debt Run¡¯ Awi Joo-hyuk, what kind of life did he live? [Kim Ye-eun¡¯s Entertainment Report] Awi Joo-hyuk Debt Run, where will his bloodline go? The reporters who enjoyed digging up celebrities¡¯ family histories wrote fiction as they feared and posted articles. ¡®Ah, these trash bastards¡­¡¯ Ian looked at the air and then looked around awkwardly. By now, he should have seen Giregi nagging next to him. ¡®Where did he go?¡¯ *** Contrary to his worries, Joo-hyuk looked cheerful. Awi toured London¡¯s tourist attractions as a group and enjoyed their leisure time for the first time in a long time. ¡°Is this the ce? Where Mydea performed?¡± ¡°It¡¯s huge.¡± It was the ser stadium that Jo Tae-woong wanted to see the most. The members stared nkly at the 90,000-seat stadium. ¡°We won¡¯t be performing there, right?¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s a bit¡­ You have to dream big, but this is impossible.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s dream modestly of Jamsil.¡± ¡°Jamsil is not modest, is it?¡± ¡°It ispared to here.¡± Awi turned away without regret and headed to another ce. After passing through London and Paris, Awi arrived in Madrid and prepared for their performance as usual. ¡°Dong-soo hyung! Is the cake ready?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Joo-hyuk hyung shouldn¡¯t know.¡± Kim Hyun rolled his feet and went up on stage. Awi performed on stage as usual, jumping around and having fun. Time passed quickly, and it was time to take thest group photo. When Joo-hyuk was looking at the g that a fan threw him, Ian said. ¡°*Today, August 4th, is a very special day. Not only did we perform in Madrid¡­¡± Park Seo-dam ran backstage and carefully brought out a cake with candles lit on it. The fans cheered and Joo-hyukughed. He thought they would celebrate modestly among themselves at the dormitory, but he didn¡¯t expect this. ¡°What is this? When did you prepare this?¡± ¡°You¡¯re lucky you¡¯re clueless, hyung.¡± Kim Hyun sighed with relief. ¡°*Please congratte our leader, Joo-hyuk, on his birthday together.¡± Suddenly, the fans in front moved busily. ¡®What?¡¯ Ian raised one eyebrow. Did the fans prepare something? ¡°Happy birthday~¡± The local fans sang along to the birthday song that started with Jo Tae-woong¡¯s voice. They also followed the Korean version well. ¡°Happy birthday to our beloved Joo-hyuk hyung~¡± ¡°Blow it, blow it.¡± As soon as Joo-hyuk blew out the candles, paper confetti flew from somewhere and stuck to Ian¡¯s forehead. What? There was no stage equipment like confetti for the small theater concert. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Wow!¡± The fans on the second floor scattered paper confetti with their hands. Then, the fans in the standing area released balloons filled with helium gas into the air. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this.¡± ¡°It¡¯s amazing that those balloons didn¡¯t pop until now.¡± ¡°I wondered why there were so many empty holes in front.¡± The members smiled brightly in response to the fans¡¯ cheers. Spontaneous events always made their hearts flutter. ¡°Who else has their birthday coincide with our concert? I¡¯m jealous¡­¡± ¡°Even if it doesn¡¯t, we¡¯ll do it together, right?¡± Joo-hyuk¡¯s eyes moistened as he watched the event nkly. ¡°Guys, thanks for caring about me all this time.¡± Joo-hyuk acted as if nothing was wrong, but in fact, he was quite burned out inside. He happened to be a frequent inte user, so he watched the spection and rumors that arose here and there in real time after the article came out. He dug himself into a hole for no reason. Are you okay? Why are you doing this when you¡¯re so popr? He was also annoyed by the contact from people who he didn¡¯t know if they were worried or trying to scratch him. Joo-hyuk, mom is okay. Are you okay? Don¡¯t worry about mom and dad. Take care of yourself more since you¡¯re abroad. He also felt sorry for his family. It was a busy time because of the world tour, but if he had gone through this during his hiatus, he might have kept digging himself into a hole. ¡°I¡¯m fine now.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Really.¡± ¡°Then that¡¯s good.¡± The members rubbed their noses. They had been with Joo-hyuk almost all day to keep him from worrying about the nonsense article. The members felt proud to see Joo-hyuk¡¯s relieved expression. Their effort was not in vain. ¡°*Let¡¯s take a picture!¡± The members gathered around Joo-hyuk, who held the cake in the center. They whispered to Joo-hyuk as they looked at Park Dong-soo¡¯s camera. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much, hyung.¡± ¡°That person¡¯s only achievement in life is giving birth to you.¡± ¡°Giving birth is great though.¡± ¡°Look at Jin-hyuk hyung going off again.¡± Joo-hyukughed. He felt better with six members who were like family. That day, a group photo with Madrid fans was posted on Awi¡¯s SNS ount. -Joo-hyuk is smiling???I¡¯m d??? -Joo-hyuk???It hurts my heart to see you smile??? *** [Where are you¡­] The camera floating in the air changed the direction of its lens and scanned around. [Hey! Come out!] As Jin¡¯s shout pierced the air, a grim reaper appeared out of nowhere and looked at Jin silently. ¡°You¡¯ve shrunk.¡± [How long do I have to do this?!] ¡°Do your job. Assist your noble.¡± [He does everything well by himself! Why did you attach me to him in the first ce! What do you want me to do!] ¡°Well¡­ You haven¡¯t realized it yet, so there¡¯s nothing I can do.¡± Jin¡¯s lens stuck right in front of the grim reaper¡¯s eye. [What do you want me to realize!] ¡°You still don¡¯t know¡­ There¡¯s no hope for you.¡± The grim reaper disappeared like smoke. [Fuck¡­!] Jin screamed and whirled around in the empty air where the grim reaper had left. [I can¡¯t go back.] Chapter 93: Chapter 93: Chapter 93 We¡¯ll help you. After finishing their European tour in Moscow, Awi headed to the United States. They performed in major cities, and at thest show of their world tour in New York, Ian¡¯s parents and friends came to the backstage. ¡°*Long time no see.¡± ¡°*You were awesome, like a media star.¡± ¡°*Don¡¯t joke around.¡± Ian took pictures with his old friends and went back to his members. ¡°Look how many friends Ian has.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a social butterfly.¡± As he introduced his friends to the murmuring members, they all smiled awkwardly and greeted them. Ian held back hisughter from behind. ¡°You guys were all great.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Then, the members bowed in front of Ian¡¯s parents. ¡°Thank you foring.¡± Ian¡¯s father, Choi Seong-mun, shook hands with Lee Ju-hyuk and stared at his face. He then scanned the faces of the other members. ¡°If you have any legal issues, let Ian know.¡± ¡°Why do you say that right away? The agency will handle it. Are you guys doing well?¡± Ian¡¯s mother, Na Hyun-ju, pped Choi Seong-mun¡¯s shoulder. Ian¡¯s parents across the ocean also watched their son¡¯s group¡¯s poprity and public opinion with interest whenever they had time. They couldn¡¯t help but know about Lee Ju-hyuk¡¯s situation, which was noisy with debt. Choi Seong-mun spoke firmly to the members, even though he was joking around. ¡°Don¡¯t just rely on the agency, you have to take care of these problems yourself. Got it?¡± Na Hyun-ju sighed. ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡± ¡°We have a lot of alumni working in Korea. If you need any help, just contact us.¡± ¡°Yeah, contact us.¡± The members felt good at thewyer couple¡¯s strong words. They felt like they had a solid backup just by their words. ¡°Thank you for your words. We¡¯ll contact you if we really need it.¡± Na Hyun-ju smiled warmly at Lee Ju-hyuk¡¯s polite answer. Through talking with Ian, she had indirectly felt how fun and nice the members were. She patted the members¡¯ shoulders. ¡°Ian is lucky to have such friends.¡± After a short time at the backstage, Awi members prepared to go back to their hotel. After a day of short vacation, they had to go back to Korea and finish their preparations for the awards ceremony. ¡°The world tour is over now.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± ¡°It was fun¡­¡± The members spoke with a hollow tone. They felt a loss of energy as if a string had snapped somewhere. ¡°Am I the only one who feels empty?¡± ¡°Me too.¡± ¡°Is this what ck Rush hyungs meant by concert withdrawal?¡± Everyone closed their mouths at Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s words. Concert withdrawal was not something that only fans felt. Singers felt it too. Ian, who hadplex feelings in his chest, said. ¡°We have to do more concerts so we don¡¯t feel withdrawal. Are you guys really going to rest at the hotel?¡± ¡°We have to.¡± ¡°You cane to my house too.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to see your family unless you take a vacation.¡± ¡°Yeah, you need some time with your family.¡± As Ian hesitated, Jo Tae-woong pushed his shoulder. ¡°Just rest well.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± Ian got up first. As he walked out of the concert hall corridor, he looked back. Thest of the world tour was both relieving and disappointing. ¡®Will the fans look for us again?¡¯ If this poprity suddenly drops one day, will there be anyone whoes looking for us? He was desperate for poprity when he was struggling, but now that he had it, he was just as anxious as before. ¡®But it was fun.¡¯ He always enjoyed seeing the various events of the fans. The tour schedule was not too tight, so he had some time to look around the tourist attractions with his members. Ian hoped that he would have many opportunities to do such performances again. *** On his way home alone in the car, Ian asked his parents. ¡°How was the show?¡± ¡°It was fun. I didn¡¯t know our son had such talent.¡± She had been to his debut showcase, but it was his first real concert. She felt strange seeing her son running around on stage and doing fan service. ¡°My son was the best, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m pretty good, yeah.¡± ¡°Of course, of course, my son is the best.¡± While Ian chatted with Choi Sung-Moon, Na Hyun-Joo set a picture of her and the members backstage as her profile picture. ¡°I was so worried when you suddenly said you wanted to be an idol¡­¡± ¡°Really?¡± I thought she wouldn¡¯t worry since she let me go without stopping me. She never showed any signs of worry when we talked on the phone either. I thought she was fine. Was I too careless¡­? Ian scratched the back of his head. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. The kids are all nice and not like the ones these days.¡± ¡°Tae-Woong is getting closer to you, so you can do it, my son.¡± ¡°Oh, mom, that¡¯s a bit¡­¡± Na Hyun-Joo giggled. ¡°The agency¡¯s CEO is also a really nice person. I talked to him yesterday.¡± ¡°You talk to the CEO too?¡± Ian was surprised and grabbed the backrest of the passenger seat. ¡°He calls me every quarter. He said he considers the time difference and calls me. He said he knows you must be worried since your son is abroad, but he¡¯s doing well and he¡¯s popr, so don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Our CEO has such a considerate side.¡± ¡°When I first saw him, I thought he was a gangster because he was so big.¡± Well, there were some former gangsters who became entertainment agency CEOs, so it was understandable. But still, Lee Byung-Heon, the CEO, contacted them regrly. And he probably didn¡¯t just call Ian¡¯s parents. He must have called all the members¡¯ parents. Ian thought he was very lucky to join this agency. ¡°Let¡¯s go see grandpa while we¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ian¡¯s grandfather was an immigrant who settled in America with the American dream. He hit the jackpot with his food business and expanded it into a franchise, which was a rare sess story. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± Ian got out of the car and looked at the house. He was used to this body now, and seeing an American house made him feel strangely relieved. *** After a short break, Awi came back to Korea and headed straight to thepany. ¡°Ugh, I¡¯m tired.¡± The membersy down in the middle of the practice room. Ian rolled over to Lee Joo-Hyuk¡¯s side. ¡°Hyung, can you arrange this song for me?¡± ¡°What song?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to do a trainer stage for U-Sang Uni.¡± Lee Joo-Hyuk listened to the music that Ian yed. He thought it was a pop song, but it was a Chinese song. ¡°This is a Chinese hit song. But it sounds a bit boring.¡± ¡°You want to do this? It¡¯ll be hard to memorize the lyrics.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s better to do a local song if I want to create some buzz.¡± He couldn¡¯t refuse when they offered him a trainer stage. Kim Hyun and Kim Joo-Young, who were listening to the conversation, joined in. ¡°Let¡¯s add some light choreography. We¡¯ll help you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have to prepare for the awards show stage?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± The members quickly gathered around Ian and listened to his song. ¡°The song is good, but it sounds old-fashioned.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a 20-year-old song. It¡¯s a national anthem in China.¡± ¡°Do you have to do this stage there?¡± ¡°No, I have toe back to Korea to record it.¡± ¡°Really? Then you¡¯ll have to shoot a few cues.¡± ¡°And I don¡¯t have to sing the whole thing. It¡¯s only 1 minute and 30 seconds long.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯ll be fine.¡± Lee Joo-Hyuk worked on the arrangement while Kim Joo-Young and Kim Hyun warmed up their bodies and moved as they thought fit. Ian smiled as he watched them. *** The preparation for the awards show was almost over, and Ian went to a studio in Ilsan for U-Sang Uni¡¯s trainer stage recording. ¡°Isn¡¯t this where we filmed our music video?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± Lee Joo-Hyuk, Kim Hyun, and Kim Joo-Young came along to watch. They checked Ian¡¯s song and choreography until thest minute. ¡°Thanks for helping me.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? If you bring fans over there, we¡¯ll be happy.¡± Kim Hyun answered nonchntly. He must have calcted that too. But he knew they all helped him out of loyalty. Ianughed. Then U-Sang Uni¡¯s staff entered the studio, and Ian reached out his hand for a handshake. ¡°*Did you finish your world tour well?¡± ¡°*Yes, did you have any troubleing here?¡± ¡°How far is it? Are you ready?¡± ¡°Of course. You¡¯ll be surprised.¡± The staff smiled politely. They were not expecting much when they heard that he would sing a song by a Chinese national singer. They knew that he didn¡¯t have much time to prepare his own performance, because his schedule for Idol Uni shed with his world tour and award ceremonies. ¡°Shall we do a quick take?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ian plugged the receiver into his back pocket and casually spun the hand mic as he stood in the center of the stage. As the music started, a gentle brass sound opened the song. The staff looked at Ian in astonishment. ¡°He arranged it himself¡­?¡± The song Ian was singing was a Chinese national hit, but it was old and sounded a bit outdated. ¡°It¡¯s good¡­¡± But Lee Ju-hyuk had rearranged it to suit the modern taste, and it felt like a new and sophisticated song. ¡°What a waste¡­¡± Ian¡¯s dance moves matched the rhythm of the song, and he looked effortless on the stage. It was a pity that the stage was only one minute and thirty seconds long. ¡°It was perfect. Let¡¯s do it one more time.¡± The staff adjusted the camera angles. ¡°What did he say?¡± ¡°He said it was perfect and he wants to do it one more time.¡± ¡°We thought it looked fine¡­ Why does he want to do it again? Is he just being nice?¡± They actually wanted to hear the song more, but the Awi members were a bit nervous when the recording continued. They wondered if the Chinese staff were just being polite. ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t think he¡¯s lying.¡± Ian checked their reactions and headed back to the center. After that, Ian recorded the stage twice more, and the staff gave him thumbs up for his performance. The staff who was in charge of trantion said with an excited face. ¡°It was amazing.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t wait to release it.¡± Lee Ju-hyuk approached Ian as he saw the staff talking fast. ¡°Ian, can you ask him something?¡± Ian listened to Lee Ju-hyuk¡¯s whisper and ryed it. ¡°Our leader arranged the song. Was it okay? The original singer should like it too. We changed a lot of the song. Do you think he would be offended?¡± ¡°It was wless. I¡¯m sure the original singer would love it too. You should release it as a separate track¡­¡± The staff kept saying perfect, and Lee Ju-hyuk¡¯s face brightened. ¡°And the choreography was perfect too.¡± ¡°He said the choreography was awesome.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Kim Hyun and Kim Joo-young also smiled. The staff who came without much expectation were deeply moved by the sight of a foreign singer respecting their culture and preparing such a sincere stage. ¡°His vocals were perfect too¡­ I was curious how he would sing a bad song. It didn¡¯t look like he was alone on stage. It was full of energy.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± The staff were confident that the video would be a huge hit when it was released. Chapter 94: Chapter 94: Chapter 94 Idol Uni. (1) ¡°Hey guys, the song is out. Wanna listen?¡± ¡°Already?¡± The members crowded in the narrow studio and listened to the song that Lee Juhyuk yed. ¡®This one is good too.¡¯ The songs they had performed so far had rich beats and powerful concepts, so it was time for an image change. Just in time, the song that Lee Juhyukpleted had a sweet piano melody in the intro and a rich sound that surged in thetter part, which was quite addictive. It was a song that suited the autumneback season. ¡°Isn¡¯t this title-worthy?¡± ¡°Juhyuk hyung is amazing.¡± ¡°God Juhyuk God Juhyuk!¡± Not only Ian, but the other members also liked what they heard, and they shouted Woo! Woo! and danced a strange tribal dance. ¡°Really? That¡¯s a relief.¡± The members were honest about their work and life, and they would say if they didn¡¯t like something. ¡°Actually, I was a bit nervous.¡± Lee Juhyuk let out a sigh of relief. The previous work was too sessful and he felt a lot of pressure. Moreover, because of the sess of ¡®Side Effect¡¯, thepany entrusted him with the entire next album work, and he was so stressed that he got gastritis. But he couldn¡¯t give up, because the fruits of producing the whole album were too sweet. ¡°Let¡¯s gather for the Lee Juhyuk overwork preventionmittee.¡± Kim Hyun said, seeing Lee Juhyuk¡¯s dark expression. At his words, the members who were close to Lee Juhyuk gathered together and hugged each other tightly. ¡°Ow, it hurts!¡± ¡°Who¡¯s elbow is that!¡± They hugged too tightly. After a fierce cuddle, Lee Juhyuk coughed and sorted out the situation. ¡°I don¡¯t have lyrics yet, I just hummed it. If you have any ideas for lyrics, write them down and show me anytime.¡± ¡°Okay, this time it¡¯s my lyrics.¡± Cho Taewoong lit up hispetitive spirit. After their own study group with Awi, they all had apetitive mentality. They wanted to have at least one share of their own in Awi¡¯s work. ¡°It¡¯s my lyrics this time too. Don¡¯t forget that I wrote most of them so far.¡± ¡°Jinhyuk hyung, we have to get rid of corruption.¡± ¡°Am I corruption?¡± While Cho Taewoong put a headlock on Kim Juyeong, Park Seodam rubbed Lee Juhyuk¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You have to impress Juhyuk hyung. If you want to be chosen.¡± ¡°No, Juhyuk hyung is very objective.¡± The members¡¯ copyright battle became more intense after they got a hint of Lee Juhyuk and Park Jinhyuk¡¯s royalties. ¡°I¡¯m taking this copyright!¡± ¡°It¡¯s mine!¡± They were very materialistic, but money was still the best motivation. **** When Awi was working on their next album, Ian headed to the airport separately for the recording of Idol Uni. ¡°Are you tired from working on the album? Hang in there.¡± Park Dongsoo handed him a bottle of water as he passed by the fans at the airport and boarded the ne. ¡°I¡¯m fine, hyung.¡± Anyway, next year he wouldn¡¯t be able to do much for a few months because of Corona. It was hard, but it was better to do a lot of activities before then. ¡®Oh shit. What? Where did you go?¡¯ As the ne flew to Guangzhou, Jin, who had disappeared for a while, appeared in front of Ian¡¯s eyes. [Just somewhere¡­] Jin¡¯s voice sounded tired somehow. Ian decided not to ask any more and opened his Chinese word book again. **** ¡°Hello. Did you have any troubleing here?¡± ¡°It was good.¡± Ian was able toefortably in the van prepared by the broadcastingpany. They even gave him a Korean staff. He headed to the studio under Sinhwa Media Group and then to the waiting room. While he was getting his hair and makeup done for filming, Chen Xinwei, who was hosting MC, came into the waiting room. ¡°Hello hyung. You came quickly.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°We¡¯re in the same waiting room.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Ian grabbed Chen Xinwei¡¯s hand and pulled him in for a shoulder greeting. ¡°It¡¯s been since Arimpyeong right? How have you been?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Chen Xinwei¡¯s Korean pronunciation seemed to have regressed more thanst time. He said he lived in English-speaking countries when he was young, so Ian immediately spoke in English. ¡°*Can you speak English?¡± ¡°*Yes, I almost forgot Korean.¡± ¡°*If you don¡¯t use it often, you forget easily.¡± Cheonsinwi sat next to Ian. ¡°*I came early to see you, hyung. Let¡¯s go and greet the other mentors when you¡¯re ready.¡± ¡°*Thanks, I was a bit nervous because it¡¯s a foreign broadcasting station.¡± Cheonsinwi smiled shyly. He had a good memory of ¡®The Rose of Sharon Has Bloomed¡¯, which he did at the Idol Olympics. The members of Awi approached him first, even though he was ignored as a flop. ¡°*Did you greet everyone?¡± ¡°*I had a meal with the mentors before the recording.¡± ¡°*Then, let¡¯s go now since we¡¯re talking about it.¡± Ian fixed his slightly protruding bangs and walked out to the hallway with Cheonsinwi. ¡°*Can I ask who we¡¯re going to greet now?¡± Ian asked as he stood next to the waiting room. Cheonsinwi read the names of the participants on the door. ¡°*The dance mentors are senior Wei Hao and Zhang Hyuk, who won the Chinese dancepetition.¡± ¡°*Wei Hao? The name sounds familiar.¡± ¡°*He was a Korean idol.¡± [Dove. He was in Unknown and then flew away.] Ian remembered what Jin said. ¡®I know Unknown. They debuted around the same time as Diamond.¡¯ He remembered how Unknown¡¯s debut song exploded and then they flew away like doves. That was Wei Hao. He must be quite old, but he came out as a mentor. He must have been popr in China. ¡°*That senior also lived in Canada, so we canmunicate.¡± ¡°*Really?¡± Ian was d that there was someone else who had no problem withmunication besides Cheonsinwi. Cheonsinwi opened the door and Ian spoke in English. ¡°*Hello. I¡¯m Ian. I¡¯m not good at Chinese yet.¡± Wei Hao greeted them with a smile. ¡°*Hello, Awi! I know you. You¡¯re my junior.¡± ¡®Junior my ass¡­¡¯ Wei Hao was a popr member, and Unknown was shaky at times. He caused trouble for the team and wanted to do Hallyu business. Ian smiled and shook hands with him. They had to get along until the end of the program anyway. He also shook hands with Zhang Hyuk. Ian had nothing to say either, since he appeared on a knock-off program that didn¡¯t even buy the official rights from Korea. ¡®Anyway, the original is .¡¯ I wonder if would be more angry. He had already crossed the point of no return with because of ¡®rigging¡¯. Cheonsinwi woke Ian up from his thoughts. ¡°*Let¡¯s go and greet the other mentors too.¡± ¡°*See youter.¡± Ian and Cheonsinwi left with the farewell of the dance mentors. ¡°*The rap mentor is Wang Yifeng from EXT.¡± ¡°*Is he influential enough to have his own waiting room?¡± ¡°*You¡¯re quick-witted. EXT is a popr idol group in China. He can speak English too.¡± That was good news. Cheonsinwi knocked on the waiting room door. ¡°*Senior, we came to greet you as mentors.¡± ¡°*Hello, I¡¯m Awi from Korea, Ian.¡± Wang Yifeng paused for a moment when he saw Ian¡¯s face, then greeted him with a smile. ¡°*Hello, I¡¯m Wang Yifeng from EXT. I know ¡®Side Effect¡¯. I did a cover song too.¡± ¡°*Really?¡± ¡®Not only Korea was shaken up.¡¯ Well, Joo Hyuk hyung did pick good songs. Ian felt proud of his members. Wang Yifeng hesitated for a moment and then whispered to Ian. ¡°*Can you ask¡­ if theposer of that song has any ns to give us a song?¡± ¡°*I¡¯ll ask our leader hyung.¡± ¡°*Oh, you¡¯re a member? You should impress Ian.¡± It would be nice if Joo Hyuk got some Chinese royalty coins. Ian smiled and epted his words. Thest one they met was the vocal mentor, who was a famous singer-songwriter in China. ¡°*Hello. I¡¯m Awi, Ian.¡± ¡°*Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Zhao Gaga.¡± She also smiled and received Ian¡¯s greeting. ¡°*They¡¯re all nice people.¡± ¡°*Really? That¡¯s good.¡± The cast seemed to wee Ian. It was good that they didn¡¯t have any attitude problems. Ian sighed with relief and returned to his waiting room. *** ¡°Idols are in your heart. Idol Uni, let¡¯s begin.¡± With the end of Chen Shihui¡¯s introduction, the mentors¡¯ stages were broadcasted on VCR. The first one was Wei Hao. ¡®He¡¯s good at dancing.¡¯ [He was a dance member in Unknown.] Around the middle of the video, Wei Hao rose up on a lift and continued dancing from the video. The trainees were ecstatic. Then, the other mentors¡¯ stages followed, and thest one was Ian. When Ian¡¯s mentor stage that was filmed in Korea was shown on the big screen, not only the other mentors, but also the production staff murmured. ¡°He prepared a lot.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this getting more attention than the trainees?¡± ¡°Will there be a separate song release?¡± After the short video of 1 minute and 30 seconds ended, Ian appeared from the darkness and danced and sang. The trainees screamed like fans. ¡°What do I do, he¡¯s so cool.¡± ¡°He¡¯s handsome.¡± After finishing his stage, Ian greeted them in Chinese that he had practiced. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Ian, the vocal mentor.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a very popr global male idol these days.¡± While Chen Shihui was hosting, the mentors lined up in the center of the stage. ¡°Idol Uni, we will start the grade evaluation.¡± With MC Chen Shihui¡¯s words, the project idol officially began. The trainees moved busily and found their seats. ¡°What criteria will you use to judge?¡± Ian skimmed through the script that was tranted into English as Chen Shihui hosted. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s skill.¡± ¡°I look at personality. Someone who can follow the mentor¡¯s teachings well.¡± At the end of the mentors¡¯ answers, Chen Shihui asked Ian in English. Ian smiled and held up his microphone. ¡°Skill and personality are important, but¡­ I will look at potential.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Chen Shihui tranted Ian¡¯s answer. ¡°Then, we will start with the dance group evaluation.¡± The trainees who belonged to the dance group stood at the edge of the stage. They all went to a shop as a group and came back with neat faces and distinctive stage outfits. There were also trainees with androgynous charms that made it hard to tell if they were male or female. [That type is popr in China. Girl crush? Something like that. He probably made it to the final top 3?] ¡®Was he good?¡¯ Ian drank some water and scanned the trainees. He didn¡¯t intend to do it half-heartedly since he came out anyway. ¡°Before we decide on the order, is there anyone who wants to go first?¡± ¡°Me!¡± Starting with the trainee who came out actively to the center, the dance group evaluation began. Since they would be branded as unskilled in the first episode if they couldn¡¯t dance, the dance group had skills that were above average. There were even trainees who did modern dance and traditional dance. ¡°That was very good.¡± ¡°It seems like your movements don¡¯t match with the beat?¡± While Wei Hao and Jang Hyuk-gun were giving serious evaluations, Ian had no idea what they were saying and sat with his chin resting on his hand. ¡®When will the vocal group stage start¡­¡¯ He tried his best to look interested in the stage to prevent malicious editing, but he thought there was now that said he wouldn¡¯t get bad editing because he was a foreigner. ¡°The dance group evaluation is over. Next is, the vocal group evaluation.¡± After a long wait, finally, the first vocal evaluation trainee stood in the center of the stage. Zhao Gaga and Ian looked at him with expectant eyes. As soon as the trainee sang the first verse, Ian barely held back his copsing expression. [He¡¯s bad.] ¡®¡­Maybe he¡¯s nervous?¡¯ This wasn¡¯t even vibration, his voice was trembling non-stop. When it came to the climax part of the song, the trainee closed his eyes tightly and belted out a high note. ¡®Wow, this is really awful.¡¯ Ian unconsciously touched his head. Chapter 95: Chapter 95: Chapter 95 Idol Uni. (2) The camera caught Ian slightly frowning and tapping his head. The trainee who finished singing looked around nervously. Zhao Ga was the first to pick up the microphone for evaluation. ¡°*Hmm¡­ Your basics are very poor. Why did you choose this song?¡± Zhao Ga red at the trainee with fierce eyes. The song was his own. The trainee was intimidated by Zhao Ga¡¯s harsh criticism and shivered. ¡®How should I set the concept?¡¯ Should he be tough and blunt, or gentle and soothing? After some thought, Ian picked up the microphone. ¡°*Your vocal technique is very wrong. It hurt my ears when you hit the high notes. How long have you been singing?¡± The answer that came back after Chen Shin-hui¡¯s interpretation was that he had never learned formally and had only been singing for two months. ¡°*You can fix it enough. Your vocal range is not bad, and I see potential in you.¡± Since Zhao Ga seemed to be going for the scary mentor role, Ian decided to offer a carrot. The trainee left the stage with tears in his eyes. Then the next trainee stood in the center of the stage. ¡®He¡¯s not bad.¡¯ Ian circled the trainee¡¯s profile. He was sure that he would be a good singer with a little polishing. Then the next trainee stood in the center of the stage. She greeted them with a nervous face. ¡°*Hello! I¡¯m Zhi Xie from Phoenix Entertainment!¡± Zhi Xie¡¯s hand holding the microphone was trembling slightly. Ian tilted his head. ¡®Where have I seen her before?¡¯ [Remember, there was a group that lost to Eos for the rookie award. Friday.] ¡®She¡¯s a member of that group?¡¯ [Yeah.] He wondered why he felt familiar when he heard the name of the program, Idol Uni. It was because of this trainee. ¡°*Let¡¯s hear your song first.¡± She clenched her trembling hand and picked up the microphone after him. ¡®Her voice is stable¡­ and her tone is nice.¡¯ He could feel her nervousness from her shaky voice, but her basic tone was clear and refreshing, which suited a female idol main vocal. When her evaluation stage ended, Zhao Ga nodded his head and Ian pped his hands with a smile. ¡°*I enjoyed your performance.¡± ¡°*Thank you.¡± ¡°*You already debuted, right? ¡®Friday¡¯¡­ You were also a nominee for the rookie award, right?¡± ¡°*¡­Yes.¡± ¡°*Why did you appear on Idol Uni?¡± The mentors all looked at her face at Chen Shin-hui¡¯s question. Ian looked at her face closely and raised one eyebrow as if he realized something. ¡°*My formerpany¡­ They only favored one popr member and neglected me¡­¡± Tears welled up in Zhi Xie¡¯s eyes. ¡°*Thepany didn¡¯t listen to my request to be active¡­ I felt like no one would remember me if I stayed still like this¡­¡± Friday, who had missed the rookie award due to being overshadowed by arge agency, changed their strategy to focus on their popr member, leaving out the other members. ¡°*Being an idol is my dream. I couldn¡¯t end it like this.¡± He remembered that Friday¡¯s agency was criticized when Zhi Xie¡¯s situation spread on the Koreanmunity when he was Kim Yong-min. ¡®So she was that person¡­¡¯ She was the one who stood next to Ian at the AAMA rookie award announcement and bowed her head with a stiff expression. [There was also a trainee from MI Entertainment in the dance group evaluation earlier.] ¡®Really?¡¯ [There are about 10 Korean idol trainees?] There were 10 out of 88 trainees, which was more than he expected. There were also people who had trained or debuted in Korea, but had disbanded due to poor performance and returned to their hometowns. It wasn¡¯t just Koreans. There were also trainees who had debuted in China as failed idols. ¡®It¡¯s none of my business¡­¡¯ Chen Shin-hui, who was listening to Zhi Xie¡¯s story, also seemed to empathize with her and made a sad expression. Chen Shin-hui and Zhi Xie. He didn¡¯t know the details, but they must have suffered a lot to seed as idols in a foreign country. Ian picked up the microphone. ¡°*I remember seeing you at the awards ceremony. It¡¯s a shame you didn¡¯t get the rookie award.¡± ¡°*Yes¡­¡± ¡°*I liked your song, and I hope you get a good result here.¡± Idol Uni doesn¡¯t grade the stage right away. The mentors and MC gather in a separate studio to discuss and decide. Zhi Xie¡¯s expression darkened at Ian¡¯s calm words. She looked anxious that her grade would be low. ¡°*Next trainee, pleasee out.¡± ¡°*Hello! I¡¯m Jang Ye-rye from Ha Sung Culture!¡± A trainee with long hair tied high stood in the center. Ian looked at her with anticipation at her confident expression and greeting, but soon sighed deeply. [His throat is killing him.] ¡®Ugh¡­¡¯ He was at a loss where to start with the vocals. Ian put a question mark next to Jang Ryeo-rye¡¯s profile picture. *** The evaluation stage for the trainees was over and the recording was temporarily stopped. The trainees went to get their dorm room assignments, and the mentors and MC gathered around a round table in a separate meeting room. Cheon Shin-hwi read the script from the cue card. ¡°*How were the trainees?¡± ¡°*I think they were all good.¡± ¡°*They seem like they can follow well if I teach them dance.¡± Wi Ha-o and Jang Hyuk-gun said. Cheon Shin-hwi looked at Ian. ¡°*What about you, Ian hyung?¡± ¡°*I¡¯m half and half. There are some who are really bad¡­ but I guess I¡¯ll have to teach them to find out.¡± The dance trainees had some confidence in their skills and came out with the basics, but more than half of the vocal trainees had no basics at all. ¡°*It wasn¡¯t the time to look at their personalities, they need to have the skills to do anything.¡± Jao Ga-ga threw a pile of trainee profiles on the round table with a thud. Jin, who was watching, eximed. [Wow, he¡¯s so cool. He¡¯ll definitely attract a lot of attention.] Cheon Shin-hwi looked at Wang Yi-feng. ¡°*What about you, Yi-feng sunbae?¡± ¡°*Really¡­ I don¡¯t know what to say. Their skills are¡­¡± Wang Yi-feng sighed deeply. His expression darkened. Wang Yi-feng was in a desperate situation, because all the trainees who couldn¡¯t dance or sing were assigned to rap. ¡°*Let¡¯s decide on the detailed grades first, shall we start with the first profile?¡± ¡°*Dongbang Records Ryu Seol-young.¡± ¡°*I rated her B, what about you guys?¡± ¡°*I was undecided, so F.¡± Woo Sang Uni had four grades in alphabetical order. The best trainee was S, followed by A, B and F. The mentors continued their heated discussion. The interpreter sitting next to Ian busily tranted Ian and the Chinese mentors¡¯ words. ¡°*Ha Sung Culture¡¯s Jang Ryeo-rye.¡± ¡°F.¡± The mentors unanimously agreed. They quickly moved on to the next trainee. ¡°*Next, Phoenix Enter¡¯s Zhi Xie.¡± ¡°*S.¡± ¡°*S.¡± As soon as Zhi Xie¡¯s name came up, Ian and Jao Ga-ga answered at the same time. ¡°*It seems that the Korean trainees are all rated high.¡± ¡°*Korea makes idols well, you know.¡± Wang Yi-feng agreed with Wi Ha-o¡¯s remark. Ian smiled faintly. It would be edited out on the broadcast anyway, but he felt good. *** The evaluation of the trainees was the end of today¡¯s shooting. The mentors stretched after finishing thest trainee¡¯s evaluation. ¡°*It feels so far away already.¡± ¡°*We¡¯re going straight into lessons tomorrow, right?¡± The production staff nodded affirmatively and Wi Ha-o licked his lips regretfully. ¡°*If it wasn¡¯t for tomorrow, we could have had dinner together¡­¡± ¡°*Ha-o hyungnim, you just want to drink, don¡¯t you?¡± Everyoneughed at Jang Hyuk-gun¡¯s remark. Ian, who didn¡¯t understand, just smiled politely. ¡°*Let¡¯s have dinner together sometime, Ian too.¡± ¡°*Let¡¯s have dinner togetherter.¡± Ian answered that way, even though he might not have time to eat together because of hiseback schedule. He followed the Korean staff¡¯s guidance and left the studio. ¡°How was the recording? Did you do well?¡± Park Dong-soo, who was waiting outside, approached Ian. ¡°I did well enough, I guess. The trainees didn¡¯t seem to do very well though.¡± ¡°The Chinese kids aren¡¯t that good at skills?¡± ¡°Can I teach them well?¡± ¡°You can do it.¡± Park Dong-soo said with a smile. It wasn¡¯t just lip service, he was sure that Ian could do it well. Park Dong-soo was the one who witnessed the changes of Jo Tae-woong and Park Seo-dam right next to him. ¡°There were some friends who debuted in Korea too.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Shin Hwi too¡­ It was a pity.¡± Ian leaned his forehead against the window. *** [The investor must have cared a lot.] ¡®That¡¯s right.¡¯ Ian stared nkly at the spacious hotel room, then dropped his luggage and jumped onto the bed right away. ¡®I¡¯m tired¡­¡¯ He wanted to fall asleep like this, but he still had work to do. Ian took out his phone and made a video call to Jo Tae-woong. Fortunately, there was only a one-hour time difference, so the members were still awake. (Hey, superstar. How was the recording?) (Is that Ian?) (You¡¯rete.) From the background of the video call, it seemed that they were still practicing in the studio. The members crowded around the screen. ¡°Don¡¯t even say it. There are many people who are above average in dancing, but singing is not¡­¡± (Not good?) ¡°The level is much better in Korea.¡± (It must be a headache to teach them all.) ¡°I have another vocal mentor, but he¡¯s very sarcastic.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk suddenly popped up on the screen. (Oh, hyung!) (We can¡¯t see the screen!) The members shouted. Lee Joo-hyuk ignored them and asked Ian. (So? How are the other trainers? Are they okay? Are they not arrogant?) ¡°They¡¯re all kind. Shin Hwi is leading them well. And there¡¯s also Unnown¡¯s Wi Hao.¡± (Unnown¡­ Pigeon?!) The members gasped loudly. Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s jumping figure was seen on the screen. Lee Joo-hyuk¡¯s phone was passed around to Jo Tae-woong and Kim Joo-young, and the screen shook back and forth. (Pigeon ising out?) (Wow, I loved Unnown, but they went downhill because of Pigeon.) (You too? I used to follow Unnown¡¯s dance moves!) Eventually, the members agreed on a point and put the phone on the speaker and stood side by side. It looked fun. He should have been there¡­ Ian tried to hide his regretful expression and asked. ¡°Did you finish our choreography?¡± (Kind of?) ¡°Send me the video and I¡¯ll practice here before I go.¡± (You want to? Do you have time to practice?) ¡°I have to make time.¡± (Ooh~) The members cheered at Ian¡¯s words. He felt sleepy as he was lying down and talking. He closed his mouth tightly and yawned inwardly. ¡°I have to go to the lesson tomorrow, so I¡¯ll hang up now.¡± (Teacher! You¡¯re awesome!) (Hyung! Do well!) Ian sighed after hanging up the phone. The profiles of Woosang Uni trainees were sticking out of his bag. ¡®How should I teach them¡­¡¯ *** After midnight, the mentors¡¯ stage was uploaded as a preview video of Woosang Uni on a Chinese video site. -First of all, he¡¯s handsome. -Not only his face, but also his skills are good. He paid a lot of attention to the song arrangement. -He respects the culture! Very good! -Who is he from where? -If you¡¯re interested, watch this (link)! -He¡¯s young and he¡¯s a mentor? -But with this level of skill, age doesn¡¯t matter. He dances and sings very well. Chinese Awi fans posted busy sales posts and sales pictures. Later, Ian and Awi¡¯s names rose to the real-time search terms of China¡¯srge portal site. Chapter 96: Chapter 96: Chapter 96 Idol You. (3) Ian, who spent the night at a spacious hotel, followed the staff to the studio. He greeted Zhao Gaga, who had arrived first. ¡°*What is this?¡± Zhao Gaga¡¯s eyes widened at the pile of papers Ian took out. The interpreter quickly came over and tranted their words. ¡°*I wrote down roughly how to teach them.¡± ¡°*That¡¯s amazing¡­ Did you sleep well?¡± ¡°*I slept a lot.¡± Although they couldn¡¯t read it because it was written in Korean, the letters written densely on the profile papers of the trainees looked like ck paper from a distance, exaggerating a bit. ¡°*I¡¯m not skilled enough to teach anyone, but I have to do my best.¡± ¡°*You have enough skills to teach them if you look at your mentor introduction stage.¡± Zhao Gaga turned on her phone as if she remembered something. She pointed her finger at Ian¡¯s mentor introduction stage. ¡°*It has the highest views right now.¡± ¡°*Really?¡± Beating EXT Wang Yifeng and Wei Hao, who are China¡¯s national idol-level? No way. [The number of Chinese heads is no joke.] It had been only a few hours since it was released, and the views had already exceeded 100 million. ¡°*The power of the song is great.¡± The song Ian prepared was a song loved by the Chinese people as a national pop song. ¡®I¡¯m d I prepared it separately.¡¯ Zhao Gaga also told him in detail that Ian and his group were on the real-time search list of China¡¯s green window. Then she went back to her waiting room. [¡­It will rise in the first week.] The Chinese fandom was the deciding factor for album sales. Ian captured the Chinese portal site and sent it to his members. He checked his makeup and hair and checked his outfit while waiting for a reply. (Lee Ju-hyuk1) ?? ¨C 9:43 (Hyun-hyun2) Howe the views are higher than our music video? ¨C 9:43 (Ian4) This was released and our group was on the real-time search list of China¡¯s green window. ¨C 9:43 (Jo-tang3) Awesome ¨C 9:44 (Ian4) The reaction is no joke, the arrangement is good, the choreography is good, it¡¯s crazy ¨C 9:44 After that message, the members spammed emoticons such as characters dancing crazily, cats flying happily, and so on. Meanwhile, the situation of the trainees who checked their grades was mixed with joy and sorrow. ¡°*Grade¡­ S? Really?!¡± ¡°*F? I can¡¯t believe it.¡± Even though this grade was not the final ranking, some trainees were overjoyed as if they were jumping, and some trainees were crying as if they had lost everything in the world. ¡°*Did you all check your grades? This grade is not the end. You have topete until the final live broadcast.¡± Cheon Shin-hwi turned over his cue card. ¡°*The theme song of Idol You, ¡®It¡¯s you¡¯, has a center opportunity open to all of you.¡± After that, the trainees formed groups through mini-games and otherpetitions. The groups were assigned practice rooms, which also stimted theirpetitive spirit and sense of deprivation. The trainees with higher average grades got good practice rooms withrge space, personal cabs, and beverage refrigerators, while those with lower grades got practice rooms with small space and no options. ¡°*Hello.¡± As Ian opened the door of the practice room and entered, the trainees who were waiting greeted him with bright smiles and apuse. Ian also smiled broadly at their hospitality. ¡°*Nice to meet you.¡± They covered their mouths with their palms and blushed. There were stickers with their grades and names on their stomachs. ¡°*How did you feel when you got your grades? Did you agree?¡± Some trainees nodded their heads, while others shook their heads in denial. ¡°*Grades are temporary, what matters is ranking and debut.¡± Ian opened his file holder and skimmed through the profiles of the trainees in this practice room. ¡°*Before I teach you, I can¡¯t guide you all fairly. Those who already have their own style will have rtively less time with me. I hope you don¡¯t mind that.¡± Not wanting to be cut off by the middle interpreter, Ian spoke at length. The trainees nodded their heads. ¡°*There will be plenty of time to learnter. Now I will teach you how to sing ording to your own style so that you can be in the center or in the front row. Are you ready?¡± ¡°*Yes!¡± Ian nodded his head as he looked at them answering confidently. He was d they were all enthusiastic. ¡°*Let¡¯s start with vocalization. Some of you may have your own vocalization, but the basics are never enough.¡± Just like dancing the basic routine before dancing, singing also required basics. Ian showed them an example first. The trainees marveled at the octave that rose gradually. ¡°*You can do it too. Just think about breathing in and out.¡± Thanks to the tones of Chinese, practicing how to vocalize strongly was easy. Ian checked a few of the trainees he would focus on teaching with his eyes. *** ¡°Okay, did you practice the song ¡®It¡¯s You¡¯?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s sing it once.¡± The trainees sang along with the lyrics sheet following Ian¡¯s cue. A grating sound caught his ear at the high note of the chorus. He looked at the trainee on the far right. It was the same trainee he had tapped his head in frustration earlier. ¡®I¡¯ll have to teach him intensively at the end.¡¯ He stood in front of the trainee on the far left. ¡°First, let¡¯s see Ryu Seol-yeong.¡± Ryu Seol-yeong¡¯s face tensed up. ¡°You have a nice natural voice. Rx your breathing for a moment¡­ Ah, make some sound.¡± Ian gentlyforted the trainees as he gave them vocal lessons. Unlike his worries from yesterday, the trainees followed Ian¡¯s instructions diligently, and some of them showed progress. ¡®I hope it goes on like this¡­¡¯ The other trainees either had their basics down or were nk tes who learned well as he taught them, but thest one was a troublemaker. ¡°Last, Yang Ja-rin.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Yang Ja-rin, you need to work on your vocalization again. Let¡¯s continue from what we practiced as a group earlier.¡± Yang Ja-rin did vocalization exercises. The trainees around her frowned. Her high notes still hurt their ears. ¡°You¡¯re straining too much on the high notes. You don¡¯t end on the high note, you have to go smoothly ande back. Like this.¡± Ian showed her an example. ¡°You don¡¯t need to start with a high pitch from the beginning. Again.¡± Yang Ja-rin couldn¡¯t get the hang of it, and Ian kept repeating himself to do it again. ¡°I guess I can¡¯t do it.¡± Finally, exhausted Yang Ja-rin slumped down and sobbed. ¡°Let¡¯s try again.¡± ¡°I want to stop vocal lessons¡­ I have to dance too.¡± ¡°Idols are singers who sing. What are you going to do if you can¡¯t sing?¡± ¡°But I can¡¯t hold on to a song that doesn¡¯t work!¡± Yang Ja-rin snapped in frustration. The trainees who were practicing individually were startled and looked at her. Ian stared at her coldly and sighed softly. ¡°¡­Cut the camera.¡± He said to the production crew. The production crew hesitated. They couldn¡¯t stop recording as they pleased. ¡°Turn it off for a moment.¡± As the trainees bowed their heads in the awkward atmosphere, Ian mouthed silently to pretend to do it. The production crew pretended to turn off the camera. The VJ who was filming this practice room sparkled his eyes. It was a perfect bait for attention. He had a hunch that a good scene woulde out. ¡°Trante this as it is.¡± The simultaneous interpreter nodded. ¡°So you want to quit now?¡± Yang Ja-rin was three years younger than Ian. ¡°Tell me if you want to quit. No one will stop you.¡± ¡°But¡­ I can¡¯t do it. I guess I shouldn¡¯t sing. Everyone says it hurts their ears¡­¡± ¡°You can do it. What are you going to do if you set your own limits?¡± Yang Ja-rin avoided Ian¡¯s gaze and lowered her head. ¡°I want to focus on dancing.¡± ¡°You¡¯re giving up singing and focusing on dancing? That¡¯s the same as saying you¡¯ll be a backup dancer. Do you think you¡¯ll get a good evaluation if you run away with dancing? You can¡¯t dance well either.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The moment you give up, you¡¯re done. Do you want to make this yourst? Yang Ja-rin, look at me.¡± Yang Ja-rin shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s okay. You can do it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m someone who can¡¯t do it. Just, just teach the other kids.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing you can¡¯t do if you try.¡± Lim Tae-woo, who seeded as The Man of Trot, said that, and so did Choi Ian now. Ian encouraged her with a confident face. Yang Ja-rin got up weakly. He kept holding on to Yang Ja-rin while teaching other trainees in between. ¡®I¡¯m going to tear you apart and fix you.¡¯ It was partly out of spite. If he only judged by her tone, she was quite good. That¡¯s why he expected a dramatic change if he fixed her basics. *** Time passed, and it was around midnight. Ian, who had visited another practice room, looked at Yang Ja-rin sitting nkly. ¡®Did I do something wrong?¡¯ [No, she just seems really bad at it.] Possible additional sentences toplete the response: Even from Jin¡¯s perspective, Ian was teaching very easily, so that even a kindergarten student could follow. Suddenly, Yang Jaring got up and started singing again. ¡®Remember the feeling of your vocal cords sticking together¡­ Breathe until the end¡­ You can do it.¡¯ She sang the theme song with a determined expression. [Does it feel good?] Ian quietly watched her sing. From the introduction, hernguid tone stood out. ¡®Please, this time¡­¡¯ As Yang Jaring continued to sing the chorus of the song, Ian clenched his fist. It was not the ear-piercing high-pitched sound that was different from the grade evaluation. The other trainees were surprised by her high and clear tone that was also pleasant to listen to. ¡°*You did it!¡± ¡°*You seeded, Jaring!¡± The trainees quickly approached and hugged Yang Jaring tightly. They felt humanpassion for her, who couldn¡¯t do well even though she tried hard, regardless of thepetition. ¡°*What do I do¡­¡± Yang Jaring, who sang the song to the end, looked astonished as if she couldn¡¯t believe it. Tears burst from her eyes. ¡°*Good job.¡± Ian approached her and held out his palm. Yang Jaring smiled brightly while shedding tears and high-fived his palm. *** The trainees who practiced until dawn returned to their dormitory, and Ian immediately proceeded with the recording to be inserted in the middle interview. ¡°*Yang Jaring trainee couldn¡¯t get the hang of it all the time, how did you feel?¡± ¡°*Actually, Jaoga almost asked for an SOS from the mentor.¡± Ian cried out, but his face was full of pride. The writerughed out loud. ¡°*What would have happened if Yang Jaring trainee couldn¡¯t get the hang of it until the end?¡± ¡°*It¡¯s my fault for teaching.¡± ¡°*Not Yang Jaring trainee¡¯s fault?¡± Ian nodded. The writer quickly moved on to the next question. ¡°*Yang Jaring trainee got annoyed in the middle, right? How did you feel?¡± ¡°*I understand that she¡¯s annoyed. There are days when things don¡¯t work out, right? The other trainees are doing well as they are taught, but if only they don¡¯te out, they might feel unfair¡­ I understand enough. Anyway, Yang Jaring trainee didn¡¯t give up and eventually got a tremendous result.¡± Yang Jaring, who gained confidence, continued to sing enthusiastically afterwards. The trainees were also happy and sang along with her. At that moment, it was not a survival program where theypeted and pushed each other away. He smiled brightly as he remembered the situation. ¡°*You must be proud. After all, you¡¯re the one who transformed Yang Jaring trainee, right?¡± ¡°*It¡¯s all because she did well.¡± The writer smiled contentedly. If he edited well with the beautiful teacher-student rtionship, he could surely pull the ratings at the beginning of the program. ¡°*If you have anything to say to the viewers who are watching this?¡± ¡°*There is nothing that can¡¯t be done by trying. Like Yang Jaring trainee. I hope you findfort too.¡± Ian was an excellent teacher, exining everything so clearly that even a kindergarten student could follow him. Jin watched him with admiration as he guided Yang Jaring through the song. Suddenly, Yang Jaring sprang up from her seat and resumed singing with renewed vigor. I have to remember how it feels when my vocal cords connect¡­ Breathe all the way through¡­ I can do this. She sang the theme song with determination in her eyes. [How does it feel?] Ian observed her quietly as she sang. Her voice had anguid quality that captivated him from the start. Please, let this be it¡­ When Yang Jaring reached the chorus of the song, Ian clenched his fist in anticipation. It was nothing like the shrill high note that had ruined her grade evaluation. Her voice soared high and clear, pleasing to the ear. The other trainees gasped in astonishment and looked at her with envy. ¡°You did it!¡± one of them eximed. ¡°You nailed it, Jaring!¡± another one cheered. They rushed over to hug Yang Jaring, forgetting their rivalry for a moment. They felt sorry for her, who had struggled so hard without any progress, and happy for her breakthrough. ¡°What do I do¡­¡± Yang Jaring muttered, still in disbelief. Tears streamed down her face. ¡°Good job.¡± Ian said, walking over to her and offering his palm. Yang Jaring smiled through her tears and pped his palm in a high-five. *** After the trainees had practiced until dawn and returned to their dormitory, Ian went straight to the recording studio for the mid-show interview. ¡°How did you feel when Yang Jaring couldn¡¯t get the hang of it?¡± the writer asked him. ¡°To be honest, I almost called for an SOS from the mentor.¡± Ian admitted, but his face was beaming with pride. The writer chuckled. ¡°What would have happened if she hadn¡¯t gotten it by the end?¡± ¡°It would have been my fault for not teaching her well.¡± ¡°So you don¡¯t me her at all?¡± Ian shook his head. The writer nodded and moved on to the next question. ¡°She got frustrated at some point, didn¡¯t she? How did you handle that?¡± ¡°I understood her frustration. Everyone has bad days, right? The other trainees were doing fine as they followed my instructions, but she was the only one who couldn¡¯t. She must have felt unfair and hopeless. I empathized with her. But she didn¡¯t give up, and in the end, she achieved an amazing result.¡± Yang Jaring¡¯s confidence soared after that, and she sang with passion and joy. The other trainees joined her in singing, feeling the same excitement. For that brief moment, they forgot that they were in a survival program where they had topete and eliminate each other. Ian smiled brightly as he recalled that scene. ¡°You must be proud of yourself. You¡¯re the one who transformed Yang Jaring, right?¡± the writer said. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to her hard work.¡± Ian said modestly. The writer smiled contentedly. He knew he had a great story to tell. With the beautiful teacher-student rtionship as the highlight, he could boost the ratings of the program from the beginning. ¡°Do you have anything to say to the viewers who are watching this?¡± he asked. ¡°Nothing is impossible if you try hard enough. Just like Yang Jaring did. I hope you findfort and inspiration from her story.¡± Ian said sincerely. Chapter 97: Chapter 97: Chapter 97 Idol Trainee. (4) The trainees had to practice the theme song and record their individual evaluation videos by the next morning. Ian felt sorry for focusing too much on vocal training yesterday, so he shared the dance tips he got from Kim Hyun and Kim Joo-young with the other trainees. He then took a nap in the trainer¡¯s waiting room. ¡°Are you okay, hyung?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ I couldn¡¯t sleep because we were practicing our choreography until dawn.¡± Ian¡¯s voice was low and hoarse. Cheon Shin-hwi handed him a coffee with a sympathetic look. ¡°Do you keep in touch with the Top Five members?¡± ¡°Sometimes.¡± Top Five couldn¡¯t break out of the limits of their small agency and eventually disbanded. They were lucky enough to get their contracts terminated amicably, which was no different from avoiding awsuit. Otherwise, they would have been stuck in their contracts and lived a miserable life. ¡°The hyungs keep telling me toe to Korea for fun.¡± Ian smiled faintly, remembering how close they were when he saw them at the Arimpyc. ¡°Yeah,e to Korea when you have time. Let¡¯s meet up with our members too.¡± Cheon Shin-hwi nodded his head with a smile. *** While Ian was catching up on his sleep, the trainees finished recording their individual evaluation videos. The center and front row positions of the theme song were decided by first consulting with the mentors, then voting by all the trainees, and finally adding up their votes. When Cheon Shin-hwi and Ian arrived at the conference room, Wang Yi-feng, who was already sitting there, greeted Ian warmly. ¡°You were teaching untilte yesterday, aren¡¯t you tired?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a bit tired. But I have to work hard to not fall behind the seniors.¡± Wang Yi-fengughed heartily. ¡°Is this apetition between mentors too?¡± Fortunately, Wang Yi-feng spoke English, so he wasn¡¯t bored while waiting. The three of them chatted until the other mentors arrived at the conference room. When the mentors were ready, Cheon Shin-hwi lifted a cue card at the staff¡¯s signal. ¡°It¡¯s time to evaluate the theme song. Did you all teach a lot yesterday and today?¡± ¡°Let me tell you in advance, there are quite a few trainees who are still terrible even after teaching them.¡± Wang Yi-feng, the rap mentor, shook his head vigorously. The mentorsughed. ¡°Shall we watch the videos first? The first trainee¡­ Ryu Seol-young from Dongbang Records. She got a B grade in the rating evaluation.¡± ¡°This kid wasn¡¯t bad.¡± Ryu Seol-young¡¯s video yed on therge TV screen in front of them. ¡°Her dance live level is really high, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Did Zhao Gaga mentor teach her a lot?¡± Zhao Gaga looked at Ian with a puzzled face. ¡°I didn¡¯t go to that practice room.¡± The two vocal mentors and two dance mentors each divided into halves and took charge of six practice rooms. Ryu Seol-young, who was on the screen now, was one of the trainees in Ian¡¯s practice room. At Zhao Gaga¡¯s words, everyone in the conference room looked at Ian. ¡°She followed me very well¡­¡± Ian smiled awkwardly under the pouring gaze. ¡°The next trainee¡­ Xiling.¡± The mentors shrugged their shoulders and moved on to the next profile. Until now, they didn¡¯t think much of it. But as Ian¡¯s trainees¡¯ progress became more noticeable, the mentors¡¯ eyes naturally turned to Ian. ¡°What did you do?¡± ¡°They were all enthusiastic about learning.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be too humble, that¡¯s deception. This is not because the trainees followed well, but because you taught them really well.¡± As Wang Yi-feng praised Ian, it was finally Yang Zaling¡¯s turn. Ian looked at the monitor nervously. She barely followed the dance moves, but her voice had changed dramatically. ¡°Wow¡­¡± Cheon Shin-hwi and the mentors opened their mouths in astonishment. Yang Zaling finished singing the theme song and bowed her head to greet them. The video ended. ¡°Why is she singing so well?¡± ¡°This is also practice room 4, right? The one that Ian took care of?¡± Ian nodded his head. Zhao Gaga jumped up at her change. As the mentors looked at Ian with surprised expressions, only Ian stared at the monitor calmly. -Teacher Choi is so cool¡­ -How do you teach them to improve their skills so quickly? -I was unhappy that he only taught singing, but I was convinced when I saw that they improved overall. -He¡¯s young and inexperienced, so I thought he wouldn¡¯t teach well, but he does. -Look how happy they are that Yang Zaling seeded. All the trainees in practice room 4 will vote for her! -I had some personal troubles, but I feltforted when I heard him say that nothing is impossible if you try. -I want to vote for the mentor rather than the trainee. A weekter, the broadcast of Ian teaching the trainees aired and the response was explosive. After the broadcast of Idol Uni, Ian and Avi¡¯s names kept rising and falling on the real-time search terms of China¡¯s major portal sites. *** ¡°*You¡¯re doing well, how about trying this? Mix your chest voice and head voice.¡± Ian had a reputation for being a good teacher, and the trainees flocked to him. He actively taught them vocal lessons with enthusiasm. [The skills I learned didn¡¯t go to waste.] ¡®That¡¯s right¡­ I didn¡¯t know I had a talent for teaching.¡¯ As time passed, one contestant was eliminated, and the special stage was a joint stage with the mentors. The trainees who formed teams through a game waited in their practice rooms, and the mentors chose which room to enter. ¡°*Hello.¡± As Ian entered the practice room, the trainees who were waiting cheered and smiled. ¡°*Wow!¡± ¡°*It¡¯s our Choi mentor!¡± Ian was the first choice of the mentor they wanted to share the stage with in the trainees¡¯ pre-voting. [Do you like being cheered by girls?] ¡®Well¡­ The problem is that they¡¯re too clingy.¡¯ Some trainees boldly asked him to pat their heads, praise them, or hug them, and he remembered how awkward he felt because of that. The team that Ian would join for the mentor stage was the one with Zhiwei, a former member of Friday, and Ryu Seolyoung from Dongbang Records. ¡°*Did you decide how to do the stage?¡± ¡°*Yes!¡± Ian didn¡¯t have to dance or sing for the joint stage. He only had to act on stage, because the spotlight should go to the trainees, not the mentors. ¡°*What¡¯s the concept?¡± ¡°*A princess from a neighboring country who saves a prince!¡± Did I hear the interpreter wrong? ¡°*What¡­ what?¡± Ian asked back, and Ryu Seolyoung answered in Korean. ¡°A princess who saves a prince.¡± ¡®Wow¡­ a prince¡­¡¯ [Prince Choi?] Jinughed out loud as Ian stiffened his fingers. ¡®A prince¡­ it¡¯s cringy¡­¡¯ The traineesughed teasingly as if they knew he was embarrassed. ¡®I guess this is how Seodam felt¡­¡¯ When Avi prepared a vampire concept stage for the awards ceremony, Park Seodam, who yed a pitiful and innocent sacrifice,ined softly every time they practiced. Ian sighed softly as he remembered that moment. *** Ian, who yed a simr role to Park Seodam in the mentor special stage, showed off his charm on stage. After that, another contestant was eliminated, and only the final live broadcast of Idol Uni was left. The trainees from the fourth practice room that Ian focused on teaching all survived surprisingly, thanks to their loyalty to Yang Jaring, whom they sincerely supported. (You did well with the choreography.) ¡°Really? Is it okay?¡± Ian called his members from time to time and practiced the choreography in real time. (We¡¯ll have to match it with you when youe back, but I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything more to fix.) ¡°Is everything else okay?¡± (Yes. By the way, what did you do there that made headlines here?) ¡°Headlines?¡± He was too tired from teaching the trainees and practicing his group¡¯s choreography that he didn¡¯t check the inte reactions. Kim Hyun answered Ian¡¯s question. (The reporters don¡¯t write what they¡¯re told to write, but they¡¯re good at copying and pastingmunity reactions. If there are articles, it means there are a lot of posts on themunity.) ¡°Really?¡± (Our fans like it too that you¡¯re teaching. But they say they want to see you in Korea now. There¡¯s not much left of Idol Uni, right?) Ian nodded as he checked the date. ¡°There¡¯s only one live broadcast left. Ah, I want some chicken.¡± (We¡¯re already eating it.) Jo Taeung smirked and held up a chicken leg. It looked like it was from the chicken franchise that Avi advertised. ¡°Ah! Really!¡± At that moment, Ian hung up abruptly. (Lee Juhyuk1) ??????????? ¨C 01:42 (Hyunhyun2) Are you crying? ¨C 01:42 (Dancing King Kim Juyoung1) Are you crying? ¨C 01:42 (Johtang3) ????????????500 won for crying ¨C 01:42 (Seodami1) Hyung, he¡¯s crying on the phone ¨C 01:42 (Park Jinhyuk1) Park Seodam is the worst ¨C 01:43 The members sent busy chat messages instead of calling again. (Ian4) I¡¯ll smash everything when I go to Korea ¨C 01:45 *** Finally, only thest live broadcast of Idol Uni remained. ¡°*The trainees¡¯ stages are over and now only the final vote count is left. How do you feel, our mentors?¡± ¡°*I feel a bit sad. And disappointed too.¡± ¡°*Actually, I wish it would end soon.¡± Starting from Wang Yifeng and Jang Hyukgun, the other mentors expressed their feelings one by one. Idol Uni was different from Korea, where only the final nine trainees survived. ¡°*I¡¯m also sad, I wish I could stay longer¡­¡± Ian, holding the microphone, spoke his feelingsst. The live audience held their phones and took pictures of Ian. ¡®I actually want to go to Korea soon¡­¡¯ Ian forced a smile. As he stood out in the broadcast, of course, the flies got tangled. [It was no joke. The Korean kids are gentlemen.] The production team was busy controlling the people who broke into the filming site and increased the bodyguards attached to Ian. ¡°*We will announce the final ranking!¡± Chen Xinwei, who was getting tired of dragging time, sighed with relief and started the progress ording to the PD¡¯s instructions. ¡°*First¡­ the 8th trainee¡­!¡± After the typical time dragging of the survival program, the rankings were announced one by one. ¡°*Next, 1st¡­!¡± [It must be Zhuxie.] Jin¡¯s guess was right. Zhuxie, who debuted with ¡®Friday¡¯, was already good at skills, and had a lot of fandom attached to him already because of his hardships in Korea and his consideration for the trainees. ¡°*9th is¡­ Dongbang Records Ryu Seolyoung!¡± The big screen on stage showed Ryu Seolyoung, who was crying with joy, and Yang Zaling, who bowed his head. The front-ranking trainees who had already confirmed their debut gathered around Ryu Seolyoung and hugged him, and Yang Zaling wiped away tears with the eliminated ones. [Yang Zaling dropped out.] ¡®Based on his skills, his singing improved but his dancing didn¡¯t¡­¡¯ He felt strange because he was the trainee he cared for and watched the most. He felt sorry for her as he saw her crying, and Kim Yongmin¡¯s face ovepped with hers, who had fallen out in the past. [This is reality.] ¡®¡­I hope her agency does well.¡¯ [But she¡¯ll make a lot of money anyway, right?] ¡®I guess so¡­¡¯ Being in the top 10 of China¡¯s popr survival program would make her more famous than in Korea anyway. ¡®It¡¯s finally over¡­¡¯ Anyway, this was also thest schedule in another country. As flower petals celebrating their debut fluttered, he faintly heard the cries of the losers. Ian leaned weakly on his chair. ¡®These survival programs should disappear.¡¯ Chapter 98: Chapter 98: Chapter 98 He¡¯s your fanboy, right? The trainees who made it to the debut group climbed up the stairs on the stage and sat on the throne-like chairs at the top. And the eliminated ones drank bitter cups at the bottom of the stairs. It was only a few steps away, but it felt infinitely far. Ian, who was sitting on the mentor seat and watching the scene, suddenly got up from his seat. [What¡¯s wrong?] ¡®I¡¯m worried.¡¯ The audience left the venue, and there was still a lot of time left until they took a group photo on the stage. ¡°Can I go to the stage?¡± ¡°Yes. What for¡­?¡± ¡°Just¡­ tofort them.¡± Ian asked for permission from the production team and went to the front of the trainees. The interpreter and VJ who were assigned to Ian followed him. As Ian approached them, the trainees looked up at his face. ¡°First of all, congrattions to the nine trainees who made it to the final group. You all deserve to debut.¡± Ian scanned the nine members of the debut group and encouraged them. ¡°You must be happy with the busy schedule, but there will be more hard and exhausting things ahead. But you can ovee them. Have confidence in yourself. Congrattions again.¡± Zhu Xi cried almost like a sob among the nine members of the final group. She felt rewarded for her efforts after a long period of being a trainee in Korea for five years and debuting but being as good as unknown. Ian turned his head and looked at the eliminated ones who didn¡¯t make it to the debut group. ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate that you didn¡¯t make it to the debut group, but it¡¯s not your fault. Don¡¯t be disappointed, this is not the end. You will have plenty of opportunities.¡± Unlike Kim Yong-min, who was in histe twenties after Produce A ended, they were young enough to have another chance to challenge idol. At least he wanted to believe that. ¡°In today¡¯s society where luck is also considered as skill, you might feel unfair to be med for being unlucky, and you might regret and me yourself for the past by thinking ¡®If I did this back then¡­¡¯, ¡®Why was I so bad back then?¡¯¡± The interpreter tranted Ian¡¯s words busily. ¡°Those thoughts will hinder your growth. And whether you ovee them or not depends on your mindset.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You can use this program as a stepping stone to reach higher goals. At least I know that you all worked hard enough. You did a great job.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And it was an honor for me to be with you who worked harder than anyone else.¡± Ian bowed his head and greeted them sincerely. The trainees apuded him for his heartfelt constion. Yang Zha-ling came up to him and spread her arms to hug him, but Ian unconsciously put his hand on her forehead as the distance narrowed. ¡®Oops¡­¡¯ He tried to fix it by stroking her head, but he couldn¡¯t stop the other trainees. In an instant, they crowded around him, and even the trainees who made it to the final group came closer to him with sparkling eyes. ¡®Whatever. Let¡¯s just do free hugs.¡¯ Ian gave a light hug offort to each trainee who came up to him. The other mentors also went up to the stage and gave their constion, handshakes, and hugs to the trainees. -The behind-the-scenes of Idol Uni that caused a stir in China (Link) The locals are touched by how heforts the trainees ©¸Really? ©¸Wow he¡¯s so handsome. ©¸Is that why this program did well? ©¸©¸The votes for the trainees exceeded hundreds of millions;; And that¡¯s not even the total votes;;; ©¸I was curious and went there, but it¡¯s constantly on real-time search -A summary of Choi Ian, Idol Uni¡¯s Confucian man.jpg (Photo) Look at how he grabs her forehead when she asks for a hug??? He was surprised and tried to fix it by stroking her head???? (Photo) But they all rushed in and it was useless?????? (Photo) He was also a helpless Korean idol??? ©¸What is this? A barrier? ©¸Look at how he desperately blocks them????? ©¸Look at his expression??? He looks like he¡¯s screwed????????? ©¸This is so funny????? ©¸How much does he care about his fans¡¯ eyes? ©¸©¸What is this sudden fandom whip? ©¸But anyway they all hugged him???? Look at the height difference and the size difference, it¡¯s so sweet?? **** Ian, who finished his schedule in China, returned to Korea right away. He came out of the departure hall and onto the road, and Kim Myung-jin, the road manager, drove the van and stopped in front of Ian. ¡°You¡¯re back. Are you tired?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. I have to go to practice right away¡­ How have you been, hyung? Are our members in the practice room?¡± ¡°Yup, I was on my way back after dropping him off at thepany.¡± Park Dong-soo, who was sitting in the passenger seat, asked Kim Myung-jin. ¡°Nothing much happened?¡± ¡°Yeah, Ian got a good response here too, you know?¡± Ian, who was about to close his eyes for a moment, woke up with a start. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah, the fan site of Awi explodedst night. Themunity reaction was also good¡­ The director was worried about how to do the pre-order for the album, right?¡± ¡°Seriously?¡± Ian leaned back on his seat. He had been busy teaching the trainees and preparing for the album at the same time. He hadn¡¯t slept well for a while. ¡®Maybe I can look forward to the next album?¡¯ Ian smiled faintly. *** As soon as he arrived at thepany, Ian headed straight to the practice room. The members were already sprawled on the floor of the practice room after finishing a round of practice. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± As soon as Ian opened the door and entered, the members jumped up and greeted him. ¡°Teacher Choi! Teacher Choi is here!¡± ¡°Choi mentor! You brought us some souvenirs, right?¡± The members who crawled over to Ian like zombies made him frown. ¡°Geez, you scared me. I don¡¯t have any souvenirs, I forgot.¡± ¡°Why!¡± ¡°I was so busy that I didn¡¯t have time to get them.¡± ¡®Actually, I didn¡¯t buy them because I was uneasy because of Covid-19¡­¡¯ At Ian¡¯s answer, Jo Tae-woong wrapped his arms around him cheekily. ¡°Your love has cooled down¡­¡± What kind of horrible thing is he saying? Ian pushed Jo Tae-woong away with a gagging gesture. ¡°Now that Ian is here, let¡¯s try it together.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk got up and sat in front of theptop. In a few days, there would be the Bada Chart Awards. And on top of that, preparing for a new album¡­ They had to match their choreography in a short time. ¡°You know your position, right?¡± ¡°Roughly, but who was doing my role? He was good.¡± ¡°We picked one of our trainees who was good at it. They¡¯re going to be our backup dancers anyway¡­¡± Kim Hyun answered and Kim Joo-young continued. ¡°When we said we¡¯d send you a video to practice, they all said ¡®me! me!¡¯ and volunteered. They really like you. They even watched the video of you as an idol trainee that was floating around on the inte.¡± ¡°Really? Why do they watch that instead of practicing¡­¡± He scratched his cheek with embarrassment. The members found their positions ording to their positions and danced with serious expressions. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s a bit off. Let¡¯s do it again.¡± As expected, they couldn¡¯t get it right at once and the choreography was slightly off. There was even a time when they bumped into each other because their positions were tangled. ¡°Again.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk tilted his head and yed the music again. After dancing four times in a row, the members gasped for breath. Ian felt sorry andy down on the floor. ¡°Sorry, it must be because of me.¡± ¡°No, we were sloppy without you too.¡± ¡°Really sorry, I¡¯ll buy you lunch or something.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do it one more time first.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk yed the music again. Ian stared at the mirror and danced. His expression brightened when the choreography matched perfectly at the most difficult part. When the music ended, he stretched his arms up to the sky. ¡°We did it!¡± ¡°Good. We just have to do it like this.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do it one more time and then eat for real.¡± ¡°So what are you going to buy us, teacher Choi?¡± They yed the music again just in case it was a coincidence. The result was perfect. The members quickly put on their clothes with rxed expressions. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go eat now.¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Pork belly?¡± As they left the practice room with relieved faces, someone looked at them with envy. ¡°Hello!¡± It was the trainees of thispany. ¡°Oh, hi.¡± Awi, who was used to receiving greetings from the trainees, headed for the stairs. Two trainees followed them closely. ¡°What do you want to say?¡± ¡°Well, Ian hyung has a favor to ask you¡­¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Ian, who was climbing the stairs at the front, turned around and looked at them. Just as the trainees were about to open their mouths hesitantly, Ian cut them off. ¡°You¡¯re not asking me for vocal lessons, are you?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it!¡± ¡°Can you please teach us a little?¡± Those trainees were the ones who received harsh criticism for their vocals in the regr evaluation. Ian thought briefly and said. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s possible.¡± ¡°Why?¡± The trainees looked at Ian with a devastated expression. ¡°We don¡¯t have much time left for oureback, and if I teach you, what will your vocal teachers do?¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°It would be better for you to ask your vocal teachers for intensive guidance.¡± Ian sighed deeply at their puppy-like faces. Wusang Uni was hired as a mentor, but he was an artist in thispany, not a vocal lesson teacher. He couldn¡¯t do what he couldn¡¯t do. ¡°Guys, work hard.¡± Lee Juhyuk, who was watching from afar, pushed Ian¡¯s back. The two trainees who were looking at Awi¡¯s back as he left the ground frowned. ¡°What the hell, he was supposed to be nice.¡± ¡°He¡¯s so rude.¡± ¡°What about Wusang Uni then?¡± ¡°They¡¯re girls. He must be flirting with them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s so gross.¡± Their appearance from just before, when they were groveling, was nowhere to be seen. The two traineesughed as they badmouthed Ian behind his back. In the midst of that situation, another trainee who had been secretly watching them blocked their way. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°What¡­ what are you doing here, Lim Noeul?¡± ¡°Did you¡­ did you hear everything?¡± The two who had asked Ian for vocal lessons were notorious for their bad personalities among the trainees. ¡°Look at you, having fun talking behind his back. You have no shame.¡± ¡°What.¡± ¡°What do you want.¡± The two trainees who had been scared for a moment red at Lim Noeul with a fierce expression. Lim Noeul, who had only been a trainee for a short time, was ranking high in all kinds of trainee evaluations. It was natural for them to feel jealous. ¡°I heard everything.¡± ¡°¡­So what if you did.¡± The trainee called Lim Noeul smirked and shook his phone. ¡°And I recorded it too. You bastards.¡± ¡°Hey¡­ hey! Lim Noeul!¡± ¡°I¡¯m going straight to the team leader with this. You know ourpany values personality, right? Get ready to be kicked out.¡± Lim Noeul easily pushed away the trainees who tried to snatch his phone and pressed the close button on the elevator repeatedly. ¡°Hey! Wait¡­ wait a minute!¡± Lim Noeul stuck out his middle finger between the closing elevator doors and grinned. *** And just in case, Ian checked the situation of that ce through Jin. ¡®There are always people with bad personalities.¡¯ Ian looked at Lim Noeul, who was acting as if he had discovered his backbiting scene through Jin¡¯s screen. ¡®Why is he like this? Is he a spokesperson?¡¯ He thought so, but he felt good. When he looked closely at his face, it was the same trainee who had yed his role in filming Ian¡¯s practice choreography video. [Why is he here?] ¡®What? Do you know him?¡¯ [He¡¯s your fanboy.] ¡®?!¡¯ Chapter 99: Chapter 99: Chapter 99 No singer seats? Jin sent him a signal. A blue dot, indicating that he had seen Ian somewhere before. ¡®If he was a male fan, I would have known him¡­¡¯ Male fans who followed male idols were rare. So even without Jin¡¯s help, he would have remembered his face if he was a male fan. [He lost a lot of weight from dieting.] ¡®Was he a hidden gem? But how did you know?¡¯ [His facial features are amazing, I knew his face would be too if he lost weight. I have a great observation skill.] ¡®You¡¯re going to copse from your own ego. You¡¯re supposed to be a reporter¡­¡¯ [Hey! I¡¯m a rhyme!] Ian shook his head vigorously. **** After finishing the choreography revision for a few days, Awi headed to the Bada Chart Awards. [They said those two got fired from thepany.] ¡®Really?¡¯ Ian leaned back on the seat, listening to Jin¡¯s story about the incident a few days ago. ¡®What about Im Noeul, our backup dancer? He¡¯sing too, right?¡¯ [He was the top of the trainee evaluation.] ¡®Impressive, huh?¡¯ The Bada Chart Awards this year had many big singers participating, so the venue was the Olympic Park Gymnastics Stadium. ¡°By the way, there will be no singer seats today.¡± The members who were half-asleep opened their eyes wide at Kim Myungjin, the road manager¡¯s words. ¡°No singer seats?¡± ¡°Wow, we don¡¯t have to worry about fancams.¡± The fans and homemasters might be disappointed, but from the singer¡¯s perspective, it was not easy to have their every move watched and recorded in real time by the whole audience. ¡°But there¡¯s an arcade here.¡± ¡°An arcade?¡± ¡°They said they¡¯re broadcasting the arcade situation on Y app channel. You can go to the waiting room if you¡¯re tired, so it¡¯s better than having a reaction cam like the singer seats.¡± Of course, it was better than the singer seats. The broadcast footage would be a content clip, so it was a win-win situation. ¡°Guys, we¡¯re almost there. Get ready.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The members checked their appearance before getting off the van. Their hair was pushed back and their makeup was dark, but their eyes were serious. Kim Myungjin swallowed hisughter at the sight of them holding princess-style hand mirrors that the makeup director gave them. ¡°The trend boy group! Awi!¡± The red carpet host shouted loudly as Awi got out of the car. ¡°How long will we be the trend?¡± ¡°I want to be called the top next time.¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s when themunity will explode. Who¡¯s the top? Are they good enough to be called the top? They¡¯ll say that.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk sighed as he overheard Jo Tae-woong and Kim Joo-young whispering. ¡°You guys should stop looking at the inte.¡± Awi lined up in front of the photo zone and took pictures with the reporters as they were used to. Then they entered the concert hall. ¡°So, where¡¯s the arcade?¡± ¡°Over there.¡± Awi didn¡¯t head straight to the waiting room, but to the arcade. ¡°Wow¡­ It¡¯s pretty spacious?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do thatter! That!¡± ¡°A photo machine? Can we all fit in there?¡± ¡°We should be able to, right? I want to take a picture too!¡± Other singers who heard the rumor also looked around the arcade. Awi greeted them politely while pretending not to be excited. The excitement in the arcade subsided, and Awi changed their clothes in the waiting room for their stage preparation. ¡°Choi Ian has panda eyes.¡± ¡°Is it weird?¡± ¡°No? It suits you strangely well. How about me?¡± ¡°You too. But will we stand out on stage? We¡¯re so ck.¡± Among the five members who were wearing white clothes, only Ian and Jo Tae-woong were ck from head to toe. They even had dark smoky makeup on their eyes. ¡°It should be fine since we asked them to brighten up the lights during rehearsal.¡± ¡°Maybe? Well, we¡¯ll look good with these decorations anyway.¡± Ian and Jo Tae-woong stood in front of a full-length mirror. They were wrapped in gold jewel ornaments over their ck shirts and pants. Ian touched his hair awkwardly, trying to create a wet look with spray. ¡°Wow, it looks like a ck dragon is sleeping on your left arm.¡± ¡°You¡¯re having a second-year syndrome.¡± They were busy taking pictures with their phones, even as they did so. It was their first time with this kind of stage outfit. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be a spoiler if we post it on the fan cafe now?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s post it after it¡¯s over, this came out well.¡± Ian and Jo Tae-woong, who were looking at the photos they took together, were caught by Lee Ju-hyuk. ¡°We have to go backstage now.¡± ¡°Is it already that time?¡± The members who headed backstage checked their microphones and in-ears for thest time. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we performed in Korea. On stage.¡± ¡°The gym is bigger than I thought. It¡¯s noparison to handball.¡± Ian heard the fans¡¯ cheers as he adjusted his microphone. He wasn¡¯t that nervous because of his experience in the world tour. [The trainees are here.] ¡®Where?¡¯ [There.] He turned his gaze to Jin¡¯s lens direction, and three steps away from Awi, the trainees of BHL Entertainment who would be backup dancers were waiting. They were wearing ck clothes from top to bottom and masks that covered their chins. They were all bouncing nervously for their first stage. Ian nced at them and said to Lee Ju-hyuk. ¡°Hyung, instead of doing our own cheer, how about we include the trainees too?¡± ¡°Wow, I didn¡¯t think of that, guys!¡± The trainees came closer to them with a timid look at Awi¡¯s gesture. The members sandwiched the trainees who came to their side. ¡°Come here, stand in a circle. Let¡¯s do a cheer together.¡± ¡°Us too?¡± ¡°Yeah, you guys. We¡¯re all in the same family anyway.¡± The trainees put their hands on top of the members¡¯ hands with a face that mixed tension and joy at Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s words. ¡°How do we do the cheer?¡± ¡°Anyone have a good idea?¡± ¡°How about this?¡± They were just discussing a single word of cheer, but they looked serious and the trainees felt awkward. ¡°Let¡¯s just do two, three, and then scream on three.¡± ¡°Wow, the impact is amazing, is Hyunie hyung a genius?¡± Lee Ju-hyuk cleared his throat and lightened the mood. ¡°Guys, thank you foring and let¡¯s go rock the stage today. Two, three!¡± ¡°¡°Scream!¡±¡± Awi lowered his hand as usual, but there were a few people among the trainees who raised their hands. ¡°What are you doing? It doesn¡¯t match.¡± ¡°You should have told us the direction!¡± Everyone who was gatheredughed foolishly at that sight. *** ¡°These people are so popr that they have the nickname of ¡®stage gourmet¡¯.¡± ¡°I wonder what kind of stage they have prepared for us today?¡± ¡°Next stage! Awi!¡± At the end of the host¡¯s introduction, Awi went up on stage and took their ce. The fans screamed. They were always a group with high stagepletion, so the audience had high expectations. The singers who were in the waiting room also came out to the side of the arcade, where they could watch the monitor and watched their stage. The lights turned on and the stage began. The members in white clothes sat on the bed in the center of the stage and stared nkly at the air. Below them were backup dancers in all ck, and behind them Jo Tae-woong and Ian sneaked up and tried to put their hands on top of the heads of the members in white clothes. ¡°You can¡¯t dream.¡± At that moment when a faint recorded voice was heard, the lights went off with a snap and the song started. The theme of this stage was insomnia and nightmares. Ian and Jo Tae-woong yed nightmares and the other five members yed insomnia trying to avoid dreaming. ¡°Every moment is dyed with you An indelible Side Effect¡± As Jo Tae-woong started singing, the trainees in ck clothes followed him one by one. Ian and Jo Tae-woong cautiously approached from the left, aiming for the members in white clothes like prey. ¡°Why are you doing this to me Tell me the answer, you know it¡± The members in white clothes avoided them and went to the center, and Ian and Jo Tae-woong stuck close behind them. At that moment, the chorus started and they gathered together and danced. ¡°I wander around where you disappeared An indelible Side Effect¡± Kim Hyun, who was standing in front of them, wrapped his head and writhed. The members who were standing in a line behind him did his action one after another,pleting a staggered dance. ¡°They prepared a lot.¡± ¡°It feels like I¡¯m watching NMA.¡± The singers who were watching were amazed by their expression like afterimages and their perfectly synchronized dance. ¡°Are they doing this because they can¡¯t go to NMA?¡± ¡°Did they fight with N4? Well¡­ who cares about this crappy award show anyway?¡± ¡°We should have prepared more, we can do better than them, right?¡± ¡°They are trash.¡± Not everyone had a favorable reaction to Awi. The five members tried to escape from the nightmare, but they were soon caught and forced to dance together. Then Ian, who yed the role of the nightmare, got a one-shot on the camera. ¡°¡­He¡¯s so handsome.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± Ian decorated the ending and Awi¡¯s stage was over. The singers who watched them went back to the waiting room. -They are crazy??? -So sexy???????? -They are weaker than before? -They are the concept masters????? -They are so good??????? Awi didn¡¯t go to the waiting room after finishing their stage. They headed straight to the arcade. -Hey, Awi is in the backstage arcade of Bada Chart now??? The arcade was already filled with rookie idols who finished their stages and tired idols who were waiting for their turns. They grouped together and yed games. ¡°Let¡¯s take a picture first!¡± ¡°Shall we? But can we all fit in?¡± ¡°Seven people is enough.¡± Park Seodam entered the photo machine first. Then the other members followed one by one. ¡°The person in the back has to step on the chair and climb up, right?¡± ¡°Ah, Choi Ian, squeeze your shoulder a bit.¡± ¡°Did you see how much I had to squeeze in? Did you guys all work out while I was in China?¡± ¡°I did some exercise, yeah.¡± ¡°Forget it. We¡¯re good at taking group selfies like this, right?¡± The seven bulky members skillfully squeezed in and took their seats. ¡®Hmm¡­ something¡­¡¯ ¡®This feels weird.¡¯ They had just finished their stage and came back with their bodies still hot. Seven men in a tight space. Suddenly, they felt ufortable and shivered. ¡°Take it quick!¡± ¡°I¡¯m pressing it!¡± Park Seodam tapped the start button. ¡°It came out well.¡± ¡°Wow, how can our faces look like this even though we just snapped it? Is it because of the stage makeup?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s post this on our fan cafe.¡± As expected, they didn¡¯t miss the time to praise themselves. They had taken the picture in a hurry because they felt uneasy, but they all made expressions that matched each other. Smiling, goofy, and various other expressions. Park Seodamughed as he looked at the long photo with five scenes. ¡°Okay, who wants to y a fighting game with me?¡± ¡°Me me me!¡± ¡°I want to try the w machine.¡± The members naturally split up and went to their own machines. Kim Hyun and Ian stretched their hands in front of the w machine. ¡°Hyung, I was a w machine master back in the day.¡± ¡°Hey, I was called the Euijeongbu doll kidnapper. I was so good at it that I cleared all the dolls in this machine.¡± They had a strangepetitive spirit. Park Jinhyuk, who didn¡¯t like ying games but liked watching them, hovered around them and pointed at a doll. ¡°Then get me that one, that mouse doll.¡± ¡°Okay. Hyunie hyung goes first and then me. The first one to get it wins.¡± ¡°What if I get them all? We already have so many dolls from our fan signing events.¡± Ian smiled mockingly as he saw Kim Hyun drinking his own soup before he even started. ¡°There are plenty of people to share them with here, hyung.¡± Chapter 100: Chapter 100: Chapter 100 Was there anything he couldn¡¯t do? -He¡¯s currently dominating the w machine at the arcade He¡¯s so good at it that he¡¯s giving away the dolls he won ©¸Crazy???????? ©¸He¡¯s picking up everything he grabs???????? ©¸Who is that guy? ©¸©¸Awi ©¸He picked up another one ¡°Maybe they didn¡¯t lock the ws here, they¡¯re picking up everything they touch?¡± ¡°This game will never end at this rate.¡± After giving away the dolls to everyone who passed by without hiding their identity as singers, managers, and staff, they still had a pile next to them. ¡°Wow, he got another one.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t do that even if I tried.¡± Some idol members gathered around Awi, who had turned the w machine into a hotspot after the gaming zone. Ian, who had picked up a pink bird doll, looked around. ¡°Anyone wants this?¡± ¡°Me!¡± Kim Juyeon of Luna Girls raised her hand. Ian politely handed her the bird doll. He had to show respect to his senior since the fans were watching them on Y-app live broadcast. Kim Juyeon turned away with a slightly disappointed expression. ¡®You can¡¯t have what you can¡¯t have.¡¯ She was the one that Lee Seohyun, the actress who had co-starred with Ian in the one-act y ¡®I Want to Hear Your Voice¡¯, had tried to set him up with. It wouldn¡¯t hurt to be careful. ¡°You guys are all holding a doll each because you picked up too many.¡± Park Jinhyuk, who had already received a doll from Ian, handed one each to Lee Juhyuk and Kim Juyoung, who were ying a fighting game. ¡°What if there¡¯s nothing left for the others?¡± ¡°Oh¡­!¡± ¡°What should we do?¡± ¡°Should we put them back?¡± Kim Hyun and Ian opened the ss door of the showcase after examining the machine. ¡°It¡¯s open¡­?¡± ¡°Hey, what¡¯s this? It wasn¡¯t locked.¡± Ian and Kim Hyun put back the dolls they had picked up into the open machine and walked away to find another game. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the arcade again and do it properly.¡± ¡°Sure, show me your shy w skills.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know anything, hyung. The trend is not spinning the w but flipping it.¡± They looked out of ce with their heavy makeup and stage outfits holding cute dolls. The Y-app live chat exploded. -How cute????? -Give me a doll??? -You guys are like free Wi-Fi without a password -You have what it takes to be my man if you can do w machines -The dolls are so cute???? ¡°How about basketball, hyung?¡± ¡°Dude, you¡¯re an expert at anything with a ball.¡± ¡°Ah, whatever.¡± Ian pouted. ¡°Then how about darts?¡± ¡°Darts? Sure. Hey Park Jinhyuk, you join us too.¡± ¡°I¡¯m bad at throwing things.¡± ¡°You did well throwing bombs at N4.¡± ¡°Hyun-hyung is killing it with his jokes.¡± ¡°How can you, an American, use fancier words than me?¡± Theyughed like they had screws loose as they stood in front of an empty dart board. ¡°Guys, we have to go out.¡± ¡°Already?¡± The manager, Kim Myungjin, urged them. They went out to the hallway and saw that the singer before them had started their stage. ¡°What are we getting this time?¡± ¡°Best Performance Award.¡± It was a ceremony that gave awards to everyone who attended, but the absence of seats for singers meant that they already knew what award they would get. Awi went backstage early to receive the award and fixed his makeup. ¡°It¡¯sfortable without seats for singers, but there¡¯s no tension.¡± ¡°I know.¡± The stage of the previous singer ended and the host came out with a cue card. ¡°The group that just showed us an amazing performance, the best performance award goes to¡­ AWY! Congrattions!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± AWY walked up to the stage and stood in front of the stand microphone. ¡°Two, three.¡± ¡°Always by your side! Hello, we are AWY!¡± As AWY bowed and greeted, the fans in the audience screamed. ¡°First of all, we want to thank Hyun and Juyoung, who are in charge of our choreography, and our choreographer Seo Junyoung. Thank you very much.¡± Lee Juhyuk expressed his gratitude and Kim Juyoung and Kim Hyun, who were standing next to him, scratched their back of their heads shyly. ¡°And we also want to thank our BHL Entertainment family, who invested generously for our stage, our director, and our CEO. We love you, AWYdom!¡± As Park Jinhyuk spoke, Ian waved his hand at the LED army that came to work today. Arge LED panel with AWY written on it shook up and down. ¡°We already got spoiled but it¡¯s still nice.¡± ¡°Finally, we got an award that¡¯s not rookie award.¡± Lee Juhyuk smiled proudly as he looked at the group¡¯s name engraved on the ss trophy. AWY, who came in with the best performance award, entered the waiting room and took a group photo to post on their official SNS. ¡°Hyung, please post this one too.¡± ¡°What is it? Oh, the one we took at the arcade?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°The fans were curious about it.¡± Park Seodam handed over the sticker photo he took earlier to Kim Myungjin. Kim Myungjin¡¯s eyes sparkled as he looked at the five cuts of photos. ¡°They came out well¡­ We could sell these as fan goods.¡± ¡°Right?¡± ¡°Random five in each album¡­¡± ¡°Wow, Myungjin hyung is a devil, a devil.¡± Jo Taewoong, who was listening in, shook his head as if he was amazed. Kim Juyoung, who was at the door, raised his hand. ¡°Who wants to go back to the arcade?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll rest for a bit.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± Jo Taewoong and Lee Juhyuk sprawled on the waiting room chairs. The other members headed back to the arcade. ¡°What were we going to do earlier?¡± ¡°Darts.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me Choi Ian is good at throwing darts too?¡± Kim Hyun looked at Ian with a doubtful face. ¡°I¡¯ve never yed darts before.¡± ¡°Really?¡± On their way to the arcade, there was a space where they could monitor the live broadcast. The VCR video of the poprity award candidates was ying on the monitor. ¡°We¡¯re also nominated?¡± ¡°MEDIA will win anyway.¡± Kim Hyun shrugged it off. (The poprity award goes to¡­ I-ONE! Congrattions!) ¡°No way?¡± ¡°Wow, they beat MEDIA. That¡¯s amazing.¡± Park Seodam and Park Jinhyuk stood in front of the monitor. (¡­Even though our end is decided, we are very grateful to our fans who love us.) Kang Juwon on the screen spoke calmly, but his voice was trembling. Kim Youngjun, who was standing at the end, was crying. ¡°They made such a fuss and ended up disbanding.¡± ¡°That PD got arrested for rigging. Aren¡¯t they rigged too?¡± ¡°Of course. They¡¯re just using disbandment as a shield since they¡¯re going to disband anyway.¡± ¡°They got picked by rigging and made a lot of money and disbanded. They took all the fame too. I¡¯m jealous. I should have gone too.¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t make much money, did they? N takes some, manager takes some, original agency takes some. At best 25 percent?¡± The other groups gathered around the monitor were happily badmouthing I-ONE. It was the same group that madements during AWY¡¯s performance. ¡®Who are they?¡¯ [If I don¡¯t remember them either, they¡¯re rookies? Or they¡¯re already flops or going to be flops.] ¡®Sure enough¡­ They won¡¯tst long with that behavior. Ugh, I can¡¯t stand them.¡¯ Ian frowned as he heard them talking loudly. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s just go y darts.¡± Kim Hyun pushed the members who were standing still. ¡®Will we end up like that too?¡¯ ck Rush did it too, and I-ONE too. Even if I-ONE was a special case, how many idol groups these days canst long by renewing their contracts over and over? ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen Youngjun cry like that.¡± Park Jinhyuk sighed. **** Kim Eunha, an AWYdom who was in the standing section, was with her group chat group including Blue Delight. ¡°I-One won the poprity award instead of Media? Their voting power is no joke.¡± ¡°They¡¯re disbanding this year anyway. Their fans must be biting their teeth.¡± ¡°They say it was all Kang Ju-won¡¯s fans. They flooded the votes right before midnight.¡± ¡°So what? They¡¯re still disbanding. Do you think their group poprity willst if they go solo?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± A fan holding I-One¡¯s lightstick red at them. They ignored her gaze and kept talking. ¡°But didn¡¯t their outfits look weird earlier?¡± ¡°You too? I think Byung-hun is losing his touch.¡± ¡°The ck clothes with gold trim were fine, but our kid in white was not. Are they discriminating based on poprity?¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t do that during ck Rush, did they? No way.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Thepany has grown bigger since ck Rush.¡± They fit in well among the human SNS, the humanmunity, without any sense of alienation. *** ¡°Why isn¡¯t this working?¡± Park Jin-hyuk picked up the dart that bounced off the wall and threw it lightly. Kim Hyun teased Ian next to him. ¡°Choi Ian has something he can¡¯t do.¡± ¡°No, I think I threw it well! I have the same posture as you, hyung.¡± Ian threw another dart. The dart flew and hit the wall next to the dartboard and bounced off. ¡°Hey, stop it. You¡¯re ruining the game.¡± ¡°So Ian is buying us dinner tonight?¡± ¡°Of course he is.¡± Kim Hyun and Park Jin-hyuk crossed their arms triumphantly, while Ian, who lost the bet, knelt down. ¡°Kid, you don¡¯t throw darts like a ball.¡± ¡°Wow, hyung, did you dope or something?¡± Ian stared at the dartboard with disbelief after being shot dead. It was an immutable truth that the one who suggested it would lose. Ian smiled bitterly. ¡°Hyung! Hyung hyung! Choi Ian is buying us chicken!¡± ¡°No way!¡± Park Jin-hyuk ran to Lee Ju-hyuk, who came to call them. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°He got beaten by Hyun. He lost the bet.¡± ¡°Ian did? He had something he couldn¡¯t do? Ian, thank you. I¡¯ll enjoy it in advance.¡± Of course, Lee Ju-hyuk didn¡¯t refuse. Then Jo Tae-woong, Kim Ju-young, and Park Seo-dam joined in and teased Ian. ¡°You lost? Choi Ian lost?¡± ¡°How does it feel to lose, Choi Ian?¡± ¡°You must have learned your lesson, hyung.¡± They finally found something that Ian couldn¡¯t do. The members took advantage of the situation and rowed their boat. They all had smiles on their lips. -lololololol so cute -so cute? Ian made a sad face as he was surrounded by his members, and the fans who were watching through Y-app alsomented excitedly. **** ¡°Main award, congrattions to I-One!¡± After a brief break at the arcade, I-One went up on stage to receive their main award. ¡°We would like to thank our agency staff and managers who always work hard for us. Mom and dad, we love you!¡± The main award was almost the same as the grand prize below it. So they had time to give a long speech, and each member said a word. ¡°¡­Andstly, our I-Ones! Thank you always! See you soon!¡± Ian had nned to do a short Y-app live broadcast to celebrate winning two awards, so he gave a spoiler in advance. As Ian¡¯s face was close-up on the big screen, a groan came from the audience. The Bada Chart Awards ended and I-One soon entered theireback week. [Official] I-One to hold onlineeback showcase with Y-app. ¡®Side Effect¡¯ fever continues¡­ I-One pre-releaseseback MV It would have been nice if only these articles came up¡­ I-One in controversy over leaked songs beforeeback¡­ Agency ¡°checking¡± [Official] I-One¡¯s songs leaked beforeeback¡­ Agency ¡°will take strong action¡± Thiseback started with an ident. Chapter 101: Chapter 101: Chapter 101 You¡¯re going to leave the fandom now. -Wow, did it leak? -I listened out of curiosity, and the only thing I¡¯m sure of is that Lee Ju-hyuk is a genius. -You¡¯ll fall behind if you consume the leak. -Everyone?? Don¡¯t press the heart on the leak and send it to the agency?? ¡°What is this¡­?¡± Cho Tae-woong, who was surfing the web on his bed after finishing practice, jumped up. ¡°Hey, did our song leak?¡± ¡°Really?¡± Kim Joo-young, who was lying down, and Ian, who came in after washing up, approached Cho Tae-woong¡¯s bed and looked at his phone screen. ¡°Is it really a leak? What¡¯s with the open chat room?¡± ¡°Did someone spread another weird rumor?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s take a screenshot and send it to Dong-soo hyung first.¡± To their surprise, it was not a rumor but a reality. Cho Tae-woong, who uploaded the screenshot to the group chat room with the manager, received a reply. (Park Dong-soo) ?? ¨C 23:09 (Park Dong-soo) They found out three hours ago and they¡¯re looking for the distributor now ¨C 23:09 (Park Dong-soo) Guys, don¡¯t worry about it and just rest for now. Thepany is checking on it ¨C 23:10 *** [Official] Awi, song leak¡­ ¡°We will take legal action against both primary and secondary distribution¡± ¡°What a bolt from the blue¡­¡± The director, Seo Su-ryeon, rubbed her head. The fans¡¯ protest calls were already ringing intermittently, and the fax was jammed. The truth is, idol song leaks aremon. When they rise to the ranks of popr idols, leaks be a norm. Ironically, it also meant that Awi¡¯s poprity and interest had risen a lot. Seo Su-ryeon sighed as she looked at the leak timeline that thepany staff had organized. ¡°I feel weird that there¡¯s no bad reaction to the song in this situation¡­ So, where did it leak from?¡± ¡°The staff are investigating right now.¡± The suspects were eitherpany staff or distributors or broadcasters. As Awi¡¯s growth had boosted thepany¡¯s size recently, the newly hiredpany staff were the most suspicious part. ¡°Did the choreography video not leak?¡± ¡°As far as we¡¯ve checked¡­ no.¡± They had to send the audio file and choreography practice video to the broadcasting station for pre-review before theeback. So most of the leaks were sneaked out through the broadcasting station¡¯s review room. ¡°It would be better if it leaked from the broadcasting station¡­ If it¡¯s our staff¡­¡± Seo Su-ryeon sighed. Broadcasting station leaks would end with just a warning from the broadcasting station, which had more power. But if it was apany staff member, they had to catch them quickly because they could leak again nexteback. ¡°How are the kids?¡± ¡°They said they would do it perfectly since it leaked. They¡¯re living in the practice room right now.¡± ¡°It would be better not to worry¡­ Ah, the article came out and made things worse.¡± ¡°We have to think of it as a blessing in disguise. There¡¯s also a saying that leaks make things better.¡± It depends on the case, but usually male idols are more fandom-oriented than mass-oriented, so leaks don¡¯t have much impact on them. ¡°They have to have a good entrance¡­¡± The problem was that Awi¡¯s music had gained more attention since ¡®Side Effect¡¯. Seo Su-ryeon frowned slightly. -Wow I downloaded the leaked file ©¸Do you like consuming leaks? ©¸Reported. Get ready to go to the police station^^ -This song is good?? But my bias has no part?? Why does Chong-in have so many parts? ©¸Look at him proudly suffering from the leak ?? Byung-hun, you¡¯re here! ©¸This bastard is a fanboy. Take off Tae-woong¡¯s badge. ©¸©¸I¡¯m not a fanboy. ©¸©¸©¸I¡¯ve seen you before. You guys can¡¯t do anything. Your oppa only knows Pinky Lady^^ Fortunately, Awi¡¯s fandom was in a good mood except for a few people who listened out of curiosity. -Guys, don¡¯t mention the leak and report it quietly. -Who posted on the fan cafe? Let¡¯s push them with life memes. Awi¡¯s members knew the group¡¯s search term prevention nickname well enough to surf the web, and a few fans who heard the news of the leak went to report it quietly without mentioning it to anyone. It would have been nice if it stayed buried until theeback day, but the reporters who smelled it wrote articles and ruined the fans¡¯ efforts. *** And the reporters who bit the bait showed up at theeback showcase. ¡°With the debt issue and now the song leak. It feels like there are a lot of controversies this year. How do you feel?¡± Park Dong-soo, who was listening from behind, touched his head. He had checked the reporters¡¯ questions in advance and filtered out anything that seemed wrong. It was purely the reporter¡¯s own decision. ¡°Who is that bastard?¡± As Park Dong-soo went out to check the reporter¡¯s ID, the members tried to keep their expressions under control. ¡°Damn it.¡± Jin was always absent when he needed him. He could see the cross mark on the reporter¡¯s seat, which meant he was somewhere in this space. Did he know how embarrassing it was to be in the same industry? ¡°Say something?¡± Ian, who was in his second idol season, didn¡¯t care if the article came out weird or not. As he reached out after a short hesitation, the microphone he was trying to grab was already in Juhyuk¡¯s hand. Seeing the quality of the question, Juhyuk smiled faintly on his lips, knowing that he would write an article about his attitude if he frowned. ¡°Bitoo has already made a statement through the agency, and I have nothing to say about that. It¡¯s not my fault, right?¡± As the reporter tried to ask another question, Juhyuk continued. ¡°As for my feelings¡­ Actually, I was physically and mentally exhausted during the tour, but I was able to ovee it thanks to the members. The fans¡¯ event also helped a lot.¡± Then Ian took the microphone. He stared at the reporter who asked the question and said. ¡°We were already aware of the leak, and since it was leaked anyway, we practiced hard to improve the stage performance.¡± The reporter who asked the question sat down with a displeased face. ¡°Please refrain from sensitive questions for the sake of the artists.¡± The showcase MC, who received a whisper from Dongsoo Park, lightly warned him. After finishing the press showcase in tension, AWY went into the waiting room. Juhyuk staggered and fell on the makeshift bed that had been spread out in advance. ¡°Are you okay, hyung?¡± Seodam Park looked at Juhyuk with a worried face. He was under pressure to make such a career high after his previous work did so well. ¡°¡­I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Can we check the music chartter?¡± ¡°We have to¡­ How are you guys?¡± ¡°Actually, we¡¯re dying too. We barely ate any support food because we felt like throwing up.¡± It was amazing that they had achieved this much in their two years of debut. ¡°We won¡¯t rank low, right?¡± ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll rank low. Is it just me?¡± ¡°Actually, me too.¡± But of course, human greed had no end. They weren¡¯t worried about going down from here, but they wanted to go up more desperately. ¡°Do you think we¡¯ll make it into the top three this time?¡± ¡°I¡¯m aiming for second ce.¡± ¡°First ce is impossible?¡± ¡°Impossible.¡± Ian shook his head. The first ce was still upied by Media¡¯s song that came back a month ago. ¡°Is it seven o¡¯clock?¡± ¡°Just a moment¡­ Yes!¡± It took quite a long time to refresh because of the crowd. ¡°Huh?¡± This time, there was no need for a dramatic presentation from below. AWY¡¯s album jacket was already visible on the first screen. NEW!) AWY ¨C We are We are Entered at second ce, 83 thousand users entered. It was a figure they had never seen before. ¡°Second ce!¡± ¡°Awesome!¡± The members jumped up and made dolphin noises. Seodam almost threw his phone and Juhyuk¡¯s face brightened up in relief. The phone in his hand kept ringing. It was because of the congrattory messages from his acquaintances who checked the ranking. ¡®When did mom check¡­?¡¯ Ian turned off his phone for now. The celebration time with the members was more important. ¡°We¡¯re crazy!¡± ¡°If Media wasn¡¯t there, wouldn¡¯t we be first?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± ¡°Wow, we¡¯re crazy. How far are we going to go?¡± The staff and employees of the agency who were there apuded AWY. ¡°Guys, congrattions!¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Kim Juyeong and Kim Myungjin, the road manager who high-fived him, looked at Dongsoo Park in the corner and said. ¡°Team leader, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°This¡­ Don¡¯t you think we¡¯re rising too fast?¡± ¡°It¡¯s good if we rise. People will say you¡¯re being greedy if they hear you.¡± ¡°Good¡­ It¡¯s good, but.¡± Only Dongsoo Park sighed while feeling good. It was a result of two years. Of course, he felt good as a manager. Securing music meant catching three rabbits: music, album, and fandom. ¡°It¡¯s almost two years now. The kids are doing great. Good¡­¡± Dongsoo Park stared nkly at the air and said. He was afraid of how the members would change due to their rapid growth. He never knew when someone like that reporter would pop up. He had felt this way when he was the road manager for ck Rush. In the end, Kim Young-hyun couldn¡¯t endure and the group went on a temporary hiatus. ¡°Dong-soo hyung! We¡¯re second! Did you hear?¡± ¡°We couldn¡¯t have done it without our managers.¡± He wasn¡¯t worried about the members¡¯ changes. They were always ambitious and knew how to give credit to others. ¡°Did you finally realize how important this hyung is?¡± ¡°Ah hyung, you¡¯re our eighth member!¡± It was probably needless worry. Park Dong-soo decided to enjoy this moment and let go of his anxiety. *** After finishing their fan showcase, Awi was busy with music shows and fan signing events. Friday was the busiest day of their schedule, from dawn tote night. ¡°Oh? I haven¡¯t seen you before¡­ Is this your first time?¡± ¡°Yes! I just became a fan recently!¡± ¡°Wow, when did you be a fan? I have to do well.¡± ¡°I saw the cut of Woo-sang¡¯s unit on SNS! He¡¯s so handsome!¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Ian put the flower crown that the fan gave him on his head and signed skillfully. His habit of looking into people¡¯s eyes made the fan¡¯s face flush to her neck. [You guys must have over 40 chapters.] ¡®Insane.¡¯ The number of new fans was also increasing rapidly, and the fan sign cuts were also growing day by day. ¡°Ian, you¡¯re doing well, but there¡¯s one thing you need to fix.¡± ¡°Nuna¡¯s heart?¡± ¡°Ack! How did you know?¡± The fans¡¯ jokes were all the same. The reversal joke that made his heart drop when he first heard it was now familiar because there were too many people doing it. ¡°I feel a wall from you, oppa.¡± ¡°Perfect? I know.¡± ¡°Just ept it!¡± Even Park Jin-hyuk, who ruined the group¡¯s best eye candy, had to take it. The fan jumped up and down from her seat and screamed. The reason why the fans made these jokes was simple. They had no questions to ask at the fan sign event, or they wanted to see the restless singer. ¡°I came with my boyfriend.¡± ¡°Boyfriend? Are you cheating on me, nuna? Who else do you have besides me?¡± Jo Tae-woong¡¯s cheekiness made the fan who was about to show him her hand mirrorugh out loud. ¡®He¡¯s the real deal.¡¯ Ian, who was watching Jo Tae-woong¡¯s otherworldly pseudo-romance, focused on the fan who just sat in front of him. The fan said bluntly as soon as she sat down. ¡°Ian, I¡¯m going to stop being your fan. I changed my bias.¡± ¡°What?¡± Chapter 102: Chapter 102: Chapter 102 Don¡¯te if you¡¯re like this! ¡°Did I hear that wrong?¡± Ian¡¯s expression hardened in an instant. It was a desperate look that he had never shown before. The fans who were taking pictures in the audience murmured at the sudden change. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him?¡± ¡°What did they say to make him look like that?¡± The fan who sat across from Ian shuddered his shoulders. He had intended to make a joke about switching fandoms, but he didn¡¯t expect Ian to react so strongly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious who it is?¡± ¡°¡­Do I have to know?¡± The fan who sat in front of him felt that this was not right, but he also knew that he couldn¡¯t take back his failed joke. He hastily said, ¡°Well¡­ Ian changed from cool to cute!¡± Ian¡¯s dark expression brightened up quickly. He covered his face with both hands and looked at the ceiling, pouting briefly. ¡°Ah, don¡¯t do this to me.¡± ¡°Sorry, sorry! I didn¡¯t know you¡¯d be so surprised!¡± ¡°Please move to the next seat.¡± The fan tried to make up for it, but he had no choice but to sit on the next seat because of the annoyed voice of the fan manager. ¡°That was mean of you.¡± Jo Tae-woong, who was next in line for Ian, gave the fan a sarcastic remark. He had heard their entire conversation from start to finish. [Boring.] ¡®Ah, I¡¯m getting PTSD¡­¡¯ [Was there someone like that in Diamond too?] ¡®Yeah, there were fans who advertised their defection, not as a joke like this.¡¯ ¡®I remember hearing someone say in front of me, ¡°Actually, I left you and went to Jupiter, but I won the fansign and came here thinking it was thest time.¡±¡¯ And the worst part was that his rival who took his ce was his nephew! As soon as he thought of that, Ian frowned deeply. ¡®Ah¡­ I don¡¯t even want to think about it.¡¯ [Diamond¡­ What are they doing now?] Ian twisted his body in pain. Jin watched him with amusement. ¡°Hi, Ian!¡± ¡°Hello!¡± He left his past memories behind and focused on his work now. Ian smiled automatically at the fan. The fandom grew bigger, and so did the core fans, but also some weird ones. Now he could easily ignore people who nagged him for not sending them his camera. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t tell you.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You know my name by now, right?¡± [Oh, this is something new.] What kind of new viin is this? There are so many fans here¡­ How can he remember their names? His tone was not yful, but rather scolding, which made him feel even more ufortable. Ian forced a smile and finished signing. ¡°I¡¯m not a genius, you know.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not my sister¡­ I came yesterday too. Don¡¯t you have to know my name at least?¡± This was one of the side effects of Ian recognizing the fans¡¯ faces too well. They thought that if he remembered their faces, he would remember their names too. They wanted to be confirmed as special fans. Honestly, most of them were just demanding him to memorize their names. [What are you talking about? You only came twice including today.] ¡®I knew he looked unfamiliar.¡¯ [He¡¯s definitely the type who would give obvious hints if he didn¡¯t remember their names.] ¡®True.¡¯ It wouldn¡¯t matter if it was only Ian, but the problem was that it affected other members too. ¡°Please move to the next seat.¡± ¡°Tell me your name quickly. At least the initials.¡± ¡°Are you going to sit here until I write your name? Oh, you know what. Hurry up. What if I don¡¯t know your name?¡± He even brazenly resisted on the spot, making Ian pick up his magic pen and scribble something on the space he left for his name. ¡°Do you want me to write whatever I want?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°Please move to the next seat!¡± ¡°Thank you foring.¡± Ian greeted him coldly and handed him the album he scribbled on carelessly. He weed the next fan. [What did he write?] ¡®He wrote ¡°Don¡¯te if you¡¯re like this!¡± with a smiley face.¡¯ [That¡¯s harsh.] He wanted to say something harsher, but he couldn¡¯t be too rude to a fan who paid a lot of money toe here. Ian sighed deeply after dealing with various fans who made fun of his past life and acted rudely. ¡®This is emotionalbor¡­¡¯ He was really an idol with a tough job. -A review of how Ian got scolded by Taewoong after making fun of his past life (Link) The video is from Iron Heart ¡­I made fun of him for being a reincarnator, but his expression changed so quickly that I felt sorry for him?? ©¸He is cute, but¡­ why did you do that if you felt sorry? ©¸Honestly, am I the only one who feels ufortable with this kind of joke? ©¸Do it moderately ©¸Wow, do singers have to put up with this kind of thing????? -A review of Awi¡¯s fansign event Look at Choi Ian writing my name????? ©¸Wow, the fansign cut was not low, right? Isn¡¯t that too much? ©¸His personality exploded???? ©¸Are you the one who nagged him for not knowing your name next to me? ©¸©¸Wow, what is this? -Someone who wrote a review gets attacked He gave me a hint and nagged me to move on because I didn¡¯t know his name, but he ignored it and kept nagging and bullying him ?? I saw it while waiting for my turn. I¡¯ll post the signed CD as proof. ©¸As expected ©¸Honestly, they love their fans so much, but they wouldn¡¯t say that out loud?? ©¸The writer of that post deleted it?? Don¡¯te to this board ?? *** ¡°How many copies did we sell in the first week?¡± ¡°It was 230,000 copies, but¡­ another 60,000 copies just sold out.¡± The employee who was refreshing the page frantically widened his eyes. Awi¡¯s rank was not dropping from the first ce on the Korean Music Chart, or Hanum Chart. ¡°How many copies did we distribute for ¡®Side Effect¡¯?¡± ¡°350,000 copies.¡± ¡°Oh my god¡­¡± It had been only four days since the album was released. At this rate, they would easily surpass the total sales of their previous work from the first week. -Hey, China¡¯s Ian Bar exploded again?? They posted the receipt as proof -?? How many copies did they sell? ¡°Wow, our idol uni is amazing¡­¡± Seo Suryeon smiled satisfactorily. Hallyu was money. Whenever there was an article about lifting the Hallyu ban, the stock price of their entertainmentpany also rose. ¡°Can we go bigger for the next Asia tour?¡± ¡°I think we can.¡± Of course, there would be a mess because of COVID-19 before they could make some real money overseas, but thepany officials didn¡¯t know that. *** -These days, the ad concepts are all crazy What is Awi¡¯s long padding ad??? ©¸Who is acting as a penguin?????? ©¸©¸Taewoong! ©¸The falling part is too realistic, right????? As soon as the season changed, Awi¡¯s long padding ad started to be released in the media. Awi, rising as a blue chip in the advertising industry¡­ ¡®Sold out¡¯ in 10 minutes after sales started Awi, the trendsetter, chasing the ¡®leader¡¯ in brand reputation index ¡®The power of big spenders¡¯ fandom, now trot and idol are taking over the advertising industry As soon as the long padding sales started, the online shopping mall of that brand crashed. -You guys said you had long padding! You said you wouldn¡¯t buy it! Am I the only one who is sincere? -I thought it was noon and slept, but it was already sold out?? The fans who wanted to buy it barely got in, but everything was already sold out. Thepanies that saw this situation also made proposals to Awi for advertising contracts. Awi had a bit of a hiatus because of the world tour, so they scheduled their music shows for four weeks instead. They had to get up early in the morning and go to the salon, then rehearse and pre-record, and finally finish their live stage. They couldn¡¯t sleep much and had to go to work again at dawn. Plus, they had fan signing events on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. ¡°Didn¡¯t we make our stage too hard from the beginning?¡± ¡°That¡¯s our level.¡± ¡°But we got famous because of our stage¡­¡± They had to prepare for the awards ceremony in the midst of their busy schedule. Awi was known as a stage powerhouse since their debut, and the industry people were looking forward to their awards ceremony stage. ¡°We have to decide quickly so that our stylist noona can rest.¡± ¡°Then, let¡¯s go with the Egyptian concept for the Watermelon Chart?¡± ¡°Good. We can reuse the coffin we used before.¡± They had a lot of year-end schedules. Awi decided to shorten their preparation time by ovepping their concepts with the ones they used before. ¡°We have another stage next week after the Watermelon Chart. What do we do?¡± ¡°Oh, right.¡± The members who were lying down groaned. As soon as the Watermelon Chart Awards ended, they had a series of year-end music shows booked by the broadcasters. ¡°Why does our country have so many music shows and awards ceremonies?¡± ¡°They should at least give us some time to rest, right?¡± Park Jin-hyukined, and Kim Hyun sighed deeply. ¡°What are we going to do this time?¡± ¡°I heard that the drama with the priest was popr, how about a priest concept?¡± ¡°But our choreography with the priest costume¡­ isn¡¯t that sphemy?¡± ¡°Our choreography is not that bad¡­ And the Catholic Church is tolerant of these things.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ it¡¯s hard. Let¡¯s ask the higher-ups tomorrow.¡± They all went home after work and stayed up all night in the practice room. ¡°Do you think we¡¯ll have to back up the trainees again?¡± ¡°Probably. They said they¡¯re all going to debut this time.¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s like 30 people, right? It¡¯s going to look amazing.¡± The more they filled up the stage, the better it looked. There was also the advantage that it didn¡¯t show if their moves were slightly off. Ian suddenly became curious and sat up straight. ¡°By the way, have you guys ever backed up ck Rush?¡± ¡°A few times before you came.¡± ¡°Oh, how was it?¡± Ian had never been a backup dancer in his previous or current life. ¡°¡­I almost threw up on stage.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Jo Tae-woongughed self-deprecatingly as he remembered his dark history. ¡°Hyun-hyung and Ju-young were used to going to dancepetitions, and Ju-hyuk-hyung and Jin-hyuk-hyung said they did it a few times too. Seo-dam was a first-timer but he did better than me at rehearsal.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a type that¡¯s strong in real situations, hyung.¡± Park Seo-dam shrugged his shoulders. ¡°I thought I¡¯d be fine since I¡¯ve been in front of the camera a lot. But acting and dancing on stage are very different.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°I practiced in front of the mirror every day, but there was no mirror. Am I doing well? Is my line okay? I had a lot of thoughts but my stomach was bad¡­ I felt anxious as the acid came up from my throat.¡± ¡°So what happened?¡± ¡°It just happened to be ck Rush¡¯seback stage, so I ran to the backstage while everyone was gathering their lines.¡± It was lucky that it happened during pre-recording. If it had been live¡­ Jo Tae-woong shivered. ¡°I threw up backstage, and our staff had to clean it up. And after that I couldn¡¯t back up anymore.¡± ¡°You must have messed up big time.¡± ¡°I messed up big time. Kim Ju-young that bastard teased me for months. Oh! But then Young-hyun-hyung gave me some water? He said it could happen the first time.¡± The members who were listening quietly eximed. ¡°Young-hyun-hyung is really awesome, right? He sometimes bought us ice cream too.¡± ¡°He gave me some snacks when he said he was going to Imjingak.¡± ¡°He bought us meat too.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± They realized they had gotten a lot of small favors from him. Kim Hyun, who had been through a long period of hungry trainee days, asked quietly. ¡°¡­What do our trainees like?¡± Ian answered abruptly. ¡°They like everything. They like tteokbokki these days. They pile up fried food as much as tteokbokki.¡± ¡°Did you already buy them something?¡± ¡°Uh.¡± ¡°Damn, I should have done it first¡­ He always does cool things by himself?¡± Ian smiled awkwardly. He ignored Jo Tae-woong¡¯s whining ¡®buy us something too!¡¯ and changed the topic. ¡°By the way, what is Young-hyun-hyung doing? We have to repay him for the beef he gave us.¡± ¡°When Seo-dam can drink next year, let¡¯s call Se-jun-hyung too and go together.¡± ¡°Good idea.¡± Lee Ju-hyuk nced at his watch. The break time had passed 20 minutes. He got up with his heavy body and said. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s stop talking nonsense¡­ What are we going to do for our remaining year-end stages?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± The members screamed softly. [I forgot something important¡­] Jin, who was floating in the corner of the practice room, snapped his shutter with a fierce look on his face. [What is it? What did I forget?] Chapter 103: Chapter 103: Chapter 103 Do you know what day it is today? Today, December 12th, was the second anniversary of AWY¡¯s debut. The trio who barged into the younger members¡¯ room scanned the four members who were lying down and looking at their phones. ¡°Do you guys know what day it is today?¡± ¡°Come on, of course we do.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t, you¡¯re a pigeon.¡± Ian frowned. Kim Joo-young and Jo Tae-woong protested. ¡°Of course we do.¡± ¡°What do you take us for?¡± Park Seo-dam sprang up. ¡°Let¡¯s go see the fans¡¯ support ads!¡± The fans had prepared congrattory ads and cafe events for the debut anniversary since a few days ago. ¡°Good. Do we have some time after rehearsal?¡± ¡°We have to do a live broadcast for the debut anniversary after rehearsal, so there should be some time in between.¡± Even though it was their debut anniversary, their busy schedule didn¡¯t allow them much leisure. AWY headed to Gocheok Dome for the rehearsal of the next day¡¯s Watermelon Chart Awards. After a brief wait, they were able to get on stage. ¡°How is the lift set up?¡± ¡°You cane out from here to that side.¡± After consulting with the stage director, AWY rehearsed three times and bowed their waists. ¡°Thank you for your hard work!¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± As Ian was about to go down from the stage, he scraped the floor with his foot and tilted his head. ¡°Doesn¡¯t the stage seem slippery?¡± ¡°A bit. I almost fell earlier.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Kim Joo-young furrowed his brows. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine during the actual show, right?¡± ¡°Well¡­ The floor material itself seems slippery¡­¡± ¡°We should spray our shoes.¡± Since they couldn¡¯t tear up the stage floor, they had to find another way to prevent idents in advance. *** Apgujeong, a private cafe near AWY¡¯s agency. ¡®Cafe Rose¡¯. ¡®30 minutes until closing!¡¯ The cafe employee kept turning his phone on and off to check the time. In cafes where idol events take ce, usually the cafe side operates as usual, and the person who organizes the eventes early and decorates the space with photo frames and interior decorations, and custom-made cup holders for their singers. ¡®28 minutes¡­ Hurry up, time¡­¡¯ The cafe was a trendy cafe decorated with a light red interior, and there were high-quality photo frames of AWY taken by the home masters who organized the event. The counter was piled with photo cards for sharing. ¡®25 minutes, good, I have to clean the filter.¡¯ And in the most visible spot, there was a gand decoration that said ¡®Happy 2nd anniversary of AWY¡¯s debut!¡¯ and arge balloon. ¡°The masterpiece flies away¡­¡± The cafe employee hummed a song and started washing dishes. The music inside the cafe was also AWY¡¯s songs. Today was the day of their debut anniversary, so many fans came. Fans from faraway regions who came for the debut anniversary tour, overseas fans, and people of various colors visited this cafe. ¡®It¡¯s not easy to do idol events for nothing.¡¯ The employee who finished washing dishes shrugged his shoulders. At that moment, someone came into the cafe with a bang. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Wee. I¡¯m sorry, but we¡¯re closing soon, so you can¡¯t order coffee, but it¡¯s okay¡­ Huh!¡± The employee couldn¡¯t finish his greeting and swallowed his breath. Some members covered their faces with hats, but they were the same faces he had seen all day from the cup holders. ¡°Is it closing time? Oh no! Did wee toote?!¡± ¡°But if we came early, fans would flock. Dong-soo hyung told us to go before closing!¡± ¡°What do we do, hyungs? It¡¯s rude to hold up your closing¡­ Should we just leave?¡± The employee who saw AWY members turning around hurriedly stopped them. ¡°No! It¡¯s okay! Please order!¡± He wasn¡¯t an idol fan himself, but it was a chance to see the popr idols up close. He had many friends who liked AWY, and besides, they were all handsome and he couldn¡¯t let them go. ¡°It¡¯s not because of us that you can¡¯t close, right? Thank you so much.¡± Ian suddenly appeared and bowed his head to the employee. ¡°No, thank you¡­¡± Your face is overwhelming thank you?! The employee couldn¡¯t finish his sentence and lowered his head. He had already washed everything including the shot filter, but he happily handed over the coffee drinks he ordered and took out his phone to take pictures of AWY looking around the cafe. ¡°Huh¡­ But can I take this?¡± The staff member had a habit of taking pictures whenever he saw a celebrity. He was embarrassed when he realized it was toote. ¡°You can take as many pictures as you want!¡± Kim Hyun, who heard that from near the counter, said. The staff member rxed and lifted his phone again. ¡°Wow, look at this picture. It¡¯s awesome.¡± ¡°The timing is perfect.¡± ¡°Did we jump that high?¡± There was a move in the choreography where they jumped high on the spot. It was a group photo that captured that moment beautifully. The members who stopped in front of the frame eximed in admiration. ¡°There are more on the side.¡± ¡°Our ending pose is so sharp.¡± ¡°Look at Joo Hyuk¡¯s jawline!¡± The staff member seemed to remember something and approached them with a magic pen. ¡°The people who hung these asked me if they could get your autographs on the frames when youe¡­¡± ¡°Oh!¡± ¡°And I also want an autograph¡­¡± ¡°Of course, we¡¯ll do it for you. Do you want to take a picture with us?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The members, who made the cafe staff happy with their charm, headed to thepany with drinks in their hands. *** The next day, after a short event cafe visit, it was the day of the Watermelon Chart Music Awards. They had a red carpet event before the show, so Awi, who had been to the shop, got out of the van in a new suit. ¡°Guys!¡± ¡°Here! Here too!¡± The red carpet venue was already crowded with fans and reporters. Last year, they just took pictures and went in, but today they had a red carpet interview. ¡°Our Awi! You¡¯re known as the stage masters! Can you give us a spoiler of your stage?¡± ¡°Hey~ It¡¯s no fun if I spoil it beforehand. It¡¯s a secret.¡± ¡°Short! Just one word or a keyword!¡± ¡°Um¡­ Ancient civilization? Is that what I should say?¡± Kim Hyun hit Park Jin Hyuk. The red carpet hostughed. It was an outdoor event in midwinter, so his nose and ears were red. ¡°I see Hyun hitting Jin Hyuk. Did Jin Hyuk give us too big of a spoiler?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re curious, please watch our stage.¡± ¡°Yes! Okay. We hope you watch Awi¡¯s stage live! Thank you for the interview!¡± Just then, another singer was walking towards the red carpet. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your hard work in this cold weather.¡± Ian gave the host a hot pack before he got off the stage and quickly followed his members. He muttered as he stared nkly at the hot pack in his hand. ¡°¡­He really has a good personality.¡± The host held the warm hot pack tightly and greeted the next singer. Awi left the red carpet and headed to the seats reserved for singers inside the venue. When they saw their faces, the fans who had entered earlier screamed. ¡°Who is it? Who is it?¡± ¡°They¡¯re here, sis!¡± Jang Min Hee hastily picked up her telescope. ¡°They look crazy in red suits. They suit bright colors well.¡± ¡°I thought they only looked good in blue tones, but that color is not bad either.¡± Lee Da Sol, who had stuck her face to the telescope and scanned the seats for singers, groaned and twisted her wrist. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s heavy.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you bring a selfie stick?¡± ¡°A selfie stick?¡± ¡°You can put it on a selfie stick because it¡¯s heavy. Your arm will be sore if you hold it all throughout the show.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ I should have searched for it.¡± Lee Da Sol and Jang Min Hee, who became close friends regardless of their age difference, sat on the second floor. It was a seat ticket that Jang Min Hee got through her connections. ¡°I¡¯m d it¡¯s not the fourth floor sky seat. Thanks to you, sis.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? I got it by chance too.¡± Jang Min Hee smiled happily. In her hand was a snack bag that Lee Da Sol had prepared. ¡°By the way, where is your friend who came with you?¡± ¡°She¡¯s over there.¡± Lee Da Sol pointed to the standing area. Kim Eun Ha ended up paying hundreds of thousands of won for a scalped ticket and bought a standing area ticket near the stage. ¡°She said she would take pictures anyway.¡± ¡°That¡¯s hard¡­¡± Jang Min Hee sighed as she remembered her old days of being a fan. She had to take pictures secretly while being pushed by others in the standing area, avoiding security guards and cue sheets. Sometimes nearby fans would notice her taking pictures and cover her with their bodies¡­ ¡°Anyway, what are they going to do on stage today?¡± ¡°I just saw their red carpet interview and they said ancient civilization.¡± ¡°¡­Egypt.¡± ¡°Right?¡± Ida-sol and Jang Min-heeughed without meaning. ¡°I know who spoiled it. It was Jin-hyuk again, right?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Park Jin-hyuk, who was already called the spoiler fairy by the fans, had spoiled so many big things that the members called him ¡°Jin-hyuk hyung again? Jin-hyuk again?¡± Naturally, the fans also called him Jin-hyuk again. ¡°What do you think they will do in Egypt? Egyptian mythology?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think they will go that far. Maybe something like Pharaoh?¡± ¡°Or maybe they will mix both?¡± Of course, their guesses were right. Awi watched the stages of other singers from the singer¡¯s seat, and came into the waiting room before their stage. ¡°Did our stylist noona sleep well?¡± Awi wore an Egyptian costume that was reinterpreted in a modern style by the stylist overnight. It had a white background with gold decorations, long eyeliner, and dark eye shadow. ¡°We can¡¯t confuse this with the microphone.¡± ¡°OMG, you¡¯re right. It would be so embarrassing if we sang holding this instead of the microphone.¡± The rapper line and the main vocal, Ian, looked back and forth between the gold stick and the hand microphone. ¡°I feel uneasy¡­¡± ¡°Seeing Ian like that, I think he might make a mistake.¡± ¡°No. They have different thicknesses. Just be careful, hyungs.¡± Although he said that, Ian¡¯s pupils were trembling. About 20,000 people in the Gocheok Dome, countless people who could watch them on YouTube live with their seniors and juniors¡­ He couldn¡¯t make a ck history in front of them. Kim Joo-young and Jo Tae-woong were having a sword fight with the sticks. ¡°Hey, guys, those are weak. Don¡¯t break them and stay still.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The two elementary schoolers who were stopped by the stylist dropped their sticks sullenly. ¡°Hello!¡± The trainees who were dressed like mummies came into the backstage. The trainees looked at Awi with hopeful eyes. Lee Joo-hyuk smiled slightly at that sight. ¡°Guys,e here.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The trainees approached Awi. There were so many people that they couldn¡¯t hold hands. In the end, they stood in two circles and held hands. They waited for Lee Joo-hyuk¡¯s signal. ¡°You know our motto, right? Let¡¯s shout it on three.¡± Park Jin-hyuk looked around the trainees and said. Then Lee Joo-hyuk signaled. ¡°Two, three!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± This time, the direction of their hands was all matched. Park Dong-soo, who was watching that scene from afar, was already filming it with his phone. ¡°Thank you foring to back up our stage in advance.¡± Ian tapped Lim No-eul¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous.¡± ¡°Th¡­ thank you.¡± The light that came on the stage lit up Lim No-eul¡¯s face. He didn¡¯t notice it in the dark, but Lim No-eul¡¯splexion was not very good. Chapter 104: Chapter 104: Chapter 104 I want to be like that. As the lift in the center of the stage rose, a golden pharaoh¡¯s crown revealed itself. White smoke filled the stage floor to create a mysterious atmosphere. ¡°It¡¯s Egypt, alright.¡± Idasol, who muttered as soon as he saw the crown, closed his mouth and focused on the stage as the song started with a violin melody. The pharaoh¡¯s crown opened with a swoosh and a person came out of it. It was Ijuhyuk. He grabbed the microphone after roughly tearing off the bandage wrapped around his head. ¡°The universe begins with you and me¡± Then Ian, who was dressed like a priest, sang the next verse. At the bridge part of the song, rich sounds echoed throughout the concert hall, and backup dancers rushed onto the stage. ¡°Let¡¯s go¡­¡± Lim No-eul, who had a bad stomach today, breathed hard and headed for the stage. ¡®Here¡­ like this¡­¡¯ Lim No-eul usually doesn¡¯t think about anything when he dances. The fact that he had a lot of thoughts meant that his concentration was disrupted. Moreover, by chance, Lim No-eul¡¯s middle movement was a terrible one, from the far right to the front left. ¡®¡­Huh?¡¯ Lim No-eul¡¯s body swayed as he followed the movement and he couldn¡¯t bnce himself properly. ¡®No¡­!¡¯ *** The first time Lim No-eul saw Awi was when Awi was a trainee, busking in front of Daehak-ro. ¡°Who is that? A celebrity?¡± ¡°The one in the middle is handsome.¡± Lim No-eul, who was bored waiting for histe friend at the meeting ce, watched someone¡¯s performance at a ce where people gathered. Seven men, all of them had clean faces as if they had received care beforehand. Lim No-eul, who had received a few business cards from entertainmentpanies after losing some weight, thought they were either trainees or unknown idols. ¡°Wow.¡± A voice that didn¡¯t falter even while dancing lightly. He smiled casually and made eye contact with the people who came together. ¡°He¡¯s cool¡­¡± Lim No-eul waspletely hooked on the busking at that moment. At the end of the song, when Ian hit a high note, the surrounding people eximed and pped at the reverberation. ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡°We¡¯re debuting in December! We¡¯re Awi! Please support us!¡± After the busking ended, they bowed and greeted them. The people lingered around with regretful expressions. Lim No-eul was one of them. After that, Lim No-eul searched for Awi¡¯s name for no reason and found out that they were epting applications for their debut stage recording. ¡®I sang well then¡­ I want to hear it live¡­¡¯ He moved his mouse cursor back and forth and agonized over it. He finally pressed the pre-recording application button. ¡°But aren¡¯t all the people there women? It¡¯s ufortable¡­ Ah! I don¡¯t care.¡± Lim No-eulughed bitterly. Looking at the explosively increasing number ofments, it was like drinking soup before getting rice cakes. ¡®Maybe, I¡¯ll get it?¡¯ Whatever. When he came to his senses, it was Thursday. He skipped school and stood in line for ¡¯s recording at dawn. Among the people who gathered, Lim No-eul was the only man. ¡®I¡¯m d it¡¯s winter¡­¡¯ Lim No-eul bowed his head as he shivered in his long padding, scarf, and hat. ¡°Oh, there¡¯s a male fan too.¡± ¡°How did you get here?¡± Since it was a joint recording with other groups, he felt the murmuring and gazes more intensely. Lim No-eul said quietly. ¡°I saw them at Daehak-ro¡­ busking.¡± ¡°Busking fan? Lucky~ I couldn¡¯t go.¡± He chatted with the people who talked to him and entered the recording ce while trying not to stick to other fans as much as possible. ¡®Ah¡­ I¡¯m nervous. I shouldn¡¯te next time.¡¯ Lim No-eul¡¯s face rxed as soon as Awi went up on stage. ¡°Hello. This is our first recording.¡± They said that but they perfectly performed three stages. Lim No-eul opened his mouth nkly as he watched Awi. They felt better than when they were busking. ¡®¡­I¡¯lle again if I can.¡¯ At the cafe on the first floor of the broadcasting station, Ian waved his hands at Lim No-eul who was standing far away while recognizing each fan who came to the recording. ¡°¡­Did you join the fan club?¡± Seeing him, Lim No-eul finally entered the fan¡¯s path. He was lucky enough to go to two or three more recordings. He felt something was missing just by running around recordings. ¡°Why is the fan sign cut so high?¡± The price was too high for a middle school student to afford. So he bought an album and entered a lottery for a fansign event at arge bookstore, instead of the one that required a lot of purchases. But he didn¡¯t win. ¡°You like male idols, right?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Someone in ss 2 said that. What was it? They saw you at a fan meeting.¡± Lim No-eul shivered at his friend¡¯s words. He thought he had done a good job of pretending to be normal at school, but someone must have recognized his face. ¡°Are you gay?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°Then why do you like male idols? Don¡¯t you like girl groups like Luna Girls?¡± ¡°Luna Girls¡­ they¡¯re pretty. But don¡¯t be prejudiced.¡± Lim No-eul frowned. Does liking men make him gay? ¡°You like me, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°As a friend or whatever. You like me, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s so cringy, but yeah, I guess we wouldn¡¯t be friends if I didn¡¯t like you.¡± ¡°Then are we gay?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ no.¡± He might have convinced his friend, but he couldn¡¯t stop the rumors from spreading in the next ss. Soon, Lim No-eul was known as the gay guy who liked men. ¡°I just like their songs! And their coolness! What does idol mean? They¡¯re my idols!¡± Lim No-eul snapped at the source of the rumor. ¡°I like girls too! I want to date a girlfriend!¡± The misunderstanding was cleared and the rumor died down as ¡®the weird kid in ss 1 who liked male idols¡¯. His blunt personality helped him deal with the gossip. He didn¡¯t let the rumor bother him and continued to attend fan meetings and follow their schedules. He watched the rerun of the award show in his room. ¡°Wow¡­ that¡¯s awesome.¡± On the screen, Ian appeared behind Park Seo-dam and grabbed him for a back dive. ¡®I want to be like that.¡¯ He wanted to be on the same stage as them, not as a fan but as a singer. Was that too greedy? Lim No-eul looked at himself in the mirror. He had a decent face and had even been scouted on the street. ¡®I might as well lose weight by dancing. And¡­ I¡¯ll audition.¡¯ That was how Lim No-eul became one of the top contenders in the trainee dance evaluation. *** He wanted to stand next to them on stage, not ruin it. ¡®This is crazy¡­¡¯ The dim stage with dry ice, the slippery floor, the worst choreography, and Lim No-eul¡¯s bad condition that day allbined to make him fall t on his face. He ignored his sore ankle and got up quickly to follow the dance. ¡°Huh? Who fell?¡± ¡°Was it one of them?¡± ¡°No, it was a backup dancer. That must hurt¡­¡± Luckily, he wasn¡¯t caught on camera, but the people in the venue noticed Lim No-eul falling. After the stage ended, he burst into tears as soon as he entered the backstage. He curled up in a corner and hung his head. ¡®I could have done well¡­ I¡¯ve been doing well until now.¡¯ Lim No-eul sniffled. ¡°Who took his money?¡± Cho Tae-woong, who came down from the stagest, found Lim No-eul crouching. All the backup dancers were dressed as mummies, so they stood out. ¡°Why is he like this?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Ian also followed Cho Tae-woong and crouched in front of him. He lowered his eyes to match his. [Is this Lim No-eul? He fell on stage.] ¡®Really?¡¯ [Yeah, he totally copsed. The people in the venue must have noticed.] ¡®But he wasn¡¯t on camera?¡¯ [No, you were on camera then.] It was lucky that he wasn¡¯t on camera, or everyone watching would have known. A sob came from between their hunched bodies. Suddenly, Cho Tae-woong walked over to a staff member. ¡°Excuse me, can I have a bottle of water?¡± The staff handed him a bottle of water nkly. ¡°Drink this first.¡± Just like Kim Young-hyun did for Cho Tae-woong, Cho Tae-woong opened the bottle cap and handed it to Lim No-eul. ¡°Th¡­ thank you.¡± Lim No-eul lifted his head and took the water. His face was red and stained with tears and snot. He held his trembling hand and drank the water. ¡°Hey¡­ anyone can make mistakes. It¡¯s okay.¡± Cho Tae-woong said, looking at him. He was serious, unlike his usual teasing and joking self. He remembered how he was when he was a trainee. ¡°Yeah, I almost sang with this thing instead of the mic earlier.¡± Ian said. He had almost used a stage prop as a microphone. He had instinctively raised his other hand to grab the mic, but it was a close call. ¡°I sprayed my shoes earlier, but they were still slippery.¡± ¡°The floor was made of slippery material. I could have fallen.¡± Lim No-eul wiped his tears with his arm. He was the trainee who used the practice room the longest. ¡°But¡­ you prepared a lot for the stage, didn¡¯t you?¡± Still, the lights in Awi¡¯s practice room never went out. He had seen him working on his stage untilte at night, even pulling all-nighters. I ruined his stage. Lim No-eul sobbed and cried out loud. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Jo Tae-woong and Ian looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. They had cared a lot about their performance. They were sorry that the whole picture had copsed, but it was okay. They were strict with their own mistakes, but not with others¡¯. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°It happens.¡± Ian and Jo Tae-woong patted his shoulder. They would get scolded by the choreographer anyway, but he wouldn¡¯t be too harsh on them. The stage floor was slippery in the first ce. They decided to justfort Lim No-eul. ¡°What? What¡¯s going on?¡± The other members who heard themotion came and squatted in front of Lim No-eul. ¡°He fell on the stage.¡± ¡°Really? We didn¡¯t even notice anyone falling while we were performing.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. Everyone makes mistakes.¡± ¡°But you said you fell, are you hurt anywhere?¡± Surrounded by seven members in an instant, Lim No-eul was touched and sorry for Awi who came to console him and burst into tears. ¡°What, what¡¯s wrong? Why are you crying again?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ This is not helping.¡± Jo Tae-woong started tough bitterly and the other members also joined him one by one. *** The staff who handed water to Jo Tae-woong secretly took a picture. -Awiforting a backup dancer I¡¯ll prove that I was there. He suddenly asked me for water and I thought he was going to drink it, but he gave it to a backup dancer who was crying because he messed up on stage. He looked like a trainee and he was so cute that I took a picture. ©¸What¡¯s wrong with them? ©¸©¸It didn¡¯t show up on YouTube, but a backup dancer fell ©¸Really? ©¸Aw, so cute???? It looks like they¡¯re surrounded by bullies????? ©¸They¡¯re sweet for taking care of the trainee???? ©¸I was there too and they¡¯re all nice. I saw themforting the trainee from behind and they got dragged away by their manager after performing ©¸The crying trainee is cute and so are the ones being dragged away by their manager????? Chapter 105: Chapter 105: Chapter 105 What did I forget? After finishing the Watermelon Chart Awards, Awi prepared for the next year-end stage without a break. -Awi came to the 2nd anniversary celebration cafe in Apgujeong??????? -Awi came to see the advertisement at Samsung Station -Hey, the behind-the-scenes of the advertisement tour is out. What was that mascot costume for? -I thought the penguin mascot in front of the Gangnam advertisement was a fan, but it was them???? Awi looked back at the events that the fans had prepared for them. Their bodies were tired, but their hearts were full. *** The first start of the broadcast station¡¯s year-end music festival was at Gocheok Dome. ¡°Ah, I feel like I¡¯ve seen this before.¡± ¡°We were herest week too, right?¡± The Watermelon Chart Music Awards was also at Gocheok Dome. The difference was that they had rehearsed the day before the performance for the Watermelon Chart, but they had to rehearse at dawn on the same day for the broadcast station. ¡°Ugh¡­ It¡¯s cold.¡± ¡°They must not have turned on the heating because it¡¯s a rehearsal.¡± Awi, who had gotten used to it, yawned and went up to the stage. Jo Tae-woong, who had opened the long padding he had received from the advertiser, swept the floor with his foot. ¡°The floor is okay today.¡± ¡°So, what happened to that kid?¡± ¡°Her? She just thanked us and avoided us because she was embarrassed. She hurt her leg, right? She had a cast on.¡± ¡°Really? That exins it¡­ I saw her fall hard on the fancam.¡± Im No-eul was so embarrassed that she had cried in front of the singers she had been fangirling over, that she avoided Awi members whenever she saw them. She had ruined the stage of the people she had admired and even receivedfort from them. It was no different from leaving a dark history. ¡°By the way, who left banana milk in front of our practice room yesterday?¡± Jo Tae-woong asked with a puzzled look. Kim Joo-young and Kim Hyun shrugged their shoulders. ¡°Not me.¡± ¡°Me neither.¡± Ianughed with a deted voice as he heard the other members¡¯ answers. ¡°Then it must be Im No-eul.¡± ¡°The one who cried back then?¡± ¡°Yeah, if it were us, we would have said ¡®eat this¡¯ and thrown it in front of her. She wouldn¡¯t have left it shyly at the door.¡± ¡°Oh, right. That makes sense.¡± Jo Tae-woong nodded. He wanted to ask her if she was okay after that, but he couldn¡¯t meet her because she avoided him. ¡°But she¡¯s a loyal one.¡± ¡°You guys should get ready soon!¡± The members checked their routes ording to the staff¡¯s instructions. They would sing the first verse on the main stage and the second verse on the protruding stage. ¡°So we don¡¯t have to dance while we¡¯re moving from here to there?¡± ¡°Yeah, we just have to walk. Oh, this is awesome. Seo-dam is a genius.¡± Jo Tae-woong whistled at Park Seo-dam¡¯s words. While Awi finished their stage on the protruding stage, another singer¡¯s stage was prepared on the main stage. ¡°Did you all get it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The staff shouted loudly. ¡°Awi, let¡¯s go for rehearsal!¡± The Awi members gathered in the center of the stage. Since it was a live broadcast, they had more rehearsals than usual and lined up to greet the staff before going down under the stage. ¡°Ian will wait.¡± ¡°Good luck!¡± This year-end music festival had a stage where they gathered each group¡¯s main vocal and sang that year¡¯s hit songs. At the end of the wait, one by one, each group¡¯s main vocal went up to the stage. ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°Please take good care of us!¡± The singers who went up to the stage without distinction between male and female idols greeted each other awkwardly. They could tell who was from which group by looking at their name tags tied to their upper bodies. The staff checked that all the performers were up and arranged their routes. ¡°Ian, you¡¯ll be waiting under the stage and then go up on that lift. You don¡¯t have to ride the lift now, just stand up there.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°And Min-ha, you go to Ian¡¯s next lift. Over there.¡± Lee Min-ha of Miracle nodded. ¡°Did you all get your routes? Let¡¯s go once for now.¡± The singers found their ces. Ian stretched out and found his ce when Jin suddenly came in front of him with a beep sound. [Ah! I forgot what I was going to do!] ¡®What?¡¯ [There¡¯s an ident at the rehearsal.] ¡®What? Why are you telling me that now? Who¡¯s getting hurt? Right now?¡¯ [Uh¡­ maybe!] Ian looked around. ¡®Where?¡¯ [There! The lift over there is not working!] Following the direction of Jin¡¯s lens, Ian saw that Miracle¡¯s Lee Minha, who was assigned to the lift next to him, was walking slowly with his eyes blinking tiredly. There was a hole in the stage where he was supposed to stand. ¡®What kind of camouge is that?!¡¯ The stage floor was a matte ck that didn¡¯t reflect much light, so it was hard to tell if there was a hole or not. Usually, they would put some tape or something to mark the spot so that the singers wouldn¡¯t get confused, but there was nothing on the floor. ¡®Can I catch him?¡¯ It was too close to shout a warning. Ian stretched his long legs and ran. ¡°Watch out¡­!¡± Ian barely reached his side and grabbed his arm, pulling him back. It was just as Lee Minha stumbled forward with one foot in the air. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ uh¡­ wow¡­¡± Lee Minha felt his heart pounding and looked at the hole in front of him. It was deep. ¡°The lift didn¡¯t work, right?¡± ¡°Yes, I was going to call out, but I thought it would be toote¡­¡± Lee Minha calmed his trembling body and bowed to Ian. ¡°Wow, thank you¡­ thank you so much.¡± ¡°Hey! Wait a minute!¡± Ian shouted to the staff. They heard themotion and ran over. ¡°The lift here is not working.¡± ¡°What? Why isn¡¯t it working¡­?¡± The person who looked like the manager turned pale. Everyone¡¯s eyes turned to Ian and Lee Minha. ¡°What? What happened?¡± ¡°The lift didn¡¯t work, I guess.¡± ¡°Wow.¡± The singers who were waiting checked their own areas. The manager of Miracle, who was watching the situation, rushed over to them. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Hyung! I almost fell here!¡± The manager of Miracle gauged the depth. The stage was high because there were people walking underneath. He could have been seriously injured if he wasn¡¯t careful. ¡°How can you manage the stage like this?¡± The manager of Miracle turned red and yelled. The staff apologized profusely. ¡®Why are they so flustered?¡¯ [He¡¯s from a rich family. He¡¯s famous in this industry. His family probably owns some shares of the broadcasting station.] ¡®Ah¡­ I see.¡¯ Other groups, even idols from big agencies, would have said ¡®Sorry. But you¡¯re not hurt, right?¡¯ and brushed it off. ¡°Hey! What¡¯s going on here! I told you to raise it beforehand!¡± The PD arrivedte and shouted. The manager pointed fingers at the other staff. Ian crossed his arms and watched from behind. [They¡¯re cutting off their tails.] ¡®I guess so.¡¯ [But why did you save him? You didn¡¯t even know he was from a rich family¡­ It¡¯s not your problem if he gets hurt.] ¡®It could have been me.¡¯ Ian shrugged. His body just moved on its own. He hated seeing idents in front of him. He also hated dying the rehearsal because of that. ¡®Isn¡¯t it better to stop it if you can? But did you get hurt a lot in this ident in the past?¡¯ [You probably had a bad injury from falling wrong.] Jin snapped his shutter silently as if he was thinking about something. Ian received apologies from the staff and the PD, and Lee Minha came up to him after the situation was settled. ¡°Thank you, Ian. I would have been in big trouble without you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, as long as you¡¯re not hurt. Do you have any difort?¡± ¡°No, wow. I can¡¯t even imagine what would have happened if I fell¡­ Do you need anything? I want to repay you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I didn¡¯t do it for a reward.¡± As the manager of Miracle and the staff thanked Ian for preventing a big ident, Lee Minha looked at Ian with a touched expression. ¡®What is this look¡­¡¯ It was like the way Lim Noeul looked at Ian. Ian hid his confused expression with a polite smile. [Did I forget this?] Jin felt a strange feeling as he looked at the concert hall from afar. He felt like there was something more he should remember. He had no forgotten memories until now, so why now¡­? [Damn it¡­] Was this also a side effect of his shrinking body? *** ¡°Call me next time. I¡¯ll buy you a meal.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll do it first. See youter.¡± Ian, who had exchanged numbers with Eunminha, who was the same age as him, entered the waiting room. The members were all asleep since there was a lot of time left until the next rehearsal for the whole singers. ¡°You finishedte? What happened?¡± ¡°Yes, hyung. I almost had an ident during the rehearsal.¡± ¡°Really? Are you not hurt anywhere?! What happened?¡± Park Dongsoo, who was sitting and looking at his phone, jumped up. He patted his startled chest as he listened to Ian¡¯s story about the incident during the rehearsal. ¡°Well¡­ You did well saving him, but you have to take care of yourself first. You know you were also in danger, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t answer right away. You could have fallen together. Anyway, I¡¯m d you¡¯re safe. The stage was so flimsy¡­ Just rest for now.¡± ¡°Wake me upter¡­¡± Even as Iany down in the remaining space and closed his eyes, Park Dongsoo was looking at something intently. ¡®Doesn¡¯t that hyung get tired?¡¯ He picked up the rookie, followed the schedule with him, and even though he had a harder schedule than the rookie, Park Dongsoo never saw him sleepy. *** He woke up, ate the food supported by the fans, and rehearsed again. Finally, the live broadcast started. Ian followed the staff¡¯s guidance and stood under the stage where the lift would go up. ¡°What, you also have a cat?¡± ¡°Huh, you too?¡± While waiting, Ian chatted with Eunminha on the next lift out of boredom when he suddenly felt the floor vibrate. ¡°Huh?¡± [What, why is it going up?] The lift that carried Ian slowly went up to the stage. Ian looked at Eunminha nervously. ¡°What? It¡¯s not our turn now, is it?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not.¡± Eunminha also looked at Ian going up with a surprised expression. ¡®It¡¯s not time to go up yet?!¡¯ On the protruding stage, another group¡¯s performance was in full swing. The main vocal stage still had a few minutes left, but either someone among the staff pressed it too early or it malfunctioned. ¡®Ah¡­ I¡¯m screwed.¡¯ Ian ended up going up to the stage and stood alone on the main stage. His pupils trembled uncontrobly. ¡®Go back down!¡¯ He crouched down on the floor and pounded the stage floor with his fist. He was sure he was being filmed by a camera, and he felt sick thinking that he would be turned into a memeter. ¡®Damn it¡­¡¯ Did the lift hear Ian¡¯s desperate pounding? It vibrated and went back down. When he went back down under the stage, Eunminha was biting his lip and holding back hisughter. Ian sighed and said. ¡°¡­Justugh.¡± With that permission, Eunminha burst intoughter. ¡®Hey, Jin. Did you have this kind of ident before?¡¯ [I didn¡¯t have this kind of ident¡­ What is this?] ¡®Could it be¡­¡¯ Did I cause a butterfly effect by saving Eunminha? Chapter 106: Chapter 106: Chapter 106 Love overflowed on the day of settlement. The hectic end-of-year schedule was over and the new year had dawned. There was not much time to rest as there were several award ceremonies scheduled for the beginning of the year. ¡°Finally, it¡¯s the day.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the day our youngest bes an adult.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a long time.¡± Despite that, the members of Awi, who had received a holiday on the first day of the new year, headed to a convenience store near their dorm as soon as 12 o¡¯clock passed. Park Jin-hyuk, who had swept up one of each type of alcohol sold at the convenience store, spoke proudly. ¡°Are you ready for alcohol? You¡¯ll learn from the adults.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the difference between you guys and me anyway?¡± ¡°Tsk, don¡¯t talk back to the adults.¡± What was the concept of this role-y? A father concept? Ianughed. The Awi members who had bought a basket full of snacks and came to the dorm excitedly sat on the living room floor. ¡°Did you guys really never drink alcohol behind my back? Why did you buy so much?¡± ¡°We wanted to drink with you.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Park Seo-dam, who was talking to Park Jin-hyuk, looked at Ian with doubtful eyes. ¡°Ah, this is delicious.¡± ¡°This?¡± ¡°If you mix this with that¡­¡± Ian couldn¡¯t finish his sentence and gave Kim Joo-young a thumbs up. His past memories hadn¡¯t gone anywhere. Ian rummaged through the bags and gave his reviews on alcohol. He seemed to have drunk a lot. Park Seo-dam¡¯s gaze followed Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s gaze to Ian. ¡°¡­Then what about that hyung?¡± ¡°What is he really?¡± Ian hadn¡¯t gone out alone and eaten anything by himself. He was always with the members when he went out. Park Jin-hyuk shouted. ¡°Hey, Choi Ian! How do you know so much about alcohol!¡± ¡°There¡¯s a way to know everything.¡± He felt a bit embarrassed, but he couldn¡¯t say that he had drunk a lot when he was Kim Yong-min, so he decided to go out shamelessly. ¡°Did you all choose?¡± ¡°I chose this.¡± The members who had chosen their drinks sat in a circle and held up their sses filled with alcohol. ¡°Guys, let¡¯s do well this year too.¡± ¡°Cheers!¡± The members clinked their sses and drank. Ian took a shot of soju and eximed. He stuffed shrimp crackers into his mouth and Jo Tae-woong looked at him with a strange expression. ¡°He drinks just like my dad.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s why I¡¯ve seen him somewhere. My uncle drinks like that.¡± Kim Joo-young looked at Ian with curiosity. Kim Joo-young, the group¡¯s eating genius, also drank well. ¡°It tastes bad¡­¡± Park Seo-dam, who followed Ian and took a shot, frowned. Lee Joo-hyukughed. He was weak in alcohol and had a fruit beer in his hand. ¡°Let¡¯s drink moderately and go to bed. We have to practice tomorrow too.¡± ¡°I want to rest more¡­ There are too many award ceremonies in our country.¡± ¡°But we also received a lot of awards.¡± Awi¡¯s trophies were proudly disyed in the agency¡¯s showcase. ¡°It was so funst year. We had hit songs¡­ We went on World Tour too.¡± Kim Hyun smiled faintly. ¡°It was good. I hope this year is likest year too.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Ian took a sip of alcohol and trailed off at Lee Joo-hyuk¡¯s words. This year, he had to write off the first half of the year because of the epidemic. Awi¡¯s album, which was scheduled to be released in March, would probably be postponed. ¡°I¡¯m scared whenever Ian makes that face.¡± ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Ian answered softly to Kim Hyun and Jo Tae-woong¡¯s questions. ¡°Just¡­ I don¡¯t want to expect anything this year.¡± ¡°Why are you like that? You were shouting for grand prizest year. Is there something wrong this year?¡± Ian mumbled. It was better to use someone else as a shield at times like this. ¡°No, Shin Hwi and Wang Yi-feng contacted me that an epidemic broke out in China.¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t tell me that will spread to Korea?¡± It will spread. And very strongly. Since he would find outter anyway, Ian didn¡¯t say anything else and chewed on potato chips. ¡®I should buy some masks soon.¡¯ Park Jin-hyuk, who was opening a snack bag, looked at the members with a serious expression. ¡°Speaking of grand prize¡­ Don¡¯t we have a chance to aim for it this year?¡± ¡°Hey, hyung. Grand prize is impossible.¡± Park Seodam threw popcorn at Park Jinhyuk. The other members also threw snacks at him, overreacting. Park Jinhyuk caught the snacks with his hand and put them in his mouth as he spoke. ¡°No, Mydia is going to the army this year, right? Then we have a chance too?¡± ¡°But there are a lot of other seniors too.¡± ¡°Ah, true. There¡¯s Miracle and Endless too.¡± Ian sighed deeply as he thought of Lee Minha when he heard Miracle. He had been sending him messages every day since the music awards. [Are you still in touch with Lee Minha?] ¡®Oh, was he impressed by me saving him that time?¡¯ [Maybe he can¡¯t stand not repaying you. He¡¯s a good connection to have anyway, so get some expensive food from him.] ¡®Should I¡­ But why are you so nicetely?¡¯ [I¡¯ve always been nice.] ¡®You?¡¯ Ian snorted as he was about to pour himself some alcohol. Jo Taewoong, who was sitting next to him, snatched the bottle from Ian¡¯s hand. ¡°Hey, no self-writing. Don¡¯t make Jinhyuk hyung unlucky.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Park Jinhyuk was sitting across from Ian. Park Seodam, who was picking up snacks, asked. ¡°They say that if you self-write, the person across from you will be unlucky for three years.¡± ¡°Huh? I heard that it means you¡¯ll be single for three years.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t affect us.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± If anyone of them got a girlfriend within the contract period, there would be six people who would watch them with fire in their eyes. ¡°It¡¯s just a superstition, there¡¯s no evidence.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Jo Taewoong once said, ¡®As long as you don¡¯t get caught, you can date.¡¯ He got res from the other members. He was beaten up instead for saying, ¡®You just don¡¯t have to make anything that can be caught.¡¯ Jo Taewoong shivered as he remembered that time. ¡°Seodam, are you not drunk? Are you not dizzy?¡± Park Seodam was drinking different kinds of alcohol and eating snacks. Before long, there were empty bottles next to Park Seodam. Lee Juhyuk felt sick and took the beer can from Park Seodam¡¯s hand. ¡°Stop drinking now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Park Seodam¡¯s face didn¡¯t turn red, nor did she stagger as she headed to the bathroom. Jo Taewoong stared at Park Seodam¡¯s back and muttered. ¡°She looks fine. Juhyuk hyung, how much did she drink?¡± ¡°She drank a lot. When did she drink so much?¡± ¡°And she¡¯s like that? Is it because she¡¯s young and her liver is healthy?¡± Jin, who was watching from afar, chuckled. It was funny that they were talking about liver health when they were only a few years apart. *** The short break of the new year was over, and Awi attended the awards ceremony. It was Gocheok Dome again. Awi won both the digital music award and the album award. ¡°The digital music award¡­ goes to Mydia!¡± Mydia, who had already won the album award, got up again and walked to the stage. The fans screamed. ¡®They must be used to winning awards by now.¡¯ Ian nkly watched Mydia go up to receive the award as if it was natural and familiar. Mydia swept the awards again and secured their position as the top idol group in Korea. And they would enlist together after this great achievement. ¡®Objectively speaking, it¡¯s a pity. Wouldn¡¯t it be better if the oldest one went first?¡¯ [There¡¯s no merit unless they¡¯re a group. Especially them.] ¡®Is that so.¡¯ [They make so much money from group tours. Even if they don¡¯t get along, they should enlist together and shorten their military service.] Ian snickered. It was ridiculous to worry about princes when he was poor. ¡®Well, it¡¯s good news for us anyway.¡¯ The awards ceremony ended with Mydia¡¯s stage. Ian took the digital music trophy and headed to the waiting room. ¡°By the way, I-One didn¡¯te?¡± ¡°They have a concert. Theirst concert. They must have been preparing for that.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± And I-One would go back to their respective agencies after theirst concert next week. The military service of a big idol group, and their disbandment. It was a good time to attract fans. ¡®If only it wasn¡¯t for Corona.¡¯ Ian clicked his tongue. -Did you see I-One¡¯sst concert production? Are they retiring? They can¡¯t even support their new beginnings, let alone watch the production. ©¸Typical of that broadcasting station ?? ©¸Look at Juwon being left alone at the end?????I¡¯m mentally broken???? ©¸They should have gone in together at the end???The production was so weird?? ©¸Look at them going in one by one ording to their fan power ranking. Crazy. ©¸But not only I-One, other sub-groups from N also had the same production???? *** Awi had to attend the award ceremony scheduled until February. But his schedule was more rxed thanst year¡¯s end. He finally got a holiday for the New Year. ¡°Are you going home this time?¡± ¡°Yeah, I have to.¡± The quarantine for iing travelers would start in a few months. He thought it was better to go now since he wouldn¡¯t be able to go for a while. He packed hand sanitizer, masks, and eventex gloves, not knowing where he might catch something. Kim Joo-young, who was watching Ian pack his luggage, said. ¡°Take some pictures of the cat. Do you need anything else?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ maybe?¡± ¡°Take the fan letters with you. There¡¯s no more room for them here.¡± As he was about to take the fan letters after hearing Kim Joo-young¡¯s words, a notification sound came from Ian¡¯s phone. Ian looked at his phone and then at Kim Joo-young. ¡°Wow. Hey, check out the bank app.¡± Kim Joo-young, who didn¡¯t have any notification settings on, turned on the bank app after hearing Ian¡¯s words. As soon as Kim Joo-young checked the amount, he got a text message. [BHL Entertainment Settlement] Tour settlement has been deposited. For more details¡­ ¡°Did you see it!¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Kim Hyun and Park Jin-hyuk burst open the door and shouted. Jo Tae-woong, who came out of the bathroom, jumped on the floor and pounced on Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s back. ¡°Hyung! Let¡¯s go for a long time!¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Kim Hyun shook his head at their disgusting sight. ¡°They¡¯re overflowing with love every time they get settled.¡± ¡°What should we do with this money?¡± Kim Joo-young counted the amount seriously. It was still a nine-digit number even after counting it again. ¡°Hyung, what should I ask the real estate agent?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ let¡¯s go with Dong-soo hyung and me first. Should we take grandma and our siblings?¡± ¡°Yes. I think it would be easier for our siblings to go to school here¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk tapped Park Seo-dam¡¯s back, who was worried. He had quite a lot of experience in living alone, so he was good at real estate contracts. Park Dong-soo, who opened the door and came in, chuckled at the members who were in high spirits. ¡°Guys, don¡¯t get too rxed just because you got settled. Save some money.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°If the bank or people around you ask you to sign up for products, just refuse first.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Just don¡¯t trust anyone.¡± Park Dong-soo warned Ian firmly as he took his luggage. Ian declined, but he insisted on taking Ian to the airport and came all the way to the dorm. ¡°Ian, have a good trip.¡± ¡°Rest well ande back. You know I won¡¯t like you if youe back empty-handed, right?¡± The members gathered at the front door to see Ian off. ¡°Have a good New Year everyone.¡± Ian waved his hand too. Park Dong-soo, who was about to close the front door, said to the members. ¡°Oh, by the way, you guys have to clean up all your stuff here after youe back from vacation. Take as much as you can to your home if you have anything to take.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°We¡¯re moving out of the dorm.¡± ¡°What? Really?!¡± Awi had been living in a small house with two rooms, a living room, and one bathroom with seven people since he was a trainee. The room that was full when they put in bunk beds had no ce to put clothes, so they had to install a hanger in the living room. ¡°Where?¡± ¡°Not Seoul¡­ but there are many rooms and three bathrooms¡­¡± ¡°Wow!¡± ¡°Finally!¡± The members knelt down. Park Dong-sooughed at their more intense reaction than when they got settled. Chapter 107: Chapter 107: What? Am I dating? ¡°Why did you buy so many masks?¡± ¡°Mom, I might need them someday.¡± ¡°You can buy masks here too¡­¡± Nahyunju sighed as she saw the masks that Ian brought in bulk. She thought he must have had a reason, so she put the masks in the warehouse and hugged Ian lightly. ¡°It¡¯s good that you got a vacation. Wee back.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I cane back for a while¡­ Ouch!¡± Jessie Choi, the daughter of his grandfather who used him as a shield against the know-it-all cousins, pped Ian¡¯s back. ¡°Sis, when did youe?¡± ¡°Just now. Wow, our family has idols too. You¡¯re very popr, right?¡± ¡°Here?¡± Was he famous enough for ordinary Americans to recognize him? Ian looked at his cousin with a puzzled face. ¡°The K-pop fans love MyDIA and you guys the most.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Why did youe when I was busy? When are you going to tour again? Give me some tickets too.¡± ¡°Look who¡¯s talking.¡± Ian got hit on his back again. He ate rice cake soup and met his friends at the gathering of his rtives. His five-day sweet vacation flew by and he boarded the ne to Korea. *** ¡°¡­Didn¡¯t we say we¡¯re moving?¡± The first thing Ian saw when he arrived at the dorm was the piles of holiday food in front of the fridge. He casually put his carry-on bag in the living room and headed to the kitchen. ¡°Are you here?¡± Jotaewoong was sitting at the table and calmly eating a rice cake. ¡°We said we¡¯re moving, but everyone gave us so much food. They said to eat with the members.¡± ¡°Adults are like that.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s winter now, so it won¡¯t be bad to take them with us when we move, right?¡± ¡°It might be okay if we freeze them¡­¡± Ian sat next to Jotaewoong and picked up a rice cake. It was cold because it wasn¡¯t heated, but it was still delicious because it was homemade. ¡°Did you rest well?¡± ¡°Yeah, you too?¡± ¡°Wow, no kidding. They even brought albums and asked me to sign them. I would have taken them if they told me. Grandma was making a fuss that we have a superstar in our family. She even took pictures with my cousins. It was like a fan meeting.¡± He groaned but his face was full of pride as he spoke. Jotaewoong rummaged through the fridge and put some food in it. ¡°What did you do there?¡± ¡°The same thing, ate rice cake soup, met friends¡­ Oh yeah. The K-pop fans there like us a lot too.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°There were some people who recognized me on the street.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ We¡¯ve grown a lot, a lot.¡± Jotaewoongughed like an idiot. Ian looked around the dorm that had no signs of poprity and asked. ¡°Where are the others?¡± ¡°They haven¡¯te yet. I¡¯m the first one.¡± ¡°So all this food¡­ You brought it?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± One person brought this much holiday food? Ian felt uneasy at that moment. Kim Juyeong came in through the door lock and shouted. ¡°Who¡¯s home? Help me! I have too much luggage!¡± Ian unconsciously touched his forehead. *** Awi prepared to move out of the dorm. Unfortunately, they were moving away from thepany, but they were moving to a spacious ce with five rooms and three bathrooms. ¡°Take good care of your fans¡¯ gifts. If you ever lose their letters¡­¡± Park Jinhyuk made a throat-slitting gesture. ¡°I already took them home.¡± ¡°But even if we don¡¯t lose them, someone will bash us. They might make fake letters and bash us with them.¡± He said that but he put the fans¡¯ gifts in the deepest part of the box. Kim Hyun wrapped the coge frame in the living room with bubble wrap carefully. [Wow, they know everything. They really need to get off the inte.] ¡®Is itmon to make fake letters?¡¯ [It¡¯smon if they want to ruin our poprity. There are weird people everywhere. But not many people believe them. Their goal is to stir up the fandom.] ¡®They have nothing better to do.¡¯ The members started packing their stuff early in the morning and stacked boxes in front of the door. Park Dongsu came to work early and helped them pack. ¡°Guys, are you almost done?¡± ¡°Yes. I put the important stuff over there.¡± ¡°Good. Since we¡¯re at the moving center, go practice at thepany.¡± They hired apany that specialized in moving celebrities. The dorm that Awi used to live in would be the trainees¡¯ dorm, so there was no furniture to move. ¡°How many award ceremonies are we going to in February?¡± ¡°Three.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no end to it, no end.¡± But since they could do the same stages they did on music shows, they didn¡¯t need any extra preparation. Juhyuk and Jinhuk went to theposing room, and the rest of the members decided to practice the cover song that would go up on Awi¡¯s official YouTube channel. ¡°Where¡¯s our dorm again?¡± ¡°Gimpo, they said it¡¯s spacious.¡± ¡°Honestly, seven people in two rooms and one bathroom was too much.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d we don¡¯t have to fight for the bathroom anymore.¡± Especially, having a battle for the bathroom every morning was quite stressful. When they went down to the basement, it was lunchtime and the trainees who came out of the next practice room greeted Awi. ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°Oh, hi. Did you have a good holiday?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Nouel hid among the trainees when she saw Awi, but she couldn¡¯t avoid Jo Taeung¡¯s eyes. ¡°Nouel, hi!¡± ¡°Ah¡­ hello.¡± Nouel tried to leave, but Jo Taeung blocked her with his arm around her shoulder. Ian put his hand on her opposite shoulder. ¡°How¡¯s your leg?¡± ¡°You took off the cast, you must be healed.¡± Nouel¡¯s pupils trembled without mercy as both her shoulders were held. ¡°I was really grateful back then.¡± ¡°Next time, I¡¯ll give you banana milk in person. I enjoyed it.¡± ¡°How¡­ how did you¡­¡± Nouel¡¯s expression turned sour. Should I stop teasing her? Ian pushed Nouel¡¯s back. ¡°Guys, have a good lunch.¡± The trainees headed for the stairs. Kim Hyun scolded Ian and Jo Taeung. ¡°Hey, stop it. People will think you¡¯re ripping her off.¡± ¡°We¡¯re just trying to take care of her¡­ Her reaction is fun.¡± Jo Taeung and Ian smiled yfully. Ian was curious because his fan was a trainee from the samepany, so he talked to her more. After the world tour, their breathing was so well matched that they could quickly finish recording the dance cover video for YouTube. The members who finished uploading checked the explosivements that came up. Juhyuk, who was in theposing room, opened the door of the practice room and said. ¡°Guys, Myungjin hyung ising up soon. He must have finished moving.¡± ¡°New dorm!¡± The members who were lying down in the practice room got up with a jolt. As they excitedly yed train and went up to the first floor, the trainees who came out for a break passed them casually. At first they thought ¡®Thispany is weird.¡¯ but now they had already figured out the atmosphere of thepany. *** ¡°We¡¯re almost there.¡± ¡°Over there?¡± ¡°Yeah, over there. See?¡± The members looked around closely as they leaned their faces to the window at Kim Myungjin¡¯s words. ¡°There¡¯s a shopping mall first.¡± ¡°We passed a big mart earlier.¡± ¡°Nice.¡± Juhyuk and Jinhuk¡¯s eyes sharpened as they checked the area near the dorm. Ian pointed to the other side. ¡°There, a convenience store.¡± ¡°Oh nice nice. If there¡¯s a convenience store, it¡¯s game over.¡± The van smoothly headed for the underground parking lot. The members who got out of the van sniffed the smell. ¡°It¡¯s new. I¡¯ll give you 10 points right away.¡± ¡°The smell of a new house is very fragrant.¡± ¡°I wanted to catch new house syndrome anyway.¡± Kim Myungjin smiled as he watched the members¡¯ ttery from behind. ¡°Guys, this is it. Here on the 15th floor.¡± ¡°15th floor? Wow, it¡¯s high-rise.¡± ¡°The security system is well done too, so there won¡¯t be much trouble.¡± ¡°I really like it, hyung.¡± The members followed Kim Myungjin into the elevator and stared intently at the rising floor numbers with excited faces. ¡°Wow!¡± ¡°It¡¯s spacious?¡± The members entered the living room of their new amodation. Their luggage was piled up in the living room. Park Dong-soo, who was checking thest bag, blinked his tired eyes. ¡°Guys, you can choose your own rooms. I¡¯ll pick you up tomorrow.¡± ¡°Thank you, Dong-soo hyung!¡± The managers left, and the members excitedly explored the house. The furniture was already furnished. There was a kitchen and a living room, a bathroom in the living room, three single rooms and tworge rooms with attached bathrooms. ¡°Let¡¯s decide on the rooms first. How do we do that?¡± ¡°Well, Ju-hyuk hyung should have a single room.¡± ¡°That¡¯s obvious.¡± Therge rooms had two beds on each wall. The members sat at the dining table in the living room. ¡°Guys, I¡¯m fine with arge room.¡± ¡°No, hyung, you should have a single room. You can¡¯t overwork yourself.¡± ¡°What does that have to do with having a single room?¡± Kim Ju-young pulled his head back and made a double chin with a scowl. ¡°Hyung. Honestly, I can¡¯t share a room with you. Your snoring is scary.¡± At his words, Kim Hyun raised his hand. ¡°I¡¯ve heard Ju-hyuk hyung¡¯s snoring before. It was honestly kind of scary.¡± ¡°Really? Sorry¡­ Then I¡¯ll have a single room.¡± ¡°Then one single room goes to Ju-hyuk hyung.¡± Lee Ju-hyuk, who secretly wanted a single room, quickly got up and took his luggage to his room. Park Jin-hyuk looked at the remaining members. ¡°Who wants a single room?¡± Everyone raised their hands. ¡°Then let¡¯s do rock-paper-scissors and the two winners get the remaining single rooms and the rest divide therge rooms among themselves?¡± ¡°Deal.¡± The members bravely stretched out their hands at Kim Hyun¡¯s words. The members exchanged nces and swallowed their saliva. ¡°No single room if you don¡¯t y rock-paper-scissors!¡± Kim Hyun opened his mouth and Ian put out scissors. The rest of the members put out paper. Ian jumped up. ¡°I¡¯m done.¡± ¡°Come on¡­ best of three.¡± ¡°Nope, no such thing~¡± Ian shook off Jo Tae-woong¡¯s hand grabbing his sleeve and moved his luggage with glee. The remaining members yed rock-paper-scissors again with serious expressions. After Ian, the winner was Park Seo-dam. ¡°Yes! Good luck, hyungs.¡± Park Seo-dam also got up from his seat and went to sort out his luggage. Ian and Park Seo-dam high-fived each other as they moved their luggage. ¡°Ju-young, you know our friendship, right? I¡¯m better than those hyungs since we¡¯re the same age, right?¡± ¡°Hey, you and hyung are a dance duo. We need to share a room to have synergy, you know what I mean.¡± ¡°Hyung, did you get more tactful? And honestly, you know I¡¯m cleaner than them.¡± The one who wanted to be taken to therge room was Kim Ju-young, the group¡¯s cleaning king. Kim Ju-young arrogantly crossed his arms and scanned the roommate candidates. *** The exciting day at the new amodation passed, and morning came. Ian woke up from his sleep by the loud ringing of his phone. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Ian groaned. He was not in a good mood because his long-awaited sleep was interrupted. He frowned and grabbed his phone as soon as he picked it up. Missed calls 14 ¡°What?¡± The caller was all Park Dong-soo. Ian stretched and went out of his room. The members who had received Park Dong-soo¡¯s call wereing out one by one to the living room. ¡°Did you guys get a call from Dong-soo hyung too?¡± ¡°Yes. What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°But why are there so many messages?¡± The members who checked their messages went to the main page of the portal site. ¡®What?¡¯ Ian also received messages from other people. The message content was a question mark with an article link attached. As soon as Ian clicked on the link of the article, he opened his mouth wide at the absurd content. ¡°Hey, what is this?¡± ¡°Ian, what is this article?¡± The six members stared at Ian¡¯s face. Ian blinked his eyes wide open and answered incoherently. ¡°¡­What? I¡¯m dating?¡± When did I get a girlfriend? Chapter 108: Chapter 108: Chapter 108 There will be a lot of talk from now on. Luna Girls¡¯ Juyeon-Awi Ian dating rumor¡­ Top idol official couple born? JW-BHL side, ¡°Awi Ian-Luna Girls¡¯ Juyeon dating? Checking¡± ¡°What the hell is this?¡± The portal site was filled with articles about him. Even the real-time search terms were flooded with them. Ian frowned at the bolt from the blue that happened while he was sleeping. ¡°Are you really not?¡± Lee Juhyuk looked at Ian with doubtful eyes. Even when he was a trainee, idol groups that he knew from a few bridges asked for Ian¡¯s contact number. ¡°When do I have time to date? We always went out together wherever we went.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Not only that, but in the industry, Awi, Choi Ian was rumored to be handsome, polite and kind, and other celebrities picked him as the celebrity they wanted to date. ¡°Then why did the articlee out?¡± ¡°What do you mean, we got popr, so they must have written it after picking up some rumors.¡± Cho Taewoong answered Park Jinhyuk¡¯s question indifferently. ¡°And if Ian was hyung, I think it would have been obvious.¡± ¡°Whoever here dates, wouldn¡¯t it be caught? Cho Taewoong is not ordinary in his sense.¡± ¡°Then, how keen is my intuition?¡± There are signals that appear when you date. Checking your phone often, not showing your phone to others, suddenlyughing and so on. ¡°Well¡­¡± The members recalled their memories, and Ian didn¡¯t do any of them. Park Dongsu, who opened the door of the dormitory and came in, grabbed Ian¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Is it not?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s fine.¡± Park Dongsu sighed with relief at Ian¡¯s words and made a phone call somewhere. It must have been thepany¡¯s press team. Ian stared nkly at Jin in the air. [What.] ¡®What do you mean? Find out what¡¯s going on.¡¯ [AC¡­] Jin disappeared into the air with annoyance. ¡°Anyway, there will be a rebuttal articleing up. What a sudden thunderbolt¡­¡± ¡°I guess we¡¯ve gotten that popr.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be noisy for a while¡­ Guys, get ready to go to thepany.¡± The members who washed up and put on their clothes pressed their hats down and stopped by Ian¡¯s room. They each took one of the disposable masks piled up on one side of the wall. ¡°Ian has a lot of masks in his room.¡± ¡°They said there was another confirmed case?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why MyKit kids areing to Korea soon.¡± Atst, Lee Juhyuk¡¯s words made the members stop in their tracks. ¡°Come to think of it¡­ Didn¡¯t Ian say something to them in Japan?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ I feel a bit creepy.¡± ¡°Is there really a shaman among your ancestors?¡± Ian, who came into the room after washing up, looked at the members who were huddled together with curious eyes. ¡°What?¡± ¡°¡­Nothing.¡± *** On the way to thepany in a van, Jin came back. [I found out.] ¡®What happened?¡¯ [Well¡­] The story was like this. After Ian gave Luna Girls¡¯ Kim Juyeon a nket and a hot pack at Imjingak, she became interested in Ian. And she wanted to contact Ian personally through Lee Seohyun, the lead actor of ¡®Dangso Deut¡¯, who was close to her. ¡®Did that rumor spread¡­¡¯ Lee Seohyun tried to ask for Ian¡¯s contact number during ¡®Dangso Deut¡¯ shooting, but Ian avoided him well using Jin, so Lee Seohyun couldn¡¯t match them. [Then she went around asking other celebrities for your phone number. I think she asked Jo Minhwan too?] ¡®He¡¯s not the type to tell me.¡¯ Lee Seohyun and Kim Juyeon were best friends. Lee Seohyun tried to grant his best friend¡¯s request and tried to make contact with Ian for a few months after ¡®Dangso Deut¡¯. [Because of that, there was also some talk that you and Lee Seohyun were dating¡­] ¡®Oh my¡­¡¯ Ian pressed his temples hard. [Anyway, someone smelled the news that Lee Seohyun was trying to match you and Kim Juyeon.] This year, FactFix didn¡¯t announce any dating rumors. So the reporters looked for other stimting topics, and one reporter heard the rumor that ¡®Lee Seohyun tried to match Kim Juyeon and Choi Ian!¡¯ and posted an article hastily. -But why no pictures? Usually picturese out first, right? -Just wait until the official statementes out. -But is this site reliable? Isn¡¯t this a pseudo-media? -It doesn¡¯t look like a dating rumor. If it was Luna Girls or Awi level, FactPix would have exploded first. Of course, theizens who had experienced various inte incidents did not easily believe it. But as expected, the aggro and the haters were different. -Crazy??????The gossip was right???? -It must be Raxeta. Honestly, Awi has no other hit songs besides Side Effects, right? The mostmon repertoire when a dating rumor breaks out is to bash the career. Ian had a lot of praise for his main job, so there were few aggro like this. But that was not all. -Honestly, I didn¡¯t like him because Byunghun only pushed him. -In the selfie on the fan cafe, isn¡¯t that pink doll the same one that Kim Juyeon has? The malicious individual fans who said ¡®I didn¡¯t like him¡¯ at this moment. They searched for evidence of deception such as Love Star and foundmon items that they received from fans and made a fuss about them being couple items. Surprisingly, these people were either people they were interested in or fans. -The bluebird ount exploded right now. I¡¯m so pissed off. -Ah, I¡¯m going crazy. I skipped breakfast and lunch and cried while bleeding my nose??? The really vicious people were those who had a basic profile picture on SNS and had a hard-to-read and obscure ID. -Joongan was different from his debut. He couldn¡¯t even remember the fan names. He must have had a girlfriend. -I know someone who works at the agency. He said he didn¡¯t evene out of the practice room properly??? He didn¡¯t practice properly because he had a girlfriend. -I knew it was suspicious??? I know someone who works at the broadcasting station. I heard a lot of things??? These people didn¡¯t care whether the person was dating or not. It was important to make the person who used it as an excuse a problematic person as usual, and to bash the dating rumor partner and incite fandom fights. -Honestly, I don¡¯t know why Joongan does character business. His character was busted. -He¡¯s only nice to the staffs??But he¡¯s rude to the fans?? These ounts that suddenly exploded, they made up facts that looked usible in words, even if they weren¡¯t true, and then blew up their ounts and ran away when they saw awsuit, aka ount explosion escape. There are always many people who bash celebrities. But at this moment, they just added more firewood and burned it. The agency posted a rebuttal article within an hour of the dating rumor breaking out. JW Entertainment, Luna Girls Juyeon¡¯s dating rumor is ¡°not true¡± Awi Ian¡¯s side, ¡°Dating rumor is groundless¡­ Legal action against false facts¡± -Hey, the official statement came out. They said it¡¯s not true. ©¸Then why don¡¯t they say it¡¯s true????? ©¸But Luna Girls¡¯ agency usually admits it if they date. ©¸No smoke without fire?????They must be dating for real??? -No ?? It¡¯s not the agency or the person who said it. ©¸Ignore them. They will believe it¡¯s true even if they say it¡¯s not. ©¸They already imagined them getting married and sending their kids to English kindergarten in their heads. -Hey, the site-in article is deleted. What the hell??? Is there anyone who exposed the reporter? ©¸I have it ?? ©¸I¡¯m calling to protest right now. ©¸Can we catch the ount that exploded? I want to cry. Of course, the ones who suffered the most in this situation were the fans. The people who bashed them deleted their posts in real time after seeing the agency¡¯s legal action article, and the fans were busy collecting evidence. They couldn¡¯t confirm whether Ian¡¯s luck worked here or if there was something else, but an unexpected exnation article came up. [FactPix] Awi Ian¡¯s dating rumor? FactPix followed his traces for months (Photo) The scene of him leaving the dorm with his group member, Juyeong. Despite being called a rising idol, he only goes back and forth between the dorm and the convenience store. (Photo) The ce is Apgujeong P BBQ restaurant. His expression is not good as he waits for someone. Finally? The reporter lifted his camera. The person sitting across from him was actor Jo Min-hwan. ¡­He followed him for months, but he couldn¡¯t find any evidence of a romance. He asked the person who got the evidence to report it. This article spread rapidly, and he became the celebrity that FactFix gave up on. ¡®Is this noise marketing?¡¯ [You got a great shot. What lens did you use?] Jin was more interested in other things. Ian showed FactFix¡¯s article to Kim Juyeong. ¡°Hey Juyeong, you¡¯re in here too. Look at the angle, anyone would think we¡¯re dating.¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s creepy. Did you know someone was taking pictures?¡± ¡°Of course not. The quality looks like they zoomed in a lot.¡± Kim Juyeong, who was looking at Ian¡¯s phone screen, suddenly turned pale. ¡°But don¡¯t say we¡¯re dating, that¡¯s horrible.¡± ¡°Sorry, I was just joking and got goosebumps.¡± Park Jinhyuk and Kim Hyundo looked at FactFix¡¯s article with grim expressions. ¡°Wow, do we have to be careful too?¡± ¡°I thought only fans were in front of the dorm, I didn¡¯t know reporters were like this.¡± ¡°We¡¯re at the level that FactFix follows us¡­¡± They were surprised at first, but the members who knew Ian well felt a new emotion at the fact that their level was this high. Lee Juhyuk looked at Ian with worried eyes, but only the leader cared for him. ¡°How are you? There will be a lot of rumors from now on.¡± ¡°People always make rumors when you get popr. This is just one of them.¡± Ian, who was in his second round of the entertainment industry, shrugged it off. He was worried about the fans who would suffer from the useless rumors. But this was not a problem that Ian could solve. ¡®You knew the reporter was following you, right?¡¯ [I knew.] ¡®Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡¯ [You didn¡¯t ask.] Ian sighed. Yeah, it was my fault for not asking earlier. ¡®¡­Tell me from now on.¡¯ [FactFix posted an apology article.] ¡®Still, it¡¯s the same that they followed you unpleasantly.¡¯ [Look.] Jin disappeared like smoke after saying that. Ian stared at where Jin had gone. Jin¡¯s reaction had been lukewarm since he told him to find out what was going on. Was he really from FactFix? At that moment, the door of the conference room opened. ¡°There¡¯s been all kinds of happenings since the beginning of the year¡­¡± ¡°Hello, Director!¡± ¡°Sit down, sit down.¡± Seo Suryeon, the director who entered the conference room, looked at Ian¡¯s face and sat down at the head seat. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much about the weird article. If you need mental care, let me know anytime.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Well, if he says he¡¯s fine¡­ Seo Suryeon quickly moved on to another topic. ¡°We have to prepare for the album soon, are you making good songs?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lee Juhyuk nodded his head with a confident face. Not only Lee Juhyuk, but none of the other members had dark expressions on their faces. ¡°Don¡¯t feel too pressured and tell me anytime.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Seo Suryeon sighed with relief after checking the faces of the members who had been worried about the strange rumors and flyers until they came to work. ¡°Now, why did I call you to the conference room¡­ There¡¯s news of a new contract.¡± Seo Suryeon pped her hands and changed the atmosphere. ¡°From this year on, we¡¯ll have contracts not only with Japan but also with America.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°We got contacted by all three major agencies in America.¡± ¡°Wow! Then we¡¯ll do activities in America too?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have to consult with them¡­ But maybe we can go on some shows?¡± ¡°That¡¯s awesome!¡± The members jumped up from their seats and cheered. Seo Suryeon blocked her ears as she expected the noise, and Ian smiled awkwardly without being fully happy. ¡®If only it wasn¡¯t for Corona¡­¡¯ Chapter 109: Chapter 109: Chapter 109 What is this, a prison visit? At the end of January, after a coronavirus outbreak, music shows were reced by recordings without audiences. ¡°Thankfully, they didn¡¯t cancel the shows.¡± A staff member sighed in relief. Due to the impact of the coronavirus, Awi¡¯s encore concert had been cancelled long ago, and other idol groups were also postponing their nned album releases. ¡°Let¡¯s just stick to our n. It doesn¡¯t seem like the pandemic will go away easily if we dy.¡± Seo Su-hyun clicked her tongue. The broadcasting industry was in chaos from February, after January. Drama shootings were difficult because of theck of locations, and some scheduled dramas were also dyed for a few weeks. ¡°What should we do¡­¡± Seo Su-ryeon tapped her desk with a pen. They couldn¡¯t hold concerts for a while because of the coronavirus, and it was better to avoid outdoor activities even if they wanted to film their own content. ¡°By the way, Ian gave me a mask.¡± ¡°That hard-to-get mask? Where did he get it?¡± ¡°Do you know Cheon Sin-hwi? He heard that there was an outbreakst year and bought them in advance. Amazing, right?¡± ¡°¡­He always knew how to read the trends.¡± No wonder he was nicknamed a shaman among the members. Seo Su-ryeon hummed¡­ and got up abruptly. There was no point in racking her brain like this. She decided to ask the members for their opinions. *** ¡°Your opinions?¡± ¡°Yeah, anything is fine. Just tell me if you have any ideas for what we should do in the future.¡± The members who were practicing their choreography for a while sat down in a circle on the floor. ¡°I wanted to try an escape room. What if we book a ce and do it ourselves?¡± ¡°A one-day cafe¡­ That won¡¯t work.¡± ¡°What about filming a reality show where we observe ourselves?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t that ovep with what we did with JBTC?¡± ¡°Our fans would like it even if it oveps.¡± The staff member next to Seo Su-ryeon wrote down the members¡¯ opinions on his phone. Jo Tae-woong, who was sitting next to Ian, eximed. ¡°How about this? We¡¯re going to be active anyway, right? We¡¯re going to release an album, and then we have to do a fan signing.¡± ¡°But we can¡¯t do a fan signing, can we?¡± Jo Tae-woong put his index finger on his lips. ¡°Just listen to me first. We let one fan in at a time at a designated ce, and we put up a transparent wall in front of us so that we can¡¯t touch them. We make a hole to hand over the album and sign it.¡± That¡¯s an ingenious idea. Ianughed. ¡°What is this, a prison visit?¡± ¡°Huh? It¡¯s like a real visit.¡± The other members burst intoughter and fell back at Ian¡¯s words. Only Jo Tae-woong was serious about his proposal. ¡°But the fanse to see our faces, right? Isn¡¯t there no other way than this? They have to get signed albums too¡­¡± ¡°I get that, but what if our fans get infected on their way to the prison fan signing? There are people who don¡¯t even go outside at all.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­?¡± Lee Ju-hyuk shook his head. Jo Tae-woong pouted his lips andy down on the floor. ¡°What about a video call fan signing?¡± Ian quickly suggested a solution. Seo Su-ryeon and the staff member looked up at Ian. ¡°A video call?¡± ¡°Yeah, short for video call fan signing. We draw or whatever fans and we make a video call from our side. We get all their personal information when they apply for the fan signing anyway, right?¡± ¡°Oh, that sounds good.¡± Actually, Ian just brought up something that would happen in the future. When the coronavirus situation continued, a small agency tried a video call fan signing for the first time. At first, people said why are they doing this, they are blinded by money. The opinions were divided, but eventually other idols also followed their method. ¡°We can send them signed albums by mail. Even if they can¡¯t see us in person, they can record videos separately. They can keep them for themselves too.¡± Since they would leave it on video, they would have to be more careful about their words and actions than usual, but if the fans voluntarily shared the videos, it could also be a content. ¡°¡­Sounds good?¡± ¡°It would be fun to prepare our own fan signing system.¡± The video call fan signing became a trend and continued even after the coronavirus was over. ¡®Sounds good? Isn¡¯t it good for me too?¡¯ ¡®It seems okay.¡¯ Seo Su-ryeon exchanged nces with the staff member next to her. Seo Su-ryeon¡¯s head was spinning non-stop. Sending mail these days was not a big deal. Since they were making calls, they could set the time longer than a normal fan signing. They could draw about 30 fans. What about holding a separate fan signing for overseas fans? Seo Su-ryeon¡¯s expression brightened noticeably. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll have to discuss this with our staff. Thanks for the good opinions, guys.¡± Seo Su-ryeon and the staff member got up quickly. ¡°The situation is what it is, so it might be a bit¡­ rxed, but we won¡¯t make you rest, so don¡¯t worry and practice well.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± As they watched the girls leave the practice room with light steps, the members of Awi shrugged their shoulders. ¡°Let¡¯s just practice.¡± *** Even though the situation was not good, the album work did not stop. After hitting sess with ¡®Side Effect¡¯ and ¡®We are We are¡¯ in a row, Lee Ju-hyuk seemed to have confidence in his skills now. He could make a song in a short time without spending much time on the work. ¡°Here are the lyrics¡­ First, let¡¯s try to sing it one by one and divide the parts ording to who can pronounce and express each line well. Is that okay?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Oh, my lyrics are in here.¡± The members who only went back and forth between thepany and the dorm were bored and looked for something else to do. It was writing lyrics. Before heading to the dorm after finishing their practice, the members diligently received the guide recording that Lee Ju-hyuk hummed. They were absorbed in writing lyrics until they went to sleep. Lee Ju-hyuk, who became a hit song maker in the idol industry, now had many people who trusted and listened to his music. He earned the nickname ¡®trust-listen¡¯. At this point, somepany executives or staff would try to join in writing lyrics, but BHL Entertainment was actively supporting the members¡¯ writing. ¡°Don¡¯t you think we¡¯re going more and more towards self-production?¡± ¡°It¡¯s good to have royalties.¡± ¡°Do you think we¡¯ll end up making a music video too?¡± ¡°We could. Weren¡¯t there some idols who made their own music videos?¡± It was a very healthy hobbypared to getting photographed outside in this situation. ¡°By the way, we¡¯re doing that thing with our own styling. The stylist noona is waiting for us.¡± ¡°Crazy. Are we going to sew and stuff?¡± ¡°She¡¯ll be furious if we mess it up¡­¡± ¡°Maybe we¡¯ll be servants instead of sewing?¡± Thepany was preparing various self-made contents to prevent stagnation due to COVID-19. Tonight, they also had a live broadcast on Y app making dalgona coffee. ¡°Stop chatting. Let¡¯s start with Seo-dam.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Park Seo-dam cleared her throat and started singing. Lee Ju-hyuk and Park Jin-hyuk looked at the lyrics sheet with serious faces. ¡°This part sounds good. Let¡¯s mark here and here¡­¡± ¡°What about here?¡± After Park Seo-dam, the other members sang one by one. They divided the parts ording to their own feelings. Some members got more or less parts than others. ¡°Ju-hyuk hyung, don¡¯t you think the parts are too uneven?¡± ¡°Hmm, yeah. Should we divide them again?¡± Lee Ju-hyuk and Park Jin-hyuk looked at the members with nervous eyes. The part distribution issue could be a sensitive one depending on who epted it. Jo Tae-woong shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Why do you have to divide them again? It¡¯s up to the producer.¡± ¡°Yeah. You don¡¯t have to worry about us, hyungs.¡± Lee Ju-hyuk sighed with relief. Apart from making good songs, he didn¡¯t have much time until the deadline to hand over the songs. ¡°Then shall we proceed like this? Let¡¯s record it right away.¡± *** ¡°So! Today! We have to follow the trend too. We¡¯re going to make dalgona coffee.¡± With Park Seo-dam¡¯s opening, the members poured instant coffee into bowls. ¡°How do we measure the water?¡± ¡°Did I put too much sugar?¡± They ripped open instant coffee packets without thinking. When they came to their senses, they saw that the coffee in therge stainless steel bowl was a bucketful. ¡°Did we make too much?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll take all day to whip this up.¡± Lee Ju-hyuk looked around as he started stirring. ¡°But why is this the only tool we have?¡± ¡°Is this all we have for a whisk? Don¡¯t you have an electric one? The one you use when you make meringue.¡± The video production team shook their heads. The original purpose of Y app¡¯s dalgona coffee was to watch their favorite idol stir tirelessly for an endless time, feeling frustrated and painful that it was not finished yet. ¡°Wow, I can¡¯t do this. My arm hurts. Next.¡± ¡°Ah hyung, why are you giving up so fast?¡± ¡°Hey, it¡¯s really hard. You try it.¡± Lee Ju-hyuk gave up after stirring for a while and passed the bowl to Kim Joo-young. Kim Joo-young said confidently. ¡°This is nothing. You don¡¯t have to work so hard. Just whip it lightly with your wrist snap.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± -?????????cute -As expected of Awi¡¯s cook????? The pro mukbang-er was different. Even if he ate food at the dorm, he wanted to eat it deliciously. He was also good at cooking, and his expression was rxed as he whipped the coffee like meringue. ¡°Is it done?¡± Of course, it didn¡¯tst long. Kim Joo-young lifted the whisk with a tired face after stirring for a long time. ¡°Isn¡¯t it thick enough yet?¡± ¡°It should be heavier than this, right?¡± ¡°Come on, stir it quickly.¡± ¡°Are your hands getting slow?¡± Ian and Jo Tae-woong lifted Kim Joo-young up from both sides. Kim Joo-young made a sad face and moved his hand slowly. -Poor Joo-young LOL -He¡¯s getting bullied hard LOL The chat window was filled withughter. Kim Joo-young finally gave up and put the bowl on the table. ¡°Ah! I quit!¡± ¡°He ran away, huh?¡± Jo Tae-woong pushed the remaining bowl to Ian. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say it only takes a few hundred times? Joo-hyuk and Joo-young already did a thousand times, didn¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Look at the amount. Do you think this will end in a few hundred times?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ who spilled the coffee?¡± Ian rolled up his sleeves and grabbed the whisk. There were seven people, so it should be over soon. He started to stir gently, following Kim Joo-young¡¯s movements. ¡°Does the coffee taste better after this hard work?¡± As he kept stirring, he felt his arm muscles tense up. Ian frowned. ¡°Why do we have to do this to drink coffee?¡± -Look at Ian¡¯s arms TT -Ian, you¡¯re so handsome -His veins are popping out, I want to poke them with a needle TT ¡°Does it have a special taste if we stir it like this?¡± He felt like he became a killer with a question mark because of the hardship. After stirring for a long time, Ian shoved the bowl into Jo Tae-woong¡¯s arms and copsed on the floor. ¡°Wow, I can¡¯t do it!¡± ¡°Look, it¡¯s still thin after all that stirring.¡± Jo Tae-woong, who received the bowl by surprise, grabbed the whisk, and the rest of the members ate snacks. ¡°¡­This feels like a punishment.¡± ¡°You too? Me too.¡± ¡°Why is this popr?¡± The production staff answered the members¡¯ questions with a smile. ¡°Because of COVID-19, people work from home and spend more time at home. People are looking for things to do at home.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t we just need to rest at home?¡± Jo Tae-woong, who gave up quickly, passed the bowl to Park Jin-hyuk. He staggered and sat down on the floor. ¡°COVID-19 ruined Korea.¡± Chapter 110: Chapter 110: I¡¯m a licensed teacher now.?? Thanks to gxytl, trantormunity and readers for your support.?? You helped me pass my exam with confidence. As a token of gratitude, I¡¯ll give 5 chapters each for my novels today. Enjoy??! Chapter 110 He¡¯s not like that. Due to the coronavirus, Awi had no other schedules besides theireback preparations. So they had some personal time, and Kim Hyun went out of the dorm to meet his old trainee friends. (Where are you?) ¡°I¡¯m right in front. I¡¯ll be there soon.¡± Kim Hyun hung up the phone and headed to the corner booth of the restaurant. There were already two people sitting there, who were Kim Hyun¡¯s close friends from YANG Entertainment. Kim Hyun sat down and looked around the restaurant. ¡°Where did you find this ce? It¡¯s nice and quiet.¡± ¡°The agency told me. We can¡¯t go to crowded ces and get branded as the first idol to catch the coronavirus.¡± ¡°That would be a disaster.¡± I shoulde here with the memberster. Kim Hyun thought as he opened the menu. ¡°How have you been?¡± ¡°We¡¯re all the same, aren¡¯t we? Doing music shows, going on tours¡­ But howe we never ovep with you guys?¡± ¡°I know, we had a lot ofebacks too.¡± The two, Han Jae-young and Go Jun-hoo, had refused the survival program and left YANG Entertainment unlike Kim Hyun. They joined the same agency and debuted as a group. And they debuted three years earlier than Awi. ¡°Awi is doing really well, huh?¡± ¡°Yeah. But I thought you would do well, Hyun.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± The food they ordered came out, and they clinked their sses. Kim Hyun took a sip of beer and asked. ¡°You guys have been five years now?¡± ¡°Sixth year.¡± ¡°Then isn¡¯t it time for contract renewal talks?¡± It was a sensitive issue, but they had known each other for so long that they could ask without hesitation. Han Jae-young and Go Jun-hoo smiled bitterly. ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll all renew.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ll move to another agency too.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Their group, Serenity, had not been very sessful, but they had maintained their fandom well and had a smooth career. ¡°We have to do solo activities too. Our poprity will be halved, but still.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have anyints about being in a group?¡± ¡°Comints? Not really¡­ Do I have to?¡± ¡°You have someone in your group who¡¯s overwhelmingly popr, right?¡± ¡°Oh, Ian.¡± Kim Hyun felt a sour feeling, but he tried to ignore it. ¡°Yeah, Choi Ian, he had a short training period too.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not rude just because he¡¯s popr, right? How are you guys getting along?¡± Han Jae-young and Go Jun-hoo might have been worried about Kim Hyun. But their behavior of judging people based on their poprity was very simr to Park Sung-hoon from YANG Entertainment, whom they had badmouthed so much. ¡°There¡¯s a group in Eiwons too that has one handsome guy who¡¯s doing well by himself. I heard their team atmosphere is ruined.¡± ¡°Oh, Yeon Jun-seo? He¡¯s honestly not that talented. He can¡¯t sing live, he can¡¯t dance, he can¡¯t act either. I don¡¯t know why he got the lead role.¡± ¡°He thinks he¡¯s so great that he skips practice without permission and goes around getting skin care and stic surgery. That¡¯s why his skills are like that.¡± ¡°He got stic surgery too?¡± ¡°Well, not surgery, but procedures. He fixes them little by little.¡± As Han Jae-young and Go Jun-hoo chatted excitedly, Kim Hyun quietly drank water. He didn¡¯t want to hear this kind of gossip after meeting them for a long time. ¡°How about you guys?¡± The nuance of the question was strange. It was as if he was saying ¡®Are you guys like that too? Are you the same as Yeon Jun-seo and Choi Ian?¡¯ Kim Hyun frowned. ¡°Ian? He¡¯s not like that.¡± ¡°Look at this Hyun, being nice and defending his fellow member.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true. He practices the most among us. He¡¯s learning how topose these days too.¡± When there was no group practice, Choi Ian would go straight to Kim Hyun and Kim Joo-young. ¡®Can you watch me dance?¡¯ He learned dance from Kim Hyun and Kim Joo-young and then went to theposing studio. ¡®Can I watch you guyspose?¡¯ He also observed the work of Lee Joo-hyuk and Park Jin-hyuk. Besides that, he practiced scripts with Jo Tae-woong and taught Park Seo-dam how to sing. He had natural talent and worked hard, but he wasn¡¯t neglectful of his group just because he was popr. Seeing him like that made them unable to feel jealous. They thought that he was popr because he worked hard like that, and the other members were also motivated by him. ¡®He¡¯s doing that much. I can¡¯t fall behind.¡¯ Kim Hyun suddenly wondered. Choi Ian really practices a lot, huh? What does he do in his free time? ¡°Thanks to him, we practice a lot too. We even have our own study group.¡± ¡°Wow, you guys have a study group? That¡¯s awesome. You must have a good atmosphere.¡± Han Jae-young eximed. Go Jun-hoo still looked at Kim Hyun with a doubtful gaze. ¡°I think there¡¯s something going on between him and Kim Joo-yeon¡­¡± ¡°Hyung, he doesn¡¯t have many friends in Korea since he came from America. He always says he¡¯s bored and tags along with us wherever we go. He even showed me his chat history. No, really.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Kim Hyun felt a surge of anger as if he had been insulted. ¡°Can¡¯t we talk about something else?¡± The two who noticed Kim Hyun¡¯s bad mood changed the topic. ¡°By the way, I heard they debuted Park Sung-hoon.¡± ¡°YANG Entertainment?¡± ¡°Who else would it be? The Park Sung-hoon we know.¡± ¡°I thought he would be stuck in the practice room forever, but he finally made it.¡± Park Sung-hoon had participated in another survival show after his ¡®rigging¡¯ diss track. Kim Hyun, who had debuted more than two years ago, was no longer interested in Park Sung-hoon¡¯s news. *** ¡°Are you done eating?¡± ¡°Sorry, I have practice tomorrow.¡± ¡°Okay, see youter.¡± Kim Hyun was tormented by the gossip that Han Jae-young and Go Joon-hoo told him afterwards. ¡®People do change¡­¡¯ He didn¡¯t used to be like that¡­ Kim Hyun sighed regretfully and lost his appetite. Awi¡¯s van was already parked in front of the restaurant. ¡°You finished early? Don¡¯t you want to hang out more?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Or maybe that¡¯s what happens when you¡¯re in the entertainment industry. Kim Hyun chuckled. Hisughter caught Park Dong-soo¡¯s attention through the rearview mirror. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Just, I miss you and the guys.¡± ¡°You guys are lucky to get along so well.¡± ¡°We are unusually close, aren¡¯t we?¡± Park Dong-soo waved his hand and said, don¡¯t even say that. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen many celebrities, but you guys are like angels. You don¡¯t cause trouble, you¡¯re a bit noisy but you listen well.¡± ¡°Hyung, we¡¯re not noisy.¡± ¡°Myung-jin was asking where his earplugs were.¡± ¡°That¡¯s an exaggeration.¡± Kim Hyun leaned back on the seat andughed. The distance between the meeting ce and the dormitory was not that long. He felt a vibration in his hand and turned on his phone. (Ian4) Hyung, are youing? ¨C 20:26 (Hyunhyun2) Yeah, almost there ¨C 20:26 (Ian4) I¡¯m at the convenience store in front of the dorm ¨C 20:27 (Hyunhyun2) Ask them to drop me off there ¨C 20:27 ¡°Hyung, drop me off at the convenience store. Ian is there.¡± ¡°Was Ian at the dorm all this time? Everyone else went to meet their friends.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe he didn¡¯t go out?¡± He stayed at the dorm by himself on his free time? Kim Hyun wondered as the van stopped at the convenience store in front of the dorm. ¡°Thanks, hyung.¡± ¡°Go in early. I have to pick up Tae-woong.¡± We could have just taken a taxi ourselves. Kim Hyun didn¡¯t voice his inner thoughts and entered the convenience store. ¡°Did Dong-soo hyung leave?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Darn, I wanted to give this to Dong-soo hyung.¡± Ian showed Kim Hyun the bag he was holding. It contained drinks and patches that were good for fatigue recovery. ¡°He¡¯ll be back soon anyway. He went to pick up the others.¡± ¡°They¡¯re not kids, they cane back on their own.¡± ¡°There¡¯s also corona, and thepany is trying to take care of us.¡± For Awi members, Park Dong-soo and Kim Myung-jin had moved their houses near the dormitory. ¡°So he¡¯ll be back soon. Should we sit over there?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Ian and Kim Hyun paid for their snacks and drinks and sat at the stic table in front of the convenience store. ¡°Were you at the dorm all this time? What did you eat?¡± ¡°Oh, I heated up some of Joo-young¡¯s New Year¡¯s food. Wow, Joo-young¡¯s mom has a big hand. I ate and ate but there was no end.¡± Ian shook his head vigorously. Kim Hyun was curious about Ian¡¯s inner thoughts after hearing what Han Jae-young and Go Joon-hoo said. ¡°Why did you want to be an idol?¡± ¡°What are you talking about out of nowhere?¡± ¡°Just, you could have done well as a solo artist from the start.¡± Where did he hear that from? Ianughed dryly. Kim Hyun¡¯s face was red from drinking a little. ¡°It¡¯s all about groups these days. Don¡¯t you want to do some solo activities? You get a lot of offers for dramas and movies.¡± It would be a lie to say that he didn¡¯t have any calctive reasons for starting solo rather than in a group. He knew that poprity and recognition would be different depending on his choice. ¡°Hmm¡­ Well.¡± When he was Kim Yong-min, he had started his trainee life by being pushed into his friend¡¯s audition. But still, being an idol was his ultimate goal in life. ¡°Being an idol was always my dream. I just wanted to dance and sing on stage.¡± And looking back, it was nothing but the worst moments of his life. But he still had some attachment to Diamond. Or maybe it was his attachment to the group activities. ¡°But what if I want to ditch the group and do solo activities? Would you let me do that?¡± ¡°No? I¡¯ll kill you.¡± ¡°Crazy.¡± Ian pped andughed. Kim Hyun muttered under his breath, ¡°He might not be American after all.¡± He had always wanted to be famous, and he still did. In fact, if the members of Awi were simr to the former members of Diamond, Ian might have followed Jin¡¯s n and focused on his solo activities to be famous. ¡°I¡¯ll do solo activities someday. Don¡¯t worry about it now. We¡¯re doing well right now. When the group bes popr, each individual will also be popr.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Thepany will arrange our activities well. Mydia went to the army, so wouldn¡¯t it be nice if we be more popr than Mydia?¡± But now he couldn¡¯t do that. BHL Entertainment had somehow gathered these people who were all kind and without any ws. They all had strong ambitions, and even though Ian had most of the individual poprity, they never envied or ostracized him. ¡°My goal is actually to make our group so famous that we can perform at the Super Bowl together.¡± ¡°Crazy.¡± Ian wanted to reach the top with these people. Kim Hyun tilted his head back at Ian¡¯s grandiose dream. He felt relieved inside. Kim Hyun rxed his expression and smiled faintly. ¡°What are you doing there?¡± Just then, Jo Tae-woong got out of the van and spotted Ian and Kim Hyun sitting in front of the convenience store. He stopped in his tracks. ¡°I waited for you.¡± ¡°You waited for me? Really?¡± Jo Tae-woong jumped excitedly and sat down in an empty seat. Ian stared at Jo Tae-woong¡¯s face. He didn¡¯t seem like he had been drinking. ¡°You came early? You said you¡¯d bete.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t that fun. It¡¯s more fun when we¡¯re together.¡± ¡°Huh? What are you guys doing there?¡± Park Seo-dam, who had stopped by her grandmother¡¯s house nearby, walked over. ¡°We waited for our youngest.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Hey, you said you waited for me earlier.¡± Park Seo-dam joined Kim Hyun¡¯s side. Then Kim Joo-young, Park Jin-hyuk, and Lee Joo-hyuk arrived one by one and sat down in empty seats. ¡°Why did you alle here?¡± ¡°It was boring.¡± ¡°I actually didn¡¯t eat properly either. Do you want to go to a chicken ce?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± *** ¡°AC did nothing today. Ah, go meet some girls.¡± ¡°They¡¯re always together.¡± ¡°Tsk¡­ Just take a picture, it mighte in handy someday. Let¡¯s go take pictures of A1s tomorrow.¡± The reporters from the media who were lurking in front of the dorm clicked their tongues and pressed the shutter with regret. Chapter 111: Chapter 111: I¡¯m a licensed teacher now.?? Thanks to gxytl, trantormunity and readers for your support.?? You helped me pass my exam with confidence. As a token of gratitude, I¡¯ll give 5 chapters each for my novels today. Enjoy??! Chapter 111 Don¡¯t you feel weird without any cheers? BHL Entertainment had a trick to prevent their songs from being leaked. They sent different versions of the songs to each broadcasting station for review. One station would have a brief piano melody at the beginning of the song, while another station would have a guitar melody instead. ¡°Did it work this time?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°So it wasn¡¯t our staff who leaked it¡­¡± Seo Suryeon sighed in relief. Ever since they entrusted the song producing to Lee Juhyuk and Park Jinhyuk, only less than ten staff members in thepany had ess to the songs. ¡°They must have felt guilty and didn¡¯t leak it this time.¡± And the method of adding different melodies to each station was not new. It had been used before. So the leaker must have been more careful this time. ¡°What about the showcase?¡± Theeback show that was supposed to be broadcasted on was already cancelled, so AWY decided to do their owneback show through Yapp live streaming. ¡°We can¡¯t do a fan showcase, but we have to do a press showcase¡­ We¡¯ll only invite a few reporters and keep a safe distance¡­¡± Besides, to appease the fans who were suffering from ack of content due to the pandemic, AWY had also filmed two music videos for their side tracks. ¡°How¡¯s the live streaming system?¡± ¡°We signed a contract with apany, and they¡¯ll start setting it up tomorrow.¡± ¡°Good, it¡¯s almost time for the showcase, right? Let¡¯s go monitor it.¡± Ian had suggested something else besides the video call fan signing event. It was an online concert. Since the online concert would be paid as well, they decided to build a live streaming system for paid members only. The reason why things went so smoothly was because of the president¡¯s support. ¡®Good! Go ahead!¡¯ That was what Lee Byunghun, the president, said when he heard Ian¡¯s opinion. *** NEW 1. AWY ¨C Eternity ¡°We¡¯re number one¡­¡± ¡°Finally!¡± On the day of theireback, AWY finally reached number one on the music chart. They all checked the ranking together on one phone and jumped in joy. ¡°Juhyuk and Jinhyuk are gods.¡± ¡°You guys sang well too.¡± ¡°I wonder if we can stay on the chart for a long time. I hope we can make it to the yearly chart too.¡± Lee Juhyuk smiled awkwardly at Jo Taewoong¡¯s words. ¡°Guys, if you praise us too much, we¡¯ll feel pressured.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t. Ouch!¡± Lee Juhyuk elbowed Park Jinhyuk¡¯s side. Lee Juhyuk was worried that the members would becent or disappointedter if they took number one for granted. ¡°Sorry to burst your bubble, but our song was good, but it wouldn¡¯t have been possible without our fans. We should think that this is not something natural. What do you think?¡± ¡°You¡¯re too considerate, hyung.¡± Jo Taewoong shook his head vigorously and then stopped abruptly. ¡°But you¡¯re right.¡± It was good to be humble. The members nodded along with Lee Juhyuk¡¯s words. The managers and Lee Juhyuk smiled contentedly behind them. ¡°Then, let¡¯s go rock the stage for our fans at home. We are who we are?¡± ¡°AWY!¡± *** Even if the music shows were held without an audience, they still did pre-recordings. It was for any unexpected situations. Usually, they did pre-recordings for the first or second week of theireback, and then performed live without pre-recordings afterwards. ¡°But if there¡¯s no audience anyway, why do we have to do pre-recordings? Can¡¯t we just skip them?¡± Park Jinhyuk said as he got on the vanst. ¡°Right? Maybe they¡¯ll film our whole performance? I heard they also film face cams these days.¡± ¡°And we have to stand behind anyway at the end.¡± ¡°When they announce the winner? Can we gather as a group then?¡± They had some doubts, but they had to follow what the broadcasting station said. AWY, who were in their first week ofeback, headed to the station after taking a nap for pre-recording. ¡°It¡¯s kind offortable that there are no photos.¡± Park Jinhyuk said as he got out of the van and walked towards the station. They kept theirmute secret because of the new coronavirus. Thanks to that, they didn¡¯t have to stop by a shop beforehand. AWY headed to their own waiting room as usual and then went to the stage for the morning rehearsal. ¡°Hello, sunbaenim! I¡¯m a fan!¡± ¡°Hello, thank you.¡± A rookie group greeted them politely as they passed by AWY. Ian and the members nodded their heads. The rookie group looked excited as they sat down and watched AWY¡¯s back. ¡°Who are they? I¡¯ve never seen them before.¡± ¡°Are they rookies? They¡¯re making aeback in this situation?¡± Kim Hyun, who was listening to Ian and Kim Joo-young, eximed. ¡°Hey, do you know? Park Sung-hoon debuted.¡± ¡°The guy who ate a lot of sweet potatoes from you?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°He was so arrogant, but he finally debuted now.¡± Kim Joo-young nodded his head vigorously. He whispered as if he was afraid someone would hear, but the members nearby could hear him well. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying.¡± Cho Tae-woong grinned wickedly as if he remembered something. Kim Hyun stepped back from him. ¡°Why are youughing like that?¡± ¡°Then he will have to greet us, you as seniors, right?¡± ¡°Huh? That¡¯s true.¡± Kim Hyun looked nk. He didn¡¯t think of that. What¡¯s wrong with you, bro? You¡¯re not an amateur. Following Cho Tae-woong, Ian also smiled strangely. ¡°They have a mid-year review here. They do cover stages, and they can cover our songs too, right?¡± ¡°Wow, this is refreshing.¡± ¡°Hey, that¡¯s a bit¡­¡± Cho Tae-woong gasped at Ian¡¯s words. Kim Hyun made a strange expression. Park Sung-hoon, who was basking in the halo of President Lim, sang their hit songs that they had already debuted? ¡°Isn¡¯t that thrilling?¡± ¡°Right?¡± ¡°Can we start praying from today?¡± ¡°Crazy!¡± The threeughed gleefully. And Ian didn¡¯t know, but his casual wordster became reality. ¡°Awi, let¡¯s go for rehearsal.¡± At the staff¡¯s words, Awi went up on stage. They were so popr that their broadcast order was almostst. Awi lined up and shouted their group slogan. The main dancers Kim Joo-young and Kim Hyun loosened their bodies by twisting their ankles and Ian stretched his neck as usual. ¡°Wow, awesome.¡± ¡°It¡¯s amazing.¡± The other singers who were sitting in the audience uttered an exmation at Ian¡¯s voice that started the intro of the song with AR ying. ¡°How can they do such a stage in the morning?¡± ¡°I heard from other seniors that they are always like that.¡± ¡°They¡¯re crazy.¡± The rookie idols admired Awi who did the rehearsal as if it was the real broadcast. ¡°Should we try that next time?¡± It was the moment when they became someone¡¯s role model. ¡°Touch my bangs, steel bangs.¡± ¡°Awesome.¡± Kim Joo-young shook his head violently to prevent his bangs from copsing while dancing with spray on them. His bangs clumped together and flew heavily in the air. ¡°I¡¯m tired because I couldn¡¯t sleep.¡± ¡°Just sit down.¡± The good thing about having no fans at the pre-recording was that they didn¡¯t have to worry about the fans. Awi didn¡¯t have to talk to the fans while waiting on stage, and it was quitefortable to sit alone without being tired and hearing ¡®he doesn¡¯t do fan service¡¯. ¡°Awi, let¡¯s record.¡± The staff with a microphone organized the messy Awi members. AR yed and only a few staff members were sitting in the empty seats. Awi did one stage and monitor, and then recorded again on stage and came down. Park Seo-dam, who was heading to the waiting room, talked to Ian who was walking next to him. ¡°Brother, don¡¯t you feel weird without cheering?¡± ¡°Yeah, I feel¡­ I don¡¯t have any energy.¡± ¡°Right? It feels empty when there¡¯s nothing in front of you.¡± [Why? Isn¡¯t itfortable without fan service?] Pre-recording seemed to befortable without any audience to care about and only looking at the camera, but it was surprisingly ufortable. Kim Joo-young and Park Jin-hyuk, who were listening to the conversation behind Ian, said. ¡°Did you feel that way too? I didn¡¯t have any fun without hearing the fan chants.¡± ¡°Why is it so hard? Is it because there are no fans?¡± Jin didn¡¯t understand and clicked the shutter, but Ian and the members looked exhausted. One of the things they felt during the world tour was that performing in front of countless audiences was a great motivation for singers. But they never imagined that they would feel this emptiness even in pre-recording that they had always done. ¡°I guess fans¡¯ cheering helped more than I thought.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk muttered nkly. *** -Who has a video call fan sign today? ©¸Yeah Awi It was finally happening. The video call fan signing event that the fans had been waiting for. The group had decided to make some money by doing something new. Usually, the fan signing events had a limit of 100 people. But for the video call fan signing event, they had to reduce the number of fans to 30 or 50 per session, because it took longer to prepare and connect the calls. -Did you see the cut for this fan signing event? -The cut is insane. JONNA is crazy. Why are they like this? ©¸Maybe it¡¯s because fans from other regions and countries can also participate. ©¸There are so many foreign fans. I didn¡¯t get in. Of course, since only a few fans could get in per session, it was mostly based on lining up rather than random selection. The video call fan signing event was set up as follows: each member would talk to the fan for one minute, and then they would have a group call. In addition, there was also a personal fan signing event thatsted for two or three minutes per fan. ¡°Oh, are we doing it here?¡± ¡°We rented the whole ce.¡± The agency¡¯s conference room looked too dull for the asion, so they rented a cafe instead. ¡°Wow, look at these fan signing items.¡± ¡°If I run out of things to say, I can use these.¡± The video call fan signing event was unfamiliar to both the fans and the singers. The agency had prepared various items that the fans had brought before, such as soap bubbles, animal headbands, flowers, and so on. ¡°You just have to plug in your earphones and talk like a normal phone call, but there¡¯s also a speaker connected, so don¡¯t worry.¡± It was a safety measure to prevent any weird fans from saying something inappropriate. Lee Joo-hyuk, who was sitting next to Ian, smiled awkwardly. ¡°But I don¡¯t even do video calls with my friends. Will I be able to do it well?¡± ¡°Me too. I only do it with my parents. I can¡¯t treat the fans like my mom and dad.¡± Ian scratched his head nervously. The time for the fan signing event was getting closer, and the lights on the tripod in front of them turned on. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s so bright.¡± ¡°This is the kind of light they use for YouTube videos.¡± The fan manager checked the list of winners. The winners were notified of their time slot beforehand, and they had to wait ordingly. Then, the staff would call them using their phone numbers. ¡°Let¡¯s star.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Kim Joo-young, who was first in line, looked at the phone fixed on the tripod with a tense face. (Hello?) ¡°Hello!¡± (Wow!! Joo-young, hi! Look at this!) ¡°What? What are you¡­ Aaah!¡± The fan had started with a horror filter. Kim Joo-young, who was already weak to horror, screamed. Ian quickly grabbed the back of Kim Joo-young¡¯s chair that was about to fall over. ¡°Ah, we didn¡¯t expect this¡­¡± ¡°We should ban filters next time.¡± Park Dong-soo tapped his forehead. They hadn¡¯t anticipated this kind of variable in their first attempt at a video call fan signing event. ¡°Noona, don¡¯t do that!¡± The fanughed at his reaction, and Kim Joo-young protested with a teary face. Chapter 112: Chapter 112: I¡¯m a licensed teacher now.?? Thanks to gxytl, trantormunity and readers for your support.?? You helped me pass my exam with confidence. As a token of gratitude, I¡¯ll give 5 chapters each for my novels today. Enjoy??! Chapter 112 That¡¯s not enough. That day, as the reviews of the video call fan signing event started to pop up, other idol fans also became interested. -Is this how it feels to video call with my boyfriend? -They did well to avoid any awkward moments. They¡¯ve improved a lot in their responses???? -Ah, I can¡¯t take it anymore. I¡¯m buying the album. How many cuts are there? -My idol also announced a video call fan signing event. The fans who saw the reviews increased their bids for the next round of fan signing events, and other idols also started to introduce video call fan signing events. Of course, not all reactions were positive. -They raised the cut because of the foreigners. If this is how it is, I should have waited for the face-to-face fan signing event ?? -Ah, my idol¡¯s fan signing event was a mess because of the badwork connection?? -I had nothing to say because it wasn¡¯t my bias. I ended up saying ¡°Really?¡±?????? Usually, the fans who attended the fan signing events were the same people who always went, the so-called ¡®regrs¡¯. The video call fan signing event was no different, and Ian¡¯s home master Ironheart also attended every video call fan signing event. (Ian, look at this.) ¡°Yes? Hey, this is our album.¡± (Don¡¯t you think something is missing here?) ¡°¡­Huh?¡± The album she showed him only had ¡®To. Ironheart¡¯ written on it, and nothing else. ¡°I didn¡¯t sign it¡­?¡± Ironheartughed at Ian¡¯s reaction. Ian soon made a serious face. How could he not sign it at a fan signing event? ¡°Wow, really, I¡¯m so sorry, sis. I¡¯ll send you a new one with a sign.¡± Unlike the face-to-face fan signing event where he handed over the signed album directly, the video call fan signing event was a method where he signed the album prepared by the agency and sent it by courier, so he sometimes forgot to sign it. Ironheart waved her hand at Ian¡¯s serious expression. She didn¡¯t mean to make him feel bad. (No, no! You know I have a lot of signed albums at home. I just thought you were cute for sending it without a sign, and I wanted to tell you that this happened.) ¡°No, but still, how could I not sign it at a fan signing event¡­ Why didn¡¯t I?¡± Ian groaned. The fan manager made a gesture to end the call. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely send it to you. Thank you for calling me every day. Good night.¡± (Bye! See you tomorrow!) With Ironheart as thest one, today¡¯s fan signing event was over. Ian spoke to the fan manager. ¡°Sis, you heard that, right? Can I have that album?¡± ¡°Uh, here.¡± ¡°I need to check if I signed them well from now on¡­.¡± The fan manager brought an album and ced it in front of Ian. Ian wrote a long message along with his sign. ¡°Please send this one too.¡± The fan manager put the album in the delivery box to be sent to Ironheart. Ian got up from his seat and stretched. The advantage of the video call fan signing event was that it was less constrained by space and time. The fan signing event that started at 10 p.m. due to schedule issues ended at 11:30 p.m. ¡°Ian, good job.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll go ahead.¡± Today was not a group fan signing event but an individual one. Awi each went to an empty conference room or practice room for their fan signing event. As Ian left the conference room, he ran into Kim Joo-young who was standing in front of him. He showed him his phone screen and said. ¡°Dong-soo hyung said he¡¯sing out from the parking lot.¡± Ian nodded. ¡°I forgot to sign an album at the previous fan signing event. Did you do that too?¡± ¡°Wow, you too? Me too. Two fans said they didn¡¯t have a sign so I wrote them and sent them.¡± ¡°We need to be careful not to forget.¡± As soon as Park Jin-hyuk finished his fan signing event and came up from the practice room, he came next to Ian. ¡°Guys, I messed up earlier.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I told them we did a magazine shoot and Dong-soo hyung red at me.¡± ¡°Ah hyung, really.¡± Spoiler fairy Jin-hyuk was already branded as a person of interest, so Park Dong-soo always watched his fan signing event. ¡°But what does it matter¡­ It¡¯s not a Korean magazine so I thought it would be okay.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think the Japanese fans are spreading the rumor by now?¡± ¡°When did you get here? Ouch.¡± Park Seo-dam, who was following him, pinched Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s arm. ¡°You said it was a secret, but you keep spoiling it, hyung?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Awi¡¯s poprity kept growing not only in Korea but also overseas. They had a schedule for a photo shoot besides the music show, and it was supposed to be published in a Japanese magazine. ¡°Did Ian say anything over there?¡± ¡°No, he¡¯s busy with his own house on fire. How would he think of me?¡± ¡°Wow, what a waste.¡± Ian became popr in China after his coboration with Woo-sang Yooni. He received offers for photo shoots andmercials, but they were postponed indefinitely due to COVID-19. The members of Awi opened the van door as usual. Kim Myung-jin was already waiting for them in the van. ¡°Guys, you worked hard until thest broadcast.¡± ¡°You too, hyung.¡± Awi wrapped up their album promotion with four weeks of music shows. And they never missed the first ce. ¡°Ian, our stage cam is out. Do you want to watch it?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Ian fixed his eyes on the phone screen of Park Jin-hyuk. At the climax of the song, where the beat surged, Ian on the screen sang with a grimace. ¡°Wow, your expression here is awesome. Did you n to make this face?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to, but I guess it came out naturally.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Park Jin-hyuk uttered a short admiration. Lee Joo-hyuk was looking at something with a serious face, but Kim Hyun nced at his screen and changed the topic. ¡°Did you see it earlier? When they announced the first ce?¡± ¡°Oh, you were holding hands in the back?¡± ¡°Wow, how can you hold hands so openly when there are no fans?¡± ¡°Hyun-ah, if you¡¯re jealous, just say it.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk turned off his phone screen and snapped at Kim Hyun. Kim Hyun closed his mouth tightly and made a walnut-like chin. Jo Tae-woongughed and teased Kim Hyun. ¡®What was that hyung looking at?¡¯ [Part distribution controversy.] ¡®Still?¡¯ Regardless of poprity, whenever a new songes out, someone summarizes who sang which part and how many seconds they got. Awi had noticeably fewer parts for some members in this promotion song. It was because they gave priority to the people who could convey the mood of the song well. -Is this all Tae-woong¡¯s part? -I can¡¯t even say anything?? It¡¯s a problem when the same memberposes?? -How bad do you have to be to get fewer parts? ©¸You¡¯re so mean -But they have more parts in other songs? ©¸So what? The title is the main thing There are many malicious individual fans or trolls who use this as an excuse to bash them. And part distribution controversy was amon thing that other idols also experienced. It was just that Awi members were too good at web surfing that they couldn¡¯t ignore these trivial controversies. ¡°I don¡¯t care¡­ Let¡¯s go to our dorm and have somete-night snacks.¡± Jo Tae-woong shrugged his shoulders. Kim Myung-jin, who overheard their conversation, raised his right hand. ¡°No way. Late-night snacks are forbidden.¡± ¡°Why!¡± Kim Myung-jin said firmly. ¡°You guys don¡¯t exercise these days because we don¡¯t manage you? I saw you on TV and your faces were very puffy. Especially Joo-young.¡± ¡°Oh no!¡± Kim Joo-young screamed while washing his face. ¡°You¡¯re going on a diet from tomorrow.¡± ¡°Ah, hyung. Our promotion is over.¡± ¡°It¡¯s better to manage early.¡± ¡°Hyung, you¡¯re in trouble. You¡¯re bing more like Dong-soo hyung.¡± The members who were suddenly struck by lightning groaned in pain. Kim Myung-jin, who was not used to being a male idol manager yet, learned to ignore the members¡¯ pleas quite well. ¡°If we eatte-night snacks today, it¡¯ll be thest time.¡± ¡°No way. If you eat secretly, he¡¯ll increase the intensity of your exercise. And it¡¯s not today anymore, it¡¯s yesterday.¡± Kim Myung-jin pointed at the clock that passed 12 o¡¯clock and smiled. *** ¡°Did you boil everything?¡± ¡°Yeah, give me some spoons.¡± Of course, it wasn¡¯t the members who heard that. The members who arrived at the dorm went straight to the kitchen. Kim Joo-young boiled ramen, and the members put tes and spoons on the table. ¡°Is there any milk? Milk is good for reducing swelling.¡± ¡°There¡¯s none¡­ But what can we do if our faces are swollen? We already ate it.¡± Park Seo-dam blew on the noodles and slurped them into his mouth. ¡°Wow, crazy, Joo-young hyung should open a restaurantter.¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinking about it too.¡± The members who preferred eating over high-intensity exercise happily finished ten packs of ramen. Lee Joo-hyuk, who had been nibbling on ramen and thinking about something, mmed his chopsticks down and said. ¡°Guys, do you want to do a unit activity?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Or how about releasing solo songs? As dissing. The project name would be ¡®Weekly Awi¡¯.¡± Bak Seodam brought some water and said, ¡°We upload a lot of cover songs on our YouTube channel, right?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not enough. I¡¯ll make a song that suits you guys.¡± ¡°Hey, hyung, that¡¯s my water!¡± Bak Jinhyuk snatched the water from Bak Seodam and drank it all. While they were bickering, Jo Taewoong shrugged his shoulders. ¡°If you want to do that, go ahead. It¡¯s not like we have anything else to do because of COVID-19.¡± ¡°To be honest, I wanted to try releasing a solo song at least once.¡± Ian said that while staring at Lee Juhyuk¡¯s eyes. He saw a fierce determination in his gaze. Was he not feeling discouraged by the part distribution controversy, but rather grinding his teeth? In fact, Lee Juhyuk had smiled even though the other members had said they didn¡¯t want to do it. He had pushed them to do it anyway. ¡°Then I¡¯ll talk to Dongsoo hyung tomorrow.¡± Lee Juhyuk got up from his seat. He had to go to his room and start working right away. Ian stretched his neck and watched Lee Juhyuk¡¯s back as he went into his room. ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself too hard, hyung.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Lee Juhyuk was smiling, but his eyes were not. He thought that the part distribution dispute was something that could happen. But he couldn¡¯t stand the reactions that belittled the efforts of his younger brothers for this activity. ¡®I¡¯ll make sure they never say we have no talent again.¡¯ Lee Juhyuk closed his door and Ian sighed. It wasn¡¯t good to be swayed by the haters, but at least he was being swayed in a positive direction. He couldn¡¯t say anything about that. ¡°We appreciate you taking care of us, but aren¡¯t you going to get sick if you do that?¡± ¡°Just let him do what he wants. That hyung doesn¡¯t see anything else when he gets obsessed with something.¡± Kim Hyun shook his head and threw some rice into the remaining soup. The members¡¯ spoons moved busily. [What a busybody.] Jin couldn¡¯t understand Lee Juhyuk. He had enough trouble taking care of his own bowl, let alone writing songs for his brothers. *** As public masks were sold by day of the week and COVID-19 transmission gradually subsided, drama and movie filming resumed. Awi had two photo shoots and Ian had two more personal photo shoots. And there was still an ad shoot left. As the contract expired for an ad with Media as the model, who would soon enlist in the army together, many of them offered to the cast of ¡®The Man of Trot¡¯, and Awi. ¡°Hello!¡± Awi arrived at the cosmetics ad shoot site and bowed his waist to greet them. He arrived at the powder room with the staff¡¯s guidance and looked at the ad script with a troubled expression. ¡°How do you make a fresh expression?¡± ¡°Like this?¡± ¡°Ugh, don¡¯t look at me.¡± Jo Taewoong smiled brightly and Kim Hyun frowned. ¡°Can¡¯t we just do it like we did for our fan song?¡± ¡°That was more¡­ mncholic than fresh, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°What does it mean to smile moistly?¡± The members looked at each other and smiled awkwardly. Could they do this ad well? Chapter 113: Chapter 113: I¡¯m a licensed teacher now.?? Thanks to gxytl, trantormunity and readers for your support.?? You helped me pass my exam with confidence. As a token of gratitude, I¡¯ll give 5 chapters each for my novels today. Enjoy??! Chapter 113 A possible cameo appearance? After changing their makeup, hair, and clothes in the powder room, Awi headed to the waiting room that was prepared for them on one side of the filming set. ¡°Wow, what is this?¡± ¡°We prepared this for you in case you get hungry while filming.¡± ¡°Thank you. This is our first time experiencing something like this.¡± A soft sofa and catering from the advertiser were emitting a presence under the dim light. ¡°There are drinks in the fridge too, so help yourselves.¡± ¡°Awesome. Thank you.¡± And on the table, there were cosmetics that they were going to advertise, along with flowers and nts that were ced cutely. Awi, who was doing a bigpany¡¯s advertisement for the first time, stared at the waiting room with their mouth open. Ian picked up his phone. ¡°Can I take a picture of this?¡± ¡°Yes, but you can¡¯t post it anywhere until the advertisement is released.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± There was also a behind-the-scenes camera that took pictures of the members taking pictures. The employees from the cosmeticspany smiled contentedly. They didn¡¯t expect them to be so happy about it. ¡°As expected, bigpanies are different.¡± ¡°I asked my sister and she said it¡¯s a famous brand.¡± Park Jin-hyuk stuffed a canape into his mouth. On the wall, there wererge pouches with each member¡¯s name on them. They were gifts for the members. ¡°We have to work hard.¡± ¡°So how do we make a moist and refreshing expression?¡± ¡°Like this?¡± Ian and Jo Tae-woong, Awi¡¯s representative acting members, changed their expressions right away. The other members eximed in admiration. ¡°As expected, those who have done acting are different.¡± ¡°Just do it like we do on stage. It¡¯s not hard. We¡¯ve done a lot of photo shoots too.¡± Ian skimmed through the advertisement script from beginning to end. The products that they had to advertise were basic skincare items, such as foam cleansing and lotion. They had no choice but to wear masks because of the situation, so they decided to focus on the basic skincare line rather than color cosmetics. ¡°We¡¯re wearing masks these days, right? It¡¯s stuffy and sweaty, but we can¡¯t take them off.¡± ¡°Right. And when wee home and take off our masks and wash our faces, it¡¯ll feel refreshing, right?¡± ¡°I heard that some people get something on their face from wearing masks too often. Maybe that¡¯s why we¡¯re doing this product?¡± ¡°Right. If we think about that and empathize with it, it¡¯ll be easy.¡± Jo Tae-woong chimed in from the side. Park Seo-dam and Kim Hyun had a mesmerized look in their eyes as they listened to his captivating speech. ¡°I think those guys can sell anything well.¡± ¡°What if they weren¡¯t idols? Would they have be scammers?¡± ¡°Hey, scammers are too much.¡± While the other members nodded as if they understood, Park Jin-hyuk looked confused. Ian and Jo Tae-woong gave him some extra lessons on his side. ¡°You know we spray hairspray, right? Imagine how it feels to wash it off.¡± ¡°Oh, I think I get it.¡± Park Jin-hyuk had done many photo shoots, but he was far from being fresh. ¡°We¡¯ll start filming soon.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve all seen the script, right? Just filmfortably as if you¡¯re at your dorm.¡± The first thing was a group photo. The Awi members took the products from the staff and went up to the stage to pose. ¡°They¡¯re all handsome people. It¡¯ll be fun to shoot them.¡± The photographer lifted his camera. As he pressed the shutter, the members changed their poses here and there. ¡°They¡¯re all good-looking.¡± ¡°Look at Choi Ian¡¯s skin. There won¡¯t be much to edit.¡± ¡°That¡¯s natural talent, right? Even if he got special care, it wouldn¡¯t be like this.¡± The cosmeticspany officials who came to watch Awi¡¯s advertisement filming looked at the photos on the monitor with satisfaction. ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything to throw away. What do you think?¡± ¡°Great! Let¡¯s take individual photos!¡± They started taking individual photos of the members. The first one was Park Seo-dam. He followed Ian¡¯s advice and made a V-line by pressing the product against his cheek with both hands. The photographer praised him and clicked away. ¡°Our maknae is doing well.¡± ¡°Is Seo-dam a sponge these days? He absorbs everything so quickly.¡± The members gave him a thumbs up as they watched his filming. Park Seo-damughed out loud at that sight. The photographer didn¡¯t miss that expression. ¡°That expression was very good!¡± Park Seo-dam¡¯s individual filming ended, and it was finally Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s turn. He posed with the foam cleansing in his hand. Lee Ju-hyuk opened his mouth. ¡°Wow¡­¡± Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s expression looked more suitable for a beer advertisement than a cosmetic one. Ian tilted his head. ¡°That hyung looks too cheerful.¡± ¡°Ah, I like it!¡± ¡­Good? Ian and Kim Joo-young looked at the photographer. He was pressing the shutter continuously with a satisfied face. ¡°Isn¡¯t he just saying that everything we do is good?¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk and Kim Hyun smiled awkwardly. Then, the shooting of the other members continued, and thest one was Ian. The cosmeticpany staffs were watching their shooting scene from a distance. When Ian¡¯s photos filled the monitor, they eximed. ¡°Choi Ian, the camera can¡¯t capture his real beauty. He asked me if he could take a picture earlier, and I was so nervous that I don¡¯t even remember what I said.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t his attitude good too?¡± ¡°They are all rumored to have good personalities.¡± ¡°They look close to each other too¡­ They are different from other models.¡± As the atmosphere slowly turned into gossip, the staff with the highest seniority among them shushed, putting his index finger on his mouth. ¡°This is not something to talk about here.¡± ¡°But, it¡¯s true. They be famous and act rude. The agency interferes too much. They say this ad is not allowed. That ad is not allowed.¡± ¡°They are in a position where they can get star disease.¡± At that remark, all the staffs nodded in agreement. After finishing their individual photos, Awi rushed to the monitor. ¡°Wow, Jin-hyuk hyung looked like he was shooting a beer ad earlier, but now he looks pretty good.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the photographer¡¯s skill.¡± The photographer who was flipping through the photos with them raised his eyebrows. He looked secretly pleased. ¡°Look at Ian and Tae-woong. They are amazing.¡± ¡°Which one?¡± ¡°This one.¡± The photographer clicked the mouse. On therge monitor, Ian¡¯s photo appeared, with bubbles on his nose and a wrinkled nose and a smile. ¡°Wow.¡± The members gasped in admiration. The camera that was shooting the behind-the-scenes captured them busy. Looking at Awi members who were staring at the photos seriously, one of thepany staffs muttered. ¡°¡­I hope they don¡¯t get star disease.¡± *** Awi finished their YouTube ad video in no time and finished their shooting earlier than usual. They took selfies with thepany staffs, photographer, and crew members and headed to the van. ¡°Did we get too many cosmetics?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll use them until next year.¡± Awi checked the items in their pouches as they boarded the van. Ian fastened his seat belt and turned on his phone to check the piled-up messages. ¡°Huh?¡± As he scrolled down a bit, a familiar person contacted him after a long time. (Kim Young-hyun) Ian ¨C 15:04 (Kim Young-hyun) Can you do a cameo appearance? ¨C 15:06 **** Kim Young-hyun finished a scene and went to monitor his acting next to the director. The role he yed was a young and passionate detective. ¡°Good job. Let¡¯s end this scene here. You worked hard.¡± ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡± With a short nod from the director, today¡¯s shooting was over. As the staffs cleaned up the scene, Kim Young-hyun bowed to the director and staffs and headed to the van. ¡°Excuse me, Young-hyun.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The director stopped him. He rubbed his nose awkwardly with his index finger and asked Kim Young-hyun. ¡°You know there¡¯s a scene next week where you go to a mansion, right? The part where the spoiled chaebol third generation appears.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Do you have any friends who can do a cameo appearance for this chaebol third generation?¡± ¡°A cameo appearance?¡± ¡°Yeah, I had already casted someone but he said he couldn¡¯t do it. Do you have any idol friends?¡± ¡°Just a moment.¡± Kim Young-hyun took out his phone and looked through his contacts. The director looked at Kim Young-hyun¡¯s phone screen with an expectant expression. ¡°How about him?¡± Kim Young-hyun showed him a talk profile of someone. He was an idol-turned-actor with a simr career as him. ¡°Oh him, I know him. He¡¯s okay but¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you like him?¡± The director frowned slightly on one side of his eyes. The person Kim Young-hyun rmended looked too old to y the role of a spoiled chaebol third generation. ¡°How about someone younger? They must have more free time these days because of COVID-19.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Kim Young-hyun nodded listlessly and scrolled down. A familiar name caught the director¡¯s eye. He asked casually with a sparkle in his eyes. ¡°Young-hyun, are you close with Awi too?¡± ¡°We¡¯re close. We were in the same agency.¡± ¡°What about Choi Ian? How is he?¡± ¡°Ian? He should be fine. I¡¯ll ask him.¡± ¡°You have good connections, Young-hyun.¡± The director had a hidden intention behind his words. Ian¡¯s stock was quite high among the acting-rted people, thanks to his short cameo and one-act y appearances. He was one of the rare actors in his twenties who had a good personality and acting skills. He was also mentioned as ¡®a promising rookie actor to watch out for in his twenties¡¯. As Awi¡¯s poprity increased, he received many offers for lead roles. ¡®He? He¡¯s polite, kind, and good at acting.¡¯ ¡®He has a unique interpretation of his roles and a strong presence in his short scenes.¡¯ ¡®I sent him many scripts, but he turned me down because of his world tour. He was perfect for the role, what a shame.¡¯ The favorable reviews from the directors and writers who worked with Ian also helped. And when Eiwon¡¯s Yeon-joon Seo, who was from the same idol group and of simr age as Ian, took the lead role and became a hot topic for his terrible acting, Ian became aparison point. ¡®It would have been perfect if Choi Ian did it instead of Yeon-joon Seo. He refused because he wanted to focus on his group activities.¡¯ ¡®Isn¡¯t it time for him to do some solo activities?¡¯ Ian had received many casting offers until then. But his agency had politely declined them. It might sound like a spoiledint, but they were worried that Ian would stand out too much in the group activities that were going well. ¡®Ian, do you want to act? You got a lot of roles.¡¯ ¡®I want to prioritize group activities for now. I can do itter when I have some time off.¡¯ And just in case, they asked Ian¡¯s opinion, but he also refused the offers, saying that he wanted to focus on his group activities. ¡®Do you know what Young-hyun is doing now?¡¯ [I don¡¯t remember well, but I think he was in a TVM drama or something?] Ian asked Park Dong-soo, who was sitting in the passenger seat. ¡°Dong-soo hyung, I got an offer to do a cameo in Young-hyun hyung¡¯s drama. Can I do it?¡± ¡°Of course you should if it¡¯s Young-hyun hyung.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget the beef.¡± The members cheered. Kim Joo-young, who was sitting behind Ian, also patted his back. Park Dong-soo turned around with his ears plugged from the loud noise. ¡°Do you want to do it too?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s Young-hyun hyung.¡± ¡°Um, can you ask them to send me the schedule first?¡± (Ian4) Possible possible ¨C 15:14 (Ian4) Hyung Dong-soo hyung asked me to send him the schedule ¨C 15:14 ¡°He said he can do it. He asked me to tell him the schedule. Should I give him Awi¡¯s manager hyung¡¯s contact?¡± ¡°Wow, great.¡± Yes! The director clenched his fist secretly. Chapter 114: Chapter 114: I¡¯m a licensed teacher now.?? Thanks to gxytl, trantormunity and readers for your support.?? You helped me pass my exam with confidence. As a token of gratitude, I¡¯ll give 5 chapters each for my novels today. Enjoy??! Chapter 114 He wasn¡¯t a good actor. At the TVM drama ¡®Detective¡¯ shooting site, Ian got off the van and saw Kim Young-hyun waiting for him in front. ¡°Hyung!¡± ¡°Ian, long time no see.¡± Ian and Kim Young-hyun greeted each other with a light shoulder bump. They had kept in touch asionally, but this was the first time they met face to face since the beef incident. ¡°Were you waiting for me?¡± ¡°I had some free time. Let¡¯s go.¡± The broadcastingpany had high expectations for the drama, so they had built arge set in a big building. Some staff members passed by Ian and covered their mouths with their hands. Ian made eye contact with each of them and greeted them. ¡°Did Dong-soo hyung note?¡± ¡°Well, Tae-woong went to shoot a pictorial. He¡¯s there.¡± ¡°That¡¯s too bad. It would be nice if Tae-woong was also in the drama.¡± ¡°We¡¯re starting to do our own activities, I guess. The trainees are also forming a debut group¡­¡± ¡°A debut group? Oh, it¡¯s about time for them toe out.¡± Ian shrugged his shoulders. There was a limit to group activities in the corona era. Meanwhile, Awi, who had left their rookie days behind, were slowly adding individual activities for each member. Jo Tae-woong was also starting to receive scripts, and Lee Joo-hyuk and Park Jin-hyuk were preparing songs at Blue Mix¡¯s studio. Park Seo-dam had risen to the top of the music show MC list. ¡°Hyung, the members are asking when you have time.¡± ¡°Why? Oh, did you get your settlement?¡± ¡°You¡¯re so quick to notice.¡± ¡°You guys are not the type to just eat and shut up.¡± Kim Young-hyun had asionally taken care of the Awi members before their debut, but they were not the type to just receive. They would give him a small candy bar or something as a token of gratitude. Kim Young-hyun smiled yfully. He, who had started his solo career, looked much brighter than when he had dinner with Jung Se-jun. ¡°Let¡¯s see each other soon. With Se-jun.¡± ¡°Hyung, Joo-hyuk said you have to get the exact date and time. If I don¡¯t get it, I can¡¯t go back to the dorm.¡± Ian was determined to set a date today. Kim Young-hyunughed at Ian¡¯s serious expression. ¡°Really? I¡¯ll let you know after the shooting is over. There¡¯s the director over there.¡± Just then, the director came walking over with the assistant director from the other side. Ian bowed his waist and approached the director to greet him. ¡°Hello, director.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you, I¡¯m Ham Ki-ju.¡± ¡°Thank you for having me.¡± I should be more grateful. Ham Ki-ju, who had binge-watched Ian¡¯s few filmography, smiled contentedly. Ian headed straight to the powder room. The shooting was not done ording to the timeline in the drama. They shot scenes as they could. Today they were shooting an indoor scene at the police station, and tomorrow they were shooting a scene where they first met in front of the mansion. The shooting schedule was tight because of the difficulties in securing locations due to corona. ¡°Just change your clothes and wear what¡¯s here.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± [No wonder there was no talk of what clothes to wear¡­ They¡¯re all sponsored.] Ian went into the dressing room and changed his clothes. As expected, Jin, who was materialistic, noticed the sponsored outfits first. [Wow, this is a luxury brand. How did they get sponsored?] It was a suit from a fairly well-known brand that suited his role as a third-generation chaebol. Ian wore cufflinks and a watch and put on his shoes. ¡°Where should I put my clothes?¡± ¡°Just leave them here. Thank you.¡± The staff smiled broadly. Sometimes there were celebrities who didn¡¯t even take their own clothes out of the dressing room after changing. At times like this, the coordinator or staff had to carry their clothes out and keep them well until they changed backter. It was very annoying for them who had other things to do as well. The staff looked at Ian with a surprised look. ¡°I¡¯m not used to wearing these clothes except for awards ceremonies.¡± ¡°You look good in them.¡± Some staff members who had finished their lunch and had some spare time watched Ian get his hair and makeup done. ¡°Is that him?¡± ¡°He¡¯s handsome.¡± Whether they whispered or talked behind him, Ian looked at his face reflected in the mirror and tilted his angle this way and that. ¡®How should I act as an arrogant brat of a chaebol?¡¯ He frowned and then rxed his facial muscles with a smile. As he touched his hair, Ian changed his voice tone and loosened his throat. ¡°I¡¯ll start shooting soon.¡± Ian followed the staff with his hair neatly swept back on one side. ¡®If I¡¯m a chaebol, I have a lot of money and nothing to fear in the world¡­ Let¡¯s start with changing my walk.¡¯ [Oh, he looks like someone I saw at a club.] ¡®Really? Is that good?¡¯ In the drama, Kim Young-hyun yed a passionate detective who brought Ian to the police station with only a suspicion. He had a guilty conscience that made him follow him to the police station. He also had to be somewhat stupid. Ian followed the staff and studied how to walk. ¡®He put his hand in his pocket and thought about unbuttoning one of his buttons. Should he turn his neck here?¡¯ The director¡¯s eyes sparkled as he saw Ian walking towards him. He was not swaggering, but he had a confident and stylish posture. The director eximed in admiration. ¡°Wow, are you acting already? You¡¯re good.¡± Kim Young-hyun looked closely at Ian, who had changed his walk. ¡°Wow, look at the change in his aura.¡± That¡¯s where the acting starts, Kim Young-hyun nodded to himself. Ian, who received the attention of the staff, smiled awkwardly. ¡°Did it take me too long to get ready?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. We just had lunch. Let¡¯s check the route.¡± Ian and Kim Young-hyun entered the set. Ian sat next to Kim Young-hyun¡¯s desk in the scene and twisted his body to adjust his posture. As soon as the director signaled, Ian¡¯s eyes changed. ¡°Why did you go to H club in Gangnam two days ago?¡± ¡°Why do I have to exin to you?¡± ¡°Please tell me.¡± ¡°You know why I went there.¡± Ian lifted one corner of his mouth and snorted sarcastically. Kim Young-hyun sighed and lowered his voice. ¡°Where did you go with your group after the club?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you need to know that. Why are you asking?¡± ¡°Why am I asking? You know what happened to one of the people you took with you.¡± Kim Young-hyun mmed a file on the desk roughly. Ian flinched slightly and showed a surprised expression. Then he frowned as if his pride was hurt by being surprised. ¡°What? Am I a suspect? Be gentle. You know whose grandson I am. The more you do this, the harder it is for you, detective.¡± Ian sneered. He turned his neck slightly and touched his jaw. ¡°I¡¯m busy anyway, let¡¯s finish this quickly.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re from a rich family or not¡­¡± ¡°Being born with a good bloodline is also a skill, detective. And, this face is notmon either.¡± The director raised his eyebrows. Thest line was not in the script, it was an ad-lib. But it was a very fitting line for the character and the situation. ¡°You¡¯re really good.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you feel like Young-hyun is being pushed back?¡± ¡°¡­I can¡¯t help it.¡± The director liked Kim Young-hyun too. He was not like someone from A1S who acted with his feet, he acted decently enough in their previous work. ¡®It¡¯s a bit awkward, but what can I do? It¡¯s the director¡¯s directing problem¡­¡¯ He had been an idol for a long time, and he was not used to deep acting. So he sometimes let go of his dissatisfaction with his acting without showing it. ¡®Ah, but it¡¯s a pity. How should I set the direction?¡¯ But of course, when he put him next to Ian, it was inevitable that they would bepared. The director bit his lip. They exchanged lines and had a tense confrontation until Ian said the next line. ¡°Looking at you talking nonsense all the time, you¡¯re weird, aren¡¯t you? You can see where I went on CCTV¡­¡± Ian turned his head from looking at one corner and met Kim Young-hyun¡¯s face. ¡°You don¡¯t have¡­ any evidence?¡± Kim Young-hyun hardened his expression. Seeing that expression, Ian threw his head back andughed out loud. ¡°I was curious what you were going to say, but you don¡¯t have any evidence?¡± Ian got up quickly and stretched out his arm to roll up his sleeve. And he buttoned up his suit jacket so that the watch on his hand was clearly visible. ¡°That was intentional, right?¡± ¡°Well¡­ Is it a coincidence? It would be amazing if it was intentional.¡± The staff in charge of sponsorship eximed in awe. Ian brushed back his hair. The watch and ring sparkled in the light. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s worth putting in sponsorship.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Ian walked lightly towards Kim Young-hyun with a rxed mind. Kim Young-hyun got up abruptly and looked at Ian¡¯s face. ¡°Do you want to put me away? Come back with evidence. Don¡¯t waste my precious time.¡± ¡°¡­See you next time.¡± Ian tapped Kim Young-hyun¡¯s shoulder lightly. He acted condescendingly as if he was superior to him. Kim Young-hyun frowned. ¡°A.C.¡± Ian turned around and left the police station. Kim Young-hyun saw his back and kicked the trash can next to him angrily. ¡°Cut! Good job!¡± Ian quickly rxed his expression and bowed his waist. Kim Young-hyun clenched his fist and trembled. ¡°Wow, I almost hit him because he was so mean.¡± He felt like he had heard that somewhere before. Maybe it was High School 2017. Ian smiled awkwardly. ¡°That¡¯s why your eyes were good, right?¡± ¡°What good is it if my eyes are good? I feel like I¡¯m being dried up¡­ Be gentle. You¡¯re scary, bro.¡± Kim Young-hyun wrapped his arms around his shoulders and acted cute. Ian patted Kim Young-hyun¡¯s shoulder. ¡°No, you¡¯re doing well, bro. But um¡­ I think you can be more aggressive.¡± ¡°Really? I¡¯ll try to get some directing from the director.¡± Kim Young-hyun and Ian approached the director¡¯s side and watched the scene they had just filmed on the monitor. ¡°From here on, it feels like you¡¯re holding back, Young-hyun. You know that, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Ian, you¡¯re doing great. Young-hyun, you need to be more aggressive. You brought him here with confidence, so don¡¯t act like you¡¯re scared.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll try.¡± Kim Young-hyun gave Ian a thumbs up with a sigh of admiration. He agreed with the director¡¯s directing and Ian¡¯s opinion. After reshooting a few detailed scenes, Ian wrapped up today¡¯s filming. ¡°Thank you!¡± Tomorrow, they would film the scene where Kim Young-hyun and Ian first met in front of the mansion and the scene where Kim Young-hyun handcuffed Ian after finding evidence. Ian pressed his body against Kim Young-hyun. His phone kept buzzing with messages from his group chat with his friends. (Lee Joo-hyuk2) Ian ¨C 14:49 (Hyun-hyun2) If you don¡¯t make ns with Young-hyun hyung right now, I¡¯ll change the password to our ce. ¨C 14:50 (Park Jin-hyuk1) For real ¨C 14:50 ¡°Hyung, hurry up and make ns. They keep asking me.¡± ¡°Really? Well then¡­ Manager hyung!¡± At Kim Young-hyun¡¯s call, his manager came over quickly. Jin, who was watching the filming site from afar, made a mechanical sound as he focused his camera. [Kim Young-hyun is not a good actor. I¡¯ve seen a lot of Director Ham¡¯s works, but why did he approve him? Is it because of hispany¡¯s influence?] Kim Young-hyun was not bad, but being with Ian made his standards higher. Chapter 115: Chapter 115: I¡¯m a licensed teacher now.?? Thanks to gxytl, trantormunity and readers for your support.?? You helped me pass my exam with confidence. As a token of gratitude, I¡¯ll give 5 chapters each for my novels today. Enjoy??! Chapter 115 Chaotic Cooking Show. ¡°Wait¡­! Wait a minute!¡± Ian shook off the police officer¡¯s arm that was trying to arrest him. He straightened his suit jacket and spoke politely. ¡°Let me make a phone call.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± Kim Young-hyun gestured leisurely. He had already secured all the evidence. Ian looked anxious as the situation turned against him and hurriedly dialed a number. ¡°Dad! Get me awyer!¡± Kim Young-hyun¡¯s backup fire, ¡®Detective¡¯ Awi Ian¡¯s cameo appearance ¡®Loser Chaebol 3rd Generation Acting¡¯ attracts attention -He acted well -I want to see him as a lead role now ©¸Lead role is impossible ©¸©¸Yeon Joon-seo: ? ©¸He¡¯s better than Yeon Joon-seo? ©¸Hey, don¡¯tpare my idol with other idols *** The next day after ¡®Detective¡¯ Ian¡¯s cameo footage was aired, Awi¡¯s amodation was visited by the video team from their agency. They set up the cameras. ¡°Today is Y-app cooking show, right?¡± ¡°Wow, there are so many ingredients.¡± The table was piled up with ingredients that they had bought in advance. Park Jin-hyuk put his arm around Kim Joo-young¡¯s shoulder. ¡°If we have Joo-young, the cooking show and eating show will be done in an hour, right?¡± ¡°We can finish eating in 10 minutes¡­ You¡¯re right, it will take an hour.¡± Kim Hyun¡¯s words made the video team producer smirk. Ian felt a bad feeling as he saw his smile. [There must be something.] ¡®It won¡¯t be easy.¡¯ The camera setting was done and the members sat on the chairs. The live broadcast was scheduled for 6:30 p.m., and there was less than a minute left. Ian turned on his phone and logged into Y-app. ¡°Is it on? Let¡¯s start!¡± ¡°It¡¯s on. Hello!¡± The members waved their hands as they confirmed that the broadcast was being transmitted properly. Awi, who was watching the fans¡¯ real-time reactions on their phones, looked at the camera. ¡°What are we doing today? Today we¡¯re going to do a cooking show.¡± ¡°Cooking show is easy if we have our food expert Joo-young.¡± ¡°Ian and Seo-dam can do the basics too.¡± Awi¡¯s older line, Lee Joo-hyuk, Kim Hyun, and Park Jin-hyuk said with a smile. Kim Joo-young crossed his arms and shrugged his shoulders. Park Seo-dam rubbed Kim Joo-young¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Shall we film Kim Teacher¡¯s Home Cooking today?¡± ¡°Sounds good!¡± ¡°Joo-young, I want to eat bulgogi.¡± They had already imagined Kim Joo-young making and eating the food and then having dessert. Of course, the producers were not so easy on them. ¡°The three of you who can cook to some extent in Awi, Joo-young, Ian, and Seo-dam, will not cook today.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Cho Tae-woong asked in dismay. The producer who answered ¡®It¡¯s not fun.¡¯ handed over a paper with a recipe to Lee Joo-hyuk. ¡°The four of you who are cooking beginners, or cookinies, will take the lead in cooking. When you¡¯re done, you can enjoy it yourselves.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ We¡¯re doomed.¡± Ian covered his face with both hands. Kim Joo-young, Park Seo-dam, and Ian were among the seven who could make food that was edible at best, not that good. On the contrary, the remaining four were utterly hopeless. ¡°You want us to cook for those guys who can¡¯t even boil ramen properly?¡± ¡°No, Seo-dam, we can do well if we have a cutting board.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a fact that you guys can¡¯t cook.¡± ¡°The fact is¡­ true.¡± The cookinies slumped their shoulders. The producerughed. ¡°You said you wanted bulgogi earlier, so you can make bulgogi. It¡¯s in the recipe.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Lee Joo-hyuk flipped through the recipe. There was indeed bulgogi. ¡°Oh, it looks easy?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t we just have to do this?¡± The cookinies picked out the ingredients one by one from the recipe, while Kim Joo-young, Ian, and Park Seo-dam stood idly by. ¡°Then what do we do?¡± ¡°You can just watch from the side.¡± ¡°Can we give some advice to the cookinies then?¡± ¡°Some advice is possible. But if you interfere too much, we¡¯ll penalize you.¡± The trio, also known as the know-it-alls, slouched their shoulders and crossed their arms. Then they tilted their chins up arrogantly. -Wow, look at that arm-crossing choreography -Are they twins or what lol The live chat was flooded with emoticons of admiration for their synchronized action. ¡°Do we only have to make bulgogi?¡± ¡°What else is there¡­ pancakes?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t joke around with food, PD-nim.¡± Jo Tae-woong frowned. Lee Ju-hyuk gave a wry smile at the irrelevant menu selection. ¡°That¡¯s so random. What do bulgogi and pancakes have inmon? They don¡¯t even go well together¡­¡± ¡°They can both go in your mouth?¡± ¡°Enough with the chit-chat and start cooking, please.¡± Kim Ju-young pped his hands and urged the rookies to get to work. Lee Ju-hyuk opened the recipe and encouraged the members. ¡°Just follow the recipe and don¡¯t be nervous.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s divide the work. Hyun-ie hyung and I will do the bulgogi, and Too-hyuk hyungs will do the pancakes. How about that?¡± ¡°Sounds good.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s the meat?¡± Kim Hyun peeled off the meat packaging and put it in arge stainless steel bowl. He immediately looked for the seasoning ingredients, making Kim Ju-young sigh. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to drain the blood?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be the same when you cook it.¡± Kim Hyun said confidently as he brought some minced garlic. Meanwhile, Park Seo-dam got the recipe from the staff. ¡°It says here to drain the blood, you know?¡± ¡°I already had a bad feeling about this¡­¡± Ian shook his head in dismay. Kim Hyun said, ¡°If you¡¯re Korean, you need garlic.¡± He dumped a heap of minced garlic into the bowl. Ian asked anxiously. ¡°Isn¡¯t that too much garlic?¡± ¡°You eat garlic to be human.¡± ¡°Wow, when did you be Dangun?¡± Kim Hyunughed as he looked for the next seasoning ingredient. Jo Tae-woong raised his head. ¡°Where¡¯s the measuring spoon?¡± ¡°Here.¡± Kim Ju-young handed him the measuring spoon. Jo Tae-woong carefully tore open the package of rice wine as he stared at the recipe. ¡°He seems to be doing well, though.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pour the rice wine, hyung.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Kim Ju-young looked hopeful at his eager and focused face. Jo Tae-woong scooped up a tablespoon of rice wine. ¡°¡­Nope. Hey, Jo-tang, if you put less than a full tablespoon, what¡¯s the point? That makes using a measuring spoon meaningless.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Jo Tae-woong filled up the measuring spoon with rice wine until it overflowed. ¡°That should be two tablespoons now, right?¡± ¡°No!¡± Kim Ju-young grabbed his neck and fell back. He clenched his teeth and said. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t mess around with food.¡± ¡°Hyung, just endure it. This dish was doomed from the moment he didn¡¯t drain the blood.¡± Park Seo-dam stopped giving advice and resigned himself to his fate. He had some cooking skills because he had made meals for his siblings instead of his busy grandmother. ¡°Wait a minute, isn¡¯t that soy sauce for soup?¡± ¡°No! Stop!¡± Kim Ju-young was always serious about food, so he had some cooking skills too. Ian also had some experience from his previous life. They groaned as they saw Jo Tae-woong holding the soy sauce for soup with a bright smile. ¡°Why? It¡¯s soy sauce.¡± ¡°You have to use that one instead. Soy sauce for soup is saltier than other soy sauces.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Jo Tae-woong chuckled and picked up another soy sauce. His yful expression suggested that he was deliberately acting worse than he was to torture the know-it-all trio. Park Seo-dam rubbed his eyes andmented. ¡°Why am I so tired?¡± ¡°How are you guys doing?¡± Ian went over to Lee Ju-hyuk and Park Jin-hyuk who were making pancakes on the other side. They twisted their bodies to hide the frying pan. ¡°Don¡¯t look. We¡¯re going to make it again.¡± The more you tell me not to do something, the more I want to do it. The more you tell me not to look, the more I want to see. Ian squeezed in between them and saw the result of their pancakes. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°It was¡­ a pancake.¡± ¡°It looks like a twisted slime.¡± The other members who heard the rumor came and burned everything, leaving the pancake fused with the frying pan. ¡°Hyung, you can¡¯t always use high heat. It says so in the recipe.¡± ¡°Really? I thought it would cook faster if I did it hard.¡± Lee Ju-hyuk scratched his back of his head awkwardly. They had no chance to try again with low heat. Because they had already burned everything and there was no batter left. ¡°Can we eat something?¡± Kim Ju-young smiled bitterly. *** The three know-it-alls cleaned up the mess made by the rookies, and when it was impossible to salvage anything, they just cooked again. The members were hungry after the meal time passed, but Awi¡¯s chaotic cooking show was quite popr as entertainment. They easily got over 100 million hearts, and also made it to the SNS real-time trend with screen captures and clip videos. ¡°How about breaking your voice here?¡± ¡°What do you mean by breaking?¡± ¡°Ian.¡± Ian showed them right away. Lee Ju-hyuk pointed at Ian and said. ¡°Like this?¡± ¡°Oh, I got it.¡± Ian, who had some time left, came to thepany studio and checked Jo Tae-woong¡¯s vocals, and Lee Ju-hyuk was immersed in Jo Tae-woong¡¯s solo song work. The next album was a regr album, with unit songs and solo songs of the members added to make theposition more diverse. ¡°But why isn¡¯t Jin-hyuk hyung here?¡± ¡°He said he¡¯s going to a hip-hop show¡­ The meeting is taking too long.¡± ¡°Are you guys going to a hip-hop show again?¡± ¡°This time he¡¯s going as a special judge or something.¡± Park Jin-hyuk and Lee Ju-hyuk went to the hip-hop show together. Park Jin-hyuk went to the meeting instead of Lee Ju-hyuk, who was busy with recording work. Ian, who was thinking deeply, tilted his head. ¡®Wait, was there another hip-hop show besides N?¡¯ [There¡¯s nothing but N. I found out.] Jin, who had been sent to the meeting room, appeared. While Lee Ju-hyuk and Jo Tae-woong were absorbed in music, Ian turned his chair around and turned his back on them. [You guys can go back to N.] ¡®How?¡¯ I thought it would take at least two more years. Ian tried to hold back his expression that was about to loosen. [The rigged applicants went to jail and the bigwigs must have changed their minds. Because of Corona, NMA is likely to be held online, and if they want to sell paid tickets, they have to hire singers who are fairly easy and have a lot of fandoms. Media went to the army.] ¡®Ah.¡¯ In the meantime, Awi¡¯s fandom power both domestically and internationally grew quite a bit. [They originally wanted to hire only NMA, but your agency is not a pushover. They said, ¡®You guys did something wrong. The wrongdoer went to jail, so let¡¯s make up.¡¯ It must have been like that.] ¡®It doesn¡¯t seem like they just reached out for NMA ticket sales¡­ I guess they negotiated well, then we¡¯ll be able to go on music shows from the next activity?¡¯ [Yeah. They¡¯re also talking about aeback show. You guys got lucky with timing and luck.] Whatever the reason was, it was good news. *** Jo Tae-woong and Ian, who finished their work until dawn today, headed to the parking lot. Lee Ju-hyuk didn¡¯t make the members¡¯ solo songs lightly either. Park Jin-hyuk also joined in on the song work, saying ¡®Wouldn¡¯t it be nice if we all did well?¡¯ and taught rap to the members. Ian also taught vocals to the members whenever he had time. And this album also included a songposed by Ian. While waiting for Kim Myung-jin, Ian suddenly said softly. ¡°Aren¡¯t we too close as a group?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it weird for us to say that ourselves?¡± But we are close. Jo Tae-woong nodded his head. He heard stories from other groups, but there were few cases as close as Awi. Jo Tae-woong suddenly sparkled his eyes as if he thought of something. ¡°I want to see our bank ounts with billions of won in them after a fight and make up reluctantly.¡± Ian added a word to Jo Tae-woong¡¯s cheeky remark. ¡°I want to run out of the dorm after a fight and get on my foreign car and shout ¡®No one understands me!¡¯¡± ¡°Agreed.¡± Jo Tae-woong and Ianughed out loud. Chapter 116: Chapter 116: Chapter 116 Something feels uneasy¡­ Awi, the group, joins ¡®Hip Hop Kids¡¯ as special producers¡­ They produce for Jeon Woo-joon, the lowest-ranked contestant Awi will make aeback next month with ¡®Comeback Show¡¯. -Awi is on ? -OMG, I didn¡¯t see thising -I thought was impossible lololol awesome lololol Lee Ju-hyuk and Park Jin-hyuk, who joined ¡®Hip Hop Kids¡¯ as special producers, worked on the songs with the contestants. ¡®Hip Hop Idol¡¯ was also a survival program. Jeon Woo-joon, the contestant matched with Lee Ju-hyuk and Park Jin-hyuk, was in the lowest rank and had low self-esteem. He was in a state of apathy. ¡°Just do it your way,fortably.¡± ¡°Woo-joon, it¡¯s okay. You¡¯re doing well right now.¡± Lee Ju-hyuk and Park Jin-hyukforted the contestant and boosted his self-esteem. Jeon Woo-joon was able to get out of his apathy with their encouragement. ¡®Hip Hop Kids¡¯ Jeon Woo-joon ranked second in the second round¡­ ¡°Thanks to the producers, Ju-hyuk and Jin-hyuk¡± The song by Lee Ju-hyuk and Park Jin-hyuk was very good, but theizens¡¯ evaluation of them also increased as they raised Jeon Woo-joon¡¯s self-esteem, who was depressed. It was because they persuaded andforted him until the end, even though he gave up and showed an irresponsible attitude. Moreover, the dramatic human victory of the lowest rank made the show quite a hot topic. -Lee Ju-hyuk is awesome -I didn¡¯t like Jeon Woo-joon because he was a cker, but I felt sorry for him when I saw him reading hatements -Awi is good at teaching people, like Woo-sang Yooni too -When is Awi¡¯seback? -Holy shit they¡¯re going to MStudio -Awi is also on AMF? Although overseas travel was canceled due to COVID-19, it didn¡¯t mean that overseas activities werepletely blocked. Awi received an offer to appear on Japan¡¯s music show ¡®Music Studio¡¯, and they were on the lineup. ¡°Wow, I¡¯m going to MStudio.¡± In his previous life, only a few idols fromrge agencies had appeared on Japan¡¯s music show. ¡°Did MStudio lower its hurdle? Or did our poprity increase?¡± Of course, Awi¡¯s Japanese album sales must have been a factor for the offer. They had more than 150 cuts of video fan signing events for overseas fans, most of whom were from Japan and China. [Probably both. Before, Media went to the army and then they looked for ¡®Post Media¡¯ and invited other Korean idols. Especially in America.] And they also put their name on the poster for ¡®American Music Festival¡¯, which will be held online. ¡°How¡¯s the venue booking?¡± Thanks to that, the agency staff had a lot of work to do even though it was COVID-19. Seo Su-ryeon received a situation report every morning. ¡°We got an abandoned factory in Incheon. We also booked apany.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± The principle of Lee Byung-heon, the CEO of BHL Entertainment, was not to be sloppy even in rehearsals. The stage should be perfect and thorough, and he didn¡¯t skimp on the money spent on the stage. ¡°Our AMF venue is an abandoned factory, how about we make the stage concept like a mechanic? With something burning behind.¡± ¡°How about riding on a crane?¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s crazy. Ian¡¯s idea is awesome.¡± ¡°Ah, but it might be dangerous.¡± The members also exchanged opinions excitedly. ¡®American Music Festival¡¯, or AMF for short, was nning to prepare several stage sets like a concert. ¡°We don¡¯t have to prepare anything for our MStudio stage, right?¡± ¡°Right. The stage time is short.¡± Lee Ju-hyuk was disappointed by Jo Tae-woong¡¯s answer. He wanted to prepare more diversely since it was his first appearance on a foreign music show. ¡°If we had more stage time, we would prepare like an award ceremony. Too bad Dance Break got cut.¡± ¡®Music Studio¡¯ was not broadcast live in two ces. The pre-recorded stage video was scheduled to be broadcast. ¡°But it¡¯s almost a full song anyway. They¡¯re famous for cutting songs in half there.¡± Park Seo-dam, who was in charge of Japanese greetings, memorized the greetings tranted into Japanese. ¡°Seo-dam, but you don¡¯t have to memorize that. Doesn¡¯t it show up on the prompter?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to look like I¡¯m reading it. It¡¯s better to speak naturally.¡± Awi decided to focus on the stage set instead of giving up some of the realism. The busy ones were the agency staff. ¡°Cr¡­ crane?¡± ¡°The overall picture seems good, but¡­ isn¡¯t there a safety issue?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try to contact the rtedpanies.¡± The staff who were busy making phone calls sighed deeply. *** While preparing for the overseas stage, they also had aeback ahead. The Awi members went back and forth between the dorm and thepany practice room, focusing on the album work. ¡°MyKit is also making aeback two days apart from us.¡± ¡°Then we can meet at .¡± Miket returned to Korea just before the coronavirus outbreak and prepared for his long-awaitedeback. Coincidentally, Awi was also in theireback period, so they couldn¡¯t meet separately. This year, they met for the first time on a music show. ¡°Ian, you have pink hair this time?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not pink, it¡¯s grapefruit? or something like that.¡± ¡°Anyway, it suits you well. You seem to pull off any color, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Pink is the symbol of men.¡± Awi members changed their hair styles for theireback. Ian had pink hair with a hint of orange. Kim Joo-young went blonde, and Kim Hyun dyed his hair a vivid blue. Lee Joo-hyukughed as he looked at their natural hair colors. ¡°Our hair is so colorful.¡± ¡°But you can¡¯t bleach it twice. What if we go bald?¡± Ian still felt a burning sensation on his scalp and scratched his head. Awi, who had their hair done at the salon, went to a studio in Ilsan. It was for the pre-recording of ¡®Music Studio¡¯. Jo Tae-woong looked at Ian nervously. ¡°Do you remember the lyrics of ¡®FEVER¡¯ in Japanese?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s why we sang it like crazy yesterday and the day before.¡± ¡®FEVER¡¯ was Awi¡¯s debut song. It was also the song they were going to sing on M Studio, and it was also the title track of their Japanese debut album. The stage set up in the studio was decorated with metal sculptures on a clean white background. ¡°The stage is neat.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t the lighting too bright? This will reflect all our decorations.¡± ¡°We won¡¯t see our facester because of the light.¡± Awi members wore shy uniforms like their debut days and bounced lightly on the spot to warm up. ¡°Let¡¯s record the greeting first before the stage.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The members headed to the chairs prepared on one side of the studio. In the middle were Park Seo-dam and leader Lee Joo-hyuk, who would mainly speak Japanese. The light came on the camera, and the members greeted as a group. ¡°*Nice to meet you. We are who we are! We are Awi!¡± ¡°*We filmed a performance video in Korea for our first Japanese Music Studio broadcast.¡± ¡°*We regret that we can¡¯t meet you directly on our first Japanese broadcast stage, but we hope you enjoy it with us.¡± After a short greeting recording, Awi members headed to the center of the stage. They put in-ears in their ears to prevent the sound from echoing in therge space, and checked the sound of the microphone. ¡°We¡¯ll start recording!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± The members turned their backs to the camera, and the song started. At the intro, Ian turned around sharply and looked at the camera with a microphone. Ian¡¯s face was caught in a one-shot on the camera, and his shocking visual caused a surge in real-time reactions. -Who is the pink-haired guy? -He¡¯s cool! Not only that, but they also showed powerful choreography without losing their pitch. -Their voice and visual are so good -They are really talented -They are all so cool and dangerous The stage was broadcasted, and ¡®the person with pink hair¡¯ hashtag ranked third in real-time trends in Japan. *** After ¡®Music Studio¡¯ recording ended sessfully, Awi headed to an abandoned factory in Incheon for AMF live broadcast. The agency took the members¡¯ opinions and stacked containers in arge abandoned factory, and decorated the background with two cranes. They were going to light a fire on the main stage. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s really a crane.¡± ¡°We can do this, right?¡± Ian put his arm around Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s shoulder. At the end of the song, Park Jin-hyuk and Ian climbed onto the crane bucket. And they jumped lightly down and took an ending pose with the members. ¡°We hired a safety officer separately, so it¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°But do we have to do this? Don¡¯t we need wires?¡± Park Dong-soo and Kim Myung-jin looked at Ian and Park Jin-hyuk with worried faces. ¡°Hyung, it¡¯s an American stage. We have to go cool.¡± Park Jin-hyuk answered casually. Ian shrugged his shoulders. He didn¡¯t feel like he would get hurt. He was just worried about Park Jin-hyuk. Park Dong-soo seemed to think the same as Ian and sighed deeply. ¡°I¡¯m not worried about Ian, but Jin-hyuk, you make me nervous.¡± ¡°Hyung, I can do well too.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go for rehearsal!¡± The members rushed to the center at the staff¡¯s shout. The song started, and even though it was rehearsal, they didn¡¯t ck off on their dance and singing. After the climax of the song, Ian and Park Jin-hyuk climbed onto the crane and sang. And they jumped down. They got up from the floor and looked at the camera. ¡°Wow!¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Are your legs and ankles okay? Check them out.¡± The managers and the other members approached Ian and Park Jin-hyuk. They twisted their ankles and did some simple stretching. ¡°Are you okay? It¡¯s not that high.¡± ¡°I think we¡¯ll be fine like this.¡± Ian and Park Jin-hyuk looked surprisingly fine, so the managers were able to ease their worries. As the show time approached, the members changed their clothes and fixed their hair. They waited for their turn to perform in the center of the stage. Ian swept the floor with his foot and said to Kim Joo-young. ¡°Isn¡¯t the floor a bit hard?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s dirt¡­ It would have been better if it was asphalt.¡± ¡°Nothing will happen, right?¡± ¡°Of course not. We did our rehearsal perfectly.¡± Ian frowned slightly. He had no worries during the rehearsal, but he felt strangely down as he was about to start the real stage. ¡®I feel something is wrong¡­¡¯ He had never been wrong about this feeling. The show staff lit up the stage set they had prepared in advance. After a few minutes of waiting, the staff waved their hand to signal them. The members followed their routes. [It starts.] As soon as Jin said that, the camera lit up and the song started. -The stage smells like money -They are so good at live?????? -Don¡¯t they climb on that crer? ©¸Really? They finished their dance and song without any mistakes, and Ian and Park Jin-hyuk jumped off the bucket of the crane. They got up slowly from the ground and stared at the camera, while the camera light went off. A safety officer ran with a fire extinguisher and put out the fire. The members bowed their waists and greeted the staff. ¡°Thank you for your hard work!¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Ian also bowed his waist following Lee Joo-hyuk, then went to Park Jin-hyuk who had jumped off the crane next to him. Ian tapped his shoulder. ¡°Hyung, we rocked the stage.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s expression was not good as he forced himself to answer. Ian grabbed his shoulder. ¡®No way¡­¡¯ He was sweating profusely on his face, whether it was because of the stage or some other reason, and he furrowed his brows as if something hurt. ¡°Hey¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Hyung!¡± Park Jin-hyuk grabbed his ankle and copsed on the floor. Chapter 117: Chapter 117: Chapter 117 Let¡¯s focus on Park Jin-hyuk! AWY, Jin-hyuk injured his ankle during AMF shooting¡­ ¡®Emergency room visit¡¯ AWY¡¯s Jin-hyuk suffers minor ankle ligament injury, album release dy is ¡°under review¡± He thought there would be no problem since he had seeded lightly during the rehearsal. The trouble was that Park Jin-hyuk got greedy on the main stage and jumped higher than he did in the rehearsal. He twisted his ankle when hended. ¡°I¡¯m worried about Jin-hyuk hyung.¡± ¡°Are you okay, Ian?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± The six members who returned to their dormitory headed to the entrance at the sound of the door lock opening. ¡°Hyung, what happened?¡± ¡°They said the ligament ruptured. They decided to cast it for two weeks and see how it goes.¡± Park Dong-soo moved aside, and Park Jin-hyuk limped into the dormitory. He smiled sheepishly and lifted his injured ankle. ¡°I gained charisma and lost my ankle.¡± ¡°Crazy.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, it doesn¡¯t hurt much.¡± Park Seo-dam supported the limping Park Jin-hyuk. He sat him on the sofa in the living room and the members sat casually on the floor. ¡°But we did well on our stage. The reaction was great too.¡± ¡°Hyung, don¡¯t tell me you watched AMF at the hospital?¡± ¡°Yeah, why? You guys didn¡¯t?¡± We were worried about you. The members looked at Park Jin-hyuk with a disappointed expression. Lee Ju-hyuk sighed deeply. ¡°Anyway¡­ let¡¯s order some food today. Hyung, is that okay?¡± ¡°Today¡­ yeah, let¡¯s not worry about diet management.¡± They would have cheered and been happy if it had been normal, but they weren¡¯t happy with the delivery food they got as an excuse for Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s injury. ¡°What did thepany say? Oureback is not far away.¡± ¡°They¡¯re discussing it because of that¡­ but your opinions are the most important. What do you want to do?¡± ¡°How about we talk while we eat?¡± That sounds good. No matter how busy we are, we have to eat well. Park Dong-soo picked up his phone and called Kim Myung-jin who was waiting in the parking lot. Lee Ju-hyuk ordered some delivery food and came back with a tablet pad. He sat in the center. ¡°Let¡¯s monitor our stage from earlier.¡± ¡®American Music Festival¡¯ was broadcast live on MyTube and the clip video was uploaded right away. The AWY members danced to the music with a zing abandoned factory behind them. Their movements were perfectly synchronized and their live performance was full of realism. Jo Tae-woong and Kim Joo-youngplimented them. ¡°Who are these guys? Who is this handsome guy?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he amazing at dancing with blond hair? He totally turned the stage upside down.¡± At the chorus part of the song, Ian and Park Jin-hyuk climbed up on a forklift bucket and sang. The members gasped at their appearance captured in one shot. ¡°Wow.¡± ¡°Look at their expressions.¡± Park Jin-hyuk, who rapped with a frown and thick eyebrows, looked cool even to other men. ¡®At least he was cool¡­¡¯ [So what? They got paid peanuts for AMF and Park Jin-hyuk got hurt.] AMF was a famous festival in America, but this year¡¯s online concert was not selling tickets or viewing rights, but a free concert to encourage people in difficult times due to COVID-19. From the singers¡¯ point of view, they performed purely to raise their awareness. ¡°I¡¯ll make a frame out of that scene and reminisce with my Silver Town peerster.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll hug it before bed and reminisce about ¡®how awesome I was¡¯.¡± As Jo Tae-woong and Kim Hyun talked, the members on the screen lined up in a row. Park Jin-hyuk and Ian jumped down from the bucket and stood behind them. ¡°It seemed like a good jump?¡± ¡°Oh, I lost my bnce there.¡± The camera caught them in a full shot, with Park Jin-hyuk wobbling slightly at the end of their stage. Lee Ju-hyuk turned off the tablet pad and spoke. ¡°How was it? I think our choreography was awesome, don¡¯t you?¡± Park Jin-hyuk poked Jo Tae-woong¡¯s shoulder, who was sitting diagonally below him. ¡°Oh, Tae-woong improved a lot in singing. You should pay more attention to your expression now.¡± ¡°Okay, noted.¡± Park Jin-hyuk made an okay sign with his thumb and index finger. Ian followed up with feedback. ¡°Seo-dam improved a lot in live singing, but there was a part where she couldn¡¯t control her breathing while dancing, right?¡± ¡°Oh, there, I know. I thought I should work on that too.¡± Then, a lively exchange of opinions took ce among the other members. Park Dong-soo and Kim Myung-jin, who were watching, received the delivery food without disturbing their meeting. ¡°Overall, the stage was really good¡­¡± What good is a good stage if you lose something big? The members looked at Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s casted ankle. ¡°They said there won¡¯t be any aftereffects if he does physical therapy well.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief¡­¡± Park Jin-hyuk smiledfortably. As soon as the meeting was over, Park Dong-soo, who had ced the delivery food and dishes on the table, said. ¡°Guys, let¡¯s eat first.¡± ¡°Wow, we could have done it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. This is what managers do.¡± The members quickly sat down at the table and picked up their chopsticks. After eating silently for a while, they started to talk as their stomachs were filled. ¡°So, what about oureback?¡± ¡°Well, it seems like thepany is leaning towards postponing the release.¡± ¡°Is it okay? We don¡¯t have much time left.¡± ¡°Your healthes first.¡± That was true, but¡­ Lee Ju-hyuk rested his chin on his hand and sank into his thoughts. ¡°No, let¡¯s not postpone it. Postponing is too much. We have N4eback show, right?¡± Park Jin-hyuk put down his chopsticks and spoke seriously. He felt guilty for not being able to go to N4 because of ¡®Jujak¡¯, even though all the members agreed. Lee Ju-hyuk shook his head. ¡°Jin-hyuk, thepany also wants to postpone it. I think postponing would be better.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, really.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Park Jin-hyuk nodded his head vigorously. Lee Ju-hyuk didn¡¯t ask twice. Park Jin-hyuk was not a person who lied. ¡°Then what about our stage?¡± ¡°I can just sit on a chair. Other groups also had injured members sitting on chairs. We can do the full choreographyter at the concert.¡± Kim Hyun brought a tablet pad and turned on MyTube. ¡°Here, Jupiter also did it sitting down.¡± ¡°Oh my god.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Ian unconsciously pulled his head back from the sudden attack of the past. On other singers¡¯ stages, injured members also sat on the edge of the stage and sang. ¡°It¡¯s a bit disappointing¡­¡± ¡°Injured members are almost all squeezed in the corner, right?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± The three same-aged members of Awi, Ian, Jo Tae-woong, and Kim Ju-young hardened their expressions. The members groaned. One was sitting on the stage and the rest were doing choreography in the center. It didn¡¯t look very good. Kim Hyun also thought the same and tapped on someone sitting on a chair on the screen. ¡°But isn¡¯t it too separate? The dance and the chair? The overall picture is not very good.¡± Lee Ju-hyuk, who had been thinking about something for a while, snapped his fingers. ¡°Let¡¯s put Jin-hyuk in the center.¡± Park Jin-hyuk waved his hand. ¡°Hey hyung, if I¡¯m in the center, the picture will stand out more.¡± ¡°What about that chair? How about a wheeled chair? It might be fun to have a differentposition.¡± Lee Ju-hyuk said with sparkling eyes. A wheeled chair¡­ Ian made an ambiguous expression. ¡°Well¡­ It¡¯s fresh, but how do you do it with wheels?¡± ¡°I think it would be okay if we move ording to our lines.¡± The members groaned. It was a novel idea, but they couldn¡¯t imagine the picture of the stage well. ¡°Don¡¯t we have to control it well when we roll the chair? It would be weird if it rolls around like a pinball. We can¡¯t catch it. We have to dance too.¡± ¡°I think a wheeled chair is fine.¡± ¡°Do we need backup dancers? We have to consult with the choreographer teacher.¡± Kim Ju-young and Kim Hyun were positive responses. Ian tapped on the table with his finger. ¡°Excuse me, I can sit in the corner too.¡± ¡°Like Seo-dam said earlier, let¡¯s not make it roll well but make it heavy even if we use force.¡± The members ignored Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s words and continued to discuss the stageposition. A wheeled chair might look pretty good if they decorate it well. But do they need a chair? Ian suggested an idea. ¡°How about something like a pnquin? Like in historical dramas.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s add that for now.¡± Park Jin-hyukughed bitterly. He felt sorry for changing the choreography because of him. ¡°Guys, isn¡¯t the scale getting bigger and bigger? I¡¯m really¡­¡± ¡°Just stay still. I¡¯m feeling it now. The stage is going to be awesome.¡± Kim Hyun cut off Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s words. Lee Ju-hyuk summed up the situation. ¡°Okay, there will be feedback from the choreographer teacher, but let¡¯s do it this way for now?¡± ¡°Good!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s focus on Park Jin-hyuk!¡± Watching the members exchange opinions excitedly, Kim Myung-jin whispered to Park Dong-soo. ¡°So, are they not postponing the release?¡± Park Dong-soo smiled bitterly as he saw the members thinking about the stageposition before giving a definite answer to the manager. ¡°Guys, so you¡¯re not postponing the activity?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± After hearing the doctor¡¯s opinion, Park Dongsoo didn¡¯t try to stop the members who insisted on performing. He agreed with them that they wouldn¡¯t have to move too much on stage. Of course, he didn¡¯t expect them to recover quickly during the music show schedule. ¡°Hyung, I¡¯ll take a shower first.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Park Jinhyuk, who had be roommates with the cleaning king Kim Juyeong after a fierce battle, copsed on the bed. ¡°Why did I do that?¡± He twisted his body as he remembered the ident that happened earlier that day. In fact, if he had done as he did during the rehearsal, this ident wouldn¡¯t have happened. He thought it would be cool if he jumped higher from here. That was the root of the problem. -Jinhyuk oppa, don¡¯t be hurt????????? -Oppa, it¡¯s okay if you¡¯rete???Take care of your health first???? Park Jinhyuk opened the fan cafe and stared nkly at the posts filled with his worries. As he scrolled down, his worries continued endlessly. Suddenly, he received a notification that Lee Juhyuk had posted a new message. [Juhyuk] AWYdom! Don¡¯t worry! (Photo) Jinhyuk¡¯s injury is not that serious. The official article will be out soon, but I wanted to tell you first. We decided not to postpone our activities. We will proceed as nned. We will change the stageposition, so please look forward to it. We will take good care of Jinhyuk! The photo he uploaded was of the members scribbling on Park Jinhyuk¡¯s cast after dinner. Thements increased explosively. Park Jinhyukughed with a deted voice. He thought they would put him aside because he was injured, but who would have known they would make him the center. The members who saw Lee Juhyuk¡¯s post appeared in the group chat. (Ian4) Ah ¨C 23:30 (Ian4) I was going to post first ¨C 23:30 (Hyunhyun2) You¡¯re so fast, hyung ¨C 23:30 (Hyunhyun2) I just had to press the write button ¨C 23:31 (Jotan3) As expected, the one with the earphones is different ¨C 23:31 (Lee Juhyuk2) ? ¨C 23:31 Lee Juhyuk won the bet on who would ess the fan cafe more often and do fan service. Park Jinhyuk smiled and posted a message on the fan cafe telling them not to worry. AWY (AWY) Jinhyuk ankle injury¡­ No postponement of album release. [Official] AWY, agency on Jinhyuk¡¯s injury ¡°Regr album activities will proceed as nned¡­ We will do our best to protect our artists¡± -They¡¯re not postponing even though he¡¯s hurt? Are they crazy? -Park Jinhyuk will get a lot of hate for thiseback????? -They¡¯ll ovep with my idols -Will they not y MyKit and Mafia game again? It was fun Chapter 118: Chapter 118: Chapter 118 It¡¯s going to be a fun stage today. ¡°Hyung, we¡¯ll hold you up, so just lift your feet off the floor.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Kim Joo-young pushed the chair where Park Jin-hyuk was sitting. The chair rolled smoothly on the polished practice room floor. ¡°Isn¡¯t it going too far?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t we need someone to catch it? We can¡¯t do our choreography.¡± The choreography, which waspletely revised by Awi after consulting with Seo Joon-young, was theireback title song. Awi was immersed in practicing for theeback show. ¡°This won¡¯t work. Let¡¯s ask for help from the kids next door. They¡¯re just going to stand as backups anyway.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk got up and left the practice room. He soon came back with the trainees from the next room. ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°Hi.¡± The trainees crowded in front of Awi and greeted them. Five people were missing from thest time they saw them. [They must have been cut from the debut group.] ¡®That¡¯s right¡­¡¯ Ian smiled bitterly as he didn¡¯t see some of the people he had recognized. They practiced together during the day, but now it was their own individual practice time. Lee Joo-hyuk said with an awkward face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for interrupting your practice.¡± The trainees said it was okay and looked even more embarrassed. The trainees didn¡¯t have much to do in the choreography. They mostly pulled and held the chair where Park Jin-hyuk was sitting in the designated direction. ¡°Can you do it with us like before?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The trainees quickly found their ces. Lee Joo-hyuk yed the music and the members danced. After practicing the choreography three times, Awi members watched the practice video recorded on the tablet with a serious expression. ¡°It looks well synchronized. Thanks, guys.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll buy you some tteokbokkiter. You can go first.¡± The trainees smiled brightly and said goodbye. They left and Park Dong-soo came into the practice room. He looked nervous and restless. ¡°Guys, just a minute, suggested a setlist for theeback show.¡± ¡°A suggestion? Didn¡¯t we already decide?¡± ¡°Well¡­ they asked us to do ¡®Jujak¡¯. They want us to change some lyrics.¡± ¡®Why do they want us to do that?¡¯ Park Dong-soo muttered to himself with a puzzled look and the members looked at each other in surprise. Lee Joo-hyuk and Ian said. ¡°They suggested ¡®Jujak¡¯ first?¡± ¡°That¡¯s weird.¡± If there was no contribution of ¡®Jujak¡¯ to the audition program maniption scandal, it would be a lie. It was still amazing that they got to appear on , but they asked them to do ¡®Jujak¡¯? ¡®What are they up to?¡¯ [Isn¡¯t it some kind of self-deprecating gag?] Kim Hyun¡¯s past story and Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s creation of ¡®Jujak¡¯ were things that didn¡¯t happen in his previous life. It was a new event that happened because Ian joined Awi, so he couldn¡¯t expect his previous experience. ¡®Self-deprecating gag?¡¯ [We know about ¡®Jujak¡¯ and we made the culprits pay, so we¡¯re an open broadcaster who also reveals our dark history. Something like that?] ¡®Ah¡­¡¯ [The PD doesn¡¯t have a clue. The more you mention this, the more you get burned.] As soon as ¡®Jujak¡¯ came out on theeback show, the reporters who were booked in advance would spread articles. Maybe they wanted to create a humorous and satirical image of the broadcaster. It was a usible scenario. Theizens who were into fandom would be angry and say ¡®Don¡¯t make light of it¡¯, while the public wouldugh it off and say ¡®Cool¡¯. ¡°It would be funny if we sang ¡®Jujak¡¯ first when we came out.¡± ¡°We were going to make ¡®Jujak 2¡¯, right? Should we do that?¡± While Ian was pondering, the members were excited. ¡°How do we change the lyrics?¡± ¡°Delete this part about copying the same plot as the broadcaster and delete this part too¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s a lot to change?¡± Park Jin-hyuk frowned. Most of the other members were positive. But Ian and Lee Joo-hyuk looked ufortable. Lee Joo-hyuk exchanged nces with Ian. His eyes seemed to say ¡®You too?¡¯ and Ian nodded slightly. ¡°Can we refuse?¡± ¡°We already have a setlist, so I think we can refuse. How about using Jin-hyuk¡¯s leg as an excuse?¡± Park Jin-hyuk asked casually as Lee Joo-hyuk and Park Dong-soo talked. ¡°But isn¡¯t it better to do it?¡± ¡®Jujak¡¯ was a hit song that boosted Awi¡¯s poprity and music sales. It would be quite a buzz if they sang ¡®Jujak¡¯ as a signal for theireback on . Lee Joo-hyuk shook his head. ¡°No, I think it¡¯s better not to do it. There are victims, you know.¡± ¡°Victims?¡± Cho Tae-woong asked nkly, and Ian answered. ¡°He was a victim of maniption.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°If Hyuk didn¡¯t overhear the PD¡¯s conversation, he would have been a ¡®rapper idol¡¯ victim of maniption. I don¡¯t think we need to make this sound¡­ fun and cheerful.¡± All the members except Joo Hyuk, and even Park Dong Soo, opened their mouths with a realization. The broadcasting station wouldn¡¯t ask them to do ¡®ad-libs¡¯ so easily. Dong Soo, who had a simr guess as Jin, rubbed his chin. ¡°I felt uneasy from the start, but now I get it. I heard that the N maniption case didn¡¯t give properpensation to the victims.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s¡­¡± The members who were chatting excitedly became serious. Jin Hyuk and Tae Woong said. ¡°Let¡¯s refuse then. We don¡¯t want to look cool by calling out ¡®ad-libs¡¯ there.¡± ¡°Exactly. We don¡¯t need to help them clean up their image.¡± *** Awi arrived at Sangam early in the morning for the Neback show. Because of the coronavirus, thiseback show was also without live broadcast and audience. ¡°It¡¯s more fun with fans.¡± As Jin Hyuk sighed with regret, the members surrounded him as he got out of the van. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°We¡¯re protecting you, hyung.¡± ¡°Ah, stop it. You¡¯re embarrassing me.¡± Jin Hyuk sighed and touched his forehead. The members circled around Jin Hyuk and yed bodyguards. Even Joo Hyuk, the most mature one in Awi, joined in teasing Jin Hyuk. He was also an Awi member after all. ¡°Jin Hyuk is the star of today, you can¡¯t get hurt here.¡± ¡°Really¡­ I should never get hurt again.¡± Jin Hyuk covered his face with both palms. The Awi members who entered the broadcasting station shrank their shoulders noticeably. They had caused a huge ident thest time they came in. ¡°Wow, N, long time no see.¡± ¡°It feels strange¡­¡± Awi left their belongings in the waiting room and headed straight to the stage for rehearsal. ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± Some people greeted them as the popr boy group, but some also gave them displeased looks. ¡®Their eyes are sharp.¡¯ [It makes sense. The maniption incident was done by Kang Byung In PD, but the CP and other higher-ups got away with a p on the wrist. They probably still have some grudges.] Jin said sarcastically. Ian rolled his eyes as he felt tired already. Awi sessfully finished their rehearsal and went back to the waiting room to eat. The fans prepared a support for them as it was their first N broadcast in a long time, and it was bigger than what they had received before. ¡°Is this all ours?¡± ¡°We hit the jackpot.¡± The members opened their mouths at thevish food, dessert, and flower baskets. Each lunch box had a message engraved by the fans, and they were all different. Joo Hyuk took pictures of the support food and said. ¡°It¡¯s nice¡­ but it¡¯s a bit burdensome. How did our fans do all this?¡± [Fans just pay money and thepanies do everything for them.] It¡¯s not easy to pay money either. Ian ignored Jin¡¯s cynical remark and opened the lid of his lunch box. ¡°It¡¯s too good to eat.¡± Next to the borate lunch box, there were water and drinks, and Ianughed out loud when he saw them. The members flocked to Ian¡¯s lunch box. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°Crazy, look at this. A weird drink lineup with no normal choices.¡± ¡°Creepy.¡± Coconut drink, pine needle drink, ck tea and c-like drink. The lineup was full of Ian¡¯s bizarre drink preferences. ¡°I thought he was drinking these things as a concept. But seeing himugh like that, it¡¯s really scary.¡± ¡°A concept? He¡¯s real.¡± Jin Hyuk and Tae Woong shook their heads as if they saw something they shouldn¡¯t have seen. Ian smiled because of the fan¡¯s consideration for his taste, but he didn¡¯t deny it. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Kim Hyun found something in Ian¡¯s lunch box. It was a candy vored with pine needle drink. ¡°This candy came out too?¡± ¡°Yeah, want some? It¡¯s good.¡± ¡°You eat it yourself.¡± Kim Hyun pushed away the candy and looked for his own lunch box. After finishing their meal and changing into stage outfits, Awi was about to touch up their hair and makeup when someone knocked on the waiting room door. ¡°It¡¯s not time yet¡­ What is it?¡± Kim Myung Jin opened the door. A middle-aged man in a light semi-suit was standing at the door. ¡°Hello, this is Awi¡¯s waiting room¡­ You¡¯re here.¡± The members got up at the appearance of the stranger. ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you in person, I¡¯ve only heard rumors about you. I¡¯m Eom Kwang Soo, the CP of N.¡± ¡°Hello!¡± The members of Awi bowed deeply as they saw the CP, not the PD. Eom Kwang-soo chuckled. ¡°You don¡¯t have to greet me so stiffly.¡± [Eom CP? Never heard of him¡­ Is he the new CP who reced the Maniption CP?] The maniption scandal had been exposed sooner than in the past, and he was a person who was ahead of the curve. Lee Joo-hyuk smiled and said. ¡°Please feel free to speak.¡± ¡°Should I?¡± Eom Kwang-soo had an aura and atmosphere that was hard to touch. He offered a handshake to the members. There was no hostility in his eyes as he looked at Awi. He had a friendly expression on his face. ¡°You guys are handsome. You¡¯ll being to our broadcasting station a lot from now on, so I wanted to see your faces. I was also personally interested.¡± Ian raised one eyebrow. ¡®Personally?¡¯ [Probably a typical political fight. He must have gotten rid of his rival thanks to us.] ¡®I wonder if Maniption CP and Kang Byung-in had a lot of enemies.¡¯ [They did. They were involved with the headquarters and did a lot of politicking.] Anyway, it was not bad for Awi¡¯s position. If the CP was on their side, it would be a huge support for them. ¡°And¡­ my daughter is a fan. Can you give me an autograph?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± The enemy of yesterday became the ally of today. Even if it was dirty and cheap, the idol broadcasting content was something that N could not ignore. Ian quickly grabbed a magic pen. *** After having a friendly autograph session and photo time with Eom CP, Awi prepared for the stage by doing their hair and makeup and went up on the stage. ¡°Wow¡­ the set is so pretty.¡± ¡°It¡¯s awesome.¡± The members looked around thepleted stage. The broadcastingpany only handled the recording and broadcasting, and the set production and props costs were all borne by the agency. That¡¯s why appearing on music shows was always a loss. [They spent a lot of money.] And the agency did not spare any money for their first appearance on N in a long time. There were decorations made of crystals hanging from the ceiling,rge curtain decorations, andplex objects everywhere. ¡°How many songs are we doing on this set?¡± ¡°Two? Or three?¡± And this wasn¡¯t the only set. They would record several songs on this set and then make a new one. That¡¯s why theeback show was scheduled to be recorded all day long. ¡°Here¡¯s Jin-hyuk hyung¡¯s seat.¡± The members gathered around Park Seo-dam¡¯s words. There was a chair that blended the oriental pot and the western throne in a exquisite way at the back of the stage. ¡°Wow¡­ doesn¡¯t it look like there are more decorations than when we saw it before?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s amazing.¡± ¡°This stage will be fun.¡± The members were full of anticipation as they smiled at each other. Chapter 119: Chapter 119: Chapter 119 Will things get better next year? ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± After the annual cheer time with the trainees, the members dispersed to do their final check before going on stage. Ian saw Lim No-eul, who was wearing a ck hood and mask, in his sight. ¡°No-eul, are you ready to go on stage?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Lim No-eul, who had developed stage fright after falling hard on stage, had made a dramaticeback in the process of surviving the debut group. He was more afraid of not making it to the debut group than of going on stage. ¡®I guess you can do anything well if your debut is on the line.¡¯ The members walked around the stage to get a rough sense of the width. It felt different from watching the set from outside. ¡°It looks amazing up close, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Be careful with the decorations. If you go too far back, you¡¯ll hit your head.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a jewel missing here.¡± Kim Joo-young casually put a crystal ornament that had fallen off the stage set in his pocket. ¡°It¡¯s a shame there are no fans¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s no fun without cheering.¡± The empty standing seats looked especially empty. They were all feeling down about doing their first stage in a long time without fans. ¡°We¡¯re going to start recording!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± The members quickly took their positions, staring nkly at the empty space. *** All the lights went off except for the indirect lights, and an intro songposed by Lee Joo-hyuk for this stage yed. Backup dancers in ck clothes came out with gs and marched in sync. -So nervous -The stage smells like money -How can they be so good already???The stage is crazy?? The fans who were watching the live broadcast posted their real-time reactions on SNS, impressed by the grandiose stage and intro. The members wore leather shirts with colorful cloaks, and silver chain ornaments on their wrists and tassels on their waistbands sparkled as they moved. ¡°This universe is under my feet The world isplete because I¡¯m here¡± Jo Tae-woong decorated the first verse of the song. He held the microphone confidently, after receiving intensive training from Ian, Lee Joo-hyuk, and the vocal trainer. -Crazy voice?? -Tae-woong is amazing????? -Jo Tae-woong¡¯s singing has improved a lot, right? Then Kim Joo-young and Kim Hyun¡¯s pair dance and song part, and Park Seo-dam sang, but there was still one person missing. -Where¡¯s Park Jin-hyuk? -What? Why isn¡¯t he here? There¡¯s no chair either. -Did he hurt his leg and couldn¡¯te? Even when Ian sang the chorus, Park Jin-hyuk was nowhere to be seen. Then, suddenly, the mood of the song changed. Boom, boom, the sound of drums heightened the tension and the backup dancers moved busily. With the drum sound as a cue, Park Jin-hyuk appeared on a pnquin, swinging a long crystal ornament roughly. -Crazy Jin-hyuk????So cool?????? -The concept is insane???????? He had a cast on his left leg that was wearing shorts, but he had decorated it with crystals and graffiti art, making it look like a fashion statement. -Who knew he would show up like this -So badass???? Park Jin-hyuk held the microphone and did a powerful rap, and the backup dancers put down the pnquin he was riding in the center of the stage. The dancers hit the handles that held the pnquin down, separating them from the pnquin. ¡°Get out of my world Push you out of my world¡± Park Jin-hyuk crossed his legs and looked at the camera casually. He finished his part and kicked the floor with his uninjured right leg to spin his chair. He leaned backfortably on his chair and spun it until a backup dancer grabbed it for him. ¡°Wow, this is like my own living room.¡± He was clearly more excited because it was his first broadcast stage in a long time. The manager, Park Dong-soo, who was watching from the front, shook his head. Moving Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s chair to its designated position was mostly done by backup dancers, and the members performed their parts near him. -Who said Park Jin-hyuk would be put away? -The stage is lit up???? -AWY¡¯s song is good -I¡¯m not even their fan but I always watch their stage because it¡¯s fun. Fighting ¡®Ankle injury¡¯ Jin-hyuk, no stage storage¡­ AWY, ¡°Besteback show ever¡± ¡°Awui¡¯s Dazzling Comeback Show on NNet: Online Streaming Viewership Skyrockets¡± After sessfullypleting theireback show, Awui looked forward to a packed schedule of music broadcasts the following week. To celebrate, they enjoyed a rare meat feast. ¡°The CEO gave us his card to treat ourselves to meat,¡± one member eximed. ¡°Wow! King God Light!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t the CEO joining us?¡± The members cheered and jumped from their seats. BHL Entertainment¡¯s CEO, Lee Byung-hun, was busyunching the next male idol group to seed Awui. Hence, he couldn¡¯t join them for the meal. ¡°They¡¯re nning to debut next year,¡± someone mentioned. ¡°Already? Time flies. Do groups usually debut this quickly?¡± ¡°Our gap with ck Rush was longer.¡± Awui headed to a barbecue restaurant near their dorm. As they entered, diners murmured in recognition, even though they wore masks. ¡°Crazy, it¡¯s Awui.¡± ¡°Who are they, idols?¡± ¡°Wow, so handsome.¡± Seated in a corner with partitions, Awui eagerly devoured the side dishes even before the meat arrived. The managers at a nearby table frowned. ¡°What¡¯s this before the meat arrives?¡± ¡°Please refill the side dishes!¡± Thest piece of acorn jelly was imed by Jo Tae-woong after a chopstick battle. Kim Hyunmented with a nk expression. ¡°Pig.¡± ¡°Oink oink.¡± Jo Tae-woong yfully chewed his food. When the meat arrived, as expected, Kim Ju-young and Ian took charge of grilling. Lee Ju-hyuk sipped soda and said, ¡°I heard from Dong-su earlier that we¡¯re performing at a K-pop concert before NMA.¡± ¡°That¡¯s also hosted by NNet, right?¡± Ian asked, and Lee Ju-hyuk nodded. ¡°It¡¯ll be online too. Without fans.¡± ¡°Looks like we won¡¯t have any cheering this year.¡± Kim Hyun added while picking up meat, ¡°The fans would¡¯ve screamed when Jin-hyuk appeared earlier.¡± Awui¡¯s involvement in stage design was driven by thoughts of pleasing their fans. With no audience for so long, performing lost its appeal. ¡°The number of confirmed cases is decreasing. Maybe COVID will calm down before winter?¡± ¡°Hey Choi Ian, what do you think?¡± Asked Jo Tae-woong. Ian mumbled with a mouthful of lettuce wrap. Among the members, he was openly called a shaman. Ian furrowed his brows, reflecting on the past. ¡°Maybe things will improve next year?¡± ¡°Really?¡± There might be challenges ahead, but they could expect active engagements fromte this year and next year. The members nodded while eating, seemingly trusting Ian¡¯s words. ¡°You don¡¯t really believe that, do you?¡± ¡°You¡¯re a shaman. Your predictions are spot-on.¡± ¡°Heh, am I some prophet?¡± Ianughed incredulously. Kim Hyun said, ¡°You¡¯re right; you¡¯ve made small predictions before. It¡¯s amazing. How did you know?¡± ¡°¡­It came to me in a dream.¡± The members expressed awe. Ian thought he should be more careful with his words and casually sipped water. ¡°Is everything okay with your meal?¡± Just then, someone who appeared to be the restaurant owner emerged from the kitchen and approached Awui¡¯s table. He brought a te full of meat and set it down. ¡°Did we order this much?¡± ¡°It¡¯s on the house. I¡¯m a fan.¡± ¡°Wow, thank you!¡± The amount was generous forplimentary service. The members¡¯ eyes widened in surprise. The owner rubbed his hands together and asked, ¡°Could I request autographs and photoster?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Having received the meat, they couldn¡¯t refuse. Lee Ju-hyuk nced at Park Dong-su, who gave a slight nod. ¡°Of course, we¡¯ll do it when we pay.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± The owner beamed and returned to the kitchen. Taking photos and giving autographs seemed simple enough, but some people exploited them. ¡°It¡¯s good timing; we were about to order more.¡± Some would forge signatures without actual visits and promote their ces as ¡®Visited by Celebrity X!¡¯ Those people would imitate genuine signatures from ces like this restaurant. Lee Juhyuk distributed some meat to the managers and piled up more meat on his own grill. Park Seodam frowned and said. ¡°Hyung, you put too much meat.¡± ¡°Did I?¡± Lee Juhyuk smiled awkwardly. The fans loved the cooking show of Awi, which featured the rookies¡¯ rampage and the trio of experts¡¯ suffering. It was also rmended as a must-watch video for new fans. *** Awi¡¯s songs were released on the music sites, and they announced the start of their music show activities on Music Broadcast. -Today¡¯s bizarre music chart.jpg -Wow, there¡¯s nothing to listen to on the chart with all these idol songs -We seriously need a chart reform -I¡¯ve been listening to only the songs I like without looking at the chart sincest year Awi¡¯s songs were gaining poprity among the public, and with the fans¡¯ streaming support, they easily topped the music chart again. ¡®We really made a line.¡¯ Ian scrolled down slowly from the top of the TOP100 chart. Awi¡¯s album art was lined up in a row. Thiseback was a full album, so they had many songs, and even some old songs that were released before were on the fans¡¯ streaming list, making the line longer. -Now that Mydia is in the army, is it these guys now? I¡¯m sick of it -Why are they streaming other albums? -What do you care if the fans listen to them? Just filter them out -This was triggered by Watermelon Chart, what can we do? Comin to Watermelon Chart~~ This was amon phenomenon when they became popr and entered the big idol league. Ian felt strange doing things that he couldn¡¯t even dream of when he was a flop. He captured the lined-up music chart. ¡®Should I be d that we made a line before the reform?¡¯ Anyway, in the future, there will be a chart reform. And with foreign music sitesing into Korea, this bizarre phenomenon will be somewhat alleviated. ¡°You guys are energetic since dawn.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°No, I mean, we made a line with our songs.¡± ¡°Oh, I saw that too. We¡¯re awesome.¡± Jo Taewoong squeezed toothpaste on his toothbrush next to Ian. Ian stared at him for a long time. ¡°Why are you using this bathroom? Use your room¡¯s bathroom.¡± ¡°Hyeonie hyung is noting out.¡± ¡°Then I agree.¡± Kim Hyeon took a long time to wash up. Jo Taewoong, who overslept, failed to secure the bathroom. They stood shoulder to shoulder and brushed their teeth nkly. ¡°Are you going into a drama?¡± ¡°Yeah, I have a meeting on Saturday.¡± The music shows were conducted without an audience, but the drama and movie shootings were getting more lively. Jo Taewoong was cast in a webtoon-based drama ording to the schedule. ¡°Are you still reading scripts?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± The agency didn¡¯t force them to ept any casting offers. They left it to Ian¡¯s decision, so he could choose his worksfortably. He was carefully looking for scripts. ¡°I almost cried blood when I did the deliveryman cameo because of my image.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s good for imprinting your character.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± It might sound greedy, but he didn¡¯t want his filmography to be messy by going into any drama like before. ¡°¡­Are you having a hard time?¡± Jo Taewoong¡¯s face reflected in the mirror looked terrible. He was busy with theeback and studying his drama character, so he couldn¡¯t sleep well for days. ¡°It¡¯s tiring because it¡¯s based on an original work¡­¡± The more popr the original work was, the higher the expectations of the original fans were. Jo Taewoong¡¯s casting news stirred up mixed opinions among the intemunities. ¡°Ah¡­ What do they say? Cut off your inte.¡± ¡°You cut off yours.¡± Jo Taewoong kicked Ian¡¯s calf with his foot. Chapter 120: Chapter 120: Chapter 120 Don¡¯t call me hyung next time we meet. (Seon) Guys ¨C 15:46 (Seon) What¡¯s up? ¨C 15:46 (Hyunhyun2) Waiting room ¨C 15:52 (Hyunhyun2) We¡¯lle to your side ¨C 15:52 Awi and Maikit, who started with a mafia game, met again on a music show after a long time. Awi headed to the shared partition waiting room where Maikit was. They met in the hallway and raised their hands above their heads to do a vigorous high-five. Kim Cheolmin of Maikit pointed at Park Jinhyuk¡¯s leg in a cast. ¡°Theme one is the culprit!¡± ¡°Long time no see.¡± ¡°Are you okay walking like that, hyung?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all healed. I¡¯ll take this off soon.¡± Park Jinhyuk smiled. Although he was injured, it wasn¡¯t too serious, so he didn¡¯t feel much pain even when he limped. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we were on the same show.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe you got out of Japan. Choi Ian is scary.¡± Park Seon and Kim Cheolmin, who were the same age as Ian, whispered and nced at him. ¡°I decided to listen to whatever Ian said as soon as I got off the ne back to Korea.¡± Maikit¡¯s leader, Jung Jisu, added more fuel to the fire. Ian rubbed his forehead. Whether they meant it or not, Maikit and Awi surrounded Ian and sped their hands together in a praying gesture. ¡°We believe in you. Choi-men.¡± ¡°Choi-men.¡± ¡°Joo Hyuk hyung, even you¡­¡± The one who usually stopped them from being too noisy was Lee Joo Hyuk, but since everyone was quietly praying, he joined them in teasing Ian. ¡°Hello, seniors!¡± ¡°Yes, hello.¡± They awkwardly let go of their hands and bowed in response to the greeting of a junior singer. Jo Tae Woong widened his eyes as he saw the idols entering the waiting room non-stop. ¡°Why are there so many people today?¡± ¡°There are a lot of multi-member idols these days.¡± ¡°It seems like corona has finally died down. I see a lot ofebacks.¡± Park Seon leaned against the wall. There were seven members of Awi and five members of Maikit, so they couldn¡¯t stand in the hallway all the time. ¡°Let¡¯s not do this here and find a corner somewhere.¡± ¡°Shall we? Ah, you guys are lucky to have a separate waiting room.¡± ¡°Do you want toe to our waiting room?¡± ¡°Nah, that¡¯s too far¡­ We have to go on air soon.¡± Jung Jisu shook his head at Lee Joo Hyuk¡¯s offer. As they moved to a corner, another junior singer greeted them. ¡°Hello, seniors!¡± ¡°Yes, hello.¡± The Awi members mechanically greeted them and then paused for a moment. There was someone they had seen somewhere before in the back. ¡®Who is that? I¡¯ve seen that face before¡­¡¯ The man in the back pushed the person in front of him aside slightly and stood in front of Kim Hyun with a friendly smile. ¡°Hyun hyung, long time no see.¡± Ian put his clenched right fist to his mouth. It was an action to hide his open mouth. [They¡¯re Sky High.] ¡®That guy? Park Sung Hoon from YANG Entertainment.¡¯ Park Sung Hoon looked genuinely happy to see Kim Hyun, as if he had erased his memory of being a beneficiary of maniption. Ian exchanged nces with Jo Tae Woong. Jo Tae Woong also had his mouth wide open like Ian. He mouthed without making a sound. ¡®Did you hear? Awesome.¡¯ ¡®How dare he act like he knows him?¡¯ Jin circled around Park Sung Hoon with interest. [You have to have this kind of thick skin to be an entertainer.] Jin seemed to like him. He brought popcorn from somewhere and sat on Park Sung Hoon¡¯s shoulder. Kim Hyun crossed his arms and snickered. Then Park Sung Hoon alsoughed. ¡®Wow¡­ He¡¯s tough.¡¯ It was a suffocating battle of wills. Kim Joo Young joined Ian¡¯s side and watched the situation with excitement. ¡°Long time no see. How are you?¡± ¡°Yes, hyung. It¡¯s the first time since then.¡± ¡°Since then? We¡¯ve exchanged songs, you know. Don¡¯t you know ¡®Maniption¡¯?¡± Lee Joo Hyuk led the remaining members of Sky High to a corner, leaving Kim Hyun and Park Sung Hoon to talk. He didn¡¯t really want to stop Kim Hyun. He also dragged Park Seo Dam, who was standing nkly. Park Seo Dam whispered to him, ¡®Can we do this here?¡¯ ¡°Are you doing well? Did you debut for real?¡± ¡°It hasn¡¯t been long. You know PD Yeongwoo, right? I got a song from him¡­¡± ¡°Really? PD Yeongwoo is good at picking songs. But President Lim is too much. He kept you in the storage and finally let you debut. You were a trainee for a long time. As long as me, right?¡± Maiket was also aware of Kim Hyun¡¯s ¡®desperate discernment incident¡¯. He pretended not to notice, but his ears were open to their conversation. ¡°Speaking of ¡®rigging¡¯, I remembered something. The PD of the survival show we did together was also involved in maniption. The news came out. Did you know?¡± At that moment, cracks appeared on Park Seonghun¡¯s face, who had not lost his smile. ¡®Wow. Park Seonghun got busted.¡¯ ¡®Hyunie hyung is so cool.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s over. This is Hyunie hyung¡¯s victory.¡¯ The three same-aged members of Awi silently admired and made a gesture of cutting their throats with their hands. The members of Skyhigh, who were watching the situation, cautiously raised their hands. ¡°Um¡­ We have to go to the stage now.¡± ¡°Oh, really? I guess I held you too long. You have to go to the stage.¡± In fact, there was still a lot of time left for the stage, but he said it bravely because Park Seonghun¡¯s expression was not good. Kim Hyun twisted his body and made some space. ¡°See you next time.¡± Starting with Lee Juhyuk, the members of Awi nodded their heads and greeted him. Kim Hyun looked at Park Seonghun¡¯s back heading to the partition waiting room and spoke again. ¡°By the way, Seonghun.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me hyung next time you see me.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Park Seonghun lost his expression management and looked stupid. Kim Hyun said with a rxed expression. ¡°We¡¯re not that close, are we? You should call me senior. That¡¯s what you¡¯re going to call me next time, right?¡± The trio opened their mouths wide. ¡®This can be considered crazy.¡¯ ¡®He killed him for sure.¡¯ ¡®He¡¯s going crazy!¡¯ The reactions of the other members were no different from them. While looking at each other with their eyes as they left Park Seonghun behind, Skyhigh entered the waiting room. Awi and Maiket burst intoughter as they confirmed that the waiting room door was closed. ¡°Hey, take it easy. The junior must be crushed.¡± Lee Juhyuk poked Kim Hyun¡¯s side. Kim Hyun smiled awkwardly with a relieved mind. ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t know why I wanted to pick a fight with him.¡± ¡°No, hyung, it was a good show.¡± ¡°Kim Hyun, he should rap. He raps, right? He already won the diss battle.¡± Park Jinhyuk eximed and gave him a thumbs up. He had been fighting all along and Kim Hyun kept cringing. He thought he had let go of the past, but when he saw Park Seonghun¡¯s face, he couldn¡¯t stop his mouth from moving. Awi and Maiket headed to the end of the hallway and chatted excitedly. ¡°Mpany said they would do the Arimpic without an audience, but they ended up doing it as a game broadcast, right?¡± ¡°Oh, really? They said there would be a dating signal if they forced it without an audience, but in the end¡­¡± This year¡¯s Chuseok, ¡®Idol Olympics¡¯ came as usual and Awi was also scheduled to be on the lineup. Mpany couldn¡¯t let go of the Arimpic, which had surprisingly good ratings on holidays, but because of the coronavirus situation, they said they would do it or not, and finally decided to do it without fan attendance. Fortunately, it changed to an idol game broadcast and there was nothing to worry about. ¡°I knew it, coronavirus is not over yet.¡± Ian¡¯s words made the members of Mykit and Awi stare at him. They sped their hands together and prayed as if they had rehearsed it. ¡°Choi-men.¡± ¡°Man, he¡¯s gonna be a pain for life.¡± Howe Mykit, a different team, had such a good chemistry with him? Ian made a sour face. Suddenly, a big man called Mykit from afar. ¡°Wow, our manager is here. It must be time for the live show. I¡¯ll go first.¡± ¡°Already? Crazy, we have to go too. See you in the chat room.¡± They scattered and headed to their own waiting rooms. *** Mykit, who had finished their stage in the front order, had nothing to do until the announcement of the first ce, so they headed to the corner of the waiting room. There was a TV installed on one side of the wall in the partitioned waiting room. On one side, there was a pre-recorded live show, and on the other side, there was a real-time stage that was happening right now. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Hello, senior.¡± There were already some other singers gathered in front of the TV. Mykit watched Sky High¡¯s stage nkly after watching three teams¡¯ stages in a row. ¡°As expected, big agencies are different.¡± The stage looked like they spent a lot of money because they were from a big agency. And their shy choreography and song were impressive. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°He lost his bnce.¡± The singers who were watching the real-time stage muttered quietly. On the screen, Park Sung-hoon, who had finished his part, stumbled as he tried to find his formation. And because of that, he bumped shoulders with another member. ¡°Isn¡¯t this being filmed by a fancam? He¡¯s screwed.¡± ¡°There will be pre-recorded fancams uploaded.¡± ¡°He was so rude earlier. Serves him right.¡± Ji-soo made an awkward expression as he watched the juniors gossiping behind his back. ¡®How badly did he act to be public enemy number one?¡¯ And he thought Park Sung-hoon was quite something to elicit such a reaction. ¡°Awi is almost thest order.¡± ¡°They¡¯re the trend.¡± Park Seo-dam and Mykit¡¯s youngest line, Lee Chi-hoon and Park Jae-hyung, murmured nkly. ¡°I wish we could be thest order too¡­¡± ¡°Maybe we can if we get more seniority?¡± Awi and Mykit debuted around the same time, but they felt the gap from the broadcast order. Ji-soo smiled bitterly as he watched his younger brothers. Suddenly, the screen changed and a shy stage set appeared along with a song description at the bottom of the screen. It was Awi. ¡°Here they go.¡± The other singers seemed to be waiting for Awi¡¯s stage too, as they stared at the TV intently. ¡°Look at that stage. They spent a lot of money.¡± ¡°This ce is famous for pushing their singers.¡± ¡°I should have gone to BHL.¡± ¡°What would change if you did? Didn¡¯t you fail their audition?¡± A group of rookie members argued with each other while hitting their shoulders. The other singers ignored them and focused on the live show. ¡°They¡¯re really good at performing.¡± ¡°They have ss.¡± Awi showed off their shy choreography and moved to both sides, and then Park Jin-hyuk appeared on a pnquin. The singers uttered a low exmation of admiration. *** After the singers¡¯ stages were over, all the performers went up on stage for the first ce announcement. Awi, who was the candidate for first ce, naturally stood at the front. Someone grabbed Mykit who was about to head to the back row as usual. ¡°Mykit, stand behind Awi.¡± A staff member who knew Awi and Mykit¡¯s friendship quickly came up on stage and sent Mykit right behind Awi. The camera light came on and the MC proceeded with the first ce announcement. ¡°Yes, this week¡¯s first ce is¡­¡± ¡°Awi! Congrattions!¡± Fireworks popped and Awi members received trophies, bouquets and microphones from MCs as usual. ¡°Our Awi fans! It¡¯s all thanks to you!¡± ¡°Thank you to ourpany staff who always care about our stage, our manager hyungs¡­¡± Ji-soo stared nkly at Awi¡¯s back as they spoke their feelings. ¡®I envy them¡­¡¯ They became close through ying mafia games and they got along well like neighborhood friends. But every time this difference urred, he felt a distance from Awi members that they were different people. ¡°Congrattions.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Ji-soo tapped Lee Joo-hyuk¡¯s shoulder. After Awi¡¯s speech was over, only Awi remained on stage for an encore performance and other performers went down under the stage. ¡°Congrats bro. I¡¯ll talk to youter.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Kim Chul-min and Jo Tae-woong bumped shoulders and greeted each other. Ji-soo turned around and looked at Awi members who sang perfectly even without an audience for the encore live. ¡®I wish I could do that.¡¯ Ji-soo was thest one to go down under the stage. Mykit had once been number one on cable for robbing empty houses during the Olympics. And after that, they couldn¡¯t even dream of being number one. They smiled and congratted them on stage, but when they went down under the stage, they felt an indescribable emptiness. It was because of a bit of jealousy and envy. ¡°I wish we could be number one on public broadcasting too¡­¡± Park Se-on muttered with a regretful face. Chapter 121: Chapter 121: Chapter 121 It¡¯s been a while since they disbanded¡­ ¡°This week¡¯s number one is¡­ Awi. Congrattions!¡± On thest day of their music show activities, Awi won the first ce without fail and sang an encore song before going down the stage. ¡°How many video fan meetings do we have left?¡± ¡°Three.¡± ¡°That means this promotion is over too.¡± The members had some minor individual activities nned before the next album came out. Lee Juhyuk tapped Jo Taewoong¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Taewoong, you¡¯re going to start filming a drama tomorrow, right?¡± ¡°Good luck.¡± ¡°Bro, fighting.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Jo Taewoong answered weakly to the soulless cheers of his members. Since thiseback, they had reconciled with , and their music show schedule was full for a week. The music show was not the end. They also had to film a dance video for the broadcastingpany¡¯s MyTube content. ¡°It was nice to rest on Thursday.¡± ¡°Agreed.¡± Ian, who got on the van, looked at Jo Taewoong who was sitting in the back seat. ¡°Who¡¯s the drama director?¡± ¡°Yoon Hyunjoon PD. Why?¡± ¡°Just curious.¡± Yoon Hyunjoon¡­ He didn¡¯t recognize the name even after searching his past memories. ¡®Is it you?¡¯ [I don¡¯t remember well¡­] ¡®Have you lost your memorytely?¡¯ [¡­No.] Ian ignored Jin¡¯s sulky answer and sank into his thoughts. If neither of them remembered him, he must not be a famous director. He had a bad feeling ever since he heard the director¡¯s name. ¡®Something bothers me¡­¡¯ Actually, he couldn¡¯t do anything about it even if he was anxious. Jo Taewoong had already confirmed his appearance and was going to shoot tomorrow. ¡®It won¡¯t be a big deal.¡¯ Awi¡¯s van left the broadcasting station and entered a busy street instead of their dorm. Kim Myungjin parked the car on the roadside and said. ¡°Ian, have fun ande back. Don¡¯t forget to send me the location.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Put on your mask before you go.¡± Ian put on his hat and a ck mask and got out of the van. ¡°Ian, have fun!¡± ¡°Drink moderately bute backte.¡± ¡°Juste back tomorrow morning!¡± The members who verified Ian¡¯s drinking habits shouted from behind. They felt sorry for Ian who stayed at home even when he got a rare vacation and ate leftover holiday food. ¡°What are you saying.¡± Ian snorted as he looked at the members who were noisy until the van door closed. He wandered around the alley and headed to a restaurant without a signboard. Jin quickly approached the front of the restaurant and scanned the exterior of the restaurant with his lens. ¡®What¡¯s wrong?¡¯ [Wow, crazy. This ce is so hard to make a reservation¡­ Liminha, you filthy golden spoon¡­] He told the staff Liminha¡¯s name and headed to the corner of the restaurant. The staff opened the sliding door and Liminha, who was already there, raised his hand. ¡°Did youe?¡± ¡°What¡¯s this, why is it so fancy here? Let¡¯s just have pork intestines and soju.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t eat pork intestines. My taste is high-end.¡± ¡°You¡¯re ignoring pork intestines?¡± The male idol group Miracle¡¯s Liminha became close friends with him after saving him at the year-end music festival rehearsal. Ian sat across from him. ¡°Why did you call me to this high-end bar for some sensitive talk? You¡¯re paying, right?¡± ¡°Of course. By the way, I called one more person because he was nearby.¡± ¡°Who? Hey, how can you tell me that now?¡± At that moment, drizzle, the door opened. The person who appeared was Kang Juwon, who was from ¡®Project Idol¡¯ and I-One. ¡°Hello, hyung.¡± ¡°Hi. I didn¡¯te for nothing, right?¡± ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t matter because it¡¯s hyung. It¡¯s just that he didn¡¯t tell me in advance so I¡¯m pissed off.¡± Liminha was famous for being a troublemaker in the idol industry because of his natural appearance and family background. He wondered if he was trying to y a bridge role like Seohyun. Liminha chuckled as he noticed his mind. ¡°That¡¯s right, you had a dating rumor. A dating rumor without dating.¡± ¡°What?¡± As Kang Ju-won watched Ian and Min-ha bicker, heughed heartily. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Ian. Is this the first time we¡¯ve met since the airport and the music show?¡± ¡°Yes, it is.¡± Before the food arrived, they finished catching up and toasted as soon as the food and drinks were served. ¡°But, can I ask about Do-hyun? It feels a bit awkward to ask him directly.¡± ¡°Do-hyun?¡± ¡°I-One.¡± Was he talking about Kwak Do-hyun, who was second in Project A? Ian smiled bitterly. Kwak Do-hyun was someone Ian, then known as Kim Yong-min, had been somewhat close to during Project A. When they were both ranked low in the early stages of the show, they were even called a duo. ¡°Trainee Kwak Do-hyun! Your skills are improving rapidly. How do you feel about it, Kim Yong-min, our golden duo?¡± As Kwak Do-hyun¡¯s concept evaluation received positive responses, the gap in their rankings widened. Ian had hoped to debut with I-One but was eventually eliminated. Their contact dwindled and they naturally drifted apart. ¡°I heard his contract was tied up in a double deal? Some kind of transfer of rights to anotherpany.¡± ¡°That¡¯s shady.¡± ¡°Fortunately, he found out about it a week before it took effect.¡± As Min-ha excitedly discussed this intriguing topic, Ian quietly sipped his drink. He had been too busy with life to notice such things back then. It was regrettable. [It¡¯smon practice. Such contracts are often made secretly. Many entertainers probably fall victim to them without realizing it.] ¡°That¡¯s really dirty.¡± Ian poured more drink into Kang Ju-won¡¯s empty ss. The empty bottles kept piling up. But was it okay for everyone to drink this much? ¡°They even set up a paperpany to embezzle money.¡± ¡°That¡¯s crazy. Weren¡¯t there already manypanies taking their cut?¡± ¡°Many. N takes some, N affiliates take some, and the original agency takes some¡­¡± A paperpany? Ian was shocked that there could be apany worse than Diamond Agency. ¡°How did Do-hyun find out?¡± ¡°Our settlement and his were vastly different. Since agency settlement rates are usually simr, he initially just had suspicions¡­¡± Kang Ju-won took a sip of his drink. ¡°They hired a fan as an employee. The fan found out and passed the information to Do-hyun.¡± ¡°But is it okay to tell us this?¡± ¡°Do-hyun wants it to be widely known. He feels wronged.¡± After Kwak Do-hyun sent a legal notice, his agency started a vicious media y. They spread rumors that he demanded expensive amodations, had a terrible personality, and even had sponsor suspicions. ¡°It¡¯s going to be tough¡­ Thewsuit will take a long time.¡± Having experienced a contract terminationwsuit in his past life, Ian felt deeply for Kwak Do-hyun¡¯s situation. Kang Ju-won looked at Ian and thought he was a genuinely good younger brother. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m going through a tough time myself right now.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because of people¡¯s attention.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be happy about getting attention?¡± Not understanding, Min-ha looked puzzled as Ian spoke on behalf of Kang Ju-won. ¡°He was the top contestant in Project A, the national center. Plus, I-One dominated that year. Can you imagine how high people¡¯s expectations are?¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°But weren¡¯t your results good?¡± ¡°I thought they were really good¡­¡± After I-One disbanded and Kang Ju-won re-debuted as a solo artist, he downed another ss of drink. Ian deliberately didn¡¯t pour him more drink for fear he might get drunk, but Kang Ju-won grabbed the bottle himself and filled his ss. ¡°But people have higher standards for me. ¡®He¡¯s from I-One and that¡¯s all he can sell?¡¯, ¡®Why are his music rankings so low?¡¯. They say Kang Ju-won is on the decline.¡± ¡°Come on, that¡¯s just online talk. Other people don¡¯t think that way. They either don¡¯t care at all or¡­¡± ¡°Still¡­ I can¡¯t help but care aboutmunity reactions since Project A¡­¡± That program did have its issues. Ian also frequently browsed the inte partly due to his appearance on ¡®Project Idol¡¯. ¡°I didn¡¯tmit any major crime, but I got all sorts of insults just for making one mistake in recycling!¡± And the standards for ¡®Project Idol¡¯ alumni were particrly harshpared to other idol groups. Perhaps because of the image that they were chosen by the public, there seemed to be a tendency for people to feel entitled to control the singers. ¡°I even got hundreds of hatements for undercooking meat! And it was beef!¡± ¡°Just ignore them, bro. They¡¯re doing this because they want to see you react like this. You have many fans too.¡± ¡°Did I do drugs or drive drunk?! I don¡¯t even have a license!¡± Thinking about it made him angry! Kang Ju-won tore at his hair. Ian leaned back as Kang Ju-won¡¯s sudden burst of anger reddened his face. ¡®Is he the type to vent when drunk¡­¡¯ Ian took away Kang Ju-won¡¯s ss, but it was toote to undo what he had already drunk. Kang Ju-won hung his head and mumbled. ¡°It¡¯s been so long since I-One disbanded¡­ All over a 100 won text vote¡­¡± ¡°¡­Calm down, bro.¡± ¡°They still think they¡¯re the national producers¡­¡± With that, Kang Juwon copsed on the table. Lee Minha was already drunk and leaning against the wall, nodding off. They drank too recklessly. Ian looked at them alternately and said with a sigh. ¡°I can¡¯t believe this¡­¡± He hoped he wouldn¡¯t have to carry them both. *** Fortunately, his worry didn¡¯te true. When it gotte, their managers came to pick them up. The next day, after finishing the video fan signing event, Awi gathered in front of the TV in the living room. ¡°Today is Taewoong¡¯s drama premiere, right?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s watch it together.¡± The members excitedly switched the channel. The drama¡¯s opening was about to end. The scene exining the background of the drama passed by, and Jo Taewoong caught the female protagonist who was about to fall. The members¡¯ smiles grew wider as they got closer. ¡°Wow, Taewoong¡¯s entrance is so cool!¡± ¡°He¡¯s a fiery gentleman, a fiery gentleman.¡± ¡°Seriously! Choi Ian, you don¡¯t seem like you¡¯ll ever do a romance scene?¡± Jo Taewoong screamed in embarrassment. But his eyes didn¡¯t leave the TV. The members who had already read the original novel of the drama that Jo Taewoong was starring in also immersed themselves in the drama with anticipation. But as time went by, Ian had a puzzled expression on his face. ¡®¡­Something is weird.¡¯ Ian, who had also read the original novel, felt that Jo Taewoong¡¯s character was somehow strange. It wasn¡¯t that Jo Taewoong couldn¡¯t interpret his character, but he seemed to be floating somewhere. Was his acting like that? Ian tilted his head. Jo Taewoong suddenly got up. ¡°I¡¯ll go to my room to watch it,¡± said Jo Tae-woong. ¡°Why? Let¡¯s watch it together,¡± replied another member. ¡°It¡¯s hard to concentrate with everyone being so noisy,¡± Jo Tae-woong exined. ¡°Is that so?¡± the member wondered. Despite the members¡¯ nonchnt attitude, Jo Tae-woong¡¯s expression was troubled as he entered his room. The drama, a mix of mystery and romance, seemed to make him ufortable. ¡°Mr. Tae-woong,e here,¡± called the director, Yun Hyun-jun. Jo Tae-woong had joined the drama ¡®Secret High School,¡¯ based on a webtoon about mysterious events at a high school. The director pointed at the monitor and asked sharply, ¡°This part here. Why is your acting like this?¡± Jo Tae-woong cautiously replied, ¡°I thought it would be better to do it this way based on the original work.¡± ¡°Mr. Tae-woong,¡± sighed Yun Hyun-jun. ¡°If we stick to the original, it won¡¯t be fun. Dramatic adaptation is necessary. Why are you acting like an amateur?¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s follow the director¡¯s guidance. You were good as a child actor, but why this now? Just because you¡¯re a sessful idol, you think the director¡¯s words are a joke?¡± ¡°¡­No,¡± Jo Tae-woong replied, clenching his fist in frustration at the mention of his group. *** Entering his room, Jo Tae-woong copsed onto his bed. ¡°Can¡¯t act at all? Wasn¡¯t he a child actor?¡± ¡°Such a letdown for fans of the original work.¡± ¡°Is it the director¡¯s directing or Jo Tae-woong¡¯s acting?¡± ¡°Honestly, he was only good as a child actor. There are plenty of better adult actors.¡± Jo Tae-woong put down his phone after reading the live reactions online. Covering his face with both hands, he gritted his teeth in anger and frustration. ¡°Damn it¡­¡± Chapter 122: Chapter 122: Chapter 122 From now on, it¡¯s our business. (Kang Juwon) Ian, I was really drunk yesterday ¨C 09:13 (Kang Juwon) Did I say anything stupid? ¨C 09:13 (Ian4) No, you didn¡¯t say much ¨C 09:15 ¡®He did say something that could get him in trouble if anyone heard it.¡¯ Actually, he said too much. But Ian decided to keep quiet to avoid Kang Juwon¡¯s tantrum. He sent a reply and turned off his phone screen and threw it on the sofa. [Kang Juwon, that guy¡­ He¡¯s too obsessed with the onlinemunity.] ¡®I understand his reaction, but he shouldn¡¯t care so much.¡¯ [He¡¯ll be eaten alive by the intements in no time.] The onlinemunity¡¯s feedback doesn¡¯t represent the whole public¡¯s opinion. Besides, the more negative feedback there is, the more popr he is. He needed to filter out some of it, but Kang Juwon was too immersed in it. Jin couldn¡¯t believe it. [He¡¯s being paranoid. What if he says something that anyone can hear on the inte?] ¡®Here we go again, who asked you?¡¯ I didn¡¯t ask and I don¡¯t care. Ian felt suddenly tired and pressed his eyes. Jin continued to rant. [He¡¯s only hurting himself by doing that. If he doesn¡¯te clean, he¡¯s done. He¡¯s famous enough to say ¡®Go ahead, curse me.¡¯ and still sell out his hats¡­ There¡¯s no celebrity who doesn¡¯t get cursed these days.] Jin clicked his tongue. Ian ignored him and looked at the door with a tense face. ¡®It¡¯s noisy, and Kang Juwon is not the problem right now¡­¡¯ Actually, Ian didn¡¯t care what Kang Juwon did or saw. But it was different if he was a member of the same group. The person who came out of the door was Jo Taewoong. He walked to the kitchen with a dark circle under his eyes. ¡°Are you going to shoot today?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Ian sat on the sofa and nced at the kitchen. Jo Taewoong opened the fridge and drank Ian¡¯s coconut drink that he hated so much. Kim Juyoung, who sat next to Ian and pretended not to notice, opened his mouth wide. ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡± ¡°See you.¡± Jo Taewoong took the script on the table and walked to the front door with heavy steps. His expression was gloomy. Kim Juyoung tapped Ian¡¯s shoulder urgently. ¡°Did you see? I¡¯m not the only one who thinks he¡¯s weird.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°He¡¯s crazy, right?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Kim Juyoung and Ian looked at each other until the front door closed. ¡°Why is he like that?¡± Jo Taewoong was acting strangetely. *** Jo Taewoong had a high self-esteem since he was born. He had risen to fame as a child actor who was admired by many, and he had also received attention from senior actors. He didn¡¯t overestimate his ability either. He had thought that he was in an awkward position in the group for his acting activities, and he had felt depressed for a while, but his skills improved gradually as he studied with his members. Thanks to that, he believed without doubt that ¡®I¡¯m not so bad.¡¯. ¡°I¡¯ll go again!¡± ¡°It¡¯s because of you, Tae-woong, that the shooting time is getting longer.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t act like that.¡± But he couldn¡¯t erase the feeling that Yoon Hyun-joon, the director of the drama he joined this time, was eating away at his self-esteem. ¡®Is this feeling not right here?¡¯ ¡®Did I really act badly?¡¯ It was strange that he only picked on Jo Tae-woong, not any other actors. ¡°Director Yoon is doing it again.¡± ¡°Tae-woong is doing well¡­¡± ¡°Honestly, I read the original work too, but I think Tae-woong has a better vibe, don¡¯t you?¡± This strangeness was not only felt by Jo Tae-woong. The other staff and actors, except for Director Yoon, also questioned the director¡¯s im. ¡°¡­Since the shooting time is getting longer, I¡¯ll just do as the director said.¡± ¡°Mr. Tae-woong, you have a good feeling¡­ It¡¯s a shame, but are you going to do that? Geez¡­ Director Yoon has such a clear self-opinion¡­¡± It was already a shooting that was carried out with only the minimum necessary manpower because Corona was not over yet. The longer the shooting time, the more tired the staff became. Jo Tae-woong had no choice but topromise. -I¡¯m a fan of the original work, but am I the only one who doesn¡¯t like Jo Tae-woong? He¡¯s an idol but he was a child actor and he acted well in his old works so I thought he would do well in Secret too but he seems to be bad at character interpretation ©¸It¡¯s really annoying?? ©¸Honestly, I think he got the popr character with his group¡¯s poprity?? Idols often mess up as actors -This board has very high standards. He¡¯s better than Yeon-jun Seo, isn¡¯t he? He believed without doubt that ¡®I¡¯m not so bad.¡¯ thanks to that. ¡°I¡¯ll go again!¡± ¡°It¡¯s your fault, Tae-woong, that the shooting time is getting longer.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t act like that.¡± But he couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling that Yoon Hyun-joon, the director of the drama he joined this time, was undermining his self-esteem. ¡®Is this feeling not right here?¡¯ ¡®Did I really act badly?¡¯ It was strange that the director only picked on him, not any other actors. ¡°Director Yoon is doing it again.¡± ¡°Tae-woong is doing well¡­¡± ¡°Honestly, I read the original work too, but I think Tae-woong has a better vibe, don¡¯t you?¡± This strangeness was not only felt by him. The other staff and actors, except for Director Yoon, also doubted the director¡¯s im. ¡°¡­Since the shooting time is getting longer, I¡¯ll just do as the director said.¡± ¡°Mr. Tae-woong, you have a good feeling¡­ It¡¯s a shame, but are you going to do that? Geez¡­ Director Yoon has such a strong self-opinion¡­¡± It was already a shooting that was carried out with only the minimum necessary manpower because of Corona. The longer the shooting time, the more tired the staff became. He had no choice but topromise. He was also good at web surfing among his group members. He turned off his phone screen and sighed deeply after checking people¡¯s reactions to his drama. ¡®Am I really bad at this?¡¯ He groaned in pain. As he thought longer, he felt both inferior and rebellious. ¡®But that scene was what the director told me to do. It wasn¡¯t my choice.¡¯ He flipped through the script reluctantly. The script was worn out. There were sentences written densely on it, such as how to deliver this line, how to breathe here, and so on. ¡®What¡¯s the point of practicing like this? The director will make me do it again anyway¡­¡¯ He sighed deeply and closed the script while browsing it mechanically. *** ¡°That¡¯s what happened.¡± His members noticed his strangeness. They sat him down in the middle of the table after finishing the shooting. The members leaned backfortably on their chairs after listening to his story. ¡°Wow, damn.¡± ¡°Why is that director like that? You¡¯re not doing anything wrong.¡± ¡°That person is really weird.¡± He looked brighter than before thanks to his members who listened to him. Lee Joo-hyuk asked him. ¡°So, what are you going to do?¡± ¡°What can I do? I just have to do it as it is.¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. There¡¯s not much shooting left.¡± The only constion was that his role was a sub male lead who left a strong impression with a short appearance, so he had less shooting time than the main actors. ¡°You¡¯ve been through a lot, man.¡± ¡°Just hang in there for a bit longer.¡± While Park Jin-hyuk and Kim Hyunforted him, Ian thought deeply about something in silence. ¡®Yoon Hyun-joon¡­ Director Yoon¡­¡¯ He felt a chill when he heard the director¡¯s name. The members were talking bad about Director Yoon instead of him. ¡®I remember.¡¯ A director who had no talent or experience in directing and only survived on his connections. A director who was notorious for picking on someone and harassing them with his director position. [Wow, me too. I just remembered because he¡¯s so forgettable.] Jin spun around in midair. ¡®But why is he like that?¡¯ [Who knows? He¡¯s just a typical jerk. You know how some people with no ability and only connections act like that. They harass others to confirm their status.] ¡®You¡¯ve seen a lot of them, huh?¡¯ [No way. ¡®Idol rapper¡¯ Kang Byung-in is also simr to Director Yoon.] Was he? Ian tapped the table with his finger. He couldn¡¯t remember exactly when, but Director Yoon would disappear from the broadcasting industry soon. The reason was that he lost his connections, and after that, the actors and staff who worked with him exposed his misdeeds. ¡°Choi Ian, what are you scheming again?¡± ¡°I feel anxious but also excited when he makes that face.¡± Ian lifted one corner of his mouth. The members looked at his face with anticipation. ¡°Hey, Jo Tae-woong. Are you satisfied with just enduring it?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to use the script that¡¯s full of notes, are you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ true.¡± Jo Tae-woong felt wronged to back down like this. He prepared a lot, but he didn¡¯t want to give up like this. ¡°Just act as you think. Don¡¯t change it even if the director tells you to do it again ording to his directing.¡± The members shrugged their shoulders. Ian nodded his head with confidence. ¡°¡­Is that okay?¡± ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re not that bad, are we?¡± The staff would suffer from the nerve war between the director and Jo Tae-woong, but honestly, Jo Tae-woong¡¯s behavior was nothing more than cutepared to other actors¡¯ actions. Despite Ian¡¯s confidence, Jo Tae-woong had an ambiguous expression. He didn¡¯t know the future like Ian. ¡°Do you know actress Jeon Yoo-jin?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Jeon Yoo-jin was a top actress in Korea. ¡°Do you know what she did when she had a simr situation as a rookie? She acted as if she didn¡¯t know anything. You can find her interview on YouTube.¡± Park Seo-dam quickly brought a tablet pad and searched. (¡­¡®I don¡¯t know anything~¡¯ ¡®This is the best I can do~¡¯ I endured like that. Eventually, the director gave up.) (Wow, as expected of actress Jeon Yoo-jin. She had guts as a rookie. Thanks to her scene, her first work was a huge hit, right?) (It was luck~ I don¡¯t know how I did that now) (Then what happened with the director then?) Jeon Yoo-jin smiled silently on the screen. The reporter moved on to another topic naturally. [What do you mean what happened, she¡¯s trying to cast Jeon Yoo-jin.] The rookie actress who was ignored became a top actress, and the director was barely surviving as a director without any decent hit works. Eventually, their positions were reversed and he was struggling to get her. People¡¯s lives are unpredictable. ¡°Wow, how is Jo Tae-woong¡¯s situation exactly the same?¡± The director who Jeon Yoo-jin rebelled against was one of Yoon¡¯s connections. Ian turned off the tablet pad screen. ¡°This is our business from now on.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Even if we get into trouble for thister, it will be over if our group bes more popr than now. Like Jeon Yoo-jin.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± That¡¯s why he seeded like that. He became famous because he stuck to his will like that. Something like that. Kim Hyun agreed with Ian¡¯s words excitedly. ¡°Once we be famous, people will p even if we poop.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not poop anyway. It¡¯s dirty.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just an expression. Park Jin-hyuk, you¡¯re so naive.¡± Kim Hyun hit Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s shoulder loudly. ¡°Ow, I¡¯m sick.¡± ¡°You took off your cast a long time ago, are you still sick?¡± Ian ignored Kim Hyun and Park Jin-hyuk who were bickering and looked at Jo Tae-woong¡¯s face intently. ¡°How about it?¡± Jo Tae-woong actually wanted to push through as Ian said. But every time he did something, he endured and endured the sight of Yoon PD saying ¡®You¡¯ve changed because you¡¯re an idol.¡¯, ¡®Do your group members act like you too?¡¯. But there was no reason not to do it if the members said it was okay. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s try it!¡± Jo Tae-woong jumped up. Kim Joo-young patted Jo Tae-woong¡¯s back and cheered him up, and Park Seo-dam, Lee Joo-hyuk, and Ian pped their hands. Kim Hyun and Park Jin-hyuk who were bickering also stretched their arms to the ceiling. ¡°Yeah!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s teach him a lesson!¡± ¡°Director Yoon, wait for it. We¡¯ll be famous and smash everything.¡± ¡®Don¡¯t forget to follow him to the set and record it.¡¯ [Okay.] Chapter 123: Chapter 123: Chapter 123 ¡°Let¡¯s leave Ian out of this.¡± ¡°Cut! Tae-woong, are you going to keep doing this?¡± ¡°What did I do?¡± Director Yoon grabbed the back of his neck at Jo Tae-woong¡¯s brazen response. Tae-woong had started acting ording to his own character construction, following Ian¡¯s advice, which naturally filled every scene with the director¡¯s grumbling. ¡°Why were you doing well following my direction before, and now this?¡± ¡°I think I¡¯m doing well.¡± ¡°Are you trying to pick a fight with me?¡± ¡°Me? Against the director? No way. Maybe I¡¯m just in a slump¡­ I can¡¯t seem to do it the way you taught me. Why is that?¡± Tae-woong answered with a yful smile and raised eyebrows. The staff always bore the brunt of the power struggle between the supporting actor and the director. The assistant director whispered to Director Yoon. ¡°Director, we¡¯re running out of time. The next shooting location is booked for a short period.¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± Director Yoon threw the script roughly to the ground. Amidst the tense atmosphere, Tae-woong grinned, pretending to be clueless. ¡°Let¡¯s move on to the next shoot!¡± Director Yoon said irritably. He was furious at the reversed situation, as he used to rule through fear by singling out actors. It was toote to rece actors since several episodes had already aired, and Director Yoon felt the public opinion turning against him due to his recent unreasonable behavior. ¡°Let¡¯s move on!¡± The staff hurriedly started moving. Viewers were different now. They no longer judged based on appearances. Comparisons between Tae-woong¡¯s previous filmography and his acting in this work had already begun, withments like, ¡°Wasn¡¯t it always the director who couldn¡¯t direct? Maybe it¡¯s not the actor but the director who¡¯s the problem.¡± ¡°Tae-woong, are you okay?¡± ¡°Yes, hyung.¡± Amidst the icy atmosphere on set, Tae-woong¡¯s manager, Park Dong-soo, who had apanied him for the shoot, was also tense. ¡°As long as you¡¯re okay¡­ But still, try to control it well, okay?¡± ¡°Hyung, don¡¯t you trust me?¡± ¡°I do trust you¡­ but still.¡± Park Dong-soo fiddled with his phone, ready to record if necessary. In fact, Park Dong-soo had no choice but to witness Director Yoon¡¯s tyranny during Tae-woong¡¯s shoots. This drama was based on an original work, so the writer had little authority, and the director controlled everything. ¡°Noona, am I being too stubborn?¡± Tae-woong cautiously asked Min Yul-ah, who yed the female lead in this drama. They had worked together since Tae-woong was a child actor and had been open with each other since script reading. ¡°Not at all? Honestly, it¡¯s quite satisfying¡­ You know how notorious that director is? Working with him just confirms how awful he is.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Min Yul-ah encouraged Tae-woong, who was unfairly targeted by the director. ¡°But still, since the staff are suffering too, maybe do something for them at the wrap-up party.¡± Tae-woong nodded in agreement. In subsequent shoots, Tae-woong continued to act in his own way and yed dumb whenever Director Yoonined. Continuously performing the same scene with identical acting was also a skill. Ian watched the situation on set through Jin and smiled contentedly. ¡°He¡¯s doing well. How are the other staff reacting?¡± [The reputation of Director Yoon is so bad that opinions are divided. Honestly, it¡¯s amusing to see him get a taste of his own medicine. Why be so stubborn when there¡¯s not much time left for shooting?] ¡°Not bad at all.¡± Even if only for the staff¡¯s sake, how bad must one¡¯s reputation be toe to this? Ian felt relieved that he no longer needed to worry about Tae-woong. ¡°It seems Tae-woong has arrived.¡± Just then, the sound of entering a door lock code was heard, and Tae-woong arrived at their amodation. Hearing the front door open, Kim Joo-young in his room also headed to the living room. ¡°How was the shoot?¡± ¡°It went well.¡± Following Kim Joo-young, other members emerged from their rooms and bathrooms and gathered in the living room to check on Tae-woong¡¯s expression. Seeing his relieved expression instead of a gloomy one made Lee Joo-hyuk breathe a sigh of relief. ¡°What did the director say?¡± ¡°What could he say? He was furious. But since I kept doing the same acting over and over again and we were running out of time for shooting¡­ In the end, we moved on. But where¡¯s Choi Ian?¡± ¡°Here.¡± As soon as Tae-woong saw Ian sitting at the dining table, he knelt down and sped his hands in a prayer pose. ¡°Choi-men.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Ian also started to enjoy it. -The drama has be really interesting. -Tae-woong¡¯s eye acting is insane, isn¡¯t it? *** -What? He suddenly awakened ???? -So is Jo Tae-woong the culprit or not? ¡°I should have done this sooner.¡± Jo Tae-woong closed the script with a relieved face. Unlike before, when he was timid, he now had confidence and his acting improved. ¡°Cut! Well¡­ that was okay.¡± ¡°Shall we move on to the next scene?¡± The assistant director sighed in relief. As the reaction improved, Director Yoon also stopped nagging about the acting. Besides, thanks to Awi¡¯s poprity, there was talk of overseas exports near the end of the shooting, so the director kept his mouth shut. ¡°Tae-woong, aren¡¯t you happy that you transformed your acting in this drama thanks to me?¡± ¡°Uh, yes.¡± He was still unlucky even if he died. At the wrap-up party, Jo Tae-woong almost threw a gift at Director Yoon¡¯s face. Jo Tae-woong¡¯s drama was over. Lee Joo-hyuk and Park Jin-hyuk focused on making songs, and Kim Joo-young and Kim Hyun appeared briefly on a dance-rted show. Park Seo-dam was the MC for M Company¡¯s music show every week. ¡°Who here likes to y games?¡± And for the first time in a while, they had a group schedule: ¡®Idol Olympics¡¯. This time, it was an online PC game, so it was easier than thest Olympics, but it was still better to be good at games to get more screen time. All the members except Ian raised their hands at Lee Joo-hyuk¡¯s question. Jo Tae-woong made a fuss. ¡°You don¡¯t y games?¡± ¡°I only y phone games sometimes. The Olympics are PC games, right? I¡¯m not good at them.¡± He only yed shooting games or space RTS games on PC when he was Kim Yong-min. Nowadays, there were more mobile app games, so he yed simple puzzle games in between schedules, but he didn¡¯t enjoy them much. ¡°We have to decide who will y each game.¡± ¡°What are they?¡± Lee Joo-hyuk unfolded a paper. ¡®Ground Survival¡¯, ¡®Space Mafia¡¯, ¡®Rush Rider¡¯, ¡®Fall Humans¡¯ and so on. Ian had never heard of any of these games. ¡°First of all, ¡®Fall Humans¡¯ is a group game, and we have to choose who will y each of the others. You can y more than one.¡± ¡°I know how to y shooting games.¡± ¡°Really?¡± At Ian¡¯s words, Lee Joo-hyuk wrote Ian¡¯s name next to ¡®Ground Survival¡¯. ¡°I want to y them all.¡± It was more fun to y as a group than alone. Kim Hyun said he wanted to y them all, and Park Jin-hyuk, Jo Tae-woong, and Kim Joo-young also raised their hands. ¡°I want to y them all too.¡± ¡°Are you guys okay with that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a game.¡± They couldn¡¯t go home until the closing ceremony anyway. It was better not to look at their phones. It would look insincere if they were caught by the broadcast camera. It was also boring to just watch someone else y. Even if they couldn¡¯t y well, participating was one way to pass the time. ¡°Then I¡¯ll y them all too.¡± ¡°What? You¡¯re all ying everything? Can we do that?¡± ¡°If there are too many people, the production team will sort it out for us.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll y them all too.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk crossed out Ian¡¯s name that he had written next to ¡®Ground Survival¡¯. Then he wrote Awi for all the game categories. He rolled his pen back and forth and said. ¡°You guys don¡¯t have any schedules, right?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°Do you want to try ying them together? There¡¯s a PC room over there.¡± ¡°Oh, yes.¡± The members jumped up and went into their rooms. They changed their clothes and put on hats and masks. They left the amodation. ¡°We¡¯ve never yed games together before, have we?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve been to a PC room.¡± ¡°Really? You didn¡¯t even do it when you were trainees?¡± Ian looked at the members with surprise. He thought they would have yed games together at least once since they had practiced together for a long time except for him. ¡°When did we have time to y games? We were busy practicing.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°There won¡¯t be many people at the PC room, right?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s past ten o¡¯clock, the kids would have gone home, right? There won¡¯t be any.¡± They took the elevator down and headed straight for the PC room. Ianughed at their smooth navigation. ¡°You guys really wanted to y games.¡± Park Jin-hyuk and Kim Hyun looked sheepish. They had been checking the location of the PC room sign every time they came back to the amodation after their schedules. ¡°I yed a lot of games when I was in middle school. I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± ¡°What tier were you?¡± ¡°Me? Br¡­ Bronze.¡± *** The members snickered at Jo Tae-woong¡¯s answer. Jo Tae-woong shouted. ¡°Why!¡± ¡°How can you be proud of ying a lot of games when you¡¯re only bronze?¡± ¡°What tier were you then?¡± I guess bronze is the lowest rank, huh? Ian watched the members bragging about their gaming skills. Awi headed to the kiosk as soon as they arrived at the PC room. ¡®Wow, it¡¯s so clean. Are all PC rooms like this nowadays?¡¯ The PC room Ian remembered was full of cigarette smoke and a musty smell from the basement, and had a vaguely shady atmosphere. But the PC room now had fresh air and soft LED lights that made it feel like he had entered a cyberpunk world from a movie. Ian, who was at the back of the line, peeked his head out and watched what the members were doing. ¡°What? What are you doing?¡± ¡°Have you never been to a PC room before? You have to sign up and charge your time here. How many hours should we do, hyung?¡± ¡°Just do whatever, you guys seem to like it so much that you¡¯lle back again.¡± The members quickly finished signing up and charging their time. Park Jin-hyuk had already spotted a seat. ¡®Wow, in my time, you had to go to the counter and ask them to charge your seat number. Now you just sign up and charge and that¡¯s it.¡¯ [Old man¡­] ¡®Wow, they even take credit cards?¡¯ [Grandpa¡­] Ian felt embarrassed by Jin¡¯s pathetic voice and greeted the part-timer for no reason. ¡°Hello.¡± The part-timer who had been looking at him with suspicious eyes as if he was a celebrity gasped. Could it be Awi? The part-timer who was doubting covered his mouth with his hand when he heard Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s shout. ¡°Ian, over here!¡± The members who had lined up their seats waved their hands in the air. Luckily, there weren¡¯t many customers. ¡°Why am I in the middle?¡± ¡°You¡¯re a noob at games. We¡¯ll help you.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Ian sat between Kim Joo-young and Jo Tae-woong and logged in. Kim Joo-young took Ian¡¯s mouse and opened a window. ¡°You can order whatever you want. There¡¯s food ordering here.¡± ¡°Wow, what is this? Kimbap Heaven?¡± In my time, cup noodles were the best. He scrolled down and down but couldn¡¯t see the end. There were not only food but also countless kinds of drinks that looked like they came from a cafe. Ian stared nkly at the screen. ¡°PC room food is delicious. They even deliver these days.¡± ¡°Delivery? That¡¯s creative economy for you. There¡¯s too much to choose from.¡± The members who ordered their food stretched their hands. They looked like they could beat any pro gamer. ¡°Shall we bet?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s leave Ian out. He looks like he can¡¯t y games.¡± ¡°I can y well too, you know?¡± Ian felt somewhat wronged. Chapter 124: Chapter 124: Chapter 124 You¡¯re awesome. The office of BHL Entertainment was still bright, even though it was long past the closing time. ¡°Are our kids still not out?¡± ¡°They came out a little bit for the VCR, but they haven¡¯t been on stage yet.¡± The staff and Director Seo Suryeon were eating delivery food in the conference room for the live broadcast of K-pop CON. ¡°Doesn¡¯t the N logo look awkward?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe N reached out to us so easily.¡± The staff looked at the broadcaster¡¯s logo on the top left corner of the screen with unfamiliar eyes. Seo Suryeon was the same. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not our kids.¡± ¡°Are they reallying out at the end?¡± K-pop CON was an online concert thatsted for more than two hours. But there were less than 30 minutes left in the broadcast, and AWY¡¯s stage hadn¡¯t started yet. Theter youe out in the broadcast order, the more popr you feel. ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect them to rise so fast.¡± That was one of Seo Suryeon¡¯s recent catchphrases. ¡°Doesn¡¯t this ce ovep with another group from before?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that called a western concept?¡± ¡°It¡¯s steady, but it happened to ovep.¡± Seo Suryeon and the staff analyzed the stages of other groups before AWY came out. At the end of a few teams¡¯ stages, AWY¡¯s pre-stage VCR was finally broadcasted. They showed the world tour footage and overseas fans that they requested from the agency, and added the modifier of global boy group. [NEXT Stage : AWY] ¡°¡­This is really the end.¡± It was still amazing that N was the first to make peace with us, let alone take out the order to thest. Ian¡¯s face filled the screen. Ian held the microphone with his eyes downcast. ¡°Wow¡­¡± ¡°His face is crazy. It¡¯s frozen. It¡¯s frozen.¡± As Ian stared at the camera and sang the intro, the staff let out a small sigh of admiration. ¡°I sometimes think he¡¯s not a real person.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± ¡°How did Jumin bring such a kid?¡± Park Jumin, who brought Ian, was the team leader of the rookie development team. He had been roaming around the country for months, doing street casting. These days, he was taking a break as it was time to form the debut group for the next group. ¡°Jinhyuk is flying around.¡± Park Jinhyuk, who had taken off his cast, was running around with his members and dominating the stage. Seo Suryeon smiled happily. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing it wasn¡¯t a serious injury, right?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Ahh!¡± Seo Suryeon screamed. She didn¡¯t hear the sound of opening the door, but suddenly Lee Byunghun, the CEO, was right behind her. The staff sitting across from Seo Suryeon giggled. ¡°Ah, you scared me!¡± ¡°Did youe, CEO?¡± Lee Byunghun, the CEO, visited the office for the first time in a long time. He had been busy meeting investors forunching the next group. ¡°Do I have food too?¡± ¡°Here you go. I prepared a special beef rib soup for you.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Lee Byung-hun sat down with a tired expression. He had to meet with the investors. And the meal was apanied by alcohol. ¡°How are the investors?¡± ¡°They are doing well thanks to the kids. They all want to give us money. But I¡¯m dying because of the alcohol. My liver feels soaked in it.¡± He slurped the soup as soon as he tore the beef rib. On the TV screen, the broadcast ended with Awi¡¯sst song. It switched to an advertisement, which was Awi¡¯s cosmetic ad. ¡°Geez, I get full just by looking at them.¡± He said that, but he finished the beef rib soup in no time. The staffughed at his sight. The rxed CEO took out a paper from his pocket. ¡°Let¡¯s do this much for our investors for now.¡± Awi¡¯s earnings were reinvested in their activities without hesitation, andunching a new idol group cost more money than expected. Investment was essential. Seo Su-ryeon looked at the investor list that Lee Byung-hun handed over with a doubtful face. ¡°Didn¡¯t Yewenli say he would invest too?¡± ¡°I¡¯m wary of Chinese capital.¡± The CEO shook his head. Yewenli had pushed Ian as a trainer for ¡®Idol Uni¡¯ and had been sending BHL Entertainment cooperation proposals and investment intentions ever since. ¡°N also seems to have Yewenli¡¯s influence.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not certain yet, but it looks like it.¡± Yewenli was the sole heir of China¡¯s media conglomerate, Xinhua Media Group. As Chinesepanies often did, they couldn¡¯t control their overflowing money and were spreading it to Korea as well. They were also in a partnership with N¡¯s headquarters, Cpany. No wonder N, who fought with their agency every now and then, forgave the ¡®rigging¡¯ incident so easily. ¡°He says he¡¯s a fan of our kids¡­ I wonder if he¡¯ll get suspected of sponsoring them.¡± ¡°No way. I heard from Hee-jin that he¡¯s not that kind of guy.¡± ¡°You never know the evaluation of a close person.¡± Seo Su-ryeon closed her mouth. He was right. The vocal trainer Lee Hee-jin, who was close friends with Yewenli, was not even exclusive to thepany yet. ¡°¡­We have enough people who want to invest, so we don¡¯t need to include Yewenli.¡± She handed back the investor list to the CEO. ¡°By the way, what are the kids doing these days? Did you hear anything from Team Leader Park?¡± He asked with a yful look on his face. Seo Su-ryeon¡¯s ears turned slightly red. ¡°Games.¡± ¡°Games?¡± ¡°Yes, I didn¡¯t need to hear it from Dong-su. The kids¡¯ PC room sightings are often posted online.¡± She showed him the group PC room raid photo of Awi that was posted on an intemunity. -Met Awi while working part-time.jpg (Photo) Proof shot?? The night shift part-timer here likes Awi and said theye often so I doubted it but while I was working at night some big guys with bleached hair and hats came in and they looked like celebrities They bowed their heads and greeted me and I recognized Choi Ian even though he wore a mask and a hat because he was handsome ©¸Wow crazy?? Any more stories? ©¸©¸Choi Ian is really good at games The other members kept saying Choi Ian is crazy at games and Choi-men Choi-men at first I thought what? Hypnosis? Ham Choi-how many? Something like that but it turned out to be Choi Ian+A-mem One of them suddenly prayed so I knew ©¸Aww???Choi-men?????????Cute????? ©¸Awesome????? I want to see them too??????? ©¸©¸He doesn¡¯t make loud noises or use shotguns or swear even when the game doesn¡¯t go well so he seems to have a good personality ¡°Games? Like ¡®Gxy Craft¡¯ or something?¡± ¡°Do you think kids these days y that? They said they were practicing for Idol Olympics, but I think they got hooked on it.¡± There was nothing problematic in the sightings. Lee Byung-hun smiled contentedly. ¡°It¡¯s better than going to rooms and getting caught for drunk driving.¡± ¡°Of course. It¡¯s a healthy hobby.¡± ¡°Where did these kidse from?¡± Thepany wanted to give them more when the singers did well on their own. Lee Byung-hun thought about giving Park Dong-su another card to feed them meat. *** The members woke up early in the morning for the ¡®Idol Game Olympics¡¯ shooting and headed straight to the shop. As they chatted excitedly in the van for their first group schedule in a long time, Park Dong-su, who was sitting in the passenger seat, said. ¡°Guys, you should cut down on the PC room.¡± ¡°Why?¡± The members who were noisy closed their mouths at the same time. In the silence that came, Kim Joo-young, who had a devastated expression, made Park Dong-su hold back hisughter. ¡°I think fans will flock. People are finding out where you guys go to the PC room.¡± ¡°Oh really?¡± ¡°I went to the PC room nearby yesterday and saw some people who looked like sasaengs¡­¡± ¡°Where did you find out ande from?¡± The part-timer who became a fan of Awi swore that he would never reveal their location. Jin, who was sitting on Ian¡¯s shoulder, said. [It was the boss. He leaked it to boost the sales.] ¡®Of course¡­¡¯ He wondered why there were hardly any customers when Awi went to y games, buttely they seemed to increase. He remembered the boss who gave Awi a free drink. He promised that he would never tell anyone, but he looked nice. There was no one to trust in this world. ¡°You should stop going to the same PC room. Go somewhere else. Or better yet, why don¡¯t you buy aputer? I¡¯ll help you find one.¡± ¡°Should I?¡± The only person who listened to Park Dong-soo¡¯s words was Lee Joo-hyuk. Jo Tae-woong and Park Jin-hyuk, who got off the van, murmured. ¡°But isn¡¯t it more fun to y at the PC room?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go somewhere else then.¡± ¡°Hello!¡± The members bowed to the shop staff and headed to their familiar seats. ¡°Ian, hello. Your skin condition is good today.¡± ¡°Hello, hyung.¡± Lee Yong-joon, the makeup artist in charge of Ian, stood behind him. ¡°Are you going to the gamepetition today?¡± ¡°Yes, hyung. Why? Who came?¡± ¡°Min-ha just came and left, Miracle. You guys are close, right?¡± They didn¡¯t take care of only one singer at a shop. Sometimes they met celebrities who went to the same shop, and they became friends because of that. ¡°He said his contract with his previous shop ended and he came here.¡± ¡°Really? I¡¯ll see him sometimes¡­¡± ¡°But do you know what he said?¡± Lee Yong-joon chuckled. ¡°He asked me if I was good at games, if I would win. He said he was good, and Ian, you can beat him.¡± Ian snorted in disbelief. ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°Ah, hyung. I¡¯ll beat Min-ha. There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll lose to him.¡± ¡°You guys are really close.¡± Kim Yong-joon thought it was a mind game between friends and let it go. Kim Hyun, who was listening to their conversation from the side, said. ¡°Hyung, Ian is awesome.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°He said he didn¡¯t y much games, so we all went to the PC room and we all lost to Ian.¡± Kim Yong-joon eximed as he applied powder on Ian¡¯s cheek. Awi headed to the E-sports stadium in Sangam after finishing their hair and makeup. There was a photo zone with a red carpet from the entrance of the stadium, and the reporters were taking pictures of the singers who came first. And another idol group followed them to the center of the photo zone. Suddenly, the photo zone became unusually bright. ¡°Oh wow, they did cosy.¡± ¡°Awesome.¡± They wondered why the camera shes were so dazzling, and they looked at their clothes with regretpared to the game character costumes they prepared with care. ¡°Should we have prepared something too?¡± ¡°The stylist team would have liked it. They said they made cosy costumes.¡± ¡°That would be fun.¡± Awi watched the singers from inside the van. There was also an order for the red carpet that was broadcast live on Y app, and Awi was almostst. ¡°There will be a team match by group today, right? Who are the seven-member idol groups?¡± ¡°If there is one, we¡¯ll win. We have Choi Ian.¡± The members cheered for Ian. Ian shrugged his shoulders. He didn¡¯t know he would be so good at games either. ¡°Guys, let¡¯s get off.¡± Park Dong-soo got off and opened the door of the van. ¡°Yes, the people who just got off the car¡­ They are Awi, a male idol group!¡± As Awi got off the van, the MC who was in charge of the pre-interview on the red carpet shouted loudly. The reporters changed the direction of their cameras and took pictures of Awi from the van. At that sight, a group that was wearing cosy costumes in front of the photo zone smiled awkwardly and went inside the stadium. Chapter 125: Chapter 125: Chapter 125 Idol Game Olympics. (1) ¡°Yes! We are starting the first ¡®Idol Game Olympics¡¯!¡± ¡°An opening ceremony is a must for the Olympics! Let¡¯s wee the yers!¡± ¡°First¡­ the girl group Shy Girls!¡± As the MC announced, the participants entered the stage one by one. Since there were no fans in the audience, they sat down in the seats as soon as they reached the stage. ¡°Bro.¡± ¡°We meet a lot these days. Stop following us around.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it you who are following us?¡± Awi and Mykit greeted each other with a high-five. Jisoo asked Juhyuk. ¡°What games are you ying?¡± ¡°All of them.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°We wrote down everything we wanted to y in advance, but we don¡¯t know yet. We have to see the brackets.¡± ¡°Wow. Are you good at games?¡± The members of Awi gave a meaningful smile. Wouldn¡¯t they be good if they averaged out? ¡°We are good.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with this confidence?¡± The members of Mykit tilted their heads back and puffed their cheeks. When Juhyuk asked them what they were ying, the members of Mykit smiled awkwardly. ¡°Actually, we wrote down everything too.¡± ¡°Oh, so you are good at games too.¡± ¡°Not really. But it¡¯s better to y everything if we want to get some screen time.¡± If they lose, they can at least show their faces for a few seconds. Juyoungughed bitterly. Awi had a simr idea to Mykit. It was better to y as many games as possible to get some screen time. ¡°You and us think alike.¡± ¡°Maybe other idol groups do too? But you guys will get more screen time anyway, right?¡± Ian turned his head sharply and looked at Seon with a bitter tone. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°¡­Nothing.¡± Seon¡¯s face looked calm, unlike his tone. Ian wondered if he heard wrong and fixed his eyes on the monitor. The MC flipped the cue card and held up the microphone. ¡°When ites to games, we can¡¯t leave out these people.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. They are the pioneers of the mafia game in the middle of the Olympics!¡± The MC was apanied by an announcer and a game broadcast caster. That¡¯s why they were high on tension from the start. Following the staff¡¯s guidance, Chulmin turned his head and looked at the members of Awi. ¡°How do we look right now?¡± ¡°Very good.¡± The members of Awi gave a thumbs up and the satisfied members of Mykit headed to the stage. ¡°See youter. We¡¯ll beat you up.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make meugh. Don¡¯t cry after you lose miserably.¡± Chulmin¡¯s provocation made Taewoong snort. After Mykit, five more teams entered and it was finally Awi¡¯s turn. ¡°They are a hot group these days! The global trend group! Awi!¡± Usually, hearing the cheers of fans was part of the fun of entering, but they were reced by the cheers of fellow singers. ¡°Where are our seats?¡± ¡°There they are.¡± There were cloth name tags on the backrests of the seats that they used during rehearsal. Their seats were in the second row from the front, right in front of the camera. Sodam, who sat at the end, received a cue card from the staff. Sodam, who was selected as M¡¯s music show MC, was going to act as a special MC in the middle of the Olympics. ¡°Now! Let¡¯s call it ¡®Idol Game Olympics¡¯ or ¡®Olympics¡¯ for short, how does it work?¡± ¡°As soon as you enter the stage, this ce is being live-streamed on the real-time streaming tform ¡®Streamer TV¡¯!¡± ¡°The donation revenue generated by this will be donated to facilities in need! For streaming safety issues, video donations are not allowed!¡± Live chatments are only visible to the MC, not to the singers. The officials from ¡®Streamer TV¡¯ will ban any excessive chat reactions or donationments in real time. ¡°Fans can also enjoy it in real time! On holiday broadcasts, edited versions with funny reactions from viewers with great sense of humor will be broadcasted!¡± ¡°Think of it as a game version of ¡®My Little Television¡¯!¡± The idols raised their hands and cheered at the high-tension progress of the announcer and caster. On ¡®Streamer TV¡¯, fans¡¯ chats and donations increased explosively. ¡°Before we start the game, we can¡¯t miss out on interviews with our participants! Let me introduce our special MC who is sitting in the audience!¡± ¡°Yes! Hello! I¡¯m Sodam, the youngest member of Awi!¡± Sodam waved her hand skillfully at the camera that lit up. The members of Awi who were caught in the corner of the screen smiled happily and watched Sodam¡¯s progress. -Is that their concept, acting like that all the time? -Sodam and her six fathers -So cute???? Park Seodam conducted short interviews with the idols, going back and forth between the audience seats ording to the script on the cue card. The members of Awi pped enthusiastically after every interview, impressed by Park Seodam¡¯s confident hosting. Thanks to them, Park Seodam¡¯s ears turned red. He pretended not to notice and coughed lightly before approaching someone else. ¡°Next up, we have Minha from Miracle!¡± ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°We go to the same salon, right? I heard from the staff there that ¡®this person¡¯ was boasting that he could win!¡± Minha smiled sheepishly. This was an unexpected question from Park Seodam that was not in the script. ¡°When did he hear that?¡± The seats for makeup and hair at the salon were assigned ording to the artists who were in charge of them. Park Seodam and Ian¡¯s seats were diagonally opposite each other. It was noisy with the sound of hair dryers, but somehow Park Seodam overheard the conversation between Kim Yongjun and Ian. Jo Taewoong, who was sitting next to Ian, eximed in admiration. ¡°Our maknae must have super hearing.¡± Minha picked up the microphone. His gaze shifted to Ian, who was at the end of the row next to him. ¡°I¡¯m talking about Awi¡¯s Ian.¡± ¡°Oh, what¡¯s this? A rivalry!¡± The caster Jin Junyong, who was sitting at the host¡¯s seat, jumped up. The screen zoomed in on Ian and Minha¡¯s faces. ¡°What do you think, Ian?¡± The staff hurriedly handed a microphone to Ian. Ian smiled calmly. ¡°I think Minha can win, at least.¡± ¡°Wow! This is how a rival structure is formed! What do the other members think?¡± -This is so fun OMG -The PD should make thempete LOL The PD of Agem Pick watched the scene with interest. Coincidentally, Miracle was also a seven-member boy group. It would be fun to pit the two groups against each other in a team battle. The PD called the assistant director. ¡°Let¡¯s tweak the bracket a bit.¡± ¡°You want to match Awi and Miracle?¡± The assistant director knew what the PD was thinking. He ran around to change the bracket while Miracle¡¯s leader Hwang Sungwon spoke into the microphone. ¡°Our Minha is very good at games. You won¡¯t win easily.¡± ¡°Great! Then, what about Awi¡¯s leader, Juhyuk?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll say this once, Ian is our team¡¯s bus driver.¡± The singers around them cheered and whistled. ¡°The rivalry is getting tense as the members show their pride! Now, let¡¯s finish the interview and start the game! Thank you for your hard work, our MC Seodam!¡± The Awi members patted Park Seodam¡¯s back as they finished the interview. ¡°Ah, why do you guys keep pping? It¡¯s embarrassing.¡± ¡°We¡¯re just trying to encourage you.¡± ¡°What! Are we ashamed?¡± The members teased Park Seodam as they headed to the survival arena. This stadium was built not long ago for ¡®Ground Survival¡¯, and it had facilities for all the participants to y games. ¡°The first game will begin soon! Please take your seats!¡± The first game was ¡®Fall Humans¡¯, which all the participants could join. ¡®Fall Humans¡¯ was a light survival game. You had to avoid obstacles and reach the goal within a set time, or score points by putting a big ball into a goalpost, or keep your crown on your head until time ran out. There were various stages prepared. ¡°Hello.¡± The seats were not arranged by teams, but randomly. Ian greeted the person next to him. On Ian¡¯s right was a member of Miracle, Seo Hakgyu. ¡°How old are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m the same age as Minha.¡± ¡°Do you want to chat?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± It took a long time to prepare because many people were participating. They naturally started talking to each other. -When will it start? -Let¡¯s go let¡¯s go let¡¯s go ¡°Okay, let¡¯s start the game!¡± ¡°There are instructions on your desktop, so read them and create your ID!¡± Ian entered his group name and his name and started the game. The staff gave an okay sign after confirming that everyone had joined. The game began. ¡°You¡¯ve waited long enough. The first game finally begins!¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s an obstacle race from the start!¡± ¡°A bit of luck and control are most important for this stage!¡± Ian and his Awi members had yed all the games for Agem Pick before, so he stretched his hands confidently. One third of the total number of people would be eliminated here. ¡°Everyone¡¯s eyes are changing! They¡¯re serious!¡± ¡°Ready 3, 2, 1! Start!¡± Ian¡¯s character quickly darted to the sidene. The center was crowded with characters tangled up and slowing down. ¡°Great strategy!¡± ¡°Amazing control!¡± Ian used his fast reaction speed to dodge the obstacles skillfully. ¡°The leaders are¡­ wow, it¡¯s Ian and Juyeong!¡± ¡°As I speak, oh! He fell!¡± Kim Juyeong¡¯s character, who was running right behind Ian, got hit by a ranking ball and fell to the ground. He could still start from the middle if he passed the mid-save point. ¡®I think this will work here¡­¡¯ Ian stopped at a certain point. His character, who deliberately hit a spinning rod, flew into the air. -Crazy??? -What a trick??? -He¡¯s so good??? ¡°Wow, it¡¯s Ian from Awi! He did it!¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t just do it, he did it brilliantly! He bounced off on purpose andnded smoothly at the target point!¡± His floating character slid into the target point. He was the first one to enter. The camera zoomed in on Ian¡¯s face. He smiled at the camera. -He¡¯s so handsome -Who is he? He¡¯s insane Not only the idols¡¯ fans, but also the viewers of ¡®Streamer TV¡¯ who heard the news reacted instantly. The chat window was scrolling up too fast to read, and Ian¡¯s fans sent donations. Ian, who was bored until the other cast members came in, leaned toward Seohakgyu. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this? Why does it keep tilting?¡± ¡°What¡¯s not working?¡± ¡°Look at this seesaw.¡± It was a section where they had to cross an obstacle that tilted when weight was applied to one side. Thest seesaw was constantly leaning to one side. ¡°Now there are only 14 people who can enter the target point!¡± ¡°They have to speed up!¡± The announcer and the caster raised their voices. ¡°What¡¯s going on here? Many people are falling and retrying at the seesaw section!¡± ¡°Something is wrong with the seesaw, right? What is it?¡± The staff who participated as an observer zoomed in on the seesaw section. There was a character hanging precariously under the seesaw, keeping it tilted with his weight and making many people fall. -He¡¯s crazy??? -Bad personality??? -Satan fired??? ¡°Oh! It¡¯s Seon from Mykit! He¡¯s being mean!¡± Chapter 126: Chapter 126: Chapter 126 Idol Game Olympics. (2) ¡°Is that your strategy? To knock down as many people as possible! Did you consult with your MyKit members about this n?¡± ¡°The moment I tell you, MyKit¡¯s Cheolmin and Chihun will fall!¡± ¡°So you didn¡¯t consult them! You didn¡¯t! Park Seon! You¡¯re ruthless, even team-killing!¡± ¡°Miracle¡¯s Hakgyu, who luckily made it through, now only has 13 people left to reach the target point!¡± Jin Junyong, the caster, jumped up and ranted. The announcer also raised his voice, infected by the caster¡¯s mood. Behind the stage, a giant screen zoomed in on Park Seon¡¯s face. -He¡¯s a devil, a devil?????????? -Who keeps falling?????? I would have shot them with a shotgun if I were them????? -His personality is ruined????????? ¡°Hey! Park Seon!¡± Screams were heard from all over the yer seats. Just then, MyKit¡¯s youngest member Lee Chihun shrieked. He was one of the people who kept falling because of Park Seon. -Someone just screamed -Look at himughing??????? -I¡¯m pissed off watching this?????????? -Fair y is gone?? ¡°Ah! Did you hear someone shouting from the yer seats? Seon is smiling!¡± ¡°The chat room is on fire right now!¡± Park Seon and the Agempi PD both smirked. This kind of unexpected situation made it more fun. Ian looked around at his members after hearing Chihun¡¯s cry. ¡®Did our members make it in?¡¯ The first stage ended and the character standby screen came up. The characters of the yers who failed to enter within the time limit flew into the air with balloons. Among the flying characters were Park Seodam and Park Jinhyuk. ¡°How many of you dropped out?¡± Seohakgyu asked casually. Ian raised his finger and made a scissors shape. ¡°Two.¡± ¡°We also lost two.¡± ¡°What about Limin?¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t drop out. He¡¯s really good at games.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Seohakgyu wondered why Miracle¡¯s leader Hwang Sungwon was so confident. The game screen moved on to the next stage. Seohakgyu found someone on the screen and lifted one corner of his mouth. ¡°So he was being nasty and only two of them survived.¡± Only Kim Cheolmin and Park Seon¡¯s characters remained from MyKit. ¡°The next stage is¡­ Team y Stage!¡± ¡°You will be randomly divided into three teams, and you have to cooperate with your teammates to get the ball to the goal point to move on to the next stage!¡± ¡°Out of the three teams, thest one to enter will be eliminated!¡± Ian fixed his eyes on the screen. He was on the green team. Next to his character, Seohakgyu¡¯s character waved his hand. ¡°We¡¯re on the same team.¡± ¡°Good. Let¡¯s go in first.¡± 3, 2, 1, START! As soon as it started, a huge ball fell from the sky. The tiny characters of the cast ran towards the ball. ¡°Why isn¡¯t it rolling here?¡± ¡°There¡¯s sticky stuff underneath. You have to roll it to the right.¡± Seohakgyu and Ianmunicated with each other and pushed the ball quickly. ¡°Green team! Green team is in the lead!¡± ¡°That¡¯s what happens when you¡¯re close to your team!¡± Each team moved their ball along their own rail, avoiding obstacles. And at the end, the rails merged at the finish line. And then, the interference to prevent other teams from scoring first also began. ¡°What? There are no obstacles near the finish line?¡± ¡°Someone is blocking this.¡± Park Seon didn¡¯t roll the ball from the beginning and went back and forth near the final round, trying to block other teams¡¯ balls. ¡°As expected! It¡¯s Park Seon with a bad personality!¡± ¡°The other team members are joining in! While green team is under pink team¡¯s concentrated attack, red team scores first!¡± ¡°Now there¡¯s no time left, right? Only one of green team and pink team can move on to the next stage!¡± Ian clicked his tongue. ¡°Hey, this won¡¯t work. Roll the ball.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ian¡¯s character ran forward and grabbed the other characters who were blocking. It was a tense situation, but the second-ce characters holding each other looked very petty. ¡°Pink team¡¯s ball is getting closer to the goal!¡± ¡°Green team! You¡¯re in danger!¡± The other green team members ran over and stopped the pink team¡¯s ball. Seohakgyu¡¯s character backed away and then hit the ball with his body. The ball flew into the air and fell near the goal. Ian quickly changed his direction to block Park Seon who was there. ¡°The green team¡¯s ball is flying! Will it go in? It¡¯s in!¡± ¡°Yes! The green team wins by a hair!¡± Ian and Seo Hak-gyu lightly bumped fists. ¡°We¡¯re good, huh?¡± ¡°Good job.¡± Before moving on to the next stage, the losers were tied to balloons. Kim Hyun¡¯s character from the pink team flew into the air. ¡°Wow! Half of them are gone already? Let¡¯s move on to the next stage!¡± ¡°The next stage is¡­ another obstacle race!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a different map from the first stage! If you fall to the ground, you won¡¯t respawn at the middle point! You¡¯re out!¡± ¡°Okay, let¡¯s start the game!¡± The characters ran busily. There were four doors blocking them in front, and only one of them could be passed through. ¡®Is this it?¡¯ Ian mmed his body into the door, but it didn¡¯t budge. He turned to another door. ¡°He breaks through the real door right away!¡± ¡°Min-ha is lucky from the start!¡± The open door was farthest from Ian. He was thest one to pass through the door and headed straight for the edge. He bounced on the heads of other characters who were stuck there because of the sticky floor. ¡°Ian steps on other characters¡¯ heads and takes the lead again!¡± He dodged the sudden obstacles with his skill and stopped at another section where he had to distinguish between fake and real doors. He decided to follow other yers who went through rather than bouncing off a fake door like before. ¡°He¡¯s being cautious!¡± ¡°People who were stuck behind are rushing in!¡± The other cast members hit their bodies against the doors, and they all chose fake ones. The only one left was the real door in the center. Many yers were tangled up in the narrow door. ¡®It would be fun if I stepped on that¡­¡¯ [Why would you step on that?] ¡®Just watch.¡¯ Ian jumped over their heads onto the door frame. His character waved his hand leisurely. -Look at him lololol -Why is he doing that? -It¡¯s chaos in front lolol Suddenly, the characters in front fell one by one and the people behind charged in. The door frame was also hit by the charge and floated up. He glided smoothly in the air like snowboarding andnded. Ian took the lead. -lol -What lololololololol -Wow how? -He ruined their n lololol ¡°Ian shows another amazing y! Did he use physics engine? That¡¯s a high-level skill!¡± ¡°The door bounced off and Ian bounced with it! He¡¯s lucky and good at controlling!¡± The chat room and donations exploded. Ian smiled and moved on to the next obstacle. He dodged the balls that were fired at him and finally saw the finish line. ¡°Only one section left!¡± ¡°Many people get eliminated here!¡± There was an obstacle where they had to cross a long and narrow stick. They couldn¡¯t go side by side on this obstacle and had to go in a line. As Ian tried to cross the stick, someone who was waiting in front grabbed his character. -Herees the test of character lololol -Is he grabbing him? ¡°It¡¯s Sung-won from Miracle who¡¯s holding Ian!¡± ¡°They say enemies meet on a narrow bridge!¡± Hwang Sung-won pushed Ian to the edge. Ian calmly resisted, but he could fall to the ground if he made a mistake. ¡°Ian is in danger of being eliminated!¡± Just then, Kim Ju-young, who had crossed the stick next to him, jumped toward Hwang Sung-won¡¯s character. ¡°Who is it? Who came? It¡¯s Ju-young from Awi! Is it friendship?¡± ¡°Of course, only group members can do that!¡± Kim Ju-young and Hwang Sung-won grabbed each other and fell to the ground. Ian jumped and dived to the finish line. ¡°Ian escapes and reaches the finish linest! What a fantastic teamwork!¡± Kim Ju-young, who was diagonally in front of Ian, raised his thumb over his head. Ian tapped his shoulder. ¡°Hey thanks, that was awesome but too bad.¡± ¡°I wanted to save you and go in too, but I went too far.¡± Now, only Ian was left in Awi for the final stage. ¡°Hak-gyu, did you fall too?¡± ¡°Yeah, only Min-ha is left in our team.¡± Only eight people were left in the final stage. Therefore, the map often changed from a wide area to a narrow space where they had to endure. ¡°Here it is! The final stage¡­ Stepping on the tiles!¡± ¡°Can you see below? The square tiles that look like a chessboard disappear shortly after you step on them!¡± ¡°You have to jump to another tile before the tile disappears, and there are five floors in total. You¡¯re out if you fall!¡± ¡°This is an extreme physical stage! Let¡¯s begin!¡± The characternded on a tile. Ian quickly pressed the arrow keys to avoid the next tile. The tile he stepped on disappeared soon. As there was no more room to step on, Ian jumped to the lower floor. ¡°Oh! Shy Girls¡¯ Si-hyun, she missed her step!¡± ¡°She¡¯s falling to the bottom floor!¡± ¡°She has to hold on!¡± One by one, more people fell and only three remained on the stage. Ian went down to the floor where Min-ha was and stepped on the tile he was trying to step on, blocking him. ¡°Wow! Is he trying to drop him on purpose? Good strategy!¡± ¡°Min-ha, his character is spinning around and wandering!¡± At that moment, Min-ha¡¯s character suddenly dived towards Ian. Min-haughed out loud. ¡°If I can¡¯t be first, neither can you!¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Ian let out a small scream. Min-ha¡¯s character grabbed Ian¡¯s shoulder and held on while the tiles they were stepping on disappeared. The bottom floor was already cleared by Shy Girls¡¯ Jeong Si-hyun. ¡°Ian and Min-ha, they both fall at the same time and the first ce goes to¡­ Shy Girls¡¯ Si-hyun!¡± ¡°She persevered in the corner and got the result! Luck is also a skill, you know!¡± ¡°Now, who will be second? Theter you fall, the higher your rank!¡± -Is it Ian? -Min-ha I think???He grabbed his shoulder??? -So fun?????? ¡°Second ce is¡­ Miracle¡¯s Min-ha!¡± Ian¡¯s character waved his hand from the third ce. Kim Ju-young, who was sitting diagonally in front of him, jumped up. Ian sped his hands behind his head. ¡°Wow, that was close.¡± Seo Hak-gyu, who took off his headset, patted Ian¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Man, that¡¯s too bad. You did well.¡± ¡°What can you do? Are you going to the next ¡®Space Mafia¡¯?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going. I¡¯m already tired. How about you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I have to check the bracket. We signed up for all events.¡± ¡°Your team is ambitious. Hey, let¡¯s go to the audience seats.¡± Ian got up and stretched. There was still a lot of time left until the next game. ¡®Where are our members?¡¯ Ian looked around and saw Min-ha standing at the back row, smiling slyly at him. His expression was somehow provocative, as if he was saying¡­ ¡®How about that? I won, right?¡¯ Ian snorted. I¡¯m looking for our members, not you. He ignored his provocation and headed to the audience seats with Kim Ju-young. Jin, who was holding popcorn, stirred up Ian¡¯spetitive spirit. [He¡¯s so unlucky.] ¡®More than unlucky¡­ Don¡¯t you know what it feels like to have a bratty three-year-old cousin?¡¯ [I know. So don¡¯t you think he has to win in the next game?] ¡®Of course.¡¯ Chapter 127: Chapter 127: Chapter 127 Idol Game Olympics. (3) Before the next game started, the cast members moved to another stadium. It was the same stadium where the opening ceremony was held, but now there wereputers installed on the stage. ¡°This is a special stage prepared for the game we are going to y!¡± ¡°It¡¯s called the ¡®social distancing¡¯ seat!¡± Theputer desks were lined up in a row, with a lot of space between each person. The cast members sat in the audience seats. ¡°Control is important, but talk is also more than half of the game, so many of you applied for it!¡± ¡°So we¡¯re going to randomly pick the participants from the front of you! Please spin the roulette!¡± Behind the stage, on the LED screen, the names of the cast members who applied for ¡®Space Mafia¡¯ shed by quickly. ¡°The first one is¡­ Pluto¡¯s Park Hwi-chan!¡± It was the same Pluto who had appeared with him in ¡®Legend Together¡¯. ¡°I didn¡¯t know Pluto was here too.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t seen him on music shows.¡± ¡°By the way, do you think we¡¯ll get picked? I hope we do.¡± Ian and Jo Tae-woong whispered to each other. Pluto had been inactive since his group dating scandal with Pinky Lady. [He flew to Japan after the scandal and waited until it died down. I can see it clearly.] Then, Shy Girls¡¯ Moon Joo-sol, MyKit¡¯s Park Jae-hyung, and Eos¡¯ Lim Yui were picked. ¡°Fifth, Awi¡¯s Park Jin-hyuk!¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s me.¡± ¡°Ah, we¡¯re screwed.¡± Park Jin-hyuk snapped at Kim Hyun¡¯s words. ¡°Why? I can do well too!¡± ¡°Sixth, another one from the same team! Awi¡¯s Lee Joo-hyuk!¡± ¡°I feel relieved if it¡¯s Joo-hyuk hyung.¡± Park Jin-hyuk made a resentful face at Kim Hyun¡¯s quick change of attitude. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be good, hyung. You just have to be funny.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯re fun, so it¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°You guys already have an image of me being bad at games in your minds.¡± Ian and Kim Joo-young cheered up Park Jin-hyuk. The remaining members were Miracle¡¯s Kim Seung-hyun, A1S¡¯s Min Chang-jo and Yeon Jun-seo, and Jasper¡¯s Min Gyu-jin. ¡°Good luck, hyungs.¡± ¡°Win!¡± The participants went up to the stage one by one and took their seats. The cast members in the audience put on earphones that were prepared on their seats. They were to listen to the hosts¡¯mentary, who were in a separate studio. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s start ¡®Space Mafia¡¯!¡± ¡°The person with the most points as a mafia or a citizen will be the final winner!¡± ¡®Space Mafia¡¯ was a space mafia game where two out of ten people were mafia. The citizens had toplete their missions before they were all killed by the mafia, and they could also perform missions as ghosts after they died. ¡°The cast members canmunicate freely with their headsets! But you have to turn off your mic when it¡¯s discussion time or when you be a ghost.¡± ¡°Instead, those who are ghosts can chat.¡± The mafia could activate other devices that would interfere with the missionpletion besides killing citizens. They could turn off the lights, close doors suddenly, and so on. The citizens had to report when they found a corpse killed by the mafia, and as soon as they reported, a discussion session would begin. Then, they had to deduce and vote out the mafia. ¡°We still don¡¯t know who the mafia is.¡± ¡°They¡¯re all working hard on their missions.¡± The characters wearing spacesuits ran around busily. As Shy Girls¡¯ Moon Joo-sol passed through a corridor, Jasper¡¯s Min Gyu-jin stabbed her character. Moon Joo-sol covered her mouth with both hands. Min Gyu-jin escaped through a hole in the wall. He couldn¡¯t kill anyone else right away because he had a kill cooldown. At that moment, Pluto¡¯s Park Hwi-chan found Moon Joo-sol¡¯s corpse and pressed the report button. ¡°Who reported? Was it Hwi-chan?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Where did you find it?¡± Lee Joo-hyuk led the discussion with his gentle tone. -He¡¯s smooth at hosting -He¡¯s like a leader of a mafia addict group lol -His voice is totally like a kindergarten teacher lol ¡°You know the corridor that leads to the infirmary? I found it on the right side there.¡± ¡°Where were you all? I¡¯ll start first. I was in the cafeteria with Chang-jo and Yui, right?¡± ¡°Yes. We three were doing our mission there.¡± The other participants gave their alibis. They didn¡¯t see the murder scene or the use of the hole in the wall. Nothing was certain yet. ¡°The discussion time is almost over, should we skip the vote for now?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing out yet.¡± As the others were turning off their microphones one by one, Park Jin-hyuk suddenly spoke. ¡°I have a feeling that Jasper¡¯s Min Kyu-jin is the mafia.¡± Min Kyu-jin opened his mouth silently. Everyone was looking at the monitor, and there was a partition to prepare for any possible situation, so the only ones who could see his expression were the other singers sitting in the audience. ¡°Oh, Jin-hyuk hyung. You¡¯re not having a bad intuition today?¡± ¡°He¡¯s got a good sense today.¡± ¡°But what¡¯s your basis for suspecting him?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Ian and Kim Hyun-do looked at the direction of the game with interest. ¡°Wow, he¡¯s got a great sense. Where is he?¡± Kim Seung-hyun of Miracle was busy looking for someone. ¡°He¡¯s here.¡± Kim Seung-hyun smiled slyly. He stabbed Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s character who was doing a mission to fix the circuit. Kim Seung-hyun quickly left the ce. It was advantageous for the mafia to have the body discovered aste as possible. But Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s body was found almost right after he died. ¡°I found him inside theb. But I think I saw someone running away!¡± As soon as the discussion started, Yeon Jun-seo of A1S spoke quickly. ¡°Wait a minute, before we brief our locations, didn¡¯t Jin-hyuk suspect Kyu-jin earlier? But Jin-hyuk is dead now?¡± ¡°Huh? That¡¯s right?¡± Lim Yoo-i of EOS widened her eyes. The announcer and the caster raised their voices. ¡°Ah! Ju-hyuk is amazing! He¡¯s leading the discussion from the start! Isn¡¯t Ju-hyuk the leader again? He¡¯s showing his leadership here!¡± ¡°Plus, if he gives such trust at first, he might be able to avoid being caught even if he bes the mafiater!¡± The discussion time was getting shorter, and if they skipped this turn again, it would be disadvantageous for the citizenster. Ju-hyuk made a decision. ¡°Then shall we vote for Kyu-jin first?¡± ¡°Hold on! Ju-hyuk, aren¡¯t you deciding too fast? It¡¯s not me. Don¡¯t you think Ju-hyuk is more suspicious for pushing me like this?¡± ¡°Then vote for Kyu-jin, and if he¡¯s not the mafia, press the emergency call button and vote for me.¡± The kindergarten teacher rhetoric of Ju-hyuk worked well, and the cast voted for Min Kyu-jin without doubt. ¡°Ah! No!¡± Min Kyu-jin¡¯s character was ejected out of the spaceship. ¡°As expected, our Ju-hyuk hyung.¡± ¡°You¡¯re doing so well?¡± Park Seo-dam and Kim Joo-youngughed. Min Kyu-jin left so pitifully, and it was time for the mafia to strike again. ¡°I went too far. I¡¯ll avoid other people.¡± Ju-hyuk said while looking at the camera that was filming him. ¡°Ah, why did I do that? I killed him so obviously?¡± Kim Seung-hyun of Miracle also moved cautiously. He had hastily killed Park Jin-hyuk because he felt threatened. ¡°Ju-hyuk is the most dangerous. I have to kill him first¡­ But I can¡¯t see him?¡± Kim Seung-hyun sabotaged. He turned off the gravity device inside the spaceship. The characters floated around and it was hard to control their movements. ¡°Here¡­ Seung-hyun stabs Chang-jo!¡± ¡°He stabbed him and reported right away!¡± ¡°He must be thinking of securing an alibi and ying politics at the same time!¡± As soon as the microphone turned on, Kim Seung-hyun briefed his location. ¡°Here, in front of the electrical room.¡± ¡°Really? How about the others¡¯ routes? I was going from the medical room to the control room to fix the gravity device.¡± ¡°I was also going from the cafeteria to the medical room. Someone was following behind me?¡± ¡°That was me.¡± Ju-hyuk opened the map and collected their routes. He narrowed his eyes and thought. ¡°The ones who were close to Chang-jo were¡­ Seung-hyun and Jae-hyung¡­¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t he have killed him and reported himself?¡± ¡°That¡¯s possible too? Right. I didn¡¯t think of that.¡± Lim Yoo-i giggled at Ju-hyuk¡¯s answer. Kim Seung-hyun hardened his expression. -Mafia lost -Seung-hyun!! Just confess!!! Kim Seung-hyun watched the situation for now. He thought he would be suspected if he talked too much here. Park Jae-hyung, who was picked as another suspect, raised his voice in frustration. ¡°Hyung, everyone, it¡¯s not me! You¡¯ll regret it if you vote for me!¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I don¡¯t think it¡¯s Jae-hyung.¡± ¡°Hyung! You¡¯re the only one I can trust!¡± Park Jae-hyung cheered at Ju-hyuk¡¯s words. Park Hwi-chan of Pluto asked. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Jae-hyung bes quiet when he¡¯s a mafia, right? You can tell by his voice. But when he¡¯s a citizen, he¡¯s loud.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ You two have yed a lot of mafia, haven¡¯t you?¡± Park Hwi-chan¡¯s words implied something. It was as if he was saying, ¡®You guys, did you only y mafia after every meal?¡¯. -Is this a friendship deduction? -Why? Why them? Are they close? The announcer and the caster exined for the viewers who didn¡¯t know. ¡°Oh, this is a friendship deduction! Aren¡¯t MyKit and Awi members close to each other?¡± ¡°Plus, they are the pioneers of the mafia game during the Arimpyeong Olympics!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. They became friends through the mafia game! They are famous as the ¡®mafia game addicts¡¯ in the entertainment industry!¡± Ian looked at the members with a puzzled face. The other members also widened their eyes. ¡°Did we do that?¡± ¡°I guess so.¡± ¡°How much did we y mafia without a break¡­¡± Kim Hyun sighed as the camera zoomed in on the Awi members sitting in the audience. They smiled awkwardly. ¡°Then, shall we vote for Seung-hyun? Seung-hyun, do you have anything to say?¡± ¡°Everyone, you will regret it if you vote for me.¡± Kim Seung-hyun pretended to sob. But the other participants had no mercy. They all voted for Kim Seung-hyun. ¡°Yes! The first round is a victory for the citizens! The citizens get one point first!¡± ¡°Ju-hyuk¡¯s smooth hosting was impressive! The next mafia should be careful!¡± Lee Ju-hyuk looked at the camera with a confident expression. His face filled the screen as the Awi members pped and cheered. There was some time left before the next round started. As soon as the first round ended, Lee Ju-hyuk turned on his mic. ¡°Hey Jin-hyuk, how did you know that Kyu-jin was a mafia?¡± ¡°Yeah! How did you know? I was really sneaky!¡± Min Kyu-jin also raised his voice, curious. Park Jin-hyuk scratched his head. How should he exin this? He just said he was a mafia because he looked like one. He said with augh. ¡°Well¡­ Isn¡¯t it weird if I say I just suspected him?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s very weird.¡± ¡°Kyu-jin¡¯s movement was like a mafia movement.¡± -Huh? -What is a mafia movement? -You have good intuition????????? The participants except Park Jin-hyuk made doubtful noises and then the mic was turned off. The second round started right away. As they scattered to do their missions, four of them gathered and entered the control room. ¡°Jae-hyung¡­ Let¡¯s go.¡± Lee Ju-hyuk signaled to Park Jae-hyung by going back and forth near him. Park Jae-hyung said in a low voice. ¡°Hyung, now.¡± As soon as Park Jae-hyung stabbed Pluto¡¯s Park Hwi-chan, Lee Ju-hyuk stabbed Aiwons¡¯ Min Chang-jo. Lee Ju-hyuk and Park Jae-hyung escaped through the hole. ¡°Double kill! A double kill has urred!¡± ¡°That was very clean!¡± -? -Wow??????????????? -So thrilling -Crazy Chapter 128: Chapter 128: Chapter 128 Idol Game Olympics. (4) Lee Ju-hyuk and Park Jae-hyung disappeared through the holes and came out in different ces. They pretended not to know anything and joined the other participants, waiting for the kill cooldown to reset. ¡°Jae-hyung is too obvious when he¡¯s a mafia, so we have to kill as many as possible this round.¡± Lee Ju-hyuk nced at the camera and said. He followed Kim Seung-hyun of Miracle closely. ¡°Hey, stop following me. You¡¯re scaring me.¡± Kim Seung-hyun felt uneasy and tried to take a detour, but Lee Ju-hyuk stabbed him as soon as the kill cooldown ended. On the other screen, Park Jae-hyung stabbed Lim Yoo-i of Eos. The game would end when the number of mafia and citizens were equal, and there were only four citizens left. The singers sitting in the audience watched the broadcast with interest. ¡°This is dangerous. I think a lot of people died. We need to find the bodies soon.¡± Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s character moved around busily. ¡°I have a feeling that Ju-hyuk hyung is the mafia this round.¡± The audience murmured in admiration at Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s muttering. Jo Tae-woong smiled bitterly. ¡°Jin-hyuk hyung is having ¡®that day¡¯.¡± Park Jin-hyuk had no clue as his default setting, but sometimes he said sharp things without thinking. ¡°Didn¡¯t he do that before?¡± ¡°Yeah, on his birthday. We prepared a surprise party with a hidden camera, but as soon as he entered the practice room, he said ¡®Are you doing a surprise for my birthday?¡¯¡± Ian and Kim Joo-young frowned. That one sentence ruined the surprise they had nned for days. Ian snapped out of his thoughts when he heard the caster¡¯s loud voice and fixed his eyes on the game screen again. ¡°Oh! Park Jae-hyung killed Min Kyu-jin and the remaining citizens are Park Jin-hyuk, Moon Joo-sol, and Yeon Jun-seo!¡± ¡°If the mafia kills one more person here, the game will end with their victory!¡± ¡°Park Jin-hyuk! He found Min Chang-jo¡¯s body! He has to report it quickly¡­ Oh no!¡± The caster and the announcer jumped up. Park Jin-hyuk was about to approach Min Chang-jo¡¯s body when Lee Ju-hyuk rushed out from behind him and stabbed him. ¡°It only took three minutes since the game started!¡± ¡°The mafia won without a single discussion time!¡± -Crazy????? -Lol -They won?????????? ¡°Wow¡­¡± Park Jin-hyuk took off his headset and got up. ¡°Ah hyung!¡± Lee Ju-hyuk smiled with satisfaction at his scream. He gave a thumbs up to Park Jae-hyung of Mykit who caught his eye. The next round started right away. Lee Ju-hyuk couldn¡¯t perform as well as he did in the previous round. He was killed by the mafia right away. ¡°Ah! Did I stand out too much?¡± Lee Ju-hyuk muttered regretfully and rubbed his head. ¡°Lee Ju-hyuk is out already!¡± ¡°He did too well in the first two rounds. Yeon Jun-seo, he eliminates the dangerous person first!¡± Park Jin-hyuk sang a song as he went around doing missions. ¡°Who will it be this time? Jun-seo nim? Jae-hyung?¡± His screen was on the screen at that moment. The audience and the hosts eximed. ¡°Park Jin-hyuk, he has no sense of urgency!¡± ¡°There was a body right in front of him!¡± ¡°Ah, Jin-hyuk has good intuition but no clue!¡± -He has good intuition but no clue?????? -GoodIntNoClue????? Fortunately, Park Jin-hyuk came back and found the body. He pressed the report button and the discussion time came. (Lee Ju-hyuk) ???????????? Lee Ju-hyuk was in a ghost state and chatted alone in the ghost chat room. ¡°I saw him here¡­ Where is this? A sterile room?¡± ¡°I was¡­¡± Thanks to Lee Ju-hyuk¡¯s setting from the beginning, the participants briefed their locationsfortably. But there was no one who ovepped with the body on their routes. ¡°Then isn¡¯t the person who found him the culprit?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not me. Ju-hyuk hyung was alone anyway, why would I kill him and get out of there? It¡¯s tooplicated to kill him and report it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Park Jin-hyuk was suspected, but it wasn¡¯t conclusive, so they let it go. Yeon Jun-seo, who had pushed Park Jin-hyuk, backed off. ¡°Should we skip this time?¡± ¡°Shall we?¡± They all voted for the skip button. Then, Park Jin-hyuk, who had been rolling his eyes and looking around, suddenly put his hand on the mouse. He voted for Yeon Jun-seo when there were two seconds left in the discussion time. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Right now, the vote¡­¡± Everyone skipped, but only Yeonjunseo got one vote. His character was sent out of the spaceship. ¡°Park Jinhyuk! He sends the mafia away with a sudden vote!¡± ¡°What¡¯s up with him today? He has a great intuition!¡± The announcer and the caster jumped up and cheered. The chat window of ¡®Streamer TV¡¯ quickly filled up, and the donations appeared and disappeared on the screen without a chance to read the messages. ¡°Huh? I just guessed and got it right?¡± Park Jinhyuk, who voted for Yeonjunseo, chuckled and pressed the arrow keys. He just picked randomly, but it was a lucky guess. If Yeonjunseo had been a citizen, Park Jinhyuk would have been used of being the mafia. Of course, Park Jinhyuk didn¡¯t even think about suchplicated things. ¡°I¡¯m awesome today, huh?¡± His character, jumping around the spaceship, looked especially annoying. (Lee Juhyuk) Wee (Yeonjunseo) Wow, awesome (Yeonjunseo) We¡¯re on the same team, right? Is he always like that? (Lee Juhyuk) No, Ian is usually good at that¡­ Yeonjunseo paused as he entered the soul chat room. ¡®Ah, Awi¡¯s Choi Ian.¡¯ He had memorized Ian¡¯s name because people keptparing him to Ian. Yeonjunseo smiled bitterly. -Yeonjunseo is worse than Choi Ian, but Choi Ian doesn¡¯t act? -Why is he the lead when his acting sucks? ©¸Awi is going to enlist soon ©¸What a waste?? Yeonjunseo¡¯s acting is so bad that it¡¯s hard to watch?? ©¸Yeonjunseo has a good face though ©¸Isn¡¯t Choi Ian much better? ©¸2222222 ©¸Don¡¯t touch my idol¡¯s hair when you diss other idols ?? they really don¡¯t listen The haters who used Choi Ian to bash Yeonjunseo. They imed that they were just posting their opinions and cursed at the drama fans. Now even the reporters were biting the bait and postingparison articles between Ian and Yeonjunseo. ¡®Let¡¯s see how good he is.¡¯ Yeonjunseo pouted his lips. He typed quickly on the keyboard. (Yeonjunseo) Wow, I wanted to see him once (Yeonjunseo) Can you introduce me to himter? (Lee Juhyuk) I¡¯ll introduce you at lunchtime (Lee Juhyuk) But who is the other mafia besides Junseo-nim? (Yeonjunseo) Jusol-nim Just then, Moon Jusol found Park Jinhyuk and stabbed him. She escaped through the vent and turned off the electricity to hinder the citizens. ¡°Moon Jusol! Another kill! She reports it right away?¡± ¡°Seondong is amazing! He pushes the innocent citizens to debate!¡± This round was won by Moon Jusol¡¯s performance. They continued to y the next round. ¡°Finally, the long ¡®Space Mafia¡¯ is over!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see who won. Shall we check the points?¡± Therge screen showed the points next to the participants¡¯ names. The ones who scored the most points were Lee Juhyuk and Shy Girls¡¯ Moon Jusol. ¡°It¡¯s a tie! Awi¡¯s Juhyuk-gun and Shy Girls¡¯ Jusol-yang!¡± The other participants pped from behind, and Lee Juhyuk and Moon Jusol bowed their heads and greeted each other. Park Seodam, who was in charge of the MC on site, handed them the microphone. ¡°Shy Girls¡¯ Jusol-nim! Your quick movement and persuasive speech were very impressive! How do you feel?¡± ¡°I was so nervous when I was the mafia. My hands were shaking.¡± ¡°You said that, but you did so well?¡± The screen showed Moon Jusol making an eyebrow arch and saying ¡®What do I do, what do I do!¡¯ as she stabbed other people. It was a scary scene in another sense. ¡°Thank you for the interview! Next¡­ Awi¡¯s Juhyuk-hyung, I mean Juhyuk-nim! Please tell us how you feel.¡± Moon Jusol¡¯s interview ended, and it was Lee Juhyuk¡¯s turn. The Awi members in the audience cheered loudly and pped. ¡°Actually, I didn¡¯t think I would win. Jinhyuk-ie was so good at guessing¡­ I¡¯m d I won.¡± ¡°The chat window was saying ¡®He has kindergarten teacher material.¡¯, ¡®He¡¯s like a group leader who only does mafia.¡¯ when you were leading the debate. How do you feel about that?¡± ¡°Really? Ah¡­ Did we do mafia that much? Did we have that kind of rumor¡­ a lot?¡± Lee Juhyuk looked at the other participants with a confused voice. He sighed softly when he saw Mykit nodding slowly. He would have had many cool nicknames, but why¡­ -???????Why are you acting surprised? -He didn¡¯t know the rumor?????? ¡°Our group image is like a mafia game¡­¡± ¡°Ahem, yes! We heard your feelings well!¡± Along with him, Park Seodam, who was conducting an interview next to him, also coughed awkwardly, and the other members who were sitting in the audience lowered their heads. The other singersughed out loud. After Lee Juhyuk and Moon Jusol¡¯s winning speech, the participants sat in the audience and waited for the next game. There was still time left until lunchtime, so the caster made a sudden suggestion. ¡°How about we have a bonus game? It would be a shame to end it like this.¡± ¡°Sounds good!¡± ¡°Since this game is mostly about debating, the foreign members couldn¡¯t participate. So this time, it¡¯s a Korean-foreigner special!¡± ¡°The rules are a bit different this time!¡± There is one mafia. As soon as the game starts, the mafia announces that they are the mafia. Then they have to run around and kill the citizens. The nine citizens can¡¯t report the corpses that the mafia killed, and they have to avoid the mafia andplete the given missions. ¡°If the mafia kills everyone, it¡¯s the mafia¡¯s victory. If you avoid the mafia andplete all the missions, it¡¯s the citizens¡¯ victory!¡± ¡°You have to keep your microphones on! The reactions are very fun, you know? Feel free to talk.¡± ¡°Alright, then let¡¯s see the yers!¡± Arge screen showed the list of yers who would participate in the game. Among them was Ian¡¯s name. ¡°Ah, I was bored anyway. This is good.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so jealous of Choi Ian. I want to try it too¡­ But there are only nine people there, right?¡± Jo Taewoong looked at the screen with hopeful eyes. The game had a capacity of 10 people, so he thought that maybe one more person would be drawn by lottery. And he was right. ¡°There are only nine people in total, right? We need to fill up 10 people, so we¡¯ll draw a honorary foreigner.¡± ¡°I wish it was me.¡± Jo Taewoong stared at the screen intently. But the result was different from his expectation. ¡°The honorary foreigner is¡­ Awi¡¯s Joo Young!¡± Jo Taewoong leaned his upper body on the backrest and sighed heavily. He couldn¡¯t help it. He tapped Kim Joo Young¡¯s shoulder, who had lost his appetite. ¡°Ah, too bad. Hey Kim Joo Young, have fun ande back.¡± ¡°Ah, why did I get picked? Do I have to do it?¡± Kim Joo Young, who was Awi¡¯s official pushover, got picked. Ian chuckled and said. ¡°Right, isn¡¯t he scared of that kind of stuff?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Jo Taewoong gave up his regret and snickered. The other members who were listening got up and lifted Kim Joo Young from his seat. ¡°You can¡¯t do anything about it now.¡± ¡°Good luck!¡± Ian pushed Kim Joo Young¡¯s back and headed towards the stage. Kim Joo Young made a sad face. ¡°I really hate that kind of stuff¡­¡± Chapter 129: Chapter 129: Chapter 129 Idol Game Olympics. (5) While the participants were busy moving around, a door opened at the back of the audience seats. Idol groups that joined in the afternoon ording to the schedule quietly sat down in their seats. There were also idols fromrge agencies such as MOM, Luna Girls, Sky High, etc. ¡°Okay, please take your seats!¡± ¡°You know the rules, right? You all understood them, right?¡± Ian, who sat down in his seat, put on his headset and checked his microphone. He rxed his hand as it was a light game that didn¡¯t count the win or loss. ¡®I hope I get mafia.¡¯ There was a brief introduction of the yers before the game started. There were idol members of various nationalities such as Canada, Hong Kong, Taiwan, etc. The mostmon ones were Japanese members, who were as many as four. ¡®Have Japanese members increasedtely?¡¯ [They make money if they get Japanese fans. If they have a Japanese member, they get attention in Japan. Anyway, they¡¯re funny. They im that K-pop¡¯s global sess is because of a national project, but they like it when a Japanese person debuts as a Korean idol group.] When the caster introduced Ian, Ian waved his hand lightly at the camera installed next to hisputer. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s start. Who¡¯s the mafia?¡± ¡°Me!¡± Aiwon¡¯s Kazuma raised his hand sharply. The caster asked him a sudden question. ¡°Do you have anyone in mind who you want to kill?¡± ¡°I want to kill Ian first.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because he¡¯s too handsome¡­ Annoying? He annoys me.¡± There wasughter from the audience. ¡®He speaks Korean very well.¡¯ Aiwon¡¯s Kazuma had hardly any foreign ent. He smiled provocatively and winked at the camera. ¡°How do you feel, Ian?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try to run away hard.¡± ¡°Good! Let¡¯s start the game!¡± As soon as it started, Kazuma¡¯s character moved around looking for Ian. Ian pressed the arrow keys hard and avoided Kazuma to perform his mission. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Waaah!¡± -Crazy???????? -So scary -This version is fun too??????? Carter of Miracle, a Korean-Canadian nationality, screamed. He suggested an extra game to see this reaction. The cast members who watched the participants jump in real time couldn¡¯t stop smiling. ¡°Oh wow! There¡¯s no one here?¡± And the most interesting reaction among them was Kim Joo-young. Kim Joo-young closed the window and looked around while checking the situation. ¡°Joo-young, your mission isn¡¯t progressing well?¡± His character movement was strange because he was afraid of meeting the mafia. Kim Joo-young zigzagged around and screamed when he found someone. The other participants alsoughed when they heard his scream. ¡°Waaah!¡± ¡°Hey, Joo-young it¡¯s me.¡± ¡°You scared me! Why did youe out from there!¡± -Ah????????? -Reaction honey jam????? He screamed so loudly that he even lost his voice with a short tongue sound. Ian smiled slyly. ¡®I¡¯ll follow Kim Joo-young when I be mafia next time.¡¯ He decided to make entertainment content without any ambition as it was a game with a big purpose of enjoying rather than winning or losing. ¡°Here¡¯s the restaurant! There¡¯s a restaurant!¡± ¡°Run away.¡± The other participants also talked a lot as they had the same idea. ¡°Please! Save me!¡± Wang Mimi of Shy Girls, a Hong Konger, screamed at the end of the first round. ¡°Ah, Kazuma killed all the citizens and the mafia won this round!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s start the next game right away!¡± Ian tapped his mouse with his finger. ¡®I hope I get it¡­¡¯ ¡®Good.¡¯ Ian smiled slyly. ¡°I¡¯m the mafia. Everyone run away. Especially Kazuma, and Joo-young you I¡¯ll chase you to the end.¡± ¡°Ah why are you so scary!¡± Kim Joo-young squeaked. It was lucky that the staff adjusted the microphone volume low in advance in case something like this happened. If not, the other participants would have frowned when they heard his scream. ¡°Oh hello.¡± ¡°Yes! Hello?! Ah! Mafia!¡± Nanami of Eos let out a short scream and became a soul. ¡°Please tell me where Juyeong is. I¡¯m taking your tips.¡± ¡°Here¡­ He¡¯s here! Theb?¡± ¡°No!¡± Wang Mimi of Shy Girls shouted Juyeong¡¯s location. Ian headed to theb through a hole. Juyeong opened theb door and escaped. ¡°I finished the mission!¡± ¡°Me too! Ah!¡± Meanwhile, the other participantspleted their missions and ran away from the mafia. Ian stabbed Araya, a Thai member of the girl group Like That, while looking for Juyeong and went through a hole. ¡°There¡¯s not much time left for the mission¡­ Is there anyone who hasn¡¯t done it?¡± ¡°I have two missions left¡­ I¡¯ll try!¡± -Yeah! I made up my mind! -Death g ON -Really????????????? He couldn¡¯t be a nuisance to others by not doing his mission while everyone else did. Juyeong stopped running away and bravely performed his mission. Ian stood behind Juyeong, who was doing his mission, and smirked. ¡°Ah! Juyeong was finally caught! Look at that smile!¡± ¡°He has a devilish smile! He¡¯s not killing him right away, he¡¯s waiting!¡± -He¡¯s mocking him so much?????? -Juyeong¡­ Run¡­ Juyeong, who hadn¡¯t noticed Ian yet because he was doing his mission, saw Ian¡¯s face as soon as he lowered the window and bounced his upper body. ¡°Aaaah!¡± ¡°Hi.¡± ¡°Go away!¡± Juyeong¡¯s character ran away from Ian frantically, but he was stabbed in the end. He struggled so much that his chair rolled back. Juyeong, who was lying down with no strength, screamed so much that he whispered in a hoarse voice. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m so tired.¡± The Awi members who were watching from the audience pped and cheered. The chaotic extra game ended and it was lunchtime. Since it was held without an audience, they didn¡¯t have to prepare lunch boxes for the fans. ¡°Here you go.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Instead, the agency prepared snacks for the staff. The PD of Agempic was also the PD of music shows and Park Seodam was also selected as the MC of music shows, so it was like a courtesy of saying ¡®Please take good care of our kid.¡¯ ¡°You guys don¡¯t have to help us, just eat.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t take long.¡± The Awi members who helped distribute snacks to the managers sat down. There was no waiting room to amodate this many people in the stadium. Everyone sat in the audience and had lunch. The Awi members who had a simple sandwich for lunch either looked at their phones or took a nap. ¡°By the way, Junseo asked me to introduce you to him earlier and I said I would. Is that okay?¡± ¡°Yeah? I don¡¯t mind. He¡¯s the same age as you, right?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Ian drank the rest of his coffee. If it was Junseo of Aiwons¡­ He was famous for his bad acting. [You and Junseo were linked together a lot. As good and bad examples of idol acting.] ¡®That¡¯s right. Theypare everything. Do they not write articles if they don¡¯tpare?¡¯ [Why? Comparing is so fun. The click rate is different. The higher the click rate, the more money you make.] Jin answered shamelessly to Ian¡¯s sniping. Ian frowned. He didn¡¯t mean it, but it must have been unpleasant for the other party. He had heard before that the parties had a nerve war because of theseparison articles, so he was nervous inside. Just then, Junseo came up next to Lee Juhyuk. ¡°Hello. I¡¯m Junseo of Aiwons.¡± ¡°Hello. Please speakfortably. Can I call you hyung?¡± ¡°Huh? Uh¡­ Can I?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ian nodded with a smile. ¡®Geez, he¡¯s really handsome.¡¯ Junseo swallowed his surprise as he saw Ian¡¯s face up close. He looked bad enough from afar, but he looked amazing up close. ¡®What kind of face is glowing?¡¯ He was confident that his face wouldn¡¯t fall behind, but he felt useless in front of Ian. ¡®I saw him acting before and he was really good¡­ Even as a man, I admit he¡¯s a great guy.¡¯ Junseo quickly felt hispetitive spirit cool down with Ian¡¯s low voice and polite behavior. ¡°You know I¡¯m rumored to be a bad actor, right? People keepparing me to you.¡± Ian shuddered at Junseo¡¯s blunt remark. [Wow, what is this, a challenge?] Jin held the popcorn with an excited face. ¡°So¡­ Can I ask you something about acting? You¡¯re good at it.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± [Oh, how boring.] Jin put down the popcorn with a deted voice. He looked for another interesting topic and flew to the other idols. Yeonjun changed his attitude and decided to get along well with Ian. Ian dly epted his humble gesture, without being arrogant. ¡°Wait a minute, Taewoong is good at acting too. Hey, Jo-taewoong!¡± ¡°Did you call me? Oh, hello!¡± Jo Taewoong joined them with a good-natured smile. They chatted about acting together. Since the live broadcast was off during lunchtime, the other idols moved around freely and exchanged numbers with each other. Because their managers were watching, they mostly talked to the same sex. ¡°Can I join you? Actually, I¡¯m not very good at acting¡­¡± Yeonjun smiled awkwardly at Jo Taewoong and Ian¡¯s deep discussion. He thought he did well not to be prideful. He learned a lot from their short conversation. Jo Taewoong also looked surprised at Yeonjun¡¯s honesty. He had heard a lot of rumors like ¡®He got the lead role with his face, even though he has no talent.¡¯ But he realized that rumors were not trustworthy, and people had to meet in person to know them. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s okay. No one is good from the start.¡± ¡°Right, do you have any dramaing up? It would be good to practice with a script.¡± ¡°Not yet¡­ I have a few scripts that came in.¡± The three of them became friends by talking about not only acting but also trivial things until lunchtime was over. In the end, they exchanged numbers and the others who were watching them also gathered around them. ¡®It looks fun.¡¯ Kim Juyeon of Luna Girls was one of them who watched the scene from afar. She stared at Ian¡¯s face and turned away with a regretful expression. ¡®I wanted to get his number too.¡¯ She had been warned by her manager not to get close to any male idol group after her dating scandal with Ian. Luna Girls were at the peak of their poprity. It was better to quickly end it than to lose their poprity because of another dating scandal. ¡®I guess I should just give up.¡¯ She finally gave up on him. *** ¡°Everyone! Did you enjoy your meal?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s start the third game. It¡¯s ¡®Rush Rider¡¯!¡± The screen showed the ¡®Rush Rider¡¯ yer list. Kim Hyun and Jo Taewoong were ying above. In MyKit, Park Seon also yed, but it was not random but the PD¡¯s choice. ¡®MyKit Seon-ssi? Come here.¡¯ ¡®You did well in the game earlier, can you do as I say?¡¯ The PD was impressed by Park Seon¡¯s temper tantrum in ¡®Fall Humans¡¯ and wanted more entertaining content. Park Seon also agreed to the PD¡¯s offer with his ambition for more screen time, and followed the PD¡¯s instructions to throw tantrums without hesitation. ¡°Ah! Park Seon is throwing a tantrum again! He¡¯s interfering with their career!¡± ¡°This game is not a blocker!¡± -Wow tantrum ??? -Isn¡¯t that crossing the line? -Isn¡¯t that breaking the rules? -I think it¡¯s funny???????????? -Ah no fun ?? How about some fair y? -It¡¯s more fun when there are people like this??????? And contrary to Park Seon¡¯s expectation, negative opinions started toe out. Chapter 130: Chapter 130: Chapter 130 Idol Game Olympics. (6) After lunchtime, the boundaries of the assigned seats were broken and the participants sat wherever they wanted. Next to Awi, Mykit was watching the game. Ian asked Kim Chulmin, who was sitting next to him. ¡°Is that your strategy?¡± ¡°No? I don¡¯t know why he¡¯s doing that. He¡¯ll get a lot of screen time.¡± ¡°Kim Hyun¡¯s face looks like he¡¯s going to be furious soon, right?¡± As soon as Ian finished his sentence, Kim Hyun shouted. ¡°Hey! Park Seon!¡± As if other people¡¯s misfortune was their happiness, the participants and the audienceughed at Kim Hyun¡¯s suffering. Park Seon giggled and blocked the path of other yers. -Maximum rage LOL -This is a real shotgun angle -Can anyone stop him? -Stopper is a pro OMG Park Seon¡¯s next target was Jo Taewoong. He thought it would be better to bother someone he knew rather than a stranger. ¡°Don¡¯te¡­¡± Jo Taewoong¡¯s character swerved left and right and escaped through a gap. ¡°Park Seon, moving on to the next target!¡± ¡°Stopper¡¯s skill is really top-notch, right? He could have done well in the race too!¡± Park Seon hid his disappointed face and blocked another participant¡¯s way. ¡°He looks like he¡¯s good at these games.¡± ¡°Yeah. He has a high ranking.¡± Everyone was enjoying watching the suffering participants, but Ian felt a bad feeling somewhere. *** Kim Hyun and Jo Taewoong, who had vowed to be first until they went on stage, came back to their members with drooping shoulders. Lee Juhyuk crossed his arms and supported them. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you would be in the top ranks? I¡¯m disappointed in you.¡± The Awi members naturally acted out a scene, and the camera filmed them. The ¡®Idol Game Olympics¡¯ was not only live on ¡®Streamer TV¡¯, but also nned to upload behind-the-scenes videos on their MyTube channel. Kim Hyun and Jo Taewoong bowed their heads. ¡°We¡¯re sorry!¡± ¡°Lie down here and stretch out.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Just kidding. You both did well.¡± Lee Juhyuk immediately rxed his expression and patted Kim Hyun and Jo Taewoong¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Well, there was nothing we could do.¡± ¡°Seon was good. Let¡¯s y ¡®Rush Rider¡¯ with themter. It¡¯ll be fun if we¡¯re on the same team now, right?¡± ¡°Shall we?¡± The next game of ¡®Rush Rider¡¯ was ¡®Ground Survival¡¯, which all the participants could y together. The singers headed to the survival arena again. ¡°Yes! Finally, a game that everyone can participate in, ¡®Ground Survival¡¯ solo match will begin!¡± ¡°Please take your seats!¡± Ian sat down and put on his headset. Jin Junyong caster did a surprise interview. ¡°Miracle¡¯s Minha! Do you think you can beat Ian?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Minha smiled smugly. He fixed his gaze on Ian¡¯s direction. ¡°I¡¯ve already decided where tond.¡± ¡°Can you tell us? Where is it?¡± ¡°The hospital.¡± The participants eximed in admiration. The hospital was a ce where many peoplended because it had tall buildings and many items to farm. It was also a ce where many people died at first if they were unlucky. ¡°I hope hees too.¡± Minha chuckled as if the broadcast made a rival plot for him. Ian shook his head vigorously. The caster and announcer interviewed two more singers. -Boring -When will it start? -Hurry up ¡°The ¡®Streamer TV¡¯ viewers are screaming for us to start! Okay! You¡¯ve waited long enough! The game begins!¡± Ian pressed the start button. After a few seconds of waiting, his character sitting on the helicopter appeared. Ian looked around the map and pinged one ce. ¡°Oh, Choi Ian pings the school instead of the hospital!¡± ¡°Is he running away?¡± Minhanded at the hospital as he had announced. Besides Minha, other people also dropped at the hospital. [Why didn¡¯t yound at the hospital? Are you scared of Minha?] ¡®What are you talking about? He¡¯s good at games.¡¯ [Are you running away?] ¡®No? If he survives until the end, I have to kill him and be the first.¡¯ [Oh.] Jin easily epted it. He had watched the members of Awi visit the PC room next to Jin, and Ian had never lost once while ying ¡®Ground Survival¡¯ with them. ¡®Let¡¯s see¡­ I need good items.¡¯ Ian, whonded in the school gym, quickly scanned the floor for farming spots. There were only first aid kits and painkillers on the floor. ¡®There¡¯s nothing?¡¯ [You have no luck with items, huh? Can you win?] Ian left the gym and headed to the school ssroom. In the meantime, the kill log announced that five people had already died. ¡°Ah, that scared me.¡± Ian hid behind a wall in surprise. He had spotted someoneing out of the ssroom. ¡°Ah! Choi Ian, you haven¡¯t farmed anything yet and you already met an enemy!¡± ¡°Huh? Let¡¯s go!¡± Ian came out from behind the wall and quickly approached the opponent with a punch. The opponent, who was suddenly hit in the face, staggered and eventually died from a punch. He took off his headset with a disappointed look. ¡°You noticed that he had nothing in that short time!¡± ¡°That¡¯s a great eye! Oh, Lee Min-ha! You already got 3 kills!¡± -He¡¯s so good -Lee Min-ha is going to get chicken?? Ian, who had been searching the school for a while, put on a helmet and a military vest. He finally found a gun in a ssroom and picked it up. ¡®Oh, it¡¯s a Saiga.¡¯ He loaded the magazine and suddenly turned around and shot two bullets at the ssroom entrance. He had noticed the footsteps that had been bothering him. The character of Lee Chi-hoon, who was trying to ambush Ian from behind, fell to the floor. You killed Lee Chi-hoon with Saiga-12. He died instantly from a close-range shotgun st. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry, Chi-hoon.¡± His actions contradicted his words as he rummaged through Lee Chi-hoon¡¯s corpse and took his items. Park Seo-dam¡¯s same-aged friend and another youngest member of My Kit, Lee Chi-hoon died within 10 minutes of starting the game. Lee Chi-hoonughed bitterly and took off his headset. ¡®I didn¡¯t get a sniper.¡¯ He got a pistol and a submachine gun each. He found a high-grade helmet, but he didn¡¯t find the sniper rifle that Ian usually used. ¡®I guess I have to go somewhere else.¡¯ Ian, who had taken care of all the participants who hadnded in the school, left the school. ¡°Lee Min-ha is out of the hospital. How about the school?¡± ¡°The winner of the school is¡­ Choi Ian!¡± ¡°Oh, he¡¯s well-farmed! Wasn¡¯t he in danger without any items until now?¡± ¡°Now, the dead zone will be activated in 10 seconds!¡± It wasn¡¯t over when the yersnded on the ground and fought each other. They activated something called a dead zone to narrow down the widend. If you¡¯re in the dead zone, you¡¯ll get fatally wounded and eventually die. The survivors headed to the safe zone to avoid the dead zone, and whoever survived there until the end was first. ¡°Ah¡­¡± The countdown ended and Ian opened the map to check the dead zone area. The safe zone was very far away from Ian. ¡°Ah! Choi Ian, you¡¯re unlucky!¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t find a vehicle soon, you¡¯ll be out by running to the safe zone!¡± Ian¡¯s character drank an energy drink and ran across the tnd quickly. He ran for a while and finally found a motorcycle in a house. ¡°Ah, thank goodness.¡± He started the motorcycle and left. As he was going down the hill at high speed, a character lying on the hill suddenly got up and got on Ian¡¯s back seat. ¡°Wow, that surprised me. What? Who are you?¡± The character behind Ian was Jo Tae-woong. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m alive. Let me ride too!¡± ¡°Jo Tae-woong, who had no vehicle and was hiding in the wilderness! Luckily he found a group member! What a coincidence!¡± Jo Tae-woong shook his mouse left and right with joy at finally leaving this area. Jo Tae-woong¡¯s character shook his head wildly like crazy. ¡°What are you doing? You¡¯re insane. This won¡¯t work.¡± Ian chuckled. He sped up on a steep uphill road and lifted his motorcycle into the air. ¡°What are these two people suddenly floating in the air!¡± ¡°The motorcycle is rotating vertically! What is this? Are they trying to do a trick?¡± The caster and the announcer fixed their eyes on the camera that was filming them with anticipation. ¡°Uh¡­ hey, wait.¡± Jo Tae-woong, who sensed Ian¡¯s intention, stammered. ¡°No! Ian! Bro! Don¡¯t leave me!¡± The motorcycle flipped over in the air and hit the roof railing in that state. Iannded on the roof naturally before hitting it. ¡°Ah, no!¡± Unlike Ian, who managed tond safely, Jo Tae-woong crashed into the railing with his motorcycle, and as the motorcycle exploded, a message shed on the kill log that Jo Tae-woong had died. Jo Tae-woong screamed and copsed on the keyboard. ¡°Ah! You mercilessly abandon your own group members!¡± ¡°That¡¯s how you have to be in a game!¡± Ian smirked and left the rooftop. He rummaged through the belongings of Jo Tae-woong, whoy on the floor. -Ian Choi is selfish -¡°Morality¡± -Crazy??????????? -He¡¯s Satan Satan????????? ¡°Oh, jackpot. He has a lot of good stuff.¡± He finally got the sniper rifle he wanted and pressed the prayer button in the character motion window, looking at Jo Tae-woong¡¯s fading corpse. ¡°Tae-woong, I won¡¯t forget your sacrifice.¡± Ian¡¯s character bowed his head solemnly and prayed. -He can¡¯t resist farming ????? -Sacrifice: ??? -He was sacrificed alright ???????? After finishing his satisfying farming, Ian suddenly bent his upper body and hid behind a wall. ¡°Huh? What¡¯s going on? There was nothing there!¡± ¡°Ian Choi, loading his gun.¡± Ian loaded a magazine into the sniper rifle he got from Jo Tae-woong and drank an energy drink. ¡®The distance was pretty far¡­ Can I get him?¡¯ [What? What is it?] ¡®There¡¯s someone over there.¡¯ [You ghost-like bastard.] He felt strange hearing that from a ghost. Ian chuckled and peeked over the wall. [Where are you exactly?] Jin couldn¡¯t stand his temper and went to another yer¡¯s spot to find out who Ian had spotted. ¡°The distance is a bit tricky, but I¡¯ll give it a shot.¡± Ian muttered to himself towards the camera and stared at the scope screen, calcting the angle. The other person didn¡¯t even know that Ian was sniping him and was hiding at the edge of the safe zone. Bang, a gunshot rang out and the kill log shed. You killed Daiki with a headshot using M24. ¡°Nice.¡± Ian smiled contentedly and reloaded his bullet. ¡°Huh?¡± Daiki stared nkly at the [Death] letter on the screen and jumped up. The screen zoomed in on the person who killed him, and the distance was quite far. ¡°Wow! What is this?! Amazing!¡± The viewers who were watching Daiki¡¯s screen immediately reacted. -??? -Can you even see anything? -What is this? -Crazy??? -How far is it? ¡°What happened here?¡± The caster who checked the kill log jumped up and raised his voice. ¡°Oh my! He killed Daiki, who was more than 900 meters away, with one shot and a headshot at that!¡± ¡°No!¡± Jo Tae-woong failed tond with Ian and smashed into the railing on his motorcycle. The bike exploded in mes, and a message shed on the kill log: Jo Tae-woong has died. He let out a shriek and slumped over his keyboard. ¡°How could you abandon your own group members like that!¡± ¡°You have to be cold-hearted in this game!¡± Ian sneered and left the rooftop. He searched through Jo Tae-woong¡¯s belongings on the ground. -Ian Choi is selfish -¡°Morality¡± -Crazy LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL -He¡¯s Satan Satan LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL ¡°Jackpot. He had some good stuff on him.¡± He finally got his hands on the sniper rifle he wanted. He looked at Jo Tae-woong¡¯s fading corpse and pressed the prayer button on his character¡¯s motion window. ¡°Tae-woong, I¡¯ll always remember your sacrifice.¡± Ian¡¯s character bowed his head solemnly and prayed. -He can¡¯t resist farming LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL -Sacrifice: ??? -More like victimized LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL Ian finished his satisfying farming and suddenly ducked behind a wall. ¡°What¡¯s going on? There was nothing there!¡± ¡°Ian Choi, loading his gun.¡± He loaded a magazine into the sniper rifle he took from Jo Tae-woong and drank an energy drink. ¡®It¡¯s pretty far¡­ Can I hit him?¡¯ [What? What is it?] ¡®There¡¯s someone over there.¡¯ [You ghost-like bastard.] He felt a strange thrill hearing that from a ghost. Ian chuckled and peeked over the wall. [Where are you exactly?] Jin lost his patience and went to another yer¡¯s spot to find out who Ian had spotted. ¡°It¡¯s a bit tricky, but I¡¯ll give it a shot.¡± He muttered to himself towards the camera and stared through the scope, calcting the angle. The other yer had no idea that Ian was sniping him. He was hiding at the edge of the safe zone. Bang. A gunshot rang out and the kill log shed. You killed Daiki with a headshot using M24. ¡°Nice.¡± Ian smiled contentedly and reloaded his bullet. ¡°Huh?¡± Daiki stared nkly at the [Death] letter on the screen and jumped up. The screen zoomed in on the person who killed him. He was far away. ¡°Wow! What is this?! Amazing!¡± The viewers who were watching Daiki¡¯s screen reacted instantly. -??? -Can you even see anything? -What is this? -Crazy OMG OMG OMG -How far is it? ¡°What happened here?¡± The caster who checked the kill log jumped up and raised his voice. ¡°Oh my! He killed Daiki, who was more than 900 meters away, with one shot and a headshot at that!¡± Chapter 131: Chapter 131: Chapter 131 Idol Game Olympics. (7) ¡°Choi Ian shows an amazing super y! He enters the safe zone!¡± ¡°Now there are only 10 people left on the field, and as I speak, Lee Minha eliminates Pinky Lady¡¯s Lee Jihye! Only 9 people remain!¡± The safe zone was a hill with nothing but trees and rocks for cover. Lee Minha had already secured a spot at the top of the hill behind arge rock. ¡°Lee Minha has a great position!¡± ¡°The people below the hill are not in a good spot! The dead zone is activated!¡± Ian¡¯s hiding ce would soon be a dead zone. His character rolled on the ground and headed behind a tree on top of the hill. Lee Minha reacted immediately and fired at where Ian was. ¡°Wow, he has good reflexes.¡± Ian threw a smoke grenade. [What are you going to do? Your position is terrible.] ¡®What can I do? I have to wait until he kills the rest of them.¡¯ Ian shot at someone hiding behind a nearby tree. The kill log shed. Ian killed someone who was barely visible because of the smoke grenade with one shot. He watched the situation from behind the tree. ¡°Lee Minha is relentless! Now there is only one person left on the field, Choi Ian from Awi!¡± ¡°Lee Minha has the advantage! The Miracle members are cheering right now!¡± The kill log that Lee Minha created faded away. ¡°I¡¯ll take the first ce.¡± Lee Minha smirked at the camera that was filming him. His character pulled out a grenade and pulled the pin. Then he threw it in Ian¡¯s direction. ¡°Lee Minha throws a grenade!¡± ¡°Will Lee Minha win like this?¡± Ian¡¯s character rolled on the ground again and caught the grenade that Lee Minha threw. He threw it back. -??? -?? -Isn¡¯t this a very difficult skill? -What? Why did he seed? This skill of catching and throwing back a grenade was very hard to pull off. The yer¡¯s character¡¯s hand and the grenade in mid-air had to match perfectly. Many yers had failed to do this skill. ¡°He catches and throws it back! This difficult skill in one go! He¡¯s not an ordinary pro!¡± The grenade fell near Lee Minha¡¯s feet. Lee Minhaughed bitterly. ¡°Wow, I lost.¡± You killed Lee Minha with the grenade you threw back. Victory! Ian took off his headset. The Awi members who were jumping in their seats ran to him. ¡°Dude, awesome.¡± ¡°You did it.¡± The members shook Ian¡¯s shoulders roughly as they got up from their seats. The Mykit members also gathered around Ian. ¡°You jerk. Did you have to kill him like that to feel better?¡± Jo Taewoong red at Choi Ian with narrowed eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t be like that. I got first ce, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the only one who got first ce.¡± Jo Taewoong snapped. Ian smiled awkwardly, and Lee Juhyuk intervened between them. ¡°Anyway, we have a team matchter, right?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll carry hard.¡± ¡°Yeah? Then fine.¡± Jo Taewoong changed his attitude at Ian¡¯s confident words. Park Seodam took a microphone from the staff and went to Lee Minha¡¯s seat. ¡°Everyone, please take your seats. Before we interview the winner, how do you feel, Minha?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ It¡¯s such a shame.¡± Lee Minha made an eyebrow-shaped frown and looked disappointed with the microphone in his hand. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect him to throw back the grenade¡­ I underestimated Ian¡¯s skills.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t win the individual match, but there¡¯s a team match next, right? Do you think you¡¯ll win then?¡± ¡°Of course. Our Miracle members have great teamwork, so I think we won¡¯t lose this time. We¡¯ll definitely win.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Park Seodam turned over a cue card and approached Ian. The Awi members looked at Park Seodam with happy faces. ¡°So, Ian hyung, how do you feel about winning?¡± ¡°I¡¯m really happy. Especially because I beat Minha.¡± ¡°Then are you confident about the team match that¡¯sing up?¡± Ian made a troubled expression. ¡°You know, Seodam? Our members are not that¡­ good at this.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Park Seodam also smiled awkwardly with cloudy eyes. ¡°I feel bad about leaving Taewoong behind earlier. I¡¯ll be in charge of supporting our members.¡± ¡°Thank you. That concludes the mid-game interview.¡± ¡°Great job, MC Seodam!¡± The interview ended and the yers took their seats in the audience. There was not only an individual match, but also a team match. ¡°Wow! The individual match was a fantastic disy of skills, and now we will start the team match.¡± ¡°Before we start, let¡¯s see the bracket!¡± The screen showed the bracket for the team match. ¡®Ground Survival¡¯ had not only a battle royale mode, but also a hyper mode, where certain weapons gave abilities. There were six teams in total, and among them, Awi and Miracle were paired up. ¡°We¡¯re up against Miracle?¡± ¡°The PD must have done it.¡± And the team match began with Awi and Miracle. ¡°I was bored because I died too quickly earlier. This is good.¡± ¡°How did you die?¡± Park Jinhyuk chuckled and answered Ian¡¯s question. ¡°He fell to his death.¡± ¡°Shut up. How did you know I fell?¡± ¡°I died before you did. I opened my parachute toote.¡± ¡°Crazy. You died right at the start then.¡± Kim Hyun and Park Jinhyuk looked at each other andughed awkwardly. ¡®How am I supposed to y with these people.¡¯ Ian sighed and shook his head. He thought it would be better to focus on the entertainment value in this team match. *** ¡°Yes! The team match begins now!¡± ¡°Awi and Miracle, please take your seats!¡± Kim Hyun and Park Seodam, who were sitting next to Ian, tapped his shoulder. ¡°Ian, I trust you.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll do everything, right?¡± Cho Taewoong, who was next to Kim Hyun, took off his headset and said. ¡°No, Ian agreed to carry me only.¡± ¡°Did you hear that?¡± ¡°Ugh, we¡¯re doomed.¡± Park Seodam grumbled. The game started after a short preparation time. ¡®Hyper mode¡¯ did not have parachutes from the ne. Each side had their own spawn area. ¡°Let¡¯s split up and farm.¡± The members followed Ian¡¯s order and scattered to find items. ¡°What did you get? I got a ymore.¡± ¡°I got a first aid kit and an energy drink.¡± ¡°I got a pistol. No ability attached.¡± They all failed to get any items with abilities. ¡®Hyper mode¡¯ was a mode where you had to get more than half of the abilities before entering. It was very important to get items with abilities in the early game. ¡°Our item luck is unreal¡­¡± Park Jinhyuk sighed. ¡°Oh! Miracle team is doing great! They already got an item with sprint ability!¡± ¡°This is a cheat-level item if used well! On the other hand, Awi has¡­ nothing yet!¡± Moreover, items with abilities were not unlimited. There was a fixed amount on the map. That¡¯s why they had to get more ability items than the other team. ¡°Let¡¯s go out.¡± ¡°At least we have a truck, right?¡± Kim Juyeong was in charge of driving the truck. The Awi members left the building area and sped through the desert, singing a travel song while bouncing their shoulders in sync. ¡°Awi! They don¡¯t have any ability items, but they¡¯re having fun!¡± ¡°At that moment, Miracle gets another ability item!¡± Ian, who was looking around, shouted urgently. ¡°There! There¡¯s something there!¡± ¡°Where where where!¡± ¡°There! At 11 o¡¯clock!¡± ¡°What do you see? Let¡¯s go!¡± The members jumped out of the truck in a hurry. Kim Juyeong mmed on the brakes so hard that he crashed the truck into a tree. -The manly way of parking -Tree: Kill¡­ me¡­ -Is the truck unusable? ¡°He has an eagle eye even in games. Did you find it?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Who¡¯s going to take it?¡± Cho Taewoong, who was near the item, put the shining rifle in his bag. ¡°Wow, it has an ability! It has cloaking!¡± The members of Awi screamed in excitement. They had to keep quiet when they yed games at the PC cafe, but here they didn¡¯t have to worry about anyone else. The audio was sting. -Wow, this is crazy. -Look at these beagles lol. -How can you understand what they¡¯re saying? I can¡¯t hear anything lol. -My ears are bleeding. ¡°Did that team get an item?¡± ¡°What did they get? They sound like they got something amazing.¡± ¡°Amazing? Maybe cloaking? Or a grenadeuncher?¡± ¡°A grenadeuncher would be bad news¡­¡± It was so loud that even Miracle, who was wearing a headset on the other side, could hear them. -They¡¯re advertising themselves lol. -They¡¯re busted. -They¡¯re doomed lol. ¡°We got cloaking, so we need a map scan item too.¡± ¡°Hey! There¡¯s something else over there!¡± This time, Park Jin-hyuk found an item. ¡°It¡¯s a scan drone!¡± ¡°Nice, nice.¡± There were more weapons scattered on the t ground than in the spawn area. Ian looked at the Awi members who had finished farming items satisfactorily and said, ¡°We¡¯ll die if we stay here. Let¡¯s go to a building.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ian entered the nearest building and installed a ymore at the entrance. ¡°It¡¯s been two minutes since we started! We¡¯ve done enough farming and now it¡¯s time to fight!¡± ¡°Miracle, we¡¯re going to find Awi! They¡¯re close by!¡± Miracle¡¯s truck was speeding through the desert and started to appear in the distance. ¡°There they are.¡± ¡°That building?¡± Seo Hak-gyu turned the wheel at Lee Min-ha¡¯s words and parked smoothly in front of the building. It was a different move from Kim Joo-young, who had stopped the car by crashing it into a tree. -That¡¯s how you drive. -Miracle wins lol. -They have more items too? ¡°Did youunch the scan drone, Jin-hyuk hyung?¡± ¡°Oh, right.¡± The scan drone was an item that took a long time to activate. Park Jin-hyuk, who had just realized it, hurriedlyunched the scan drone. -You¡¯re already nervous, aren¡¯t you? -It¡¯s over. -It¡¯s toote tounch the scan now lol. Suddenly, Kim Seung-hyun, the youngest member of Miracle, stepped on the ymore that was installed at the entrance. [TEAM B] Kim Seung-hyun has died. ¡°Good. Everyone scatter.¡± The members followed Ian¡¯s order and dispersed. Park Seo-dam, who was waiting on the second floor, fired his gun, but he couldn¡¯t beat Hwang Seong-won of Miracle, who had a shield and a sprint item. [TEAM A] Park Seo-dam has died. ¡°Ah, what a waste. I¡¯ll stab him before the cooldown is over.¡± Jo Tae-woong pressed the cloaking item hard and his character melted into the space and disappeared. [TEAM B] Hwang Seong-won has died. [TEAM B] Lee Tae-young has died. As soon as he used the cloaking, he couldn¡¯t shoot a gun and only a melee weapon was possible, but he had a rtively long time to be invisible, so he quickly stabbed him with a dagger. ¡°Good.¡± ¡°Ouch, I stepped on a trap.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll cover you.¡± ¡°No, don¡¯te. Argh!¡± Before Ian could help him, Carter of Miracle stabbed Jo Tae-woong, who had stepped on a trap and deactivated his cloaking. [TEAM A] Jo Tae-woong has died. Ian heard the sound of someoneing up the stairs and reflexively fired his gun. [TEAM B] Yang Jin-rim has died. The building was full of gunshots. The members of Awi, who had eliminated the remaining members of Miracle by timing their item cooldowns, chuckled. The scan drone is activated. The scan drone scanned the entire building. The silhouette of Lee Min-ha¡¯s character was hiding behind a wall, in the hallway. ¡°Min-ha, you¡¯re the only one left.¡± Awi had Ian, Kim Joo-young, and Kim Hyun left. Lee Min-ha was the only survivor from Miracle, and he muttered regretfully as he was outnumbered. ¡°Ah, I could have won¡­ Huh? What¡¯s that?¡± Lee Min-ha, who was cornered at the end of the hallway, opened a box that was ced there. ¡°This is¡­ I won.¡± What he found was a golden RPG-7 that shone brightly. Ian¡¯s character, who was reloading his gun from afar, slowly backed away. ¡°Wait, that¡¯s¡­¡± Lee Min-ha equipped the RPG-7 and smirked. ¡°What is a bomb?¡± -Art -Art -I can¡¯t stand this lol -It¡¯s over lololololololol The golden RPG-7 was none other than the ultimate item of hyper mode that could fire unlimited warheads for 10 seconds. Ian saw the golden warhead flying towards him and let go of his mouse and keyboard in vain. ¡°Ah, this is too much.¡± Luck-based trash game. Chapter 132: Chapter 132: Chapter 132 Can you write this song for me? The first game ended with Lee Minha, who had a cheat item, ughtering the surviving members of Awi. ¡°And with that, the hyper mode of ¡®Ground Survival¡¯ is over! The winning team of the group match is¡­¡± The result of the group match was Miracle¡¯s victory. After a short medal ceremony, the closing ceremony began. The singers who were waiting on stage pped and cheered for the announcer and caster who came up on stage. ¡°Thank you! Well, we will now close the curtain of the first ¡®Idol Game Olympics¡¯!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hear a word from our on-site MC, Seodam.¡± ¡°I had so much fun today. I hope I can host again if I get a chance.¡± The camera lights went off after a brief interview with the hosts and winners. The singers bowed to the broadcast staff. ¡°I thought it wouldn¡¯t be hard if it was a game, but it was harder.¡± ¡°My back hurts.¡± The Awi members walked down the corridor after getting off the stage. Miracle approached them. ¡°Do you want to y againter?¡± ¡°Yeah. Give me your number.¡± They exchanged numbers and even made a group chat. Carter, a Korean-Canadian, was the first to get Ian¡¯s number. *** As the repackaged album release was confirmed, the Awi members went back and forth between their dorm and thepany practice room to prepare for the album release. ¡°Did you get the choreography, hyung?¡± ¡°Roughly, hey Juyeong, how about this?¡± The difference from the previous album was that all members participated in producing the album. Even if a memberposed a song in the previous album, there was additional participation from an arranger, and the same was true for choreography. They also received help from choreographers other than Kim Hyun and Kim Juyeong. ¡°How about this image?¡± ¡°Good. But didn¡¯t someone do this first?¡± They didn¡¯t avoid getting help from experts for parts that required expertise. Instead, they decided on the overall direction of the album first. ¡°Ah¡­ I¡¯m tired.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fun but my head is going to explode.¡± The members copsed on the floor after thinking for a long time. There were magazine scraps and other things that thepany gave them to refer to scattered on the floor. ¡°But who will appreciate us doing this?¡± ¡°The fans will.¡± ¡°Well, as long as the fans appreciate it. Ah! I want to go on stage soon.¡± This year, their album sales hit a career high, but they couldn¡¯t do any event stages because of the global pandemic. ¡°When there¡¯s no audience, I¡¯ll enter the stage with a tumbling.¡± ¡°What? Really? Can I record that? Keep your word.¡± ¡°Hey hey hey Choi Ian.¡± As Jo Taewoong turned on the recorder and tried to catch Ian, someone opened the door of the practice room. ¡°Hey guys, are you busy?¡± ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to get up so quickly and greet me¡­¡± Lim Taewoo entered the practice room with an awkward smile. It was his first time seeing him since they had dinner with other celebrities after Awi¡¯s tour. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, sunbaenim.¡± ¡°I told you to call me hyung.¡± ¡°Yes, hyung.¡± The members smiled warmly and made room for Lim Taewoo to sit. ¡°Are you working on your next album? Are you doing everything from producing?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m dying.¡± ¡°Wow, you have a lot of materials.¡± Jo Taewoongy down on the floor again. Lim Taewoo looked at other singers¡¯ concept photos with a nostalgic expression. ¡°By the way, didn¡¯t you say you produced before?¡± ¡°I did. The previouspany didn¡¯t let us release an album, so we worked hard ourselves. Wow, we did all this research too.¡± They mobilized their nonexistent budget and connections. They went to Dongdaemun at dawn to buy clothes and hired rtives across the street to take pictures. They borrowed a recording studio from an acquaintance during their trainee days and recorded all day long. ¡°We couldn¡¯t release that. Someone caused an ident.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°We suffered a lot back then but it was still a memory¡­¡± It was one of his most vivid memories from his faded Kim Yongmin days. Ian smiled bitterly. Lim Taewooughed awkwardly as if he had made the atmosphere gloomy. ¡°Speaking of which¡­ can you guys write this song for me?¡± ¡°What?¡± Lim Taewoo took out an old USB from his pocket and put it on the floor. ¡°Wow, this is from years ago?¡± ¡°I wonder if the file will open.¡± Park Jin-hyuk brought hisptop and plugged it in. He was doubtful, but the file opened properly. ¡°This is¡­¡± Inside the folder, there were MP3 audio files, and Ian recognized the file names very well. [What is this?] ¡®The song I worked on before.¡¯ [From the Diamond days?] Ian nodded. ¡®He must have kept it all this time.¡¯ [You didn¡¯t have it?] ¡®I¡­ threw it away.¡¯ On the day Kim Yong-min failed the audition, he had to cross the Han River bridge without any money. It was chilly, so he put his hand in his pocket and felt the USB memory he had always kept because of his regret. ¡®There¡¯s no point in keeping this!¡¯ He stared at it nkly for a while, then threw it into the Han River in anger. Ian felt uneasy when he faced the traces of his past again. ¡°This is the song I worked on back then. It¡¯s useless now¡­ I was wondering if you guys could use it¡­¡± ¡°Can we listen to it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an old work, so it won¡¯t meet your standards.¡± Lim Tae-woo scratched the back of his head. Lee Ju-hyuk yed the song, and music came out of the Bluetooth speaker in the practice room. ¡°Wow¡­ I didn¡¯t expect it to sound so loud.¡± Lim Tae-woo¡¯s face turned slightly red. He felt like his old shame was being exposed. Lee Ju-hyuk nodded his head to the rhythm and smiled softly. ¡°Oh, the melody is nice, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Did you work on it alone?¡± ¡°No, I had two other members¡­¡± Ian also pulled down his hat deeply to hide his awkward expression. ¡®There are so many weird parts when I listen to it again.¡¯ He remembered his shame of pretending to learnposition, and boasting about who would get more parts. Ian coughed lightly. ¡°Isn¡¯t this too calm?¡± ¡°This part, this part can be kept.¡± ¡°The lyrics are good.¡± Unlike Ian and Lim Tae-woo¡¯s reactions, the Awi members listened to the song seriously. ¡°You did a good job. It¡¯s a pity. If you released it on time, it could have been a hit¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tter me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious¡­ But did you get permission from the other members you worked with?¡± ¡°I got permission. They agreed to give me all the rights.¡± Lim Tae-woo nodded. Park Seo-dam rolled his pen and said. ¡°Aren¡¯t you sorry?¡± ¡°I think it would be better for you guys to sing it than to bury it like this.¡± Lee Ju-hyuk groaned. He was tempted by the song, but he knew the background behind it, so he couldn¡¯t easily decide to say ¡®we¡¯ll sing it¡¯. ¡°What if Ju-hyuk hyung fixes it a bit and Tae-woo hyung sings it? You¡¯re not releasing an album before our repackage anyway, right?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Lim Tae-woo asked with a dumbfounded face at Ian¡¯s words. Lee Ju-hyuk took the bait. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. Hyung, what do you think?¡± [The song was well received, and you made it yourself. But you¡¯re not taking it?] ¡®The Diamond song should be sung by Diamond.¡¯ He thought of his old days when he listened to the song heposed himself, but he was an Awi member now, not a Diamond member. He wasn¡¯t indifferent to the song, but he felt ufortable taking it and singing it with only Awi members. ¡°Hey, I can¡¯t sing this song, it¡¯s too idol-like¡­ I¡¯m a trot singer.¡± Lim Tae-woo waved his hand. Ian turned his head sharply and looked at Jo Tae-woong. ¡°Is there aw that says trot singers can¡¯t sing idol songs?¡± ¡°No. If you think about it, you¡¯re just like an idol.¡± Jo Tae-woong agreed and said. Ian turned his head to the other side. ¡°Isn¡¯t saying that idol-like creating a wall between music genres?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Music is the only drug that the country allows.¡± Kim Joo-young shrugged his shoulders from the opposite side. Kim Hyun pointed at the trio and said. ¡°That¡¯s what they say.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you trust us, hyung?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡± The Awi members chuckled. They had no qualms about teasing their hyung. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like that¡¯s not it.¡± Lim Tae-woo was sweating profusely. At that moment, a short vibration sounded from Ian¡¯s phone. It was a text message from Park Dong-soo. ¡°I¡¯m going up to the conference room, be right back.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go together.¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t run away, bro.¡± Jo Tae-woong grabbed Lim Tae-woo¡¯s hem with a yful smile. ¡°He told me toe too.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± Lim Tae-woo¡¯s phone screen also shed with a text message. Jo Tae-woong let go of his hand without hesitation. Ian asked Lim Tae-woo casually as they waited for the elevator. ¡°Bro, did you hear from the Diamond members after you left Vietnam?¡± ¡°I did, but¡­ the person I really wanted to hear from didn¡¯t contact me. You know I went all the way to the countryside to find Yong-min.¡± ¡°Maybe they feel sorry for contacting you now?¡± ¡°Well, maybe¡­ You know a lot.¡± ¡°But why don¡¯t you want to write songs?¡± Lim Tae-woo gave a bitter smile. Actually, he had tried to write songs. He wanted to sing the songs he had worked on with the members back then. He had made his name as ¡®The Man of Trot¡¯, so he wanted to share the glory with the members who had suffered with him. ¡®Hey, Tae-woo? You know me, right? Lee Ji-won. I re-debuted as an actor¡­¡¯ ¡®You shoulde and see our kid once. He¡¯s on a parenting program this time¡­ It would be nice if you came.¡¯ Some members had contacted him shamelessly and made a fuss, but theposers of the songs were different. ¡®That song? You can have it. I decided not to be a singer anymore.¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t want to ride on your poprity. I¡¯ll give you all the rights.¡¯ He had gotten their permission, but he didn¡¯t feelfortable writing the song alone. So he thought about giving the song to someone else. Preferably, not a solo singer, but a group. He wanted to see the group stage that Diamond had never done through another idol group. ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I became a trot singer. I felt embarrassed to sing again now. And I thought that song would be better sung by a group than a solo.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°That song was¡­ how should I say it¡­ a heavy song for me.¡± Ian guessed Lim Tae-woo¡¯s feelings vaguely and couldn¡¯t say anything else. ¡°The heavy thing¡­ might be regret, I guess.¡± ¡°I guess so.¡± They entered the elevator as the door opened and stood shoulder to shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. Joo-hyuk and Jin-hyuk will do well. You know that.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°If the group suits them, we can feature them. You too, bro. You can be our tenth member.¡± ¡°You guys are seven, why am I the tenth?¡± ¡°The eighth and ninth are already there, our managers.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Lim Tae-woo chuckled. The elevator door opened and they walked towards the conference room. ¡°The file name was Untitled earlier, think of a song name.¡± ¡°A song name? Well¡­¡± Lim Tae-woo muttered with a confident face after a moment of hesitation. ¡°The song name is¡­ Diamond.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s not bad.¡±** Chapter 133: Chapter 133: Chapter 133 Hip, right? ¡°Yoon Mi-sook, the writer?¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s amazing!¡± Park Dong-soo handed Ian a script. It was a drama he had seen in his previous life, JBTC¡¯s Friday-Saturday drama ¡®Lady Hee-bin¡¯. [Oh, you got this?] It was the first historical drama by Yoon Mi-sook, who was known as the queen of dramas for her sophisticated direction and visual beauty. It had high ratings and captivated overseas fans through OTT tform distribution. Ian looked at the role that was offered to him. It was highlighted with a fluorescent pen. Kim Chun-taek ¡®Who yed this role before?¡¯ [Yeon Jun-seo.] ¡®Ah¡­¡¯ There was only one trap in this perfect drama. ¡®Lady Hee-bin¡¯ depicted the pce intrigue between Jang Hee-bin and Queen In-hyun, and in thetter part of the drama, it portrayed King Sukjong¡¯s regret for Queen In-hyun. ¡®The role wasn¡¯t a lead, but the character was pretty good¡­¡¯ [If Yeon Jun-seo had acted well, he would have swept that year, right?] Kim Chun-taek conspired with Concubine Choi to restore the deposed Queen In-hyun, and used his natural good looks to have an affair with Kim Jak-eun-ae-gi, the wife of Jang Hee-bin¡¯s brother, Jang Hee-jae. -This ce is a feast of hate-love rtionships -It¡¯s already fun -A bad guy who uses his good looks and a woman who knows it and uses him for revenge, that¡¯s so tasty Kim Jak-eun-ae-gi, who had retreated to a corner, also used Kim Chun-taek for her vengeance against the Jang family. The fans of the drama were interested in the sub-couple¡¯s rtionship of using and being used as soon as the character settings were revealed. -The rtionship is all good, but Yeon Jun-seo is the trap lol -His acting is so bad that it¡¯s hard to watch But Yeon Jun-seo, who yed Kim Chun-taek, became a topic for his terrible acting and ruined the good drama and the good character. ¡®Didn¡¯t Yoon writer see his acting skills? That can¡¯t be¡­¡¯ Kim Yong-min in his previous life couldn¡¯t work with such a hit writer because of his unlucky life. But he thought that she would care about the casting of an attractive supporting role. [Of course she did. The original actor for this role wasn¡¯t Yeon Jun-seo. You know Kim Min-jae, right? He¡¯s a rookie now, but he¡¯ll be a starter.] ¡®Oh, I know.¡¯ Kim Min-jae was a model-turned-actor who became a top star with his handsome face and acting skills. [He had an ident and had to leave urgently before the crank-in. The role itself was a handsome man setting, but the actors who matched the image were all doing other works, so Yeon Jun-seo was hastily cast.] ¡®He was lucky.¡¯ [His luck didn¡¯tst long, though. With Yoon writer being a perfectionist and the result being like that¡­ Yoon writer never used idol-turned-actors after that. Yeon Jun-seo and his agency were boycotted.] ¡®That¡¯s too bad¡­ He seems like he would do well if he tried hard.¡¯ He admired Yeon Jun-seo¡¯s attitude of lowering himself and learning from younger people, even though he was stubborn. Ian skimmed through the script and smirked. He didn¡¯t intend to give up. ¡®Anyway, the script is in front of me.¡¯ Park Dong-soo sighed in relief when he saw Ian¡¯s smile. Due to the coronavirus situation, they couldn¡¯t do any events, but they were expanding their individual activities. Only Ian was quiet. Ian wasn¡¯t bad at acting and he got many scripts from good writers, but he hadn¡¯t decided on anything yet. It was quite troublesome. ¡°There¡¯s a simple audition, but you¡¯ll have no problem. You¡¯ll do it, right?¡± ¡°Of course. When is it?¡± ¡°Next week.¡± ¡°I need to take some intensive acting lessons. Historical dramas are hard¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll contact the teacher. Tomorrow morning?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He had a lot to pay attention to because it was a historical drama, but he had enough time to prepare for next week. He heard someone talking in the next meeting room. ¡°By the way, what about Tae-woo hyung?¡± ¡°Oh, he¡¯s doing a variety show. You guys might be able to join him too. I was going to tell you¡­¡± ¡°Really? Is there a variety show we can do together?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s¡­¡± After the sess of ¡®The Man of Trot¡¯, there were many programs rted to trot. This time, they nned a performance program with the TOP7 of Trot. ¡°It¡¯s a program where the singers who were in the top ranks of trot coborate with other singers. You can think of it as ¡®With the Legend¡¯ without the winner voting.¡± ¡°That sounds good.¡± ¡°Tae-woo wanted to do a variety show with you guys for a long time. If the meeting goes well in that room, they¡¯ll probably contact us too.¡± Ian frowned slightly as if he remembered something. ¡°That¡­ don¡¯t they announce new songs by trot singers at the end?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. How did you know?¡± ¡°I saw it in an article.¡± Maybe¡­ ¡®Diamond¡¯ could have been on the air sooner? *** Lim Tae-woo confirmed his appearance on ¡®Trot for You¡¯ and chose Ahwi as the singer he wanted to go with. Ahwi decided to join him on the show. There was still a lot of time left until the release of his repackaged album. ¡°Do you all know trot well?¡± ¡°My grandma used to sing it a lot.¡± The first stage was a trot performance with Lim Tae-woo. Park Seo-dam sprang up and sang his grandma¡¯s favorite song. The members cheered and pped as he sang with a twisty voice. ¡°Seo-dam is good.¡± ¡°Can you sing other songs too? Tae-woo hyung said he¡¯s going to do ¡®Turn Back Time¡¯.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Park Seo-dam sang another trot song in a lively mood. Kim Joo-young jumped up. ¡°Oh, I know this one too.¡± Park Jin-hyuk looked at the scene of the members boasting their trot songs and turned to Lee Joo-hyuk. ¡°What are we going to do?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a bit¡­ awkward to put rap in the middle, right?¡± ¡°I guess the elders will watch a lot.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk and Park Jin-hyuk copsed on the living room floor. ¡°Why don¡¯t you try melody rap?¡± ¡°How about you challenge singing this time?¡± Jo Tae-woong smiled meaningfully and patted Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s shoulder. Ian, who had been thinking for a while, spoke softly. ¡°I think your vocals are not bad, hyungs.¡± Ahwi¡¯s study group was not a three-day project, but a consistent one. Ian, who mainly looked after the members¡¯ vocals, thought that Lee Joo-hyuk and Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s vocals were pretty good when he first heard them. There was a prejudice that idols who couldn¡¯t sing became rappers, and that was true in some cases, but Lee Joo-hyuk and Park Jin-hyuk chose their positions as rappers not because they couldn¡¯t sing, but because they liked rap more than singing. ¡°You¡¯re not tone-deaf when ites to singing, hyungs. I think it wouldn¡¯t be bad to try it this time.¡± They agreed on the point of trying something new, but Lee Joo-hyuk didn¡¯t erase his nervous expression. ¡°Trot is¡­ isn¡¯t it very resonant? You have to sing with a cool vibration.¡± ¡°There are calm songs too.¡± ¡°You have to be rich in emotions, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ true.¡± Ian groaned. ¡°I think it would be better to show our skills than to sing weirdly with poor singing skills.¡± ¡°How about singing rap?¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± Kim Hyun got up as if he had an idea and brought his tablet pad. ¡°Let¡¯s dance too.¡± ¡°Trot with sharp choreography? Are you kidding?¡± ¡°Not sharp choreography, but¡­.¡± He said so, but he couldn¡¯t easily picture it in his head. Kim Hyun went into MyTube and searched for something. ¡°I saw something amazing when I was watching the news.¡± ¡°You watch the news too?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a cultured person too. Anyway, look at this.¡± On the screen, there was a caption saying ¡®The dance performance that shook Europe¡¯ and people in their 50s or older went up on stage and danced with a bounce. It felt like a tourist bus dance. ¡°My grandma does this a lot!¡± ¡°It¡¯s weird, right? I¡¯ve seen this kind of dance from my grandma too.¡± ¡°So we¡¯re going to dance this?¡± The members looked puzzled at Park Seo-dam¡¯s words. They didn¡¯t know if they would look good on stage. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t we look too¡­ wobbly if we danced this?¡± ¡°Hey Joo-young, try dancing that.¡± Kim Joo-young didn¡¯t refuse and got up and danced the moves on the screen. ¡°Like this?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ is it because you¡¯re dancing alone?¡± Jo Tae-woong and Ian joined him on the side, but the picture didn¡¯te alive. To be honest, it wasn¡¯t cool. ¡°This kind of thing is only cool when elders do it, right? We¡¯re stillcking in experience.¡± ¡°But I think I can tell what rhythm this is as I dance it.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk looked amazed as he danced along with the steady rhythm. ¡°It¡¯s amazing that elders don¡¯t learn this kind of dance separately. They do simr moves.¡± ¡°Right? Or maybe we can change the moves to suit our style. Wouldn¡¯t that make a fun picture?¡± Kim Hyun snapped his fingers. ¡°How about this? Let¡¯s hire elders as dancers. Let¡¯s make the people who watch our stage on TV dance with excitement.¡± The stage should be fun for both the performers and the audience. The members were amazed by the strategy that targeted the main viewership. Kim Hyun was excited to see his opinion being epted. ¡°Trot singers, idols, and elderly dancers.¡± ¡°That¡¯s hip, right? Let¡¯s talk to Tae-woo hyung.¡± The members were persuaded by Kim Hyun¡¯s words. Ian picked up his phone and called Lim Tae-woo. *** Lim Tae-woo also agreed that the stage n of Awi members was interesting. After that, the members had a fun dance party under the pretext of analyzing the dance. They arrived at the dormte at night. ¡°Do you know that the trainees were watching us when we were dancing?¡± ¡°Really? Ah¡­ How far did our image go¡­¡± Ian sighed and touched his forehead. Jo Tae-woong and Kim Joo-young shrugged their shoulders. ¡°Anyway, our image is ruined to them.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t we see them when we got paidst time?¡± Awi got another payment because their album sales were good. The payment was always fun and thrilling. The trainees saw them ying tag in the practice room as soon as they got paid. ¡°Did you see them then? Ah¡­ I wanted to be a cool senior.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve already deviated a bit from being cool seniors.¡± Park Jin-hyuk patted Park Seo-dam¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Isn¡¯t Ian going to do a drama?¡± ¡°How long has it been since hisst drama?¡± The members¡¯ eyes sparkled as they saw the script in Ian¡¯s hand. Ian lifted the script and the members apuded. ¡°But it¡¯s a historical drama, so it¡¯s a bit hard¡­¡± ¡°Do you want me to help you?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Jo Tae-woong was more excited to see the script of Yoon Mi-sook, a famous writer. He went into Ian¡¯s room first. The other members also went into their own rooms. [Doesn¡¯t he have any jealousy?] ¡®You¡¯re different from someone like you.¡¯ [What am I!] Ian ignored Jin¡¯s protest and went to the kitchen to choose a drink with Jo Tae-woong. Next to him, Lee Joo-hyuk, who was also choosing a drink, snatched the drink that Ian had grabbed with a disgusted expression. ¡°Hey, choose something normal for Tae-woong.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this?¡± ¡°Totally wrong.¡± Ian put down the pine needle drink and picked up an orange juice. ¡°Hyung, how¡¯s the ¡®Diamond¡¯ work?¡± ¡°A bit¡­ hard.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to decide whether to redo the song or keep it as it is.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± It was Lim Tae-woo¡¯s song that he had been keeping for years, so Lee Joo-hyuk must have felt a lot of pressure. Ian punched Lee Joo-hyuk¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t feel too burdened.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try¡­¡± It would be an honor for him as the original writer to have Lee Joo-hyuk work on his song. Lee Joo-hyuk didn¡¯t know Ian¡¯s inner thoughts and sighed deeply. Chapter 134: Chapter 134: Chapter 134 Can I act properly? The day after Ian confirmed that he would audition, he got a call from Park Dong-soo. (1st Team Park Dong-soo) There will be a dinner next week ¡®Dinner first?¡¯ [The writer Yoon likes to see the acting of the actors who are in demand in afortable ce.] ¡®Really?¡¯ [If you don¡¯t like it, you can auditionter. Usually, it doesn¡¯t go that far. That¡¯s why there are not many newbies in Yoon¡¯s drama.] ¡®I see¡­¡¯ Ian yawned and headed to the kitchen. Jo Tae-woong was drowsily eating cereal. Ian clicked his tongue. ¡°Didn¡¯t you sleep much? You should have rested in your room.¡± ¡°The script was so fun.¡± Jo Tae-woong had exchanged lines with Ian until dawn and then went to his room with a whimper. Ian rummaged through the kitchen cab. ¡°Do you want ramen?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask me such obvious things.¡± ¡°Are you saying yes? I¡¯ll boil three packs.¡± You eat if you want to eat and you don¡¯t if you don¡¯t. Why do you answer so weirdly? Ian shook his head. *** While preparing for the stage with Im Tae-woo, Ian practiced the script whenever he had time. Finally, today, he had a dinner with the writer and the director. ¡°Is that the script?¡± ¡°I practiced it¡­¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you get the script less than a week ago?¡± Park Dong-sooughed at Ian¡¯s tattered script. ¡°You¡¯re doing well.¡± ¡°I have to do well.¡± Ian nervously folded and unfolded the edge of the script. Originally, this role was cast by Kim Min-jae. He got into an ident and passed it on to Yeon Jun-seo, but¡­ ¡®How is it?¡¯ [I guess you met Kim Min-jae at lunch.] ¡®Maybe¡­¡¯ Ian didn¡¯t know if Kim Min-jae would get into an ident and drop out in the future, now that he was a variable. That¡¯s why he had to appeal more to the writer and the director than Kim Min-jae. ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon. Don¡¯t be too nervous, you¡¯ll do well.¡± ¡°Thank you, hyung. Thank you.¡± Ian opened the door of the van. At that moment, writer Yoon Mi-sook and director Park Pyo-hyun were also approaching the restaurant. Director Park searched for Ian¡¯s name on the portal site. ¡°He¡¯s handsome. His image is perfect.¡± ¡°But he¡¯s so pale, will he look good with a beardter?¡± ¡°Sometimes these faces surprisingly suit beards well.¡± Coincidentally, there was an image of AWI¡¯s overseas fans who had photoshopped beards on AWI members¡¯ faces. Writer Yoon pped her knee as she saw the image. ¡°Oh my, they even do this kind of editing. It suits him well.¡± ¡°Western kids like beards, don¡¯t they?¡± Director Park nodded. Kim Chun-taek was also recorded as a handsome man at that time, so the actor who yed this role had to have a good face. He passed by appearance alone. They yed one clip of each drama that Ian had appeared in. ¡°Dangso-deut, this was good.¡± Writer Yoon, who was a fan of ¡®I Want to Hear Your Voice¡¯, secretly wished that Ian would appear in her drama. ¡°I don¡¯t know about historical dramas yet, but his acting is wless.¡± ¡°Do you know Jeong writer?¡± ¡°The one who writes side scripts? I know him.¡± ¡°He praised him so much¡­ He was one of the actors I was curious about personally.¡± At writer Yoon¡¯s words, director Park thought that Ian was okay, but there was one thing that bothered him. AWI was too famous. Since Media¡¯s Gunbaekgi, AWI¡¯s poprity had been unstoppable. ¡°But I want to give a chance to a new actor rather than an idol¡­¡± ¡°Kim Min-jae is not a newbie either, director. He¡¯s a model-turned-actor.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Director Park crossed his arms and closed his eyes. Kim Min-jae, whom he had met at lunchtime, also acted quite well. There would be plenty of better opportunities for Ian, who was an AWI member. In fact, there were quite a few writers and directors who wanted to cast Ian in the industry. He had a face that could act well and attract fandom¡­ Director Park wanted to give Kim Min-jae a chance more than Ian. ¡®No, maybe this is a discriminatory thought.¡¯ Director Park corrected his thoughts. ¡®You never know until you meet and talk.¡¯ When they entered the restaurant and opened the sliding door, Ian, who had arrived first, sprang up and bowed. ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°You came early, nice to meet you. I¡¯m Park Pyo-hyun, the director. It¡¯s a unique name, right?¡± ¡°It sounds like a director¡¯s name.¡± Parkughed and reached out his hand. Ian shook his hand and followed them to their seats. ¡®Wow, he¡¯s so handsome.¡¯ ¡®Did he not get any screen effects?¡¯ Park cleared his throat. If he hadn¡¯t searched him up beforehand, he would have stared at Ian¡¯s face nkly. His cough snapped Yun, the writer, out of it. ¡°Oh my, you look even better in person.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been in this industry for over twenty years, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen an actor as handsome as you.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Ian smiled. The food came out, and they chatted about their recent activities while having afortable meal. Ian didn¡¯t try to impress them with his work, but rather followed along with the director and writer¡¯s conversation and created a rxed atmosphere. ¡°We also reduced our staff a lot. How about you?¡± ¡°I think we¡¯ll do our concert online, and music shows are still without audiences.¡± ¡°I hope it gets better by next year¡­ When is your albuming out?¡± ¡°In two months. You said your daughter is our fan, right?¡± Yun Mi-sook, the writer, and Park Pyo-hyun, the director, were a hit-makingbo in the drama industry. Many actors wanted to star in their dramas. ¡°Does your daughter like Tae-woong? Hey, why don¡¯t you like me?¡± ¡°You¡¯re too handsome to be realistic. I wondered why my daughter said that, but now I see it¡¯s true.¡± ¡°That¡¯s apliment, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s apliment.¡± He didn¡¯t get nervous or try to stand out. Park raised one eyebrow at Ian¡¯s confident and calm demeanor. He was an idol who was doing well. Park liked how Ian carried himself. ¡°Then, why don¡¯t you try any line from the script?¡± Yun threw a surprise question at him, and Ian¡¯s eyes changed in an instant. ¡°It¡¯s easy to get hurt when you¡¯re sad, and easy to be lewd when you¡¯re happy. What about you?¡± His low voice and historical tone matched well with the line. The key point of this line was to show Kim Chun-taek¡¯s inner conflict of restraining his desire, but his expression had a faint smile and his eyes were half-opened, giving off anguid and decadent vibe. ¡®Good? It¡¯s more than what I expected.¡¯ He grasped Kim Chun-taek¡¯s contradiction very well. Yun smiled with satisfaction. Ian straightened his back and looked at the empty space between the director and writer as if he was gazing at the far sea. ¡°Someday, who will record me in thisnd?¡± His eyes were filled with regret and longing for someone. Park bowed his head and smiled. ¡®I don¡¯t need to see more.¡¯ He had a short acting career, but he expressed such depth. Park wanted to capture him on camera as soon as possible. ¡°Good.¡± Park¡¯s pleased answer made Ian rx and smile. ¡°I have one question for you.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Kim Chun-taek and Kim Jak-eun-aegi, their names will change to Kim So-ah in our drama, but were they in love?¡± Ian answered Yun¡¯s question without any hesitation. ¡°If love is between lovers, then I don¡¯t think they were in love. They couldn¡¯t be in love. It was adultery.¡± Park and Yunughed. Their drama was a follow-up to ¡®Crisis of Married Couples¡¯, a drama about adultery. ¡°Right. Then, why do you think so?¡± ¡°Kim Chun-taek was wary of excessive desire, but he used his face and talent when he could. Especially when he used courtesans.¡± He knew how different people treated him when he was handsome. He used that to his advantage. He felt that very well because he could clearly feel the difference in how people treated him when he was Kim Yong-min and now Choi Ian. ¡°It was easy for Kim Chun-taek to seduce the king¡¯s woman, but he met a woman who didn¡¯t go along with him for the first time.¡± Kim Jak-eun-aegi, Kim So-ah, was the king¡¯s concubine who became a spy. She didn¡¯t let Kim Chun-taek use her easily. ¡°It¡¯s amon clich¨¦, ¡®You¡¯re the first woman who treated me like this.¡¯ It would be interesting to think that way¡­ But I don¡¯t think so.¡± She also used her ess to the king¡¯s pce to y tug-of-war with Kim Chun-taek. She even tried to expose him. That precarious tension was the core of their supporting roles. ¡°He might have had some human interest in Kim So-ah, who didn¡¯t let him manipte her. But it wasn¡¯t love, because Kim Chun-taek¡¯s goal was too clear. And ording to the writer¡¯s synopsis, they try to bite each other whenever they get a chance. Like friends.¡± In Yun¡¯s script, Kim So-ah hated Kim Chun-taek for being a vulgar man, and Kim Chun-taek thought of her as a useful tool. ¡°There¡¯s more than love between men and women. I think it was more like¡­ aradeship close to affection.¡± Yun smiled deeply. At the lunch he had with Kim Min-jae earlier, Kim Min-jae said it was love. Kim Min-jae had brought the trantion that Ian had said earlier: ¡°You¡¯re the first girl who doesn¡¯t have any interest in me.¡± But Ian¡¯s answer was more in line with the writer¡¯s intention and he liked it. ¡°That¡¯s a very good trantion. Is that how you¡¯re going to act?¡± ¡°No, I think it would be better to mix them half and half.¡± Director Park leaned backfortably with his arms crossed. He seemed to have a hidden thought like ¡®Look at this?¡¯ ¡°Is it aradeship based on affection or a love between lovers? I think it would be fun to leave some room for interpretation for the viewers. What do you think, director?¡± He even casually asked for the director¡¯s opinion. Director Park pped his hands with satisfaction. ¡°It must be hard¡­ Can you act properly?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡± ¡°Good. I like it.¡± He liked his confident attitude. Director Park had forgotten the thought he had before he came here. ¡®I almost discriminated against him.¡¯ He almost rejected such a popr actor, what a greedy and narrow-minded thought. Maybe he had some prejudice against idols¡­ While Director Park was reflecting on himself, Writer Yoon and Ian exchanged their numbers. ¡°Call me anytime if you have any questions when practicing your acting.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± They finished their meal and shook hands at the entrance of the restaurant. ¡°See you at the script reading.¡± ¡°Yes, see you then.¡± Ian bowed his waist. Director Park and Writer Yoon left the parking lot in their car, and Awi¡¯s van stopped in front of Ian. Ian opened the door of the van and threw himself into the seat. ¡°You came right on time, hyung.¡± ¡°How did it go?¡± ¡°They said see you at the script reading.¡± ¡°You did well. That Yoon Mi-sook drama.¡± Park Dong-soo made a refreshing face as if he had drunk a ss of beer. Writer Yoon Mi-sook, this time it¡¯s a historical drama. ¡®Lady Hee-bin¡¯ morous cast lineup Awi Ian joins Yoon Mi-sook¡¯s team¡­ ¡®Lady Hee-bin¡¯ Joseon version Casanova Kim Chun-taek cast -Acting???? Finally acting????? -Historical drama so good?????? -Right into Mi-sook¡¯s drama? As expected, good connections ©¸What connections are you talking about ?? spreading rumors got sued ©¸©¸You can¡¯t say Mi-sook¡¯s drama has connections? Actors were lining up to do Mi-sook¡¯s drama?? what a nonsense you¡¯re sitting there -He¡¯ll be good to watch since he can act well -He got attached to a Chinese tycoon? Right into a hit drama??? So transparent, so transparent??? ©¸Chinese capital is sweet indeed? Yoon Mi-sook is nothing in front of money? ©¸He got into the handsome circle and hit the jackpot too?? Chapter 135: Chapter 135: Chapter 135 Am I the only one who¡¯s doing nothing? Kim Joo-young yawned as he opened the door of the recording booth. Lee Joo-hyuk and Park Jin-hyuk were staring at the monitor screen with their hats pulled down. ¡°Aren¡¯t you guys sleepy?¡± ¡°We¡¯re used to this time.¡± Not only them, but also Jung Se-jun and otherposers preferred to record at dawn. They said it was more creative. ¡°Will it take long?¡± ¡°We just have to record Tae-woo hyung and do some post-production. Wait a bit.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk clicked the mouse. He yed the part that Kim Joo-young had just recorded. ¡°Which one do you think is better?¡± ¡°Well¡­ thest one?¡± The work on Lim Tae-woo¡¯s digital single, ¡®Diamond¡¯, which featured AWY¡¯s Jeon-won, went smoothly. The original song had a vibe of synthesizer melody and hook song that was popr back then. Since retro and disco trends were rising these days, they proceeded in a direction that preserved the original song as much as possible. Park Jin-hyuk and Lee Joo-hyuk epted Kim Joo-young¡¯s opinion without a word. Kim Joo-young, who was half-lying on the sofa in the studio, sprang up. ¡°No, no, are you guys okay with thest one?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re okay with it, then it¡¯s okay. It¡¯s your part.¡± ¡°No, but still¡­¡± Kim Joo-young scratched his head in confusion. It all started with him rmending a song that would suit Park Seo-dam. And before he knew it, he was involved in Lee Joo-hyuk and Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s song work and exchanging opinions. ¡®I¡¯m not that talented, am I?¡¯ Kim Joo-young made a puzzled expression. Lee Joo-hyuk, who seemed to know what he was thinking, spun his chair and looked at Kim Joo-young¡¯s face. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You have a good ear. It¡¯s thanks to you that we got on the annual chart.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you guys did well.¡± ¡°Anyway, you participated in the work too.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the use of having a good ear¡­ Composing is hard.¡± Although Kim Joo-young¡¯s opinion influenced AWY¡¯s song work, he had not started his own work yet. He was learningposition, but he had no interest or passion for it. ¡°Don¡¯t think too hard.¡± ¡°Yeah. You can do whatever you find funter.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk and Park Jin-hyuk were uploading their mix tapes to a music streaming site called ¡®Music Cloud¡¯ from time to time, trying various musical experiments. They didn¡¯t make any profit from it, but they enjoyed it. ¡°It seems like we¡¯ll take a while, do you want to call Myung-jin hyung and go first?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll wait.¡± Kim Joo-young flopped down on the sofa. He didn¡¯t want to bother his manager by making hime and go twice. When he was bored, he turned to his smartphone. AWY Seo-dam makes her first appearance as MC on ¡®Visible Idol Radio¡¯¡­ Shows amazing chemistry with A1S Chang-jo Park Seo-dam was appearing as a fixed MC on a cable radio show with A1S¡¯s Min Chang-jo, as well as being an MC for a music show. AWY Hyun confirmed to appear on NNet¡¯s ¡®D-Stage¡¯¡­ Continues his trendy moves Kim Hyun was appearing on NNet¡¯s dance show. Kim Joo-young wanted to go with him too. But he didn¡¯t get an offer. [Star Photo] The script reading scene of ¡®Hee-bin Jang¡¯s Family¡¯ revealed¡­ AWY Ian-Lee Ah-reum ¡°Breathtaking chemistry¡± AWY Tae-woong confirmed to appear in a short y ¡®I Alpha¡¯¡­ This time he¡¯s a robot Ian and Jo Tae-woong didn¡¯t have much time to see each othertely because of their drama shooting. Even when they ran into each other at the dorm, they were holding scripts and focusing. ¡®Am I the only one who¡¯s doing nothing?¡¯ Kim Joo-young bit his dry lips. He bit them so hard that he tasted blood. When the members were busy moving around, Kim Joo-young did some personal broadcasts on YApp, but that was just fan service. He didn¡¯t have any official schedules. ¡®I should do something else too¡­¡¯ He had no achievements yet from his ear that Lee Joo-hyuk said was talented. Kim Joo-young still foundposing hard and boring. ¡®Listening andposing are different.¡¯ Kim Joo-young felt like he would fall behind the other members if he just devoted himself to the group activities without any effort. ¡®I have to do better than him.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t apetitive mentality, but the members were gradually building up their group and individual recognition by using their skills. He didn¡¯t want to be left out. ¡®What can I do?¡¯ Kim Joo-young fiddled with his bitten lips. *** ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we did a group variety show, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s been a while.¡± They had a hiatus until the release of the repackaged album, but they had some minor schedules like photo shoots and additional shootings formercials. ¡°We¡¯re going to do YApp after this.¡± ¡°As a group? That¡¯s also been a while.¡± Thepany¡¯s own content and personal broadcasts on YApp were no longer optional, but mandatory. They got off the van that took them to the broadcasting station¡¯s underground parking lot. Everyone got out of the van, but one person was still sitting nkly on the seat. Ian tapped Kim Joo-young, who didn¡¯t get off. ¡°Hey, we¡¯re here.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Kim Joo-young?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get off.¡± Kim Joo-young snapped out of his daze and got out of the van. Ian frowned as he watched his back. ¡®What¡¯s wrong with him?¡¯ [He must be in a slump or something. It¡¯smon for you guys to go through that once in a while.] ¡®Is that so¡­?¡¯ After Jo Tae-woong, now it was Kim Joo-young¡¯s turn. Ian decided to wait for him to solve it on his own. *** Lim Tae-woo was already in the waiting room, sitting in front of the mirror and getting his makeup done. The members greeted him and his staff. ¡°You¡¯re here already, hyung?¡± ¡°Yeah, you guys went to the salon?¡± ¡°Yeah, we have a lot of people.¡± They each had their own staff and they had to share the waiting room, so it felt cramped. They finished their rehearsal, which was just a simple check of their movements, and returned to the waiting room. Lim Tae-woo asked Ian a question. ¡°How did it go with the senior dancers? Was it hard to hire them?¡± ¡°They¡¯ll be here soon. It¡¯s Seo-dam¡¯s grandmother¡¯s connection.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Seo-dam¡¯s grandmother agreed to be on stage too. It¡¯ll be fun.¡± Park Seo-dam was holding her phone tightly, waiting for her grandmother¡¯s call. The senior dancers didn¡¯t need any practice. Kim Myung-jin took over the busy Awi and taught them the dance, but they all showed simr rhythms of tourist bus dance. They still had a lot of time left until the studio recording. ¡°Tae-woo, the fans sent you support.¡± ¡°Really?¡± As they were passing the boring waiting time, Lim Tae-woo¡¯s manager and staff came into the waiting room with arge styrofoam box. ¡°Wow, Tae-woo hyung¡¯s support is just like an idol¡¯s.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a trot idol.¡± ¡°They have good sense.¡± The members gathered around and watched Lim Tae-woo¡¯s meal support. Lim Tae-woo¡¯s manager called the Awi members. ¡°This is for you guys.¡± ¡°We have some too?¡± ¡°Of course you do.¡± The members each received a box with their names printed on it. They felt strange and amazed to receive support from other fans than the ones Awi prepared for them. ¡°They didn¡¯t have to worry about us¡­¡± On the lid of the lunch box, there was a sticker that said ¡®Our grandchildren, eat a lot!¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s amazing. Trot fans do this too.¡¯ [Trot fans are usually like that. And your fans are sopetitive. They fight over who gets to send support. There are many fan sites and fan site alliances.] ¡®No wonder¡­¡¯ The names of the fan sites on the meal support were so different that they wondered if there were such fan sites. The manager ced the lunch boxes in a row on the table and held up his phone. ¡°I¡¯ll take a proof shot before we eat.¡± Park Seo-dam held up her lunch box close to her face and said, ¡°Please also write that we really liked it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Seo-dam has good sense. You¡¯re a radio DJ after all.¡± ¡°Oh, stop teasing me, Tae-woong hyung.¡± Lim Tae-woo¡¯s manager took several photos and left with a satisfied expression. Lim Tae-woo¡¯s fans were mostly middle-aged with high ie, so the staff¡¯s lunch boxes were also simr to the singer¡¯s lunch boxes. ¡°We¡¯ll enjoy our meal!¡± The staff also sat down and picked up their chopsticks. Park Dong-soo, who was eating happily, suddenly got up. Park Jin-hyuk grabbed him as he was about to leave the waiting room. ¡°Hyung, where are you going without finishing your meal?¡± ¡°Your fans sent a coffee truck.¡± ¡°Really?¡± If they couldn¡¯t get in with lunch boxes, then it was coffee truck this time. There was no war as Jin said. Ian chewed on his wooden chopsticks. ¡®I don¡¯t think we need this anymore¡­¡¯ [Just eat it when you can. You know how hard it is for nugus to get this.] ¡®I know that.¡¯ He had gone through the nugu diamond era, so he was happy and grateful for every support from the fans. ¡®But if the fans feel burdened by this, I think we don¡¯t have to do this anymore¡­ We¡¯re not poor anymore and we can take care of our own meals, right?¡¯ [Don¡¯t talk like you¡¯re full. How often do you get this opportunity? When your poprity goes down, this will end too.] Park Dong-soo, who had gone outside, knocked on the door of the waiting room. ¡°This time, our fans have prepared something for us. Everyone, please have a meal and get a drink from the coffee truck outside.¡± ¡°Wow, thanks to the fans, we¡¯re having a feast today. We¡¯ll enjoy it!¡± The staff members said a word to Lim Tae-woo and Awi, then quickly got up and headed outside. ¡°Let¡¯s eat and go outside too. We have to take pictures.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk, who was saying that, stopped eating and looked at the fan support with curiosity. *** ¡°Before we go on stage! Tae-woo and Awi had a special story, right?¡± ¡°Yes, we did.¡± ¡°Tae-woo, how do you feel?¡± ¡°I really wanted to perform with these guys at least once, but they were so busy, so I finally got to do it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re both busy people. That¡¯s why you joined the same agency, right?¡± Lim Tae-wooughed. His story of how he started trot became famous because he told it on various media outlets. Awi¡¯s name also rose and fell with him, and his fans and the public became interested in Awi because of that drama-like story. ¡°How about you, Awi?¡± ¡°We have something to say because of that.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°When we finished our tour andnded at the airport, some people who looked like our grandparents suddenly said ¡®You¡¯re our benefactors?¡¯¡± Lim Tae-woo smiled awkwardly at Park Seo-dam¡¯s words. Kim Hyun and Ian picked up the microphone. ¡°At first, we thought we did something wrong. You know, we get nervous when someone says something unfamiliar to us.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, we were like ¡®Why are we benefactors? What happened while we were away from Korea?¡¯¡± The MCughed. ¡°Tae-woo¡¯s love call was amazing.¡± ¡°He likes us so much, Tae-woo hyung-nim should be honored to perform today.¡± Park Jin-hyuk said jokingly, and the cast members alsoughed. The MC passed the microphone to Jo Tae-woong. ¡°Tae-woong, how do you feel?¡± ¡°When I was young, I saw some cool guys and thought I would be an idol, but to perform with one of them¡­ I feel very¡­ strange.¡± ¡°Haha! That¡¯s good. Well then, let¡¯s watch Lim Tae-woo and Awi¡¯s stage together, ¡®Turn Back Time¡¯!¡± Chapter 136: Chapter 136: Chapter 136 Diamond. Awi stood behind Lim Tae-woo, leaning on the audience seats. The audience members, who were sitting at a distance, cheered loudly. Ian nced at the audience seats and saw a few blue dots shining. They were the marks of the people he had met somewhere, either on Awi¡¯s music shows or concerts. ¡®Our fans are here too¡­ I heard thepetition was fierce.¡¯ As the daily confirmed cases gradually decreased, the broadcasting station started to ept more audience members. However, they still had to keep their distance, so the number of audience seats was very low. ¡®Turning Back Time¡¯ was a song with lyrics that yfully regretted the past time, and it was a cheerful and upbeat song from beginning to end. ¡°Did you arrange it yourself?¡± ¡°I like it already.¡± The panelists murmured at the introduction of the sorrowful piano sound arranged by Lee Ju-hyuk. Lim Tae-woo picked up the microphone and sang the first verse. The Awi members who were standing behind him turned around one by one and looked at the audience seats. ¡°I miss the passing time But I can¡¯t turn it back¡± Following Lim Tae-woo, Lee Ju-hyuk and Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s singing rap and Park Seo-dam and Jo Tae-woong winked at the camera with their backs to each other. After Ian and Lim Tae-woo¡¯s duet verse, the music gradually intensified and then stopped abruptly. Theser lights illuminated the stage, and it was time for a dance break. Lim Tae-woo also showed off the choreography he had practiced with Awi. ¡°Wow!¡± ¡°They look like one group!¡± Lim Tae-woo had learned some dance skills during his Diamond days, so he followed along without being awkward. The panelists opened their mouths. As the dance break was about to end, elderly dancers, including Park Seo-dam¡¯s grandmother, came up on stage one by one and danced merrily. ¡°What? What is this?¡± ¡°Are they dancers?¡± Lim Tae-woo gestured to the panelists. ¡°Come on! Let¡¯s dance together!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go too!¡± The panelists quickly went up on stage and joined the exciting dance party. Lim Tae-woo sang in a rustic way, and Ian added some ad-libs. This stage broke the highest ratings in an instant. The man of trot Lim Tae-woo, ¡®Turning Back Time¡¯ stage with Awi, breaking the highest ratings ¡®Trot for You¡¯ Trot singers and idols, and a specialbination of dancers ¡°A hot topic¡± After his first stage with Lim Tae-woo ended sessfully, the first recording was over. Park Seo-dam ran to his grandmother who was waiting in the waiting room. ¡°Grandma!¡± ¡°My grandchildren are here?¡± As Park Seo-dam hugged his grandmother tightly, the elderly dancers quickly approached Lim Tae-woo. ¡°Thank you foring.¡± ¡°Oh, we¡¯re more thankful.¡± Lim Tae-woo greeted them with a bright smile. Park Seo-dam¡¯s grandmother, Cheon Ok-ja, patted her grandson¡¯s shoulder, but her eyes were on Lim Tae-woo who was following them. ¡°Grandma, please greet us too. How was the stage earlier?¡± ¡°Grandma likes Tae-woo hyung more than us, right? You like us more, right?¡± Jo Tae-woong and Ian stood on both sides of Cheon Ok-ja and begged for attention. Park Seo-dam had arranged a house for his grandmother and siblings near the dormitory, so Cheon Ok-ja sometimes invited Awi members to her house for a meal. ¡°What are you talking about? Our puppies are good too.¡± ¡°So you like us more than Tae-woo hyung, right?¡± So except for Park Seo-dam, the other members were already like Cheon Ok-ja¡¯s grandchildren. Park Jin-hyuk made an expectant expression, but Cheon Ok-ja gave a different answer than he expected. ¡°What are you talking about? Of course¡­ our Prince Lim is better.¡± Cheon Ok-ja slipped out of Awi members¡¯ side and headed to Lim Tae-woo¡¯s side. Lim Tae-woo greeted her with a bright smile. ¡°Are you Seo-dam¡¯s grandmother?¡± ¡°Oh my, how did you recognize me?¡± ¡°You look like Seo-dam, so handsome.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a big fan of yours.¡± Cheon Ok-ja smiled sheepishly and took a selfie with Lim Tae-woo. ¡®Prince Lim¡­ Isn¡¯t he ashamed?¡¯ Ian turned his eyes away with a gloomy look at his old colleague¡¯s business who was doing fan service with ease despite the embarrassing nickname. The Awi members who were left alone smiled bitterly. Lee Ju-hyuk tapped Park Seo-dam¡¯s back. ¡°Seo-dam, you lost to Tae-woo hyung.¡± ¡°That¡¯s too bad.¡± I¡¯m his grandson! Park Seo-dam drooped his shoulders. *** After the first stage was broadcast, Awi¡¯s name also rose on the real-time search. It was the first time in a long time that the group name went up alone. The real-time search was easier to go up when the usual search volume was low, and harder to go up in the opposite case. It meant that Awi¡¯s search volume was higher than the previous search volume. As time passed, thest broadcast recording of ¡®Trot for You¡¯ took ce. ¡°I¡¯m nervous.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how they¡¯ll react. It¡¯s not a trot song.¡± ¡°Taewoo hyung¡¯s fans will love it, right? They seem like idol fandoms, no difference.¡± Today was the day of the new song showcase for the trot singers. It was the first stage of ¡®Diamond¡¯, arranged by Juhyuk after much deliberation. ¡°Hello!¡± The members of Awi entered the waiting room with a cheerful greeting. The busy staff weed them warmly. ¡°Taewoo hyung.¡± ¡°Huh? Oh¡­ you¡¯re here?¡± Lim Taewoo, who was standing nkly, was startled. Juhyuk sat next to him. ¡°Are you nervous?¡± ¡°A bit? It¡¯s weird¡­ I don¡¯t usually get nervous.¡± Lim Taewoo licked his dry lips. What did he think while holding on to a song that he couldn¡¯t use or discard? Juhyuk couldn¡¯t guess Lim Taewoo¡¯s inner thoughts. ¡°We didn¡¯t end well, after all. I keep thinking that I want to do this song with the old members, if possible.¡± ¡°Really?¡± He wanted to sing with the people from back then, at least with Kim Yongmin. That¡¯s why he felt more regretful that they had no interest in the entertainment industry. ¡°Except for a few who trolled us¡­ Ah, I don¡¯t mean that it¡¯s bad to do it with you guys.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Juhyukughed. Lim Taewoo had yed games with Awi members a few times and absorbed thenguage of the younger generation like a sponge. ¡°It¡¯s strange, when I think about it, there aren¡¯t many good memories, but I still want to have a proper farewell sometimes.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know yet.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll know when the timees. Or maybe it¡¯s better not to know.¡± Lim Taewoo shook his head. Telling the kids that they would find out about disbandment soon was not advice but a curse. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think about the end. I can¡¯t even imagine it.¡± He didn¡¯t know what the others thought, but at least Juhyuk was confident that his group would somehowst forever. ¡°Let¡¯s go record now.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lim Taewoo patted Juhyuk¡¯s back. He felt that Awi¡¯s teamwork was better than other groups while working on ¡®Diamond¡¯ with them. Lim Taewoo also had a feeling that Awi wouldst long without disbanding. ¡®If only we had met a good agency back then¡­¡¯ There was no point in regretting it now. He had started his second life as a trot singer, so he thought it wouldn¡¯t be good to cling to the past. *** After the new song stages of other trot singers were over, it was finally Lim Taewoo¡¯s turn. ¡°Can you tell us a little bit about your new song?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I brought out some nostalgia from the past.¡± ¡°Nostalgia¡­ I¡¯m looking forward to it. Well, then, here is the new song stage of Lim Taewoo, the trot star. Let¡¯s watch it together!¡± The stage went dark and Lim Taewoo let out a deep breath and sped his hands around the microphone. The lights on the stage turned on and Lim Taewoo smiled brightly and sang the first verse. ¡°It sounds like a dance song?¡± ¡°It reminds me of Kim Jayeon teacher¡¯s ¡®Que Sera Sera¡¯.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± The trot singers who had performed before had prepared calm and resonant songs for the autumn season. ¡°Guys, let¡¯s go.¡± When the time came, Juhyuk jumped up and led the members. The Awi members who were sitting on the panel grabbed the microphones hidden under their chairs and stormed onto the stage. ¡°What? What is this?¡± ¡°Oh, they must be featuring!¡± The staff who had rehearsed knew already, but the panel didn¡¯t. The panel opened their mouths in surprise and watched Lim Taewoo and Awi¡¯s stage. ¡°You are a shining jewel Shining Shining Shining¡± The repeated lyrics in the chorus gave the song an addictive quality and the panel and audience waved their hands above their heads and cheered. The point choreography that waspleted by Lim Taewoo¡¯s suggestion was easy enough for anyone to follow. ¡®It¡¯s fun.¡¯ Lim Taewoo nced at Awi members who were doing the same choreography on his sides. The desire to do it with Diamond members from before disappeared and relief filled its ce. ¡®This is goodbye.¡¯ Lim Taewoo¡¯s digital single ¡®Diamond¡¯ was never going to be performed again after this stage. They had made this song while staying up all night in a cramped dormitory. It was a special song for him, his firstposition in his life. ¡®I never thought I¡¯d perform this song¡­¡¯ Ian, who was doing the point choreography next to Lim Taewoo, couldn¡¯t hide his strange feeling. ¡®It feels weird.¡± He already knew that his identity was not Kim Yong-min, but Choi Ian. But maybe it was because his past memories lingered like afterimages, he couldn¡¯t help feeling some emotions welling up inside him. ¡®I¡¯m d they didn¡¯t bury it.¡¯ Anyway, there would be a day when his hardships back then would pay off. When the song ended and he struck the ending pose, Ian stared at the camera. A relieved smile hung on his lips. *** Lim Tae-woo, who came backstage for a moment to fix his ruined hair and makeup, spread his arms toward the members. The members who hugged Lim Tae-woo stood together shoulder to shoulder. ¡°Today¡¯s stage was awesome, guys.¡± ¡°We were awesome too, hyung.¡± ¡°Guys, thank you so much.¡± Lim Tae-woo patted the backs of Ian and Lee Joo-hyuk who were next to him. ¡°I¡¯m d I¡¯m with you guys.¡± ¡®Me too.¡¯ Ian just smiled without saying that. ¡®To You Who Love Trot¡¯ Lim Tae-woo¡¯s new song ¡®Diamond¡¯ released, AWY fires a shot of support. Lim Tae-woo¡¯s new song, ¡®Diamond¡¯ is ¡°a selfposed song he worked on during his idol days¡± Former Diamond Min-joon, ¡®To You Who Love Trot¡¯ SNS reaction¡­ ¡°A song with our memories¡­ I¡¯m happy to hear it again¡± ©¸Shut up and go away ?? ©¸Go take care of your kid at home ©¸Fall for our Tae-woo~~~~ ©¸This guy always tries to butt in *** ¡°There were a lot of great hook songs back then.¡± ¡°Should we make a hook song for our next one?¡± ¡°That would be fun.¡± The car that carried AWY left the broadcasting station and headed to the dorm. ¡°Hey, Joo-young, how are you?¡± ¡°Huh? Uh¡­¡± While the other members were chatting excitedly, Kim Joo-young only looked out the window quietly. The members who knew that Kim Joo-young¡¯s condition was not goodtely deliberately talked to him. ¡°You know¡­¡± Kim Joo-young turned his head and looked at Ian who was sitting next to him. ¡°What do you think about making a personal YouTube channel?¡± ¡°What?¡± The members who were holding their breath and listening to what Kim Joo-young would say were surprised and asked back. Lee Joo-hyuk and Park Jin-hyuk who were sitting in the front seat quickly turned around. ¡°A personal channel?¡± Chapter 137: Chapter 137: Chapter 137 Let¡¯s do one thing. [Personal channel? Are you crazy? Do you want to ride the high-pass with the fandom?] Jin moved quickly and brought the lens close to Kim Joo-young¡¯s face. Of course, Kim Joo-young couldn¡¯t see Jin, but he bowed his head at the same time as the lens was attached, making the timing perfect. ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing.¡± The members narrowed their eyes and looked at Kim Joo-young. ¡°¡­Guys, sit up straight.¡± Kim Myung-jin, who had been listening to themotion, looked at the members through the room mirror. ¡®I knew something was weirdtely.¡¯ The members who had taken on dance variety shows, dramas, and fixed MCs, Lee Joo-hyuk and Park Jin-hyuk, didn¡¯t have any official schedules yet. But they were busy working on songs, giving songs to other singers, or appearing as producers on audition programs. They were gradually expanding their position asposers. ¡®Kim Joo-young didn¡¯t do anything¡­¡¯ The members didn¡¯t force Kim Joo-young to do something likeposing that he wasn¡¯t interested in. Thepany said they would support whatever activity Awi did after ck Rush¡¯s temporary disbandment. So he came up with his own idea of a personal YouTube channel¡­ Ian crossed his arms. ¡®I don¡¯t me him.¡¯ Kim Joo-young hadn¡¯t been idle all this time. He had been doing fan service on Y-app live broadcasts, and recording his own choreography in the practice room and uploading it to Awi¡¯s official channel. But the other members were on TV media, and they had visible results of their self-development, while he had nothing to stand out, so he must have felt rtively anxious. ¡®He would be good at eating shows¡­¡¯ [But not a personal channel.] There were some people who had a strange obsession with reporting in real time who came and didn¡¯te to the fan cafe, or who did and didn¡¯t do Y-app broadcasts. There were also some opinions that why Kim Joo-young was the only one who turned on Y-app broadcasts, what the other members were doing. What if Kim Joo-young opened a personal YouTube channel instead of a group video channel? [That¡¯s no joke. The haters are already saying why he has personal content and why they don¡¯t do it for our bias. They¡¯re causing a fandom split and a mess.] ¡®Well¡­ I can¡¯t me them.¡¯ They didn¡¯t care about the opinions that they had fallen behind in fan service because they hadn¡¯te for a few days. They became popr and got full. They were just a minority among many fans anyway. ¡®But YouTube¡­ How can you not read thements?¡¯ Thepany was sending out enough self-produced content through Awi¡¯s official channel, but they were distributing individual portions evenly. They were taking a strategy of cutting off the source ofints because someone would say something if one member had more content than others. Because Awi¡¯s fandom size was as big as the group fans, but also as big as the individual fans. If you¡¯re an individual fan, you¡¯ll be resentful that my member doesn¡¯t have YouTube but why does he do it for other members. ¡®If you look closely, he¡¯s the weakest mentally among us.¡¯ Ian didn¡¯t want to oppose Kim Joo-young¡¯s YouTube challenge. Honestly, there wouldn¡¯t be many people who would object to opening a personal channelpared to the size of the fandom. But the loud minorities were more vicious than they imagined. The biggest problem was Kim Joo-young, who would be exposed to hatements in the process. [YouTube has a lot of problems anyway. Not just domestic fans. Foreigners are also fierce. Who has more content and boycotts and reports the member with more content? It¡¯s a mess.] They got rid of articlements because of hatements, and they were also getting rid of real-time reaction windows. But YouTube is a foreign site, so it can¡¯t be withoutments. And if you block thements, that would cause more bacsh. As they lived together, Jo Tae-woong was also weak mentally, but he was quick to shake it off. But Kim Joo-young was like a time bomb that hid it and exploded all at once. ¡°Guys, good job today.¡± ¡°You too, hyung.¡± The van that carried Awi stopped at the underground parking lot of their dorm. ¡°Joo-hyuk, wait a minute.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Kim Myung-jin, who followed the members down, called Lee Joo-hyuk. He grabbed Lee Joo-hyuk¡¯s shoulder and whispered in his ear. ¡°First, talk to each other, and contact me or Dong-soo hyung, okay?¡± ¡°What do you think, hyung?¡± ¡°YouTube? I don¡¯t know if you guys are five years old or something¡­ I think it¡¯s too early.¡± ¡°Right?¡± Lee Joo-hyuk sighed softly as he looked at Kim Joo-young¡¯s back. *** ¡°Guys, I¡¯m hungry. Should we open some cup noodles?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Park Seo-dam quickly agreed to Lee Joo-hyuk¡¯s suggestion. Lee Joo-hyuk and Kim Hyun went to the kitchen first. ¡°Should we ask Joo-young?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± They filled the coffee pot with water and boiled it. Meanwhile, the members took out cup noodles from the cupboard and tore the stic. ¡°So, why did you talk about YouTube channel?¡± Ian lifted his head as he poured the soup into the cup noodles. All the members stopped what they were doing and stared nkly at Park Jin-hyuk. As expected, Park Jin-hyuk brought up the main point before the water boiled. Lee Joo-hyuk¡¯s n to casually ask while eatingte-night snacks was gone. ¡°What if we try it once?¡± Lee Joo-hyuk looked at the members¡¯ faces and answered. Park Jin-hyukughed with a deted sound. ¡°Look at him. He¡¯s already thinking of going solo.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡± ¡°What do you mean, that¡¯s not it? Saying you want to start a YouTube channel is like saying ¡®I care more about my solo activities than the group.¡¯ Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°Well, I guess so.¡± Kim Joo-young chewed on his wooden chopsticks. The members knew what Jin had said. As they waited for the cup noodles to cook, they each said a word. ¡°Honestly, I think Joo-young¡¯s mukbang or cookbang would be fun.¡± ¡°His cookbang got good feedback before. His mukbang also has memes going around saying he eats deliciously.¡± ¡°But Joo-young hyung, why did you suddenly bring up YouTube? You¡¯re not really thinking of going solo, are you?¡± Kim Joo-young groaned. ¡°I¡¯m just anxious because I¡¯m not doing anything.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you just work on songs?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not easy. It¡¯s different from listening to the songs you guys work on and making them from scratch.¡± That was true. The members nodded silently. As Park Jin-hyuk picked up his chopsticks, the others also peeled off the paper lids of the cup noodles and blew on the steam. ¡°First of all, what you need to fix is that you¡¯re not doing nothing. The situation is what it is, so we¡¯re doing some solo activities, but we¡¯re also going to do our Refaceback.¡± ¡°Right. We also prioritize our group schedule for our solo activities and do them briefly. Thepany also emphasizes that the group shoulde first¡­¡± ¡°Hey, guys.¡± Kim Joo-young knocked on the table as if to knock. Jo Tae-woong, who was about to eat his noodles, stopped with his mouth open. ¡°I haven¡¯t even said I want to do it yet.¡± Was that so? Ian smiled awkwardly and clinked his beer can with Park Seo-dam. Kim Joo-young wasn¡¯t serious either. He had no guarantee that his YouTube personal channel would do well, and unless he produced some interesting content, the only people who would watch his videos would be his fans. That wouldn¡¯t be much different from the second Y app. ¡°I¡¯m just thinking about it. I haven¡¯t made up my mind yet.¡± In an instant, Jo Tae-woong and Ian finished their noodles and broth, and looked at Kim Joo-young who seemed a bit down. ¡°Honestly, YouTube? I won¡¯t oppose it.¡± ¡°Me too, if you want to do it, do it or don¡¯t¡­¡± Kim Hyun put down his chopsticks. ¡°It¡¯s too soon now. I have a hyung I knew from my trainee days who started YouTube recently. He didn¡¯t get good feedback when he started either.¡± ¡°Serenity?¡± ¡°Yeah, him?¡± ¡°He made it to the real-time search rankings, didn¡¯t he?¡± That was beside the point. Park Seo-dam emptied his beer can and opened a new one. The youngest one had the strongest alcohol tolerance. Ian drank his beer quietly with Park Seo-dam. ¡°Anyway, he¡¯s out of contract and doesn¡¯t have a chance to renew it, but we¡¯re almost three years in now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s too fast. We should at least wait until next year or so to think about personal channels.¡± Kim Joo-young shrugged his shoulders. ¡°I got it. Just eat your noodles.¡± ¡°Noodles? They¡¯re already asleep in my stomach.¡± Park Jin-hyuk showed him the empty cup of noodles and spoke in a stern voice. The membersughed lightly as Lee Ju-hyuk summed up the situation. ¡°Let¡¯s just focus on our Refac activities for now.¡± *** As soon as Lee Ju-hyuk entered his room, his phone in his pocket vibrated. The caller was Kim Myung-jin. ¡°Yes, hyung.¡± (Is the talk over?) ¡°Yes, is Dong-soo hyung there too?¡± (He is.) He heard Park Dong-soo¡¯s voice over the phone. Lee Ju-hyuk flopped down on his bed. (Why did Joo-young say he wanted to do YouTube?) ¡°It¡¯s because of his solo activities.¡± (Ah, I see¡­) Park Dong-soo sighed. The thing he had worried about when he was arranging the members¡¯ solo schedules had happened in reality. But it was better than having no motivation at all. (If he does it, I¡¯ll support him¡­ but it¡¯s too soon.) ¡°Joo-young wasn¡¯t that serious about it either. He just said ¡®Should I try it once?¡¯ That¡¯s all he thought.¡± (Really? Then that¡¯s good. If he does YouTube now, the fandom¡­ ugh, we¡¯ll think of other ways for Joo-young to do activities, so don¡¯t worry.) Park Dong-soo wasn¡¯t that worried. The Awi members were not indifferent to each other, and they noticed even small changes and tried to solve them together, so many cases were settled at Lee Ju-hyuk¡¯s line. ¡®Rigging¡¯ was like that at debut, and as they got older, the members were more careful. (I¡¯m sorry to leave it to you. This is something thepany should do¡­ Anyway, you must be tired, so sleep well.) ¡°Yes, hyungs too.¡± Lee Ju-hyuk felt uneasy as if he had stopped Kim Joo-young before he had made up his mind. Wait a minute, if creating is hard, wouldn¡¯t it be okay to mix things up? Lee Ju-hyuk jumped up. ¡°Hyung, can we still do something spontaneous?¡± (Juhyuk, you have to tell me more. I¡¯m already scared.) Park Dongsoo whimpered as he was about to hang up the phone. He still had nightmares about the ¡®Jujak¡¯ rehearsal scene. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing big. I just want to add something to our Refac activities. Is that okay?¡± (That should be fine, what are you going to do?) ¡°I have an idea, but¡­ I¡¯m not sure if Juyeong will like it. I¡¯ll talk to him first.¡± (¡­Okay, do you need anything else?) ¡°Some people who can edit videos?¡± *** The next morning, Kim Juyeong was woken up by Lee Juhyuk while he was still deep in sleep. Lee Juhyuk barged into Kim Juyeong¡¯s room and shook his body. ¡°Juyeong, wake up. Let¡¯s go to thepany together.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Get ready. Now.¡± Lee Juhyuk said that and left for the living room. Kim Juyeong was left alone in his room, staring nkly at the door. He never woke him up like this before. ¡°¡­What¡¯s going on?¡± He does as he is told. Kim Juyeong got out of bed and tidied up his bedding. Then he washed up and put on some clothes. He followed Lee Juhyuk to the van and sat next to him with a nervous look. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°You know how to use MIDI, right?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ I learned it before, but¡­¡± ¡°You have one job to do.¡± Lee Juhyuk kept silent until they entered the studio. Kim Juyeong shivered as he walked into the studio with him. Lee Juhyuk showed him theptop screen right away. ¡°These are our Refac songs. Why are they here?¡± ¡°You have to mash them up.¡± Chapter 138: Chapter 138: Chapter 138 ¡°Are you driving today, hyung?¡± ¡°Uh, Myungjin is on standby at thepany. Juyeong is working on something.¡± ¡°Still? That¡¯s crazy.¡± He must have stayed up all night since he wasn¡¯t at the dorm since yesterday. Ian folded the script that was spread out. Kim Juyeong practically lived in the studio after Lee Juhyuk took him there. He only came out of the studio when it was time for dance practice. ¡°How is Juyeong doing these days?¡± ¡°He seems to be enjoying it. He looks tired though.¡± At first, heined that he didn¡¯t understand why Juhyuk hyung made him do this, but soon hisints disappeared and were reced by ambition. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± If he showed talent, he could also do well as a DJ. Park Dongsoo sighed in relief. He was not just their manager, but a supportive older brother who cheered for their self-improvement activities. The members of Awi would not stay at BHL Entertainment forever like other idols. When their poprity faded after reaching their peak and their seven-year contract expired, they would turn their eyes to individual activities. Park Dongsoo hoped that they would have many options to choose from, not just leave like Kim Young-hyun did. Of course, this was Park Dongsoo¡¯s own thought. The members of Awi were already thinking, ¡®When we get old, let¡¯s gather our fans and do a dinner show together.¡¯ ¡°We¡¯re almost there.¡± ¡°Wow, I¡¯m nervous.¡± Ian rubbed his hands together. It was his first drama shooting in a long time. He got out of the van and looked around the set. It was his first time on a historical drama set. ¡®Heebin Jang¡¯ was a 24-episode long drama, divided into two parts. Ian yed Kim Chuntaek, who yed an important role in Queen Inhyeon¡¯s restoration. He had a lot of shooting scenes. ¡°Hello. Oh?¡± On his way to greet the director, he ran into an extra wearing a hanbok. Ian bowed his waist habitually and greeted him, then pretended to know him when he saw a blue dot shining on the extra¡¯s head. ¡°Where did I see you before? Dangso-deut?¡± The extra swallowed his breath. ¡°Huh, how did you know?¡± ¡°I have my ways.¡± Ian winked. Jin¡¯s ability applied not only to fans but also to people in the same industry. ¡°Can I ask for a pictureter?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it for you after the shooting, do you know where the director is?¡± ¡°Over there.¡± ¡°Thank you. Come by when we have a break.¡± He guessed right with Dangso-deut. The extra jumped up and down in his ce. Seeing him happy made Ian feel better too. ¡°Hello, director.¡± ¡°Long time no see. Did you practice a lot? It¡¯s not easy to do your first historical drama.¡± ¡°I practiced a lot, but I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ll like it.¡± Historical dramas were harder to act than modern dramas. But if you were good enough, you could stand out more. Director Park gave Ian a deep smile at his confident eyes. Ian followed the staff¡¯s guidance and changed his clothes and headed to the powder room. There was already another actor there who was dabbing powder on his face. ¡°Hello, noona.¡± ¡°Hi Ian. You look good in hanbok too.¡± Muso-ri Choi, actress Park Jiyeon who yed Suk-bin greeted Ian warmly. Ian wore a dark indigo durumagi and held a hat and a fan in his hand. ¡°How do you feel about your first historical drama shooting?¡± ¡°I¡¯m so nervous I could die.¡± Ian spread his fan and covered his face. His hand that spread the fan moved gracefully unlike his crying voice. ¡®He didn¡¯t seem to have anything to worry about at the reading.¡¯ Park Jiyeon chuckled inwardly. Ian showed an impressive performance at the reading that made his idol background irrelevant. ¡°Noona, can I dance with this fan until you finish your makeup?¡± ¡°Oh my, calm down.¡± Ian moved his body without caring as if he was doing modern dance. Park Jiyeonughed out loud. He was elegant even when using his body, these kids these days had so many skills. The camera shutter sounded incessantly. There was no way they wouldn¡¯t take behind-the-scenes photos of them. After Park Jiyeon finished her hair and makeup, Ian followed her to the set with her. Writer Yoon Misook was sitting next to the director. ¡°Hello, writer-nim.¡± ¡°Come on in. You have a good atmosphere.¡± Yoon Misook got up quickly and weed Park Jiyeon and Ian. Park Jiyeon in a hanbok and a chignon and Ian in a hat with fancy decorations stood side by side. ¡°Is that so? Noona, do you want to work together on the next project?¡± ¡°Sure, I¡¯d love that. Then are we going to be a couple?¡± Park Jiyeonughed out loud at Ian¡¯s yful tone. The actors of ¡®Heebin Jang¡¯ had no pretense. They were all good-natured actors who were cast by Writer Yoon Misook after careful consideration. Park Jiyeon wore a wide skirt and went into the set first for the scene where she would sit on the seat. ¡°How are you feeling, Ian? Can you do the ¡®mixing¡¯ acting?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s start filming.¡± Ian, who had nced at the director¡¯s script, sat across from Park Ji-yeon. He carefully sat down, spreading his cloak behind him. His graceful movement drew a gasp from the staff. At the director¡¯s cue, Park Ji-yeon¡¯s eyes changed. They were filled with longing and sorrow. Ian smiled faintly at the corner of his mouth. In this scene, only his lips and chin were shown, not his whole face. ¡°Why don¡¯t we take a walk in the garden since the weather is nice?¡± ¡°No, mama. I came to check on your well-being, but I should take my leave now.¡± Ian, Kim Chun-taek, sipped his tea slowly, as if he was reluctant to leave the concubine. She licked her lips. ¡°When will youe again?¡± ¡°I will visit you soon.¡± He knew how she felt about him. He turned away without hesitation. She couldn¡¯t take her eyes off his back as he opened the door and left. She clenched her skirt. He was a hard man to catch. Desire flickered in her eyes. As he left the concubine¡¯s residence and headed out of the pce, someone grabbed him. ¡°Baek-woo (Kim Chun-taek¡¯s courtesy name). What brings you to the pce?¡± ¡°Daegam, how have you been?¡± He bowed his head. ¡°I came to see mama.¡± ¡°Don¡¯te to the pce too often. You know what kind of rumors are going around, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes, Daegam. I will keep that in mind.¡± There were whispers that Kim Chun-taek and the concubine Choi were having an affair. The Daegam shook his head slightly as he watched Kim Chun-taek leave the pce. Kim Chun-taek paused and looked at the sky as he passed the pce gate. The camera that had been focusing on Ian¡¯s lips moved slowly up from his feet. He folded his fan and looked into the distance, then stared at the camera. His face was full of ambition. ¡°My lord.¡± His servant approached him and whispered softly. Ian raised one eyebrow. ¡°Did Jang Hee-jae divorce his wife?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He tapped his palm with his folded fan, as if he had found something interesting. His eyes sparkled. ¡°I should meet him.¡± *** Kim So-ah was browsing the market stalls when she nced at her servant who was rolling her feet impatiently. ¡°Stay still. You¡¯re so restless.¡± ¡°Mistress, are you just going to stay like this?¡± ¡°I have to stay still. What can I do?¡± She answered calmly, but she was boiling inside. How dare he divorce me and bring in a new woman? She clenched her hairpin so hard that it lost its color. A man¡¯s hand suddenly reached out and grabbed a red hairpin. ¡°This suits you better, madam.¡± Kim So-ah startled and backed away. The man, Kim Chun-taek, smiled darkly at her. She narrowed her eyes at his face. He was a handsome man with fine clothes and fair skin. ¡°Nice to meet you, madam. I am¡­¡± ¡°I know who you are.¡± ¡°You know me?¡± ¡°Your reputation precedes you in the streets.¡± Kim Chun-taek was a man who had captivated many women with his beautiful appearance. He was the center of attention among thedies in the city. Kim So-ah had heard of his fame too. ¡®They say he¡¯s also good at writing.¡¯ Seeing him in person, she had to admit that he was irresistible. But she didn¡¯t like his eyes that seemed to hide something. She ignored him and walked away. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Mistress¡­¡± Her servant blushed and nced at Kim Chun-taek before following Kim So-ah. ¡®Look at that?¡¯ Her servant kept looking back at him, but Kim So-ah was different. Kim Chun-taek¡¯s strange gaze never left her back. He followed her with the red hairpin in his hand. His servant scowled and paid for the hairpin instead. ¡°Did you hear that Master Jang brought in a new wife? Do you know anything about it, madam?¡± He twirled the hairpin in his hand as he followed her. Kim So-ah frowned. ¡°¡­It seems like you know who I am, so why don¡¯t you tell me your true intentions?¡± ¡°I heard that Master Jang divorced you because of his new wife¡­ How do you feel about that? We could be useful to each other.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you mean you could benefit from me?¡± ¡°That can be discussed in depth, don¡¯t you think?¡± He emphasized ¡®in depth¡¯ with a vague meaning. Kim So-ah sighed. ¡°If you have something in mind,e to Dohwa-won.¡± Dohwa-won, the name of a famous brothel in the city. Kim So-ah grimaced and Kim Chun-taek smiled slyly. She ignored his words and turned her back to go home. He watched her leave and smirked as he walked in the opposite direction. ¡°She¡¯s easy to use.¡± That was Kim Chun-taek¡¯s first impression of Kim So-ah. ¡°What a vulgar guy.¡± But if I use him well¡­ Kim Soa smirked. The camera captured their faces as they walked away in different directions. ¡°Cut! Good job!¡± The director¡¯s cut sign rang out and the actors who yed Ian and Kim Soa, Go Hyemin, went to the monitor next to the director. The staff filmed the actors who watched their performance with serious expressions. ¡°Yoon writer¡¯s drama is so easy. Everyone acts well so it ends quickly.¡± ¡°Choi Ian had amazing chemistry with Park Jiyeon earlier, but he¡¯s also good with Go Hyemin.¡± ¡°They really suit each other¡­ Sometimes there are actors like that. Actors who have good chemistry with anyone.¡± The staff who were watching them from afar whispered. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s shoot the next scene.¡± The staff moved busily at the director¡¯s okay sign. Thanks to the preparation time for the next scene, the actors had a short break. ¡°Excuse me¡­¡± ¡°Right. We agreed to take a picture together, right?¡± The extra actor who met him earlier cautiously handed him his phone. Ian switched the phone to selfie mode and stretched out his long arm to stick close to the extra actor. ¡°I¡¯ll take a good picture of you. This is the idol angle.¡± He didn¡¯t take just one picture without any care. Ian took five pictures in a row and returned the phone. The extra actor bowed deeply. ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡°Our group ising back soon, so please listen to our repackaged album a lot.¡± ¡°Oh, of course.¡± Ian bowed just like the extra actor. The extra actor made a fuss. The other extra actors who heard the noise gathered around Ian. ¡°Um¡­ Can I take a picture with you too?¡± ¡°Yes, can you give me your phone?¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡°I once took a picture with some fans and when I looked at the galleryter, there was a picture of me with them. It turned out that they didn¡¯t use their phones but mine. It was really absurd.¡± The people who gathered around Ianughed at his rapid-fire speech. Ian didn¡¯t show any annoyance and took pictures and signed for each person. ¡°Thank you.¡± One of the extra actors who took a picture and got a signature from Ian didn¡¯t stay there and left without hesitation. A familiar voice, Ian turned his head and looked at him. ¡®That person¡­¡¯ Chapter 139: Chapter 139: Chapter 139 ¡®Why does his voice sound so familiar?¡¯ Ian stared at his back. Park Dongsoo pushed through the crowd of people who were surrounding Ian. ¡°I¡¯ll take him away now. Ian, let¡¯s rest a bit.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The people looked disappointed, but they couldn¡¯t hold him back any longer and stepped aside. Ian followed Park Dongsoo and kept looking back. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did you see someone you know?¡± It felt somehow familiar¡­ Ian shook his head at Park Dongsoo¡¯s question. ¡°¡­Maybe not? I must have mistaken him for someone else.¡± *** The filmingsted all day long. Ian filmed his scenes whenever he appeared and spent the rest of the time watching the other actors¡¯ performances without a break. ¡°Ian, you still have a long way to go until your next scene. Why don¡¯t you go inside and rest?¡± ¡°No, thank you. This is the only chance I have to see the senior actors¡¯ acting. I have to learn from them.¡± ¡°Then¡­ just a moment.¡± The young actors who had finished their scenes and went inside the van didn¡¯te out again, but when they saw Ian¡¯s diligent attitude, they couldn¡¯t help but feel favorable towards him. The filming staff brought a folding chair and ced it near Ian. The sun set, and it was time to film the scene where Kim Chuntaek and Kim Soa held hands at the art gallery. Ian changed into a different outfit and sat on the upper seat. ¡®That extra actor¡­¡¯ There was also the extra actor he had seen earlier, ying the role of a schr who enjoyed nightlife with Kim Chuntaek. ¡®Who does he look like¡­?¡¯ Ian was lost in thought when he was awakened by the cue sign. He straightened his posture and started acting. Kim Soa had been in a daze ever since she met Kim Chuntaek at the market. She put on a cloak over her head and left the house. She headed towards the art gallery without bringing any servants with her. A courtesan who was standing near the door looked at Kim Soa with a hardened expression. ¡°What brings you to the art gallery, miss?¡± ¡°I came to see a man named Kim Chuntaek.¡± Oh, I see. The courtesan frowned and gave her a disdainful look. ¡°You can¡¯t see him.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°There are too many people like you around him.¡± Kim Soa didn¡¯t panic and chuckled. Kim Chuntaek must have yed a prank on her. She lifted her chin and stared at the courtesan¡¯s face. ¡°Do you know what a red fox is?¡± ¡°Pleasee this way.¡± The courtesan quickly changed her attitude. Kim Soa avoided the eyes of the gentlemen who were leaving the art gallery and tightened her cloak. The scene changed, and Kim Chuntaek was quietly drinking in between the noisy schrs and courtesans. The courtesan who had guided Kim Soa ced her in front of the door and hurried to Kim Chuntaek. ¡°Everyone, please step aside.¡± Kim Chuntaek smirked when he heard that the person he was waiting for had arrived. The schrs and courtesans got up from their seats and went outside. Kim Soa silently looked at the messy scene with liquor bottles and walked towards Kim Chuntaek who was sitting on the upper seat. ¡°Please sit down.¡± Kim Chuntaek gestured with his hand. Kim Soa sat on the cushion prepared for her across from him. The gisaeng who had guided her cautiously approached and poured wine into the empty cup and retreated. ¡°So, have you thought about it?¡± ¡°¡­I have.¡± Kim Soa lowered her eyes without paying attention to the wine cup. What business would Kim Chuntaek, who belonged to a different faction, have with her? He must have wanted to plot a scheme to harm Jang Heejae. ¡°What can you offer me?¡± She lifted her head and stared into Kim Chuntaek¡¯s eyes. His eyes sparkled as they met hers. ¡°I offer you a chance for revenge. Against Jang Heejae, the nobleman who ousted your family and took everything from you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°All you have to do is tell me what Jang Heejae is doing.¡± ¡°What if I refuse your offer and betray you?¡± ¡°No, you won¡¯t do that.¡± Ian lifted his wine cup and drank slowly. His gaze was fixed on Kim Soa¡¯s face, and his half-open eyes had a captivating look. Kim Soa turned her head slightly to avoid his sticky gaze. ¡°Isn¡¯t it true that you have no other way out without me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Kim Soa bit her lower lip in silence. She clenched her fists. ¡°You can¡¯t do anything without me either. Who else would know what my husband is doing if not me?¡± Kim Soa felt a surge of pride as she ignored Kim Chuntaek¡¯s gaze. She fiddled with the wine cup in front of her with her fingers. ¡°I know, but you will never know.¡± She smiled seductively and looked at Kim Chuntaek. He also looked back at her without avoiding her eyes. The director who was watching them from behind the camera held back hisughter. It was more than he had imagined when he wrote the script. ¡°But¡­ fine. We want the same thing.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll join you in your game.¡± ¡°Good. I¡¯lle to see youter.¡± Kim Chuntaek handed Kim Soa a red tassel he had bought at the market. Kim Soa reluctantly took it and turned her back without hesitation. ¡°She won¡¯t be easy to win over¡­¡± He watched the empty spot where she had left with a meaningful smile. ¡°Cut!¡± The atmosphere that had been tense with their fight was gone and Ian smiled brightly. ¡°Ian, you¡¯re good at this. We can go home early.¡± ¡°Right?¡± Ian and Go Hyemin looked at each other andughed foolishly. The filming at the painting studio was thest one of the day. They were both in a good mood after the smooth shooting without any mistakes. ¡°Stop making people fall for you. I almost did.¡± Go Hyemin hit Ian¡¯s shoulder lightly as he went to check the monitor. ¡°What are you talking about, sis? You were no joke either.¡± Go Hyemin looked like a different person from the one who had been smiling seductively just before. She acted like a tomboy. Ian and Go Hyemin stood next to Yoon, the writer. There were four monitors for filming. They could watch their footage from different angles. ¡°Here, Hyemin¡¯s part where she bites her lip, and Ian¡¯s part where he looks great.¡± ¡°The director of photography really did a good job.¡± Kim Chuntaek looked like a scoundrel on the screen, but somehow he had a presence. He bnced the contradictory lightness and heaviness very well. Director Park looked at Writer Yoon with a satisfied expression. ¡°I¡¯m fine with it, how about you, Writer?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s fine too. It¡¯s exactly the feeling I had in mind.¡± ¡°Okay, let¡¯s wrap it up today.¡± At Director Park¡¯s words, the assistant director announced loudly that the shooting was over. The staffs¡¯ faces brightened. Yoon Misook and Park Pyohyun¡¯s productionpany was famous for ensuring enough rest time for the staff and actors. The director¡¯s philosophy was ¡®If you shoot as if you¡¯re being chased, the result will be bad, so you need to have enough spare time.¡¯ ¡°Good job, everyone!¡± Writer Yoon was different from Writer Jung, the queen of script revisions, who was famous for writing and sending the script in advance. Director Park wasted less time thanks to his detailed storyboard and efficient shooting schedule. Writer Yoon, the drama queen, attracted good actors with her reputation. The actors¡¯ performances were wless, and most of the scenes with NGs were caused by the extras¡¯ mistakes. ¡°Ian, you did well.¡± ¡°How was I, hyung?¡± ¡°You were amazing. When this airs, you¡¯ll have a lot of fans, right? We should get more pre-orders for our next album.¡± Park Dongsoo joked that even a man would fall for him. Ian, who changed his clothes and wiped off his makeup lightly, looked at him sharply after taking a sip of the water bottle he handed him. ¡°So, you didn¡¯t really fall for him, right?¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t say such nonsense. It¡¯s just a figure of speech.¡± ¡°Well, you have a girlfriend anyway.¡± ¡°What¡­ what, hey!¡± Ian dropped a bomb on Park Dongsoo and walked ahead quickly. ¡®The CEO seemed to know already¡­¡¯ Ian hummed a tune. He knew that Park Dongsoo and Director Seo Suryeon were secretly dating through Jin. He had a feeling from the pink pouch. ¡®I wonder if I can eat noodles next year? What song should I sing for the congrattory song?¡¯ As Park Dongsoo chased after Ian in a hurry, Ian approached the extras who were waiting for the shuttle bus. ¡°Good job, everyone.¡± Just then, an extra who was uploading a picture with Ian on MyStagram jumped up. ¡°Huh? You were in the same scene as me, what¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°I¡­ Han Yebin.¡± ¡°Will youe to the next shooting too? See you then.¡± Han Yebin smiled brightly. She was an aspiring actress who participated in many shooting sites as an extra, but Ian was the first supporting actor who cared for each extra. She thought he would be rude because he was a handsome idol star, but it was just a prejudice. Ian turned back as he headed to the van. He pointed at an extra who was smoking a cigarette far away. ¡°What¡¯s the name of the extra you were with earlier?¡± ¡°That oppa? Lee Sae-min.¡± ¡°I see¡­ He looks like someone I know, but his name is different. See you at the next shooting then.¡± Ian turned his back and smiled bitterly. Park Dongsoo was waiting for him with the van door open. He would have liked to tease him about hisplicated expression as usual, but Ian had no room to care. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Lee Sae-min? Lee Sae-min? [Exclusive] ¡®Diamond¡¯ Ji-won voluntarily leaves group amid school violence controversy. ¡®I almost didn¡¯t recognize him.¡¯ [Who is that?] ¡®You had a lot of work done on your face, Ji-won.¡¯ [School bully Ji-won? Is that him?] Ian nodded. He felt a familiar vibe from the face, even though it had undergone stic surgery. The original features were still there, and the voice was very simr to someone he remembered. He changed his name from Ji-won Lee to Se-min Lee. Ian¡¯s expression hardened. ¡®Come to think of it, I got a call from Ji-won after the final episode of P.A. I ignored it, though.¡¯ In his previous life, he knew that Ji-won had never returned to the entertainment industry after the bullying scandal. He recalled how Ji-won had asionally contacted Kim Yong-min, who had continued his career in showbiz. ¡®That¡¯s the unwee contact that Tae-woo mentioned.¡¯ When Tae-woo became a sessful trot singer, the guy who had never contacted him before shamelessly called him. He must have thought that he could also make aeback after seeing Tae-woo start his second life. Ian knew Ji-won well enough to know that he was capable of that. He waszy, rude, and did not work hard, but he had an unfounded confidence that he was a talented person. ¡®He didn¡¯t even do half of what Tae-woo did.¡¯ Ian clicked his tongue. Park Dong-soo noticed Ian¡¯s sour mood. ¡®Did you know he was an actor? Did he do that in the future too?¡¯ [How would I know every news about the Diamond flop group? I knew about Kim Yong-min because he was 12th in P.A¡­ But I¡¯ve never heard of the name Se-min Lee before?] ¡®What?¡¯ Ian turned on his phone and searched for Se-min Lee. Had the future changed since he came back to the past and lived as Choi Ian? ¡®There are too many variables¡­¡¯ Chapter 140: Chapter 140: Chapter 140 Hanyeobin, who uploaded the photo she took with Ian first, had to turn off her phone for a while because of the explosive notifications. Her MyStarGram was flooded withments from Ian¡¯s fans, not only from Korea but also from overseas. Thements surpassed 5,000 in an instant. @Han_YB_1223 Ian remembered the scene he passed by when he was on Dangso and recognized me first. He smiled and did fan service for each person who asked for a photo, even though there was a crowd because of me. I was so touched by him??? I hope to see him in other works too. +Ian said to listen to AWY¡¯s repackaged album a lot. AWY fighting Heebin Jang fighting #HeebinJang#aspiringactress#actor#idol#AWY#ChoiIan#hisfanserviceisamazingashisface#follow#followback#followforfollow ©¸Thank you for your review, actress? ©¸Thank you for the photo, Hanyeobin actress! I will support your future! ©¸You and Ian are so cute drama best Thanks! -Extra actress MyStar has Ian????Hanbok crazy?? -Other actresses MyStar also have him?? Why does he keep appearing? -He took photos with everyone who asked???Sweet????? -Crazy kids teaser is up? ©¸OMG ©¸The beat is awesome??????God Joo Hyuk???God Jin Hyuk???? *** Despite theck of concert revenue due to the corona situation, thepany pushed for an unprecedented investment. Of the six new songs in the repackaged album, three had music videos and the other three had teaser videos of one minute and 40 seconds each. ¡°The more we do this, the more money we smell.¡± MyMedia was a golden opportunity. Representative Lee Byung Hun wanted to shoot overseas locations if he could. But since it was impossible in reality, he surveyed domestic attractions and famous studios, and invested generously in costumes, choreography, music videos, etc. ¡°Let¡¯s go for a million this year.¡± Lee Byung Hun chuckled. If the singers did their job well and thepany didn¡¯t skimp on money, the attention would naturally shift to them. AWY (AWY), repackaged album pre-order volume surpasses 1 million¡­ their own best record It was a bold decision because the total distribution of theirst regr album exceeded 800,000 copies. -Members don¡¯te to Y app these days. Are you busy preparing for the album? -I miss you???????? Thanks to that, the AWY members were also busy. They even forgot to visit the fan cafe they used toe often and devoted themselves to preparing for their activities. Ian still had unfinished drama filming in the meantime. Fortunately, the drama was pre-produced, so it didn¡¯t ovep with hiseback activities. ¡°They gathered at Sukjeong¡¯s (*Jang Hee Jae¡¯s wife) housest night and did a mock trial.¡± ¡°Is that so? The people who participated in that meeting must know too.¡± Kim Soa didn¡¯t drink the tea that Kim Choon Taek offered her. She still looked wary. ¡°I can only tell you this much.¡± She actually had a hidden card, but she deliberately bounced him off once because it would look easy if she gave it up obediently. Kim Choon Taek saw through her and hardened his expression. ¡°Madam, I¡¯m disappointed. Aren¡¯t we on the same boat now?¡± Kim Choon Taek reached out and brushed Kim Soa¡¯s cheek lightly. Kim Soa rolled her eyes and looked at his finger. His gaze that looked at her oppressively felt dangerous. ¡®He¡¯s a snake-like writer.¡¯ But Kim Soa could guess what he was thinking. Her fate would depend on his hands when he achieved his goal with the information she gave him. ¡°Fine.¡± She had no other way but this man anyway. Kim Soa pretended to lose and handed him the bid she had kept in her arms. Kim Choon Taek received the bid with a satisfied face. ¡°Cut! You two did a good job acting. Let¡¯s shoot again from a different angle and monitor it.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Ian, have a sip of water before you go in.¡± A staff member handed Ian a water bottle. Park Dong Soo was scratching his head behind him, a stepte. [Isn¡¯t this what a manager should do?] ¡®I¡¯m d you¡¯re taking care of me.¡¯ Ian didn¡¯t show any signs of being busy with hiseback preparations and his schedule. He perfectly handled his acting schedule, and thanks to that, the staff¡¯s evaluation of Ian was very good. ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡± ¡°Yes, thank you for your hard work.¡± Ian bowed his head and greeted the extra actors who passed by him. A person walking with his phone in the back row caught his eye. ¡®Lee Ji Won¡­¡¯ He, who had be Lee Se Min now, didn¡¯t do anything noticeable. He belonged to a new agency that he had never heard of, and he had no backing in his family, so he seemed to be still wandering around the theater and extra actor scenes. ¡®He¡¯ll never rise above a supporting role if he stays like that.¡¯ Lee Se Min was full of unmotivated actions and expressions. He had a few lines of dialogue and a high-weight extra role, but he didn¡¯t even try to stand out. ¡°Ian¡¯s group teaser came out.¡± Ian, who was lost in thought, was awakened by Park Ji-yeon, the actress who yed the role of Suk-bin. The supporting actors who participated in ¡®Hee-bin Jang¡¯s¡¯ fixed their eyes on Park Ji-yeon¡¯s phone screen. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s already up?¡± ¡°Me too, me too, I want to see.¡± ¡°Dong-jae hyung, watch itter. It¡¯s so embarrassing.¡± The actors who were acting casually watched Awi¡¯seback teaser video in real time. Ian felt suddenly shy and scratched his cheek. ¡°Wow, cool.¡± ¡°The dance is no joke.¡± An Dong-jae, the actor who yed the role of Suk-jong, waved his arms and followed Awi¡¯s choreography. The actorsughed at hisme appearance. ¡°I feel like he¡¯s an idol when I see the video.¡± ¡°You too, oppa? Well, Ian is so good at acting that he just looks like an actor.¡± ¡°Are you not praising me too much?¡± During the filming of ¡®Hee-bin Jang¡¯, Ian became friends with the actors regardless of their roles. It was thanks to his social skills and affinity that he learned from his years of entertainment lifebined with his previous life. [Behind Photo] The cheerful filming site of ¡®Hee-bin Jang¡¯ actors ¡®Hee-bin Jang¡¯ pre-broadcast unprecedented interest¡­ Actors¡¯ golden chemistry attracts attention The warm atmosphere of the filming site and the rtionship of the actors were revealed through the reviews of the drama staff, and articles and interest poured out for ¡®Hee-bin Jang¡¯. ¡°Let¡¯s start filming!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Ian jumped up. *** ¡°Lately, my husband has been meeting with Dong-pyung-gun often.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Kim So-ah casually took the tea that Kim Chun-taek handed over. Had she befortable with what he gave her? Kim Chun-taek lowered his eyes and smiled brightly at her drinking tea. ¡°Why are youughing?¡± Kim So-ah put down the teacup and shook her hand. The sound of the teacup hitting was unusually loud. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Kim So-ah felt ufortable and ticklish. Kim Chun-taek had seized Kim So-ah¡¯s stolen report from Jang Hee-jae. ¡®She¡¯s still a useful woman. It won¡¯t hurt to have insurance.¡¯ And if he made her his own, there would be no regrets¡­ Kim Chun-taek had no other feelings besides that. No, maybe he was trying to think that he had none. ¡®It could be a calcted action.¡¯ Kim So-ah also reminded herself that his every action was trying to tempt her and kept her bnce without falling for Kim Chun-taek. *** ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He found Kim So-ah who had been pped by Jang Hee-jae near where they had contacted. Kim Chun-taek saw her reddened eyes and ran to her front. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Kim So-ah tried to steady her sobbing voice. Kim Chun-taek looked at her back turned away and gently hugged her. ¡°Mydy?¡± ¡°Please stay still.¡± A sudden back hug, Kim So-ah twisted her body to get out of his arms. ¡°What if someone sees¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no one here.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to pass by a woman crying.¡± Kim So-ah rxed her body and leaned back quietly. The camera zoomed out from them and moved the angle to the full moon in the night sky. *** Thanks to Kim So-ah¡¯s leaked information, Kim Chun-taek yed a big role in restoring Queen In-hyun. The re-entry of Noron faction, and the sad regret story of Suk-jong and Queen In-hyun, the main actors of this drama, continued. But that sadness didn¡¯tst long. Queen In-hyun died after a long illness and Suk-jong med Jang Hee-bin for it. Jang Hee-bin voluntarily died for cursing Queen In-hyun. Because of that, Jang¡¯s family was also dragged to the pce and tortured. ¡®It¡¯s all over now.¡¯ Kim So-ah, whose face was pale from torture, clenched her fist. ¡®I can¡¯t die like this. Like this¡­¡¯ Kim So-ah, who was being tortured weakly, opened her eyes wide. She lifted her head and looked at Suk-jong. ¡°You said you would make Prince¡¯s mother a queen.¡± ¡°Lady¡­?¡± Jang Hee-jae, who was tied up next to her and tortured, called her with a trembling voice. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know who did the grave desecration?¡± ¡°Lady!!¡± Jang Hee-jae screamed. Sukjong¡¯s face twisted with rage. He shouted and threatened. ¡°Tell me everything you know!¡± She was going to die anyway. Kim So-ah did not flinch and told the king all the facts she knew. Before the coup, Kim Chun-taek bribed the prison guards to sneak in and see Kim So-ah, who was locked up in the prison. Kim So-ahy still in the narrow cell, looking like a corpse. He hastily grabbed the wooden bars. Upon closer inspection, he saw her small body twitching with breath. ¡°Why did you do that?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Why did you tell them everything?¡± Kim So-ah, who was tortured and imprisoned, rolled her eyes and looked at Kim Chun-taek¡¯s face. ¡°Even if you didn¡¯t, Jang Hee-jae would not have escaped punishment.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you know that you couldn¡¯t save your own body?¡± ¡°Ever since¡­ I became Jang Hee-jae¡¯s concubine, my fate was already decided.¡± Kim So-ah spoke with a cracked voice from not drinking water. ¡°Why did youe here then?¡± ¡°¡­I came to say goodbye. Asrades who once shared the same cause, can¡¯t I watch yourst moments?¡± He must have. Kim So-ah snickered. Kim Chun-taek and Kim So-ah¡¯s rtionship ended here. They used each other for their goals. They just had different endings. ¡°You won¡¯t look good if our rtionship is exposed.¡± ¡°It will only be exile at worst.¡± Kim So-ah chuckled softly. Was it worry or sarcasm? He couldn¡¯t tell. Herplexion was too pale and her face was covered with tangled hair, so he couldn¡¯t see her expression. ¡°I don¡¯t regret it. I saw the end of my revenge.¡± Kim So-ah staggered and raised her upper body. She took out something she had kept in her bosom and handed it through the wooden bars. ¡°This, I don¡¯t need it anymore.¡± A red bead. Kim Chun-taek stared at it nkly, then reluctantly took it. He felt a slight tremor from her fingers that briefly touched his. ¡°Please go back now. This is the end of our farewell.¡± Afterwards, the Jang n was executed. Kim So-ah¡¯s body was mutted beyond recognition. It was an act of revenge by the families of those who were executed because of her exposure. ¡°¡­Burn it.¡± His hand hesitated as he handed the bead to his servant. The servant noticed his movement and looked at Kim Chun-taek¡¯s face. Kim Chun-taek closed his eyes for a moment and opened them. ¡°Completely.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The servant took the red bead from his limp grip. He was praised as a meritocrat for restoring the power, but Kim Chun-taek was exiled to Jeju Ind after his affair with Kim So-ah was revealed. He stood on the beach with a shabby appearance and a beard, leaving behind his splendid attire. ¡°Someday, who will record me in the local history?¡± Was it regret or another emotion? He felt a tremor in his heavy voice. He lowered his eyes as he looked at the distant horizon. ¡°Maybe he would have remembered me.¡± Chapter 141: Chapter 141: Chapter 141 Kim Joo-young¡¯s masterpiece. Ian had been living in thepany¡¯s practice room for the duration of filming the drama and preparing for theeback. Director Park had promised him enough rest time, but that was not enough for Ian. ¡°Ian, is this outfit okay?¡± ¡°Yes, hyung.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be like this, let¡¯s go to the dorm and get some sleepter.¡± ¡°No, I have to practice the choreography.¡± He literally lived there. He had a makeshift bed in one corner of the practice room and got whatever he needed through his manager. ¡°Are you here?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± In the practice room, Jo Tae-woong and Park Seo-dam were already lying on the floor, and Kim Hyun was standing in front of the mirror, practicing the dance moves. He wanted to learn the choreography quickly and teach it to the other members. ¡°Our choreography is here.¡± ¡°Oh, the one that the CEO spent a lot of money on?¡± He heard that they had paid a big price for it. Ian was excited and sat next to Jo Tae-woong. Jo Tae-woong turned on the tablet. ¡°Hey, but what are you going to do? We have a lot of parts to match.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see.¡± They had a tight schedule for the choreography work because there were many new songs for the repackaged album. The agency had bought the choreography from a famous foreign choreographer. Ian¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Wow¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s crazy, right? I can hear Choi Ian¡¯s sleep deprivation.¡± ¡°You¡¯re done with your busy stuff, right?¡± Jo Tae-woong teased him. He had just finished filming a short y two days ago and was focusing on theeback preparations. ¡®The choreography is¡­ good.¡¯ [It shows that they spent a lot of money.] ¡®Yeah, it must be cool¡­ But when are we going to learn all this?¡¯ Qualityes from capital. The choreography was very good because they had invested a lot of money. The problem was that the difficulty of the moves was also very high. ¡°I¡¯m screwed.¡± Ian copsed on the floor. Park Seo-damid his head on Ian¡¯s back. He was not worried about him because he was a good hyung who cried like this but did well in the end. However¡­ Park Seo-dam frowned as he watched the choreography. ¡°This part is a bit¡­¡± ¡°By the way, where are the hyungs? Are they in the studio with Joo-young?¡± Ian lifted his head up. He didn¡¯t see three of them. Lee Joo-hyuk and Park Jin-hyuk were oftente because of their song work, so he didn¡¯t care much. But Kim Joo-young, who loved dancing, wouldn¡¯t have missed this moment. ¡°Huh, I called them earlier but why didn¡¯t theye?¡± ¡°What kind of amazing thing are they making that they¡¯re still not here?¡± ¡°Earlier, Jin-hyuk hyung said not to bother them because Joo-young is making something awesome.¡± ¡°Is Kim Joo-young finally producing something?¡± Before they could say anything more, the members who were in the studio came into the dance practice room. Lee Joo-hyuk sat next to Ian. ¡°You¡¯re here, Ian? How¡¯s the filming?¡± ¡°It¡¯s over today, I have to leave tomorrow morning. How can you make me wait with such a busy body¡­¡± ¡°Sorry, sorry.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk, Park Jin-hyuk, and Kim Joo-young looked at each other with meaningful smiles. Even though they didn¡¯t sleep well and their skin was dry, their expressions were all bright. ¡®They must have found their true calling.¡¯ Ian stuck to Kim Joo-young¡¯s side. ¡°How¡¯s the work going?¡± ¡°Uh, I just finished.¡± ¡°You finished? Oh, what did you do, hyung? Tell me quickly.¡± Jo Tae-woong and Park Seo-dam sprang up and headed to Kim Joo-young¡¯s side. Kim Hyun, who was practicing the choreography from afar, also joined them. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you tomorrow.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same whether it¡¯s today or tomorrow.¡± ¡°Look at himughing. He must have something really good.¡± As Kim Joo-young smiled meaningfully, the members who were gathered around him tickled him. ¡°Ah! Stop it!¡± ¡°Hey, guys, leave Joo-young alone. Let¡¯s start our dance practice first. Ian has to go to the drama shooting.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± At Lee Joo-hyuk¡¯s words, the members quickly changed their posture and switched their mood. In that short time, Kim Joo-young, who had be a mess, groaned on the floor. ¡°Wow, what is this part?¡± ¡°Can we do this?¡± Lee Joo-hyuk and Park Jin-hyuk, who were watching the dance video sent by the choreographer on the tablet pad, twisted their mouths. It was the same section that Park Seo-dam had frowned at earlier. [This is¡­ that ¡®dance¡¯ that is only embarrassing if you don¡¯t capture the feeling.] Kim Hyun and Kim Joo-young shrugged their shoulders as they watched the members making a fuss. This kind of gesture was quitemon among the dancers. In fact, they didn¡¯t care because there were even worse gestures. ¡°Why do we have to do this move here?¡± Park Jin-hyuk pointed his index fingers down. The members red at him as if they saw something they shouldn¡¯t. ¡°Jin-hyuk hyung, you don¡¯t have to point at your thing like that.¡± ¡°The choreographer who gave us this is American.¡± ¡°Of course, thend of freedom¡­¡± Is it because America is a bigger country? The members casually turned their heads to look at Ian. Ian pulled his head back as he felt their gaze. ¡°What?¡± ¡°What do you think of us Americans?¡± ¡°Us Americans? Don¡¯t be ridiculous. I just¡­ don¡¯t have any thoughts.¡± Was that so strange? He didn¡¯t care at all, but on closer inspection, it did seem weird¡­ Ian frowned. Inside him, there was still the soul of a conservative Confucian man. ¡°But I also don¡¯t like this move.¡± ¡°Right? You see how awkward it is?¡± ¡°The dancers seem to have a lot of feeling when they dance, but when we do it¡­¡± He felt no shock or horror. Ian shook his head quickly. At least the main dancers, Kim Joo-young and Kim Hyun, could do it less embarrassingly. ¡°Let¡¯s change this.¡± The members agreed to grab the belt part of their pants instead of their crotch and got up quickly. ¡°I¡¯ve done the first part, so let¡¯s try it once.¡± ¡°Hyun-hyung is awesome!¡± ¡°As expected, it¡¯s our Medan.¡± The members who were slowly following his guidance around Kim Hyun lost their yful look in their eyes and became serious. ¡°Let¡¯s do it one more time. One, two, three¡­¡± ¡°Guys, hold on a second.¡± Park Dong-soo, who opened the door of the practice room and came in, gathered the members. Park Dong-soo¡¯s expression looked unusually bright. ¡°Sorry to interrupt your practice, but I think you guys need to know this.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t have many because of social distancing, but¡­ we¡¯re going to open seats for our showcase this time. We decided to let the fans in.¡± The Awi members had a hard time performing on stage without the fans¡¯ cheers while doing the no-audience stage. And Park Dong-soo was the one who watched them from the side. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Wow, crazy. It¡¯s been so long.¡± ¡°Finally!¡± The members¡¯ faces brightened up in an instant. They ran around the practice room screaming. Park Dong-soo¡¯s smile didn¡¯t fade away seeing them happier than expected. ¡°Good, right? Anyway, just keep that in mind.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You know you can¡¯t ck off when you see the fans for the first time in a while, right? Practice well.¡± ¡°Yes, hyung. You go ahead.¡± Park Dong-soo left the practice room with a relieved face. There was always CCTV on in the practice room. It was to prevent the singers from skipping practice and going astray since they were trainees, but now the members were doing their best on their own, so there was no need to watch them. ¡°Let¡¯s y the music and try it out.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The members, who were suddenly motivated, immersed themselves in practice without a break. *** Ian, who had been practicing the choreography untilte at night, slept in the practice room. ¡°Are you going to shoot?¡± In the morning, Ian, who came out to the hallway for the drama shooting, turned around with a start. Kim Joo-young, who had a bird¡¯s nest on his head, yawned loudly. ¡°What, you slept here too?¡± ¡°Uh, I had something to finish.¡± He didn¡¯t sleep, he stayed up all night. The energy drink in Kim Joo-young¡¯s hand sparkled unusually. ¡°Hey, you should sleep more. You won¡¯t have time to sleep when you¡¯re active. And don¡¯t drink too much of that drink.¡± ¡°Yes, dad. But I really finished the work, it¡¯spletely done today.¡± Is that so? Ian put his arm around Kim Joo-young¡¯s shoulder. He whispered as if he was telling a secret that no one should hear. ¡°I have some time before Myung-jin hyunges, can I listen to it first?¡± ¡°¡­Do you want to?¡± Kim Joo-young threw the empty drink can into the trash can and headed to the studio. Ian followed him excitedly. Kim Joo-young sat on the studio chair and yed the song. The mashup sound that he worked on red from the speakers. ¡®Wow¡­ It¡¯s good.¡¯ [It¡¯s not bad? You have some sense. Kim Joo-young is also a hidden talent.] ¡®Yeah.¡¯ Kim Joo-young himselfcked confidence. Jindo was not generous withpliments, but he reacted favorably. Ian nodded his head and immersed himself in the music. The rich sound sources made by Lee Ju-hyuk and Park Jin-hyuk were mixed well, and Kim Ju-young¡¯s skillful tempo adjustment showed his natural talent for listening. ¡°Hey¡­¡± In an instant, 3 minutes and 40 seconds passed. Ian, who had been listening silently, reached out his hand. Kim Ju-young smiled and gave him a high-five. ¡°It¡¯s awesome.¡± *** As the repackaged albumeback of Awi was approaching, Awi fans Jang Min-hee and Lee Da-sol met at a cafe in Seoul. ¡°Unni, are you going to apply for the Yeongtong fansign?¡± ¡°Of course, I have to. How about you?¡± ¡°I have money from breaking my savings ount¡­ but I¡¯ll need more than 100 cuts, right?¡± ¡°I think we¡¯ll have to see after the first fansign. There¡¯s a lot of influx, so it might be much higher than thest fansign.¡± Lee Da-sol was worried. It was not only about money, but also about where to put the album boxes that would be delivered. She chewed on her straw and said. ¡°I think I¡¯ll spend too much money¡­ and I don¡¯t know where to put the albums when they arrive. There¡¯s a limit to donating them too¡­¡± ¡°Albums? You can sell them to dealers, right?¡± ¡°Dealers? Is there such a thing?¡± Jang Min-hee nodded. ¡°Our kids are doing well overseas, so they¡¯ll give you more than 5,000 won per unopened album. That¡¯ll save you half of it.¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± Idasol opened her mouth stupidly. She had sent the troublesome album to the donation leader without knowing it, and had to throw it away because she had nowhere to put it. She felt guilty about it. It was so convenient to have someone who knew how to fangirl around. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you the dealerter. And Ian¡¯s first album photo card is selling for over 100,000 won now. You can make money with that.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t want to sell the photo card¡­¡± ¡°Do you have only one photo card for the first album?¡± ¡°No, three¡­¡± ¡°You can keep just one.¡± Jang Minhee smiled softly as she saw Idasol hesitating. ¡°Listen, Dasol.¡± Jang Minhee had to throw away all the albums that were piled up and hard to deal with when she was fangirling over Diamond. Diamond was an idol in the deep sea of the deep sea, so they didn¡¯t ept donations or sell them to dealers. ¡°The albums and photo cards that are piled up are useless in the house. You have to sell them to make money.¡± Of course, she also kept Kim Yongmin¡¯s photo card in her drawer. But then Lim Taewoo became a hit with trot and made an unexpected profit. ¡°But¡­¡± She felt sorry for it¡­ Idasol saw her favorite photo card neatly stuck in the photo card binder. She had opened it once and put it quietly on the bookshelf. ¡°I have to fangirlfortably. I don¡¯t need to push myself too hard. If I can¡¯t afford it, I have to use that method.¡± She was right. Idasol looked at the water droplets on the ss as she pondered with her chin propped up. ¡°If you sell it, you can go to their fan signing event one more time. Are you still going to keep it?¡± ¡°¡­I guess so. I¡¯ll have to sell it if I run out of moneyter.¡± At that moment, both Jang Minhee and Idasol¡¯s phones rang with a notification sound. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Did the teasere out?¡± They went into AWY¡¯s YouTube channel. The notification was that Kim Juyeong¡¯s mashup song had just been uploaded. AWY ¨C [Mirage] Mash up Video Mash up by Juyeong Chapter 142: Chapter 142: Chapter 142 The Preview. A video that spliced together the teaser clips and the mashup tracks by Kim Joo-young was uploaded on Awi¡¯s official YouTube channel. -Awi¡¯s mashup is crazy -Joo-young-ah???????? -Is Kim Joo-young a main dancer of Awi? What is this? He¡¯s so good? ©¸He¡¯s beenposing songs since thest album?? ©¸Isn¡¯t Kim Hyun the main dancer? ©¸Kim Joo-young is also a main dancer?? ©¸But their positions are not official, right? The tracks that Kim Joo-young worked on were not only praised by the Awi members, but also by thepany, who eagerly waited for the release date. As soon as the video was released, it received a better response than expected. And two hours after the mashup video was uploaded, aeback showcase notice was posted on the fan cafe. -They¡¯re taking an audience? -Finally idols are taking an audience too. I wish my idols did too. -The ticketing will be insane???? -Ah, please???? let me seed in ticketing?? Although they had fewer seats due to social distancing, Awi was the first among idols to do so. The fans naturally enjoyed the festive atmosphere before theeback. -But is it okay to take an audience in this situation? -What are they going to do if there¡¯s a confirmed case?????? -Is their agency sane? Of course, since it was their first time, not everyone said good things. There were also groups that moved in an organized way to manipte negative opinions, as if they were cursing them to fail. Even on anonymousmunities, there werements that said they hoped there would be a confirmed case at Awi¡¯s showcase. ¡°Cut! Good job!¡± ¡°Take a break and change your outfits. We¡¯ll shoot one more scene!¡± Awi, who liked web surfing, couldn¡¯t miss that reaction, but they didn¡¯t have time to look at their phone screens. They had too much to prepare before theeback. ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°Ouch¡­¡± As soon as the director¡¯s cut sign rang, the members copsed on the spot. They breathed heavily and looked at the ceiling of the studio. ¡°You know we have to film our individual cams after this, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to die.¡± They filmed a dance video for the YouTube channel ¡®Ringo Original¡¯ in the morning and then continued to dance at the ¡®Studio Dance¡¯ shooting site. While practice had some breaks in between for a long time, studio recording required them to pay attention to hair, makeup, and outfits, as well as camera angles. ¡°This is what it feels like to dance until you vomit.¡± Ian lifted his upper body and sighed deeply. The choreography was especially hard because it had no breaks and split beats. ¡°I¡¯ve actually vomited once.¡± ¡°Really?¡± The members raised their heads and looked at him. ¡°When?¡± ¡°When I was a trainee, I went out for a survival show once. The whole ce was spinning.¡± ¡°Wow.¡± ¡°I worked so hard but it didn¡¯t air.¡± That¡¯s why he dances so well. Iany down on the floor again. ¡°Guys, get up. We have to change our outfits quickly.¡± Kim Myung-jin walked around them and lifted them up. The members got up and headed to the dressing room. If the previous outfits were bright-toned ones, this time they wore dark-toned ones that contrasted with them. ¡°Huh? Ian got a drama role?¡± ¡°Really?¡± Jo Tae-woong, who was looking at his phone, sat next to Ian. In an instant, the other members gathered behind him. What Jo Tae-woong yed was the teaser video of ¡®Lady Hee-bin¡¯. [The directing is good, as expected from Director Park.] It showed Lady Hee-bin and Queen In-hyun¡¯s rivalry and pce intrigue, King Sukjong¡¯s anger, and Queen In-hyun¡¯s dethronement scene. (If you¡¯re sad, you¡¯re easy to hurt.) At thest part of the teaser video, the screen turned ck and Ian¡¯s narration flowed. (If you¡¯re happy, you¡¯re easy to be lewd. What about you?) It showed Ian holding a fan leaving the pce and Kim Chun-taek and Kim So-a in a close-up shot with a tense atmosphere. The teaser video ended. ¡°Wow.¡± As soon as the video ended, the members made a drunken voice and pushed Ian¡¯s shoulder. Park Jin-hyuk nodded silently and pped. ¡°Ian is a chemistry master.¡± ¡°He looks good in hanbok too. He¡¯s amazing.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s watch it one more time.¡± ¡°Tell me honestly, hyung. You had more than ten ex-girlfriends, right? Why is the atmosphere so erotic?¡± Ian waved his hand, denying it. While the members were watching the video again, Ian fixed his hair and makeup that he hadn¡¯t received earlier. ¡°How about you?¡± ¡°Me too!¡± ¡°You look handsome!¡± ¡°Please take me!¡± Ian sighed and rolled his eyes as he looked at the members¡¯ ttery through the mirror. Jo Tae-woong, who was enthusiastically joining in, slipped out of their circle and stood behind Ian. ¡°When is the preview?¡± ¡°The day after tomorrow.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the day before our showcase, right? Drama previews are really rare.¡± ¡°They do it a lot these days. Maybe because it¡¯s a pre-produced drama?¡± ¡®Hee-bin Jang¡¯s Wife¡¯ had skipped the production presentation because of the corona situation. But as the situation improved, the preview was decided btedly. ¡°Let¡¯s show this to the director.¡± ¡°Where is the director? Director!¡± The members who were ttering him rushed out of the powder room. ¡°Me too!¡± Jo Tae-woong followed them and the powder room was silent. The hair designer who was touching his head chuckled. ¡°You guys are close.¡± ¡°Yeah? They¡¯re too clingy, it¡¯s a problem.¡± Ian joked and shivered, and the hair designerughed. Thanks to the coffee support prepared by the agency, Ian quickly became friends with the director of ¡®Studio Dance¡¯ with his unique affinity. ¡°Ian.¡± ¡°Yes, director.¡± The director who was watching the teaser video of ¡®Hee-bin Jang¡¯s Wife¡¯ with the members gestured to Ian. ¡°What¡¯s symbolic in this drama?¡± ¡°Um¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± It was Yoon Mi-sook¡¯s drama, so it would be a hot topic from the start. The director thought that the video he was filming now would also get a lot of views because of the drama¡¯s influence. Ian hesitated. He couldn¡¯t say anything easily because he hadn¡¯t consulted with the drama production team yet. ¡°I¡¯m not that shameless either. What about something simr? Something that reminds you of it.¡± The director patted Ian¡¯s shoulder as he hesitated. [It won¡¯t hurt you either.] ¡®That¡­ might be true? The only thing I can think of is a tassel¡­¡¯ [How about a red string?] ¡®That might work¡­¡¯ The red tassel was like a symbol of Kim Chun-taek and Kim So-ah. ¡°A red string? That should be fine.¡± ¡°We have that in our props.¡± There was a scene where they used something like red yarn to make it look like blood. It was a prop for another member, not Ian, but the director decided to switch them. ¡°Good. Let¡¯s start filming again.¡± *** The day before Awi¡¯seback showcase, there was a preview of ¡®Hee-bin Jang¡¯s Wife¡¯. The actors wore hanbok as they did in the drama, so Ian wore hanbok again after filming. The preview was held in one of the theaters. The drama was edited into 1 hour and 30 minutes for episodes 1 and 2. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve been to a theater.¡± ¡°We need more people to sit down so we can get energized, right?¡± The actors who were waiting peeked into the theater through the gap in the door. Since they couldn¡¯t rx yet, only journalists from invited media outlets were sitting sparsely in the audience seats. ¡°Yes, we will start the preview of ¡®Hee-bin Jang¡¯s Wife¡¯ now.¡± As soon as MC started, the actors and writers and directors entered the theater. Only shes and shutter sounds rang out and cheers were not heard much. There was a short photo time, where you could see the difference between idols and actors. ¡°Show us a different pose, how about a heart?¡± Unlike the actors who shyly threw finger hearts at MC¡¯s words, Ian naturally raised his arms above his head and made a big heart pose. Of course, he didn¡¯t just do one pose, but gradually changed into a more dynamic one, making other actors smile at him. ¡°Idols are different, right? Yes, now let¡¯s introduce our actors first.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Park Ji-yeon, an actor who ys Sook-bin Choi¡¯s role.¡± The actor introductions started with supporting actors and ended with lead actors. Ian opened his mouth after receiving Park Ji-yeon¡¯s microphone. ¡°Hello. I¡¯m Ian from idol group Awi, who ys Kim Chun-taek in ¡®Hee-bin Jang¡¯s Wife¡¯.¡± [Wow, what an introduction. Just say ¡®I¡¯m actor Choi Ian.¡¯ and that would be enough.] Some idols used stage names for idol activities and didn¡¯t use stage names for acting activities, saying ¡®I¡¯m actor so-and-so.¡¯ with their real names, but Ian didn¡¯t do that. ¡®I¡¯m in an idol group, that¡¯s true. But there¡¯s no need to separate me into an actor or an idol¡­ It would be nice if our group name was more known.¡¯ [How much more do you want to be known?] Ian handed the microphone to Go Hye-min and looked at the camera that was following Jin¡¯s cue. The actors¡¯ introduction was over, and it was time for the real Q&A session. Ian received as many questions as An Dong-jae, the Hallyu star. ¡°Question for Ian, you prioritized your group activities so your acting career wasn¡¯t very active, right? And this is your first historical drama challenge, how do you feel?¡± ¡°Everyone here is a great actor, and the writer and the director are very famous people, so I was very nervous. But they were all kind and helpful, so I could filmfortably.¡± ¡°Question for Yun writer and Park director, this is the first time you cast an idol actor, how was the filming?¡± ¡°It was perfect. Ian and the other actors did a great job with their acting, so the filming was done quickly.¡± ¡°You can look forward to Ian¡¯s acting. He showed me a character that was more than what I imagined when I wrote the script.¡± ¡®Hee-bin Jang¡¯s¡¯ press conference scene¡­ Yun Mi-suk writer praises AWY Ian, ¡°You can expect a lot¡± AWY Ian bows his head at Yun Mi-suk writer¡¯spliment The reporters¡¯ fingers were busy typing on their keyboards. It was time for the drama to start after about 20 minutes of interview. The actors were going to watch the drama with the reporters in the front row of the audience seats. ¡®I wanted to see it too.¡¯ Ian was curious about the final product, but he couldn¡¯t watch it there. He didn¡¯t sit in the audience seats, but bowed to Yun writer and Park director. ¡°Ian, are you leaving first?¡± ¡°Yes, sister. I wanted to stay and watch too¡­ But tomorrow is our showcase. I have to go practice.¡± ¡°You¡¯re busy. I hope this activity is a hit too. You know I want a signed album, right?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll give it to you at the wrap-up party.¡± Ian turned his back regretfully, and the reporters didn¡¯t miss the actors¡¯ warm farewell scene. ¡°Ian.¡± ¡°Yes! Are you leaving too, director?¡± It was time for the drama to start, but Park Pyo-hyun director followed Ian out. ¡°No, I have something to propose to you.¡± Usually, the OST work of each drama varied a lot. Sometimes they nned and recorded a few songs from the beginning, but sometimes they proceeded flexibly ording to the atmosphere of each scene while editing. Sometimes they even recorded hastily when there wasn¡¯t much time left until the end. ¡°Our sound director wanted Ian to sing one song for the drama OST¡­ What do you think?¡± ¡°OST?¡± Of course I¡¯ll do it. Chapter 143: Chapter 143: Chapter 143 How about not epting these things anymore? ¡®No matter how I think about it, Choi Ian is too young for this role.¡¯ As the reporters were busy taking pictures and uploading articles in real time, a man sitting at the back of the theater watched Ian leave the theater with his arms crossed. ¡®The situation is what it is, so there was no Chinese capital involved. Then that means there was no influence from Yewen Li¡­¡¯ The role of Kim Chuntaek that Ian took was a role that many actors wanted to y as the synopsis circted. But the casting was mostly influenced by the writer Yoon, and she only gave priority to a few actors that she verified. ¡®I heard that Yoon was the first one to pick him? Could it be¡­¡¯ Was it his real skill? That drama by Yoon? The man shook his head. ¡®It¡¯s hard without any connections. His agency is small and his face is half-half. He¡¯s handsome but he doesn¡¯t have any sponsors, right?¡¯ The man assumed that Ian had a different sponsor than Yewen Li. He tapped his ankle as he waited for the lights in the theater to dim. ¡®Let¡¯s see how good he is.¡¯ The screen turned red and the opening of ¡®Heebin Jang¡¯s Wife¡¯ yed. The man unfolded his arms and stared at the screen. ¡®Han Dongjae¡¯s acting is still simr¡­ I thought he would show something different in a historical drama.¡¯ Han Dongjae, whom he expected, was doing a decent job, but there was no special improvement in his acting. The man watched the drama with a dull face until Ian¡¯s face filled the screen. He raised his eyebrows. ¡®This¡­ better than I thought.¡¯ Kim Chuntaek leaving the pce, and looking at Kim Soa with anguid gaze. The man leaned forward from hisfortable position and looked at Ian¡¯s face on the screen with interest. ¡®He has an amazing screen presence¡­¡¯ Kim Chuntaek only appeared for about 10 minutes before the end of the press screening, at the end of the triangr saga of Sukjong, Inhyeon Wanghu, and Jang Heebin. But his powerful entrance scene that made him forget the previous plot, and his low voice that matched his historical acting were impressive. ¡°Wow, Choi Ian¡¯s face is no joke.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t this look like it¡¯s going to be a hit?¡± ¡°The directing is good and the synopsis says the characters are attractive too.¡± Not only the man, but also the reporters on site murmured. As they opened theirptops to write their reviews of the press screening, the man got up from his seat. ¡®Really good, huh? He must have been chosen for his skill¡­¡¯ Until now, he thought he was just one of thosemon idol group members who had outstanding looks. He only became interested recently when Awi¡¯s poprity soared, but honestly he didn¡¯t care about male idols. ¡®The drama also smells like a hit. The problem is who gets him first¡­¡¯ He nced at the busy reporters and left the theater early. He stopped for a moment and looked at his phone¡¯s contacts. Then he made a call somewhere. ¡°Hello, director. How have you been?¡± The man smiled meaningfully. ¡°I found a good kid. How about having a meal with me sometime?¡± *** ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we already have everyoneing.¡± (Please make more seats for us. I¡¯ll write a good article for you.) ¡°What should we do? We have to be careful about quarantine¡­ Well, I¡¯ll try to arrange something for you. You¡¯re Park from ¡®Daily Entertainment¡¯, right? Yes, yes.¡± The agency staff hung up the phone and shrugged his shoulders. He couldn¡¯t leave work because of the iing calls even though it was way past quitting time. ¡°Why are they suddenly calling like crazy? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Excuse me, do we have any seats left for our showcase?¡± ¡°We might be able to make some if we try¡­ Would you mind sitting in the back row?¡± The staff next to him whispered quietly. The more reporters came, the better. The staff looked at the seating chart and tried to fit as many people as possible. ¡°Isn¡¯t it around now that Ian¡¯s press screening ends?¡± ¡°Oh? Now that you mention it¡­¡± The staff refreshed the entertainment news section. Articles about ¡®Heebin Jang¡¯s Wife¡¯ press screening started to pop up one by one, and when they refreshed again, they piled up. ¡°It seems like the response was better than we thought?¡± Seo Suryeon, who was watching from behind, smirked. Whether it was a drama or a movie, something hit would change his value. At times like this, holding on was the answer. ¡°For now, don¡¯t ept any ads thate in and talk to me.¡± *** ¡°Isn¡¯t this where we had our debut showcase?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, it¡¯s been a while.¡± Awi arrived at Hannam-dong early in the morning for theireback showcase. It was because of the audio rehearsal and the camera rehearsal for the live broadcast. ¡°I thought it would be nice if the seats were full up to the second floor next time we came here.¡± Lee Juhyuk looked around and said. Not only Lee Juhyuk, but everyone thought it would be nice if the seats here were full of fans when they had their first showcase here. ¡°We should have fans filling up this ce.¡± ¡°I hope it ends soon.¡± They looked closely and saw that there were signs on the social distancing seats that said not to sit on the seat backs. Park Dongsu squeezed in between the gloomy members. ¡°Guys, your gifts are here.¡± ¡°Wow!¡± The members excitedly headed to the waiting room. On the table, there were food supports prepared by the fans and custom in-ears and microphones that they had chosen the design beforehand for their third anniversary of debut. They were neatly packed in boxes. ¡°Awesome.¡± ¡°So cool.¡± On the boxes, there were the group logo of Awi and their names printed neatly. The members looked for their own microphones and held them in their hands. Ian also opened the box with his name on it. There were a microphone with crystals that would sparkle under the stage lights and a receiver ced orderly. [Wow, they spent a lot of money. Your fans have some firepower.] ¡®Really?¡¯ He was happy to receive the gift, but the microphone in his hand felt somehow heavy. ¡®I was so happy when I received something like this for the first time, but now it feels like a burden¡­¡¯ When he was Kim Yongmin of Diamond, he didn¡¯t know how much he envied the other popr idols who had long lists of supports while he waited for the nexteback that he didn¡¯t know when it would happen. So he was only happy when he received his first support. Looking back, he realized that it was a choice, not a given, to receive something that fans gave because they liked the singer. [You¡¯re talking nonsense again.] It wasn¡¯t like thepany didn¡¯t pay them properly, or they didn¡¯t earn enough from Awi¡¯s activities. He could afford to buy these things himself by now. ¡®But if I don¡¯t take it alone, the members will feel awkward.¡¯ Should he say something? Ian hesitated and opened his mouth. ¡°You know¡­¡± Before Ian could finish his sentence, Lee Juhyuk, who was stroking his microphone box, cut him off. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say this now, but how about we don¡¯t take these things anymore?¡± ¡°Huh? I was going to say that too.¡± Ian looked at Lee Juhyuk with wide eyes. ¡°As expected, I knew you would.¡± Lee Juhyuk reached out his palm to Ian, and Ian sped his hand. Park Seodam carefully put his microphone back in the box and said. ¡°Are you talking about these supports?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve been thinking about it for a while. I think we¡¯ve received enough. It¡¯s not like we can¡¯t make money¡­¡± Lee Juhyuk¡¯s words were followed by Ian¡¯s. ¡°We don¡¯t even use many of the gifts we receive. Right?¡± ¡°Yeah. There are some that are duplicated and some that are too many that I piled them up at my grandmother¡¯s house.¡± Except for Ian and Lee Juhyuk, the members felt something strange at that moment. They had just taken them because they were given, without any thought. ¡°That¡¯s true¡­ This is not something we have to take. Why didn¡¯t we think about not taking it?¡± But having no thought meant thinking as if it was natural. Kim Hyun scratched his head. He remembered hearing stories from some of his friends who he had known since trainee days that they fought over who got the limited edition and how the popr member had a different level of gifts. ¡°I searched the price and it was so expensive that I never used it and just left it at the dorm.¡± ¡°That¡¯s some. But I have something like that too.¡± ¡°Hey, you too?¡± ¡°Yeah. We make a lot of money, why are we so stingy?¡± Cho Taewoong and Kim Juyeong pointed at each other with their index fingers and giggled. The members¡¯ reactions were better than expected, so Lee Juhyuk smiled with relief. ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve been thinking about not taking them sincest year. But I was afraid you guys would feel awkward if I didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ I get it.¡± He doesn¡¯t take supports but why does he? The other members don¡¯t take them but he takes them every time. They imagined the hatements that would unfold in front of their eyes and looked gloomy. ¡°I think fans spending money for us is enough with buying albums or goods. What do you guys think?¡± ¡°Me too.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s flex with our own money.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Ian, Cho Taewoong, and Kim Juyeong raised their hands. Park Seodam and Kim Hyun also followed suit. ¡°Yeah. I heard stories about people fighting andparing who got more or less gifts. Let¡¯s not do that.¡± ¡°Hey, we don¡¯t do that. Anyway, I agree.¡± ¡°How about we still ept fan letters or fan arts instead of these expensive gifts?¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Park Jinhyuk nodded as well. Lee Juhyuk grinned. ¡°Then let¡¯s not take these gifts anymore. You heard that, right, Dongsoo hyung?¡± Park Dongsoo nodded. ¡°I got it, I¡¯ll pass it on.¡± The members each picked up their phones. ¡°Isn¡¯t it better for us to post on the fan cafe first?¡± ¡°How about midnight?¡± ¡°Good.¡± ¡°Whoever posts thest at midnight will buy breakfast tomorrow?¡± ¡°Deal.¡± Park Dong-soo smiled contentedly as he watched the members who were betting and worrying about how to write on the fan cafe. ¡®They are amazing.¡¯ He was proud of them for not fighting and exchanging opinions smoothly without him telling them anything. *** The fans were determined to do their best as they filled the seats. They thought that if the cheering was weak, the members would lose their spirit because of the low number of spectators. It was a rare asion for AWY members to meet their fans directly. The fans remembered how the members always said they missed them and the stage was harder without their support on Y app live broadcasts. They shouted louder even before the show started. ¡°Wow¡­ can you hear the sound outside, guys?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s crazy.¡± ¡°Awesome. This is it.¡± ¡°How long has it been¡­ I think I¡¯m going to cry.¡± The members who were waiting backstage smiled at each other. They gathered around Lee Ju-hyuk and stood in a circle. ¡°Let¡¯s do well for AWYdom. We are who we are.¡± ¡°AWY!¡± They shouted their group slogan and turned around. Ian put on his in-ear monitor and tried to calm his trembling heart. *** The fan showcase was also decided suddenly, so they had to hurry and film a cheering video during practice. But when they heard the fans screaming and cheering, the sparse audience seats looked full. Ian wanted to hear the cheers more clearly, so he took off one of his in-ears. He didn¡¯t mind when the in-ear hit his body or flew away because of his dance moves. ¡®I need their support.¡¯ He smiled brightly at the sight of the shaking light sticks and the constant screams. ¡®I love the stage.¡¯ Chapter 144: Chapter 144: Chapter 144 I think I did well not epting it. After theeback showcase, the members returned to their dorm and had a feast with delivery food. ¡°What is this, what did you order again?¡± ¡°Me me me!¡± ¡°Can we eat all of this?¡± While Kim Joo-young ran to the door, the members were busy unpacking the delivery food. They ordered as much as they wanted with the card that Lee Byung-heon, the CEO, gave them as aeback celebration. The table was already full of delivery food, leaving no more space. ¡°Let¡¯s toast before we eat.¡± ¡°Bon appetit.¡± They clinked their sses with Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s. It was their first stage in front of the fans in months. The members felt good and drank the alcohol in their sses in one shot. ¡°It was so nice to have the fans, but the showcase was too short.¡± ¡°Yeah, we should have done it for two or three hours.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a showcase, that¡¯s almost a concert.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk pped once and changed the mood. ¡°Guys, we have a day off tomorrow and aeback show the day after. Let¡¯s rest well until then.¡± ¡°Yeah. You guys worked hard. Especially Joo-young hyung.¡± ¡°What are you talking about, your work was already good.¡± The membersughed wickedly at Kim Joo-young. His mashup video was more popr than expected. Even a Dutch DJ shared the link to his mashup video. ¡°I knew he would cause trouble someday.¡± ¡°I keep listening to his mashup.¡± Kim Joo-young scratched the back of his head awkwardly at the praise from Jo Tae-woong and Ian. While the members didn¡¯t stop eating, Ian was still immersed in the aftermath of the stage and stared nkly at the air with his chin propped up. ¡®I enjoyed acting too¡­ but the stage is still the most fun.¡¯ It was their regreback day now, but he always felt excited whenever they started their activities. Maybe it was because he had gone through a hopeless period when he didn¡¯t know when their next album woulde out. ¡°Hey, what are you doing? Don¡¯t prop your chin on the table. Eat quickly before I eat everything.¡± ¡°Yes mom.¡± Kim Joo-young hit his side. Ian quickly picked up his chopsticks. ¡°Joo-young could be a DJter.¡± ¡°Later? That¡¯s a long way off.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do another mashup for our next activity, Joo-young.¡± Ian snorted as he saw the members thinking about their next activity already. They kept moving their chopsticks while saying a word each. Park Jin-hyuk stopped eating and chewed on his wooden chopstick. ¡°When are we going to do our own concert and activity next year? Around summer?¡± ¡°Probably, why?¡± ¡°The trainees are debuting early next year. Joo-hyuk hyung and I asked them for some songs.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s about time they debuted. Our Joo-hyuk hyung can¡¯t die from overwork.¡± ¡°What about me?¡± Kim Hyun ignored Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s words and grabbed a chicken. Park Seo-damforted the drooping Park Jin-hyuk. ¡°I thought of our debut when we were on stage earlier.¡± They were reminded of their debut because they did their showcase at the same ce as their debut showcase. ¡°We got a song from Se-jun hyung when we debuted too. Now I have to give songs to those kids¡­ It feels weird.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± It felt like yesterday when they got a song from Jung Se-jun. Now they all participated in the album work without fail. If they couldn¡¯tpose, they wrote lyrics or choreographed. The members were lost in thought. They wouldn¡¯t promote two teams at the same time in one agency, so they wondered if their hiatus would be longer until their next album activity. ¡°Can you believe we only debuted three years ago? Time flies so fast.¡± ¡°I remember when we signed our artist contract. Kim Hyun was crying somewhere.¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°You have to admit it, Hyun hyung. You were a trainee for over ten years.¡± They pretended not to notice Kim Hyun¡¯s embarrassment back then, but now they were close enough to tease each other. They allughed as they saw Kim Hyun¡¯s face turn red. ¡°Joo-young and Ian fought too.¡± ¡°Sigh¡­ We were so young then.¡± Kim Joo-young smiled shamelessly as he received theeback buff. He put a wooden chopstick on his finger and pretended to smoke like a cigarette. ¡°By the way, I heard that the trainees haven¡¯t confirmed their debut group yet.¡± ¡°Still? They said they would debut in spring?¡± ¡°Well, do you know this? There¡¯s a kid who¡¯s like Ian among them.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a kid who entered thepanyst week and got into the debut group right away. If we assume that they debut in spring next year, that¡¯s a debut in three months after joining.¡± The members eximed and admired. Ian would have debuted in half a year too if his debut with Awi wasn¡¯t dyed because of ¡®Project Idol¡¯. [Jo Tae-woong He knows everything.] ¡®That¡¯s right.¡¯ Jo Tae-woong was popr among thepany staff and trainees for his friendly personality. ¡°He¡¯s lucky. Does he have a face like Ian¡¯s?¡± ¡°He¡¯s just neat-looking. I heard he¡¯s a main vocal.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impressive. But Choi Ian is both handsome and a main vocal.¡± ¡°Well, the world is unfair.¡± It was not easy to find a main vocal. They had to sing without losing their breath while dancing, and look good on camera. ¡°I was lucky too.¡± After living as a failed idol, he reincarnated into his original body with a handsome face and body, and a strong voice. ording to Park Dong-soo, the agency expected to sell over a million copies of their album. He felt nostalgic when he thought of the Diamond era, when they couldn¡¯t even sell ten thousand copies. ¡°You¡¯re lucky and talented.¡± Jo Tae-woong offered his ss to Ian. Ian spilled some alcohol as he poured it into the empty ss. ¡°I was jealous of you, you know.¡± ¡°Of me? You?¡± ¡°Just for a while, when we debuted.¡± Jo Tae-woongughed heartily. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Why, are you surprised?¡± Ian nodded vigorously. Jo Tae-woong yed a big role in making him close with the other members when he joined thepany. That¡¯s why he was more surprised by his confession. ¡°You had the shortest training period among us, but you were so skilled. You were the most popr too. And the gifts you received were on another level.¡± ¡°That was crazy.¡± Kim Joo-young agreed. There was a gap in the beginning, but as the group rose in poprity, they didn¡¯t care about the gifts anymore. They all received so many gifts that they couldn¡¯tpare who got more. ¡°Really, at first I was a bit? But then I stopped caring.¡± ¡°¡­Well, I was too good.¡± Ian was curious about the details, but he decided not to ask and just let it go. ¡°Oh,e on.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t argue with that, so I¡¯m more pissed off.¡± The members threw some popcorn and other snacks at Ian as they ate them. Ian caught the popcorn skillfully and stuffed it into his mouth. ¡°Anyway, we¡¯re a group. It doesn¡¯t matter if one of us is jealous.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I think it was good not to receive gifts.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk turned on his phone screen and checked the time. ¡°It¡¯s almost midnight.¡± ¡°You know, right? The person who postste will buy breakfast tomorrow.¡± The members entered the fan cafe with serious expressions and looked at the clock alternately, waiting for midnight. Even Park Jin-hyuk checked the server time with his tablet. ¡°59¡­ Ding!¡± ¡°Done.¡± The members tapped the register button. Ian went back to the board and saw that his post was the first one. ¡°Ah! I didn¡¯t copy my post!¡± ¡°Okay, Park Seo-dam wins.¡± ¡°Ah hyung, I want to eat off the maknae?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that obvious? How delicious is it to eat off someone?¡± Park Jin-hyuk and Jo Tae-woong jumped up and danced weirdly while making noises. Park Seo-dam pouted his lips as he watched the hyungs who were sincere in teasing the maknae. ¡°Let¡¯s do well this time too.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk smiled as he skimmed through the members¡¯ posts on the fan cafe. -What? Awi won¡¯t receive support from next year? Good -They ate everything lol ©¸Your idols still eat like beggars? ©¸©¸Nope my idols didn¡¯t receive anything since debut~ -Good for them idols receiving support is creepy -Awi sold 100k now? Their firepower is weakpared to their influx lol ©¸No group orders yet yeah offline sales start today ©¸The album came out yesterday??? ©¸Don¡¯t feed them they keep scratching sb -Wow Kpop Town exploded wow 270k ©¸270k??? ©¸What¡¯s going on? Where did the group order explode? ©¸mc now Haneum Chart exploded too ©¸Is it bulk buying? ©¸There will be receipts for group orders so shut up nn *** After a short break, Awi recorded the eback show. Theeback showcase was unusual, but the broadcasting station still proceeded with the recording without an audience. Awi¡¯s name was still at the top of the music chart as they started their official music show activities. ¡°Look at this.¡± Ian pointed to a name tag attached to the wall. The members eximed in admiration. MC Waiting Room ¨C Park Seodam ¨C ¡°Is Seodam using it alone?¡± ¡°They have separate waiting rooms for MCs here. Awesome.¡± ¡°This is the best waiting room ever. We had our own waiting room too when we were rookies, not a partition.¡± The members knocked on the waiting room door. The knock sounded more like they were trying to break down the door as six of them banged on it excitedly. ¡°What¡­ guys!¡± ¡°We came to visit.¡± ¡°I told you toe quickly because I was bored earlier, why are youing now?¡± ¡°Sorry sorry.¡± The members moved aside and passed by Park Seodam to enter the waiting room. There were already staff from their agency inside, but the space was still spacious even with them added. The members opened their mouths in awe. ¡°Wow, the MC waiting room is really nice.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a sink?¡± ¡°Wow, crazy, there¡¯s a room over there too.¡± The waiting room was indeed the first priority of the broadcasting station. Park Seodam smirked as he watched his hyungs explore the waiting room excitedly. ¡°You guys shoulde and use it too.¡± ¡°Wow, look at that space. Is this what MC swag is?¡± ¡°I¡¯m actually really bored. My neck hurts from watching TV.¡± On the TV hanging high on the wall of the waiting room, ate-night talk show ¡®Star Radio¡¯ was being rerun. On the screen, Park Seon, who was appointed as a semi-regr MC of Mykit, was mocking the guest. ¡°I wonder if Seon is going for that kind of concept.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Park Seon¡¯s personality was well packaged in ¡®Idol Game Olympics¡¯, so the reaction was not bad after the Arimpyk broadcast. That¡¯s why he was able to show his face on other shows with his personality character. Park Seon threw a question that dug up the guest¡¯s past and smirked. ¡°This is¡­ should I say he found his calling?¡± ¡°Wow, I want to hit him just by watching. Is that really the weak-minded Park Seon?¡± Cho Taewoong and Kim Juyeong shook their heads at Park Seon¡¯s drastic character change. At that moment, Kim Hyununched a surprise attack. ¡°Rock paper scissors or you lose!¡± The members reflexively put out their hands. Everyone put out scissors except for Cho Taewoong who had a fist. ¡°Taewoong, go buy coffee.¡± ¡°Crazy. Why did I do that, me from 5 seconds ago.¡± Cho Taewoong grabbed his wrist with his fist out and shivered. The membersughed and told him what they wanted to drink. ¡°Wait wait, am I going alone? I think I¡¯ll need more hands.¡± ¡°Oh, we¡¯re picking someone to go with you and Myungjin hyung.¡± Ian pushed Cho Taewoong¡¯s back to the door of the waiting room. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to go with the security hyungs.¡± ¡°Shit¡­ I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Cho Taewoong opened the door of the waiting room with a sullen face and left with the menu list he had written down diligently. Ian leaned against the door outside and looked at Kim Myungjin and Cho Taewoong¡¯s backs. As Awi¡¯s poprity increased day by day, so did weird people. Even on their way to private schedules, they somehow got information and suddenly rushed to take pictures of them like paparazzi and proxy photographers. That made him worry a bit. ¡°It¡¯s just right in front of us, so nothing will happen, right?¡± And then something did happen. Chapter 145: Chapter 145: Chapter 145 Exin. They had finished their first week ofeback music shows and video call fan sign events without a hitch. It was the second week now. Awi had decided not to appear on the cable music show on Monday, which gave them some extra time. (He¡­ hello!) ¡°Hello. Oh! Long time no see. This is your first time at the video call fan sign, right? What was your name again¡­ It was Lee something.¡± (Ye-yes! I¡¯m¡­ Lee Dasol!) Of course, that also meant they had more fan sign events. Dasol had only been to one face-to-face fan sign before, but she was happy that he still remembered her. She almost bit her tongue. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so nervous. Did you have any questions for me?¡± (Uh¡­ um well¡­) ¡°Well?¡± (I forgot my questions¡­ It¡¯s been so long.) Dasol answered with difficulty and made a sad face. She had prepared many questions beforehand, but when she faced Ian¡¯s face, her mind went nk and she couldn¡¯t say anything. He wasn¡¯t surprised by this, as there were quite a few fans like that. He smiled mischievously at a sudden idea that shed in his mind. ¡°Hmm¡­ then how about I sing a song for you?¡± (Uh¡­ yes¡­!) Ian cleared his throat and sang a verse of a song. Dasol watched his face and listened to his song with a dazed expression. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s the end of the song.¡± (Wow¡­) Dasol pped her hands as she rxed a bit. (Isn¡¯t that too short? Can¡¯t you sing more?) ¡°I had a reason to sing only a little bit.¡± (But what song is that? I¡¯ve never heard it before¡­) ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯re the first one to hear this song, sis. It¡¯s the OST of ¡®Heebin Jang¡¯s Family¡¯ that I recorded at dawn. How do you like it? The OST lineup articles should be out soon¡­¡± (Really?!) Dasol screamed and pressed her face against the phone screen. As she was about to ask him a question, the phone in front of Ian was being passed to Park Seodam, the next in line. The fan manager had snatched the selfie stick that Ian was holding because he took too much time. (Kyaaah!) ¡°Seodam, put on your earphonester.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, she¡¯s far away from her phone right now.¡± Ian handed over the earphones to Seodam and chuckled at her scream. Ian had finished recording the OST at dawn and asked the drama production team for permission to sing it briefly for the fans as a promotion. ¡°But can I sing it in advance?¡± ¡°They said it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°The song is good. Wait, yes! Are you Jang Minhee, number 23? Thest digits¡­ yes, I got it, there can¡¯t be anyone else on the screen. Yes yes¡­¡± The video call fan sign system was that the fan manager would call the winners first to confirm their information and then pass them to the members. They had to check their faces one by one because of the problem of winners selling their tickets and sending proxies instead. That¡¯s why the video calls took as long as the face-to-face fan signs. ¡°Sis!¡± (Hello. You won the entry to my fan sign event. What name should I write?) Unlike Dasol who couldn¡¯t ask her prepared questions because of nervousness, Jang Minhee, a veteran K-pop fan, tried to do a reverse fan sign. Of course, Ian, who was an idol for the second time, wasn¡¯t flustered either. ¡°Please write ¡®Ian who missed you so much, sis¡¯.¡± (Oh really? No, that¡¯s not it.) Jang Minhee¡¯s expression quickly rxed and then she coughed awkwardly and suppressed her rising smile. (Did you really want toe to my fan sign?) ¡°Yes, sis, do you remember me? I came before.¡± (Oh really?) ¡°What are you talking about, sis? You¡¯re using forbidden words right now.¡± (I can¡¯t do this. This is not easy. How have you been?) Jang Minhee quickly dropped the reverse fan sign concept. She wanted to talk more with Ian. He had exchanged a few words with her and made a regretful face at the fan manager¡¯s signal. ¡°I have to pass it on now.¡± (I really liked thiseback. I¡¯ll watch the drama live! See you next time!) ¡°Thank you.¡± Ian gave Jang Minhee a skillful fan service and handed over the selfie stick to Park Seodam. He stretched out his arms. ¡®Right, I almost forgot to sign again.¡¯ Ian hastily signed the album. He couldn¡¯t make the same mistake of sending itter again. *** During theireback activities, Awi¡¯s third anniversary of their debut, December 12th, was in between. The singers who went up on stage for the first ce announcement were keeping their distance from each other in groups. ¡°Yes! The first ce is¡­ Awi! Congrattions! Please say a few words!¡± ¡°Today is our third anniversary of our debut, so it¡¯s more meaningful and we¡¯re happy to win first ce today. We love you, Awi-doms!¡± ¡°Our Awi fans! Thank you for the 3rd anniversary gift!¡± Lee Ju-hyuk and Jo Tae-woong expressed their gratitude for winning first ce, and the encore stage without fans began. They couldn¡¯t ck off on the stage even without an audience. These days, there were many people who criticized their live performance and sincerity based on the encore stage. ¡°Thank you!¡± They couldn¡¯t stop even after the broadcast ended. They had to finish one song while recording the encore fancam. The members bowed to the staff and quickly went down the stage. ¡®I wish there were fans.¡¯ Ian looked at the stage with regret. He wanted to celebrate their debut anniversary with the fans on the encore stage. ¡®Well, there¡¯s always next year.¡¯ *** They couldn¡¯t celebrate together on site, but they could do it online. After having a simple dinner, they headed to thepany¡¯s practice room to do a Y app live broadcast for their 3rd anniversary. The wall was decorated with balloons and lights by thepany staff, and a phone for broadcasting was fixed on a tripod. ¡°Guys, happy 3rd anniversary!¡± ¡°Wow.¡± ¡°Did you do all this for us?¡± The staff pped and weed the members as they entered. The broadcast time came, and the members sat in front of the camera and waved their hands. ¡°Hello, Awi fans!¡± -Wow -Say hello to Indonesia -Happy 3rd anniversary!!! -Exin yourselves. -hi from Brazil As soon as the broadcast started, the number of viewers and the chat window rose rapidly. They usually started around 8 pm considering the dinner time, but today they started two hours early. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we did this as a group, right? Have you all eaten?¡± ¡°Did wee too early? Right? We usually start after eating dinner¡­ But we have to go watch ¡®Heebin Jang¡¯s Family¡¯ter, so we came early.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Ian is appearing today. Please watch it live.¡± Today was the day when ¡®Heebin Jang¡¯s Family¡¯ episode 2 was aired, and episode 2 had Ian¡¯s first appearance scene. ¡°As expected, we only have our members. Right?¡± The members promoted his drama before he did. Ian smiled warmly at them. They shared their feelings about their 3rd anniversary and revealed some stories before their debut. They also yed a mafia game and gained more viewers than before, surpassing 100 million hearts. -Please read my ID -Is your mother a bee? She seems to have given birth to honey. -Exin the attitude controversy -Are you still friends with Mykit? -Jo Tae-woong exin the attitude controversy ¡®What is this? Attitude controversy?¡¯ What happened while they were doing their schedule? He was curious, but it was better to ignore and bury these things. Ian changed the topic so that the other members wouldn¡¯t notice. ¡°Thepany staff prepared this cake for our 3rd anniversary.¡± ¡°Wow, a three-tier cake!¡± Kim Myung-jin lit up the candles on the cake. Ian went out of the screen and brought the cake to the center of the table. ¡°Let¡¯s blow out the candles and end the broadcast before we go.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°One two three four! Happy 3rd anniversary!¡± The members sang a birthday song with changed lyrics and blew out the candles with a loud cheer. Park Seo-dam habitually picked up the bread knife stuck on the cake te and cut the cake. ¡°Wait, don¡¯t cut that¡­!¡± Park Dong-soo¡¯s urgent hand popped out from the corner of the screen. ¡°What? I already cut it¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± But it was toote. The members looked at the split cake with a hollowugh. ¡°What is this? It¡¯s styrofoam?¡± ¡°Ah, what? This wasn¡¯t a cake?¡± Park Dong-soo sighed and touched his forehead. He should have told them in advance that it was a model considering how serious they were about food. The members lost their appetite. ¡°Why is there a bread knife if it¡¯s a model? Is it to make it more realistic?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ I wish I left it at the dorm. It¡¯s such a waste. Can¡¯t we glue it back with bond?¡± ¡°The coating is all torn up.¡± The members looked at each other andughed helplessly. The Y app chat window was filled with ??? (lol). ¡°It can be confusing sometimes. Right, everyone?¡± ¡°Honestly, this looked too real.¡± ¡°Well then¡­ We were Awi who stupidly cut a model cake!¡± ¡°See you on the fan cafe! Bye!¡± -Why don¡¯t you read myment, oppa? -No, don¡¯t go??? -Exin yourself -Bye!! Happy 3rd anniversary! The members waved their hands at the camera. Park Dongsoo pressed the end broadcast button and turned off his phone to avoid any possible errors. ¡°The broadcast is over, guys.¡± ¡°Good job, everyone!¡± ¡°What about the cake we prepared?¡± ¡°Well, these things happen. Let¡¯s go to the dorm.¡± The members followed Kim Myungjin to the parking lot. Park Jinhyuk, who was walking ahead, suddenly turned around. ¡°Did anyone see thements asking for an exnation of the controversy?¡± ¡°I saw them. Taewoong was getting attacked, right?¡± ¡°What controversy does he have?¡± ¡°I mean, I¡¯ve lived cleanly.¡± Jo Taewoong shrugged his shoulders. He had no scandals thanks to his sharp sense and image management since his child actor days. He didn¡¯t even have themon false school violence usations these days. ¡°Look it up.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± The members in the van turned on their phones and searched for Jo Taewoong. -Jo Taewoong¡¯s attitude, what is this? The controversy started with a single photo. It was the day Jo Taewoong lost rock-paper-scissors and had to get drinks for everyone. It was amon eyewitness photo of him handing his card to a cafe part-timer, but the angle of the photo was strangely weird. -His attitude is trash -I hated those bastards when I worked part-time???It makes me mad??? -Does it look like he put his card between his fingers? ©¸I don¡¯t think so, look closely -If I were the part-timer, I would have frowned whether he was an idol or not?? Jo Taewoong frowned as he zoomed in and out of the photo. ¡°What is this, I wasn¡¯t rude at all? The angle is weird.¡± ¡°How did you hand it over?¡± ¡°Me? Like this.¡± Jo Taewoong stretched out one hand and put the other hand on his chest. The members looked at the photo again andpared it with Jo Taewoong¡¯s posture. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s not easy to be polite like this.¡± ¡°But the angle is weird. How can he look so arrogant so perfectly?¡± He was standing slightly nted with one leg rxed, probably before he adjusted his posture. And the photo was taken from far away with zoom, so the quality was not good either. ¡°Honestly, he wouldn¡¯t do that. Is someone making this up?¡± ¡°It seems like it. There are so many people who make controversies out of these things.¡± ¡°Right, we did this schedulest week and it came out today.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not worth responding to. It will disappear soon.¡± ¡°These things usually get cleared by CCTV.¡± The members chuckled. They only thought that their group was doing well since even such forced controversies were made. Jo Taewoong also shrugged his shoulders with a nonchnt face. ¡°I guess so.¡± Chapter 146: Chapter 146: Chapter 146 It seemed like they were moving in an organized way¡­ ¡°They¡¯re making the ads so long.¡± ¡°It¡¯s that Yoon Mi-sook drama.¡± The members gathered in front of the TV at their dorm, opening snack bags and waiting for the drama to start. ¡°By the way, I heard from Dong-soo hyung earlier that our ad came out.¡± ¡°Did ite from a famous ce if Dong-soo hyung told us in advance?¡± ¡°I hope so.¡± ¡°Hey hey hey, it¡¯s starting.¡± ¡°Ouch!¡± Kim Hyun jabbed Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s side. Park Jin-hyuk, who was caught off guard, clutched his side and fell to the side. ¡°Wow, the screen looks like a movie.¡± ¡°Wow, Lim Hye-ji¡­¡± ¡°Park Ji-yeon is so pretty¡­¡± The members gaped at the scene where the actress Lim Hye-ji, who yed the role of Queen In-hyun, and Park Ji-yeon, who yed the role of a concubine, met on the screen. ¡°Did you hear the background music just now? It¡¯s majestic.¡± ¡°But when is Ianing out?¡± ¡°Oh! I think he¡¯sing out!¡± Park Seo-dam hit Jo Tae-woong¡¯s knee anxiously. He was sitting next to her. The scene changed and someone¡¯s back filled the screen. ¡°Look at Choi Ian¡¯s physique. He could y ser.¡± As soon as Ian¡¯s low voice was heard, Kim Hyun eximed and raised his thumb. ¡°It wasn¡¯t just a teaser.¡± ¡°Wow, his voice is no joke. Did he lower it on purpose?¡± Ian nodded silently. While he was monitoring the drama with a serious expression, the members didn¡¯t bother him and chatted excitedly among themselves. The camera slowly moved up from Kim Chun-taek¡¯s feet as he left the pce after meeting the concubine. With a majestic background music, Ian¡¯s face filled the screen and a caption appeared below. [Kim Chun-taek, Queen In-hyun¡¯s nephew] The second episode of the drama ended with Kim Chun-taek finding Kim So-ah and smiling meaningfully. Then the ending OST yed and the preview started. ¡°There he is. The best entrance scene to seed Prince Soo-yang. This is it.¡± ¡°Ian is the ending fairy, the ending fairy.¡± ¡°He¡¯s going to be a great actor.¡± ¡°Can I be honest? Ian stands out more than Han Dong-jae.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± As Lee Joo-hyuk and Park Jin-hyuk added theirments, Ian smiled brightly. As expected from Yoon Mi-sook and Park Pyo-hyun¡¯s team, there was nothing weird about his scenes. He looked satisfied as he watched his members with a face that felt like a photo shoot. ¡°How is it? Do you think it came out well?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s crazy.¡± Jo Tae-woong gave him a thumbs up. ¡°Oh, how rude. Get out of here.¡± ¡°My lord! Please give me your number!¡± ¡°My lord!¡± Park Jin-hyuk pretended to fan himself with a non-existent fan and lifted his head. Then Park Seo-dam and Kim Joo-young grabbed his pants and acted along. [Why are they making more fuss than him.] ¡®Why not? I¡¯m in a good mood.¡¯ Ian watched the skit for a moment and then joined in. ¡°Who is it? Who has impersonated me?¡± ¡°My lord! It¡¯s him!¡± ¡°Catch him alive.¡± [Good for you. Enjoy this moment. You never know when you¡¯ll be fish eyes~] Jin sneered. It had been three years since their debut, and they should have been wilted by now, but they still cared a lot about each other and tried to look after each other. Was it because Awi became more popr or was it their natural disposition? Ian looked at Jin who was floating in the air. ¡®Was Awi like this in the future? How was it?¡¯ [Even though we focused on individual activities, we all renewed our contracts.] ¡®Really? It¡¯s not easy to renew contracts for everyone¡­¡¯ [In our previous life, we had more response overseas. We just had to get together asionally and do overseas concerts. The agency also took good care of us. It was strictly business.] He wondered if they could renew their contracts in the future too, but he felt a bit anxious if things would go the same as in his previous life. His joining could change anything that would happen in the future. ¡®It¡¯s only been three years.¡¯ Ian shook off his thoughts. ¡°Thanks for watching with me, but aren¡¯t we going to getints if we do this at our dorm?¡± ¡°See you at thepany next time.¡± Was that his way of saying he wanted to see him again? Ian chuckled bitterly. They all went to their rooms early because they had a music show recording and a fan signing event at dawn. Iany down on the bed after taking a shower, but he couldn¡¯t sleep. He turned on his phone. The real-time search terms were dominated by ¡®Heebin Jangshi¡¯. -Wow, crazy -Awesome -They have to upload that scene from the historical drama right now -The directing and acting are amazing??????? -Misook¡­ JONNA is delicious¡­ The inte was the ce where the reactions came instantly after ¡®Heebin Jangshi¡¯ aired, but there was another ce. It was the advertising industry. The staff were busy answering the phone calls that came in after the second episode of ¡®Heebin Jangshi¡¯. ¡°An advertising agency is asking about Ian¡¯s schedule?¡± ¡°Yeah? Just let them know¡­ We prefer to send him as a group rather than individually.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± It was more profitable for the agency to squeeze him in as a group. Seo Suryeon smiled happily at the phone calls. Her phone was also flooded with text messages. ¡°Director!¡± One of the staff who received a call put the phone on the desk and approached Seo Suryeon. Seo Suryeon¡¯s eyes widened at the staff¡¯s whisper. ¡°From Cheonghwa Group?¡± *** When it was the third week of their music show, Awi opened the door of the van for their radio schedule. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Myungjin hyung again?¡± ¡°Why, are you disappointed because it¡¯s me?¡± Park Dongsoo was the team leader in name only, but he was doing everything that a road manager did. Buttely, he had reduced his frequency of following them. ¡°No, I just haven¡¯t seen Dongsoo hyungtely. Is something going on?¡± Something was going on. He must be busy with his love business. Ian snickered, and Kim Myungjin felt goosebumps on his arm as he looked at Ian through the rearview mirror. ¡®Don¡¯t ever show any weakness to Ian.¡¯ That was what Park Dongsoo said to Kim Myungjin on the day his rtionship was exposed to Ian. ¡°We¡¯ll have some good news soon. Right, Myungjin hyung?¡± ¡°Huh? Uh¡­¡± Ian¡¯s bright smile scared Kim Myungjin and he shivered slightly. ¡°What is it? What good news?¡± ¡°We probably got some schedule, right?¡± Thankfully, the other members didn¡¯t make a big deal out of it. Kim Myungjin sighed in relief. The ce where Awi arrived was the radio studio where Park Seodam was the DJ. ¡®Visible Idol Radio, Boara!¡¯ was a radio program that was run by an inte portal site. ¡°Hello!¡± The members who opened the door bowed their waists. There were cameras fixed everywhere because it was a visible radio. ¡°Oh? You came early.¡± ¡°Yes, we wanted to see how Seodam works.¡± ¡°What should we do¡­¡± The staff looked around with difficulty. They still had a lot to prepare, so they hadn¡¯t even properly prepared the chairs for the guests. ¡°How many staff members are there?¡± Lee Juhyuk nced at Park Seodam who was busy looking at the script and asked. The staff¡¯s face brightened up when they caught Lee Juhyuk¡¯s intention. The five members who followed Lee Juhyuk headed to a nearby cafe. ¡°It¡¯s night time, wouldn¡¯t juice be better than coffee?¡± ¡°Sounds good.¡± The part-timer who recognized Awi who stood in front of the counter covered his mouth with his hand. ¡°You can take your time making it.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± They ordered a lot of juice and took pictures together, which made the part-timer¡¯s face bright. The members who ordered their drinks sat down and waited until their drinks were made. The customers nearby were murmuring and taking pictures of Awi, but the members didn¡¯t care because it had be their daily life. ¡°Can we carry all that? We should have just ordered delivery.¡± ¡°Juyoung-ah. This is how you do it. You bring it yourself and say please take good care of our kid.¡± ¡°Oh, is that how it is? Is this social life¡­¡± ¡°If you get a schedule like this, we¡¯ll do this for you too.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Ian and Kim Juyoung high-fived each other. ¡®Are we being filmed doing this?¡¯ [Of course.] Ian clenched his jaw silently. Jo Taewoong¡¯s attitude controversy didn¡¯t die down even when someone brought it up again. -Awi got a card from Jo Taewoong¡¯s part-timer The part-time worker¡¯s post did not get much attention and disappeared. The poor part-time worker went to the cafe to prove it, but it was buried as well. The controversy kept getting dragged up as the same topic reached over 600ments, but someone¡¯s exnation only got 20ments. The busy ones were the members of Awi. They tried to spread the exnation and end the controversy, but it only reignited the original issue and made it bigger. ¡°Someone seems to be moving in an organized way¡­¡± [You¡¯re probably right.] ¡°Really? Then¡­¡± ¡°Your drinks are ready!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± I¡¯ll think about itter. Ian got up from his seat and picked up the drink carrier. *** ¡°Here are your drinks.¡± ¡°Please take good care of our Seodam.¡± The members who returned to the studio handed out juices to the staff one by one. ¡°Thanks to Seodam, we get to enjoy this.¡± ¡°We did well in hiring him as a DJ. Thank you.¡± The radio PD and writer showed their drinks to Park Seodam and toasted in the air. Park Seodam¡¯s ears turned red and he squeaked. ¡°Ah, hyung! Don¡¯t embarrass me like that! You¡¯re not my parents¡­¡± ¡°Shut your mouth. He¡¯s acting like he¡¯s so good.¡± ¡°Park Seodam has a special skill. Changjo!¡± Ian called Min Changjo, who was co-hosting the radio with Park Seodam. He was a friend of the same age as Park Seodam, and they became close after ¡®Arimpic¡¯. Min Changjo, who was lurking from afar, ran to Ian¡¯s side. ¡°Have this.¡± ¡°Wow, I have one too?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°I¡¯m jealous. Our members don¡¯t do this for me¡­ Thank you. I¡¯ll enjoy it, hyungs.¡± Min Changjo looked at Park Seodam with envious eyes. Awi had invited A1S members in their previous episode, but they didn¡¯t prepare anything like this. Rather, it was the Awi members who got angry at Min Changjo¡¯s words. ¡°Really? They have no sense.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t let this go. Hey, gather up, let¡¯s take a picture together.¡± ¡°Changjo, smile.¡± At Juhyuk¡¯s words, the members gathered around Min Changjo. Ian stretched out his long arm and took a picture. ¡°Huh¡­ why are you suddenly taking a picture¡­?¡± The membersughed wickedly at Min Changjo, who took a picture with Awi unexpectedly. ¡°We¡¯ll teach your members a lesson. First, let¡¯s send this picture to our chat room¡­¡± ¡°Should we send it to Junseo hyung?¡± Taeung grinned and scrolled through his chat contacts. He was quick to act when it came to teasing someone. The members who entered the booth for the radio time looked at Park Seodam, who was sitting on the DJ seat, with satisfaction. ¡°Yes! ¡®The idol radio you can see, watch out!¡¯ Today¡¯s guest is¡­¡± ¡°These people are going beyond the trend and bing the top!¡± ¡°Are you saying that with your own mouth?¡± ¡°Why? I¡¯m just stating the facts. Yes! We are the group Awi!¡± The members waved their hands at the camera that was filming them. ¡°Hello!¡± Chapter 147: Chapter 147: Chapter 147 Fanfic? ¡°Thements areing up fast.¡± ¡°Okay, everyone, please introduce yourselves.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s start with our DJ.¡± Min Changjo smiled yfully at Park Seodam. Park Seodam cleared his throat and shed a smile at the camera. He blinked his eyes exaggeratedly. ¡°Hello! I¡¯m Seodam, the youngest and most loved member of Awi and the DJ of ¡®Boara¡¯.¡± ¡°Wow, our maknae is doing great.¡± Park Jinhyuk chimed in. Min Changjo raised the drink in front of him high in the air. It was like a scene from a movie. ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯re getting a lot of love. These drinks were bought by these people. Even for the staff.¡± ¡°Please take good care of our kid.¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± Min Changjo and Lee Juhyuk bowed to each other. Park Seodam suddenly felt embarrassed and covered his face with his hands. The chat was flooded with ???. ¡°Alright, then let¡¯s continue with the introductions.¡± ¡°Yes, hello, I¡¯m Juhyuk, the leader.¡± ¡°Jinhyuk here.¡± ¡°Hyeon here.¡± Unlike Park Seodam who showed all kinds of cuteness, the members answered with stiff expressions and business-like tones. Park Seodam frowned. ¡°Hey, hyungs, don¡¯t joke around.¡± ¡°Yes! I¡¯m Juhyuk, the absolute leader of Awi!¡± Lee Juhyuk pped his hands and changed his attitude. He smiled at the camera. ¡°I¡¯m Jinhyuk, the charismatic rapper of Awi who knows nothing.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Hyeon, the only sane one in Awi.¡± ¡°Nah, you¡¯re not sane. You¡¯re also crazy in your own way.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯re 360 degrees crazy but you don¡¯t show it.¡± Kim Hyeon¡¯s words made everyone cheer. Kim Hyeon shrugged his shoulders with a shameless expression. Min Changjoughed. ¡°You guys should introduce yourselves first and then make a friendly agreement.¡± ¡°Yes! I¡¯ve been waiting for this. I¡¯m Juyoung, the cleanest guy and the first choice for a roommate in Awi!¡± ¡°Honestly, without me, the members wouldn¡¯t be this close. Right? I¡¯m Taewoong, the mood maker and vitamin of Awi.¡± Then it was Ian¡¯s turn. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Ian, the visual mebo of Awi who saves the world with his good looks.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± ¡°Naeuri!¡± Ian smiled slyly at the camera and Awi members shouted loudly. Min Changjo felt like he was already drained. ¡°Wow, you guys are so active that I don¡¯t have time to say anything. What do you think, Seodam?¡± ¡°This is our daily life¡­ Changjo, you should just let it go at times like this.¡± ¡°Is that so? It¡¯s easier for me if I just go with the flow.¡± Min Changjo joked. ¡°There are a lot of questions from the introduction. First, Juhyuk, what do you mean by absolute power? Do you usually¡­ boss around the members?¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯m a very¡­ scary person.¡± Lee Juhyuk red at the camera and made a fierce expression. The members shrank their bodies and exaggerated their reactions. But Lee Juhyuk had a naturally gentle face so he didn¡¯t look intimidating. ¡°That¡¯s right, Juhyuk hyung is scary when he gets angry.¡± ¡°One time, Juhyuk hyung gathered us and made us y badda¡­¡± ¡°Hey hey hey Juyoung, badda is too much.¡± Lee Juhyuk waved his hands anxiously. The members leaned back and rxed their bodies. ¡°Just kidding, there¡¯s no leader like Juhyuk hyung. We all listen to him well.¡± ¡°Now that I think about it, it¡¯s weird¡­ We always follow what Juhyuk hyung says.¡± ¡°Yeah. There¡¯s something irresistible about him. Is this what they call soft charisma?¡± -He was actually a ck mage who controlled Awi -ck mage????? -Minister of Magic is here! The membersughed at the ck mage reaction. They could see the viewers¡¯ responses in real time through the monitor on the desk. ¡°Now, Park Jinhyuk, what does it mean that you¡¯re a rapper but you know nothing?¡± ¡°They all say that I¡¯m clueless¡­ They always say ¡®Jinhyuk hyung doesn¡¯t know anything!¡¯ So that¡¯s why I¡¯m you know nothing.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re known as a spoiler fairy to the fans. You lost the trust of the members but it¡¯s okay if the fans like it. Right?¡± Park Jinhyuk drooped his shoulders and said. Park Seodam patted his shoulder. ¡°Next, Juyoung. First choice for a roommate, is that recognized by the members? Or is it just your own delusion?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s true. We always try to room with Juyoung when we go on tour.¡± Ian answered. ¡°It was a total war zone back then. Juyeong couldn¡¯t stand the sight of his messy space, so he cleaned up our stuff too.¡± ¡°I have a single room, but I still miss Juyeong hyung¡¯s tidiness.¡± ¡°Come to think of it, don¡¯t we have to switch rooms once?¡± ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s switch. Let¡¯s have a coup d¡¯etat.¡± The single room members, Lee Joo-hyuk and Park Seo-dam, and the rest of the members except Ian jumped up. ¡°Hey, we already have a lot of stuff in our ces, why do we have to change?¡± ¡°I object!¡± ¡®Boara¡¯ was a radio with a solo channel on the portal site, so it wasn¡¯t bound by the order. So the end time varied depending on the guest. Guests like Awi who had a lot of stories to tell ended rtivelyte. Min Chang-jo watched the Awi members chatting with each other and thought, ¡®I¡¯m going to bete today¡­¡¯ ¡°Good. You all have very clear characters. Then shall we read the questions that came in?¡± Since the guest was Awi, Min Chang-jo was the only one who could ask questions. When A1S came out, Park Seo-dam asked a lot of questions, so Min Chang-jo turned over the script without anyints. ¡°You had your first showcase with an audience in months after social distancing was implemented, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°I was personally very envious when I heard the news. How did you feel at that time?¡± The members looked dazed because of their overflowing emotions. The scene of that time was still vivid in their minds. ¡°We have something like that. You might empathize with us, Mr. Chang-jo. We¡¯ve been performing without fans for a long time, right? It was so hard.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Mr. Kim Hee-sang said that if there is even one person who likes us, we should keep performing, but that one person was desperate for us.¡± ¡°When we saw the fans for the first time in a long time at the showcase. Wow, they came and cheered for us. We realized that we took them for granted and thought again.¡± Min Chang-jo nodded at Lee Joo-hyuk, Ian, and Kim Hyun¡¯s words. Then Jo Tae-woong and Park Seo-dam said. ¡°Actually, we didn¡¯t have any events except for music shows, right? So we were more thirsty for cheering when we went on stage and really¡­ I almost cried.¡± ¡°Did you hear the fans screaming backstage? Wow, they really came. They liked it and everything. I¡¯ll never forget that stage until I die. It was really great.¡± The chat room became a sea of tears. Min Chang-jo also felt sad at their words. ¡°We have something like that. ¡®Our group is still loved a lot.¡¯ That¡¯s what we can feel when we see the audience. They watch us and cheer for us and there¡¯s nothing like that these days.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. When the fans cheer for us on stage, we feel more energized and feel it better? It touches our skin.¡± Park Jin-hyuk and Kim Joo-young also said a word. Min Chang-jo recited the writer¡¯s message that appeared on the prompter. ¡°But you¡¯re known to surf the web a lot. These days, the response is good, and there are a lot of articles pouring out, so you must feel it a lot.¡± ¡°That¡¯s really something to be thankful for, but the inte reaction and seeing it with your own eyes are very different.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, they¡¯re very different. I got a question while surfing the web¡­ Do any of you read fanfics?¡± ¡°Fanfics?¡± The members looked at each other. The chat room that was a sea of tears quickly turned into anger. -No way -Who asked that???? -Why did you choose that question who is the writer?? -Lolololololol Is that fanfic what I think it is? I didn¡¯t expect such a question. Ian looked gloomy. Jo Tae-woong, who was sitting next to Ian, tilted his head. ¡°The chat room is on fire right now. Are we not supposed to know?¡± ¡°I know that! Possession stories!¡± Kim Joo-young smiled brightly and said. -Lolololololol -Why do you know that -I¡¯m dying of secondhand embarrassment lololol -Thank goodness they don¡¯t know anything else lolol ¡°Are there more things besides possession stories?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± The members leaned their faces close to the monitor. They wouldn¡¯t want to know in detail. The chat room expressed Ian¡¯s feelings. -No! -Someone, someone made a fanfic sound -There must be a reason for this -Someone take away Awi¡¯s smartphone Why did he do the beeper, business gay performance to get popr when he was Kim Yong-min. Jin said in an interesting voice. [Did you look it up?] ¡®Yeah. TA Media made me do it so disgustingly.¡¯ They hugged each other with their arms crossed as a basic, and even yed the pepero game and pretended to make a mistake and kissed each other. Why did they make me do such things? I was curious and searched for it. ¡®But the funny thing is, Diamond was so deep that there was only one or two posts when I searched for it.¡¯ Later, when he went on ¡®Project Idol¡¯, the posts exploded in a bad way. Ian sighed softly. [They did their best, though.] ¡®They had to do that, at least. They were losers.¡¯ [Well¡­] Of course, they did everything they were told to do, hoping to get some attention since their group was not popr. Ian tried to hide his frowning expression. ¡®Jo Tae-woong, are you going to search that when you get home?¡¯ [Leave him alone. He won¡¯t find anything even if he searches. You know how they censor things these days.] Ian narrowed his eyes as he saw Jo Tae-woong¡¯s meaningful look. As Jin said, those underground cultures probably twisted their names to avoid the search engines. ¡°Wow, the public sentiment is harsh. Let¡¯s move on to another topic. What do you want to do when the coronavirus is over?¡± ¡°Wait a minute¡­ Please answer this at the same time. Seo-dam, give us a signal.¡± ¡°One, two!¡± ¡°Concert!¡± The members shouted in unison and eximed as they fell back. ¡°Our teamwork is still alive.¡± ¡°As expected, we trusted each other!¡± They reached out their hands and high-fived each other. Min Chang-joughed as he saw the festive atmosphere change in an instant. He had a feeling that he would get off workter than he thought. ¡°Actually, we do have a concert nned¡­ but it¡¯s online.¡± Awi had a concert scheduled for January, but it was going to be online in case of a possible outbreak. ¡°We need to perform at a venue. Theeback showcase was so touching that we might cry if we have a concert.¡± ¡°Right.¡± The members reminisced about theeback showcase and were immersed in the afterglow. ¡°It¡¯s not easy to match like this, but you guys have amazing teamwork.¡± Min Chang-jo looked at Awi members with envy. The radio show was conducted flexibly by mixing the questions prepared by the writer and the questions posted on the chat room. After chatting for a while, the atmosphere calmed down a bit and Min Chang-jo threw a question that caught his eye on the chat room. ¡°Now, we have another question. Seo-dam, please read this.¡± ¡°Oh, there¡¯s a question for Ian hyung. What does idol Awi and actor Choi Ian mean to Choi Ian?¡± The members fixed their eyes on Ian with curiosity. Chapter 148: Chapter 148: Chapter 148 It will always describe me. ¡°What? Do you want me to choose between the two?¡± ¡°Just answer freely, hyung. Don¡¯t mind us.¡± Park Seodam said that, but he couldn¡¯t hide his anticipation. The other members looked the same, so Ianughed bitterly. ¡°Well¡­ I started as a drama extra, so I guess you could say I entered the entertainment industry as an actor first, right?¡± ¡°So, you choose actor Choi Ian?¡± ¡°Tsk, aren¡¯t you too hasty? Just listen.¡± Jo Taewoong poked Kim Juyeong¡¯s side. ¡°But that was also because I wanted to debut with Awi, and the debut team was already set up. If you ask me to choose, of course I¡¯ll choose our group.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°But that¡¯s not all, is it?¡± The members who expected something more touching and grandiose from Ian quickly showed disappointed expressions. Ian ignored their faces and turned his head to look at Min Changjo. ¡°But I think the question is meaningless in the first ce. Do we have to separate actors and idols? We¡¯re all entertainers anyway.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Min Changjo nodded. ¡°But what I can tell you is that whenever I introduce myself anywhere, I always say ¡®I¡¯m Ian from the idol group Awi.¡¯ Because I¡¯m in the group Awi, I can do both acting and idoling.¡± ¡°Wow.¡± ¡°Anyway, when I do entertainer activities, our group name Awi will always describe me. Are you all satisfied?¡± ¡°Wow, your answer sounds like a poem. Good job.¡± As Ian looked around at the members, they gave him thumbs up. Ian frowned fiercely. ¡°So don¡¯t cause any trouble, all of you.¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± ¡°And you too, Mr. Changjo.¡± Min Changjo, who was suddenly pointed out, widened his eyes and pointed at himself. ¡°Me? All of a sudden?¡± ¡°Yes. Idols should not cause trouble. That¡¯s a virtue. You know that, right?¡± Ian¡¯s serious words elicited immediate reactions from Min Changjo¡¯s fans. -???? (I agree) -You only say the right things -Changjo oppa, take note! -No dating!??? The members smiled brightly as they saw those reactions. Ian quickly rxed his face and raised his fist to pretend to hold a virtual microphone. Ian¡¯s virtual microphone went to Jo Taewoong. ¡°Now, a question for Taewoongie, what are idol group Awi and actor Jo Taewoong?¡± ¡°Wow, how can you do this?¡± Jo Taewoong was flustered as the members¡¯ heads focused on him. ¡°Ian said something so touching and it¡¯s hard to follow up.¡± ¡°Come to think of it, you¡¯re the senior here since you debuted as a child actor.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. I¡¯m an old-timer. Call me senior.¡± Jo Taewoong joked and then pondered seriously. The members seemed curious and the fans were watching too, so he didn¡¯t want to answer casually. ¡°First of all, I became a child actor because my mom¡¯s friend worked in broadcasting.¡± ¡°Yeah, and then?¡± ¡°They came to shoot and the child actor didn¡¯t show up. They asked for help and called my mom who was nearby.¡± ¡°Oh, so you went straight to shooting without any audition?¡± ¡°Yes, but it was so fun then. It felt like role-ying¡­ You know what I mean?¡± Jo Taewoong looked at Ian. Ian nodded slowly. He also felt like experiencing someone else¡¯s life while forgetting reality when he first acted. ¡°The shooting went well and thankfully I got many offers from different ces.¡± ¡°Are you saying you¡¯re a genius in a roundabout way?¡± Park Seodam narrowed his eyes and looked at Jo Taewoong. The members chuckled quietly. Jo Taewoong continued without caring. ¡°My mom also thought acting was fun for me¡­ She became my manager and showed my face everywhere there was casting.¡± He enjoyed acting until then. The cool and pretty celebrities he often saw on TV liked him too, and he always ate delicious food with his family after shooting. But he started to skip school sses more and more because of his schedule and his close friends started to treat him not as a friend but as a celebrity, someone hard to approach, and built a wall. ¡°If I have to choose between being an actor or an idol, I¡¯ll choose the group. Because I started as a child actor but now I¡¯m not a ¡®child¡¯ actor anymore, right?¡± He started to feel acting was not fun but burdensome when he became a middle schooler. His talent was outstanding as a ¡®child¡¯, but he didn¡¯t think he would have the same luck as an adult actor. And there were people among his peers who chose and worked hard for this path, not like Jo Taewoong who jumped in for fun. [Wow, he was an old soul?] ¡®He was so thoughtful since he was young, no wonder his mental is weak.¡¯ Being thoughtful and sensitive was an advantage. But it could also be a disadvantage if it was excessive. ¡°I enjoyed being a child actor, but it wasn¡¯t something I chose to do for the rest of my life.¡± ¡°I can understand that. Your mother probably didn¡¯t take you seriously, but just wanted you to have some experience when you were young.¡± Ian silently admired Park Seodam¡¯s words. She avoided any possible controversy with her prudent attitude. ¡°I had a dream of bing like Taewoo hyung, or Diamond, the group that performed at the event. Being an idol was almost a ¡®choice¡¯ for me.¡± The members were immersed in Jo Taewoong¡¯s sincere words and stared at his face intently. ¡°I can¡¯t deny my child actor days, but Awi means a lot to me. I want to be called by the group ¡®Awi¡¯ instead of ¡®child actor¡¯ when the media describes me.¡± ¡°Wow!¡± ¡°Jo Taewoong! Jo Taewoong!¡± ¡°Awi Eul! Jo Taewoong candidate! You¡¯re elected!¡± The members pped their hands at the same time. Even Park Seodam, the DJ, threw off her headphones and massaged Jo Taewoong¡¯s shoulders from behind. ¡°Yes, yes, please sit down. Seodam? Seodam?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Park Seodam quickly returned to her seat. Min Changjo couldn¡¯t say anything to her. He also made a mess when Aiwons was a guest and gave Park Seodam a hard time. Park Seodam and Min Changjo nced at the director¡¯s signal outside the booth. ¡°Wow, this is crazy. Anyway! You all have such rich emotions. No wonder you created so many great songs. Now! You have to sing a song!¡± ¡°Yes, the song we¡¯re going to sing is¡­ ¡®We are We are¡¯.¡± The members got up from their seats. They went to the live space that was prepared separately and picked up the microphones. They then briefly answered the questions in the chat room and sang two songs in a row. The time was already 40 minutes past the scheduled end of the broadcast. -Aren¡¯t you tired??? I want to go to sleep?? -Sing more songs please! -It¡¯s good now!! Please do it until dawn! ¡°Thanks to your efforts, our radio show has gone way over the scheduled time.¡± ¡°Really? What should we do? We took too much time¡­ Changjo and the production staff have to go home¡­¡± Lee Joo-hyuk looked regretful. ¡°It¡¯s toote to say that now. Let¡¯s wrap up with somements.¡± Min Changjo answered with a tired face. The members gave briefments one after another, considering Min Changjo. ¡°It was fun to talk seriously and chat for a long time.¡± ¡°Yeah. We saw our maknae working too¡­¡± ¡°I hope you invite us again next time.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± ¡°How about doing a joint show with Aiwons next time?¡± A joint show with our group? What a horrible idea. Min Changjo forgot his expression management and frowned. Ian quickly fixed the situation. ¡°That might be too hard for our DJs, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Min Changjo sighed in relief. As they all said something, Park Seodam pped her hands. The PD¡¯s eyes were on them. ¡°Well, this is where ¡®Visible Idol Radio, Boara!¡¯ ends.¡± ¡°See you next week, everyone! Bye!¡± Min Changjo and Awi waved their hands at the camera. -Today was the longest ever -So fun???Awie back again -Changjo, good job! -It was so fun??? The camera light went off and the members got up and patted Min Changjo¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Did we end toote because of us?¡± ¡°No, I had fun too. You guys must be tired¡­ I¡¯m fine because I¡¯m not active.¡± Min Changjo smiled soullessly, thinking ¡®It¡¯s because I¡¯m drained¡­¡¯ ¡°Everyone, we¡¯re going to take pictures for SNS, so strike a pose.¡± The staff came into the booth and held up their phones. Min Changjo and Awi stood side by side on the wall and posed confidently. ¡°One, two.¡± They took pictures one after another. Awi crowded around the staff and checked the pictures with a smile. Among Awi who made all kinds of noisy poses, Min Changjo smiled faintly. His face looked worse than the picture he took before the broadcast. The members who came out of the booth bowed their waists and greeted the production staff. ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡°Good job!¡± The staff also looked tired. It was lucky that they had bribed them with juice beforehand. It was Lee Joo-hyuk¡¯s unintentional big picture. The Awi members stretched out as they left the studio. Unlike Min Changjo who was drained, they all looked satisfied. ¡°Wow! That was fun.¡± ¡°I hope we can do it again next time.¡± ¡°But won¡¯t they stop inviting us next time? They made us workte.¡± ¡°Maybe. Then we can just do our own radio show on Y app.¡± ¡°Then our fans might beg us to stop?¡± The membersughed as they looked at each other. *** The members headed straight to their rooms as soon as they arrived at the dorm. Jo Tae-woong, whoy down on his bed after washing up, stared nkly at the dark ceiling. ¡®What is fanfic?¡¯ Suddenly curious, Jo Tae-woong sat up abruptly. He flipped over his nket and turned on his phone. ¡®What should I search for¡­¡¯ He had been only looking at the fan cafe and the separate board for Awi, amunity that only fans could enter, for his mental health. He doubted he would find what he wanted there. Jo Tae-woong entered a foreign search engine that imed to show everything. ¡°What is this?¡± Finally, he found what he was looking for. He saw stories that paired him with other members in romantic scenarios. He clenched his fingers in disgust. He wanted to throw his phone away right then, but his curiosity was the problem. (Guguz Parrot Backup) (¡­falling in love at first sight with transfer student Tae-woong) ¡®Ugh! Crazy!¡¯ Jo Tae-woong screamed silently and quickly pressed the back button. But in the meantime, he identally clicked on something different from what he searched for. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± -Jo Tae-woong¡¯s attitude shows how well he was educated at home -I went to the same middle school as him and he was famous lol -You can tell what his parents taught him, right? -His parents exploited him to make a quick buck by making him a child actor, so no wonder his education was poor lol Jo Tae-woong¡¯s eyes lost focus in an instant. He sighed deeply as he scrolled down mindlessly. ¡®¡­I should just sleep.¡¯ He flopped back down and tossed and turned for a long time, feeling his heart pounding fast and hard. Chapter 149: Chapter 149: Chapter 149 How about suing them? AWY, Billboard 200 charting for three consecutive weeks¡­ soaring high in the US ¡®Heebin Jang¡¯s¡¯ Kim Chuntaek craze¡­ AWY¡¯s Ian chosen as the global muse for a luxury brand AWY, Ian¡¯s trendsetting move¡­ Z brand beauty ambassador appointed ¡°Yes, I like it.¡± Ian, dressed in luxury clothes, changed his pose to show off his handbag to the camera. The shutter sound and the camera sh sparkled one after another. ¡°Good! Let¡¯s wrap it up.¡± ¡°Thank you for your hard work!¡± Ian bowed his waist slightly. The photo shoot for the luxury brand thatsted for several hours was finally over. Ian tapped his shoulders with a tired face. This pictorial was scheduled to be published in a Chinese magazine. ¡°Excuse me¡­ can I take a picture with you?¡± ¡°Me too!¡± People gathered around Ian. The shooting was over, but he had to fulfill the staff¡¯s requests for signatures and selfies before he could leave the studio. Ian, who changed into casual clothes, followed Kim Myungjin to the parking lot. ¡°Damn, who leaked it again?¡± ¡°Should we run, hyung?¡± ¡°Sorry, but we have to.¡± Kim Myungjin frowned. Despite being a private schedule, somehow the paparazzi and the fansites were waiting for them. ¡°They¡¯re here!¡± Ian ran past them and quickly got into the car. Kim Myungjin didn¡¯t forget to lock the door as soon as he got in. ¡°From now on, we have to bring bodyguards even for secret schedules. You did well. Let¡¯s go straight to thepany.¡± ¡°Hyung, you too. Did you wait long?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s good to be friendly with the industry people. The real problem is those guys.¡± Kim Myungjin gritted his teeth as he saw the fanatical fans through the rearview mirror. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s going to take a long time to wash this hair.¡± Ian touched his front hair that was stiffened by the hair spray. ¡°What¡¯s left now?¡± ¡°We have to film a dance video at the practice room.¡± ¡°Again? What version is it this time?¡± ¡°The uniform version that you wore when you debuted.¡± The uniform version after the suit and hanbok versions. Ian chuckled. ¡°The kids are probably getting ready at thepany. You already have your hair and makeup done, so you just need to change your clothes.¡± The uniform that was made by the all-nighter of the debut-era stylist was still considered a legend by the fans. Thanks to that, there were many requests to dance other songs in that outfit, but thepany seemed determined to upload various costume versions of dance videos every week. ¡°Wow, our fans are going to get sick from eating too much fan service.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that¡­¡± Kim Myungjin sighed as if he couldn¡¯t stop him. ¡°Don¡¯t look at the intemunities too much and y some games. You had fun doing that ¡®Arimpic¡¯ thing, right?¡± ¡°I y a lot of games too.¡± AWY¡¯s game craze didn¡¯t know how to stop. They yed games together with other singers who became close after ¡®Arimpic¡¯. Kim Myungjin nced at Ian¡¯s face through the room mirror and asked casually. ¡°¡­How are you guys doing these days?¡± ¡°We? We¡¯re fine. Lately, I feel anxious because it seems like we¡¯re never going to break up¡­¡± ¡°Haha, that¡¯s a good thing. Ian, are you okay? If you need anything, just tell me, okay?¡± Ian opened his eyes slightly. ¡°You¡¯re not curious about our rtionship, but about the inte reaction, right?¡± ¡°I know very well that you guys are happy¡­ Buttely there are more negative reactions¡­¡± ¡°That means our poprity is rising.¡± Ian shrugged his shoulders. AWY¡¯s poprity was burning hot both domestically and internationally, and they were slowly being grouped with the top three male idol groups. Along with group ads, Ian was also in high demand thanks to the sess of ¡®Heebin Jang¡¯. ¡°I¡¯m fine. We have a lot of fans too.¡± ¡°Yeah? That¡¯s good then. Director Seo said he would set up a monitoring team separately.¡± ¡°That¡¯s nice.¡± And so did the negative reactions. They couldn¡¯t stand seeing others do well. It wasn¡¯t just rumors and maliciousments that crossed the line. There were also articles that tried to discredit AWY, and it turned out that they were sponsored by a rival sports wear brand that AWY had advertised for. Of course, the article was taken down within three hours after receiving a flood ofints from the fans. ¡°Teacher Heesang said that usually when someone is popr, both fans and haters go crazy.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true¡­ How is he doing after the surgery?¡± ¡°Yes. I have to visit him soon¡­ Are we short on time?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go and check the schedule.¡± Kim Heesang had reluctantly gone to the hospital after Ian¡¯s incessant requests for a health checkup, and thanks to that, he was able to find a tumor that had settled in his body. Kim Heesang cherished Ian more than his real son ever since then. ¡°Oh, right. The teacher said he wanted to work on music with you after he was discharged from the hospital.¡± ¡°What? You¡¯re telling me that now¡­¡± Kim Myungjin turned his head sharply, then realized he was driving and looked back at the road. Ian, who was in his second round as an idol, was now able to enjoy reading the hatements. But¡­ ¡®Jo Taewoong, I¡¯m worried about him¡­¡¯ Ian¡¯s expression darkened as he watched Kim Myungjin¡¯s face change drastically. Jo Taewoong¡¯s attitude controversy had red up and disappeared several times, but he couldn¡¯t help feeling like it was the calm before the storm. [Don¡¯t let your guard down. These days, the haters are organized, you know? If you take them lightly, you¡¯ll lose your mental stability right away.] ¡®I know that.¡¯ There were groups of people who formed gangs on sites like A TV program gallery, private cafes, open chat rooms, and so on. -Hey, I posted a post about his attitude problem on Ongchang, soment gggg -I bought his middle school graduation album lololol Should I upload it on the board lololol? Should I frame him for school violence? How should I do it? ©¸Lololol go for it lololol ©¸How much did you pay for it? ©¸©¸20,000 won lol ©¸©¸©¸That¡¯s the price of chicken lol you flexed lololol -He must have a lot of debt to pay off for his copyright infringement ©¸He must not be his real mom lol It wasn¡¯t just galleries, portal sites, or cafes. On SNS like Parangsaeng and Mystagram, where it was easy to create ounts, ounts with basic profile pictures appeared out of nowhere and posted rumor posts that were not verified. -Did you know that he dated girls when he was young? Lololol -He was famous in Chungan High School for dating a cheerleader lololol How do Chungan fans feel? Puhaham -He was notorious for drinking and smoking in Ding Middle School and you guys don¡¯t know lololol -Let me be blunt, don¡¯t suck up to those assholes and live like a god They would chat excitedly and RT each other until they saw thewsuiting, then they would blow up all their posts and ounts and disappear. Ordinary people couldn¡¯t understand their way of thinking. ¡®It¡¯s true that ignorant people are the scariest when they have faith¡­ But what do they want by doing this? Do they have any faith?¡¯ [Their basic faith is rage. What do you expect from trashy lives? They just live by seeing celebrities who are better than them get screwed.] Jin answered calmly. Ian looked surprised and stared at him. [Those losers who live like losers in reality act like they¡¯re the best in the world on the inte. They act like they know everything about the world and give lessons with their good intentions and nagging¡­] ¡®Why are you talking so bluntly? That¡¯s weird¡­ You weren¡¯t like that before?¡¯ [What are you talking about? I¡¯ve always been a righteous person.] Well¡­ Are you not self-hating? Ian held back what he wanted to say. [But isn¡¯t it funny that celebrities care about every single thing? Your group is too obsessed with inte reactions.] ¡®Yeah, sure. I heard you very well. You¡¯re ming the victim.¡¯ Ah, of course. I wondered why he said something right for once. Ian rummaged through his belongings and found his earphones. [Celebrity hatements are just everyday life. If you don¡¯t like it, don¡¯t look at it. You look at it reluctantly and then cry and whine that you got hatements. You act pitiful for getting one curse¡­ Hey! I¡¯m not done talking!] If I talk to him again about hatements, I¡¯m not human. Ian put his earphones in his ears and turned up the volume. The car that picked him up cornered smoothly and parked in thepany parking lot. ¡®There shouldn¡¯t be any trouble¡­¡¯ Ian shook his head vigorously. ¡®No, I shouldn¡¯t just sit here like this. I should start making some countermeasures.¡¯ After all,wsuits should be done without warning, with no agreement after notifying them first. I don¡¯t know if the other members are suffering inside, even if Ian is mentally trained. ¡®First of all¡­ I have to talk to thepany separately.¡¯ Thepany had grown bigger than when they had ck Rushy, and they wouldn¡¯t ignore Ian¡¯s opinion. They say you have to pull out the horn as soon as it grows, and Ian stood next to Kim Myungjin, who got out of the car. ¡°Hyung, how about we sue them once?¡± ¡°Sue?¡± ¡°Yeah, isn¡¯t forming a monitoring team the same as saying we¡¯ll sue them after collecting the hatements? Let¡¯s do it sooner.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡± Seo Suryeon was nning to contract aw firm as soon as the monitoring team was formed. But Ian, who said he was fine just a while ago, suddenly brought up thewsuit. ¡®Wait, I saw somewhere that there are cases where the person doesn¡¯t realize it¡­¡¯ Kim Myungjin¡¯s expression visibly hardened. He grabbed Ian¡¯s shoulders and asked urgently. ¡°Are you okay? Do you want me to get you a counselor?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m fine¡­¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do. Let¡¯s go to the director right now¡­¡± ¡°Hyung! I¡¯m fine!¡± *** Theeback activities of Awi, whichsted for four weeks, were over, but there was still one stage left. It was the year-end stage. ¡°Brrr, it¡¯s cold.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go inside quickly.¡± Awi got off the van and walked briskly into the broadcasting station. They looked around the waiting room, which was fairlyrge, with a new sense of emotion. ¡°We¡¯ve grown so much.¡± ¡°Who should we invite to y Mafiater?¡± ¡°Sounds good.¡± The members chuckled and sat on the chairs. They had to wait until the rehearsal. Kim Myung-jin, who was talking to the staff outside, came into the waiting room. ¡°Guys, we¡¯re second tost.¡± ¡°Really? Wow, did you hear that?¡± The members jumped up. ¡°We¡¯re finally close to the ending.¡± ¡°Kavi~ It would have been awesome if we were the real ending.¡± Ian asked Kim Myung-jin. ¡°Who¡¯s thest one?¡± ¡°Teacher Lee Nam-jin and Tae-woo.¡± ¡°Wow, Tae-woo hyung is also on stage? That¡¯s amazing.¡± The trot boom was still going on. They had no chance of winning against Lee Nam-jin, a veteran of the trot world, and Lim Tae-woo, a rising trot star who had a solid fan base in 2049. ¡®Lim Tae-woo will be the first to be on the ending.¡¯ Lucky him. Ian smiled contentedly. The broadcasting station knew very well that idol fancams made money through MyTube. It was because they took all the advertising revenue. The appearance fees for music shows were already meager, and they also ate up the fancam revenue. The broadcasting station was indeed the boss. So they even filmed rehearsal fancams separately, and they could watch the rehearsal through the TV on the wall outside the stage. ¡°Where do I hear that familiar melody?¡± ¡°Huh? Sky High is doing our song?¡± ¡°What?¡± Awi members who happened to pass by stopped. They looked at each other and sneaked up to the TV. ¡°They must be doing a cover stage for rookies.¡± ¡°Wait, this is a scenario I¡¯ve seen a lot before.¡± Kim Hyun¡¯s head turned to Ian automatically. ¡°Scary guy.¡± Ian, who received the members¡¯ gazes in an instant, smiled awkwardly. It was a moment when he became an unintentional prophet. ¡°Huh?¡± The door of the studio opened and Sky High appeared. They bowed to Awi who they found. ¡°Hello, seniors!¡± ¡°Ah¡­ hello.¡± The members felt like they were caught peeking and smiled sheepishly. ¡°Oh man, you did so well on stage. So we watched you a little bit.¡± Park Jin-hyuk said cheekily. ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t know whose song it is, but it¡¯s very well made.¡± ¡°The song is a masterpiece, seniors.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡®Stop it already.¡¯ Lee Joo-hyuk clenched his teeth and whispered as he poked Park Jin-hyuk and Jo Tae-woong¡¯s sides. They groaned and leaned against the wall with their sides held. ¡°We¡¯re looking forward to your stage.¡± Kim Hyun, whose view was opened because of that, saw Park Sung-hoon standing at the back and smirked. Chapter 150: Chapter 150: Chapter 150 Where does it hurt? ¡°Don¡¯t get too excited. The other guys are watching us.¡± Lee Ju-hyuk said to his members with a frown as they walked back to the waiting room. ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s calm down. The soda has lost its fizz by now.¡± Kim Hyun-do pressed the shoulders of Park Jin-hyuk and Jo Tae-woong. Somehow, the people around them were more excited than the person involved. There were people gathered in front of Awi¡¯s waiting room door. It was MyKit. ¡°Brother.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± They greeted each other with a high five and bumped their shoulders lightly. MyKit noticed Ian at the back of the members and raised both hands above their heads like believers who saw their leader. ¡°Naeuri!¡± MyKit grabbed Ian¡¯s shoulder and arm as he entered the waiting room and went in with him. ¡°Man, your drama was awesome.¡± ¡°I¡¯d fall for you even if I were a guy.¡± Ianughed dryly. Everyone he met was making a fuss about Naeuri. MyKit bowed to Awi¡¯s staff and sat down. ¡°Speaking of which, Seon was amazing on the talk show too, right?¡± ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s a natural entertainer.¡± Ian tapped Park Seon¡¯s shoulder, who was sitting next to him. ¡°So¡­ is that annoying character your method acting?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a script, and I also improvise. Usually, the PD tells me what to do.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not mess with our Seon.¡± As Awi¡¯s members became solemn, Park Seon smiled faintly. His expression felt more rigid than before. Ian sensed the meaning behind Park Seon¡¯s expression and asked quietly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Well, since I set my concept like this, I get a lot of calls, but the reactions are also harsh.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ that must be hard.¡± These days, you had to be careful with your broadcast concept. Even a slight deviation would cause the viewers toin. Since an annoying character that could withstand the negative feedback emerged on the surface after a long time, there were quite a few ces that called Park Seon. ¡°But we have to cheer up. We¡¯re finally releasing an album soon.¡± ¡°Oh, finally.¡± Park Seon¡¯s eyes sparkled. Their agency had debuted MyKit with a digital single, and since their response was lukewarm, they sent them to Japan right away. So MyKit sold albums in Japan and participated in various events such as signing events, hug events, etc., but they didn¡¯t have a Korean album yet. ¡®I¡¯m d the agency is paying attention.¡¯ MyKit, who had sparse albums and activities, was able to perform on this year-end stage because they became a hot topic at the Arimpyc and their agency hastily released a digital single. ¡°It¡¯ll go well.¡± And finally, they were releasing a physical album. Ian held out his fist and Park Seon smiled and bumped it. Kim Chul-min of MyKit sprang up. ¡°Let¡¯s y mafia since we¡¯re all together.¡± ¡°Shall we?¡± Lee Ju-hyuk looked at Kim Myung-jin leaning against the door. Kim Myung-jin nodded his head and gave a sign. ¡°Ah¡­ not now. We have to go rehearse.¡± ¡°Oh, you haven¡¯t rehearsed yet? Then we¡¯ll go back to our waiting room for now.¡± Lee Chi-hoon of MyKit made a disappointed face. Kim Chul-min put his hand on Lee Chi-hoon¡¯s shoulder and waved at Awi. ¡°Let¡¯s do itter.¡± But Awi and MyKit couldn¡¯t y mafia together like they used to. ¡°Awi, let¡¯s rehearse.¡± Awi, who had to sing three songs as thest act, put name tags on their chests and went up on stage. ¡°Let¡¯s do it one more time.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± It took a long time to rehearse three songs. ¡°Good job, everyone.¡± Awi, who was soaked in sweat and had dry lips, wanted to just lie down on the stage, but they had to clear the stage quickly for the next rehearsal singer. ¡°Awi, good job on rehearsing. Come over here.¡± The year-end stage PD snapped his fingers. Awi had to head to the audience seats without even wiping off the sweat from their intense dance. There were a few people sitting in the audience seats, aka back girls. ¡®Ah¡­ I can feel their eyes.¡¯ Awi¡¯s members managed their stiff expressions and approached them to greet them. ¡°Have a chat with them.¡± ¡°Hello.¡± These people came not only to concerts but also to music shows without fail. There was no audience, so they sang without worrying about their reactions. It felt like more people had gathered than usual. ¡°Wow, he¡¯s handsome.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a fan~¡± ¡°But you must have noticed us, right? You were rehearsing so hard~¡± It sounded like they were saying ¡®You¡¯re working harder because we¡¯re here~¡¯. They wanted to enjoy the privilege of being different from others. Lee Ju-hyuk smiled brightly. ¡°We rehearse as if it¡¯s the real show.¡± He implied ¡®It¡¯s not because of you¡¯. They either understood or pretended not to, and just smiled shyly and stuck close to Awi. Especially Ian, who had caused a nationwide craze with ¡®Hee-bin Jang¡¯s Family¡¯, had a lot of people flocking to him. ¡°I loved your drama.¡± ¡°You look even better in person.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Ian politely smiled and greeted them. He couldn¡¯t show any displeasure since they hade in through the broadcasting station staff. They shyly smiled and took out their phones from their bags. A staff member who was watching from afar hurriedly approached Awi. ¡°Can we take a picture with you?¡± ¡°That might be difficult.¡± The staff next to him immediately intervened. If this scene was uploaded to SNS, the fandom would protest furiously to the broadcasting station. ¡°We won¡¯t upload it, we¡¯ll just keep it for ourselves.¡± ¡°Still, that¡¯s not possible. We¡¯re sorry.¡± Most of them took pictures to show off, and there was no one who didn¡¯t upload them to SNS even if they said they would keep them for themselves. One of the back girls frowned. ¡°Excuse me, do you know who I am?¡± [The usual repertoire.] ¡®Just go away if you¡¯ve seen his face¡­¡¯ Ian was stuck in an awkward situation and smiled ufortably. ¡°Guys!¡± ¡°The manager is calling us¡­ We¡¯ll be going now.¡± Kim Myung-jin, who had noticed the situation, called out loudly to the members. The members, who had been waiting for this moment, quickly said goodbye and ran out. The staff, who had been in a difficult situation as well, sighed in relief. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Some people came.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ You did well.¡± Kim Myung-jin squinted his eyes. ¡®If you came to watch, at least cheer for us.¡¯ Ian sighed deeply. Park Seo-dam, who had a pouty mouth, muttered in a dissatisfied voice. ¡°Our fans too¡­¡± ¡°Shh.¡± Lee Ju-hyuk cut him off. He put his index finger on his lips and warned the members. There were many ears in the broadcasting station. ¡°¡­Guys, don¡¯t say anything out loud. Do it on chat. Or do it when we get back to the dorm.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± Park Seo-dam nodded sullenly. They all guessed what he was going to say. ¡®Our fans would have wanted to sit there too.¡¯ The back girls had taken the seats that the fans had desperately wanted. It was an unfair world. Kim Myung-jin smiled sadly as he saw the unhappy expressions of Awi¡¯s members. ¡°We only have the real show left, so rest well guys.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The members gulped down water as soon as they sat on the waiting room chairs. The staff brought towels and handed them to the members. ¡°It¡¯s hard enough to perform, but we have to deal with people too. Is this a country?¡± ¡°At least Myung-jin hyung called us out.¡± Kim Hyun and Park Jin-hyuk grumbled. Lee Ju-hyuk turned on his phone chat messenger. ¡°Should we call Mike?¡± ¡°Shall we?¡± Ian felt a strange sense of difort at that moment. Usually, the person who woulde into the waiting room and make a lot of noise was Jo Tae-woong, but he was strangely quiet. ¡°Hey Jo-tang.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Jo Tae-woong was sitting in a corner, staring nkly into space with unfocused eyes. Ian went over to him and shook his shoulder. ¡°Huh?¡± Jo Tae-woong lifted his head abruptly. Hisplexion was not good. He seemed to be sweating slightly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you sick? Are you sweating?¡± ¡°No, I think I had indigestion from breakfast.¡± As Ian tried to examine his face closely, Jo Tae-woong refused by lowering his hand. ¡°Really? Do you want to take some medicine?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. I can¡¯t do the mafia. Do it without me.¡± ¡°Where does Tae-woong hurt?¡± ¡°Are you okay, bro?¡± The other members who were listening to their conversation approached Jo Tae-woong. Jo Tae-woong pressed his chest and frowned. ¡°It looks like you had a bad cold.¡± ¡°Hey, just wait.¡± Kim Hyun nodded his head. The members who noticed his intention moved the chairs and made room in the corner. ¡°Where is our cushion mat?¡± ¡°Here it is. Guys.¡± Kim Myung-jin, who was watching, came with a shopping bag full of both hands. Ian spread out the mat inside, and Kim Hyun and Lee Joo-hyuk rolled up the long padding to make a pillow and spread out a nket. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t sit there, lie down there.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s good to sleep when you¡¯re not feeling well¡­ Oh, bro!¡± As Jo Tae-woong staggered up, Park Seo-dam and Kim Joo-young supported him. The members¡¯ expressions became serious as they guessed it was not an ordinary thing. ¡°Thank you¡­ Wake me upter¡­¡± Park Jin-hyuk, who covered Jo Tae-woong with a nket without any gaps, looked at the members. Lee Joo-hyuk signaled to go outside. ¡°Doesn¡¯t Tae-woong have to go to the hospital?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just watch him for now since he said he was okay.¡± The members watched Kim Myung-jin sitting next to Jo Tae-woong through the gap in the door. ¡°He¡¯s sleeping, so don¡¯t make noise.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go somewhere since Myung-jin hyung is watching him.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk left a message on the group chat with MyKit. He said he couldn¡¯t help it because Tae-woong was sick and let¡¯s do itter. The answer came back. There wasn¡¯t much time left for stage preparation, so Ian woke up Jo Tae-woong. Jo Tae-woong, who raised his upper body slightly, looked at Ian nkly. ¡°How are you?¡± Ian shook his hand near his face and woke him up who hadn¡¯t regained consciousness yet. ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯m much better.¡± Jo Tae-woong smiled faintly and raised his thumb. Hisplexion looked better than before, but he still looked pale. ¡®Ah¡­ why is this happening.¡¯ While getting his hair done, Jo Tae-woong repeated squeezing and releasing both hands as he felt sweat rising in his hands. The members and agency staff gathered around him. ¡°Can you do the stage, Tae-woong hyung?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to do it if it¡¯s hard. We have a pre-recorded one, so it¡¯ll be okay. I¡¯ll go and ask for your understanding.¡± Kim Myung-jin, who seemed to run out of the waiting room right away, lowered his hand by Jo Tae-woong. Jo Tae-woong felt touched by everyone worrying about him. But he couldn¡¯t bother the team that much. If he was out, it would affect the choreography line. ¡°No, I¡¯m okay. I¡¯ll try.¡± [He¡¯s being stubborn.] Ignoring Jin¡¯s words, Ian observed Jo Tae-woong¡¯s expression closely. ¡®Is he okay¡­¡¯ He was anxious and anxious, but eventually something happened. The group¡¯s pre-recorded stage was fine. But at the end of the year-end broadcast, Lee Nam-jin and Lim Tae-woo sang trot and the cast sang together behind them. The stage was broadcast live. Awi, who was very popr, had to sing in a ce where the camera could see well, but at that moment Jo Tae-woong¡¯s expression came out very badly. -Did you just see the ending? Jo Tae-woong¡¯s expression is rotten?? Look at his attitude in front of Lee Nam-jin like a senior. Isn¡¯t that too much? ©¸Is he sick? ©¸©¸Even if he¡¯s sick, he should endure it. He¡¯s the only one with a bad expression on a stage where everyone is doing it. ©¸He brought a moment capture and turned it around like crazy. Hey, watch the video and talk. He made that expression for only 1 second ?? ©¸But I feel bad because he¡¯s the only one with a bad expression Chapter 151: Chapter 151: Chapter 151 I¡¯m fine, really. The year 2020, which was full of various incidents and idents, had passed and the new year of 2021 had dawned. The members, who had made it a routine to cook and eat rice cake soup together on New Year¡¯s morning, were busy setting up the table. ¡°Happy New Year, guys.¡± ¡°Happy New Year, hyung. Where¡¯s our allowance?¡± ¡°Uh, no more nonsense~¡± Lee Joo-hyukughed and pushed away his younger brothers who were clinging to him for money. ¡°Why not, hyung? You¡¯re a copyright millionaire.¡± ¡°Nah, I¡¯m not. The distributionpany takes most of it¡­ You guys know that.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk winked. Kim Joo-young, who had be the unofficial chef of AWI, banged the sink with adle. ¡°It¡¯s done. Everyone get your bowls.¡± ¡°Yes, chef!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no one like Joo-young.¡± The members lined up next to Kim Joo-young. They received their rice cake soup like rations and slurped it down. ¡°Oh, right. Congrattions on your graduation, hyung.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Except for Ian, all the members were attending cyber university. Lee Joo-hyuk, who had diligently submitted his assignments even in his busy schedule, had fulfilled all the graduation requirements and was going to receive his degree. ¡°Are you going to the graduation ceremony?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°If you go, we¡¯ll go with you to celebrate.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk shook his head vigorously at the thought of the members making a fuss and shouting loudly. ¡°So you¡¯re done with school?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go to cyber graduate school. It¡¯s the best way to postpone enlistment.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Nowadays, college and graduate school were almost mandatory for male idols. It was because they had to dy their military service as much as possible. ¡°Just give us some allowance as a graduation gift.¡± ¡°Ah, really¡­ Here, buy some dessert with this. Like ice cream or something.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk took out his card and put it on the table. The members screamed loudly. Park Jin-hyuk looked at each member¡¯s face and said. ¡°Who wants to go? It¡¯s freezing outside. Rock-paper-scissors?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± ¡°Ian~ Choi Ian! Choi Ian!¡± Ian got up quickly. He tapped Jo Tae-woong¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Hey, Jo-tang,e with me to the roof.¡± ¡°When did that be a catchphrase?¡± ¡°Stop whining and get up. I can¡¯t carry it by myself.¡± It was just a simple dessert run, why couldn¡¯t he carry it by himself¡­ Jo Tae-woong¡¯s eyes sparkled and he got up quickly. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°¡­Ian, why can¡¯t you carry it by yourself?¡± Lee Joo-hyuk felt a bit uneasy. Ian smiled wickedly, and Jo Tae-woong also gave a sinister grin next to him. ¡°You think we¡¯re just going to buy ice cream?¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to raid the convenience store.¡± ¡°No way!¡± Lee Joo-hyuk approached Ian to snatch his card back. ¡°Why did you give him your card? You should have given him cash.¡± ¡°Do you still trust us, hyung?¡± ¡°This hyung is so naive.¡± Park Jin-hyuk and Kim Hyun grabbed Lee Joo-hyuk¡¯s arms on each side. Kim Joo-young pushed Ian and Jo Tae-woong¡¯s backs. ¡°Hey, hurry up. You know what I like, right?¡± ¡°Ian, I want potato chips.¡± ¡°I want roll cake.¡± ¡°Hyung, I want fruit pudding!¡± Jo Tae-woong and Ian quickly put on their long padding coats and shoes. ¡°We¡¯ll be back!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t buy too much!¡± Lee Joo-hyuk¡¯s desperate shout was thest thing they heard before the door closed. As they stood side by side waiting for the elevator, Jo Tae-woong casually asked. ¡°So, why did you pick me out of all people?¡± ¡°Well, you probably know why.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Jo Tae-woong smiled bitterly. The attitude controversy that had been quiet for a while red up again after the year-end stage. On variousmunities, people dug up Jo Tae-woong¡¯s trivial actions and expressions from AWI¡¯s own content or Y app and made malicious posts that he was rude and arrogant even over nothing. As a web novel editor, I have edited and corrected the sentence structures that are suitable for web novels. I have also tranted it into English. Here is the edited and tranted text: ¡°It¡¯s getting pretty serioustely. It¡¯s no joke.¡± Someone even brought out Jo Tae-woong¡¯s middle school graduation album as proof and posted a rumor that he was bullied by Jo Tae-woong, which was not true. They deleted the post right away after receiving a warning message from the agency. Jo Tae-woong, who was good at browsing the inte, could not miss this situation. ¡°You¡¯re not showing it, but you¡¯re worried a lot.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really fine¡­ Who among us hasn¡¯t received hatements? You get a lot of them too. There are so many people who get angry at you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine because I¡¯m handsome.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± Ian pressed the first floor button and looked closely at Jo Tae-woong¡¯s face behind him. Jo Tae-woong¡¯s expression in the mirror looked normal. ¡°¡­Should we all go to counseling together? The director said he would arrange it if we asked.¡± ¡°Nah, it¡¯s not that bad. We can¡¯t avoid that level of hatements at our level.¡± The elevator stopped at the first floor with them inside. As they walked side by side, Ian stared at Jo Tae-woong with a suspicious eye. ¡°I¡¯ve been getting them since I was young. Hey, do you know what¡¯s scarier? I¡¯m someone who got hatements in front of me when I was in elementary school.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± ¡°I¡¯m really fine. Thanks for caring, though.¡± It was awkward to keep pushing him when he said he was fine. Ian sighed softly. Jo Tae-woong and Ian entered the convenience store and each picked up a basket at the entrance and scattered in different directions. ¡°Hey, grab this too.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t Joo-hyuk hyung faint when he sees the payment message?¡± ¡°Why did he give us his card then¡­¡± They had an evil smile on their lips as they spoke. It was when Jo Tae-woong and Ian came out with their hands full of food and headed to their dorm. Meow. Jo Tae-woong turned his head sharply. ¡°Did you hear a cat sound?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± They headed towards where the sound came from. A chubby cheese cat that had been hiding in the bushes came out and rubbed its head against Jo Tae-woong¡¯s leg without any hesitation. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s so cute.¡± ¡°It¡¯s tame, huh? Does someone feed it?¡± ¡°We bought sausages, didn¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Ian spilled the bag as he rummaged through it and broke a yellow sausage. He cut it into small pieces and put it on the ground. The cat sniffed the smell. Ian put the remaining sausage in his mouth and said. ¡°They say you shouldn¡¯t give this stuff to them randomly.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it better than not eating anything?¡± While Jo Tae-woong gently stroked the cat, Ian picked up the food that had fallen on the ground again. The cat ate a small piece of sausage and did not eat any more. ¡°It¡¯s not eating.¡± ¡°It looks like the residents here feed it, judging by its fatness.¡± ¡°It has a high-ss taste that only eats cat food. Oh, it¡¯s so cute.¡± Jo Tae-woong groaned in agony. The cat licked its body as if to show off itself. ¡°¡­Should we take it and raise it?¡± ¡°No way.¡± ¡°Right?¡± Ian immediately answered Jo Tae-woong¡¯s question and Jo Tae-woong smiled awkwardly. His ears were red from being outside for a long time. Ian put the hood of his long padding on him. ¡°Why did you suddenly say that? You didn¡¯t seem interested.¡± ¡°I thought maybe we could raise something too.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s going to raise it?¡± ¡°A1S is raising a dog, right?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t they say they¡¯re going to Japan this year?¡± Ian exhaled. A1S also had a good response in Japan, so they would have a lot of days when they left their house empty. Who would take care of them then? Besides, dogs are animals that need to be walked regrly. ¡°What if we raise an animal, we have to go on tour too. Who¡¯s going to take care of it then?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true¡­¡± Jo Tae-woong muttered nkly. He sounded like he still had some regrets. ¡°We can¡¯t send it to our parents either. They would be shocked too if they suddenly got a pet without any n.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°It¡¯s better not to raise it if you can¡¯t take responsibility for life. Let¡¯s go, Joo-hyuk hyung is calling.¡± Ian also had a pet cat at his home in America, so he felt sorry for the cheese cat that was acting cute in front of him. But this was the right thing to do. If they took it, they would surely neglect it because of their busy schedule. ¡°Bye.¡± Jo Tae-woong gently stroked the cat¡¯s nape and turned away with a regretful expression. *** Awi had a busy schedule even after the new year. There were various award ceremonies, but they had something they were looking forward to the most. It was an online concert. They had prepared special stages for this day since before their activities. Awi made a fuss when they saw the crowd at the parking lot entrance. ¡°Ah, what is this?¡± ¡°Is there a spy in ourpany or something?¡± ¡°What do you think, Dong-soo hyung?¡± Park Dong-soo¡¯s face hardened. ¡°We need to check the concert hall staff as well, don¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Right?¡± ¡°Thank goodness Myung-jin hired some guards.¡± Kim Myung-jin, who had experienced Awi¡¯s unofficial schedule before, had hired a securitypany in preparation for this asion. Lee Ju-hyuk¡¯s face stiffened. ¡°But can the guards handle that many people?¡± The guards who got off the car first opened the door of Awi¡¯s van. The guard frowned when he saw the people running towards them with cameras. He didn¡¯t know where it leaked from, but there were too many people. ¡°Stay close to me.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The members got off one by one with tense expressions. In the meantime, another guard pushed a burly man with a camera as if he was throwing him. ¡°Don¡¯t take pictures!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch them! Hey! Don¡¯t rush in!¡± The guard shouted, and the members entered the concert hall one by one. They had hired too few guards, thinking that it was an unofficial schedule and there wouldn¡¯t be many people. That was the problem. ¡°Uh¡­ wait a minute. Uh?¡± The guard who was attached to Jo Tae-woong was busy pushing away the people who were pushing in. Jo Tae-woong lost his bnce as he was pushed by the people. Someone pressed against him and shoved a camera in his face. He couldn¡¯t resist the force and fell to the side. ¡°Wait, Ian, I need to talk to you.¡± ¡°Yes, hyung.¡± ¡°Tae-woong!¡± Park Dong-soo, who was next to Park Seo-dam and pushing away the people, hurriedly headed towards Jo Tae-woong. Park Seo-dam was pulled to his side by Ian and the guard. ¡°These bastards¡­!¡± Park Dong-soo was furious, but he didn¡¯t rush at them. He didn¡¯t forget his duty to support Jo Tae-woong and take him inside the concert hall. ¡°Tae-woong hyung!¡± ¡°Hey, are you okay?¡± The members gathered around Jo Tae-woong. Park Dong-soo dusted off Jo Tae-woong¡¯s body and asked anxiously. ¡°Tae-woong, are you okay? Do you have any sprains?¡± ¡°Huh? I¡¯m fine. I was just surprised.¡± Jo Tae-woong nodded with a nk expression. His face was pale as he lost his color in an instant. ¡°Hey, rotate your ankle once. Are you really okay?¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± Jo Tae-woong rotated his ankle as Kim Hyun instructed. His palm was scraped from touching the ground as he fell. Park Seo-dam grabbed his wrist. ¡°Huh? Hyung, your palm is bleeding!¡± ¡°Oh, I thought it was a bit sore.¡± Jo Tae-woong looked at his own palm and smiled faintly. He felt his heart pounding hard as if he was startled. Jo Tae-woong himself was still, but the members made more of a fuss. ¡°Ugh, crazy¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go and disinfect it quickly.¡± ¡°Wow, isn¡¯t this crazy?¡± The members who entered the waiting room quickly looked for a first aid kit. ¡°We¡¯ll do it for you, hyung. Please take care of that.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lee Ju-hyuk took the first aid kit that Kim Myung-jin brought. ¡°Check your wrist too.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± The members who stuck close to Jo Tae-woong looked at him with worried expressions. Normally, they would have shrugged off such an incident and been proud of receiving too much attention from the members. But Jo Tae-woong¡¯s expression was not normal even though he had been attacked. Kim Myung-jin said seriously to Park Dong-soo. ¡°Tae-woong seems to be very shocked¡­ We need to deal with this quickly.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah. Ah, I feel uneasy¡­¡± Park Dong-soo observed Jo Tae-woong¡¯s expression closely. Something was wrong. Chapter 152: Chapter 152: Chapter 152 I can¡¯t do this. ¡°Guys, I know you¡¯re worried, but isn¡¯t this too much?¡± ¡°Is¡­ is it?¡± Park Dongsoo looked at the excessive bandage on Jo Taewoong¡¯s wrist and unwrapped it to treat the wound again. Lee Jooheok scratched the back of his head awkwardly. ¡°Are you okay, Taewoong?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m fine, hyung.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, guys. We should have paid more attention.¡± Park Dongsoo sighed as he saw Jo Taewoong¡¯s stiff body and frozen expression. ¡°Let¡¯s not worry about this anymore and focus on the concert. It¡¯s been a long time since we had a concert.¡± ¡°Yes, hyung.¡± ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get ready and go for rehearsal.¡± The members waited until Jo Taewoong calmed down and headed to the stage for rehearsal. ¡°But how did they find out?¡± ¡°It¡¯s scary¡­¡± The members shivered. Ian stared at Jin silently. Jin¡¯s lens that was floating in the air focused on Ian¡¯s face. [Someone leaked it from the staff and yourpany.] ¡®Really? No wonder¡­ There were more people thanst time. Even ourpany leaked it.¡¯ [You guys hired a lot of new employeestely. That must be why.] ¡®Let me know who it ister.¡¯ [Well, I¡¯ll let you know. But you have to ept it. This is the reality of being a ¡®top idol¡¯. Jo Taewoong should stop being so sensitive if he wants to survive¡­] ¡®Shut up.¡¯ Jin¡¯s tone of emphasizing ¡®top idol¡¯ was beyond annoying and made him angry. The members climbed onto the stage and looked at the empty concert hall. ¡°We¡¯ll do a quick sound check first, and then camera rehearsal.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± There were huge LED screens set up like walls for various stage effects. They were on both sides and behind, and even on the floor of the stage. The staffs were busy moving around. The members lined up and waited for Lee Jooheok¡¯s signal. ¡°We greet you. Always by your side, Awi!¡± ¡°Please take care of us!¡± The members bowed and greeted as the staffs pped. The members holding the 3rd anniversary microphones sang acape songs to check the sound. ¡°We¡¯ll start camera rehearsal!¡± There was no extended stage, so there was noplicated movement. The members stood in their choreography positions ording to the list that appeared on the prompter. Jo Taewoong, who was dancing, felt the world spinning around him. ¡®I¡¯m dizzy¡­¡¯ Jo Taewoong closed his eyes tightly and opened them repeatedly, trying to regain his senses. His body trembled slightly and cold sweat formed on his hands. He rubbed his thigh with his palm to wipe off the sweat. His hand was so shaky that it tingled. ¡®I can¡¯t breathe¡­ What¡¯s wrong with me, am I sick?¡¯ The song they were dancing to was a fan song, so it had a light choreography that was mostly swaying gently. He hadn¡¯t even started dancing hard yet, but Jo Taewoong felt his body was too heavy. ¡®Why is he like that?¡¯ [Something¡¯s wrong?] This level of choreography was not difficult for them. Ian grabbed Jo Taewoong¡¯s shoulder with a serious face as he saw him staggering. ¡°Hey, Jotang.¡± Jo Taewoong flinched at his touch and shook off Ian¡¯s hand. He gasped for air. Ian hardened his expression as he saw Jo Taewoong. ¡®This is¡­ pretty serious?¡¯ Ian shouted into the microphone. ¡°Please stop for a moment!¡± Ian waved his hand and crossed his arms. The music that was echoing in the concert hall paused. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°What happened?¡± The staffs rushed onto the stage. The members looked at Jo Taewoong who was held by Ian and hardened their expressions. Ian lowered his head and looked at Jo Taewoong¡¯s face. ¡°¡­Jo Taewoong. Hey, look at me. Are you okay?¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°Are you okay, Taewoong? Hey, Taewoong. Snap out of it.¡± Park Jinhyuk shook Jo Taewoong slightly, and tears fell from his eyes. Lee Jooheok looked at Jo Taewoong¡¯s face with a serious expression. ¡°Why is he like this?¡± ¡°Hey, are you okay?¡± ¡°Hyung!¡± Jo Taewoong breathed heavily as if it was hard to breathe and lost strength in his legs. He couldn¡¯t keep his bnce. He copsed weakly. ¡°Wha-what?!¡± ¡°Hey, Jo Tae-woong!¡± The members tried to catch his copsing upper body. But they were a step toote. Jo Tae-woong fell to the floor and sobbed, gasping for air. ¡°I can¡¯t do this.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Ian crouched down next to Jo Tae-woong. Park Seo-dam brought a bottle of water from the prompter. Park Dong-soo and Kim Myung-jin also ran to his side. ¡°Hyung, do you want some water?¡± ¡°Tae-woong, what¡¯s wrong? Are you hurt? Tell me, hyung.¡± Jo Tae-woong looked up at Park Dong-soo with tears in his eyes. ¡°Hyung, I can¡¯t do this¡­¡± Kim Hyun sat down in front of Jo Tae-woong and examined his face. He was sweating profusely even though he hadn¡¯t started dancing yet. He shuddered and breathed heavily. Kim Hyun clicked his tongue. He knew about the maliciousments that had been poured on them, especially on Jo Tae-woong. He recognized this symptom very well. He couldn¡¯t not know. He had suffered a lot from it for a while. ¡°You can¡¯t breathe well, right? Your heart is racing, and you feel like throwing up?¡± Jo Tae-woong nodded silently. Kim Hyun looked at the other members and managers and said. ¡°What do we do? He seems to have a panic attack.¡± *** [Notice] ¡®AWY ONLINE CONCERT: We Are The World¡¯ Cancetion and Refund Information Hello, this is BHL Entertainment. We regret to inform you that the online concert ¡®AWY ONLINE CONCERT: We Are The World¡¯, which was scheduled for today, has been canceled due to artist circumstances. ¡°Why?!¡± ¡°What¡¯s with the sudden cancetion?¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Jang Min-hee and Kim Eun-ha looked at each other as they saw the unexpected notice. They had prepared everything for the concert, such as light sticks and delivery food. Ee Da-sol asked casually. ¡°Didn¡¯t you see the video of the fight between the fansites and the paparazzi earlier? Is it because of that?¡± ¡°Wow, did Tae-woong get hurt badly?¡± Jang Min-hee opened her SNS with a serious expression. Her timeline was filled with question marks. -Why cancel??? It¡¯s an hour before the show??? What happened? -Crazy????I feel sorry for them???? -The list of fansites to boycott is up! Let¡¯s not consume our fans! -Fansites are fansites, but I hate paparazzi -AWY members are human too! Stop invading their privacy! Soon, the video of the fansite mob that raided the venue was explosively quoted and cursed. -Fansite photographers are keeping their distance??Please control your phone camera addicts??! -Every time something happens, they me the fansite photographers???How many of them are there that they can¡¯t manage the scene properly and me others ?? -If you¡¯re so bad at it, why don¡¯t you do a fan meeting and make some money??????You cancel a concert because of that????? Of course, there were also people who came out with opposite opinions and started fighting with them, making the timeline a mess. ¡°Why can¡¯t they catch them?¡± Kim Eun-ha shouted and gulped down her beer. Jang Min-hee sighed. ¡°They should have cracked down on them hard from the beginning.¡± ¡°BHL has been known for not being able to handle these things since ck Rush days. Oh, I was looking forward to the concert¡­¡± Ee Da-sol let out a sigh. ¡°Tae-woong looked fine in the video, right? You don¡¯t cancel a concert because of that, do you? What did the manager do? Leave him alone? This is why I don¡¯t like badpanies¡¯ idols¡­¡± Kim Eun-ha said that while posting a message on her SNS ount saying ¡®What¡¯s so great about this show that you cancel an event because of it? ????You¡¯ve been acting so unprofessionaltely. How much do you want us to treat you? ???¡¯. Jang Min-hee felt that the chicken in her hand had lost its taste. She sighed deeply and muttered quietly. ¡°I¡¯m worried about them¡­¡± *** The sudden cancetion of the online concert left the agency with many issues to resolve, but Jo Tae-woong¡¯s health was the priority. They immediately stopped the rehearsal and took Jo Tae-woong to the hospital. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It was too muchtely¡­¡± ¡°¡­He¡¯ll be okay, right?¡± The remaining members who were waiting at thepany bit their nails anxiously, waiting for Jo Tae-woong and Park Dong-soo toe back. ¡®I should have taken him to counseling even if he said he didn¡¯t want to¡­¡¯ Ian also sighed heavily. It¡¯s not okay to say it¡¯s okay. He should have noticed that. That¡¯s why they live in a dorm. ¡°We should have looked after him better¡­¡± ¡°He insisted he was fine, so we thought he was fine.¡± The members felt the same way as Ian. ¡°Ah¡­ I should have watched him better.¡± Kim Joo-young, Jo Tae-woong¡¯s roommate, med himself while holding his head. There was a discussion about changing rooms after the radio incident. He remembered how Jo Tae-woong liked to share a room with him. Ian clicked his tongue. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not our fault. It¡¯s because of the haters and those crazy people earlier.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡± You don¡¯t look convinced either. Kim Joo-young swallowed his words. Suddenly, there was a loud noise in the hallway and the door of the meeting room opened. ¡°Guys, Tae-woong hasn¡¯t arrived yet, right?¡± ¡°Did hee, director?¡± Seo Su-ryeon rushed in after hearing the news and fell hard. Her ankle hurt, but that was not important right now. She looked at the members¡¯ faces. They all looked pale. ¡°Are you guys okay?¡± ¡°We are¡­¡± Lee Joo-hyuk looked around at the members. The members who met his eyes nodded slightly and said they were fine. ¡°We¡¯re fine, but¡­ our concert, our fans¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s something we¡¯ll take care of. First of all, let¡¯s all get counseling together. Got it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Seo Su-ryeon was uneasy. She knew the public opinion was badtely and set up a department to deal with haters. She was waiting to sign a contract with aw firm, but the incident happened before that. It was like fixing the barn after losing the cow. Kim Myung-jin entered the meeting room. The members stood up. ¡°Hyung, what about Tae-woong?¡± ¡°Hyeon was right.¡± ¡°Ha¡­¡± Kim Hyeon sighed. Jo Tae-woong¡¯s symptoms were among the most severe of panic disorder symptoms. ¡°Sit down for now. Director, please sit down too. Tae-woong is with Dong-su hyung.¡± The members sat down again on their chairs and waited nervously for Kim Myung-jin¡¯s mouth to open. ¡°¡­I can¡¯t tell you in detail, but he¡¯ll have to undergo various treatments, but for now, absolute rest is the most important thing.¡± As expected. Seo Su-ryeon closed her eyes tightly. ¡°Guys, there¡¯s a reason why you came to thepany instead of your dorm. I wanted to talk to you about your future activities.¡± Seo Su-ryeon rubbed her head nervously with anger at the haters and guilt for neglecting the kids¡¯ management. ¡°It¡¯s either we go on with six members without Tae-woong or we suspend team activities until Tae-woong recovers. I¡¯ll follow your opinions.¡± Seo Su-ryeon and otherpany officials had already decided to suspend team activities. But they had to discuss it with the members because their opinions were also important. As soon as she finished speaking, Lee Joo-hyuk said. ¡°We can¡¯t go on without Tae-woong.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± Ian agreed with Lee Joo-hyuk¡¯s words and added one more thing. ¡°Not only Tae-woong, but if one person is missing, we shouldn¡¯t do team activities either.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Seo Su-ryeon sighed deeply. ¡°Guys, I appreciate your loyalty, but you have to think realistically.¡± ¡°We are being realistic.¡± Park Seo-dam widened her eyes. Kim Myung-jin said. ¡°You don¡¯t know when Tae-woong will recover. Are you all okay with that? It could take more than a year. No group activities during that time. No albums either.¡± ¡°We¡¯re fine.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk answered immediately. The members¡¯ expressions were unanimous. They were determined expressions. Seo Su-ryeon nodded slightly. ¡°Well then¡­ for now¡­ you guys should rest too¡­¡± Suddenly, the door of the meeting room opened roughly. There was a middle-aged woman standing at the door, breathing heavily. The people in the meeting room stood up when they saw her face. ¡°Tae-woong¡¯s mother.¡± ¡°My Tae-woong¡­¡± The middle-aged woman looked like she was about to cry any moment. Seo Su-ryeon felt tears welling up in her eyes too as she clenched her mouth. ¡°Where is my child¡­?¡± She was Jo Tae-woong¡¯s mother, Lee Hye-eun. *** [Notice] AWY activity suspension announcement Hello, this is BHL Entertainment. We are sorry to deliver sad news to AWYDOM who love AWY. Recently, AWY member Tae-woongined of severe health problems and anxiety symptoms and was diagnosed with ¡®depression and panic disorder¡¯. He needs rest ording to the expert¡¯s opinion. Therefore, we decided to suspend the entire team activities of AWY after sufficient discussion with the artist. We ask for your generous understanding and support for AWY members to be able to stand on stage as a team again, and we promise to do our best to protect the artist. Thank you. Chapter 153: Chapter 153: Chapter 153 Team Activity Suspended (Official). [Full Text] BHL Entertainment Announces Temporary Suspension of AWY¡¯s Team Activity Due to Some Members¡¯ Health Deterioration (Official) AWY Sues Rumor Spreaders and Haters, Law Firm Ayul-BHL Entertainment ¡°No Mercy. We Will Hold Them ountable Both Civilly and Criminally.¡± BHL Entertainment-Law Firm S&W ¡°We Will Do Our Best for Our Artists and for a Healthy Inte Culture.¡± -Seo An Woo??? One of the Big Three Law Firms Seo An Woo??? -Lol the haters are screwed hahaha -Seo An Woo, but can they handle this case? It¡¯s their first time in the entertainment industry. ©¸It¡¯s Seo An Woo, you know? Hahaha They¡¯re coborating with Law Firm Ayul, which specializes in these cases hahaha One of the threergestw firms in Korea, Law Firm Seo An Woo, has taken on its first case of online hate in the entertainment industry. They will cooperate with Law Firm Ayul, which deals with rumors, hatements, and other rted issues. The reason why the giantw firm could sign a business agreement with BHL Entertainment was thanks to Ian¡¯s parents¡¯ connections. (Taewoong has panic disorder? How can that bright kid have that?) ¡°So we¡¯re going to suspend our activities for a while.¡± (Oh no, this is serious. Are you okay? No, this is not the time. I need to contact my friend right away¡­) Ian¡¯s parents, who liked the friendly and cute Jo Taewoong, contacted their acquaintances in Korea as soon as they heard the news. ¡°Are you sure about this? Your family will be exposed¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. My parents said they¡¯re fine too¡­¡± AWY Ian, Confirms He Is a Golden Spoon¡­ Parents Are Lawyers at a US Large Law Firm and Grandfather Is a Pioneer of US Food Business ¡°Hot Topic¡± ¡®It would be better to uproot thempletely, but for now, suppressing them is the priority.¡¯ There was nothing better than this as a warning. Ian didn¡¯t care much about hatements in the first ce, so he didn¡¯t mind if there were a lot of articles about him. -Lol so that¡¯s why Seo An Woo took over the entertainmentpany -Look at the posts being deleted hahaha They¡¯re disappearing by 1000 every time I refresh hahaha -Seriously, stop leaving hatements and have some humanity -Toote~ They already collected all the evidence~ They already sent an email to the agency~ [This post has been deleted.] [Thisment has been deleted.] -Lol why are they suing? The public has already turned their backs on them ©¸Scared?? Scared??? -I wee and support anywsuit by AWY. They deserve it. -Honestly, it was too muchtely. -Lawsuit? They can¡¯t manage their own artists and they¡¯re shifting the me hahaha Let¡¯s see how well it goes hahaha ©¸Byunghun,e here! -If you¡¯re a fan of AWY, you should wee thewsuit notice. They¡¯re that kind of people. -Get ready to receive thewsuit papers hahaha -How much did they get cursed at? Is this even worth suing? -Are the haters trembling now? Hahaha While variousmunities were on a roller coaster ride due to AWY¡¯swsuit news, the members were watching Jo Taewoong pack his bags. ¡°Is that all you need?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ maybe? This should be enough.¡± Jo Taewoong smiled faintly as he stuffed his luggage full of things. He would have to undergo treatment at a hospital, but he decided to take a break from his dorm life and rest at his home for a while. ¡°We¡¯re still active as a team, right?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Just do it without me¡­¡± Jo Taewoong¡¯s face was full of regret. He felt guilty for making the group unable to perform because of him. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not your fault.¡± ¡°Still¡­¡± Ian let out a sigh. ¡°Hey, we¡¯re only suspending our team activities for now. We¡¯ll still do our solo activities, okay?¡± ¡°Yeah. Taewoong, don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll be fine.¡± The agency couldn¡¯t just leave the other members alone. Except for Jo Taewoong, the members had busy individual schedules nned. ¡°Ian will have a hard time.¡± Lee Joo Hyuk put his hand on Ian¡¯s shoulder. Ian¡¯s schedule was packed. Even though the group schedule was suddenly canceled, he had just as much work to do. ¡°Isn¡¯t this the first time we¡¯re taking such a long break?¡± ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s take this chance to go on a long vacation.¡± The members also got some free time to rx. Thanks to that, they nned to spend the Lunar New Year holiday at their homes. ¡°Did Taewoong pack everything?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go. Myungjin hyung is waiting downstairs.¡± Kim Hyun nodded. Kim Hyun¡¯s home was close to Jo Taewoong¡¯s, so they were going to ride the same car. ¡°Hyung, take care.¡± ¡°Ian, what are you going to do? Do you want toe over to our ce?¡± ¡°Um, I¡¯ll see. I have to stay at the hotel for now.¡± Ian shrugged his shoulders. The COVID-19 situation in Korea had improved a lot, but it was still not a safe environment to travel abroad. ¡°I¡¯m going.¡± Jo Tae-woong, who had put on his shoes, waved his hand. ¡°Hyung! Everything will be okay!¡± ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t worry. Don¡¯t mind us.¡± The members who were at the entrance cheered for Jo Tae-woong. ¡°Hey Jo Tae-woong, it¡¯s okay if it takes a long time, just rest well. Don¡¯t think about anything.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Jo Tae-woong fist-bumped Ian, who had reached out his fist, and left the hotel without looking back. ¡°Did you pack everything?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Park Dong-soo opened the trunk of the van and loaded Kim Hyun and Jo Tae-woong¡¯s luggage while they got in the car. ¡°If you forgot anything, I¡¯ll bring it to you. Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Park Dong-soo took the wheel of the van for the first time in a long time. Before he started, he fastened his seat belt and rummaged through the passenger seat. ¡°Oh, right, take this.¡± ¡°What is this?¡± Park Dong-soo handed over tworge paper shopping bags to Jo Tae-woong¡¯s side. Jo Tae-woong, who received them in surprise, shook the shopping bags lightly up and down. They were not very heavypared to their size. ¡°Wow¡­ they¡¯re all letters.¡± ¡°They¡¯re from your fans who heard your news. Some were sent by quick service and¡­ more came in person to give them to you.¡± ¡°All of these?¡± ¡°Yeah, I thought they were stalkers at first. They said they were counting on you when they gave me the letters.¡± There was even a fan who cried. The sincerity of the fans. Park Dong-soo hoped that Jo Tae-woong would appreciate that there were more people who liked him. ¡®Someday the kids will know too.¡¯ The staff of the agency had opened and checked every fan letter overnight in case of any emergency. They wanted to deliver them to Jo Tae-woong as soon as possible. That¡¯s why there were many fan letters that were not properly sealed and half-opened. Jo Tae-woong was not unaware of the staff¡¯s sincerity. He smiled faintly and opened the fan letters one by one. They were all filled with words of concern, worry, and love for him. ¡°Wow¡­¡± There was also a fan who sent him fan art. It was a picture of him and the members smiling together. I hope your future is full of happiness¡­ I love you. You¡¯re the best Jo Tae-woong touched the small cheering message written in the corner of the picture. -I hated that beggar-like expression of yours since before? -You don¡¯t realize how bad it is even when you get cursed at? I hate seeing you -A friend of mine lives in Jo Tae-woong¡¯s neighborhood and he said his mom still manages his bank ount since he was a child actor? ©¸Isn¡¯t he an adult? ©¸How greedy can she be to use her son like that? That¡¯s why he didn¡¯t get proper education at home?? ©¸That¡¯s why her son is a ?????? -Don¡¯t they teach him basic social skills at home? He could endure the hatements about himself somehow, but he couldn¡¯t stand the malicious rumors andments about his family. ¡®Did I do something wrong?¡¯ He could count on his fingers how many times he had slept properlytely. He tried to move his listless body, but he couldn¡¯t focus on practice either. It felt like everyone was throwing stones at him. ¡®It must be my fault¡­¡¯ Everything seemed like his fault and he felt like his heart would stop if he closed his eyes. He wished tomorrow wouldn¡¯te. One crisis at the end-of-year stage, and then another one before starting an online concert because of a stalker triggered it all. ¡°¡­Hyun-hyung.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, right?¡± ¡°Of course. It¡¯ll go away if you get treated well.¡± Time heals everything. At least that¡¯s how Kim Hyun endured it before. He was hit by stones overnight by people because of malicious editing, but he endured it with his determination to debut. But Kim Hyun couldn¡¯t say that time would heal everything. It seemed like anything he said would be premature. ¡®Time heals everything is bullshit. I¡¯m dying right now. Then who¡¯s going to solve my feelings now?¡¯ Kim Hyun thought that as he looked out the window. ¡°We¡¯ll help you. Call us anytime.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious. You have to report your survival at least once a day in our chat room.¡± ¡°I said okay.¡± At least Jo Tae-woong had the members, I¡¯m here for him, right? Kim Hyun sighed deeply as he watched Jo Tae-woong¡¯s back entering the house. ¡°I¡¯m going too.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t your mome? Come and have a drink before you go.¡± ¡°Nah, there¡¯s nothing in the fridge but what you eat.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with what I eat?¡± ¡°Do I have to spell it out for you?¡± Kim Joo-young grumbled at Ian¡¯s shameless expression. Ian chuckled softly. ¡°Take care. Don¡¯t bring too much food from home.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ I can¡¯t promise that. Oh, Ian. If you have nowhere to go for the holidays,e to my ce.¡± ¡°Your ce?¡± Kim Joo-young hastily put on his shoes and opened the front door. ¡°Yeah, my mom heard that you¡¯re not going to America and told me to bring you home.¡± ¡°Really? Your mom¡¯s food is delicious¡­¡± ¡°She was all ears when I mentioned you. She asked me when my friend Ian woulde over. She seemed more interested in you than in her son.¡± Kim Joo-young shook his head helplessly. ¡°Anyway, if you don¡¯te with me, I¡¯ll feel awkward too. So make sure youe.¡± ¡°Hey, wait a minute, I was going to say that first!¡± Park Jin-hyuk, who was packing his stuff in his room, rushed out to the entrance. Kim Joo-young red at him. ¡°Oh,e on, are you bringing him to your ce too?¡± ¡°Well, we have my sister.¡± His sister who led Park Jin-hyuk, who was living by the skin of his teeth, to the path of an idol. Ian looked at Park Jin-hyuk with interest. Kim Joo-young stomped his feet nervously. ¡°I said it first!¡± ¡°No, Park Jin-hyuk hyung said it first.¡± ¡°Park Jin-hyuk hyung is so fast because he looks like that.¡± Kim Joo-young and Park Jin-hyuk had a tense standoff. ¡°I¡¯m really leaving! Anyway,e to my ce! Call me!¡± With that, Kim Joo-young left the dorm. Park Jin-hyuk put his arm around Ian¡¯s shoulder and acted friendly. ¡°Hey, Ian. You¡¯reing to my ce, right? You¡¯re not going with Park Jin-hyuk hyung or Kim Joo-young¡¯s ce, right?¡± ¡°This is why being a popr guy is exhausting¡­¡± Ian touched his forehead and sighed deeply. But he felt good that he wouldn¡¯t be alone for the holidays. ¡°Hyung, if you¡¯re bored,e to our ce. My grandma misses you a lot.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll text you if I feel like it.¡± Thest one to leave the dorm was Park Seo-dam, who carried a Boston bag on his shoulder. The front door closed and the door lock beeped. In the silence with no one around, Ian stretched out. [They¡¯re all gone.] ¡®That¡¯s right.¡¯ He stared nkly at the empty dorm and smiled bitterly. ¡°It¡¯s cold.¡± Chapter 154: Chapter 154: Chapter 154 I wonder how he¡¯s doing. Ian¡¯s solo life in the dormitory began. There was nothing to take care of, since the cleaningdy came regrly to do theundry and tidy up the ce. There was no bathroom war among the members who shared a room, and no one suggested going to the convenience store to get somete-night snacks behind the manager¡¯s back. [Ian] AWY, did you sleep well? Good morning. ©¸Good morning, oppa! ©¸You¡¯re up early! Did you eat breakfast, oppa? Don¡¯t forget to eat well! Since he had no one to talk to except for the asional phone calls, he wrote posts on the fan cafe every day. Thanks to that, he got a new nickname. They called him ¡®Choi-tto¡¯ because he came again as Choi Ian. Of course, it also meant Choi Crazy in a double sense. ¡®Did I always get this lonely?¡¯ Ian sat on the dining chair and answered the people who asked about Jo Tae-woong¡¯s well-being. Then he rested his chin on his hand and looked at the living room. The empty living room, it was hard to adjust to the quiet atmosphere after being in a noisy and chaotic one. *** AWY Ian-Joo Young ¡®Amazing Holiday¡¯ appearance, special entertainment sense ¡®explosion¡¯ [Exclusive] AWY Ian, participates in ¡®Our Youth¡¯ OST, reveals luxurious OST lineup AWY Ian, chosen as the model for Npany¡¯s game ¡®Kingdom: Origin¡¯ -If AWY is on hiatus, why is Choi Ian active? ©¸Idiot, it¡¯s ¡®team¡¯ activity that¡¯s on hiatus ©¸He¡¯s working hard despite the hatements and you¡¯re here to write hatements about other members?? have some sense ©¸Hey, he has to do solo activities. Do you think the other members are just sucking their fingers? -I¡¯m d he has a lot of solo activities? I wonder what our kid is doing ©¸Tae-woong-ahhh??????? ©¸?????????????????? ©¸Let¡¯s go write some support posts on the fan cafe ©¸I sent a fan letter too¡­????? ©¸We¡¯re going to do a mass support at 8 pm tonight?? The announcement is up on the support team After finishing various photo shoots and OST work for other dramas, Ian headed to the advertisement shooting site without a break. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Oh, hello!¡± The advertisement staff who met Ian blushed. The people who were busy preparing for the shooting nced at Ian. It was indeed a bigpany¡¯s game advertisement, there were many staff members and the set was splendid. [Wow, gamepanies are the best. They pay a lot and they also give us bonuses.] They even prepared various finger foods for the advertisement model. The game that Ian was going to advertise, ¡®Kingdom: Origin¡¯, was arge-scale project that the gamepany was pushing hard. It was a fighting game where various characters with different worldviews gathered and fought each other. Ian yed the role of a new character, Lee Hwan, a famous general from a virtual Joseon era. It was their first grand update and the gamepany also paid a lot of attention to it. This advertisement was going to be used for a massive marketing campaign. ¡°Director Lee, hello.¡± The director who was looking at the script got up and reached out his hand to Ian. Ian shook his hand and smiled brightly. ¡°Long time no see, how have you been?¡± ¡°Yes, director. I checked out the changed script yesterday.¡± ¡°How was it?¡± Ian had met the director before. It was an advertisement with dialogue in a drama format, so Ian had requested a meeting beforehand. ¡°It was really good. I hope it turns out well.¡± The director looked relieved at Ian¡¯s expectant expression. ¡°I¡¯m d. I¡¯m so nervous. You¡¯re such a big star.¡± ¡°Come on, director. You¡¯re ttering me too much.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the first one who asked me for a script beforehand for a two-minute advertisement.¡± ¡°But it was better that we discussed it beforehand, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ true.¡± The director chuckled. They had discussed the advertisement script, dialogue, and acting direction beforehand, so they feltfortable with each other on their second meeting. ¡°Did you practice swordsmanship a little?¡± ¡°Yes, a little¡­ But I¡¯m not confident.¡± Ian had yed a minor role as a martial arts extra in a fusion historical drama when he was Kim Yong-min. Of course, that drama had flopped so badly that the ratings were barely measured, but his experience back then was helpful now. ¡°Good. Jae-min! Where¡¯s our prop? Give me the sword!¡± ¡°Here!¡± Jae-min, the prop staff, ran over and handed Ian a sword. Ian grabbed the sword and pulled it out smoothly. ¡°Oh, you did more than a little? Aren¡¯t you a bit stiff? Is this what you call not confident?¡± ¡°I worked out, you know.¡± ¡°Right, you yed football, right? That¡¯s amazing.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like I was a main character anyway. I was just a supporting role.¡± Ian smiled awkwardly. His experience as a supporting actor in Kim Yong-min¡¯s movie was a vague memory from a long time ago. His natural athletic ability would help, but this was not about showing real swordsmanship, but rather how to look cool on camera. That¡¯s why Ian practiced with the long pipe of the wireless vacuum cleaner in his dorm. ¡®I¡¯m d there were no members around then¡­¡¯ He didn¡¯t have a mirror to check his appearance since he was in his dorm, not the practice room. If any of the members had seen him, they would have surely made fun of him. They might have even recorded a video and shared it among themselves. ¡®¡­Can I do this?¡¯ It was a model, but it was lighter than he expected, and as soon as he held the sword, he remembered that time vividly. Ian swung the sword lightly. The staff who were watching him eximed in admiration. ¡°Wow.¡± ¡°He¡¯s really good, isn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Not bad.¡± It was more than not bad¡­ It was really good. The director¡¯s eyes sparkled. He had secretly thought that he would just shoot this casually and get paid a lot for this two-minutemercial. But when he saw Ian¡¯s attitude, who requested a meeting beforehand, added new scenes that weren¡¯t there, and treated this two-minute video like a well-made filmography, he felt something new. ¡®I want to shoot right now.¡¯ Ian had the power to ignite the passion that he had forgotten. The director checked the instructions with the staff while showing them the storyboard with an eager face. ¡®This is fun. Wouldn¡¯t it be nice to do this kind of role in a drama or movieter?¡¯ Ian enjoyed it in his own way. His experience from Kim Yong-min¡¯s movie and his idol skills of how to look pretty on camera and what expressions to make in this choreography sectionbined to make him expect a better oue than he thought. ¡°Please change your clothes.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Ian snapped out of it as he was swinging the sword like a child who had found a toy. He smiled sheepishly and followed the staff to the dressing room. ¡°Please wear this and put this on¡­ If you¡¯re confused, just bring it out. I¡¯ll help you.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll try it first.¡± Ian nodded. The costume was from the game, so it didn¡¯t follow the historical evidence, but it had shy decorations. Ian groaned as he changed his clothes in the dressing room. ¡°Um¡­ How do I do this?¡± He could wear everything else without any problem, but he couldn¡¯t fasten the iron armor that wrapped around his arm by himself. The costume staff came over and helped him with the prop. She nced at Ian and opened her mouth with a hesitant expression. ¡°Um¡­ Can I ask you something¡­?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s start shooting!¡± The loud voice of the assistant director rang out. Ian was about to go to the set, but he suddenly turned around. ¡°Do you have something to say?¡± ¡°No! Go ahead with the shooting first!¡± She looked disappointed, but she forced a smile. ¡®What is it? A photo request?¡¯ He usually thought that way because he got so many requests for autographs and photos, but her expression seemed too desperate, as if there was some other reason. ¡°Let¡¯s start with the medium shot.¡± He shot a scene where he stood still in front of the camera like a game character selection screen. It was a scene that was born from Ian¡¯s suggestion. The gamepany staff who heard his opinion pped their knees and liked it. Ian looked around at various game character selection screens while resting for this scene. He rolled his eyes only following the camera and made awkward expressions unique to game characters. ¡°Good!¡± The director gave an OK sign at once. Then he shot a two-minute video that would air on public broadcasting and MyTube. It was a scene where he dodged the crowd that ran towards him quickly and knocked down many enemies with his sword. ¡°Wow, this is like a movie.¡± ¡°Wow, he does parkour too. Look at him climbing the wall, did you know that, director?¡± ¡°No? That looks like an ad-lib.¡± The director gasped as if he had taken a shot of alcohol. His agile movements and exaggerated swings showed that he had studied how to look good on camera. After shooting several times from different angles, an OK sign came down. ¡°He has such a killer English ent since he¡¯s native.¡± ¡°Shall we wrap it up like this?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ian changed his clothes and came out after recording his voice on site. ¡°Thank you for your hard work!¡± Ian bowed his waist to greet the staff, and they pped and saw him off. ¡°I¡¯ll go ahead first. Thank you for your hard work, director.¡± The director who was standing near the exit to see Ian off smiled warmly at him. ¡°Ian, you would do well in actionter.¡± ¡°Really? I¡¯ll definitely appear in your work if you do er, director.¡± ¡°Oh, are you serious? I¡¯m recording this, you know?¡± ¡°¡­If my schedule allows it then.¡± The director chuckled at Ian¡¯s change of attitude and lightly tapped his shoulder. ¡°You did really well today. See youter.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ian nodded to the director and left the set. As he was heading to the elevator at the end of the hallway, he heard someone calling him. ¡°Excuse me¡­ Wait a minute!¡± ¡°Yes. Did I forget something?¡± ¡°No! I, I¡­ I¡¯m not a weird person, but¡­ I¡¯m a fan of Taewoong, I mean, Mr. Taewoong¡­¡± The one who called Ian was the costume staff from before. She blushed up to her neck as she met his eyes and stammered. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I was too busy to write a fan letter¡­ I didn¡¯t write anything on the fan cafe or the inte because I thought it would be better not to look at them¡­¡± ¡°¡­If you have something to say to Taewoong, I¡¯ll pass it on for you. Do you have any paper? Do you want to write a fan letter?¡± ¡°No! You¡¯re busy, so I can¡¯t make you wait¡­ ¡° She hesitated for a while, then closed her eyes and shouted. ¡°Please tell him to take care of himself ande back slowly, it¡¯s okay if he¡¯ste¡­ I¡¯m cheering for him and I love him so much, can you please tell him that?!¡± Her grammar was a mess and she even had a big ent at the end of her sentence. It was a ridiculous situation, but Ian didn¡¯t find it funny at all. He couldn¡¯tugh. He nodded seriously. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll be sure to tell him.¡± *** Iany in the middle of the empty living room of his dorm and stared nkly at the ceiling. ¡®I wonder how Taewoong is doing.¡¯ He¡¯s not stuck in his room and not eating properly, is he? Ian reached for his phone on the floor. He sometimes asked about him through the group chat, but he refrained from calling him in case he said something wrong. ¡®Hey, do you know what I heard from the staff at the ad shoot today? They¡¯re cheering for you. They said it¡¯s okay if you¡¯rete, juste back slowly. Isn¡¯t this like saying our group should fail?¡¯ But today, he felt like he had to talk to Taewoong. ¡®There are so many people who support you like this. You bastard.¡¯ *** At that moment, Taewoong was¡­ ¡°Grandma! I just ate, why are you giving me so many snacks!¡± ¡°Eat everything your granny prepared for you! How can you dance on TV with that skinny body!¡± ¡°What do you mean skinny! I have to be thin to look good on camera!¡± Contrary to Ian¡¯s worries, he was doing very well. Chapter 156: Chapter 156: Chapter 156 Will I be able to perform again? Ian stopped by the agency to check the script and heard that the members were there. He headed straight to the basement studio. ¡°Hey, long time no see.¡± ¡°You¡¯re here?¡± He gave high-fives to Lee Joo-hyuk and Park Jin-hyuk as a greeting and sat down in an empty seat. He looked around. There used to be various machines rted toposing, but one spot looked conspicuously empty. ¡°Wasn¡¯t there something here? It looks empty.¡± ¡°Joo-young borrowed myunchpad.¡± ¡°More like he snatched it away.¡± Park Jin-hyuk added to Lee Joo-hyuk¡¯s answer. Ian raised his eyebrows. ¡°What a punk.¡± ¡°But he¡¯ll probably make another awesome mix song in return.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk was looking at a screen with aposing program on it, but Ian couldn¡¯t recognize it because it was tooplicated. ¡°What song are you writing?¡± ¡°The next song for the kids.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ they have someposers among them, right?¡± ¡°Yeah. They also wrote lyrics.¡± During the hopeless hiatus of Awi, the agency confirmed the debut of a nine-member group. Ian skimmed through the paper that Lee Joo-hyuk handed him. It was the lyrics written by the trainees. ¡°Wow, they write well.¡± ¡°They also have good melodies. We might not have to work on their next album.¡± ¡°Then, you guys should focus on our song.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Park Jin-hyuk nodded his head slowly. Then he suddenly turned his head and stared at Ian¡¯s face intently. Ian pulled his head back. ¡°What?¡± ¡°So, whose house do you want to go first for Lunar New Year?¡± ¡°Did you call me to ask that?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± This time, Lee Joo-hyuk, who had been fixated on the screen, also turned his head. ¡°Why are you suddenly obsessed with that?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be lonely if you stay alone in the dorm.¡± ¡°But we all stayed in the dormst Chuseok.¡± ¡°Lunar New Year is different, you should go home. It wouldn¡¯t hurt for you to experience Korean holidays too.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk¡¯s expression looked unusually awkward as he answered. Park Jin-hyuk had shamelessly said that his sister wanted to see Ian. ¡®These guys¡­ they¡¯re not worried about me staying alone in the dorm¡­¡¯ [Are they trying to take the hot topic ¡®Nauri¡¯ home?] Ian chuckled. Hisughter made Lee Joo-hyuk flustered. ¡°Actually, my mom told me to bring you over.¡± ¡°I knew it.¡± Was it his mother-inw from the debt scandal or his mother-inw who thought highly of him? He understood why he was so nervous. ¡°But I really want to treat you well, okay?¡± ¡°I know, I know.¡± Ian wasn¡¯t too disappointed. He couldn¡¯t give them the answer they wanted anyway. ¡°But I¡¯m not going to your houses, okay?¡± Sorry to disappoint you. Lee Joo-hyuk and Park Jin-hyuk leaned forward from their seats. ¡°What? Then are you staying in the dorm?¡± ¡°No?¡± ¡°Then where are you going? Seo-dam¡¯s ce? Joo-young¡¯s ce?¡± Lee Joo-hyuk and Park Jin-hyuk waited for Ian¡¯s mouth to open. ¡°Tae-woong¡¯s grandmother¡¯s ce.¡± ¡°What?¡± They made a dumbfounded expression at the unexpected answer. ¡°Do you guys want toe too? The house is spacious there.¡± Ian smiled slyly. *** ¡°Our grandson is here?¡± ¡°Grandma!¡± Jo Tae-woong ran over and hugged his grandmother. Shin Soon-ja, his grandmother, smiled softly at his careful hug despite running over with enthusiasm. ¡°Did you have a hard timeing here?¡± ¡°No, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°The road wasn¡¯t blocked at all, mom.¡± ¡°Is that so? Come and eat dinner.¡± Jo Tae-woong and his parents opened their mouths wide at thevish table setting. ¡°Wow, Mom, this is too much!¡± ¡°I told you, you don¡¯t have to make so much, Mom.¡± ¡°It was no trouble. Come on.¡± ¡°Thank you for the food!¡± They chatted about each other¡¯s lives as they ate. Jo Tae-woong desperately tried to stop his grandmother from bringing him another bowl of rice. ¡°Grandma, I can¡¯t eat all this.¡± ¡°Eat more. You need to gain some weight.¡± Jo Tae-woong shook his head. He had been working out a lot with Ian, so he had some muscles, but he still looked skinny in his grandmother¡¯s eyes. ¡°So, how¡¯s work?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, Mom.¡± Jo Tae-woong leaned against the wall after barely finishing his rice. His parents fixed their eyes on his every move. ¡°Mom, Dad, you can go back to Seoul first if you¡¯re busy.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be fine with Grandma.¡± He knew how much his parents worried about him. He was grateful, but he also felt suffocated by their attention. He felt guilty for being a burden to them. It¡¯ll be okay. I can get better. They tried to say positive things to him, but sometimes he felt like they were pressuring him to ¡®just get better¡¯. ¡°It¡¯s okay, we¡¯ll take care of things here¡­ Don¡¯t worry about us.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Lee Hye-eun hesitated. Jo Tae-woong looked at his parents with a confident expression. They flinched at his gaze. They had only seen him with a dark expression until now, but finally they saw a bright one. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay?¡± Jo Tae-woong nodded. In the end, they promised to visit often and left for Seoul. Jo Tae-woong stared nkly at the car that disappeared over the hill. He snapped out of it when he heard his grandmother¡¯s voice. ¡°So, who are these friends on TV? Introduce them to me.¡± ¡°Our members?¡± Jo Tae-woong sat on the living room sofa with his grandmother and peeled some tangerines. He flipped through the photos of his members stored on his phone. ¡°First of all, our leader hyung, the oldest hyung. His name is Lee Joo-hyuk.¡± ¡°He looks kind.¡± ¡°Right? We call him Buddha among us.¡± ¡°No wonder, he looks the nicest.¡± Shin Soon-ja chuckled. She pointed at Park Jin-hyuk who was standing next to Lee Joo-hyuk. ¡°Who¡¯s this bear-like guy?¡± ¡°This is Park Jin-hyuk. He¡¯s nice too, but he has no sense.¡± ¡°Bears are dull.¡± Shin Soon-jaughed out loud. She urged him to introduce the next friend and Jo Tae-woong swiped the screen and zoomed in. ¡°This is Kim Hyun. He dances really well.¡± ¡°He looks sharp.¡± ¡°Well, he¡¯s a bit fussy, but he¡¯s nice. He calls me the most.¡± Maybe it was because they were in the same boat, but Kim Hyun called Jo Tae-woong every day. And always at a fixed time. They didn¡¯t have much to talk about. What did you eat? Was it good? I tried this dance today but it didn¡¯t work out well. That was all. Jo Tae-woong used to be reluctant to answer Kim Hyun¡¯s calls because he thought he was nagging him as usual. But now it felt like listening to a rxing radio or ASMR. ¡°These are my friends who are the same age as me, Kim Joo-young and Choi Ian.¡± ¡°They¡¯re very handsome. Isn¡¯t he on TV? Did he star in a drama?¡± ¡°Oh, he just started a drama recently. But Grandma, we¡¯re all on TV.¡± Jo Tae-woong stared at his grandmother intently. She coughed and quickly changed the subject. ¡°Who¡¯s this? He looks like a girl.¡± ¡°This is our maknae, Park Seo-dam.¡± If Park Seo-dam heard that, he would have been furious. Jo Tae-woong smiled softly. Shin Soon-ja saw his smile and smiled warmly. ¡°You have a lot of friends, my grandson. I¡¯m jealous.¡± ¡°Grandma has a lot of friends at the senior center too.¡± ¡°They¡¯re all dead.¡± ¡°What?¡± Shin Soon-ja giggled. He thought she was serious, but it was a joke. Heughed out loud too. It was his first heartyugh in weeks. After that day, Jo Tae-woong¡¯s rural life began. There was nothing for him to do there actually. It was winter, so there was no farming to help with either. He just sat on the warm boiler floor and ate snacks. ¡®Ah, I¡¯m bored.¡¯ Jo Tae-woong tried not to look at the inte as the doctor suggested, but he couldn¡¯t live without his smartphone. Especially in a remote countryside. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s stuttering again.¡± He used to y games on his phone, but there was no Wi-Fi in the countryside and the data was sometimes cut off. He turned off his phone andy down on the floor to take a nap. Jo Tae-woong had dinner with his grandmother and swallowed the medicine before he forgot. ¡°What is that medicine?¡± ¡°This? Oh¡­ it¡¯s just medicine.¡± Jo Tae-woong hid the medicine bag behind his back. Shin Soon-ja clicked her tongue. ¡°Eating medicine won¡¯t heal a broken heart.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all up to your mindset. You have to be strong.¡± ¡°¡­If that were easy, I would have been on TV, not here.¡± Shin Soon-ja felt sorry for his dark expression and brought him a sweet potato from the kitchen. ¡°Do you want a sweet potato, my grandson?¡± ¡°¡­Sure.¡± *** ¡°Grandma, the toilet is clogged! Oh, that¡¯s why the water pressure was low.¡± ¡°Is that so? Then unclog it.¡± ¡°Me? Me?¡± ¡°Who else? Do you expect an olddy to do it?¡± ¡°Well¡­ no.¡± Of course, Shin Soon-ja did not let Jo Tae-woong just lie around. She gave him all kinds of household chores, such as washing dishes and mopping the floor, saying that he should restfortably since he came. Jo Tae-woong also followed her orders obediently since he was living off her. ¡°I can¡¯t unclog this¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that you can¡¯t, it¡¯s that you haven¡¯t! What are you doing with that inte thingy?¡± Shin Soon-ja was trying to keep him busy so that he wouldn¡¯t have any idle thoughts. ¡®Can I do this?¡¯ Jo Tae-woong pouted his lips in dissatisfaction but sat down in front of the toilet faithfully. He searched the inte for how to unclog a toilet. First, pour water. He filled a basin with water and poured it into the toilet. ¡°¡­It¡¯s not going down?¡± He looked for another method. He tried using a straightened hanger to poke inside the toilet and a stic bottle method, but none of them worked. ¡°Now that I think about it, I saw something like this before?¡± Jo Tae-woong entered YouTube and searched. The method he remembered was from a variety show. He searched the house for a stic bag, tape, and scissors and sat down in front of the toilet. ¡°So¡­¡± He followed the video instructions and sealed the toilet with a stic bag and tape, and pressed the middle hard. ¡°Please¡­¡± Jo Tae-woong flushed the toilet with trembling hands. He heard the sound of water draining. He removed the sealed bag and saw that the toilet was cleared. It was written on the inte that it was the most difficult method, but he seeded at once. ¡°Wow!¡± I did it! Jo Tae-woong raised both hands above his head with a sense of aplishment. Shin Soon-ja, who was watching him from the bathroom door, chuckled. ¡°Grandma, I unclogged it! High five!¡± Shin Soon-ja awkwardly pped his hand and led him to the living room. ¡°How was it? Easy, right?¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Jo Tae-woong shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Come on, you can do it too. You have to try things like this to learn.¡± There were many tools that Jo Tae-woong had left near the toilet, but Shin Soon-ja didn¡¯t mind. She smiled warmly and looked at his face. She liked seeing him proud like this, rather than gloomy. ¡°Our grandson fixed the toilet for us, so we should make some ribs today.¡± ¡°Wow!¡± Jo Tae-woong headed to the kitchen with excitement. ¡®I can do it too.¡¯ That night, he was able to fall asleep without tossing and turning. He had a lot of free time. In the morning, he heard the birds chirping. In the afternoon, the street cats came by and rubbed their bodies against his legs, asking for food. In the evening, he sat on the warm floor with his grandmother and watched TV programs without anything to do. ¡°That¡¯s our youngest.¡± ¡°The one who looks like a girl?¡± ¡°Nah, he doesn¡¯t look like a girl in real life. He¡¯s cute though.¡± He had also seen Park Seo-dam as an MC on a music program. He couldn¡¯t sleep that night and stayed upte. ¡®Seo-dam is working like that, but is it right that I¡¯m not doing anything?¡¯ He ate the snacks that his grandmother prepared for him without thinking and suddenly felt depressed when he thought, ¡®I¡¯ll have a hard time dieting when Ie backter.¡¯ ¡®But can I stay like this forever?¡¯ Jo Tae-woong tossed and turned in his bed with anxiety. His heart beat faster again. ¡®Will I be able to work again?¡¯ Chapter 157: Chapter 157: Chapter 157 You¡¯ve been doing well? ¡°Grandson, why don¡¯t youe to Seoul for the holiday?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to. I don¡¯t do ancestral rites at my parents¡¯ house anyway.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Whenever my rtives see me, they ask me how much money I make and tell me to give them some if I earn a lot. They say things like that.¡± They were not asking for a loan, but demanding a handout. It got worse after Awi¡¯s overseas poprity increased and he was featured in the news as a ¡®post-media¡¯ star. Idols make a lot of money when they seed, right? What¡¯s the point of having a good family if you can¡¯t even give them this much? They even had the audacity to ask him to pay for his cousin¡¯s study abroad fees. ¡°Those rotten bastards.¡± Shin Soon-ja¡¯s expression turned sour. But her hands were calm as she peeled a tangerine. She put a piece of tangerine in her grandson¡¯s mouth and said, ¡°Doesn¡¯t your father stop them?¡± ¡°Dad tries to stop them, but it¡¯s no use. They find out my number and keep calling me. They think I¡¯m a money vending machine or something.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t give them anything, did you?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± How else would his father, Jo Ho-chul, dere that they should not go anywhere for the holidays? Contrary to the rumors on the inte, Jo Tae-woong¡¯s parents gave him his bank ount as soon as he became an adult. ¡®Don¡¯t ever lend money to anyone who asks. Your mother has already paid for all your insurance, so you don¡¯t need to pay for anything else.¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t be a guarantor either. Don¡¯t buy anything for anyone who asks.¡¯ Those were the words that Jo Tae-woong¡¯s parents had earnestly told him when they handed over his bank ount. Jo Tae-woong suddenly remembered when he received his first settlement. ¡®Be careful with your money, guys. Especially if someone asks you to lend them something, or join something. Huh? Buy some stocks, buy some cryptocurrencies, ignore all of that. Got it? The more famous we get, the more scammers will try to get us.¡¯ When they were dancing with joy with their arms around each other¡¯s shoulders, Ian suddenly said that with a serious face. ¡®Ian said something simr too.¡¯ At the time, the members had said, ¡®You ruined our mood! Take responsibility!¡¯ but they didn¡¯t ignore him. Later, when Awi¡¯s global poprity was reported in the news, he received countless calls from greedy people. Then he had called Ian a ghost. A shaman. He seemed to know better than the other members who had lived in America. Jo Tae-woong chuckled. ¡°Grandma, do you have anything for the holiday? It¡¯s market day today.¡± ¡°Shall we go to the marketter?¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll help you with the cooking, grandma.¡± Jo Tae-woong rolled up his sleeves already. Shin Soon-ja gave him various tasks and praised and encouraged him regardless of how well he did. That method seemed to work, as his enthusiasm increased day by day. It was a good sign. ¡°My grandson knows how to help with cooking?¡± ¡°Just tell me what to do? I learned from Joo-young.¡± ¡°That friend who is good at housework? Really?¡± Actually, he learned how to avoid idents in the kitchen, but he still improved enough to use low heat instead of high heat. ¡°You say friend, but when are your friendsing?¡± ¡°Friends? Who? Our members?¡± Why would the memberse here? Jo Tae-woong looked at Shin Soon-ja with a puzzled look. Shin Soon-jaughed awkwardly. ¡°Oh dear, I made a mistake.¡± ¡°Why would the memberse?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to know.¡± ¡°What is it? Oh, grandma, are you hiding something?¡± Jo Tae-woong rubbed Shin Soon-ja¡¯s shoulder and pressed her for an answer. Suddenly, he heard a car sound from afar and it got closer and closer. A celebrity van that was never seen in this vige stopped in front of the gate. ¡°Is this where Tae-woong¡¯s grandmother lives?¡± ¡°It¡¯s pretty big. We can all sleep here.¡± Kim Joo-young and Ian got out first and looked around. They felt their minds calm down in the open rural environment without any tall buildings. ¡°What a waste.¡± ¡°Why are you wasting it, Jin-hyuk?¡± Lee Joo-hyuk smirked at Park Jin-hyuk. Kim Hyun sneered and lifted one corner of his mouth. ¡°Him? He brought a tent because he wanted to bet on sleeping outside if there was no ce to sleep.¡± ¡°Wow, awesome.¡± ¡°Hyung! Are you crazy? It¡¯s winter!¡± Park Seo-dam frowned at Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s disappointed expression. Park Dong-soo, who had driven the car, opened the trunk and took out the luggage one by one. ¡°An outdoor tent, huh? Guys, take care of your health. The moment you get sick, my life span decreases.¡± ¡°Yeah. Dong-soo hyung, be careful with your health. You have an important thing ahead of you.¡± Park Dong-soo flinched at Ian¡¯s reply. Should I stop teasing him? Ian turned his head away and whistled. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Are you here?¡± Shin Soon-ja opened the front door and greeted the members. Jo Tae-woong put on his shoes and went out, staring nkly at the members. ¡°Hello, grandmother!¡± ¡°Oh my, you have such nice voices.¡± The members shouted cheerfully and bowed their upper bodies. Jo Tae-woong came out dragging his crumpled sneakers and stood in front of Ian. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I came to have fun.¡± ¡°Without telling me?¡± ¡°Why? It¡¯s fun, isn¡¯t it?¡± Ian answered with a nonchnt face. Jo Tae-woong let out a frustrated sigh. He wasn¡¯t unhappy that the members came, but Ian¡¯s calm face looked especially shameless. Shin Soon-ja approached Ian. Ian bent his upper body so that the short Shin Soon-ja didn¡¯t have to look up. ¡°Are you the friend who called?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Choi Ian. Nice to meet you.¡± Jo Tae-woong widened his eyes and looked at Ian. He even called his grandmother, but he didn¡¯t say a word to him? Ian ignored his heated gaze and held Shin Soon-ja¡¯s hand with both hands. ¡°You¡¯re very handsome~¡± ¡°It¡¯s cold outside, why don¡¯t we go inside?¡± Ian looked back. ¡°Dong-soo hyung! You go ahead.¡± ¡°You have a lot of stuff. I¡¯ll help you.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been driving for a long time, hyung. Just go inside. Tae-woong will help me.¡± They sent Park Dong-soo and Shin Soon-ja inside first, and the members grabbed the stuff they brought with both hands. ¡°Why do you have so much?¡± ¡°I thought we would need nkets if we all sleep here. I also bought some meat and seafood.¡± ¡°Oh, meat, but are you going to sleep here?¡± ¡°Of course, it took us more than six hours to get here, do you think we can go back without sleeping? Grandma said we can stay for a few days.¡± ¡°It took you more than six hours? Crazy, Dong-soo hyung must be exhausted.¡± Jo Tae-woong elbowed Ian¡¯s side. ¡°But how did you get my grandma¡¯s number?¡± ¡°I asked your mom.¡± ¡°My mom?¡± Ian nodded his head. Mom knew too! I was the only one who didn¡¯t know! Jo Tae-woong felt wronged. It felt strangely sneaky and yet pleasant that they kept it a secret from him. Kim Joo-young, who was standing on Jo Tae-woong¡¯s left, gestured toward the van. ¡°Why? Don¡¯t you like it? You like surprises, don¡¯t you? No? Then let¡¯s go back.¡± ¡°Who¡­¡± Jo Tae-woong rxed his stiff expression and smiled brightly. It was a good time toe, since he was bored with poor data reception and rare counseling sessions. ¡°Did I say I don¡¯t like it? Come on in.¡± Jo Tae-woong took the lead and opened the front door. His bright expression made Ian and Kim Joo-young look at each other and shrug their shoulders. ¡°Oh, Hyun-jik hyung won¡¯t need his tent for sure.¡± ¡°Tsk.¡± ¡°Wow, look at that green molding, not even cherry.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it cool? This is retro, thetest trend these days.¡± They noticed things that looked like Jo Tae-woong¡¯s belongings here and there. On the living room floor, there were snacks like tangerines and sweet potatoes filled in a basket. He had been worried that he was having a hard time in the countryside with few counseling sessions, but he seemed to be doing better than expected. ¡°That¡¯s right, manager? What is a manager?¡± ¡°Well, you can think of me as someone who manages and assists them.¡± ¡°All of them? That must be hard~¡± ¡°Oh no, it¡¯s not. It¡¯s my job. But I¡¯m not sure if our kids are bothering you too much.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. The more grandchildren, the better. Our manager, Dong-soo too, sleep here.¡± Park Dong-soo hesitated and nodded his head repeatedly. Shin Soon-ja was full of energy and could walk without a cane or bending her waist, but he still felt awkward to bother an olddy. ¡°Grandma, if you have any work to do while we¡¯re here, please let us know.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk sat between them. ¡°It¡¯s okay, my grandson did everything for me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, I did everything.¡± Jo Tae-woong puffed up his chest proudly. Park Seo-dam looked at him with doubtful eyes and sat next to Shin Soon-ja and spoke sweetly. ¡°What did Tae-woong hyung do?¡± ¡°He helped me a lot with the housework. My grandson is very good at work.¡± Shin Soon-ja smiled warmly and looked at Jo Tae-woong. The members¡¯ eyes also turned to Jo Tae-woong. Jo Tae-woong answered as if he had been waiting for it. ¡°I roasted sesame seeds, cleaned the farming tools like hoes, and unclogged the sink and the toilet.¡± ¡°What? You did?¡± ¡°Wow.¡± ¡°That¡¯s awesome¡­ I mean, that¡¯s amazing.¡± Kim Hyun toned down his words, conscious of his grandmother. The members looked at him with surprise, and Jo Tae-woong lifted his head. ¡°Did he do well?¡± ¡°Yes, he did well.¡± The members eximed in awe. They were not being considerate of Jo Tae-woong¡¯s illness, but genuinely impressed. He was the type who did well when asked. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s amazing.¡± ¡°From now on, Jo Tae-woong is responsible for our dorm toilet if it gets clogged.¡± ¡°But our dorm is new and the water drains well.¡± ¡°Anyway.¡± Jo Tae-woong ignored Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s teasing and gave a hollowugh. ¡°So, you¡¯ve been doing well?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been doing well. What did you do while we had no work?¡± ¡°I helped with the next group¡¯s songs, did some photo shoots¡­¡± Shin Soon-ja quietly watched their conversation. She had heard from her grandson that they were all fine, but she wondered if they were just being nice to her grandson and actually had a bad attitude. She was worried that someone might secretly bully him because he hade here with a mental illness. She didn¡¯t know how vicious the inte trolls were, so she naturally suspected his friends or agency staff. ¡®What a needless worry¡­¡¯ When she met the members face to face, they all looked bright and friendly, and she felt relieved. It must have been hard for them toe to this remote ce instead of going home for the Lunar New Year holiday. Shin Soon-ja put her hands on her knees and stood up briskly. ¡°You restfortably, I have to make food for my grandsons.¡± ¡°Who wants to go to the market with me?¡± Jo Tae-woong followed his grandmother and stood up quickly, and Ian and Park Seo-dam also got up. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± ¡°Wow, I haven¡¯t been to a market in a long time. I want to go too.¡± Jo Tae-woong took out a basket from the kitchen cab and handed it to Ian. ¡°You¡¯re the luggage shuttle.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Ian obediently took it. Jo Tae-woong carefully wrapped his grandmother¡¯s scarf around her neck and opened the front door. Park Seo-dam hooked his arm around Shin Soon-ja¡¯s. Shin Soon-ja forgot what she had said about him being a troublemaker and smiled broadly. ¡°Oh, I get to link arms with my grandson.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go, grandma.¡± Park Seo-dam grinned brightly. He had lived with his grandmother, so he knew what grandmothers liked. ¡°We¡¯ll be back soon, so just rx!¡± ¡°Okay, bring back a lot of delicious things.¡± The front door closed. The remaining members Lee Ju-hyuk, Park Jin-hyuk, Kim Hyun and Kim Ju-young looked at each other and smirked wickedly. ¡°They¡¯re gone.¡± ¡°They¡¯re gone.¡± They slowly got up and rummaged through their luggage bags. ¡°Guys, I have something to do too.¡± ¡°No, Dong-soo hyung, you just rest.¡± Lee Ju-hyuk grabbed Park Dong-soo¡¯s shoulder as he tried to get up with them. Kim Ju-young took out a new pair of rubber gloves from his bag. There was a strange force in his appearance. The other members followed him and put on rubber gloves. Kim Ju-young lowered his voice on purpose. ¡°The house cleaning begins.¡± The members with rubber gloves nodded solemnly. Chapter 158: Chapter 158: Chapter 158 You can¡¯t please everyone. ¡°Grandma, are you cold?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Park Seodam stuck close to Shin Soonja and took care of her. Ian and Jo Taewoong followed behind them. ¡°The air is nice. It¡¯s good for healing.¡± ¡°Right?¡± Ian looked around as if searching for something. ¡°What are you looking for?¡± ¡°No, is the market nearby?¡± ¡°Yeah, right ahead.¡± Jo Taewoong pointed ahead with his hand. Not far away, a market was open. Because of the holiday, many vigers were shopping for food. ¡°But, didn¡¯t you go to visit your rtives? The group chat was on fire, I thought Juyeong and Jinyeok hyung were having a recruitment war.¡± ¡°They all got excited when I said I wasing here.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, we can see our rtives on Chuseok.¡± Park Seodam, who was walking ahead with grandma, turned her head and said. Shin Soonja also stopped and looked back. She had good ears. ¡°Oh my, where did you go?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that. The handsome guy behind me lives in America. So I invited everyone to his house.¡± ¡°America? Oh my, that¡¯s far. You must miss it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Ian made a wistful expression for some reason. Jo Taewoong, who saw his expression, felt curious but thought it was because it was his first time in the Korean countryside and didn¡¯t make a big deal out of it. ¡°I also wanted toe here and see¡­¡± Would that shabby wooden deck stage where he saw the diamond still be there? Ian looked around. Being on the scene, he felt like his memories from that time were getting clearer. ¡°Grandma, is there anything you want to eat?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± When the three handsome men who were not seen in this vige entered the market with grandma as if guarding her, all the vigers¡¯ eyes focused on them. Jo Taewoong reflexively lowered his head. ¡°¡­Are you okay? You¡¯re not okay but you say you¡¯re okay, you¡¯ll get sick.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? I¡¯m better than before.¡± ¡°Hey, wear this.¡± Ian put the bucket hat he was wearing on Jo Taewoong¡¯s head. Jo Taewoong frowned. ¡°You didn¡¯t wash your hair.¡± ¡°Then when do you wear a hat if not when you don¡¯t wash your hair?¡± ¡°Ew, gross.¡± Jo Taewoong grumbled but didn¡¯t take off the hat. Ian snickered. Heins even when I care for him. But it was better than him being silent and spitting blood. ¡°Liar. You bought that yesterday.¡± ¡°Yeah? Then it¡¯s fine.¡± Jo Taewoong¡¯s mouth stopped. Ian fixed his hair that was pressed by the hat. After buying ingredients like eggs and noodles for the holiday food, they stopped by the vegetable store. ¡°Mrs. Shin! Wee!¡± ¡°Do you have anything good?¡± ¡°I do, what should I give you?¡± While Shin Soonja picked out vegetables, Park Seodam, Ian and Jo Taewoong stood a step behind and looked around. ¡°I¡¯ll pay for it.¡± ¡°Oh no, why? Grandma will do it.¡± ¡°I brought a lot of people with me.¡± Ian took out his wallet and handed over cash, and Mrs. Shin grabbed his hand and stopped him. ¡°Please pay with this.¡± ¡°Oh wow¡­ he¡¯s handsome¡­¡± Ian smiled brightly at the store owner and handed him the money. At that moment, the store owner felt like his surroundings became bright and nkly took the money. ¡°Can you give me that? But we came from Seoul, can¡¯t you give us more?¡± ¡°Oh my goodness, you came from far away. I¡¯ll give you more~¡± Park Seodam¡¯s bargaining skill shone. The store ownerughed and gave them more things. The three of them happily carried their bags. ¡°But who is that behind?¡± ¡°They¡¯re my grandchildren.¡± ¡°Who is that over there¡­ Hyeun¡¯s son?¡± ¡°Hello.¡± Jo Taewoong smiled awkwardly and shook hands with the store owner. The store owner¡¯s fuss attracted people nearby. ¡°Aren¡¯t they the ones on TV?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± There were too many people crowded in the market, so Ian and Park Seodam stood in front of Jotaewoong as if to shield him. Ian smiled amiably. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Hello.¡± ¡°Oh my, oh my. Everyone,e and see!¡± Ian nced behind him and saw Jotaewoong¡¯s expression stiffen. [Hasn¡¯t he been here for more than a month?] ¡®That¡¯s right.¡¯ He must have not gone outside at all during the month he stayed here. Ian asked Shin Soonja with a smiling face. ¡°Grandma, did you buy all the ingredients?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then shall we go home?¡± Shin Soonja held Jotaewoong¡¯s hand tightly. Park Seodam hugged his arm and stuck to his side. ¡°Are you leaving already? Can you give me an autograph?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it next time. I¡¯m nning to stay for a few days.¡± Ian said with a smile, but the atmosphere felt somewhat cold. The shop owner bid them farewell with a regretful expression. Fortunately, unlike in the city, people didn¡¯t cling to them even if they recognized them. At most, there were only people who took out their phone cameras and took pictures from afar when they heard they were celebrities. ¡°Hey, Minju, aren¡¯t those the ones on your wall?¡± ¡°Why are they here in this backwater?¡± ¡°Look over there.¡± Park Minju, who was sending a message full ofints to her friend about how she had no data at her grandparents¡¯ house, turned her head to where her mother was pointing. ¡°Wow¡­¡± Park Minju suppressed the urge to scream and covered her mouth. She almost missed them because she was busy with her phone. She was d she had put up posters in her room. Ian came out of the shop and opened the way. Park Minju stomped her feet. ¡°What should I do?¡± ¡°Go and ask for a picture. Or an autograph.¡± Park Minju¡¯s mother poked her side. Park Minju hesitated. She wanted to say she was a fan and get an autograph and a selfie. ¡°Oh, Taewoong is there too¡­¡± She gave up on that idea as soon as she saw Jotaewoong following Ian. Jotaewoong was wearing a bucket hat and walking with his head down. He didn¡¯t even flinch at Park Seodam¡¯s arm around him, when he usually would haveined that it was ticklish. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to get an autograph?¡± ¡°No.¡± She had a different bias, but Jotaewoong was known as everyone¡¯s darling for being friendly and funny. Park Minju even saved some of the hatements he received and sent them to his agency¡¯s email. That¡¯s why she felt like she shouldn¡¯t approach him rashly. She just took a picture from afar. ¡®But if I post this now, won¡¯t the fans flock here?¡¯ If they were sasaengs, they would definitely do that. ¡®But I want to let them know how Taewoong is doing¡­¡¯ There were no sightings of him anywhere, and even when the members came to the fan cafe, they only said things like ¡®Taewoong is doing well~¡¯. Jotaewoong¡¯s fans wrote letters every day, and the fan masters edited old photos and posted them with messages of waiting. She instinctively tried to upload the photo she took on SNS, but deleted it. ¡®¡­Maybe it¡¯ll be okay if I post it in a few weeks?¡¯ Real fans were different. *** ¡°Wow, there are so many people.¡± ¡°They¡¯re all here for the holiday.¡± Ian looked back after getting out of the market safely. Park Seodam let go of his arm and checked Jotaewoong¡¯splexion. ¡°Are you okay, hyung?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Shin Soonja patted Jotaewoong¡¯s back. She looked at Ian and Park Seodam with a worried face. ¡°Is he always like this?¡± ¡°¡­He can be like this sometimes. But don¡¯t you think he¡¯s better thanst time? How do you feel?¡± ¡°Yeah? That¡¯s right. There were people close by earlier, right? They were closer than at rehearsal.¡± Jotaewoong stopped walking. He muttered nkly. ¡°That¡¯s right¡­?¡± Come to think of it, he was reluctant to go outside even a few weeks ago. He felt like everyone in the world was cursing him. But now he was able to go to the market naturally and endure it. Ian tried to ease Shin Soonja¡¯s worry by saying, ¡°He must be recovering well because he¡¯s with grandma.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. He seems much better.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good then.¡± Ian and Park Seodam cheered up Shin Soonja. Jotaewoong¡¯s face also brightened up a bit as they got away from the crowded ce. As they were heading to Shin Soon-ja¡¯s house, an olddy with a cane came from the opposite direction and called out to Shin Soon-ja. ¡°Are you on your way back from the market?¡± ¡°Long time no see.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t youe to the senior center?¡± The olddy sounded prickly, as if her words had sharp thorns. ¡°Who is¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯s the granny who lives over there.¡± Over there? Where is that¡­ No, don¡¯t ask. Ian closed his mouth. Shin Soon-ja didn¡¯t seem to greet her warmly either. They must have a distant rtionship. Ian and Park Seo-dam stepped back and stood next to Jo Tae-woong. ¡°Do you know that olddy?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ She looks familiar¡­¡± Jo Tae-woong furrowed his brows. He felt like he had met her somewhere before. The olddy turned her head and spoke to the trio behind her. ¡°Are you the grandson who¡¯s a celebrity?¡± ¡°Hello.¡± Jo Tae-woong bowed politely as a greeting. The olddy started to ask him questions, one after another. What do you do, an idol? Isn¡¯t that just a waste of time? Ian answered her courteously, but she didn¡¯t show much friendly reaction. ¡°Oh? I guess you¡¯re not that famous if I don¡¯t know you?¡± [You see how she talks?] ¡®She must be jealous.¡¯ Honestly, he didn¡¯t care much if someone in this rural area didn¡¯t know him. Ian decided to let it go for Shin Soon-ja¡¯s sake. ¡°Maybe you haven¡¯t watched TVtely? Everyone knows him except you.¡± ¡°Where?¡± ¡°The market was in chaos when our grandkids came. Go and ask around.¡± Shin Soon-ja¡¯s counterattack began. The three behind her watched their verbal battle with interest. ¡°By the way, what about your grandson? Didn¡¯t you say he was doing some business or something?¡± ¡°Ahem¡­ He gave up his business and decided to prepare for the civil service exam.¡± ¡°Really? Isn¡¯t that a long process? We have a grandson who bought us a refrigerator, you know?¡± Second row, Ian and Park Seo-dam raised their fists and brought their thumbs near their mouths. Jo Tae-woong had never done that, but his face was half-hidden by his hat, so he didn¡¯t stand out. ¡®I didn¡¯t know that. Mom must have taken care of it.¡¯ Jo Tae-woong smiled softly. ¡°Oh, really? Good for you. I¡¯m going to the market.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± The olddy passed them by and headed toward the market. Suddenly, Jo Tae-woong turned his head sharply. Her face showed signs of age, but it was simr to the person he remembered. The person he met when he came to this neighborhood as a child, who badmouthed his grandmother behind her back. When she found out that Jo Tae-woong was Shin Soon-ja¡¯s grandson, she shut her mouth and told him not to tell his grandmother¡­ Jo Tae-woong stood next to Shin Soon-ja. ¡°¡­Grandma, isn¡¯t she the one who insulted you?¡± ¡°She was.¡± ¡°But why are you friendly with her?¡± ¡°Friendly? I¡¯m not friendly with her.¡± You looked friendly though? Jo Tae-woong looked at Ian and Park Seo-dam. They didn¡¯t know the details and asked silently, ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m just being nice to her.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Not everyone has to like me.¡± ¡°¡­Still.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have to hate her just because she hates me. In the end, I¡¯ll only burn myself with hatred.¡± Jo Tae-woong tried to say something but closed his mouth. ¡°I don¡¯t need to ruin my life because of someone who dislikes me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I just need to do well. I have a good family and a good farm, so even that grumpy olddy can¡¯t say anything.¡± I¡¯m enjoying my life these days. Thanks to my grandkids. Shin Soon-ja added with a warm smile. ¡°It all depends on how you think.¡± Chapter 159: Chapter 159: Chapter 159 Be nice to us. The person who greeted the group that went to the market with Shin Soon-ja was Kim Joo-young, wearing rubber gloves. She was wiping the shoe rack floor and shamelessly weed them. ¡°You came early?¡± ¡°What¡¯s with the rubber gloves?¡± ¡°Come in, it¡¯s cold outside. Please,e in.¡± Jo Tae-woong stared nkly at them. Shin Soon-ja also entered the house with a bewildered expression. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± The living room was even worse. Lee Joo-hyuk was sweeping the floor, Kim Hyun was wiping the shelves, and Park Jin-hyuk was tidying up the kitchen. ¡°You¡¯re here?¡± ¡°Are you cleaning? Why did you do something I didn¡¯t ask you to do?¡± Shin Soon-ja whined, and the members who were cleaning flinched. Lee Joo-hyuk approached Shin Soon-ja and asked. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t you like it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that¡­¡± Shin Soon-ja¡¯s lips twitched. Lee Joo-hyuk smiled when he saw that. ¡°We tried not to touch your stuff too much.¡± ¡°Oh, you didn¡¯t have to do this¡­¡± ¡°Please let us do this much since we¡¯re going to stay here for a few days.¡± ¡°Geez¡­ You¡¯re wasting your time on this¡­¡± Mrs. Shin looked like she didn¡¯t know what to do with herself, but her face showed that she was very happy with her cheekbones raised. Jo Tae-woong went to Kim Hyun and Park Jin-hyuk, who were far away from him, and said. ¡°Don¡¯t mind her. She¡¯s always like that when she¡¯s happy.¡± ¡°Really? I was nervous.¡± Park Jin-hyuk sighed in relief. The kitchen felt a ton brighter, and it looked like they had cleaned not only the floor but also the walls. ¡°Who told you to do this?¡± ¡°Ian did. We owe him so much, so we should do this much.¡± Kim Hyun answered casually. It was strange that both the person who told them to do it and the members who actually did it were strange. *** The members gathered at the agency one by one when they heard that Ian was going to Jo Tae-woong¡¯s grandmother¡¯s house. ¡°Did you get her permission?¡± ¡°Yeah, I called her. She said I could stay for a month if I wanted to, but that would be too rude, so I¡¯m thinking of staying for five days or so.¡± Park Jin-hyuk whispered to Lee Joo-hyuk. ¡°How many days is five days?¡± ¡°Five days.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re different because you have a bachelor¡¯s degree.¡± Park Jin-hyuk raised his thumb. Kim Hyun shook his head at that sight. He asked Ian. ¡°But won¡¯t the traffic be bad on Lunar New Year? Can¡¯t you go any other time?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any radio shows on Lunar New Year, so I think it¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°I have a separate schedule.¡± ¡°Right. We have to record for the next group.¡± Park Jin-hyuk and Lee Joo-hyuk were in charge of producing BHL Entertainment¡¯s next group, and Park Seo-dam was the MC of a music show that was on hiatus due to the holiday special program. Ian had a meeting with Park, the director of the drama ¡®Lady Hee-bin¡¯, after Lunar New Year. ¡°So Lunar New Year is the only time we have.¡± ¡°Are you all going? Who¡¯s going?¡± Ian raised his hand. Then all the members who were there also raised their hands following Ian. Lee Joo-hyuk nodded his head slowly. ¡°See? I knew you¡¯d all go.¡± ¡°It would be boring without me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not because you¡¯d be left out if you don¡¯t go?¡± ¡°That too.¡± Kim Hyun and Park Jin-hyukughed soullessly. ¡°But if we¡¯re going, we have to bring something for her, right? We can¡¯t just go empty-handed.¡± The members lost their words at Kim Joo-young¡¯s words and turned on their phones. They searched for things like Lunar New Year gifts or holiday gifts and groaned. They didn¡¯t want to give amon gift to an olddy who looked after Jo Tae-woong. ¡°Isn¡¯t this toomon?¡± ¡°What should we buy? I don¡¯t know her taste.¡± They could ask Jo Tae-woong about his grandmother¡¯s taste, but without consulting each other, they had an implicit agreement that it was a secret from Jo Tae-woong. They all looked forward to surprising Jo Tae-woong with anticipation. ¡°What do you think he¡¯ll say when he sees us?¡± ¡°He¡¯ll stand there stupidly and ask why we¡¯re here.¡± Kim Hyun answered coldly to Lee Joo-hyuk¡¯s words. Park Jin-hyuk smirked and shouted. ¡°No, he¡¯ll say this. You came to save me, bro!¡± ¡°No, I got caught too.¡± ¡°You crazy bastards.¡± As soon as he said that, Kim Joo-young picked up Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s words as if he had been waiting for them, and Kim Hyun tapped his forehead. ¡°Jeez, I¡¯m the only one who ate seriously.¡± Suddenly, in the middle of a conversation that went off-topic, Ian snapped his fingers as he was deep in thought. ¡°First of all, for the holiday gift, buy something decent like Korean beef that¡¯s a bit pricey, and then there¡¯s a way to make up for it with your body.¡± ¡°Make up for it with your body?¡± The members who were joking andughing looked at Ian. Park Jin-hyuk crossed his arms and grabbed his shoulders. ¡°How about we clean the ce for you? We¡¯re going to stay there for a few nights anyway.¡± ¡°Clean?¡± ¡°She said she lives alone, right? There might be some ces that she didn¡¯t get to clean. And it doesn¡¯t seem like Tae-woong would take care of that.¡± ¡°Oh. That¡¯s true¡­¡± They had no skills to fix or do anything else. The easiest thing was cleaning. The members looked at each other as if they were enchanted by Ian¡¯s suggestion. ¡°That¡¯s a good and useful idea.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°As long as we don¡¯t touch anything without permission and just make it clean, it should be fine.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The members had satisfied expressions on their faces. They all had the personality to do what they were told, so it was decided smoothly without a single objection. ¡°But isn¡¯t there a way to clean? What if we mess it up more by touching it?¡± ¡°We have him.¡± Ian pointed at Kim Joo-young with a polite gesture. Kim Joo-young spread his thumb and index finger to make a V sign and brought it under his chin. [He¡¯s so full of himself.] Kim Joo-young maintained an indifferent tone while acting confident. ¡°What am I?¡± ¡°Our group¡¯s robot vacuum cleaner.¡± ¡°Can you at least call me something that¡¯s not a machine¡­ like a living creature?¡± ¡°Mamamson?¡± ¡°Jeez.¡± Kim Joo-young let go of the pose he had held with some pride. ¡°You can just watch some videos on YouTube or something. They show how to do it well.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°But how are we going to get there? By train?¡± ¡°¡­Bus?¡± Of course, they didn¡¯t really take public transportation. It was because Park Dong-soo grabbed their necks when they said they would take a bus or a train. ¡°How popr do you think you are? Bus? Train? On a holiday?¡± ¡°Seriously¡­?¡± ¡°That¡¯s crazy, guys. Do you want people to swarm over you?¡± There would be dozens of eyewitness ounts posted online and people nearby would flock to them. And then there would be all kinds of weird rumors about why Jo Tae-woong was missing from the six members. They would say he was being bullied or ostracized. ¡®It¡¯s not like we¡¯re going to see Tae-woong or anything¡­ We have no choice.¡¯ Park Dong-soo had to give up his holiday break and take the wheel because he could already imagine the situation. *** The cleaning mission under Kim Joo-young¡¯s supervision took ce while Shin Soon-ja and Jo Tae-woong were away. Ian put his hand on Lee Joo-hyuk¡¯s shoulder. They were originally going to do it together, but the four who were already there had cleaned it up quite well. ¡°You did it by yourselves? You should have waited for us.¡± ¡°The timing was perfect. Did anything happen at the market?¡± ¡°A little.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± Lee Joo-hyuk looked at Jo Tae-woong¡¯s face. Jo Tae-woong looked around the cleaned house and then looked at Lee Joo-hyuk. ¡°Where¡¯s Dong-soo hyung?¡± ¡°He¡¯s in the room. He passed out.¡± ¡°Yeah? Well, driving must be hard¡­ But he was fine when we had events, right?¡± ¡°I guess so. Maybe hyung is getting old too.¡± The members looked at the door of the room where Park Dong-soo was sleeping with pity. Shin Soon-ja, who had checked the kitchen, couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud. She could have just rxed, but they went through the trouble of doing this for her. And the idea of cleaning for her was cute. ¡°Our grandson has good friends.¡± ¡°Right? It¡¯s not easy to find friends like us anywhere else.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± The members turned their heads at the same time and looked at Jo Tae-woong. Their faces were full of pride. ¡°Hey, be good to us.¡± ¡°Yeah. Be good.¡± ¡°You know I have high standards, right, hyung?¡± Jo Tae-woong was dumbfounded and let out a sigh. But he felt happy to see his beloved grandmother. *** ¡°Should we have cleaned up before doing this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, we have newspapers.¡± The members of Awi started to make holiday dishes under Shin Soon-ja¡¯s guidance. They moved the cooking utensils to the living room as she instructed. ¡°I always wanted to try this.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you make it at home?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t do ancestral rites, we just meet and eat.¡± ¡°Lucky you. My mom says she hates it, but when the timees, she curses and makes it anyway.¡± Park Jin-hyuk looked at Kim Hyun with a strange expression. ¡°Isn¡¯t this your self-introduction?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You also curse and do everything you need to do.¡± Ian, who was listening next to him,ughed along with Park Jin-hyuk. Kim Hyun was the kind of person who nagged a lot but secretly took good care of others. They followed Shin Soon-ja¡¯s directions and prepared the ingredients. They had to chop garlic with only a knife because they didn¡¯t have any tools. ¡°Look at Choi Ian. He¡¯s good at cutting.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he cheating?¡± Jo Tae-woong and Kim Joo-young murmured. Ian chuckled. He wasn¡¯t a chef-level expert. He was just a bit more skilled at handling a knife than the other members. ¡°What are you going to do with your knife skills as an idol?¡± ¡°Use them here.¡± ¡°Well¡­ I can¡¯t argue with that.¡± Ian focused on preparing the ingredients again. Even with clumsy hands, they could finish quickly with many people. ¡°We can do this fast.¡± Shin Soon-ja smiled contentedly. Fortunately, none of themcked basicmon sense and they could get through without any idents. ¡°How about this? Dinosaur meatballs.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk showed his creation on his palm. It looked like a weird slime rather than a dinosaur. Ian narrowed his eyes. ¡°Is it weird?¡± ¡°Hyung, take this and go do the dishes.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk headed to the kitchen with a sullen face. Kim Joo-young, who was frying pancakes next to Ian, frowned at Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s meatballs. [What is that?] ¡®I don¡¯t know.¡¯ Park Jin-hyuk pushed his meatballs, which had an unrecognizable shape, toward Kim Joo-young. ¡°How about this? Modern art.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t y with food, hyung.¡± Park Jin-hyuk clicked his tongue. The trio who could cook decently in Awi. Ian, Park Seo-dam, and Kim Joo-young assisted Shin Soon-ja, while the rest of the members quickly cleaned up whatever they could find. ¡°Grandma, how is this?¡± ¡°Our Seo-dam is good.¡± Shin Soon-ja called Park Seo-dam ¡®our Seo-dam¡¯ as if she was her grandson and liked her more than anyone else. She had a tomboyish look that didn¡¯t match her personality. Park Dong-soo gasped as he came out of his nap. He had been driving around since dawn to pick up the members, and he slept longer than usual because of the exhausting drive. He wasn¡¯t used to having any eventsst year. ¡°You guys should have woken me up.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, we did everything, hyung.¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± He watched the members work in a daze. The basket was full of holiday dishes made by Shin Soon-ja and the members. Park Dong-soo took out his phone from his pocket and took a picture of them. Lee Joo-hyuk, who came out after doing the dishes, looked at Park Dong-soo¡¯s phone screen. ¡°Did ite out well, hyung?¡± ¡°Yeah, look.¡± ¡°Oh, it came out well. Can I post this on the fan cafe, hyung?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± There were many fans who were curious about Jo Tae-woong¡¯s whereabouts. They thought it would be nice to share some news with this picture. Lee Joo-hyuk saved the picture that was sent to the group chat. Chapter 160: Chapter 160: Chapter 160 They all had to stay together until then. They ate the holiday food they made together and had some fruits while telling their grandmother stories about their activities. Ian showed her a group photo he took with the fans who came to the concert as the background. ¡°Do you see the lights behind us? Those are all our fans who came to see us.¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s a lot. How many people came?¡± ¡°How many were we? About 5,000 or 6,000 people.¡± ¡°Our grandson is very popr.¡± Jo Tae-woong had a proud expression on his face. He remembered the excitement of the first concert, but also felt uneasy about the online concert he couldn¡¯t do because of him. ¡°What happened to our online concert?¡± ¡°What do you mean? It was fully refunded.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, we¡¯ll do a live concert at a bigger venueter.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk answered as if it was no big deal, not wanting Jo Tae-woong to feel anxious. He wanted to try an online concert at least once, but of course, singers enjoyed it more when there were fans cheering for them. And the agency was happy because they could sell goods and make profits. The industry was slowly moving towards opening live concerts instead of online ones. BHL Entertainment was discussing to do a concert as soon as Jo Tae-woong recovered. ¡°Do you think we can do a gymnastics stadium next time?¡± ¡°Of course. Our album is still selling well, they say.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Wow, really?¡± The album sales were a way to measure the influx of fandom. Especially when they gained poprity from dramas or variety shows, the album sales also increased noticeably. Ian¡¯s ¡®Hee-bin Jang¡¯s Family¡¯ was not only popr in Korea, but also in China, Japan, and other Asian countries through OTT sites. It even spread to Europe and America through word-of-mouth from drama maniacs. Thanks to that, Awi¡¯s album was selling steadily. ¡°I might cry if we do a live concert again.¡± ¡°Me too. I already cried so much.¡± ¡°Kim Joo-young, are you going to faint from crying?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not!¡± How would it feel to do a bigger venue thanst time? Jo Tae-woong, who had been depressed and anxioustely, was able to think positively for the first time. They decided to go to bed early for their grandmother who fell asleep early. The members spread out their bedding that they brought with them. ¡°How are we going to sleep? Can we all fit?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, we brought our own nkets too.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re well prepared.¡± Jo Tae-woong poked Shin Soon-ja¡¯s arm with a dissatisfied expression. ¡°Grandma, don¡¯t you like Seo-dam more than me?¡± ¡°She¡¯s so cute.¡± ¡°When are you going to get marr¡­ Ow! Ouch!¡± Shin Soon-ja pinched Jo Tae-woong¡¯s arm. She had teared up when she heard Park Seo-dam¡¯s family situation, saying that she was proud of her for growing up well without being twisted. ¡°Kids, sleep well and call me when youe back.¡± ¡°Yes, hyung. Good night.¡± Park Dong-soo slept in the room that Jo Tae-woong used and headed back to Seoul early in the morning. He nned toe back again when the members returned. ¡°Tae-woong, can I talk to you for a minute?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jo Tae-woong approached Park Dong-soo¡¯s side. Park Dong-soo patted Jo Tae-woong¡¯s back and whispered. ¡°Are you going to counseling regrly?¡± ¡°Yes, my parents areing and going.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. If anything happens to your parents, call me and I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± Jo Tae-woong nodded his head. Park Dong-soo sighed with relief as he saw Jo Tae-woong¡¯s brightened expression. ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re doing well. It might take a long time, but keep going to counseling. The kids are all doing it too.¡± ¡°Yes. Good night, hyung.¡± As soon as Park Dong-soo entered the room, he contacted the people who were curious about Jo Tae-woong¡¯s condition. ¡°Yes, CEO.¡± (How is he?) ¡°He looks fine. The kids seem to take good care of him too.¡± (I know our kids get along well.) Park Dong-soo had heard about Jo Tae-woong¡¯s state from the members who went to the market and felt hopeful. It was not nothing that he didn¡¯t copse like he did during rehearsal. ¡°I think hiseback won¡¯t take as long as we thought, since his expression is brighter than before.¡± He wondered if he had something important to say when he called him separately. Maybe he was causing trouble for the group¡¯s activities. Jo Tae-woong stared nkly at the door that Park Dong-soo entered. ¡®He¡¯s not rushing me? Is it because it¡¯s only been a month?¡¯ Neither Park Dong-soo nor any of the members mentioned anything about Jo Tae-woong¡¯seback. What if the hiatussted more than a month or two, and became half a year or a year? ¡®Will it change then?¡¯ No one knew how things would change if one person¡¯s activities were restricted for the whole group, and if it took too long. ¡®Hey, that¡¯s too much.¡¯ Jo Tae-woong knew well that the members were not like that. It wasn¡¯t that thepany didn¡¯t let them do individual activities, and it was a ridiculous thought to have. If they had a lot ofints, they wouldn¡¯t havee to this remote mountain vige to help with the cleaning and stuff during the holidays. Jo Tae-woong chuckled softly, and Kim Joo-young, who was lying on his right, lifted his head. ¡°Why are youughing like that? It¡¯s creepy.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m just grateful that you all came.¡± ¡°What are you doing? It¡¯s ticklish.¡± ¡°Ouch!¡± Kim Joo-young hit Jo Tae-woong¡¯s stomach lightly with a pillow. Lee Joo-hyuk, who was lying on the edge, tossed and turned. He was holding his phone tightly and frowning. ¡°Is the data always bad here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a mountain vige, there¡¯s no wifi either.¡± ¡°No, isn¡¯t it supposed to work these days?¡± Lee Joo-hyuk grumbled but didn¡¯t turn off his phone screen. ¡°Joo-hyuk hyung, aren¡¯t you going to sleep?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll just upload this¡­ Done.¡± Suddenly, a short notification sound rang on the members¡¯ phones with a timeg. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Dong-soo hyung uploaded the photo he took of us earlier.¡± They opened the notification window and entered the fan cafe. Lee Joo-hyuk had just posted a post. [AWI] Are you all having a happy holiday? (Photo) We¡¯re going to spend it together! How do you like us as aplete group after a long time? ©¸Wow Tae-woong oppa ©¸How can this be????? Aplete group????? ©¸Oppas, I miss you! In the photo, Jo Tae-woong had a faint smile on his lips, and because of that, fans who had Jo Tae-woong¡¯s photo as their profile picture filled up 1,000ments in an instant. Jo Tae-woong looked at the first page of thement window. There were meaningless contents like 1, ??. He asked Ian. ¡°What are these frontments? There¡¯s no content.¡± ¡°They post them first and then edit themter to get the first spot.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve never seen it? Refresh itter. They write really long letters like they¡¯re stacking bricks.¡± The other members also left a message on the shortment board. When the fans heard that the members were logged in to the fan cafe, they flocked to the fan cafe. They only said that they missed them, that they had been waiting for them, and that they shoulde back soon. Park Jin-hyukughed as he saw a meme that had his face edited coolly. ¡°I feel like I¡¯m some kind of¡­ leader when I look at the fan cafe?¡± ¡°Leader? Jin-hyuk ah. That sounds weird.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you feel that way?¡± ¡°I know what you mean, but leader is a bit¡­¡± ¡°Evanjelly?¡± ¡°Yeah, evanjelly.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk hesitated to speak. He felt like he knew what Park Jin-hyuk meant. People who blindly liked them. He felt a tingling and proud feeling in his heart. ¡°Wow, it¡¯sgging.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s check it out tomorrow morning.¡± On the board where they wrote letters to the members, countless posts were uploaded every second. And more than half of the posts were nothing but worries and cheers for Jo Tae-woong. ¡®Wow, what¡­¡¯ Jo Tae-woong hadn¡¯t really entered the fan cafe since he came to his grandmother¡¯s house. He started to read each post filled with fans¡¯ love. Even as he read, new posts were uploaded and the ones he had read before were pushed back to the next page. There were far more people who supported him than those who cursed him. Jo Tae-woong felt a surge of emotion and smiled unconsciously. ¡®I should post something on the fan cafe tomorrow.¡¯ Jo Tae-woong tossed and turned a few times and fell asleep quickly. It was a night without insomnia. *** AWI¡¯s rural life began. There wasn¡¯t much to do. Helping out with grandma¡¯s work was all they did. ¡°Who wants to y Halli Galli?¡± ¡°Pass me the cards.¡± ¡°I have amazing reflexes, you all know that right?¡± In their spare time, they yed board games they brought with them or walked around the neighborhood. ¡°Is this what kids these days y?¡± Shin Soon-ja, who was watching them, took out a deck of cards from the drawer. ¡°Do you all know how to y Go-Stop?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it!¡± Park Seodam brought a nket from the living room and spread it in the center. ¡°Seodam, do you know how to y? I don¡¯t know the rules, is there anyone who does?¡± ¡°I learned from my grandmother.¡± ¡°I know too.¡± Ian raised his hand. Kim Hyun looked at him with a doubtful gaze. ¡°How do you know, Ian?¡± ¡°¡­I also learned from my grandfather.¡± Actually, it was from his previous life, but after Ian and Park Seodam¡¯s exnation, the game finally began. ¡°Juyeong, look at that card, is it¡­?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t act like you¡¯ve seen it before. I¡¯ll double the stakes!¡± Meanwhile, Shin Soonja started to bring snacks for everyone, saying they were all too skinny. The members, who were amazed by her cooking skills, ate more than usual. ¡°Don¡¯t you think we¡¯re being fattened by our grandmother?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± The membersy down on the living room floor. They were so full that they couldn¡¯t sit up. Was this how our fans felt at the Arimpyc. ¡°We have to work out hard when we go back.¡± Ian patted his swollen belly. He had a meeting with director Park Pyohyun of ¡®Heebin Jang¡¯s Family¡¯ next week. He was able to find out why Park called him through Jin. [Director Park¡­ isn¡¯t he working on that thing now?] ¡®That thing?¡¯ [The Emflix original zombie drama.] ¡®Oh.¡¯ ¡®Z-Day¡¯, which Park directed, was a drama that Ian knew well. It became popr worldwide with its unique and sensational direction and original story. Park even made his overseas debut with this drama. If he asked for a meeting, there was a high chance that Ian would get a role in ¡®Z-Day¡¯. He couldn¡¯t afford to gain weight for that. Ian straightened up and leaned his back on the sofa. ¡°Hey, did you have fun today?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Cho Taewoong smiled slightly at Kim Juyeong¡¯s question. He had a fun day with the members. He wasn¡¯t afraid of tomorrow anymore, and he was looking forward to what he would do tomorrow. But the intermittent anxiety was still there. ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t you guys anxious?¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t release an album because of me.¡± As soon as Cho Taewoong finished his sentence, the members booed him. ¡°He¡¯s digging his own grave again.¡± ¡°What can we do?¡± They said that low self-esteem was a symptom of depression, but it was strange to hear such words from someone who wasn¡¯t like that. But they didn¡¯t say anything more because he was trying to express his worries. ¡°It¡¯s not because of you, we¡¯re doing our solo activities, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You should worry about yourself instead of us.¡± ¡°There are many idols who have long hiatuses. We¡¯re at that level now.¡± The poprity of Awi, which seemed to have reached its peak, was spreading beyond Korea to the world. There were even rumors among the staff that they might be like Midia. It was a pity that they had to stop their team activities when they had to ride the wave of poprity. ¡°You can rest as long as you want.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Well, if you take a break for 2 or 3 years, we might be a bit nervous¡­¡± But unlike the agency¡¯s opinion, Ian thought that they had enough poprity already. He wanted to stay on stage longer than poprity. The members agreed with Ian¡¯s answer. ¡°That¡¯s right, don¡¯t be too anxious. We can extend our contract as long as you rest.¡± ¡°Wow, Joo Hyuk is amazing at building up. But he¡¯s right.¡± Park Jin Hyuk sat up abruptly. ¡°We can¡¯t be pigeons by then.¡± Chapter 161: Chapter 161: Chapter 161 Just don¡¯t bete. ¡°What the¡­¡± Ian woke up from his sleep and opened his eyes. It felt strangely bright outside. When he pulled the curtain, everything was white. ¡°Was there a snow forecast?¡± ¡°No?¡± ¡°Oh, you startled me. Are you awake?¡± Kim Joo-young, who had silently stood next to Ian, nodded his head while rubbing his eyes. The four days they spent together seemed to pass by faster. Tomorrow was the day they would go back to Seoul. ¡°Thank you for the meal!¡± The members quickly adapted to Shin Soon-ja¡¯s early-to-bed early-to-rise lifestyle and ate breakfast at 8 a.m. They helped Shin Soon-ja with the housework. ¡°Thanks to my grandchildren, the cleaning is fast. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± ¡°Take care.¡± While Shin Soon-ja went to the senior center, the members who stayed at home became one with the warm floor of the living room. Theyzily moved around and peeled tangerines. ¡°I love ying.¡± ¡°I wish it could stay like this.¡± The six of them covered themselves with a nket up to their necks and giggled happily. ¡®They look like some kind of worms.¡¯ Ian looked at them and put down his water cup. He picked up his phone. The members flinched at the shutter sound. ¡°Wow, this is a legendary photo.¡± ¡°Hey, hyung! Don¡¯t take pictures.¡± ¡°We¡¯re in our natural state. Hey, Seo-dam, let¡¯s snatch it.¡± Park Seo-dam and Kim Joo-young, who got up slowly, tried to erase the photo by grabbing Ian¡¯s phone. Ian raised his arm high. Even with two people clinging to him, he didn¡¯t let go of his phone. ¡°Geez, you¡¯re so strong! Did you grow taller, hyung?¡± ¡°No?¡± ¡°If you upload this to the fan cafe, you¡¯re dead meat.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t, I won¡¯t.¡± I¡¯ll do itter. After cropping them out. Ian smiled as he watched Kim Joo-young and Park Seo-dam go back to lie down. [Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to see the stage there?] ¡®Oh, right.¡¯ He must have been lonely for being alone at the dorm for a long time. He had so much fun with the members that he forgot his original purpose. Ian casually talked to Jo Tae-woong. ¡°Hey, Jo-tang. Where¡¯s the ce where you saw Tae-woo hyung¡¯s group?¡± The members who had nothing to do also lifted their heads. Their faces were full of curiosity. ¡°Right, isn¡¯t this the ce of that story?¡± ¡°Should we go see it?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± The members who finally found something to do quickly put on their clothes and went outside. The streets were empty of cars and people since the Lunar New Year holiday was over. They passed the market and reached the vige hall. A wide open space spread out. ¡°It¡¯s over there.¡± On one side of the open space, there was a stage about 1 meter high. Ian was the first to climb onto the stage. He couldn¡¯t tell where the edge of the stage was because of the snow. ¡®I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m here again.¡¯ It was a nostalgic feeling. Ian swept the snow with his foot, and the members who followed him did the same. Then, the shabby wooden deck floor was revealed. ¡°It¡¯s small.¡± Was it this small? Ian tilted his head. We came from that side, finished preparing at the vige hall, and came up here. It was a rare event schedule at that time. We couldn¡¯tin about the size of the stage. [What, is this the stage?] Jin said with a sullen tone. He remembered that someone among the Diamond members said the same thing back then. The manager begged them to do the stage even if they cut the fee. It felt like confirming their pathetic position. [Did you do the event here? Did you do it half-heartedly?] ¡®I wanted to do it well¡­¡¯ He wanted to dance and sing with passion and get a reaction from the uninterested elders. He clenched his teeth and did his best. [So did you seed?] ¡®I failed.¡¯ But the response was determined by poprity. He only remembered that two or three people pped when Kim Yong-min hit the high note. That was it. That day, on the way back to the dorm, none of the members opened their mouths. They tried to wrap it up with passion for the stage, but they were secretly hurt in their pride. ¡®Well, if I didn¡¯t work hard then, maybe Jo Tae-woong wouldn¡¯t be in the group now.¡¯ How could he see them from there? It was a miraculous connection. Ian chuckled. ¡®It looked bigger than this back then.¡¯ He felt so small now. Ian looked at the members who were standing next to him. He thought of that time and felt this moment more special. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s smaller than when we were in Vietnam?¡± It was Park Jinhyuk who shattered Ian¡¯s sentimental mood. The members frowned at his words. ¡°Hey, seriously.¡± ¡°Who? Who brought up Vietnam?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk about Vietnam. I¡¯m getting pissed off by N all of a sudden.¡± Park Jinhyuk scratched the back of his head with an awkward expression. ¡°But they take good care of us these days.¡± ¡°They should, if they are human.¡± ¡°They should take better care of us there. We¡¯re stillcking.¡± ¡°It¡¯s your fault that I¡¯m in a bad mood. Take responsibility.¡± Kim Hyun scooped up some snow from the ground and threw it at Park Jinhyuk. Park Jinhyukughed as he was hit by the snow. ¡°What, do you want to fight?¡± The other members stepped back from him as they saw a glimpse of madness in his eyes. Park Jinhyuk jumped down from the tform. The construction site was covered with snow that had fallen all night. He scattered snowballs at the members. ¡°Ah, hyung! The snow is getting in my eyes!¡± ¡°Hey, throw it at Park Jinhyuk.¡± ¡°I¡¯m aiming for Choi Ian.¡± The situation quickly turned into a snowball fight. The members who had split into teams fought fiercely with snowballs and their bodies became cold. The snow stuck to their bodies did not melt easily because of the cold weather. Ian shook off the snow in his padded hood andy down next to the members who were exhausted and lying on the ground. ¡°Do you think Taewoo hyung knew that his life would change when he stood on that stage?¡± ¡°He probably didn¡¯t. How often do you get such a life reversal? He should write an autobiographyter.¡± ¡°Agreed.¡± Im Taewoo, he was just telling a childhood memory, but that one word changed his life. He thought of him and casually asked Ian. ¡°How is Taewoo hyung doing these days?¡± ¡°He¡¯s crazy right now. Do you know that his schedule is full of events? I heard he¡¯s starting his concert from the gymnastics stadium.¡± ¡°How many seats are there in the gymnastics stadium?¡± ¡°More than ten thousand?¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s amazing.¡± The failed idol who was ignored by everyone on the shabby wooden deck stage in the countryside became a singer who attracted more than ten thousand audiences as a solo. ¡°Cho Taewoong and Choi Ian really did a great job.¡± ¡°Why me?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it because of you that he turned his life around with Taewoong¡¯s words?¡± ¡°Wow, it¡¯s really like a drama, a drama.¡± Im Taewoo started his second act of life, and Cho Taewoong, who gave him the opportunity to turn his life around, was so hurt that he had to take a break from his activities. ¡°How often do you get to influence someone¡¯s life like that?¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°That makes me think that you never know what life will bring.¡± The members pondered on Lee Juhyuk¡¯s words. ¡°When we debuted, we didn¡¯t think we would sell more than a million albums.¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t even dream of it.¡± ¡°We really grew a lot, didn¡¯t we?¡± The members looked up at the clear sky without a single cloud. Kim Hyun spoke softly. ¡°¡­Even if it¡¯s hard now, there will be a day when we can smileter.¡± ¡°Hyun is the witness.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Kim Hyun smiled sincerely. He didn¡¯t care about it anymore when he thought of that time. ¡°Look at me. I got a lot of witch-hunting, but these days when I talk about it, everyone curses. They say they were too harsh on Kim Hyun.¡± ¡°Talk about a change of attitude.¡± ¡°Most of the trainees who cursed me at that time probably didn¡¯t even debut, right?¡± He had people who supported him even when he was cursed, and Kim Hyun didn¡¯t give up on his efforts. The people who judged Kim Hyun by what they saw in the media didn¡¯t seed as much as Kim Hyun. ¡°It was so hard that I wanted to die at that time, but when I think about it now, it¡¯s nothing.¡± That made him think that maybe the saying that time heals everything was half true. Kim Hyun got up from his seat. ¡°Isn¡¯t it cold?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s take a picture of this and send it to Taewoo hyung before we go.¡± ¡°Good idea.¡± The members got up from their seats. *** ¡°Taewoong, this is a fan letter that came to thepany.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ there are a lot.¡± Bak Dong-su, who came to pick up the members, handed a big shopping bag to Jo Tae-ung. ¡°Wow, there¡¯s even a doll.¡± ¡°This one looks a bit like you.¡± Among the unofficial goods made by the fans, there was a character doll called Som-moong-chi. It was a small doll of about 15 or 20 centimeters, made bybining the features of their favorite idol. It was quite popr among the fans, who would take it with them to show their support at ads or concerts. ¡°Wait, there¡¯s more.¡± ¡°More?¡± Bak Dong-su took out the remaining luggage from the passenger seat. There was not one, but three shopping bags. They were so big and numerous that Jo Tae-ung had to borrow Shin Sun-ja¡¯s hand to carry them. He sniffed as he saw the fan letters packed tightly in the shopping bags. ¡°Are you crying?¡± ¡°No? It¡¯s just cold, okay?¡± Jo Tae-ung widened his eyes. Bak Dong-su smiled softly as he saw his expression. He tapped Jo Tae-ung¡¯s shoulder and opened the door of the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°Rest well. Don¡¯t be too anxious. You¡¯ll be more helpful to them and thepany if you recover well.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°Hey, guys! Don¡¯t keep the olddy waiting, let¡¯s go quickly!¡± The members, who exchanged greetings with Shin Sun-ja, gathered around Jo Tae-ung. They all patted his shoulder and back, saying a word or two. ¡°Tae-ung, we¡¯re going. Have fun.¡± ¡°Hyung, don¡¯t forget to contact us.¡± ¡°Let me know when youe for counseling. Let¡¯s have a meal.¡± ¡°Hey, it¡¯s okay to bete. Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll call youter.¡± Ian, who was about to get on the van, stopped and turned his head back. Jo Tae-ung tried to hide his regretful look by pretending to be indifferent. ¡°What, you¡¯re not getting on?¡± They all said it was okay to bete and to recover slowly. But Ian felt like he didn¡¯t want to say those words that seemed scripted. He had a hunch that Jo Tae-ung wanted to hear something else. ¡°Hey, Tae-ung.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Still, don¡¯t be toote.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± Jo Tae-ung¡¯s face brightened up a little. The van carrying the members smoothly left the vige entrance. As they looked at Shin Sun-ja¡¯s house getting farther away, the members muttered nkly. ¡°That was fun.¡± ¡°Yeah. It felt like a school trip.¡± ¡°Let¡¯se again next time.¡± ¡°There were some things to fix in the house, maybe we can learn how to do that next time?¡± ¡°Grandma is already shedding tears of gratitude. I saw it.¡± Bak Jin-hyuk and Kim Hyun chuckled. Kim Ju-young, who was sitting in the back seat, nudged Ian. ¡°How long do you think Jo-tang will take?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe three months? He didn¡¯t look that serious. I don¡¯t know about the inside, though.¡± ¡°I have a feeling he¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Kim Ju-young and Ian¡¯s conversation was overheard by Bak Seo-dam, who leaned her forehead on the window and murmured. ¡°I hope hees back soon.¡± Jo Tae-ung watched the van carrying the members until it disappeared over the ridge, then went inside the house. ¡°Sigh.¡± He smiled bitterly as he looked at the empty house where the members had gone. He felt empty and hollow. It was like the feeling of lying on a small bed in a hotel room after a concert, with the fans¡¯ cheers still ringing in his ears, and reminiscing about the past performance. Shin Sun-ja, who was watching his face, asked him casually with a smile on her lips. ¡°Do you feel lonely?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± Chapter 162: Chapter 162: Chapter 162 People were lining up to cast that handsome guy. The members who had gone to their hometowns after spending a joyful Lunar New Year with the others also returned to the dorm one by one. ¡°Wow, amazing.¡± ¡°Our fridge is going to explode.¡± The members brought back a lot of food after the holiday and filled up the dorm fridge. ¡°As expected, Joo-young brought the most.¡± ¡°We could open a restaurant with this.¡± Ian smiled broadly as he helped the members with their luggage. ¡°You¡¯re all back. I thought I was going to die of boredom alone.¡± ¡°Is that why you¡¯re dressed like you¡¯re going out right now?¡± Kim Joo-young scanned Ian from head to toe. He looked unusually neat and tidy. ¡°I have a meeting with Director Park.¡± ¡°Oh, the director of ¡®Heebin Jang¡¯s Family¡¯? Wow, are you going to join another hit drama?¡± Park Jin-hyuk put his hand on Ian¡¯s shoulder. ¡®Z-Day¡¯ was indeed a hit drama. It was a drama that reached the second ce in the Mplex World Best ranking. But Ian shrugged his shoulders and said. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± He hadn¡¯t signed the contract yet, so nothing was confirmed. He only knew that Director Park was making ¡®Z-Day¡¯ through Jin, but nothing else was decided yet. ¡®Did I drink the soup too early?¡¯ [No way? Director Park is so happy to cast you right now?] ¡®¡­Really?¡¯ That would be a relief. Ian grabbed his coat and headed for the door. Kim Joo-young and Park Jin-hyuk followed him to the entrance. ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡± ¡°See you.¡± Ian was able to leave with the members¡¯ farewell for the first time in a long time. *** The ce Ian headed to was a high-end Chinese restaurant with a separate room. ¡°Hello, Director. You came early.¡± ¡°Ian,e on in.¡± Ian sat down across from Director Park. ¡°Did you have a good holiday?¡± ¡°Yes, I went to Tae-woong¡¯s grandmother¡¯s house with the members.¡± ¡°Really? Wow, you guys are really close.¡± ¡°Here, this is for you, Director.¡± Ian handed over a bted holiday gift to Director Park. Director Park received the gift with a touched expression. There was another seat set up next to Director Park. It must be the writer of ¡®Z-Day¡¯. Ian pretended not to know and asked. ¡°Who else ising?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Lee Joo-hee, the writer who¡¯s going to work with me on this drama.¡± ¡°She¡¯s already working on a new project after ¡®Heebin Jang¡¯s Family¡¯? What about Writer Yoon?¡± ¡°Writer Yoon said she wanted to take a break this year.¡± Director Park shrugged his shoulders. Unlike Yoon Mi-sook, who took a long break after finishing a project, Park Pyo-hyun always took on new work without rest. ¡°Director, don¡¯t you take a break either?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but I feel restless when I¡¯m not working.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a workaholic.¡± ¡°So are you, Ian.¡± ¡°I have to work like a cow when there are ces that call me.¡± Ian shrugged his shoulders. He had a lot of work to do, from scripts tomercials, pouring in from his agency. Someone was running in a hurry, and then the door flung open. ¡°I¡¯mte! I¡¯m sorry¡­ Huh¡­!¡± Lee Joo-hee, the writer, covered her mouth with her hand as soon as she saw Ian. She turned red up to her neck and froze on the spot like a statue. Director Park smiled softly at her reaction. He also felt dazzled when he first saw Ian. It was as if there was a spotlight around Ian, even among the same men. How would it feel to meet him for the first time? ¡°Writer?¡± ¡°Ah, hello!¡± The writer came to her senses at Director Park¡¯s words and hurried to her seat. ¡°Hello, Writer. I¡¯m Choi Ian.¡± ¡°Wow, I think my heart will burst if we shake hands now, so let¡¯s do itter.¡± Lee Joo-hee, the writer, hid her face with the script she brought and sat next to Director Park. She drank a ss of water and took a deep breath. ¡°Phew, I¡¯m sorry for being rude on our first meeting¡­ I¡¯m Lee Joo-hee.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay.¡± Ian smiled. This reaction was moremon than he thought. When a survey was conducted among the industry people about who was the face genius of the entertainment industry, Ian never missed the list. ¡®He¡¯s handsome and good at his job, so how can you not fall for him.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ve met many beautiful and handsome celebrities, but Choi Ian is on a different level.¡¯ ¡®He¡¯s iparable. I felt my heart flutter for the same man for the first time.¡¯ ¡®I ran into Ian in the hallway earlier. Wow, he was glowing from behind¡­¡¯ A celebrity who had exchanged a brief greeting with Ian had started the opening of his radio show with Ian that day, as if to brag about meeting him. ¡°Wow, his smile is amazing¡­¡± ¡°Since the writer is here, shall we have a meal first?¡± It seemed like it would take a while, so Director Park pressed the call bell on the table. ¡°What do you want to do for your next project, Ian?¡± ¡°I want to do something like a romance or a rom¡­¡± ¡°Wow, wouldn¡¯t your fans cry if you did that?¡± ¡°They might like it more, you know?¡± Writer Lee Ju-hee had no idea whether the food was going into her mouth or her nose. She knew that Ian wasing through Director Park. ¡®How about Choi Ian for this role?¡¯ ¡®The idol guy?¡¯ ¡®Do you have a prejudice against idols, writer?¡¯ ¡®No, it¡¯s not that. Isn¡¯t he too¡­ handsome?¡¯ She was also one of the viewers who watched ¡®Heebin Jang¡¯s Wife¡¯ live, so she knew that Ian could act well. But when she saw the reviews of the dramas that Ian starred in, some of them said that they couldn¡¯t focus on the drama because of his face. Some said that his acting was good, but only his face remained in their memory. She felt that her ambition for her first debut work would be dampened if such a small reaction urred in her work. ¡®People are lining up to cast that handsome kid. You should be grateful to me.¡¯ ¡®Really?¡¯ ¡®Yes, you should.¡¯ As soon as the notice of Awi¡¯s team activity suspension came up, ironically, the phone at the agency became hot with iing calls. Most of the calls were about the whereabouts of Jo Tae-woong and whether individual activities were possible if the team activities were suspended, and what Choi Ian¡¯s schedule was like. ¡®To be honest, I want to avoid people with handsome faces. He¡¯s too handsome, even for a handsome guy.¡¯ She thought that Ian was too handsome for a zombie role, but she decided to meet him once because Director Park rmended him so strongly. ¡°Please eat a lot, writer. You can¡¯t eat properly because there¡¯s something like a sun in front of you, right?¡± ¡°Director Park, please be quiet.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± Lee Ju-hee red at Director Park with a murderous look. Director Park shrugged his shoulders. Ian smiled and said, ¡°You two seem close.¡± ¡°Writer Lee was an assistant writer for Writer Yoon.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± She didn¡¯t participate as an assistant writer for ¡®Heebin Jang¡¯s Wife¡¯ because she was preparing to stand on her own. With the active support of Writer Yoon, she was finally able toplete ¡®Z-Day¡¯. ¡°Shall we talk about the work now? You know why you were called here, right?¡± ¡°I do.¡± Director Park smiled meaningfully. Writer Lee took out the script from her bag and handed it to Ian. As the work was mentioned, the writer¡¯s expression became serious. ¡°That¡¯s the role you¡¯re ying.¡± K, Kim Jun-hee Ian nced at Jin. [He¡¯s not the main character. He¡¯s a viin, if you want to be picky.] ¡®Really?¡¯ [He has a backstory.] ¡®Really?¡¯ [He dies in one season, but he¡¯s better than the main character of season one. The main character of season one is unattractive.] There had been a lot of zombie movies and dramastely. ¡®Z-Day¡¯ was riding on that trend, but it also had a new worldview. The world was on the verge of destruction because of zombies. After fighting to the end, humans seeded in developing a vine. But the vine was only half-effective. Zombies who regained some of their sanity while their bodies remained zombie-like started to adapt to society in the midst of hatred and disgust from people who had lost everything because of zombies. ¡®He must have a lot of screen time, right?¡¯ [He does, he carries the first season. Didn¡¯t you watch this drama in your previous life?] ¡®I didn¡¯t.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t even get a glimpse of the script. He thought he would watch it someday because it was a famous work, but he was too busy surviving and forgot about it. ¡°Can I read it for a moment?¡± ¡°Of course, you¡¯re the first one to read it after Director Park.¡± ¡°Really?¡± He wasn¡¯t the main character, but Ian read the script seriously. To be honest, the role that Ian was ying was full of clich¨¦s. The ss difference between humans and zombies, humans who treated zombies like ves. And zombies who endured and waited for aplete vine made by humans. And the zombies, who could not endure any longer, dered war on the humans. K was at the center of it. [Isn¡¯t this too childish?] ¡®I have to convince them with my acting.¡¯ In other words, this story implied the issues that were happening at this moment, such as the racial conflicts or the gap between the rich and the poor. [Who was the original actor for this role? He wasn¡¯t that good at acting, but the final product turned out well. The story was okay, but the action and the direction were amazing. The word of mouth was also because of the action.] ¡®I need to go to an action school. My vacation is over.¡¯ He was not confident in using tools, let alone performing intense action scenes. He even had to use a gun, and a zombie who could handle a gun was quite novel. The author looked nervously at Ian¡¯s face, who was immersed in the script. He felt anxious to show his work to someone other than Director Park. ¡®Good enough.¡¯ The author clenched his fist as he saw Ian enjoying the script. ¡°The script is really good, author.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Especially this part here.¡± ¡°Oh, I put some extra effort into writing that part.¡± Ian praised the author generously. The author smiled brightly and talked enthusiastically about his intentions and expectations for the work. ¡°I also liked this part.¡± ¡°Oh, right. The director also thought a lot about that part.¡± ¡°Is there any part that you didn¡¯t care about, author?¡± Director Park joined the conversation. They maintained a friendly atmosphere as they finished discussing the work. ¡°There are a lot of action scenes, but I don¡¯t know if I can do well.¡± Ian hesitated to ept the role, and Director Park smirked. ¡°You did wellst time, didn¡¯t you? The game advertisement.¡± ¡°Oh, that?¡± Director Park decided to cast Ian as K after seeing the game advertisement he starred in. ¡°Where did you learn that? It looked like you had a separate action director.¡± ¡°No? It was improvised.¡± ¡°Really?¡± It looked quite convincing for an improvisation. Director Park and the author were surprised and looked at each other. *** ¡°It¡¯s already paid for.¡± Ian smiled awkwardly and put his card back. Director Park had handed his card to the counter as soon as they entered the restaurant. ¡°I was going to pay for it¡­¡± ¡°What are you talking about? I should treat you, actor.¡± ¡°You already treated me a lot before.¡± ¡°Hey, it¡¯s okay. Do you know this?¡± Director Park whispered in Ian¡¯s ear. ¡°This is paid by Emflix.¡± This drama was an Emflix original drama. Ian already knew that, but he pretended to be surprised. ¡°¡­Really?¡± ¡°What? You already knew, didn¡¯t you?¡± Director Park looked disappointed. When you get an Emflix original, the production cost was different from the start. There was no pressure on the shooting period, so the schedule was generous, and the budget was overflowing, so the shooting environment was almost the best. Many actors and staff wanted to work on an Emflix original, unlike the hectic drama shooting environment where you had to move from one scene to another. ¡°It¡¯s a zombie drama. There are a lot of them these days. I thought it might be.¡± ¡°Anyway, our actor has a keen sense.¡± Ian smiled sheepishly. Director Parkughed and patted Ian¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s see you at the reading.¡± Chapter 163: Chapter 163: Chapter 163 An actor¡¯s sickness causes amotion. [Exclusive] AWY¡¯s Ian, cast in Mplex original ¡®Z-Day¡¯¡­ Continues his trendsetting path ¡®Z-Day¡¯ AWY¡¯s Ian, this time he¡¯s a zombie! Reunites with director Park Pyo-hyun of ¡®Hee-bin Jang¡¯s n¡¯ (Park Jin-hyuk3) Wow ¨C 13:41 (Park Jin-hyuk3) Awesome ¨C 13:41 (Hyun-hyun3) His hand looks like a ck dragon is sleeping on it ¨C 13:43 (Dancing King Kim Joo-young2) The dark of darkness???? ¨C 13:45 Park Jin-hyuk sent a picture that was attached to the article, which was a concept art of Ian¡¯s face. [They have so much budget that they even care about this detail, they chose him well, right?] In the illustration, Ian was wearing a ck tech wear and had a dark and troubled expression on his face. It was so realistic that it looked like a photo, as if it was done by a skilled illustrator. ¡­In ¡®Z-Day¡¯, Ian ys the mysterious character K. ©¸I¡¯m going crazy???????? ©¸Wow, I¡¯m looking forward to it ©¸Is he a sub-male? He¡¯s a good actor, so it¡¯ll be fun to watch AWY had used tech wear as a stage costume before. The fans uploaded high-quality photos of that time and expressed their anticipation. -Is this the vibe they¡¯re going for? Ah??????? I¡¯m already nervous -Let¡¯s do a drama meme cup to celebrate Ian¡¯s drama -How about a hot-cold cup? When a big schedule spoileres out, the fans usually have a festive mood. Ian¡¯s fans also enjoyed the festive mood by collecting Ian¡¯s activity photos and doing a legend meme world cup. (Lee Joo-hyuk3) Where is Ian right now? ¨C 13:48 (Ian5) I¡¯m at the action school ¨C 13:48 Ian turned on the camera app and sent a selfie that he took in real time to the group chat. (Seo Da-mi2) ? ¨C 13:50 (Seo Da-mi2) Hyung, is that a gun in your hand? ¨C 13:50 (Cho-tang4) Why do you need a gun? ¨C 13:51 (Ian5) I need it for the shooting ¨C 13:51 (Hyun-hyun3) Does a zombie shoot a gun? ¨C 13:51 (Hyun-hyun3) That¡¯s awesome ¨C 13:51 (Park Jin-hyuk3) lol ¨C 13:51 Everyone seemed to have nothing to do, as the chat messages went up quickly. Ian watched the chat with a smile on his lips, then turned off the screen at the call of the action director. ¡°Are you all rested?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Good, do you want to try it again?¡± Ian moved as he had rehearsed with the director. Ian swung his right arm. It looked weak, but it had to have some weight. ¡°How is it?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s try it differently this time. You know what we did before, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± This time, the action director lifted one leg and hit Ian¡¯s side. It was rehearsed, so it didn¡¯t touch his side, but Ian fell like a limp doll. There was a mat on the floor, so it didn¡¯t hurt. Ian quickly got into position and aimed the model gun he was holding. ¡°That¡¯s it. Do you want to see it?¡± The action director, Jung Dong-joon, reached out and helped Ian up. They looked at the movement they had just done through the camera that was installed in advance. ¡°Here, the part where you aim the gun is too natural, right? We have to be a bit clumsy.¡± ¡°Right, should I do it like this?¡± Ian aimed the model gun at the air. Jung Dong-joon¡¯s eyes sparkled. Ian didn¡¯t notice Jung Dong-joon¡¯s gaze. He scratched the back of his head with a troubled expression. ¡°It¡¯s hard.¡± ¡°You¡¯re doing really well for your first time. You¡¯ll get better with a little practice.¡± Jung Dong-joon said calmly, but he was surprised inside. ¡®He¡¯s better than I thought¡­¡¯ If there¡¯s one thing that characterizes a zombie, it¡¯s that they limp or move unnaturally like a doll or a machine. They had to show that corpse-like movement, but also show that they were still sane, and give the viewer some room for imagination. ¡®He¡¯s good, right? He just needs a little polishing and I won¡¯t have anything to teach him.¡¯ Ian showed the action moves he had learned from the director, and incorporated the zombie movements he had seen in the media. Jung Dong-joon captured Ian¡¯s movements with a camera and sent them to director Park Pyo-hyun in real time. ¡°How about this?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t look cool enough. You can put more strength in your body. Let¡¯s film it and send it to Park director.¡± The role of K that Ian yed was a viin who carried the whole season 1, so he had to have some weight and presence. Ian fiddled with the model gun in his hand. It was a prop that he would use often during the shooting. K was a half-zombie who had been vinated halfway, so he needed the power of tools more than his bare body. ¡°Should I hold it with both hands?¡± ¡°Zombies are living corpses, right? They have a feeling that they can¡¯t control their finger strength, like this.¡± ¡°Is this good?¡± ¡°Or maybe we can tie his hand and gun together. That would be cool too.¡± Ian changed his pose several times. Jung Dong-joon, who was close friends with director Park Pyo-hyun, watched him with a smirk. ¡®Director Park would love this.¡¯ *** As soon as she heard the news of Ian¡¯s drama appearance, Awidem Kim Eun-ha forgot about her diet and ate maratang. She met with her Homma friends, who she still kept in touch with, and had a lively conversation. Kim Eun-ha found their gossip quite interesting. ¡°By the way, sis. Ian is in an Emflix drama this time, right?¡± ¡°Oh, that one?¡± Unlike Kim Eun-ha¡¯s excited reaction, Ian¡¯s Hom Master, Sugar Crush, sighed heavily. Kim Eun-ha smiled awkwardly. ¡°Is that not good?¡± ¡°The Drazums will stick to him again. They were so annoying during ¡®Heebin Jangssi¡¯. I¡¯m d there¡¯s no offline event.¡± Drazums? Drama ajummas? What? Aren¡¯t you an ajumma yourself? Kim Eun-ha chuckled inwardly. She had a sense of pride that she was younger and had a brighter future than them, even though she hung out with them. Not that there was much difference in their ages. As soon as Sugar Crush mentioned it, Kim Hyun¡¯s Homma, Blue Delight, pped her hands and made a fuss. ¡°Oh, I know. When I was into Jupiter Hee-woong, the Drazums were all over him too.¡± ¡°You were into Jupiter too? The world is small.¡± They widened their eyes and looked at each other. They chatted excitedly about who they liked in Jupiter and how it was back then. Kim Eun-ha felt a bit left out, but she just listened quietly as their fan talk was amusing. ¡°But sis, is it that bad when the Drazums stick to him? The ones I was into didn¡¯t act, so¡­¡± When their conversation dragged on, Kim Eun-ha asked a question. ¡°Ugh, don¡¯t even mention it.¡± Sugar Crush waved her hand and frowned. ¡°First of all, the Drazums have this kind of¡­¡± ¡°Unfounded confidence that they enjoy a higher culture than the idol fans.¡± ¡°They think the idol fans are all immature students and they act like they are the cultured adults who broaden the base of the cultural life¡­¡± Sugar Crush and Blue Delight scowled. She took a sip of her americano and cleared her throat. ¡°It was crazy when I was into Jupiter Jeon Hee-woong. The Drazums who came from ¡®Speeding¡¯ said that Hee-woong should quit Jupiter because he was sessful in dramas and movies and Jupiter was holding him back. It was the peak of their monthly sales back then. Who was holding who back?¡± ¡°Oh, I know. Did you go to the Jupiter concert? The wording was different. They said they came in because of the drama, but they emphasized how noble and precious they were toe to this shabby ce.¡± ¡°I think I know what you mean. I met some of those people too. Anyway, they have the actor disease. It¡¯s a mess when they stick to him. The fandom atmosphere gets ruined 100 percent.¡± Kim Eun-ha listened to their conversation with an intrigued face and didn¡¯t even notice that she had finished her drink. She sucked the empty air in the straw and made a loud noise. ¡°Ian also got a lot of weird aggro in themunity after ¡®Heebin Jangssi¡¯. Something about his screen time and the drama quality.¡± ¡°I saw some articles saying that he should do movies instead of this when it came out.¡± Kim Eun-ha forced a smile. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s probably reverse viral. There must be some nice people too. And ¡®Z-Day¡¯ is a zombie drama. How many Drazums can stick to him?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s true. But even if there are some nice people, the ones who raise their voices are mostly jerks. Do you want anything else? I¡¯ll buy it for you.¡± ¡°Really? Thank you. I¡¯ll go get it.¡± Kim Eun-ha smiled brightly as she took Blue Delight¡¯s card. These people were older than her, so they treated her kindly if she called them sis. That was a big advantage, as she could get free drinks like this. ¡°By the way, I¡¯m so bored these days. I only do stand-ins once or twice. Oh, thanks.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no one who makes money like Awidem.¡± Sugar Crush and Blue Delight sipped the drinks that Kim Eun-ha brought. As Awidem filled the void of Mydier, the stand-in photographers who sold the photos they took also had the highest data price for Awidem. ¡°Ian¡¯s outie photo card price went crazy, Eun-ha. You should sell it if you have a lot.¡± ¡°I only have one.¡± ¡°What a waste.¡± Sugar Crush and Blue Delight collected Awidem¡¯s B-grade photos and sold the data. Of course, they uploaded the A-grade photos to their homes after editing them nicely. And of course, the money they made from this was all spent on following the singer¡¯s schedule. The Homma scene was in the red except for a few top seed Hommas. Of course, the top seed Hommas also had to do proper advertising and birthday support for the singer with the money they made from selling the season¡¯s greetings or photobooks, or they would be reported by other fans and get a tax audit. ¡°I¡¯m thinking of going to shoot Fever, there¡¯s a kid named Lim No-eul who¡¯s kind of my type.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Eunha Kim.¡± ¡°Are you a Fever fan? Are you going to join their fan site?¡± Fever was a boy group from BHL Entertainment that was about to debut soon. The other girls looked at her with incredulous expressions when they heard her question. ¡°She¡¯s so naive.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like we¡¯re in love with them, it¡¯s just for fun. You know how many people switch fandoms these days.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you try it too? It¡¯s fun to follow them around.¡± Eunha Kim shook her head. She didn¡¯t have the information and skills to chase after their every schedule, even the unofficial ones, and take photos like them. ¡°No, I¡¯m still a student. I don¡¯t have money to buy a camera.¡± ¡°There are many ces where you can rent a camera.¡± Sugar Crush gently shook her shoulder. They had the same bias, so they thought it would be fun to hang out together. ¡°Don¡¯t you get bored when theye back and start doing fan meetings? You¡¯ve been there, you know.¡± ¡°It was boring.¡± ¡°They pay more attention to you if you have a camera. Ian is really good at finding cameras. I can¡¯t switch fandoms because of him.¡± Sugar Crush, who was Ian¡¯s home master, had a dreamy expression on her face. She remembered how he smiled at her through the lens. Blue Delight also joined in with a giggly smile. ¡°Yeah, he really does. I was taking pictures of someone else because I couldn¡¯t see Hyun, and then I made eye contact with Ian and got a legendary photo.¡± The signing time was only about 10 minutes, and after getting the signature, they had to wait until the end of the fan meeting. They couldn¡¯t even look at their phones in case they missed something cute that their bias did with the fan sign items. Maybe it would be better to take pictures instead. ¡®Well, it was really boring.¡¯ Eunha Kim started to give in to their persuasion. Blue Delight and Sugar Crush noticed the change in her expression and made a fuss. ¡°You said you¡¯re an art student, right? You must know how to use some programs. Perfect.¡± ¡°Seoyoon also bought a camera recently. She said she¡¯s going to follow them.¡± ¡°Oh, is that why she posted a camera? I thought it was weird. It would be nice if Seoyoon came with us¡­¡± Seoyoon was one of their chat room friends and the same age as Eunha Kim. ¡®Should I give it a try?¡¯ Eunha Kim bit her straw and tilted her head. Chapter 164: Chapter 164: Chapter 164 It reminds me of our debut. Ian, who had learned various martial arts moves and wire action at Action School, finally had some free time. Of course, he didn¡¯t just y around during his free time. [Where are you going?] ¡®To the practice room.¡¯ [Again?] ¡®I¡¯m stillcking.¡¯ Ian went to the basement of his agency to practice his script in the practice room before going to the drama reading. As he was going down the stairs, the hallway was noisy. The trainees who were about to debut were getting drinks from the vending machine. ¡®Was their group name Fever?¡¯ As Ian entered the hallway, Lim No-eul, who had spotted him, spat out the drink he had just taken a sip of. ¡°Cough, cough¡­ Hello, hyung!¡± ¡°Oh, hi No-eul. Hey, guys. Long time no see.¡± The trainees looked at Ian with envy in their eyes. Ian felt awkward under their gaze and smiled first. ¡°You guys are debuting, right? You¡¯ve worked hard. Your concept is awesome.¡± ¡°Yes, hyung. Thank you.¡± ¡°Congrattions. I heard Show-K is hosting your debut show, right? Ah, I wish I could go, but I have a shooting schedule¡­¡± ¡°No, hyung.¡± Somehow, their eyes seemed more intense when he smiled. Was it his imagination? Ian felt strange when he met the eyes of the trainees who were shy around him. He was not used to being a senior. ¡°No-eul, you¡¯vee a long way since you copsed on stage¡­¡± ¡°Ah, hyung, don¡¯t bring up my dark past!¡± Lim No-eul stomped his feet as he remembered that time. Behind him, there was a trainee he hadn¡¯t seen before. Was he the rumored trainee who had risen to the debut team in a short period of time? ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Hi. You¡¯re Lee Ha-yan, right?¡± ¡°Yes. How did you know?¡± ¡°There was a buzz in thepany that a trainee like me joined.¡± ¡°Me?¡± How good must he be at singing to surpass the long-term trainees who had been waiting for their debut? He was one of the people he was looking forward to in the future. ¡°That¡¯s right, we wouldn¡¯t have a main vocal without him.¡± ¡°No, we wouldn¡¯t have debuted at all without a main vocal.¡± Following Ian, the other trainees praised Lee Ha-yan, who looked flustered. [You guys are not arrogant, and neither are they. Where did thispany find these guys?] ¡®I know, right? It¡¯s amazing.¡¯ The Awi members were also not arrogant. Ian smiled warmly as he looked at the fresh-faced trainees before their debut. That was the most exciting time. ¡®It¡¯s a good time.¡¯ [Are you already old? Well, if you add your previous life¡­] ¡®Shut up.¡¯ Ian patted Lim No-eul¡¯s shoulder and said. ¡°You guys are busy, right? I won¡¯t hold you up any longer. I came here to practice too. Congrattions on your debut, and see youter.¡± ¡°Yes, hyung!¡± The trainees bowed their heads and greeted him. As expected of apany that valued manners, their greeting was already like a drill. ¡®Geez, it¡¯s awkward. Did ck Rush feel like this when they saw us?¡¯ [Probably.] Ian felt goosebumps on his arms. He turned his back and headed to Awi¡¯s dance practice room. Behind Ian, the trainees whispered. ¡°Wow, shit¡­ He¡¯s so handsome.¡± ¡°Shh, hey, we can¡¯t swear anymore.¡± ¡°Oh, right. But how can you not swear when you see that face? And he¡¯s so nice. He always buys us snacks.¡± ¡°Totally agree.¡± ¡°Shh, don¡¯t say shit or totally either. Mouth, mouth. Do you want to die?¡± ¡°Hyung, you¡¯re saying it too!¡± The trainee who was going to be the leader of Fever pped the mouths of the other trainees who swore. Lim No-eul¡¯s indignant voice faded away. At the end of the hallway, there were Lee Joo-hyuk and Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s studios. ¡®I guess they¡¯re here too, since they¡¯re heading to the recording studio.¡¯ He wanted to say hello to them, but unfortunately he didn¡¯t have time. Ian entered Awi¡¯s dance practice room with his worn-out script. ¡®It reminds me of our debut.¡¯ Ian closed the door of the practice room and chuckled. Awi also had to manage their swearing before their debut, and Lee Joo-hyuk would discipline them like that. They would also bet on each other and crack down on it. ¡®How about we pay 500 won every time we use profanity?¡¯ ¡®500 won is too weak, let¡¯s add 5 minutes of nk every time we swear.¡¯ ¡®5 minutes of nk? That¡¯s totally possible.¡¯ ¡®Shut up.¡¯ ¡®What? You think you can beat me? Hey, Kim Joo-young, I¡¯ll smash your head.¡¯ ¡®What? My head? Hey, Jo Tae-woong, you lie down too.¡¯ ¡®Idiots.¡¯ ¡®What? Idiot? Hey, Choi Ian, stand next to Jo Tae-woong.¡¯ ¡®Why is idiot an insult!¡¯ It was fun back then¡­ Ian, who was lost in his memories for a moment, stretched out his arms. ¡°Ah! I want to be on stage too.¡± He groaned along with his stretch. He opened the script and started to focus. It was time to concentrate. *** Time passed, and it was the day of the script reading for ¡®Z-Day¡¯. ¡®Z-Day¡¯ was a blockbuster drama with a production cost of over 3 billion won per episode. That¡¯s why there were quite a few reporters who were expected to attend the script reading. ¡°Oh? It¡¯s Myung-jin hyung. Long time no see, hyung.¡± So Ian went to the shop early in the morning to get his hair done. Kim Myung-jin handed him a coffee he bought nearby. ¡°Dong-soo hyung went to Tae-woong.¡± ¡°His grandmother¡¯s ce? It takes a long time to get there.¡± ¡°I was going to go, but it¡¯s Tae-woong. Dong-soo hyung insisted on going himself.¡± How thoughtful. Ian drank his coffee and leaned back on the seat. ¡°They might hire more road managers when you guys start your activities.¡± ¡°Oh, then will you finally be a team leader?¡± ¡°I¡¯m still far from that. Dong-soo hyung will be a manager.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t Dong-soo hyungte? He¡¯s been working since ck Rush¡¯s road days, right?¡± Park Dong-soo actively took on tasks that could be delegated to Kim Myung-jin. It was because of his active personality. ¡°That¡¯s right, he should move up. Dong-soo hyung is getting married too.¡± ¡°Oh, with the director? Did they set a date?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Kim Myung-jin decided to tell him everything since Ian seemed to know everything already. He turned his back and looked at Ian¡¯s face when the car stopped for a moment. ¡°But how did you know?¡± ¡°There are ways to know. Hyung, look ahead. The light changed.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a shaman¡­¡± Ian had been watching them closely whenever he ran into them since Jin told him. The atmosphere was not good, and he felt like he would have noticed it even if Jin hadn¡¯t told him. ¡°Do the others know?¡± ¡°Who knows? I¡¯ll have to ask them.¡± Ian immediately opened the group chat. There were over 100 unread messages, and since Jo Tae-woong came back from his grandmother¡¯s ce, everyone had been waking up early and chatting in the group chat. (Ian5) We need to prepare a congrattory song ¨C 10:11 (Park Jin-hyuk3) All of a sudden? ¨C 10:11 (Lee Joo-hyuk3) Who¡¯s getting married? ¨C 10:11 (Ian5) Dong-soo hyung and Director Seo are getting married ¨C 10:11 (Seo Da-mi2) ? ¨C 10:12 (Dancing King Kim Joo-young2) ??? ¨C 10:12 The chat room was filled with question marks. Everyone was using emoticons as if they wanted to show off their new ones. (Hyun-hyun3) What¡¯s with the giant emoticons, have some manners ¨C 10:16 (Jo-tan4) I didn¡¯t know ¨C 10:17 (Jo-tan4) I¡¯m usually the first one to tell you these things ¨C 10:17 Jo Tae-woong was usually the first one to notice these things. He had connections with thepany people and always told them the news first. (Hyun-hyun3) lol ¨C 10:18 (Hyun-hyun3) That¡¯s why you shoulde back to Seoul soon ¨C 10:18 (Jo-tan4) ?? ¨C 10:18 *** ¡®Where are you going?¡¯ [I don¡¯t find reading fun. I¡¯ll go see the filming site.] As soon as Ian got out of the van, Jin disappeared like smoke. Ian didn¡¯t think much of it since Jin sometimes disappeared to clear his mind. Ian entered the building lobby with Kim Myung-jin and an office worker who was in the building noticed him and gasped. ¡°Gasp!¡± ¡°Hello.¡± Ian greeted him with a smile out of habit. The employee who had gone out to buy coffee stared nkly at Ian as he passed by and then btedly picked up his phone. ¡°Hey¡­!¡± As Ian was about to close the elevator door, someone called out and he pressed the door open button repeatedly. Someone came into the elevator panting. Kim Myung-jin stepped back and Ian smiled and bowed. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Hello.¡± It was Kim Min-jae, who yed the role of Nao Shin, the main character of ¡®Z-Day¡¯. Kim Min-jae was shy around new people, but Ian talked to him as if he had seen him yesterday. They had a lot of scenes together, so it was better to get along quickly. ¡°I heard you had an ident. Are you okay?¡± Ian asked. ¡°Uh, yes.¡± Minjae replied. ¡°Car idents can have longsting effects, you know.¡± Ian said. Minjae was one of the candidates for the role of Chuntaek in ¡°Heebin¡¯s Husband¡±. In his previous life, he would have been confirmed for the role, not Ian. But he had a car ident and lost the opportunity to Junseo. ¡°Yes. I wasn¡¯t hurt that much, though¡­¡± Minjae said with a slightly nervous face. ¡®Wow, his face is wless. No blemishes at all.¡¯ He had watched ¡°Heebin¡¯s Husband¡± from his hospital room and felt bitter about the role he missed. He was also jealous of Ian, who gained a huge poprity as Chuntaek. ¡®He seems nice, too¡­¡¯ He couldn¡¯t hate Ian, who had a smile that melted his heart. He felt ashamed of his own feelings. ¡°You¡¯re 25, right? You¡¯re my hyung.¡± Ian said. ¡°You can speak casually to me.¡± Minjae said. ¡°Then you can call mefortably, too.¡± Ian said. As they entered the reading ce, the reporters murmured and clicked their cameras. ¡°They¡¯re here.¡± ¡°They came together?¡± Ian bowed to them and Minjae followed suit. Some of the reporters muttered to themselves. ¡°Kim Minjae is greeting us all.¡± ¡°That¡¯s rare.¡± Minjae was a model-turned-actor who had a solid reputation and career in the modeling industry. He was born with talent and a wealthy family, so he had a high self-esteem and confidence. He didn¡¯t feel the need to impress the reporters, and he disliked them after meeting a rude one when he started acting. ¡°He doesn¡¯t look bad next to the model.¡± ¡°Even if you take random shots, they look like pictorials. Pictorials. Are you uploading them now?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t provoke him and just praise him. Choi Ian has a different click rate.¡± The reporters were busy taking photos and uploading articles of the blockbuster drama and the rising star Ian. Ian greeted the other actors and looked up at the noise. The director, Park, and the writer, Lee, wereing in. ¡°Are you all here?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s introduce ourselves briefly before we start the reading.¡± Ian¡¯s role was technically a viin, but he was almost a co-lead with Minjae. Park sat in front of Minjae and Lee sat in front of Ian. They faced each other. Park and Lee introduced themselves briefly, and then it was Ian and Minjae¡¯s turn. The reporters pressed their shutters eagerly. ¡°K, I¡¯m Ian, ying the role of Kim Junhee. Nice to meet you.¡± After the other actors introduced themselves, there was a brief silence. Park pped his hands and lightened the mood. ¡°Shall we start the reading, then?¡± He gestured to the assistant director, who opened the script. Chapter 165: Chapter 165: Chapter 165 Just go and have a meal. The night before, Na Woo-shin had a dream of being bitten by a zombie. He still felt uneasy even after lunch the next day. ¡°Woo-shin, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, no, nothing.¡± Kim Min-jae, who yed the protagonist Na Woo-shin, answered with a trembling voice. He kept his eyes on the script and scratched his throat. He rolled his eyes nervously and breathed heavily. ¡®Wow, he¡¯s good.¡¯ He immersed himself in the role in an instant. He was indeed a future top star. ¡®Come to think of it, Kim Min-jae became famous after this drama.¡¯ Kim Min-jae¡¯s hard work changed the other actors¡¯ attitudes. Ian took a sip of water and swallowed it. ¡®I can¡¯t ck off either.¡¯ The actors turned the page of the script. They moved on to the next scene, and it was finally Ian¡¯s turn. The assistant director read the narration, and Ian looked up at his co-star. ¡°What are you?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°What¡¯s that blood smell?¡± The co-star avoided Ian¡¯s gaze. It wasn¡¯t intentional. He was involuntarily intimidated by Ian¡¯s intense eyes and cold voice. ¡®Good.¡¯ The dry voice and the gloomy atmosphere. It was exactly the image he had in mind when he wrote the script. Lee Joo-hee, the writer, clenched her fist secretly. Ian red at his co-star as if he was going to kill him and said his line. ¡°Did you bite a human?¡± ¡°Uh, no¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Ian raised his hand. His fingers twitched and shook. It was an expression of the zombie¡¯s clumsy movement that couldn¡¯t control his body. ¡®That look¡­¡¯ Park Tae-hyun, the director, raised one eyebrow as if he was amused. ¡°Did you bite a human or not?¡± ¡°Well, that¡­¡± ¡°Answer me!¡± Ian shouted with a vein popping on his neck. His pressure silenced everyone in the room. ¡®He¡¯s just reading, why is he so serious?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m not ready yet.¡¯ ¡®Where¡¯s my part?¡¯ The two top stars acted as if they were being filmed by a camera, and the atmosphere became more and more tense. The other actors drank water and waited for their turn. ¡®I might lose everything to them.¡¯ Just like Ian, who yed a supporting role in ¡®Hee-bin Jang¡¯s Family¡¯, stole all the attention. Kim Min-jae also swallowed his saliva nervously. The co-star nodded his head. ¡°Uh¡­ uh¡­¡± ¡°Damn it.¡± The moment they bit a human, and the moment they were caught, the zombies in this area couldn¡¯t save their lives. Ian swept his bangs up. Anger at the co-star who caused the trouble, despair at being pushed to the edge, and desperation to find a way out of this situation. Various emotions were reflected on his face in a short moment. The director noticed his facial changes and covered his mouth with one hand. It was to hide the smile on his lips. ¡®This is¡­ crazy.¡¯ The director and the writer failed to control their expressions and burst intoughter. The reporters captured the situation with their cameras. *** ¡°Good job, everyone.¡± The reading was over, and people got up from their seats with the sound of chairs being dragged. ¡°Was I okay, writer?¡± ¡°You were perfect. You scratched your throat on purpose, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± While Ian was talking to the writer, the director and Kim Min-jae approached him. ¡°Take it easy. You¡¯re scary.¡± ¡°You were too good, hyung.¡± I might get eaten if I do well twice. Kim Min-jae handed his phone to Ian. Ian also gave him his phone and they exchanged numbers. ¡°You both did very well, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t wait to start filming.¡± They receivedpliments from the director and the writer and finished the reading. Ian greeted the other actors and went out to the hallway. Kim Myung-jin was waiting for him in the hallway. ¡°Nice picture.¡± Kim Myung-jin had brought a camera, and it was to take a picture for Awi¡¯s official blog. He took a photo of Ian while he was doing the reading. ¡°You look good even if I just snap it.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Look at this. The fans will love it, right?¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Kim Myung-jin and Ian smiled proudly. ¡°Shall we go now? I want to upload this quickly.¡± ¡°Hyung, you go ahead. I¡¯ll go to the bathroom.¡± ¡°Okay? Then I¡¯ll hold the elevator for you.¡± Kim Myung-jin headed to the opposite direction, and Ian went into the bathroom. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Just a moment, bathroom. Go first.¡± And there was a gaze that followed Ian. Ian noticed that gaze and deliberately went into the bathroom. The man followed Ian into the bathroom. Ian was washing his hands. ¡°Hello, Mr. Ian.¡± ¡°Hi, hello.¡± ¡°I watched your reading very well. You¡¯re very good at acting.¡± Ian looked at him through the mirror. Ian recognized the man without Jin¡¯s help, because among the reporters who took pictures and diligently uploaded articles, the man who did nothing stood out. ¡°Thank you. But who are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Yang In-joon from FactFix.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no paper towel here.¡± Yang In-joon reached out his right hand to shake hands. Ian showed him his wet hand and avoided the handshake. ¡°But, FactFix¡­ You¡¯re not following me anymore, right?¡± Ian said with a smile. Of course, it was a joke with a hint of truth. Ian, the popr member of Awi, was always the target of fans and reporters. Yang In-joonughed. ¡°Ourpany has a bad image, I know.¡± He didn¡¯t say he wouldn¡¯t follow him anyway. Ian smirked. ¡°But, why did you follow me here? Do you have something to say?¡± ¡°Oh, did I show too much interest?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been staring at me persistently since earlier.¡± Ian moved away from Yang In-joon. His tone, his behavior, and his slightly vile expression. People say you have to experience it to know, but Yang In-joon didn¡¯t appeal to him from the first impression. ¡°Cheonghwa Group.¡± Ian sighed as if he expected it. The members kept saying it was suspicious, and they were right. ¡°You¡¯ve done a lot of ads, right?¡± Yang In-joon thought Ian had a sponsor attached to his back, the Yewenli of China¡¯s Shinwa Media Group. So he tried to lure him gently after giving him a carrot he couldn¡¯t refuse. ¡°So what?¡± Ian crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. All of a sudden, Cheonghwa Group and its affiliates offered a lot of ads, not only for Ian personally, but for the whole group. At that time, Awi¡¯s poprity was soaring, and he wondered if it was because of the syndrome that spread as ¡®Heebin Jang¡¯s wife¡¯. ¡®It was weird, though.¡¯ He felt suspicious while happily doing the ads, and he was right. ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious why Cheonghwa Group suddenly offered you a lot of ads?¡± That¡¯s because I and our group are doing well. Ian raised one eyebrow. He knew this was not the answer Yang In-joon wanted. ¡°¡­Should I be grateful to them?¡± ¡°VIPs are very interested in you, Mr. Ian.¡± Yang In-joon found out that Ian had no real sponsors when he dug into his background. ¡®Tsk, it would have been easier if he was a loser.¡¯ He tried to poke him through his agency, but BHL Entertainment was one of the rare clean ones in the entertainment industry. The artists were steadily making profits, so the foundation was solid, and they naturally refused to protect their artists. ¡®But this is an opportunity.¡¯ But it would be different if he offered him personally. If it was beneficial to Ian, he wouldn¡¯t be able to refuse, or at least, that¡¯s what Yang In-joon thought. ¡°Idols have a short-lived poprity, so you have to build a solid foundation. Don¡¯t you agree?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You know that the Korean entertainment industry is a different world from your family, right? I mean, your family is powerful, I know. But¡­¡± Yang In-joon brushed off the dust on Ian¡¯s shoulder. Ian felt disgusted by his touch and got goosebumps, but he kept a calm expression. ¡°Is this the only ad? It will continue, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°All you have to do, Mr. Ian, is go to the ce I arranged for you and have a meal.¡± A simple meal wouldter be a bar, and then a hotel. It was an obvious fact. ¡°What do you gain from doing this?¡± Yang Injun did not answer. He probably thought it was a given that he would ept. But Ian was different. ¡®If I were Kim Yongmin, I might have hesitated at this offer.¡¯ He always had trouble wherever he went, and failed by a hair¡¯s breadth in everything he chose. He wished he had a good face at least, so he could get a sponsor. He had thought that way before. ¡°I don¡¯t expect much from an entertainment reporter, but¡­¡± But now he was different. ¡°Are you out of work at FactFix? Why don¡¯t you do some errands for your sponsors and introduce me to some celebrities?¡± Well, that¡¯s what he was good at, not chasing after celebrities and getting nothing out of it. ¡°You can have that nice meal for yourself.¡± Ian brushed off the dust on his shoulder, just like Yang Injun had done to him. ¡°Buy some clothes with the money you get from introducing celebrities¡­ And I hope we don¡¯t see each other again.¡± Ian left the bathroom after saying that. Yang Injun stared at his own shoulder that Ian had dusted off, and then exhaled in disbelief. ¡°That brat¡­¡± ¡®Z-Day¡¯ reveals the first script reading scene¡­ breathtaking performances unfold [¡ïScene] This time it¡¯s zombies ¡®Z-Day¡¯ Ahwi Ian, exudes a reversal atmosphere Then, some sketch photos of the scene were posted on Ahwi¡¯s blog. The photo that drew the most attention was the one of Ian pushing someone away with blood on his neck. ©¸????He¡¯s crazy *** Crazy?????????? *** ¡°Huh? Cheonghwa Group hired Eom Ji-hwan as their model?¡± ¡°¡­Wasn¡¯t he under a one-year contract with us?¡± It had only been three months since they shot the ad. The agency was busy dealing with the sudden news of model recement, right before the on-air date. ¡°What¡¯s the reason?¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t tell us anything. They didn¡¯t even mention the penalty fee.¡± Even if the advertiser had the upper hand, this was againstmon sense, wasn¡¯t it? Seo Su-ryeon leaned against the wall with her arms crossed. ¡°But¡­ they said they want to keep the contract for the duration?¡± ¡°What kind of nonsense is that? Let me make a phone call.¡± How could they change the model while the contract was still valid? It wasn¡¯t just about the money, but also about the exposure. Since the team was on hiatus, they needed to stay in the media with the ads they had already filmed. She thought about it again and it still didn¡¯t make sense. Seo Su-ryeon frowned. ¡°What¡¯s going on all of a sudden?¡± *** Ian could confirm the news through an article. He was browsing the news on a portal site during a break from reading the script. He had a face in mind when he saw the news that someone else was chosen as the model for the advertisement he had auditioned for. ¡®Yang Injun, was it his doing? I didn¡¯t think he had that much influence.¡¯ What a dirty trick. Ian snorted. ¡®He got another celebrity instead of me.¡¯ And that celebrity was a supporting actor who would be filming with him in ¡®Z-Day¡¯. Suddenly, Ian¡¯s phone rang with a text message notification. (Look, these are the things you should have gotten.) ¡°Shut up.¡± Ian marked that number as spam. Chapter 166: Chapter 166: Chapter 166 Z-Day. (1) A few dayster, the character posters for ¡®Z-Day¡¯ were released. In the photo, Ian was wearing something like a dog muzzle and staring at the camera. His dark atmosphere and expressive eyes caused a huge reaction as soon as they were revealed. -OMG Z-Day poster is out go go go ©¸Wow ©¸WTF muzzle ©¸He knows how to drive the fans crazy ©¸I wish it woulde out soon ©¸Fck fck I love it so much TT_TT -The director is famous but the writer is weak The casting is weaker than I expected and the supporting actors are not that great lol. The setting is wasted. ©¸You don¡¯t know ©¸True, if it was on public TV, it wouldn¡¯t have been aired ©¸There are so many haters here Ian¡¯s name was trending on the real-time search, and the fans enjoyed the festive mood. ¡°What is this, is this your lunch?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Unlike the fans, Ian was frowning and chewing on some carrots. Kim Joo-young looked at Ian¡¯s diet on the table and turned his head as if he saw something he shouldn¡¯t have. ¡°Why do you only eat this?¡± ¡°I need to lose weight.¡± ¡°Oh, because of the drama?¡± Ian nodded and bit a cucumber. Park Jin-hyuk patted Ian¡¯s shoulder and said. ¡°Well, you have too good of a body for a zombie.¡± ¡°You lose muscle when you lose weight, right? I worked out a lot, it¡¯s a shame.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk¡¯s final blow made Ian look sad. The members around Ianughed and teased him. ¡°How did you make this body?¡± ¡°Hyung, you can make it againter with exercise. It will take a long time, though.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll eat a lot of delicious things for you.¡± How generous of you. Ian narrowed his eyes, and the membersughed and dispersed to their rooms. Ian had received apliment mixed with criticism from the writer Lee Joo-hee that his body was too good after the drama reading. ¡®I guess it¡¯s a good thing that I¡¯m not doing album activities.¡¯ He had to lose some weight for the character he was ying, even if he didn¡¯t be skinny. Ian was sighing at the table when the members came out with their coats and prepared to go out. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Tae-woong is nearby, so we¡¯re going to eat with him.¡± ¡°Lucky you.¡± Ian put down the cucumber in his hand. He had no appetite for the tasteless food. ¡®I went to too many restaurants with Kim Joo-young.¡¯ He might lose weight quickly at this rate. Ian looked at the backs of the members heading to the entrance. ¡°But you¡¯re eating outside?¡± ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re going to a ce that¡¯s not too crowded, but I guess he¡¯s gotten a lot better.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Jo Tae-woong was reluctant to go to ces where people gathered, but now he was able to eat out with them. ¡°We¡¯ll be back.¡± ¡°Bye.¡± Ian put the food back in the fridge and opened the script. *** While waiting for the filming of ¡®Z-Day¡¯, Ian made his body and went to the action school regrly. He also didn¡¯t forget to reach out to his fans while practicing his acting. He posted a selfie every day, and sometimes uploaded a cover song video when he had time. ¡°Is Ian here?¡± ¡°Hello.¡± The filming of ¡®Z-Day¡¯ finally started. Ian headed to the makeup room as soon as he arrived at the set. ¡°Your skin tone is so bright that you don¡¯t need much makeup.¡± They made his face pale and gray, and he wore the prepared costume and muzzle. ¡°Are you not in pain?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± He said that, but it was ufortable. Ian scratched the leather strap around his head and went to the set. ¡°Hyung, hello.¡± ¡°Hi. You¡¯re done with the makeup?¡± ¡°Yes, how is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s very¡­ dog-like.¡± He was wearing something like a dog muzzle, so it looked like that. The scene that was going to be filmed today was the first meeting between the role yed by Kim Min-jae, Na Woo-shin, and the role yed by Ian, K. Ian watched the set being prepared next to Kim Min-jae, who had finished getting ready. ¡°Have you done a lot of filming in ces like this?¡± ¡°This is my first time too.¡± ¡°Do you think you can do well here?¡± The setting was a post-apocalyptic world, so they had to use a lot of CG work to create a deste and ruined atmosphere. Behind the pre-made set, there was a green screen stretched out. ¡°We have to try.¡± The green screen was one of the factors that hindered immersion. Maybe that¡¯s why Kim Min-jae looked unsure as he looked around. [Wow, look at the effort they put into the set¡­] ¡®It must be hard to get into the mood.¡¯ Ian had talked to Jo Min-hwan, who had experienced acting on a green screen before filming, on the phone. Jo Min-hwan had encouraged him, saying that he would have no problem, but when he faced the set, he almostughed bitterly. ¡°Do you want to see the script?¡± Director Park Pyo-hyun had spared no expense to help the actors¡¯ performance. ¡°It looks like a game.¡± Ian skimmed through the script that the staff handed him. It was more like a concept art than a script. Ian and Kim Min-jae looked at the picture and the set alternately, trying to raise their immersion. ¡°Are you ready?¡± ¡°Director.¡± The director approached them. ¡°Oh, you look great.¡± The director whistled at Ian¡¯s appearance, who had finished his makeup. ¡°Min-jae, you don¡¯t look like an office worker at all.¡± ¡°Director, where do you find office workers like this?¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re too handsome.¡± It was always a good feeling for an actor to hear that they suited their role. Kim Min-jae smiled shyly at the conversation between the director and Ian. ¡°How¡¯s the script? I haven¡¯t done much filming like this either.¡± ¡°It¡¯s very helpful. Are we going to use up all our budget like this?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll use it all and get some more.¡± ¡°Only you can do that, director.¡± The director smiled proudly at Ian¡¯s answer. He had deliberately praised him because he hadn¡¯t shown much reaction at the dinner before. ¡°Director! We¡¯re ready!¡± The assistant director shouted at the director. [We¡¯re about to start filming, can you do it? Can you show me the hologram?] ¡®No, I¡¯m good.¡¯ Jin had the ability to project holographic images, but Ian decided not to take any help. He thought that if he got used to getting help, he wouldn¡¯t improve his skills. He looked at the concept art onest time. He tried to memorize the background as much as possible and handed the picture to the staff. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s start filming.¡± The director smiled nervously at the actors who looked tense. He wanted to see their performance through the camera as soon as possible. *** The night before, Na Woo-shin had a dream of being bitten by a zombie and felt sick since he came to work. He scratched his shoulder, where he felt a realistic sensation in his nightmare, and focused on his work. ¡°Another zombie crime¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s the end of the world, what is the army doing?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know why they¡¯re making a vine, just get rid of them all¡­¡± The employees murmured as they watched the news on the office TV. The news showed a scene of zombies setting fire and destroying the surroundings with the caption ¡®The increasing zombie crimes, is this okay?¡¯ (The mastermind behind this incident is the zombie criminal, K¡­) Along with the anchor¡¯s voice, the screen showed arge wanted poster. (ss 1 criminal, K) The boss approached Na Woo-shin, who had his head down on his desk, and tapped his shoulder. Na Woo-shin flinched at his touch and twisted his upper body. ¡°Huh¡­ Boss.¡± ¡°Woo-shin, if you¡¯re not feeling well, take a half day off and go home.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you. I¡¯ll go ahead.¡± The boss, who couldn¡¯t stand Na Woo-shin¡¯s condition, let him leave early. Na Woo-shin hurriedly packed his things and went outside, thinking of buying some medicine on his way home. As he went outside, the screen showed a dark-toned background and people living their own lives. The sky was filled with dust, and copsed buildings were everywhere. The surviving humans lived in the rtively intact buildings and worked. They had survived the situation that almost reached the end of the world, and became part of the stabilized society. ¡°Mom! That man has a weird mask!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go near him¡­ It¡¯s dangerous.¡± On the street, Na Woo-shin saw zombies wearing masks. The zombies, who had be the lower ss of society, did the jobs that humans disliked. ¡°Why are zombies wandering around at this time?¡± Humans frowned at the zombies. Cleaning up the street garbage was the better part. It took a lot of time andbor to restore the system that had stopped once. ¡°Mommy! Look at that!¡± A child pointed at a billboard on the street. It was an advertisement for a new movie. (The most anticipated movie of the year, ¡®The Last Survivor¡¯) The screen showed a scene of Ian and Kim Min-jae fighting against zombies in a ruined city. (Starring Ian and Kim Min-jae,ing soon) The zombies filled the streets. They worked at the sewage treatment nt that ran manually, handling the waste and sludge. They also did the dangerous factory jobs that didn¡¯t matter if they got injured. ¡°Why are there so many zombies in this neighborhood?¡± ¡°They must have gotten the vine. Don¡¯t worry too much.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s make some money and move to a better area.¡± The zombies maintained their sanity with the vine that humans gave them. But the vine was not permanent. They had to get injections regrly, but the vine was expensive. So the zombiesbored and bought the vine with the money they earned. If they didn¡¯t get the vine, they would be killed on sight as soon as they were discovered. It was an inevitable choice. ¡°Ah, what the hell¡­¡± The pharmacy on the street was closed. The ss window was broken, probably due to the zombie riot. The items inside were scattered on the floor, showing signs of looting. ¡°Damn it¡­¡± Naushin frowned. This was the only pharmacy in this neighborhood, except for the one in the dark alley. Naushin had no choice but to head to the alley. Unlike the street, the alley was dark and deserted. Naushin shivered. ¡®Maybe I shouldn¡¯t havee here.¡¯ Naushin swallowed his saliva and looked around cautiously. ¡®I should just skip the medicine and sleep at home.¡¯ Naushin turned around to go back the way he came. Then, a man with a mask smiled with his eyes. ¡°Hello.¡± Naushin screamed in horror as the man silently approached him from behind. He almost fell backwards, but the man, Kim Junhee, caught him. Naushin felt goosebumps on his arm that was grabbed by him. ¡°Let go of me!¡± Naushin swung his arm to shake off his grip. His arm lost control and iled in the air, but Kim Junhee didn¡¯t care. ¡°You¡¯re Naushin, right?¡± ¡°Who¡­ why¡­¡± Naushin wondered why this zombie followed him, and how he knew his name. Naushin stepped back as he saw the mask on Kim Junhee¡¯s mouth. Kim Junhee chuckled at his reaction. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. I have this.¡± Kim Junhee tapped his mask and came closer to Naushin. As he got closer, Naushin backed away more. ¡°What¡­ what do you want from me?¡± Naushin was cornered by the wall and looked for a way out. ¡°Strange¡­¡± Kim Junhee looked at Naushin, who was still fine after being bitten by a zombie, and tilted his head. ¡°You should have changed by now¡­¡± ¡°What¡­ what are you talking about?¡± ¡°Can I be rude for a moment?¡± ¡°What do you mean¡­¡± His smile was friendly, but his action was aggressive. Kim Junhee grabbed Naushin¡¯s neck with one hand and pushed him against the wall. Naushin choked and struggled. ¡°What? You really got bitten?¡± He grabbed Naushin¡¯s shirt cor with his other hand and ripped it open. The buttons fell to the ground with a tter. ¡°Wha¡­ what are you¡­¡± Even as Naushin tried to escape, Kim Junhee looked at Naushin¡¯s shoulder, where the bite mark was clear, and sparkled his eyes with interest. ¡°Le¡­ let go of me¡­!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so scared.¡± Naushin writhed, but Kim Junhee didn¡¯t budge. He clenched his fist. ¡°Just faint for a while.¡± And he punched Naushin¡¯s face. Chapter 167: Chapter 167: Chapter 167 Z-Day. (2) Eom Jihwan, a member of the boy group Nine Seven, received a sponsorship offer from his agency¡¯s CEO. ¡°Jihwan, let¡¯s make it big. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It¡¯s from Cheonghwa Group.¡± Nine Seven debuted only two months after Awi, but Jihwan, the visual member of the group, had always thought that he would be a star with his natural good looks. He was confident about his career in the entertainment industry. However, as time passed, he realized that his group was not as popr as he had hoped. He was anxious when he got an offer that was too good to refuse. ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± It was a proposal from arge corporation that he would have never dreamed of before. All he had to do was to have a meal with someone. Jihwan agreed without hesitation. ¡°Jihwan, you¡¯re not that high-profile, but I¡¯ll try to talk to the VIP for you.¡± He felt more ashamed of being someone¡¯s recement than of epting a sponsor. His pride was hurt by the fact that someone had turned down the offer before him. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s all for my benefit.¡± He thought that the person who rejected the offer was foolish. He rationalized that it was something that everyone did secretly in the industry, and that he had no choice if he wanted to seed. ¡°It¡¯s killing the mood.¡± ¡°They don¡¯t have good chemistry, do they?¡± The staff members whispered as they watched Ian and Kim Minjae¡¯s shooting. ¡°Am I his substitute?¡± He looked at Ian¡¯s face, who was immersed in his acting. He couldn¡¯t help but notice. The moment he took over the advertisement that Ian had done, he heard the industry insiders murmuring in his ears. Jihwan bit his lower lip. If only Cheonghwa Group had contacted him sooner. ¡®That could have been my spot¡­¡¯ Eom Ji-hwan hadnded a sponsor and shot manymercials. He was filled with newfound confidence and vain expectations. ¡®He¡¯s good.¡¯ He didn¡¯t want to admit it, but it wasn¡¯t just a ¡®he¡¯s good¡¯ level of acting. ¡®No, he¡¯s much better than I thought¡­¡¯ He had encountered Ian a few times on music shows, but the Ian standing in the center of the set right now was not the same Ian he knew from the music shows. He hadpletely immersed himself in his role, bing a different person, Kim Jun-hee. ¡°Cut! Okay!¡± As the director¡¯s cut sign rang out, Ian quickly changed his expression and rxed his hand. His heavy and fast fist stopped right in front of Kim Min-jae¡¯s nose. Kim Min-jae felt his heart pounding in surprise. In the end, he copsed on the spot with his legs giving out. ¡°Wow¡­¡± ¡°Wow, I didn¡¯t hit you hard¡­ Are you okay, hyung?¡± ¡°Huh? Uh¡­ Hey, you¡¯re really good.¡± Ian chuckled and helped Kim Min-jae up by his hand. The two, who had received an okay sign in one go, stood side by side and looked at the monitor. ¡°Is it not too weak, director?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s perfect right now. We¡¯ll shoot K¡¯s appearance scene separately anyway.¡± Ian examined the video from various angles of the acting he had just done and nodded his head. Park, the director, paused the video at one point. ¡°Min-jae, you were good here. Your scared acting was really realistic.¡± ¡°No, I was really scared. What kind of eyes are those, so fierce.¡± The synergy with the co-star was also important, and Ian was able to focus on his immersion thanks to Kim Min-jae¡¯s acting. Park and Ianughed at Kim Min-jae¡¯s words, taking them as a joke. ¡°You¡¯re very humble, brother.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go shoot the next scene.¡± Seriously¡­. Kim Min-jaeughed hysterically. * * * Nausin, who had been knocked out by Kim Jun-hee, was suddenly awakened by the sound of dripping water. ¡°Ah, Tsuu¡­.¡± Nausin wrinkled her nose and made a face. The p from Kim Jun-hee stung. As he touched his nose out of habit, he noticed that his arms were tied to the chair. ¡°What the¡­.¡± Staring at his bound hands and feet, Nausin twisted his hands a few times, then shook his whole body, trying to free himself from the bindings. ¡°Are you awake?¡± ¡°What, what?¡± In the midst of themotion, Kim Jun-hee opened the door and walked in. The door wasn¡¯t greased, so a creaking sound rang in her ears. ¡°Where am I¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so scared.¡± Kim chuckled. But his eyes weren¡¯t smiling. His stare was prating, and Nausin lowered her head. An underground room with a single flickering light bulb, and only one door through which Kim had entered. The heavy atmosphere made Nausin swallow hard. ¡°Fuck¡­.¡± He cried. He¡¯d been kidnapped by a zombie, and he was dead. The zombie in front of him seemed to be able to speak, so Nausin pleaded. ¡°Can¡¯t you just let me go home?¡± he pleaded. ¡°I¡¯ll just check this out and let you go.¡± Kim Jun-hee mmed the door, making Na Woo-shin flinch. ¡®He doesn¡¯t listen to reason at all¡­¡¯ A man entered the room at Kim Jun-hee¡¯s signal. He was holding a syringe in his hand. His name in the drama was Kim Kang-hyuk. He yed the role of K¡¯s right-hand man, which was taken by Eom Ji-hwan. ¡°Is this the kid who got bitten?¡± Kim Jun-hee nodded. Na Woo-shin had been out of his mind since then. Kim Kang-hyuk also had pale skin and wore a mask on his face. ¡°Shh¡­ It¡¯s okay.¡± Do you think it¡¯s okay to be here in a zombie den? Na Woo-shin red at Kim Jun-hee, who was trying to calm him down. ¡°Our Woo-shin is very scared. Calm down.¡± ¡°Fuck, do I look calm to you?¡± It was a matter of life and death. Na Woo-shin screamed and shook his body violently. Kim Kang-hyuk shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Why bother? Just let me poke him once and see what happens.¡± ¡°No.¡± Kim Jun-hee shook his head slightly and leaned against the wall. His movement was strangely inhuman and unnatural. ¡°What, what do you mean by poke¡­?¡± Kim Kang-hyuk was holding a syringe, but it seemed that he meant something else by poking. On the surgical tray, there were various sizes of knives. Tears welled up in Na Woo-shin¡¯s eyes. ¡°Woo-shin, you worked at Hwa-un Pharmaceuticals, right?¡± ¡°Hwa-un Pharmaceuticals?¡± Kim Jun-hee¡¯s words made Kim Kang-hyuk stiffen. Hwa-un Pharmaceuticals, a government-affiliatedpany that specialized in zombie vines. The zombies were barely keeping their sanity because of the vine. Thepany that sold the vine at a ridiculously high price had also angered the zombies, but the humans did not care about the zombies¡¯ voices. In this society, thepany was a necessary evil for the zombies who wanted to survive. Kim Jun-hee waved his employee ID card from Naowin. The logo of Hwaun Pharmaceuticals made Kim Gang-hyuk frown. ¡°Hwaun Pharmaceuticals, you bast¡­¡± ¡°Cut! Hold on a second.¡± The director stopped Eom Ji-hwan from saying his line. ¡°Ji-hwan, can youe here for a moment?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Ian approached Kim Min-jae, who was tied up. Kim Min-jae¡¯s wrists were swollen and red. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it hurt from the rubbing?¡± ¡°He¡¯ll be here soon.¡± ¡°I¡¯m also suffocating from this mask. Do you want me to loosen the rope a bit?¡± They ignored their chatter and Eom Ji-hwan hardened his expression. He felt his pride wounded by the fact that the director only called him. ¡°Kim Gang-hyuk is a character that confuses the viewers, you know that, right? You must have analyzed him thoroughly.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Eom Ji-hwan sensed a thorn in the director¡¯s words. Kim Gang-hyuk was supposed to be the right-hand man of the wanted criminal K, but he had a radical personality that contrasted with Kim Jun-hee, who was calm and rational. He had to deceive the viewers into thinking that he was K. ¡°But you¡¯re not giving enough weight to your role. Right now, only Min-jae and Ian have presence on the screen.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Eom Ji-hwan looked at the footage on the monitor. Kim Min-jae portrayed the person cornered on the cliff well, and Ian had a strong presence even as he stood in the corner and delivered his lines smoothly. In between them, he felt like he had no presence at all. Eom Ji-hwan bit his lower lip. ¡°What should I do?¡± ¡°First of all¡­ forget about Kim Gang-hyuk and think of K. We need to create a smokescreen.¡± Director Park Pyo-hyun was famous for his innate directing sense and his ability to direct actors well. ¡®This is such a hard-earned opportunity¡­¡¯ Kim Gang-hyuk was a role that Eom Ji-hwan had obtained not by the power of Cheonghwa Group, but by his own efforts. Eom Ji-hwan clenched his fists. This was not the time to be prideful. If he let his guard down, he would be overshadowed by the two lead actors and fail to get any attention. After a short acting directing session between the director and Eom Ji-hwan, the shooting resumed. *** ¡°Hwawoon Pharmaceuticals, huh? Fucking elite, aren¡¯t you? You¡¯re living well on our money, right?¡± ¡°Just draw some blood.¡± Kim Jun-hee smirked at Na-woo-shin. Kim Gang-hyuk stopped abruptly and red at Kim Jun-hee. Kim Jun-hee didn¡¯t avert his gaze and locked eyes with Kim Gang-hyuk. As the two seemed ready to fight, Kim Jun-hee lowered his voice and warned him. ¡°Don¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°Do we really need to draw blood?¡± ¡°Kim Gang-hyuk.¡± Kim Gang-hyuk stabbed Na-woo-shin¡¯s thigh with a knife. The fake blood bag that was set up beforehand burst, and Na-woo-shin screamed. Kim Gang-hyukughed wickedly, using his scream as background music. Madness flickered in his expression. Kim Jun-hee sighed deeply and looked tired. ¡°You look like you¡¯re ready to clean up the mess again.¡± Na-woo-shin¡¯s scream was cut off as he lost consciousness. Kim Jun-hee, who was leaning against the wall, checked Na-woo-shin¡¯s thigh. When Kim Gang-hyuk pulled out the knife, blood gushed out without stopping. ¡°No way.¡± The two zombies, who had been looking at him with hopeful eyes, quickly changed to disappointed expressions. ¡°Fuck!¡± Kim Gang-hyuk turned around and kicked the wall. They were trying to resist the zombie virus, but they were also looking for a human who had the advantages of a zombie. When they heard that their colleague had bitten an innocent human, they went to the scene to dispose of the body, because they would be killed if they were caught. But there was no body, and they found out that the bitten human was alive and working. They thought they had finally found the human they had been looking for, and they were filled with hope. ¡°What are you doing? Let¡¯s go, call the body disposal team.¡± Kim Gang-hyuk opened the door. But Kim Jun-hee didn¡¯t give up. He stood in front of Na-woo-shin and tried to find any signs of change. ¡°Wait.¡± He was examining Na-woo-shin¡¯s stabbed thigh and tore his jeans with his hand. It was not in the script. It was purely Ian¡¯s ad-lib, and he used his strength to rip the tough jeans. Na-woo-shin¡¯s bare skin was exposed under the torn jeans. On the camera screen, it was covered with fake blood and smooth without any wounds, but Ian saw the wound as an afterimage. ¡°Look at this.¡± The wound was healing. Kim Jun-hee and Kim Gang-hyuk exchanged meaningful nces. ¡°Cut! Okay! Good job!¡± Director Park pped his hands. Kim Min-jae, who had been lying like a corpse, rxed his shoulders. The staff hurried over and untied the rope that bound him. ¡°I almost opened my eyes in shock. Give me a heads-up next time.¡± ¡°Ah, it just happened¡­¡± Ian smiled awkwardly. Kim Min-jae¡¯s one thigh was torn. Ian, who was immersed in the role of Kim Jun-hee, suddenly felt like ripping Kim Min-jae¡¯s pants, and he did it right away. ¡°Did I overact too much?¡± ¡°Ripping the pants? It was great. We¡¯ll do some CG work, though.¡± Director Park praised Ian¡¯s ad-lib. With this scene, he could show the physical characteristics of the zombies as well. The three actors stared at the monitor, looking for areas to improve. Director Park pointed out the parts that bothered him on the monitor. ¡°Let¡¯s reshoot this section.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Kim Min-jae changed his pants to a new one, and Ian took off his mask and drank some water. Only Eom Ji-hwan was nervously biting his nails. After that, the shooting of the same scene went on for a long time. It was a problem caused by the poor acting chemistry, and most of it was due to Eom Ji-hwan¡¯s NG. ¡®I was the only one who made NG.¡¯ Eom Ji-hwan clenched his fists. Chapter 168: Chapter 168: Chapter 168 Z-Day. (3) Naowoo Shin, who thought he was dead, regained consciousness and faced the bleak ceiling. ¡®Am I alive right now¡­¡¯ He closed his eyes again at the sound of the zombies¡¯ conversationing through the hallway. ¡°Let¡¯s just tie him up here.¡± ¡°Kanghyuk, he¡¯s from Hwaun Pharmaceuticals. We have to send him back anyway.¡± Anyway, Naowoo Shin was an employee of Hwaun Pharmaceuticals, and if an employee was absent from work without a word, he would be suspected sooner orter, so they had to let him go. ¡°You finally found him and you¡¯re going to let him go?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a way, he¡¯s awake.¡± Naowoo Shin heard all of their conversation. Even though it was a conversation in the hallway behind the closed door, it sounded as clear as if it was next to him. Junhee Kim noticed the change in Naowoo Shin¡¯s breathing and opened the door. ¡°Huh¡­!¡± Naowoo Shin jumped up and tried to run away, but the exit was blocked by Kanghyuk Kim. ¡°Don¡¯t, don¡¯te near me!¡± Naowoo Shin tore off the metal frame of the bed and swung it at Junhee Kim and Kanghyuk Kim. Naowoo Shin didn¡¯t realize it yet, but it was an action that no human could do. ¡°What are you, why did you save me!¡± Naowoo Shin gasped for breath. Junhee Kim and Kanghyuk Kim decided to wait until he calmed down. ¡°What are you trying to do now! If you¡¯re going to do this, kill me!¡± ¡°Mr. Shin.¡± When Naowoo Shin didn¡¯t seem to stop, Junhee Kim sighed and called him. ¡°Your leg, it¡¯s all healed, right?¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Naowoo Shin stopped breathing. He lowered his head and looked at his leg. His jeans were torn, so he could easily see the wound, but the wound was healed cleanly without a trace. ¡°What¡­ how.¡± ¡°Put that down too. It¡¯s a rare bed, and thanks to you, Mr. Shin, it¡¯s ruined.¡± ¡°This¡­ I¡­¡± Naowoo Shin dropped the metal frame on the floor. His legs gave way and he knelt down. ¡°Can you listen to me for a moment?¡± Junhee Kim crouched down in front of him and looked him in the eye. The zombies he thought would kill him were trying to persuade him, and his thigh that was stabbed by a knife was fine. And even the bed frame that he didn¡¯t know how he did it¡­ With a confused expression, Naowoo Shin couldn¡¯t understand the situation and listened to his exnation. ¡°Sometimes humans with resistance to the virus appear. Like you, Mr. Shin.¡± ¡°Me, me?¡± ¡°They don¡¯t age like zombies.¡± Junhee Kim tapped his forehead. ¡°As long as you don¡¯t smash this, you won¡¯t die either. A human with only the advantages of zombies.¡± ¡°Ah, you scared me.¡± Junhee Kim suddenly reached out and grabbed Naowoo Shin¡¯s chin and turned it around. Naowoo Shin frowned and tried to shake off his hand. ¡°Aren¡¯t you hungry right now?¡± ¡°If I¡¯m hungry, why don¡¯t you buy me some food?¡± ¡°See, normally when a wound heals, you get hungry and lose your reason and eat humans. You lose your mind.¡± Naowoo Shin felt a chill run through his body at Junhee Kim¡¯s dry words. Who eats humans? Me? While Naowoo Shin was confused, Junhee Kim patted his shoulder. His cold and clumsy touch felt like a robot stroking him. ¡°You can¡¯t live normally anymore, Mr. Shin.¡± Naowoo Shin looked up and stared into Junhee Kim¡¯s eyes. ¡°If you want to live, it¡¯s better to be protected by us.¡± ¡°Protected? By you? By zombies?¡± Naowoo Shin spat out a bitter breath and looked back and forth at Junhee Kim and Kanghyuk Kim. He clenched his teeth. ¡°It was you bastards who bit me in the first ce.¡± ¡°Mr. Shin.¡± Junhee Kim bowed his head and sighed. ¡°If Hwaun Pharmaceuticals had made a good vine, this situation wouldn¡¯t have happened.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Naowoo Shin¡¯s eyes shook uncontrobly. Junhee Kim smiled bitterly. ¡°They can make it, but they don¡¯t. They need zombies to study the benefits of zombies.¡± Immortality, wouldn¡¯t humans with a lot of greed dream of it at least once? They don¡¯t get sick, and their wounds heal cleanly. Of course, those in power would covet it. ¡°If they find out about you, Mr. Shin, aren¡¯t you curious what will happen?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Kim Junhee smiled. But his eyes were not smiling, and his lips barely twitched due to his stiff facial muscles. Hisugh was so creepy that Na Ushin avoided his gaze without a word. He hadid the groundwork. Kim Junhee got up from his seat and nodded at Kim Kanghyuk. ¡°Go home, Mr. Woo. You¡¯ll find out in a few days.¡± Kim Kanghyuk opened the door for him. Na Ushin nced at them alternately and then hurried out. ¡°Cut! Good job!¡± *** The morning shoot was over and it was lunchtime. Ian took off the mask that was suffocating his head. He didn¡¯t care about the makeup, since he would have to redo it after eating. ¡°Ian, let¡¯s go eat.¡± Kim Minjae, who yed the role of Na Ushin, waited for Ian to remove his makeup and then walked side by side with him. Kim Minjae, who was somewhat shy, stuck to Ian, who he had be close with. They were the two top leads, so they had to match their chemistry a lot, which was not bad for Ian either. ¡°I heard that Jihwan¡¯s fandom sent us a meal support.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± They could have a decent meal with the budget that E-Flix provided, but they had no reason to refuse the support that the fandom asionally sent. Besides, the idol fans were so sincere that the staff¡¯s mouths were full of smiles. ¡°This is Jihwan¡¯s gift.¡± ¡°Wow. Thank you so much, noona.¡± Eom Jihwan thanked his fan who was in charge of the support over and over. Eom Jihwan¡¯s fans swallowed their breaths when they saw Ian and Kim Minjae. ¡°Wow, what is all this?¡± ¡°This is amazing.¡± Ian and Kim Minjae opened their mouths at the buffet-style space. Ian smiled brightly as he saw Eom Jihwan approaching him. His fans behind him clenched their mouths at his smile. ¡°Mr. Jihwan, I¡¯ll enjoy it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, it¡¯s all thanks to my fans. Take some giftster.¡± ¡°There are gifts too? Wow, idol fans are different.¡± The fans¡¯ gifts were not the end of it. They had prepared separate wrapped gifts for the supporting actors and the writer and director. Kim Minjae gave him a thumbs up. Eom Jihwan shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Don¡¯t you guys do this?¡± ¡°We decided not to receive any support this year.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± ¡°You know, it can be a burden for the fans.¡± Eom Jihwan, who heard Ian and Kim Minjae¡¯s conversation, smirked. ¡®What a joke.¡¯ Eom Jihwan was doing well these days. With the Cheonghwa Group¡¯s advertisement and the media y that came along with it, everyone called him a rising star. He was so intoxicated by the atmosphere that he sometimes acted immaturely. ¡®Look, these are my fans.¡¯ He had been conscious of Ian since the first shoot. Jin, who was hovering around Ian, was reporting Eom Jihwan¡¯s changes in real time. [He¡¯s doing it again.] ¡®He has a reason to be proud. Look at the fans¡¯ sincerity.¡¯ [That¡¯s not pride, that¡¯s jealousy towards you.] ¡®How many people are jealous of me? Oh, the ribs look delicious.¡¯ Ian didn¡¯t think much of it. After the meal, they were given a break. The shooting site was very rxed, thanks to E-Flix¡¯s generous budget and director Park Pyohyeon¡¯s value of giving enough rest time to the actors and staff. ¡°Ian.¡± ¡°Yes, hyung.¡± Kim Myungjin¡¯s face was full of anticipation. Ian couldn¡¯t hide his curiosity at Kim Myungjin¡¯s expression that usually appeared only when he was off work. ¡°What is it? Do you have some good news?¡± ¡°A coffee truck came,e and see.¡± ¡°A coffee truck for us? I thought we don¡¯t receive any support.¡± Ian got up from his seat and followed Kim Myungjin. ¡®Maybe it¡¯s from the CEO.¡¯ Lee Byunghun, the CEO of BHL Entertainment, had once given them luxury clothes as a gift, telling them not to be discouraged by the fact that they couldn¡¯t receive any support from the fans. ¡°Thank you, Ian.¡± ¡°Enjoy your drink.¡± The staff who passed by Ian showed him their drinks and smiled brightly. Ian, who still didn¡¯t know who sent the coffee truck, nodded politely with a smile. Drink some caffeine vine and go! AWI members support [Z-Day] actors and production team! ¡°What?¡± Usually, they just sent a coffee truck, note in person. The members were handing out the drinks they made, and even Kim Juyoung was among the people who were making shots. Ianughed bitterly. So that¡¯s what they were whispering about at the hostel. He yfully tapped Kim Hyun¡¯s side as he handed out the drinks. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± ¡°Did youe? How is it, awesome right?¡± Kim Hyun puffed out his chest proudly. All the members of Awi, except for Jo Tae-woong who was recovering at his grandmother¡¯s house, had visited the set of ¡®Z-Day¡¯. ¡°Ian is here?¡± ¡°Did youe?¡± Lee Joo-hyuk and Park Jin-hyuk came up to Ian¡¯s side and sipped their coffee. Ian stared nkly at Kim Joo-young, who was busy making shots. ¡°Wait, Kim Joo-young knows how to make coffee? Why is he doing that?¡± ¡°We have a lot of free time, you know. He even got a barista certificate. He said he wanted to practice.¡± ¡°Crazy.¡± ¡°He¡¯s secretly talented, I told you.¡± Ian retorted to Park Jin-hyuk¡¯s words. ¡°Not secretly, but tantly.¡± ¡°He also got a cooking certificate, I heard.¡± ¡°Kim Joo-young, what the hell¡­¡± Ian¡¯s mouth dropped open at Lee Joo-hyuk¡¯s information. He could dance well, had a great sense of music, and now he could cook too? ¡®I have a lot to learn from him.¡¯ What was Ian good at, he hadined about trying YouTube or something, but Kim Joo-young was living more diligently than anyone. Ian felt a new motivation. ¡°We were going to do the meal support, but someone already applied for it.¡± ¡°Oh, the NineSeven fandom did it earlier.¡± ¡°Too bad. We always get there first.¡± Why are you so disappointed about that? Ian felt a warm feeling in his heart. He felt awkward to be moved by what the members did for him. Kim Joo-young came down from the coffee truck and approached Ian. ¡°How is it?¡± ¡°Tell us how you feel.¡± The members surrounded Ian and watched his reaction. They all had their cheekbones raised, expecting his answer. Ian pretended to be annoyed and said. ¡°Don¡¯t you guys have anything to do? Doing this kind of thing?¡± ¡°Look how much he likes it. Am I right? Come on, pay up.¡± Kim Hyun held out his hand and shook it in front of the members. The members groaned and took out five hundred won from their pockets and put it on Kim Hyun¡¯s palm. Ian frowned. ¡°Damn, you bet on it?¡± ¡°Of course we did.¡± ¡°What did you bet on?¡± Ian¡¯s words were answered by Park Seo-dam and Kim Joo-young. ¡°I said you would be grateful and not know what to do, and Hyun hyung said you would act cool and not be moved.¡± ¡°Hyuk hyung and Jin hyuk hyung said you would tell us not to do this and smile awkwardly, and I said you would cry with emotion.¡± ¡°Why are the choices so extreme?¡± Ianughed incredulously, and Kim Min-jae greeted Ian and the members with a drink in his hand. ¡°Ian, I¡¯ll enjoy it. Thank you.¡± ¡°Please take good care of our hyung!¡± Park Seo-dam smiled brightly and replied. Ian looked at Park Seo-dam with his eyes wide open, but he couldn¡¯t say anything. It was something he often did to Park Seo-dam. ¡®Revenge, huh.¡¯ For being too nice to him. ¡°Mr. Ian, thank you.¡± ¡°Director.¡± ¡°Hello, director!¡± When Park director appeared, the members bowed and greeted him. They looked like they were paying respect to a gang boss. Park directorughed. ¡°As expected, Mr. Ian¡¯s members are all interesting people.¡± The members smiled shyly and scratched their heads. Park director looked at Ian and the members¡¯ faces with a pleased smile, and then suggested to them. ¡°Since you¡¯re here, do you want to watch the filming?¡± ¡°Really?¡± The members eximed with excitement. Chapter 169: Chapter 169: Chapter 169 Z-Day. (4) ¡°I hope we¡¯re not bothering you too much.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. You brought us coffee, after all¡­ And you¡¯re Ian¡¯s group members, so I¡¯ll make an exception for you.¡± Lee Ju-hyuk smiled awkwardly as he talked to Director Park, while the other members looked around the filming set with curiosity. ¡°Wow, look at that.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that from a superhero movie?¡± They saw a huge chroma key background behind the borate set. ¡°The set is really big.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no joke when you see it in person.¡± ¡°How do you act in front of that?¡± The members lowered their voices as much as possible to avoid disturbing the filming, but they couldn¡¯t stop talking. They all looked like they had found a toy, and they eximed in awe at everything they saw. Ian had to suppress hisughter at their reactions. ¡°I¡¯m going to get my makeup done. Do you want to stay here?¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± The members secretly wanted to see the makeup room as well, but they thought it would be too noisy if they all followed him. So they restrained themselves. Ian left the members who were chatting with the director and headed to the makeup room. There, he saw Eom Ji-hwan and Kim Min-jae, who had already finished their makeup and were wearing their costumes. ¡°You¡¯re a bitte, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°The members came to see the set.¡± ¡°Really? Then I¡¯ll go ahead. I didn¡¯t get to thank you properly earlier.¡± It wouldn¡¯t hurt to be friendly with a popr idol group. Kim Min-jae, who had a calctive mind, quickly left the makeup room. Eom Ji-hwan lifted his coffee cup slightly behind Ian, who was getting his makeup done. ¡°Thank you for the coffee, Ian. I got to enjoy some coffee thanks to you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. It was our members who did it.¡± ¡°Do your members do this often? Sending support?¡± ¡°Yes, but this is the first time they came in person.¡± The members had been sending support to each other whenever they had individual schedules. Sometimes, they evenpeted to see who would send it first. Eom Ji-hwan sneered inwardly at Ian, who had a faint smile on his lips. ¡®He¡¯s so naive.¡¯ He thought that, but he also felt envious of Ian. Eom Ji-hwan was not very close with his group members, Nine Seven. And ever since he received the support of Cheonghwa Group, the other members started to envy and oppose him more. ¡®You got that ad too? You must have a good sponsor.¡¯ ¡®You don¡¯t need us anymore, do you?¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re so arrogant these days. What¡¯s wrong with you?¡¯ Of course, Eom Ji-hwan had changed a lot too, but he didn¡¯t know that. He just thought that they were jealous of him because he was doing well. Anyway, they had been working together for seven years, so he just ignored them. ¡®They¡¯re all the same. It¡¯s not just me.¡¯ He thought that other idols were simr. Especially Awi, who had only Ian as the most popr member, and one of their members had stopped working due to panic disorder. ¡®I thought they wouldn¡¯t get along well either.¡¯ But when he saw their rtionship, he felt jealous of what he didn¡¯t have. ¡°I thought you wouldn¡¯t be close, but you¡¯re surprising.¡± Eom Ji-hwan muttered as if Ian could hear him, and then left the makeup room. Ian raised one eyebrow at his tone. ¡®What¡¯s that?¡¯ [Is he being rude?] Jin expressed Ian¡¯s feelings. Ian finished his makeup and headed to the filming set. The Awi members, Kim Min-jae, and even Director Park were gathered together and chatting. Kim Hyun took a step back and casually talked to Eom Ji-hwan. ¡°Long time no see, Ji-hwan.¡± ¡°Hello, hyung.¡± Eom Ji-hwan nodded his head briefly and answered dryly. He focused on his phone, but he also nced at the Awi members from time to time. Ian saw that and approached Kim Hyun¡¯s side. ¡°Do you know Ji-hwan?¡± ¡°We were trainees together for a while.¡± ¡°Really? Were you close?¡± ¡°I was close with the other members of Nine Seven, but not with him.¡± He seemed to have changed a lot from his trainee days, but people changed after they debuted and gained experience. Kim Hyun shrugged. *** Ian¡¯s makeup was done, and the extras and staff were also ready, so Director Park started the filming without dy. The members of Awi decided to watch the filming quietly behind the director. ¡°Wow.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he amazing?¡± They exchanged silent words as they saw the actors change their atmosphere through the camera screen. ¡°Action!¡± The staff pped the te. Naowoo Shin, who had been kidnapped by unidentified zombies and escaped, locked all the doors in his house, fearing another attack from the zombies. He had stayed up for several days and dragged his tired body to work. ¡°How are you feeling, Mr. Shin?¡± As soon as he entered the office, his boss grabbed his shoulder. Naowoo Shin flinched and looked back. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I slept well after taking some medicine.¡± He realized that the hand on his shoulder belonged to his boss and forced a smile. ¡®Wait a minute¡­¡¯ But then, he noticed that his body felt strangely light, even though he hadn¡¯t slept well for a long time. ¡®Don¡¯t you wonder what will happen if they find out about you?¡¯ He remembered the words of the zombie who had kidnapped him and felt a chill on his arm. ¡®Nah, it can¡¯t be.¡¯ He convinced himself that the zombies were mistaken and that everything was a dream. He focused on his work. Around lunchtime, the steel door of the office opened with a loud noise. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± The office workers jumped up in surprise. The people who entered the door were armed government soldiers. ¡°Is there a Mr. Naowoo Shin here?¡± They pointed at him, and Naowoo Shin felt his hair stand on end. He had nevermitted a crime in his life. He had never ndered anyone or made enemies. ¡®Why are they looking for me¡­¡¯ And they were not even police, but soldiers. Moreover, theirbat uniforms had a clear mark of a government special unit. ¡°Over there¡­¡± All the eyes of the office workers turned to Naowoo Shin. The soldiers approached him and surrounded him. It looked like they were blocking his escape route, and Naowoo Shin¡¯s eyes trembled. ¡°Mr. Naowoo Shin?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°We need you toe with us for a moment.¡± ¡°W-what for?¡± ¡°You went to the C-38 area four days ago, right?¡± Naowoo Shin jerked his shoulder. The alley where he had been kidnapped by the two zombies was the C-38 area. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Get up.¡± The soldiers didn¡¯t wait for his answer, but confirmed that he was the person they were looking for by his reaction. Naowoo Shin hesitated, and one of the soldiers grabbed his arm and forced him to stand up. Crash Just as Naowoo Shin was about to be dragged away by the soldiers, the ss window of the office broke and a smoke grenade flew in. ¡°Get down!¡± The soldier who was holding Naowoo Shin grabbed the back of his head and made him bend his upper body. Bang! The soldiers fired their guns at any sound or movement, even though the smoke made it hard to see. ¡®Is this okay?¡¯ Naowoo Shin was forced to bend his body by the soldier, but he felt that something was wrong. ¡°Ahh!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t shoot, don¡¯t shoot! We¡¯re employees here!¡± Bang! Some of the people who were shot and screamed were his colleagues. ¡®Aren¡¯t soldiers supposed to protect humans?¡¯ As Naowoo Shin was confused, the soldier who was holding him shouted. ¡°Captain! Is it okay to shoot like this? What about the civilians?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the target?¡± ¡°He¡¯s right next to me!¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter! As long as the target is alive!¡± Naowoo Shin¡¯s expression darkened as he heard their conversation. ¡®What the hell is going on¡­¡¯ At that moment, another ss window broke and someone entered the office. Despite being on the seventh floor, Kim Junhee, who easily jumped over the window from outside, kicked the soldier who was holding Naowoo Shin¡¯s head. The soldier flew in the air and hit the wall. ¡°Ouch! Fuck!¡± It wasn¡¯t a collision, it was a stab. Naowoo Shin screamed as he almost fell to the floor when he saw the sight. Kim Junhee, who had kicked the soldier, quickly crouched in front of Naowoo Shin and roughly grabbed his hair, forcing him to look at him. ¡°Ouch!¡± ¡°Mr. Shin. What did I tell you?¡± Kim Junhee freed his other hand and pulled down the mask that covered his face. Naowoo Shin gasped stupidly when he saw Kim Junhee¡¯s bare face. ¡°You¡­ you!¡± ¡°Do you want to live?¡± Other zombies also entered through the window one by one. The soldiers fired their guns at them, and someone let out a painful scream. Naowoo Shin didn¡¯t know whether to believe this zombie¡¯s words, or whether it would be better to go with the government side. ¡°Then do you want to die?¡± But when he saw the soldiers who mercilessly shot and killed civilians, his hesitation disappeared. ¡°Please save me¡­¡± Naowoo Shin¡¯s face turned red in an instant, and his expression twisted. He sobbed and barely spoke, and Kim Junhee gave him a meaningful look. ¡°Mr. Shin, close your eyes.¡± ¡°Ey, eyes? Why the eyes¡­¡± ¡°And don¡¯t scream either.¡± Kim Junhee lifted Naowoo Shin with one hand. At that moment, the director shouted a sign. ¡°Cut! Good job. Minjae, you did well as a pathetic character.¡± ¡°Is that apliment?¡± ¡°It¡¯s apliment.¡± After a short monitor time, Kim Minjae¡¯s stunt double and Kim Minjae touched the baton. Ian decided to do the action scenes without a stunt in ¡®Z-Day¡¯. He had some free time in his schedule, and he was better at following the action than expected, so he made the decision. ¡°Just do what you practiced when you hear the cue sign.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ian nodded at the action director¡¯s words. ¡°Ready, cue!¡± As soon as the director¡¯s sign rang, Ian, who had turned into Kim Junhee, grabbed Naowoo Shin¡¯s waist and threw him out of the window. Naowoo Shin, who was thrown outside, was supposed to be caught by Kim Kanghyuk, who was waiting on the ground. ¡°Cut! Good job.¡± While Kim Minjae and Eom Jiwan were watching the monitor, Ian checked the movements with the action director. The members watched Ian, who was matching the action with the soldier stunt in the middle of the set, from a distance. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s cool. Is he filming all that?¡± ¡°That scene is going to be a one-take shot.¡± A staff member from the filming site came over to the members and exined the scene that was about to be filmed. ¡°One-take shot?¡± A filming technique known to the public as a one-take shot. It means capturing a scene in one breath without any cuts or spatial transitions. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the same as what we did in ¡®Dawn¡¯?¡± ¡°Oh, that time? It was so hard.¡± Even Awi had a hard time putting a short one-take scene in their music video. Lee Juhyuk asked the staff. ¡°Is that normal?¡± ¡°Well, nowadays technology is so advanced that you can shoot separately and edit it wellter, but Ian is so good that the director wanted to try it once.¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± The members widened their eyes and looked at each other. ¡°Our kid is amazing, huh?¡± ¡°I guess so.¡± ¡°You guys know you sound like proud parents, right?¡± Park Seodam shook his head at the two Hyuks, Lee Juhyuk and Park Jinhyuk, who were admiring Ian. ¡®Ugh, so cute!¡¯ The staff was secretly in love with Ian. She tried to hide her smile and pretended to be indifferent as she exined the shooting to the members. While the members were feeling proud, Ian took a deep breath nervously. [Can I do this?] Ian nodded slightly. In fact, he was not confident. He had to wear K¡¯s mask and act like a zombie while shooting a long-take action scene. ¡®I¡¯ll give it a try.¡¯ Ian felt his palms sweating and clenched and unclenched his fists. Chapter 170: Chapter 170: Chapter 170 Z-Day. (5) Director Park had a desire for a one-take shot ever since he received Ian¡¯s footage from the action director. ¡°Ian, how about doing this in one take?¡± He proposed it, but he didn¡¯t have much hope. There were many actors who would use stunt doubles or protect their bodies. And since he was an idol, he would have many dance performances in the future, so he thought he would refuse because of the risk of injury. ¡°One take? I want to try it.¡± Contrary to his worries, Ian showed enthusiasm and excitement. But the problem was his agency. ¡°Without a double? I can¡¯t allow that.¡± ¡°Dongsoo hyung, I want to do it.¡± Fortunately, he persuaded his agency by insisting that he wanted to do it, and it was barely settled. Director Park was spending a lot of money on production costs, and he was meeting all the demands of BHL Entertainment. Ian was practicing his moves in the center of the set, and the medical staff were waiting in the corner. But when he saw him rehearsing, he felt a slight regret that he might have pushed him too hard. ¡°Isn¡¯t this too difficult?¡± Director Park¡¯s words made the action director, Jung Dongjun, chuckle. He was already protecting his kid. ¡°Director Park, you were happy when you received the practice footage.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡± Director Park was half excited to film the scene he wanted, and half worried about what if Ian got hurt. ¡°Did you teach him properly? Like how to fall.¡± ¡°I taught him the basics well. He followed well too. He¡¯s different because he¡¯s done some exercise. He¡¯s a sponge, a sponge.¡± Director Park felt a little relieved after hearing Jung Dongjun¡¯s words. ¡°Ian, are you ready?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Then, let¡¯s start filming.¡± As the smoke spread around, the director shouted the cue sign. Ian, who had turned into Kim Junhee, put on the mask that was tied to his waist and fixed the gun in his hand. The smoke hadn¡¯t cleared yet, but Kim Junhee detected the soldiers and shot at them. His shoulder was pushed back by the recoil. ¡°Team leader, it¡¯s K!¡± ¡°I know! Shoot!¡± The smoke cleared, and the soldiers fired their guns at Kim Junhee¡¯s mask. Kim Junhee bent his body to avoid the bullets and shot his pistol. One of the soldiers who was hit by his bullet fell down. ¡°Argh!¡± ¡°Team leader!¡± ¡°Keep shooting!¡± The soldiers wasted their bullets at the sudden appearance of the wanted criminal, and when they changed their magazines, Kim Junhee quickly jumped over the desk and kicked another soldier. ¡°Argh!¡± The soldier flew away from his kick. Of course, Kim Junhee also hit the floor. It seemed like he hit hard, but Kim Junhee, who wore a half-mask that only covered his eyes and nose, had a yful smile on his face as if he was winning a game. ¡®He doesn¡¯t hesitate to throw his body.¡¯ He exaggerated the recoil when he shot the gun, and he also fell when he kicked, considering the movements of the zombies in the work. He got up with a groan and kicked the desk and jumped on another soldier¡¯s shoulder and mmed him to the ground. ¡®Good, this is it.¡¯ There was not a single hesitation in Ian¡¯s light and agile movements. Director Park clenched his fist. ¡°This bastard!¡± Kim Junhee faced the soldier who was called the team leader. The team leader, who had used up his magazine, took out a knife and ran towards Kim Junhee. Ian dodged it by leaning his upper body back and threw a punch, engaging in a fierce fight. They exchanged blows, and the team leader stabbed Kim Junhee¡¯s shoulder. It was a fake knife for filming, but the actor pushed it with force, and Ian¡¯s shoulder was pushed back so realistically that the Awi members who were watching flinched. ¡®Ouch¡­ It hurts. It¡¯s going to bruise.¡¯ It was a model knife, but it didn¡¯t mean that there was no shock at all. He lost his immersion for a moment because of the pain, but he couldn¡¯t stop acting in the middle. Kim Junhee, who deliberately gave his shoulder, grabbed the team leader¡¯s wrist tightly. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± The team leader groaned. Kim Junhee pushed him to the wall. ¡°Hello? I¡¯ll take Na Woo-shin.¡± Kim Junhee greeted the camera attached to the team leader¡¯s helmet. Then he punched the team leader¡¯s face. The helmet was supposed to be distorted by CG work. Kim Junhee looked around the quiet office and smirked. ¡°Cut!¡± The director¡¯s cut sign rang, and Ian exhaled his rough breath and took off his mask. Director Park spoke to Ian, who came to see the monitor. ¡°Ian, can you do more?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ian felt a sting in several parts of his body, but he answered without hesitation. ¡°Did I make a mistake?¡± ¡°No, you were perfect. I just thought it would be better to shoot more.¡± It wasn¡¯t enough for one person to do well. The coordination with the stuntmen was also important. Especially for a long take scene like this, it was rare to finish it in one shot. ¡°Hey, water.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Kim Joo-young handed Ian a bottle of water instead of his manager. Ian almost emptied the bottle and wiped his sweat with a towel that Park Seo-dam gave him. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Are you okay? It looked like you hit hard earlier.¡± Kim Hyun squinted his eyes and examined Ian¡¯s expression. The other members gathered around Ian. ¡°Take care of yourself. Don¡¯t say you can¡¯t if you¡¯re hurt.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, hyung. You know our group is the priority, right?¡± The director felt awkwardly stabbed by the members¡¯ sharp words and smiled nervously. ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. I can do it.¡± In fact, he wasn¡¯t fine. He felt pain where he had collided, as if bruises had formed already. [Did ite out well?] ¡®Yeah?¡¯ If the picky Jin said it came out well, then it really did. Ian watched the monitor with the stuntmen who had just shot the scene with him. ¡°Wow. It really came out well.¡± ¡°Ian is good.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because the director choreographed the action well.¡± Even without any screen effects and sound effects, the action had a sense of speed. ¡®It¡¯s good, right?¡¯ He didn¡¯t care about the pain in his body when he saw the result. Just like the director, Ian also felt a desire to do better. After a brief discussion, the stunt team leader decided to do the scene himself. ¡°Action!¡± Ian shot the same long take scene three more times and took off his mask, slightly frowning. His whole body felt sore from throwing himself around. ¡°Doesn¡¯t Ian-hyung look hurt?¡± Ian grimaced slightly from the pain, and the members noticed his expression change. The director called the medical staff after hearing Park Seo-dam¡¯s words. ¡°Ian, if you feel ufortable, tell me right away.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine for now.¡± While Ian sat next to the director and watched the monitor, the medical staff checked his upper body. As expected, there were bruises all over, but Ian showed no sign of pain and stared at his image on the screen with a serious expression. ¡°He¡¯s working hard.¡± Kim Joo-young muttered. The other members nodded nkly. ¡°Doesn¡¯t the atmosphere look amazing?¡± ¡°Ian-hyung doesn¡¯t seem like himself.¡± The Awi members felt unfamiliar with Ian, who was immersed in the shooting. Ian was not a member of the same group, but a single actor. ¡®I don¡¯t want to fall behind.¡¯ The members felt a sense of improvement rather than jealousy as they watched Ian. *** After finishing the long take scene perfectly, it was time for the wire scene. Ian wore a wire around his waist and practiced again. There was tension in the set. The staff moved back a bit. The Awi members, who sensed the change, followed the staff and moved away from the set. ¡°Please move back more, we¡¯re going to shoot an explosion scene.¡± ¡°Explosion?¡± ¡°Yes, all of that.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to use CG?¡± ¡°No.¡± The members backed away quickly after hearing the staff¡¯s words. ¡°Isn¡¯t that dangerous?¡± The members prepared for the uing explosion scene by covering their ears. *** ¡°Let¡¯s go. Ready, action!¡± Under the watchful eyes of the safety officers, the shooting began in a tense atmosphere. Kim Jun-hee installed bombs all over the office and jumped out of the window without hesitation. ¡®I have to keep my bnce.¡¯ The building that was Naushin¡¯s office exploded with a loud noise, and Ian, who had a wire around his waist,nded on the ground. Contrary to his worries, it was a perfectnding. Dust flew everywhere. At that moment, one of the flying debris grazed Ian¡¯s cheek. ¡®Oh, damn.¡¯ The director raised his hands and touched his head. It was only a harmless piece of styrofoam, but the problem was that it grazed near his eye. ¡®This can¡¯t be.¡¯ Director Park almost let out a loud sigh. It was a scene where they had to blow up the set they had worked hard on. That¡¯s why they had to redo the whole thing if there was even a second of a glitch, but it was unrealistic. ¡°Good.¡± Director Park swallowed his regret, but contrary to his worry, Ian stared straight ahead without blinking. He smiled broadly as he confirmed that through the screen. Kim Jun-hee walks away with the copsing building behind him. His movements were sluggish, but he had a presence. ¡°Cut!¡± ¡°Wow, he¡¯s amazing.¡± ¡°He nailed it. Really.¡± The members who were watching him eximed quietly. Park Dong-soo quietly approached them. ¡°Guys, let¡¯s go. It¡¯s not good to stay here for too long.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The members followed Park Dong-soo out of the set without a word. Lee Joo-hyuk left a message in the chat room that he would go first and got in the van. ¡°Ian was cool.¡± Lee Joo-hyuk spoke softly after a long silence in the car. ¡°Hyung, teach me how to make a music cloud ount.¡± ¡°Music cloud? It¡¯s easy, you just need an email, right?¡± Park Jin-hyuk answered Kim Joo-young¡¯s question. ¡°Oh, wait.¡± There wereizens who searched for music cloud IDs on search engines and dug up the past, so Lee Joo-hyuk added. ¡°Use a new email, not the one you use. There are people who dig up your ID.¡± ¡°Wow, right. I got my old post exposed, remember?¡± ¡°Really?¡± Park Jin-hyuk was a witness. He had created a music cloud ount with his old ID without thinking, and someone had found the posts he had uploaded in the past with that ID. ¡°I found it!¡± ¡°What is it, let me see.¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t look!¡± Park Jin-hyuk tried to snatch Park Seo-dam¡¯s phone, but they had already seen his dark history. In the photo, young Park Jin-hyuk was taking a selfie in the bathroom mirror with a crooked pose. ¡°Crazy. Rap my Soul, he says.¡± ¡°Rap my soul~¡± ¡°Hey, stop it!¡± Park Seo-dam and Kim Hyun teased Park Jin-hyuk and giggled. Park Jin-hyuk felt ashamed as his past history was exposed and his face turned red. ¡°Why do you want a music cloud ount all of a sudden?¡± In the midst of the noise, Lee Joo-hyuk asked Kim Joo-young. ¡°Just, it¡¯s time to make one, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°I have to work hard. Ian is working hard too.¡± Kim Hyun, who was listening, snorted. ¡°From what I see, you¡¯re working harder than Ian.¡± ¡°True.¡± Kim Joo-young nodded. He had been trying to do something since the team¡¯s hiatus, but he realized that being an idol was all about dancing and singing well. ¡°I think it¡¯s better to do my main job well when I see Ian acting.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t done our studytely, right? Shall we start from today?¡± ¡°Call.¡± As they ignited the members¡¯ enthusiasm, Park Jin-hyuk slumped his shoulders. He had been in the business for a few years, but still like this? ¡°Hey, I want to ck off.¡± Wouldn¡¯t it be nice to live a life of ease when he had umted some years? Of course, Park Jin-hyuk knew that he was being dragged by the members and working hard, so Park Dong-soo, who was listening, smiled deeply. Chapter 171: Chapter 171: Chapter 171 Z-Day. (6) The members of Awi, who had watched Ian¡¯s filming, got permission from the director to post pictures of the shooting scene on their fan cafe. [Awi] Everyone, where do you think this is? In the picture, the members were smiling brightly and making a V sign around Ian, who was dressed as a zombie. ©¸He looks so handsome with the mask on????? ©¸?????????Ian oppa??You¡¯re so cool ©¸Is that Jinhyuk ying a prank in the back??? ©¸What about Taewoong oppa??? -There¡¯s one missing from the group photo again Jo Taewoong is the reason why they can¡¯t do group activities and he looks like he¡¯s starving for bread crumbs, but they¡¯re making a fuss about taking pictures ?? ©¸Isn¡¯t he still recovering? ©¸(Author) It¡¯s been over two months, do you think that makes sense? ©¸©¸You¡¯re funny?? Do you take illness too lightly? Are you even an Awi fan???? ©¸I also suffered from panic disorder and I couldn¡¯t go to the hospital on time because of people like you ?? ©¸If you have any shame, delete your post ©¸This guy is an IP troll, report him The so-called ¡®haters¡¯ who sued the maliciousmenters did not disappear. There were still some vicious people who did not hesitate to receive theints. They could be from another fandom. Or they could just be jealous of the sessful Awi. But Taeban were these kind of people. They find intentions in simple words. They catch the tail of the words that are ufortable and if they don¡¯t go their way, theysh out and attack the person. -They look happy even though one is missing, am I the only one who feels ufortable seeing this? I feel sorry for the one who didn¡¯t show up ?? -They¡¯ve been posting a lot of 6-person photostely, are they going to kick out Jo Taewoong? -Isn¡¯t it a fact that Jo Taewoong made the mental illness awareness worse? They areizens who are full of hatred and bite until someone dies, without checking the facts, thinking that their twisted beliefs are justice. They were almost like a collective madness. To them, the thriving Awi was enough to chew on. They stopped trying to harass using Jo Taewoong and tried to stir up another topic. -I heard that Byunghun¡¯spany is also having a bad rtionship with Awi and sending out rookies -Did they only bully Jo Taewoong? -Look at the Y appst year, isn¡¯t the rtionship between Jo Taewoong and the others bad here? There were also signs of ¡®fabrication¡¯ to create a bullying rumor. *** Nawoo Shin, who was caught by Kim Kanghyuk, headed to the zombies¡¯ hideout. Kim Junhee, who had turned the area where Nawoo Shin¡¯s office was located into a wastnd, entered the hideout. ¡°Where is Mr. Woo?¡± ¡°Over there.¡± ¡°You¡­!¡± Nawoo Shin realized that Kim Junhee was the wanted criminal K from his mask and tried to run away. ¡°Mr. Woo, where are you going? It¡¯s useless to run away.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Kim Junhee took off his mask and turned on the TV in the corner of the hideout. The TV screen was broadcasting a breaking news. (This is a breaking news. There was a series of explosions in the B-35 area.) The screen showed the situation of the B-35 area, which had be a ruin in an instant. ¡°That¡¯s all¡­.¡± Nawoo Shin looked at Kim Junhee with a stupid expression. Kim Junhee nodded his head with a nk face. (K, the first-ss wanted criminal, was confirmed to be at the scene of the terror, and the government has raised the zombie crisis level to¡­.) (First-ss criminal wanted K, zombie. Kill on sight) (Second-ss criminal wanted H, zombie. Capture alive) ¡°The bounty went up again.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only natural since you blew up a whole area. Be careful next time.¡± Kim Kanghyuk and Kim Junhee opened the refrigerator door and took out something covered in blood and ate it. The two zombies were proud of the increased bounty. ¡°What is that¡­.¡± That was not all. The screen showed a full-size photo of Nawoo Shin¡¯s ID card. (Also, we have confirmed that K has a civilian aplice. The identity of the civilian is Mr. Na, who works as an employee at Hwaun Pharmaceuticals, and the government has designated Mr. Na as a wanted criminal as of now¡­.) (Second-ss criminal wanted Nawoo Shin 29 years old, human. Former Hwaun Pharmaceuticals employee. Report and capture on sight) Why is my face there. Nawoo Shin grabbed the TV with his trembling hands. ¡°I was an employee¡­. Did I get fired?¡± Hwaun Pharmaceuticals, a government-affiliatedpany that makes zombie vines, was a dreampany for humans who were preparing for a job, as it had no worries of going bankrupt. How much hardship did he go through to get into Hwaun Pharmaceuticals. His efforts were gone in an instant. ¡°So you thought you could go back to work? You¡¯re a funny human, Mr. Woo.¡± Naowoo became a second-ss criminal wanted by the government overnight. He had nowhere else to go, so he had to hide with the zombies in their hideout. And he was not alone. He was with a terrorist who was the government¡¯s top priority to capture. *** ¡°It seems that a human with immunity has appeared.¡± The subordinate brought a wanted poster with Naowoo¡¯s name clearly printed on it. ¡°We must capture him alive. Don¡¯t let him get hurt, not even a hair.¡± The situation changed drastically when the government also found out about Naowoo¡¯s identity. The soldiers searched the entire area for anyone who looked like Naowoo, and the broadcasts increased the frequency of asking for Naowoo¡¯s whereabouts instead of K¡¯s. They had to convince the public, so they imed that Naowoo had a close rtionship with K and had stolen government secrets. They also raised his bounty to the first ss. Naowoo watched the situation and decided to live in the zombie hideout as ast resort. He had grown up hearing that zombies were monsters that ate people and that he should never go near them. But the zombies were different from what he had thought. ¡°They¡¯re no different from humans¡­¡± They were no different from humans if they received the vine from Hwaun Pharmaceuticals. They had to be restrained by K when they lost their reason, but they did not resist. They maintained their own order. ¡°Is that the human? The one K was looking for?¡± ¡°Does that mean we can get theplete vine too?¡± The zombies also needed Naowoo, so they did not treat him roughly. On the contrary, they took good care of him. He felt the irony of seeing the zombies protect him more than the government that he thought would protect him. ¡°Do you have to go?¡± ¡°I have something precious in that house.¡± But he did not intend to live with the zombies forever. ¡®I can¡¯t trust the zombies. If I¡¯m a super-immune human who is sought by both humans and zombies¡­ Wouldn¡¯t the government side treat me better?¡¯ Naowoo was able to get out of the hideout with the help of Kim Junhee, who could not refuse his request. ¡°Do you really need to get the stuff in the house?¡± ¡°I have something precious to me. I have to get it.¡± When he went to his house to find his belongings with Kim Junhee¡¯s help, he found that the soldiers had already ransacked his house and left. ¡®No, it¡¯ll be safe if I surrender to the government.¡¯ Naowoo guessed that things would not go as he wanted from then on, but the trigger had already been pulled. ¡°Naowoo!¡± Kim Junhee shouted as he saw Naowoo throw himself out of the window. ¡°There he is!¡± ¡°Capture him alive!¡± As the police and soldiers who were guarding outside Naowoo¡¯s house recognized his face and tried to approach him, K, wearing a mask, appeared behind Naowoo. ¡°It¡¯s K! Shoot!¡± ¡°Kill them all!¡± ¡°No! Don¡¯t shoot! Don¡¯t hit the target!¡± In the midst of the breathless confrontation between zombies and humans, the zombies rushed in front of the soldiers to save Naowoo, sacrificing themselves as meat shields. ¡°K, go!¡± They barely escaped with their lives and hid themselves in a deserted ce. Kim Kanghyuk grabbed Naowoo¡¯s cor, who was panting. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have trusted humans in the first ce.¡± ¡°Kanghyuk, calm down.¡± ¡°Do I look calm? Do you know how many died because of this bastard?¡± Kim Junhee pulled Kim Kanghyuk¡¯s hand off Naowoo¡¯s cor. Kim Kanghyuk snorted. Many zombies died for Naowoo. Some of them were kind to Naowoo. Kim Kanghyuk hit Naowoo with a stick. ¡°We should have just tied him up and drained his blood! Like before!¡± ¡°Kim Kanghyuk!¡± Kim Junhee grabbed Kim Kanghyuk¡¯s shoulder hard. He heard a cracking sound from his bones, but Kim Kanghyuk¡¯s expression was full of anger without any distortion. ¡°Go back to the hideout.¡± ¡°¡­Fuck!¡± Kim Kanghyuk eventually lost the staring contest with Kim Junhee and left. ¡°Did I¡­ did I do something wrong?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You¡¯re zombies! How can I trust you! At least if I¡¯m with the government, they¡¯ll¡­! Ugh!¡± Kim Junhee pressed down on Naowoo¡¯s back and sighed deeply. Naowoo groaned in pain. ¡°Mr. Woo, do you want to know? The fact that the government won¡¯t protect you?¡± Naowoo was scared by Kim Junhee¡¯s shing eyes and had to shut his mouth. ¡°Hwaun Pharmaceuticals has theplete vine. If you don¡¯t believe me, I can¡¯t help it¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Humans didn¡¯t stop their greed. They deliberately neglected the zombies to be humans like you.¡± Kim Junhee then took Naowoo to show him the reality of how the zombies were exploited. ¡°They¡¯re easy to handle, and if they use the zombies as ves, the society can somehow function.¡± The life of the exploited zombies was something that Naushin didn¡¯t know. The media imed that the world had regained stability thanks to the government¡¯s efforts, but behind the scenes, there were humans who whipped the zombies and made them do all kinds of dirty work. ¡°This could be your future, Mr. Naushin.¡± Kim Junhee showed him the data that he had stolen from theboratory, where he heard the sound of zombies being tied up and drained of blood, and the greedy researchers trying to find out their immortality. ¡°Mr. Naushin.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Do you think this is normal?¡± Naushin saw it with his own eyes. He realized that this society was a monstrosity. But he didn¡¯t want to hear it from a zombie. ¡°Is it necessary to sacrifice the few for the many? Is it really worth it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You could be one of those few, Mr. Naushin. Think carefully.¡± Naushin hated himself for being persuaded, so he answered curtly. ¡°Don¡¯t shove your ideology down my throat.¡± ¡°The government is doing the same thing, Mr. Naushin. They brainwashed you to think that we are dangerous monsters. Do we really look like that to you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± He wasn¡¯t afraid of zombies anymore. Rather, he knew that this society wouldn¡¯t function properly without them. ¡°Mr. Naushin, we were once ¡®human¡¯. Not livestock, not ves.¡± But he was too small to know the secrets of the world. He was a mere citizen, a person who could feel the guilt of his conscience. He couldn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Mr. Naushin, you feel it too, don¡¯t you? That this is wrong.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°We can change it, if we work together.¡± Kim Junhee sounded desperate as he said that. He tapped Naushin¡¯s shoulder and left the room. ¡°Think about it. And make a good choice.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Which side you¡¯re going to join.¡± The rusty iron door closed with a creaking, chilling sound. *** Ian enjoyed the high-difficulty action acting while filming ¡®Z-Day¡¯. ¡°Ian, are you hurt anywhere?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. Well, maybe my shoulder is a bit¡­?¡± ¡°Medic!¡± The managers who watched Ian¡¯s filming were anxious as they took care of him. He threw his body without hesitation, whether it was hanging from a wire somewhere, a gunfight, or falling to the ground. ¡°Ian, please die naturally.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing.¡± Ian¡¯s immersion in action acting was enough to make Kim Myungjin, his manager, talk nonsense. [Did you like this kind of thing in your previous life too?] ¡®No.¡¯ He used to be the type who protected his body when he was Kim Yongmin. But thanks to Ian¡¯s athletic body, he adapted quickly and tried new things as his body followed. ¡®It¡¯s fun now.¡¯ [Are you going to be a specialized action actor?] ¡®That sounds good.¡¯ If Kim Myungjin and Park Dongsoo heard Ian¡¯s thoughts, they might have copsed while grabbing the back of his neck. Chapter 173: Chapter 173: Chapter 173 ZDay (8) The shooting of ZDay was nearing its end. After a slight friction in the bathroom, Eom Ji-hwan kept quiet. He didnt talk much even when he was alone with Ian, and they ignored each other whenever they had a chance. Eom Ji-hwan is quiet. [Hes trying to be more famous than you, right?] Really? Ian arrived at the shooting site and greeted the staff as usual. How is he going to be famous? His skills are the same. [Hes probably spreading a lot of rumors. Hes also going to be in another drama. His agency is like that.] Well, its not all about skills in the entertainment industry. It was better to use everything he could. Ian chuckled. He wasnt too worried about Eom Ji-hwan grinding his teeth. Did he get a sponsor before? [Not from Cheonghwa, but from another side. He spread a lot of rumors around this time. He shone for a moment and then disappeared.] Did he? Ian frowned. He felt like he remembered something. [He might go into another drama after this. He got into Coincidence with a push, but I dont know now.] Wait, what role did he get in that? [I dont remember well, but he was a male supporting actor? Or a sub male lead?] Crazy Coincidence. It was a drama he couldnt forget. In his previous life, Kim Yong-min, Ians former self, had made it to the final audition, but suddenly he was told not toe. They didnt give him a proper answer, and he had to prepare for another audition with regret. Later, when Coincidence became popr and had good ratings and exports, he felt so empty. So it was because of Eom Ji-hwan Ian liked to approach the actors who were in the same drama as him first. It was a kind of routine for him. He could act morefortably when the actors got along well. He even took care of the extras, but Eom Ji-hwan was the only one he didnt like among the actors of ZDay. So he unconsciously kept his distance by calling him Ji-hwan, Ji-hwan. No wonder It was a past thing and Ian was no longer Kim Yong-min, but he didnt feel good when he found out that he had lost his role. The loss he felt at that time was indescribable. [Kim Yong-min again?] Jinughed as he read Ians expression. When Ian finished his makeup and headed to the shooting site, Kim Min-jae quietly came to his side and walked along the corridor with him. Hello, hyung. Hi, are you okay? Im used to it now, as soon as the bruises disappear, new ones appear. Ian and Kim Min-jae, who enjoyed action acting, were excited by the director and the action director, who became bolder after seeing Ians performance. Ian was happy to shoot on the spot because he looked good on camera, but he felt the pain in the van on his way back to the dormitory and regretted itter. Arent you working too hard? Im embarrassed to use a stunt. Were supposed to use stunts, our bodies are our assets. Right, what if you get hurt? Just do enough. I got greedy Im already feeling the managers eyes, so Im not going to do it all by myself next time. So youre going to do it all in this work? Ian didnt answer and just smiled. Kim Min-jae looked at him with an annoyed expression. But thanks to him, Im motivated. He felt a new passion when he saw Ian working hard on the shooting. Kim Min-jae thought that the people in the industry were not wrong to praise Ian. Hes a friend with a lot to learn from. They passed the long corridor and arrived at the shooting site. They watched the staff busy setting up the scene. Where is Ji-hwan? Where else, hes in the van. Kim Min-jae shrugged. It was Eom Ji-hwans van in the distance. He used toe to the site often in the beginning, but he gradually stoppeding and only came out to act when he had his own shooting. He stayed in the van most of the time. He even ate separately in the van. The staff were the ones who suffered. They had to run to the van and tell him to get ready for the shooting. Its not good for a young guy to act like that Hyung, youll be called an old man if you say that. Why, Im right. The people who work on the same work should have a grasp of the whole picture of the site, not just their own acting The director and the veteran actors who had worked with him on many works looked at Eom Ji-hwans van and murmured. They smiled warmly when they saw Ian and Kim Min-jae watching the site. They felt their eyes and approached them. They bowed their upper bodies. Hello, seniors. Did you go back well yesterday? Look at our Ian and Min-jae, how diligent they are. Ha ha, thank you. Ian and Kim Min-jae smiled awkwardly as they receivedpliments from the veteran actors. You and Ji-hwan dont seem to get along well these days. We were never close, you know. Kim Min-jae whispered to Ian, who was standing next to the senior actors and getting used to the atmosphere of the filming set. Ian shrugged his shoulders. Actually, I heard everything in the bathroom. Really? It didnt matter who heard it. This kind of quarrel wasmon in the entertainment industry. There were scenes of staff being abused, and actors fighting and grabbing each others cors, which he had witnessed more than once. Ian and Eom Ji-hwan were rather yful. Dont worry too much. He didnt care enough, but he was grateful for the concern and nodded silently. Isnt it strange? They havent found this hideout yet They found out too quickly that I have a special immunity. Was it you? Na-woo-shin felt betrayed when he realized that Kim Jun-hee, who didnt say anything, was the one who leaked his information. It was you. Na-woo-shin kicked the ce and ran out. He stopped in a deserted alley after escaping the hideout and muttered. I cant trust anyone. He had lost his job and became a fugitive overnight because of Kim Jun-hee. He couldnt trust the zombies or the government. What should I do now? The situation began to change rapidly. Kim Kang-hyuk showed signs of betrayal after being persuaded by the soldiers, and Na-woo-shin became more suspicious of Kim Jun-hee. K is not trustworthy. Come with me to the government side. Do you think they will guarantee our safety if we go to the government side? This is betrayal. This is not betrayal, this is finding the right ce. Kim Kang-hyuk tried to persuade Na-woo-shin. Kim Jun-hee, who knew everything, made up his mind to do the final terror. When Na-woo-shins mind leaned toward Kim Kang-hyuk, Na-woo-shin noticed something strange about Kim Jun-hee. That guy is He had never taken the vine that he had to take regrly, and he had never eaten a human corpse. You He said there was one more person like me. Could it be. Kim Jun-hee smiled when he read his thoughts from Na-woo-shins expression. I said there was only one, right? Thats me. What? Im a little different from the perfect Mr. Woo-shin. They call it a mutant. But why They must have found me unsuitable for making the vine they wanted, since they havent found it yet. The wanted poster of K, which was capture alive on sight, changed to kill on sight after Na-woo-shin became a second-ss fugitive. They didnt need K anymore, since they had a substitute called Na-woo-shin. Kim Kang-hyuk told you to go to the government side, right? How how did you know Do you still want to entrust yourself to the government after seeing this? Kim Jun-hee threw a blood-stained file to Na-woo-shin. He caught it in surprise and looked at the data in the file. There were records of some experiments, and pictures of Kim Jun-hee being tied up and drained of blood in theb. This is This is your future. Kim Jun-hee recalled his past. He was a zombie who wandered outside the barrier, who had survived the apocalypse together. He had been outside for a long time, and he had regained his emotions and desire for life after being captured by humans. They wont treat you as a human. They will see you as a useful livestock at best. And scenes of him being experimented on and drained of blood by humans were shown one by one. He is not suitable for making the vine we want. Dispose of him. He heard the whispers about his fate, and Kim Jun-hee, who thought he would die if he stayed here, escaped theb with the other zombies, and theb was engulfed in mes. Your DNA should be suitable for the vine. Kim Jun-hee had been researching the vine with his own blood until Na-woo-shin appeared. He handed over the USB containing the data to Na-woo-shin. Mr. Woo-shin, dont trust anyone. Why are you doing this to me? I dont know Im not sure. Maybe it was because of the sympathy for the same disease. He also had a wish that he had an ally when he was in that situation. He was living a life bound by duty, without any freedom. He had to act as the leader of the zombies, terrorize people intermittently, and raid theboratories of Hwaun Pharmaceuticals scattered around the world, looking for clues to the vine. He only found himself in this situation. Do whats best for you to survive, Woo-shin. He said goodbye to Na-woo-shin. K, or Kim Jun-hee, was exhausted now. Cut! Good job! Ian and Kim Min-jae rxed their expressions as they faced each other. They checked the shooting monitor with the director and did another retake. Then they took a break while the staff prepared for the next scene. This is the first time Ive seen so many extras. [Thats the advantage of having a lot of capital.] The extras dressed as zombies were gathered in a corner of the set. Ian had been to many sets in his previous and current life, but this was thergest number of people he had ever seen. Hello. Hello Oh! Ian approached the group of extras and bowed his upper body to greet them. The extras who were waiting were startled and screamed. Crazy! Are you a fan? As people crowded around Ian, Park Dong-soo stuck to Ians side with a nervous expression. Do you want me to take a picture with you? We still have some time before the shooting starts. Really? You must be bored waiting. I am too. The extras had to wait for a long time until their turn came. They had to spend time in boredom without knowing exactly when the shooting time was, and they had to keep waiting in the bus. [Do you really need to do this?] Why not? They all like it. If it was Kim Yong-min, he wouldnt have attracted so many people. Ian decided to enjoy doing fan service. Ian Sorry, hyung. Ian smiled awkwardly as he saw Park Dong-soo sighing. Hes just pretending. Eom Ji-hwan, who was watching the situation from inside the van, snorted as he looked at Ian. Does he think anyone will appreciate him for managing his image like that? Chapter 174: Chapter 174: Chapter 174 Z-Day (9) Director, its finally that scene. I can see your hands shaking, writer. It was the moment to shoot the zombie shock, the ending and the highlight of Z-Day. Director Park and writer Lee checked the camera angles with Ian on the screen. Its a shame to use such a good actor for just one season. What do you think, writer? Thats why I left Kim Jun-hees fate ambiguous. If the reaction is good, we can bring him back in the next season. But do you think Ian will do it again next season? His manager looks like hes going to stab us in the back right now. Director Park and writer Lee nced behind them. Park Dong-soo was watching Ian with his arms crossed and his eyes wide, worried that he might get hurt. You should have been more careful. You barely used any stuntmen. Ian was so good at it And he wanted to do it himself. Director Park mumbled. He had nothing to say to Park Dong-soos re. And director, if the next season is confirmed, dont you think E-Flix will double the production cost? That sounds good. There is no agency that would refuse a high sry. Director Park hoped that he could film with Ian again next season and put down the script that he had been fiddling with. E-Flix should support us a lot for season 2 too Are you already thinking about season 2, writer? Why not? With my script and your direction, we should go at least until season 10. Director Parkughed at her confident attitude. Hey, season 10 is honestly impossible. There would be some additional shooting in the studio, but the official shooting was over with this scene. This scene was one of the scenes I struggled with a lot when I wrote the script. I also wanted to shoot this scene personally. I hope everyone does their best in their assigned roles. Since it was thest shooting on the spot, Director Park and Writer Lee had a short speech before the shooting. It was an honor to work with you all. Lets finish thest shooting with energy. Thank you for your hard work. Ian took a deep breath to rx his nerves. Arge-scale zombie battle scene, Ian had to hold the center of it. Action! At dawn, Kim Jun-hee infiltrates the vine storage facility of Hwaun Pharmaceuticals with some zombies who share his intentions. He ns to switch the zombie vine with saline solution. Do we have to do this? Then, why are you doing this, Woo-shin? I dont want to live like you. A life of being chased as the leader of the zombies after being freed from being an experimental subject by the government, can this be called a life? Nawoo-shin, who decided to live for himself by throwing away his justice and conscience, decides to side with Kim Jun-hee. What are you going to do now? Itll work out somehow. Whats the point of being optimistic? The zombies will lose their reason like the end of the world, and the government will use you and discard you. We dont know what will happen in the future. But, we have to hope for the best. Im going to pioneer my life. Kim Jun-hee saw the eyes of the hopeful one. He couldnt say anything when he saw those eyes. I dont want to live like me Nawoo-shin left the ce first and Kim Jun-hee was left behind with a bitter smile. The next day, after they switched the vine, the humans who had no idea what Kim Jun-hee and Nawoo-shin had done were having a peacefulmute. Mom! Look at that man! A child with a kindergarten bag tried to approach a zombie who was cleaning the street with a mask on. But the child was grabbed by both shoulders by his mother. Dont go near him! But hes really weird. The mother of the child knelt down on one knee and looked at the child in the eye. The faces of the child and the mother filled the screen. What did I tell you to do when you see someone with a mask like that? Dont go near them, dont touch them! The screen only shows their faces in close-up, alternating between them. Thats right. We have to be careful of those monsters. They might hurt our Eun-ji. Got it? Suddenly, the camera angle changes at some point. The camera zooms out from the face and shows the upper body of the child, and the background. Behind the child, the zombie that the child pointed out is twisting his body. The mother of the child didnt notice it because she was looking at the child. Say it again. What do they do when you go near them? They roar! Roa The child couldnt finish his sentence. The zombie that was twisting his body took off his mask and bit the childs neck. Aaaah! The mother of the child screamed and held the child who fell limp, and the zombie who bit the childs flesh twisted his body and spoke in a slurred voice. Cough, cooough. Im, sorry. Why, am I, doing, this Aaah! Eun-ji! I got the vine, but cough ack He eventually loses his reasonpletely. The zombie attacks the mother who is holding the child. What the hell! Run! The road bes chaotic in an instant, and the sound of zombies running from the area that everyone avoids is heard. The zombies who were working also lost their reason because of the changed vine. Help me! Call for help! Go in, go in there! Other zombies run over the gruesome corpses of the mother and child, and after some time, the child and the mother also turn into zombies and get up from their ces. In the midst of that chaos, Kim Jun-hee calmly tore off the mask that covered his face and threw it into the air. K, K! Run! The humans who were chased by the zombies and saw Kim Jun-hees mask avoided him. He stopped at their shouts. He didnt need the mask that was the symbol of K anymore. He took off the mask and looked at the sky. Im going to pioneer my life. Nawoo-shins words from yesterday suddenly came to his mind. Am I pioneering my life too? It was the section that Writer Lee paid attention to. Kim Jun-hee raised his arms and tasted the sunlight that poured down on him. Ha ha! Heughed out loud like a child, then made a face that looked like he was crying and smiling at the same time. He also had to give the impression that his muscles were stiff like a zombie. The zombies did not attack Kim Jun-hee. They passed by him on both sides as he stood still. Wow, this is Amazing Kim Jun-hee was happy to find freedom after giving up his life of duty without reward as the leader of the zombie horde. He felt pity for himself who had been exploited and hatred for the humans who had used him. He expressedplex emotions in a short moment. The staff who were watching his acting were stunned by his face. This is it. Director Park clenched his fist. He had to pause the shooting for a moment and attach a wire to Ians waist, but he did not want to interrupt. He had been acting for longer than the time the director had told him before the shooting, but Ian waspletely immersed in his role and did not even wonder why the director did not give the cut sign. When will it end? Do I have to keep going? Rather, the extras who were acting as zombies eating humans were waiting for the directors cut sign. Cut! As Director Park shouted, the extras got up and moved to switch ces with other actors. But Ian did note to the directors side to watch the monitor as usual. Lets attach the wire to Ian and go right away. We cant break the flow. Yes. Director Park, who noticed Ians condition, urged the staff. Hes totally immersed This was what people called method acting. Appropriate immersion was a strength for an actor. But it was also true that too much immersion was not good for an actor. There were cases where actors were consumed by their roles in the process of immersion, and the mental exhaustion and stress were also great. I have to finish this quickly and move on. Director Park did not prefer this kind of over-immersion situation. However, he also felt a sense of anticipation that a good scene woulde out when he saw Ian, who waspletely dyed in his role. Lets go right away! Extras, get ready quickly! The staff moved busily. Park Dong-soo, who was fascinated by Ians acting, looked at Ians face with a nervous feeling, worried that there might be an ident. Hes working really hard today. Park Dong-soo often visited the drama set of Jo Tae-woong and Ian, but he only thought about how to support the ones he was in charge of, not watching them act with such immersion. Is Ian okay? Park Dong-soo, who was not an actor but an idol manager, did not know much about the method acting technique. But he could feel that it was a very different look from the usual Ian. Park Dong-soo rolled his feet. [Hey, Choi Ian.] Ian was still staring nkly at the air while the staff were attaching the wire. He did not answer Jins call. [Hey.] Dont break it. Ian was indeed more immersed than usual, but he was not as immersed as the director thought. Rather, he was trying not to be eroded by his role while keeping the emotional line. Jin closed his mouth without saying anything at his silent effort. The director held the te himself and headed to Ians front. He shouted to the assistant director. Is everything set? Yes! Good,st scene. Cue! Director Park hit the te and quickly moved away from Ian and sat in front of the monitor. Kim Jun-hee took a cigarette from the chest pocket of a human who had copsed in the building and put it in his mouth. He then leaned his face close to a burning car and lit it. Theres no difference in other areas! What the hell is going on Team leader, behind! What, damn it, shit! Bang, bang bang! The soldiers who arrived at the scene had no time to question the sudden situation and engaged in a street fight with the zombies. What is that guy? Among the soldiers who were shooting, Kim Jun-hee took off his coat and showed the bomb that covered his upper body. Its a bomb! Over there! He was heading to the headquarters of Hwaun Pharmaceutical, where all the data of Hwaun Pharmaceutical, including his own, was stored. Kim Jun-hee wanted to erase his data and the form of the vine itself. What do we do? Do we shoot? Shoot! Ha but, if we shoot, well all die. The soldiers hesitated. Judging by the amount of the bomb, if the bomb that covered Kim Jun-hees body exploded, this area would be turned into a wastnd, including them. The soldiers hesitated to pull the trigger, fearing for their lives. Shoot, damn it! Shoot! Thats the headquarters of Hwawoon Pharmaceuticals, you idiots! Hurry up and shoot! Kim Jun-heeughed wickedly. Madness flickered in his eyes. He quickened his pace and leaped into the air after a few rolls. Right in front of him was the building of Hwawoon Pharmaceuticals. No! Kim Jun-hee found his freedom only in death. Naow Shin, who was left alone in a new hiding ce, watched the building explode in a daze. The first season of Z-Day was over. Cut! Good job, everyone! There was a brief silence on the set after Director Parks cut sign. As Park Dong-soo pped, the staff cheered and apuded. Ian, are you okay? Yes, Director! Thank you for your hard work! Ian quickly regained hisposure and bowed to the staff, contrary to Director Parks concern. Director Park sighed in relief. Writer Lee. Yes. Lets go all the way to season 10. Writer Lee Ju-hee nodded nkly at Director Park Pyo-hyuns words. Chapter 175: Chapter 175: Chapter 175 Jo Tae-woong is back Ian finally finished Z-Day after arge-scale set shooting, a few studio shootings, and post-synchronization. No, hyung! Dont throw the water balloon there, I cant get in. Ah, you were behind me? You should havee in first! Ian was rxing in the living room with the members, ying games on his phone. Who wants ramen? Me, me, me! Everyone raised their hands while lying on the living room floor. Kim Joo-young narrowed his eyes at them. Pigs Oink, oink. The members made pig noises in unison. Kim Joo-young went to the kitchen to cook ramen without a word. The kitchen was Kim Joo-youngs territory. He knew that the food would taste bad if he left it to the members, so he decided to do it himself. Joo-young, didnt you get a cooking certificate? He said he only focuses on his main job. Isnt that part of his main job? Right. He has so many talents as an entertainer. He would be flying around if he went on an observational variety show. The members added theirments while listening to the sound of Kim Joo-young chopping green onions. Lee Joo-hyuk, who was lying next to Ian, spoke while looking at Ians clean arm. Ian, your bruise is gone now? Really? I didnt notice. Ian was surprised and touched his arm. He had so many bruises that he didnt care much about the pain. How can you not know? The shooting ended a long time ago, but itsted for a long time. Its still on my body. Really? Even after the shooting waspletely over and a long time had passed, the blue bruises that decorated Ians body did not show any signs of fading. No, I told the director not to torture our kid. When did you say that? In my imagination? Ian looked at Lee Joo-hyuk with a dull eye. Lee Joo-hyuk smiled shamelessly. In the end, Lee Joo-hyuk was also a member of the group of traitors. He thought he had really delivered the message to the director when he spoke seriously. But did you have that much action? More than when we went to see? Youll see for yourself when ites out on Emflix. Ah, hyung, give me a spoiler! Park Seo-dam sat on Ians back, who was lying face down, and harassed him. Ah! Get off, youre heavy! No way. While Ian was screaming under Park Seo-dams weight, Kim Hyun and Park Jin-hyuk had a conversation. Hyung Myung-jin said Ian should die naturally. What does that mean? It means he shouldnt die in an ident while acting. Crazy. The one who saved Ian from Park Seo-dam was Kim Joo-young. Ramen is ready! Yeah! King Joo-young! King Joo-young! When Kim Joo-young put the pot of ramen on the table, the members sat down with their chopsticks and bowls. Suddenly, they heard the sound of the door lock being pressed. Whos here? Maybe Dong-su hyung or Myung-jin hyung. But the managers always call us before theye, dont they? Anyone has a schedule? The members shook their heads silently at Lee Joo-hyuks question. They didnt have to worry about fans because the dorm was in a secure apartment. Who is it? Dong-su hyung? Because of the wedding? Why would hee to us because of the wedding? What, youre not eating? Ill eat it all. No way! The members didnt care much about who it was, thinking it was a manager. They were distracted by the ramen and didnt even check who came. What, Im here. No one wees me? At the familiar voice, all the members lifted their heads like meerkats and looked at the entrance. Park Jin-hyuk spat out the ramen he was about to put in his mouth. Normally, they would have teased him for being dirty, but they didnt have time for that. Wow. Taewoong hyung! Jotaewoong was back. *** When Ian finished shooting a season of drama and took a break, Jotaewoong was stillzing around at his grandmothers house. I need to spread some fertilizer on the field Ill do it, grandma! Jotaewoong, who was doing some productive work by helping his grandmother, hardly did any web surfing that he used to do habitually, thanks to the poor data connection in the area. The only thing he did was asionally chatting with his friends in the group chat. Thanks to that, his insomnia that used to torment his nights was almost gone. (Bak Jinhyuk3) Ians drama teaser is out 15:22 (Hyunhyun3) Really? 15:22 Bak Jinhyuk posted a MyTube link in the group chat. Jotaewoong hesitated over the link with his thumb. A teaser already? It hadnt been long since they finished shooting, but they already had a teaser. Maybe they were going to keep showing this kind of teaser and tease the viewers. What should I do? I might get anxious again if I watch this. But his curiosity was stronger than his anxiety. Jotaewoong finally clicked on the link and yed the video. Mr. Woo, close your eyes. Wh, why? Why my eyes And dont scream either. Kim Junhee lifted Na Woo-shin up with one hand. And he threw him out of the window, holding his waist. Hey, you Na Woo-shin, who fell from the seventh floor with his bare body in an instant, shouted loudly. You bastard! The scene changed and Ians figure walking leisurely with a building exploding behind him was captured in the center of the screen. And then, short clips appeared and disappeared repeatedly with a majestic OST. Scenes of high-difficulty action moves, the chemistry between Ian and Kim Minjae, and finally a grand explosion scene. Wow, awesome. This is no joke. Jotaewoong hurriedly entered the group chat. The members were spamming the chat with emoticons. (Seodami2) Amazing 15:31 (Lee Juhyuk3) So cool, seriously 15:32 (Jotan4) Hot 15:32 (Jotan4) So stylish 15:32 Jotaewoong didnt forget to leave a message. Wait,e to think of it. He stopped typing as he realized something important. I used to get impatient and my heart would race when I saw something like this, but I dont feel that way anymore. He used to feel like a burden when he heard about the activities of his members, because he was the only one who didnt do anything. But now he didnt have that feeling, and he just thought that Ian was cool. He wanted to do that kind of drama too. It was a pure admiration and desire. Have I gotten better? Jotaewoong sparkled his eyes as he felt his change. Taewoong, we ran out of ingredients. Can you go to the market and buy some? Ill be right back! Jotaewoong, who suddenly felt good, volunteered to go outside despite the crowded market day. Mrs. Shins grandson is here? Give me that, that. But Yes? Can you give me more? When Jotaewoong stuttered, the shop owner chuckled. You used to wear a hat and look gloomy, but youre pretty today? Youre so handsome when you smile! Thank you. Jotaewoong bowed his head with a smile. Jotaewoong, who gained confidence, was able to win the favor of the vigers with his unique sociability. Before he knew it, he had a lot of stuff in his hands thanks to the service they gave him. Im fine now. He didnt mind having people around him anymore. He was confident that he could go on a stage with more people without any problem. When are you going to pay me back? Mrs. Park, give me some money! Ill pay youter, give me that. Ugh, what if I never get this money back? I said Ill pay youter! Do you think Im a thief? Jotaewoong, who had a lot of stuff in his hands but a light step, witnessed a scene of a loud argument in front of a shop. That person is Park, a woman who shamelessly walked away with goods on credit. She was the old woman who had grabbed the young Jo Tae-woong and cursed his grandmother and his family. Jo Tae-woong followed the old woman as if he was possessed. When they crossed the market and went up a steep hill, Jo Tae-woong spoke to the old woman. Excuse me, do you remember me? Arent you Mrs. Shins grandson? Why are you following me? I have something to ask you. What is it? Park answered rudely. Jo Tae-woong stopped and asked the old woman. Why did you curse my grandmother in the past? What do you mean? I never cursed your grandmother. When I was young, you called my grandmother a widow who couldnt raise a child. You also said bad things about her appearance and her hometown. Thats a lie! I never did that! The old woman, who felt guilty, shouted. You must have heard it wrong! Im a person who never cursed anyone in my life! But Jo Tae-woong didnt hear it wrong. Bad memoriesst a lifetime, and it was one of the memories that he had kept until now. He regretted the days when he couldnt say anything to defend his family and his precious grandmother. Ugh, kids these days have no manners The old woman muttered and quickened her pace as if to escape. Jo Tae-woong stood nkly and stared at the old womans back. Haha. Jo Tae-woongughed bitterly. The perpetrators dont remember. Or maybe they pretend not to remember as an excuse. They inflict lifelong trauma on the victims, but the perpetrators say they dont remember and use the victims of being delusional. It was a world where the perpetrators could get away with it. How long do I have to be a victim? Jo Tae-woong thought of himself and his grandmother. Park, who got groceries on credit and was avoided by the vigers. Her family never visited her. Her life was more miserable than when she had criticized his grandmother. He suddenly felt ashamed of himself for being swayed by the maliciousments of people like her. What if I made a mistake today, what if my family gets hurt because of this, he hated the nights when he couldnt sleep while censoring himself. Im tired of being dragged around by these things Jo Tae-woong stood up. Isnt my existence, my time too precious? Im a valuable person just by being myself. I dont want to suffer from the rumors and hatefulments that people write out of jealousy. I have a lot of fans, too. And the more people hate me, the more people love me and make me shine. Of course, the people who put him in this situation deserved to be punished. But unless he healed his wounded heart himself, he would always be a hurt victim. I dont want to stay here anymore. Jo Tae-woong made up his mind. He felt a little stronger than before, but he might get hurt by someones hatefulment again while living. He might fall into low self-esteem and wonder if he had to live like this. But he decided not to run away anymore. Jo Tae-woong finished his thoughts and called Park Dong-soo. (Hey, Tae-woong. Do you need anything?) Hyung, I want to go back to the dorm. (What? Wait, wait a minute.) Can you pick me up? He heard a thud from the other side of the phone. Park Dong-soo was surprised by Jo Tae-woongs request and tripped over the furniture. Park Dong-soo got up quickly, forgetting the pain, and shouted. (Of course! Ill be right there!) Jo Tae-woongughed. He felt sorry to ask him toe right away, so he told him toe the next day at noon. He packed his bags secretly from his grandmother. Hey, Tae-woong. The next day, Mrs. Shin saw a huge celebrity vaning along the ridge and called Jo Tae-woong. Are your friendsing again? No. Jo Tae-woong, who had packed everything, sat at the entrance and tied his shoces tightly. Grandma, Im going back to Seoul now. Mrs. Shins eyes widened as she saw the bag in his hand and his bright face. Then she smiled kindly. Are you feeling better now? It doesnt matter if Im not, thats life. Right? Yes. Mrs. Shins eyes welled up with tears. Its okay to not be okay. Thats life. It was what she had told her young grandson once. Thank you for everything, grandma. Come and visit often, my grandson. You can bring your friends, too. Okay, grandma. Ill be back soon. Jo Tae-woong hugged Mrs. Shin and smiled brightly. It was the first bright smile he had since the beginning of the year. Chapter 176: Chapter 176: Chapter 176 The song was already there. As soon as Jo Tae-woong arrived, the members got up and approached him. Doesnt he look better? [Maybe he does?] Jo Tae-woongs face looked brighter. It was not visible to the eye, but he felt like his mood was simr to before. Youre here. Didnt youe toote? Ian smiled and said with his arms crossed. Hyung, Im really d you came. Hey, you should have contacted us before you came. What if we were not here? Right, if we knew you wereing, we would have cooked more ramen. Not only Ian, but the other members also sensed Jo Tae-woongs changed atmosphere. Thank you for your hospitality. Jo Tae-woong smiled. The members surrounded him and said a word each, forgetting that the ramen was getting cold. Youre back. Are you staying for good? Uh, is my room still there? You didnt throw away my stuff, did you? Youre busted. Jo Tae-woong walked briskly and opened the door. Hey, wait! Park Jin-hyuk shouted. The messy room. Jo Tae-woong had shared a room with Kim Joo-young until he went back to his hometown, but it was not easy to make such a mess when he shared a room with Kim Joo-young. Jo Tae-woong frowned. Ah, what? The room changed? Who am I sharing with? Jin-hyuk. Joo-young became my roommate, you know? Kim Hyun said shamelessly, and Jo Tae-woong sighed. Why did you change? Ah, I want to share with Joo-young. Kim Joo-young is a public good. He agreed to clean my room tomorrow. When did I?! Kim Joo-young jumped up at Ians lie. Park Jin-hyuk quickly went into the room and put his stuff on the bed, making some space. Ill sort out my stuff. What do you want to eat? Im hungry. The members went out to the living room and looked at Jo Tae-woongs back as he sorted out his stuff through the gap in the door. Lee Joo-hyuk said quietly. He seems okay, doesnt he? Yeah. Then, as if the tension that had been tight was loosened, the six members sighed with relief. Wow, thank goodness. I was actually a bit scared. Me too. No matter how much they did solo activities, they couldnt beat group activities. They felt more and more impatient as the break period got longer. I thought we wouldnt be able to release an album this year. You too? Me too. Lee Joo-hyuk looked around the members with relieved expressions and added. Guys, its good that Tae-woong is back. But we dont know if hes fully recovered or not, so lets not get too excited. The members nodded. Kim Joo-young nudged Ian with his elbow. Hey, but the ramen is all burnt. What a waste Tae-woong is here, lets just order some chicken. How about that? Good. *** The first thing Jo Tae-woong did when he came up to Seoul was to go to the hospital. Jo Tae-woongs parents and Awis managers looked anxiously at the closed consultation room door. What are you all doing here? Time passed, and the consultation room door opened. Jo Tae-woong looked at the people standing in the hallway with a relieved expression. He felt sorry and happy that they were worried about him. Are you done? Yes. Hyung,e in. Can Ie in? Uh, I want to start working right away, can you talk to the doctor for me? The counselor behind Jo Tae-woong smiled awkwardly. Kim Myung-jin waited outside, and Park Dong-soo entered the consultation room with Jo Tae-woongs parents. Teacher, can I work now? Hey, you should ask how your progress is first. Jo Tae-woongs mother, Lee Hye-eun, pped his back. Jo Tae-woong whined as the guardians waited for the doctors words with anxious faces. First of all, the progress is very good. It seems that Mr. Tae-woong has recovered a lot positively. The guardians sighed in relief. Park Dong-soo nced at Jo Tae-woongs eager eyes and cautiously asked. Then, is it possible for Tae-woong to start his activities? From the agencys perspective, they also wanted Awi to return as soon as possible. The agency had to make profits somehow. The revenue from concerts had plummeted to zero due to the coronavirus outbreakst year, and they had to debut the next group, Fever, who would follow Awis footsteps. -Do you know this group? They are a K-pop group called AWY, and their songs and performances are awesome. Ironically, in this situation, Awi had exploded in poprity in the English-speaking countries. -I already knew them. Im already an Awi-dom. -Their songs and performances are really good. -If you are interested in Awi, how about this video? They are good at live performances. Their vocals are very attractive. The fans screams are also amazing. Midea, who had already achieved great sess overseas, had not lost their poprity even though they were in the military service, and the global interest in K-pop idols had increased with the sess of Luna Girls entry into the US. As a result, the mentions of Awi also increased. -Who is that handsome guy? Ian, hes American. Oh, then there wont be anynguage barriers. Themon criticism of foreigners about Korean idols was that theycked musical sense, such asposing skills. They said that idols were groups created by the agencys nning. -Look at the songwriting credits. They are all members of the group. -Have you heard the mashup? -Its fresh, right? They have a sense of writing songs. -Listen to the whole album. The members made it themselves. -When will their new songe out? One of the members stopped his activities because of cyberbullying. So I dont know when the new song wille out. They are victims of the monstrous K-pop system. There are haters like that everywhere. But Awi was different. They created not only the songs and lyrics, but also the choreography, and they also performed with high difficulty. They attracted the attention of people who were looking for something new. -Do you want to see the members improvise songs? -If you are interested in Awi, please watch this video. -I hope Awi will go more international. The overseas Awi-doms moved quickly to respond to the interest in Awi. They tranted and shared the links to Awis own content and Y-app broadcasts. The agency could not be unaware of these reactions. Thats why the staff were looking forward to the day when Jo Tae-woong would recover. To be honest, I want to stop you. Why! Im really fine! Jo Tae-woong protested, and Lee Hye-eun quietly grabbed his arm and told him to be quiet. Im afraid that external factors might cause some trouble if you resume your activities. The doctor trailed off. He was in charge of counseling not only Awi, but also other celebrities. Those who said they were fine and asked for medicine only came back crying after a while. Suing the maliciousmenters would not make them disappear. They would only pause for a moment, but the celebrities had to endure the hatements anyway. If they got hurt again in the process. Even if you are fine, you might not be fine in some cases. Didnt Jo Tae-woong look fine and then copse all of a sudden? There was no guarantee that it wouldnt happen again. Park Dong-soo sensed what the doctor was trying to say. We will also arrange regr counseling for him from thepany. Not only for Tae-woong, but for the other kids as well. Then The doctor sighed softly, as if he couldnt stop them, seeing Jo Tae-woong and Park Dong-soos desperate expressions. Since Mr. Tae-woong is determined, I cant help it. But Ill prescribe you some medicine. Jo Tae-woongs face brightened. *** Jo Tae-woongs second schedule was the salon. He hade up to Seoul from his grandmothers house because of the hospital, so he looked unkempt without any care. As soon as Jo Tae-woong entered the salon, the staff greeted him. He was a mood maker at thepany, and he was no different at the salon. They were eager to give him more snacks and drinks, even though they didnt have to. Wow, you dont have to do this for me He received a coffee in one hand and a snack package in the other. The hair director in charge of him approached him. Tae-woong, how are you? Long time no see? Yes, noona, its been a while. Are you okay now? Yes, Im going to start working now. Oh, thats good. The hair director was happy to see him bouncing his feet as if he had started working. There were so many people who weed him like this. What about the fans? Jo Tae-woong felt proud. Tae-woong, your hair has improved. He had always had dry and damaged hair due to frequent bleaching and curling during his activities, but his hair had improved after eating well and resting at his grandmothers house without any special treatment. What should we do with your hair? How about a two-block cut likest time? Kim Myung-jin looked closely at Jo Tae-woong, who was sitting on the chair. He called the hair salon manager who was bringing the tools for Jo Tae-woong. Excuse me, can I ask you something? Yes? Dont you think Tae-woong looks good with long hair? The hair salon manager looked at the mirror that reflected Jo Tae-woong. His hair was messy now, but if they tidied it up a bit She sparkled her eyes. Now that you mention it What do you think of keeping it this way? It was too early to decide on the next album concept, but it was also a pity to cut it off hastily. There were not many celebrities who had attracted attention with a long hair style change. Tae-woong, are you ufortable with your hair right now? My bangs are a bit annoying. Lets grow them out too. Ill give you a headbandter. A drastic style change for the long-awaitedeback. He felt good just imagining it. Kim Myung-jin had a feeling that his eyes were not wrong. So, were not going to touch the length and just trim it? Youre not cutting your hair? He thought he would cut it short likest time Jo Tae-woong asked with a question mark. Kim Myung-jin answered. You look good with long hair. Really? Its youreback after a long time. Its good to change your image too. -Tae-woong spotted at the salon He was cutting his hair at the salon, maybe hes preparing for hiseback Dont feed us with false hope No proof no talk Dont give him bait Its true I saw him passing by I didnt take a picture because I thought it would be rude *** Jo Tae-woong left the salon and headed straight to the basement of thepany. The other members were already gathered in the studio of Lee Ju-hyuk and Park Jin-hyuk, discussing the next album. Jo Tae-woong opened the door of the studio with a bang and shouted. I can do activities now! We already got a call from Dong-soo hyung earlier. Aw,e on. He thought they would be happy, but they were lukewarm. Jo Tae-woong slumped his shoulders and sat down in an empty seat. Jo Tae-woong, who had stopped by the salon, looked no different except for his neat hair. Ian looked at Jo Tae-woongs hair, which was half-tied. You didnt cut your hair? Myung-jin hyung said the next concept would be long hair, so I came here for now. Thats not bad, right? He thought it wouldnt suit him, but it looked surprisingly good after a little trimming. But Im in trouble. I have to lose a lot of weight to prepare for the activities. Hey, me too. I have to work out hard. Why? You look the same. I lost a lot of weight filming Z-Day. I became too skinny. I lost my muscles. You liar. Where are you skinny? Jo Tae-woong frowned and poked Ians arm. Ian had a good bone structure, so he didnt look thin even if he lost weight. Actually, I have to lose weight too. I let myself go too much. Me too. Me too The other members, who had been listening to their conversation, looked at each other with dull eyes. They could see the hell of fitness ahead of them. Lee Ju-hyuk pped his hands to lighten the mood. Now that Tae-woong has recovered, we have to do our work too. Then are we recording from today? What about the songs? Kim Hyun asked, and Park Jin-hyuk, Kim Joo-young, and Lee Ju-hyuk answered in turn. Our album work is important, of course But theres one more important thing. The wedding of Dong-soo hyung and the director, which ising soon. A wedding song to sing as a congrattory song. The trio ofposers spoke with authority, and the other members quickly became serious. They couldnt start their activities right away even if they recorded today. And they couldnt miss the wedding of Park Dong-soo and Seo Su-ryeon. Wait, a wedding song? Ian felt a sense of incongruity and asked. Are you nning topose the wedding song yourself? What are you talking about? Lee Ju-hyuk made a confident expression and clicked the mouse. The file he opened had a list of wedding song candidates they had worked on, and another file had a bunch of demo songs for the next album. With that number of songs, they could do not only a regr album but also a repackaged album. We already have the songs. Crazy. He had a face that seemed to say, A congrattory song? Aeback performance? Thats nothing to fuss about. Chapter 177: Chapter 177: Chapter 177 The Wedding Song Project. The members leaned their faces close to the monitor screen. Jo Tae-woong, who was holding the mouse, scrolled down. Why are there so many? We had nothing to do during the break. I wrote some songs for Fever and some for us. Wow Unlike Ian, who had been busy with photo shoots and drama filming for months, the other members had rtively more free time. They didnt just rest during their hiatus. They spent their spare time working on songs or taking lessons to improve themselves. Lee Ju-hyuk quickly changed the topic, worried that Jo Tae-woong might feel guilty. Lets listen to the wedding songs first. Park Jin-hyuk yed the file. The wedding song candidates flowed through the speakers. Along with the gentle melody, someones voice started to sing. What? Is this part Jin-hyuk hyung? What? Hyung, how can you sing so well as a rapper? What are we supposed to do? In the early days of their debut, they had to do a blind test at the agency, so they couldnt reveal that the membersposed the songs. So they recorded the demo songs with aspiring singers from the vocal academy. Ju-hyuk hyung and Ju-young hyung have improved a lot too, right? Were going to be a vocal powerhouse at this rate. But now the agency trusted thempletely with the production of the songs, so theposing members recorded the demo songs themselves. As a result, one of the good points was that their vocal skills had improved. Thats good. How about an all-vocal song next time? Park Jin-hyuk proudly straightened his shoulders. At that moment, a terrible pitch error urred in Park Jin-hyuks voiceing from the speakers. Did you just go off-key as soon as you said that? Ah, Ju-hyuk hyung! Delete this, please! Why delete this? Its precious. The membersughed as Park Jin-hyuk hastily yed the next song. Theyre all great, right? Wow, its hard to choose. The members said after listening to the wedding song candidates from start to finish. It wasnt an exaggeration, it was true. They were songs that they wanted to include in their next album as calm bads, even if they werent wedding songs. Isnt this too high quality for a one-time song? We cant make it sloppy, can we? Anyway, pick one song that you like. Jo Tae-woong answered immediately. He was already excited about the long-awaited schedule. How about we sing them all? No way. ck Rush hyungs are also singing a wedding song, right? Its not a wedding, its a concert. ck Rush was going to reunite as a whole for the first time in a long time at Park Dong-soo and Seo Soo-ryeons wedding. Actually, I wanted to sing apletely new song for the wedding song. Lee Ju-hyuk said. It was almost like the first schedule after Jo Tae-woongs return, and he felt sorry that the wedding couple, who should be blessed, wouldnt get much attention because of the guests. Then we should sing a killer song for the wedding song, right? Lets choose quickly. The other members had simr reactions. Well, we have to be famous enough, right? Jo Tae-woong joked as he used to, and the members chuckled. But Dong-soo hyung will stop working with us when he gets promoted, right? Probably, yeah? Theyre hiring a new manager, I heard. Park Dong-soos career was more than enough to skip the manager position and be a director right away. There would be no bacsh. It was only because thepany hadnt established its foundation yet when he was with ck Rush, but now thepany had grown bigger thanks to Awis sess. Thats a shame. But Park Dong-soo had volunteered to be a field manager until now because of his active personality. Then lets record tomorrow. What do we do now? What do you mean, we have to go to the gym. I hate working out. The members, who had roughly decided which song to sing, left the studio to prepare for theireback. Lee Ju-hyuk, who turned off the studio lightsst, called Ian. Ian, wait a minute. Huh? Lee Ju-hyuk looked nervous, but he also seemed happy. Is there any good news? Ian naturally took the phone that Lee Ju-hyuk handed him. What is it? Who contacted you? Can you read this for me? I think I know what it means, but I feel like I misunderstood it. Ian scanned the English note on the screen from top to bottom. He widened his eyes as he grasped the content. Hailey Poles? [Crazy.] The name of the person who sent the message was very familiar. He didnt need to hear Jins information to know that he was a future pop star. Why would this person send me a message [He hasnt risen to fame yet in this era, right?] Really? [You should definitely seize this opportunity.] Hailey Poles was an American singer-songwriter who would soon be famous. Her third album was a huge hit, breaking records in both digital and physical sales. She became a superstar. Every album she released afterwards was also a sess, with every song staying on the top of the charts. Her popritysted until Kim Yong-mins death. Maybe he liked Hyuks song. Anyway, it was good news. It meant that Lee Ju-hyuks skills were good enough to attract the attention of a future pop star. If they made a connection before she became famous, it would benefit Awi as well. Ian handed the phone back to Lee Ju-hyuk. Is this person real? Yeah. Lee Ju-hyuk tapped on the screen, and the channel of the person who sent the message appeared. There was a blue check mark next to the name, indicating that the person was a verified artist. Why? What did he write? He said he wants to work with you. Really? Ian nodded. The message said something like I love your music and I want to work with you. Please contact me. He didnt misinterpret it. Lee Ju-hyuks expression brightened. What do you think? It doesnt matter what I think, it matters what you want. I think it would be good if you do it. What do you say? I want to coborate with him if the time is right. I checked out his music channel and I liked his style. Yeah? Why dont you talk to Myung-jin hyung? Lee Ju-hyuk, who had been thinking for a moment, shook his head. Lets focus on our activities first. You can coborate online, you know. Why dont you keep in touch with him? Are you just excited? If you listen to me, youll get lucky even in your dreams, hyung. It was an opportunity to make a connection with Hailey Poles before she dominated the global charts. It would be even better if she featured on Awis songter. If you say so It was Ians words, the official shaman of Awi. He looked at Hailey Poles email on the screen. Hey, the others areing. Lets keep this a secret for now. As Ian and Lee Ju-hyuk stood behind like rocks, the members who had walked ahead and caught the elevator came to them. Whats up? Why arent youing? We have something to do. Lee Ju-hyuk and Ian looked at each other and smiled. *** The Awi members spent their time preparing for theireback and the congrattory song. Soon, it was the day of Park Dong-soo and Seo Su-ryeons wedding. Who can tie my tie for me! Come on, how old are you? You cant even tie a tie? The members got up early and finished getting ready. The suits they wore were the ones that Seo Su-ryeon had picked out for them, saying that they would need them for their social life. The Awi members got on the van and headed to the shop. Kim Myung-jin, who was behind the wheel, was also dressed neatly. Wow, Myung-jin hyung. You look good in a suit. Hes our eighth member, after all. Guys, buckle up. Kim Myung-jin seemed to be thinking about something, and when the car stopped for a moment, he turned his head and looked at the members. Guys. How about we surprise them with our congrattory song? No way they found out. The members exchanged nces. They hadnt told anyone that they hadposed and sung the congrattory song themselves. Park Seo-dam pretended not to know and asked. How so? Well, the president and I have been thinking about something Were going to pretend that you have a schedule in the middle of the wedding and leave. Oh. The members eyes sparkled. The president was involved too. They must have been waiting for this day. Kim Myung-jins eyes also shone. With Park Dong-soos handover, Kim Myung-jin was now in charge of Awis schedule management, and thanks to Jo Tae-woongs return, it wouldnt be strange if they suddenly had a schedule. So? So, when the wedding is over, you guys will burst into the hall and finish with a congrattory song. Really? Park Seo-dam nodded. It was a chance to make a connection with Hailey Poles before she dominated the global charts. It would be even better if she featured on Awis songter. If you say so It was Ians words, the official shaman of Awi. He looked at Hailey Poles email on the screen. Hey, the others areing. Lets keep this a secret for now. As Ian and Lee Ju-hyuk stood behind like rocks, the members who had walked ahead and caught the elevator came to them. Whats up? Why arent youing? We have something to do. Lee Ju-hyuk and Ian looked at each other and smiled. *** The Awi members spent their time preparing for theireback and the congrattory song. Soon, it was the day of Park Dong-soo and Seo Su-ryeons wedding. Who can tie my tie for me! Come on, how old are you? You cant even tie a tie? The members got up early and finished getting ready. The suits they wore were the ones that Seo Su-ryeon had picked out for them, saying that they would need them for their social life. The Awi members got on the van and headed to the shop. Kim Myung-jin, who was behind the wheel, was also dressed neatly. Wow, Myung-jin hyung. You look good in a suit. Hes our eighth member, after all. Guys, buckle up. Kim Myung-jin seemed to be thinking about something, and when the car stopped for a moment, he turned his head and looked at the members. Guys. How about we surprise them with our congrattory song? No way they found out. The members exchanged nces. They hadnt told anyone that they hadposed and sung the congrattory song themselves. Park Seo-dam pretended not to know and asked. How so? Well, the president and I have been thinking about something Were going to pretend that you have a schedule in the middle of the wedding and leave. Oh. The members eyes sparkled. The president was involved too. They must have been waiting for this day. Kim Myung-jins eyes also shone. With Park Dong-soos handover, Kim Myung-jin was now in charge of Awis schedule management, and thanks to Jo Tae-woongs return, it wouldnt be strange if they suddenly had a schedule. So? So, when the wedding is over, you guys will burst into the hall and finish with a congrattory song. Really? Park Seo-dam nodded. The members of Awi, who had shared the ups and downs since their debut, would be quite disappointed if they couldnt sing the congrattory song that was nned. If they had to miss it because of their schedule and came backter to surprise him. Wouldnt that be fun? Wouldnt Dongsoo hyung cry with emotion when he hears our congrattory song? Today were going to make Dongsoo hyung cry. Good. And Kim Myungjin wouldnt expect it. That they hadposed the congrattory song themselves. The members enthusiasm rose in an instant. So your acting skills are also important. We sincerely congratte the wedding, but we have to go for work first. Were also very sorry. We wanted to see the wedding until the end and take pictures. But we couldnt attend because of the work that came in. So our congrattory song was unfortunately canceled. Something like this? As Ian and Jo Taeung murmured, Kim Myungjinughed. You guys are different as acting members. You all know this feeling, right? Yes, Im already nervous. Especially Jinyoung, you just be natural. The others will do the acting. Ah hyung, why! I can act too if you ask me! The van that carried them stopped at the shops parking lot. Kim Myungjin smiled. You guys dont need rehearsal, right? Youre all good on stage. Of course. In fact, they needed practice because it was a new song that they sang for the first time in front of others. But the members wanted to surprise him more. Hes really our eighth member. The members looked at each other and smiled as they watched Kim Myungjins back, who went ahead to catch the elevator. *** The wedding of Park Dongsoo and Seo Suryeon was scheduled to be private. But it was a union of the director of BHL Entertainment, a prestigious male idol agency, and Awis dedicated manager. How did they find out ande here? [Maybe some attention-seeking acquaintance leaked it. Or maybe a staff member of the venue.] Its noisy. Some reporters were waiting at the entrance of the venue, having somehow leaked the invitation. They were very interested in the wedding of the agency staff, who were not celebrities. It was because of the celebrities who woulde as guests. Jo Taeung looked at the reporters who were lying and made a disgusted expression. The reporters recognized Awis van and got up from their seats. Wow, how did they find out ande to the venue? I knew this would happen, so I prepared a secret passage separately. Really? They didnt just take it anymore. The reporters who were lying would be driven away by the security guards hired by the agency in a few minutes. The members got out of the van in the other underground parking lot. As usual, the members of Awi lined up in a circle, and Kim Myungjin was among them. He reached out his hand, and the members smiled and stacked their hands on his. Lets do well on the congrattory song project. Chapter 178: Chapter 178: Chapter 178 Hes lying. It was a wedding of entertainment industry workers. The guests had nothing to do but wait until the ceremony started, so they nced at the elevator, curious to see which celebrities would show up. Wow, theyre here. Theyre so handsome Did all seven of theme? Some of the guests who pretended not to notice covered their mouths and whispered as the members of Awi got off the elevator. Someone also sent a message to someone else, who was a reporter with connections. There would be an article about who attended the wedding as guests before the ceremony even began. What should we do first? We have to sign the guestbook and give the money envelope. While the members were flustered, Ian took the lead and walked ahead. Ian is so good at socializing, isnt he? Are you living your second life? The members followed Ian and murmured. As soon as they finished speaking, Ian stopped and looked back. But which side should we give the envelope to? Thats a tough one. One was a manager who had been with them since their debut, and the other was apany director who had seen them since the casting stage of their trainee days. As the members stood still and pondered, the guests took pictures of Awi. How about we split in half? Is that okay? The members agreed to Park Seodams suggestion and divided into groups of three and four, each giving an envelope to the brides side and the grooms side. Im going to say hello to someone. Okay, hyung. Kim Myungjin casually said as he passed by Awi. He went straight to Park Dongsoo, who was greeting the guests. His steps were light, as if he had been waiting for this day. Look at how excited Myungjin hyung is. But who is that person standing there? Thats not the Dongsoo hyung we know, right? The members stopped and stared at someone in a tuxedo. The boutonniere on his suit pocket confirmed that he was the Park Dongsoo they were looking for. Wow Is that really Dongsoo hyung? The life of an entertainment manager was a life of being busier than the celebrities. They always had to wake up earlier than the celebrities and drive them, follow their schedules and carry their stuff. The pay was lowpared to thebor intensity. Dongsoo hyung looks amazing when he dresses up. Thats why they only saw him in casual clothes with a dark face from work. Seeing him groomed and dressed up, they felt like they were looking at a different person. Just then, Kim Myungjin whispered something in Park Dongsoos ear. He must be telling him that we cant sing the congrattory song. Wow. Park Dongsoo smiled bitterly at Kim Myungjins words. Seeing his face, the members felt a pang of guilt. What should we do? I feel bad. What can we do? Its already done. We have to take care of the boss first. Ian, who made eye contact with Park Dongsoo, pointed to the brides waiting room. Park Dongsoo nodded slightly. The members of Awi, who were waiting for their turn in front of the brides waiting room, were surprised once again by the sight of Seo Suryeon in a wedding dress. Who is she? Is that really the director? Seo Suryeon was not the type to enjoy dressing up either. She usually wore neat cks and only drew her eyebrows, so the heavy bridal makeup looked unfamiliar. Why do you act like you came to a strangers wedding? Im surprised so many times today. The members were already warming up theirpliments. Just then, Seo Suryeon, who finished taking pictures with her friends, smiled brightly as she saw the members standing at the entrance. Hey, guys! Director. Her friends, who came out after taking pictures with the bride, scanned the faces of the members and passed by. Wow, amazing. Im d we came to the wedding. They rolled their feet as they left Awi behind. The members were used to these reactions. They pretended not to notice and approached Seo Suryeon. Director, wow, I almost didnt recognize you. Youre not a human, youre a goddess. What? Youre too bright, I cant see you well. Seo Suryeonughed. You guys have improved your ttery skills. Is it because youve done a lot of fan signings? Wow, really? Are you doubting our sincerity? The members were shameless until the end. Were short on time, so Ill take the picture quickly. The bride and groom had a lot of guestsing, so they didnt have much time to take pictures with the members of Awi, a popr idol group. The photographer urged them to hurry up and pose for the camera. Hey, Sejun hyung. Hi, guys. Long time no see. As they left the brides waiting room, they saw Jung Sejun standing there, waiting for someone. He smiled brightly when he saw the Awi members. How are you, Taewoong? Are you doing well these days? Hyung, Im fine now. Really? Are you starting your activities again? Yeah, I have to. Jung Sejun was the MC for the wedding. He had cut his hair short for his uing military enlistment. Sejun. Kim Young-hyun came out of the elevator and approached them. Not only Jung Sejun, but half of the members of ck Rush, another group from the same agency, had short hair. Baldies! You little Ow, ow! Kim Young-hyun put his arm around Park Jin-hyuks shoulder and gave him a headlock. Park Jin-hyuk whined in pain. I hope you guys get called baldies by those kids when you enlist. Ah, thats a bit The next group to follow Awi, Fever, was entering the hall with their manager. They looked nervous as they followed him to the brides waiting room. You guys are lucky, huh? What do you mean? Kim Young-hyun teased the Awi members with a yful smile. One of your male fans is in that group. Wow, I would feel so proud if a fan of ours debuted because of us. And thats a male fan. Really? I didnt know. Did you guys know? Lee Joo-hyuk asked the other members, who looked confused and looked at each other. Only Ian had a meaningful smile on his face and shrugged his shoulders. Lee Joo-hyuk narrowed his eyes at him. So, Ian knew? Who is it, then? What was his name? Ill send you a link. Kim Young-hyun took out his phone from his pocket and searched for something. He must be talking about Lim No-eul. He sent them a link via chat. They clicked on it and saw a clip from Fevers debut Y-app. (I dreamed of bing an idol because of Awi seniors. I was a fan since their busking days.) (Really?) (Im a first-generation Awi fan. I even went to their fan meeting.) (You went to their fan meeting?) (Yes, I even have a photo card from them.) Wow. He went to our fan meeting? Howe we didnt notice him if hes a male fan? It feels weird. The members yed the video again with a proud expression. Did he just mention our group and Young-hyun hyung knew about it? [No, I think something bad happened. Why else would he know?] What do you mean? [You know how bad news travels faster than good news. A junior group mentioning a senior group is not that big of a deal.] And Jin was right. As they scrolled down, they saw another post that caught their eye. -BHL Entertainment sues Fever for maliciousments.jpg The post had screenshots of variousmunities where people were spreading rumors and false information about Fever. -Fevers Lim No-eul is a fan of Awi, did you know that? Really? He mentioned it on his debut Y-app Ew, is he gay? -Look at Lim No-euls past photos, he was so fat He definitely had stic surgery Isnt it just dieting? I saw his pre-debut photos and theres no way his face would look like that with just dieting. -I saw a male fan at Awis fan meeting He didnt wash and made the fans around him frown. He was also rude. Was that Lim No-eul? He had a fierce look in his eyes. Wee to the celebrity world. This is water testing at its finest. Bring some proof. It was when Awi was promoting We Are Awi Dont the fans know? Wasnt Lim No-eul already a trainee by then? He hadnte since the first week of his debut. Ian frowned. As expected, there was a rification from the writer under the image, correcting the facts. I guess it wasnt mentioned in a good way. Its normal to have some weird people attached to you when you debut. Jo Tae-woong shrugged his shoulders. Especially since they were a rookie group following the footsteps of the top boy group, Awi. It was inevitable that some strange people would cling to them. Fortunately, thanks to Jo Tae-woongs precedent, the agency had already announced a strong response to the rumor spreading before the incident got out of hand. Kim Hyun looked at Ian and asked. Hey, Ian, did you know? That he was our fanboy? No-euls face looked familiar. I thought I had seen him somewhere. Ian dodged the question for now. He remembered that Lim No-euls expression didnt look very bright when he passed by him earlier. See, I knew it. You werent just being nice to No-eul for no reason. How can you recognize a fan who came once? Its a talent, a talent. Jung Se-jun, who had been listening, changed the topic. By the way, you guys are also singing a congrattory song, right? What are you going to do? We are not singing a congrattory song, or rather, we cant sing one. What? Why? The members exchanged nces. They were so excited about the surprise n that they hadnt agreed on the details. They were pushing each other to answer. Ian stepped up. We have a schedule, so we might have to leave in the middle. What schedule do you have? You still have a long way to go before your albumes out. Um we have something like that. Jung Se-jun looked at the Awi members with suspicious eyes. The members avoided his gaze. You guys have something, dont you? Its a secret from Dong-soo hyung. Tell me. I have to know anyway because Im the MC. Jung Se-jun and Kim Young-hyun went to a secluded corner, avoiding the other members of ck Rush. The Awi members followed him and secretly told him about the congrattory song project they had discussed with Kim Myung-jin. Youre going to pretend to have a schedule and leave, and then sing a surprise congrattory song at the end of the ceremony? Yeah, how about that? We already talked to our manager hyung about it. Kim Young-hyun narrowed one eye. The surprise n seemed too flimsy because it was hastily made. Our final goal is to make Dong-soo hyung cry with emotion. Hyungs, have you ever seen Dong-soo hyung cry? Not just teary-eyed, but sobbing. No? The anxiety disappeared as soon as he heard Park Jin-hyuks words. Kim Young-hyun and Jung Se-juns eyes sparkled. That sounds fun, doesnt it? Jung Se-jun and Kim Young-hyun joined the congrattory song project. *** After finishing their discussion, they approached Park Dong-soo, who was greeting the guests. Guys. Hyung, why are you so handsome today? We thought we came to the wrong banquet hall when we came in. You looked like someone else. Park Dong-soo smiled awkwardly as he received thepliments from the members. Dong-soo, are these the kids youre in charge of? Park Dong-soos mother, who was wearing a beautiful hanbok, came up to the Awi members. Yes, these are the ones Im taking care of. Hello! Were very grateful to you! The Awi members shouted loudly and bowed their waists. The guests were surprised and looked at them. Park Dong-soos face turned red, and his motherughed. Are you some kind of organization? Dont overdo it. Park Dong-soo scolded them, but the Awi members were shameless. They straightened their shoulders and smirked. Ignoring them, Park Dong-soo casually asked. You said you have a schedule, where are you going? This time, Jo Tae-woong chimed in. Ah, hyung, are you trying to work on your wedding day? We have a schedule, anyway. Park Dong-soo narrowed his eyes. Ian and Jo Tae-woong were natural, but the other members were stiff. Really? He seemed to have improved his acting skills, but he couldnt fool Park Dong-soo, who was quick-witted. These guys, theyre lying. The congrattory song project was exposed in less than an hour. Chapter 179: Chapter 179: Chapter 179 Everyone, gather around. The guests took their seats in the hall, and after a few minutes, the wedding ceremony of Park Dong-soo and Seo Su-ryeon began. Following Jung Se-juns voice as the host, the members of Awi entered the hall and leaned against the wall instead of sitting in the guest seats. We have to make sure Dong-soo hyung sees us leaving. They followed Jung Se-juns advice and stood on the side, not at the very back. Jung Se-jun dered the start of the ceremony and introduced himself, ncing at the Awi members standing by the wall. Theyre too obvious. Fortunately, the members of Fever, who were wondering where to sit, also discreetly stood next to Awi, making them less conspicuous. Hello, everyone. Im Jung Se-jun from ck Rush, the host for today. Jung Se-jun did a good job as the host. After the deration of the ceremony and the lighting of the candles, it was finally time for the groom to enter. Then, we will have the grooms entrance! Please wee him with your warm apuse! Hes awesome! Hes handsome! The members of ck Rush shouted loudly. Awi also cheered and whistled as if they couldnt lose. When there are loud voices, other people also find it easier to join in. Thanks to ck Rush and Awi, the guests also enthusiastically cheered. The solemn atmosphere of the hall quickly turned into a festive one. Wow, groom, arent youing too fast? Jung Se-jun didnt even need to make anyments in between. Park Dong-soo walked briskly with a stiff expression. He reached the front in no time, thanks to his wide strides and fast pace. Its like hes been waiting for this moment, right? Married men, how do you feel? Seeing a man facing the uing hell? The guestsughed. Then, the brides entrance began. Seo Su-ryeon, dressed in a wedding dress, entered holding her fathers hand. Wow, I feel weird. Boss, where were you? I was talking to Myung-jin for a while. The boss, who had appeared next to Awi, looked at Park Dong-soo and Seo Su-ryeon standing side by side with a touched expression. The groom and bride only had a faint smile on their lips and a calm expression, but the boss seemed to be acting like he was getting married. Jo Tae-woong said with a smile. Anyone would think youre the one getting married, boss. Ive known them for so long He had been with Seo Su-ryeon since the establishment of thepany, and he had supported the idol group that Park Dong-soo belonged to, helping thepany reach its current position. Lee Byung-heon felt as if he was marrying off his own flesh and blood. Ju-hyuk, hows the surprise going? Ive coordinated with Se-jun hyung. Good. Boss, you really like this kind of thing. Of course, he was also moved by the uing surprise. The bosss wistful expression quickly disappeared and only a mischievous one remained. Who wouldnt like this kind of thing? Yeah, I guess so. Were also itching to go out. You can do it, right? Boss, itll be more than you imagine. Dont worry. Park Jin-hyuk said confidently. Lee Byung-heon narrowed his eyes. You guys have prepared something else, right? Huh? No, no. Kim Hyun hit Park Jin-hyuks shoulder, afraid that he would blurt out the fact that they had made a new song. Just then, the time that Jung Se-jun had told them came. Go out when they dere their marriage. The members followed Jung Se-juns instructions and deliberately moved hastily. If it werent for Jung Se-jun, the surprise would have been over before they even tried. Guys, can you move a bit? Where are you going, hyungs? Us? We have a schedule. A schedule? Fevers Lim No-eul looked at the Awi members leaving the hall and asked Eun Ha-yeon. Dont they usually not schedule anything on this day? Yeah, whats going on? As soon as the seven tall men left the hall, some of the guests turned their eyes to them. There was no master of ceremonies at the wedding, so the groom and bride didnt have their backs to the guests. They were facing the guests, so they couldnt help but notice the Awi members leaving the hall. You guys are too obvious. Park Dong-soo held back hisughter as he watched the Awi members act in a hurry. What? Why are they leaving all of a sudden? Seo Su-ryeon was a bit flustered by Awis sudden action, but she rxed when she saw Park Dong-soos expression. They must be up to something. Seo Soo-ryeon chuckled. The members came out of the dressing room and waited for their turn. Dont you think we messed up a bit? Why? By the look on Dong-soo hyungs face, I think he found out. Really? The members faces darkened for a moment, but brightened up again at Kim Joo-youngs words. But Dong-soo hyung doesnt know that we made the song ourselves, right? Right. The members smiled triumphantly. Kim Myung-jin had given them a hint, or the staff handed them the microphones. Wow, Myung-jin hyung really prepared well. Do you think the CEO has a stake in this? How did you deliver the MR? I gave it to Myung-jin hyung earlier. Cho Tae-woong was twisting his wrist awkwardly with the microphone he hadnt held in a long time. Dont you think its too boring to go in together like this? Kim Hyun, who had been thinking about something, suddenly spoke up. Lets split up in the center on both sides. Kim Hyun, who was interested in stage direction, had been eyeing the structure of the hall as soon as he entered. Wouldnt it be better if there was some direction rather than just standing and singing? If we bend down like this, I dont think theyll see us well from the bride and grooms side. Kim Hyun bent his upper body down. Oh, so? Ian will sing the intro first and draw attention, and then the next part, Tae-woong and Joo-young will run to the front with their heads down and stand up when they sing their parts. Good. As expected of Hyun hyung. I knew you would think of something like this. The members arranged their movements ording to Kim Hyuns briefing. They listened carefully to Jung Se-juns progress, which was flowing out of the hall. The AWY members, who had been waiting silently for a while, heard Cho Tae-woongs faint voice in their ears. It reminds me of middle school. What is it? Ian, who was next to him, asked. I was too busy with my schedule to go to my homeroom teachers wedding. The kids in my ss prepared a congrattory song and sang it, and they were talking about it among themselves I was so jealous of that. Really? He felt a bit of excitement as he said that. He had also lived his previous life only looking at his debut, so he didnt have a proper school life. The other members were the same. When are we going in? Before the bride and grooms march, were supposed to sing. After ck Rush hyungs congrattory song, about five minutester? Park Jin-hyuk and Lee Joo-hyuk reached out their hands in the air. Hey, gather around. Its been a while since we did this. The other members gathered around and put their hands on top. Cho Tae-woong, who put his hand onst, smiled pleasantly. Kim Hyun and Lee Joo-hyuk said. An unofficial stage is still a stage. But dont forget that the main characters are Dong-soo hyung and the CEO. Lets not stand out too much. Isnt our existence already standing out? Anyway. Inside the hall, the parents greetings were over and the prelude to ck Rushs congrattory song was ying. Whats the slogan? Of course, its this. We are who We are? AWY! The members shouted out the slogan so loudly that it seemed like they hadnt done it in a long time. They shrank their shoulders when they realized it. Did we make too much noise? Did we cover up their congrattory song? As soon as they finished speaking, ck Rushs congrattory song ended and the atmosphere was set for the ceremony. At the same time, the lights on the microphones that the AWY members were holding came on. Wow, if we had shouted the slogan a littleter, it would have been heard through this. Kim Hyun was startled. The members moved to the sides, leaving Ian alone in the center. The staff came over to open the door. Now, before we finish the wedding ceremony with the bride and grooms march, there is one more special event! Jung Se-jun raised his voice as if he had been waiting. His expression was full of mischief, and Park Dong-soo sighed softly when he saw it. This is it What is it? Do you know? No, I dont know either. Park Dong-soo and Seo Soo-ryeon whispered to each other. In the meantime, the sound that Lee Joo-hyuk had brought in advance flowed through the speakers, and the door of the hall opened. Ian, who was standing alone in front of the door, picked up the microphone. What? Isnt the congrattory song over yet? As the guests murmured, Ian walked slowly down the aisle and sang the first verse. Today, in this moment I will tell you my love Ians clear voice and loud sound blended with the atmosphere of the banquet hall, creating a feeling of singing a gospel. The guests shivered at Ians voice and cheered. Meanwhile, Jo Tae-woong and Kim Joo-young sneaked in and found their seats while bowing low. Huh? Jeong Se-jun raised his head. It was a song he had never heard before. Of course, he didnt know all the songs in the world, but he could tell from the music style that it wasposed by the members of Awi. Ah, this is cheating. Theyposed their own song for the congrattory song. Jeong Se-jun smiled bitterly. How did they improve so much? They were so timid. When Awi debuted, he produced their songs, but now he had to receive their songs. Jeong Se-jun felt his lips dry and took a sip of water. After Ians part ended, Jo Tae-woong suddenly popped out from among the Fever members who were standing nkly on the wall and continued to sing. I want this moment with you To be eternal like our sped hands The cheers of the guests seemed to be louder than before. Jo Tae-woong sang while walking slowly and stood next to Ian. Ah, this is great. It was his first stage in a long time. He smiled brightly and looked at the guests who became his audience. Park Dong-soo and Seo Su-ryeon watched him with a warm smile. Then, Kim Joo-young sang the next verse, and the other four members who were outside the door walked toward the bride and groom while singing. Wow, Jin-hyuk is singing all the songs? Hes good, right? Lee Joo-hyuk sometimes sang in Awis songs, but Park Jin-hyuk was only a rapper. Park Dong-soo and Seo Su-ryeon opened their mouths at Park Jin-hyuks musical style change. Yes! Thest congrattory song event was Awi! I noticed something, the song they sang for the congrattory song was the first time I heard it. You too, right? Joo-hyuk, whats going on? Jeong Se-jun, who was curious whether they reallyposed it, spoke rapidly. We made a special song and recorded it for the wedding of the two. Is this not going to be released as a song? Were not going to release it anywhere and just give it to the bride and groom. Lee Joo-hyuk, Park Jin-hyuk, and Kim Joo-young smiled and said. Seo Su-ryeon covered her mouth with her hand, moved. Tears welled up in her eyes. Congrattions on your wedding! The members of Awi bowed their upper bodies. *** After Park Dong-soo and Seo Su-ryeons wedding, the guests went to have a meal and the members of Awi headed to the underground parking lot. We couldnt make them cry, damn it. Did you see Dong-soo hyungs expression earlier? He was so calm. Does Dong-soo hyung have no emotions? Damn, today was our chance. They regretfully clicked their tongues. And the members of Awi didnt know that Park Dong-soo had sobbed btedly. You almost cried earlier, right? Seo Su-ryeon, who had changed into a hanbok, poked Park Dong-soos side. Park Dong-soo looked at her with his red eyes. Yeah. Just cry. It was okay to cry in that atmosphere. She had already noticed the surprise event, but she was still happy that they prepared it for her. And they even brought a song for them. Park Dong-soo was touched, but he tried to hold back his tears. He wanted to look cool in front of the kids he had taken care of. Im embarrassed in front of the kids. Ugh. Chapter 180: Chapter 180: Chapter 180 How is Juyeong? -Awis manager got married and Taewoong came I got this from a guests Instagram, but Ill delete it if theres any problem His long hair is so handsome How can he be so good at singing Even before the wedding reception of Park Dongsoo and Seo Suryeon was over, photos and videos started to appear on the SNS of the guests. -Todays situation at Awis managers wedding.myt ck Rushplete with Jo Taewoongs return and Awis new song The song is awesome Wow, crazy But is Jo Taewoong really back? He just came for the wedding, right? -Its not Awis new song, but a special congrattory song? I heard from another video that Park Jinhyuk said it wont be released It wont be released for real? Please release the song By the way, the manager must be really close to them topose a new song for them Awi left the wedding after the ceremony and headed to thepany for the recording of the next album. We havent done this in a long time, wasnt it awesome? Your ad-libs were crazy. The members smiled as they remembered the situation when they sang the congrattory song. Someone uploaded the video of us singing the song. Theyre fast. There were a lot of people filming. The members couldnt take their eyes off the phone screen as they got out of the parking lot. -Ians voice when he sang the first line was so holy -They made a new song for the manager, he must have treated them really well The id manager was famous for being kind since the debut days, he took good care of them -Its good to see Taewoong looking happySo when is theeback? Theeback? -I feel it, itsing, theyre going to make aeback soon -First of all, shut up, you have no sense -Lets not expect aeback yet, he just came for the wedding But Im hoping>< On SNS, fans who saw the videos rted to Awis wedding participation posted theirments. The explosive poprity made Awis rted hashtags enter the real-time Top10. When they reached the lobby and were in front of the elevator, Jo Taewoong said. How about we take a picture and post it? Good idea. Gather around. There was no one to take the picture for them, so they had to fit all seven of them in a selfie camera. Somehow, Ian became in charge of taking the group selfie. He stretched his arm and found his spot, and the others stood behind him and made finger hearts. Ah, I think I blinked. Lets take it again. Seodam, move your finger behind my head. Tsk. It was hard to get the timing right with so many people. After a few tries, they managed to get a decent picture. It came out well. Ill send it to the group chat. Do you want to write the fancafe post, Taewoong? There are a lot of people who are curious if were really making aeback. Didnt Taewoong say not to tell anyone about his return? Oh, right. Its a secret. Jo Taewoongs return and Awis team activity resumption were not officially announced yet. Thepany also minimized Awis exposure and nned to surprise the fans with a teaser image one day. But isnt the wedding video and picture already everywhere? Isnt the n kind of ruined? Theres nothing official yet. He said to keep it a secret, so we have to. If we cause trouble again, Dongsoo hyung will grab our necks. Jo Taewoong shrugged his shoulders and sighed. He had so many things he wanted to do after seeing the short stage at the wedding. He wanted to go on stage soon, he wanted to act, and he wanted to y with the fans on Y app. Just send it. I wont post it. He had posted frequently on the fancafe since he came back to Seoul, but he hadnt revealed his return yet. He wanted to tell the fans who waited for him first. Lee Juhyuk put his arm around Jo Taewoongs shoulder. Huh? As he was about to send the picture to the group chat, his phone vibrated and the screen changed. It was a call from Jo Minhwan, who had a brief acting coboration with him in ck Out. What does he want? They had asionally contacted each other, but they only exchanged text messages, so this was almost the first time they talked on the phone. Ian is not here? Go ahead. Ill take the call. He sent the members first and stayed in the lobby to answer the call. Yes, Minhwan hyung. Long time no see. Hey, Ian, long time no see. How have you been? Did you finish filming the movie? I finished filming a while ago. How about you? What have you been up totely? Ian raised one eyebrow. He sensed a slight hint of broadcasting tone in Jo Min-hwans words. I just came back from my manager hyungs wedding. Really? Congrattions! Hyung, its toote to say that. The ceremony is over. He heard someoneughing on the other side of the phone. Who is listening? [Maybe Jo Min-hwan is filming Rural Life right now?] Is that now? No wonder his speech was slightly different from usual. As expected, Jo Min-hwan got to the point. Ian, can youe to Gangwon-do? Gangwon-do? Oh, hyung, youre doing Rural Life, right? Yeah, Im filming it right now. Really? Wow! Hello! This is Ian! Since he was on air, he had to match his pace. Ian shouted cheerfully, and there was a loud cheer from Jo Min-hwans side. How did you know I was filming this? It was in the news. Im more interested in you than you think, hyung. Hey! Dont lie. What are you talking about, you little? Jo Min-hwan said that, but he sounded happy andughed out loud. Ian also smiled. Do you know Hye-ji? She was in The Hee-bin Jang n with you. Hye-ji noona? Of course I know her. Lim Hye-ji was the actress who yed the role of Queen In-hyun in The Hee-bin Jang n. She insisted that she had to invite you as a guest. Me? Wow, does that mean Im going to be on a variety show with PD Sung? Of course, if youre avable. Jo Min-hwan was filming the second season of Rural Life. It was a variety show that depicted the events that happened when four actors who were workaholics and had no sense of work and Jo Min-hwan, who had no vitality, were forced to move to the countryside. It was a program that had been talked about before the filming, because of the four actors who were somewhat sloppy and Jo Min-hwan, who became their servant. The director was also Sung Dong-hak, a well-known PD in the variety show field. [I have to do this.] In the future, the second season with Jo Min-hwan would get an explosive response, and it would be a popr variety show that wouldst until the tenth season. Are youing? Well He had to record the songs for the album. And since Jo Tae-woongseback was still a secret, he couldnt say that he was busy preparing for the activities. Come on, I know you dont have any schedule. Cant you just sleep for two days, or even one day, and go? Hyung, I have a schedule too. Jin looked at Ians face with a lens as if he didnt understand. Somehow, Jins size seemed a little smaller, but Ian didnt care much. What about Joo-young? Hes our member. [Why? Cant you adjust your album schedule?] It was a good opportunity. But Ian thought it would be better for Kim Joo-young to go than him. I have a lot of better opportunities in the future. Rural Life was a show where four actors who were workaholics and had no sense of work and Jo Min-hwan, who had no vitality, teamed up and created some funny scenes, but on the other hand, there were also negative voices saying that the cast members were too ipetent. If I go there, I have to carry the work, but realistically, Kim Joo-young is better than me. What if Kim Joo-young, who was good at cooking, cleaning, and organizing, joined them? The cast members were wasting the food they could eat in the field and couldnt even eat properly, and the only phone they could search was confiscated, so they were in a state of despair. How about a ray of light that appeared while the viewers were eating sweet potatoes? Isnt the picture good? (Well, Im not close to Joo-young) He wasnt close, but he was Jo Min-hwan, who could make friends with anyone in a few hours. He sounded like he had to have Ian. [Obviously, he asked someone to bring a handsome guy.] Really? Lim Hye-ji smiled. Ian delivered a decisive blow. Joo-young is our groups chef, hyung. Hes really amazing. He has a cooking certificate. (Did you hear that, PD? He even has a cooking certificate.) Jo Min-hwan smiled brightly and looked at PD Sung. He was also exhausted because he had no answer. Hes not only good at cooking, but he also has a barista certificate and hes good at cleaning, so all of our members want to be roommates with Joo-young. Hell do a great job if he goes, right? PD Sung Dong-hak, who was listening through the speakerphone, touched his chin and thought. He had asked him to bring Ian, who was popr, but an unexpected person came into the picture. He was a bit disappointed that Ian couldnt make it, but he didnt expect the cast members to be so ipetent. Kim Joo-young was also a member of the same group as Ian, and he had a decent face, so he thought it wouldnt be bad. (Really?) Bro, good looks are only pleasing to the eye. But Joo-young can please your eyes, your mouth, and your body. Jo Min-hwan flinched as if he was stabbed. How did he know what his senior actors had told him to bring a handsome guy? Jo Min-hwan nced at the director, Sung PD. Sung PD pondered for a moment and then nodded slightly. Jo Min-hwans expression brightened up as well. He was happy because he could finally get out of his ve-like life. (Really? Then can I get his contact number?) Ill talk to my manager and text you right away. (Good. Thank you so much. Do you have a fee? See youter.) Yes, hyung. See you soon. He was supposed to meet him at the uing awards ceremony. As soon as Jo Min-hwan hung up, Ian put his phone in his pocket and headed to the basement practice room with light steps. Where is Kim Joo-young? Is he in the practice room? Country Life was also a good opportunity for Kim Joo-young. A reliable variety show by Sung PD. It was a high-rated program, and if he hit the jackpot with a variety show, he would get more overseas fans than he could imagine. Besides, Kim Joo-young was not bad at variety shows either. He would do well there. Oh, No-eul. What are you doing here? As Ian opened the door to the basement stairs and entered the hallway, he saw Lim No-eul sitting on the sofa in the lounge. Ian tapped Lim No-euls shoulder lightly, and Lim No-eul jumped up in surprise. Oh, hyung. Hello. Dont get up. Sit down. Why so nervous? Come to think of it, he had treated Awi the same way when he was in ck Rush. Ian scratched the back of his head as he remembered that. Did youe right after the meal? Where are the others? Theyll be here soon. Lim No-eul answered weakly, and his expression was not very good. His eyes were also red as if he had cried. Oh dear. [Isnt your mental too weak?] What could he have to cry about when he was alone? It was probably because of the maliciousments or fabricated rumors that had been bothering himtely. He couldnt just ignore him when he saw him like that. Ian pretended not to know and asked. Did you cry? Chapter 181: Chapter 181: Chapter 181 What am I going to do there? No, I didnt cry. Something got in my eye. Youre kidding me. Ian snorted. Im No-eul didnt say anything after that. He just shook his head slightly and lowered it, but Ian noticed thement section of a popr portal site on the screen of his phone. No-eul, why are you looking at that? Im curious about the reactions. You should go to the fan cafe if youre curious. You shouldnt look at that stuff. This feels familiar. It reminded him of the old memory when Kim Young-hyun came to him when he was looking at the inte reactions during the early days of his debut as Awi. So this is how it turned out. Im No-eul thought Ian would leave soon, but he was still sitting on the opposite chair. He rolled his eyes and nced at Ian. Why, are you ufortable? Should I just go? No, its not that Ian decided to wait until Im No-eul opened his mouth. It was also a way to vent out when someone had a problem. Of course, when Ian was Kim Yong-min, he had no one to talk to. [Isnt this a waste of time?] Why do you think its a waste? Jin kept nagging, but Ian ignored him. He wanted to try being a kind senior for once. Hyung. Ian lifted his head. Im No-eul called him, but he was silent for a long time. Ian didnt rush him and waited until the next words came out. Is it always like this? Im No-eul, who was wondering if he could talk about this, finally opened his mouth. It was a vague question without a subject, but Ian knew what he was talking about right away. [Its always like that.] Jin immediately answered, but it wouldnt reach Im No-eul. But Ian couldnt say anything. Its hard. The publics interest in the agency increased as the affiliated singers continued to seed. Some people even became fans of the agency itself. Fever, who followed ck Rush and Awi, received explosive attention even before their debut. It was more so because their debut period coincided with Awis hiatus. We got more attention than when we debuted. He had checked the intemunities from time to time during the filming of Z-Day, so he knew well how Fever, or Im No-eul, received attention and how they were provoked, fabricated, and criticized. Ian crossed his arms and leaned back on the chair. What should I say? It was inevitable as a public figure. It was always like that, and it was not something we could stop. Saying that would sound like Its been like that, so you have to endure it. I dont think I can give you an easy answer. Really? Im No-eul lowered his head in disappointment. Its not that your problem is trivial. Its hard for me too. Im No-eul lifted his head again at Ians words. He had lived two lives in the entertainment industry, both in his previous and current life, but Ian was also a human being. As a human being, he couldnt help but get hurt by excessive criticism. Im just used to it, notfortable with it. Ian had just learned how to deal with it. Well I dont have anything to say except to toughen up your mind. How do I do that? I dont know, hyung. Im No-eul fiddled with the corner of his phone that had turned off the screen and asked casually. Well If I have learned anything, its self-righteousness. Self-righteousness? If I do it, its romance. If someone else does it, its adultery. Ah Im No-eul uttered an exmation with a nk expression. Of course, if you do something wrong that makes the headlines, you cant think like that. And of course, you cant do anything immoral or illegal either. That would be a big problem if youre self-righteous. You know what I mean, right? Yes. Anyway, other than that, you have to keep thinking that youre right and theyre wrong. Im No-eul was leaning his upper body toward Ian and listening to his words attentively. Youre cursing me? What are you so good at? Youre just a basement dweller who writes fake rumors and hatements on the inte. You better get ready for awsuit. Something like that. Do you understand? I think I get it. Im No-eul muttered nkly. You have to me others, not yourself. If you get swayed by the hatements and think Did I do something wrong?, you might end up like Jo Tae-woong. Giving advice is hard. Ian gave him some time to sort out his thoughts and then added. But it took me a long time to think like that. He was criticized for something he shouldnt have been, and he was cursed more than a criminal for just making a small mistake. That was the life of a celebrity. Even Taewoong, who has been in the entertainment industry since he was a child actor, had some trouble recently. Thats right Thats how it is. Anyone can have these thoughts. As Im Noeul listened to Ians words, he felt the weight that had been pressing down on him lighten up a bit. He also felt ashamed of himself for pouring out his worries over such a trivial matter. Dont keep it in your mind too much. Yes. Ian smiled with satisfaction as he saw Im Noeuls expression improve. By the way, is Taewoong hyung okay now? Hes much better. Hes preparing for his album now. Thats good to hear. Im Noeul hesitated for a moment and then added another word. Are you okay, hyung? Oh, right. He was my fan. Ianughed as he remembered the fact that he had forgotten. Im fine, Inma. He wanted to tell him to worry about himself, but he didnt say it out loud because he appreciated his concern. Ian suddenly checked the time and got up abruptly. He had a lot to prepare for hiseback and the awards ceremony. He couldnt stay here any longer. Congrattions on your debut. He patted Im Noeuls shoulder lightly and headed to the practice room of Awi. Im Noeul, who was left behind, stared nkly at Ians back. Then he shuddered as if he remembered something. Come to think of it, Im pretty awesome, right? He had somehow debuted in the same agency as his favorite star, became his junior, and had his favorite star listen to his troubles. I dont need to look for a sessful life. Its right here. He had been unable to get rid of the maliciousments from his mind until a moment ago, but now they werepletely gone. Im Noeul walked lightly to find his members and headed upstairs. **** Is Kim Juyeong here! Ian opened the practice room door with a bang and shouted. The members who were sitting in a circle and deciding on the concept of their next album booed at him. Whats up, why are you sote? You ruined our mood, you know. Take responsibility. Ian squeezed in between them and sat down. So why are youte? You should buy us dinner since yourete. Yeah, buy us food. Park Seodam and Jo Taewoong pushed him. He felt like he would have to buy them food and coffee if he didnt hurry up and exin. I have a reason for beingte. Listen. He started to tell them about the conversation he had with Jo Minhwan. He said he received an offer to be a guest on Seong PDs Rural Life. The members cheered excitedly. Oh, I watched season 1 and it was fun. Isnt Seong PDs variety show a guaranteed hit? So, are you going? No, not me, him. Ian pointed his finger at Kim Juyeong. Kim Juyeong widened his eyes and poked his chest with his index finger. Me? You. The members turned their heads at the same time and looked at Kim Juyeong. Me on Seong PDs variety show? Yeah, you just have to say okay and well pack our bags and head to Gangwon-do right away. He would have to consult with Kim Myungjin, but it was a no-brainer to ept a high-rated variety show. Kim Myungjin would wee it and squeeze it in even if they had a lot of schedules. I rmended you because I thought you wouldnt be able to do the job well. Really? Kim Juyeongs expression, which had been flustered, brightened up in an instant. Rural Life was a weekend prime time variety show, as well as a trusted Seong PDs show. There was no reason to refuse. Why not you and me? Minhwan hyung said he was having a hard time. He had his phone taken away and couldnt search for recipes. He said he only ate rice and kimchi. Wow, thats perfect for Juyeong, isnt it? Jo Taewoong, who was listening next to him, tapped Kim Juyeongs shoulder and made a fuss. Hey, this is your chance. Go for it. But what about oureback preparations? Kim Juyeong hesitated. It was their long-awaitedeback, and he didnt want to dy it by a day because of him. Thats something we can figure out among ourselves. Juyeong, its not like its going to be pushed back that much just because youre gone for a few days. Right, cant we just do our recording first while youre gone? The members shouted for him to decide quickly. Kim Hyun frowned at Kim Joo-youngs words that followed. Can I do this well? Dont be ridiculous. How often do you get such an opportunity? Hey, someone tell Kim Myung-jin quickly. Ill do it. Park Seo-dam was already calling Kim Myung-jin. Ian went to her side and added his opinion. One day is too short Ask him if we can get two days. Then lets finish recording as much as we can before we go. Lee Joo-hyuk quickly changed the recording schedule as if it was already decided, and managed to get Kim Myung-jins permission after a short call. Kim Myung-jin praised them for getting such a schedule. Joo-young got confirmed for a hit variety show, lets go eat meat. Meat? Hey, Jo Tae-woong, are you using Kim Joo-young as an excuse? Joo-young is being exploited. They had only seen the food at the wedding and had not eaten yet. The members jumped up at Jo Tae-woongs words and headed outside the practice room. Kim Joo-young walked side by side with Ian and casually asked. Do you know the cast members well? Min-hwan hyung has a simr personality to Jo Tae-woong, so youll get along with him quickly. Hye-ji noona is also kind. What am I supposed to do there? What are you supposed to do? You go there and cook, clean, help out, and be a new servant to rece Jo Min-hwan. Just do what you did at Tae-woongs grandmothers house and everyone there will be your fanatics. Whatever. Seriously. Kim Joo-young was nervous because it was his first time doing this kind of variety show. Ian stroked his chin and thought. Rural Life season 2 had a lot of incidents and idents. The water pipe suddenly burst, the farming tools were rusty, and they had trouble harvesting the crops in the field. Min-hwan hyungined that there were a lot of problems in the house and he didnt have any tools to fix them, right? Ian recalled his memory and advised Kim Joo-young. If I had to say bring some household tools and baking soda. *** (Dancing King Kim Joo-young 2) Choi Ian 11:00 (Dancing King Kim Joo-young 2) This scary guy 11:00 Kim Joo-young, who had gone to Gangwon-do to film Rural Life, sent a message out of the blue. He says he arrived well like this. It seemed that Ians advice worked well. While he chuckled, the other members sent messages at Kim Joo-youngs random words. (Hyun-hyun 3) ? 11:02 (Jo Tae-woong 4) What? 11:02 (Dancing King Kim Joo-young 2) Theres something like that, I have to give my phone to PD Sung, see you in Seoul 11:03 After that message, Kim Joo-young did not show up in the chat room for two days. Chapter 182: Chapter 182: Chapter 182 I shouldnt get my hopes up. Kim Joo-young had finally managed to arrange his schedule so that he could stay in Gangwon-do for three days. He was going there to film Rural Life. The day after he left, Ian was invited to one of the three major film festivals in the country for his role as Kim Chun-taek in The Hee-bin Jang n. I never thought I would be invited to the Yu Art Awards. The Yu Art Awards were divided into two categories: movies and TV. They covered various fields such as dramas, variety shows, ys, and musicals. They were the oldest and most prestigiousprehensive art awards in Korea. Just being nominated was enough to boost his career. [You could have been nominated for the rookie award, but you went straight to the supporting actor award. You have a good chance of winning.] Why? Ian had never even crossed the threshold of the awards ceremony when he was Kim Yong-min. The categories he was nominated for were the poprity award and the male supporting actor award. [There were some unknown actors who were nominated for the rookie award after three or four years of debut.] Really? He was happy just to be nominated, but hearing Jins words made him feel a bit hopeful. Could I win? [You might not know about the other actors, but you have a hundred percent chance of winning.] Jin said casually. In the future, The Hee-bin Jang n would win the TV drama award, the screeny award, and the directing award at the major awards ceremony. [If Yeon-joon Seo had acted well in his previous life, he might have won too. But he was too bad at acting.] All the main supporting actors of The Hee-bin Jang n were also nominated for the acting awards. But they didnt win because theirpetitors were too strong. No, I shouldnt get my hopes up. He thought so, but he couldnt help feeling nervous when the day of the ceremony came. Are you going to the Yu Art Awards, Ian? His dedicated hair designer asked him as he entered the shop in a tailored suit. Yes. Lim Hye-ji came earlier. She asked if Joo-young was in Gangwon-do. Yes, did Hye-ji noona mention Joo-young? What did she say? Jo Min-hwan and Lim Hye-ji, who were filming Rural Life, also came out halfway to attend the ceremony. When Ian asked, the hair designer chuckled and said. She called him Kim Joo-young nim. Really? She said she would have been in big trouble if it wasnt for him. She said she wanted to live with him even after Rural Life was over. What did he do there that made her praise him so much? As expected, he was right. Ian pretended not to know and answered. Joo-young must be good at his job. Lim Hye-ji is not the type topliment anyone like that. How do you want your hair? What do you think would look good, manager? The hair designer and the makeup artist joined in to admire Ian in the mirror. You look good with anything. Are you still working out? Yes. Ian had lost weight for the filming of Z-Day, and he was in the process of building his body. Should we cut it in half? Like this Covering his forehead with bangs is a waste. How about pushing it all back? To emphasize his jawline After their deliberation, they finished his hair and makeup beautifully. Ian received the cheers of the shop staff and headed to the exhibition hall in Samsung-dong. -Who will win the grand prize at the Yu Art Awards today? The movie is No Future? The drama is The Hee-bin Jang n? The Hee-bin Jang n, yeah They might win the best and the supporting actor awards too -Ian is already nominated for the male supporting actor award? Will they give an award to an idol at the Yu Art Awards? They are so conservative. They might give him the poprity award at best. But wouldnt it be weird if they didnt? The work was good, the acting was good, the buzz was good. Who else would win if not Ian? Huh? Why would he win? Lol They might give him the poprity award since he has a lot of fans. I think Ian will win the male supporting actor award. There was no one who made a syndrome like himst year. The Yu Art Awards were one of the famous awards ceremonies, so there was a lot of interest even before they started. There were even articles that predicted who would win based on the critics subjective opinions, the ratings, the brand evaluation rankings, and so on. [HotstarTV] 2021 Yu Art Awards, who is the next star? A shortage of 20s male actors? Who is the next acting idol after Ian? The was full of talk about the Yu Art Awards, so articles were popping up left and right to insert the keywords and attract clicks. Eom Ji-hwan, the quality supporting actor, shows his acting skills He follows Jo Min-hwan, Kim Min-jae, and Ian. Eom Ji-hwan, reveals his warm daily photos. Netizens, He looks like Ian. -My idols article came up when I searched, but there were more articles about other actors. Isnt Eom Ji-hwans negative publicity too much? Yeah, me too lol. Theyre doing a lot of media y lol I searched for my actor and saw him being dragged by the hair I wish he didnt do that work with him Meanwhile, Eom Ji-hwans media y was unrivaled. [His agency is famous for doing dirty media y and also famous for being bad at it.] As expected [Are you jealous because you cant go to the awards? Youre so active today.] Today, he felt like they were dragging not only Ian but also the other actors who were attending the Yoo Sang Arts Awards and doing media y. Were almost there. Do you think you can win the award today? Hey, hyung. Dont put pressure on me already. Its not pressure Im just excited. Kim Myung-jin parked the van at the entrance. Ian checked his outfit onest time before the security guard opened the door. There he is! Kyaaah! As soon as Ian got out of the van, the reporters pressed the shutter and the fans cheered. Ian pretended to be calm and smiled faintly at the corners of his mouth. He stepped out of the van. [Trying to act cool.] Shut up. Ian walked on the red carpet with wide strides. When he stood in the center of the photo wall, the sh lights were so bright that they blurred his vision. Well have a photo time. Please look to the right first. Ian posed and Jin showed the sign as usual. There are a lot of our fans here. The fans holding the light sticks with Awis logo shouted Ians name. Ian waved his hand toward them. He followed the security guards guidance and entered the awards hall. Kyaaah! Ian! The audience who were already seated screamed. They were holding unofficial slogans with pictures taken by Homma and shaking them. Ian waved his hand to them too. Ian! Over here! Among the cheers of the audience, a familiar voice called him. It was Park Tae-hyun, the director of Heebin Jangssi, and Yoon Mi-sook, the writer. Hello, writer-nim. You did a work with Ju-hee on Emflix, right? Do another one with me next time. Haha, Im grateful just for your words. Ian bowed his upper body to greet the writer. Yoon writer was sincere. She had stopped her long break and was immersed in writing a script. Im not just saying this, okay? Ill send the script to your agency. Thats reassuring. Ian smiled broadly. I have to go if Yoon writer-nim calls me. As long as the schedule allows. Is your schedule okay? Its going to be busy soon. Jo Tae-woong would return soon. He would probably focus on group activities. Thepany was already looking for a concert venue even though the next album release was far away. You know I review your script first before any other writers, right? Youre going to work with me all the way. The writer misunderstood that he was going to do another work besides the group activities and imed her ownership. She looked serious. Yoon Mi-sooks name had be a brand as a hit writer, and to have continuous work with her I wont starve to death as an actor. [You wont starve to death, youll die of overeating.] Anyway, it was good news. Ian shook hands with Park director, who was next to the writer. Director-nim, dont we see each other too often? I want to see you more often. After the writer, the director also made a sincere joke. Next to the director was An Dong-jae, who didnt look very happy. Dong-jae hyung, hello. Oh, Ian. Long time no see. An Dong-jae, who yed the role of Suk-jong, was also nominated for the male lead award. An Dong-jae responded to Ians greeting and then took out his phone from his pocket and deliberately ignored Ian. Whats wrong? After Heebin Jangssi aired, An Dong-jae became distant from Ian as the supporting actor became more popr than the lead actor. He didnt even show up at the wrap-up party. Dont tell me hes acting like this because of that. [Thats how he is. Besides, An Dong-jae has a very narrow mind.] Thats too bad. He was very nice and friendly to Ian when they started filming. Ian smiled bitterly. Ian passed by An Dong-jae and sat in the seat with his name on it. The seat next to him was Lim Hye-jis. When will she arrive? There were many things he wanted to ask about Kim Joo-young when Lim Hye-ji came. But he couldnt see her among the other actors who were filling up the seats. Instead, Ian turned around and waved at the audience. They screamed in response. Ian. Lim Hye-ji arrived just before the ceremony started and took the seat next to Ian. Hye-ji noona, did youe straight from Gangwon-do? Yes. Thank you so much, Ian. She probably meant that she was grateful for introducing her to Kim Joo-young. Ian couldnt tell her that he heard it from the shop manager, so he pretended not to know. What do you mean? Our Joo-young. Kim Joo-young had only spent one night in Gangwon-do. But she already called him our Joo-young. Ian tried to hold back hisughter. Did Joo-young do a lot of things there? Wow, even his breakfast menu changed. How can he be so good at housework? Of course, Joo-young is our groups mom, mom. I thought so. Lim Hye-ji exchanged a few words with him and then the lights on the stage changed. The MCs of the ceremony came to the center of the stage with the introduction of the announcer. Lim Hye-ji whispered in Ians ear. Joo-young said you should take the drill. If it wasnt for that, we couldnt even do the dishes. I told him to take it too, but I didnt know he would really do it. Of course, it was a lie. Ian was called a shaman in his group and not only the members, but also the managers and the agency staff believed in his words. I cant wait to eat the delicious food that Joo-young makes. Wow, Joo-young really did a great job. Can I look forward to the broadcast? Sure, you guys are making aeback, right? The broadcast date and youreback date will be simr. Lim Hye-jis praise for Kim Joo-young was endless. Anyway, during the ceremony, he couldnt do anything else because he would be photographed and broadcasted by the cameras. It was better to have a conversation with someone. Oh, noona, the camera is on us. The audience cheered louder when Ian appeared on the screen above the stage. Ian smiled awkwardly. The awards for the theater and musical categories ended and the TV category began. The winner of the previous year came out as the presenter and opened the sealed card. The 59th Yoo Sang Arts Awards, Poprity Award. There are two winners. The presenter read the card. With 1.25 million votes, senior Jo Min-hwan, and. Ian clenched his dry lips. He didnt hope for the supporting actor award. He just hoped he wouldnt go back to his dorm empty-handed. With 1.47 million votes, Choi Ian. Congrattions. Ian jumped up and headed to the stage. He was d he didnt have to go back empty-handed. Good. But as he climbed the stairs to the stage, he became more greedy. Can I win the supporting actor award today? Chapter 183: Chapter 183: Chapter 183 The male supporting actor was -AhIan got an award -He cant get the lead role if he gets the poprity award -Theres not much difference between him and Jo Min-hwan, right? Does he have few fans? As he watched the live broadcast and listened to Jo Min-hwans eptance speech, Ian cherished the trophy in his hands. Come to think of it, this is the first trophy with my name on it. He had received many trophies as a group, but this was the first time he had received one as an individual, both in his previous and current life. Ian ran his hand over his name engraved on the trophy. Next, please give us your eptance speech, Mr. Choi Ian. After Jo Min-hwan finished his speech, Ian stepped up to the microphone. Uh, first of all, I would like to thank everyone who voted for me, and the staff of our agency, the manager hyungs, and our Awi members. Thank you. The poprity award didnt have much time for an eptance speech. Ian left a brief speech and stood side by side with Jo Min-hwan as they walked down the stage. Jo Min-hwan patted Ians back. Congrattions, we can take a picture togetherter. You too, hyung. You have to get the lead role. Me? Nah, Im not ready yet. Jo Min-hwan waved his hand and denied it. But his high cheekbones betrayed his anticipation for the award. The smooth touch of the trophy made him feel good. He handed the trophy to a staff member and passed by the writer, director, and actors of Miss Hee-bin who congratted him briefly. He sat down in his seat. Yeah, lets be satisfied with this. [Hey, youre going to get the supporting actor award, right?] Jin kept blowing wind in his ear. He was afraid that he would be disappointed if he didnt get itter, so Ian tried to calm himself down. The award ceremony for the TV entertainment category ended, and a congrattory performance began. These performances usually featured popr idols, but since there was a controversy over the actorsck of response to the idol stages, the Yu-sang side nned a new stage. Next, we have a congrattory performance. Please look forward to the transformation of the child actors. It was a joint performance by the child actors. A child actor who had just entered kindergarten held a microphone bigger than his head and stood on the stage. The actors and the audience responded warmly. Aw, how cute. Hes good at acting and has a pretty voice. The other child actors also gathered in the center of the stage. They sang in a clumsy but earnest way. This is better. Ian also focused on the stage and didnt skimp on his response. After the heartwarming scene ended, there was a few seconds of silence before the next award presenter walked to the center of the stage. *** The 59th Yu-sang Art Awards, TV category, Best Screeny, writer Yoon Mi-sook of Miss Hee-bin, congrattions. The 59th Yu-sang Art Awards, TV category, Best Director, director Park Pyo-hyun of Miss Hee-bin, congrattions. After that, Miss Hee-bin received trophies one after another. Writer Yoon and director Park smiled brightly and gave their eptance speeches, and they both mentioned Ians name without fail. And our actor Ian, please join us for the next project. This is awkward. Ian felt the hot gaze of Andong-jae, who was sitting next to him, but he ignored it. [Isnt there going to be a controversy over favoritism?] Whatever. He had seen enough of the medias criticismtely. Ian habitually looked at the screen that showed him. [Stop looking at the camera. Youre the only one making eye contact with the camera here.] What can I do? Its a habit. When idols performed on stage, eye contact with the camera was vital, and this was a habit that had been ingrained since he was a trainee. When Ian made eye contact with the camera, the audiences response was unusually strong, and perhaps because of that, the camera director showed Ian a lot. -Isnt Ian on a lot today? -The camera director is working hard -Hes going to get the supporting actor award next Finally, the moment Ian had been waiting for came. The award for the best new actor was over, and the actor who had received the best supporting actor awardst year came up as the presenter. (Its easy to get hurt when youre sad, and easy to be lewd when youre happy. What about you?) (TV category, Best Supporting Actor nominee, Miss Hee-bin Choi Ian) The main acting scenes of the five nominees for the best supporting actor were shown on therge screen on the stage. When Ians scene came up, sincere groans came from the audience, and the actors around him swallowed theirughter. The 59th Yu-sang Art Awards, TV category, Best Supporting Actor is On the screen on the stage, the five nominees for the best supporting actor appeared. While the other actors ignored the camera and looked at the stage, Ian stared at the camera that showed him. -Choi Ians eye contact -So handsome -Look at him being the only one looking at the camera -Well, thats the difference between an actor and an idol The presenter announced the winner after a few seconds of silence. Congrattions to Mr. Choi Ian from Heebin Jangs Family. The screen showed five candidates, and Ians face was erged to fill the whole screen. Ian stared nkly at his own face on the screen, his mouth agape. Did I win? [I told you so.] Seeing Ian sitting there dumbfounded, Lim Hyeji nudged his arm. Ian, you have to go up. Oh, right. Ian finally came to his senses and walked towards the stage. He felt something hot rising from his chest to his throat. (Choi Ian yed the role of Kim Chuntaek, a Joseon Casanova, in Heebin Jangs Family and captivated the viewers with his fatal charm.) (We sincerely congratte you on your award.) As Ian was walking up to the stage, the announcer briefly introduced him. Congrattions. Thank you. Ian received a trophy and a small bouquet of flowers from the previous winner and stood in front of the microphone. He licked his dry lips with his tongue and opened his mouth, wondering what to say. Hello, Im Ian from Awi. Ian looked at the camera with a bewildered expression. His voice was trembling uncontrobly. Um I didnt expect to win, so I didnt prepare an eptance speech Because Im an idol, you know. Im still doing group activities A smallughter erupted in the hall. The reporters who were invited to the ceremony were taking pictures of Ian and uploading articles without a break. They gave an award to an actor who was not only from an idol background, but also actively doing idol activities, in the conservative Yu Sang Arts Awards. It was a truly encouraging achievement. First of all I want to thank the viewers who watched Heebin Jangs Family. Its thanks to you that I received this undeserved love. Thank you. Ian looked at the trophy again. He didnt notice, but his hand holding the trophy was slightly shaking. And I want to thank the staff of Heebin Jangs Family, Director Park, Writer Yoon, and the actors, for giving me the honor and gratitude of working with such great people. Ian nced at the front and saw the producer waving his hand up and down, signaling him to say more. What should I say? Ian fiddled with the trophy in his hand and opened his mouth with difficulty. Um After Heebin Jangs Family ended, something bad happened to our group, as some of you may know Contrary to his hesitation, the words came out without thinking. Ian decided to say what he wanted to say, since it hade to this. I think this is not just a problem for our group. I hope you will support the actors who are silently acting in the face of someones malicious criticism, and not only them, but all the entertainers who are working hard in their own positions. Ian spoke without hesitation. The screen showed the other actors who came to the ceremony, and they nodded slightly as if they agreed with Ians words. Lastly, I want to thank our Awi members, who watched the show and cheered me on despite their busy schedules, Joo Hyuk hyung, Jin Hyuk hyung, Hyun hyung, Tae Woong, Joo Young, Seo Dam. Thank you so much. -Ian -Ian is the best -Am I the only one who cried when he mentioned the members? Ian finished his speech and handed the trophy to the staff, then headed back to his seat. Ian, congrattions. Thank you, noona. Joo Young must be watching this too, right? Yeah? As soon as she finished speaking, his phone in his jacket pocket vibrated non-stop. It was the contact from the members and acquaintances who heard the news of Ians award. I should have turned it to silent. He thought so, but the constant vibration didnt bother him. Rather, he felt good. The 59th Yu Sang Arts Awards, TV category grand prize. Congrattions to Heebin Jangs Family. The audience cheered as all the actors of Heebin Jangs Family, including Ian, stood up and congratted each other. [Lucky bastard] Jin floated in the air and stared at Ian. *** After all the awards for the TV and movie categories were over, the broadcast of the Yu Sang Arts Awards ended. As the people in the hall left, the winners came to the front of the stage to take a group photo. Ian also received his award from the staff and headed to the stairs set up in the center of the stage for the group photo. Like Ian, Jo Min Hwan, who was holding two trophies, tapped Ians shoulder. Congrattions, Ian. Hyung, too, its your first lead actor award, right? Hey, why are these trophies so heavy? The trophies werent that heavy. He probably meant that his heart was heavy. Jo Min Hwan achieved 10 million viewers with the movie There is No Future, and won his first lead actor award. In the near future, he would achieve another 10 million movie. Feeling like he was flying after winning the award, Ian decided to spoil Jo Min Hwans life. Why? I think there will be another good thingter. Really? We should trust our shamans words. Did Joo-young say that? Yeah, you said he was a crab, right? Jin-hyuk is clueless How close did Kim Joo-young get with the cast of Rural Life? He spilled the TMI about the members in just one day. Hes crazy too. Ian slightly shook his head. As the winners were scrambling on the stage, the photographer prepared by the award ceremony shouted loudly. Lets take a picture! As he tried to find his ce, Ian paused and looked around. This is awkward. No one wanted to stand next to Ian. They felt like they would bepared if they stood next to him. Not only the male actors, but even the female actors were trying hard not to stand next to Ian. Min-hwan hyung! Even you! Jo Min-hwan, who had said he could take a picture with himter, ignored Ians desperate gaze. Ian had no choice but to stand at the back and smile brightly with the trophy. When he checked the phototer, there was a clear empty space on both sides of Ian, as if someone had instructed it. -Art Award The Miracle of Moses Fancam No one wants to stand next to Choi Ian I wouldnt stand next to him either Wow, look at his small face -Now theres a real-time celebration on Bluebird #First_Idol_To_Win_Art_Award #Shining_Ian_We_Support_Your_Actor_Path The fans were in a festive mood when he unexpectedly won the supporting actor award. On the other hand, he also received the intense interest of the haters who were jealous of his sess. -Huh? Is Choi Ian worthy of winning a supporting award? -The Art Award is less prestigious than the Baekho Film Award The Art Award is for losers -There were no masterpieces because of Corona, he just got lucky -When he was rising, where were you? Now youre trying to bash him -Yeah, you cant win an award~ He got a huge advantage from his acting history~ Chapter 184: Chapter 184: Chapter 184 What? Are we the perpetrators? The members greeted Ian, who entered the practice room proudly with two trophies from the Art Awards. What is this? Oh, hes here, hes here. They brought a red nket from somewhere andid it on the floor, pretending it was a red carpet. Congrattions on the award! Wow, what a surprise. The members sang a congrattory tune with their mouths and gathered around Ian. They even set off small fireworks that came with the cake. Ianughed and epted their hospitality. When did you prepare this? The exhibition hall where the awards ceremony was held and the agency in Apgujeong were not far apart, so the members didnt have much time to prepare. The members lit the candles on the cake they bought hastily near the agency and pushed it in front of Ian. We expected you to win the award. Youre not the only one who can guess well. Hyung, blow out the candles. My arm hurts. Ian heard Kim Hyuns words and blew out the candles. Then, Park Seodam, who was holding the cake, turned around quickly. Cake! How are we going to eat this? Dont we have leftover chopsticks from when we ate cup noodles? Wow, its been a long time, cake. The mood changed from celebration to eating in an instant, and Ian eximed in vain. Excuse me? Chopsticks here! Wow, I was just low on sugar. Hey, Ian,e and eat too. Ian pointed at himself with his index finger and uttered in dismay. Am I being used? Used? Thats too harsh. Dont ignore our sincerity. Lee Juhyuk and Kim Hyun said that while tearing the wooden chopsticks and tasting the cream of the cake with happy faces. Dont pretend youre not. Ian chuckled. They prepared with care, but when they actually did it, they acted like they didnt. This was how the members congratted him. Ill just have a bite. Wow, is that a bite, Jinyuk hyung? Isnt that a whole bowl? Wait a minute, Im the main character, right? As Ian was about to join the members and eat the cake, a short notification sound rang from his phone, indicating that an important person was calling. Ill take a call for a moment. Hey, were sincerely, huh? Congratting you, and youre taking a call? Youre sincerely eating the cake, arent you? Park Jinyuk looked at Ians face, which had risen sharply, with cream on his cheek. Who is it? My mom. You have to answer your mom. Park Jinyuk quickly changed his attitude and opened the practice room door. Ian came out to the hallway and answered the video call from his parents. (Son!) Yes, mom. Dad is there too. How have you been? How was the trip? (We came back well, we just got home. It would have been nice if you came with us) (Son, congrattions on the award!) Ian, who was about to mention the award first, widened his eyes. How did you know? You said you just got home. (Theres a way to know.) They shouldnt have had time to look up the inte when they just got home Did the article go up that fast? Ian tilted his head. (Are you, are you hurt anywhere?) No, Im fine. I dont get sick easily, you know. (Im d youre healthy.) After a long conversation with his parents, Ian met the Fever members on his way back to the practice room. Ian hyung! Oh, hi. Congrattions on the award! Thank you. The news must have spread in thepany already. Ian received their congrattions and entered the practice room with a light heart. Are you back? Ah, you pigs. You ate all the cake. You should havee sooner. The cake with one spoonful left was thest bit of conscience from the members. They had devoured the cake and were admiring Ians trophy. This isnt real gold, is it? Of course not, do you know how much gold costs these days? Still, it looks pretty fancy. Some of our music show trophies were broken, remember? Dongsoo hyung glued them back and disyed them in the hallway. The cake box in the middle of the practice room looked pitiful somehow. Ian swallowed the remaining cake in one bite and pushed the box to the corner. Jo Taeung, who had finished looking at the trophy early and was lying on the floor resting, turned his head and looked at Ian. Didnt you say your mom and dad went to Switzend? Did they arrive home? Yeah, they just got home Wait a minute. How do you know that? And mom and dad? How do you know they went to Switzend? Jo Taeung smirked as he read Ians expression. Didnt you know? Im the son your parents gave birth to with their hearts. Crazy. When did that happen? Ian asked with his expression, and Jo Taeung answered proudly. They introduced me to thew firm, remember? I called them when I came up to Seoul from my grandmas house. To thank them and say hello. Oh, a man who knows his manners. That name is Jo Taeung. Park Jinhyuk and Kim Hyun chimed in from the side. Ian sighed as if he was amazed by Jo Taeungs shoulder shrug. How did you get my parents contact information? I got it when we did the monthly evaluation. Its basic, isnt it? Crazy. No wonder his parents knew everything about Ians schedule. He thought his parents were good at inte searches. Well, whatever. You also contacted my mom before. That was to surprise Jo Taeung at his grandmas house, not to know every little thing about his parents. As Ian still couldnt erase his uneasy expression, Jo Taeung made a strange face as if he thought of something fun. Speaking of which, should we go check that out when Kim Juyeonges the day after tomorrow? What? The apology letter. The members lifted their heads at his words. They wouldnt give them any mercy, but they had no reason to stop the apology letters sent by their legal representative. There were quite a few apology letters from the people who had fun writing maliciousments on the inte, but when the punishment came close, they panicked. Dont you want to know what the people who cursed at us wrote? Thats a bit Im curious, but Ian was curious too. They wouldnt be all the maliciousmenters. There would be some who couldnt be caught, but he wanted to see how desperate they were. But then well also know what the maliciousments were, right? Are you guys okay with that? At Lee Juhyuks words, the members looked at each other and shrugged as if they didnt care. Even Jo Taeung, who was most affected, looked fine. Then lets go if Juyeong agrees. We can also greet thewyer. We have to start practicing now. Ian had brought the trophy, but he had no time to rest. It was the longest hiatus since their debut. The members hurried to practice for the uing schedule. They got up quickly and started stretching while chatting. Im curious about the apology letter. What did they write? They wont write anything like what they did, how theyre reflecting, and what theyre doing to prevent it from happening again, right? Theyll just whine that theyre young students and their parents will kill them if they find out. Or theyll ask for mercy because they have young children? So predictable. **** Hey, another one came out. Where, where? Ill read it to you. Our family is a recipient of basic living assistance, and I stabbed a dagger in the hearts of my parents who only look at me because of a thoughtlessment. Please, if you could spare me just once Pfft! The members held back theirughter as Park Jinhyuk recited mockingly. What, are we the perpetrators? What the hell do they want? The members of Awi had visited thew firm office in Gwanghwamun during their lunch break. It was a sudden request, but thew firm had cleared arge conference room for the members. On the desk, there was a thick stack of apology letters from the offenders. There must be some people who havent been caught yet. And those people wouldnt stop writing maliciousments. Ian scanned the pile of documents in front of him with a bored expression. Why do they all sound the same? Hey, another divorce. Hope you have a family feud. Most of the apology letters appealed to emotions. They said they had single mothers, they got divorced because of this, or their job search was hindered by this. Dont look too closely, guys. Kim Myung-jin apanied thew firm while Seo Su-ryeon and Park Dong-su went on their honeymoon. He was worried that the members might get hurt again by seeing what kind ofments the offenders had written, so he was kicking his feet behind them. Can I shred these? The members were fine, unlike Kim Myung-jins concern. Yes, we already made copies and we sent the same ones to the judge. At the secretarys words, the members carefully put the apology letters into the document shredder on the wall. Jo Tae-woong smiled broadly. The sound of the paper being shredded was pleasant to hear. He felt ashamed that he had been hurt by these peoples words. Hey, are you okay now? Yeah. Ian looked at Jo Tae-woongs face and bowed slightly to the secretary. Thank you for making time for us, even though youre busy. Dont mention it, youre our client. If you really feel sorry, how about taking some pictures of our employees who are pretending not to look but peeking in? Awis poprity was evident in thew firm. When the secretary lifted the blinds of the conference room, some employees who were standing up and watching pretended not to and went back to their seats. Let me take a picture of you first. The membersughed at the secretarys words. They dly agreed to take pictures and went out of the conference room to sign for the employees. You can post it on MyStar. Yeah, make the maliciousmenters tremble. No! Kim Myung-jin hurried over and apologized to the employees. He was trying to minimize the exposure before theeback, especially since Jo Tae-woongs surprise return was at stake. Im sorry. Can you please post it on SNS after our kidseback? Kim Myung-jin was sweating profusely to resolve the situation, when someone called Ian. Ian. Mr. Ji, Mr. Jeong. The person who called him was Ji Woon-jo and Jeong Yeon-jae,wyers who were friends with Ians father and college ssmates. Is this the first time since you signed the contract with thew firm? Yes, how have you been? Were so busy, were dying. Ji Woon-jowyer whined. They had a lot of experience at thew firm Seo and Woo, and they were the ones who willingly agreed to the request of Ians parents. As soon as they received the contact, they came to the agency and signed the contract, and they were sending theints to the offenders quickly. Thank you so much. I was going to buy you a meal anyway Never mind, how can we take a meal from our nephew. Jeongwyer waved his hand. No, I feel ufortable. Do you have time tonight? Tonight? Jiwyer, what do you think? Jiwyer and Jeongwyer looked at each other. I happen to have no schedule today. Me too. Then shall we get a meal from our sessful entertainer? Ianughed. Ill treat you to something expensive. He was curious about something. It was a good opportunity. Chapter 185: Chapter 185: Chapter 185 You need to find your own weapon. Im d there was a reservation left I couldnt just treat them casually, so I contacted Miracles Lee Minha, who seemed to know a lot about fancy restaurants. It looks like a ce where viins eat in a noir drama. [Lee Minha, you filthy rich bastard.] Why are you like this again? Jin was grinding his teeth, so this restaurant must be quite famous. The reservation was also easy to get, so Lee Minha must have talked to the restaurant beforehand Ill have to repay himter. As soon as he arrived, Ian left a message to the twowyers who had made a group chat with him and entered the restaurant. *** How did you book this ce? Its not easy for us to get a reservation here either. I dont know much about these ces, so I asked a friend. Lee Minha Oh, the son of that congressman? Are you close? Were pretty close, I guess? During the groups temporary hiatus, Lee Minha kept contacting Ian and asking him to eat or go somewhere, saying he knew he had no schedule. Ian was bored because the members were also at their hometowns, so he hung out with Lee Minha often whenever he had free time. Stay close, hes very influential over there. Jung, thewyer, raised his thumb. He was not just a rich kid, but a political kid. He didnt seem to be that kind of person, though. They just went to the restaurants that Kim Juyeong rmended or to the PC room. They never went to any shady ces or clubs. Jung, thewyer, must have known that and told him to stay close. Ian chuckled. Taewoong must be back by now. You must be busy, right? Yes. I just took some time off to meet you, but I have to go practiceter. Youre busy, then. No drinks? Yes. Please drink a lot, both of you. Thewyers ordered drinks excitedly. Ji, thewyer, stretched out his hand holding his phone and took a picture of everyone there. Hey, dont do that. Jung, thewyer, frowned, but soon changed his expression to a bright one. Ji, thewyer, who checked the picture,ughed. I have to send this to my daughter. She was throwing a tantrum, asking me to take her with me when I said I was having a meal with Ian. Your niece is a senior in high school, right? She must be busy studying. Ji, thewyer, looked displeased. His daughter was a hardcore fan of Awi since their debut. Her room was covered with Awis posters. Shes busy, idol fangirling? What do you call it? That. She even joined Awis fan club. Really? When I told her I became your legal representative, she said she had to show me that life is a battlefield. Thats reassuring. Ianughed. It felt good to hear about his fans from someone he knew. His phone was vibrating non-stop, probably because Ji, thewyer, sent the picture to his daughter. Ji, thewyer, and Jung, thewyer, who had be close enough to call them uncle and aunt, poured drinks for them and said. Then Ill give you tickets for the concert. For your family too. Can you do that? Yes, I dont have any use for the tickets anyway. Theyre all in the US. Ian ordered another bottle of liquor, seeing the empty bottles in front of them. Did Sungmoon and Hyunju nevere to your concerts? They came to our debut showcase and our world tour. At Ians words, Jung, thewyer, and Ji, thewyer, spoke excitedly. Sungmoon said he wasnt interested in Hyunju, but then he suddenly got married after graduation? Right. And then he had such a handsome son Your parents were very famous in the Korean society when they were in college, right? Haha, really? Since his parents story came up, he thought hed ask them something he was curious about. If he let them talk any longer, he might get some unwanted TMI about his parents. I have a question, though. What is it? I heard that my parents and you two didnt have much contact after graduation. They were torn apart by Korea and the US, and they barely exchanged emails once in a while. They said they only got in touch more recently, thanks to the development of SNS. My parents didnt expect you to help us so quickly either Really? Its been over 10 years since youst saw each other. You could have be strangers by then. Why did they help us so willingly, even though they were only friends in college? Ian wondered. The situation was not much different from a long-lost ssmate suddenly contacting him and saying, Im getting married. Come and congratte me. It was a favor to take care of some work for his son. Moreover, he handled the work quickly and mercilessly filedwsuits against thements that provoked reactions like Did this get caught by the hatements? As a result, Avidom praised thew firm and the legal representative. The twowyers smiled as if they understood what Ian was saying. It was partly because of your parents, and partly because of your grandfather. My grandfather? Your great-grandfather, to you. What did our grandfather do? Ian looked puzzled as Lawyer Jung smiled. Ji and I were what the kids these days call dirt spoons. Really? Dirt spoons went to study in the US? And the schools they attended were among the most expensive ones. Your great-grandfather, who had seeded in business in the US, also operated a schrship foundation in Korea, did you know that? Yes. He vaguely remembered hearing something like that when he was young. It was a schrship program for the children of basic living recipients. We were the ones who got selected for the schrship program back then. It was really great. Even if they only paid for the tuition in Korea, it would have been a blessing, but they sent us to study in the US. Of course we had to go. We both worked hard and studied. Wow, you two are amazing. They were extraordinary people who got epted to the top US universities when they were told to study. The twowyers smiled at Ianspliment. Honestly, these corporate-sponsored schrship foundations are almost like investments. They are systems that scout and nurture talents. They said they had visited Ians fathers house and became close with his grandfather while they were studying abroad. They naturally got along well with his father, and through thework of Korean students, they also became friends with his mother. To be honest, we didntck anything while we were studying abroad. Your great-grandfather gave us a lot of allowance. Right. But we had personal problems. I had a severe homesickness, remember? Ian, did you not have homesickness? Ian shook his head. Maybe because his memories of Kim Yong-min were merged, he felt more familiar with Korea. Anyway, they invested in us, but we wanted to go back to Korea without shame We felt sorry to tell your father at that time It was not because he was a sponsor, but because they had lived like a real family through exchanges. But they decided to get a job at a Koreanw firm after graduation, thinking of their families left in Korea. Your great-grandfather said this to us then. I dont make useless investments. And I dont want to interfere with the familys decision. Ian gasped silently. It wasnt a useless investment. We were able to help you like this. But did we help? If youre already as popr as Avid, you would have gotten requests from ourw firm too. Well, Dr. Seo and Dr. Woo are working hard to build the image of thew firm these days. The twowyers, who were immersed in the past, looked bright as if only good memories came to mind. I dont know why your parents, Sung-min, thought that way. It was natural for us. To repay the favor. Your great-grandfather must have thought it was natural to support talents without anypensation. Right? Theyughed out loud at thepliment that was beating around the bush. They looked flushed from drinking. But we kept in touch with your father often. Sung-min and Hyun-ju were busy there, so we only emailed asionally. It was a relief for us to help you with this. Let us know if you need anything. Ian thanked them and poured water instead of alcohol into their sses. Ian, this might sound like an old-fashioned thing, but listen carefully. Lawyer Ji hardened his expression and spoke seriously. I know youre doing well now, but its good to have some insurance. Right, like your great-grandfather did for us. Lawyer Jung also hardened his expression. You have to find your own weapon. Ian was stunned as if he had been hit by something. He just wanted to seed as a celebrity, he didnt think about anything else. The twowyers thought that Ian didnt understand properly and added. It could be a way of gathering people like your great-grandfather, or it could be a weapon to increase your wealth. Right, the top stars who buy buildings with corporations are not doing it for nothing. Thats whats left and thats whats wealth. Come to think of it, he had some useful information for the future, why didnt he think of using it? Not only in the entertainment industry, but also in other information. Oh, I dont mean to do dirty things like sponsorship, okay? This is not something that Sung-min would scold us for, right? Im more afraid of Hyun-ju than Sung-min. Thewyers shivered and drank the water that Ian poured for them. And be careful of scammers. Its a good thing that your agency is a clean ce Thats right. There are a lot of scams involving foreigners these days, right? If someone youre not close to rmends something, you should be suspicious first. Ian listened carefully to the twowyers conversation and fell into thought. He agreed with them to some extent. Sess as a celebrity was important, but wouldnt it be better to use what he had wisely? My own weapon, huh. The more popr he became, the more people would try to pull him down. That weird reporter recently, and Eom Jihwan too. The future. But he couldnt just use the information from the future. Hadnt he experienced some minor butterfly effects along the way? What can I do while minimizing the variables Besides, the information he knew about the future was limited. He couldnt remember some things properly because his memories were mixed. The only thing he had done using his knowledge of the future was to roughly know the sess or failure of the iing works. Ian stared intently at Jin, who was floating in the air. [What, why are you looking at me?] Jins information was quite extraordinary, but Ian didnt feel the need to ask him anything other than entertainment-rted things. It was the information of a former reporter. And he knew other things besides entertainment, so he might be able to use it for something else. [What?] Jin saw Ians eyes sparkle unusually and slowly moved away from him. Chapter 172: Chapter 172: Chapter 172 Z-Day. (7) The filming of Z-Day continued. Sometimes, they had a feast to use up the overflowing budget. One day, Lee Joo-hee, the writer of Z-Day, visited the set for the first time. Hello, writer. Lee-an, Ive been watching your acting. Youre exactly like K that I imagined. She had been checking the footage through the director Park even though she didnt show up on the set. Are you done with your busy work? Of course. Now Im going to stay on the set all the time. Lee Joo-hee had been unable toe to the set because of her family situation. Now that she had put out the urgent fire, she could watch the remaining filming with the director Park. Lets film quickly since the writer is here. Cue! The staff pped the te ording to the directors signal. *** The zombies who went against the governments will were immediately executed. Then who would fill the ce of the executed zombies? The soldiers solved it by catching the wandering zombies outside the barrier. Kim Jun-hee headed to the barrier with Na-woo-shin. In the early morning when everyone was asleep, they sneaked into the high tower and watched what the soldiers were doing. Those zombies are out of control. How do they make them like you? Vine. Hwa-woon Pharmaceuticals half vine. A soldier tore off the ragged shirt of a zombie who was tied up. The soldier who examined the zombies neck stabbed a long needle. Na-woo-shin flinched as he watched the situation through the telescope. They inject the vine into the ce where they were bitten by a zombie. Then why dont they run away as soon as they get the vine? They have better physical abilities than humans anyway. If they need to get the vine periodically, why dont the zombies attack this ce together? Kim Jun-hee smiled bitterly at his words. Na-woo-shin couldnt take his eyes off him because of his expression that he saw for the first time. They cant run away. At the stage of finding their sanity after getting the first vine, they remember their human lives like a carousel. From the first time they felt their parents touch to the memory of their loved ones. Strangely enough, they only recall happy memories. To make them attached to their lives. Where do the zombies who regained their sanity go? Lab. They get lost in the memories thate in like waves and stare nkly. Then the soldiers take the zombies to theb warehouse and tie them up. They get their blood drawn at theb. Like pigs in a butcher shop. What? If they dont lose their sanity or appetite while getting their blood drawn, they are people like you, Woo-shin. Kim Jun-hee led Na-woo-shin. They had seen enough, and they would be caught if they stayed here for too long. They headed to their hideout through the dark alley. Was there no one like me in theb? Is that why they are all looking for me? Ive seen only one person like you so far. What happened to that person? Kim Jun-hee didnt answer. Na-woo-shin sighed deeply as he saw him close his mouth. He always drew the line at important questions. I think you guys can raid the Hwa-woon headquarters and get theplete vine. Why dont you do that? Then we would also suffer a lot of casualties. Are you also using me to be like me? Kim Jun-hee smiled silently. Did he hit the nail on the head? Na-woo-shin, who became confident, looked closely at Kim Jun-hees face and swallowed his saliva. Kim Jun-hees expression, which only smiled with his mouth, felt creepy. Na-woo-shin stepped back. Youre also using us to survive. He couldnt say anything to that. He had seen with his own eyes what the government was doing and what would happen to him if he entrusted himself to the government. Thats true, but you guys Cant use you? What? They used us. Kim Jun-hee stared at the air with an emotionless face. Kim Jun-hee approached Na-woo-shin, who stepped back, and brought his face close. Before the end came with the outbreak of the zombie virus humans enved other humans, they say. They made them ves because they were of different races and made them ves because they became monsters. Thats humans for you. So what? Dont be scared, Na-woo-shin. Im a valuable human to him. Thinking that, Na-woo-shin widened his eyes and met Kim Jun-hees eyes. So, what are you going to do if you be like me? If he could have the zombies unbelievable physical abilities and immortality and still not eat humans. Kim Junheeughed out loud for the first time. It was not a creepy or emotionlessugh, but a pure and innocent one, like a child. Im going to kill them all. What? All the humans, Im going to kill them all. He felt happy just thinking about it. Naushin felt a chill run down his spine as he heard his voice,ced withughter. I dont like this. Kim Ganghyuk was watching them from a distance. He was a radical who did not understand why Kim Junhee was trying to persuade Naushin. They had already secured the vine human they wanted, so they should just lock him up and start the vine research to be perfect humans. What a waste of time He kicked the ground and ran to another area. He was patrolling in case the soldiers found his hideout, but he was surrounded by them. ss 2 wanted criminal, H. Kim Ganghyuk. How did you find my location? The soldier who caught Kim Ganghyuk offered him to betray K and join the government side. Why should I do that? He also asked him to reveal the location of his hideout and kidnap Naushin, amand disguised as an offer. If you do as we say, we will give you the vine developed from Naushins research first. Dont act like youre doing me a favor. You just want to use me. I dont trust humans. No, you will trust us. The soldier showed his hands, indicating that he had no intention of attacking. The soldiers moved aside, as if to let him go. Youre letting me go even though I refused your offer? Kim Ganghyuk gave a suspicious look at the soldiers who were letting him go. He kicked the ground and headed to his hideout. *** Cut! Okay! Good job. Director Park smiled at Lee Juhee, who was sitting next to him. What do you think of this writer? He should havee sooner. If only I didnt have to do all the housework It was different to watch the screen and to see the scene in person. Lee Juhee regretted her words. More than I expected Kim Minjae portrayed Naushin, who was conflicted between his situation and his duty, very well, but Lee Juhee was impressed by someone else. He had a weight in his movements, expressing the zombie. Even though the lines could be cheesy or childish, Ian pulled them off. I wish Eom Jihwan, who ys Kim Ganghyuk, was a bit better But acting directing was the directors responsibility, so Lee Juhee decided to keep her mouth shut. Director Park monitored the footage they had just shot. Wow, the chemistry is great. He eximed as Kim Minjae and Ians faces got closer. He sounded like he had just had a sip of beer. This drama will be known as a bromance drama, not an action zombie drama. Any publicity is good publicity. This writer has be amercial writer already. The writer smiled slightly at Director Parks words. *** Eom Jihwan realized that the atmosphere of the set was focused on Ian. He knew there was a difference between the lead and the supporting roles, but this seemed too unfair. Is his acting that great? Its nothing special. Director Park and the production staff were not the kind of people who discriminated against actors. It was just a thought caused by his jealousy, but Eom Jihwans mind could not go back. During a short break, he ran into Ian, who was washing his hands in the bathroom. Are you done with the shooting today, Jihwan? Yes. You still have some left, right? Good job. I have a few more scenes to shoot. He must have a lot of scenes as the lead. Eom Jihwan felt a surge of resentment and blurted out without thinking. Why did you break the sponsorship deal with Cheonghwa Group? What? Ian did not expect Eom Jihwan to ask him so directly. He widened his eyes in surprise. I refused because I didnt like it. Was it more important than getting exposure? I dont know what youre trying to say, but if youre done with the shooting, you should go home early. Ian was already on edge because he had to do another action scene. Eom Jihwan, who had opened his mouth once, did not stop. How long do you think your group willst? Dont you need to raise your value, even if youre alone? Ian crossed his arms. Jin, who found other peoples fights the most entertaining, was hovering around Ian, looking restless. [What? Are you picking a fight?] Let me hear what he has to say. [Before, there was that weird giregi bastard, and now this Why do these things always happen in the bathroom Did I offend someone?] Ian listened silently as Eom Ji-hwan continued to speak with a smug expression. You know its a short window for group activities, right? We cant even do group activities right now, so dont I have to survive on my own? Whether its a sponsor or whatever. [What the hell is a jack-of-all-trades sponsor?] [Hes just getting arrogant and losing his sense of reality because hes getting some work. There are tons of kids like him.] Ian raised one eyebrow. Eom Ji-hwan spoke in a mocking tone, but underneath his pretense, there was jealousy towards Ian. He thought Ian had it easy because he had a good face, while he had to do dirty things to climb up thedder. What if your group member never recovers? If youre going to stop your activities because of a few hatements Thats the end of your group activities, too. Arent you just being prideful for nothing? Haha. Just a few hatements? Ianughed out loud and then hardened his expression. Hey. Huh? What are you trying to do with me? He didnt care about his subtle jabs before. He was only wasting his energy by talking to himself anyway. But. [He crossed the line when he touched our member.] He didnt feel anything for Eom Ji-hwan, but he had some pity for him. If Ian had been Kim Yong-min in his previous life, he might have epted the offer from Cheonghwa Group without hesitation. [I dont think Eom Ji-hwan worked that hard, though.] He had to do several retakes today because of Eom Ji-hwan. Ian sighed deeply. He didnt feel like arguing with him because it was too absurd. Ji-hwan. Stop messing around and focus on your acting. Dont bother me with your petty provocations. Eom Ji-hwans face turned red with embarrassment as Ian spoke to him casually. Ian left him alone and headed to the set. [Ill be more famous than that bastard.] Eom Ji-hwan clenched his fist as he was left alone. Chapter 186: Chapter 186: Chapter 186 Will he be able to see Jin? Where are we going this time? Is it a church? This time, were going to see a shaman. Oh. The members opened their mouths at the PDs words from the passenger seat. Thats interesting. That sounds fun. Theeback preparation was not over when the album work was done. There were also self-produced contents that would be released after theeback. The Awi members got on the van to shoot their own content after finishing the music video. The theme of this content was fortune-telling. Awi had already visited a famous tarot house and a monk who was known for giving good fortunes. Thest destination was the house of a shaman who was said to be powerful. But dont we have a shaman among us? The pping shaman Choi Ian. Ian-nim, will oureback go well? Uh-huh, I have to do a ritual, so give me some money. Okay, here you go. Kim Joo-young grabbed Ians wrist as he shook his hand for money, and pped his own hand hard on Ians hand. Ian let out a short scream and tried to keep his expression under control. You have a lot of bad luck. Ian-nim, please tell us quickly. The members prayed to Ian with their hands sped. Ian decided to y along with them and straightened his back and closed his eyes slightly. They say theres a high chance of being a scammer if you just ask for a ritual Ian-nim is receiving a divine message. The members also followed suit and opened their eyes wide as they waited for Ian to open his mouth. It will go well. Ian-nim said it will go well! Career high, here wee! The members shouted and raised their hands to the sky and danced a weird worm dance. Kim Myung-jin, who was driving, shook his head slightly. He was used to this kind of ear torture. The PD, who was waiting for the members to calm down, added ament. The shaman youre going to see is a famous person who even the corporate CEOs visit. Really? How did you get them to agree? We thought it wouldnt work, so we just contacted them as a joke, but they epted. Oh~ The members looked excited. They wondered if someone who was so powerful that even the CEOs visited would be different. Im curious what they will say. Right. Didnt the people we saw before seem to know us too well? Yeah. Everyone nodded at Kim Hyuns words. They had visited ces that were rumored to be good, but they all recognized Awi and told them good things like they would do well and prosper. They felt good to hear only good things, but they also felt a loss of momentum. They say everything will go well because were Awi. It did feel like they were ttering us a lot. Oh, PD-nim, this is for editing. Kim Joo-young made a scissors gesture in the air as if to cut the scene, and the PD silently raised his thumb as if to say dont worry. But maybe they only said good things because the camera was recording. I agree with Ian-hyung. There must be some fans who would bash them and say they were not that good and the person they saw was not that great. Really? But I want to hear some bad news now. So I can prepare in advance. Maybe they will say something bad if they are that famous. Cant we just hear good things? Lee Joo-hyuk protested softly. The PD who was listening to them swallowed hisughter. They were so immersed and followed whatever they did, so the scenes came out very well. Guys, just take it as fun and dont worry too much. Kim Myung-jin, who was listening to their conversation, looked at them through the rearview mirror. One of them had a burning look in his eyes. Ian, do you believe it too? Of course. He expected Ian to not believe it, but he looked serious, so Kim Myung-jin sighed. Ian had a reason to believe in his own way. There are grim reapers, so maybe there are really people who receive divine messages. There are ghosts, too Ian nced at Jin floating in the air and then raised his eyebrows as if he realized something. Wait a minute. [What?] Will the shaman be able to see Jin? [This ce is expensive. Its as rumored.] Do you know this shaman? [I know of him. Ive heard about him.] Is he really famous? Ian felt his anticipation rising. Wow, this ce is amazing. They said this is where the chairmanes, but its actually his house? The members who stood in front of the gate looked around the well-decorated garden without a break. A single house with a yard in this expensivend. He must have made a lot of money. Are you here? A person who looked like a disciple came out and greeted them warmly. The PD shook hands with her nervously. Thank you for epting our difficult request. Not at all. Thank you! The members bowed their upper bodies and greeted her loudly. She was surprised and thenughed. You are all very energetic. The shaman has agreed to see each of you. Yes, but can we really film here? They had permission to film, but they had to get their edited version checkedter. There were quite a few people who had refused to be filmed when they heard that a famous idol group wasing to see them. They were grateful for this condition. By the way, I heard he is very famous, but is it okay for him to see us, a small idol group from the countryside? Hey, whats wrong with us! Thats right, hyung! Six of the members pointed their thumbs down and booed at Jo Tae-woong. The disciple smiled slightly and said. I thought you were worthy enough to be epted. He also had some free time. And he also wanted to see someone The disciples strange gaze lingered on Ian for a moment and then disappeared. Ian didnt notice her gaze and was happily hitting Lee Joo-hyuks back, who was going in first. *** Next,st. Ian. Finally. The six members went in one by one to get their fortunes told, and it was finally Ians turn. Hey, hes going to say some creepy things, right? Get a taste of Korean shamanism. The members knew that Ian was looking forward to it since they were on the van, so they teased him withughter. Hey, arent you curious? [About what?] Whether the shaman can see you or not. [Yeah, maybe?] Jin answered with a trembling voice, and goosebumps rose on Ians arm. Pleasee in. The disciple opened the sliding door, and Ian swallowed his saliva and entered the room. There was a shrine behind the shaman, and the shaman had an extraordinary look on his face. [He looks strong.] Hello. Ian bowed his waist and greeted him, then sat on the cushion opposite him at the shamans gesture. What is your date and time of birth? The shaman wrote down what Ian said on a paper, but he fixed his gaze on something behind him with a strange expression. The shaman thought. He has a ghost attached to him, a rare one. Ian tried hard not to look at Jins direction. He felt like he shouldnt let anyone know that he knew about Jins existence. Can you see him? [Uh, we made eye contact?] Jin said with a nervous voice, and Ian felt a chill on his arm. You were born abroad, so you dont have a Chinese character for your name Yes. First of all, you have a very good fortune This is a fortune that you can do anything with. The shaman took his eyes off Jin and wrote down Ians fortune on a nk paper. This kind of fortune People often say that you saved the country in your previous life, right? Thats the kind of fortune you have. Ian flinched his shoulder. It was a familiar phrase that he had heard a lot. The shaman didnt say anything bad about Ian. He felt a little better when he heard that he would be lucky until his old age, and he ended the conversation by asking about the future of his members and group. Thats it if you dont have any more questions. The shamans words made Ian jump up. Thank you for taking your time for us. No, I enjoyed it too. Its been a long time since I met such a rare person. Do I only have good things? Of course, and The shaman stopped mid-sentence and stiffened. Ian had to pretend he didnt know Jins true identity, so he couldnt turn his head to follow the shamans gaze. He just rolled his eyes and whispered. Whats behind me? The shaman didnt answer. She slowly got up and bowed politely towards Ian, or more precisely, towards something behind Ian. What is it? What is it? Ian looked at the camera that was filming him and mouthed silently. *** Ian. Did it take long? Ian opened the sliding door and came out with a nk face. He walked shakily and stood in front of the members. How was it? Park Seodam looked at him with anticipation in her eyes. She stared intently at Ians mouth as he opened it. It was amazing, amazing The membersughed at Ians dazed words. Did you get that scared? He must have heard only good things. Lets ask the PD to show us the videoter. Are you all okay with that? Sure. The members who had gone in earlier had heard both good and bad things without any sugarcoating, so they were curious about the other members results. Please take a look. Thank you! They bowed to the shaman and her apprentice who had spared their time and got on the van. She asked me if I had anyst questions, so I asked her what would happen to our group. She said it was very good. Wow! I asked that too! Hey, Ian, what did you hear? I The members chatted excitedly and shared their fortune-telling results with each other. Ian was about to say that he only heard good things when. [Hey.] What? [Do you need any information?] [You were so reluctant to tell me anything before, but now youre suddenly proactive? Why is that? Ian tilted his head. Whats up with you? [No, I just remembered the story you had with thewyer. Do you want me to tell you something? Stocks? Real estate?] Well, I wouldnt mind if you did But he couldnt help but be suspicious of someone who suddenly acted like this. Ian narrowed his eyes and stared at Jin. Jin seemed to avoid his gaze and turned the lens in another direction. Are you sure theres nothing wrong? [Its just that I wanted to do you a favor. If you dont like it, forget it.] No. Tell me. The shaman had suddenly looked at someone, but Ian had mistaken it for looking at him. But behind him was the grim reaper who had returned his soul to his body. The reason why the shaman couldnt finish her sentence was because the grim reaper, who had suddenly appeared behind Ian, put his index finger on his mouth and gestured for her to be quiet. *** Time passed and it was four weeks before theireback. It was the day when AWYs individual teaser photos for theireback were released. The first one was Jo Taewoong. His photos had already been widely spread through SNS as he visited thepany, so they couldnt dy it any longer. AWY Concept Photo Taewoong (Tae Woong) -OMG Taewoongs concept He looks like a game character He has long blue hair, are you kidding me The outfit is crazy, it smells like money, thank you Byunghun father This is it Two hours after Jo Taewoongs concept photo was uploaded, the agency posted an announcement on the fan cafe. Hello, this is BHL Entertainment. We would like to express our gratitude to AWYDOM who have been waiting for AWY, and inform you of the legal situation that you have been waiting for. We are pursuing legal responsibility both civilly and criminally for the ongoing cases. In addition, we have already filed additionalints and there will be no settlement or leniency. We sincerely thank you for your support and reports, and we ask for more reports in the future. Below are the statements from Seo & Woo Law Firm and Ayul Law Firm. The fans celebrated this day as a special day with Jo Taewoongs shocking concept photo and the agencys sincere legal notice. Since supporting the members was prohibited, AWYs fans instead donated to the vulnerable groups or put up advertisements in the downtown areas, actively creating aeback atmosphere. Chapter 187: Chapter 187: Chapter 187 Are the kids ready? AWY Concept Photo Ian Thest one to pose for the concept photo was Ian. In the picture, he wore yellow lenses and had a thin face chain under his eyes. His eyes, staring straight at the camera, showed an ambiguous expression that could be anger or resignation. There were often fandom leaks during the hiatus, especially when theeback was near. Some fans lost their passion when the concept or the song they brought after a long hiatus was not good. The agency prepared an excessive concept that the fans would like. They used props that they had never tried before, such as finger suits andce eye patches, that looked like they came out of aic book. -Why AWY fans are going crazy right now Because the concept is awesome So cool Crazy The fans reactions were explosive. There were even fans who deduced the overall direction of the album. -Im going to guess AWYseback concept. The album name is Lheure bleue. I searched it and it means Lheure entre chien et loup in French, which is the time between dog and wolf. But this time means twilight.
    1. The literal meaning of twilight: In summary, it means a state of decline and end after passing a crisis.
    1. The time between dog and wolf: It means a time when it is hard to tell whether the silhouette in the distance is a dog or a wolf.
They even wore colored lenses that they didnt usually wear, so I think the wolf concept is right And if you look at Seodams concept photo, he has a lily in his hand, which is a flower that symbolizes resurrection in Christianity. And if you look at the corner of the album specification that I cut, doesnt it look like the concept outfit they wore when they did Dawn? If youbine all this, it means They overcame the twilight/crisis (Taewoongs panic, team activities) and passed the dawn (album specification with Dawn concept outfit) and resurrected (lily). What do you think? Anyway, this concept is too much but too delicious Im going to pilgrimage in advance Its convincing Dont they look so good with this excessive and strong concept If they did Dawn before and this concept is twilight, does it mean the time is going backwards? They turn back time? Something like that? That makes sense too I dont care what it is, I just wish they woulde back soon *** Is this expression right here? Yeah, it is. Lee Joo-hyuk was sending a reply email to Hailey Poles while looking up the dictionary, and Ian was learning how topose from him while watching him. Not bad, huh? You have the basics, so youll finish it soon. Really? Hey, didnt he already release a song? Lee Joo-hyuk said to Park Jin-hyuk, who was eating snacks behind Ian. I didpose a song that we sang before. Ian smiled faintly as he remembered the stage he sang with Lim Tae-woo. Do you want to listen to some of the songs he worked on over there? Lee Joo-hyuk downloaded the files attached to the email and yed them. The sweet acoustic guitar melody filled the studio. Its really good, huh? Kim Joo-young, who had been listening quietly with his head down, lifted his head. With AWYs poprity, it was possible to work with foreign musicians who were well-known. In fact, there were some foreign musicians who sent love calls through the agency. The agency said that they could coborate with foreign singerster, and that they didnt have to coborate with Hailey Poles, who was not even famous, especially when theeback was ahead, but the members were positive about coborating with foreign singers. Is this what they call country song? Maybe? Oh, this song sounds like R&B? It was because Ian strongly insisted that he wanted to coborate with this person, that he had to do it. (Of course. A K-pop idol? Is it the group I know? Do you want to video call?) Hailey Poles agreed to have our group members participate in the featuring as well. She didnt know that Lee Joo-hyuk was AWYs Joo-hyuk. (Oh my god, AWY?) Yeah. Do you know us? (Oh, you guys are pretty famous here. My sister is a fan of yours. Can I show this video call to my sister?) Sure. Haileys sister, who was ecstatic, screamed and fell backwards when she saw the video call. She couldnt believe that the person who casually contacted her for a song was a famous idol in Korea. Hailey felt the pressure on her shoulders. (I cant make it sloppy.) Just rx. We decided to do it together because we liked your work. (No, Ill send you something amazing. A song that youll be dying to sing.) Hailey Poles had sent an email to Lee Joo Hyuk with her melody after the video call, and the other members of Awi, Lee Joo Hyuk, Park Jin Hyuk, and Kim Joo Young, also got new inspiration from her melody. The song feels really good. The genre spectrum is very wide, right? She was an unexpected gem. And they thought of Ian, who had rmended her enthusiastically, and looked at him standing behind them. What? The members who had watched the footage of their visit to the shaman felt a chill when they heard the shamans words that he had saved the country in his previous life. And when they saw the shaman bow politely to Ian, they felt something eerie. Choi Ian, what are you exactly I told you he has something. Did you hear what the shaman said? Just trust him and its over. Ian held back hisughter as he saw the members rubbing their hands in front of him. I mean, they always trusted me well, but After visiting the shaman, he was almost treated like a cult leader. It felt like he had received a certification mark from the shaman and they trusted him more. Im having trouble choosing because all the melodies are good. Then, Ian-nim, what kind of work would be good for our luck with Hailey? Please give us the answer. Ian decided to enjoy the exaggerated praise from the members. Well, we dont have time to make a detailed concept, right? Awi had a busy schedule. As soon as they finished theireback activities, they had a series of domestic events, and after the events, they were going to tour overseas. It would be better to give them plenty of time since the work would be done remotely. And there was one perfect anniversary for the asion. How about a carol? He had no idea what kind of impact his casual words would have at that time. *** Kim Myung Jin brought the new managers he had hired and introduced them to the members before theireback. Guys, these are the new managers, so say hello. This is Lim Jin Woo, and that is Park Ji Hwan. Hello. You can just call me hyung, dont be formal. Lim Jin Woo and Park Ji Hwan greeted them awkwardly. Nice to meet you! The members bowed their waists and greeted them loudly, making the new managers flinch and step back. Are they trying to intimidate us? No! No, theyre not! Lim Jin Woo whispered, and Kim Myung Jin was startled and waved his hand. Seeing that, the members exchanged nces without a word. Jo Tae Woong nodded slightly and looked at the new managers with a meaningful expression. Dont believe them when they say no. Taewoong-ah, what are you talking about. Park Seo Dam followed up. Hey, hyung. Do you think they would try to intimidate us like we did? They would all run away as soon as they were hired. True. Give them some time to adjust and then suddenly change, and theyll both be careful. Hey! Kim Myung Jin ran after Park Seo Dam and Jo Tae Woong. Im worried they might misunderstand this. Dont worry. We dont have anything like that. Were all close. The remaining members said to the new managers, who smiled awkwardly. [They seem tough] Jin, who was watching them, muttered quietly. *** It was their long-awaitedeback, and since they were a big idol group with guaranteed ratings, decided to spend a whole day recording theireback show. I heard MyDier did it for over 20 hours. Wow, crazy. What took them so long? There were a lot of dys in preparing the stage. Kim Hyun and Park Jin Hyuk frowned. It was inevitable that there would be time dys since it was a human work. Park Seo Dam tapped Lee Joo Hyuk next to him and said urgently. Joo Hyuk hyung! Look at this! They did it for 16 hours! Theyre insane. But it wasnt all good news for the fans or the singers. They werent going to use the same stage over and over, but they nned to make different stage sets for each song. So they had to repeat the process of breaking down and rebuilding the set after each song. Thats why it was obvious that it would take longer than the time they had announced. This is aeback show for us, right? The stage looks awesome. The members groaned as they watched the videos of the senior singerseback shows. Theeback show stages of the other singers were very good. The broadcast time was over two hours, almost like a concert. And there were a lot of contents for theeback show, such as various fancams and talk time. [Isnt the revenue from the singers fancam all taken by the broadcaster?] Thats right. [Its going to break with a bang.] And the cost of going on stage was paid by the agency. There was no appearance fee for the singers. It was a n for the fans only. I dont know if I should be grateful for what theyre giving us But they couldnt justin. The broadcaster was the boss anyway, and other small idols had to go on survival programs andpete for the right to record aeback show and prepare for the stage. But the fans would like it, right? Ian looked through the reviews of the other singerseback shows with a serious expression. But we have a waiting room, right? The fans have to wait outside the whole time? On the street? Thats too much. And it took a lot of manpower. It would take too much time and work for the fan managers to get new fans for each song. Manager Myung Jin! How many fans areing to oureback show? About 1,500? Thats crazy. The fan managers must have a hard time managing them all, right? So they decided to take 700 fans who would participate from the beginning to the end of theeback show pre-recording that took almost a day, 500 fans who would go on the live stage, and 200 backup fans. Despite the announcement that fans who left during the pre-recording would be restricted from applying for the pre-recording of music shows during this promotion, the fan cafe was overloaded with traffic from the fans applications. We should at least feed them well. If they didnt take care of the fans who were waiting for the pre-recording, there would be a lot of talk, and the members of Awi wouldnt feelfortable either. There were various reverse fan services nned for the fans. Is this all were going to write? Just write whatever you can, were going to copy it anyway. I want to write to all the fans who areing. Choi Ian, are you crazy? The members decided to write handwritten letters to the fans for theeback show exclusive photo cards and the food reverse fan service. Of course, it was impossible to write differently for all the fans since there were so many of them. How about we take proids and give them to the fans with numbers? Thats a good idea. How about we give them to the people who have our debut date or birthday rted? The members, who were excited about the uingeback show, diligently wrote down short phrases to show the fans. Chapter 188: Chapter 188: Chapter 188 COMEBACK SHOW. (1) Ida Sol, a fan of Awidem, stared nkly at the white screen that appeared due to the traffic overload on the fan cafe. Oh, this is hopeless. She opened her SNS andined that she failed to apply for theeback show. Fortunately, she had many friends who were in the same boat. Ah, I guess Ill just enjoy being a fan from thefort of my home. Should I invite Min Hee unnie, who also couldnt get in, and watch it together while eating chicken? Ida Sol smiled bitterly as she thought that. She was more disappointed because she wanted to participate in the recording no matter how long it took. And the next day, she checked the list of theeback show applicants as if she was confirming a lottery win. She had no hope, but she still looked for a glimmer of it. Huh! She gasped. She was so shocked that her whole body stiffened. It was the first time Ida Sol experienced that. Crazy, is this real? She looked back and forth at her name and thest four digits of her phone number on the screen. What do I do! Ida Sol, who finally came to her senses, jumped up. She was on the list. Out of 700 people, she was number 86! *** On the day of theeback show, Ida Sol went to the production center in Ilsan with high expectations. She took a selfie with the production center as the background and sent it to Kim Eun Ha. (Ida Sol) How is it? 8:20 (Eun Ha Kim) Lucky you 8:20 Is that all? Ida Sol turned off her phone with a dumbfounded expression. Shes been a bit crankytely. Kim Eun Ha, who said she would try to be a home master, bought Awidems data from a proxy photographer and practiced photo editing, and eventually bought a camera. She spent most of her time with her home master friends. Its still quiet. She arrived 40 minutes earlier than the scheduled time for the headcount, so there werent many fans gathered yet. Ida Sol felt like her heart was already pounding. Please take a mat from the front! It was a camping mat for one person. There was a sticker of Awidem on the vinyl packaging. It was a small preparation for the fans who would sit on the street all day. Its soft nice. She was so nervous about her firsteback show that the only thing she prepared was a spare battery. Ida Sol regretted it toote. I should have brought more stuff, like snacks She was interrupted by the voice of the fan manager. Please sit in order of your numbers! There were numbers cut by hundreds on the floor in front of the fan manager. Ida Sol went to the ce marked 1-100. Whats your number? Im number 86. This should be about right, right? Ida Sol tore the packaging of the mat and sat down on the floor. She liked the softness. Everyone, line up! Ill cut it off at 9 oclock! The fans who were walking slowly from afar ran like crazy as the time approached 59 minutes. If they werete, they couldnt line up ording to their assigned numbers. They had to go right to the back of the 700 and stand in thest row when they watched the show. There! Yourete! Go to thete line! A fan who tried to sneak into his number after bowing his head was caught by the fan manager. He looked like he was about to cry as he stood in thete line. Whats going on? Someone must have sold their ticket. The fans around them murmured. There were 700 fans and 200 reserve fans for the recording, so those who didnt bring their materials were mercilessly sent home. Oh, what do I do! I didnt bring the pre-order receipt! A fan who screamed and copsed on the floor was also there. Cant you check it on your phone? You have to print it out and bring it. She eventually left the ce sobbing at the fan managers firm words. It hurts my heart. Idasol looked at her retreating back with a sad expression. She had to wait until her identity was verified and the first stage recording began. The person in front of Idasol turned his head and said shyly. Who is your favorite member? I like Ian Wow! Me too! Idasol was bored of looking at her phone. She noticed that the fan who spoke to her first was awkward in his speech. Oh, are you a foreigner? Yes. Wow, where are you from? Thand! Wow, he came all the way from Thand. And he spoke Korean well. He smelled like an extraordinary K-pop fan. While Idasol was chatting with the Thai fan, behind her, someone who seemed to be a homma (a fan who buys a lot of albums) was having a serious conversation. How do you think the cut for this fansign will be? Oh, I cant predict it. Theres also online fansign Do you think it will be separate from online fansign? Online video call fansigns continued even after the coronavirus subsided. It was easier for overseas fans to ess, so the cut was higher than face-to-face fansigns. How many albums did you buy for the pre-order? 600. You bought a lot. I bought 450 Will it be enough? 450 is tricky, you should have bought 500. Its better to buy more and get in than to buy less and miss out. And the fansigns that were given based on the pre-order sales had an even higher cut. Wow How can Kim Eunha be a homma Idasol swallowed her saliva as she overheard the conversation behind her. 450 albums might not be enough The popr idols fansign cuts were no joke. After waiting for about 30 minutes, the fan manager who received a call from inside got up from his seat. Lets go in for the recording! Well keep your belongings, so leave them here! There were unusually many fan managers. Some stayed at the seats where the fans sat to prevent any possible theft of belongings, and the other fan managers led the fans into the studio. Wow, theyre really close. Can you see their pores? Idasol whispered with the Thai fan she had quickly befriended. The distance between the standing and the stage was closer than she thought. Ah, I should have bought higher sneakers for the standing. Idasol frowned as the person in front of her was taller than her. But soon, she felt excited to see the members. Everyone! Dont say personal messages to the members! Well kick you out! Dont reach out your hands to get the members attention! Jamjam! Thats not allowed! Dont get caught taking personal videos! You know youll be cklisted! The fan managers scattered around recited the precautions. *** The members who finished preparing in the waiting room stopped before opening the door to the studio. We have to do what we always do. The members formed a circle and faced each other. As they were about to join hands as usual, Jo Taewoong made a suggestion. Lets not do this here, but outside. Should we? It would be nice to shout with the fans Okay, then lets just go in. Kim Myungjin opened the door for the members. As the Awi members entered the recording studio, the fans screamed. The members stood on the right side of the standing area, where they monitored. The fans who held the right fence shouted louder. The fans who were standing moved to the right to see the members faces for one more second, and the line shifted to the right. Everyone, stay in your ce! The fan manager who was pressed by the fans breathed in and held it. They were holding the fence with the fans and turning their backs to the members, in order to catch any unexpected actions or illegal filming by the fans. The members who nced at the fan manager with a serious expression gathered their hands with a smile. Lets shout quickly and go up to the stage. The fan manager in front of the stage will die. What if she does? Anyway, lets get together. The fans who watched said Lets see the slogan and Lee Juhyuk opened his mouth. Guys, this is the first fan meeting were doing. Corona Wow, it was really long. Kim Hyun grumbled. Dont be too excited to see the fans. Lets finish the stage safely. Dont hurt your leg like Jinhyuk did before. What! Anyway, lets do our best for the long recording today. You know the next words, right? We are Who we are! The members shouted in unison, and the fans who had been waiting for them to chant also joined them. AWY! Wow, awesome. Our fans are so witty. The members smiled brightly at the fans. They held their microphones and climbed onto the stage, and the fans cheered loudly. We really missed you so much. Some fans shouted Us too! They were not the ones who would listen to the fan managers warning not to do so. It was hard to catch each fan who made personalments anyway, since there were so many of them. Was it hard to get here? Lee Joo-hyuks words made the fans in the front row shake their heads vigorously, saying it was not hard. Did you all have breakfast? You must be hungry, just hang in there. We prepared a lot of reverse gifts for you, you know? The membersmunicated with the fans until the production team finished preparing for the recording. It had been a long time since they had such a time ofmunication, so Ian also actively opened his mouth. How do you like us today? Do we look cool? Ah, I knew it. Todays recording is not too long, right? Lets do our best until the end. Suddenly, theeback show PD picked up the microphone. AWY, were going to start recording. Yes! The members shouted loudly and went to find their dance positions. Da-sol swallowed her saliva. The intro of the song that Park Jin-hyuk had specially remixed for today flowed. What is this? Its Dawn! The fans screamed. Ah, this is it. The stage wasplete only when there were fans cheering for them. Ian closed his eyes and enjoyed the sound of the fans cheers. He smiled brightly and lifted his microphone. *** The members who had finished one stage smiled with sweat all over their faces. They had to record an average of two or three times per song, so they had to go down to the stage to monitor. Huh? Cho Tae-woong, who was following Lee Joo-hyuk down the stage, stopped nkly as he saw the tears that fell from his eyes. What are you doing? Arent you going down Huh? Kim Joo-young, who had bumped into Cho Tae-woong who was blocking the way, looked at his face and stuttered in confusion. What, what is this. Hes crying. What do we do? Huh? Whats going on? The members who were anxiously looking at him, wondering if his illness had rpsed, were moved by Cho Tae-woongs answer, who sobbed and barely spoke. No, its just Im happy. Does crying spread? Park Seo-dam also sniffled. Last year, when they had to perform without an audience because of Corona, and the unfortunate time when they had to stop their activities. It might have felt like a short time to someone, but it was a very long time for the members. Guys, dont cry! Guys, you did a great job! Dont cry! Its okay! The fans who noticed the change in the members shouted loudly. Some of the emotional fans also followed Cho Tae-woong and Park Seo-dam and cried. Chapter 189: Chapter 189: Chapter 189 COMEBACK SHOW. (2) The fans who finished the pre-recording sat back in line. They started to write their reviews of the show on their SNS ounts and fanmunities, to record the atmosphere of the event. -Taeung and Seodam cried -They performed so well and Ian ripped his shirt (very important) -They remixed the intro They are genius idols Dasol also bragged to her friends that the show was crazy and awesome. Jang Minhee replied with crying emoticons, and Dasol smiled and turned off her phone screen. Did you see Ian ripping his shirt earlier? Yes, I did! Not satisfied with posting on the inte, she chatted with the Thai fan sitting in front of her, reliving the stage they just saw. From afar, the fan manager and the new managers of Awi came carrying big boxes. They contained the reverse fan gifts for breakfast. Everyone! Please receive them in order of your numbers! Inside the studio, they were dismantling the stage they just did and rebuilding it for the next one. So there was quite some time left before the next stage. The fans orderly received their breakfast. In the paper box, there were sandwiches, fruits, and juice. Lets eat a lot and cheer for todays recording. Sorry for making you stay upte. Stay with us till the end! And there were sticky notes that seemed to be written by the members themselves attached to the inside of the box. Looking at the note that the person next to her received, they were not the same for everyone, but different messages for each member. So thoughtful. They were famous for this since the Alympics. Dasol bit into her sandwich with a happy expression. *** Please move in order of your numbers! Dasol, who had done two more recordings after the first stage, finished her lunch and stood in front of the coffee truck prepared by the members. In the morning, they mainly performed the songs that had been released before, and thest stage was scheduled to be theeback title and the side tracks. I thought it would be hard, but its not so bad? Kim Eunha told her to brace herself and go when she heard that Dasol was on the list for Awiseback show. She had told her stories of other people who had experienced theeback show for half a day. Its not that badpared to their concert. Dasol, who had been very nervous, stretched and headed to the coffee truck. She was already excited by the performance itself, and it was a bonus to see her favorite idols faces rtively close. -Awiseback show live They are spoiling their fans Im at the scene and I think Im going to die of happiness, what else do they have Look at what they gave us Is this the Alympics? I just got a churro from the coffee truck Look at their handwritten notes, they are all different, so touching Koreans must feel satisfied only when they feed others, no matter what the situation. They kept giving food to the fans to cheer them up, so they felt full. I want to hear their new songs soon. *** The excitement and anticipationsted only until the evening. It would have been better if they could perform without interruption, but they had toe out and wait again for the next stage after each song. It started to hurt to sit on the floor, and it hurt to stand, so they had to sit down again. Im so tired Dasol, who was waiting for the next stage, drooped her head in exhaustion. Anyone has a charger? I do, but my phone battery is 6% too. The fans who were chatting loudly in the morning became quieter and quieter, and some of them slept with their faces on their knees, or just stared at their phones silently. *** Wow Im exhausted. The members who finished a song and came back to the waiting room sprawled on the sofa. I cant rx and sleep because I have to do the next stage as soon as I feel sleepy. Our staff and fans must be having a hard time too. The members were in a simr situation as the fans. At least they had a waiting room, which was much better than the fans. The members wiped the sweat off their faces with towels. Isnt our choreography too hard for humans? How are we going to dance like this when we have our 10th anniversary? We can sing well as rappers too, isnt it time for us to change our direction to a bad group? A cappe? How about a cappe? They did about three recordings for each song. The choreography was shy and intense, so they came back tired and tried to rest until the next stage, but soon the staff knocked on the waiting room door. They came to tell them to prepare for the next stage. Hows our hair? Kim Joo-young, who struggled to get up and look at the mirror,ughed bitterly. Hey, your face looks worse. Our stage makeup is ruined. Wont this cause a breakout tomorrow? My eyes hurt Uh-uh, Seo-dam. Dont rub your eyes. It felt like I was touching someone elses hair, not mine, because of the excessive use of hairspray. My eyes, with heavy makeup, were dry and stiff. It seemed like some powder got into my eyes. How are our fans? [Theyre still there. About ten of them left.] Wow, how do they endure all day long. Ian opened his eyes wide as he saw the situation of the fans that Jin showed him. The fans who participated in the recording were as many as 800 people, including the reserve. Only ten of them left their seats. Is it normal that they dont leave much? [Your fans are a bit more loyal.] There was no one who was sitting or standing properly. Some leaned on the wall, some didnt care about the fact that it was the floor andy down. Ian felt sorry for those fans, but also got strength from the fans who remained. **** Of course, they couldnt ignore the physical limit. As the evening meal was over and thest train time approached, the fans who couldnt stand the exhaustion started to leave one by one. Should I go too? Ida-sol also wanted to get on the bus and go home with the people who were leaving. She soon shook her head vigorously. No, I have to stay until the end and see their new song. To be honest, she was so tired that she wanted to give up everything, but it was too precious to give up after waiting for so long. (Jang Min-hee) Are you still recording? 04:04 (Da-sol) Unnie 04:12 (Da-sol) Save me 04:12 They repeated the process of entering the studio to watch one stage,ing out, and having a mini talk show with the members. It was fun and loud when they went into the studio and saw the members, but when they came out and sat in the waiting line, their bodies were heavy. Im so sleepy and tired When the staff came out and shouted to take various snacks and food, they got up like zombies and chewed on them. They could wake up a little when something went into their mouth. The recording that started at 10 a.m.sted until after 5 a.m. The fans who were barely holding on with their willpower raised their heads at the sound of the fan manager. Everyone, youve worked hard! This is thest recording! The fan manager had dark circles under his eyes. They also raised their voices a lot louder than before, thinking that they could go home after this stage. Wow, the stage set. Ida-sol, who entered the studio, opened her eyes wide. It was a different feeling from the stage sets she had seen so far. The fans also felt the same and murmured. Did they spend a lot of money? Is this stage our new title song? I feel like its going to be a hit. While the fans were admiring the stage set, the members who wore costumes that matched the concept of the title song entered the studio. Wow It took a long time to set up the stage. It took a long time between the previous song and this one, but it was because they worked hard on the stage set. The members stared nkly at the stage and touched it carefully. Doesnt it look like that? Starry Night? Van Gogh? Wow, I feel that. Its awesome. The fans screamed loudly, forgetting their fatigue. The members who went up on the stage also touched the stage set carefully. Ian went to the front of the fans andmunicated with them. Are you tired? We wanted to finish it quickly, but it was dyed. Can you all go home safely? Ian made a sad face and some fans threw personalments. Its okay! I just have to take the first train! Thank you for saving me the taxi fare! The membersughed at the fans ttery. They heard a fan in the front row murmuring that their clothes were pretty and smiled. How do you like our clothes? The styling team did a great job. Do you all like it? Ida-sol stared nkly at the members who wore the costumes she wanted to see. Her heart, which had been a heavy fan of 2Dics, thumped. Crazy. Where is the stylist teacher? Ill bow to you in the direction you are. The suits that fit their bodies were simr to the uniforms they wore when they debuted, but there were differences in the details. What? You want me to spoil it? Its not fun if I spoil it. Our new song is Blue hour. I saw the articles that the fans interpreted. Twilight and dawn Jin-hyuk! Stop! Ah, Jin-hyuk hyung is doing it again. The six members quickly gathered around Park Jinhyuk, the spoiler fairy, to stop him from spilling any secrets. Jinhyuk hyung, well take care of him. Yeah, go ahead and deal with him. Jo Taewoong and Kim Juyeong, who had hooked their arms around Park Jinhyuks, dragged him to the corner of the stage. As the members moved, the thin chains that wrapped around their faces and bodies sparkled under the lights. The fans who were watching them also had their eyes lit up. Alright, were going to start thest recording. The fans screamed at the PDs words. The members found their positions for the choreography, and Lee Juhyuk asked the fans. Everyone, you must be tired from waiting so long, but this is ourst stage, so can you cheer louder for us? Yes! Idasol also tried to memorize the new song from beginning to end with a clear mind, as if she had entered the first recording. Im nervous As the fans held their breath and stared at the stage, the studio was filled with the melody of the new song. *** Idasol, who had watched thest stage and came out trembling, muttered nkly as she saw the morning sun rising in the sky. This is crazy This is it. -Is the recording over? How was it? The kids new song was crazy It was awesome, just awesome Please take care of our kids for life, coordi-nim -Dont cry and someone write a detailed review I dont know, it was just crazy, I dont remember Memory evaporated, just awesome, see for yourselfter Im so jealous, why didnt I go to theeback show It was really hard, but I woke up after seeing their new song, its the best ever **** Good job, everyone. You too, hyung. The members who had finished theeback show and got on the van groaned as they sat on the chairs. This time, the new manager, Park Jiwhan, was behind the wheel. He started the van with a nervous expression. But why did Taewoong cry in the first song? Ugh, I guess Im getting old. I dont know, I just teared up. But I think I know how he feels. I almost cried in thest song too. Kim Hyun nodded his head slowly. The members, who had gained strength from the fans support in thest song, forgot their fatigue and opened their eyes brightly. By the way, when are you doing Rural Life, Juyeong? Saturday, I guess? Can we watch it live? Hey, were busy with our schedule, just dont watch it. I didnt do anything special. Kim Juyeongs voice, which tried to dissuade them, sounded a bit shaky. Ian was determined to watch it anyway, because he had heard something at the Arts Awards. Why dont we watch it togetherter after our schedule? Dont watch it! Kim Juyeong shouted in surprise at Ians casual suggestion. Why is he like that? It makes me want to watch it more. Chapter 190: Chapter 190: Chapter 190 We can do it bigger. AWY,eback show Blue hourpleted Eye-catching concept Wolfman AWY, dominates domestic and foreign music charts with all songs Trust and listen idol -This is crazy -Other groups do easy listening songs or concepts as they get older, but these guys always try something new and I like that -The clothes ripping thing is genius idol The excessive wolfman concept, which was expected to explode only in Asia, surprisingly started to get reactions from the West as well when the music video was released. -I live in the US and the reaction to AWY here is not good -Im a student in France and someone asked me if I know AWY when they found out Im Korean You got Do You Know-ed -AWYs reason for getting more attention overseas analysis There is a series called Me and Vampire that has been one of the best-selling books in the world for thest 50 years It was a book that drove the teens and twenties crazy in Korea and around the world, and this AWY concept hits that vibe perfectly Its also mentioned a lot on TV and radio, and I think theyll be a Hallyu idol like Media with this promotion Wow awesome Nationalist Media is trash, are you AWY-dom? Stop summoning my idol who went to the army, I know youre popr -Im happy that theyre famous, but I dont like nationalist fans Nationalists or sales-obsessed They dont spend money on idols and feel vicarious pride by empathizing with sessful kids They dont buy albums and act like fans and lecture the kids, its so annoying Youre talking nonsense Youre not a fan You seem like a fancoin Fans and singers are not one body, auntie Hey, learn how to troll again [Official] AWY (AWY) pre-orders 1 million copies, breaking their own record AWY, will they be the second million seller with pre-orders alone 1 million copies, new record -AWY is already on the K-pop chart? 200,000 copies What, did all the group orders explode at once? And its not even all of them -Hey, it exploded again 180,000 copies Is there more to explode? Is it rigged? Theres no more ce to explode, right? The group gallery and personal gallery orders are all done, right? Do you mean theyre buying their own albums? No, not that Then what Do you think theyre buying their own albums? Their trend is simr to Media before they blew up -Look at the rigged bird earlier Choi Ians Chinese fan receipt authentication came out Chinese Ian fans bought 150,000 copies Crazy What, a personal fan surpasses my idols sales Im not even their fan, but Im watching the numbers go up while lurking Will they surpass 600,000 copies by today? My sales-obsessed heart is racing The week of music show activities began with . AWY got up early in the morning and headed straight to the broadcasting station. Isnt it good that we dont go to all the music shows? If we did music shows every day, we would have copsed, right? Were getting old and losing stamina. Its not like when we debuted. Kim Myungjin, who had been listening quietly, snorted. It was bad news for the fans who had less bread crumbs, but AWY decided not to appear on any other music shows except and the three major public broadcasters. They didnt need to promote themselves separately through cable music shows, and it was more profitable for the agency and the singers to do one more online fan signing instead of that time. Myungjin hyung isughing at us. Kids, you know youre still in your early twenties, right? Yes, we do. Kim Myungjin shook his head and stopped talking at the shameless faces of the members. They were still in their twenties, but they were already whining about being old and having no stamina, which made him chuckle. Its been a while since weve been to Sangam. Wow, our waiting room is spacious. The members were assigned thergest waiting room among the waiting rooms. Our live broadcast order is also thest. Thats why its good to be popr. The members smiled broadly and flopped down on the sofa. They couldnt be sloppy because there was a rehearsal fancam, too. The members touched up their makeup and hair while holding their phones in their hands. How many albums have we sold so far? Uh crazy. What, what is it? Kim Joo-young showed him his phone screen without a word. Ians mouth dropped open. 890,000? Thats not the total sales, thats just the first week? The first week sales of an album are called the initial sales. Even after four days since the album was released, the fans were still buying it in bulk. Ians words drew the attention of the other members, who gathered around Kim Joo-youngs phone screen. Wow, are we going to sell over a million copies just with the initial sales? Legendary. They thought they would lose a lot of fans because of the long hiatus, but instead, their fandom became stronger. Some fans even bought more albums to support the members. If were doing this well Lee Joo-hyuk, who had been silently watching the situation, scanned the faces of the members through the mirror. We can have a concert at a bigger venue. Ian turned his head and looked at him. A bigger venue When they debuted, they thought it was obvious that they wouldnt be able to fill uprge stadiums like Jamsil or Gocheok. Now, even therge stadiums wouldnt be enough to amodate all the fans who wanted toe to their concert. I want to have a concert soon. Ians heart pounded hard. *** Yes, thank you for your hard work. As they became popr idols, they felt that the attitude and tone of the staff and PDs at the broadcasting stations changed subtly. They had a pre-recording after the rehearsal. Awi performed two songs, the title track and a b-side track. Hello, everyone. Kyaaa! There were more fans who came to the pre-recording thanst time. The members interacted with the fans who came, and finished the pre-recording after three takes for each song. They said we have a mini fan meeting on our way home after the broadcast. Oh, awesome. I wanted to do that. It was more like they had more schedules, but the members were in a good mood. When was thest time they met their fans like this? It had been over a year. Can you wait a moment? The members, who were eating sandwiches prepared by their agency, stared nkly at Kim Myung-jin, who opened the door of the waiting room and asked someone for permission. What is it, hyung. Who came? Another rookie group came to see you Youre all fine Thats good. Of course we are. When were we not fine? Kim Myung-jin narrowed his eyes at Jo Tae-woongs shameless answer, and the members pretended to be innocent. Didnt they stick to the wall like spiders, saying they were ying a zombie game, or wear a fake nose they got from somewhere and y a quiz game? They felt that the members image could be in danger if they let their guard down. Are you all okay? They seem to be your fans. Of course. The members eyes sparkled with anticipation. They had received greetings and signed albums from various rookie groups while they were in this waiting room. How many times is this? Third? Wow, but were so popr that they alle to greet us It wasnt like Awi had been around for so long that someone woulde to see them. They were just trying to get a glimpse of the top idols. It would be even better if they mentioned them on Y-app or something. It feels a bit weird It was rare for someone toe and greet them, when the rookie singers they met in the hallway just said hello loudly and left. But this time was different. Rookie idol groups who had debuted recently or had less experience than Awi inevitably visited Awis waiting room. The members waited eagerly for the door to open. Come in. Kim Myung-jin opened the door, and a girl group with fresh faces came in timidly and lined up. They bowed deeply and shouted loudly. Hello, seniors! Hello. They couldnt just sit there and greet them, so the Awi members also got up from their seats and weed them. Were the new group that debuted today! Blue Garden! Please take good care of us! The members pped loudly and cheered for the rookie group, who chanted their slogan and bowed again. The rookie groups faces turned red when the popr seniors greeted them more warmly than they expected. Wow, you debuted today? Congrattions on your debut. The members were no longer flustered and skillfully led the rookie singers. One of them, who looked the most nervous, opened her mouth and repeated the word fan several times before shouting. Were fans, seniors! Oh, who are you a fan of among us? Were fans of all of you! Suddenly, Jo Tae-woongs yful side kicked in. Hey, but there must be someone you really like, right? What do you like about us? Can you tell us? We like everything! Joo-hyuk is soft and charismatic, Jin-hyuk is good at rapping and has a unique personality, Hyun has amazing dance moves. After that, she spoke fluently about the strengths of each Awi member. She didnt seem to be embarrassed by her extravagant expressions, which were more like praise thanpliments. Tae-woong is good at acting and humorous Wait, stop. Jo Tae-woong, who had been listening to her with a smile at first, blushed when it was his turn to be praised and covered his face with one hand. Th-thats enough. We decided to debut as idols after watching your debut stage, seniors! Look at her, shes like a female version of Lim No-eul. Usually girl groups would look up to other girl groups as role models Ian shook Jo Tae-woongs shoulder, who was embarrassed. He doesnt usually act like this, you know? You really met your match. Tae-woong has met his nemesis. Park Jin-hyuk also chuckled and pinched Jo Tae-woongs red cheek. While they were talking to different members, those who hadnt heard their praise yet stood in front of her, who looked the most difficult. What about me? What about me? Joo-young is good at cooking and cleaning and has many talents. Wow. Can I ask too? Seo-dam has an amazing voice! And a good vocabry and hosting skills Kim Joo-young and Park Seo-dam smiled proudly. One of the Blue Garden members who came out behind her handed out an album to each of them. This is our album! Wow, thank you. Well listen to it well. Wait Myung-jin hyung! Where are our albums? Here. The Awi members took out albums ording to the number of Blue Garden members and picked up name pens. We cant be the only ones to receive signed albums. What are your names? The Blue Garden members smiled brightly. They told their names and received the albums with trembling hands. Ian went to the person who had praised the members earlier and asked her name as he signed the album. Whats your name? Seo Hyun-ju! Please write Hyun-ju! Can I ask your age too, if you dont mind? You look so young, Im curious She looked like a middle schooler, to be honest. He wondered if it was okay for her agency to debut someone so young, he even felt a bit nosy. Im 23 years old. What. She looked the youngest, but she was older than me? Ian looked at her in surprise. The other members who overheard also raised their heads. Kim Hyun even dropped his pen in shock. Really? You dont look like it at all? Wow, youre a noona. It was a bitte to debut as an idol, wasnt it? She must be really talented. Ian handed her the signed album with a smile. He saw a mark on her head. The same mark that indicated that he had met her somewhere while doing Awis schedule. She was like Lim No-eul, a fan who became a singer and came to see them. *** Thank you foring to see us on purpose. Thank you! The Blue Garden members who shouted loudly left Awis waiting room. Wow I thought they would be rude because theyre so popr, but theyre so kind? Maybe they treated us like that because Hyun-ju unnie is a fan? No, the other group that went to greet them earlier said they were all kind too? Blue Garden had visited other senior groups to greet them and came to Awist. Oh, yeah. Here, take the album. Some of the senior groups they had visited earlier either waved their hands while looking at their phones, or didnt even answer and let their managers receive the greetings. What, theyre kids. Theres no pretty one. They had no manners for rookie singers. They spat out rude words, and when they asked which agency they were from, they ignored them when they said the name of their agency, saying it wasnt a big one. On the other hand, the Awi members thanked them foring and signed their albums, and even gave them snacks. As expected, the top is different. I wish we could see them more often. But thats not possible, right? Is Hyun-ju unnie going to ascend? Leave her alone, she wants to keep that moment in her head. Seo Hyun-ju held the signed album of Awi members in her chest and made a dazed expression. But I think I can remember that moment until I die too Wasnt Choi Ian really handsome? He was so handsome. He was really smiling while signing for us, and there was a halo behind him I couldnt even talk to him, you know. Why did I do that? I regret it. They said they remember their fans well, maybe theyll greet us if we meet somewhere? The Blue Garden members screamed and stomped their feet. Chapter 191: Chapter 191: Chapter 191 There were only those who had already exploded and those who were about to explode. Lee Byung-hun, the CEO of BHL Entertainment, the agency of Awi and Fever, attended a gathering with his acquaintances for the first time in a long time. Oh, CEO Lee. Its been a while. His acquaintances were all either working in the entertainment industry or the heads of entertainment agencies. As soon as Lee Byung-hun entered, everyone in the room turned their eyes to him. CEO Lee must be smiling from ear to ear these days. Of course. His artists are doing welltely. Awi was needless to say, and Fever had sessfullypleted their debut and signed a contract with a Japanese agency. As a follow-up group to Awi, they already had a name recognition that made it easier for them to gain poprity than other rookie groups. Well, its all thanks to our kids. I didnt do anything. Lee Byung-hun waved his hand. He went to a seat that he had reserved in advance and sat down. Let me have a drink first. How are you doing these days, CEO Min? I saw your kids on the news. Our kids are touring around. Lee Byung-hun took a sip of the alcohol that the person next to him, CEO Min, poured for him. The person next to him was the head of the agency of Luna Girls. Luna Girls had achieved quite a big sess in their US debut and were on a world tour. Thats amazing. You should also try to expand overseas. Do you have any ns? There was one US show that we got Oh, really? What show? I think it was called the Caden Hurt Show? I dont know, I dont know much about that stuff. Its all prepared by the US agency. Actually, Lee Byung-hun knew very well, but he pretended not to. The Caden Hurt Show was a variety show hosted by Caden Hurt, a representative host of the US. It had good ratings and was one of the long-running popr talk shows in the US. Therefore, most of the people who appeared on the show were top stars who represented the country, and it was hard to get on the show unless you had a decent poprity. Thats a famous show. Is it? CEO Min eximed and poured more alcohol into Lee Byung-huns empty ss. Lee Byung-hun smiled faintly. But isnt Japan better than the US? The person sitting across from Lee Byung-hun said, drinking his beer. The man across from him was CEO Jeong, the head of the agency of the boy group Jasper. And Jasper had a Japanese member named Daiki. Japan is more profitable. Its stable. CEO Min also nodded his head and said. Lee Byung-hun sighed and patted his own shoulder. I have to pay attention to Japan too. I have to watch out for the Japanese agency. Do they have a lot of requests? Yeah. They say there are a lot of fans too. Dont you think we should send our kids to Tokyo Dome at least once? Then just taste the US. Its not a market that you can get into just by wanting to. Oh, CEO Min, your kids are girl groups and have a unique charm, thats why they made it. CEO Jeong shrugged his shoulders. Jasper had tasted the yen as they had a Japanese member, so they were quite popr in Japan. Thats why Jasper was more focused on Japan than Korea. CEO Min had a lot to say, but he justughed. Theres also My Dear, who seeded in the US debut as a boy group. Hey, they were forced to debut in the US, and they broke through because they were My Dear. How long have your kids been around? He meant Awi by his kids. Lee Byung-hun couldnt help but smile when he thought of the Awi members. He felt full even without eating. Our kids? Itll be four years in December. Lee Byung-hun said with a smile, and CEO Jeong raised his eyebrows. Is that all? And theyre already that popr? He tried to hide his agitation and gulped down his beer. Wow, you still have a long way to go. Tour a lot and suck them dry. Do you think kids with that much poprity will stay in the group? Theyll leave and make their own nests when the contract ends. Thats what usually happens when they get popr. They look elsewhere and get distracted. CEO Jeong smirked. CEO Jeong had be very arrogant since he tasted the yen with Jasper. But why is this bastard acting so friendly since earlier? Lee Byung-hun frowned slightly, but no one noticed his subtle expression change except CEO Min. CEO Min tapped Lee Byung-huns back as if to say just bear with it. Especially the male kids, you have to be careful. If they go to room salons and drink too much and get a taste of women, theyll be in big trouble. Room salons are not the only problem. These days, they also pay money to those VJs, you know? Those sexy ones. Lee Byung-hun clenched his fist. That bastard. Does he think our kids are like him? Lee Byung-hun was also a hot-tempered person, so he felt like punching him first. CEO Min poured alcohol into Lee Byung-huns empty ss and urged him to drink. CEO Min waved his hand at CEO Jeong to stop him. Hey, Awi kids have been fact-picks since their debut. Theyre still like that, right? Did I say anything wrong? It was a very rude remark. CEO Jeong lifted his face shamelessly and asked CEO Min as if he was arguing. But how did you know that, Representative Min? Are you covering for him because youre his old schoolmate? You know that our Juyeon and Ian over there had a dating rumor, right? Oh, that? So after that, FactPix followed them around annoyingly, but not a speck of dust came out of the two kids. They made a name for themselves as idols who made FactPix give up. Representative Min quickly changed the topic, afraid that Representative Jung would spout nonsense about Ian and Kim Juyeons dating rumor. By the way, have you heard about ST Entertainment, Representative Jung? What about it? Lee Byunghun couldnt ignore Representative Mins efforts, so he just drank. ST Entertainment? Ive heard that name a lot. He tried hard to divert his attention and swallowed his anger. You know, Representative Yu. Yu Kwangshik. Representative Yu? Oh, the big brother who used to be good at fighting back in the day? Lee Byunghun listened to the conversation between Representative Min and Representative Jung without saying a word, just sipping his drink. What about them? They say theyre financially unstable. Theyre even behind on their employees sries. No way. Their artists go to Japan a lot, dont they? Thats what Im saying. How can they be behind on their employees wages when theyre earning so much yen? Theres your answer. Theyre sick of business. Entertainmentpanies not only manage their artists, but sometimes they also expand their business. Is it something like food business? MI Entertainment also did that and almost went bankrupt, remember? MI Entertainment is different from ST. Theyre one of the top three. The text is a part of a web novel called Living in the Entertainment Industry with a Ghost by PJ. It is a fantasy story about a failed idol trainee who reincarnates as a genius celebrity. The text is in Korean and it needs to be tranted into English and edited for web novel style. Here is a possible trantion and editing: However, there were many cases where they ruined theirpany by meddling with various businesses. This did not match Lee Byung-huns philosophy that an entertainmentpany should focus on entertainment. If you can make one group sessful, you dont need to do those things. Youll have money in your bank ount. Lee Byung-hun stared at President Jung with a meaningful look. President Min also joined in the provocation. Right, like Awi? Like Luna Girls. Lee Byung-hun and President Minughed and clinked their sses. President Jung, who was sitting across from them, hardened his expression. But why does President Park look like that? Lee Byung-hun gestured to President Park, who was sitting at the end of the table and silently drinking. Dont say anything. He lost two of his Chinese members. They were the main vocals, so the group went bankrupt. Oh, that happened? There was a time when they debuted groups with one foreign member each. It was still the same now, but it was before the foreigner pigeon incident exploded. Lee Byung-hun had debuted ck Rush with all Korean members. He had been criticized for not following the trend. They said that if he added foreign members, especially Chinese members, the album sales would be different in that market. And President Park was at the center of those criticisms. But bing a pigeon is not just one or two cases. If you write the contract well, theyre like ATMs. Lee Byung-hun gulped down his drink and said. Even if they became pigeons, if they still had a contract period with the original agency, they had to pay a portion of the money they earned in China to the Korean agency. Thats why some Korean agencies let them go without awsuit. He didnt just be a pigeon. He appeared on a historical distortion program and wore a hanbok and spouted nonsense about the Northeast Project. How can I take that money? I would donate it all. Ugh. Lee Byung-hun sighed. He said that, but he was also jealous and pitied the Korean members who were left in the group. You were right to be stubborn, President Lee. President Min chuckled and poured more drink into Lee Byung-huns ss. Lee Byung-hun snickered. See? Foreigners, especially Chinese, are either already gone or about to be gone. Awi had Ian, who had an American citizenship, but he was still of Korean descent and his love for his group and fans was famous in the entertainment industry. There was no case of a Western idol member bing a pigeon yet. Lee Byung-hun nced at President Jung, who had been scratching his nerves since earlier. You cant becent about the Japanese either. What if your Mysta private ount gets hacked? What if you get caught saying something anti-Korean? President Jung, you should take good care of your kids. Of course, there are some who are not like that, but you never know what can happen, right? President Min chimed in. President Jung forced a smile and said. Haha, our Daiki is fine. The kids get along well. How about your kids? Are they close? Of course, our kids are like family. When girls get close, theyst like sisters. President Min sneered at President Jungs self-constion. What about you, President Lee? Isnt one of them too dominant there? Ian? Ha, did you see him getting an award from that arrogant Yu Sang? Hes sweeping the awards by himself, as if hes the only one in his agency. Lee Byung-hun remembered the day he watched the award ceremony live at home. He raised both hands above his head and cheered when Ians name was called. Because of that, his phone flew out of his hand and the screen cracked. But why? Hes doing great right now. What about the rest of them? Lee Byung-hun already knew what President Jung was trying to say, but he learned from Park Jin-hyuk that the clueless bastard strategy made the other person more annoyed in situations like this. Whats wrong with the rest of them? Theyre perfect inposing, writing, producing, DJing, acting, hosting, and speaking foreignnguages. But theyre not as good as that one. The rest of them. Lee Byung-hun clicked his tongue. He wanted to say, Dont you think the other kids are jealous of him? Wont the team split up? But that didnt work on Lee Byung-hun. Thats your problem, President Jung. You have too narrow-minded thinking. What is? If our kids had a bad team atmosphere, they would have performed without him when he was sick. Is, is that so? President Jung stuttered as his words didnt get through. Taewoong was sick, so they all went to rest and visit Taewoong. They even sent me pictures to show me he was okay. Do you know how touched I was then? Ha, do you want me to show you their pictures? President Jung was dragged into Lee Byung-huns words. Lee Byung-hun searched through his chat room with Lee Joo-hyuk and showed him the pictures and messages he sent. The picture showed Awis group photo with Mrs. Shin Soon-ja and the countryside as the background. The message said that they were having fun together and Taewoong would recover soon, and told him not to worry. The leader was indeed, the leader. Chapter 192: Chapter 192: Chapter 192 A dirty world that only looks for handsome men. Are you not going to drink more? I have work tomorrow. President Min escorted Lee Byung-hun to the outside of the bar. He spoke with a cigarette in his mouth. Do you want one? No, I quit. When? A while ago. Really? Thats surprising. President Min put the cigarette pack in his pocket. Lee Byung-hun quit smoking? He looked at him with a curious expression, and Lee Byung-hun chuckled. The kids told me to quit smoking for my health, they nagged me so much. Wow. The kids that Lee Byung-hun, who had no children, was talking about must be his singers. And most likely, it was Awi. Lee Byung-hun chewed a gum instead of a cigarette. But why is President Jung acting like that these days? What do you think? He got high on yen and got cocky. He held back well. But hes still someone well see in the same industry, he shouldnt have gotten into a fistfight. President Min shrugged his shoulders. Lee Byung-hun frowned as he remembered what he had heard earlier. But President Jung has a point to some extent. What did you say? Lee Byung-hun raised his voice, and President Min showed his hands and gestured him to calm down. These days, the groups tend to stay together, but even so, the contract extension is usually three years, so the groups lifespan is at most ten years. You know how talented your kids are, but that doesnt mean theyre popr. Well, the group and the kids are both popr, but its also true that one of them is overwhelmingly popr. Lee Byung-hun groaned. Ian had been getting attention since his debut thanks to his natural face. So it was also true that the other members received less attention rtively. Dont you think the guys have ambitions? They want to be more recognized as celebrities. Why is that guy doing so well by himself when Im in the same group Dont you think they really never thought that? That was the same for our kids, but President Min added. Lee Byung-hun looked at him in surprise. Did your kids say that too? Some of them seemed to have low self-esteem. He founded hispanyter than Lee Byung-hun. It was such a smallpany that he treated Luna Girls like family since they were trainees, and they also relied on President Min. So he could hear more honest stories from his singers. Anyway, youre not going to keep the kids for just ten years, right? Of course not I want them tost as long as possible. There were more groups that maintained their status steadily these days, but the idol groups in Korea had a short lifespan since the old days. There was one exception case that had been releasing albums steadily for over 20 years even though they belonged to differentpanies, but that was only one group. In reality, the lifespan of todays idol groups was ten years. Like ck Rusher, they only maintained their group name while doing individual activities, which was practically no different from disbanding. Try to bnce them well so that the others dont feel left out. Its not an easy job, though. President Min smiled bitterly. Your driver is here, Im going in. Okay. Lee Byung-hun headed home in his car, chewing over what President Min had said. Its hard, its hard. *** Jasper Dyke, opens up about his anti-Korean controversy It was a thoughtless remark when I was young Im sorry for causing trouble to the fans Lee Byung-hun snorted. You were talking shit and now something blew up on you. He closed the inte news window and leaned back on his chair. Sigh Lee Byung-hun licked his dry lips and rubbed his hands. He kept thinking about what President Min had said yesterday. He had said it proudly in front of him, but he didnt know everything about his singers feelings, so he was unsure. I hope they renew their contracts, but It had been only four years since they debuted, so renewing their contracts might be a premature thought. But he had already failed to renew the contract with ck Rusher, so he couldnt help feeling anxious. What conditions should I offer them to stay The poprity of Awis members was not declining, and they had their own color and bond as a team. As the head of the agency, he didnt want to lose them. But if they want to leave, Ill have to let them go. Sometimes, when the contract expiration date of a celebrity came, there were agencies that yed all kinds of media games. They would season the news with statements like This celebrity has already renewed their contract with our agency, but if it turned out that the celebrity had already finished negotiating with another agency, they would change their attitude and badmouth the celebrity with their weaknesses or hire a reverse viralpany to do dirty things. I want to keep them so much that I feel like doing that It was not only Ian, but also the other members. Ah, I still have a long way to go. I dont want to be a burden to the kids future. Lee Byung-hun valued each individuals choice. If he heard that Kim Young-hyun wanted to move to another agency because he had something personal he wanted to try, like he did before, he would send him off with regret but also support. But Im d they get along well with each other Maybe because they were close, they could part ways beautifully for each others sess. He got up from his thoughts and looked for the remote. What channel was TVM? Today was the day that Kim Joo-young appeared as a guest on Rural Life. *** It wasnt just Lee Byung-hun. The other members of Awi also finished their busy schedules and ran to the underground parking lot as soon as they got off the van. Hey, hurry hurry hurry! Remote! Where is it! Hyung, its here! Ill turn it on! Park Jin-hyuk, who opened the door of the dormitory roughly, ran to the living room with a hop. The other members followed him, and Kim Joo-young was the one who closed the door. They had nned to watch it togetherter on VOD, but it turned out that Rural Life was ate-night program that aired at 11 p.m. Joo-young! What should we order? Im hungry! Come on, we can watch the broadcastter. There is noter for us. Only now. Wow, Joo-hyuk hyung, that was so cool just now. The members of Awi had skipped dinner and came straight back to the dorm. What do you want to eat? Wait a minute, we have to match this with the broadcast. Hey, Joo-young! What did you eat on the show today? Just Ill order something. Kim Joo-young stared nkly at the members who were sitting in front of the TV and sighed in resignation. He opened the delivery app. I hope that scene doesnt air today. He tried to think hard, rolling his eyes nervously. The members who gathered in front of the TV whispered quietly so that Kim Joo-young couldnt hear them. Honestly, if Kim Joo-young hadnt told us not to watch it, we wouldnt havee back so urgently. Right? Why is he blocking our live viewing? Why do you think he told us not to watch it? Its obvious, he cried there, right? Jo Tae-woong pretended to cry, and as expected of a former child actor, he mimicked Kim Joo-youngs expression and behavior when he cried. At that moment, Kim Joo-young shouted angrily. I didnt cry, okay? Youre the one who squeezed out tears at theeback show The members flinched at the loud noise and shrugged their shoulders awkwardly. Jo Tae-woong made a brazen face and jumped up. Hey! Whats wrong with crying in front of the fans! Im proud of it! Nah Just like it Kim Joo-young shook his head and imitated Jo Tae-woongs words at theeback show in a ridiculous way. Hey! When did I say that! Jo Tae-woong ran to catch Kim Joo-young, who was not going to be caught easily. He ran away and hid behind the dining table. Guys, the noise between the floors Lee Joo-hyuk sighed deeply. If they were the type to stop when he stopped them, they would have stopped long ago. Hey! Hyung! The broadcast is starting! Just then, Park Seo-dam spoke loudly. Jo Tae-woong quickly sat down in front of the TV, and Kim Joo-young walked over and sat next to Ian. Did you really cry there? No, I didnt. Then did you curse at us? Thats Kim Joo-young hesitated to answer, and Ian shouted at Jo Tae-woong. Hey! He must have cursed at us on the show! Did you really curse? No! Hey, hey, lets watch the show. We cant hear anything because youre so loud. In the end, Lee Joo-hyuk had no choice but to calm down the three friends of the same age. On the screen, a brief summary of Rural Life was ying. Wow, but those people are really They have no vitality. The rural life of the actors who represent Korea, especially the four actors who had no sense of direction and their servant Jo Min-hwan, who assisted them, were struggling to cook rice. (Seong PD, this is really not working. Lets call a guest.) Jo Min-hwan, who had ck smudges on his face, put down the rice scoop as if he was throwing it and sighed heavily. (Were going to starve at this rate.) (Um, should we? If Min-hwan wants How about a guest? Do you want to call them yourself?) (Hold on. I have one person in mind Does he have time?) Jo Min-hwan took out his phone. Next to him, Lim Hye-ji, who was watching, sat down on the side of the wooden floor. They were friends of the same age, who had known each other since their theater days. (Who are you going to call?) (Ian.) (Really?) Lim Hye-ji widened her eyes and smiled with a blush on her cheeks. Jo Min-hwan snickered. (What, why are you so happy? Youve worked with him before.) The screen briefly switched to a footage of Ian dancing on stage and acting as Kim Chun-taek in The Heebin n. Wow, they found the footage really well. Right? Our fans loved that too. The footage ended, and Lim Hye-jis dreamy expression was captured on the screen. (Of course they did. Unlike you, Ian is handsome.) (Thats true Hey, wait, Im handsome too.) (Im on the phone, I have to tell thedies too.) Ignoring Jo Min-hwans words, Lim Hye-ji hummed a tune and went inside the house. He grumbled and called Ian. What happened next was well known to Ian. He declined Jo Min-hwans offer to be a guest and rmended Kim Joo-young instead. (Okay, its decided, Ill go tell thedies.) (Wait a minute.) Seong PD stopped Jo Min-hwan from entering the house. (Lets make them think that Ian ising.) (Is that okay?) (Dont you want to tease them a bit? They seem to be looking forward to it.) (That sounds good.) Jo Min-hwan secretly wanted to see the faces of the four actors who had tormented him throughout the filming, disappointed by the arrival of someone different from the person they expected. (But dont we have to tell Joo-young?) Jo Min-hwan muttered nkly, and that was the end of the day for Rural Life. The dark sky showed the sunrise in a timepse, and the morning of Rural Life began. (I have something to tell you.) (Today, finally, a special guest ising.) The actors looked doubtful at Seong PDs words, as if they couldnt believe it. (Is Ian reallying?) (Is Ianing? Awi? My daughter is a fan) (Hes the one, right?) (What do we do Is he reallying?) Everyone except Jo Min-hwan thought that Ian wasing and was excited. They suddenly looked for a mirror and checked their appearance. Jo Min-hwan watched them and smiled bitterly. (Wow, Ive never seen them like that. Did you see that, Seong PD?) (This is my first time too.) And then, the members who were tearing up the delivery food and staring at the screen heard Kim Hyuns sarcastic remark. Its a dirty world where only handsome guys are sought after. Haha. Ianughed awkwardly at that. Chapter 193: Chapter 193: Chapter 193 Our Joo-young! The actors looked at the open gate with anticipation. Just then, a celebrity van slowly approached from the end of the road. (Whos getting off?) (Hey, it doesnt look like Ian, does it?) (The silhouette is different, right?) (PD Sung, whats going on?) The actors silently stared at PD Sung, urging him to answer. PD Sung smiled and replied. (I told you that a special guest ising, I didnt say who it is.) The actors faces showed disappointment, and Jo Min-hwan quickly said. (Dont show that youre disappointed that its not the person you expected.) (Of course. What do they think of us?) They didnt want to be rude to the guest who Jo Min-hwan invited, or to the guest who came all the way to the vige. The actors cleared their throats and prepared to greet the guest warmly. Kim Joo-young, who got off the van and passed the gate, looked around the house with a nervous expression. He saw the actors sitting on the floor and bowed his upper body. (Hello!) The screen switched briefly, and Kim Joo-youngs profile appeared. It showed him performing high-difficulty choreography on stage and appearing on various entertainment shows. (Hes an idol!) (Oh? Hes from Awi, right?) (Oh, what an honor to have you in this humble ce.) The actors seemed to wee him sincerely, even without Jo Min-hwans reminder. The group Awi was so popr that the individual members also had high recognition. And Kim Joo-young had appeared on several entertainment programs while Jo Tae-woong was resting, so it was easy to recognize him. (Yes! Todays guest is Kim Joo-young from the idol group Awi!) PD Sung introduced Kim Joo-young. But the screen briefly showed Lim Hye-jis slightly disappointed face. What? Ian raised one eyebrow. [PD Sung wouldnt leave that in] Right? PD Sung-dong was one of the star PDs in the entertainment industry, and he was known for editing his programs without controversy or provocation, respecting the cast members. Many idols and fans asked him to let them appear on his programs. Kim Joo-young pointed at Lim Hye-ji with his palm and shouted. (Hey, Im from Awi Oh! You look disappointed that Im not Ian, dont you?) (No! No!) (Im Kim Joo-young, whos less handsome than him! Nice to meet you!) He has a sense of humor. PD Sung pretended to stroke his chin and hid a smile on his lips. He was friendly and had a clean face, so he thought he would make a good picture. (Joo-young! No! Im d you came!) (Hey, stop it.) Jo Min-hwan calmed down Lim Hye-ji, who denied it, and said. (He didnte here for nothing. Theres a reason. Ian rmended him, and he has a cooking certificate!) (Oooh!) (Do we finally get to eat some real food?) The actors pped and cheered, and Kim Joo-young shrugged his shoulders. (Not only that, I also have a barista certificate. And Im so good at organizing and cleaning that Im the first choice for a roommate among the Awi members.) A clip from Awis reality program that aired on JBTC appeared on the screen. Wow, how did you get that footage? Werent we so innocent back then? On the screen, Kim Joo-young was picking up cushions and other things that were scattered behind the members who were ying around in the dorm. [The effort to buy the footage is acknowledged. It costs money to buy footage from other broadcasting stations. They paid a lot of attention.] Jin was acting like a critic again, giving hisments. Did you do that? I wondered why it was so clean back then. Hey, eat this. Ian offered the chicken leg that he had bitten to Kim Joo-young. (By the way, Joo-young Can I call you Joo-young instead of Joo-young-ssi?) (Yeah, hyung. Nunas, please call mefortably too.) Kim Joo-young smiled warmly on the screen. All the cast members gathered around the luggage bag that he brought. (You have a lot of luggage, what did you bring?) (Nothing much.) Kim Joo-young took out the things that were in the luggage bag one by one and said. (First, seasonings and baking soda and) (Oh, I needed that.) (I also brought some tools, just in case.) (Oh my Wow, I really needed that. The faucet in front of me was broken.) The things that Kim Joo-young took out were all things that theycked while living in the countryside. He brought not only the things that Ian advised him to bring, but also his own kitchen utensils. (How did you?) PD Sung jumped up and walked cautiously toward the luggage bag with a bewildered expression. Jo Min-hwan blocked PD Sungs way by standing in front of the luggage bag. (PD Sung, youre not going to take all of this, are you?) (No! Its too much to take the guests luggage too!) (Thats right! You took our phones too!) The cast members shouted as Jo Min-hwan defended the luggage bag. Kim Joo-young peeked out from behind him and smirked. (You asked me to appear as a guest, you didnt say not to bring anything.) (Thats right! Hes good at talking!) Chae Seo-hee, who was sitting on the floor and watching the quarrel between PD Sung and the cast members, whispered in a low voice. (PD Sung, lets not be mean while we have a guest.) Chae Seo-hee was an actress who had the nickname of viin specialist because of her fierce expression. She had been an actress since she was a child, and had a career of 27 years, which was longer than the age of Awis oldest member, Lee Joo-hyuk. (Should I?) PD Sung actually had some concerns about the direction of the healing countryside life program, as the viewers might get frustrated by the cast members clumsy actions. He nodded his head slightly. Instead, the production team, who agreed to take Kim Joo-youngs phone during the filming, stared nkly at the back of Jo Min-hwan, who was happily taking the things that he brought. (Then, what should I do first?) Kim Joo-young gave his phone to PD Sung and rolled up his sleeves. He walked toward the cast members who were sitting on the floor. He looked reliable somehow, and the actors faces smiled. (Did you all skip breakfast? What should I make?) (Anything you make, well be happy. We dont have any preferences.) (Then, how about a simple brunch? I also brought drip coffee.) Chae Seo-hee, who loved coffee, smiled brightly. It was the first time she showed a bright smile while living in the countryside. She whispered to Jo Min-hwan. (Hey, you did a good job bringing him.) (Right?) (Whats in Joo-youngs bag? Things keeping out.) Lim Hye-ji covered her mouth with both hands. Jo Min-hwan was almost in tears. He was quite exhausted from taking care of the four picky actors. (Unni, look at how fast his hands are.) (Hes different, as expected from someone who learned.) Kim Joo-young was making breakfast while heating the pan skillfully. The actors watched him like meerkats. (Joo-young, do we have anything to help you with?) (Its okay!) Kim Joo-young could do everything by himself without anyones help. He had made meals for seven people, including himself and the members. Making meals for five people was a piece of cake for him. He quickly finished a decent brunch. (Its done.) (Ooh.) (Wait a minute! Ill take the insert and go!) The actors sat at the table and picked up their chopsticks. They looked like they were going to devour the food in front of them, and PD Sung had to stop them. The brunch that Kim Joo-young cooked was shown on the screen. The dishes looked so appetizing that they made the viewers drool. It seemed like they had some color correction to make them more appealing. (Wow, how can he cook like that so easily) (They look like hotel dishes.) The members were amazed by the food that Kim Joo-young prepared during the break. Ah, thats delicious. Hey, Joo-young, can you make that for us? Were busy tomorrow too, so we wont have time for breakfast, right? Oh, thats true. Park Jin-hyuk licked his lips with regret. (Gasp!) The actor who took the first bite, Park Su-min, opened his eyes wide and swallowed his breath. (Is it good?) (Try it, sis.) Chae Seo-hee nodded slightly after taking a bite. She had a smile on her lips that wouldnt go away. The other actors were also devouring their breakfast without paying attention to anything else. (Should I make some coffee? Ill boil some water.) Kim Joo-young got up quickly. Jo Min-hwan grabbed his shoulder and made him sit down again. (Ill do the boiling. You should eat something, Joo-young.) (Ah, Im on a diet. I have aeback soon.) (Oh, really? So you came here while preparing for youreback?) (Yes.) Jo Min-hwan looked at Kim Joo-young with admiration. While he went to boil some water, Chae Seo-hee, who sat next to Kim Joo-young, asked him quietly. (Then, Tae-woong, is he better?) (Of course. Hes better, so were having aeback. We dont leave anyone behind.) Maybe it was because they were both child actors. Chae Seo-hees expression showed relief. Ian spoke to Jo Tae-woong while looking at the TV. You worked with her before, right? I did. But she looked scary, so I didnt talk to her much. Jo Tae-woong couldnt miss the change in Chae Seo-hees expression. He felt a mix of emotions when he realized that she remembered and cared about him, who was just a passing child actor. While he was feeling that, the actors who tasted Kim Joo-youngs coffee eximed in admiration. (Joo-young!) (Our Joo-young!) Jo Min-hwan even hugged Kim Joo-young. Our Joo-young is already on the screen. No wonder Lim Hye-ji praised him so much at the Yu-sang Arts Awards Well, people who cook are nice people. Joo-young really became a cult leader. But Joo-youngs food is really good. The actors who finished their breakfast took care of the cleaning, and Kim Joo-young went to fix the faucet in the yard with Jo Min-hwan. (Hyung, I dont know much about this stuff.) (Ill do it. You brought the tools really well. How did you think of bringing them?) (Ian told me to bring them. I didnt know they would be useful.) (He has a creepy side to him. But youre amazing for bringing them when he told you to.) Kim Joo-young fixed the faucet, harvested some vegetables from the garden, and cooked some food. There was nothing that he didnt touch. Today seemed like an episode just for Kim Joo-young. Wow, Joo-young hyung really shows off well. Thats why Seong PD wants him to do variety shows. And our songs are ying a lot in the background, right? Oh? Yeah. They yed various songs, from the B-side tracks that the fans always put on their ylists to the ones that they came back with. These are the songs that Kim Joo-young participated in. [Oh, was Seong PD so attentive?] As expected This kind of observational variety show is perfect for Kim Joo-young. Seong PD must have liked Kim Joo-young a lot. Ian felt proud of himself for rmending him. But will Joo-young show us the scene that he didnt want us to see? How embarrassed was he to block our tradition of watching live? Its not embarrassing, okay? And why is watching live a tradition? We always watched everything together. Except when Tae-woong was resting. The dramas that Ian and Jo Tae-woong starred in, the music shows that Park Seo-dam hosted, and so on. The members had a habit of watching live broadcasts together. Its over already? Wow, then Joo-young hyung will be on next week too? Oh, the broadcast time is awesome. Before they knew it, the broadcast was over, and the credits for the production support were rolling. In the meantime, the preview for next week came out. Kim Joo-youngs feeding the actors continued. The screen showed various dishes that looked like Kim Joo-young had a hand in them, and Jo Min-hwan and Lim Hye-jis participation in the Yu-sang Awards ceremony. And at the end, Kim Joo-youngs eyes were red as the preview ended. Hey! He really cried! No! Jo Tae-woong jumped up and shouted, and Kim Joo-young also got angry and jumped up. But why couldnt you answer when we asked if you cursed at us? So you cried and cursed at us? No, I really didnt! Kim Joo-young blocked his ears and went into his room, closing the door behind him. Take it easy. Hell be sulking for a long time. We have a music show tomorrow, so lets go to bed early. Lee Joo-hyuk wrapped up the situation. Chapter 194: Chapter 194: Chapter 194 Amon patriotic coin. AWY, breaks through 1.22 million copies in the first week sets a new personal record AWY, sells 1.22 million copies in the first week ranks first in the first week sales of the year unprecedented -AWY is amazing, they are unprecedented -Look at the ranking of the first week sales, so cool -But whats the benefit of selling a lot in the first week? Just trying to get some buzz? They have to be number one on the music charts And AWY also sells well in the distribution *** The members of AWY did not watch Rural Life together as it aired. They had music shows, video fan signs, and face-to-face fan signs, which coincided with the event season and they had to travel to other regions. Their album sales were still breaking their own records, and they were enjoying the top poprity, so they had to work hard on the event stages. Wow, this is really hard. Good job, guys. Is anyone not tired? AWY, who had finished the fan sign and event in Busan, dragged their heavy bodies into the van. They had no time to rest for a few months and they were overwhelmed by the work. Good job, guys. The new manager, Lim Jin-woo, took the wheel. Ian was thest one to enter the van and closed the door. Where did you go? I went to the convenience store with the security guard. Ian showed the ck stic bag he was holding to the members. The members made strange noises and reached out their hands to the bag in Ians hand. What did you buy? You didnt buy any disgusting drinks, did you? No, I didnt, Jin-woo hyung! Drink this. Ian rummaged through the bag and handed a vitamin drink to Lim Jin-woo. It was not only the singers who were tired, but also the managers and staff. Ian had already given drinks to the security guards and staff, and thest one was Lim Jin-woo, who would drive a long distance. The kid has a good sense. Lim Jin-woo smiled and looked back at the members before leaving. Thank you. You guys know that we have to watch the show tomorrow even if we dont have a pre-recording, right? Get some sleep, even if its just for a while. Yes. They had some time to spare because they had already recorded the pre-recording for the music show that they would appear on tomorrow. The members took the stic bag that Ian casually threw and drank the drinks that Ian bought. Its past 12 oclock. We missed Rural Life. Ah, crap Today was important. Lets watch itter when we have time. The van started to head to Seoul, and the members spent the next day in the van. They could have watched the clip videos that were uploaded on the portal site right away if they wanted to see the show, but they were too exhausted to even look at their phones. Park Seo-dam and Kim Joo-young had already fallen asleep as soon as they sat in the van. What are we going to do about Caden Hurt Show? Ian, who was staring nkly out the window and blinking his eyes tiredly, lifted his head and looked at Lee Joo-hyuk. I know, right. We dont have time to modify the choreography AWY was scheduled to appear on Caden Hurt Show, but the stage was nned to be pre-recorded, and the talk was to be done in real-time phone call format ording to the broadcast time. The producing of the group was also handed over to Lee Joo-hyuk and Park Jin-hyuk, and now they had some say in the stageposition. It was a stage that would be introduced on an American broadcast, so they had been discussing whether to do a special choreography or remix the song, and they had been thinking hard about the direction of the stage. Didnt the stylist say she would make hanbok? Park Jin-hyuk said. Ian frowned slightly. But didnt we wear hanbok too much? I think people will think, Oh, the Korean kids came wearing hanbok again. MIDEA was the first to perform a stage with hanbok and pce as the background, and then other Korean idol groups started to mix Koreanthings into their stages when they appeared on overseas media. The mostmon thing was to wear hanbok on the stage or in the music video, as if it was a custom. [Its amon patriotic coin. Im sick of it.] Jin said indifferently. Patriotism is not a bad thing It should be avoided if its excessive, but pride in ones country is not a bad thing. Besides, there was nothing as buzzworthy as patriotism both domestically and internationally. From the perspective of foreigners, it would be new and cool to see something traditional. And from the perspective of the same Koreans, they would think that those kids came to promote our country with our things, and they would especially get the attention of the middle-aged and older generations. But. Hanbok? Pce? Dont people who know them already know them? Since MIDEA, the global interest in K-pop has increased, and more than ten Korean idols have appeared on overseas media. He didnt like the idea of AWY following the same trend as the others who showed simr things. People want something new Lee Joo-hyuk voiced Ians thoughts. It might look a bit stale. Of course, it would be a lot of buzz in Korea, but surprisingly, Korean culture was well-known overseas through K-pop. Rather than being a typical Korean idol, I want to make a name for ourselves as a group What Ian wanted was something else that was new and would make people curious enough to search for AWY after seeing their stage. Jin-woo hyung, is our Caden Hurt Show stage an outdoor stage? Uh, they said theyre talking to the Seoul City Do you know where the candidates are? Lim Jin-woo tapped the steering wheel with his index finger and recited the ces that were candidates. Uh City Hall za, Gwanghwamun za, Sebit Ind, Changdeokgung Pce Ian raised one eyebrow at one of the sections. To do something familiar, or to take a risk *** -AWY, what schedule do you have? I saw AWY in front of the Independence Gate on the bus going home ? -I brought the proof as you asked me to Is this really AWY? The AWY members in the photo were wearing outfits that did not match the weather that was still hot. Long coats, ties, vests and pants, and even berets that weremonly called bread hats. The background behind them made the outfits look special. The outdoor stage that AWY would show on Caden Hurt Show was right in front of the Independence Gate. -What schedule do they have? It doesnt show up on the official schedule, so I wonder what theyre doing Maybe its rted to the Liberation Day thatsing soon? Hey, delete yourment, its forbidden to consume their private schedule Anyway, we have another spoiler? Im in Gwanghwamun right now, can I see them if I take a taxi? The fandom atmosphere was avoiding the airport work sightings, but there were so many fans that it was not all followed. -Im nearby, Im going to the Independence Gate by taxi Now Im not a bad fan anymore Are you crazy? Youre doing fan behavior openly (Thisment has been deleted.) As the sightings of AWY at the Independence Gate spread through SNS, the quick fans were already heading to where AWY was. Damn, its already on SNS Fans will flock, so lets finish the recording quickly and go. Park Dong-soo was talking to the Seoul City official who came to watch the scene. He had a dark tan from his honeymoon with Seo Su-ryeon. Guys! Are you ready? Just a moment! Ian whined as he put on leather gloves. He took the mic that Kim Myung-jin handed him and stood in front of the camera. Fortunately, the sound equipment was already set up before AWY came. Were starting the recording! The members found their positions and looked nervous as they fiddled with their mics. The light came on the camera, and the AR of theireback song Blue hour started. Independence Gate, nice. It has symbolism. And its simr to the Arc de Triomphe, so it will arouse curiosity. Im reminded of when they were on With the Legend by looking at their outfits. You watched that too? Of course, Teacher Kim Hee-sang was on it. The manager, Park Dong-soo and Kim Myung-jin watched the stage with their arms crossed and whispered. The concept of the independence fighters that Ian suggested and proceeded with was the second time since the March 1st Movement stage with Kim Hee-sang. The only difference was that the stage with Kim Hee-sang was a domestic program, and now it was a more global stage on an American talk show. Ah, that was good. The kids were much more skilled than then. Park Dong-soo, who was reminiscing about With the Legend, heard Kim Myung-jins worried voice in his ear. But this stage, it will cause some trouble in the neighboring country, right? Park Dong-soo swallowed his breath and frowned slightly. Whats wrong with showing the historical facts as they are? Well, those right-wingers over there will make a fuss. Im surprised that the CEO agreed. The CEO likes things without controversy. It was better to have no controversy at all, but he could already see the controversy brewing. There were cases where they made a name for themselves through controversy, but the CEO, Lee Byung-hun, preferred stability. He looked like he had a lot on his mind. What, did he watch Rural Life? Awy finished their first stage, wiped their sweat, fixed their hair and makeup, and went straight to the camera for the second stage. People started to gather around. More security guards than usual were busy keeping the people who were taking pictures with their cameras away. I didnt expect him to have such thoughts, even with this level of poprity. I thought that having the poprity and career of Awys level would make everything happy. He had a lot of fans, money in his bank ount, and the best career since his debut. Theyre all talented From Kim Myung-jins perspective, he thought that none of the seven members on stage right now werecking. Park Dong-soo also understood Kim Myung-jins feelings. But people are not all the same, are they? It depends on the persons personality. Ju-young is very sensitive, too. People who seem to live well in the eyes of others may have different problems. Besides, its annoying to have someone whos better than me among my same-age friends. I know, I had that experience in my school days, too. Really? And the person he wasparing himself to was Choi Ian. He couldnt even guess how much he was thinking. Park Dong-soo looked up at the sky. The weather is nice, so the stage will look good, too. Yeah. As the sun set, the highlight section of the song came and the street lights turned on. Wow. Anyway, performing in front of the Independence Gate wouldnt have much impact on the Japanese side. Rather, peoples interest in why they did this stage would increase, not decrease. Dont worry about the neighboring country. People who are going toe to the tour wont stoping because of this stage. They have a lot of fans there, too. The second stage was over before they knew it. The members who monitored the stage bowed their waists at the directors OK sign. Good job! Thank you for your hard work! It was almost a reflex. As the members approached the manager, the fans who were gathered around screamed. Kyaaa! Guys! As the security guards moved busily to block the fans, Kim Myungjin opened the door of the van and put the members in the car. Lets get out of here before theintse in. Change your clothes at the hotel. Yes. We dont have any schedule after this, right? No. Ians eyes sparkled. He finally had time to watch Rural Life, which he hadnt seen for a while. Chapter 195: Chapter 195: Chapter 195 Do you think youve done your part? The members returned to their dorm and decided to rest in their own rooms after having dinner. Ian was lying on his bed, browsing through the rey service of TVM on his tablet, when his door was flung open. Hey. Ah, you scared me. Knock first. Ian flinched his shoulder. Jo Tae-woong shook his wet hair with a towel and sat on Ians bed like he was diving. Because of that, water droplets fell from Jo Tae-woongs still damp hair. Ian frowned and pressed Jo Tae-woongs shoulder with his foot. Hey, wheres your conscience? Its my heart. Youre going to watch Rural Life, right? Lets watch it together. No one else seems to be interested. Really? What about Hyun and Seo-dam? They went to bed early. Ah, how boring. Theposers of Awi, Lee Joo-hyuk, Park Jin-hyuk, and Kim Joo-young, were busy working on the carol with Hailey Poles. Thanks to Ians crab lecture, their English skills had improved a lot, and they could handle it well without Ians interpretation. Joo-hyuk hyungs room is so powerful right now, are we going to hit the jackpot this Christmas? Hopefully. Why, you can dream, right? You have to write good lyrics to hit the jackpot. Did your English improve? Ugh. You dirty native bastard. Since it was a carol song aimed at the English-speaking market, Ian also participated in the lyrics. How will it turn out [How will it turn out, its Hailey Poles, itll be great.] Will it really? Hailey Poles became a global singer in the future, but who knows how that future will change with Awys coboration. Ian wanted to test the butterfly effect. Jo Tae-woong looked annoyed and threw Ians pillow at him. Well, they do make good songs Oh, whats this? Rural Life rey ranking is number one. I only saw the real-time search briefly when we came back to the dorm from Busan. Kim Ju-young was number one. Really? Lets see how well he did. Ian pressed the y button. Around that time, Park Jin-hyuk and Kim Ju-young, who were gathered in Lee Joo-hyuks room, were talking about the same thing. We have to watch Rural Life. Right. I keep forgetting because of this. Lets watch it after we finish the work. Kim Ju-young sighed deeply. He had already given up. Its not like they wouldnt watch it if he stopped them, and the captured images and clips were already circting on the inte, so he could watch them anytime he wanted. Park Jin-hyuk turned his chair and looked at Kim Ju-young. But tell me one thing. Is that true what you did in the preview? I didnt do it. I just sobbed, okay? Anyway. Why did you do that? Just heforted me well. Kim Joo-young briefly recalled the time he filmed Rural Life. *** Kim Ju-young received the attention of the production team and the actors from the first day of Rural Life. He not only fixed the broken water pipe, but also prepared a splendid meal for lunch, making the actors gasp in awe. It finally feels like a healing rural program. The watching PD Sung muttered. He had a feeling that the scene he was filming would get high ratings when it aired. When did you learn this? This year. I had a lot of days off, you know. Ah, right. Then did you get certificates and stuff like that during your days off? I just felt a bit anxious when I rested. Chae Seo-hee looked at Kim Ju-youngsplexion with a strange expression after hearing his answer. Thats amazing. Its not easy, you know. Right. I wouldnt get out of bed if they told me to rest. I would go on a trip right away. The other actors praised Kim Ju-young. Kim Ju-young picked up his chopsticks with an awkward expression. What do I do now? Ju-young, sit down. Well do it. The actors didnt just sit still like before. Jo Min-hwan was close enough to take advantage of him without feeling guilty, but they felt ufortable seeing a young kid doing everything by himself. Can I do this here? Ah, no you cant do that there. Ju-young! What about this? Unnie! Just sit still! Kim Ju-youngs outfit almost ripped apart, but it made a good scene for the show. The camera director captured her dismayed expression on the screen. We were just trying to help Helping is staying still. Jo Min-hwan stepped in. Hey, Hye-ji. If youre bored, go to the mart and buy something. Should I? He sent all four actresses to the mart for errands and stayed alone with Kim Joo-young. Sorry, youre busy and I called you for nothing. No, its fun. Honestly, its less tiring than practicing Jo Min-hwan, who was always interested in idols, took this opportunity to ask him various questions. How long do you practice? Usually from 8 a.m. to 3 a.m. Really? Yes, we push ourselves a bit before theeback. Jo Min-hwan opened his mouth wide. Then what do you do during practice? We mostly dance. The choreography is not fixed, so it changes as we dance. Then we need time to adjust to the new moves. Wow. Kids these days work hard. Sung PD and Kim Ju-young held back theirughter at his words that sounded like an old man who had seen everything. Did I say something wrong? Jo Min-hwan and Kim Ju-young sat on the couch and chatted. Youll be busy when youe back, right? Yes. But I like it when Ie back. I feel ufortable when I dont work Do you feel the same way? Yeah. I get anxious when I have no work. Jo Min-hwan looked at Kim Ju-young as if he was surprised. He thought, Even someone with her level of poprity feels the same way when they have no work. I bought meat! Wow! Kim Ju-young ran to the basket that Lim Hye-ji was holding with a bright smile. We cant just treat the guest like that. We just bought it and Ju-young will do everything. Thanks to Kim Ju-young, the cast of Rural Life had the most luxurious dinner since they started filming. Ju-young, sleep well. Yes, good night. Kim Ju-young, who shared a room with Jo Min-hwan,y down on the bed he prepared and stared nkly at the dark ceiling. Is this really all I have to do? It was her first time doing an observational variety show, so Kim Joo-young blinked her eyes. They want to see the natural side of the cast, so it should be fine. She thought and turned over and closed her eyes. Sung PD will edit it well. She must have been tired from the umted fatigue, as she fell asleep easily. Kim Ju-young, who woke up early in the morning, got up and opened the door. Jo Min-hwan was already preparing something in the yard. You woke up early? Yes. Do you usually wake up at this time? Kim Ju-young rubbed her eyes and headed to the sink. She had gotten used to waking up early because of theeback preparations. She would go to the practice room at dawn and practice untilte at night. No. Ugh, I couldnt sleep. What are you doing today? Where are you going? Later, Hye-ji and I have to go to Seoul for the Yoo Sang Art Awards. Ah, the Yoo Sang Art Awards. Kim Ju-young lifted her head as if she remembered something. Isnt Ian going there too? Oh, right. Isnt it amazing that Ian was invited there? Its amazing that he was nominated. It would be better if he won. Wow. You should definitely win ande back. Kim Ju-young pped and cheered him up. Jo Min-hwan raised his head and epted her support, then made a yful expression and poked her side. Dont you feel jealous when you see Ian doing well? Uh, hyung. Im not that petty. Kim Joo-young giggled and denied it. Ian never ignored the group or the members because of his poprity, so he had no jealousy orints. But dont you feel different as a friend of the same age? I think I would feel a bit weird if my close friend did better than me. Hey. Hyung, the group and the individual are different. Ian and I are in the same group. Then you never felt jealous? Not even once? Unnie! Just sit still!-(Am not sure if this sentence is a repeat. I think you should check this. Thanks.) Kim Ju-young waved his hand. Ian also thought that Kim Ju-young was amazing for trying various things during his break, but Kim Ju-young also thought that Ian was an amazing person. Unlike him, who was still groping around and dabbling in different things, Ian had confidence in his abilities and used them generously, and the results were always good. Hes him and Im me. We have different roles. Then do you think youre fulfilling your role? Kim Ju-young hesitated for a moment and smiled vaguely. I dont know Im not sure. Jo Min-hwan felt the same sense of alienation that Chae Seo-hee had felt. He had felt that Kim Ju-youngs self-esteem was rtively lowpared to the group and individual poprity that was dominating the scene. Lets talkter. Jo Min-hwan patted Kim Ju-youngs back. *** After a simple breakfast, Jo Min-hwan and Lim Hye-ji changed their clothes and went out to the front yard. They were going to Seoul for a while to attend the Yoo Sang Art Awards. Well be back! Come back with an award! The car that took Jo Min-hwan and Lim Hye-ji left the filming site. It feels so empty with two people gone. What should we do? The remaining actors, Park Soo-min and Lee Yoo-jung, sat down on the couch. They were also actors with 7 and 9 years of experience, respectively. With only the seniors left, Kim Ju-young got up to look for something else to do. Suddenly, Chae Seo-hee, who was sitting next to Lee Yoo-jung, tapped her side. You have nothing to do, right? Lets lie down here and look at the sky. You too, Ju-young. You worked too hard since yesterday. Right. You should rest a bit at times like this. Yeah. Sit down. Kim Ju-young followed their suggestion andy down next to Chae Seo-hee with a gap of one foot. Fluffy clouds were floating leisurely in the clear blue sky. Kim Ju-young looked at the sky with a new eye. Come to think of it, I think I can count the times Ive seen the sky like this. Right? Chae Seo-hee smiled softly. Park Soo-min and Lee Yoo-jung looked sofortable that they seemed to be sleeping with their eyes closed. Kim Ju-young, who wondered if it was okay to keep lying down like this, rolled his eyes. But can we keep doing this? What about the broadcast content? Theyughed. Sung PD will take care of it. Howe you care more about the broadcast than us, the regrs? Hes still a baby. Kim Ju-young sighed deeply in embarrassment. He kept looking at the sky for a while. I hope they win an award It was unclear who she hoped would win an award, whether it was Ian or Jo Min-hwan or Lim Hye-ji. Have you ever won an award at Yoo Sang, noonas? We all did, right? Seo-hee unnie was the youngest winner. Hey, you know better than me? Wow, really? Kim Ju-young lifted his head and looked at Chae Seo-hee. She stared into space with a nostalgic look in her eyes. Im bored. Is there nothing we can do? We have nothing to do, Ju-young did everything. The actresses who had been silent for a while turned their heads and looked at Kim Ju-young. He felt their gaze and half-raised his body. What, what is it? Ju-young, can you tell us a bit about yourself? Me? Chapter 196: Chapter 196: Chapter 196 He doesnt seem like a top star? (What is he talking about?) (Its okay. Director Sung will edit it well.) Ian and Jo Tae-woong waited with interest for Kim Ju-young to open his mouth on the screen. (Is it Seo-hee unnies talk show today?) (The guest is Awys Joo-young.) Park Su-min and Lee Yu-jeong also looked at Kim Ju-young with anticipation in their eyes. Kim Ju-young smiled awkwardly. (But you know how audition programs divide the main vocal, dancer, and so on. What are you, Ju-young?) Before waiting for Kim Ju-youngs answer, impatient Chae Seo-hee asked first. (Theres nothing fixed. If I had to choose, maybe main dancer? But it doesnt matter, because all of our members are good.) Ian and Jo Tae-woong looked pleased. It was the same expression they had when they watched Park Seo-dam as an MC from behind. (You sing well too, right? Anything else?) (I also participate inposing) (Wow. Joo-young has a lot of skills.) The songs that Kim Joo-young participated inposing for Awy appeared as captions. Kim Ju-young is really a cheat character. Right. Kim Ju-young looked unsure of himself, but hisposing sense, dancing skills, and will to improve himself even in his spare time were not something that could be made up. He definitely had some innate talent. (Awy is doing well. My daughter said that theyre no joke overseas. How do you feel?) (Is that so? I dont really feel it) (Ah, are you being modest? You dont have to pretend in front of us.) (No, its not that) The actresses who bit the bait teased Kim Ju-young. Director Sung also joined in and started to bully Kim Ju-young. (Youre really different from other popr idols.) (Is this the famous I dont know thing?) Kim Ju-young shook his hands and denied it. When it became quiet for a moment, he quickly continued. (Well, we feel a lot from the performances. But we havent done many performancestely. So I dont know how much our poprity has increased. I can guess for the domestic fans, but) Kim Ju-young scratched the back of his head and answered Lee Yu-jeongs question. Chae Seo-hee, who carefully observed Kim Ju-youngs face, said bluntly. (But I dont think youre that much of a top star, Ju-young?) (What?) Kim Ju-young was startled and made a dumbfounded expression. Park Su-min tapped Chae Seo-hees shoulder. (Unnie, dont say that. He might misunderstand.) (Sorry, I mean If I were in your position, I would be confident and proud.) Awy had been receiving more attention than other rookie groups since their debut. They had been on a steady rise without any setbacks. They were happy when they got their first ce on music sites and music shows, and when they achieved records that they couldnt even imagine before their debut, but their anxiety was greater. Can we get better results than this in the next album? What if our poprity fades away? How long will our fans like us? They couldnt adapt to the situation because their poprity had risen so fast. Chae Seo-hee nodded. (I know. Its more empty when youre building your career.) (Right. Thats why I think I couldnt enjoy the good feelings at that time.) The screen changed and showed the scenes of the actors receiving awards at film festivals, and giving their eptance speeches at the end-of-year entertainment awards. And there was also a scene of Awy receiving an award at a major music awards ceremony. Kim Ju-young on the screen was moistening his eyes as if he was about to cry, and spoke his feelings. (I was happy and grateful, but it didntst long, I was anxious when I turned around.) (Do you know that feeling? Happy but uneasy?) (Ah) Especially Park Su-min was already hooked on Kim Ju-youngs words, making a furrowed brow. (I know. I also worried a lot about what if the next work doesnt do as well as the previous one when I go into it.) Park Su-min had developed an obsession to show better acting after winning the Best Supporting Actress award at a film festival. (Thats right. Thats how I felt.) Kim Ju-youngs face was shadowed by the leaves as the noon sun shone through. He fiddled with his fingers and opened his mouth with difficulty. (To be honest I dont know. I feel happy but uneasy. Do you know what I mean?) (Yes) He hadnt experienced the downhill yet, so the fall was even scarier. Jo Tae-woong fixed his eyes on the screen and casually asked Ian. Have you ever felt like that? Me? Ian pondered. Did I ever feel like that? [Youre just being greedy. How would you feel if you became a diamond overnight? Wouldnt you be ecstatic?] Oh. He realized something when he heard Jins words. He had gone through the slump period, so he should have felt more aplished as a star. But he had never felt the joy of soaring in the sky. It felt more like watching someone elses story on TV. He might have always lived with the thought that he had to do better than this, that there was nothing but a fall if he climbed too high. I think I did. Ian remembered the time when he saw his fan switch to another group in his previous life. He couldnt sleep at all when the person who always attended the fan signing events suddenly disappeared. Nothing has changed much since then. He had thought that he would seed and reach that level when he saw Jupiter, who took his ce. But he also felt frustrated when he realized that he couldnt climb any higher. Now that he had reached that position as Ian, he felt a new anxiety along with the desire to keep this poprity. But Ive been through the slump, so its not that bad. Thanks to his previous life experience, he didnt feel as anxious as others, but he didnt feel so heavy that he had to spill it out on the air like Kim Ju-young. You too? Jo Tae-woong asked in surprise. Of course. We wont be young and popr forever, will we? True. Its because we want to keep this momentum for a long time that we feel more anxious. He wasnt thinking about the end of his career. He might have hoped that things would get better. But the higher he climbed, the more things he had to worry about. (We did everything ourselves when we worked on the album. From producing to songwriting and choreography.) (Youre talented.) (But did I contribute much? I dont think so. The members are so good.) Ian had only thought that Kim Ju-young was amazing for trying various things even during his break. So thats why. But Kim Ju-young was hesitant because he wasnt confident in his abilities, and he relieved it by doing other hobbies. Ian suddenly recalled what he had said to Kim Ju-young. Youre good at acting. I envy you. You have something certain. Dont you have something too? You have a good ear for music. Hows the songwriting going? Well Songwriting is fun. But I dont have any noticeable achievements. He thought that he had nothing to rely onpared to Ian and Jo Tae-woong, who had a solid foundation in acting. He might have looked for other hobbies because of that. Hes simr to Kim Yong-min. He had failed as an idol, and he had switched to acting to be a star. But he had done many things, but he couldnt stick to one thing. (Thats too bad) Chae Seo-hee said calmly. (Dont you regret it?) (I do regret it now.) (You couldnt enjoy it at that time, right?) Kim Ju-young nodded. (Everyone goes through a slump-like phase once in a while. I did too.) (You too?) Chae Seo-hee nodded. She had grown up as an actress byparing herself with her peers. She always whipped herself byparing herself with others, so she had never been happy even when something good happened. Thats why she only had regrets when she looked back. (How did you ovee it?) (Nothing special. I just enjoyed it when I was happy.) (Really?) (Theres no point in being anxious whether it works out or not, and its too ) Chae Seo-hee couldnt finish her sentence when Ian said a word. Its not cost-effective. Wow, you summarized it in one line. The three actresses didnt hesitate to give advice to their young junior. Kim Ju-youngughed awkwardly. (You are much more amazing than you think.) (You dont need to live so fiercely. Life is a marathon, not a sprint.) The image of Kim Ju-young that I saw in the trailer came to my mind. He looked like he would shed a tear with a single touch. Ian and Jo Tae-woong teased him for crying for no reason, so heughed sheepishly. Come on, Kim Ju-young. Talk to us. Dont make us feel like were the bad guys. Ian and Jo Tae-woong felt uneasy, realizing that they had unintentionally dismissed his worries as nothing, even though they sympathized with him. Should we stop watching? Yeah. Is there any interesting movie? Do you want to y games? *** The CEO of the agency, Lee Byung-hun, leaned back on the sofa and sank into his thoughts after watching Rural Life. The kids are really diligent. From the perspective of the agency staff and the fans, AWY was walking the ideal path of an idol. They didnt have any personal SNS ounts, so they never made any mistakes with their words. They always went to the fan cafe and did fan service diligently. They never had any scandals with their past, and they didnt like drinking or nightlife. At most, they would y games together, so there was little chance of them causing trouble and appearing on the social media. Individual or group. From the CEOs point of view, the group itself was already doing well, so it was too early to take care of the individuals separately. If he did that, the fandom would split too. I cant take care of each one of them. There were seven members in the group, so there were some members who didnt get much attention. Since they were not soloists, he couldnt take care of them individually. It didnt mean that each idol was living an ideal life just because AWY was walking the ideal path of an idol. Kim Ju-young felt alienated from the other members, so his self-esteem was low. I hope you can adjust well. He recalled Mins words and the deep wrinkles on his forehead became deeper. *** After Rural Life ended, AWYs fans conducted a hashtag campaign and a campaign to post encouraging messages for the members on the official cafe. #Amazing_People_AWY #AlwaysWithJuyoung -I could rte to a lot of things in Rural Life today Im afraid of failingter, so I cant even be happy when I have a happy moment Same, me too But its surprising that AWY thinks that way But the higher you are, the scarier it is to fall True, just look at this ce. If the sales drop, theyll say theyre flops and whatnot -Kim Ju-young, I get what youre saying, but Its funny when AWY says that They say that while theyre covered in luxury gifts from the fans and driving foreign cars With the money that the fans buy the albums with Shut up AWY doesnt ept support AWY doesnt have a license -How much did the other members bully him that his self-esteem is so low Hey, this is too obvious that youre trolling This post will be deleted soon. Chapter 197: Chapter 197: Chapter 197 Do you all have girlfriends? The members of Awy came to the studio for an interview on the Caden Hurt Show. We have the script, but its just a rough outline. The questions might change depending on the progress. Just think of some answers in advance. Okay. The members each received a paper from Kim Myung-jin. The interview was conducted remotely, so they were able to see the script beforehand, but the script was all in English. Uh what does it say? Girlfriend? Why is girlfriend here? Dont read it for nothing, we have someone who can trante for us. Choi Ian! Help! The members looked around for Ian. Ian was drinking water from a distance, but he hurried over to them when he heard their call. He took the script that was handed to him. What is it? Trante this for us. You guys can read some of it, right? The Awy self-study group was intermittent, but it was still going on. Some members, like Lee Ju-hyuk, had improved their English skills a lot through coboration with Hailey Poles, but they felt a bit nervous about doing a live interview with a foreign media. What if we trante it weirdly? What would you have done without me? Jo Tae-woongs eyes sparkled. It was an expression he often showed when he was joking. What do you mean, what would we have done? We would have gone on with our lives. Wow, that was really Touching, right? I was so touched that I almost hit you. Stop making that cheesy sound. Ian red at him, and Jo Tae-woong crossed his arms and tapped his shoulder. Ian skimmed through the script. There were many sentences that the members could easily interpret if they read them carefully. First of all, think of some introductions Yeah! Hello! Not now. The members shouted to ease their tension. Ian, who was tranting the questions for them, looked at one part and made a subtle expression. What? Why are you like that? This part is asking if you have girlfriends, or if you ever dated any of the Awy members. Ill cut this out. It was a sensitive question that came from cultural differences. The members widened their eyes and looked at each other. Wow, isnt that a taboo word for us? They all nodded slightly at Park Jin-hyuks words. Of course, nothing like that ever happened, but it was a question that would make the domestic fans nervous. I guess its because its America, they always ask about girlfriends. Ive seen this kind of talk in other seniors interviews too. Why do they do that? Are they being nosy there too? The members eyes turned to Ian. Ian scratched his cheek as he felt their sudden attention and answered. What do you think they think of a popr celebrity like us, who has a career and is a healthy male, who doesnt date or have a girlfriend? What do they think? Ian suddenly felt like ying a prank on them. So he decided to exaggerate a bit. Should I say they think were losers? ! The members looked at each other silently. Huh They tried to hold back theirughter, but they eventually burst out. There was only a sound of bitterughter. Wow, losers. What are you saying, you loser. Kim Hyun echoed Park Jin-hyuks words. *** Guys, its time, lets sit down. At Kim Myung-jins words, the Awy members sat down on the chairs set up in front of the camera. Ian was at the edge of the front row, a position for him to interpret for the members. Wow, Im really nervous. Ian felt a mix of nervousness and excitement, as if he was on stage for the first time at his debut. He had contacted his parents briefly during the script reading time and heard that the whole family was in front of the TV. Oh, were on. Thats our tour video. There was a live broadcast of the show they were going to appear on next to the camera. Not only the overseas fans, but also the fans in Korea were running on the live chat. -Theyre on! -Where can I watch it? Give me the MyTube link Hyun was nervous. (These days, the atmosphere around these people is not good. We have invited some great artists from Korea. They are AWY!) Oh! We are connected! Seodams voice was broadcasted on the air and he was startled to close his mouth. The youngest member was staring at the camera with wide eyes, and the other membersughed. (What did you just say?) *Caden, I was so happy to hear your voice that I shouted. (Oh, I think Im already in love with you guys.) Ians reply made Caden smile on the screen. As Joo-hyuk gave the signal of two, three, the members shouted loudly. Who we are? AWY! AWY shouted their new slogan. The audience in the American studio cheered and their voices reached AWY. (Wait, Im curious about something. Every time I meet Korean singers, I wonder why they do that strange greeting.) What are you talking about? Hes asking why we do our slogan. Tae-woong raised his hand. Then, his face appeared on both sides of the screen. *This is Korean style. (Oh, wow. I see.) -This is Korean style lol -Look at Cadens expression lol (Okay. I dont know the name of that Korean style guy yet, can you introduce yourselves?) *Hello, Im Ian of AWY. Starting with Ian, the members gave brief introductions. When the cheers of the audience in the American studio subsided, Caden began the interview in earnest. (AWY, your album that you released in Korea) Caden squinted his eyes and tried to read the script on the cue card, but Ian interrupted him. *Yes. (Yes, thats right. Lets just call it by the title song Blue hour. Did you hear the cheers here in the studio? You guys are very popr here too.) -Did anyone hear Ian speaking French? -His pronunciation is perfect -Ian is good at English and French Well, he should be good at English anyway (How did youe up with the werewolf concept for Blue hour? It was so trending worldwide that) *We always challenge ourselves with new concepts. Joo-hyuk, who understood some of the words, answered in broken English. *Yes, thats right. We think ahead of what the fans would like when we n the album. But, did we really trend worldwide? (Didnt you know?) Ian supplemented Joo-hyuks answer and showed a surprised expression when he heard the news. We got a great response worldwide for this album. I guess the werewolf concept worked. He didnt forget to trante for the other members. Wow! Ian felt his mouth dry and drank some water while the members cheered loudly. *We were so busy that we didnt know until now. (Yes, I think so.) Caden looked at the audience with a sad expression. There wasughter from the audience. (Its interesting that you participate in the nning stage of the album. I want to hear more about it.) *First, we gather as seven and brainstorm. (Like, What should we do for this album?) *Yes, what props we want to use. Or how we want to appear. Even small things like that. Then we discuss the ideas with thepany. Caden listened to Ians words with interest. He had interviewed many talented artists from Korea, but he had a stereotype that Korean idols were manufactured rather than singer-songwriters. *Then we start making songs based on the decided concept. (Who came up with the werewolf concept this time? And why Blue hour? Is there a special reason?) Ian quickly tranted Cadens words. Tae-woong scratched his cheek in embarrassment. Uh what should I say. Just speak in Korean. Ill trante for you. -Ian, youre so cool -Tae-woong, your long hair suits you so well When I went to my grandmothers house, there were times when I just looked at the sky all day And when the sun set, the sky turned blue and it felt strange. The sound of the roe deer that I heard then Roe deer? You dont know what a roe deer is? It has a distinctive cry Actually, I couldnt think of anything else but the roe deer during the meeting. I was like, how do I say this? And Ian stuttered in confusion. He had suggested a pretty cool idea of a werewolf during the nning meeting. But he didnt expect that the roe deer had influenced the concept. So we almost became roe deer people instead of werewolves? Roe deer people legend. The other members alsoughed as they heard the detailed reason behind the werewolf concept for the first time. Tae-woong shrugged his shoulders with a shameless expression. -He wrapped it up like that? -Tranting is a tough job -Why does Kaden like it so much Caden looked dreamy as he liked Ians answer. (*So, do all the members participate inposing?) Ian briefly ryed Cadens words, and Joo-Hyuk, Jin-Hyuk, and Ju-Young raised their hands. (*We are mainly doing it.) (*Oh, what about writing lyrics?) Ian continued. (*For writing lyrics, all the members participate. We each write our own lyrics and our producer, Joo-Hyuk, picks the ones that match the mood of the song and blends them into the song.) (*Producing too! You guys are so talented. Well, theres one question that youre all curious about.) Caden said, spreading his arms toward the audience. The audience cheered and pped. He had a mischievous look on his face, as if he was about to ask that question. Ian could easily guess what the next question would be. (*Do you guys have girlfriends? Or someone youre casually dating?) Chapter 198: Chapter 198: Chapter 198 What kind of question is he going to ask this time? The members, except for Ian, could not understand him clearly, but they could guess what Caden asked by the way he emphasized the word girlfriend. I knew this question woulde up. The members suddenly looked away at the distant mountains and avoided the camera. The American studio burst intoughter at their reaction. -There it is, Cadens favorite question lol -Lol look where they are looking, so cute lol -Ians smile makes my heart flutter Ian thought it was lucky that he had received the script in advance and smiled calmly. Caden narrowed his eyes and spoke with an exaggerated tone. (*Ian, you look like you have a lot to say. Good. Lets forget about your fans for a moment. Think of this as a conversation between you and me, and speakfortably.) *Caden, you know. (*What do you mean?) *You know how the countless Korean singers you interviewed answered. Caden opened his mouth as if he had been hit. He coughed and continued. (*Yeah, the dating ban use. I always heard that. They cant date because they are focused on their work. They are with their fans) *Yes, those things. Im sorry to disappoint you, Caden, but we can only give you those answers too. Ian shrugged and briefly exined to the members what he had said. The members cheered and patted Ians shoulder for doing well. -Ian is so cool when he speaks in a low voice -He dodged it well lol -Is he a genius? So cool He wont let it go easily Caden pressed his jaw. The audienceughed at him. (*Wait a minute, let me ask you one more thing.) Ian crossed his legs and gestured with his palm as if to say go ahead. Caden raised one eyebrow and looked at Ian on the screen with a can you believe this? expression. (*Are Korean fans so harsh that you have to have such restrictions? Like, the moment you debut as an idol, you cant date and they give you a hard time and obsess over you Is thatmon?) A trap question. Ian tranted it to the members and thought of an answer. It was a question that could create a bad impression of the domestic fans if answered wrong. *No, no. We just want to focus on our work. Its not that we are pressured by the fans. We just dont have any thoughts of dating. Among the members who hesitated to answer, Lee Ju-hyuk answered in broken English, and Kim Hyun trusted Ians interpretation. Thats right. We dont even think about dating anyone right now. We like working. The other members agreed with Kim Hyuns answer. -Aww look at them trying to smooth things over -Its true that they are pressured, right? Theres no country as sensitive as ours about idol dating lol -Why do they keep asking these questions? They do it all the time -From their perspective, its a weird fan culture, so they keep asking and we cant help it -Ugh just look at them, they are so annoying. Where did theye from to mess around? When the members finished their words, Ian spoke as a representative. *Caden, we dont want to say anything bad about our fans. Theres nothing bad about them. Never. (*Okay, I get it.) *First of all, we are busy. We have a world touring up next year, and we have a lot of things to do in the future. So we dont have time, and as Ju-hyuk said, its a time to focus on our work, so we dont even think about dating or anything. (*Oh, you wont budge easily.) Caden conceded and showed his palms and leaned back on his chair. -? -Did he just say world tour? -World tour? Cant we see them again? -OMG the world tour schedule just came out -Holy cow 3 days in Gocheok -Crazy Busan!!! Scream!! Ian didnt mean to spoil it. The agency had prepared to surprise the fans by announcing the world tour schedule at this moment. They had to cancel the concert hall schedule they had booked in advance because of the hiatus this year, and it was hard to book again. Instead, they had reserved a 25,000-seat Gocheok Dome for 3 days in Korea from early next year, and a 30,000-seat super arena-level concert hall overseas. It was several times bigger than when Awi had their first world tour. (*Maybe this kind of control makes K-pop artists more attractive.) *Yes. Control is good. We like being controlled by our fans, by Awy-doms. (*Oh! Wow, you are really savvy. I like it.) Caden shouted and pped at Ians witty answer. The audience also responded. (*Im really sorry, I hope we can meet in person and have afortable conversation in this studio next time.) *We hope so too. We hope that day wille soon. Thats what he said? Caden smiled faintly. (*By the way, do you have any ns for your next album after this one? Im sure the fans here in the studio would love to hear some good news.) It implied the same thing as saying, why dont you release any songs or albums here? Youre popr here too. Ian smiled meaningfully and said, *We do have a project that were trying for the first time since our debut. The members chuckled. (*Youre making me excited by yourughter.) It was a coboration song with a foreign singer. And the first carol song by Awi, which was done with Hailey Poles, was all in English. (*Can you give us a little hint?) *Its no fun if you know in advance. (*I know, you guys are not easy to deal with. I wont ask you any more difficult questions.) *One thing I can tell you is, its a song that suits the best moment that you like the most Hey, stop it. Someone shut Ian up. The members shouted as they understood some of Ians words. Kim Ju-young, who was sitting behind him, covered Ians mouth, and Jo Tae-woong covered his ears and yelled loudly. (*Good.) Caden smiled satisfied. It took some time to deliver the words because it was done remotely, but there was someone who spoke English, so they didnt waste time on interpretation. So they were able to talk more in the interview, but Caden made a mischievous expression and nced at the prompter. What kind of question are you going to ask this time? Ian stiffened. He had a simr expression to when he was asked about his girlfriend. (*Oh. This is very interesting. There was a newspaper article yesterday about an interview with a Japanese idol group. To summarize, they said that K-pop was influenced by Japans idol culture in the 1960s and) Japan? Why is Japan here? Kim Joo-young whispered to Ian from behind. Wait, they said, Japans legacy, which has been going on since the 60s, influenced Asian culture, and K-pop and Asian culture are basically from Japan. We listen to Midia and Awis music often and we are proud of them as fellow Asians. Who said that in Japan? It doesnt matter who said it. The members clenched their mouths at Ians real-time interpretation. They didnt know how to react to this. -What the hell are they talking about -Excuse me, why do you feel proud of K-pop lol -But why does Awy look like that? Is heughing or crying? -Lol Ive seen that expression a lot lol The members tried to hold back theirughter. [Yeah, theyre called Kiseki, theyre kind of famous in Japan Theyre trying to enter the U.S. market. I think thats why they did the interview?] Thats a weird thing to say. [They were also vicariously satisfied when Midia seeded, saying it was a victory for the same Asians.] (*What do you think of this statement?) Caden made a face that said, Didnt expect this, did you? Ian wanted to see his face change to a perplexed one again. Guys, be careful not to get too excited. Before answering, Lee Joo-hyuk whispered to the members. Its not so much exciting as kind of funny. How do we say this? Ill say it. While the members hesitated, Ian licked his dry lips with his tongue and stared at the camera. *Strictly speaking, we are influenced by the boy band system of pop, but anyway, it doesnt matter who is the original. I think its meaningless to argue about that. (*Why do you think so?) *Some people call us just idols, but we are producers, singer-songwriters, and artists who make music. We are proud of that. -Theyre so confident -Look at Ians speech speed lol -Even the same members cant understand him lol Caden waved his hand as if to say, keep going. *It doesnt matter who influenced whom and which country influenced which. There is music, right? Something that canmunicate regardless ofnguage or race or nationality. Some kind of primal thing. (*Thats a good thing to say.) *My favorite singer said something. Music has no limits and we have to Caden repeated Ians words. (*Make people understand each other through music more than anything else. Steve Evermore said that.) *Yes, he is a legend. Anyway, it doesnt matter who is the original and whether its Korea or Japan or pop or Asian pop. They are also singers who make music. (*Okay, I get what youre saying.) *I dont want to say anything about their statement. The only thing I want to say is, we are seven talented artists and Ian scanned the members one by one and then turned his head to face the camera. *We are proving ourselves with our music. To be honest, Ian had never heard a song by the group called Kiseki. They didnt have any songs that were famous enough to be known overseas. They were saying, our culture came to you! It was like challenging them to a musical showdown instead of arguing about who was the original of this K-pop culture that had be so popr. Caden looked satisfied and the audience in the local studio gave them a standing ovation. (*Thank you for your great answer. Oh, look at the time. Im sorry, but I think we have to end the interview with you here.) *Oh, is it already time? (*I know, right? Im very sorry too. Can I see you next to me next time?) *Someday, if the time is right. Well dly stand by your side. (*How romantic, I like it. That was the talented seven from Korea, Awy. Lets watch their stage, Blue hour together.) There was a three-second silence, and then the screen went off. The staff shouted that the interview was over and congratted them. Thank you! The members also got up and bowed. Hey, Ian, what did you say earlier? Jo Tae-woong shook Ians shoulder and urged him to answer. Ian told the members what he had said to Caden, and the staff who were curious also gathered around Ian. I said something like this. Wow. Wow! The members cheered. You nailed it. Should we make a book of quotes? Choi Ian, you should rap too. Youd be good at dissing. Ah, Park Jin-hyuk, youre a rap parrot again. While the members gave Ian thumbs up and praised him, Lee Joo-hyuk, who was touching his chin and thinking about something, raised his head. But isnt our pre-recorded stage videoing up after the interview? Yeah. The one we did at the Independence Gate Oh. ! Chapter 199: Chapter 199: Chapter 199 Hows the Survival? JPN Kiseki says The origin of K-pop is in Japan in the 1960s. AWY Ian responds Prove it with music. The controversy over their statements AWY, appearing on Caden Hurt Show Enthralls the world with witty interview and powerful performance AWY Caden Hurt Show appearance dominates the global charts in 100 countries Caden Hurt Show was a popr talk show in the US as well, so it received immediate reactions from everywhere. Along with the album released this year, the songs from the previous albums also climbed up the overseas music charts and made aeback. -Isnt it ridiculous? If they were right, Japanese idols should have been on top of K-pop long ago. -But who is Kiseki? -The answer is awesome, really But its not baseless, its actually true, which makes it more awesome -Look at AWYs copyright list swag Not only in Korea, but also overseas, the response was hot. On major overseasmunity sites, there were posts andments rted to AWY, and the overseas AWY fans were busy making materials such as promotional posts and stage interpretations by tranting them diligently. -I expected a werewolf concept, but the stage was different from what I expected? I feel a solemn atmosphere. Maybe its because of the building behind? Do you want to see this? Its aeback show stage, and this might suit your taste better. -After watching the interview, I thought, lets see how good they are, but the music and performance exceeded my expectations, so, where do I join the fan club? -My 4 minutes disappeared in an instant. -But whats that thing behind that looks like a gate? Hi! Im a French AWY fan! This is rted to the painful history of Korea. The stage of Caden Hurt Show received a lot of attention because they had put a lot of effort into it. In addition, the Independence Gate in the background also attracted attention, and it unintentionally became a Korea-Japan issue. AWY Caden Hurt Show performs on a meaningful stage with the Independence Gate on the Liberation Day They informed the Korean history JPN media, AWY, Ians statement is regrettable but agreeable Its a fact that JPN contents have already been surpassed by the Korean Wave -What do you expect us to do when you express regret -Do they care about the Korean Wave? Who are they coborating with? -But hows the reaction in Japan? Japanese AWY fans are fighting with the right-wingers? -Kiseki, good luck with your US debut^^7 I hope you achieve your dream of topping the Billboard^^ What? Are you a fan of Japan? Its sarcasm, you idiot. Learn to read the context. There are so many illiterates. AWY, the actual party, felt good and nervous about the explosive reaction. We didnt intend to do this. It wasnt in the script we received in advance. They just looked for an anniversary that coincided with the timing, and they didnt mean to put so much meaning into it. Who would have thought that a topic rted to Japan woulde up in a live interview. [The big picture came out.] It must be a forced big picture. Ian, the actual party, didnt like this kind of attention, but Jin seemed to like this situation. As the words piled up, the fabrication became more and more severe, and the atmosphere was overheating. This makes me nervous about the next one. There were a lot of words about AWY everywhere. Themunity praised AWY and Ian for saying the right thing, and they were angry at Japan for trying to stick a spoon in the already done K-pop. They even didnt hesitate to make hateful remarks about Japan and Kiseki. The nationalistic YouTubers cleverly edited the videos of AWY and Kiseki, and uploaded videos as if they had given a cultural blow to the arrogant Japanese. Well, its good to be more famous with this. Ianforted himself. This kind of issue was necessary to make their name known. Wow, hey Ian, look at this. Kim Hyun, who was browsing SNS, tapped Ians shoulder. On Kim Hyuns phone screen, there was a blue check mark on the celebritys tweet. *SteveE. @Steve_Evermore I watched Caden Hurt Show today and I was very impressed. The talented young artists from Korea, I personally like their Dawn. @Alwayswithyou_BHL Contact me when youe to the US, Id love to talk to you about music. The pop legend that Ian mentioned, Steve Evermore, posted a message on his personal SNS. And it was a thoughtful message that even tagged AWYs official SNS ount. What does Steve say? Ian tranted Steve Evermores message with a nk face. The members faces brightened up. Steve Evermore, SE, the pop star who was worthy of the word legend, was a singer who left a big mark on the history of pop. He was still actively working and every album and song he released climbed to the top, breaking his own record. Wow Awesome. The members stared at each other nkly and then burst into smallughter. It was amazing that Steve Evermore mentioned them, but he even wanted to talk to them about music, which was no different from a love call to work on a song together. Sniff Sniff Everyone was silently tapping each other and making strangeughter. The members of Fever, who were about to enter their practice room, stopped for a moment at the entrance of the emergency exit. Hello, hyungs. Uh, heh Yeah, hi Huh They had be immune to Awys weird behavior. The Fever members greeted Awy briefly as they passed by and entered their practice room. Through the transparent door of the practice room, they saw that the Awy members were not justughing softly, but bursting intoughter while looking at each other. They must have something good going on. Lee Hayan, who had a short training period and was not yet used to Awys weird behavior, watched the situation in the lounge with a nk expression. They must have. Look at their reaction. Its crazy. I wondered why they were like that at first. Especially Ian hyung. He was a bit different from what I imagined, you know? Ah Ian, he was also a member of Awi. Lim No-eul, who had been a fan of Awi and Ian before bing a trainee, was the only fan who had seen the Awi members ruin their image in real time while ying with each other. Lets practice. *** They had the buzz to enter the US market right away, but it was not easy to produce songs or albums. Awy had stopped their activities at the beginning of the year, so their Japanese album release, US debut schedule, and tour schedule were all postponed to next year. Lee Byung-hun, the CEO of BHL Entertainment, browsed the inte reaction of Awy while waiting for someone at the promised ce. Such a pity, such a waste. Lee Byung-hun was disappointed. But he had no regrets about the teams activity suspension, because Jo Tae-woongs health was the priority. When a hasty n was made, there were bound to be variables. Oh, CEO. You were here already. As he was thinking, the door opened and someone came in and sat down. Lee Byung-hun hardened his expression. Yourete, PD? CEO, you cant hide your jokes on your face. Is, is that so? Lee Byung-hun coughed. The other person was Lee Jong-soo PD, who had aired Park Jin-hyuks cheating on the broadcast. He was a PD from JBTC who had seeded in another music variety show and was gaining a reputation in the broadcasting station. He had been maintaining a good rtionship with BHL Entertainment even after Awys reality show, nning Fevers debut reality show and so on. First of all, Im really sorry. I have something to show you, CEO. Hey, youre not thatte. Weve seen each other more than once or twice Why are you suddenly being so formal? Lee Jong-soo PD took out a thick pile of paper from his bag and handed it to Lee Byunghun. It was a proposal for a new program. Awi, those kids. They dont have any overseas schedules this year, right? Ah, yes. No wonder he sounded so excited when he asked for a meal. Lee Byunghun smiled. There wont be any need for me to pay the bill today. He had originally suggested a meal to thank him for taking care of Fevers reality show and to chat casually. Lee Jong-soo PD watched Lee Byung-hun scan the proposal with a nervous expression. Those Awy kids. I have to beg them toe out now, right? Wow, their poprity is amazing They were different from the start, those kids. I really didnt expect them to do so well, you know? Lee Jong-soo PD praised Awy excessively and fawned over him. He knew well that he had to put aside his personal friendship and focus on business. Awys price was too high to be swayed by friendship. Awy was so popr that they didnt have to go out for variety shows or anything like that. Thats why they were the number one celebrities that the broadcasting stations wanted to get. I have to get Awy. Awy was a brand itself. That meant that the profits from advertising would be huge. And Awy members had musical depth that was different from others, so they could make good content and ratings without relying on Awys poprity. PD, if youre a pro, well also consider it positively As expected, its a music variety show from PD, right? The honorific at the end of the sentence, Lee Byung-huns way of saying that he would put friendship aside and focus on business. Lee Jong-soo PD swallowed his saliva. Yes, I n to maximize Awy members musical strengths. This. How is the schedule? Lee Byung-hun closed the proposal and tapped it with his finger. Lee Jong-soo PD delivered a decisive blow. The director promised me the weekend prime time slot if Awys appearance is confirmed. Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 6 p.m., of course, its negotiable. If CEO decides, Ill actively reflect it. Thats good. The PDs proposal was quite tempting. A program that suggested going back to their pre-debut days and busking. There was also a randommunication time with fans, and a growth story that showed how they worked hard as trainees and became global singers. The scheduling time was also a privilege that the agency could decide, and more importantly, there was a structure that highlighted each members individuality. Wait, this is a good opportunity, isnt it? Lee Byung-hun sipped his water and pursed his lips. Can we also add a survival element? Really? I have an idea that I thought of before This PD will like it too. PD Lee Jong-sus face brightened up in an instant. His tone changed from formal to casual, and his counter-proposal was as good as an eptance. Of course, why not? Good. PD, have you seen the YANG Entertainment survival show? Yes. Why is he bringing up the survival show all of a sudden? PD Lee Jong-su nodded his head nervously. How about aposing survival? As soon as he heard that, PD Lee Jong-su choked on his water and spilled it on his pants. Lee Byung-hun didnt like survival shows very much because of the malicious editing that Kim Hyun had experienced. A survival show? But you dont like survival shows, boss. Its just a name, PD. I know youll take good care of each kid. Of course. I hate things like evil editing. Right, and we have a lot of talented kids. Joo-hyuk, Jin-hyuk, Ju-young, these three are the mainposers, you know? Dont you think itll make a good picture? Even if its just a name, its still apetition, right? Dont we need a prize? PD Lee Jong-su, who loved music, was quite excited by the idea of having three different and diverse styles of music from theposers. The other four members could either focus on the lyrics or join theposing teams. That would be nice too. Lee Byung-hun gave him the final nail. A prize? Nothing much. Just the title of the next album. Thatll make the kids go crazy, wont it? Chapter 200: Chapter 200: Chapter 200 Dont be satisfied with that. The home master takes a picture of the singer, edits it nicely, and uploads it on SNS. They also make and sell goods such as calendars or diaries with the pictures they took, and spend the money on the singers debut or birthday ads or gifts. The home master also generates ie from other things, and Ida-sol came to an independent theater in Jongno for a joint video meeting of the top two home masters of Ian. Unnie! Idasol waved her hand. Jang Min-hee, who was wandering in front of the theater, stood in front of her. Did you wait long? I just got here too, its been a long time since I came to Haean Theater. Jang Minhee looked at Haean Theater withplicated eyes. She was also a home master, and she dreamed of these things when Kim Yongmin debuted. I also wanted to have a video meeting in a ce like this The personal video meeting of the home master was a culture that existed even when she was a fan of the second-generation idol Diamond. How did you book it? I couldnt do it because I only saw a white screen. I set up an alert and kept watching until I caught a canceled one. The video meeting of the popr home master was hard to book as it caused a ticketing war. It was a joint video meeting of Iron Heart, who has been maintaining the top seed by taking good pictures since Ians debut, and Sign Out, who has a reputation for video editing that makes people wonder if he works in that field. Ians fans were eager to go to the video meeting as soon as the teaser video came out, and eventually the traffic on the booking window exploded. Lets go get the tickets first. Ida-sol led Jang Minhee up the theater esctor. Inside the theater, there were already fans with Ian-rted goods gathered in groups. Dont we have to buy goods? Goods? Do you have anything you want to buy, unnie? Uh I have to see first, right? Lets go see after we get the tickets. Jang Min-hee followed Idasol nkly. Is buying goods not mandatory? These days, video meetings are different The video meeting she had in mind was the old one, the second-generation home masters video meeting. At that time, the home master really operated a personal homepage. They gave the best seats to the paid members of the homepage, and the second-best seats to the goods reservists, giving them different benefits depending on how much money they spent. Well, these days, people wouldin if they give preferential treatment to those who have money. Jang Minhee received the ticket that Ida-sol gave her. The seats are random, right? Even if we stick together? Yes, its not a good seat because its a canceled ticket. But it doesnt matter where you watch it. Thank you. The ticket was like a concert ticket, with a hologram sticker on it, and Ians picture was also printed nicely on one side. Jang Minhee smiled apologetically and looked at Idasol. Why dont youe with your friend, Eunha, was it? Shes busy following Ian around these days. Oh, shes finally following him around That must be really hard. I know, right? Kim Eunha, who bought a camera on installment as soon as Awy resumed their activities, followed Ian around to take pictures of him. She said that her followers increased because Ian was popr, and she bragged to Ida-sol once. I havent seen her face for a while. Its busy to follow all the schedules. She doesnt do anything crazy, right? Maybe? I dont really know. She seems to have a bit of a stubborn personality Idasol frowned slightly and muttered. She seemed to show some signs of obsession Kim Eunha was busy with her own life, and Idasol didnt bother to contact her first. Sometimes when they contacted each other, the conversation turned to topics that she didnt want to hear, and now they became like distant acquaintances. Hey, she wouldnt go that far, right? Anyway, I likeing with you more, unnie. Right? Jang Minhee smiled brightly. She thought she couldnt make a fan friend at her age, but she was d to have Idasol. They headed to the goods sales booth that was set up in one space. It was already crowded with fans. Wow, this is pretty. How about this? Arge frame! Wow Its pretty, but I cant hang it on the wall Im embarrassed by my husband. Hey, dont mind him. But theres no one who supports your fandom as much as your brother-inw, right? In the end, Jang Min-hee bought a key ring and attached it to her bag. The ribbon key ring with Ians name on it didnt look like a fan good, so it was possible to cosy as a normal person. Did you buy all that? Yes! I have a lot of money! Ida-sols bag was full of goods that she chose without hesitation. She hugged her bag with both hands and smiled happily. Lets go in, its time. Was happiness contagious? Jang Min-hee also felt cheerful and walked into the theater with light steps. Wow, its already full. Lets sit quickly. The fans were already seated. They were enjoying the pre-screening atmosphere by uploading photos of Ians doll and ticket on SNS. Jang Minhee also took a photo of her ticket with the screen as the background. Wow! Its starting! The lights in the theater gradually dimmed. It would be more exciting if there was a voice-over. Some fans screamed, and everyone joined in. Wow, crazy. As soon as the first video yed, Jang Min-hee covered her mouth with her hand. It was a video of Ian and the members during their trainee days at BHL Entertainment, busking on Daehak-ro. The fans cheered loudly at the rare sight of their pre-debut days. Unnie, you said you were there, right? Yeah Wow, how did they get that video? Its before their debut. Maybe they followed them around since then? They must have been famous for their handsome faces even as trainees When the cheers died down, Idasol and Jang Minhee also closed their mouths and enjoyed the screening. The editing is really no joke. The most heated reactions were from the concert stage with the explicit choreography, and the summer event stage where they danced in wet clothes. The fans screamed loudly, and someughed at someones groaning sound. Its really good Ida-sol Thank you. In a blink of an eye, an hour and 40 minutes passed. Idasol and Jang Minhee walked out of the theater with their feet bouncing. There were a lot of unreleased videos, right? Yeah, I have to buy the Sign Out DVDter. The fans left the coastal theater with satisfied expressions. Their phones rang with notifications. Idasol and Jang Minhee were no exception. What is it? The kids must have something up. AWYs official MyTube ount had uploaded a teaser video without any notice. It was uploaded just now, and the view count was still 3.
    1. How are you feeling these days?
The words appeared on a ck screen. Soon, the screen blurred and showed the individual members of AWY in a meeting room, along with their voices. (What can I say, its really great. It doesnt feel real. Its like heaven these days. Its a blessing to have fans who trust and support us.) The first answer was from Jo Tae-woong. He smiled brightly and answered. (Actually, its like a dream. I hope its not a dream.) Park Seo-dam also smiled shyly and answered. (My body is tired, but Im happy. I endured the long trainee period for this. I think I might cry if I think about it.) Kim Hyun looked at the camera with aplicated expression. But his face looked bright. Wow, Ian changed his style. Wow. He rarely changes his hair. They could notice a lot of changes in Ians appearance after about 2 seconds.
    1. Things have changed a lot around you, how do you feel?
(A lot of people contacted me. I also cut off some rtionships. Its exhausting, but I think its okay.) Lee Joo-hyuk answered with a bitter smile, staring into space. (They say things are different when you be famous, and its true. The way people treat me changed. I felt a lot of emptiness. Im enough as I am, but what was I before?) Park Jinhyuk also had a rare stern expression.
    1. If you could go back to your debut days, what advice would you give yourself?
(Dont be anxious no matter what situation you face. Actually, Im still anxious, but its better now. And go to the restaurants you couldnt go to before you became famous.) Kim Ju-young joked and shrugged his shoulders, and the next turn was finally Ians. (Debut days So, you mean, if I go back to the past?) Ian made a strange expression when he heard the question. He had already experienced going back to the past, so the question felt real to him. (Dont be satisfied there. You havent even started yet.) Ian looked at the camera lens with a determined expression. Ida-sol and Jang Minhee held each others hands tightly. (You have a lot more to achieve.) The screen changed after Ians interview, and the words appeared with a video of the AWY members practicing something in the background. Their special daily life begins. Our time : AWY Coming soon What?! Unnie, they didnt have any schedule, right? They didnt! Doesnt the interview background look like a broadcastingpany meeting? Wow, I think so! Unnie, awesome! Lets look at it again. Jang Min-hee, who had a long leash for her fandom, could tell at a nce. They were jumping around, forgetting the eyes of other people, when two other fans who were nearby approached them stealthily. Excuse me Have you seen this? Do you know what this is? Wait a minute, I think this sister saw something. They were strangers, but they were fellow fans. They stood around and looked at the ce where Jang Min-hee had discovered something. Here, this part. It does look like a broadcasting station. But if it was a broadcasting station, wouldnt there be some eyewitness ounts? Like from the staff They didnt follow the rule of not consuming the leaked content on themunity. They all consumed it privately, knowingly or unknowingly. The program nned by PD Lee Jongsoo was kept strictly secret, so the insiders didnt leak it easily. Can we zoom in on the reflection in the mirror? I think this is the end, sister. Jang Min-hee made a disappointed eyebrow. Suddenly, one fan who was next to Ida-sol screamed. Then she searched for something on her phone and showed it to them. Wait! That color arrangement Isnt that JBTC? This! Idasol and Jang Minhee opened their mouths wide as they looked at the JBTC logo on the screen. Wow, I think youre right! Awesome, what is it? Maybe its a reality show? Anyway, doesnt that mean well get some new content soon?! They hugged each other and jumped around, forgetting that they had just met. But did you see Ians expression at the end? So cool. I saw it! Oh my god, really. But did you eat? No, not yet Then do you want to go eat with us? Ida-sol and Jang Min-hee could easily be friends with strangers. The more fandom friends, the better. Chapter 201: Chapter 201: Chapter 201 Im not giving up my title Guys, can youe up to the conference room for a minute? Sure. The members of Awy,, who were preparing for the stages of the songs for their world tour next year, headed to the office on the ground floor at the call of their manager, Lim Jin-woo. This isnt the conference room, is it? Thats the presidents office over there? Why is the president calling us all of a sudden? Its scary. The members stared nkly at the que on the door that said president. They had only been to the presidents office once, when they had caused a scandal with Jujak. Did we do something wrong again? Park Jin-hyuk, who felt his feet go numb for no reason, swallowed his saliva and Lim Jin-woo smiled faintly. Its not that. Lets go in. Lim Jin-woo knocked on the door and opened it after a brief pause. Hello, president. Lee Byung-hun greeted them with a bright smile. Awy was now the pir of BHL Entertainment in name and reality, so Lee Byung-hun felt like he saw a halo behind the members. Did youe? Hows the practice going? Yes. The members sat down with a nervous look on their faces. It was rare for Lee Byung-hun to call them like this, rather than visiting the practice room where Awu was. Lee Byung-hunughed at the expression of the members. I didnt call you because of bad news You know youre going to do a reality show, right? The one that goes on MyTube? We know that. The members nodded their heads. All the overseas schedules were nned for next year, so they were going to focus on domestic activities this year. They had finished their album activities and were filling their schedules withmercials and events, as well as shooting their own content for the fans. Thats been canceled. Then isnt that bad news? Park Seo-dam frowned. It would have been better to leave some breadcrumbs for the domestic fans while they were on tour. [Did something bettere in?] Probably. Ian waited silently until Lee Byung-hun opened his mouth. Instead of your own content, a broadcasting station will air your reality show. JBTC, broadcast time is Saturday 8 p.m. Wow, really? Weekend prime time. The members opened their mouths in astonishment. Whos directing it? You guys know him well, PD Lee Jong-soo. Kim Ju-young slightly frowned. Ah, is that PD going to do something like horror special again? I really hate scary things. Its going to be different this time. Lee Byung-hun handed out a paper that summarized the PDs proposal in one page. Lets do a survival show. What? The members looked at Lee Byung-hun with a dumbfounded face and reached out for the proposal. Ah, lets look at it together. Dontpete with this. The members pushed and shoved each other to see the proposal first. In the end, they gathered behind Kim Hyun, who had grabbed the paper, and looked over the proposal. Songwriting survival? Huh. Hyung, youre our leader. Kim Ju-young tapped the shoulders of Lee Joo-hyuk and Park Jin-hyuk. The weekend prime time show of JBTC, Our time, was a music show, which was PD Lee Jong-soos specialty. But were seven, so one person will be left out, right? Well have to see how the teams are formed when we start filming. This PD will do a good job. This PD had epted Lee Byung-huns suggestion of a songwriting survival, as long as it didnt interfere with his own n. If its PD Lee Jong-soo, I can trust him. He wasnt thrilled when he heard the word survival, but it was different if it was this PD. It was a cable channel, but it was a weekend prime time show, and it was only Awy who appeared, and PD Lee Jong-soo had also highlighted each member well in the previous reality show of Awy, earning the trust of the fans. [Its pretty serious for an idol show.] It sounds fun. But its apetition, so there must be some prize, right? The members who were the main songwriters, Lee Joo-hyuk, Park Jin-hyuk, and Kim Joo-young, were the leaders, and they would form teams and work on songs that would be judged by a famous producer and voted by the viewers. President, what do you give to the winning team? Lee Byung-hun smiled slyly at Ians question. The next album title. The members, who had been excited about the new show until then, had a serious look on their faces. Title? Yes, Im going to make sure you canpete only with the songs youve worked on. Lee Byung-hun smiled as if he knew the atmosphere would change in an instant. Ill personally arrange the external judges. And the viewer voting will be based only on listening to the songs. It was inevitable that it would turn into a poprity vote if there were popr members in the team. Thats why they were going to keep it a secret who worked on the songs. But isnt it a bit unfair for me to be the leader? Kim Ju-young, who had been worrying about something, muttered softly. Why are you saying that? Youre suspicious already. Is he alreadyying the groundwork? Ian and Jo Tae-woong teased Kim Ju-young, who was already nervous. There was hardly a song in Awys album that the songwriting members didnt touch. The album came out in a short period of time, so they worked on the songs in a division ofbor rather than one person making them alone. Kim Ju-young also participated in the songwriting as an assistant to Lee Joo-hyuk and Park Jin-hyuk, but he hadnt worked on anything by himself except for remixes. Unfair? Ju-young, Im having a hard time too. Do you think we have such a big gap in skills that you need a handicap, a handicap? Lee Joo-hyuk and Park Jin-hyuk sighed deeply. Park Seo-dam and Jo Tae-woong, who were not songwriters, had alreadyined. Shouldnt we get the handicap, hyung? Right. Do we do anything like writing lyrics? Arent they going to bully us if were on the same team as the leaders? Ian smiled faintly. It wouldnt be bad to try participating in songwriting this time. Choi Ian, hes a bit trained, so hes rxed. Kim Hyun grumbled and hit Ians shoulder. I think its not just songwriting Ian didnt miss Lee Byung-huns meaningful expression for a moment. [Usually they show the stage at the end of this kind of thing. Dont we have to do the choreography and concept ourselves?] Oh, no. [But its amazing. It doesnt seem like a good idea to divide the sides like this.] He had improved his dancing skills to the point where he could follow along, but choreography creation was a different field. Ian frowned slightly as Lee Joo-hyuk raised his hand. Then when do we start filming? Soon. Anyway, be prepared for that. The manager will let you know the detailed schedule. The members who left the presidents office went back to the practice room, chatting with each other. Isnt it just like riding a bus if we have Lee Park Kim as the leaders? I saw the proposal earlier and the songwriting survival is like one episode? There were other things too, right? What was it masked busking? Huh, what is that? It sounds fun. But why did the president suddenly do a survival? It was strange that the president called them and hinted at a group variety schedule. The Awi members also knew well that Lee Byung-hun hated survival-type shows. Did the songwriting survivale from the presidents idea? Ian couldnt erase his nervous expression. Suddenly, Lee Joo-hyuk, who was standing next to Ian, muttered to himself. I have to be very nervous. Hyung? Why? He had a lot of experience, and Lee Joo-hyuk had been learning songwriting since he was a trainee, and he had also worked on a lot of good songs that could be the title in a short period of time. You dont know because you havent worked with them, but those two are no joke. Really? Lee Joo-hyuk rarely hardened his expression. There was a share of contribution in songwriting. Lee Joo-hyuk had the highest contribution among them, and after he got out of the producing of ck Rush Jung Se-jun in the early debut, there was no song that Lee Joo-hyuk didnt touch. Im not giving up my title. Thats why youre our leader. Ian chuckled. He liked the way he didnt getcent and kept working hard. *** Yes! That was good! The Awy members wore white sweaters and held gift boxes, looking at the camera. The sound of Jo Tae-woong mumbling something made the membersugh out loud. The photographer didnt miss that moment. Theyrefortable. No abuse of power from the agency, theyre polite and diligent models. Didnt the atmosphere just get really good? The staff looked at Awy, who were working hard, with a pleased expression. The higher the level of the advertising model, the more ambiguous the position of the advertiser became. Awy was the number one choice for advertisers in the advertising industry these days. As the level increased, so did the advertising fee, but honestly, the advertising fee was not a problempared to the profit they got from using the advertising model. The problem was that sometimes the agency of the advertising model made unreasonable demands to the advertiser. They said things like, how can you do this much with this level of star, or the photo results are weird. I wish we could work with them again. BHL Entertainment had also reviewed the advertising n in advance, but they didnt say anything like that. From the perspective of the staff, it was a very goodpany to do advertising with. Yes, were done shooting! Thank you! The Awy members bowed their waists. They dly epted the requests of the people who asked for photos and signatures. They were in a good mood. Were shooting an ad for a duty-free shop. We made it, we made it. This will be hung up big at the airportter. Thats awesome. They had seen the ads of the top stars on the airport billboard every time they left the country, and wondered if they would ever be like that. Thats why it felt more real to them. Do we have a meeting at the broadcasting stationter? I wonder what theyre going to do. Wouldnt this PD do a good job for us? No, you cant trust this PD. Kim Ju-young hardened his expression as he remembered thest reality show of Awy. -What do you think Awys Our Time will be like? Maybe something like camping and healing, since the interview was heartbreaking Ju-young became a hot topic after his rural life, maybe something simr I wish it was PD Lee Jong-soo If its Lee Jong-soo, wouldnt it be music? -But do they do a healing reality show for idols on Saturday at 8 p.m.? And only them?? Thats a special favor even for a cable channel Its Awy Honestly, theyre doing well now, JBTC is smart They dont have Zugeudol, so they say its a favor Chapter 202: Chapter 202: They were digging into you. Lawyer Jeong Yeon-jae of Seo & Woo Law Firm received a phone call after stayingte at the office. Hey, Ian. (Hello, uncle. How have you been?) Im busy with work, how about you? (Im doing well, too. Are you free right now?) Lawyer Jeong felt suspicious about why Ian called. He must want something from me. He would have gotten updates on thewsuit through his agency, so he probably didnt call to ask about that. Dont worry, I have time for my nephew. What is it? Just tell me. (I want to invest in something, can you help me?) Invest? Sure, thats not hard. Lawyer Jeong rolled his pen and wrote down some things that came to his mind on a memo. (Thank you, Ill pay you back.) Hey, its not a big deal, why are you so (No, this kind of thing needs careful calction.) Youre just like your grandfather in that regard. Lawyer Jeong chuckled softly. Did he remember what I said before? He wondered if he had given him false hope, but he also had a strange feeling that Ian would do well. Hmm, Ill find you a good investmentpany or agent. (Thank you very much.) This is nothing. But, are you starting to invest? (Let me try.) Ian recalled his memories from his Kim Yong-min days, but he didnt know much information except for some major events since he wasnt interested in watching them back then. Fortunately, Jin was well-informed about this kind of thing. He decided to use the changed Jin to his advantage. Dont overdo it. (Of course, Im my. grandfathers grandson.) Right, he must have taught you well. Okay, Ill try my best for you. (Okay, see you again with uncle.) Sure, see youter. Ian leaned back on his chair after hanging up. He was worried about his nationality, but luckily he was ssified as a foreigner with domestic treatment and had no trouble investing. I took the first step. He couldnt get involved directly because of his busy schedule. He was d he had someone to help him. Making money is just the beginning, its not my priority. Jin echoed his sentiment. [You cant ignore your connections.] Thats right. What should I do? Ians eyes sparkled. *** The shooting for the advertisement was almost over. The members of AWY used their day off to meet the members of MyKit as a group. Hey, theyre here. Here! Long time no see. MyKit, who were waiting for AWY at the restaurant, waved their hands happily. You came early? Were seeing our superstar after a long time, we have to wait in advance. Oh, stop it. Jo Tae-woong took off his mask and smiled slightly at Kim Cheolmins teasing. Unlike AWY, who were wrapped up in inconspicuous clothes, hats, and masks, MyKit were rtively lightly dressed. Wow, look. Isnt that AWY? Awesome. Despite the partition, some customers recognized AWY. Someone was taking pictures from behind. Did you guys do well? You went to Japan, right? Lee Joo-hyuk tried to ignore the peoples stares and asked. MyKits faces darkened. We came back for a while. We have to go again. Really? Park Seo-dam stopped drinking water and eximed. As the coronavirus situation calmed down a bit, MyKits agency tried to make some money from their Japan activities and sent them back to the underground life. They want us there We cant help it. MyKits leader, Jung Ji-soo, smiled bitterly and changed the topic. Ian, your drama teaser came out, right? Right, I saw it. The E-Flix drama that Ian had filmed, Z-Day, was scheduled to be released early next year after a long editing process. Kim Chul-min recited Ians line from the trailer. He must have tried to act, but it was very clumsy. Hey, Chul-min. Seriously, dont ever act. Why not! Kim Chul-min and Kim Ju-young bickered while the other members chatted with each other in the background. Ian also listened to Kim Chul-min and Park Seons conversation while sitting across from them and politely declined the requests from people who asked him to take pictures. I should get a license or something like Ju-young. Im done with the entertainment industry. Why? Kim Chul-min sighed and said. Ian and Kim Ju-young looked up. I feel like Im just going to be a mediocre deep-sea idol. [He suddenly got serious.] Ian wanted to argue that they were not deep-sea idols, but he knew it would be useless. He silently ate his food and listened to them. Ourpany is not a good one to renew the contract with, and I dont know if any otherpany will take me. Really? Thats not to say Im a golden spoon either. I think I need to learn some skills now. Debuting as an idol meant sacrificing the time of your teens and twenties without any guarantee of sess, so it was a risky choice. I know how you feel Ian smiled bitterly. There were cases where people debuted within a year of bing a trainee, but they were not many. Usually, they entered as trainees from a young age, and the agencies preferred young trainees, so it was even more so. They spent several years as trainees, but they either failed to make it to the debut group or thepany did not have the resources to debut them, so the debut schedule was canceled. That was the first hurdle to debut. I dont know about Japan either. How long can we survive as underground idols? There are so many idols there too They barely managed to debut, but the agency only supported them for about two years. If they did not perform better than the agency expected, they would either abandon them to focus on the next debut group or for some other reason. We cant even do things like Youtube because were tied to the contract. You know whats funny? Ourpany doesnt even allow us to work part-time? Wow. And depending on the contract terms, they could be legally bound to not do anything other than idol activities. Usually, the artist contract was seven years, and if they were men, they had to go to the military, so they could only start anew in their thirties. But by then, they had nothing to show for and nothing to learn, so it was a difficult time. I guess we should be d that we can at least tour in Japan I dont know. Im thinking of trying something like a heavy equipment operator, maybe I can buy one when we tour in Japan? But ourpany never mind. Ian in his Kim Yong-min days had endured stubbornly, but most people gave up on the entertainment industry and looked for other jobs. You guys are lucky. Honestly, I thought you would do well. Youre all talented. Kim Chulmin and Park Seon smiled bitterly. Ian and Kim Ju-young, who were listening from across the table, had nothing to say. Kim Ju-young thought that it could have been his future as well and became lost in thought. Ian felt awkward. *** As they moved to the second ce, Ian received a call fromwyer Jeong Yeon-jae. Yes, uncle. (Hello, Ian. You know the favor you asked me before? I found a good person for you.) Thank you so much. (It turns out he has a connection with your grandfather too. Hell take good care of you.) Really? Grandpa, who are you? Anyway, it was good news. Ian smiled brightly. (Anyway, he liked you when I told him about you. He said to leave it to him.) Then lets have a meal together sometime. The schedule can I contact youter? (Sure.) He had be Choi Ian and thought he only had his face and body to thank for, but he also had the luck and background of his family. Hes lucky. [Does he really have the luck of saving the country?] Ian hung up the phone and was about to enter the restaurant with a light step when he saw Park Seon smoking a cigarette in the alley next to him. Did you smoke before? No. I just started recently. He looked lonely smoking alone, so Ian stood next to Park Seon and looked at the small sky between the alleys. Actually, I dont think ourpany is in a good situation. Howe? ounting is dyed. Isnt that a bit serious? Ian frowned. He couldnt do anything else while ounting was dyed. What was their agency again? [ST Entertainment.] Dont you remember anything? [No.] He searched his past memories, but he had no recollection of ST Entertainment or MyKit. Jin tried to recall something with a mechanical sound, but nothing came up. [Maybe you had a glitch, but you got betterter. So you dont remember?] Is that so? Ian wasnt sure, but he trusted Jins judgment. He had a lot of information, after all. But he still felt uneasy. Well, even if its dyed, some money came in, so itll be fine this time too. It wasnt even the first time this happened. Ian sighed as Park Seon finished his cigarette and exhaled thest smoke. Im sorry to say this when were meeting after a long time. I have nowhere else to talk to You guys are the only ones. The people who keep in touch with us Park Seons nice guy strategy that caught attention at the Arimpycsted for about half a year and then faded quickly. He was only called when his rude character was needed. After he resumed his activities in Japan, even that was gone. Its okay, were friends. Ian had also gone through a slump in the past, so he didnt feel like Park Seons situation was someone elses problem. Park Seons expression brightened a bit at Ians answer. He felt sorry forining to the AWY members who treated him the same even after they became world-famous. We may not say it, but were all grateful to you. What are you thankful for? Its obvious. Arent we all waiting? Lets go in. Ian tapped Park Seons arm. As they were about to enter the restaurant, Park Seon grabbed Ians shoulder. Wait, Ian. Do you know a reporter named Yang In-jun? Yeah. Why? Did something happen? Yang In-jun. The FactPix reporter who offered him a sponsorship and then sent him a weird text message when he refused. He called me out of the blue and asked me about you. In a bad way. Really? What did he ask? About drinking, women, that kind of stuff. So I just hung up. It felt like I shouldnt answer anything. Ians face hardened in an instant. Park Seon hurriedly added. I didnt say anything wrong, did I? I dont know whats going on, but I thought you should know. No, it was really helpful. Thanks for telling me. Hes a FactPix reporter. Theres nothing good about getting involved with him. Wow. Park Seon scowled. It must be hard to be famous. Having such a reporter on your tail. Be careful too. You never know. What would he be interested in a loser like me? Ill let you know if he contacts me again about you. Thanks. Park Seon said that and went inside the restaurant. Jo Taeung was scolding him for beingte. Ian followed him and sat down in an empty seat. The AWY members noticed the bad mood and didnt try to talk to him. Jin. [Yeah.] Anything else useful? Give me more info. Yang In-jun, that guy. He didnt like him from the first time he saw him. What was he up to this time? I need to speed up the n. Chapter 203: Chapter 203: Isnt this a bnce copse? AWY, who had been busy with advertisements, photo shoots, interviews, and other preparations for their overseas activities next year, finally faced the recording day of the variety show Our time with PD Lee Jong-soo. Today is the day we find out our teams, right? I wonder who well be paired with. Our time was not just aposition survival show, so they had a tight schedule. Originally, they nned to show the team formation through various games, but they decided to save time by just doing adder game in the recording studio. Instead, they would focus more on theposition process and each members individuality. Who do you guys want to recruit for your team? Park Seo-dams question was answered by Park Jin-hyuk and Lee Joo-hyuk. Well, it has to be Ian. He canpose and write lyrics to some extent. Choreography creation is a bit vague, but they said they would assign trainers for that anyway. If you want choreography creation, you can also take Hyun, theres one spot left. But it doesnt really matter, since the title is decided only by the song. Well all perform together anyway. Oh, really? Kim Ju-young drooped his shoulders with a tired expression. Wow, if Ian joins Joo-hyuk hyungs team, isnt it over? No, you cant tell until you see the final product. Who knows, maybe you and I will suddenly beposing gods? Park Jin-hyuk consoled Kim Ju-young as he opened the door to the studio. Hello! The AWY members entered the studio and bowed politely. The staffs eyes were all on AWY. Oh, youre here! PD-nim! Their faces looked excited. After Avis appearance on the variety show was confirmed, the production cost had increased due to the influx of sponsorship and advertisement offers. Following the staffs call, PD Lee Jong-soo quickly came to the front of AWY. He shook hands with each member and greeted them warmly. You came early? Its been a while, hasnt it? PD-nim. We look forward to working with you today. Lee Joo-hyuks words made Lee Jong-soo chuckle. Even though they had gained poprity that he couldnt touch casually, they were still polite and nice. He had be close to them after a few meetings, but he liked that they didnt cross the line. I should be the one asking you to work well with me. The personing behind me is our CP-nim. The members turned around and saw a ratherrge person approaching AWY with big strides. He was smiling from ear to ear when he heard you wereing. Lee Jong-soo whispered as if he was telling a secret. Therge figure looked even more intimidating with a suit on. Nice to meet you! Im CP Yoo Joon-hyung. [Oh, wait.] Jin, who was hovering around Ian, teleported to Yoo Joon-hyungs face and stuck his lens to it. What? Ian was puzzled, but he bowed with the other members anyway. Hello. We look forward to working with you! Oh, I should be the one saying that. PD Lee, is there anything you need? Lee Jong-soo silently raised his thumb. I really wanted to meet you guys. Our broadcasting station doesnt have any music shows, you know Oh, is that so? But music shows are not that profitable from the broadcasting stations perspective Can you take a picture with meter? As Yoo Joon-hyungs mouth moved nonstop, the AWY members smiled awkwardly and replied appropriately. CP-nim, these kids have to get ready, so why dont you talk to themter? We have plenty of time anyway. Really? Okay then. PD Lee Jong-soo personally escorted the AWY members to the powder room and whispered to them. Hes a bit talkative, but it wont hurt to get along with him. Is that so? The members answered briefly and moved on. It was obvious that it wouldnt hurt to get along with the broadcasting station CP. But Ian didnt forget that Jin was interested in Yoo Joon-hyung. He slowed down his pace and asked PD Lee next to him. Who is he? [The third son of Baekwoo Daily.] Hes the son of the newspaperpanys president. Jin and Lee Jong-su said at the same time. Ian opened his mouth. Thats interesting. Isnt it? The son of the newspaperpanys president was a broadcasting station CP It was an unusual career. Ian was about to follow the members into the powder room, but he stopped. Wait, if hes the third son of Baekwoo Daily [Thats right. I just remembered too.] Baekwoo Daily was one of the top three mediapanies. It was not just a good connection to have, but a great one. How can I use this An opportunity came knocking. The problem was whether there was a butterfly effect or not. Would anything change much if he gave some advice on a few future facts that he already knew? You never know until you try. The members of AWY who finished their preparations stood in front of the camera. The assistant director handed cue cards to Park Seo-dam and Ian. They nned to fill the broadcast with only AWY members, without any external MCs. Hello! Im the youngest of AWY, Seo-dam, who will be hosting Our time! Im Ian, the assistant host! Park Seo-dam finished the opening and introduced herself. The members pped and cheered. Then, one by one, the members finished their introductions and sat down, waiting for Ian and Park Seo-dam to lead the show. We have a reason foring to this studio, and that is AWYs own songwriting survival! The staff rolled a whiteboard and ced it behind AWY. Is this really adder game? Dont we have any mini games or something? Ian and Park Seo-dam shook their heads. The team assignment ispletely random. But since we have designated leaders, the team bnce should be roughly fair. Okay, can our leaderse forward? Ian gestured, and Lee Joo-hyuk, Park Jin-hyuk, and Kim Ju-young stood side by side. Write your names on the top. Do you have anyone you want to team up with? You. Park Jin-hyuk pointed at Ian. He felt quite good when he was chosen. Ian spoke with a smile in his voice. Is there a reason? I think it would be easier to work with Ian, since he has some experience inposing. Then what about the rest of you? Joo-hyuk hyung? Lee Joo-hyuk thought for a moment and said. I want Seo-dam. His low voice is really good. Park Seo-dam clenched his fist and shouted yes! Ian stood in front of Kim Ju-young. What about you, Ju-young? I also want Ian. The reason is the same as Jin-hyuk hyung. Its my first timeposing alone, so I need someone to help me. But then they seemed to remember the people who were not chosen, and the three of them gathered together and whispered. Ah, its hard to choose. Tae-woong is also good at writing lyrics these days. Thats the same for Hyun. Hes been reading a lot of bookstely. And Hyun is also a survivor of this kind of thing. The ones who were picked were eating the sponsored snacks in the back. Is there anyone you dont want to team up with? Kim Hyun. Park Jin-hyuk answered without hesitation. Kim Hyun shouted why! from the back. We dont get along. Wait, ask us too! I dont want to work with Park Jin-hyuk either! Jo Tae-woong, who was sitting next to Kim Hyun and drinking the sponsored carbonated drink, raised his hand. Then I also dont want Jin-hyuk hyung. I cant rap, but he seems like he would make me rap. Wow, then Im also Jin-hyuks brother! Park Seo-dam quickly raised his hand. Im the leader, but Jin-hyuk. Lee Joo-hyuk joined in and in an instant, all the members pointed to Park Jin-hyuk as the person they didnt want to be in a team with. But Park Jin-hyuk smiled brightly. He seemed to be happy to get attention. I saw your very warm gesture of caring for each other. Before we assign the teams, let me introduce the judges who will review your songs! Ian and Park Seo-dam pointed behind them, and the remaining members looked at therge LED screen behind them. The judges are You know this person well. Bluemix! Oh, nice. Bluemix, who had a connection with Idol Rapper, appeared on the big screen. He was aposer and producer who made a name for himself. Next, a person who AWY also knew well appeared on the screen with shy special effects. It was Kim Hee-sang. Teacher Kim Hee-sang! But pleasee out for real! Wow! Ian had given him a hint to take care of his health, and Kim Hee-sang, a legend of the music industry, did not fall behind the trend despite his age. And, wow You all must have heard this persons songs, right? The digital music powerhouse Lee Hyuna! As Ian spoke, the members collectively eximed in admiration. Even if a fandom-type idol released a song, the chart ranking was below Lee Hyuna. She was a female solo singer who had both poprity and fandom. And VI Entertainments CEO, Choi Jimin! Huh. Choi Jimin, the CEO of VI Entertainment, who was invited by Lee Byung-hunswork, was a producer who had made several of his artists sessful with his innate sense and skills. He was also a first-generation idol. And there are also various guest judges, such as ck Rushs Jung Se-jun, Trot Prince Im Tae-woo, and so on, who agreed to join us for the song review. Shall we do the team matching that youve been waiting for? Before thedder game, the leaders gathered and yed rock-paper-scissors. There were seven people, so thest one was left out. The winner had the privilege of taking the remaining person. Rock-paper-scissors! Yay! As soon as they saw the result, Park Jin-hyuk and Kim Ju-young fell to their knees andy on the floor. Lee Joo-hyuk was jumping around excitedly. Ah! Joo-hyuk is overdoing it! Cut it out! Joo-hyuk can do well on his own, right? They shook their hands and feet and acted like children who wanted to buy toys at the mart, but of course it didnt work. Everyone, dont do this and lets see the result of thedder game! Right! You might get matched with Ian, who you wanted! As soon as they heard that, Park Jin-hyuk and Kim Ju-young sprang up. Since itse to this, Ill take Choi Ian. No way, hes mine? The two argued over the ownership of Ian and looked at the whiteboard with tense expressions. Im not an object, you two. Well, lets see thedder game Huh? As soon as they saw the result of thedder game, Kim Ju-young put both hands on the back of his head. Ah, isnt this a bnce breakdown? Joo-hyuk and Ian! What do you mean bnce breakdown? Im here too. Kim Hyun was happy to be on the same team as Lee Joo-hyuk. He was already standing next to Lee Joo-hyuk and gesturing for Ian toe over. Oh, Seo-dam is good. Not bad. Say its good, not bad, hyung. Park Jin-hyuk was on the same team as Park Seo-dam. Ju-young! I trust only you! Ah, Jo Tae-woong Ah Kim Ju-young had already fallen into despair. Jo Tae-woong rubbed Kim Ju-youngs shoulder and said. No, listen to me. Joo-hyuks team is a strong contender for the win, but the future is still unknown. Why do you think so? Ian gestured for him to continue. What happened to the aveng the revenge-seekers in Project Idol? In the end, another team won, right? It was no use sugarcoating it as revenge-seekers, since he had already mentioned Project Idol. Uh, are you dissing them? No, no, no, thats not what I meant. I was just stating the facts. They were also amazing, but In the end, Jo Tae-woong, who fell for Park Seo-dams trap, tried to salvage the situation and shut his mouth. He looked at the PD and quickly made scissors with his hands in the air. PD-nim, please edit this out. Ill make good use of it. Jo Tae-woong made an X-shaped eyebrow. Ian knew well that there wouldnt be any malicious editing, so he smiledfortably. Well, thats how we finished the team matching! Lets try toplete the song within the given time! Ian and Park Seo-dam stood in front of the camera and wrapped up the show. Soon, the camera light went off and the assistant director shouted. Thats it for the studio recording! Chapter 204: Chapter 204: How are we going to do our busking? How is it? Its just like you. Its obvious. Ugh Ian let out a deted sound and flopped down on the practice room floor. Jo Tae-woong also sat down next to Ian and said. Honestly, even if they notice our voices, they wont be sure that its us, right? Still, it doesnt hurt to be careful. The members of AWY were spending time in the practice room for their masked busking of Our time. What about doing it like this here? But were wearing masks, right? Is this move possible? What if we only wear masks and no clothes? Kim Ju-young and Kim Hyun were standing in front of the mirror and creating choreography, while Lee Joo-hyuk and Park Jin-hyuk were sitting on chairs and writing rap lyrics on paper. Masked busking was a performance where the AWY members wore masks so that the passing people wouldnt notice that they were AWY. They nned to perform at each of their busking spots from their trainee days and then do a joint busking of seven people at night. Kim Joo-young and Kim Hyun would mainly do dance performances, Lee Joo-hyuk and Park Jin-hyuk would do rap, and Ian, Jo Tae-woong and Park Seo-dam would mainly do singing performances. But each of them had distinct vocal tones and styles, so they needed some voice modtion. Hyung, how about me? Let me hear it. Ian and Jo Tae-woong closed their eyes and listened to Park Seo-dams singing. Park Seo-dam abandoned his unique low-tone style and changed her voice tone. Thats Park Seo-dam Yeah. Is it that obvious? He didnt give it away in the intro, but as he continued singing, his own style came out, which was inevitable. If someone had listened to AWYs songs, they would be able to notice and say Hmm? Maybe? It was a song that people who knew AWY could catch on. Ah, this is hard. Cant we use a voice modtor or something? That would ruin the taste of the song. They couldnt concentrate and started to do other things when things didnt go their way. In the end, theyy down side by side in the corner of the practice room and stared nkly at the ceiling. What did you guys decide topose? Park Seo-dam lifted his head and looked back and forth at Jo Tae-woong and Ian who were lying next to him. We? We decided to pick out the songs we like and listen to them to decide on the concept. Kim Ju-young did everything he wanted to do while whining. Hes such a scaredy-cat. Ian chuckled and said, and at the right timing, Kim Ju-young, who was practicing his dance moves, fixed his gaze on Ian. What about you, Ian hyung? We decided to work together during the dorm stay. Hyun hyung also knows a bit, hes done it a few times. Wow, thats a cheat key Park Seo-dam looked at Ian with envious eyes and then stared nkly at the ceiling again. What about you and Jin-hyuk hyung? At Ians question, Park Seo-dam smiled slyly. Were totally hip-hop. Oh, wow. Im going to try rapping too. You? Jo Tae-woong and Ian lifted their heads and looked at Park Seo-dam at the same time. Why? No, its just surprising. Did Jin-hyuk hyung force you to rap? At Jo Tae-woongs question, Park Seo-dam shook his head. Jin-hyuk hyung has improved a lot in singing, you know. I havent tried rapping, but I dont hate it either. Thats true. I dont want to be picky about genres anymore. I might be good at something unexpected. Park Seo-dam was also taking vocal training, guitar lessons, foreignnguage sses, and participating in writing lyrics, but he felt somewhat inadequatepared to his talented hyungs. I have to work hard. To not fall behind. Park Seo-dams expression was full of determination. Then, Kim Ju-young, who had been looking at them with suspicious eyes, suddenly shouted. Hyung! Theyre leaking our survival! Who? Who said something about leaking? What are you doing, spying? The other members who took the bait started a strange skit, looking at the trio lying down. Gentlemen, get up right now. This is not the time to rest. Nah. Jo Tae-woong answered weakly. Look at them lying down while were working hard. How ridiculous? Hyun, why are you lying down then? I want to rest too. How ridiculous? Kim Hyun and Park Jin-hyuk watched each other bicker with tired eyes, and Lee Joo-hyuk, who had been watching them, said to Ian. Are you done with practice? We have to figure out what to do for our group busking too. Oh, right. I dont care. Lee Joo-hyuk, who lost his motivation at Ians answer,y down next to him, and soon all seven members were lying side by side on the floor. So how are we going to do our busking? Lets just do it our way. Think of the songs you want to sing, why are you doing voice modtion and stuff. The people who know will know anyway. But then it wont be as touching. The members groaned at Lee Joo-hyuks words. [Just do it, okay? Why bother so much for a one-time busking?] Even if its a one-time thing, we have to do it well. Not only Ian, but the other members also showed their enthusiasm. They remembered the busking they did as trainees and felt like they were going back to their roots. What should we do? People will really flock if they hear that were busking It was natural that people would flock because they were popr, and that would diminish the meaning of going back to their roots. They wanted to see people flocking to their skills, not their poprity. Besides, there were sasaengs around their dorm andpany. If it was leaked through them, it would be even worse. A few days ago, Kim Myung-jin found a tracker attached to AWYs van. What about this? Ian sprang up and the members eyes were drawn to him. Lets ask manager hyung to make a fake schedule. Then maybe less people wille? Let me take a picture. The manager, Park Ji-hwan, pressed the shooting button. How is it, hyung? It came out well. Should I use this as a base? Yes. Please send me the picture. Ian received the picture from Park Ji-hwan and immediately logged into the official cafe and posted a message. [Ian] Hello, AWY-dom Where do you think this is? Wow Oppa, what are you doing today? Youre so cool The leader oppa also posted a picture earlier, is it a group schedule? UghI want to see you soon Ian smiled softly. He liked the intense expressions and groaning posts on the intemunity, but the official fan cafe required honorifics for the members, so it was polite and soft. Ian liked this atmosphere too. Lets go soon. Okay, did the other teams leave? Yeah, the rap team went to Hongdae and the dance team to Hyehwa. Were going to Gangnam. The same ce where we did busking before our debut. That sounds fun. The vocal team of busking, Jo Tae-woong, Park Seo-dam, and Ian, got into the car and looked out the window with excitement. The weather was really nice. It was not too hot or too cold. Ian hyung, your strategy seems to have worked. Really? What happened? Park Seo-dam showed him a post on amunity site. -What are they doing today? I hope its an advertisement I want a photoshoot Isnt it a variety show? Isnt it filming for Our Time? Anyway, it means they dropped another hint They guessed right about the variety show, but they didnt expect the busking. They wontin that we faked the schedule, right? Our fans? Jo Tae-woong chuckled. The fans would love whatever they did. As long as it wasnt a crime or a romance. Guys, were here. Oh, there? Its all ready. The car that picked them up stopped in front of exit 11 of Gangnam Station. The production staff of Our Time had already set up the equipment for the busking. Theres a mic on the speaker. Were filming now, so just go and perform. Okay. Ian took the mask that Park Ji-hwan handed him. The paper animal masks had the chin part cut out so that they wouldnt interfere with singing, but they looked a bit ridiculous because of that. Im the cat. Who wants the bear? Me! Jo Tae-woong took the bear mask and the remaining rabbit mask went to Park Seo-dam, who put it on his head. Lets go. Ian opened the door. A few people were already waiting in front of the busking spot that had been set up beforehand. Should I y the song? Who wants to go first? Ian, Jo Tae-woong, and Park Seo-dam grabbed the mics and took out their phones that were connected to the speaker via Bluetooth. They yed the AR that they had recorded in advance. Ill go first! Okay, then Seo-dam first. Ian and Jo Tae-woong sat in front of Park Seo-dam and became the audience. Park Seo-dams choice of song was Kim Hee-sangs You in the Memories. It was a lyrical acoustic bad that matched Park Seo-dams charming low voice. Its starting. The rabbit mask is cute. Park Seo-dam held the mic and got into the mood. Then he sang the first verse. Some of the people who were passing by joined the audience as they heard his song. The teacher would like it if he heard it. Ian smiled. He sang a song that suited his color, and it made him look more talented. Whos next? Uh, me. Jo Tae-woong high-fived Park Seo-dam and switched ces with him. Jo Tae-woong chose a song by a famous domestic band. He moved closer to the audience as he followed the rhythm. How was my song? It was good. Lets y it for the teacher too. Park Seo-dam smiled brightly at Ians answer. Everyone, p your hands! With an upbeat song and audience interaction, the crowd cheered loudly. Some of them held up their phones and recorded the scene. What are they doing here? Why are there so many people? Should we take a look? There were so many people gathered around the busking spot that they were blocking the way. It was Ians turn next. He switched ces with Jo Tae-woong and looked at the people in front of him, licking his dry lips. He had been on countless stages, but he still felt nervous. A gentle piano apaniment flowed through the speaker, and Ian sang the first verse. I got goosebumps. But doesnt his voice sound familiar? Some of the audience members swallowed their breaths. Wow, what song is this? Its so good. Ian prepared a pop song. He arranged a song by Hailey Poles, which had a high note explosion at the end, and drew a great response from the audience. He sings really well. Cant you tell hes handsome from his chin up? But his body is also amazing, right? I wish he would take off his mask. Some of them guessed his good looks from his mouth and chin alone, and whispered. Ill y thest song for you. Ians song ended, and thest one was AWYs song, Weekend vibes, which the fans called a hidden gem from theirtest album. I love this song. Huh? But their voices arent they the same? Huh? They are? The other people around them also couldnt hide their curiosity. Come to think of it, they had felt a sense of familiarity from the songs they sang before Could it be As the song was nearing the end, some security guards who had been nearby stood in front of the audience who were watching the busking. Whats going on? Wow, was it a filming or something? Who are they? The people who looked like AWY-dom already covered their mouths with their hands and stomped their feet. Thats it for now The song ended, and the three people who bowed in front of the buzzing crowd lifted their upper bodies and took off the paper masks on their faces. It was AWY! Gasp Someone swallowed their breath as they confirmed their faces, and after a moment of silence, the crowd screamed. Kyaaaaaak! Chapter 205: Chapter 205: It seemed like they had nned it beforehand. Ah! Crazy! What do we do! As soon as they saw their faces, the crowd that had already gathered became even more dense. Even those who were standing still and listening to the song took out their phones from their pockets and snapped pictures of AWY. Who are they, who? AWY? Argh! Shit! Guys! One person who was presumed to be a fan of AWY shouted loudly, making the people nearbyugh. Their original n was to greet the crowd briefly and then get in the car and head to Sinchon, where they had a group busking event. But seeing how much the people liked them, they couldnt easily leave. Did you enjoy our song, everyone! How was it? Too short! Someone yelled loudly, and the audience cheered. Encore! Before they knew it, most of the people who had gathered were chanting for an encore. Ian scratched his cheek awkwardly. There were signs of Jin everywhere. What do we do? Do we have time? How about we sing one verse of the song we sang earlier and then go? Lets do that. The one that Seodam sang. Ian yed the file of Kim Hee-sangs You in the Memories. The three of them stood side by side and adjusted their emotions. They hadnt rehearsed beforehand, but they each sang one verse and then harmonized together in the chorus. The audience let out a small cheer. Thats all we have prepared for you. Please give a lot of attention to us, AWY, from now on. There were regretful sounds from here and there. Dont go! One more time! The audience sang one more time in unison, but they had another schedule to attend to, so they had no choice. The three of them also looked sorry as they waved their hands, and two bodyguards stuck to each of their sides. Thankfully, there were no people who rushed in because of the many bodyguards. They kept their distance and maintained order. Bye! Dont run! Youll get hurt! The three of them who got in the car opened the car window and waved their hands until they couldnt see the people anymore. -AWY just showed up in Gangnam Theyre on Soonse For real? Yeah, Ian and Tae-woong and Seo-dam! Then what was the schedule that popped up earlier??? -If the vocal line is in Gangnam, arent the others busking somewhere too? Their songs are so good OMG I just saw someone who wrote that dancing Where? Daehakro! Maronie Park! OMG they took off their masks -Is this them in Hongdae too Hoxy? It looks like it! There were only two in Daehakro! Its near my house At the same time, the members who had finished busking in Daehakro and Hongdae also took off their disguises. Hello! Kyaaah! It was a simr reaction to Gangnam. People crowded around, and everyone uploaded their photos and videos of them, quickly dominating the real-time hashtags. -Heres a summary of AWYs busking Vocal line Gangnam / Rap line Hongdae / Dance Daehakro, right? *** Oh, why am I not in Seoul? Im crying in the countryside. -A review from earlier I was passing by and liked the song, so I waited for my friend and watched them. As I kept listening, their voices sounded familiar, so I wondered if it was them, and it really was. My bias is Ian, but who said Im a bad fan? Im still shaking right now. -Thanks for the review -Im so jealous. -They wont do it again, right? I was taking a taxi and -Me too. -Im still waiting just in case, but I dont think theyre doing it. -Now Im going to be curious about every street busking. While some were happy that they got lucky and some were swallowing their regrets, the members of AWY gathered at the designated ce and changed their clothes for the group busking. You look like that when you wear that. What? That, ck Out Ian looked down and checked his outfit. He was holding a helmet and wearing the clothes that delivery workers often wore. What a coincidence It happened to match the concept of the minor role he had before his debut, so the fans who sometimes missed delivery worker Ian would be happy. This was the only decent outfit among them, and he had to win it by ying rock-paper-scissors. Ah, Im jealous. What is this? Dont you feel hot already? Hyung! How can I dance in this? Jo Tae-woong, Kim Hyun, and Park Seo-dam turned into flyer workers wearing doll costumes and masks. Dont I look like a thief? Kim Ju-young was wearing a purple mask with only his eyes and mouth visible, and he had a selfie stick with a camera attached to it, like a YouTuber who came out to shoot a vlog. Wow, Kim Ju-young, you look like What? Your face shape is really ugly. Do you want to die? Kim Ju-young ran after Jo Tae-woong. He was wearing a bulky doll costume, so he was caught easily. Argh! Jo Tae-woong, who was headlocked by Kim Ju-young, screamed loudly. Lee Joo-hyuk sighed. He was wearing the same delivery worker outfit as Ian. Guys, theres a guest here, so watch your mouth Ha ha, its okay. Im not someone who canin. The production team had already hired a YouTuber to cover the busking. Judging by the fact that the news of the group busking had not leaked through the media yet, he was a trustworthy person. I didnt expect to get this offer. Im a fan of AWY, really. Come on, you must like girl groups more. Of course, thats obvious The membersughed at the YouTubers cheekiness. He was nervous for nothing He was so scared of the popr idols that he thought they would be arrogant or rude, but he barely held back his urge to post it on the YouTubemunity right away. Can you sign and take a picture for me? Wow, you have our album too? He looked like he was going to get a lot of views, so he had to be a fan. Hong Ju-hoon, the owner of the Busking HongTV channel with 1.2 million subscribers, was the biggest channel among the channels that covered busking. I did well to buy this album quickly He took out AWYs album from his bag and handed it to them. He thought the fans would love it, since he coincidentally matched the concept of the minor role he had before his debut. Lets take a picture. One, two. Maybe his sincerity worked, they took several pictures. Hong Ju-hoon received the signed album with a touched expression. He barely held back his urge to post it on the YouTubemunity right away. Guys, we have a guest here, so watch your mouth Ha ha, its okay. Im not someone who canin. *** Thank you. We should be the ones thanking you. Please do a good job today. Hong Ju-hoon swallowed his breath as he saw Ians face approaching him. Ian had a smile on his face, probably because he was excited to do more busking. Wow, how can someone look like that Hong Ju-hoon forgot to control his expression and shook hands with Ian in a dazed manner. We have to do this before we perform. Everyone, gather around. It was time to shout their group slogan. The members of AWY who were gathered in a circle looked at Hong Ju-hoon who was standing nkly. Hong Ju-hoon was visibly flustered by the sudden attention of seven people. Ju-hoon hyung,e here too. M-me? Yes, arent you a hyung? He was a hyung, but that wasnt the point. Hong Ju-hoon squeezed into the circle of AWY members and ced his hand on top of theirs. Should we go with AWY and Hong? Lets just say fighting at the end. Lee Ju-hyuk met everyones eyes and said. Okay, then lets enjoy ourst busking today. Our time AWY and Hong. Fighting! Hong Ju-hoon raised his hand to the sky with AWY. He had a bright expression on his face. He felt thrilled as if he had be a part of AWY. The atmosphere is good He thought he had to do his best today. *** Hong Ju-hoon was setting up the equipment for busking at Sinchon Square. Its Hong TV! Hello! A passerby recognized him and stopped in his tracks. Hong TV, I saw your MyStagram. What happened? You know, AWYs busking caused amotion earlier. Really? Oh! I should have been there! Then I would have gotten a lot of views. What a waste! Right? Hong Ju-hoon acted cheeky without being flustered. The subscriberughed as he saw him in pain. Are you broadcasting the busking now? Not now, but in 10 minutes. He sent away the people around him and approached the person who was connecting something behind the speaker. Wow, that was close. Just pretend to do it. No, Im good at this. This way, people will think Im not me. Park Jin-hyuk, who had transformed into Hong Ju-hoons staff, wore a ck mask and a hat and a top with HongTV printed on it. Its 59 minutes now. Ill start to attract attention soon. Park Jin-hyuk showed his thumb. While Hong Ju-hoon was testing the microphone, three people who had turned into flyer distributors for a mascot costume handed out real flyers nearby. Hello, everyone! Im Hong Ju-hoon of Busking HongTV! The people who were gathered nearby cheered. Today, Im going to make various people perform by picking them randomly! Hong Ju-hoon had filmed street busking and also led the busking himself. Okay! Who should I People who were waiting to be picked or who just wanted to watch the performance gathered more and more. Huh? Wait a minute. Kim Ju-young, a fake Youtuber who had turned into an audience member, was also waiting for Hong Ju-hoons signal in the front row. There, the person wearing a purple mask! Kim Ju-young jumped up. Hello! Youre wearing a very unique outfit Can you introduce yourself? Hello, Im Purple Mask, a streamer who started a day ago. Kim Ju-youngs voice became thin as if he had inhaled helium gas. Hong Ju-hoon pretended to be flustered and fiddled with the microphone a few times. Oh, the voice changer is on I think I messed up the settings. Ill continue the interview anyway. Park Jin-hyuk eximed behind the speaker. It was something that Hong Ju-hoon had prepared in case someone noticed his voice. Whats your channel name? Its straightforward and nice! Do you know how to do anything for the performance? I can dance a little. Oh, good, good! Everyone, give him a round of apuse! Hong Ju-hoon yed a song and induced a response. Kim Ju-young danced to the rhythm and the audience marveled. Wow Hes really good at dancing, isnt he? The reaction was better than expected and Hong Ju-hoon smiled. Okay, its no fun to do it alone, right? Lets move on to someone else There! There, the flyer distributors for the mascot costume! Three of you! Come over here! Jo Tae-woong, Kim Hyun, and Park Seo-dam joined Kim Ju-youngs side. They threw flyers to the audience while following the rhythm. They wanted to give out all the flyers they had received from the realpany. Stop promoting! Since youre here, show us something! At Hong Ju-hoons signal, Kim Hyun suddenly showed a fierce dance and the audience screamed. Jo Tae-woong and Park Seo-dam also danced next to Kim Ju-young. By the way, our youngest staff member can also dance a little. Maknae! You too! Park Jin-hyuk, who had been waiting behind the speaker, joined the back with his head down. There! Deliverymen! Two of you! Come over here! Ian and Lee Joo-hyuk, who happened to be wandering around, headed to the center of the stage. Good! Wow! You all dance so well, its like you nned it beforehand, right? Hong Ju-hoon gave a yful smile. Huh? Isnt this AWYs song? Whats going on? The AWY members who were dancing freestyle gradually followed the movements ording to the song. The song had changed to the intro of Blue hour, and Lee Ju-hyuk had adjusted his hand to the busking. Yes! Todays busking star is! The bodyguards pushed through the audience and grabbed their hands and formed a human barricade. The AWY members who had turned around took off the things that covered their faces. Its AWY! Chapter 206: Chapter 206: Is he really that good? That time? It was the loudest cheering I ever got during my busking. I thought I was at a concert. Hong Ju-hoon, the host of the Busking with HongTV channel, shared some anecdotes about his busking with AWY before the first broadcast of Our time. The moment they took off their masks, helmets, and stuff on their faces! It was right when the sun was setting, and the street was lit up! He eximed and raised his thumb. See for yourself on JBTC. Ill end the stream when the show starts. Someone sent a message along with a donation. The sender had a nickname that looked like an AWY fan. Oh, thank you for the ten thousand won donation! How was it meeting AWY? Hong Ju-hoon chuckled and showed a photo of him with the AWY members on the screen. See? Wow, celebrities are celebrities. Theyre all handsome. -Wow -Get HongTVs face out of here -Bro, youre ugly -Please delete the Photoshop masters face lol -Hes the only one who stands out lol Did you see the size of my head? They tried to bring their faces forward as much as possible for this photo. Hong Ju-hoonughed as if he was used to this kind of reaction. He enthusiastically told the story of how he saw the members in person. Especially Ian As soon as he said Ians name casually, the chat room went up fast. -?? -He crossed the line -Bye HongTV Wait a minute. Im like a brother to him, a popr idol. Hong Ju-hoon shrugged. And these days, fans are grateful for the stories, right? They dont get mad and curse at me. Right? The number of viewers on the live stream increased a lotpared to the previous day. AWY fans who heard the news came and filled the chat room with palm emoticons. Even foreign fans joined and made it more crowded. Anyway, they were all very humble, I guess? They were really kind. They came to me first and called me hyung. Youre jealous, right? Hong Ju-hoon was in a good mood because he received a lot of donations and viewers. He moved his mouth without a break. Anyway, whos the most handsome in real life? Theyre all handsome. Especially Ian Wow, how can a person look like that? I wondered. He was just just beautiful. Hong Ju-hoon had a dreamy expression on his face. I felt it when I was going home after the busking recording. Even if hes a guy, Id date him! -? -He crossed the line -Dont you think you should consider Ians opinion too? -?? : He wouldnt take you even if you gave yourself to him The viewers public sentiment exploded. Regardless, Hong Ju-hoon was happy. He received a lot of donations. What are we doing on AWYs Our time? I dont know. I only got a call to host the busking. He didnt budge to the AWY fans request for spoilers. In fact, he didnt know anything other than the busking. It seems like some kind of healing vibe, right? Is it time? Ill end the stream now! *** Hong Ju-hoons prediction was wrong. It was not healing, butpetition. The members arrived at a pension in Gyeonggi-do for a songwriting survival camp. They got off the van with their bags. You can stay in one building per team. Wow They opened their mouths at the sight of the pension with three detached houses and arge garden. Among them, what caught their eyes was something in the garden that made them lose their appetite. Hey, theres a barbecue grill. Looks delicious Meatter? The members whispered to each other, but PD Lee Jong-soo heard them and smiled meaningfully. Do you think youll have time to eat meat? Were not here to eat, you know? Ah, PD-nim. Dont scare us already. Scare? Were not doing anything like a ghost special. Not having time to eat is scary enough. Kim Ju-young narrowed his eyes. They fixed the microphones on their clothes, lined up in front of the camera, and responded to the opening remarks of Park Seo-dam and Ian. They looked nervously at PD Lee Jong-soo until he opened his mouth. What do we do now? You have topose two songs each in your teams during the three-night, four-day training camp. Two songs? Kim Joo-young widened his eyes. Lee Joo-hyuk and Park Jin-hyuk also swallowed nervously. Yes, both songs will be included in your mini album. Thats hard The biggest reason why Lee Byung-hun agreed to appear was that JBTC had no stake here. JBTC expected to increase their ratings and advertising revenue, while the agency hoped to promote their next album through the broadcast. You know you cant use any pre-made songs, right? Yes. They decided to start from scratch at the training camp today, excluding any existing songs for fairness. And theres one more thing I need to tell you. Some judges and mentors will being, but we dont know who or when they wille. What? The members were stunned by PD Lee Jong-soos bombshell. Park Jin-hyuks bag slipped off his shoulder and fell to the grass. They wille randomly and listen and evaluate your songs. Huh What if theye and you dont have any songs to show them? PD Lee Jong-soo grinned. Ian turned around and shouted after a few seconds of silence among the members. Run! Ahh! As Ian ran at full speed, the other members also screamed and ran towards the dorms. They managed to find different houses without getting in each others way. Theyre enthusiastic. Good. PD Lee Jong-soo, who loved music, was looking forward to the songs they would create. *** So they just want us to work all day. I shouldnt have trusted PD-nim. Ianughed bitterly as he entered the dorm. There were Lee Joo-hyuksposing equipment in the corner of the kitchen and the spacious living room, and three beds were ced side by side not far away. Lets start working right away. We dont know when the mentors wille. Lee Joo-hyuk sat down on a chair and turned on theputer as soon as he put down his luggage. Do you have any ideas of what you want to do? Well, I picked out a few songs that I listen to often. Then lets listen to them first. Ian and Kim Hyun sat on either side of Lee Joo-hyuk and took out their phones. Lee Joo-hyuk listened to each song once and crossed his arms, thinking for a moment. Hyun likes electronic music and Ian likes country music, right? We did country music before, too. Oh, I guess I can say this much? Ian smiled at the camera installed inside the dorm. Kim Hyun pushed Ians shoulder lightly. Hey, hey, thats risky. Youre worse than Park Jin-hyuk. Anyway, I enjoyed country music. But I also liked the disco you showed me. Retro always works, right? Yeah. Lee Joo-hyuk looked around. In addition to his equipment, there were various instruments such as keyboards, acoustic guitars, and drums. For now, why dont we try making some melodies? You dont have to use the keyboard, you can just hum if you want. Ian and Kim Hyun followed Lee Joo-hyuks instructions and started working right away, while Park Seo-dam and Park Jin-hyuk also sat down at the desk in the next dorm. Hyung, what do we do now? Park Jin-hyuk looked at the keyboard and tilted his head. Just y it. What? Park Jin-hyuks expression was more serious than anyone elses, even though it sounded like a joke. Youlle up with a decent melody if you y it. Really? Just try it. Ill listen. Was this a four-dimensional way of thinking? Park Seo-dam sat down in front of the keyboard with a nervous expression. Is this really all I have to do? *** Compared to the two enthusiastic teams, Jo Tae-woong and Kim Ju-youngs teamy down on the bed as soon as they entered the dorm and stared nkly at the ceiling. What do we do now? I dont know Do you remember the lessons we took? They had takenposition lessons together as trainees, but Jo Tae-woong had focused on acting after his debut. He also concentrated on writing lyrics for the album, so Kim Ju-youngs role inposing was important. Im not sure, maybe Ill remember if I see it. Yeah? Kim Ju-young, who thought he might be criticized for being unmotivated after the broadcast, jumped up. First of all, what do you want to do? Do you have a favorite genre? Show me your ylist. Wait a minute. Jo Tae-woong took out his phone from his pocket. *** About two hours after they went into their dorms and started working, a luxury car came from afar and parked in front of the pension. Hello. PD Lee Jong-soo ran to the car and shook hands with the person who got out. The first mentor and judge was Choi Ji-min, the CEO of VI Entertainment. Where did you find this ce? I wish our kids could stay here too. We have a lot of information at the broadcasting station. Oh, I see. A staff member came over and attached a pin microphone and transmitter to Choi Ji-min. Before you go in, well do a little interview. Sure. Fortunately, the weather was good enough for an outdoor interview. Choi Ji-min sat on a makeshift chair prepared by the staff. The writer of Our time read the questions. Why did you decide toe here? Byung-hun I mean, the CEO of AWYs agency and I are friends, so I came here. Can I ask what kind of friendship you have? Byung-hun was my manager. Ah, if I knew he would do better than me, I would have treated him better Choi Ji-min joked. Lee Byung-hun and Choi Ji-min were friends and colleagues who had risen from the bottom. The production team knew that Choi Ji-min had helped Lee Byung-hun a lot when he founded BHL Entertainment, so the atmosphere was good. Ji-min, you started as a first-generation idol and became a sessful producer, right? Ah, Im not sessful, we were all mediocre. Its so hard to make a group hit big. Oh! Youll edit this properly, right? Yes, please continue. PD Lee Jong-soo raised his hand and told him to speakfortably. Choi Ji-min leaned back on the chair and crossed his legs. So I asked him what his secret was, and he said, Its not me, its the kids who did well. Oh thats very Nice answer. PD Lee Jong-soo was about to say, but he smiled awkwardly at Choi Ji-mins next words. Unlucky, right? Hes the one who picked them He has a good eye. Anyway, I was curious about AWYs friends, are they really that good? Do you have any team that youre looking forward to? Choi Ji-min opened his mouth without hesitation. It has to be the leader team. Joo-hyuk, Hyun, and Ian, right? Yes, first of all, Lee Joo-hyuk, he does the whole producing, right? Kim Hyun, I also noticed him when he was on a survival show before What about Ian? Hes unlucky. How can he be so handsome and talented? It was an unexpected answer, but it was apliment. Anyway, I think their quality will be high. Good. Theyre in the house on the far left. Choi Ji-min got up and headed to the left house. He thought, Will the team with a producing member be different? and opened the door with anticipation. Doing this here! Bang! Ian kicked the wall corner with both feet and jumped up. Then he spun around in the air andnded on the floor. The important thing here was that there was a drum cymbal on Ians head. And the cymbal didnt fall to the floor until Iannded. Good, good! What a waste of talent! Choi Ian is awesome! Lee Joo-hyuk and Kim Hyun pped their hands, and Choi Ji-min, who was standing nkly in the chaotic dorm atmosphere, muttered emptily. What is this? Chapter 207: Chapter 207: Hey, the next team is no joke. Doesnt this sound familiar? Does it? Lee Joo-hyuk, who rested his chin on the desk, entered a music site. He searched for a few songs and yed one. It was a familiar melody, simr to the one Kim Hyun had just hummed. Ah, crap Its that one. Kim Hyun wrapped his head and leaned back on the backrest. The chair reclined softly. How did you do this, hyung? Youll get used to it as you do it. Really talented Lee Joo-hyuk made aplicated expression as he heard Kim Hyuns murmur. Its nothing. Youll improve your skills if you keep studying. Really? First of all, dont be bound by the format and just do it freely. You can just hit the floor to make a rhythm, or you can use the frying pan and chopsticks over there to bang them. Really? Lee Joo-hyuk suggested a new solution. Kim Hyun still looked puzzled, but Ian, who had something in mind, tapped his thigh. Do we have to go all the way to the kitchen? Oh, that was good. Just do it like that and make a rhythm. Ian, who mixed pping and making a rhythm, got up and hit the wall and scratched the bed, adding the sound of the nket rustling. Hes crazy too. Kim Hyun said that, but he followed Ian. After hitting a few times, it sounded pretty good to him. Like this? Hyun has a sense too. How about we go for a full band sound? Lee Joo-hyuk picked up an acoustic guitar and hit the body without plucking the strings. The sound became richer as the cheerful sound was added. Are we recording this? Ian asked as Lee Joo-hyuk nodded. Isnt this fun? They were hitting something without thinking, andughter came out. Good! One more time! Lee Joo-hyuk shouted with excitement, and Kim Hyun, who was yful, took off the fixed drum cymbal and put it on Ians head. Ah, hyung! Ian protested, but he didnt put down the drum cymbal on his head. They were making a rhythm whileughing at each other when Choi Ji-min came in. Hey, hyungs, the mentor is here! Ian, who had the drum cymbal in his hand, saw Choi Ji-min standing nkly at the entrance and shouted. They stood in a row and bowed to Choi Ji-min. Hello! Uh Yeah, hello. You were having fun, huh? Choi Ji-min took off his shoes and was about to enter, when Kim Hyun quickly ran over and removed the chopsticks that were rolling near the entrance. You all know me, right? Im Choi Ji-min, the CEO of VI Entertainment. You can speakfortably, okay? Yes. Please sit here. Lee Joo-hyuk pointed to the chair he was sitting on. Choi Ji-min sat down, and the members also brought chairs and sat in front of him. Is the work going well? What were you doing just now? You werent ying, right? We were making a rhythm. Ian answered shamelessly. Crap, what a waste. I should have taken him. Where did Lee Byung-hun find this gem Choi Ji-min admired Ians face up close. He kept a poker face, though, and leaned back on the backrest and crossed his arms. So, do you have any songs for me to listen to? To be honest, we dont have any yet. Ji-min Choi frowned at Joo-hyuk Lees confident answer. He was about to say, How can I judge without a song? when Ju-hyuk Lee spoke with a certain expression. Can I work on it now if you have time? It wont take long. Fine, lets see what you can do. He looks like he can do anything. Ji-min Choi pretended to be generous and hid his anticipation. Wow, that guy is so bold. Doesnt he look inspired? Ian and Hyun Kim whispered to each other. Guys,e here. You have to help me too. Hyun Kim and Ian were startled and sat next to Ju-hyuk Lee. He yed the recording file, and the rhythm they had tapped joyfully came out. Who did this beat-splitting thing? I think Ian did it? Good. Lets use this and This is Hyuns part, right? Lets make this the main Ju-hyuk Lee made the beat in real time. Sing the humming you did earlier. Ian rolled his chair to the keyboard. Ill do this part. Okay. Add a melody. Hyun Kim didnt sit still either. He also hummed spontaneously and added a new melody. Hyun, that was good, right? The chord Like this. Ian stuttered, and Ju-hyuk Lee rolled his chair to the keyboard and pressed the keys. He can follow the chord right away? He has a good sense. Ji-min Choi pretended to rest his chin and hid his gaping mouth. Is this a strategy to show me this performance? No Whats the point of getting points from me? The title selection wasrgely influenced by the blind votes of the viewers, so the judges evaluation was just for reference. It would be good for entertainment. The PD would love this. Anyway, it was quite fresh to see themposing in real time. Are you done? Let me hear it too. Yes. Ju-hyuk Lee yed the song. The three of them waited nervously until Ji-min Choi opened his mouth. The short song they made on the spot ended, and the yback bar went back to the beginning, but he didnt tell them to stop. Stop, guys, you didnt make this, did you? After listening for a while, Ji-min Choi nodded his head slightly and pped his hands. How did you make this so fast? Thank you. The three of them sighed in relief. Especially, Ju-hyuk Lees expression brightened noticeably. It needs more polishing, but its good as it is. Disco always works. Thank you. But its too mainstream. Ji-min Chois expression changed from smiling to serious in an instant. The three of them swallowed their saliva. Mainstream is good. Its not easy to follow the public taste But as a person who enjoyed your music, I feel a bit bored. It sounds like a typical idol song Is that what you mean? Yeah Thats the feeling. Youre right. Ji-min Choi nodded his head and flicked his finger at Ians answer. I wish you guys changed the trend a bit. There were asional bad singers who came back as music chart bullies, or bad songs that rose with the help of machines, but unfortunately, most of the top songs on the music chart were dance music, that is, idol songs. Try different things, but dont be messy. You guys, the group name AWY should be a genre of its own. Do you know what I mean? Um I think I know. Joo-hyuk Lee nodded his head, but he still looked puzzled and unsure. Ji-min Choi smiled faintly. Theres nothing to fix for now. One song is like this, appealing to the masses, and the other one can be experimental. I think itll be fine. Dont think too hard. You have things you havent tried yet, right? Using string instruments or breaking the rhythm or something like that. You can even gopletely rock. What about our stage then? Kim Hyun thought as Choi Jimin seemed to read his mind and continued. I know you guys are famous for your performance. But dont think about dancing to the song for now. Just do it freely. You must have a lot of things you wanted to do. Yes. Thats it for now. I have to go see the next team. But my opinion is just a reference. Dont try to change everything at once. Your color is good as it is. Thank you! The three of them shouted loudly as they watched Choi Jimins back heading to the front door. He went outside and looked at Lee Jong-soo PD. He raised his thumb at him. How was it? Wow hes good. The PD who had been watching the situation through the monitor also pped his hands for the performance they created. Choi Jimin pointed to the middle house. Which team is this? Park Jin-hyuk, Park Seo-dam team. This team looks interesting. They seem to have a clear color, right? His expectations rose after watching Lee Joo-hyuks team work. Choi Jimin opened the door of the middle house and a heavy and fast dubstep music filled the living room. Oh, dubstep. Uh? Mentor, youre here, hyung! Park Seo-dam, who was writing rap lyrics, quickly hit Park Jin-hyuks shoulder. They both got up and bowed 90 degrees. Hello! Wow you guys are polite. Park Seo-dam brought a chair and ced it next to Choi Jimin. He crossed his legs and tapped his feet. Are you working on it now? Yes. Just workfortably. Your team has a clear color, so I like it. The upbeat electronic music makes the body bounce. Choi Jimin nodded his head with a satisfied expression. Its good right now. Thank you. Park Jin-hyuk and Park Seo-dam smiled with relief. Is this dubstep song following Jin-hyuks opinion? Yes, I dont know much aboutposing so Im trying to write lyrics instead. Good. Division ofbor is fine. Park Seo-dam had a linguistic talent that showed his prowess innguage learning. Choi Jimin nodded his head as he looked at the lyrics. Theres no provocative lyrics and theres a lot of meaning, so I like it. Seodam, you have a charming voice, how about jazz or R&B for the other song? Jazz and R&B? Yeah. Jin-hyuk, youre not going to do hip-hop only, right? Im going to do hip-hop only Park Jin-hyuk was about to say, but Park Seo-dam elbowed his side. Ow Just listen, hyung. Choi Jimin advised them to try various musical experiments, as he did to Lee Joo-hyuk. Its hard, just keep your hip-hop strength and mix it with other genres. Jazz hip-hop sounds good Park Jin-hyuk was lost in thought, while Park Seo-dam sneaked up to Choi Jimin and whispered. But mentor. Huh? What did the next team do? Joo-hyuk hyungs team. Choi Jimin smiled yfully. He spread his arms and said in an exaggerated voice. Hey, the next team is no joke. They used all kinds of things to make the rhythm. I thought I was watching a movie. Ian was so excited that he even did a somersault. A somersault? Really? You guys should be nervous. Where did he find these kids? He suddenly remembered the young Lee Byung-hun who was cocky and felt annoyed. He unnecessarily stirred up theirpetitive spirit. Choi Jimin stretched his neck as he left the house. This team is good too. This is Kim Ju-young and Jo Tae-woongs team, right? Yes, you should lower your expectations for this team. The PD seasoned it in advance. The previous team was unexpectedly good, so Kim Ju-youngs team seemed rtively ordinary. I guess they dont have anything yet? Yes, its probably because its Ju-youngs first timeposing alone Please show him the way, CEO Choi. Tsk Im not good at that either. Choi Jimin opened the door of thest house. Jo Tae-woong, who was thinking of lyrics near the entrance, called Kim Ju-young. Hey, hes here. Hello! They also stood side by side and greeted him like the previous team. Hi, you know me, right? Lets talkfortably. Lets listen to the song first. Im sorry, but Im not done yet Whats not done yet? Its okay. I heard everything from the PD. Just y what youve been working on. Kim Ju-young and Jo Tae-woong went to the monitor and yed the song. Kim Ju-young decided to use his specialty, DJing. In terms of trying something new, these guys are the closest. But Choi Jimin tapped the desk with his finger. He understood that they mixed various genres to try different things, but they didnt have a center and it was messy. How is it? Kim Ju-young looked at Choi Jimin with an anxious expression. Choi Jimin, who had been listening to the song with a serious face, opened his mouth with difficulty. I dont know what kind of concept you guys have. Chapter 208: Chapter 208: Please remove this song from the title candidates. I cant even tell what genre it is. Itcks focus. Kim Ju-young and Jo Tae-woongs faces visibly paled at Choi Ji-mins harsh criticism. It must be hard to start from scratch, right? You used to work with Joo-hyuk and Jin-hyuk before, and they were good. Yes. Well, its understandable. Choi Ji-min felt sorry for the young juniors who looked unhappy. They are still new to this. Its normal. It was because the previous team had set the bar too high. Kim Joo-youngs work was decent enough. Choi Ji-min spoke in a gentle voice. Guys, dont overthink it. You know how to hum, right? Just hum for now. How? Just like this. Choi Ji-min demonstrated. It seemed like he did it casually, but it soon became a melody. Honestly, you shouldnt sing if you dont have this sense. You can do it, right? Try it. Ahem, ahem. While Jo Tae-woong cleared his throat, Kim Joo-young quickly set up a basic beat. They are all proactive. Thats good. Choi Ji-min liked the attitude of the group more than the quality of the song. There was no one who was left out among the members. Good, youre doing well. Tae-woong, you have a good sense too. Dont focus only on the lyrics, but keep humming and thinking like this. Letspose together. Yes. Park Jin-hyuk and Park Seo-dam had divided the tasks ofposing and writing lyrics, but Park Jin-hyuk had some experience inposing, so he handed it over. Kim Ju-young and Jo Tae-woong were not very experienced yet, so Choi Ji-min thought it would be better for them to coborate. Do you know what the other team, Joo-hyuks team, did? They didnt y instruments well, so they just banged on anything. They banged on their thighs, walls, and even frying pans. You should also make rhythms like that. And mix them. Kim Ju-young felt something that was blocking him was cleared. Youre the best at mixing music among your group, right? He was not just mixing, but he was also excellent at adjusting the intensity. Mashup was Kim Ju-youngs specialty, and the results were always beyond expectations. He was especially popr in Europe, where they liked EDM music. Did I help you a bit? Yes. Seeing the brightened expressions of the two, Choi Ji-min also smiled kindly. Good. Ille again tomorrow, so I hope youll show me a good song by then. Thank you! Kim Ju-young and Jo Tae-woong bowed their waists and greeted him as he left. How was it? Lee Jong-soo, the PD who sensed that Choi Ji-mins expression was not good after leaving thest house, casually asked. That team will be the most promising team if they find the right direction. Do you think you helped them find the direction? Well The next mentor will nail it down, right? I have to go now. Okay, thank you for your hard work. Choi Ji-min got into his car, where his manager had started the engine, and took out his phone from his pocket and called someone. (Hey, did you see them all?) You unlucky bastard (What did you say?) No, nothing. The person on the phone was Lee Byung-hun. Choi Ji-min frowned. Hes jealous of other peoples rice cakes He knew he had good poprity, but how did he gather such kids? They were all attractive. (How did our kids do?) What do you mean how did they do? They did well. Why did you ask me to do this? (Just, I wanted to see if you would see them differently.) What do you mean differently? Theyre the same as you. Choi Jimin answered dryly. But he felt like he was being too grumpy for a friends favor, so he added more. Some of themck confidence in their abilities But I think theyll do better after the training camp is over. (Really?) Hearing Lee Byung-huns happy voice, he felt like he shouldnt have told him. Ah, whatever. Stop bothering me and hang up. (Take good care of our kids.) Fine! Choi Jimin hung up the phone irritably and spoke to the manager who was driving. Hey, this wont do. Lets make our kids train harder. Huh? Theyre already doing a lot, arent they? No, thats not enough. He couldnt fall behind Lee Byung-hun. He shivered with envy and resentment. *** Choi Jimin, look at this, you must be so jealous that your stomach is about to burst! Lee Byung-hunughed out loud after ending the call with Choi Jimin. He knew that he would do anything he asked him to, even though he talked like that. He satfortably on the chair with a light heart. Seo Su-ryeon looked at the childish president with a pitying gaze. Are the kids doing well? Yeah, I dont have to worry about them. If youre so worried, why dont you go and see them yourself Choi Jimin will take care of them better, Im not that talented in music, you know. Finding the right direction and the right person was also the presidents job. Lee Byung-hun smiled proudly, looking forward to the synergy effect between Choi Jimin and AWY. *** Four hours after Choi Jimin left, a luxury sports car entered the Our time filming site. Bluemix, wee. Long time no see, PD-nim. The second mentor and judge was Bluemix. The staff quickly attached a pin microphone and prepared a seat for him. Bluemix took off his sunsses and sat on the chair. Bluemix also had a brief interview time before listening to each teams songs, just like Choi Jimin. How did youe to be here? I have some connections with AWYs friends from Idol Rapper. Jin-hyuk told me that he was doing aposing survival, and I thought it would be fun, so I contacted PD-nim first. Lee Jongsoo sighed and touched his chin. When he was looking for a mentor and judge, Bluemix suddenly contacted him and asked him casually if he was doing any music variety shows. At that time, Lee Jong-soo PD dly hired him, but he wondered where he got the information from, and the culprit was Park Jin-hyuk. Ah, Jin-hyuk is a bit Hes good at spoiling things. But Bluemix was a trustworthy person, so he was lucky. Maybe he only chose such people to spread the information. Good. Then, do you have a team that youre most looking forward to? Im looking forward to Kim Ju-youngs team. Lee Jong-soo narrowed one eye in surprise. He thought Bluemix would definitely choose Park Jin-hyuks team. Not Jin-hyuk? LoveJ, Jin-hyuk, hes not new anymore. How is it? Did I give you a good teaser? The PD flinched at the unexpected answer and breathed a sigh of relief. You scared me, thank you. Anyway, Jin-hyuk and I are too close. Weve been working together recently too I see, then why did you choose Kim Ju-youngs team? Just because theyre new? BlueMic answered without hesitation. I heard the mashup that JooYoung did for AWY. Did you listen to the teaser on Youtube, and the song on the album? Yes, I was amazed by his sense and talent. I wanted to work with him if possible, but you know, AWY and I were both busy. I see. BlueMic was a popr producer and rapper who took time out of his hectic schedule to record for Our time. The PD couldnt take up his precious time with an interview, so he pointed to the dorm of Kim Ju-Young and Jo Tae-Woong with his hand. Okay. Do you want to see that team first? Yes. BlueMic got up and dusted off his seat. He carefully opened the front door and saw Kim Ju-Young and Jo TaeWoong wearing headphones and looking at the monitor with serious expressions. How about this? Jo Tae-Woong tapped the desk. It sounds good, right? Wait a minute. Kim Ju-Young clicked the mouse and marked the beat. They were so immersed in their work that they didnt notice BlueMic entering the house. Hello. Finally, Kim Ju-Young and Jo Tae-Woong realized his presence when BlueMic tapped the work desk. They hastily took off their headphones. Oh, hyung! Is the work going well? Kim Ju-Young and Jo TaeWoong looked unsure and scratched the back of their heads. Whats wrong? Um do you want to listen to it first? Sure. BlueMic brought a chair and sat next to Jo TaeWoong. He put on the headphones that he had taken off. Kim Ju-Young yed the work song with a nervous expression. Oh not bad. They had solved the problem of mixing genres that Choi JiMin had pointed out to some extent. Retro, nice. Kim JooYoung worked on the song in electronic, his most confident genre, and in synthwave, which was different from the intense dubstep of Park JinHyuk. But something is off. It didnt seem to meet BlueMics expectations. It still felt like they had lost their way. Kim Ju-Young and Jo Tae-Woong looked at each other as BlueMic kept his arms crossed and thought even after the song ended. What is it? Maybe he doesnt like it Kim Ju-Young slumped his shoulders. Jo Tae-Woong tried to talk to BlueMic who didnt open his mouth. Hyung, what do you think? Wait a minute. BlueMic went outside after a long time of thinking. He left the front door open, which made Kim Ju-Young and Jo TaeWoong feel like they had to follow him. As they came out timidly, BlueMic dropped a bombshell. PD-nim, can I give them the sample source that I made? Wow. It meant that they could use BlueMics sample source as they pleased with his permission. Kim Ju-Young and Jo Tae-Woong opened their mouths wide. Um that would be unfair. Its apetition, right? Lee Jong-Soo PD stroked his chin and pondered. It is apetition, but its also true that Ju-Young is not as skilled as Jin-Hyuk or Joo-Hyuk. I think it would be good to give him some guidance with one song using sampling. What do you think, Ju-Young and Tae-Woong? Ill follow Ju-Youngs opinion. Jo Tae-Woong answered without hesitation, and Kim JooYoung groaned and brushed his bangs up. Please, take this song out of the title candidates. Are you sure? Lee Jong-Soo widened his eyes. Kim Ju-Young had a confident face. Yes, I want to try it too. I have to write another song anyway. Im fine with just that one being a candidate. If you say so Lets get the consent of the other teams first. The staffs went into each teams house and gestured them toe out for a moment. Whats going on? Oh? Its BlueMic hyung. Hyung! Long time no see! BlueMic raised his hand and greeted them silently as he heard the cheerful voices of the confused AWY members. Guys, I have something to tell you. Lee Jong-Soo pped his hands and got the members attention. The members were stunned by BlueMics sampling offer and Kim Ju-Youngs request to take his song out of the title. What do you think? Hey, Kim Ju-Young. Are you really okay? Kim Ju-Young nodded his head firmly at Ians words. The members, except for Lee Joo-Hyuk and Park Jin-Hyuk, raised their hands to agree with Kim Ju-Youngs opinion. Good. How about the leaders? Lee Joo-Hyuk, who had been thinking for a while, spoke first. I dont think we need to take it out of the title candidates. Is that confidence? No, its not. Ju-Young helped us a lot with our song, but he doesnt have much experience in writing his own song. BlueMic hyung has a point. Lee Jong-Soo smiled slyly. The situation was getting very interesting. What about Jin-Hyuk? Ah, Im tempted by the sample source, but hyung, give it to meter. BlueMic nodded his head. Then Im fine too. Dont take it out. Park Jin-Hyuk smiled brightly and said. He didnt care if they took it out of the title or not, as long as he got BlueMics sample source. So, what do you say, Ju-Young? Lee Jong-Soo nodded his head. As the situation was settled, Kim Ju-Young, who had been lost in thought, said firmly. No, please, take it out. Chapter 209: Chapter 209: Am I okay with this? Hey, are you sure about this? Jo Tae-woong poked Kim Ju-youngs side. But Kim Ju-young was firm. Im stillcking. Im still vague. Kim Ju-young thought that as he clenched his fist. He had been quite satisfied with his work so far, but his head went nk when Blue Mick offered him a sampling proposal. He was sure that the other teams, especially the one led by Lee Joo-hyuk and Park Jin-hyuk, were sailing smoothly. I should drop out of the title candidate. He felt no different from taking a bus. Kim Ju-young had his pride. Im just ufortable with this. Are you okay? Did I decide too much on my own? I dont mind if you say so Jo Tae-woong felt a bit regretful, but he decided to follow Kim Ju-youngs opinion. After all, Kim Ju-young had arge share inposing. Lee Jong-soo PD smiled slyly. Good. This is how it gets interesting. He pped his hands and cleared the tense atmosphere. Good. Then lets do it that way. Please go back to work. Yes. On their way home, Ian stood next to Kim Ju-young. Hey, why did you do that? I was embarrassed Really? I dont want to be the only one left out. And I cant just stick to one song. Sampling was a benefit that only his team had. He had no time to feel ashamed of the gap with the other teams. He had to finish two songs, and Kim Ju-young had no confidence toplete them perfectly in three nights and four days. I think this is the only way to do it properly. Kim Ju-young was different from when he whined about losing Ian in the team selection. He was determined. He couldnt care less who was in which team now. He wanted to try his best with the title candidate song after getting the feel from Blue Micks sample source. [Wow. I respect your will.] Ian whistled. Kim Ju-young might be the one who was growing the most right now. Ian followed Lee Joo-hyuks back and suddenly stopped. Am I okay with this? *** After Blue Mick gave Kim Ju-young a sample source and some appropriate advice, the next team was Park Jin-hyuk and Park Seo-dam. Hyung, isnt this too long? Isnt it fun? Park Jin-hyuk and Park Seo-dam whispered to each other like they had a secret. Blue Mick approached them and looked at the monitor. Guys, whats wrong? Hyung, listen to this. Park Seo-dam flinched and snatched the microphone from Park Jin-hyuks hand and yed the song. The music that started with dubstep changed abruptly and turned into apletely new genre with piano melodies. Wow this. How is it? Is this all one song? Yes. Park Seo-dam and Park Jin-hyuk nodded at the same time. Blue Mick stroked his chin with interest. He felt like he had to take back what he said in the interview with the PD that Park Jin-hyuk was not innovative. Its hard to understand but strangely addictive. Park Jin-hyuk was trying something new. It was fresh to Blue Micks ears, but he wondered if it would appeal to the public. But do you have room for lyrics? Dont worry, hyung. This song is long. How long is it? Park Jin-hyuk smiled and made a seven with his fingers. Seven minutes? Bluemix widened his eyes and asked. A seven-minute song was not unheard of, but it was not verymon either. This song It might be at a disadvantage for the title selection. You know why, right? Yes. It was fine that they tried various things to avoid boredom in a long song, but people were used to songs thatsted between three and four minutes. So, youre just saying you want to do whatever you want, right? Yes. We just decided to have fun. Bluemix nodded. He had no reason to stop them from doing what they wanted without worrying about thepetition or the title selection. He looked at Park Seo-dam, who was sitting quietly next to him, and said. Seo-dam, do you agree with this? You dont have to bend to Jin-hyuk just because hes your brother. No, Im fine with it. He said he would make the next song focused on me. Really? You guys negotiated well. They both looked very happy. If he had to measure their satisfaction, it would be over 100% in terms of job satisfaction. Park Jin-hyuk raised his arms and shouted. Lets go with Park Seo-dams focus! Yeah! Park Seo-dam also shouted. Bluemix made a faint expression as if to say Well, as long as youre happy. Then he tilted his head back in confusion at Park Seo-dams next words. Oh, and please check the rap part. Rap? Seo-dam, you want to try rap too? Yes. Bluemix chuckled. He thought that Park Seo-dam had a unique voice that stood out and that he could be a main vocal even without rap. Did Jin-hyuk persuade him? But Park Seo-dam, who had never even tried rap before, suddenly wanted to rap. Bluemix looked back and forth between Park Jin-hyuk and Park Seo-dam, who were smiling brightly, and thought. Is this Stockholm syndrome? *** Thest team was Lee Joo-hyuk, Kim Hyun, and Ians team. They had polished the improvised song they had shown to Choi Ji-min, and even added a vocal guide. Oh, you guys have aplete song here? What do you think? They didnt need headphones. The song they made was ying on repeat on the speakers. Bluemix sat down and closed his eyes. It was very easy to evaluate with the guide. As expected, its good. The three of them brightened up. How did you work on the song? Joo-hyuk hyung set the overall direction and we made the rough rhythm and melody. I see Thats why This ce is the messiest You just went wild, huh? The three of them smiled awkwardly. The house was still a mess because they were immersed in their work. Let me listen to it again. Bluemix nodded his head and followed the rhythm. The addictive music and the catchy vocal, along with the lyrical lyrics, were perfect. Which parts did Ian and Hyun do? This part is Ians And this is Hyuns. Hmm, I see. Bluemix crossed his arms and thought deeply as he looked at the parts that Lee Joo-hyuk pointed out. You dont need my opinion, right? Its fine as it is. Yes. He knew that Lee Joo-hyuk would answer like that. Everyone had their own taste and style, and he felt that he would only ruin the good points of the song if he interfered. Its strange that Im evaluating this. Lee Joo-hyuk was already aplete producer. BlueMick snapped his fingers. Good. Now, lets prepare for the next song? The next song is a bit Im still thinking about it. Yeah? Do you need any help from me? Um not yet. Okay? Well, youlle back anyway, so let me know then. The three of them bowed politely to BlueMick and rxed on the bed. BlueMick was about to leave the house, but he turned around and looked at Lee Joo-hyuk. Joo-hyuk, can youe out with me for a second? Me? Yes. Lee Joo-hyuk got up quickly and followed BlueMick outside. The PD watched them from the monitor. Dont misunderstand and listen to me. The song is great. I think it can be a title track with this song alone. Im serious. BlueMick said only nice things, but Lee Joo-hyuk had a feeling that something bad wasing next. He swallowed his saliva. He didnt call him for this kind of talk. In my opinion, your personality and color are too strong Do I sound like a copycat? No, thats not it. Its just Ian and Hyuns strengths seem to be diminished. This is teamwork, you know. Lee Joo-hyuks expression hardened as if he hit the mark. For the next song, try something different. Or think about how you three can harmonize better. Actually, I was thinking about that too, hyung. Yeah? You havent found the answer yet? No. BlueMick patted Joo-hyuks shoulder. He couldnt give him any advice. The answer had to be found by Joo-hyuk himself. But you have time to think since the first song came out quickly. Think carefully. Yes, hyung. Thank you for your advice. Please go in. BlueMick was worried that he might have said something unnecessary, but he felt relieved that Joo-hyuk didnt take it badly. Joo-hyuk is good. But having too strong a personality can be a problem. BlueMick headed to the center of the garden with aplicated expression. I hope Joo-hyuk understands what I mean. No matter how much Ian and Kim Hyun contributed, Lee Joo-hyuks color was too strong in the arrangement. If this continues, the meaning of teamwork will be blurred. But he had a feeling that the AWY members would find the solution. How was it? The PD woke up BlueMick from his thoughts. I dont think I have to evaluate them anymore. Really? Yes, they are all good. I think they wont need a mentor anymore after this survival is over. He unconsciously uttered a word that was a good teaser. The PD smiled and asked. Then, who do you think is the strongest candidate for the win? Objectively speaking, its Joo-hyuks team, of course. What about subjectively speaking? Of course, its Ju-young. I even transferred the sample source to him. If he didnt give up the title, how much would the royalties be? In the end, the PD couldnt help butugh out loud. *** The remaining AWY members had dinner together at the outdoor table prepared for them after BlueMick left. The PD smiled as he saw the noticeably rxed members. We prepared avish feast for you, who must have worked hard. Really? The staff kept bringing food. The members smiled brightly. It was the brightest smile they had seen while recording. The production staff left to eat after the PD said to chat freely while having their meal. Hyung, you did a somersault in the air, right? What? No, I didnt do anything like that. Choi Jimin didnt know what he was talking about, but a somersault was clearly an exaggeration. Ian looked at Park Seo-dam with a bewildered expression. Hyun, did your work go well? We already finished one song. How about you guys? We did too. We wrote a killer one. As Park Jin-hyuk and Kim Hyun were exchanging high-fives, Kim Ju-young, who had stuffed his mouth with food, suddenly got up. Im done eating! The members were surprised and looked at Kim Ju-young. Kim Hyun, who was sitting next to him, also got up and grabbed his shoulder. Hey, you just sat down, why are you getting up already? I have a lot of work left, Im in a hurry. Park Jin-hyuk saw the food that was still on Kim Ju-youngs te and opened his mouth wide. Wow, Kim Ju-young left all this? Our teams pig Kim Ju-young? Whos a pig! Kim Ju-young shouted without thinking and covered his mouth with his hand. He quickly swallowed the food in his mouth. Ju-young-ah. You need some time to cool your head too. Sit down. Yeah. Let me eat some more. What am I supposed to do if you go first? Jo Tae-woong whined and protested. Kim Ju-young reluctantly sat down and drank some water. Ian, who was sitting on Kim Ju-youngs left, asked casually. Did you find a good inspiration? Yeah. A little? He looked at his face and saw that it was much brighter than when they gathered in the middle. Ian chuckled and stared nkly at the air. I cant stay like this either. Chapter 210: Chapter 210: You two do the next song. [What?] Jin was startled by Ians thought and pressed the shutter. Ian had a determined expression on his face. Ill tell Joo-hyuk hyung that I want to take the lead on the next song. [What?] Jin did not understand. [Why? Its fine as it is. Youre not doing nothing.] Although Joo-hyuk was in charge, Kim Hyun and Ian were notpletely hands-off. Jin thought Ian was participating well enough. Its not enough. I need to try something new. [This is driving me crazy.] Park Seo-dam was inspired by Kim Joo-youngs serious effort and challenged herself to rap, which she had never done before. Ian had been leaving theposing and producing to the other members since he became an actor. He wanted to focus on the group work and acting, and he thoughtposing a whole song was not his job. But now [Do you want to say that we dont need to divide the positions?] Yes. Actually, he had a lingering memory of thest song they worked on as Diamond, which remained unfinished. He unconsciously avoidedposing because of that. That song was reborn, too. Maybe its time to try again? [I dont get it.] Jin, who wanted to enjoy his life, was annoyed by Ians determination. *** They finished their meal and outdoor shooting and went back to their houses. Ugh Im tired. Joo-hyuky down on the bed right away. The good thing was that he had some time to sleep after finishing one song. He was staring nkly at the ceiling when he suddenly got up. Should we clean this up before we sleep? Kim Hee-sang and Lee Hyun-ah wereing tomorrow. They were senior singers in the music industry and a solo singer who was breaking records in Korea. They couldnt show them a messy ce. Huh? I hear music from the next room. Kim Hyun, who was picking up a pillow, said. Joo-hyuk and Ian rushed to the window. This is the house where Jin-hyuk and Seo-dam are, right? Yeah. The three of them put their ears close to the window and listened to the sound of the next team. The variation was unusual. Is that Seo-dam? Someone was mumbling, but they couldnt hear clearly. It seemed like they were rapping, judging by the fast tempo. They looked at each other with puzzled expressions after listening for a while. Wow, what kind of song is this? I know Jin-hyuk hyung is trying something new, but They only know that. They wondered if they had tried too hard to do something new. Did he write something weird? Like a song thats super long Kim Hyun said it without thinking, but that was the right answer. They started to discuss the next song while cleaning the house. What should we do for the next song? Well As they were almost done, Ian said what he had in mind. Joo-hyuk hyung. Yeah? Can Hyun hyung and I do the next song? Kim Hyun was surprised and looked at Ian. Ian met Joo-hyuks eyes and he seemed to realize something. He made a face as if he had been hit and nodded. Sure, go ahead. Wow. Kim Hyun turned his head and looked at Lee Joo-hyuk. Ian was sitting in front of the monitor, excited, and Lee Joo-hyuk was sitting next to him to help. Suddenly? Kim Hyun stood there nkly, staring at them. What do you mean, suddenly, both of you? Hyun, dont you want to do it? No, I cant be left out. He sat down on Ians left. He still didnt understand and frowned. Do you know what Bluemic hyung told me earlier? Lee Joo-hyuk opened his mouth with difficulty. Ian and Kim Hyun looked up at him. He said my color is too strong. But I dont know if I can bring out your personalities if I produce the next song in this state. Lee Joo-hyuk had some homework left. The advice from Choi Jimin to try different things and thement from Bluemic that his color was strong, both meant the same thing. I know its not a bad thing, but Its not suitable for the current situation. Right, thats it. Its teamwork. You guys can do it too. They couldnt waste this opportunity when senior singers came as mentors. It was better to put aside personal things and make choices that would help the team activities. I think Ill find the answer if I watch you guys work. He had been frustrated until a moment ago, but his mind cleared up when Ian dered hisposition. Lee Joo-hyuk tapped Ian and Kim Hyuns shoulders. So you two do the next song. Ill try writing the lyrics. Ian was already fiddling with theposition program, and Kim Hyun scowled and messed up his hair roughly. Ah, I wanted to go to bed early. What should I do? First, listen to this. I have something in mind *** The members of AWY, who were immersed in working for a whole day, weed the second day. You guys look terrible. Lee Jong-soo PDughed. In the morning, AWY gathered in the garden for an interview. They all had messy hair and dark circles under their eyes. Why are you and Hyun hyung like that? Werent you the most rxed among us? Jo Tae-woong approached Ians side. Ian, who had heavy eyelids and half-opened eyes,ughed weakly as if his soul had left. Were not doing Joo-hyuk hyungsposition for the next song. We stayed up all night because of that. Wow, really? Then you and Hyun hyung are doing it alone? What about Juhyuk hyung? Hes writing the lyrics. Ian nodded his head. Jo Tae-woong exhaled and shook his head. Joo-hyuk hyung is notposing? Did you and Hyun hyung go on strike because he carried you too much? No, I said I would do it. He was realizing the disaster he had brought upon himself. Jo Tae-woong narrowed his eyes. Why are you and Kim Ju-young like that? Jo Tae-woong had a vague idea of why Ian suddenly started to challengeposition. Hows your work going? We finished the sampling song and we have to do the next song right away. We didnt sleep much either. Ian joked. Arent you relying too much on Ju-young too? No, I wrote the lyrics. Do you want to hear them? Jo Tae-woong was about to take out the lyrics he had kept in his pocket, when Kim Ju-young grabbed his tail and dragged him. Ah, dont bber. Sorry. Jo Tae-woong shrugged his shoulders. Lee PD looked at the AWY members who were lined up and said. Well, did you all have a good night? No! You had a good night, I have one thing to tell you. Park Jin-hyuks scream of denial was easily ignored. In about two hours, a mentor and a judge wille. Please greet them with a clear mind by then. Why us? Are you saying you were cloudy before? That was not a proper thing to say. The PD snickered. The three teams had barely slept. It was because of the song work, but the members who were fine at first started to lose their screws one by one. I think Im going crazy! One shouted and suddenly ran around the living room, another wrapped a nket around his body and imitated famous paintings, it was a sight to behold. The PD who confirmed the scene of mass hysteria in the morning couldnt help butugh. But whos the guesting? Its Lee Hyuna. There were many good scenes for entertainment, but considering AWYs dignity, they decided to tell them the mentor in advance. Wow. Really? Wow, I didnt wash up Should I wash up now? Who has hairspray! The members who couldnt sleep properly and were standing nkly came to their senses. And they moved swiftly, helping each other with their appearance. The staff who were watching held back theirughter. Is it because Lee Hyuna is a woman that youre so nervous? Uh, PD, thats a dangerous remark. Were idols. Lee Joo-hyuk hardened his expression. He said that, but he had a cosmetic sample in his hand. What is idol, some kind of magic shield, the PD couldnt help butugh out loud. Whether shes a woman or not, shes a senior. I really like her songs. Park Seo-dam had a dazed expression. He was a fan of Lee Hyuna since elementary school. He couldnt show a shabby appearance when his admired senior wasing. Right. We cant have low-quality faces. Hey, Choi Ian, what do you mean by low-quality? Not me, you guys. Ian lifted his head and spoke confidently. The members all booed him. Ah, its annoying, but it sounds right, so its more annoying. He always survives, we always be squids. Are we squid totems? Lee Joo-hyuk hyung, youre so mean! Hey, is being handsome everything? The members who said that looked more like celebrities than anyone else. If theyre squids, what am I? The PDughed while thinking that. The members tried to surround Ian, and Ian backed away slowly. Catch him! Hit him hard! Ian kicked the ground and ran away. The members followed him, and the PD shouted. Well, then, please work hard on your songs today! *** The members who started the morning exercise with a refreshing run went back to their houses and continued their song work. And a few hourster, Lee Hyuna, who visited the Our time shooting site, bowed and greeted the staff. Hello. The PD jumped up and ran to her. As a PD specialized in music entertainment, he liked her as a fan, and he extended his hand without hiding his delighted expression. Thank you foring. Its nothing, its your request, PD. Lee Hyuna smiled brightly and shook hands with the PD. She also did a brief pre-interview like the other mentors. Why did you decide toe on this show? I came because of this PDs request. Lee Jong-soo PD had directed Lee Hyun-ahs music documentary before Our time. It was a hard-won achievement after persistent casting, and Lee Hyun-ah dly epted his offer to appear on this show because of their connection. Then, do you have a team that you are looking forward to the most? Well Im looking forward to all of them. Its my first time being a judge on this program. Oh, right. Lee Hyun-ah was a singer-songwriter who debuted at 14 years old. She was a young musician who was not even in her thirties yet. She had a lot of experience and was one of the representative female solo singers and versatile entertainers in Korea, but she had never evaluated anyone before. Then, you can go into any house first. Okay, then Lee Hyun-ah moved her steps. The house she headed to was Jo Tae-woong and Kim Ju-youngs house. As she carefully opened the front door, the two men were raising their voices. What kind of song is this? What? I think its okay. Do you want to scrap it? I said its okay! No, this wont do. We have to scrap it. Hey! Im also a team member! She had a younger brother, so their bickering looked like her brothers. Lee Hyun-ah smiled slightly and said. Hello. Chapter 211: Chapter 211: How are you doing these days? Jo Tae-woong and Kim Ju-young jumped up with a tter at the sound of Lee Hyun-as voice. They quickly tidied up their surroundings and stood side by side to greet Lee Hyun-a. Hello! Water droplets fell from Jo Tae-woongs damp hair. How is your work going? Well Not so well, right? Lee Hyun-a remembered the two arguing earlier and sat down on the chair that Jo Tae-woong had prepared for her. She went straight to the point. Do you have any songs for me to listen to? Let me hear one. Yes. Kim Ju-young yed the second song that he desperately needed the mentors opinion on. Lee Hyun-ah listened silently and then gestured to turn off the music. She turned it off without even listening to the whole thing. It didnt seem like a good sign. Kim Ju-young and Jo Tae-woong swallowed their saliva nervously. Can I be honest with you? Yes. It sounds like a generic dance song. Kim Ju-young and Jo Tae-woong slumped their shoulders. But, what is the theme of the song? Or the genre? Actually we just made it as we went along. I see. Lee Hyun-ah nodded her head. It was not bad for a song that was made on the fly. I noticed something from the song you were debating about earlier and the one you just yed It seems like you dont have confidence in your songs. Kim Ju-young felt like he was hit by a sharp remark and inhaled sharply. Dont you have anything you want to say through your songs? What I want to say I dont really know how to do that. Dont think too hard. It could be a tribute song for your fans, or a song about what you are thinking. I think it would be nice to express those things in a song. She smiled gently at the two who still hadplicated expressions on their faces. There is no better material than experience. If you dont have any ideas, you can start with writing lyrics and then match the music to the lyrics. She knew that this survival show was about choosing a title song, but she thought that the essence was topose a good song regardless of the title. Title, its important. But the priority is to make a song that people like to listen to. And a good song will naturally be a title song. Dont worry about the title and just do what you want to do. Kim Ju-youngs eyes sparkled. Then, can I reduce the performance a bit? Most of the songs in AWY were focused on powerful performance-oriented dance songs, so he only thought about dance songs. Did I care too much about the title? The sampling song from Bluemix was excluded from the title candidates, so he was obsessed with making thest remaining song fit the title. How about it, do you think you have an answer? Yes. They nodded their heads with determined expressions. Lee Hyun-ah smiled with satisfaction. *** Next was Park Jin-hyuk and Park Seo-dams turn. Its very unique. Lee Hyun-ah listened to the 7-minute and 43-second long song and opened her mouth in astonishment. It feels like you put everything you wanted to do in this song. I dont have anything to advise you on this song. She couldnt even if she wanted to. Unlike the difficult variations, the song had a strange charm that stuck to the ears. And the song was so long that she didnt know where to start. Park Jin-hyuk and Park Seo-dam chuckled. Do you have another song? They yed the next song as if they had been waiting for it. The cheerful sound of brass instruments decorated the introduction, followed by an 8-bit sound in the background and a lively piano melody. The mood is very different from the previous song, isnt it? Lee Hyun-ah tilted her head in surprise. What did you base this song on? This song is tailored to the voice of our youngest, Seo-dam. Seo-dam, show her. Ahem, ahem. Park Seo-dam cleared his throat and picked up the microphone. Soon, he sang along with the music. It was the scat that he had sung in a half-conscious state at dawn. Wow Lee Hyun-ah eximed. When Park Seo-dam sang, it felt like the song really suited his voice. A song for one person only, thats nice. But you do know that this song is for all seven members to sing, right? Yes. I think it would be good if you also considered the strengths of the other members. Yes, I understand! Before leaving their dorm, Lee Hyun-ah turned around and said. This team has the highestpletion rate. I look forward to your finished song. Park Jin-hyuk and Park Seo-dam smiled at each other. *** And then it was Lee Ju-hyuk, Ian, and Kim Hyuns turn. She listened to the song that Lee Ju-hyuk had produced and couldnt hide her admiration. Youre really good. I dont have anything to add. Thank you. Can you y the next song? Her eyes were filled with anticipation. Lee Ju-hyuk yed the song that Ian and Kim Hyun hadposed. She closed her eyes and listened. When the song ended, she opened her mouth right away. I like how the song starts with a ssical guitar, then a bass, and then an electric guitar, creating a rising feeling. Who mainly worked on this song? It doesnt seem like Ju-hyuk did it Lee Ju-hyuk pointed to Ian and Kim Hyun. Did you two work on it together? We have to do our best when we have such great mentors. Good. Kim Hyuns words made Lee Hyun-ah smile. She, who had be a teacher, liked the sight of passionate students. But this song is how should I put it You know how we often arrange our songs in a band version for our concerts? Yes. This song feels like that. Ian asked. Do you mean it doesnt sound like an original song? Yes, I think you need a special melody here. Ian and Kim Hyun looked thoughtful. Lee Hyun-ah said. You two are not used to writing songs, are you? Yes. She remembered when she had worked on her first song. Who would listen to this song? Is this song worthy of being released to the world? She had all kinds of thoughts. But her worries were short-lived. A few yearster, her first song captivated critics, the public, and fans, and it was rated as the best song she had everposed. Its okay to be clumsy. There are things that arepleted by being clumsy. *** Lee Hyun-ah came out to the yard after listening to all the teams songs. The PD smiled and said. How was it? Did you find the most promising team? Yes, Park Jin-hyuks team. Both songs had the most clear concept and the highestpletion rate. Lee Hyun-ah answered without hesitation. Why not the other teams? Well, Kim Joo-young doesnt seem to have a clue yet, so theres nothing to evaluate. And Lee Joo-hyuks team has one song thats kind of iffy. Lee Hyun-ah trailed off. She hesitated for a moment before opening her mouth again. I guess it depends on what the next mentor advises them. Joo-hyuks team or Jin-hyuks team? Yes. *** After Lee Hyun-ah left, Ian and Kim Hyun groaned and held their heads. Ugh, they said its the concert arrangement version, but it sounds exactly like that. Whats the special melody? How can we add anything here? Lee Joo-hyuk smiled faintly at them. His notebook was filled with sentences. Guys, cheer up. Youre doing great. Hyung! Help us! Kim Hyun crawled to Lee Joo-hyuk and grabbed the hem of his pants. Ian followed him and pped Kim Hyuns hand away. No way. We agreed not to get Joo-hyuk hyungs help. But why are you and Joo-hyuk hyung so diligent? Kim Hyun shouted in frustration. Jin, who was watching from the side, chimed in with [Right!]. I just wanted to try it. Its good to know a lot of things. I was inspired by Joo-young. Seriously, Im going crazy. If you dont want to do it, then dont. Kim Hyun was about to say something, but he shut his mouth. He couldnt be the only one who did nothing. Talented bastards, Im annoyed. Ian snickered at Kim Hyuns grumpy remark. Kim Hyun was doing his best with what he had, and Ian was not afraid to challenge new things. That was the only difference between them. Honestly, Im not that talented. You? Ian and Kim Hyun eximed at the same time. What kind of newfangled humility was that? They were speechless. Hyung, that was totally a lie. If not you, then who? Lee Joo-hyukughed and said. Youll see when you work with Jin-hyuk and Joo-young. *** After Lee Hyun-ah left, Kim Joo-young and Jo Tae-woong also stared nkly at the monitor. Hey, this is not working. Lets start over. Really? Kim Joo-young, who had decided after much deliberation, deleted all the songs he had worked on. Wow. Jo Tae-woong looked back and forth between the monitor and Kim Joo-young in disbelief. Kim Joo-young turned his chair and stared at Jo Tae-woongs face. Hyun-ah sunbae was right. Instead of thinking about a song that fits the title, we should They decided to get rid of all the forced rap parts and strong dance beats that they had added because it was a song that seven people had to sing together. I think its good to tell our story with this song. Then should we start with the lyrics? Yeah. Hey, Jo Tae-woong. Kim Joo-young asked with determination. How are you doing these days? What? Jo Tae-woong widened his eyes at the sudden question. Im just wondering if youre okay. Of course Im okay, why wouldnt I be? Jo Tae-woong knew what Kim Joo-young was trying to say, but he pretended not to. Kim Joo-young chuckled. He knew what Jo Tae-woong was thinking. I just wanted to try it. Its good to know a lot of things. I was inspired by Joo-young. What are you talking about? You must have seen Rural Life. I honestly dont know why I became the leader. Kim Joo-young was still unsure of himself, and Jo Tae-woong looked fine on the outside, but his inner state was unknown. Ive opened up to you, so tell me something about yourself. We all knew that it wouldnt be easy to recover. Really? The other members also had to go through counseling while Jo Tae-woong stopped his team activities due to panic disorder. They also learned how to behave around him, and the advice they received was to keep a close eye on him. Youre suddenly opening up to me. Jo Tae-woong smiled awkwardly. But he didnt look pale. He was just embarrassed to reveal his feelings. Well Im using the inte less now. But I had a hard time, actually. Really? Kim Joo-young felt relieved. He was worried that he might have been too blunt. We had a lot of opportunities this year, right? Yeah. When I think about it, we missed a lot of them. They were supposed to have a world tour this year, their Japanese album was postponed, and they were on the verge of breaking into the US market while doing Kaden Hurt Show locally. There were also many other schedules, such as small concerts and advertisements, but some of them were dyed or canceled. All this happened because he stopped working for a few months. I wondered if it was all because of me. Do you still think that? Sometimes. Kim Joo-young sighed. He didnt know what to say, so he closed his mouth. Jo Tae-woong was also too embarrassed to say anything. After a while of silent thinking, Kim Joo-young jumped up. Hey. I just remembered something. Chapter 212: Chapter 212: Dont touch theposition. Your face might be decent with some grooming, but your singing and rapping are mediocre. Your age is a first-year middle schooler? Maybe some lessons would help? That was what Lee Joo-hyuk heard when he auditioned for a nning agency for the first time after dreaming of bing an idol. Well, lets give it a try. Thats how Lee Joo-hyuk signed with a small agency and continued his trainee life while listening to the disdainful words of the agency staff. Joo-hyuk, are you satisfied with your skills? I guess my rapping and dancing have improved a bit, but To be honest, I cant debut you like this. Lee Joo-hyuk wasnt good from the start. He thought he would get better if he learned from hisck of skills after signing a trainee contract, but his confidence soon disappeared. Am I not talented? Around that time, he received a notice that he was dropped from the debut group. Im sorry, Joo-hyuk. Youll miss your debut timing if you stay here. How about thispany instead? You can join the debut group right away there. Lee Joo-hyuk refused the offer to connect him to another agency and went to audition elsewhere. He had a feeling that he wouldnt be able to debut even if he went to that agency. Joo-hyuk, do you know ck Rush agency? Yeah, I do. Theyre recruiting trainees, do you want to go with me? If I go with you, wont I get rejected? With half doubt and half hope, he entered the audition hall, where he met Seo Su-ryeon and Lee Byung-hun, who looked at him with shining eyes. I like the vibe. Me? Yeah, you. Your name is Lee Joo-hyuk. He thought his friend would get picked because he was good, but Lee Joo-hyuk was surprised by the unexpected proposal. Do you want to sign today? Thats how he became the first trainee after ck Rush. Lee Joo-hyuk didnt know why BHL Entertainment chose him, but he brought his parents and signed the contract before Seo Su-ryeon changed her mind. Thispany was different from the previous one. They had systematic vocal, rap, and dance sses, as well as character education and foreignnguage education. Among them, the most interesting thing was theposition lesson. Why dont you try producing? Likeposing or writing lyrics. Producing? Yeah, you have a good ear, dont you? Dont take it the wrong way. Its trendy to have a producing member these days. Thats how Lee Joo-hyuk found his aptitude under the systematic education and devoted himself to studyingposition. He had been told that he wouldnt be able to debut at this level by his previouspany, so he had apulsion that he wouldnt be able to debut unless he reached a certain level inposition. Hello, hyung. And then Park Jin-hyuk joined as the second trainee. Wow, hyung, youreposing too. Can I join you? And Lee Joo-hyuk never forgot the first time he worked with Park Jin-hyuk. Jin-hyuk enjoys it so much. The random beat he made while smiling sounded amazing. He writes good songs too. And his rap lyrics are great. Lee Joo-hyuk, who had been trying to do anything to debut, felt a bit of inferiority and pure admiration when he saw the talented person for the first time. Can I do that too? He achieved his long-awaited debut and even won the title, but he hit a wall again. It was Kim Ju-young. Wouldnt it be better to go with this vibe here, hyung? He casually pointed out the problem that he couldnt find, and Lee Joo-hyuk felt a slight jealousy and genuine awe. The truly talented people are different. Lee Joo-hyuk whipped himself as he looked at Kim Ju-young, who had no self-esteem despite having the ability he had always envied. Im different from him. I have to work harder. And he pushed himself relentlessly. This is not a catchy title. I wish it was better It doesnt seem very appealing. Lee Joo-hyuk sighed deeply. Am I enjoying this at all? *** Ian, who was lying on the bed for a while, looked at Lee Joo-hyuks back, who was lost in thought in front of the monitor. Whats up, are you done resting? Kim Hyun, who saw Ian jump up, awkwardly raised his upper body. Something that isplete in its clumsiness Ian was still thinking about Lee Hyunas advice. Hyung, can you take a look at this? Ian showed him the song heposed with Kim Hyun and said. Lets just go with this. As it is? Dont you want to follow the mentors advice? Kim Hyun raised his voice in surprise. A song is notplete with just theposition. It needs lyrics to be finished. Ian had a feeling that this would be fine. He yed the song on repeat and quickly scanned the lyrics that were densely filled on the paper in front of Lee Joo-hyuk. But hyung, why did you think of these lyrics? The concept is something like a constion song for the people who are struggling. Oh, thats nice. Ian muttered as he recited the lyrics. Well, it seems like youre not talking to the people who are struggling, but to yourself. Ian had a vague idea of why Lee Joo-hyuk wrote these lyrics. Did he get burned out or something? Ian didnt understand. Lee Joo-hyuk was doing well enough. I dont know if I can deliver these lyrics well. Ian put some strength into his voice. Its okay to be clumsy Its okay to be imperfect Its okay not to try hard Its okay not to be okay The recitation turned into a single note. It was something that Ians subconscious created. Dont mind what others say You are beautiful as you are Lee Joo-hyuk didnt expect his lyrics to sound so different. When he heard it like this, Lee Joo-hyuk realized something. Its not for the people who are struggling maybe I wanted tofort myself with this Lee Joo-hyuks choked voice reached Ians ears. Ian. Lee Joo-hyuks hand had a phone that was recording. This is it. *** The members, who had a hectic day with the second song, were finally facing thest mentors visit. Everyone, thest mentor ising soon are you ready with your song? Yes! PD Lee Jong-soos voice was trembling. But PD, you seem more nervous than us. Of course, its Mr. Kim Hee-sang. He must really like you guys. PD-nim, is this why you took charge of our program? Are you using your connection with Kim Hee-sang and AWY to indulge in your fandom? The members looked at the PD with suspicion in their eyes. The PD did not hide his excitement. Oh! Hes here! Park Seo-dam shouted. Just then, a luxury car slowly entered from the other side. The members ran to greet Kim Hee-sang. Hello! Kim Hee-sang, who stood up with a cane, smiled warmly. Long time no see, kids. *** The members went inside the house for a while, and Kim Hee-sang also had a pre-interview with the other mentors. What made you participate as a mentor? The kids asked me toe What can I do? I had toe. You must be very close to them. Of course, I treat them like my sons. He knew that they had a connection through Legend and Together, but he didnt know they were this close. The PD thought he should be nicer to the AWY members and swallowed his smile. Is there a team that you are most looking forward to? Well They are all so good. Kim Hee-sang touched his chin and grinned. Of course, its Joo-hyuk. I like kids who work hard. *** The first ce Kim Hee-sang visited was the house where Lee Joo-hyuk, Ian, and Kim Hyun were. It sounds like a song that kids these days would like. That was Kim Hee-sangs opinion after listening to the first song that Lee Joo-hyuk produced. Lee Joo-hyuk asked cautiously. Does that mean its ordinary? No, thats why its good. We are people who make pop music. Being popr is the bestpliment. Kim Hee-sang pped his hands. Anyway, its a good thing that you have a popr ear. It was a song that suited Joo-hyuk. I Im not trying topare what the other mentors and you said, but Lee Joo-hyuk couldnt find an answer. The other mentors said that my personality is too strong and that I should try something different. What do you think? Kim Hee-sang stroked his chin and pondered. Having a strong personality is a good thing, not a bad thing. But I think there must be a reason why the mentor said that. Thats true. Kim Hee-sang was silent for a few seconds. He was wondering how to say it without hurting the other mentors feelings. Maybe the mentor is worried that you might fall into self-replication. Is that so? Do you enjoy writing songs? Lately I dont know. He was happy when he first found something he could do well. He learned more and more and it was fun. It was a good feeling when the song he worked hard on became the title track, and many people enjoyed listening to it. Buttely, he wasnt sure. Lee Joo-hyuks nickname was Buddha, and his caring nature meant that he was good at reading the mood. And having a producing member among the members meant that he had to bear a lot of weight. Ah, this part would be better sung by Ian. This would suit Seodam better, right? If we want to do a performance, we should put a dance break here Is that too random? He was so considerate that he wanted to bring out the strengths of each member. But if this kid gets more parts, there will be a controversy over the part distribution Should I change it like this? He tried to avoid any trouble by forcing it to fit, and the songs ended up sounding the same. What I can say is Joo-hyuk, stop touching theposition after this song. Really? Lee Joo-hyuk, the person in question, was listening calmly, but Ian and Kim Hyun were surprised and raised their voices. Why? There are plenty ofposers who would give you songs. Or you could let Jin-hyuk or Ju-young handle it. Kim Hee-sang said casually, as if it was nothing. Youre losing your judgment because you only listen to your own voice. Listen to others too. Come to my studio when you have time. Can I really do that? Yeah,e and listen to various kinds of music. It might help you. Lee Joo-hyuks expression brightened. Kim Hee-sangs words, that he would help him with his worries, felt like he had gained a reliable ally. Teacher, is it only Joo-hyuk hyung? Ian asked subtly. Ian, youre busy, arent you? Do you have time to write songs? I want to try it too. The next song isposed by Hyun hyung and me. Really? Let me hear it. Ian yed the next song excitedly. It was a songposed by Ian and Kim Hyun. All three of you,e. Ian and Kim Hyun smiled sheepishly. Kim Hyun also participated in theposition reluctantly, but he was very happy with Kim Hee-sangs offer. But who wrote the lyrics? Joo-hyuk hyung did. Kim Hee-sang looked at Lee Joo-hyuk silently and then patted his shoulder. Chapter 213: Chapter 213: How about trying a solo activity? Kim Hee-sang, who visited Park Jin-hyuk and Park Seo-dams house next,ughed out loud after listening to their song thatsted for over seven minutes. Youre a very unique team. What do you think? Im an old-fashioned person, so I cant really judge this song. Hey, youre not an old-fashioned person. Youve written a lot of dance songs. Kim Hee-sangughed again. But one thing I want to say is I can feel that youre doing what you want to do freely. Well done. Thank you. Of course, this project is a survival to pick the title song but you have to do what you like, then the listeners will like it too. Park Jin-hyuk, unlike Lee Joo-hyuk who had suppressed himself to make a song that suited the title, put in whatever he wanted to do. He made a song that was difficult but fresh by doing what he liked. Lets listen to the next song. Then, the second song flowed through the speaker. Kim Hee-sang nodded his head as if he was surprised. Seo-dam has improved a lot. At his words, Park Seo-dam scratched the back of his head shyly. Park Jin-hyuk pouted his lips and said. Teacher, what about me? Well, youre doing well without me pointing it out. It would be good for Jin-hyuk to widen his genre spectrum like this. Yes. Park Jin-hyuk, who finally brightened up, smiled and gave Park Seo-dam a high-five. Kim Hee-sang, who came out of their house, looked at Lee Jong-soo PD and said bluntly. PD, why did you call me? Huh? Theres nothing for me to see here. I didnt know they would do so well either. Youll like the next team too. Really? The next team was Kim Ju-young and Jo Tae-woongs team. As Kim Hee-sang opened the door, music sound came out. Lets try it one more time. Can you sing it a bit more sharply? Ill try. Jo Tae-woong cleared his throat and held his phone as a microphone. Dont try to hurt me with lies You cant do anything to me He leaned against the shoe rack so that he wouldnt disturb them and watched them work. Acoustic bad? Kim Hee-sang leaned his head forward in surprise. He thought they would make a dance song since it was a survival to pick the title song. This part is a bit vague What if you raise the pitch here? Try singing it. At Kim Ju-youngs words, Jo Tae-woong groaned and opened his mouth. It means youre not sure of yourself, that means you have more ces to go Enjoy the fall so you can rise again, lets do it together He sang passionately with a vein on his neck, then gulped down some water and said. Ouch, isnt this too high? Just record it, this part is what Ian asked for. I think Ian will have a hard time too. As long as its not us. Theyughed softly. This is how you explode the sound here. Kim Ju-young pressed the space bar on theputer keyboard lightly. The slow acoustic guitar sound flowed, and he sang as if he was reciting, then the sound exploded at the chorus part. This is awesome, really. Jo Tae-woong leaned back on the chair as if he was lying down and eximed. Suddenly, Kim Ju-young, who was sitting in front of the monitor, seemed to have thought of something and hummed a tune, then came up with a pretty good melody. The lyrics, which contained Jo Tae-woongs worries, were echoed and amplified to create a soaring feeling. Hey. Jo Tae-woong raised his hand for a high-five. As Kim Ju-young was about to p his hand. p p p. They heard apuse from somewhere. Kim Ju-young and Jo Tae-woong looked up and saw Kim Hee-sang standing at the entrance. They got up awkwardly. Teacher. That was perfect. *** After the songwriting camp for Our time, the members had a busy day with advertisements and photo shoots. The song they had worked on was recorded again for a blind test, and the guide recording was done by their junior group, Fever. Jae-yeon, thats enough. You cane out now. A man in a hooded hat came out of the recording booth. He was Park Jae-yeon, Feversposer member who followed Jung Se-jun and Lee Joo-hyuk in BHL Entertainment. Thanks foring to record. Dont you have to practice too? Yes. Ill go then. Okay. Park Jae-yeon was about to leave, but he stopped and sat down again. Um Hyung. Can I ask you something? Lee Joo-hyuk turned his chair around and looked at Park Jae-yeon. Park Jae-yeon hesitated for a moment and then opened his mouth. The director said I should try producing from the next album. But Oh, congrattions. Lee Joo-hyuk pped his hands. It meant that he had a lot of weight on his shoulders, but it also meant that he had the skills to be trusted and entrusted with producing. But Im not sure. Why? If I can do well. Park Jae-yeon bit his nails and mumbled. I like writing songs, but I have to pay attention to the members parts and match their voices. And since its my first time, I have to write good songs too Lee Joo-hyuk swallowed his breath. It was exactly what he was worried about. How did you do it, hyung? That I cant really tell you. Why? Im still worried too. Park Jae-yeon was surprised. You too, hyung? The poprity is too highpared tost time, and I feel a lot of pressure for this song. And its hard to distribute the parts equally, as people say. Yeah! Thats right! Park Jae-yeon agreed with him, and Lee Joo-hyuk sighed softly and told him what he had heard from the mentors during the camp. What do you think? I think your songs are all good, hyung. Im not lying, really. They fit the idol concept well. And our fans were really happy when they heard that you were producing. Really? But Lee Joo-hyuks face still showed his worries. Park Jae-yeon thought for a while and snapped his fingers. Then, hyung, how about trying solo activities? Solo? Yes, I cant do it yet, but I think you can do it if you have enough experience, hyung. Solo, a solution he had never thought of before. Lee Joo-hyuks eyes lit up. You care a lot about the other members, hyung. You have to worry about each part and find something that suits them. But What if you make a song for yourself? Wouldnt it be different if you do what you want to do, hyung? Just go for it. I want to do this Lee Joo-hyuk, who had been thinking for a while, tapped Park Jae-yeons shoulder. Thank you. *** The busking episode of Our time was aired, and at the end of the broadcast, a video of the demo songs recorded by the Fever members was shown. Please choose the title song for AWYs next album! -? -What? -Title?? For more details, please visit JBCT Our time homepage, AWY official homepage. -Why are they suddenly asking us to vote for the title? I just saw an article that says there will be aposing survival after the busking F*ck Healing camping WTF?? The title voting for AWY was broadcasted live to overseas fans as well, and the homepage ess was blocked in just 20 minutes after the broadcast ended. -Whats going on? The homepage is down? Me too, I cant get in -Ah, the server is really Our kids are so popr that they cant handle any ordinary server The real-time search terms and hashtags were flooded with AWY-rted things. The homepage server was restored in an hour. The fans listened to each candidate song and posted their predictions of who participated in them. -Who is the guide for these songs? They sound familiar They sound like Fever Ah f*ck off Dont fight, the kids like their junior group -7 This song is really 7 minutes long Is this Hoxy Jin-hyuks song? I listened to it and what is this crazy song Theres no one else who can make a 7-minute song like this but Jin-hyuk It must be Jin-hyuk 700 -Crash This sounds like Tae-woongs story Heartbreaking It seems right D*e, haters *** Ian, can you hit a higher note here? (Sigh I dont know. But Kim Ju-young producer is done, right? He can d*e without any regrets now.) Hey, dont joke around. Can you do it or not? (Ill try.) The AWY members were recording their songs for the uing live stage of Our time. He wants me to go higher here? Can I? Ian hummed a few times and sang along with the music again. I can do it? A clear and bright high note came out of his throat. Ian, who was doubtful, was surprised himself, and the members who were watching him also opened their mouths and looked at Yi-an in the recording booth. Hes amazing. He can really hit that note. I thought he would at least crack, but he didnt. Lets make Ian do all the high notes from now on. Hes a high note shuttle, a high note shuttle. Next song, high note is Ians job Lee Joo-hyuk shook his head roughly. He decided not to think about songs for a while, but he unconsciously thought of it. Thats it! Come out! Ian took off his headphones and sat next to Kim Ju-young outside the recording booth. Did it go well? How was it? Hey, youre in big trouble. Now all the high notes are yours. Werent they before? Ian tapped Kim Ju-youngs shoulder and moved to the sofa in the corner of the recording studio. At that moment, he felt a vibration in his pocket. (Uncle Jeong Ryu-won) Ill be back after taking a call. Uh bring me some melon Kim Joo-young, who was casually giving permission, lifted his head. Wait, a call? A call?! Are you dating someone? There were a few signs that showed someone was dating. Wearing couple items that were not fan gifts, or not being able to put down the phone even during schedules. And having a lot of phone calls. Jo Tae-woong, who was pondering something, suddenly got up and touched the back of his head. Holy! Now that I think about it, hes been making a lot of callstely? Really? Hyung! If you date, were all doomed! All the remaining members got up and rushed to snatch the phone from Ians hand. Hey, who is it? Tell me! Is it Luna Girls? Luna Girls?! You finally did it! They said that, but they couldnt hide theirughter. It seemed like they just found something to tease him about. Ian showed them the screen of his phone with a tired face. No, its an uncle I know. Go ahead! The members immediately changed their attitude. Ian chuckled and went out of the recording studio. He leaned against the wall in the hallway. Yes, uncle. (Are you sure this is okay?) Yes. (This is too much of a gamble) He heard the other person sigh. But Ian didnt back down. Uncle, you promised to do as I say. (I know, Im not ignoring you Im just worried.) Yes, I know. The other person groaned and spoke as if he was exhaling. He was an investment expert who met Ian throughwyer Jeong Yeon-jae. He was also one of the people who received support from Ians grandfather. See for yourself in a few months. Youll regret not investing with me. (Its strange I know its impossible, but when I talk to you, I feel like it will work out somehow) Jeong Ryu-won sighed helplessly. He couldnt refuse when he asked. It was not his money anyway. What if he lost it? He didnt care. (Okay, I got it. Its not my money anyway. I dont care if I lose it. Just dont tell your parents, okay?) Me? Haha! Anyway, thank you for your time, uncle. (Youre wee Ill send you the results by text.) Ian hung up the phone and didnt go back to the recording studio right away. He walked slowly down the hallway. Is there anything else? [No. But why do you care so much?] About what? [That reporter Yang something. Why dont you just be famous enough to be on the media? Then the public opinion will naturally follow. You guys seem to have enough potential to be on the media, right?] Ian stopped and stared at Jin. Jin couldnt read anything from Ians expression. Ian stared at Jins lens for a while and muttered softly. I just dont like the feeling. Chapter 214: Chapter 214: A ghost-like guy. Thats it for today! Happy Chuseok! Bye! The members, dressed in hanbok, waved their hands towards the camera. Kim Myung-jin, who was recording, gave a thumbs up. Good. It came out well. Lets change clothes. Whats next? A message of support for the college entrance exam. Then Christmas. And then New Years greetings. Thats a lot The members had their schedules packed until the end of next year. So they decided to shoot various messages of support in advance whenever they had some spare time. As the members came out after changing clothes, the hair and makeup artists attached to each member changed their hairstyles quickly. They tried their best not to make it obvious that they shot everything on the same day. Is there anyone among us who took the college entrance exam? No way. Some of them had even dropped out of high school and took the GED instead. Someone said that the college entrance exam is the first big test in life. Isnt it a big event nationwide in Korea? Yeah, even airnes cantnd during that time and they just circle around. And the stock market openste too. When did Choi Ian be an economic expert? Ian chuckled at Jo Tae-woongs remark. The members, who had pins in their hair, gathered together and watched other groups messages of support for the college entrance exam. What should we say for our message of support? If we just read the script, it sounds like were reading a textbook. How about we sing a short part of our song? Song? Which one? The members eyes fixed on Park Jin-hyuk. Park Jin-hyuk smiled slyly. You know, Its Okay. Oh, thats a good one. Its Okay was the title of a songposed by Ian and Kim Hyun, and written by Lee Joo-hyuk. Which part should we sing? Its okay. How about that part? Guys. If youre ready, lets shoot now. Kim Myung-jin shouted, looking at the backs of the AWY members. The hair stylists quickly removed the pins from the members heads, and the members stood in front of the camera. Two, three. Who we are? AWY! Hello, we are AWY! The members bowed their waists and shouted their slogan at Kim Myung-jins OK sign. Park Seo-dam, the unofficial MC of AWY, opened his mouth first. Yes, the college entrance exam is right around the corner! Theres only one step left, right? To all the students taking the exam in Korea! Youve worked hard so far! The members cheered and pped loudly. It must be nerve-wracking, but its okay! Dont worry too much and fighting! You can do well! Thats right. Youll get good results as much as youve tried! Even if you dont know the answer, we hope that every guess is correct! We, AWY, wish you the best of luck. The members said a word each after reading the prepared script. Kim Myung-jin was about to stop the recording, but he paused his hand. And dont forget to bring yourputerized answer sheet and lunch box Theyll give you theputerized answer sheet and sharp pencils at the test site, right? But just in case there might be some defective ones, make sure! To bring them! Wow, Ian is so detailed. And prepare something to wake you up during the English listening test Ians words made Kim Hyun nod his head slightly, then he looked at him with doubtful eyes. It was like he was saying How do you know that? Oh, right! And you cant have porridge or noodles for lunch. They digest too fast and youll get hungryter. Bring a lot of snacks too! Kim Ju-young, a foodie, shouted, making Kim Hyun flinch. Hey, who eats noodles with a lunch box? Ah, hyung! Thats a taboo for exam takers! Oops, youre right. Myung-jin hyung, can you edit this part The other members burst intoughter. Kim Ju-young was probably the first one to talk about food in a cheering video for the college entrance exam. Then, shall we sing that song for thest part? At Lee Joo-hyuks signal, all the members opened their mouths. Its okay. Youve worked hard. Its only a moment of pain, youll do better. Everyone, good luck on the exam! We are AWY! Bye! The cheering video ended with them singing a verse of Its okay. *** The title song voting for the week was over, and only the live stage was left. The live broadcast of Our time received applications for pre-audience through the fan cafe, and as expected, the application page crashed. Should we switch to another app instead of using the fan cafe? Seo Su-ryeon, who was watching the situation, closed the fan cafe window with a frown. Like Iverse or Candyapp? Yeah. AWY had been using the cafe of arge portal site until now, buttely, there was a trend of moving to smartphone applications. Iverse and Candyapp weremunity apps that came out as applications, but they also served as fanmunities, fan club management, and various functions such as goods sales and live broadcasts. They also had an automatic trantion function, so they were popr tforms for many artists. Well I think it would be better to make a new one than to use another app But we dont have time. Park Dong-soo tapped his desk. If were going to do it, wouldnt it be better to do it before the kids go on tour? I know someone from Iverse. Im sure theyll be happy if we join them. Seo Su-ryeon picked up her phone. **** The day of the live broadcast of Our time came. The members arrived early at the shop and started preparing for the broadcast. I still cant believe Jin-hyuk hyung wrote a 7-minute song. How are we going to sing that at our concert? Hey, its not even 7 minutes, its 7 minutes and 43 seconds. Seo-dam, what did you do instead of stopping him? Its fun. Fortunately, they didnt have time to make choreography, so they shortened the live stage to about a minute for each song. The members murmured as they saw Park Seo-dam smiling the same way as Park Jin-hyuk. Did Seo-dam get brainwashed by him? Its a reasonable suspicion. Kim Hyun and Jo Tae-woong looked at Park Seo-dams back with doubtful eyes as he got his hair done. But how do you think the voting results will be? Thats The members closed their mouths at the same time. They all knew that they had worked hard, so they couldnt easily guess who would get more votes. In the silence, Ian, who was chewing on a banana, casually said. I dont know about the voting results, but I know one thing. What is it? Theyll definitely say that we should do a triple title because we all wrote the songs so well. Some of them nodded their heads, agreeing that it was likely, and some of them were skeptical. Come on, no way. Would they just change the winning prize like that? No, they might. Theyll make a dramatic announcement that only one song will be the title, and then suddenly, bam! Three songs wille out at the same time. Yeah, and its our teams prophet whos saying that. ording to Choi Ian The members looked at Ian and sped their hands in prayer. Ian spread his arms as if he was used to it. *** The members of AWY finished their preparations and headed to the broadcasting station. They took a photo with the coffee truck that they had prepared for their fans and staffs as a reverse gift, and then entered the waiting room. Guys. PD-nim. Lee Jong-su PD also had a cup of coffee in his hand, probably from the same truck. You guys are really good at reverse gifts. Is that apliment? Of course. Its not your obligation to do that for your fans. And we also get to enjoy it. Thats true. Its not their obligation to do that for us either. Thats why I like you guys. The PD who was smiling warmly suddenly changed his expression. So, what do you think will be the title song? Didnt you guys talk about it? It must have been a nerve-wrackingpetition. Oh, PD-nim. Dont tease us. We didnt say anything. Come on, you can tell me. Ian asked the PD bluntly. By the way, PD-nim. Isnt it a triple title, not just one song? Thats the prize for todays winner, right? What? What are you talking about? Its one song. We already sent out the press release. Really? Ians eyes followed the PDs face persistently. The PD didnt show any change in his expression. He seems to be trying hard to keep a poker face. Then, Kim Myung-jin came out of the waiting room and gestured to the members that they had to get ready. PD-nim, see you at the rehearsal. Okay. Ill make sure the sound is good. The members left the waiting room and the PD was left alone in the hallway. He scratched his neck and muttered as if sighing. Wow Hes like a ghost. *** A short summary of the previous episode was aired, and then the screen switched to the JBTC studio. The members of AWY popped out from between the LED screens that split to both sides and stood in the center of the stage. Who we are? AWY! Hello, we are AWY! The members lined up and shouted their greeting in sync with Lee Joo-hyuks signal. Then, Park Seo-dam and Ian, who were holding cue cards, came to the center and started the hosting. Everyone, the voting for a week has ended, and we only have thest live stage of Our time left! Which song did you vote for? The fans who filled the audience seats screamed. You probably dont know which team worked on which song, right? Lets reveal it right now! The members split to both sides. The LED screens where they came out brightened up and announced the names of each teams songs. Joo-hyuk&Hyun&Ian Chat, Its okay Jin-hyuk&Seo-dam 7, Night night Ju-young&Tae-woong In Your Eyes, Crash Cheers erupted from various ces in the audience seats. The fans who couldnt make it to the scene but were watching the live broadcast at home also posted their reactions in real time. -7 is really Park Jin-hyuks style I knew it was him who made this crazy song -Chat was really good -Crashs lyrics were written by Tae-woong The song is good but it hurts my heart -In Your Eyes could have been a title song too Its a pity that it was eliminated from the candidates The members who had split up gathered again in the center. Ian nced at the cue card and looked at the camera. Im curious how our members worked on their songs. Me too. We dont know anything about the other teams, right? Arent you curious? The audience shouted yes! It will be revealed right now! The camera light went off, and the LED screen showed the edited footage of the members work process. The members sat in their designated seats and looked at the screen with anticipation. (Ahh!) Ian flinched. That scream was his own, exhausted from working. The ck screen disappeared and Ian, who was tearing his hair out, filled the screen. (Im going crazy!) (Hey, look at this.) (What are you guys doing? Is this a pieta?) (Im checking on Hyun, whos tired from working.) The scene showed Lee Joo-hyuk, who was calmly sitting, and Kim Hyun, who was half-asleep on hisp. The scene changed and this time it was Park Seo-dam and Park Jin-hyuk. (Hyung, I cant think of anything!) (Just drink some water like me. Maybe youll get some ideas when the blood flows to your head.) Park Jin-hyuk smiled stupidly and drank some water. Park Seo-dam, who would normally scold him with Hyung! Stop talking nonsense!, followed him and then copsed to the side. (Hey, arent you hungry while driving?) (Uh But we dont have anything in the fridge.) (I saw a lot of food in the staffs dorm Should we sneak in and steal some?) Jo Tae-woong and Kim Ju-young were racing with wheeled chairs and then got tired and nned to steal the staffs snacks. Ah The PD didnt edit that The members bowed their heads as their embarrassing moments were exposed on the broadcast. Chapter 215: Chapter 215: Its really hard to divide the parts like this. -?? -What are they doing lol -Theyre raiding the staff snacks -Hey you thieves lol On the screen, Jo Tae-woong and Kim Ju-young opened the front door and peeked outside. They walked out stealthily after making sure no one was in the yard and headed to the staff quarters. (How is it?) (Theyre all sleeping. Nows the time.) (Lets go, lets go.) It was dawn and the staff were asleep. They turned on the sh of their phones and sneaked into the house, rummaging through the kitchen. (Fry, fry!) They looked around nervously for sleeping staff every time they made a noise and carefully took out some snacks. They ran out of the house with quick steps. They ran out of the staff quarters and sprawled out in the yard. (Hey, why is there so much?) (I dont know, I just grabbed everything I could.) (Awesome, awesome.) Kim Ju-young opened his mouth wide at the sight of what Jo Tae-woong had brought. (But can we eat all this?) (Why should we be the only ones to eat without conscience?) They took too much. Ian whispered to Jo Tae-woong, who was holding a handful of stuff, next to him. Isnt that why the PD didnt edit you? Thats right. The Jo Tae-woong sitting in the studio and the Jo Tae-woong on the screen smiled at the same time. (If were the only ones who eat, were the only ones who are guilty. But if we eat together, were aplices.) (Thats right, thats why youre my friend.) Kim Ju-young and Jo Tae-woong smiled devilishly and headed to the other teams quarters. (What, theyre already asleep?) (The lights are on, though?) Jo Tae-woong and Kim Joo-young knocked on the door, but there was no answer. They saw Ians face when they opened the door and pulled their heads back. (Ah, what the hell. What are you doing with the nket over your head?) (Theres such a thing.) (Hey, eat this.) Ian, who was imitating famous paintings with the nket, scratched the back of his head awkwardly. He hade to his senses because of Jo Tae-woong and Kim Ju-youngs visit. They poured out the snacks and Ian stepped back. (What? Where did thise from?) (Theres such a thing.) (Really? Ill eat well.) Ian took some food without much suspicion and went back into the house. The caption read Santa us of AWY. There was a small Happy Christmas written above the caption, which was a spoiler for the uing carol song with Hailey Poles. They connected it like this. This PD must really like spoilers. Next, Kim Ju-young and Jo Tae-woong went to Park Jin-hyuk and Park Seo-dams quarters and yed rock-paper-scissors with them. The audienceughed. Lets get ready. Lee Joo-hyuk got up abruptly. There were stages in between watching the broadcast, so the AWY members left the seats together and the audience stirred. What? Lets watch a stage. The fans in the audience took out their light sticks and waited for the members stage. While the edited scenes ofic situations were shown, the members with in-ears and microphones went up on the stage. Kyaaaah! The fans in the audience screamed. The members of AWY, who had sung three songs in a row with less than a minute left, looked at the audience. They didnt have enough time to choreograph properly, so they just danced lightly, but the fans were ecstatic. Its too short But the songs were all good, right? Theyll be on stage more, right? The fans murmurs didntst long. A video of their training camp came on right away. If it was aic situation before, this time it was a serious situation. (Arent you guys anxious?) Lee Joo-hyuk, who was staring nkly at the ceiling, casually said. Kim Hyun, who was on the screen, only lifted his head and looked at Lee Joo-hyuk. (You mean what Ju-young said on Rural Life. I felt the same way. We achieved more than we thought, so I was worried about what would happen if we cooled down.) (Hey, Ian. Did you feel that way too?) (A little?) Kim Hyun, who had been listening quietly, frowned. (No, you should be happy, not anxious.) Kim Hyun got up and tilted his head as if he didnt understand. (I was the one who had the longest trainee period in our group. I also experienced a failed debut group. I had no regrets as long as I debuted.) (Yeah, you did.) (I think its amazing that we debuted sessfully and are still active.) Kim Hyun thought it was more horrible when he imagined working part-time jobs without learning anything and having no money after his debut was ruined. On the other hand, he was very happy now that he had debuted well and was popr and active. (If youre anxious, thats something you cant do to our fans.) (Ooh.) (This hyung is cool, right?) The fans in the audience cheered. Kim Hyun got up and waved to the fans. The cheers got louder. (You guys have high goals. Thats why youre anxious. Im honestly satisfied with what we have now.) -Burn -Life is like Kim Hyun -True, honestly AWY is already cheating by doing that Kim Hyuns burn made them suddenly motivated and they started working again. They briefly showed the backs of Lee Joo-hyuk, Kim Hyun, and Ian, who were discussing something while looking at the monitor, and then the screen changed. The team that came out this time was Kim Ju-young and Jo Tae-woong. (I wondered if it was all because of me.) There was a sound of pity from the audience. Jo Tae-woong, who was watching the video with the fans, jumped up and waved to the audience. -D*e, haters -Hes eating it again bmg Dont you care about your ID? Bye, you wont go far -Im at the scene right now and Tae-woong is waving his hand saying hes okay Kim Ju-young, who was fiddling with the music program, turned his chair and met Jo Tae-woongs eyes. (How are you now? Youre better than before, so were active now.) (Sometimes, really rarely. I did that before going to bed, thats it. Im fine now.) (Then I think it would be nice to write a song for you with what you want to say to yourself back then. Something like aforting song.) Kim Ju-young was full of confidence, but Jo Tae-woong looked doubtful. (But wont it be too depressing? It doesnt suit the title. Are you okay?) (I dont care about the title either But I think it would be nice to have a theme. Dont you have a lot to say? Ill write a song for you.) (Really?) Jo Tae-woong hesitated and picked up a pen. Kim Joo-young made a melody as he watched the lyrics flow smoothly on the paper. He only tweaked it a little, but it was a nice melody. Acting as a web novel editor, your task is to edit and correct sentence structures that are suitable for web novels. Rearrange sentence structures, words, and paragraphs as needed. The focus of this text will be a third-person narrative. Trante it into English. (Is this how you do it?) (Youre doing great. Youre our youngest after all.) (Really?) (Trust me. Your life will change.) (If you werent a singer, I think you would have been a cult leader.) The mood that had sunk for a moment was lifted by Park Jin-hyuk and Park Seo-dam. The audienceughed as they watched Park Seo-dam, who had a dull face fromck of sleep, gradually being brainwashed by Park Jin-hyuk. The members who performed the remaining songs stayed in the center and waved their hands to the fans. Did you enjoy it, everyone? The audience shouted yes! The stage was too short, right? Well see you again when the album is released. Now! Only the judgesments and the voting results are left. They are all busy people, but they spared some time for us. Unfortunately, they couldnte to this scene, but they will substitute with a video. Shall we watch it together? On the LED screen behind them, Choi Ji-min, the CEO of VI Entertainment, was listening to a song with earphones. (What song did you choose, Ji-min?) (I think 7 is really innovative, you know? But its too long for a title. So Ill go with Night night.) (Oh, did you know that both songs were made by the same team?) (Really? I didnt know. I like the jazz style of Night night. It suits the season, and its a bit different from the previous titles of AWY.) Next was BlueMix. BlueMix picked up the paper in front of him without a second thought. The paper said Chat. (This is it. Its perfect for a title. This is Joo-hyuks team, right?) (Yes, but I have a question. Why did you give such advice to Joo-hyuk?) (To be honest, I had high expectations for them as much as I was close to them. I hoped they would broaden their genre spectrum and bring a big change to the music market.) (But Joo-hyuk seemed to be very confused by that) (Really? Did I say something wrong?) BlueMix stared at the screen and said in a low voice. (But I hope Joo-hyuk understands. Joo-hyuk may not know, but he has infinite potential.) The members opened their mouths silently and looked at Joo-hyuk. Ian poked Joo-hyuks side next to him. Joo-hyuk smiled awkwardly. (What song do you think is the best, Hyun-ah?) (My taste is Its okay and Crash. I like both, but I liked the part where the sound exploded in the chorus. Ill choose Crash.) (How do you feel about this team listening to your advice well?) (Oh, is this Ju-youngs team?) Lee Hyun-ah widened her eyes in surprise. (Actually, I didnt expect this team to produce such a good result. The song is so good that I want to offer them a coboration. If theyre not busy.) Lee Hyun-ahsment passed and thest one was Kim Hee-sang. (Personally, I want to vote for Crash, but If its the kids taste these days, the title song is Chat.) (I see.) (But theyre all too good to miss. Cant we do a double title?) At that, the PD who was in charge of Kim Hee-sangs interviewughed. There was also a time when guest judges listened to AWY members songs and evaluated them. (What song do you like the most, Se-jun?) (I personally liked Night night, but If I had to pick a title, it would be Chat. The part distribution is good and its good to dance to.) Jeong Se-jun, who was a singer from the same agency and also a producer for another agencys singer, showed his face on the broadcast for a long time. (Lim Tae-woo. As an idol senior, which song is the closest to the title?) (I think its Chat too.) Lim Tae-woo frowned as if he was thinking of something. (This is Joo-hyuks team, right?) (Yes, how did you know? Joo-hyuk was the center of this song.) (I see He seemed to have a lot of trouble. You know what they call the part distribution of each member? They call itmunist part distribution, right? Its really fantastic.) Acting as a web novel editor, your task is to edit and correct sentence structures that are suitable for web novels. Rearrange sentence structures, words, and paragraphs as needed. The focus of this text will be a third-person narrative. Trante it into English. The part distribution chart of Chat that the production team had prepared separately came out after Lim Tae-woos words. The graph showed the amount of each members part in a circle, coloring their names differently, and it was even like pizza slices. -Wow -I didnt think of that -Amazing The writer who was in charge of the interview opened his mouth as if he realized itte. (Oh, I didnt think of that either. Thats impressive.) (I learnedposing superficially, but this kind of part distribution is really hard, you know. They did a good job of distributing the parts and also highlighted the strengths of the members. Theyre really amazing.) Ian stuck out his tongue. He thought he had lost his touch after switching to trot singer, but he must have studied in his spare time. He got it right. Chapter 216: Chapter 216: Why is mom there? -King Joo-hyuk -Leader -Both Joo-hyuk and Tae-woo are geniuses for making and recognizing this song -I wish Joo-hyuk would produce my idols song My idol always gets discriminated (Isnt this talent too obsessive? He cares about every little detail.) (Youre right.) Taewoo praised Juhyuk with his words, but his face didnt look very bright. (I think this song is the best for an idol group, but Im worried that Joo-hyuk is too meticulous and doesnt care about others opinions. Hes doing well now, after all.) Joo-hyuk stared nkly at Tae-woos face on the screen. Jong-soo PD didnt miss his expression. -Theyre really close, how nice -Look at Joo-hyuks faceHe looks like hes going to cry -Taewoo is so considerate~ AWY fighting^^ -Taewoo and AWYs friends are all handsome and pretty~~ Taewoos fans also joined the live chat and posted their reactions. Theyre all popr now. Ian chuckled as he thought about how they would change as they grew older. The guest judges finished theirments, and only the final voting result for the title song was left. Thank you for your thoughtful feedback! How do you feel about our members? Are you satisfied with thements? Or do you have anyints? Kim Ju-young took the microphone from Ian and asked with an excited voice. Hyuna sunbaenim, you werent joking about the coboration offer, right? I really want to work with our members! Okay. Next Joo-hyuks team, who got the most votes from the judges, how do you feel? Ian handed the microphone to Joo-hyuk. Joo-hyuk hesitated for a moment and then opened his mouth. Im happy to hear good things, especially from Tae-woo hyung. The fans in the audience cheered as if to encourage him. Great. Now we dont have much time left, right? Lets see what the final title song will be! Please show us the voting results! The members turned around. The LED screen showed the voting graph. The ranking was revealed from the bottom to the top. Thest one was the sampling song In Your Eyes that Kim Ju-young and Jo Tae-woong gave up on. Ah, as expected. Park Jin-hyuk sighed. The song above his was 7, the one he made ording to his own taste. It was too long andplicated with genre changes, so it didnt get many votes. When the next rank came out, Ian opened his mouth. Ah Was it too bad-like? The next 4th ce was Its Okay, the songposed by Ian and Kim Hyun and written by Park Jin-hyuk. The song Night Night that focused on Park Seo-dam was 3rd ce. The remaining songs are Crash and Chat! Kim Ju-young and Jo Tae-woong looked at each other in disbelief. Joo-hyuk looked at the screen with a calm face. 1st ce is! Yes! Chat! There was no surprise. As expected, the song Chat that Joo-hyuk produced won the 1st ce. When all the ranks were announced, the detailed voting numbers appeared next to the song titles. Ju-young hyung and Tae-woong hyung, how do you feel? They were too strong. But Im happy to get many votes. Yeah. We got 2nd ce, so we have no regrets. Park Seo-dam stood next to Juhyuk. What about you, Joo-hyuk hyung? Its not all my work, I think I couldnt finish the song without Hyun and Ian. You did most of it. Anyway, Im happy to win the 1st ce. Ian and Park Seo-dam smiled and looked at the front camera. The live broadcast was over and it was time to go home. Yes, congrattions once again. We will show you our Chat stage one more time and then say goodbye. The fans screamed in disappointment. Ian, who was about to say his closing remarks, chuckled when he saw the sudden message on the prompter. I knew this would happen. He made eye contact with Lee Jong-soo, the PD who was scratching the back of his head. Before we finish, we have some breaking news The title track of this album is not only Chat, but also Crash and Night night! A total of three songs! They will be released as triple titles! The fans cheered and the members behind him whispered to each other. Wow, Ians prophecy was right. This is scary. The AR sound of Chat yed on the stage. AWY finished their short performance and said their final greetings to the camera. Until now Who we are? We are AWY! Bye! The light on the camera went off, and the members waved to the fans and bowed to the staff. Im really jealous of your talent. What are you talking about? While the fans were reluctant to leave their seats, Ian, who was walking down the stage with Lee Joo-hyuk, stopped. Ju-young. You know that Crash and our song had almost no difference in votes, right? Really? Ian leaned on Lee Joo-hyuks shoulder. Hyung, effort is also talent. You know that, right? I know. Lee Joo-hyuk smiled faintly. I have to work hard not to be caught up. *** Our time AWY, the honest story of their music Our time recorded the highest ratings in the same time slot the power of fans that moves the media Our time ended sessfully. AWY released a mini album with the songs they worked on in Our time, but they had to prepare for the stage in a hurry, so they practically lived in thepanys practice room. We have to do it like this here. Kim Hyun showed them an example and the members followed. In the corner, a loud ringtone rang from a pile of luggage. What? Whos calling? Its mine. Ill take the call for a moment. Ian, who was bending his upper body, quickly got up and rummaged through the pile. Ah! Another call! This is why insiders are tsk. Did Ian really get a girlfriend? The members grumbled, but Ian ignored them and answered the video call. Yes, mom. Oh, parents are okay. The members who were hovering behind Ian fell to the floor like deted balloons. They were all exhausted from the practice that started early in the morning and didnt have any break time. (Son! Where are we?) Where are you? Youre in front of thepany Ian pressed his face to the phone screen. The background was not good. He widened his eyes when he saw thepanys sign in the corner. Were in front of thepany? Wow, what? Ians parents came? The members who overheard got up and stuck behind Ian. (Hello, kids!) Wow! Hello! Mom! You look even prettier! The members greeted Ians parents more loudly than Ian himself. Ian tried to resist being pushed back by the members who kept nudging him from behind. He thought only his parents would be there, but suddenly the screen shook and another person appeared. (Im here too, kids!) Wow, mom! Jo Tae-woong snatched Ians phone from his hand and pressed his nose to the screen. Why are you there, mom? (You know how busy everyone is with Chuseoking up.) (Come on! Lets have some delicious food!) Upon closer inspection, he saw not only Ian and Jo Tae-woongs parents, but also the parents of the other members. Even Park Seo-dams grandmother and siblings were there. But we still have some practice left (Dont worry. Weve already talked everything out!) What did you talk about? Just then, Kim Myung-jin, who opened the practice room door, shouted loudly. Kids, lets go to the dorm early after dinner. Your guardians are here, so today is special. The members cheered loudly and left the practice room. *** Is there a ce where we can all go? Your parents have prepared everything for you. Kim Myung-jinughed. Ian looked at the mothers who looked like sisters and smiled bitterly. When did you be so close? They seem to have a group chat. Really? It turned out that the parents who exchanged numbers at AWYs debut showcase were in regr contact with each other. When they heard that Ians parents wereing to Korea, they suggested, Lets have a meal together! and Jo Tae-woongs mother, Lee Hye-eun, who was quick to act, immediately contacted the agency and made time for them. Hows work? Are you okay? Youre seeing your parents for the first time in a long time and youre talking about work? We took plenty of vacation. Then youll be staying for a while? Ians parents smiled warmly at his brightening face. They moved to a barbecue restaurant that was not far from the agency. Ian confirmed that there was no one else except the staff. Its dinner time, but theres no one here. Oh, mom rented the whole ce for a day. She sure is generous. The dinner table, which included the managers and Park Dong-soo and Seo Su-ryeon, soon turned into arge-scale dinner party with the hair and makeup director, the agency staff, and the fan managers. Okay, smile! After filling their stomachs to some extent, the members had to go around the tables and take pictures. Is grandma healthy? Of course, she said she misses you guys so much on the phone. I want to visit her soon, but Ill be busier from now on, so I dont have time. Ian sat down for a moment and chatted with Jo Tae-woongs parents. Ian, thank you. Huh? For going all the way to that faraway ce to see Tae-woong. He said it was thanks to you that he brought the kids along. Ian scratched his cheek awkwardly. Thanks to you, our son was able to recover quickly. Thank you. Its nothing. We had fun too. Lee Hye-eun and Jo Ho-cheol smiled warmly at Ian, who was embarrassed. At the next table, Lee Joo-hyuk and his parents, and Ians parents were having a lively conversation. Joo-hyuk is very calm and nice for his age. I guess thats why he became the leader. Ians mother, Na Hyun-joo, said, and Lee Joo-hyuks fatherughed and said. Of course, our Joo-hyuk is so good. Hes been obedient and never caused trouble since he was young. Hes so mature and has a clear career path Im ashamed that I didnt do anything for him. Joo-hyuk, eat more. Joo-hyuk smiled and chewed the meat his mother grilled for him. Suddenly, he felt suffocated and couldnt taste anything from the meat. Well being good is not always a good thing in this world Huh? Oh, being good is good. Only Joo-hyuk, who was next to him, heard Choi Seong-muns, Ians father, muttering. Joo-hyuk looked at him in surprise. Na Hyun-joo nced at Choi Seong-mun as if she couldnt stop him, then quickly smiled brightly. But these days, you have to be selfish to survive. You have to eat everything you can and not let anyone take it from you. Right, Joo-hyuk? Uh I dont know. Ian is also good, isnt he? Choi Seong-mun and Na Hyun-joo made a strange expression. Ian? Dont be fooled by his handsome face. He pretends to be innocent, but he takes all the benefits for himself? Who does he take after? You? Both of us. Cheers? They clinked their sses. Chapter 217: Chapter 217: Lets go for the intense choreography! A lot of things changed as they became more popr. They bought the floor above their dormitory to prevent the Chinese fans who followed them everywhere and hung gifts on their doorknob from disturbing them. There were also people who spread malicious rumors on SNS because they refused to take pictures with them. Hyung, can we skip this part of the choreography? Why? But not everything was negative. The more popr they became, the more influence they had in thepany. The choreographer stopped the dance lesson and turned off the music. The other members who were standing behind Kim Hyun sparkled their eyes at his request. Its okay to start with kneeling, but I feel like our bodies will break if we suddenly m our knees on the floor. Really? Dont you think it looks better this way? You can wear knee pads. Id rather get rid of it than wear knee pads on stage. Hyung, we have a concert too, and this song is the title track, so it will definitely be in the setlist. But we cant keep doing this intense choreography. The rest of the members cheered and pped. Right! Yes! Their concept was sharp and powerful performance, so their choreography had been difficult since their debut. Guys, I know that. But you became popr because of this kind of performance, and if you suddenly remove it Were not saying to remove everything, just the knee mming and limbo, and the part where we jump on someones back. Our fans dont like that either, they say its dangerous. Okay, fine. Lets change this part to something else. So they had to live with painkillers and suffer from frequent injuries to their knees, ankles, and joints despite their young age. This problem was inevitable for the members of AWY. Guys, its time to go to the hospital. Yes. The agency took care of their physical and mental health by making them undergo regr check-ups and professional counseling whenever they had time. How are you feeling these days? The counselor who was writing something down looked up and met Ians eyes. Im good. We have a new albuming out, and a world tour nned. My body might be tired, but I love performing, and so do the other members. I see I watched Our time too. You did? Yes, you guys had a sincere talk with each other in thest episode, right? How about now, do you still feel anxious? Ian couldnt answer right away. He sometimes felt detached from reality when he thought about how his position had changed from Kim Yong-min, a failed idol, to Choi Ian, a top idol who easily sold millions of albums. Well Sometimes I feel like this situation is a dream. And now? Now was a time to enjoy, but he couldnt waste it by worrying. Im curious how far we can go. And Im looking forward to it. He had to keep his bnce, though. The counselor smiled faintly at Ians answer. Good. Come visit me anytime you feel dizzy. Thank you. Ill send you a ticket when theye out. Ian left the counseling room. Ian doesnt need to worry. The counselor flipped through the papers and circled one name with a thoughtful expression. This one is a bit worrisome *** The pce is so beautiful. Ian, have you been here before? No, I was busy with practice Ian also looked around with curiosity. Come to think of it, I dont think Ive ever been to a ce like this when I was Kim Yong-min He had been busy practicing then, and now he was busy with many people recognizing him. Even when he had time, he did not get out of bed. I have to go back to thepanyter. Really? Thats too bad. His parents hade from far away, but he couldnt just send them away. His agency allowed Ian a short vacation. But that also meant more practice time He was able to spend a few days with longer lunch breaks, and the members let him go withoutints. But they also joked, Be prepared when youe back. Ah! Hes a fan! Even though he wore a mask, a hat, and unknown sses, someone recognized Ian. Can I take a picture with you? Sorry, Im with my parents. He politely refused, saying that he couldnt grant their request because it was his personal time. Usually, people would understand and walk away with regret, but sometimes there were rude people who kept following him and insisting on their demands. Theres no one like that today. Instead, there were more and more people hovering around Ian and his parents. Choi Seong-moon, who noticed Ians change of expression, tapped his back. Are you tired? Im used to it now. Where are we going today? Today, were going to Joo-hyuks house. The members emphasized holiday home visits were done by Ians parents instead. They became friends through the parents group chat and suggested that Ians parents stay at their homes instead of the hotel. They said that staying at the hotel would cost a lot of money and be boring and dull. Theyre more used to hotel life But they seemed happy, so he was relieved. Ian heard stories about the members childhoods through his parents. Of course, Ian didnt really want to know that information. I should go now. Ian frowned slightly at the vibration in his pocket. Dont worry about us, were having fun. Yeah, Im going to meet some friendster. Really? His parents sent him off with a bright voice, but Ian dragged his feet with regret. Hes still a kid when you look at him like that. Right Choi Seong-moon and Na Hyun-ju smiled warmly as they watched Ians back. You dont have to worry about him. They sometimes saw Ians, or AWYs, ads on the streets of New York. Even his co-workers said that their kids were into K-pop and liked AWY. They could hear about their son in their daily lives, too. Being popr meant having a lot of troubles, too, so they were worried about Ian. But they sighed with relief when they saw their son who hadnt changed much. Ian left his parents behind and got into the van parked on the road. The members greeted Ian inside. Did youe? Did you have fun? Ian silently pointed to the people who had followed him. The members quickly became serious. It was a problem that everyone was experiencing. Are you okay? There was no weird person, right? Kim Myung-jin, who was sitting in the passenger seat, turned his head and looked at Ian. Yes, there was none. Do you want me to follow you when you go out? The bodyguards seem too obvious Hey, isnt that too much? It was exhausting for both the manager and Ian to follow him on every personal schedule. But we have to move to another ce, right? Yeah, I feel like someone is following me even when I go to the convenience store. As Lee Joo-hyuk and Jo Tae-woong spoke, Kim Myung-jin groaned. Thats why being famous is tiring. I liked it. Park Jin-hyuk, youre such an attention seeker. Kim Hyun, you dont get it. Celebrities have to be attention seekers. Kim Ju-young, who was caught in the middle of Park Jin-hyuk and Kim Hyuns bickering, had a calm face as if this had be his daily routine. What was our schedule today? Wasnt it the Korean Psychiatric Association? I think so. AWY was also doing regr activities for the public good. Especially, they received a lot of public service ads on mental health because of Jo Tae-woongs panic disorder. AWY dly epted the offer and decided to donate the ad fee to the rted organization. AWY If your mind hurts, go to the hospital Breaks the prejudice against mental hospitals with public service ads. AWY, fans follow the donation of ad fee Good influence AWY did not ept the support from the fans, so a culture of donating or volunteering following the singer emerged in the fandom. -Here, the donations never stop. Awesome. -The fans seem to donate well to the ces they need. -AWY is popr, but only 5,000?? It looks a bit poor Do you have to judge the donations? These are the kids who never donated even 100 won in their lives. Hey, you donate and write. *** The AWY members who returned to the practice room after finishing their schedule were practicing the choreography for the new song. Lets take a break for five minutes and practice the next song. The members copsed on the floor at Lee Joo-hyuks firm words. Wow, triple title means triple work. Lets not be greedy next time. The members breathed heavily. They felt dizzy and tired, as if the light bulb on the ceiling was spinning. It felt like they had only rested for 30 seconds, but the rm that Lee Joo-hyuk had set in advance rang. The members made a sad face and got up like zombies. But our Our time album and Carol dont ovep, right? No, they dont. Carol wille out two weekster, right? Isnt that team killing? Nah, no way. Lets do Crash now. This one is easy, right? Crash was rtively easy because the sound only exploded at thest chorus. The members loosened their bodies and casually matched the choreography. Then, Park Dong-soo opened the door of the practice room and came in. You guys have to go to Japan around the time your album activities end. Suddenly? The schedule for the Music Studio year-end special has been set. Oh, I thought they wouldnt call us. The members looked at each other in surprise. Ians interview, where he said to prove it with skills on Kaden Hurt Show, was still burning in Japan. What song are we singing? Probably Blue hour briefly and Chat in full, I guess? Wow, two songs each. They could have not sung a full song, but even two songs. They didnt know if the Japanese agency gave them some power or not, but it was good news. Hey, wait, does Kiseki also appear there? Probably? Theyre a famous group, right? Oh Wait. Who knows Joon-young hyungs number? The members quickly searched for the choreographers number. Even though they suddenly searched for the choreographers number, the members searched their phone contacts without a word, because they already expected what Kim Hyun would say. Me me me, I found it. Ill call. Park Jin-hyuk made a call and switched to speaker phone. (Yes, hello) Hyung! Lets go with the hard choreography for sure! That one! That one was good! (All of a sudden? You said you were worried about the fans, you said it was hard?) He sounded annoyed. He must have been offended by something. He was still awake despite thete hour, which meant he was working overtime to worry about the choreography. Lets do the chat for the Japanese music show stage! (Really?) The choreographers voice changed to a serious tone. The aftermath of this situation was still ongoing. Because Kisekis remark about being the originator of the Korean wave had caused a lot of resentment, the choreographer must have felt empathetic. (Then are we going to do that thing we did earlier? We wont get anyintster?) Yes! Lets go ahead with it! The members hung up the phone with a giggle. They were half out of their minds from the continuous dance practice. Is this really okay? What are we going to do at our concert? We can fix thatter. The choreography is one thing, but if the live performance gets messed up, its all over. Oh, wait. Lets do that thing we did earlier again. Ian smiled wryly as he watched the members get fired up in an instant. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!